McKinney City Council approves name for Wilson Creek greenway site to be called Bonnie Wenk Park in honor of late conservationist

By Brandi Hart
McKinneyUpdate.com editor
Created at 9:40 p.m. on March 3, 2009

Bonnie Wenk, a late McKinney resident who was a conservationist, activist and retired teacher and writer will be forever memorialized as the McKinney City Council unanimously approved on March 3 the name of the Wilson Creek greenway site throughout the center of McKinney to be called Bonnie Wenk Park.

Wenk's daughter, Julia Shahid, a former McKinney ISD English teacher and current Austin College professor, and Wenk's son, Jack Wenk attended the council meeting. Shahid thanked the council and the McKinney Parks Board for voting to name the Wilson Creek greenwaysite the Bonnie Wenk Park.

"It's such an honor to be here for determinining the name of the park to be named after my mother. She always monitored the water in Wilson Creek and got my daughter and I involved in monitoring the water in Wilson Creek, so it's fitting the greenway be named after her," Shahid said.

Jack Wenk said he thought having the greenway site named after his mother would be something his mother would be very proud of.

Council member for District 1 Gilda Garza was friends with Wenk, who was a member of the local League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, and the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP. Garza was instrumental in nominating a park to be named after Wenk.

"Bonnie Wenk was a long time McKinney resident who was a former reporter, teacher and environmentalist. She loved the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. She worked on the 2003 Parks Strategic Plan, was a member of the East Side Coalition, and attended LULAC and NAACP meetings," Garza said.

Garza recommended in December, 2008 that the city's second library be named after Wenk, but that suggestion failed to garner enough support on the council. Garza then recommended to the council in an open meeting that the city name a park after Wenk.

McKinney residents also suggested to the city's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department staff that a park be named after Wenk. One of those residents is McKinney Economic Development Corporation Board of Director member and former Parks Board member Marta Gore, who asked Wenk during the citizens comment period of the meeting that the council approve the Wilson Creek greenwaysite to be named after Wenk.

"I believe that Bonnie Wenk represents a great example of a servant leader. She was an awesome unsung hero," Gore said.

Also at the meeting, the council took no action on an application from Larry Curfman who initially asked that the council approve the vacation of right-of-way for Walker Street, between Church and Benge streets. The council took no action on the issue as Curfman withdrew the application from the council's consideration.

The McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission previously voted to note approve the right-of-way vacation and the city's Planning Department staff members also recommended that right-of-way not be vacated.

The council also gave Blue Star Flags to Bobette and Jon Mauck on behalf of their son, Brian Mauck, a 2003 McKinney High School graduate who is currently serving in the United States Armed Services in Iraq.

The council also gave a Blue Star Flag to Dan and Darlene Kellner in honor of their son, Christopher Daniel Kellner, who is currently serving in the Iraq War on his second tour of duty.

In other news, Minshew Elementary School Art Instructor Deanna Smith and Minshew Elementary School Principal Susie Towber received an appreciation award from the council.

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