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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMayor's Newsletter 04/94 w Greetings From Your M When spring comes can Arbor what you can do to protect your chil- �u Daze be far behind? dren in the article in this issue. I hope that by now you all know that Police Chief Gary McKamie,Capt. Euless'Arbor Daze festival has been Joey Ziemian and Sgt. Michael designated the Best Arbor Day Cel- Brown have initiated Community ebration in America. Truly our vol- Oriented Policing to our city in an unteers, staff and citizens deserve a effort to reduce crime and introduce special "pat on the back" for this your assigned police patrol officers extraordinary honor. Because we to your neighborhoods. They along have been named the Best Arbor with representatives of the police Day Celebration in America, the and fire departments have been very State of Texas has selected Euless as successful in the neighborhood its site for the official state celebra- Town Hall meetings.We are encour- tion. aging neighborhoods to form associ- Our first Arbor Day celebration ations and crime watch programs began five years ago as a Saturday- and to communicate closely with only event.We now have a three-day city staff.We can save our neighbor- celebration called"Arbor Daze"that hoods and prevent crime if we work ary and we congratulate these very is alcohol-free as well as admission- together. Do locate your neighbor- important volunteers and we thank free.I hope to see many of you at our hood on the map inside and get to you and we need you. celebration. ..I'll be there,will you? know your patrol officers and attend May 7 is Election Day in the City Arbor Daze involves vision, plan- Your neighborhood Town Hall meet- of Euless.We have two council seats ning, cooperation and work, work, ing. to be filled as well as several school work.This newsletter features some Many of you make a fifty-cent vol- board trustee vacancies.Get to know of those workers with articles on the untary contribution on your water your candidates and exercise your Parks Department, Recreation De- bill to the Community Betterment precious right to vote. It is your re- partment and our volunteers on the Fund each month. All of these mon- sponsibilityas acitizenoftheUnited Parks and Leisure Services Board. ies are delegated to special projects States! We also have included an article by for our citizens and we encourage Inside are our latest street im- Jimmy Beck,one of our city's horti- your suggestions.Inside is an update provements, community calendars culturists,on spring planting. on the projects this fund has sup- and interesting city facts. We invite Just over a year ago, apartment Ported this past year. We want you your comments on the Mayor's managers in our city got together to to know your contributions are Newsletter.We want you to commu- form an association that meets `'Forking for you and we thank you nicate with us--with your city staff, monthly with the cooperative efforts for that extra special support to your Your City Council and your Mayor- of our city staff. Apartment manag- city. -because together we are Building ers are a vital link for communica- Each year we honor our Fire and Better Tomorrow. tion with our apartment citizens and Police employees at an awards etre- we appreciate their community in- mony. Please read and learn who volvement. The association will be received these special awards so you recognize their talents,too. Mary Lib Saleh can recd represented at Arbor Dare with a g special booth for Children's Identi- The Parks and Leisure Services Mayor fication Passports. Read all about honor their volunteers each Febru- .............. Nation's Best. . .A Euless Tradition The City of Euless is proud tospon- State Ceremonies Bring Special sor the world's largest Arbor Day celebration,Arbor Daze '94, sched- Guests to Arbor Daze uled for April 22-24. The three-day The City of Euless has been cho- serve the importance of Arbor Day event was recently named the sen as the host community for the in several ways. State Forester M Nation's Best Arbor Day Celebra- Official State Arbor Day Obser- Bruce Miles will present the Tree tion by the National Arbor Day vance this spring, which will be City USA official proclamation to Foundation,and city officials expect held in conjunction with opening the Mayor as Euless receives yet the totally free festival to surpass last ceremonies of the city's annual another designation as a Tree City. year's attendance of over 55,000. Arbor Daze celebration. The International Society of Arbo- Arbor Daze offers something for riculture will also resent its Gold everyone with to musical acts on The Texas Forest Service and P ry P Texas Forestry Association will be Leaf awards and several key speak- the main stage;a children's area with on hand April 22 to join with local ers from the state will be on hand clowns and carnival games; a com- school children and citizens to ob- to join the celebration. ■ munity stage; arts and crafts pavil- ion; an author's tent; local business expo; lawn and garden show with ourcity to celebrate ourcommitment lawn of the City Hall Complex at the expert seminars; an array of food to