Number 246, March 2024
City of University Park, Texas, 3800 University Blvd.
Centennial Celebration
Celebration Week calendar of events

The Centennial is quickly approaching, and the City has some fun and exciting events planned leading up to the Centennial Celebration on Saturday, April 13. Check out the Celebration Week events below, and come join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the City of University Park!

Monday, April 8 
Solar Eclipse (A limited number of Centennial branded eclipse glasses will be available for residents to pick up at UP Public Library on April 2)

Tuesday, April 9 at 1:30 p.m. 
A Look Back at the History of the University Park Fire and Police Departments at UP Public Library

Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. 
A Visit with the Mayors at UP Public Library

Wednesday, April 10 
Free admission to George W. Bush Presidential Center and the Meadows Museum at SMU

Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. 
100th Anniversary Ceremony: Dedication of Centennial Tree and Time Capsule

Friday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon 
Open Houses at City facilities (City Hall, Peek Service Center, UP Public Library and Transfer Station)

Saturday, April 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. 
Centennial Celebration at Goar and Williams Parks
Pre-order your Centennial merchandise by March 7

Centennial merchandise is now for sale! If you would like to get a Centennial shirt or hat in time for the Centennial Celebration, you have the option to pre-order until Thursday, March 7. Shirts and hats are available for $20 each. Pre-ordered merchandise will be available for pickup at City Hall (3800 University Blvd) beginning April 1. 

There will also be a limited quantity of merchandise available for purchase at the Centennial Celebration on Saturday, April 13.
Centennial Book now available for purchase

Own the book specially commissioned to capture and commemorate ten formative decades of an incredible city and explore the twists and turns that led to the culture and unique characteristics of the community we know and love. This coffee-table style book follows city history, by decade, starting with our founding families and SMU's beginnings, to avoiding annexation by Dallas, and the development of our churches, schools and neighborhoods, the acquisition of park lands, our unique architecture, our retail centers, anecdotal fun-facts, the role of city leaders and much more!

The Centennial book is now available for pre-order for $50 on the Centennial website. Books will be ready for delivery in July 2024.
Centennial solar eclipse glasses

A limited number of Centennial branded eclipse glasses will be available for residents to pick up at UP Public Library beginning Tuesday, April 2. Each family may have up to five glasses.
Centennial art & essay contest deadline is March 8

Calling all young writers and artists - help us celebrate University Park's past and our bright future that lies ahead by entering the Centennial art and/or essay contest! The art contest is open to all students in grades K-12 that reside in University Park or HPISD, and the essay contest is open to students in grades 4-12 that reside in University Park or HPISD. Choose from one of three prompts, and submit your original work to [email protected] or in person at UP Public Library during regular business hours. The prompts and more details about the contests can be found below.

The submission deadline for both contests is Friday, March 8, 2024. 
There is still time to purchase a Centennial brick!

Purchase a Centennial brick to help celebrate the City of University Park’s 100th anniversary and commemorate this milestone in a tangible manner. Each brick has three lines of text to acknowledge individuals, families or organizations of the purchaser's choosing. Centennial bricks will be installed in a Centennial Promenade in Goar Park in late 2024.

Centennial bricks are on sale for $250 per brick, while supplies last.
Library Director Sharon Perry Martin retires
After serving the community for more than 11 years, the City’s Library Director Sharon Perry Martin has retired. Her last day with the City was on Thursday, February 29.

Originally from Beaumont, Texas, Sharon made her way north to the Dallas area to attend the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Historical Studies, and continued her education at the University of North Texas where she earned a Master of Science in Applied History and a Master of Science in Library and Information Sciences.

Sharon began her library career with the Dallas Public Library in 1995 as a Project Archivist, and worked her way up through the ranks, holding various roles over the next 17 years, including Branch Manager and Unit Manager.

