Posted by CBSNews.com staff:

Do Texting-While-Driving Bans Actually Increase Crashes?

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving - a practice that takes the driver's attention and hands away from operating the vehicle and has been blamed in thousands of crashes.
 
But the bans haven't been effective. In fact, they may be responsible for a slight increase in distracted driving crashes, according to new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
 
According to USA Today, "Researchers at the Highway Loss Data Institute compared rates of collision insurance claims in four states -- California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington -- before and after they enacted texting bans. Crash rates rose in three of the states after bans were enacted."
 
It's not totally clear why the bans aren't having the intended effect, but researchers believe it may be because drivers - opting to text in spite of the bans - are holding their phones below the dashboard so police can't see them, taking their eyes and attention even further from the road.
 
Experts also say that while texting is dangerous, distracted driving includes many other activities such as talking on the phone, reading, eating, and putting on makeup.
 

From USA Today online:

Texting bans may add risk to roads

A sign over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston on Friday alerts motorists to a new state law banning texting while driving. Photo by Bill Sikes, AP

By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Laws banning texting while driving actually may prompt a slight increase in road crashes, research out today shows.
 
The findings, to be unveiled at a meeting here of 550 traffic safety professionals from around the USA, come amid a heightened national debate over distracted driving.
 
"Texting bans haven't reduced crashes at all," says Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, whose research arm studied the effectiveness of the laws.
 
Thirty states and the District of Columbia ban texting while driving; 11 of the laws were passed this year. The assertion that those efforts are futile will be a major issue at this week's annual meeting here of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
 
Researchers at the Highway Loss Data Institute compared rates of collision insurance claims in four states — California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington — before and after they enacted texting bans. Crash rates rose in three of the states after bans were enacted.
 
The Highway Loss group theorizes that drivers try to evade police by lowering their phones when texting, increasing the risk by taking their eyes even further from the road and for a longer time.
 
The findings "call into question the way policymakers are trying to address the problem of distracted-driving crashes," Lund says, calling for a strategy that goes beyond cellphones to hit other behaviors such as eating and putting on makeup. "They're focusing on a single manifestation of distracted driving and banning it," he says.
 
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, disputes the findings. "Between 2005 and 2008, distracted driving-related fatalities jumped from 10% to 16% of all traffic fatalities," he says. "In 2009, for the first time in four years, distracted driving fatalities stopped rising, remaining at 16%. ... Tough laws are the first step and enforcement must be next. We know that anti-distracted-driving laws can be enforced effectively."
 
Last year in the USA, 5,474 people were killed and another 448,000 injured in crashes involving distracted driving, defined as operating a vehicle in a careless or inattentive manner, the government says.
 
Lack of enforcement is a likely factor if bans are ineffective, GHSA spokesman Jonathan Adkins says.
 

 
Obviously, distracted drivers are a problem. And obviously, simply banning something doesn't stop it. (Prohibition of alcohol, during the 1920's, even when done so through a Constitutional amendment, did not work.) Education is a much more effective tool and technology may also come to the rescue soon. Besides the study mentioned above, similar studies where cell phones are banned statewide have detected no drop in overall accidents.
 
Secretary LaHood, quoted above, is looking at a graph and deduces because there wasn't a rise last year, these laws are effective. However, considering that the total miles driven nationwide last year dropped significantly, I think his conclusion is faulty. Those miles not driven were also the reason congestion statistics rose less or even receded last year, the first ever. Any holding of the numbers is mostly likely due to less miles driven than effectiveness of the new laws.
 
None of it is so simple as saying, "Thou shall not" or basing decisions on short-term trends or blaming lack of enforcement. Denying the evidence isn't going to make anyone safer either.
 
The problem is basically that the bans cannot be enforced very easily and beating a ticket in court isn't that hard. Such bans have as much chance of success as stopping all speeding or Prohibition working. It is going to take other solutions and the sooner that is realized, the more people that will be saved.
 

If the previous post wasn't enough of a hint, then:
 

City of Garland News Release:

Healthy Living Expo 2010 - This Saturday!

