Dish-Houston

PHOTO BY ROBERT KNIGHT ARCHIVE/REDFERNSThere was an odd hush that hung in the air that warm morning in August. The town woke up like any other morning to our clock radio alarms tuned to KLBJ and a great tune by an Austin radio staple. Then the next song was also by Stevie Ray Vaughan. And the next one after that. They just flowed over the air waves with no DJ interference. It felt beautiful and eerie. The regular and familiar sound started to take on a somber emotion as it became clear something was wrong. Then after what seemed to be an entire album a quieted, hushed normally out of control, yeller of a DJ said the words that will forever be branded into my memory.

"There was a helicopter crash last night and Stevie Ray Vaughan is missing..."

I didn't hear anything more after that.

I was in high school in Austin, Texas. We had just started the new school year when the news started spreading about what had happened. There was a kid that went to school with us that was rumored to be his nephew but no one ever talked about it because everyone in Austin was related to someone famous, or so it seemed. He wasn't in school that day. The teachers couldn't quiet the kids down, after all, one of our local legends and a hero in some folks eyes had gone missing over night and a helicopter crash had been reported after a concert with Eric Clapton. That was all we knew that morning. It was later in the day that it was confirmed that Stevie Ray Vaughan had, in fact, been in that helicopter and died upon impact. The air had been let out of our lungs, no one could focus after that. The shut the school down for the rest of the day.

The morning of the 26th, the day before the crash, it is reported that Vaughan has shared a nightmare he had had that night with band members. He said he was at his own funeral and saw thousands of mourners. He felt "terrified, yet almost peaceful." 

Austin was an amazing community. Everyone loved everyone and folks came together to support each other. A great example of how much that community functioned as a collective is the impromptu candlelight vigil night of the 28th. Right after the local new stations reported what had happened, people just showed up at Zilker Park. A place Stevie Ray Vaughan played regularly. They wanted to connect to their friend one more time. That is how Austin was. 

Since that day in 1990 an August 27th goes by that I don't remember that moment in time. It stands still as the clouds pass over. My best friend's mom was behind the SRV statue that now stands on Lady Bird Lake. As it turns out that kid  in our class was his nephew. His name is Tyrone. It is so enjoyable seeing T play his guitar...the one his uncle gave him when he was a boy. You can see both Jimmy and Stevie in Tyrone when he plays. It is beautiful. Time, it turns out, does go on....Family Style. 

Anyone who has spent a summer in Houston knows that cooling temperatures are, indeed, a reason to celebrate!

Wesley Community Center is having their End of Summer Celebration 

Thursday, August 22, 2013, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Saint Arnold Brewery!

Everyone is invited to come together in friendship and support to "Cheer for a Cause".

As the long, hot days of summer draw to a close, we call upon our friends—old and new—supporters, and community members to join Wesley Community Center to build and strengthen our connections and raise critically important general operating funds for our Early Learning Programs, Youth Development Programming, Senior and Social Services, Community Outreach and Economic Development services and the many individuals, children and families they benefit.

They will be celebrating the growth and transformations afoot at Wesley Community Center with a fun, exciting and refreshing happy hour. Saint Arnold's Brewing Company will offer six of their best brews on tap for your enjoyment.  Quench your thirst with an ice cold brew or sample a variety. The famous Saint Arnold’s famous sweet, flavorful old-fashioned famous Root Beer will also be available. Lady Bird Food Truck will be onsite serving an array of  summer bites so you can quell your hunger, sit back and enjoy the cool vibes from the music of the Junior Jazz Quartet. Brewery tours will be available that evening and you will be able to check out the ol’ tank farm. There will also be raffel prizes for those sports loverr out there. That is the biggest hint we can share but you absolutely want to be there!

