Arlington, TX

Much to do this weekend, as usual! We’ve got some great family activities, some rockin’ bands and lots of other fun things going on. I’m probably going to stay home and lay low. I might watch the Emmy’s on Sunday. (Exciting, eh?)

Enjoy yourselves!

What: Little Legends Storytime
When: Friday, Sept. 14 (call for details)
Where: Legends of the Game Museum, 1000 Balpark Way, Suite 400; 817-273-5087

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What: Ballpark After Dark Sleepover
When: Friday, Sept. 14 (call for details)
Where: Legends of the Game Museum, 1000 Balpark Way, Suite 400; 817-273-5087

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What: Mario Marcus
When: Friday, Sept. 14 @ 9:30pm
Where: Stumpy’s Blues Bar, 2811 W. Division St., 817-275-3231

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Copper thieves have hit Randol Mill Park. They stole wiring at one of the softball fields Monday night and cut more wiring in an attempted theft Wednesday. Park officials say the damage has left the lighting systems unstable. The fields have been closed for night games until further notice. This is the second time in three months that an Arlington sports facility has been hit. Martin Luther King Sports Complex was hit in July and still has not been completely repaired. Copper thefts have also been reported in many other areas of the metroplex. Security is being added at all Arlington sports facilities and residents are asked to call 911 if they see suspicious activity in the parks.

The Arlington City Council voted 8-0 Thursday to preliminarily approve a $358.6 million budget for 2007-08. They also voted 8-0 for the tax rate, which is unchanged at 64.8 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Most homeowners will pay more next year because property values have increased. Final votes on the budget and tax rate will be next Tuesday.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Copper Theft, Randol Mill Park, Softball Fields, Martin Luther King Sports Complex, Arlington City Council, Arlington City Budget, Property Tax Rate

Remember American Gladiators? For some reason, NBC had decided to ressurect this show and they are holding audtions right here in Arlington.

If you remember the original, which ran from 1989 to 1996, it pitted weekend warriors against some pretty scary, very large ‘gladiators’ in competitions such as The Joust, The Wall, Hang Tough and Eliminator. The updated version will keep the same concept but will offer updated versions of the classic events. A broadcast date for the series has not been announced, but it is expected to premiere mid-season in prime time.

Here are the details for the audtions: 

September 22
10am to 6pm
Arlington Courts
2500 E. Mayfield Road
http://www.arlington-courts.com/ 

• Please bring a non-returnable photo of yourself along with a completed application to the open call.
• Open Call Lines will begin forming 2 hours before the start time. Please do not line up prior to that.
• Time is limited and there is no guarantee that everyone will be seen-so please arrive early.

Gladiator hopefuls must come dressed in workout attire and wear appropriate footwear. A workout towel and water are suggested. Contestants will be tested on physical ability in areas such as strength, speed, balance and agility. All contestants must be at least 18 years of age and a legal US resident.

If you’re interested, check out NBC.com to download the application.

Arlington, Arlington TX, American Gladiators, NBC, Auditions, Casting Call

Football season is upon us in every way. The Pros have opened their season. College is a couple of weeks into it. High School is as popular as ever. But my favorite is watching the kids play. Here’s a video of the first game of the season for the Arlington Optomist 6th grade Vikings playing against the Bobcats.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Football, Arlington Optomist, Vikings, Bobcats, You Tube

The Department of Transportation has temporarily placed concrete barriers near Texas 360 and Brown Boulevard/East Avenue K because the road is starting to crumble. Heavy rains have caused the northbound ramp to deteriorate. The guardrail is leaning and the retaining wall has buckled. TXDOT says the ramp is safe for motorists and the barriers are just a precaution to keep drivers away from the crumbling portion of the road. Repairs are set to begin in mid-October and may take up to two months to complete.

