Janesville City Weekly News--

Weekly Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Thursday, May 01, 2008
Contact: Rebecca Smith, Management Assistant
Phone: 608-755-3104
Fax: 608-755-3196
E-mail: smithr@ci.janesville.wi.us
Website: www.ci.janesville.wi.us

JTS Provides Service on May 3 School Make-Up Day
In the aftermath of a winter with record-setting snowfall, the School District of Janesville will hold the second Saturday school day to replace the day lost as the result of inclement weather. To facilitate attendance at school on this second Saturday school day, scheduled for May 3, 2008, the School District has asked the Janesville Transit System to provide expanded public bus service on this day.

The School District is reimbursing the City of Janesville for the cost of providing this additional service. Under Federal Transit Administration regulations, this service will be open at all times to the general public, will operate in accordance with published schedules, and the regular fares will be charged.

On May 3, JTS will make the following modifications to its regular Saturday schedule to assist Janesville families and students in attending the school replacement day:

o JTS Regular Routes will begin service at 7:15AM on these dates, rather than the normal Saturday start time of 8:45AM. This will allow adequate time for persons traveling from home to the schools for the 8:15AM Middle School and 8:30AM High School start times. School dismissal occurs during normal Saturday operating hours, so no service changes are necessary for that purpose.

o The following Extra Service Routes will operate on May 3:
o Ontario–Alpine/Wuthering Hills Combination
o Atwood-Holmes/East Milwaukee Special Combination
o South West Special
o Northwest/West Court Special Combination

Extra Service Routes are open to anyone wishing to ride and the regular fare ($1.25) will be charged. Schedules will be modified to meet the changes in the school opening and closing times on this Saturday.

For more details and route planning assistance for service on May 3, please contact JTS at 755-3150.

Look West and 4th Ward Neighborhood Plan Visioning Workshop Planned for May 7
On May 7, the City of Janesville and the Neighborhood Leadership Team will conduct a visioning session to discuss the vision and critical issues for the Look West and 4th Ward neighborhoods. This session will take place at 6:30PM at Wilson School (465 Rockport Road).

The City of Janesville recently launched a planning process to guide future improvements and redevelopment in the Look West and 4th Ward neighborhoods. In order to gather input and guidance from neighborhood residents, the City will host a public visioning workshop. During this session a variety of topics will be discussed, including crime & safety, traffic problems, landlord/tenant relations, housing conditions, parks & recreation programs and historic preservation.

All neighborhood residents are encouraged to attend because this will be an opportunity to provide the City and its planning consultants with ideas and concerns about issues and the future of the neighborhoods. The workshop will involve a series of thought-provoking, interactive exercises where residents will work with each other to create ideas and provide input that will define the direction of the plan and articulate the community’s goals for these historic neighborhoods.

For questions or to provide comments before the meeting, please contact Development Specialist Kelly Lee at 755-3052.

Spring Yard Waste Collection May 5-9
The City will collect grass, leaves, and garden debris placed in containers or bags and bundled brush on the same day as your regular trash pick-up the week of May 5-9. Please place your yard waste a few feet apart from your regular trash. Items should be placed at the curb no later than 7AM on your scheduled collection day.

Yard waste containers or bags and bundled brush should be no heavier than 50 pounds and no longer than four feet in length and twelve inches in diameter. Using biodegradable paper bags or reusable containers such as plastic trash cans is recommended. Plastic bags can be used but please leave them untied at the curb.

City code prohibits the burning of trash, garden debris and other yard wastes within the city limits. For more information contact City Services at 755-3110.

Child Safety Seat Inspection Event Planned for May 8
The Janesville Fire Department will hold a car seat inspection event on May 8. This program will take place at Fire Station #5 (1414 Newport Avenue) from 2-6PM.

Seven other inspection events have also been planned for 2008:
• June 12, 8AM-Noon
• July 9, 2-6PM
• August 13, 8-Noon
• September 10, 2-6PM
• October 23, 8-Noon
• November 12, 2-6PM
• December 10, 8-Noon

The purpose of this program is to assist parents in protecting the lives of Janesville’s youngest residents by providing certified child safety seat technicians who will inspect, instruct and correct improperly installed child safety seats. During the event, several technicians from the Janesville Fire and Police Departments will be available to inspect child safety seats. Each inspection takes approximately 30 minutes and is free of charge; however, donations are accepted. The donations will be used to fund the operating costs of the inspection program. The Fire Department also has safety seats available. If a safety seat is found to be unsafe during an inspection, parents may choose to conveniently obtain a new safety seat from the Fire Department. Please contact Firefighter/Paramedic Jamie Kessenich at Fire Station #5 at 752-5815 if you have questions or to schedule an appointment.

