By CHRISTY GONZALES
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas, Oct. 2, 2000 (The Fort Worth Star-Telegram)—Jeannine Neinast's carefully edged lawn and trim shrubs are still a sturdy shade of green. Her small garden is home to a colorful array of flowers.
"My son keeps it up for me, and I'm real proud of it," Neinast, 72, said as she gazed at her robust yard near Abram Street and Texas 360 in east Arlington.
Still, she knows that the summer's searing heat and sparse rain are taking their toll.
So with only a tinge of reluctance, Neinast was among those who decided Saturday to commit to the city's voluntary water conservation plan.
"I guess something needs to be done," she said. "It seems reasonable to me. We do want to have a nice, decent yard, but I'd rather have the water for drinking, for bathing and for washing clothes."
The city's schedule, issued Friday at the request of the Tarrant Regional Water District, encourages residents and businesses to limit outside watering to once every five days and then only before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
Golf courses are being asked to participate with their fairways, and all governmental operations are being asked to minimize nonessential water use.
The request has no punishments or penalties.
Neinast's son Jeff, who lives just a few doors down, is in the landscaping business and set up a system of hoses around the perimeter of her house to seep water into its foundation.
"I've already got cracks in it," she said.
No wonder.
Sept. 23 ended a record-breaking 84 consecutive days without rain at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. But still, there has been only 0.17 inches of precipitation since July 1, said meteorologist Alan Moller of the National Weather Service.
There have been 46 days with temperatures of at least 100 degrees. Fifteen is the average.
"The last three summers have ranked in the top 11 of '100 degrees or higher' days - a pretty abysmal record," Moller said.
And to top it off, Moller said no rain is expected in the next 10 days.
East Arlington resident Basel Ramahr, 30, who lives in the 2110 block of Ruth Street, did not know about the conservation plan but said it will not affect his lawn, which has withered to a shade of straw yellow.
North Arlington residents Randy and Shanda Essell, who spent part of Saturday at Rolling Hills Country Club, plan to cut back on their watering.
"I can't believe it's been this long coming," Randy Essell said, adding that voluntary water conservation efforts should have been requested in July.
Golf professional Vince Pellman said Rolling Hills uses an 800- foot well rather than city water to irrigate its 97 acres.
The club, at Lamar Boulevard and Cooper Street, has received calls from people complaining that it is wasting water, he said.
Pellman, who lives south of Interstate 20 near Matlock and Sublett roads, already waters his lawn once a week.
"I don't mind a brown yard," he said. "It's going to grow back eventually."
© 2000 The Fort Worth Star-Telegram via Bell&Howell Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.
