July 2009 Free
Robinson’s Community Magazine
Picture Perfect PyroTechnics
How to take fabulous photographs of fireworks. Pages 8-9
A Publication of the Robinson Chamber of Commerce
BIG BLUE Robinson’s Community Magazine Vol. 4, Issue 7
6
News Briefs
8
Picture Perfect Pyrotechnics
12
Business Spotlight
Robinson News and City Calendar
How to take fabulous firework photographs
Comfort Suites
Publisher
Robinson Chamber of Commerce
Editor
Robinson High School’s Desktop Publishing Classes
Writers
Linda Ray
Photography
Cover photography composite by Linda Ray
Design
Brittany Lowry
Advertising and Web Design
Elke Fehler
Circulation
Robinson Chamber of Commerce
Contact us at:
254-662-6434
email: information@Robinsontexaschamber.org Robinsoncoc@gmail.com BIG BLUE P.O. Box 23962 Waco, Texas 76702
Robinson People
Del and Sue Hensel, along with Joe Ed and Mayme Williams, announce the birth of their grandson, Finn Marek Hensel on June 18, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. The proud parents, Marcus and Robyn (Williams) Hensel, both graduated from Robinson High School and the University of Texas in Austin. Marcus is completing his Ph.D. at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
Happy 11th Birthday Noah Fickett We love you very much.
Happy 4th Birthday Kolton Higgins July 18th We love you very much! Dad, Mom, Tyler and Alexis
RHS Cheerleader Clinic August 22 RHS Gym 8 - 11:30 a.m. Cost: $25 Ages 5+ For more information, contact Tammy Steensen at 662-3840 or email tsteensen@robinson.k12. tx.us. Information is also on the RISD website. 4
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Love, Mom, Dad and Nathan
MEET OUR NEW BRANCH MANAGER ECU is proud to announce the promotion of Mrs. Felicia Fuller to the position of Robinson branch manager. Mrs. Fuller has been with the credit union over 12 years and brings a lot of experience to the Robinson office. We invite you to come out and meet Mrs. Fuller. Her door is always open and she is ready to help you with all of your financial needs! ECU is a full-service financial institution serving everyone in the community, no matter their profession.
641 N. Robinson Dr. • Robinson • 662-9595 • www.edcu.com BIG BLUE
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News Briefs CHIPPER DAY DELAYED Due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Chipper Day will be postponed until Saturday, July 11th. The site on South 12th is usually open to Robinson residents on the first Saturday of each month for the disposal of bulky trash and tree limbs. Whenever the first Saturday falls on a holiday weekend, however, the event is postponed one week. There is a $10 fee for each trip to the site. CONTRACT POST OFFICE TO CLOSE The Lease to Own contract Post Office in Robinson has notified the United States Postal Service (USPS) that it intends to terminate its contract and close the contract postal unit at 101 Deanna. USPS is seeking persons or businesses interested in operating a contract postal unit. The office could either be stand-alone or incorporated as part of another business. Without a local office, the closest facilities (as measured from 111 W. Lyndale, City Hall) are the Hewitt Post Office, 901 S. Hewitt Drive (5.3 miles); Downtown Waco, 424 Clay (5.4 miles) and WacoWoodway Station, 430 West Highway 6 (5.5 miles). LIONS POOL OPEN The Lions Club Swimming Pool in Youngblood Park is now open. Daily admission is $5, but individual season passes are available for $60. The pool is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. each day and closed on Monday. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The pool can be reserved for private parties by calling 662-2912. The cost for private 6
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Robinson City News is written by Dick (R.C.) Fletcher, City Manager, 662-1415 or visit www.robinsontexas.org
parties is $160 for up to 50 guests for 2 hours of fun. The Robinson Pool is a nonprofit service of the Robinson Lion’s Club, a service organization which meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the pool. CORRIDOR OVERLAY REVIEW Following a hearing by the Planning and Zoning Commission, proposed changes to the Corridor Overlay Ordinance were forwarded to the City Council. Following a lengthy discussion, Council was still unable to reach a unanimous consensus regarding several points of concern. The matter will be on the next Council agenda for more discussion. The increased restrictions contained in the Corridor Overlay are intended to enhance the appearance of the city’s main thoroughfares. LARRY