Sanger Sentinel

SANGER SENTINEL CONNECTING THE CITY, RESIDENTS, AND BUSINESS DECEMBER 2021

NOTE FROM THE CITY MANAGER Welcome message on page 4

MEET YOUR POLICE & FIREMEN Get to know the Police and Fire personnel in the City. - Page 13 - 18

UPCOMING EVENTS & CLOSURES Page 2

CONNECT WITH US City Hall Address 502 Elm Street Sanger, TX 76266 Hours: 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM M-TH 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM F Phone: 940-458-7930 Online: Sangertexas.org Facebook: @SangerTexas

EVENTS 4 Days of Christmas December 7-10 Christmas Parade December 11 Santa Around Town Sunday, December 12 thru Friday, December 17 City Council December 20

CLOSURES Thursday, December 23 Friday, December 24 Friday, December 31

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CONTENTS 18 Explore all the Library is offering in December

13 - 18 Meet Your First Responders

Image from Sanger winter storm 2021

4 Note from the City Manager

2 Contact Us 4 Message from City Manager 5 City Council 6 Utilities & FAQs 7 Projects Update 8 Development Services Update 9 - 10 Kids Activities 11 Public Library 13 - 18 Meet your 1st Responders 16 - 17 Economic Development Update

13 - 18 Meet Your First Responders Meet a Sanger Firefighter and go behind the scenes for a police ride-a-long

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NOTE FROM THE CITY MANAGER John Noblitt Sanger, City Manager

W

elcome to our first edition of the Sanger Sentinel. This magazine is intended to connect our businesses, community, and City. Each month, we will provide insight into what is going on in and around our community, a section where you can get to know your Fire and Police personnel, find updates on construction projects, and get a peek into business development.

Magazine Name The name Sanger Sentinel comes from the first Sanger newspaper. Sadly, it only survived a few copies. It was replaced in 1898 when Legal Tender issued its first edition. There are not many references to the Sanger Sentinel that I have found.

This link offers some great insight into the history of Sanger and provides some interesting information on the first settlers.

Holiday Season Sanger is buzzing with activity this holiday season.

We have the Holiday Stroll and Christmas Parade on December 11th, Santa around Town starting on December 12th plus a host of other events throughout the month.

Please check the City's Facebook page for complete details.

I hope that you enjoy our new magazine. If you have suggestions or input, please contact our Director of Marketing and Civic Engagement DGreen@SangerTexas.org.

From all of us here at the City, Happy Holidays to you and yours.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Email dgreen@sangertexas.org

-John Noblitt City Manager, Sanger, TX

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CITY COUNCIL December

December

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20

City Council meets the first and third Monday of each month.

Location: Sanger Historical Church 403 N. 7th Street Time: 7:00 PM

Thomas Muir Mayor

Marissa Barrett Place 1

Gary Bilyeu Place 2

Dennis Dillon Place 3

Allen Chick Place 4

Victor Gann Place 5 SANGER SENTINEL

TRASH & RECYCLING SERVICE

UTILITY CUSTOMER SERVICE Contact Number: 940-458-7930 EMAL: utilitybilling@sangertexas.org Start/Stop Utility Service Click Here Click Here for online utility payments To report a water issue after hours, please call: 940-299-5358

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Trash and recycling services in Sanger are provided by Waste Connections and are billed by the City of Sanger monthly on your utility bills.

For missed collections or service issues, contact Waste Connections: 800-909-9061.

CODE RED

Code Red is an emergency notification system used by the City to notify residents of emergency situations affecting their home or business. To ensure that you are notified in the event of an emergency or utility interruption, take a moment to sign up HERE.

