Long story short: Since March 2008, the Texas Attorney General’s Office has been investigating precisely how well the city of Dallas is taking care of the park properties and money left to the city by physician and philanthropist W.W. Samuell. In March of ’09, we first caught wind of the…
Another day, another Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission news release — this one, concerning the firing of the three agents involved in the Rainbow Lounge raid in Fort Worth and named in the TABC’s 32-page report released earlier this month. One other lieutenant is receiving a three-day suspension without pay and…
With the role of consultants in the city under the microscope because of what we’ve learned in the Dallas City Hall federal corruption trial, it seemed like a good time to check in on newbie Tanya Watkins, who started Grassroots Strategies in March, seeing how she’s the wife of the…
Three months ago we were introduced to Brad Oldham and Brandon Oldenburg’s Traveling Man sculptures, which will greet Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail riders as they enter Deep Ellum in coming days — Green Line media ridealong is Tuesday, as a matter of fact, in advance of the “Super Saturday”…
Just a quick reminder for those in need of Saturday-morning plans: Tomorrow at 9:30 is the West Dallas “dreaming session” at the St. Mary of Carmel Community Center on Vilbig Road. Actually, since last we discussed this date, the event — featuring “the man who built Vancouver” and currently serves…
Much thanks to the Friend of Unfair Park who sent word — or is that The Word? — of a confab being thrown by the Institute for Creation Research over on Royal Lane. Sounds like quite the shindiggity planned for mid-November at First Baptist: the “Demand the Evidence” conference, during…
At last, another council member with a blog: Ann Margolin, who’s penned a little sumpin-sumpin about the budget by way of an invite to one her town hall meetings. Specifically, Margolin writes, she’s opposed to the increase in water and stormwater fees as proposed by City Manager Mary Suhm. The…
At an afternoon press conference at the Cotton Bowl, where city officials gathered to officially announce next month’s double-header soccer game at the 77-year-old stadium, Mayor Tom Leppert emphatically dismissed a reporter’s suggestion that it may be tough for the recently rehabbed Fair Park relic to compete with Jerry Jones’…
Talked with legendary Dallas Cowboys’ coach Jimmy Johnson this morning on 105.3 The Fan. The highlights: *First off, during the interview I admit to having an extreme case of good-ol’-days’ goose bumps. *Secondly, Jimmy – a noted Heineken guzzler – is out at Cowboys Stadium today filming a public service announcement…
Jerry Killingsworth had lots to say while on the stand as a witness in the City Hall corruption trial — including how distrustful he was of FBI informant Bill Fisher — but his uneasy demeanor made us wonder what the city’s housing department director was trying to keep secret. Turns…
As I was leaving the house this morning, I was greeted by Senior Corporal Kimberly Crawford, a detective in the Northwest Operations Division and the lead investigator in the neighborhood cat killings. Crawford’s out canvassing the area and questioning antsy neighbors, who’ve taken to patrolling the alleys late at night…
So agreed the respective parties and ordered the federal judge in Georgia who’s handling the college’s lawsuit against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which stripped the 137-year-old Paul Quinn College of its membership back in June. However, the school remains on double-secret probation pending the outcome of case…
Permit me to make this one fall-TV recommendation after watching the first three episodes: Glee, which begins airing on FOX September 9 after a summer sneak peek welcomed with well-deserved raves. In short: It’s Freaks and Geeks dolled up as a High School Musical co-starring Jane Lynch, who makes everything…
Spent most of yesterday out at Jonestown Coliseum, better known as Cowboys Stadium. Second time I’ve been there since the doors have opened for business, and I realize it’ll probably take a year of visits to discover/enjoy every nook and cranny. Couple observations: *As for the not-so-well-hung Jumbo Jerry, the giant…
Heritage Auction Gallery had hoped to keep The Hat under its hat a little while longer — the press release was going out tomorrow, matter of fact. But word got out (someone espied the item already posted on the auction house’s Web site), which is why Heritage’s Noah Fleisher is…
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission just sent along a press release in which it acknowledges that the agency’s general counsel and Office of Professional Responsibility (otherwise known as Internal Affairs) are investigating Administrator Alan Steen. For what? For comments he made to the media during the days and weeks after…
When last we visited the Mercantile Continental Building, the Landmark Commission was on its way to designating it a historic landmark against the wishes of its owners, Forest City, the company responsible for the Merc redo and the next-door Element. Forest City had hoped to give the Continental an extreme…
In this week’s Dallas Observer column in which I surmise that Wade Phillips is entering his last season – win, lose or drawl – I tell the story of riding up a training camp elevator with the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach. Sounds riveting, I know. But wait, there’s more! Watching Wade interact…
It’s the eve of training camp at the Grand Hyatt hotel on the San Antonio Riverwalk and—despite a coaching career on the verge of a nosedive—Wade Phillips is headed up. In less than 24 hours he’ll begin trying to deliver on his promise of tougher accountability. But as he steps…
Leaking dollars: Buzz is not what you’d call a materialistic person. A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou is paradise enow for us. Still, there come moments when we’re gob-smacked by how much money other people make and become a little bit envious. OK, a large bit…
A silver bracelet dangles from her wrist as she clasps her cell phone in her left hand. She wears sparkling gold sandals, which reveal freshly painted maroon toenails. Her black sleeveless blouse and pressed blue jeans look recently laundered. Denise Way looks nothing like the stereotypical homeless person—soiled, weathered, beaten…
Just got back to my desk to find a copy of the highly critical Adult Basic Education Department Audit about which we wrote yesterday. So, as always, the full document follows after the jump. And while there are a whole mess of figures to sort through, per the auditor’s concerns…
