The Indian Panorama

Tag: Dallas

  • Oil and gas company sues city of Dallas over right to drill on leases

    Oil and gas company sues city of Dallas over right to drill on leases

    DALLAS (TIP): Trinity East Energy sued the city of Dallas on Thursday, February 14 to recoup its investment in oil and gas leases because the City Council never permitted the company to drill on the property. Trinity East Energy paid the city $19 million for the leases years before the council decided not to permit drilling.

    The suit, which City Hall officials expected, was filed in Dallas County District Court. It alleges breach of contract, fraud and an unconstitutional taking, among other things. “This was a business transaction,” Trinity East president Steve Fort said in an interview on Thursday. “If the city had lived up to the deal that was made in our transaction, we wouldn’t be here today.”

    The city denied the allegations. Mayor Mike Rawlings, who opposes drilling in the city, voted in favor of the drilling permits last August. At the time, he said voting them down “could cost the city of Dallas millions of dollars of legal and other expenses.” On Thursday, he said of the lawsuit, “my prediction has come true.” “We need to think carefully when we vote on actions to not put ourselves in the courthouse,” the mayor said.

    “That being said, I feel great about our situation and our case.” Four months after the Trinity East permits were denied, in December, the City Council approved one of the nation’s most restrictive ordinances on natural gas drilling. It requires more than a quarter-mile between wells and protected uses such as homes. Industry executives, including Fort, insist it’s a virtual ban on drilling in Dallas. But years earlier, in 2008, Trinity East paid the city $19 million for the mineral rights to 3,600 acres in northwest Dallas, near the city’s Luna Vista Golf Course and the Elm Fork gun range.

    “In selling this real property interest to Trinity, the city knew that Trinity could only benefit from this contract if Trinity was actually allowed to drill a number of wells to produce gas,” the lawsuit said. “The city also knew that for drilling and production to occur, the city would be required to issue certain permits and other authorizations. Despite representations and promises by the city, as well as the city’s contractual obligation, that Trinity would be allowed to drill and produce minerals, the city refused to grant Trinity the necessary approvals to conduct drilling and production operations.”

    The company says it spent more than $30 million based on the city’s promises and lost “hundreds of millions more” in profits. The suit maintains that when it signed its deals with the city on Aug. 15, 2008, it received a letter from then-Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm saying she was “reasonably confident” Trinity East would be able to drill on a 22- acre tract of parkland on the west side of Luna Vista. “That was one of several representations and assurances we got from the city staff,” Fort said on Thursday. Suhm told the company she would help it win the right to drill on parkland, even as she publicly assured the City Council that she would not support drilling on city parkland.

    City spokesman Frank Librio said in a written statement that the lawsuit “lacks merit.” “After conducting public hearings, both the City Plan Commission and the City Council rejected Trinity East’s applications, finding that the proposed locations were inappropriate for drilling and production operations,” the statement said. “During the time Trinity East had the leases, gas prices became depressed and more became known about geological conditions in the area,” the statement said.

    “Although the city granted several zoning permits for drilling to other companies who requested to drill at more appropriate sites, none of those companies have followed through with actual drilling and production.” “The city will vigorously defend its right to exercise its regulatory powers to protect public health and safety as well as the environment.” Rawlings said he isn’t worried about the lawsuit hurting the perception of how Dallas does business. “We’ll win in the court and we’ll move on,” the mayor said. For Fort, the experience means “we would not do business with the city ever again.”

  • ‘Dallas Buyer Club’ Oscar Nominee Jared Leto Fears Homophobic Texas?

    ‘Dallas Buyer Club’ Oscar Nominee Jared Leto Fears Homophobic Texas?

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Jared Leto gave everyone a welcomed break from acting for the last six years to focus on his hysterically hilarious music group, 30 Seconds to Mars, but decided to return to play the Oscar nominated role of Rayon in Jean-Marc Vallée’s Dallas Buyers Club.

    Leto, who was looking to broaden his range by playing yet another drug addict, admitted in an interview that he would have been scared to live as Rayon did in the homophobic Texas of the 1980s. Jared Leto until late hadn’t really been known for doing anything well other than looking pretty. So it was surprising to see a powerhouse performance by Leto in her return to celluloid Dallas Buyers Club.

    The singer, who was once described by Jimmy Kimmel as the worst celebrity he ever interviewed, said that not only was he drawn to the role because it was so well written, but the character was far braver than he ever would be (via Contact Music): “I read the script and immediately I was just blown away.

    I fell in love with the character and I felt that this was a real opportunity here to portray a real person, not a cliché or a stereotype.” Jared went on to explain that he could imagine herself having the courage to live, in a place that he feels was so close minded it was barely fit for habitation.”

    It’s Texas, it’s 1985, you’ve got this cowboy and this young man who’s chosen to live as a woman. A really brave choice; I couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must’ve been to walk through a grocery store at that time.” Regardless of his hateful views towards Texas, Leto still had enough sense to thank his mother, Constance, for her support at the 86th Oscar Nominees Luncheon earlier this week. Not only has she inspired him, but she is a joy to be around, unlike the residents of Texas in the eighties.”

    We were born very poor and into pretty humble surroundings. My mother always wanted to do something better with her life [and] for her children. She taught me to dream and then to do the work that it takes to make dreams become reality. It’s been fun to bring her around.”

  • Snow leaves North Texas roads an icy mess

    Snow leaves North Texas roads an icy mess

    The light, powdery snow that began falling across North Texas early Thursday morning turned slickly dangerous by rush hour and beyond, leading to hundreds of accidents across the Dallas region, early school closings and an extremely cautious commute home. Temperatures hovered in the teens and low 20s most of the day, with wind-chill readings in the single digits.

    That left a couple of big questions for Friday: Would the roads be dry or icy, and would electric utilities be able to meet the expected demand? If the snow and slush on area roads refreeze overnight rather than evaporating, morning commuters could face problems. Officials at the Rockwall Independent School District canceled classes for Friday because of ice concerns.

    And state utility officials said cold temperatures, coupled with limits on electric generating capacity, could overtax the power grid. “With the cold weather that began [Wednesday night], we already saw electric demand close to our winter record,” said Dan Woodfin, director of systems operations for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. “We are expecting cold weather to continue through [Friday] morning’s high demand period, and some generation capacity has become unavailable due to limitations on natural gas supplies.” ERCOT asked consumers to lower thermostats to a maximum of 68 degrees and avoid using large appliances during peak demand periods.

