Crime

SKULDUGGERY of the MONTH: A HALLOWEEN MIRACLE?

A porch pirate pilfered packages from a home in the 3400 block of Beverly Drive that contained glass Christmas ornaments and nail polish at 2:09 p.m. Oct. 31, but the boxes were later found opened near the in-

tersection of Beverly and

St. Johns and returned.

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Oct. 11

Reported at 10:25 a.m.: A burglar snagged a handgun from a vehicle in the 6400 block of North Central Expressway.

Oct. 13

A thieving trickster took four Halloween-themed inflatables — a grim reaper, dragon, crown, and clown in an ice cream truck — from a yard in the 3400 block of Beverly Drive before 8:14 a.m.

Oct. 16

How easy was it for a crook to take a Jeep Wrangler from the

4400 block of Southern Avenue

at 5:55 a.m.? It was unlocked with the key fob inside.

Oct. 18

An unfortunate driver found out he’d bought a stolen Dodge Charger when he was stopped by police in the 4100 block of Beverly Drive at 4:21 p.m.

Oct. 19

Watch out for the tree: A moving truck driver hit one in the 3700 block of Crescent Avenue at 9:30 a.m.

Oct. 21

A prowler got into a Mercedes SUV in the 4300 block of Overhill Drive and swiped three pairs of Asics running shoes worth $400, three tennis rackets worth $1,000, a $100 tennis bag, and a knee brace from inside before 7:40 a.m.

Oct. 22

Picture this: Before 7:20 a.m., a burglar broke into a dental office in the 6800 block of Hillcrest Avenue and took $5,000 worth of photo/optical equipment.

Oct. 23

An opportunistic burglar got into a pair of unlocked Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs in the 3400 block of Granada Avenue around 7:22 a.m.

Oct. 24

Don’t forget to lock up: An intruder got into an unlocked Buick Envision and an unlocked Toyota 4 Runner in the 3200 block of Northwest Parkway around 11 a.m. and took two pairs of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses.

Oct. 25

Reported at 8:05 a.m.: a copper caper. An intruder got into a construction site in the 4600 block of Westside Drive and took 30 feet of copper tubing, 30 feet of copper wiring, and an air conditioner unit.

Oct. 28

Lost and found: a thief took an iPad left at Park House in Highland Park Village between 6 and 9 p.m.

Oct. 29

A rogue broke a window of an Infiniti FX35 parked in the parking lot of Whole Foods in the 4100 block of Lomo Alto Drive around 4:45 p.m. and took $1,400 from inside.

Oct. 31

A good neighbor found an abandoned wheelchair in the 5500 block of Fairfield Avenue at 9:22 a.m. and informed police.

Nov. 1

Reported at 10:24 a.m.: A part pilferer picked a brake light from a Land Rover in the 3100 block of Drexel Drive.

Nov. 3

Reported at 9:36 a.m.: easy pickings. A rogue didn’t have to work hard to get into a GMC Yukon in the 3700 block of Potomac Avenue, rifle through it, and take $1,500, two credit cards, two gift cards, and four checks totaling $2,000. e garage and Yukon were left unlocked.

Nov. 7

Reported at 12:56 p.m.: A reckless driver hit a Toyota Avalon in the 5600 block of Key Avenue and left without leaving information.

Christmas at Highland Park United Methodist Church A Service of Lessons & Carols

December 12, 2021 | 6 pm | hpumc.org/towerarts

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PROPERTY CRIMES

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SEP ‘20 OCT ‘20NOV ‘20DEC ‘20 JAN ‘21 FEB ‘21 MAR ‘21 APR ‘21MAY ‘21 JUN ‘21 JUL ‘21 AUG ‘21 SEP ‘21

5 VIOLENT CRIMES

0

SEP ‘20 OCT ‘20NOV ‘20DEC ‘20 JAN ‘21 FEB ‘21 MAR ‘21 APR ‘21MAY ‘21 JUN ‘21 JUL ‘21 AUG ‘21 SEP ‘21

UNIVERSITY PARK HIGHLAND PARK

Property crimes include burglaries, thefts, and vehicle thefts. Violent crimes

include assaults and robberies. (SOURCES: HIGHLAND PARK DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UNIVERSITY PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT, ILLUSTRATION: MELANIE THORNTON)

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As I reflect on our 40th anniversary and my journey here at People Newspapers, what comes to mind are the many people I have had the good fortune to work with and meet. I’ve worked for People Newspapers and D Magazine (our parent company) all together for 26 years; I guess you could say I grew up here. I’m grateful for the experiences and the gift of working with some very talented individuals.

It’s not a secret that folks in newspapering, especially community newspapers, don’t make a lot of money. Most stay in this profession because they love what they do and are committed to the excellence we strive for.

In 1993 my mentor and friend Kay Moran, then the paper’s owner, entrusted me to run it when I had no journalistic experience and was just 30 years old. I had enough sense to hire people that knew what they were doing, and I was fortunate that there were already dedicated, talented employees on staff.

I started a few months earlier as a parttime special projects manager (a madeup title) while learning the business and figuring out who did what. In that role, we launched a customized TV guide for the Park Cities, which had their own cable provider at the time.

Along the way, I’ve developed a good eye for page layout, and I’m halfway decent at spotting needed edits.

