Survey Says

Dallas suburbs dominate list of best Texas cities for job seekers

Irving's wide variety of business opportunities make it one the best Texas cities for job seekers.

Photo courtesy of Irving Convention Center

A recent study of the best Texas towns for job seekers shows that Dallas-Fort Worth is booming for those looking for work. The study, conducted by consumer finance website NerdWallet.com, found that half of the 10 best cities for finding jobs are right here in town.

To devise the rankings, Nerdwallet used information from the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics on population growth, unemployment rates and median income. League City in Galveston County was ranked No. 1, but Allen took silver, thanks to strong population growth and low unemployment. Allen Independent School District received mention as the biggest employer for the city, further cementing Allen as a great town for raising a family.

McKinney and Grand Prairie made the fourth and fifth spots. McKinney has seen tremendous growth over the last decade, doubling its population between 2000 and 2010. A large portion of jobs are in the tech, medical and manufacturing industries for companies like Torchmark and StatLab.

Grand Prairie’s location near DFW Airport makes it a hot spot for companies like Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter. Irving is No. 8, thanks to a large variety of companies, including ExxonMobil, BlackBerry, Verizon, Citigroup and Allstate.

The last North Texas town is also the largest on the list. Plano took the dime spot for having a diversified portfolio of finance, tech, medicine and software companies such as McAfee, Capital One, and the Medical Center of Plano. Other cities on the list are Sugar Land, Midland, Edinburg and Bryan.

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Park News

Dallas' Crawford Memorial Park receives $1.5M grant for upgrade

dallasparks.org

Crawford Memorial Park

A park in southeast Dallas received a million-dollar-plus grant from the state of Texas: Crawford Memorial Park, located at 8700 Elam St., was awarded a $1.5 million Urban Recreation Grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), which will go towards a comprehensive improvement project executed by the city of Dallas.

The Dallas Park and Recreation Board voted to accept the funding at a meeting on November 7. It will help fulfill a plan to improve the park that has been on the city's agenda since at least 2018.

Established in 1964, Crawford Memorial Park currently includes gardens, paved trails, a playground, athletic fields, and courts. It's also a part of the City of Dallas trails system. Its unique environmental characteristics include 266.2 acres with 27 acres of black land prairie, 49 acres of post oak savannah, a 1.4 mile-long Prairie Creek, and an Austin chalk escarpment area with exposed outcroppings.

The park is also designated as a "signature park" — a regional attraction and landmark that's part of the city's park system.

Improvements will include an all-abilities inclusive playground; picnic sites with shade; exercise complex, restrooms, outdoor furnishings, signage, and parking lot resurfacing at Prairie Creek Drive.

A 12-foot-wide, 0.95-mile hard-surface trail will connect the new amenities to existing pathways that feature two pedestrian bridges, one of which spans Elam Road.

The total budget for the project is $7,632,933, which includes funding from the grant and the 2017 bond program. Dallas Park and Recreation will oversee the design and construction.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant. It will not be used to just fund a project. It’s an investment in this park and our entire park system. Parks bring people from all walks of life and from all areas throughout the city to get fit, stay healthy, socialize, and relax," said Dallas Park and Recreation Department director John D. Jenkins.

“This grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife will help provide these additional amenities that will not only serve the local community, but the city as a whole," said Dallas City Council Member Jaime Resendez of District 5, in whose district the park is located.

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