MONTH IN REVIEW - JUNE

The new pedestrian bridge over Loop 288 opened up in June. 

The new pedestrian bridge over Loop 288 opened up in June. 

We spent a lot of the beginning of the month talking about our friends over at DIME, and with good reason. Not only did they have another of their bi-annual Etsy Denton bazaars at the Greater Denton Arts Council building, but we also got a few words in with co-owner and operator, Shelley Vaughn. While there, we also managed to snag one of Mandy Cave's wonderful watercolor paintings of Denton. You can grab one at the DIME store Monday through Saturday.

Around the beginning of June, we got a visual harbinger that Subway was coming to the square in the way of a neon green and yellow sign on the Texas Building. We showed it to you guys and not only did we find out that our little blog has its fair share of trolls, but also that y’all had a lot to say about corporations and sandwiches. So much so, in fact, that the owners of the building decided to replace the sign. Most of y’all were still pissed by Subway’s mere existence on the square. We’re less than a month away from their planned opening date, so we’ll wait to see everything goes down. 

While y’all were busy yelling about that, we also found out that there’s apparently a class 3 firearms (read: machine guns and silencers) dealer that resides on Hickory St. across from Rusty Taco. While you may see a sign that says, “Storrie Parachute Works,” know that that is only a portion of the business that goes on in that building. So let’s try to keep the people who happen to be really upset about Subway opening on the square off of Hickory St.

That said, Rusty Taco opened in June and was almost immediately packed. Sadly, Rusty Fenton, the creator of Rusty Taco passed away from kidney cancer last week.  

With the help of local economic advisor and avid cranberry juice drinker, Mike Seman, and always-awesome Julie Glover, we also uncovered the mystery behind the “Bear’s Den” sign over by Siam Off the Square. The spot was owned by songwriter Clint Ballard Jr. who died back in 2008. He apparently hung out there and drank beer with his buddies. That’s probably what we would do, too, if we had written hit songs for The Zombies and The Hollies and owned a building.

We heard conflicting rumors about Tim Love’s new Queenie’s steakhouse doing “wonderfully” and that business has been going "very poorly.” While it’s probably still too early to tell, we sure noticed the gigantic red and white “NOW OPEN” sign on the front of the building. We’re also still waiting on Mr. Love to invite us over for that interview we set up with his managers back in March. While we’re on the subject, Love did just close down the TCU location of his Love Shack burger restaurant, leaving one last shack standing.

The pedestrian bridge over Loop 288 finally opened, and we ran 6 miles (3 there and 3 back) to check it out. Have y'all taken the newly extended trail for a spin yet?  

In addition, we checked out a bike safety course for kids, got the inside scoop on the forthcoming Goldmine BBQ, recommended some kid-friendly summer plans, shared some new songs from local bands, got pumped for another new DIY space (this time for musicians), talked to the folks behind Spiderweb Salon, and learned oh-so-much from Shaun Treat about the history of Quakertown Park. 

July should be an interesting month. The 4th of July celebration will be at Apogee Stadium this year, we'll see a couple of new businesses opening up and plenty of good shows abound. What are you looking forward to in July? 

 

3 SONGS - JUNE

Album art for Savage and the Big Beat 

Album art for Savage and the Big Beat 

Every month, we like to take a quick look into the Denton music scene and highlight three recent songs from current Denton bands. Last month, we heard from Daniel Markham, Biographies and Bashe. This month, two of our three entries harken back to Denton music of the recent past. A pretty big Denton band released a nice single yesterday and we'd love to share it with ya, but it's streaming exclusively on Paste right now. Oh well. Read on to hear music from the likes of Paul Henry North, Savage and the Big Beat and Strange Towers. 

Savage and the Big Beat is our local pop rock band. They write extremely bombastic rock songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on A Night At the Opera. Heck, lead vocalist, Max Brown, even sounds like Freddie Mercury. This song is as dynamic as anything off of their new EP, We Are Defenders, which you can pick up at their album release show on June 29th at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios.

