Connect with us

Dallas, TX

Dallas was right to question University Park request for 18 acres

Published

on

Dallas was right to question University Park request for 18 acres


Why would Dallas ever hand over 18 acres of prime real estate within its city limits to University Park?

Yet that’s what University Park asked Dallas to do as part of a boundary adjustment application that would have shifted a school and church along Northwest Highway out of Dallas.

After the request hung around City Hall for about two years, Dallas City Council members rightly questioned the proposed land gift during a summer briefing of its Quality of Life, Arts & Culture committee. University Park has since withdrawn its application after being told its approval was “unlikely,” a spokesperson for the affluent city of 25,000 told us in an email.

We’re glad to hear it and support the far more reasonable approach of hammering out an agreement to address University Park’s underlying concerns. Dallas council member Gay Donnell Willis, whose District 13 includes the area, told us conversations between the two cities are active and ongoing.

Advertisement

Opinion

Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.

The issue arose out of concerns of families at Michael M. Boone Elementary School, which opened in 2020 at 8385 Durham St. The school is within the city of Dallas and part of the Highland Park Independent School District, but about 80% of school families reside in University Park.

Willis said families have reported confusion between Dallas and University Park first responders over which city should answer calls from the school. They also had concerns over street and drainage problems around the school, as well as conflicting signage rules between the two cities and the school district.

University Park initially asked that Dallas’ boundary adjustment include only the school. But the application was amended to include Northway Christian Church because state law required the boundary in question to be contiguous to University Park, according to a city memo. HPISD also later joined the application. Both sites, plus rights of way, total about 18 acres.

Advertisement

“Moving a boundary of the city of Dallas is a really big deal,” Willis said. “There is a way to solve this without taking that measure.”

Council member Paul Ridley was a bit more pointed. “I just don’t like the idea that we are abandoning part of our property to an adjacent city that thinks they can service it better than we can,” he said at the committee meeting.

This isn’t just any property, either. A stone’s throw from NorthPark Center, this is some of the most valuable real estate in the city. The school and church don’t generate property tax revenue for Dallas, but a city staff memo said that if ever converted to homes, the land could generate an average of $3 million a year in tax revenue.

We are glad Dallas won’t consider moving its boundary. Doing so would encourage similar applications from other cities. Still, the Boone Elementary families are in a predicament; Dallas should help them out of it.

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

Advertisement



Source link

Dallas, TX

We asked North Texans who should be honored instead of Cesar Chavez. Here’s what they said

Published

on

We asked North Texans who should be honored instead of Cesar Chavez. Here’s what they said


Last week The New York Times published an investigation into Cesar Chavez, the late Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist, detailing allegations of sexual abuse involving women and underage girls. The accusations caused a ripple effect across Texas and the U.S., leading to calls from government officials and organizations to drop his name from streets, schools and holidays.

Gov. Gregg Abbott on Wednesday announced Texas will no longer observe Cesar Chavez Day and said he plans to ask lawmakers to remove the holiday from state law. Former Dallas City Council member Steve Salazar said the city should be open to renaming downtown Dallas’ Cesar Chavez Boulevard, after Salazar worked for over a decade to name the street after him.

The Dallas Morning News asked North Texans Friday morning on Instagram: As calls mount to remove Cesar Chavez landmarks in D-FW, who should be honored instead?

The callout yielded about 39 responses by Friday afternoon. Here are some of the notable names people suggested:

Advertisement

Breaking News

Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond.

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

  • Juanita Craft – The late American civil rights leader and Round Rock-born politician was the second African American woman to serve on the Dallas City Council, according to the city’s website. The Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House in Dallas has over 40 artifacts related to the Dallas civil rights movement, and has been open as a historic landmark since 1994.

A September 1976 staff photo of Dallas City Council member Juanita Craft.

The Dallas Morning News

  • Dirk Nowitzki – The NBA household name and retired Dallas Maverick star already has a street named after him – Nowitzki Way.
Retired Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki poses for photos after unveiling a street sign...

