Re: Not The Best

I really have no room to talk as I am a horrid driver, but since moving to Texas, I have come to realize one thing: Stoplights are just guidelines. IJS

Not the Best

By the way, not to pass judgment on any of the traffic accidents on Beverly (because I have no idea what happened in those cases), but has anyone considered that maybe, just maybe, Dallas drivers aren’t the best drivers in the world?  A spit of rain around here sends dozens of cars careening into ditches, and God help us from the occasional bit of ice or snow.

Just today, in the one-block radius around the courthouse downtown, I saw a car speed through a red light, not just a little late, but at least three full seconds after the light had changed, and I saw another car cross three lanes at an intersection to make a left turn.  This is an almost daily occurrence.

Just a thought.

No Injuries in Today’s Beverly Accident

Here’s the police department’s release:

At 1:20 p.m., a 44 year old male driving east in the 3500 Block of Beverly Drive crossed the roadway and struck an unattended parked vehicle. The driver, who was uninjured, told the investigating officers, he “felt like he passed out.”

His car sustained minimal damage including a flattened tire, and the parked truck received scratches. The driver called for a wrecker and left with the wrecker driver.

Although there were no injuries reported in the accident, the cause appears to be medically related and no citations were issued.

Working for a Better Park Cities

The San Francisco Chronicle has an ongoing feature in their paper called “ChronicleWatch Results.” A Bay-Area public works project is described in the column as is who “owns” the project, the number of days in progress and results, if any. Perhaps the PCP would consider creating an ongoing segment similar to this so that readers and Overheardians alike can stay informed.

Re: Rich Friends of Armstrong

In response to my post a bit earlier today I received this e-mail.

I wonder if Mrs. Decherd feels like a winner?

Obviously I was blogging about Armstrong Elementary’s plea only, not Mrs. Decherd. Her injury is deeply troubling.

Stay Home Tomorrow?

Or shall we all switch to driving rickshaws? I like Kristiana’s idea of staying home to avoid the traffic and political nightmare that is Beverly, but staying home isn’t practical.

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HP Sports Rankings Update

Here’s the latest on HP’s fall sports:

HP football is 3rd in the state and remains undefeated at 6-0 and 3-0 in district.

HP volleyball is 3rd in the state and plays for the district title at home Friday night.

HP team tennis is still undefeated (surprise) and hosts the district tournament beginning Friday and continuing Saturday.

HP’s cross country teams had more successful outings last Saturday. The HP girls are ranked fourth in the state.

To know more: (more…)

Re: Another Accident on Beverly

I think everyone should just stay home tomorrow.

Re: Another Accident on Beverly

OK, my mistake. I misunderstood the aforementioned Overheardian. There was no child injured. There was no one else injured. Only the driver involved, which must have been the accident Cassie referred to.

Re: Another Accident on Beverly

Staff writer Cassie Clark just told me that Beverly Drive is a madhouse today. She hadn’t yet heard anything about a kid getting injured, but, as she put it:

there was a car accident– apparently a driver passed out and hit a parked car…. and that’s in addition to construction workers, people getting pulled over by cops, police directing traffic near the DCC, and TV crews interviewing a woman in a cocktail dress… i couldn’t tell what station

Rich Friends of Armstrong

The Overheardians that left these comments are forgetting the golden rule, the richest people in any community win.

Another Accident at Beverly and Byron

The same Overheardian who wrote in about the detour earlier, claims a child was just injured at the same intersection:

Another injury accident at the school crossing at Beverly and Byron.
This happened around 2 pm (1 hour before school let out)  , and the remnants of the accident were caught by Michael Ray and channel 33, who had showed up for a story on the dangerous intersection just moments after it took place. 

Zumba Mania

So after taking a Zumba class a couple weeks ago, I’ve heard a lot about the growing exercise trend. The Today show talked about it yesterday, and I was told Good Morning America had a special on it today, but I can’t find the link so I’m not sure if I heard correct.

Anyway, the exercise definitely seems to be gaining popularity. Too bad I’m too uncoordinated to make it work for me. But if you want to give it a try, check out the Park Cities YMCA.

About That Sarcophagus in Your Living Room…

SMU is hosting a conference later this week that they’re calling “The Future of the Past: Ethical Implications of Collecting Antiquities in the 21st Century.” I like to imagine it as getting Indiana Jones, his slimeball French rival, and those crazy Nazis together in a room. You know, something like this.

But to see how the university is describing it, (more…)

Re: Another Intruder

Seriously, if I were an intruder who was thinking about intruding in Dallas, I would rethink that thought (that incredibly deep sentence reminds me of some other wise words). But honestly, I’d be terrified to even try. Guess that’s why I wouldn’t make a good burglar.

Re: Mrs. Decherd

Apparently Brian Sweany from Texas Monthly came upon the accident shortly after it happened. It sounds like a terrible scene, hopefully Mrs. Decherd will be better soon. I’m sure the driver is having a difficult time right now.

Mrs. Decherd

We’re being told she’s in stable condition in the ICU at Parkland, following Saturday’s accident. She’s said to have recently come out of surgery and seems to be slowly improving.

Another Intruder Shot in Dallas

This guy shot and killed an intruder this morning — he says it was the fourth break-in this month. Weren’t we just talking about this yesterday?

Re: Abbott, Armstong, Lovers Lane

An Overheardian says Highland Park should follow the precedent set by University Park during the Lovers Lane redo:

The preferred alternative is NW Highway (but the engineer and Council had stated it would be too inconvenient to through traffic to send them that far), the same path chosen by UP officials when they closed Lovers. When they had a choice, they opted to route the traffic away from residential streets, even when more convenient alternatives such as Southwestern, or University were available. The UP council’s first allegiance was obviously to their citizens, and their safety. Why should the logic in Highland Park be any different?

Abbott and Armstrong? Lovers Lane?

This morning comes another e-mail from the “Friends of Armstrong Elementary” that seeks to rally folks to attend next Monday’s Highland Park Town Council meeting. On the heels of Saturday’s terrible accident, they want the council to reconsider its decision not to make Beverly Drive the primary detour route during the Mockingbird reconstruction.

They say they’d even be happy if the council would close the three blocks of Beverly near Armstrong Elementary. The accident took place a block south of the school on Byron. I’ve heard no update on the condition of Mrs. Decherd, but of course everyone wishes her and her family the best.

So it seems a strange time to be bringing up traffic routes again, but here we are. The alternative routes Friends of Armstrong Elementary is pushing are Lovers Lane and taking Hillcrest/Abbott down to Armstrong. We’ll see next week, I suppose, if any of this moves the council to reconsider its decision.

Que Sera, Sera

If you don’t care to be as laissez-faire as Doris Day when your children ask for advice, you may be interested in a free program called “When I Grow Up to Be a Daddy,” at University Park United Methodist Church on Nov. 7.

Bodie Spangler, author of “When I Grow Up to Be a Daddy,” helps fathers and mothers alike find ways to instill Christian values in a world full of temptations which are not so Christian.

When Bodie Spangler’s father unexpectedly passed away 17 years ago, he had no idea what kind of impact it would have on his future. Today, the 40-year-old Dallas businessman’s personal loss has translated into a ministry to fathers. Spangler’s relationship with his dad was rock solid  He always assumed that most men enjoyed the same benefits throughout their childhoods, but over time he realized that was not the case. This inspired Spangler to pen his first book, “When I Grow Up to Be a Daddy.”

Come hear Bodie talk about his experience and receive a copy of his book.

Breaking News: Arbery to Lead Student Workshop

Get excited, Highland Park High School: Professor Arbery is coming.