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Mayor Charles England today endorsed Bill White as the right governor for Texas' future.
In a prepared statement Mayor England said, "We need Bill White as our next governor because he will run the state with taxpayers and their wallets in mind. He's proved that he knows how to squeeze the value out of a dollar with fiscally disciplined budgets."
An affiliate of the Small Business Administration and the Chamber, SCORE offers counseling through its staff of volunteers who have considerable success and experience in their fields.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone in the community to come and learn about this resource,” said Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce president Lynn McGinley. “If you are considering starting a new business, or growing your current business, you will learn something of value at this luncheon.”
Continue reading "Chamber luncheon to feature help for small businesses" »
Dozens of future baseball players took part in Kid N' Me Hit the Tee hosted by the Grand Prairie AirHogs Wednesday at QuikTrip Park.
AirHogs players Cody Merrell, Chad Gabriel and Greg Porter lead the hands-on baseball instruction, skill-building exercise and baseball 101 knowledge for kids ages 3-5.
“It’s more for us to engage a little bit with youngsters,” AirHogs vice president Andrew Seymour said of the event. He added, not only do the players love taking the time to be a part of the community and helping kids, it gave the kids an opportunity to get instructions from professional players on a professional field.
Continue reading "Little sluggers’ spring training with AirHogs" »
Two suspects in a Monday morning burglary are in custody after leading Grand Prairie police on a lengthy foot-chase through a residential neighborhood.
Officers were first called to the 500 block of Chestnut Drive around 11:00 a.m. when a caller reported seeing two males at the back door of a residence and a gray car backed-up to the house.
Grand Prairie police spokesman Detective John Brimmer said when officers arrived they located Zachary Isaac, 21, outside the house and an officer tried to detain him.
Isaac fled from the officer, ran back into the house, yelling a warning at his accomplice, Deandre Davis, 26. Both Isaac and Davis then ran from the house.
The new online system through the city’s website, offers the public access to the results of the latest health inspection conducted by the Environmental Quality Division and explains the grading criteria.
Viewers can search the online database by:
Cuisine type
ZIP code
Facility name or first letter
Continue reading "Restaurant inspection results now online" »
Saturday, the Grand Prairie Metro Rotary held its inaugural Prairie Ride motorcycle “fun run,” a fundraiser for the organization’s many charitable projects.
Dozens of motorcycle riders from around the metroplex turned out to enjoy the beautiful weather and the 60 mile ride through Grand Prairie and the scenic countryside of Cedar Hill and Midlothian.
Continue reading "Inaugural Prairie Ride benefits Metro Rotary" »
More than 1,400 walkers gathered at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie Saturday morning for the Walk for Lupus Now 5k to raise money for Lupus Foundation of America North Texas Chapter.
Friends, co-workers, and communities rallied together in the fight against lupus with the goal to raise funds for research, education, and support services for people affected by lupus.
Grand Prairie’s second annual Ultimate Outdoor Experience at Loyd Park, 3401 Ragland Road, will be held through Sunday. The one-of-a-kind outdoor event features recreation, live music, food, spirits and brand new outdoor toys.
Plenty of recreation vehicles, boats, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft, new cars and trucks are on display, all highlighted with a classic car and truck show.
Continue reading "Ultimate Outdoor Experience at Loyd Park" »
Brave Combo, the Denton, Texas based two-time Grammy award-winning quintet with concluded the Grand Prairie Arts Council’s April Concerts in the Park series Friday night at the Turner Park Gazebo.
Continue reading "April Concerts in the Park series finale" »
The tournament hosted by the Grand Prairie Police Benevolent Association, benefits non-profit charities such as the Texas Peace Officers Memorial Foundation, Concerns of Police Survivors, Guns & Hoses Foundation of North Texas, MADD, Santa Cop, Grand Prairie Police Benevolent Association and the Sgt. Gregory L. Hunter Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
Continue reading "“Remember the Fallen” benefit golf tournament" »
Police said the suspect approaches homes, knocks on the door, and asks the resident if she could use their restroom and phone because her car is broken down. After the suspect leaves, the resident discovers numerous pieces of jewelry and accessories missing.
