2016 December Oak Cliff

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

MEDICAL CENTER AT DALLAS RANKED NO. 1 HOSPITAL IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH*

*According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-2017 ratings.

For the 24th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas the No. 1 hospital in the Dallas Metro Area. Baylor Dallas is nationally recognized in four specialty areas— diabetes & endocrinology; ear, nose & throat; gastroenterology & gastrointestinal surgery; and neurology & neurosurgery—and high performing in seven specialties—cancer, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.

Baylor Dallas is also recognized as high performing in eight common procedures or conditions—aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, colon cancer surgery, COPD, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. For you, these recognitions confirm our commitment to providing quality health care each day. It’s one way we’re Changing Health Care. For Life.®

To find out more about our award-winning care, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit BaylorScottand White.com/Recognition.

to LOVED ONES

With convenient service to Love Field and DFW International Airport, DART is your quick and easy getaway to the ones you love this holiday season. let’s go.

PHOTO BY DANNY FULGENCIO

PHOTO BY KATHY TRAN; JEFFERSON BOULEVARD PHOTO BY DANNY FULGENCIO

OPENING REMARKS

By RICK WAMRE

Let there be peace

“Let there be peace on earth” is a great line from a popular holiday song you probably know by heart. In fact, it’s a theme in lots of holiday songs.

Peace on earth is a great concept. Too bad it’s never going to happen.

There are just too many egotistical political leaders who enjoy lighting fires and then running from the blaze, leaving the rest of us to deal with the fallout.

There are just too many countries with superiority complexes, ours probably included, for peace to take hold everywhere spontaneously. Even when we have the best of intentions, we seem to get in our own way trying to make the world “safe for democracy” while some other world leaders are doing their best to make the world bend to their own often-twisted wills.

Even locally, peace in our time is unlikely.

Some of us won’t accept the fact that every cop isn’t a criminal. Some, rightly or wrongly, see conspiracies lurking at Fair Park, in every real estate development project, in “signature” bridges and in “world-class city” aspirations.

Most of us mouth the idea that we want what’s best for the city and for the country, but then we drill the guy next door on social media for having her/his own thoughts on one matter or another.

Is it really true that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?

Not having much power, not being a politician and not being overly concerned about what’s happening on the other side of the world, these are all questions I feel confident asking but not so confident answering.

So what about the other part of that

“peace on earth” holiday song: “And let it begin with me?”

How can peace on earth begin with us when, for the most part, it takes just a couple of seconds for us to become cranked up about idiot drivers or online baiters?

Well, we have to recognize that everyone on Facebook, everyone with a TV microphone, everyone with a thought we don’t agree with … all deserve to be heard without being shouted down, online or in person. If the only voice we ever hear

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

ADVERTISING PH/214.560.4203

office administrator: Judy Liles

214.560.4203 / jliles@advocatemag.com

display sales manager: Brian Beavers

214.560.4201 / bbeavers@advocatemag.com

senior advertising consultant: Amy Durant

214.560.4205 / adurant@advocatemag.com

senior advertising consultant: Kristy Gaconnier

214.264.5887 / kgaconnier@advocatemag.com

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Sally Ackerman

214.560.4202 / sackerman@advocatemag.com

Nora Jones

214.292.0962 / njones@advocatemag.com

Frank McClendon

214.560.4215 / fmcclendon@advocatemag.com

Greg Kinney

214.292.0485 / gkinney@advocatemag.com

Michele Paulda

214.292.2053 / mpaulda@advocatemag.com

classified manager: Prio Berger

214.560.4211 / pberger@advocatemag.com

marketing director: Michelle Meals

214.635.2120 / mmeals@advocatemag.com

digital + social media director: Emily Williams

469.916.7864 / ewilliams@advocatemag.com

EDITORIAL publisher: Christina Hughes Babb

214.560.4204 / chughes@advocatemag.com

managing editor: Emily Charrier

214.560.4200 / echarrier@advocatemag.com

editor-at-large: Keri Mitchell

214.292.0487 / kmitchell@advocatemag.com

EDITORS:

Rachel Stone

214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com

Elissa Chudwin

214.560.4210 / echudwin@advocatemag.com

Nichole Osinski

214.635.2122 / nosinski@advocatemag.com

senior art director: Jynnette Neal

is our own, reflecting back to us over and over again through our choice of solely like-minded media, we’re going to become intolerant. It’s inevitable.

One thing I’ve learned in this job over the years is that there are lots of people in our neighborhood who think differently than I do. And guess what: They aren’t all crazy, and they aren’t all wrong.

Won’t it make our neighborhood stronger if people are willing to consider the fact that, individually, we don’t always have a corner on wisdom and knowledge?

Yeah, peace on earth isn’t going to happen. But peace on our block should be achievable. And desirable. And necessary.

And just maybe it will radiate out from there.

Rick Wamre is president of Advocate Media. Let him know how we are doing by emailing rwamre@ advocatemag.com.

214.560.4206 / jneal@advocatemag.com

art director: Brian Smith

214.292.0493 / bsmith@advocatemag.com

designer: Emily Williams

469.916.7864 / ewilliams@advocatemag.com

contributing editors: Sally Wamre

contributors: Angela Hunt, Lauren Law, George Mason, Kristen Massad, Brent McDougal

photo editor: Danny Fulgencio

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

contributing photographers: Rasy Ran, Kathy Tran

Advocate, © 2016, is published monthly by East Dallas – Lakewood People Inc. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject 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.

Is it really true that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?

L A UNCH

DEC. 2, DEC. 3 JINGLE BELLS ON BISHOP

Even without any snow, the Bishop Arts District will become a one-day winter wonderland for families to shop locally, visit Santa and sing along to Christmas carols.

Bishop Arts boutiques and restaurants are welcoming customers from 5-9 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday.