Wesley House, established in 1904, in Houston’s Northside Village neighborhood by the women of First United Methodist Church with the goal of improving the quality of life and strengthening outcomes for the community’s mothers and their young children. 109 years later, Wesley Community Center continues to strengthen the lives of children, youth, women and families on Houston’s Northside and in various low-income neighborhoods throughout the metropolitan area.  Wesley Community Center engages individuals, children and families with a comprehensive array of programs and services along the circle of life—from early childhood education, youth development programming, senior and social services, community outreach to economic development services—and is dedicated to realizing human growth, developing positive outcomes, and working to fulfill its mission to help people help themselves and each other. In 2012, Wesley Community Center served a total of 27,786 Houstonians.

Great cause, right?? See you Thursday!

Buffalo Bayou Partnership today announced a $2 million gift from Silver Eagle Distributors, the nation's largest Anheuser-Busch distributor and one of the largest Grupo Modelo distributors in the country, in support of the Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine project. The 160-acre, 2.3 mile park west of downtown Houston is currently undergoing a $58 million renovation and the gift from Silver Eagle will be dedicated to improvements to the event meadow, or the main “bowl” where events occur inside Eleanor Tinsley Park.

“Silver Eagle is a long-time community partner and generous supporter of citywide festivals along Buffalo Bayou,” said Anne Olson, president of Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “Their support of Buffalo Bayou Park reiterates their commitment to the active and passive use of this green space.”

The improvements are to be made in the area between Taft Street and Sabine Street include upgraded infrastructure for special events at the park, trails and stairs for easier pedestrian access, and upgraded landscaping. A large temporary stage can be placed in a flat grassy area below an improved parking lot during events. The gift also will fund the Skyline Overlook, redesigned parking spaces and an improved garden area. In recognition of this gift, the event meadow area will be the Bud Light Amphitheater and the Skyline Overlook will be the Nau Family Pavilion. The Eleanor Tinsley Park name will be retained.

Construction on these improvements is expected to start in August 2013 and be complete by Spring 2014, therefore having no significant effect on major events such as Summer Fest and Freedom Over Texas at Eleanor Tinsley Park. The Shady Grove sculpture, art benches and Houston Victim’s Memorial, which were dedicated in 2002 and located in the park, will be preserved and reinstalled in a redesigned and expanded garden. Pavers installed by Leadership Houston will be preserved and reinstalled near their current location.

In addition to these enhancements inside Eleanor Tinsley Park, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is also overseeing additional improvements to Buffalo Bayou Park between Shepherd Drive and Sabine Street that include adding trails, pedestrian bridges, a dog park, destinations like The Water Works and Lost Lake, lighting, amenities such as kayak and bike rentals, and overall improvements to the park’s landscape. The entire Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine project is expected to be complete in mid-2015.

Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine is a collaboration of Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the City of Houston through Houston Parks & Recreation Department and Harris County Flood Control District. For the first 30 years after the park opens, Downtown TIRZ #3 will contribute $2 million per year for the park's maintenance and operations. The Kinder Foundation has committed a $30 million catalyst gift for the project, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership has committed to raise the remaining $23 million needed. For more information about the park improvements, please visit www.buffalobayoupark.org.

Eleanor Tinsley Park during an event (looking east toward downtown). Rendering by SWA Group.

Eleanor Tinsley Park daily use (looking east toward downtown). Rendering by SWA Group.

uncredited AP photoDavid "Kidd" Kraddick, the high-energy radio and TV host of the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show heard on dozens of U.S. radio stations, died at a charity golf event supporting his charity Kidd's Kids near New Orleans, a publicist said. Kraddick was 53.

"He died doing what he loved, and his final day was spent selflessly focused on those special children that meant the world to him." said Biro, of the public relations firm Champion Management. He said he had no further details on the death.

The Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show is heard on more than 75 Top 40 and Hot AC radio stations and is a leader among most-listened-to contemporary morning programs, Biro said. The radio program also is transmitted globally on American Forces Radio Network while the show's cast is also seen weeknights on the nationally syndicated TV show Dish Nation.

