| 02/14/2001 Steve Blow: Valentines blinded by science
Today let's explore the territory where old-fashioned romance meets modern-day science. A scientifically minded reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, has advanced an intriguing biological theory about the mysteries of amour. Perhaps it's scientific protocol that requires him to be anonymous. Perhaps it's an admirable example of humility. Norma Adams-Wade: Local civil-rights figures honored
Since she was a youth in the turbulent 1960s, Diane Ragsdale has been an unrelenting advocate for civil rights. Her contributions will be permanently recorded when the former Dallas City Council member is inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute in Selma, Ala. Larry Powell: Satchmo, 'Star Trek' cyborg help mix this medley of love
Good morning, sweethearts. And soreheads (everybody should get recognition on St. Valentine's Day). Yes, it's the day before "National Apology Day," as in, "Holy smoke, sweetheart, I flat forgot about Valentine's Day. Wanna go shoot some pool?" If it takes this column to put romance in your life, (a) I'm proud to help and (b) you're beyond help. 02/13/2001 Larry Powell: 'Food & Fun: 2001' busts trend of hapless State Fair rhymes
Ah, there! On the wind! Did you get a whiff of that? Yes, it's the aroma of the State Fair of Texas – a hint of autumnal food is in the air, and we haven't even started the major-league baseball season. Now, stop daydreaming and read this: Thanks to the State Fair's legendary public-relations personality, Nancy Wiley, here's the big news. The theme for this fall's State Fair is "Food & Fun: 2001." Jacquielynn Floyd: Finding the key to a new life
July 7, 1993, was the last day of Sam Becke's old life. It was the last day he ever tied his shoes or picked up a newspaper or waved to a friend. It was the last day he went to work driving a cab. Sam's new life started that night when a passenger, a panicky teenager, shot the cabbie in the neck for the $40 in his shirt pocket. 02/12/2001 Larry Powell: Amid global worries in '79, a grandmother sails across a sea
Good morning, crowd. It was inside news on Monday, Feb. 12, 1979, but the U.S. Census Bureau said the nation's population would reach 220 million at 9:45 a.m. that day. Today, the nation's population is just over 281.4 million. James Ragland: Pay issue limits pool for council
My mayor and my City Council member are at odds on what long has been a controversial issue in Dallas – council pay. One wants to pay council members a salary. One doesn't. 02/11/2001 Tony Hartzel: Lane-clearing work more urgent
Business is booming for Steve Poole. That's not so good for Dallas County motorists. Steve Blow: Solid 'no' can teach firm morals
OK, parents, let's practice it together. Put that tongue up against the roof of your mouth, just behind the teeth. 02/10/2001 Mercedes Olivera: Latinos examine redistricting options
To sue or not to sue? That is the question being pondered by national Hispanic groups as local organizations examine redistricting issues. Jacquielynn Floyd: Taxing job – what was I thinking?
If I were a bitter, grudge-bearing sort of person, I'd have some pretty tart remarks to make about those tools of daily life that white-sock-wearing techno-geeks have made unnecessarily complicated. 02/09/2001 Larry Powell: This just in: TV networks rely increasingly on schlock value
Frankly, don't you grow weary of explaining to today's youngsters that "Howdy Doody time" was a puppet show and not a double entendre? Steve Blow: Merging of minds essential
Here's another serving of slumgullion – a dab of this, a dab of that. 02/08/2001 Esther Wu: Cabinet appointments may help stop cycle
Norman Mineta and Elaine Chao made history last month when they were confirmed as secretary of transportation and secretary of labor, respectively. Their appointments mark the first time there have been two Asian-Americans in the president's Cabinet. Mr. Mineta, 69, is a longtime Democratic congressman from California. Elaine Chao, 47, is former director of the Peace Corps and the United Way. Larry Powell: A little carping about the per diem for Dallas council
Good morning, taxpayers. In Washington, the political parties are arguing over our paychecks as if they had helped earn them. Ah, America, the beautiful. Jacquielynn Floyd: Former farm town Frisco making hay
FRISCO – Stand on Main Street for five minutes, and Frisco is still a farm burg, a little cork afloat in an ocean of open prairie. When a firetruck goes by, people come out on the sidewalk to see what's burning. A roadside sign advertises the season's premier social event: the annual daddy-daughter dance over at the high school gym. 02/07/2001 Norma Adams-Wade: College, business dig a partnership
7-Eleven Inc. gave a new meaning to moving dirt while enhancing its partnership with Paul Quinn College. James Ragland: This TV show really delivered
