Robert Wilonsky
@robertwilonsky.bsky.social
Editorial columnist at The Dallas Morning News. Writing about Dallas.
"It’s not only a blatant disregard of a vital moment in the history of American musical culture, but it should be a big deal in Dallas.” - Author David Ritz
“But it is a museum. That’s just how our museums look over here.” - South Dallas rapper D.J. Smith-Rhodes
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
“But it is a museum. That’s just how our museums look over here.” - South Dallas rapper D.J. Smith-Rhodes
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Blues for the South Dallas house where Ray Charles lived in the 1950s
Ray Charles lived in South Dallas in the mid-1950s while assembling his crack Atlantic Records band, featuring Lincoln High School graduate David “Fathead”...
www.dallasnews.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:49 PM
"It’s not only a blatant disregard of a vital moment in the history of American musical culture, but it should be a big deal in Dallas.” - Author David Ritz
“But it is a museum. That’s just how our museums look over here.” - South Dallas rapper D.J. Smith-Rhodes
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
“But it is a museum. That’s just how our museums look over here.” - South Dallas rapper D.J. Smith-Rhodes
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by Robert Wilonsky
Wilonsky | Pastor Austin Anetekhai and I discussed at great length what went very wrong with a plan for a garish high-rise that would have swallowed blocks of South Dallas.
The Winners Assembly on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard now eyes housing rather than a 25-story hotel with a helipad.
The Winners Assembly on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard now eyes housing rather than a 25-story hotel with a helipad.
Wilonsky: South Dallas church must rebuild neighbors’ trust after high-rise plans toppled
Pastor Austin Anetekhai, among the leaders of The Winners Assembly on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, requested a meeting via text. “There is a new thinking...
www.dallasnews.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Wilonsky | Pastor Austin Anetekhai and I discussed at great length what went very wrong with a plan for a garish high-rise that would have swallowed blocks of South Dallas.
The Winners Assembly on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard now eyes housing rather than a 25-story hotel with a helipad.
The Winners Assembly on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard now eyes housing rather than a 25-story hotel with a helipad.
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
Van Halen played Reunion Arena Nov. 18-19, 1982. This week, remastered soundboard recordings of both "Hide Your Sheep Tour" shows appeared online. Everybody wants some.
First Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=idmt...
Second Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTaJ...
Van Halen played Reunion Arena Nov. 18-19, 1982. This week, remastered soundboard recordings of both "Hide Your Sheep Tour" shows appeared online. Everybody wants some.
First Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=idmt...
Second Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTaJ...
November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
Van Halen played Reunion Arena Nov. 18-19, 1982. This week, remastered soundboard recordings of both "Hide Your Sheep Tour" shows appeared online. Everybody wants some.
First Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=idmt...
Second Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTaJ...
Van Halen played Reunion Arena Nov. 18-19, 1982. This week, remastered soundboard recordings of both "Hide Your Sheep Tour" shows appeared online. Everybody wants some.
First Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=idmt...
Second Night: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTaJ...
The Winners Assembly on MLK went to the plan commission last month to push for a 25-story luxury high-rise. CPC killed the proposal with ruthless efficiency. A church leader wanted to discuss what happens next -- and how this whole thing went so terribly wrong.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: South Dallas church must rebuild neighbors’ trust after high-rise plans toppled
Pastor Austin Anetekhai, among the leaders of The Winners Assembly on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, requested a meeting via text. “There is a new thinking...
www.dallasnews.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:12 PM
The Winners Assembly on MLK went to the plan commission last month to push for a 25-story luxury high-rise. CPC killed the proposal with ruthless efficiency. A church leader wanted to discuss what happens next -- and how this whole thing went so terribly wrong.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by Robert Wilonsky
Good piece about the very weird place Dallas's streetcars are in.
In the fall of 2017, after MUCH discussion and debate, the Dallas City Council approved a route that would have connected the Oak Cliff/Bishop Arts and Uptown/downtown streetcar lines. The work was supposed to be completed by 2023. But here we go again. Again.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Yet again, an attempt to link the Oak Cliff and downtown Dallas streetcars
It’s been a few years since I last rode the streetcar from downtown Dallas to Bishop Arts – probably, oh, since The Dallas Morning News moved out of the Young...
www.dallasnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Good piece about the very weird place Dallas's streetcars are in.
