2016 January Oak Cliff

Radiation oncologist Dr. Raquibul Hannan is offering a new approach to patients whose cancer has spread. By combining his research in immunology with a radiation therapy pioneered here called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), he can stimulate supercharged white blood cells to help patients fight off cancer. These “i-SABR” trials are one of many trailblazing options you’ll find at UT Southwestern—where scientific research, advanced technology, and leading-edge treatments come together to bring new hope to cancer patients.

To learn more, contact: Radiation Oncology at 214-645-8525 | UTSWmedicine.org/radonc. Find us on Facebook

This is where we’re teaching your body’s immune system to fight off cancer.

ON THE COVER: Pigeons hang out on part of an old gas station on Beckley at Tenth. When DJ Snake, who was featured in our Q&A last May, showed up about an hour late for the photoshoot, our photographer got bored while waiting, so he started taking pictures of birds. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Picture this

These images collected from the cutting room floor were too pretty not to share.

Bastille on Bishop drew the biggest crowd of all time in July 2015. About 5,000 people came out to celebrate all things French with a Dallas twist. This year’s celebration is planned for July 14. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Wandering artist Jason Mehl shares his skills, while he’s here.

repair

Cliff Paint and Hardware has everything, including a gathering spot for the neighborhood.

BAD BUSINESS

City politicians take their best customers for granted

In business, the holy grail is a new customer: There’s no bad blood from working together for years, only optimism about future profitability. So companies tend to focus on newbies to the detriment of existing customers.

Yet the single, most-profitable asset a company has is a satisfied customer, someone who benefits from the company’s services and is willing to indefinitely buy its products.

That should be the way city government looks at taxpaying citizens: Those of us who live in Dallas are the city’s most profitable customers. We already pay taxes and fees, and many of us have large investments in our homes and businesses. We’re already motivated customers.

So why do the politicians steering city government continue to focus on attracting new people, to the apparent neglect of those of us already here? It’s pretty simple: They know we don’t vote when we get the chance in council elections, and we don’t pay attention to what’s going on the rest of the time.

Street repairs are the most obvious example: It has been nearly a year since we began our most recent annual discussion about the horrible condition of city streets. In a few months, when winter’s damage is done, we’re going to have about the same catastrophic number of potholes we had last year, despite all kinds of promises to start solving the problem. We know city employees are making an effort to repair potholes with the tools they’ve been given; we see them out there every day.

But we also know this is a billion-dollar problem, and we — the city’s best customers — were told by the city manager that we could only afford $20 million or so to fix it.

That’s barely enough to keep up with further street degradation.

So what solution was offered? Let’s put minimal money in this year’s city budget, just enough to tread water with street repairs, and focus on the next bond program in 2017.

But instead of taking a deep breath and funding our street problems completely beginning in 2017, they’re talking about focusing a chunk of the bond program on yet another $250 million in convention center upgrades (new customers), while downplaying the $1 billion in street repairs (existing customers), $200 million in needed repairs to existing arts and cultural affairs venues (existing customers), and for all we know, sneaking millions more into the can’t-be-killed, now-non-meandering Trinity Tollway, which benefits just about everyone except Dallas residents since it’s essentially an expressway to bypass the city.

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

ADVERTISING PH/214.560.4203

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marketing director: MICHELLE MEALS

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EDITORIAL publisher: CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

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managing editor: EMILY CHARRIER 214.560.4200 / echarrier@advocatemag.com

editor-at-large: KERI MITCHELL

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editors:

RACHEL STONE

214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com

BRITTANY NUNN

214.635.2122 / bnunn@advocatemag.com

It’s not too early to pay attention to what some of our politicians are planning to do with our money. Their continued focus seems to be attracting new customers with various tax abatements for relocating companies, entertaining conventioneers who are often one-and-done visitors, and facilitating the drive-times of suburbanites eager to pass through Dallas on the way from one suburb to another.

Meanwhile, their “best customers” — those of us who are already here — get to suck on the short straw again while our vehicles and bodies take another year’s pounding on crappy city streets.

That’s not the way to keep the most profitable customers happy, and the political guys know it. They just don’t seem to care.

Rick Wamre is president of Advocate Media. Let him know how we are doing by writing to 6301 Gaston, Suite 820, Dallas 75214; or email rwamre@advocatemag.com.

ELIZABETH BARBEE

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senior art director: JYNNETTE NEAL

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assistant art director: EMILY MANGAN

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designers: LARRY OLIVER, KRIS SCOTT, EMILY WILLIAMS

contributing editors: SALLY WAMRE

contributors: SAM GILLESPIE, ANGELA HUNT, LAUREN LAW, GEORGE MASON, KRISTEN MASSAD, BRENT McDOUGAL

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

contributing photographers: JAMES COREAS, RASY RAN, JENNIFER SHERTZER, KATHY TRAN, ANDREW WILLIAMS, SHERYL LANZEL

any editorial or advertising material. Opinions set forth in the Advocate are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s viewpoint. More than 200,000 people read Advocate publications each month. Advertising rates and guidelines are available upon request. Advocate publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one copy per reader. Advocate was founded in 1991 by Jeff Siegel, Tom Zielinski and Rick Wamre.

So why do the politicians steering city government continue to focus on attracting new people, to the apparent neglect of those of us already here?

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DIGITAL DIGEST

WHAT YOU’RE MISSING

New restaurant coming to Jefferson and Tyler

Polar Bear Ice Cream building on Zang damaged in storm

Work in progress: Batgirl mural in Bishop Arts

Can you find your neighborhood on this 1900 map of Dallas?

City sued over Kessler Steps; renovation to cost up to $180K

THE DIALOGUE

CITY SUED OVER KESSLER STEPS, RENOVATIONS COULD RUN $180K

“In the Oak Cliff I knew – before the arrival of the Good Ship Pretentious, you would more likely find one mowing a neighbor’s yard or tending a common area such as this. Now we have a pack of latte-slurping, self-appraised busy bodies calling code enforcement and filing lawsuits. Poor babies, I would load up the Land Rover and move to Beverly.... Drive that is. Hurry, you can get there before your latte curdles!” — Smokey

“Why don’t the property owners produce the survey from when they purchased their properties — my guess is that the Kessler Steps are indicated on the survey as an easement in favor of the City of Dallas.”

— MRR

BISHOP ARTS BUILDING FROM 1927 DEMOLISHED FOR PARKING

“To Mr. Garcia, I have been to your business to pay my respects to the loved ones I’ve lost; the parking is ridiculous. I mean, the last thing the mourning family wants is to worry about the Calvario Funeral Home parking. Most of the Oak Cliff community loves that your funeral home is so close to the area, but I feel so aggravated to see how disrespectful it has become. I know I don’t want to give you my business.”

