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Spending Pattern Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to help us analyze shopping patterns and retail preferences of people living and working in Lancaster. The information gathered from this survey will help determine the retail and restaurant needs of the City. These results will influence recruitment efforts to ultimately increase and also retain retail sales within Lancaster. Click HERE to complete the short survey.

For information or comments, please contact The Retail Coach, LLC at 662.844.2155 or info@theretailcoach.net

Fall Tips to Light Your Home Efficiently!

Today is the first day of fall, and this time of year brings fewer and fewer hours of sunlight. This means your home is less expensive to cool. But it also means people will be flipping on the light switch more often. Lighting accounts for as much as 12 percent of your electric bill. That’s more energy than your refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, and dryer all use combined!

Following are some facts and tips about keeping your home efficiently well lit:

Always turn off lights when you leave a room. Switching off just one lightbulb that would otherwise burn eight hours a day saves you almost $20 per year. Also try timers and photocells that turn lights off automatically.

One reason lighting uses so much electricity is because 70 percent of all light sockets still have inefficient incandescent bulbs instead of ENERGY STAR® certified bulbs like CFLs and LEDs. If every household in Texas swapped out just one incandescent bulb for one of these, we could save enough energy to light a home for a year.

The energy cost to operate a traditional incandescent bulb for a year is $4.80. By comparison, a CFL costs about $1.20 to operate, and an LED bulb only costs about $1.00

When shopping for efficient bulbs, look for lumens to measure the brightness of the bulb instead of watts. Watts indicate energy consumed and lumens indicate light output. A 1,600-lumen ENERGY STAR® bulb has the same brightness as a 100-watt incandescent bulb but uses less energy.

It’s not too early to start thinking about holiday decor. Consider upgrading to strings of ENERGY STAR® certified lights. They can last up to 10 times longer, and they’re also cool to the touch, minimizing the risk of fire. Many LED strings produce the same amount of light as those with incandescent bulbs, but use up to 90 percent less energy.

Light fixtures themselves can also be energy hogs. Replacing five fixtures in your home with ENERGY STAR® certified models could save you $75 a year in utility bills. These fixtures, along with ENERGY STAR® bulbs produce less heat than incandescent, which means your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard.

Managing Feral Hog Damage

Feral hogs have adapted well to a wide range of ecosystems in Texas. They prefer moist bottomland and are commonly found in riparian areas near rivers, creeks, streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, bogs, swamps and sloughs. They also prefer dense vegetation that conceals them and protects them from temperature extremes. Only poor habitat and extremely arid conditions seem to limit their distribution. Hogs usually concentrate where food is plentiful. They may rest during the day in dense, shady areas and move at night to more open areas for food and water.

Once feral hogs have become established in an area it is nearly impossible to remove all of them. However, with an integrated approach one can control the size of the population and keep hog damage at an acceptable level.
Hogs can be controlled with exclusion, snares, and live traps. There are no toxicants, repellents, fertility agents or biological control agents registered for use against feral hogs in the U.S. Such products have had limited success in other countries, but the cost of developing and registering them for use in the U.S. has been prohibitive.

In Texas, feral hogs are considered free-ranging exotic animals and may be taken at any time of the year by any legal means. Contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for more information about the legal status of feral hogs. The Texas Animal Health Commission regulates the trapping and moving of feral hogs to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Don't Wait, Communicate!

In an emergency, every second counts! That’s why it’s crucial to have a game plan, and why this year’s National Preparedness Month theme is “Don’t Wait Communicate.”

This September, as part of National Preparedness Month, Lancaster residents are encouraged to develop a family game plan. Get started using the steps below:

Download Apps

• First aid: Get instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies.
• Pet first aid: Be prepared to help your furry friends with veterinary advice for everyday emergencies.
• Tornado (receive weather alerts): Receive weather alerts whenever a tornado watch or warning for your community is issued.

Make a Plan
It is important to make sure that the entire family is prepared and informed in the event of a disaster or emergency. You may not always be together when these events take place and should have plans for making sure you are able to contact and find one another.

Get a Kit

• Flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, medications (7-day supply), multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items, map(s), extra cash, towels, blankets, duct tape, and pet supplies.

