When I was in college at SMU, I was on the school newspaper staff. It was a great education, one that taught me many valuable lessons — especially about how to inject my opinion into seemingly “objective” news stories. It’s a subtle art. It must be done in small but telling ways, like word choice or juxtaposition of quotes and facts.

I recall one time when the copy editor was reading a story of mine in which I interviewed the provost about the school’s efforts to interfere with the independent newspaper. I quoted the provost at length, and as the copy editor was reading the quote, he started yelling, “Wait for it … WAIT FOR IT!”

Then came the juxtaposition: her quote, followed by a graph reciting the language from a contract the school had signed that invalidated everything she’d just said. “BOOM!” went the copy editor. All I’d done was put an accurate quote next to that contractual excerpt, but we all knew what I was doing: saying her point was not only wrong but ridiculous.

I thought about that story this morning when I read Rudy Bush’s recap of the announcement last night that the Trinity River Plan backers are holding a contest to figure out ways to better connect downtown with the Trinity River.

You heard me.

I got the email yesterday afternoon inviting me to the announcement, and I was very sad and confused. Sad I couldn’t go (previous engagement) and confused as to why various entities established to promote the Trinity River Plan would be asking for help undoing the very thing the plan does — which is run a toll road down the levee that everyone told them would further disconnect the river from the surrounding area.

It’s like getting a letter from Jerry Jones asking for ideas on organic growth along the I-30 corridor in Arlington. You want to say, “Um, wouldn’t the best idea to achieve a semblance of what you suggest be hire a Looper to blunderbuss you about 20 years ago?”

(I’d send you to the contest’s website for more details, but it’s still under construction.)

I haven’t asked him, but I suspect that Mr. Bush had the same reaction I did. You read his story, and you get a recounting of the scene at the NYLO Southside bar yesterday evening. A hundred folks for the press conference, the Dallas skyline glimmering in the background [narrative license], Mary Suhm humblebragging about how brave she is to have traveled from downtown to the Trinity. Normal stuff.

After recounting the announcement and its details, Bush — wait for it — types a simple sentence:

BOOM! That’s really well done — the placement two-thirds of the way in, the word choice (“unyielding”), the succinct construction. Bravo.

Because Bush had to be thinking the same thing I am (a clearer, more well thought out version of it, anyway). You can’t spend decades fighting for (and winning the right to enact) your urban vision only to turn around and ask folks to help undo the very thing your plan does.

All evidence to the contrary.

Elsewhere

Can someone read this “Are you a true contemporary Dallasite” slideshow and tell me what the eff is going on? Seriously. Seeing the art at Cowboys Stadium? It’s a leftover from April Fool’s, right?

I get why the paper made no endorsement in the Mesquite mayoral race: the mayor, John Monaco, ignored the editorial board (kind of a giggle, honestly) because his opponent is 18. But let’s be honest with ourselves: If you really “covered” Mesquite, you wouldn’t need the mayor’s cooperation to have an opinion. Not that I think they should start covering Mesquite. I mean, who cares, right?

I may write about this next week, but I find it interesting that in listing the qualifications of Nancy Bingham for DISD board reelection, it sounded an awful lot like the things that got Michelle Rhee run out of Baltimore. (Sub-titled, Frontline was awesome last night, right?)

Read this headline and tell me you don’t want to kill yourself. [Waits.] Puns should be illegal, right? [Although: What do you call a fake noodle? AN IMPASTA!]

Retweets

Wait, Valley View is “Midtown”? Does Uptown stretch to LBJ now?

You can’t spend decades fighting for (and winning the right to enact) your urban vision only to turn around and ask folks to help undo the very thing your plan does.

  

Photo courtesy of Trinity River Corridor Project

You can’t spend decades fighting for (and winning the right to enact) your urban vision only to turn around and ask folks to help undo the very thing your plan does.