Bishop Arts District, Seventh and Bishop, bishopartsdistrict.com, free

Out & About

DEC. 3

DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE

Brazilian musician and actor Seu Jorge revisits several David Bowie songs he covered for the

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the tribute kicks off at 9 p.m. The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, thetexastheatre. com, $52-$55

DEC. 3

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR

The Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour features six Prairie-style and craftsman bungalows throughout the historic district. This year, the tour celebrates its 30th anniversary. Various locations, Winnetka Heights, whhometour.org, $15-$30

DEC. 8-18

BLACK NATIVITY

Poet Langston Hughes’ adaptation of the Christmas story is brought to life through gospel music, dance and poetry. The familyfriendly production is a TeCo Theatrical Productions tradition.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler, 214.948.0716, tecotheater.org, $12-$18

DEC. 8

‘CAN YOU DIG THIS’

Dig This” will be screened as part of Rowlett Retreet, an effort to replant trees after a 2015 tornado. A questionand-answer session

The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, thetexastheatre. com, $11

DEC. 10

HOLIDAY SHINDIG

Texas natives Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis perform a conglomeration of country hits and holiday favorites. The family-oriented Christmas concert is held at both 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $22$34

DEC. 23

CHRISTMAS CAROLS -

Christmas” celebrates the season with a plethora of musical genres from Christmas carols to classical music to jazz. The musical Mr. Holiday will be joined onstage by Texas String Quartet, Neeki Bey, Kristin David Marquis. The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $24.50

PHOTO BY ELLIOTT MUNOZ

COLLEGE ON THE AGENDA

At Botello Elementary School, students take control of their education

By RACHEL STONE

When students queue up for lunch at Felix G. Botello Elementary School, they organize themselves beneath college flags.

Teachers then call their turns to get in line: Howard, Duke, Stanford and so on.

It’s one of the myriad ways the school drills it into them: You are going to college, and you can learn the skills needed for success now.

College readiness begins in pre-K at Botello through a school-wide program called Advancement Via Individual Determination that’s better known by its acronym AVID.

Kindergarteners learn to organize their papers in a folder, to bring them home and return them to school the next day.

Third-graders know to fold a sheet of paper lengthwise into thirds for taking notes during class.

“It sounds very simplistic, but who taught you to take notes?” asks principal Reyna Sotelo.

The college push is apparent everywhere. Teachers and staff members share their college pride with pennants, posters and T-shirts. Every class, from pre-K through fifth grade, takes an annual field trip to visit a college.

In AVID schools, students learn to take responsibility for their own achievement.

They reference their own notes to find answers. They learn to be organized, set goals and track their own grades.

During parent-teacher conferences, second- through fifth-graders run the meetings, presenting their grades, and explaining where they’re achieving goals and areas that need work.

“We are preparing our students for real life,” Sotelo says. “They’re 5 and 6 and 7 years old, and we explain to them what they can take control of now.”

Sotelo introduced AVID during her first year at Botelo in 2013. The school’s state ratings have improved every year of Sotelo’s tenure; last year, they received five distinctions, missing the sixth distinction by only two points.

Now educators from all over Texas and the United States visit Botello because it is a study of a successful AVID school.

At the AVID National Conference in Dallas this month, two Botello fifth-graders will give speeches before an audience of about 2,000 educators and then answer questions from a panel. Public speaking and addressing adults with eye contact and clear language is part of the AVID education.

Fifth-grader Mariana Duran attended Botello before it was an AVID school, and

Botello Elementary school teacher Eva Trevino leads a book review discussion with fifth-grade students.

she remembers feeling disorganized as a second-grader.

“Sometimes I would forget to do my homework,” she says.

Now she has a daily “agenda” or schedule of homework and projects that she references all throughout the day.

Duran wants to attend Baylor University or the University of Oklahoma with plans of becoming a surgeon. The AVID panel that chose her for the national conference asked how she would improve her education. She suggested that tests should be shorter and more frequent.

Eric Ponce, also a fifth-grader, arrives to our interview wearing a blue dress shirt and tie. He wants to go to college and become a police officer.

“We talk in front of parents and give speeches to the PTA,” he says. “It’s normal for us now.”

OUTDOOR LEARNING

The Texas Trees Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to the school to pay for dozens of trees and all of the materials to plant them throughout their campus on Marsalis at Jefferson.

As with everything at Botello, students took the lead. They designed the layout for the trees and decided on a butterfly garden, labyrinth and amphitheater.

At the beginning of this school year, students, teachers, parents and volunteers planted all of the trees themselves.

SCHOOL CHOICE

Botello applied to become an academy school last year, and Dallas ISD asked them to apply again. If approved this year, the school could become a STEAM or leadership academy, Sotelo says.

“The fun part is saying, ‘OK, we achieved that goal, now how can we take this up a notch?’ ” Sotelo says. “We’re constantly researching what we’re already doing and seeing how we can raise the bar.”

The Texas Trees Foundation donated dozens of trees to Botello as well as all the tools and materials needed to plant them.

of Ebby Halliday Real Estate, Inc.

By RACHEL STONE

Demi-glace rainbow trout on roasted-garlic parsnip puree, topped with grapefruit, arugula and pistachio salad.

DID YOU KNOW: Nova is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas

Late-night pizza. Everyone always talks about Nova’s late-night pizza, says owner Darren Scott. And yes, Nova is a place to find a great meal after 10 p.m. in Oak Cliff any day of the week. But there’s so much more to Nova.

On the menu every day is a grilled Berkshire pork chop and a certified angus beef rib-eye steak. There are handmade goat-cheese gnocchi and a grilled pineapple and arugula salad as well as bowls of udon and pho.

NOVA

Ambiance: Neighborhood bar meets fine dining

Price: $10-$31

Hours: Monday-Sunday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. 1417 W Davis St. 214.484.7123

novadallas.com

It’s your favorite neighborhood hangout (Advocate readers voted Nova Oak Cliff’s best bar in 2015) that has a burger and mac and cheese but also a chef-driven menu of specials, which change about every day or two.

“We have a lot of regulars who come for that,” Scott says. “If I don’t change the specials often enough, they get a little impatient.”

Chef Eric Spigner also comes up with a rotation of seasonal specials about four times a year.

Current seasonal features include jerk bison short ribs with mango carrot puree and tandori savoy cabbage with coconut rice and pickled shitake mushrooms. Everything is made inhouse and can be ordered until 10 p.m.

After that, there’s always pizza.

Lamb rack with goat-cheese gnocchi, pigeon peas, chanterelles and charred shallots.

sqft Deck-Spa

SAVE JEFFERSON

It’s the best street in Dallas. Let’s not mess it up.

STORY BY RACHEL STONE | PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

TThe rest of Dallas ignored Oak Cliff for decades, and that’s part of what makes it unique. No one built McMansions here in the 2000s. There aren’t (yet) any glass-covered condo high-rises or synthetic stucco-covered apartment mazes.

It’s not a perfect neighborhood, but it comes close: The century-old prairie four-squares of Winnetka Heights and the classic manses of Kessler Park. The old-growth trees, the hilly topography and the straightforward street grid add to the mystique.

Besides that, we’re both a part of and apart from Dallas. We fiercely support our favorite small businesses and party on each other’s porches.

