Email Author Margaret Downing

Awards

• 2012 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published December 22, 2011

  "Mistaken Identities"

• 2011 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published December 23, 2010

  "Children of God"

• 2011 - Lone Star Awards, published December 23, 2010

  "Children of God"

• 2011 - Lone Star Awards, published December 30, 2010

  "The Whipping Boy"

• 2011 - Lone Star Awards, published June 3, 2010

  "Homeless High"

• 2010 - Lone Star Awards, published June 4, 2009

  "Let the Record Reflect"

• 2009 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published April 10, 2008

  "Exit Exams"

• 2009 - AAN AltWeekly Awards, published May 8, 2008

  "Mental Anguish"

• 2009 - Lone Star Awards, published November 13, 2008

  "Bad Faith"

• 2008 - Maggies: The Magazine Awards of Western Publishing, published May 31, 2007

  "Killing Fences"

• 2008 - First Amendment Awards/The Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, published October 25, 2007

  "Death in a Box"

• 2008 - Lone Star Awards, published October 25, 2007

  "Death in a Box"

• 2008 - Lone Star Awards, published August 23, 2007

  "Judging Books and Their Covers"

• 2007 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published October 5, 2006

  "Opt In, Opt Out'

• 2007 - Lone Star Awards, published October 5, 2006

  "Opt In, Opt Out"

• 2007 - Lone Star Awards, published May 11, 2006

  "Diary of a Mad Man"

• 2006 - Lone Star Awards, published August 11, 2005

  "Who Cares?"

• 2006 - Lone Star Awards, published February 17, 2005

  "Mind Reading"

More

2009 Stories by Margaret Downing

• Rabbit, Run: Young Actor In Stages Play Seizes The Moment

  published Mar 13, 2009

  In the emotion-packed play Rabbit Hole, now being presented at Stages Repertory Theater, one of the standouts among the five actors on stage is the young actor playing Jason, the teenager who was driv... More >>

• Last Night It Was Just Me and Don Julio, Unadulterated

  published Mar 12, 2009

  A couple of weeks ago we wrote about a tequila cocktail pairing dinner at the Hotel Icon's Voice restaurant. The review was generally laudatory with the exception of the final cocktail in which the l... More >>

• They Looked Like Jellyfish But Boy Were They Tasty at the Pagoda Vietnamese Bistro and Bar

  published Mar 12, 2009

  We were all given score cards right from the start. This was a media tasting dinner, and one that was more workmanlike from the start. At each plate was a card on which we were asked to rate the dishe... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  French Haute Cuisine on the Banks of Lake Conroe: La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa

  published Mar 11, 2009

  This past weekend, a mixture of media and local Conroe dignitaries gathered at La Torretta Del Lago Resort & Spa for a cocktail party celebrating the opening of the very upscale Chez Roux, designed ... More >>

• What A Relief: You Don't Have To Pee Your Pants To Pass A TAKS Test

  published Mar 09, 2009

  Last week saw the first volley of TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) testing for public high schoolers. Crucial to the success of the mission was a ruling from State Education Commissione... More >>

• Hightower High Broadcast Academy Scores Another Grant

  published Mar 06, 2009

  This past January, when the Houston Press awarded its first-ever MasterMinds Awards to three local groups showing cutting edge creativity and determination, one of the recipients of a $2,000 check fro... More >>

• Food Fight at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

  published Mar 05, 2009

  The food was carefully laid out on each judge's plate. First up, a beef burrito taco. We had palate cleansers (pickles, crackers and green grapes) and water at the ready. Cameras were clickin... More >>

• Food Fight at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

  published Mar 05, 2009

  The food was carefully laid out on each judge's plate. First up, a beef burrito taco. We had palate cleansers (pickles, crackers and green grapes) and water at the ready. Cameras were clickin... More >>

• AV Club Members -- You Have A Future On Broadway!

  published Mar 05, 2009

  How do you make an older, much-beloved, much-seen show new and appealing to audiencesr Especially when it was done very right the first thousand timesrWell, there's always the tried and true method of... More >>

• Her Name Was Daisy: Up Close And Personal At The Celebrity Goat-Milking Contest

  published Mar 04, 2009

  The goats stood -- for the most part, quietly -- in a line, their heads locked into a contraption to hold them in place. Daisy was the scotch-gold goat who was my destiny. I was in the third tier of t... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Four, Let's Have Some Tequila, Then More, More, More

  published Feb 25, 2009

  The scene last night was the wine vault at Voice in the basement of the Hotel Icon, 220 Main Street, and the occasion was a tequila cocktail pairing dinner for members of the media. Voice Chef Michael... More >>