the environment,nature and fam- frontage road of Highway 183 and vendors; and a plant sale. ily fun," he said. Ector Drive. To get to the festival, The Euless Parks Department also Entertainment for Arbor Daze '94 take Highway 183 east from Fort plans to give away free trees to pro- includes Tish Hinojosa, Dash Ripr- Worth or west from Dallas. Arbor mote awareness in the community of ock and the Dragons,Limpopo,The Daze will be held on the north side the importance of trees. Last year, Shoppe and Brave Combo plus of the freeway. over$25,OOOinfree trees were given much more. The festivities begin For more information, please call away. Arbor Daze also supports the Friday, April 22 at 11 a.m. and end 685-1426. ■ 1+1=2 Tree Program, which has a Sunday,April 24, at 7 p.m. goal of planting one tree for each This year's event will continue the ^ citizen by the year 2000. tradition of the Ultimate Free Family Plans are underway now to make Festival, as well as promoting the this the best Arbor Daze festival city's commitment to environmental ever,according to Director of Com- awareness. Euless is an eight-time munity Services Rick Herold. "We winner of the Tree City USA desig- want to draw even more people to nation with award-winning parks and trails systems to prove this com- Below,popular performers such as The Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry mitment. Shoppe will be on the Main Stage at will kick off the state ceremonies Friday Arbor Daze '94 will be held on the Arbor Daze. at 11 a.m. yam` ti �I Recreation Department Works Hard, Plays Hard The gymnasium of the Midway classes for people Recreation Center is always abuzz of all ages and with activity during the day and eve- backgrounds." ning, and the offices upstairs are no In addition to the :+ _ exception.When the members of the classes taught at Recreation staff are not downstairs the center, athletic organizing and leading activities, leagues and events ' they are upstairs putting their heads take up much of together to plan future events for the the Recreation �t citizens of Euless. Department's pro- "It's neverthe same day twice,"said gram time. Over Ann Hajek, marketing coordinator 300 teams sign up for the department. There is always for leagues each Dicker- something going on, activities to he year in sports such Members of the Recreation staff include,seated,Kelli Dicker- held." as basketball,soft- son,Julia Wakeley and Ann Hajek. Standing are Tim Rolen, Beverly Walter,Peter Krause,Jerry Poteet,Diane Eggers and Hajek and other staff members ball, volleyball Andy Tarkington. spend much of their days planning and others, said "It's a very different kind of job,and future events or working with cur- Andy Tarkington,athletic coordina- it often goes beyond the traditional rent activities held in the recreation tor. work day,but this is what we do and center or other city facilities,includ- While sports and classes have be- we enjoy it," Krause said. ing classes, senior programs, musi- come routine work for the staff each Special events such as the Arbor cals, concerts, special holiday year, special events provide the de- Daze festival are focused on year- events, athletic events and summer partment with unexpected work and round.Arbor Daze is the event of the programs.Over 300 classes and spe- unusual fun. Concerts such as the year, said Recreation Manager Julia cial activities are held each year,ac- Starlight Musicals productions re- Wakeley. The staff works from one cording to Peter Krause, program quire time and effort that goes be- Arbor Daze to the next to make the supervisor. yond the regular day of work at the world's largest Arbor Day festival a "We have instructors who teach ev- recreation center. Staff members success,she said. erything from aerobics, arts and often find themselves working as weekends and evenings stage Other upcoming events for the de- crafts and computer skills to martial g g artment include the Ultra Golf arts, dance and preschool," Krause hands,set designers,lighting techni- p cians and ticket-takers. Classic and a variety of summer mu- said. "We try to offer a variety of sicals. ■ Arbor Daze Main Stage Entertainment Arbor Daze offers a variety of entertainment for the entire family--from national recording artists on the Main Stage to carnival attractions, arts and crafts,a business expo,lawn and garden shows and much more. Please turn to page 2 for a full report on Arbor Daze activities. The following schedule outlines the musical acts set for the Main Stage. Friday, April 22 4:00 p.m. Dave Alexander and the Legends of 1 i a.m Limpopo Western Swing 1:30 p.m. Songwriters Roundtable 6:15 p.m Limpopo . 