Dallas, TX
The long journey of revitalizing downtown Dallas must continue
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Seven males have been sitting across the convention desk: six businessmen and the newly appointed metropolis supervisor, Richard Knight. That assembly in 1986 was the start of the revitalization of downtown Dallas.
Each motion requires a set off, a spark that ignites devoted individuals to motion. This was that second, and the teachings from that assembly and what ensued over the following 36 years are equally legitimate at the moment.
The again story is important for individuals who didn’t expertise the decline of downtown. I returned to Dallas only one 12 months previous to that assembly and was shocked by its additional decay throughout my seven-year hiatus. The notion that this decline was the inevitable results of progress had crept in, and it was removed from actuality.
The reality was that the town had begun years earlier pulling sources from downtown in pursuit of northward enlargement. Metropolis sources for downtown had been lowered, and buyers adopted go well with.
When the decline turned apparent, the town tried a reversal within the ordinary means for a authorities administration. For instance, an enormous venture, a authorities sponsored downtown mall, would compete towards suburban retail. Not solely was this ill-conceived, but it surely aggravated the issue as main thriving downtown buildings have been deserted to make means for the shopping center. Happily, the doomed mall by no means occurred.
On the assembly in 1986, a small group of downtown enterprise leaders objectively confronted the fact of the downtown state of affairs. The framework of the turnaround was set and presents a lesson for the town’s future.
First was a dedication by the non-public and public sectors to work collectively. Importantly, there was settlement {that a} true turnaround would take no less than 25 years, which has been confirmed true. Main civic initiatives are susceptible to unreasonable expectations of fast fixes. Seldom is there a silver bullet that circumvents perseverance.
The fundamentals needed to be dealt with first, a course of that might take the preliminary 12 years of the hassle. Till primary wants have been glad, buyers and customers weren’t going to take part. Following primary wants, additions of facilities by means of philanthropy can be attainable in addition to new capital funding.
Lastly, downtown supporters needed to deal with the particular aggressive benefits that downtown needed to supply, quite than attempting to show downtown right into a suburban mall.
What occurred has been a outstanding achievement. By the Central Dallas Affiliation group, now referred to as Downtown Dallas, a downtown enchancment district was fashioned. This was a channel for property homeowners to fund cleansing crews and safety patrols to reinforce the police presence. A tax increment financing district was fashioned to fund enhancements. Over time, not simply the fact however the notion of downtown’s cleanliness and safety started to vary.
The primary housing addition, the redevelopment of the deserted Joske’s, previously Titche’s, division retailer took a number of years of effort. The Downtown College Heart was created and has morphed at the moment into the College of North Texas at Dallas’ downtown legislation faculty. A plan was developed to construct and fund downtown parks and inexperienced areas.
No main civic endeavor succeeds with out overcoming naysayers and opposition. The motivation for these debates ranges from a healthful distinction of opinion on civic priorities to the pursuit of separate agendas.
A very good instance is the Victory improvement and American Airways Heart. Given its success, it’s straightforward to overlook the battle cries towards it. Solely by means of the work of the Larger Dallas Chamber teaming with Mayor Ron Kirk’s energetic involvement did the town persevere. Now, these complaints are silenced as venture after venture has added billions of {dollars} to the town’s tax rolls.
Downtown can solely be as vibrant as its surrounding neighborhoods. Revitalization of downtown has been coupled with the great progress of Uptown, the developments within the Victory space, and currently the enlargement to the east. The voices advocating a standalone downtown effort have quieted as the advantages of the symbiotic relationships have confirmed apparent.
What stays to finish the area-wide revitalization is prudent improvement to the south of downtown. With coming financial catalysts comparable to the brand new conference middle and the high-speed rail terminal, the prospects are good, however they may solely achieve success if the teachings of the previous are heeded.
Downtown Dallas is a good instance of restoring a civic power. Additionally it is an informative studying lab on accomplish a serious civic venture.
David Biegler is a civic volunteer and recipient of the Linz award for civic service. He previously served as president of Lone Star Gasoline and TXU utilities. He wrote this column for The Dallas Morning Information.
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Dallas, TX
Cowboy Roundup: Micah Parsons eyeing team history, Week 1 rookie starters?

Happy Saturday. Dallas Cowboys Nation. We’ve made it to the extended weekend with millions of people set to hit the road for Memorial Day Weekend, enjoy some cookouts, honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, spend some time with family, and soak in the unofficial kickoff of summer.
With the holiday weekend, there is no telling what kind of news will surface from Cowboys headquarters as players enjoy the break from OTAs, but in a few weeks, mandatory minicamp will kick off and the offseason will begin to ramp up.
MORE: 5 NFL stars you forgot played for the Cowboys during their career
It’s been an eventful week surrounding the team, with several players speaking out in support of head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the “energy” surrounding the team, so hopefully that is a sign of good things to come.
While we wait to see what the weekend brings, let’s take a quick spin around the internet and check out some of the news and headlines making waves online and across social media. Indulge.
Blogging the Boys takes a look at how Micah Parsons can solidify his standing atop franchise leaderboards in some key stat categories this season.
InsideTheStar.com identifies three Cowboys rookies who could be on the field as Week 1 starters.
Cowboys urged to make splash RB signing of former All-Pro by ex-NFL star… Micah Parsons named one of ‘next NFL dominoes to drop’ amid contract drama… CeeDee Lamb gets honest about shoulder rehab, ‘grateful’ for new season… Cowboys could regret not using early draft pick on certain position… Cowboys TE named team’s most underrated player entering 2025 season… Cowboys predicted to start season with brutal losing streak by NFL analyst… Jalen Tolbert gets major benefit from Cowboys’ George Pickens trade… Could Cowboys have surprise LT over Tyler Guyton in 2025 season?
Dallas, TX
Micah Parsons could really climb the Cowboys record books in 2025

When it comes to record-setting starts to their careers, there are very few in Dallas Cowboys franchise history (certainly modern history) that top Micah Parsons. The only legitimate argument in this sense may be Ezekiel Elliott.
Parsons is incredible, and we have seen him have all sorts of success through his first four seasons. To date he has racked up 52.5 sacks, time will tell if that is enough to earn a massive extension, and if he keeps up this average then he is going to continue to soar up the team’s record books.
Thanks to our friends at Stathead we can really look at history to see Parsons’ place in it.
2025 could see Micah Parsons really take hold of Dallas Cowboys history
As mentioned, Parsons has 52.5 career sacks to date. That is an absurd amount in just four seasons, but remember that he also missed a few games for the first time in 2024. Shockingly, Parsons’ 52.5 is not the most that any player has ever had through their first four seasons in team history. Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware has him beat out by one.
While Parsons missed time in the stretch that we are talking about so did Ware. Parsons feels like a unicorn in terms of production, but Ware was absolutely incredible early on in his own right.
For what it’s worth, Ware kept pace in his fifth season with the team. Following the 2009 campaign Ware sat at 64.5 sacks which is obviously the most that anyone has ever had in team history through their first five seasons. Harvey Martin came pretty close, though.
Parsons’ career average from a sack standpoint is 13.125, so if we assume that he notches at least 13 of them then he’ll reach 65 and take down Ware. Obviously there is more that we all want from the team than for players to achieve individual milestones, but that something like this is in reach is still pretty cool. (Also a note… it must have been an error for Parsons’ name to be listed here. I tried a few times to adjust it, but we obviously know he has not played five seasons).
If we assume that Parsons reaches that point, he will also climb into the top 10 for all-time sacks while a member of the Cowboys. He trails the outgoing DeMarcus Lawrence by nine at the moment and that would be the person he pushes out of the proverbial club.
This is perhaps the most stunning look at what Parsons has done to this point in his career. He is sitting on 63 total games played and if he suits up for every one in 2025 then he will total 80. But even then, the next-closest to him in that sense would be a three-way tie between DeMarcus Ware, DeMarcus Lawrence and George Andrie. Funny that both Ware and Lawrence each played 141 games for the team.
We are watching the beginning of one of the all-time careers in Dallas Cowboys franchise history. What Parsons has done and what we assume he will continue to do are astonishing. Hopefully he can add a championship to everything he is accomplishing as well.
Dallas, TX
Who is Pete DeBoer? 10 things to know about the Dallas Stars head coach

With Pete DeBoer in charge, the Dallas Stars have positioned themselves as one of the NHL’s top teams.
DeBoer originally took over as Dallas’ head coach in 2022 and has since led the squad to three consecutive Western Conference finals appearances. Will this be the year DeBoer and the Stars get past the hump?
Here are 10 things to know about DeBoer:
1. The basics
DeBoer, 56, is a native of Dunnville, Ontario in Canada. He has 18 years of head coaching experience in the NHL, previously leading teams like the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights.
Before landing in the NHL, DeBoer coached several teams in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He notably led the Detroit Whalers, Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers.
DeBoer and his wife, Susan, have one daughter and two sons.
2. His playing career
Before he took on the coaching challenge, DeBoer gained first-hand experience on the ice.
DeBoer, a center, spent much of his playing career in the OHL. He spent four seasons (1985-89) with the Windsor Compuware Spitfires before he was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 237th overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft.
DeBoer did not play in the NHL, moving on to the International Hockey League (IHL) after his stint in Windsor. He spent the last three years of his playing career with the Milwaukee Admirals.
According to hockeydb.com, DeBoer recorded 309 points throughout his playing career (regular season and postseason combined). His best season came in 1988-89, when he posted 91 points (45 goals and 46 assists) with Windsor.
3. Pete DeBoer, the lawyer?
That’s right. For a brief moment, DeBoer was preparing to start a career outside of hockey. During his early days as an assistant coach in the OHL, DeBoer was in law school.
Some of the connections DeBoer made in his playing days had a key role in how the rest of his professional career unfolded. Back when he was hired by the Stars in 2022, DeBoer spoke about where he would be if he wasn’t coaching.
“I might be in a small claims court somewhere,” said DeBoer, who has a law degree in both Canada and the United States. “Fighting a traffic ticket.”
4. Master of Game 7s
When it comes to win-or-go-home scenarios, DeBoer has found consistent success. When the Stars took down the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, DeBoer took sole possession of the best Game 7 record in pro sports.
At 9-0, with Game 7 wins with Dallas (three), the San Jose Sharks (three), the Vegas Golden Knights (two) and the New Jersey Devils (one), DeBoer broke a tie with two-time Stanley Cup champion Darryl Sutter (8-3) to stand alone in first place.
5. Has international coaching experience
Along with his NHL coaching, DeBoer has picked up experience working for Team Canada throughout his career. He was notably an assistant on the coaching staff for Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
DeBoer previously won gold with the Canadian national team during the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
6. Has a preferred pizza place in Denver
When the Stars face the Colorado Avalanche in the 2025 playoffs, DeBoer’s routine for games in Denver became a hot topic of discussion. The head coach said he likes to walk from the team hotel to Ball Arena, stopping at a specific pizza place to grab a bite to eat.
DeBoer’s preferred location was SliceWorks, which serves a Big Mac pizza and a jalapeño popper pizza with grape jelly.
Stars beat writer Lia Assimakopoulos reviewed DeBoer’s selections during the Stars-Avalanche series.
7. Known for a strong defensive system
Throughout his Dallas stint, DeBoer has emphasized the virtue of a strong defensive system. In each of his three seasons as Stars head coach, DeBoer’s Dallas teams have finished in the top 10 in regular-season goals allowed.
In 2022-23, the Stars ranked third with 215 goals allowed. Dallas then ranked eighth with 232 goals allowed in 2023-24. That all led up to the 2024-25 season, where Dallas ranked sixth with 222 goals allowed.
8. Once had a tense exchange with a media member in Dallas
DeBoer wasn’t exactly thrilled with the Stars’ performance against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Western Conference finals. The head coach’s frustrations boiled over when The Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw asked about a slow second-period showing in a Game 5 loss.
“You can sit here and question our character if you want. That’s what you’re doing. You haven’t been around here all year, I haven’t seen you all year,” DeBoer said.
DeBoer asked for a redo the following day.
9. Has coached in Stanley Cup Finals before
If DeBoer can lead the Stars past the Western Conference finals, it would mark the coach’s third appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
He led the New Jersey Devils to the Cup Final in 2012, then returned to the matchup with the San Jose Sharks in 2016. DeBoer’s Devils lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games, while the Sharks fell against the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
10. Brings up young players
Throughout his coaching career, DeBoer has emphasized the development of young players. In San Jose, he helped oversee the growth of winger Timo Meier.
DeBoer is also credited with helping Tomas Hertl become a key contributor. The head coach’s impact is already felt in Dallas, as he has quickly boosted Wyatt Johnston into becoming one of the team’s most dangerous scorers.
Johnston finished the 2024-25 regular season with 71 points (33 goals, 38 assists).
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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