Not to mention Jefferson Boulevard.

Even after the Bishop Arts District became a destination for everyone from Frisco to Ferris, Jefferson quietly carried on for another full decade. Now the boulevard is gaining attention from developers and investors.

Jefferson is a hive of small business activity, and it’s a cultural center. It has that irresistible vibe that’s hard to explain.

A man works on a bike outside Oak Cliff Paint and Hardware on Jefferson Boulevard. The store and repair shop closed this year after decades in business.

There’s no other place like it in Dallas. And its future could be at risk.

The historic Texas Theatre on Jefferson Boulevard might’ve been a pawnshop.

“It would either be a pawnshop or a church, that’s who was looking at it,” says Monte Anderson, who listed the property for sale about 17 years ago.

Instead, he sold it to the Oak Cliff Foundation, a nonprofit that received a $1.6 million grant from the City of Dallas with hopes of restoring the theater. About nine years later, a group of local filmmakers, Aviation Cinemas, took over operations. Since then it has blossomed into the hub of the Oak Cliff Film Festival and become a cultural destination.

That’s an example of neighbors coming together with the city to preserve a building that was valued beyond its price-per-square-foot.

It was a great start, but more preservation is needed on Jefferson, advocates say.

Jefferson should be preserved not just for its buildings but for its form, Anderson says.

“It’s the best urban street in Dallas,” he says. “It’s got head-in parking, wide sidewalks” and all the things that make for great city streets.

Preservationists are aware that Jefferson could be in danger of losing some of its history. Rezoning in 2014 allowed for buildings as high as 20 stories on some parts of the boulevard. A few buildings are protected from demolition, but by and large, when old buildings are sold off, they could be replaced with new mixed-use buildings between three and 20 stories.

Parking restrictions are a hindrance to widespread redevelopment of Jefferson. There are zero parking requirements for old buildings, but buildings constructed

Opposite: Owner Eli Day poses for a portrait at Oak Cliff Paint and Hardware, which closed this year after he sold the building to an architect. This page from top: The Charco Broiler steer is a landmark some think is worth protecting. Jeweler David Smith works at his bench at Bishop Jewelry, where a loaded rifle is kept at the ready. Buddy’s Sporting Goods has outfitted Oak Cliff athletes for generations.

It’s exciting, what’s happening. I just don’t want it to change completely.

after 1989 are required to have parking to satisfy city ordinances. For example, restaurants must have one space for every 100 square feet, and apartments must have one parking space per bedroom.

“There are a lot of great little buildings that might not be individually significant, but when you put them as part of a whole … we’d hate to see these one- and two-story being torn down for a parking lot,” says David Preziosi of Preservation Dallas.

There are some old buildings that might not be missed, but a building survey would help put into perspective which ones have architectural significance.

“It’s amazing how much of the original building fabric is still in place, even on those that have been painted or reskinned in places,” says Robert Meckfessel, an architect who serves on the city’s Preservation Solutions Committee.

A recent conservation tour of the boulevard found there are unique signs that ought to be preserved. The Charco-Broiler steer, the Ravens Pharmacy raven and the Googie-style sign over Famsa furniture store are among them.

The boulevard has two periods of development. Those eye-catching signs are from the mid-20th century, when retail hit a zenith in Oak Cliff. There also are structures built in the 1920s and ’30s.

The Texas Theatre is from that earlier period, along with the Jefferson Tower.

Real estate developer Jim Lake Cos. took an already successful office tower on Jefferson and turned it into a budding community.

Lake added apartments and renovated long-vacant ground-floor spaces, which drew new restaurants, a coffee shop, a brewpub and a boutique tattoo shop, while keeping longtime businesses such as Gonzalez Restaurant and Ramon’s Barbershop in the mix.

Lake took the extra step of “activating” the rear of the building, creating patios and outdoor dining areas that face the alley. Using the real estate behind the buildings on both sides of the boulevard is part of the vision Lake and others have for Jefferson.

Silka Sanchez, whose family owns El Ranchito and La Calle Doce, grew up around Jefferson Boulevard, wandering around the “Mexican main street” and shopping in the thrift stores that used to be there. “It’s funny because I never really gave Jefferson Tower much thought,” she says. “It’s like I never really noticed it.”

Since Lake took over, Sanchez launched a business in the tower, running its event space. They rent it for weddings, quinceañeras and other parties.

Even though it’s obvious Jefferson is changing, Sanchez says she hopes it retains some of the same energy it’s had for the past 30 or 40 years.

“It’s exciting what’s happening,” she says. “I just don’t want it to change completely.”

Historic preservation could contribute to that.

It’s possible to “stitch together” a national historic district for Jefferson, says Landmark Commission member Michael Amonett. That would make some building owners eligible for property tax breaks. Many individual buildings would be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and could receive tax breaks for architectural restoration.

Another possibility would be to create a conservation district, similar to the one that protects the core of the Bishop Arts District, but it could be difficult to reach agreement among property owners, Preziosi says.

Preservationists also note that sur-

rounding streets, including Centre and Twelfth, have nice old commercial buildings themselves and, in some places, good urban form.

Almost important as protecting buildings is preserving that city feel. Preserving urban form is a hot topic with the city’s new preservation task force, Meckfessel says. That includes looking at characteristics such as locations and heights of block faces, street grids and block sizes, none of which are explicitly protected under current city ordinances.

“In addition to the merits of the individual buildings, Jefferson Boulevard itself is probably the best example of an extant shopping street in Dallas, with many entire block faces more-or-less intact,” he says. “Compare this to Deep Ellum or McKinney or even Davis, where so much of the original fabric has been demolished over the years, often to create parking lots.”

Jefferson can eclipse Bishop Arts or any other area in Dallas, as long as we don’t mess it up, says Anderson.

“It will be bigger than Bishop Arts,” he says. “It will be the best street we have in all of southern Dallas, for sure.”

Above: A reflected Jefferson Boulevard street scene. Below: Inside a quinceañera shop on Jefferson.

SPACE INVADERS

Dallas ISD’s magnet schools promise a hand up to our city’s most talented students. Why are so many of those students from the suburbs?

Story by KERI MITCHELL

hat makes the arts magnet special?” asks a headline in the fall 2016 Highland Park Village magazine.

The publication, crafted for the well-heeled customers of the Park Cities shopping center’s highend stores, showcases Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts with artistic images of dancers in motion and paint-splattered artist smocks. The story lauds

the “renowned” school “founded in 1892 for African-American students” that evolved into the “anchor location for what would become Dallas’ burgeoning Arts District.”

