How The 10 Biggest Social Movements Of 2010s Shaped Fort Worth

A couple days ago in our decades long series of blog posts about something we read in west coast online news sources, usually the Seattle Times, which we would never expect to read in a Texas online news source, usually the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, we took a look at a Sketchy Decade Long Look At Two Cities: Fort Worth & Seattle.

And now this morning, on the last day of the 2010s, we saw another example of this phenomenon in the Seattle Times.

Suffice to say, it is not possible to imagine  reading in the Star-Telegram a look back at 10 of the biggest social movements of the 2010s, and how they shaped Fort Worth.

Were there even any not so big social movements which shaped Fort Worth during this decade?

Well, the paragraph previous to the previous paragraph said "suffice to say". So, we have said all we need to say about this...

Sketchy Decade Long Look At Two Cities: Fort Worth & Seattle

As 2019 draws to a close let's amuse ourselves with a look at a couple examples from the past day or two of items I read in west coast online news sources, usually the Seattle Times, about something to do with Seattle, that I would not expect to read in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, about something to do with Fort Worth.

These looks at these type items have been among our most popular blog postings, for years.

And part of what renders these blog postings amusing is hearing feedback from Fort Worth locals expressing umbrage.

The Fort Worth locals expressing umbrage thing is always amusing. It always seems the same as someone getting all cranky because of what they see in a mirror.

Anyway.

The first article which struck me as something you would not see in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about something regarding Fort Worth is a Seattle Times article which has 10 sketches showing how Seattle has changed over the last decade.

Sketches showing things like the Amazon campus, the new Seattle waterfront with the now gone Alaskan Way Viaduct, the new tunnel under downtown Seattle, the hugely altered city skyline, a new floating bridge, trolley lines, link light rail lines and other stuff.

Meanwhile during the last decade in Fort Worth.

What could the Star-Telegram possibly sketch 10 instances of showing how Fort Worth has changed over the last decade?

Well, the Fort Worth skyline has not changed. Heritage Park remains a boarded up eyesore. The Trinity River Vision is now a nationally known Boondoggle, with three simple little bridges stuck over dry land. I guess sketching the ruins of three unfinished bridges would qualify as something which happened over the previous decade.

Oh, Rockin' the Polluted Trinity River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats, that is something sketch worthy.

Did the pitiful solo Molly the Trolley public transit vehicle come to be the last decade? I don't remember when that embarrassment started up.

How about those Trinity River Cruises which the Trinity River Vision Boondogglers were hyping earlier in the year. Did that ever come to fruition?

I suppose the Star-Telegram could sketch the remains of the Cowtown Wakepark, what with it being something that came and died the past decade.

I just remembered an actual sketch worthy thing which happened in Fort Worth this decade. In the goofiest bond issue ballot I have ever seen voters passed three goofy ballot measures which somehow approved of the building of a new arena.

Dickies Arena is now open and has received nothing but positive reviews and has already hosted multiple events, and is likely going to be a big hit at the upcoming Stock Show.

If only Fort Worth's ongoing inept urban planning had managed to make an exception to its usual ineptness and had addressed the traffic problems which a town with urban planning would have anticipated with the building of a new venue.

Now, let's move on to the second article in the Seattle Times about something in the Seattle zone which one would never expect to read in the Star-Telegram regarding a similar thing happening in Fort Worth.

Seattle has been one of America's boom towns for most of this century, with the booming getting more so this past decade, hence the article saying Seattle's massive surge of new construction is causing a permitting backlog.

Fort Worth has no similar problem. Pretty much anyone wanting to build anything in Fort Worth can get the project approved. Often encouraged with tax breaks and other incentives. Even for an obvious con job, like a sporting goods store finagling to get breaks to build what they conned the locals into thinking would be the biggest tourist attraction in Texas.

The town manifests little evidence of what is known as urban planning.

A visit to where I first lived when I moved to Texas, to the hamlet of Haslet, in far north Fort Worth, is instructive. Back then, miles of open land was between my abode and development. The skyline of downtown Fort Worth was a distant little blip on the horizon.

