Articles for May 6th, 2010
Hills Settle Lawsuit
Well, well, well. The lawsuit(s) have been settled, and Al Hill III got his money from his dad. How much? No one is saying. But apparently Al III is “very satisfied.” So let’s call it $125 million. I’m taking credit for being the catalyst that brought this thing to a conclusion. You’re welcome, Al III. (And I’m sorry, all you lawyers who were riding the gravy train.)
New Film Series at the Texas Theatre
I love the Texas Theatre, and I love the folks currently running the joint, including Stuart Sikes, whom you probably know from his work on many great records. Anyway, jump for how to help them, and enjoy yourself at the same time, with a new film series. (I’ll be there for Blood Simple.)
Breaking News: Plan Commission Approves New D Magazine Sign! (Must Credit FrontBurner!)
Last fall, when we announced that we were moving into a new building downtown, I put up a couple posts crowing about the bitchin’ sign we were going to put on the top of St. Paul Place. Well, the wheels of justice aren’t the only things that turn slowly. So do the wheels of the city Plan Commission, which had to approve the thing. We got that approval today. People Newspapers’ Josh Hixon was at the hearing and e-mails from City Hall:
D’s new sign just got approved unanimously by the Dallas City Plan Commission. Commission member Dr. Bill Peterson led the motion to approve and asked to comment after the vote was taken. Peterson said when he first read the plans for the sign, he thought, “Oh, my word. This is visual pollution.” Peterson said upon further investigation — he went to St. Paul Place and took pictures of the building and surrounding skyline — he reconsidered his opinion. “This won’t end up visually polluting downtown,” Peterson said after explaining the activities of his field trip.
How to Stalk Dale Hansen
This is the last time. He swears. But Dale Hansen is having one last backyard party. It’s for a good cause (raise money for ALS research). So if you’ve never been, now’s your final opportunity. I went once. Pretty decent party. Live band, good barbecue, plenty of free-flowing beer. But the whole evening, as I prowled Dale Hansen’s estate on the shores of Lake Waxahachie, I kept thinking, “I really should have gone into sports broadcasting.”
Charlie Gasparino Didn’t Go to Harvard, Ctd.
Remember how Fox Business Network’s Charlie Gasparino said he couldn’t get a job at the Dallas Morning News back in the day because he didn’t go to Harvard? Well, via Jim Romenesko, we learn that DMN Editor Bob Mong said, “Nuh-uh.” And then Gasparino said, “Uh-huh, I just didn’t talk to you.” And then a couple of commenters said they worked at the DMN and didn’t have Harvard degrees.
So there you go. Glad we could clear that up for you.
Yearbook Scandal!
Some good stuff is going on over at the Park Cities People blog. Merritt Patterson broke the news about the Bradfield Elementary yearbook scandal a couple days ago. (I know. I’m late getting to it.) Apparently, a volunteer says she spent a lot of time designing the book. Then as it was going to print, she was told her design was not allowed. So she got it copyrighted. Then the PTA decided to make its own version of the yearbook to avoid legal fees. The school says the volunteer knew all along her design wouldn’t work, and various people offered to help with a redesign. But the volunteer ignored the offers.
Patterson has the e-mails that went out to parents from both the principal and the volunteer. It’s all very fascinating.
USA Today Has a Look at the Woodall Rodgers Park
We’re not the only city grappling with ugly highways running through our downtown. USA Today has a look at several cities, just like Dallas, that are capping those roads with parks. Linda Owens, president of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, gets top billing. She says the park will be an economic engine and that we are creating oceanfront property. Does that mean we’re going to have to contend with fat European men in Speedos? If so, I call do-over.
What To Do in Dallas Tonight: May 6, 2010
The Dallas Arts District is exploding with events tonight: Thursday Night Live at the Dallas Museum of Art, the Silk Road Lounge at the Crow Collection, and the first-ever Patio Sessions at Sammons Park. They all start around 5. If I were you I would valet at One Arts Plaza, have a drink or a snack at one of the restaurants, and then take the (free) Art Cart to Sammons Park. You’ll save at least $5 on parking.
But! You could also go to the Bishop Arts District. The First Thursday Wine Stroll is the place to be, and although you can’t quite walk there, you can drive a short distance to the Belmont Hotel for the first installment of Barefoot at the Belmont.
That should keep you busy. But look here for more.
Leading Off (5/6/10)
1. SMU is suspending the use of its press, which has been running since 1937. The reason? Finances. And just like last week, I blame technology. So, put down those iPads and start flipping through the pages of a book.
2. You know what schools these days need? Corporal punishment. Back in the day, when I walked to school uphill both ways, in the snow, and barefoot, I was an angel. Not because that was expected of me, but because I was afraid of a good spanking (those country folk really know how to do it right). So, I say we bring it back. And so does Gilbert Leal, a tutor at Dallas ISD. He’s started a website called bringbacklicks.com. I personally would have called the site gettheswitchsoIcanpracticemyswing.com, but each to their own.
3. Aw, this is a little girl after my own heart. Young Hannah Estes went to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando and noticed a sign that said “one seconds.” She realized that wasn’t right, told her mom, took a picture, and mailed it in to the company. She got a pin and a book for her efforts. And if you don’t get why that’s wrong, well, then, a fourth-grader is smarter than you.
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