Last Tuesday at SMU, the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance joined forces with the Memnosyne Foundation Center for Interfaith Inquiry to discuss “History That Moves Texans Forward.” The purpose was to explore the thinking behind the newly-established Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission.

According to organizers,

“the commission is significant because by law, the commission — considered the most important development in Holocaust education in Texas in years — is to help preserve information and experiences of the Holocaust and other genocide events.”

The commission is slated to work with organizations, agencies, museums, survivors, and liberators to preserve and provide information and experiences, as well as coordinate memorial events within the state.

Photo by Steve Foxall

Our own State Sen. Florence Shapiro co-sponsored the commission’s legislation and was part of the panel that included Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission Chairman Peter Berkowitz, Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance Museum Director Elliott Dlin, and University of Dallas Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Amy Fisher-Smith (pictured right with, from the left, Memnosyne Foundation founder Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk, Berkowitz, Rena Pederson, Shapiro, and Dlin.)

Texas Tribune Editor/CEO Evan Smith was originally scheduled to moderator the panel, but that snowstorm that missed Dallas hit Austin and prevented Evan from attending. Luckily, journalist/author/Communications Director for the National Math and Science Initiative Rena Pederson stepped in at the last moment to fill Evan’s shoes.

According to U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Graves,

“Through late August 2010, Census Bureau temporary field staff will work in neighborhoods across the United States to deliver questionnaires, collect information from those who have not returned their census questionnaire, and verify addresses.”

Just in case you’re wary of who is “field staff” and who is not, Robert has an answer for that, too.

“All employees can be identified through identification cards issued by the Census Bureau.”

Check here for tips on fraudulent possibilities.

Did you know that according to population clock, there are 308,735,433 of us in the U.S. and 6,804,329,906 in the world as of 6:40 a.m. today?

As usual in any house, everyone seemed to gather in the kitchen. Thank heaven, Sharif & Munir houses boast really big kitchens. Squeezing her way through the happy-go-party crowd, Junior League President Meredith Camp (pictured) took charge of the program by standing on the staircase and providing thank you’s and welcomes to the crowd of celebrants.

Then she introduced Fred “Mr. Bank of Texas” Ball (pictured), who took his place on the stairs. He told the group that he was so glad that he and the Bank of Texas could be with the ladies of Crystal Charity Ball. Momentary silence. Then a voice from the back of the room said loud enough for all to hear, “Junior League.” It was Fred’s wife and Junior Leaguer Charlotte (pictured). That shout out nearly brought down the house almost literally. One had to wonder if the Balls hadn’t planned the misspoken words.

From that point on, Fred had one and all in his hand. Let’s face it. The crowd is thrilled about the upcoming February 20th event at the Anatole. Ball chair Angela Nash and her co-conspirators have really got the excitement going with their having Rick Springfield as the featured entertainer. Everybody wants to be Jessie’s Girl.

(Ed. note: If you’ve gotten an invitation to the February 20th gala, check out the stamp. They even had custom-made stamps produced for the envelope. Don’t you just love invitations that go that extra mile instead of a meter posting?)

Once the thanks and welcomes were exchanged, the crowd got back to chattering. Such as? Well, Starpower head star Dan Pidgeon (pictured) reported that his business wasn’t that involved with the NBA and he had been surprised at this past year’s numbers: 40% up in transactions but 6% down in sales. Seems that the homebuilders’ slowdown affected their overall sales, but individuals were still adding media rooms and all those goodies. . . . Antonia Hubert (pictured) arrived looking rather spectacular in a leather coat. “I can’t remember which designer,” she said. . . Randall Graham and Cody Baker were just a few seconds late getting to the party. Seems that they had been at the Special Care and Career Services (SCCS) party in the Park Cities with Ebby Halliday. On their way, they dropped Ebby off at her home, where she discovered a box of Mrs. See’s candy on her doorstep for a gentleman admirer. . . . Another late arrival from the SCCS gathering was Elizabeth Grambell. Don’t be too upset with Elizabeth’s being late. She had an excellent excuse. She’s co-chairing the SCCS gala. . . Maggie Kipp was still another arriving from the SCCS. Heck, why didn’t they all just carpool?

Wanna bet nobody is late to see Rick on the 20th?

“I love how civil your blog is – it’s so refreshing. I certainly get in my share of snark on other blogs but there’s no place for it in yours – it’s nice.”

Thank you.

