Star-Telegram.com: Fort Worth

Goodbye, west lawn: Kimbell reveals placement of Piano building

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:07 CST

By GAILE ROBINSON

FORT WORTH — Kimbell Art Museum officials will unveil their new building plans today. As anticipated, or dreaded, the Renzo Piano-designed facility is going to be built on the west lawn, directly in front of the existing building.

"Because of the great interest in the building and its setting, we feel we should unveil the basic shape and position," said Malcolm Warner, the Kimbell’s acting director.

The new building will be 90,000 square feet, with more than a quarter of it devoted to new gallery space to accommodate temporary exhibitions. There will be an underground parking structure, a 315-seat auditorium and an education wing with offices, studios and a cafe. The price tag for construction is estimated at $70 million, and the Kimbell Art Foundation is picking up the tab.

Warner and Piano will show the working plans for the site, the footprint of the building and its physical components to government officials and the news media at 9 a.m. today at the Kimbell. What it will actually look like is still in flux. Because groundbreaking isn’t expected until 2010, there is ample time for tinkering with surface choices, model-making and fine-tuning.

Piano has said he will use the same building materials as those used by architect Louis Kahn for the original Kimbell — travertine marble, concrete and glass. The front will be almost all glass, so when visitors are channeled up from the underground parking garage into the lobby that stretches the length of the building, they will see the front of the existing Kimbell.

This, Piano says, is the Kimbell’s front door, the entry point Kahn wanted all visitors to experience. Kahn did not understand Texans’ desire to park as closely as possible to a door, so almost all of the Kimbell’s visitors enter by way of the parking lot and through what is ostensibly the garage door of the museum. Piano is going to fix that.

The location of the new edifice has been a topic of speculation. When discussing the two available locations, the west lawn or the Darnell Street lot, it became apparent that using the Darnell Street lot would create two separate buildings, and that would cause problems moving art and people. Putting the structure on the west lawn makes for a more cohesive campus, and although the two buildings will be separate entities, "they will have a dialogue of rhyming forms," Warner said, adding that the new building echoes the Kimbell’s original plans, which extended into the area the new building will occupy.

The chutzpah it took to place his building directly in front of Kahn’s has been ameliorated by Piano’s generosity in manipulating the visitor’s view to the Kimbell’s best side. Piano is nothing if not generous. "He’s one of the least egotistical of all the great architects working today," Warner said.

Choosing Piano to design the new Kimbell structure was a safe call. In the beginning of his career, Piano worked with Kahn, so he is intimately familiar with Kahn’s designs and philosophies. Piano is also a master at art museum design. His company, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, with offices in Genoa and Paris, has received so many commissions for them in recent years that it is often a surprise when another architectural firm gets a plum assignment. Piano has three art museums in Texas to his credit: the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and two in Houston, the Menil Collection and Cy Twombly Gallery. He designed the Beyeler Museum in Basel, Switzerland, and the Klee Museum in Bern, Switzerland, and has provided expansions to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

With each new museum comes a new roof. Roofs are Piano’s signature element; their intricate constructions are all about managing natural light. The Nasher in Dallas has a grid of directional white cones that tilt at different degrees to diffuse direct sunshine. The new Kimbell building will be carbon neutral; its roof will support solar panels so the building can generate as much electricity as it uses. An early model of this roof, shown exclusively to the Star-Telegram, indicates long channels running the length of the building from east to west. A cross section of a single channel resembles the "swoosh" of the Nike logo. Between each of these long swoosh-shaped channels will be a vertical glass panel. Light will enter the building through the glass panels, bounce around the curvature of the swoosh and then gracefully spill into the galleries — with no hot spots or direct glare.

A berm sweeping up over the back of the building will help shade the roof from the western sun, insulate the walls and maintain the building’s carbon neutrality.

The only physical connection between the new building and the Kimbell will be an underground service tunnel that staffers will use to move materials and art. It will not be open to the public.

