The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2010-04-09 Euless Articles DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / I �� — SI4 WR CITY CVCL CITY ATTA Y CRI_-W .SICK I.YIIE BROWN YOUNG A;VLSIAL CVTR McDO.VALD COLLINS' C. B,tRXER GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF DATE DISTRIBUTED 2-1 I C1 I < < DATE OF ARTICLE -y/ 3//L .NEWSPAPER FWST Municipal night dinner, awards set for Thursday The Greater Fort Worth Builders Association (GFWBA) will hold its Municipal Night Awards and Banquet on April 8, 2010 at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth. Municipal Night honors elected officials and city employees who work to foster a strong partnership between the homebuilding industry and city officials in the communities where they are building. The following is the list of nominees for the awards being presented that evening. The Spotlight Award - Individual recognizes an individual who distinguishes himself or herself in an advocacy role for the homebuilding industry and the consumer. The award recipient helps to create winning solutions to community challenges and build lasting relationships. This year's recipient is State Representative Charlie Geren. The Partnership Award recognizes an elected official who has stimulated and/or fostered a strong partnership between the homebuilders in his or her area and jurisdiction. He or she recognizes the direct and indirect benefits of new home construction and advocates for reasonable policies, codes and ordinances that impact and/or govern the homebuilding industry. This official is respectful of the private sector's reluctance to be highly regulated by government at any level. The Nominees are: Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes, Fort Worth City Councilman Danny Scarth, and Weatherford City Councilman Jerry Clinton. The Spirit of Cooperation Award recognizes a municipal employee or municipal department who cooperates with homebuilders in order that the consumer benefits ultimately. This employee understands the builder's perspective and works diligently to facilitate reasonable and practical interpretations and applications of city codes and ordinances. He or she shares the builder's commitment to provide safe, comfortable and affordable housing. The nominees are: The City of Benbrook Development Department, Dana Burghdoff, Deputy Director of Planning, City of Fort Worth and Nan Stanford, City Manager, City of Saginaw. The Spotlight Award - Community recognizes a community whose policies and actions reflect an innovative approach to providing for the housing needs of the entire community. Such innovations may include creative public/private partnerships to enhance the quality of life for citizens; ordinances that encourage affordable housing and sound development principles; and outreach to existing neighborhoods to implement programs and policies that enhance the neighborhood environment and economic vitality. The Nominees are: The City of Euless, The City of Granbury and the City of Midlothian. Guest speaker for the evening is the Texas Speaker of the House of Representatives, — Joe Straus. He was elected as Speaker of the House, the chamber's presiding officer, DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE ` OF j [VL4 YOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY CRIM :NICK IMIE BROWN YOUNG ANLVL IL CNTR McDOINALD COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF DATE DISTRIBUTED / / i // DATE OF ARTICLE q l 3 / /L NEWSPAPER FWST by his peers at the commencement of the 81st Regular Legislative Session on January 13, 2009. As a citizen legislator, Straus shares the hopes and concerns of parents, — business leaders and community members across the state of Texas. First elected to the Texas House of Representatives in a special election in February 2005 (79th Regular Session), Straus represents District 121, which includes the communities of — Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Windcrest and northeast San Antonio. Straus has been a leader on economic issues and a supporter of energy efficiency — measures during his service in the Legislature. During the 2007 legislative session, he served on the Committee on Economic Development as Vice-Chairman, the Committee _ on Regulated Industries and the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars. I DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE f OF — i'L4YOR CITYC;YCL CITYATTNY CRLbf MCIGIi'f1E BROWN YOLIN'G A.VIi14L CNTR alcDONALD COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARYADMLY LIBRARY REF D 4 TE DISTRIBUTED k// 1// � DATE OF ARTICLE 7 7//C' NEWSPAPER FWST RETAIL ,,.