Don’t forget to read the small print in Sears ads

A friend of mine told me that he went to purchase a Kenmore washer-dryer combo at Rockwall’s local Sears store on Black Friday, after seeing a Sears ad on TV promoting their sale price of $579.

When he arrived before Noon at the Store, he was told they had already sold their allotment of four washer-dryer combos and could not sell anymore at that price.

I checked the Black Friday ad online and noticed the small print, but called the store to ask what it said because the type was too small for me to read.

The Sears store owner read the small print to me, which did read that only four per store were permitted. But my friend said the TV ad did not include such small print, or if it did, that it went by so fast he didn’t see it.

So this post is a warning…be sure to read or look out for the small print in Sears store ads (and others) this Christmas season…or anytime.

A courteous sales clerk at our local Sears store told me the reason for the limit of four combos per store. He said last year Sears held a similar sale, but by the time the stores opened in the Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones, Sears had already sold out in their Eastern Time Zone stores, which had opened an hour earlier.

This year, Sears decided to limit sales in stores across the country to prevent running out of inventory nationwide again.

Frankly, what Sears did sounds rather lame to me.  I also emailed Sears corporate and received the standard apology.

If Sears or any other stores can’t meet demand for such a loss leader sale item, then they shouldn’t advertise it for such a low price.

So don’t forget to read the small print in Sears (or other stores) ads!

Lakeside Civic Chorus event raises funds for upcoming Christmas concert

Lakeside Civic Chorus recently sponsored “An Evening of Wine and Song,” which included a silent auction to raise funds  for their Christmas Blessings Concert, Dec. 6, 4:30 pm, at Rockwall’s First Christian Church, 3375 Ridge Rd.

Vocal entertainment was provided by LCC members Shelba Gorham- Bell, Isiak Holiday, Jennifer Sanchez and James Williams, according to a press release from publicist Nancy Beaty. Artistic Director David Bush and accompanist Ken Frerichs accompanied several singers.

Hunter Hammett, sommelier from the Fairmont Pyramid Room Restaurant, paired wine with the country of the songs that were sung and offered his expert knowledge on each of his choices, she said.

Concert tickets may be purchased at the door for Adults $12, Seniors $10, Students-Free.

Beaty wrote that funds raised from the concert will benefit the Marilyn Miller Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides a $1,000 gift to a high school senior in the Lake Ray Hubbard area who plans to pursue a college degree in music. The 2009 Winner was Trevor St. John-Gilbert.

Th non-profit organization was founded in 1984, and the chorus’ success is directly dependent on audience and sponsor support, wrote Beaty.

For info, visit Lakeside Civic Chorus.org.

Logan’s Roadhouse packs the place with great steaks, wide menu

Last night my wife and I used the coupon and tried eating at Logan’s Roadhouse for the first time since it opened in Rockwall last month.

We had a great experience and will definitely go back for more!

Look out, Saltgrass Steak House; you’ve got some serious competition!

The place was packed about 6:30 pm, but we only had to wait about 15 minutes to get a table because the restaurant seats quite a few people. I forgot to ask the capacity, but it’s similar to Saltgrass; it might even seat more.

First thing we noticed was a smiling door greeter and then peanut shells all over the gray concrete floor. The atmosphere is casual yet organized. Hostesses and our waitress were very friendly and professional.

Within a minute or two of being seated and brought water with lemon slices, we were brought some of the most delicious home-made hot rolls we’ve ever tasted with butter! It was an excellent start!

Then we reviewed the big menu, which offers a wide variety of steaks, ribs, chicken fried steak, barbeque chicken, catfish, meat loaf, burgers and lots more Texas favorites, all priced from about $5 to $25.

My wife and I decided to order and share a Black Angus porterhouse steak, with came with two sides. Splittling a porterhouse allowed us both to enjoy their best and largest steak for the same price it would cost to each order a lesser quality, smaller sirloin. 

We also ordered a baked potato and house salad, plus an extra baked potato, which comes with only butter.

The huge Black Angus porterhouse turned out to be a great selection! Ordered medium well, it came to us juicy, hot and medium, which is typical (always order a bit more well done than you want it, so I was taught!).

The steak had a delicious flavor, after being grilled over mesquite wood. It  was so large, that after my wife ate the filet, I couldn’t even finish the strip portion. No problem, now I have delicious leftovers!

We were too full to sample dessert. Didn’t even look at that menu.

The only downside to our experience was minimal. 

My wife ordered French dressing fo the salad and got Italian (which was good anyway!). The potatoes were definitely not grown in Idaho, where the very best are grown. Potatoes just didn’t have the flavor and were too flaky.

We also noticed there was no vegetable, although my wife missed it more than I did.

We left there full and happy, which is why we’ll definitely return to sample more of the menu. And those rolls…I just ate one I took home in my doggie bag. It was still delicious!

Logan’s Roadhouse is located on the I-30 north feeder road, between Saltgrass Steak House and IHOP. Parking is a bit of a problem, with all of those busy restaurants next to each other. 

Logan’s also offers a discounted menu on Monday nights.

Rockwall Auto Center offering Nobel Peace Prize with oil change

Rockwall’s Horizon Auto Center is making a little lighthearted fun of the Nobel Peace Prize recently awarded to Pres. Obama. 