    Swirling snow When snow began falling Thursday morning, each gust of wind sent it swirling. But commuter traffic led to melting and freezing. And as the bands of snow slid farther south through the day, so did the accident reports, with overpasses and bridges icing along Interstates 20 and 35E, the LBJ Freeway and U.S. Highway 75 through the afternoon, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

    “Please only go out if you absolutely have to,” said Ryan LaFontaine, a TxDOT spokesman. Though road conditions were improving Thursday night, TxDOT crews were set to work 12-hour shifts through the night to tackle icy patches. Municipal crews worked steadily throughout the day to keep busy intersections ice-free. Dallas went to “Ice Force Level 1” about 9 a.m. and later bumped that to Level 2, with 70 sand trucks patrolling the city.

    State highway crews spread sand and de-icing materials on bridges and overpasses, but extremely cold temperatures that peaked in the mid-20s made the work a challenge. Even roads and highways that appeared clear of ice and snow could have icy patches, said Tony Hartzel of TxDOT, who watched a truck spin out in his rearview mirror on a seemingly ice-free Interstate 30. And if one vehicle lost traction, others quickly followed. When the driver of a blue sedan lost control on Interstate 35E west of downtown Dallas, slicing across four lanes of traffic before slamming into a guardrail, other vehicles that came upon the crash skidded as they veered around the damaged car.

    Police departments reported hundreds of accidents, and damaged cars and trucks littered highway shoulders across the region. By 7 p.m., Dallas police said they had responded to 406 minor wrecks, 146 injury wrecks and 125 injury wrecks on freeways. DART going By midday, with snow still falling, road conditions were bad enough that dozens of area schools decided to close early so children could return home long before the evening commute began. “The Dallas schools have no afternoon or evening activities, and more are closing early, and that will help,” Hartzel said Thursday. “It spreads out the anticipated load on the roads.”

    The snow had little effect on Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s light rail service, far different than the complete shutdown it experienced during an ice storm in early December. On Thursday morning, DART officials were at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where an inch of snow fell, giving a Federal Transit Authority official a tour of a train station that will open in Terminal A later this year. DART president and executive director Gary Thomas said he didn’t expect the snow to interrupt service.

    “Snow does not,” he said. “Ice is a little problem.” But the snow did affect the airport. Hundreds of flights were canceled, and others were delayed as planes waited to be de-iced at the gates. “The stuff that should be leaving isn’t leaving quite as quickly because of the de-icing,” airport spokesman David Magana said. By early evening, more than 400 flights had been canceled and about 750 had been delayed, according to data from flightaware.com.

  • East Dallas young professionals groups give back, invest in community

    East Dallas young professionals groups give back, invest in community

    For some young professionals in East Dallas, networking is not just about the people they can meet, it’s about the people they help. Over the past couple of years, the area has seen several new groups formed that are geared toward young professionals. While some, such as the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Alliance group or Vogel Alcove’s Flight, are under the umbrellas of local nonprofits, others, such as East Dallas Young Professionals, which is affiliated with the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce, are business-oriented. All have a component of service.

    “This young professionals group is going to play a key role,” said Greg Brinkley, 36, director of corporate relations with Vogel Alcove. “If you can imagine, as we start building this membership out and all the connections these people have … this group can really affect what our mission is and our future as an organization.” On Jan. 20, a group of 40 volunteers worked to beautify the playground at Vogel Alcove’s new location at old City Park Elementary.

    In two-and-a-half hours, the group covered the space in tons of mulch. “They’re very much go-getters,” said Sammy Gonzalez, 33, director of marketing for Vogel Alcove. Flight, which is open to young professionals of all ages, is still spreading its wings it held its first event in November but discussions for a group go back at least a year, when a couple of people reached out to Karen Hughes, Vogel Alcove’s president and CEO. “When I reached out to Karen, it was to get something that actually had my heart and not just my wallet,” said Chrystal Morgan, who is co-president of Flight with Mary Lyons.

    “Something that I was completely interested in being a part of.” Lyons, 32, said the group’s focus on helping kids was a draw for her, too. “I’ve lived in Dallas for seven years, and I’ve been looking for something to get really involved with,” Lyons said. The group includes members from diverse backgrounds, all united around helping the children that Vogel Alcove serves. “We’re bonding over doing something that’s good for the community,” Lyons said. “What this group really seems to attract, to me, are people that have very, very good hearts and they all care about someone other than themselves we all have that commonality of being altruistic.” So far, they have a governing board of 23 people, and a membership list of about 30 more.

    “I am so excited and I’m so fortunate to be associated with this group of people,” Morgan, 28, said. While Flight members have gotten their hands dirty helping Vogel Alcove prepare its new home, the Alliance group has worked in other ways to serve the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. “We have several members who do ongoing volunteering at the center and we’re trying to build up the program to have more volunteer projects,” said Mallory Bassham, 27, a development associate with DCAC who helps oversee Alliance.

    “Every event we’ve held, we’ve done a call to action.” The group, which is also for professionals of all ages, held a toy drive for the center as part of its holiday party, helps with fundraising events and, like Flight, seeks to raise awareness about the center’s mission to help abused children in Dallas County. “[I] felt that it was a good cause,” said Lauren Soulis, 30, who has been involved with Alliance from its beginning. “I’m involved because I genuinely care.”

    Alliance was started in the fall of 2012, and has grown to about 100 members from the initial group of about 40, Bassham said. “The response has been really positive, and we’re excited about the number of people who’ve gotten involved,” Soulis said. While East Dallas Young Professionals isn’t a tied to a specific nonprofit, serving the community is a goal for it, too, said Ross Williams, its president.

    “One of our commitments is community service we did three service days in our first year,” he said. “One of the things we’re going to do on a yearly basis is the National Day of Service.” The East Dallas group, like Alliance, is a little over a year old. It was started as a way to give East Dallas businessmen and women under 40 a way to connect with the community and one another. Williams, 31, said they try to hold two happy hour events and a luncheon each quarter to bring people together. “One of the things that is important for us is to create future leaders,” said Karla Lott, 33, who serves as the group’s treasurer.

