Articles for April, 2011
Leading Off (4/21/11)
Number of City Officials Needed to Paint a Fire Hydrant Questioned. I know. Sometimes you just want to hang out and talk to your co-workers. It doesn’t mean you’re not working hard. You’re just taking a break. Maybe you’re throwing around some hypotheticals. Unfortunately, when you’re a city worker, you tend to have a bull’s eye on your back. And if there are four of you sitting around painting a fire hydrant, someone’s probably going to take a photo. So even though I get it, I still think this photo’s pretty funny.
Chefs Being Interviewed for The Park. Remember when we asked you to voice your opinion about which local restaurateur should be the focal point at The Park? Well, let’s hope they took your advice as they’re interviewing local chefs right now. I’m hoping for some magical restaurant where all the food is incredibly filling, yet under 200 calories per dish, and will cost only $2. Perhaps it’ll be a combination of Ziziki’s, Cane Rosso, Bolsa, Smoke, Fearing’s, Pyles, and a dash of Lucky’s, just for good measure.
Body Identified as Trainer’s. This story is just awful. Friends became concerned after Susan Loper missed several meetings Tuesday morning. The police have been looking for her ever since. Early Wednesday, a body was found. But due to the condition of the body, it took some time before she could be identified. Hopefully, security cameras at the Gleaneagles Country Club, where she was abducted, captured what happened. Loper was going to open a Pilates studio next week. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family.
You Can Start Avoiding 635 Right About Now
… unless, of course, you’re like me and you already avoid it because it’s one of Dante’s forgotten circles of hell. In fact, there is a Foursquare check-in around 635 and Midway called Hell. But now you’ll really want to avoid it because they’re going to start that fancy-schmancy new construction project that will take 5 years (read: 10, because this is construction and Texas and well, you know), and it’s going to involve lane closures and stuff.
But listen, it’s supposed to make our lives better. In five years. So there’s that.
Conspiracy to Commit Legal Acts in Collin County
Former Collin County DA John Roach and prez of his posse, former Judge Charles Sandoval, have stirred up so much drama that I’m pretty sure they’re responsible for the cancellation of All My Children.
Dedicated to scoop in the Park Cities, I’ve had my eye on the chapter involving University Park resident David Cary and his wife, Stacy Stine Cary. David’s child custody case was in Sandoval’s court, and when Sandoval lost the seat to Suzanne Wooten in 2008, the Carys found themselves in the crossfire of McKinney’s version of The Sopranos.
Along with Wooten and her campaign manager, the Carys were indicted last year (after the case was presented to at least 3 and possibly 6 grand juries) for, according to Brian Chandler, an assistant state attorney general, bribery by donating funds, “to have Suzanne Wooten run for the position, to be elected, and when she was elected, rule in favor of the Carys.” Quite an elaborate plot. Especially confusing since, after winning the seat, Suzanne Wooten recused herself from the case.
So what’s the crime if it’s perfectly legal to donate money to a campaign? That’s what the defendant’s attorney, Keith Gore, is trying to figure out as the saga continues. According to the Motion to Quash Indictment filed on April 14, Gore says, “…the State has presented an indictment that alleges a conspiracy to commit legal acts and, therefore, has not alleged a violation of the law.” That just sounds so totally cool. I bet Gore doesn’t look at explosions.
Things To Do in Dallas Tonight: April 20
With everyone basically fleeing for their lives yesterday, I made the damp, dark trek from the office to my parking garage only to discover the world’s most adorable protest going on outside the Cathedral Guadalupe. A group of about five men and women, mostly older, were milling around in ponchos waving soggy signs that read “Sexism is a sin: ordain women now!” I approved, and so did the shirtless dude driving past in a tan sedan. He honked mightily. Unfortunately, the Dallas PD did not — a lady officer hastened them along.
So far, I’m unaware of any peaceful protests happening this evening that I might feel moved to join. That’s lucky, because I have a ticket to the Undermain Theatre’s production of Easter, a rarely performed August Strindberg play about you-know-what. As far as dramatizations of forced family togetherness go, Easter is regularly shafted in favor of all the glitter and glitz of Christmastime. But there’s real trauma to be explored here, and Strindberg, writing during his later, more symbolic period of religious fervor, is the perfect guy to do it.
