May 21, 2013
Houston Ruins Dallas’ Super Bowl LII Prospects
Today the NFL award the honor of hosting Super Bowl L, in 2016, to the San Francisco 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara, California. But of more importance to us is the fact that the owners also voted to give Super Bowl LI to Houston. As the Morning News notes, that likely spoils North Texas’ hopes for 2018.
The Dallas area is competing for the 2018 game, or Super Bowl LII but will now be considered a long shot with the 2017 edition also in the state of Texas. With Denver, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Miami also in the running for the 52nd Super Bowl, the NFL has options to choose from outside of the Lone Star State.
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Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: May 21
Fly By Night.
If you are feeling sad about this, or this, as I am, I don’t think you can go wrong with a little extra dose of the arts.
The Dallas Theater Center’s new musical, Fly By Night, is entering the final week of its run. Seeing this piece of theater will cheer you, and then make you sad again. But it’s worth it, because it’ll be the hopeful kind of sad. The plot works up to New York City’s massive power outage in 1965, and concerns two sisters and a “luckless sandwich maker.” It’s a love triangle, of course. I reviewed the show for FrontRow here. But the upshot is that it’s really good, and funny, and sweet. And you should see it, because the next opportunity to do so will be in New York. Just note that the show is playing at the Kalita Humphreys Theater on Turtle Creek, not at the Wyly.
Also this evening, the Dallas Opera hosts one of their Composing Conversations in Hamon Hall of the Winspear Opera House. This one features Jennifer Higdon., a prolific, award-winning classical composer in the middle of a commission to turn Cold Mountain, Charles Fraziers’ book about a Civil War deserter and his one true love, into an opera. It’s kind of a unique opportunity to hear someone talk about his or her work while they’re right in the thick of it. Higdon will chat with the Dallas Opera’s general director, Keith Cerny, while Art&Seek’s Jerome Weeks moderates.
For more to do tonight, go here. Or you could just spend hours on this interactive Arrested Development joke chart.
Culture Map Loves Tornadoes and Disaster
I get it. This is the internet. Disasters and cute pets reign supreme. But this is also Dallas, and plenty of us have friends and family in Oklahoma. So you tell me, is this Culture Map headline appropriate:
“Terrifying Oklahoma tornado videos and sink-sleeping French bulldog top links we love.”
I can see this CM post two ways. One is drawing from Mike’s “hug someone” sentiment in Leading Off. As Stephen Stills-Hobbes once sang, “Life is nasty, brutish, and short / so love you’re the one you’re with.” Or, to update it to the 21st century, numb your pain with internet pictures of cute pets and banal, user-generated comedic memes. But the CM post isn’t presented as an invitation to diversion. After the links to the tornadoes, we get a link to “great moments in pizza.” Then, the cute bulldog, followed by a comedy clip spoofing catty compliments, and photos of people pretending to feed food to inanimate objects. In other words, we get what the headline promises: links Culture Map loves. And so, we assume, Culture Map loves tornadoes.
Listen, I too love videos of tornadoes. I’ve probably watched every category four or five tornado video on YouTube. I threaten my wife with my secret dream of becoming a storm chaser all the time. But today, today I don’t love tornadoes or tornado videos. Not when a third grade class is missing. Not with so many people dead. Not now.
Stan Wilson’s Wonderful Spirit
Rod Dreher remembers the fallen Dallas firefighter as a volunteer coach at Lakewood Presbyterian School.
Our condolences to Stan’s wife Jenny and his family.
Collin County Judge Rules Lesbian Mom Must Separate from Partner, Ctd.
Barrett A. Stern, the attorney representing Carolyn Compton and Page Price, sent out a statement about the case yesterday afternoon.
Read the entire thing after the jump. Continue reading "Collin County Judge Rules Lesbian Mom Must Separate from Partner, Ctd."
Leading Off (5/21/2013)
Devastating Tornado in Oklahoma: Another horrific tragedy. There are dozens dead, a lot of them children who were taking cover in the hallway of an elementary school. Thousands more are left homeless, their possessions in shambles. And while the death and destruction will eventually be quantified and ranked historically, the grief and suffering is immeasurable. In Dallas, we all know people from that part of Oklahoma, people in that part of Oklahoma. They are strong, proud people. They will rebuild. There will be places for you to volunteer, places to donate money, places to give blood. There will be stories of victims, stories of survivors, and stories of heroes. There will be more terrifying images–and likely some superb journalism. Our thoughts are with the people affected by the destruction. For now, for the rest of us: find a moment to hold someone you love.
