HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-11-14 Euless Articles DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE I 0 k.
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BusinessWeek
November 7, 2008
The Best Places to Raise Your Kids
A Chicago suburb beats out thousands of other
communities around the U.S. as the best, most
' affordable place to raise kids
' By Prashant Gopal
Mount Prospect, Ill., is a quiet Chicago suburb with a population of just over 56,000. It is
' a tight-knit town where over the past eight years Prospect High School's football team
won three state championships, its Marching Knights picked up their 26th straight grand
champion title at the annual state marching band festival, and just last month the school
' itself ranked 12th among all state high schools.Now the town is also the winner of
Businessweek's second annual roundup of the Best Places in America to Raise Kids.
' Founded by German immigrants and incorporated in 1917, Mount Prospect hasn't strayed
far from its values of fiscal conservatism and community involvement, even as it has
expanded to include new immigrants from Poland, Mexico, Korea, and India. It is a
' middle-class community with low crime, affordable homes, award-winning schools,
ethnic restaurants, a major regional mall, and a small-town charm that makes the big city
less than an hour away seem much farther away.
' You won't find palatial estates here—let alone McMansions. People generally live in
modest homes with short driveways that touch the yards next door. And residents here
' have been known to share power generators after storms and take turns cooking meals for
sick friends and acquaintances. "I knew one girl who had back surgery," said Jean
Murphy, a correspondent for the Daily Herald, suburban Chicago's largest daily
' newspaper. Murphy, who has covered Mount Prospect since 1983, said: "She had six
weeks where she didn't have to cook. That's the kind of town it is."
' Best Affordable Towns
Business Week teamed up with OnBoard Informatics, a Manhattan-based provider of real
' estate analysis, to come up with our list of each state's best affordable towns for raising
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2
children. Mount Prospect just squeezed out several other Cook County(Ill.) communities,
many of which also ranked high. The most important factors in our analysis was school
performance, affordability, and safety. But we also gave weight to cost of living, air
quality,job growth,racial diversity, and local parks,ball fields, zoos,recreation centers,
museums, and theaters.
We knocked out towns with populations of fewer than 50,000 and median household
incomes of less than $40,000 or more than $100,000. And we ended up with a list that
included some well-known places such as Phoenix, Columbus, Ohio, and Ann Arbor,
Mich. But we also found some hidden gems such as Euless, Tex., smack in between
Dallas and Fort Worth,which according to Sports Illustrated has the nation's top-ranked
high school football team, and Murfreesboro, Tenn., a college town outside Nashville.
It wasn't a perfect list. Our population threshold of 50,000 people limited our options in
less-populous states such as Delaware, Vermont, and West Virginia. But our criteria
helped us find ethnically and culturally diverse places with the kind of amenities that are
more often found in population centers. "We have 19 parks and have one park for all ball
fields so mothers don't have to scramble from one park to another with their children,"
said Mary Lib Saleh, who has been mayor of Euless for 15 years. "We are a city of
54,000 and have almost 100 floats in the Christmas parade—as many as Fort Worth or
Dallas. We just have a community, and people really love Euless."
College Town
Murfreesboro, home to Middle Tennessee State University,the largest undergraduate
university in the state, hosts a jazz and a folk music festival in the summer and most '
major high school sports championships. It has expansive sports fields, including a new
$13 million soccer complex. The economic downturn has started to hurt Murfreesboro as
it has other parts of the country. But college towns tend to ride out recessions better than
most places because education is somewhat recession-proof. "We have a small town feel
with big city amenities right here in our community being a city of 100,000 people," said
Rob Lyons, deputy city manager for Murfreesboro. "And Nashville being a half hour
drive away opens up other recreational, cultural opportunities, and professional sports."