And now, 20 years later, all that open land has been filled in, mostly with houses. And retail, such as malls, and Costco. With the roads basically the same as they were when I first drove on them. HUGE development allowed without the infrastructure upgraded. Just drive west on North Tarrant Parkway til you get to Highway 287 and you will see all you need to see to understand how ineptly Fort Worth's urban planning is.

Add to that the fact that drainage was not adequately upgraded. Which has greatly exacerbated flooding, causing deadly flash flooding downstream from the badly developed development.

Recently the Fort Worth city council embarrassed itself by disbanding the town's Ethics Commission. On Facebook I saw more than one person sarcastically comment along the line that doing so fits right in with the city's delusion of thinking that it is somehow going to attract multiple corporations to re-locate to Fort Worth in the coming decade.

I often wonder, have most of these Fort Worth locals, who apparently are okay with what is known as the Fort Worth Way, not been to other parts of America? Even other parts of Texas?

Very perplexing. And it is almost not only a happy new year, but a happy new decade, as well...

The Scandals Of Fort Worth: The Granger Grifter Gang

After years of being disgusted I sort of thought it was about time to give up on the Scandals of Fort Worth.

No, that is not a History Channel soap opera I am talking about no longer watching. I'm talking real life scandals. Not fiction.

In the photo are two of the leading players in the Scandals of Fort Worth.

Playing the part of J.D. Granger, is J.D. Granger, whilst next to him, playing the part of Kay Granger is his mother, Kay Granger.

J.D.'s full name is John Dean. No, he was not named after the famous Watergate figure. J.D. was already born when John Dean became famous.

J.D. Granger is named after his father, the first husband of Kay Granger. John Dean the first left the Granger Grifter Gang decades ago, leaving Kay to raise her Golden Child, J.D. alone.

Along with his twin siblings, about whom nothing much is known.

Though phrases like 'black sheep' and 'prison' come up.

Kay was left to raise three kids on her own, trying out various schemes to make money, as the years rolled on. Eventually Kay discovered that being in politics was the route to her and her children's financial security.

This money making career path led from being the Mayor of Fort Worth to being a Representative in Congress, where for years now Kay Granger has seen her wealth grow via various real estate holdings, and other schemes.

Kay wanted her Golden Child to be a lawyer, so as to better follow her in the money making business of being a politician.

J.D. lacked the adequately high LSAT, and other scores, to get into a top tier law school. Eventually Kay was able to get J.D. into a 4th tier law school from whence eventually J.D. earned a law degree, and then a job as a low level prosecutor for Tarrant County.

Being a low level prosecutor does not pay well, and with J.D.'s limited legal skills, that career path was bleak.

While J.D. was waiting to get assigned his first case his mother got involved in a bizarre scheme disguised as flood control, but which was actually an economic development scheme which would greatly enhance the value of multiple properties owned by the Granger Gang in the area of the proposed development.

When the scheme became public there was a muted public outcry regarding Granger's conflicts of interest. And so the Granger Gang holdings were placed in some sort of trust, the nature of which has never been clear. But, that part of the Scandals of Fort Worth faded as the years went by with more scandals coming to the forefront.

At some point it was realized the Trinity River Vision was floundering. A means to secure federal funding was needed. And so the Tarrant Region Water District, it being the entity which is to blame for the vision which has become America's Dumbest Boondoggle, looked to the bowels of the Tarrant County Courthouse and snagged the totally unqualified, totally inexperienced J.D. Granger to be the Executive Director of the Trinity River Vision Authority, on the payroll for a sum which eventually exceeded $200K a year, plus perks and benefits.

J.D.'s hiring was designed to motivate his mother to secure federal funding for the economic development scheme which would economically benefit the Grangers.

Kay Granger has largely failed at getting the more prosperous parts of America to funnel funds to Fort Worth for her pet project.

And after boondoggling along for most of this century demands that something be done about that which has become Fort Worth's worst embarrassment led to wasting another half million bucks to find out basically nothing, and which did lead to J.D. Granger being fired from his job of botching being a project director, to instead being in charge of imaginary flood control, while still being paid the absurd sum of over $200,000 a year.

Hence the latest chapter in the ongoing soap opera of the Scandals of Fort Worth.

In the past couple months incoming messages have brought some interesting tidbits of information regarding the current inner status of the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision and its dysfunctional parent, the Tarrant Region Water District.

