News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Toll increases spark North Texas debate

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

Higher toll fees could be coming down the pike after the North Texas Tollway Authority board proposed Wednesday an increase on two future toll roads, which included the Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth and the President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension.

The proposed increase has some North Texans wondering if they should shoulder the costs.

Many Collin and Dallas County drivers said it's only fair that Tarrant County drivers should pay more to build the Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth since they paid tolls for years to help build two existing toll roads.

"To me, it's a no brainer," said driver Mark Ward. "The people who are going to be served by the road should pay the tolls to pay for that road."

"We've had to pay for all of our tollways, so they can pay for theirs," said driver Scott Rudis.

Collin County commissioners agreed, but Tarrant and Denton County leaders backed another proposal that would keep tolls comparable across the four county region.

The county leaders argued that drivers from across North Texas will use all toll roads and should pay fairly.

"Let's find the most creative, and that ugly word innovative, ways to get the most bang for John Doe's buck," said Sandy Jacobs, Denton County Commissioner.

Tollway Authority board members voted to keep tolls lower on the proposed Fort Worth project and on the President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension through Garland, Sachse and Rowlett, which meant more dollars would come from the regional system.

"It's still us paying for someone else's," said Judge Ron Harris, Collin County Commissioners Court.

Under the proposal approved Wednesday, drivers would pay $1.44 to travel Southwest Parkway. President George Bush Turnpike motorists will pay an additional $.52 to travel the Eastern Extension.

A trip along the Dallas North Tollway will increase from $2.10 to $2.30. President George Bush Turnpike drivers who pay $3.00 on the 30 mile toll road will pay $3.25.

[TexasStooge]

Pickup crashes into tree, home in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An out-of-control pickup crashed through a neighborhood Wednesday night in Arlington.

The truck went through several backyards on Forest Ridge Court and hit a tree and a house before overturning.

Witnesses said the driver had been going very fast on Interstate 20 before running off the road.

The driver was taken by helicopter to the hospital and there is no word yet on his condition.

[TexasStooge]

Late shoppers' fate sealed with a Kriss

Despite depleted top items, last-minute barrage taking shape

By SUDEEP REDDY / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The last-minute rush is on – leaving some shoppers frustrated and swimming in crowds.

Procrastinators are expected to descend en masse on malls and discount stores across North Texas during the next three days. With Christmas Eve landing on a Saturday this year, retailers are bracing for a last-minute surge of shoppers to help ring in better holiday sales.

But desperate consumers hoping for the hottest items are being greeted with disappointment. The hugely popular Xbox 360 gaming system is nowhere to be found – except on eBay at twice the $300 starting retail price.

"I really think this has been handled very poorly," Southlake resident Mark Silagy said of the Xbox shortage, which generated a quest that left him burnt out. "It makes me mad enough that I'm inclined never to buy one – just on principle."

The final hours of the busiest shopping week of the year are unfolding in Dallas-Fort Worth much as they are in the rest of the nation. Interviews with retailers and consumers suggested that business is brisk. Video game systems, other electronics and apparel were among the best sellers.

"Everybody's predicting the last-minute rush," said Al Meyers, a senior vice president at Retail Forward Inc., a consulting firm. Saturday is already a big day for shopping, "but to have it right before Christmas is unbelievable."

The National Retail Federation, a trade group, projects holiday sales will increase 6 percent this year to $439.5 billion. Analysts attributed the good mood to an improving economy and dropping fuel prices.

The size of the final tally from pre-Christmas holiday sales is likely to depend heavily on the last day.

Nationwide, one out of six shoppers – almost 31 million consumers – were waiting until this week to start their buying, a National Retail Federation survey found.

A larger share of men than women were expected to rush into stores in the final days. On average, consumers still had almost half their shopping to finish off this week, the survey found.

Could be biggest

Christmas Eve could turn out to be the biggest shopping day of this year – outdoing Black Friday after Thanksgiving – because of the late surge of procrastinators and bargain hunters, said Edward Fox, an assistant professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University.

"The big shopping days are shifting later and later in the purchase cycle," Mr. Fox said. "Consumers are waiting for the bargain, waiting for the big discounts to come out. Retailers have pretty well taught them to wait by offering the deals later."

The noon crowds at Dallas' NorthPark Center on Wednesday left shoppers hunting for scarce parking spaces or waiting in long lines for valet parking.

Red sale tags throughout Foley's promoted discounts of 25 to 50 percent off. Victoria's Secret was advertising 50 percent off its "beauty favorites," while The Limited next door boasted 50 percent discounts on all winter sweaters.

Ramirra Stackhouse of Dallas found many good deals at Dillard's but couldn't find everything she needed. The mother of two was forced to buy a Baby Annabell doll for her 6-year-old daughter on eBay.

At the Toys 'R' Us on North Central Expressway and Walnut Hill Lane, some empty shelves told the story of other hot items.

Only the price tag marked the spaces where some jumbo Pegasus toys had been on sale at $59.99. The slot for Alice in Wonderland DVDs, $5 off at $14.99, was empty. An "Out of Stock" sign covered the display of a Craig MP3 player for $34.99.

Trenton Browne, a Dallas resident who lived near the store, was making her third trip to that store since Saturday. The store was a "madhouse" on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, she said.

On Wednesday, she returned some items that she had purchased for three grandchildren. But then, she went right back to shopping.

"I promised myself I would not overspend this year, not be extravagant," she said. "So I brought them back."

Plasmas 'on fire'

Tweeters Inc. executive Mark Richardson, senior vice president of marketing and chief brand officer, said high-definition televisions are selling well, particularly plasma sets.

"Flat-panel plasma TVs are on fire," Mr. Richardson said. "It slowed a little bit in the fall, and now it's back. The prices are pretty extraordinary for the size of the TV."

At the Best Buy store on North Central Expressway in Dallas, two Xbox 360 demo kiosks fill the store with the rattle of machine gun fire and the thump of artillery. But those are the only two in the store.

The new game system from Microsoft Corp. is so hard to find it almost seems just a rumor. Store manager Craig Brown acknowledged that Xbox 360 systems evaporate from shelves as soon as they arrive.

"I've been doing this for 21 years," he said. "Every year you have an item that people can't find."

Mary Margaret Hickey emerged from the store without a console Wednesday afternoon and said she'd made "several phone calls and several trips" to Dallas area stores to find an Xbox 360 to give to her son as a Christmas present. Having struck out at the Best Buy, she said she was calling off the hunt.

Hitting the malls

Some shoppers were hitting the malls because it was too late for them to order gifts online without paying hefty shipping fees.

Lori Spies was making the rounds of stores at NorthPark, buying jeans and career clothing for her two daughters. Normally, she has finished her Christmas shopping by now via the Internet. But this year, she didn't have time to shop until now.

"I'm starting later, so I think I'm spending less," said the Sunnyvale resident, who was weighed down with three shopping bags after about three hours at the mall. "Life is busier."

At J.C. Penney stores, top sellers include leather coats, women's boots, scarves, slippers, cashmere-blend socks and jewelry. "Slippers are huge this season," said spokeswoman Brenda Romero.

About 16 percent of shoppers nationwide had postponed some of their shopping because of harsh weather in some parts of the country, the International Council of Shopping Centers said this week.