Retired Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki poses for photos after unveiling a street sign with his name on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 outside American Airlines Center in Dallas. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News)

Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer

Advertisement
  • Dolores Huerta – Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers Association alongside Chavez in the 1960s. She is one of the most influential names in the world of labor activism, according to the National Women’s History Museum.
FILE - Dolores Huerta, the Mexican-American social activist who formed a farm workers union...

FILE – Dolores Huerta, the Mexican-American social activist who formed a farm workers union with Cesar Chavez, stands for the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish while visiting the New Mexico Statehouse in Santa Fe. N.M., on Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras, File)

Russell Contreras / AP

  • Owen Wilson – The Dallas-born actor and screenwriter, famous for movies such as Wedding Crashers, Shanghai Knights, Anaconda, Bottle Rocket and more, has won several awards. Wilson went to the University of Texas at Austin where he met award-winning director, Wes Anderson.
Dallas native Owen Wilson plays football on the field with friends on the NFL Network before...

Dallas native Owen Wilson plays football on the field with friends on the NFL Network before Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium, Sunday, February 6, 2011.

  • Vanessa Guillen – The 20-year-old Houston-born U.S. Army Specialist went missing from her Fort Hood unit in Central Texas on April 22, 2020. Her dismembered remains were found two months later. Her family said she was sexually harassed by a co-worker in her workplace.
People look at a mural honoring Spc. Vanessa Guillén painted by artist Juan Velasquez on a...

People look at a mural honoring Spc. Vanessa Guillén painted by artist Juan Velasquez on a wall located at the corner of W Ripy St and Hemphill St in Fort Worth, TX July 6 2020. (Photo Omar Vega / Al Dia Dallas)

Omar Vega

  • Mr. Peppermint – Jerome Martin “Jerry” Haynes was a Dallas-born broadcaster and actor. He is famous for his role as Mr. Peppermint from the show later named Peppermint Place that aired on WFAA-TV between 1961 and 1996, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
Jerry Haynes as Mr. Peppermint  in a 1978 file photo.

Jerry Haynes as Mr. Peppermint in a 1978 file photo.

  • Stevie Ray Vaughan The Dallas-born guitarist, singer and songwriter is widely recognized as a blues icon and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Vaughan found success in the 1980s with his band Double Trouble and wrote hits such as “Texas Flood” and “Pride and Joy.” There is a park in Cockrell Hill dedicated to Vaughan.
Stevie Ray Vaughan (handout photo/1994)

Stevie Ray Vaughan (handout photo/1994)

  • Charlie Kirk – The late American conservative political activist was the founder and president of Turning Point USA. The conservative nonprofit organization that operates in about 3,500 campuses across the nation was founded by Kirk in 2012. Kirk was fatally shot in September while addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University, which set off a series of vigils and gatherings in North Texas. Earlier this year, Hood County welcomed one of the first roads in the country named after Kirk – Charlie Kirk Memorial Parkway.
Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, pauses during microphone check before the...

Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, pauses during microphone check before the start of the first day of the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

  • Donald Trump – The 45th and 47th president of the United States is currently serving his second term. Trump was born in New York in 1946 and is the second president to serve non-consecutive terms, according to the White House website.
President Donald Trump waves, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before departing on...

President Donald Trump waves, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, March 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Alex Brandon / AP

  • Irma Rangel – In November 1976, Rangel became the first Hispanic woman elected to the Texas Legislature, according to the Texas A&M University’s website. She was reelected to her thirteenth term in 1998. In Dallas, Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School stands in Fair Park as the first all girls’ public school in Texas.
  • Rebecca Henry Hayes – The Galveston resident started the earliest organized effort for women’s suffrage in Texas in 1893, according to the Galveston and Texas History Center. Hayes led the women’s suffrage movement in Texas in the 1890s and was recruited to serve as the vice president for the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Texas.
  • Chuck Norris – The iconic actor and martial arts master, who died Thursday at 86, is well known for his role in the show Walker, Texas Ranger. The show ran between 1993 and 2001, and was shot in Dallas-Fort Worth.
FILE - Chuck Norris, actor, mixed-martial arts champion and Air Force veteran, speaks during...