Many design elements are still being tweaked — the configuration and wall surfaces of the new galleries, for example. Piano’s first models showed contemporary white spaces. The Kimbell, though, has needed walls more in keeping with its period paintings. This may be the time and place to utilize a color other than white or a surface other than concrete.

Also open for discussion is terminology. What is the new building going to be called? The term "new building" suggests there is an "old building," and referring to the Kahn building as the "old Kimbell" does not sit well with institution’s administration. The Piano building and the Kahn building removes Kimbell from the equation, and that won’t do, either. The Kimbell campus with east and west wings sounds very junior college-ish. The Kimbell and the Kimbell 2.0? The 20th-century Kimbell and the 21st-century Kimbell?

Although the one thing no longer open for debate is the new building’s location, there is an upside for those who have bemoaned the loss of lawn. In a green-space exchange, Kimbell officials have said the Darnell Street auditorium will eventually be demolished and some of the parking lots removed so the Frisbee players and dog walkers will have an expanse of parklike lawn on which to play. For the architectural purists who wanted nothing to change about the Kimbell, nothing has, except that more people will experience the Kahn-designed building as Kahn intended them to.

As for the collection, it will remain at 350 objects, Warner says. It will not expand to fill the space. "It’s part of our character to be small and choice," he said. "This new building is a way to step up the temporary exhibitions."

83-year-old man dies after being struck by pickup

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:32 CST

By DEANNA BOYD

FORT WORTH — An 83-year-old Eastern Hills man was killed Sunday evening when he was hit by a pickup whose driver looked down to find his cellphone, police reported.

William Fuller was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m. at John Peter Smith Hospital.

According to Fort Worth police, Fuller was crossing in the middle of the 1600 block of Bradford Place when he was struck by a 2002 Ford F150 pickup.

The pickup’s 20-year-old driver had looked down to get his cellphone. When he looked up, the driver told police, a pedestrian was in front of his truck, but he was unable to stop, police said.

The case will be forwarded to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office to determine whether any criminal charges will be sought.

Fuller’s wife, Gaye Fuller, expressed sympathy Monday for the driver.

"I want the young man to know that this was an accident. He should not feel guilty. It was a stupid thing, yes. We all make them, but he’s got a life to live and he ought to live it good," Gaye Fuller said.

"My husband and I both would wish him to put this behind him, make himself more aware than he evidently was but to have a very happy life."

Gaye Fuller said her husband retired about a decade ago from Texas Electric, where he worked for 44 years. The couple have three children and seven grandchildren and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this summer, she said.

Regulations make sprinkler installation fees grow

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:02 CST

By SUSAN SCHROCK

New state and local laws will require in-ground sprinkler systems installed next year to be more efficient at conserving water — which will also mean higher costs to customers.

Cities with populations over 20,000 have recently adopted or are working to adopt new ordinances that reflect state requirements for the installation of commercial and residential irrigation systems. Starting Jan. 1, customers will have to get permits and inspections for their sprinkler systems as well as a checklist of rules designed to better regulate outdoor water usage to reduce runoff and evaporation.

Dallas’ irrigation ordinance, which includes some rules that are stricter than the state regulations, will go before the City Council next month. Arlington’s irrigation ordinance is being considered today, and Fort Worth’s ordinance is still being drafted, city officials said.

Outdoor watering accounts for about 50 percent of public drinking water usage during the summer, city officials said. Last July, the city of Arlington treated an average of 97 million gallons of water a day to keep up with demand — 51 million more gallons per day than it treated in January, said Dustan Compton, Arlington’s conservation program coordinator.

And up to 50 percent of water for irrigation is wasted because people are overwatering, watering during the rain or heat of the day, or are watering impervious surfaces, officials said.

"One of the big issues is water conservation," said Lonnie Erwin, chief plumbing/mechanical inspector for Dallas. "We are having a hard time producing clean water for people to drink. When you see irrigation systems that are watering the streets or sidewalks, you are wasting water."