    “We are the future of East Dallas and we want to get people involved and let them know.” Williams said people moving into Dallas and North Texas for the opportunities it offers, along with a push from chambers and other professional development organizations, are two of the reasons more groups are popping up for young business people. He said it’s also a way for people to become part of where they live. “People want to be involved in the community,” he said. White Rock/East Dallas editor Ananda Boardman can be reached at 214-977-8503.

    AREA GROUPS

    This is a partial list of groups in the area that offer something for young professionals, and the organizations with which they are affiliated. Alliance, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center Alliance is a group for those who wish to be young advocates for the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center and its work helping abused children in Dallas County. Dues: $125/year single; $225/year couple Online: dcac.org/Get_Involved/ join_a_group/alliance.aspx or facebook.com/DCACAlliance Contact: Mallory Bassham, alliance@dcac.org. East Dallas Young Professionals, Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce This group offers young East Dallas professionals a chance to network and get involved in the community. Members participate in the National Day of Service. Dues: $5/event; $75/year.

    Yearly membership includes a listing in the chamber directory, and participation in all 12 events. Chamber membership not a requirement to join the group.

  • More Republican Snow Disrupts Life in Dallas Hispanics in Texas than elsewhere in US: Poll

    More Republican Snow Disrupts Life in Dallas Hispanics in Texas than elsewhere in US: Poll

    AUSTIN, TX (TIP): Hispanic and Anglo residents in Texas identify with the Republican Party far more than the national average, according to new polling data released Friday, February 7 that calls into question how soon demographic changes in Texas could benefit Democrats seeking statewide office. Gallup tracking polls show that 27 percent of Hispanics in Texas identify with the GOP, the highest percentage since 2008 and 6 percent higher than elsewhere in the country.

    Democrats nationally rely on Hispanic voters, but their level of conservatism in Texas could damper the party’s hope to soon end its 20-year losing streak for statewide office. “Hispanics in Texas are more likely to identify as Republican than are Hispanics elsewhere, and the Republican Party in Texas has seen more growth in Hispanic support over the past five years than the Democratic Party,” Gallup’s Andrew Duggan said in his analysis of the results. “While this has not changed the overall equation – Democrats still lead big among Texas Hispanics – it does suggest the GOP may be more competitive with this bloc than many assume,” he said.

    The percentage of Hispanics who lean or identify themselves as Democrats dropped from 53 percent in 2008 to 46 percent in 2013, which is 5 percent below Hispanics nationally. Among the Anglo residents polled, 61 percent identified as Republicans. Nationally, Republicans make up 48 percent of the population. The poll was based on 1,000 phone interviews conducted daily in all 50 states throughout 2013. Democrats have stepped up efforts in Texas after 20 years of crushing defeats in statewide and presidential elections. Many note that Anglos, or non-Hispanic whites, make up 46 percent of the Texas population and that Hispanics are expected to become the majority by 2020, according to U.S.

    Census Bureau projections. Texas Democrats joined Jeremy Bird, President Barrack Obama’s national field organizer, in creating a political action committee called Battleground Texas to take advantage of the demographic shift. Gilberto Hinojosa, the party chairman in Texas, has said that if Democrats can build a coalition of liberal Anglos, Hispanics and black voters, they could win elections.

    But Gallup noted that voter registration and turnout continue to present the biggest challenges for Democrats. Only 43 percent of Texas Hispanics said they were registered to vote, while 82 percent of Anglos and 77 percent of blacks said they were eligible to vote. That gives Republicans a distinct advantage: 64 percent of Texas residents who say they are eligible to vote are Anglo, 19 percent are Hispanic and 13 percent are black. “Texas remains a Republican-leaning state because its white residents are becoming increasingly Republican and its large Hispanic population, though solidly Democratic, is less so than Hispanics nationally,” Duggan said.

  • Snow Disrupts Life in Dallas

    Snow Disrupts Life in Dallas

    DALLAS (TIP) As snow fell across North Texas on Thursday, February 6 the bitter cold caused some driving headaches and prompted some school districts to dismiss early. Several school districts will be closed Friday, while many others will operate on a delay In Jacksboro, problems with a gas line forced a company to cut service to the entire city, and it might not be restored until Friday or Saturday.

    POWER ERCOT,

    the electricity grid operator in Texas, is asking people to conserve power through noon on Friday due to increased demand on the grid because of the cold weather. ERCOT said peak demand on Thursday morning exceeded 57,000 megawatts. “We already saw electric demand close to our winter record this morning,” said Dan Woodfin, ERCOT director of System Operations in a statement on Thursday. “We are expecting cold weather to continue through tomorrow morning’s high demand period, and some generation capacity has become unavailable due to limitations to natural gas supplies.”

    SCHOOLS

    Several schools and school districts announced Thursday night that they’ll be closed Friday, including Azle ISD, Boles ISD, Garner ISD and more. Dallas ISD said Thursday that school will be held at the regular time Friday, but if that changes, officials will announce it no later than 6 a.m. Friday. Fort Worth ISD students are already off Friday, but officials will evaluate weather conditions and will make a decision early Friday morning about whether or not staff will be required to go in. Many other schools will operate on a delayed schedule Friday.

    ROAD CONDITIONS Drivers had a tough time getting around in the snow Thursday. In Dallas, 406 wrecks were reported. About 146 were injury accidents, and a majority of those happened on freeways. Sheriff’s deputies were on patrol along the I-35 corridor in Dallas looking for accidents, which is where one woman lost control, spun sideways, then hit a wall. No one was hurt. Just after noon Thursday, the city of Dallas activated a condition it calls “Ice Force Level 2,” with about 70 sanding trucks and 145 personnel on the roadways. Other municipalities had crews out working as well.

    AIRPORTS

    The snow caused hundreds of delays and cancellations at DFW Airport on Thursday. About 200 departures were canceled, and crews worked hard in the cold to de-ice planes. At times, they shut down runways to clear the snow. DFW officials urge travelers set to fly Friday to keep an eye on the status of their flights. Dallas Love Field reported no major issues.

  • Two Texas energy giants take multibillion-dollar dispute to jury

    Two Texas energy giants take multibillion-dollar dispute to jury

    DALLAS (TIP): Energy Transfer Partners of Dallas contends that Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners broke its commitment to jointly build a pipeline from Cushing, Okla., to Houston.

    Energy Transfer Partners argues that Enterprise and Enbridge Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, conspired to cut Energy Transfer Partners out of the deal. Enterprise and Enbridge, in court documents, say Energy Transfer Partners’ lawsuit is without merit because there never was an actual partnership or joint venture with Energy Transfer Partners.