Garland is celebrating and encouraging healthy lifestyles with the Healthy Living Expo 2010 – Healthy You, Healthy Earth on Saturday, September 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the GISD Special Events Center, 4999 Naaman Forest Blvd. The Expo will offer exhibitor booths, free services, demonstrations and entertainment, all focused on helping citizens make positive changes to their daily lives.
 

The event offers information and activities to help you improve your personal health and the health of the environment. Arrive early to receive an insulated, reusable shopping bag from America’s Credit Union, filled with free goodies (one bag per family, while supplies last).
 
“Healthy You” exhibitors will offer a wide variety of free health screenings, including bone density, blood pressure, cholesterol, hearing, vision and much more. Informational booths will provide answers to your questions about diabetes, sleep disorders, breast health and much more. Also enjoy exercise demonstrations on the arena floor stage.
 
Flu shots will be available while supplies last. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children. Medicaid, CHIP, and Medicare Part B will be accepted. Please bring the appropriate paperwork.
 
“Healthy Earth” activities will include paper/document shredding by Greenstar Northamerica, e-recycling, and donations of athletic shoes and eyeglasses. The Garland Police Department will be on hand to accept expired and unused medications (prescription and over-the-counter) for proper disposal. Exhibitors will provide information about energy efficiency in the home, organic pest control, natural cleaning products and much more.
 
If you’re ready to add a pet to your family, Garland Pawsibilities will have adoptable animals from the Garland Animal Shelter.
 
The Expo has activities for the entire family. Kids can enjoy a bounce house, obstacle course, environmental arts and crafts, and special entertainment from Radio Disney, with music, games and prizes that rock!
 
The Healthy Living Expo is sponsored by the City of Garland, Garland ISD, Baylor Medical Center at Garland and the Garland Chamber of Commerce. For a complete list of exhibitors and activities, please visit www.GarlandGoesGreen.org.
 

City of Garland News Release:

Recycling Opportunities at Healthy Living Expo 2010

Do you have electronics, sporting goods and other unused household items you’d like to have properly recycled? Bring them to Garland’s Healthy Living Expo on Saturday, September 25, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
 
The Healthy Living Expo 2010 theme is Healthy You! Healthy Earth! The event will be at the Garland ISD Special Events Center, 4999 Naaman Forest Blvd, and features information and activities designed to help citizens live greener, healthier lifestyles.
 
During the event, the Naaman Forest High School Class of 2012 will collect your unwanted items and ensure that they are properly recycled and save valuable landfill space. Acceptable items include computers, cameras, books, musical instruments, clothing, toys and much more.
 
A complete list of accepted items is available at www.GarlandGoesGreen.org, click on “***Expo Activities”. For more information email nf2010@yahoo.com or call 214-675-9024.
 
The Healthy Living Expo is sponsored by the City of Garland, Garland ISD, Baylor Medical Center at Garland, and the Garland Chamber of Commerce.
 

NFHS Class of 2012:

Recycling Program at The Garland Healthy Living EXPO

Donate your used or unwanted items to support our organization. Items may be in any condition—damaged, non-working, or fully operational. Check the list to get started!
 

 

Computers—Desktops, laptops, servers, monitors, keyboards, mice, speakers, and all other computer components. Cameras—Camcorders and all non-disposable film and digital cameras Office Equipment̬Fax machines, typewriters, inkjet cartridges, printers, scanners, routers, shredders, and copiers Entertainment Electronics—Car and home audio equipment, TV’s, satellite and cable boxes, VCRs, DVD players and recorders, headphones, and multimedia projectors Multimedia—DVD and VHS movies, audiobooks, and music CDs. All multimedia items must include original covers. Vehicles—Cars, Trucks, Boats, Motorcycles, Trailers and RV's, ATV's, Dirt Bikes, Go-Karts, 4 Wheelers, 3 Wheelers, and Jet Skis Jewelry—Costume Jewelry, Watches, Handcrafted items Portable Electronics—TV’s, Cell phones, GPS devices, calculators, portable CD and DVD players, PDAs, and MP3 Players

