A team of actors from Shakespeare Dallas recently visited two Highland Park ISD elementary schools and presented a 50-minute production called What Fools These Mortals Be.

Neighborsgo contributor Kathleen Palter says this about the visit to Hyer Elementary:

The four actors presented excerpts from two of Shakespeare's most beloved plays, the tragic Romeo and Juliet and the comic romp A Midsummer Night's Dream. In between scenes and demonstrations, the actors engaged the young audience members with questions, provided humorous insights into Shakespearean life and language, and even brought student volunteers up onstage to participate in the action.

The troupe also performed at University Park Elementary School. These events are made possible by a grant from HP Arts, a nonprofit corporation supporting arts programming in the Highland Park ISD since 1987.

In photo, Shakespeare Dallas actor Christopher Curtis looks on in mock dismay as Hyer fourth-graders Evan Carr and Cooper Mercier engage in stage combat.

David Whitley, associate director of the City of Dallas' CityDesign Studio, will be the guest speaker at Commercial Real Estate Women Dallas monthly luncheon on Feb. 15. Whitley will address "West Dallas, the New Frontier: Reshaping Dallas through Urban Design."

With 11 years of public service in municipal planning, Whitley has been with the city of Dallas for eight years. He has worked on a number of planning initiatives including the development of code amendments for neighborhood stabilization as well as planning and economic development efforts for the Trinity River Corridor Project.

The luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Park City Club, 5956 Sherry Lane. The public is welcome. The cost is $55 in advance and $65 at the door.

For more information, contact Kim Hopkins at 214-890-6490 or email khopkins@crew-dallas.org.

Patricia Schultz opened her talk with this Asian proverb: "It's better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times."

Then she started her slide show of the wonderful places she's visited around the world. The author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die came to Dallas today to speak as part of the Authors Encore program at Highland Park United Methodist Church. She's also signing her book at 7 tonight at Barnes & Noble, 7700 W. Northwest Highway.

Some of her favorite places include Scotland, Paris, Bruges, Venice (and all of Italy), Vienna (a must to see during the Christmas holidays), St. Petersburg, Slovenia, Morocco, Ethiopia and South Africa. She's updated her book which now lists about 1,100 places to visit.

In closing, she shared another quote: "You can't have a fat passport and a narrow mind." The avid traveler stressed how there is no education like the kind you get when you leave home.

"You come back with different eyes," she said.

For more about the Authors Encore! program, visit hpumc.org.

Highland Park school board members Leslie Melson and Jim Hitzelberger announced Monday that they will both seek re-election.

Melson joined the school board in 2006 and has been board president since 2010.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to my community in this capacity and consider it a privilege to impact the success of our students," she said in a statement.

In a statement, Board vice president Hitzelberger, who serves in Place 1, said, "It is an honor to serve HPISD and support the educational excellence that is a Highland Park tradition."

In a recent Neighborsgo article, Gail Schultz reports about the University Park Public Library. Here's what she says:

Effective Feb. 1 and until the construction of The Plaza at Preston Center building and the University Park Public Library space is completed, the UP Public Library will operate in its temporary home at University Park's Peek Service Center. The center is south of SMU Boulevard between North Central Expressway and Greenville Avenue at 4420 Worcola St.

Since 2001, the UP Public Library has been in the Chase Bank Building, thanks to the generosity of Mary and Albert Huddleston and Legacy Hillcrest. As of Jan.1, the UP Public Library joined in a partnership with the city of University Park to provide and operate a new and permanent library facility in the building under construction in The Plaza at Preston Center.

The new library space will encompass approximately 17,500 square feet of space and is designed to meet the needs of all library patrons. The space will include a nearly 2,000-square-foot community room. The UP Public Library is scheduled to move into the space in early 2013.

For the latest on the library, visit uplibrary.org.

At a recent meeting, the University Park City Council voted to keep a 2008 ordinance that prohibits backyard chickens despite lobbying from neighbors who supported a lift of the ban.

Council members Robert Clark and Jerry Grable voted in favor of keeping the ban. Robert Grebert and Tommy Stewart voted against it.

University Park resident Dominique Miller led the campaign against the ordinance after she discovered last year that she was in violation for harboring hens.

For more council news, visit uptexas.org.

Former President George W. Bush has announced plans to travel to three African countries next week to help raise awareness about breast and cervical cancer, AIDS and other diseases.