Mount Prospect, like many of our selections, is a village where children study hard but
also pack their afternoons, evenings, and weekends with sports,music, and other
extracurricular activities. Prospect High School Principal Kurt Laakso said the area's
schools regularly outperform more affluent districts largely because of a tradition of J
parental involvement and dedication on the part of teachers and administrators who are
well paid, but not outrageously so. "We have a good balance of academic rigor and the
social aspect that makes high school memorable," said Jason Block, an English teacher at
the high school who also serves as faculty adviser for the student newspaper. "They are at
an elite high school here. And it's preparing them really well for next step. At the same
time, it's not out of whack here, where it's all academic all the time. Prospect High School
is not a stress factory."
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Mount Prospect's Downtown
' But Mount Prospect isn't just some quaint throwback. It is changing quickly. Recent
immigrants are opening stores and restaurants, including a regionally known Flamingo's
' Fine Mexican Seafood. The city has worked hard to revitalize its downtown, bringing in
condos, new stores, and restaurants such as the Blues Bar, a "Blues Brothers"-themed bar
that features live entertainment and a replica of the "bluesmobile" featured in the 1980
cult movie. (Dan Aykroyd's character, Elwood Blues, famously says of the police car: "I
picked it up at the Mount Prospect City Police auction last spring.") The million-square-
foot Randhurst Mall, the first in the Chicago area when it was built in 1962, is being
' remade into an outdoor lifestyle mall.
But the village's biggest pluses remain unchanged, including it's proximity to Chicago
' and the airport, its employment opportunities related to the airport and a large corporate
park, and its "street reputation" as a family-friendly community, said Tom Zander, who
with his wife Mary co-owns Picket Fence Realty in downtown Mount Prospect.
' Longtime Village Manager Michael Janonis said the town has not yet been hit hard by
the economic crisis, largely because it has had few foreclosures and isn't depending too
' heavily on a single source of tax revenue. "We're not flashy," Janonis said. "Ifs not like
other places that [have] huge increases in property values and huge crashes. We're very
steady."
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air
1/ °op
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WRECK
•
Teen riders in 2
woman's SLAT
were terrified,
•
affidavits say
Brenda Rodgers could face fines and,a maximum
of two years in prison.
By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.and KATE GORMAN The wreck
ramirez@star-telegram.corn,kgorman@star-telegram.com The crash happened on Rodgers'birthday,according to re- ..+
EULESS -The eight teens who rode with a Euless mother ports. She was driving a 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer south-
accused of drunken driving told police they were terrified bound in the 1200 block of Donley Drive shortly before
as her vehicle reached speeds of 95 mph on a freeway,ac- 10:30 p.m. Oct: 25. She told police she lost control of the
cording to arrest warrant affidavits re- vehicle when she swerved to miss a dog:
leased Friday. .^ *I According to police reports,witnesses said she swerved
The driver,Brenda Rodgers,37,was ar- to avoid a parked vehicle.
rested Thursday night at her Euless home, ' F The TrailBlazer hit a curb,breaking a wheel and causing
accused of drunken driving: Her twin the SUV to roll over several times,police said. None of the
daughters were among the teens in the ve-, ',± passengers sitting in the middle or rear seat had their seat
hide.She was being held in the Euless Jail Vbelts on,according to the affidavit.
on Friday with bail set at$100,000. Rod- Rodgers The two boys and six girls were taken to hospitals in Irving
gers is expected to be charged with driving and Grapevine,but there were no life-threatening injuries.
while intoxicated with a child,endangering a child and in Three of the teens are 14 and five teens are 15 years old,
jury to a child,Euless police Lt.John Williams said Friday according to police reports.
The eight teens were out to celebrate the twin girls'15th If convicted, Rodgers faces a maximum of two years in ..
birthday,which was the next day,said Gauge Murphy,boy- prison and a$10,000 fine on each charge
friend of one of the girls.About 10 p.m., one of the twins Police arrested Rodgers about 9:45 p.m.Thursday hours
called their mother for a ride home,Murphy said.Rodgers after police got arrest warrants.She has no criminal history
sounded like she'd been drinking but told her daughters in Tarrant County
she'd had only three beers,Murphy said in a telephone in- Tests measured Rodgers' blood-alcohol level at 0.13 at
terview last week. the time of the accident, Williams s said. The legal limit in
But soon after they crowded into Rodgers' TrailBlazer, Texas is 0.08.
the teens realized they'd made a mistake,Murphy said.Rod Authorities said it took several days to arrest Rodgers be-
gers nearly hit two people in cause they had to wait for test results and investigators
spent a few days with the Tarrant Countydistrict attorney's
the parking"lot, and only ��I Crime TimeY Y
tapped the brakes at stop ®\Want more crime news? office to determine what charges would be filed.
signs,he said. Get your fill at The teens and their parents met at Murphy's home Oct.