In the coming days and weeks, as we move into the next decade, and Fort Worth's third decade of boondoggling along with its vitally needed flood control project, with its three simple little bridges stuck partially built over dry land, we may get around to elaborating on some of which we have been told about some aspects of the Scandals of Fort Worth which have not yet been made available for public consumption...

Dam Winter Walk With Lake Wichita Boardwalk Construction

With the weather outside closer to frightful than delightful, rolling my bike wheels did not seem like it would be a pleasant experience on this drizzly gray second day after Christmas.

So, instead of rolling my bike wheels I rolled the wheels of my motorized conveyance device to the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway parking lot to take a walk on the dam via the Circle Trail to check out the current state of progress on the construction of the new boardwalk on Lake Wichita.

Above is a panorama view of the boardwalk construction from the floating dock which floats a short distance north of where the new boardwalk will be able to be walked on in a few months.

Above you see a kayaker parked among the ruins of the old boardwalk pavilion, and behind the kayaker a pile driver is pounding piers into the lake. As you can see multiple piers are in various stages of construction.

This boardwalk is being built over actual water, with a four month project timeline. Fully funded and no inept local politician's son having anything to do with the project.

On the floating dock from whcnce the above photos were taken, looking west across Lake Wichita at the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano piercing the horizon in the distance.

I took a photo of the historical information installation which is installed atop the dam, so as to show you what the previous Lake Wichita boardwalk and pavilion looked like before they went up in flames over a half century ago.

Wichita Falls really needs to get focused and realize what a good thing it would be for the town to make the Lake Wichita Revitalization a reality...

Merry Day After Christmas Photo Documentation Part 2

On Christmas we blogged about a Merry Photo From Christmas Past.

That Merry Photo included my Great Grandpa Sundean. I said I could not remember his first name. I do not remember him ever being referred to by his first name.

All I remember of Great Grandpa Sundean was that my mom remembered him fondly, along with my Great-Grandma Sundean, who died before I could have a memory of her.

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Sundean would take mom on camping trips and roadtrips, which I guess was one of the reasons mom was always fond of both, with both referring to both her grandparents and camping and roadtrips.

I recollect just about every summer of my young kid years going east of the mountains, as in driving over the Cascades to Eastern Washington, to camp at Soap Lake.

Mom would always regale us with tales of the Nudist Colony which operated on the opposite side of the lake when she was a kid.

Soap Lake is (or was) an odd location. I do not know if that is still the case. But, when I was a kid, and mom was a kid, people would come to Soap Lake to stay at the town's Health Spa, to bathe in the supposedly health restoring waters, and to cover themselves with mud from the lake, and then let that mud dry on them under the hot sun.

Soap Lake sort of invited being in it without clothing due to the soapy water easily causing a rash from clothing rubbing skin.

Downtown Soap Lake, back when I played there, had a fountain in the downtown zone which dispensed drinking water right from the lake, to be consumed for its likely totally imaginary curative powers.

So, today, the day after Christmas, Jones family historian, Jason, alleviated me of one of my bits of ignorance, that being the first name of my Great Grandpa Sundean.

We shall get to that, but first mention must be made of the first two photos. Above we are looking at Hank Frank, often known as Henry, on Christmas. Henry is barely over a year old, so this would be the first Christmas in which he was able to actively participate.

The photo of Hank Frank was texted by his dad, my Favorite Nephew Joey, this morning, with the text saying more photos would be arriving later. As of late afternoon on the day after Christmas, later has not yet arrived.

And then we have the second photo.

This was sent by Jason earlier. I did not see it til later when Jason responded to email questions about the following three photos. In the email answering my questions Jason said "You must not have received the text explaining the photos."

Well, I had not. I did not realize Jason had sent me text messages with photos. My excuse is there have been a lot of text messages with photos in the past 48 hours. That, and I can be a bit inept keeping track of things.

I forgot to mention, the text along with the photo of Spencer Jack said "Spencer Jack assembling his new Boeing aircraft."

And now Jason's solution to the great grandpa name mystery.

