Back Talk Lakewood/East Dallas

Beware the Trinity bogey-people

Just sat down to look at today's mail and look what I found: A scare piece about the TrinityVote petitioners. Here's the first sentence, in case you didn't receive your very own mailer: "Voter Alert: Beware of Petitioners at Polling Locations!" Hey, the last I heard, there's no reason to fear the petitioners - I suspect they will take "no" for an answer if you don't want to sign their petition to put the Trinity toll road/super highway to a vote this fall. But, as the flyer so sagely points out, "Forcing a new vote on the Trinity Parkway will not only delay the best answer for relieving downtown traffic congenstion, it could potentially kill the whole development project" (the flyer's use of bold type, not mine). Well, anyway, this flyer didn't change my mind, although I do have to say that this is one more flyer about the Trinity Corridor project than I have ever received since I voted for the whole development back in 1998. I suppose, though, that in some quarters of Dallas, one piece of correspondence every nine years could be considered a great return on my vote to spend $248 million for some downtown parks...

The passing of Russell Plunk

I just received a call that the former Lakewood Minyard's manager lost his nearly two-year battle with brain cancer this morning. He spent 12 years at the neighborhood grocery store, and neighbors remember him as someone who greeted regular customers by name, offered their children ice cream and cookies, and took pleasure in startling shoppers by getting on the intercom system and asking security to keep an eye on them. He even carried groceries to their cars.

He leaves behind his wife, Lisa, and daughters Katie and Claire. In a story that ran in the Advocate last April, we talked about the community members and friends who had banded together to take care of the Plunks. When their neighbor, Teena Zihlman, called today, she said those committees in charge of laundry and meals and just about everything under the sun are still going strong.

The funeral will be on Thursday, May 3 at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X, 3030 Gus Thommason. The visitation will be on Wednesday, May 2 from 6-8 p.m. at Sparkman Crane, 10501 Garland. Teena said she wanted to make sure all the Lakewood folks knew.

That will teach me to stick up for The Morning News

Check out how Dallas' Only Daily Newspaper endorsed Angela Hunt for re-election yesterday: "For example, she's wrong on the Trinity River project, opposing the current plan – which has already been intolerably delayed. ..." With friends like that. ...

So nuts to the The News. Incidentally, the Trinity River project story that the Star-Telegram played big made The News on Saturday as a couple of paragraph brief on page 2 of the business section. That's the way to cover a local story, fellows.

A reason Whole Foods is growing...

Check out this story about Whole Foods and the chain's commitment to buying "local" when it comes to items stocked in its stores. The story says a lot about two things: why Whole Foods is growing in size and popularity, and why some of its stocked items are a bit pricey. But if the reason to pay more is to support the local economy or buy a better product, it gives us something to think about.

Finally, some Trinity Corridor construction

Well, thank goodness there's finally going to be some construction we'll be able to see in the Trinity Corridor Project. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the city of Dallas arm-twisted the Texas Public Utility Commission (which ostensibly still regulates power transmission services in the state) into paying about $12 million of the $17 million cost to bury a new power transmission line running through the corridor (the Dallas City Council voted to pay the remaining 25% of the project's cost): "In filings at the PUC, the city of Dallas said that 'the issue of aesthetics is a most prominent issue,' that the city desires 'views of the park and recreational areas unobstructed by any buildings or structures' and that 'the presence of additional towers in the area will significantly interfere with the parks and recreation areas.' I guess the enticing presence of a six-lane, no-access, superhighway toll road in the vicinity won't detract from the park and rec areas, though...

I guess we should stop picking on Dallas' Only Daily Newspaper

The Morning News' parent company released its first quarter earnings yesterday, and the news was even worse than most expected -- an almost 11 percent decrease in earnings, an estimate that circulation has decreased by more than 10 percent, and no optimism that things are going to get much better anytime soon.

