Shakespeare in Wagner Park

The CATS Playhouse wrapped a three day run in Wagner Park during the hottest days so far in 2011. Their production of Shakespeare's "Merry Wives of Windsor" certainly tickled the artsy fartsy crowd in Tech Terrace. Just like The Real Housewives of Tech Terrace, "The Merry Wives" explored themes of sarcasm, sexual innuendo, marriage, jealousy, revenge, social class and misunderstandings. Bravo! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Bounce House Update

The City of Lubbock Parks and Recreation Department issued a temporary ban on gasoline generators in City Parks such as the ones used to inflate bounce houses.  This complements the existing ban on grilling.  The City may take further action on bounce houses.  At the May 24th Parks Board Meeting, Scott Snider, Asst City Manager, noted that discussion will be taking place by the City with bounce house/party equipment vendors about a possible ordinance regulating placement of Bounce Houses in City parks.

2011 Tech Terrace/UNIT Yard of the Month

Tech Terrace UNIT Neighborhood Association is excited about the 2011 return of our YARD of the MONTH CELEBRATION! Beginning the first week in June, four homes will be selected and featured as winners of this monthly award. Nominate yourself or your neighbor to showcase the landscaping, pride, heart and hard work invested by residents. We look forward to celebrating the diverse and happy yards in our neighborhood and we are recruiting new committee members to help us be on the lookout for well-groomed, creatively maintained and fun yards. We look forward to hearing from you! Contact us via email btdavis@swbell.net.

 Best, Dannie Botros, Brandy Davis, Sheryl Gonzales, Jaime Nanez, Heather Norville, Aaron Yoshinobu (YOM Cocktails and Kudos Committee)-

 Posted using BlogPress from my EdPad

Crime Alert-May 23, 2011

Our neighbors at 3201 25th Street reported an attempted burglary today around 1:00 pm. The criminal entered through a rear gate and forced open a back door. The alarm sounded and police arrived shortly afterward. Nothing was taken as the alarm probably scared him off. Be safe: lock doors and gates, turn on alarm systems and get a loud dog. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Roscoe Wilson Hall of Fame Ceremony

East of Boston Neighbors Meeting

The UNIT Neighborhood Association hosted a forum for neighbors residing East of Boston on Sunday May 15th at Forrest Heights Methodist Church. UNIT NA President Susan Tomlinson lead the forum which was attended by Lubbock Chief of Police Roger Ellis, Codes Enforcement Representative George Torres and District 3 City Councilman Todd Klein.  Around 30 residents sat in the audience.   

Susan listed various reasons and conditions which necessitated the forum- specifically deteriorating conditions of the homes east of Boston Avenue.  She and other board members conducted a walk of area recently to observe these conditions. 

Chief Ellis urged residents to get to know their neighbors as a counter to loud partiers and not to hesitate contacting the police or Code Enforcement if needed. 

President Tomlinson explained that a lot of the Tech students are temporary residents who do not feel invested in the neighborhood therefore do not care what happens in it. 

Todd Klein urged residents to report excessive partiers or other codes issues to his office (775-2050) or to call the 311 during business hours. 

President Tomlinson referenced a neighborhood study titled "Broken Windows" which chronicled a neighborhood's decline and resurgence.  She emphasized that maintenance of the homes is important to maintain the integrity of the entire neighborhood.  Codes Enforcement is one too to help. 

President Tomlinson then mentioned that realtors need to be educated to the "No More Than Two Unrelateds" ordinance in the neighborhood.  She told the account of a family who purchased a home on her block with the intention of putting their daughter and her three friends in it only to find out about the ordinance.  The family took legal action against the realtor. 

President Tomlinson also presented her ideas for changing the culture of the behavior for Tech Students.  She plans on contacting the faculty advisers of the fraternities and sororities to emphasize good behavior in our residential neighborhood.  She also presented ideas for a neighborhood tool shed, neighborhood work days and a potential program for low cost lending to people who will occupy homes in the East of Boston area. 