A. Edward Sundean 1876 - 1960.

I assume Jason must have taken this photo during one of his visits to the cemetery which is the final resting place of his Great Grandma Vera, along with Uncle Pete, whose obituary Jason's brother, Joey, sent to me this morning, which I thought was intended to provide me the name to go along with Great Grandpa Sundean. Uncle Pete was Grandma Vera's little brother. He was a Merchant Marine. It was always a BIG deal when Uncle Pete was home from one of his sailing around the world adventures.

I almost forgot to mention, a followup query to Jason had him telling me the A. part of A. Edward Sundean, stood for Andrew. And that my great grandpa was always known a Edward. Although, apparently, never by me.

The next two photos which Jason sent me today totally puzzled me as to where he got them. I asked and have just now learned that Jason and Joey each received a bible which was among the items saved when clearing out mom and dad's house in Sun Lakes.

Brother Jake mailed one bible to Jason, and the other to Joey.

The photo above would appear to have  been taken at mom's high school graduation.

I have never before seen a photo of my mom being a young girl. I would guess mom is just a little older than her grand daughter Ruby is in 2019.

I suspect more photos may be arriving. That will likely lead to a Merry Day After Christmas Photo Documentation Part 3...

Merry Day After Christmas Photo Documentation

I think I was separated from my phone last night. I had heard no incoming message noises.

So, this morning when I woke up the phone I saw a plethora of text messages from last night, including the photos you see here.

Christmas morning I text messaged Merry Christmas messages to relatives relatively able to receive such messages.

Including a Merry Christmas message to Mama Michele in which I asked something like "Are you kids spending Christmas at the new cabin?"

A reply soon arrived telling me that the kids, as in David, Theo and Ruby, insisted on leaving the cabin and returning to home base in Tacoma out of concern that Santa would not be able to find them at the new cabin on Hartstene Island.

The message also indicated that the Tacoma trio and their parental units would likely return to the cabin later Christmas day. Or the following morning.

Among the text messages this morning were ones documenting the fact that the return to the cabin, and Hartstene Island, took place on Christmas.

Above we are seeing Ruby, Theo and David with what Santa brought them, confirming it had been a good idea to return to their Tacoma home base.

And then later Christmas day it was back to the island for some chestnut roasting on an open fire.

Okay, I made up that roasting chestnuts part. The actual text said something like "Keeping warm on the beach."

And now the sun has almost completed its illumination duty for the day, leaving Kristin, Ruby, Theo and David getting closer to the fire to keep warm, whilst Mama Michele photo documents.

I can not tell for sure, but it looks like Kristin may be holding my favorite dog relative, Blue the poodle.

Well, I guess me and my fellow newly orphaned siblings had a mighty fine first Christmas as orphans.

I was relative free in Texas, with lasagna on the menu for the Christmas feeding.

Brother Jake went to a potluck at an RV concentration camp in Mesa.

Sister Jackie spent Christmas at the Ak-Chin Casino Resort in Maricopa, joined by nephew Christopher.

Christopher's brother, Jeremy, enjoyed being blissfully, peacefully alone at home whilst his parental units were staying at the casino.

Nephew Joey was at home in the Skagit Valley with his in-laws from Montana.

I don't know where Joey's big brother, Jason, spent Christmas, but I did hear from Jason Christmas morning, via text message, which was what set off my sending of Christmas text messages...

Merry Photo From Christmas Past

The above was incoming from Favorite Nephew Jason this morning, with the text accompanying the photo saying...

"Merry Christmas.
Santa brought me this photo."

I do not know where Santa got this photo, or how he knew to bring it to Jason. In the photo that is my mom, also known as Shirley, or Miss Daisy, holding Jason's primary paternal parental unit, my little brother Jake. In the middle that is me being held by my mom's mom, Jason's great-grandma, my Grandma Vera. Next to Grandma Vera is her dad, my Great-Grandpa Sundean. I am drawing a blank trying to remember Great-Grandpa Sundean's first name.

My best guess is that this photo would have been taken in Lynden, at Grandma Vera's. Judging by the size of Jake and me we likely were still living in the town in which we were born, Eugene, Oregon. I doubt Grandma Vera trekked south for Christmas. It would have been much more likely we would have driven north, what with virtually all the relatives being in the Lynden zone.