5:30 p.m. Leon Rausch and the Texas Panthers 8:30 p.m. The Shoppc �:3o p.m. Limpopo Sunday, April 24 >::::><:::::: 90) p.m. Dash Riprock and the Dragons 12 noon Brave Combo �:3o p.m: Limpopo Saturday, April 23 10 a.m. Ruhy Tucsday 40)p.m. Tish Hinojosa 1:30 p.m. Fingerprints *Songwriter's Roundtable features performers from the Euless Music Shop such as Jon Ims, L.J. Booth, Monk Wilson and others. i Parks Crew Keeps Euless Growing On staff are clearing right-of-ways throughout ;ti four licensed the city and other areas that may not pesticide ap- be city-owned but require upkeep. plicators, a li- The city also maintains a green- c e n s e d house and two tree farms where irrigation spe- many of the trees planted in the city cialist, two are grown. Because of the citizens' horticulturists and staff's efforts, the city has re- and experts in ceived eight Tree City USA awards construction, and recognition on numerous other welding and fronts for dedication to the environ- masonry. All ment and the preservation of natural of these skills areas.Euless is the only city in Texas Parks crew members are,from left,Jerry Massey,Brad Burke, are pooled so to win two Tree City USA Growththat 85 percent Awards. John Ledbetter,Rick Herold,Marty Wiltshire,Terry Boaz,Rick of all new Con- Maldonado, Johnnie Green, Carey Stevenson, Nick Mitchell, In addition to the efficiency and ex- Jesse Smith,Steve Wiltshire,Bo Bass and Jimmy Beck. struction on pertise of the staff, Bass said the Euless parks is citizens of Euless also get a lot more On any summer day, citizens driv- done in-house. for their money. Through research ing through Euless may see members for saves the cit a substantial of the Parks crew busily mowing y and grant-writing,city staff has gar- amount of money because the cost of nered over $1.5 million for the city grass, trimming trees or watering flower beds. But what most of these outside contractors is eliminated," in grants from the state and federal citizens don't realize is the multitude said Johnnie Green,field technician. government in the last seven years. of othertasks performed by the crew, The three members of the mowing Those grants went to a variety of and magnitude of work done by the crew tackle all city facilities each projects, including the construction 14 men who make up this hard- week to keep them looking well- of the Villages of Bear Creek Park, working group. maintained.The job includes all fire tree giveaways at Arbor Daze and "We have really maximized our use stations,the City Hall Complex,soc- beautification programs along major of labor here in Euless," said parks cer and ball fields,all of the 16 parks thoroughfares and others. manager Bo Bass. "We are using in the city and other landscaping Presently, the department is work- innovation g around city buildings. The job also in on Arbor Daze,the master arks innovation and efficiency in a way includes medians on Euless Boule- g p not seen in other cities." plan, landscaping projects and oth- vard, Harwood Road, Mid-Cities ers. Members of the parks crew will Bass pointed out the fact that al- Boulevard and other streets through- be on hand at Arbor Daze to answer though the parks crew is small in out the city.Additionally,the crew is questions about landscaping and number,it is unmatched in expertise. charged with the task of mowing and gardening. ■ From the Desk of. . . Your Euless Horticulturist By Jimmy Beck than any other design element in the such as ammonia sulfate, promote landscape,so choose brightly tinted lush growth for short periods.A 21- Late April is an ideal time for the flowers to liven up your yard. 7-14 formulation containing 50 per- backyard gardener. A vegetable April 15th is the recommended cent slow release will produce a garden should be planted now to date to fertilize Bermuda lawns in quality lawn.Remember,a properly ensure plenty of time for a bountiful this area, and May 15th is recom- maintained vigorous growing lawn harvest. The time is right to plant mended for St.Augustine.For slow will be weed-free and more tolerant tomatoes, peppers and onion sets. even growth,use a fertilizer that has of insects and disease. April is also a good time to plant half of its nitrogen in slow release If you are going to plant trees and perennials and annual flower gar- formula,such as sulfur coated urea. shrubs in yourlandscape this spring, dens.People respond to colors more Quick release forms of nitrogen, Continued on page 5 i PALS Board Supports Park, Recreation Activities Serving as a watchdog organization The board's over parks and leisure service activ- numberone pri- ities may sound like all fun and ority at the mo- games, but for eight citizens it's a ment is the constant challenge and a duty they study of a major are proud to accept. athletic com- "We are continually working to see plex for the city. group the, what we can do better for the parks," Alsog P �.1 said Chairman Leon Hogg."And we is working on also work to keep the master plan improvement updated so that we can see what we plans for the se- can do for the future of the city." nior citizens The PALS Board, as they are center and in- *,> known, serves as an overseeing frastructure im- board The Parks and Leisure Services Board consists o , rout row,Eric board for park development, repro- throughout the Owens,Leon Hogg and Lynne Moffatt.Back row, tacey Hollin- gram programming and special pro- city at various ger,Jerry Robinson, Stephen O'Brien and Chuck Behrns. Not grams. The members are the basis park and repro- pictured is Richard McNeese. for major park improvement ideas and the push behind the innovative ation areas and fa- the tree planting program while oth- ideas implemented by city staff,said cilities. ers have backgrounds in sports,spe- Community Services