    “Energy Transfer Partners is trying to get in the courthouse what it could not achieve in the marketplace,” lawyers for Enterprise said in court documents asking the judge to dismiss the case. Dallas County District Judge Emily Tobolowsky denied the request. Jury selection started Monday, and the trial is expected to last four weeks.

    “This is going to be a great case because the issues are important and there are so many great lawyers involved,” said David Elrod, a Dallas trial lawyer whose practice focuses on energy litigation. The case pits some of Texas’ most prominent trial lawyers against each other. Dallas trial lawyer Mike Lynn of Lynn Tillotson Pinker & Cox represents Energy Transfer Partners. David Beck of Beck Redden in Houston and Dick Sayles of Sayles Werbner are defending Enterprise.

    Dallas attorney Jeffrey Levinger and a team from Sullivan & Cromwell in California represent Enbridge. All of the lawyers declined to comment on the case. The trial is expected to provide insight into the business operations and strategic thinking of leaders at three of the largest and fastest-growing oil companies in North America. Top executives at all three companies are expected to testify. The issue is whether Energy Transfer Partners and Enterprise legally formed a partnership to build the pipeline from Cushing, which is a major oil hub, to Houston, where the crude could be refined or shipped.

    Energy Transfer Partners says yes. The Dallas-based energy conglomerate, which has about $50 billion in oil and gas assets, claims that Enterprise majority owner and chairman Dan Duncan of Houston approached Energy Transfer Partners about a joint venture in the months before he died in 2010. Enterprise, which has an estimated $38 billion in assets, and Energy Transfer Partners renewed discussions in spring 2011 and signed a nonbinding agreement a few weeks later. “ETP and Enterprise shared joint control over the partnership’s commercial activities, jointly meeting with potential customers, jointly marketing the partnership to potential customers and jointly making operational decisions,” Energy Transfer Partners’ lawyers say in court records.

    “The parties unequivocally and repeatedly told potential pipeline customers, regulators and investment banks in formal written materials that they had formed a joint venture and that the parties had agreed to share profits and losses on a 50-50 basis,” Energy Transfer Partners claims. The two companies, which called their new venture Double E Pipeline, even signed a deal in August 2011 with Chesapeake Energy to ship “at least 100,000 barrels of oil per day on the Double E Pipeline for a 10-year period.”

    Less than a month later, Enterprise announced that it was ending its relationship with Energy Transfer Partners to do a similar partnership with Enbridge, which has about $30 billion in oil and gas assets and annual revenue of about $11 billion. Energy Transfer Partners claims that Enterprise and Enbridge conspired to end the joint venture with Energy Transfer Partners, which is seeking more than $1.2 billion in actual and punitive damages. Enterprise and Enbridge argue that Enterprise legally backed out of the proposed joint venture. Enterprise lawyers, in court documents, point to the April 21, 2011, letter between the two companies as proof that their partnership had not been finalized.

    “No binding or enforcement obligations shall exist between the parties with respect to the [relationship] unless and until the parties have received their respective boards’ approvals,” the agreement stated. “The parties made crystal clear that they had not yet agreed to undertake the proposed joint venture,” Enterprise lawyers said in court records. “Despite months of hard work by Enterprise’s employees, Enterprise and ETP were unable to secure sufficient commitments from prospective shippers of crude oil to make the proposed joint venture with ETP commercially viable.” Energy Transfer Partners lawyers, in court documents, say the relationship between the two companies had moved well beyond the terms agreed to in the April 2011 letter. Lawyers for Energy Transfer Partners argue that Texas law liberally defines the existence of a business partnership, even in some cases in which the parties involved claim there is no such partnership, much like the existence of a common-law marriage under Texas family law.

  • On duty Dallas cop accused of forcing woman to have sex in back of his patrol car

    On duty Dallas cop accused of forcing woman to have sex in back of his patrol car

    DALLAS (TIP): A Dallas police officer accused of sexually abusing a woman while on duty and in uniform, has been arrested. Officer La’Cori Johnson, 28, allegedly forced a woman to perform oral sex on him before having sex with her in the back of his patrol car on Sept. 9, 2013.

    “You don’t have to go to jail if you do what I tell you to do,” he said, according to an arrest affidavit. The unidentified woman said she obeyed the officer’s demands because he was armed and she feared going to jail, reported NBCDFW. The Dallas-Fort Worth station said the whole incident started when Johnson pulled over the woman and another person, performed background checks on both and then told the friend to leave.

    The officer, who had been with the department since 2009, told the woman there was a warrant out for her arrest and told her to get into the back of his car, she said. Johnson drove the woman to a dead end behind the Pecan Square Apartments and parked. Then he got into the backseat and removed his gun belt, according to NBCDFW.

    At this point, he allegedly made his sexual demands. “With any sexual assault, the victim is going to have lasting damage from that attack; but in this particular case, the damage extends beyond the victim, and it impacts the entire public,” attorney Kimberly Priest Johnson told ABC affiliate WFAA. The woman reported the incident to police on Oct. 4, 2013. Johnson was immediately placed on administrative leave.

    At the same time, a criminal investigation by the department’s Public Integrity Unit was initiated. That investigation was followed by an Internal Affairs investigation that began on Jan. 24 of this year. On January 28, Johnson was questioned by Internal Affairs detectives. He later resigned from the department and was immediately arrested and booked into the Dallas County Jail. He was later released the following day after his bond was paid. The sexual assault charge is a 2nd degree felony.

  • Poorer school districts still shortchanged in Texas, expert says

    Poorer school districts still shortchanged in Texas, expert says

    AUSTIN (TIP): The state only slightly reduced big funding gaps between richer and poorer school districts last year, a representative for hundreds of districts told a judge Wednesday, January 29.

    Wayne Pierce, executive director of the Equity Center, testified that elementary schools in wealthier districts still have an average $73,000 more per classroom to spend than schools in the state’s poorest districts. That funding advantage exists even though the poorest 15 percent of school districts have significantly higher tax rates than the wealthiest 15 percent, Pierce said. “The [funding] gaps remain exceedingly large,” he said.

