It was last fall, and negotiations with the Elmore Sports Group to bring its AA minor league San Antonio baseball franchise to Amarillo were creeping along. Its not that they were at an impasse, but something needed to be done to get talks off high center. Wichita, Kan., with its 400,000 population and serious talks of a $60 million stadium along the Arkansas River, was an inviting suitor. So too was Amarillo, but negotiators on behalf of the citys Local Government Corp. believed they needed a buzz. We had to create an advantage, said Alex Fairly, president of the Fairly Group, a risk management firm whose clients include Dave and D.G. Elmore among many professional and collegiate sports teams and organizations. We needed to do something they just couldnt say no to. It had to be shocking. The plan was to not just tell, but show the Elmores how committed Amarillo was to affiliated minor league baseball and rejoining the Texas League with a new downtown stadium. The plan was to sell all the inventory in the to-be-built $45.5 million stadium. That meant the big-ticket items of suite sponsorships, stadium and field naming rights, and Founders agreements. More than that, … Continue reading →

The Senate Ways and Means Committee took a very different tack. Its 10-page version basically said, Well take away the States 10 percent skim off the surcharge, but no extension; youre on your own. That draft unanimously passed the full Senate and went over to the House. House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke and Senate Ways and MeansChairwoman Jill Tokudaplayed key roles in the various drafts of the rail tax bill. Cory Lum/Civil Beat There, the House Transportation Committee kept the bill alive by putting blanks in it its draft extended the tax to an unspecified date, reinstated the skim but replaced the percentage with a blank percent to recover the states costs and a blank percent that would go the DOT for state highway projects. The House Finance Committee then filled in the blanks, extending the tax for two years, and dropping the skim to 1 percent, none of which would be earmarked for the DOT. This version went to the conference committee, and then surprising things started happening. First, the Senate proposed a new draft, radically different from the version that passed the Senate, which extended the surcharge for 10years and raised the skim to 20 percent. The … Continue reading →

Fabulous make-up artist Mehak Bokhari shares her style transformation with us Fabulous make-up artist Mehak Bokhari shares her style transformation with us. Find out what she is currently coveting and what she tries to avoid Understanding your body is the key to looking good and a trait found amongst all impeccably dressed fashionistas. While people shy away from talking about their bodies, these brave souls explain how they work their anatomies to their advantage How would you describe your body type? I would describe my body type as petite. Has your body type changed over the last 5 years? Yesss it has majorly changed over the last five years. How has your style changed over the years? I was never too experimental with my style. I always like to keep it simple and classy, but with time understood what suits me more. In your opinion what is your most troublesome area? My lower body How do you dress your body according to your body type? I cant really pull off anything which is too baggy or loose, so for me it always has to be something slightly fitted and nothing too revealing. Which silhouettes suit your body the most? I … Continue reading →