Busy Times in Westlake - Important Town Notices & More News to Know regarding your Community!

Westlake needs you for...Boards, Commissions, & Committees - oh my!

Your community is seeking help from residents to fill retiring members' or vacant seats on our various Town boards. We accept applications throughout the year from our citizens for appointment to the various boards, commissions, and committees. We truly value our volunteers for their dedicated service.  

Board Openings:
Planning & Zoning (must be resident)
Historical Preservation Society
Texas Student Housing Authority

Applications can be picked up at Town Hall or are available on our website at www.westlake-tx.org .  Completed applications can be emailed to [email protected]
Upcoming Road Closures - Be Aware!
Beginning June 8, Sam School Road will be reconstructed and realigned, and a roundabout will be installed at the intersection of Peytonville, Dove and Sam School roads. During construction of these roadway improvements, Sam School Road will be closed. 

The entrance to Larry North Fitness will remain open during the project (with access from Solana Boulevard only) which is expected to be complete within 120 days, weather permitting. Construction was chosen to begin in June to minimize the inconvenience of residents and commuters during the school year. 

In the coming months, we will be working with the developer as they also will be closing Dove Road to install storm drainage.  We do not intend to close both Sam School Road and Dove Road at the same time.  

Please know we plan to keep you informed and provide you with as much advanced notice as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we improve our Town's infrastructure and mobility.  Questions? Concerns?
Contact Public Works Director Jarrod Greenwood for assistance.
Quiet Zone Established Along US 377
A quiet zone was established last week at two nearby intersections along U.S. 377-- Westport Parkway in Westlake and Keller Haslet Road in Keller. Quiet zones eliminate the need for a train to sound the horn when approaching an intersection. Tarrant County, Westlake and Keller went into a partnership on this project, taking a regional approach to solve a regional issue. In Westlake, an intersection was installed at Westport Parkway and U.S. 377 in order for the quiet zone to be implemented. 
Westlake Academy's Class of 2015
Mark your calendar for Westlake Academy's sixth graduation ceremony Saturday, June 6, at 2 p.m., at the Southlake Hilton Town Square.

Congratulations are in order for the 54 graduates, who have a 100 percent college acceptance rate, and have been accepted into many top universities. As of May 15, the class already received more than $3.9 million in scholarships and grants! Click here to check out the complete list. 

The Class of 2015, which is the largest for the academy so far, includes 14 graduates from Westlake Academy?s inaugural first grade class in 2003. In addition, 16 seniors have been named AP Scholars, many with Honor, and five students were recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars, a designation reserved for the top two percent of the 1.5 million entrants in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Those five students are Annie Hans, Bilal Khurshid, Nils Lindroth, Katie McKinney, and Anisse Sircar.

Valedictorian is Avneet (Annie) Hans of Fort Worth. Annie will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas and has been accepted as a pre-med student in the PACT program, a collaborative program between UT Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical School. Salutatorian is Katherine (Katie) McKinney of Southlake. Katie will be attending Duke University and also plans to study medicine with a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish.

Other college acceptances for Westlake Academy?s Class of 2015 include several top 100 ?Best National University? and schools in the top 100 ?Lowest Acceptance Rates,? or most selective, according to U.S. News & World Report 2015 edition. Those schools include Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Northwestern University, Tulane University, University of California- Los Angeles, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, and Vanderbilt University.

Westlake Academy Names Teacher of the Year for 2015
Westlake Academy honored six teachers for being finalists as Teacher of the Year at a special Staff Appreciation Luncheon last week.  Congratulations to all all of our finalists (l to r)--Nicole Bauer, Shannon Ward, Suzi New, Rhoda Hahn , Stephanie Alexander, and Amanda Bunch. After a fantastic Brazilian feast whipped up by WA Caterer and  Ch ef Walter (from Viandas Foods), the 2015 Teacher of the Year was announced. Rhoda Hahn took the honor this year, as the second teacher in the Academy's history to be awarded Teacher of the Year.  Ms. Hahn taught Grade 7 Science and Grade 9 Biology during the 2014-15 school year. 
Bi-annual Resident Survey will be
arriving in your mailbox soon!  
We truly want to know what you think!  In our efforts to continue service excellence to our citizens, our 2015 Westlake Resdent Survey will be coming your way during the first few weeks of June. This bi-annual survey is a critical component in decision making and is routinely used to help our elected officials and staff plan for the future of Westlake. 
May rains unfortunately bring out those pesky mosquitos! and Coyotes too?
Reminder: With all of the recent rains, pools of stagnant water can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. If the water cannot be drained, remember to stop by Town Hall and pick up your complimentary mosquito dunks to help eliminate mosquito eggs and larvae around your home and yard! The mosquito dunks are a preventative measure and are effective for approximately 30 days. 

While we cannot say for sure that the rains bring out coyotes too, we have had several coyote sightings recently in our residential areas. Here are a few t ips from the City of Keller, our animal services provider, about alleviating problems with area wildlife:

   ? Eliminate outdoor food and water sources 
   ? Don?t leave pet food out overnight 
   ? Keep the ground clear of birdseed 
   ? Secure trashcans with tight-fitting lids 
   ? Don?t leave your garage door open or cracked at night with pet food on the floor inside 
   ? Lock pet doors at night 
   ? Keep your yard clean 
   ? Cover or screen around the bottom of decks and sheds 
   ? Do not leave brush piled up for extended periods of time 
   ? Check the condition of your chimney cover, and keep the chimney closed when the fireplace is not in use 
   ? Block or fix damage to the eves or soffits on your home 

If you would like more information about coyotes, click HERE or call the DFW Wildlife Hotline 972-234-9453, which is answered by trained volunteers from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, including holidays. You may also visit the organization's website at www.dfwwildlife.org.

Calendar Items
May 29 - CANCELED : WA Foundation hosts Family Camp Out
July 4 - Municipal Offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day
STAY CONNECTED:
www.westlake-tx.org                                           www.westlakeacademy.org
Town of Westlake     3 Village Circle, Suite 202     Westlake, TX  76262     (817) 430-0941