Maryland will never forget his time at the Woodlawn Club in Chicago, and few do when it comes to the Boys & Girls Club. The organization recognized Maryland Thursday as guest speaker during the Champions for Kids Luncheon at the Arlington Convention Center. Each year the Boys & Girls Club of Arlington holds this luncheon and each year speakers or special guests share stories of how their time in a Boys & Girls Club was their youthful epiphany. Maryland’s keynote speech zeroed in on his club participation and how role models can be found in the home, at school and places like the Boys & Girls Club.

“This is the first refuge for many young kids trying to find their way,” said Boys & Girls Club of Arlington President Steve Wurm. “That’s why we come together to thank those who have volunteered their time and their money to help them in that endeavor.”

On Thursday some of those volunteers were lauded. The luncheon is part fundraiser, part showcase for an organization or individual receiving the coveted Champion of Youth Award, the club’s highest honor that is presented to those who through actions or financial support illustrates a dedication to improving the lives of youth. This year the award went to BNSF Railway, which has worked rather tirelessly to give back to community entities such as the Presbyterian Night Shelter, SafeHaven of Tarrant County and the Community Enrichment Center Food Bank.

BNSF expanded Project Bright Star, a one-on-one academic assistance program to help first to fifth graders raise their grades to passing.

“In everything [BNSF] does, they strive to provide a work environment that supports community where it operates,” said Wurm. “They are involved in local communities from contributions to our annual United Way campaign to coordinating holiday toy drives.”

In a video shown during the luncheon, company staffers were busy building a playground.

“I do it because I want to be able to make a difference in someone else’s life,” BNSF employee Jacqueline Dozeman said in the video. “To see the playground go up, to know it’s a place where kids can get away and have fun, it’s just a great feeling.”

Former NBC 5 Sportscaster Scott Murray, now chairman and CEO of Murray Media, emceed the event. Tarrant County Commissioner Andy Nguyen also spoke, telling the audience how he came to the United States from Vietnam “not speaking a lick of English” but got his confidence at the Boys & Girls Club in Kentucky where he learned basketball and a sense of acceptance.

“Boys & Girls Clubs saved my life and has saved many lives,” he said. Is this whole graph being deleted? Thought what Nguyen had to say about his experiences with the Boys & Girls Club ties in well with what Steve Wurm said about one of the primary objectives of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

The Tarrant Regional Water District will initiate stage 1 of the drought plan on Monday, June 3, 2013.  Stage 1 requires mandatory water restrictions. Once the water restrictions are in place, Arlington residents will be limited to watering a maximum of twice a week. If you’re sprinkling your lawn more than twice per week, now is the time to begin reducing your landscape’s dependence on daily moisture.

How Much Water Do You Need?

“Studies have shown that turf grass needs 1 inch of water every five to seven days in the heat of the summer if there hasn’t been rain,” said Dustan Compton, Arlington Water Utilities’ conservation program coordinator.

Deep watering infrequently (every five to seven days) creates a healthier lawn than watering more frequently for a short period, Compton continued. Turf roots grow deep into the soil when watered infrequently and then grab water deep down during dry spells rather than always expecting water from the top.

How To Prepare Your Lawn – A Quick, Easy Fix

To help your grass’ roots grow during the next month, Compton suggests a gradual decrease in the frequency of your normal watering schedule. “Start transitioning your yard by removing one of the watering days each week until you’re down to two days a week.”

You can also use the cycle-soak method. Divide your sprinkler run time in half, wait about an hour, and water again. An example cycle-soak schedule for a standard pop-up spray turf grass is to first operate at 4 a.m. for 6 minutes and again at 5:30 a.m. for another 6 minutes. (For rotary sprinkler heads, you may want to have two run times of 13 minutes.) This method reduces water runoff and allows for more water to soak deep into the soil.

What will happen if you don’t condition your landscape and the water restrictions take effect? Your lawn will exhibit signs of stress. Plus, watering less now saves you money on your current water bill.

