CONTACT: Mark Kruea Office: (843) 918-1014 Mobile: (843) 450-1695 info@cityofmyrtlebeach.com www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com Media Advisory For a printable .pdf of the following information, visit www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/fridayfax.pdf. To: Myrtle Beach Media From: Mark Kruea, Public Information Officer Date: December 19, 2014 Re: Meeting Schedule and Agendas 1. Next week’s meeting schedule and agendas are attached. 2. Santa Claus visits neighborhoods throughout the city from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m., this Sunday, December 21. The Myrtle Beach Fire Department provides a big, red fire truck for Santa’s rounds. Children of all ages are invited to visit with Santa and the firefighters. 3. City offices and facilities will be closed Thursday and Friday, December 25 and 26. Solid waste and recycling will be collected as usual in Zone 1 on Monday, December 22, and in Zone 2 on Tuesday, December 23. However, both Zones 3 and 4 will receive service on Wednesday, December 24. No collections will be provided on Thursday or Friday, December 25 or 26. Service during the New Year’s week will be on the regular Mondaythrough Thursday schedule, including Thursday, New Year’s Day. 4. Beginning in January, the City of Myrtle Beach will pick up discarded Christmas trees at curbside and take them to be recycled. Please place trees at the curb, but not in the travel lane, and don’t cover any utility meters or boxes. Also, remember to remove all decorations and tree stands! If you don’t want to wait for curbside pickup after the New Year, you may take your tree to the drop-off point on Mr. Joe White Avenue at 21st Avenue North Extension (behind Myrtle Waves Water Park). In February, the trees will be ground into mulch, which then will be available to the public for free. 5. Registration is underway for the second annual Disaster Recovery Symposium for area businesses. The event is Friday, January 30, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel. Speakers include Toby Wolf of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, talking about he stayed in business after Super Storm Sandy struck the Northeast. Continuity planning, preparing for the unthinkable and disaster-related stress also are topics. For details and a registration form, visit www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/disasterrecovery.pdf. The fee is $25 per person until January 26, then $30. Registration includes lunch and breaks. 6. If you want to work off those holiday pounds or just get some winter exercise, then sign up now for next year’s “Choose” health and fitness programs, beginning in January. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Information and registration materials are available at www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/choose.html. These 11-week sessions focus on your health and fitness goals. Activities begin with a health and fitness fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 10, at Pepper Geddings Recreation Center. 7. The Myrtle Beach Convention Center again is home to the annual Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, February 27 and 28, 2015. In all, 66 teams of high school students from across South Carolina and along the East Coast will build their own robots from scratch to compete in this fast-paced event. Teams warm up on Thursday, February 26, with robot inspections and practice rounds, followed by the high-energy tournament itself on Friday and Saturday. Admission is free, and the public is welcome to watch these talented students put their math, science and engineering skills to work. The robotics tournament features a “pit” area, a performance arena and fast-paced competition. To volunteer, visit https://my.usfirst.org/FIRSTPortal/Login/vims_login.aspx. (Last year’s volunteers need to re-register.) 8. Sunday’s Christmas Towne at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center is the subject of our Photos of the Week. The annual holiday event is sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and co-sponsored by the city. Fortunately, the weather cooperated, so Christmas Towne’s games, rides, refreshments, live music and other activities were held outdoors on the Plaza. For snapshots from this year’s Christmas Towne, visit http://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/pow.html. 9. Did you know… That this Friday Fax e-mail, with its weekly meeting schedule and agendas, reaches more than 1,700 people? The weekly Events e-mail about city-related activities goes to more than 1,900 addresses, while the Recreation e-mail reaches more than 2,000 people. Since we’re approaching a new year, your feedback about these three weekly messages is welcome! For more information, contact: Mark Kruea, Public Information Officer, City of Myrtle Beach (843) 918-1014 voice (843) 450-1695 mobile http://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com CITY OF MYRTLE BEACH MEETING SCHEDULE December 22 - 26, 2014 MONDAY, DECEMBER 22 8:30 a.m. Staff Meeting/Hosted by Convention Center Administrative Conference Room, Convention Center TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23 No Meetings Scheduled WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24 No Meetings Scheduled THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 HOLIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26 HOLIDAY