March 16, 2018
Here is the latest edition of Week In Review - a series of weekly messages from the Mayor and City Council to help Richardson residents and businesses keep up to date on events at City Hall. If you would like to sign up to receive this in a weekly e-mail click here.

 

Wildflower! Tickets Now On Sale


Ticket sales began Thursday for Richardson’s Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, to be held May 18-20 at the Galatyn Park Urban Center.

Headliners include:

• Goo Goo Dolls
• Kool and the Gang
• Spoon
• Jimmy Eat World
• Lifehouse
• Switchfoot
• Reckless Kelly

The Festival also includes a singer/songwriter contest, art guitar auction, the family-friendly WF! Kids area, food vendors throughout the Festival grounds, a craft beer garden and strolling entertainers, buskers and acrobats.

Three-day passes are available for $65, and are only available in advance on the Wildflower! website. Friday and Saturday adult tickets are $30 if purchased in advance or $40 if purchased at the gate. Sunday tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate. Kids ages 5-12 will be admitted for $5, and admission for kids 4 and under is free. Advance ticket sales are only available through www.wildflowerfestival.com.

Discounted tickets for residents
Richardson residents can purchase up to six individual adult tickets per household for only $12 each (not available after Friday, May 18). Residents can purchase these tickets by presenting their current City of Richardson water bill, utility bill, phone bill or a valid driver’s license with a Richardson address at one of the following locations:

• Customer Service Department at City Hall—411 W. Arapaho Rd., Suite 101
• Gymnastics Center—300 E. Arapaho Rd.
• Huffhines Recreation Center—200 N. Plano Rd.
• Heights Recreation Center—711 W. Arapaho Rd.
• Senior Center—820 W. Arapaho Rd.

Watch for additional information and a full entertainment lineup in the May edition of Richardson Today. You can also get the latest news and complete Festival information at www.wildflowerfestival.com and on the Wildflower! Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wildflowerfestival. 

 

Parks and Recreation Hiring Lifeguards, Other Positions
The Parks and Recreation Department hosted its second job fair of the year March 15 at Huffhines Recreation Center to help fill a variety of positions.

Some of the positions that are available include:

• lifeguards
• day camp counselors
• gymnastics instructors 

If you missed the fairs but would like more information about jobs with the City or would like to apply online, go to www.cor.net/jobs. Applicants must be a minimum of age 16. Experience required varies by position, and hourly pay rates are highly competitive. To view a video about becoming a City of Richardson lifeguard, click here. 

 

Water District Assures Water is Safe
The City of Richardson and several cities that also receive water from the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) received calls this week from customers concerned about the quality of their drinking water after a social media post by environmental activist Erin Brockovich criticized the District’s practices. The post came during a time when the NTMWD is performing its annual chlorine maintenance on its water transmission system, a scheduled, routine process that ends March 26. The City receives daily reports on water quality, and has had no indication of any changes that would cause concern.

The District released information yesterday reaffirming that the disinfection process continues to be safe and is necessary to eliminate bacteria and viruses in the water supply and distribution system. It reports that the most commonly used disinfectants for water treatment are being used, which are chlorine, chloramine (chlorine + ammonia) and ozone. The District is one of many major water providers that use the same treatment process, with 45 percent of the U.S. population being served by public water supplies using chloramine. The process is accepted by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

During this time, as in years past, customers may experience a stronger smell of chlorine, however the amount of chlorine used in the water has not increased. The only change during the maintenance period has been the discontinuation of ammonia while maintaining all other treatment processes. The odor will be more noticeable due to the lack of ammonia.

For more information, click here and here.

 

DART Increases Service for St. Patrick’s Day Festivities

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has added service throughout Saturday, March 17, as part of a joint effort with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to help people enjoy St. Patrick’s Day festivities while avoiding driving. St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays for drunk driving.

In spite of the increased service, DART is recommending riders allow extra travel time Saturday due to service demand.

For more information, including a map of the Dallas St. Patrick’s Day Parade route featuring adjacent DART stations, visit www.dart.org.

