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Sunrise Over Cooper Lake
May is one of the Best Months to Experience the Wonders of Nature at Cooper Lake State Park; The Fish are Biting too!
Cooper, TX— What better place to experience the wonders of a natural Texas than at Cooper Lake State Park. Across both park units, as summertime approaches, a total of 19 programs focused on family fun and learning about our natural world will be presented. Our highlighted programs for May are our Kids Fishing Events scheduled for May 11 at the South Sulphur Unit and May 18 at the Doctors Creek Unit of Cooper Lake State Park. Attend and learn how to fish, about fish, and the aquatic environment with the help of Park Rangers. Also, during the month, learn about a wide variety of plants and animals common to this part of Texas through multiple programs and so much more! Bring each fun and learning packed Saturday to a fitting conclusion with your family and friends by relaxing on a picnic table watching your food cook on one of our many day-use picnic grills. If you are camping, relaxing around a campfire at the park in the evening is unbeatable! The flickering light and warmth of a campfire will lift your spirits and reconnect you to feelings shared by past generations. There is no better place to share a story or eat a meal!
Fish from the bank, off our pier, fishing wall, or rent a kayak and try your luck along the shoreline. Fish attractors have been placed around the Doctor’s Creek floating fishing pier and the fishing wall at South Sulphur to help increase fishing success. Crappie, bluegill, bass, and catfish are commonly caught at both park units. May is a great time to fish at Cooper Lake! Fishing licenses are not required if you are fishing from the bank or fishing pier at Cooper Lake State Park. Other popular activities are hiking our trails or just resting under a giant Post Oak tree or camping at one of our tree canopied campsites. Texas State Parks are great places to relax, recreate and recharge your soul!
Park entrance fees are $5 for adults with kids 12 and under always free. Senior Texans 65 or older will only pay $3 to enter the park daily with a Bluebonnet Pass. Unlimited park entrances for you and everyone in your vehicle can be accomplished with the purchase of a Texas State Park Annual Pass for $70 which is good for over 12 months. All programs are free with a valid entrance permit. For more information on this or other events and programs at Cooper Lake State Park, please visit and like our Facebook pages (Cooper Lake State Park – South Sulphur 903-945-5256 and Cooper Lake State Park – Doctor’s Creek (903) 395-3100).
Doctor’s Creek Unit (Northside of Cooper Lake – Delta County)
May 4 – 9:00 pm – Starry Eyed & Star-crossed (Stellar stories of the night sky)
May 5 – 3:00 pm – Experience is the Best Teacher (Learn about nature journaling and start your own!)
May 11 – 2:00 pm – Dutch Oven Cookin’ (Sample and learn the old style, outdoor cooking)
May 12 – 10:00 am – Planting a Nursery (Start your own native garden and put it to use!)
May 18 – 9:00 am – Kids Fish (Bring the kids on down for a fishing day of fun and activities!)
May 19 – 10:00 am – Formation Station (How are fossils created? Do you have what it takes? Take to the road of fossilization with a ranger!)
May 25 – 2:00 pm – Brainiac or Bonehead (Are you a brainiac? How well do you know your fauna? Join in on some trivia!)
May 26 – 3:00 pm – Pretty Fly (Join a ranger to learn more about the dynamics of flight in nature)
South Sulphur Unit (Southside of Cooper Lake – Hopkins County)
May 4 – 2:00 pm – Wildflower Watch (Learn about the flora of the area and join our wildflower watch!)
May 4 – 6:00 pm – The Scoop on Poop (Do you know whose scat? Can you recreate that? Get the scoop!)
May 5 – 10:00 am – The Best Medicine (Join a ranger for a few laughs and a stress-free walk in the woods)
May 11 – 9:00 am – Kids Fish (Bring the kids on down for a fishing day of fun and activities!)
May 12 – 3:00 pm – Mother Nature (This Mother’s Day take a hike to learn about the way nature does motherhood)
May 18 – 2:00 pm – Pollinator vs Terminator (Find out about these nature lovers or fighters on a guided hike)
May 18 – 9:00 pm – Once in a Blue Moon (What makes a Blue Moon special? What is it? Check it out with a ranger)
May 19 – 3:00 pm – Be a Good Spore (Not all spores are created equal, find out who is who on a guided hike)
May 25 – 10:00 am – I’ve Got Butterflies (Join a ranger for a hike to and take a peek into the life of a butterfly)
May 25 – 9:00 pm – Night Hike (It’s creepy, it’s crawly, but it’s also so much more! Learn to appreciate true nightlife)
May 26 – 10:00 am – Dragons & Damsels (Let’s go for a dip! Do some pond dipping with a ranger!)
The 2019 City of Paris Residential Clean-Up
From Saturday (May 18) through Saturday (May 25), the City of Paris will have two drop-off locations for Paris residents to dump trash at no cost! We will be open each day from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The drop-off locations are as follows:
1100 Block Bonham at the Depot
Red River Valley Fairgrounds (enter from Gene Watson Blvd between Hickory and Clement)
Please bring your current water bill to unload. Bins will be monitored and maintained by the City of Paris staff.
