All about Irving – Sept 28, 2011

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

Resident Survey Opportunity: Residents were selected at random to complete the 2011 Resident Survey. Those who did not receive the survey have an opportunity to provide input on city services online through Oct. 12. Feedback will help city leaders improve the overall quality of life for the Irving community. Complete the 2011 Resident Survey online.

Big Read Celebration: Irving residents are invited to escape back into childhood during the city’s sixth annual Big Read. The monthlong celebration will commence with The Big Twain Thang, an old-fashioned country fair, from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at the West Irving Library, 4444 W. Rochelle Road. View a complete list of Big Read activities online.

Heritage House Tours: Enjoy an up-close look at Irving history from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 2 at Irving Heritage House 303 S. O’Connor Road. Built in 1912 by C.P. Schulze, brother of one of the cofounders of Irving, J.O. Schulze, the house was designated as a Texas State Historical Landmark in 1986. Admission is free and docent-led tours will be available at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Group tours also may be arranged at alternate times. For more information, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call (972) 252-3838.

Trail Dedication: The city is hosting a dedication ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 5 for Sam Houston Trail, 101 E. Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway (Interstate 635). RSVP to Parks and Recreation at (972) 721-2501 by Sept. 30. In the event of inclement weather, call (972) 994-1120 after 7 a.m. for alternate arrangements. View Sam Houston Trail Dedication Invitation.

Outdoor Warning System Test: The Irving Outdoor Warning System will be tested at 1 p.m. Oct. 5. The Outdoor Warning System for the City of Irving consists of 25 sirens located throughout the city. The sirens are activated from the Irving Fire Department alarm office to warn of severe weather. The monthly test is to ensure that the system is fully operational and also to remind residents about the Outdoor Warning System and how it sounds.

Job Fair: The Irving Public Library’s Job Center will host a job fair from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Irving Central Library, 801 W. Irving Blvd. Recruiters from local companies will meet with job seekers to discuss employment openings, collect résumés and schedule interviews. For more information, call (972) 721?2326.

ICTN Milestone: This year, Irving Community Television Network (ICTN) will celebrate three decades of programming excellence. In recognition of this milestone, Mayor Beth Van Duyne and other city leaders will gather for a reception at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd. View vintage clips from ICTN’s early days on YouTube.

Shredding Event: A community shredding event has been scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at the drop-off recycling center located at 3000 Rock Island Road. Shredding events provide residents with an opportunity to have sensitive documents properly destroyed and also offer residents an easy way to conserve resources by recycling paper.

Ms. Mature Irving: Seven local ladies will compete for the title and crown of Ms. Mature Irving during a special pageant at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 in Carpenter Performance Hall at the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd. Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children age 12 and under. Tickets the day of the pageant are $12 for adults and $10 for children. For more information, call the Heritage Senior Center at (972) 721-2496.

Town Hall Meeting: City staff will present an overview on this past fiscal year’s accomplishments at a Resident Town Hall Meeting set for 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd. Residents can come early for self-guided tours of the convention center from 5 to 7 p.m. Residents who are unable to attend this year’s meeting can listen to the presentations and ask questions via telephone by calling (888) 886-6603, ext. 17297#.

Hiking Opportunity: Explore the nighttime world of animals at Campión Trails with native species experts from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 21 at Bird’s Fort Trail, 5757 Riverside Drive. Participants should bring a flashlight. This night hike will begin with a special Halloween activity from 7 to 8 p.m. Register for the Night Hike at Campión Trails.

Urban Farming Workshop: An Urban Farming Workshop is being held from 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 29 at the Senter East Building, 228 Chamberlain St. This workshop will provide individuals with information about how to live sustainably in an urban setting. Topics to be discussed include organic vegetable gardening, raising chickens and alternatives to household chemicals. Register for the Urban Farming Workshop.

Prescription Drug Collection Day: Residents can properly dispose of controlled pharmaceutical substances from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 29 at Irving Mall (near Dillard’s), 3880 Irving Mall, and at Walmart, 1635 Market Place Blvd. For more information, contact Sgt. Joe Palomar at (972) 721-2545.

Online Crime Reports: The Irving Police Department is partnering with www.crimereports.com to allow residents to view crime data online. The crime-mapping website compiles information on crimes that have occurred in Irving by incident type, time and location, and marks them on a map of the city. To access the map, visit www.cityofirving.org/police and select “CrimeReports” at the bottom of the page. For more information, call (972) 721-3515.

Irrigation Basics: The class, Irrigation Basics, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 15 at Valley View Municipal Complex, 333 Valley View Lane. Participants will learn how to maintain, test and conduct minor repairs on irrigation systems. Register for Irrigation Basics online.

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SFNA Fall 2011 Block Party

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

Come one, come all to the 2011 Fall SFNA neighborhood block party. We will have food, fun and games for the kids. The block party will be held Sept. 17, 2001 from 4:30 PM until 7:30 PM at the corner of Nottingham and Yorkshire.

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CITY OF IRVING ANNOUNCES MANDATORY WATERING RESTRICTIONS

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

Beginning Aug. 11, City of Irving officials will enforce mandatory watering restrictions as part of the implementation of Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan. Until further notice, Irving residents and businesses cannot water more than twice per week on designated days, according to the street number address and other guidelines:
· Even-numbered addresses (those ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) may water on Tuesday and Saturday

· Odd-numbered addresses (those ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) may water on Wednesday and Sunday

· No irrigation may occur on Monday, Thursday or Friday

· No irrigation may occur between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

During Stage 2 restrictions, building foundations and landscaping may be watered by hand-held hose, soaker hose, bucket or drip irrigation for up to two hours on any day before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. Violators of the Stage 2 restrictions are subject to fines of up to $2,000 per violation.

