Forget back to school. Let’s go back in time to the early days of Preston Hollow People, when this publication was known as Northside People. We’ve lost the name in the 37 years since our first issue on August 17, 1989, but the memories live on in our archives. So what were the Preston Hollow/Northside headlines 30-plus years ago?
Pilots Are Getting Younger and Younger (Sept. 21, 1989)
Eight-year-old Matt McLendon aimed to become the youngest pilot to fly from coast-to-coast. The third grader, who had to sit propped up on cushions to see over the instrument panel, planned to travel in his Cessna Centurion II from Los Angeles to New York City with his flight instructor and dad. McLendon completed the trip, but a 7-year-old later beat his age record. Today, federal law prohibits children from making similar record attempts.
Students Skip Class to Protest Teacher Layoffs (Sept. 5, 1991)
More than 200 Dallas ISD students, parents, and teachers gathered at district headquarters to protest teacher layoffs. They offered suggestions for how to alleviate the district’s funding crunch, including by cutting budget fat, laying off administration, and raising taxes above the already-established 17.5% increase. One protestor carried a sign reading: “Read my lips — raise my taxes.”
Big Banjo Blast (Sept. 3, 1992)
The world’s finest banjo players were slated to bring their tunes to Preston Hollow. More than 200 banjo players planned to open the Mid-America Banjo Rally with a “monster jam” at a hotel near U.S. 75 and Coit Road before performing at NorthPark Center, Galleria Dallas, and the Valley View Mall. The event was expected to be the largest gathering of tenor and plectrum banjoists in the area for at least five years.
$102,000 Math Mistake (Sept. 22, 1994)
W.T. White High School received a $102,000 reward for school improvement, but its win was the result of a computer programming error. Instead of placing fourth in Dallas ISD’s school performance improvement awards program, W.T. White should have come in sixth. The computer had skipped some lines when adding up school records, a DISD spokesperson explained. W.T. White’s principal likened the error to “Christmas in September.” The article implied that W.T. White would be able to keep the funds.
Falcon Drops in for Lunch, Nap (Sept. 19, 1996)
A lanner falcon that belonged to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament flew east to the patio of Janice Faulk on Luther Lane. Faulk gave the bird some bacon to keep it occupied, then ran inside to call the Dallas Zoo and North Texas Birds of Prey Center. On the advice of the Center, Faulk managed to bring the bird, which had inch-long talons, inside her home. The falcon snacked on a peach and took a nap on Faulk’s leather sofa before being returned to its owner.
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