In October 2012, Sharon joined University Park as the City’s first Library Director. Under her leadership over the past decade, the University Park Public Library has grown to become a staple destination for residents of all ages. Not only did she oversee the finish-out of the 16,000 square foot library interior, she also spearheaded many programs and projects that are highly regarded among the community, including digitizing the City’s “Brown Books” containing thousands of subdivision records of construction permits across several decades, implementing the UP and Coming Author series, creating Book-Club-in-a-Bag and adding new digital services such as the expansion of OverDrive, Zinio, hoopla, and Ancestry Library. She has also maintained the City’s status as an accredited library through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Throughout her tenure, Sharon has fostered relationships with local organizations to strengthen community ties – working closely with La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas to establish the annual duchess gown display at the library and advising projects for Scouts in the community. She has also maintained a partnership with the Town of Highland Park Library and the Friends of University Park Public Library, and worked closely with the City’s Youth Advisory Commission.

“Sharon was our trailblazer,” City Manager Robbie Corder said. “She stepped into an environment of innovation when entering her role at the City of University Park, and is to be commended for her efforts over the past 11 years."

While she has thoroughly enjoyed her library career, Sharon is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, Mike, and grandchildren in her retirement.

The City is working with firm Bradbury Miller Associates on the recruitment of a new library director to replace Sharon, and hopes to have a new director chosen by June. 
Children's Fishing Derby - Saturday, March 2
It's time to dust off your calendar and get ready to mark it with our first city-wide event of the year! The first Children's Fishing Derby of the year will be held at Caruth Park on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. The pond will be stocked, and the music will keep the party going as the kiddos compete in a friendly fishing competition. Prizes will be awarded for the smallest and largest catch at the top of each hour. Additional prizes will be raffled throughout the event.

This year's Children's Fishing Derby is sponsored by Long Cove on Cedar Creek Lake.
Apply now for Youth Advisory Commission
University Park high school students who are interested in community service and learning about City operations may want to apply for a slot on the City's Youth Advisory Commission. 

While learning about local government operations, YAC members help promote the City's ongoing recycling program and other community initiatives. They also staff various annual events, including the summer fishing derby, the Park Cities recycling events and the Snider Plaza Tree Lighting. Commission members also act as an advisory group for the City on issues that could directly impact teenagers.

Following the March 31 application deadline, the City will begin interviewing applicants. To be eligible for consideration, students must reside in University Park and be in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Each Commission member will be expected to attend all group meetings and actively participate in all designated events. Community service hour credits are one of the many benefits of serving on the Commission.

Click the button below to submit your application.
Goar Park hosts “Eggstravaganza” on March 23
Celebrate spring and hop on over to Goar Park on Saturday, March 23 for the City’s annual Easter egg hunt! The event, designed for children up to 8 years old, gets underway at 9 a.m. Participation is free of charge.

This year's Eggstravaganza event is sponsored by Long Cove on Cedar Creek Lake.

Eggstravaganza activities
 
  • The Easter egg hunt begins at 10 a.m.
  • Remember to bring a basket for egg collection
  • More than 10,000 plastic eggs will be placed in the park
  • The Easter Bunny will be on site for Easter photos
  • For extra fun, bounce houses and face painters will also be on site 
  • UP Library will facilitate a spring-themed craft and assist with library card registration
 
Easter candy trivia
 
  • 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year
  • When asked most Americans say chocolate bunnies should be eaten ears first
  • Americans consume 16 billion jellybeans at Easter
  • Cherry is Easter’s most popular jelly bean flavor
  • The Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Eggs tops the list of America’s favorite Easter candy
  • Jelly Beans, Cadbury Creme Eggs, chocolate bunnies and Peeps finish out that top-five list  
Renovations at Coffee and Elena's Children's Parks
Throughout the month of February, the Coffee Park athletic fields were closed for maintenance as crews worked on renovating the infields. The project was completed at the end of February. The infields look great and are ready for the season!
Beginning Monday, March 4, Elena's Children's Park will be closed for improvements.
 
