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Home My WebLink About2006-04-21 Euless Articles 0 'n DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE 0 �'�� MAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCRAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD , /COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARY/ADMIN LIBRARY REF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED -r /0�/ AG DATE OF ARTICLE �7 /�� NEWSPAPE�' & 4, -442 ' CITY OF EULESS HAPPENINGS... ' For more infonnation on the following events, please call the Midway Recreation Center at 817-685-1666. ' Texas Trash Off Saturday, April 1st 8:30 -Noon ' Showplace Lanes @ 1901 W. Airport Frwy Euless Easter Egg Scramble ' Saturday, April 8th 11 am to 2 pm Hunt Times: ' 0-3 yrs 11:20 am 6-7 yrs Noon 4-5 yrs 11:40 am 8+yrs 12:20 pm ' Texas Junior Anglers Saturday, April 29th 9:00 am -Noon ' Wilshire Park, 315 Sierra Dr. 1 DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCF-4MIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT ' YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED / a l 106 DATE OFARTICLE NEWSPAPER FWST EULESS ' STEPSTO FITNESS portion than statewide(61.5 per- be intimidated if they are not fit. City officials Want residents cent) or nationwide (59.5 per- "If they want to come and do a cent).United Way Tarrant Coun- slow walk,come walk with me," to take a walk with them for health ty and city and county health of-, Hogg said. "I'm diabetic, but I 3 ficials have urged leaders in keep it under control with diet business, government, educa.- and pills.Sometimes I have a hip By TERRY LEE GOODRICH taking the initiative,anyone is STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER taking and health to join efforts to that hurts,and I can't power walk ' welcome to put on their walk-, fight obesity,which can contrib- or walk very far.But I try to walk EULESS — The longest ing shoes and join in, City ute to health problems and high- as much as I can. I hope a lot of journey,so the saying goes,be- Manager Joe Hennig said. er medical costs. people show up." gins with a single step. Those who take part may Obesity is excessive body fat A fringe benefit: Those who , But Euless and Harris pick up a free pedometer at in relation to lean body mass,ac- walk with Hogg on April 25 at Methodist H.E.B.hospital offi- any of five Euless locations be- cording to the Centers for Dis- Heritage Park can learn about lo- cials are urging residents to ginning Monday, city officials ease Control and Prevention. push a little harder as they be- said. Overweight refers to high body cal history.The park houses Eu- gin the road to fitness. One in three Tarrant Coun less' first brick home, an old Ste in'Out,an event kick- weight in relation to some barn,a windmill and a to cabin, pp ty residents is overweight,ac- height-based standard. Some g ing off a community health cording to United Way TarrantHogg said. program, will be April .24 ffi 4 to County and area health o - overweight people are not fat, Meanwhile, council member they have large muscle mass. May 30. Participants will be cials.And a report by Tarrant Linda Martin will lead Power Euless City Council member urged to try to take 10,000 County health officials indi- Walk the Preserve on April 26. steps each day. They'll have cates that 64 percent of people t eon Hogg said people who wish The walk begins,at Bob Eden to take part in the walks need not , walking buddies—and moral 18 and older in Tarrant County park, and participants will be support — in City Council were either overweight or able to see native trees in a na- members, who will walk with obese in 2004, a greater pro- ture preserve. The trees will be them.And although it's Euless labeled;'she said. "There are a lot,of trees and shade, but I'm going out there ' rain or shine," she said. "I don't do a lot of walking,but I work out Af three times a week and figure I'm in good shape." She said the 10,000 steps _. 7777777 £ works out to three to five miles, r a depending on the length of each step. ., .,. £ . Participants may register andW 14"M complete a walking log and re .� a: turn it to the city before May 6 to receive gifts,city officials said. Jw STAR-TELEGRAM/PAUL MOSELEY City Councilwoman Veva Lou Massey will walk with whoever shows up April 27 in Carr Park. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE c-? OF MAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT 'YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED 7 ( �( / DATE OFARTICLE 7 �` NEWSPAPER FWST Walk Right In Euless,sites.where participants may register and pick up ' free pedometers and return walking logs: X Midway Recreation Center,.300 W.Midway Drive.,(817) k 685.1666. 