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Press Releases from the City of Lewisville
Media Release
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Women’s Bassmaster Tour returning to Lewisville on
April 10-12
The Women’s Bassmaster Tour will visit Lewisville Lake for the third
time in four years when the 2008 season kicks off on April 10-12.
Previous stops in Lewisville included a preview event in October
2005, won by Pam Martin-Wells, and a 2006 regular-season event in
May 2006, won Dianna Clark, the 2006 Toyota WBT Angler of the Year.
This year’s WBT tour features a few changes, including new
presenting sponsor Academy Sports + Outdoors. The local store,
located on the east side of Interstate 35E just south of FM 3040,
will be the site of the final-day weigh-ins.
Another exciting change next year is that the 2008 Toyota WBT Angler
of the Year (the top angler in the season-long points standings)
will receive an automatic berth in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic. To
accommodate the WBT Angler of the Year, BASS will extend 51
invitations to the Classic.
“This promises to be a historic year, with the first female angler
qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic,” said Tom Ricks, vice
president and general manager of BASS. “The WBT continues to receive
some well-deserved attention and we are excited about this
opportunity for the circuit to grow.”
The chase for that coveted Classic berth will start April 10-12 on
Lewisvillle Lake, which has developed a growing reputation as an
outstanding bass fishing lake through such events as a Bassmaster
Elite 50 tournament in June 2005, the National Collegiate Bass
Fishing Championship in 2006 and 2007, and an FLW Outdoors Bass
Fishing League last month.
“When the Bassmaster Elite 50 tour came to Lewisville back in 2005,
a lot of people wondered whether this was really a good fishing
lake,” said Lewisville Mayor Gene Carey. “But those professional
anglers proved to the world what those of us around the lake already
knew – there are some big lunkers in the water if you know where to
look.
“We’re very excited to welcome the lady anglers back to Lewisville,
and it’s good that the champion will get to compete in the Classic.
Those fish don’t have any idea of it’s a man or woman holding the
pole, the bait still looks the same.”
At each regular tour event, the champion pro will receive $1,000 in
addition to a fully-rigged boat package valued at $50,000. The
winning co-angler will receive $500 plus a boat package valued at
$25,000. The championship event, the fifth and final tournament of
the season, is scheduled for Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark., and
will determine the first stand-alone championship in WBT history.
Fans can follow the competition at www.Bassmaster.com with live
streaming video and real-time leader boards during the weigh-ins
starting each day at
3 p.m.
Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports +
Outdoors,
Toyota Tundra, Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics,
MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Mustang Survival.
Lewisville Lake, declared the “Urban Bass-Fishing Capital of Texas”
by the state legislature and Gov. Rick Perry, is located 15 minutes
north of downtown Dallas along Interstate 35E. Created in 1954 on
the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, the lake covers nearly 30,000
acres of surface area and reaches depths of up to 67 feet.
Lewisville Lake is rated as “excellent” by Texas Parks & Wildlife
for catfish, crappie and white bass, and “good” for largemouth bass
and striped/hybrid bass.
Lake Park is situated on 350 acres of land leased by the City of
Lewisville from the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Park features include
overnight and day
camping sites, picnic areas, swimming beaches, playgrounds and a
state-rated disc golf course. Visitors to Lake Park from Interstate
35E will use the Valley Ridge exit east to Mill Street, then north
on Mill to the park entrance.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more
than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation annually. Guided by
its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for
credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it
has for nearly 40
years. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy,
magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the
industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly
550,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration,
Fla.
For complete details, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208
or visit www.bassmaster.com.
2008 Women’s Bassmaster Tour tournament schedule:
April 10-12 Lewisville Lake, Lewisville, Texas
May 22-24 Lake Neeley Henry, Gadsden, Ala.
June 19-21 Old Hickory Lake, Gallatin, Tenn.
Sept. 18-20 Clarks Hill Lake, Evans, Geo.
Oct. 23-25 Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Ark..
Media contacts:
BASS / ESPN Communications
Publicist Jenny Zimmerman
(407) 566-2213 or (407) 319-5014
jennifer.j.zimmerman@espn.com
http://www.bassmaster.com.
City of Lewisville
Community Relations Manager James Kunke
(972) 219-3726
jkunke@cityoflewisville.com
http://www.cityoflewisville.com.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Registration starts March
31 for WAVE Swim Team
Resident registration for the Lewisville
WAVE Swim Team, conducted through the Lewisville Parks and Leisure
Services Department, will begin on March
31 for the 2008 season. Non-resident
registration will start on April 3.
All registration will end on April 5.
WAVE Swim Team is open to all participants
ages 5 and up to compete in a variety of swimming events in a range
of age divisions. Swimmers must be able to easily swim one 25-yard
length of the pool without stopping, and must live within the
Lewisville ISD boundaries or outside the district in the cities of
The Colony and Carrollton. Swimmers age 14 and younger already
registered with USS swimming for 2008 are ineligible.
The team will compete with other city teams
in four circuit meets (June 14, June 21, June 28 and July 11-12).
