East Dallas Neighborhood & Community Development Resources

Information here is mainly about East Dallas, but organizations doing interesting work elsewhere in the country are also included, along with pointers to sites about gardening, energy conservation, crime prevention and more.

Guerilla Gardening
In the spirit of Maurice Druon's "Tistou of the Green Thumbs" and Jean Giono's "The Man Who Planted Trees" comes this citizen movement to green neglected urban places.

Youth Venture
If you need ideas on how youth can rise up and change the world for the better, this site is rich. Drill down into the examples of youth ventures under the "Take Action" button.

Let's Talk America
Margaret Meade famously observed, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." We need to find one another to add impetus to this process. Several organizations are trying to facilitate such connections, including Let's Talk America. Here's a squib from their site: "We need to talk. We believe the time is ripe for a national dialogue on the state of our democracy. One that is inclusive of all political viewpoints. Such a conversation is the idea behind Let's Talk America."

Government Information Center
Dallas Public Library's Government Information Center provides one-stop access to a wide range of info on all things having to do with government -- census data, federal agency regulations, maps, and much more.

Community Toolbox
The Tool Box provides over 6,000 pages of practical skill-building information on over 250 different topics. Topic sections include step-by-step instruction, examples, check-lists, and related resources.

Miller Grass
We all want, in our hearts, to do the right thing and raise hardy, heat tolerant Buffalo Grass. The reality is that most of are lawns are water-loving St. Augustine. Ah we.... Until you gin up the courage to make the switch, there's no more frugal place to buy squares of sod than at Miller Grass. Get there early, though, because they well out most days by around noon. A piece of sod is around $1.15 and you can buy as little or as much as you like. (That compares with about $7.00 at the Big Box home centes.)

Kalachandji's Restaurant
In the mood for Indian, vegetarian buffet food? It's all you can eat, served up in a serene courtyard. Great price on Sunday evenings... It's inside the Hare Krishna Temple, just off of Grand Ave., near I-30. Kind of tucked away on some side streets.

Dragon Fire Yoga
In the heart of Little Forest Hills, "Dragon Fire Yoga" is a wonderful, affordable, serene place to get your prana percolating as it ought.

Urban Engagement Book Club
About 100 folks from all kinds of backgrounds gather monthly to heara professional book reviewer or local academic hold forth on books that foster social change, or at least provide a deeper way of viewing complex social issues than is usual. Here's what the website says: At our salon-style lunch gathering, we focus on the latest smart books about the problems of poverty. This reaches into everything from economics and tax policy to religion and psychology. Designed to give everyone a strong sense of the book - whether they've read it or not - the review sparks group conversation and, as one participant said, "we experience a sense of something profound is at work here." Meetings are the first Thursday of the month in the Great Hall at Highland Park United Methodist Church. A sack lunch is provided for a donation.

Gratefulness.org
The cultivation of a grateful heart is one of the prime requisites for each of us who longs to contribute something positive to our neighborhoods and our world. Grounded in the work and writing of Br. David Steindl-Rast, this site goes a long way toward increasingly our understanding of gratitude and how to cultivate it during the ordinary moments of our lives.

Asset Based Community Development Institute
An academic research center that explores the concept of asset-based community development. Some of their research is available here in full text. A few of their books are available from the Dallas Public Library. This is a hopeful approach to community building, based on three decades of experience. Check it out!

World Kindness Movement
Dedicated to fostering kindness throughout the world, this coalition, founded in Japan, has a U.S. affiliate, "The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation" which is in the next entry below.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
Want to make a better world? Brighten someone's day? These folks have literally hundreds of ideas about how concrete actions individuals or groups can take, in the classroom, in the workplace, in scouting or other youth organizations, etc. Check it out! Your friends, neighbors and random acquaintances will thank you.

Make A Difference Day!
Make A Difference Day began with a simple idea: Put your own cares on hold for one day to care for someone else. Now in its 13th year, the nation's largest single day of volunteering has hit its stride. Use the zipcode look-up tool to find projects in our area.