    “We have an irrational system with layers of irrational funding factors.” Pierce, a former superintendent of the Kaufman school district, also said that lawmakers reduced the average gap between higher-wealth and lower-wealth districts by only $209 per student in the current budget. There is still a gap of nearly $2,000 per student between districts at the upper and lower ends of the property wealth spectrum, he said.

    The Equity Center represents low- and medium-wealth school districts. That includes 445 districts that are among the more than 600 suing the state. State District Judge John Dietz ruled the system unconstitutional a year ago. He is holding additional hearings to determine the effect of legislative changes made since his decision. Lawmakers increased funding and scaled back high school testing. School districts say schools still have inadequate resources and an unfair system for distributing funds.

    They also argue that the state has improperly limited their ability to raise enough revenue through local property taxes. Catherine Clark, a school finance expert with the Texas Association of School Boards, said that despite funding increases, nearly 40 percent of school districts still have less money this year than they had in the 2010-11 school year. Those 408 districts include Dallas and several other North Texas districts. Combined, they educate 2.3 million students.

    The Legislature slashed education funding by $5.4 billion in 2011 to help ease a state budget crunch. Lawmakers restored $3.4 billion last year. “The funding system is leveling down at the same time that standards are being raised,” she told the judge. “The funding has not responded to the increased standards set by the state.” The case is expected to wind up before the Texas Supreme Court later this year after Dietz issues his final decision.

  • AT&T creating new jobs in Dallas and around Texas

    AT&T creating new jobs in Dallas and around Texas

    DALLAS (TIP): Dallas-based AT&T Inc. said it was hanging out a help wanted sign. The company wanted to fill more than 1,800 jobs in Texas, including 770 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

    More than 1,000 of the positions statewide were newly created. Monday, AT&T said it was still looking to hire. Now it has more than 1,000 jobs to fill in Texas, just over half of them newly created. That includes 350 jobs to fill in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 61 of them new, a spokeswoman said.

    The jobs range from technicians to call center employees to retail employees. Applications can be done online. The company currently employs 36,000 in Texas, up 1,000 since June, the company said. It employs 246,000 nationwide, up from 240,000 in June.

  • Texas ranks No. 2 for human trafficking crime

    Texas ranks No. 2 for human trafficking crime

    DALLAS (TIP): The National Human Trafficking Resource Center has released its 2013 data and it may or may not come as a surprise to you that Texas ranks No. 2 in number of calls placed to the hotline.

    Texas maintained its No. 2 position, behind California, even as overall calls skyrocketed last year. It’s safe to say that a large number of those calls came from the North Texas region, as the Dallas-Fort Worth traditionally has been a relative hotbed for human trafficking.

    Experts have said that has to do with the convergence of highways in the region as well as the area’s proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. While it’s difficult to capture the specific data because of the hidden nature of the crime, Mosaic Family Services in Dallas, for example, typically serves 100 victims a year. And in 2012, the national hotline received about 250 calls from the city of Dallas alone.

  • Texas woman charged with murdering 10-year-old son

    Texas woman charged with murdering 10-year-old son

    FRISCO, TX (TIP): A North Texas woman was charged with murder Thursday, January 30, in the death of her 10-year-old son, whose body was found in a bathtub in the family’s suburban Dallas home.

    Pallavi Dhawan was booked into the Frisco City Jail after her Wednesday night arrest. Bond is set at $50,000. Police said Sumeet Dhawan, the suspect’s husband of 15 years, called officers to the family home Wednesday evening after he returned from an out-of-town trip and could not find his wife. When officers arrived, the husband also expressed concern about the welfare of their only child, Arnav Dhawan.

    His father said he had received an email that the child had been absent from school for several days, according to a Frisco Police Department statement. At that point, Pallavi Dhawan arrived at the house. Officers asked where the child was, but she asked to speak privately with her husband first, according to the statement.

    During the conversation, her husband became visibly upset, called officers over and pointed toward a bedroom door. They found the door locked. “Officers asked Mrs. Dhawan if the child was in the room, and she nodded her head ‘yes.’ Officers asked her if she killed the child, and Mrs. Dhawan nodded her head ‘yes,’” said police Sgt. Brad Merritt at an afternoon news conference. Police said officers forced the door open and found the child’s body in the tub, wrapped in a cloth up to his neck and with plastic bags in the tub around him.

  • Dallas Indian American Community Celebrates Republic Day

    Dallas Indian American Community Celebrates Republic Day

    DALLAS (TIP): Dallas Indian community celebrated 26th January, the 65th Indian Republic Day at the Jefferson Park, Irving. A lot of individuals and families were a part of this celebration which was highlighted to “Celebrate the Spirit of India”.

    The event also emphasized on a corruption free India and various ways in which NRI’s can add value to this very cause. The Aam Aadmi Party of Dallas took a major initiative to spread the social messages through skits, and patriotic songs.

    Earlier in the day there was an online video session with Yoginder Yadav who is the think tank of Aam Aadmi Party. The event’s message of social awareness and national responsibilities was much appreciated by one and all.

  • Flu Battle, Vaccinations Continue Across North Texas

    Flu Battle, Vaccinations Continue Across North Texas

    As the flu epidemic continues to hit North Texas, health leaders are hammering the message: It’s still not too late to get vaccinated. Some clinics have quickly run out of the shots, but several DFW-area Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores say they’re stocked up.

    At the Wal-Mart store off Northwest Highway and Skillman in Dallas, NBC 5 found there wasn’t a line at the pharmacy and they had plenty of flu shots in supply. “We got a heads up on the issues that were going on with the flu shots, so we were giving the incentive and directions to order enough supply to have some in stock.

    We have plenty of supply and figure my other Wal-Mart pharmacies, as far as I know, Wal-Mart is not experiencing a shortage as some other retailers are,” said Dallas Wal-Mart Pharmacist Emelda Azu-Irondi. She said even though her store has plenty of doses of the flu shot, there’s still not the demand. She’s only been giving out a dozen shots a day. That was good news for Elizabeth Bula, she tried a CVS Store first a couple of weeks ago.

    “The pharmacy I went to was out of stock, so I’ve just kind of been putting it off until now,” said Bula. The 25-year-old said this is the first year she’s rolling up her sleeve to get a shot. “I know the age range I’m [in] and it’s almost like we’re being targeted this season. It’s interesting to hear how many people have gotten sick, and some people have passed away, which is so sad. Hearing that, realizing I should’ve gotten a shot, I’m out here and getting it done,” said Bula. Lucy Neal’s sister is a nurse in the intensive care unit. She heard the warning from her: don’t wait any longer.

