Back Talk Lakewood/East Dallas

Everything you ever wanted to know about DISD athletics...

Probably not enough of us ever attend a DISD athletic event, and one reason has always been that if your son or daughter isn't on a team or you aren't on a PTA mailing list, you're probably not going to find out which team is playing when and where in time to make a decision to attend anyway.

DISD is doing something to rectify that: check out www.dallasisd.org/athletics. As it is filled in by coaches in the coming weeks, the entire roster of UIL-sanctioned school events (middle and high schools) will be there, along with schedules, game cancellations, field locations and results.

The site alone isn't going to build school spirit single-handedly, but it's a step in the right direction.

Casa Linda's Pegasus re-emerges - downtown at Old Red

Ever wonder what happened to the big red horse that used to spin over the Mobil station at Casa Linda? Check out the remodeled Old Red Museum downtown, which just opened recently and features the Pegasus from that defunct station as one of its centerpieces.

I haven't been down there since the grand opening, but I've talked with a few people who have, and it actually sounds like we now have TWO tourist destinations downtown (after you make the obligatory stop by the JFK museum). There are all kinds of historical documents, photos and information on display; admission is $8 ($5 for kids and $6 for seniors). Check out the website at www.oldred.org if you want more information or can't wait to see the Pegasus.

Good News for Homeowners

Dallas Morning News real estate editor (and neighborhood resident) Steve Brown reports today that Dallas is one of only five markets in the nation where home prices have gone up. Of 20 cities in a Standard & Poor's survey, he writes, "only Dallas; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Atlanta; and Charlotte, N.C., had annual gains in home prices in the second quarter." Read the whole thing here. Brown quotes an SMU expert who warns of "hiccups" in the local market, and Brown notes that the median home price here is still only $150,000, a good $80,000 less than the national figure.

Still, how are things looking on your block?

RISD loses a lawsuit; does DISD need to start worrying?

Here's a potentially menacing development in public education: The Richardson Independent School District recently was ordered to reimburse a family for approximately $50,000 spent to care for their child in a private treatment facility for behavior disorders after the family sued saying that RISD failed to provide adequate care/educational opportunities in the public school system. This issue is more complicated than I can explain here in a few words, so I encourage you to read this story that was published in the News the other day before forming too many radical opinions.

In a nutshell, here's what happened. A six-year-old girl is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, so her parents try eight private schools before enrolling her in RISD in the 5th grade. In junior high, the girl began "acting out", arriving late for class, leaving early and walking out of class without permission almost daily, according to the News story. The girl disrupted tests, overturned furniture and cursed at teachers, among other things; the parents blamed at least part of her behavior on RISD, saying their daughter "was not being fully supervised", according to the News story. Finally, RISD offered the girl one-on-one instruction with a long-term substitute at Richardson High School, but things just became worse, and a psychiatrist reocmmended she be sent to a residential treatment center to get her behavior under control. That's where the reimbursement expenses come in.

This isn't a commentary on the girl's condition or anything like that; obviously, none of us know enough about her personal condition to delve into that. Instead, this is a question about where private ends and public begins, and vice versa.

What does any of this have to do with those who don't live in RISD's boundaries and aren't paying RISD school taxes? Well, DISD is a pretty big target with all kinds of special-needs children, too. And I'm sure there are plenty of other parents spending money with private institutions who believe that a school district failed them; how many will head to the courts to seek reimbursement for their expenditures? Here's another: Where do you draw the line between a parent's responsibility to educate a child and the public school system's?

The News story indicated that RISD hadn't decided whether to appeal the judgement yet. We'll try to keep you updated on further developments as they occur.

Texas SAT Scores Are Up

The Texas Education Agency reports today that Texas students' SAT scores are up slightly this year and that national scores dipped a little. In reading, Texans are up by a point to 492 (10 points below the national average), up by a point in math to 507 (8 points below the national figure) and down 5 points in writing to 482 (12 points below the national average). The national average dropped in all three areas. No breakdown by district or school yet, but you can read all the figures off the TEA news release here.

Homeowners association electricity coops?

Longtime Advocate reader and commentator Dormand Long just passed along this idea: What about having neighborhood homeowners associations work with an electricity provider to negotiate the best possible deal for electric costs? His point is that a homeowners association is basically a giant affinity group, and successful affinity groups often offer buying programs for their members as an added benefit. Dormand suggested that those participating must be homeowners association members, which serves the dual purpose of building membership and providing a pretty valuable benefit to membership, too. With the number of electric providers in the market, and armed with the knowledge that the price of electricity is certainly negotiable when purchased on a larger scale, his idea makes perfect sense to me. Any thoughts about the idea, or is any group already doing it? (P.S. The artwork is Reddy Kilowatt, an icon of my youth.)

A Retail Curse?

The news about Carrabba's is sad indeed, but it makes me wonder if there's something about that space. When I first moved to the neighborhood in 2000, it was home to a video store that was clearly on its last legs. It was replaced by a liquor store. Then came Carrabba's. (In between all the incarnations, the site seemed to be a popular hangout for skateboarders who like the steep concrete incline on the LaVista side.) Anyone have any thoughts about why this isn't just a great retail space? Friends have told me they have fond memories of the old Wyatt's Cafeteria that apparently operated there for years.

God's immigration policy?

The title pretty much says it all, doesn't it? While Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church isn't in our neighborhood, it's close enough to warrant a visit for this potentially intriguing Christian viewpoint of immigration, a topic that certainly has been popping up around here. The plan is to have a speaker in the morning and then a biblical and theological discussion led by Rev. Dan Rift Sunday evenings from 6:15-7:15 p.m. Sept. 9-30.

It's a rare church that publicly ventures into political waters; if you're interested in more information, check out

http://www.phpc.org/templates/cusprestonhollow/details.asp?id=29712&PID=485839

or contact Ann Hoch (x129) or Barbara Lacey (x127) at 214-368-6348 or at ahoch@phpc.org or blacey@phpc.org.

Carrabba's Lakewood restaurant shuts down

I just heard Carrabba's in Lakewood closed. I was just there last week with no hint of anything and apparently the signs are already coming down today! I called the restaurant and the message confirms they have indeed closed.

Talk Back to Angela Hunt

Speaking of the budget. ... Tomorrow's your last chance to let Angela Hunt know what you think about the next city spending plan -- and where you want your money to go. The council votes next month, and Hunt's final public hearing on city spending is tomorrow night at the Village Country Club, 8308 Southwestern Blvd., in the Village apartment complex. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 8:30.

Let her know what you think (and bring a list of those potholes you want filled, too). And if you can't make it, call her at 214-670-5415 or e-mail her at angela.hunt@dallascityhall.com.