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City of Dallas
Allen Gwinn 2008-05-22 19:07 City of Dallas
Thursday night at Winfrey Point 7:00 - We arrived a little late, but the city's electrical engineer was giving an overview of the lighting systems and how/why they were chosen. A little background: the lights in question are 20-foot tall, 60-foot spaced (thanks for the correction on this, Chip) lights that are designed to provide lighting to low-light areas around White Rock Lake. Residents, and other interested parties are concerned that there are too many lights and that the "light pollution" will destroy the nighttime beauty of the lake.
Allen Gwinn 2008-05-16 19:43 City of Dallas
Showing, again, it is bad luck to slight the Karma Clown, Dallas auto accident attorney Brian Loncar is in the hospital tonight in critical condition after an accident with a fire engine. The fire engine was traveling "Code 3" (lights and siren) through an intersection at Lomo Alto and Lemmon avenue in Dallas when it struck the car Loncar was driving. According to sources, the fire department had to use the "jaws of life" to extract Loncar from his vehicle. No word on whether Loncar intends to file a personal injury suit.
Allen Gwinn 2008-05-12 15:56 City of Dallas
In addition to a conviction for DUI, 50-year-old Austin resident Joe David Jones can add disorderly conduct to his dossier. Jones, a passenger on Southwest Airlines from Austin to Dallas, told a flight attendant to kiss his backside when the flight attendant repeatedly asked him to hang up his cell phone. According to Southwest Airlines, the pilot radioed ahead and Dallas Police met Jones when he got on the ground where he was cited.
Allen Gwinn 2008-02-15 16:02 City of Dallas
Former DART Board Chair Lynn Flint Shaw was arrested earlier this week for allegedly forging a letter from Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins to keep from paying a debt. The Texas Penal Code says about forgery that a "person commits an offense if he forges a writing with intent to defraud or harm another." It goes on to say that to do so "is a felony of the third degree if the writing is or purports to be [...] part of an issue of money." So our question is: why wasn't Lynn Flint Shaw charged with felony forgery? Better yet, according to records obtained by Dallas.Org (links, below, in the story), why wasn't Shaw charged with a felony at all?
Allen Gwinn 2007-12-23 07:00 City of Dallas
If you're a citizen of Dallas interested in crime in your neighborhood, you'll be interested in what Avi Adelman has done with DailyCrimeReport.com. It is a completely free service and delivers a report on things that happen in your area right to your email every day.
Allen Gwinn 2007-11-12 09:21 City of Dallas
by Matt Pulle, The Dallas Observer Well, I think I’m going to miss our Trinity River toll road campaign, though I can’t explain why. As in, why was it so contentious to decide whether to build a road we’re not entirely sure we can build through a park we’re not confident we can have? Somehow, this four-month campaign, hinged on issues that are years away from coming to fruition, polarized the city, with one faction passionate about a park and another passionate about sprawl.
Allen Gwinn 2007-11-07 20:12 City of Dallas
Editorial Proposition 1, the special election brought about by lone Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt fell 4,640 votes from passing in an election where 79,918 (about 15% of the voters in Dallas) cast a ballot. But the "Vote No" folks might want to consider holding off on the celebration just yet.