—Marisol

WANT

Kings Hwy

40. 915 Stewart

41. 906 Salmon

42. 2165 Kessler Ct

43. 1418 Eastus

44. 2166 Kessler Ct

45. 1015 N. Clinton

46. 1130 N. Clinton

47. 1210 Middlebrook

48. 927 N. Edgefield

49. 924 Knott Place

50. 2142 Kessler Pkwy

51. 2912 W. Clarendon

52. 724 Woolsey

53. 1938 Marydale

54. 2102 Kessler Ct

55. 1207 Middlebrook

56. 127 N. Willomet

57. 1674 Kessler Canyon

58. 2537 Southwood

59. 1022 N. Montclair

60. 806 N. Winnetka

61. 1511 N. Clinton

62. 806 Knott Place

63. 835 Salmon

64. 1302 E. Canterbury Ct

65. 944 N. Montclair

66. 1221 Sylvan

67. 2176 Kessler Ct

68. 1943 Marydale

69. 1034 N. Winnetka

70. 1517 Junior

71. 1214 Kings Hwy

72. 906 Stewart (pending)

Self-taught sculptor Jason Mehl lives in Oak Cliff, for now

Jason Mehl is sick with wanderlust.

Since graduating from Rockwall High School and then Stephen F. Austin State University, the self-taught sculptor has traveled extensively. He lived in Costa Rica and worked as a tour guide. He’s toured extensively in India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

And he lived for almost five years in South Korea, teaching at a university.

He returned to Texas from Portland, Ore. two years ago after the birth of his nephew here.

“I thought it was going to be a couple of months,” he says. “And here it is two years later.”

Mehl now works as a fulltime artist in a live/work studio near Lake Cliff Park, but he is an environmental scientist by education and trade. His current collection of work, called “Intuitive Geometry,” contains sculptures ranging from 6 inches to 14 feet tall. They are made of varying materials but all have a similar shape and feel.

Smaller ones are carved from clay and cast in bronze. One is a massive piece of glass. Mehl also works in ceramic and a traditional Korean art form, Hanji.

“What do they look like to you?” he asks of the sculptures.

Bones? Alien bones? Driftwood?

“Yeah, I’ll take that,” he says.

They look like something from nature that you can’t quite place.

Mehl is a rock climber and cave explorer — he also likes surfing and kayaking — with tales from all over Asia. He went to Korea originally to teach English but wound up taking a job teaching environmental science. That’s where he learned some traditional Korean sculpture techniques from a student who was a generational sculptor. He

Jason Mehl in the gallery outside his studio near Lake Cliff Park. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

had known for years that art was his true passion when, in 2008, he decided to focus on sculpture.

Abstract sculpture appeals to him because it imposes upon space and forces the viewer to interact with it, he says.

He carried an 8-foot unfinished sculpture from Korea to Oregon, not sure what to do with it or whether it was finished. And then he brought it all the way to Dallas, where he decided it was finished, and it became the first piece in the “Intuitive Geometry” series.

“I spend a lot of time outdoors, trying to get as far off the beaten path as possible,” he says.

As a college student in Nacogdoches, he saved money for future travels by living in a tent instead of paying rent. He paid for that with his health, however, contracting Lyme disease, which has taken years to overcome.

That experience did not keep him indoors, though. He slept outside in a hammock in Costa Rica and took risky kayak trips in Vietnam.

Settling in Dallas for a while has allowed him to bring the focus of his work to a point. He’s got a show coming up in April at JM Gallery Downtown.

Catch him while you can.

“I start to feel like I have to go somewhere,” he says.

—Rachel Stone

WE’RE IN OAK CLIFF BECAUSE OAK CLIFF IS IN US.

For decades now, Dave PerryMiller Real Estate agents have not only represented buyers and sellers seeking to deepen their family’s Oak Cliff roots, but have put down roots here as well.

If you’d like to leave your own legacy in Oak Cliff, call us today to learn more about our properties of distinction.

Delicious

This must be the best $8 sandwich in Oak Cliff: Meats brined and roasted in house, freshbaked pain de mie, house-made aioli. Some neighborhood restaurants charge nearly twice that for such a sandwich. But Potpourri of Silk, the tearoom and bakery on Zang at Eighth, keeps prices down because it has low overhead. That is, its owners got in early on Oak Cliff real estate. Cris Barreiro was an art director at the Baylor College of Dentistry when her first son was born in the early ’90s. She quit her job and started a business out of her home baking and decorating cakes for weddings and quinceañeras. The business did so well that in 1996, she and her husband, structural engineer Tino, bought the former house on Zang as a kitchen and showroom for the cake business. She ran it quietly there for 19 years until her son’s culinary career brought them into a family partnership recently. Andres Barreiro graduated from culinary school a couple of years ago. He did stints in the kitchens of Bolsa and Boulevardier, but he really wanted to work in France. Cris suggested moving first to Montreal, where the Barreiros have family. So Andres spent a few months living and working in French Canada before returning home to apply for Canadian work papers. But then Cris and Tino offered to renovate the kitchen at Potpourri of Silk and expand the business with Andres as chef and his brother, Estevan, as manager. In Montreal, Andres loved the mom-and-pop bakeries and sandwich shops, each one unique. “We don’t really have anything like that here,” he says. “We want to do fun things. Things that are a little different. Things no one else is doing.” The everyday menu features four sandwiches, including a vegetarian option with house-made cucumber pickles, cream-cheese aioli and spinach. There’s also a soup every day, cookies, muffins, cupcakes and bakery specials including mini brioche, Montreal-style bagels, scones, Paris-Brest and chocolate tarts. The café offers Cavallini coffee and tea and Lavazza espresso.

POTPOURRI OF SILK

317 N. Zang 214.941.9941 potpourriofsilk.com

AMBIANCE: BAKERY AND TEAROOM

PRICE RANGE: $4-$8

HOURS: 10 A.M.-4 P.M. TUESDAYSUNDAY

DID YOU KNOW?

CRIS BARREIRO SAYS SHE OWES MUCH OF HER BUSINESS SUCCESS TO HER BIGGEST SUPPORTER, HER MOTHER, TILITA ROCHA, WHO DIED TWO YEARS AGO.

—Rachel Stone

Vanilla pudding with berries, mini brioche and a chocolate tart. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

THREE MORE SPOTS FOR SWEETS AND SANDWICHES Cretia’s

Cretia Drydale is another baker-turnedrestaurateur. She expanded her original tearoom and bakery in Duncanville to a couple of Dallas locations before renovating a Bishop Arts District building for her bakery/restaurant/bar.