Bush, along with former first lady Laura Bush and George W. Bush Institute officials, will travel to Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia from Dec. 1 to Dec. 5. In an interview with the Associated Press, Bush said his anti-cancer efforts on the continent were a "natural extension" of a similar program he launched as president to battle HIV and AIDS.

"We believe it's in our nation's interest to deal with disease and set priorities and save lives," Bush told The Associated Press.

Park Cities residents have been urged to reduce their water use as other North Texas cities impose similar restrictions.

The Dallas County Park Cities Municipal Utilities District, which manages water for the Park Cities, enacted the Stage 1 restrictions today, which calls for residents to voluntarily reduce watering to no more than twice a week.

The restrictions are designed to bring a 2-percent reduction in water use.

The area's ongoing drought has forced North Texas water utilities to enact water-use restrictions. Last week, the Dallas Water Utilities also announced Stage 1 restrictions that will go into effect Dec. 12. Dozens of suburban cities have stricter policies that require residents to water no more than twice a month.

Park Cities residents get their water from Grapevine Lake, which, unlike other area lakes stricken by the drought, is not far below normal lake levels. But the Park Cities water district decided to enact the restriction to coincide with the Dallas Water Utilities' decision.

"It's important for us to do things like this in concert with one another," said Steve Mace, city of University Park spokesman.

If the drought continues, Mace said the water district could consider more severe mandatory water-use restrictions next year.

Highland Park Animal Control has quarantined a dog owned by former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Henson after it allegedly bit a 7-year-old boy last week.

The incident occurred on the night of Nov. 7 when a father and son were walking their dog along the 4600 block of Lorraine Ave near the Dallas North Tollway. As the boy and father walked in front of Henson's house, three unleashed dogs in his front yard chased after the boy, according to a Highland Park police report released this week.

The boy tried to escape but one dog bit him above one of his hips and caused the wound to swell, police said. When the father, Randall Descenes, confronted Henson about his dogs, Henson said "he did not need to have his dog on a leash since they were in his front yard," the report states.

The 7-year-old boy was taken to Children's Medical Center. Highland Park police spokeswoman Marty Nevil said Tuesday that the town's animal control determined that the dog's vaccinations were up to date and placed the dog in a 10-day quarantine, as required by the state.

"As of yet, no charges have been filed," said Nevil, who added that police were trying to get additional information from the father.

Henson, who once appeared bound to have a promising career in both football and professional baseball, played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004. Henson, 31, started and won one game for the Cowboys that year.

After the incident last week, Henson sent a message on Twitter that appeared to show his three dogs.

Southern Methodist University marks its centennial this year, and a group of Latino graduate students are working to ensure their own history on campus is recorded.

Last week, students from the Clements Center for Southwest Studies presented The Latina and Latino History of Southern Methodist University, a project that details the Latino experience on campus starting in 1915, when the first Hispanic students enrolled.

Fernando Salazar, coordinator of SMU's Multicultural Student Services department, helped facilitate the students' research as they combed through yearbooks and other documents in the DeGolyer Library.

For more, read on to Lindsey Bever's story.

Dallas ISD board president Dr. Lew Blackburn is reminding students, parents and teachers in the district that Nov. 11 will mark not just Veterans Day, but a reading initative he's spearheading.

Blackburn spoke with reporter Lindsey Bever at North Dallas' George Bannerman Dealey Montessori this week about an event billed 11-11-11, when at 11:11 a.m., students throughout DISD will spend 11 minutes reading or being read to by some of the 1,111 volunteers recruited to participate. District 1 trustee for North Dallas, Dr. Edwin Flores, is also touting the program.

The initiative coincides with the implementation of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test, Gilberto Gonzalez, senior executive director of the Northwest Learning Community for Dallas ISD told Bever.

Read Lindsey Bever's story at neighborsgo.com for more details.

A private breakfast with former president George W. Bush at Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto has been cancelled, according to the college's website.
The event was planned for Tuesday at the Christian university, and has been cancelled "due to a scheduling change," the site states.
The cancellation came after three former students started a petition calling for the university to cancel the speech, according to the Toronto Star.

What is there to look forward to when the public swimming pools close after Labor Day weekend? After all, the State Fair doesn't start until the end of the month.

The answer: Starting Monday Sept. 12, city officials are going to plant new landscaping in the medians in the 3800 to 4000 blocks of University Boulevard.

"These upgrades will provide a safer, more colorful and well-maintained entrance corridor along University Blvd. to the City Hall complex,'' according to a statement from the city.