- !- gm — - ator iii' � � w � "lit -.�R : -`g.� — ,....,e. , _ .. .,. ,_, .. , 1*-- , .£ '' z � � ..,___, ,, ,,,,,_.,,,t,„ , , ..„ ix_ -- .., T ~ .. .. ....., .,,_ .,,,_,,,,..„:„.... , _, ,_, STAR TELEG Timothy Brooks,a CompUSA operations manager,demonstrates how customers can RAM/MAX interact withEa product:simply pick it up,and the screen above the display will show prices and other information. - ori reboots — Revived retailer banks on new customer experience LBy BARRY SHLACHTER barry@a star-telegram.com ,. CompUSA is back—with an Internet-linked, `'- ' L in-store system that gives customers instant ,.,,,,,,, product information, including videos, and i'''1 , then allows them to compare prices charged - by rivals. in * . t " , 4< *- �r L The chain opened a new store in Euless February and plans another in about a month 'Oh .. a in Arlington near Interstate 20 and Cooper ._ - Street. L 1► It's been a choppy ride for the 26-year-old , .,.kr.., �., consumer electronics retailer.Once known as STAR rriM/MAX FAULKN R CompUSA,after a near death experience,is grow Software Warehouse, it went public in 1991, mg again.It recently opened this Euless store and acquired Tandy Corp.'s Computer City chain 4 L 12 years ago and then took over California- based The Good Guys chain in 2003. plans to open another in Arlington in a month. based company that owns TigerDirect.com, But it struggled to make profits as fierce an online electronics retailer, bought the L competition ate into margins.Not even Mex- CompUSA brand and 16 stores, including ico's renowned investor Carlos Slim—Forbes ones in Plano and El Paso,in early 2008 from a magazine's richest man in the world—could liquidator. Just the year before, CompUSA salvage the ailing chain after investing over$3 had operated 229 outlets nationally and em- L billion. ployed 1,500 in North Texas alone. Systemax, a publicly traded Long Island L DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE OF AL-1YOR CITY CNCL CITYATTVY CRM MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG AMYL-IL CNTR YIcDONALD COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARYADMJN LIBRARY REF DATE DISTRIBUTED I`//c, /(G' DATE OF ARTICLE g/ /CV W 1 l NEWSPAPER FWST By contrast,Systemax seems on a roll. From that page,a shopper can navigate to any 1 Web site to compare prices or check reviews.If a Unconventional history local Best Buy store offers a large-screen TV for Systemax was launched by two brothers in 1949 $50 less, CompUSA will match it, said Euless as a seller of hand trucks and carts. The three store manager Chris Mora."But 98 percent of the 1 sons of one of the founders expanded what had time,we're going to be cheaper,"he said.There's become a catalog business,Global DirectMail,in also a 30-day price guarantee. 1986 by acquiring a firm that sold computers and Should a customer find a cheaper price from a computer supplies.It bought TigerDirect in 1995 rival Internet retailer or a wholesale club like1 months after going public,according to a com- Costco or Sam's,matching the price is left to the pany profile by business information provider store manager's discretion. Hoover's Inc. Despite "the worst recession of our genera- More than a price check1 tion,"Systemax sales grew 4 percent to$3.2 bil- lion in its 2009 financial year, a record for the Paul, 43, CompUSA's director of interactive me- company,Chief Executive Richard Leeds told an— alysts last month.Same-store sales for the fourth much depth[of information] as he wants." 