Dallas Park Authority – The Other Side Dallas

July 5, 2022July 13, 2022

Park Board Political Campaign

A Park Board political campaign has led to an ethics complaint and new headaches. The Park Board is already facing separate discrimination complaints due to Juneteenth actions.

Now Dallas Parks and Rec has a new issue: political campaign social media posts by a board member.

JR Huerta, representative for District 1, has posted to Facebook about a campaign. Posts started showing up in May 2022 when rumors Chad West would run for Mayor. West is the city council member for District 1 and appointed Huerta.

In an email response, West denies running for Mayor at this point. He says, “I am focusing on my responsibilities to the constituents and neighbors in District 1.” West goes on to say his focus is “crime reduction, expansion of parks and trails, and West Oak Cliff Action Plan.”

West had not seen the social media statements by Huerta. Reports are that Huerta was talking about political plans at a Parks’ Teen All Access pass event.

While West denied knowing of these statements, one city staff member stated “JR should know better.”

Huerta runs Dallas Youth Sports which has contributed significantly to the Oak Cliff area. That nonprofit consistently donates thousands of dollars to the community in free gifts for back to school events or at Christmas.

Park Board Political Campaign Another Black Eye

It is unclear the status of the ethics complaint, but it is another example of unclear ethics rules. It is also another example of little to no oversight of city appointees.

As we began this investigation there were no other signs JR Huerta was running for city council or mayor. To date he has not filed a Campaign Treasurer Appointment notification. His social media posts do appear to be testing the waters and would put him in violation of the city charter.

These violations would be like Adam Bazaldua’s failed campaign for Precinct Chair.

Adam Bazaldua lost his most recent election – for Precinct Chair of 1084 in South Dallas. That news came per Dallas County Elections returns.

The city charter appears to prevent those types of political events.

June 27, 2022June 27, 2022

Dallas Aquatics Drowning In Lies

Dallas Aquatics drowning in lies after we finally gets a response to our Juneteenth post. The Faither’s Day piece outlines two sets of discrimination at the Fretz pool. After repeated attempts, aquatics superintendent Raul Robles responds.

Robles said, “Our office is aware of the incidents referenced and regret the inconveniences…”

Robles states staff told the parent the issue with tempered glass on an all plastic swim mask.

He goes on to say ” we do not allow glass in the facility” for safety reasons. Other Side Dallas would agree with the assessment, but staff never inspected the mask.

At the time the swimmer was not allowed to use it because it covered his nose – not that it constructed of glass. Additionally, no one on staff ever inspected the goggles to look at construction.

He also speaks of equalization issues with glass masks and the need to close the pool if glass breaks in it. There is no response on the issue of alcohol being present.

Other Side Dallas thinks most would agree this would be a reasonable standard. Our problem is it has taken a week for Parks and Rec staff to get back to us on something basic. The assertion is also denied by the family who provided the mask for inspection.

Dallas Aquatics has not indicated if they reached out to the family ot not. We have seen a copy of an Americans with Disabilites Act complaint to the Department of Justice.

It is unknown what this will cost taxpayers because staff is not trained on these issues.

Dallas Aquatics Drowning Over Speedo Swim Masks

Per the Speedo website, the mask has polycarbonate lenses with anti-fog coating.

It uses a “Comfort fit” silicone skirt for leak-proof fit and has a speed fit easy headstrap adjustment. The swim mask is for children who have smaller, narrower faces.

No one on the Park Board has returned emails on this issue. Jaynie Schultz‘s office was also notified, but there has been no response from Park Board member Jeff Kitner.

Kittner also works as Chief Operating Officer for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

June 20, 2022June 19, 2022

No Colored Allowed At Fretz Waterpark

No colored allowed at The Cove at Fretz Park in north Dallas on the anniversary of Juneteenth. A grim reminder of why the holiday exists.

Sunday, an African American family was not allowed to enter the Cove at Fretz Park. All three – with four children – had paid their entrance fee. They said they were there to sunbathe, picnic, and swim. Staff said they could not enter because of their clothing. One was wearing a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey. They had bathing suits also.

This happened on Sunday, Father’s Day and on the Juneteenth holiday. Juneteenth is the anniversary of the 1965 Emancipation Proclamation. It appears Dallas Aquatics wants to lock African American out of recreation opportunities.

Anglo and Latino familes entered wearing similar clothes and food items. This subtle no colored allowed behavior by staff “is awful,” said the person reporting to us.

Per one bystander this was “Dallas being Dallas. You give a city employee a bit of power and they think they’re king.”

No Colored Allowed or ADA Complaints

Another family with a child with an ADA issue stated they were not allowed to use a swim mask. The child uses it to avoid water entering his nose to avoid anxiety attacks.

A second bystander at Fretz on Sunday said the swimmer’s parent informed staff that this was not a rule. He offered to show them the rules from Dallas Aquatics Director Robin Steinshnider. Afterwards, the staff supervisor said they “make their own rules at Fretz.”

The rules are here on the Dallas Aquatics site:

Dallas-Swim-Rules Download

Dallas Aquatics Still Recovering From COVID19

It appears Dallas has still not handled confusing, and inconsistently, applied rules from one facility to the other.

Post lock down, season tickets had to book entry times.

