By Mayor Eric Johnson
It’s still sinking in: the Texas Rangers are (finally) world champions.
The losing seasons, the heart- break, the rebuilds, the special moments, the beloved players who came and went — they were all part of the journey. Though they play over in Arlington, the Rangers have long been involved with Dallas youth. The Texas Rangers Youth Academy, located in West Dallas, provides year-round baseball and softball lessons to kids, positively impacting thousands of young lives in Dallas.
Dallas will savor this victory — and hopefully more — for many years to come.
Distinguished Service This week, I had the pleasure of honoring three extraordinary Dallas residents by presenting them with the Mayor’s Distinguished Service Award.
This award honors the notable service and significant contributions of Dallas residents to the City of Dallas.
The three honorees were:
- The Honorable Tom Leppert, 58th Mayor of Dallas
- Darwin Payne, SMU Professor Emeritus of Communications
- Ambassador Jeanne Phillips, former United States Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France
It was an incredible honor to recognize these City of Dallas residents who have served and represented our city so well and honorably over the years.
Reconnecting a community
For generations, Oak Cliff — a vibrant community that is divided by 11 miles of highway — has been treated as an after-thought by this city’s leaders. That officially ended two weeks ago, with the kickoff of the construction of the new Southern Gateway Park. This project will introduce the world to Oak Cliff in a breathtaking new way. Southern Gateway Park is healing a divide and reconnecting a community.
This isn’t just a milestone for Southern Gateway Park; it’s a milestone for Oak Cliff and the City of Dallas as a whole. Southern Gateway Park is a game-changing investment in the people and the families of Oak Cliff that will bring increased economic activity and swaths of trees to an area that has been defined by a mass of concrete.
This park above a highway will soon reconnect the community it once cleaved apart.
Southern Gateway Park is essential to the future progress of our city and shows what is possible in Dallas when our city unites around a common goal.
Humble Beginnings
Austin Street Center recently hosted its annual “Humble Beginnings” luncheon to help raise funds and awareness around the issues of homelessness in Dallas. The event honored Nancy Best and Southern Methodist University and also featured a conversation with former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
As a city, Dallas must continue to reduce homelessness by focusing on strengthening partnerships and using proven strategies. Like many issues Dallas faces, homelessness is not an issue that city government can solve on its own. In fact, it is clear that it is an issue that is best handled by the folks in the trenches.
That’s where faith leaders and community organizations, such as Austin Street Center, come in. That’s also where institutions come in, such as Southern Methodis University, which has invested in Dallas time and time again by shaping and nurturing the next generation of philanthropists, civil servants, and community leaders.
The work that all of the aforementioned are doing speaks for itself.
District 2
I recently visited District 2 with Councilmember Jesse Moreno. During the visit, Coun-cilmember Moreno discussed ways we can work together to
address homelessness. He also shared some exciting economic development opportunities and future park projects and improvements, including some coming to Old East Dallas Yard Park (more on that very soon!).
That’s all for today. Have a great week and take care of yourselves!