GROTH NOMINATED Both the City of Robinson and the City of Waco have nominated Larry Groth to serve on the Brazos Regional Water Planning Group. Groth is Waco’s City Manager and has close family ties in the Robinson-Lorena area. He is a registered professional engineer who has been actively involved in the water industry for over twenty-five years. SHIFTING GROUND CAUSING PROBLEMS The highly expansive clay soils in central Texas are notorious for causing subsurface problems. Homes suffer cracked foundations and broken pipes underneath the slab. Driveways and city streets crack and the Water Department is kept busy repairing water leaks. Last week, a gravity sewer line crossing Flat Creek near South 12th Street fell
victim to the same scourge and began leaking untreated wastewater into the creekbed. The seasonal waterway was not flowing but did have some ponded water that was impacted. A temporary dam was constructed at 12th Street and the contaminated water was pumped back into the sanitary sewer system for treatment. The pipeline crossing the creek has been replaced and cleanup work is continuing at the site. No public drinking water has been affected, however, anyone using a private well in the immediate vicinity of the creek should take appropriate precautions. PAVING PROJECT ALMOST FINISHED The City’s latest paving project, which has been in the works for some time, is almost finished. New hot mix asphalt surfacing was placed on Karnes Street between Old Robinson Road and Robinson Drive last week to make that segment of the work substantially complete. East Lyndale and portions of Andrews between Ward Street and McLendon will be the last segments to be paved. Old Robinson Road from Moonlight Drive to Highway 77 was completed some time back. WMARSS CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING Construction staking is underway and equipment is being moved on site for the big Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System (WMARSS) interceptor to be built along Flat Creek. The big pipeline will begin near the Tractor Supply Warehouse on the west side of Interstate 35 and follow Flat Creek through Robinson, eventually terminating at the Regional
Treatment Plant on the Brazos east of Robinson. The project is part of a capacity improvement project that will benefit all of the WMARSS cities. Waco, Bellmead, Lacy Lakeview, Woodway, Hewitt, and Robinson have all reached at least 85% of capacity and are mandated to begin improvements. Lorena has exceeded its capacity and is under an agreed order with the state placing a moratorium on any new construction. UPCOMING RETIREMENTS City Manager Dick Fletcher has advised the City Council that he intends to retire from full-time service on or about Jan. 1, 2010. To seek a replacement, employment advertisements have been placed and applications are being received. The City Council is seeking someone with a minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience as a City Manager in a city of 5,000 or larger with at least a bachelor’s degree. Fletcher began employment with the City of Robinson on Nov. 1, 1998, coming to the area
from west Texas where he had been employed by the same city for twentysix years. City Secretary Linda Vranich intends to retire about the same time, so applications are also being accepted for that position. Ms. Vranich has been employed by the City of Robinson since 1987.
Report online www.oncor.com
FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTRACT RENEWED The Robinson Volunteer Fire Department’s (RVFD) contract to provide fire protection and suppression service to city residents has been renewed for another five years. The RVFD has a somewhat unusual situation given that it is not operated as a department of the city but instead occupies the role of a contractor. The department elects its own officers and provides for independent governance under its own bylaws. City Council member Jim Smith occupies a liaison position between the City and RVFD.
Visit the City of Robinson website: www.robinsontexas.org
STREET LIGHT OUT?
Have information on criminal activity or a tip for police? Crimestoppers Tip Line 753-HELP (753-4357) You do not have to identify yourself
CALENDAR July 3 - Independence Day Observed -City Offices Closed July 3 - Siren Test 10 a.m. July 7 - Planning and Zoning 6:15 p.m. July 11 - Chipper-Shredder Day Bulky trash accepted for disposal 8:30 a.m. -1 p.m. -$10 fee per trip July 14 - City Council 7 p.m. Aug. 1 - Chipper-Shredder Day Bulky trash accepted for disposal 8:30 a.m. -1 p.m. -$10 fee per trip
® SHOP ROBINSON FIRST!