Slow Foods Dallas
Slow Food is an international non-profit, educational organization dedicated to stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production; to the revival of the kitchen table as a center of pleasure, culture, and community; to the invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions; and to living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life. Slow Food Dallas is a grass roots group, presenting several events a year based upon what members want and contribute, and promoting national projects at the local level. We value sustainability, cultural diversity, pleasure & quality in everyday life, inclusiveness, authenticity and integrity. All memberships in the United States are handled by Slow Food USA

Living Streets UK
The website reads: "We are the champions of streets and public spaces for people on foot. We work on practical projects to create safe, vibrant and healthy streets for all." That automobiles dominate the built environment -- gobbling land, fouling the air and making the world unsafe for pedestrians and bicyles -- clobbers communities everywhere. We can learn from our friends across the sea...

Community Food Security Coalition
A CFS approach believes strongly in the need to protect and promote local family-based agriculture as an alternative to a globalized food system. CFS strategies such as developing farmers' markets and community supported agriculture arrangements in low income communities benefit farmers and consumers by building non-traditional but natural partnerships. Family farmers benefit with an added source of income. Also, greater connection and understanding of local agriculture on the part of urban residents can facilitate regional and state policies that protect and promote local agriculture (such as farmland preservation).

100 Things You Can do for Your Community In a New Century!
From "The National Civic League", this is another great poster outlining what we can each do to invest in the places we live and work.

Human Media
This profoundly inspiring radio show, syndicated on NPR, airs in the Dallas area at about 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The theme is ordinary people rising up to make a huge difference in our world, by making it more humane. Check out the website for an archive and to order audio tape collections of previous shows.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing those programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.

The Soul of Capitalism
William Greider's book, "The Soul of Capitalism" is quite simply the best book ever written on why we seem to be having such a hard time, as a people, muddling forward in the direction of the good society and what we can do to improve on this. (Okay, so I may not have read everything written on this theme. If I'm overlooking a better book on this subject, send me an email.)

How to Build Community Poster
In this age of alienation, what boots it if we fail at building community? Simply this: Our lives will become increasingly impoverished spiritually. Take a look at the online image of this poster and think about how small actions can add up to greater conviviality.

http://www.lesstraffic.com/
Australian activist and dreamer David Engwicht is one of those rare types who really do -- pardon the hackneyed phrase -- think "outside the box". From his notion of the "walking schoolbus" to his radical, low-tech approach to traffic calming on busy, neighborhood streets, you will find this iconoclastic man from Oz worth pondering.

National Youth Development Information Center
Youth development is a critical component of community building -- particularly as concerns the perilous passage between ages 12 and 16. Our youth need to be mentored, guided and nurtured. Here is where you can learn how!

National Mentoring Partnership
To learn more about mentoring opportunities in your community, just type in your ZIP code in the box at the right. You will then get information on mentoring programs that are looking for mentors. (Area public schools frequently welcome tutors. Angela Scheuerle has information about this. Click on the OatesNotes link at the top left side of this page for contact information.)

The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America
The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America is an ongoing initiative of Professor Robert D. Putnam at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The project focuses on expanding what we know about our levels of trust and community engagement and on developing strategies and efforts to increase this engagement. A signature effort was the multi-year dialogue on how we can increasingly build bonds of civic trust among Americans and their communities.

A Salute to the Civilian Conservation Corps at White Rock Lake Park
Local White Rock Lake historian, the inimitable Steven Butler, has thoughtfully included this brief history of the Civilian Conservation Corps at White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas.

Civilian Conservation Corps Museum Online
Fans of White Rock Lake know that the CCC built many of the structures upon its shores, some of which are being restored to preservation standards. The Watermelon Kid website, linked above, has all the details. In due course, an amazing statue of CCC workers will be erected at the Lake to honor the memory of those who served the common good during a time of national hardship. This link offers a jumping off point to all kinds of stories about the Corps, including a biography of one Louis Wadsworth, enrollee, Company 2896. What a brilliant legacy these hard-working Americans have left us, as evidenced in State Parks and roadside recreational infrastructure, zoos and suchlike, across the land.

