Fight party videos capture dangerous teen trend
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
Many students across North Texas have started a new dangerous form of partying that involves fists flying and body slams. It also can be seen in videos that are for sale.
Fight party videos show groups of boys, and even girls, pummeling one another. Some of the fights are one-on-one, and others are fought by large groups of people.
Graphics and music are added to the fight videos and ta-da, they are sold for $5.00.
One of the fights in the video show students at an Arlington school going after each other. The school's superintendent said he finds the incident disturbing.
One fight was so dangerous, one of the participants was taken by CareFlite to be treated.
Police said they are ready to file charges.
_____________________________________________________________
Exclusive extended video of fight parties (Parental and Viewer Discretion Advised)
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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Fort Worth considers 'water spy' plan
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth residents and business owners may soon face a new schedule for watering lawns that will ban sprinklers during the heat of the day.
Council members are expected to approve the water conservation measure tonight. It will also apply to the 29 cities that purchase Fort Worth water.
Fort Worth residents use on average 200 gallons every day.
But the city wants to get that down to 190 gallons by 2010.
Greg Smith has given up his coat and tie to putter in the garden.
It's a full-time job now so he's used to setting irrigation systems for customers.
"We do have to conserve water and we're used to being in 110 degrees and watering like crazy," he says.
Many know sun and wind dry up much of the water before it hits the lawns but if you drive around you'll see sprinkler systems going off in different places during the middle of the day.
To change behaviors, Fort Worth will likely approve a permanent ban on lawn watering between 10am and 6 pm from June 1st to September 30th and will set up a website and a hotline for lawn police to report on lawn lovers.
The city will send a warning letter. But if daytime watering continues, there's a consequence: an unforgettable $2000 fine -- if found guilty.
"It's not an automatic $2000 fine. It's up to $2000," said a city official.
"We're not about writing citations. What we're about is achieving water conservation," she said.
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth residents and business owners may soon face a new schedule for watering lawns that will ban sprinklers during the heat of the day.
Council members are expected to approve the water conservation measure tonight. It will also apply to the 29 cities that purchase Fort Worth water.
Fort Worth residents use on average 200 gallons every day.
But the city wants to get that down to 190 gallons by 2010.
Greg Smith has given up his coat and tie to putter in the garden.
It's a full-time job now so he's used to setting irrigation systems for customers.
"We do have to conserve water and we're used to being in 110 degrees and watering like crazy," he says.
Many know sun and wind dry up much of the water before it hits the lawns but if you drive around you'll see sprinkler systems going off in different places during the middle of the day.
To change behaviors, Fort Worth will likely approve a permanent ban on lawn watering between 10am and 6 pm from June 1st to September 30th and will set up a website and a hotline for lawn police to report on lawn lovers.
The city will send a warning letter. But if daytime watering continues, there's a consequence: an unforgettable $2000 fine -- if found guilty.
"It's not an automatic $2000 fine. It's up to $2000," said a city official.
"We're not about writing citations. What we're about is achieving water conservation," she said.
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TexasStooge
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Dallas ISD probes special needs student's injury
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Independent School District officials have launched a full scale investigation in an attempt to figure out how a special needs student was injured.
A teacher's aide said she was taking a 15-year-old WW Samuell High School student out into the courtyard for some sun when his wheelchair suddenly toppled forward and smashed into the ground while going over a pair of steps.
The injuries led the student to be hospitalized overnight at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Greg Taylor was born with cerebral palsy and can't talk, which means he can't tell his mom his side of how or why he tumbled out of his wheelchair.
He hit his face first, knocked out one tooth and damaged two more.
"The two in the front have to be removed [because] they were broken," said Wanda Williams, Taylor's mother. "His forehead has been scarred up [and] his nose is scarred up."
While the steps seemed to be the problem in the accident, the courtyard had two other entrances with wheelchair ramps.
"Being a teacher, she should have used a ramp," Williams said. "She was being careless with him and he can't walk or talk to tell her no."
Williams said she heard two versions of what went wrong.
One teacher said she miscounted the steps and slipped. Another version said that a wheel got caught in a crack.
The teacher was placed on emergency removal and the district continues to investigate.
"Its unfortunate, but in life accidents happen," said Donny Claxton, a DISD spokesperson. "We're not excusing what happened yesterday, and if this person did something wrong there will be consequences."
However, this was the second time in three years Taylor was dropped and hurt at WW Samuell High School. His mother said while he loves the school, she doesn't trust it.
"I don't feel like he should go back," she said. "Its not safe. They are not doing what they are supposed to do."
The principal visited the hospital Monday night, but she said that doesn't conquer her fears.
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Independent School District officials have launched a full scale investigation in an attempt to figure out how a special needs student was injured.
A teacher's aide said she was taking a 15-year-old WW Samuell High School student out into the courtyard for some sun when his wheelchair suddenly toppled forward and smashed into the ground while going over a pair of steps.
The injuries led the student to be hospitalized overnight at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Greg Taylor was born with cerebral palsy and can't talk, which means he can't tell his mom his side of how or why he tumbled out of his wheelchair.
He hit his face first, knocked out one tooth and damaged two more.
"The two in the front have to be removed [because] they were broken," said Wanda Williams, Taylor's mother. "His forehead has been scarred up [and] his nose is scarred up."
While the steps seemed to be the problem in the accident, the courtyard had two other entrances with wheelchair ramps.
"Being a teacher, she should have used a ramp," Williams said. "She was being careless with him and he can't walk or talk to tell her no."
Williams said she heard two versions of what went wrong.
One teacher said she miscounted the steps and slipped. Another version said that a wheel got caught in a crack.
The teacher was placed on emergency removal and the district continues to investigate.
"Its unfortunate, but in life accidents happen," said Donny Claxton, a DISD spokesperson. "We're not excusing what happened yesterday, and if this person did something wrong there will be consequences."
However, this was the second time in three years Taylor was dropped and hurt at WW Samuell High School. His mother said while he loves the school, she doesn't trust it.
"I don't feel like he should go back," she said. "Its not safe. They are not doing what they are supposed to do."
The principal visited the hospital Monday night, but she said that doesn't conquer her fears.
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Lewisville standoff ends peacefully
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
LEWISVILLE, Texas - An incident Lewisville police described as a suicide watch ended peacefully Tuesday afternoon when a man who had barricaded himself in his home turned himself in to police.
Phillip McField, 38, was arrested on a criminal trespass warrant from Ponder after about an hour. Authorities had contacted Mr. McField on Tuesday and asked him to come in and take care of the warrant, but he said he was going to harm himself.
Lewisville police then went to his home in the 800 block of Salem Trail, and he refused to come to the door, police said.
Negotiators then talked him into surrendering. He was booked in to the Lewisville jail on the criminal trespass charge and likely would remain under suicide watch police said.
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
LEWISVILLE, Texas - An incident Lewisville police described as a suicide watch ended peacefully Tuesday afternoon when a man who had barricaded himself in his home turned himself in to police.
Phillip McField, 38, was arrested on a criminal trespass warrant from Ponder after about an hour. Authorities had contacted Mr. McField on Tuesday and asked him to come in and take care of the warrant, but he said he was going to harm himself.
Lewisville police then went to his home in the 800 block of Salem Trail, and he refused to come to the door, police said.
Negotiators then talked him into surrendering. He was booked in to the Lewisville jail on the criminal trespass charge and likely would remain under suicide watch police said.
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Beware of snakes in the grass
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas — Beware of snakes in the grass.
Brig Serman of Arlington is recovering from a rare snake bite that sent him to the hospital with extreme pain and swelling.
His was one of at least three copperhead encounters within a few days—including one inside Channel 8's Fort Worth newsroom.
Copperheads blend in perfectly with North Texas ground cover, as Serman learned when he attempted to turn on an outdoor water spigot and was bit on the foot.
The snake was only a foot long, but when it's your foot, that doesn't matter.
"It felt like two syringes full of acid going into my foot," Serman said. "Very painful, intense burning."
Swelling and redness spread from Serman's foot to his knee. "They had me in ICU for two days while they gave me a course of anti-venom," he said.
The bite marks were still apparent after his release from the hospital "It's still a little swollen rght there," he said.
The day after Serman was bitten, his young son was scheduled to visit River Legacy park with a Scout group, but decided against it.
Maybe it's a good thing. His group came across another copperhead.
Park naturalist Melissa Laxson said she has seen only two copperheads in two years. "Normally, they'll feel you coming and move away," she said.
But one of the colorful reptiles surprised us in Channel 8's Fort Worth newsroom just last month.
Since his snake encounter, Brig Serman cut back his landscaping and spread sulphur around the house to deter snakes and rodents.
Parents in his North Arlington neighborhood are keeping a closer watch on kids now, too.
Venomous snakebites are extremely rare. Serman was only the third victim treated this year at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
But copperheads are out there—and they don't have rattles to warn you to watch your step.
In most years, copperheads bite more people than any other U.S. snake species. They have the mildest venom, however, so copperhead bites typically aren't fatal.
There is no way to tell a venomous snake from a harmless one, so experts suggest finding out which venomous snakes are found in your area—and remember what they look like.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas — Beware of snakes in the grass.
Brig Serman of Arlington is recovering from a rare snake bite that sent him to the hospital with extreme pain and swelling.
His was one of at least three copperhead encounters within a few days—including one inside Channel 8's Fort Worth newsroom.
Copperheads blend in perfectly with North Texas ground cover, as Serman learned when he attempted to turn on an outdoor water spigot and was bit on the foot.
The snake was only a foot long, but when it's your foot, that doesn't matter.
"It felt like two syringes full of acid going into my foot," Serman said. "Very painful, intense burning."
Swelling and redness spread from Serman's foot to his knee. "They had me in ICU for two days while they gave me a course of anti-venom," he said.
The bite marks were still apparent after his release from the hospital "It's still a little swollen rght there," he said.
The day after Serman was bitten, his young son was scheduled to visit River Legacy park with a Scout group, but decided against it.
Maybe it's a good thing. His group came across another copperhead.
Park naturalist Melissa Laxson said she has seen only two copperheads in two years. "Normally, they'll feel you coming and move away," she said.
But one of the colorful reptiles surprised us in Channel 8's Fort Worth newsroom just last month.
Since his snake encounter, Brig Serman cut back his landscaping and spread sulphur around the house to deter snakes and rodents.
Parents in his North Arlington neighborhood are keeping a closer watch on kids now, too.