There I was, before the roosters had gotten up, rushing to a hospital delivery room. The last time I did that was in 1989, when my son, Alexander, was born. It was such a precious moment. All my wife asked me to do was not get lost on the way to the hospital. Larry Powell 02/06/2001 Jacquielynn Floyd: Frat's past should have raised flags
If the bright boys at Kappa Alpha didn't know waving the rebel flag and singing "Dixie" on campus would make a lot of people go berserk, then maybe they're too dumb to go to college. Todd J. Gillman: Race has elements of a family feud
Last summer, the Hatfields and McCoys met at the Kentucky-West Virginia border to set aside a century of bad blood. No such luck yet in Dallas' rift between state Rep. Domingo Garcia and the former law partner whose House seat he took away five years ago, Roberto Alonzo. Larry Powell has the day off 02/05/2001 Larry Powell: SF mayor's wife, heiress and gasoline were hard to find in '74
Good morning, time-travelers. Today we visit The Dallas Morning News of Tuesday, Feb. 5, 1974. 02/04/2001 Steve Blow: Vanished boogeyman left mark
She even had three names, like we confer on the baddest of the bad: Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wilkes Booth ... ... And Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Who, oh who, will our boogeyman be now that Ms. O'Hair is gone? And why am I suddenly feeling kind of tender toward the old gal? 02/03/2001 Mercedes Olivera: Character at top of survey of leadership qualities
There's a comment I hear occasionally from Dallas-area Hispanics: "How do we define our leaders?" Good question. A new national survey provides a few answers. Jacquielynn Floyd: Drug talk is a lesson in practice
Even facing so tolerant an audience as a roomful of star-struck children, Jason Kreis is almost paralyzed with fear of public speaking. 02/02/2001 Larry Powell: Illegible writing might have some historical value
Good morning, and happy Groundhog Day. Ah, yes, if Alan Greenspan emerges from the Fed office and sees the foreshadowing of a recession, he drops an interest rate ... or am I misinterpreting a long-standing American holiday? Having made that goofball observation, we'll move on to the day's business while hoping that if there are six more weeks of winter, it is somewhere else. Steve Blow: Teenager's recovery in the wind
We tend to think of miracles as big, booming gusts of good fortune. The truth is that most miracles probably come in far less dramatic fashion – more like cool breezes in the midst of plain old hard work. Those are the kind of miracles that Wilkin Mejia has seen. 02/01/2001 Esther Wu: In times of crisis, the only race is human
It's not always about race. When news of the recent earthquakes in El Salvador and India broke, it was no surprise that volunteers quickly came forward to offer aid. Larry Powell: This was the month that was, and they said it first
Good morning, readers of fine print. Today we review quotes from the month of January as gleaned from stories in The Dallas Morning News: 01/31/2001 Norma Adams-Wade: Plan on staying busy in February
Two major Black History Month events at the same time Sunday promise to set the pace for a rich month of African-American culture. The second annual African-American Read-In will be at 3 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. downtown. The event is part of an "international chain" promoting reading. Related events will be held around the globe. Larry Powell: Y2K doesn't compare with a busy January '01
Good morning, calendar watchers. Are we not stunned to discover that we are at the end of January in Y2K-Plus One? It seems like only yesterday that we were quaking in our computer boots over plain ol' Y2K. And now, we've breezed well into 2001 and exhausted the month of January. Steve Blow: Fashioning style with what's out
I think I've finally figured out fashion. And it really astounds me to make that statement. 01/30/2001 Larry Powell: Area is long overdue for a new color scheme
Good morning, monochromaticoplex. If it were not for bright cars, graffiti on bridges, DART's canary yellow vehicles and ubiquitous road signs reading "lane closed," this would be a region without highlights of hue. Todd J. Gillman: Can-do spirit pulled off GOP fete
The galas are history. The new president has been sworn in, moved in and unpacked. And Jeanne Johnson Phillips, the Republican fund-raiser from Dallas who put the inaugural show together in just 32 days, has one word: "relieved." Jacquielynn Floyd: Terminal dreaming pays off
In the 1950s, a hideous elevated freeway marooned Fort Worth's Texas & Pacific railroad passenger terminal and chopped off downtown at the ankles. Now the elevated freeway is slated for demolition. 01/29/2001 Larry Powell: Advice from '54 - Don't shop for a mate in the paper
It was Friday, Jan. 29, 1954, and that day's edition of The Dallas Morning News offered political advice and a husband sale. James Ragland: Sorry? Yes, for the ones he let down