For billing questions, contact Sanger Customer Service in City Hall at: 940-909-9061 or email utilitybilling@sangertexas.org.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

Our goal is to make navigating life in Sanger as simple as possible so you can focus on the important things in life.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Click the links below for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions

Apply for a Building Permit Garage Sale Permit Pay a Municipal Court Fee Report a Concern Report a Code Violation Request Public Information Request a Vehicle Accident Report Reserve a Parks facility View Public Notices Employment Opportunities For more information, please visit our City website at: sangertexas.org

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SANGER PROJECTS UPDATE

For more informatio n on TXDOT projects, visit: the TXDOT Project Tracker

Residential Development Update: Sanger Circle Phase 6 - 250 Single Family & Townhome Residential Development. Phase 6A (Townhomes) will be completed first. Phase 6B will start soon after. The estimated completion date is early 2022.

Sanger Meadow - Phase 3 - nearing completion of Public Improvements.

Sable Creek Phase 4 - 50 Lot Single Family - Construction of Public Improvements is underway. Anticipated completion early 2022.

Mabak Directional Drilling will be installing a new 8" water line in the alley between Bolivar and Cherry Streets. This replacement extends from 2nd street to 5th street and will begin once the new pipe is delivered.

Quality Excavation has begun relocating the water/sewer lines as part of the FM 455 / I-35 widening. The project is expected to take seven months to complete.

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Active Development Projects Sportsman 2 – Convenience/liquor store with gas pumps for lightweight vehicles and 18-wheel trucks (southeast corner of I-35 and Lois Rd) Plat approved Building Plans approved and vertical construction in progress Inspector performing required inspections Sonic – Fast Food Restaurant (south side of FM 455 between 8th St and 10th St) Plat approved Re-zoning approved Sign Variance approved Building Plans approved and vertical construction in progress Inspector performing required inspections Bella Mansion – Converting an abandoned mansion into an event center (southwest corner of I-35 and Keaton Rd) Plat previously approved Building Plans in review

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Name:

TIME TO DECORATE!

Trace the lines to help decorate the Christmas trees! When finished turn this over and decorate the blank tree provided.

Dear Santa,

Love from,

SANGER PUBLIC LIBRARY

Hours of Operation Monday - Thursday 10 AM - 6 PM

Friday 10 AM - 5 PM

Saturday 10 AM - 2 PM SANGER SENTINEL

Silent Auction Proceeds to benefit CASA

Look for our gingerbread houses during the parade. The City of Sanger, Sanger Chamber of Commerce, local builders and the Texas Association of Builders have partnered to raise funds to support CASA. All proceeds from the auction will go to support CASA. For more information, please visit the CASA website.

Silent Auction to be held on December 11 during the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting.

Meet Officer McLearen One of the questions I love to ask first responders is why they do the work they do.

For McLearen, he says that he has always wanted to be a cop.

Article by: Donna Green, Director of Marketing, Sanger

Welcome to this 1st edition of Meet Your Sanger Officers. Some of you may have heard of Officer Ryan McLearen, aka @OfficerMcLovein, from his TikTok (83k+ followers) and Facebook fame, or perhaps from his YouTube Channel. Others have felt the positive energy as he interacts with residents and visitors during events or the smile and friendly wave as he patrols the neighborhoods. No matter where you see him, you will always find him working to make the City of Sanger a better place to live, work, and play. I had the privilege and honor of spending a few hours with Officer McLearen for a ride-along. I got to go behind the scenes to see exactly what our officers do to keep us safe plus, I was able to interview him and uncover a little about the man behind the camera.

So, who is the man behind all of the hilarious social media? Ryan McLearen was born and raised in Rockville, MD. He has a wife and three beautiful children. In his free time, when he is not playing with his children or creating his next video to go viral, he collects all things transportation-related such as signs, switch lights, etc. He even owns one of the “old school” radar guns.

He remembers the exact time that he just “knew” what he wanted to be when he grew up. It was during a ride-along when he was in the Junior Police Academy. He recalled the experience by saying, “I was terrified on that first ride. I had on my junior cop uniform and my bulletproof vest. I felt like I was on top of the world.” That first high-speed chase turned his hands white-knuckled. He told me, “Since I couldn’t feel my seatbelt, I kept checking over and over to see if it was on.” The events of that experience stuck with McLearen. From that moment on, he knew he would grow up to be a cop and protect the residents of his town.

