Author Archives: StaceyD

Irving is decorated for the 30th year by The Great Flag Caper

The Great Flag Caper, which is a nonprofit organization in Irving that is made up of over 300 volunteers, decorated the entire 10.5 miles of MacArthur Blvd with over 40,000 American flags. This is their 30th year to do so, and it has basically become an Irving tradition.

Irving resident Nell Anne Hunt founded The Caper 30 years ago.

Nell Anne Hunt

“I moved into a new neighborhood, and everybody was so nice, and I thought I’d like to do something nice for them. So, for the Fourth of July, I bought 100 flags and went in a concentric circle around my house and put flags in everyone’s yards. Well, everybody liked it so much. The next year, I did 200 flags and spread out a little further. And then after that, a neighbor said that they wanted to do the whole neighborhood and that they would help. We did the whole neighborhood and then other neighborhoods expressed interest in doing the same thing. It just all started like that, and it just got bigger from there,” Hunt said.

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Is America becoming less patriotic?

Photo: Gallup

The 38% of U.S. adults who say they are “extremely proud” to be American is the lowest in Gallup’s trend, which began in 2001. Still, together with the 27% who are “very proud,” 65% of U.S. adults express pride in the nation. Another 22% say they are “moderately proud,” while 9% are “only a little” and 4% are “not at all” proud.

This record-low level of extreme national pride comes at a challenging time in the U.S. as a pandemic-weary public is struggling with the highest U.S. inflation rate in more than four decades. These data are from a June 1-20 poll that was conducted after mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, claimed 31 lives, including 19 children.

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July 4th Holiday Affected by Soaring Grocery and Gas Prices

Holy cookout, Batman! The cost to host an Independence Day party has gone up 17% since last year, according to a news release from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). This “market basket” survey of consumers monitored the most popular items purchased and then compared the cost of those items today to the prices in 2021.

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Save the Date! Peace Officers’ Angels Foundation Holding Fundraiser on July 31

For more information, visit POAF.org

Grapevine Police offering a $10,000 hiring bonus for certified officers

The hiring incentive takes effect July 1, 2022, as an effort to attract qualified, full-time police officers. The program only applies to Texas (TCOLE) licensed peace officers with two years of experience at another Texas law enforcement agency.

Candidates may be allowed to enter the City’s STEP pay schedule at a level of up to six years of experience, putting the salary range between $67,828-$78,519, in addition to the $10,000 bonus and extra incentive pay for higher-level TCOLE certificates. 

The $10,000 hiring bonus is aimed to recruit the most qualified candidates. Grapevine Police also boasts one of the best benefits packages in north Texas, with low-cost health insurance, family and peer support, and wellness programs for employees and their families.

The new Police Officer hiring process is open. The Department website includes a list of qualifications for hire and more on City benefits. Anyone wanting to apply can go to GrapevinePD.org and click on “Apply for a Job” for additional details.

DART Names Elizabeth Reich as New Chief Financial Officer

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Reich has joined the agency as the new chief financial officer (CFO). A proven and distinguished finance leader, Reich will assume her new role and responsibilities on July 18.

A key member of the executive team, reporting to DART president & chief executive officer Nadine Lee, Reich will lead the agency’s accounting, financial reporting, budget, treasury, fare collections, and fare payment systems, debt management, investment management, and risk management functions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to our leadership team at DART,” said Nadine S. Lee, DART president & CEO. “She brings a diverse skill set to the agency, including deep financial experience, strong analytics, and a track record of achievement. She is the right leader to helm our talented finance organization and deliver a comprehensive strategic financial plan that will help drive our rider-focused vision for the future.”

Reich comes to DART with more than 20 years of financial leadership experience. She joins the agency from the City of Dallas, where she served as the chief financial officer. This included leadership of Budget and Management Services, Procurement Services, Information & Technology Services, the City Controller’s Office, and the Office of Data Analytics & Business Intelligence. The Bond Buyer honored Elizabeth as a Trailblazing Woman in Public Finance in December 2021.

“These are exciting times for the North Texas region, and DART has developed an unparalleled vision and mission that I feel will make a real difference in the lives of our residents,” said Reich. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to leverage all of my years of finance and business experience to play a role in helping deliver on this vision. I’m excited to work with the team to further strengthen the agency’s financial growth to ensure that we can expand and develop greater mobility opportunities for our riders.”

Prior to joining the City of Dallas, Reich spent 16 years with the Social Security Administration, taking on greater challenges and responsibilities including serving as the deputy regional commissioner of the Dallas Region and also serving as its chief financial officer.

