Dallas News Blog

​So, I was on SMU's Web site looking for something entirely unrelated this morning when I came across this event:

Jim Schutze, columnist for the Dallas Observer, will speak on "Inside Dallas: A Muckraker's Paradise" on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at an event sponsored by SMU's Retired Faculty Association.

His talk will be the second in a series of the RFA's "Distinguished Lecture" series, inaugurated last year with assistance from the provost's office as an effort to strengthen ties between retirees and active faculty and staff.

SMU retired faculty, as well as active faculty and staff, are invited to this event. A reception will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Jones Great Hall of Meadows Museum. Schutze's talk will follow at 4 p.m. in the adjacent Smith Auditorium.

Hunh. First I've heard of it.

Oh, and speaking of, Sam just returned from the Trinity Trust announcement: $10 million to turn the Continental Avenue Bridge into a pedestrian walkway. He's up shortly with pics, renderings and other goodies. Oh, goody.

Update: Speaking of the Continental Ave. Bridge ... Right after I posted this, City Hall sent word that the bridge is shutting down tomorrow morning at 9 for the $150-a-ticket Bridging the Trinity party. Says the advisory, "During the 19-hour closure, the bridge will be closed to east and west bound pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Travelers should use alternate routes such as I-30 or Commerce Street for access to I-35, Downtown, and West Dallas. The bridge will reopen to the public on Saturday, September 26 at 4:00 a.m."

The biggest revelation to arise from Dr. J. Q. Lazarus Schütze's appearance on KERA-TV last night was that haircut and that suit -- quite fancy for a sex-tabloid worker! I'll let you watch Jim's Friday-night Think-off with Dallas Morning News'er Lee Hancock without further comment, though why Hancock was invited remains a bit of a head-scratcher -- far as I can tell, she's just got the one co-byline on the subject of the Trinity River Corridor Project. Why not, oh, Lindenberger? So here's a link to the video -- the twosome only got 15 minutes, not nearly long enough.

Yes, yes and yes to all those wondering if Dr. James Phoestus Schutze will still brighten up KERA-Channel 13's airwaves tonight at 7:30 with sand-in-the-levees talk. Says right here:

WHAT'S ON TODAY

Topic
The Trinity Saga
Guest
Lee Hancock, Jim Schutze & Philip Haas

Description
Where does Dallas stand on the Trinity River Project? Will the recent decertification of the levees delay construction? What about the signature bridges? We'll get the story this evening with Lee Hancock of the Dallas Morning News and Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer.

Haas will be on to talk about this: Butchers, Dragons, Gods & Skeletons at the Kimball Art Museum. Now, see, that sounds like something worth tuning in for.

Schutze is out of the office, no doubt freshening up his deep, dark tan for his forthcoming television appearance, about which we were just notified by Meg Fullwood at KERA. As she does every week, Meg sent along the programming schedule for next week's Thinks, both the radio and teevee editions, and at the bottom of her e-mail was this notice of note:

Friday, 7/17
Television
7:30 p.m.
Where does Dallas stand on the Trinity River Project? Will the recent decertification of the levees delay construction? What about the signature bridges? We'll get the story this evening with Lee Hancock of The Dallas Morning News and Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer.

Next up, after yesterday's speech over pastaroni, Jim will come to your house and talk about sand.

blaaaaaake!, via Flickr

Flickr's been very good to Unfair Park over the years, helping to turn up vintage photos from Fair Park, inspired looks at the skyline and sharp political commentary from Southfork.

Starting next week, we'll be showcasing some of the best new shots from around town in a weekly slide show: the best new shots from our Flickr group, Dallas Observed. We've also got the six latest shots submitted to our group here on Unfair Park, just below the Twitter posts to the right.

So if you're on Flickr already, here's hoping you'll submit your best shots of the city to our group. Instructions for submitting shots are right there on the group's page. We're looking for unique angles on familiar sights around Dallas, plus restaurants, concerts, parties or any strange sights you catch around town. Add "music" or "food" tags to your shots and we might spotlight those on DC9 or City of Ate.

Patrick Michels

Our music editor in action ...

