Home > Wendy Does Waco > Archives > 2008 > August
August 2008
I did the county courthouse
So how many times have I heard you people say that in Waco, you have to make your own fun? Well, you’re preaching to the choir, folks. I’m a Kool-aid drinking fun-making fool.
I had a blast this week at the McLennan County Courthouse. (Yeah, yeah, bring on the jokes about how I need to quit drinking on the job, ha ha, very funny) For three solid days I covered the temporary injunction hearing concerning the closure of Wiley Middle School (You think you’re tired of hearing about it? Please, try writing “attorneys for the plaintiffs” 37 times a day, then we’ll talk about tired). But it really wasn’t as bad as it sounds.
First of all, I’m a shameless nerd and find the case pretty interesting. Second, everyone at the courthouse was soooo nice to me. Third, I got to take a Trib laptop and wireless card — do you have any idea how cool it feels to accept a facebook friend request in the middle of a high profile hearing? (Not that I did that, of course…) Fourth, I met some decent people, like Ashley Weaver, a young woman whom I hope will stay in Waco and become a young professional builder of the community, and Rev. Delvin Atchison, who was the first person to tell me he thought I had been fair in my Wiley coverage, and Dallas Cook, another red-headed journalist (how could I not like her?).
Anyway, if you’ve followed my coverage, you know all the newsy, boring stuff. So here are some of the highlights:
“Mrs. Lewis, are you a wildcat?” — Donald McCarthy speaking to defense witness Brazos principal Henri Lewis. Her facial expression when asked this was priceless. I still have no idea what this question was about.
“I want to talk about cheerleaders,” — Phillip McCleery to a witness and Wiley mother. The statement was appropriate, he wanted to talk about her daughter being a Wiley cheerleader. But it still made me giggle.
“I said if there were hard decisions to be made, let’s make them while I’m president, but I think I might like to withdraw that statement now,” — David Schleicher, school board president and witness, in a brief moment of levity during his testimony.
“That’s what she said,” — school board member and witness Pat Atkins, literally talking about something someone had said. Hey, I never said I wasn’t easily amused!
“Zzzzzzzzzz,” — the elderly gentleman sitting next to Dallas broke into a full on snore. It was great.
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And you thought Law & Order was impressive …
After spending a long, long, long, long, long day at the county courthouse Tuesday, I have all new respect for everyone in and around the courts system. Really.
I spent the entire day in a temporary injunction hearing listening to testimony on everything education-ish, from the number of people in school board committee meetings to the size of the sixth grade class at Wiley Middle School. True, I’m an education nerd, so I found a certain percentage of this stuff interesting. But by 3 in the afternoon, I started imagining things that might possibly be more enjoyable than sitting through 2 more hours of testimony. Like sticking hot, pointy things in my eyes, or bamboo under my fingernails or spending five hours in a stalled elevator with Rush Limbaugh and/or Carrot Top.
That’s when I gained a huge appreciation for people who sit through this kind of thing everyday. First, I have to give props to Tommy Witherspoon, our courts reporter, who makes a life out of sitting through court cases, and does so on a journalist’s salary. Much love, Tommy.
Next, you can think what you want to about Judge Jim Meyer’s decision to grant the temp. restraining order to reopen Wiley, but the man is clearly super human. While folks all over the courtroom began to nod off Tuesday afternoon, Meyer was still going strong, on top of his game and still looking interested. This man has my undying admiration for that not-so-minor feat.
I’m also in extreme awe of the court reporter, whose fingers never stop going, who sometimes closes her eyes and keeps on typing in what looks like this lovely zen state. She rocks.
And lastly, the officers all over the courthouse are super sweet with great senses of humor. They make that strangely adorned, marble-floored building a comfy place to be.
I’m glad to have found the glass half full aspect of the courthouse, especially considering I’ll be spending the rest of my life (or at least this week) at this TI hearing.
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Happy Birthday Bear!
Recently my friends and I have been commenting about a change in Waco, like something cool is brewing, like something unWaco this way comes. (Maybe it’s intuition, maybe it’s too much beer and wine)
A big factor behind this feeling is watching our contemporaries and others take on new business ventures. And with each restaurant, each marketing firm, I find myself pulling for them. In my book, their success = Waco’s success.
That’s why I’m thrilled to see that the Dancing Bear Pub is celebrating it’s first birthday. That place seems to have become my second home, but can you really blame me? After an adrenaline-packed day of Waco education coverage (don’t laugh), where else can I go and sit on a patio with a glass of wine, a cigarette in one hand and a highlighter in the other, reading a lawsuit while trying to learn the difference between a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction. Funny thing about the Bear? There’s often a law student within spitting distance who’d be happy to help me with that.
