Gut feelings: Why would two Plano women decide to spend July Fourth fasting? The likely answers seem obvious enough: swimsuit season, too many mochafatass lattes at Starbucks, an anorexia relapse. But to protest the Iraq war? Looks like we’ve found the progressive contingent in Plano. Their names are Julie Cuniglio…

No, trust this: Buzz has a deal for you, Dallas voter. For free, we will come by your house and do an inventory of things that need to be repaired, replaced or added. It’ll be a long list–face it, if you’re letting Buzz inside your home, it’s a dump–but we’ll…

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on Texas redistricting is out, and by almost any measure it’s a Republican victory. A 5-4 decision isn’t exactly crushing, but the effects certainly are: DeLay’s 2003 map, known as Plan 1374C, is left almost intact, as is his new tactic of redistricting whenever power…

Congratulations are certainly in order for Sheriff Lupe Valdez after she passed her mandatory state law enforcement exam on her second try yesterday, knowing that if she flunked it would generate another round of ugly headlines for her department. Still, rather than modestly announce the good news and move on,…

Ink erasure: Too many tattoo parlors in Deep Ellum? Is that possible? Apparently, yes. The city council last week approved an ordinance that mandates at least 300 feet between parlors in the neighborhood, now home to a half-dozen such shops, most packed together on Main Street. In 18 months someone’s…

Rick Kennedy Whoopsie-daisy Our constant vigilance here at Observer World Headquarters was rewarded moments ago when, just across the street, we noticed this innocuous maroon compact popping the baddest-ass wheelie we had ever seen. Except that it was just sitting there. Further investigation showed that in fact the car had…

Former Dallas drummer (and legendary hooligan) Michael Sanger returns to home base from the desert sands of Phoenix on a short tour with electro-twins Bark Bark Bark. Jacob Cooper and Grace Claiborn (aka, Cranberry Grace) enlisted Sanger (formerly of Post from Vermont and Budapest One) to provide live beats for…

The council’s talking now, and I think it’s gonna be a sweep, damned near. “Dallas is the ninth-largest city in the country, and we’ve developed half of it,” says Bill Blaydes, who looked like he was dozing during the naysayers’ speeches. “There is a major need for what we are…

John Fregonese, the proud papa of ForewardDallas!, is in the house, but has kept quiet. He’s been walking around, standing and sitting and stroking his beard, looking alternatively bored, frustrated, aghast and elated as his baby gets batted about the room. His name has been evoked a hundred times today–sometimes…

Among those in the audience is Dwayne Jones, executive director of Preservation Dallas, who says he is “perplexed” by the outrage being directed toward the plan and the council committee that approved it. Contrary to the opinions of the speakers snaked around the council chambers, who insist ForwardDallas! will ruin…

So far there have been legal and accounting issues raised regarding FD! One speaker said it violates Texas zoning law, another said it’s inviting dangerously speculative development along the so-called transit corridors that cannot even withstand the density proposed in the plan. And a woman from Bluffview cried at the…

Of the 700,000-plus people estimated to have entered the United States illegally last year, at least 463 died trying, 140 of those in Texas. Many more bodies lie undiscovered in the desert. Because of increased border enforcement in urban areas, illegal immigrants are increasingly turning to more hazardous routes across…

The first speaker against the plan was Neil Emmons, a plan commissioner. He was representing Cay Kolb, a former city planning commissioner and former DART board member. She could not attend the meeting today, Emmons told the council, because she is tending to her husband in an intensive care unit–and…

Don Hill says he is giving 45 minutes to each side of the FD debate, which may be impossible. When he asked who was here to speak, everyone raised hands. Lill and Finkelman are going last, but Larry Duncan is up now: “This is where I came in 30 years…

Jim and I have decided Laura is on a Southwest flight to Vegas, cause she sure as hell ain’t here. One thing I did notice as Bill Blaydes was bemoaning the yay vote regarding the homeless shelter (“It will destroy the southeast corridor!”): He’s kinda…unhinged. –Robert Wilonsky…

Uh…as Jim just asked, “Where the hell is Laura?” The FD debate is about to start, and she ain’t here. –Robert Wilonsky…

The chamber is packed with Angela Hunt fans–if nothing else, their bright green “CPC YES” and “PEOPLE’S PLAN” stickers suggest they also want the version of Forward Dallas! containing the Plan Commission’s alterations. Not yet to the discussion yet, and room is getting warm and restless. –Robert Wilonsky…

Veletta Lill’s back amongst the council, patting backs and doling out hugs. Still talking Deep Ellum–Lazerz, specifically, and its late-night crowd. Uh, where’s the mayor? –Robert Wilonsky…

Observer blogmeister Robert Wilonsky is bravely putting his sanity on the line–and online–to blog live from City Hall as the council debates the ForwardDallas! master plan. He’s paying attention so you don’t have to. Take it away, Bobby W.: City council chambers are stuffed–if they charged admission, they could pay…

Leading man: How many times does a rumor have to be repeated before a responsible journalist passes it on? Beats us. We’re Buzz, not Responsible Journalist Man, so here goes: Twice in the past week we’ve come across rumors that Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill was the leader in a…