Say NO to Illegal Dumping!

What is Illegal Dumping?
Illegal Dumping occurs when a person places, deposits, dumps or accumulates refuse on or in any public or private street, public right-of-way or easement, gutter or sidewalk within the Lancaster City limits.

Why is Illegal Dumping a problem?
When illegal dumping occurs, the damage to neighborhoods and the environment can be severe:

• Property values decline.
• Unreported illegal dumping often results in more illegal dumping.
• Illegally dumped material can become a breeding ground for vectors, such as mice, rats and mosquitoes, which can spread diseases such as encephalitis, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and West Nile Disease.
• Illegal dumping is hazardous to the environment. From refrigerators to tires to auto parts to televisions, many contain heavy metals and other toxins.
• Illegal dumping piles pose a traffic hazard when left in the public right-of-way.
• Illegal dumping costs taxpayers money.

• Take your waste to the CWD transfer station located at 2010 California Crossing Dallas, TX 75220. A copy of your water bill is required.
• Order a special pick up at 972-218-1300. This allows residents to schedule a pickup of bulky waste for a fee.
• Take advantage of the Trash-off events (November 5th).
• Move the unwanted items away from public view until the next Bulk/brush collection.

Register Today!

The CodeRED emergency notification system is a communication service available for emergency and non-emergency notifications. CodeRED employs intranet mapping capable of geographic targeting of calls and a telephone-calling system capable of delivering prerecorded messages directly to homes and businesses.

Please register HERE to receive emergency notifications.

Your contact information will remain private and will only be used for severe weather alerts.

For questions, please call 972-218-2600.

Attendance Awareness Month

The City of Lancaster has joined a nationwide effort to celebrate National Attendance Awareness Month in September. Lancaster recognizes that good attendance is essential to academic success.
 
Nationally, 5 million to 7.5 million students miss nearly a month of school in excused and unexcused absences every year. Starting as early as kindergarten or even preschool, chronic absence predicts lower 3rd grade reading scores. By middle school, it’s a warning sign that students will fail key classes and drop out of high school.
 
Chronic absence disproportionately affects children from low-income families and communities of color, creating attendance gaps that exacerbate achievement gaps in local schools. This is not just a matter of truancy. Many children, especially in the early grades, also miss school because of chronic health problems, unreliable transportation or housing moves—barriers that city agencies and community partners can help families address.
 
In September, schools, city agencies, community nonprofits, faith-based groups, businesses and others around the nation are committing time and resources to raise public awareness and work with community partners to improve school attendance starting as soon as children enter school.  At the October City Council meeting, the City of Lancaster will recognize a class from each school in LISD that has no student absences for the month of September.
 
“Attendance in school is the first step to being a successful student”. Lancaster Mayor Marcus E. Knight says,  “As Mayor, I realize the benefits of education and I want to encourage all of our students to make every effort to attend school, and work hard to do their best”.
 
Research shows that students who miss two to four days in the first month of school are more likely to become chronically absent during the school year. By paying attention to absences early in the school year and early in a child’s academic career, the City of Lancaster along with Lancaster ISD and other community partners hope to turn around attendance and achievement.

Did You Know?

Did you know that you can receive a citation for letting your dog run loose?

 Avoid receiving a citation by applying the following:

• Keep your dog and/or cat contained in your yard.
• Dogs must be held by a leash at all times in a park or public playground, except in park areas designated  and posted by the parks and recreation department to be "dog friendly areas".

For questions, please call the Lancaster Animal Shelter at 972-218-1210.

Did You Know?

Did you know the City of Lancaster ordinance (Sec. 22.06.004) prohibits leaving or parking a motor vehicle, boat or other impediment within ten (10) feet of a mailbox, except a United States Postal Service vehicle, and except on  Sundays and federal holidays.

Computer Classes

Learn how to use the internet, make your presentation, utilize designs, insert images and beyond by registering for computer classes at the Lancaster Library. To register, please call 972-227-1080.

Zika Virus Precautions

• Treated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully.
• Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.

Lancaster Eyes & Ears Program:

Pet of the Week: Meet Tarzan!

Buster is a male pit mix brindle, approximately a year old, neutered. He's a sweet boy and is ready for a loving home!