Arlington, TX

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.

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!

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The cooler temperatures and dreary rain made today feel like winter, unlike last week when we were in the 70’s and 80’s and hitting record highs. It hasn’t felt much like Christmas with those temps!

The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service have declared Tuesday, December 11, 2007 as Winter Weather Awareness Day. Arlington’s Emergency Management Department is helping citizens prepare for the colder weather by giving tips on how to stay safe when (or if) the snow and ice arrive.  

About 70 percent of snow and ice related deaths occur in automobiles. To help keep you and your family safe, the Emergency Management Department suggest that you keep your gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines and carry a “Survival Kit” with you. Them”Survival Kit” should include:

• Blankets/sleeping bags
• Radio, flashlight, extra batteries, booster cables
• First-aid kit
• High-calorie, non-perishable food and bottled water
• Extra clothing, including mittens and hat
• Sack of sand or cat litter for de-icing roadway
• Windshield scraper and brush
• Tool kit, tow rope and shovel
• Cell phone or two-way radio.

You shouls also be prepared at home or work with additional supplies in case of power and/or phone outages:

• Battery-powered NOAA weather radio, extra batteries
• Extra medicine, medical supplies and items needed by babies or the elderly
• Heating fuel for areas where fuel carriers may not be able to get through
• Properly ventilated emergency heating source such as a fireplace, wood stove or space heater
• Fire extinguisher and smoke detector
• Extra food and water

Listen for updated weather statements on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration weather radio or visit www.weather.gov/fortworth.

So far we haven’t needed these tips, but you never know about the weather in Texas. It can change from minute to minute. Keep warm and stay safe!

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When the city raised storm water fees by a phenomenal amount this past summer, Arlington school superintendent Mac Bernd called the increase “unconscionable” and refused to pay. The city threatened to turn off water to the schools and the district was considering a lawsuit.

The city caved and at last night’s City Council meeting, voted to exempt all local school districts from paying the fees. City leaders say they hope this will help to reopen communication with the school district so they can concentrate on more important issues,  such as gang violence.

The fee increase, which was implemented on October 1, would have cost the school district an estimated $110,000 more this year. The AISD had been paying about $6,000 a month. Since the increase, the school district has withheld the storm-water fee payment, setting the money aside in an escrow account, and has paid the rest of their water bill. 

Other items approved at the City Council meeting included:

• Spend $1.6 million to dredge the west pond north of Randol Mill Road by the Ballpark and part of the channel south of Randol Mill that leads to the pond.
• Spend $200,000 to update zoning regulations.
• Begin bidding on gas leases on 274 acres of city-owned land, including Rush Creek Linear Park and Veterans Park.
• Spend $153,000 to maintain medians and rights of way in the entertainment district and $113,000 for grounds maintenance, such as mowing, on city-owned land.
• Create a tax increment financing district around the Viridian project planned for far north Arlington.

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To signal the arrival of the holiday season, a 51-foot blue spruce was hoisted up in front of City Hall on Abram Street this morning. The $6,000 tree (paid for by private donations) was hauled in from Manton, Michigan.

The official lighting of the Christmas tree will immediately follow the annual Holiday Lights Parade which will take place on December 8 at 6 p.m. The parade is sponsored by the Arlington Star-Telegram and the Arlington Christmas Parade, Inc. It will feature antique cars, bands, drill teams, lighted floats, mounted units, and a visit from Santa. In addition, spectators can enjoy the old-fashioned feel of the decorated businesses on Main Street while drinking hot chocolate and snacking on roasted nuts. I encourage you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping to enjoy a night out with the family and enjoy the parade.

For more information on the upcoming Holiday Lights Parade, visit http://www.arlingtonparadeoflights.com/.

Wentworth Miller, star of Prison Break, and other actors and crew members walk through a scene on Main Street in downtown Arlington before shooting.

The Fox prime-time drama Prison Break paid a visit to downtown Arlington yesterday. They were filming scenes for the series, which will begin airing new episodes in January 2008. Traffic on some streets had to be diverted during filming.

The show moved from Chicago to the Dallas/Fort Worth area after the first season. They do much of the filming here in the D/FW area because of the many small towns of various sizes, all in close proximity, which it needs for its “on the run” type of storylines. Dallas and Fort Worth also give the producers plenty of options for a big-city look as well. They chose this area for it’s “Anywhere USA” feel.

Make sure to watch out for familiar sites, like downtown Arlington, when the show comes back in January.

