Articles for February, 2011
Stanley Korshak Shopgirls Don’t Wear Shopworn Coats
Theresa Meis
Spotted Stanley Korshak sales associate Theresa Meis trying to close out her register at the Dallas International Film Festival announcement party Thursday night. Thought there was something a little unusual about her attire.
Perhaps I’ve been hanging out at Target too long.
A Response to Channel 8 Story is Forthcoming
By this time, I’m probably not breaking any news to anybody, but I want to acknowledge that, yes, Park Cities People columnist Merritt Patterson was featured on Channel 8 on Monday night.
Investigative reporter Brett Shipp — a Highland Park High School graduate, by the way — looked into the finances of Surrogate Parenting Center of Texas, a business that Merritt closed last fall. He interviewed at least two infertile couples and at least two egg donors, all of whom had a beef with Merritt over money they say she owed them — and none of whom were named.
Since the piece aired, I’ve been inundated with demands for a response. And that’s understandable. Because if you know Merritt, then you know that if Shipp had focused his attention on any other Park Cities resident, she would have linked to his report from our blog. Remaining silent on the issue would make us look hypocritical.
But it’s not so easy to respond to something like that quickly. I wasn’t nearly as blind-sided as Merritt was, but I was taken aback just the same.
We plan to publish our own report on Surrogate Parenting Center of Texas in our Feb. 25 edition. Because he’s new here and barely knows Merritt, the story will be written by Bradford Pearson. And unlike Shipp, we will name our sources, we will give everyone involved ample time to respond, and we won’t ambush anyone with a camera as they leave home to pick up their kids.
A Child’s Life Will Be Ruined if the Rangers Trade Michael Young
This video was shot last Wednesday night when it seemed more than apparent that Michael Young would not be playing for the Rangers again. I admit I felt just like this kid last Wednesday. I’m just glad someone didn’t have a video camera.
Mayor Caraway? Up to Council, Leppert Says, Not Me
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert isn’t saying whether he’ll run for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s U.S. Senate seat, or whether he’s OK with the prospect of Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway as the city’s mayor.
Buttonholed at today’s annual meeting and luncheon of DowntownDallas Inc., Leppert questioned a press report saying he’d already made up his mind to run for Hutchison’s seat. The report was based on information from U.S. Rep. David Dreier, who went to the same college in California as Leppert. But the mayor said today that he’d “never had a conversation” with Dreier about a possible Senate race.
Asked then whether he had any doubt that Caraway could serve effectively as Dallas mayor, if and when he decided to step down, Leppert replied, “That’s not my call. That’s a decision for the [city] council to make. That’s their call.”
DowntownDallas Inc. Just Wasted 1,500 Manhours
Update (2/18/11): There were only 1,100 people at the luncheon.
I just returned from the annual meeting of DowntownDallas Inc. at the Fairmont and I’m pissed. What an utter waste of time for the 1,500 or so people who attended. They spent 43 minutes publicly patting each other on the back for their hard work and good deeds. That’s not an estimate. That’s a fact. Forty-three minutes. “So-and-so has such passion and dedication to downtown. Join me in thanking her.” [applause] “So-and-so is amazing. Without his passion and dedication to downtown, we never could have done this.” [applause]
Hey, listen, I’m sure all these people are amazing. And they’ve been working hard. DowntownDallas Inc. does good work, and if you’ve spent any time at all in the Central Business District, you know far we’ve come, thanks in large part to DDI’s efforts. But you don’t need to make 1,500 citizens eat rubber chicken so you can slap each other on the back and bask in applause. These amazing people have been working hard because, I’m told, they have passion for downtown. And they’re dedicated to it. They don’t work hard because they want rubber chicken and applause
Here’s what I wrote after last year’s annual DDI meeting:
Peek Inside the Closets of Ana Pettus and Cindy Rachofsky
Tim reminded you of Neiman’s shift to focus on customers who are younger and cheaper. But now comes a story from the Wall Street Journal about women who are not afraid to pay full price for runway clothes. Among those quoted are Ana Pettus and Cindy Rachofsky. Pettus bought $74,000 worth of clothing from the fall 2010 Balmain collection. For her, the price was worth it because the clothes weren’t mass-produced.
Rachofsky talks of her love of the late Alexander McQueen’s last collection. She also gives a tip in building a wardrobe: shop at home because “when you’re in a store and you’ve got someone staring at you in your underwear in a fitting room, it’s hard to imagine what you have at home that’s going to go with this $3,500 jacket.” She has Forty Five Ten deliver clothes for her to sample overnight. She’ll try them on and discuss them with her husband over a glass of wine.
Part of me wants to say something about how the grand total of the merchandise in those closets could probably pull Borders out of its bankruptcy, but the other part of me understands that clothing is like art. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to visit Clotheshorse Anonymous after Rachofsky does her yearly purge of unwanted garments.
The Zombie Bird Apocalypse is Now in Dallas
Or close. A plumbing-fixture-named FrontBurnervian sends us this shot of dead blackbirds, from Frankford and the Tollway.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Feb. 16
Weird but true: I’ve been telling people for years that a portable, human-sized hamster ball is the ideal solution to all my perambulatory problems (examples include rain, ice, humidity that makes my hair frizz, uncomfortable-but-cute footwear, and unfortunate encounters with Brooklyn’s criminal element). Well, this morning, I received a press release about an event on Sunday that will actually allow me to roll around in one for awhile. I’m pretty excited about it, but I’ve concluded that the nice guy who sent me the release must also be a brain invader.
In other news, the Nasher Sculpture Center’s one millionth visitor arrived this morning. That person is probably enjoying his or her 15 minutes of fame right this very second, but you benefit, too. Admission is free until 1 pm, so drop by the exhibit Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy on your lunch break. Happy colors will make the prospect of a sluggish Wednesday afternoon so much better.