There are lots of reasons to be upset with the Rev. Jesse Jackson for cheating on his wife and fathering a child out of wedlock. The sad thing is that Mr. Jackson set a poor example at a time when the nation desperately needs to come to grips with the issue of out-of-wedlock births. I'll show you how bad the problem is shortly, but first let's talk about Mr. Jackson. 01/28/2001 Steve Blow: Life change can require lots of faith
Has the abduction and amnesia story of White Rock Community Church's new pastor left you feeling skeptical? Are you perplexed? Unsure what should happen next? Well, welcome to the club. 01/27/2001 Mercedes Olivera: D-FW doing its part to help quake victims
Residents have opened their hearts and wallets to help earthquake victims in El Salvador. 01/26/2001 Larry Powell: Cowboys in Super Bowl? That may ring a bell with Aikman
Good morning, and, gee whillikers, this almost slipped past us. Best of luck to the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday's Super Bowl. Relax. I was just testing Troy Aikman's reflexes. If the Cowboys' quarterback read that and suddenly bolted for the door and the airport, then maybe those concussions are having an effect. Steve Blow: Groan man still shoots from the lip
The postcards almost always make me groan. Tex-Mex heartburn remedy: Alka Salsa. Yet I also groan at the thought that one day the postcards will stop coming. 01/25/2001 Esther Wu: Memories enhance Year of Silver Snake
Today marks the second day of the Year of the Silver Snake, also known as the lunar year 4699. Larry Powell: True to form, tax time looms for all you rank and filers
Good morning. This unpleasant topic is dedicated to form-filers and people doing time for failing to file forms. Steve Blow: These guys the victims? Oh, please
Something has been gnawing at me for a while now. But on Wednesday morning, it turned into a full-fledged bite on my backside. 01/24/2001 James Ragland: Getting it right the second time
Go on, call me a bonehead. I wrote a column Monday about a Dallas school program that invites dropouts to drop back into school. And I dropped the ball, because I didn't give a telephone number or e-mail address for those seeking more information. Larry Powell: Making a spectator of oneself carries a high cost
Good morning, citizens and spectators. Today begins the year 4699, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is the "Year of the Snake." Y4snaKe? 01/23/2001 Larry Powell: President may make history right off the bat
We may be on the brink of something previously unseen: a presidential father-son team tossing out the first pitch on opening day of the Major League Baseball season. Todd J. Gillman: First lady leads Mustangs' charge on DC
The Mustangs were out in force at the inauguration, from the hundred or so Southern Methodist University band members and cheerleaders in the parade to Laura Bush, a 1968 alumna. 01/22/2001 Larry Powell: As JFK took over, Dallas saw tunnels, vertical takeoffs ahead
Let's retreat 40 years to the afterglow of a new beginning. Today we review The Dallas Morning News of Sunday, Jan. 22, 1961. James Ragland: DISD helps dropouts to get back in
Geronimo Medrano dropped out of high school. He went back, and then he quit again. At 18, he left his senior class at H. Grady Spruce High School because, he said, his father was in jail and he needed to help his mother. 01/21/2001 Tony Hartzel: Changes along rail line welcomed
More rail cars and bigger parking lots are on the way for users of the Trinity Railway Express. And for many riders, the much-needed changes can't come soon enough. Steve Blow: News tip: My editor no's best
A question often comes up about my job. "Does anyone read your column before it goes in the newspaper?" people ask. 01/20/2001 Mercedes Olivera: Luna's awaiting city landmark action
If you grew up in Little Mexico in the 1940s and bought tortillas at the corner store, chances are you bought them from Luna's. Jacquielynn Floyd: These ads are legal but yucky
There's no law against the two new billboard ads along Interstate 30 advertising a Web site that promises "adult toys and more." 01/19/2001 Steve Blow: Know your friends and faxing foes
I understand that the many layers and levels of government can be mind-boggling. So I won't lecture. But really, people! Shame on us for enjoying a representative form of government – and not even knowing who our representatives are! Larry Powell: Inaugural snub got your hackles up? Stay home and heckle
Good morning. All dressed up for the inaugural balls? Oh, you're not invited, either? Let's be honest. Most of us wouldn't know what to do even if we were invited to an inaugural ball. Such pressure. 01/18/2001 Esther Wu: India to honor constitution, independence
Jan. 26 marks one of India's most celebrated holidays. "Republic Day commemorates the finalization of India's constitution and the date of its first elected leaders of an independent India 51 years ago," said Prassad Thotakura, president-elect of the India Association of North Texas. Larry Powell: So when is a Maverick not really a maverick?