Dallas Firefighter Dies in Six-Alarm Blaze: Here are some remarkable photos by Sonya Hebert-Schwartz, from the giant condo fire in northeast Dallas that killed Stanley Wilson, a 28-year fire department veteran, and the large impromptu farewell salute afterward.
DISD Poised for Fast-Track Pilot Program: Yesterday the State Senate approved a bill that would allow some Dallas students to graduate high school in three years (paywall), with the savings earmarked for a pre-kindergarten program. The bill now heads back to the House.
D Magazine Wins Big Industry Award: Last night at the City Regional Magazine Association awards banquet in Atlanta, D Magazine won General Excellence in our circulation category for the second year in a row. Tim and Zac are there, almost certainly celebrating in true gentlemanly fashion, refraining from all forms of debauchery, inebriation, coarse language, and sarcasm. I assume from the lack of national headlines that Tim did not give a speech. (Really though, if I can be earnest for a second: This entire staff is stacked from top to bottom with incredible, smart, talented people who work ridiculously hard every month to put out a magazine that truly serves Dallas and makes the city a better, more interesting place to live.) I expect a detailed recap of their trip soon.
May 20, 2013
Collin County Judge Rules Lesbian Mom Must Separate from Partner
Every so often a divorce proceeding involves something called a “morality clause.” They are meant to keep a divorcing parent’s children away from new girlfriends or boyfriends, and a potentially unstable or unsafe environment. Earlier this month, Judge John Roach Jr., who presides over the 296th District Court in Collin County (his re-election site says Roach is a “Proven Judge. Proven Conservative.”), ruled that such a clause should be enforced in the divorce of Carolyn Compton. It effectively means that Compton’s lesbian partner, Page Price, must move out of the home they’ve shared for nearly three years, according to the Dallas Voice.
Neither Compton nor Price have spoken in public since the ruling, but Page posted about the ruling on Facebook. “Our children are all happy and well adjusted. By his enforcement, being that we cannot marry in this state, I have been ordered to move out of my home,” Price wrote.
In the same post, Price mentions that Compton’s ex-husband rarely sees the two children and that he was once charged with stalking Compton. (He later pleaded to a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing.)
Ken Upton Jr., a senior attorney with Lambda Legal, told the Voice that this case could set the precedent for how Texas courts interpret the morality clause for gay couples. “What the clause has become is an extra burden on gay people because they’re no more likely to violate it than straight people,” he said. “It’s a problem that continues with homophobia.”
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with the attorneys involved in the suit. Paul Key represents Joshua Compton, Carolyn’s ex-husband. He told me that morality clauses are included in divorces “all the time…There’s nothing exceptional about that at all. The only thing different about this is that Ms. Compton now dates women.”
Continue reading "Collin County Judge Rules Lesbian Mom Must Separate from Partner"
Wildenthal to Lead Foundation at Children’s
The Dallas Morning News has portrayed him relentlessly as a greedy, high-living, double-dealing fraudster. (Right after conceding he did lots of admirable work.) But for some reason a number of Dallasites haven’t bought into The News’ characterization of former UT Southwestern Medical Center president Dr. Kern Wildenthal. Among them, it seems: Children’s Medical Center. The country’s fifth-largest pediatric hospital has just appointed Wildenthal president of its foundation and executive vice president of Children’s Medical Center.
Things To Do in Dallas Tonight: May 20
Dem bones, from news.com.au.
Oh hey, have you bought a ticket to our Best Restaurants party on Wednesday? I know it’s Monday and I’m usually your advocate for last minute follies, but your should really plan for this one. Tickets are here.
Tonight, we have a stage reading of Richard III, part of the five-year collaboration between Shakespeare Dallas and the AT&T Performing Arts Center. For the past few months, we’ve seen staged readings of the plays that make up what’s commonly referred to as Shakespeare’s War of the Roses play cycle—Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III. Up until now, we’ve been concerned with King Henry and the civil war between the noble houses of York and Lancaster. Enter a new villain, the hunchbacked Richard III, whose bones were recently dug up under a parking lot in Leicester. No joke. Anyway, I don’t want to spoil the end of Henry VI, Part III too much, but obviously Richard’s got big, bloody plans to supplant the current king and install himself on the throne. So there you go. A little scheming for your Monday night. Head to Sunset Lounge for happy hour and tacos. The cute umbrella in your drink will help you forget that it’s only Monday.