Director Rick "No matter where citizens live,they pial events programming or other Herold. should see improvements," Herold activities. "For sixteen months, they have said. "All areas of the city are being The Parks and Leisure Services been working on capital im- reviewed." Board also serves as the Tree Board provements plans, which will be At each monthly meeting,the mem- for the city, which oversees the funded through the half-cent sales bers report on the condition of the 1+1=2 Tree Program and follows tax, Herold said. "They are the parks, with each member responsi- the progress of the city in its effort main reason the sales tax passed and ble for inspecting at least one park. to comply with the Tree City USA the reason why we will be able to The reports help the city cover issues guidelines. In addition to the Tree provide the city with needed im- of safety or other improvements City USA work done by the board, provements." needed at each park, said Hogg. the members have constantly been The members include Eric Owens, The board's focus is not limited to involved in cleanup efforts and arks but is spread evenly over the beautification efforts by the city. Lynne Moffatt, Richard McNeese, P P Y Jerry Robinson,Leon Hogg and Ste- needs of the city. According to "They volunteer a lot of their time phen O'Brien. Alternates Charles Herold, the group is made up of a at numerous events," Herold said. Behms and Stacey Hollinger also diverse collection of citizens who "The board is a vital link in the work- attend the meetings and stay active, have an interest in every aspect of ings of the city's parks and leisure Hogg said. the city's programs. Some members services." ■ have more experience or interest in Horticulturist,continued from page 4 During periods of no rainfall, our landscapes require container grown plants should be used. It is too late in about one inch of water every five to six days. Most the season to plant balled and burlapped or bare root hose sprinklers put out one-fourth to one-third of an trees and shrubs. Suggested trees for our area include inch of water per hour so they need to be run roughly Red Oak, Live Oak and Chinese Pistache for large four hours at any one spot. The best time to water is yards.For small yards consider Bradford Pear and Bald early in the morning so less water is lost to evaporation. Cypress. Some great shrubs include Yaupons, Hollies The worst time to water is at night because the plants and Junipers. Remember to mulch all exposed soil stay too moist thereby encouraging disease develop- surfaces with no less than two inches and not more than ment. four inches of shredded bark mulch, or use compost For more information about lawn and gardening tech- mulching which will help retain moisture and help keep niques,please call the City of Euless Horticulture Hotl- weed seeds from sprouting. ine at 685-1652. ■ Gang Task Force Diverts Teens From Trouble The half-painted mural on the wall Brown said gang members in the ever got discouraged about the gang of James Brown's Pipeline Road of- HEB area were not as"hard-core"as situation,Portman replied,"I'd have fice tells the whole story of his mis- in some of the larger cities, but that given up a long time ago if I didn't sion at the Northeast Gang Task the potential for serious crimes and think there was still hope for these Force--to keep kids out of trouble violence were still present if the sit- kids." and on the road to productive uation was not controlled early.Par- The youth diversion portion of the lives. ents often do not know what to look task force involves a program that "Don't gamble with your life." the for when distinguishing gang mem- many teens enter voluntarily or at the mural states in stenciled letters. It is bers, Brown said. request of parents or schools. In the a message illustrated with guns, "They do everything right as long as diversion program, youths spend drugs, alcohol and games of chance they are being watched," Brown ex- two nights a week playing organized that local teens have put on the wall plained of gang members. "They re- sports and two nights a week in of Brown's youth diversion head- spect authority, but the problem classes. quarters. The task force, which is a comes during the unsupervised The recreational time gives the joint effort between the cities of times, such as after school, in parks teens a positive way to blow off Hurst, Euless, Bedford and North and malls or other places. Behavior steam, Brown said. With the help of Richland Hills, works on several is what dictates gang activity." the recreation therapist, youths can fronts to solve the problem of gangs In addition to Brown's capacity as find better ways to take out aggres- in the community. From education program coordinator and counselor, sion and the urge for competition. and enforcement to diversion and the task force is made up of one The classes held on other nights are prevention, uniformed officers and officer from each of the participating an attempt to teach the teens about counselors work with the youth of cities, a part-time counselor and a the dangers of drugs and violence as the area. The task force has been at recreation therapist. Funding has well as the importance