Virtually every elected official in city, county, state and national politics endorsed the "Vote No" campaign. After more than $1M spent by the "Vote No" side, 42,279 agreed for various reasons. Perhaps they liked Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert's arguments for it. Perhaps some agreed with various council members' (or a city staff member's) sales pitches. Perhaps some were wooed by clever rap songs or impressive ads. Whatever the reason, 42,279 agreed with one or more of you. 37,639 (or 47%), however, didn't disagree with some of you--they disagreed with all of you.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-31 20:55 City of Dallas
During elections, and especially Proposition 1 (the Trinity Toll Road issue) it is not unusual to find debates. That apparently was the problem for one Dallas City Council member. Freshman City Council Member Dave Neumann apparently decided that debates were a sticky issue. So he turned a would-be debate for his Southwest Dallas council district into a one-sided "vote no" rally on Monday night. The "discussion," as it was billed on an agenda handed out at the meeting, was "paid for by the Dave Neumann for Dallas City Council Campaign." Speakers included Neumann, Michael Morris, Director of Transportation from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and Mayor Tom Leppert. The rally, attended by about 100 people, was held at the City's Park in the Woods Recreation Center on Mountain Creek Parkway. While "vote no" campaigners were allowed to set up shop inside the Center, and hand out materials, their "vote yes" opponents were banished from the building.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-30 07:29 City of Dallas
One of the things we've tried to do is to keep dialog flowing. When someone disagrees with a point we've made, we try to post the comment. In other words, we try not to make things look completely one-sided. The outcome of the Trinity River vote ("yes-means-no," and "no-means-yes" to the tollroad) is one that will shape what downtown looks for decades. It is an extremely important issue--and it is important the we have all sides of the story. It is with this in mind that we've offered Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert the opportunity to answer what we see to be the core issues for voting "yes." I'll also say that Mayor Leppert is a stand-up guy, and I truly believe he wouldn't knowingly damage Dallas for his own personal gain.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-30 05:20 City of Dallas
With all the good reasons to vote "Yes" we wonder why there's a need for this? It seems terribly divisive and not really accurate. We hope this sort of thing stops now.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-27 09:26 City of Dallas
If Proposition 1 fails, and Dallas goes ahead with its plan to build a high speed toll road down the Trinity, repairs made to levees could lead to expensive repairs to the toll road according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-17 10:26 City of Dallas
Apparently the Save The Trinity campaign has produced an ad stereotyping African-Americans in a campaign rap song posted on the Dallas Morning News website. The ad raps "we against proposition one" and makes claims like voting no will "ease up on the taxes." DEVELOPING
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-14 07:45 City of Dallas
Channel 5 has an excellent report on the number of automobile burglaries at one North Dallas DART station--and how few police officers/guards there are in the DART program.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-14 07:37 City of Dallas
by Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer How does Craig Holcomb and company keep getting away with putting-forth this idea that "if we don't build this tollroad, we lose $1 Billion dollars?" Who says? We haven't been able to get a straight answer on that one. Jim Schutze observes: "The total cost of the road keeps flying all over the place. First it was $600 million. Then it went to a billion. A month ago the city said it was $1.2 billion. Later they said $1.3 billion. In a more recent debate Leppert said $1.4 billion. In Lindenberger’s story, the cost was back down to $1.2 billion." Further: maybe somebody should point out that it might be better to lose $1 Billion, $5 Billion or $10 Billion rather than to do the wrong thing with it? Read Jim Schutze's "Lies My Mayor Told Me" at the Dallas Observer [Ed Note: No, Jim, we're still not talking.]
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-07 13:40 City of Dallas
If you live anywhere near Lower Greenville, the name Avi Adelman probably invokes strong emotions. Avi has, for years, worked to bring about more code enforcement and law enforcement in the area. He publishes lists of miscreants who have been arrested in the area for a plethora of charges. Some like his style, some don't--but everyone has something to say about it. On Texas-OU weekend, Avi was out and saw an arrest taking place after an apparent failed hit-and-run. He whipped out his camera phones and began to take video. Only this time, several officers from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission decided to try and prevent it. It seems the female officer was concerned about the arrested female's right to "freedom from embarassment." It seems someone hasn't talked to these guys about Freedom of the Press... yet.
Allen Gwinn 2007-10-06 17:51 City of Dallas
"In 1998, this was about picnics and parks. In 2007, it's about a tollroad." [$100 Finder's Fee for Video! Details below.] Earlier this year, Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt collected almost 80,000 signatures aimed at forcing a referendum (a vote) on whether to nix a high-speed toll road from the middle of the Trinity River project that voters approved 10 years ago. Voting "YES" scraps the high speed tollroad in favor of a low speed parkway. Voting "NO" builds the tollroad down the middle of the Trinity. Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk has been hitting the lecture circuit pitching the tollroad (e.g. "vote no") to high profile crowds in Dallas accompanied by senior city staff members. Everybody has questions. How about if I just limit mine to three:
Allen Gwinn 2007-09-29 07:15 City of Dallas
Dave Levinthal and crew exposes the cozy relationship, that city officials have with Craig Holcomb and the ShutUpDallas.com (Save the Trinity) crowd. Mary Suhm issued a warning to city staff to "behave."
Allen Gwinn 2007-09-14 05:39 City of Dallas
$100 Reward Several sources tell us that a senior city employee from the the city's Trinity River Corridor Project office has been campaigning with Former Mayor Ron Kirk against the upcoming ballot proposition slated for an election in November. Dallas.Org is seeking video and audio of any city employee campaigning, soliciting donations for either side, or encouraging votes (calls to action such as "we must vote this measure down" or "we must vote for this measure"). If we use your video or audio online, we will pay a finder's fee of $100. So get those video cameras and hidden recorders rolling! You can contact us here.
