Articles for June, 2008
Hurry, Superintendent, You’ve Only Got 39 Minutes!
Hector Montenegro, superintendent of the Arlington school district, has until 5 p.m. today to turn in a list of all outside consulting income. To which I say, good for you, Arlington trustees! For decades, there has been a tidy little racket of superintendents and educational foundation heads hiring each other as consultants and advisers to boost each other’s income. I don’t know if Mr. Montenegro has been a participant, but just by demanding an accounting, Arlington trustees are signaling that they’re putting the kibosh on a tawdry practice.
Bark: Fox4 Reporter Suspended
As if Fox4 didn’t have enough to worry about these days, Uncle Barky is reporting that the station’s longtime medical reporter John Hammarley has been suspended.
E&Y Fetes Local Entrepreneurs
I’m sure Steve Blow is a heckuva nice guy. But Saturday night, when he emceed Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2008 banquet at the InterContinental Hotel, the DMN metro columnist was about as exciting as Jim Nabors hosting a Kiwanis Club fish fry. His “opening monologue” included gas-price jokes (”gas is up to Starbucks prices!”) and recession talk (”In the newspaper business, we know we’re in a recession. …So, if I can sell just 10 subscriptions tonight!”) Then came announcement of the evening’s big winners, which follows after the jump. (more…)
The Prius Chronicles
I was a little taken aback by some of the negative comments occasioned by my earlier post about my impending Prius purchase. On the day I am to take delivery of the car comes this story in the News about how popular the car has become in North Texas (I bought from Freeman Toyota because, as Terry Box points out, they aren’t charging that $5k premium; too, a friend in the biz gave them high marks). As I drive home today in my new car, that smile on my face will be, as commenter Matt called it, the “sweet, sweet smugness that comes from driving one of the ugliest cars on the road.”
IM Just Saying: Josh Venable
When Josh Venable was laid off from his gig at the Edge last year, he took his long-running (and much beloved) specialty show The Adventure Club with him. Since then, he’s found a new radio home in L.A. But on Sunday, the show finally returns to local airwaves, at a new time (8-11 pm). More on that, and JV’s popularity among the incarcerated, after the jump.
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Kirk, At Home Depot, Hammers Home A Political Point
Even Obama backer Ron Kirk, whose ambition these days is to be “the [new] president’s best friend,” has to do weekend chores around the house. So there he was Sunday at the Skillman/Abrams Home Depot, fresh off the campaign trail, shopping basket in hand. I knew the former Dallas mayor is a car aficionado, so we jawboned about his recent appearance on CNN, where he’d commented that the Democrats had the luxury of choosing this year between “a BMW and a Mercedes” (Obama and Hillary). Whereupon another Democrat on the program, mindful of blue-collar protectionist sentiment, had quickly corrected, “Maybe we’d better make that an American car, Ron.” Kirk laughed about the exchange Sunday, adding: Hey, why shouldn’t we be able to say that–”we’re New Democrats!”
Hicks Does $3.2 Billion Deal, Gets Big Package
Here you’ll find the release. The short version: his special purpose acquisition company (or SPAC), has teamed up with The Blackstone Group to take Graham Packaging Holdings Co. public. They’re saying it’s the largest deal ever between a SPAC and an industrial company.
Is The News Degrading Its Brand?
The modern newspaper serves three functions: as a news and information source, as an advertising vehicle, and as a delivery system for coupons. The brand’s value comes from the news side, obviously; the money comes from the other two sides. Newspapers (and magazines) long ago figured out that maintaining brand value required separating these functions, hence the “wall” between news and advertising. That wall has been breached in the last couple of years as the News struggles for revenue: Looks, for example, is an “editorial” product published by the ad side, not the news side.