7 quarter grew 12 percent while sales by its busi Paul quoted a survey that found that 72 per ness to business units rose 11 percent. cent of would-be buyers of electronic goods leave At an auction last year,Systemax snapped up without making a purchase so they can go home the brand and Internet domain names for anoth and research the product and prices online. er collapsed chain, Circuit City, for an undis All of the interactivity was lost this week on closed price.As a result,it sells computers,TVs Julia Hoskins and Ivy Ashby,who were shopping and other goods on a number of Web sites. the Euless store for a new PC for their company,a Unlike Best Buy and other rivals, CompUSA geophysical consulting firm. A sales clerk an 7 i does not sell appliances and offers only a few swered all their questions.They were going to go DVDs as "spontaneous buys." It does sell video back to their office to price-check when a report- game equipment and has a very large selection of er alerted them to the store's online capabilities. 7 electronic accessories topped only by Fry's,said Unfortunately, they had narrowed their choice Steve Baker, a frequent shopper at the Euless down to an Acer computer that was exclusive to store since it opened. CompUSA and could not be easily compared. "I'll probably be here once a week, seeing Al Meyers,a Dallas-based consultant with Re1 - what's new,"Baker said. tail Forward,said CompUSA has stolen a march Gilbert Fiorentino had a decade of experience on competitors, but wondered what "pop" in as an Internet merchant when he was named to sales the technology has given the chain and head the new CompUSA. He quickly saw the whether it justified the cost. 1 benefit of giving consumers in-store access to the Rival chains have tried other approaches.At Web,so they could research products they want- the Canadian unit of Staples, known as Staples ed."My mind thinks like an Internet shopper,"he Business Depot,customers can consult"live vid said. eo experts,"Meyers said.Best Buy has the Twelp7 In June 2008,he was helping a customer buy a Force—contact with more than 500 employees laptop in a Miami store and suggested they check through Twitter—and its in-store Geek Squad. out the item online."And that was the'Aha'mo- CompUSA likewise has in-store consultants, 1 ment,"Fiorentino said in a telephone interview which it calls TechSperts. isn't the laptop "It seems like a high-cost operation,"Vic Gal He recalled asking himself,"Why is I itself connected?We have this best-of-breed con lese, an independent retail consultant in Fort tent on our Internet site.Why can't our customers Worth,said of Retail 2.0.With deep discounting, 1 take advantage of it?" "I don't know how they can make any margin." The result is what CompUSA calls Retail 2.0. CompUSAs Fiorentino said the real cost of Re- For example, each widescreen TV on display tail 2.0 was in the software development, and ,-t becomes a computer monitor with its own key- there is"not a lot of money in hardware,frankly. board for easy surfing. So does each display PC There is an increase in the close rate[actual and laptop.Touch the keyboard and an Internet transactions], customer satisfaction, customer page on the item appears on the screen.Tiered engagement, all those things," he said. He — displays with cameras and GPS devices share a wouldn't say how much it has boosted sales,only common computer. Pick up an item,and its In- that"the amount of money is not as important as ternet page appears. the best customer experience." BARRY SHLACHTER,817-390-7718 DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE / OF r L MAYOR CITY CNCL CITYATTNY CRIM MCKAMIE BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CNTR .tiIcDO.