PlummMeanGreen

From today's Fort Worth Star Telegram is a report that 2 regional health care powerhouses plan to build a $100 Million hospital to replace Denton Community Hospital. Texas Health Resources, which owns Harris Methodist Fort Worth, HEB and 11 other hospitals in the region, and Triad Hospitals, which owns 49 hospitals nationwide, including Denton Community, say construction is expected to begin in late summer. The hospital, which will be named Presbyterian Hospital of Denton, is scheduled to open in 2005. The new Denton hospital location (off Bonnie Brae) will just be blocks away from UNT's former Eagle Point golf course which begins some construction of its own in just weeks for the fast expanding and growing university.

This will be my 2'nd day off from work as my school has closed today (Wednesday). I was told many years ago that all our area schools don't close just neccessarily because of the glaze of ice all over but also to save on energy in all our region's schools buildings. Sorry Harry, Cerebus and gang to use the "Football" part of GMG com but most seem to read this over the other 2.

Will be interesting to watch Letterman slobber all over himself as he gawks at our fellow UNT raven haired beauty alum! BTW, does anyone know where Norah went to high school?!?!?

or a 14.1 rating/22 share. This was an increase of 31% from last year's Grammy's which aired on a Wednesday. (This information almost verbatem from the OVERNIGHT section of today's DALLAS MORNING NEWS). Seems like the UNT Mean Green football team have had some pretty fair success with the Nielsen TV ratings people, too. Maybe the television moguls should visit he University of North Texas to see what the hell is going on on that campus! Would you call it, uh, MEAN GREEN MAGIC?!?

What MSNBC said about "the University of North Texas nationally reknowned school of music" was good enought for this alum. Trust me, there is a most imporant part of the North Texas Metroplex population that knows what is going on at the University of North Texas. The rest of the Metroplex would have to be part of the ostrich family not to know!!!!! We are getting there, folks, slowly, but surely...

CMJ, just mostly sardonicly tongue in cheek (as always) on the national vs international thing. }:>) Now if we can just get D-FW TV channels 4,5,8 and 11 to acknowledge that the young Ms. Jones did not choose the Berkely Music School, Julliard or some other Northern music conservatory but (instead) the University of North Texas' College of Music as her #1 choice of post secondary education; anyway, if we can get them to report that instead of every other level of education she has received in the Dallas area (except the main one and largest) we'll be just fine! BUT.......they have yet to tell where Norah attended middle school in the Dallas area yet I am sure that might even come before the local media types acknowledge the super giant music school just 35 miles north of their TV headquarters. I would think her college level piano instructor most likely took her to a higher level of music maturity than she would ever get at a high school level, wouldn't she? I do wish sometimes Denton had its own TV station with its own news/sports/weather dept and with the spin of the way things are from a non-Dallas or non-Fort Worth perspective. <>*<> Do we just need to sic the Denia-ite HO's after the D-FW media types?

and where she attended college. I hope she will come "home" and finish her degree at UNT's "INTERNATIONALLY" Famous Music School! (Where did MSNBC come up with just this "national" stuff? AND.........maybe she'll get real excited and fund a chair at the College of Music or build a wing onto the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton and all this when she comes back to Texas a multi-millionaire?!?!? (Sure is easy to give other people's money away, isn't it)? OR..............Norah Jones Stadium @ Fouts Field? Oh, never mind........ Sorry about that one UNT music majors.

And at age 23, who is to say Norah Jones may also do the same thing (since her mother still lives in the area). So Shaq was one example I should have not chosen since I didn't realize he went back to finish, BUT WE ALL KNOW there are plenty other professional athletes who did not finish their degrees out there but still have a college affiliation listed besides their names in souvenir programs. Bet LSU even has a few (matter of fact).

