Special Notes: Call the City Secretary's Office at 214-509-4107 to request presentation of a Blue Star Flag. Blue Star Flags are presented to local families that have service members deployed overseas. For more information, go online to www.cityofallen.org and see the City Secretary's web page.

Don't forget to reference the community calendar to find out about all local events. Reference the calendar at www.allencalendar.com. Items can be submitted for inclusion on the calendar or for general news release. This is a service contracted by the City of Allen as a resource for community news and events from all organizations.

NEWS RELEASES

Hurricane Rita Preparedness
Based on the most recent storm tracking resources, it appears that Hurricane Rita will be following a path to the east of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We are currently not expecting any significant issues related to extreme weather conditions; however the City of Allen is monitoring the situation and activated emergency preparedness efforts.

Depending upon course and intensity, Hurricane Rita could present the following dangers to the community:
Tornadoes
Sustained high winds
Torrential rainfall that could cause flooding

The City of Allen encourages our residents and businesses to take safety precautions to include:

Put away all garbage and recycling carts
Secure all objects that could be blown away
Bring any unsecured signs inside
Take down all flags
Store enough food and water provisions for a 72 hour period
Gather flashlights and battery back-up supplies that might be needed
City staff with Police, Fire, Community Services, Parks and Recreation, and Engineering have been notified of on-call status. They are prepared for all aspects of emergency response within their various specialties. Please note other emergency related information as follows:

The citywide siren warning system will be used as needed.
Collin County will utilize reverse 911 calling which will relay emergency messages from a central operating/dispatch center out to a mass list of phone numbers.

Utilize the non-emergency dispatch number 214-509-4321 for concerns and questions not of an immediate nature.
In a state-of-emergency, call prioritization will result for Police and Fire.
TXU is preparing for emergency response as related to downed power lines and outages.
Community Services will clear brush and debris from streets and right-of-ways to permit emergency vehicle traffic. The cleared brush and debris may be temporarily placed on residential property. This brush and debris will be permanently cleared as soon as possible following the storm. Residents will be responsible for other brush and debris clean-up that occurs directly on property.

Regional Benefit Concert Postponed
Due to inclement weather predicted for the area as related to Hurricane Rita, the regional benefit concert, "Helping to Heal" scheduled for Saturday, September 24, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco has been postponed.

Allen Slashes Irrigation Costs For Golf Course
A recent action by the Allen City Council dramatically reduced irrigation costs for the cities' Chase Oaks Golf Club. The action authorized execution of a contract between Allen and the City of Dallas for the purchase of untreated water for irrigation of the recently acquired golf course.

The agreement allows for the diversion of water from Russell Creek and Rowlett Creek at two irrigation locations on the golf course. The rate for the untreated water is $0.39 per 1000 gallons which compares to the cost of $2.89 per 1000 gallons purchased through the City of Plano. The contract will save approximately $30,000 in water costs per year, depending upon weather conditions.

City of Allen Fire Department announces Fire Prevention Week activities In an effort to battle home fires before they start in Allen, the City of Allen Fire Department is taking a lead role in NFPA's Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15. By hosting local activities and events that will both entertain and educate the public, the Allen Fire Department hopes to raise awareness of key fire safety issues, helping attendees prevent fires and fire injuries, especially at home.

"Many people don't realize that they are at greater danger from fire at home than anywhere else," says Linda Greenidge, Public Education Coordinator for the Allen Fire Department. "Fortunately, there are many things residents can do to turn that around and make their homes safer. Fire Prevention Week is the time when we reach out to the community one-on-one, teaching people of every age how to prevent fires. This year, we'll be focusing in particular on candle fires, a serious and growing part of the fire problem."

As part of the local fire prevention awareness activities, the Allen Fire Department hosted a poster/bookmark contest at the various AISD elementary schools. The winner from each school in each division will receive a ride to school on a fire apparatus. Applecreek Day Care is also involved with in the poster contest. Selected posters will be displayed at the Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive, and winning bookmark designs will be reproduced and printed as actual bookmarks to use for ongoing educational efforts.

