Is Fort Worth City Council getting the big cullions to go up against the old-money, Westside, trust-fund caretakers? Well no, not usually, but two actions at last week’s council meeting went against the accepted Fort Worth way of deferring to whatever the old guard wants.
The Bass family, which wants to build a new rodeo arena over near the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, had pressured city hall through the years to build a more straight-line road through Trinity Park to move the rodeo crowd from downtown to the arena without having to hit any traffic lights. But after a year of hearing from thousands of citizens who value parkland over the tuxedo-cowboy crowd, the council unanimously shot down the parkway idea once and for all.
Then they shot down another missive, this one from the museum crowd. A Dallas-based company is buying the Acme Brick headquarters on West Seventh Street and needed zoning adjustments to build stores, town homes, and a hotel on the property. Some of the buildings were going to be 120 feet tall. Ruth Carter Stevenson (daughter of Star-Telegram founder Amon Carter Sr.) and Ben Fortson III (Kimbell Art Museum) complained that the proposed buildings would diminish the museums’ views of their downtown. Again, the council went against the old money, but with some reservations. “This is one of those nights when I don’t want this job,” said councilwoman Wendy Davis, who represents the museum district. Well, gee, Wendy, that is tough – you had to vote against one money interest in favor of another.
A Fix of Fix’Er-Uppers
You wake up on Saturday morning in a cold sweat. The day passes in a fog of yearning. All you think about is scoring junk. Must … find … good … junk. No, we’re not talking about drugs. Kicking heroin is a breeze compared to how some of us feel about doing without the Will Rogers Cattle Barn Flea Market when it closes for a couple of months each winter.
Well, kiss those delirium tremens goodbye. About 30 area junk dealers got together and created a one-day show to help deaden the pain until the Cattle Barn reopens. The First Antiques and Home Furnishings Show/Sale is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Brazos Ballroom at Lockheed Martin Recreation Area, 3400 Bryant Irvin Road. Eye-of-the-tiger junkers will be scouring booths for advertising art, books, collectibles, Western memorabilia, furniture, jewelry, vintage toys, and all the other trash, er, treasures that make these shows so much fun. For questions, e-mail junkerval@yahoo.com.