Fox, who complained of pain in his upper back, was conscious and talking, and was able to move his arms and legs before being transported to the hospital
Continue reading "Jockey injured in fall at Lone Star Park" »
Celebrating 18 years of service to families in Grand Prairie, the Grand Prairie Food & Clothing Assistance Co-op held its volunteer appreciation party at the Uptown Theater on Wednesday recognizing the volunteers that gave approximately 6,400 hours of their time helping the needy.
2009 was a record-setting year for the Co-op. The food pantry served 3,649 families totaling 9,751 individuals, distributing 180,578 pounds of food with an estimated value of $181,445.
Continue reading "Food and clothing co-op volunteer appreciation party" »
Attendees are asked to put money and food where their hearts are to benefit several Dallas-based groups, including Grand Prairie’s Star Group, 2251 El Paso, that regularly reach out to those in need. In addition to paying admission that starts at $20, concert goers are asked to contribute two non-perishable food items to help the cause. Tickets are available at www.twentytenmission.org, Ticket Masters, ITickets, and Ticketweb. For more information to attend and/or to get involved with TWENTY TEN MISSION, call 479-426-7851.
The new system, with its four cameras, automatically scans license plates and searches the court’s offender database for matches as the Marshal drives the streets. When the system hits on a tag associated with wanted person, the Marshal is notified through the in car computer and makes a traffic stop of the vehicle. If the wanted person is found in the car that person can either:
Continue reading "License plate reader helps City Marshals catch those wanted" »
As The Summit, a $23 million dollar, 60,000 square foot facility located in Central Park designed specifically for active adults ages 50 and older, nears completion, the 'Reporter' got a tour of the facility on Monday to see its amenities.
Continue reading "A look at The Summit, Grand Prairie’s active adult center" »
Every year Georgia-Pacific bestows this prestigious award on top distributors of Georgia-Pacific professional products who demonstrate significant product sales increases over the course of the year. The award is meant to recognize Georgia-Pacific customers' achievements in business-to-business transactions and honor the valued and fruitful partnership between Georgia-Pacific and the award recipient.
Only five distributors in the nation were honored with the 2009 award, and Pollock was one of only two recipients in the large distributor category. Pollock Paper received the President's Award in 2006 and 2008 as well, but the 2009 honor is especially significant given the harsh economic conditions that persisted throughout the year.
Continue reading "Pollock Paper Receives 2009 President's Award from Georgia-Pacific" »
Veteran entertainer Steve Lippia brought Ol’ Blue Eyes to life Saturday night with his performance in the Uptown Theater.
A classic car parade on Main Street kicked off Saturday’s Spring Fling at Market Square. Presented by the Grand Prairie Auto Related Business Association the parade and car show attracted dozens of classic cars, customs, hot rods, trucks, and motorcycles for across the area.
The Farmers Market had its usual wide variety of vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh baked breads, relishes, meat and many more high quality products
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| Submitted photo |
Over 300 people gathered at Bush Elementary School on April 15 to honor the “Most Outstanding 5th Graders” in all the Grand Prairie elementary schools, both public and private.
Hosted by the Optimist Cub of Grand Prairie to “bring out the best in kids,” the annual Youth Appreciation Night recognized students, their families and their teachers.
Continue reading "The Grand Prairie Optimist Club honors 5th graders" »
The Gimbles, three generations of musicians, performed their Texas-style symphony of swing and country music at Friday night’s April Concert in the Park presented by the Grand Prairie Arts Council.
Continue reading "Texas swing featured at Arts Council's Concert in the Park" »
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| Courtesy National Weather Service |
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a Flood Watch for Grand Prairie effective through Sunday evening.
A slow-moving upper level system is forecast to drift eastward bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms across North Texas beginning later today and continuing through much of the weekend.
Continue reading "Occasional moderate to heavy rainfall expected through Sunday" »
“All across this country, nearly 20,000 families can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Donovan. “This additional funding will help housing agencies to continue providing affordable housing.”
