LIBRARY NEWS

By: By Gayle Falk, Library Director and
Ruhama Kordatzky Bahr, Youth Services Librarian

Join the Burlington Public Library Adult Book Discussion Group on Monday, June 25 at 7:00pm as we discuss MARCH by Geraldine Brooks. This Pulitzer prize winner explores the Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the beloved father from LITTLE WOMEN. He, an idealistic chaplain, finds that war can test one's faith and that both sides are capable of acts of barbarism and racism. These book discussions are open to everyone and require no pre-registration.

 

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS

By: Megan Johnson, Administrative Assistant

The City of Burlington has a total of forty-four volunteer firefighters. Fire calls on average had twenty-five volunteers arriving at each fire call, working a total of 5,406 hours in 2006. Most of these volunteers have full-time jobs aside from firefighting and still make time for hours of training and monthly drills. There are also three full-time Fire Engineers that cover 24 hour shifts and are in charge of being the first responders to a call. In 2006 there were a total of 121 dispatched calls which was a 39% increase over the previous year. There were on average seven to thirteen calls per month, will July and January as the two busiest months. Fifty-five calls were for fires, fifty calls were to assist with accidents and sixteen were mutual aid calls occurring primarily in Racine, Walworth, Kenosha and Waukesha counties.

Within the month of June, you may notice fundraising information from the Fire Department arrive at your residence. On July 4th the Fire Department will host a dance at Echo Park with live music, food and raffles. Funds raised will help Fire Department activities, training and educational programs for the coming year. The Fourth of July event is their major fund-raiser for the year. Please consider supporting our excellent ISO rated Class 3 Fire Department and volunteers. This rating ranks your Fire Department in the top 3% of the over 860 departments in the State of Wisconsin. If you'd like to learn more, you can visit the Fire Department web page at www.burlington-wi.gov/Departments/Fire/fire.htm.

 

SUMMER WATER RATE ALLOWANCE

By: Connie Wilson, Utility Manager

The Sewer Irrigation Allowance is for single-family residential customers only and is for water usage from approximately mid-June through mid-September. If you fill your pool prior to mid June, please call the Water Utility for instruction on how to account for this savings. The customer will receive this water/sewer bill the first part of October 2007. Any questions relating to the Sewer Irrigation Allowance may be directed to the Burlington Water Utility at 262-342-1173.

 

ANNEXATION PETITIONS COME TO THE CITY

By: Megan Johnson, Administrative Assistant

Recently, two petitions for annexation were submitted to the City for property south of the city on STH 83/Pine Street and directly west of the Burlington Manufacturing and Office Park. The two parcels consist of the Brown property at 6730 S. Pine Street, containing 1.71 acres and the Schaefer property at 32435 Yahnke Road containing 180.73 acres. The proposed plan for this area will be a mix of commercial and cluster-type residential development in accordance with the City's Land Use Plan. The mix of development will contain single-family housing, multi-family housing, commercial, business and office use. Preservation of open space and wetlands will furthermore be emphasized. A proposal for the site plan and zoning will be brought forth to the July Plan Commission meeting for consideration and continue to the City Council for consideration in July and August. Please feel free to attend any of these meetings for more information.

 

BICYCLE SAFETY

By: Dave Walsh, Chief of Police

First, PLEASE wear a bike helmet. It doesn't matter if you are three years old or thirty-three. We have a demonstration kit at the Police Department that uses a raw egg to show the value of a bike helmet. With the helmet, the egg remains intact when it hits the ground. Without the helmet, the egg cracks wide open! Helmets are an inexpensive way to protect your remarkably valuable head.

Second, PLEASE obey the rules of the road. When on public streets, bikes are subject to the same general rules that cars must follow. Stop at stop signs, yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, ride with the flow of traffic, etc. And yes, technically bikes must obey the posted speed limit (though I've never had a problem with going too fast on my bike). Bikes are not allowed on downtown sidewalks. Ultimately, the real rule for the road is be considerate. A little consideration goes a long way.

Third, PLEASE lock up your bike. I'm constantly amazed to see so many bikes left unlocked in front of businesses and homes. Burlington is a safe community and the vast majority of our community members would never steal a bike. But it only takes one jerk to ruin your whole day. Don't make it easy to steal your bike. Take the time to protect your investment and lock your bike to something sturdy and stationary.

Fourth, PLEASE register your bike. The City of Burlington Police Department has a bike registration program that is open to anyone. It takes less than five minutes to fill out the form to register your bike. We then give you a sticker and enter your bike into our computer system. If your bike is ever stolen, we can use that information to enter the stolen bike into the state's computer system. If your bike is lost, we can search for it. And perhaps most importantly, if we find an abandoned bike, if it has been registered, we can get it back to the registered owner. The PD is open twenty four hours a day, every day of the year. When you have a free moment, please come register your bike.

Cycling is a great hobby. Burlington has some terrific streets for riding bikes, and the local bike trails are top notch. If you ride, please ride safely. And please, make it hard for thieves to steal your wheels. See you on the road!