May 3, 2024

This 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 municipal events. If you would like to sign up to receive this in a weekly e-mail click here.

Throughout the year, the City Council or City Plan Commission will hold meetings on topics of significant interest to local neighborhoods or the community in general. Links to view all City Council or City Plan Commission meeting documents that may have topics of interest to you can be found here:

City Council | City Plan Commission

Cottonwood Art Festival is this Weekend 
The City’s Cottonwood Art Festival opens tomorrow, May 4 and continues through Sunday, May 5 at Cottonwood Park, 1301 W. Belt Line Rd. A part of Richardson since 1969, the prestigious, biannual festival includes a juried art show featuring almost 200 artists, live entertainment on two stages, a hands-on art area for children and a variety of food and beverage vendors.  

Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free, with additional charges for art and concession purchases and select children’s art activities.  

Forecasts call for a chance of rain this weekend. For weather-related updates, follow Cottonwood on social media.  

Website: www.cottonwoodartfestival.com 

Aquatics Master Plan Open House is Wednesday 

Richardson residents (and Richardson aquatics facility users) are invited to help the Parks and Recreation Department develop an Aquatics Master Plan, through public open house events and an online survey. The Plan will provide long-term strategies for aquatic services and facilities for the Richardson community.  

The first open house of Phase 1 will be held Wednesday evening, May 8, at Huffhines Recreation Center, the same day that the online survey will open for public feedback. Format for the open house is come-and-go. Anyone attending Wednesday’s meeting will receive one free admission to a Richardson pool this summer.  

In-person meeting: 
Aquatics Master Plan Open House
Huffhines Recreation Center, 200 N. Plano Rd.
Wednesday, May 8
6:30 p.m.  

Additional Phase 1 open houses are planned for June 8 at Heights Recreation Center and June 11 at City Hall. The study should take 5-7 months, with a second round of public engagement planned for late summer-early fall and a final report expected in October.   

Information: www.cor.net/AquaticsMasterPlan  

Engineering/Capital Projects Open House Info Online 
In case you missed last weekend’s Engineering and Capital Projects Open House, the information presented is available online at the link below. Find information about the status of projects from the 2015, 2021 and City Hall Bond Programs and other important infrastructure projects, including the new City Hall, Richardson Public Library, Custer Road Phases 1 and 2 and West Prairie Creek Drive.   

Website: Richardson Projects (www.cor.net/Projects) 

Mosquito Testing has Begun 
The Health Department began its annual mosquito collection and testing this week, with traps set out in 12 areas of Richardson each Sunday and collected Monday, a schedule that will be repeated through October. Nighttime spraying to control the adult population of mosquitoes is conducted by the City in designated areas only when area samples test positive for the West Nile virus, or if a resident contracts West Nile virus.  

Residents are reminded to think of “The Four D’s” when taking personal steps to help protect against mosquito-borne illness: 

The Health Department provides more information online, including an interactive map of all 12 management areas, with updates for each area. 
 
Website: www.cor.net/mosquito

Public Input Sought for Dallas County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 
Dallas County, in coordination with 20 area towns and cities including Richardson, is updating the Dallas County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Plan Update will address hazards that affect the North Texas area, with the goal of minimizing or eliminating the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards through effective mitigation.  

A public meeting will be held to gather public input Monday, May 6, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Cedar Hill; those interested in attending from afar may join by phone or online via information provided at the City’s Office of Emergency Management website. 

Website: Hazard Mitigation Plan

Multiple Lane Closures Expected Near Coit/Belt Line 
Fiber optic work may cause the following lane closures from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. near the intersection of Coit and Belt Line roads through early August: 

www.cor.net/projects

DART Hosts “Bike to Work Day” Event Next Friday Morning 
CityLine/Bush DART Station (and other select DART stations)
Admission: Free
Friday, May 10
7-9 a.m.  

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is encouraging cyclists to stop by select DART stations next Friday morning and learn about how DART can be a part of the workday commute, as DART buses and trains allow bicycles on board, and bike covers/parking are available at transit facilities. DART and City of Richardson representatives will be set up at the stations and will offer giveaways, free snacks and information.  

