Letters

D VS. DISD?

RELUCTANTLY, I AGREED TO AN INTERVIEW with Eduardo Paz-Martinez regarding the DISD [“Has he Race War Petered Out?” September]. Since 1 have not in recent years observed very much that is objective or positive regarding African-Americans in this community, I had thought this was an effort to level the playing field.

At the time of the release, I intended to send a statement denying much of the content in the article which had been attributed to me and questioning whether other African-Americans had actually said what had been attributed to them.

1 now know that Mr. Paz-Martinez may have had ulterior motives all along. If so, D Magazine continues its assault on African-American leadership through very devious methods.

All of this seems to violate the intent and spirit of a legitimate press-the quest for the truth.

YVONNE EWELL

DISD Board Member



AUTHOR’S RESPONSE: I spent an entire morning with Yvonne Ewell, and she fully knows that she said what was printed in the article.



MANSION MATTERS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COVER STORY, “Behind Closed Doors at The Mansion” [October]. Just as in any 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, service-intensive business, mistakes can and do occur- even here. Your article accurately portrayed the attention to detail and the “high touch” approach that we undertake to make sure that we have every opportunity to ultimately satisfy and even exceed a guest’s expectations.

JEFFREY M. TRIGGER

Managing Director

the Mansion on Turtle Creek



I TRAVEL A LOT, AND READING ABOUT THE Mansion makes staying at every other hotel in the United States seem like a monotonous experience. Unfortunately for The Mansion, there is a piece of their PR which continually works against them.

Many people dining at The Mansion are thrilled to just be having the experience. But to continually read that if you are not sitting in the main dining room then you don’t rate is terribly insulting.

It is easy to see how the image of The Mansion as “elegant, refined, and slightly snobby” can work against building a new customer base, when clients are continually reminded they are “buying a first-class ticket for a coach seat” in the dining room.

SARAH PARKS

DALLAS



THE CARPENTER OF LAS COLINAS

In the special advertising section “IN the Middle of It All: Irving-Las Colinas” [October], you state that Las Colinas was “a master-planned business and residential community designed by Faison Stone.” As any true Dallasite can tell you, the development of Las Colinas can only be accredited to the vision of Ben Carpenter and his family, whose family ranch is where Las Colinas now stands and thrives. Faison Stone is merely an asset manager for a New York-based partnership that now controls Las Colinas.

SCOTT M. THOMPSON

DALLAS



MAYOR MISTAKE

I WAS AMUSED BY YOUR “MAKING A HORSE Race out of the Mayor’s Race” [Pulse of the City, October] and the statement that Alphonso Jackson is “President of the Dallas Housing Authority.” I have worked for 15 months with Mr. Jackson at CSW Energy, where he is vice president of corporate resources. He has not been with the Dallas Housing Authority for that same length of time.

BRENDA BEDARD

GRAPEVINE

Editor’s Note: We did indeed incorrect-!y state Mr. Jackson’s current position. And the Carpenter family should have been credited for Las Colinas’ development. Thanks for straightening us out.



HOORAY FOR HERESY

I FIND IT LAUGHABLE TO FIND AN ARTICLE in your magazine which calls for Dick Armey to become more devoutly conservative [“How Dick Armey Screwed Up,” October]. The literature of the popular culture of which your magazine is clearly a part would consider your article heresy. But it is refreshing heresy. Keep it up!

BILL PRICE

President, Texans United for Life