\ALD COLLINS J C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF — DATE DISTRIBUTED ( ' , 1 t DATE OF ARTICLE ( I 7 / NEWSPAPER DMA" Federal government leases office space in Euless _ Wednesday, April 7, 2010 By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News stevebrown(d dallasnews.com The General Services Administration and the United States Customs and Border Protection Department have leased a block of office space in Euless. The federal government offices have rented 40,000 square feet in the Westpark Centre office building at State Highways 183 and 121. The building — which is located near the south end of Dallas/Fort Worth _ International Airport, is now 90 percent leased. Canon Business Solutions is also a major tenant. Darrel Higginbotham of SCM Real Estate Services, negotiated the transaction with Chris Mickey and Jerry Cobb of CB Richard Ellis. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE I OF vG MAYOR CITY CNCL CITY ATTNY CRLII RICK MIE BROWN YOUNG ANLI'L4L CNTR McDONALD COLLINS( C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARYADAILV LIBRARY REF DATE DISTRIBUTED 1- I L1 1 I J DATE OF ARTICLE II�' NEWSPAPER FWST TARRANT COUNTY 1 Decline in sales tax revenuemilb moderating - Arlington continues to buck the state- (( The pace of revenue — wide trend,with a 1.6 percent gain. losses is slowing.„ By DAVE MONTGOMERY dmontgomery@star-telegram.com Texas Comptroller Susan Combs on the AUSTIN — State sales tax revenue contin- state's sales tax collections ued to fall last month, though at a slower pace,while Arlington continued to buck the destination year-round,so we're going to get statewide trend with an increase in local some help on sales taxes from visitors,”said sales tax revenue that reflected its stature as Arlington budget manager Mike Finley. "I 1 a sports and entertainment center. don't know if I'd characterize it as recession- "For the second month in a row,the de- proof,but it certainly has helped." cline in sales tax collections continued to One revenue driver, Finley said, was the 7 moderate,"Texas Comptroller Susan Combs NBA All-Star Game at the stadium in Febru- said in reporting that revenue dropped by ary. 7.8 percent last month compared with Fort Worth got bleaker news as its sales March 2009.Revenue for the month totaled tax revenue dipped from$6.9 million to$6.7 7 $1.46 billion. million,a drop of 3.59 percent. "Following an eight-month stretch of Fort Worth budget officer Horatio Porter double-digit declines, the pace of revenue said the decline wasn't as bad as city officials losses is slowing,"she said. anticipated but nevertheless "continues to al Combs'assessment essentially signaled a put pressure on the budget." note of cautious optimism after a deep and "We're not projecting any significant re- continuing decline in the state's biggest covery in the short term,"Porter said."We'real source of revenue.State leaders are bracing anticipating things continuing to be down." for a projected budget shortfall of more than Sales taxes comprise about 20 percent of $11 billion when lawmakers convene their the city's budget, Porter said,and property regular session in 2011 to write a two-year taxes, another major revenue source, have I budget. been weak. "It's a reflection of the fact that 1.1 Combs predicted that state sales tax reve- people just aren't spending,"he said. nue will continue to decline "in the near The state sales and use tax rate is 6.25 per- term"but will begin to grow later this year. cent. Local taxing jurisdictions such as cit- Sales tax collections for local govern- ies, counties, special-purpose districts and ments continued to lag,though several Tar- transit authorities may add up to 2 percent- rant County cities such as Arlington posted age points for a maximum combined rate of increases that reflected trends in the local 8.25 percent. economy. Combs reported that taxing entities will While sales tax revenue was down an receive $394.1 million in sales tax alloca- average of 3.6 percent for Texas cities, Ar- tions,a 3.9 percent decrease compared with lington posted a 1.6 percent increase that ci- a year ago. 1 ty officials attributed to revenue generated So far in 2010, monthly sales tax alloca- by entertainment sites such as Cowboys Sta- bons to local governments lag 7.4 percent dium. Arlington enjoyed an even larger in- behind 2009. crease of 5.4 percent the month before. "We're pretty much an entertainment DAVE MONTGOMERY,512-476-4294 I 7 DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE OF L- tiL4YOR CITY CNCL CITY ATT.VY CRIM MCK lMIE BROWN YOUNG ANLI'L4L C.VTR McDONALD COLLINSIC. BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARYADMMILV LIBRARY REF DATE DISTRIBUTED I 'q I 1 C' DATE OF ARTICLE &I I S 1 � /( NEWSPAPER FWST Local monthly sales tax revenue City Net payment Comparable Change payment, L previous year Arlington $5,552,593.00 $5,465,008.49 1.60% Bedford $627,841.35 $667,454.86 -5.93% L Benbrook $167,878.80 $173,040.29 -2.98% Blue Mound $8,533.14 $7,606.25 12.18% Colleyville $226,265.44 $209,508.18 7.99% Crowley $78,164.83 $87,382.85 -10.54% LDalworthington Gardens $20,730.79 $21,230.87 -2.35% Edgecliff Village _ $5,168.03 $3,347.37 54.39% Euless $658,220.55 $783,462.67 -15.98% L Everman Forest Hill $25,725.35 $29,147.67 -11.74% $127,526.27 $144,151.24 -11.53% Fort Worth $6,686,134.29 $6,935,776.28 -3.59% L Grand Prairie $2,438,005.80 $2,685,920.77 -9.23% Grapevine $2,146,656.76 $2,236,573.80 -4.02% Haltom City $527,152.30 $518,328.31 1.70% H-aslet $64,270.41 $62,878.80 2.21% LHurst $883,668.45 $887,392.91 -0.41% Keller $443,202.11 $448,209.62 -1.11% Kennedale $72,119.03 $90,545.82 -20.35% L Lake Worth $442,549.43 $366,731.66 20.67% Lakeside $4,328.62 $4,396.10 -1.53% Mansfield $924,407.12 $942,711.91 -1.94% L North Richland Hills $802,104.09 -$812,241.68 -1.24% Pantego $118,061.74 $174,741.73 -32.43% Pelican Bay $1,157.19 $241.41 379.34% Richland Hills $111,910.20 $110,024.57 1.71% LRiver Oaks $28,230.11 $28,474.95 -0.85% Saginaw $268,638.71 $269,868.51 -0.45% Sansom Park $15,285.40 $15,490.01 -1.32% L Southlake $900,181.58 $952,369.28 -5.47% Watauga $263,099.43 $265,296.24 -0.82% Westlake $275,086.34 $181,180.92 51.82% L Westworth Village $101,963.10 $106,164.36 -3.95% White Settlement $198,306.30 $233,642.93 -15.12% County total $25,215,166.06 $25,920,543.31 -2.72% Source Texas Ccmprro!'er,ww•wmaricresratetx.us,taxinfo/allc sum cirycnryntml L L L L DISTRIBUTED TO: P,4GE OF 1'L4 YOR CITY CNCL CITY ATT 'Y CRIM MCKA.14IE BROWN YOUNG ANIMAL CTR McDONALD COLLINS(� C BARKER GETCHELL LIBRARYADMIN. LIBRARY REF �' DATE DISTRIBUTED �I l i //c D,4 TE OF ARTICLE '7 I % /1 L) NEWSPAPER FIST REAL ESTATE Sales had last increased in homes. "We've just been nie sales November, when they rose 31 through one of the worst cy- FW �opercent from a year ago et ces. This time last year, theDbuyers returned to the market y O • to take advantage of low inter The first time home bu er in first quarter,we were hurting. 1 rose11/ in Marc est rates as well as the first centiye helped," shey said. o ' time home buyer tax credit. "Now,we're off and running." 7 Sales then fell off in December, Year to date, 13,466 homes rices6/ Januaryand FebruThe median salee price in have sold in the region,a 1 per- p up March was$144,900,up 6 per- cent increase from the same cent from a year ago, a big period in 2009.April sales are The federal tax credits,sellers offering reasonable prices, jump from the 1 percent risealso expected to be high, as and the return of warmer weather are seen as factors. seen the past'few months. `homes must be under con- Separately, Fisery Case- tract by April 30 to qualify for 1 By SANDRA BAKER sabaker@star-telegram.com Shiner,in a national report is- federal home-buyer tax cred- After three straight months of declines,homes sales in North Texas sued Thursday,predicted that its. jumped 11 percent in March. FortWorth-area home prices, Moreover, the median home price rose 6 percent, the largest which peaked in the first quay SANDRA BAKER,817-390-7727 increase in several months, according to the latest report by the ter of last year,will drift lower Texas A&M Real Estate Center. this year before recovering to Sales in west central Fort Worth climbed 107 percent in March peak levels by the second _ compared with a year ago,while Kennedale and downtown Fort quarter 2013. Home prices Worth saw increases of 100 percent. Euless, Hurst and Trophy throughout Texas are expect- Club/Westlake xpectClub/Westlake followed with increases of more than 50 percent. ed to rebound