News Direct From Town Hall in Smyrna, Tennessee
When News From Departments Comes Available. See It Here First.

Carefully decorating Christmas trees can help make your holidays safer.

Here is a few safety tips:

When decorating your tree, always use lights listed by a testing laboratory. Some lights are designed only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Larger tree lights should also have some type of reflector rather than a bare bulb.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to use tree lights. Any string of lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulb connections should not be used. Connect no more than three strands of push-in bulbs and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
Always unplug Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and extend their life.
Never use lit candles to decorate a tree, and make sure any lit candles in the room are placed well away from tree branches.
Try to keep live trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water daily. Do not purchase a tree that is dry or dropping needles. Check for fresh, green needles. And place your tree in a sturdy tree stand designed not to tip over.
Children are fascinated with Christmas trees. Keep a watchful eye on them when around the tree and do not let them play with the wiring or lights. Store matches and lighters up high, out of reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
Make sure the tree is at least three feet (one meter) away from any heat source, such as fireplaces and radiators. Try to position the tree near an outlet so that cords are not running long distances. Do not place the tree where it may block exits.
Safely dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in a house or garage, or placed against the house.
 

Registration is underway for the 34th Annual 2008 Christmas parade in Smyrna scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008, at 2 p.m. The theme for this year is the Sounds of Christmas. We hope that you will join us this year. An online and printable application to participate and pertinent information is included below. We look forward to another great parade and certainly look forward to having you join us in the parade. For rules and application click here. Need more information email us @ parade@townofsmyrna.org.
 

The Smyrna Police Department  would like to invite citizens interested in their local law enforcement agency to attend Smyrna Citizens Police Academy. The Citizens Academy is designed to give members of the public a glimpse into the realities of police work, to include patrol procedures, traffic enforcement, interview/interrogation, K-9, SWAT operations, criminal investigative work, and much, much more. This year’s Academy will run for a 12 week period beginning January 15th, 2009 leading up to an April 2nd graduation. Classes will be every Thursday night from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Registration is free, but space is limited. Applicants are subject to a criminal background check. For more information, contact the Smyrna Police Department:

TOWN OF SMYRNA
LEAF COLLECTION

• The Town of Smyrna’s leaf collection effort is one of the responsibilities of the Street Department.
• The leaves must be in biodegradable (paper) lawn & leaf bags.
• Only bags clearly marked biodegradable are acceptable.
• These bags are available at most local hardware stores / departments.
• We no longer have a way to dispose of leaves in plastic bags.
• The Town of Smyrna does not landfill leaves. They are taken to a mulching operation to be composted and mulched.
• When your leaves are bagged and ready for pick-up, please place them at the edge of your yard (not on street) and our chipper/leaf removal crew will come by to pick them up.
• In order to efficiently cover the entire town, the Street Department works one section of the town at a time. There is no need to call for pick-up service.