013A Journal of Free Voices S ERVER 250 A Window to the South July 2Z 1973 Plunk your magic twanger, Tommy By Joe Wayne Taylor the city interested in the entertainment by' their big Buick and Chevrolet business. Arlington now owns a major dealerships. For years, they've enjoyed "There is a bond issue on your league baseball park and the world's running the city, and their forays into immediate horizon. It may seem monu- largest inland sea-life oceanarium. what they call "community service" have provided both civic and financial benefits. mental in size. It may seem frightening. The ball park houses the biggest losers When it comes time to buy a new car, But not meeting our responsibilities in professional baseball. The fish, park would be even more frightening. We 'may Arlington residents may well remember features Newtka the Killer Whale and a that the Vandergriffs donated land for the be thinking big but I'm convinced that it bunch of rollerskating penguins. And the would be folly to think anything but new hospital, the First Methodist citizens of Arlington are $40 million in sanctuary ("Vandergriff Chapel"), the big." — Tom Vandergriff, 1951 debt for these municipal splendors. Arlington new uniforms and instruments for the Washington Post columnist Shirley To understand how Arlington has been high school band, the FFA and drivers' ed Povich was wrong when she wrote that transformed from a lazy, oak-shaded vehicles and the electric basketball Arlington was some "jerk town with the fanning town into a debt-ridden imitation scoreboards ("Vandergriff Enterprises" single boast it is equidistant, between of Southern California, one must know painted strategically thereon). Dallas and Fort Worth." Some really something of Mayor Vanderg,riff. He is to "The actual work I do selling cars," bizarre things have been going on here Arlington what Richard Daley is to Vandergriff once admitted, "wouldn't lately. Tom Vandergriff, 46, millionaire Chicago. begin to pay my salary. Only the other car dealer's son, mayor and a sort of one Vandergriff and his father, Hooker, day a young farmer came in to buy a man Chamber of Commerce, has gotten have built a little kingdom here, financed truck and told us he came here because he wanted a chance to pay us back for what we had done for him while he was in school. We do a lot of work for the youth and although it is a long range proposition, it pays off." Hooker Vandergriff moved his family from Carrollton, Tex., to Arlington in 1937. Sensing that the area would grow, he invested in well-situated land and soon became rich. Most people in Arlington place his wealth at about $10 million. Tom (Tommy or TJV, as the papers call him now) went through the Arlington schools and then to the University of Southern California for a degree in speech. The younger Vandergriff couldn't find a job in California as a radio announcer; so he came home, (Continued on Page 3) Joe Wayne Taylor is a graduate of UT at Arlington. He worked for the student paper there and spent a summer at the Austin American-Statesman. After a stint at a Texaco station and a few weeks mowing lawns, Taylor was hired by the Dallas Times-Herald, where he works even now. Rumor has it that he's about to go to work for a Texas politician in Washington. FACULTY CONCERT — Leave this world of Watergate and inflation and enter the world of The Chopin and Haydn, with Frank Speller on the harpsichord, in faculty concert; 8 p.m., Recital Hall, Music Building, University of Texas, Austin. AUGUST 3 HEEEEERE'S — Johnny Carson, as though the coming tube image weren't enough, cardboarding and banalizing, with Phyllis McGuire in tow; 8 p.m., Jones Hall, Houston. AUGUST 6 fortnight CIVIC CHORUS — If the cicadas don't drown them out, the spunky Austin Civic Chorus will sing under the stars in free (bring your own By Suzanne Shelton blanket) concert; Zilker Hillside Theatre, Zilker Park, Austin. JULY GRAB BAG CINEMADNESS — Alley Theatre's Fifth AUGUST 7 Summer 'Film Festival continues with "Comedy ENEMY NO. ONE — Straight from the and the Cinema;" Buster Keaton's 1927 "The Watergate Enemies' List, the deadly, conniving General," July 31-Aug. 1; "The Private Life of and crooked Carol Channing as "Lorelei" with Henry VII" with Charles Laughton, Aug. 2-3; and Dallas Summer Musicals cast; through Aug. 12, W. C. Fields' best comedy "The Bank Dick," Music Hall, Dallas. Aug. 4-5; also week of "Music and the Cinema;" the classic "The Jazz Singer" with Al Jolson, FROM ORLEANS — The Preservation Hall Aug. 7-8; Melina Mercouri in "Never on Sunday," Jazz Band, down our way from New Orleans, join Aug. 9-10; and Bogart and Bergman in the forces with Robert Shaw, the barrelhouse legendary "Casablanca," Aug. 7-12; Alley pianist-blues singer who owns a favorite barbecue