Strange Towers

So, we’ve been waiting for these dudes to put out a song for us to feature on this column for a while now, and we’re still waiting. That said, we’re just going to grab this low quality video recording of a recent Strange Towers practice off of their Facebook page to share with you. We normally like to stick to embeddable songs, but we're making an exception in this case. The video should give you a good idea of what to expect from this soon-to-be Denton powerhouse. Strange Towers marries the technical proficiency of one-time Denton rockers Record Hop with the spastic wonderful weirdness of The Undoing of David Wright, and it doesn’t end up like that new Omar Rodriguez Lopez band, thankfully. By the way, if those two name drops haven’t piqued your interests, go do yourself a little Googlin’ and come back. You can hear more Strange Towers (and bug ‘em for recorded material) at their next show this Thursday, June 27th at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios.

 

Paul Henry North is one of the few remaining Sleepwhale/Mom side-projects in what was once a sea of incestuous bands that all were great. This track showcases just how far North has come as a songwriter in the years since he earned his Pitchfork stripes back in 2009 with his song Waving Hands. Back then, North was recording under the moniker Sunnybrook, but he's since grown as a musician and lost the name. While maintaining the same lo-fi ramshackle sound, North has really managed to create a sort of reigned-in manageable chaos in this beautiful tune that is really easy to get lost in. “The Lonely One” was recorded using one of the much sought after Copperphone copper microphones North helps manufacture through Placid Audio.

INTERVIEW: SPIDERWEB SALON

Conor Wallace and Courtney Marie of Spiderweb Salon. 

Conor Wallace and Courtney Marie of Spiderweb Salon. 

You've probably heard the name Spiderweb Salon before. We say it a lot on the blog, whether it's on our Den10 or through sharing some of their literary work, but you might still be confused as to what it is. They sure as heck aren't gonna cut your hair. They're a "salon" as described by definition # 2 and they are everywhere. Spiderweb curates live shows and zines that feature all kinds of work from Denton artists - and they've been doing this for a year now. Within the span of that year, they got a lot accomplished. A gaggle of zines, a showcase during 35 Denton and plenty of recognition from art lovers. Conor Wallace and Courtney Marie are the two creative masterminds behind Spiderweb Salon. We hung out with them a bit in anticipation of their one year anniversary show (and pool party!) this weekend and asked them a couple questions, but never got to the bottom of why Courtney hates citrus so damned much. 

WDDI: Who are you guys again? 

Conor: Well, I’ve lived in Denton my entire life. I work for Denton ISD transportation- during the day I drive youth from home to school. I am also a singer and a song writer and make music with my friends here in town, which is how I met Courtney Marie.

Courtney: I have lived here five and a half years. I currently work as a barista at Jupiter House to pay the bills. My passions include books, writing, photography, music, cooking, poetry, art, and my friends.

What inspired you to start Spiderweb Salon?

Conor: I missed seeing my writer-friends doing readings, and I play music but not everything I write fits with a band, so I thought it would be neat to get everyone together to share what we are working on creatively, to talk about it and encourage one another. I used to be a part of a similar thing at Tex Gallery a few years ago, but it wasn’t as focused on local artists, it was more about something new for the audience, things other venues in town wouldn’t necessarily host. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t feel comfortable performing there myself because my stuff didn’t feel avant garde enough.

Courtney: I had lost my job just before the summer and was feeling pretty aimless and depressed. I thought I was going to move away from Denton, but instead, one thing led to another and we started Spiderweb Salon. Conor and I were trying to find something to do that would nurture our various creative interests, inspire and motivate us and our friends to keep creating, and also be fun. It was a great idea to me because as a writer, I have found there are few outlets for readings or workshops in town, especially not affiliated with the Universities.

