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Moving on
One of the greatest parts of being a City Manager is to be able to watch talented people grow in their positions and advance to the upper ranks of their chosen profession and their field of expertise.  However, this also makes our people very attractive to other cities with vacancies to fill, which is why it is with bittersweet congratulations that we now say goodbye to Assistant City Manager Shanna Sims-Bradish.
Shanna came to us almost five years ago and immediately made her mark on the organization with her knack for detail and effective management. During her tenure in Farmers Branch, she supervised most of our departments at one time or another and, lately, has been doing double duty as Assistant City Manager and Director of Human Resources.
But, more than that, Shanna has been an integral part of our family and has been there with us through celebration as well as tragedy in recent years. She's been responsible for everything from high level budget decisions to dispensing bait at Fishin' Fun. Whatever the task, Shanna owned it and you knew the job was going to be done well.
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Assistant City Manager
Shanna Sims-Bradish
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Now, she has an amazing opportunity with the City of Richardson where she will move into an assistant city manager position that is tailor-made for her skill set, supervising Parks and Recreation, Human Resources, the Budget Office, the Library and the Eisemann Center.
We know the City of Richardson will be greatly improved because of Shanna's addition to their staff. We, however, are not so diminished by her departure because of the comprehensive way Shanna tackled her job here. She has made a lasting impact from which we will benefit for years to come.
In the meantime, to Shanna, her husband, Steve and their son, Will, we send our very best wishes for health, happiness and success, along with our thanks for a job well done.
  
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Major water main break to snarl Valley View traffic through work week
 FARMERS BRANCH ~ A major water main break on westbound Valley View at Hutton Drive in Farmers Branch will have traffic snarled in the area for the rest of the workweek. Farmers Branch Interim Public Works Director Randy Walhood said a 16-inch water distribution main blew out at about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, flooding the street. Repair crews will be working around the clock until the situation is resolved. In the meantime, westbound Valley View Lanes will be completely shut down with east and westbound traffic sharing lanes on the eastbound side. Alternate travel routes are suggested for the rest of this week.
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FeaturedSTORIES
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 FARMERS BRANCH ~ Becoming the first in Texas, the Farmers Branch Animal Adoption Center has partnered with a national program that helps match pets with soldiers, marines, police officers and firefighters, suffering from post-traumatic stress or other like disorders. Based in Rockville, Maryland, Companions for Heroes was founded by a veteran who discovered that his dog's affection helped dissuade him from suicide after returning from service overseas.  Companions for Heroes officials say the program undertakes a serious task with a simple mission, to help heal the lives of veterans and first responders while also providing a quality life to an otherwise unwanted pet. Farmers Branch Environmental Health Director Stacy Wright said the program is a great match for a patriotic community that values its veterans. "It is a great proposition for everyone involved," he explained. "We're able to find homes for pets that may not otherwise have a future, while providing support for our men and women in uniform that may be having a hard time adjusting back to life at home." More information is available on their website at www.companionsforheroes.org or by calling the Farmers Branch Animal Adoption Center at 972.919.8770. PHOTO: Farmers Branch Animal Adoption Center Manager Ethel Strother shows off two of the Center's many adoptable pets (Photo by Tom Bryson).
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Christmas season begins Thanksgiving weekend when Tour of Lights opens
HISTORICAL PARK ~ Turkey leftovers will still be in the 'fridge when the 2012 edition of the Farmers Branch Christmas Tour of Lights gets underway on Friday, November 2  3. The Tour will be available each night between Thanksgiving weekend and New Year's Eve, between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. The Historical Park segment of the driving tour will not be open on Saturday, December 1 or Tuesday, December 25. However, unlike previous years, the tour will no longer be closed on Monday nights, creating, along with the early Thanksgiving, 24 additional hours for Christmas light viewing this 2012 season. New this year will be the opportunity for tour-ists to donate to WFAA's Santa's Helpers Toy Drive. Anyone wishing to should bring a new, unwrapped toy and drop it off during the driving tour. For more info, visit www.farmersbranch.info, call 972.919.2620 or "Like" the Tour on Facebook @branchlights.
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Parks and Recreation program lauded for
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Linda Klark (left) and Bonnie Neumann accepted the award on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Department.
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promoting activity between teens & seniors
SENIOR CENTER ~ Matching the experience of senior citizens to the enthusiasm of tomorrow's leaders was the goal of a Farmers Branch Parks and Recreation program, recently honored by Region 3 of the Texas Recreation and Parks Society at their annual conference.
Farmers Branch Parks and Recreation staff organized the program to join together Senior Center patrons with teen participants in the Community Recreation Center's Leader in Training program during the summer months. These activities included seniors teaching the teens how to cook, crochet, sew, play dominoes, line dance and do yoga. In exchange, the teens were able to help the seniors learn more about their cell phones, iPads and other 21st century technology.
The Lone Star Programming award is given by TRAPS to first time programs. Senior Center staff member Linda Klark and Recreation Center staffer Bonnie Neumann were on hand to accept the award.