“It should be noted,” the story continues, “that earning acceptance into the school is an astonishing feat in itself. ‘There are roughly 900 applicants for only 220 places in each incoming freshman class,’ ” school spokeswoman Sharon Cornell tells the publication.

“While preference is accorded students residing in the DISD, jaw-dropping merit can also win a place among the ‘fortunate

PHOTO BY DANNY FUGLENCIO

Pegasus sculpture at Booker T. Washington High School

few’ who live in surrounding areas,” the story says.

This year, the “fortunate few” numbered 71 out-of-district students at Booker T.’s campus. That’s a drop from a high of 207 out-of-district students in 2009-10, when Parkies and suburbanites comprised more than one-fourth of the school.

Talk with Dallas ISD’s trustees, administrators and faculty, and there are a variety of responses to the issue of suburbanites blocking deserving Dallas ISD students from Booker T. and the other TAG and magnet schools in the district.

They all know the issue. They all have their opinions. There just doesn’t seem to be any real will or enough concern to do anything about it.

Dallas ISD Trustee Edwin Flores, who represents the North Dallas area, is an exception. One of his daughters attended Booker T., he has seen the problem firsthand, and he’s angry about the situation.

“If for every kid that Highland Park sends to Booker T., I could send one of

my poor kids to Highland Park — do an even exchange — I’d be OK,” Flores says.

“If we had some kind of reciprocity. But this is not a county school— this is a DISD school, and it bugs me that we knock out kids with potential just because those kids didn’t have the access to the piano teachers, the dance teachers.”

THAN ZAW OO: NOT JUST A STATISTIC

A few years ago, Janet Morrison-Lane took her first tour of Booker T. She was there on behalf of students who live in Vickery Meadow, a vast apartment community in Northeast Dallas populated with refugees from throughout the world.

“I work as a parent advocate to do what I know a parent would want to do if they knew their options,” says Morrison-Lane of her role as director of the Eagle Scholars at Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation.

The tour was led by one of Booker T.’s elite students. The young man introduced himself, telling the group he lived in

OUTSIDERS IN THE INNER SANCTUM

This chart pinpoints suburban students’ annual enrollment at five of Dallas ISD’s most sought-after magnet schools. To determine these numbers, we analyzed enrollment figures provided to us by DISD directly and through Freedom of Information Act requests for the years 2000 to 2016, inclusive, which were then confirmed by the school district.

Richardson while offering a few other personal details.

Morrison-Lane didn’t hear anything after “Richardson.”

“He said it nonchalantly, and I kept thinking about it,” she says.

She wondered: What deserving Dallas ISD student had he displaced?

The year Than Zaw Oo’s application was denied, 89 outof-district students attended Booker T.

On Morrison-Lane’s mind that day was a young Burmese refugee, Than Zaw Oo, a gifted artist with no formal training who, as a sixth-grader, created an exact likeness of President Barack Obama in pencil. Morrison-Lane knew Booker T. and its acclaimed art instruction would change his life.

George B. Dealey Montessori

Harry Stone Montessori

But Zaw Oo was new to this country, having learned English in only a few years. That translated to test scores and grades that were on the low-end of the top tier magnet school’s acceptability scale. Plus, he was painfully shy, a characteristic that didn’t bode well for the interview portion of the application process.

“His academics weren’t there, but his artistic talent was,” she says, “and he could’ve risen up to that [academic level].”

Than Zaw Oo was denied the opportunity to attend Booker T.

Yet somehow, Morrison-Lane thought, this Richardson student had elbowed Zaw Oo aside to become one of the fortunate few. The year Zaw Oo’s application was denied, 89 out-of-district students attended Booker T.

Something else Morrison-Lane eventually learned: It’s common knowledge that parents from the suburbs sign shortterm leases or even forge Dallas addresses to get their children into Booker T. and other select Dallas ISD schools.

As we scoured enrollment figures between 2000 and 2016, the data confirms it’s not unusual for suburban students to claim a sizable chunk of spots in Dallas’ most sought-after magnet schools.

The question is: Why?

WHAT’S THE GOAL: MAINTAINING TOP RANKINGS OR HELPING KIDS UP?

In a district without enough accomplishments to brag about, the magnet schools are an exception.

Booker T. has a long string of accolades and famous alumni. Townview’s Talented and Gifted as well as Science and Engineering magnet high schools (better known as TAG and SEM) annually are atop the lists of “best high schools in America” from Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report. Altogether, these three schools are educating 145 out-of-district students this year.

At Dallas ISD’s Montessori magnets, George B. Dealey in Preston Hollow and Harry Stone in southern Dallas, suburban students are sprinkled among the pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade mix. They’re even at Travis, the district’s TAG fourth- through eighth-grade campus, where preference for siblings and long waitlists led to a recent board policy change. The waitlist wasn’t exhausted, yet three non-Dallas ISD students still were admitted last year.

All of these schools have waitlists. All have policies that require qualified Dallas

ISD students to be admitted before outof-district students, even if those suburban students’ scores are off the charts.

Yet none of them follow their own rules.

Booker T., which didn’t respond to interview requests for this story, is the worst offender, both presently and historically.

When Booker T. reopened as an arts magnet in 1976, suburban students weren’t just welcomed with open arms, they were recruited. It was year five of the district’s court-ordered desegregation efforts, and to say that busing wasn’t popular with certain sectors of the community would be an understatement.

The district had seen some success mixing races at the then-new Skyline magnet school, which enticed white, black and brown students with its air-conditioned building (the only one in Dallas ISD at the time) and a chance to be part of something historic. Then-superintendent Nolan Estes thought the

the magnets’ specialized curriculum as a way to lure Anglo students from the suburbs into Dallas’ voluntary desegregation program.”

Then as now, though, Dallas ISD’s trustees weren’t in agreement about that goal. The southern Dallas cohort of trustees believed if parents wanted their students to attend the magnets, “they should buy houses inside the school district.”

By 1989, 17 percent of Booker T.’s students were suburban transfers, despite a waiting list of almost 400 Dallas ISD-resident students. The board wasn’t happy about so many outsiders taking up seats, according to a September 1989 Dallas Morning News story. Some trustees wanted to “prevent outside enrollment until all DISD students interested in the school were served.”

“We weren’t created for them; we were created for DISD students,” said thenschool board member Rene Castilla.

Ultimately, the decision came down to race. Booker T. was 60 percent white by that time (compared to 17 percent district-wide), and the board opted to split admission (one-third each) at its magnets between white, black and Hispanic students.

success could be replicated, so he proposed four new, career-focused magnet schools in 1976 that would be centrally located downtown.