 

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The two of you started operating creatively together as {we, bees} before Spiderweb Salon was created. Do you operate differently within the context of your band and Spiderweb or are all of your creative interactions the same? 

Courtney: I first really got into music, singing specifically, with Conor and several other good friends when I joined their band Ella Minnow in 2010. The bands we play in together are very collaborative, there are lots of people involved and I usually don’t take the reins. {we, bees} is different, it’s just the two of us brainstorming and making art and putting ideas into action. Our collaborations have included poetry, music, various writings and art, and photography projects, but the biggest project is, of course, Spiderweb Salon. 

Conor practically vomits ideas- while I struggle to come up with even a single concept I like or something I’ve deemed worthy of working on, he’s already come up with a hundred different proposals. I am incredibly hard on myself as an artist, and one of the million things Conor has taught me is to accept imperfections, be myself, and let go of the things that keep me from doing what I want to do with my time and passion.

Conor: {we, bees} is anything creative that Courtney and I work on together. I feel like the longer we work together, the more we approach projects as a unit, as equal contributors. As far as Spiderweb is concerned, I don’t think I ever would have gotten it off the ground without Courtney Marie, and it definitely wouldn’t still be around right now. She has taken the idea and built a community out of it. I help a lot with brainstorming ideas and working out the logistics of what we do, but as far as passion and organization are concerned, Courtney is the queen bee.

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Tell us the inspiration behind and the reasons for the Spiderweb mantra - ‘You are here, we support you.’ 

Courtney: Think of your creative life as a map. You could be doing a thousand different things, all over the place, but when you are at a Spiderweb show, all that matters is that you are there, expressing yourself and learning and growing. You are here, but you get to decide where you’re going, too. That’s what it means to me, at least, and I think it is a good mantra because it is open to interpretation. We support you is pretty simple. I think artists are not always effectively encouraged or nurtured by the community. A simple reminder such as this might do wonders for someone who is struggling.

Conor: To me, You Are Here means whoever you are, any fears or preconceptions about creating art or performing at a show are dropped and you can just give yourself to the creative project you’re working on and the people who are there to support you. You shouldn’t be afraid of where you are creatively. That’s how we get better.

To us, Spiderweb seems to push poetry above all else (at least recently). Is this a calculated choice? If so, why? 

Conor: I can see why you would think that, after National Poetry month just happening in April, and with the recent show we hosted for some traveling poets, but we are definitely a mixed-media, mixed-performance collective and don’t want to highlight any art form over anything else except for specific showcases. I will say there aren’t many venues for poets to perform, and we are glad to give them the opportunity.

Courtney: If there is a need for artists to be heard and respected in Denton, we’d like to be able to fill it. Recently, some poets from Chicago asked if we’d be willing to host their tour if it came through our town and we were delighted to be able to make it a variety show completely balanced with local acts as well. We’d never done anything like that before and we would definitely do it again! It’s fun that Spiderweb has become a flexible venue in this way. The focus is always shifting, but never about one specific artist or art form: rather, it is simply ideas, collaboration, and supporting others.

“Tragically, I think art in many forms has been dominated by men in the past, and seeing proof that this can change in the future is inspiring to me.”
— Conor Wallace

What’s been your favorite Spiderweb Salon performance so far? What did you enjoy about it? 

Conor: Maybe not a particular performance, but there have been at least three times I have said, “This is my favorite Spiderweb Salon show.” I love the idea of celebration without any precedent- a holiday or some long-term achievement -so when we had our masquerade last fall, where people were dressing up and painting their faces, and making art that reflected the event, I thought that was really great- the whole evening had a wild and unexpected tone.

I also really loved the first Ladies’ Night Showcase. Tragically, I think art in many forms has been dominated by men in the past, and seeing proof that this can change in the future is inspiring to me. Social change you can see.