“Irving’s daily water demand has been steadily increasing since early June from about 40 million gallons per day (MGD) up to a recent peak of more than 66 MGD,” said Water Utilities Director Todd Reck. “Moving to the mandatory schedule in Stage 2 should reduce water demand and help maintain safe water levels.”

Activating the mandatory restrictions is a proactive move intended to preserve the water supply and thereby protect public health, welfare and safety, as well as minimize the adverse impacts of water supply shortages. Cooperation with the restrictions will help ensure water is available for domestic use, sanitation and fire protection. For more information, visit www.cityofirving.org, locate the “Departments” tab then select “Water Utilities,” or call (972) 721-2281.

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Independence Day Events 2011

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

Independence Day Events – The Irving community will come together for A Tribute to the United States Presidents at the following city-sponsored Independence Day events July 4. All are welcome. Parking is $5 at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd. For more information, call (972) 721-2501.

Independence Day Parade (9 a.m.) – Immediately following the parade in downtown Irving, a patriotic concert and watermelon reception will be featured in Heritage Park, 217 Main St.

Food, entertainment and games (6 to 9:30 p.m.) – Las Colinas Boulevard and Lake Carolyn Parkway.

Fireworks (9:30 p.m.) – Las Colinas Boulevard and Lake Carolyn Parkway.

Source: News For Neighbors

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New spray parks to open late May

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

A new aquatic concept is coming to Irving—spray parks. They are scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend at Northwest Park, 2800 Cheyenne St., and Southwest Park, 2800 Shady Grove Road. The zero-depth interactive aquatic facilities feature bubblers, fountains and pole-mounted spray elements that bring residents a new type of outdoor water recreation.

“Spray parks don’t involve deep water, so they are incredibly safe,” said Community Services Director Paul Gooch. “The new park amenities allow kids to play and run through the water and fountains without needing lifeguards.” They will have a longer operational season and expanded daily hours of operation compared to the pool facilities. The spray parks also feature shade canopies, landscaping and special lighting.
Source: All About Irving

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Free Smoke Alarms

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

In the interest of public safety and fire prevention, the Irving Fire Department is providing and installing smoke alarms for homeowners at no cost. To receive a free smoke alarm, download the application online and return to Irving Fire Administration, 845 W. Irving Blvd. Rental property tenants are not eligible for this program. For more information, call (972) 721-2651.
Source: All About Irving

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Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan now in effect.

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

Irving residents are encouraged to conserve water during Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan, now in effect. On the webpage below, one can find days to water.

http://cityofirving.org/Water-Utilities/stage-1.asp

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Public Input Meeting – Expansion of State Highway 183

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

News for Neighbors – Special Edition
Irving to Host Public Input Meeting on the Expansion of State Highway 183

The City of Irving, in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), will host a public input meeting to discuss expansion plans for State Highway 183 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. March 29 at Irving City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd. The meeting will be preceded by an open house from 6 to 7 p.m., where attendees can view a schematic plan of the SH 183 expansion through Irving.

At the public input meeting, attendees will hear a presentation on plans from TxDOT. The purpose of the meeting is to get public input prior to TxDOT’s next official SH 183 public hearing. Residents and business owners who cannot attend the meeting are encouraged to provide input online at www.cityofirving.org.

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Statewide Power Emergency: Rolling Power Outages

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

02-02-2011

Important Update: The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has announced a Statewide Power Emergency.

Due to extremely high demand for electricity, controlled, rolling outages, lasting between 15-45 minutes, will occur throughout the state. It is not necessary to report a power outage for these situations. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience during this state of emergency.

In anticipation of possible electric system outages that can be caused by storms, TXU Energy reminds and encourages our customers to call and report outages, should they occur.

In the event of a power outage, flickering lights, bright/dim lights, guard light out, or other emergency, please call the local poles and wires company for your area listed below:

Dallas/Ft. Worth and Surrounding Areas call Oncor Electric Delivery 888-313-4747

Source: www.txu.com

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New Irrigation Standards Effective Jan. 1

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Admin | Permalink 0

Resident Reminder: Irrigation Standards Effective Jan. 1
All irrigation systems in Irving are required to comply with new standards, based on state requirements, by Jan. 1. This includes the installation of rain and freeze sensors.

The city’s irrigation ordinance was adopted to focus on water conservation and to help ensure future availability. Full compliance with the ordinance has been phased in over two years to allow businesses and residents ample time to plan for and implement the necessary changes.

New irrigation systems should be designed and installed by a licensed irrigator. Homeowners may continue to install their own systems, but must comply with state regulations. The installation of a new system requires a permit and payment of the associated fee. Because of the new state inspection requirements, the fee has been adjusted to $100 for residential systems and $150 for commercial systems. All commercial systems were to have rain and freeze sensors by January 2010.

New systems must:

Not spray on structures such as fences or retaining walls
Not have spray heads located within 4 inches of surfaces such as sidewalks or buildings
Not spray if landscaping is less than 4 feet in width (use bubblers or drip systems)
It is a violation to:

Irrigate during precipitation or freezing temperatures (rain, snow, etc.)
Water areas such as sidewalks or streets
Irrigate with a broken or missing sprinkler head
Allow system leaks or problems that waste water
As winter approaches, it is critical to ensure that systems are compliant for safety reasons, as freezing temperatures can cause water from improper irrigation to form hazardous ice across streets and sidewalks. A city permit is not required to install sensors on existing irrigation systems. For more information, call Water Utilities at (972) 721-2281.

Source: City of Irving

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