What is National Night Out? 
National Night Out (NNO) is an annual, nationwide Neighborhood Watch campaign. It will be held this year on Tuesday, October 5. (Other states hold NNO during the summer months.) (con't) | ||||
O n Tuesday evenings students from across Irving (and some surrounding communities) gather at the Irving Criminal Justice Center to administer justice to their peers. They act as prosecutors, defense attorneys, jurors, bailiffs, court clerks, and master jurors in cases where the offender has pled guilty or no contest. It’s a program called Irving Teen Court, and it was launched in 1992 to alter the behavior of youthful offenders in a positive way and reduce recidivism. Teens learn a valuable lesson—that consequences come with making bad decisions. (con't) | ||||
The League of Women Voters of Irving recently held a luncheon at the North Lake South Campus to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution (August 26, 1920), granting women the right to vote. Norma Stanton, former Irving City Council and a former president of the Irving League, was the featured speaker.
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The Texas Department of Transportation, police departments, and sheriff's offices across the Lone Star state are working together to reduce impaired driving during the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Through Sept. 6, hundreds of local law enforcement agencies are participating in the annual "Drink, Drive, Go to Jail"campaign to crack down on drunk driving on Texas roads. Law enforcement statewide will be working overtime to find and arrest impaired drivers, through the holiday weekend.
"Last year during the two-week crackdown, officers around the state worked nearly 18,000 combined hours of overtime specifically looking for intoxicated drivers," said Commander Stephen Baker of the Austin Police Department. "If we pull you over and you've been drinking, you're going to be arrested."
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History of Labor Day
In Honor of The American Worker
An Educational tribute to The History of Labor Day Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Founder of Labor Day More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic. The First Labor Day The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. Labor Day Legislation Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York—created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. A Nationwide Holiday The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday—a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement. The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television. The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker. | ||||
Make Your Voices Heard--Irving City Budget
Residents have several additional opportunities to provide their input on the city’s proposed 2010-11 operating budget prior to adoption by the City Council on Sept. 23. As proposed, the city’s $169.5 million general fund budget is balanced, and allows for the continued delivery of exceptional services to Irving residents, visitors and businesses. Having withstood a $20.2 million revenue decrease in the past two years due mainly to declining property tax valuation and reduced sales tax receipts, city leaders are recommending an adjustment to the tax rate that will offset the 5.15 percent decline in property values. The planned budget calls for two-thirds of the revenue shortfall to be addressed by cutting operational expenditures. A proposed tax rate adjustment of 3.55 cents to 57.61 cents will offset the remaining one-third of the shortfall and will generate almost $6 million to support priorities identified by the City Council based on community input. With the proposed adjustment, the city will maintain basic resident services including, but not limited to the following:
Other budget recommendations include the deferral of non-essential equipment replacement and non-vital capital improvement projects. The last adjustment that was made to the city’s tax rate resulted in a reduction of 0.73 cents in 2007. “Irving will continue to offer the second-lowest tax rate of comparable cities in our region,” said Chief Financial Officer Max Duplant. “The monthly cost to the average homeowner of the proposed tax rate increase would be $2.20, but depending on changes in property values, some residents may receive a decrease or see no changes at all.” For the past four years, the City of Irving has been proactively planning for the downturn in economic conditions by reducing layers of management, and combining similar functions to minimize duplication and waste. The city also has cut costs through attrition by eliminating 91 positions and holding 62 positions vacant—saving the city $4 million in fiscal year 2010-11. To date, measures taken by the city have resulted in a cost savings upwards of $12 million. Irving also has negotiated an energy contract that will save $18 million over five years, and the city will continue to review processes and programs to reduce costs without compromising quality services to residents. “Residents need to know that the city has been good stewards of the taxpayers’ money by delivering similar or increased services at the lowest cost possible,” said Councilman Joe Philipp, chairman of the Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. “Moreover, the city has maintained triple-A bond ratings and earned the Texas Comptroller’s Gold award for financial transparency, and that says a lot.” The proposed budget has been developed based on resident input received from town hall meetings, resident surveys, public hearings and online. Residents also may view the budget and offer comments at www.cityofirving.org. Public hearings on the budget will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 and 23 at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd. The budget will be presented to City Council for adoption Sept. 23. The new budget year begins Oct. 1. | ||||
The 13th Annual Transportation & Infrastructure Summit, a yearly event that has become a premier international forum, was held at the Omni Mandalay Hotel from Tuesday, August 10 through Friday, August 13. As its name suggests, the conference is one of the top opportunities for individuals from the public and private sectors to discuss and explore issues, challenges and successes relevant to the state of the nation’s transportation and infrastructure assets and plans. (con't) | ||||
Residents Are Encouraged to Apply for Commissions and Committees
Residents who are interested in becoming community leaders are encouraged to apply for a volunteer position on one of the city’s many boards, commissions or committees. Download an application at www.cityofirving.org. Applications must be received by Sept. 24 to be considered for appointment in November. For more information, call the City Secretary’s Office at (972) 721-2493. | ||||
School Zone Safety
School Zone Safety: Use of cell phones while driving in active Irving school zones is prohibited. The guidelines for the ban, which are enforced on school days during active school zone hours, ban motorists from engaging in calls by talking, dialing or listening on a hand-held mobile telephone, and entering or reading text messages. This includes: Hand-held cell phones Personal digital assistants (PDAs) Pagers Other wireless communication devices Signs are posted in every school zone to remind drivers of the regulation. Those who violate the ordinance could receive a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of up to $500. For more information, call the Police Department at (972) 721-2518. | ||||
