There have been recent grumblings among the media and party venues about the Dallas County Fire Marshal’s Office clamping down on arrangements. Especially feeling the pinch of the ramped-up of regulation enforcement is the art community that has become a lively part of the North Texas scene with pop-up galleries and events. At a community meeting in July. Mini-Gallery’s Lara Lenhoff said, “They’re killing us. Something needs to be done.”
The problem has been that for a long time the codes were lightly enforced. That has “recently” changed and caught many by surprise. Some suggest that the codes needed to be readdressed. Others claim that there is a reason for such codes.
Today Oakland city officials are being questioned why fire and city codes weren’t enforced, as 36 bodies have been found in the aftermath of Saturday’s “Ghost Ship” tragedy.
Our condolences extend to the Oakland community and their losses. May we learn from their tragedy and still allow for fundraising and for the art community to flourish.