Summer is in full swing and while it’s mighty hot, there is still much to do in our great City. For those of you with kids home for summer break, our parks and recreation department is offering Kids Kamp again. Your kids can enjoy games and activities in the mornings and then take themed field trips in the afternoons. You can sign up for a week at a time or a single day – registration is required as they cannot take walk-ins.
Date Night at Doubletree is a fun way to meet other couples and do something different this summer. On July 13 the theme is Trivia and Beverage Pairing and then on August 17 they’ll have Game Night. It’s only $35 a couple and you can bring your favorite beverages. Sign up at hvparks.com.
The parks and recreation department is also offering the summer concerts in the park again this year. I hope you’ll join me at Doubletree Ranch Park for the Bamboo Boat Band on July 21 and Infinite Journey on August 25. The splash pad will be open and the Flour Shop Snack Bar will be selling their delicious treats as well as snow cones, ice cream, hot dogs, and nachos.
Of course you want to mark your calendar for the annual Highland Village Lions Club Balloon Festival on August 17-19 at Unity Park. We love hosting this event at Unity Park because so many of our residents can walk to the park to see the beautiful balloons.
And of course, remember whenever the family goes out, whether at dusk, dawn or in-between, be sure to use an insect repellent that contains DEET. Protect yourself and your family from those painful bites and from potentially acquiring a mosquito-borne illness. On your own property, eliminate areas of standing water. This will prevent mosquitoes from breeding. The City is actively testing mosquitoes and treating the public areas.
We have contracted with Community Waste Disposal for solid waste services in Highland Village. The new service will begin on September 3. I know you will find enhanced service from CWD, particularly the collection of large brush and bulky items every week with your regular pickup day and the collection of recyclables outside the recycle bin. And speaking of recycling, CWD is offering larger recycling carts. If you’d like to exchange your existing blue recycling cart for a 95 gallon blue recycling cart, just fill out the form on the city website. The City and CWD will exchange your cart the last week of August on your regular collection day. You can find all the details about the new service on the city website.
The summer heat means we’re using a lot more water. There are a few tools you can use to keep up with your water usage and help you determine when you should turn on your irrigation system. Our Eye on Water app allows you to view your water usage and set up notifications if you have continual 24-hour water usage. You can sign up for Eye on Water on the city website at highlandvillage.org. We’ve also partnered with the Upper Trinity Regional Water District in the Water My Yard program. This is a regional water conservation program that sends weekly outdoor watering recommendation via email or text messages. Just go to WaterMyYard.org to sign up. And remember, we are currently in Phase 1 of our Water Conservation Plan which means landscape watering should only take place between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
Be constantly aware that many of our active citizens (kids, joggers and bike riders) are traveling on, or routinely crossing, our trails and roadways. Keep your speed under control and be prepared to give them the right-of-way. In general, be careful and watch your speed; HVPD officers will be particularly vigilant during the summer months in observing and enforcing the city’s speed limits in order to ensure the safety of not only our children but everyone in our city.
Summertime means fun outside, however that fun can be hampered by too much sun. Be sure to use sunscreen of SPF 30, at a minimum and reapply every two hours. Sunburns can be painful and dangerous. The sun can zap the body of its critical nutrients and electrolytes, causing the person to become weak and sick. Be sure to hydrate frequently, even if not thirsty. If a person waits to drink until they are thirsty, they have already lost 10% of their body’s water! That is very dangerous. That can lead to life threatening conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It is also important to note that children and the elderly need more hydration; because their bodies are more susceptible to fluid loss and they have less to lose. When hydrating, drink water, or other commercial electrolyte replacement or sports drinks, but avoid those with high concentrations of sugar. Also, do not use alcohol or caffeinated drinks to hydrate, because these actually cause fluid depletion.
If you’re heading out for vacation this summer remember the HVPD offers a Vacation Watch. Just complete the form online and you can relax on vacation knowing our officers are checking your house on a daily basis. Stay safe and enjoy summer in Highland Village!
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