  • 116 North Texas schools identified as low performing

    116 North Texas schools identified as low performing

    DALLAS (TIP): The parents of thousands of North Texas students will get a letter soon telling them their school does not make the grade.

    The Texas Education Agency has compiled its annual list of low performing schools based on poor test scores or unacceptable ratings from the state’s Public Education Grant program. This year the number of campuses across the state on the list nearly doubled to 892.

    Locally, Dallas and Fort Worth have the most campuses on the list, but many suburban districts are on it as well. Students in low performing schools are allowed to transfer to another school or district, but Dallas Independent School District spokesman Jon Dahlander said few do because transportation is not provided. DISD will host a public meeting Thursday evening for parents with questions. It will begin at 5:45 p.m. at the Ada L. Williams Auditorium, which is located at 3700 Ross Avenue in Dallas.

  • DALLAS WILL DECIDE ON PLASTIC-BAG BAN IN MARCH

    DALLAS WILL DECIDE ON PLASTIC-BAG BAN IN MARCH

    DALLAS (TIP): Dallas City Council will finally decide in March, whether or not to ban single-use plastic (and paper) bags.For the first hour of the meeting at City Hall, January 14, it looked as though the issue would stagnate as council members retread the same tired ground they’ve been covering for the past 10 months: Caraway said the bags are an eyesore and environmental nuisance that have to go; Sheffie Kadane countered that businesses and consumers should be allowed to determine the best course; Scott Griggs chimed in with things like “we have a system in place where our externalities are not internalized.” But then, Mayor Mike Rawlings took charge.

    “We need to get something on paper, and we need to take action on it. We’ve talked about this enough,” he said. The discussion, he added, has been fueled by each council member’s philosophical beliefs, which none of them seems willing to change. He turned to Caraway. “Work with legal try to find something creative,” Rawlings said. “Whatever we find, put it on a piece of paper, put it in an ordinance, take it in [the council chambers], and vote it up or down.” So maybe it won’t be a ban. Maybe it’ll be a requirement that stores charge for bags. Maybe a mandate that groceries be carried in pockets. We’ll see. Whatever the specifics, there will be a vote. After a brief consultation with City Attorney Warren Ernst, Caraway announced it will be in March.

  • Thieves Have Stolen in Dallas 60 Cars Left Idling to Warm Up

    Thieves Have Stolen in Dallas 60 Cars Left Idling to Warm Up

    DALLAS (TIP): Think before you leave your car idling to warm up. You may soon develop cold feet. Leaving an unwatched car idling on a Dallas street is like wrapping a steak in bacon, throwing it to a pack of stray dogs, and hoping it doesn’t get eaten. The numbers are a bit stupefying. In the month of January, which is all of 15.75 days old, thieves have made off with 60 cars that had been left to warm up. That’s four people every day.

  • Kids believe nicer people over meaner ones

    Kids believe nicer people over meaner ones

    TEXAS (TIP): A new study has found that children are less to believe a mean person than a nice person, even if the pleasant person was described as having no knowledge on the topic. Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas examined how preschoolers decide whom to believe when provided with two conflicting pieces of information given by a nice or mean adult. Dr. Asheley Landrum, lead researcher of the study, said that past research have shown children recognize that different people know different things.

    However, less was known about how children decide between conflicting claims from alleged experts. Landrum and colleagues conducted a series of experiments to test how children decide who is a trustworthy source of information. A total of 164 children, ages 3 to 5, participated in the experiments by watching videos of people described as eagle or bicycle “experts.” The first experiment questioned if children understood that some people have more knowledge about topics depending on their expertise, that is, eagle experts know more about birds than bicycle experts.

    The second and third experiments examined how niceness and meanness affected assigning knowledge to an expert. “Even when an expert clearly should know an answer to a question, children tend to trust claims made by nice people with no expertise over mean people with clearly relevant expertise,” said Dr. Candice Mills, Landrum’s advisor and co-author on the paper. According to Mills, children may conclude that someone who appears pleasant is both trustworthy and competent, even if the friendly appearance is a carefully crafted act of manipulation. The study is published in Developmental Science.

  • Late nights can make you feel sick

    Late nights can make you feel sick

    TEXAS (TIP): Jet lag, shift work or any late night might be the reason behind you getting sick, a new study has revealed. That’s because the body’s internal clock is set for two 12-hour periods of light and darkness, and when this rhythm is thrown off, so is the immune system. According to the new study, one reason might be that the genes that set the body clock are intimately connected to certain immune cells, Stuff.co.nz reported.

    Lora Hooper, immunologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas claimed that the discover happened when she and her colleagues were studying NFIL3, a protein that guides the development of certain immune cells and turns on the activity of others. The gene for this protein is mutated in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease, the study also found that the mice lacking the gene for NFIL3 had more so-called TH17 cells in their intestines. These cells are a type of immune cell known as a T cell, which get their name from a signal they produce, called interleukin 17, which tells other T cells to increase the immune response. The study is published online in the journal Science

  • DALLAS WILL DECIDE ON PLASTIC-BAG BAN IN MARCH

    DALLAS WILL DECIDE ON PLASTIC-BAG BAN IN MARCH

    DALLAS (TIP):
    Dallas City Council will finally decide in March, whether or not to ban single-use plastic (and paper) bags.For the first hour of the meeting at City Hall, January 14, it looked as though the issue would stagnate as council members retread the same tired ground they’ve been covering for the past 10 months: Caraway said the bags are an eyesore and environmental nuisance that have to go; Sheffie Kadane countered that businesses and consumers should be allowed to determine the best course; Scott Griggs chimed in with things like “we have a system in place where our externalities are not internalized.” But then, Mayor Mike Rawlings took charge. “We need to get something on paper, and we need to take action on it. We’ve talked about this enough,” he said.

    The discussion, he added, has been fueled by each council member’s philosophical beliefs, which none of them seems willing to change. He turned to Caraway. “Work with legal try to find something creative,” Rawlings said. “Whatever we find, put it on a piece of paper, put it in an ordinance, take it in [the council chambers], and vote it up or down.” So maybe it won’t be a ban. Maybe it’ll be a requirement that stores charge for bags. Maybe a mandate that groceries be carried in pockets. We’ll see. Whatever the specifics, there will be a vote. After a brief consultation with City Attorney Warren Ernst, Caraway announced it will be in March.