Well, none of them are building wind farms in West Texas. Two have known the soft touch of Mike Modano. Three are former or current Disney Channel stars. All are enamored of copious amounts of free publicity. Two have posed nude. And all have been named one of the "25 Most Interesting People in DFW," at least according to contributors to KXAS-Channel 5's Web sites, where it's "locals only," whatever that means. In the case of our music editor and DC9'er, writes Lyndsay Knecht Milne, "possibly the most valuable contribution Freedman makes to our city stems from his awareness of what keeps the music scene more disjointed than those of cities who've earned the same critical acclaim: key Dallas neighborhood associations' fear of and distaste for the crowds at live music events that would enrich their communities." (Avi, I think she's talking about you. Yup, she is.)

Anyway, the site'll keep adding names, five per day, till July 10. So, yes, there's still time for you and you and especially you. Schutze and I have nominated each other for the "10 We're Just Tired Of" list.

Updated at 9:19 a.m. Wednesday: Didn't intend for this to become an item about Avi Adelman, but in the comments you'll find the Lower Greenville activist's reaction to his being added to the station's tired-of list Wednesday morning.

Danny Hurley

The B24 Liberator offering rides for Father's Day, save for one Observer photographer for whom the name proved ironic at best

Saturday afternoon, friend of the show Danny Hurley sent word that they were offering quite the Father's Day gift out at Addison Airport -- flights on a B-24 Liberator, where everyone calls shotgun. (Pretty cool too, as only two Liberators are still flying). Danny wanted to go out and shoot some photos of the circa-'44 bomber and the men who ponied up for the ride; I told him sure, go 'head, sounds great -- very heartwarming. And, sure enough, he got some awfully nice shots and stories to go with them, as among those taking part yesterday were two men treating their terminally ill stepfather, a Vietnam vet, to a spin in the sky that might just be his last. Danny was collecting several such tales.

But when he sent along his pictures -- which you can see in this terrific slide show -- he noted that, well, he sure wishes he could've come back with more, "but my day was cut short." How so? Well, his version of the day's events follow after the jump. But I''ll provide this small hint: the Department of Homeland Security. Which, if you've ever met Danny, is hilarious. To everyone except Danny.

Still not sure who gets the copy of Holy Roller (though the Monty Python fan's a real player), but today is the official publication date of former Dallas Observer editor Julie Lyons's tome that bears the subtitle "Finding Redemption and the Holy Ghost in a Forgotten Texas Church." That church is The Body of Christ Assembly in South Dallas, where Julie says that in April of 1990 she found crack addicts being healed through prayer -- "a news tip from God," as she describes it, since, back then, she was a crime reporter for the Dallas Times Herald looking for both a fresh angle on a worn-out news story and an honest-to-God miracle. Turned out to be quite the two-fer.

Friends of Unfair Park, of course, will take particular interest in Chapter 15 -- the one titled "Bible Girl," in which Julie writes about the genesis of her Unfair Park column. She writes of readers' reactions to the one dealing with her "struggle with same-sex attraction"; she says she "got a kick out of my critics' seemingly desperate need to discredit what God had done for me" as they wrote comments that took "digs at my church and family, and crude speculation regarding which sex toys I might've preferred in my supposed previous life as a lesbian."

Today, Rod Dreher has posted to his BeliefNet blog, Crunchy Con, an interview with our former leader in which they get religion. He also finds out what she's been up to since Bible Girl left Unfair Park to the heathens.

A personal aside this Memorial Day, if you'll pardon the indulgence. I was at the folks' house last night and noticed that Mom just added to her estimable collection of family photos this montage featuring family members who'd served in the military, among them her father (at the bottom left) and my brother (top left), who's currently training at an undisclosed location. My mother's father, Laurence Aronson of El Paso, served in the honor guard during World War I. And my brother -- Major Mike, whom I've mentioned before -- is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, otherwise known as "The Walking Dead," and prepping for his second tour in Iraq sooner than later. Did I ever mention that my brother received the Bronze Star from his first tour of duty? No? I should have. Hillcrest High, represent.

Mom's uncle Lawrence Reedman of El Paso is at the top right, and the man had one heck of a career -- one he seldom liked to talk about, no matter how much I begged whenever he'd come to visit. Mom jotted down a few of the highlights, among them: Uncle Honey was a technical sergeant with the 527 Bomb Squadron out of England, where he served as a top turret gunner and flight engineer on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Once, he was shot down over the English Channel, but the entire crew was rescued in the morning; for his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Purple Heart -- and, if I read Page 369 of the 1944-'45 American Jewish Year Book correctly, an oak leaf cluster.