We cannot accept hazardous materials such as paint, chemicals or oil; however, you may drop off tires, batteries, and appliances without compressors.
The Compost Site will be open:
Wednesday, May 22nd from 9:00am – 11:45am and 1:15pm – 4:30pm
Thursday and Friday (May 23-24) from 8:30 am until 11:45 am and 1:15 pm until 4:30 pm.
Saturday and Sunday (May 25-26) from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Disabled and senior citizens who need assistance to make arrangements for pick-up may call Public Works @ 903.784.9266 or 903.784.9277.
The Landowners Educational Series is for anyone wanting to learn more about managing their land. Topics include pasture utilization, pasture management and establishment, pond management, tree/forest management, nuisance animal control, and agriculture law. All programs will be at the Franklin County Airport off of Highway 37, just north of Mount Vernon.
The Friday (May 24) event will begin at noon and include lunch. A round-table discussion will be where landowners may ask other producers, feed and agriculture company’s questions and producers will learn about what the various agricultural companies have to offer them in the Camp-Delta-Franklin Counties area. The meal is sponsored by area Texas Farm Bureau, who will also be available to discuss membership opportunities. After the roundtable discussion, the regular program will commence. This month’s topic will be on forestry. Eric Taylor, Silviculturist from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Pittsburg, TX Forestry department will present.
Texas Department of Transportation Department officials in Paris noted that the comment period for its Loop 286 study remains open through Friday (May 31).
Texas Department of Transportation Department officials in Paris noted that the comment period for its Loop 286 study remains open through Friday (May 31).
TxDOT’s April 25 public meeting on the study provided interested citizens a chance to view proposed project schematics, plans, and present their ideas and comments in writing.
The information presented at the public meeting is also available online at http://loop286.com. Those who could not attend the first public meeting can also provide their comments and ideas via an online survey available on the Loop 286 website, officials said.
For more information, contact Tim.McAlavy@txdot.gov or (903) 737-9213.
Twentieth Annual Kids Free Fish Day
By Philip Tidwell
Saturday (Jun 1), the Corps of Engineers Hurricane Creek recreation area on Lake O’ The Pines, will be the scene of the 20th Annual Kids Free Fish Day.
It is absolutely right that for the past twenty (20), yes, TWENTY YEARS, this incredible happening has been sponsored by the Pine Cone Fishing Club and eagerly supported by community volunteers and local businesses. The event draws hundreds of young girls & boys, ages 2 to16, and accompanying adults from Texas and surrounding states.
Registration begins at 8:00 am, and after bank fishing for three hours, from 9:00 until Noon, the kids proudly bring in their big catches of Bass, Bluegill, Red Ear, Stripers, Catfish, yes, even turtles, some weighing less than the digital scales can register but are logged in regardless.
Trophies will be awarded to five different age groups for the most substantial total weight of a stringer, but the real cash prizes go to the top three biggest fish.
Tackle, live bait, snacks, drinks, and hotdogs are all furnished totally free to all participants and their accompanying adults. Also, A FREE GIFT is given to each of the first 300 kids to register!
Additional information or to schedule pre-Fish Day interviews, you can contact Marie Dunn at 903-665-0828.
The Bethel Baptist Youth will be hosting a Yard Sale On Saturday (Jun 1) from 6:00 am until 3:00 pm at Potter’s Tint Master Plus, 1747 Lamar Avenue, Paris. All funds will go toward various Youth activities such as Mission 58 Camp. For more Information, contact Kent Kirby @ (903)-491-6155.
First Responders Breakfast is on Saturday (Jun 1) from 8:30 am until 9:30 am. It is a monthly free breakfast for First Responders. North Texas Honda Helpers will be on hand to serve and clean up. Come enjoy and let us serve those who serve us 24/7.
“Eiffel ‘N Love” Craft Expo is Saturday (Jun 1) at the Love Civic Center from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. It will be a “Marketplace of Treasures,” featuring crafts, jewelry, home décor, trendy clothing, food and fun for all!
The First Christian Church Country Dinner Club presents Dion Pride with the songs of his dad Charley Pride on Monday (Jun 3) at the First Christian Church 780 20th NE at 6:30 pm. Meal catered by Crawford’s Hole in the Wall. Tickets are $35 or get a table of eight for $250. Call 903-249-3676 or email fryandgibbs@hotmail.com
The Red River Valley Tourism Association (RRVTA) would like to invite you to this year’s regional event of the season, the U.S. Hwy 82/287 Yard Sale! In the Red River Valley area, North Texas and Southern Oklahoma on Friday and Saturday (Jun 7-8), there will be yard sales, garage sales, sidewalk sales, farmers markets, and flea markets located within participating communities covering 425 miles of Highway 82 and Highway 287 corridors and beyond! Check out www.paristexas.com for a complete list of participating cities, or email chamber@paristexas.com or call 903-784-2501.