"We all started putting on star-telegram.com/blogs 26 to discuss the wreck,according to the affidavit.
our seat belts;I was the only Rodgers called one of her daughters who was attending
one without a belt where I was sitting," said Murphy,who the meeting and asked her daughter to lie for her and not to ...
was sitting between two girls in the back row,according to tell anyone she had been drinking or that she was drunk,the
the police report. _ affidavit states. ',,
As she neared home,Rodgers"laughed hysterically"try-
ing to run over a cat,he said.He said police told him the SUV .r
rolled eight times after hitting a curb.
"Everyone tells you not to get in a car with a drunk driv-
er,"Murphy said."They never tell you not to get in a car with ..
your friend's drunk mom."
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:OBITUARIES
' Leroy Peppers
1
' < k
fz �
1
' •
HURST— Leroy Junior Peppers,
68,passed Wednesday,Nov.5,2008. Leroy worked for the City of
FUNERAL:2 p.m.Monday at First
Church of the Nazarene in Euless.In Euless in the Public Works dept.
terment: Parker Memorial Cemetery from 1965 to 1991 .
' in Grapevine. Visitation: 2 to 4 p.m.
Sunday at Moore Funeral Home.
He was born Feb.14,1940.He will
be greatly missed by all who knew
' him.
Now he will join one son in heav-
en.
SURVIVORS:Leroy leaves behind
a wife, Rosie; four daughters; two
sons and their spouses;24 grandchil-
dren;and 19 great-grandchildren.
Moore Funeral Home-N.Davis Drive
Arlington,817-275-2711
' View and sign guestbook at
wvimstar-telegram.com/obituaries
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Diana Kirby,Bayleigh Hall,Joyce Lennard and Belynda Webb Kim Vargo and Caleb Varga 4,a ,,
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�� 4+� \rrx�dPHOTOS COURTESY OF
,>;ya \ a 1 e ,*:'..'f,yy,,'�* ROBERT M.M SAVOY
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Penny Hayden and Chris Hayden Heidi Taylor,Cindy Montgomery and Michael Davenport I
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®• � Business Wes the best
Magazine chose one city from
+.: i f ' each state as the best places to raise kids.
''vv i Among those chosen:
* � ■Mount Prospect,III. ■Mu •
rfreesboro
• ''' {x ■Euless Tenn.
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�ir►N*Ke ■Phoenix ■Rio Rancho N.M.
T "* y r * • •Columbus,Ohio ■Lawton,Okla.
Ii. " ■Ann Arbor,Mich. ■Bossier City,La.
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' ..,; p To read more,go to www.businessweek.com.
y u - r, ' ® What do you think?
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.y�" g star-telegram.com/comments
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1 Ian Arrington and his wife,Vanessa,took their son Jamisen,7 months,to West Park in Euless on Wednesday. STAR-TELEGRAM/ST F.House
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Business Week ranks the city as ' between Dallas and Fort Worth with a '
among the most family-friendly: population of 51,891 and a median
household income of$70,179.
By ADRIENNE NETTLES Amenities such as The Parks at Texas
anettles@star-telegram.com Star with its "sports-plex for baseball,'
EULESS — Shubhadrika _Dhakal softball, tee ball, soccer, batting cages
loves the schools in Euless.And the and a driving range gave Euless an edge
parks. over other Texas cities such as Richard-,
Throw in a family friendly atmo- son and Mission,according to the maga-
sphere, and it's easy to see why she zinc.
and her family have made their
Online www bustnessweek coin
home in the Northeast Tarrant Coun
ty city for the past three years. . .:,;i .M.. "=. - ... ,
"We go out to Midway Park where, ADRIENNE NETTLES,817-390-7752-
they can play,or the Midway Recre-
ation Center where they learn gym-
nastics,"
ym nastics,"she said of her two children,'
Shurav,8, and daughter Anuka, 12.