Graffiti Hurts!
A national partnership with Sherwin-Williams and its Krylon brand, Graffiti Hurts highlights the negative effect of graffiti on communities and the ways it can be stopped without confrontation. The Graffiti Hurts program is focused on educating Americans in schools, in communities, in law enforcement and in the media that graffiti hurts our communities. The program addresses community-based solutions for graffiti abatement and prevention.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
"For half a century, Keep America Beautiful has been the nation’s leading community improvement organization successfully implementing an effective, systematic strategy for educating on recycling and reducing litter, and changing individual attitudes about solid waste." The site also has great information about beautification efforts like graffiti abatement programs.

Foundation for Community Empowerment (FCE)
FCE is doing very exciting work in Dallas! Finally, someone has stepped up to the challenge of building a database of neighborhood indicators. Here is what FCE promises to do: "FCE will build an advanced information system using Geographic Information Software to capture data at the zip code and census tract level throughout the city of Dallas to allow community-based organizations, policy-makers, funders and other intermediaries to make full use of the detailed data. The goal is to present the census-tract and zip code level information in a way that is useful to people without significant specialized training."

Community Asset Mapping
Asset mapping involves documenting the tangible and intangible resources of a community, viewing it as a place with assets to be preserved and enhanced, not deficits to be remedied. Using GIS (Geographic Information System) software, youth, funded by federal grants, have undertaken assets mapping projects across America. This site, although a little densely written, offers a good overview.

Asset-Based Community Development Institute
The ABCD Institute spreads its findings on capacity-building community development in two ways: (1) through extensive and substantial interactions with community builders, and (2) by producing practical resources and tools for community builders to identify, nurture, and mobilize neighborhood assets.

Community Toolbox
The Tool Box provides over 6,000 pages of practical skill-building information on over 250 different topics. Topic sections include step-by-step instruction, examples, check-lists, and related resources.

Shelterforce Magazine
The National Housing Institute is a 28-year old independent nonprofit organization that examines the issues causing the crisis in housing and community in America. NHI examines the key issues affecting affordable housing and community development practitioners and their supporters. These issues include housing, jobs, safety, and education, with an emphasis on housing and economic development, as well as poverty and racism, disinvestment and lack of employment, and breakdown of the social fabric.

Neighborhoods USA
The organizational mission of NUSA is to build and strengthen neighborhood associations and to promote productive communications and collaborations between those associations and both the public and private sectors. Check out the resources, newsletter and neighborhood of the year.

No Graf Network (anti-graffiti)
The mission of the NoGraf Network is to contribute to the creation of safe and clean communities, the healthy development of youth, the improvement of quality of life, and the prevention of graffiti vandalism.

Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam
The purpose of CAUSS is to eliminate unsightly and illegal street signs. These signs are also known as street spam, bandit and snipe signs, vertical litter, illegal signs and utility pole advertising. Examples include: "Work at Home, Work from Home, I Lost 40 Pounds, Have a PC, We Buy Houses, Rent to Own, Lease Purchase, Quality Affordable Health Insurance, Avoid Forclosure, and Sell Your House in 9 Days".

Scenic America
This is the premier organization finding solutions to combat the visual pollution that comes from a crazy quilt of signs and billboards, etc. Their slogan: "Change is inevitable -- ugliness is not." Scenic America describes itself thus: "Scenic America is the only national organization dedicated solely to protecting natural beauty and distinctive community character. We believe that our country can grow and prosper without losing its beauty."

Community Building - Google Directory
This is a wonderful, human-generated collection of links to organizations involved with building community. Check it out. It might inspire you to do something good for the 'hood!

The Search Institute
"The Search Institute was founded in 1958 by Dr. Merton P. Strommen as an applied social science research organization focused on the healthy development of young people. The institute originally focused on research regarding youth in religious settings; this mission has evolved to a broad focus on the healthy development of all children and youth in multiple settings in community and society." Their research findings and practical guides are, to use a hackneyed but accurate word, awesome!

