Saving Bataan Community Center, Castro's House support, warehouses turned apartments: Your Wednesday morning roundup

For eight decades, the Bataan Community Center has served as the focal point for a neighborhood settled by the people who built this city on behalf of the people who owned this city.  [Morning roundup]( 02/27/2019 By Nataly Keomoungkhoun Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌥️ Weather: Mostly cloudy with a high of 70. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( La Bajada Neighborhood Community Association president Maria Lozada Garcia holds a photo of herself as a preschooler as she learned to read at the Bataan Community Center in West Dallas, which was listed for sale until Tuesday. "We have to maintain this to maintain the community." (Daniel Carde/Staff Photographer) COMMENTARY In West Dallas, amid development and demolition, a fight to save a beloved community center From city columnist Robert Wilonsky: For eight decades, the Bataan Community Center has served as the focal point for a neighborhood settled by the people who built this city on behalf of the people who owned this city. But now the doors at the squat beige West Dallas building dating to 1940 remain locked most of the time. A place not long ago packed with children, from sunup till beyond the dinner hour, sits silent. Spaces that served over decades as classrooms and clinics run by volunteers are empty, used mostly for storage, if at all. Walls once covered in murals that told the story of this neighborhood and the history of the Spanish-speakers who settled it have been painted over. A leaky roof has helped spread mold and rot throughout. A place so important to so many is now embroiled in protracted, personal tumult that in recent years has spawned lawsuits over prior property sales, defamation of character and broken contracts and promises. Despite the best efforts of residents joined to save this galvanizing force for good in their neighborhood, [there is a very real possibility it could vanish.]( Because the building is for sale for $10 million. Or, it was up until this week. Editorial: DeSoto ISD has a much bigger problem than financial mismanagement and [it needs to figure out why.]( Commentary: The Texas Ethics Commission is surprisingly nonpartisan -- [What can this group teach the rest of us?]( asks Steve Wolens. ADVERTISEMENT POLITICS [House Democrats rebuke Trump's border wall emergency, back Joaquin Castro's disapproval resolution]( WASHINGTON -- Democrats on Tuesday took a forceful step toward blocking President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration over border security, with [the House voting 245-182 in support of San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro’s measure to prevent the executive end-around.]( Never before had Congress moved to overturn a president’s national emergency declaration since the relevant statute went into effect in the 1970s. And nodding at more than just a battle over border wall funding, Democrats like Castro said the country’s constitutional pillars were at stake. "This is the most consequential vote we will take in a generation on the balance of powers between the legislative and executive branches of  government," Castro said, referring to Trump’s declaration as "constitutional cannibalism." 'We hear you': Lawmakers promise to fix Texas' [broken Medicaid managed-care system.]( Rape kit bill: Dallas state Rep. Victoria Neave unveiled a bill [to tackle the backlog of untested rape kits in the state]( and create a time requirement for testing new kits. REAL ESTATE [Old warehouses near Dallas' Galleria would be replaced with new apartments]( An aging warehouse district west of Dallas' Galleria complex is being eyed by developers for a major makeover. Dallas-based Billingsley Co. has filed plans with Farmers Branch [to replace two warehouses with new apartments]( in the area just west of the Dallas North Tollway. At 4730 Simonton, two blocks west of the Galleria, Billingsley wants to replace an 8-acre industrial building with a four-story, 412-unit apartment community. Designed by Dallas' Hensley Lamkin Rachel Inc. architects, the apartment buildings would have a rooftop deck and two interior courtyards. Fix it up: Chip and Joanna Gaines' latest Waco 'fixer upper' is [a landmark castle.]( Mini-mansions: [Rooming and boarding houses are disappearing]( as the house-flipping trend continues. Come sit with us at the table. [Eat Drink D-FW]( will tell you what's opening, what's closing and where to find the hidden gems in your neighborhood. Every week. Plus: Cooking and recipes, entertaining, and of course, wine, beer, spirits and cocktails. [SIGN UP HERE]( EDITORS' PICKS - Tweet danger: Waxahachie police arrested a 17-year-old male Tuesday who reportedly threatened on Twitter to ["commit jihad" on an abortion clinic.]( - Murder scheme: A man has been sentenced to life in prison after he and a friend were hired [to murder a Rowlett man's fiancée]( just a week before the couple's wedding in 2015. - A new address: Sometime in 2019, Perry's Steakhouse & Grille will close at its current address on McKinney Avenue in Dallas and [move 400 feet down the road]( according to Google Maps. Duc Tran, better known as his drag persona Plastique Tiara, is a contestant on 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' (Courtesy of VH1) FINALLY... [Meet the 3 Dallas queens vying for the crown on this season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race']( On Feb. 28, RuPaul's Drag Race, the most extravagantly glamorous show on television, returns to the airwaves for its 11th season, and three Dallas-area queens will vie for the coveted crown and a check for $100,000. All of these queens are strong contenders to win the title of America's Next Drag Superstar, and each brings their own distinct aesthetic, personality and talents to the show, which pits 15 drag queens from across the country against each other in challenges that involve acting, comedy, singing, sewing, dancing, and of course, serving spectacular looks on the runway. Before the season premiere on VH1, [get to know Plastique Tiara, A'Keria Chanel Davenport, and Ra'Jah O'Hara]( the city's buzziest new TV stars. 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletters@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). STAY CONNECTED WITH US [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Tumblr]( [Reddit]( [OTHER FREE NEWSLETTERS]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Dallasnews.com]() | [Subscribe to The Dallas Morning News]() | [Subscriber login]() | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( You received this message because you signed up for this Dallas Morning News newsletter or it was forwarded to you. Copyright 2019 - [The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States]()