The City of Garland's Office of Neighborhood Vitality recognizes those who make extraordinary efforts to enhance, revitalize or invest in their neighborhoods.
This year's awards were presented at the Pre-Summit Mixer on Nov. 9. Congratulations to:
- Who’s Who in Garland Neighborhoods: Stephan Casali in the Riverset Neighborhood.
- Neighborhood Newsletter of the Year: Orchard Hills Neighborhood Quarterly Newsletter.
- Garland Public Servant Award: Alan Lockley with Code Compliance.
Each winner will be nominated by the Office of Neighborhood Vitality for national recognition from Neighborhoods USA.
On Nov. 11 Garland held its 20th Neighborhood Summit, a free half-day event for residents and leaders of neighborhood associations, homeowner associations and crime watch groups to learn from one another and gain knowledge and skills on how to improve their neighborhoods.
More than 50 residents from Garland, Plano, Rowlett and surrounding areas attended the annual event at Garland Fire Administration. This year’s summit featured keynote speaker Nicole Foster (Northland College), as well as breakout session speakers Rev. Lynn Osgood (Civic Arts) and Andrieka Lockett (Blue Zones Project).
This year’s panel discussion featured artists from Garland and Plano who have used their art to engage with neighbors and the community. Renuka Rajagopalan (Garage Arts Project), Cullin Lassiter (Garland freelance artist) and Bailey Blu (Creatorium Explorium) served as panelists. In addition, the Little Art Bus, a mobile art studio, had two buses at the event for participants to create welcome signs to spark conversations in their neighborhoods.