Despite the fact that Lady Luck was throwing a couple of curve balls at the organizers of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Celebration for the March 2 fundraiser, Event Chair Lynn McBee was not deterred. First there was the weather forecast’s grizzly conditions of thunderstorms and rain. Then there was the decision by people with fancy titles and in uniforms declaring that the bridge would not open on the following Monday as originally planned.
Nope, due to “conditions beyond” their control, the bridge would not see traffic until late March at the earliest. And finally there was a family emergency that would have sent most to “I’m unavailable” status. But seventh-generation Texan Lynn managed to juggle everything seamlessly with the help of husband Allan. After all, the funds raised by the Friday night event were going to help underwrite an entire weekend of activities for the public to enjoy.
As the big day approached, weather conditions vastly improved, nobody really cared if the bridge opened on schedule and the tickets were selling faster than the ponies at Lone Star Park. All the elements were in place for a major success. By the afternoon of the party, organizers were scrambling to find tickets for Johnny-come-lately guests. Both luxury lavatories and everyday port-a-cans were lined up, the media had alerted one and all that it was an all-systems go, Lyle Lovett was rearing to perform, parking maps galore had been provided ad nauseam and the bridge was dazzling.
But then Mother Nature made her presence known with temperatures in the 50’s and a gusty breeze that made the wide-open bridge nippy, to put it nicely. In Dallas a chill of this sort requires furs, wools and all those warm materials that many thought were past tense. The dropping temperatures sent guests digging into their closets for those coats, hats and gloves. While some initially scoffed at the need for Arctic wear, they decided it wouldn’t hurt to do the layered look after all. Ah, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Before the first breeze-up-your-skirt hit, there was the arrival.
The Arrival
Everyone in the Friday night crowd had been forewarned that if they were taking the Continental Bridge stay in the left lane. However, thanks to Aeolus or a couple of errant orange cones, the left lane at times disappeared, forcing Dallas’ finest to play Solomon in who goes where during evening traffic. Remember there were also normal folks just crossing Continental trying to get home to West Dallas.
A few who evidently had not followed the Continental instructions discovered valets and check-ins on the east side of the MHHB and made it through almost instantly.
On handing over the vehicles to the valets, westside guests were split into two groups — Very Very Important People and Very Important People. As VVIP-ers like Phil Romano, Carol Reed and Jeff West patiently stood in line, they watched those in the less important line move more swiftly. Ah, but for their patience, the VVIP-ers were rewarded with a “green-is-good” wristband.
But the wristbands didn’t guarantee front-row seats as opposed to the cheap seats, because there were no reserved tables and chairs. The evening was meant to be a stroll and roll along the east-to-west lanes of the bridge. The west-to-east lanes were reserved for emergency vehicles and an occasional bus loaded with city officials and dignitaries.
The Party Commences
Unlike the 2007 LAUNCH party that was held on the Continental to kick off construction of the MHHB, Todd Fiscus and his Todd Events team had ramped things up. Having spent 20 months of pre-planning, they were well prepared for the party to take place on the bridge. Just in case the weather turned grim, as it did a week later, Todd had a backup plan to move the whole kit-and-kaboodle to Gilley’s. Dressed in a burnt-orange overcoat with an earpiece to keep in touch with his staff, he greeted his buddy Ceron who had just arrived from Houston.
But the backup proved unnecessary. Under a clear sky with the moon checking things out and hovering helicopters with spotlights looking like they were tracking a prison break, midway booths were set up along the sides of the bridge with food glorious food from gourmet sliders to macaroni and cheese, loads of beverages and photo booths to memorialize the evening. For those who found walking not to their liking, there were white couches, four-top tables with chairs and high-top tables throughout. But as the night wore on, the patio heaters tended to be the literal hot spots.