  • TANVI SHINDE-The Teen Talent

    TANVI SHINDE-The Teen Talent

    It was the great American poet, Robert Frost who once wrote the now famous lines: “Woods are lovely, dark and deep; But I have promises to keep; And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep”. Tanvi seems to be keeping those lines of Frost in her mind. Not content with a number of trophies and awards she has won, she told The Indian Panorama, in an interview, recently, “I want to continue on my journey with pageants because I believe that this is just the beginning; I still have a lot more to achieve in my life.

    I want to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts and become an astonishing creative director.” Look at all the honors she has got. Miss Teen India DFW 2012; Miss Popular 2012; Miss Teen South Asia Texas 2012; Miss Photogenic Miss Teen India USA 2012; Second runner up Miss Teen India USA 2012; Miss Over-All Photogenic winner 2013; Miss Talented Miss India USA 2013. As a child she wasn’t really aware of pageants, she had never even thought of being in one. But as a child she was involved in dancing and art. Her passion for dance and art began at a very young age. Her creativity comes from her dad’s side of the family.

    The Shinde family consists of great singers, artist and dancers. And this is what influenced her to become such a creative person overall. Tanvi’s father, Raj Shinde, is an accomplished creative director in advertising and mother is a teacher. Both played a key role in shaping their daughter’s ambition. However, it appears her father had a greater influence on her. She told The Indian Panorama, “In order to realize and achieve the goal I paid close attention to my father’s work since he himself is a phenomenal creative director. With his guidance and the company of my mom and her support I was able to experience and get more knowledge in the commercial field by acting in a few commercials and doing voice-overs.

    I made sure I was open-minded and ready to learn new things at every moment of my life.” In reply to a question as to what career she would like to adopt, she took no time to answer, “As far as career is concerned, I’ve always wanted to become a creative director and open up my own advertising agency. Along with that I also want to pursue modeling and acting.” When I congratulated her on her being one of the top 5 finalists in Miss India USA Pageant, she smiled, looked at her father and then said in a matter of fact style, “Success doesn’t come to you; you have to work hard for it.

    Nothing is impossible; if you can dream it you can achieve it. Be real, be yourself, be unique, be true, be honest, be humble and most of all is to be happy.” I asked her about the pageant- when and where it was held, how many participated etc. I love to quote her. “Several young women participated in the 32nd annual Miss India USA pageant which was hosted by IFC. It was held in New Jersey on November 23rd at Royal Albert’s Palace. Being the winner of the 2012 Miss Teen India DFW, I was a teen participant from Dallas, Texas. I represented Texas.


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    Tanvi Shinde (left)is crowned Miss Teen India USA

    I won the Miss Talented Miss India USA 2013 title in the 2013 Miss India USA pageant.” Visibly excited to recall the pageant, she continued, “The rounds that were included in the 2013 Miss India USA pageant were an Intro dance, Talent round, Indian Wear along with a self-introduction, Evening Wear, Top 5, and crowning. I was one of the top 5 finalists. She said, “I’ve always competed with the teens but this was my very first time competing with the miss girls, it was definitely a unique experience also a lot more challenging! Along with that I got to meet new people and make new friends.

    It also taught me several new things and increased my knowledge about the world of pageants. I would say that the 2013 Miss India USA pageant has impacted my life tremendously; it has brought great opportunities to me. It has given me a chance to help my community and be successful in my career. I couldn’t have gotten this far without my parents, and all of my family and friends; I would like to thank everyone with all my heart”. Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra India raised, and in Dallas, Texas USA, Tanvi is, to say the least, extremely talented. Imagine a young girl of 18 having command over such diverse aspects of talent.


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  • Sikhs in Dallas Celebrate with Zeal Guru Gobind Singh’s Birth Anniversary

    Sikhs in Dallas Celebrate with Zeal Guru Gobind Singh’s Birth Anniversary

    Harjit Singh Dhesi DALLAS (TIP): Sikhs in Dallas area celebrated with fervor and zeal the birth anniversary of their Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh who had created Khalsa in 1699. At the Gurdwara Sikh Temple, as the tradition is, a 48 hour long recitation of the Holy Scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib was done before the final celebrations. on Sunday, January 5. A large number of devotees visited the Gurdwara during the recitation period from Friday to Sunday, Service is a cardinal principle of Sikhism.

    Keeping it in view, Joga Singh Sandhu and family performed the service of Nishan Sahib and Chola while langar seva was taken upon by the congregation. The Bards sang the divine hymns and some others spoke at length about the life and teachings of Guru Gobind Singh and about the principles of the Sikh religion. Similarly, at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Richardson, Sikhs celebrated the Guru’s birth anniversary with great enthusiasm. Principal Baljit Singh spoke about the tragedies involving the lives of the Sahibzadas and about Guru Gobind Singh’s relentless fight against injustice and tyranny.

    He said the Guru sacrificed for his Sikhs even his family and exhorted the followers of faith to follow the path of righteousness and sacrifice shown by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. In other Gurdwaras in Dallas also similar celebrations took place. In Gurdwara Euless, Gurdwara Akal Jot, Garland and at Gurdwara Niskam Seva, Irving , Sikhs gathered to celebrate the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.


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    Gurdwara Sikh Temple, Garland

  • Sikh congregation at Ulis Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) recalls martyrdom of Sahibzadas

    Sikh congregation at Ulis Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) recalls martyrdom of Sahibzadas

    DALLAS (TIP): The Sikh community recalled the martyrdom of the heroic Sahibzadas- the four sons, aged 18, 14, 9 and 6, of Guru Gobind Singh, the Founder of the Sikh religion, which is the fifth largest religion of the world, with around 25 million followers all over the world, at the local Gurdwara (Sikh temple) Sikh Sangat in Ulis, Friday, December 20. As is customary, an Akhand Path Sahib (Continuous recital of Scripture-The Guru Granth Sahib, the Living Master of the Sikhs) was started on Friday, December 18.

    The Diwan ( assembly) was organized on Sunday when the congregation participated in prayers, hymn singing, sermons and paying homage to the beloved sahibzadas- Sahibzada Ajit Singh Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. Guru Gobind Singh Ji had four sons. The two older sons Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, 18 and 14 years old respectively, like the other brave Sikhs, had fallen fighting the enemy. The two younger sons Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, 9 and 6 years old respectively, who along with their grandmother Mata Gujri had strayed away from their father, in to the hands of the enemy, were bricked alive, in 1705, on orders from the Nawab of Sirhind for refusing to convert to Islam.