Milder weather in the coming days could draw more people out. But it could also hurt retailers that were betting on bumps from shoppers picking up coats and other high-margin items.

"That may make some of the seasonal apparel sales a little bit lighter than what we were looking for," said Frost Bank analyst Alan Tarver.

For many consumers, though, Christmas remains the one time of the year in which they open up their pocketbooks wide.

Mary Schuh Doty gave each of her three daughters cash to buy whatever they wanted. They spent it on a high-definition television, computer-related equipment and a bedroom set.

But that doesn't mean Ms. Doty hasn't bought any presents. By Wednesday afternoon, she had finished purchasing jewelry, cookware, a platter and clothes for her grandson.

Is she spending more this holiday season?

"Always," she said with a laugh.

Staff writers Victor Godinez, Maria Halkias, Terry Maxon and Katherine Yung contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Parkland enjoys record surplus

Hospital to use $40 million on repairs, surgery center, clinic

By SHERRY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Parkland Memorial Hospital ended fiscal 2005 with at least a $40 million surplus, its healthiest bottom line ever, hospital officials announced Wednesday.

"This is the best financial year in Parkland's history," said Dr. Lauren McDonald, chairwoman of the county hospital's board of directors.

The money will be used to make repairs to the aging hospital, as well as to fund a new surgery center and community clinic.

The positive financial picture and other successes in the past year convinced the board to give a 4 percent raise to Dr. Ron Anderson, Parkland's president and chief executive officer. His current salary is $515,000.

Dr. Anderson, who has led the public hospital since 1982, applauded the "great working relationship" he has developed with the board.

The positive sentiments were a marked contrast to two years ago when a previous Parkland board majority openly criticized the hospital's leadership. It was an open secret that several board members were intent on firing Dr. Anderson for perceived leadership failures, including a $76 million deficit that forced more than 500 hospital jobs to be cut.

At one point, the board's previous chairwoman commissioned a consultant to develop a succession plan for Dr. Anderson, although the hospital board later declined to pay for the study. The conflict ended in April 2004 when four of the board members abruptly resigned, three of them blaming their departures on conflicts with hospital administrators.

One departing board member accused Dr. Anderson of "undermining the board's demand for financial accountability." Dr. Anderson denied the charge.

On Wednesday, Dr. McDonald had only praise for Dr. Anderson and his management team.

"We are extremely pleased with the leadership he has demonstrated in improving the efficiency of Parkland's operations, as well as his willingness to take on challenges such as health care at the Dallas County Jail," she said.

Dr. Anderson said: "We're working together on plans to enhance Parkland's future. We have a tremendous staff who gives of themselves each day to ensure that the citizens of Dallas County receive the best quality of health care.

"Parkland is a family, and I am proud to continue to serve as its leader."

Better than expected

When the budget was passed in 2004, the hospital had been expecting a 2005 surplus of $5 million to $6 million. However, in recent months, the hospital sought more federal funding for indigent care – which improved its financial forecast.

"Dr. Anderson was able to get the federal government to make a one-time reconciliation of $10 million to $12 million that we should have received in a previous year," said John Gates, Parkland's chief financial officer.

The county hospital also benefited from an $11 million payment from the state's 2-year-old trauma fund. The money, which is distributed among trauma centers, comes from traffic fines and higher driver's license renewal charges paid by people faulted in serious accidents.

"It's primarily drunk-driving accidents and reckless driving," Mr. Gates said. Parkland had expected to receive about $5 million from the fund, after receiving only $2 million in fiscal 2004.

The hospital also collected $3 million to $4 million in interest from hospital investments, he said.

"Beyond that, we did better on patient revenues, and our expenses were more favorable than we had anticipated," Mr. Gates said. "More patient collections made up the rest of it."

How it will be spent

Parkland's surplus will partially contribute to the hospital's $47 million capital fund for 2006, which has identified necessary hospital repairs and upgrades. The surgery center is under construction near the main campus, and the community clinic is slated to be built in Irving.

The money also will improve the hospital's cash flow and, possibly, sustain Parkland through future emergencies.

"It gives us the ability to get through a disaster, like what happened to the hospitals in New Orleans," Mr. Gates said. "We could keep the hospital's payroll going and, hopefully, keep Parkland stronger and around longer."

[TexasStooge]

Garland police copter plan a first for area suburbs

By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News

GARLAND, Texas - Garland plans to buy a police helicopter, making it the only large suburb in North Texas to operate one.

The $2.5 million aircraft would be paid for with a certificate of obligation, under a plan approved Tuesday night by the Garland City Council. The operating cost of $1.2 million annually would be paid with money from the city’s red-light camera program.

“I believe the helicopter will be a force multiplier to enhance police presence and efficiency,” said council member Terri Dunn, the strongest advocate on the council for the purchase. “I’m very proud of this.”

The 5-4 vote mirrored one last month in which members decided not to have City Council elections in May. Ms. Dunn was joined by council members Weldon Bradley, John Garner, Harry Hickey and Michael Holden – the same five who said no to elections – in voting to buy the helicopter.

“This is one of the easiest decisions I’ve every made, once I understood all the issues,” Mr. Holden said. “I didn’t support it when Ms. Dunn first brought it up.”

Mayor Bob Day and council members Randall Dunning, Barbara Chick and Mark Monroe were in the minority.

Opponents called a police helicopter a precariously-funded luxury at a time when the department is so shorthanded that officials recently considered transferring school resource officers to patrol to help handle calls for service. That plan was shelved after it drew fire from parents.

“I don’t believe the case has been made that we need it,” Mr. Dunning said. “I think the case has been made that we want it.”

“My biggest hang-up is the fact that we’re using SafeLight funds,” Mr. Monroe said. “I don’t think those funds are going to be there very long. Then we’ll have to either raise taxes or shut down the helicopter program.”

Bryan Bradford, Garland’s senior managing director for research and budget, explained that the city would issue a certificate of obligation for $2.5 million when it takes delivery of the helicopter, probably in December 2006. The city would then make payments of $244,000 a year. After seven years, there would be a balloon payment due of about $1.1 million.

Mr. Bradford said that the city could sell or trade in the helicopter at that point or refinance the balloon payment. He said the city seldom has used balloon payments to buy equipment, but this was an exception because of the helicopter’s high resale value.

Mr. Bradford said the purchase would be made on a no-bid, single supplier basis because American Eurocopter of Grand Prairie is the only manufacturer whose helicopters met the standards recommended by a consultant and sales are made from the factory, with no dealers to submit competitive bids.

Supporters, like Assistant Police Chief Steve Dye and consultant Keith Johnson, who retired from the Los Angeles Police Department’s aviation unit five years ago, also used the term force multiplier to describe how a helicopter would actually help address the staffing shortage by making officers more efficient.

They argued that a helicopter and a few officers could search an area more quickly than a large team of officers on the ground, for example.

Police aviation officials stressed the upside.

“It’s always beneficial,” said Lt. Anthony Williams, commander of the Dallas Police Department aviation unit. “One aircraft could do the work of 15 ground officers on surveillance.”

Senior Police Officer Daniel Schwarzbach of the Houston Police Department’s aviation unit said Houston’s helicopters are more in demand than ever because of the homeland security needs of the city’s port and other assets.