There were several people who had season passes for last year and were never able to use the aquatic facilities due to coronavirus. In many cases they were slow to get a refund this year due to red tape.

Still it seems Dallas Aquatics staff have trouble knowing their own rules.

These events on Father’s Day and the anniverary of Juneteenth are ugly. They remind local neighbors of times gone by when city staff catered to whites only. No signage says no colored allowed, but the mindset is on full display.

Other Side Dallas has been following some of these incidents at Fretz Park for almost a month.

Staff has not responded to our many requests for comment. Park Board members are equally silent. Jeff Kitner is the Park Board member for District 11 City Council Member Jaynie Schultz. Neither he, nor other Park Board members, responded to Other Side Dallas.

It isn’t clear if staff receive training on racial sensitivity and stereotypes. It also is not clear if they receive training on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). What is clear is a bias for no colored allowed or persons with disabilities.

Kitner works as Chief Operating Officer for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

June 15, 2021July 21, 2021

Dallas Parks Pools Disappoint Post COVID19

Dallas Parks pools are disappointing previous season ticket holders with confusing rules and a cumbersome new entry website post COVID19.

Season tickets which are sold out for the season require passholders to book multiple entry times per day unlike in past years.

The primary complaint seems to be that the new website is difficult to use and you have to leave for COVID19 decontamination at Dallas Aquatics facilities every two hours. Depending on the day of the week these mandatory half hour breaks turn into two to three hours of lost swim child for local participants.

Dallas Parks is also limiting entries into local facilities.

Dallas Parks created socially distanced “seating pods” which consist of a picnic table or a group of lounge chairs at each facility. Each seating pod is intended to accommodate one family group and will serve as a place for them to gather when not in the water. We are defining a family group as individuals who are attending the facility together (typically from the same household) and are regularly in close contact with each other.

The maximum capacity for a Community Swimming Pools for 2021 is 60 based on the deck space and available seating. Seating pods will be available to guests on a first-come first-serve basis and cannot be reserved, “saved,” or moved.

Dallas Parks Pools Locations

The City of Dallas has a listing of community pools and aquatic centers to find the location closest to you.

Dallas Parks did sponsor several drive through Halloween events last year to provide a positive parks experience during the pandemic and many are using facilities full bore for games, exercise, and meetings at various park facilities.

December 10, 2020December 10, 2020

Other Side Dallas Wants You And Your Tips

Other Side Dallas wants you!

Other Side Dallas appreciates its readers, but we want you to continue to help us inform the larger Dallas community about problems within our borders.

We all know Dallas can be a culture of backroom handshakes and certain neighborhoods making policy for their neighbors less well off. Our goal remains to have a debate about these issues and require accountability and transparency from local city, county, and school officials. These issues may be about the Dallas City Council, Dallas Police, or Dallas Independent School District.

Contact Other Side Dallas’ Writing Team

Our writing team uses ProtonMail for secure messaging with those providing information to OSD. Email us at OtherSideDallas [at] protonmail.com. We will get back in touch as soon as we can.

You can provide details about issues you are aware of without fear we will make whistleblowers public. We intend to write about corruption in city hall and force local officials to be accountable to their citizens.

October 28, 2020October 28, 2020

Halloween 2020 Drive Thru Events

Halloween is happening for Dallas. Dallas Parks & Recreation is hosting a Drive Thru Halloween event at Campbell Green Rec Center and several other sites this coming Friday night.

DPR is hosting the safe, fun drive thru Halloween Spooktacular Zone at rec centers across Dallas. They promise to be full of surprises with all the ghost, goblins, witches and monsters.

The full list of Dallas locations can be found on the Parks Calendar.

Halloween 2020

Halloween bags filled with candy, popcorn and trinkets for everyone who drives through. All guest must remain inside cars to participate.

September 30, 2020September 30, 2020

Willis Winters Blues

Willis Winters Park must be experiencing some winter blues after Dallas Morning News writer Sharon Grigsby described the park as a “zombie football stadium” risen again from the dead in her East Dallas neighborhood.

Grigsby described local Facebook pages exploding and indeed they are of late. One error may prove fatal to the project: blocking Avi S Adelman from commenting.

The new stadium plan would include 4000 seats, but does not address the lack of parking in the immediate area surrounding Willis Winters Park currently which is used for baseball, football, soccer, and softball.

Adelman, famous for a lawsuit against Dallas Area Rapid Transit for wrongful arrest has been active in the Dallas community for decades. Administrators of one Facebook group thought silencing him would stop his questions.

Willis Winters Park v Avi S Adelman

Adelman has been blocked from the Randall/Winters Park Improvement Project News Facebook group discussing the Willis Winters Park project immediately following the post below.

Willis Winters Park Discussion by Avi S Adelman

Avi S Adelman has been down this road before and is going directly after questions about who is funding what. As local political pages go the language is not over the top.

An important point made by both Adelman and Grigsby is the upcoming Dallas ISD Bond 2020 vote. Currently Dallas ISD has no funds programmed for a new stadium for Woodrow Wilson High School in its $3.7B bond package, bnut numerous bonds have passed and then funds were reprogrammed.

The Park Board is holding a meeting Thursday, October 1. Interested parties can sign up to speak to the board via Webex.