228 W. Davis

214.942.9887

cretias.com

Kessler Pie Co.

This upstart from longtime Oak Cliff resident Amida Ortega offers custom-made pies and tarts. Order at least 24 hours in advance and pick up your pie at noon on the day you want it. A best seller is the BBCC 214, a graham cracker crust topped with fluffy cream cheese and sweetened blueberries.

2414 Sunset

469.877.6800

kesslerpieco.com

Parker Barrow’s Drafthouse and Deli

This new place in Bishop Arts offers New York-style deli sandwiches, including house-made pastrami and potato chips, plus local beer on tap.

344 W. Davis

One90 Smoked Meats

Offering bbq combo plates, sandwiches, tacos, sides, desserts & a wide variety of locally smoked meats, including Brisket, Bison, Turkey, Chicken, Pork, Salmon, Duck, Lamb & Tenderloins.

Out & About

January 2016

Elvis’ birthday

El Ranchito celebrates The King every Wednesday in January. Make reservations for the Elvis impersonation shows and contests from 7:30-9 p.m.

El Ranchito, 610 W. Jefferson, 214.946.4238, elranchito-dallas.com, $5

JAN. 5

Social justice films

Two prison documentaries are on tap for this month’s first Tuesday social justice film series. “Overcriminalized” is a short film about mentally ill and homeless people being jailed. And then “Released” is about the difficulties of reentering society after leaving prison and the high prison recidivism rate in America. Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest, firsttuesdayfilms.org, free

JAN. 10

Online portfolio class

Fulfill a New Year’s resolution with a class at Oil and Cotton. Ryan Rushing guides small-business owners, artists and freelancers through creating an online portfolio, blog or shop from 3-6 p.m. Jan. 10. Other classes this month include sewing basics, leatherworking, portrait watercolor, calligraphy and paper marbling. Oil and Cotton, 817 W. Davis, 214.942.0474, oilandcotton.com, $40-$145

JAN. 12

Local letters

Representatives from independent book publishers New Directions Publishing Corp., Archipelago Books, Open Letter Books and Deep Vellum Publishing come to the Wild Detectives for a 7:30 p.m. talk.

The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth, 214.942.0108, thewilddetectives.com, free

JAN. 16

Rocky Horror

Let’s do the time warp again, y’all. The Texas Theatre brings a live shadow cast for a 10 p.m. screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Don’t forget the toast.

The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, thetexastheatre.com

JAN. 20-21

Colin Hay

After huge success in 1980s pop music with Men at Work, Colin Hay reinvented himself in a solo career that has produced 11 albums. He plays a twonight stand at the Kessler.

The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $25

JAN. 22

Jacob Metcalf

Our neighborhood’s own singer/ songwriter hosts an album-release party for his new one, “Fjord.”

The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $15$25

JAN. 23-MARCH 6

Outsider art

Oak Cliff-based artist Andy Don Emmons opens a show, “Shabby Saints and Rusty Hoodoo Blues,” with a reception from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 23. The show offers paintings and sculptures made of materials Emmons found living on his ancestral family farm in East Texas: bones, wire, plastic toys and red iron-ore rocks twisted together to make “hoodoo talisman.” The show also includes sculptures and masks of mythological beings carved out of old cedar trees. Emmons says the aroma of fresh-carved cedar alone is worth a visit.

Mighty Fine Arts, 409A N. Tyler, 214.942.5241, mfagallery.com, free

JAN. 24

Jazz at the TeCo

Lee Ritenour and Elan Trotman perform shows at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

The Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler, 214.948.0716, tecotheater.org, $60-$65

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LITERALLY DYING

All of the reality TV stars featured in the October Advocate came to our studio to be photographed. Hilari Styles, who competed in seasons six and seven of HGTV’s “Design Star,” is an interior designer, TV personality and burgeoning lifestyle maven. She asked Advocate photo editor Danny Fulgencio whether she could see his shots. He said “no.” This was her reaction. Fulgencio later decided it resembles Jacques-Louis David’s “The Death of Marat,” totally by accident.

THE STORIES BEHIND 2015’S PHOTOS

STORY BY RACHEL STONE | PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

For every story published in the Advocate magazine, photographers shoot dozens of pictures, and reporters scribble sundry side notes. Only a fraction of the work makes it to the page. The idea of all those fascinating tidbits that never see the light of day can be depressing — and no one wants to start off the New Year despondent over deleted content.

We give you the cream of the previously unpublished crop.

DELETEDSCENES

RIDE OR DIE

A previous motorcycle photo shoot, with me hanging out of a car, hadn’t turned out that well, and I figured shooting from a motorcycle’s sidecar would help me get the photo I was after. A friend in Denton with a Ural Sidecar Motorcycle answered my call, and I offered to repay him in beer. We met up with salon owner/motorcycle enthusiast Annette Jensen near Jefferson Boulevard. Between her chopper and the Ural, we drew a lot of stares. I tried to direct Annette and my friend as to where the bikes needed to align so I could get the picture I wanted. Shooting was considerably more challenging than expected: The Ural was an unstable platform. I’d hoped to shoot using longer shutter speeds to create motion blur and communicate action, but my shots started off as blurry smears. I had to hike up my shutter speed to get acceptable photos. Also, the bikes were very loud, so we all had to communicate with improvised hand signals. On our final pass down Jefferson, I opted to lean out of the sidecar as far as possible in order to get a low, wide-angle shot of Annette looking like the badass she is. This may not have been the safest decision, but photography seems to work that way from time to time. While rolling back to our starting point, my friend thought it would be fun to jerk the bike onto two wheels, suspending me midair. I gripped the sidecar and remember saying, “You bastard,” before he plopped it back down. Afterwards, my friend and I went to an Oak Cliff bar, where I had to disuade him from starting a fistfight with the bartender.

—Danny Fulgencio

Happy New Year from Gloria Dean

I want to acknowledge all my kind Kessler neighbors for taking care of me and my home during my stay in the hospital by paying the yard people and providing great food while I recuperated. Thank you to Kim, Tom, John, Jim G., Suzy, Lady Doc, Sandra, Billy, Keith J., and last Pearl for taking care of my laundry.

I wish everyone could live among great people like these.

