Friends of Bachman Lake Newsletter - March 2021
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FoBL Newsletter - March 2021

“I have two doctors, my left leg and my right leg” — G.M. Trevelyan


THE ESSENTIALS

Snowmaggedon happened and we had to cancel our coordinated bird count event. That was minor compared to the travails our people faced. Many apartment complexes in the area went weeks without water as pipes burst and neighbors suffered days without electricity. Once again, Texans rallied.


Because the Bachman Lake Recreation Center is still under construction, DISD Trustee Joe Carreón worked with Councilman Narvaez to get one of the first warming center buses parked at Medrano High School. He did not stop there and with the help of community members and students from Jesuit High School, he unloaded water from a 36 foot truck from Dayton, Ohio. That truck was courtesy of Kristof Cappoen, a truck driver who collected water and other goods from his local community in Dayton and drove from Ohio to Texas to support our Dallas families. He wanted to give back to Texas the kind of support his community received from the state after tornadoes struck Dayton in 2019. Absolutely amazing.


Now that the Bachman Area Survey is complete, it's time for the next steps. There will be an area planning virtual meeting on March 25, 2021 from 6:00pm-7:00pm. This will be the first post-survey assessment and feedback forum so please make it a point to attend! Just to get your imaginations going, the photo shown is one of the conceptual ideas presented last year by NCTCOG.



***Continue to share our newsletter with your neighbors and friends!***

 

NEWS


Neighbors in the Know: Dallas Water Utilities and Parks


We had some great updates from DWU and Parks & Recreation at the February community meeting. Here is a quick summary of what we heard:


  • DWU has created a website for all to be informed about the dredging and dam reconstruction work: https://bachmanlakedam.com

  • The project starts this year and will go through 2023.

  • During the dredging phase, the south parking lot will be closed.

  • Water quality tests of Bachman Lake were done in 2020 and meet Texas water quality standards.

  • As part of the dam reconstruction, there are no plans to take out all the trees between the spillway and Denton Dr.

  • Parks indicates that the Bachman Lake Recreation Center will reopen in April.

  • The massive aquatic center that will likely destroy 40 post-oak trees is still in the plans, despite indications prior to the meeting that the location was being reconsidered.


How safe are you? Have you missed your area police reports?


As a follow-up from the January Neighbors in the Know, Senior Corporal Fernando Silva of the Dallas Police Department has provided us the statistics which start the comparison of 2021 to 2021. Friends of Bachman Lake had provided Officer Silva with the boundaries of Walnut Hill, Mockingbird, I-35 and Midway and this is the first set of reports generated. We know that face-to-face neighborhood crime watch meetings have been curtailed by the pandemic and are trying to fill that gap with the help of DPD.


During the January session of Neighbors in the Know, Officer Silva mentioned that it might seem that crime has spiked during the pandemic but the reality is that violent and other crimes are actually down. Are we more aware of "bumps in the night" now that we're home more often? Do we peruse the likes of Nextdoor.com and think "OMG the crime in this area is out of control"? These reports can help keep things in perspective.


The Reporting Area (RA) numbers listed below can be found on this DPD map. Reporting Area 4553 in the report is the mostly-business section directly north and northwest of Bachman Lake, bordered by Northwest Highway, Timberline Road and Community Drive. It is adjacent to RA 3059.




Needed: A Board of Directors to Help Guide the Future


Despite all the challenges caused by the pandemic and other obstacles, we've managed to keep our feet on the ground while going forward. There are so many moving parts that if we're going to meet the needs of tomorrow, we'll need a great deal of help. That's where you come in.


We're looking to create a cast of mighty minds to navigate the politics of city issues, ensure the safety, cleanliness and vibrancy of Bachman Lake Park and the surrounding communities, and to help advocate and raise money to help make it all happen.


We are looking for 12 engaged volunteers to participate in three committees:


Development Committee

The development committee helps influence City/County and other entities on behalf of NW Dallas. This committee is also responsible for identifying grants and developing membership through donor relationships and recruiting volunteers.


Responsibilities: Fundraising/Grants, Development, Recruiting, Community Outreach and Advocacy, Monthly Neighbors in the Know (NITK) Topics and Guests.


Events/Programming Committee

The event committee supports the organization by coordinating the standing annual events for FoBL (not including the main annual fundraising event). This includes managing Eventbrite or other event tools and establishing a ‘cost’ for participation in certain events, keeping the Parks Department informed and working with the Communications team on marketing efforts.

Responsibilities: Youth Programs (BioBlitz), Birdwatching (1), Cleaning Events (2 per year), Halloween, Festival of the Lights, Art Tour at Love Field, Canoe Tours, Virtual Nature Walks and Workouts, Rowing Classes and more.


Communications Committee

Support overall comprehensive advertising, marketing and communications strategy. Partner with other committees to oversee consistent and active communication to the community. Leverage social media (IG, FB, TW), newsletters and NextDoor to get the word out. Manage the FoBL website and drive messaging and talking points for pertinent issues.


Responsibilities: Advertising, Marketing, Branding, Public Relations, Social Media, Monthly Newsletter.


The board may establish ad hoc committees, also called task forces, as needed. These committees are different from standing committees because they're time-limited. Ad hoc committees may be created to oversee specific projects, such as working on a special event, recruiting board members or writing an annual report, or to recruit new board members. Most ad hoc committees are short term, lasting about 3 months or so.


If you or someone you know would like to become a Friends of Bachman Lake Board Member, please contact our president, Susanna Brown via email susanna.brown@me.com to start the conversation. There is a lot of work ahead of us and as we return to some semblance of "normal" in the coming months, we aim to be ready to meet the challenges and make a better community for all!


 

OUR FAVORITE IMAGES THIS MONTH



Instagram photo credits:

 

EVENTS


Our monthly plogging event is every 2nd Saturday of the month – at whatever time works for you! Bring one of those plastic bags we all have around the house and put it to good use. Walk the path or meander off of it and pick up trash. It’s great for the hamstrings! Give a shout-out to anyone you see walking around the lake with a plastic bag - they are clearly FoBLers!



Every second Monday of the month (6PM English and 7PM Spanish) we host a multi-neighborhood virtual meeting to review the major projects that affect our area. Remember, just go to the FoBL Facebook page and watch it live! Next up, the Dallas Water Utilities and Parks & Recreation!



Also, don't forget to join us at our monthly ‘meeting of the minds’ at Bluffview Growler. It's on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 4-6PM. No RSVP needed. Note that this activity is subject to COVID related restrictions and proper social guidelines.





 

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