City Newsletter - September 2016
2016 Walker Pumpkin Bash
Save the Date  
 
Saturday, October 1, 2016 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Presented by: The City of Walker, Kent District Library Walker Branch, and Walker Ice and Fitness Center.

Join us for an afternoon of fall family fun, petting zoo, and food! We will be giving away mini pumpkins to the first 1,000 kids (12 years old and under)! Crafting supplies available to personalize your pumpkin.  
 
Event is free and open to the public. Don't miss this exciting event!  
 
Location: Walker City Complex Outdoors (4243 Remembrance Road. NW) 

If you are a business or organization looking to promote yourself in the community, register for a vendor table today. Registration

If you have questions about this event, please contact [email protected]
Trevor Slot Memorial 5K Run/Walk
Community Cause

Saturday, October 8, 2016 

1:30 p.m. - Memorial Service
We will honor fallen Walker Police Officer Trevor Slot during our annual ceremony. The ceremony will take place at the Walker Police and Fire Memorial, located near the public safet y building, on the corner of Remembrance and Wilson Ave. The ceremony will last approximately 30 minutes.  

3:00 p.m. - 5K Starts
Our annual 5K Run/Walk will start in front of the Walker Public Safety Building (4343 Remembrance Rd), the section of road which has been named after Trevor Slot. The race will commence at the 
tree dedicated to Trevor. The run will end at the Walker Police and Fire Memorial. This event will be a non-competitive run/walk, but we will have a running clock.
 
Parking will be available at any of the City of Walker lots, and closed right at 3:00 p.m. Refreshments will be provided for attendees at the finish line.
 
To guarantee your shirt size by the event, please have your registration in by October 1, 2016. Packet pick up will be available Friday, October 7 from 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. at the Walker PD lobby. We will also take day of registration from 1:00 p.m. until the start of the race. Shirt sizing will not be guaranteed. 

If you have questions, please contact (616)791-6826.
To register for this event, please visit our EventBrite page

Fire Department 
Fire Prevention Week Open House and Updates

Monday, October 10, 2016 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 
Location: Walker Fire Station 2, 4101 Lake Michigan Drive.

Our focus this year will be on the FPW theme of "Don't Wait Check the Date; Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years." We will also have handout information on fire safety, and home escape planning.

We will be displaying our equipment along with a number of other activities.
Come and meet many of your firefighters and learn some valuable lessons regarding fire safety.


Department of Public Works
2016 Leaf Recycling Program

When: October 22, 2016 through November 19, 2016 (Closed Friday, November 11, 2016 for Veteran's Day)

Location: City of Walker, 4243 Remembrance Rd. N.W. (behind City Hall)

Monday through Friday:  8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Five Saturdays, from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.:  October 22, October 29, November 5, November 12 and November 19.

Biodegradable bags will be made available for purchase at the Public Works office from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Call for current price.

To speed up the leaf drop off, we ask that you use biodegradable bags. Plastic bags are not accepted. Also, residents may bring leaves in a tarped trailer. We will also be accepting brush at this location and running it through the chipper. No minimum length required. Proof of Walker residency will be required.

Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. If you have questions, please call (616)791-6854.

Clerk's Office  
Updates 
  
Upcoming Elections:
The Presidential General Election is November 8, 2016. The last day to register to vote for this election is October 4, 2016. Register at the Clerk's office or any Secretary of State branch. Click here for more information.

Absentee Ballots:
Prior to each election, voters may choose to receive their ballot by mail. Michigan law allows you to receive an absentee ballot if:
  • You are 60 years of age or older
  • You are physically unable to attend the polls without assistance of another
  • You have been appointed an election precinct inspector in a precinct other than the precinct where you reside
  • You expect to be absent from the community in which you are registered for the entire time the polls are open on election day
  • You cannot attend the polls because of the tenets of your religion
  • You cannot attend the polls because you are confined to jail awaiting arraignment or trial
Absentee Ballots are available in the Clerk's Office approximately 45 days prior to the election. Call the office for an application or stop in to complete the form. 
Please know that Absentee Ballot APPLICATIONS can be forwarded to a temporary address by the Post Office. However, Absentee BALLOTS cannot be forwarded to another address by the Post Office.  It is vital we know where to mail your absentee ballot so it does not get lost in the mail system. 

Permanent Absentee Voter:
Please know that if you are over 60 years old, you qualify to be on our Permanent Absentee Voter List which means you will automatically receive an Application to Vote prior to each Election. You then complete the application and return it to the Clerk's Office to receive your ballot. Contact the Clerk's Office if you wish to be on this list. If you already receive an application, you are already on the list and do not need to contact us again.

Military / Overseas Voters:
Military personnel or U.S. citizens currently overseas can visit www.fvap.gov for a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The FPCA acts as both a registration and absentee ballot request form. A form must be submitted every year in order to qualify to receive an absentee ballot for the elections held in that calendar year.

City Hall Drop Box:
Any documents you need to turn into the Clerk's office may be dropped off in the City Hall grey drop box outside City Hall. (i.e. Absentee ballot applications, signed and sealed absentee ballots and any license applications and payments)
 
 
2016 Walker Winter Fest
Save the Date 
 
On Thursday, December 1, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. enjoy an evening of free ice skating, reindeer, hot chocolate, kids crafts, holiday music, and our 7:00 p.m. tree lighting.  Santa will also be visiting from the North Pole! 
 
Winter Fest will be held at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center at 4151 Remembrance Rd. NW. We encourage you to bring your own ice skates. Rental skates will be available for free on a first come basis.

Please help us spread some holiday cheer by bringing a canned good item to donate to our local food bank. Our Youth Commission will be collecting donations at the entrance.

Presented by: The City of Walker, Kent District Library Walker Branch, and Walker Ice and Fitness Center

For more details, please visit www.ci.walker.mi.us 
If your business or organization would like to sponsor either of the above events, please contact Amber Kneibel at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!