14 June 2021 | prestonhollowpeople.com
Community GROUNDBREAKING CONNECTION
U.S. 75 pedestrian bridge will link Northaven into Dallas trail network
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little more than two months after the Texas Department of Transportation approved construction, the pedestrian bridge that will span U.S. Highway 75, connecting Northaven Trail to White Rock Creek Trail and beyond, broke ground. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Dallas Park and Recreation board president Calvert Collins-Bratton, TxDOT Commissioner Robie Vaughn, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, and District 11 Dallas city council member Lee Kleinman were among those in attendance on May 8. The Northaven Trail runs from U.S. Highway 75 to Denton Drive. The plans for it include connecting to the White Rock Creek Trail on the east and Irving’s Campion Trail on the west. The bridge will connect the Northaven Trail to White Rock Creek Trail, Cottonwood Creek Trail, and other trails east of the highway by a bridge over U.S. Highway 75. “The project will also stand as a regional example of the positive benefits of appropriate location and design aesthetics for future bicycle and pedestrian trails and amenities,” a project fact sheet from TxDOT said. “This really opens up our Dallas Parks and Recreation trail network for access between North Dallas and other previously unconnected trails east and south,” Friends of Northaven Trail president Jeff Kitner said when TxDOT announced the project in March. The $9.3 million project will be not quite half a mile long, with an estimated completion date sometime in late 2022. – Staff Report
Runners, walkers, cyclists, and dogs joined such dignitaries as Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, city council members Lee Kleinman and Jennifer Staubach-Gates and others for the ground breaking of the Northaven Trail bridge over U.S. 75. (PHOTOS: CHRIS MCGATHEY)
Alert Dog (And Owner) Rescue Neighbor Pooch From Pool Bunny, a beagle mix, may have fallen in water while chasing a rabbit
Katie Lewis and Bunny are thankful for the barking of Lola. (COURTESY PHOTOS)
By Norishka Pachot
editorialassistant3@peoplenewspapers.com
A splash and cries woke up Samantha Camp, 24, before sunrise one morning this spring. Her toy schnauzer, Lola, was barking up to her as if to alert something was wrong. Camp went past a window and recognized splashing across the backyard, coming from her neighbors’ pool. “I hear splashing, and then I realize,
‘Oh my god! That is a dog. That’s Bunny. Bunny is in the pool,” Camp said. There is no way to know how Bunny, a beagle mix, had fallen into the pool, but her owners believe that she ran after a rabbit or squirrel and fell in the water. Camp ran through the backyard, pulled Bunny out of the pool by her neck, and then helped the dog cough up any chlorine water that she may have swallowed before the dog ran inside through the doggy door.
If it weren’t for Lola’s barks, Bunny would not have been saved by Camp. “It took a while to figure out what happened,” said Bunny’s owner, Katie Lewis, 29. “I thought it was raining, and she had gone outside and got wet. Then I turned on the light, and there was blood everywhere.” Bunny had tried to climb out of the pool, and in doing so, had ground down her nails, causing them to bleed. “Along the alley, dogs were barking; all the dogs were worried,” Camp said. Lewis took Bunny to the vet after getting the dog cleaned and dried up. She was fine. Lewis gave her ice cream afterward to make her feel better. The Lewises and the Camps have been neighbors for 27 years. Katie Lewis and Samantha Camp grew up together and are like family. Their dogs, Lola, Luna, Nellie, and Bunny, have also grown up together. “The Camps have always been there for us,” said Kathy Lewis, Katie’s mom. Lola and Samantha Camp proved that again on April 7. They saved the day.
POOL SAFETY FOR DOGS Teach them to swim – Dogs need to know how when there is a pool at home. Ease them into the water and help them paddle at first. Show them how to exit – Teach your dog how to exit from different locations around the pool, so they know what to do in case of an accidental fall. Make your dog comfortable – An anxious or unsure dog is not a good thing to have near a pool. Make sure your dog is comfortable enough being around and in the water. Consider safety products – A pool ramp helps dogs safely enter and exit. Pool cover and fences can also prevent tragedies.
