Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program celebrates more than a decade of action

The Dallas Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program ended with nearly 400 public high school students gaining paid experience in the industries of their choice throughout Dallas. Friday’s luncheon at the Hyatt Regency celebrated the students who traded in their summer for time spent investing in their future as well as the businesses who graciously took students under their wings.

“I’m reminded that, for many of these students, this summer position was their first job ever,” said Mayor Mike Rawlings, “I’m also reminded that many of these students will be first-generation college students, and these opportunities have served as a gateway to careers they never imagined and possibilities they might have believed, at one time, were out of their reach.”

During the ceremony, several intern fellows shared how meaningful their experiences were and the lessons they learned at their internships.

“I’ve learned so much about contracting, business,” said Isaiah Valencia, an intern fellow at DFW International Airport. “The whole process as to what happens behind the scenes.”

The celebration ended with a group photo of all of the intern fellows together on stage. From up there, their future couldn’t look brighter.

See the CBS 11 coverage of the Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program here:

See the Class of 2018 Mayor’s Intern Fellow Reflection video here:

Modeled after the prestigious White House Fellows program, the Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program is an eight-week, paid summer internship program providing Dallas public high school students with job opportunities in industries and areas where they have expressed interest. It is a competitive process beginning in October and ending with an ultra-competitive Job Fair in April where interns interview with more than 238 businesses and non-profits for an eight-week paid summer internship.

 

 

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Public invited to family-friendly Nature Expo Saturday at Central Library

Do you enjoy nature? Would you like to learn more about animals, plants, and other elements of the natural world in North Texas and beyond?

The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young St., is hosting a free, family-friendly Nature Expo from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 28. This is the second year for the event, which will be held in the Community Showcase area and other locations on the first floor. The Expo will feature local nature groups, exhibits, live animals and DIY activities.

Exhibitors will include:

• North Texas Master Naturalist
• Wild Earth Preschool (Dallas Zoo)
• John Bunker Sands Wetland Center
• Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA)
• National Bobcat Rescue and Research (Wildlife Center at Crosstimbers Ranch, Terrell)
• Texas Metro Wildlife Rehabilitators
• Native Plant Society of Texas/White Rock Lake Chapter
• Dallas Sierra Club

For more information visit:

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End of summer book sale to be held Aug. 24-26 at Dallas Central Library

Just in time for the start of the school year, the Dallas Public Library is hosting a huge book sale at the Central Library, 1515 Young St. The sale will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25; and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26.

The Friends of the Dallas Public Library (FODPL) is organizing and staffing the end-of-summer edition of its twice-yearly book sale. Unlike previous sales, which were only Saturdays and Sundays, the public is invited on Friday as well. Proceeds benefit the 29-branch library system and its programs, including English Language Learning, GED classes, preschool storytimes, the Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge and more.

“Everybody wins,” said FODPL Executive Director Mary Wilonsky. “The library clears out thousands of gently used books, CDs, and DVDs, book lovers get ridiculous bargains, and we raise money to support library programs.”

Like a bargain warehouse store, the sale features “all you can haul” buying in bulk. A plastic grocery sack filled with sale items will cost $10, a large fabric shopping bag will cost $20 and a cardboard box full of items is $30. Patrons can buy four or fewer items for just $1 each.

FODPL members will enjoy special discounts ranging from a free sack to a free box, depending on their membership levels. “It’s a great perk for belonging to a great organization,” Wilonsky said. “And you can join at the door.”

FODPL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for the Dallas Public Library and supports its programs. Annual memberships, which begin at $25 and are tax-deductible, are available at www.fodpl.org.

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Pre-register for the 22nd annual Mayor’s Back to School Fair

It’s time to sign up for the 22^nd annual Mayor’s Back to School Fair! Pre-registration events are being held around the City during the month of July. Families can sign up ahead of the event and skip the line.

Children and families that qualify will have access to resources free-of-charge, including school supplies, uniform tops, dental health checks, immunizations, haircuts, and plenty of family fun. The Fair is a collaborative effort between the City of Dallas, and Dallas-area schools, state and county agencies, nonprofits, corporations, and community volunteers. Together, their efforts aim to ensure every student will return to school equipped for a successful academic year.

Families must show three documents to qualify for school supplies; a picture ID, proof of City of Dallas residency and proof they meet the 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines. For more information, click here.

The Mayor’s Back to School Fair will take place on Friday, August 3, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Centennial Building at Fair Park.