Venomous snakebites are extremely rare. Serman was only the third victim treated this year at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
But copperheads are out there—and they don't have rattles to warn you to watch your step.
In most years, copperheads bite more people than any other U.S. snake species. They have the mildest venom, however, so copperhead bites typically aren't fatal.
There is no way to tell a venomous snake from a harmless one, so experts suggest finding out which venomous snakes are found in your area—and remember what they look like.
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K104 DJ in midst of fight party controversy
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A popular Dallas radio show host that appears on a DVD that shows graphic images of fight parties said he was tricked.
Police said Aggtownz Fights Part II, which sells for at least $15.00, is just one among many teens are buying on the streets.
Four people were arrested Wednesday for Arlington fight clubs that appeared in a DVD.
But what is as surprising to some as much as the actual fighting was the appearance of K104 radio host and program director Skip Cheatham.
"Dude, it's your boy Skip Cheatham holding it down holding it down," Cheatham says on the video. "My dog Mike Jack doing it real big. Aggtownz Fight Party II. It's going down baby."
Police sent K104 radio station a letter that accused the DJs of exploiting young African-American listeners by promoting the fight parties.
Mike Jackson was allegedly the guy behind the camera at many of the fight parties and was placed under arrest. In one scenes he can be seen dancing in the DVD he allegedly produced.
But Cheatham said he was duped when Jackson filmed him, and that his appearance on camera was later edited into the controversial fight party DVD.
Cheatham is known for giving "shout-outs" to teen listeners and their organizations. So is fellow DJ "CatDaddy" who also appeared on the DVD.
Cheatham said they were videotaped last July and thought Aggtownz Fights was actually a shout out for an upcoming DJ battle, not a street fight.
One parent called Cheatham personally to ask about his involvement.
"I talked to him to see if he was really a part of this and he said no, he would never advocate violence," said the mother. "All I can do is take his word for it."
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A popular Dallas radio show host that appears on a DVD that shows graphic images of fight parties said he was tricked.
Police said Aggtownz Fights Part II, which sells for at least $15.00, is just one among many teens are buying on the streets.
Four people were arrested Wednesday for Arlington fight clubs that appeared in a DVD.
But what is as surprising to some as much as the actual fighting was the appearance of K104 radio host and program director Skip Cheatham.
"Dude, it's your boy Skip Cheatham holding it down holding it down," Cheatham says on the video. "My dog Mike Jack doing it real big. Aggtownz Fight Party II. It's going down baby."
Police sent K104 radio station a letter that accused the DJs of exploiting young African-American listeners by promoting the fight parties.
Mike Jackson was allegedly the guy behind the camera at many of the fight parties and was placed under arrest. In one scenes he can be seen dancing in the DVD he allegedly produced.
But Cheatham said he was duped when Jackson filmed him, and that his appearance on camera was later edited into the controversial fight party DVD.
Cheatham is known for giving "shout-outs" to teen listeners and their organizations. So is fellow DJ "CatDaddy" who also appeared on the DVD.
Cheatham said they were videotaped last July and thought Aggtownz Fights was actually a shout out for an upcoming DJ battle, not a street fight.
One parent called Cheatham personally to ask about his involvement.
"I talked to him to see if he was really a part of this and he said no, he would never advocate violence," said the mother. "All I can do is take his word for it."
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TexasStooge
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Church burns in Collin County
COLLIN COUNTY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Firefighters from four cities battled a blaze Thursday morning at a church in northwestern Collin County.
The blaze at the Rhea's Mill Baptist Church in the 5700 block of North Custer Road began at approximately 3:30 a.m. By 6:20 a.m. the flames were no longer showing outisde the building, but smoke was still visible.
Crews from Prosper, Frisco, Collin County and McKinney worked for hours to bring the blaze under control. A shortage of water at the site of the fire hampered the firefighters' efforts.
The church is located between Frisco and McKinney, just north of SH 121.
COLLIN COUNTY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Firefighters from four cities battled a blaze Thursday morning at a church in northwestern Collin County.
The blaze at the Rhea's Mill Baptist Church in the 5700 block of North Custer Road began at approximately 3:30 a.m. By 6:20 a.m. the flames were no longer showing outisde the building, but smoke was still visible.
Crews from Prosper, Frisco, Collin County and McKinney worked for hours to bring the blaze under control. A shortage of water at the site of the fire hampered the firefighters' efforts.
The church is located between Frisco and McKinney, just north of SH 121.
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Burglary victims can expect police to visit the scene
Dallas officials say in-person approach more effective than phone-it-in routine
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The break-ins at Horace Cunningham's small east Oak Cliff appliance repair store started in March. He put bars on the windows after the second burglary, but that didn't deter the thieves.
It happened again Wednesday. This time, thieves forced open his garage door, causing about $1,500 in damage. They also took about $3,000 worth of Freon.
Thieves have struck at least four times, he said. But police came to the shop just twice – and not very quickly.
That will change under a policy that takes effect Monday. Officers will be required to go to the scenes of all residential and business burglaries, rather than taking reports over the phone.
"It says that somebody cares and somebody's going to give a listening ear," Mr. Cunningham said.
Dallas ranked No. 1 in burglaries last year among cities with a population of at least 1 million. Only 8.1 percent of Dallas' roughly 22,300 reported burglaries were cleared.
The new policy is intended to improve that rate as officers rededicate themselves to swiftly gathering evidence and getting more complete information from victims.
"This is just good old-fashioned police work, getting back to the basics," said Assistant Chief Danny Garcia. "By meeting face-to-face with victims, it gives us a better opportunity to make arrests, recover property, clear offenses and catch repeat offenders."
Here's the way it had been working for at least the last 15 years: People would call 911 to report a burglary. Police generally were sent only if it was a burglary in progress and the burglar was thought to be in the area. If the burglar had fled, the caller was generally told that someone would call back to take a report. Detectives were later assigned to make a follow-up call to the victim.
The new policy will have patrol officers going to the scene of all burglaries, whether a suspect is still there or not. Based on what the victim tells the officer and the evidence collected, the officer will let the victim know whether there's enough information for detectives to actively follow up on the case.
"We should have a higher quality of preliminary investigation because somebody's going to go out and talk" to the victim, said Lt. Barry Payne, head of the investigative unit at the southeast patrol division. "It also gives detectives a little more time to work on cases that actually have leads."
The new policy was recommended in a City Council-commissioned efficiency study that said about half of burglary calls were handled by telephone.
"Burglaries are very invasive and unsettling crimes," the report said. "Many citizens who have been burglarized consider their homes to have been violated and, because the crime is so personal in nature, want and expect a police officer to respond in person."
Chief Garcia agrees.
"If somebody broke into my house, I want to see the police," he said.
He said the recent change in how police respond to commercial burglar alarms also has freed up resources. The new "verified response" policy requires private security guards to determine the validity of a commercial alarm before police will respond.
The new policy applies once current business alarm permits are renewed. About 25 percent of Dallas business alarms are now subject to the policy, officials said.
Doug Wright, who owns a commercial photography studio, said he welcomed the new policy on police responding in person to burglary reports, but he still says police should respond whenever his burglar alarm sounds, because he believes that had a deterrent effect for would-be thieves.
"I think they went about it the wrong way in cutting off the services instead of punishing the abusers of the system," Mr. Wright said.
The alarm industry associations that criticized the verified-response policy praised the decision to send officers to all actual break-ins.
"That's one police service that the Police Department should have never abandoned in the first place," said Chris Russell, president of the North Texas Alarm Association. "Victims of crime are upset when they find they've been burglarized, and an officer should be there to speak with them and consult with them."
Still, the policy change comes too late for Mr. Cunningham, the Oak Cliff repairman who opened his shop about three years ago. He said there have been no arrests in his cases.
"They took all my tools. They took generators, compressors and welding torches," he said. "I'm just going to relocate my stuff and put the building up for sale. I sleep on pins and needles at night. It's just too unnerving."
Dallas officials say in-person approach more effective than phone-it-in routine
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The break-ins at Horace Cunningham's small east Oak Cliff appliance repair store started in March. He put bars on the windows after the second burglary, but that didn't deter the thieves.
It happened again Wednesday. This time, thieves forced open his garage door, causing about $1,500 in damage. They also took about $3,000 worth of Freon.
Thieves have struck at least four times, he said. But police came to the shop just twice – and not very quickly.
That will change under a policy that takes effect Monday. Officers will be required to go to the scenes of all residential and business burglaries, rather than taking reports over the phone.
"It says that somebody cares and somebody's going to give a listening ear," Mr. Cunningham said.
Dallas ranked No. 1 in burglaries last year among cities with a population of at least 1 million. Only 8.1 percent of Dallas' roughly 22,300 reported burglaries were cleared.
The new policy is intended to improve that rate as officers rededicate themselves to swiftly gathering evidence and getting more complete information from victims.
"This is just good old-fashioned police work, getting back to the basics," said Assistant Chief Danny Garcia. "By meeting face-to-face with victims, it gives us a better opportunity to make arrests, recover property, clear offenses and catch repeat offenders."
Here's the way it had been working for at least the last 15 years: People would call 911 to report a burglary. Police generally were sent only if it was a burglary in progress and the burglar was thought to be in the area. If the burglar had fled, the caller was generally told that someone would call back to take a report. Detectives were later assigned to make a follow-up call to the victim.
The new policy will have patrol officers going to the scene of all burglaries, whether a suspect is still there or not. Based on what the victim tells the officer and the evidence collected, the officer will let the victim know whether there's enough information for detectives to actively follow up on the case.
"We should have a higher quality of preliminary investigation because somebody's going to go out and talk" to the victim, said Lt. Barry Payne, head of the investigative unit at the southeast patrol division. "It also gives detectives a little more time to work on cases that actually have leads."
The new policy was recommended in a City Council-commissioned efficiency study that said about half of burglary calls were handled by telephone.
"Burglaries are very invasive and unsettling crimes," the report said. "Many citizens who have been burglarized consider their homes to have been violated and, because the crime is so personal in nature, want and expect a police officer to respond in person."
Chief Garcia agrees.
"If somebody broke into my house, I want to see the police," he said.
He said the recent change in how police respond to commercial burglar alarms also has freed up resources. The new "verified response" policy requires private security guards to determine the validity of a commercial alarm before police will respond.
The new policy applies once current business alarm permits are renewed. About 25 percent of Dallas business alarms are now subject to the policy, officials said.
