"Deep Ellum Lives," by Robert Wilonsky, September 11
Fresh Start
Well, it's easy to say that Deep Ellum could "disappear" or lose its flavor. Frankly, however, it has lost most of this due to the aging of its landowners already. It was time for someone with at least a germ of the previous owners' vision, and a little more energy and money, to start fresh with the city as a partner. If you work in older or historic properties in Dallas, never mind business real estate, you are not presented with the markets to exercise earnings to fund such high-flown ideas as Scott Beck's. He has a long-term investment, which his funding reflects, and yet he has the intention of hanging on to many of us who have been Deep Ellum's clientele for decades. Some of us have invested alongside him, convinced now that we don't have to wait for the patchwork to be repaired anymore. This will take a while, and many complaints will swell the Observer about what's "not right," but it will be happening, finally.
Lee Chevalier, Dallas, via dallasobserver.com
"Cheap Bastard," by Alice Laussade
Who You Callin' Concise?
What the fuck happened to Dallas Observer? What used to be a concise, leftist reporting of DFW events has become a 20-something-female-skewered dumbass viewpoint of everything this area has to offer. For example, the Cheap Bastard food review section describes the feelings, mentality and observances of a 12-year-old girl of our local dives, but only leaves three lines within a four-paragraph space to actually describe the food of any given place. Or your local calendar, which provides an under-30 viewpoint of every event and concert to hit the area. Certainly, we have lots of lusty, young dumbasses to comment on our surroundings, but JESUS, give some of us credit who have surpassed college dorm viewpoints in everything around them.
Come on, Observer, much of DFW [has] acquired tastes which surpass those of 20-something female (lesbian) types. What happened to our paper? Our city does not consist entirely of mall-brats and journalism dropouts who feel anything before rap is old-school. Get with the program and cater to the masses, not the few who long to return to dorm antics and frat rushes. This publication grows more juvenile with each edition.
Mark Robbins, Flower Mound
"Buzz," by Patrick Williams, September 11
Please Say "I Don't"
Buzz, thank you for writing about the Twogether in Texas program. People need to know about this ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars. As a bride-to-be who has been planning her wedding since last fall, I was disgusted when I heard about this program. I have no desire for the government to tell me how to have a successful marriage—it's just not their place.
Additionally, it should be noted that the state raised the cost of a marriage license by $30, which is no small peanuts when you are planning a wedding! This program is a crock.
Courtney Dodson, Dallas
I agree with you. This is a waste of money. But I also think government should get out of marriage. Marriage is a religious institution. As such, it should be handled by whatever clergy of the people involved. Anything else is a partnership.
Tim Covington, via dallasobserver.com
"Chin Music," by Richie Whitt, September 11
Richie's Women
Richie Whitt apparently doesn't like women. In his article he mentions three women. Jessica is the "jinx in a pink Romo jersey," Pam Oliver is a sideline "reporter" who never reported on Marion Barber's injury (I'm sure she forgot, since she's just a woman and not a stud like Richie), and for no reason he attacks Sarah Palin, who had nothing to do with the game, for having a flimsy résumé (while Barack Obama's flimsier résumé is apparently OK since he's a man). Richie is not the first misogynist to write a sports column in DFW, but perhaps he can do better next time.
Bruce Bennett, Plano
