Help Jubilee Park

White Rock Lake Weekly

Dear Nancy,

Much has happened with DISD’s Eminent Domain plans for the residents of Jubilee Park and O.M. Roberts Elementary.    

On May 18, 2010, at a town hall meeting a DISD representative promised a six month moratorium on its eminent domain proceedings. With the promised six months still counting down, DISD has commenced its court proceedings to seize more properties using the shield of eminent domain.   

The lack of disclosure and broken promises on DISD’s part has not discouraged the Community Members against Eminent Domain. The community continued to work hard as the residents teamed together and set out to gather signatures for an alternate site petition. The organizers received close to 1,600 signatures requesting DISD to move the current location for a parking lot and school to a location it already owns at 4212 East Grand Avenue seven blocks away. The diligent and hardworking members of the community, who are striving to save their homes, their parents’ homes, and/or the neighborhood from DISD’s eminent domain attack and plan for a concrete wasteland, went door to door to collect signatures for their petition but, DISD is refusing to acknowledge the signatures of the voters and taxpayers that support the alternate site petition. In fact, Board Member Parrott was inconvenienced by the letter and petition.

Demolishing the recently renovated historical O.M. Roberts that has survived the sands of time and has made a big impression on its graduating students, many of whom have become great leaders and destroying our neighborhood consisting of residents who have survived a great depression and multiple recessions only to pave a concrete wasteland in-between any remaining homes is NOT the best decision for our students or the community! An improved curriculum and better compensation for our teachers is what’s best for our students and community.

Our individual property rights must be strengthened. If DISD can take our property from us the rest of our rights are meaningless. For instance, what good is freedom of speech if the government can deprive us of our chosen shelter or place of business?

Anyone can become a victim of this nightmare called Eminent Domain. We ask the readers to help make a difference by contacting their district DISD Board Member at 972-925-3700 to let them know we the voters and tax payers will defend our freedoms and say NO to DISD’s Eminent Domain Plan! We say YES to utilizing our tax dollars to better education for our children, YES to compensate our teachers for all their hard work and YES to preserving our historical O.M. Roberts school and beloved neighborhood!

We the voters have the ultimate power to remove those who abuse power from office. Today’s headlines are tomorrow’s history we can learn from the past to affect our own futures.

Thank you for your continued support.
Best Regards,
Norma Hernandez