Friends of Bachman Lake Newsletter - November 2022
Updated: Nov 5, 2022
“Be good at the people who are not yet born. Prepare for them a better place than the one you came to inherit. They will be grateful to you” ― Bangambiki Habyarimana
What FoBL is all about
FoBL stands for Friends of Bachman Lake and we are all about creating and connecting to green spaces in Northwest Dallas. Many folks tell us that we need to FOCUS on a single goal but the things we care about are truly all interconnected. The need for green is great in our area - hellllooo heat cone. We have lots of families with little kids and 3 districts that can be improved with some investment AND if we don't take action now, we will miss out on a decade of funding! This is the challenge we face and this is why we are, literally, all over the map. One of our board members helped us distill the message to create what is called an elevator pitch. Friends of Bachman Lake is helping to get attention from the City on Northwest Dallas. You too can help make a difference and this is a group you should be proud to join! Come be FoBLous with us!
Trail Enhancements? Commuting Connections?
Hate to ask you AGAIN, but please participate and add your comments to Bike Plan using this link. For a list of things you can consider adding, check out our blog post. Last day for comments is 11/16.
The American Coots and Double-Crested Cormorants have arrived at Bachman Lake after having migrated from their summer breeding range in the northern U.S. and Canada.
Be kind and do not feed the wild birds. It's not good for them!
You can't close a loop by ignoring the big gap
In the city budget this year, there was $1.5M for Vision Zero and $2.5M for bike lanes. We strongly feel that some of these dollars need to be applied to the Bachman Lake Loop Trail which is incomplete at the Webb Chapel bridge.
The proposal FoBL presented to Councilman Narvaez is to dedicate at least one lane of Webb Chapel Bridge to pedestrians and cyclists. We hope that as Chairman of the Transportation Committee, he can get this area safety issue resolved.
Read the full proposal details here.
Nature AND books? Perfect.
Friends of Bachman Lake has always been an advocate for a clean and enjoyable park where people can easily access green space here in Northwest Dallas. We promote biking and walking trails, pedestrian safety, clean and well-maintained park facilities and a host of other matters that demonstrate our love for Bachman Lake Park. Soon we will be adding READING to that list! JP Morgan Chase is generously donating TWO Little Free Libraries to be placed around the park. Watch for them soon! Meanwhile, read more about the power of reading.
Adopt-A-Shoreline program at Bachman
We are working on building something great that will give Bachman Lake the attention it deserves. Organizations, schools, churches and businesses will soon have an opportunity to give back to the community by helping keep Bachman Lake shorelines clean on an on-going basis. Our Adopt-A-Shoreline program at Bachman Lake will be the most visible way park-goers can experience a living, breathing community of caring for the benefit of all. We are launching a campaign over social media to generate a force of volunteer groups, and we'll recognize their efforts by posting signage throughout the stretch of shoreline they help manage. Email info@friendsofbachmanlake.org with questions or to sign-up.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday: Is this what Thanksgiving is really about? We suggest something better.
Giving Tuesday is coming. While you might get charity fatigue sometime during the year, this particular opportunity says as much about your values as it does your commitment to help simply because it flies in the face of the coming surge of consumer activity. We are fervently working on launching our Giving Tuesday campaign but you can always go to our website to donate what you can (monthly donors welcome) and be part of the community of caring! Giving Tuesday is a reminder that there are other ways to be kind during the holidays. And for that we are always thankful.
EVENTS
Show up, pick up, clean up!
Our monthly #Plogging event is every 2nd Saturday of the month! Picking up litter while jogging (or walking or cycling) is an easy way to stay healthy and keep the park looking great! Grab a bag, a friend and help make our recreational jewel shine! Check our events list for any changes.
Taking time off for the holidays!
With Thanksgiving and Christmas season approaching, we'll be taking a break from our Bluffview Growler meet and greet until January, 2023! There will be no official monthly Growler event but feel free to show the place some love if you have the time and space in your schedule!
Our ‘meeting of the minds’ at Bluffview Growler is on the 4th Wednesday of the month. No RSVP needed. See you in January!
Do you want to join the mailing list? Are you already on the list and need to update your information? Just click on the link below!