Stamp Show Continues at Civic Center Through March 17
The Texas Stamp Dealers Association (TSDA) continues its Stamp Show and Sale at the Civic Center through 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit www.tsdastamps.com.


Summer Safety Camp Registration Begins March 23


Registration begins Friday, March 23 for the Richardson Police Department’s weekly Summer Safety Camp open to children who have completed kindergarten but not started fourth grade. The camps are held from 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday, beginning June 11 and ending the week of Aug. 6.

Campers will learn about:

• 9-1-1
• stranger danger
• internet safety
• animal safety
• poison safety
• water safety
• and much more

The camps will be held at an RISD location to be determined. Cost is $20 per child per week and includes a camp T-shirt. Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, visit www.cor.net/parksonline (check the Special Interest section under Summer Day Camps for registration codes).

Note: For Richardson residents only. An adult is required to check-in child the first day of camp and stay for a brief meeting. Children may attend only one session per year. Children who have not attended Safety Camp in the past will be processed first; if any openings exist after those registrations are processed, prior attendees will be placed.

For more information, send an e-mail to SummerSafetyCamp@cor.gov.

Letters Mailed for Free Blue Recycle Bags

Letters were mailed Thursday to Richardson homeowners that can be redeemed for two complimentary rolls of blue recycling bags at several locations around the city. Through the Blue Bag Program, residents can combine all of their recyclable material into one blue bag and place it out for weekly pickup service.

Visit www.cor.net/recyclingguide for a complete list of recyclable items and www.cor.net/recycling to find out your weekly recycling day. Visit www.cor.net/bluebags for a list of locations where you can redeem your letter for blue bags. 

 

Free Leak Detection Packs Available March 19-23

To coincide with Fix a Leak Week, an EPA WaterSense program, the City of Richardson will give out free leak detection tablet packs to help detect silent leaks in toilets, which can waste more than 200 gallons of water a day. Tablet packs (including instructions for usage) will be given out during normal business hours March 19-23 at the following locations:

• City Hall Water Customer Service, 411 W. Arapaho Rd. Suite 101
• Richardson Service Center, 1260 Columbia Dr.
• Heights Recreation Center, 711 W. Arapaho Rd.
• Huffhines Recreation Center, 200 N. Plano Rd.
• Senior Citizens Center, 820 W. Arapaho Rd.

For information on how to discover other household leaks, click here.

Collin County Master Garden Show March 17-18

Staff from the City of Richardson’s Public Services Department will be present at this weekend’s Collin County Master Garden Show:

• Saturday, March 17 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sunday, March 18 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Myers Park and Event Center, 7117 County Rd. 166 in McKinney.

The indoor event features lectures and demonstrations by experts on a variety of gardening and cooking topics, hands-on activities for both adults and children, and a variety of vendors with plants, outdoor furniture, yard art and more for sale. Be sure to stop by Richardson’s table to get information about upcoming events and programs.

Admission is a $2 donation per person; all proceeds benefit Volunteer McKinney. Free parking is available. For more information, visit www.ccmgatx.org/thegardenshow.



Richland College Clothing Recycling Fundraiser Begins March 18

The Richland College Student Green Team (SGT) has partnered with Dallas-based World Wear Project to host a Clothing Recycling Project fundraiser.

A World Wear Project donation bin will be located in the first parking row of Parking Lot E on the Richland College campus, 12800 Abrams Rd., from March 18-April 8.

Donation items accepted/suggested include:

• gently used clothing
• shoes
• purses
• belts
• wallets
• hats
• backpacks
• pots and pans
• toys
• stuffed animals

Many of the donated items will be shipped globally to help businesses and disaster victims and will help reduce the amount of waste taking up space in local landfills. In addition, the SGT will earn 12 cents per pound to help fund their educational resources, project materials, supplies, field trips, team T-shirts and recognition awards.

Richland College, an educational partner with the City of Richardson, has won national, regional and local awards for its green initiatives. For more information, visit www.richlandcollege.edu/greenrichland. 

