The traditional luminaries are usually placed the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas. White paper bags distributed to you by your Street Captain are placed approximately 15 feet apart, down both sides of the streets between 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM on these two nights. In case of rain or snow at 2:30 the day of the lighting, the lighting will not be carried out that evening. Each resident is responsible for anchoring their own bags to keep candles in place within the sacks and to keep the sacks from blowing over. Inventive folks use bricks with holes as candleholders or votive candles set down in tuna cans filled with sand. Whatever works for you is great! We appreciate all residents’ cooperation in carrying on this tradition.

Building permits are required for any new, alteration, addition or repair to your home. This includes construction, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and gas, as well as permanent structures both inside and outside, patios, walls, fences, etc. The commission will report to the Hamilton County Building and Zoning Department activity without a permit. For more information, call the Building and Zoning Department at 423-209-7860.

Burning is sometimes allowed in Hamilton County between October 1 and April 30 with the appropriate permits. The burning status is determined by the predicted daily air quality. Call the Air Pollution Control Bureau at 423-643-5970, or see https://apcb.org/burning- permits/ for more information.

Please do not park your car on the street. Cars parked on the street obstruct vision, detract from the beauty of our neighborhood, and are a traffic hazard/danger to children. Please park in your driveway or garage.

Residents are expected to keep lawns cut and neat, including the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street, all of which adds to the attractive appearance of Ridgeside. Please, stand back and look at your property with a critical eye. The better we look, the more our property is worth. If you own an extra lot, be sure that you give it the same attention that you give your yard. Full cooperation is what makes Ridgeside a great place to live. Thanks!

Regular town meetings will be held four times a year, quarterly, by ordinance per City Charter. Meetings will also be publicized well in advance, and are held at 300 Shepherd Avenue (Community Room), usually in the evenings. All residents are encouraged to attend.

Notices of these meetings are sent officially by Ridgeside Google group, and also posted on the website (www.ridgesidetn.gov) and on a private, Ridgeside Facebook Page: Ridgeside-Shepherd Hills. Each meeting’s agenda will be posted 48 hours ahead by Google group distribution.

The Community Room, 300 Shepherd Avenue, is typically used on all regular voting days. Please register and vote in Ridgeside. Voting days are announced in the Chattanooga Times/Free Press.