Booker T. had been the only Dallas school for black children until 1939, and it was still essentially segregated when the district turned it into an arts magnet for dissimilar black and white students who shared an interest in the arts. The other original downtown magnets have faded into history, but 40 years later, Booker T. still stands.

At the time, the district’s goal for creating the magnets was explicit: They were “designed to achieve desegregation by attracting students of different ethnic backgrounds to schools where unique academic and vocational programs will be offered.”

And when it came to students who lived outside district boundaries, Dallas didn’t discriminate.

A September 1977 Dallas Morning News story laments that only 17 suburban students had enrolled in the district’s magnet schools. The story notes that then-trustee Brad Lapsley, a Woodrow Wilson High School graduate, “saw

The board left the door to the suburbs open, perhaps because white students were leaving Dallas ISD too quickly. By 2003, whites made up only 6.7 percent of Dallas ISD enrollment.

Then desegregation ended.

THE COURT-ORDERED DESEGREGATION SHACKLES ARE OFF

One year, Dallas ISD was legally required to admit students to its magnet schools to meet race quotas. The next year, that practice became illegal when the court released the district from its desegregation order.

As part of the terms of its release, Dallas ISD made promises to the court about how it would manage the magnets going forward. The schools had led the district out of segregation. What would become of them now that the court had declared Dallas desegregated?

The answer is in the “Declaration of Commitments and Covenants” Dallas ISD made to the court in 2003: The magnets would now exist to “offer unique educational opportunities through specialty curricula that cannot be found within the neighborhood schools.” The district also pledged to “be diligent in its efforts to identify all eligible or qualified

For starters, parents “flat-out lie” on their applications, says Edwin Flores, the North Dallas trustee.

students” and to “carefully monitor the selection process so that no student or ethnic group is unfairly excluded.”

By 2005, an internal review of these commitments showed that 110 new outof-district students were admitted to magnet schools, while 446 district students were left on a waiting list. This “excluded about 25 percent of DISD students from the program,” the report notes.

“The selection process should be reviewed to determine if a limit is needed.”

Board policy at the time welcomed out-of-district students. In general, it still does. The district receives state funding for each student who attends its schools. With private schools abounding and charter schools ramping up efforts, Dallas ISD typically doesn’t turn away volunteer recruits. In fact, its new collegiate academies at eight high schools are an explicit effort to attract students from charter and suburban schools.

That’s not the case at the magnets, however, where board policy dating back to 2010 gives Dallas ISD students precedence over out-of-district students.

So why are there still eye-popping numbers of students at some of the district’s most elite magnet schools?

For starters, parents “flat-out lie” on their applications, says Flores, the North Dallas trustee and former Booker T. parent. The fact that parents give false addresses, with their kids participating in the deceit, is “the part that really irks me,” he says.

What exacerbates the problem at Booker T., he says, is that some of the adults conducting the auditions required to gain entrance to the school also are being paid as tutors by parents in places such as Coppell and McKinney.

“To say that the auditions are rigged is being kind,” Flores says.

Dallas ISD is 70 percent Hispanic. Booker T. Washington is 27 percent Hispanic — a drop since 2003, when desegregation ended.

“Are you telling me there’s no Hispanic arts talent in DISD?” Flores asks.

SUBURBAN INVASION

Where are all of these students coming from — the Park Cities? Richardson? Coppell? McKinney? Ennis? West Fort Worth? Yes, to all of the above. Visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com to view interactive maps of suburban student attendance at top Dallas ISD magnet schools.

Booker T.’s percentage of black students also has decreased in the 13 years since desegregation, down to 21 percent. But the school is significantly whiter (48 percent) and is 76 percent affluent in a district that is 90 percent low-socioeconomic.

DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL?

The fact that Dallas ISD’s top magnets are peppered with suburban students is fairly common knowledge among trustees, at least anecdotally.

“I’m perplexed by that,” says Trustee Dustin Marshall, who was elected in June to represent East Dallas and Preston Hollow. “There seems to be more than sufficient demand within the boundaries of DISD.”

Audrey Pinkerton, the new Oak Cliff trustee whose daughters attended Booker T., also acknowledges the “concern that has been expressed by some parents and community members [whose] perspective is, ‘We have kids coming from cities who are not paying taxes to DISD, and we are, so our kids should get first preference.’ ”

This topic came up at a recent town hall meeting Pinkerton hosted. A mother in the audience said she knew two Highland Park families who rented apartments in Dallas ISD so their children could attend Travis.

“I’m offended by that,” the mother told the crowd. “Is there any way to police that?”

Administrators, too, seem aware of the problem.

Keisha Crowder-Davis, Dallas ISD’s director of postsecondary success who has overseen the magnet schools since 1999, says that “our programs have always been for our in-district students. We triple check when they submit.”

“The funny part is parents tell on each other,” she says. “They’ll call and say, ‘This student got in, and I know he doesn’t live in the district because he lives across the street, and we used our real address.’ ”

The district’s policy requires students to show a utility bill, lease or mortgage agreement, or a notarized proof of residency to enroll at a magnet school. If something “looks abnormal,” Crowder-Davis says, Dallas ISD police are sent to the student’s purported place of residence.

However, Dallas ISD’s own numbers show that suburban students are still finding loopholes, and not just by the ones and twos but by the dozens.

Crowder-Davis says Dallas ISD has made “a concerted effort for the past

several years to only accept in-district students.” That seems to have made an impact at Booker T., where the number of suburban students has been reduced by more than half since 2009-10. At TAG and SEM, however, out-of-district enrollment saw an uptick during the past few years.

Even at Barack Obama Leadership Academy, a new all-boys school in southern Dallas that opened five years ago, outof-district students make up 10 percent of the small campus. In the academy’s first graduating class of 12 young men, the valedictorian was a transfer from DeSoto ISD.

The district will accept transfers if no qualified Dallas ISD students are on a waitlist, Crowder-Davis says. Part of the challenge, she says, is seeking out and recruiting those qualified students.

It’s a problem even in a neighborhood such as Oak Cliff. Sunset High School sent 47 students to Booker T. this year — slightly more than its fair share. Kimball High School sent 31 students, and Molina and Adamson high schools sent only 14 each.

The magnets admit the highest-ranking 30 percent of applicants, regardless of Dallas ISD home high school; the remaining spots go to the top applicants from each of the district’s 21 high schools. If a particular high school doesn’t have enough qualified students to fill its seat allotment, however, those leftover spots go to the next highest-ranking students overall.