Good morning, Tex. And I use the term "Tex" as loosely as some people use the term "maverick." James Ragland: Cheers for nerds who persevere
I'm a nerd. Maybe you faithful readers already knew that, but I didn't find out until last week. 01/17/2001 Larry Powell: Thirty years later, father knows parenting continues
Pardon this bit of personal melancholy. My children turn 30 today. Help me to a chair. Heck, help them to a chair. Thirty is no spring chicken. By the time you hit 30 ... well, I can't remember that far back. Make up your own punch line. Norma Adams-Wade: Pioneering AME bishop to speak
A buzz of excitement usually fills the air when people mention Dr. Vashti Murphy McKenzie. She is the first woman bishop in the 213-year existence of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Steve Blow: Can't hold a candle to these bulbs
I got a welcome call from Garland Button the other day. He was letting me know that his light bulb is still burning. And if you don't remember previous columns, that must seem like a mighty strange call. 01/16/2001 Jacquielynn Floyd Larry Powell: Before the secret invention called Ginger, there was the Dale
Good morning, loaftroplex. And welcome back to work after your three-day weekend. Now, let's begin thinking again. Good grief. What is that awful sound? Gears starting up from a dead stop? Yep, that's the difference between daydreaming and thinking – daydreaming's painless but thinking hurts and makes a lot of racket when the gears engage. Todd J. Gillman: Get ready to hail – or yell – to the chief
Tuxedo shops in the Park Cities are doing a land-office business. One has 150 suits going out this week for the inauguration. And just as they did for George W. Bush's campaign, Texans are providing a hefty portion of the funds for the swearing-in festivities. But Bush backers aren't the only folks heading to Washington this weekend. 01/15/2001 James Ragland: We tread on the road MLK paved
I spent a couple of hours last week driving and walking along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Dallas. It seemed like a good place to spend a little time reflecting on one of the most dynamic leaders this country has ever had. 01/14/2001 Tony Hartzel: DART is going 'on-call' in Lakewood
DART will offer a new way to get around Lakewood and to the Mockingbird light rail station beginning Monday. Steve Blow: Real life suits them just fine
Of all the reality programs, the episode Rick Hart liked best was the one where he captured a cop killer. 01/13/2001 Mercedes Olivera: Hispanic leaders say unity will aid redistricting
Dallas' Latino leaders don't often agree unanimously on an issue. But this week, many were saying they must unite to advance politically. Jacquielynn Floyd: Is this any way to treat a First Pet?
One of the outgoing White House staff's final chores is to downplay reports that Socks will get the boot when the Clintons move out. Someone may have realized that the final official act of the First Persons needs to be something more statesmanlike than dumping the cat. 01/12/2001 Larry Powell: Rockwall pet store hopes for speedy return of stolen ill cockatoo
On Tuesday afternoon, as one man created a diversion in the Rockwall Petco store, another stepped into the bird room, popped the locks off of an isolation cage, reached in, grabbed Sidney the umbrella cockatoo and walked away from the store. Steve Blow: A few words on another brave officer
WHITEWRIGHT, Texas – When someone mentions the North Texas police officer killed in the line of duty, we almost certainly think of Irving Officer Aubrey Hawkins. But there was another officer who died the day before. And in our clamor over the seven desperadoes suspected in Officer Hawkins' death, perhaps we have not given Cpl. Jim Lamance his due. 01/11/2001 Esther Wu: Prosperity awaits in Lunar New Year
Don't put away the New Year's noisemakers and champagne yet. In less than two weeks many Asians and Asian-Americans will be celebrating the Lunar New Year. Larry Powell: Rangers sporting new duds, but what about a mound makeover?
Good morning. Today's topics will be Texas-toned but not as varied as the number of uniform combinations the Texas Rangers wore during the disastrous Y2K season. 01/10/2001 Norma Adams-Wade: Author to lecture on investing wisely
When Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu speaks – pick a subject – people listen. The Chicago-based author, lecturer, scholar and filmmaker has focused his sharp assessments on a range of social issues during visits to Dallas. Larry Powell: Dallas would need some Olympic fans - the oscillating kind
Good morning, land of long views. What a wonder it was to drive north toward downtown on Interstate 35E about 9 a.m. Tuesday and see the gleaming skyscrapers rising above a brown haze that looked thick enough to gag a buzzard. James Ragland: Behind the blue, fear's a fact of life
I got a letter a few days ago from Kimberly, the wife of a Dallas police officer and mother of two little boys. It was one of many letters, phone calls and e-mails I received after writing about the tragic ripple effects of Irving Officer Aubrey Hawkins' death, allegedly at the hands of the seven escaped Texas convicts. 01/09/2001 Larry Powell : Trying to capitalize on what our government can do for us
Good morning, followers of governmental affairs. Our topics today will include the Texas Legislature, a Dallas Can! Academy trip to Washington and a few odd notes from today's world. Some of you are probably very tired today. After all, you were up into the wee hours putting secret ID marks on your personal property – the Texas Legislature opens for business today. Todd J. Gillman: Redistricting will test bipartisanship goal
Bipartisanship is a fine goal, says Kenny Marchant. But he's a realist. State lawmakers face the once-a-decade chore of redrawing boundaries for their districts and those of the state's congressional delegation. So Mr. Marchant, the Coppell representative who enters his second term Tuesday as head of the House Republican Caucus, isn't getting his hopes up. Jacquielynn Floyd: Family has faith amid vile crime
The model citizens who went cruising last week for heads to bash could hardly have found an easier victim than Burke Jensen. What luck – a Mormon missionary! A polite, clean-cut kid in a tie and white shirt, open and trusting and kind, walking to a meeting to talk God and gospel with a new convert. 01/08/2001 James Ragland: Officer's mom clings to memories
You want a tough assignment? Go talk to a mother who's just lost a child to violence. It won't take long for her tears to become yours, for her pain to make you ache inside. 01/06/2001 Mercedes Olivera: 2002 to bring tougher tests to earn GEDs
Half of all new immigrants to this country in 2000 spoke only one language: Spanish. They came hungry to work and to feed their families. Integrating into the U.S. culture and economy could be a little easier if they spoke English or had a high school diploma. Jacquielynn Floyd: Fall to No. 3 doesn't vex Empire State
New York! That's how it rolls off the Texan tongue, spiced with chagrin and disbelief, as exemplified by that old coot in the hot sauce commercial. 01/05/2001 Steve Blow column
Columnist Steve Blow is on vacation. Larry Powell: Pen a library tune, make it a page-turner
Good morning, supporters of the Dallas Public Library. Today we present the latest challenge involving our city's library system. It's not exactly Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, but there is a payoff. 01/04/2001 James Ragland: Officer's son left to grieve after slaying
Dixie Buchanan wants her 9-year-old son, Andrew, to have a normal life. That didn't seem like such a monumental task until 10 days ago, when Andrew's father was shot to death as several men fled the scene of a robbery. Esther Wu: 'Miss Saigon' comes to end; moral lives on
Miss Saigon captures a moment in history. In some ways, the story has become a benchmark of this country's social intolerance. Larry Powell: Elvis has left building, but is he happy?
Good morning. Today we'll discuss things that make people happy – the range of topics includes a secret society and a public Elvis. 01/03/2001 Columnist Steve Blow has the day off Norma Adams-Wade: Stars coming out to boost UNCF event
Dozens of noted entertainers will perform Saturday during the United Negro College Fund's "An Evening of Stars," the annual telethon that supports historically black colleges and universities. Larry Powell: Looking for sun in all the wrong places
Good morning. Fed up with our "Winter Wonderland"? Tired of the fact that the "weather outside is frightful"? Disinterested in an invitation to go "dashing through the snow"? 01/02/2001 Larry Powell: Does anybody remember the roaches?
While we can still hear the echo of Y2K stomping madly into the past, let's look at the final roundup of Y2quotes. Our picks from December's editions of The Dallas Morning News: Todd J. Gillman: Despite policy, senators don't keep a secret
When Texans pick a lieutenant governor, they do so in the anonymity of a voting booth. The Texas Senate, which filled a vacancy in that job last week, also wanted to employ a secret ballot, and after fighting all the way to the state Supreme Court, won the right to do so. 01/01/2001 Larry Powell: A hair-raising odyssey from 1991 to 2001
Good morning. Today begins 2001. Hopefully, the Soviet space station Mir won't decide to plumb the depths of irony and plummet to Earth just as author Arthur C. Clarke's majestic year arrives. Ah, yes, 2001: A Space Odyssey – how it overestimated man! 12/31/2000 Tony Hartzel: Icy weather no time for speed record
The threat of ice and freezing rain apparently can't stop some commuters from speeding to their appointed rounds. Steve Blow: A Zen-like remedy for phone rage
For some things in life, the fix seems worse than the affliction. And I'm afraid that I may have foisted another such bad bargain on you. It was this: 1-888-CALL-FCC. 12/30/2000 Jacquielynn Floyd: Worthless? Yes, but it was on sale!