Workers will remove some crape myrtles that have become entangled in the overhead live oak canopy. But the crews won't start work until 9:00 am on school days to minimize traffic disruption.

Roses and azalea beds will replace the crape myrtles. There will be more color. Things will grow. Summer will end. It will rain.

Goodbye Summer 2011.

Former President George W. Bush weighed in for the first time on the political dustup over former Vice President Dick Cheney's recently-released memoir.

But Bush, who took a question during an interview with Fox News Thursday, didn't take sides in the blowback from Cheney's book, "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir.''

Gen. Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, who each served as secretary of state under Bush, have blasted Cheney for the way he described their tenure. Powell has said Cheney took "cheap shots'' over his leadership during the Iraq War and during the political firestorm over the leaked name of a former CIA operative.

Rice has said Cheney attacked her integrity over his portrayal of White House discussions about diplomatic talks with North Korea.

On Thursday, during the interview at the Dallas National Golf Club, Bush said, "Eventually, objective historians will analyze our administration and draw conclusions."

As for whether he has a favorite among the Republicans seeking the party's 2012 presidential nomination, which includes Rick Perry, his successor as Texas governor, Bush said he will remain an "interested observer.''

Bush was promoting Patriot Golf Day. which raises money to provide scholarships to the familes of service men and women killed or disabled while in service.

New details have emerged on the arrest last week of Rep. Joe Barton's adult son outside a Highland Park ISD middle school.

According to a probable cause affidavit prepared by police, Bradley Barton, 41, smelled of liquor and had bloodshot eyes when an officer approached him in the carpool line outside McCulloch Intermediate school. His fourth grader was in the car.

Barton declined a field sobriety test and told the police that he had recently taken medication to treat epilepsy.

He was eventually taken to jail in handcuffs. He faces felony charges for driving while intoxicated with a child under the age of 15.

In addition to the fourth grader, Barton has a child in the sixth grade. Apparently, one of drivers in the carpool lane alerted police that Barton was driving erratically.

Barton Bradley Probable Cause

For those who are so inclined, Tuesday will be the only opportunity to weigh in with the Highland Park school board on the upcoming budget and changes to the property tax rate.

The board of trustees is scheduled to vote on the budget after the public hearing, so get there on time if you have something to say.

The meeting will be at 5:00 p.m. at McCulloch Intermediate School, in the 5/6 assembly room.

McCulloch seems to be where the action is lately. As readers of the print product will recall, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton's son, Brad Barton, 41, was arrested outside the middle school last week.

The younger Barton was charged with felony driving under the influence with a child under the age of 15 in the car.

Police were alerted to the erratic driving by someone at McCulloch.

Former President George W. Bush wrote about 9/11 in his memoir, Decision Points, but many people have not heard him recall the horror of that day.

As this article in the Wall Street Journal eloquently notes, many will be drawn to their TVs to mark the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

On Sunday, the National Geographic Channel will air George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview, which was filmed shortly after Osama bin Laden was captured and killed.

Bush gives a minute-by-minute account of his thoughts and movements on 9/11 and the aftermath.

The documentary's promotion materials also promise "extensive archival footage and exclusive materials directly from his library.''

That's presumably a reference to the presidential library now under construction at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

After a long session on the 2012 budget, Highland Park Town Council members were not too pleased Tuesday when they learned that the Town Hall renovations are off to a slow start.

Chris Vinson, chief of Highland Park's Department of Public Safety, had the unenviable job of delivering the news. There are design changes.

Right now, it's looking like construction will start in April...and finsih sometime in 2013.

"This is upsetting to me that we're changing the date every week now,'' said Mayor William Seay Jr.

Yes, you read that correctly. It happened in Highland Park during a Town Council meeting Tuesday. It's newsworthy not only because we live in a politically polarized era (hello, Washington), but also because there is rarely open disagreement at this Town Hall.

But Town Council members were looking at next year's budget proposal, and eye-balling the now $10 million renovation plan for Town Hall.

And some of them began to wonder aloud whether the town should adjust its effective rate, which would allow it to bring in the same number of actual dollars from property taxes as in the current budget year.

"I'm concerned that we may be trying to cut it too close,'' without adjusting the effective rate, council member Will Beecherl said after hearing a report about how much of the reserve fund will go to Town Hall renovation and other capital projects.

