I just got back from a week in Scottsdale, AZ on business with my company. One of the things I learned this week was that my company has decided to replace the two programmers my team recently lost with four programmers from India. I am really not happy with that, nor is anyone on my team. It's a corporate edict we have to live with, so we'll do our best to make it work, but I just think it's wrong to do such a thing when Americans need jobs.
School Board Meeting
I hate that I was unable to attend Thursday night's LISD budget meeting. We normally shoot video of those, but we had no volunteer step forward and do that. Luckily, Wendy Hundley with Dallas Morning News has more about the budget and approved pay increases for LISD.
LISD earns "Recognized" status
Lewisville ISD retained its Recognized status. Wendy has that story too. We'll take a more in-depth look at the ratings soon. There has been some controversy surrounding the ratings system, specifically with regards to the Texas Projection Measure - sort of a fudge-factor that gets applied to schools that may not meet the criteria, but show some progress.
More Drilling Permits in Lewisville
This past week, Williams applied for 12 more gas wells in Southern Lewisville, adding a new pad site for the Cobb Unit and Ace Units B and C. I've added a map of all Lewisville proposed wells and natural gas facilities to the History and Status of Natural Gas Drilling in Lewisville page, and I'll have a post or two coming up on the topic. No new permit applications were received by the City of Lewisville this week.
Mosque / Islamic Center Near "Ground Zero"
Since it's hard to find any objective reporting on this issue that has caused right-wing outrage and countless email fear-mongering campaigns, I wanted to pass along this link to a New York Times story on a proposed Islamic center two blocks north of the former site of the World Trade Centers.
My question for those who want the government to stop this: What do you want the government to do, suspend the constitution and violate the first amendment by denying their plans on the basis of their religion? They bought the land, and are paying for the center. It wasn't Islam that brought the World Trade Centers down; it was radical fundamentalist extremism and pure evil terror.
Miscellaneous
- A Lewisville woman fought off a mugger.
- Mother Jones says the natural gas released into the ocean from the Deepwater Horizon spill has its own consequences for the environment.
- Lewisville lifeguards earned high ranks at a national competition. But this past week while I was gone, my wife took my kids to the Sun Valley pool, where my son says a lifeguard watched and laughed as a bigger kid held him under water, and tortured other kids.
- Lewisville City Council meets Monday night. There is not anything controversial on the agenda.
- Voter fraud, yet again - and as typical, it's a Republican elected official. For all the hysterics from the right wing about voter ID, and their fact-less assertions about people trying to vote illegally, it does seem that whenever real fraud is involved, there's a Republican behind it. |