She also suggested having a Night Out for the UNIT Neighborhood after the Tech Students return this fall. 

Parking along 22nd Street between University and Boston was discussed.  That stretch of street gets very congested during school days.

Redistricting Meeting Held at Roscoe Wilson

The City of Lubbock held its third Redistricting Meeting on Wednesday evening in the Roscoe Wilson Elementary Cafeteria.  The Committee Members attending included:

• J.O. Warnick, Jr., Chairman
• Burley Owen
• Maurice Stanley of Jerry's Barber Shop
• Olga Aguero
• Maurice Williams
• Morris Wilkes
• Marc McDougal, former Mayor
• Byrnie Bass
• Bill Bates
• Maggie Trejo, former City Councilwoman
• Ken Corbin
• Michelle Hunter
• Charlie Hamilton

City Staff attending included:

• Sam Medina, City Attorney
• John Grace, Asst. City Attorney
• Becky Garza, City Secretary
• Quincy White, Asst. City Manager

District 3 City Councilman Todd Klein and his wife Manda also attended.

Baylor University Law School Professor Michael Morrision, who worked with the City on the previous two Redistricting efforts, opened the meeting and explained the reasons why Lubbock must go through the process.  City Council Districts are based upon population.  Mr. Morrison reported that the 2010 Census showed Lubbock's population to be 229,573. Divided by the six districts mandated by the City Charter, each district should have 38,262.  The current district boundaries show the following populations:

1. 33,096
2. 33,149
3. 36,120
4. 38,661
5. 44,817
6. 43,730

So with the exception of District 4, some boundaries must be adjusted to get the population numbers in line without diluting any minority representation. The majority of the population grew toward the South and Southwest. 

Mr. Morrision detailed the demographic breakdowns of the districts. 
District Three:
White     64%
Black       6%
Hispanic 27%
Other       3%

He then showed four proposed maps which attempt to address the required boundary changes.  Mr. Morrision said that in additionally the boundaries were drawn to be consistent with the current voting precincts. 

Several citizens asked questions about the process, the availability of information, demographic and population shifts.

All Lubbock residents are invited to attend any of the remaining three meetings scheduled for the remainder of this month.

UNIT resident Mary Vines, commented that the map that best represented the District without strange boundaries is Model 2B.

District 3 Meeting on Wednesday

City Council Districts

The Redistricting Hearing for District Three which includes Tech Terrace UNIT will be held on this Wednesday starting at 7:00 PM at the Roscoe Wilson Cafeteria.  UNIT Neighbor Dustin Burrows, who wrote the current neighborhood bylaws, serves on the Redistricting Committee.  Interested persons should plan on attending and ask any questions they may have.

National Night Out 2011

REGISTRATION MEETING

For

National Night Out – 2011

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

7 p.m.

St. John’s United Methodist Church

Registration for National Night Out 2011 will be held Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 7 p.m. at St. John’s United Methodist Church located at 1500 University Avenue.

LUNA encourages all citizens of Lubbock to host some type of National Night Out event and by registering your National Night Out event; you will be given the opportunity to request not only City Official to attend your event but also to request Child ID Kits.  LUNA has obtained a substantial number of Child ID Kits as the result of a grant from The Helen Jones Foundation.  These kits will be distributed before your National Night Out event.

City Official contact names and phone numbers will be made available to you at the Registration Meeting for National Night Out as well as information about procedures for obtaining necessary Permits and who to contact for those permits.

Please take this opportunity to register your National Night Out event.  Take this first step in fighting crime in your neighborhood.  Get involved and become aware of things going on in your neighborhood.  CRIME KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES.