Doug Wright, who owns a commercial photography studio, said he welcomed the new policy on police responding in person to burglary reports, but he still says police should respond whenever his burglar alarm sounds, because he believes that had a deterrent effect for would-be thieves.
"I think they went about it the wrong way in cutting off the services instead of punishing the abusers of the system," Mr. Wright said.
The alarm industry associations that criticized the verified-response policy praised the decision to send officers to all actual break-ins.
"That's one police service that the Police Department should have never abandoned in the first place," said Chris Russell, president of the North Texas Alarm Association. "Victims of crime are upset when they find they've been burglarized, and an officer should be there to speak with them and consult with them."
Still, the policy change comes too late for Mr. Cunningham, the Oak Cliff repairman who opened his shop about three years ago. He said there have been no arrests in his cases.
"They took all my tools. They took generators, compressors and welding torches," he said. "I'm just going to relocate my stuff and put the building up for sale. I sleep on pins and needles at night. It's just too unnerving."
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Fort Worth fire was double-murder coverup
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters battling a residential blaze north of downtown Thursday morning made a grisly discovery.
They found the bodies of an adult man and a teenaged girl inside the house in the 2400 block of Irion Ave. Both had gunshot wounds.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Lt. Kent Worley said the fire was apparently set to cover up a double homicide.
He said the fire had broken out about 6:20 a.m. and that crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames upon arrival and keep them from destroying the home.
Police say no reports of shots being fired were made to 911 before the fire.
"We haven't ruled out anything - murder-suicide or homicide," Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.
Police and arson investigators are working jointly on the case.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters battling a residential blaze north of downtown Thursday morning made a grisly discovery.
They found the bodies of an adult man and a teenaged girl inside the house in the 2400 block of Irion Ave. Both had gunshot wounds.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Lt. Kent Worley said the fire was apparently set to cover up a double homicide.
He said the fire had broken out about 6:20 a.m. and that crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames upon arrival and keep them from destroying the home.
Police say no reports of shots being fired were made to 911 before the fire.
"We haven't ruled out anything - murder-suicide or homicide," Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.
Police and arson investigators are working jointly on the case.
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Fire damages McKinney church
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
McKINNEY, Texas — No injuries were reported after fire swept through part of Rhea's Mill Baptist Church early Thursday.
Fire investigators said they suspect a Wednesday night function may have sparked the blaze in the church's chapel.
The fire in the 5700 block of North Custer Road was reported about 3:30 a.m. and had apparently been smoldering for several hours.
McKinney firefighters called for help from volunteer fire departments to help bring the blaze under control by daybreak. The chapel building was all but a total loss.
The sanctuary of the 250-member church, which is adjacent to the chapel, was not damaged.
A McKinney Fire Department spokesperson said firefighting efforts were hindered by the lack of fire hydrants in the rural area.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
McKINNEY, Texas — No injuries were reported after fire swept through part of Rhea's Mill Baptist Church early Thursday.
Fire investigators said they suspect a Wednesday night function may have sparked the blaze in the church's chapel.
The fire in the 5700 block of North Custer Road was reported about 3:30 a.m. and had apparently been smoldering for several hours.
McKinney firefighters called for help from volunteer fire departments to help bring the blaze under control by daybreak. The chapel building was all but a total loss.
The sanctuary of the 250-member church, which is adjacent to the chapel, was not damaged.
A McKinney Fire Department spokesperson said firefighting efforts were hindered by the lack of fire hydrants in the rural area.
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Teacher found guilty of assault in beating of fellow educator
Dallas: Felony sentence of probation to 10 years in prison expected today
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas schoolteacher who beat and kicked another teacher while a classroom of seventh-grade students watched was convicted Wednesday of assaulting a public servant.
Paulette Baines faces punishment ranging from probation to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony conviction. District Judge Faith Johnson is expected to sentence her today.
Prosecutors had asked jurors to return a guilty verdict on a more-serious charge of aggravated assault of a public servant, noting that teacher Mary Oliver suffered two broken ribs, a concussion, bruises and damaged disks in her neck at Ms. Baines' hands and feet.
"These people, when they have these types of things happen to them, deserve our support," prosecutor Pat Batchelor said.
Jurors said they wrestled with the legal definition of "serious bodily injury" and could not be sure that an injury to Ms. Oliver's neck was the result of the beating because she reported it more than a month after the attack.
A doctor testified during the trial that pain from such injuries is sometimes not immediately felt.
Ms. Oliver, a seventh-grade science teacher at William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted in Oak Lawn, testified that the April 2005 attack occurred hours after she had confronted Ms. Baines' daughter and other students for being in a school hallway without permission.
Ms. Baines, who was a teacher at North Dallas High School at the time, showed up during Ms. Oliver's third-period class complaining that she had "embarrassed" her daughter, she said.
When Ms. Oliver refused to discuss the matter during class, Ms. Baines grabbed her by the hair and punched her, witnesses testified. As 12- and 13-year-olds watched, Ms. Baines pulled Ms. Oliver from her chair and kicked her repeatedly.
Ms. Baines was fired after the incident.
Although they returned a guilty verdict on a less-serious charge than what prosecutors had asked, jurors said they did not think the case was any less serious.
Leaving the courthouse Wednesday, jurors said they were shocked by the 15-year veteran teacher's behavior.
"That was the most appalling part – that one teacher attacked another," jury foreman Stuart Barnhill said.
Ms. Baines did not testify in the trial, and her supporters declined to comment Wednesday.
In closing arguments, attorney Jim Barklow did not dispute that Ms. Baines committed the assault but denied that a teacher fits the murky legal definition of "public servant" or that the blows Ms. Oliver suffered amounted to "serious bodily injury."
Ms. Oliver said she was pleased with the verdict.
"My goal was for her to never be in the classroom again, and a felony conviction assures that," she said, adding that she hopes Ms. Baines receives jail time.
"She might have hurt me physically, but emotionally, we have 360 kids in school, and she hurt every one of them," she said.
Dallas: Felony sentence of probation to 10 years in prison expected today
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas schoolteacher who beat and kicked another teacher while a classroom of seventh-grade students watched was convicted Wednesday of assaulting a public servant.
Paulette Baines faces punishment ranging from probation to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony conviction. District Judge Faith Johnson is expected to sentence her today.
Prosecutors had asked jurors to return a guilty verdict on a more-serious charge of aggravated assault of a public servant, noting that teacher Mary Oliver suffered two broken ribs, a concussion, bruises and damaged disks in her neck at Ms. Baines' hands and feet.
"These people, when they have these types of things happen to them, deserve our support," prosecutor Pat Batchelor said.
Jurors said they wrestled with the legal definition of "serious bodily injury" and could not be sure that an injury to Ms. Oliver's neck was the result of the beating because she reported it more than a month after the attack.
A doctor testified during the trial that pain from such injuries is sometimes not immediately felt.
Ms. Oliver, a seventh-grade science teacher at William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted in Oak Lawn, testified that the April 2005 attack occurred hours after she had confronted Ms. Baines' daughter and other students for being in a school hallway without permission.
Ms. Baines, who was a teacher at North Dallas High School at the time, showed up during Ms. Oliver's third-period class complaining that she had "embarrassed" her daughter, she said.
When Ms. Oliver refused to discuss the matter during class, Ms. Baines grabbed her by the hair and punched her, witnesses testified. As 12- and 13-year-olds watched, Ms. Baines pulled Ms. Oliver from her chair and kicked her repeatedly.
Ms. Baines was fired after the incident.
Although they returned a guilty verdict on a less-serious charge than what prosecutors had asked, jurors said they did not think the case was any less serious.
Leaving the courthouse Wednesday, jurors said they were shocked by the 15-year veteran teacher's behavior.
"That was the most appalling part – that one teacher attacked another," jury foreman Stuart Barnhill said.
Ms. Baines did not testify in the trial, and her supporters declined to comment Wednesday.
In closing arguments, attorney Jim Barklow did not dispute that Ms. Baines committed the assault but denied that a teacher fits the murky legal definition of "public servant" or that the blows Ms. Oliver suffered amounted to "serious bodily injury."
Ms. Oliver said she was pleased with the verdict.
"My goal was for her to never be in the classroom again, and a felony conviction assures that," she said, adding that she hopes Ms. Baines receives jail time.
"She might have hurt me physically, but emotionally, we have 360 kids in school, and she hurt every one of them," she said.
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Missing Argyle woman located
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
ARGYLE, Texas / LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Argyle police have located an 86-year-old woman who had been missing from her home since 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Argyle Police Chief Tom Tackett said Dorothy May Miller arrived at the Louisville, Ky., home of her sister Wednesday evening on a bus
"She was frazzled, tired and worn out but is now safe with relatives in Kentucky," Tackett said. "This brief scare for all of us for the safety of Mrs. Miller should remind us that there are government-funded programs to assist with wandering patients. Even with all that is done, as a family we are responsible for their safety when they can no longer care for themselves."
Tackett said Miller has left her home several times over the last year and “hitchhiked” to the Argyle police department or to Denton. She would leave her home and begin walking down the road, and often drivers would stop and pick her up. She was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, Tackett said.
On Tuesday, she apparently found a ride to Denton, where she made a withdrawal from her bank account, tried to make a hair appointment and boarded a bus for Louisville.
By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle
ARGYLE, Texas / LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Argyle police have located an 86-year-old woman who had been missing from her home since 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Argyle Police Chief Tom Tackett said Dorothy May Miller arrived at the Louisville, Ky., home of her sister Wednesday evening on a bus
"She was frazzled, tired and worn out but is now safe with relatives in Kentucky," Tackett said. "This brief scare for all of us for the safety of Mrs. Miller should remind us that there are government-funded programs to assist with wandering patients. Even with all that is done, as a family we are responsible for their safety when they can no longer care for themselves."
Tackett said Miller has left her home several times over the last year and “hitchhiked” to the Argyle police department or to Denton. She would leave her home and begin walking down the road, and often drivers would stop and pick her up. She was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, Tackett said.
On Tuesday, she apparently found a ride to Denton, where she made a withdrawal from her bank account, tried to make a hair appointment and boarded a bus for Louisville.
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UT Arlington: If one flag goes, they all go
Arlington: Threat to funds may have led to removal of display amid Vietnam banner uproar
By TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON, Texas - Pressure from state lawmakers to withhold future funding may have contributed to the decision to remove 123 international flags on display at the University of Texas at Arlington.