“We stay busy,” said Mr. Schwarzbach, who is president of the board of directors of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, a national organization. “With a good aviation manager and a good police commander, a helicopter should pay for itself.”

He cited the use of helicopters in car chases, which allows ground units to pursue less aggressively, reducing risks to other motorists.

If Garland takes delivery of a new American Eurocopter AS350B2 – a single-engine six-seater – in December 2006 as planned, it would become the only Dallas-Fort Worth area suburb with more than 100,000 people to have its own police helicopter.

The consultant Garland hired said in his report to the council that 11 California cities Garland’s size or smaller have helicopters, and there are a handful in other states.

But area departments aren’t sold.

“We don’t need one,” said Plano police spokesman Officer Carl Duke. “We have an agreement with the Dallas Police Department and DPS [Texas Department of Public Safety]. We don’t use one that often.”

Sgt. Kevin Perlich of Richardson said a helicopter would be cost prohibitive for his department.

“We’re not as big as Dallas or Garland,” he said. “It takes a lot of money and we could probably use it for other purposes, like K-9 units, that are more fitting to our size.”

“At this point, I don’t see us putting it in our budget,” said Lt. Steve Callarman of the Mesquite Police Department. “Would we like one? Sure. If the money was there, we’d find a use for it. We have more highway miles than anybody else in the area except Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington.”

Mesquite police can also call on the DPS helicopter, which operates from Mesquite Municipal Airport.

“They’ve done special events for us and they help us out in looking for suspects, especially in wooded areas,” Lt. Callarman said.

Dallas and Fort Worth police departments have helicopter units, but Arlington, the third-largest city in the area, does not.

The recent 5-4 votes suggest a hardening of blocs on the Garland council, where there have been signs of friction for months. There were civil but pointed exchanges among members Tuesday.

Mr. Monroe and Mr. Dunning said during the hearing that they would vote against buying the helicopter and suggested that the vote was a mere formality.

“Look, I know this thing’s going to pass,” Mr. Monroe said.

Mr. Day and Mr. Holden ran against each other for a three-year term as mayor in 2002. Mr. Day won and Mr. Holden kept his council seat and was re-elected in 2004. Mr. Day ran unopposed for a second, two-year term in May.

Mr. Day walked out of meetings twice in April, once after a heated exchange with Ms. Dunn over proposed amendments to the city’s housing and neighborhood services ordinance. The council later revised part of the ordinance following a lawsuit brought by a local real estate agent.

On April 19, Mr. Day read a statement accusing “several members of the City Council” of trampling on the rights of property owners and left the chamber before the council voted to approve the changes that established a rental house inspection program.

He said in his statement that Ms. Dunn had destroyed “the clear and orderly process” by moving up a vote on the matter.

A local real estate agent sued the city, claiming that aspects of the program violated his constitutional rights. The council later revamped the program after federal District Judge Sam Lindsay upheld it on the whole but found in favor of the agent on a section that required owners to agree to inspections of vacant properties.

The council split also led to litigation over the election question.

Registered voters in the districts represented by Mr. Holden, Ms. Dunn, Mr. Bradley and Mr. Garner – Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5 respectively -- filed a petition last week asking the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas to order elections in those districts.

Those four council members maintain that they were elected to three-year terms in 2004 even though voters in that same election approved a charter amendment changing council terms to two years. Mr. Hickey voted with them following a long and contentious public hearing on the question Nov. 15.

At least two pro-election groups have formed.

Doug Athas, one of the plaintiffs in the suit filed last week, said that Let Us Vote! is a fund-raising group organized to help pay legal costs.

A committee called Protect District 5 Right to Vote has registered with the city secretary. Its treasurer, former City Council member Tom Jefferies, said its members would consider several options, including possible recall campaigns against council members, to seek elections.

[TexasStooge]

Clean-up at stores after fatal crash

By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A clean-up operation is underway at the Preston Royal Shopping Center in North Dallas after an 81-year-old man crashed into the building last night.

The driver of the minivan, Robert Lang of Dallas, died in two-alarm fire ignited by the accident.

"It's a shock," said store owner Vara Buchanan. "We've had really good retail business, really good Christmas sales. It's amazing what can happen in the blink of an eye."

An investigation is underway into what caused the crash which took place at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Witness David Andrews said he saw the van crash after it bounced off a flower pot at the shopping center and drove into the front of the stores.

"It went all the way to the back of the building and stopped," he said.

The witness said he and another man ran to see if the driver was okay and attempted to open the doors of the car but they were locked and the vehicle caught fire.

Authorities said they believe Lang died from apparent burns and smoke inhalation.

[TexasStooge]

Suspect shot by Rowlett police

ROWLETT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A suspect is recovering after a shootout with Rowlett police.

Last night, a couple reported he'd pointed a gun at them at a stop light.

Police chased the suspect - who wrecked out - then fired at police.

They fired back -- hitting him in the arm.

[TexasStooge]

ATM ax man turns himself in

FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A man who targeted ATMs in Frisco with an ax earlier this month has turned himself in, police say.

Jeffrey Ray Davis presented himself to Titus County Sheriff's deputies in Mount Pleasant on Tuesday.

He has been arrested and is now behind bars.

Investigators say he used an ax to try to break into three ATMs in Frisco early on December 12th.

Those unsuccessful attempts to take money caused more than $33,000 in damage.

[TexasStooge]

Diamond industry hit by grading scandal

By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8

This expert at the Gemological Institute of America, the GIA, is grading this diamond for its cut, color, the clarity of the stone and its weight.

The GIA grades most of the diamonds sold in the United States, in essence determining how much they're worth.

But the GIA is now the target of lawsuits alleging that its gemologists upgraded the value of an undisclosed number of diamonds.

The problem is bad enough that the GIA has fired four employees and offered to regrade diamonds for free for at least the next six months. The institute also has admitted that it has taken donations from some of the companies it has graded for over the years, a direct conflict of interest.

This turmoil is unknown to most of the people scouring Texas stores for stones this season.

"So far I haven't had a single customer mention it," said Bill Oyster of the Dallas Gold and Silver exchange.

A stone's certification looks like this. It outlines the four major elements of a diamonds quality and points out where its flaws are inside the stone. One grader may view those flaws differently than another.

"When it gets into clarity that can be subjective," added Oyster.

There are a handful of grading agencies around the world, this one in Israel. Each of may value the same stone differently. That's why what a diamond's worth may ultimately be what the buyer's willing to pay for it.

"The most important thing is that when you leave after purchasing that stone you feel good about what you've bought," said Oyster.

So for diamond customers, a the warning: Don't think of what a diamonds resale value may be, instead, think of what it may mean to the person you're giving it to.

[TexasStooge]

Faith in numbers

For a couple who have fostered 152 babies, 'it's a calling'

By JEAN NASH JOHNSON / The Dallas Morning News

LUCAS, Texas – On this early December afternoon, Jeannette Goodman is doing what she does best, cradling an infant, Baby No. 149, a 12-pound son-in-waiting, barely 3 months old.

Jeannette and her husband, Jim, known to local adoption agencies as the "go-to" foster parents, have cared for 152 babies. Babies Nos. 150, 151 and 152 have come and gone.

No. 140, a special needs child, is on her way back to the Goodmans' Lucas home. The child left them for a permanent home in mid-December of last year. The adoption didn't work out, and the child will be "home" for Christmas.

"This is the first time a baby has come back to us," says Jeannette.

It is the Goodmans' inimitable personal touch that defines their contributions to the adoption world. Not only have the Goodmans affected the lives of scores of children, but they have also inspired others to become foster parents.

Since 1982, the Goodmans have been priming babies in the Dallas area.

There are Goodman babies from all races and nationalities scattered all over the United States, from Vermont to Tennessee to Nebraska and points in between. Jim and Jeannette can recall all 152.

"I guess you can say it's a calling," Jeannette says.

Lives changed

The couple married in 1967 and had three children, daughters, of their own. But two events led them to care for the babies.

In 1979, Jeannette miscarried a second time. A boy. She had to have a hysterectomy.

"I said to our priest: 'I just don't understand. All I want to be is a mother, and I can't deal with this.' And he told me, 'There's a reason, Jeannette; you may not know it right away, but there's a reason.' "

A year later, Jim, an accountant for Mobil Oil, suffered a major heart attack, one that could have taken his life. He survived to endure three more heart attacks, three bypass surgeries and eventually a stent implant.

"I was a living example of what stress and pressure can do," he says. "I often say if everybody had a heart attack it might be a better world."

The period after the miscarriage and heart attack was tough at first, Jeannette remembers. "It was like I never got the satisfaction of having the last baby."

A friend told her about Catholic Counseling Services, the adoption entity for Catholic Charities of Dallas, hooking her with their desperate need for good foster parents. Jeannette feared that Jim wouldn't go for it. He agreed to one try, just for her, and, of course, the child was a boy.

They loved every moment with him. And then they had to say goodbye.

"It was so hard to let him go. I just broke down in tears," Jim says.

Although the parting was sad, the experience was meaningful. The Goodmans knew they wanted another foster child.

Baby Thomas

Jim, now 63, and Jeannette, 62, love pulling out the photo albums – more than 50 – filled with pictures of babies.

Jeannette makes a blanket or quilt for each child, no matter how short the stay. She crafts each one with the child's personality in mind.

Each child holds a special place in their hearts.

Thomas Wells , now 21, came to them as in infant in 1984. From the loving arms of the Goodmans, he went to adoptive parents, Paula, 70, and Jim Wells, 73, of Nebraska. Thomas was the first of eight black children. The Wellses have 17 kids, 14 of whom are adopted.

"Jim and Jeannette were wonderful," says Paula Wells. "They always sent birthday cards and notes at Christmas. Jim visited Thomas a few times while on business. We were happy to have extended family."

The two families couldn't be prouder. Thomas joined the U.S. Army and was in Iraq from September 2003 to October 2004. He was in the 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood. In January, he heads to the University of South Dakota to pursue a degree in political science.

"Even though I was younger when I met Jim, it was easy to see how big a heart he has," says Thomas. "What he and Jeannette have done is amazing, and I am blessed to have had him as a part of my life."

An inspiration

Some of the babies are still growing into the Goodman family connection. Precious, a then 7-month-old adopted two years ago by Christine and Michael Moers, 37, of Mesquite, also left a void in the Goodmans' hearts. The Moerses have two birth children, Mackenzie, 7, and Andrew, 6.

Christine, 33, says she will never forget the first meeting with Jeannette.

"She said, 'I'm sorry, but I always rock the baby to sleep.' I said, 'Don't apologize for that.' I always rocked my babies. I immediately liked her." The two families are close and celebrate Precious' birthday and the holiday season together.

Jeannette and Jim's experience was so inspirational to the Moerses, they decided to become foster parents. Jeannette's been a great mentor, Christine says.

"Just observe her with these children and you know how special she is. She has such grace," says Linda Sanders, Hope Cottage director of domestic adoptions. "You don't ever think of Jeannette without the mental picture of a baby resting on her shoulder."

This summer, the Goodmans were honored with the Hope Cottage Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Adoption Ambassador Award. The prestigious award for outstanding work in adoption has been given only two other times, initially in 1993 to its eponyms and in 1994 to author Robert Fulghum.

Extended family

The babies have become a family affair.

The Goodmans' daughters help care for the children. "Their love for the babies has been amazing," Jim says.

Denise Rebel, 37, lives a mile from her parents and carves out time from her schedule as a respiratory therapist to help them. Her husband, Jim, and kids help out, too.

Debi Goodman, 29, lives at home and helps her mom with errands and upkeep. Julie Harris, 35, of Forney, plays aunt on weekends.

"It was just a part of growing up. Our friends all knew we had the babies. They would come over and help out, too," Denise says.

At her home this month, Jeannette packed baby No. 149 in his carrier for a dinner visit with his birth mother at a nearby restaurant. "I love babies," Jeannette says, caressing the child.

No. 149's mother is still searching for the right choice in parents, she says. "I find that all they really want is the reassurance that their babies will be well taken care of."

(Editor's note: The identities of the infants have been withheld to protect their privacy at the request of Hope Cottage.)

[TexasStooge]

Police seek boyfriend of strangling victim

ARLINGTON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Arlington police have issued an arrest warrant for the live-in boyfriend of a woman found strangled in her apartment on Tuesday.

Police are searching for Don Wayne Moody, 26, in connection with the slaying of Zana Danielle Leblanc. Mr. Moody had been charged with faces a murder charge and $250,000 bond, according to the arrest warrant affidavit released by Mr. Moody has a lengthy criminal history, including arrests or convictions for hindering apprehension, assaulting a family member, drug possession and assault.

Ms. Leblanc's body was found on Tuesday, after her family could not reach her and she did not show up for work. Her stepfather went to her West Arlington apartment, where he found Ms. LeBlanc's 2-year-old daughter. The girl's diapers were dirty and food was strewn about the living room. Police said the 2-year-old had been getting food out of the refrigerator and fending for herself. The girl is not Mr. Moody's biological daughter.

Responding officers broke down the door to the bedroom in the apartment and found Ms. Leblanc's body on the floor. Police she was strangled sometime after she got home from work late Sunday night or early Morning morning.

In the arrest warrant affidavit, co-workers of Ms. Leblanc's at Hooters said that she had complained that Mr. Moody was abusive, and had threatened her with a gun before because she wouldn't give him money. The co-workers said that Ms. Leblanc was trying to break up with Mr. Moody, who was unemployed, and get him out of the apartment.

Police went to Mr. Moody's parents' home in Mansfield, but his mother said she had not heard from him.

[TexasStooge]

Six arrested in $100,000 graffiti case

By KERRY GUNNELS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Police on Thursday arrested six graffiti artists accused of causing more than $100,000 in property damage.

Two of the suspected graffiti artists, who police said go by monikers like “rewd” and “soler,” appear to have samples of their work posted on dallaspolice.com, a Web site that features graffiti art and clearly is intended to poke fun at law enforcement.

“It’s very much an arrogant in-your-face kind of statement,” said Dallas Police David Kunkle of the Web site. “They have a lack of respect for the community.”