FILE – Chuck Norris, actor, mixed-martial arts champion and Air Force veteran, speaks during a promotional tour of “The Delta Force” movie in San Francisco on Feb. 4, 1986. (Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

Steve Ringman / AP

Advertisement
  • Ann Richards – Born in Lakeview, Texas, she served as the last democratic governor of the state from 1991 to 1995, according to the National Governor’s Association. She is one of only two women to serve as governor of Texas. The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin is dedicated to the late governor. In 2021, the city of Dallas paid tribute to Richards by displaying around 60 “Ann Banners” in downtown along Main, Akard and Young streets.
Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards is one of only two women to serve as governor of Texas so...

Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards is one of only two women to serve as governor of Texas so far. She is also the last Democrat to serve in the position that has since been held by Republicans.



Source link

Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

DAL@MIN Postgame: Jamie Benn | Dallas Stars

Published

on

DAL@MIN Postgame: Jamie Benn | Dallas Stars


DallasStars.com is the official Web site of DSE Hockey Club, L.P. The Dallas Stars primary logo is a registered trademark and the Stars name and secondary logos are trademarks of the Dallas Stars. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2025 DSE Hockey Club, L.P. and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

Examining the Buzz About Brooks and Dallas

Published

on

Examining the Buzz About Brooks and Dallas


The Miami Dolphins already have traded star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, there has been speculation about running back De’Von Achane, and now it’s Jordyn Brooks’ turn.

The team’s best defensive player during the disappointing 2025 season, Brooks’ name has come up in reports out of the Dallas Cowboys as they look for a high-end linebacker to anchor their defense.

Dallas was said to be interested in trading for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen but instead have pivoted to Brooks and Azeez Al-Shaair, according to Cowboys reporter Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Advertisement

It’s really not surprising to see Brooks’ name being involved in trade speculation given the state of the Dolphins, who already this offseason have said goodbye to mainstays Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, Alec Ingold, Jason Sanders and Waddle, among others.

Advertisement

The Dolphins clearly want to get rid of big contracts and build up some draft capital, and trading Brooks could help accomplish both goals.

Advertisement

It also might be telling that the Dolphins restructured the contracts of both Achane and center Aaron Brewer, but didn’t do the same for Brooks even though they clearly could use the cap space.

WHY MIAMI WOULD MOVE BROOKS

Brooks led the NFL in tackle last season and earned first-team All-Pro recognition in his second season with Miami.

Advertisement

He also was a team captain and would seem to embody the kind of player new head coach Jeff Hafley would want on his roster.

Advertisement

But business is business, and Brooks just might be more valuable as a trade asset than leading a defense on a team that really doesn’t figure to contend in 2026 as he heads into the final year of the three-year deal he signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

So maybe it’s going to come down to the Dolphins not wanting to worry about negotiations with Brooks (through his agent) as he heads into his contract year, particularly if they can get a choice draft pick in return.

The Cowboys already have traded a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for edge defender Rashan Gary, so the big question obviously is what kind of return Brooks could bring.

WHY MIAMI WOULD NOT TRADE BROOKS

Advertisement

Given his position and his contract situation where an acquiring team might be looking at either a one-year rental or an expensive extension, it’s probably not realistic to expect even as high as a second-round pick for Brooks.

And then maybe Dallas asks for a later draft pick along with Brooks in return for whatever pick they send Miami, something like a third-round pick for Brooks and a fifth or a seventh.

Ultimately, the biggest question will be whether the Dolphins see Brooks as a key piece beyond 2026 and whether they’re willing to pay him what he would want to stay in Miami beyond the upcoming season.

If the answer to either question is a no, then we absolutely could see a Brooks trade to follow up the Waddle deal.

Advertisement

But that’s not the same as suggesting a trade is imminent because Miami just might decide Brooks is a keeper for what he brings on and off the field.

Advertisement

But the way things are going this offseason for Miami, it’s easy to understand why the speculation would be there and why Brooks’ name would be mentioned as a trade possibility.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending