District 1 picnic to be held on April 27

City Councilmember Jeff Casper will host the District 1 Picnic at 12:30 p.m. on April 27 at Florence Ranch Homestead, 1424 Barnes Bridge Road.

Residents in District 1 are invited to meet their Councilmember and their neighbors while enjoying some food.

Spring weather changes rapidly, so please be sure to check the City's social media accounts to find out of the picnic has to be rescheduled.

Other District picnics coming up soon include:

• District 4 at 12 p.m. on May 18 at Evans Recreation Center
• District 2 at 11 a.m. on June 1 at Florence Recreation Center

Not sure which City Council District you live in? Click here to find out: https://bit.ly/CouncilDistrictsMaps.

Trash Bash community clean up

Keep Mesquite Beautiful will hold its signature community cleanup event, Trash Bash from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.

Trash Bash is an opportunity for families, neighbors and groups to enjoy the outdoors and help beautify the Mesquite community.

Volunteers are asked to pre-register to help event organizers coordinate supplies and cleanup site locations. Learn more and register at www.cityofmesquite.com/trashbash.

Spring Book Sale set for April 26-27

The Friends of the Mesquite Public Library will host the Spring Book Sale on April 26-27.

The twice annual sale benefits the Mesquite Public Library System and features gently used books and DVDs. Items may include children’s books, fiction, cookbooks, popular movies and more available for reasonable prices.

The book sales are vital to the Library because they pay for programs, prizes and giveaways, artwork at the Library and much more. Cash or checks are the only payment forms accepted.

The Spring Book Sale will be held at the Mesquite Main Library, 300 West Grubb Drive, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 26, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. Learn more at www.cityofmesquite.com/Library.

In-person hours, cash payment changes in Utility Billing

Effective May 6, 2024, in-person hours for the Utility Billing office will change to 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Also, change for cash payments will be made in whole dollar amounts only. Additional change due less than $1 will be applied as a credit to your next bill. Cash customers can still pay with exact change.

To learn more, please visit www.cityofmesquite.com/UtilityBilling.

Join the fiesta with Cinco celebration

Celebrate the Cinco de Mayo with the City of Mesquite. The free, family-friendly annual event will be from 12-5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, in Downtown Mesquite at Front Street Station, 100 West Front St.

Festivities will include authentic Mexican food and artisanal vendors, Folklórico dancers and live music including local singers, a kids activity area with free arts and crafts and piñata breaks and a jalapeño-eating contest.

The Cinco de Mayo celebration, a partnership between the City of Mesquite and the Hispanic Forum of Mesquite, is sponsored by America’s Credit Union, Dallas Regional Medical Center and Whataburger of Mesquite.

For more information, visit www.cityofmesquite.com/CincoDeMayo.

Library earns achievement award

The Mesquite Public Library System has received the 2023 Achievement of Library Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association (TMLDA).

This is the eighth consecutive year Mesquite has received this award. Only 84 out of 545 Texas public library systems earned this prestigious honor for 2023.

TMLDA presents this annual award to libraries that provide excellent services to underserved and special populations; enhance services; market in innovative ways; promote cultural, topical and educational programming; provide literacy support: provide summer reading clubs; pursue collaborative efforts; support workforce development; provide for digital inclusion; and comprehensively train staff.

Visit www.cityofmesquite.com/Library to learn about all Mesquite Library Services has to offer.