In the fall of 2017, after MUCH discussion and debate, the Dallas City Council approved a route that would have connected the Oak Cliff/Bishop Arts and Uptown/downtown streetcar lines. The work was supposed to be completed by 2023. But here we go again. Again.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Yet again, an attempt to link the Oak Cliff and downtown Dallas streetcars
It’s been a few years since I last rode the streetcar from downtown Dallas to Bishop Arts – probably, oh, since The Dallas Morning News moved out of the Young...
www.dallasnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:15 PM
In the fall of 2017, after MUCH discussion and debate, the Dallas City Council approved a route that would have connected the Oak Cliff/Bishop Arts and Uptown/downtown streetcar lines. The work was supposed to be completed by 2023. But here we go again. Again.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Three days ago, the Dallas City Council voted on a resolution that could include the sale and redevelopment of the City Hall site downtown.
On Monday, this is on the agenda for the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention meeting.
Let the speculation commence!
On Monday, this is on the agenda for the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention meeting.
Let the speculation commence!
November 15, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Three days ago, the Dallas City Council voted on a resolution that could include the sale and redevelopment of the City Hall site downtown.
On Monday, this is on the agenda for the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention meeting.
Let the speculation commence!
On Monday, this is on the agenda for the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention meeting.
Let the speculation commence!
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
Two weeks into the tour for "Vs.," Pearl Jam pulled a local back-to-back, playing Denton on Nov. 11, 1993, then SMU's Moody Coliseum the next night. The concert that made me a convert. Come for the Neil Young; stay for the Dead Boys.
archive.org/details/Pear...
Two weeks into the tour for "Vs.," Pearl Jam pulled a local back-to-back, playing Denton on Nov. 11, 1993, then SMU's Moody Coliseum the next night. The concert that made me a convert. Come for the Neil Young; stay for the Dead Boys.
archive.org/details/Pear...
November 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
Two weeks into the tour for "Vs.," Pearl Jam pulled a local back-to-back, playing Denton on Nov. 11, 1993, then SMU's Moody Coliseum the next night. The concert that made me a convert. Come for the Neil Young; stay for the Dead Boys.
archive.org/details/Pear...
Two weeks into the tour for "Vs.," Pearl Jam pulled a local back-to-back, playing Denton on Nov. 11, 1993, then SMU's Moody Coliseum the next night. The concert that made me a convert. Come for the Neil Young; stay for the Dead Boys.
archive.org/details/Pear...
Long story short: Dallas might be a slightly better town when it comes to historic preservation if city officials actually worked with folks who own honest-to-God official Dallas landmarks, like this one in South Dallas, rather than sue them for code violations.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: It’s hard enough to save South Dallas history without city attorneys’ intrusion
I was driving around South Dallas a few days ago when a left turn off Elsie Faye Heggins Street put me in front of a large old house at the corner of Leland...
www.dallasnews.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Long story short: Dallas might be a slightly better town when it comes to historic preservation if city officials actually worked with folks who own honest-to-God official Dallas landmarks, like this one in South Dallas, rather than sue them for code violations.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by Robert Wilonsky
If we have a half empty library and there's not enough space at City Hall for all of City Staff, it seems like there's a pretty obvious solution here.
Convert some library space to offices and move services to the Library (e.g. Oak Cliff Municipal Center).
Convert some library space to offices and move services to the Library (e.g. Oak Cliff Municipal Center).
“Many of the building’s key systems, such as electrical, plumbing and elevators, are beyond their expected useful life, [and] the longer they go without upgrade and replacement, the more likely they are to fail.”
No, this was not a quote about Dallas City Hall.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
No, this was not a quote about Dallas City Hall.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Do the downtown library and Dallas City Hall share the same fate?
