Articles for May, 2011
Dallas Has the Best Public High Schools in U.S.
Again. Good news for Dallas ISD, from the Washington Post. This is the same list that used to run in Newsweek, which is why it may seem familiar to see the DISD Science/Engineering and Talented and Gifted magnet schools at the top of the list.
The formula is perhaps too simple, since it’s all about AP and IB tests. Regardless, North Texas has No. 1, No. 2., No. 10 (North Hills Prep in Irving), and No. 11 (Peak Prep) on the list. And Highland Park is ranked No. 35.
Best of Big D Readers’ Choice: Services Voting Continues Through May 29
Wow. We’ve seen an unprecedented number of votes in this year’s Best of Big D Readers’ Choice: Services Poll. Who knew the good people of Dallas were so passionate about where they get their pet grooming done?
Keep it going through May 29. Even when you’re out and about, you can make your figurative voice heard by visiting our website on your smartphone. Our mobile ballot is easy (and fun) to use.
While accessing a more traditional computer, vote here.
Michael Hinojosa Turns Out To Be a Big Liar, Has Pants on Fire, Ctd.
I’ve had some time to think some more about Hinojosa’s departure. And, of course, now we have two more pieces of information. First, Hinojosa says he really did mean it when he said his name was off the market. He says he turned away other districts that had approached him. Second, Hinojosa says that the birth of his first grandson in Atlanta played a big part in his decision.
Well, okay. He’s not a liar. I take it back. When he said his name wasn’t on the market, he was telling the truth. But then, a couple weeks ago, his name obviously was on the market. Seems like a distinction without a difference.
Now, about this whole grandfather business. We’re supposed to cut the guy some slack because he just wants to do what’s right for his family. For some perspective on that, I’d like to talk to Hinojosa’s son who is headed off to Harvard next year. Presumably the kid has a bunch of friends in Dallas. Have fun coming home to Georgia during the summers, kid!
Listen, if I were in Hinojosa’s shoes, I’d probably do the same thing. Atlanta’s a great town. Babies are great (if you can hand them off when they get cranky). And the money deal is sweet. Who wouldn’t want to get paid twice and make more than $400,000? But I’m not in Hinojosa’s shoes. I’m in mine, in Dallas, where Hinojosa told me his heart was.
Maybe he doesn’t deserve to be ridden out on a rail. But no high-fives either.
Things To Do in Dallas This Weekend: May 20-22
I am so excited. And so torn. Hiding beneath the exterior of someone who loves indie bands with pretentiously obscure names is someone who has never graduated from the eighth grade. Musically, I mean. And okay, maybe I’m still holding a grudge against the guy who put me in one of the the giant recycling bins outside of the band hall and left me there to get turned into post-consumer product. Anyway, I’m excited because this weekend features not one, but two, opportunities to indulge my 13-year-old self, and torn because I don’t know how I’m going to decide which musical memory takes precedence. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s start with today.
Friday
It’s the first evening of the Nasher Sculpture Center’s ‘Til Midnight series, and it is so gross outside right now that it’s hard to tell if it’ll clear up. It probably won’t. But the event is happening rain or shine, and here’s one reason why it’s worth at least stopping by on your way to something indoors: you’ll get a discount on single tickets to see the Dallas Theater Center’s upcoming production of The Wiz. Speaking of the DTC, if you wanted to see Cabaret and haven’t yet, I just heard that they’re releasing a limited number of seats for tonight’s performance, which happens to be a special benefit for the Dallas Holocaust Museum. This is pretty much your last chance since the show is closing, and both tomorrow evening and the final Sunday matinee are sold out.
If you’re looking for something a little different, 500X Gallery in Deep Ellum is hosting an art expo that sounds more like a party. They’re bringing in barbecue from nearby Mama Faye’s and DJ Travis Box. Proceeds benefit the visual arts education website Art This Week— it’s their very first fundraiser.
Dallas Symphony Taps Former Minnesota Orchestra CEO As Interim President
Glenn’s got the story and interview on FrontRow.
Leading Off (5/20/11)
News About the Team That Is Not the Rangers, the Mavs or the Cowboys. Dallas Morning News hockey scribe Mike Heika gives a brief overview of the coaching search for the Stars, and posits that the team has the best open coaching position available currently.
Git Yer Bits o’ Washington Coffin Tomorrow. Or a doohickey he used for surveying. Or a wine glass. Or his recipe for cement. All are up for sale at Dallas’ Heritage Auctions Saturday.
Noodle On, Young Americans. Among the things you are not allowed to do in Texas, catching fish with your bare hands (or noodling) is right up there with some of the most heinous, vicious crimes out there. Until now. Now there is a bill on the table in the state lege that would make noodling legal. Thank you, Bob Deuell.
Local Station May Move from Historic Digs. Per Bud Kennedy, rumor has it NBC 5 may move from its historic headquarters in Fort Worth.
Notable Car Burns On Beltline
It was a Twin-Turbo Ford GT, which I guess is a thing. And now there is only one of them.
Herschel Walker Chats About Fighting
The Dallas Morning News had a chat with Herschel Walker, who is in town for an upcoming Strikeforce event (notice how I made it sound like I know what that is?). He says he’d like to fight Clint Black and Dennis Rodman at the same time.
So, dear FrontBurnervians, who would you like to fight two of at the same time?