Texas Neighborhoods Together
Founded and chartered in 1989, Texas Neighborhoods Together (TNT), a Texas nonprofit corporation, serves as a permanent statewide organization for non-governmental community-based organizations which represent neighborhoods on a citywide or larger basis. An all-volunteer organization, TNT empowers neighborhoods through education, networking and serving and protecting neighborhood interests at all levels of government.

Pew Partnership for Civic Change
The Pew Partnership is a civic research organization. Our mission is to identify and document promising solutions and strategies crucial to strong communities. The five areas that guide our work are: Thriving Neighborhoods, Living-Wage Jobs, Viable Economies, Healthy Families and Children Collaborative Leadership.

Flashmob Dallas!
A form of performance art, flashmobs draw upon the power of technology to organize seemingly spontaneous gatherings. A strange form of community, and well worth pondering. Read Howard Rheingold's "Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution" to get an overview. The website linked from this entry will enable you to participate locally.

National Center for Community Renewal
Shreveport is leading our nation in renewing communities by rebuilding social capital. "Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal, is a nondenominational ministry formed to help restore the foundation of a safe and caring community. An initial step in accomplishing this mission is to raise the visibility of caring within the community and to connect the vast number of caring individuals in the community." I heard Mack McCarter speak about the effort at a conference held in Dallas in Sept. 2003. He was eloquent, passionate and riveting.

The White Rocker News
If you care about our East Dallas neighborhoods, then you really should consider subscribing to The White Rocker News. It's an old-timey family newspaper. It has the flavor of a small town paper, with announcements of weddings and deaths, and plenty of very fine-grained local coverage. Communication is the glue that holds communities together. I have no connection to this paper other than that I value the service it provides.

Wipe Out Vandalism & Graffiti!
This publication from the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)explains how to go about creating a program to combat vandalism and graffiti.

Institute for Cultural Landscapes
With the recent destruction of the historic Mobil Station at Casa Linda Plaza -- which originally sprouted up amongst then onion fields back in the 1940's -- one gropes for a better framework to understand the nature of this kind of loss. Harvard's Institute for Cultural Landscapes may provide a key.

Gary Griffith
Our City Council member here in District 9.

Jim Wheat's Dallas County Texas Archives
I'm not much on geneaology, but there is some great information here about stuff like the history of street name changes. Worth poking around in.

Architecture in Downtown Dallas
Another Dallas architecture site. Great potted histories of prominent buildings. Interactive downtown map and more. Check it out! Compare it with the somewhat similar site, http://www.dallassky.com

Dallas - Fort Worth Urban Forum
Looking for a place to share your passion for urban development, locally? This is a great place to track the latest developments around the area. Recent threads have included discussion of prospects for a downtown grocery store, new high rise buildings going up, etc. This is really an excellent site for local insight. The folks who hang out are energetic and informed or at least know where to get their questions answered.

When the Lake was dredged...
Here is an account of how White Rock Lake was dredged, using an innovative process to push 2-1/2 million cubic yards of sediment to a site 12 miles distant, through a temporary pipeline.

Texas Swimmin' Holes
The best swimming holes within driving distance of DFW are said to include: 1) Balmorhea State Park, 2) Hamilton Pool near Bee Cave,TX, 3) Inks Lake State Park in the Texas Hill Country, 4) Dinosaur Valley near Glen Rose, TX, 5) Turner Falls near Davis, OK, 6) Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur, OK, 7) Guadalupe River at Gruene, TX, 8) Barton Springs, Austin, 9) Krause Springs in Spicewood, TX and 10) Possum Kingdom Lake near Mineral Wells, TX. Click on the link for details.

East Dallas Restaurants & Other Attractions
Created by Charles Kemp, this is a nicely done page offering brief descriptions of many East Dallas restaurants.

City Cares
The digital divide. Equal opportunity. Civic involvement. CityCares is addressing issues like these through innovative national programs. By providing effective models and empowering resources, CityCares helps affiliates implement programs that address local as well as national needs. The Partners in Technology Program, the Disability Initiative and the Citizen Academy are just three examples of such solutions that are positively shaping our nation one community at a time.

