Spring Creek Trail Extension is Open

From 2011 12 Spring Creek Trail

On November 9, 2011, Richardson officially opened the 1.3 mile extension to the Spring Creek Trail. The extension begins at the trailhead at the southeast corner of Renner Rd and US 75 and extends north under Renner Road, then turns west under US 75, then north again to the President George Bush Turnpike, then west to Alma Rd. Slowly, but surely, Richardson is punching those holes in those suffocating freeways that divide up our city. The trails open up a surprising amount of nature in our urban setting to residents smart enough to park their cars and hike or bike to take advantage of it.

More photos can be viewed here.

Tear Down Central Expressway - cont.

All around the world, highways are being torn down and waterfronts reclaimed; decades of thinking about cars and cities reversed; new public spaces created.

Source: New York Times.

Michael Kimmerman, of The New York Times, reviews the cities around the world that are rethinking highways. Madrid is nearly finished burying a highway and restoring a river to create a six mile long park called Madrid Río. Seoul uncovered five miles of a paved-over river to create the Cheonggyecheon recreation area. San Francisco decided to take down the Embarcadero Freeway and not rebuild it after it was heavily damaged in the 1989 earthquake.

After the jump, the outlook close to home.

I'm an NFL Team Owner

Green Bay Packers.

I hope Santa was as good to everyone as he was to me. He made me an owner of an NFL team. That's right. I was given a share of Green Bay Packers, Inc. That makes me a part owner of the NFL's only non-profit, community-owned franchise.

OK, I know what the cynics are saying. The stock pays no dividends. It can't be sold. It can't even be given away (except to an immediate family member). It doesn't come with rights to buy game tickets. I'm an owner of a piece of paper. What's the big deal?

After the jump, the benefits (and drawbacks) of being an NFL team owner.

Setting the Agenda

Last week, I asked a whole bunch of nosy questions about how agendas for city council meetings are set by the City of Richardson. Bill McCalpin of Rumorcheck.org did his best to answer my questions. He doesn't work for the city; he isn't involved in setting agendas himself; he does have years of experience observing what happens around city hall. I can't say for sure he's right or wrong (if I could, I wouldn't have needed to ask my questions in the first place). But his answers sound plausible.

After the jump, my own understanding of how the process probably works.

Christmas in Richardson (2011)

From 2011 12 Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.

More photos after the jump.