DENTON, TX – The city's observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day brings a pause to the usual hustle and, residents should note a raft of facility closures and service shifts this coming Monday.
According to the City of Denton's announcement, the Parks and Recreation Department is pulling the stops for an event in honor of the late civil rights leader on Jan. 15. Details and potential weather-related changes can be nabbed on their website. However, for those planning a swim or shoot hoops, several community centers including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center and the Denton Natatorium won't be an option – they're shut tight all day.
But it's not all closed doors. The Denton Tennis and Pickleball Center invites you to swing a racket from noon to the wee hours of 9 p.m., and the North Lakes Driving Range is teed up from the crack of 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. After a day of observance, regular hours for these spots bounce back on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Bookworms be warned, all libraries in Denton are taking a break on the holiday, sealing their drops until Tuesday – and here's a heads-up, they're also skipping out on Friday, Jan. 19 for staff training. Rubbish won't be picked up either, with the solid waste brigade taking a breather and pushing collections back a day. Yet, the City of Denton Landfill is cutting some slack with a half-day, opening from 7 a.m. to sharply noon.
Animals in need don't get a holiday from crisis. While the Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center will be closed, the city ensures the public that emergency services are a call away. In any emergency, keep 911 on speed dial. For stoic facilities like the airport's administrative offices, it's lights out on MLK Day, but the air traffic control tower stands sentinel, and Airport Operations stays on the clock 24/7.
With utilities customer service joining the closure bandwagon, Denton's officials remind everyone to report outages directly to Utilities dispatch. But rest easy because the folks in blue, Denton's finest, will remain on duty to protect and serve, come holiday or high water. So, cap off your long weekend by remembering Dr. King's legacy and, for the City of Denton's workforce, it's a day off to reboot before getting back to the grind come Tuesday. Have a safe and reflective Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