There’s always someone I know there and if there isn’t, that’s okay, because the bartenders know me. I’m glad for the Bear’s success and hope its contagious, for the sake of other cool new Waco ventures.
So Bear lovers, make sure and wish Paxton and the whole gang a happy birthday this week. I think he told me they’re officially celebrating Tuesday. I’ll be there somewhere, destressing with Pinot Grigio.
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Ladies’ day out in Hewitt
I know how hard it is to move to a new area and not know anyone. So I’m happy to help out a business that has found itself in a similar position.
Hewitt Chiropractic is hosting a FREE community event entitled “It’s All About Me: Women’s Fair” on Saturday at the Hewitt Community Center, 208 Chama Drive in Hewitt. The Fair will be open to women of all ages from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Renee Moore, with Hewitt Chiropractic, said the event is just a way for them to get to know the community.
This expo will give women in the greater Hewitt area an opportunity to come and learn about the different businesses and organizations available to them, as well as allow them to participate in FREE health screenings.
There will be screenings for body fat, body mass index, blood pressure, cardio-testing, a myo-vision scan and a skin analyis. There will also be healthy cooking demos, ballroom dancing demos and self defense demos. Ladies can even indulge in a chair massage demo and makeover advice from experts.
It’s debatable whether I’ll even be out of bed by 2 p.m. Saturday, or I’d go for a chair massage. Y’all go for me though, and welcome the nice chiropractic folks to the area.
Free door prizes will be given throughout the event. For more information on this event, please contact Hewitt Chiropractic at (254) 235-2364 or email them at hewittchiropractic@hotmail.com.
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Getting back in the game
Sorry for the blog sucking so hard recently. My personal worries, coupled with lots of school coverage trumped being witty or waxing poetic about Waco.
I have an outing today that may be promising for blog material, though, so hopefully I’ll be back on top of my game soon.
In the meantime, I want to tell whoever might be reading that can do something about it — the ALICO “O” on the south side of the building is faltering, you might check the bulbs.
Also do you have any idea how funny it is to watch people walk up to the Olive Branch and try to get in for lunch, only to be met with the closed notice? The place is closed for now (not for good). The funny part is that as people walk up, they don’t seem to notice that the inside is in disarray. Anyway, it’s closed, so now you know and you can go to Food for Thought instead, at 12th and Speight. Get the chicken nachos, I think that’s my favorite.
Alright, I’ve gotta get back to school stuff for now, but hang in there, it’ll get better. I promise.
PS, you may notice that the web producer is trying to reshape the comments section and make it more about actual comments on the blog, to maybe make it a more friendly place for comment newbies to dip their toes. So please, lurkers and silent readers, dip away, the comment waters are fine :)
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How do you say …
As the pronunciation of words go, Waco and most things within are really pretty easy on the tongue.
I mean, try growing up in San Antonio with words like Nacogdoches and Huisache. Or try deciphering North Carolina-isms when your ears are trained to your parents lite-Texas drawls. To this day, I still think of Fayetteville as “Federal” because that’s what it sounded like.
But Waco’s really pretty easy, except for a couple of niggling little words I still don’t know how to say. The first one that comes to mind is “Baris” as in, Mama Baris, which has the most awesome sausage and peppers. And “Vitek’s”, as in, home of the gut pack.
I’d appreciate if someone would tell me the proper way to say these names, and weigh in on any others that get you tongue tied as well.
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Call me Rupert Murdoch. Nah, scratch that.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the last, like, 21 hours. No really, don’t laugh, I have. And I’ve decided to buy the Trib.
I’ve got a wee bit of savings, plus some CDs I can sell (the music kind. at Hastings), plus Kate owes me $2 and I plan to start selling plasma. Seriously, I can make this work.
And how sweet it will be when I rule the world … um, I mean the Trib. I’ll let most people keep their jobs, but I will have to scrutinize others (so you might want to start being nice to me). Many people will get all new titles. I will likely still be a writer, but will prefer to be called She Who Must Not Be Named.
I think I’ll contract with some tragically hip Baylor exes who frequent the Bear (you know who you are) and have them help cool-up the Trib and its web site. In fact, speaking of the Bear, I’ll hold all important editorial meetings there.
Of course, the reporting will remain fair and balanced (yep, I’m oh-so Fox news. not). And there will be a lot more of the color green in the paper, because it’s my favorite color.
I will move my office (the office I don’t currently have) to the top of the ALICO, where I will drum my fingers together and think up evil and not-so-evil plans for the city — between school board meetings, that is.
The world (and by world I mean our 50,000 Sunday circulation) will be mine. Won’t it be fabulous? Now I must go, I have some things I have to pawn.
