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The more things change
Let me lead off by inviting each and every one of you to help us celebrate Farmers Branch at the first-ever Branch Evening of Excellence, sponsored by the Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce.  Now, let me invite you to avoid showing up at Brookhaven Country Club on the originally publicized date of April 5, but on the new date of April 26.
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David Feherty
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For some reason, CBS Sports thinks they need David Feherty more than we do on our original weekend. However, we've been assured that Mr. Feherty, former pro golfer, current golf analyst for CBS and the Golf Channel and highly sought-after humorist and speaker, will be with us on Friday, April 26. What's more is that we will have an opportunity to honor our own for their work in making Farmers Branch great. The incomparable Ebby Halliday will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, not only for her work in the real estate market but for her lifetime of civic involvement and community-building. Likewise, Farmers Branch's own Mr. Ed Bonneau will receive the Business Citizen Award for his body of work as a local businessman and community leader. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce is still accepting nominations for awards in the categories of Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year and Best Business Relocation. But, the important thing to remember right now is the new date - Friday, April 26 at Brookhaven Country Club. Tickets are $75 per person and corporate sponsorships are available. For more information on any component of the Branch Evening of Excellence, please call the Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce at 972.243.8966.
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Genealogy class asks how many leaves are in your family tree?
MANSKE LIBRARY ~ Library Director, and amateur genealogist, Belinda Jacks will lead an educational session on how to overcome the challenges and reap the rewards of genealogy on Wednesday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room at the Manske Library.
"For me tracing your family history is not about finding your rich and famous relatives," Ms. Jacks said. "It is about telling the story of your family and every family should have a storyteller, a keeper of treasured memories and history and that is important to who we are."
The class is free and open to anyone. Call 972.247.2511.
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Josey at Valwood water main work to last through next week
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Crews are on schedule to repair a large water main near the intersection of Josey Lane and Valwood Parkway, and will keep two southbound lanes on Josey shut down, between Heritage and Valwood, through the end of next week.
This leaves one through lane open on the southbound side, in addition to the left turn lane onto eastbound Valwood.
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Active Shooter Awareness meeting draws 14 organizations from around Farmers Branch
FARMERS BRANCH ~ A total of 45 attendees from 14 different organizations took part in an Active Shooter Awareness meeting last week at the Community Recreation Center, hosted by the Farmers Branch Police Department.  Chief Sid Fuller said the focus of the meeting was crisis management and preparedness. "We invited members from Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and all of our local private schools and daycare centers to this information session," he explained. "Our goal was to provide information to these groups on how to prepare for, and deal with, crisis situations including active shooters." Chief Fuller said his department regularly meets with school officials to reinforce long-standing plans for reacting to potentially dangerous even ts, but felt a community-wide gathering was in order in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting in December. Presenters included C-FBISD Security Director Wade Lillie, along with Lt. Dean Habel and Sgt. Erik Stokes of the Farmers Branch Police department Special Investigations Division. "We also provided the attendees with some resource material they could take back with them to educate other employees," Chief Fuller said. "We were extremely happy with the turnout and the dialogue that gook place both during and after the meeting. "I believe we were successful in highlighting the importance of taking a proactive approach to crisis preparedness and, in doing so, we established partnerships that can only be created by meeting in person.
Chief Fuller concluded by explaining the meeting was not designed for general public consumption as some emergency plans should be discussed only by involved stakeholders.
"The goal here was to provide public and private schools and daycare centers with the tools to protect our children," he said. "We have many other crime prevention programs or emergency preparedness programs that we will be happy to share with the public."
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SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT INFO
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FARMERS BRANCH ~ As the result of a lawsuit, the federal district court has ordered that City Council members must now be elected from five geographically drawn single member districts, replacing the at-large system of elections used in prior years.
The implementation of the single member district system will be staggered during the next three years to coincide with the current staggered terms of office.
In 2013, Districts 1 and 4 are up for election on May 11. Next year, District 2 plus the Mayor's seat will be chosen. Then, in 2015, representatives from Districts 3 and 5 will be elected. Current Council members will retain their positions until the end of their respective terms, at which time they have the option to run for re-election according to the district of their residence, if that district is up for election in that year. The Mayor will continue to be elected at-large and all members of the Council will serve three year terms.
District 1 generally covers the northwest end of the City while District 4 encompasses most of the southeast section of Farmers Branch. District 3 extends from the center of the City to the southwestern edge while Districts 2 and 5 are located in the northern central area of town. Detailed maps are available for inspection at City Hall or online at www.farmersbranch.info.