0 Euless Public Library,201 N.Ector Drive.(817)685-1679 N Texas Star Conference Centre,1400 Texas Star Parkway. " (817)685-1849 Euless City Hall,201 N.Ector Drive.(817)6851400 Harris Fitness Center,1616 Hospital Parkway.(817)261- 9191. Participants also may return walking logs at the Pre- Mother's Day Plant Sale and Tree Giveaway,9 a.m.to 1 '= p.m.May 6 at the Parks at Texas Star,1501 S.Pipeline 1 t Road.(817)685-1650. 5 Steppin' Out Schedule k ra April 24:Step with the Council.Mayor Mary Lib Saleh ' and other council members,6 p.m.,the Parks at Texas Star,1501 S.Pipeline Road. sTARTEG ELRAM/PAULMOSELEY April 25:Take a Historical Tour with Councilman Leon Residents can get a free pedom- Hogg,10 a.m.at Heritage Park,203 Cullum Drive. ' eter like Euless City Councilwom- ff.April 26:Power Walk the Preserve with Councilwoman an Veva Lou Massey's for Step- Linda Martin,5:30 p.m.at Bob Eden Park;901 W.Mid- pin'Out,a community health pro- Cities Blvd. gram urging' 10,000 steps a day., EApril 27:Step in the Shade with Councilwoman Veva Lou Massey,11 a.m.at Carr Park,508 Simmons Drive. April 28:Trek through Texas Star with Councilman Glenn Porterfield,8:30 a.m.at Texas Star Gold Course,1400 Texas Star Parkway. ' a For more information:(817)685-1400 ONLINE: www.euless.org/steppin SOURCE:City of Euless - DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE r OF MAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANIM4L CNTR ,f rr DATEDISTRIBUTED r DATEOFARTICLE 1/ /11'1/61:" NEWSPAPER DMN .r Katrina left flood of felons in Texas DPS warns local police of Louisiana evacuees on parole or probation 08:44 AM CDT on Friday, April 14, 2006 By DAVE MICHAELS/The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN —As many as 3,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Texas are on probation or parole in their home state but most are probably living under no form of supervision, and state officials are providing their names to local authorities because they could be suspects in new crimes. In letters to many of the state's police chiefs this week, the Texas Department of Public Safety provides the names and criminal histories of the evacuees and urges local authorities to consult the list to"develop possible suspects for certain crime problems that have advanced since Hurricane Katrina." Nearly 300 of those are listed in Dallas. "It is a huge concern," said Kathy Walt, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry. "We are going to continue working with Louisiana to assist them to get these people back." The evacuees should have reported their status as probationers and parolees to authorities, but most have not, according to police and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The evacuees could petition for a permanent transfer of their supervision to Texas. Some cities— Houston, above all—have complained that evacuees caused their crime rates to spike. The city accepted 150,000 evacuees overall, and it has received $20 million from the U.S. Justice Department to pay police and fire expenses for its suddenly enlarged population. The list is believed to be the state's first master list of evacuees who left behind their criminal histories in Louisiana, where the hurricane destroyed some evidence and criminal records. The DPS has not made public the names of the people on their lists or their crimes. "Certainly we want the police chiefs to know there may be some potential problems, and they need to respond how they feel is appropriate,"Tela Mange, a DPS spokeswoman, said Thursday. The number of Louisiana evacuees on probation or parole could be closer to 1,500, said John Moriarty, inspector general for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The number provided by the DPS was higher because some evacuees had multiple addresses in Texas, he said. The DPS list was compiled by cross-checking Louisiana's probation and parole rolls against FEMA's database of federal relief recipients. Texas has feuded with FEMA over the identities of Katrina evacuees. After FEMA refused to provide data that would help identify sex offenders and violent criminals, Gov. Rick Perry said the decision jeopardized the safety of Texans and some evacuees. FEMA is now cooperating with state authorities. Lt. Rick Watson, a Dallas police spokesman, said his department has not received DPS' list, which says 299 offenders are living in Dallas. Lt. Watson said police officers would probably visit evacuees listed as sex offenders. "If we confirm they are here, we are going to go contact them, tell them, 'You have to register