Tidbits for December 2003

Town of Shalimar

Tidbits -- December 2003

Santa Claus has visited Shalimar Town Hall for many years. This year, however, we are bringing him to you. On Monday, December 22nd, your local Shalimar Police Department will be escorting Santa throughout the streets of Shalimar. At around 4:00 p.m., listen for the sirens as your cue to bring the family out to the streets to greet Santa. He’s saving the presents for Christmas Eve but he will be distributing candy to those who brave the weather.

Also coming to town, Hampton Inn is planning to construct a four story hotel at the corner of Richbourg Avenue and Eglin Pkwy. The initial design documents are being reviewed and we anticipate construction will begin early next year.

The Cherokee Park development is about 90 percent complete. We are near the final landscaping/beautification phase. We really need a volunteer to assist with the landscaping design. If you have expertise in this area and would like to help, please call Tom or Tina at Town Hall at 651-5723. Our intentions are to give the park a nautical/marine theme. If you have any nautical items such as oars, lines, ropes, anchors, dingy or other small boats, decorative landscaping items, etc. that you would be willing to donate, please give us a call. Also, if you have any outdoor plants or trees that you would like to move to the park, we will gladly accept them. The park is now open from Sunrise to Sunset every day. We will have an official Grand Opening Festival in the Park some time in 2004.

In closing, I encourage you to stop by Town Hall and thank all of our employees for their dedication and work in 2003. I can not imagine having a better group of workers. I believe they truly enjoy working for Shalimar (at least that's what they tell me). We are truly blessed to have them all. Town hall will be closed on the 25^th and 26^th of December as well as January 1^st and 2^nd. Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to you all.

Please Remember...

...The Shalimar Town Hall is available for meetings and gatherings at no charge with a resident sponsor and $25 without a resident sponsor. Town Hall has a fully functional kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Please call town hall at 651-5723 for more information.

This is the 7th year that The Cobb Law Firm has sponsored the Free Ride Home Program. This year they are extending their efforts to Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties and are in need of drivers from these areas. If you are interested in helping, contact Roseanne at The Cobb Law Firm at either (866)651-6565 or (850)423-0035.

If you are planning on attending a New Years’ Eve Celebration and find that you have had too much alcohol and need a way to bring both you and your vehicle home safely, then you need to call (866)651-6565.

The Shalimar Police Department will be accompanying Santa Claus through town on December 22 starting at 4:00 p.m. If you live in a tight cul-de-sac, he may not be able to visit your home by vehicle (only his sleigh can get into tight places) so try to make it to a street nearby that is accessible.

Speaking of tight spaces, we continue to enforce the Shalimar ordinance prohibiting parking on town streets and right-of-ways. If you do plan a holiday event requiring overflow parking on the right-of-way, please prearrange your event with the Police Department.

Holiday Hours

The Shalimar Town Hall will be closed on December 25 and 26 (in observation of Christmas) and January 1 and 2 (in observation of the New Year). We will be on a skeleton crew due to vacation time so please call 651-5723 before you come in to make sure someone will be here. In case of an Emergency, call 217-5180.

Residents can stop by the Town Hall and check out the new flood maps for specific flood zone determinations.

Copies of elevation certificates for structures located in flood zones are on file at Town Hall. Applications and instructions for elevation certification are also available.

- Our Maintenance Supervisor, Hugh Parker, has finished installing new DOGIPOT stations on three sites around town. These stations contain a supply of plastic bags for picking up after your pet in the event you forget to bring a waste collection implement with you when walking your pet (as required by ordinance). The stations in Cherokee Park and behind Meigs Middle School on Shalimar Drive both have receptacles for depositing collected waste. Users of the third station in Meigs Park should use the waste receptacles already in place in the park. Please contact Town Hall if you notice the receptacles are full or the bag boxes are empty. Thank you for being responsible pet owners - your neighbors appreciate it!