But my interest is in how the News promotes coupons to non-readers. One can’t discount the importance of coupons: thousands of people buy the newspaper just to get them. But coupon advertisers want total market coverage, so the News also sends out thousands of coupon direct mailers. It emblazons its logo across the top of these mailers. So to thousands of non-readers, these mailers are the Dallas Morning News. It is not a news and information source; it is, at best, a coupon promoter (if I want them) or, at worst, an ugly nuisance (if I don’t want them). My question is, what does this do to the brand? I raise the question because very shortly the News, like D Magazine, will have to leverage its brand to serve its readers in new and, perhaps, unexpected ways. That transition won’t be easy for any media company. But one has to believe that brand value is crucial to the transition. So is it wise to use or misuse the brand in ways that detracts from its value? In simpler times, didn’t they call this eating your seed corn?
CORRECTION: A commenter informs me (and you) that Looks is now produced by the news department.
Scene Shutters
Teresa Gubbins reports that the downtown restaurant has shut down. The great thing about that is Scene was our lead review for the August issue, which we’re sending to the printer right now. Photographs already taken, story already written, etc. I wonder if those 700 AT&Ters headed up from San Antonio to downtown Dallas might have made a difference?
Jacqueline Kent Cooke Busted for DWI
You’ll remember Cooke as the daughter of former Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke. Once upon a time, she was an SMU student — though she dropped out because she said her trust fund couldn’t cover tuition. An alert FrontBurnervian points us to news that the heiress was arrested in Boston.
Police said Cooke pulled up her skirt to moon the officer, and then gave him the middle finger, before eventually getting into the BMW and starting the engine. … Police said Cooke then asked the officer, “Do you know who I am?” and told the officer that “$1 billion goes a long way” and that he would lose his badge, according to the police report.
My kind of gal.
Eric Hurley Has a Strong Arm and a Firm Bottom
The Rangers pitcher got his first major league win last night. The front page of the DMN Sports section ran this photo (image No. 5) showing the sexual harassment Hurley endured as he left the field.
Leading Off (06/30/08)
1. Anti-smoking forces are amassing for what looks to be a short and pointless fight. If anyone thinks the latest smoking ordinance–the one that will ban smoking from bars–won’t pass, and soon, they are kidding themselves. But hey, by all means, run up the score. Says councilman Ron Natinsky, “There is no sense in leaving this smoldering for any time longer than is necessary.” Smoldering–ha, I see what I did there. Well played, Ronny.
2. The Bridge, the city’s new homeless center, has been overwhelmed by demand in its first month and change of operation. That led the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance to cancel its contract with PATH Partners of Los Angeles to provide caseworkers and other social services; the MDHA wants to be quicker to adapt. My takeaway? It’s going to be a bumpy first year, and there will be other hiccups, but it’s working so far.
3. Mayor Leppert tried to wrap his XL paws around Deep Ellum on Friday. One thing that eluded his grasp: Beck Ventures’ purchase of 10 acres.
My Playoff Jinx Continues
Last night, my father-in-law was nice enough to take my wife and me to the Dallas Desperados’ playoff game against the New York Dragons at the AAC. As you might have heard, the ‘Dos lost to the Dragons 77-63. Which means I haven’t seen a local team win at home in the playoffs since the 2006 NBA Finals. (Be glad I’m not a hockey fan.)
The result was disappointing, obviously, but I enjoyed the game, especially since it was my first Arena Football League experience. Only quibble: there wasn’t a ton of people there. I’m not sure why, other than unfamiliarity with the sport. (It’s like football, except…smaller.) I mean, the tickets aren’t expensive, as far as sporting events go; we had seats about 10 rows up and they were $40 a pop. There’s a ton of action (see: that crazy score, and the four or five onside kicks). The dance team is super hot and easy to see. The P.A. announcer has kind of a “Humble” Billy Hayes thing going, but he’s tolerable.
I don’t think it will be the last AFL game I go to. I just might skip the playoffs, for the team’s sake if nothing else.
Re: AT&T Moving To Dallas
We already know AT&T’s been talking with the Dallas Cowboys about naming rights at the new stadium in Arlington. Might the company’s announced move to North Texas seal the deal?