It’s either the worst-kept secret in Dallas or the most repeated rumor around; in this small town pretending like it’s a big city, it’s sometimes hard to tell...
www.dallasnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
If we have a half empty library and there's not enough space at City Hall for all of City Staff, it seems like there's a pretty obvious solution here.
Convert some library space to offices and move services to the Library (e.g. Oak Cliff Municipal Center).
Convert some library space to offices and move services to the Library (e.g. Oak Cliff Municipal Center).
“Many of the building’s key systems, such as electrical, plumbing and elevators, are beyond their expected useful life, [and] the longer they go without upgrade and replacement, the more likely they are to fail.”
No, this was not a quote about Dallas City Hall.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
No, this was not a quote about Dallas City Hall.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Do the downtown library and Dallas City Hall share the same fate?
It’s either the worst-kept secret in Dallas or the most repeated rumor around; in this small town pretending like it’s a big city, it’s sometimes hard to tell...
www.dallasnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:06 PM
“Many of the building’s key systems, such as electrical, plumbing and elevators, are beyond their expected useful life, [and] the longer they go without upgrade and replacement, the more likely they are to fail.”
No, this was not a quote about Dallas City Hall.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
No, this was not a quote about Dallas City Hall.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by Robert Wilonsky
This "Open Letter from Patrick Dumont" just landed in the inbox. Long story short: Fired Nico.
November 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
This "Open Letter from Patrick Dumont" just landed in the inbox. Long story short: Fired Nico.
I remember when we had mayors who delivered their annual State of the City speeches in public. In front of, like, people.
November 10, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I remember when we had mayors who delivered their annual State of the City speeches in public. In front of, like, people.
The Future of City Hall is on the Dallas City Council's agenda this Wednesday. Here's the resolution. I just assume someone made a mistake when they left out the part where it says, "For the Dallas Mavericks."
November 8, 2025 at 3:28 PM
The Future of City Hall is on the Dallas City Council's agenda this Wednesday. Here's the resolution. I just assume someone made a mistake when they left out the part where it says, "For the Dallas Mavericks."
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
39 years ago tonight, Neil Young + Crazy Horse turned Reunion Arena into A Rusted Out Garage, a solid gag that produced this keepsake filled with old favorites and "Life" previews. Hey hey, my my, play loud.
tinyurl.com/3h4aeewn
Setlist: tinyurl.com/5tjkpfky
39 years ago tonight, Neil Young + Crazy Horse turned Reunion Arena into A Rusted Out Garage, a solid gag that produced this keepsake filled with old favorites and "Life" previews. Hey hey, my my, play loud.
tinyurl.com/3h4aeewn
Setlist: tinyurl.com/5tjkpfky
November 8, 2025 at 2:09 PM
For Your Weekend Listening Pleasure:
39 years ago tonight, Neil Young + Crazy Horse turned Reunion Arena into A Rusted Out Garage, a solid gag that produced this keepsake filled with old favorites and "Life" previews. Hey hey, my my, play loud.
tinyurl.com/3h4aeewn
Setlist: tinyurl.com/5tjkpfky
39 years ago tonight, Neil Young + Crazy Horse turned Reunion Arena into A Rusted Out Garage, a solid gag that produced this keepsake filled with old favorites and "Life" previews. Hey hey, my my, play loud.
tinyurl.com/3h4aeewn
Setlist: tinyurl.com/5tjkpfky
Walnut Hill Methodist opened during the first year of the Eisenhower Administration. It will close its doors following Christmas Eve services, celebrating a birth with a funeral of sorts. Below, a eulogy for a church that did a LOT of good for its neighborhood.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Eulogizing the church that anchored my northwest Dallas neighborhood since 1953
Walnut Hill UMC was nearly destroyed the night of Oct. 20, 2019, when the tornado that tore through our stretch of Northwest Dallas snapped off its steeple...
www.dallasnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Walnut Hill Methodist opened during the first year of the Eisenhower Administration. It will close its doors following Christmas Eve services, celebrating a birth with a funeral of sorts. Below, a eulogy for a church that did a LOT of good for its neighborhood.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
After six hours of testimony and discussion, the 12 members of the City Council present -- none of whom were the mayor -- unanimously concurred with the chief that Dallas police will NOT partner with ICE. Their final act was to table the subject indefinitely so it will never reach a council agenda.