It’s a thankless job. The things you don’t think about, cities provide. Like streets, parks, utilities, and safety. But cities can’t function with their hands tied by restrictive laws or unfunded state and federal mandates. Cities need options to build a better future. It’s in everybody’s best interest.
Sponsored by the Texas Municipal League • www.tml.org
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Picture Perfect Pyrotechnics By Linda Ray Waco’s annual Fourth on the Brazos celebration attracts more than 15,000 people to the downtown area. The free event features live music, patriotic ceremonies and the HEB Fireworks Extravaganza. Most of the 15,000 spectators will not only enjoy the fireworks with family and friends, but will attempt to capture the moment on film... okay, not film, but “capture the moment on memory card” does not have the same ring to it. Before you go rushing onto the lawn of Indian Springs Park with family and camera in tow, there are a few tips and tricks that will help your photographs go from “what happened” to “Wow!” There are three categories to keep in mind. First: location, location, location. Second: camera and equipment. Third: camera settings. Location. That grassy knoll where a majority of the 15,000 is camped is NOT the best spot for fabulous photographs. Gazing up at a 60 to 90 degree angle is not the optimum position for pyrotechnic viewing or photographing for posterity. So, where do you go? Spend some time before the show scoping out locations that would pro-
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vide the best perspective of the fireworks; the bursts should be about 30 degrees from the ground. You do NOT want to be exactly below them. Several excellent locations might include the parking lot of Buzzard Billy’s, or a spot along Martin Luther King Boulevard, or along the river walk. A reasonable telephoto lens (28mm to 80mm) can capture the burst against the background of the Brazos and the Suspension Bridge. The reflection of the fireworks in the water will add an extra dimension to your photograph. If you are not interested in adding scenic backgrounds in your shots and you only want to capture the fireworks in the night sky, then the top of the water building is another good spot. Keep in mind that where ever you chose to camp, it will be crowded, so get there early. If you don’t have the time to pick a spot beforehand, then get out your binoculars (yes, they are included in the section on equipment) and find the group of people standing away from the crowd with cameras mounted on tripods with very long lenses. These are the professional photographers who know what they are doing and they probably have the best vantage point. Once you know where you will park your gear, you need to know what gear
to take along. First, don’t forget the camera. I hate it when that happens. Aside from the camera, the most important piece of equipment is a tripod. Because of the long exposures you will be taking under the night sky (we’ll cover that later), there are five additional pieces of critical equipment to have. 1. An external shutter release 2. A piece of black cardboard 3. A small flashlight 4. Extra batteries 5. A pair of binoculars The best fireworks are always at the end of the show, so if you run out of batteries too early, the loud explosions you’ll be hearing will more than likely be from hitting yourself over the head with your own tripod. Let’s talk about the camera and settings. The optimum choice is a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera (one where the lens can be removed) that allows for manually adjusting the shutter speed. If you have a film SLR and a digital camera that cannot be manually adjusted, take the film camera. You won’t be able to see if you “got the shot” but you will have a better chance of getting it. Here are the critical settings: ISO The ISO number relates to how sensitive your camera is to capturing light.