Website: Bikes and DART

Vote for Your Favorite Little Free Library 
Little Free Library Week is May 12-18, and local nonprofit Friends of the Richardson Public Library (FOL) is sponsoring a contest to find the favorite Little Free Library (LFL) within Richardson. An LFL is a tiny “library in a box” that offers a small collection of books available at all times on a free “take a book, return a book” basis, that’s constructed and maintained by an “LFL steward”, i.e. a homeowner, business owner or homeowner association.  

Send your nomination (through May 16) to friends@richardsonfol.org specifying the location of your favorite LFL. Complete contest rules are located at the FOL website. The steward of the LFL with the most nominations wins a selection of books.   

More than 50 Little Free Libraries are located in the Richardson area, part of a national LFL initiative started in Wisconsin in 2009. FOL has an interactive map on its website of the locations of LFLs across the country and offers free do-it-yourself LFL kits to homeowners and neighborhood associations.  

Website: www.richardsonfol.org 

Website: www.littlefreelibrary.org  

“Building Healthy and Delicious Meals” Next Saturday 
City Council Chamber, 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd., Ste. 525 

Admission: Free (includes free snacks, registration not required)
Saturday, May 11
Noon-1 p.m.  

The Library, along with Natural Grocers, presents this lecture on getting “back to the basics” with easy meal planning. Discover the importance of using high-quality protein, fat, and carbohydrates to build healthy and delicious meals. For adults and teens.  

“Money Matters: Beginning Investing 101” Next Saturday   
Library Millwood Creek Room, 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd., Ste. 500
Admission: Free
Saturday, May 11
3-4:30 p.m.  

Learn about different types of investments, how stocks and bonds are ranked, and the risk and reward available with each type of investment. Find out how to get the most money out of your investments. For adults.   

At the Eisemann Center:

• Free “First Friday” Art Exhibit/Reception Tonight 
  Green Mezzanine Gallery
  Admission: Free
  Friday, May 3
  6-8 p.m.
  
  Enjoy lite bites and beverages while perusing works by members of the Richardson Civic Art Society (RCAS), as part of RCAS’ 58th annual juried Regional Exhibition and Sale. The 2024 exhibit features original works in categories such as oil and acrylic, water media, collage and mixed media, and pastel and drawing.
  
  
• Richardson Community Band Free Concert Sunday 
  Hill Performance Hall
  Admission: Free
  Sunday, May 5
  3 p.m.
  
  In a concert entitled, “All the World’s a Stage,” the Richardson Community Band will present some of the greatest music written for Broadway and opera. This final performance in the band’s 2023-24 Eisemann Concert Series will feature Texas trumpeter, Tim Anderson. 
  
  Website: Richardson Community Band 

At UT Dallas:

• Spring Juried Exhibition Begins Today at SP/N Gallery; Free Reception Tonight 
  3020 Stewart Rd.
  Admission: Free
  May 3-18
  Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday-Fridays 1-6 p.m. Reception tonight (May 3) 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  
  Enjoy a variety of works from upper-level undergraduate students as part of the Bass School of the Arts, Humanities, and Technology Spring Showcase. Works include painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking and video.
  
  Website: Bass Showcase: Spring Juried Exhibition
  
  
• Musica Nova Tonight 
  University Theatre
  Admission: Free
  Friday, May 3
  7:30 p.m.
  
  Students from the University’s Advanced Orchestra and Chamber Music Ensemble perform the music of Bach, Mozart and Brahms with UT Dallas faculty and other professional musicians under the direction of composer-conductor Robert Xavier Rodríguez.
  
  Website: Musica Nova: An Evening of Bach, Mozart & Brahms
  
  
• “Strings of Eternity: A Sitar Concert” Saturday Night 
  Jonsson Performance Hall
  Admission: Free
  Saturday, May 4
  6:30 p.m.
  
  Featuring Maestro Ikhlaq Hussain and Harshad Kanetkar. Hussain is a sitar virtuoso belonging to the esteemed Delhi Gharana school of music, with a musical lineage that can be traced back to the 13th century and is a disciple of legendary sitar master Pandit Ravi Shankar. Kanetkar is a renowned Indian tabla player known for his solo and accompaniment performances. 
  