Permit required

Local irrigation companies say their additional costs for administrative fees, materials and time will be passed on to customers.

All sprinkler design plans, including those done by do-it-yourselfers, must now be reviewed and approved by the city. Some cities will charge a separate design review fee. In Dallas, that means the cost to permit a sprinkler will rise from $75 to $195, Erwin said. Others, like Arlington, include the cost of the review in its permit fee, which is expected to be $100 for residential customers and $150 for commercial customers. Fort Worth, which charges $53.31 for a permit and inspection, hasn’t decided on its new fees.

A typical residential sprinkler system will likely increase from $2,400 to $3,000, said Marty Jenkins, owner and president of Arlington-based The Lawn Brigade. And what is normally a one-day job today will likely take three times as long so the city can review design plans and inspect the system, Jenkins said.

Some new requirements include placing sprinkler heads no closer than 4 inches from a sidewalk or street to prevent overspray, adding valves to shut off the water flow in case of line breaks and installing automatic controllers with water conservation features.

Jenkins said he understands the importance of the conservation measures but he’s worried about the cost increases.

"There are some irrigators pretty upset about it," Jenkins said. "It’s going to at least triple our time."

More efficient

City officials say they are going to try to make the permitting process painless for customers. Most cities will be using their existing staff to handle the increase in workload.

"Our goal is to make this is as simple and as easy for the customer as possible," said Jim Parajon, Arlington’s director of community and development planning.

It’s not clear yet whether the new law will result in water savings. The most visible part of the law is the requirement that sprinklers be properly designed, Fort Worth spokeswoman Mary Gugliuzza said.

Installers will also have to show customers how the automatic controllers work. City officials say they have heard of customers with $3,000-plus water bills because sprinklers came on every day, even when not needed.

"The design is a key component," Gugliuzza said. "The second part is getting the homeowner to understand their system and secondly to operate them efficiently — to realize that watering every day is not efficient."

Staff writer Mike Lee contributed to this report.

Lewisville police open homicide investigation in 2001 disappearance of woman from D/FW Airport

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:07 CST

By KATE GORMAN

Lewisville police have opened a homicide investigation in the case of an Alzheimer’s patient who disappeared from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport almost seven years ago, officials said Monday.

The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office has confirmed that skeletal remains found last year near Lewisville Lake are those of Margie Dabney and has ruled her death a homicide. Dabney died from head injuries, a spokeswoman for the office said Monday.

Candice Price, Dabney’s daughter, said the news was a shock to the family of the 70-year-old, who vanished during a layover Dec. 5, 2001.

The family held out hope for years that Dabney was being taken care of somewhere, Price said Monday. But last month, authorities asked the family for a DNA sample to compare with skeletal remains found last year near the lake.

"We really had to sit down and say, 'What if this is Mama?’ " said Price, 38, of Indianapolis. She began preparing herself for bad news and imagined that her mother, who was diabetic, might have died peacefully in her sleep.

"Now, to hear that somebody has killed my mother, that’s a blow to my heart," she said.

The medical examiner’s office could not determine when Dabney died or whether she was killed where her remains were found, spokeswoman Linda Anderson said. Police have no leads in the case, said Capt. Kevin Deaver, who oversees criminal investigations in the Lewisville Police Department.

Detectives began reviewing D/FW Airport police files from the disappearance last month, after Army Corps of Engineers workers discovered Dabney’s clothes and business cards near the area where the remains were found, he said.

D/FW Airport police officials could not be reached for comment Monday.

Case background
December 2001: Margie Dabney disappears while traveling with her husband, Joe Dabney, from Indianapolis to Los Angeles. Relatives had asked American Airlines to provide a courtesy escort, and airline officials said the couple were met on the plane by an assistant who handles passengers with special needs. When the couple said they needed to use the restroom during their layover, the attendant accompanied Joe Dabney, who used a wheelchair. Margie Dabney went alone to the women’s restroom and was to meet them at the gate, but she never arrived. Authorities and relatives searched the airport and surrounding area for months to no avail.

