Dallas, TX

A long-awaited wedding – Dallas Voice

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2024

Press Room

Donna Keys and Pat Stone cut their wedding cake

And the history behind it

Story and photo courtesy of Pat Stone

Pat Stone, one of the founders of PFLAG Dallas, and her longtime partner Donna Keys were married Saturday, May 4, at a small ceremony at their friends’ home in the Cedar Creek area, surrounded by family and friends. This week, Pat reflected on their wedding and the journey that led them to it:

“As I look at that photo of Donna Keys and myself about to cut our wedding cake, I see such a happy, contented couple, so excited to finally be able to expand their 10-year devoted relationship into a legal, devoted marriage.

“We had a lovely wedding ceremony on May 4, 2024, at the home of good friends in the Cedar Creek Lake area. It was a small gathering of 16. It was such an incredible afternoon of being surrounded by such love, support and fun.

“There I am at 81 and Donna at 68 — ready for more good years ahead together.

“Before I talk more about our relationship and explain what took us so long to marry, I would like to look back at why I am so comfortable talking about it all with Dallas Voice and Tammye Nash. Today I looked through my scrapbook of clippings and saw so many supportive articles from this newspaper regarding my early work in the LGBT community. I will mention only a few.

“I was only about 49 when the Dallas Voice covered my being one of the founders of Dallas PFLAG in 1992 (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays): ‘North Texas Parents Join Battle: parents of lesbians & gays through local PFLAG chapter advocate for an end to discrimination’ (8-14-92). I soon became president of the chapter and served a year on the national board.

“My time with PFLAG is a huge highlight of my life. I feel we made a difference; it is a warm legacy for me. And it soon became a cause larger than seeking rights for my lesbian daughter. I truly wanted to help other families accept their LGBT loved ones.

“The Dallas Voice was also there for me when I realized I was lesbian in 1996 at age 53: ‘PFLAG chief’s coming out sparks concern’ (11-15-1996). Yes, it did cause concerns from some in both the gay and straight community, as well as from my family and friends. My husband was devastated by the divorce that followed after 35 years of marriage.

“This was a sad and conflicted time for me. My daughter understood, but it was harder for my son who worked daily with his dad. We all got through these challenges in time.

“There was the Dallas Voice article ‘PFLAG chapter re-elects Stone’(11-22-96). The solution was for me to serve out my fifth year as co-president with a straight dad.

That worked fine. I had only planned to serve five years. I stepped down from the helpline and no longer greeted the new parents. Sad, but the early 1990s were sometimes challenging in this area.

“After leaving PFLAG. I started a support group Late Bloomers. And Dallas Voice was there: ‘Late Bloomers designed to help women coming out later in life’ (6-2-1997). This was such a fun and important group, and I led it for about 13 years.

“The Dallas Voice article ‘Awakening: Pat Stone to discuss new memoir at Resource Center on Wednesday May 1, 2009,’ referred to my new book at that time.

“So this leads to my living in the Cedar Creek Lake area, where in 2013, two good friends set me up with the love of my life, Donna Keys. She had lost her partner of 22 years to cancer about a year-and-a-half before and had recently retired as a Dallas County adult felony probation officer.

“Our first date was a little awkward since it was a blind date, but the very next day we connected beautifully at lunch at Chili’s in Gun Barrel City. In fact, I still can’t believe I shared with her a recent dream I’d had about a hug from a tall, broad-shouldered person. It was a special, ‘unconditional love’ type hug, but I could only see the person from the back and couldn’t tell if they were a man or a woman. I was confused, but I told Donna that after seeing her 6-foot frame and broad shoulders, I felt that person was her. I can’t believe I told her that; it could have scared her away. Thank goodness it didn’t!

“Within a few months Donna asked me to marry her. I said yes, and we made plans to marry in Boston since it was not yet legal in Texas. Then we learned that if we married I would lose the Social Security benefits that I received due to my ex-husband.

“We were disappointed but continued to enjoy our 10-year relationship that seemed like a marriage. We enjoyed movies, playing Yahtzee and just being together with our family that includes my dog, Misty, Donna’s little Yorkie Lily and our cat Lucy.

“Sadly, my ex-husband passed away last December. When I called the Social Security Administration to inform them of his passing, they told me I could now remarry and keep my benefits. It’s more than bittersweet that his passing meant Donna and I could now marry.

“This brings me back to that wonderful photo of Donna and me cutting that wedding cake. We are so grateful that we met and have already had 10 wonderful years together. We are hoping for at least 10 more, and we will forever treasure that photo and wedding ceremony.”

Source link

Dallas, TX

Letters to the Editor – Three Cheers for a Plano fire station, Dallas Parks & Rec, voting

Published

5 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Letters to the Editor – Three Cheers for a Plano fire station, Dallas Parks & Rec, voting

1 Plano No. 5 fire station paramedics — I thank God for the paramedics at Plano No. 5 fire station. On Sunday after services, my wife of 46 years had a severe heart attack. The 911 call brought six great men who quickly got my wife to the excellent Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital and saved her life.

I am so grateful to not only live here in Plano, but that the Lord is not done with Donna yet.

Anton Skell, Plano

2 Dallas Park and Recreation teams — On behalf of all the bikers, joggers and walkers along the White Rock Creek trail, a special thanks to the Dallas Park and Recreation teams that clean all the goo and muck off the trail after a heavy rain.

This is particularly an issue at the White Rock Creek and Cottonwood Creek low water crossing as mud several inches thick accumulates along about a foot-long swath of the trial, making it incredibly slippery and unsafe.

However, like clockwork, we can count on a team from Park and Rec with their front-end loader, shovels and squeegees to clear the path within 24 hours or so. Appreciate all the work!