The flags were taken down Tuesday night after more than a month of heated debate and protests over the addition of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam flag during international week in April.
Thousands of Vietnamese-American students and community members rallied to have the post-war flag removed. They called on lawmakers to help.
UTA President Jim Spaniolo said last month that Vietnam's official flag was about students, not politics, and that it would remain in the Hall of Flags along with the flag of the Republic of South Vietnam, now known as the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag.
But this week, a discussion came up about a bill in the House that gives money to public universities for capital improvements and includes $70 million for a new engineering research building at UTA.
"There was the prospect that an amendment would be offered to make the funding on the tuition revenue bond conditional on removing the flag," state Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington, said Wednesday. "I would have had to defend funding or go against the Vietnamese-American community."
Adding the post-war flag "became a political issue that could damage the university financially," Mr. Goodman said.
Mr. Goodman, who attended a student-led candlelight vigil and watched a rally protesting the flag, said he also talked to UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof.
"It's a horrible place to be ... a no-win deal," Mr. Goodman said.
Though the bill was not a part of the agenda for the special session and could not be considered, Mr. Spaniolo made the decision to remove the flags Tuesday.
"We were never asked to remove all of the flags," said Bob Wright, director of public affairs at UTA. "We felt that if we removed one, we had to remove them all."
Mr. Spaniolo said he opted not to disclose details from his conversations with lawmakers about the flag, saying that he has a policy of keeping private conversations private.
"Legislators were candid with me, and I appreciated their advice," he said.
In a statement released Wednesday, Mr. Spaniolo said, "A cooling off period is needed for thoughtful reflection."
UTA will establish a student committee in the fall to find another way to recognize and celebrate its student diversity. The flags remain in storage until the university figures out what to do with them, Mr. Wright said.
"Our ultimate goal remains fostering a strong sense of community among all our students, including all our international students," Mr. Spaniolo's statement read. "We must never forget that a public university is a special institution that respects all individuals and embraces diversity."
Tuesday's decision drew mixed responses.
Duc Tran, 21, a Vietnamese-American student at UTA, said he thinks it's irresponsible to take down all of the flags.
"For us, we only fight to remove the communist flag," said Mr. Tran, a junior. "It's like a blame on us because they removed all of the flags."
He said he and his peers are relieved but feel pressure because the international students might blame them because theirs was removed, too.
Another Vietnamese-American student, Kelly Dinh, never expected the university to take down all the flags.
"I was very disappointed," said Ms. Dinh, 22. "The American flag and Texas flag are down, too. We're Americans, and we're Texans.
"He made a mistake in the beginning to bring the flag up, and now he made another mistake to bring them all down," she added. "It's really a mess."
Hung Cao, 25, an international student from Vietnam, says he too fears all Vietnamese students will share the blame.
"I'm sad about that because they had to remove all of the flags of all international countries," said Mr. Cao, who has been at UTA since the fall and is working on a master's degree. "Maybe they blame us and think it's our fault because of our convictions."
"It's a sensitive issue," he said, adding that perhaps UTA should have removed just the post-war flag. "Before the hall was colorful. Now it's not."
Bloggers also weighed in, criticizing the university's decision to remove all of the flags.
UTA alumus Tom Ha appreciates the removal of the flag that he said offended and hurt Vietnamese-Americans. Its presence and the university's decision to hang it caused psychological damage, he said.
"It's like if someone hit me in the face with a 3-by-4, and they keep hitting me. I'm hurt, but even if they stop, I'm still hurt," he said. "We're distressed and distraught."
"It has turned our lives upside down," Mr. Ha said. "It created animosity among international students. They're blaming Vietnamese-American students."
Mr. Spaniolo's statement did little to help the situation, he said.
"There's no healing in that statement," he added.
UTA officials estimate that about 2,000 Vietnamese-American students are enrolled at the campus. About two dozen students are from Vietnam.
State Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston, said he was thankful that the university reconsidered its position and removed the flag.
He wrote a letter to UTA officials after the post-war flag was raised and urged them to take it down. Eighteen other lawmakers supported his letter.
"My intent was not that they remove all of the flags," Mr. Vo said. "I know it's a tough decision for them. The community is very grateful."
The tradition of hanging flags representing international students in the College of Engineering began in 1989, Mr. Wright said.
MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Dallas Morning News
Flags once hung in the Hall of Flags, located in Nedderman Hall at UTA. Some Vietnamese students and community leaders objected to the addition of post-war flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam ( top center, with star).
Arlington: Threat to funds may have led to removal of display amid Vietnam banner uproar
By TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON, Texas - Pressure from state lawmakers to withhold future funding may have contributed to the decision to remove 123 international flags on display at the University of Texas at Arlington.
The flags were taken down Tuesday night after more than a month of heated debate and protests over the addition of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam flag during international week in April.
Thousands of Vietnamese-American students and community members rallied to have the post-war flag removed. They called on lawmakers to help.
UTA President Jim Spaniolo said last month that Vietnam's official flag was about students, not politics, and that it would remain in the Hall of Flags along with the flag of the Republic of South Vietnam, now known as the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag.
But this week, a discussion came up about a bill in the House that gives money to public universities for capital improvements and includes $70 million for a new engineering research building at UTA.
"There was the prospect that an amendment would be offered to make the funding on the tuition revenue bond conditional on removing the flag," state Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington, said Wednesday. "I would have had to defend funding or go against the Vietnamese-American community."
Adding the post-war flag "became a political issue that could damage the university financially," Mr. Goodman said.
Mr. Goodman, who attended a student-led candlelight vigil and watched a rally protesting the flag, said he also talked to UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof.
"It's a horrible place to be ... a no-win deal," Mr. Goodman said.
Though the bill was not a part of the agenda for the special session and could not be considered, Mr. Spaniolo made the decision to remove the flags Tuesday.
"We were never asked to remove all of the flags," said Bob Wright, director of public affairs at UTA. "We felt that if we removed one, we had to remove them all."
Mr. Spaniolo said he opted not to disclose details from his conversations with lawmakers about the flag, saying that he has a policy of keeping private conversations private.
"Legislators were candid with me, and I appreciated their advice," he said.
In a statement released Wednesday, Mr. Spaniolo said, "A cooling off period is needed for thoughtful reflection."
UTA will establish a student committee in the fall to find another way to recognize and celebrate its student diversity. The flags remain in storage until the university figures out what to do with them, Mr. Wright said.
"Our ultimate goal remains fostering a strong sense of community among all our students, including all our international students," Mr. Spaniolo's statement read. "We must never forget that a public university is a special institution that respects all individuals and embraces diversity."
Tuesday's decision drew mixed responses.
Duc Tran, 21, a Vietnamese-American student at UTA, said he thinks it's irresponsible to take down all of the flags.
"For us, we only fight to remove the communist flag," said Mr. Tran, a junior. "It's like a blame on us because they removed all of the flags."
He said he and his peers are relieved but feel pressure because the international students might blame them because theirs was removed, too.
Another Vietnamese-American student, Kelly Dinh, never expected the university to take down all the flags.
"I was very disappointed," said Ms. Dinh, 22. "The American flag and Texas flag are down, too. We're Americans, and we're Texans.
"He made a mistake in the beginning to bring the flag up, and now he made another mistake to bring them all down," she added. "It's really a mess."
Hung Cao, 25, an international student from Vietnam, says he too fears all Vietnamese students will share the blame.
"I'm sad about that because they had to remove all of the flags of all international countries," said Mr. Cao, who has been at UTA since the fall and is working on a master's degree. "Maybe they blame us and think it's our fault because of our convictions."
"It's a sensitive issue," he said, adding that perhaps UTA should have removed just the post-war flag. "Before the hall was colorful. Now it's not."
Bloggers also weighed in, criticizing the university's decision to remove all of the flags.
UTA alumus Tom Ha appreciates the removal of the flag that he said offended and hurt Vietnamese-Americans. Its presence and the university's decision to hang it caused psychological damage, he said.
"It's like if someone hit me in the face with a 3-by-4, and they keep hitting me. I'm hurt, but even if they stop, I'm still hurt," he said. "We're distressed and distraught."
"It has turned our lives upside down," Mr. Ha said. "It created animosity among international students. They're blaming Vietnamese-American students."
Mr. Spaniolo's statement did little to help the situation, he said.
"There's no healing in that statement," he added.
UTA officials estimate that about 2,000 Vietnamese-American students are enrolled at the campus. About two dozen students are from Vietnam.
State Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston, said he was thankful that the university reconsidered its position and removed the flag.
He wrote a letter to UTA officials after the post-war flag was raised and urged them to take it down. Eighteen other lawmakers supported his letter.
"My intent was not that they remove all of the flags," Mr. Vo said. "I know it's a tough decision for them. The community is very grateful."
The tradition of hanging flags representing international students in the College of Engineering began in 1989, Mr. Wright said.
MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Dallas Morning News
Flags once hung in the Hall of Flags, located in Nedderman Hall at UTA. Some Vietnamese students and community leaders objected to the addition of post-war flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam ( top center, with star).
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TexasStooge
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In Plano mayor's race, Web ads are a sure hit
Candidates put a little cash and a lot of faith in efficient e-videos
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - Remember that zany cowboy from Blazing Saddles and the Pace Picante Sauce commercials? He's now popping up on computer screens, slingin' praise for Plano mayoral candidate Ken Lambert.
On Google Video, cheering teenagers proclaim their support for Mayor Pat Evans, calling her "da bomb diggity." (That's a compliment.)
The run-up to Saturday's city elections has brought the familiar influx of yard signs, mailers and Rotary forums. But as voters upgrade to faster Internet speeds, more local candidates are deploying Web videos as a campaign tool.
"There's an intimacy there – instead of reading material or even seeing a print ad, you actually see them and hear them speaking to you," said Michael Kitkoski, a freelance video editor in Rockwall who has produced Web videos for the past four local elections.
Candidates say e-mailing the videos is more immediate and cost-effective than traditional campaign ads, especially if recipients forward the video clips to friends and family.
"The efficiency of doing that is so much better than just more and more printed material," Mr. Lambert said.
The Lambert campaign has produced two videos for about $6,300 – one e-video of the candidate, and a cable TV ad featuring Blazing Saddles actor Burton Gilliam that also is making the rounds via e-mail.