However, the main focus of the evening was the bridge with its mammoth arch and lines of cables. Chiropractors no doubt doubled their business the following week to resolve the cricks in the neck resulting from everyone (like Trammell S. Crow) stretching back to take in the view. It was a cellphone camera delight with guests asking total strangers to snap their photos with the arch in the background. Ramona Jones summed it up: “I think this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Equally interesting were the bundled-up guests and whimsical characters in interactive costumes who walked the multimillion-dollar bridge. Terrell and Jim Falk were being interviewed on a
faux video newscast. . . Ross Perot Jr. wearing dull-yellow green gloves ambled ahead of wife Margot. . . Linda Perryman Evans in a quilted jacket was doing nicely, except she forgot her gloves. . . Trisha and Carl Ewert
didn’t have any problem with the cold temperatures. They had just flown in from Jackson Hole, where it was zero degrees and had snowed 11 inches. . . Recognizing that stilettos might not be the right choice for the night of walking, Carmaleta Whiteley with blue-and-white headband and matching blue ruffled blouse under her steel-gray quilted jacket showed off her blue Converse sneakers that she found after four hours of searching. . . . Caroline Rose Hunt found a table to take in the sights. . . Veletta Lill ran into her old buddy Lois Finkelman. . . Lee Bailey looked like she should have been shopping at Tiffany’s in her mink hat and fur vest, but the Miller Lite in her hand put her right at home with the bridge crowd. . .And, of course, there are always the ladies who put fashion above dropping temperatures and gusts of wind. Unlike the rest of the bridge population in jeans, boots and triple-layered insulation, Nancy Gopez, Mary Gill, Simona Beal and Anne Stodghill took their fashionable stand by wearing skirts and even posing for photos sans jackets with bare shoulders.
The Speeches
As musicians like Street Corner Symphony and Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights performed on the entertainment stage and DJ Lucy Wrubel with an MHHB replica on her head worked her
magic from her perch, a sister stage across the way and farther west started filling with dignitaries in rows of seats. Were they all going to speak? Heck, no, but still a lot of them were
going to be part of the historic occasion with words about the past and future of the Trinity project. To the right of the stage was a group of people who would be lauded time and time again: Margaret Hunt Hill’s children (Alinda Wikert, Lyda Hill and Al Hill Jr.), Margaret McDermott, City Manager Mary Suhm, Trinity Trust’s Dr. Gail Thomas, Trinity Commons Foundation Exec Dir Craig Holcomb and Tina and Santiago Calatrava.
While Alinda was fashionably bundled up in layers of brown wool, leather and fur, Lyda wore orange slacks and scarf with a silver-sequined jacket. Al and Margaret parked their wheelchairs next to each other and were wise to have quilts and blankets in their laps. Hunt Hill in-law Ray Washburne settled in a chair next to the group with daughter Margot dressed in pink in his arms. Time and time again Mary Suhm was recognized as the mother of the bridge and each time she waved off the comment. Yet she still seemed as happy as the mother of a newborn beauty.
As the speakers (County Commissioner Elba Garcia, State Rep. Dan Branch, State Sen. Royce West, former Dallas mayors Ron Kirk, Laura Miller and Tom Leppert) commenced, it became apparent that party lines were left at home, or covered with friendly jabs. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings kicked things off speaking in halting Spanish and adding, “You’re clapping because I got through it.”
Hunt Hill family members provided insight and background on the project. Lyda told how she had a chance to write on a piece of the bridge putting, “‘Go mom’. . . She went all the time!” Representing their father, Heather Washburne and Elisa Summerstold how Margaret HH “took life’s obstacles and overcame them with grace.” Recalling the story of how Margaret McDermott had caught Margaret HH’s wedding bouquet, the girls tossed a bouquet of white roses in the air that was presented to Margaret McD.
A couple sitting behind the bigwigs were recognized. They were the first to contribute to the building of the bridge —- a $25 check that Gail has never cashed.
It was now time for Santiago to talk. One woman in the crowd murmured, “Shut up! How exciting!” The bridge’s designer told how grateful he was to the workers, said there had been no major accidents and that he was appreciative of Dallas’ hospitality.
Mayor Mike then told Santiago, “Thank you, Santiago. We love having you be a city employee.”
Then the three former mayors were up to bat. Ron: “You can’t imagine how full my heart is tonight.” He also thanked the late City Manager John Ware, saying he really got it going. Then Kirk added, “This bridge has one mother, and her name is Mary Suhm.” . . Laura: “This is really the story of girl power.”