What I love about my job is having a product valued by the community we serve and working with the talented individuals who make that happen. Perusing our archives to jog my memory, I’ve come across names I had forgotten and folks I will never forget. ank you to these former co-workers who have made me so proud, and in one way or another, helped me to grow: Suzy Williford, Dorothy Wood, Maureen O’Donnell, Guy Griffin, Ray Wilkerson, Tom Boone, Glenda Vosburgh, Carolyn Tillery, Nikol Dittman, Molly Nolan, Lynn Timm, Jake Dean, David Westapher, Agness Robertson, Don Hancock, Steve PAT MARTIN Lansdale, Chris McGathey, Alma Ritter, Bernadette Ramirez, Kate Martin, Elizabeth Ygartua, Amy Curry, Jeremy Chesnut, Chuck Cox, and Dan Koller. I’ll never forget the late Tom Robertson, Ken Henze, and Geraldine Galentree. And that brings me to our current staff that continues our long tradition of serving our readers with national award-winning community newspapers: editor William Taylor, digital editor Bethany Erickson, deputy editor Rachel Snyder, sports editor, Todd Jorgenson, art and production director Melanie ornton, digital and production assistant Mia Carrera, distribution manager Mike Reinboldt, distribution consultant Don Hancock, client relations & marketing coordinator Maddie Spera, advertising account executive, Tana Hunter, Quita Johnson, and Evelyn Wolff, and last but not least senior account executive Kim Hurmis, who was here when I started. What’s kept Kim here for 39 years? “I have always taken pride in the newspapers we publish and the communities that we serve,” she told me. “I love the sales process, and relationships that I have built with my advertisers over the years are a bonus.”

Salary increase will attract, keep them

By Rachel Snyder

rachel.snyder@peoplenewspapers.com

Studies show teacher pay plays a role in keeping qualified teachers in the classroom.

A Stanford study using data collected from 2,266 teachers in the San Francisco Unified School District showed that frequently economically anxious teachers were 67% more likely to say they plan to resign relative to the overall sample and 100% more likely than non-frequently anxious teachers.

For 2020-2021, Highland Park ISD’s average teacher salary ranked 24th out of 25 compared to other school districts in North Texas. To help bridge the gap, the board of trustees called a tax rate election to seek voter approval for the district to access four ‘golden pennies’ which are not subject to recapture by the state to raise additional revenue for staff pay. Voters approved the proposition on Nov. 2 with 77% for it (3,885 votes) and 23% against it (1,141 votes) per official results approved by the school board.

HPISD Superintendent Tom Trigg said the vote would help close the gap in teacher pay, which widened due to the school funding law House Bill 3 passed in 2019.

District officials say that while most school

districts across the state received more funding from the per-student allocation than before HB3, HPISD received less as a percentage. “We have a really supportive community overall, which was just demonstrated by this vote,” Trigg said. “We have amazing parents that are very supportive of our schools and of our teachers, and they show that a myriad of ways including involvement with PTA, including their gifting dollars to Mad For Plaid, all those kinds of things, and that sends a really positive message to our teachers.” By approving HPISD Proposition A and setting a tax rate of $1.131 per $100 valuation for 2021-2022, district officials say about Voters approved Highland Park ISD’s tax rate $3.6 million will be proposal 77% to 23% Nov. 2. (PHOTO: RACHEL SNYDER) generated for teacher and staff pay. Officials say the tax rate for property owners in HPISD will decrease 2.1 cents (per $100 of assessed value) over last year instead of a projected 6.1 cents (per $100 of assessed value) if the proposition had failed. “You want the very best teachers you can possibly have, and that’s going to give kids the very best opportunity to learn and to perform well,” Trigg said. “I think you can make the connection that the more quality teachers we can hire, the better chance our kids have to achieve at higher levels.”

Snider Plaza Redevelopment Project Proceeding ‘With Caution’

By Rachel Snyder

rachel.snyder@peoplenewspapers.com

After weeks of legal maneuvering, developer Jim Strode was still proceeding “with caution” on the redevelopment of the southeast corner of Snider Plaza where Peggy Sue BBQ used to be, his lawyer said.

But no permits had been issued as of press time in mid-November.

“While there’s no specific timeline (for the project), it’s going to proceed with caution, but proceed nonetheless,” said attorney Jay Madrid, who represented Strode in the lawsuit challenging the project. “We want to be cautious, as you might guess, but nonetheless, there is no restriction right now.”

In early October, Dallas County District Court Judge Aiesha Redmond granted a temporary restraining order, putting the issuance of permits on hold. e Snider Plaza Alliance, a neighborhood group opposed to the potential impact of the development on parking and traffic in Snider Plaza, had requested the delay.

“ e City of University Park passed a zoning change on false pretenses and without proper notice, allowing the developer to avoid

having to comply with zoning that would require dozens of additional parking spaces for a development of this size,” the group alleged in early court filings. But, in mid-November, Dallas County District Court Judge Sheryl McFarlin ruled that the Snider Plaza Alliance didn’t “have standing” to bring its lawsuit. Opponents could appeal McFarlin’s decision, and an alliance representative said members were still weighing their options as of Nov. 9. Strode’s plan for the site, approved by the City Council on Sept. 21, calls In September, the University Park City Council approved developer Jim Strode’s plan to redevelop part of Snider Plaza. (RENDERING: OMNIPLAN, CITY OF UP) for taking down the existing structures to make way for a new three-story building to house retail, restaurant, and office space. e plan also calls for a two-level underground parking garage with 48 spaces accessed from Daniel Avenue. The plan was about 13 parking spaces short of the number of off-street parking spaces required per the city’s zoning ordinance. “ e City Council had existing authority under the zoning ordinance to reduce the required parking in approving the detailed site plan,” lawyers representing city officials argued in court filings.

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