Airtime fees for the 30-second Gilliam ad on local cable have ranged from $7 to more than $100 per spot, Mr. Lambert said. But e-mailing a link to the video is free.
In Ms. Evans' case, producing the video was free. Friends recorded her campaign video, and then she e-mailed it to supporters and posted it on her Web site.
"It's really inexpensive if you can do it with just someone with a camera, and it can be so easily circulated," Ms. Evans said.
A group of Plano teenagers led by Jennifer Goebel sparked another Evans video. Jennifer, a 14-year-old freshman at Jasper High School, first met Ms. Evans through a National Junior Honor Society project.
Jennifer invited students from across Plano to record the video at her home. She and her dad edited the spot, posted it on Google Video and got the word out via e-mail and MySpace.com. It runs 97 seconds and concludes with a message from the mayor.
Jennifer said the video had received 4,681 Web hits as of Tuesday.
"I have friends who are old enough to vote who can watch it," she said.
Political candidates have experimented with multimedia for years, particularly in national and statewide races. In this year's race for Texas governor, incumbent Rick Perry's site has a video welcome from the candidate, iconoclast Kinky Friedman offers animated KinkyToons, and dark horses Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Chris Bell link to broadcast video coverage of their campaigns.
But with more people now using digital video equipment and high-speed Internet connections, multimedia ads are becoming more commonplace in local campaigns.
"We're starting to see the true convergence of video, television and the Web," said Darren McDougal, president of MCD Communications in Dallas, which produced Mr. Lambert's videos.
"I think this has become more and more mainstream, and probably a part of everyone's political campaign in the future," Mr. McDougal said.
In Rockwall, Mr. Kitkoski has produced Web videos for a mayoral race, bond election and, most recently, his wife, Pam, who is running for City Council.
"Our philosophy is, we just try to hit everybody on multiple fronts," said Mr. Kitkoski, who still uses old-fashioned campaigning methods such as door hangers, post cards and print ads.
Mr. Lambert, 66, says he hopes the Web videos convey that he's a man of the 21st century.
"It's a technological advancement," he said. "And it shows this old guy can still think a little bit modern."
Candidates put a little cash and a lot of faith in efficient e-videos
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - Remember that zany cowboy from Blazing Saddles and the Pace Picante Sauce commercials? He's now popping up on computer screens, slingin' praise for Plano mayoral candidate Ken Lambert.
On Google Video, cheering teenagers proclaim their support for Mayor Pat Evans, calling her "da bomb diggity." (That's a compliment.)
The run-up to Saturday's city elections has brought the familiar influx of yard signs, mailers and Rotary forums. But as voters upgrade to faster Internet speeds, more local candidates are deploying Web videos as a campaign tool.
"There's an intimacy there – instead of reading material or even seeing a print ad, you actually see them and hear them speaking to you," said Michael Kitkoski, a freelance video editor in Rockwall who has produced Web videos for the past four local elections.
Candidates say e-mailing the videos is more immediate and cost-effective than traditional campaign ads, especially if recipients forward the video clips to friends and family.
"The efficiency of doing that is so much better than just more and more printed material," Mr. Lambert said.
The Lambert campaign has produced two videos for about $6,300 – one e-video of the candidate, and a cable TV ad featuring Blazing Saddles actor Burton Gilliam that also is making the rounds via e-mail.
Airtime fees for the 30-second Gilliam ad on local cable have ranged from $7 to more than $100 per spot, Mr. Lambert said. But e-mailing a link to the video is free.
In Ms. Evans' case, producing the video was free. Friends recorded her campaign video, and then she e-mailed it to supporters and posted it on her Web site.
"It's really inexpensive if you can do it with just someone with a camera, and it can be so easily circulated," Ms. Evans said.
A group of Plano teenagers led by Jennifer Goebel sparked another Evans video. Jennifer, a 14-year-old freshman at Jasper High School, first met Ms. Evans through a National Junior Honor Society project.
Jennifer invited students from across Plano to record the video at her home. She and her dad edited the spot, posted it on Google Video and got the word out via e-mail and MySpace.com. It runs 97 seconds and concludes with a message from the mayor.
Jennifer said the video had received 4,681 Web hits as of Tuesday.
"I have friends who are old enough to vote who can watch it," she said.
Political candidates have experimented with multimedia for years, particularly in national and statewide races. In this year's race for Texas governor, incumbent Rick Perry's site has a video welcome from the candidate, iconoclast Kinky Friedman offers animated KinkyToons, and dark horses Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Chris Bell link to broadcast video coverage of their campaigns.
But with more people now using digital video equipment and high-speed Internet connections, multimedia ads are becoming more commonplace in local campaigns.
"We're starting to see the true convergence of video, television and the Web," said Darren McDougal, president of MCD Communications in Dallas, which produced Mr. Lambert's videos.
"I think this has become more and more mainstream, and probably a part of everyone's political campaign in the future," Mr. McDougal said.
In Rockwall, Mr. Kitkoski has produced Web videos for a mayoral race, bond election and, most recently, his wife, Pam, who is running for City Council.
"Our philosophy is, we just try to hit everybody on multiple fronts," said Mr. Kitkoski, who still uses old-fashioned campaigning methods such as door hangers, post cards and print ads.
Mr. Lambert, 66, says he hopes the Web videos convey that he's a man of the 21st century.
"It's a technological advancement," he said. "And it shows this old guy can still think a little bit modern."
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TexasStooge
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Family honored for 130 years on farm
By SARAH ANGLE / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
On the outskirts of Dallas County, tucked safely aside from the loud semis on Interstate 45, is 130 years of family history spread across farmland dotted with native pecan trees.
BuckBranch Farm is a place where five generations have shaped a legacy in agriculture. None has gotten rich through farming. BuckBranch is run out of a passion for the land and its heritage, not the income it produces.
Linda Slagle, 58, owns and operates the 94-acre ranch and equestrian center in the blink-of-an-eye town of Wilmer, just 14 miles southeast of downtown Dallas.
"If I never had to go out of that gate again, I would be the happiest woman in the world," she said. "But you just can't make your living in agriculture these days."
So every Monday through Friday at 7:15 a.m., she does pass through the gate – to go to her job as an office manager for a Dallas electrical systems company.
"I dress up in high heels to support my country habit," Mrs. Slagle said with a grin. She has been working in the city by day and running the farm by night since 1982, when she and her two children moved back to live with her parents.
BuckBranch Farm was recently honored by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Family Land Heritage Program for maintaining property in continuous agricultural production within the same family for 100 years. In the program's 32-year history, only five other Dallas County farms or ranches have achieved the honor.
As land prices increase around most urban areas, many farmers face the tough decision of whether to keep the land in agricultural production or sell it for development.
The 1997 Census of Agriculture said that Dallas County had 163,690 acres of farmland. By 2002, the number was down to 89,112 acres.
BuckBranch Farm hasn't been the family's sole source of income since the days of Mrs. Slagle's great-grandfather, Henry Clay Ashley.
Mr. Ashley divided his original 432 acres among his four children. When the other children sold, Mrs. Slagle's grandfather, Turney Buck Ashley, and his family decided to stay.
"We're the only ones still here. But I think we got the best part," Mrs. Slagle said, looking out her back door onto the farm's new equestrian center – the future of BuckBranch.
Her 38-year-old daughter, Gina Richardson, has helped manage the property since moving back to the family home with her husband and three children.
"When you go down to the barn at bed check, when there is nobody else there and it's just you and the horses – it's wonderful," Mrs. Richardson said.
The 9 p.m. bed check is when Mrs. Richardson says goodnight to the 30 horses in the stable.
"It's very rewarding," she said. "That's when you feel like all of your efforts are worthwhile."
With a goal to make the farm self-sustaining again, the family considered several options for the property: bed and breakfast, weekend country restaurant, sports camp. But their love of horses won out.
"Farmers and ranchers are some of the best economists," said Allen Spelce, communications specialist for the Department of Agriculture. "Because of the business they're in, they're always having to adapt to change ... and they've become very good at it."
The Slagle property now has a first-class equestrian center with a 34-stall barn, a covered arena, an outdoor jumping arena and riding trails. The many people who pass through the black wrought-iron gates every day include not just family and friends, but clients and employees.
"I love it here," said 17-year-old Kathleen Ward, one of four girls in the Blessing Way Eventing Team, which trains at the center every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The family's use of the land is different, but some things at BuckBranch haven't changed in 130 years.
"Farm work is a hard day every day," Mrs. Richardson said.
So why do they continue to do it?
"Because they love agriculture," said Beverly Boyd, Department of Agriculture spokeswoman. "It's something that just gets in your blood."
For Mrs. Slagle, it's about more than just farming. It's about heritage and preserving the place to be just as special to 2-year-old granddaughter Kristin Richardson.
"This was always home," said Mrs. Slagle. "My mother was born right here on this land."
Sarah Angle is an Arlington-based freelance writer.
By SARAH ANGLE / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
On the outskirts of Dallas County, tucked safely aside from the loud semis on Interstate 45, is 130 years of family history spread across farmland dotted with native pecan trees.
BuckBranch Farm is a place where five generations have shaped a legacy in agriculture. None has gotten rich through farming. BuckBranch is run out of a passion for the land and its heritage, not the income it produces.
Linda Slagle, 58, owns and operates the 94-acre ranch and equestrian center in the blink-of-an-eye town of Wilmer, just 14 miles southeast of downtown Dallas.
"If I never had to go out of that gate again, I would be the happiest woman in the world," she said. "But you just can't make your living in agriculture these days."
So every Monday through Friday at 7:15 a.m., she does pass through the gate – to go to her job as an office manager for a Dallas electrical systems company.
"I dress up in high heels to support my country habit," Mrs. Slagle said with a grin. She has been working in the city by day and running the farm by night since 1982, when she and her two children moved back to live with her parents.
BuckBranch Farm was recently honored by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Family Land Heritage Program for maintaining property in continuous agricultural production within the same family for 100 years. In the program's 32-year history, only five other Dallas County farms or ranches have achieved the honor.
As land prices increase around most urban areas, many farmers face the tough decision of whether to keep the land in agricultural production or sell it for development.
The 1997 Census of Agriculture said that Dallas County had 163,690 acres of farmland. By 2002, the number was down to 89,112 acres.
BuckBranch Farm hasn't been the family's sole source of income since the days of Mrs. Slagle's great-grandfather, Henry Clay Ashley.