I just realized there is no one still alive who might be able to provide factual details about a photo such as this.

Merry Christmas!

Panorama View Of Wichita Bluffs Takes Me To Lake Powell Houseboat & Moki Dugway

My new phone seems to take better photos than my old, as in a decade old, digital camera. I still prefer that taking a photo the old fashioned method to using a phone's screen as the photo viewfinder.

The new phone has three photo modes. Regular, Pro and Panorama.

I was unaware of those three modes until I apparently accidentally switched the phone camera into panorama mode.

The result of that accidental switch is not the panorama photo you see above. The above photo is the result of trying to take a photo in panorama mode, on purpose, after I discovered this feature. In the above panorama photo you are looking north at a panoramic view of the Wichita Bluff Nature Area.

I don't quite see the benefit of this panorama mode thing, in this form. I guess it allows one to show a much wider, albeit way narrower, view of the scene one is photographing.

Way back in the previous century, the year was 1994, I bought a new Nikon camera to better facilitate photo documenting the long road and houseboat trip I was about to embark on. That Nikon camera, pre-digital, had a panorama mode function.

To put the Nikon camera into panorama mode one opened the camera and stuck a rectangular piece of plastic at a location over the lens.

One of the roadtripping houseboaters on that trip was a professional photographer. When I repeatedly fussed with putting the Nikon into panorama mode he rather condescendingly explained something like, you do realize, don't you, that all that is doing is causing the frame to cut off the top and bottom of what is gonna be exposed to the film.

I was dense regarding what the professional photographer was explaining to me. I think it was years later til I finally understood.

When the rolls of film containing the panorama photos got processed the processor, usually Costco, somehow knew to make those panorama photos long and skinny, like the one you see above.

Ironically. those photos I took long ago with my now antique, long gone Nikon camera, are among my favorite photos I have ever taken. Even the professional photographer agreed they turned out good, when eventually he saw them.

I wonder if I have any of those old panorama photos on this computer. I would have had to have scanned them digitally, and if they exist, I might find them on the web pages I long ago made about my Hell Houseboat on Lake Powell adventure.

I shall go look and see what I can find. If I can not find photos, I know I can find a link to the Hell Houseboat on Lake Powell webpages.

Okay, found some of the panorama photos, stuck with the files I found of the photos documenting houseboating on Lake Powell.

Except for the first photo, which is photo documenting the start of the descent down the Moki Dugway, after ending the houseboating, then crossing Lake Powell via ferry, before reaching the scary Moki Dugway, on the way to staying overnight in Mexican Hat, before driving through Monument Valley, the following day, where, if I remember right, I took some more panorama photos...

That aforementioned professional photographer was morbidly afraid of heights. When he saw the warning signs at the start of the Moki Dugway and could see the long descent, the dozens of switchbacks, and that the road was gravel, he panicked. I had to move one of my passengers into the professional photographer's van to drive him down the Dugway, whilst the professional photographer fortified his courage with an adult libation, whilst sticking his head in a pillow case so he could not see.

Above you are seeing my co-pilot, Wanda, nonchalantly looking at the view which freaked out others.

Of course, due to my unflappable driving ability I was the preferred houseboat pilot. But, I did let others do some of the boat driving, at times.

If I remember right, Rainbow Bridge is the world's biggest natural arch. It is something to see. But the float up the side canyon off Lake Powell, to reach Rainbow Bridge, well, that was one of the funnest boat experiences I have ever had.

I believe the above was taken our last night on Lake Powell, at the docking site we called Bat Cove, due to the thousands of bats which appeared when the sun began to set. This was the occasion which caused me to lose my fear of bats and instead see them as valuable allies in the fight against flying insects.

Swimming in the warm, crystal clear water of Lake Powell is a mighty fine thing. This also was at the location we called Bat Cove.

The above is also a look at Bat Cove. I took off hiking, I do not remember with whom. We got high enough that the houseboat looked far away. It was heading back as the sun began to set that I found myself surrounded by a protective wall of bats.

Looking at the above panorama photos from long ago, I think think my old Nikon camera took better panorama photos than my new phone.

Perhaps I will adjust to taking better panorama photos via this new means...