“I was terrified on that first ride. I had on my

junior cop uniform and my bulletproof vest. I felt like I was on top of the world.”

It would be many years later before he put on the uniform. In fact, he waited until he was 30 to pursue his dream. When asked why he waited so long, he stated, “I wanted to wait until I grew up. Putting on the badge is a big responsibility. In my 20’s I wasn’t ready. I would have been arrogant and most likely unsuccessful. By the time I went through the academy, I had calmed down, and life had taught me a lot of valuable lessons. Those lessons make me the cop that I am today.”

On Thursday night, November 18th, I was able to experience a day, or in this case, a night, in the life of a Sanger Police Officer. I didn’t have any of the fear that the young Ryan McLearen

This was a particularly quiet night. Nothing “exciting” was going on. Even traffic on 35 was unusually light. To pass the time, I began to ask more questions. The roof of the patrol car was covered in police patches. It was fascinating to see just how many were up there. Not a single empty spot was left.

Officers love to collect badges from other police departments. McLearen carries several with him in the event that he has the opportunity to trade.

experienced as a junior officer. Instead, I was full of excitement. You know that adrenalin rush you get when the police pull you over? I felt much like that. After suiting me up with a bulletproof vest and walking me through the rules of dos and don’ts, we were off.

"I want people to see me as a normal person, just doing my job" Officer McLearen was careful to explain everything that he was doing. There is a procedure he follows every shift. He loves the people of Sanger, cares for the children, and works hard to be a good role model.

Especially for those children who may not have a lot of positive influences in their lives.

As he drove through the neighborhoods, the kids who knew him waved. He visited the locations where he usually interacts with groups of people. On this particular night, he was bummed that the teens he had spent some skateboarding time with earlier in the month were not out and about.

He told me that he has boxes of patches from other departments. It was his daughter’s idea to put them in his cruiser. It is a great conversation starter for anyone who finds themselves in the back of McLearen’s car. His tattoos also serve as a great conversation item. When interacting with someone who also has tattoos, comparing ink tends to relax the situation a bit. He told me that talking with people about tattoos allows people to see him as a regular person, just doing his job.

Finally, about 45 minutes into “my shift”, we have our first traffic stop. Officer McLearen turns on his voice recorder and body camera then he opens his computer to run the plates.

Before stepping out of the vehicle, he turns on the audio and camera in the cruiser so I can see and hear the stop.

I know getting pulled over isn’t fun. I have been pulled over my fair share of times. As I watched McLearen approach the vehicle, I noticed the precautions he was taking. He walked slowly up to the vehicle, shinning his light inside to make sure he was not walking into a dangerous situation. “Good evening, sir.

May I please see your license and registration?” As the gentlemen hands over the required

Once back in the vehicle, McLearen looks at the report from running the plates. The car is not stolen, plates are good, and insurance is current. The driver’s information gets input into the system. He is all clear. He has a bit of history with speeding but no outstanding warrants. Officer McLearen returns the man’s license, and insurance card then takes a sticker out of his pocket for the kid. He wishes them both a good night, and they are off.

documentation, McLearen asks him if he knows why he was being pulled over. In this instance, it was nothing more than burnedout tail light. While talking to the man, he notices a young little boy about four years old in the back seat. I can hear him talking to the child in a soft, soothing voice. He is asking him how he is and reassuring him that everything is ok.

He asks the man to sit tight for just a moment as he walks back to the cruiser. .

Despite what some people might think, cops don't like having to pull people over.

They really are looking out for your best interest and those who share the road with you. Simple things may or may not warrant a ticket, but some items are almost always non-negotiables. First and foremost, people who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Second, anything that puts the welfare of a child in jeopardy. Violations that fall in these categories are sure to land you in the hot seat.

