Dear Mexican: When I was in high school, everyone called the Mexican students like myself “cheddars.” I’m not sure where this originated from, or what it really has to do with Mexican culture. When I have asked other Mexicans what this means, they are not sure, either. “Cheddar packing” is…
Years ago an editor at another newspaper who thought I was worrying a story to death told me, “The French have a saying that to understand everything is to forgive everything. Remember, Schutze, we are not French.” No kidding. But I don’t think it forgives anybody to try to understand…
Doing some Trinity River research this week, I came across an item posted on Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert’s Web page talking about how the outcome of the 2007 toll road election was a real kick in city council member Angela Hunt’s ass. Hunt, of course, sponsored the unsuccessful referendum. “The…
I am here at the Big House, totally motivated, ready to blog the living hell out of today’s Dallas city council briefing on community gardens. A mob has gathered of approximately 11 community garden partisans. They are seated at the peanut gallery end of the council briefing room, where they…
Sometimes The Dallas Morning News does so many things so right I begin to worry. Tanya Eiserer’s work on how the Dallas Police Department faked the city’s crime reports so Dallas would no longer be the most crime-riddled city in the nation; everything Brooks Egerton does; in fact, most of…
10. You know it’s going to be an interesting trip when – upon the first hint of turbulence 30 minutes from touchdown in Las Vegas – the person directly behind you throws up sorta into the barf bag. “Turb-yoo-lance ain’t no good, mayne,” said the dude. Words can’t describe the…
Listen up, Dallas Area Rapid Transit! My man, Roscoe Betz, is still comin’. And some day he is gonna get you. This week Betz won again. I first wrote about Mr. Betz in June 2008, when he sued DART in the Justice of the Peace Court of Judge Al Cercone…
I just want to make sure we all understand the roll of the dice here.City council member Dave Neumann of Oak Cliff wants us taxpayers of Dallas to front about $1.4 million to the federal government in order to keep the Trinity River toll road on the fast track. Why?…
Recently when I spent time over in North Oak Cliff talking to people for a story about what North Oak Cliff wants, the most consistent theme was, “Not Lower Greenville.” They want cool entertainment venues in North Oak Cliff, but they don’t want drunks, public urination and an atmosphere of…
Dear Mexican: I’m a pan blanco, and my wife is puertorriqueña. Our son looks basically white, while a casual observer might admit that there is some Latin going on there. I’m not sure how this pertains to my question—it may or may not be worth mentioning. Our son is a…
Never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I guess I regret not having Rod Dreher to kick around any more. When our own self-styled (and always stylish) “crunchy con” departed from the editorial page staff of The Dallas Morning News last December to work for the John Templeton Foundation…
Programming note: I’m on vacation from both the Dallas Observer, Sportatorium and 105.3 The Fan next week. If you need me I’ll be in Sin City, well, sinning. And hopefully winning. When we reconvene I’ll be live and living color from Texas Rangers’ Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. Peace Be With You…
Well, we’ll see what happens today here at the federal courthouse, where we await the first round of sentencings in the Dallas City Hall corruption trial. I am upstairs from the courtroom in the “overflow room” set up for media by Judge Barbara Lynn — what we would have called…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Although it’s a risk, I’m not too concerned about the Dallas Cowboys losing restricted free-agent receiver Miles Austin. They didn’t place the franchise tag on him yesterday, so a long-term contract…
Good news about Greenville Avenue is not always easy to come by, but you will find a steady supply at a new site called Red on Greenville. Sponsored by Greenville Avenue merchants as a way to counteract bad news about their venues, the site is not a bad little newsletter…
Dear Mexican: I am a lifelong resident of Arizona and have worked side by side with illegals for 25 years as a bloquero. In all that time, I never knew ONE of them to be an aspiring American. In fact, their loyalties remain with their home states, they listen to…
The U.S. Supreme Court today has ruled against the city of Dallas in its lawsuit over the proposed Neches River Reservoir — an 11th hour reprieve for the state’s last wild river. It’s a two-word ruling – “certiorari denied” – but it means the city is out of luck on…
It will be really interesting to see how city staff handles this week’s stunning announcement of a $23 million federal grant to fund a trolley connecting downtown with North Oak Cliff. This is not at all where the staff wanted to go. Last October I covered a city council briefing…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *I’m setting the over/under on Tiger Woods saying the word “sorry” in this morning’s sanitized statement at 4.5, and I’m taking the under. I’ll also be shocked if he cries. At…
Can’t let this pass without pointing something out. Two stunning stories that have come down the pike in the past 24 hours — the awarding of a major federal grant for trolley in Oak Cliff and the success of preservationists in forcing DISD to back down, at least temporarily, from…
Dear Mexican: People talk about the costs of illegal immigration on our society. What about the savings? Has there been any research into how much more a meal at a restaurant would cost without Mexicans cooking and washing dishes? What percentage increase would we see with supermarket produce if migrant…
Trying to get to my post at Unfair Park. Big weather issues here. See photo. Huge branch the size of the Sears Tower fell on wife’s car. Worse: I had inadvertently left money bag containing $1 million-plus in rubles on top of car, part of inheritance I received recently from…