U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson remarked, “This is the structure that brings the city together.” In a show of political humor, she went on to say, “I’m gonna miss Kay [U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison]. . . if I get back.” Then she told the crowd, “Pete [U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions] is another story.”
Pete added to the humor of the occasion by saying, “I want to check those documents, to see if Al Hill waived the minerals rights under this thing.”
State Rep. Dan Branch applauded the spirit of bipartisanship that it took to make the bridge happen. He also pointed out that the day was Texas Independence Day and also Sam Houston’s birthday — “He would be really impressed with this bridge.”
Finishing up at 8:40 p.m., the crowd dispersed to pats on the back. Those looking for Al and Margaret were disappointed because the two had already headed to warmer parts.
When asked if she had purposely selected Texas Independence Day for the event, without hesitation Chair Lynn said, “Of course.”
Love Me Some Lyle
While some scurried to the entertainment stage for the Lyle Lovett concert, others lined up for food. Alas, poor Santiago, who had come straight from the airport, was hungry but couldn’t break free from all the well-wishers. When Gail Thomas shared the information with D Magazine editor Tim Rogers, he scooted off to get the Spaniard a plate of food.
Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished and Tim’s foodie delivery delayed his getting to the Lovett gathering. By the time Rogers arrived, it was already jammed. But a Lovett audience isn’t a mosh pit situation with bodies being carried through the air. In their typical black suits, Lovett and his Large Band group opened with “Release me” from his new CD. He then thanked the crowd for “letting us be a part of this.”
Then he, like so many before him, looked up at the monumental arch and said, “Look at that.” After a couple more songs [“Cute as a Bug,” “She’s No Lady (She’s my Wife)”], he joked, “This is honestly the first time we ever played on a bridge.” Following another song, someone in the audience tossed colored confetti up in the air to Lyle’s amusement. At one point he told the audience, “This is one of the state’s great rivers.” Laughter was heard from some groupings in the crowd.
By 10 Lyle finished his concert and the fireworks just north of the bridge were underway. Oops! In slipping away, Lyle forgot his guitar and quickly returned to get it.
The Departure
Since the temperature was continuing to drop and everyone had made the bridge rounds a couple of times, guests started heading to the valet to make their way home. What they discovered in the darkness were crowd control barricades creating a path to direct hundreds of their fellow celebrants who had the same idea of scramming. The car-pick-up line stretched for quite a ways. . . even longer than the check-in lines combined. But not to worry. The wait provided time to finish off beverages. Unfortunately, the trash receptacles were MIA and the law-abiding types knew better than to take a roady with them, so they stacked bottles on the tables that had been earlier used to check guests in. Smokers finally got to puff away, since smoking was prohibited on the bridge.
The wait turned out to be not so long for most and provided an opportunity to catch up with other ladies and gents in waiting. Vickie Howland proudly described daughter Elisa’s dress that had been designed by Lela Rose. To commemorate the occasion, the dress had the MHHB bridge on it.
But in these situations, one does not want to test the crowd’s temperament. Margaret Keliher walked up to a crowd of friends waiting in line. When asked where husband Lester was, she pointed further back in the line. When asked if they would like to move up, she turned them down, probably knowing others might start a lynch party.
One chap ambled past the penned-in waiters and appeared to be going to the valet’s head man. Those in line looked in awe at his audacity. Faint grumbles were heard. Ironically, those grumblers ended up getting their cars 15-20 minutes later. What they may not have realized was the ambling gent waited more than an hour for his wayward vehicle. Bet he won’t let this happen at Highland Park Village. Wink, wink.
yvonne crum says
This is the best write up.. i didn’t get to go and so regretting it.. asking this one and that one.. “what was the best part”? everyone had their own idea… now i can form mine by reading this great assessment.. love it..
Thanks MSC you always come thru… and any nay sayers about this bridge will be silenced.. it will be so good for our City and I am very proud of it and what everyone has done to make it happen! KUDOS