Y’all remember Cynthia Martinez, right? She was the woman arrested on a prostitution charge in September 2009 at her rented home on Fondren, where she was giving massages. She was also arrested in January 2011 on drug-possession and child-endangerment charges. All that drama — plus the fact that a 20-year-old OD’d at her house in December 2010 — led to her neighbors and the University Park city attorney pressuring her landlord to evict her. She was booted from the property in February 2011.

I’ll admit that I hadn’t given Martinez much thought since then; yesterday’s news and so on and so forth. I’m bringing her up today because a friend of Park Cities People sent me a note to say that he spotted her over the weekend at the Arcade Bar in Lakewood. Our friend reports that she did a serviceable karaoke rendition of Stevie Nicks’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” embarrassed herself on Eminem’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” and generally had a grand time until the bar closed at 2.

And why wouldn’t she? A search of the county’s criminal-records database shows that the prostitution charge was dismissed in January 2013, after she served a year of probation. Charges of practicing massage without a license and child abandonment were also dismissed. As for the possession of a controlled substance, she was sentenced to three years’ probation last November.

Fresh garden vegetables make any salad better. I learned this well when living in Virginia with a friend’s family one summer. All along their back fence my friend’s mom grew cucumbers, squash, lettuce, tomatoes, and other delectable goodies.

There was nothing I loved so well as coming home from six hours in the studio than a fresh cucumber and onion salad dowsed in apple cider vinegar and adorned with a little pepper. If there was something we wanted in a salad that we couldn’t get from the garden, we could walk to the neighborhood store and get all manner of locally grown fresh food.

So I was pretty happy when I found out that from now until November, St. Michael’s and All Angels is hosting a farmers market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Produce must come from within a 150 mile radius of Dallas County, the same radius required by the Dallas Farmer’s Market.

This is the second year St. Michael’s has held the farmers market. This year they’ve expanded their list of vendors and added a concession area. You can check out who’s scheduled for this coming weekend here.

Do you have a favorite recipe that epitomizes summer?

Brooks Burgin, the younger brother of former Scots starting quarterback Brady Burgin, edged John Robert Gilley to earn the starting nod calling signals for Highland Park next season.

Burgin and the Scots will open the 2013 campaign against Aledo in the Tom Landry Classic at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31 at Allen’s Eagle Stadium. Highland Park is coming off a 9-2 season, while the Bearcats went 10-2.

Speaking of the Landry Classic, Highland Park is already slated to take on Frisco Centennial in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Classic.

 

Starting on June 22 you’ll be able to stock up on all the One Direction gear you your tween’s heart desires thanks to 1D World. This includes shirts, jewelry, life size posters, and what the website describes as “the famous 1D onsie,” whatever that is.

To be honest, I’m a little scared of One Direction fans and a little too old to know that much or care about the band. But if this is something you’re interested in, make sure you scoop it all up while you can — the store will only be open for two weeks.

Here are the details: 1D World will be located at The Shops at Park Lane, snuggled between Bowl & Barrel and Gordon Biersch. It is open from June 22 to July 7. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Zach Tallon lives a stone’s throw from the Highland Park town limits. He owns the Dallas Anti-Aging Institute in Preston Center. His institute issued a press release last week that’s not really appropriate for a blog associated with a community newspaper. Fortunately, a former employee of this newspaper, Eric Nicholson of the Dallas Observer, faces no such content restrictions.

My parents have always stressed the importance of giving back to the Dallas community. This includes getting involved with charitable foundations like Hope Cottage, an adoption center founded in 1918. If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity in the Dallas community, or just want to learn more about Hope Cottage, stop by Kung Fu Saloon this Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for sips, bites, and some old school arcade fun.

 

At tomorrow’s City Council meeting, Fire Lieutenant Shane Schindler will be honored. He’s served University Park for 33 years now, so if you’d like to express your thanks in a round of applause, be at City Hall by 5 p.m.

State Rep. Dan Branch, R-University Park, is soliciting donations via Twitter and Facebook for a potential campaign for the attorney general’s office, just in case the position becomes available. (It would if Greg Abbott challenged Gov. Rick Perry for his job.)

The Office of the Attorney General stands up for the Constitution, the 10th Amendment and the right of Texas to control her own destiny. Should AG Greg Abbott run for a higher position, I need you to help me fight back against the Obama-backed effort, Battleground Texas, and keep Washington from undoing everything Texas stands for. I ask for your help in getting our effort off on the right foot. May I please count on you to consider a donation before June 30th. Visit http://danbranch.com/contribute today.

Assuming all of the dominoes fall into place, who would go after Branch’s seat in the Legislature? Vintage Living owner Lisa Luby Ryan was interested the last time we played this “what if” game. Anybody else?

Here are the HPISD personnel changes discussed at the June 11 Board of Trustees meeting:

Reassignment

Randy Allen, the former athletic director for boys sports is now becoming the coordinator of boys athletics (added position)

Resignation

Molly Hunt, McCulloch sixth-grade math teacher

Jessica Compton, Hyer kindergarten teacher

Julia Brooks, Hyer elementary instructional assistant

Michelle Glover, STAAR instructional assistant

Taylor Sanchez, University Park special education PBS instructional assistant

Additions

Lisa Ham, director of instructional technology (replacing Robert Harris)

Whitney Wilbur, HPHS math teacher (replacing Jane Cumiskey)

Jay Baker, HPMS eighth-grade science teacher/coach (replacing Sylvia Bearden and Gregory Gleinser)

Jenifer Cunningham, HPMS special education in-class support (replacing Lindsay McIntyre)

Eric Cunningham, MIS physical education (replacing Andrea Crane)

Megan Gigante, Armstrong special education LIFT/structure (replacing Rhonda Forlow)

Katherine Johnson, Armstrong art (replacing Rachel Reynolds and Jennifer Wooten)

Laura Labunski, Armstrong TAG (replacing Erin Hukill)

Megan Somerville, Armstrong second-grade teacher (replacing Melissa Chaddick)

Meri “Allison” Campbell, Bradfield second-grade teacher (replacing Whitney Arroyo)

Sarah Fox, Bradfield physical-education teacher (replacing Sondra Lagasse)

Summer Lindsay, Hyer third-grade teacher (replacing Susan Webster)

Katherine Moore, University Park second-grade teacher (replacing Stefani Logsdon)

Kaitlyn Schultz, University Park special education PBS (replacing Allison Guerra)

I was not able to watch the Miss USA pageant last night, but I’ve read that Miss Texas USA, a.k.a. Highland Park High School graduate Ali Nugent, finished in the top six. (Connecticut’s Erin Brady won the whole shebang.) Did any of our readers tune in? If so, your thoughts?