Let me take this opportunity to thank the members of the SweetCharity community for encouraging and nurturing this blog environment. Because you are intelligent, articulate, and appreciative of the nonprofit efforts, you expect a blog that will be accurate, informative, and timely. For this reason we make every effort to honestly report information in a manner that meets your expectations.

While there is no room for “snarkiness”  in the SweetCharity world, we will not sugar coat information, people, and/or events. If you feel we are off target, you must help us set the record straight. . .  in a constructive fashion.

Again, thank you for being a part of the SweetCharity community.

Oh, so you thought it was made up of a bunch of old biddies who sit around and conserve.  Wrong! Think the way other end of the social spectrum (pictured).

While SweetCharity wholeheartedly applauds and encourages our outstanding neighbors with missions in Africa, Russia, and other areas in need, SweetCharity’s coverage must concentrate on efforts directly benefiting the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Thank you for your understanding.

Saturday’s “Feel and Fill” event at the St. Philip’s Arts in the Community Experience (SPACE) was not your typical gallery inaugural. Sure, there was the standard wine and cheese spread. Beret-clad art spectators were present. The art was great. But the SPACE isn’t your run-of-the-mill art studio. When was the last time you attended a gala where Dr. Malik Zulu Shabazz, chairman of the New Black Panther Party, showed up? That’s what I thought. Jump for the details.

Photo credit: Gillea Allison

First some background: The SPACE was donated to the St. Philip’s School and Community Center by Dallas restaurateur Shannon Wynne. Wynne donated the building for 10 years, rent-free, but with one condition: that it is put to use and constantly remain active. The SPACE now offers a seniors art program, made possible by Kay Dalton and Miki Bone, as well as dance classes, children’s art, theater, and photography workshops. The evening’s series of events proved that St. Philip’s headmaster Dr. Terry Flowers (pictured left with Shannon) is fulfilling Wynne’s wish; we didn’t know what to expect next. The SPACE is a happening spot, indeed.

Photo credit: Gillea Allison

Local artists (whose work was featured in a silent auction) helped patrons brush up on their painting skills. Businessman-turned-Texas-gubernatorial candidate, Farouk Shami, donated $5,000 to St. Philip’s and rallied support for his “green-job agenda.” St. Philip’s Advisory Board member, Clarice Tinsley (pictured), painted a piece that channeled the “peace and love” mantra of the evening. There was an energy-filled performance by the African Dance & Drum students that got everyone on their feet.

Photo credit: Gillea Allison

The two children of St. Philip’s celeb advocate, Grammy-award winner Erykah Badu (pictured), attend the school and Erykah talked up the new center. When asked how she will contribute to the SPACE specifically (voice lessons, maybe?), she said she’d do anything Dr. Flowers asked—even if it means sweeping the floors. Now that’s dedication.

But no gala is complete without the Black Panthers. We noticed two in the parking lot earlier on. With Erykah’s entrance came another. But when Dr. Shabazz made his grand entrance, an entourage of New Black Panther Party members followed. Turns out, the New Black Panther Party (formed in Dallas in 1989) was in town for a 20-year anniversary summit, and Dr. Shabazz stopped by to show his support for his close friend Erykah. Anything for the kids, people.

The silent auction raised $10,000, which will help cover the air conditioning and heating costs for the SPACE. For more information on how to donate, get involved, or to rent out the SPACE for your next event, please contact Anurita Mittra at amittra@stphilips.com or 214-421-5221.

SweetCharity-correspondent side note: During this season of giving, please remember that in addition to St. Philip’s School and Community Center, there are hundreds of public, charter, and inner-city private schools that would benefit from your generosity. Please keep these children’s future top of mind during the holidays.

While it was held after the sun had set, the darkness worked in favor of the dedication. Originally scheduled for November 5, the dedication had to be pushed back to last night because of the recent weather roller coaster. But even with the delay, the event might have been a bit premature since the park is still a diamond in the rough. Construction equipment (pictured) was parked near small hills of dirt and the patchwork squares of sods were still trying to settle in from a morning installation. Reminded one of a of divot stomping.

But the show had to go on because schedules had to be met! 

MSG has an agenda and so does Mayor Tom “Terrific” Leppert. You see Main Street is on schedule for some big, old hoopla “park warming events” starting on November 20 with the launch of an annual tree lighting ceremony,  so they had to get MSG dedicated before next week. By then, if prima donna Mother Nature cooperates, the bulldozers and backhoes will be replaced permanently by the park’s water features, groves of trees, garden shelters featuring a digital art display, the Lily Pad park cafe, Tot Lot, and Urban Dog Run.

