From This Moment Forward, Woodall Rodgers Deck Park Will Be Known As Klyde Warren Park
By Robert Wilonsky
Sun., Feb. 19 2012
​Behind the paywall this morning is The News's exclusive concerning "stealth billionaire" (Band Name Alert™) Kelcy Warren's purchase of the naming rights for the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park, which henceforth shall be known as Klyde Warren Park -- so named for the Energy Transfer Equity CEO and chair 's 9-year-old son. The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation Board followed up shortly after that trumpet blast with The Official Announcement, which follows. Says Jody Grant, chairman of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation Board: "A father naming the park after his son sends a strong message that this park will be a green oasis for all children to play, dream and learn."
Warren, recently ranked as No. 655 on Forbes's list of the world's billionaires , is also owner of Music Road Records down in Austin, a partnership with none other than musician Jimmy LaFave and engineer Fred Remmert ; and the man behind the Cherokee Creek Music Festival , an annual all-star kids-charity fundraiser held at the Los Valles Ranch in Cherokee. Oh -- and he's the guy who owns the sprawling $30-million estate on Park Lane, between Inwood and the Dallas North Tollway, profiled in The Wall Street Journal in the fall of 2010 ; our old pal Allison V. Smith took the slide show.
The News's story says Warren donated untold millions ('round $10 mil, most folks guess) to ensure there'd be good music in the deck park; Warren tells Chery Hall, "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if there was a classy place where people could listen to music and where music could influence children's lives?'" The piece also says Klyde can and will intern in the park till he's 21; kid's gonna have to work for his dad's donation.
"This park is going to have such a positive impact on our city as a major center of activity," Warren says in the morning's release. "As a father, my hope is that families from throughout the Metroplex and beyond will enjoy the park. As a native Texan, and someone who has lived and worked in Dallas for many years, I am so pleased that my son and I are able to play a role in bringing this incredible asset to our city."
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfa...ward_wooda.php
Belo Garden as of 2-20-12. Photo by TexasStar