  Website: Strings of Eternity: A Sitar Concert
  
  
• Spring Arts Showcase Wraps Up with Vocal, Strings Performances Sunday 
  Jonsson Performance Hall, University Theatre
  Admission: Free
  Sunday, May 5
  3 p.m.
  
  In the Jonsson Performance Hall, students Mari Bevil and Neel Kamo will present selections by Bach, Schubert, Purcell, Handel, Glass and others. In University Theatre, enjoy performances by the UT Dallas Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. Website: www.utd.edu/ah  

“Our Town” Opens Tonight at The Core Theatre 
518 W. Arapaho Rd., Ste. 115
Tickets: $15-$25 (Tickets)
May 3-19
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.   

Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Our Town” tells the story of a small town (Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire) in order to tell the story of every town. Narrated by the “Stage Manager,” the audience follows the Gibbs and Webb families, residents of Grover’s Corners, through 12 years of life changes.

Website: www.thecoretheatre.org

Free Live Mariachi Music Tomorrow Night at CityLine
CityLine Plaza, 1160 State St.
Admission: Free, including free parking
Saturday, May 4
7-9 p.m.  

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo a day early with live music from Mariachi Charros de Jalisco. Tables and chairs are provided—lawn chairs, picnics and dogs are welcome. 

Website: www.citylinedfw.com

Gardening Seminars Tomorrow Morning 
Richardson Woman’s Club, 2005 North Cliffe Dr. (inside clubhouse)
Admission: $25 at the door (includes garden tour, coffee/sweets, gift shop and all seminars)
Saturday, May 4
9:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.  

As part of the Richardson Woman’s Club annual Garden Festival & Tour, two gardening seminars will be offered. At 9:15 a.m., acclaimed horticulture expert Daniel Cunningham will speak about sustainable gardening, and at 10:15 a.m., Texas Master Gardener Barbara Gollman will present, “Do’s and Don’ts of Container Gardening,” including how to choose the container, the plants and the soil to grow beautiful flowers and flavorsome herbs and vegetables.   

“Lights Out” for Migrating Birds through June 15 
Audubon Texas is inviting businesses, developers and homeowners to help protect billions of migratory birds traveling through Texas this month and next by closing blinds and turning off all outdoor, non-essential (non-security) lighting from 11 p.m.-6 a.m.   

The “Lights Out, Texas!” campaign aims to educate the public/build awareness about bird migration, including the fact that the majority of North American migrating birds travel at night, and that light emanating from our cities can disorient the birds, leaving them confused and vulnerable to urban threats like collisions with buildings (between 100 million and 1 billion birds die every year in collisions with manmade structures). 

Peak spring migration is in full swing right now, ending May 12; full spring migration wraps up June 15. Fall migration begins Aug. 15.  

Website: Click here 

www.cor.net/EPI

Combination Inspector – Plumbing ($61,716 - $83,580 Salary) 
Building Inspection is looking for an individual to inspect buildings, construction sites and construction components for compliance with building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical codes and laws by making routine field inspections throughout the construction period. Master or Journeyman Plumbing license required. 

Construction Inspector II/ Construction Inspector III (DOQ Salary) 
The Engineering-Capital Projects Department is looking for an individual who can inspect construction or reconstruction of public works, developer and public utility projects, and manage and coordinate with contractors on methods, sequence and public safety during construction. 

Swim Instructor/Coach ($15.50/hr - $17.50/hr) 
Must hold current certifications in CPR, and First Aid. Must present evidence of experience and background/references. Must be able to demonstrate required ability. 

www.cor.net/jobs

Pet of the Week
Meet Chop, a 3-year-old Doberman with a heart as big as her personality. Chop's sweet nature and friendly demeanor make her the perfect companion for anyone in need of a loyal friend. Chop loves to play, but she's equally content to sit quietly by your side, offering silent support and companionship. She's always ready to greet you with a wagging tail and a happy bark. Adopt Chop and you'll gain not just a pet, but a friend for life. 

For information about animals available for adoption, visit the Animal Shelter’s web page here.

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