About 6 a.m., nearly 30 officers fanned out across the city to find 10 people who were wanted on arrest warrants. Police located five men and one juvenile, and continue to look for the rest.

“We wanted to make a statement today,” said Chief Kunkle, who accompanied officers on the round-up. “We’ve asked the district attorney not to plea bargain any of these cases.”

He said he also is encouraging citizens to consider filing civil suits against graffiti artists.

Police aren’t sure who currently operates the dallaspolice.com site. But there are monikers for what appears to be more than 400 different artists, who have posted slide shows of their work.

“They’re proud of it,” said Senior Cpl. Max Geron, a police spokesman.

One of the arrested suspects, Anthony Gambino, 22, goes by the nickname “Soler,” police said.

On dallaspolice.com, an artist named “Soler” has posted a slide show of more than 50 pictures of colorful stick figures spray painted on the sides of walls, buildings and even on billboards.

Dallas police also arrested the following individuals on graffiti charges: James Stevenson, 19; Jorge Mendez, 19; Edward Hernandez, 20; Dakota Wolf, 18, and a 16-year-old juvenile.

Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Wolf and the juvenile were all accused of a class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $2,000 in fines.

Mr. Gambino and Mr. Mendez face a state jail felony charge, punishable by up two years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.

[TexasStooge]

Neighborhood goats irk Dallas resident

By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - While leaders have said cleaning up Dallas neighborhoods is supposed to be a priority at City Hall this year, some residents of southeast Dallas said they can't tell.

One neighborhood around Cedar Lake is littered not only with junk, but livestock as well and one resident said City Hall won't take action.

Chris Bates said his neighbors include goats, chickens and a rooster that makes sure he is up around 3:00 a.m. The animals reside in the backyards of his neighborhood and are in violation of Dallas City Code.

In addition to animals, there are discarded tires, potholed streets and trash in the neighborhood.

Despite the violations, Bates said the City of Dallas won't enforce the laws. Every time he has attempted to complain he said he gets bounced from one city department to another.

"I think if we had the same problem in Laura Miller's neighborhood it wouldn't be an issue, but because this area of this district seems to get ignored it doesn't seem like anything goes very far," Bates said,

Bates said he is most angry at his own councilwoman Maxine Thornton Reese.

He she he wrote the council member a letter in April of last year complaining of the goats, pigs, chickens and roosters.

Last week, he also complained about four coyotes he said he spotted in his front yard.

"The city told me it couldn't do anything about the coyotes because they were in their natural habitat," he said.

Reese said she has no record of Bates complaints and she did not respond to News 8's request for an interview.

Last week Bates called City Hall asking how to start a recall campaign against her.

Hours later, a city inspector arrived at his house to put a code violation sticker on his car, which runs. He said he doesn't know if its retaliation or coincidence.

[TexasStooge]

Six arrested in $100,000 graffiti case

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Police on Thursday arrested six graffiti artists accused of causing more than $100,000 in property damage.

Two of the suspected graffiti artists, who police said go by monikers like “rewd” and “soler,” appear to have samples of their work posted on dallaspolice.com, a Web site that features graffiti art and clearly is intended to poke fun at law enforcement.

“It’s very much an arrogant in-your-face kind of statement,” said Dallas Police David Kunkle of the Web site. “They have a lack of respect for the community.”

About 6 a.m., nearly 30 officers fanned out across the city to find 10 people who were wanted on arrest warrants. Police located five men and one juvenile, and continue to look for the rest.

“We wanted to make a statement today,” said Chief Kunkle, who accompanied officers on the round-up. “We’ve asked the district attorney not to plea bargain any of these cases.”

He said he also is encouraging citizens to consider filing civil suits against graffiti artists.

Police aren’t sure who currently operates the dallaspolice.com site. But there are monikers for what appears to be more than 400 different artists, who have posted slide shows of their work.

“They’re proud of it,” said Senior Cpl. Max Geron, a police spokesman.

One of the arrested suspects, Anthony Gambino, 22, goes by the nickname “Soler,” police said.

On dallaspolice.com, an artist named “Soler” has posted a slide show of more than 50 pictures of colorful stick figures spray painted on the sides of walls, buildings and even on billboards.

Dallas police also arrested the following individuals on graffiti charges: James Stevenson, 19; Jorge Mendez, 19; Edward Hernandez, 20; Dakota Wolf, 18, and a 16-year-old juvenile.

Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Wolf and the juvenile were all accused of a class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $2,000 in fines.

Mr. Gambino and Mr. Mendez face a state jail felony charge, punishable by up two years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.

[TexasStooge]

Uncharged man silently did time

Jail held 69-year-old for 15 months until cellmate spoke up

By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Walter Mann Sr. was an old man with nowhere to turn. For 15 months in a Dallas County jail, he never faced a criminal charge. He had no visitors. He wondered in a letter about the fate of his wife and kids.

The 69-year-old languished in the geriatric ward of the George Allen Detention Center until a week ago, when a public defender realized someone had made a big mistake.

"I have never ever seen somebody held this long without anything holding them," said E.A. Srere, a lawyer in the Dallas County public defender's office.

"I think it's a case of somebody who slipped through the cracks, and nobody figured it out."

Mr. Mann's story, as told through court filings and interviews, began in summer 2002, when his 13-year-old son assaulted him. The son went to a juvenile detention center. Mr. Mann – unemployed with an eighth-grade education and on disability benefits, according to court records – was assessed a $50 monthly payment to compensate the county for housing the boy.

Mr. Mann didn't pay. In spring 2004, the district attorney's office filed a motion for contempt of juvenile court. After Mr. Mann failed to appear for a July hearing, the court issued a writ of attachment – a little-known civil order that commanded authorities to bring him before a judge.

It was that order – according to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department – that would lead to a prolonged incarceration.


'We knew he was here'

Once booked into jail in September 2004, the man with no apparent criminal record served a few days in jail for three minor justice-of-the-peace warrants, issued for writing bad checks.

Then he waited in jail. More than a year passed.

A ruling was never made in the contempt case. Even if he had been found guilty and given a maximum sentence, he would have faced a $500 fine and six months in jail, according to state law. The cost to confine him for 15 months totaled nearly $10,000, according to county averages.

"The writ of attachment is what held him here. There's no question about it," said Sgt. Don Peritz, a Sheriff's Department spokesman.

"He wasn't lost in the system," Sgt. Peritz added. "We knew he was here. He was here on a legitimate writ of attachment. We hold them until the judge says to hold him no longer."

During his time in jail, records indicate, Mr. Mann made multiple visits back to the 305th Juvenile District Court for his contempt case. Each time, the case was postponed.

A court docket entry dated Oct. 28, 2004, appears to direct someone to lift the writ of attachment. The Sheriff's Department has no record of the writ being lifted or an order of release for the inmate at that time.

Juvenile court records indicate that judges thought he was in jail for something other than the juvenile court's civil order.

Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon, who presides over the 305th, said Thursday that she couldn't talk about the specifics of the case. But she said she would never allow an individual to remain in custody for a long period of time based on a writ out of her court. Such writs, she and others say, are generally intended to make somebody appear before a judge.

"If an individual remained in custody, that would be an indication they had some other kind of county hold on them," she said.