These figures in yesterday's DMN. UNT grows by almost 3,000 students and we get this kind of reward from the state--a measley $13.9 million? How many more students did UH and TT increase? Must have been 10,000 more each by the amount of monies they are getting versus UNT. Are these particular numbers even tied to all our enrollments? Someone please help me or explain what is going on. So glad we've been designated a special research university with those 2 a few years ago. Hey, Gov. Perry, I know you will have some "viable" explanation for what is going on in our state (a $10 billion budget shortfall for heaven's sake) but at UNT, we are waiving the white flag ! So once again, someone please explain all this, maybe I am missing other funds UNT will be entitled although I don't think anything is in concrete in the Texas legislature as of yet, even the above listed figures but that seems to be quite a large gap between UNT's and the other 2. AND...... who are UNT's lobbyists down in Austin these days? Hopefully not part of the same group who are trying to find a donor for a new football stadium.

But like a college football or basketball player who leaves his school early, his school is still given credit as "where he went to college." Shaq is an LSU alum, right? We all know Shaq did not finish at LSU, though.

I think Norah has now won 4 Grammy's (they count her songwriter as one of hers I think). She just gave here UNT piano instructor kudos BTW with the last Grammy! (The bass player in her band is her boyfriend, DAMMIT)!

Of course, all graduates of Rice University?!?!?

MSN.com gives Norah a nice story on Grammy's Day with a generous mention of her alma mater, the University of North Texas. PLUS, just a few minutes ago on the NBC's TODAY show, Rolling Stones magazine's music critic forecasts a huge night for our Ms. Jones. They showed some music videos of her singing a couple of her hits and....WOW!

Dr. Dan Haerle is a UNT jazz icon in his own right. He has had a jazz trio for years. All this I read tonight at dinner in the early edition of the Sunday Dallas Morning News PLUS a half page photo of Norah in ensueing pages of the article about her and her 5 Grammy nominations. Other UNT and Denton musical influences will be in New York City at Madsion Square Gardens for this awards show. The Grammys Awards Show can be seen tomorrow evening (Sunday) at 7 PM CST on CBS DFW affiliate Channel 11... GO NORAH! Do it!

UPDATE: Friday evening (2/21/03) 6:00 PM Channel 8 news says UNT under graduates would only pay an additional $43 a semester once the tuition raise goes into affect as I understand the report. I have no links (perhaps others do) but it is still a widely known fact that Texas public universities (no matter how high their tutions are raised soon) is still a bargain compared to most public universities across the USA. There are out of state students who can pay out of state tuition at Texas public universities and still be better off than the cost of education in their home states. What do you think the main reason so many out-of-staters have always come to UNT to enroll in our College of Music--other than the high quality of that program? Also why so many out of staters came to North Texas to enroll in other programs as well. I am concerned when I see an article where one UNT student says he'll have to get a 2'nd job; and this because his tuition will "only" be raised between 110 to 150 more (total) dollars than the previous semester? I wonder if I read that article correctly or perhaps he was mis-quoted? Good golly! Why do you need a 2'nd job just to cover 110-150 additional dollars? Am I missing something here? I know there are many trips to Blockbuster, CD's to "not" buy, trips to Pizza Hut, recreation and leisure activities that most college age students could sacrafice to make up that kind of differerence and to do it easily (without needing a 2'nd job). TEXAS POST SECONDARY EDUCATION IS STILL A GREAT BARGAIN !

For any of you who can link this article it would be well worth the time. Highlights: UNT has hired Dr. Oscar N. Garcia, chairman of the dept. of computer science and engineering at Wright State U in Dayton, Ohio, as the first dean of its UNT College of Engineering. He was chosen from a field of 40 other candidates because of his experience of launching other such new programs at Old Dominion University and University of South Florida. BTW, the former TI facility that will house our new engineering school has 553,000 square feet of space! WOW! THANKS FOR LINKING THE ARTICLE, CEREBUS !

Agree on that one Shaneb, UNT is light years ahead in so many ways, but in other matters, we have much room for improvement AND UNT alum Norah Jones in the Murchision would have been a natural (and a sellout of which I would buy a ticket just to slobber all over myself looking at our fellow UNT alum & raven haired beauty)! Sorry about that last part--uncalled for, I know!

...and no religion, too?" (John Lennon from "Imagine")

So this is not a bi-partisan board? Was it the Charley Manson part that got me censored? I do think Rick Perry's political future is riding on this multi-billion dollar deficit that he never mentioned on the campaign trail. I wonder if his former boss had something to do with this "humongous" deficit? Don't forget, though, I am an independent. I did vote for George W's dad the first time around.

