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City Hall reporter Rudolph Bush provides political junkies with in-depth features, breaking news and off-beat tidbits through lively coverage of Dallas government. February 2010
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Fair Park railroad museum seeks 'status quo' with city during duration of lawsuit Fair Park railroad museum seeks restraining order against Dallas Major retailers, restaurants pushing for November election on beer and wine sales in Dallas U.S. Supreme Court denies Dallas' Lake Fastrill case Serving up concessions at a renovated Love Field Reboot on downtown Dallas parking plan briefing Need info on all kinds of services? Try calling 211 Dallas CM Tennell Atkins: Bishop Larry McGriff has died Mayor Tom Leppert, Sen. John Cornyn, Fed president Richard Fisher to speak at roundtable Friday Recent Comments
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February 22, 2010
William J. Brotherton, attorney for the Museum of the American Railroad, said today that the museum is seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction that would protect its current status at Fair Park while it fights it out with City Hall. Judge Martin Hoffman heard arguments for the TRO this afternoon before kicking the case to an associate judge's court at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Brotherton said the city has thrown a lot at the non-profit museum in recent weeks and that a judge needs to step in. If granted, the TRO would be good for 10 to 14 days. He would then seek an injunction that would last much longer, possibly through the trial or settlement of a lawsuit the city filed against the museum. "We're asking the court to maintain the status quo from the last 50 years," Brotherton said. Museum president Bob LaPrelle echoed that. "The main thing is that we don't continue the (visits from) code enforcement and health inspection...We're just not sure what they are going to do next so we're just trying to get something to maintain the status quo while we sort this all out," he said. UPDATE: The hearing will be before Judge Hoffman after all at 2:30 p.m., according to his court. Jump to read the TRO request.  Comments (4) Leave comment
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The Museum of the American Railroad is at this moment requesting a restraining order against the city of Dallas, presumably to keep City Hall from being able to shut off the power and water to the unwelcome tenant of Fair Park. I am trying to obtain a copy of the TRO but am told attorneys for both parties are gathering in district court to fight it out. I understand from Judge Martin Hoffman's clerk that the item could be heard today but then again may be heard tomorrow. For some time now, City Hall has been clear that it wants the museum to either sign a lease agreement with a clear departure date or else clear out of Fair Park post haste. That was no big deal - or at least no one paid it any attention - until the museum announced plans two years ago that it was moving to Frisco, much to the surprise of City Hall. Now the joke around City Hall is that the gravy train has come into station. Comments (2) Leave comment
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A group calling itself Progress Dallas that includes major grocery chains and restaurants is pushing to place two initiatives on Dallas' November ballot that would largely eliminate the patchwork of wet and dry areas in the city. Gary Huddleston, director of consumer affairs for Kroger, confirms that his company is among those working to collect about 70,000 signatures to place two local option initiatives on the ballot. The first initiative would permit the sale of beer and wine - strictly for off premise consumption - at retail establishments throughout Dallas. As it stands, sales are prohibited in some areas (it is determined according to Justice of the Peace precincts). The second initiative would permit the sale of beer, wine and mixed drinks at all restaurants in Dallas without requiring customers in dry areas to go through the uni-card process (essentially it requires showing your driver's license so you can "join" the uni-card club). "We believe that we've shown that in other areas that have gone wet that have been dry that some of the issues the opposition has brought forth have not come up (such as) increased crime and more alcohol related incidents. Now's the time to allow customers to make the choice," Huddleston said. Comments (46) Leave comment
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This just in. The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the city of Dallas' appeal on a case that held the fate of a major swath of East Texas in the balance. The city will not be able to build Lake Fastrill, a huge reservoir that would have become a key piece of Dallas' longterm water plan. Instead, the area in Anderson and Cherokee counties will become a major new nature preserve. Conservationists and many in East Texas are celebrating the decision. Follow the jump for a press release from Janice Bezanson of the Texas Conservation Alliance. Comments (11) Leave comment
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When the plan to modernize Love Field was first hashed out, a serious dispute arose between the city and current concessionaires at the airport. The current concessionaires felt the new Love Field wouldn't be as good a place to operate and were also worried about transitions during construction. According to a briefing today, City Hall has worked out some of the kinks. Good news, I suppose, for those looking to stuff themselves with Chili's before getting on a long flight. Comments (1) Leave comment
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A very special meeting of the council's economic development committee will be held this afternoon, and they'll be taking up the downtown parking plan briefing they had to kick to the curb last week. CORRECTION: Meeting will be Thursday at 2 p.m. Apologies and thanks to anonymous in the comments. Again and again, parking is mentioned as one of the biggest obstacles to redeveloping downtown. What will happen to surface lots? Where will people park as development increases? Should the city pitch the meters? Don't know. But sounds like it's worth studying. Comments (3) Leave comment
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This morning, the City Council's Budget, Finance and Audit committee will get a briefing on the statewide 211 system. If you're not familiar with 211, it's a resource you might want to look into. It is a line that helps connects people with available social and government services such as food pantries. Comments (2) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Need info on all kinds of services? Try calling 211" is tagged: 211 , Dallas , Jerry Allen February 18, 2010
Council member Tennell Atkins tells our Sam Hodges that Bishop Larry McGriff, of the Church of the Living God, has died. Atkins said that McGriff died about 11:30 a.m. after being rushed to Baylor Hospital. "In a lifetime, you might have five friends. He was one of my friends. You could call him at four in the morning, and he wouldn't ask why, he'd just show up," Atkins said. Jump for Sam's report. Comments (4) Leave comment
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Tomorrow at noon, prior to a Dallas Regional Chamber luncheon, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn will host an economic outlook roundtable featuring Mayor Tom Leppert and Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher. Cornyn's office just sent out a release about what's on the table: Alas, I won't be there. Comments (0) Leave comment
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This morning, Steve Blow weighed in on the city's fight with the Museum of the American Railroad. Last Saturday night, when Valentine's Day and the NBA All-Stars had Dallas restaurants and bars packed like never before, you won't believe where city health inspectors and state alcohol regulators were. In an old railroad dining car in Fair Park. On that night of all party nights, three health inspectors and two Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents were hassling "Dinner in the Diner," a quiet fundraiser for the Museum of the American Railroad. Total attendance: 36. "That's all the dining car will seat," explained museum president Bob LaPrelle. A divorce is always painful to behold, but especially when it turns petty. And it looks like we've got one of those nasty breakups on our hands as the City of Dallas and the railroad museum part ways. Calling in the health inspectors and booze police? Really? You probably know the museum by its old name, the Age of Steam. It has been a fixture in Fair Park for 47 years. But the Museum of the American Railroad is leaving for a spiffy new site in Frisco. And jilted Fair Park is ready to be rid of it right now. Talk about a marriage with a lot of baggage, however - 37 multi-ton railroad cars and locomotives. Comments (2) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Steve Blow: Ugly split over Fair Park railroad museum" is tagged: Dallas , Fair Park |
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