Preston Citadel

The Citadel Crier - April 2003

May 10, 2003

March Meeting Meets Monumental Mission

The March meeting of the Citadel Evening Group met at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 27th, with attendance in the 25 ?– 30 range (not bad!). Group President David Hoffman called the meeting to order, and the first order of business was?…


IT?’S A CRIME!

Always a ?“HOT TOPIC,?” the recent CRIME WAVE took top billing. As reported by yours truly, with additional help from the studio audience, recent crimes in this neighborhood have everyone abuzz?… to wit:

MARCH 27: Late model Ford Expedition stolen from driveway, 6400 block of Turner Way. Car was locked. Crime occurred sometime during the night.

MARCH 20 (approx.): Building materials (purportedly plumbing fixtures with a value in the thousands) were possibly stolen (motive unclear, but suspected contractual issue) from a new home construction site in the 6400 block of Turner Way. Time of offense unknown.

MARCH 20 (approx.): Break-in of some sort. Details unknown (actually, I forgot), 6200 block of Turner Way.

Possibly other crimes have occurred that were neither reported to the police nor reported to the Neighborhood Crime Watch?… this situation prompted a discussion of possible remedies and crime-deterrent suggestions, including:

Additional Street Lighting & Signage

Neighborhood Vehicle Registration

Security Guard Programs

We are in need of a volunteer or volunteers to serve as Neighborhood Crime Watch Person(s) to monitor and update our Crime Watch Hotline, put up Crime Watch signs, and to get a consensus from the neighborhood for improvements and programs to help us combat this blemish of our neighborhood?… Please call the editor at 972-404-9515, or e-mail: JackSteinberg@aol.com if you can help out. The rewards are great for all of us?….

The need for volunteers segued the meeting to our next topic of business?…


CRIME WATCH HOTLINE:
972-606-3454
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

As of press time, no one has volunteered for a variety of positions in the new administration, scheduled to ?“take office?” after the May 22nd meeting. Currently, the available ?“Offices?” include:

Vice President ?– organizes meetings and procures speakers ?– there are 5 meetings per year (Sept., Nov., Jan., Mar., and May) ?– we take the summers off (???)

Secretary: records the minutes from meetings (and publishes these newsletters) (e-mail, too)

Treasurer: controls the treasury!

Crime Watch Person(s) ?– ?“Whatever It Takes!?”

We are also seeking VOLUNTEERS to help do a variety of things to help make this neighborhood one of the best in Dallas, helping with the previously described duties, and, hopefully others, such as:

Streets and alleys person ?– makes sure the potholes and such are taken care of

Web Site Person ?– a perfect diversion for some neighborhood Tekkie

Welcome Wagon?

PLEASE HELP US!

Call Jack at 972-404-9515
Or e-mail me at JackSteinberg@aol.com
Give until it hurts!
(I promise, it won?’t hurt?…)

Oh, and by the way, I will continue to ?“publish?” these newsletters and I will continue to send out my e-mails, bringing you neighborhood news with an edge?…


NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, May 22nd
7 P.M.
Preston Place Office Park
(Prestoncrest @ Preston)
Guest Speaker:
Lois Finkelman
Dallas City Council




CHURCHILL CLEANUP CATALOG CREATES CROSS CITADEL CITIZENS

Speaking of elections, the upcoming bond election will (if voted in) provide MILLIONS for city parks improvement, but, most likely, will provide LIMITED funds for the maintenance and improvement of Churchill Park (Churchill Way, just East of Hillcrest). The Parks Department presented to our neighborhood association, its list of proposed improvements to the park. The Citadel Evening Group formed a task committee that has evaluated the condition of the park facilities, and has derived the attached list of repairs/improvements that the committee feels are of the highest priority (versus the Parks Department?’s recommendations). YOUR VOTE COUNTS! Please e-mail me at JackSteinberg@aol.com or call me at 972-404-9515 to vote ?“Yay?” of ?“Nay?” on the committee?’s recommendations. If we get a majority of ?“Yays,?” we will submit our recommendations to the Parks Department for implementation.

Churchill Park Recommendations by the
Citadel Neighborhood Association

The following items are recommendations that the Citadel Neighborhood Association would like to recommend to the Dallas Parks & Recreation Department concerning funds available for Churchill Park:

?¼ Replacement of the 4 drinking fountains near the baseball diamonds

?¼ Storm Drainage Upgrades

?¼ Improved lighting in the park (especially around the picnic pavilion)

?¼ Additional picnic tables and concrete pads and concrete pads for those tables that do not have them.

?¼ Parking lot re-striping

?¼ Picnic pavilion upgrade. Concern regarding mention of a secondary pavilion vs the condition of the first pavilion.

?¼ More playground equipment (to augment the new existing equipment already in place)

?¼ Some form of obstacle to prevent baseball diamond soil from blowing into the swimming pool

?¼ Resurfacing the area between the baseball diamonds and the pool.

?¼ While it has been proposed to replace the bleachers it is felt that replacement of the wood would be more economical and less waste full.

?¼ As opposed to replacement of the chain link fencing on the tennis courts and baseball diamond backdrops that they instead should be painting (light poles for example) after minor repairs are made. Impressions are that they are in good shape overall and need only minor attention as opposed to complete removal and replacement.

?¼ There has been some questions and concern regarding a second pavilion. Placement and scope of it are not specific and the need of a second pavilion is in question.

Churchill Park appears for the most part to be in very good condition. Concern must be expressed about some of the proposed City Parks Department list of needs vs the actual condition of items listed. There appears to be items that are on the ?“to do list?” that appear to be already completed or are in excess of the actual need/solution to the problem. This put in to perspective of a tight economic/budget climate and of the total park system is of concern.








OHR HATORAH MAKES A MOVE

Rabbi Feigenbaum announced that Congregation Ohr Hatorah, currently using space in the office building at Linden and Preston Road, has purchased property on Churchill Way, with plans to build a synagogue in the near future. Their High School has found property in Far North Dallas to move into. When asked if the congregation planned on building a temporary facility on the newly acquired Churchill property, the rabbi responded that Linda Tycher, a locally prominent Landscape Designer, would be overseeing the design of a temporary facility. Rabbi Feigenbaum assured attendees that the facility and adjacent landscaping elements would be aesthetically pleasing. No doubt, Citadel neighbors will be monitoring progress?…


IT?’S PROPERTY TAX TIME!

The guest speaker, Cheryl Jordan, has been with the Dallas County Central Appraisal District for 14 years. She is the assistant to Mr. Mitchell, who is the head of the D.C.A.D.

Ms. Jordan explained the appraisal process and how property tax market values are determined.

She encouraged anyone who has concerns about their property tax assessment to protest the MARKET VALUE and to ask for an INFORMAL HEARING with an individual appraiser.
BEST DATES TO PROTEST:
Between
May 2nd & May 31st







www.dcad.org
Customer Svc. 214-631-0910
Main # 214-631-0520


E-MAIL!
E-MAIL!

As we have entered the digital age, yours truly speculates that over 2/3 of our neighborhood is ?“plugged in?” to the Internet. To expedite meeting reminders, Crime Watch alerts, and relaying any other neighborhood news, I strongly encourage everyone to join our growing e-mail list. NO SPAM! GUARANTEED! Please call me at 972-404-9515 or e-mail me at JackSteinberg@aol.com to add your e-mail address. THANKS!