• The plan commission rejected the controversial Trinity East plan to frack for natural gas on city property, including a parcel of city park land, on Thursday. The driller can appeal to the entire city council, where it needs two-thirds of the 15 votes to get approval. Or, it can sue, which it has threatened to do if its request is denied.
• Don’t worry if a fracking lawsuit will make Dallas look bad — the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau held a launch party the other day for its new marketing slogan, Big Things Happen Here, reports The Morning News. The campaign includes a social media contest using Twitter, Pinterest, and photos, with some big-time prizes, including a NorthPark shopping spree. I wonder: Can I enter if I stand in a pothole that’s up to my waist?
• And the New York hipsters still love us, even if the James Beard award people don’t, writes Leslie Brenner on the paper’s Eats blog. Vogue magazine callas Dallas one of the four “buzziest” cultural capitals in the world – and it didn’t even know about the marketing campaign.