Lakehill Sports Complex on Ferguson Rd.
If you drive on Ferguson Rd. near I-30 (on the northwest corner of that intersection, basically) you will see the impressive new sports complex being built by Lakehill School. It includes a baseball field and other facilities as well. It is an adornment to our neighborhood and an accomplishment of which everyone involved can be justly proud. Thank you, Lakehill!

The Citizen's Handbook
A Guide to Building Community in Vancouver Charles Dobson / Vancouver Citizens Committee "As far as we know, this is the most complete grassroots organizing guide available on the Internet. We've separated out the Vancouver information so most of what is here will be useful to people living in other places. Last updated Jan 5, 2003"

Pattern Languages.com
Architect, mathemetician and thinker Christopher Alexander has been a key influence for the good. This site explores the relevance of some of his ideas for reforming the integration of the built environment along more humane and convivial lines.

White Rock Online Business Portal
Includes directory information for local businesses, professionals, non-profits, youth organizations, and more.

Frump! The All Mom Garage Band
Our neighborhood has its very own band -- Frump! Check this page for upcoming concerts.

Better Together : 100 Things You Can Do!
Social capital is built through hundreds of little and big actions we take every day. We’ve gotten you started with a list of 100 ideas, drawn from suggestions made by many people and groups. Try some of these or try your own. This website was inspired by the work of Robert Putnam, author of "Bowling Alone: the Collapse & Revival of American Community". Social capital is just a fancy way of referring to trust and communication between people. It's what makes communities flourish.

Burglary of Single-Family Residences
This guide addresses the problem of burglary of single-family houses. It begins by describing the problem and reviewing risk factors. It then identifies a series of questions to help you analyze your local problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is known about them from evaluative research and police practice.

Walk Our Little Texans to School Day
Help inspire students to value regular exercise, cardiovascular fitness, and a safe, walkable community by scheduling a physcial activity event to coincide with the Partnership for a Walkable America's Walk to School Day-USA on October 2, 2002. The goal of this event is to encourage adults and children to walk or bike to school together, and, in the process, raise awareness and stimulate local action in three areas: Encourage adults and children to seek out opportunities to enjoy the vast physical and emotional benefits of regular, daily walking or biking. Teach children and adults safe pedestrian behaviors, such as how to cross streets and select safe routes to school. Encourage communities to take specific steps to create more walkable environments, such as creating more crosswalks, sidewalks, bike paths, and lights.

Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Online edition of this classic guide to local flora.

Household Mold
Learn all about household mold -- how to test for it, how to prevent it and about remediation.

Benny Simpson' s Texas Native Trees
To find trees with specific characters, enter the requested information for each tree. Use the specific categories defined. After you have entered all your search criteria, submit the search using the button on the database page.

Texas Super Star Program
Offers information on plants successfully tested in the harsh conditions of Texas. Database of Retailers and Contractors providing and using the “Texassuperstar “ plants.

John McCutcheon Song - "She Walks on Water"
In December 1995 folksinger John McCutcheon was brought in for a concert to benefit “For the Love of the Lake,” White Rock Lake. Marci Winter, who McCutcheon describes as the indefatigable booster of the group, supplied him with reams of background information on the Lake and the efforts to clean it up. One particularly interesting story detailed the legend of the young woman who…as though she sprang from a teenage rock ballad…died in a the Lake and appears phantasmagorically from time to time. During the intermission of the concert he wrote this song, which appears on his latest album, "The Greatest Story Never Told"

North Central Texas Birds
This site is intended to act as a clearinghouse for sightings, pictures, area review species, and checklist information for North-Central Texas birds. As the area's sightings are updated, our checklist will reflect those changes. Birds that are being reviewed by the Texas Bird Records Committee will be added to checklist only at the author's discretion and with the caveat that the bird(s) in question are under review.

State Fair of Texas
Big Tex, corny dogs, rides ... you know the scene. Here is where you can find out all about schedules and the like in relation to the Texas State Fair.

Dallas Dog Park at White Rock Lake
All about the dog park just north of the Lake, at 8000 Mockingbird Lane: the hours, the rules, the joy of dogs bounding in groups.