Mr. Ashley divided his original 432 acres among his four children. When the other children sold, Mrs. Slagle's grandfather, Turney Buck Ashley, and his family decided to stay.
"We're the only ones still here. But I think we got the best part," Mrs. Slagle said, looking out her back door onto the farm's new equestrian center – the future of BuckBranch.
Her 38-year-old daughter, Gina Richardson, has helped manage the property since moving back to the family home with her husband and three children.
"When you go down to the barn at bed check, when there is nobody else there and it's just you and the horses – it's wonderful," Mrs. Richardson said.
The 9 p.m. bed check is when Mrs. Richardson says goodnight to the 30 horses in the stable.
"It's very rewarding," she said. "That's when you feel like all of your efforts are worthwhile."
With a goal to make the farm self-sustaining again, the family considered several options for the property: bed and breakfast, weekend country restaurant, sports camp. But their love of horses won out.
"Farmers and ranchers are some of the best economists," said Allen Spelce, communications specialist for the Department of Agriculture. "Because of the business they're in, they're always having to adapt to change ... and they've become very good at it."
The Slagle property now has a first-class equestrian center with a 34-stall barn, a covered arena, an outdoor jumping arena and riding trails. The many people who pass through the black wrought-iron gates every day include not just family and friends, but clients and employees.
"I love it here," said 17-year-old Kathleen Ward, one of four girls in the Blessing Way Eventing Team, which trains at the center every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The family's use of the land is different, but some things at BuckBranch haven't changed in 130 years.
"Farm work is a hard day every day," Mrs. Richardson said.
So why do they continue to do it?
"Because they love agriculture," said Beverly Boyd, Department of Agriculture spokeswoman. "It's something that just gets in your blood."
For Mrs. Slagle, it's about more than just farming. It's about heritage and preserving the place to be just as special to 2-year-old granddaughter Kristin Richardson.
"This was always home," said Mrs. Slagle. "My mother was born right here on this land."
Sarah Angle is an Arlington-based freelance writer.
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TexasStooge
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Complex to be razed for retail
NE Dallas: Over objections of residents, mayor, about 1,000 apartments to be torn down
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Over the objections of apartment residents and Mayor Laura Miller, the Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved developer Trammell Crow's controversial plan to tear down nearly 1,000 aging northeast Dallas units and replace them with a major retail project.
"We're going to take down an apartment complex that's not in bad shape, that doesn't create problems for society," Ms. Miller said. "We're making you leave for a reason we don't know."
Trammell Crow officials still have not revealed which retailers will go into the 450,000-square-foot complex at the intersection of Northwest Highway and Skillman Street, which had been a sticking point for some council members.
But on Wednesday, they won most of the council over with promises of relocation grants, homebuyer education, and giving residents until April 2007 to move out of the Timbercreek apartments.
"Trammell Crow went far beyond what was necessary ... to try and make sure if this development takes place, the transition is being handled in a way that is as humane as anything I've seen in this city," said council member Bill Blaydes, who has called the 44-acre site the "gateway" into Lake Highlands.
Residents of the 30-year-old apartment complex came out in force against the zoning change, reminding council members of their low crime, minimal code problems and beautiful scenery – from tall trees to a rushing creek, complete with families of ducks.
"We want to save our homes and the lovely nature that surrounds us," said Lisa Paine, a homeowner leading the opposition.
Retired Dallas architect Howard Parker argued the zoning change would "attract 18-wheelers and retail traffic through a densely populated area."
And attorney Robert Miklos, who represents a nearby shopping center, said he's concerned that Trammell Crow has refused to be forthcoming about which retailers it hopes to bring in.
"We're not opposed to redevelopment, to retail," he said. "But it remains a blank slate, [one] that includes establishing big-box retail. This remains a mystery to us."
Trammell Crow officials said they haven't been precise about what's going into the complex because they don't know yet. But they confirmed that Wal-Mart, Lowe's and J.C. Penney have approached them with interest in the complex.
And Robert Reeves, a zoning consultant representing Trammell Crow, said the development company has done everything it can. Officials have engineered plans to move the creek. They'll plant a portion of the trees they remove at the Children's Theater across the street.
And they're identifying more than 1,800 vacant apartments in the area, as well as 375 homes that could be purchased for comparable mortgages. The company has teamed up with Mi Casa, a homeownership assistance program founded by the League of United Latin American Citizens, to design its first-ever homebuyer relocation program, Mr. Reeves said.
"We believe this can be a new model of how we inject affordable housing with economic development," said Michael Gonzales, president of Mi Casa.
With so many crummy, crime-ridden apartment complexes in the city, Ms. Miller said Wednesday, she couldn't support tearing down this one: It's reasonably priced, it's almost fully occupied, and it doesn't come with a lot of problems.
"I think that in a city that has to have people of all income levels ... that we have to have some kind of standard, some threshold for when we make people move out of their homes," Ms. Miller said.
"This is your home. And it's such a beautiful site. Clearly you'd have a very tough time finding an equal."
But council member Gary Griffith, who represents the district and held the project up with concerns for several weeks this spring, said the proposal is much improved, and has the support of neighborhood improvement groups and other residents throughout the community. The area is in dire need of high-quality retail, he said.
"We have a good proposal before us today," he said. "This is a very important location for Dallas. Not everything is to my total satisfaction, but they've worked hard at it."
In other matters:
West End action
Council members said the city attorney's office will "aggressively" pursue legal action against the owners of a West End Historical District freight depot who last month demolished the building without permission.
"I want to see them have to rebuild the building brick by brick," said council member Angela Hunt, who represents much of downtown, where the West End is located.
"We're going to go aggressively after them," said council member Pauline Medrano, who represents the West End.
The city attorney's office would determine in coming days exactly what course of action it will take, although Ms. Hunt said it may involve a lawsuit. Fines and other sanctions are also possible.
Representatives of property owner Transcontinental Realty Investors could not immediately be reached for comment. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad freight depot at Houston Street and Ross Avenue was a single-story red brick building that was more than 85 years old.
Graffiti ordinance
The City Council unanimously approved a graffiti ordinance that allows police to nab people carrying spray paint and other tools even if they haven't started painting. Police say the ordinance, which creates a misdemeanor offense and carries a $500 fine for violations, will deter graffiti artists known as "taggers," who are often impossible to catch in the act.
"This is going to put another tool in the toolbox," said Ms. Hunt, the lead advocate for the ordinance. "We're really working hard to attack graffiti from a lot of different directions."
Council member travel
Council members must now receive approval by vote of the council's economic development and housing committee in order to travel using city economic development travel funds, following a 12-1 council vote Wednesday.
Members may also receive travel approval if two of three council leaders – the mayor, economic development and housing committee chair and economic development and housing committee vice chair – sign off on the travel request, the new policy states.
Council member Mitchell Rasansky, who cast the lone vote against the policy, says it doesn't go far enough. The policy does not address other types of council travel expenses, such as conferences, meetings and lobbying trips.
NE Dallas: Over objections of residents, mayor, about 1,000 apartments to be torn down
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Over the objections of apartment residents and Mayor Laura Miller, the Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved developer Trammell Crow's controversial plan to tear down nearly 1,000 aging northeast Dallas units and replace them with a major retail project.
"We're going to take down an apartment complex that's not in bad shape, that doesn't create problems for society," Ms. Miller said. "We're making you leave for a reason we don't know."
Trammell Crow officials still have not revealed which retailers will go into the 450,000-square-foot complex at the intersection of Northwest Highway and Skillman Street, which had been a sticking point for some council members.
But on Wednesday, they won most of the council over with promises of relocation grants, homebuyer education, and giving residents until April 2007 to move out of the Timbercreek apartments.
"Trammell Crow went far beyond what was necessary ... to try and make sure if this development takes place, the transition is being handled in a way that is as humane as anything I've seen in this city," said council member Bill Blaydes, who has called the 44-acre site the "gateway" into Lake Highlands.
Residents of the 30-year-old apartment complex came out in force against the zoning change, reminding council members of their low crime, minimal code problems and beautiful scenery – from tall trees to a rushing creek, complete with families of ducks.
"We want to save our homes and the lovely nature that surrounds us," said Lisa Paine, a homeowner leading the opposition.
Retired Dallas architect Howard Parker argued the zoning change would "attract 18-wheelers and retail traffic through a densely populated area."
And attorney Robert Miklos, who represents a nearby shopping center, said he's concerned that Trammell Crow has refused to be forthcoming about which retailers it hopes to bring in.
"We're not opposed to redevelopment, to retail," he said. "But it remains a blank slate, [one] that includes establishing big-box retail. This remains a mystery to us."
Trammell Crow officials said they haven't been precise about what's going into the complex because they don't know yet. But they confirmed that Wal-Mart, Lowe's and J.C. Penney have approached them with interest in the complex.
And Robert Reeves, a zoning consultant representing Trammell Crow, said the development company has done everything it can. Officials have engineered plans to move the creek. They'll plant a portion of the trees they remove at the Children's Theater across the street.
And they're identifying more than 1,800 vacant apartments in the area, as well as 375 homes that could be purchased for comparable mortgages. The company has teamed up with Mi Casa, a homeownership assistance program founded by the League of United Latin American Citizens, to design its first-ever homebuyer relocation program, Mr. Reeves said.
"We believe this can be a new model of how we inject affordable housing with economic development," said Michael Gonzales, president of Mi Casa.
With so many crummy, crime-ridden apartment complexes in the city, Ms. Miller said Wednesday, she couldn't support tearing down this one: It's reasonably priced, it's almost fully occupied, and it doesn't come with a lot of problems.
"I think that in a city that has to have people of all income levels ... that we have to have some kind of standard, some threshold for when we make people move out of their homes," Ms. Miller said.
"This is your home. And it's such a beautiful site. Clearly you'd have a very tough time finding an equal."
But council member Gary Griffith, who represents the district and held the project up with concerns for several weeks this spring, said the proposal is much improved, and has the support of neighborhood improvement groups and other residents throughout the community. The area is in dire need of high-quality retail, he said.
"We have a good proposal before us today," he said. "This is a very important location for Dallas. Not everything is to my total satisfaction, but they've worked hard at it."
In other matters:
West End action
Council members said the city attorney's office will "aggressively" pursue legal action against the owners of a West End Historical District freight depot who last month demolished the building without permission.
"I want to see them have to rebuild the building brick by brick," said council member Angela Hunt, who represents much of downtown, where the West End is located.
