Do find yourself trying to find a business in Irving but don't know where to look? I know it has happened to me. That's why we at Irving Weekly decided to create a free business listing for businesses to help us consumers find them easier.

We are happy to announce the release of our new Irving Business Listing section.

This section will help residents find businesses close to home and also allow them to leave comments about the businesses. This is a great tool for the community to have.

Feel free to give us any feedback you might have.

Although the dust has settled from the historic implosion of Texas Stadium, work for the City of Irving is just beginning. Remaining debris will be removed from the Texas Stadium site by July. The Texas Department of Transportation will use the site as a staging area for several years during reconstruction of the adjacent highways.

The Texas Stadium site presents a rare opportunity for future development. The area is in the heart of the Metroplex and is surrounded by key highway infrastructure. It will provide easy access to the DART Orange Line, as well as both airports. Visit www.crossroadsdfw.com for development details.

Those who missed the Texas Stadium implosion and others who simply want to relive history can watch Irving Community Television Network (ICTN) coverage of the stadium’s fall on ICTN 1 (Time Warner Channel 16 and Verizon Channel 30) at the following dates and times:

Tuesday, April 13 – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 14 – 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 15 – 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 16 – 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 17 – 6:30 p.m.

In addition, the City of Irving has removed a limited number of seats and lockers from Texas Stadium to be offered at a one-time silent auction benefiting local charities. A link to the silent auction bidding form and more information is below.

Want to meet the sculptor of Las Colinas mustangs? Here is your chance.

An opportunity to meet Mustangs of Las Colinas sculptor Robert Glen is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. April 10 at the Mustang Museum, 5205 N. O’Connor Blvd., Suite 155. The Mustangs of Las Colinas, sculpted by Glen, is said to be the largest equestrian sculpture in the world. Free parking and admission will be available for attendees to this Meet the Artist event. For more information, call (972) 869-9047.

WHO: Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculptor Robert Glen

WHAT: Meet the Artist Event

WHEN: 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 10

WHERE: Mustang Museum, 5205 North O’Connor Blvd., Suite 155

Tax-Aid Volunteer Program: The Heritage Senior Center will offer free tax help for residents filing 2009 tax returns through April 15. The program, sponsored by the AARP, will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Thursdays. Appointments are required. To schedule a meeting, call (214) 770-5599. An intake sheet must be completed prior to the appointment and is available at the Heritage Senior Center, 200 S. Jefferson St. The program is not restricted to seniors. For more information, call (972) 721-2496.

Learn 2 B Green Events: Join the Irving Public Library for a series of free eco-focused events taking place in March.
March 25, 6:30 p.m. – Learn about Native Trees and Xeriscaping and discover what trees and shrubs are best for Irving backyards.
March 27, 2 p.m. – Learn the basics of Building and Remodeling with the Environment in Mind. All events will be held at the Central Library, 801 W. Irving Blvd. Visit www.cityofirving.org/library and select “Events and Classes,” or call (972) 721-2606.

Police Awards Banquet: The annual Police Awards Banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 25 at the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas, 223 W. Las Colinas Blvd. For sponsorship opportunities, call (972) 721-2598. Proceeds from the banquet will benefit the Family Advocacy Center. Visit www.irvingpd.com for more information.

Great American Cleanup: Residents are invited to join Keep Irving Beautiful to kick off the Great American Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon March 27 at Trinity View Park, 200 S. Wildwood Drive. The event will focus on cleaning along the creek that feeds into the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. Last year, 129 volunteers collected more than 3,700 pounds of trash and recyclables. To register, visit www.rockthegreen.org. For more information, call (972) 721-2175 or visit www.keepirvingbeautiful.org.

Shredding Opportunity: Greenstar Shredding Service will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 27 in the Rock Island Road parking lot across from City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd. Documents submitted for shredding will be placed in a secured truck, taken to a secure/locked room and shredded. Proof of Irving residency is required to participate. For more information, call (972) 721-2606.

Irving Animal Care Campus Dedication: The dedication of the city’s state-of-the-art animal facility is set for 2:30 p.m. March 27 at the Irving Animal Care Campus, 4140 Valley View Lane. The event will feature live music, family friendly activities, free gift bags, prizes and vendors. Making a special appearance at the event will be Kinky Friedman. Attendees must park in the lot between the Irving Animal Care Campus and SanMar Distribution Center, 4701 Northview Drive. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided from the parking lot to the event.

Children’s Art Workshop: A local artist will show children how to reduce, reuse, recycle and re-invent through art 2:30 p.m. March 27 at the Southwest Branch Library, 2216 W. Shady Grove Road. Registration is required. Call (972) 721-2546.

