Thursday, December 8, 2011

School Lawsuits. Council Endorsements.

Richardson's school board and Richardson City Council members took divergent positions this week, probably without even being aware of it. The school board sued the State over school finance. Council members endorsed one of the legislators responsible for our school finance mess.

In the current state budget, the RISD received $14.2 million less for this year's operating budget due to state cutbacks in education funding. Next year, RISD's operating budget will take a further $7.5 million hit. This is despite rising enrollments. Schools are adding students but the legislature isn't supplying the resources needed to educate them.

After the jump, what the RISD is doing about it. And how the city council members are making the schools' case more difficult.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Berkner Band to Perform at The Midwest Clinic

From 2011 11 Concerts

The Berkner Symphonic Band I has been selected to perform at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago the week of December 14-17, 2011.

After the jump, the singular honor this is.

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

From 2011 11 Concerts

The Lake Highlands High School Choral Department, under the direction of Michael O'Hern, performed its annual Holiday Concert Monday, December 5, 2012, in the Lake Highlands High School Auditorium. If you've never heard these talented young voices, you are missing a treat. Their Christmas concert is a traditional highlight of the season's entertainment.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Sound the Bells!

From 2011 11 Concerts

The Lone Star Wind Orchestra Youth Winds performed a concert Sunday, December 4, 2011, at Plano's St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church. The LSWO Youth Winds is made up of 60 of the finest woodwind, brass, and percussion players in grades 9-12 from dozens of schools throughout the D/FW area. The LSWO Youth Winds is under the direction of Dr. Bradley Kent, Director of Fine Arts for the Richardson ISD (RISD).

The LSWO Youth Winds' next concert will be "An American Portrait," Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. in Caruth Auditorium at SMU. Don't miss it.

Everything's Coming Up Roses!


Big Ten Champions
Source: Neil Ament.

Friday, December 2, 2011

OTBR: An Unpaved Forest Road in Finland


Latitude 60.597400° N
Longitude 22.563200° E


A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

Thursday, December 1, 2011

What Does a Yellow Light Mean?

It's not a trick question. Stop and think about it before reading further. Unfair Park's Jim Schutze, normally a surprisingly level-headed curmudgeon despite the photo of him that accompanies his blog showing him aiming some kind of rifle vaguely in the direction of the reader, asks that question and answers, no less than four times, that a yellow light means you're supposed to slow down.

After the jump, why you should stay away from Jim Schutze when he's behind the wheel.