"Our predecessors have built that account up,'' he said of the reserve fund, which is where previous councils deposited surplus revenue when property values were rising. "We're not doing that like they did.''

Colleague Andrew Barr agreed.

"It wouldn't be fiscally irresponsible to maintain the same tax rate,'' Barr said.

In fact, Town Administrator Bill Lindley and HP budget guru Bill Pollock urged elected officials to consider adjusting the effective rate in a letter last month. No one can blame staff for failing to raise the issue.

The current rate is $.0.22 per $100 of assessed value. The effective rate would be roughly $0.22364 - not likely to produce a big difference in the tax bill for homes that average more than $1 million.

But the mayor and others held firm against touching the effective rate.

"The tax rate is fine and it's getting us where we need to be,'' Larry Nixon said.

Mayor William H. Seay Jr. said, "This town is run very differently. We are not the same as other municipalities''

Hat's off to the Park Cities Rotary Club, which jumped numerous hurdles to have a military helicopter at Goar Park for this year's July 4 celebration.

They've wasted no time getting ready for next year. An item on the University Park City Council agenda today would give them permission to do the same thing next year.

The meeting starts at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. Click here for the full agenda.

Let's face it, on the first day of the school year everyone's a little distracted.

And who hasn't chatted on a cell phone while driving during the lazy days of summer?

Apparently, a few chatters didn't notice the flashing yellow lights now that school is back in session.

University Park police issued three citations to people on wireless devices Monday. And three more citations to people who parked in school oading zones.

But the biggest number of citations was for speeding. They issued 15 of those and reminded motorists that they'll be actively patrolling school zones for the next few days.

The hot weather didn't diminish one favorite back-to-school activity at Bradfield Elementary: Recess.

That's because the school PTA and other community groups rallied to build not one but two new playgrounds at the school. One is for the littlest students and the other is for the second through fourth graders.

There was a dedication ceremony last week, but the first actual recess was Monday morning.

"Of course, it was hot but it didn't seem to bother anyone,'' said Christine Brunner, the school's new principal. Brunner was previously senior director of elementary education in McKinney ISD.

The Highland Park ISD has a policy of not letting students play outside when the temperature is 100 degrees or more. That cut into afternoon recess.

DMN colleague Joe Simnacher wrote this obituary about longtime Park Cities resident William Smellage, whose service is today:

William C. Smellage developed many relationships through his decades of civic service and business ties in Dallas as an A.H. Belo Corporation financial executive.

He joined the parent of The Dallas Morning News as controller in 1954 and helped shape the company's future while being involved in a host of community organizations. Those relationships lasted long after he retired in 1980.

Mr. Smellage, 90, died Wednesday of natural causes while in hospice care at Monticello West in Dallas.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas.

A memorial will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Sparkman/Hillcrest. A private entombment in Hillcrest Mausoleum will be held before the memorial service.

"Dad just had a knack for getting along with people," said his son Doug Smellage of Dallas.

Doug Smellage is a former Highland Park ISD trustee.

When school started Monday in Highland Park ISD, officials were able to say that most of the campus renovations are now complete.

In 2008, Highland Park voters approved a $75.4 million bond program for school construction. The vote was held in May, before the effects of the recession were felt.

For much of the time since, the dirt has been flying at each of the HPISD campuses. Overflow portables have been moved away, and new classrooms built on existing schools. Technology and security systems have been upgraded.

Wisely, school administrators have chosen to finish their own offices last. The business services operation is working out of a portable classroom until their office is complete.

Shown here is Armstrong Elementary, which was among the most extensive campus redos.

For a complete list of work at each campus, click here.

Next month, construction will begin on the five-story office building at the Plaza at Preston Center that'll be the future home of University Park's library, as well as 450 new parking spaces.

You'll recall that developers previously said some of the renovation work will take place late at night, so that trucks hauling dirt won't further slow traffic at the shopping area. They say sound barriers will be in place so nearby residents aren't disturbed.

More details from the publicist:

All stores and restaurants will remain open and free valet parking will be offered at many locations throughout the center. Some stores, including Lucky Dog Barkery, Mel Crews and Park Plaza Salon will add rear access to their locations for the convenience of their customers.

Several tenants have relocated within the center to make room for the new building. Corner Bakery Café has a new location between New Balance DFW and Baskin Robbins, with a great patio open just in time for cooler temperatures. Matthew Trent Jewelry Design Studio has relocated to the west side of the center facing Preston Road, as will Occhiali Modern Optics.