fairly quickly, Kennedale City Manager Bob Hart attributed the strong sales in7 the report said. the south Tarrant County bedroom community to more people In contrast,markets in Cali looking to live in a smaller city and have their children attend a forma, Florida, Arizona and smaller school district.He said they're also attracted by develop Nevada,where the price bub ments like a new town center being built and businesses moving develop- Nevada, largest, won't see7 to the city. And in less than two years the city will be rid of the prices return to peaks until sexually oriented businesses 2025 or later,the report said. that have been at its entrance. Betsy Senter, a real estate along Interstate 20. broker with Coldwell Banker Attitudes are shifting in a Commercial in Fort Worth, hurry,"Hart said. said that the home-buyer tax In Fort Worth, condos in credits have stirred the market the Texas & Pacific Lofts off but that sellers have also done Lancaster Avenue are now all a good job of pricing their sold,helping boost downtown homes. Senter said that she sales. has also seen buyers who were Of Tarrant County's 32 sub- waiting on the market come markets,sales increased in 24, off the fence as mortgage rates the report said. "It is picking start to rise and that warmer up," said John Pollock, a Re/ weather also helped. Max Pinnacle Group broker. "When spring hits, Texans "The general public feels a lot are ready to look at houses," better about the economy as a Senter said. "It's always been —1whole.I certainly hope it con- that way." l tinues,especially after the last Sales in the first three 1 couple of years." In March, months have easily doubled at 6,036 homes were sold in,the Mira Vista Realtors,which just 24-county North Texas region, hired four new agents to han- the report said. dle the workload,said broker/ owner Carol Van Hook. She said buyers seem more confi- dent in the market now,as evi- I denced by four sales since Jan- ; uary of $1-million-plus 7 l i DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE OF 7 _W1YOR CITYCNCL CITYATTVY CRM ��ICKlMIE BROWN YOL":�G ANLYLIL C:�'TR �C :Y1cDOiV,-ILD COLLINS C. BARKER GETCHELL LIBR IRY,ID��LIN LIBRARY REF DATE DISTRIB UTED C� t 2 C DATE OF ARTICLE I ( ( �' ,NE6YSPAPER FPVST Percent Percent change Median change Area Sales year ago price year ago 82 NE Arlington 23 28% $172,000 -4% 83 Central west Arlington 32 19% $119,500 7% 84 Central east Arlington 17 13% $52,000 4% 85 Arlington, 36 9% $175,500 45% How Tarrant County submarkets fared Dalworthington Gardens,Pantego 131 tak• e 86 SE Arlington 9 -57% $85,950 11% .432, + evine 87 Far SW Arlington 58 16% $154,500 14% 102 88 Far SE Arlington 104 4,14% $115,000 0% 109 ; 125` ` 89 Mansfield 124 1 85 15% $178,000 9% - Eagle a-w 131 90 Fort Wale 8 100% $149,000 84% Mountain 126 ^ Lake 123 124 � gg 101 Fort Worth downtown 10 100% ° : 1:1' ' et ° $185,000 22 3 1 102 Saginaw/north side 114 25% $134,900 9% Lake �� „IAp�2 127 tzt 104 Fort Worth east 36 32% $8S 950 7% �, t orrtt h 120 121' i 105 SE Fort Worth 20 -9% $19,450 -4% E - (Rosedale) IF- x � h 27 u:$2 106 Fort Worth south 33 50% $68,000 8%30 (Everman/Forest Hill) Q �� 104 ,83, 107 Fort Worth central west 49 14% $173,000 84% 30 ` & &southwest(TCU) �Y , �,� :� a*��1 Arlington Y zo) 107 85 86 ` 108 Fort Worth central west 56 107% $241,500 34% 112 87 zo k, 109 Fort Worth NW 80- -13% $119,440 0% Berbrock 90 (Eagle Mtn. - 106 ' Lake/RiverIC' Oaks/Azle) a een fir`eokzs� 88 Joe Lake Poo/� 111 Fort Worth(south of 1-20 138 25/a $112,500 4% take /Crowley) 89111 Mansfield 112 Fort Worth far west 68 18% $1 13,500 4°l° t (Benbrook ... 1��.. -- /White Settlement) 120 Bedford 40 3% $162,950 5% 121 Euless 43 59%; $135,100 7% �.. 