It’s also worth stressing that the opportunity to see a Strindberg play (especially one done well) is a bit of rare thing, though the Broken Gears Project took on The Creditors in February with great success. Still, it’s all down to the performances, and the Undermain has the goods in an ensemble led by Bruce DuBose, who we dubbed Dallas’ best actor last year. Read M. Lance Lusk’s review before you go, and for those feeling stalkerish (or also just hungry), I’ll be at Murray Street Coffee across the street tanking up on caffeine beforehand. The shop closes at 7 pm, so if you’re cutting it close to showtime or eating after, Cafe Brazil has you covered.
For more things to do tonight, bunny hop over here.
There’s Not Enough Fracking Sand in West Texas
That’s what Ross Craft of Fort Worth’s Approach Resources said at a natural gas conference yesterday, according to the Star-T.
He’s talking about the sand that’s necessary for the ‘fracking’ process, by which sand and chemicals and water and (presumably) 11 secret herbs and spices are pumped into the ground to help get the natural gas out. His comments underline just how much is necessary for the process:
A single well might require a few million pounds of sand for “fracking.”
So sand has to be transported in from elsewhere? Yes.
Save Money While You Save the Planet
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Now that you know how smart it is to go green with Ambit Energy, check out these suggested events at Earth Day Dallas where you can learn more ways to connect to your earthy side.
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Looking at Tom Leppert’s Latest Campaign Video, “Serious Leadership”
Don't worry. It's after the jump. I'll tell you when you can open your eyes.
Is More Development Coming Soon to Downtown Dallas’ Victory Park or Not?
So Ross Perot Jr. invited some reporters over yesterday to talk about land he’s purchased in Far North Fort Worth with an eye to building upon his little AllianceTexas development-empire in the area (read more about Alliance’s future on RealPoints).
The Wall Street Journal and The Dallas Morning News were represented at the confab. Each publication filed a story. Aside from the notable contrast in average paragraph length exhibited by the two pieces, I was struck by the different accounts given of what’s next for Victory Park in downtown Dallas, which many consider to be a failure.
Here’s what the WSJ wrote:
For all of Mr. Perot’s Texas-sized ambition, he doesn’t always succeed. Hillwood’s Victory Park mixed-use development surrounding the American Airlines Center sports arena in downtown Dallas is a flop by many accounts. Hillwood forfeited its equity stake in Victory Park to its German partners in 2009, followed last December by its relinquishment of its management of the project to Cousins Properties. Hillwood and partners still own 27 acres of land at Victory Park, but Mr. Perot doesn’t foresee developing it soon.
But here’s what Steve Brown has to say about the same land:
Hillwood also continues to be an owner of about 27 acres of land in the Victory Park project in Dallas’ Uptown district.
Perot said Hillwood is focusing on developing a vacant tract fronting Woodall Rodgers that’s next to the Perot Museum of Nature & Science, which is under construction.
“That’s the next development play,” he said. “We have zoning for more than 1 million square feet on that site.”
Richie Whitt on Parenting, Ctd.
So this morning a baseball writer whom I respect, Rob Neyer of SB Nation, comes to the defense of the Dallas Observer’s Richie Whitt’s hating on Colby Lewis for taking paternity leave.
Rob makes a similar analogy to football as Whitt did: would you want your quarterback skipping a game? Now, I don’t give a damn about football, but it seems to me that it’s a false analogy. There are 162 games in a baseball season, compared to merely 16 in the NFL. That fact alone makes each single baseball game less important than each football game — in other words, baseball managers can afford to be human when it comes to granting this sort of leave. (We’ll leave aside the speculation about whether Lewis could have been expected to pitch effectively if he was preoccupied by what his wife was going through many miles away.)
And if Lewis misses a start now, who’s to say that extra rest won’t allow the team to use him on short rest in September, and thus he might still end up making the 30 or so starts he might otherwise have been expected to make?
Regardless. None of that is the reason I felt compelled to respond to Neyer’s post. Oh no. I had to address this point: He tried to use Mr. Spock’s logic in his argument, and that’s just not playing fair.
Tom Leppert Continues To Light Up Twitter With Funny, Insightful Tweets
Seventeen minutes ago via TweetDeck, Tom Leppert tweeted the following:
Mavs had a great game last night. Now leading 2-0 as they head to Portland.