Casey's Place Lake Pix
Photographs of White Rock Lake in many moods and seasons.

White Rock Lake Foundation
The Purpose of the Foundation is to assist the Park and Recreation Department in restoration, improvement, maintenance and preservation of White Rock Lake's natural health and beauty for the benefit of the people and wildlife. The White Rock Lake Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Organization

Annual White Rock Lake Artists Tour
The 10th Annual White Rock Lake Artists' Tour, featuring 40 artists who live and work in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas, will be 11 am to 5 pm Saturday, October 19 and noon to 5 Sunday, October 20, 2002. The self-guided tour is free and gives people the opportunity to see artists in their natural habitat, where they will be creating art, conducting tours, giving demonstrations and selling work. Artists of all media will be represented -- sculpture, ceramics, drawing, painting, fiber arts, comics, glass, printmaking and other forms.

JR's New White Rock Journal
A local artist's digital photographs of White Rock Lake.

Butterflies of Dallas County, Texas
Information about butterflies in our area, brought to you by the United States Geological Survey.

Neighborhoods USA
NUSA encourages networking and information sharing to facilitate the development of partnerships between neighborhood organizations, government and the private sector. See especially the "Neighborhood Resources" page.

Texas Commission on Volunteerism & Community Service
Promotes, develops and supports local efforts that use service and volunteerism to meet community needs. The agency's vision is for Texans of all ages to work together to build caring and responsive communities in which service and volunteerism are a way of life.

Weeds of the Northern Blackland Prairie
"Here you will find a growing collection of photographs and identification information for weeds commonly found in our area. Use the weed selector below to view the weed you are interested in or to browse through our current collection of photographs and descriptions."

Dallas Paleontological Society
If you are interested in the geological history of our area, this is the place to come. See especially the sections on surface geology of Dallas and Tarrant Counties, Texas and the Cretaceous geological formations of North Texas.

Dallas Police Department
Here you can access recent and historic crime statistics. Note that most, perhaps all, of us live in Police Beat 228, which is located in the Northeast Division.

iCommunities - City of Dallas
The iCommunities interactive mapping site allows you to access and print full-page maps of the neighborhood with features such as zoning areas and parcel boundaries; and other information such as aerial photographs with parcel boundaries. Plug in your street address and check the box for property information and you will see census data and more, including the police beat.

Dallas Trails
In addition to the many bicycle routes that are available through the Dallas Bike Plan on our city streets, Dallas and the surrounding area have many parks and paved trails for safe biking, walking, running and skating.

Texas Discovery Gardens
Texas Discovery Gardens is the second oldest botanical institution in Texas, and the first in Dallas to offer botanical education programs for children. Since 1995, in conjunction with the State Fair of Texas, Texas Discovery Gardens has hosted an annual live butterfly immersion exhibit.

Katy Trail
Eventually, the Katy Trail will link up with the White Rock Lake trail system, providing access all the way into downtown, with the southern terminus being near the American Airlines Center.

Dallas Skyscrapers
Ever wonder about the buildings you see on the Dallas skyline? Find out about them here.

East Dallas Restaurants
Not in the mood for eating your own home cooking? Here is a directory of restaurants in East Dallas, organized by type of cuisine. No reviews, but quite thorough.

National Register of Big Trees
Since 1940, American Forests has documented the largest known specimens of every native and naturalized tree in the United States. We count on individuals in the public, just like you, to identify new potential National Champion Trees. You can search the database or nominate a candidate of your own.

Dallas Historic Tree Coalition
A local citizen's group advocating protection and preservation of irreplaceable trees.

Bee Keeping
There is at least one home-scale apiary in our neighborhood. Here is where you can learn all about the pollinators who bring our world into bloom.

"The Man Who Planted Trees"
The French author, Jean Giono, of Provence, wrote this enchanting tale ...

CommunityTrees.Org
From the beginning of time, humanity has relied upon trees. This site outlines the economic, social and environmental benefits of planting trees. That's what attracted many of to East Dallas in the first place, so let's do our share!

