As you may recall, voters approved a $174.4 million bond package May 6.

Beginning in November, approximately six months earlier than expected, the City will be spending $1.4 million of the $18 million earmarked for lake improvements to initiate the final engineering and construction plans for the dredging project. The balance of the bond money will be spent over the next two years to complete the dredging project.

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It may not look like anything is going on at the lake for a while, but the planning will be well underway. If you have particular questions about the status of the project, please call Ben Cernosek at 948-4688.

Adams Parents Request Gang Action

Recently, parents of Bryan Adams High School students alerted me to the escalating gang activity in the Bryan Adams vicinity. As a result, School Board President Sandy Kress, Park Department Director Paul Dyer, Dallas Police Chief Ben Click and I are seeking ways for the City and the schools to work more closely to resolve these problems.

The Dallas Police Department already has significantly stepped up its truancy and curfew enforcement. In fact, since September, the police have stopped nearly 900 truant students Citywide and returned them to school. Unfortunately, 54 of these minors were arrested for major crimes.

Also, in the last month, 180 minors were cited for curfew violations. In many of these cases, the youth were taken to the Hall Street central processing station for violators, and their parents were asked to pick up the kids at the center. The Police Department felt that many of the parents might be a little more attentive to the curfew if they had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to pick up their kids and take them home.

Additionally, because of the gang activity, the Police Department Gang Unit is now coordinating with PTA schedules to offer parents a program that has proven to be effective called “Not My Kid”.

This class will educate parents about how to spot some of the subtle signs of gang involvement. This class also will be taught at my November town hall meeting Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Location is to be announced.

I encourage you to attend one of the “Not My Kid” classes because you may learn some very interesting things about today’s youth.

Finally, if you have experience or information you think would be valuable in terms of preventing gang activity, I would like to hear from you!

Central Traffic Study Meetings Set

It’s a done deal!

This week, the Council approved a consulting contract to begin the traffic management study for the neighborhoods along Central Expressway, including Vickery Place, Lower Greenville, Cochran Heights, East Garrett Park and Greenland Hills, as well as the retail areas covered by the Knox-Henderson Area Merchants Association and the Greenville Avenue Area Business Association.

Of course, the Texas Department of Transportation, which plans to build a sound wall along the east side of Central, will also be involved.

Very soon, the consultants from Kimley-Horn Associates, Councilman Craig McDaniel, Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Chris Luna and I will be hosting a number of neighborhood meetings to gather input from residents and property owners impacted by potential changes in the traffic patterns.

If for any reason you are not able to attend these meetings, PLEASE send your comments to your councilman! The entire study process is expected to take approximately 90 days.

All of us are excited about this long-needed study that has tremendous potential to improve the quality of life for all of us in East Dallas. Much thanks to the Texas Department of Transportation for making the sound wall possible.

Much thanks also to Assistant City Manager Ted Benavides and his staff for their ability to put this entire project together.