Dear boss:

I know I haven’t had a very good last year or so — not much writing on the blog, out of town a lot so I couldn’t keep up with what was going on around here, and the like. But I would like a raise, and I think I’ve found a way for you to give me one.

The City Council voted yesterday to give city manager Mary Suhm a nearly 10 percent pay hike. In fact, the vote was nearly unanimous. So, despite the city’s financial woes over the past five years — which took place while Suhm was in charge — the council figured she should be rewarded for letting the streets go to pot holes, laying off hundreds of employees, and spending money that we didn’t have.

Given those standards, I deserve at least a five percent raise, don’t I?

Update: After hearing from a bevy of parents to teen and preteen movie-goers (and presumably the folks at AMC), NorthPark Center has issued a revision of its new code of conduct. People 17 and under may attend movies at AMC Theatre unaccompanied, provided they go directly to and from the theatre from the parking lot and provided they are gone by 11pm Sunday through Thursday and by midnight Friday and Saturday. This exception will allow parents to drop kids off in groups without coming in to watch the show over their shoulders, and permit good ole American date night for 16 and 17 year olds who’ve driven themselves to the mall. Lingering in the food court, apparently, will not be allowed.

Parents of teenagers are being asked by NorthPark Center to accompany their kids after 6 p.m., according to a new code of conduct issued by management. “Parents and legal guardians may accompany no more than six unrelated persons 17 years of age and under,” say the new rules, so one mom could supervise a group of 6 kids, but no more.

New policies also prohibit hoodies or masks which obscure the face, saggy pants which make undergarments visible and going without shoes. Clothing cannot obscure the face of any guest (they don’t specifically mention religious headgear) nor exhibit lewd, obscene, vulgar or offensive language or images.

The new regulations have been emailed to parent groups and are in response to previous reports of crime and gang activity in and near the mall. Safety questions have been recently raised from parents in Preston Hollow, Highland Park and other nearby neighborhoods, long comfortable with dropping carloads of teens and preteens off for dinner & a movie or shopping & ice cream.

The code includes several other new rules, mostly standard – no sexual conduct, yelling, offensive language or gestures, loud music, loitering, fighting, littering, protesting or causing damage. No leaving bags unattended or climbing on artwork and railings. Skateboards, rollerblades and Heelys are not permitted. Smoking isn’t allowed and alcohol must remain inside NorthPark restaurants.

You can view the entire list of rules here.

My winning streak with cheap pinot noir from the Languedoc region of France continues. First, there was the Tortoise Creek, and now there is the Luc Pirlet ($10, purchased, available at Central Market). Who’d have thought this was possible, given the region’s problems with pinot noir?

Frankly, this was much, much better than I expected (being the curmudgeon I am). It has moderate black fruit, plus some pepper and earthiness. What’s missing is what I expected to find — that New World kind of fruitiness that makes cheap pinot taste like it could have been made anywhere in the world. But this is 100 percent pinot noir, so the flabby fruit that comes from adding syrah or grenache is missing.

It’s not quite as well done as the Tortoise Creek, but it’s still a stunningly well-made $10 bottle of pinot noir — let alone from a region where pinot has such a sorry history. This is a candidate for the $10 Hall of Fame, and yes, Mom, would appreciate it over the weekend. Drink this on its own, or with burgers, barbecue or meatloaf. Who knew pinot would turn into a midweek dinner kind of wine?

As further proof that nothing really new ever happens in life or politics, check out this vintage cartoon the DMN’s Robert Wilonsky stumbled across in the DMN archives. It shows a 1933 discussion of reasons to turn the Trinity levees into Dallas’ very own “Central Park”.

Now where have we heard that one before?

Coach David Bates held back tears while unveiling the new military museum at Marsh Middle School. It’s been less than a year since he and his Leadership Cadet Corps laid out plans for the project that would honor local war veterans while educating students about their sacrifice. We wrote about the early efforts in our October 2011 issue.

The dream finally become a reality at today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, and there was quite a crowd of Marsh students and staff, neighbors, school board members, TV reporters and local war veterans themselves. The community really rallied around this one.