And then there is the future senatorial candidate, or rather current mayor. Tom’s leaving for China and Friday was the only  date he could attend the dedication. Oh, the worker bees must have been in a tizzy trying to get all the scheduling migraines cured!

But the dedication took place with John “Mayor of Downtown” Crawford (pictured) looking like a proud father and playing a low profile. We all know that he’s the go-to man when it comes to the growth of downtown Dallas.

No, the man of the hour was Collier International’s Mark Noble, who along with Capital One Bank’s Kent Eastman (pictured with Noble on the right), was the brains behind the operation in fundraising efforts for the opening events and the maintenance fund to augment the payments for running the park. He was a gracious MC who had a full plate of speakers on hand. Luckily, the crowd including the pooches and kids listened patiently.

For their patience, they were rewarded with a green laser ribbon cutting that led to a green (we are environmentally correct, you know) beam across the park to the Mercantile Building. As the crowd was lulled into watching the beam edge its way down the Mercantile just like the New Year’s Ball in NYC, an explosion of mini-fireworks occurred behind the stage of dignitaries almost resulting in whiplash for some in the crowd. Before anyone could catch their breath, a flock of UFO’s launched from behind the stage. One person cringed asking if they were bats. Another person said, “No, they’re pigeons. Probably former downtown residents.”

But the talking wasn’t limited to the stage of VIP’s. There was talk in the downtown neighborhood crowd. Summer Musicals’ Michael Jenkins was telling about the company’s tours taking place in NYC, London and Germany. On a sign of good times, he went on to say Broadway was faring much better than many have rumored. Then he changed direction and reported on the amazing results of the various projects that have been orchestrated by the Summer Musicals to keep kids in school and off the streets.  . . . Jake Cigainero of Dallas Theater Center was all smiles. Seems that A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Wyly has been so successful, they’ve had to add another show. . . . Adolphus Children’s Parade’s Ashley Terrell was in the final stage of prepping for this year’s big show on December 5. SweetCharity will let you know if Ashley and the Parade elves need any help. If not, plan on getting to the parade early for a great view. . . . Neiman Marcus’s Shelle Sills (pictured) looked ethereal in the park’s lighting. . . . Dallas Observer’s Robert “Big Bob” Wilonsky was having an ongoing chat with Leppert spokesperson Chris Heinbaugh (pictured with Wilonsky on the right). Trust us. It didn’t appear that they were swapping turkey recipes. . . . University of North Texas Chancellor  Lee Jackson (pictured) laughed when asked if he thought he had been kicked off of Denton Mayor Mark Burrough‘s Christmas card list. Let’s face it. The recent announcement of more of UNT moving to downtown Dallas has not endeared Lee to Denton’s city fathers. . . . City Councilperson Angela Hunt was the only politico not shaking hands. Seems she’s recovering from a nasty head cold and is being extremely appropriate. Good for you, Angela.

After the crowds had cleared and the work continued to polish up downtown Dallas’ latest gem, Mayor of Downtown Crawford reflected on his community in progress, “This was another wonderful event for Downtown. We have been working on the completion of MSG for six years which made it all worthwhile. This year has taken Downtown to a new level and the best is yet to come.”

One can’t help but wonder what MSG is going to look like after the last construction worker drives away, because she looked pretty darn good last night.

MSG’s founding sponsors were Weber Shandwick, Comerica Bank Tower, University of North Texas, Capital One Bank, Mercantile Place, Excitement Technologies Group, Corrigan Investments, BDO Seidman LLP, and Third Rail Lofts.

Following the welcome and a brief video on “the little agency that could,” SCCS Board of Trustees President-elect Temple Weiss welcomed the audience with a moving story about his family’s involvement in SCCS and how his five-year old daughter Emily Faith, who was born with Down Syndrome, is now on the cheerleading squad at school and “much to my chagrin, loves boys.” He went on to say how, thanks to SCCS, Emily Faith has “more capabilities than disabilities.”

Then it was fasten your seat belts time. Moderator Paul Bass (pictured) was going to “grill” this year’s three panelists (Elaine Agather, Linda Pitts Custard,and Tincy Miller).

First a little explanation on Paul. He’s not your dandy diplomatic type, who worships niceties. No, he’s a Dallas version of Andy Rooney and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Think cute curmudgeon with a heart of gold and a tongue of pepper.

