The public recently had several opportunities to weigh in on plans to connect Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas with high-speed rail service. The North Central Texas Council of Governments held a series of four open houses in August and September to gauge the opinions of potential users of the system.

There is still time for the public to weigh in on the project before the end of the 30-day comment period. Comment here by Oct. 10 to provide feedback on the Fort Worth-to-Dallas line.

The formal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process of the Dallas-Fort Worth High-Speed Transportation Connections Study is set to kick off soon, during which the environmental and social impacts of the proposed route, which mostly follows Interstate Highway 30, will be evaluated. The NEPA process must be completed within a year of its start date. Once the line has been environmentally cleared, it will be easier to begin discussing funding mechanisms. Ultimately, the project could include some combination of public- and private-sector funds.

The book for our discussion will be Trees Don't Talk Anymore by Nigerian nature writer Fisayo Ajumobi. Fisayo will be with us for the meeting.

We will also discuss an article about bee keeping written by Ryan Giesecke.

Synopses: 

Trees Don't Talk Anymore. Book by Fisayo Ajumobi - From a suckling bear cub that loses her mother, to a canary who was handicapped and couldn't find love, Woody and his friends care deeply for all the animals struggling in the forest. But everything changed when It walked in. Unlike the other animals, this was conscious of their presence as it looked at them with eyes that held more intelligence than they dared to admit. How little it looked, how vulnerable it seemed. How wrong the trees were to underestimate it. Woody will soon learn the complex ways of men as he is forced to let go of all that is dear to him; his home, his friends and takes a stand in a world that offers little for his kind. You can find on Amazon and other places.

Why Don’t Worker Bees Revolt? Article by Ryan Giesecke. He is a beekeeper and bee remover in Dallas, from whence he talks, writes and teaches about bees. He is a Texas Master Beekeeper, past president of several local beekeeping associations, and currently the president of the Texas Association of Professional Bee Removers. Ryan is a member of our book club and will be at the meeting.