Black Friday: Now Safe From Natural Disasters

Anyone have trouble finding a parking spot because of that 40-foot long tractor trailer parked in the Target parking lot in east Richardson on Black Friday? That was the Richardson Police Department's new "mobile command unit". The police say "it provides a deterrent to crime." I'm sure it does, but is it a cost-effective way to do that? The police say it will be used in response to natural disasters and SWAT operations. I'm sure it will, if R-town ever suffers a hurricane or terrorist strike.

After the jump, why this 40-foot long tractor trailer is in Richardson and not, say, in a city much more likely to be struck by terrorists?

Bad PR from the PR Guy in Richardson

Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to celebrating her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, marking her 60 years on the throne. Expect parties and parades in celebration. Expect markers and plaques to be installed to serve as a reminder of the celebration long into the future. For example, even today, 33 years later, walk between any of London's key attractions and you will notice discs embedded in the sidewalk honoring the Queen on her Silver Jubilee in 1977.

After the jump, Richardson's own discs.

 

Richardson's Walkability

Are you thinking of buying a house and care about being able to walk to restaurants, grocery stores, schools, parks and entertainment? The map above is a heat map, with colors indicating walkability (green indicates walkable; red indicates car-dependent).

After the jump, how Richardson fares.

Department Store Time Machine

Photo by Elliott Muñoz

All good time travel stories need a time machine. H.G. Wells used a Victorian sled. For us, light rail provided the vehicle.

Waiting at the Richardson DART station was a couple wearing Dallas Stars' jerseys. It wasn't hard to guess where they were headed. Also waiting was a young couple with two children, aged about 4 and 2. I think I know where this family was headed, too, and it wasn't to a hockey game. The boy was excited by the adventure by train, asking questions only a four year old can ask. "What are we waiting for?" The simple answer, a train, wasn't what he really wanted to know. "Why is this a train station?" Syntactically fine, yet impossible to know exactly what he meant or how to answer. Across the tracks was a billboard for a 4G cell phone service that promised "Waiting for the train was never this entertaining." I had to agree, but not because of the video streaming offered by my mobile phone provider.

After the jump, our train ride to a younger America.

Politics and Dining Out in Richardson

The Richardson Coalition is a political action committee (PAC) perhaps best known for its infamous mailer before the 2009 City Council elections, which many thought was misleading and/or unfair. The PAC is now endorsing restaurants as well as candidates.

A recent PAC editorial brags that "Richardson has attracted almost 100 new restaurants in the last three years. ... We encourage you try a number of local restaurants. You may be pleasantly surprised at the variety, high quality of food, and service." The PAC promotes a program, "Dine Smart, Dine Local," by the Richardson Chamber of Commerce to encourage patronizing Richardson restaurants.

After the jump, what about inspection scores by the Richardson Health Department?

President Obama Bestows Science Medals

"I've danced with a man, who's danced with a girl, who's danced with the Prince of Wales."
-- Herbert Farjeon, 1927

Dr. Amnon Yariv and President Barack Obama

From the Associated Press: "From super glue to microchips to digital cameras, President Barack Obama on Wednesday celebrated the brains behind these inventions and other breakthroughs as examples of 'the promise of science.'"

After the jump, my own two degrees of separation from this celebration of science.

Trail at Yale, FAIL

Richardson, Texas, has an abundant and growing urban trail system. Not only are more trails being added all the time, existing trails are being enhanced and expanded. For example, in the Duck Creek Linear Park, the spillways in the creek bed were reinforced for erosion control; the Tree the Town initiative planted a hundred trees along the trail; and a side trail was added through Huffhines Park connecting to the Glenville Trail. This constant attention to the quality of life in Richardson is much appreciated.

Still, there's been one aspect of the Duck Creek Trail that I've never been happy with. After the jump, see if you can spot what it is.