For example, if you are on the beach at noon in July in Texas, then you would set your ISO to the smallest number your camera will allow (probably 100). If you are in the gym at a basketball game. It may look like enough light, but it won’t be without a flash and you can’t use a flash because it will blind the players if you are on the floor and it won’t do you any good if you are in the stands. The ISO should be set to the largest number your camera will allow. (like 800 or 1600). I know what you’re thinking. “The fireworks extravaganza is at night so I want to set my ISO to 1600.” Well, here’s where it gets tricky with fireworks. The fireworks themselves are actually very bright, so you need to set your ISO at 100 or 200, even though it is night. You want to capture the fireworks against a black sky. Setting your ISO at its highest number does allow you to take pictures without a flash in dimly lit surroundings, but it also creates “noise” or grain in the picture. We don’t want that here. Using a flash is not the answer either. First, shooting with a flash will only trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. You need a LONG exposure time (we’ll get to that in a minute). The flash will only reach about 10 feet, so you’ll be lighting what you don’t want in your picture and miss-
ing what you do want (those fireworks). SHUTTER SPEED Shutter speed is how long the len’s shutter stays open to allow light to come in. Let’s go back to the beach in July in Texas at high noon. There is a lot of light out there, so your lens is going to open and shut very quickly in order to capture just the amount that it needs, probably 1/1000 of a second. In the gym at the basketball game, with no flash, the shutter will stay open longer in order to let in more light. If you are holding the camera, the slowest shutter speed possible to produce a picture without blur is 1/60 of a second. If your shutter stays open longer than that, you must have your camera on a tripod. I did tell you to bring a tripod, didn’t I? You will want to set your shutter speed to “bulb.” A bulb exposure keeps the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter button (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique, you open the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding, usually a few seconds. Keep several things in mind. First, the camera MUST be on a tripod, and second, it must remain perfectly still while the shutter is open. If you want to capture multiple bursts on the same frame, keep the
shutter open between explosions but cover the lens with the black cardboard you brought along. Again, try not to jiggle the camera. The idea is to experiment with different kinds of shots and have fun at the same time. APERTURE The len’s aperture is how wide the shutter opens. Here the numbers are the opposite of what makes sense. For example, an aperture of f-22 means that the shutter is opening only a small amount, like looking through a straw’s opening. An aperture of f-3.5 or f-5.6 means the shutter is opening wide, like looking through a paper towel roll. Our pupils work the same as a camera len’s aperture. When we are at the beach, we have very small pupils (don’t want to burn those retina’s with that bright sun.) When we are at the basketball game, our pupils open up to let in more light. So, what setting do we use for fireworks? Try f8 to f16. Remember, those fireworks are bright. Finally, set your focus to manual and focus on infinity. If you try auto-focus at night, one of several things will happen, none of them good. One way or another, your camera will tell you there is not enough light for auto-focus to work and it won’t take the picture. Up to this point, we have talked about how to set your Digital SLR camera. What happens if you don’t have a digital single lens reflex camera? Can you still get the shot? Of course you BIG BLUE
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can, you’ll just have to work harder for it. To photograph fireworks requires long exposures. If your particular camera does not allow for manually adjusting the shutter speed, what are your alternatives? Check the owner’s manual and see what it says about the following: • Nighttime Mode • Low-Light Settings or Mode • Maximum Exposure Length • Bulb Setting If you find any information on any of these, read up on it to find out what your camera can and cannot do. What if your manual has nothing about any of these topics and an examination of your camera doesn’t reveal anything hopeful either? Well, you’ll have to trick your camera into performing for you. You have your camera aimed in the right direction with the focus set on infinity (look this up in your owner’s manual). The sky is pretty dark. You see a rocket streaking up, and before it explodes you press the shutter button. Your camera will be trying to figure out the correct shutter speed for the f-stop you are using. Whatever f-stop happens to be set, there won’t be enough light to take the picture. Therefore, the aperture will remain open until the firework explodes and your camera senses the light, it will then take the picture and close its shutter according to its electronic brain. In effect, you have outsmarted your camera’s brain and caused a longer exposure than your camera was designed for. I warned you it was a little more work. There are just a few last minute preparations that need to be made. That comfortable lawn chair that you originally planned to sit in before you decided to become the next Ansel Adams probably won’t do. You will be moving around A LOT if you plan to get good shots, so you need a chair that’s easy to get in and out of and that puts you closer to your camera. Or, you could stand like the professional photographers are doing over in that 10
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group you spotted with your binoculars. Once the chair decision is made and you’ve set up your tripod on level ground with your camera firmly attached, it’s time to quality control check your camera and other equipment. Make sure that: • The camera battery is charged or you have fresh batteries • an empty memory card of sufficient capacity is loaded in the camera • Your camera lens does not have any filters attached (except for a UV or skylight filter which basically is to protect the lens). • Your black cardboard square is
within arm’s reach The remote shutter release (if availble for your camera) is properly attached. • Your extra memory card and batteries are close by, in a spot where you can find them in the dark. • And finally, your small flashlight is close by and easily accessible. You’ll need this to change camera settings, if you want to experiment with different ISO and f-stop settings. Now, the only thing left to do is enjoy the show with your family and friends.. •
SUMMER RAIN Women’s Conference
Featured Speaker:
Lisa Kinakin from Nashville, Tenn.
