Saving The Lake

Activists form new grass-roots group to keep White Rock Lake lakey

In April, fans of White Rock Lake came together and helped defeat a proposal for a restaurant at Boy Scout Hill, at the northeast corner of White Rock Lake. Inspired by the community reaction, activist Julie Long Sherrod took the next step and formed a group she hopes will carry the baton.

Called Protect and Preserve White Rock Lake Park (PPWRLP), the entity is designed to permanently protect White Rock Lake from additional commercial development. It has no affiliations with governmental groups or other organizations, and it isn't restricted to people who live near the lake. They’re walkers, bikers, master gardeners and families who want to preserve the park for future generations.

Their goals are to preserve native grassland, protect wildlife and keep the area free to the public. They're also looking at the use of herbicides at the park, mowing practices and other environmental issues.

White Rock Lake is overseen by a nonprofit called the White Rock Conservancy, whose board and advisory group work with the City of Dallas and the Parks Department. The main function of that group is to raise funds to help maintain and improve the lake, the trails and 1,000-plus acres that surround it.

PPWRLP group sees itself as more of an advocacy group and more grass-roots, says member Ted Barker, who lives near the lake and took an active role in the protests against the restaurant at Boy Scout Hill.

"We’re sharing ideas within this group, and one idea is to gather information for a best practices guideline/manual for the Parks Department," Barker says.

They're reaching out to other preservation entities such as the For the Love of the Lake with whom it shared booth space at the recent Earth Day Texas event.

"White Rock Lake is a historic park, well over 100 years old," he says. "We do not believe that diminishing green space is warranted, especially for commercial enterprises."

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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