Courtney: I have to agree with Conor, it would be impossible to single out a performance that has been my favorite! The great thing about Spiderweb is the collective experience. Each show as a whole is incredibly powerful, which is why we encourage attendees to come before the show begins and stay until all the acts are finished. Not only is this respectful to all the artists involved, but it promotes the idea of the show itself being the performance, with everyone working together. I sometimes compare this experience to attending the theatre- you wouldn’t show up halfway through a play and leave before it finished!

I have really loved the shows we’ve had at the house venue, but recently hosting events in a more public space has been really positive- it’s awesome to be able to reach more people and bring the artists involved in our collective a little more exposure.

The Ladies’ Night Showcase was also a favorite of mine, everyone worked so hard: the all-female lineup had everything from shadow puppets to a performance piece that connected everyone in the audience to each other with a rope, incredibly passionate readings and music and awesome paintings; it made my heart happy, and the fundraiser aspect let us give back to the community while we were doing it. We look forward to hosting a similar showcase soon, for sure.

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Which area of the arts do you think Denton is the most under-appreciated for? 

Conor: People know us for our colleges, our college of music, our music festival, and a few national musical acts that have made it out of here. Music is highlighted above all else, but I think it could still be appreciated on a different level, both locally and nationally. We sometimes forget about our writers, poets, visual artists, and they’re everywhere, I think the architecture of the town has not yet found a way to showcase them properly. I’m not saying our artists should be legends held above the rest of the population, but it would be nice to see all of our creatives embraced and nurtured.

Courtney: Literature. There is an incredible number of talented writers and poets here. I don’t think we as a community are suffering from a lack of appreciation, but I definitely think we have a problem with how we go about promoting the literary events we already have, and cultivating the creativity of writers in our midst. There’s a huge push in Denton to support local music, which is great, but I envision a culture where all art can co-exist on the same stage.

Are there any collectives that influence the way you guys operate? 

Conor: I already mentioned Tex Gallery... Good Bad Art Collective, The Porch, Bolivar Art Collective, even the Denton Greater Art’s council. Hell, even the universities. We’ve tried to go and learn about events hosted by these people, and I guess we pay them tribute when we find something in them that works for us.

Why do you think that Spiderweb has caught on so quickly in Denton? 

Conor: We’ve made ourselves accessible and inclusive, and we have such a high population of people that are without a place to collaborate with others or showcase their creativity. Personally, I don’t think of this as an organization or a business, I think of this as a social group or family. I think that open, caring nature comes through in the things we do.

Courtney: The format of our shows is unique, and we put a lot of emphasis on respecting artists. I think that is something that is often neglected at other events in town, whether it’s an open mic or rock show, either people get distracted or they’re there to socialize. We operate under the idea that you come to our shows for a reason, to appreciate the art and learn something. I think the people who are involved in Spiderweb Salon appreciate that, and it makes them want to come back.

What are your future plans for Spiderweb Salon?

Courtney: We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, and let it continue to evolve the way it has this last year. Someday we would like our own space where we can host shows, workshops, and have a permanent gallery. Until then we want to continue to collaborate with local organizations, print zines and host showcases and workshops from our home and at local businesses, support as many artists we can, give back to the community, and have fun.

Conor: I would like to see interest grow and more contribution, from artists and from our town as a whole. We would like to be a cultural influence on Denton and help shift the focus to our artists and our people, rather than mainstream media. I believe we should try to support people we know, that we can see and touch, more than nameless celebrities we will never meet.

 

If you want to celebrate Spiderweb's 1 year anniversary, go RSVP on their event page. 

GEAR'D: LAST SUNDAYS

Words by Aaron White, Photos by Will Milne

Tex Bosley

Tex Bosley

Samuel Clemens, infamous Foghorn Leghorn impersonator, once quipped, “Son, I say, a career in music has about the life span of a quail egg in the presence of Tim Love, boy.”