Video Games—Video games, systems, and accessories Sporting Goods—Golf clubs and bags, athletic helmets and pads, baseball bats and gloves, basketball shoes, cleats, hockey sticks, ice skates, and roller blades Musical Instruments—Guitars, percussion, strings, woodwinds, brass, and electric keyboards Home and Garden—Air purifiers, baby monitors, vacuum cleaners, power tools, electric razors, sewing machines, and medical equipment Non-Fiction Books—Cookbooks, craft books, textbooks, etc. Collectibles—Comics, Figurines, Trading Cards, etc.,; Pottery, Cookware & Glass Dinnerware, China, Porcelain, Art Pottery, Stoneware, etc.; Gold & Silver Also Accepting-Clothing and Toys

---

Your donations help support the NFHS Class of 2012 and ensure proper recycling of e-waste and save valuable landfill space.
Thank you for joining with us!
Contact nf2012@yahoo.com or call 214-674-9024
DROP OFF is Sept 25, 9-1
GISD Special Events Center

 

Reported crime for August in District 1 fell to the lowest level in about two years. Let's keep it quiet so no one decides to mess with that success.
 
Most of the drop was the dramatic decline in burglaries and thefts. Shoplifting incidents also had a big fall. There did seem to be a slightly higher percentage of incidents in residential areas compared to the average. That means really good news for the commercial areas but also means that residents cannot relax their vigilance.
 
If you want to review the areas that have reported incidents over the last month, download the complete report here for address-by-address information that includes your neighborhood. If you are a Garland resident reading this but do not live in District 1, you can get reports for your area here on the Police Department's website or from your Council member.
 

 
UPDATE: A note at the DMN Garland Blog reports that District 1's immediate neighbor to the north, Sachse, has been rated by the FBI as the "third safest city in North Texas among populations between 10,000 and 100,000." Nice neighbors that we have!
 

City of Garland News Release:

Additional Container Monthly Service Charge

Effective November 1, 2010, Garland residents who use more than one 95-gallon solid waste container will be billed a monthly charge of $6.10 for each additional container.
 
The additional container charge was established to capture the full cost of collection, disposal and administrative costs for providing additional container collection service. Customers who paid to receive an additional container from November 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010, will receive a credit applied to their utility bill equal to the amount paid.
 
By passing along the cost of additional container service to the customers who use the service, the City will be able to reduce the monthly sanitation base rate from $17.33 to $16.58 for all customers effective November 1, 2010.
 
Should residents no longer need additional containers at their residence, they can call Environmental Waste Services Customer Service at 972-205-3500 or email to ews_customerservice@garlandtx.gov to request the pick up of container(s) or to make other inquiries concerning this matter.
 

 
Those who watch the Council work sessions already knew about the new charge for a second container. Of course, that is a small percentage of the citizenry. Most of those with second containers learned of the additional charge yesterday or today from the letter they received from the Environmental Waste Services Dept.
 
I have received some calls from constituents that are upset by the increase. They called EWS first and learned that many others, hundreds, were also calling.
 
I think the charge is fair. A second container requires a double stop on collection day and potentially means twice as much garbage being hauled away, twice as much landfill being used, more wear and tear on the trucks, more fuel use, yet those homes paid no more than those using half as much. (They did have to buy the second container.) By shifting the costs more fairly, all customers are receiving a rate decrease.
 
A survey of surrounding cities showed that all charge more for having a second container.
 
I know that many with a second container don't use it all the time. For those families, reducing their collection to a single container will garner the lower rate. There can be many reasons for getting a second container but often those reasons are temporary (baby- and kid-related trash, holiday trash, a home business). If the trash that exceeds one container on those rare occasions can be kept until the next week, only one container may be needed, such as Christmas wrappings or after a party or dinner guests. Get rid of the messy trash that can spoil and just hold the cleaner trash until the next week. Doing so would save over $70 per year.
 