The candidate filing period is now underway for the 2013 election and will close on March 1.
For more information, call 972.919.2503.
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Volume 3 | Edition 9 | Number 105 
Branch Bulletin
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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JUSTICE CENTER ~ Focusing on the inner workings of law enforcement, rarely seen by outside eyes, the Farmers Branch Police Department Citizen Police Academy is now accepting applications for its Spring session.
The 11-week course meets once a week and offers everyday citizens both classroom and hands-on learning experiences on all aspects of law enforcement and the operations of the Farmers Branch Police Department.
The class is open to adult residents of Farmers Branch. For more information, contact Lt. Mike Blum at 972.484.3620 or mike.blum@farmersbranch.info.
TAX HELP TUESDAYS
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Free tax preparation assistance from AARP volunteers is now available on Tuesdays at the Farmers Branch Senior Center and at the Manske Library.
Volunteers are on hand at the Senior Center on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and at the Manske Library from 1 until 7 p.m. through April 16. The tax filing deadline is Monday, April 15.
MANSKE LIBRARY ~ Patrons can bring canned food items to the Manske Library, along with overdue Library items to have Library fines waived March 11-24.
Charges associated with previous fines, lost, billed, damaged or otherwise missing items cannot be waived and fines paid in the past are not subject to refund. Call 972.247.2511 for more info.
CITY HALL ~ The Farmers Branch City Council will meet in regular session on Tuesdays, March 5 & 19 at 6 p.m. at Farmers Branch City Hall. Coverage on FBTV begins at 6 p.m. Council meetings are replayed on FBTV at 7 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, call 972.919.2515.
ADULT SOFTBALL
FARMERS BRANCH ~ Registration is now underway for the Farmers Branch Adult Softball League, set to get underway March 25.
The league features Co-Ed, Men's and Church divisions. Registration ends March 15. For more information, visit www.primetimesportz.com or call 972.355.3788 (x123).
BASIC BRIDGE
MANSKE LIBRARY ~ The Farmers Branch Manske Library's Bridge Beginners Basics class was so popular in a previous incarnation, it will start anew on March 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Library.
Designed for players looking to learn about and begin to play the popular card game, the class will continue every Wednesday with each class building on the previous. Anyone interested is asked to sign up at the Library's circulation desk by March 5.
For more information, call 972.247.2511.
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Click on the video or print links to download different media for the Farmers Branch Office of Economic Development and Tourism Year End Report
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The flag at Farmers Branch Liberty Plaza flies firmly out of the south during one of many warmer-than-winter days this season. With February on the way out, can Spring be far behind?
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LBJ Express Project Animation VIDEO
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FARMERS BRANCH ~ The weekly update on the Interstate 635 expansion project 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. This update is for Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Valley View: The IH35E northbound frontage road left lane is closed at Valley View through March 15. Denton Drive: The westbound LBJ frontage road between Ford and Denton will remain closed until mid-April. Josey Lane: Construction of the permanent paving and drainage on Josey will require various lanes closed through March. Josey Lane will be closed at LBJ on the night of March 16 for bridge beam installation. Webb Chapel: Various single lane closures will continue this week north of LBJ. Webb Chapel will be closed at IH635 on the night of March 18 and for bridge work. The eastbound Webb Chapel exit ramp will be closed on the night of March 4. Marsh Lane: The pavement and bridge work on Marsh south of Ridgeoak will continue until April when all lanes should be reopened. Valley View: Valley View will be closed under IH635 during nighttime hours on March 1 for drainage installation. Midway Road: The southbound left turn lane on Midway Road between the LBJ frontage roads will remain closed indefinitely. Southbound lanes have been reconfigured to allow for one left turn lane and two through lanes at the eastbound frontage road. Expect various lanes to be closed on Midway at LBJ during night-time hours. Midway will be closed at IH635 on the nights of February 23 for bridge beam installation. Midway will be closed for bridge work on the nights of March 2 and March 9. The right southbound lane of Midway north of LBJ is scheduled to be closed for drainage installation from February 25 through March 12. Dallas North Tollway: LBJ is narrowed to 3 main lanes in each direction at the DNT. Other Locations: The new westbound frontage road from Valley View to Marsh is scheduled to open in late March. The new eastbound frontage road from Marsh to Midway has experienced delays and is now expected to be opened in April.
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.
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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 greenbelts 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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