When I wrote for the Temple Daily Telegram, I covered the Central Texas Stampede, a pro hockey team that played in Belton. Because goals are so seldom in hockey, I would write my game story halfway through the third period and hope nothing else happened.

Gayle Kirby, Highland Park’s deputy town secretary, employed a similar strategy in advance of Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline to file a candidacy for the Town Council. When the council’s 4 p.m. meeting was over, I asked Kirby if she could tell me who was running, but she said she couldn’t discuss it until the deadline had ...read more

I will [embrace/avoid] Sunday’s Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon by ____________.

When I was leaving our downtown offices, people were being blown sideways, umbrellas were inverted, and gutters grew like tsunamis.

Despite that, I made it to the UP Council meeting with seconds to spare.

After some last-minute feedback was received from Dyer Street residents represented by Gigi Welch, the council decided to push back the zoning ordinance discussion to the next council meeting, which was rescheduled to March 23.

By the time we left the council chambers, the sun was peeking out behind the clouds. Mayor Blackie Holmes suggested that it was because council business was finished. Maybe he’s right…

The University Park Elementary School portables were being dismantled over the weekend and the complex construction holding the structures in place was uncovered- a few bricks and a prayer.

So today in the carpool lane this sticker caused a problem: DallasBraziliansda.org. One of my kids asked what it meant. Without a second thought I explained that it’s advertising a waxing service. That didn’t sound right to my daughter. She challenged the meaning.

OK, so I was wrong. And I feel a little shallow. But wouldn’t you immediately think hair removal? Anyway, consider this a public service announcement and look super smart if your children quiz you one day soon.

If you don’t feel like fighting the crowds at Greenville Avenue’s St. Patrick’s celebration this weekend (R.I.P Greenville Bar & Grill, Terrilli’s, Hurricane Grill, and Mick’s), head over to Hotel Palomar’s Central 214 restaurant from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday for a party on the patio. The shindig will feature all of the traditional St. Paddy’s accouterments (Irish music, green beer, grilled brats, etc.), without all the walking, shoving, and endless port-o-potty lines of Lower Greenville. Cost is $25 per person. Go here for more info.

Based on the basic book-jacket description of Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s Secret Daughter — a novel about the parallel lives of an Indian woman who gives up her baby girl and the American woman who adopts her — I would have passed. It doesn’t exactly sound like my cup of tea.

But Gowda is a University Park resident, so I read her debut novel before interviewing her for a story in the current edition of Park Cities People. And I ...read more

Last summer, I wrote about the debut of Bad Kids Go to Hell, a comic book written by St. Mark’s graduate Barry “Bazz” Wernick and Highland Park High School graduate Matthew Spradlin. Their series has been collected as a graphic novel, and they’ll be signing copies from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the SMU Bookstore.

If the film __________ had won last night, another Highland Park High School graduate would have had an Oscar on his/her mantle.

[Answer will be posted by noon, unless a commenter does it first.]

It turns out Highland Park’s girls basketball team ended up drawing one of the best teams in the state in the first round of the playoffs.

Frisco Wakeland, which beat the Lady Scots, 69-48, on Feb. 16, won its Class 4A state semifinal against Del Valle, 39-34, yesterday in Austin. The Lady Wolverines (30-6) will take on Mansfield Timberview (36-2) in an all-Dallas/Fort Worth state championship game at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow.

I’ll be honest, I was very impressed by Wakeland’s size and athleticism, but I ...read more