City of Garland News Release:

City Appoints New Assistant City Manager

Garland City Manager William E. Dollar has made an important change in the City’s management team. Effective October 1, 2010, Bryan Bradford will be promoted to the position of Assistant City Manager.
 
When Mr. Dollar was appointed as City Manager in 2003, he reorganized the traditional senior management structure by eliminating the four Assistant City Manager positions. Martin Glenn was promoted as the Deputy City Manager. Mr. Bradford, Priscilla Wilson, Neil Montgomery, and Robert Wunderlich were promoted to Senior Managing Directors.
 
"This Senior Management Team has proven to be very effective and has managed a variety of challenging issues," said Mr. Dollar. "While this team continues to address the needs of the City, I believe that a refinement of this structure would serve our City even better."
 
Mr. Dollar announced the appointment to the Garland City Council in a memo earlier this month saying, "Bryan has handled the City’s most difficult financial issues and this promotion recognizes the role he currently has in the organization."
 
Mr. Bradford has a private sector business background, which is a tremendous asset to the City organization. Mr. Bradford will be able to expand his focus and apply his expertise to more citywide issues.
 
Mr. Bradford will continue to manage Budget & Research, Purchasing, Warehouse and Firewheel Golf Park. In his new position, he will also direct the Facilities Management Department which includes building maintenance, renovation, and new construction of City facilities.
 

 
Yes, the referenced memo is the same as I shared earlier. I also gave my impressions of the promotion, which are very favorable.
 

The Garland Health Center is operated by the Dallas County-owned Parkland Hospital system. Chris Luna, District 1 resident, serves on the Parkland Hospital board. He shared this information a few weeks ago and I thought it might be of interest:

Click graphic to enlarge

We are going through the strategic planning process at Parkland for our current and future Community Oriented Primary Clinics (COPC).   Attached is the information for the Garland COPC. As you can see, it is the fourth highest in volume and is considered as one of the large health centers.   In fiscal year 2009, there were 45,483 COPC visits (adults and geriatrics) and 26,550 WISH visits (women & infant specialty health).   And 40% of the patients come from "Garland" zip codes.   The current plans are to expand services at the Garland COPC in the immediate proximity and to expand GYN services. It is estimated that this would result in an additional 12,300 to 22,800 annual visits.

 
Although the proposed budget before the Council does not include a tax rate increase, many cities are seeing a need to increase taxes, as does other taxing entities. The Parkland system is moving in the opposite direction, as noted in this Dallas Morning News editorial:
 
"A rare ray of tax sunshine from Parkland Hospital: At a time when every other taxing entity seems to be trying to figure out a palatable way to raise taxes, Dallas County residents should tip their caps (for now) to the Parkland Hospital board of managers, which actually proposes a small cut for the year or two. Hey, three-tenths of a cent – from 27.4 cents per $100 valuation to 27.1 – might not seem like much, but try to remember the last time anyone wanted to give tax money back. And, in truth, the rate is almost certain to go back up in 2014, when the new public hospital is built. Still, while we share Dallas County commissioners' surprise and caution with health care reform on the horizon, we'll take our rebate in dimes, please."
 
I want to express my appreciation to Chris for his public service and his service to Garland. Garland is fortunate to have so many District 1 residents serving our community both locally and more broadly.
 

Out of 200 cities, Garland ranks in the worst 10% for likelihood of a wreck. According to a recent report from the Allstate Insurance Company, we are the worst of 21 Texas cities. The best areas are South Texas, followed by the Panhandle. Compared to the average city on the list, drivers in Garland are 43.6% more likely to be involved in a collision. (And walking isn't any safer!)
 
Michael Lindenberger, Dallas Morning News reporter, posted the startling news Thurs on the DMN Transportation Blog. He provides the nitty-gritty:
 

 
If you see me driving in Plano more, you'll know why: it's safer!
 

Sadly, the situation around the shooting by and stunning arrest of two minors has gotten worse.
 