The joint committee meeting, called by Mayor Eric Johnson, is now hearing from public speakers -- nearly every one opposed to this partnership. Said one speaker, "Eric Johnson is not known for making good decisions for our city." Council discussion to follow.
dallastx.new.swagit.com/views/113
dallastx.new.swagit.com/views/113
November 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
After six hours of testimony and discussion, the 12 members of the City Council present -- none of whom were the mayor -- unanimously concurred with the chief that Dallas police will NOT partner with ICE. Their final act was to table the subject indefinitely so it will never reach a council agenda.
The joint committee meeting, called by Mayor Eric Johnson, is now hearing from public speakers -- nearly every one opposed to this partnership. Said one speaker, "Eric Johnson is not known for making good decisions for our city." Council discussion to follow.
dallastx.new.swagit.com/views/113
dallastx.new.swagit.com/views/113
November 6, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The joint committee meeting, called by Mayor Eric Johnson, is now hearing from public speakers -- nearly every one opposed to this partnership. Said one speaker, "Eric Johnson is not known for making good decisions for our city." Council discussion to follow.
dallastx.new.swagit.com/views/113
dallastx.new.swagit.com/views/113
Spends Ray Hunt's money, apparently.
The mayor of Dallas started something called the Republican Mayors Association. What does it DO? www.dmagazine.com/micropost/ha...
Have Ray Hunt et al. gotten their money’s worth with the Republican Mayor’s Association?
As Zohran Mamdani was poised to become the next mayor of New York City last night, the mayor of Dallas dropped his take on Twitter. Speaking as the
www.dmagazine.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Spends Ray Hunt's money, apparently.
I woke up this a.m. to discover that the Dallas ISD on Tuesday canceled its application to demolish Adamson High School, an official Dallas landmark. I spoke this morning with DISD trustee Ben Mackey, who said it was likely filed as a result of "miscommunication." I've updated the column accordingly
A column about the DISD wanting to raze a 1915 historic landmark, Dallas' eagerness to auction off City Hall to someone whose name probably rhymes with Adelson and a late mayor whose Goals for Dallas included preserving what little history we have in this new city
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Dallas ISD has finally made it official: Historic Adamson High School must go
Demolition by neglect, it’s called, the fine art of looking the other way as the windows shatter, the plywood fades and peels away, outsiders make their way...
www.dallasnews.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I woke up this a.m. to discover that the Dallas ISD on Tuesday canceled its application to demolish Adamson High School, an official Dallas landmark. I spoke this morning with DISD trustee Ben Mackey, who said it was likely filed as a result of "miscommunication." I've updated the column accordingly
Reposted by Robert Wilonsky
Put this one on upset watch. This is a Trump +20 district.
In Fort Worth, Democrat trade unionist Taylor Rehmet is ahead in the race for Texas Senate District 9 over his two Republican opponents, former Southlake mayor John Huffman and the chief comms officer of Patriot Mobile, a Christian right wing cellphone company, Leigh Wambsganss
November 5, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Put this one on upset watch. This is a Trump +20 district.
A column about the DISD wanting to raze a 1915 historic landmark, Dallas' eagerness to auction off City Hall to someone whose name probably rhymes with Adelson and a late mayor whose Goals for Dallas included preserving what little history we have in this new city
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
Wilonsky: Dallas ISD has finally made it official: Historic Adamson High School must go
Demolition by neglect, it’s called, the fine art of looking the other way as the windows shatter, the plywood fades and peels away, outsiders make their way...
www.dallasnews.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
A column about the DISD wanting to raze a 1915 historic landmark, Dallas' eagerness to auction off City Hall to someone whose name probably rhymes with Adelson and a late mayor whose Goals for Dallas included preserving what little history we have in this new city
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
So nice they showed it twice
November 4, 2025 at 3:00 AM
So nice they showed it twice
Beautiful shot of the county jail
November 4, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Beautiful shot of the county jail