Some of you may remember that last year the City submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Justice to become a federally funded Weed and Seed site for a targeted area in Old East Dallas.
We did not get the grant, but Weed and Seed is still in our neighborhood. On the contrary, the spirit of communication and cooperation among many human service organizations, government agencies and neighborhood groups became stronger. Not being awarded additional funding was disappointing, but being able to meet the challenge of enhancing services with existing resources is a rewarding experience.
Because of this dedication, the Department of Justice designated our program as an “Officially Recognized” Weed and Seed site. This designation makes our program eligible for a $35,000 award for planning, coordination or program implementation in Old East Dallas.
One of the first Weed and Seed ideas was last year’s Back to School Mobile Immunization Clinics in our neighborhood. The Parkland Community Oriented Primary Care staff gave low or no cost immunizations to more than 500 children in the mobile police storefront at four elementary schools in East Dallas.
This summer thing will be a little different. Instead of one mobile storefront at four schools, the police department is taking the immunization clinics citywide – using all six of the department’s mobile storefronts at 17 different elementary schools, ending with a Saturday Round-up at the DISD Administration building.
If you have small children, start digging through your junk drawer now for scissors and a refrigerator magnet. Here is the schedule for our area: July 31, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Zaragoza Elementary, 4550 Worth; July 31, 1:30-5:30 p.m., Fannin Elementary, 4800 Ross; Aug. 3, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Mt. Auburn Elementary, 6012 E. Grand; Aug. 7, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Robert E. Lee Elementary, 2911 Delmar; Aug. 8, 1:30-5:30 p.m., Lipscomb Elementary, 5801 Worth; Aug. 10, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Dan D. Rogers Elementary, 5314 Abrams; Aug. 12, 8:30 a.m.-noon DISD Administration building, 3700 Ross.
Shots of a Different Kind
Now I want to talk about shots of a different kind – the ones usually heard on weekend nights, especially on holidays, such as the Fourth of July. Shooting a gun into the air or ground to make noise is not just annoying to neighbors it is dangerous.
The police have coined a term for this thoughtless act – random gunfire. Bullets fired from a gun into the air do not disappear into space, they come back down and fast.
Some bullets fired towards the ground will bounce off the dirt, like skipping a rock across water. The bullet has to land somewhere, and that just might be in some innocent person, such as a six-year-old.
Sounds scary, but this actually happened in Dallas on New Year’s Eve in 1994. A bullet, returning to the ground smashed into the young boy’s face and lodged in his jaw.
This boy survived, but what about the next time?
This message is depicted in a poster drawn by third grader Brendan Pleasants from Lipscomb Elementary. Last month I reported that Brendan’s poster won a first place ribbon in a poster contest sponsored by the Old East Dallas Renaissance Coalition.
The message from Brendan’s poster is so straightforward everyone needs to see it. That is why, with Brendan’s and his parent’s permission, his poster is being mass produced for distribution in East Dallas. This education campaign is being made possible by the Old East Dallas Renaissance Coalition, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas CAN! Academy, and the Dallas Police Department – all through Weed and Seed.
Look for the posters this month in area retail stores.
