ST9904-CS020717WaSTe
v hairstyle is week's mane event
the last couple of point during the week, he'd that someone would guide
I've been deter- comehome to find me with a the stylist's scissors so she
lop off my long
find a new, short-
ok to wean
CORINA
MILLER
ir do have varied.
new hair do.
"Are you sure you want to
do this," he asked, remind-
lng me that the last short cut
I'd donned had less than a
happy ending.
Of course, he was right.
The last short cut I'd had
looked as though someone
had placed a large salad
bowl on my head then cut
around it. I tried to escape
that look by letting my hair
grow out. It took me about
six months to realize the
growing-out look was mak-
ing matters worse.
For one thing, others con-
wouldn't leave me with yet
another hair-do from hell.
And when I finally fell
asleep, I dreamt of a leering
stylist donning pink, spiky
hair hacking away at my hair
with everything from pink-
ing shears, to hedge cutters
to a chainsaw. I woke up ill a
cold sweat.
It turned out I had noth
lng to lean The stylisl, wbo
boasted a beautilhl bead of
blonde hair, recommended a
shoulderdength cut, which
would not only bring uut lily
natural curl but would also
prevent the salad bowl look I
v, I've had the same
tie for about five
and I thought a
of pace would be
so, my long, thick,
fir is a burden care
roes, the weight of it
headaches, and iu
uost of all, with a
ming in just a little
mnth, the less hair 1
esl with the better.
· some time now, I've
of cutting my hair. 1
;ed a stylist putting
ssors to my head,
th just a few snips,
me from my burden
ring xne with some-
;bort and easy to
this week, I decided
dreaming about it
something about it.
epared my husband;
him that, at some
fused me for a shaggy
English sheep dog. The pats was dreading.
s "All you'll need to do is
I received on my head p u . .'
the milk bones dangled wash ~t and put some gel m
~ i it," she' said with a friendly
before me were pretty so d '
indicators that I had to do reassuring smile.
something. .. ,;.l. thought freedom from
bet ball he just threw sent'
me running to a nearby
salon. There, the stylist
opted to cut my hair so that
the short layerg curled up
and the bottom layers
remained fairly straight. Her
efforts made me look like a
cross between Carol Brady
from The Brady Bunch and a
huge mushroom. And the
only way to escape that look
was to shave off the bottom
layer, leaving me with chin-
length hain
· I recalled that experience
the night before I was sched-
uled to go in for my new
"do." 1 said a silent prayer
reward for my willingness to
make such a drastic cllange
in my life. But it wasn't until
my husband got home that I
breathed a sigh of relief
considered the venture
"Wow," he said with o
admiration. "I really like it."
Then he reached out to tug
on a curl and watch it
bounce neatly hack into
place. I figured that meant 1
could safely put away the
salad spoons.
EDITORIALS
State may be slighting
area transportation needs
However, there seems lo be
a growing belief that somehow
this area does not need traffic
enhancement as much of
other areas of the Metroplex
or the state. Apparently,
TxDOT's plan also omits a
makeover for 1-635, which
would widen tile freeway and
expand HOV lanes, and recon
struction of SH 183, the
Airport Freeway, which is
basically falling apart.
It will be interesting to see
where the funding is going to
go.
Residents should
discuss county budget
Just like many companies in
these hard economic times,
Denton County faces a hard
choice·
The preliminary budget
presented to commissioners
last week has smne good
news: no increase in the tax
rate. It also has some bad
news: no pay raises for county
employees.
Let's hope the budget office
is not using scare tactics ta
create support for a m-rate
hike. Nevertheless, now that
the information is out there,
commissioners should solicit
input from their constkuenls
and determine whether Ihe
residents believe a little bit
more on the tax bill would be
worth it if county employees
can get a raise.
Denton County is not like
the city of Dallas. which will
likely have to lay off elnploy-
ecs, possibly cut their pay and
raise the tax rate significantly.
But county residents did
accept a tax hike last year to
level colnpethive with other
It is true that snme employ-
cost-of-living raise will look
elsewhere. It could cost tht
county some strong workers.
Bul at least these people
have jobs -- which can't be
The news that the Texas
Department of Transpor ration
likely will not be including
needed construction projects
on Interstate 35E and SH 121
iu its 2003 Iisi of projects is the
second major transportafiou
blow to southern Denton
County in tile past few weeks.
In late June, Gov. Rick
Perry and TxDDT released a
list ot top-priority routes for
his pet projecL the Trans-
Texas Corridor· Though 1-35E
through Texas is perhaps the
most vital existing highway for
the transportation of goods
from Mexico to the entire
United States, tile state has
decided that the porfion north
of Dallas is not as necessary.
One of tile tol>priority corri-
dors is one from Denison to
Corpus Christi. Northward, it
would parallel I~37 from
Corpus to San Antonio, the lol-
Iow 1 35 to north Dallas, when
it would veer over to the U.S.
75 area. Forget the fact that
U.S. 75 is not even a freeway in
some places between the
Texas-Oklahoma border and
Tulsa, where it hooks up with
I44 to head lo the Midwest
and East, but it completely dis-
credits all the talk about 1-35 as
the spine of the NA¥1'A distri-
bution system.
Aild now TxDOT wants to
put on hold plans to rebuild 1-
35E in l)enton County and
expand SH 121 to freeway sta-
VThetber the 121 plan refers
ill which municipafities and
the county bare moved up the
timetable by contributing local
funds; the Collin County por-
tion; or even the Tarrant and
unknown. But what is needed
is a conthlued lobbying effort
-- though it's uncertain
strate tile tralfic needs of this
Forhnudely, the North said for many people caughtin
Central Texas Council of the economic web. Prod many
of those people are the taxpay
ers .,. who certaiuly don't
want to pay any more money,
The hallnlark of democracy
is that the people rule.
Commissioners should take
the pulse of the county and see
what those who pay the bills
would like to do.
Governments is trying to do
whatever it can to help TxDOT
get over its financial crisis.
That could help save some
funding for the area.
NCTCOG has alway~ been an
advocate for the needs of this
area, and, this is proving to be
no exception.