Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons

April 20, 2000

DART, Richland College and Galatyn Park Corporation team up

College Scholarships, New Posters Highlight Latest Poetry in Motion Series

Great poetry, colorful posters and special prizes highlight the 2000 season of Poetry in Motion.

On April 20, Richland College, part of the Dallas County Community College District, and DART launch the second annual series of 30 Poetry in Motion posters -- and a new poetry contest sponsored by Galatyn Park Corporation.

DART brought Poetry in Motion to North Texas in 1998. The national program is coordinated by the Poetry Society of America (PSA), and is enjoyed by millions of riders in cities like New York, Baltimore, Boston and Chicago. Poetry in Motion gives riders a way to take a mental break from their day.

Colorful, boldly designed posters on DART buses and trains feature classic poems by Robert Frost, Langston Hughes and Shakespeare. The work of award-winning Dallas area poets -- including Jeff Davis, Jack Myers and Frederick Turner -- also is represented in the new series.

A distinguished committee of local publishers, editors, educators and booksellers selected the poems, which are placed in advertising spaces in more than 600 buses and 60 light rail vehicles, with five new poems going up every two months over the next year.

"Students from many nationalities and cultural backgrounds receive their associate degrees through our extensive liberal arts program. More than 200,000 riders of all ages, ethnic origins and economic levels come together on DART's buses and trains each day, and the poems are there for all to enjoy," says Richland College President Dr. Stephen Mittelstet. "What better way for Richland College to promote two of our major goals -- the love of literature and the need for community?"

Galatyn Park Corporation sponsors poetry contest
Young North Texas poets are invited to write a poem on a transit theme, not to exceed 14 lines. Two winners will be selected in two categories: Youths 7 to 13 years old and Young Adults 14 to 19 years old. Students in area schools who ride DART -- are especially encouraged to participate in the contest. Poems must be typed and submitted with a cover note listing the author's name, address, telephone number, age, grade and school.

Submissions cannot be returned, and because of the expected number of entries, only winners will be notified. Four winners -- two in each age group -- will have their poems displayed on DART buses and trains. Winners also receive copies of a Poetry in Motion anthology and postcard book, plus a free year's membership to the Poetry Society of America.

Sponsor Galatyn Park Corporation, a division of Hunt Petroleum Corporation, is covering the cost of tuition and books at Richland College for one year for the Young Adults winners. Youth winners can attend a variety of community courses offered for children and youths at Richland.

"DART and Richland College are great partners in transportation and education -- two critical ingredients in any urban enterprise," said Don Dillard, vice president of Galatyn Park Corporation, developers of a 500-acre transit-oriented community near a future DART station to open in Richardson in 2002.

The deadline for poetry contest entries is September 15, 2000. Mail one poem per entrant to contest coordinator Janet James, President's Office, Richland College, 12800 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX, 75243-2199.

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