Welcome to Local Music ‘Mericans , where we meet some of the people behind the local music scene — those who aren’t necessarily members of local bands, but more the people who make the scene move. As a high school student, Tami Thomsen, the main cog in the wheel that…
Michael Lindenberger had a great piece in The Dallas Morning News yesterday about public distortions of fact by former mayor Tom Leppert and backers of the Trinity Toll Road like the Trinity Commons Foundation before the 2007 toll road alignment referendum. The main thing the story got across was that…
Not sure what’s going on in the trial of Charles Payne, 29, accused of murdering of Dallas Police Senior Corporal Norm Smith during a botched attempt to serve a warrant at Payne’s east Oak Cliff in January 2009, but it looks like somebody on the prosecution side is worried. Alex…
[jump] *Last night has to be psychologically devastating to Miami. Remember after the Mavs lost Game 3 in ’06 very similarly — they were up 13 with six minutes left — they never showed up in Game 4, eventually losing by 24 in a no-contest blowout. *Poor Dallas Stars. No…
My poor son is the child of two writers. When he was still preadolescent, his mother wrote something about him for a newspaper or magazine article, I forget which. His teacher saw it and showed it to the class. He came home and said to us in a very grave…
Dear Mexican: I’m new to the San Antonio area and am enjoying exploring the many wonderful aspects of its history and culture. One thing has become incredibly bothersome to me, though: the plight of pet overpopulation. With so many resources that are available for spay/neuter assistance, I’m not certain as…
People all over America should watch the special session of the Texas Legislature, just now beginning, if they want to see what Republicans are really up to. Among other things, they’re out to kill Medicare and Medicaid. The regular session was stymied at the last minute when Democratic state Senator…
Welcome to Local Music ‘Mericans , where we meet some of the people behind the local music scene — those who aren’t necessarily members of local bands, but more the people who make the scene move. Gini Mascorro’s humble musical beginnings came as a shy East Fort Worth junior high…
Thank the Lord every once in a while the American political system churns out a Wendy Davis, the 48-year-old Senate freshman from Fort Worth who filibustered Rick Perry’s legislative session to a soggy grave in the wee small hours of Monday night. The Perrypublican fury over Davis’ act isn’t merely…
Osama Bin Laden is dead. But the fight — and the hefty price — to fend off terrorists around the globe lives on. Just yesterday, for example, eight more American soldiers were confirmed dead in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Sad, but let’s face it, we’ve become numb to the numbers…
On May 12 I wrote a column quoting Dallas City Attorney Tom Perkins on why he had decided to write a proposed new ethics law for the city council. The new law he wrote was adopted unanimously by the council. It greatly relaxed restrictions on how soon after a city…
Whether you’ve reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Hey, remember the shooting incident involving former Richardson Berkner High School football star Aqib Talib that I told you about in March? So does a Dallas County grand jury, which…
For the elite few among you allowed entrance to The Dallas Morning News behind-the-pay-wall pages, I recommend a piece in today’s paper by Roy Appleton about Oak Cliff. He quotes neighborhood activist Jason Roberts, pushing for bike lanes and stuff, as saying North Oak Cliff really isn’t asking for big…
Dear Mexican: I’m a Spanish court interpreter in Santa Barbara, California; I’ve also worked in Los Angeles courts. I just read your most recent column regarding the promotion of the learning and practicing of English by Latinos in the United States. Generally, I agree with your view. But my question…
On May 5 I wrote a column about the city’s bungled “whitewater feature” in the Trinity River — a fake rapids for kayaks that cost $4 million to build — and I included the following observation about a so-called safe bypass around the fake rapids for canoers: “One powerful current…
Yesterday’s city council committee briefing on restoring Dealey Plaza was all very well. The well-intended and the well-heeled have joined together to raise money for a well-designed refurbishing of the place where President John F. Kennedy was … well, you know … shot. I’m sure it will be well done…
Welcome to Local Music ‘Mericans , where we meet some of the people behind the local music scene — those who aren’t necessarily members of local bands, but more the people who make the scene move. Mike Ziemer is a lot of things — a promoter, a manager, a marketing…
We all need to splash our faces with cold water in this matter of the superintendent of the Dallas school system leaving town for a job as superintendent of schools in Cobb County, Georgia. What the hell do we expect? Governor Rick Perry and the Tea Party are charging ahead…
As you saw here yesterday, Dallas mayoral candidate David Kunkle has made releasing financial data on the Trinity River Project a plank in his platform — well, a stick, anyway — in part in response to stories he has seen here about it. Kunkle is making ethics a theme in…
*Darren Oliver (1-5) gets yet another loss. And that’s two blown saves for Feliz on consecutive nights after 19 straight closes. *Durant’s dunk: Awesometown. Peja’s expression: Priceless. *Watched cyclist Tyler Hamilton snitching on Lance Armstrong in the 60 Minutes clip. Not buying it. He’s a two-time drug loser with darting eyes, wordy…
Apparently a whole lot of people around the country took a look at the very strange campaign advertisement for Debbie Georgatos that Wilonsky posted here Sunday morning — a video to promote her unsuccessful campaign for chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party. Judging by the comments, most people focused…
Soon the Reign of Dwaine will end. My life will change. But the city will not. Next month, by law, a new mayor of Dallas must be sworn in, and the curtain must fall on this brief, unlikely and delightful chapter in the history of City Hall. Acting Mayor Dwaine…