"We're going to go aggressively after them," said council member Pauline Medrano, who represents the West End.
The city attorney's office would determine in coming days exactly what course of action it will take, although Ms. Hunt said it may involve a lawsuit. Fines and other sanctions are also possible.
Representatives of property owner Transcontinental Realty Investors could not immediately be reached for comment. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad freight depot at Houston Street and Ross Avenue was a single-story red brick building that was more than 85 years old.
Graffiti ordinance
The City Council unanimously approved a graffiti ordinance that allows police to nab people carrying spray paint and other tools even if they haven't started painting. Police say the ordinance, which creates a misdemeanor offense and carries a $500 fine for violations, will deter graffiti artists known as "taggers," who are often impossible to catch in the act.
"This is going to put another tool in the toolbox," said Ms. Hunt, the lead advocate for the ordinance. "We're really working hard to attack graffiti from a lot of different directions."
Council member travel
Council members must now receive approval by vote of the council's economic development and housing committee in order to travel using city economic development travel funds, following a 12-1 council vote Wednesday.
Members may also receive travel approval if two of three council leaders – the mayor, economic development and housing committee chair and economic development and housing committee vice chair – sign off on the travel request, the new policy states.
Council member Mitchell Rasansky, who cast the lone vote against the policy, says it doesn't go far enough. The policy does not address other types of council travel expenses, such as conferences, meetings and lobbying trips.
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TexasStooge
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Neighbors savor the lake effect
Irving: They share, care for, build camaraderie around cherished Vilbig
By MONTY MILLER JR. / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - On a quiet morning, a close-knit group of friends and neighbors gathers on the shores of Vilbig Lake in Irving to fulfill their duties as stewards of the lake. Some have donated their boat, some their truck and some just their precious time, but all have the same goal: to keep their private lakeside paradise clean and beautiful.
"It's about taking pride in where you live and taking ownership of it," longtime Vilbig Bass Club member Mark Grigsby said.
The lake functions as a 150-acre back yard to the 234 homes in the Irving Lake Association, the governing body over Vilbig Lake.
"By and large, the Bass Club is kind of the core of the [association] functions," Mr. Grigsby said.
From March through December, the club hosts one fishing tournament a month. Five are draw tournaments, in which anglers draw names from a jar to determine their fishing partner for the day. Club members rave about them because, they say, it gives them an opportunity to get to know their neighbors.
"It's definitely brought the development closer together," charter club member Tom Root said. "I mean, you spend five hours in a boat with a guy, and you get to know him."
The idea for the Vilbig Bass Club, established in 1993, grew out of a weekly Tuesday night poker game involving Mr. Root and some other association members.
"It's as much a social element as it is competition," Mr. Grigsby said.
Members say their neighbors become like a second family, considering all the cookouts and backyard barbecues throughout the year.
"The ILA and the water bring all these people together," club treasurer Jon Griffin said. "It's one of the really beautiful things about this lake."
Some of the more enthusiastic members even go on vacations together.
"Last year, we went on a Caribbean cruise for an entire week," Mr. Grigsby said. "I guess there were 17 or 18 people there."
Lake residents also help each other in times of need. The community recently rushed to the aid of a neighbor who suffered a heart attack.
"We had a three-day garage sale where everybody donated stuff that they could have sold to make money," club member Yo Maskarinec said. "But they gave it, and we raised over $9,000 for that man."
The association charges $50 in dues each year, and it's an additional $60 a year for the bass club members. But the association uses volunteers for nearly all lake maintenance. On a recent spring cleanup day, more than 50 residents collected 2,800 pounds of trash.
"It can be a challenge, especially after it rains," club member Steve Dillon said.
Monty Miller Jr. is a North Richland Hills-based freelance writer.
Irving: They share, care for, build camaraderie around cherished Vilbig
By MONTY MILLER JR. / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - On a quiet morning, a close-knit group of friends and neighbors gathers on the shores of Vilbig Lake in Irving to fulfill their duties as stewards of the lake. Some have donated their boat, some their truck and some just their precious time, but all have the same goal: to keep their private lakeside paradise clean and beautiful.
"It's about taking pride in where you live and taking ownership of it," longtime Vilbig Bass Club member Mark Grigsby said.
The lake functions as a 150-acre back yard to the 234 homes in the Irving Lake Association, the governing body over Vilbig Lake.
"By and large, the Bass Club is kind of the core of the [association] functions," Mr. Grigsby said.
From March through December, the club hosts one fishing tournament a month. Five are draw tournaments, in which anglers draw names from a jar to determine their fishing partner for the day. Club members rave about them because, they say, it gives them an opportunity to get to know their neighbors.
"It's definitely brought the development closer together," charter club member Tom Root said. "I mean, you spend five hours in a boat with a guy, and you get to know him."
The idea for the Vilbig Bass Club, established in 1993, grew out of a weekly Tuesday night poker game involving Mr. Root and some other association members.
"It's as much a social element as it is competition," Mr. Grigsby said.
Members say their neighbors become like a second family, considering all the cookouts and backyard barbecues throughout the year.
"The ILA and the water bring all these people together," club treasurer Jon Griffin said. "It's one of the really beautiful things about this lake."
Some of the more enthusiastic members even go on vacations together.
"Last year, we went on a Caribbean cruise for an entire week," Mr. Grigsby said. "I guess there were 17 or 18 people there."
Lake residents also help each other in times of need. The community recently rushed to the aid of a neighbor who suffered a heart attack.
"We had a three-day garage sale where everybody donated stuff that they could have sold to make money," club member Yo Maskarinec said. "But they gave it, and we raised over $9,000 for that man."
The association charges $50 in dues each year, and it's an additional $60 a year for the bass club members. But the association uses volunteers for nearly all lake maintenance. On a recent spring cleanup day, more than 50 residents collected 2,800 pounds of trash.
"It can be a challenge, especially after it rains," club member Steve Dillon said.
Monty Miller Jr. is a North Richland Hills-based freelance writer.
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TexasStooge
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Newcomers taking on Irving council veterans
Need for change cited, but incumbents say experience matters
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Two veteran Irving City Council members face challenges from political newcomers who say it's time for a change.
Incumbent Lewis Patrick faces Loren Byers for the Place 4 seat in the May 13 election, while incumbent Rick Stopfer is battling John Mallon III for the Place 6 spot. Incumbent Joe Philipp is running unopposed for the Place 8 seat.
Mr. Byers and Mr. Mallon have criticized their opponents for serving too long. But Mr. Patrick and Mr. Stopfer say their experience helps them make informed decisions.
Mr. Patrick, on the council since 1996, says he has the experience and background to serve residents. He cites his nearly 40-year career at City Hall, including nearly 30 spent as public works director.
"In real estate, the word is location, location, location," he said. "In City Council work, it's experience, experience, experience."
But Mr. Byers said the council needs representatives who are City Hall outsiders.
"There needs to be fresh ideas and innovative ideas," he said. "It's time that somebody besides a [retired] city employee sits on the City Council in that place."
Mr. Mallon said he'd bring a youthful perspective.
"To me, Rick Stopfer represents the business-as-usual mentality that the council has fallen into," he said.
"If Rick Stopfer has not accomplished his goals by [now], it's time to move on."
Mr. Stopfer, on the council since 1998, said it takes time to shepherd through projects and initiatives.
"It's not something that you can just all of a sudden step into and think you're going to change the world overnight," he said.
Mr. Stopfer said he is pleased that the council has hired more police officers and that the crime rate is dropping.
Various efforts – including improving the comprehensive plan, developing Las Colinas, and DART light-rail plans – are starting to pay off, he said.
"Irving is at a point where ... [we're] finally starting to see the things we had been working so hard on come together," he said. "Some people can say, 'You're doing this, and it hasn't happened,' but it takes time."
Mr. Stopfer said he wants to focus on developing areas near Trinity Railway Express stations, including the downtown Irving stop. He also wants to plan for stations along the city's future light-rail line.
Mr. Mallon, too, thinks downtown Irving can be improved. The area could be modeled after Mockingbird Station in Dallas, he said.
"If you have new development," he said, "you can use that to augment the old downtown and you can get people off the train spending tax dollars."
Mr. Mallon said the city needs to communicate more with residents.
He said that too many of the council's important discussions – including Texas Stadium's future – have been conducted behind closed doors. The council needs to talk more with residents to get a sense of what they want to do with the stadium, he said.
In the Place 4 contest, Mr. Patrick said he wants to serve another term so he can oversee stadium redevelopment opportunities.
Stadium redevelopment "will be the best thing for Irving since the inception of Las Colinas," he said.
City officials are studying what to do with the stadium after the Dallas Cowboys head to a new home in Arlington in 2009. The stadium site could be transformed into a destination spot that includes a convention center, a hotel, apartments and shops, according to a proposal released last year.
While some residents have complained that city leaders are acting too slowly on code enforcement reforms, Mr. Patrick said he supports the city being careful in studying improvements so that they're implemented and enforced correctly. He said he wants ordinances that are "not too oppressive yet effective."
Mr. Patrick said the council is already "helping turn the tide on cleaning up our city" by hiring additional code enforcement officers and putting more police officers on the streets.
Mr. Byers said that neighborhood integrity is his No. 1 concern. He said city officials aren't always following up on residents' complaints.
"The citizens feel frustrated," he said. "They don't feel like things are getting done."
On his Web site, Mr. Byers states that city officials "should make their best effort to apply the existing codes uniformly across the city."
He also wants to establish a citizens' forum so that residents can provide code enforcement feedback to the council.
In other matters, Mr. Byers said city leaders need to "think outside the box" and have a better plan for redeveloping south Irving.
Need for change cited, but incumbents say experience matters
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Two veteran Irving City Council members face challenges from political newcomers who say it's time for a change.
Incumbent Lewis Patrick faces Loren Byers for the Place 4 seat in the May 13 election, while incumbent Rick Stopfer is battling John Mallon III for the Place 6 spot. Incumbent Joe Philipp is running unopposed for the Place 8 seat.
Mr. Byers and Mr. Mallon have criticized their opponents for serving too long. But Mr. Patrick and Mr. Stopfer say their experience helps them make informed decisions.
Mr. Patrick, on the council since 1996, says he has the experience and background to serve residents. He cites his nearly 40-year career at City Hall, including nearly 30 spent as public works director.
"In real estate, the word is location, location, location," he said. "In City Council work, it's experience, experience, experience."
But Mr. Byers said the council needs representatives who are City Hall outsiders.
"There needs to be fresh ideas and innovative ideas," he said. "It's time that somebody besides a [retired] city employee sits on the City Council in that place."
Mr. Mallon said he'd bring a youthful perspective.
"To me, Rick Stopfer represents the business-as-usual mentality that the council has fallen into," he said.
"If Rick Stopfer has not accomplished his goals by [now], it's time to move on."
Mr. Stopfer, on the council since 1998, said it takes time to shepherd through projects and initiatives.
"It's not something that you can just all of a sudden step into and think you're going to change the world overnight," he said.
Mr. Stopfer said he is pleased that the council has hired more police officers and that the crime rate is dropping.
Various efforts – including improving the comprehensive plan, developing Las Colinas, and DART light-rail plans – are starting to pay off, he said.
"Irving is at a point where ... [we're] finally starting to see the things we had been working so hard on come together," he said. "Some people can say, 'You're doing this, and it hasn't happened,' but it takes time."
Mr. Stopfer said he wants to focus on developing areas near Trinity Railway Express stations, including the downtown Irving stop. He also wants to plan for stations along the city's future light-rail line.
Mr. Mallon, too, thinks downtown Irving can be improved. The area could be modeled after Mockingbird Station in Dallas, he said.
"If you have new development," he said, "you can use that to augment the old downtown and you can get people off the train spending tax dollars."
Mr. Mallon said the city needs to communicate more with residents.
He said that too many of the council's important discussions – including Texas Stadium's future – have been conducted behind closed doors. The council needs to talk more with residents to get a sense of what they want to do with the stadium, he said.
In the Place 4 contest, Mr. Patrick said he wants to serve another term so he can oversee stadium redevelopment opportunities.
Stadium redevelopment "will be the best thing for Irving since the inception of Las Colinas," he said.
City officials are studying what to do with the stadium after the Dallas Cowboys head to a new home in Arlington in 2009. The stadium site could be transformed into a destination spot that includes a convention center, a hotel, apartments and shops, according to a proposal released last year.
While some residents have complained that city leaders are acting too slowly on code enforcement reforms, Mr. Patrick said he supports the city being careful in studying improvements so that they're implemented and enforced correctly. He said he wants ordinances that are "not too oppressive yet effective."
Mr. Patrick said the council is already "helping turn the tide on cleaning up our city" by hiring additional code enforcement officers and putting more police officers on the streets.
Mr. Byers said that neighborhood integrity is his No. 1 concern. He said city officials aren't always following up on residents' complaints.
"The citizens feel frustrated," he said. "They don't feel like things are getting done."
On his Web site, Mr. Byers states that city officials "should make their best effort to apply the existing codes uniformly across the city."
He also wants to establish a citizens' forum so that residents can provide code enforcement feedback to the council.
In other matters, Mr. Byers said city leaders need to "think outside the box" and have a better plan for redeveloping south Irving.
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TexasStooge
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Texas aims for leading role in wind power
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — The nation's largest offshore wind farm will be built off the Padre Island seashore in South Texas, a critical migratory bird flyway, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said Thursday.
Patterson lauded what he said would be an 40,000-acre span of turbines about 400 feet tall able to generate energy to power 125,000 homes.
"The wind rush is on," Patterson said. "We want to be number one. We want to attract the businesses that build the turbines, that build the blades. ... We want to be the leader in the United States, if not the world."
But environmentalists say the promise of clean energy may not be worth the deaths of countless birds of rare species that migrate through the area each year on their way to and from winter grounds in Mexico and Central America.
"You probably couldn't pick a worse location, unless you're trying to settle the issue as to how damaging they are to migratory birds," said Walter Kittelberger, chairman of the Lower Laguna Madre Foundation. Laguna Madre is the strip of water between the mainland and Padre Island.
The offshore farm is the second Patterson has announced in less than a year for the Texas Coast, with 50 wind turbines planned off Galveston.
But the one announced Thursday would be the largest in the nation, with up to 500 turbines looming off Texas ranch land spinning up to 500 megawatts of electricity.
The announcement comes amid a bitter fight over a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod, Mass., where the residents fear the turbines will be unsightly.
Patterson said this project would be located off a remote, unpopulated part of Padre Island National Seashore.
"Those who are concerned about view sheds shouldn't have a problem," he said. "There's nobody there to look at it."
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — The nation's largest offshore wind farm will be built off the Padre Island seashore in South Texas, a critical migratory bird flyway, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said Thursday.
Patterson lauded what he said would be an 40,000-acre span of turbines about 400 feet tall able to generate energy to power 125,000 homes.
"The wind rush is on," Patterson said. "We want to be number one. We want to attract the businesses that build the turbines, that build the blades. ... We want to be the leader in the United States, if not the world."
But environmentalists say the promise of clean energy may not be worth the deaths of countless birds of rare species that migrate through the area each year on their way to and from winter grounds in Mexico and Central America.
"You probably couldn't pick a worse location, unless you're trying to settle the issue as to how damaging they are to migratory birds," said Walter Kittelberger, chairman of the Lower Laguna Madre Foundation. Laguna Madre is the strip of water between the mainland and Padre Island.
The offshore farm is the second Patterson has announced in less than a year for the Texas Coast, with 50 wind turbines planned off Galveston.
But the one announced Thursday would be the largest in the nation, with up to 500 turbines looming off Texas ranch land spinning up to 500 megawatts of electricity.
The announcement comes amid a bitter fight over a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod, Mass., where the residents fear the turbines will be unsightly.
Patterson said this project would be located off a remote, unpopulated part of Padre Island National Seashore.
"Those who are concerned about view sheds shouldn't have a problem," he said. "There's nobody there to look at it."
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TexasStooge
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Proposed Dallas ISD attendance changes debated
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Parents and trustees are grilling Dallas school officials over school attendance zone changes that, they say, will split communities and will cost taxpayers millions.
Parents from neighborhoods served by South Oak Cliff High School and Sequoyah Learning Center peppered trustees at a meeting Thursday with requests to keep their children at those schools. Trustee Lew Blackburn, who represents the areas served by those schools, bluntly challenged his fellow board members.
“If you’re going to turn your backs on me and these parents, just tell us right now,” he said.
Later, trustee Jerome Garza hammered administrators over a proposal to bus approximately 700 elementary-aged children in his district out of their neighborhoods to a temporary a campus while their new school is under construction.
Thursday’s dustups highlight the strong emotional attachments families have with their neighborhood schools, and the political landmines that await administrators and board members who tinker with them.
Tinkering, however, is necessary because next school year the district will open 12 new schools to alleviate crowding at some campuses and retire other old buildings. In addition, most of the district sixth-graders will move to middle schools next year; they currently attend classes at elementary schools.
One new school, Soto Elementary, is behind schedule and won’t be ready for kids until Thanksgiving, administrators said, prompting the need for a temporary campus.
Mr. Garza was livid that he hadn’t heard about the temporary campus plan until it came up at the meeting. He said busing kids to a temporary campus would cost taxpayers millions and unnecessarily disrupt family routines.
“Why not just keep [the kids] at their current schools?” Mr. Garza asked.
Administrators could not say how much it would cost to bus and house the children at the temporary campuses, to be located at Carver Elementary School and Sequoyah Learning Center. Mr. Garza said he thought it would cost millions of dollars.
“Why spend millions on transportation, construction and safety [improvements] when the students can stay where they are” until the new school is ready? He asked.
The students to be affected currently attend L.O. Donald Elementary, Anson Jones Elementary, George Peabody Elementary and Bethune Elementary.
Mr. Garza said he would “vigorously” oppose the measure at the board’s next meeting.
On Tuesday, about two dozen parents protested outside of Sequoyah Learning Center in an attempt to keep the small school open. Some of those parents, along with others and three church pastors, turned out at the meeting Thursday to ask the board to reconsider the attendance zone changes.
Even though the parents had Mr. Blackburn’s support, it did not appear that a majority of the board was inclined to revisit the decision. Thursday’s meeting was a “briefing” and so no votes were taken.
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Parents and trustees are grilling Dallas school officials over school attendance zone changes that, they say, will split communities and will cost taxpayers millions.
Parents from neighborhoods served by South Oak Cliff High School and Sequoyah Learning Center peppered trustees at a meeting Thursday with requests to keep their children at those schools. Trustee Lew Blackburn, who represents the areas served by those schools, bluntly challenged his fellow board members.
“If you’re going to turn your backs on me and these parents, just tell us right now,” he said.
Later, trustee Jerome Garza hammered administrators over a proposal to bus approximately 700 elementary-aged children in his district out of their neighborhoods to a temporary a campus while their new school is under construction.
Thursday’s dustups highlight the strong emotional attachments families have with their neighborhood schools, and the political landmines that await administrators and board members who tinker with them.
Tinkering, however, is necessary because next school year the district will open 12 new schools to alleviate crowding at some campuses and retire other old buildings. In addition, most of the district sixth-graders will move to middle schools next year; they currently attend classes at elementary schools.
One new school, Soto Elementary, is behind schedule and won’t be ready for kids until Thanksgiving, administrators said, prompting the need for a temporary campus.
Mr. Garza was livid that he hadn’t heard about the temporary campus plan until it came up at the meeting. He said busing kids to a temporary campus would cost taxpayers millions and unnecessarily disrupt family routines.
“Why not just keep [the kids] at their current schools?” Mr. Garza asked.
Administrators could not say how much it would cost to bus and house the children at the temporary campuses, to be located at Carver Elementary School and Sequoyah Learning Center. Mr. Garza said he thought it would cost millions of dollars.
“Why spend millions on transportation, construction and safety [improvements] when the students can stay where they are” until the new school is ready? He asked.
The students to be affected currently attend L.O. Donald Elementary, Anson Jones Elementary, George Peabody Elementary and Bethune Elementary.
Mr. Garza said he would “vigorously” oppose the measure at the board’s next meeting.
On Tuesday, about two dozen parents protested outside of Sequoyah Learning Center in an attempt to keep the small school open. Some of those parents, along with others and three church pastors, turned out at the meeting Thursday to ask the board to reconsider the attendance zone changes.
Even though the parents had Mr. Blackburn’s support, it did not appear that a majority of the board was inclined to revisit the decision. Thursday’s meeting was a “briefing” and so no votes were taken.
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