For more details on the event, click here.

Pre-registration Dates and Locations

Wednesday, July 11; 1 – 4 p.m. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dallas 2800 N. Hampton Rd. Dallas, TX 75212	Saturday, July 21; noon – 2 p.m. MLK Community Center 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Dallas, TX 75215
Saturday, July 14; 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dallas 2800 N. Hampton Rd. Dallas, TX 75212	Sunday, July 22; 2 – 4 p.m. Dallas West Branch Library 2332 Singleton Blvd. Dallas, TX 75212
Saturday, July 14; 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Erik Jonsson Central Library 1515 Young St. Dallas, TX 75201	Tuesday, July 24; 11 a.m. – noon YouthWorld 1121 W. Wheatland Rd. Dallas, TX 75232
Monday, July 16; 4 – 6 p.m. Northwest Community Center 5750 Pineland Dr. Dallas, TX 75231	Tuesday, July 24; 2 – 4 p.m. Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa Elementary School 9990 Webb Chapel Rd. Dallas, TX 75220
Tuesday, July 17; 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Lochwood Branch Library 11221 Lochwood Blvd. Dallas, TX 75218	Wednesday, July 25; 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Mountain View College (Tree Top Gallery) 4849 W. Illinois Ave. Dallas, TX 75211
Tuesday, July 17; 2 – 4 p.m. Thomas J. Rusk Middle School 2929 Inwood Rd. Dallas, TX 75235	Wednesday, July 25; 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Prairie Creek Branch Library 9606 Lake June Rd. Dallas, TX 75217
Wednesday, July 18; 3 – 6 p.m. Baylor Scott and White Health and Wellness Center at the Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center 4500 Spring Ave. Dallas, TX 75210	Friday, July 27; 3 – 5 p.m. Eastfield College Pleasant Grove Campus 802 South Buckner Blvd. Dallas, TX 75217
Thursday, July 19; 2 – 4 p.m. Oliver W. Holmes Middle School 2001 E. Kiest Blvd. Dallas, TX 75216	Friday, July 27; 4:30 – 6:30p.m. Cobb Field House 1702 Robert B. Cullum Blvd. Dallas, TX 75210
Thursday, July 19; 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center 1225 Willowdell Dr. Dallas, Texas 75243	Saturday, July 28; 1 – 3 p.m. Highland Hills Branch Library 6200 Bonnie View Rd. Dallas, TX 75241
Saturday, July 21; 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Fretz Park Library Branch 6990 Belt Line Rd. Dallas, TX 75254	Monday, July 30; 2 – 4 p.m. Harmony Science Academy – Dallas 11995 Forestgate Dr. Dallas, TX 75243

 

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Children and families invited to tinker, create, discover and make

Children and families will experience something new as they explore science, art, nature and technology at the Turn Up! Discovery Faire, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young St.

Participants will receive a passport to have stamped as they follow their interests, moving through all eight floors of the Central Library, doing hands-on activities including building small electronics, zine making, flamenco, painting, juggling and more.

“This is an opportunity for kids of all ages to visit parts of the library they may have never seen before,” said Youth Services Administrator Melissa Dease. Their completed passports will be entered to win prizes, including tickets to LEGOLAND/SEA LIFE, Bahama Beach passes and more.

The Turn Up! Discovery Faire is presented annually in partnership with Big Thought as part of the Dallas City of Learning and to recognize National Summer Learning Day, which highlights the importance of keeping kids engaged during the summer to ensure they return to school ready to succ

Dallas City of Learning is a citywide initiative to ensure all students have access to high-quality summer learning programs that stem learning loss and increase college and career readiness. Powered by Big Thought and hundreds of community partners, Dallas City of Learning connects students to the city’s most valuable educational resources outside of the classroom.

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Summertime Food Safety

Summer celebrations involve people, picnics, and parties, but be sure to put safety on your checklist. If you’re planning to serve food, it’s important to remember food safety your guests won’t get a case of food poisoning.

“Most summertime foodborne illnesses are caused by an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in foods that aren’t prepared or stored with the safety of a kitchen and nearby sink,” says Kris Sweckard, Director of Code Compliance. “But there are steps you can take to cut your risk.”

We’ve listed those steps below to help you keep safe for your summer cook-out.

