Skyline Downs Berkner in District Opener

From 2010 Football

In the stats sheets, it was a close game. Skyline edged Berkner in total yards, 277 to 260. In first downs, Berkner led 12 to 7. Even the final score, Skyline 27, Berkner 14, suggested a closer game than it was. But the outcome was never in doubt. Skyline had control throughout. Berkner never could put a drive together. Skyline led 14-0 at the half and 21-0 after three quarters, before Berkner scored a couple of late touchdowns, including a long touchdown pass as time expired.

The season is still young. This was the first game of district play for both teams. There will be a lot of football between now and the start of playoffs.

For a look at all the action, including the game, cheerleaders, drill team and band, look here.

Curtains for Blockbuster

Copyright © Google

Dallas-based video rental chain pioneer Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy Thursday. Blockbuster had been shrinking for years. There's an empty storefront in a strip shopping center at the corner of Plano and Arapaho Roads in Richardson that locals know only as the place where Blockbuster used to be for what seems like forever.

After the jump, remembering Blockbuster.

Texting and Tweeting by City Council Members

During last week's Richardson city council meeting, council member Bob Macy expressed his desire to ban the use of "pagers and cell phones" during council meetings. His suggestion was met by opposition from Amir Omar and silence from the rest of the council. Not willing to admit defeat, this week, Bob Macy took another pass at the issue, explaining his interest this way:

"I took some heat about my comment about external electronic devices. In all fairness to people who like to have open records, all of our communications is open records whether it comes through whatever media it is. All of communications during council is open records so that's the point on which I'm concerned."

I ask, but don't attempt to answer, just what did Bob Macy mean by that? Why is Bob Macy concerned about his communications being subject to the Texas Open Records Act?

John Murphy didn't try to answer those questions. Instead, he simply declared, "unless you guys threaten to hang me at the nearest light pole, I'm going to continue to put my cell phone on silent but I will continue to take pages and texts and things like that throughout the meeting..." Now, that sounds like a man who isn't afraid of having his communications be subject to the Open Records Act.

RISD Wish List for 2011 Bond Election

The Richardson ISD school board held their first study session reviewing possible items to be included in a bond package to be put before voters in 2011.

Some of the items should be no-brainers, for example, renovating decades-old schools and replacing aging air conditioning units in many more facilities. Other items might need a little more background information, for example, refurbishing high school athletic facilities and providing resources to turn the STEM Academy ("Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics") within Berkner High School into a "New Tech High School".

After the jump, the one item in the proposal that's going to be the toughest sell.

Code of Ethics - Round 2

Monday evening, the Richardson City Council held another work session to thrash out a code of ethics for council members. The least significant change is a title change from Code of Conduct to Code of Ethics. The most significant development is that the council appears to be firmly behind this second draft and will likely approve it on September 27, after another public hearing.

After the jump, the actions taken to address my own concerns.