Without delving into the substance of the debate, we will examine just what this summer’s Chik Fil-A controversy tells us about the possibility of discourse in society today.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 – 9pm
RODEN HOUSE – 322 Texas Street

We’ll spend the evening looking into just what it means to be a conservative or a liberal with an eye to current political topics that interest us the most.

If we do it right – and I think we will – you’ll experience something our nation desperately needs: a new, healthy model for political discourse.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 – 9pm
RODEN HOUSE – 322 Texas Street

Join us for the most epic election night party in Denton.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 – Time TBD
RODEN HOUSE – 322 Texas Street

Meanwhile, I have continued doing Drink and Think events – the other half of this website.  Please check that out for current happenings.

If you ever have an article of interest or reflection on the life, culture, or news of Denton, feel free to submit it.  Email me at kevin@thinkdenton.com.

Among the seven or so owners of this house during its almost 100 year existence, none stands out as much as Mrs. Anna Burgoon.  Anna was born Anna Bushong in 1875 in Grapevine – the  log cabin where she was born continues to be an historic landmark in that town.  While there, Anna was a charter member of the Bay View Club, a women literary club.  Following the early death of her husband (and while still pregnant with her 10^th child, George Bushong Burgoon), Anna moved to Denton, perhaps due to the educational opportunities for her 6 children (four had died in infancy).  Despite her unfortunate circumstances and her heavy load of mothering responsibilities, Anna served the Denton community well.  She was a prominent member and chairperson for the Shakespeare Women’s Club of Denton where she hosted events in this home, played piano at events, and presented lectures on a range of topics from great operas, to the preservation of trees, to artistic movements in the US, to Chinese folk music, to the necessity of promoting Americanism over the errors of communism, fascism, and the like.  In addition, she served as president of the CIA (TWU) Mother’s Club, home group leader for First Baptist Church bible studies, and was appointed to the Denton Parks Board where she was instrumental in approving the site of the first Denton library.  An early feminist, newspaper articles point to her encouraging other women to vote.  She even served as chairwomen for the local committee charged with the campaign of Texas Gubernatorial candidate Dan Moody in 1926.

Below you’ll find an article out of a Denton Record-Chronicle clipping from the 1940s detailing the content of Anna’s lecture on Americanism and other isms:

TRANSCRIPT:

From the Denton Record Chronicles, 1946:

American Ideals Club Topic

Two talks upholding American ideals were heard Thursday afternoon in the meeting of the home economics department of the Shakespeare Club in the S.C.W. tea room with Mrs. Walker King and Mrs. C.N. Adkisson hostesses.

“Americanism Versus Other Isms” was the subject discussed by Mrs. Anna Burgoon, who said that socialism, communism, sovietism, bolshevism, Nazism, and Hilterism are subversive elements actively at work in America today, and that all are in direct opposition to the American form of government.  A study of all these isms is of important to Americanism, and a thorough knowledge of the constitution of the United States is necessary for every patriotic citizen, she said.

“Americanism tends to perpetuate American ideals and to uphold the principles of democracy, “ the speaker pointed out.  “The security of America lies in its citizenry, in whose minds and hearts is ingrained a true love and understanding of the ideals and principles upon which the nation is founded; and awakening to the duties of citizenship and a willingness to perform the sacrifices to uphold these ideals.  Americianism work is largely educational, and usually divided into three phases – work with the youth, the adult and the community.  All matters pertaining to the flag or patriotic education are rightly classified as Americanism activities.”

– 01.03.11 – Kevin Roden, Drink and Think, and thinkdenton.com featured in 944 Magazine

– 12.09.10 – THINKDENTON coverage of DCTA A-Train issue and interview with Kevin Roden in the Dallas Observer

– 11.10.10 – Kevin Roden featured in UNT InHouse Portrait Gallery

– 08.20.10 – THINKDENTON.com mentioned in this Dallas News article on “On the Town: Denton Square”

– 08.18.10 – THINKDENTON.com listed as “Best Website” by NT Daily’s Best of Denton 2010

– 06.03.10 – Drink and Think the focus of this NT Daily article – “Local Couple Strive to Help People Think Denton”

– 04.24.10 – Andy Odom covers the Will Johnson and Anders Parker house show for MyDentonMusic.com

– 04.11.10 – Sara Button interviews Kevin Roden in an article for Today in Denton

– 04.09.10 – Denton Record-Chronicle coverage of THINKDENTON City Council Forum

– 04.08.10 – THINKDENTON’s City Council Candidate Forum mentioned in NBC-DFW

– 03.27.10 – Andy Odom interviews Kevin Roden in an article for MyDentonMusic.com

– 03.12.10 – NX35 panel on The Future of the Arts, with panelist Kevin Roden featured in the Denton Record Chronicle, KERA Art and Seek Blog, and the Dallas Observer

– 03.11.10 – Drink and Think the subject of the NX35 blog in the Denton Record Chronicle

Join us as we begin the first of a two-part discussion on education.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14
RODEN HOUSE – 322 Texas Street
9pm

Join us as we discuss this and more…

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18
9PM
RODEN HOUSE  – 322 Texas Street

Today’s editorial in the Denton Record-Chronicle lamented the turn-out of Saturday’s city council election.  Citing only the city-wide turn-out, the editorialist failed to recognize a positive trend emerging out of the District 1 voter stats.  We do not yet know specific voter demographic data from those who came out to vote on election day, but there are hopeful signs from an analysis of the early voting stats of that one district.

