Articles for May, 2010
Leading Off (5/10/10)
1. Are you, like me, addicted to all news related to Greece’s financial meltdown and the possible global economic meltdown that may ensue because of it? If so, you’ll be interested to hear Dallas has its own potential meldown on its hands: billions of dollars of back pay liability that may be due former police officers and firefighters. Time to stock up on canned food and ammunition.
2. I’m still not sure where Riverfront Boulevard is, but it seems the DMN interviewed a bunch of skeptical stakeholders on Industrial Boulevard who have doubts about the city’s plans to rework the street of liquor stores, bail bondsmen, and jails to condos, retail, blah, blah, blah. I would have doubts, too, if the council person leading the effort delivered choice quotes like this one from Dave Neumann: “I’m very much an advocate of property rights, and I respect property rights, but I’m also an advocate of our city moving forward.” Which basically means he doesn’t respect property rights if your property is in the way of the bulldozers. In that case, why squabble about property rights at all?
3. What does Eric Cowan’s victory in the DISD school board race mean? That Cowan is a candidate that transcends racial concerns? That non-hispanic Oak Cliff dwellers are flexing their slowly growing political might? That public schools that are overwhelmingly Hispanic won’t have representation that understands their particular concerns and issues? That racial politics don’t matter when it comes to making good decisions about local schools? Or that Cowan actually cared about winning, and with low-turnout DISD school board elections, that’s what counts?
4. And, finally, Rudy Bush points us to the briefing DART will give to the Dallas City Council today, which basically says that the transportation system is broke. Happy Monday.
Manhunt Underway at Tenison Golf Course
What’s the one thing you don’t plan on ruining your round of golf? I’m standing on Samuell Boulevard right now, unable to check in at the Tenison pro shop because there is a guy with a gun loose on the golf course. The whole place is shut down. Helicopter hovering o’er head. And I just talked to an actual cop to confirm it. That’s what you call old-school shoe-leather reportage.
Says Golfer Eric: “How much to go sprinting across the course right now?”
UPDATE: (7:10) The manhunt has been called off. They didn’t find the guy. Could be an interesting round.
UPDATE: (12:15) Turns out it was an interesting round. Not only did two of our foursome have to remove their drawers during the round but Eric Celeste actually beat Adam McGill and me for the first time ever. We are through the looking glass.
Recap of the Byron Nelson Media Day Challenge
Today is one of my favorite days of the year, when the kind, strong folks from the Salesmanship Club and the Four Seasons and HP treat a few of us media types to a shamble-format golf tourney out on the TPC course. It was my good fortune to play with author and sometime D Magazine contributor Curt Sampson, PR powerhouse Andy Stern, and Associated Press sportswriter Stephen “Don’t Call Me Hawking” Hawkins. If you want some pics, check out my Twitter feed from the day @timmytyper. If you just want some words, jump.
(more…)
Garcia: March Skeptics Pushing Own Agenda
Lawyer Domingo Garcia is brushing off criticism that the involvement of activists like him held down the turnout at last weekend’s March in Dallas for immigration reform. The charge was made in a DMN op-ed Wednesday by Edward Retta, who wrote that “when certain personalities are preeminent, many Hispanics turn away.”
Retta is one of “four or five Hispanic Republicans” who don’t want immigration figuring in the November elections, said Garcia, buttonholed last night at the annual FightNight bash at the Hilton Anatole. Even if last Saturday’s turnout was “only” 25,000 or 50,000, Garcia said, it was still “the second-largest demonstration ever in the state of Texas.” In 2006, as many as half a million marched for immigration reform in Dallas.
Watch Fox 4’s Ron Jackson Do This
It’s Friday. And I bring you this, presented without comment. Yet.
Former President Bush Replaces Laura
Candy’s at the Genesis Women’s Shelter Mother’s Day Luncheon and sends word that instead of having Laura introduce Condoleezza Rice, former President George W. Bush did. Bush said Laura is “out selling books.”
Candy also attached this photo in case you don’t believe us.
Mark Cuban Teams Up With Girls Gone Wild to Find “Hottest Girl in America”
According to the New York Post, Mark Cuban has teamed up with Joe Francis to show a 12-part series, “Girls Gone Wild Presents: Search for the Hottest Girl in America,” on HDNet. It begins airing next Thursday, if you’re into that kind of thing. (This is one “reality” show that Laura Kostelny should not have to watch.)
Al Hill Jr. Happy to Leave “Heartache” Behind
Late Thursday afternoon, Al Hill Jr. was sitting at the dining-room table of a new, $10.995 million “spec” house he’d bankrolled on Arcady Avenue, with a big smile on his face. There was good reason for the smile. Not only was Hill showing off the just-completed Highland Park manse to invited guests and friends named Sewell, Strauss and Simmons, he’d also just settled some big messy lawsuits with his son, Al Hill III.
“Al’s got a little less stress in his life today!” one of his friends chortled, shaking Hill Jr.’s hand. The H.L. Hunt heir told us he was pleased the suits had been settled confidentially, out of court, because “there was a lot of heartache.” The settlement didn’t come as a surprise though, he added, because “I was there [in court] for four straight days.”
The jaw-droppingly beautiful Arcady house, by the way, is one of several Hill Jr. has, or will, put up on a speculative basis in the area. It was built by Christine Goff; David Nichols of Mathews-Nichols Group, Allie Beth Allman and Associates, has the listing. No doubt DallasDirt will have more details.
Last Night: Scissor-tails and Cocktails at the Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas
It was a rocking party!
What a glorious evening for a fundraiser and the Trinity River Audubon Center. If you haven’t visited this newish facility in Dallas, then you must pack a picnic and make plans to commune with nature. The TRAC is only 12 minutes south of downtown, but once you are onsite you feel like you are in a vast Texas wilderness surrounded by native trees, plants, grasses, wetlands, and, last night, cocktails.
The fundraiser, Scissor-tails and Cocktails, raised over $25,000 for the center which provides guided nature tours, wildlife photography discussions, summer camps for kids, and educational programs for schools. (They expect 450 kids to visit today.) I ran into Vera and Bob Thornton, Kim and David Hurt (Wild Birds Unlimited), Kevin and Kathy McDaniel-Flynn, Brandy and Will Taylor, former AquaKnox chef Michael Napier.
Jump for more of who was there, what we saw, and how it looked.
What To Do in Dallas This Weekend: May 7-9
The CityArts Festival is happening in Fair Park this weekend. It’s free. They’ve got a great lineup of bands scheduled, plus dance groups, culinary demos, and plenty of booths to buy a gift for your Mom (fine art, jewelry, handbags, candles, pet portraits, and more). Speaking of Mom: we’re all over Mother’s Day right here. But bringing her to the Fest is a good way to win points. The spokespeople for the event just gave us some inside info. Bring your Mom to the Merchandise Booth on Saturday or Sunday and say, “I love my Mum.” You’ll get a free flower for her (awww) plus a free membership to the Friends of Fair Park (a $40 value). The flower is nice and all, but the membership gets you free passes to the Texas State Fair. Cool.
Another nice event is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Mother’s Day Brunch. Starting at $55 (this includes tax and gratuity, which is rare), you get brunch at Opus, the restaurant at the Meyerson, all the champagne you can drink, and a ticket to see Ravel’s beautiful Ma Mère l’Oy, or Mother Goose, on Sunday. Netherland sensations the Jussen brothers will also perform at this show–Arthur is 13 and Lucas is 17. Cute.
More weekend ideas happen here.
Leading Off (5/7/10)
1. “The couple leaned against a conference table in lovers’ repose. John wore a thin mustache and a contented smile. Judy had strangely haunted eyes.” Is this A) something I read in the Romance Novel section of Half Price Books; B) something you can find at Goodwill headquarters in Fort Worth; or C) the start of my new novel, “Company Ink?”
2. School board member Carla Ranger is peeved that Superintendent Michael Hinojosa didn’t seek board approval before partnering with a company for a government grant. When do you think she’ll get tired of people calling her the Lone Ranger every time she is the solitary dissenter on the board?
3. Speaking of school boards….
4. And another question (seems I’m full of them this morning): Who goes to Bed, Bath & Beyond for their bomb making supplies? This guy.
5. So would you like to help clean up that oil spill out in the Gulf that’s going to apparently start sending globs of groady, decroaded oil to beaches very soon, but you don’t know how? Well, an organization called Matter of Trust wants your hair. They’ve made this nice little video (with music suitable for a Friday Morning Ear Worm) to show how they use hair, fur and old nylons to make oil-absorbing mats and booms, and they are now collecting to help with the Gulf.
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.”
Home |
Masthead |
News from D |
About Us |
Contact Us |
Subscribe |
Advertise |
Privacy Policy |
Customer Service |
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index
Awards | Archives | Reprints | d custom | Jobs | Advertiser's Index