Dallas, TX
Letters to the Editor — Dallas City Hall, Ken Paxton, Texas wildlife, James Talarico
Let City Hall go
Re: “A tale of another city hall — What can Dallas learn from Boston’s commitment to its own, decades-old architecturally significant building?” by Emanuel Rame, Sunday Opinion.
As a graduate of architecture and 35-year project manager evaluating space for tenants, I often advocate saving an iconic building. Regarding Dallas’ City Hall, why repair it at overwhelming cost only to have its maintenance neglected? That’s only delaying the inevitable at massive cost.
Dallas’ record of deferred maintenance is unlikely to change. Sell it and get whatever is possible, then spend the money on fitting up functional leased space that a landlord maintains.
Further, nowhere in all of the discussions and opinions has the issue of temporary space during repairs, moves, etc., been addressed. That’s a huge cost, too. Just plan for new space, and the money will go further than spending it on a poorly designed building that will be more costly to repair and maintain than a non-iconic building that functions well for city offices, council chambers, etc.
Although Dallas’ City Hall is better looking than Boston’s, it has serious design flaws and deferred maintenance that will probably cause problems again in the future. There is also a lot of wasted space in the building for the massive atrium. I would never recommend a building with that much unusable space. Let it go.
Marsha Hayes Walker, Grand Prairie
Build but maintain, Dallas
I saw a quote from acclaimed independent filmmaker Werner Herzog that made me think of the current controversy over the fate of Dallas City Hall. It reads, in part: “Whether something lasts or not has nothing to do with whether it’s made of stone or steel or wood or fabric. A house built all in wood can be a monument that lasts for hundreds of years because it seduces people to live in it, to use it and maintain it. Eternity depends on whether people are willing to take care of something … no building can be neglected entirely.”
And that’s where we are with many iconic structures in Dallas (Fair Park, anyone?). This I.M. Pei-designed building that Dallas is so fortunate to have must stand as part of Dallas history, just as the Old Red Courthouse has and Reunion Tower, to name just a few. (Is Dallas even Dallas without Reunion Tower as part of the skyline?)
Build beautiful and unique, but above all maintain. Other places do it, for centuries and millennia in many cases, yet it seems Dallas wants the new and shiny every 40-50 years.
Borrowing an opinion from the great film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, “thumbs down” on that.
Sara Miskimins, Dallas/Lake Highlands
AG spends wastefully
Re: “Paxton sues Islamic center — Filing becomes latest effort by state to stop Muslim-centric project,” Sunday Metro story.
This guy just can’t stop himself from filing frivolous lawsuits and wasting large sums of money. Money that you and I pay in taxes. If you want to look at wasteful spending, look no further than the attorney general’s office.
Myriad possibilities exist for a better use of the attorney general’s office than what this partisan politician can dream up. Can we please open our eyes to the obvious and finally get rid of him, or are we completely blinded by our political leanings?
Erol C. Orer, Dallas
Wild in Dallas, too
Re: “A little bit of Texas frightens me — On a friend’s ranch, I learned you have so many reasons to wear boots,” by Christopher de Vinck, Saturday Opinion.
I really enjoyed de Vinck’s column about the wildlife in Texas. As a Dallas native, I can relate having spent 10 years in South Texas. It seems everything either poked, bit, stung or stabbed me in the beautiful wilds of Texas.
Interestingly, I now have coyotes and bobcats in my yard in East Dallas. What’s next, a javelina?
Nancy Turner, Dallas
New Jersey has critters
De Vinck’s fine column understated New Jersey’s natural hazards. The Garden State has plenty of venomous snakes including rattlers and copperheads, plus bobcats, and one native cactus, the prickly pear. Maybe no javelinas or chiggers, but plenty of ticks, black widows and other mean little critters — and rip tides.
Also, like Texas, New Jersey still has some beautiful rural scenery and even some night skies free of light pollution.
Peter Haskel, Lewes, Del.
Get behind Talarico
All the other Democrats should get out of the race, like we did with Beto O’Rourke, watch the Republicans fight it out in the primary and let James Talarico run against the Trump Republicans. Talarico is a proven winner, and if Colin Allred and O’Rourke couldn’t beat Ted Cruz, you know the rest of the story.
Andrew Goldsmith, Irving
A job or an education?
Re: “What are they teaching?” by Rick Williams, Thursday Letters.
Williams writes that in undergraduate and graduate classes he took “math, chemistry, English, accounting and finance.” Hopefully he also took courses in philosophy, ethics, world history and fine arts as well.
Otherwise, although Texas A&M and the University of Texas gave him a meal ticket, they did not give him an education.
Holmes Brannon, Plano
Put blame where it belongs
Our president has stated that immigration is the leading cause of dysfunction in our country. I must disagree. A political policy of hatred, scorn, revenge and ignorance is the leading cause of dysfunction in our country. One must look no further than the Oval Office.
Jan Schroeder, Lucas
Wake up on age limits
The Democrats had Sleepy Joe and the Republicans have, among other things, Dozing Donald. Any thoughts for age limits for public office?
T.P. O’Mahoney, Dallas
FC Dallas snapped a four-game winless streak on Saturday when they downed the New York Red Bulls 2-0.
Highlights
Lineups:
FC Dallas: Michael Collodi, Ramiro, Nolan Norris, Osaze Urhoghide, Shaq Moore, Herman Johansson; Kaick (Caleb Swann 90+4’), Ran Binyamin (Sebastien Ibeagha 68’), Joaquin Valiente (Sam Sarver 80’); Santiago Moreno (Logan Farrington 80’), Petar Musa (Chris Cappis 68’)
Bench: Jonathan Sirois, Patrickson Delgado, Lalas Abubakar, Nicholas Simmonds
New York Red Bulls: Ethan Horvath, Matthew Dos Santos, Tim Parker, Dylan Nealis, Juan Mina (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty 66’); Emil Forsberg (Nuhuen Benedetti 66’), Adri Mehmeti, Ronald Donkor (Mohammed Sofo 76’); Jorge Ruvalcava, Julian Hall (Eric Maxim-Choupo Moting 83’), Cade Cowell (Rafael Mosquera 66’)
Bench: John McCarthy, Omar Valencia, Robert Voloder, Gustav Berggren
Scoring Summary
FCD: Musa (Binyamin) – 54’
FCD: Sarver (Farrington) – 88’
Misconduct Summary
FCD: Collodi – 31’
FCD: Sarver – 89’
Stats
Club Notes
First assist for Ran: U22 Initiative midfielder Ran Binyamin recorded his first assist for FC Dallas in his second start. Binyamin, who joined the club in the 2026 offseason, has made eight appearances this season.
Sarver gets a goal: Sam Sarver scored his first MLS goal after entering in the 80th minute. He headed home in the 88th minute off an assist from Logan Farrington. The reigning MLS NEXT Pro MVP has appeared in six matches for Dallas this season.
Debut for Swann: Homegrown midfielder Caleb Swann made his MLS debut in the 94th minute. Swann previously featured for North Texas SC before signing his Homegrown contract on Jan. 5, 2026. He’s the third Dallas Homegrown to appear for FCD this season.
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FC Dallas is on the road again tonight as they are in the Big Apple to take on the New York Red Bulls.
Lineups are in from both sides. Let’s dive into what Eric Quill’s starting group looks like, who is on the bench, and who we believe will see minutes later on in this one.
What Changed From Last Match
After a heavy rotation last weekend, Quill has made several changes. Petar Musa returns to the lineup following being out last weekend with a minor knock. Logan Farrington is also on the bench.
Osaze Urhoghide, Herman Johansson, Kaick and Joaquín Valiente rotate back into the lineup.
Ramiro is an interesting one at the left wing, which could be an interesting experiment for the veteran midfielder. I wonder if we’re really going to see Ran Binyamin more on the wings, instead.
FC Dallas Lineup Notes:
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting XI
Bench
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Who should come off the bench?
Given who all is healthy and available, it seems like we’ll see some rotating in the second half with Cappis, Delgado, and Farrington as good options. Outside of those three, Simmonds and Ibeagha could be additional options late in the game.
Key Question Heading Into Kickoff
Can FC Dallas find a rare positive result at Sports Illustrated Stadium?
If this group is going to turn the corner here on their issues this spring, this is the game to do it. New York has been giving up loads of goals this season, and if the preseason meeting can be considered a preview, Dallas should have no problem figuring out how to put a few on this team.
Suspended: none
International duty: none
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin (knee)
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
NY Lineup Notes:
Formation: 4-3-3
Starting XI
How to watch
📅 Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
⚽️ Kickoff: 6:30 PM
🏟 Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium
📺 Streaming: MLS Season Pass
💬 Gameday Social: #FCDvRBNY
☀️ Weather: 54, partly cloudy
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The entire NFL world knew where the Dallas Cowboys were going to allocate the most resources in the 2026 NFL Draft, so no one should be surprised that Dallas used nearly all of their picks on defense. And to be fair to this front office, the Cowboys have drafted rather well for years now.
No one accuses the Cowboys of not having talent, and given this defensive overhaul this offseason, the unit may finally be on the right track. And as long as the offense is in a similar spot in 2026, all the defense needs to do is be average, and Dallas is going to find itself right back in the mix at the top of the NFC.
The Cowboys’ draft has received a universal round of applause. There’s a lot to be excited about with Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and Jaishawn Barham. But like any draft, Dallas could live to regret passing on these three prospects.
The Dallas Cowboys may regret not taking these 3 players in the NFL Draft
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE (Pick 15, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Dallas traded up one spot to select Caleb Downs with the 11th pick in Round 1, but Rueben Bain Jr. was still on the board. Downs was a great pick, as the do-it-all defensive back should be able to play multiple roles for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, and not only could he have been the best player available, but he does fill a major need.
Alongside Jalen Thompson, the Cowboys are prepared to trot out some insanely talented defensive backs. However, Bain was available and he could have filled a more important and urgent need for Dallas. In today’s NFL, games are won and lost in the trenches.
Having strong offensive line and defensive line play is crucial for any team. We have seen Dallas struggle here, as they only had 35 sacks in 2025, but it’s not all about high sack totals. Generating consistent pressure does also push opposing quarterbacks out of the pocket and off-schedule.
A strong pass rush also directly benefits the secondary. Bain would have given Dallas an immediate starter, impact player, and someone who fills a monumental need. There is still a Micah Parsons-sized hole along the defensive line.
Elijah Sarratt, WR (Pick 115, Baltimore Ravens)
Dallas had the 112th and 114th overall picks, selecting Drew Shelton, a tackle from Penn State, and Devin Moore, a rangy cornerback from Florida. At pick 115, though, the Baltimore Ravens took Elijah Sarratt, a wide receiver from Indiana
The main thing here is that there really isn’t much of a guarantee that the duo of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb stays in Dallas for the long-term. Pickens did sign his franchise tag, but some can see the writing on the wall here that next offseason could be filled with more uncertainty at this position.
Elijah Sarratt isn’t nearly the athlete that Pickens or Lamb are, but he’s a big-bodied, possession wide receiver who could have had a chain-moving role for Dallas almost immediately. Defenses are going to key-in on taking away Lamb and Pickens during the game, which does leave a third, reliable wide receiver in the spotlight.
Sarratt is a sure-handed prospect and projects as a security blanket in the NFL. The Cowboys could have gotten present and long-term impacts had they picked the former Hoosier.
Kyle Louis, LB (Pick 138, Miami Dolphins)
The Cowboys took versatile defensive lineman LT Overton at pick 137, just one spot before Kyle Louis, a hybrid linebacker, went to the Miami Dolphins.
While Dallas improved the linebacker room during the draft by trading for Dee Winters and selecting Jaishawn Barham in Round 3, it’s still not where you’d like it to be. Louis could have made a ton of sense here.
Just under 6 feet and 220lbs, Louis is definitely not an ideal linebacker size, but he does boast great speed and athleticism for the position. He’s also been quite productive in college and is incredible in coverage and serviceable against the run.
Sure, the size is a concern, but good players are good players. Given how many changes this team has made along the defensive line and even in the secondary, many fans were waiting for a substantive move at linebacker.
Louis clearly wasn’t who the Cowboys were targeting at pick 137, but he was absolutely the best player available and someone who would have filled one of the main remaining needs on defense.
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