Sgt. Peritz discounted the idea that Mr. Mann's plight could have been caused by the county's new computer system, which caused serious problems at the jail this year. Mr. Mann was booked into jail before the new system was in place.

"This guy got lost obviously," said University of Texas professor Jack Sampson, a nationally known authority on family law. "In my view, it's unquestionable that the guy was wrongly held."

Help from cellmate

Mr. Mann would still be in jail were it not for his cellmate, Jim Brooks.

In November, shortly after Mr. Brooks was jailed at the George Allen facility on minor theft charges, the two struck up a conversation.

"What are you in for?" asked Mr. Brooks, 64.

"My son got in a fight," Mr. Brooks recalled Mr. Mann saying. "They charged him $500. They come and got me and locked me up. I haven't seen a lawyer or talked to anyone in a year and three months."

Mr. Brooks said during a jailhouse interview Thursday that his cellmate appeared quiet and reserved.

"It seemed like he wasn't all there or something sometimes. He would come and go," Mr. Brooks said. "I said, 'Man, why don't you call your people?' He said, 'Nah, I don't want to bother them with anything.' "

The jail's visitor log confirms that nobody visited Mr. Mann during his incarceration, Sgt. Peritz said. No family. No friends. No lawyers.

In a letter he wrote in jail about a month after he was imprisoned, Mr. Mann seemed baffled as to why he was in custody.

"I called the police. Me and his mother talked the police. We wanted too press charges on him," he wrote, apparently referring to his son. "I know I owe the court $3000. There is no charges on me at all because I haven't doing nothing."

Mr. Mann's file in juvenile court, reviewed by The Dallas Morning News under restrictions, makes no reference to an attorney being assigned to him.

An attorney took notice of his case, however, when Mr. Brooks told his public defender, Ms. Srere, about his cellmate. Mr. Srere told a fellow public defender, Shoshana Paige. The same day, Ms. Paige made a couple of calls. Mr. Mann was released from jail on an order signed by Judge Shannon.

"I was shocked, and then part of me was shocked that I was shocked because I've read enough other stories about things like this," Ms. Paige said. "This one seems to be pretty egregious."

Without a trace

Just as he vanished into the county's criminal justice system, Mr. Mann vanished when he was released from jail.

A search of previous addresses, phone numbers, shelters, Parkland Memorial Hospital and the Dallas and Tarrant county medical examiner offices yielded no clues.

The public defender who got him out hasn't been able to find him.

"I don't know if he had a place to sleep," Ms. Paige said. "I don't know what his mental condition was."

Two days after he was released, Mr. Mann celebrated his 69th birthday.

"He was happy, man," Mr. Brooks said of the last time he saw his cellmate. "He was happy" about being released.

But as to where his friend may have gone, Mr. Brooks has no clue.

"He might be in a shelter somewhere," he said. "I guess you better check the shelters."

[TexasStooge]

DWI offender impresses with return to sobriety

By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - To Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Steven Shearin was a tragic car accident waiting to happen. He has been arrested six times for driving while intoxicated. He's been through alcohol counseling. His license has been suspended. He's been put in jail.

Yet in February, he drank 12 beers at a party and stumbled through a sobriety test after he was pulled over on Central Expressway.

But his treatment counselors say Mr. Shearin – a 32-year-old insurance adjuster – has made a recovery unlike most offenders they've seen. He attends four two-hour counseling sessions a week. He has agreed to weekly polygraph tests. He even found an apartment and moved in next to the treatment center.

This week, a Dallas County judge gave him another chance. Facing 10 years in prison, Mr. Shearin instead got probation – with some unusual conditions.

He will spend the first day of every month and all major holidays in jail for the next 10 years. He must wear an ankle monitor that detects alcohol in his perspiration and a patch on his arm that tests for drugs. He must continue with intensive counseling and daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He must take a pill that reduces cravings, submit to lie-detector tests and use a device on his pickup truck that checks his breath for alcohol before starting the ignition.

Mr. Shearin's case exemplifies one of the paradoxes of justice: The public wants drunken drivers held accountable, but it also wants to believe that recovery programs can change a person's behavior.

"I can't quarrel with the judge's ruling because the guy had every treatment provider in the world testifying that he's making amazing progress," said Damita Sangermano, the state's attorney who recommended eight years in prison.

"The probation officer put it best: The concern is always for the safety of the community, but it is also for modifying behavior."

Despite their frustration with failed probation, even MADD officials acknowledge that Mr. Shearin might have had his wake-up call.

"I think the system is doing everything it can to keep this guy from being a danger on the roadway, and I hope it works," said Susan Bragg, the North Texas victim-services director for MADD. "I don't want to be holding the hands of another family that has to be going to a funeral."

Mr. Shearin declined to be interviewed for this story. His attorney, Rick Russell, has not returned calls over the past few weeks to speak on his client's behalf.

Revolving door

For years, Mr. Shearin seemed caught in the cycle of addiction and criminal justice – arrested for drunken driving, serving a short stint in jail and probation, only to be caught drinking and driving again a few months later.

His first DWI came just five months after his 17th birthday. On a rural stretch outside Sherman, a police officer tried to pull him over. Mr. Shearin fled and was caught.

Mr. Shearin's second DWI came eight months after his first. In the court hearing, a Grayson County judge reduced the second charge to public intoxication and sentenced him to probation and a DWI education class. He was 19.

Over the next year, he got pulled over for speeding three times.

In 1993, Mr. Shearin was stopped on U.S. Highway 75 near Anna. His blood alcohol content measured 0.15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit today. At the hearing in February 1994 – just four days after he turned 21 – Mr. Shearin got his first jail sentence, 20 days. If all the DWI charges had been upheld, he could have faced the state penitentiary.

Six months later, Mr. Shearin did get charged with his third DWI – now considered a third-degree felony in Texas, punishable by two to 10 years in prison. A Collin County judge gave him 120 days in jail, made him use a breath-testing ignition lock on his car and suspended his driver's license.

Then a judge granted Mr. Shearin an occupational license to drive to and from work.

In January 1996, still on the occupational license, Mr. Shearin smashed his van into a concrete barrier on Central Expressway in Richardson. A witness told police he saw the van going 100 mph, rapidly changing lanes. An officer wrote on the report that Mr. Shearin was stumbling around outside the van, slurring his version of events, his breath reeking of alcohol, his eyes glassy and bloodshot. But the witness couldn't identify Mr. Shearin as the driver, and he was charged instead with public intoxication – a misdemeanor.

A probation officer reported more problems. Mr. Shearin hadn't been attending AA meetings, he wrote in 1997.

In 1999, he was charged again with public intoxication. His probation was extended another year, and in 2000, he finally completed his probation.

For the first time in his adult life, Mr. Shearin was free from the criminal justice system. It didn't last long.

In December 2000, Coppell police clocked his pickup going 74 mph in a 55-mph zone on State Highway 121. The officer reported that Mr. Shearin's breath smelled of alcohol and that he spoke with a slur.

Mr. Shearin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 180 days in jail. He begged the court to be released early because his common-law wife was expecting their first child. But the day his daughter was born in 2002, Mr. Shearin remained behind bars.