One other bit of insider information for those of us with a heavy foot – radar detection technology is incredible. Officers can sit on the side of the access road and monitor traffic coming from both directions.

Not only can they detect your speed, but they can also detect the speed of those around you.

As I finished my ride-along with Officer McLearen, true to his social media fans, he snapped the above picture of us. I encourage you to follow the @sangertxpolice Facebook page or any of McLearen’s social channels. He is sure to make you smile.

Meet the Sanger FD #670 I am a big fan of TV shows about First Responders such as Rescue 911, 9-1-1, and 911 Lonestar. I probably have 20 hours sitting on my DVR just waiting for me to find the time to watch. So, you can imagine how excited I was to be invited to spend the day with the 670 in Sanger.

On November 30, Lieutenant Grimes, Welborn, and Shephard, along with Firefighter/Paramedics Lewis and Pearse, spent their day teaching me about firefighter life. I was surprised to learn what they face and do daily.

Full disclosure, I have to admit that I expected the firehouse to be very close to what you see on television. However, the 670 is not equipped with a chef’s kitchen, the sleeping quarters look more like military barracks than the fancy bunks on television, and when the alarm went off for a call, there was no fireman’s pole for them to slide down. The firehouse has a modest kitchen, a couple of couches, a television, sleeping quarters, along with two restrooms equipped with showers. It is nothing fancy, but it is a clean and cozy home away from home for working 48hour shifts.

The Sanger Fire Department is still relatively small. They are growing and looking ahead to the future when they have a larger full-time team and a second firehouse. For now, to be a part of the 670, you must be Firefighter and Paramedic certified.

When a call comes in, it is all hands on deck.Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a day one probie, you are expected to jump in and do what is necessary.

The best part about the job is the job.

There is not just one thing that makes it great!

I got to see this team in action when our first call came in. I climbed into the back seat of the rescue vehicle and belted myself in. Lieutenant Shephard and Grimes were sitting in the front, maneuvering the vehicle like second nature. The siren whooped as Shephard drove down the center of the road, blasting the horn, expertly moving around stopped cars and through traffic lights. It was an adrenaline-charged beginning to my ride-along experience.

“We have a medical call just outside of the City,” the team tells me. This team covers 129 square miles, so I wasn't sure how they measured "just outside the city." They told me it could take nearly 30 minutes to reach the areas farthest from the station.

As we arrived on the scene, the guys wasted zero time getting to the patient. I watched as one paramedic spoke with the patient giving reassurance everything would be ok.

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After getting all the serious questions out of the way and moving the patient to the gurney for transport, bracing the neck as a precaution, and administering some pain meds, they began to have some lighthearted conversation, which produced a smile and eased some of the fear. Having safely secured the patient, the ambulance was off to the hospital.

After arriving back at the station, the team restocked the ambulance supplies in preparation for the next call. It seems there is always something to do at the firehouse.

They are constantly cleaning something, the firehouse itself, the vehicles, or the equipment. After each call, they have a stack of paperwork to file. They record everything from start to finish. Condition of the patient, supplies used, medicine administered, etc. They monitor the calls in the surrounding cities too. Sometimes they are called to assist with an incident. Monitoring the area activity keeps them informed on each case, so they know what they are walking into should they be called to assist.

"Being a firefighter is not a job. It is something you are called to do."

During our time back at the station, after everyone has settled down, I ask each of them, “What’s the best part about this job”? Without hesitation, they all agreed that they couldn’t name just one great thing.

Every day is the best part. Being a firefighter is not a job; it is something you are called to do. With all the dangerous situations they find themselves in, from walking into a burning building with fire temps 500 degrees plus to tending to hurt individuals on the side of a busy highway, they all felt it was the most incredible job ever.

