Back Talk Lake Highlands

Early voting: LHHS seniors cast ballots for the first time

KERA has a fun, quick listen (or read) about 45 Lake Highlands High School seniors who played hooky from English class yesterday (with the school's permission) to cast their first-ever votes for president.

The 2-minute, 40-second story from reporter BJ Austin is chock full of great quotes, everything from John Claybrook's admission that his family would expel him if he doesn't vote Republican, to the senior citizen in line behind the high schools seniors who states his belief that they aren't old enough to vote.

Your Friday Productivity Killer

It's a busy Friday — early voting, last minute Halloween-costume shopping, etc. — so I wanted to bring you all something you could enjoy quickly. I chanced upon this site a few years ago, and have never been able to get it out of my head. It's Buenoa Aires resident Diego Goldberg's photographic chronicle of his family's growth over 32 years. Whenever I go back to it, I find myself inventing little stories to, say, explain why Nicolas had such a short haircut in 1987 (gum incident?) or why, despite the rest of his family's near-constant sober stares, Matias, the middle son, often can't seem to get the smile out of his eyes. The accompanying video by ABC News is short and cute.

It's fascinating, isn't it, to see a family evolve before your very eyes? 

Losing our religion: Faith on Tap

In my interview with Rev. Anne Cameron of Lake Highlands Presbyterian Church, some of the discussion centered on taking God outside of church walls in unconventional ways. She told me about neighborhood resident Brent Barry, a Presbyterian minister in between assignments who heads up a monthly study called Faith on Tap at Bailey’s First & 10 in Lakewood.

When I talked to Barry this week, he told me he received an e-mail from a friend recently. In the midst of the message, the friend said of Barry’s latest ministry: “I would think you would want to be above reproach.”

Barry sighs. “It was one of those days,” he says, explaining that he couldn’t help retorting: “As soon as Jesus gets out of the bar, I’ll leave, too.”

Around the web: Cute pets, college tuition, trapped in a toilet, ghost busters

A regular roundup of stuff that wouldn’t necessarily make it on the blog, but is worth noting:

• USA Today notes that some doctors won’t let pets visit their owners in the hospital. I wasn’t aware this was a problem. Nevertheless, says one doctor, "I receive phone calls virtually weekly" from veterinarians phoning on behalf of clients who are distressed because a physician has issued a no-pets advisory.

• College tuition costs are still going up, and it doesn’t look like the situation is going to get better any time soon. Though costs didn’t increase as much as inflation, financial aid is not keeping pace with the rise in tuition. Says one of the experts who worked on the study: “From a family's point of view, college doesn't become cheaper just because other prices went up.”

• At least he wasn’t on an airplane, right? A passenger on a French train had to be rescued by firemen after having his arm sucked down the on-board toilet. The 26-year-old victim was trapped when he tried to get his cell phone, which had fallen into the toilet bowl.

• And, just in time for Halloween, a ghost busters story from the New York Times. May favorite part? The Realtor who discussed whether she has an obligation to tell prospective buyers that the house may be haunted: “Just last week I got a call from a past client who was calling for a friend who’d leased a place and wasn’t happy because it was haunted,” she said. “He wanted his deposit back. I told him the best thing his friend could do was plead his case.”

Technorati Tags: pets and hospitals,college tuition,toilets,Halloween,ghost busters

Restaurant review: Maggiano's Little Italy

I’ve always been confused by Maggiano’s, the Italian restaurant in North Park. Is it just a chain with a decent menu and good marketing? Or is there more to it than that?

I’m tending to the latter these days. The company has upgraded its menu, with a variety of new items that include baked ziti and sausage and beef braciole, a rolled roast that’s stuffed with ground beef, cheese, vegetables and bread crumbs and then cooked slowly on a red wine sauce. The former was so well received at the press lunch I attended that I barely got any of it, and the latter is just terrific -– beefy and earthy. In fact, they’re not just well-executed; they taste the way they’re supposed to taste.

