www.strasburgva.com Official Newsletter of the Town of Strasburg, Virginia October 2012 The Strasburg Signal is published monthly by Town staff to inform citizens about town programs, services, and events. Your feedback is welcome. Please fill out the comment section below and return to the Town Office at 174 East King Street, PO Box 351, Strasburg, VA 22657, or call (540) 465-9197, or email [email protected]. DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT: Police Department The Strasburg Police Department is dedicated to providing excellent police service. Through positive community partnerships and collaborating with citizens, the Department strives to reduce crime, create a safe environment, build trust, and enhance the quality of life in the community. The Department offers many services including: Women’s Self Defense, School Resource Officer, Child Seat Installation, Crime Prevention Inspection, Neighborhood Watch, and, most recently, Business Watch. You can now register for Business Watch online by going to the Town website http://strasburgva.com and selecting Business Watch Registration under the Departments menu. Introducing the Police Department staff and officers serving you: Chief Tim Sutherly Major Jerome Robinson Captain Carroll Wilkin Investigator Larry Crum Narcotic Investigator (1) Lt. Jason Ford Sgt. Darren Miller K9 Officer John Magdenic Officer Stephanie Little Officer Matt Troxell Officer Kory Dodd Pat Pingley (Senior Administrative Assistant) Charlene Hodson (Administrative Assistant) Lt. Robert Conner Sgt. Chris Dodson Officer Amy Atkison Officer Larry Lineweaver Officer Steven Wetzel Officer Matthew Spiker FALL LARGE ITEM REFUSE COLLECTION – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 The Fall large-item collection will take place on Friday, October 12 in conjunction with the weekly trash collection. Items placed for collection cannot exceed 50 pounds in weight and the following items are excluded: appliances, motor oil, metal objects, paint, tires, chemicals, and pesticides. Brush and tree limbs may be placed for collection, but must be bundled not to exceed four feet in length and three inches in diameter. If you have any questions about large item collection, please call the Town Office at (540) 465-9197. YARD WASTE COLLECTION The Department of Public Works will be collecting yard waste September 24 through November 30, or by the first snow fall. The Department has received a number of comments and questions regarding the new collection procedures and answers the following frequently asked questions: In what type of bag can yard waste be placed? Any bag (plastic or paper) less than thirty (30) gallons is acceptable. If you have large branches, please reduce the branches to no longer than five (5) feet in length. Why are citizens being asked to bag their leaves? Due to aging equipment and the rising cost of fuel, staff is finding ways to extend the life of equipment and reduce the amount of money spent on fuel. Having citizens bag their yard waste will assist the Town in reducing costs. What do I do with my bagged yard waste? Bags should be placed at the curb each Monday morning by 7:00 a.m. The Town will pick up the yard waste by Wednesday of each week. HOMETOWN HARVEST FESTIVAL & GHOST TOURS SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, October 20…for Strasburg’s Hometown Harvest Festival & Ghost Tours! The Harvest Festival will be from 3 – 6 p.m. at the Town Hall parking lot, 174 E. King St., with free, fun activities for the whole family. Ghost Tours will take place from 6 – 10 p.m., with 10 stops beginning and ending at the Hotel Strasburg. Explore and learn about our Town’s ghostly history! Tickets for the Ghost Tour will be $3 in advance, available at the Strasburg Town Office, and $5 on the day of the event at Hometown’s Festival Tent or the Hotel Strasburg. Children under 5 are free and 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please visit: www.hometownstrasburgva.com or www.strasburg va.com or call (540) 465-8793 All events will take place rain or shine. STRASBURG RECYCLES! UPDATE As you know, the Town has set a goal to recycle 400 tons of material by July 2013. Since July 1, over 45 tons of recyclables have been collected. sewer system. Residents will be notified with a flyer prior to smoke testing in their area. Questions should be directed to the Department of Public Works at 540-465-3025. ART SHOW CONTINUES AT TOWN HALL Laura Sherril, a self taught artist with a vivid imagination, is the featured artist for the month of October. Ms. Sherril began her artistic journey designing tattoos, but after purchasing her first paintbrush and canvas, tattoos became a thing of the past. Her best work is completely spontaneous and she views art as a reflection of self, not only the artist, but the collector as well. In addition to being an artist, Laura has served her country as a Captain in the Army National Guard for the past 12 years. The exhibit is open to the public from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday with an artist reception on Tuesday, October 9, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in Strasburg Wednesday, October 31 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. What can I recycle? • • • • • • • • • Aluminum cans, metal food & beverage cans Glass bottles and jars, cereal & food boxes Milk & juice cartons, plastic bottle & jugs Wide-mouth plastic containers Mixed paper, newspaper, office paper, & junk mail Paperback books, magazines, phone books, & catalogs Aluminum foil & trays Empty aerosol cans, rigid plastics Cardboard boxes & pizza boxes SANITARY SEWER SMOKE TESTING In conjunction with the Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade (construction beginning spring 2013), the Department of Public Works is trying to identify sources of Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) into the sanitary sewer system. These sources may include residential sump pumps and roof drains. Town Code states that, “no person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, groundwater, roof water, subsurface drainage, or cooling water, or unpolluted process waters to any sanitary sewer.” To assist in identifying sources of I&I, staff will conduct smoke testing of the sanitary OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS 1 - Town Council Work 20 – Hometown Session & Public Harvest Festival & Hearing, 7 p.m. Ghost Tours, 3 – 10 p.m. 9 - Town Council 25 – ARB, 5 p.m. Meeting, 7:30 p.m. 15 - Council Work 31 – Trick-or-Treating, Session, 7 p.m. 5 – 8 p.m. 23 - Planning Commission Meeting, 7 p.m. Strasburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Fundraiser GUN RAFFLE LOTTERY Ticket $20.00 Each - 40 Chances to Win Per Ticket For tickets or more information, call: 540-325-6479 CITIZEN COMMENTS: (Please return to Town of Strasburg, PO Box 351, 174 East King Street, Strasburg, VA 22657) CONTACT INFORMATION: (In case follow up is necessary). Name:________________________________________ E-mail:_______________________________________ Phone #:______________________________________