Theatre, Houston. through July, Marjorie Kauffman Graphics, spot and is 64 years young; 8 p.m., Municipal Galleria, Houston. Auditorium, Austin. INSIDE MAX'S MIND — Step into the imagination of Max Ernst with "Inside the JULY 27 LET IT RAIN — This one's billed as "a Sight," exhibition of the surrealist's paintings, COWARD TWICE OVER — "Twice Over romantic comedy with insight into the human collages, drawings and sculptures; through Sept. Lightly" is title of two evenings of Noel Coward's heart," but it's a pulse-pumper playing on that 3, Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas. songs and sketches, running on alternate nights; old Western vein, with a cowboy who claims he first revue contains "Family Album," "Fumed can make rain so as to make it with a purty gal; SIMON COLLECTION — "Selections From Oak" and Musical Revue, while second show starring Peter Breck who's Nick in tubeland's the Norton Simon Foundation" include works by features "Red Peppers" and "Ways and Means" "Big Valley;" through Aug. 19, Mary Moody varied artists, from Braque to the 17th century plus entirely different Musical Revue; through Northen Theatre, St. Edward's University, Spaniard Francisco de Zurbaran; through Mid-August, Theatre Three arena theatre, Dallas. Austin. December, Museum of Fine Arts, Austin. AUGUST 1 AUGUST 8 ASTROART — Nancy Graves exhibits PICKIN' WITH GLEN — The Arkansas kid (via FACULTY SING — Arturo Sergi, tenor, and lithographs based on geologic maps of lunar Hollywood) Glen Campbell, and his backup boys Jess Walter, baritone, join Nancy Garrett, pianist, orbiter and Apollo landing sites (if we can barter perform old hits and a few newer misses; through in faculty' concert; Music Bldg. Recital Hall, astronaut breakfast cereal, why not astroart?); Aug. 4, Houston Music Theatre, Houston. University of Texas, Austin. EDITOR Kaye Northcott BUSINESS STAFF CO-EDITOR Molly Ivins Ernest G THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR John Ferguson _ . Boardman Jr. EDITOR AT LARGE Ronnie Dugger Joe Espinosa Jr. C. R. Olofson David Sharpe TEXAS Contributing Editors: Winston Bode, Bill Brammer, Gary Cartwright, Sue Horn Estes, Joe Frantz, Larry Goodwyn, Bill Hamilton, Bill Helmer, Dave Hickey, Franklin Jones, The Observer is published by Texas OBSERVER Lyman Jones, Larry L. King, Georgia Earnest Klipple, Observer Publishing Co., biweekly from Larry Lee, Al Melinger, Robert L. Montgomery, Willie Austin, Texas. Entered as second-class Morris, Bill Porterfield, James Presley, Charles Ramsdell, matter April 26, 1937, at the Post © The Texas Observer Publishing Co. 1973 Buck Ramsey, John Rogers, Mary Beth Rogers, Roger Office at Austin, Texas, under the Act Ronnie Dugger, Publisher Shattuck, Edwin Shrake, Dan Strawn, John P. Sullivan, of March 3, 1879. Second class postage A window to the South Tom Sutherland. paid at Austin, Texas. Single copy, 25c. One year,, $7.00; two years, $13.00; A journal of free voices We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are three years. $18.00; plus, for Texas dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all addresses, 5% sales tax. Foreign, except interests, to the rights of man as the foundation of APO/FPO, 50c additional per year. Vol. LXV, No. 14 July 27, 1973 democracy; we will take orders from none but our own Airmail, bulk orders, and group rates conscience, and never will we overlook or misrepresent the on request. Microfilmed by Incorporating the State Observer and truth to serve the interests of the powerful or cater to the Microfilming Corporation of America, the East Texas Democrat, which in turn ignoble in the human spirit. 21 Harristown Road, Glen Rock, N.J. incorporated the Austin Forum- 07452. Advocate. The editor has exclusive control over the editorial policies and contents of the Observer. None of the other Change of Address: Please give old people who are associated with the enterprise shares this and new address, including zip codes, Editorial and Business Offices: The responsibility with her. Writers are responsible for their and allow two weeks. Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th St., Austin, own work, but not for anything they have not themselves Texas 78701. Telephone 477-0746. written, and in publishing them the editor does not Postmaster: Send form 3579 to necessarily imply that she agrees with them, because this is Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th St., Austin, 70430PV.1 a journal of free voices. Texas 78701. Once Vandergriff winged his way to it doesn't require voter approval. The Plunk... California to convince the directors of certificates usually are re-funded into something called the Junior Rose Bowl general revenue bonds -at lower interest (Continued from Page 1) that if the Rebels from Arlington State rates.