Continue reading "HUD awards city additional funding for rental assistance" »
An exuberant crowd estimated by police to be around 8,000 crowded onto the field and in the seats at QuikTrip Park at Grand Prairie Thursday night to hear a host of speakers protest a growing government with progressive policies and out-of-control spending.
Emceed by radio personality Mark Davis (WBAP 820), the rally featured several speakers including:
Police spokesperson Tiara Richard said detectives were led to Clark through a combination of tips, witness accounts and evidence gathered during the course of the investigation.
Continue reading "Grand Prairie man charged in Arlington murder" »
RefUSA is a massive database of US business and residential information. Their database results powers top internet tools like Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Mapquest.
Continue reading "Free class for jobseekers, small business owners" »
To attend kindergarten, children must be five years old on or before September 1.
This visual arts showcase will feature student work from many GPISD campuses. Admission is free and there will be a performance by the South Grand Prairie High School Orchestra and refreshments.
Source: GPISD
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| Photo courtesy Grand Prairie Police Department |
On April 10 at approximately 6:09 p.m., a lone suspect armed with a handgun robbed the Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Store located at 500 E. Pioneer Parkway.
Witnesses described the suspect as:
Continue reading "Lone gunman robs Braum’s" »
Grand Prairie police are asking the public's help to identify two suspects that robbed the Wachovia Bank, 3060 Camp Wisdom Road, on April 13 at approximately 10:13 a.m.
The suspects, both black males, were wearing orange construction vests and carrying handguns.
Suspect descriptions:
On April 17, Dickinson Elementary, 1902
Electronics should be recycled when possible and kept out of
our landfills. Each electronic device may contain small amounts of hazardous
chemicals (such as lead and mercury). Keeping toxic materials from landfills
and recycling the rest to make new products is the best way to protect our
environment and extend the useful life of our landfills.
Accepted electronics:
Continue reading "Electronics recycling at Dickinson Elementary" »
Inman comes from Arlington Bowie and brings 20 years of coaching experience to a struggling Gopher basketball program that finished the season with a 0-26 record.
Continue reading "Former state champion - Gophers new basketball coach" »
The games, similar to the popular television shows Survivor and The Amazing Race, will take place on the shores of Joe Pool Lake.
Continue reading "Chamber sets date for Games of Grand Prairie" »
South Grand Prairie High School’s award winning Jazz Band was the featured performers at Friday night’s Grand Prairie Arts Council’s April Concert in the Park at the Turner Park Gazebo.
Friday night’s concert was second of four in the series. Remaining concerts include:
Continue reading "SGPHS Jazz Band performs at April Concerts in the Park" »
Beautiful weather Thursday night greeted the 8512 horse race fans that attended Lone Star Park’s opening of its 2010 Spring Thoroughbred Season.
Professor D was the featured entertainment in the Courtyard of Champions, but entertainment for the entire family could be found throughout the park.
A 25 year-old Grand Prairie man was killed Thursday evening when his motorcycle collided with car making a turn in the 700 block of West Main Street.
According to police, Gerardo Lorenzo-Moreno was driving a 2005 Yamaha motorcycle west bound on Main around 5:30 p.m. behind a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Lacy Rudloff, 18, of Grand Prairie. Rudloff, who was traveling in the outside lane, made a right turn onto Fort Worth Street. Lorenzo-Moreno’s motorcycle struck the side of the Camaro as he attempted an illegal pass on the right side.
Lorenzo-Moreno, who was not licensed to operate a motorcycle or wearing a helmet, was thrown from his motorcycle. He was transported by ambulance to Methodist Dallas Medical Center where he died at 7:31 p.m.
Continue reading "Motorcyclist - year's fifth traffic fatality" »
Alert citizens in the area of Quannah, Waterwood and Forum helped Grand Prairie police capture three men suspected burglarizing cars.
Around 3:00 a.m. Wednesday morning residents called police reporting three suspicious men in the area. When police arrived, officers spotted a car matching the description of the suspect vehicle driving on Waterwood with its light off.
The car, a 1988 Mercedes-Benz, fled when officer tried to stop it leading them on a short pursuit that ended when the driver, Anthony Poole, 21, lost control of his vehicle at the intersection of Robinson Road and Mayfield Road.