Acting on the dubious premise that by buying a useless object at half its original price you somehow come out ahead, I went after-Christmas shopping. Mercedes Olivera: Will census numbers add up to progress?
States with large Hispanic population gains came out the big winners in the latest census report released Thursday. 12/29/2000 Steve Blow: Old minivan has new life as bid bait
Say, are you looking for a good, used minivan? Sorry, I can't help you. But I can tell you how to buy my old minivan! And I really would like to see it go to a good home. 12/28/2000 Jacquielynn Floyd: Everyday lives merit celebration
You could probably make a case that the crankhead who shot a cop on a dark Austin street nearly 23 years ago was a more compelling character than the man he killed. Esther Wu: Year provided abundance of milestones
Only three more days left in the year 2000. It seems like just yesterday that Y2K frenzy was upon us. And in some circles, the 2000 vs. 2001 millennium debate continues. But what can't be debated is the fact that this has been a watershed year for Asians and Asian-Americans. Larry Powell: Texas looms big, bright on national scene
Texas is about to be at the center of the universe – again. Yep, turn on the spotlight, Texas is ready to rodeo. 12/27/2000 Norma Adams-Wade: Kwanzaa celebrates African roots
Wednesday is the second of seven days of the annual Kwanzaa celebration. In Dallas, The Third Eye, an organization that studies African culture and traditions, sponsors the citywide festival that lasts from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 each year. Larry Powell: Parades and subways and fairs, oh my!
Let's consider where we are in the universe. Wait. That's way too much thinking. Let's just see how people perceive our sprawlin' city. 12/26/2000 Larry Powell: It's a shame that you can't return germs
Good morning, bargain-hunters and other metrospecies. It is the first shopping day after Christmas. It is the day you traditionally take stuff back. 12/25/2000 Larry Powell: No aliens, but LBJ did howl in '67
No doubt this Christmas morning, some merry readers turned first thing to our annual presentation of Paul Crume's angel column. Paul Crume: On this day, angels linger close at hand
This essay, first published on Christmas morning 1967, is considered one of the most appealing ever written by the late Paul Crume, whose "Big D" column appeared in The Dallas Morning News from 1948 until 1975. 12/24/2000 Steve Blow: Tradition puts warmth in holiday
It's funny how Christmas traditions get started. For Brooke and David Beasley's family, it was feet. Tony Hartzel: Red, green lights don't come cheap
Santa Road Runner keeps a list of unlucky motorists this holiday season. Hundreds of times a year, drivers run into traffic lights, stop signs and fire hydrants. All too often, the drivers speed away, leaving no trace of whom to blame. Others, though, get caught with the repair bill. 12/23/2000 Mercedes Olivera: Navidad more 'feliz' for 29,000 kids
This navidad just got better for nearly 29,000 children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They each got a juguete (toy) and a stocking stuffer. Most weren't expecting anything. Jacquielynn Floyd: Christmas rides in on teen's bikes
MESQUITE – Santa Claus had a flat tire on the way to last year's Christmas party at the Boys & Girls Club and couldn't make it. The staff labored to divert a hundred anxious, overwrought children while the custodian hastily pulled on the Santa suit in the men's room. 12/22/2000 Steve Blow: Forney faces facts: Mary's is closing
And it's no exaggeration to say that Mary's is the social center of Forney, a small town out on the eastern edge of the Dallas sprawl. So it's with a mixture of dread and disbelief that people face the bitter truth: Mary's is closing. Saturday is the restaurant's final day. Larry Powell: Ingredients for a perfect Christmas
Holy mistletoe, we're heading into that stretch of time when nobody finds a good parking space, price checks take an eternity and what you thought someone wanted for Christmas is nowhere near what you proudly bought and wrapped. 12/21/2000 Esther Wu: Season offers spirit of hope, sense of need
At this time of year, as families and friends gather for the holidays, thoughts naturally turn to gift-giving. While not all Asian-Americans celebrate Christmas, the spirit of the season is shared by all: It is a time of sharing and giving. Larry Powell: Some people truly deserve lumps of coal
Good morning, wassailers and less boisterous participants in the holiday season. 12/20/2000 Steve Blow: 216,000 miles and memories
