Employee Appreciation Edition |
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- Employee Appreciation
- Exciting Opportunities
- City Manager Roadshows
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- The Acorn
- Super Bowl Winners
- Celebrity Food Review
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Our employees are doing great work! Keep it up! |
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If you haven't logged on to the 360 Recognition website lately, here is a little snapshot of the latest Shout Outs on the site. Our employees do great work day in and day out, and we are so appreciative of all UP staff. The next time you witness an employee doing something special, recognize them with a Shout Out!
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The Leadership Academy Class III Reconnect Team is planning some fun and exciting appreciation events for employees, which will begin rolling out this year! One of the new initiatives the group is working on is employee outing events, and we need your feedback to help us plan the best events possible. Please take a couple of minutes to complete the survey, which is linked below, and let us know if you have additional ideas! |
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Lalo Garcia in Public Works retired earlier this week after 41 years with the City. Lalo began working in University Park in May of 1982! Lalo has been a treasured and dedicated employee during his tenure, and he will be greatly missed by all. We wish Lalo well in his retirement! Congratulations! |
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Civic Foundation applications |
The Scholarship Committee is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year. If you have a child who will be attending college in fall 2023, they are eligible to apply for a scholarship.
To be considered, they must complete the online application below and attach their current transcript and ACT or SAT scores by Friday, March 31. Please note, one link is for students who recently received a scholarship, and there is a different link for students who are newly interested.
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UPLift second quarter events |
The next UPLift event is Jonathan's Place on Thursday, March 16! The deadline to sign up is tomorrow, March 2. Download a sign-up sheet using the link below, and return your approved sheet to Adriana Wallace before the deadline to secure your spot. If you have any questions, please contact any UPLift team member - Ann Allen x5487, Felipe Mota, Thomas Ta x5347, or Adriana Wallace x5466.
Upcoming second quarter UPLift events:
Tuesday, April 18 (tentative) - North Texas Food Bank
Thursday, May 18 - Humane Society of Dallas County
Tuesday, June 13 - The Stewpot
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Employee Appreciation Day treat |
Employee Appreciation Day is celebrated on the first Friday in March. On Friday, March 3, the Employee Committee will be distributing some special treats to show appreciation to our wonderful staff! Be on the lookout for your department representative on Friday! |
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Save the date for City Manager Roadshows |
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This month, Ann interviewed Armando Alva in Equipment Services. |
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1. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the great plains of Garland, Texas.
2. Where did you attend high school? College?
I graduated from Garland High School in 2011, then attended Lincoln College of Technology in Grand Prairie.
3. Tell us about your family and any hobbies you may have.
I have two sisters, one older and one younger. I have a nephew and two nieces. I love to play and watch futbol (soccer here in the states). I also love to workout.
4. How long have you been with the City and in what departments have you worked?
I’ve been here for almost three years now, I’ve only worked in Equipment Services.
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SUPER BOWL PREDICTION WINNERS |
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Congratulations to the following employees who correctly predicted the winners of Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs. Kudos to you! Your prize is... bragging rights! :)
Cheree Bontrager
Greg Daniel
Ann Bray
Rod Edwards
David Vartian
Regina Huerta
Dale Harwell
Curtis Ellenburg
Robbie Corder
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Jollibee’s might not be open but there’s another restaurant just down the road serving authentic Filipino cuisine, Marie’s Kitchen. They have one location off Greenville Avenue in the Forest Green BLDG located at 11910 Greenville Avenue Suite 103. They are only open Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM so it’s perfect for a quick workweek lunch. The restaurant is cozy with some Star Wars memorabilia in a corner and posters of their bestselling dishes to get your tastebuds excited for the impending flavor explosion. It’s run by a husband and wife and all food is made to order so although you may have to wait a few minutes for your food, it comes out hot.
They have an eclectic menu with an All-Day Breakfast, Specialty Sandwiches and Salads but the star of the show is their Silog (Filipino Breakfast). They have 13 different varieties of the Silog which consists of a protein of your choice, a cup of rice, two sunny side up eggs, cherry tomatoes and a papaya/carrot relish. Our two favorite Silogs are the Tocilog (pictured to the left below) and the Lechon Kawali Silog (pictured to the right below).
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While they take a no-frills approach to plating, each dish is packed with flavor. The Tocilog is a marinated pork belly with a sweet soy profile with a slight char from the stove top. The Lechon is deep fried pork cutlets that have been rendered to crispy perfection and is served with a side of pate. The cherry tomatoes and papaya/carrot relish provide a refreshing break from the savory goodness and serve as a palate cleanser. If you can’t pick which Silog to go with, we recommend getting one plate and asking for one or two of the other proteins on the side. |
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We also had the Embutido, which is a pork meatloaf stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and a slice of sausage. This is a dish commonly prepared during Christmas, fiestas and other special occasions. Different from an American meatloaf that uses beef, this loaf is actually cooked as a loaf, then sliced like bread, and thrown on the griddle. Try dipping it in banana ketchup, a popular ketchup made from bananas instead of tomatoes. A bit sweeter than tomato ketchup, it gives the Embutido a sweet tang. |
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Marie’s Kitchen also has a daily special that they rotate on a weekly basis. If you follow them on Instagram here, you can see what they have in store for the week. For $15, the daily special can consist of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. This Monday’s special was the Pancit Bihon, which is stir-fried rice noodles, veggies and pork. The flavors are tossed together to delicious perfection in their Pancit Buhon. Traditionally served on special occasions in the Philippines, you’ll feel like it’s your birthday if you manage to catch it as one of their daily specials.
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Did you save room for dessert? You should. Marie’s Kitchen also serves Halo Halo. A traditional Filipino layered dessert made from shaved ice, sweetened condensed milk, jack fruit, sweetened red beans, jellies, corn flakes and ube (purple yam) ice cream. Ube’s deep purple color comes from anthocyanins; powerful antioxidants which help to guard against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Halo Halo is a refreshing treat on a hot, Texas day, and probably good for you (this is not medical advice, please consult your physician). |
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Marie’s Kitchen serves up good American sandwiches and Filipino comfort food at an affordable price. Definitely worth a little trip North to this tropical gem.
-Thomas Ta & Mark Madolora
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