Trinity Blacklands Urban Forestry Council
The Trinity Blacklands Urban Forestry Council promotes the protection and development of urban forest resources. Check out the site's online "tree selector" to discover which trees are most appropriate for your needs and for our area.

A Natural History of North Central Texas
Want to learn about our region's animals, plants, soils, climate and more? Here is a great place to start!

White Rock Montessori School
Following the principles and methods of Dr. Maria Montessori, the non-profit White Rock Montessori School "strives to instill in students a deep sense of personal and social responsibility through respect for oneself, others, and the environment".

Texas Wildscapes
Learn all about creating a natural environment that is hospitable to wildlife, right in your own backyard!

Center for Neighborhood Technology
Originally based in Chicago, the The Center for Neighborhood Technology focuses on new tools and methods that create livable urban communities for everyone. This organization is included here as a model and source of ideas for our area.

City Repair Project
The City Repair Project was formed in Portland, Oregon in 1996 by a group of citizen activists who wanted to see a more community-oriented and ecologically sustainable society. Born out of a successful grassroots neighborhood initiative that converted a nondescript residential street intersection into a neighborhood public square, City Repair began its work with the idea that localization (of culture, of economy, of decision-making) is a necessary foundation of sustainability. By reclaiming urban spaces to create community-oriented places, we plant the seeds for greater neighborhood communication, community empowerment and local culture.

Dallas Farmers Market
Since the late 1800s, farmers have been selling their fresh produce on the streets of Dallas. In the early years, farmers would sell from wagons set up in various locations. Around 1900, the intersection of Pearl and Cadiz streets became the center of a brisk wholesale business. Retail sellers are open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in season, and wholesale starts around midnight to 7:00 a.m., or until goods are sold out. Wholesalers also set up and receive deliveries until their crops are depleted.

Project for Public Spaces
PPS' mission - to create and sustain public places that build communities - is achieved through programs in parks, plazas and central squares; transportation; public buildings and architecture and public markets.

Scenic White Rock Lake Park
Steven Butler has prepared this amazing, richly detailed history of our beloved White Rock Lake, the very jewel of East Dallas.

East Dallas History
Did you know that East Dallas was once its own City? Until 1890, it was! This article gives the background.

State parks within 100 miles of Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
Interested in making a day trip this summer? There are many fine State parks within easy driving range.

Home Energy Audits
This page, from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office, provides links to do-it-yourself home energy audit guides, which can help you to reduce your electric bill by implementing costs saving ideas.

Consumer Energy Information
Whether by using compact fluorescent bulbs or installing a solar water heating system, there are many ways energy-efficient or renewable energy products can help you live more economically and comfortably. This site, from the US Department of Energy, offers knowledge and insight.

Federal Consumer Information Center
Home to the Consumer Information Catalog and related publications, this site provides one-stop shopping for all kinds of practical information on subjects from money, computers and children to your home and garden.

Million Solar Roofs
Announced in June 1997, Million Solar Roofs (MSRI) is an initiative to install solar energy systems on one million U.S. buildings by 2010. The initiative includes two types of solar technology: solar electric systems (or photovoltaics) that produce electricity from sunlight and solar thermal systems that produce heat for domestic hot water, space heating, or heating swimming pools.

Texas Plant Disease Handbook
Use this resource to diagnose and treat diseases of your vegetable and fruit garden plants.

Dallas Trees & Parks Foundation
The Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation has a vision for our community. It is a community comprised of beautiful, well maintained parks, shady tree-lined streets and boulevards, hiking, biking and nature trails, and other outdoor amenities which combine to form a living and working environment that enhances the economic value of its commercial areas and its neighborhoods, and nurtures the health, safety and quality of life of all its citizens; a community in which its citizens actively participate in building and sustaining its "urban forest."

National Alliance for Community Trees
"ACT is a national network of urban forestry and community greening groups. We are local and state non-profit organizations dedicated to tree planting, care, conservation and education."

National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership
The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) is a collaborative effort by the Urban Institute and local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood-level information systems in local policymaking and community building.

PetRescue.com
Instructions for how to find a lost dog or cat.

National Crime Prevention Council
NCPC's Mission is to enable people to create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur.