March 2003: The Dabney family and American Airlines settle a lawsuit alleging that airline officials misidentified Margie Dabney as an unaccompanied minor instead of an Alzheimer’s patient and gave Joe Dabney an escort who didn’t speak English. The suit also alleged that the escort bullied Joe Dabney — using a racial epithet — to get on the airplane to California against his will when Margie Dabney disappeared. Details of the settlement were not released.

November 2007: Skeletal remains are discovered near Lewisville Lake, about 13 miles north of the airport, after an Army Corps of Engineers burn.

October: Clothing matching the description of what Margie Dabney was wearing when she disappeared and business cards bearing her name are discovered after another burn. Authorities seek DNA testing to identify the remains.

— Star-Telegram archives

Power for Fort Worth tree's lights to be offset by wind energy

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:46 CST

By MELODY McDONALD

FORT WORTH — It probably won’t be a white Christmas in Cowtown this year.

But it’s going to be green.

On Monday morning, a 54-foot blue spruce from Grand Rapids, Mich., was hoisted into a giant tree stand at the corner of Third and Main streets in Sundance Square, where the tree will be decorated with thousands of lights.

Typically, that much bling (it takes about 18,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity to light the tree) would emit 25,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. But this year, the emissions will be offset with wind power from Green Mountain Energy, Sundance Square’s energy partner.

"That has the same environmental impact as not driving your car 28,000 miles — that is like from here to the North Pole and back," said Mark Lamping, a spokesman for Green Mountain Energy. "Wind power is 100 percent pollution-free."

Johnny Campbell, president and chief executive of Sundance Square, said the square is Texas’ largest green power purchaser in the real estate industry.

"This means that 100 percent of the electricity that the tree uses will be offset by Texas wind power," Campbell said. "We are really excited about that."

Holiday celebration Sundance Square will kick off the holiday season Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving, with a full day of fun events, including the lighting of the tree:

2 p.m.: The Holiday Fun Zone, presented by XTO Energy, will feature holiday-themed crafts, food and entertainment for children.

5:30 p.m.: Cowboy Santas walk the parade route to collect unwrapped toys to donate to low-income families.

6 p.m.: Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, presented by Chase, will feature floats and marching bands.

7:30 p.m.: Santa Claus will light the tree and then be available for pictures with children.

8 p.m.: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas will be shown on the big screen.

Texas Christian University announces a tuition increase

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:12 CST

By GENE TRAINOR

FORT WORTH — Tuition at Texas Christian University will increase about 5 percent for the 2009-10 school year to $28,250 for a full-time undergraduate, officials have announced.

The increase is the smallest since at least the 2004-05 school year, said Shawn Kornegay, TCU associate director of communications.

Room and board rates will be set in the spring, she said.

TCU’s financial-aid budget will also increase 5 percent with an additional $350,000 set aside for qualified students, as affirmed by the private university’s trustees in a vote Friday. More than 70 percent of TCU undergraduates receive university-funded assistance, officials said.

"We understand the current economic challenges faced by many of our students and their families," TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini said in a statement. "But we are also committed to providing students with an unparalleled university experience that develops global leaders.

"We cannot accomplish this without outstanding facilities, faculty and staff, and excellent programs."

Comparable levels

Undergraduate tuition for 2008-09 is $26,900 for students taking 12 to 18 credit hours a semester. That appears to be competitive with other Texas private schools.

Officials at Rice University and Southern Methodist University said their tuition rates will be set in December. But tuition this year for a full-time undergraduate is $29,960 at Rice in Houston and $33,170 at SMU in Dallas. Room and board costs vary.