That’s how hundreds of students from high schools such as Bryan Adams and

Woodrow Wilson in East Dallas gain admittance to Booker T. while schools like Molina and Adamson send only a tiny fraction. Conrad High School, which serves the Vickery Meadow community and where Than Zaw Oo attends, has only 11 students at Booker T.

It’s not for Morrison-Lane’s lack of trying.

“My goal is to get a kid where they need to go,” she says. “I want them to be where they can completely excel.”

She advocates for students from Conrad and Tasby Middle School, which feeds to Conrad.

“It’s not about Tasby and Conrad being bad schools. They truly want the best for the kids,” Morrison-Lane says.

Each year, the district sends letters to families whose children have qualified to apply for a magnet school, but in a community filled with families who may not speak English or are not knowledgeable about Dallas ISD’s educational options, that’s not enough, she says.

“If you speak Farsi, and you receive a piece of paper that says something about a magnet school, and you have no idea what a magnet school is or does, what does that mean?” Morrison-Lane says.

“A parent in our community, you have to hand that paper to them and translate it and tell them that this opportunity exists.”

That’s part of her role as a stand-in parent advocate. Morrison-Lane even works with Tasby’s counselors to identify students at the middle school whose GPA and test scores make them magnet candidates.

It doesn’t help that there is pressure, whether implicit or explicit, on administrators at neighborhood schools with high poverty rates and low test scores to hold onto their best students, Morrison-Lane says.

Crowder-Davis acknowledges this, too. Every year, she sends a stack of printed magnet school applications to each school to distribute.

“Some schools send them back, and they hadn’t even taken them out of the shrink wrap,” Crowder-Davis says. “In this high-stakes, academically driven arena that we’re in, they see magnets as creaming off the top.”

She also looks over a list of students each year who qualify to apply to magnets and compares it to actual enrollment. She says she uses it for “targeted recruitment.”

“We look at where we have not seen applicants [and] schools that did not invite us over to speak,” she says. “The next

WANT A FLEXIBLE, PART-TIME SALES JOB?

year, you become a focus for us because we’re coming to get your kids.”

WHAT’S THE POINT OF MAGNETS?

So are Dallas ISD magnet schools for poor Dallas students who need access to opportunities, as Morrison-Lane hopes, or are they inexpensive surrogate private schools for middle- and upper-class students — no matter where they live — who want access to more options?

“When you hear ‘TAG,’ a visceral reaction is to go to the best of the best,” says Dallas ISD Trustee Miguel Solis. Same for a school such as Booker T., he says, “the best of the best musicians,” and so on.

What’s “perplexing,” Solis says, is “trying to identify a way to ensure all children have fair and equal access to those schools from across the district,” Solis says.

“The idea of out-of-district kids bypassing Dallas ISD until they get into a magnet school and taking the slot of a DISD student is inequitable,” Solis says.

“If we are robbing some of our children and boxing them out to the credit of others, that needs to change.”

Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa calls it “an issue of concern for us, but it’s a complex issue … There’s not going to be a silver bullet on this.

“One thing we don’t want to do is poke a giant in the eye,” he says. “We don’t want to mess up our magnets that are really successful, but at the same time, all of our students deserve to have access to all of those programs.”

He mentions the district’s new collegiate academies, which garnered 2,000 applications for 800 spots at “some very tough high schools,” and the district’s new public school choice offerings that “we are really ramping up.”

“Don’t be surprised if we see a way to address the issue from that regard, not from a deficit but from an abundance,” Hinojosa says. “There’s a great appetite by the board to offer more programs like this.”

It won’t be in time, however, to make a difference for Than Zaw Oo. After being passed over by Booker T., he stayed at Conrad, which houses one of the new collegiate academies. Turns out, he was a year too old to enroll in the collegiate academy, too.

Instead, Zaw Oo has taken up an interest in film, says Morrison-Lane, and he’s being mentored by a professional in the community.

“Now, will he become an artist? I don’t know,” she says.

Every year, as she guides her students through the magnet application process, she witnesses their disappointment when the rejection letters are delivered. They’re “devastated, embarrassed, ashamed,” she says. “I think they feel like they’re not worthy of it.”

Morrison-Lane is convinced the system is broken. All she can do is navigate the nuances, crack the codes and hope that, maybe next year, she can help some of her deserving students find their way into the “fortunate few.”

“Now does that help the other hundreds of kids who are in Tasby? No,” she says. Nor does it help the other hundreds of thousands of kids in Dallas ISD.

“I wish every other kid could get that shot,” she says.

The barriers, though, are as high as the stakes. Morrison-Lane wrote an oped piece for the Dallas Morning News this past spring on “how to navigate the DISD application maze,” which was less of a how-to and more of a scathing review.

In it, she wrote: “I have to wonder what we are really trying to achieve with magnet schools. Are they truly an opportunity for our poorest students to move forward?

“Or are they designed for middle-class parents in the Dallas district to access a high-quality education for their children?”

DISCOVER DALLAS ISD

Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Ellis Davis Field House, 9191 South Polk dallasisd.org/discoverdallasisd

Historically, the school district has hosted an annual fair featuring all of its magnet schools so that families could peruse the options. Last year, the fair was expanded to include the district’s new “choice” schools, which are similar to magnets but don’t have admission requirements.

This year, not just magnets and choice schools, but all 228 DISD campuses will be represented, showcasing information on their pre-kindergarten and dual-language programs, collegiate academies, International Baccalaureate, Montessori curriculum, career and technology, and more.

Admission is free and because the event attracts thousands of people, the district requests that families attend according to their student’s last name, either 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (A-L) or 12:30-4 p.m. (M-Z).

IF YOU INSIST, WE’LL HIRE YOU FULL-TIME, TOO.

BIZZ BUZZ

WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A new restaurant is replacing vacant property next to Calvario Funeral Home in the 300 block of West Davis. Calvario Funeral Home tore down the 88-yearold warehouse adjacent to its property in 2015. The owners of 303 Bar & Grill and Pier 247 restaurants are planning a 2,800-square-foot restaurant with a parking lot.

Lincoln Property Co. is planning a 299-unit apartment complex on Fort Worth Avenue at Colorado. The three-story Lincoln Kessler Park apartments will average 933 square feet each and include a pool, fitness center and other high-end amenities.

Exxir Capital is in the midst of a $42-million mixed-use development project comprising restaurants, apartments, shops, public plazas and even a boutique hotel. Owned by the Nazerian family, the company has requested a zoning change that would make the property its own subdistrict within the Bishop/Davis zoning.

