ATTENTION RESIDENTS

THE CITY IS RESEARCHING THE OPTION TO ACCEPT DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS

WITH A SMALL CONVENIENCE FEE, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE

CONTACT CITY HALL AT 243-3566 EXT 10 0R 12

2009 FIRE DEPARTMENT AWARD CEREMONY

FIREFIGHTER RECOGNITION

2009 FIRE OFFICER OF THE YEAR

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

ASSISTANT CHIEF FRANK MATHENY

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CONSTRUCTION WORK ON WEST HOLLYWOOD BLVD.

You may have noticed that construction work has begun along the West end of Hollywood Blvd.  This is an Okaloosa County ARRA (American Recovery & Reinvestment Act) grant project funded by the Federal Government through the Florida Department of Transportation.  The Contractor will be replacing old cross drain pipes and resurfacing Hollywood Blvd. from Mary Esther Blvd. to the roundabout at Hill Ave.  Both roundabouts along the project will be reconstructed.  This project had a start date of December 1, 2009 and will be completed by March 30, 2010. 

Please be patient and considerate of the workers when driving through the project as this area will be in disarray for approximately three months.  But, the end result will be a better draining, much smoother Hollywood Blvd.!

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9/25/09-
Congratulations to Mr. Tom Ballard on his retirement from the City of
Mary Esther Fire Department after 28 years! We look forward to seeing
Mr. Ballard around town, maybe even catching up on that yard work Mrs. Ballard has put on his “Honey Do” list! We’ll miss you, Tom!
Click here to read his article in the Daily News!
*Please check back for Tom's Retirement Party information. There isn't a set date yet, but we're hoping for the beginning of November. If Tom has touched your life, we know he'd love to see you there!

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9/21/09- The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission offers these tips on what to do if you see a bear in your neighborhood.

Remove area attractants: Any food source that attracts dogs, cats or raccoons can also attract bears.

• Store trash in a secure area until the morning of pickup.

• Bring pet food inside, store securely.

• Protect gardens, compost and livestock with electric fencing.

• Clean grills and store them in a secure area.

• Remove bird and wildlife feeders if there is a bear in the area.

If you have a close encounter with a bear:

• Never approach the bear.

• Do not run from the bear.

• Do not offer the bear food.

• Remain standing upright.

• Back away slowly.

• Watch the bear, but avoid eye contact.

• Speak in a calm, assertive, assuring voice.

• Make sure the bear has an escape route.

• Leave/retreat to a safe building or car.

Please note: Bears are wild animals and following this advice does not eliminate the risk of injury.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is dedicated to reducing conflicts between people and bears in our communities. For more information, visit www.MyFWC.com/bear, or if you experience bear problems, please contact the Northwest Region Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission office at 850-265-3676.

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The Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued the following warning: I have received many reports that veterans are being contacted by "Patient Care Group" representing that they are helping administer VA prescriptions and stating that the pharmacy billing procedures have changed and they are therefore requesting Veteran credit card numbers for prescription payments in advance of filling their prescriptions. This is false. VA does not call veterans asking to disclose personal financial information over the phone. VA has not changed its processes for dispensing prescription medicines. Be safe, and never give out personal information to any unsolicited phone caller.

For more information, contact Veterans Services office or visit at a location near you, see office listings below:

Okaloosa County Veterans Services

601-A N. Pearl St, Crestview

850-689-5922

6 11th Ave Suite G-3, Shalimar

850-651-7258

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7/29/09- Our bear made an appearance today at Azalea Park!

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*Here's a few pictures from the Summer Library Program Finale "Young at Art" display! 7/23.*

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7/15/09- The Elliott Park tennis court has been finished! Happy playing!!

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7/9/09- The Town Hall meeting at Florosa Elementary was the location for the meeting
on the annexation of Hurlburt Field. The vote passed 16-2 in favor of the annexation.

Next stop- Hurlburt Field! We look forward to seeing you there.

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7/7/09- Hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July! We've got the coating on the tennis
court.

We'll be done before you know it!

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6/9/09- I can hear the tennis players now! "LOVE!" "40!" It's going to be fantastic! We're
nearly there!


I'm pretty sure there are already some squirrels playing on our new playground
equipment... We've got the border up, now we have to fill it in with soft jumpy stuff so
the kids won't be hurt. (You know, when they do the "Superman" off the top of the rock climbing wall...)

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6/4/09- The tennis court has a fence!

Also- the playground is almost ready! Doesn't it look fun?

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6/2/09-
FAREWELL TO A FRIEND
               
Our beloved Mr. John Lulue is retiring on July 1st, 2009. Please be sure to stop by or drop him a little note, to let him know what a great job he did for you in his fourteen year employment as your City Manager.

Mrs. Lynne Oler will be your interim City Manager, and Mrs. Tammy King will be your interim City Clerk. Both are always available for your concerns and welcome your opinion.

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5/29/09- The new mosquito spray schedule has come out. Mary Esther gets treated on Monday, June 8th. Click here for more information!

The tennis court is well on it's way! We are shooting for a July 4th finish. Of course, we will keep you posted on that! Let's just pray for some great weather between now and then!


The playground is nearly complete!

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5/20/09- More progress has been made at Elliott Park! 12 posts were installed yesterday for the tennis court.

Our playground equipment is nearly installed!

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5/19/09- Throughout this week and next, we will be putting the Agendas and Minutes up from last year. Please forgive the lapse, we have been very busy this year! In the mean time, if there is a specific meeting you're interested in, you can always shoot us an email or call us!

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5/18/09-Elliott Park update- We've laid the asphalt for the new tennis court! Next is fencing it in, and soon we'll be able to enjoy a nice round (or 5!) right here in Mary Esther. Here's a picture of what's been done so far- we will be loading more pictures soon!

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Also at Elliott Park- we're installing brand new playground equipment. This new equipment will really add some excitement for our kids. You know how they love to explore new things!

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Make sure you check back often, news happens around the city of Mary Esther every day!