Odds are that most who attempt to make a living in music will fail to do so, for myriad reasons, yet tens if not millions of hopefuls move to Denton each year with designs on just that; their vision narrowed by the enthusiasm and delusion of youth, mental illness and/or THC. It stands to reason that with the large population of musicians, both independent and those attending the UNT Jazz program, there are several established instrument sales and service businesses in town. While the mainstays are readily apparent in a google search, there are some custom, more nimble shops and tradespeople we think are worth noting.

In a remarkable development for a music community with deep, old roots, Tex Bosley and Tom Miller, brother-proprietors of Tex’s Tubs Drum Co. and Miller Guitar Works, respectively, are providing DIY-minded musicians something new and innovative. While both offer a host of services for repair and custom builds of drum kits and guitars, they are opening their shop to the public. A potential godsend for those without the work area and tools required to properly maintain what most neglect - the instruments of their trade.


Starting on Sunday June 30th, from 11am to 2pm, pros and amateurs alike can benefit from a new program/hang-out/workshop aimed at educating and providing the necessary (and expensive) materials to the music community, while highlighting the more professional technical services they provide. For those willing to sacrifice a beater guitar in order to learn how to shape a compound fretboard radius, or simply glean from the experts how to evenly round a bearing edge on a floor tom, there is now a guided DIY space available.

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Tex described Last Sundays as such, “We open the shop, you bring your instruments and have at it. We will help you, to a point, and the regular menu of professional services are open to everyone. We are there to help people make their instruments sound and play how they want them to. Come out for hot dogs, beer and shop access, then we’ll all go to Dan’s to see Hares On The Mountain afterward.”

There's free shop access, professional guidance, and a hang with someone you most likely know. Throw in some refreshments and free knowledge and you have a recipe for some amazing results. If you hit a snag or realize you’re in over your head, Tex or Tom is there to take it off your hands and provide their services. If we sound a bit wide-eyed and reverent, it may be  because we’ve had a growing list of things to resolder, align, repair, replace, sand down, etc... and without dropping serious wads of cash, we're looking at tedious, disjointed sessions here and there. This especially appeals to the person who feels like they’d rather learn the work for future reference, rather than just take it in and pay the money, and we know a lot of folk in Denton like that.

We will be covering the specifics of both Tex’s Tubs and Miller Guitar Works in an upcoming Gear'd column, but for now, go to Last Sundays and rest assured that you’re in good hands (after signing the necessary waivers). With sufficient interest and attendance, Last Sundays will be a monthly event and could even lead to an ongoing appointment based maker-space type of thing.

THE DEN10: JUNE 26

Now that it's officially Summer and we've all seen the Super Moon (is it really?) what else is there? Well, July 4th is just over a week away. That's something. Can you believe it's still light at 8:45PM?  It's these little details that keep you hanging on to that slightly heavier than normal evening air and sticking around for one more drink on a weeknight and that's a good thing because thats what makes it summer break. As usual, there's plenty of reasons to get out and off your couch and away from your Hulu and Netflix queue and get into the discourse about Wendy Davis' filibusterer or how great it is that Texas ranks 49th in per-pupil education funding.

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Wednesday June 26
Denton Spoken Word Collective June Edition | Rubbergloves | 10PM
Open mic spoken word. Nothing wrong with that.

Thursday June 27
Strange Towers / Opportunist / The Vuvs | Rubbergloves | 9PM | $1
Strange Towers is literally The Undoing of David Wright meets Record Hop. Five years ago this meeting of a group of the most creative and heavy minds of our town seemed like a fantastically impossible dream but here they are in the flesh and they aren't apologizing for it.

Movie In The Park: The Lorax | Quakertown Park | 8PM | FREE
What better way to spend these wonderful summer evenings than in the park watching kids dance and eat marshmallows and do crafts before a screening of the Dr. Seuss classic. This is the final Movie in the Park of the season, so make sure you mosey on down to Quakertown Park this Thursday after dancing it up at Twilight Tunes. 