with us, let's DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE -�" OF MAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT ' YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATEDISTRIBUTED DATEOFARTICLE /L NEWSPAPER DMN ' go,' " he said. Lt. Watson said he was not sure what Dallas would do with offenders who are not on probation or parole for sex offenses, because police departments are not responsible for probation or parole services. So far, Texas has formally accepted about 151 probationers and 191 parolees from Louisiana, authorities said. "If they have not contacted Louisiana by this time, under all normal ways of looking at community corrections, they would be an absconder," said Bryan Collier, director of the parole division of the Texas prison system. But authorities were not willing to say Thursday what would happen to evacuees with criminal histories. The special circumstances of their flight to Texas—after a hurricane that prompted a mandatory evacuation—might dictate how the state deals with them. Offenders who want to remain in Texas must go through an interstate compact that governs interstate parole and probation transfers. The offender must either reside in the state where he hopes to move, have family there, or be able to work there. Kathie Winckler, Texas' commissioner for interstate compacts, said 804 people from Louisiana have identified themselves as probationers or parolees. She indicated it might be difficult to confirm the details of their supervision. "Louisiana had quite a few parolees and probationers for whom the records were lost, literally washed away," Ms. Winckler said. Mr. Collier said that some of the 804 people may have returned to Louisiana and that some living in Texas may have reported to their probation or parole officers in Louisiana. "They have parole officers who lost their homes and lost everything," Ms. Walt said. "They have a number of caseworkers who, if you will, are still in the recovery process themselves." E-mail dmichaels@dallasnews.com WHERE THEY'RE LIVING The Texas Department of Public Safety has identified almost 3,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees with criminal histories. Based on information from federal officials, the department is providing the information to local police agencies, which can contact the evacuees and decide how to deal with them. Here's a look at how many evacuees are thought to be in selected cities: Addison: 2 Forney: 1 North Richland Hills: 4 Allen: 4 Fort Worth: 63 Richardson: 6 Arlington: 64 Frisco: 5 Rockwall: 1 Austin: 92 Galveston: 25 Rowlett: 1 Baytown: 41 Garland: 26 Sachse: 1 Beaumont: 56 Grand Prairie: 20 San Antonio: 149 Bedford: 4 Haltom City: 1 Southlake: 2 Carrollton: 14 Houston: 1,415 The Colony: 3 Dallas: 299 Hurst: 2 Tyler: 19 Denton: 6 Irving: 19 Wylie: 3 DeSoto: 7 Lancaster: 7 Duncanville: 3 Mansfield: 2 SOURCE: Texas Department of Public Safety Euless: 4 McKinney: 11 Farmers Branch: 1 Mesquite: 12 i DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE J OFA MAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS/ W(ILHITE GETCHELL LIBRA/R'Y ADMIN LIBRARY REF ANIMAL CNTR ' DATE DISTRIBUTED ( C T DATE OF ARTICLE '7 S NEWSPAPER FWST EULESS I ' City o P ens 400 acres or drilling ■Officials hope to bring - money into municipal cof- No residents spoke at a drilling companies would be fens by allowing natural Public hearing last week required to obtain permits about drilling under parkland. from the city and Texas Rail- gas extraction on city land. A second hearing will be at 7 road Commission so they can By TERRY LEE GOODRICH p:m.May 9 at City Hall. monitor drilling locations and STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER Drilling companies might environmental concerns,Col- EULESS - City Council also approach residents or en- lins said. members hope to bolster the i tities that own mineral rights , Collins said that a lease for budget by opening up about 1 in Euless,officials said. 37 acres, awarded to Larry r 400 city-owned acres for ex- Drilling companies have' Dale Resources of Dallas last traction of natural gas from been scrambling to tap into month, brought the city a the Barnett Shale. the Barnett Shale,which,with $5,100 bonus and will bring in The council last week ten- more that 467 billion cubic- cent if gas is found..monthly royalties 27.5 per- tatively authorized City feet,was the state's most pro- Manager Joe Hennig to set ductive natural gas field last aside 90 acres beneath the Dr year, according to the Texas Terry, eT to Lee Goodrich, ram com 817)�ss685-3&2Pepper Star Center,the Parks Railroad Commission.Geolo nv@Scar-tet2gra