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    They are probably the youngest martyrs in the world. And they are among the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism. The attending raagi (bard) of the gurdwara Sahib, Ulis, Bhai Harjit Singh Khalsa sang hymns and also narrated the story of heroism and sacrifice of the Sahibzadas. Japneet Kaur, a six year old girl, recited a poem dedicated to the Sahibzadas so poignantly that it brought tears in to the eyes of the devotees. The jatha (group) of singers consisting of Bahi Amarjit Singh, Bhai Amarjit Singh Mann and Bhai Sukhdev Singh, sang songs of heroism, bravery and sacrifice of the Sahibzadas. They described at length the story of the Sahibzadas’ sacrifice. Bibi Ravideep Kaur of Akal Academy, in her address to the congregation, dwelt on the importance of education and exhorted the gathering to pay greater attention to the proper education of their children which she described as the most valuable investment that parents can ever make. Bibi Paramjit Kaur Cheema, President of Gurdwara Sikh Sangat also addressed the congregation.

    She spoke about the unique tradition of sacrifice of the Sikh community and paid homage to the Sahibzadas. Sikhs have a glorious tradition of heroism, bravery and sacrifice which they take pride in. In fact, the history of the Sikhs is replete the stories of sacrifice, coming from the Sikh Masters down to their followers. The family of Bhai Hardeep Singh Gurna hosted the Guru ka Langar (free food) and received the blessings of the Guru (Shri Guru Granth Sahib) in abundance. The tradition of langar is unique to the Sikhs. In all Sikh temples, free food is served to everyone who comes in. To know more about Sikhism, visit a Sikh Temple, preferably on a Sunday between 11 A.M. and 2 P.M. or on a special occasion, like the observance of martyrdom of the Sahibzadas.

  • Texas woman admits to sending ricin to Obama & Bloomberg

    Texas woman admits to sending ricin to Obama & Bloomberg

    DALLAS (TIP): A Texas woman and former actress Shannon Guess Richardson pleaded guilty Tuesday, December 10 to sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, under a deal that her attorney has said would cap prison time at 18 years. Richardson entered her plea in federal court in Texarkana, Texas, to a federal charge of possessing and producing a biological toxin. Richardson was arrested in June after authorities said she tried to implicate her ex-husband, Nathan Richardson, after he had filed for divorce.

    Prosecutors say Shannon Richardson mailed three letters from New Boston, outside Texarkana, then went to police and claimed that her husband had done it. The letter to Obama, according to a federal indictment, said: “What’s in this letter is nothing compared to what ive got in store for you mr president.” Prosecutors say investigators noted inconsistencies in Richardson’s statements and later learned that she had purchased materials online to produce ricin, a toxin that can cause respiratory failure if inhaled. Richardson, 35, has had minor roles in the television series The Walking Dead and the movie The Blind Side. She also is the mother of six children – including one child born prematurely while she was in custody this year.

    Her attorney, Tonda Curry, said last month that she and prosecutors agreed to a deal capping Richardson’s sentence at 18 years. Prosecutors say Richardson faces life in prison for the charge to which she pleaded guilty. A federal judge ultimately will sentence Richardson at a later sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. “Shannon is anxious to admit her role in ordering the components to make the ricin, her role in the letters that contained the ricin, and to tell the government who else was involved in those offenses,” Curry said. Curry did not say more about Richardson’s possible motives or whom she might name.

  • HeartGift-a nonprofit in Dallas to restore health of children’s heart

    HeartGift-a nonprofit in Dallas to restore health of children’s heart

    DALLAS (TIP): Haven’t heard of HeartGift Foundation? You must know then. Since 2000, more than 200 children from 28 countries have received lifesaving heart surgery, courtesy HeartGift Foundation. The relatively new do-gooder HeartGift Foundation, a nonprofit agency based in Austin with five chapters, is now in Dallas. HeartGift’s mission is to provide heart surgery to disadvantaged children living in developing countries where specialized medical treatment is scarce or nonexistent. The Dallas chapter handled four patients in 2013 and will be able to handle 12 per year.

    All medical work here is done at Children’s Medical Center, and HeartGift Dallas’ patients benefit from the generosity of the medical staff, such as pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons Dr. Joseph Forbess, Dr.Kristine Guleserian and Dr. Vinod Sebastian, who donate their skills to repair all HeartGift children’s hearts during their stays in Dallas. In Dallas, HeartGift Dallas works on a contract with Children’s and UT Southwestern that allows HeartGift to save the lives of 12 children a year at a low, flat cost. The HeartGift chapters bring children in for about one month. The child and a family member, typically the mother, stay with a volunteer host family. The child spends about one week in the hospital receiving heart surgery. The agency raises money to pay the partnering children’s hospitals $15,000 to help offset costs of surgery.

    Professional medical services are donated. Through reduced hospital charges and donated medical services, every donated dollar provides $13 of value. The mortality rate for the surgeries is 2 percent. Each HeartGift chapter has a local board of directors, and each hospital appoints a HeartGift Medical Selection Committee to review all cases referred to the program. The local HeartGift staff also recruits and trains a host community for the child. Some host families are drawn to the role because they share the same cultural background as HeartGift patients or because their own children have been through open-heart surgery. A host community is also recruited to help make the job of the host family easier. The Episcopal School of Dallas was the host community for a young patient named Marvin from Christmas Island.

    Community service director Christi Morrow got her students excited about giving back. They treated Marvin to lunches at the school, football games, pep rallies, meals delivered to the host home and lots of love. The First United Methodist Church in Frisco was the host community of Tabiria, also from Christmas Island. They hosted her and her mother in a congregation member’s home and showered them with love, meals, outings, transportation and visits at the hospital. To donate to HeartGift Dallas, make checks payable to HeartGift and specify “Dallas Chapter” in the memo line. Mail to HeartGift Dallas, 11700 Preston Road, Suite 660 #394, Dallas, TX 75230. You can donate online at heartgift.org. To get involved or learn more about the agency, call executive director Barbara Johnson at 817-773-7662 or email her at bjohnson@heartgift.org.