Pop up store Savvy’s Christmas Tree opened at 610 N. Tyler St. for the holiday season.

A new salon, V&F Beauty Lounge opened at Jefferson Tower in November. The owners are Oak Cliff residents Valentino Torres and Felipp Alvarez. The salon offers blow-outs, nail design, eyelash extensions and makeup artistry, among other beauty services.

BOOK BUSINESS

Lucky Dog Books’ East Dallas location could close or move since their Garland Road building was sold. The independent bookshop’s owner John Tilton said the Jefferson Boulevard location has been subsidized for years by sales in East Dallas and Mesquite. But it’s not in danger of closing, Tilton says. Baby Bird Coffee now offers coffee and baked treats there Friday-Sunday.

SHUTTING DOWN

Oak Cliff Bicycle Co. closed in November after more than seven years in business.

BISHOP DUNNE CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Contact: Charleen Doan at 214.339.6561 ext. 4020 or admission@bdcs.org

A co-educational, college preparatory school serving students in grades 6-12. We provide a strong faith and valuebased education with high academic standards, encouraging all students to achieve their full potential. Our curriculum emphasizes individualized attention, and is constantly at the forefront of technology integration through the use of laptops, ebooks, and our Online Education Program. Additionally, we provide a full range of extracurricular activities ranging from athletics, to the arts, to clubs and service organizations.

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.

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.

STEM campus, in conjunction with Notre Dame University

WORSHIP

By BRENT MCDOUGAL

WORSHIP

He dwells among us

How a man dying of AIDS helped church members know God

The year was 1994. Newly married, Jen and I joined a church in Birmingham, Ala. Shortly thereafter a woman in our church approached our pastor with a question. She said, “I’ve been getting to know a woman with a son who is HIV positive. He lives in California and is too sick to work, so he’s coming home to live with his mother. She doesn’t believe her church will accept him. Would our church take them?”

Our pastor said that he hoped our church would.

The mother visited one Sunday and joined the church. Weeks later her son, Kevin, moved to Birmingham. He was angry. He wanted to be in California. He wanted not to have AIDS. He knew he was dying.

One Sunday Kevin came to worship, obviously very ill. As the AIDS epidemic raged across our nation, people were afraid. They didn’t know how the disease would spread and were fearful to even touch someone with AIDS. But here was Kevin, his body showing signs of the disease, wanting grace, wanting a family of faith.

He walked the aisle and joined the church and became a member of our Bible study. Months later, when he was not able to get out of bed, our group visited him and served him communion. It was the last food Kevin would take by mouth. He died the next day.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) That was the gospel writer John’s testimony about Jesus, also known as “the Word of God.” John begins his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus is the eternal word of God, mysteriously speaking and also spoken at the beginning of creation. At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus as God’s “expression” of

who God is and how the Word took on skin and bone. This isn’t a metaphor, John writes. It’s reality. God in flesh.

For centuries, people of faith have called this the “incarnation.”

Scholar Ben Witherington states that incarnation “refers to the choices and acts of a pre-existent divine being, namely the Son of God, that the Son took in order to become a human being. He took on flesh, and became fully, truly human without ceasing to be fully, truly divine.”

CliffTemple.org / English and Spanish

9 am Contemporary Worship / 10 am Sunday School / 11 am Traditional

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

METHODIST

GRACE UMC / Diverse, Inclusive, Missional

Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 am / Worship, 10:50 am

4105 Junius St. / 214.824.2533 / graceumcdallas.org

TYLER STREET CHURCH / Traditional Worship - 9:30 am / tsumc.org

Tyler Street En Vivo - 9:30 am / tylerstreetenvivo.org / 214.946.8106

Tyler Street Live - 11:30 am / tylerstreetlive.org / 927 W. 10th Street

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

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF OAK CLIFF / oakcliffuu.org

Sun. Worship 10am / Wed. Meditation 7pm / 3839 W. Kiest Blvd.

Inclusive – Justice Seeking – Spirited – Eclectic – Liberal – Fun!

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

PROMISE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST / www.promiseucc.org

Worship: 10:30 am Sundays / 214-623-8400 / 2527 W. Colorado Blvd.

An Open and Affirming Church where everyone is welcome!

What does this divine/human interplay mean for us? It means that God was willing to take on the humility of human existence, with all of its frailty, disease and pain, in order to express a divine word of love. This is Jesus saying, No matter how bad life gets, I am with you. I am in your blood and bones, your ecstasies and temptations and failures.

But it also means this: God was declaring all flesh — yours and mine — sacred space. God dwells in all creation, in ordinary elements like bread and wine, even in the imperfect, broken and bruised lives of the world. Even in Kevin, to his last breath.

Hallelujah.

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.

But here was Kevin, his body showing signs of the disease, wanting grace, wanting a family of faith.

The Texas Charter School Association gave its 2016 teacher of the year award to Alissa Russell of Life School

Oak Cliff Secondary. In 2015, Russell’s students achieved 100 percent passing rates on the TAKS and STAAR tests. The Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce also named Russell among its teachers of the year. Pictured with Russell is the charter school association’s executive director David Dunn.

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

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

EMPLOYMENT

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING Get FAA certified. Approved for military benefits. Financial aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-453-6204

OFFICE ASSISTANT NEEDED for Lakewood Residential Real Estate Co. Peachtree/Quickbooks knowledge preferred, will train. Flexible. 15-20 hrs. Depending on experience. Salary $10-15/hr w/90 day probation. Email resumé: hegwoodjamie@gmail.com

LEGAL SERVICES

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY! Estate/Probate matters. maryglennattorney.com 214-802-6768

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

LEGAL ISSUES? The Law Office Of Lauren C Medel, PLLC. LaurenMedel.com. 972-773-9306

Perfect Holiday Host

The pressure can be unbearable, so entertain and enjoy with these tips.

1. Don’t buy the hype. Life is never the way TV portrays, so focus on being present, not perfect.

2. Celebrate your own way. Who says you need a full turkey dinner when Chinese take out is what you crave?

3. Be selective and attend the events you really love, don’t feel pressured to go to everything.

4. Alcohol isn’t needed to make the holidays merry — it can fuel tensions.

5. Know that family and friends don’t change, and you can’t make everyone happy. Take a deep breath and enjoy the season!

Mobile. SEO Friendly. Maintainable.

