Articles for April 9th, 2010
‘Emotion, Passion’ Mark Stadium Tribute
Standing in the lobby outside today’s “A Stadium Farewell” luncheon at the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas in Irving, Maura Allen Gast of Irving’s convention and visitors bureau was having mixed feelings about Sunday morning’s scheduled implosion of Texas Stadium.
On the one hand the implosion means great PR for the city, Gast said, with 300 media types expected and exposure on CNN, Inside Edition, Good Morning America. On the other, Sunday will mark the end of a place–and an era–that touched many: “We’ve been surprised at the depth of emotion and passion for the history that happened at that stadium–by the fans, the players, really all of us,” said Gast (pictured; photos by Jeanne Prejean).
That was also a theme heard throughout the luncheon, where long-retired Cowboys stars like Drew Pearson, Chad Hennings, Billy Joe Dupree, Cliff Harris, Rayfield Wright, Preston Pearson and Walt Garrison tried to explain to a crowd of 200 why Texas Stadium–and the Cowboys teams they played for–were so special.
Pete Sessions Digs Hot Chicks
I could go on here about RNC Chairman Michael Steele and the hot water he’s gotten into for a shindig held a strip joint and how that’s not fair because he didn’t organize the deal and he fired the guy who did. I could remind you about how Pete Sessions has hosted fundraisers at a Las Vegas strip club. But you don’t want to hear about all that. You just want to watch this video, courtesy of the Lone Star Project — except you probably don’t want to watch it at work. Just saying.
Wherein Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes Kinda Calls a Bunch of Officials Liars
Over on the Dallas Morning News Opinion blog, Colleen McCain Nelson points to Rep. Allen Vaught’s assertion that he did not endorse Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes, although Cortes lists him as having endorsed him on a recent mailer. Since then, Rafael Anchia, Dallas County District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons and council members Dave Neumann and Delia Jasso have also said they did not endorse Cortes, or had endorsed him in the past, but not for this election cycle.
Cortes acknowledged a “misunderstanding” with Vaught, and apologized. But what’s interesting is this quote from an e-mail Cortes sent to Nelson:
“What I’ve learned is that some people are going to stand by their word, and others aren’t,” Cortes said. “Lesson learned.”
So did he just say all those people lied?
The Nightlife Portion of the Best of Big D Readers’ Choice Poll Starts Monday, April 12
You know this drill, because you voted for your favorites in the food and drink portion of Best of Big D Readers’ Choice Poll 2010, right? Of course you did. On Monday, voting begins for our second category: nightlife. Vote hard and vote often. (You can vote once a day, every day, for the length of the poll.) The results of Best of Big D Readers’ Choice Poll (shops and services are coming up) will be published in the August 2010 issue of D Magazine. Make the jump to see what’s on the nightlife list. (more…)
Local Designers “Rock the Runway” Using D Magazines
Model Tina Craig in a design by Oscar Fierro.
Last night there was a little event at f.i.g. called Rock the Runway, thrown by the ladies of the Junior League of Dallas. The idea was to have five local designers–Abi Ferrin, Oscar Fierro, Patti Flowers, Shemara Jeyarajah and Khanh Nguyen–use issues of D Magazine and D Home to construct a dress (they also showed a few looks that were not constructed out of magazines).
Adding to the challenge was the fact that the D designs would be worn by celebrity models, of varying shapes and sizes.
We hope you’ll agree these dresses turned out pretty amazing. Jump for pics and the winner of the evening.
Tab on Farmers Branch Ordinance Fight Could Total More than $5 Million
So we all know the Farmers Branch story: Town passes ordinance regulating rentals to illegal immigrants in 2006. It is challenged in court, and begins making its way through the appeals process. The last judge to hear it was U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle, who ruled against it.
And today, the Dallas Morning News reports that the town could face a legal bill of more than $5 million before all is said and done. The town has its own legal fees – which are totaling so far around $3 million — and now Bickel & Brewer has submitted a bill for $850,000 in federal court for its share of costs incurred in the latest challenge.
Hazleton, Pa., had already passed a similar ordinance to the one passed in Farmers Branch (Hazleton passed its in July 2006, Farmers Branch in September 2006). Which leads me to this question: Regardless of your feelings regarding immigration, is it fiscally responsible to engage in a fight that is already being waged in another town, when that fight will probably end up before the Supreme Court anyway, and you’ll eventually have a definitive answer?
Mega March Spawns Unimaginatively Titled Sequel, Mega March 2010
Since there still hasn’t been much movement regarding immigration reform, Hispanic activists have decided to march on City Hall again. It’s happening May 1, and they’re expecting a crowd about a third of the size of the 2006 edition. That said, unless you’re actually planning on joining the demonstration, which starts at Santuario de Guadalupe Cathedral and goes on to City Hall, May 1 would be the day to stay out of downtown. But it’s a Saturday so, unfortunately, you were probably already planning to do that. Anyway, now would be a good time to revisit Rod Davis’ story “The Mexican Invasion.”
AT&T Is a “Lifestyle Company”?
As of today, that’s what they now say.
An Explosion Surrogate, In Case You Can’t See Texas Stadium Go Bye-Bye
You can’t make it out to Irving in the a.m. to see Texas Stadium get ’sploded? No big deal. After the jump, a ton of stuff goes BOOM.
Cop Eggs Stalker
This is a really strange story out of Carrollton. I can understand taking matters into your own hands when you’ve got a neighbor who is a nuisance and has been accused of stalking. But if you’re a cop, why would you egg the guy’s house? If you wanted to give the guy the business, wouldn’t you arrest him? Or pull him over and r0ugh him up? Or whip out your piece and press the barrel into his forehead, right between his eyes? In other words, do something tough and cop-like?
(Though this does give me an idea for another episode of Rica Y Chato. After the Los Zetas cartel steals a shipment of meth from his La Familia cartel, Rica wants to get even. But on the night when he plans to exact his revenge, he forgets that his wife has book club. It doesn’t matter that she never put it on the Google calender. He should have known: book club is always the first Wednesday night of the month. Which means he’s got parenting duties with his 11-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. He can’t very well take them along on a drive-by shooting. Instead, they all go together and egg the Los Zetas stash house.)
Mount Vernon On and Off the Market — AGAIN!
Looks like yesterday’s excitement about the late H.L. Hunt’s Mount Vernon estate going on the market proved to be a deja vu experience. The listing has been pulled, but nobody is talking about why.
Leading Off (4/9/10)
1. It is universally agreed that the Stars win against the Anaheim Ducks last night was probably Mike Modano’s last. I mean, guys don’t cry at the end of hockey games for any other reason, right? But his mom doesn’t approve of retirement, because “you can only play golf so much.”
2. I have long referred to Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson as my nemesis. I may have once sat near the bullpen for the express purpose of heckling him. But who knew that this season (so far), he’d be the bright spot, and that I’d want to hit Frank Francisco with a bag of hammers? Seven shutout innings Wilson threw yesterday against Toronto, then Francisco took over and gave up three hits.
3. Did you hear? Texas Stadium will get all blowed up on Sunday. At 6 a.m. I’ll be sleeping then, so maybe some other FrontBurner contributor will live blog it. Otherwise, I leave you with what my commentary would sound like, if I did live blog it.
4. I’ve gotta ask: is it actually a fact that Old East Dallas is swarming with pedophiles? And what constitutes a swarm?
5. You know what jobs I don’t want, besides miner and fish gutter? Diamond broker. New business reporter at the Dallas Morning News. Former actor on Dynasty. I think I’ll stick with my current job, which is also the Friday Morning Earworm.
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