Have you always wanted an excuse to watch the sunrise, while holding a steady breath in mountain pose? Twist Power Yoga is offering free yoga sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 a.m. for the entire month of September.

Amy Johnson, manager and instructor at Twist Power Yoga, says students should wear comfortable clothes and bring a towel, yoga mat (though one will be provided if you do not own one) and a sense of adventure.

The Jethusby Fund of the Catholic Foundation presented its first round of awards to eight Hispanic students in the Dallas area, including Alexa de la Garza, a sixth grader at St. Monica’s Catholic School.

The scholarship covers up to 50 percent of tuition to attend a Catholic school for the 2010-11 year. The fund was established by Dr. Mauricio Delgado, director of neurology at Scottish Rite, to support Hispanic families that are struggling financially.

Football rivals W.T White High School and Hillcrest High School will play Friday, Sept. 3 at Franklin Stadium, 7:30-10 p.m.  Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Jerami’s Bar and Grill is offering karaoke at 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3 and Monday, Sept 6.

Listen to the vocal stylings of Southern Methodist University alumna and soprano, Madelyn Brene Fortner, at J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in downtown Dallas on Sept. 5, 3-4:30 p.m. The free concert will be held on the first floor in the auditorium.

Jump in for one last splash this summer season at the Jewish Community Center’s Labor Day Beach Party on Sept. 6, 4-8 p.m.

That’s according to a new report by the Texas Department of Transportation, which ranks the top 100 most congested roadways in the state. I knew LBJ was the worst in Dallas, but I was a little surprised to see that it beat out Woodall Rogers.

I’m sure nearby residents who have to use LBJ every day would agree with the study. It’s one of the few roads in our region that is constantly congested – not just during rush hour. But what’s interesting, is that researchers measured not how clogged the roads are at any give time but how slow traffic actually moves. Slower traffic equals more congestion.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen any other highway where people actually slow down while entering the on-ramp – even when the roads are clear. Maybe that says something about the drivers more so than the design of the freeway.

At any rate, hopefully things will clear up after LBJ is rebuilt, widening the lanes and adding larger frontage roads.

We’ve been talking about the next Tex-Mex joint, Mattito’s, plans to open in Preston Hollow with a 1,200 square-foot patio. The restaurant has finally opened its doors in the old Dixie House space at Forest and Central across from Medical City. Mattito’s has popular locations downtown and in Frisco.

Here’s an interesting juxtaposition of headlines from this morning’s DMN:

“Natural gas taxis going to the front of the line at Love Field.”

“Solo drivers may be able to buy way onto Dallas HOV lanes.”

On the one hand, our government leaders are busting the chops of small, individual-owned taxis by requiring them to purchase a natural-gas fueled vehicle in order to get priority at the airport. The reason: Improved air quality from the few natural-gas cabs that will be converted, probably primarily by large corporations with available funds.

And on the other hand, our government leaders are willing to sell off what were originally billed as traffic- and pollution-busting high-occupancy-vehicle lanes to the highest bidders. Potentially, if you’re willing to pay a higher price to ride in the HOV lanes, you won’t need another person in the car. Another “innovation” in the works, thanks to cash-strapped DART: If the HOVs will be clogged with single-occupancy vehicles, then the number of regular HOV people required to ride for free in the HOVs is going to increase from two to three or four to reduce the number of those drivers in the lanes.

So we’re beating up on small taxi owners at Love Field in the name of cleaning up the air, but we’re selling off the “clean-air” HOV lanes to anyone willing to pay, particularly solo drivers who naturally pollute more.

Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

Within the next year, the neighborhood will have a trail that stretches from Central to Preston with crossings along the way — and it will be the only segment of the city’s overall system directly running east and west.

“This is a pretty major corridor,” said Kris Brown, principal of La Terra Studio hired to design the trail.

Brown and city officials offered a closer look at the schematic plans for the first 2.2-mile phase of the Northaven Trail Tuesday night during a meeting at the Jewish Community Center. The plan includes three major points:

• Valleydale Trail Head, which includes a small parking lot near the JCC
• Hillcrest Crossing
• Preston Crossing – a major hurdle for adding a signal since Preston Road is a state highway (289).

Construction is set to begin in early 2011 and will take 6-9 months to complete. Dallas County is doing a feasibility study to connect the Northaven Trail to White Rock Creek Trail, Cottonwood Trail and Union Pacific.

(more…)

I was drinking rose the other day, and a question came up. Why, if so many roses are supposed to be dry, do some California roses seem sweet?

Two reasons. One is the idea of perception of sweetness, in which our brains assume that something that tastes fruity is going to be sweet. Hence, a rose with a lot of strawberry fruit is going to seem sweeter than it is, since our brains associate strawberry flavor with sweetness. (Thanks to the great James Tidwell, who told me about this and explains it much more eloquently than I do.) The other follows from the first, and is part of the difference between New World and Old World styles. New World wines, like those from California, are fruitier than Old World wines, and the extra fruit flavor implies a sweetness that isn’t there.

Which, in a roundabout way, is where the l’Ermitage ($10, purchased, available at Central Market) fits in. It’s the opposite of a New World rose — a classic French blend of syrah, grenache and mouvedre that makes a surprisingly complex $10 wine. It has a very stony finish, a dazzling light pink color, and a touch of red berry fruit without any perception of sweetness. In this, it’s one of the best-made roses I’ve ever had, and is as enjoyable as many, more expensive ones. Don’t be surprised if it shows up in the 2011 $10 Hall of Fame.

Chill the l’Ermitage, and drink it over the Labor Day weekend on its own or with whatever picnic or barbecue you have planned.

More news from the Inwood Village: The exercise trend that has claimed celebrity clients and been featured in national health and fitness magazines made its way to our neighborhood last week.

The Bar Method burns fat and sculpts muscle using techniques that aren’t quite like yoga or pilates. The non-impact exercises are done at a ballet bar and focus on strengthening and reshaping the body.

It’s all based on an idea from Lotte Burk, a German dancer who injured her back and started using ballet techniques for rehabilitation. In 1959, she opened her own fitness studio devoted to it.

A single class starts at $22. The “new client” special offers 30 days unlimited for $100.

“Lace up. Get Motivated. Let Freedom Run!” That, from organizers of the Sept. 9 Freedom Run, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall Plaza. The Dallas Association of Young Lawyers organized the run as an opportunity to honor the heroes and victims of 9/11. Race profits benefit the Assist the Officer Foundation. Rally your coworkers for a corporate team and enjoy a VIP party Thursday Sept. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Dallas Chop House (free food, drinks and valet, oh my!)  There are no excuses not to register for this event, founder Clay Scheitzach says:

… lingering high school injury or a reality TV show you must see that night … even with your best excuse, I know you are not able to resist the temptation of hanging out with 3000 of your closest friends and drinking free beer at City Hall after crushing the competition in the 5k (or just drinking beer, listening to an awesome band and saying you ran). So either way, American, beer lover, fierce competitor, or whatever, now is the time to get your Corporate Team signed up for the 2010 Freedom Run.