With an April 13 deadline looming, Sarah Dinh is putting in lots of extra class and after school time working on the fiberglass cow she is painting for the Fifth Annual Lucerne The Art of Dairy art contest.
The South Grand Prairie High School senior is one of thirty finalists selected from the more than 9,600 entries in this year’s nationwide art contest with the theme “Taste of Moo-sic.”
Continue reading "Art student works to finish decorated cow" »
Audition times/dates:
Thursday, April 22: 4:00 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, April 24, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Hundreds of children came to Lynn Creek Park Saturday to gather some of the more than 100,000 Easter eggs scattered in the open fields for Eggstravaganza.
The annual event hosted by the Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation featured arts, crafts, food, bounce houses and entertainment for the whole family.
Continue reading "Eggstravaganza – Lynn Creek Park and Kirby Creek Natatorium" »
Friday night, the Grand Prairie Arts Council’s very popular April Concerts in the Park series began its tenth year of entertaining music fans with free concerts in Turner Park.
With the warm spring weather, concert goers spread their blankets or setup their chairs on the park’s beautiful slopes to listen to Tin Roof Tango play a variety of music in the Gazebo.
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| Home invasion robbery/assault suspect - Courtesy Grand Prairie Police Department |
The victims, Mario and Carmen Delgado and their 15 year old daughter were at home when two suspects forced their way into the house.
Mr. Delgado was forced at gun point to remove a large sum of money from his safe while a second suspect held his wife and daughter at knife point in the living room. A third suspect waited outside acting as a look out.
Mr. Delgado was struck with the pistol numerous times during the robbery and was taken to Medical Center of Arlington for treatment.
Police describe the suspects as:
Continue reading "Family robbed, man injured in home invasion" »
Parks and Recreation Director Rick Herold got a free lunch Thursday at one of his favorite restaurants, Simply Asia, when Arlington’s Parks and Recreation Director Pete Jamieson had to make good on a friendly wager on which department could signup the most fans to their Facebook page.
The contest between the two began in December and concluded March 1 with Grand Prairie garnering more than 2,000 fans to beat Arlington.
Thanks to funding from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Education Agency has contracted with ACT and The College Board, which oversees the SAT testing program, to make free tests available this spring and early summer. This is part of a larger effort to increase college preparation efforts in the state.
Continue reading "Texas offers free SAT/ACT tests to high school juniors" »
For more than a year, Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have been working to craft legislation that would prevent another catastrophic financial crisis like the one we saw in the fall of 2008. We are beginning debate and working to ensure that the final legislation has bipartisan input. The memories of the divisive health care debate and the methods used to ram the health care bill through are still fresh. This bill, which will affect all aspects of our economy, is too important to be rushed and pushed through in a partisan manner.
Republicans had been attacked for speaking out against rushing this bill and asking for bipartisan negotiations before bringing the bill to the Senate floor for debate. But we held fast, and we won a major concession to remove a $50 billion bailout fund that gave the implication that the fund and the American taxpayers would cover the big institutions’ riskiest deals.
This was a critical early victory. The idea that a financial institution is ‘Too Big To Fail’ perverts free market capitalism. It suggests that large firms can privatize their profits, yet socialize their risks. These companies take their profits in good times – but when things go bad – they turn to the government to bail them out. We won assurances that this loophole language will be removed from the bill. The American people should not be forced to pay the risky gambling debts of the large financial institutions.
Now, as the debate begins, my priority will be to protect our Main Street banks. Community banks did not engage in the risky, speculative trades that contributed to the financial meltdown. Community banks have been and continue to provide credit to small businesses.
We must safeguard against creating a two-tier, bifurcated banking system that puts community banks at a competitive and regulatory disadvantage to the large financial institutions.
First, the current legislation removes community banks from the purview of the Federal Reserve, meaning that the Fed will be making monetary policy with a very narrow view. It is imperative that the Fed have a national and Main Street perspective, not just a New York , Wall Street focus. The legislation also puts our community banks, which were steady lenders during the financial crisis, at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to interest rates. I will be introducing an amendment, and hope to get bipartisan support, to allow our community banks the option of membership in the Federal Reserve.
