Readers praise the column by Mark Lamster on "The People's Park"; discuss how to improve White Rock Lake; disagree with shutting down USAID; and loved their student journalism classes. From People's Park, thanks
Re: "The People's Park -- The inside story of the game-changing Klyde Warren Park and how it brought Dallas together," by Mark Lamster, Feb. 2 Arts & Life column.
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It's seldom that critics are praised for their work because, after all, they are critics. In the case of Lamster's column on "The People's Park," the highest praise is in order. He not only presented a complete and accurate portrayal of how the park came to be, but he also handled challenges in the development of the park artfully and gracefully.
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My colleagues and I at Klyde Warren Park are so grateful and blessed that Dallas has adopted the park as, in Lamster's words, "The People's Park."
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We are equally grateful for the support of The Dallas Morning News and the people of Dallas who have supported the park from its inception. This landmark column will be an important document in presenting and preserving the history of Klyde Warren Park.
With greatest appreciation.
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Jody Grant, Dallas
Chairman, Klyde Warren Park
Think bigger, Dallas
Re: "White Rock Boardwalk Is Worth Exploring -- It would be a path to better safety and stewardship at the lake," Thursday editorial.
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Having recently returned to Dallas after six years in Denver, followed by four in north central Ohio, it astonishes me how few public outdoor amenities exist and the lack of community-based festivals are in Dallas. Neighborhoods in Denver's extended downtown, arts district, Lower Downtown Historic District, River North Arts District, etc., sponsor events with closed streets, music and food trucks on any given weekend.
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In Ohio, the system of parks, or reserves as they call them, is amazing and even there, the local music scene is stronger than a larger Dallas.
White Rock Lake is a truly underutilized asset. The Bath House Cultural Center slowly rots away when it could be placed in a public-private partnership to provide incredible dining opportunities with sunsets to tweet. Think Central Park's Boat House, patios, food, drink, row boats -- and people.
The old water works buildings at the dam sit underutilized. How about a Dallas Art Museum Annex that could house more contemporary fare? Need money for improvements? There is so much buffer land unkempt on most sides of the park that would provide the housing development opportunities everybody on the council seems to want. Think bigger.
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Rex L. Carpenter, Dallas/Casa Linda
Careful on boardwalk
The proposal to move all foot and bike traffic to the boardwalk and demolish the existing concrete trail by Garland Road is a bad one. Look at how that idea worked out with the existing boardwalk on the northwest corner of the lake. The uneven boards trip many a runner, produce violent convulsions on a bicycle and become slick when wet.
Passage is blocked or constricted by those who use it as a fishing dock, an observation deck or a children's playground. Pedestrians and cyclists have worn a narrow dirt path beside the street to avoid it.
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If a boardwalk is an amenity worth having, it should be in addition to, not in place of, the paved trail. A better safety option is to make the temporary barriers to careening street traffic permanent.
Ken Ashby, Dallas
Save humanitarian work
Re: "Aid freeze threatens world hunger relief -- Lives and peace are both on the line when it comes to humanitarian assistance," by William Lambers, Thursday editorial.
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Lambers is on point, yet Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are failing to speak up. How short-sighted it is to halt humanitarian international development before reviewing it.
Millions are losing access to lifesaving treatment. Prenatal care and safe childbirth are disappearing. HIV positive women who are pregnant cannot access the medicine that will prevent their child from being born HIV positive.
Programs to combat human trafficking, provide shelter for people escaping war, and core nutrition, water and sanitation programs are evaporating.
Citizens around the world remember the day PEPFAR arrived in their communities and began their lifesaving work. Now the date they will remember much longer is Jan. 20, 2025, when the lifesaving programs were stopped without warning.
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I keep hearing that we are a Christian nation, but these decisions don't look Christ-like to me. Contact your member of Congress today and tell them to speak up now and continue speaking up until these programs are in full swing again.
Eloise Sutherland, Austin
Wilonsky was missed
Re: "Wilonsky rejoins News' lineup," Friday Opinion.
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About Robert Wilonsky returning, just wanted to say, "Yay!" I've missed his voice.
Julie White, Richardson
Nothing is new
The turmoil in our present-day politics is nothing new. It has always been a system of double speak, strange bedfellows and shifting alliances. At least the right to vote and the two-party process have survived -- today the Whomeverocrats and the Trumplicans. God bless America!
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Ted M. Moore, Dallas/Preston Hollow
Grateful for journalists
I would just like to say thank you to The Dallas Morning News for all its journalism work. After taking two years of journalism classes, I have figured out it's harder than it looks.
I'm 14 and believe that everyone should take at least one journalism class. It has taught me so much about fake news, yellow journalism, muckrakers and more. It has truly opened my eyes to how much work, time, study and patience are required.
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And I would also like to thank Miss Anderson and Miss Coleman, my journalism teachers, for showing me and teaching me these things. I am truly grateful for the knowledge I have about news and journalists.
Thank you all so much, and you will always be appreciated and admired for your work.
Cerinity Fuller, Bland Middle School, eighth grade
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