Garland Police News Release:

12- and 13-year-old Face Capital Murder

On August 17 Garland Police responded to the report of a man being shot in the 600 block of Rilla Drive around 2:30 pm. When officers arrived they found 48-year-old Alan Nevil in his next door neighbor’s front yard suffering from a gun shot wound. He was able to tell officers who had shot him before being transported to Baylor Hospital of Dallas where he underwent surgery.
 
Alan Nevil died last night from complications resulting from that shooting on August 17.
 
On that same day officers also found Mr. Nevil’s wife, 46-year-old Darlene Nevil, shot to death inside their home.
 
Shortly after the shooting a 12-year-old female and 13-year-old male were taken into custody based on the information provided by Alan Nevil at the scene. The two were later charged with Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Garland investigators have been in touch with the Dallas County District Attorney’s office and now with the death of a second victim, Alan Nevil, Capital Murder Charges will be sought against the 12- and 13-year-old. The two remain in custody in the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center.
 

 

Coming quickly on the heels of the story aired on WFAA-TV of a demand to improve safety at the Garland Public Shooting Range located on Pleasant Valley Rd, the Dallas Morning News reveals that a law suit was filed against the range today.
 

From the Dallas Morning News:

Wounded Rowlett man alleges Garland gun range responsible

11:02 PM CDT on Thursday, September 2, 2010
By RAY LESZCYNSKI / The Dallas Morning News
rleszcynski@dallasnews.com
 
Rowlett police called it a "mysterious shooting."
 
Victim Michael Domin believes he knows the source. Not the shooter, but the source.
 

Domin lives 1.2 miles from the Garland Public Shooting Range. On Thursday, an attorney acting on Domin's behalf filed a lawsuit against the range.
 
The filing pits a new neighborhood against a business that existed long before urban build-out became an issue in northeast Dallas County.
 
In Domin's case, gun experts confirm that a rifle misfire from the range could indeed have sailed over the range's protective berms and the Castle Drive Landfill and down into his neighborhood. In addition to the landfill, there's a creek bed, a field and an undeveloped wooded area between the victim's home and the range.
 
And while the police investigation concluded that the bullet was on a downward trajectory when it struck, "there is no actual evidence that would support the fact that the bullet was fired from the range," Rowlett police spokesman John Ellison said Thursday.
 
Domin spent 10 days in a hospital and racked up nearly $200,000 in medical bills after the midday June 12 incident – and still has the bullet in his back.
 
"I'm not the same as I used to be," he said. "I get tired fast and can't work as hard as I used to. I still have pain in stomach and in my back and still trying to catch up financially."
 
He is requesting that the range prohibit longer-distance ammunition and that it install side berms, overhead baffles and specialized safety walls. It is estimated the safety features could cost $500,000.
 
Neighbors who may not have realized it when their homes were built in 2007 have become conscious of the fact that they're potentially in the line of fire. Thien Phuoc Phan answered a query from Aaron Herbert, Domin's attorney, to say he was scraped by a stray bullet while riding a bicycle in the area in March.
 
"If the range is surrounded by residential homes, it should now be discontinued because of hazards associated with it," Phan said.
 
But the Garland Public Shooting Range predates its neighbors. It opened in 1969, and when it was annexed into the city in 1971, the use of the property was grandfathered.
 
Domin said he did not know about the gun range when he moved into the house with his wife and five children in July 2009. He said that so long as the bullets remain on the range, it is not a problem.
 
"As far as bullets leaving the range, it's not acceptable," he said. "It could have been one of my kids. Basically our kids haven't used our backyard since this has happened. We haven't let them go back there."
 
Garland's Public Safety Committee brought up the range as an item of discussion in late 2007 and found there were no violations of the city's noise ordinance and no contamination of nearby Rowlett Creek. No action was taken.
 
Garland Council Member Doug Athas said while he hears noise complaints, the range also has a solid support base among its clientele.
 
