2nd Quarter WGNA Meeting Summary 4/29/17 K.Agee

Our 2nd quarter WGNA meeting was held on 4/27/17 at our usual location (back of Christian Church at 3525 Lawler) at the usual 7 p.m. start-time.

President Ricardo Rocha directed the meeting. After a short review of old business, acting Treasurer David Morehead reported a balance of $1438.47.

We had invited all three candidates for Garland’s District 6 City Council seat to introduce themselves, but only Bao Vinh was able to attend. Bao is a 33 year old pharmacist who grew up here in Garland and wants to give back to the community. Aside from his Doctor of Pharmacy degree, he holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from UNT. He mentioned that he would like to see Code Compliance improve their methods so they don’t just appear to be punishing people with no noticeable gains to the neighborhood. He’s also interested in investing some of his efforts toward revitalization of our area.

The other two candidates (Robert Vera, who is a member of our Association, and Eric Elmore) were unable to attend the meeting due to other commitments.

Early voting started on Monday 4/24 and will continue thru Tuesday 5/2. In our district, only the City Council representative and Mayor elections are on the ballot. Early voting is done at the Richland College Campus located at 675 W. Walnut St. The main day to vote is Saturday 5/6 at your normal local polling location. The election results will appear at this website once the polls close: http://www.dallascountyvotes.org.

Our new Neighborhood Patrol Officer Shreves was unable to attend tonight, so the Police report was presented by Officer Clark instead.

Officer Clark complimented us on our local Crimewatch organization, stating that since it’s larger than some, it is easier to exchange information when compared to smaller units. At one point he suggested that we think about getting security cameras for the outside of our homes as a way to deter criminals. He also stressed that if a strange person knocks or rings the doorbell, to somehow let them know that someone is inside – otherwise there is a risk that they may try to break in. Complaints were lodged by our members about people frequently making U-turns on Plano Road, near Pineridge (south of Walnut), and the lefthand turn light being too short for people wanting to go from eastbound Walnut onto northbound Jupiter Rd.

There was also a discussion about gang activity near Walnut Park Circle (just north of Hollabaugh Park). Apparently the gang sometimes gathers in a drainage area between Hollabaugh Park & Yale and then they move out to cause trouble. A member mentioned the fact that some of the street lights were being knocked out by young people in this same area. Officer Clark was already aware of the issue and encouraged us to call the Streets Dept (972-205-3483) when we see a damaged light, since that gives criminals an unnecessary advantage.

President Rocha suggested that for future business we try to fill the vacancies for our WGNA organization. We need volunteers for Secretary, Vice President, and within a few months, President. Ken Agee would also like some help identifying and presenting Yard of the Month awards. Also President Rocha offered up the idea of holding a “Neighborhood Night Out” event this October at Frankie’s (east side of Plano Rd, just south of Buckingham Rd).

The meeting was adjourned at 8 p.m., although there were additional ad hoc discussions with candidate Bao Vinh and others. Lights out at about 8:15 p.m.