Swimmers will compete in the TAAF Region IV meet on July 11-12 with
a chance to qualify for the TAAF State Meet in San Antonio on July
24-27.
A swim team preview session will be held at
the LISD Natatorium in Flower Mound on Saturday, March 29, at 10
a.m. This is an opportunity for swimmers (and parents) to meet
coaches and the Parent Committee and learn more about the program
before joining. There is no fee for the preview session, and
participation in the preview does not obligate a swimmer to join the
team for the full season.
Cost is $87 per swimmer for residents of
Lewisville and Castle Hills, $96 for all others. Optional costs
include team photos and team swimsuit.
For registration information, call
972.219.3550 or visit
www.cityoflewisville.com.
Media contact: Recreation Manager Teddy
Gibbs, 972.219.3554
LLELA offering guided
tour of bison range this weekend.
Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area
(LLELA) is offering a guided tour of the wildlife preserve’s bison
range on Sunday, March 30, starting at 2 p.m. Cost is $2 per person
in addition to the LLELA gate fee of $3 per person. Future tours are
scheduled for April 27 and May 25.
Participants will meet herd owner Robert
Vaughan at the gatehouse, then drive out for an opportunity to see
the bison up close and learn more about bison natural history and
husbandry. All ages are welcome, but reservations are required by
calling 972.219.7980. The bison are normally off view in a secure
area of LLELA, so this is a chance to visit a part of the preserve
most people don’t get to see.
The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning
Area is 2,000-acre wilderness of prairies, forests and wetlands
managed as a wildlife preserve by a group of agencies including the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of North Texas, the
City of Lewisville, Lewisville ISD and Texas A & M University. Its
mission is to preserve and restore native ecosystems and to provide
and promote environmental education and scientific research.
LLELA is open to the public every Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday for fishing, hiking, camping, bird watching,
kayaking/canoeing, picnicking and other outdoor activities. For
information, visit
www.ias.unt.edu/llela or call 972.219.3930.
Media contact: LLELA Publicist Lisa Cole,
972.219.3930
City launches new CodeRED
emergency notification system
Residents and business operators are being
encouraged to register for the city’s new CodeRED Emergency
Notification System, which will generate automated phone calls in
the event of emergencies such as crime alerts, missing persons,
boil-water notices or public evacuations.
The system would be activated by city
personnel in the event of an emergency requiring public involvement,
and would deliver a pre-recorded message describing the emergency
and actions that need to be taken. Such urgent notifications would
include water main breaks, large electric utility outages,
time-sensitive public health alerts, hazardous chemical spills,
emergency evacuation alerts and more. The system is capable of
dialing every household and business in Lewisville in less than an
hour, and can reach the entire city or be targeted to specific areas
within the city.
“If your phone number is not in the system,
you will not be called,” said Emergency Management Coordinator
Summer Wilhelm, adding that the system will only be as effective as
its telephone data base.
To ensure that they are included in the
CodeRED call list, residents and business operators should register
their preferred phone number by visiting the city website,
www.cityoflewisville.com. This is especially important for
people whose home number is unlisted or who would prefer to receive
emergency notification calls on a mobile or work phone. All
information used for registration will be used only for the CodeRED
system and will remain confidential.
For more information, please visit
www.cityoflewisville or call 972.219.5012.
Media contact: Emergency Management
Coordinator Summer Wilhelm,
972.219.5012
Pet owners reminded to
keep vaccinations current
Warm summer months often lead to increased
interaction between domestic pets and wild animals, which also
increases the risk that household pets might become infected with
such diseases as rabies. While there have been no reports of pet or
human rabies infection in Lewisville, the city’s Animal Services
Division reminds all pet owners the importance of keeping their
animals’ rabies vaccination current. In addition to protecting the
pets and their human families from the disease, rabies vaccinations
are required by state law and city code for dogs, cats and ferrets.
For information, contact the Animals Services Division at
972.219.3478 or visit a local veterinarian.
Media contact: Health & Code Manager Sherry
Harper, 972.219.3481
Guidelines enforced for
new, replacement fences
Putting up a new fence does wonders for the
look of a home and for property value. Residents and contractors
must obtain a fence permit from the permits office on the second
floor of the west wing of Lewisville City Hall before the job is
started.
Some fence guidelines and general
information include:
• Two sets of plans must be presented
for a permit. The plans must
include a scaled drawing, building
location, legal description of land
to be fenced, height of fence,
materials to be used, road
intersections, zoning and corner
visibility range..
• All fences must be set back three feet
on all sides of the fire
hydrant, and the fire hydrant must be
accessible from outside the
property line.
• No fence may be erected over a city
water line or drainage easement,
and written approval is required before
placing a fence over an
easement or utility line.
• No fence shall exceed 10 feet in
height, and all fences in front
yards shall be only 3.5 feet in height
and 50 percent open.
• Any swimming pool or hot tub must be
shown in plans and must meet the
6-foot minimum height fence code for
swimming pools.
