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Newsletter:
November 21, 2011
From the Mayor's Office
As
I write this, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving this week!
It seems as if this year has just flown by….. they say time
flies when you’re busy and that is so very true.
As each new month approaches, I think that things will begin to
slow down a little – but it never does!
We just keep charging ahead.
Our
new City
has accomplished so much in a very short period of time.
In the past five months (since the swearing-in ceremony), we’ve
been working hard to take care of the initial business of setting a
new city
up. There’s been so much
to do and so much to learn. Our
dream of becoming “The
City of Semmes”
has come true. As I look
back over what it’s taken for us to make it to this point, I feel very
blessed to live in a community where people stick together and stand up
for what they believe in. And,
as I count my blessings, I also count the many friendships that I’ve
made. I’ve had the
opportunity to work with some amazing people – right here in our Semmes Community.
December
is only a few days away…. Christmas will be here before you know it!
There are so many wonderful activities planned this year.
First – the “Friends
of Semmes” Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
will take place on December 3rd at 4 PM at the
Semmes
Community Center
. This is always a great
event to kick off the holiday season – hearing the children from our
local schools sing while enjoying fresh-baked cookies and hot chocolate!
And, can you believe that this event is now over a decade old?
The following Saturday, December 10th at 10 AM, the Semmes
Christmas Parade rolls
into town – with floats, bands, horses and plenty of candy and throws!
The parade is a Semmes Christmas tradition (be sure to check out
the Semmes City Council float!). Both
the parade and tree lighting are great family activities generously
coordinated and hosted by the Friends of Semmes.
Later that afternoon, the Semmes Woman’s Club is
hosting the 3rd Annual “Semmes
Christmas Tour of Homes”
and “Taste
of Semmes” from 3 PM
till 7 PM. The event begins
at
Semmes
First
Baptist
Church
and proceeds from ticket sales benefit Semmes historical preservation.
On
to City business… First, I
would like to let everyone know that the construction at our City Hall
is almost complete! We’ve
moved into our offices and the finishing touches are taking place now.
I believe everyone will be very proud to call this “their”
City Hall. It’s nice,
well-organized, beautiful and yet conservative.
And it’s the home to your
new City
. On December 15th,
there will be a City Hall "Grand
Opening & Dedication"
during our Council Meeting. I
would like to invite ALL of our Semmes Community to attend!
The Council Work Session begins at 6:30 PM – please mark your
calendars and plan on attending!
Our
City Hall hours are from 9 AM till 5 PM –
Monday through Friday.
Our City Hall is located in the
Century
Bank
Building
next to WalMart. You
are invited to come and visit City Hall and meet with me on "Open
Door Fridays" - between 9 AM and 2 PM - no appointment necessary.
Communication is so important! I hope that you will stop by.
I welcome your input, suggestions and questions. If you'd like to
meet at a specific time on a Friday, call 649-8811
and ask Alisha to schedule an appointment.
Now
for the news that I’ve been very excited to tell you about!
One of the most important reasons for Semmes to incorporate into
its own city was to be able to use our tax dollars right here to benefit our
community. And,
now that the setup work of the
new city
is almost finished, we’ve been able to shift our focus toward just
this. At the November 17th
Council Meeting, two resolutions dealing with “Public Safety” were
brought before the Council for consideration – the first being a
resolution authorizing the expenditure of funds for ½ the cost of a new
“hydraulic rescue system” (also known as a “Jaws of Life”).
The City will be partnering with the Semmes
Volunteer Fire Department
on the purchase of this piece of equipment to replace the old, out-dated
one that is currently in use. This
will allow the SVFD
to quickly remove accident victims from entrapment type situations and
get them transported to the hospital.
This savings in time equates to the saving of lives!
The 2nd resolution is for the expenditure of funds for
“PPE” (personal
protective equipment or “turnout gear”).
This “turnout gear” is head-to-toe fire fighting clothing for
our volunteer fire fighters to protect them when they have to enter
burning buildings. The
Public Safety of the citizens of Semmes is of the utmost importance to
me. Look for more great work
from your Public Safety Committee chaired by Council Member Mary Calhoun
(also, check out her article on the “Local Council Person’s Page”
in this month’s “SHOP SEMMES”).
As
I close, I would like to especially thank the Semmes
Volunteer Fire Department for
their dedication and service to our community.
Thank you for helping to keep us safe.
And to all of the Citizens of the Semmes Community, I wish you a
very happy holiday season filled with family, community, peace and love.
Judith
Hale, Mayor
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