Katy Trail Days - Pub Crawl - Tomorrow

The Katy Trail Days Pub Crawl, always a favorite, is Wednesday 6-8 p.m. This year's Crawl features seven different stops in the West Village.

For only $50 ($35 for Katy Trail members), you'll get to be a part of the crawling action. Start at the Fish and then make your way to Cork, Cru, Grimaldi's, PescaBar, Social House and Tom Tom. Ready to sign up? Click here.

Still not convinced that you want to come out and play on a school night? Ok, just for you, we're putting together rockin' gift bags. You'll get a limited-edition Katy Trail Days T-shirt and lots of goodies from the West Village, so come on, register today.

Wow, still haven't registered. You're a tough egg to crack, so we're going to give you some insider information.

Nobody should pay $50 for this pub crawl. Why not? Members of the Friends of the Katy Trail only pay $35. Just call us at 214-303-1180 or email office@katytraildallas.org for the code. Not a member, no worries, you still don't have to pay $50. Take advantage of our special $10 membership offer, then call us for the member discount code, register for the pub crawl for only $35, and you've only come out of pocket $45.

Wait, wait, it gets better. That $10 membership makes sure your Trail stays clean, safe and beautiful, and gives you something to write off when Uncle Sam comes calling in a few months. Like we said, don't pay $50 for this pub crawl.

So do it now. Click here to register and we'll see you on Wednesday night at The Fish.

Lights Still being Tested

The contractor who installed the lights is still troubleshooting the lights. You may notice several lights out in one section, or the lights on during the middle of the day, or an entire section out when it will normally be on. Please be patient as the lights are fine-tuned. They should be working 100 percent by next weekend - just in time for the end of Daylight Savings Time.

PSA Makes Public Debut

Even though Robert Wilonsky of The Observer used his outstanding journalistic instincts to find a secret copy of the Friends PSA and post it on the newspaper’s blog before it was ready for public viewing … it’s now ready.


The 30-second version of the brand new PSA is on the left toolbar of the homepage. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Public Service Announcement

Benches Getting Cleaned

Work started on the Trail today to clean all the benches. This involves power washing the benches to remove the graffiti. After the benches have dried, our contractor will seal them with an environmentally responsible sealant that will help prevent graffiti from damaging the benches in the future and make it easier to remove it when it does happen. Expect to see the workers cleaning and sealing the benches over the next two weeks.

The PSA Rocks

We just got a sneak preview of the PSA today and, we might be a little biased, we're still right when we say it rocks! We'll have it up on our website www.KatyTrailDallas.org this week, so check back later to see it.

Lights Are On

In case you missed the announcement at last Thursday’s member event at La Condesa – you missed a killer party, too, by the way – the lights were turned on for the entire Katy Trail last Friday night.

Right now, the contractor is troubleshooting. He tells us there are less than 10 lights not functioning correctly. Not bad, considering there are more than 140 lights on the Trail.

While there will be some kinks to work out, the lights are designed to come on at 5 a.m. and go off at sunrise, then come on again at sunset and go off at 11 p.m.

Lighting Almost Done

Pressure from the Mayor’s office seemed to have worked. Oncor had both remaining meters installed by the end of day Tuesday this week, and the lighting contractor was able to test all the lights up and down the entire Trail. Of the 140 lights, only seven weren’t working. The contractor tells us he’ll be trouble-shooting those starting Friday.

Speaking of Friday, he told us today he hopes to have the lights working, at least a night, as early as this weekend. So go out on the Katy Trail after dark this weekend and let us know if the lights are working end to end.

It's Party Time

That's right boys and girls, it's time to party with your Friends. We've got our Friends of the Katy Trail member party tonight at La Condesa in Victory Park from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It's the perfect opportunity to sip on yummy margaritas and hear about what's going on on the Katy Trail.

We'll be there with our closest Friends, so we hope you'll join us. See you at La Condesa tonight!

Lighting – Calling in the Big Guns

Got an email from the Mayor’s office today that they weren’t happy the lighting on the Katy Trail wasn’t turned on yet. When we told them that everyone was waiting for Oncor to install the last two meters, they said they’d “call them today and light a fire under them.” Hopefully that means we’ll get some movement and those meters will be installed sooner rather than later. We’re just glad the Mayor’s office didn’t say they would “make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.”

Katy Goes International

A magazine from Japan came to Texas to do a story on how the Lone Star State was “going green.” They visited Houston and Dallas in their quest. Click here to see a copy of one page of the four-page spread in Sotokoto and see if you recognize anyone. And let us know what you think the photo captions say.

Latest on Lighting

There’s been a delay in completing the lighting on the Katy Trail. The final two meters – one at Travis Street and the other at Tracy Street – have not been installed by Oncor yet. Until they are, the lighting installer cannot test the lights on the northernmost mile of the Trail to see if they work.