Marty, I believe an SMU'er on www.ponyfans.com said "Martie" attended SMU but quit school to go out & make some money! (Much like UNT College of Music Jazz major and recent 5 X's Grammy nominated Norah Jones--WOW! What a looker this raven haired beauty is)! I don't know where the other 2 Dixie Chicks attended college, BUT wasn't their Super Bowl singing of the "The Star Spangled Banner" one of the best arrangements of that song and their singing of it you've ever heard? It sure as heck was for me!

Install near both interstates 2 separate electronic message board signs (much larger than the one by the SuperPit) that keeps both interstate commuters informed of the sports activity of the day or week at any of our UNT sports venues.

President Bush just finished delivering a very nice, comforting message to the families of our beloved astronauts just minutes ago a the LBJ Space Center, Houston. It was a very moving service. May God Bless the President and God Bless America.

Those of you who have access to today's Fort Worth Star Telegram and can go to the Local/Regional Section (where the obituaries are) you must check out the life of Chris (whitewolf) Farkas. Talk about a man who lived a very full life in his 54 years on our earth. Unbelievable...

Just read this on the TCU board. I have known of his TCU enthusiasm and spirit for years here in the West O' Plex. I know many of you who have frequented Frog Fan Forum have read his many, many posts and he was most always kind to all of us Mean Greeners. Mr. Farkas was the owner of FW's MAMA'S PIZZA which has been a very popular pizza eatery for years. Condolensces and prayers to the Farkas family of Fort Worth and TCU.

These are the ones that had some kind of UNT connection; that is, either by graduating from UNT, coached or played sports in Mean Green Country. Those with UNT connections in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame are: Doc Hayes--UNT grad who gained his fame as SMU' men's basketball coach for many years back in the 1950's and 1960's. He is in the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame as well. Don January--Old Bones (as some call him) the PGA golfer and was on 3 NCAA Golf National Championships at UNT. He is also in the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame. Ray Renfro--Former Mean Green great who was an All Pro for the Cleveland Browns, a coach with Tom Landry for the Cowboys a few years and in his last years, worked with UNT letterman James Rainboldt, owner of Tarrant Concrete Company in Fort Worth. Ray Renfro is in the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame. Odus Mitchell--Long time UNT football coach who has many wins and was head football coach when UNT integreted in the 1950's. Coach Mitchell is also in the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame. Mean Joe Greene--Concensus All American while at UNT; Was one of several NFL #1 draft choices from UNT during the mid to late 1960's; Has 4 Super Bowl rings by way of the Steel Curtain and the Pittsburg Steelers. He as the heart and soul of the Steel Curtain. Joe Charles Greene is in the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame and his sister is now on the Board of Regents at UNT, a position he himself served on upon his appointment to the UNT board by (then) Texas Governor Mark White in the 1980's. Hayden Fry--the multi faceted athletic career of TSHOF member Fry who was a great HS QB at Odessa High School; was the SMU Head FB coach for almost a decade before his firing on the Hilltop in 1972; In 1973 he took the UNT football job and revived his coaching career at UNT while helping UNT revive its football fortunes wiith a string of victories over some very impressive D1-A schools; left UNT for an almost 2 decade career as head football coach at Iowa where he took the Hawkeyes to 3 Rose Bowls and raised their program from the (all but dead) upon his arrival to Big 10 Country. Hayden Fry is in the UNT Athletic Hall of Fame. <><>><>>><><><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><> THE BIG QUESTION FOR TEXAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME OFFICIALS IS: Why in the wide world of sports areN'T Abner Haynes, Cedric Hardman, Ron Shanklin, Spider Lockhart, Chuck Beatty, Steve Ramsey, Bill Blakely, golfer Billy Maxwell, former UNT golfer and LPGA pro golfing pioneer Sandra Palmer and I am sure I am leaving others off this list; but why are the aforementioned NOT in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame? None of the above North Texas Exes will charge the Texas Sports Hall of Fame $25,000 to come speak and be inducted into their great hall either (PLUS) they all played their high school sports in the great state of Texas.