One can guess at the reasons for this. Some of it is the problems that newspapers are having in general, and some of it is unique to The News: Its arrogance and a dull and uninteresting product. Whatever the reasons, we're almost certainly going to see more budget cuts, including layoffs, and that will just accelerate the cycle. The story hints at that: "We are diligently seeking efficiencies across the company," which is corporate speak for clean out your desks. There is also an increasing chance that, despite a poison pill stock structure, Belo could be bought by someone from out of town.

I realize the bosses at the Belo building could care less about what I have to say, but I hate to see any newspaper -- even The News -- suffer. So here's some free advice: Just cutting costs isn't going to help. You have to give people a reason to read the paper, whether that's better writing, more attractive design, or stories that they actually want to read. You can't just say, "Here, suck on this," like you've been doing for the past 16 years. Those monopoly days are long gone.

More mayoral entries coming in!

Still confused about your entry in our mayoral election contest? These few tidbits might help. First, the Observer's beauty contest, which ends today, had Gary Griffith on top as of 6:45 this morning. It also had Don Hill with 24 of 4,000 or so votes, which may actually mean something. Or not. Then, there is the big news that Ed Oakley and Darrell Jordan aren't going to run TV ads. Or maybe it isn't big news. I've given up trying to figure this thing out, since my head is starting to hurt.

Anyway, keep those entries coming. Send an e-mail with who you think the top three finishers will be, with their vote percentages (that's the tie breaker), to [email protected]. The person who comes closest to the actual results gets $50 in gift certificates from either St. Pete's Dancing Marlin, Papou's Greek Kitchen or La Parridilla (winner’s choice). Deadline is 11:59 p.m. on May 11.

Whole Foods in Lakewood update

Admittedly, this isn't an official source, but the people who work at Whole Foods Market generally know what the company is up to. Yesterday I was told by one of the employees that the new target date for the move to Lakewood is June 2008, rather than the previously stated "end of the year 2007". And given that we haven't seen any site activity, no site plan, no city approval requests and no neighborhood meetings unveiling the plans for the site, I imagine that sounds about right.

Watch your step

This event sounds pretty fun ... but my first thought upon reading the press release (truncated version below): I wouldn't want to be on THAT clean-up crew.

The PetSmart Dog Bowl will be held May 6 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 p.m. for dogs of all sizes to stomp, scamper and swish across the most historic playing field in Dallas. The event will be held at the Cotton Bowl located in Fair Park. Admission and parking are free and food and beverages will be sold. PetSmart will be on hand with giveaways like dog toys, Frisbees, coupons and more. They will also have dog trainers and a veterinarian on site to answer questions, offer advice and provide health and training tips. More information can be found at www.fairpark.org

Daycare: We need new digs

Word came to us this morning that, sadly, the Lakewood Child Development Center, housed in the church building at Abrams and Beacon, is losing its home. The land has been leased and the 35-year-old daycare has to find a new space by August 2008. My husband and I visited LCDC a couple years ago when we were looking for a daycare for our son. Though we ultimately chose somewhere else, we were incredibly impressed with them. If I were ever to move my kid to another neighborhood daycare, LCDC would be the place. The Lakewood Child Development Center has helped turn generations of East Dallas residents into good neighbors and good human beings. What a loss it would be to this neighborhood to lose that. If any of us can help them find a new home, we should. They've been searching themselves, but so far to no avail. So spread the word — this is what they're looking for: - 4,000 square feet of space in a commercially zoned (or rezoneable) area - the building or space needs to have an adjacent outdoor area for a playground - preferably between I-30, Mockingbird and Central and White Rock Lake Anyone with a tip can contact me directly or contact LCDC's director: Karen Keener, 214-824-6735 or [email protected]. As for what's going in that space, there's a rumor floating around — so far unsubstantiated — that it will be more residential development. No word on whether the church will come down or be renovated. Reinventing an old church could be a cool project. Another set of townhomes or condos ... not so much.