I'm saddened to report the departure of a dear family member. After many years of faithful service, '91 Astro van has gone on to a better place. Norma Adams-Wade: Health staff deserves kudos for aiding poor
Caring for patients in a hospital is demanding work in itself, so the Baylor Health Care System nurses, doctors and administrators who volunteer for the nonprofit Central Dallas Ministries' health-care project deserve kudos. Larry Powell: Post office delivers that holiday spirit
Good morning, postal customers. Let's tie up some of the loose ends of Christmas. This will be anecdotal praise of the U.S. Postal Service – I'm sure there's a high-dollar university-level study somewhere that says the hired hands at the post office could work harder, work faster, etc. Couldn't we all? 12/19/2000 Jacquielynn Floyd: No promises in weather forecasting
Caught in a cranky mood, Shakespeare complained in his 34th sonnet: Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day; And make me travel forth without my cloak...? Larry Powell: A few ideas while we're in transition
Good morning, transistors. Er, transitors. Er, transitioners? The Electoral College has had its say in this presidential event. I use "event" because there's been too much stuff to fit under the "election" umbrella. Todd J. Gillman: Perry makes a point with visit to Kirk
The day after Lt. Gov. Rick Perry officially, finally and irrevocably became governor-in-waiting, he paid a call on Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk. 12/18/2000 James Ragland: Friendships develop over dinner
Some of us hardly see our neighbors, even the ones who live right next door. Maybe we don't know what we're missing. Larry Powell: 1955: Cheap smokes, heirs with attitude
It was Sunday, Dec. 18, 1955 – a time of 15-minute programs on black-and-white TV and the passing of the trolley era in Dallas. Here's what you got in your 15-cent copy of The Dallas Morning News. 12/17/2000 Columnist at rest John C. Davenport: Radio drives many to distraction
Long before talking on a cell phone became a hazardous driving condition, there was the car radio. 12/16/2000 Mercedes Olivera: Latinos want bigger voice in diocese
Hispanics comprise nearly two-thirds of church congregations in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. But many of them say they feel they have no voice at the diocese, where only five of the 50 members of diocesan boards and committees are Hispanic. Jacquielynn Floyd: Hey, nobody got killed in this election
Most of us incline toward drama and hyperbole – I love them more than life itself – but some of the descriptions of our extended presidential election seem a little inflated. It has indeed been a long, strange trip, and the calls now for mending our fences, or at least getting back to business as usual, are certainly commendable. 12/15/2000 Larry Powell: Dust bowl can't compare to icy horror
Good morning. Well, that was enough winter weather for me. 12/14/2000 Jacquielynn Floyd: Cause made Web contest worthwhile
There's an awful lot of junk on the Internet, but that includes a kind of junk-shop appeal. Esther Wu: Looking and learning in Chinatown
SAN FRANCISCO – The hustle and bustle of Chinatown seemed to be at fever pitch last week. Larry Powell: A-Rod is ours? There must be some mistake
Good morning. I can explain this cold snap. When the Texas Rangers sign a big-time shortstop, you-know-what will freeze over. 12/07/2000 Esther Wu: '80-20' plan seeks to rouse Asian voters
Alexander Cheng remembers the first time he voted in a U.S. election. That's why the Taiwan-born software engineer is trying to organize a local chapter of the 80-20 Initiative, a national, pan-Asian, nonpartisan political organization whose goal is to deliver a bloc of at least 80 percent of the Asian-American votes in presidential elections. 11/30/2000 Esther Wu: Immigrants from India discuss issues
The number of Indian-Americans in the United States is estimated at more than 1 million. There are about 55,000 in this area, according to the India Association of North Texas. The population is growing – and so are the issues they face. 11/23/2000 Esther Wu: Holiday hard to grasp, but not freedom
The concept of a day set aside to give thanks is difficult for a 6-year-old to grasp. But it is almost impossible for a newcomer to this country. 11/16/2000 Esther Wu: Voting bloc gave Gore solid support
It's uncertain who will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20, but one thing is clear – Asian-Americans are more involved with the political process than ever before. |
