Dear Dallas County Democratic Party: This is a letter from me to you. Don’t read it in front of the kids. You are newly in the majority in Dallas County. While Texas turns more and more Republican, you guys have caught the demographic wave in the other direction. That’s so…
Mayor Tom Leppert to Step Down: The Final Council Speech from Dallas Observer on Vimeo.As promised, here’s the entirety of Mayor Tom Leppert’s adios speech given to the city council at the close of today’s meeting. For some reason, the audio and video fell out of sync. Which somehow makes…
Last July, you may recall, the FBI and Arlington Police Department confirmed that they were investigating a series of incidents at the Dar El-Eman Islamic Center on Mansfield Road in Arlington, where a playground was set on fire and “explicit images” were spray-painted on the parking lot. Said an Arlington…
As I was heading in to the office Tuesday morning, demolition man Scott Dorn shot me a note: JR’s Demolition was revving up the ‘dozers and about to tear down European Crossroads. Of course, we knew this day was coming — have for years, really. I got there as they…
… but keep it short — you only get 255 characters.Oh, yeah — the district also just launched its 2011-12 Dallas ISD Financial Outlook website, which I told you yesterday was on its way. The DISD’s calling it a “Districtwide Clearinghouse of Ideas and Information.” You’ll find pretty much everything…
Even before Michael Young demanded to be traded, the likelihood that he’d swap uniforms before the expiration of his contract in 2013 seemed like a long shot at best. Despite a résumé that includes six All-Star nods, a batting title, an (undeserved) Gold Glove and five consecutive seasons of more…
Two days ago we received an e-mail from a “william@bubblelifemedia.com” that insisted, “The gang activity at NorthPark sounds like an escalating problem thats not under control yet and could get worse.” The missive also contained a link to this page at something called Park Cities iPhone Reporter (I dunno –…
Moments ago, after the last of the afternoon speakers came to the council chambers microphone to denounce Mayor Tom Leppert and the media one last time, the mayor said what we’ve known was coming since last night, if not well before: He’s outta here.”This will be my last city council…
Why, only yesterday Stephen Broden was at Dallas County Commissioners Court, speaking up for former Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet whilst quoting Scripture to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. But today, the New York media turns its attention on the man who tried last year to take Eddie Bernice Johnson’s Congressional…
Feb. 22, 1980: Americans 4, Soviets 3. Enjoy…
Just got off the phone with Jim Witt, executive editor of the Star-Telegram, who pointedly did not deny this morning’s hot rumor — that the Fort Worth newspaper’s building, which has been on the market since September 2008, has been sold and the staff told to work from home. Sheesh…
And you don’t either. Unless, that is, you think he’s the missing piece that will help this version of the Mavs beat the Lakers and Spurs and win the West right here, right now. The Mavs begin their regular-season stretch run tonight against the Jazz with a chance to improve…
Late last month, West Dallas activist Otis Fagan turned up at City Hall backed by 20 or so other members of a group he calls the Clean Association for Environmental Justice, asking the city council to intervene on their behalf and help them get medical benefits he said they’re guaranteed…
I fully admit it, at the end of last season I was calling for C.J. Wilson to pitch Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Considering the way he’d pitched all year and the way Cliff Lee had struggled at times it made sense. Turns out both pretty pitched damn…
At its meeting two weeks ago, the Dallas City Council passed a resolution urging the state Legislature to crackdown on payday lenders and “to pass any necessary legislation to protect the citizens of the State of Texas who may find themselves with no alternative but to seek the type of…
It’s been a long while since Dallas Independent School District District 6 trustee served up a hot sports opinion on her blog. But given the looming “new reality” that has led to trustees being asked to consider giving teachers $10 million to scoot before they’re fired, Ranger can hold her…
About an hour ago, Rudy posted a piece saying Mayor Tom Leppert’s announcing his resignation tomorrow, during the city council meeting. But that doesn’t mean he’s ending his term tomorrow.A little while ago I asked the mayor’s chief of staff, Chris Heinbaugh, for further details. All he would say is:…
Potted palms and wildflowers flanked the podium at the Ann Richards Middle School construction site this morning, where Dallas Independent School District officials talked about the energy efficiency, sustainable landscape, an exterior sundial that will make the school a landmark of green design. Of course, that’s not the kind of…
The Dallas County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a new code of conduct for commissioners this morning in response to Commissioner John Wiley Price last week telling several audience members to “go to hell” after pointing out that they were all white. None of the commissioners voiced their opinions in open…
There is no shortage of Walmarts in and around Dallas. But City Hall sends word this afternoon: More are a-coming — “more than a dozen new projects in the city of Dallas,” per the release that follows, including three in the southern sector and one across the street from Bachman…
When last I looked at the Dallas Independent School District board’s meeting agenda for Thursday, there was no item offering to pay some 1,000 teachers up to $10,000 to take early retirement under the so-called “new reality.” But, sure enough, it’s there now, as Tawnell Hobbs noted this morning: “Consider…
Back on July 15, 2009, Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood Center Partners sued Mark Cuban (and the Dallas Mavericks) over money made from the American Airlines Center, with Perot insisting that the AAC’s profits weren’t going to partners (including Perot, who still owns a 5-percent stake in the NBA team) but…
