City welcomes residents at Meet the City
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Copperas Cove residents, young and old alike, had the chance to get to know their city’s operations a little bit better at Wednesday afternoon’s annual Meet the City.
Held from 3:00 until 5 p.m., the event featured booths operated by city departments, with goodies and prizes galore.
Opportunities for learning about the city’s departments, from fitting the city’s “budget” items in a box at the Budget Department booth, to the Code Compliance booth, where kids had the chance to play hopscotch. This year a scavenger hunt could be completed for a drawing to win one of three gift baskets.
CCISD held a three level game of “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader” with prizes at each level, with the top prize being a portable charger. The library gave everyone a chance to take a quiz about the library’s features, with the prize being a 3D printed medallion.
Snacks abounded, from the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation staff handing out free hotdogs and chips, to the city’s Unity Committee giving out cotton candy, and the Chamber of Commerce giving out bottled water, along with shopping bags.
Kids of all ages could play a corn hole game, with winners receiving free t-shirts as well as reusable water bottles from Parks & Recreation. The Finance Department gave away prizes for correctly matching expenditure prices to the item, from a police car to a repair project at one of the water tanks.
Sparky the fire dog and Eddie the Eagle were on hand to entertain the kids, along with a roving motorized tiny fire truck that “talked.”
At the Animal Control Department booth, two of the four-footed tenants at the animal shelter visited with those who came by. Blue is a 21-pound, declawed male black-and-white cat who is looking for a forever home, and he was on a leash ready to be petted.
Those who stopped by the Animal Control booth also received tips on animal safety, especially warnings about leaving animals inside vehicles, as well as facts about bats and snakes in Texas.
Members of the Copperas Cove Police Department’s SWAT team were at the event, and police officers made Kiddo Cards for children and their parents.
In addition to the fun and games, the event was designed to be educational, with the Building Department giving interactive quizzes about building standards, and the Public Works Department showing residents how the city’s water is received, delivered and then treated after use by the utilities customers.
The Human Resources Department booth took photos and made laminated identification cards which proudly stated “I attended Meet the City 2016.”
The annual free event is designed for residents to get acquainted with the different city departments and become more aware of how the community works.