'Salute to Veterans' festival THIS weekend at Five Star!

The City of The Colony's annual "American Heroes: A Salute to Veterans" festival and fireworks event, presented by SCHEELS, is almost upon us. This FREE event features TWO days of fun in 2019, with carnival action and live musical performances on Friday night, Nov. 8, in addition to the full lineup of activities on Saturday, Nov. 9 - all at The Colony Five Star Complex, 4100 Blair Oaks.

The carnival opens at 4 p.m. Friday, with musical acts taking the stage at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, the action gets started early with the American Hero Run at 8:15 a.m. at Stewart Creek Park, followed by the Veterans Memorial Ceremony at 11 a.m. at Five Star. The carnival, Heroes Hut, and Silent Auction begin at noon; car/truck/bike show at 1 p.m; and main-stage performances at 1:30 p.m. The event culminates at 8 p.m. Saturday with the best fireworks in North Texas! For more information, contact Parks & Recreation at 972-625-1106 or visit www.SaluteAmericanHeroes.com. See you there!

TCPD officers graduate from DPS fitness training program

The Colony Police Sgt. Dana LeRond (left) and Det. DeWayne Kyle recently graduated from an intensive DPS training program in Austin with a mission to bring a new level of fitness back to the department. Both officers will serve as instructors and personal trainers to help oversee a new program underway meant to establish and maintain minimum fitness standards for all officers in TCPD. "We want to ensure our officers are not only fit enough when they get hired and graduate from the Academy but fit enough their entire career at TCPD to safely and effectively keep up with the demands of modern day policing," Police Chief David Coulon said. For more on the story, check out recent news coverage from CBS11.

New mural adorns Stewart Creek Park

The City wishes to express its gratitude to the The Colony High School Art Honor Society students and instructors, Huong Morgan and Roger Light, for their work on the new mural at Stewart Creek Park. The mural depicts a beautiful flower and butterfly scene. Thanks, TCHS! Your artistic talents are amazing. #PlayTC

Red Cross Blood Drive set for Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Annex

Mark those calendars! The Red Cross will be at The Colony Annex (6804 Main St.) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, for a blood drive. Blood supplies throughout North Texas are critically short. Please consider making an appointment to give by visiting www.redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: thecolony.

Don't miss #MilestoneMondays every week on Facebook

Did you know? The first restaurant to open in The Colony was Larry’s Family Restaurant, just east of the intersection of South Colony Boulevard and Paige Road. Larry Culverhouse of McKinney opened the restaurant, with seating for 68, in October of 1978. At the time of the opening, Culverhouse invited area residents to come by, have a cup of coffee, and get acquainted. Days after Larry’s opening, Pizza Inn opened a few addresses down. The franchisee-owned restaurant could seat 86, had a banquet room, and was decorated in a “yesteryear” style. Milestone facts such as these are researched and written by The Colony Public Library’s Local History Committee. Follow @thecolonytexas on Facebook to learn more about The Colony’s history each week with #TCMilestoneMondays.

City Council Happenings

At its most recent regular meeting, The Colony City Council:

proclaimed Nov. 17-23 as International Fraud Awareness Week;
recognized residents Kevin Braby and Donna Arnold for their tireless contributions and hours of volunteer time dedicated to the city's 2019 Red Bull Soapbox team;
recognized Assistant Human Resources Director Thelisha Tawney as the City of The Colony Employee of the Quarter;
approved a resolution adopting the 2019 Community Development and Parks Master Plan;
approved resolutions authorizing the City Manager to submit an application for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Local Park Grant Program and to execute a professional services contract with MHS Planning and Design to assist with said submission for the development of West Shore Park, with additional funding provided by the CDC board;
approved purchase of two Diamond Coach VIP 2200 12+2 buses for the Parks & Recreation Department in the amount of $131K;
approved purchase of five replacement vehicles and four new vehicles for the Police Department in the amount of $434K; and,
approved purchase of two Physio-Control LIFEPAK 15 cardiac monitor/defibrillators for the Fire Department in the amount of $68K.

For more information, including agendas, videos, and minutes, visit the City's website.

What else is In THE News?

TCFD on Halloween: We're very proud of how the men and women of The Colony Fire Department routinely go above and beyond - and in a recent case, to make a young resident very happy on Halloween;
American Heroes closures: Stewart Creek Park will be closed the morning of Saturday, Nov. 9, until approximately 11 a.m. for the American Heroes Run. Street closures around The Colony Five Star Complex are also scheduled Nov. 8-9 as part of the American Heroes festival. Blair Oaks will be closed to thru traffic between Arbor Glen and Cougar Alley from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, and from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. For more information contact Parks & Recreation at 972-625-1106;
Burn ban lifted: As of Oct. 25, the Denton County Burn Ban has been lifted. Keep apprised of the county's outdoor burning status by checking the Denton County Burn Control website, updated daily. Residents are also reminded that open burning is prohibited within city limits year-round. Fire pits, however, are allowed but shall not be installed within 10 feet of an adjoining property line, 15 feet from a residence and 10 feet from any other combustible materials, per city ordinance. The maximum diameter of a fire pit is 3 feet;
Veterans Day closures: City offices, facilities, and the library will be closed Monday, Nov. 11, for the Veterans Day holiday. The library will be closed Nov. 9-11; and,
Free compost available: Thanks to the city's annual tree recycling initiative in the 2018-19 calendar year, a second round of FREE compost is now available to residents in the southwest corner of the Public Works parking lot off East Lake Highlands Drive, next to the dog park. Compost is available on a first-come, first-served basis. You MUST bring your own containers. This service is for RESIDENTS ONLY. No commercial uses or contractors allowed. For information, call Environmental Services at 972-624-3131.