For more information, contact LUNA At 749-5862 or by e-mail

at luna@suddenlinkmail.com

Meeting with Todd Klein Yields Results

Tech Terrace UNIT neighbor Kelly Pratas and I met with District 3 City Councilman Todd Klein on May 2nd to discuss codes enforcement and graffiti in the neighborhood.  Codes Enforcement officials Stuart Walker and George Torres joined us.  We discussed the various methods of reporting codes violations and how the reporting system functions.  Mr. Walker informed us that currently a codes inspector from another part of town is covering Tech Terrace and Heart of Lubbock due to the transfer of Dian Taylor to the Storm Water Department.  Mr. Walker is confident that he will be able to hire her replacement soon.  Mr. Walker also explained that due to the way the codes reporting system is structured, it is next to impossible for a citizen to receive follow up unless he or she calls the codes office.  Mr. Walker reported that reports of more that two unrelated individuals living together are down this year, but that party bus calls are up.  He also reminded us that the process for determining if a house is violation can be lengthy.  Mr. Walker reiterated that the biggest enforcement challenge is multiple out of town Tech Student Parents purchasing a home and loading it up with kids.  He encourages residents to report codes violation of any type to his office or to the 311. 

Mr. Pratas asked if property owners are notified when police are called to a residence. Councilman Klein said he would consult with the police department to verify that they are.  Mr. Klein also urges residents to call his office (775-2023) to report graffiti.  The defaced school crosswalk sign at 20th and Flint was remedied within 24 hours of our meeting.

We also discussed Wagner Park and the problematic issue of vehicles driving on the grass.  Mr. Klein expressed interest in having some Park Police but was not optimistic due to budgetary constraints.  He also suggested adding trees to the perimeter of Wagner Park to discourage unwelcome vehicles. 

We certainly appreciate the time Councilman Klein took to meet with us.  He remains a friend of Tech Terrace.

Over the Weekend

At dawn on Sunday, the TTU dance troupe, "Caprock Morris" was discovered by serendipity performing in Wagner Park to welcome in "The Turning of the Year" (May 1st, 2011).

Also, out-of-town concerned Tech parents report more break-ins continuing to plague the 3000 block of 33rd. BE VIGILANT.

My son called and everybody around him got broke into again I think on Wednesday night. They even went into back yards and stole items. My son thinks it's someone that lives in the neighborhood. We think he didn't get hit because he has locks on the gates and has a coon hound. Here awhile back the dogs got sick, vet thinks food poising. I bought motion alarms from Harbor Freight and sent them to him. The guy across the street on the corner came over asking if he was broken into. They broke into his Hummer and even stole the radio out of his boat in the back yard. The police said the repeat burglars having something to disarm the alarms because no ones alarm went off. Hope to catch 'em soon! Thanks, Donna

Controversial Bounce Houses: Conversation Continues

Holle Humphreys, a resident of the 3000 block of 26th Street, compiled and submitted a detailed report including more than 200 slides in a multi-media photo documentary power point presentation to the City of Lubbock illustrating the effects of bounce houses on Wagner Park. UNIT News requested a copy and received the following.  Only some of the more than two dozen photos forwarded to UNIT News are included in this summary due to band-width constraints.  The TT/UNIT Neighborhood Association Aesthetics Committee has worked with vendors, city council and residents to encourage appropriate alternative bounce house set-up sites.


It has been noted that the following numbers of Bounce Houses have been dropped into Wagner Park in the past two years:

2008:   2
2009: 19
2010:  8 
2011:  6 (thus far) 

2009:  Wagner Park was reduced to large areas of barren dirt by the end of  September 2009.  This was due primarily to the complete disruption to its underground irrigation system.  The damage appeared to be in large part caused by Bounce House structures repeatedly hauled into and out of the park and perpetually sited in the park for up to 12 hours at a time, as well as by people driving unauthorized vehicles onto park grounds to haul in ancillary equipment such as BBQ cookers, cabanas, coolers, tables, chairs, and other supplies, in order to augment Bounce House parties.