Keeping our nation’s financial institutions strong is critical to our economic recovery. Community banks extending credit to small businesses allows those companies to create jobs. We must set politics aside and get financial regulatory reform right, and I hope we are now on the road to do just that.
Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior U.S. Senator from Texas and is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
As a Texan, a San Antonio native, the son of a decorated veteran, and a U.S. Senator with the privilege of holding Sam Houston’s original seat in the Senate, I have a deep appreciation for Texas history. From the defenders of the Alamo to the cattlemen on the Chisholm Trail, and the many brave men and women who have helped to shape Texas history, I am fascinated by these trailblazers and the defining events that made Texas what it is today. I believe one of the most important things we can do—as parents, educators, and leaders—is to encourage Texas young people to learn more about our state’s rich history.
Every year, as many as 45,000 Texas students, grades six through 12, participate in Texas History Day – a yearlong program coordinated by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) that challenges students to learn more about Texas history and demonstrate their knowledge through creative entries such as performances, documentaries, interpretive web sites, or 3D exhibits. Throughout the year, students research their selected topics and work to produce their entries. Entries are first judged in regional competitions throughout Texas, hosted each spring. Winning entries advance to the state level or the Texas History Day fair, which this year will be hosted in Austin from May 7-8. In June, state winners advance to the National History Day competition hosted at the University of Maryland at College Park. Typically, nearly 1,000 Texas students participate in the state fair each year, with about 60 students advancing to the national fair.
Entries are judged according to three Texas History Day criteria: historical quality, clarity of presentation, and adherence to theme. The annual theme is decided on the national level, and while Texas students can choose topics on any aspect of Texas history, their entries must tie into the national annual theme. This year’s theme is “Innovation in History: Impact and Change.”
In 2009, several Texas students placed at the national level, including students from Eisenhower and Nimitz high schools in Houston, Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, O. Henry Middle School in Austin, Boerne Middle School North, Lake Air and Tennyson middle schools in Waco, and Horace Mann and Baytown junior high schools in Baytown.
In addition to competing to advance to the national level, students who make it to the state fair can compete for several scholarships and special awards, such as the Jewish History Award sponsored by the Texas Jewish Historical Society; the Willie Lee Gay Award for African-American History sponsored by Ms. Willie Lee Gay; and the Ruth Winegarten Award for entries about Texas women’s history. Written entries are also eligible to earn publication in several journals such as the Texas Historian, an annual magazine showcasing the work of Texas’ outstanding student historians.
While entries have already been selected for this year’s state fair, I encourage all young Texans to participate in next year’s Texas History Day. It is truly a rewarding experience to learn about our great state, the historic events that shaped it, and the men and women who paved the way for our freedoms and way of life. I applaud the work of the Texas State Historical Association, which has made endless contributions to preserving the colorful, rich history of Texas.
To learn more about Texas History Day and find out how you can participate, visit: http://www.tshaonline.org/education/thd/index.html or call TSHA’s Educational Services Division, (940) 369-5200.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary, Agriculture, and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.
On April 15th, millions of Americans dutifully filed their 2009 federal income tax returns. Over the past 18 months, our nation faced record unemployment, lost income, and home foreclosures. Amidst these uncertain times, American families and small businesses have tightened their belts and made tough financial decisions in order to maintain a responsible budget.
On Tax Day, Congress was reminded of the budget sacrifices our constituents are making, and we should renew efforts to simplify our tax system and lessen the burden on hard-working Americans. The tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 helped boost employment and economic prosperity. I’m especially pleased that we finally got tax parity with other states by making Texas state sales tax dollars deductible on federal income tax returns.
Texas is one of only eight states that do not have a state income tax. Having no state income tax has fostered a thriving business climate. However, in lieu of income taxes, we do have a state sales tax. Because we were unable to deduct the state sales tax, Texans were penalized when filing federal tax returns. In 2004, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Houston) and I finally corrected this injustice by passing legislation to allow state and local sales tax deductibility for two years. We have also been able to enact successive extensions every few years. Deductibility of state and local sales taxes provides an average return of about $600 per Texas family. We are now working to make this deductibility permanent so that residents of Texas and other no state income tax states are not unfairly disadvantaged in the federal tax code.