Any changes at the range may, in fact, be instigated by the county. It plans to widen Pleasant Valley Road next year, and the widening will take the road about 12 to 20 feet above the range's existing gate and parking lot. A new exit and changes to the parking area and location of shooting stands might follow, but preliminary thought is that the range will remain open.
 
In asking Wednesday for a voluntary cease-and-desist on long-distance shooting operations, Herbert said that "bullets originating from GPSR have clearly struck and damaged Garland Power & Light controlled power lines." Domin's legal team says that proves bullets are flying off the range. But GP&L said Thursday that it had performed nothing other than routine maintenance in the area.
 
"Currently, we don't have an issue with the gun range," utility spokeswoman Elizabeth Kimbrough said. "We've never had an outage from it, and it's not impacting service."
 
Attempts to contact the gun range's owner Wednesday were unsuccessful.
 
Alan Lyberger, a licensed gunsmith for more than a decade, was a frequent customer when he lived a half-mile away off Pleasant Valley Road.
 
"Is it world-class? No. But it is typical for Texas," Lyberger said. "As far as safety goes, the berms are just about like I've seen anywhere else. They're not less safe than any other gun range. The people I dealt with when I was there were very nice, knowledgeable and helpful."
 

Located in District 1 very near the northern city limits, the privately-owned Garland Public Gun Range on Pleasant Valley Rd has been there since before being annexed into the city many years ago. All the development in the area came afterwards.
 
In June a Rowlett man was mysteriously shot in his yard. Some suspect the bullet may have come from the gun range.
 
Last night, WFAA-TV ran a story on the possible connection:

From WFAA-TV online:

Shooting victim seeks safety upgrade at Garland gun range

by MONIKA DIAZ WFAA Posted on September 2, 2010 at 12:17 AM   ROWLETT — The Garland Public Shooting Range on Pleasant Valley Road opened its doors 41 years ago.   It is now Michael Domin's target.   "Make this range safe so it doesn't hurt anybody else," said Domin, who lives a mile away from the range in neighboring Rowlett.   In June, he was the one who got hurt in his backyard. He was sitting on a tractor when a stray bullet hit him. Domin spent ten days in the hospital, and has a scar running down his stomach. The bullet is still lodged in his chest.   "We are afraid to go into the backyard, cut the grass, basically do anything," Domin said. "Our kids haven't been out there since it happened."   Domin and his attorney, Aaron Herbert, say the gun range is putting lives in danger. "This is a safety issue, and I don't know what it's going to take," Herbert said. "We don't want to see someone actually killed by one of these rounds."   Herbert told News 8 he has evidence that bullets are going off the range — from damaged power lines to a man who was nicked by a bullet while riding his bike. Domin's lawyer sent a letter to the owner of the gun range, James Day, asking him to cease operations and to step up supervision and security.   "Put in overhead baffling and raise the birm; make the range safe," Herbert said.   The Rowlett Police department told News 8 Wednesday that investigators couldn't determine where the bullet that struck Domin came from. But Domin and his attorney believe there is no other source but the range. "I think it's their responsibility," Herbert said.   News 8 attempted to contact the owner of the gun range, but there was no response as of late Wednesday. Domin and his attorney said if James Day does not immediately close the range on Thursday and start making changes, they will go to court to ask for an injunction.   E-mail mdiaz@wfaa.com

Photo source: WFAA-TX online Range is the northern pin and the victim's house the other pin. View larger map WFAA Stories Related to the Shooting: Mystery bullet injures man in Rowlett yard Rowlett man can no longer make ends meet

 
A couple years ago, the Council's Public Safety Committee reviewed several complaints against the range. From the city's perspective, no safety issues were identified.

 
Ray Leszcynski, Dallas Morning News Reporter, posted information on the DMN Garland Blog that the widening of Pleasant Valley Rd could also impact the range. Ray is looking for public input.
 

I know quite a few Garland citizens that have been through the Garland Citizen Police Academy. I don't know if the attraction is the time on the department's state-of-the-art gun range, driving a police car through an obstacle course with the gas pedal mashed to the floor, or riding late through the night with officers on duty. I do know that the alums tell me how much they enjoyed the experience. Perhaps that is why so many join the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association, which is one busy and successful organization.
 

