Eric July, Bab Adetiba and Dave Newhouse have launched an effort they’re calling Minorities Seeking Solutions.  The Dallas area twentysomethings look to convene a group of individuals that are interested in addressing and solving some of the problems that plague the African-American community.

The group kicked off with a scheduled debate that ended up as a discussion at Jokae’s Bookstore a few weeks ago.  I referenced the meeting in my Dallas Morning News column last week about Generation X and Generation Y.

When I sat down with Bab, Eric, Dave and the rest at Jokae’s, I was inspired by their desire to move past statements of the dismal reality and move towards create stronger communities.  They were frustrated by the high rates of teen pregnancy, HIV and crime in Black communities in Dallas.  This is a group that bares watching.

To view entire gallery click one photo then scroll left or right.

Sat. Jan. 14, 2012 10AM FREE

City of Dallas

30th Annual Martin Luther King March

starting at City Hall, down MLK Blvd.

Saturday, Jan. 14 7PM FREE

Alpha Phi Alpha presents

Martin Luther King Community Program &

Candle Lighting Ceremony

Martin Luther King Recreation Center

2901 Penn. South Dallas,TX

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Dr. Martin Luther King

January 16, 2012 10AM

26th Annual Elite News MLK Parade

starting on MLK Blvd. and ending in

Fair Park with a Health/Education Festival

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 11AM FREE

The African American Pastors Coalition (AAPC)

17th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Christian Chapel “Temple of Faith” CME Church,

14120 Noel Rd. in Dallas.

Dr. William Watley of Atlanta, GA as its keynote speaker.

Dr.Watley is Senior Pastor of Saint Philip AME Church in Atlanta.

This year’s theme, Breaking the Chain: With our Voice, Our Vote and Victory

Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 7PM

Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture
invite you and your family to celebrate@
The World Dr. King Inherited
and Changed
Keynote speaker Isabel Wilkerson
author The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
@AT&T Performing Arts Center
2403 Flora Street
Admission$20.
Teachers/Students $10.
Groups of 10 or more $15.
FREE PARKING

The African American Geneology Group
invite you to their outstanding program
DUNBAR AT THE DUNBAR
Paul Lawrence Dunbar, of Ft. Worth TX, will present his research exploring his family
linkage to the great poet, Paul Lawrence Dunbar. He will share how
public and private sources were utilized to reveal his family history. And these
same sources are available to all of us . Let’s get busy!!
Calling all poets, writers, historians, rappers–lovers of
African American culture.
@Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library,
2008 Kiest Blvd., Dallas, TX 75216
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, jr.

State Senator Royce West and family mourn the loss of beloved son, RemarcusLarry West, 33, who passed away on December 26, 2011.

The funeral is scheduled for Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Good Street Baptist Church, 3110 Bonnie View Road, Dallas, Texas.

In honor of the memory of Remarcus West, the West family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the University of North Texas at Dallas for the Remarcus West Memorial Scholarship Fund. Contributions to the scholarship fund can be sent to The University of North Texas at Dallas, Attn. Office of University Advancement, 7300 University Hills Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75241-4600.

State Senator Royce West and family are mourning the loss of his middle son, Remarcus Larry West, age 33.  The younger West died after a lengthy battle with a gastrointestinal illness.

I confirmed the information with someone close to Senator West’s office today and messages of sympathy have been left on Remarcus’ Facebook page.  Arrangements are pending and we will share information as it becomes available.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Senator West and his entire family.

Photo from Remarcus West’s Facebook Page.

Dallas’ newest resident, Khloe Kardashian Odom, has organized a toy drive to collect new, unwrapped toys.  The toys will be given to children spending the holidays at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.  The public is invited to bring toys to the lobby of City Hall.

Card games or games that can be played in bed are the best options.  Toys must be in the original packaging and stuffed animals will not be accepted.  People may line up on City Hall Plaza to enter the lobby to deliver their toys, request autographs and take pictures.

