State Board of Education Recommendations

The Dallas Morning News has made its recommendations for the State Board of Education (SBOE) District 9 and 12 races in the GOP primary. The SBOE is an elected 15 member board responsible for setting curriculum standards for Texas public schools. The three Rs. 1492 and 1776. Ho hum, right? Not if you care about Texas kids. Unless you've spent the last decade living on Pluto (not a planet anymore, by the way), you know that the SBOE has become the front line in the culture war over evolution, climate change, religion, everything from the Indian Wars to the Indian festival of lights, Diwali. (By the way, the argument over Diwali taught me that there are over 50,000 Hindus in north Texas. I didn't know that. Maybe my education, which didn't include Diwali, was deficient.)

After the jump, why one DMN recommendation is merely OK and the other patently obvious.

Berkner 70, Lake Highlands 53

From 2010 02 Berkner basketball

The Berkner High School boys basketball team returned to their winning ways Tuesday night with a 70-53 win at home over Lake Highlands. Berkner took an early lead and just kept adding to it. Berkner led by three after one quarter, by nine at the half, ten after three quarters and seventeen by the final horn. Berkner's Xavier Thomas led all scorers with 24 points. Teammate Glen Till had 19. Berkner stretched its District 9-5A leading record to 9-1 (24-5 overall) good for a ranking of 9th in the area by the Dallas Morning News. Lake Highlands is 6-4 in district (14-13 overall).

Photos from the game can be found here.

Open Mic Night: Tell it to the Judge

A month ago, Richardson City Attorney Pete Smith briefed the council on the status of a lawsuit brought by William Gordon, a losing candidate in the 2007 council elections. Gordon sued the City over the council's use of executive sessions, claiming they violated the city charter prior to a 2007 charter amendment that authorizes closed sessions.

After the jump, new developments in the story.

"Dissension" on the Richardson School Board

Kay Waggoner

Dissension, if you can call it that. Jeffrey Weiss, in The Dallas Morning News Richardson blog, reports that the Richardson (RISD) school board voted, with no nay votes and only one abstention, to name Kay Waggoner the lone finalist for the RISD's next superintendent. That abstention is what Weiss, perhaps with tongue in cheek, referred to as the "dissension" on the school board.

After the jump, who abstained and why.

"Honor Flight" Veterans Reunion

From 2010 01 Honor Flight

Honor Flight™ is a network of volunteers established for the express purpose of getting as many WWII veterans as possible to Washington, DC to view the World War II Memorial. Honor Flight™ was originally set up in Ohio in 2004 by Earl Morse. Honor Flight™ of Dallas was established in September 2008 to bring this wonderful effort to the Dallas/Ft Worth/North Texas area, honor the service of the WWII Veterans in this region, and to take as many of them as possible to view THEIR memorial in the nation's capital. Veterans travel absolutely free.

After the jump, more about our local veterans.