Tips for safer food preparation in the summertime:

• Clean!  Be sure to wash your hands properly and surfaces before preparing food. Use hot, soapy water to wash your hands before handling food, after using the restroom, after handling pets, or changing diapers.
• Separate! Don’t cross contaminate! Cross contamination happens when bacteria is unintentionally transferred from a kitchen tool to food via direct contact. For example, if you cut raw meat on a cutting board, but forget to wash, rinse, and sanitize the cutting before cutting vegetables cross contamination may occur.
• Cook: Cook food to proper temperatures.
• Chill: Refrigerate food at the proper temperature and ensure good air circulation inside the refrigeration unit to maintain proper food temperature.

Dallas’ Code Compliance offers additional information regarding how to avoid foodborne illness during barbecues.

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City council amends ordinance concerning dangerous dogs

The City of Dallas council members amended a city ordinance Wednesday to more effectively control and regulate animals, including dangerous dogs within the city limits.

The state code defines a dangerous dog as a dog that makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept.

The City of Dallas Code defines an aggressive dog as a dog that on at least one occasion, while not legally restrained, killed or injured a legally restrained domestic animal or livestock.

After a dog is determined to be dangerous or aggressive, the owner of the dog has 15 days to comply with the following:

– Have an unsterilized dangerous/aggressive dog spayed or neutered;
– Register the aggressive dog with the director and pay to the director a dangerous/aggressive dog registration fee of $50;
– Restrain the dangerous/aggressive dog at all times on a leash in the immediate control of a person or in a secure enclosure;
– When taken outside the enclosure, must be securely muzzled;
– Obtain liability insurance coverage or show financial responsibility in an amount of at least $100,000;
– Place and maintain on the dangerous/aggressive dog collar or harness with a current dangerous/aggressive dog registration tag securely attached to it;
– Have the dangerous/aggressive dog injected with a microchip implant and registered with a national registry for dogs;
– Post a legible sign at each entrance to the enclosure in which the dangerous/aggressive dog is confined stating “BEWARE DANGEROUS/AGGRESSIVE DOG.” The aforementioned sign must be purchased from Dallas Animal Services.

Animals may be exempt from vaccinations or the embedding of a microchip if the owner can provide a letter from a licensed veterinarian on office stationary dated prior to impoundment stating that the animal was not vaccinated or should not be injected with a microchip due to health reasons.

There are no longer boarding and impoundment fees for animals redeemed before the end of their first full day at shelter. Furthermore, hold times for animals with identification has been reduced from ten days to five days.

Dallas Animal Service officers are now authorized to seize and impound any animal in the city that is loose, posing a threat to public health or safety, and displaying signs and symptoms of extreme health concerns.

Any person violating a provision of this ordinance, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine up to $500.

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Public input needed for Homeless Solutions Strategy

The Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) is seeking public feedback on a proposed Homeless Solutions Strategy to address homelessness in the City of Dallas. Citizens are encouraged to attend an in-person meeting or register for a Tele Town Hall to give their feedback.

Pending approval from City Council, the four-track program will concurrently meet the immediate need by providing habitable living environments for the unsheltered while developing the infrastructure for sustainability by increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Overall homelessness and unsheltered homelessness has increased by 9% and 23% respectively since 2017. Please join OHS to discuss the following Homeless Solutions Strategy:

Track I: Increase Shelter Capacity
Expand the capacity of existing providers through contracted pay-to-stay shelter beds.

Track II: Temporary Homeless Centers
Provide shelter and support services for up to 90 days in the 4 quadrants of the city simultaneously.

Track III: Master Lease/Landlord Incentive Programs
Provide security deposits, rent, utilities, and incentives to tenants as well as incentives and risk mitigation services to participating landlords.

Track IV: New Developments
Leverage the $20M Proposition J (Homeless Assistance Facilities) of the 2017 Dallas Bond Program for permanent supportive housing targeting chronic homeless; rapid rehousing addressing the elderly, disabled, families with children and young adults; Day Centers for seamless wrap-around services.

Register for a Tele Town Hall Meeting –

Click here for meeting schedule: Homeless Solutions Strategy Meetings

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Dallas Clean Air Action Day

Dallas’ Office of Environmental Quality teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to showcase a variety of ways Dallasites can improve air quality, from what you drive, to what you ride during this year’s “Dallas Clean Air Action Day” on June 22.

“It’s all about learning to improve the air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area so residents can breathe easy,” says James McGuire, Managing Director of the Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ).