When we last spoke with Oncor three weeks ago, they said the meters would be installed “soon.” Not sure what the definition of “soon” is, though. Once the meters are in, the contractor will test the lights, make any adjustments, complete his final “to-do list” and the lights will be fully operational. We’re still hopeful that the lighting will be working in the next few weeks.

Walk to School Day is Coming Up

Walk-to-School-Day is October 8 this year. Nearly 1,500 schools are participating from 48 states to encourage students to get to school without a car. Walk-to-School Day in the United States is part of international Walk-to-School Day, which involves more than three million walkers around the world.

Why promote walking and biking to school?
Engaging in active transportation at a young age is an important step for children to develop into lifelong walkers and bikers. In 1969, 50 percent of American children walked to school, but by 2004 that number had dropped to 14 percent. Several problems have accompanied this decrease. Parents dropping their kids off at school account for 20 to 30 percent of all morning rush hour traffic. Further, 50 percent of all American children (under age 19) were overweight or obese in 2003, compared to 15 percent in the early 1970s. Walking or biking to and from school is an easy way for children to build activity into their lives and meet the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days a week.

Latest on the PSA

I talked with the composer yesterday. He said he thought he'd have music back to us by Monday. Once we have his tracks, we'll do a polish edit of a 30 sec and 1 minute version. We do have some post- production to do to make the motion control shots look perfect. We're shooting to have everything wrapped up this month.

Lost & Found

We've recently gotten calls about a few things that have been lost and found on the Katy Trail. If you think either of these are yours, call our office at 214-303-1180 and we'll reunite you.

1. A pair of nice sunglasses. Call our office to describe them and if they're yours, we'll make sure you get the back. Otherwise, KT has taken quite a fancy to them.
2. A cat was found on Sept. 14. near KT 117. He's not feral and clearly comes from a good home. If you think he's yours, give us a call so he can come home.

We'll keep you updated if we get any other calls about stuff lost and found on the Trail.

Waiting to Hear the Music

Regarding the PSA that we're all dying to see, we've done a rough cut (1 minute version) and are working with our composer to develop music. Once the music is done, we'll re-edit the rough and then develop a 30 second verison.

Then you'll get to see it(and maybe yourself if you volunteered to be in it) and all it's magnificent glory.

Clearing on the Trail

Just a reminder that Lawns of Dallas is scheduled to start clearing work on the Katy Trail between the Harry Hines and McKinnon bridges on Monday, Sept. 8.

Chris Miller, who oversaw the clearing of the limestone escarpment from Harry Hines to the Victory Overlook, will be supervising.

Don't worry, this is a good thing.

Mark Your Calendar for Katy Trail Days

Yes, your favorite time on the Trail, Katy Trail Days has returned this year and will be better than ever. To make sure you don't miss a thing, mark your calendars for these events:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

• Chalk Art Competition 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Area students will create works of art featuring Katy Trail Days themes on the Katy Trail. The young artists will compete for prizes from area restaurants and retailers. Trail users will pick the winners by voting at www.KatyTrailDallas.org
• On-Trail Entertainment 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Bands, clowns, jugglers, face painters and chalk artists will be on the Trail for six hours of non-stop entertainment. Located at various locations along the Trail, all entertainment is free.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26

• Pumpkin Party 3-5 p.m. Children and families will fill Reverchon Park for an outdoor Pumpkin Festival, where pumpkins can be purchase, designed, carved and decorated all in one spot. Live music, tasty treats, spicy drinks and ghostly tunes round out the festivities.
• On-Trail Entertainment 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Bands, clowns, jugglers, face painters and chalk artists will be on the Trail for six hours of non-stop entertainment. Located at various locations along the Trail, all entertainment is free.
  

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29

• Pub Crawl 6-8 p.m. One of the most popular events of Katy Trail Days is back for its second year. Crawlers get to sample signature drinks from some of the hippest bars, pubs and restaurants in Dallas. Cost is $50 per person, with all ticket sales at www.KatyTrailDallas.org. Members receive a discount.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1

• Dog Trot 10 a.m. 12 p.m. A new event geared for our furry friends and the people they own. The Katy Trail Days Dog Trot begins at the American Airlines Center and travels 3K up to Reverchon Park, where a post-race party features music, doggie massages, food and drinks for dogs and people. Entry fee is $25.
• On-Trail Entertainment 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Bands, clowns, jugglers, face painters and chalk artists will be on the Trail for six hours of non-stop entertainment. Located at various locations along the Trail, all entertainment is free.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2

• On-Trail Entertainment 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Bands, clowns, jugglers, face painters and chalk artists will be on the Trail for six hours of non-stop entertainment. Located at various locations along the Trail, all entertainment is free.

Oh, and we got the alcohol permit this morning for the post-race party after the Dog Trot, so you know it will be a great party. Stay tuned for all the latest info after our meeting tomorrow.

PSA Progress

Good news for all of you anticipating the fabulous Katy Trail PSA. . . . The transfer house finally re-digitized the final reels of film we shot for the PSA. We're going to pick up the hard drives this afternoon and continue the editing process.