Make My Mom & Me Over Scheduled for May 10
Leisure Services and the Academy of Cosmetology will hold “Make My Mom & Me Over” on Saturday, May 10 from 1-3PM and 3:30-5:30PM at the Academy of Cosmetology (2310 W. Court St.). Stylists from the Academy will provide participants with a cool “up-do” hairstyle and a relaxing manicure. Games will be played for prizes and plenty of snacks will be on hand. This fun “girls only” event is open to pairs of adults and children (ages 5-12). The cost is $40 per pair. The 1-3PM session is full, openings are still available for the 3:30-5:30PM session. For questions or to register, please contact Leisure Services at 755-3030.

Fifth Grade Rec Nite Scheduled for May 16
Janesville’s Fifth Grade Rec Nite will take place on May 16 at Marshall Middle School (25 S. Pontiac Drive) from 7-9:30PM. This event is only for area fifth graders and also includes home-schooled and parochial students. This night will offer a sneak preview of the ever-popular middle school rec nite and will feature concessions, a DJ, dancing, open gym, swimming and a variety of games. Contests with prizes are also planned for this evening. Please note, this Fifth Grade Rec Nite event is in addition to the May 16 Edison Middle School Rec Nite.

The cost for Rec Nite is $6 per student. Volunteer parent chaperones are also needed. For questions or to volunteer, please contact Shelley Hansel in Leisure Services at 755-3030.

Downtown Clean-up Day Scheduled for May 16
Volunteers Sought to Assist with Clean-Up
On Friday, May 16 from 8AM – 3PM the Downtown Development Alliance, Inc. in conjunction with the City of Janesville will hold a clean-up of downtown Janesville. Activities will include the weeding, trimming, removal of trash and debris and the cleaning of downtown parks, parking lots and general street areas.

Work and crew assignments will be given at the parking plaza behind the Old Towne Mall. Volunteers should plan to bring their own gloves and may feel free to bring other tools; however, tools will be provided for use during the clean-up.

Refreshments and lunch are sponsored by Forward Janesville, Inc. In-kind donors to Downtown Clean-up Day include Old Fashioned Bakery, 27 West Appraisal & Estate Services, IBEW, Lions Quick Mart, The Looking Glass, Legends, Quotes, Karma's, Wiggy's and Custom Xerographics.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jackie Wood at 752-0295 or Renee Dommershausen, 774-8659.

First Wee Rec Nite Planned for May 17
The first Wee Rec Nite for children ages 3-10 is planned for May 17 from 6-9PM. This event will take place at CSA Kids Sports and Arts Campus (4113 Whitney Street) and will include a snack, gym time, indoor swimming and crafts & games for a cost of only $18 per child. During Wee Rec Nite boys and girls will be able to socialize with friends and have fun while parents enjoy some alone time. Other upcoming Wee Rec Nites are:
• June 28;
• July 19; and
• August 16.

For questions, call Shelley Hansel at 755-3030.

S.A.F.E Training Scheduled for June 17
On June 17 from 5:30 – 7:30PM the Janesville Police Department will conduct safety training for women who are interested in learning more about personal protection. This event will take place at the Mercy Center at Mercy Hospital (1000 Mineral Point) in Janesville. If you are unable to attend this session, feel free to contact the Police Department to inquire about future training sessions.

What is “S.A.F.E.” Training? S.A.F.E stands for Self defense, Awareness, Familiarization and Exchange. The program is taught by police officers and is designed to educate women on how to protect themselves from crime by introducing them to physical training methods. To register for the class, please contact Mercy Health Systems at 756-6100. For additional information, call Sergeant Donohoue at 755-3133. Register early because classes fill quickly!

Photo Opportunities Available
There are several City of Janesville events that would make excellent photo opportunities and story ideas. Please mark your calendar for these upcoming events and look for more information in future press releases.


Date Event Time & Location Contact
June 17 S.A.F.E. Training 5:30-7:30PM, Mercy Center at Mercy Hospital (1000 Mineral Point) Sergeant Donohoue, 755-3133.