Michael Hinojosa Turns Out To Be a Big Liar, Has Pants on Fire
Remember back in September when DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa was up for a gig in Las Vegas? A few people got their feelings hurt when they found out. But then Hinojosa didn’t get the job, and, as the folks over on the News‘ Dallas ISD blog point out, he said his heart was still in Dallas. “Now, I get to focus my energy for the next five years on the Dallas ISD,” Hinojosa said. “Our best days are still ahead. There’s still much work to do.” He also said he wouldn’t be looking for another job. “My name is off the market,” he said. He signed up for another three years.
Guess what? That was all a lie. As you’ll see on the Dallas ISD blog, it appears we will have confirmation this evening that Hinojosa is leaving to take another job. And the real slap in the face? The job is with a smaller district. In Georgia. For $120,000 less than he’s making now.
He should be run out of town on a rail.
Update (3:14) Big Bob has an interesting detail on the salary thing. By quitting DISD, Hinojosa will collect $180,000 per year from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Good grief.
Things To Do in Dallas Tonight: May 19
I’ve been seriously thinking about joining the Dallas chapter of the Alliance Française. Not because my French is actually that great, but because I seem to recall our friend David Brooks — columnist, author, and newly minted Internet meme — saying that joining a club is basically like giving yourself a happiness-shot equivalent to doubling your income. Sign me up.
Alliance de Dallas also happens to be hosting a wine tasting tonight at Calais (I’m not an alcoholic, guys. It just so happens that when the weather gets nice everyone seems to be hitting the bottle). The five different varieties of wine up for sipping include a port, which intrigues me. Very, very briefly, I was a hostess at a fancypants restaurant in Greenwich Village with a bar that stocked an impressive selection of the dessert wine. The servers were quizzed daily about it. I can’t say I’m sophisticated enough to enjoy drinking it too much— too sweet— but it does pack a nice boozey punch. And where would a tasting be without bread and cheese? Nowhere. Yum. I called over, and you can still get tickets via the club’s website. Reasonably priced, too, which is nice since I don’t actually see myself doubling my income anytime soon.
And last Thursday as I was leaving work around six, quite a few people had already staked out prime spots on the lawn for the DMA’s Jazz Under the Stars free concert series. One couple was building a really fancy looking wooden table. It wasn’t just one of those fold-up things, this was a legit effort. I guess the early bird gets the worm, since the music doesn’t actually start until 8 pm. The One O’Clock Lab Band from UNT pretty much guarantees a delightful time. Just watch the weather, because what might have been a romantic picnic could also be a soggy mess. No glass containers allowed, so bring a thermos of whatever you’d like to drink if it doesn’t come in cans. Bonus points if you have one of these extremely realistic cell phone flasks.
Looking for something else to do this evening? It’ll be over here.
Financial Times on Why Dallas is Awesome
Something like that. Yesterday’s Financial Times had a piece about how Dallas might serve as a model for how the American economy can move forward. Our fair city is having a “normal recovery” while the rest of the nation is stuck with a “speed limit” recovery, the paper says. (Check out the oddly simplistic photo illustration they used to sum up this idea.)
The reasons they give you’ve probably heard before: the 1980s banking depression in Texas made our bankers less likely to pursue risky practices, the rise in oil prices is a boost to our energy industry even as it’s a pain for those of us at the pump, and we Texans are just so gosh-darn optimistic.
Within these many words of analysis by a respected financial newspaper, there are some strange (yet standard) tactics for underlining points. For instance, how’s the local housing market doing? Let’s ask a real estate agent — after all, they’re never prone to exaggeration. (It’s going “gangbusters,” by the way.) And how’s the Dallas economy as a whole? Let’s count cranes downtown:
Crane counting is an economic indicator that works anywhere. At the height of the 2005-06 boom you could see 11 of them from the windows of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. In the recession that followed, they all vanished.
Look out at downtown Dallas today and you will count six cranes. There is a recovery under way in this city at the heart of Texas, at the heart of America.
So what does it say about us that three of those cranes, as of yesterday, were working on First Baptist Church?
Anderson Cooper Mocks Dallas County Republicans
Anderson Cooper has added the Dallas County Republican Party to “The Ridiculist.” Why? Because at last night’s special election to replace chairman Jonathan Neerman, they chose Wade Emmert over Debbie Georgatos. And why was that such a bad move? Well, because judging from her campaign video, Debbie Georgatos is outer-limits nutbar. You have to watch this yourself. My favorite part is the “super-massive blue hole” and the knock on Detroit. Amazing.
Leading Off (5/19/11)
Family Spotlighted on Oprah Today. Be careful while watching this story. You’re going to need a Kleenex. Thirteen years ago, Erin Kramp started chronicling her fight with cancer. She made hours of tapes that contained messages for her then 6-year-old daughter. Her daughter is now a freshman at Duke, her husband has remarried and has two more kids, and now her tapes are going to appear on Oprah today. The message she hoped would be spread is that she just wanted to say thank you to God for her journey. I doubt she ever imagined her words would be broadcast on Oprah.
Smoke in Grocery Store Possibly Harms Food While Workers Outside Store Possibly Harm Journalist. What gets this post the number 2 spot this morning in Leading Off is not the news story, but more so what happened while gathering the story. Just watch the video. The guys tried to claim that the photographer attacked them. But. Well. The cops didn’t believe it.
Video Games Lower Crime. Possibly. Or at least that’s what a UT Arlington economist is saying. I was just telling friends how hours of playing Halo caused me to get my first B. I didn’t even think about how it was keeping me off the streets and from attacking people. So, I say we all go play video games! I’ve got an N64 with GoldenEye for those who are interested. I’ll take on anyone in the lavatory with proximity mines. (Really, I just wanted a reason to link to this.)
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