Reich received her Master of Public Administration degree from The American University in Washington, D.C. in 2000. She is also a member of the Dallas Regional Chamber Executive Women’s Roundtable, Women in Public Finance, and serves on the board of Broadway Dallas, previously Dallas Summer Musicals.

Buses Replace DART Light Rail between Pearl/Arts District and Deep Ellum Stations on July 9

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will operate shuttle buses instead of light rail vehicles on the Green Line between Pearl/Arts District Station and Deep Ellum Station on Saturday, July 9, from 6:00 p.m. until the end of service. Regularly scheduled light rail service will resume on Sunday, July 10.

During this time the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will perform necessary inspections on the I-345 bridge in downtown Dallas.

Shuttle buses will be operated by a third-party charter bus company and will not be DART branded. Passengers should look for charter buses at the red “Rail Disruption” bus stop signs located near each station to board a shuttle bus.

Route and schedule information is available at DART.org or by calling the Customer Information Center at 214-979-1111.

The Grapevine Edit Launches on Instagram to Celebrate All Things Grapevine

A new Instagram account aims to celebrate everything that makes Grapevine a must-visit spot in North Texas. Whether it’s wineries, restaurants, boutiques, shopping, or tourist attractions, The Grapevine Edit showcases the best of the city and the “everyone knows each other” vibe that makes Grapevine stand out in the crowd.

The Grapevine Edit launched in early June. It’s a project run by Laura Kellerman Studio, a full-service portrait photography studio that recently opened on College and Main Street behind Bull Lion Winery. Earlier this month, the team from the studio shot content at four dozen businesses located on or around Main Street. The material, highlighting the best places to stop, eat, relax, and enjoy life, will be released over the next four months. 

“We met some wonderful people so far this summer,” Kellerman said about the project. “There’s no shortage of fun things to do in Grapevine, and we’ll be showcasing as many as we can find in the months to come.”

The Grapevine Edit plans to release an original piece of content each day and sprinkle in standout pictures and videos created by local businesses, visitors to Grapevine, and area influencers. The goal is to create a content experience that brings to life everything that makes Grapevine the perfect place to live, visit, and play. 

Have a Grapevine favorite you think needs to be featured? It could be a park, a menu item, a summer camp, or an amazing laundry service — message us on Instagram or email thegrapevineedit@gmail.com. And when you post something fun about Grapevine, be sure to use the hashtag #TheGrapevineEdit.

Nadia Nesich Wins Best of Show at 2022 DART Student Art Contest

Nadia Nesich, a 7th-grade student at Pegasus School of Liberal Arts & Sciences in Dallas, is this year’s Best of Show winner in Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) annual Student Art Contest.

Nadia’s artwork, based on this year’s theme “DART’s New Bus Network: Simpler. Better. Faster. Easier!” asked young artists where they would like to go. Students from Kindergarten through 12th grade were given the opportunity to show everyone how far DART’s new bus network can take them.

The 2022 DART Student Art Contest helps promote the use of public transportation and is supported by community partners including Dallas Contemporary, the Dallas Museum of Art, Half Price Books, the Perot Museum of Science, the Dallas Zoo, the Children’s Aquarium, and the Dallas Arboretum, as well as media partners the Advocate, Al Día, the Dallas Morning News, DFW Child, KERA, Local Profile, NBC 5, Plano Magazine and Telemundo 39.

The winning artwork will be displayed at DART rail stations, buses, and inside trains, and will also be on display at the Dallas Museum of Art, Love Field Airport, The Gallery at Courtyard in Plano, and on DART’s website, DART.org. Prizes will be awarded to first-place winners and runners-up in different grade-level categories.

All of the winning entries may be viewed at studentartgallery.dart.org/.

Grapevine Apartment Community Goes to the Dogs

A new concept apartment community has come to Grapevine courtesy of Fidus Pet Concierge Communities. Fidus is the sole creator of Grapevine’s own “pet-centric” apartment homes, located at Cross Creek at Grapevine Ranch. They kicked off the summer with an adoption event on June 18.

This “Adoption Party Summer Bash” featured seven highly regarded animal shelters, including North Texas Australian Shepherd Rescue, Habitat 4 Paws, Bull Luv Able Rescue, Rescue Row, The Colony Animal Services, Dallas Dog RRR, and Mid-Cities Rescue. The party included over 30 dogs available for adoption, all of who varied in age, breed, and size.

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Enjoy the photo gallery below! For more information, visit FidusPet.com