The man at the bottom right -- the one who looks like a movie star -- is Mom's uncle Sam Aronson from Amarillo, a captain who served in the Army Medical Corps during WWII; Mom always spoke of Uncle Sam as though he was the Doc Graham of Amarillo. And the woman on the left, holding the baby? That's my father's aunt Mildred, who still lives here and who served as a first sergeant in the Women's Army Corp; so too did my father's aunt Norma. And the baby Aunt Millie's holding? My dad, whose bad back kept him out of the U.S. Naval Academy despite the Joe Pool appointment.

So, this is what pride feels like. Now, back to your barbecuing.

If nothing else, the paper version of Unfair Park has a most devoted reader in one George Rodrigue, the Dallas Morning News managing editor who, yet again, tears himself from the ads in the back of the Dallas Observer just long enough to read Schutze. As Jim's out of the office today -- he's decided to celebrate Hot Fudge Friday in private for reasons best left to another time -- I'll simply point out that in his latest Ask the Editor column, Rodrigue takes issue with Jim's column this week that takes issue with The News's first and only story about the Inland Port and allegations of a shakedown, about which Jim's written, um, lots.

GRod isn't as condescending this go-round and even acknowledges: "In fairness to the Observer, which broke the original story, I should note that we found rather similar evidence on the striking extent to which County Commissioner John Wiley Price did things with the apparent aim of delaying the project." But I found this portion of his essay a bit ... well, misleading:

After taking a long, hard look at this morning's Quick cover, Unfair Park would like to take this opportunity to welcome Dallas Morning News Managing Editor George Rodrigue to the sexually oriented weekly tabloid business. As a member of this elite journalism club, George, you and A.H. Belo upper management are now entitled to what's referred to in the trade as the "Upper Decherd," details of which will be provided in a follow-up e-mail sent directly to you that should be considered extremely confidential.

As per your request, we've also activated your movie subscription; expect the first title within the next three to six weeks, to be hand-delivered by a "Mr. J. Schutze" along with your order for the five-gallon tub of Boy Butter™. Also, if you would please inform one "Bob Mong" -- Is that right? Sounds made-up -- that, sadly, we're currently out of the Crave T-style divider and ask if he'd would settle instead for the Leather gates of hell. So, again, welcome, and remember to properly dispose of all towels and tissues on your way out (shhhh). Because Bobby Dee's spot-on: What we do everyday is special.

George Rodrigue

Dallas Morning News Managing Editor George Rodrigue just posted his latest "Ask the Editor" column. And, even though nobody asked -- we are soooooo blushing right now -- it's mostly about the Dallas Observer, otherwise known as "a sexually oriented weekly tabloid," which sounds significantly more interesting than the paper for which I've worked for nearly 18 years (though, seriously, you should see Schutze on Hot Fudge Fridays). There are too many highlights to mention, though I've chosen a favorite passage below. Best day ever.

Their staff, which is talented but tiny, can't break many stories. So they sit back, wait for us to do months of painstaking research, and then explode in rhetorical indignation over a sentence that they would have written differently.

By constantly claiming to have spotted signs of bias in our work, they may even convince their readers that a sexually oriented weekly tabloid truly is vital to understanding Dallas.

One has to admire the effort.

Schutze is on an East Texas retreat with Dallas administrative judge C. Victor Lander this week, so he won't mind me posting this T-shirt suggested by Friend of Unfair Park "ericthegardener." It all started in the comments section of yesterday's item about the May 5 Trinity Parkway Public Hearing at the Dallas Convention Center Arena, in which a certain Mr. Buzzoff noted that the event offered "a good chance for us to show up and wear our 'I am Jim Schutze' t-shirts!" A little while later, bam, up showed the tee.

And it's a good one too, no doubt about it. But I'm trying to convince the Big Bosses to actually let Unfair Park make and distribute such a T-shirt in time for the event -- because, what, Schutze is gonna stop me? Right. So feel free to e-mail me your designs sooner than later, and when I've collected a sufficient amount we'll post an online poll, and the Friends of Unfair Park will determine which design we go with. (Friend of the show Bill Holston asks we stick with the source inspiration.) No doubt there will also be a prize for the winning designer; I'll hash that out with the promotions peoples soon as they return from South by Southwest.