Town Hall Meeting: Residents are invited to join city leaders for a Town Hall Meeting at 7 p.m. March 30 at the Irving Arts Center, Carpenter Performance Hall, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd. Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to view project displays that highlight various city services and programs. For more information, call (972) 721-2533.

Women in Law Enforcement Career Expo: The Irving Police Department will host a career fair for women interested in becoming police officers. The event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. April 10 at Irving Mall, in front of Burlington Coat Factory. Attendees will learn about job requirements, fitness testing, the police academy and benefits of a career with the Irving Police Department. For more information, call (972) 721-3795.

City of Irving officials organized a media tour to update on the progress of Texas Stadium and its implosion.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said Tuesday, "It's a sad time to know that the stadium is coming down. It's going to be a momentous occasion that marks a change in our community."

Here is the schedule for the implosion:
Sunday, April 11

2 a.m. – Red parking lot at Texas Stadium opens for implosion viewing. $25 parking charge.

7 a.m. – Casey Rogers, 11, of Terrell pushes the button that triggers the implosion.

Dedication: The dedication of the city’s state-of-the-art animal facility is set for 2:30 p.m. March 27 at the Irving Animal Care Campus, 4140 Valley View Lane.

The event will feature live music, family friendly activities, free gift bags, prizes and vendors. Making a special appearance at the event will be Kinky Friedman.

Attendees must park in the lot between the Irving Animal Care Campus and SanMar Distribution Center, 4701 Northview Drive. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided from the parking lot to the event.

Irving residents and business owners are invited to attend an informational meeting about the proposed State Highway 183 Zoning Overlay District. Meetings will be held at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd., in the Council Chambers at the following dates and times:

• Feb. 8 – 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Feb. 9 – 6 p.m.
• Feb. 10 – 2 p.m.

• Two- to three-lane frontage roads in each direction
• Four non-toll main lanes in each direction
• Two managed toll lanes in each direction

“The Joy of Life” sculpture and Gateway Park is a joy for passers-by and residents! Even though it’s beautiful and it looks like a park, walks like a park, it’s not a park! It's part of the MacArthur Boulevard Improvement Project that has been in the works since at least 1994, according to Joe Putnam, former mayor of Irving. The Improvement Project was to fix the drainage problems on MacArthur in this area and widen it to provide turn lanes south of Rochelle to SH 183. It is now scheduled to be home to a two story, fifteen thousand five hundred square foot Fire House #4. The neighborhood residents, Citizens of Irving, city council and the fire fighters have been cut out of the loop to decide its location and construction is scheduled in September, 2009.

The City decided in 2002, after buying all the homes and relocating all the residents for the above purposes of drainage and widening, that this site was available to build the new Fire House #4. Since no zoning changes are required to build a governmental use building on City owned property, citizens have not had a voice about the use of this land. Thus, the taking of the park, that isn’t a park, the cutting down of a 100+ year old post oak tree that isn’t covered under the tree ordinance, and the building of the largest fire station in Irving, may happen. All checks and balances are hereby avoided. This was a “done deal” by city staff and management and no citizen, no council person, no fireman could object because nothing ever came to a vote, except the bond money to pay for it, which passed in 2006.

Some Irving Citizens object to this “done deal process”. Citizens object because there are other places on MacArthur Blvd. or in the fire station #4 service area that need improvement and they are in a more commercial area that would not bother such a quiet neighborhood as Glen Cove Drive. The firemen’s advisory committee would also be able to have another shot at designing a fire station that isn’t constrained by such a small lot, in a residential neighborhood. Most citizens object to this location because nobody really wants to cut down a beautiful, healthy, mid life, 100+ year old post oak if they can avoid it.

-Take from http://www.southirvingpoa.org/ You can go there to express your thoughts about the Park and Oak Tree. Also leave us your comments

Wow, I was sitting in my living room when all of a sudden I felt my house moving. I was like, "what was that"?

I didn't think too much about it until I started getting text messages from my family asking me if I had felt that.

Sure enough, it was a quake. Did you guys feel it??

The Dallas Morning News' Brandon Formby has great story on former Irving Mayor Morris Parrish and how his twin brother, Mitchell, saved his life as a donor for his bone-marrow transplant.

The story begins: "Brotherly love is being stuck with needles 20 times when you hate the things.

Brotherly love is giving up millions of healthy cells that normally nourish your body.

Brotherly love is saving your twin without even asking. Mitchell Parrish saved his identical twin brother, Morris, by doing just that."

Keep reading here...