Members of the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association captured all of the major awards at the recent state conference of citizen police academies.

 
To illustrate how busy, association president Marilyn Parker recently shared with members the association's mid-August success at the Texas Citizen Police Academy Alumni Convention:

 
I am proud to announce that the GCPAAA is recognized as the 2010 winners of the following awards presented at the Texas Citizen Police Academy Alumni Convention. It is an honor to be recognized statewide by our peers.
 
2010 Alumni Membership of the Year
For the alumni year 2009-2010 we had 214 members in our alumni. What is even greater is that we have 64.48% participation from our membership. This is based on members attending at least 50% of all meetings and events. We are blessed to have so many members who support this alumni and our police department. Thank you!
 
2010 Alumni Association of the Year
What is there to say here... We are simply the best. Read through the attached alumni resume and you’ll see for yourself.
 
2010 Ray Ramon – Peace Officer of the Year – Robo [Officer Mike Roberds]
Robo stepped into our alumni with great energy and enthusiasm to get to know the members of our alumni, provide us with great information and help wherever/whenever he could. If there is anyone we want to have our back, it’s Robo...and he’s there. His passion to be involved and his willingness to dedicate his time selflessly to assist and advise our alumni has provided immeasurable gratitude amongst our group. Robo, we love you.
 
Bill Ennis Award – Alumni Member of the Year – Cheryl Bray
Last, but not least, Cheryl has been in our alumni for 10 years and has held all positions on our board of directors, including President from 2008-2010. Through all these years, Cheryl never slowed down. In addition to her alumni duties, she and her husband Joe, own their own business (big responsibility there). She now has 5 grandchildren (she is truly a “full-time” grandmother) and yet still makes time to take on the many tasks it takes to keep the alumni going with all the programs we are involved with. There is a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes to making our alumni successful and Cheryl has been there through it all, many times with her grandchildren in tow. (Can you say “stress”?) Cheryl, your hard work does not go unnoticed and we thank you for everything you have done and continue to do. We love you, too.
 
We are the first Alumni to win all 4 awards at the state convention in one year. That’s an amazing feat! And, Garland was represented by 19 members at the convention this year, including Captain [Patrick] McCully and Robo.
 
For a little added history, the Alumni has won the Association of the Year award two other times ... At the 2003 Fort Worth Convention and the 2005 Waco Convention. We’ve also had two other members receive the Member of the Year ... Dorris Murdock in 2003 (Fort Worth) and Vickie Thompson in 2006 (Austin).
 

 
I want to join Police Chief Mitch Bates in his congratulations to the Alumni Association and echo his sentiments: "We are all very proud of you! We’ve always known you’re the BEST in the STATE COUNTRY!"
 
If you have thought about attending the Citizens Police Academy or would like to learn more, please visit the Citizen Police Academy website.
 

City of Garland News Release:

Mayor's Office Accepting "Good Neighbor" Nominations

Mayor Ronald Jones’ office is accepting nominations for the next Mayor’s Good Neighbor Award.
 
The award is given quarterly to residents or property owners in Garland that have demonstrated significant improvements or upgrades to their property that will provide a positive physical impact to their neighborhood. The award will be granted based on project innovation, potential for replication, mitigation of unsightly conditions, collaboration or partnership, volunteer contributions, and increased property value.
 
Residents and property owners are encouraged to nominate their neighbors for this award. Nomination packets are available at www.garlandtx.gov or at the Mayor’s Office, City Hall, 200 N. Fifth Street in Downtown Garland. Call 972-205-2400 for more information. The deadline for 3rd Quarter 2010 nominations is September 30, 2010.
 

 
Mayor Ron Jones, a District 1 resident, started the Good Neighbor Award and has presented it about three times. The second winner was another District 1 resident, Robert Smith. Of course, Robert was being recognized for his historic reconstruction of a building downtown, which is not in District 1. Now the building is home to The Generator coffee shop.