Articles for April 26th, 2010
Neiman Marcus Inc. Names Katz CEO, Replacing Tansky
Neiman Marcus Stores chief Karen Katz (pictured in photo by Jeanne Prejean) is replacing Burton Tansky as CEO at Dallas-based Neiman Marcus Inc. Tansky, who’s retiring as CEO, was said to be “walking a tightrope” since the recession slammed luxury purveyors like Neiman’s. Revenue at Neiman Marcus Inc. plunged from $4.6 billion in fiscal 2008 to $3.6 billion in ‘09. The changing of the guard at the upscale retailer is scheduled to happen in October. Tansky, who’d been CEO of the Neiman’s parent company since 2001, signed a new contract in 2007 extending his tenure through October. He’ll stay on as non-executive chairman.
Q&A With National Magazine Award Winner Skip Hollandsworth
Last week I did a Q&A with Texas Monthly’s Skip Hollandsworth right before he went up to NYC for the National Magazine Awards. Turns out, the guy actually won. So let’s do it again. Jump to find out how hard Skip partied after he won magazine writing’s biggest award:
How To Improve East Dallas Overnight
Tear down I30 and put it below grade as we did with Central.
Warrior Dash on Hold?
As a commenter so kindly pointed out, there is a notice on the Warrior Dash website saying the obstacle run may not happen. (For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about: the Warrior Dash is a 3.5-mile long obstacle course. You get a medal, a Viking helmet, and beer at the end—you just have to jump over fire and climb a cargo net first. It’s so popular that an extra day has been added to the Dallas event. There will be 500 people every half hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.) The website says this, “Kaufman County in Texas has enjoined and prohibited Warrior Dash Texas from being held as advertised. It was advertised as taking place mostly in Dallas County with only a small portion in Kaufman County, but now we know that even that small portion of the event can not be held in Kaufman County. We didn’t know it, but a court order was obtained without any notice to us to prevent the event from happening there.”
I called the people at Warrior Dash and asked when they’d know something. I was told Wednesday. Then I asked if they’d e-mail out whether or not the event was happening. I was told to check the website on Wednesday. I asked about being reimbursed if the event doesn’t happen. “Check back on Wednesday.” I forgot to ask if I get the helmet even if it’s canceled.
I’ve called the people at Kaufman County to get some more details. Developing.
UPDATE: We’re shipping here at D, so I haven’t had the time to commit to tracking down answers to this. However, Wilonsky did have the time. We’ll know what’s going on by the end of today (I hope).
Floyd Dakil Died Saturday Night
We regret to report that Floyd Dakil has died. Back in the 60’s, he was the hot local musician who rose to fame with Dance Franny Dance. It was a time when 45 RPM’s ruled and Ron Chapman was Irving Harrigan.
What To Do in Dallas Tonight: April 26, 2010
Those of you with tickets to see David Sedaris at McFarlin Auditorium are lucky. Our source at SMU said these tickets were so highly prized they sold out within minutes. They also say he’s going to read some of his unpublished material, so a full report tomorrow will be appreciated. Or you could just “accidentally” call me so I could listen in. Just an idea.
Here’s an option that’s pretty much the opposite of Sedaris: Tony Bennett is in town, and a few tickets to see this legendary singer are still available for tonight and tomorrow night. Last time he was here, Bennett treated the audience to an a cappella rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon” (without even using a microphone) because he loves the acoustics at the Meyerson so much. Organizers say they haven’t seen the set list, but here’s hoping for a repeat.
Why Someone Would Hike 2,650 Miles
A few years ago, Paul Kix introduced you loyal readers to Zac Castillo, the guy who hiked the 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently, that wasn’t far enough because today, Castillo is hiking once again. This time, he’s going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, 425 miles longer than his former quest.
I’m all about doing semi-crazy things (anyone else doing the Warrior Dash this weekend?), but I make sure my adventures have no more than a six-hour time limit. So I asked Castillo a few questions about his sanity after the jump.
Leading Off (4/26/10)
1. “Denver’s Revitalized Downtown Gets More Hip By the Minute,” reads this travel piece in the DMN. You see, remaking a downtown isn’t rocket science – Denver pulled it off. Now let’s see, what makes a downtown hip: bike trails, bike rentals, a theme park, kayaking in downtown, and a stadium for a major sports franchise. Hmmm, now let’s look at Dallas. No bike trails, no bike rentals. Kayaking does happen sometimes a mile or so from downtown in the Trinity River. And Dallas has a theme park and stadium. Oh wait, no. Those are in Arlington. (And for those wondering about American Airlines arena, Victory doesn’t count as downtown. If you’ve ever noticed, there’s a highway in between downtown and Victory. Didn’t Ross Perot Jr. see that?)
2. Farmers Branch officials will fight the court ruling that the law the city passed banning the rental of houses or apartments to illegal immigrants is unconstitutional, because Farmers Branch is a town of ”law and order,” says Mayor Tim O’Hare.
3. Don Hill doesn’t have much to say headed into his 18 year sentence for leading a corruption scheme at Dallas City Hall. How about “sorry I made a mockery of your government, taxpayers.”
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