The capital murder trial of Charles Reynard Dickens is underway. The Mississippi man is accused of killing Leon Williams, his drug supplier, and Stefferon McNeal, who was riding with Williams, at the Grand Manor Apartments near UTA last December. Dickens was trying to rob Williams of some crack cocaine, when there was an argument that ended with the shootings. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

More than 1,500 people paid tribute to Summit High School football player Dozie Njeako on Tuesday. Njeako collapsed and died during a football game last Thursday. A cause of death has not yet been released.

A woman and two cats were removed from a north Arlington home on Wednesday. City officials say the house was filled with animal waste, fleas, and several years worth of trash. The owner of the house, David Ousley, says he has been working for over a year to clean up the property and find assistance for the woman, who is a family friend, but she refused to let him inside the house. In the past year, he has removed more than 280 bags of trash from the back yard and several dead cats. He finally asked the city for help in the matter. The home had been without running water since 2003. The unidentified woman had been filling water bottles at her neighbor’s house, where she also sometimes watched television and used the internet. She was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and may face misdemeanor charges.

Beware of a scam artist. Officials warned Wednesday that a woman, who calls herself Ashley, is going door to door selling book and magazine subscriptions. She claims that she is raising money to help University of Texas at Arlington theater students go to London to do a re-enactment of the British television comedy Fawlty Towers. UT-Arlington police are investigating.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Road Crumbling, Highway 360, Brown Blvd, Capital Murder Trial, Charles Reynard Dickens, Leon Williams, Stefferon McNeal, Dozie Njeako, Summit High School, Filthy Home, North Arlington, David Ousley, Scam Artist, Magazine Scam, UTA

Popular college hangout and St. Patrick’s Day party purveyor, J. Gilligans, is getting a facelift.

Owner Randy Ford is planning a $50,000 renovation that will update the facade of the bar and grill, best known as the home of the Irish Nacho. The plan also calls for the addition of a covered patio with seating for 60-70 people. He plans to take down the fences surrounding the parking lot and add new landscaping.

Ford was approached by Arlington Downtown Management Corp. about fixing up the place earlier this year as part of an effort to revitalize the downtown area. They hooked him up with an architecture student from UTA to do some of the design work.

With the Cowboys coming to town, the city is trying to renovate the downtown area and attract new businesses. You can read more about planned revitalization projects at www.downtownarlington.org.

Source

Arlington, Arlington TX, J. Gilligans, St. Patrick’s Day, Randy Ford, Irish Nacho, Arlington Downtown Management Corp., Downtown Arlington

An 82 year old man crashed his car into the Hillcrest Cleaners & Laundry on West Park Row yesterday. He apparently got his foot stuck on the accelerator. The driver, Walter Williams, was not hurt. His Toyota Camry crashed through the glass and hit the front counter and a wall, police said. Owner Rodney Banks estimated the damage at $15,000 to $20,000. There were no injuries at the cleaners.

19 year old Ethan Golden was arrested early Saturday for firing a cap gun at two police officers. Cpl. Seth Archer and officer Cody Brewer pulled his car over at about 3 a.m. in the 300 block of Dixon Lane. As officers approached the car, he fired a gun, which police later found to be a cap gun. He fired again and Officer Brewer returned fire, but the bullet went through one side of Golden’s loose-fitting shirt and he was not injured. Police arrested Golden and he was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for an emergency psychiatric evaluation. Police later found a suicide note at Golden’s east Arlington home and believe he was hoping for “suicide by cop”. The police officers were placed on routine administrative leave while an internal investigation is conducted, Miller said.

Berry Cremer, 60, of Southlake was struck and killed by a truck while walking in the 1700 block of South Bowen Road in Pantego on Tuesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Details about the driver have not been released.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Hillcrest Cleaners, Car Crash, Walter Williams, Rodney Banks, Ethan Golden, Firing a Cap Gun, Seth Archer, Cody Brewer, Suicide by Cop, Berry Cremer, Pedestrian Killed, Pantego

I want to take a moment to remember. A moment to reflect. A moment to honor.