of work and the job since the fall of 1993. come in the form of a 5-year grant school.The teens tend to listen more "We have identified about 600 gang which covered 100 percent of the to the lessons when they are applied members in the HEB area alone, task force's expenses the first year, to real life and are made personal to comprising 10 to 12 different but decreases by 20 percent each them,Brown related. gangs," said Brown. "Gang mem- year. Brown stated the task force is "We have a lot of good kids who are bers can't be stereotyped. They re- still in need of some items not cov- just caught in bad situations,"Brown ally aren't that different from other ered by funding and donations are said. "We can see the potential for kids." welcomed. good in all of them." ! i Euless officer Mark Portman works For more information on the North- with the task force on a full-time Participants in the youth diversion pro- east Gang Task Force or the diver- gram of the Northeast Gang Task Force basis and has seen many of the local sion program,call 282-2993. ■ paint a mural on the wall of the task teens affected by gangs. Asked if he force office. Student Award Available The Larry Lee Gafford Humanitarian Award was estab- lished in 1978, and each year a student at Trinity High School is selected and honored at graduation for their un- r selfish contribution toward humanitarianism for the past year. If you know of a graduating senior student attending Trinity High School of good character that deserves the above award, please state in writing a brief description of the volunteer work that they have done, or a person that they have helped,during the past year/years,and where this work was performed. Please send the letter by May 1, 1994, to: * Mr. William F. Shatford, Principal, Trinity High School, ti �. 500 N. Industrial Blvd.,Euless,TX 76039. Citizens, Police Officers Work Together in Neighborhood Districts ❑ Patrol Officers Assigned for Each Area of the City POLICE PATROL DISTRICTS DISTRICT 21 DISTRICT 24 MORGAN #282 LANDERS #225 CHANEY #276 21 ALEXANDER #107 HUSKI #281 DISTRICT 23 NORWOOD #221 BURNS #204 SWINDELL #109 ALTHOUSE #271 HINOJOSA #202 SANDERS #244 23 DISTRICT 26 WONG #290 DISTRICT 25 STARNES #277 RODRIGUEZ #129 LEWIS #261 25 24 BURNETT #215 BELLAH #229 LOWE #201 TICE #218 =er6 EBERLING #280 Although the physical boundaries area and we can find ways of solving In addition to the new district as- of the Euless police districts have these problems with people in the signment of officers, investigators not changed, the methods and field who know what's going on," have also been assigned to specific attitudes by officers on the street Brown said. districts so that they may track crime have ushered in a new era of com- Officers are spending more time trends and follow problems.The de- munity-based policing that has getting to know citizens and busi- partment is also offering town hall proven successful all over the city. ness owners in their districts and meetings all over the city to intro- The biggest change in policing is in learning about what goes on in the duce citizens to officers. The meet- the area of officer assignment, ac- district, said Brown. ings will be scheduled for each part cording to Sgt.Michael Brown,who "What we wanted to happen is hap- of town once a year. heads the community policing ef- pening," said Brown. "The officers Brown reported that the changes in fort. Before the changes, officers are getting more involved in the the department are causing more res- were assigned to districts randomly community and communicating bet- idents to get involved in crime fight- and citizens were never sure of who ter." ing measures. In the last six weeks, the officer on duty would be. Now, eight neighborhood watch groups each officer is assigned to a specific That communication goes beyond had been set up, and 17 more are their interaction with citizens to in- district, which he or she works each elude better communication be- planned for the next month. That day. The change allows the city to compares with six set up in the last tailor police services to the area, tween officers and other resources,such as criminal investigations and Year before the changes. Brown said. the gang task force. For more information about com- "This way the officers will know munity policing, contact Sgt. what the specific problems are in an "We are accessing our resources Michael Brown at 685-1563. ■ better this way," Brown said. 8 Community Betterment Fund. . .Your Voluntary Contribution. . . ❑Donations Help City Improve Quality of Life Funding for trees and other beauti- lighting, which add to the the city in every way, from senior fication supplies, as well as extra community's quality of life. citizens activities to boards and workers in the library during the The City Council is currently study- commissions orientations and many summer months are made possible ing possible projects for funding others." by citizens every month, but not with this year's donations.On the list Through the funding and the efforts through tax dollars.These important of possibilities are senior citizen of citizens,the city has received sev- items are funded by citizens who center