Arlington, TX

City offices and schools are closed today in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I was surprised to find out that there WILL BE garbage and recycling pickup today. I would have missed it if not for checking this out for my readers.

Here’s a complete list to help you with what’s open and what’s not:

Closed today:
The Arlington Municipal Building (City Hall)
The Municipal Office Tower
Arlington Municipal Court 
Arlington Animal Services
George W. Hawkes Central Library and all branch libraries
Parks and Recreation Department Administrative Office
Lake Arlington Operations
Handitran Office and Handitran special transportation services
Senior Recreation Center - New York

Open today:
Recreation Centers 
Hugh Smith Indoor Pool
Senior Recreation Center - Eunice
Arlington Tennis Center
All municipal golf courses with special weekend/holiday rates
Garbage and recycling pickups will occur as scheduled

Enjoy your day off work (if you got one)!

A few months ago, I told you about the “Sharing the Dream” essay and art contest to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Arlington area students submitted more than 400 pieces of artwork for the theme “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?”.

The competition recognizes the best in art and literature. All students attending school or residing within the city limits of Arlington were eligible to compete.

The judging took place on November 5. The first place design appeared on T-shirts and publicity materials for the 2008 MLK Celebration. In addition, first place winners received a $1,000 US Savings bond, with $750 and $500 bonds going to second and third places.

Art Contest Winners
First Place - Garrett Lawrence, Lamar High School, Junior

Second Place - Dallin Poole, Ferguson Junior High School, Seventh Grade

Third Place - Megan K. Miller, Barnett Junior High School, Eighth Grade

Essay Contest Winners
First Place - Tyler Marie Kiles, a senior at James W. Martin High School

Second Place - Priscilla Hor, a senior at James Bowie High School

Third Place - Nick Gallion, a senior at Arlington High School

Congratulations to all the winners! You can view the artwork and read the essays at the city’s MLK website.

Two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee will be making an appearance to discuss his life and career in “Reel to Real” on February 9 at Texas Hall.

Lee’s films include He Got Game, Inside Man, Malcolm X, Mo Better Blues, Do the Right Thing and 4 Little Girls. He also directed the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries about the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina called When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.

The drum arrangements for that documentary were created and played by Adonis Rose, a former New Orleans resident, and jazz artist in residence at UT Arlington. He also serves as artistic director of the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra. As part of Spike Lee’s appearance, Rose will lead the UTA Jazz Band in a free concert, “Music from the Films of Spike Lee.”

The events taking place to celebrate Lee’s visit will include:

A panel discussion and screening of When the Levees Broke
Monday, February 4 - Thursday, February 7 at 7 pm 
Room 148 of the Fine Arts Building
700 Greek Row Drive
Open to the public on a space-available basis

Adonis Rose leads the UTA Jazz Band in “Music from the Films of Spike Lee”
Friday, February 8 at 6:30 pm
Rosebud Theatre in the E.H. Hereford University Center
300 W. First Street

Reception and Screening of Lee’s film Inside Man starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster
Friday, February 8 at 8:00 pm
Rosebud Theatre in the E.H. Hereford University Center
300 W. First Street

A full day of free film screenings - Malcom X, 4 Little Girls & Do the Right Thing
Saturday, February 9 beginning at 10:00 am
Room 148 of the Fine Arts Building
700 Greek Row Drive.

Spike Lee speaks “Reel to Real” 
Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 pm
Texas Hall
701 W. Nedderman Drive

Tickets for Lee’s lecture are $15 for the public, $10 for faculty, staff and UT Arlington Alumni Association members and $5 for UT Arlington students. A $50 ticket, which includes a reception with Lee, is available in limited supply. Call (817) 272-2963 or visit utatickets@uta.edu to purchase tickets.

It’s been a while since I’ve published a Calendar of Events but I’m going to try to get you one every Friday like I did in the past.

