Around Town 20 • Scene 22

Scene Snapshots of note from places and events in the Arlington/Mansfeld/Grand Prairie area

CILR honored at a CILR honored at a recent City Council meeting recent City Council meeting

Photo courtesy of Chaplain Rich Stoglin Arlington Deputy Police Chief Dr. Tarrick McGuire, Mayor Jeff Williams, Chaplain Rich Stoglin, Alicia Butler, Eric Phillips, Sharon Croxton and Mayor ProTem Dr. Victoria Farrah-Myers pose for a picture as a proclamation is presented to the Community Influence Leaders Roundtable.

City of Mansfield’s City of Mansfield’s Juneteenth celebration Juneteenth celebration

Photo: Levitt Pavilion Arlington Photos: City of Mansfeld Scores of Mansfield residents gathered at the Mansfield Independent School District’s Center for the Performing Arts to mark the city’s Juneteenth celebration last month. The event came on the heels of a law that made June 19 a national holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

Open Arms Health Clinic’s Open Arms Health Clinic’s Dine Outside the Box virtual gala Dine Outside the Box virtual gala

Kay Jackson and emcee Trey Chapman greeted the virtual participants of the event. Chef Mike Newton and Melanie Newton showed attendees sharing the Zoom call how to make a great meal. Attendees at Fran Martin’s table join in a Zoom call with other’s participating in the virtual event.

Grand Prairie’s Grand Prairie’s Friednship Day Friendship Day

Photos: City of Grand Prairie Volunteers in Grand Prairie joined forces during the city’s recent Friendship Day to create raised vegetable gardens at Seguin Elementary School.

Photos courtesy of Fran Martin Cindy Bradley, gala committee chair, joined husband Jason to create a meal following the instructions of Chef Mike Newton during the Open Arms’ virtual gala. UTA is No. 1 for veterans UTA is No. 1 for veterans and their families and their families Photos: Prince Lebanese Grill

Photos: AWARE Foundation

Photo: City of Arlington Photos: UTA For the second year in a row, the University of Texas at Arlington is the nation’s top four-year institution for veterans and their families, according to Military Times magazine.

TEAMWORK PAYS OFF IN SPECIAL HONOR

Keep Texas Beautiful presents Mansfeld with the Governor’s Community Achievement Award

Keep Texas Beautiful has recognized the City of Mansfeld as one of 10 winners of the 2021 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards for outstanding community improvement, an award given annually by KTB and its partner, the Texas Department of Transportation.

Mansfeld will join the other communities in sharing $2 million in landscape funding from TxDOT. The City’s $270,000 share will be used for a yet-to-be determined landscaping project.

The award is one of the more coveted annual environmental and community improvement honors in Texas. A community’s environmental program is judged by a group of diverse, multisector judges on achievements in seven environmental and community improvement areas: public awareness and outreach, environmental education, beautifcation and community improvement, litter prevention and cleanup, solid waste management, litter law and illegal dumping enforcement.

In 2021, the Mansfeld community embraced the challenges resulting from the pandemic and participated in activities such as: • Monthly Household Hazardous Waste collection events, and annual Chunk Your Junk and Shred Days through the City’s Environmental Collection Center while following safety protocols • Virtual educational outreach opportunities were provided for residents and students about beautifcation, recycling, litter prevention and water conservation. Compared to classes and events that were held in-person pre-COVID, participation for virtual education increased 284 percent • Through the Mansfeld Volunteer Program 770 volunteers worked 63 cleanup projects that removed 88.44 tons of trash while maintaining safety protocols • The Mansfeld Garden Club volunteered to maintain the City demonstration and butterfy gardens via staggered work schedules and limited group sizes • The Keep Mansfeld Beautiful Commission maintained the Adopt-a-Street program and promoted cleanups

“Mansfeld is proud to receive this award from an organization that signifes our desire in Texas to keep our state and communities beautiful,” says Mayor Michael Evans. “Our residents have shown us time and again that we are environmentally aware; that they will work hard and conscientiously to ensure our parks, greenspaces and waterways are clean and free of litter. We are grateful that the state has recognized us for these eforts.”

“What sets Mansfeld apart is its community spirit,” says City Manager Joe Smolinski. “This spirit is exemplifed best through the collaborative eforts of the City, its volunteer program, school district, faith-based organizations and groups who work together to help Keep Mansfeld Beautiful, all while experiencing a global pandemic. Even though we were faced with going virtual, our community proved that COVID-19 would not prevent all the beautifcation eforts that go on throughout the city each year.”