Fire Prevention Week has been sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for 83 years and is proclaimed by the President of the United States each year. The longest running safety commemoration is the premier fire safety program of the fire service, drawing the participation of the Allen Fire Department and other fire departments in the U.S. and Canada.

NFPA selected the 2005 Fire Prevention Week theme in order to highlight a growing home fire concern. The theme, "Use Candles with Care: When you go out, blow out!", is a memorable and effective safety message. Home candle fires have risen steadily over the last decade.

In addition to using candles safely, residents are urged to ensure that smoke alarms are installed on every level of the home and kept working with monthly testing and annual battery replacement. All smoke alarms should be replaced with a new unit after 10 years. Each member of the household needs to know the fire escape plan, and all should practice it twice a year. Residents can learn more about candle safety and all forms of fire prevention by visiting NFPA's official Fire Prevention Week Web site: www.firepreventionweek.org.

City Announces New Board Appointments
The Allen City Council recently concluded the selection and appointment of board representatives for all positions with terms expiring September 30. Those appointed to serve will fill terms that expire in September 30, 2007. The following appointments were made:

Animal Shelter Advisory Committee
Place No. 1 - Dr. Mike Overton
Place No. 3 - Vikki Francis
Place No. 5 - Lon Braselton

Arts Alliance Board
Place No. 1 - Sylvia Lynn Moore
Place No. 3 - Rod Schwegmann
Place No. 5 - Susan Butler
Place No. 7 - Sandi Acheson

Board of Adjustment/Building & Standards Committee/Sign Board
Place No. 1 - Edward S. McRoy
Place No. 3 - Steven Shaffer
Place No. 5 - Griffith Moore
Alternate Place No. 3 - Greg Cavalli

Community Development Corporation
Place No. 1 - W. Lee Howard
Place No. 3 - Lonnie Simmons
Place No. 5 - Richard Kessler
Place No. 7 - Debbie Stout