This weekend you can attend the Texas Fishing, Hunting and Outdoors show at the Arlington Convention Center,  enjoy the play Moonlight & Magnolias at Theatre Arlington, or catch one of your favorite bands at a local club. Here’s a list of what’s happening:

What: The FNG’s
When: Friday, Jan. 11 @ 9:30 pm
Where: Stumpy’s Blues Bar, 2811 W. Division St., 817-275-3231

****

What: The Walton Stout Band
When: Friday, Jan. 11 @ 9:45 pm
Where: Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub, 245 Lincoln Square Center, 817-226-2300

****

What: Texas Fishing, Hunting & Outdoors Show 
When: Friday, Jan. 11 - Sunday, Jan. 13 - Fri. & Sat. 10-8; Sun. 10-5
Where: Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way, 817-459-5000

****

What: Moonlight & Magnolias
When: Friday, Jan. 11 - Sunday, Jan.13,  Fri. & Sat. 8:00 pm; Sun. 2:00 pm
Where: Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St., 817-275-7661

****

What: SPCA Pet Adoptions
When: Saturday, Jan. 12, Noon - 4pm
Where: The Parks at Arlington, 3811 S. Cooper Street, 817-467-0200

****

What: Brighton’s “Go Red for Women” Breakfast
When: Saturday, Jan. 12, 9-10am
Where: The Parks at Arlington, 3811 S. Cooper Street, 817-467-0200

****

What: Johnnie High’s Country Revue
When: Saturday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 pm
Where: Arlington Music Hall, 224 N. Center Street, 817-226-4400

****

What: Just N Tyme
When: Saturday, Jan. 12 @ 9:30 pm
Where: Stumpy’s Blues Bar, 2811 W. Division St., 817-275-3231

****

What: Hearsay
When: Saturday, Jan. 12 @ 9:45 pm
Where: Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub, 245 Lincoln Square Center, 817-226-2300

Officials say that the fire in strip shopping center early Tuesday morning was probably set to cover up a burglary. Gas cans and the remnants of Molotov cocktails were found nearby, according to the preliminary report.The fire severely damaged the Discount Food Mart, located at 2020 Mansfield Webb Road, and at least 2 of the adjoining businesses, New York Donuts and Trendy Beauty Supply. No injuries were reported.

In other news:

An arrest has been made in Arlington’s first homicide of the year. Wayne Edgar Edwards has been arrested and charged with the murder of his estranged wife, Deborah Edwards. She was shot in her driveway Friday night and died on Saturday from her injuries. Edwards remains in custody. His bail has been set at $1 million.

An Arlington woman was killed Monday morning after witnesses say she ran a red light at Arkansas Lane and New York Avenue. Do Vy, 60, was pronounced dead at Medical Center of Arlington.

A city payroll coordinator is accused of stealing $870,000 in checks from the city. Angelique Torres was fired on December 28 and has been arrested and charged with felony organized crime. She was sending the money to a woman in Pennsylvania at the request of her boyfriend, who also lives in Pennsylvania. She said she felt obligated to send him the money because he had helped her financially in the past and she was in love with him. The things we do for love.  

Saturday’s march brought out hundreds of supporters for victims of racism, Broderick Gamble and Silk Littlejohn. The group marched from George Stevens Park, west along Sanford Street, to the couple’s home where the garage door still bore the grafitti. In a symbolic gesture of healing, a tarp was placed over the racist epithet. The couple is awaiting installation of a new garage door.

Nationally syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher is planning a march on Saturday to show support for the North Arlington couple who were victims of several recent racially motivated crimes.

On December 19, Silk Littlejohn and her fiancee Broderick Gamble say they were in the front yard of the home they are rebuilding in North Arlington. They lost their home to a fire two years ago, only two days after moving in. Grace Head, 66, who lives a few streets away, came by while walking her dog. They say Head approached them and told them they could not live in the neighborhood because they are Black. They say she used racial slurs and profanity during their encounter and then picked up a 2×4 from their lawn and hit Littlejohn in the face, then turned her hostility to their car.

Head was arrested in connection with the attack and charged with criminal mischief for the assault. She bonded out and was arrested a second time after damage to the car was found to be enough for felony charges. The crimes have been referred to the Tarrant County District Attorney as hate crimes, as they were clearly racially motivated, say police. She is out of jail on bond now.

Two days after the attacks, the couple found the words “Kill” and “Die N*****” spray painted on their garage door of the home. The grafitti has remained on the door for two weeks now. Although the city offered to remove it, Gamble refused. He said he didn’t want them painted over, he wanted them replaced. Some neighbors say leaving the grafitti up has just incited more furor.

Radio host Gallagher pledged $500 toward the door and will be asking his listeners to help on his show on KSKY 600 AM, from 6:00 am to 9:00 am this morning. The doors have been purchased from The Home Depot and plans are being made to have them installed.