If you’re interested in learning how to go one step further and plant low-maintenance greenery, check out Arlington’s Approved Plants List.

Other Resources

www.SaveArlingtonWater.com

Arlington’s Lawn Watering Guide

Arlington Storm Water Education and Outreach

The Lawn Whisper’s Facebook Page – complete with tips, article links, discussions and videos. Also on Twitter: @TxLawnWhisperer.

Back to Drought Restrictions web site

Property owners are encouraged to do the same. Officials want residents and business owners to not only recognize and check for signs of tree stress, but to know how to care for trees during a drought.

Signs of tree stress can include leaves that are yellow or brown in color, are wilted, or are falling prematurely. Trees showing signs of stress however should not necessarily be mistaken for trees that are dying.

“Just because a tree is showing signs of stress, does not mean it will die,” said Urban Forestry & Land Manager Heather Dowell. “Trees have defense mechanisms. If a tree looks like its dying, it just may be going dormant to protect itself. If your tree defoliates and enters early dormancy, you should continue to water the tree even during dormancy.”

Tree Care Tips

If a tree exhibits any signs of stress, caretakers should use a hose around the tree at low pressure to water the roots — which are mostly located within the top foot of the soil– and move the hose around to ensure deep watering of the roots. It is good to check and make sure the soil is wet several inches below the surface so the tree can absorb the water.

Young trees, one to three years old, require slow, deep root watering once or twice a week. However, mature trees have developed defense mechanisms after experiencing previous drought conditions and can be sufficiently watered once every two weeks, according to Arlington Water Utilities’ Conservation Program Coordinator Dustan Compton.

“Just like everything else, you want deep watering,” said Compton. “When mandatory water restrictions go into effect June 3, residents will only be able to water lawns twice a week. Since tree watering is, at most, needed twice a week, residents should not run into any problems sufficiently hydrating their trees. Deep and slow-soaking watering techniques are key to training your trees and plants to perform optimally during drought conditions.”

Using mulch can also help protect the soil around a tree from drying out. Dowell recommends placing mulch (no more than 2 to 3 inches thick) in a circle around the drip line of the tree, up to 8-12 inches away from the trunk. If it is a young tree, mulch only needs to be placed on the root ball. Avoid placing mulch against the tree trunk and creating a volcano mound, which Dowell says invites a host of problems ranging from pests to tree suffocation.

To find more tips on tree care, visit the Texas Forest Service at http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=13888.

Arlington, along with the cities of Fort Worth and Mansfield, and the Trinity River Authority, purchases wholesale raw water from TRWD.  The combined storage capacity supply is made up of Richland Chambers Reservoir, Cedar Creek Reservoir, Lake Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain Lake.

The goal of Stage 1 drought restrictions is to conserve water supplies until conditions improve by reducing current water consumption by 5 percent through outdoor irrigation efficiencies. It is estimated that 50 to 60 percent of all water use during the summer months is attributed to outdoor irrigation, which represents an area of significant and practical water savings potential.

To meet the 5 percent water savings goal, mandatory drought restrictions to prohibit non-essential water use include:

Two day allowable watering schedule based on service address

• Wednesdays and Saturdays – residential addresses ending in an even number (0,2,4,6 or 8)
• Thursdays and Sundays – residential addresses ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7 or 9)
• Tuesdays and Fridays – all non-residential locations (apartments, businesses, parks, common areas, etc.)

• No outdoor watering between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. year round.  Hand-held watering may be used any day and any time.
• Irrigation system water waste is prohibited. Inspect irrigation systems monthly for runoff and leaks.
• Hosing of paved areas or buildings is discouraged.
• Washing of any vehicle with a hand-held hose must have a shutoff nozzle. Vehicle washing may be done at any time at a commercial car wash.

