Happy New Year! more ›

A swearing-in ceremony should be both solemn and fun. The rules are simple: dress up, bring your family, friends and staff, and speak briefly. At City Hall on Monday, two returning council members, Mike Martinez and Sheryl Cole, and two new members, Chris Riley and Bill Spelman, along with the new Mayor, Lee Leffingwell, took the oath of office. Leffingwell moves to the center position of what he called a strong city council. In a short speech, he cautioned that tax revenues continued to decline. Using a metaphor from his days as a pilot, he said, “We will arrive safely at our destination, but there might be some turbulence along the way.” Leffingwell offered no specifics on his budget priorities. The inaugural was also an opportunity for the council to thank outgoing Mayor Will Wynn for his nine years of service. Martinez praised his leadership and cited the welcome extended to Katrina victims as an example. Wynn and outgoing council member Brewster McCracken received sustained applause as they walked off the dais for the last time. more ›

In the face of weather that money can’t change, it pays to have good neighbors. Saturday around noon, with hopeful punsters standing in mud puddles under tents and the rain unrelenting, the Hilton came through with an offer that no one could sneeze at: the use of their ballroom. A bedraggled and grateful crowd shuffled from the backyard of the O. Henry Museum over to the big house. And the fancy digs could not dampen the low humor. While the streaming video webcast was washed out and the contestants were all wet, the word nerds still managed to shine. Their puns, thankfully, had spark. more ›

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