Ron Carey, North Dallas

3 DMN voting recommendations — Thank you for the time and energy that you spend vetting the candidates and making your recommendations. I take your thoughts seriously and am grateful for the information you provide.

I hope you continue to provide this valuable service. It’s needed and appreciated.

Alice Gant Coder, Dallas

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.

If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

Source link

Dallas, TX

Downtown Dallas Inc. backs relocating aging City Hall, redevelopment of site

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Downtown Dallas Inc. backs relocating aging City Hall, redevelopment of site

Downtown Dallas Inc. announced Friday that it backs the potential relocation of City Hall and redevelopment of that site, adding support to a high-stakes decision about the city’s urban core.

“DDI believes this is a generational opportunity to modernize and elevate how Dallas delivers public services,” said its president and CEO, Jennifer Scripps. “But we must be equally clear: Any future City Hall belongs within the highway loop in downtown.”

She said the current building “is no longer serving its intended purpose,” adding that key government functions are “inefficient — truly stymied in that space.”

Jennifer Scripps, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., delivers opening comments... — Jennifer Scripps, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., delivers opening comments during the group’s annual meeting at the Fairmont Dallas on Feb. 27, 2026.
Steve Hamm

DDI, a nonprofit, promotes downtown Dallas, and its board voted unanimously this week to back the course outlined by the City Council’s Finance Committee, Scripps said at the group’s annual meeting at the Fairmont Dallas.

That committee this week asked city staff to shift 311, 911 and emergency operations to a new government center as soon as possible, explore moving all other functions and pursue redevelopment options for the current site at 1500 Marilla St.

Downtown business interests favor redevelopment of the property for mixed-use projects and other ideas, while preservationists have called for protecting the I.M. Pei-designed building.

Last year, City Council members directed City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to assess the building’s condition. She engaged the nonprofit Dallas Economic Development Corp. to lead the review.

The EDC’s report, released last week, found that fully repairing and modernizing City Hall could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion over 20 years.

DDI also is urging city leaders to pursue a redevelopment strategy for the existing site that builds on major public investments already underway downtown, including:

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters
Dallas College
Memorial Auditorium, the planned future home of the Dallas Wings

Scripps said downtown offers assets that could be repurposed to consolidate city functions and improve public access.

She also said the organization hopes the Mavericks basketball team and Stars hockey team remain in or near downtown, “where they belong.”

Source link

Dallas, TX

Mavericks vs Kings Final Score: Dallas falls to Sacramento, 130-121

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Mavericks vs Kings Final Score: Dallas falls to Sacramento, 130-121

The Dallas Mavericks (21-37) were beaten early and late by the Sacramento Kings (14-47) at home on Thursday, falling 130-121 in their first home game in over a month. Precious Achiuwa scored a career high 29 points against Dallas, leading the Kings. He also chipped in 12 rebounds and four assists. Naji Marshall was the best Dallas player, scoring 36 to go along with 10 rebounds and six helpers.

The first quarter of Mavericks-Kings really proved that in the NBA, anything is possible. With a couple of wonky lineups, largely due to neither team having anything resembling their normal roster, there wasn’t much defense to be played on either side of the ball. And while Marshall had himself a quarter, scoring 13, every other Maverick was some variation of bad. The Kings, meanwhile, put up baskets with ease. Dallas left quarter one down 42-28.

The Kings stopped scoring at will in the second quarter, and the two teams settled into a bit of a slog. Sacramento did grow the lead to as many as 18 in the frame before Dallas found some dignity and made a push. But they weren’t able to make it a close game in one quarter. Sacramento finally committed a few turnovers in the latter minutes of the half to give Dallas a chance to cut it to single digits, only for a last-second turnover, which led to a Kings basket. Dallas trailed 68-56 at the half.

The third quarter was something special. The Mavericks cut the Kings lead down to three very quickly to start the half, only to get walloped on a huge Kings run. The game then teetered back and forth between single and double digits. Marvin Bagley went down with a head injury, which slowed the Dallas momentum. The Mavericks found themselves down 12 as the quarter ended, which was the same amount they were down when the second half began. Dallas trailed 100-88 with 12 minutes to go.

The Dallas Mavericks made things interesting, you have to give them that. The fourth quarter was a slow collapse by the Kings, a theme we’ve seen all season as Dallas shocks people simply by playing hard. The 12 point lead whittled down to 2 points with two minutes remaining, only for the Kings to wake up and close out the contest. Dallas falls, somehow, 130-121. A masterful tank.

That was a genuinely shocking game

Perhaps it’s me. Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I don’t believe enough, in Jason Kidd, in this Dallas Mavericks team.

When I noticed this four game slate in mid-December, when the Dallas season was already over and no one knew it, I marked it down as a stretch which would cause the fandom to go NUTS. Four straight wins, even against the Grizzlies, who weren’t yet tanking either. The Kings were bad. They should be beatable every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

But no, not for our Dallas Mavericks. With PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford out, with Cooper Flagg out, this was a game Dallas wanted to lose institutionally. Don’t let the players hear that, of course. Kidd played Marshall 42 freaking minutes, and the dude battled his butt off. But Caleb Martin exists, and he’s one of the players on this team who probably shouldn’t be in the NBA at this point. He played a mere 20 minutes but was outscored 25 points while he was on the floor. That’s so hard to do!

But Dallas did it. And they lost.

Now, they’ll win some games they shouldn’t. They have too much veteran talent to actually TANK, like the Kings, Jazz, and other moribund franchies. But for now, enjoy how ridiculous a loss this was. Go Mavs.

Source link