University Parks Drive Bridge
to Open Soon
The new University Parks Drive bridge between Washington
and Jefferson is expected to open
at the end of August. (Photo by Mark Randolph)
Since Feb. 25, 2006, City employees and citizens have altered their
routes due to the collapse of University Parks Drive near Washington
Avenue.
The road and drainage system were washed out by heavy rainfall,
exposing various utility lines.
The $1.8 million bridge is nearing completion. Director of Engineering
Services Mark Hines said the bridge structure is now complete and
road surfacing work is now under way. He anticipates the bridge
could reopen to traffic by the end of August or early September.
The project presented several challenges early on. This included
how to fund the extensive repairs, removing buried debris from the
1953 tornado from the construction site, and then heavy rainfall
during the spring and summer of 2007 delayed the work until October.
While the road has been closed Parks & Recreation has been aiding
community groups whose fund-raising events such as runs and walks
have had to move to other park areas
. “During the past few years, these activities have had to be re-routed
to the MLK river walk or take an inconvenient detour into some high
traffic areas, which impacted planning, safety and the overall atmosphere
of events,” said Jonathan Cook, Marketing Coordinator. “However,
we looked at the road closure as an opportunity to showcase the
new river walk on the east side of the river.” Cook said he looks
forward to the reopening of University Parks Drive. “Now that the
riverwalk by the sinkhole will be re-opened, we now have a continuous
loop around Lake Brazos.”
Several City departments are happy about the reopening, which provides
a more direct route to their offices and Fleet Services for fueling
needs.
“Having University Parks re-open will really help us out with
our larger equipment by being able to avoid more of the residential
areas of town,” said Ricky Garrett, Director of Utility Services.
“It also increases our productivity to have a more direct route
to certain jobs.”
Park crews have also been impacted by the detour and welcome the
reopening.
“Many of our staff work throughout the Public Improvement District
and on parks in east and south Waco, said Burck Tollett, Parks Superintendent.
“The closure of University Parks Drive has not only been an inconvenience,
but has also delayed service and made equipment transportation into
downtown and beyond challenging. Routine maintenance and special
event support will both be enhanced by re-opening University Parks
Drive.”
Water Parks News:
Back-to-School Bash
& Season Ending
Take the kids out to the Waco Water Park on Wednesday, August 13
for the back-to-school bash. Twilight admission rates will apply
from noon to 7 p.m. with a donation of school supplies.
Then on Friday, August 15, just two days after the bash, will
be the last full weekday for the park to be open. The park will
remain open for programs and events for the remaining two weeks
of August and will be open on the weekends.
The park will close for winter after Labor Day weekend. For more
information, call 750-7900.
Girls Fast Pitch League
Registration begins Aug. 11 for the Girls Fast Pitch League, which
starts in September. The cost is $75 per child, ages 8 to 16. Games
will be played at Riverbend Park. For more information visit www.riverbendpark.com
or call 750-5875.
If you'd like to submit information for the City Talk Newsletter,
you can send an email to: marlenen@ci.waco.tx.us
or call 750-5638.
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Fall Library Activities for Children
The Waco-McLennan County Library offers a variety of free children’s
activities this fall.
Toddler Time, a special storytime for youth ages 12 to 36
months of age, will be held on Wednesdays at the Central Library,
1717 Austin, starting Sept. 10. Two programs will be offered at
9:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Toddler Times offers lots of movement,
language enrichment, songs, and stories appropriate for that age
group.
Baby Time is a six-week interactive series for birth to
12 months that includes stories, movement, and rhyme. This series
will be held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Central Library. The
fall series runs Oct. 14 – Nov. 18. Space is limited so please call
750-5956 to register for this six-week program.
Preschool Storytime, for children ages 3 – 6 will be held
at 10:30 a.m. at all four library locations, starting the week of
Sept. 8. The schedule is:
- East Waco Library, 901 Elm, on Tuesdays
- Hoover Library, 1428 Wooded Acres, on Wednesdays
- Central Library, 1717 Austin, on Thursdays
- South Waco Library, 2737 S. 18th St., on Fridays
Kids’ Computer Classes, aimed for students in 3rd through
7th grade, will be held monthly at Hoover Library, 1428 Wooded Acres.
The one-hour programs are held monthly on the second Thursday at
4 p.m. Space is limited so please call 750-5956 to register. The
topics are:
- Sept. 11- Word Processing using Microsoft Word 8
- Oct. 9 - Internet Web Sites
After-School Camps
Registration is underway for the City of Waco Parks and Recreation
after-school camps. The recreation centers are offering after-school
camps for kids ages 5 to 12 from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday.
Children take part in tutoring, afternoon snacks, and recreational
activities. The camps provide limited transportation from area schools.
The registration fee per child is $40 per month.
South Waco Recreation Center is also offering a Teen Aide after-school
program. Teens participate in mentoring and tutoring programs, while
assisting after-school counselors with activities and special events.
Registration is $40 per academic year for ages 14 to 16.
For more information or to register, contact the recreation centers
at South Waco 750-8650, Bledsoe-Miller 750-8684, and Dewey 750-8677.
Hooray for Health!
The Communities in Schools will host the annual Hooray for Health!
on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Waco Convention Center.
The purpose of the event is to provide free immunizations, children’s
health insurance information, health screenings, and health education
for the youth of our community in a fun and festive environment.
Please bring your child’s shot records to the event. For more information,
call Communities in Schools at 753-6002.
New Employee Orientation
July 2008
Front Row (from left to right): Tina Brown, Texas Ranger
Museum; Alethea Eckhardt, Waco Convention Center; and Robert Kruger,
Street Services.
Middle Row: Angel Ferrales, Street Services; Michael Phillips,
Traffic Services; Ashley Troxell, Cameron Park Zoo; Austin Turner,
Cameron Park Zoo; and Brian Tucker, Parks & Recreation.
Third Row: Susan Morton, Waco Convention Center; and Sheri
Daniels, Finance.
Back Row: John Bond, Solid Waste Services.
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