He admitted that two of the panelists (Linda and Tincy), whom he has known for decades, were “scared to death” at the prospect of his interviewing them, while Elaine, whom Paul had just recently gotten to know, “doesn’t know why they’re scared.”

Brief background on the panelists:

• Born in Sherman, Chase’s Dallas Region Chairman Elaine (pictured) has been in the banking industry for 30 years most recently in Fort Worth and Dallas;
• Linda was told by her father that “no daughter of mine will work for money,” so she ended up working to give it away for the arts and education of Dallas; and
• Tincy transformed her years of charity work in the arts and education to the Board of Education for the past 24 years.

You know that we’re dealing with heavyweights in the Dallas world of community service.

But there was no need for fear. The conversation was fascinating but over all too soon. Each of the women discussed their involvement in giving back to the community pointing out the following elements:

• Motivation for volunteerism was largely due to examples set by their parents, parent-in-laws, and husbands.
• Raising money for causes and organizations was just one part of giving back to the community. According to Tincy(pictured) about her first involvement as a cerebral palsy worker withLinda, “We not only raised the money, but also worked with the group. We found that we could count on each other. Aferwards, we would call each other for other projects.”
• Mentors and role models were key to success. Such names as Ruth Altshuler, Juanita Miller, Caroline Rose Hunt (honorary chair of the luncheon), Ebby Halliday, and others were used time and time again as examples.
• Payback is worth all of the effort. Each woman remarked how their efforts repeatedly have been rewarded in seeing how the area has grown. Elaine recalled that when she was in Fort Worth, she watched the Bass Performance Hall being built. Then when she was moved to Dallas, she was oh-so-pleased that her offices overlook the Wyly and Winspear.
• It hasn’t all been easy. The gals admitted that from politics to coordinating hundreds of volunteers to living through the past year’s banking debacle, there have been challenges. But as Linda (pictured) quickly added, “None of them were so life-changing that they made me think, ‘I’ll never do that again.’”

 Then the timekeeper signaled Paul that a schedule had to be met and it was time to close the talk. Much too soon for the audience, but just in time for the panelists, who looked as if they had just finished their master’s dissertation.

Ah, but our Paul had to have the last word and leave the group with a giggle. Quoting his Uncle Curtis, “Remember, where there’s a will, try to get in it.”

But like we said it was a knockout performance by SCCS. They closed with CEO Cathy Packard, (pictured) who with bright blue eyes shining and the biggest smile in the room, announced that not only had they just learned that UT Southwestern had agreed to create an academy for training SCCS clients, but Ebby Halliday had signed on as honorary chair for SCCS’s “A Special Evening” on Monday, March 8, at the Winspear. That date just happens to be the eve of Ebby’s 99^th birthday!

Looking around the room, the following folks were seen:

Ruth Altshuler (pictured), a very youthful 85 years old, admitted that her well-being was neither due to a healthy diet nor working out. “It’s good genes and keeping busy like Ebby.” . . .Seated next to Ruth was SCCS Board of Trustees Member Laura Custard Hurt, who watched her mother on the panel. . . . Lyda Hunt Hill chatted it up with Addison City Councilperson Don Daseke. . . Billie Leigh Rippey looked relieved that she would make her 1:30 appointment. . . Communities Foundation’s Jackie Franey reported that demand for their services were greater than ever due to the recent economic situation and the CF staff was more active than ever in coming up with creative solutions for the area needs. . . . Chris Packard, who actually got to see his wife Cathy. October has been a busy month for the Packards. As if Cathy’s CEO duties for SCCS weren’t enough, Chris is executive director for the Dallas County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. You’ve heard of them. They just had a “race for the cure” for tens of thousands less than two weeks ago. Don’t you think the Packards deserve a vacation?

But of all the group, there were two who needed to be recognized–Walgreen Area Director Scott Tisdall and Inbound/Outbound Manager Scott Lemon, who both made the drive up from Waxahachie for the luncheon. You could tell that these guys weren’t the usual lunch-bunch types. In fact they seemed like they’d much rather be at a football game or even back at work. But they were at the luncheon for a special reason. You see, while SCCS has been a very successful part of Walgreen staffing, especially in the Scotts’ departments, the boys’ presence at the luncheon was due to their personal commitment to SCCS. By the way, when you see one of the Scotts, ask for a business card. Those Walgreen folks are now at the top of the “best biz card category.” Why? The cards are printed in Braille as well as in ink. What else would you expect from a company that has associates like Scott and Scott?

Pity next year’s Mission Ole organizers–they’ve got their work cut out for them.