Friday June 28
A Night of Incest Presents: Curvette / Problem Dogg / Bitch Teeth / 5000 Bullets | Andy's Bar | 9:00PM | $6
Any time more than two Denton bands play on the same stage it's a night of incest, right? This is a solid and diverse lineup worth the trip downstairs for.

Four Corners Brewing Co. Release of El Chingon IPA | Oak St. Draft House | 7:00PM
Local beer releases are almost as common as record releases now. I have no problem with this statistic.

Saturday June 29
Spiderweb's Salon's One Year Anniversay Show + Awesome Pool Party | 1200 Ridgecrest | 4:30PM | $5 donation
It's hard to believe it's been a year for these folks. Spiderweb Salon has continued to bring you all the local arts you can shake a stick at and more - and they're celebrating with a pool party so bring a swimsuit and a towel and grab a piece of cake by Kacy Ewing.

Native America / Senor Fin / BJF / The Days / Sacco & Vanzetti | 1112 Bernard | 7:00PM | FREE

The Denton Community Market | Denton Historic Park @ Carrol & Mulberry | 9AM
Dear Coffeewright Roaster, I am very tired. All the time. I could really use all the locally roasted beans you've got so that I may brew them into delicious, caffeinated drinks that keep me awake and satisfied so that I may continue to love and work for the betterment of my community. Thank you.

Illustration by Matthew Sallack for Spiderweb Salon

Illustration by Matthew Sallack for Spiderweb Salon

Sunday June 30
Last Sunday's Open Shop | Tex's Tubs Drum Co | 11AM - 2PM
Bring your drums to work on at Tex's Tub's Drum Co. at 505 Ft. Worth Dr. #101 or just go hang out with the always perfectly animated Tex himself. Ask him about his DCI days, crack a beer and talk shop. This is a great step in the Maker Space direction. The idea of a shop opening up their doors to share knowledge and tools to other local artists. The more of this we have, the better our little creative class community is going to be. If you're looking to find a way to pitch in and get involved in this town, Tex is a great person to take notes from. He's also got great hair - so there's that too.

Hares On The Mountain w/ Dim Locator | Dan's | 5PM | FREE
A better Sunday evening couldn't be planned than this. Will Kapinos laying it down as Dim Locator followed by the Hares all for the price of nothing. Welcome to Denton, you are welcome.

 

 

WHAT WE DID: JUNE 24TH

Here's our weekly photo recap of the past couple of days. Looks as if we spent a lot of time hanging out on or around the square. With Twilight Tunes kicking off our weekend early, we can't help but get those good summer vibes out and about. If families on the lawn, Beth Marie's cones in hand, old ladies dancing to a cover band, and a sunset over the Sherman Building don't make you feel and warm and summery, what will? 

You may have also seen some of us playing a new little game of "crosecco" on the square if you were out Saturday night. That's right - crosecco, the combination of croquet with a glass (purchased from Wine Squared of course) of prosecco in hand. It's our newest weekend activity. If you see us, stop and say 'hi!' We may even ask you to help us get through the next wicket. 

What did you do this weekend? Throw #wddi on your Instagram photos and we'll include our favorites from week to week.  

Twilight Tunes drew a big crowd to the square last Thursday as The Fun Addix covered lots of old tunes. 

Twilight Tunes drew a big crowd to the square last Thursday as The Fun Addix covered lots of old tunes. 

Doug Burr hard at work on his new album this past Saturday at Midlake's studios. 

Doug Burr hard at work on his new album this past Saturday at Midlake's studios. 

Croquet + a bottle of Prosecco = Crosseco on the square. Pronunciation still undecided. 

Croquet + a bottle of Prosecco = Crosseco on the square. Pronunciation still undecided. 

Children in Denton roasted marshmallows and danced before the start of Puss in Boots last week at Movie in the Park. 

Children in Denton roasted marshmallows and danced before the start of Puss in Boots last week at Movie in the Park. 