BUY/SELL/TRADE

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! All Makes/Models. 2000-2016. Any Condition. Running Or Not. Top $$$ Paid. Free Towing. We’re Nationwide. Call Now. 1-888-985-1806

AC & HEAT

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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

Family Owned & Operated

Serving the Dallas area for over 30 years

We raise our kids here, too!

972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

TACLB29169E

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

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

$100 off 1st clean for new weekly/bi-weekly clients. 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

CLEAN FREAKS Winter Special 20% Off! DallasCleanFreaks.com Call Today! 214-821-8888

TWO SISTERS & A MOP Move in/Out. Reliable/Dependable 20 Yrs Exp. 214-283-9732

twosistersamopmaidservice.com

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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 (36 yrs.)

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

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333 TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses

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

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

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

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

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

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

NORTHLAKE FENCE Locally owned and family operated. Celebrating 36 years of service. 214-349-9132 northlakefence.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

Willeford

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

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

HANDY MANNY PAINTING/HOME REPAIR Int./Ext. Manny 214-334-2160

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

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 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

WE REFINISH!

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

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

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

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

1991 #1 SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FLOORING

WOOD FLOORING

is online too!

LocalWorks.advocatemag.com

Drywall Doors Senior Safety Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs And More! 972-308-6035

HandymanMatters.com/dallas Bonded & Insured.

HOUSE PAINTING

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

DECEMBER SPECIAL $200 OFF 4 man crew/4 hours

ust Trees

YOUR TREES could look like a WORK OF ART, I Guarantee It. Call Mark Wittlich 214-332-3444

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Locally harvested wood!

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 469-346-1814 - 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

JAN. DEADLINE DEC. 7

PLUMBING

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913 Lic. M-40581 Res/Com. Repairs & Leak Location

THE PLUMBING MANN LLC

All Plumbing! Since 1978. Family Owned. RMP/Master-14240 Insured. 214-FAST-FIX/ 214-327-8349

POOLS

LEAFCHASERS POOL SERVICE Parts/Service. Chemicals/Repairs. Jonathan. 214-729-3311

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 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

REMODELING

ROOFING & GUTTERS

BERT

ADVOCATE PUBLISHING does not pre-screen, recommend or investigate the advertisements and/or Advertisers published in our magazines. As a result, Advocate Publishing is not responsible for your dealings with any Advertiser. Please ask each Advertiser that you contact to show you the necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work you are requesting. Advocate Publishing takes comments and/or complaints about Advertisers seriously, and we do not publish advertisements that we know are inaccurate, misleading and/or do not live up to the standards set by our publications. If you have a legitimate complaint or positive comment about an Advertiser, please contact us at 214-560-4203. Advocate Publishing recommends that you ask for and check references from each Advertiser that you contact, and we recommend that you obtain a written statement of work to be completed, and the price to be charged, prior to approving any work or providing an Advertiser with any deposit for work to be completed.

VICTOR L. HALL

Area Manager/ Loan Officer

BancorpSouth Mortgage Cell: 972.352.7648

victor.hall@bxs.com

victorlhall.com

NMLS #453089

“As a 15-year mortgage professional, you can count on my expertise and knowledge to help you make the right choice for your new home construction, purchase or refinance needs.” –Victor L. Hall

Language Consultant

211 N. Ervay 9th Floor 972.905.1026

dmlanguageconsulting.com

DMLconsulting16@icloud.com

We specialize in training your employees to communicate in Spanish or English. Call now to set up your specialized workshop!

Pet Services

2406 Emmett Drive Dallas thepetropolitan.com 469.930.9827

A viral sensation

The story of a cancer-stricken Oak Cliff girl touched the world in 1954

Anything can go viral if it’s cute enough — that video of an otter eating breakfast, for example — or sometimes, things that are so touching that you just have to share them.

The story of a kid who saves his allowance to buy groceries for the local food bank, maybe.

In Anita Rae Bartlett’s case, there was a little of all that and more.

Bartlett went viral before the internet, in 1954.

The little girl lived with her family in Oak Cliff, and she was cute as a box full of kittens. Charming as Shirley Temple.

On her fourth birthday, on Aug. 9,

1954, she was the subject of a local story that went out over the newswire. It was accompanied by a photo, by John Mazziotta of the Dallas News, of a doeeyed Anita holding her puppy, Jinks.

It’s hard to tell how many newspapers picked it up, but it’s certain that the story appeared in news markets from coast to coast.

Let’s put the sad part up front: Little Anita Rae Bartlett’s story does not end well.

She had been diagnosed with nephroblastoma, a rare type of kidney cancer that was then called Wilm’s tumor. She was an only child, and her parents, A.C.

and Dorothy, relocated from Fort Sill, Okla. to Dallas, where their daughter could receive “X-Ray therapy.”

The wire story described her as “brown-eyed, curly haired and dimpled” and said she “flirted” with a photographer and recited, “Big brown eyes and a cute little figger/Stand back, boys, till I get a little bigger.” The wire service also filmed a newsreel featuring Anita.

The girl first became ill in May 1954, and surgeons removed a tumor “as big as her head” as well as her right kidney. But the cancer already had spread, and doctors gave her six months to live.

The girl was lively, though, and her

parents gave her everything they could, going broke to pay for treatments and eschewing work to spend every moment with her.

After she became a viral sensation, Liberace, the girl’s favorite performer, wrote to her many times. He sent her a white toy piano and two one-of-a-kind records made just for her.

Pope Pius XII prayed for her and sent her a silver medallion.

A contestant won money for her on the TV game show “Strike It Rich.”

In London, a little girl also named Anita emptied her piggy bank and sent her shillings to Dallas. A local florist sent a fresh bouquet to Anita every day.

Look magazine ran a four-page spread dedicated to the girl in its Nov. 30, 1954 issue. After that, she became even more famous.

Marines in Cuba pooled their money to send her a Christmas doll. The Embassy Marine Detachment in Vienna,

Austria Letters gifts of home don Street. The but by teriorated. On taken at 1107 By that name. read, “Anita Some an orphan, of Oak news after and her Anita from newspaper 1955. But sweetheart.

Opposite: A Look magazine spread about Anita Rae Bartlett from November 1954. Above: A.C. Bartlett decorates a Christmas tree with his daughter in this December 1954 news wire photo.

For digestive health, trust Methodist.

If you’re struggling with acid reflux, upset stomach, constipation, or other digestive problems, let us guide you with a coordinated path to health at the Methodist Digestive Institute at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

Methodist Dallas was the first hospital in the nation awarded certification by the Joint Commission for pancreatic surgery and the first in Texas to be certified in pancreatic cancer.