“This is not a Mickey Mouse operation,” Bates said. “This is the real deal.”

The video above offers a look inside museum, which will be open for field trips and the public.

In addition to the Baker Bros. Deli coming in July, the Corner at Preston Center also will house a new Mediterranean place called Grip, Pegasus News reports. It comes from the owners of Ali Baba.

The fast-casual restaurant will take the former 24-hour Fitness spot and scheduled to open in July. That redeveloped area of Preston Center is just about full now.

Every year around this time, we profile neighborhood high school seniors who have overcome the odds to succeed. One of those seniors is W.T. White student Steven Perez who recovered from a heroin addiction at a young age. Music is what helped him through it.

Listen to Perez’s story and see him perform in this video by Advocate photographer Danny Fulgencio.

As I try to describe the spectacular bursts of color and beauty at the “Chihuly at the Dallas Arboretum” exhibit, I’m reminded of my diabetic son and how we allowed him to eat candy only on rare occasions. When he did pop a Skittle or Starburst into his little mouth, he would close his eyes in unadulterated bliss. That’s the childlike glee and wonder you’ll feel viewing each colorful glass masterpiece. You can see my photo slideshow here.

World-renowned artist Dale Chihuly was in Dallas today to give a sneak peek at the bold hues and complicated creations now on view at the Arboretum. The exhibit officially opens Saturday and runs through November 5th.

“I just try to make something nobody’s seen before,” Chihuly said. “I try to make it as fresh as I can and make it as beautiful as I can.”

I’m fascinated by how they’ll handle the first Texas hail storm (“it’s pretty strong,” Chihuly claimed), but the fragility of the glass is a big part of its exquisite wonder. Chihuly has done ten shows in gardens before (though he admits he’s never experienced our run-of-the-mill golf-ball-sized hail).

Chihuly took his glass-blowing team all over the world to learn a variety of techniques, and each creation is completely different from the other. The glass sculptures, which were shipped in five 50 foot trailers and took 12 days to install, are carefully cleaned using cloth diapers and Swiffers. The only negative: Chihuly’s glass is so jaw-droppingly dazzling you may find yourself strolling pass the stunning salvia, flawless ferns and perfect impatiens with nary a glance.

All the Arboretum, Park Board and donor-types responsible for bringing this coup to Dallas were on hand to welcome Chihuly and his wife. “Get out there twice,” encouraged Gillian Breidenbach with corporate sponsor Bank of America, “once during the day and once at night. You’ll get a completely different perspective.” The glasswork will be specially lit after dark.

The Arboretum is open from 9am to 5pm and will offer special garden hours from 6-10pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for the special Chihuly Nights illuminated viewing. Day entry is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $9 for children and $10 for parking. At night, non-member adults pay $20 and member adults pay $12 (there’s no parking fee at night), and a family membership costs $109. (If you enjoy the fun hillside concerts, the membership will pay for itself in no time.) For more details about pricing and memberships, visit their website here.

Etsy Dallas’ semi-annual bashes are on my not-too-be-missed list. Being a non-crafty person myself, I always browse through the booths and think, “You can make that from a piece of fabric and an alligator clip?”

This Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. is the spring Handmade Bash at the Palladium’s Southside event center, 1135 S. Lamar. Admission is free, but parking costs $5, so carpool if you can. One of the best things about the bash, other than the darling finds, is the opportunity to shop local — not just Dallas local, but Preston Hollow local. As you browse, look for crafters from our neighborhood (find them after the event poster):

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Jenni20

Nest Designs

In addition to the Open Days Garden Tour that I wrote about earlier this week, there’s also the Northaven Park Backyard Garden Tour, which is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. The tour includes a look at the Withers Elementary garden along with nine other private gardens. Just start at the school, pick up the guide and go from there. It’s free.

North Haven Gardens hosts its Spring Herb Festival Saturday and Sunday, featuring free programs culinary herbs, composting and more. Plus, there’s a visit from the Texas Honeybee Guild.

The Jewish Community Center’s 26th annual Bagel Run is at 8 a.m. Sunday, rain or shine. It includes a 5k, 10k and a kid’s race. Race-day registration is $25.