“Most of what modern firefighters do is respond to medical emergencies,” Grimes told me. “Technology today has eliminated a lot of the fires we used to see when I first started.” He went on to say to me that they get a lot of calls for brush fires. Structure fires are rarer, but they can be severe when they happen.

As the day continued, I learned more and more about their way of life. I was fortunate to see how the fire and police work together on a traffic call. I have always been told that the Fire Department and the Police Department are less than friendly to each other. That certainly is not the case in Sanger, TX. I observed nothing but respect and support from both sides.

Growing up, I always thought being a fireman had to be the coolest job ever.

They are smart, quick-witted, and afraid of nothing. They fight house fires and brush fires under some terrifying conditions. They bravely go into places that most would run from, and they provide life-saving care to those in need. People line up to greet them and wave to them as they drive away.

So as an adult with several decades of life experience, how do I feel about Fireman now? It is still one of the coolest professions ever. They are true-life heroes.

"Firefighters are true-life heroes!"

CITY OF SANGER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Commercial/Industrial Development Sonic 900 W. Chapman

Sportsman II & Fueling Station

New Business Alert Bolivar St. Revival & Spirits 302 Bolivar St.

We're very excited to welcome Bolivar St. Revival & Spirits to downtown Sanger. The Revival is a bar with a vintage feel and a western attitude. The saloon also features live music and friendly bar staff.

Terrell Counseling Inc. 710 N. 5th St.

Welcome, Terrell Counseling, Inc. to Sanger! They offer mental health services and specialize in depression, anxiety, trauma, anger management, substance abuse, couples & families, adolescents, etc.

PELLEGRINO'S CELEBRATES 15 YEARS New Location Alert Sanger Insurance has moved! Their new location is 807 N. 5th Street

North Texas Family Dental of Sanger is now located at 617 N. 10th Street, Suite #204

Sales tax collections for November totaled $220,887.33, an increase of $43,370.72 over the prior year!

Sanger Economic Development Property Enhancement Incentive Program The City of Sanger’s Property Enhancement Incentive Program is a 50/50 matching grant program designed to support commercial property owners or business operators for Eligible Enhancement made to their properties. The Program’s grant application process is administered by the City of Sanger’s Economic Development Corporation – applications and program guidelines are available online at www.sangertxedc.org.

Shop Local. Shop Sanger!

When you invest money in your local economy, you’re not just helping local business owners – you’re helping yourself. You’re making Sanger a better place to live, with a rich character, a thriving economy, and a tightknit community. The more local businesses prosper, the more new ones will open – making it easier to continue shopping locally in the future. Shop local and support our local businesses in SANGER!

Let's Connect Our focus is assisting Sanger businesses with their needs and developing a working relationship to connect them with resources and programs to improve the business climate and achieve economic success. We want to get to know you and your business! If you would like to schedule an on-site meeting, please contact Shani Bradshaw at 940-458-2059 or by email at sbradshaw@sangertexas.org to arrange a convenient time. We look forward to hearing from you!

Is Your Business Hiring?

Send your open positions to sbradshaw@sangertexas.org, and we will post them on our social media sites.

The City of Sanger is a proud partner of the Sanger Area Chamber of commerce. Visit the Sanger Chamber Area Chamber of Commerce; a valuable resource when establishing or growing your business.

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SANGER IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

NOW HIRING! LOOKING FOR A JOB?

The City of Sanger is hiring! To apply, please fill out this application and submit it to Applications@SangerTexas.org

FACILITIES-GROUNDS MAINTENANCE FOR PARKS FT FIREFIGHTER-PARAMEDIC FT AND PT. LIBRARY ASSISTANT PT 2 OF THESE POSITIONS. MAINTENANCE WORKER FOR STREETS FT 2 OF THESE POSITIONS. PARKS AND RECREATION SUPERINTENDENT FT PLANNER FT POLICE OFFICER FT UTILITY WORKER I FOR WATER FT

For complete job description details, please visit https://www.sangertexas.org/page/hr_employment SANGER SENTINEL