PIÑATA MASTER

When a feature story on ABC Party appeared in the April Advocate, we had no idea how much publicity the business would soon gain. ABC Party makes adorably detailed piñatas. Its piñatero, Alex Sagrero, learned the craft through years of watching a master piñata maker from Mexico. The shop, owned by Elvie and Carlos De La Fuente, has been at the corner of West Davis and Windomere for about seven years, and piñatas have become a big part of their business. The choice words of one presidential candidate helped ABC sell hundreds of custom piñatas last summer. Donald Trump announced his run for president June 16, with a speech insulting Mexicans: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems. They’re bringing drugs; they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting.” ABC sprang into action, turning out dozens of Trump piñatas every week throughout the summer and into fall. When Trump appeared at American Airlines Center in September, ABC News interviewed Carlos De La Fuente, who was born in Mexico and raised in Oak Cliff: “The more Donald Trump talks, the more money I make,” De La Fuente told the news outlet. “So keep on talking, Donald.”

HEALING TATTOOS

Caleb Barnard and Marie Sena opened the tiny and tasteful Electric Eye tattoo studio at Jefferson Tower last summer. Sena was a painter and graduate student at the University of Texas Southwestern when she heard about a tattoo artist who would trade ink for artwork. The two became friends, and Barnard wound up teaching Sena the craft of tattooing. “He was instrumental in my development as a tattoo artist,” she says. Sena graduated with a master’s degree in medical illustration and found work creating the art for medical textbooks. Now she is a fulltime tattoo artist, and she continues to take freelance work as a medical illustrator. She also does medical tat-

toos. In that craft, she can match skin tones to cover vitiligo or disguise facial scars. Most commonly, she is called on to ink fake nipples onto breast cancer patients after mastectomies. “I practiced on myself,” she says. “I tattooed a nipple on myself, and I did one on Caleb. Our friend Eliseo has one. There are a few nipples running around out there.” Sena contacted several plastic surgeons in the Dallas area, and she found there is a high demand for nipple tattoos following breast reconstruction surgery. Insurance companies won’t pay for tattooing because it is considered cosmetic, Sena says. So she sometimes offers discounts for women who can’t afford it. She’s tattooed dozens of nipples on women of all ages. The youngest was 33. “There are so many people with breast cancer,” she says. “It blows my mind.”

“THERE ARE A FEW NIPPLES RUNNING AROUND OUT THERE”

SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE

Advocate photo editor Danny Fulgencio put a long day of shooting behind him in April and met some friends for a pint at Ten Bells Tavern. He was surprised to find the DFW Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of men and women who advocate for human rights, respect for diversity, spiritual enlightenment and safe sex. The “order” also raises money for charity and performs community service. “We like to bring joy and happiness wherever we go,” says member Paul Pizzo. The group’s biggest annual fundraiser is for Oak Cliff-based AIDS Arms Inc.’s Life Walk. They also raise money for the AIDS Resource Center, Home for the Holidays and other nonprofits. On this night, the Sisters were dressed in their habits and pancake makeup to spread their message and offer cheeky one-liners. Though weary from work, Fulgencio was compelled to haul his lights and camera out of the car for a quick portrait shoot.

BEST PIZZA

WINNER

❏ HOME RUN PIZZA

RUNNERS UP

❏ Zoli’s NY Pizza

❏ Eno’s NOMINEES

❏ Oak Cliff Pizza and Pasta

BEST BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH

WINNER

❏ JONATHON’S OAK CLIFF

Runners Up

❏ Norma’s Café

❏ El Jordan Café

NOMINEES

❏ Bolsa

❏ Café Brazil

❏ Hattie’s

❏ Metro Diner

❏ Oddfellows

❏ Spiral Diner

❏ Veracruz Café

BEST COFFEE

WINNER

❏ ESPUMOSO

RUNNERS UP

❏ Davis Street Espresso

❏ Bolsa Mercado

NOMINEES

❏ Wild Detectives

BEST BURGER WINNER

❏ HUNKY’S RUNNERS UP

❏ 303 Bar and Grill

❏ Burguesa Burger

NOMINEES

❏ Country Burger

ADVOCATE’S BEST OF 2014-2015 RECAP

Over the past 16 months, Advocate readers selected the best of Oak Cliff.

Be sure to visit all of these local spots, and share your pictures with us on social media — we’d love to see you around the neighborhood!

BEST DESSERT

WINNER

❏ PANADERIA VERA’S RUNNERS UP

❏ CoCoAndre Chocolatier

❏ Emporium Pies

NOMINEES

❏ Dude, Sweet Chocolate

❏ Kessler Cookie Co

❏ Rush Patisserie

BEST SPECIALTY SHOP

WINNER

❏ ROSE GARDEN REMAKE

RUNNERS UP

❏ Zoomo’s Pop-up Shop (closed)

❏ Collector’s Crypt

NOMINEES

❏ Artisan’s Collective

❏ Bishop Street Market

❏ Cozy Cottage

❏ DIRT Flowers

❏ Fete-ish

❏ From the Ends of the Earth

❏ Home on Bishop

❏ Kiez

❏ Neighborhood

❏ Society

❏ House of MacGregor

❏ We Are 1976

❏ Zola’s Everyday (closed)

BEST PATIO WINNER

❏ VH

RUNNERS UP

❏ The Foundry and Chicken

Scratch

❏ Pour House Dallas

NOMINEES

❏ La Calle Doce

❏ Gloria’s

❏ Mesa

BEST TACOS

WINNER

❏ EL SI HAY

RUNNERS UP

❏ Los Torres Taqueria

❏ El Tizoncito

NOMINEES

❏ El Corazon

❏ El Jordan Café

❏ Hugo’s

BEST DATE NIGHT

WINNER

❏ TEXAS THEATRE

RUNNERS UP

❏ The Kessler Theater

❏ Bar Belmont

NOMINEES

❏ Bolsa Mercado

❏ Oil and Cotton

❏ Ten Bells Tavern

❏ Hattie’s

❏ Nova

❏ Zen Sushi

BEST HOME & GARDEN

WINNER

❏ BRUMLEY GARDENS (closed)

RUNNERS UP

❏ Neighborhood

❏ Fete-ish

NOMINEES

❏ Home on Bishop

❏ Society

❏ Simply Austin

❏ Dwell on Davis

BEST PET SERVICE

WINNER

❏ OAK CLIPS

RUNNERS UP

❏ Green Pet

❏ Bishop Arts Dog Grooming

NOMINEES

❏ Wonderland

BEST BAR

WINNER

❏ NOVA

RUNNERS UP

❏ Oak Cliff Social Club

❏ Tradewinds

NOMINEES

❏ Whitehall Exchange

BEST PLACE FOR KIDS

WINNER

❏ NORTH OAK CLIFF LIBRARY

RUNNERS UP

❏ Hampton-Illinois Library

❏ Dallas Zoo

NOMINEES

❏ The Golf Club of Dallas

❏ Kidd Springs Park and Rec Center

❏ Annie L Stevens/Toddler Park

#AdvocateBestOf

Instagram: Advocate_Mag_Dallas

Facebook :Facebook.com/OakCliffAdvocate

Twitter: Twitter.com/Advocate_OC

Stay tuned for the next Advocate Best Of contests coming May 2016!

The fix-it man

This Jefferson Boulevard shop can still fix a chainsaw

Story

by Rachel Stone | Photos by Danny Fulgencio

Oak Cliff Paint and Hardware has everything.

A wall-sized velvet painting of John Wayne, a rare 1970s touring bike, vintage bowling balls, refurbished lamps, golf clubs, boots and gas cans. Somewhere in the jumble, there is also hardware.

The store at 829 W. Jefferson is a mess of organized chaos. But that is not the star of the show here.

The magic happens in the alley just west of the two-story building on Jefferson.

That’s where Elijah Day, the owner of Oak Cliff Paint and Hardware, does most of his work.

Day, who is known as Mr. Eli, has been working on small engines there since 1974. He bought the shop in 1991, and he and his two employees fix chainsaws, lawnmowers, weed whackers and the like,

a rarity in an age when those items more and more commonly are made to be replaced and not repaired.

When Day started at the shop more than 40 years ago, there was still a Rexall on the corner, and Jefferson Boulevard had already reached its peak as a commercial district. Red Bird Mall would open the following year, poaching the Sears store and other retailers from the boulevard, marking the beginning of a decline. Strides are being made in renovating Jefferson Boulevard. The 800 block isn’t being transformed in the vein of Jefferson Tower, but it has a strong mix of independent businesses.

Now there is a tattoo shop, a circuit-training gym and a little grocery and restaurant on the corner.

Day followed his then-sweetheart and now-wife, Bobbie, to Dallas

Above: Elijah Day in the garage behind his shop. Opposite: The shop’s old sign is a Jefferson Bouelvard landmark, and workspaces inside represent decades of mechanical mastery.

after his service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

The original owner of Oak Cliff Paint and Hardware, which has been in business since the 1930s, gave him a shop manual and a McCullough chainsaw to fix. He read the manual and fixed the saw, and he had a job.

Customers and buddies come through the alley, with its pleasant gasoline fumes, all day long to bring Day a job or just as likely, to visit. A pal who owns a landscaping company hangs out for his entire lunch break. Another buddy comes through on a whirlwind, offering beef ribs from Baby Back Shack and dropping a couple of jokes before taking off again in his truck. This is a hangout, but it’s also Day’s office.

He is working on a weed whacker, recalibrating the catalytic converter.

He pulls the start.

“Watch,” says Reginald Randall of Arcadia Park, a mechanic who has worked at the shop for seven years. “Most people would

give up, but he’ll get it started.”

It took somewhere around 15 pulls, but Randall was right. It’s like Day has the touch.

“It’s a challenge,” Day says. “It’s a real good feeling when you can take an old broken-down thing and make it run.”

Parts are not easy to find, and frequently, the fix is not much cheaper than buying a replacement.

Day recently put the building, which has two apartments on the second floor, up for sale. If a buyer comes along, Day says, he’s not sure what he will do with the contents of the store.

While fixing small engines is his thing, Day is not as keen on selling his stuff.

“There was a guy who came in one time and asked about a painting that was in there,” Randall says.

Day asked $700 for it. The guy came back later and paid for it, Randall says.

Young girls become trailblazers and leaders in the classroom and beyond.

Inquiry-Based

Girls actively explore real-world problems and challenges. Social

Focus on strength of character, emotional health, and empowerment of young girls.

For more information, visit www.dallasisd.org/SolarPrep

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep.org

Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

SOLAR PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

2617 N. Henderson Ave. / 972.925.3306/ dallasisd.org/solarprep An exciting new Choice School in Dallas ISD. Accepting student applications Jan. 6-29 for kindergarten, first and second grade in the 2016-2017 school year. The mission at Solar Prep is to prepare girls to become trailblazers in STEAM-related fields and equip them with a depth of knowledge, capacity for leadership, strength of character, and love of self. Solar Prep offers blended learning, project-based learning, tech literacy and coding, engineering, robotics, integrated art, and drama. Enrollment is open to all girls living within the Dallas ISD boundaries, there are no academic entry requirements, and transportation will be provided. Visit www.dallasisd.org/solarprep for more information and to submit an application.

ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL

4019 S. Hampton Rd. Dallas 75224/ 214.331.5139 / www.saintspride.com

At St. Elizabeth of Hungary, our fundamental task is the education of the whole child -- combining learning with faith, Catholic doctrines and moral teachings. We introduce all PK3-8th Grade students to the integrated ways of STEM. This approach to education is designed to revolutionize the teaching of subject areas such as mathematics and science by incorporating technology and engineering into regular curriculum. Over the past 10 years, 95% of St. Elizabeth 8th graders were accepted to their first choice high school. Join us for an informational school tour and see for yourself how easy it is to become a Saint! Call 214.331.5139 for information.

ISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org

Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

to advertise call 214.560.4203

of our 200,000+ readers with average income of $146,750 want more info about private schools.

HOPING FOR AN EPIPHANY

Living and thinking in a whole new way in 2016

Sometimes more than others, we need a new year. We need a new start and a new direction. We need a light to shine in the darkness.

That’s how I was feeling as the last days passed of 2015, which will long be remembered for the fear they left on our collective psyche.

On Nov. 14, terrorists killed 130 in Paris, injuring hundreds more. The day before, a double-suicide in Beirut killed 43 and wounded 239 others. Just a few days before that, the Egyptian affiliate of ISIS claimed responsibility for the Russian plane crash that killed 217. And last month, a suburban couple in San Bernardino, Calif. entered a holiday party and murdered 14 and wounded 21, having pledged their loyalty to ISIS.

The news has instilled fear in the hearts of many who cannot fathom such brutality. It’s left people wondering if they are safe in shopping malls, theaters and sporting events. It’s as if our eyes have been opened, and we see things in a new way.

So I find myself longing to see some light and hope in 2016.

The gospel writer Matthew tells of wise men from foreign lands who followed a star in search of a king. The Christian church celebrates their arrival at the Bethlehem stable on Jan. 6, a day we call “Epiphany.” It represents the realization that Jesus was born not just for the Jews, but for all peoples of the world.

Epiphany is more than a festival day. Webster’s defines epiphany as a “sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.” James Joyce wrote that epiphanies are “the most delicate and evanescent of moments.” Maya Angelou described them as “the occurrence when the mind, the body,

the heart, and the soul focus together and see an old thing in a new way.”

The world of the wise men was full of fear. En route to see Jesus, they stopped by the king’s palace and were asked to return and give the baby’s location, so Herod too could worship. But his heart intended murder. The wise men were warned in a dream to not go back, so they traveled home by another way. Herod in turn killed all males under 2 years old to finish the child-king, but Jesus escaped with his parents to Egypt.

BAPTIST

CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / 214.942.8601

Serving Oak Cliff since 1899 / CliffTemple.org / English and Spanish

9:30 am Sunday School / 10:45 am & 5:00 pm Sunday Worship

GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST MULTI-CULTURAL CHURCH

Sunday Worship: English Service 9:30 am / Spanish Service 11:00 am

831 W. Tenth St. / 214.948.7587 / gracetempledallas.org

CATHOLIC

UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS MINISTRY CONFERENCE / udallas.edu/udmc

Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, 2016 / Sponsored by Catholic Diocese of Dallas

Sessions on Faith, Scripture, & Ministry / Exhibitors / Music / Mass

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / Worship 8:30 am - Chapel

10:50 am - Sanctuary / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

OAK CLIFF CHRISTIAN CHURCH / Celebrating 125 Years

Fellowship 9:30 am / Sunday School 9:45 am / Worship 11:00 am

660 S. Zang / occch.org / 214.376.4375

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

KESSLER COMMUNITY CHURCH / 2100 Leander Dr. at Hampton Rd.

“Your Hometown Church Near the Heart of the City.”

10:30 am Contemporary Service / kesslercommunitychurch.com

PRESBYTERIAN

OAK CLIFF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6000 S. Hampton Road

Sunday Worship at 9:30 am & 11:05 am 214-339-2211 / www.ocpres.com

I couldn’t help but think of ISIS when I read again this year about Herod and the baby boys, as ISIS has killed so many children in Iraq and other states.

In the face of such fear, still the wise men bowed. Still they followed the light, attracted to the center of a divine plan. Still they offered gifts to recognize the child’s identity, love incarnate.

Epiphany is more than revelation. It means taking a different path, because the old paths are insufficient. I believe that a greater epiphany exists than the wake-up call of 2015. We can walk in light and take a different path. 2016 can be different.

We can walk in light and take a different path. 2016 can be different.

Brent McDougal is pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church. The Worship section is

a regular feature underwritten by Advocate Publishing

and by the neighborhood business people and churches listed on

these pages. For information about

helping

support

the

Worship section, call 214.560.4202.

Volunteer opportunities

The Vickery Meadow Learning Center seeks volunteers to teach English as a second language at its West Dallas location, 1018 Gallagher. No teaching experience or foreign language knowledge is necessary. All classes are co-taught; curriculum and training are provided. Volunteers teach one two-hour class per week, and morning, afternoon and evening sessions are available. Contact Liz Harling at lharling@vmlc.org or 214.265.5057, ext. 102, to sign up for an orientation session.

Girls Inc. needs volunteers to tutor girls ages 6-12 once a week from 4-5:30 p.m., MondayThursday. The nonprofit, whose mission is to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold, also has several other volunteer opportunities at its campuses in Oak Cliff and West Dallas as well as South Dallas and the Love Field area. Fill out an application at girlsincdallas.org or call Jean Jones at 214.654.4506.

Giving

The Dallas Public Library is collecting formal wear to be given to high school prom-goers who otherwise could not afford a dress. Drop off formal dresses, shoes, handbags accessories and other formal wear to any Dallas Public Library branch this winter and items will be given away in the spring prom season.

Business

Balanced Oak Massage & Wellness moved recently to 504 W. 10th Street at Adams. All hours are by appointment only: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Education

James S. Hogg Elementary School won a $10,000 technology grant from code.org in December. Principal Jairo Casco plans to spend on the purchase of 30 new computers. Code. org, a nonprofit whose mission is to expand access to computer science, gives one $10,000 grant to a Texas school every year.

HAVE AN ITEM TO BE FEATURED?

Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag.com. Our deadline is the first of the month prior to the month of publication.

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Hotel in The Canyon

Construction began recently on the first piece of a 200-acre development at Interstate 30 and Westmoreland. A four-story, 103-room Residence Inn by Marriott Hotels & Resorts is planned for The Canyon in Oak Cliff, a massive residential/office/ retail development adjacent to Pinnacle Park. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the project took place in May 2013. Since then, the project has been delayed several times. The project’s developers plan as many as 7,500 apartments, 1,000 hotel rooms, 1.2 million square feet of office space and 800,000 square feet of shops and restaurants.

New restaurant a family affair

A mother/son entrepreneurial team opened a new restaurant on West Jefferson at Polk, which has been the site of several restaurants in the past few years, most recently Los Herrera cafe. JED’s Grill offers classic American food with a modern twist, says Estela Gallegos, who owns the restaurant with her son, Johnathan Korens. The restaurant’s name comes from the first initials of the owners’ first names — Johnathan, Estela and her husband, Danny Gallegos, a Dallas Police Department lieutenant, who for years worked the beat that included this space. Estela has a couple of decades in the restaurant business, including 10 years at IHOP; Johnathan has worked in the restaurant business since he was 15. JED’s is open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Not your typical mall food

The owners of Smoke and Bolsa opened their newest restaurant, The Theodore, at NorthPark Center. Tim Byres, Chris Jeffers and Chris Zielke and their company, Turn the Tables Hospitality, took the space between Nordstrom and Macy’s for their new concept, inspired by macho U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. They pulled bartender Kyle Hilla from Bolsa, and he created a menu of cocktails named after national parks. The food menu offers updated takes on classic American food. It also has an in-house bakery to provide freshbaked bread to the restaurant as well as breakfast pastries for NorthPark shoppers.

Korean chicken

Bbbop Seoul Kitchen, the fast-casual Korean food concept from Steve Shin and Sandra and Greg Bussey, opened its newest location at 828 W. Davis in December.

This is the third Bbbop and the biggest. It has a large outdoor patio in back with a bocce ball court, and in front, there’s a to-go window for fried chicken. The partners also are making the West Davis shop its “R&D” kitchen; they will test new items on an R&D menu that will change frequently. If an item goes over well in Oak Cliff, it could find its way onto the menus of the other locations, on Lower Greenville and Upper Greenville. This is a family business. Steve Shin and Sandra Bussey are brother and sister, and Greg Bussey is Sandra’s husband. “Greg and I live in Oak Cliff and have been eyeing this building for a long time,” Sandra Bussey says. “We felt there was an opportunity for more ethnic food but also affordable dining in our neighborhood.”