Follow The Sign To Find Wichita Falls

A couple days ago I visited Lucy Park for the first time in a long time, what with the nearby Wichita Bluff Nature Area being my usual current go to place for some hill hiking or biking.

On that recent visit to Lucy Park I came upon the new sign you see here. I thought it to be a good addition.

Directing the direction challenged in the correct direction to find the infamous Wichita Falls.

My first visit to Lucy Park, soon after arrival in my new location, I found my way to Lucy Park. It was a hot April Saturday. And on that day Lucy Park was packed. Lots of people. Had to hunt for a parking place. I remember thinking, wow, this is a popular park.

Well.

I don't know what was special about that first visit to Lucy Park, but I have never seen that park so packed with people ever again.

And on that day whilst walking on what I did not know then was the Circle Trail, I came upon an informational booth of the nearby Texas Visitors Center, which I also did not know, then, was nearby, immediately across the, also nearby, Wichita River.

The friendly lady who wo-manned the Texas Visitors Center booth was willing to answer my questions. Such as are there any parks with hills nearby? And how do you get to the Falls from here?

She directed me to follow the Circle Trail alongside the river and in less than a mile I would come to Wichita Falls.

I remember at the time it seemed to take a long long walk to get to the Falls. And now I've done that distance so many times it seems a short distance.

And now these new signs have been added to make it easy for anyone to find the Falls, without needing to ask directions from a local...

Linda Lou Shares Oprah's Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Accolade

I saw that which you see above on Facebook yesterday, via the Skagit Valley's award winning Raspberry Jammer and constructor of Graham Cracker Houses, Linda Lou, .

The text under the photo says "The Oprah Magazine just came out with the 10 Best Flower Festivals in the US. We're number 4!"

The "We're number 4" refers to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Reading the article there was no indication this was a list of the top ten in order of best to 10th best. It seemed to more be a list of the top ten flower festivals in the United States.

Nonetheless, no surprise that the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival would be on such a list. That festival draws around a million visitors from around the world, every year.

I believe the traffic management has improved a lot since I least was subjected to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. At least such is what I have been told.

There is another Washington state flower festival on the list. Along with one from Texas.

The entire list of ten...

1.  Portland Rose Festival
2.  National Cherry Blossom Festival
3.  Rochester Lilac Festival
4.  The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
5.  Tulip Time Festival
6.  North Carolina Azalea Festival
7.  Bluebonnet Festival
8.  The California Poppy Festival
9.  Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
10. Mackinac Island Lilac Festival

The Apple Blossom Festival takes place in Wenatchee. I have never attended that festival. Back in the previous century the Apple Blossom Festival had quite a party reputation.

The text from the Oprah magazine article about the two Washington flower festivals and the one in Texas...

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Held from April 1-30, The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival celebrates the blossoming of millions of tulips in Mount Vernon, Washington. It was designed as a driving tour, so visitors can hop in their ride to bask in the fields of tulips across Skagit Valley at their own leisure.

Bluebonnet Festival
The annual Bluebonnet Festival will take place April 10-12, in Burnet, Texas featuring live music, food, and shopping while visitors admire the area's brightest bluebonnets.

Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
You can check out stunning apple blossoms during April 23-May 3 at the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival, which was founded to celebrate apple trees in the region of Wenatchee, Washington.

_________________

Regarding the article's description of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The millions of tulips do not do their blooming in Mount Vernon. The tulips bloom on the Skagit Flats, west of Mount Vernon, altough, I do think that photo above is taken just outside the outskirts of west Mount Vernon. The Skagit Tulip Festival takes place all over the valley, with various of the town's holding various events.

While I have not attended Washington's Apple Blossom Festival, I have experience Texas Bluebonnets, although not at the festival in Burnet.

I have to say, the Texas Bluebonnets are something to see, as is the whole Texas wildflower display when it erupts each spring.

Earlier this century I drove south to Texas Hill Country to hike up Enchanted Rock. And before that hike visited a wildflower farm in Fredericksburg.

And then after hiking up Enchanted Rock drove north through the most incredible displays of  wildflowers I have ever seen.

Unlike the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the Texas Bluebonnets, and fellow wildflowers are a natural phenomenon. Both are spectacular to eye witness...