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Firehouse Theatre plans second annual Christmas Spectacular, December 13-16
FARMERS BRANCH ~ The second annual production of the Firehouse Theatre's "Christmas Spectacular" is set for 6 p.m., December 13-15 and 1 p.m. December 16 at the Victoria restaurant at 13435 Bee Street. Thursday through Saturday will feature dinner at 6 p.m. with the show at 7:30. The matinee performance on Sunday will include lunch at 1 p.m. with the show at 2:30. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $30 for students. For reservations and ticket information, call 972.620.3747. For more information, visit www.thefirehousetheatre.com.
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Serenading salute Mandi Ridgedell, a member of the Victory Belles, belts out "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" to U.S. Air Force veteran Steve Smith during the annual Veterans Day Celebration, held last week at the Farmers Branch Senior Center. The Belles, from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, delighted the capacity crowd with an hour-long tribute to veterans through World War II-era song and dance. (Derrick Birdsall)
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Volume 2.46 | Number 90 
is published weekly by the Communications Office of the City of Farmers Branch, TX.
Two-time TAMI Award Winner for Best eNewsletter in Texas
Given by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers
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Jim Olk named Community Services Director
CITY HALL ~ Citing his years of experience, combined with his national leadership in
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Jim Olk
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Code Enforcement circles, longtime Farmers Branch Building Official Jim Olk has been named Director of Community Services by City Manager Gary D. Greer. Mr. Olk will now assume supervision of the Environmental Health and Planning Divisions, in addition to Building Inspection and Code Enforcement operations that make up the Community Services Department. Mr. Olk replaces Michael Spicer who left the City last year.   
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Microchip reunites pet and owner
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Next Council meeting set for December 4
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 Autumn leaves have begun to populate the landscape as the sometimes warm days of a Texas Fall have given way to much cooler temps, en route to next week's Thanksgiving Holiday. |
LBJUpdate
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FARMERS BRANCH ~ This weekly update has been made available by LBJ Express, the construction team responsible for the five-year project that will completely renovate the freeway from the Dallas North Tollway to Interstate 35E.
Denton Drive: AT&T work requires lane closures on the west side of Denton through Dec. 15. Denton will be closed under LBJ during night-time hours on Nov. 16 and 17 for bridge work. Josey Lane: Construction of the permanent paving and drainage on Josey and the east end of Villa Creek continues. Various lanes will be closed on Josey until December. A newly discovered ATT utility conflict may delay completion until early January. Webb Chapel: The eastbound Webb Chapel entrance ramp is scheduled to be closed for up to two years beginning on Nov. 17. Webb Chapel traffic will be able to use the new eastbound frontage road and enter LBJ at the Marsh entrance ramp. Marsh Lane: The pavement and bridge work on the west side of Marsh south of Ridgeoak has been extended to April. Concrete paving on the west side of Marsh is expected to be completed by Nov. 30. Southbound Marsh will be closed from 10 pm to 5 am nightly Nov. 18 - 20 for bridge deck panel installation. An additional westbound land will be opened on the westbound frontage road approach to Marsh by Nov. 17. Removal of the westbound LBJ main lane pavement from Rosser to the Joe Ratcliff Pedestrian Bridge has begun and should be completed by the end of November. Valley View: Valley View westbound is scheduled to be closed at LBJ for 12 hours, from 7pm Monday Nov. 26 until 7am Tuesday Nov. 27, for partial bridge demolition. Midway Road: Utility work on Midway requires the closure of the two right lanes and one northbound lane of southbound Midway approximately 200 feet north of LBJ. All utility work on Midway is expected to be completed by late November. Dallas North Tollway: LBJ is narrowed to 3 main lanes in each direction at the DNT. Other Locations: The new section of eastbound frontage road from Webb Chapel to Marsh will open on Nov. 17. The new westbound frontage road from Valley View to Marsh will open later in November. The new section of eastbound frontage road from Marsh to Midway should be opened by early December. Various main lanes of LBJ will be closed frequently during night-time hours. There will also be intermittent night-time closures of various LBJ entrance and exit ramps. All scheduled work is tentative as permitted by weather conditions and other factors.
For the most current updates on the LBJ Express expansion project, visit
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NOV 23
Christmas Tour of Lights Opens
NOV 22-23
Thanksgiving Holiday - most facilities closed
DEC 1 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony DEC 4
City Council Meeting
DEC 18
City Council Meeting
DEC 25
Christmas Holiday - City Facilities closed
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About the City of Farmers Branch
 An historic community in the geographic center of the DFW Metroplex, Farmers Branch boasts a residential population of 28,800 and a daytime employment population of 66,000. Located on the northwest border of the City of Dallas, the City's 27 parks and lush greeenbelts feature nationally-acclaimed, award-winning soccer fields, football facilities as well as baseball and softball complexes. The city's location in the center of the Metroplex and only 15 minutes away from both DFW Airport and Love Field, along with the 2,200 hotel rooms within the city, make Farmers Branch an ideal location for residents and for business. For more information on the City of Farmers Branch, visit farmersbranch.info, visitfarmersbranch.com, lovethebranch.com
or call 972.247.3131. |
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