Economic Development Corporation
Place No. 3 - Kurt Kizer
Place No. 4 - Maxine Sweet Place No. 5 - Carl Clemencich Keep Allen Beautiful Board Place No. 1 - Patricia Buckley Place No. 3 - Wendy Gardner Place No. 5 - Carol Hohmann Place No. 7 - Dan Jenkins Library Board Place No. 1 - Julia Elina Place No. 3 - Donald Wing Place No. 5 - Susan McDaniel Place No. 7 - Mary Jane Hamilton Parks and Recreation Board Place No. 1 - Benny Ferguson Place No. 3 - Vicki Wester Place No. 5 - Cheryl Lawson Place No. 7 - Gary Alan Moore Planning and Zoning Commission Place No. 1 - Alan Grimes Place No. 3 - Marcelle Jones Place No. 5 - Gary Caplinger Place No. 7 - Douglas Dreggors Newly appointed and reappointed board representatives received training on the City's Code of Conduct, Open Meetings Act, and Public Information Act. At the end of the training, each representative took their oath-of-office and received a Certificate of Appointment from Mayor Steve Terrell. Registration Begins for the 10th Annual Rudolph Run Celebrate the season with the annual Rudolph Run hosted by Allen Parks and Recreation. Registration is currently underway for the 5K competitive race and 1 mile noncompetitive run/walks. This year's event takes place on Saturday, December 3 in Downtown Allen. Run fees vary per category entered. Registration packets are available at the Joe Farmer Recreation Center, 1201 E. Bethany, Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium, 110 E. Rivercrest, and RunOn! locations in Richardson, Dallas and Coppell. For more information, call the Adult Athletics Hotline at 214-509-4741 or see www.allenparks.org. Fast Forward Skate Contest Set for Saturday On Saturday, September 24, the Edge at Allen Station Park, 201 E. St. Mary, will host the Fast Forward Skate Contest from 6 - 7:30 p.m. There will be a $200 cash prize for best trick on the small hand rail and a $100 cash prize for best trick on the medium size bowl (spine in the middle of bowl). Giveaways include four skateboards, plus refreshments provided by Red Bull Energy drink. The skate park will not be closed during the event. For additional information, call 214-509-4760. CALENDAR September 24 Saturday Night Rec-n-Roll 7 to 11 p.m., Joe Farmer Recreation Center, 1201 E. Bethany $3 advance registration fee, $8 activity fee Saturday Night Rec-n-Roll is a supervised drop-off recreational night for youth in grades 3rd through 6th. Activities include gym play, contests, games, dancing and more. An annual $3 advance registration is required which provides participant ID card and necessary emergency contact information. ID cards must be purchased no later than 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and an ID card is required for entrance. For more information, call 214-509-4750. September 25 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Activities Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive 2-4 p.m. - Latino Paper Crafts will be a free come and go program and an opportunity for patrons to check out the growing Spanish language collection for adults. A variety of books in the collection provide instruction on making papel picado and other Latino paper crafts. -more- September 26 Deadline to Register for "Kick It Old School" Kickball Tournament Sponsored by Allen Parks and Recreation Tournament format is double-elimination Participants must be at least 15 years of age. Game day starts at 9 a.m. on October 1 at Allen Station Park Softball Complex Register at Joe Farmer Recreation Center, 1201 E. Bethany, or Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium, 110 E. Rivercrest For more information about the tournament, call the Adult Athletics Hotline at 214-509-4810. Week of September 26 Weekly Story Times at the Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive For more information about the free weekly story time programs, call 214-509-4906 Monday - 10:15 or 11:15 a.m.: Fun Ones for 1 year-olds accompanied by adult Tuesday - 7 p.m.: Fun Ones for 1 year-olds accompanied by adult Wednesday - 10:15 a.m. or 2:15 p.m.: All By Myself is an independent story time for 4 and 5 year-olds Wednesday - 11:15 a.m.: Together Time for 2 and 3 year-olds accompanied by adult Thursday - 10:15 or 11:15 a.m.: Together Time for 2 and 3 year-olds accompanied by adult Thursday - 2:15 p.m.: All By Myself is an independent story time for 4 and 5 year-olds Thursday - 7 p.m.: Family Story Time for 2 to 6 year-olds and all family members September 27 Allen City Council Meets Agenda includes vote on proposed tax rate and 2005-06 Fiscal Year Budget 7 p.m./Allen City Hall, Council Chambers, 305 Century Parkway City Council meetings are broadcast live on ACTV-15 or available approximately 48 hours later through video on demand at www.allentv.org. For more information, call 214-509-4107. September 27 Film Noir Movie Series 7 p.m./Allen Public Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive Featuring the 1946 film The Postman Always Rings Twice Free and open to sixth grade students through senior adults For more information, call 214-509-4105. September 27 Young Adult Writers Alliance (YAWA) 4:30 to 6:30 p.m./Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive This is a self-directed group for ages 13 to 18 who like to write and would like feedback on their writing from other peers in a relaxed environment. New writers always welcome. For more information, contact Cari Jones at yawa.moderator@gmail.com. September 28 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Activities Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Drive 4 p.m. - Book an Adventure! Tales from the Borderlands & Beyond. A program for children in grades first through fifth. September 29 Books and Beyond Program for Teens featuring Harry Potter Month Watch a Harry Potter Movie Allen Public Library Civic Auditorium, 300 N. Allen Drive Free program open to teens in 6th through 12th grades For more information, call 214-509-4913. September 30 Deadline to Register for Adult Co-Rec Volleyball League Register at the Joe Farmer Recreation Center, 1201 E. Bethany, or Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium, 110 E. Rivercrest League play includes eight games + single-elimination tournament for all teams. Volleyball league fee $215/Registration runs from September 6 - 30 /Play begins October 10 For more information, call 214-509-4810.

September 30
Deadline to Register for Adult Men's Basketball League
Register at the Joe Farmer Recreation Center, 1201 E. Bethany, or Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium, 110 E. Rivercrest
League play includes eight games + single-elimination tournament for all teams.
Basketball league fee $425/Registration runs from September 6 - 30 /Play begins October 11
For more information, call 214-509-4810.

City of Allen News/Emergency Preparedness Information