The mayor, the police chief and other city officials held a press conference yesterday and condemned the attacks. A town hall meeting was held at Wimbish Elementary to listen to the concerns of residents in the North Arlington neighborhood where Littlejohn and Gamble reside. The meeting, scheduled for 7:00 pm, was full by 6:40 pm and over 100 people rallied outside after they couldn’t get in.

Anyone with information about the grafitti that was painted on the home in the 700 block of Ross Trail is asked to call Sgt. Tony Molina at (817) 459-5569 or Crime Stoppers at (817) 469-8477.

Six Flags Over Texas posted the required 60 day notice of their application for a permit to sell beer at their two Arlington parks on December 17.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is holding a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at the Texas Department of Transportation Regional Training Center located at 2501 S.W. Loop 820 in Fort Worth. That’s at the intersection of Interstate 20 and McCart Avenue. They will listen to debate over the application and will explain the protest procedures.

Six Flags already sells alcoholic beverages at it’s Fiesta Texas park in San Antonio. Neighborhing Sea World also sells alcohol as does the Texas State Fair. They would like to add Six Flags Arlington and Hurricane Harbor to that list.

If the permit is approved, beer sales could start at the beginning of the 2008 operating season in March.

For more information on the permit procedure, you can visit http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/.

A study by the Center for Public Policy and Social Research at Central Connecticut State University has given Arlington the dismal ranking of 62 (out 0f only 68 cities) for literacy in its 5th annual report. As bad as that sounds, it is actually an improvement over last years finish at #64.5.

The study ranked cities with populations over 250,000 on factors such as newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and internet resources.

Other Texas cities ranked in the list included Austin at number 23, Fort Worth at number 45, Dallas at 47.5, Plano at number 51 and Houston at 55. Arlington managed to finish higher than San Antonio (63), Corpus Christi (65) and El Paso (68). 

The top 10 cities were:

1. Minneapolis
2. Seattle
3. St. Paul
4. Denver
5. Washington, D.C.
6. St. Louis
7. San Francisco
8. Atlanta
9. Pittsburgh
10. Boston

Source

Do you have your Christmas tree down yet? Mine is still up but I’m hoping to get it down today. If you have a real tree this year, you may be interested to know that the city will be offering Curbside recycling for Christmas trees again this year. The recycling program will run January 10-12. The trees will be picked up after the regular trash pickup on those days.

Arlington residents who live south of Interstate 20 will have pickup on Thursday, January 10. If you live in the central part of the city, between Park Row Drive and I-20, Christmas trees will be collected on Friday, January 11. And residents north of Park Row Drive should put their trees out for collection on Saturday, January 12.

Before you put your tree out to be recycled, you must remove all lights, ornaments and tree stands, including wooden stands and nails. Do not place the tree in a plastic bag and keep it seperate from your regular garbage. Flocked trees will be accepted. 

If you want to get the tree out of your way before your designated pickup day, you may drop it off at Calloway’s Nursery located at 4940 S. Cooper St. during regular business hours.

The recycled trees will be turned into mulch which will be available free of charge for your garden or landscaping from the Sanitary Landfill.

Last year’s program recycled over 62 tons of Christmas Trees.

For more information on the Curbside Tree Recycling Program or to obtain free mulch, call the City’s Recycling Office at 817-459-6777 or visit http://www.arlingtontx.gov/. For general information on tree disposal, you can contact Arlington Disposal Company at 817-417-2000.

If you’re looking for something to do to start off the new year, stop by Carter BloodCare’s Donor Center today and give blood.

The are holding a 12 hour donation event which started this morning at 7 am and will run through 7 pm tonight. They are always in need of blood.  

Anyone in good health, who is at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate whole blood every 56 days. Here are a few “blood facts” that you may or may not know:

• 4.5 million American lives are saved each year by blood transfusions
• 32,000 pints of donated blood are used each day in the United States
• Someone needs blood every three seconds
• One out of ten hospital patients needs blood
• Three lives are saved by one pint of donated blood
• An average red blood cell transfusion uses 3.4 pints
• Type AB is the universal recipient, O negative is the universal donor
• Blood centers often run short of types O and B blood
• Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays
• If all blood donors gave two to four times a year, it would help prevent blood shortages

The Arlington Donor Center is located at 1618 W. Randol Mill Road. Donors will receive a T-shirt and a goody bag for participating and will also be entered to win a portable GPS navigation system. So do something great and get a little reward. It’s a great way to make a new start to 2008!