improvements, playgrounds, eral Governor's Awards for Beauti- contribute to the Community Better- tree planting, library assistance and f cation and other recognition. ment Fund, a 50-cent donation that others. Some work has already The total budgeted for this year is can be found on the city's water bill. begun to refurbish the Simmons $26,000,and the City Council hopes Through this donation, citizens Center for senior citizen activities, to divide that between the priority have helped to improve the commu- but much remains to be done. projects at an upcoming workses- nity in many ways.The fund is used "In the past, the fund has provided sion.Since Oct. 1,1993,only$4,000 for citizens' requests, such as beau- for many extras that could not be has been used from the fund. tification, library assistance, play- * paid for with tax dollars,"said Com- If you have ideas for the Commu- ground equipment and special munity Services Director Rick nityBettermentFund,please call the events such as the Christmas tree Herold. "These funds have helped Office of the Mayor at 685-1434.■ Euless Seniors Benefit Thursday mornings used to be the In addition to the activities, the se- same as every other day for Dorothy niors group enjoys lunches and spe- Grubb--television show after televi- cial trips and activities throughout sion show after. . .That is, until she the year. The group recently trav- :. joined other Euless senior citizens at elled to Branson, Missouri, to visit the Simmons center for fun, games, country music museums and enter- fellowship,and a whole lot more out tainment facilities.Macon Jones re- of life. membered the trip well. ' "I can't imagine not coming here, "We had a great time,and we hope now," Grubb said as she eyed her to go on even more trips in the fu- dominoes one Thursday morning. "I ture," he said with a grin as he was tired of staring at the same four pointed to photos on the wall depict- walls. Now I come here for fellow- ing the Branson trip. ship." Other members of the group laugh Grubb and other seniors have dis- and say they are only there for the Seniors enjoy games of dominoes, cards covered the hidden treasure of the food. A covered dish lunch one day and other activities at the Simmons Cen- Euless Seniors group, which meets and a light lunch of salad and soup ter,located in J.A.Carr Park. during the week for activities rang- another day keep them all in shape ing from dominoes and cards to aer- and out of the house where they can Workout does a lot of good for the obics and trips to shopping malls and socialize. older residents in the city. other cities. All of the events are An aerobics class is the latest addi- "Some are getting up in the years, organized by Volunteer and Senior tion to the list of activities offered for but they are doing great!" she says Citizen Coordinator Diane Eggers. seniors. Polly Fitch relates that al- with a laugh. "Diane does it all," said Mattie though the steps are not as fast- To get involved with the Euless se- Rolen. "She is number one in our paced as other aerobics classes, the niors,call 685-1674. ■ book." Police, Fire Honor Outstanding Employees City employees in the Police and man. These Fire departments are honored each fire person- year at a banquet for their contribu- nel were in- tions to the safety of Euless citizens. volved in an This year's honors went to fire- incident last ` fighters, paramedics, police offi- year involy- cers and civilian employees who ing a child showed showed outstanding character and who had work ethic. been shot in The awards given by the Fire De- the head.The Q partment included recognition for team of par a- outstanding members ofthe depart- medics and 4 ment as well as several Distin- firefighters guished Service Awards. These Fere hon- included: Rookie of the Year, ored for their 7'he Fire Department's Distinguished Service Award was pre- Richard Whitten; Paramedic of the outstanding sented by Chief Lee Koontz,right,to James Rowell,Rick Clark, Year, Scott Parsley; Firefighter of e f f o r t s , Mike Christenson,Nolan Bass,Mark Lipman and Ronnie Ikeler. the Year,James Rowell;Driver En- which saved the life of the child. tinguished Service Award fora Ci- gineer of the Year,Jerry Sutton;and vilian, Carol Ann Lafave; Distin- Supervisor of the Year, David The Police Department also hon- guished Service Award for a Sworn Byers. ored several members of its sworn Officer,Larry C.Glover;the W.M. The Fire Department's Distin- force as well as civilian employees "Blackie" Sustaire Memorial guished Service Award went to Bob in the department. These included: Award, Roger J. Mangum; the Bill Seadore,Gary Thompson,Tommy Reserve Officer of the Year, Rich- Harvell Award, Cathy Ann Lynch; Christ, Scott Parsley, Mike and A. Andrews;The Michael Wil- Supervisor of the Year, Melanie Christenson, Rick Clark, Nolan liamson Memorial Rookie of the Reese; and Police Officer of the Bass, Ronnie Ikeler and Mark Lip- Year Award,Tony D. Burnett;Dis- Year,Donald E. Scott. ■ Public Works Update Between October 1993 and March Street repairs made due to water 1994,the Public Works Department leaks or asphalt failure-40. completed several projects to make The Sulphur Branch project is also area streets safer and