It’s clever advertising. See the sign at 5335 Horizon Dr.

Good job, owner Ken Sterling!

Hope you don’t lose any biz from Obama supporters – but you can’t please everybody, anyway!

Frisco Liberty knocks Rockwall-Heath from playoffs, 49-35

Frisco Liberty knocked Rockwall-Heath from the playoffs last night, 49-35.

More details will be online soon at TheRockwallNews.com.

Dallas mom seeking to stop parents from showing porn to kids coming to Rockwall Saturday

The Dallas mother whose ex husband forced her two young daughters to view hardcore porn and has now attracted nationwide publicity with her campaign to change the obscure Texas law that allows parents to show their children porn will be speaking in Rockwall tomorrow morning.

Crystal Buckner, 30, sought help for her cause from professional publicist J.J. Smith, who founded and directs the Rockwall-based Lillian Smith Family Violence Foundation.

Both will be speaking at the new TR Cafe and Grill, 101 N.Goliad Street from 10:30 am – Noon at a regular weekly meeting of the Rockwall Co. Conservatives and Coffee, organized by Rockwall City Council member Mark Russo.

Their story has now been carried by over 450 news outlets across the nation, starting with the Dallas Morning News, CBS11 TV and Associated Press in Dallas.

Buckner’s eight and nine-year-old daughters made an outcry to their Plano counselor in June about the incident that occured in February when their father was viewing porn and drinking alcohol at 3 am.

“I don’t want to prevent parents from educating their children about sex,” Buckner says.

“But forcing children to view hardcore sex at 3 am when you’re drunk like my ex did is not sex education,” she added.

The law that allows parents to show their children porn was enacted in 1973 when the current Texas penal code was completely rewritten. At the time, authors of the legislation were more focused on giving parents the freedom to teach their children about sex or anything else however they wanted, said Smith.

“But pornography back then was not as widely available nor as visual or violent as it is today. A change in the law is definitely needed,” he explained.

“Most people we’ve talked to already assumed it was illegal for parents or any adults to show porn to children, and they wholeheartedly agree it should be.”

“State Sen. Bob Deuell, who is one of our board members, has stated that his first act of the next legislature will be to introduce a bill and change this obscure law.” 

Smith said support from citizens across the state will be needed to pass new legislation. To help or for more info, call Smith at 972-900-7575.

Rockwall Co. sheriff’s deputy injured in accident

Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office deputy Dennis Hoffman was slightly injured in a Monday night two-vehicle crash in Rockwall.

Sheriff’s Lt. David Davis said Deputy Hoffman was working traffic enforcement along State Highway 276 near Rochelle Road when a pickup truck collided with Hoffman’s patrol vehicle, knocking it 80 feet into a ditch on the opposite side of the highway.

After being transported by ambulance to the emergency room at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, he was treated and released and is now doing well, Lt. Davis said.

Click here to read more at TheRockwallNews.com.

Rockwall County’s population continues to grow

Rockwall County’s population increased by another 1,950 people and 2.5 percent in 2008, according to a new report by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

The county population increased from an estimated 76,000 at the beginning of 2008 to 77,950 at the beginning of 2009 - an increase of 2.57 percent.

The City of Fate increased by 850 people to 5,650, an increase of 17.71 percent.

The population of Rockwall increased by an estimated 700 people to 32,100, an increase of 2.23 percent.

The population of Royse City increased by 50 people to 10,150, an increase of 0.5 percent.

Can’t find a breakdown of the estimates in Rowlett or McClendon-Chisholm, but after subtracting the three cities from the County total, 350 people either moved into those cities or just into the County.

UNT Senate votes down same-sex homecoming bill

For those of you with students at UNT or are considering it, UNT’s student senate has voted down a proposal to allow same-sex couples to run for Homecoming King and Queen.

The vote was 10 against and 5 for…with 8 abstaining.

Click here to read about it in this PegasusNews.com article.

One grad student claimed it’s not fair to prevent gay couples from running.

“Right now, we’re limiting that by keeping the status quo with the Homecoming court requirements,” he said. “We’re limiting students’ chances and that’s not fair. It should be equality for all.”

Following that reasoning, should they then allow convicted transvestites, sex offenders or even dogs or cats to run?

Will Rockwall or Royse City be next to elect gays for their homecoming court?

Fairfax High School in LA recently elected a gay boy as their queen, after he claimed that deep down he’s a queen!

George Mason University just elected a transvestite as their Homecoming Queen.

What do you think?

Lake Pointe Health Network offering extended hours for mammograms during October

 

Lake Pointe Health Network will be offering extended weekday and Saturday hours for mammogram appointments during October at each of their imaging locations in Rowlett, Rockwall and Forney as part of a national campaign by hospitals to encourage early detection of breast cancer. 

The national “Picture Yourself Healthy” campaign is being held this month in recognition of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women. More than 1,500 people die each day in the U.S. from cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Approximately 559,650 Americans are expected to succumb to the disease this year – one of every four deaths nationwide.

Lake Pointe wants to promote early detection and testing that could save the lives of the approximately 180,000 women who are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to Lake Pointe Marketing Manager Bobby Montgomery.

Click here to read the whole story at TheRockwallNews.com.