I am also actively pursuing action to ensure that the marriage penalty, the most egregious, anti-family provision in the federal tax code, never returns. The marriage tax penalty pushes married couples into a higher tax bracket than two single wage earners taking in the same combined income. As a matter of principle, the IRS should never do anything to discourage one of the most fundamental institutions of our society: marriage.
I have been fighting since 2001 to reverse this inequity. And as part of the tax cuts of 2001, Congress eliminated the marriage tax penalty for most married couples. Before this tax relief passed, more than 25 million American married couples paid an average penalty of $1,141 just because they were married! I am proud that I was able to help repeal that outrage. However, this marriage penalty relief will expire at the end of this year. I will again lead the effort to pass a permanent extension so that American families will not face this outrageous tax penalty again.
Unfortunately, the Obama Administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress are pushing higher taxes and even more deficits in order to finance their unprecedented spending programs. The American people want an end to this reckless spending that is hampering our economic recovery. And the American people want tax relief. Presidents from both parties, including Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush, have successfully employed tax relief to create jobs and spur economic activity.
That is why we must extend the tax cuts that are scheduled to expire in 2011. If we allow the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 to expire, 43 million families with children would be forced to pay $2,300 more in taxes each year; more than 18 million seniors will owe $2,200 more in taxes; and 27 million small businesses will owe $4,100 more in taxes. At this time of economic uncertainty, the last thing we should be doing is raising taxes. I am committed to working to make the tax cuts permanent, giving real relief to American taxpayers. If these tax cuts expire – April 15, 2011 will be even worse!
Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior U.S. Senator from Texas and is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
By U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
As our nation fights through an economic downturn, the worst since the Great Depression, we continue to see the effects this crisis has wrought on Americans. National unemployment continues to hover near 10 percent, its highest level in 26 years. Foreclosure rates are not abating. And while there are some signs of relief in the credit markets, small businesses and consumers are still struggling to obtain credit.
The crisis also remains at the forefront of consciousness because of the immense government intervention this Administration and the Democratic Congressional leadership have pushed through. Companies that were once titans of finance and business failed. As a result trillions of dollars in bailouts and spending packages have been poured into our financial markets and the economy as a whole to prop up these institutions, all in the name of market stabilization. It continues to this day, as evidenced by another $18 billion spending package enacted last month. This unprecedented amount of spending is sending our national debt spiraling out of control.
At the heart of this intervention is the notion that institutions can be “too big to fail,” our government’s policy to provide assistance to prevent the failure of large financial firms deemed systemically significant to our economy. This perverts free market capitalism and suggests that entities can “privatize” their profits, yet “socialize” their risks. This absolutely must end. The American taxpayers should not be forced to pay the gambling debts of failed risky bets made by large financial institutions.
In the coming weeks we will begin debate on financial regulatory reform legislation that would put into law this “too big to fail” mentality. It is absolutely wrong to tie the fate of the national and global economy to the fortunes of a relatively small number of giant financial firms.
Of particular concern is the effect that proposed financial regulatory reform legislation will have on our nation’s community banks. Community banks in Texas and across the country serve as the backbone of our economy. Community banks were making home and business loans to local customers, while the giant financial institutions were playing the derivative and subprime market. Local community banks provide the lending and deposit services for our nation’s small businesses so that they may continue to operate, invest, create jobs, and drive our economy. Credit from a community bank allows the West Texas exploration company to drill new wells to deliver the oil and gas that fuels our state and nation. Credit from a community bank in Texas allows the Austin area tech start up to create a new product line that could soon revolutionize the way the world communicates. It is this business lending that will help create jobs and grow our economy.
Tom Hoenig, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City , said recently that our nation’s largest banks would be well-served to take lessons from our community banks. Why? Because community banks have been committed to providing the vital credit and services needed for small businesses to create the jobs that will lead our nation into recovery.
It is precisely this ability to foster bottom-up growth through small businesses that sets community banks apart from other financial institutions. Unlike the big financial institutions we see in the headlines for bailouts and bonuses, community banks do not pose systemic risk to our financial system, nor are they identified as primary contributors to our latest crisis.