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My WANTED ad
Snarky young writer/English major seeks fulfilling professional position in Waco. Specialty: talking to strangers, deciphering school board speak and making the office fun. Will sell soul to PR for the right price.
If you read our breaking news blog, you’ve seen that Cox is selling off the Trib. That, in itself, does not mean doom, but it means months of uncertainty, which can feel a lot like doom.
I moved to Waco for the job. And I said yes to the job with visions of Austin in my eyes, what with us being redheaded stepsister to the Statesman.
And then I went and fell in love with Waco. Darn you, Waco!
The word is Waco may be sold separate from the Statesman, so there goes that. The next company will likely need a K-12 reporter, but will they need or want a Wendy who does Waco? I have no idea. And that scares me.
But jumping this ship which has been set adrift doesn’t really put me in a much better position. I know exactly three talented, smart, educated young women who are looking for jobs in Waco right now. I don’t like my odds in that hiring pool.
There are concrete opportunities for me elsewhere right now. But I don’t want to go. I’m just wading into a new friend pool, I have a favorite pub, a favorite trail, a favorite everything.
So I’m taking suggestions for what else I might find to do in Waco, in order to stick around. Tommy Witherspoon suggested that with my name, I might be a shoo-in for something at my namesake fast food restaurant. I was thinking more along the lines of officials ambassador to Waco. I could be like a city mascot and sew a W onto everything I own. That’s all I’ve got right now. Do you have any brilliant ideas?
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Thanks Kate
I have to thank my friend Kate for wanting so badly to go to Treff’s last night to see Joe Firstman, Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies and Tony Lucca. If she hadn’t been so gung-ho, I might have stayed home and washed dishes, instead I met some sweet musicians, saw an excellent show and figured out that Treff’s isn’t really my scene.
The music was just good rock and roll, I don’t have any other fancy, hip way to describe it. And maybe the best part was seeing the show in such a small venue. I have gotten so jaded by the huge stadiums that I frequent to see Dave Matthews, that I forgot how intimate a bar show can be.
I introduced myself to Joe only to find out that he’s from Charlotte, NC, in fact, the same part of town that I lived in. I asked Joe to play Kate’s favorite song, “Lies” and he obliged happily. My girls and I also spent time talking to Robin Everheart (bass) and Michael Miley (drums). (May you have a beautiful organic farm in your future Mr. Miley. If you get back this way, holla) We didn’t meet Brian Wright, but his set made a fan out of me.
As for Treff’s, it seemed clear to me that some people were just there for the $2 you call its. It was an interesting crowd, to be sure, but ultimately not my scene. Also, I hate going home with bar hair (reeking of smoke). I guess I’ve been spoiled by the Bear’s laidback vibe and smoking patio.
Regardless, I’m glad I went. I hope friends will drag me to more great shows like that in the future.
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Out of my head and into East Waco
I’m not feeling very bloggy this week. If you follow our headlines, you know I’ve been eating, sleeping and breathing coverage of the closure of G. L. Wiley Middle School. So a lot of my thoughts lately have been East Waco-centric.
I like to think I’m objectively covering the closure of the school, separating the wheat from the chaff, the grandstanding from fact, and just telling the base story. I don’t have a horse in this race, so to speak, so it doesn’t matter much to me which way the issue goes.
But through my coverage, I feel that I may be getting to know East Waco a little better and I’m glad for that. The area has such a stigma, but it’s something I’m able to chip away at personally with every parent or student I meet.
East St. Louis, South San Antonio, every place has those parts of town, but I guess it’s not until you start seeing something more as a neighborhood than a cops report that it loses some of that stigma.
Like my neighborhood. I affectionately call it a ghetto, but I get indignant when people say it’s a bad area. It wasn’t until I started walking around it and a stranger/neighbor handed me a handful of flowers that I warmed up to it.
Like I said, Wiley can go either way as far as I’m concerned. But I would like to see good things for East Waco in general.
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The old and the beautiful
This is a hard, hard town to live in if you’re not a hard-bodied 21-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. That’s part of my problem this week. All the beautiful young people are returning and they have me feeling very old and ugly.
I know I don’t look my age and my young friends seem to think I’m plenty of fun to be around. It’s my own mindset that is making age a big deal, but I don’t know how to get past it.
When I meet some gorgeous girl who’s 21, I think, I could be your mom in South Carolina. And then I think how lucky she is to be in college and have the eyes of every guy of every age on her. Plus, maybe she’ll make all the right decisions and won’t get a degree in English and journalism with no idea what she really wants to do. Maybe she won’t fritter away college on Dave Matthews Band shows and mind-altering substances. Maybe she’ll graduate and go straight into a good paying job and the arms of the man she will marry.