Maggiano’s trademark is its family-style service, in which the food comes on platters and everyone shares (just like at home). Is this gimmicky? It all depends on your point of view. If you wanted more ziti and sausage, yes. But it does work, which always surprises me, especially since family-style is more expensive than single portion. It’s possible to spend less than $50 a person for dinner (including wine), but you have to work at it.

Interestingly, when I was there a couple of weeks ago at lunch, the restaurant was packed. This was despite some construction and the economy, which has hit the restaurant business pretty hard. Apparently, a lot of other people like family style.

Technorati Tags: restaurant reviews,Maggiano's,Italian food

LHHS students cast their first votes

The Dallas Morning News was on hand Thursday to photograph, interview, and video about 50 Lake Highlands seniors walking to the Audelia Library to cast their very first votes. Not all in the senior class have yet turned 18, and even fewer have registered to become eligible for the privilege, but it was still a good-sized group that trekked to the polls. "I'm proud of these students for wanting to make a difference," said assistant principal Ramona Powers, who accompanied them to the polls. "They are learning an important lesson about citizenship and responsibility."

LHHS senior Jake Vines sidelined

Wildcat stellar athlete Jake Vines may be out, but he's not down. The Lake Highlands senior tore his ACL playing football last year and had to give up the sport his dad, Vic, played as a pro. But he devoted himself doubly to his true love, basketball. Extra workouts, extra coaching, extra studying of the game - in hopes of being selected to play in college. This year, when he tore it again, it was heartbreaking. "God has a plan for me," he told me, grasping the crutches he needs to get around at school. "I'm disappointed, but I haven't given up my dream of college basketball."

Jake was featured in a photo article in Thursday's Dallas Morning News, where he talked about his role helping on the sidelines with the LH football team, currently at the top of District 9-5A. "The support of his friends has helped him get better," said Jake's mom, Lisa. "Jake believes in his heart that God has a plan for his life, and it might be something greater than high school sports."

Leppert says our votes count. Except for the convention center hotel?

Here's an interesting juxtaposition: Mayor Tom Leppert is circulating an email with the top headline saying "Convention Center Hotel Critical to Dallas' Future", while the second item is headlined "Vote! It's Your Voice!" (Click here to download tom_leppert_email.pdf and see the email.)

The irony: At least one Leppert spokespuppet on the council already has chortled out loud that even if Dallas residents vote in favor of a potential referendum scuttling the $550 million taxpayer-owned convention center hotel downtown, those votes won't stop the council from moving forward to build the hotel.

So whose voice is Leppert talking about?

This Weekend: what's on around Lake Highlands

Terribly terrorizing (and terrific) tales
Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 7 p.m. All our neighborhood’s most glorious ghouls and ghosts are sure to make an appearance at this spook-studded event — The Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake plays host to this annual reading of eerie holiday tales in honor of Halloween and Day of the Dead. This year the folks from the Dallas Storytelling Guild share their stories, which hail from many cultures and include traditional folktales, family and personal stories, cowboy poetry, tall tales, and outright lies so intriguing the Lady of the Lake might just emerge from her pond for a listen. Bath House is located at 521 E. Lawther.

Shoes In
Nov. 1-end of month. It's always a good time to shoe shop, right? This time, pick up a pair for a child in need (you really should get yourself a pair while you're at it, in the name of convenience, of course). This month marks Chacon Auto's first annual shoe-drive benefiting Shoes for Orphan Souls. Help Chacon make a difference in the lives of at-risk and orphan children throughout the world by dropping off a pair of new shoes at any of their eight locations. In our neighborhood, there is a drop off point at 11800 E. Northwest Highway.

Nov. 2, 8 a.m. The Dallas Running Club Half and 5K at Norbuck Park.

DON'T FORGET DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME: Fall back Sunday morning!

For more weekend events, or to post your own, check out our calendar. 

Student filmmaker contest tonight

Tonight (Thursday), Lake Highlands High School will host the community to see films written and created by Richardson ISD students. The show begins at 7 pm in the LHHS auditorium, and there is a $5 viewing fee at the door. Each film is less than 5 minutes long, and students had to incorporate a scary Halloween costume into the film. In American Idol fashion the audience will vote, so LHHS kids have more chance of winning the $100 cash grand prize if you show up. See you there!