Connect with us

Dallas, TX

Council should approve new agreement with Fair Park First

Published

on

Council should approve new agreement with Fair Park First


Any city project mired in bureaucratic dawdling can easily make residents skeptical that local government can get anything done. Add a dose of historical racism, and that skepticism can harden into cynicism about the reasons behind the delay. That’s why the Dallas City Council should vote Wednesday to allow an existing nonprofit to oversee development of a long-awaited, 10-acre community park at Fair Park. Residents of nearby neighborhoods deserve to see progress.

The torturous saga behind the community park spans decades. In the late 1960s, Dallas officials used eminent domain to seize homes in neighborhoods adjacent to Fair Park. The plan was to add thousands of new parking spaces while also eliminating the urban blight that made some Fair Park visitors uncomfortable.

A new, community-designed park can’t erase such a bitter legacy by itself. But more delays could compound the distrust.

The struggle to build the community park is intertwined with the city’s effort to privatize management of Fair Park’s 277 acres. In 2018, the council chose a fledgling nonprofit, Fair Park First, to oversee the fairgrounds.

Advertisement

Opinion

Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Fair Park First subcontracted with Spectra, later called OVG, an experienced, for-profit venue manager, to handle daily operations. The hope was that a professional management company could attract bigger events and generate the revenue needed to maintain the Art Deco landmark.

The plan fell apart in 2024. City leaders learned that OVG wasn’t generating the revenue it had promised and $5.7 million in donations had been mis-spent on operating expenses. Last year, Dallas cancelled its contract with Fair Park First and OVG’s subcontract was terminated.

Advertisement

Fair Park First already had raised more than $30 million for the community park.

Since last fall, the Dallas Park and Recreation Board and Dallas City Council have fretted about how to proceed with the community park. Park Board President Arun Agarwal has argued against placing Fair Park First in charge, saying the nonprofit failed in its previous oversight duties. But the park board never offered an alternative arrangement that could keep the community park’s development moving forward.

In late January, council members, led by Adam Bazaldua, whose district includes Fair Park, rescinded the park board’s authority over the community park. The council is now in charge. It was a controversial action, but about $13 million promised for the park will be revoked in mid-March if the city can’t show progress, according to staff.

Wednesday, council members must decide whether to accept a park development agreement with Fair Park First. The agreement spells out responsibilities, has strict deadlines and provides for city audits and reviews.

Fair Park First has lost trust based on the mismanagement of the OVG agreement. Its role should rightly be limited to this project. But setting aside the nonprofit entirely now would do more harm than good.

Advertisement

South Dallas has waited for its park long enough. Council members should approve the agreement.

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

Advertisement

Dallas, TX

At least 4 injured after vehicle drives into Dallas crowd, driver arrested

Published

on

At least 4 injured after vehicle drives into Dallas crowd, driver arrested


At least four people were injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd of people in Dallas on Thursday evening.

Dallas police responded to an “Assist Officer call with an Ambulance” at approximately 7 p.m. in the 300 block of West Davis Street.

Authorities learned that a vehicle drove into a crowd, injuring multiple people. At least four have been taken to a local hospital for treatment. Police said no one was in critical condition.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene, police said. Authorities are still working to determine if this driver could have been drunk or if this could have been a medical episode.

Advertisement

According to police, there is no indication that the crash was terrorism related.

The investigation is ongoing.

This story will be updated as we learn more.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

FOX’s Kasper Schmeichel compares England to Dallas Cowboys, so who are their other sports analogs?

Published

on

FOX’s Kasper Schmeichel compares England to Dallas Cowboys, so who are their other sports analogs?


FOX Soccer analyst Kasper Schmeichel came prepared for this year’s World Cup on American soil.

Advertisement

The former Danish goalkeeper may not be from around these parts, but that didn’t stop him from dropping an eerily accurate comparison between two overconfident but long-suffering sports programs.

With England and Croatia warming up inside AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Schmeichel decided he would roast two fanbases with one stone, comparing the Cowboys to the Three Lions with a hilarious one-liner.

Funny, but also painfully true if you’re a supporter of either team.

COWBOYS LEGEND DIGS DEEP INTO THE TEAM’S MISSING ‘FIBER’ THAT’S RESULTED IN SUPER BOWL DROUGHT

I made a comparison last week between the English national team and Notre Dame, but Schmeichel got me thinking, who are the sports analogs to England from the four major North American leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA)?

Advertisement

Today, I will be doing exactly that, including giving a slightly better NFL comp than the Cowboys (shocking, I know).

Without further ado, let’s piss off our neighbors from across the pond.