Steve and Sandra were raised in Dallas by Korean parents and inspired by a trip to South Korea in 2001. They describe Bbbop as “Korean comfort food with a modern twist, a Korean-American eating experience.”

Bbbop Seoul Kitchen on West Davis. (Photo by Mario Zie)

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

CREATIVE ARTS CENTER More than 500 adult art classes/ workshops from metal to mosaic! www.creativeartscenter.org

MATH Shouldn’t Get In The Way Of Anyone’s Dreams. I Tutor Algebra To Calculus. Test Anxiety & ADHD Are My Specialties. Jonathan. 626-643-6700 holisiticmathtutoring.com

PIANO LESSONS All ages & levels. Over 20 years experience. Oak Cliff area. Call Tim at 214-989-7093

SERVICES FOR YOU

CARGO BICYCLES Custom Built, Hand Crafted. For You/ Business In Oak Cliff. 214-205-4205. oakcliffcargobicycles.com

GLORIA’S FLOWERS The Finest Flowers for Any Occasion 214-339-9273 gloriasflowersdallas.com 3101 Davis St.

LEGAL SERVICES

A FREE CONSULTATION Wills/Probate/Guardianships. MaryGlennAttorney.com 214-802-6768

Meat might

Alice Laussade straddles a smoker at Meat Fight 2015. Laussade started the barbecue competition several years ago in her Dallas backyard as a way to raise money for the National MS Society. The event has grown every year and now is so popular that the $95 admission tickets sell out in minutes. This year’s event at Trinity Groves raised about $150,000.(Photo by Jeff Amador)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

JAMES H. DOLAN, MA, L.P.C. Therapist, Executive Coach 214-629-6315. Individuals, couples & teens. LGBT Mobile. SEO Friendly. Maintainable.

NEED A NEW WEBSITE? AdvocateWebDesign.com 214.292.2053

PET SERVICES

GREEN PET DELIVERS FREE TO OAK CLIFF All natural dog/ cat food, treats/supplies. 214-942-6042, greenpetdallas.com

SMART DOG DALLAS Daycare, Boarding, Training, Chauffeur. 214-884-7529

PET SERVICES

In-Home Professional Care

Customized to maintain your pet’s routine In-Home Pet Visits & Daily Walks

“Best of Dallas” D Magazine

Serving the Dallas area since 1994 Bonded & Insured

www.societypetsitter.com 214-821-3900

BUY/SELL/TRADE

DONATE YOUR CAR FOR BREAST CANCER Help United Breast Foundation education, prevention, support programs. Fast free pickup. 24 Hour response. Tax deduction. 855-403-0213

SHARE FRONT ROW

Texas Rangers, Stars & Mavs seats. Tickets are available in sets of 10 games (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available). Participants randomly draw numbers prior to season to determine a draft order fair to everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com LocalWorks.advocatemag.com

AC & HEAT

EXTERIOR CLEANING

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING & DECKS

#1 COWBOY FENCE & IRON CO. Est. ‘91. 214-692-1991 www.cowboyfenceandiron.com

Family Owned & Operated

Serving the Dallas area for over 30 years

GARAGE SERVICES

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned.214-826-8096

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

EAST DALLAS WINDOW CLEANING Power Wash. Free Est. Dependable. Derek. 214-360-0120

4 QUALITY FENCING Call Mike 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood, New or Repair.

HOME INSPECTION

ROCK GLASS CO Replace, repair: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 214-837-7829

HOUSE PAINTING

972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

We raise our kids here, too! TACLB29169E

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138

CLEANING SERVICES

AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING

A Clean You Can Trust

Staff trained by Nationally Certified Cleaning Tech. Chemical-free, Green, or Traditional Cleaning. WindsorMaidServices.com 214-381-MAID (6243)

CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

ALL EPOXY COATINGS, CONCRETE Countertops, Stamping, Staining & Designs, Floor Demo and Overlays

Landscape Designs Call 214-916-8368

BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available Free Estimates 972-672-5359 (32 yrs.)

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANNA’S ELECTRIC Your Oak Cliff Electrician Since 1978. tecl25513. 214-943-4890

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333

TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

FENCING & WOODWORK oldgatefence.com charliehookerswoodwork.com 214-766-6422

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers. 214-435-9574

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

HANDYMAN SERVICES

A R&G HANDYMAN Electrical, Plumbing, Painting, Fencing, Roofing, Light Hauling. Ron or Gary 214-861-7569, 469-878-8044

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

1. Change the direction of your ceiling fan.

2. Caulk any gaps in your windows, doors, cracks in walls.

3. Control your thermostat. LocalWorks.advocatemag.com

MANNY’S HOME PAINTING & REMODEL Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160

RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC Complete Kitchen And Bath Remodels. Tile, Granite, Marble, Travertine, Slate. Insured. 214-563-5035 www.blake-construction.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

Granite, Marble, Tile, Kitchen/Bath Remodels. 972-276-9943.stoneage.dennis@verizon.net

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It — We do it. Tommy. Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

LocalWorks.advocatemag.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

THE TEXAN FLOORING SERVICES Wood, Laminate. Remodel Showers, Bathrooms. thetexanflooringservices.com 214-680-0901

Willeford

hardwood floors Superior Quality: Installation • Refinishing Repair • Cleaning & Waxing Old World Hand Scrape 214-824-1166

HANDYMAN SERVICES

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

HONEST, SKILLED SERVICE With a Smile. General Repairs/ Maintenance. 214-215-2582

Your Home Repair Specialists

Drywall Doors

Senior Safety Carpentry

Small & Odd Jobs And More! 972-308-6035 HandymanMatters.com/dallas

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 12 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925

DALLAS GROUNDSKEEPER Comprehensive services designed to meet your needs. 214-504-6788 dallasgroundskeeper.com

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

LIGHT IT UP DALLAS

Your lighting specialists. 972-591-8383 Parties, Weddings, Patios, Landscape.

LSI LAWN SPRINKLERS “Making Water Work” Irrigation system Service & Repair. Specializing In Older Copper Systems. LI #13715. 214-283-4673

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

U R LAWN CARE Maintenance. Landscaping. Oak Cliff resident for over 15 years. uwereisch@yahoo.com 214-886-9202

YOUR TREES could look like a WORK OF ART, I Guarantee It.

JANUARY SPECIAL $200 OFF 4 man crew/4 hours

Just Trees

Call Mark Wittlich 214-332-3444

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Locally harvested wood!