The Black Architecture Project is having its opening reception tonight at Cunningham Architects. Curator and architectural theorist Darell W. Fields (the son of one of Dallas’ first black police officers) will give a lecture in conjunction with the exhibit, which confronts issues of race, creativity, and crime.
Valentine’s Day fever still rages at the Angelika Plano. I’m okay with that, because everyone should see The Princess Bride at least one more time, anyway. Fall in love all over again as farm boy/pirate Westley attempts to rescue his beautiful Princess Buttercup from the clutches of an evil prince.
Not doing it for you? Find many more options here.
Closing the Book on Borders at Preston Royal
The Morning News is reporting that three area Borders will close due to the company’s bankruptcy. In addition to stores in Lewisville and Plano, the Preston Royal location will be shuttered.
Dang, it feels like losing a member of the family.
UPDATE: It appears that the Morning News must have been checking with David’s comment. They’ve updated their list and so shall we. Regretfully, the West Village location is biting the dust jacket (sorry, couldn’t resist), as well as stores in Burleson, Colleyville and Mesquite.
Leading Off (2/16/11)
Ron Natinsky gets Dallas Police Association endorsement. Although, honestly, this probably has more to do with DPA head Glenn White’s distaste for David Kunkle than any real affection for Natinsky. Maybe it’s weird that Mike Rawlings wasn’t even interviewed, but an actual criminal would have a decent shot at scoring the DPA nod if Kunkle was one of the choices. White hates Kunkle, if you missed that.
Rodrigue Beaubois to finally make debut. “I would just caution everybody to just temper this with some realistic expectations,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s going to be hard coming off six months without playing. We’ll see.” Fine, I’ll temper my expec — RODDY’S BACK! RODDY’S BACK! RODDY’S BACK!
Chief David Brown to reward officers on Super Bowl detail, anger all others. It really is a fine line between those who were actually assigned Super Bowl duties and those who helped out simply by doing their jobs. So maybe Chief Brown should have held off, especially during sweeps. Also, Glenn White just announced that he is endorsing whomever Brown’s opponent is in the 2018 mayoral race.
I went ahead and searched “John Wiley Price” on YouTube for you. You’re welcome. Just to make it a little easi — RODDY’S BACK! FRENCH CUFFS! RODDY BUCKETS! Sorry.
Someone likes what Jim Moroney is up to at the Dallas Morning News. Peter Osnos called Moroney a “daredevil” on The Atlantic’s site. “Watch the Dallas Morning News, whose publisher, James M. Moroney, is determined to reinvent the model with a higher subscription price, pay walls, and a smaller circulation, or go down fighting.” Any praise Osnos directed toward the DMN’s iPad/iPhone apps or their new website did not make it past fact check.
John Wiley Price: ‘All of You Are White. Go to Hell.’
At today’s Dallas County Commissioners Court meeting. From CBS 11:
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Feb. 15
So bummed that Spike Lee’s talk tonight at the Nasher is sold out. There are 71 people on the waiting list and no cancellations — which means no hope. I once rode in an elevator with the man, and held my breath the whole way up to keep from accosting him. I may or may not have turned purple. But can I just say, kudos to Dallas for scoring some really cool people lately? Certain Jersey Shore cast members excluded, of course.
The British-born and Brooklyn-by-choice artist John Beech is the guest of honor at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s Tuesday evening speaker series. Beech produces minimalist sculptures and paintings, often with an amusing Duchampian twist (drawings of dumpsters, for example).
I always feel remiss if I don’t at least mention opportunities for free booze. Really, I’m doing you all a public service. There’s a pretty good-sized wine tasting at Sigel’s in Addison — three reds from Cafaro Cellars, and five chardonnays from various labels. What amuses me most about this one is that if you’re really gung-ho about the merlot (sorry, couldn’t resist), Joe Cafaro will happily put his John Hancock on your bottle.
Jeez, it’s so nice out. Still debating what to do with this spring-like weather? Frolick over here for more ideas.
Neiman Marcus Goes Younger, Cheaper
Today’s Wall Street Journal brings us a story about the efforts of Neiman’s CEO Karen Katz “to tone down the ultra-rich image to capture younger and less affluent luxury customers.” Sacré bleu! Katz confessed to this journalist last year that she digs Target. You can see where I’m headed with this.
Leading Off (2/15/11)
E-Mails Make Cowboys Stadium Operation Look Like Circus. Arlington released more e-mails sent by city staff in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. We learn that attempts at de-icing were made with a garden-variety garden hose. And this, from Battalion Chief David Stapp, about one of the victims of the falling ice: “The pt with the head injury from falling ice was stopped inside and advised by Safe Management not to exit due to falling ice … he forced his way through and was promptly hit by the ice.”
School Districts Might Be Forced To Ditch Pre-K Classes. All-day pre-K is a good thing. Trust me on this. Why? I just know. But it looks like the state will cut funding to the program. DISD, to cite one district, had plans to make its half-day classes longer and offer pre-K at more schools. Not anymore. It appears the district will now have to eliminate the all-day program entirely.
Forest Hill Might Establish Adult Entertainment District. The city of Forest Hill, strapped for tax revenue, might set up a safe haven for smut shops and topless bars. Now all I gotta do is figure out where Forest Hill is.
Shawn Marion Is a Kegler. In sports news, last night the Matrix bowled a 173.
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Steve Blow Goes In On John Wiley Price
Well kind of. I’m not going to link to the story because it’s pretty much what you’d expect. I will, however, share with you the headline, if you haven’t seen it.
Oh REALLLLY????
Other headlines from today’s DMN: