Posts by Georgia Fisher
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Greased Lightning Comes to HPHS Stage
Staff photo: Chris McGathey
I’m way too young to have teenage kids, and wuh-hay too old to hang out with them, but guess what? I honestly (really, really) like the HPHS drama department’s productions.
I credit Linda Raya for this. As a theater teacher and HPISD’s fine arts coordinator, she’s sharp as a tack, downright hilarious, and now teaching a second generation of young actors and songbirds. You’d have to see their dynamics in person, but students seem to really trust and enjoy Raya — and she’s got them figured out, period. As an aside, she told me once that she struck out for New York to be an actress, and years ago, life brought her here. I’ve always wanted to know more.That said, Raya has 42 teenagers jumping to her beat for Grease, which opens Saturday night at the high school. Oh, and get this: She’s making every single male cast member get a 1950s-ish haircut. They don’t seem to mind.
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Nest to Move From Snider Plaza to Knox/Henderson
Snider Plaza boutique Nest is, well, flying from the nest. In celebration of its fifth anniversary (says spokeswoman Kelly Fordham), the home decor and gift store is moving to a 5,000 square-foot space on McKinney Avenue — and also launching a new logo, website, and private label line. The relocation is planned for next month, with Nest to reopen for business in early October.
In the meantime, my friends, a great big sale is on the horizon. No word as to when exactly it’ll start, but keep your eyes peeled: Discounts will be as much as 75 percent.
The Jonathan Adler lamp above (in all its multifaceted funkiness) is currently about $800.
UPDATE: Sale’s on!
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NorthPark Catwalks into Tax-Free Weekend
NorthPark Center is throwing something of a fashion expo this weekend, with runway shows, special promotions, and a model search on Saturday through the Kim Dawson Agency.
“Oh, it’s going to be awesome,” said event spokeswoman Kristen Gibbins. “It’s a three-day look at fall fashions, and many of our retailers are involved.”
Reserved runway seating with an after-party ticket is only $15 per show, and by Gibbon’s description, said shows will be pretty inspiring: one details looks for under $100, and others cater to “mash-up” and model-casual styles.
The fun starts at 5 p.m. today — and don’t forget, it’s tax-free weekend.
For more information, click here (and scroll accordingly).
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HPPC’s Rezoning Plans on Hold Until Sept. 14
Likely you’ve heard that neighbors in the vicinity of Highland Park Presbyterian Church are upset — an understatement, perhaps — about HPPC’s motion to rezone and build a surface parking lot. Yesterday evening, the plan finally went before University Park’s* planning and zoning commission, in a public hearing wherein supporters and opponents had 45 minutes, per group, to make their case (HPPC’s side took less time, though six members spoke on its behalf).
The outcome: Proposed bluprints are shelved at least until P and Z’s next meeting on Sept. 14, pending more research and consideration. In the meantime, said Bob West, Planning and Zoning Commission chair, he’d like to see the church crunch numbers for an underground parking garage — one of several options broached Tuesday night by those opposed to the surface lot.
The rendering above, from Lambert Garden Design, illustrates a wall that will screen the lot from view, designers say, and lend itself to a “park-like setting” in the neighborhood.
Want more details? We’ll have them in Friday’s issue of Park Cities People.
*For anyone jumping into this story midway through or living more than a stone’s throw from HPPC: The church is actually inside the City of University Park, confusing-name geography be darned.
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‘Return to Giant’ Screens at 7 p.m. Thursday
Park Cities rotarian Kirby Warnock’s documentary about Marfa and a troupe of Hollywood visitors has been lauded by the New York Times, earned its share of awards, and made at least one reporter laugh at loud (OK, and tear up at one point, too).
You can’t buy the full version of Return to Giant anywhere, but Warnock will screen it for the first time in years on Thursday at a special benefit for the Texas Theatre. We said as much in Friday’s issue of Park Cities People, with one g-i-a-n-t blunder: the wrong show time was noted in an info box. Argh! Sorry, Kirby.
The real deal:
What: Screening of Return to Giant, followed by a Q-&-A with filmmaker Kirby Warnock
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Cost: $5
To learn more, click here. The link will take you through the Big Bend Quarterly website (Warnock is publisher) and to an info page about the film.
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Bread Winners Turns 16/Freebie Alert
To those with sweet teeth: Bread Winners owners Cindy and Jim Hughes are celebrating the restaurant’s 16th birthday this week, and apparently handing out free cake balls at all three locations (on Lovers or McKinney here in town, or on Preston Road in Plano).I’m on it.
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Here’s to Blue, White, and Red
Quick restaurant promo prompted by a woefully hungry glance at the Mansion’s latest fare: tomorrow through Sunday, executive chef (and France native) Bruno Davaillon will whip up a special menu in honor of Bastille Day, with draws including grilled lobster with herb butter, crushed potato, and quail egg; and roasted lamb with caramelized artichoke, tomato marmalade, and mint-almond pesto.Come ready for wine, too.
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Highland Park Presbyterian’s Rev. Scates Writes Neighbors as Lot Plans are Prepped for P&Z
In today’s issue of Park Cities People, I’ve caught up with several parties involved in HPPC’s much-squabbled-over plan for a new parking lot, which will go before University Park’s planning and zoning commission in August. The issue made CBS 11 earlier this week — naturally, right before our story went to press.
In a letter sent yesterday to neighbors, HPPC’s Rev. Ron Scates had this to say about the lot (herein he references a “facts and perspectives sheet” that you can download as a PDF):
Dear HPPC Family,
The last project in the Forward by Faith campaign, the parking plaza, has received media attention and sparked debate within our community. We anticipate that this will continue over the coming months as we proceed with the planned development rezoning process with the city.
We expect that many of you may be asked questions about our plans from others. Should you need additional information, or a refresher, we attach a Facts and Perspectives document that is provided to give you more explanation and details. You can also view the final design in the Welcome Center and on the church web site at www.hppc.org/forwardbyfaith.
Communication with our neighbors began in March of 2009 when we presented to them the first concept for the parking plaza. Since then we have met multiple times with neighbors, modifying our plans where possible to incorporate into the design our understanding of their concerns. We slowed down our design process, we stopped and backed up so we could include more input from our neighbors, and we included two neighbors on the final design team. Several meetings were held with neighbor representatives, some who are members of HPPC. Several features were added or modified as a direct result of the interaction with our neighbors. While these revisions added significantly to the total cost, we believe the changes improve the overall plaza design and function, and its fit with our neighborhood.
The parking spots will serve to encourage believers to worship in community as Christ commands us. The parking spots will serve to encourage believers and members to invite a friend to join them. The parking spots will serve to beckon those who are broken and weary to seek comfort in the arms of the Church. That is how we see the parking plaza – it will enhance the mission of HPPC of “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ.” We will be a more accessible and welcoming church as a result of this parking plaza.
Although we have tried our best to develop a design that is supported by the neighborhood, we realize that some remain unhappy with our decisions. Some of our good neighbors disagree with us about the benefits of the plan to the church and the community. We have heard and acknowledge their concern. After much deliberation, our hope is that this view will be transformed in time to one of neighborly understanding, acceptance, and appreciation. In keeping with our long tradition and place in this unique neighborhood, we believe this parking plaza will increase our ability to minister to the community while extending the beauty of our architecture to the West Block in a manner that blends into the neighborhood.
In the attached Facts and Perspective sheet, we have answered many of the questions we have been hearing about the parking plaza. We have also provided clarification based on some of the mistaken information we have heard.
Please join us in thanking the Lord for all He has done in this season of our church’s history where we have moved Forward by Faith.
Rev. Dr. Ron Scates
Senior Pastor Ben Brown, Clerk of Session
Thoughts?
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Lego Dallas is Coming to NorthPark
What with being grown and all [snore], I no longer own my medieval-castle-themed Lego set — or the giant tub of basic Legos that my dad once loved as much as I did. But I want to find some plastic blocks again after hearing about Dallas Cityscape, an exhibit opening Friday at NorthPark Center that captures some much-loved landmarks in Lego form.
Recognize the one above? Of course you do.
Passersby will get a chance to craft their own buildings, too, said NorthPark spokeswoman Kristen Gibbins, so prepare for some hands-on fun at the Kids Construction Zone (whether or not you’re the tallest person there).
Non-Park Cities-related tangent, but a side note for inspiration: If you like Lego art, check out this guy, too. I’ve read elsewhere that he quit being an attorney so he could become a full-time Lego artiste. And he rocks the dang house, if you ask me.
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HPPC Parking-Lot Gazebo Could Get Scrapped
Details are incoming, here, but I thought I’d circle back to the parking lot/parking plaza issue at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, in anticipation of its Aug. 10 review. Seems University Park city staff isn’t too keen on the notion of a gazebo — as proposed for said lot — that would face the church and feed in to a bricked walkway.
The reason? It’d be covering something important: a sewer line.
“Sewer lines and water mains tend to break at 3 a.m. when it’s pouring down rain,” said community development director Robbie Corder. “You don’t want a structure like a gazebo in the way when city’s going to tear it down anyway.” Then would come hemming and hawing, perhaps, about who owes what to whom.
In any case, Corder said, revisions are a typical part of the planning/zoning process.
Stay tuned.