Baylor’s tuition and mandatory fees will increase 7 percent to $27,910 during the 2009-10 school year.

By comparison, tuition at the public University of Texas at Arlington will increase by about 4.9 percent to $8,544 next school year.

The universities all have financial aid programs to help students cover costs.

Student perspectives

TCU student body President Thomas Pressly, a senior, said he is glad that trustees kept the increase to 5 percent, given that it had been rising about 8 percent annually.

Trustees appeared to take the troubled U.S. economy into account, he said.

Freshman Colin Kraft, 18, said an increase was to be expected, but he still didn’t welcome the news. Grants supplement what his parents pay for his education.

"It’s definitely going to be tougher on my family," he said. "We’re going to have to find solutions to get to 5 percent."

Freshman Toni Watts, 18, said she pays for tuition with a combination of grants, loans and scholarships. "I had to struggle to get my tuition paid off this semester."

Will she be able to come back next school year?

"We’ll see," she said.

SocialEyes: Get ready to trot like a turkey at YMCA race

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:02 CST

Melinda Mason

Let’s talk turkey! When I think of the 27th annual YMCA Turkey Trot coming up on Thanksgiving Day, I think of my sister, Martha. When she and her husband, Roger Bailey, moved to the country just outside San Angelo, they became animal magnets.

Once, their son Jay reported that they had a pointy-faced cat with a furless tail in the kitty apartment complex on their back porch. The opossum had made himself at home.

Another evening, 15 feline tails were waving at the feed trough, including a noticeable black-and-white striped one. The skunk, thankfully, was just passing through.

Of all their critters though, my favorite was the turkey. He thought he was a dog and followed Martha everywhere. I met him when he raced behind her to my car, along with the Doberman, the Shiba Inu and three other indoor dogs to welcome me and my two Yorkies, Annie and Emily.

I won’t forget the amazement on my dogs’ faces when they saw this huge, bulbous and bumbling, feather-covered sphere on two sticklike legs with a periscope for a neck and head. It looked like something George Lucas would have created for his space bar scene in Star Wars. Annie and Em were pretty sure it wasn’t a dog.

I’m reminded of that turkey today because he trotted.

My forever-favorite mental picture is of that turkey running doggedly behind Martha as she clipped along mowing the acre of grass. Back and forth she strode for an hour with that flapping turkey trotting in her wake.

So, the YMCA Turkey Trot is aptly named, and though you may not see any rotund birds jogging along the 5K, 10K and 1K trails, you can expect about 8,500 people racing the streets of west Fort Worth, whetting their appetites for the cornbread dressing with giblet gravy and pecan pie to come later at the family dinner.

Funds raised from this annual event provide scholarships that enable thousands of youths and adults to participate in YMCA programs. Those include everything from child care, day camps or swim lessons for young people to health and fitness programs for seniors.

In his eighth year as race chairman, Reagan Ferguson says there will be a new 5K course. Scott Murray will emcee the event, accompanied by honorary race chairman Hal Jay, who will be broadcasting live with Steve Lamb.

You can register on race day or in advance at www.fwtrot.org. Or, stop by Fort Worth Running Company, 5800 Camp Bowie Blvd., from Nov. 20 to 25 to sign up.

You may not have a turkey that thinks it’s a dog and likes to trot, but you may have a dog that thinks it’s human and likes turkey.

If you do and he’s well-mannered, take him along. For the $10 fee, you’ll get a doggy bandanna and after the run, you’ll both discover an enormous urge to gobble!

District judge charged with driving while intoxicated

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:07 CST

By MARTHA DELLER

Officials are refusing to release the results of a blood test conducted on state District Judge Elizabeth Berry after she was stopped by Alvarado police for speeding on Interstate 35W, but Berry has been charged with driving while intoxicated.

Johnson County Attorney Bill Moore said Monday that he approved the misdemeanor DWI charge late Friday after reviewing lab results from blood taken three hours after Berry was stopped Nov. 8. Authorities say she was driving 92 mph in a 65 mph zone.