better for mo- on the agenda, with work on the torists. The work included the fol- Woodvine bridge expected to be lowing: completed this month. The Corps of Overlays on Martin,Martha,Drift- Engineers will begin the bidding h .. wood and Woodvine streets. process upon completion of the New parking lot at City Hall. bridge. Pot holes patched--857. The Public Works and Engineering Linear feet of curb-and-gutter re- departments are continuously work- placed--605. ing on streets throughout the city, and special projects are being stud- Square feet of sidewalk, flatwork ied for future work.To find outmore replaced or installed--5,608. about road projects or for questions, Signs made, repaired or replaced-- please call the Public Works Depart- The Woodvine nearing Bridge et Morrisdale Estates is nearing completion. 570. ment at 685-1580. 0 False Rumors Regarding Euless Apartments ❑No Euless properties are designated as future housing projects Concerns have been raised recently over rumors circu- of current residents more than qualifies Somerset for the lating in the city about the future of the Somerset Village low-income housing tax credit. apartment complexes. Several citizens have recently To be eligible for the credit, the applicant must, at a called the city out of concern over low-income housing minimum,set aside 20 percent of the units in a develop- projects they had heard were coming to Euless. The ment for households earning 50 percent or less of the rumor alleges that the owners of Somerset Village have median income. The tax credit provides owners of low signed an agreement with the Fort Worth Housing Au- income housing with a dollar for dollar reduction in thority to take in residents from the Butler Housing federal tax liability in exchange for the production of low Project,part of which was recently closed by the Depart- income rental housing. The tax credits may be used to ment of Housing and Urban Development.Jim Buelman, stimulate new construction or substantial rehabilitation with GFS of Texas,the management company for Som- to the property. erset Apartments,said the rumor is not accurate.No such At this time,GFS of Texas does not plan to apply for the agreement exists between Somerset and the Fort Worth low-income housing tax credit.If at a later time the credit Housing Authority. is applied for, Somerset would not be lowering the Accordingto Mr.Buelman,the confusion overthis issue qualification standards for residency at the complexes. probably stems from a recent application submitted by The current residents will not be displaced, since the Somerset for a low-income housing tax credit(LIHTC). majority of current residents already meet the program Approximately eight months ago,the management com- income guidelines. No lease renewals will be declined pany of Somerset performed a demographic survey of due to the tax credit. In addition, rents will not be sub- existing residents of the complexes.The survey revealed stantially lowered, as any gains accrued from the tax that nearly 80 percent of current Somerset residents fall credit will be reinvested in the form of physical im- below 60 percent of the Tarrant County Area Median provemcnts to the complexes. Income,or approximately $25,980 per year for a family If you have other questions about the Somerset Village of four.According to Mr.Buelman,this economic profile situation, please call the city of Euless at 685-1695. ■ City, School District Elections set for May 7 Citizens will go to the polls this spring to select two School district election candidates on the ballot are as Euless City Councilmembers and three HEB School follows: Place 1, Tommy Taylor and Lorraine Board Members. Euless residents may vote early at the Tatarevich; Place Midway Recreation Center, 300 W. Midway Drive, 2, Larry Manire, Monday through Friday, April 18-29, from 8 a.m. to 5 incumbent; and p.m. each day and Monday and Tuesday, May 2 and 3, Lewis Lowe; Place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4, Faye Beaulieu, Regular voting will beheld on election day,May 7,from Lois Nixon and 7 a.m.to 7 p.m.Polling places on that day are the Midway Loyd Bradford. Recreation Center and Bear Creek Elementary School. For more inform a- Euless City Council candidates on the ballot are as tion on the May 7 follows: Place 5, Glenn Walker, incumbent; Place 6, election,please call Ci l E he Euless t Henry Boatright, incumbent; and Leon Hogg, current ty chairman of the Parks and Leisure Services Board. Secretary's Office These council seats are both for three-year terms,a first at 685-1434. ■ for these particular slots since the charter election in November 1991, which changed the council seats from two to three year terms. Apartment Managers Association. . .A First for Euless ' In many cities, apartment residents are the"forgotten citizens" who do not encounter problems with water and sewer rates or property taxes.But in the city of Euless, apartment dwellers are gaining a voice on issues of concern to them such as crime, street construc- tion, recycling and others. Their forum--the Concerned Apartment Managers Association of Euless. A majority of the managers from Euless' 46 apartment complexes are attending the monthly