Looks like I’m living in the ultimate ‘playground’…
ARLINGTON, Texas — With two amusement parks, the Texas Rangers’ recently built baseball stadium and the Dallas Cowboys’ $1 billion football stadium on its way, Arlington is transforming itself from an aging suburb to the Lone Star State’s playground.
The city was awarded the Cotton Bowl beginning in 2010, the 2011 Super Bowl — which will bring millions of dollars to the local economy — and is bidding to host an NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball tournament between 2012 and 2016.
The Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that city attractions draw between 6 million and 7 million visitors a year. Cluck expects that figure to increase once the Cowboys’ stadium and an adjacent retail and restaurant center called Glory Park open in 2009.
The focus on entertainment is in some ways a return to form for Arlington. During the Great Depression it was home to a horse racing track and a club called Top O’ Hill Terrace, known in an official history as a “gambling playground for the rich, adventurous, mischievous, famous and infamous.”
Arlington’s transformation into northern Texas’ largest suburb began in 1953 when a General Motors Corp. plant went up. By 1970, about 90,000 people lived in Arlington, and today there are about 370,000, making it the state’s seventh most populous city.
Once a prestigious address, the city sprawled outward with little foresight. It remains the largest city in the nation without public transportation.
The other day, while watching cartoons on TV, Elizabeth was startled by the loud squawks that interrupt the audio of televisions to announce an alert or advisory, and most recently, to broadcast an “Amber Alert.”
Elizabeth just had to know what was going on, so Erica explained to her that a little girl was in danger. Elizabeth decided that they should pray for the little girl, so they did.
Amber Alerts are named for Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old from Arlington, Texas, who was abducted in 1996 while riding her bicycle.
In response to community concern following this tragedy, the Association of Radio Managers with the assistance of area law enforcement in Arlington, Texas, created the “Amber Plan.” The Plan uses the Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly the Emergency Broadcast System, to report serious child abduction cases.
A little while later, a second alert came on and said the girl had been found. Erica explained to Elizabeth that the little girl was now safe, so they prayed to thank God for keeping the girl safe.
I was not there when all of this happened, but when Erica told me the story later, I was very happy, not only for the safe return of the missing girl, but also that Elizabeth is learning some valuable lessons that will serve her well in our lives living in Asia.
- Pray quickly and often when in a time of need.
- God answers prayers - so pray big prayers and have faith He’ll answer them.
- Be thankful - don’t take answered prayers for granted.
Now if only I could remember these lessons more often when ‘life’ stresses me out or thows me a curve ball!
The doctor says she has pneumonia, she is not feeling well right now. Hopefully her medicine(s) will kick in soon and give her (and us) alittle relief!
She wants to be like daddy…
I was trying to get a few photos of the girls tonight while they were playing by the Christmas tree, I thought I’d lay down on the floor to get a more interesting perspective. Well, my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, wanted to imitate me… she was even ‘posing’ her sister Anna, telling her where to sit and instructing her to say “cheese!”
Kids sure are entertaining!
How in the world did this product ever get made? Were there no sane people in the meeting where this idea was discussed?
“Hey guys, I had this great idea last night while watching CSI, let’s make a product that looks just like cocaine and sell it to kids at 7-11!”
This idea is even dumber than candy cigarettes!
New mint packets being sold by The Hershey Co. look nearly identical to the tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell illegal powdered drugs like crack, heroin and cocaine and glorify the drug trade, a Philadelphia police official said.
Ice Breakers Pacs, nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside, hit store shelves in November. The packets, which come in blue and orange plastic slide-up cases, are similar enough to drug packets that a child familiar with the candy could mistakenly swallow a heat-sealed bag of drugs, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn told the Philadelphia Daily News for an article published Friday.
“It glorifies the drug trade,” he said. “There’s really no reason that a product like this should be on the shelf.”
If you know me, you know I’m no fan of FSU, I’m a GATOR all the way.
Anyone else excited?!
Congratulations Tim, you were the best man!
Hi! I'm Steve Webel and this is my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
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