at Texas Star and Softball gists are uncertain of the Bar- World. The remaining acre- nett Shale formation's bound- age is roughly bordered by aries. Farm Road 157, Texas 10 and But drilling companies Pipeline Road. It includes have found gas in 12 counties, land beneath streets and the top four producers being rights-of-way and the Texas Tarrant, Wise, Denton and Star Golf Course, said Mike Johnson counties, according Collins, the city's planning to the commission., and development director. "We're excited because all Officials'emphasize that around us,geologists are find- the horizontal drilling would ing gas,and when they want to be about 7,000 feet below get it out,there's money to be ground, originating from a made," Euless Mayor Mary surface point that could be Lib Saleh said. .. far away. Specifying what Finding gas is"chancy,but park acreage might be in- we don't have anything to volved is necessary to com lose,"she said."We've studied ply with a Texas Parks and this for two years to be certain Wildlife Department code this won't disturb residents." that mandates that parkland If any lease were signed, not be jeopardized by use for other purposes. "We will not be converting the park to any use other than its intended one," Collins said. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF / MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCRAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT 'YOUNG McDONALDCOLE IN/S WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMI LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED � . / DATEOFARTICLE / ! NEWSPAPER DMN .mer fall, ambulance bill hurts 1 only people to voice concerns. ' Couple wary when Mike Donahoo, a firefighter ,Midlothian charges 4 and paramedic in DeSoto for 17 g years, lives in an unincorporated them more than $2,200 a part of Ellis County serviced by ' Midlothian EMS.He said a couple By HERB BOOTH of years ago his family had an Staffwriter emergency and used the service. A fall from her horse broke a ' "My insurance paid$500,and ' bone in Cheri Hibbs face in Octo- they charged me$2,300,._Mr..Do- ber2004. nahoo said of Intermedix."I just But it's the bill for the 15-mile trashed it, but then Interriiedix Midlothian ambulance ride that's called me." ~^� ' still causing her pain. r Mr.Donahoo said he attended a Midlothian charged Mrs. Midlothian council meeting to air Hibbs,who lives in Cedar Hill with his concerns but never paid the en= ' her husband, Doug,$2,237.60 to tiretab. go to the hospital in Waxahachie. "I just ignored the bill and noth- Other nearby cities charge$450 to ing has happened,"Mr. Donahoo $800 fora similar trip. , DnxoN DEAN/staff Photographer said."But I just think about most ' "It doesn't seem like anyone has "I think I've paid more than people,especially the elderly,who any jurisdiction over what ambu- my fair share,"said Doug just pay their bills without,ques- lances charge," said Mrs. Hibbs, Hibbs,with wife Cheri, tion.It's just not right."_. who broke her orbital bone - regarding their$2,237 DeSoto Fire' Chief.Fred Hart which is around the eye when ambulance bill. said cities subsidize EMS and am- she was thrown from her horse,Sir bulance service because the cost Little Joe."You have no idea what er ambulance calls pay a premium would be too high for residents to ' something like this is going to cost to provide service to their resi- use if they didn't. . . you.I think it's not only unfair to dents.He.said one central Florida "Cities will.never make money me,but a lot of other people need7 city that Intermedix serves only at it, or even break even,"-Chief ing an ambulance." charges $109 because that's all it Hart said. ' Mrs.Hibbs later sold the horse has to charge to recover its costs. Mr. Hibbs said he used public —which she had boarded in Ovilla The Journal of Emergency records to discover that Midlothi- -but she said her experience has Medical Services compiled a 2005_ an only collects about 29 percent of taughther an unforgettable lesson. study that quizzed the 200 most its annual charges on ambulances. ' "It's just thatthe next time I get populous cities nationwide.and That percentage, comes to about hurt,I'm going to tell my friends to showed the average charge for an $650 of the famiys bill much throw me in the back of a truck and ambulance ride providedby a non- less than what their insurance drive me to the hospital." governmental entity was $822. company eventually paid. ' Midlothian officials and the That ride would include advanced Still,Mr.Hibbs is not complete- company it hired to handle its am- life-support measures and materi- ly ignoring Intermedix.He said he