All outdoor water users are encouraged to begin landscape, sprinkler and irrigation system preparations for the twice per week watering schedule. A drought information website is available and includes outdoor water saving tips through articles, short videos and professional publications on techniques to efficiently water your lawn, trees and landscape beds during drought. For the latest updates on the drought condition, full details of drought restrictions and drought watering tips, go to www.SaveArlingtonWater.com.

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The event is the second of four in the 2013 “Paella Series”, hosted by Chef Luigi Cinelli at Ventana Grille.  Dinner guests won’t want to miss this month’s Paella offering, as the Venezuelan-born Cinelli returns to his roots with a specialty dish that includes saffron rice, chicken, pork, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and vegetables that brings in customers from all across the DFW metroplex. Patrons will have the opportunity to complement their Paella dinner with Ventana Grille’s special-recipe Sangria, available by the pitcher or glass.

“The ‘Paella Night’ in January was very well attended and we expect the same kind of turnout this month,” Cinelli said. “We have customers from as far away as Frisco and McKinney that are always among the first to RSVP when they hear about Paella Night. It’s great to see a lot of new faces attending our special dinner events as well.”

Paella for Two is just $29.95. Reservations are required. Only a few tables are left, so call (817) 548-5047 today to reserve your spot. Visit Ventana Grille on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VentanaGrille for additional information.

Smiles, cheers, and applause filled Arlington’s Animal Services’ Center as the PetSmart® Adoption Team Volunteers were recognized on Saturday, May 4.

Animal Services Manager Chris Huff recognized the 2012/2013 PetSmart® and Pretty Pooch Team Volunteers. Staff took this time to also recognize former shelter volunteer Bill McCart, and volunteers from 2010 through 2012.

Volunteer of the Year Award recipients included Karen Monaco for 2012; Kieu Phan, 2011; and Steve and Mary Kunkel, a husband wife team, 2010.

As the volunteers met for breakfast, they were awarded certificates of appreciation, participated in games, and shared comments regarding their past year of service with Highland PetSmart® events.

“Fun” was the word repeatedly spoken at this event by volunteers as they described the time they have as they work together to save pets lives and partner together like a family. This dedicated and energetic group adopted over 260 pets at the Arlington Highlands PetSmart® South since the program began in January 2012.

The city’s mobile adoption events are held at the PetSmart® location at the Arlington Highlands on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturday of each month, from 10:30 a.m. though 3:30 p.m.

Lead volunteer Bob Meister expressed appreciation to the team, and complimented Huff on the newly formed partnership with CBS DFW Channel 11 News, where an Animal Services Center frequently has the opportunity to feature a Pet of the Week.

Mr. Jim’s pizza donated pizza to acknowledge and express appreciation for all Animal Services Center staff, since the mobile adoption events would not be possible without the entire team of shelter staff, PetSmart® and Pretty Pooch Team Volunteers all working together.

Congratulations to the entire staff and volunteers for the PetSmart® adoption success.

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For more information contact Cheri Colbert at 817-459-6183.

“The rain barrel was a big success at our Hollywood Nights fundraiser,” stated Ms. Lesley Beckmann, Director of First Presbyterian Preschool.  The rain barrel sold for $600. “We will look to do it again for our next Hollywood Night fundraiser, which is held every spring.”

After the event, the person who purchased the rain barrel graciously donated it back to the preschool. Soon it will be installed in the school’s playground area so the children can water the plants in the new community garden.

A new 6-foot-wide concrete trail loop with wheelchair access from the street will be part of the new playground equipment which is being installed. The loop will have seating, fitness equipment sections, and improved drainage across the site.

“We wanted to inform every one of our park-goers about the closure, and why it would be closing. The park is getting a facelift,” Graduate Park Planner Briana Morrison said.

Construction should be completed by August 2013. If you are looking for a playground during that time, be sure to check out the playgrounds at nearby Randol Mill Park (1901 W. Randol Mill Road) or George Stevens Park (400 W. Sanford Street).