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Osama Piñatas Not for Sale
| September 29, 2001 |
McAllen |
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Rene Karam, owner of JJ's Party House, has been bombarded by calls after a local news report revealed that he was in possession of ten piñatas resembling terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
Karam had the effigies custom made, as he said, "to test the market and see what would happen." He received phone calls from all over the country, many wishing to buy the papier-mache bin Ladens, others denouncing Karam for trying to benefit from the Sept. 11th tragedies.
Although he has found many potential buyers for the bearded party favors, which would have gone for $29.99 each, Karam has decided, at least for now, not to sell them. |
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Big Tex Nearly Left Speechless
| September 29, 2001 |
Dallas |
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The World's Tallest Cowboy and icon of the State Fair of Texas was close to losing his voice on the fair's opening day.
"Sonny" Rea Stolz, the new voice of Big Tex, suffered from a bad case of allergies Friday, which threatened his job performance. Luckily, however, plenty of water, vitamins and soup kept him going through the day.
Visitors' reactions to Tex's new voice were mostly positive, a few commenting that he sounded much like the late Jim Lowe, who provided the voice for Big Tex for 39 years. |
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The World's Largest Cowboy Gets New Voice
| September 25, 2001 |
Dallas |
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Big Tex, the 52-foot-tall ambassador for the State Fair of Texas, will get a new voice this fall.
"Sonny" Rea R. Stolz will join the small family of those who have voiced Big Tex, the enormous cowboy who has welcomed visitors to the fair since 1953. He will be the sixth in the prestigious line of those to utter Tex's famous greeting, "Howdy, Folks! Welcome to the State Fair of Texas!"
Also new for Big Tex will be the large red, white and blue memorial ribbon pinned to his chest in response to the recent terrorist events. He was hoisted into place Monday in preparation for the opening of the fair this Friday. |
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First International Accordion Festival to Take Place
| September 23, 2001 |
San Antonio |
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The first ever International Accordion Festival has been scheduled for Sept. 27-30 and will take place in the historic La Villita block of San Antonio. The event will feature Irish, Polish, Czech, French-Canadian, Mexican, Colombian, Dominican, Argentinean and French-Creole styles of accordion music. Panels and workshops centered on the squeezebox will take place, including "A World of Accordion Makers," "The Accordion in the Americas" and "A World Where Polka is King."
Filmmakers have been asked to present their works, as well. Titles will include Accordion Dreams and In Heaven There Is No Beer?
The event is free and open to the public. |
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Pegasi Invade Downtown Dallas
| September 21, 2001 |
Dallas |
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Animal statues seem to be the new attraction for downtown communities seeking to enliven their streets and walkways. Today, an organization called Dallas Soars has begun installing the first of more than 200 Pegasus statues planned to take up roost in the Big D. Individuals and organizations wishing to contribute can purchase one of two fiberglass designs that will then be decorated by local artists.
The idea for the Pegasus came from the locally famous, red-neon Pegasus sign that has stood atop the Magnolia Building in downtown Dallas since 1934 and which was sold to the city in 1976 by Mobil Oil.
The citywide display will end in March of 2002 when many of the sculptures will be auctioned off; the money will benefit Dallas's Adopt-a-Monument and ArtsPartners programs.
In the meantime, motorists having just washed their vehicles are advised not to drive near the flying horses. |
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Bullfighting School Turns Humane
| September 16, 2001 |
San Isidro |
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A bullfighting ring outside San Isidro in southern Texas is near completion. Students at Fred J. Renk's school pay $950 for three one-week courses in the art of bullfighting, in which the goal is not to spear the beasts, but to place flowers on their backs.
The Santa Maria Bull Ring was originally planned solely as a bullfighting school, but spectators will soon be welcome to attend fights there, as well. |
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Scuba-Diving Record Set in San Marcos
| September 3, 2001 |
San Marcos |
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Aquarena Center, formerly Aquarena Springs and home to Ralph the Diving Pig, was the site of the World's Longest Scuba Dive, completed on Labor Day.
Daniel Misiaszek, commander of the San Marcos Area Recovery Team (SMART) set the open-water record at 60 hours and 24 minutes. The fund-raising event helped to purchase new equipment for SMART, a non-profit, volunteer organization that aids in underwater search-and-recoveries and crime-scene investigations. |
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