As Carol notes, Trinity Groves offers an Indian cooking class this evening. Minal Jhaveri, an native of India recently transplanted to Dallas, will guide attendees through the six spices used in everyday cooking, how to prep veggies, and how to cook Basmati rice without it getting sticky, and then teach the class how to prepare seven different vegetarian dishes. Yum. Call 214-939-3015 to register.
For more to do tonight, go here.
It’s Time to Vote For the Best of Big D: Services
That’s right. The final round of this year’s Best of Big D voting has begun.
Cast a ballot daily for all the best home, beauty, fitness, and family services in Dallas. You have through June 2 to make your voice heard. The winners will appear in the August issue of the print product.
All your favorites need help, so get to it.
Judicial Candidate’s Logo Looks Familiar
Brandon Birmingham wants to be the judge for the 292nd Judicial District Court. If that doesn’t work out, maybe he can get a tryout to play for the Brooklyn Nets.
Today on D Television (5/20/13)
D: The Broadcast, 9 a.m.
Hosted by Lisa Pineiro, Pat Smith, Suzie Humphreys and Courtney Kerr
- Tornado talk: Safety, preparedness, and what to do next
- Courtney’s Closet: An interview with
Rebecca Minkoff - We catch up with country group, The Band Perry
Click to watch D-TV live
Live streaming D: The Broadcast from 9 to 11 a.m.
D-TV is available on all local cable providers.
AT&T 47 | DirecTV 47 | Dish 47 | Charter 22 / 746 (HD) | Time Warner 24 / 429 (HD) | Verizon 18 / 518 (HD)
Leading Off (5/20/13)
“We Could Hear it Coming. It Was Like Thunder That Wouldn’t Stop:” The stories out of Granbury are horrifying and heartbreaking, awful reminders that we live in a strange, unforgiving world in which, on rare occasion, the sky can just come down and rip you right out of your closet:
The closet door flew open, and the tornado yanked her oldest son, Brandon, into the air.
Green’s body twisted and bent, and she began to pray.
“Please let this be over. I can’t take this anymore,” she remembers thinking. “I asked God, ‘Is this really the way I’m going to die?’”
The Legacy of Mary Suhm vs. the Legacy of Dallas’ Super Donors: Two features in the local daily frame two perspective on the shaping of the city. Sure, as Mayor Ron Kirk puts it in this profile of outgoing City Manager Mary Suhm, “Her fingerprints are all over the city.” But what is the legacy of any powerful member of city government versus the “thousand families,” the philanthropists whose Texas-sized generosity (sorry) make Dallas one of the nation’s most charitable cities:
The city’s wealthiest philanthropists are also sometimes called the new Medicis, and there’s something to the comparison: Not a single major cultural institution in Dallas would exist in its current form — or exist at all, in many cases — without their help. . . . The philanthropists’ generosity extends beyond cultural organizations.
Fort Worth Figures Out Trinity Project: And speaking of big ticket city items, while Suhm’s legacy contains the unrealized Trinity River Project, Fort Worth seems to have figured out how to have simple fun down on the river with a much more modest, accessible investment. This, ahem. Not this.
May 17, 2013
Check Out the Black-and-White Numbers in a Pair of Brown vs. White Elections
City Councilman Scott Griggs defeated fellow incumbent Delia Jasso last week in North Oak Cliff’s new District 1, where the voting-age population is 74 percent Hispanic. And DISD Trustee Eric Cowan fended off challengers Rafael Narvaez III and Arturo Sierra in District 7, where the student bodies of the three major high schools — Adamson, Sunset, and Molina — are all more than 90 percent Hispanic. So how did these two white guys cruise to re-election in overwhelmingly Mexican-American districts where their opponents were Latinos? It’s because the mostly white residents of Kessler Park, Stevens Park, and Winnetka Heights go to the polls far more than anyone else in North Oak Cliff.
Penney Board Members Get a Vote of Confidence
So much for accountability in corporate governance. According to the DMN‘s Maria Halkas, every member of the J.C. Penney board that presided over the company’s spectacular recent meltdown has been re-elected to his or her cushy post. This apparently includes New York hedge-fund mogul William Ackman, who pushed to hire the failed ex-CEO Ron Johnson, as well as several board members from North Texas. All of the members have been compensated handsomely for their, er, leadership qualities at the Plano-based retail chain. Among the locals are ex-TI CEO Tom Engibous, the board chair, whose 2012 compensation was $328,702; Colleen Barrett, president emeritus of Southwest Airlines ($225,012); and R. Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University ($235,012).
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