We'll let you know when we've got it ready for your viewing pleasure.

Latest on Lighting

So far, the only section of lighting that is operating on the Trail is the southern half mile that we turned on at the end of June. And for now, those lights are only coming on at night – when the sun goes down until 11 p.m.

The next three sections, which will take the lighting to Fitzhugh, are almost ready to turn on. All the wire has been pulled and the meters are set. The city’s contractor is testing the lights now to see what additional work needs to be done. The wire has also been pulled for the final two sections, but Oncor has not set the meters yet.

Once everything is in place, the lights will operate from 5 a.m. to sunrise, and then again from sunset to 11 p.m. daily.

Pollution Prevention Week in Dallas

The City of Dallas will be hosting Pollution Prevention Week September 15th – 20th and wants you to know all about it. Click here for information about the Green Festival and click here for all the information about Pollution Prevention Week.

The Half Meets the Trail

The White Rock Half Marathon will finish on the Katy Trail this year. Click here for a pdf of the course map. Pretty cool.

Lee Park overlook gets good reviews

When shown the plans for the proposed plaza on the Katy Trail overlooking Lee Park on Monday, the donors who have contributed generously to the Friends of the Katy Trail for the project were pleased with the latest design. The executive committee of the Lee Park/Arlington Hall Conservancy also expressed their support of the design, as has the Friends of the Katy Trail’s executive committee. Developers planning projects near the site have also been impressed. Scroll down to see a sneak preview of the plaza.

Another Feral Cat Resource

Here’s some additional information about feral cats for those interested. There’s a Dallas group located on Preston Road called Feral Friends who can answer any questions you may have about feral cats on the Katy Trail. Their website is www.feralfriends.org and they can be reached at 972-671-0429.

Dealing with Feral Cats

It has been reported that there is a small colony of feral cats on the Katy Trail. Studies have proven that trap-neuter-release is the single most successful method of stabilizing and maintaining healthy feral cats with the least possible cost to local governments and residents, while providing the best life for the animals themselves.

Spaying or neutering homeless cats:

· Stabilizes the population at manageable levels
· Eliminates annoying behaviors associated with mating
· Is humane to the animals and fosters compassion in the neighborhoods
· Is more effective and less costly than repeated attempts at extermination.

The best thing to do with feral cats is try to catch them and take them to a vet where they can be spayed or neutered. For tips on how to trap a feral cat, click on http://www.feralcat.com/trapinst.html and follow the instructions.

The Feral Cat Coalition of San Diego California has a great website to answer all your feral cat questions. The address is http://www.feralcat.com/.

McKinney Avenue Entry Plaza - Dedo's Place

Three contractors returned bids for the construction of the entry plaza that will be on the far north end of the Katy Trail. This plaza, known as Dedo’s Place in honor of long-time board member Dallas community volunteer Dedo Kidd, could be under contract as early as Oct. 1 and under construction by Thanksgiving. That would allow for trees and landscaping to be planted in the February-May months that those types of materials love.

Katy Trail Days Schedule

For all of you who just can't wait for Katy Trail Days, here's a preview of what we've got lined up for you:

• Saturday, Oct. 25 - On-Trail Entertainment - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 26 - On-Trail Entertainment - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 26 - Pumpkin Party - 3-5 p.m. in Reverchon Park
• Wednesday, Oct. 29 - Pub Crawl - 6-8 p.m. at West Village
• Saturday, Nov. 1 - On-Trail Entertainment - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 1 - Dog Trot - 10 a.m. - AAC to Reverchon Park with after party at Reverchon Park
• Sunday, Nov. 2 - - On-Trail Entertainment - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Stay tuned for all the details and registration.

Lee Park Plaza Progress

SWA Group, the landscape architects under contract with the Friends of the Katy Trail, have made some outstanding revisions to the design of the plaza on the Katy Trail overlooking Lee Park that was generously funded by the Snyder family. The designers will meet with the engineer-types from the City’s Park Department at the end of next week to nail down dates for the final design-bidding-construction process. Then, the following week, will present their design to the Snyders. Once we get their blessing, the Friends of the Katy Trail will post some renderings on this blog of what the plaza will look like. Stay tuned.

Ask KT - Up on the Blog Again

After a Friend told us our "Ask KT" blog post was going to fall off face of the blogosphere(actually just roll to the next page, but it's almost the same thing), we decided to repost it so you can easily ask KT any questions you might have.

You can submit your question for KT to answer in a future newsletter or on our webpage. Go ahead, click below and ask KT your questions.

Latest on Lighting

We spent three hours on the Trail on Tuesday and chatted with the contractor installing the lighting. He said that the power is finally flowing to the master panel in the section between Blackburn and Fitzhugh, and he’ll start checking the system in that area this week to see if the lights turn on. He was working on the section north of Harvard at the time, and said he thought he’d have all the wire pulled within two weeks. If all goes well, the trouble shooting will take place the last week of August and the lighting working by mid-September.