However, our community banks would soon be subjected to a considerable amount of new costs and regulatory burdens as a result of this legislation, a burden that would hamper their ability to effectively provide depository and lending services to our American consumers and small businesses.
Community banks should not be punished as a result of this legislation. We should preserve and enhance our dual-banking system, rather than impose additional federal regulations that stifle their ability to serve their communities. This legislation would gear the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy to the large banks mainly in New York without any regard for the 6,800 regional and community banks located across our country. And that means the Fed will lack a fundamental understanding of what small businesses, families, and workers across Texas and throughout our nation are facing on a daily basis.
We should stop “too big to fail,” protect taxpayers from bailouts and only regulate what needs to be regulated. It’s when government tries to fix what isn’t broken that trouble begins.
Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior U.S. Senator from Texas and is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Many Texans may not know that Fiesta San Antonio, one of Texas’ oldest and most celebrated festivals, began with a literal “flower fight”— a parade called the Battle of Flowers, first hosted on April 21, 1891. The Battle of Flowers was organized by several San Antonio women, led by Ellen Maury Slayden, wife of Congressman James L. Slayden, who had seen a similar parade on a visit to Spain and wanted to start the tradition in San Antonio to honor the heroes who fought in the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. The ladies assembled the Battle of Flowers Parade Committee, garnered support from local leaders, and began planning the first parade.
The first Battle of Flowers Parade included carriages and floats covered in fresh flowers. The procession was divided in two, with each half traveling toward each other, unlike a typical parade’s succession. Each side tossed flowers at the other as they passed. Within just four years’ time the parade had expanded into a weeklong festival. The first Queen and King were chosen in 1896 and 1897, respectively. Soon, the King and Queen were supported by a full royal court, including a princess, duchesses, and other members of the court. In 1909 the Order of the Alamo was established by John Carrington to oversee certain aspects of the celebration, and to officially select the royal members from San Antonio and the surrounding communities. By 1915, the parade had grown too large to outfit each float in fresh flowers, and artificial flowers were used in their place.
Soon, several other events were added to the official schedule including balls, a carnival, and coronation ceremonies. In 1925, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas began a tradition still observed today—the Pilgrimage to the Alamo. Several patriotic, military, and school organizations march solemnly to the Alamo, while the names of the men who fought in the Battle of Alamo are read aloud from within the walls.
In 1945, the San Antonio Conservation Society began hosting ‘Night in Old San Antonio,’ a colorful recreation of life in early San Antonio with authentic costumes and customs. ‘Night in Old San Antonio’ continues to be celebrated today, hosted on four consecutive nights in La Villita on the south bank of the San Antonio River, which is considered San Antonio’s first neighborhood and is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts.
As the celebrations continued to attract more revelers, the weeklong festivities were officially coined Fiesta San Antonio in 1959, when the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce organized the Fiesta San Antonio Commission to oversee the week’s events.
Today, members of the Battle of Flowers Association, which remains an all-female organization dedicated to promoting the history and patriotic traditions of San Antonio and Texas, wear yellow dresses and hats to the annual parade. The parade, the centerpiece of Fiesta San Antonio, has been held every year since 1891, with the exception of war times. It is the only parade in the country to be completely organized and planned by women. Today’s parade includes 40 flower-covered floats, horse-drawn carriages, and several military, college, and high school bands.
As a San Antonio native and the son of a decorated veteran, I have had the privilege of enjoying many Fiestas over the years. In 2008 I was honored to be a guest speaker at the opening ceremony.* I have a deep appreciation for the San Antonians who carry out this important tradition with such careful attention to detail each year. These include many local nonprofit organizations, such as church, military and student groups, who work together with members of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission and more than 75,000 volunteers to carry out more than 100 events over the 11-day celebration. These men and women make every effort to ensure it is a top-notch celebration for the thousands who participate and a fitting tribute to the many veterans who have sacrificed for our freedoms since the days of the Alamo. For more information on this year’s schedule of events, visit www.fiesta-sa.org.