2010: The effective reduction in number for Bounce Houses that year was due to the efforts of the Tech Terrace UNIT NA's Aesthetic Committee, under the leadership of Helen Liggett, to seek Councilman Todd Klein's assistance in communicating with Bounce House vendors to request that they seek venues other than Wagner Park for conducting their commercial activity.  This action was taken owing to the damage in Wagner Park observed the year before that had been caused by the vinyl structures, themselves, the tracks and rutted grass they left behind, the stakes pounded into the ground to anchor them, and all the extra traffic accompanying them, to include Bounce House vendors and party sponsors who drove over grass and grounds to haul in equipment.  Ultimately, this commercial activity in Wagner Park contributed to damage to below-ground irrigation systems and sprinkler heads, leaving the park's grass and grounds with little to no resources of water to ensure sustainability. 

Legitimate Bounce House vendors for the most part complied with this request.  

However, photo documentation conducted throughout 2010 revealed that there were several "mom and pop shop" independent Bounce House continuing to conduct commercial activity in Wagner Park.  Research suggested that they more than likely were not registered with the city as legitimate businesses, and it was observed that none adhered to city codes and ordinances.    

In so doing, these individuals contributed to the over 185+ trips taken by unauthorized vehicles driving over Wagner Park grounds in violation of city ordinances last summer alone.  This collectively contributed to the persistent problem of excessive wear and tear on grass and grounds, and caused damage once again to the park'sirrigation system.   Parks and Recreation irrigation crews worked for two full weeks in January 2011 to rectify the damage caused in 2010. 

2011: Already as of April 24, 2011, 6 Bounce Houses have been sited in Wagner Park.  This is of concern, because the Parks and Recreation irrigation crews have been to Wagner Park five times already this year in the effort to repair the irrigation system and get it functioning effectively.  However, their ongoing good efforts are being stymied by repeated placement of Bounce Houses once again in Wagner Park, as well as by people who continue to drive unauthorized vehicles on Wagner Park grass and grounds.  

By way of example:  On February 26, 2011, two Bounce Houses were sited east of the pavilion of Wagner Park.  When they were pulled out, photographs were taken to document the damage they had caused to fragile dry winter grass.  They left ruts cut into the grass, and caused damage to the sprinkler head beneath them that had just been repaired on January 2011, and which was now leaking upon their departure.  

Therefore, it seemed urgent to turn in a report to the City to seek relief of some sort from the onslaught of Bounce House vendors that seemed destined to return again to site their commercial activity in a small neighborhood park that is ill-equipped to withstand the load of Bounce Houses placed on its grass and grounds, over and over again.  That is why a report was compiled and turned it into city officials to bring this situation to their attention.

In summary, from 2008 to 2011, Bounce House activity has been observed to cause the following damage due to their repeated placement in Wagner Park:

Consequences of Bounce Houses and Bounce House activity in Wagner Park: 
The park's natural environment is compromised and damaged due to:

•Weight: of Bounce House structures, which exerts --
•Compression: on grass, tree roots, irrigation systems
•Suffocation of grass due to oxygen depletion
•Friction: caused by up/down jumping; buffeting by winds
•Heat: 4 -12 hours in one spot on summer days w/ 90+ temperatures scorches grass
•Scorching: to grass also is caused by hot engines and engine stands when on the ground
•Perforation: stakes driven to anchor BH’s into ground damage irrigation lines
•Transport: via vehicles and dollies driving/being hauled onto grass/grounds to take them into and out of the park
•Nuisance Noise: caused by Bounce House engines, which disrupt the natural environment provided by a green space neighborhood park, reducing it to the auditory equivalent of an industrial zone

One only has to compare the green grass of Tech Terrace Park to the yellowed grass of Wagner Park to perceive that Wagner Park experiences the challenges of withstanding a heavy load in terms of use; and therefore any additional strain -- such as Bounce Houses placed on its grass and grounds over and over again -- will only make things worse.

People who want to sponsor Bounce House parties would be well advised to consider not scheduling them for Wagner Park or Tech Terrace Park.  Otherwise, they will contribute to the damage of one of the very things we all value most about the Tech Terrace neighborhood: its green space natural parks.