Source

It’s officially 2008 here in Arlington, Texas. I hope you all had a great time ringing in the new year.

I apologize for my absence over the holidays. It’s been a little crazy here with the kids being out of school, visiting with the kinfolk and getting all of those holiday tasks done. I’ll be back in the morning to update you on the latest goings-on in Arlington. I’ll also try to get you an updated calendar of events as soon as possible.

Here’s to a happy and successful 2008!

The Lights of Interlochen are glowing again. If you haven’t had a chance to see this display, I highly recommend it. Over 200 homeowners in the Interlochen neighborhood of northwest Arlington decorate their homes in displays that rival Clark Griswold. The Lights of Interlochen is one of the largest holiday light displays in north Texas. It runs daily until 11:30 pm from Saturday, December 15 through Christmas Day.  

Motorists are being asked to enter the neighborhood from Randol Mill Road at Westwood Drive. The Arlington Police Department will be on hand with traffic control posts to help things moving smoothly.  All other streets to the Interlochen neighborhood will be closed. Left turns are prohibited from northbound Bowen at Westwood and at Westwood and Crowley. No U-turns are allowed at Westwood and Findlay. 

Traffic is very congested during peak times. For the most pleasant viewing experience, try to visit during the week. Here are a few more tips to help make your trip through Interlochen a little more enjoyable:

• Be Patient! Traffic is heavy and moves slowly. 
• Adults and children must be properly secured by safety belts and child safety seats. 
• Traffic must keep right at all times, leaving the left lane open for emergency vehicles and Interlochen homeowners. 
• Pedestrian traffic is permitted. Roller skating in the street is prohibited by the Arlington Municipal Code.

Directions:

From I-30, take the Fielder Road exit and go south to Randol Mill Road. Turn right on Randol Mill Road and follow it to Westwood Drive; or you can take the Eastchase Parkway exit from I-30, turn east on Meadowbrook Boulevard to Randol Mill Road, then right on Randol Mill Road to Westwood Drive.

For a printable map of the area, visit the City’s website.

Well, since we had the overwhelming response of three commentors in the Maren Morris CD contest, I’ve decided to give each of my commenters one of Maren’s CDs. I’ve notified everyone by email and I’m awaiting their response, but I’ll go ahead and congratulate Kyla, Sarah and Jummy. Thanks for taking the time to comment and congratulations on your win!

I hope you’ll all enjoy your prize. If you’ve taken the time to check out some of the songs on Maren’s MySpace page, you know you won’t be disappointed. Be sure to stop by her page and let her know what you think of the CD. I’m sure she’d love to hear your feedback.

Thanks again to Maren for donating the CDs! I’ve still got some more CDs to give away, so be on the lookout for another contest soon!

Thousands of motorcyclists will make their annual vist to the Arlington Convention Center this afternoon to deliver Christmas gifts to underprivileged children as part of the 22nd Annual Big Texas Toy Run.

Cyclists head for Arlington from downtown Fort Worth, Dallas and Grapevine bringing as many toys as they can carry. It’s a site to behold as you can see by this video from last year’s Toy Run:

Last year, more than $1 million in toys and $100,000 in cash were donated to the drive, which benefits needy children through Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County, Dallas MetroCare and other charities. 

This year they are expecting about 90,000 riders to participate in the toy drive. That’s about 25,000 more than last year. For more information, visit their website at www.thebigtexastoyrun.com.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to interview Maren Morris, a 17 year old singer/songwriter from Arlington. She told us a little bit about how she got started in the music business, who her influences were and what it’s like to be a young person with a music career. This girl has a promising career ahead of her! If you missed that interview, be sure to check it out here. You can also view a clip of Maren performing live.

Since we talked to her, Maren has been busy doing radio shows to promote her album, All That it Takes, which is currently number 10 on the Texas music charts. She’s also performing all over Texas and Oklahoma. This Saturday, December 15, she’ll be at the Granada Theater in Dallas with Marcia Ball. If you can’t catch her then, check out her MySpace page for her full calendar.

Even though she’s been busy with all of her promotions and performances, Maren took the time to offer a few copies of her CD for us to give away to our readers, so we’re going to have a real simple contest to start things off. All I need you to do is leave a comment on the blog. How easy is that? Just comment on any post between now and Friday, December 14 and you’ll be entered to win. Make sure you use a legitimate e-mail address (only I will be able to see it) because that’s how I will contact the winners.

Good Luck!