Who: - Khloe Kardashian Odom

- Representatives from Children’s Medical Center of Dallas

When: 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21

Where: Dallas City Hall Lobby

NOTES:

The public will NOT be allowed to park in City Hall Garage for this event

Individuals will not be allowed to cue up prior to 10:00 a.m.

He gallops to the door, greets his guests with a big lick on the cheek, and jumps up for a big bear hug. He sniffs your knees and licks your toes, and looks at you straight in the eye with his head slightly cocked to the right, as if he wants to know your story.

His name is Rocky, and he is just one of a litter of rescued pit bull-mix dogs found in an abandoned, dilapidated house in west Dallas in August 2011 and now living the posh life. In Rocky’s case, he is living with his new parents, Charlotte and Eric Simmons in Frisco.

“He is our baby, that is for sure,” Charlotte Simmons, 43, said with a gigantic smile on her face. “He has brought much excitement to this house.”

Her husband, Eric Simmons, 39, is Rocky’s best friend. “We can’t imagine our life without him,” Mr. Simmons said.

Rocky is one lucky dog. According to the Humane Society of the United States, 4 million cats and dogs, about one every eight seconds, are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. That could have been Rocky’s fate if not for the kindness of one of the city’s no-kill rescue groups. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, 10 to 20 percent of cats and dogs are adopted every year from rescue centers and shelters. Because of the economy, rescue centers and pet shelters are hurting for funds and are forced to turn many pets away.

“We ask for special funds to assist with certain cases. We often take in severely injured or abused dogs and cats and ask for donations specifically for those pets, said, Elise Bissell, executive director for Take Me Home Pet Rescue (TMHPR), whose group saved Rocky.

TMHPR, Operation Kindness, Paws in the City, and SPCA of Dallas are among the many nonprofit rescue groups in the area that operate almost entirely through donations and fundraisers. Bissel said her budget fluctuates with the donations TMHPR receives.

“People continue to be generous to us, but this could change at any time,” Bissel said.

TMHPR rescued Rocky along with his seven other siblings, including one found with just three legs, and his mother, Cricket.  All of the puppies have found permanent homes. Cricket is still looking for a family to adopt her.

TMHPR, like other groups, removes dogs and cats from shelters where they are in danger of euthanasia, as well as rescuing them from unsafe situations and off the streets. Group members and friends foster the animals in their homes while trying to find them permanent homes.  The group also has a new center on Campbell Road in Richardson, where it can keep animals who are sick or need special care overnight. The group is committed to having the animals in its care spayed, neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before they are adopted.

Sally Seegers, a TMHPR volunteer, knows first-hand about the problems and concerns rescue agencies are facing today. “There is a huge need for foster parents, adopters, and donations,” Ms. Seegers said. “People also need to acknowledge the great responsibility they take on when they adopt. You can’t just say ‘Oh well, I want a pet.’ You have to be prepared and willing to take care of them all the time like a family member.”

All of the pet rescue agencies dedicate their time to putting animals in the arms of people like the Simmons, who treat Rocky like a king.

“His ability to turn an awful day into such a good one is amazing,” Mr. Simmons says. “When I come home from a long day at work in a grumpy mood, he knows how to turn my day around.”

Rocky gets his faced washed every morning, shares the bed with his parents every night, and enjoys frozen yogurt on special occasions. Ms. Simmons is planning on buying Rocky some new booties for the winter time since she is worried his paws might gets cold when he goes outside.

Rocky even gets special treatment on the weekends at his day care center, McKee’s Pet Place, located in Frisco.

“Rocky is the best dog,” McKee employee Kelly Peace said. “He is never in his room because all the workers love playing with him. He makes friends with every dog and every person he comes across.”

The Simmons urge others to adopt from shelters and rescue agencies.

“We cannot imagine our lives without him. We do not have any children, so Rocky is literally like our child,” Ms. Simmons said.