Moore said he plans to ask the attorney general whether he has to release the results of the blood test. The Alvarado city attorney has refused to release video footage from the patrol car’s dashboard camera and instead is seeking an attorney general opinion as well.

The case was assigned to Judge Robert Mayfield of Johnson County Court-at-Law No. 1. However, Mayfield has asked that the case be reassigned because he was previously Berry’s supervisor in the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.

The case was then assigned to retired Senior Judge Bob Dohoney of Hill County. No court dates have been set.

Berry’s attorney, Mark Daniel, said the county attorney’s action was not unexpected.

"It doesn’t come as a surprise that he filed the case," Daniel said. "We’re more than prepared to defend against it."

Berry, 43, could face up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted of the Class B misdemeanor. She is free on $1,000 bail.

Alvarado Police Chief John Allen said last week that officers who stopped Berry for speeding about 4 p.m. noticed beer cans in her car and believed that she was acting intoxicated. After refusing a field sobriety test, she was arrested and taken to the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center in Cleburne. Officers obtained a warrant to take her blood after she refused a breath test, he said.

Even though Berry has now been formally charged, it is unlikely that she would be asked to step down from the bench, according to the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Seana Willing, the commission’s executive director, said it would probably not investigate Berry until her criminal case is resolved unless someone files a complaint against her. The commission can also initiate its own investigation, but that wouldn’t happen before its meeting in early December, she said.

If the case is dismissed or if Berry is acquitted, the commission probably would take no action against her. However, commissioners could make additional inquiries and, if they determined the judge was impaired to some degree, they could recommend that she participate in a treatment program or order her to do so.

Even if Berry is convicted, Willing said, a misdemeanor conviction would not disqualify her from serving as a judge. She might be disciplined, Willing said, but it’s unlikely that she would be suspended unless she was convicted of official misconduct.

"Judges tend to get in trouble not because of a DWI but what they do during the situation," Willing said. "They throw their weight around and try to get out of it because they’re a judge. That’s why those videos can be helpful — to prove what the judge did or didn’t do."

Benbrook Elementary volunteer to be honored by Texas Board of Education

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:02 CST

By SHIRLEY JINKINS

Stuart Foster was retired and looking for something interesting to do when he volunteered at Benbrook Elementary School two years ago this month.

He found it.

Foster, 62, volunteers four days a week and works with as many as 21 students in several grades each week. He tutors students in reading, phonics, spelling, math and science. To help dyslexic students, Foster studied the Scottish Rite dyslexia training on his own and holds daily spelling sessions for dyslexic students.

On Monday, Foster was named one of the Texas Board of Education’s Heroes for Children.

Foster is to be honored with 14 other volunteers at the board’s Friday session in Austin. Foster will represent District 11, which includes Tarrant County.

"He’s been a tremendous help to many of our kiddoes," Benbrook Principal Shelley Anderson said. "He works with both small groups and individual students. When he works with a certain student, he learns all he can about what would help that particular student learn."

How often do you volunteer, and what’s the range of your students?

Most mornings, Monday through Thursday, from 8 until about noon. I’ve had students from kindergarten through fifth grade, but mainly kindergarteners, first- and second-graders.

What did you do as a career?

I’m retired from AT&T and SBC. I was there 30 years. I was a technician, though I did teach classes to younger technicians the last two years I was there. That’s where I got the bug to work in the schools.

Were you ever an instructor full time?

Two years after I first retired, I was called up out of the blue and took a job as a trainer for Spirent Communications in Maryland. I taught classes and traveled all over the United States and Canada.

Is your specialty working with dyslexic students?

What I get are the second-graders who haven’t been diagnosed yet; they won’t be screened until third grade. Working with them is the very best part of the job.

Why?