• If There's No Money for Textbooks in Texas Next Year Can We At Least Do Away With the State Board of Education and Its Fightsr

  published Feb 24, 2009

  In Texas, the Permanent School Fund is used to pay for new textbooks each year. With the economy in the dumpster, the fund's reserves are too low to pay for new textbooks, it has been concluded by tho... More >>

• Cost Cutting: Dan Patrick Says Drop Those Caps On Elementary Class Size

  published Feb 20, 2009

  Just in time for the 25th anniversary of the landmark Texas House Bill 72, Senator Dan Patrick has pre-filed a bill to amend it in several ways -- no, he's not touching No Pass, No Play -- but he is f... More >>

• The Kindest Cut: Meow-ouch!

  published Feb 11, 2009

  The Houston Humane Society on Almeda Road was in full swing this morning in the very special way it honors the St. Valentine's Day season. On Fix Felix For Free Day, the HHS pledges to neuter 500 male... More >>

• Anti-Semitism Rears Its Ugly Head in Klein Independent School Districtr

  published Feb 06, 2009

  Jewish parents at Klein High School want to know what Terri Hall, the academic adviser to the student newspaper, was thinking when she allowed what some of them consider an anti-Semitic news article a... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Ra Sushi Scrambles Menu, Adds to Happy Hours

  published Jan 29, 2009

  We started with the kind of sake most people use to drink shooters and beer. It was warm, clear in color, dryly medicinal in flavor and called Hananomai Katana. Okay, adventures in drinking phase one... More >>

• Two Men Jump Out of the Way as Shards of Glass Rain Down From Houston Office Building

  published Jan 27, 2009

  Just after 1 p.m. as the lunch crowd was making its way out of downtown restaurants and back to their office cubicles, the general peace was disturbed by one of those true OMG moments.The wind... More >>

• $7 at New Hunan Restaurant in Missouri City

  published Jan 27, 2009

  Where: New Hunan, 2345 FM 1092 (Murphy Road), Missouri City, 281-499-3061 What $7 gets you: An assortment of mainstream Chinese dishes with more than half offered in the spicy hot Szechuan style. We... More >>

• Last Chance for Some Hot Dogs, Hep Cats and Veggie Burgers

  published Jan 27, 2009

  Scout's Honor Rescue, the group that took in the pit bulls from the SPCA after Hurricane Ike, is launching a new adoption location in the Heights and wants everyone to come out to see Dexter -- one of... More >>

• New H-E-B Store Says Go Fish

  published Jan 22, 2009

  The scene at the grand opening of the new H-E-B (8900 Highway 6 in Sienna Plantation in Missouri City) last night was more low key than the opening of the nearby Kroger this past weekend. There were... More >>

• $7 at Huddle House

  published Jan 20, 2009

  Where: Huddle House, 8619 Richmond off Dunvale, 713-785-0003 What $7 gets you: A chicken fried steak with hash browns, two eggs, buttered toast and jelly. It'll also get you (with change in most cas... More >>

• $13 at Kraftsmen Baking

  published Jan 19, 2009

  Where: Kraftsmen Baking, 4100C Montrose Blvd, 713-524-3737 What $13 gets you: Actually $10 will cover almost everything. They specialize in bread, pastries and for lunch, sandwiches made with that w... More >>

• It Says It's Custard, And It's Not Pudding You On

  published Jan 19, 2009

  Sorry, couldn't resist. The CreamWorx that just opened at 8817 Texas 6 in Missouri City might want to change its sign just a little to let people - not as acquainted with frozen custard - know that w... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Recession, What Recessionr Kroger Opens a Huge Store in Missouri City

  published Jan 19, 2009

  OK, there was a line for the football player signing autographs. The crowds intermingled with a walking crayon and some other cartoon character. Free samples of cheese and meat were everywhere and wa... More >>

• I'll Have a Little Wine With That Peekytoe Crab

  published Jan 16, 2009

  Voice Restaurant in the Hotel Icon (220 Main Street) has come up with another special dinner, a five-course tasting menu and wine pairing for $75 a person on January 21. This time they are teaming up... More >>