“Lest We Forget” — With our busy lives, we sometimes stop to smell those proverbial roses. But 9/11 is a day, we should all stop, reflect upon, and examine the changes our country has gone through in the last decade.

While there will, of course, be memorial events all over Dallas, Oak Cliffers can attend “Lest We Forget” tomorrow at the Southwest Center Mall (West Camp Wisdom Road) from 7 to 10 a.m.

Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Tennell Atkins will be in attendance, along with SWC mall owners and national, state, and locally-elected officials. All 2,875 names of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001 will be announced, and Southwest Center is asking for volunteers to help read the names.

Carla Ranger

DISD Trustee Carla Ranger posted on her blog that she is resigning from the school board, “effective on the earliest date of Board acceptance.”

Ranger further said in her post, “It is my hope that the board will appoint a replacement until the next regularly scheduled election date. Immediate acceptance and appointment of a new trustee prior to the September board briefing would be appreciated.”

On Thursday night, Ranger lost a decision on redistricting. The board approved to move four precincts out of her district into board president Lew Blackburn’s district, in an 8 – 1 vote. Ranger abstained from voting.

The precincts are in the Wilmer-Hutchins area, and one is home to Wilmer-Hutchins High School and Elementary School.

Scott Griggs and Eric Cowan welcome students at Quintanilla Middle School.

Councilman Scott Griggs and DISD Trustee Eric Cowan got up bright and early this morning to help Oak Cliff kids kick off the new school year. I caught up with Griggs and Cowan at Stevens Park Elementary School at 7:45 a.m. (and I am undoubtedly the worst morning person — ever) where they welcomed new and returning students, and chatted it up with new Stevens Park principal Susan Walker.

By 8:15 a.m., the guys made their way over to Quintanilla Middle School to welcome seventh and eighth graders on their first day — and helped remind students to tuck their shirts in before heading to class.

Don’t forget! This Sunday at 4 p.m., Eno’s Pizza Tavern is holding a fundraiser for iBike Rosemont — Bike Friendly Oak Cliff’s partnership with Rosemont Elementary School to encourage kiddos to ride their bikes to school, instead of taking the carpool lane.

The initiative aims to create safe bike routes to the campus and teach students that it’s fun and “cool” to cruise to school.

Zac Lytle, president of BFOC, said their goal is to raise $5,000. “We’re accepting private and community donations,” Lytle said. “No matter how much we raise, this will be a very hands-on effort.”

So grab a slice at Eno’s on Sunday afternoon, and help those kids get ridin’!

Just about all of Oak Cliff People‘s readership lives in DISD’s District 7, which is represented by Eric Cowan. The exceptions are you folks in Wynnewood North, who live in Lew Blackburn’s District 5, which sprawls all the way from West Dallas to Wilmer-Hutchins.

If you’d like to see these boundaries redrawn, you’re in luck. DISD’s Board of Trustees is starting a series of public hearings on that subject tonight. Details are after the jump.

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As I’ve said before, my wife and my brothers and I are all graduates of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. (Classes of ’93, ’94, ’97, and ’92, respectively.) Not long after the school was renovated, my youngest brother and I stopped by and asked for a tour. The woman in the front office looked at us like we were crazy. “Do you know how many alumni this school has?” she said. “We don’t have time to show them all around.”

Several months later, after the Wyly Theatre and the Winspear Opera House were built, the powers that be at the AT&T Performing Arts Center decided to open them up one Sunday for free public tours. Here’s my chance, I thought. But I was wrong. My alma mater was the only Arts District building whose doors were locked that day.

Well, Saturday is my lucky day. The Class of ’91 is holding its 20-year reunion this weekend, and a member of the class (Chad Bridges) has brokered a deal with DISD. The doors to our beloved school will be open from noon to 2. The district is charging Chad for this, so bring $5 if you’d like to look around.

I’m posting this here because so many Booker T. alums live in North Oak Cliff. I’m looking at you, Hilary, Nic, Shoshannah, Kayli, Erik, Steve, Rosanna, Megan, Jennifer, Amber, Meredith, Victoria …

For most people reading this, the day is winding down. For the reporter writing this, it’s only just beginning.

I’m live at DISD headquarters where Interim Superintendent Alan King just presented Budget Version 6.1.

King said he is 90 percent sure this is the budget the district will end up with when the State Legislature ends the special session. He is recommending the board approve this budget tonight, and it’s Item No. 17 on the agenda.

Stay tuned for more updates.

UPDATE 5:34 PM

Before the meeting was even officially called to order, two cell phones went off, someone shouted out “For all!” after the “With liberty and justice for all,” portion of the pledge of allegiance, and board president Lew Blackburn quoted the Bible.

UPDATE 5:57 PM

The public forum has begun. Six cell phones have gone off, and one person is audibly snoring.

UPDATE 6:04 PM

“Most of the high school students I know don’t know how to read,” Sunset High School student Xochiti Deleon said during the public forum.

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Bob Stimson, Corey Haims, Eric Cowan, Jaziel Leija, Colton Donica, Riane Alexander, Ryan Johnson, Whitney Hicks, Hope Crabtree, Brad Nitschke, Delia Jasso, and Diana Flores

During an award ceremony on June 9 at City Hall, the George and Faye Young Foundation, Dallas Baptist University, and Brad Nitschke of Jackson Walker, L.L.P. gave out six Golden Oaks scholarships to:
Jaziel Leija, W.H. Adamson High School
Colton Donica, Law Magnet at Townview Magnet Center
Karen Carrasco, TAG Magnet at Townview Magnet Center
Riane Alexander, School of Business at Townview Magnet Center
Whitney Hicks, L.G. Pinkston High School in Oak Cliff
Hope Crabtree, Dallas Baptist University

The city’s education committee presented checks to Adamson and Sunset high schools from funds raised at the Bishop/Davis photo documentary exhibit this past April. Sunset High School principal Anthony Tovar, who has been with DISD for more than 30 years, accepted the check on behalf of Sunset. DISD trustee Eric Cowan accepted the award for Adamson High School.

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