It gives these kids who are struggling a safe place away from the competition of school to match up with others who are in the same boat. They enjoy trying to overcome their problems in a sheltered way. They learn that they’re not dumb or doing anything wrong, there’s a reason why they’re having problems, and they learn to work around them.

You took special training for working with dyslexic students, didn’t you?

I took the training materials home that the teachers had and studied them at night. I talked to people that I thought could help.

What are your strengths as a volunteer?

It helps to be male, I think. Some of these students have no male role models, and the elementary school teachers and staff are all women.

Briefs: Boy's leg severed below knee by train in Fort Worth

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:32 CST

Boy’s leg severed by train

FORT WORTH — A 7-year-old boy’s left leg was severed below the knee Sunday afternoon when he slipped under a train while playing on tracks near downtown, according to a police report. Anthony Bell was reported to be in good condition Monday at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Anthony was playing behind his baby sitter’s home in the 300 block of North Harding Street when the train passed about 2:30 p.m., according to the report. The Police Department’s crimes against children unit is investigating. — Deanna Boyd

Cigar-seeking robber strikes again

FORT WORTH — For at least the 12th time in about a month, the cigar-seeking robber has struck. The latest incident was about 4 a.m. Sunday at the 7-Eleven store in the 2800 block of Northeast 28th Street, police reported. The robber asked the clerk for a cigar, and when she opened the register, he demanded money. The clerk did not see a weapon but told police that the man kept his hand in his sweatpants as if he had a gun. Police have said 11 similar robberies have been reported since mid-October. Anyone with information is asked to call the robbery unit at 817-392-4370 or Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS.

— Deanna Boyd

City Streets club robbed

FORT WORTH — A masked man armed with a knife robbed the City Streets club in Sundance Square on Monday morning, police said. The manager was alone inside the closed club, 425 Commerce St., about 11:30 a.m. when she was confronted by the robber, who demanded money and tied her up, robbery Sgt. David Yerigan said. Anyone with information is asked to call the robbery unit at 817-392-4370 or Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS. — Deanna Boyd

Center wins $2 million grant

FORT WORTH — The University of North Texas Health Science Center has won a $2 million grant for geriatric training, school officials announced. The school received the award from the Las Vegas-based Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, which supports projects that prepare doctors to meet the needs of elderly patients. Dr. Janice Knebl will lead the health science center’s project. — Maria M. Perotin

Pharmacy program planned

IRVING — The University of Dallas is seeking accreditation for a doctor of pharmacy program and expects to enroll its first class in 2011, officials announced Monday. The university would be the only option in North Texas for people who want to become pharmacists. There is a nationwide shortage of pharmacists, and the demand in Texas ranks among the highest in the nation, according to the Pharmacy Manpower Project. George MacKinnon, previously a vice president at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, was named founding dean of the School of Pharmacy. The University of Dallas is a Catholic liberal arts school in Irving with about 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

— Maria M. Perotin

Town-hall meeting for police, TV

ARLINGTON — Residents are invited to a town-hall meeting to tour the new South Arlington Police Service Center and to learn about digital TV conversion. The meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Thursday at the service center, 1030 SW Green Oaks Blvd.

— Susan Schrock

Superintendent job posted

ARLINGTON — The school district posted an ad on its Web site Friday for a school superintendent, about a week after community members flooded a trustees’ meeting and demanded that the board rule out hiring a firm to do a national search. Trustees agreed, but state law requires the district to post the job opening for at least 10 days, they said. Many of those at the meeting said they favored interim Superintendent Jerry McCullough for the permanent post. According to the ad, requirements include experience as a superintendent, three letters of reference and an up-to-date résumé. Trustees also want someone proficient in seven areas. Those include: "creating a learning environment where all students, regardless of wealth or ethnicity, achieve equally" and "recommending innovative approaches for the delivery of instruction to children and general improvement of the district’s effectiveness." To see the full advertisement, go to www.aisd.net.

— Traci Shurley