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There’s a lot more to Dallas than business and concrete, but walking through some parts of the city, you might not be able to tell very easily. It doesn’t have to be that way.
There’s a plan brewing to create a walking path through the city connecting some of Dallas’ most significant cultural and historical sites. It’s called the Dallas Cultural Trail, and it would run through the Dallas Arts District, Deep Ellum and Fair Park.
The goal is to curate Dallas’ special moments and put them in context with one another, said Samuel Mortimer, president of Friends of Santa Fe Trail. It’s important to help string together threads that may not obviously be connected.
Showcasing the city’s history through physical spaces can help us celebrate our best achievements and learn from our worst history. This trail can also help make the city a little friendlier to pedestrians, and there’s the added benefit of encouraging tourism. It is an investment worth considering as the city develops its trail system.
The Dallas Arts District, the Deep Ellum Foundation and Fair Park First are the managing entities of Dallas’ three state-recognized cultural districts, and they’ve come together with the city to work on this project alongside an advisory committee of experts on art, history, economic development and others, according to Stephanie Keller Hudiburg, executive director of the Deep Ellum Foundation.
Lily Cabatu Weiss, executive director of the Dallas Arts District, said a collaboration with DART is possible as well.
The project is still in early planning stages and little is set in stone. The city provided a small sum to help the project get started, according to Weiss, and further funding options through public and private sources and the upcoming bond are being explored. The total estimated cost would be roughly $40 million, Hudiburg said.
The Cultural Trail would likely dovetail with Santa Fe Trail, which already connects Deep Ellum and Fair Park, Mortimer said, with the possibility of new pocket parks as well.
Eventually, there will be an application process for determining which sites will be included along the trail, Weiss said.
Building the Cultural Trail would mainly add enhancements to existing trails and infrastructure like better pedestrian and bike facilities, night lighting for safety and elevating the experience, signage for wayfinding and added artwork, said Brian Luallen, CEO of Fair Park First. There has also been talk of a digital experience, maybe even an interactive app, he said.
Ultimately, the trail would function more like a guided walking, biking or transit tour through Dallas’ three cultural districts — not unlike Boston’s Freedom Trail. Luallen said the goal is to market the city as an idea, tying together city gems like Klyde Warren Park and the Forest Theater.
Dallas is a more interesting city than most people think. The Cultural Trail would be a great way of showing it off.
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The fireworks were big and loud on July 4th for FC Dallas. Not only did the post-game celebration include the annual fireworks show for the fans, but the game itself included plenty of fireworks, as FC Dallas downed the Portland Timbers 3-2.
FC Dallas’s come-from-behind win helped end a two-game losing streak. The club now heads to Kansas City for what will be one of its most important weeks this season.
We’ll shift gears to Kansas City tomorrow, but let’s first dive into last night’s fun win with some items we learned along the way.
I won’t dive too much into the first half. Aside from the Timbers getting a very early look at goal 16 seconds into the match and then the actual first goal of the game minutes later, there really wasn’t a ton to write home about in the opening 45 minutes.
Thankfully, whatever interim manager Peter Luccin said at halftime worked. FC Dallas came out more aggressive and pressed the Timbers into bad turnovers on their own end.
A skull in flowers, historic portraits, a butterfly and the Texas state capital: the winning submission in the Art of Recovery showcase, titled “Piece by Piece,” uses a variety of scenes atop a puzzle-piece backdrop to show the unique components that make up a person.
“I just wanted it to look like the pieces were all falling in together to signify that, you know, you’re not complete without your pieces,” said Carlos Jimenez, the work’s creator.
Jimenez is a participant in the Achieve, Inspire, Motivate felony diversion program in Dallas County. AIM is for people between the ages of 17-24 with a nonviolent felony charge and no prior felony history. It includes educational opportunities, vocational training, mentorship, substance abuse counseling and a dismissal of charges upon completion of the program.
This is the second year for the Art of Recovery showcase in Dallas County. It occurs during National Treatment Court Month in May, when treatment courts across the country celebrate the success of their participants.
All Rise (formerly the National Association of Drug Court Professionals) hosted a national Art of Recovery contest last year that AIM participated in and decided to continue after the national organization didn’t bring the contest back.
George Johnson, the AIM program coordinator, said he noticed a positive effect on program participants last year and wanted them to experience empowerment, to experience enhanced methods of coping and to showcase their talent.
Participants submitted art in nearly any format — poems, paintings, raps, photography — as long as it tied to the theme of this year’s contest: self-perception and inspiration in recovery. Johnson spoke of these themes more broadly when describing the program, saying they specialize in the intersection of justice and treatment.
“I believe success is a choice, and with the right attitude and mindset anything can be accomplished,” he said. “The transformation is real.”
SAN ANTONIO – Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks stopped through the Alamo City for a meet and greet at the WSS Show Store on the Northeast Side.
Cowboys fans lined up outside the store to get a chance to meet one of their newest players. Kendricks signed autographs and took pictures with fans in San Antonio, but his ties to the city go back nearly a decade.
“Yeah, they told me this is, like, outside of Dallas, this is the No. 1 fan base for the Cowboys, right?” Kendricks said. “So, I’m excited to meet some of the Cowboys’ faithful and get it rolling.”
Kendricks played his college football at UCLA and his final collegiate game in the Alamo Bowl against Kansas State in 2015.
During that game, Kendricks’ 10 tackles and three tackles for a loss earned him the Defensive Most Valuable Player award after the Bruins’ 40-35 win over Kansas State.
“Shoutout to San Antonio, you know?” Kendricks said. “I played my last college game here, did really well, but at the same time, you know, they showed me love here when I was here last time. Really cool people here, and I’m excited to do this event.”
Kendricks and the rest of the Cowboys will fly out to Oxnard, California for the start of Cowboys Training Camp, which begins July 25.
The KSAT 12 Sports Team will also make the trek west later this month for all the latest with America’s Team.
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