Maybe she’ll do everything I wish I had . . . or hadn’t. Add to this the fact that there is no way I can ever compete with this nubile young woman for a male. I’m wicked witty and funny, way thoughtful and I have great hair. But I can’t go bra-less in a halter dress, so I may as well be dead. (At least that’s how it feels)
Add to all this a friend who drove home this point Tuesday night (the end of a VERY bad day) by saying (in not so many words) that I’m not hot, but pointing out how hot this other girl was, and you maybe see why I’d like to crawl under a rock right about now.
I’m happy to field any wisdom you have for getting over myself. But for now I should go, my stories are on and I need to apply my arthritis salve (umm, that’s a joke).
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Alone in the crowd
It’s funny to me how you can live in this dynamic city, spend every day talking to different people, be on 3 social networks, write a fairly well received blog, but still, at the end of the day, feel completely alone.
Anyone know what I mean?
Sorry, guess I’m just having a bad week.
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Hate the game, not the player
I now officially despise video games.
Oh sure, back in the day, I was all friendly with Pong and Atari. I’ve even tried my hand at the new-fangled stuff, only to discover that an enthusiastic three year old has more hand-eye coordination than I do. But even though I don’t play them, I’ve accepted that everyone else does and they’re pretty cool, so whatever. Live and let live.
That was before the guy upstairs got Rock band.
Or garage band or drum hero, or whatever it might be called. I first noticed the rhythmic thumps on my ceiling last night. “Is …Is that Dance Dance Revolution?” I wondered. Nope, jumping around oafishly would be louder. “Some sort of active wii game?” No, too much melody. Then I realized I sort of recognized the sound. It sounded a lot like me when I took drum lessons in the ninth grade. I never actually owned a drum set, so I just beat the crap out of the floor (this is possibly why I never progressed and ended up quitting drums). So I figured the sound above had to be one of those new pseudo musician games.
It was highly annoying, but really, what can I do? It’s not as easily fixable as the banging on my wall by my next door neighbor in the middle of the night. That simply required a polite request for he and his girlfriend to move their headboard out from the wall by about five inches. Awkward conversation? Absolutely, but the energetic young lad took my advice and I now know far less about his love life.
Nah, this guy upstairs is just enjoying life, playing his little game. So I’m going to choose to hate the game and not him. Maybe I’ll try turning my stereo up. Or who knows, maybe I’ll take up air drums again. We could make not-so beautiful music together.
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People making Waco beautiful
Waco seems to have a wealth of talented artists who put their own stamp on the city in different ways. I’m even starting to rack up a list of favorites.
I’ll start with Kelly Morehouse who owns Iron Willow in The Shops and does fun stuff with iron. I fell in love with the iron words she does and asked if she would make one to order. Voila! Here is my “strawberry” that will go up in my tiny, but well dressed place. This picture doesn’t do its coolness justice.
Next is this graffiti, near my house. It used to be one big piece but two smaller tags were recently thrown on top. I have no idea who did them, but I love them. I’m always a fan of good graffiti.
And though I’ve already given him a plug, I’ll mention again the guy who has paintings at both Se Cocina and Treff’s, Brad (or is it Bard?) Settles.
I know there are way more artists I’m not mentioning. Do you have local favorites?
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SWF seeking cheerleaders
I could do with a pep talk today. But I look around and find that my entire pep squad has fled from Waco. You know, those friends who know all your hang-ups and issues, who are generous with their hugs and know just what to say within an hour lunch break to make you feel a little better.
All mine have moved. Lately I’ve made some new friends, some on the west side and some in Baylor territory. They’re fun, smart people and have been very good to me. And the biggest plus is that they seem to have an interest in sticking around Waco for a while.
But they’re new friends, too new to be caretakers to my bad days. My head says to back off, not get so attached to people so it’s no big deal when they move or whatever. But gosh, that’s hard.
Waco seems to have some great young professionals willing to cheer on this city, But have they got what it takes to be part of my own personal pep sqad?
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Pour out a little for my homegirl
Dweep … dweep …sniffle.
Tis a sad day in the Trib newsroom. It’s Emily Ingram Kaye’s last day. It’s sad to lose a great cops reporter and a video cutie. But for me, it’s sadder because I’m losing a friend.
No, she’s not dying or anything, but she is moving out of state. That means no whispers to each other over the half-cubicle wall we share. No invitations to have brie and bread and spend the night at her place simply because one of us wants some company. No talks about faith and prayer while standing at the bathroom sink. I’ll miss her for sure. And I’d be mad at her groom for whisking her away if David wasn’t such a darn nice guy.
All I can do is wish her well and say, “You better keep in touch.” Please join me in wishing this soft-voiced, hard-nosed, Baylor grad, Trib survivor adieu. She will be missed.