As everyone does, I remember the events of September 11 like it was yesterday. I was on my way to drop off my son at Kindergarten when I heard on the radio that a “small plane” had hit the World Trade Center. When I got home, I told my husband what I heard and we turned on the TV. My husband is a conspiracy theorist to rival Mel Gibson’s Jerry Fletcher. He took one look at the building and said, “that was no small plane.” He immediately starting forming theories about what had happened. At that time, I still thought it was an accident and figured he was overreacting, as usual.

I remember watching as the second plane hit. I sat motionless, my hand over my mouth. I still didn’t quite understand what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t good. The TV reporters were actually agreeing with my husband. The words “terrorist attack” were being thrown around. How could that be?? It just continued to get worse, as the Pentagon also fell victim to a plane. I kept wondering what was next. Right now they were hitting high profile big cities. Surely Arlington, Texas wasn’t on their list? Or was it?

I wanted to run and pick my baby up from school, but I didn’t want him to panic. My husband and I talked it over and decided that we should let him stay at school. The terrorists were hitting America in symbolic places. Surely our little elementary school was safe. Besides, he was still an innocent 5 year old boy on that day. We decided to let him stay innocent for at least one more day. 

I sat on the edge of the bed, glued to the television and watched in complete horror as the first tower fell. I remember crying and saying over and over, “All of those firemen are still in there. They are still in there.” I continued to watch, mesmerized and horrified at the same time as the rest of the events unfolded…the second tower falling, Flight 93, the rescue efforts. I sat for days watching all of it. Hoping, by some miracle, that they would find just one person alive in all that rubble. Eventually, I got up from the TV and went on with my life as usual…but usual wasn’t really “usual” anymore.  

Had I seen all of those events in a disaster movie, I probably would have said, “That could never happen.” But it was happening. It did happen. And it has changed all of us - the families, the rescuers, the country, and the world - forever.

So today, I honor the victims and their familes, the brave rescuers, the soldiers who have deployed to fight against terrorism and all of the people of America and the world who have been affected by this. Never forget.

Arlington, Arlington TX, September 11, Remembrance, Terrorist Attacks

A bicyclist died Saturday after his bicycle was struck by a police car. Ut Van Ly, 43, was riding in the 500 block of Cravens Park Drive when he was hit by a patrolling police car driven by Patrick Yeats. The area was not well lit and apparently Ly did not have rear lights or reflectors on his bike. Officer Yeats was placed on 3 day leave while the accident is investigated.

A masked gunman robbed the Kroger store at 2580 E. Arkansas Lane about 6:20 a.m. this morning. Police said the man wore a gray hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a brown mask. He fled on foot.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Bicyclist hit by Police Car, Ut Van Ly, Patrick Yeats, Robbery, Kroger

My pick for the weekend is the Mansfield Night on the Town in Town Park on Saturday. Me & My Monkey will perform and there will be food and drinks available. Should be a great family-friendly night (In case of inclement weather the festivities will be moved to the Mansfield Activities Center at 106 S. Wisteria).

What: Author Aziz Shihab
When: Friday, Sept. 7 @ 6-8 pm
Where: George W. Hawkes Library, 101 E. Abram St., (817) 459-6900

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What: Texas Ramblers 
When: Friday, Sept. 7 @ 9:30pm
Where: Stumpy’s Blues Bar, 2811 W. Division St., 817-275-3231

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Arlington Police have released photos from Maverick’s Bar and Grill in hopes that someone will be able to identify a person of interest in the shooting that occurred there on August 29. Photos of a suspect were captured by a surveillance video. He is described as Hispanic, about 25 years old, about 5-foot-7-inches tall and about 200 pounds. You can view the video and photos on the Arlington PD website. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477 or www.469tips.com. All tipsters remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

Richard Williams, 22, of Grand Prairie was killed about 1:45 am on Thursday when his motorcycle went out of control at Hwy 360 and Pioneer Parkway. Police said it appeared that Williams was turning from Pioneer onto the ramp to go northbound on 360 when the motorcyle went out of control.