Business Week magazine.agrees
with Dhakal's`assessment and has
named Euless as one of the Best Plac-
es in America to Raise Your Kids for
2009. Communities on the list were
ranked for such things as school per-
formance, affordability, safety, air
quality, job growth, racial diversity,
local parks, ballfields, zoos, recre-
ation
centers,museums and theaters.
Mount Prospect, Ill., a Chicago sub-
urb,was named the winner of the second
annual rankings. One city from each,
state was recognized.
Euless Mayor Mary Lib Saleh boasted
in the magazine article that the city's 19
parks'and one central location for ball-
fields—The Parks at TexasSStar—help
make life easier for parents.
"In this time of economic downturn,
keeping children busy at parks and ball-
fields helps families,"she said. _
The city's churches and public library
are also a cornerstone in the community,.`:
with at least three public schools within
walking distance of the library, Saleh
said. Many.children walk to the library
after school,she said.
The magazine also notes that Trinity,
High School is among the nation's top-
ranked football teams.
Business Week limited its list to cities
with populations of at least 50,000 and'
with median household incomes of
$40,000 to $100,000. The magazine de-
scribed Euless as a"hidden gem"nestled`
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I
BusinessWeek picks Euless as one of the best affordable places in
America to raise kids
09:01 PM CST on Thursday,November 13,2008
By MARK NORRIS/The Dallas Morning News
norrism a@dallasnews.com
Useless? How about fab-Euless?
Those who look down on the city just west of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport may snicker at
Business Week's choice as one of the best affordable places in America to raise kids.
But residents say Euless, with its schools, affordability and parks,was a good pick.
Mayor Mary Lib Saleh, who said she didn't know Euless was under consideration for the honor,recalled a
town-hall meeting after her election in 1989. A man there called the cite "Useless."
"I told hien 'Sir, as long as I'm living,don't use that name anymore.' " Ms. Saleh said. "And now,people just
don't use that anymore."
She said Euless has grown a lot since then. Earlier this year, it won a Money magazine award as one of the
"best places to live."
"At one time w-e were a little more blue-collar city, but now we are so much more diversified." Ms. Saleh said.
ISo, what does BusinessWeek like about the city of 50,000-plus?
The rankings, which honored one city in every state_ used real estate data to factor in school performance, the
number of schools,household expenditures, diversity, crime rates, air quality,job growth, family income,
museums_ parks and theaters.
School performance and safety were weighted most heavily, along with affordability and amenities. Cities had
to have at least 50,000 residents and a median family income between $40,000 and $100,000.
The magazine called Euless a"hidden gem" and cited its high school football team, the Trinity Trojans,which
won the state championship last year.
J.R. Goad, a real estate agent who has lived in Euless for more than 30 years. said the Hurst-Euless-Bedford
Independent School District is an important selling point for the city.
The biggest change Mr. Goad has seen over the years: the growing number of houses and developments
springing up across the city.
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• CRIME
Six face trial in
ID theft ring 1
that targeted two Texas bases
By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.
ramirez@star-telegram.com I They cashed checks at a rate '.y.
of$5,000 to$15,000 per day. r �'{ ;MO " -
They bought luxury cars , xW
such as Lexuses, Mercedes ,,0t, ��;' ‘*"''''''—';'.1-A,' .F° ,,
and BMWs. . e , • 1,e y
1 k , s e 7 Yyl � 1
And their main hangouts ) t _ r * tet,*
were Dallas strip clubs. w,', x.,4 0,,,,. r r ' ` 1 7404e,.4;.4,..'-'4'''''^ .