Retweet!
Leading Off (4/20/11)
Mavericks Beat Trail Blazers, 101-89. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 33, Peja Stojakovic hit five three-pointers, and the Mavs didn’t turn the ball over once in the last 28 minutes. They’re up 2-0. Scouting report as the series heads to Portland? Shell art is OVER.
Mark Cuban May Sell Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures. The former star of The Benefactor says he’s “just testing the waters” and won’t sell unless the offer is “very, very compelling.” Compelling. Got it. Mark, I will give you: my three-DVD set of Breakin‘, Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, and Beat Street; 30 solid minutes of pretending to care about Ice Rocket; unlimited high fives (or handshakes, if you are feeling less active); my in-depth interpretation of the television series Lost; 20 minutes to flip through my GOOD IDEAS notebook; five solid to extremely solid alibis; and the smiting of one enemy. You can drop off the keys at the front desk.
Dallas Cowboys Get Schedule For Imaginary Games. Since no one is playing football for the foreseeable future, the NFL schedule makers had some fun. The schedule the Cowboys got, for instance, has them playing home games against the prisoners team from The Longest Yard (the remake, not the original) and an MTV Rock N Jock all-star squad being put together by Dan Cortese and Bill Bellamy.
DUCK!
It’s looking bad out there. Denton friends are already talking hail. We’re all under a tornado watch. So find a hidey-hole, y’all, like your bathtub. Unless the bathtub is dirty. Then you might wanna clean that sumbitch before you climb in it. Unless you see a big tornado coming, then just get in it and wear a helmet or something, because a whole lot of nature is about to happen to you.
Or not. This is Texas. Flat nothing might happen, too. So you know, just sit in your living room and eat ice cream*. That’s what I’m doing. **
*Unless you live near Oklahoma. Because it looks like they’re getting the bejeezus smacked out of ‘em along the Red River.
** I am doing this because I am not a weather person. Although, clearly you can see from this post I should be.
Jonathan Neerman Steps Down as Dallas County Republican Chairman
BREAKING! Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman is stepping down in the midst of a sex scandal involving Tony Romo’s fiancée, Candice Crawford.
Okay, kidding. Neerman is stepping down in an attempt to regain some sense of normalcy in his personal life and to give local Republicans plenty of time to elect his replacement. He’ll officially resign May 2. Debbie Georgatos will serve as the interim chairman and call the election, which will take place in the spring. That’s a really boring reason to step down, though, so I told Neerman I would come up with something more interesting. I asked him what he planned to do with all his new free time, besides, you know, actually spending time with his family. Neerman said, “I’m looking forward to practicing law and actually billing some hours.”
Those of us in the media who had occasion to bug Neerman in a professional capacity will miss the guy. He’s funny, he’s forthcoming, and he’s ex-CIA, so I have to say that nice stuff. I wish him and Candice many years of happiness together.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: April 19
I filled up my car last night. It was actually physically painful to fork over that much cash, so I apologize in advance for sending you way the heck out to Fort Worth (and if you live in Fort Worth, well, all the better).
Tonight marks the conclusion of the Modern’s Tuesday evening lecture series, and the museum has chosen to wrap things up with Brooklyn-based artist Alex Hubbard. His work (a mix of painting, found object sculpture, and video) is complicated and often a bit funny, and he’s been exhibiting steadily after completing the Whitney Independent Study program in 2003 (his pieces were included in the 2010 Whitney Biennial). And since the education department at the Modern does an excellent job of introducing us to important national and international artists while they’re on the rise, it’s definitely worth your time and gas money.
However, if you don’t feel like driving, you can still get your visual arts fix with the Jim Lambie exhibit that opened up at the Goss-Michael Foundation over the weekend. I’m in love with his signature installation, Zobop — the way he uses colorful vinyl tape to transform the floor of the gallery. It’s always different, but here’s a cool time-lapse video from a 2007 Washington DC exhibit (the one at Goss-Michael is full on neon). After that, you’re close enough to West Village to try out Malai Kitchen for dinner and drinks, then add your two cents to Sarah Reiss’ first take SideDish review.
Not feeling artsy this evening? For more things to do tonight, go here.
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