A Friend of Unfair Park directs our attention to this Texas Observer item concerning House Concurrent Resolution No. 50, filed Tuesday by three Republican state representatives -- Leo Berman of Tyler, Brandon Creighton of Conroe and Bryan Hughes of Marshall -- who more or less want to declare Texas a sovereign state. As in: The lawmakers claim that the federal government has overstepped the bounds of the Tenth Amendment by imposing laws not expressly outlined in the Constitution. Therefore, the threesome want it resolved that ...

... the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby claim sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That this serve as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers ...

These Texians will no doubt be delighted. This one too.

Still haven't been served over this December 16 item concerning the surprisingly litigious Hiram Walker Royall, a Highland Park developer, so I will proceed further -- but only with the caveat that a mutual friend of ours insists "he's a great guy." So, there -- covered. Anyway, the details behind Royall's courtroom adventures can be found in the earlier item, but in short: Royall's developing a marina in Freeport, which seized some land belonging to a family-owned wholesale shrimp business and gave it to the HP oil heir. A whole mess of suits ensued, one of which finds Royall suing author Carla Main, who documented the affair in the 2007 book Bulldozed: "Kelo," Eminent Domain and the American Lust for Land.

In recent days Royall's name has surfaced in a couple of your larger media outlets: Forbes and the National Review. The former sums up the whole sordid affair in its headline: "The latest twist on eminent domain: Seize someone's property, and if he cries foul, sue him." The National Review's short subscription-only take is even more straightforward. It's after the jump, but, first, the spoiler: "In this diminished age, Texans' traditional methods for dealing with varmints of this variety have fallen into disfavor, but the Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm, is taking up its cudgels for free speech and private property."

Twice today I've been asked about several posts on The Latest Word, one of our sister blogs out of Denver, referring to layoffs and pay cuts taking place throughout the Village Voice Media chain. The Dallas Observer, of course, is among the 15 papers in the chain, formerly known as New Times Inc.

Specifically, this is the post to which inquiring minds are referring, one that contains a memo that landed in our in-boxes on New Year's Eve in which New Times founders Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin announced 15-percent pay reductions for "all VVM senior managers and officers, including Larkin and Lacey"; 10-percent pay cuts for all VVM publishers and editors; and the company's decision to no longer match money put into our 401-K plan.

Lacey and Larkin also write that "unfortunately, this year we have found it necessary to make staff reductions and have placed all staff openings on hold." Westword, The Village Voice and other papers in the chain have indeed laid off staffers in recent days. The Observer, operating with its smallest staff in years, has thus far not suffered any personnel losses; Kimberly Thorpe, hired as a staff writer to replace the recently departed Jesse Hyde (now managing editor at our sister paper in Miami), begins next week. Which is not to say cuts of some kind aren't coming to Dallas sooner than later; we're well aware of what's what.

The entirety of Lacey and Larkin's memo follows after the jump. --Robert Wilonsky

For those looking for some year-end reading during the slow news cycle, consider my personal favorites of the year from Observer columnist Jim Schutze. I refuse to play favorites, so the list is chronological. And since any commentary from me can't compare to the work itself, a memorable excerpt from each one has been included to help motivate you to follow the links. --Sam Merten

10. "DART Made a Billion-Dollar Goof," January 24

Lynn Flint Shaw's big new plan? Promise the moon, schmooze the money. Hey, I could do that. I could promise to build the whole railroad by myself if I didn't have to tell about the money. Sheesh.

Your suggestions for our Tom Leppert poster were, for the most part, undeniably strong, to the point where there's been much bickering amongst Unfair Parkers today concerning the winning choice. There are four clear front-runners: "RAZE," "SPEND," "ERECT" and "HOTEL." (Other personal favorites: "COPE," "MARCH," "DINERO" and "LEGACY.")