"All of us with YEA Networks and the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning crew are heartbroken over the loss of our dear friend and leader," the network statement said. "Kidd devoted his life to making people smile every morning, and for 21 years his foundation has been dedicated to bringing joy to thousands of chronically and terminally ill children."

The Dallas Morning News reported Kraddick had been a staple in the Dallas market since 1984, starting in a late-night debut. The newspaper said he moved into morning show work by the early 1990s in that market and his show began to gain wider acclaim and entered into syndication by 2001 as he gained a following in cities nationwide.

The network statement said the cause of death would be released "at the appropriate time."

Word of Kraddick's passing spread quickly via social media.

"RIP Kidd Kraddick. You were an amazing man and a friend. You are already missed," Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted.

"Oh Man, I just heard Kidd Kraddick died! He's my childhood dj. What a sad day. His poor family. He was always nice 2 me from the beginning," singer Kelly Clarkson tweeted.

Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, only recently announced as the headline act of a planned first-ever Kidd's Kids charity concert in Dallas next month, wrote: "The sad sad news about Kidd Kraddick is shocking. He will be missed greatly."

"He came out and he borrowed my golf clubs and went out to the driving range," Richie Tomblin, the head golf pro at the course. "It's kind of a freaky situation. He came out. He practiced a little bit. He hit the ball at the first tee and wasn't feeling good and after that I didn't see him."

Tomblin said the hundreds of amateur golfers taking part went ahead with the event Saturday. He added he only found out afterward that Kraddick had died and he was still shaken about it.

You will be missed by all, Kidd. Thank you for making this wold a better place while you were here. God Bless your soul. 

Football fans and foodies will be flocking to Houston Texans Grille at CityCentre on Saturday, July 27, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 p.m., for the Second Annual Tailgate Throwdown.  Chefs from some of Houston’s most acclaimed restaurants will battle it out for tailgate bragging rights just in time for football season and Houston Restaurant Weeks. 

Restaurants participating in the Tailgate Throwdown include the Houston Texans Grille, Underbelly, Churrascos, Tasting Room City Centre, Cinq at La Colombe d’Or, Fusion Taco, Luby’s Catering, Elven XI, Soma Sushi, Liberty Kitchen & Oyster Bar and Hollister.  Chefs will showcase their favorite tailgate fare to compete in the categories of Most Original, Best Tailgate Classic and Top Dish with a Kick in addition to Fan Favorite. 

All proceeds from tickets will benefit the Houston Food Bank.  Guests will pay $25 / person to make their way through the restaurant and sample offerings from some of Houston’s top chefs, with the opportunity to vote for their favorite tailgate fare.  Non-alcoholic drinks are free, and the Grille will offer special beer prices as part of their ongoing Beer of the Month program. Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.tailgatethrowdownhtg.eventbrite.com.

The judging panel includes Syd Kearney (Houston Chronicle), Marcy de Luna (Houstonia/CultureMap), Greg Morago (Houston Chronicle), Eric Sandler (Eater Houston), Cleverley Stone (Fox 26/CBS Radio 650), Katherine Whaley (KHOU), and Former Texans Offensive Lineman and confirmed foodie Chester Pitts as the wildcard celebrity judge.  

Chefs are free to interpret this great American tradition by creating whatever meat, vegetable, chip, dip, wing, chili or other game-day grub that suits their fancy.  Several Houston Texans Cheerleaders will be on hand to help the crowd root for the Fan Favorite, and one lucky attendee will win a pair of Houston Texans preseason tickets.  

Houston Texans Grille is on the second level of CityCentre across from Eddie V’s at 12848 Queensbury Lane, 77024. The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to Midnight and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Garage, valet and street parking are all available. Menu prices range from $8-30 along with a daily lunch menu from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with everything under $10. All major credit cards are accepted at the Grille, including Visa, American Express, MasterCard and Discover. For more information, please visit www.houstontexansgrille.com.