Trey Garrison Proves Why the DMN Is Dead
This makes my head hurt. That’s how hard it is for me to understand. Moments ago, an FBvian sent me a link to Trey’s first op-ed piece for the Morning News. Trey is freelancing, but he’s still (I’m proud to say) a contributing editor to D Magazine. The tagline at the end of his DMN piece IDs him as such. I’m just now linking to his story because I didn’t know about it until the FBvian helped me out. Normally, I look at the hard copy version of the paper every morning, but today I was running late to work and missed it.
Do you see what I’m driving at? More than 6,000 people visit our blog every day. Not all of them are “engaged” enough to know who Trey Garrison is and to think to send me an e-mail about his op-ed piece in which he refers to himself as a “tool.” But still. The fact that my e-mail in-box didn’t have a dozen notes this morning from people making fun of Trey tells me — what does it tell me?
It tells me the Morning News is done.
Jerry World’s Mortgage Payment is Up…
Word from the city of Arlington is that the subprime mortgage mess has boosted the cost of loans again for the Cowboys stadium project. Where before, some loans carried 2% interest rates, rates have shot up the last couple of weeks to 6.5% to 7%. Last time this happened, it cost the city of Arlington $80,000 in a single month. Look for Arlington City Council to discuss a fixed-rate loan at its Tuesday meeting. There’s no saying (from the Cowboys) whether they’re taking a bath on this. Here’s a primer.
Oh well. By the time the joint opens, 80 grand might only buy you nachos and a plastic bottle of Miller Lite.
AT&T Moving to Dallas
Breaking news from the DMN. No details yet, just the headline: “AT&T Inc. is moving its headquarters to Dallas from San Antonio, the telecommunications company said Friday afternoon.”
Score!
KBH: You Like Her! You Really Like Her!
A new poll shows that Texans love them some Kay Bailey Hutchison, naming her their favorite politician. Which is sort of like me being named your favorite blogger, isn’t it? I mean, I’d rather be that than least-favorite, but the competition isn’t too stiff.
Listen, Buster, It’s Hard to Enjoy the Rangers When You Keep Reminding Me How Much Better They Could Be
Buster Olney asked major-league players, scouts, and executives who the five most dominating major league pitchers are in the game today. Who was No. 5? Why, the man recently traded from the Texas Rangers baseball concern:
No. 5: Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds (eight votes) — He mixes a mid-90s fastball with a changeup that seems to disappear. He has 110 strikeouts in 99.1 innings this year, with a 2.08 ERA.
A. H. Belo Hits New Low
The new split-off newspaper company is having a very bad day. A Frontburnervian asks, “What’s happening?” The answer is, “What the hell do you think is happening?’
Dueling Pianos at Mavs Practice?
Is I noted in Leading Off, ESPN has video of Mavs draft choice Shan Foster at the keyboard, showing his chops. Eddie Sefko notes in the Morning News today that perhaps Foster could get some tips at tickling the ivories from new Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, himself an accomplished pianist. Which makes me wonder what special half-time entertainment could be extracted from this circumstance. Hmmm.
Re: Leading Off (Patrick Waller Exoneration Item)
Would you like to know how an innocent man like Patrick Waller gets thrown in prison? It has to do with how fallible we as humans are when it comes to picking suspects out of lineups. Read our April 2007 story “The Innocent Suspects,” by Paul Kix.
Speaking of Cool Cars
The Model A Ford Club of America is having its convention at the InterContinental in Addison. There are nearly 800 Model A Fords in and around the hotel. But they’ll be gone by tomorrow.
Obama CAN Win Texas, But Shouldn’t Try, Ashish Says
Says here that now that Obama is within 5 percentage points of McCain in Texas that folks not named Wick suggest he has a shot to win the state. But, commenter Ashish breaks down why that is fool’s gold. Reminds me of the great William Hurt line from The Big Chill:
“I COULD have. I CHOSE not to. I’m not hung up on this completion thing.”
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