REMODELING

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS, LLC

Complete Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths, Additions. Hardie Siding & Replacement Windows. Build On Your Own Lot. Insured. www.blake-construction.com 214-563-5035

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 17 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

SERIAL BANK ROBBER CAPTURED

Firewood/Cooking Wood Full service trimming & planting of native trees. 214.946.7138

MOVING

AM MOVING COMPANY Specialty Moving & Delivery.469-278-2304 ammovingcompany.com

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

Keeping the environment, kids, pets in mind. Organic products avail. 972-564-2495

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax For General Treatment.

Average Home-Interior/Exterior & Attached Garage. Quotes For Other Services. 214-328-2847. Lakewood Resident

PLUMBING

AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days

*Joe Faz 214-794-7566 - Se Habla Español*

ARRIAGA PLUMBING: General Plumbing

Since the 80’s. Insured. Lic# M- 20754 214-321-0589, 214-738-7116, CC’s accepted.

M&S PLUMBING Quality Work & Prompt Service. Jerry. 214-235-2172. lic.#M-11523

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

Lic. M-40581 Res/Com. Repairs & Leak Location 214-328-7371

MetroFlowPlumbing.com

Lic.# M16620

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions

Complete Renovations • Kitchens/Baths

214-341-1155

bobmcdonaldco.net

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The Dallas Police Department and the FBI Violent Crime Task Force arrested a 48-year-old woman accused of robbing four Oak Cliff banks since Oct. 14. Glenda Hendrix was held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center with no bond; she is expected to be charged formally in federal court. Hendrix, arrested last month, is accused of robbing a Comerica Bank on Fort Worth Avenue on Oct. 14, a BBV Compass Bank on West Illinois on Oct. 23, a Chase Bank on South Polk on Nov. 9 and a First Convenience Bank inside Walmart on Short Blvd. on Nov. 25. In all of those cases, a robber handed a threatening note to the teller and walked away with cash. —Rachel Stone.

|

CRIME NUMBERS | 7.54

percent citywide increase in violent crime in the first 10 months of 2015, compared to the same period from the previous year

120 murders through October 2015, a 19 percent increase over the previous year

616

rapes in the same period, a 20 percent increase

972-985-1700

2830 W. 15th

Plano, TX 75075 www.DaylightRangers.com

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631

business robberies, an 18 percent increase

2,787 robberies of people, an 8 percent increase

SOURCE Dallas Police Department

THE IGLOO ON ZANG

A history of the Polar Bear Ice Cream Co.

A windstorm damaged the iconic “igloo” building on Zang this past fall, and it’s uncertain whether the roadside restaurant building near Lake Cliff Park can be repaired.

The building originally was constructed as a hamburger stand in the 1930s. It was one of many food stands on Zang that served visitors to the park, which at that time was an entertainment destination.

The Brigham family bought the igloo and turned it into the Polar Bear ice cream shop in 1946. That family company eventually would expand to dozens of Polar Bear locations in Oak Cliff and the Dallas suburbs; it was the predecessor to an international company called

Pecan Deluxe that operates in the Oak Cliff area to this day.

J.C. Brigham was a cousin in the Ashburn family, who founded a dairy in Dennison in 1901. The following generation of Ashburn sons — five of them started ice cream shops in Dennison, Fort Worth and Dallas in 1928. In Dallas alone, there were 12 Ashburn’s ice cream shops, according to newspaper archives. Martin Ashburn moved to East Dallas to open the first Dallas store in 1935, but then he died seven years later at age 59.

J.C. Brigham’s first ice cream shop, at a nearby location on Zang, opened in 1941 and originally was known as Polar Bear Ashburn’s.

Brigham and his wife, Louise, lived in

Kessler Stevens and later, Wynnewood North. Over the years, she served every part of the company, scooping ice cream, keeping the books and managing the company, which by the mid1960s included several company stores and franchises. Polar Bear also ran its own batch plants, including one in a warehouse on Zang.

In 1950, the Brighams started Pecan Deluxe, producing “inclusions” for its ice cream. That is, candied nuts and fruit to be added to the creamy batches. Pecan Deluxe was on West Davis at Madison, adjacent to what is now Calvario Funeral Home in the Bishop Arts District. In a weird twist of fate, that building was demolished for a parking

Polar Bear Ice Cream on Zang circa 1980. (Photo via the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League )

lot in November, four days before the igloo building was damaged in the storm.

J.C. Brigham died in December 1965, and Louise continued working with their son, Adamson High School alumnus Bennie, who became president of the company in 1966; Louise was vice president. The mother/son team would expand the company from about 10 stores to about 65 within a few years. They opened the Polar Bear on Hampton at Illinois in July 1966, and the shop immediately became a go-to hangout for Oak Cliff teens; it was a vortex where kids from all of Oak Cliff’s high schools could meet.

Pecan Deluxe expanded in 1960, when it began selling ice-cream inclusions to other manufacturers.

The Brigham family sold the Polar Bear Ice Cream Co. in 1983 to focus on the continued expansion of Pecan Deluxe. Bennie Brigham grew Pecan Deluxe’s sales throughout the United States, the United Kingdom and Thailand. In 1993, the privately held family company built a 60,000-square-foot production facility in the Lone Star industrial park just outside of Oak Cliff. Louise Brigham died in 2005 at age 86, and her obituary notes that she was the first woman voted into the Texas Dairy Industry Hall of Fame in 1995. According to the company’s website, the leadership of Pecan Deluxe passed to a third generation in 2014 when Bennie Brigham’s son, Jay, became president. He did not return our call seeking an interview for this story.

Polar Bear also had some longtime employees.

In 1977, The Dallas Morning News profiled 62-year-old Vernon Turner, who had worked at Polar Bear for 24 years. By that time, Polar Bear had 34 flavors. Turner had worked at the igloo on Zang before moving to the Hampton/Illinois store and then a new store in Desoto. Turner, who wore the ice-cream shop’s uniform of a striped shirt, white apron and Styrofoam boater hat, said he’d never gotten tired of ice cream in all those years.

In 1986, Polar Bear still occupied the igloo on Zang, but by 1990, it had turned over to Casita Lupe, which in 1993 received a favorable review from The Dallas Morning News for its Tex-Mex. Casita Lupe operated for decades until new owners changed the hand-painted sign to “Casita Ludi” and added rainbow paint colors to the exterior. That café closed a couple of years ago.

Firebird Restaurant Group, the parent company of El Fenix, now owns the building. No word has come from them so far on the future of the now-damaged igloo that delighted generations of ice-cream loving Oak Cliffers.

—Rachel Stone

In 1986, Polar Bear still occupied the igloo, but by 1990, it had turned over to Casita Lupe.

A windstorm in November severely damaged the 70-year-old building. (Photo courtesy of Michael Amonett )