MR FARRIS GOES TO CITY HALL: JUNE

Glen Farris inspects the custom made industrial smokers inside of the forthcoming Goldmine BBQ. 

211 E. Hickory has been on the hazardous building list for the last little while. It's that little older building right in-between Storried Productions and Travelstead by Mellow Mushroom. A long time ago, they roof damage due to an AC unit falling through. Oops. Now, the owners of the place are attempting to get it back up to code in the hopes that they can turn it into retail space. Here's to hoping its not more auto parts and lawn mowers.  

Love themed restaurants? Sure hope so, because we're about to have an influx of them. Gold Mine BBQ opens in early July. This place comes complete with a newly renovated space made to look like an old mine shaft, some very well trained BBQ-ers, a hidden patio and a very lively looking canary in a cage. We're pretty excited to try it out - mostly because their giant industrial smokers stocked with pecan wood seem pretty promising. Don't worry. We'll get back to you with an official opinion after they open in a few weeks. 

A peek inside the forthcoming Goldmine BBQ in the old Vigne space on Hickory St. 

A peek inside the forthcoming Goldmine BBQ in the old Vigne space on Hickory St. 

Speaking of themed restaurants, word on the street is that there is a themed pizza place about to happen, too. After Bosses opened last month, you know we're at least interested to see what kind of tantalizing treat "olde English style" pizza will be. Last Drop Tavern will be Denton's own English style eatery and wood-fired pizza haven opening on Elm Street just off the square, and coming soon. 

More on restaurant news, Rusty Taco Denton had the highest grossing opening week of any Rusty taco. Whoa guys - we knew you liked tacos and all, but geez. We're not ashamed. We were caught there are few times ourselves in the first week. Maybe they're onto something with those cheap margaritas.

Signs on the square have been called into scrutiny recently. The Subway sign is being replaced with something that will blend in a little more with the current signage on the square, and now Lone Star Attitude (the burger place in the old Denton County spot we talked about two months ago) is having trouble getting their sign approved. We're not sure why. Maybe it sticks out too far, is too bright, or has just rubbed someone the wrong way, but we're pretty pumped to see what they end up replacing the current 'Denton County Hamburger' signage with - so that the new restaurant feels a little more real. Also, did y'all get a chance to see that paint job on Mad World and Beth Marie's? Not sure who thought that would be a good idea. 

Hope you installed a smart thermostat to get you through summer this year. Apparently utility prices will be going up pretty soon. You might be needing all the extra help you can get. Electric is going up 2.5% due to a rise in the wholesale price of energy, water and wastewater are rising a little due to much needed improvements on our infrastructure and solid waste and recycling will be taking a small hit for increased costs and cart replacements. And you thought your bill was high already... According to Kevin Roden, city councilman of District 1, it unfortunately takes our poop overflowing for us to concern ourselves with all those pipes underground. It is never easy for us to take on increases in cost, but we're at the point where major replacements, upgrades and expansions are necessary. Some have already been done. Luckily, we live in a city whose rates are pretty low compared to the rest of the metroplex, so we were knocking on wood last summer as we bragged to our friends in Lewisville, Flower Mound and Plano how much lower our utility bills were compared to theirs. This year we may be keeping a closer watch on our AC consumption in the dog days of summer.

If you're a friend to the furry (no, not those people - just cats and dogs) you'll be happy to know that the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation will be getting a new building that is costing a little over four million dollars. It'll live way up north on 77 by UNT's Research Park. Hopefully, this means that all of those sweet strays will have a nice place to lay their little heads when they're between homes. 

 

BACK IN THE DAY: QUAKERTOWN PARK PART 1

Shaun Treat is a former professor at the University of North Texas and founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. Doc has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of our local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Denton’s intriguing past. Be sure to check out our local museums curated by the fine folks at the Denton County Office of History & Culture, and follow @Dentonaut on Twitter for local happenings.

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