 

Library Encourages “Going Green”

Children in grades K-4 and their families enjoyed a “green afternoon” Wednesday at the Richardson Public Library as they made sustainable crafts, enjoyed games made from recyclables and ate green snacks.

The event was part of a full week of daytime activities at the Library planned to coincide with RISD/PISD Spring Break, and a long-term commitment by the Library to educate children on the benefits of reuse. Past workshops have included making art with scarves and the pages of old graphic novels, and turning recyclables into school supplies and room accessories.

 

At the Eisemann Center:

• RDA Southwest Dance Festival through March 18
  7:30 p.m. in the Hill Performance Hall. Tickets are $17-$50.

• “Sweet Dreams: The Music of Patsy Cline” starring Mandy Barnett March 22-23
  7:30 p.m. in the Bank of America Theatre. Tickets are $40.
  Acclaimed recording artist and performer Mandy Barnett performs an evening of Patsy Cline’s hits, including “Sweet Dreams,” “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces” and more, along with other classic country and pop standards, and selections from her own albums.

Unless otherwise noted, tickets to Eisemann Center events are available at the Eisemann Center Ticket Office, 972-744-4650 and at www.eisemanncenter.com.

 

At UT Dallas:

• Free Lecture March 21: Jonathan Wei, “The Telling Project”
  7 p.m. in the Jonsson Performance Hall. Admission is free.
  Playwright, writer and producer Jonathan Wei will give a reading and presentation interspersed with video clips from “The Telling Project” explaining the importance and impact it has had on veterans and society. For more information, click here.

 

“Broadway’s Best” at Repertory Company Theatre Continues

Repertory Company Theatre presents “Broadway’s Best” through March 18, celebrating the best in musical theater. Proceeds from the one-weekend performance, including a sealed bid auction available in the lobby, will help support RCT’s 2018 season.

Remaining performance times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.; tickets are $40 for Saturday’s performance and $30 for all others. The show takes place at RCT’s Driegert Theatre, 770 N. Coit Rd. For tickets, call 972-690-5029 or go to www.rcttheatre.com.


RCAS Art On Display at City Rec Centers


Huffhines Recreation Center, 200 N. Plano Rd., is the site of an exhibit and sale featuring the work of seven members of the Richardson Civic Art Society, through June 5. Stop by to view paintings by Mickey Archer, Karen Harris, Toni Wengler, Tom Jordon, Jones C. McConnell, Jr., Janice Hamilton and Lari Howard. In addition, the work of RCAS member Jan Lorine Matthews is on display at Heights Recreation Center, 711 W. Arapaho Rd., through the end of March.

The Richardson Civic Art Society is funded in part by a grant from the Cultural Arts Commission. For more information, visit www.richardson-arts.org.

 

Learn 3D Printing for Free March 17

A free Beginning 3D Printing and Tinkercad class will be held Saturday, March 17 from 10:30 a.m.-noon for ages 13 and up in the Library’s Studio RPL (basement).

In this hands-on class, participants will learn:

• to set up an online account with Tinkercad (a free, web-based 3D-modeling program)
• the basics of 3D modeling using Tinkercad’s geometric shapes
• how to export a finished 3D model so that it can 3D print
• how to print a 3D model on the Library’s 3D printer

Registration is required along with a valid Richardson Public Library card; call 972-744-4359 for more information and to register. Laptops will be provided for the class.

Intermediate-Level MS Excel 2016 March 23
Intermediate-level instruction in MS Excel 2016 will be offered Friday, March 23 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Basement Training Room. Cost is free and laptops are provided.

Prerequisites needed: MS Excel 2016 Beginning Level or equivalent experience. Space is limited and registration is required along with a valid Richardson Public Library Card; call 972-744-4359 to register and for more information.

Animal Shelter Pet of the Week

 

Meet Ginger! She has been looking for a forever home since December 2017. Ginger is a shy Rhodesian ridgeback Lab mix, spayed female, about 3 years old, up to date on all vaccinations, heartworm negative and only $25 to adopt. She would be great in a household with children, but no cats please.

 

 

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To read previous Week in Reviews, visit www.cor.net/WIR.