But, if you'll notice in the comments, a late favorite emerged -- the only word to have received three endorsements, and the only one we considered, well, definitive (as opposed to, say, derogatory). And we've built a poster around that particular word; it's after the jump. But, as with the original Shepard Fairey poster, we will indeed create alternates built around at least four of the suggestions above, which means the Friends who first suggested them will each receive, as promised, their 13-by-19-inch archival print suitable for framing. Stickers and T-shirts are in the works; so, so proud. So, for now, our first poster, but not our last. --Robert Wilonsky

There have been many, many parodies of Shepard Fairey's Obama "Hope" posters, few of which elicit even the faintest hint of a giggle. (Always did like the Luke Skywalker "New Hope" version, though the execution doesn't top the concept.) What you see above is, of course, our version courtesy Observer art director Alexander Flores, who spent many hours with Sam Merten's photo of Mayor Tom Leppert to offer up this meticulously crafted homage, far as you know.

Alas, the question mark is there because we've decided to leave the verbiage up to a Friend of Unfair Park. Leave your suggestions in the comments; the winner walks away with an 13-by-19-inch archival print suitable for framing. But before you begin, a word or two of caution: You can skip the obvious and the inflammatory -- because, look, we're thinking Unfair Park posters and tees, just maybe. And ... go. --Robert Wilonsky

Update: There are several strong contenders, but we're going to keep the polls open till the morning -- late-night inspiration and so forth, especially tonight. Tomorrow afternoon, we'll debut the poster bearing the winning word -- though, never know, could be three or four in a series. Again, though, we're not looking for mean, just definitive. Bang-up job thus far. Thank you.

If you've always wondered what it'd be like to listen to Jim "The Great Optimist" Schutze talk to WFAA-Channel 8's John McCaa for, like, 12 uninterrupted minutes, today is your lucky day. --Robert Wilonsky

Probably should have mentioned this, like, oh, I dunno, Friday maybe? But, yes, I did host a late-night music show on KTCK-AM (1310, The Ticket) on Saturday night that lasted till the wee small hours of Sunday morning. It's called Till 2, as in: Nothing good ever happens after 2 in the morning, but anything goes till 2, get it? I know, right? Brilliant. Anyway, yes, we'll return at 11 p.m. for another show this Saturday; the following Saturday too, till we take a week or two off before returning in early October, just maybe. (At the moment, we'll come on at 11 p.m. following SMU football games, because we have so much in common -- long losing streaks, I think is what Jeff Catlin's getting at.)

For those who did listen to the hodgepodge of the familiar and slightly less so and phoned in with your kind words and requests, much thanks, of course -- though best of all was the one caller who wondered, in a rather sweaty state of panic, whether The Ticket had changed formats. Seemed a little confused, by which I mean very, very, very, very drunk; really should have put him on the air. As several of you have requested a playlist, which I promised I'd post on Unfair Park anyway, it follows after the jump. So, then, till Saturday night. And, yup, request lines are open in the comments. And, sure, I've got some Motörhead, all right. --Robert Wilonsky

Our old pal Sarah Hepola points us to Jody Rosen's story in Slate today about "the weekly alternative for Montgomery County" that likes to steal other folks' stories and credit them to some dude named Mark Williams. Rosen was tipped to The Bulletin by a Slate reader who noticed that a Jimmy Buffett piece Rosen had written had later appeared in the paper under Williams' byline. Rosen also noted that, oh, 'bout two years back, Williams also borrowed quite liberally from a McKay Brothers show preview that appeared in the Dallas Observer a month earlier. Oh, Darryl Smyers, I believer you're owed at least a freelance check. --Robert Wilonsky

Apologies for the radio silence, as our servers were being slammed for reasons known only to our Department of Interwebs. That out of the way, Central Dallas Ministries' president and CEO Larry James is very bummed out by some Friends' comments posted to this item from yesterday, regarding the busy Bridge and CDM's Destination Home program designed to provide homes for the homeless. He notes in the comments:

What is being overlooked in the really hardnosed comments above is the fact that a very high % of our homeless neighbors are disabled, mentally ill and dealing with addictions. What we are finding is that when given a fresh opportunity in decent, well-managed housing, they rebound in amazing ways. I'd love to arrange a tour of our Destination Home initiative for anyone who is interested in learning more. I must say I find the lack of compassion very discouraging.

He's not the only one bummed out by comments left on Unfair Park.