Going to jail, getting counseling and having his license taken away had done nothing to stop his drinking. But friends said not seeing his daughter being born made him realize his mistakes. What had started as a freewheeling high school habit had snowballed to addiction.

"He did not see her until she was seven weeks old," said his common-law wife, who asked not to be identified to protect his daughter. "She's everything to him."

Mr. Shearin committed to quitting. He began an intensive alcohol abuse treatment program. His probation reports were positive; he had a stable home and job.

It's unclear what happened the night of Feb. 12, the Saturday after his birthday. But Mr. Shearin messed up. At 4:30 the next morning, Richardson police stopped his pickup after it went through a red light. Mr. Shearin got out of his vehicle, swayed and fell over.

As condition of his bail, Mr. Shearin had to wear the ankle monitor and the patch, attend AA meetings daily and take a drug that would make him sick if he drank alcohol. Officials later added the polygraph test – a condition that no court official interviewed had ever heard of in a DWI case.

The state prosecutor recommended eight years in prison.

Got his attention

"It woke him up that there was a chance that he wouldn't see his daughter grow up," Mr. Shearin's wife said. "I really do feel that he's serious. If I didn't think he's changed, I would not let him see her."

Dallas County probation supervisor Jeff Arnold said Mr. Shearin has put his life on hold, moving next door to the Plano treatment center and paying hundreds of dollars a month to maintain the various provisions of his probation. The ankle monitor alone costs $360 a month.

Counselors have seen a change in attitude. He is in his final stages of AA and hasn't had a drink since he got the ankle monitor.

"We can impose the same type of sanctions on the same type of offender and not get the same results," Mr. Arnold said. "We have an individual that recognizes that he is an alcoholic and that this is something that he will deal with on a long-term life basis. Before, I don't think that you had an individual that was willing to admit that."

MADD is crossing its fingers.

"If he doesn't abide by the provisions, the court's going to catch him," Ms. Bragg said, "and we'll be on the front row when it does."

[TexasStooge]

Whip club is all it's cracked up to be

Grand Prairie: Members like the camaraderie, say hobby's a snap to pick up

By KATHY A. GOOLSBY / The Dallas Morning News

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - It was a cold Sunday in early December, but the wind wasn't the only thing whipping through Grand Prairie's Mike Lewis Park.

About half a dozen members of the DFW Whip Enthusiasts stood shivering at the park for their semimonthly meeting. Mostly, they huddled near the bathroom wall, venturing out only occasionally to crack a whip a few times before again seeking shelter from the icy wind.

That changed with the arrival of member Lou Gaines.

"I got my new Murphys," he said, unzipping a large flat pouch to reveal a pair of kangaroo leather whips coiled together like snakes.

The group members quickly left their windbreak and converged on Mr. Gaines as he pulled out the braided-leather whips made by renowned Australian whip maker Mike Murphy. The cost for the pair: about $900.

"Apple green and saddle tan," Mr. Gaines, 63, said as he held them out. "Go ahead, give 'em a try."

Loud pops reminiscent of a string of lit firecrackers echoed off the surrounding hills as the men took turns trying out the 7 ½ -foot bullwhips. Holding one in each hand – whips are braided to produce a left- and right-handed pair – they snapped them forward and back in quick succession.

"Oh, those are nice Lou, real nice," Ric Boyd said as he handed back the whips.

It's that camaraderie that several members said draws them to the north Grand Prairie park the first and third Sunday of every month. Anyone is welcome to join them, as long as they understand one thing.

"We are family-oriented," said Sebastian, the group's founder who uses a single name. "Our group is strictly for sport. We do not hit people with whips."

Sebastian, a Dallas resident, started Whip Enthusiasts in 1998 through an Internet chat site. He was looking for others who share his passion.

"When there's just one person at a park cracking a whip, you're a nut and they'll come arrest you," said Sebastian, 35. "But if there are two or three, you're a group and they'll leave you alone."

They began meeting in Dallas parks but moved to Grand Prairie three years ago because of its central location. There are about 100 members locally, but the group's Web site – www .whipenthusiasts.orghas generated an additional 2,300 members in offshoot clubs throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Tasmania, Sebastian said.

The local group took Australia's rigid rules for whip cracking and blended them with Western ideas to include more free-form skills and a wider variety of target and timed events. The revamped rules are used at the organization's annual October competition, which draws participants from around the world to the Grand Prairie park.

Competitors test their accuracy, speed, free form and technical skills. One event has participants cutting away a piece of plastic foam cup using the "cracker" – usually a piece of string – on the end of a whip.

Getting together twice a month gives members a chance to hone those skills and teach one another new ones.

Candice Boyd, a sixth-grader at Hudson Middle School in Garland, took up the sport about a year ago after watching her dad practicing in the front yard.

"It just like to crack them," said Candice, 12. "Everyone thinks it's pretty cool."

It's that popping noise, caused by the tip exceeding the speed of sound, that attracted Grand Prairie resident Larry Robinson, 53, to the sport four years ago. It was the same for Vince Silmon of Cedar Hill.

"I cracked a whip and I was hooked," said Mr. Silmon, 41. "The first time I did it, I kept asking, 'Was that me?' "

Mr. Silmon became intrigued with the sport about six months ago after seeing the movie Catwoman. Others said they were inspired by the Indiana Jones movies, John Wayne Westerns or Lash Larue films.

Spectators are welcome at the park, but Sebastian warns that whip enthusiasts will probably talk them into trying it. And once that happens, it'll be hard to quit.

"There's just something very empowering about standing in one place and making something move faster than the speed of sound," Sebastian said.

[TexasStooge]

Former Richardson chief under fire again

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

RICHARDSON, Texas - Mike Jones, Richardson's former fire chief, has been placed in the hot seat again after a recent city decision to hire him back.

The trouble for Jones began when his own firefighters accused him of sexual harassment and spying on them in the shower.

"Every shift, every shift had a problem," said Billy Whitson, Richardson Firefighters Association's president.

The union said the city tried to sweep the previous problem of complaints of Jones sexually harassing firefighters under the rug. When the complaints circulated to the city, they installed a curtain in the shower room.

Not long after, Jones retired.

While he was cleared of the allegations, he resigned anyway in February, which put his health and pension benefits on the line since he hadn't met the 25 year mark.

Jones worked at the Richardson Fire Department one month short of 25 years, and his return to the department has left many firefighters upset.

Firefighters told News 8 since Jones resigned morale had improved dramatically. But they said City Manger Bill Keffler's decision to rehire Jones and the way it was announced took huge steps backwards in that department.

Jones was quietly rehired by the city as a consultant for just two days, which could have a huge impact on Jones' health and pension benefits for him and his family.

Keffler hired Jones back early in the week and Keffler said, "The matter that I had with Mr. Jones was one that I had lost confidence in his leadership..."

The two day job Jones was hired for was as a consultant to Keffler on Fire Department facilities with a pay of $15 an hour. Under state rules, two days would make Jones an employee for the month, which would mean he would complete the 25 year mark.

Jones doesn't have to come to the fire station or City Hall for his job and he is to give Keffler a report sometime in the future.

"He's had a lot of experience in stations," Keffler said. "He's had a lot of experience working out of training fire facilities. I am very comfortable with my decision.