• If fence work is not complete within
60 days from the date of permit,
another permit must be obtained at half
cost ($30). At 180 days from
date of permit, another permit must be
obtained at full cost ($60).
For more information, visit
www.cityoflewisville.com or call 972.219.3470.
Media contact: Community Development
Director Eric Ferris, 972.219.3461
22nd annual Spring Clean
Up scheduled for April 12
Keep Lewisville Beautiful will hold its 22nd
annual Spring Clean Up event on Saturday, April 12, in conjunction
with Keep Texas Beautiful Trash Off and Keep America Beautiful Great
American Clean Up, the nation’s largest organized pickup drawing
million of volunteers each year.
Volunteers are needed locally to help pick
up litter in parks, schoolyards, street rights-of-way and waterways.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Lewisville High School
parking lot, 1098 West Main Street. The cleanup will be from 9 to
noon and lunch is provided.
Volunteers unable to participate in the
citywide event can arrange their own neighborhood or spot cleanups
by calling Keep Lewisville Beautiful at 972.436.5100.
Keep Lewisville Beautiful, the city’s
longest-standing and most successful environmental organization,
is a non-profit organization committed to educating Lewisville
residents to take greater responsibility for enhancing their
community. For information on becoming a KLB volunteer or sponsor,
call 972.436.5100 or log on to
www.keeplewisvillebeautiful.org.
Litter comes from many sources, including:
household trash handling and it’s placement at the curb for
collection, dumpsters used by businesses, loading docks,
construction and demolition sites, trucks with uncovered loads,
pedestrians, and motorists. Litter is blown about by wind and
traffic or carried by water. It moves until trapped by a curb,
building or fence. Once litter has accumulated, it invites people
thoughtlessly to add more.
Litter doesn’t just appear; it is the result
of careless attitudes and improper waste handling. People litter
mainly because they feel no sense of ownership, even though areas
such as parks are public properties. They believe someone else, such
as a park maintenance or highway worker will pick up after them.
Litter and illegal dumping is often viewed as one of the earliest
indicators that a neighborhood is in distress. Litter and illegal
dumping shows signs, the same way graffiti or an abandoned car
reflects that there is a lack of ownership by residents in the
community.
According to state officials, one billion
pieces of litter accumulate on the state-maintained highways each
year. Texas Department of Transportation spends more than $36
million to pick up trash along Texas roadways.
What can you do?
Not litter
Carry a litterbag in your car
Make sure trashcans have lids that can be
securely fastened. If you have
curbside collection, don’t put out loose
trash in boxes.
Tie papers in a bundle before placing
them in curbside recycling bin.
If you own a business, check dumpsters
daily to see that the lids and
side doors are closed.,
If you or a member of your family is
involved in a civic group,
scouting, or recreational sports program,
encourage the group to “adopt”
a spot in your town or neighborhood and
maintain on a regular basis.
Report areas where people have illegally
dumped garbage and debris to
your local highway, public works,
sanitation, and conservation office or
call code enforcement at 972.219.3480.
Ask the organizers of a festival, fair,
or other outdoor event in your
community to make it a litter-free event.
This can be done by giving out
litterbags at entrances and making sure
that everyone who attends knows
that is a “litter free” day.
Cover open loads on all trucks.
Ask marina operators if your Boy or Girl
Scout troop or civic group can
pass out litterbags to boaters. Public
boat ramps are also good spots to
give away litterbags.
If you smoke, identify an ash/trash
receptacle as soon as you light up.
Use ash/trash receptacles and carry a
pocket ashtray or a portable
ashtray. And encourage fellow smokers to
be responsible for their
cigarette litter too.
4.5 trillion cigarette butts littered
worldwide every year
140 million cigarette butts littered on
Texas highways every year
15 years it takes a cigarette butt to
break down according to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
"We all want to live in a vibrant and
beautiful city, and a big part of that is controlling litter," said
Mayor Gene Carey. "Nothing can ruin a trip through town faster than
seeing trash on the side of the road or in our parks and along our
creeks and waterways. That's why it is so important the all
residents of Lewisville not only take care of their own trash, but
also help clean up the open areas we all enjoy.”
"Keep Lewisville Beautiful is an outstanding
organization and deserves the support of our residents, families and
businesses. What a great message it would send to all of our
neighbors throughout North Texas if we had thousands of eager
volunteers out picking up trash during this year's citywide cleanup.
If we all work together, even just for this one morning, we can make
a huge difference for Lewisville."
For more information, to sign up as an
individual participant or your group or business or to donate funds
to Keep Lewisville Beautiful email
info@keeplewisvillebeautiful.org, call 972.436.5100 or fax
information to 972.436.2103. Please include number of people
anticipated in your group.
Trash bags, gloves, grabbers, door prizes
and FUN will be provided. Don’t miss the opportunity to make a
difference in your community!
Media contacts:
Keep Lewisville Beautiful
Executive Director Cora Lennert
972.436.5100
info@keeplewisvillebeautiful.org
City of Lewisville
Environmental Programs Coordinator Lisa
Weaver
972.219.3503
lweaver@cityoflewisville.com
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