“Rocky and all the other animals do not see color, they do not care how fat or skinny you are, they only see you for you. They love you just the way you are,” Mr. Simmons said.

Make a Difference and Adopt a Pet Near You…

Take Me Home Pet Rescue

• 561 W. Cambell Rd., suite 303

Richardson, Texas 75080

• info@takemehomepetrescue.com
• 214-908-0074

SPCA of Dallas

• SPCA of Texas

2400 Lone Star Dr.

Dallas, TX 75212

• 214-742-SPCA (7722)
• www.spca.org/rr

Operation Kindness

• 3201 Earhart Dr

Carrollton, TX 75006-5025

• 972-418-PAWS
• FAX: 972-417-8956
• http://www.operationkindness.org/index.php

City Pet Rescue

• 3824 Cedar Springs Rd. #360

Dallas, Texas 75219

• Fax:  1 866 747 2980
• info@pawsinthecity.org.

Molly McKone, 20, is a junior at Southern Methodist University majoring in convergence journalism with a minor in political science

City offices Closed

Libraries Open – December 23^rd, Closed – December 24, 25, 26 and January 2

Parks & Recreation Recreation Centers and Administrative Offices: Closed on Dec. 23, 25 & 26, 2011 and Jan. 1 & 2, 2012.

Recreation Centers open regular hours on Sat., Dec. 24 & 31, 2011

Municipal Golf Courses, Tennis Centers and Elm Fork Gun Range are closed Dec. 25th

Animal Services Administration offices will be closed on December 23 and 26, 2011 and January 2, 2012.   Shelter will be open December 23 and 26^th.  Shelter will be closed December 25th and January 1st and will close at 5 p.m. on December 23rd, 24th and December 31st. Shelter will operate regular hours on January 2^nd. Staff will be available to answer priority emergency calls in the field such as bites, vicious animals, trapped, and confined animals.  All calls will be handled thru 311.  Night drop kennels at the shelter are available 7 days after business hours and holidays.

3-1-1 Customer Help Line Customer Service Representatives will be available to take service-related urgent calls such as water main breaks, downed trees/limbs, signal lights out/down, animal control, etc.  Water Customer Service will be closed.  Routine service requests may be input via the web at

http://www.dallascityhall.com/services/services.html

Police Administrative offices-Closed, Will operate on normal schedule

Dallas Fire Rescue Administrative offices-Closed, Will operate on a normal schedule

Municipal Courts The Municipal Courts Building at 106 S. Harwood and 2014 Main will be closed. Mail payments are accepted with postmark dates honored. Proof or Plea Court will close December 23, 24, 26, and 31, 2011 and January 2, 2012. Online payments may be made at www.dallascityhall.com. Attorney & Cash Bonds for Arrested Defendants will be processed 24 Hours/7Days a week (Including Holidays) at the Dallas Marshal’s Office, 1600 Chestnut Street, Dallas, Texas 75226

Sanitation The City of Dallas Sanitation department will operate on a normal schedule. Garbage, recycling and bulk trash will be collected as scheduled. All transfer stations and the McCommas Bluff Landfill will operate regular hours.

• Xmas-New Year closings and schedules 2011.doc

Visiting the J. Eric Jonsson Central Library of Downtown Dallas is routine for Sara Rosenblatt and her family. But Rosenblatt doesn’t like that the library is closed on Mondays. In fact, all but three of the 27 Dallas Public Library locations are closed on Mondays.

“It is very inconvenient. And the ones that are open are very far from where we live,” Rosenblatt said as she waited in line with her husband and children to check out a large stack of books.

Limited hours are just one of the repercussions of the 40 percent budget cut to the Dallas Public Library System over the past several years, according to Doug Taylor, board member for district one of the Municipal Library Board. The library doesn’t have the funds to replace worn out materials, buy additional licenses for electronic materials, pay for special programming events or market for awareness. However, the biggest hit the libraries are facing is the loss in staff.

