TITTABAWASSEE TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER Winter PDF Free Download

TITTABAWASSEE TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER Winter 2015 Spectacular Freeland Light Show This past December, the Tittabawassee Township Park was adorned with over 100,000 glimmering lights for the countless number of visitors to enjoy. The beautiful and elaborate Christmas light show was hosted by Gary and Laura Shepard with help from Tittabawassee Township staff and volunteers. The location changed this year moving from Freeland Road, at the Shepard s home, to the Tittabawassee Township Park, located at 9200 Midland Rd.. This change provided a safer location for the event and also a bigger setting for the incredible show. With it being the first year at this location, there was some traffic congestion with parking which will be modified for next year.. All in all, it worked out to be a good move for everyone. The first show began December 1st and ran every evening until the first weekend of January. The light show was viewed and enjoyed by people from the Great Lakes Bay Region. The attendees tuned to 93.9 FM to watch the lights dance along to some Christmas classics. Throughout the evenings, donations were accepted in designated candy canes located near the parking area. Proceeds for this year s event are being split between The Child Abuse and Neglect Council Great Lakes Bay Region (CAN Council) and Habitat for Humanity. Please go to the Freeland Lights web page (freelandlights.com) to see the interesting details and view of how the display was set up and how Mr. Shepard and a group of volunteers worked to create

News from the Treasurer s Office The Winter 2014 tax bills are due by Friday, February 27, 2015. Payments must be received in the Township Office or drop box by 4:30 p.m. on February 27, 2015. Postmark dates will not be accepted. After February 27, 2014, any outstanding 2014 taxes will have to be paid at the Saginaw County Treasurers Office, 111 S. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602 Dog licenses may also be purchased at the Township Office until February 27, 2015. ACH Payments Available for Water/Sewer Bills ACH electronic payment is available for your quarterly water/sewer bill. This is a direct withdrawal of funds from an existing checking or savings account. We are not able to accept credit or debit cards for payment at this time. Enrollment in the ACH payment program is easy to complete. An ACH authorization form must be filed with the Water/Sewer Department and/or Treasurer s Office. The authorization form requires the following information: Financial Institution Name Bank Account Number to be debited Customer s name and address Financial Institution Routing Number Customer s utility billing account number Customer s signature authorizing the debit Tittabawassee Township Board of Trustees 2015 Regular Meeting Schedule January 13, 2015 February 10, 2015 March 10, 2015 April 14, 2015 May 12, 2015 June 9, 2015 July 14, 2015 August 11, 2015 September 8, 2015 All regular meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. 30th Annual Freeland Walleye Festival April 24th, 25th, 26th

Curbside Recycling Program Changes Recycle-Motion is going to just 1 step! Area residents can soon stop sorting recyclables into separate bins. As of January 1, 2015, recycling will get easier and more efficient for communities served by Mid Michigan Waste Authority. MMWA s curbside residential recycling program has been upgraded to include more materials and eliminate sorting requirements. Residents will now be able to recycle all of their plastic, metal, glass, paper, chipboard and cardboard in one container, no sorting needed. The expanded Recycle-Motion program will also accept all plastics #1 through #7, with the exception of expanded plastic #6 foam products. Those items, packing peanuts and packaging foam, still need to be disposed of in the trash. Sorting Eliminated - No more separating paper goods from containers. All allowed recyclables can be mixed together in the same container. Plastics Expanded All plastics, #1 #7, now allowed to be recycled Exclusion remains for foam-style plastic #6 (Styrofoam, packing peanuts) Large non-packaging plastic and metal items still not allowed large plastic ride-on or playground toys metal car parts unclean plant pots Official Recycling Bin(s) Not Required Make Your Own Residents no longer need to set out at least one official recycling bin Recycling bins may still be used if residents choose Keep it 1-step and use 33 gallon or smaller container/can(s) for all recyclables Non recycling bin containers need to be marked or stickered in some way Recyclables Only sticker (from MMWA or member community); or Large letter R painted/marked on can There are a number of advantages to the new recycling program. Eliminating sorting between several bins and allowing all plastics to be recycled makes recycling one easy step. Making recycling simple has been shown to boost recycling participation and result in more recyclables getting to the curb, decreasing the amount of material bound for the landfill.

Fire Department News Chief Philip Shaver On December 15 th the Tittabawassee Township Fire Department held their Annual Awards Dinner at the Memorial Park Building. During the evening there were several awards presented to individuals for outstanding commitment and dedication to the Fire Department. New this year we decided to recognize businesses that support the Fire Department throughout the year by helping with programs or donating items or goods for those programs. This year Pat s Food Center, represented by Stan Cabala, was selected. Pat s Food Center has helped over the years with donations for our pancake breakfast and open house programs. We also recognized Hungry Howie s represented by Ron Whitman. Over the years, Hungry Howie s has helped the Department with the Smoke Detector/Pizza Giveaway program by providing coupons for free pizzas. This program has been a success and we look forward to bringing it back in 2015. Life Saving Award For lifesaving efforts on 10/6/14 Mike Underwood Arthur Weber Gary McLaughlin George Corbat Douglas Ortega Years of Service 5 Years Brian French 5 Years Bill Geurts 10 Years Joe Laking Firefighter of the Year Anthony Martin Below are Department awards and recipients. Prevention for Heating Equipment With the heating season upon us, remember to keep your heating equipment in good shape. If you are using a wood stove, make sure you keep your chimney clean. At the end of each heating season, you should schedule a cleaning and inspect the lining for cracks and breaks in the flue. For people using furnaces and alternate fuels, make sure a yearly inspection is done by a qualified technician. Keep items away from your heating equipment and change the filter often. Let s have a safe winter heating season!

Evening With Santa Thank you to the Freeland Chamber of Commerce Evening with Santa! It was a fantastic turn out for this year s Evening with Santa at the Memorial Park on December 1. This event is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce with refreshments and activities provided by local businesses and organizations. It is a well organized and fun event for the children and all the family. The Evening with Santa is the Monday after Thanksgiving. If you haven t been to this wonderful event, make sure you mark your calendar for next year. Juliana Suitor was the winner of the drawing for the big Christmas basket, donated by the Tittabawassee Township Historical Society. Juliana s entry was drawn by Santa himself. Congratulations Juliana!! Township Administrative Office Hours Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 695-9512 Police Department 695-9623 (non-emergency) Department of Public Works 695-6517 Consumers Energy 1-800-477-5050 Saginaw County Road Commission 752-6140 Freeland Post Office - 695-9381 www.tittabawassee.org Freeland Sled Hill!!!! Family Fun at Tittabawassee Township Park Now that the snow and colder weather have arrived, it s time to get the sleds out and head to the Tittabawassee Township Park! The Freeland Sled Hill is a great place to take the children or the entire family out for some winter fun!! It is nice to have an outdoor activity for the entire family to enjoy right in our own backyard (and free!!). Grab your sled, saucer, toboggan or snow board and head over to the Park for a little winter fun and make some memories!!