43-year-old Scotty Lane Baker, who led police on a high-speed chase Thursday, was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas after his truck ran over a police spike strip and crashed. The chase started about 12:50 a.m. in Grand Prairie after a police officer tried to stop Baker. The chase ended 20 miles away at Loop 635 and U.S. 75 in Dallas after Garland police put down a spike strip that caused the pickup to crash and burst into flames, police said. Baker’s condition is unknown.

A Summit High School junior-varsity football player died Thursday night after he collapsed during a football game against South Grand Prairie High School. The boy is identified as Dozie Njeako, 15. He jogged to Summit’s sideline after a play at the beginning of the third quarter and collapsed. The game was stopped, and Njeako was taken to Methodist Mansfield Medical Center where he was pronounced dead about 9:45 p.m. The cause of death is not yet known.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Maverick’s Bar and Grill, Shooting, Crime Stoppers, Richard Williams, Grand Prairie, Motorcycle Accident, Scotty Lane Baker, High Speed Chase, Summit High School, Dozie Njeako, Football Player Died

Here the North Texas Explorer, Geologist Devin Dennie, tours the Legends of the Game Museum at the Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers. The Museum hours are:

April-September
Game Days: 9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Non Game Days: Monday - Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October-March
Closed Sunday and Monday
Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Texas Rangers, Legends of the Game Museum, North Texas Explorer, Devin Dennie, You Tube

I hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. News has been a little slow this week…until today.

Remember Joshua Thorne, the toddler who died on July 11 after falling from the top of a stairwell. His mom treated his head injury with a popsicle. Well the Tarrant County medical examiner says Joshua had traces of cocaine in his system. They say he was in the environment of the illegal substance but did not ingest the drug. Joshua’s mother, Ebony Thorne, was indicted in August on a charge of injury to a child. She remains in jail with bail set at $20,000.

The Arlington Inn at 1195 N. Watson Road, considered a haven for drugs, prostitution and other crimes, has closed and is likely to be demolished. The city will ask a municipal judge next week to declare the motel dangerous and order the owner to either demolish the building or bring it up to code. Officials say bringing it up to code would be far too expensive, and the owner, Deepak B. Patel of Irving, has indicated to the city that he will demolish the motel. The Texas attorney general has suits pending against Arlington Inn. Police noted 20 narcotics violations, one aggravated assault, two robberies and eight cases of prostitution at the Arlington Inn between July 2006 and March, when the suit against the motel was filed.

The former Fantasy Ranch topless club at 701 106th Street, which closed earlier this year, is set to reopen on Friday as a sports bar. The Ranch Bar & Grille promises to offer a family-friendly environment but will target clientele in their 20s and 30s. They hope to draw a happy hour and sports crowd. Hours will be 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday through Friday and 6 p.m.-2 a.m. on Saturday. The club has been remodeled and a dancefloor has been added.

Arlington, Arlington TX, Joshua Thorne, Ebony Thorne, Arlington Inn, Deepak B. Patel, Fantasy Ranch, Ranch Bar & Grille, Topless Club

My friend, Bam Bam, gave me a heads up on an event some of you may be interested in. It’s not in Arlington, but if you’re a Dallas Mavericks fan, you may want to head over to Dallas to check it out.

The Mavs ManiAACs are holding auditions on September 15 for a few good men to join their performance team. If you’re not familiar with the ManiAACs, they are an energetic group of guys who do hip-hop dance routines at Dallas Mavericks home games. You don’t need to be a professional dancer to try out. You just need to love the Mavs, have a lot of energy, and be committed to rehearsing and performing at the games. You don’t even need to be in good shape. In fact, the beefier the better I hear.

Here are the details: (more…)

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