There just isn’t money in the budget to support the payroll the system once had. With job security on the line, people are beginning to leave on their own to find jobs that guarantee future paychecks, according to Ann Saucer, current member of the Municipal Library Board, the Lochwood and Oak Lawn Friends boards, and the Northeast Texas Library System Board.

“People are leaving not only because of cuts, but voluntarily,” said Saucer, who is also a former member of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library.

Friends of the Dallas Public Library is a non–profit organization has been doing its best to support the Dallas Public Library system since 1950. The organization raises money to contribute to programs, for books, staff, renovations and more.

Friends of the Dallas Public Library hosted a fundraiser on Nov. 4 with Dallas filmmaker and comic book writer Greg Pak. The evening included a silent auction and dinner at the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas. More information on events sponsored by the organization can be found at www.fodpl.org.

Friends’ works with businesses such as Atmos Energy and sponsors several programs and events at the Central Library. However, they want people to recognize that they can’t be the sole providers for the library.

“Friends can’t make up $20 million in cuts,” said Kate Park, Executive Director of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library.

Jonsson, which is the system’s central library located on Young Street, has been resourceful in dealing with the budget cuts, including reorganizing bookshelves and making resources as convenient as possible for not only library patrons, but also desk clerks, according to Saucer.

“The people at the library are great people. It is amazing how efficient they have been,” Saucer said.

There are plans to open two new branches in the near future. However, there are no plans to add additional staff. This means current employees will be stretched thin as they take on more responsibility, which could lead to more limited hours, materials and resources at all the branches, officials said.

According to Park, many rooms in the Central Library go unnoticed by visitors simply because there is no access to them. Downstairs is a full computer lab that could be used to teach computer technology classes, but without a budget to pay individuals to instruct, the room remains dark.

“There are resources behind glass doors, behind closed doors, behind locked doors. People just don’t know,” Park said.

The public libraries offer a place for Dallas residents to gain free education or access to the resources they need to find a job. People use the computers not only for social networking, but to create resumes and research job opportunities. The libraries also provide a safe place for children to go after school until parents get home, according to Anne Haskel, a consultant of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library.

“We are serving the underserved,” Haskel said.

Central Library visitor Ray Hooks worries about the future of libraries for his four-year-old son’s sake.

“If things don’t change, my son is going to try to come to do homework, and instead of having what he needs, they’ll be spending money to build a freeway,” Hooks said.

Creating awareness of the issue is another struggle that the library system faces. It needs money to fix the problem, but they also need money for marketing to create awareness that the problem even exists, in order to gain more support from the community.  It is a vicious cycle that the library has to choose between; spending money on marketing or replacing materials, according to Saucer.

Parks stresses that libraries should be a top priority every day and not just at city council meetings.

“We want to serve the library 365 days a year,” Parks said.

Jasmine Nalls, Miss Teen Dallas, recently competed in Houston for the Miss Black Texas USA Talented Teen crown.  Jasmine won 1st Runner up and scored best in the interview competition.  She was also selected as Miss Hospitality.

Miss Nalls showcased her poise and grace as she competed for the crown.  The Miss Black USA Pageant gives young ladies the opportunity to inspire other teen ladies in the areas of community service, fundraising, speaking, modeling, poise, character and leadership.

Jasmine is a dynamic speaker, motivator, mentor and role model.  She is part of Journey of a Young Lady, Inc.  where she currently serves as Fundraising Chair, Community Ambassador for Susan G. Komen Circle of Promise, Apprientice, Leader and Meeting CEO.

She is also president of the Teen Advisory Board at the DeSoto Labrary and Past President of Top Teens of America Trinity West Chapter (2009).  Jasmine loves the Lord and desires to inspire other young ladies by example not just by words alone.  Keep your eyes on this young lady, she’s going somewhere.

Photo by DBrown Photography