However, some firefighters suspect the city and Jones worked out the agreement back in February and waited until just before Christmas to announce it.

But the city manager said that isn't true.

"He had 24 years and 11 months of service to the City of Richardson," he said. "He will get his retirement benefits and he'll get what's coming to him, his family and that's the way it will be."

[TexasStooge]

Woman's call for change fails to be heard

South Dallas: Woman finds lack of support in fight for improvements

By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - She came to South Dallas on a mission: to change the way people think.

Six weeks ago, Marcia Uddoh stood in a beret on Birmingham Street, rallying a group of mostly elderly black residents.

"South Dallas is going to be changed," she declared. "By Dec. 8, people are going to be angry and ready to act."

It was a bold proclamation in an area where movements seemingly sprout and wither without notice, where the seemingly intractable problems have endured for decades.

In September, Dr. Uddoh became an organizer for ACORN, a group that orchestrates protests focusing on problems such as cracked pavement, clogged sewers and the need for community police patrols.

But it quickly became evident that the 41-year-old wanted more. The coming weeks would be a chance at empowering people, she said. A chance to teach them to demand more, understand social systems and transform from survivors to thinkers.

The journey would mean 20-hour days, working seven days a week while living in an Oak Cliff halfway house.

It was all to end at a December meeting where hundreds of residents would unite in protest. It would end abruptly in disappointment. Dr. Uddoh would walk away.

A cultured background

When Dr. Uddoh was 4, a writer from The New Yorker magazine visited the family's low-rent apartment on New York's east side. Her parents – a Nigerian doctor and his Jamaican wife – had been protesting the Nigerian assault on Biafra, a short-lived nation created in 1967. Their three children usually joined in the demonstrations, often at the front of marches through the city.

Inside the apartment that summer day, the writer noticed Marcia's paintings, abstracts in bold colors.

Later, the child handed over a gift, a blank notebook. When asked what it was, she exclaimed: "Nothing!" and burst out laughing.

The irreverence runs in her blood.

Her grandfather, a West Indian, lived in a telephone box for a month in Birmingham, England, unable to find housing because of his color.

Dr. Uddoh attended the United Nations International School, Oberlin College, Columbia University and Florida State University, where she earned a doctorate. She owned an art gallery in Manhattan, was a missionary in the Caribbean and is a devout and celibate Catholic.

"She's not somebody you meet every day," said Steve Dooley, Dallas ACORN's head organizer. "She really wanted to be part of something that was doing the good work in the good way. She's just very, very principled."

They are principles that hearken back to the language of protests of decades ago.

"Most of the battle is not on the streets. The battle is in people's minds," Dr. Uddoh said. "They are oppressed. They are so perfectly oppressed that they don't even know the taste of freedom. That's where the battle is."

Not backing down

On a crisp mid-November afternoon, Dr. Uddoh and a few residents gathered at Dallas City Hall. As with all the rallies, it was carefully choreographed. News releases flooded local media. There was a pre-meeting to go over demands, work on chants and pray. Near the end of each protest, the group presented its demands to city officials, asking for an agreement to take actions on problems.

That day the issue was home-repair dollars. In previous weeks, it was storm water, sewers and streets.

Upstairs in a conference room, Dallas housing director Jerry Killingsworth was put off by Dr. Uddoh's aggressive tone.

"You don't come in here telling me what I'm about," he told her.

Mr. Killingsworth, however, agreed to meet with each of the residents individually to talk about their homes.

Most were pleased.

Dr. Uddoh wasn't. What some saw as success, she saw as an attempt to pacify protestors with small handouts. She was in this for big victories. She wanted more money for South Dallas as a whole.

"I'm done with ACORN right now if you can't find it in your heart to help another person who is not here," she told the group behind closed doors. "I came here to win this for everybody in South Dallas."

In the end, they reunited in prayer and walked out of the building chanting into a megaphone.

A game of inequality

Years ago at Florida State, Dr. Uddoh invented a game to highlight real-world social and power structures.

It begins with a group of strangers lumped together on an imaginary bus ride to a fake airplane flight.

On the bus, each is an equal. Soon, however, passengers receive playing cards that determine seating for the flight. Some seats are in first class, others in business class and coach.

When they land, the inequalities multiply. Each person or family gets a business to run, starting with the same amount of money. But each has a different label that quickly leads to differences in finances and justice.

Throughout the game, there are chances to change the rules through community activism. It's Dr. Uddoh's life work.

"For me, the success is with each individual person," she said. "That is where the movement begins."

In South Dallas, she wants people to think as though they lived in North Dallas, to have the same expectations and demands for services.

"This isn't about winning anything or winning money," she said. "This is about people being awakened to the reality of what's around them."

In the real world, changing the game doesn't happen so seamlessly.

"The key is always sustainable mass movements, and that's where the weakness is," said Diane Ragsdale, a veteran South Dallas activist and former City Council member. "How do you sustain a mass movement?"

Stepping down

Through late September and November, Dr. Uddoh's protests attracted a small core of mostly elderly residents, many widows.

"They think it's OK. That's why they don't come out," she said of the turnout. "That's just life for them."

Still, her time in South Dallas had been marked with small successes. Crews came out to look at 80-year-old Harriet Robinson's street and Aretha Mitchell's gutter.

But Dr. Uddoh had a larger plan.

Through late November, she rallied to gather hundreds for a Dec. 8 protest to demand more money for Fair Park neighborhoods from the city and The State Fair of Texas. She passed out fliers at Minyard's, knocked on countless doors and worked the phones.

Outside of Minyard's one day, she met Marilyn Clark, a veteran activist and director of a nonprofit black cinema group. Ms. Clark walked away impressed.

"I just think she's a wonderful person with great skill and integrity," she said. "She's a person we really need on the ground."

The week before the Dec. 8 meeting, Dr. Uddoh suddenly quit.

It happened, she said, after an ACORN veteran told her to tone down her demands. Focus on small issues, she said she was told, to ensure victories.

Dr. Uddoh canceled the protest, packed up her desk and left.

On the night of the event, she still showed up at the largely empty recreation center. She was ready for her next challenge.

She is building the empowerment game in Fort Worth.

[TexasStooge]

Tear gas ends standoff on Central

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — A police chase that began with a truck's unlit rear license plate ended with a standoff between a man and police that closed one of the busiest expressways in Dallas for about six hours early Friday.

The overnight standoff closed U.S. 75 near NorthPark Center, one of Dallas' busiest shopping malls, around closing time Thursday night.

Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson said the episode began about 40 miles to the southeast near Kaufman, where a Kaufman County sheriff's deputy tried to stop the truck for having the unlit license tag.

Instead, the truck sped up. The chase continued, even after the truck blew a tire on a police spike strip near downtown Dallas. About four miles farther north, the truck stopped, and the male driver threatened to shoot officers, Watson said.

At one point, police negotiators feared that the man might be with a child, but they concluded after further negotiations that the man was alone, Watson said.

The man, whose identity was not released, surrendered alone and peacefully to officers just before 5 a.m. Friday, Watson said.

No charges were filed immediately, but the man was taken to Presbyterian Hospital because he possibly ingested methamphetamines or other illegal drugs, according to police.

The freeway was reopened in both directions about dawn Friday.