� ;
Using information from ',,,,,,,,;„,??,---,:-4% '� �-� + n�:' r ,�,�"'�"'" '
100 sailors and reservists at Y--
�5a4�a SM'4 YI x f 4wkYttiµµ y1 o
two Texas military bases, „.;.,,,,R7-,9,----, --
members of the ID theft ringm ., m,,,,0 e °
scammed nearly$2 million to
underwrite their lifestyle,au-
horities said ThThis BMW is among eight cars seized by authorities when the suspects
Thursday. _ were arrested last year.
EULESS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Theft ringA£ Zachariah Long,29,Irving:According to police,
Long made the fraudulent checks for the home-
Euless police and federal authorities identified the main suspects in l' , less residents to cash. He remained in the Tarrant
the theft ring: ql r County Jail on Thursday with bail set at$25,000.
v � Seneca Wills,26,DeSoto:Authorities said he f , ' - He also has a hold from the Dallas County Sher-
was the ringleader.He was living in Euless at the ,I ,u„ . *:,� '' " ill's Department.Through jail officials,he de-
`z 6a , , time investigators believe the ring was in opera- Long clined an interview Thursday.
5 IQ ,,; tion last year. i Angel R.Mitchell,22,Dallas:The former Bank of
'm r ea° Wills is accused of going to homeless shelters in America teller is accused of giving Wills informa-
4e, �; Dallas and recruiting residents to cash the fraud- " 1„ ' tion about how much money was available in the
Wills ulent checks.Wills'attorney,Michael Todd,de- F I•' �i accounts of sailors and reservists.Police say she
clined to comment on the case Thursday. .,,,;',1%;*,#° _,. : provided that information at$100 per account.
rAT,77,7 Cora Dixon,33,DeSoto: Police say the former .f Alt° •` Mitchell could not be reached for comment and
1-, Navy petty officer had access to direct deposits Mitchell has no attorney listed in court records.
a „ .. t',,, '; at the Fort Worth Reserve Joint Base.Wills was James Dean Miller,44,of Justin,and Lester
her boyfriend,and they were living in Euless last Conlon,38,of Garland:According to police,the men were runners
8 ",, � year. who cashed some of the checks.
"� Dixon is accused of taking banking and personal Conlon got involved in the scheme after losing his mortgage-in- •
Dixon information from the sailors and reservists to dustry job,according to his lawyer,Gary Smart.Conlon is cooper.-
make fraudulent checks and identification cards. ating with investigators and hopes to reach a plea agreement,Smart
The information,which included bank account numbers,driver's said.Miller could not be reached for comment and has no attorney
license numbers and Social Security numbers,was taken from the listed in court records.
Fort Worth base and a San Antonio base,authorities said.
After her arrest,Dixon was discharged under other than honorable All of the suspects except for Long were free Thursday on a variety
conditions,police said.Dixon's attorney,Michael Heiskell,did not of bail amounts. ,.P*
return a call for comment Thursday.
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They had information on
8,000,police said.
The ring,led by six people,
often relied on more than 70
homeless men and women in
Dallas to cash the' fraudulent,:checks. The homeless were,
paid with cash and drugs,po-
lice said.
All have been arrested,
' and the six leaders are await-
ing trial in Tarrant County on
charges of engaging in orga-,;
' nized criminal activity
Authorities arrested mem-
bers last year, but they only,
released information about
the case this week. }
"The Navy was concerned,
about releasing the informa-
tion, and we, wanted to be
' sure we had all the work done
on the case before we re-
leased any information,"Eu-
less police Detective Brian
Brennan said Thursday
Police believe members of
the theft ring spent the mon-
ey on trips and at Dallas strip
' clubs.At the time of their ar-,;
rests last year, authorities
seized eight cars,two motor
' cycles and a truck. g
"They didn't have much
money left when they were
arrested," Brennan said
Thursday. "They just blew it.
all."
An investigation began in
' January 2007 after one of the
' members was arrested in.Ir-
ving and 'fraudulent checks
were found in a vehicle.
' Euless police along with
the Secret Service and the Na-
val Criminal Investigative
Service investigated the case.
' Staff writer Kate Gorman contributed
to this report.
DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.,817-685
1