122 Hurst 56 60% $139,500 6% 123 Coffeyville 27 4% $482,500 25%i 124 Grapevine 47 c70/, $246,500 19% 125 Southlake 28 -10% $452,000 -23% 126 Keller 44 2% $266,250 0% 127 N.Richland Hills/ 70 35% $125,000 -13% am Richland Hills '� 128 Watauga 30 -3% $97,500 6% 129 Haltom City/Riverside 27 4% $53,500, -12% 130 Fort Worth Summerfield/ 158 14% $143,950 3% �. Park Glen 131 Roanoke 11 -39% $143,000 -3% 132 Trophy Club/Westiake 28 65% $352,000 10% DISTRIBUTED TO: P,4GE / OF I- .1'L4YOR CITY CYCL CITYATT.NY GRIM MCK-IMIE BROW\' YOC:AG .1N1.1L-IL CVTR AlcDO,NALD COLLLVS C'. B,1RKER GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN. LIBRARY REF +l DATE DISTRIBUTED 'IIi I/(-- DATE OF ARTICLE 1/ /j//C VEWSP:JPER FWST THE WATCHDOG RESULTS ARE IN ON THEFI'S ...... AT AREA'S MAIL COLLECTION BOXES b 1 Online exclusive 711 106th St.,76011 5125 Wichita St.,76119 I Find Watchdog columns July 11,Oct.8 and Oct.22,2009 Nov.30,2009 ,, and more at star-telegram. 715 W.Lamar Blvd.,76012 6705 Meadow Dr.76120 - 1 � com/watchdog Oct. 16,2009 Nov. 17,2009 , 110 W.Pioneer Parkway,76012 • suIts are in. Oct.22,2009 y Handley Post Office,76124 Jan.5 and Jan. 12,2010 More than 60 collection 1615 W.Abram St.,76013 7101 Bryant Irvin Road,76132 A " boxes in Tarrant County and Dec. 14,2009 Oct. 12,2009,and Jan.28,2010 DAVE LIEBER nearby cities were broken into 221 Southwest Plaza,76016 4701 Alta Mesa Blvd.,76133 watchdogrd:;tar-telegram.corn between January2009 and Oct.5,2009 Oct. 17 and Dec.22,2009 Feb.6,2010,the date of my re- 4108 SW Green Oaks Blvd., 3701 Alta Mesa Blvd.,76133 - More than 60 of the familiar quest. 76017 Nov. 18,2009 outdoor collection boxes Area Postal Inspection Ser- Feb.7 and July 12,2009 6111 N. Beach St.,76137 were broken into between vice spokeswoman Amanda 4300 Beltway Place,76018 Aug.31,2009 January 2009 and Feb.6, McMurrey, who originally de- Jan.4,2010 Mark IV Parkway,76161 2010. nied my request for the infor- Bedford • Oct.27,2009 mation, declined to comment 601 Harwood Road,76021 Haltom City on the details, which came Oct.9,2009 5709 Broadway,76117 It took me three months to from the postal inspectors'na- 1300 Harwood Road,76021 Dec. 15,2009,and Jan.3,2010 learn how many outdoor hIOe tional headquarters in Ailing- Dec. 12,2009 mail collection boxes in ow q5700 N. Beach St.,76137 ton, Va. Burleson Aug.31,2009 area .tve,3 f n b'''1"'''1"1'' ''- if vou've wondered about 232 SW Johnson Ave.,76028 Haslet - bandits who are still at large. Dec.22,2009 1097 Schoolhouse Road,76052 stolen mail from an outdoor Crowley Oct.9,2009 In January, we reported on collection mailbox, check the 200 S.Crowley Road,76036 Hurst mailbox break-ins outside government's newly released Dec. 12 and Dec. 14,2009 - several post offices, including list of the locations of mail 815 Precinct Line Road,76053 in Haltom City, Keller, Bed theft, vandalism and mail Euless Jan. 14,2010 210 N. Ector Dr.,76039 Keller ford, Crowley and Fort Worth. tampering incidents at out- Some were reported by read- door collection boxes,and the Oct.29,2009,and Jan. 16,2010 520 E.Vine St.,76248 - ers and some were verified by dates they occurred. Forest Hill Dec. 19,2009 police reports, but post office 6605.Forest Hill Blvd.,76140 North Richland Hills Dec.27,2009 6051 Davis Blvd.,76180 officials were tight-lipped. Aledo At first, North Texas repro- 1165 Camp Bowie Blvd.,76008 Fort Worth Nov.23,Nov.26 and Dec.9, _ 400 N. Retta St.,76111 2009 sentatives of the U.S.Postal In- March 7,2009 spection Service shut down Arlington Oct.25 and Nov.6,2009 Sanger my request for more informa- 1975 Ballpark Way,76006 550 N. Beach St.,76111 Oct. N. Fifth St.,76266 009 tion, saying that releasing May 20 and Oct. 8,2009 Nov. 16, dley Oct.22,2009 - when and where the mailbox Lamar Boulevard and Cooper 1475 Handley Dr.,76112 Watauga Oct. 19,Nov. 2, Nov. 17,Nov.27, 6651 Watauga Road,76148 thefts occurred could hurt Street,76010 their criminal investigations. Jan.6,2010 2009,and Jan. 15,2010 Jan. 19,2010 I filed a Freedom of Infor 2309 Roberts Circle,76010 1051 Bridgewood Dr.,76112 - ---- - -- - mation Act request. The re- May 20,2009 June 2,2009 THE WATCHDOG COLUMN APPEARS 5300 Boca Raton Blvd.,76112 FRIDAYS AND SUNDAYS. 208 Billings St., 76010 Jan.25,2010 817-685-3830 Dec.28,2009 _1117 Burton Hill Road,76114 TWITTER pDAVELIEBER Dec.31,2009 3020 S. Cherry Lane,76116 March 11 and Nov.8,2009,and - Jan. 18,2010 6421 Camp Bowie Blvd.,76116 Nov.9,2009 5429 Stanley Keller Road,76117 - Oct.26,2009