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| From 2009 10 AT&T Performing Arts Center |
This week marked the grand opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Arts District of Dallas. The new Winspear Opera House and Wyly Theatre were open for tours. Ellen and I took DART light rail to downtown Dallas and enjoyed the new buildings, the sunny weather, and the pleasant street life. Street life. In downtown Dallas. I know, it sounds improbable. But it's true. To see more photos from our day in Dallas, look here.
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| From 2009 Football |
The band, as always, put on a great show. Last week, the Mighty Ram Band finished 4th of 28 bands at the Bands of America competition at the University of Texas at Arlington. Next Wednesday, they perform for UIL judges at Mesquite Memorial Stadium (Oct 21, 8PM). Judging by the show the fans saw Friday night, the band is ready to impress the UIL judges. Also, it was Junior High Band night. Seeing the Apollo and Liberty Jr High band students join the Mighty Ram Band on the field at halftime made for an impressive show of force. Friday Night Lights is still the greatest entertainment value around!
To see more photos from the game, look here.
There's an election coming up November 3, 2009. For Richardson voters, the only items on the ballot will be eleven proposed state constitutional amendments. The US Constitution has been amended only twenty seven times in over two hundred years. In contrast, Texans amend their constitution as often as possible. The Texas Constitution has been patched and repatched 456 times since it was adopted in 1876. Unless you want to wake up on November 4 asking how this or that whack amendment got passed, brief yourself on the proposed amendments now, then get out the vote on Tuesday, November 3.
For more information on these proposed constitutional amendments, I recommend: "Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments", published by the Texas Legislative Council, whose mission is to provide professional and nonpartisan service and support to the Texas Legislature.
I also recommend attending the program cosponsored by the League of Women Voters of Richardson, the RISD Council of PTAs and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce on October 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the RISD Administration Building (400 S. Greenville Avenue, Richardson). State Representatives Carol Kent, Angie Chen Button and Jerry Madden will discuss the proposed amendments.
After the jump, The Wheel's cheat sheet on how to vote.
The Richardson Independent School District is seeking a leader who has a passion to lead a dynamic suburban school district to an unprecedented level of success. The RISD is already the largest and most diverse "Recognized" school district in Texas. The school board, administrators and teachers are seeking to build on this solid foundation and to set the next standard, moving above and beyond what the state legislature measures for success. The district seeks improvements in post-secondary readiness, measured by participation in vocational classes, by SAT scores, by National Merit scholars, etc. The successful candidate will not only share that vision, but also build on it and provide the direction to get us there.
To Apply: Contact RISD. Tell them you learned of the opening via The Wheel's Classifieds. I don't charge $20,500. I'll accept $500.
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| From 2009 10 Sonja Casey Wedding |
Milwaukee. Wedding. Sonja and Casey. I know what you're thinking. There have to be some oversized, foam sausage mascots involved somehow. And you're right. Sonja and Casey broke the mold for their wedding and reception at Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center. From start to finish, from the hand-made paper invitations (I mean the paper itself!) to the hymns sung by the guests during the ceremony (or should I say hums or maybe just hmm?) to the famous Miller Park racing sausages crashing the reception, this was a wedding to remember. Thanks, Sonja and Casey, for inviting us to celebrate with you. Our best wishes to you.
For more photos of the wedding and a few sightseeing snapshots of Milwaukee, look here.
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| From 2009 Football |
The Richardson ISD has four high schools, but only two football stadiums, so sharing is a must. The Lake Highlands Wildcats and the Berkner Rams share the stadium at Lake Highlands High School, officially known as Wildcat-Ram Stadium (map), although Berkner Ram fans unofficially call it Ram-Wildcat Stadium. When the stadium press box was recently renovated, the school district diplomatically installed a circular sign with "Wildcat Ram" on the top and "Ram Wildcat" on the bottom. The outcome of the annual football game between the two schools determines which name gets unofficial precedence in the stadium name for the next year.
In an innocent little blog post talking up the upcoming fifth annual Plano International Festival at Haggard Park, reporter Theodore Kim made an unfortunate aside about how Plano has so far managed to avoid controversies over immigration reform.
You know what's coming in the reader comments, right? Controversy. The very first commenter says, "Immigration reform? Funny, I though it was 'illegal immigration' reform." The second commenter immediately demonstrated that the anger is broader than just illegal immigration, taking a whack at the H1-B visa program, which is "legal" immigration. It seems that there are folks opposed to immigration of any kind, legal or illegal. And they are fighting a war of words. "Undocumented worker" is already a casualty. "Illegal immigrant" is considered a contradiction, as foreigners without visas are considered invaders, not immigrants. I'm surprised the first commenter didn't opt for "illegal alien", which is still safe to say without drawing incoming fire.
So, Plano, enjoy your festival. Celebrate diversity, I say, ducking.
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) raised the speed limit on the Dallas North Tollway. Or did they? The brand new white speed limit signs saying 65 MPH certainly suggest they did. The NTTA soon decided that slight curves and rises cause blind spots that called for lower speeds along some stretches, so NTTA erected brand newer yellow signs specifying a 50 MPH speed limit. In some cases, the newer yellow signs are within sight of the new white signs. So, what's the speed limit? Hard to say. Two signs, different numbers.
Some drivers believe that the yellow signs aren't speed limits at all, only recommended maximum safe speeds. They claim that the "real" speed limits are posted on the white signs. Left unexplained is why the Department of Public Safety would set the real speed limit at 15 MPH above the maximum safe speed.
The Texas Department of Public Safety doesn't completely clear up the confusion. In a story in The Dallas Morning News, spokesman Lisa Block says police do not enforce the yellow advisory signs, except if you cause an accident. So, is a speed limit that police usually ignore, but sometimes enforce, a speed limit or not? Conspiracy theorists might call it entrapment. The Department of Public Safety lures drivers with the white signs suggesting it's OK to drive at an unsafe speed, then when accidents ensue, tickets the drivers for violating the yellow signs.
There's a simple solution. Remove the white signs in the stretches of highway with limited visibility, leaving only the yellow signs there. Whether or not the police choose to enforce that yellow speed limit, at least there'll be only one speed limit posted for each stretch of road. Not that it will make much difference. The DMN quotes one driver who points out the irony of the whole matter, "Obviously, no one is paying attention to [the signs], white or yellow. People seem to drive as fast as they want."
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| From 2009 10 State Fair |
To see all of our photos, look here.
OK, this one will take a bit of explanation. Bear with me. First, who is Michael Crabtree? According to Wikipedia (which, at the risk of making myself the target of derision, I still say is the single best source of information on the Internet), "Michael Crabtree is an American football wide receiver who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, but currently remains unsigned by the team." OK, that explains why Michael Crabtree might be receiving an unemployment check from the Governator. After the jump, let's bring the story a little closer to home.