bulance billing— Houston-based als,too. is paying about$25 per month un- Intermedix Inc. — say they're. Midlothian Mayor Boyce til the bill is paid. charging only what is"reasonable Whatley said the lower rates in But he said he would never buy and customary"in the industry: other cities simply means they are Midlothian's argument about its That fee,though,doesn't com- subsidizing more of their EMS ambulance fees. pare with cities that surround costs. `"They say it's reasonable, but ' Midlothian. Cedar Hill, DeSoto, "They're missing out on a lot of my insurance company only paid Duncanville, Ennis, Lancaster, . revenue,"said Mr.Whatley,add- $947 and told me that was above Red Oak and Waxahachie charge ing that his city has very few am- what the average is for this area," $450 to$800 for everything from bulance-related complaints."This he said."I want them to leave me a basic rate to a service that in- is the fairest way to bill people:If alone.I think I've paid more than cludes advanced life-support mea- someone never uses the ambu- my fair share." sures and materials.None of those lance,why should they pay for it?" ' cities use Intermedix. Mr.and Mrs. Hibbs aren't the E-mail hbooth@dallasnews.com. Other Intermedix cities' rates i are comparable to Midlothian's.In Sherman, Denton and Euless for example,an ambulance nTeffuid eclipse the$2,000 mark. Jeremy Mattern, CEO for In- termedix.said cities that have few- DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE r OF MAYOR CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WIL/HITE GETCHELL LIBRA'R/YA/DMIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DATEDISTRIBUTED / `� DATE OFARTICLE "� / NEWSPAPER FWST Biz Buzz Awards for.Grubbs Grubbs Infiniti of Euless has honed its customer ser- vice in the past year,an ef- fort that landed the dealer- ship two recent corporate awards. The dealership was given the Infiniti Award of Excel- lence,given to about 26 of" 179 dealerships,said George Grubbs III,executive manag- er. Grubbs Infiniti was also one-of seven dealerships nationwide to win the Circle of Excellence Award for its volume of sales.That award goes to dealerships in the top 35 percent of sales for the year. All of Grubbs Infiniti's new car buyers and service' customers are surveyed, Grubbs said.The staff mem= bers fine-tuned their cus- tomer service by adding a concierge service,in which customers can prepay for ..r maintenance work and have their car picked up and de- livered to their home or office,Grubbs said. In addition,many people on his staff are longtime employees with whom cus= tomers have built relation- ships,he,said. VAN r I " DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF CITYCOUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCAAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT Ot,/ McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYAD/MIN LIBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR DISTRIBUTED �� v DATE OFARTICLE /I/>/( �/4 NEWSPAPER FWST s_T F rtheast Tarrant libraries information applies to cities'current >�.. buildings.Hurst,North Richland Hills • and Watauga plan to expand or build QUIT new libraries. Year Square City's Customers Number of City built footage population per day materials Bedford 1987 17, 00 48,600 663 103,503 Colleyville 2003 24,000 21,700 260 37,983 Euless 1996 40,000 50,000 650 103,000 Flower Mound 2000 25,000 60,467 650 78,775 Grapevine 2001 53,000 47,599 800 166,881 Haltom City 1968 17,000 39,000 515 93,000 Haslet 2005 900 1,400 15 10,000 Hurst 1979 40,200 38,314 700 135,000 ' Keller 1990. 12,500 36,328 798 77,786 N.Richland Hills 1987 31,000 63,500 900 175,000 Richland Hills 1988 7,860 8,300 177 39,664 Roanoke 1994 5,400 5,450 140 36,000 Southlake 2001 14,300 25,000 325 50,000 Summerglen 2000 11,000 661,850 1,200 65,639 Watauga 1990 15,000 24,100 570 64,309 ' ■Summerglen is a branch in the Fort Worth library system. ■Trophy Club and Westlake do not have libraries. ■The Haslet library is open 20 hours a week.It occupies a former fire station and bank,built ' around the 1920s. ■North Richland Hills'library,built in 1972 as a church,became a library in 1987. SOURCE:Libraries ' _ STAR-TELEGRAM/TIM BEDISON DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF� MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITYATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE RIDGWAY(2) BOYETT YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN L//IBRARYREF ANIMAL CNTR ' DATEDISTRIBUTED ! DATE OF ARTICLEY NEWSPAPER FWST WORK FACES APPOINTMENTS'' .aa . s� a tR PAYTON Jimmy Payton Sr.is the new chairman of the Board'of Trustees of Texas Health Resources. ri