During this closure, crews will be working on completely renovating the park and making much-needed improvements, such as correcting overgrown plant material, removing trees and shrubs that are lacking sunlight, replacing hardscape materials that are failing and in need of replacement, and much more.
Severe Weather preparedness
In Texas, tornadoes occur most often in the spring and summer. Storms that spawn tornadoes are more likely to strike in the late afternoon and early evening hours.

Watches: The National Weather Service issues Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Watches when severe weather conditions are favorable in or near a watch area.

Warnings: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning means that potentially damaging thunderstorms have been detected by radar or are already occurring. A Tornado Warning means that a tornado is on the ground or that there is cloud rotation. 
When a Tornado Warning is issued:

  • Residents should go to an interior room on the lowest floor of the home, such as a bathroom, closet or room without windows.
  • Office occupants should go to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor of the building.
  • Never stay inside a car. If a building is nearby, take shelter inside. If shelter is not immediately available, leave the car and lie flat in a ditch or ravine. Never try to outrun a tornado in your car.

City’s Outdoor Warning Siren system

Six pole-mounted sirens are located throughout University Park to alert those who are outside about approaching severe weather or other situations requiring immediate action. Each of the sirens produces an alert tone that maintains its decibel level in all directions. Used in combination, the sirens overlap all neighborhoods to penetrate the entire City.

University Park's outdoor warning sirens can be activated for one or more of the following conditions, or as deemed necessary by authorized individuals:

  • National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning or Severe Thunderstorm Warning with the phrase “Destructive winds in excess of 70 mph or higher are likely with this storm” for the University Park area.
  • Trained storm spotters have reported a tornado in University Park, or a neighboring city that has the potential to affect University Park.
  • Reported hail of 1.25” in diameter or greater (1” may cause an activation for areas or events where large numbers of people are outside).
  • Other emergencies as directed by the community’s elected officials.

When outdoor warning siren activations occur, residents outside should seek shelter immediately. Once inside, residents should monitor changing conditions by checking area TV, radio or internet. Residents may also want to consider purchasing a NOAA All Hazards Radio. This special purpose radio can be preset to activate on a county-by-county basis and is an excellent method of receiving audible alerts, especially during the overnight hours.

Because it’s impossible to know about potentially dangerous weather conditions around-the-clock, residents may want to sign up for CodeRED Weather Warnings.

CodeRED Weather Warnings are sent when the National Weather Service issues a severe thunderstorm, tornado or flash flood warning. The geographically-based CodeRED System determines if your address is in the direct path of the storm and immediately calls with the weather information. Participants will not receive calls when severe storms are outside the path of their chosen address.  

How do residents sign up to receive CodeRED Weather Warnings?

To sign up, click the button below and follow the enrollment instructions on the CodeRED page on our website.
Friends of UP Public Library
March 5, 2024: Affirming Sense of Place at the Meet Me at the Library Presentation

In our continued celebration of the City’s 100th anniversary, on March 5, 2024, beginning at 7:00 p.m. (6:30 p.m. for lite bites), the Friends is honored to present Joan Gosnell, Archivist for SMU, to lead a discussion of SMU circa 1924. The presentation will be in the Community Room of the UP Library located on the third floor at 8383 Preston Center Plaza. Test your knowledge of SMU’s gloried past, learn things you probably never knew about the University and University Park, and help strengthen the City’s connection to one of its most prized assets, SMU. Do you know what year “Peruna” became the primary fight song for SMU? What year Phi Kappa Gamma was founded at SMU? Join us for the Friends’ penultimate Spring 2024 Meet Me at Library Presentation! Please save your spot and RSVP.
Membership

The Friends is in the home stretch of its 2024 membership campaign, but it is not too late to support the Friends! Did you know that for the first time since the Library opened in 2013, you have an opportunity to leave your mark on the Library with permanent plaque on the first floor of the Library? Or that at the Member level and above, you can obtain a yard sign to proudly display your support of the Friends and our Library? Or at the Director level, you will receive an extra year of membership? Help us attain our goal of 100 new members during our 2024 campaign! You can join or renew online by clicking here.

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