Last month I began my article with the recollection of February being the month of freezing temperatures and school closures. Before the newspaper even reached the public in February, we were dealing with freezing temperatures, icy roadways, cancelled trash pickup and school closures. I saw many people posting to social media asking when Community Waste Disposal would resume service in Highland Village.
The best way for you to stay informed of news and events in Highland Village is to sign up to receive city information. The city sent regular emails notifying of updated trash and recycling pick up schedules and other information. We used social media, email, Nextdoor and the city website – allowing you to select your preferred method for receiving information from the city. If you did not see any of the information the city sent, you can sign up to receive emails and phone calls at highlandvillage.org/StayNotified. There are two tabs on that page – Routine and Emergency Alerts signs you up for notifications that will be sent to your email, landline if you have one, and your cell phone in the event of an emergency or severe weather. The second tab is City & Website Notifications and is where you will sign up to receive email newsletters, the City Manager’s Report, notification of upcoming meetings and events, and other topics. I encourage you to sign up at both tabs so you are ensured to receive important information from the city. If you use social media, follow the city, Parks and Recreation, Police, Fire and Animal Care on Facebook.
If you have not heard, Highland Village is celebrating our 60th anniversary this year and we would like you participate in the celebration. We want you to share any photos you have of Highland Village or of you and your family and friends enjoying Highland Village over the last 60 years. You can send these photos to [email protected] and include your name, approximately when the photo was taken and a little description about the picture. Do the photos need to be from 40 or 60 years ago? No, we are looking for photos from 1963 to now. So, if you and your family attended one of our festivals or events 10 years ago, we’d like to see any pictures you took. We will share these photos throughout the year via social media and other outlets.
We are also sharing 60 facts about Highland Village throughout the year and I will post a monthly video with some historical facts and fun trivia. Here’s a little trivia: The first Highland Village fire truck was purchased in the early 1970’s from the city of Highland Park for $2,610. It was a 1948 open cab truck and carried 350 gallons of water. When the volunteers received the first call of a barn fire, Robert DuVall drove the truck. He took the curve at Highland Village Road a little too fast and turned over the fire truck. DuVall was thrown from the truck and says it was a miracle he survived. The firefighters called for mutual aid from the Lewisville Fire Department who put out the barn fire. The relationship with our area fire departments continues through mutual aid agreements to assist each other with specific pieces of equipment, coverage, and manpower in the event of a structure fire.
At the end of February, I had the opportunity to share Highland Village’s State of the City video at a joint Highland Village Business Association, Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce and Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The video is titled “Highland Village, Then & Now” and is a reflection on our history along with the progress we have made to date. You can view the video on the city website at highlandvillage.org or our social media channels.
I think it will be fun to look back at our history together and I know we will all learn something new about this wonderful city we call home.
We are moving into spring and there are some fun events coming up in Highland Village. Our Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 1 at Unity Park. Remember this event begins at 10 a.m. sharp so you will want to arrive early. The 8th Annual Highland Village Art Festival is scheduled for May 6th and the city is currently taking applications for artists who would like to participate in the event. Of course, spring break is right around the corner. The Highland Village Parks Department is offering American Red Cross Babysitting and CPR Spring Break Camp and a Children’s Cooking Spring Break Camp for the kids over the break. If you’re heading out of town for the week, be sure to complete the HVPD Vacation Watch form so you can enjoy your vacation knowing our officers are regularly checking your home.
I am still humbled by your faith in me to serve as your Mayor. I continue my promise to listen to you and represent our city the best I can.