A clue for this should have come from the fact that the District 1 early voter numbers surpassed the total number of votes from the 2009 District 1 city council race.  Look at the voter turn-out for the last 4 city council races where the District 1 seat was on the ballot:

At least in District 1, this election served to increase citizen participation in the process – turning around a six year trend in the opposite direction.  And check out these other impressive stats from District 1:

— Many first time voters. 40% of the early voters have no previous record of voting in Denton city elections.  In other words, almost half of the early voters in District 1 were energized to get involved in local government for the first time this year.

— The average voting age dropped dramatically. Previously, the average voter age for District 1 city elections was 61.  The average voting age of District 1 early voters this year was 51 – a ten year drop.  In fact, voters under the age of 40 accounted for 104 of the 254 early voters.

— And they weren’t college kids. Already a local critic has charged the Roden campaign with simply rallying up a bunch of college students for support.  Not that getting university students involved in the process is a bad thing, but this criticism was most likely hoping to diminish any important meaning of this turn-out shift.  Truth be told, only five early voters for this race were under the age of 23.  (This critic based his claim on the seemingly high percentage of apartment dwellers among the early voting crowd, because “only college students live in apartments.”  In fact, only 52 out of the 254 early voters, or 20%, live in apartments.  And the average age of these apartment dwellers?  41 years old.)

These trends are encouraging.  Let’s all work to continue this improvement and to increase involvement beyond the ballot box!

Texas Women’s University is moving forward with an aggressive expansion plan that aims at slowly, but surely dismantling an entire historic neighborhood to the West of the university and taking out a large portion of another to the East.  Despite the fact that recent university budget shortfalls combined with a lag in state money has forced the TWU administration to cut back in a number of key areas (including teacher pay), the current administration has found a way to “fairly recently” acquire at least 36 properties, according to Dr. Brenda Floyd, Vice President for Finance and Administration.  At least 13 of these properties are scheduled for demolition this summer.

The above sign can be found in front of one such house on College Street – a charming, one of a kind, early 20th century cottage that sits on a gorgeous lot of large trees.  After discovering this plan, I offered to move the house at no cost to the university to another lot I own in town.  I was told by Floyd that state law prohibited the school from “giving away” such property.  I then offered to buy it and then move it, but was denied.  With the average demolition costs of these properties rumored to be around $25,000 per house, you would think that this cash-strapped administration would jump at the chance to save money and their reputation with the community at the same time.

The fate of this house is just the beginning.  TWU is aiming to acquire every single property in this neighborhood bounded by Texas Street to the South, Mingo to the East, Bell to the West, and TWU land to the North.  This neighborhood, filled with historic properties of all styles, was once a favorite of college professors and distinguished local professionals.  The TWU administration also has plans to acquire the entire East side of Austin Street, North of Sawyer Street.  And according to the following TWU expansion map, they have already purchased a property on the West side of Austin Street, indicating an interest in moving all the way to Locust with their “local community improvement” project.  Here’s the map (the blue area indicates expansion areas – properties in pink are already owned by TWU):

What is most shocking about this plan of TWU’s to “improve their local community” is what they hope to do with the area.  “We have no plans in place on how we intend to use this property,” stated Dr. Floyd.  Growth for the sake of growth is the trend among today’s public higher education institutions.  It is worth reflecting on what educational and civic lessons are being taught to the students who will soon be witnessing this neighborhood destruction, all in the name of this most unreflected upon principle.

From a city perspective, the timing couldn’t be worse.  Denton’s core neighborhoods, most of which are nearing century-old status, are experiencing a renaissance.  The flight to the suburbs combined with the clear market for student housing resulted in these neighborhoods being seen as investment opportunities, not places where local citizens actually lived.  Today a new generation is starting to grow roots in town that rejects the aesthetics and values of suburban existence.  They prefer to live among economic and ethnic diversity.  They prefer to live where they can walk to employment, recreation, and commercial opportunities.  They prefer to live in a place marked by soul and character.  They long for the return of community.  In short, they are coming back to the core of the city.  The emergence of the town square as a cultural, commercial, and community center is no doubt playing a part in the revitalization of these neighborhoods (most of which are in walking distance).  Those who are paying attention are seeing many previously dilapidated and ignored homes being bought and restored to their former glory.  At a time when the city should be cherishing these neighborhood treasures, our local leaders are sitting by allowing this to happen.  As I have maintained on several occasions, the city has yet to learn the lesson of the demise of historic Fry Street.  Many of our most precious historic resources continue to exist with little to no preservation protection.

Perhaps it is a good time to remind everyone of the goals set forth in the Denton Plan concerning neighborhoods.  On page 37, regarding existing residential land use, the Plan states:

The plan recommends that existing neighborhoods within the city be vigorously protected and preserved.

The chapter on Historic Preservation goes so far as to recommend the Austin-Locust Street area for consideration as a registered Historic Conservation District.  And these are the guiding policies that are supposed to be in place:

The unique and distinctive cultural, historic, and architectural features of Denton should be identified, restored, preserved, and maintained… (p.95)

Existing neighborhoods should be protected and preserved. (p.95)

Protect individual sites or aspects of areas identified as being of historical significance. (p.95)

It is worth reviewing what work has been done by our city to protect this area in accordance with these policies.  It might be a good time to ask them.  Below are folks you might be interested in contacting about this precious part of town:

– Contact your city council person

– Contact Ann Stuart, President and Chancellor of TWU

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