Source
Photo Source: FW Star-Telegram

Hector Montenegro, currently superintendent of the Ysleta school district in El Paso, has been named the finalist for the new AISD superintendent. He will succeed the current superintendent, Mac Bernd, who announced his resignation earlier this year.

Montenegro has been superintendent of the Ysleta school district since 2003. The district, which has about 46,000 students, is in the eastern part of El Paso. He is credited with making improvements to the district. He has also been an administrator in Dallas, Austin and San Marcos and in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Texas mandates a 21-day period between the naming of a finalist and his or her hiring. The period is used for trustees to conduct background checks and visit the finalist’s home district before making the final hiring decision.

Trustees are scheduled to visit the Ysleta school district on November 26. If everything checks out, Montenegro will be offered a contract on November 29.

Source and Photo: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Voters solidly defeated the proposed Crime Control and Prevention District, 56% Against and only 44% For.Turnout was higher yesterday than it has been in some recent elections. Still only about 9 percent of the city’s 182,418 registered voters cast ballots. As dismal as that sounds, it’s actually up quite a bit from the 3.9 percent who voted last May.

Had it passed, the crime prevention district would have raised our sales tax from 8 cents to 8.125 cents per dollar for five years. City officials estimated that an additional $6 million per year would have been brought in to pay for anti-crime programs. Some say the proposal failed because it included too many non-crime related expenditures, such as tutoring, camp scholarships and youth programs. These were touted as crime prevention projects although opponents didn’t see it that way.

Mayor Cluck says the city will formulate another plan to help fight crime. “We need to look for another plan to take care of the crime problem we are seeing here.” But he added, “I think we had to have a prevention piece in it.”

In other election news, all 16 of the proposed state constitutional amendments passed. Some of the major ones included:

Proposition 3: Ensures that homeowners can’t be hit with a school tax increase of more than 10 percent a year;

Proposition 4: Provides $1 billion in bond money to build prisons, maintain and repair state parks, restore historic buildings and expand crime labs, among other projects. Included is almost $50 million to build an emergency vehicle operations training track near Austin;

Proposition 6: Allows Texans who use their personal vehicles for business to avoid paying property taxes on them;

Proposition 12: Authorizes the Texas Transportation Department to issue $5 billion in bonds to pay for highway improvements;

Proposition 13: Expands the circumstances under which Texas judges can deny bail to certain criminal defendants accused of family violence.

Proposition 15: Authorizes the Legislature to issue bonds of $300 million a year over 10 years to finance cancer research.

Source: Fort-Worth Star-Telegram

Arlington police will be trying to clear out more than 37,000 outstanding warrants over the next four weeks. To borrow a tagline from Heroes, “Are You on the List?”  You can find out by visiting the Municipal Court website.

If you see that you are on the list, it’s time to take care of any outstanding warrants before they visit your neighborhood to arrest you. They are specifically concentrating on zip codes 76012, 76014, 76017 and 76018.

If you find that you do have an outstanding warrant, you can take care of it online at the Municipal Court website; or in person at the kiosk in the main police station located on Division Street, or at the Arlington Municipal Court at 201 E. Abram.

For citations not in warrant status, payment can be made by cash, personal or cashier’s check or money order. If there is an active warrant, only cash, a cashier’s check or a money order will be accepted.

Dates of the warrant roundup are as follows: Nov. 5-11 - 76012; Nov. 12-18 - 76018; Nov. 26-Dec. 3 - 76017; Dec. 3-9 - 76014. Just because you don’t live in these zip codes, doesn’t mean you are safe. Arlington police may still pay you a visit, so it’s in your best interest to take care of any outstanding warrants before that happens.

I checked and I’m not on the list and none of my loved ones are there either. Not that I had any reason to think we were, I just thought “better safe than sorry,” you know?

We all hate road construction, especially when it seems never-ending. A reader recently asked me if I knew what the holdup was with the South Collins Street project so I decided to try and find out.

South Collins Street between Mayfield Rd. and Pioneer Pkwy. has been under construction since April of 2006. The project included street reconstruction, the addition of a fifth and sixth lane, drainage, sidewalks, streetlights, pavement markings, median landscaping and irrigation improvements. Growing up in the area, I can tell you that every rainstorm meant a minefield of potholes down South Collins so it was a much needed change, and essential for the traffic that will come with the new Cowboys stadium. It was expected to be finished by April of 2007, but an abundance of rain in the spring delayed the project. (more…)