Home & Garden Tips (USDA)
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) puts nearly 70 years of experience to work in assisting owners of America's private land with conserving their soil, water, and other natural resources.

Paint the Town!
"Paint the Town is an annual community service project sponsored by the Greater Dallas Association of REALTORS® to help elderly disabled Dallas residents regain their pride of homeownership. Paint the Town began in 1983, this project has helped more than 400 home owners and continues to be supported solely by donations and volunteers."

Texas Smartscape
"SmartScaping [a.k.a. xeriscape] creates a lush and colorful oasis for your family and for Texas’ native flora and fauna. It uses native vegetation and plants that have been adapted to our climate to create a landscape that needs less water, pesticides, and fertilizer. These plants also attract the hummingbirds and butterflies that call North Central Texas their home—making your yard a wildlife masterpiece. The CD-ROM database, TEXAS SMARTSCAPE, will guide you to make appropriate plant selections and can be checked out from the Dallas Public Library or it can be accessed from any Library Internet workstation.

Dallas Arboretum Trial Gardens
"The Trial Gardens at the Dallas Arboretum were created for the purpose of expanding our research efforts and providing information to the public. The main focus of the plant testing program is to grow and evaluate many different plants in the drastic climate of the Metroplex and North Central Texas, and develop new plant selections. Information generated from these trials is provided to commercial plant producers, retailers, and home gardeners."

Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
The Dallas Arboretum is nestled on 66 acres overlooking White Rock Lake.

White Rock Lake Interactive Map
The Advocate Magazine has created this wonderful, interactive map of White Rock Lake. Click on the numbered sites for details.

Neighborhood Link
"Neighborhood Link provides neighborhood and community organizations with their own free, interactive Web site." Search on the zip code to see examples of groups using this service in our area.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America. Neighborhood outreach is a significant component of the program.

West Nile Virus: Questions & Answers
The Center for Disease Control provides basic information about West Nile virus. While several birds in the Dallas area have turned up with the disease, it is important to remember that "less than 1% of people who get bitten and become infected will get severely ill. The chances you will become severely ill from any one mosquito bite are extremely small". The most important thing you can do is to regularly empty sources of stagnant, freestanding water, including birdbaths, old tires and flower pots with reservoirs in the bottom.

Hey Arnold! - Top 10 Tips for the 'Hood
Nickolodean character Arnold is coming soon to the Big Screen with his emphasis on what kids can do to become engaged with shaping the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

The Dallas Plan
The Dallas Plan is a flexible, 30-year comprehensive plan involving individuals and organizations in specific projects that, together, will generate large-scale, city-wide improvements. Mission: By 2025, Dallas will be one of the nation's best cities in which to live, work, play, raise a family, invest and visit. It will have a thriving downtown, revitalized neighborhoods, expanded economic opportunities, and many more choices for recreation and entertainment, from outdoor activities to sports and cultural events.

National Center for Bicycling & Walking
Policy prescriptions can make walking and bicycling more viable as authentic modes of tranport and as a way to achieve better public health.

Living Room
This site styles itsef as "a place for exploring the history, the technology, and the sensations of community. Join us to discuss urban and suburban design, transportation modalities, habitat preservation, urban farming, social and environmental economics, and anything else related to the communities, human and otherwise, of this planet." It seems wildly interesting. I encourage you to have a look.

Urban Community Gardens
"Community gardens transform empty lots into green, living spaces. They are collaborative projects created by members of the community; residents share in both the maintenance and rewards of the garden. There are an estimated 10,000 community gardens within U.S. cities."

National Neighborhood Coalition
The NNC serves as a crucial link to Washington for neighborhood and community-based organizations and an important networking resource for representatives of regional and national organizations involved in community development, housing and a wide range of other neighborhood issues.

The Compost Resource Page
This site is intended to serve as a hub of information for anyone interested in the various aspects of composting. Check out the composter's forum in particular.

National Night Out
National Night Out, a year-long community building campaign, is designed to: (1) Heighten crime prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; (3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. Here in our nighborhood, we will observe the National Night Out Tuesday, June 6th!