An ordinary woman who loves an extraordinary God
Tuesday, Aug. 4th 7 PM Tickets $6 Advance $10 at the Door
First Baptist Church Robinson 104 East Stegall at U.S. 77 Robinson, Texas
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This Fourth of July when you have
After a busy day exploring all of
Salle, guests have easy access to several
more guests than rooms in your house,
of Waco’s premiere restaurants. El
Waco’s attractions, guests can relax in
make reservations at the Comfort Suites
Chico is connected to the property and
their comfortable suites. A complete list
hotel on the Circle. The Comfort Suites
Trujillos, The Elite Cafe, Rudy’s, Health
of hotel amenitites include:
is central to many of Waco’s points of
Camp, and Roadhouse are all within
•
Business Center
interest and only a couple of miles from
walking distance.
•
Cable/Satellite Television
•
Elevators
Robinson.
Nearby attractions include:
Owned and operated by the Patel
•
Baylor University
•
Exercise Room
family and opened in 2006, the hotel
•
Bear Ridge Golf Course
•
Hair Dryer
is 100 percent smoke free and includes
•
Cameron Park Zoo
•
Handicap Rooms
ammenities such as an exercise room,
•
Cottonwood Golf Course
•
In-room Coffee Maker
a free hot breakfast with fresh Belgian
•
Central Texas Marketplace
•
In-Room Desk
waffles, free wireless high-speed internet
•
Dr. Pepper Museum
•
Individual A/C and Heat
access in all rooms, free local calls, a free
•
Ferrell Center
•
Interior Corridors
daily paper and free coffee.
•
Floyd Casey Stadium
•
Iron and Ironing Boards
There are 74 spacious bedroom
•
Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex
•
Meeting room
suites, each having a microwave, refrig-
•
Heritage Square
•
Microwave
erator, an in-room desk, a couch, and
•
Little League Headquarters
•
Outdoor Pool
very comfortable beds.
•
Masonic Grand Lodge
•
Outdoor Whirlpool/Hot Tub
•
Mayborn Museum
•
Refrigerator
business center, and that the meeting
•
McLennan Community College
•
100% Smoke-Free Hotel
room accommodates up to 60 people
•
Richland Mall
•
Valet Cleaning Service
for most events and business functions.
•
Suspension Bridge/Riverwalk
•
Voice Mail
Under the hot Texas July sun, guests
•
Texas Scottish Rite Library and
•
Wake-up Service
Museum
•
Free coffee, breakfast, wireless
Business travelers will appreciate the
can cool off in the large pool or relax in the separate hot tub area. A great way
•
Texas Ranger Museum
high speed Internet access, local
to spend the afternoon before heading
•
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
calls, and a Waco Tribune Herald
out to the Fourth on the Brazos, just a
•
Texas State Technical College
paper (Monday through Friday).
few short miles away.
•
Waco Convention Center
•
Waco Water Park
Located on the circle, at 2700 La12
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For more information, or to make reservations, call 254-537-0413.
COMFORT SUITES BIG BLUE
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BY Warren Johnson Office: 254-722-9213 Fax: 254-662-4540 www.wacosnewhomes.com
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