I know where CSI: NY star Gary Sinise was over the weekend: drinking my baby brother's last Perrier, not an easy item to come by in Ramadi, Iraq, where Major Mike's deployed as the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines -- or, dig, "The Walking Dead." Lieutenant Dan, who's also the co-founder of Operation Iraqi Children, is known for embarking on the occasional goodwill tour during the summer hiatus, and with a USO camera crew in tow he opted to chillax with the toughest Panther ever to stalk the halls of Hillcrest High School. (Take that, Billy Crudup!) Mike says they've also been visited in recent weeks by the likes of Steve Zahn and the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders. Speaking of, if you'd like to shoot the fellas a care package, well, they could use some Copenhagen and coffee and a few other essentials -- and bubbly bottled water. --Robert Wilonsky

Jeez, Richie, seems Ed Bark really dug your story on Greg Williams: "It may well be the best media piece ever written in this market." Wow. Guess I should read it. Greg Williams did. But, first, who's Greg Williams? --Robert Wilonsky

Above, one of Merritt's photos from the Fair Park Fourth -- a review of which is available here, where, um, "Pdiddy" deems the event's debut a success but also "a mixed bag." Some of us opted for a less stressful in-and-out: the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road, from which my folks called around 8:30 p.m. offering choice seating for the Dallas County Club shebang -- if, by "choice," they meant inches from oncoming traffic. Alas, what the unchosen people -- and we were a celebratory mixture of middle-class black, brown and pale, the likes of which will never step foot on the club's hallowed grounds -- will put up with for a not-surprisingly decent display that lasted a good 25 minutes. Though, best of all, it was mere feet from Highland Park Village Starbucks.

Sometime around midnight-thirty, the fireworks stopped in Northwest Dallas; that, or someone declared a cease-fire. But before then, it was quite the delightful morning in the neighborhood -- a fact celebrated this a.m. in Dallas' Only Daily, matter of fact, where the 50th anniversary Sparkman Club Estates July 4 parade was feted with a recap and accompanying video. (Our street won, incidentally -- 'bout damned time too.) After the jump, some photos I took from our neighborhood parade. Incidentally, they asked me to join 'em on the veteran Thomas Jefferson High School cheerleaders' float -- till they realized, "He was JV." --Robert Wilonsky

Later this summer, Zenescope Entertainment will debut a comic book titled Beyond Wonderland, featuring cover art by J. Scott Campbell, a fave among the fanboys who dig his drawings of the rather busty danger girls. This morning, Zenoscope sent us a completed cover, and it looked a tad like one of our award-winning covers from '07. It's familiar enough, anyway, to warrant this side-by-side, with detailed versions available after the jump. Any excuse, really. Is it July 4 yet? --Robert Wilonsky

Don't mince words, Sam, how do you really feel about Mayor Tom? --Robert Wilonsky

A heapin' helpin' of huzzahs and mazel tovs are in order today for two Dallas Observer staffers: Megan Feldman and Alexander Flores. Both are among the finalists in the 13th annual AltWeekly Awards, which will be handed out by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies during the first week of June in Philadelphia. Megan's among the three finalists in the feature writing category for her piece "El Tren de la Muerte," which ran last July. And three of Alex's covers are among those nominated in the design category, including the one pictured above. Incidentally, several of Alex's Observer covers and layouts are also up for an award courtesy the Dallas Society of Visual Communications, which'll hand out its accolades June 7. But they're not in this for the awards, only the exorbitant and wholly nonexistent cash prizes. --Robert Wilonsky

If I may direct your attention to our other blogs ...

Over on The Sportatorium, Richie brings news that Your Texas Rangers have indeed begun talking to other folks who might be interested in managing the team if and when Ron Washington's given his adios papers. Sure, the team's winning a few -- against the Mariners, at the moment, the only team worse than Hicks' sticks -- which may be the only reason you haven't seen, oh, Don Baylor, Mike Hargrove, Jim Tracy or Jackie Moore warming Wash's spot on the dugout bench. (Also, on a sportsy note: Eric Green, bravo.)

And over on DC9, Pete has combed through the list of folks to whom the bankrupt TVT Records owes major dough and discovered several locals among them, including the Polyphonic Spree and our good Friend, photographer Hal Samples. Hal's owed his scratch for the Spree video "Running Away," which, as we noted a year ago, was assembled from more than 70,000 photos Hal took of the band. He's owed a few thou, which he could surely use as he gets his new gallery off the ground. As he tells Pete, "I'm still recovering from not having been compensated." Also, notes Pete, the Toadies got a new gig: playing intermissions at Dallas Stars playoff games. --Robert Wilonsky