DART showcased its electric buses on City Hall Plaza, and Tesla owners came out to talk about the benefits of their high-tech, earth-friendly cars. Different City departments set up booths showing ways they increase efficiency without increasing harmful emissions.

The Nature Conservancy also announced a first-of-its-kind study for North Texas called Breathe Easy Dallas during the event.

“Poor air quality is one of the leading environmental health challenges in cities globally, affecting vulnerable populations and communities disproportionately,” says Kathy Jack, Ph.D., Dallas Urban Conservation Associate for The Nature Conservancy. With Breathe Easy Dallas, we hope to improve the health, happiness, and learning of all Dallas children,” remarks Jack.

The project will study the impact of practical solutions like reduced car idling, campus-based health initiatives and tree planting on air quality and asthma-related absenteeism at local schools.

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Ceremony honoring July 7 fallen officers scheduled for Friday

This year’s ceremony to honor fallen officers from the July 7, 2016 shooting will be held at Jack Evans Police Headquarters on 1400 S. Lamar Street on Friday, July 6, 2018.

The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. with an interfaith prayer, followed by remarks from Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall, a moment of silence and conclude with a balloon release.

Five officers representing the Dallas Police Department and DART police were killed by a shooter during what was a peaceful march in Downtown Dallas.

The names of the fallen officers are:

Michael J. Smith, Dallas Police Department

Patricio E. Zamarippa, Dallas Police Department

Lorne B. Ahrens, Dallas Police Department

Michael L. Krol, Dallas Police Department

Brent Thompson, DART Police Officer

 

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Dallas’ Fleet Management recognized for excellence

The City of Dallas has been ranked fifth in the nation on the “100 Best Fleets” list sponsored by the 100 Best Fleets Program and published in Governing Magazine.

The Equipment and Building Services staff was honored in part due to it’s impressive effect on the economy and its fresh and innovative ideas.
“You have demonstrated your commitment to society,” said Tom C. Johnson, founder of the 100 Best Fleets Program. “You are helping to create the future of Fleets in the Americas.”

Ranking fleets are selected from over 38,000 public fleets across North America. Criteria for consideration includes accountability, use of technology, collaborative efforts, creativity, trust in culture, efficient turnaround, pricing, staff development, and resource stewardship.

“Managing over 5,000 vehicles is not an easy task, but our team is efficient and committed to continuously improving our services,” said Errick Thompson, Department Director for Equipment and Building Services. “It’s an honor to be recognized nationally for the hard work our team puts in to delivering this service.”

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Family fun for displaced families

The Office of Homeless Solutions and the UniverSoul Circus have come together to give displaced children and their families a spectacular night of fun at the circus.

Over 250 people, including 190 children, are registered to experience UniverSoul Circus’ electrifying entertainment including acrobats, clowns, and acts from around the World on July 8. Included in the circus event will be a free meal for families and souvenirs for children. Free transportation is being provided by Downtown Dallas, Inc. and Union Gospel Mission.

Children experiencing homelessness have been shown to have higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems, experience more school mobility and separation from their family. One night of carefree enjoyment can go a long way to providing a sense of normalcy and balance.

“The holidays can be particularly difficult for homeless families who do not have the resources needed to celebrate as they did prior to experiencing homelessness,” said Gloria Sandoval of the Office of Homeless Solutions. “Spending the day at the circus is the ultimate family adventure regardless of your living situation.”

District 8 Councilman Tennell Atkins spearheaded this initiative and was supported by Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and Councilman Casey Thomas.

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Free inventor workshops offered at Dallas Public Library

Figuring out how to patent your invention can be a challenge.

To help inventors and small businesses understand the patent process, the Dallas Public Library’s Patent & Trademark Resource Center is providing free one-on-one sessions with local patent attorneys.
Located on the sixth floor of the Central Library at 1515 Young St., the Patent & Trademark Resource Center provides free 20-minute sessions with patent attorneys Robert E. Wise and John G. Baker. They will answer general questions and discuss the patent application process and patent searching.
Sessions will be held July 7, Sept. 1 and Nov. 3 with Robert E. Wise; and on Aug. 4, Oct. 6 and Dec. 1 with John G. Baker.  The Saturday sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call (214) 670-1468 to sign up.

Note: Workshops are intended to be a general guide to the patent process. They are not a substitute for professional advice regarding a specific transaction or the laws of a particular jurisdiction. No agent-client or attorney-client relationship is established.

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