FROM 4 STRAIGHT SUPER BOWL LOSSES TO JOSH ALLEN’S PATRICK MAHOMES PROBLEM, BILLS MIGHT BE CURSED

NFL – Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears helmets are displayed before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Sept. 28, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

While the Dallas Cowboys are a fine comparison for the English national soccer team, I think I can do one better.

Advertisement

Schmeichel mentioned that England “won it once and have never stopped talking about it,” and although the second part of that statement applies to both, the Cowboys are five-time Super Bowl champions, having won it most recently in January 1996, a good three decades after England.

If you really want a team that more accurately mirrors the hard luck of the English, it would have to be the Chicago Bears.

3 HISTORIC NFL FRANCHISES FIND THEMSELVES IN SAME BOAT SINCE TURN OF THE CENTURY

They have one Super Bowl win to their name, which came 40 years ago, and really don’t have much else to show for it.

Also, having lived in the DFW area for the better part of a decade, I can confidently say Cowboys fans are a little too arrogant and cocky to be compared to the English.

Advertisement

Sure, England will say things like “it’s coming home,” but they are far more self-deprecating and aware of their faults, even nihilistic in some cases.

The Bears hang onto their history because they know things will inevitably go bad for them on the biggest stage.

Speaking of which…

NHL – Toronto Maple Leafs

Spencer Carbery, assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, looks on from the bench during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont., on April 14, 2022. (Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs actually line up with England more closely than either fanbase would like to admit.

Advertisement

While the Leafs have a litany of Stanley Cups to their name, their most recent win was back in 1967, less than a full year after England won their first and only World Cup.

As far as expectations go, both constantly go into their respective tournaments with the weight of the world on their shoulders, only to come crashing down in the most horrific ways imaginable.

For the Leafs, it comes in the form of blowing big leads in the playoffs, while English fans and players alike can’t even hear the words “penalty kicks” without having a mental breakdown.

England and Toronto are both long-suffering cities, but their fans keep showing up expecting a different outcome.

Insanity? No, just sports fandom.

Advertisement

NBA – New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates a three-point basket with Karl-Anthony Towns during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

This one would have been an even better comparison if the New York Knicks hadn’t gone and won the whole damn thing this year, but these two sports teams are still eerily similar.

WHY THE KNICKS, DISRESPECTED BUT CLAWING BACK, TOUCHED A RAW NERVE IN NEW YORK CITY AND ULTIMATELY THE COUNTRY

Think of the Knicks’ 2026 NBA Championship run as a window into what it would look like if England captured a World Cup (on American soil, no less).

Before this year, the Knicks famously had not won a Larry O’Brien trophy in over 50 years, yet they were still considered one of the “blue bloods” of the NBA.

Advertisement

Decades of heartache didn’t change that; it only made their fans more insufferable, but their triumph earlier this month in the NBA Finals exorcised all those demons.

THE ATHLETIC BEWILDERINGLY CELEBRATES ‘ZOHRAN MAMDANI SPORTS SUMMER’ AFTER NEW YORK KNICKS WIN NBA FINALS

A win in the World Cup Finals would probably do the same for England fans, as you could probably feel that sigh of relief from the other side of the Atlantic.

MLB – New York Mets

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto reacts after scoring a run on an RBI double by infielder Bo Bichette against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on April 2, 2026. (Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)

Hello again, New York.

Advertisement

The Big Apple certainly has its fair share of winners, but it also has plenty of franchises that are aching to make a trip back down the Canyon of Heroes, none more so than the Mets.

Year after year, the Mets are near the top of MLB in terms of spending, with little to show for their efforts.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

They won a World Series back in 1986 and have been chasing that high ever since.

The common thread between England and the Mets (along with all the other teams on this list) is expectations relative to results, and it seems like the Mets are sort of a Schrödinger’s baseball franchise in that regard, expected to both compete for a World Series with their high-priced talent and flame out in spectacular fashion all the same.

Advertisement

FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE

England always has flashy players heading into World Cup play, but the results haven’t been there, and they’ve often been sent home in brutal fashion, offering a great parallel to the Mets’ clockwork-like midsummer swoons and late-season meltdowns.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

Dallas Police Seize Glock Switch in Deep Ellum

Published

on

Dallas Police Seize Glock Switch in Deep Ellum


Guerrocastillo was taken into custody without incident and charged with Prohibited Weapon, a third-degree felony; Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, a class A misdemeanor; Possession of Marijuana under two ounces, a class B misdemeanor; and Public Intoxication, a class C misdemeanor.

“Foot patrols are a foundational part of policing, and our Deep Ellum Task Force officers are making great arrests and providing increased security by walking a beat,” said Deputy Chief Devon Palk, who is commander of the Central Patrol Group. “Having our officers on foot, on horseback, and in our new Polaris utility vehicle puts officers exactly where we need them during peak hours in the area.”





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending