Every time an old town vehicle has run its course, Highland Park puts it up for auction. Right now, that includes four Chevy Tahoes and one Chevy Suburban. There have been a surprising (to me at least) number of bids so far: 66. Auction closes April 18.

According to the town website, there will be a few more auctions in the coming months, so keep your browser pointed towards Rene Bates Auctioneers.

Heck, if cars aren’t your thing, take a look around at some of the other auctions:

- Plano ISD: a single salad spinner

- City of Conroe: pool chairs

- McKinney ISD: a smoke machine

- Hays County: Dental x-ray equipment

So get after it!

Raya has the full scoop at ShopTalk, but here’s the gist: Duncan Jones left Highland Park, moved to Austin, and launched Wild World. Following the Toms model, for every shirt he sells, one goes to a kid in need. Pretty cool.

As was to be expected, the University Park Planning and Zoning Commission last night extended the public hearing for the Park Cities YMCA project until May 8.

After three hours of testimony — and little to no engagement from the commission — supporters and detractors headed for the doors, to return next month.

The proposed 65,000-square-foot building drew a standing-room only crowd, complete with “I Support My YMCA” shirts and “Y Too Big” signs. To watch the hearing yourself, head to University Park’s website.

For more on the hearing, pick up Friday’s Park Cities People.

Our friends at Central Market — more specifically, its parent company, H-E-B — have donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross in the wake of Tuesday’s tornadoes. H-E-B also sent a trailer loaded with 20 pallets of bottled water and sports drinks to the Red Cross. Additionally, food, baby food, and health/beauty products were distributed to the shelter in Lancaster, one of the areas affected most by the tornadoes.

Customers can make donations of their own at any Central Market by adding increments of $1, $3, or $5 to their grocery bills.

“We are committed to providing assistance during this time of crisis as many of our neighbors face loss and uncertainty due to the recent tornadoes,” said Stephen Butt, senior vice president of Central Market. “It is our hope that H-E-B’s donations, along with our loyal customers’ support, will help support the needs of our displaced neighbors.”

The other day, the unmistakable, inimitable Michael J. Mooney and I walked from the office down to the 7-Eleven on Akard Street. Our goal was simple: spend two dollars to make a few hundred million.

I don’t remember if it was Mike’s first lotto ticket, but it was mine. Sure, I’d sold thousands of tickets to cranky Italian women who said, “No. I wanted these straight/box, not straight and box” during my hustlin days at East Park Pharmacy, but I’d never pulled the trigger on the tickets myself.

When the idea of a $500 million (now up to $640 million)  Mega Millions prize became a reality, however, I pounced.

Here’s what I’d do with my new found wealth:

Read More…

Back east, there’s a Dunkin Donuts (approximately) every 13 feet. These purveyors of coffee and confection were a part of my youth, meaning I had two friends who worked there so we ate donuts until we heaved.

So when I moved to Texas and started looking around for a DD, I was distressed that the closest one to my apartment is on Preston and 635, 20 minutes from Casa de Pearson. It’s a trek I’ve never made.

Now, hopefully, that will change. Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman are teaming up to bring 50 new Dunkin Donuts locations to DFW in the next five years, making this the first time I’ve actively cheered for Cowboys.

I know there used to be a location in Snider Plaza, so two questions:

1. Why did it close?

2. Would the Park Cities be receptive of another location? (Please say yes.)

Disregard my hand in the reflection.

Walking by Sacred Cigars last night, I caught the above picture. So I shot an email to owner Rudy Ced this morning. Zombies? Pesky neighbors who dislike cigar smoke? Creditors?

His response:

About 12 yrs ago I saw a tshirt in brooklyn that had Defend Brooklyn with an AK-47 on it. About 8 yrs ago I saw a shirt in Dallas that had Defend Dallas with an M-16 on it.

I’ve always liked the Gas Mask image, so I thought I’d make a shirt with Defend Sacred on it. Honestly I just think its a cool design and might get people talking more.

So there you have it. As those incredibly annoying posters read, keep calm.

All that remained were those kernels stuck in your teeth.

Walking through Snider Plaza last night, I happened upon the discouraging scene above: a half-empty bottle of Coke, a small pile of Gummi bears and worms searching for a forest, and bags and bags of old popcorn.

The eviction notice on the door shed some light:

Your rentals are delinquent and you are in default of your Lease Agreement…the management was exercised its statutory right to change or modify your door lock…Please note that you will not have access to the space until all past due rent and fees have been paid.

The Popcorn Carousel had been turned off.

When I was about to leave, a man parked his car and looked through the window with me.

“So much for shaved ice today.”

Calls to a phone number on the store’s website this morning rang unanswered.

Have you been to Union Bear yet? No? Turn off your computer, drive to the West Village, and drink.

I don’t usually rep for certain spots here (that’s what our advertisers are for!) but I’ve been to Union Bear probably 10 times since it opened in January. It has the best beer selection in the city (sorry for taking your only months-old title, Strangeways), and is reasonable beyond fiscal sense.

That said, they’re having a La Marzocco (read: fancy coffee) event at the spot Wednesday, March 28. The info is tight with the details, but it kicks off at four. Then you might as well stay all night, even though they kicked the Southern Star Le Mort Vivant (their best beer on tap, IMO) last week.

Last year in the Park Cities, home sales actually ticked up two percent, bucking the nationwide trend.

Numbers today from the Commerce Department show that nationwide, though, some gains at the end of last year across the country aren’t being sustained. New home sales fell two percent again this month, mimicking January’s similar decline.

But what does this mean for the Park Cities? Trey and I have been working on a story about home values for a few months, speaking with agents and appraisers, trying to get a sense of what’s going on in Preston Hollow and Park Cities. Agents seem to be bullish, but, then again, their job is to sell houses.

Any real estate experts want to kick in their two cents on what the next couple months will bring for Park Cities home sales?