Allen Gwinn 2007-09-12 06:32 City of Dallas
In what may underscore Mayor Tom Leppert's frustration with Dallas City Council Member Angela Hunt, and her petition to restrict a high-speed tollroad down the middle of the Trinity River, Leppert has tossed Hunt from all city committee leadership positions.
Allen Gwinn 2007-08-20 18:01 City of Dallas
Former Dallas Police Chief Terrell Bolton's lawsuit against the City of Dallas was dismissed with prejudice--meaning he cannot bring another similar complaint against the City. Bolton filed suit in federal court against the City and, then, City Manager Ted Benavides after being fired in 2003.
Allen Gwinn 2007-08-02 06:18 City of Dallas
[Editorial] Last Sunday, City Secretary Deborah Watkins certified that Council member Angela Hunt did, in fact, gather enough valid signatures to proceed forward with a vote on whether the Trinity project should include a high-speed toll road down the middle of it or not. Bright and early Tuesday morning, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert announced that the city attorney was sending a bunch of signatures to the District Attorney because of suspected fraud. I had two questions: "why" and "why so publicly?"
Michael Davis 2007-07-29 19:40 City of Dallas
On Saturday, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and I Won't Complain Ministries made history. Over 150 kids and parents packed City Hall (on a Saturday) to kick off Dwaine's Community Teen Summit Series.
Allen Gwinn 2007-07-29 18:28 City of Dallas
The City Secretary has certified the Trinity Petition to go to the voters! Dallas City Council Member Angela Hunt turned in over 80,000 signatures and at least 48,000 have been verified as good.
Allen Gwinn 2007-06-29 16:10 City of Dallas
The TrinityVote.com people have collected 80,000 signatures--far more than needed to put the issue on the ballot.
Allen Gwinn 2007-06-17 09:36 City of Dallas
The City of Dallas is considering a zoning change that may put a facility, with a troubled past, for up to 100 men with "life controlling issues" next door to Dallas' oldest Girl Scout camp, and a neighboring Boy Scout camp. The planned facility could be located at Camp El-Har and will be operated by Teen/Life Challenge of Dallas--loosely affiliated with the Assembly of God Church.
Michael Davis 2007-06-14 07:44 City of Dallas
Ed Oakley Doesn't Care about Poor People
Allen Gwinn 2007-06-12 07:03 City of Dallas
Dallas City Council Member Leo Chaney has decided to take civic narcissism to a new level. Chaney has proposed that taxpayers build a 10 foot monument to him in the city's new Opportunity Park (DMN Link | Sarah Dodd, May 2006). In the spirit of trying to be helpful to Chaney, Dallas.Org has commissioned Help Leo Build A Statue Of Himself contest. The winner will walk away with $11.73! Mike Orren of Pegasus News kicks off the contest! Our entries will be coming today. Click on READ MORE to see them all.
Allen Gwinn 2007-06-11 21:00 City of Dallas
Last week, Jim Schutze at the Dallas Observer wrote an incredible report about a handful of city council members, led by Bill Blaydes, trying to zone Hollywood Door Owner Jack Pierce off of the land he had owned since the 1950's. One of the antagonists in the process was Dallas Mayoral Candidate Ed Oakley. Lesson for candidates: don't mess with strong-willed small business owners during election season! Jack's new ad supporting rival candidate Tom Leppert is attached!
Michael Davis 2007-05-23 20:45 City of Dallas
For all of the bellyaching by Oakley supporters that he is the victim of anonymous phone calls, check out this post on FrontBurner (link). One choice quote:
Allen Gwinn 2007-05-22 07:25 City of Dallas
Sharon Boyd messes with the Ol' Dirty Blockers By Patrick Williams Published: May 10, 2007 Former Dallas City Council candidate P.D. Sterling, with help from political blogger Sharon Boyd, is preparing to file a complaint with the state claiming that pro-Trinity toll road folk broke some election rule in a mailer the group sent out telling people not to sign the petition for a new vote on the project. 
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UPDATE 2/18/08: Dallas Morning News is 
Status: Well, folks, the Mayor never responded. So I gather that he's probably been asked these questions a few too many times--or they're not questions that the "Vote No" side really wants to answer. We'll let you know if this changes.