meetings. The topics of discussion have ranged from Apartment managers,staff,and city staff work together at monthly meetings. gang and crime activity to new programs KidCare Photo ID booth located in the carnival area. The and information gathered by city departments and the KidCare Photo ID program provides parents the oppor- managers themselves to solve problems. One such pro- tunity to receive a standardized form of identification gram is called Skip and Evict. Managers work together including a photograph of their child for free. This to identify residents who repeatedly sign leases and skip national campaign has had phenomenal impact on com- out on rent payments and then move on to other apart- munities by providing a standardized form of identifica- ment complexes. The program and other information tion for children. Under traumatic circumstances, gained from the meetings has proven invaluable for some providing biographical information on their child neces- managers. sary for a search can be difficult for parents. "It's a really good forum for getting information," said "We are pleased we can play such a vital role in helping Becky Carroll,manager of Fountain Wood Apartments. to keep children safe in our own community,"said Jamie "I feel like I've been a better manager for it." Smith of Woodchase Apartments in Euless. "We cer- Carroll said the city's support of the association has tainly hope no one will ever need to use these documents, given apartment managers a central place to go for infor- but parents can at least have the peace of mind to know mation that was previously unavailable. they have the information in a safe place at home should "We work in conjunction with a lot of the city depart- the need arise." ments," she said. "It's a good communication link be- Formore information aboutthe KidCare Photo IDevent, tween us and what's going on around us." contact Jamie Smith, manager of Woodchase Apart- Another program the managers are working to bring to ments at 540-1555 or Becky Carroll, manager of Foun- the city is an identification program for children. At tain Wood Apartments at 267-6740. ■ Arbor Daze parents can take children age 1-15 to the Calendar of Events Meeting, Midway Park El- * June 11: Ultra Golf Clas- * April 14: Police Town ementary School,7 p.m. sic. For more information,Hall at Lakewood Elemen- * May 7: Election Day, 7 call 685-1666. tary School, 7 p.m. a.m. to 7 p.m. For voting * June 14: City Council information, please see arti- Meeting, 7 p.m. * April 19: Police Town cle in this issue. * June 28: Cit Council Hall Meeting, Bear Creek Y Elementary School, 7 p.m. * May 10: City Council Meeting, 7 p.m. * April 22-24: Arbor Daze, Meeting,7 p.m. * June 29-30,July 1-3: the Nation's Best Arbor * May 24: City Council Music Man at the Villages Day Celebration. Meeting, 7 p.m. of Bear Creek Park Amphi- * April 26• City Council * May 26: Public Hearing, theater. For ticket informa- Meeting, 7 p.m. Euless Development Cor- tion, contact 685-1666. ■ * May 5: Police Town Hall poration,7 p.m. City of Euless Phone List The Mayor's Newsletter is a publication of the City of Euless, printed on a quarterly basis or as a Emergency 911 supplement to the Leisure Times magazine. Animal Shelter 685-1592 Mayor Building Permits/Inspections 685-1622 Mary Lib Saleh City Manager 685-1420 City Council City Secretary 685-1434 Bobby Baker, Mayor Pro Tem Finance 685-1430 Frank Douglass Fire Department(non-emergency) 685-1600 Todd Smith Fire Marshal 685-1635 Charlie Miller Garbage Service 283-3092 Glenn Walker Job Line 685-1450 Henry Boatright Library 685-1480 City Manager Mayor's Office 685-1419 Tom Hart Midway Recreation Center 685-1666 Assistant City Manager Municipal Court 685-1460 Toe C. Hennig Parks and Community Services 685-1660 Personnel 685-1450 City Secretary Susan Crim Planning and Development 685-1630 Police Department(non-emergency) 685-1500 Desktop/Layout/Graphics Becky Null, Administrative Secretary Public Information Officer 685-1429 Recycling Hotline 685-1825 Correspondence, corrections or omissions should Streets/Utilities 685-1580 be sent to Katherine Thompson,Public Informa- Water Office 685-1470 tion Officer, at 201 N. Ector Drive,Euless, TX 76039. Messages may also be left at 685-1426. For other city offices, please call 685-1400. City Councilmembers at Work. . . 0 FCity Councilmembers spend many days and eve- Y-- nings at City Hall working out the issues that face j - - SSS ��•--�++ the city. These meetings go beyond the usual Council meetings twice a month to include worksessions, special breakfast meetings and otherspecial ses- sions.Some of the most recent topics of discussion at Council worksessions have included the city's computer system, half-cent sales tax projects, the new library, capital improvement projects, park ` expansion and other city business. For more information on City Council activities and city issues,please contact the City Secretary's Office or visit a future Council meeting.The meet- ings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of City Councilmembers work together at special sessions to find each month at 7 p.m.in the City Council Chambers. solutions and make decisions about issues that face the city.