FARMERS BRANCH ~ The major interstate makeover projects, bordering Farmers Branch on two sides, have various main lane and ramp closures scheduled in the coming weeks as those projects continue on their respective schedules.

   The LBJ Express project will close Valley View Lane the night of March 21 for beam installation.

    The team rebuilding Interstate 35E will also be closing Valley View periodically at night, throughout March, as crews begin work to expand the bridge over Valley View Lane.  

   Additionally, westbound LBJ will be closed at I-35E on the night of March 22. Numerous nightly, rolling closures of ramps connecting LBJ and I-35E will occur throughout the week. The exact schedule will be affected by weather.

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• All solid dosage pharmaceutical product and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted.  Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container.  The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

• Intra-venous solutions, injectibles, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens. 

• Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.  

     

FARMERS BRANCH ~ Now in her third year as Economic Development Manager for the City of Farmers Branch, Allison Cook has been accorded the "Rising Star" award by the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce at their annual awards banquet, held recently.

   A native of Houston, Allison has lived in Dallas for 22 years, graduating from Southern Methodist University where she studied psychology and sociology. 

Allison Cook

   She began her career in event planning and hospitality industry working for the Kapalua resort in Maui, Hawaii. Her first event was the resort's PGA Tour tournament formerly named the Mercedes Championship. She assisted with various events held at the resort's hotel, the Ritz Carlton Kapalua before accepting a position with the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, a non-profit organization assisting at-risk youth. 

   After spending time at Emily Summers Design Associates, she began a home staging company and received her real estate license. Since then, she has worked with commercial real estate firms specializing in land syndication, brokerage, marketing and consumer analytics. This brought her to the attention of Farmers Branch City officials who brought her on board in 2011 to oversee economic development and tourism activities while attracting businesses to the area.

   Her spare time is consumed with her three young sons and their various sporting events. In addition, she's an advocate at the West Dallas Pregnancy Resource Center and volunteers for the Touch-A-Life organization that rescues victims of child trafficking in Ghana.

FARMERS BRANCH ~ Information for voters on the upcoming City election, including early voting dates and times and the ability to  look up elected officials, voting precincts and City Council districts, has been published on the City of Farmers Branch website.

   The May 10 election will not only feature balloting for the offices of Mayor and Councilmember, District 2, there will also be questions of a local option for legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption and a $23.5 million bond issue.

   Running for Mayor to replace the retiring Bill Glancy are (in drawn ballot order) Bob Phelps, Carol Dingman and David Koch. For District 2 Councilmember, candidates are Luther Bernstein, Harold Froehlich and Garrett Smith.  

   Early voting will be held according to the following schedule: 

• Monday, April 28 - Saturday, May 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, May 4, from 1 until 6 p.m.
• Monday and Tuesday, May 5 & 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

FARMERS BRANCH ~ After operating at full capacity for a number of years, a limited number of plots have become available in the Farmers Branch Community Garden, at 12411 Templeton Trail. 

   A partnership between the City of Farmers Branch, Chapel Hill United Methodist Church and Metrocrest Social Services, the garden represents a commitment to nurture the earth through sustainable gardening while growing healthy food for both the family and the community.

   Plots are available to members of the Farmers Branch community who live or work here, go to school or attend church here or are,  in some way, an active member of the community.

   For more information, visit the Community Garden page on the Farmers Branch website or call 972.919.2625.

FARMERS BRANCH ~ Switching seasons from previous years, officials at the Farmers Branch Historical Park have announced that the hugely popular 'Encounters from the Past' interactive tours of Keenan Cemetery will be moving to the autumn months.

FARMERS BRANCH ~ Although 2013 proved to be wetter than usual for north Texas, Farmers Branch City Manager Gary D. Greer wants to remind residents voluntary water conservation measures remain in effect.

   "Although the rain we've had last summer was extremely rare for that time of year, we remain in the clutches of a prolonged drought," he explained. "That's why we implemented Stage 1 voluntary conservation measures, under our drought contingency plan, in early 2012 and that's why we're continuing that stage now."

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FARMERS BRANCH ~ Because of the tremendous response last year, City officials have announced that CityWide CleanUp Day 2014 will return to Oran Good Park, corner of Valley View Lane and Tom Field Road on Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m. until 12 noon.  

   Again, the event will feature opportunities for electronics recycling, prescription medication disposal and document shredding, along with regular refuse disposal and recycling drop off. In addition this year, there will be household chemical collection on site, provided by Dallas County.

   Metrocrest Services will be there to accept donations of clothing and shoes only.

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