2015 February Oak Cliff

MILLION

THREE OF OUR FAVORITE OAK CLIFF HOLES IN THE WALL

OBSCENE ONSCREEN

Movie-going is getting increasingly awkward

I enjoy going to the movie theater. Watching shows at home is OK, too, but there’s something about a movie on the big screen that makes even a bad story seem better.

I’ll watch just about any genre, although foreign flicks with subtitles and horror movies are at the bottom of the list.

Maybe my love for movies says something about my psyche; maybe I love to watch stories on film because I’m more interested in the lives of others rather than my day-to-day routine. Or maybe I like watching stories told on a screen because I make a living reading and writing stories myself. Or maybe I’m just too lazy to read books.

Anyway, my usual movie companion is my wife, who has far more limited movie tastes. She absolutely refuses to see a movie if there’s too much drama or blood, although she’s always willing to make what I invariably point out are hypocritical exceptions for movies with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Harrison Ford.

She loves Westerns, which is a pretty limiting characteristic of movies these days. And she refuses to see provocative or sexually suggestive shows, although that prerogative is starting to severely limit what she can watch these days.

So I was surprised when she volunteered to see the latest Chris Rock movie, Top Five. Rock is a funny guy, but he has a sharp edge to his comedy and he’s no stranger to an obscenity-laced monologue. But the previews she saw on David Letterman looked harmless and funny.

So off we went, settling in with two strangers as the only people in the theater. And then it began: Top Five has everything in a movie she hates, except for blood and death. It was

crude, obscene, sexually provocative and downright disgusting. It literally made my wife cringe, and I was right there with her.

It’s the kind of movie that, had any of you or worse, either of our sons — been sitting next to us, I’m not sure there would have been a hole deep enough to crawl into.

I wondered why Rock felt the need to go as far as he did when he could have made his point and told his story just as well in a lessdisgusting way.

In fact, why do so many entertainers feel the need to push boundaries in such a way that a viewer like me is almost embarrassed to be seen in the theater?

This movie featured a tampon soaked in generic hot sauce (I guess Tabasco refused to pay product promo fees) rammed up a naked guy’s kiester; I guess it was meant to show that the guy was being a jerk to his girlfriend.

In addition, one of the coming-attractions previews shown prior to the movie showed a naked guy stretched out face down in front of a naked woman, with her holding his legs in wheelbarrow fashion (this is a Vince Vaughan movie, so it’s probably only going to be rated PG-13).

I hate to sound like a prude or someone who can’t take “edgy.” And from a business standpoint, I understand the need to push the envelope a bit to ensure that an idea doesn’t become lost among the millions of other entertainment ideas out there today.

Of course, I have the option to stay home and not spend money supporting “trash” and “filth,” as some describe movies these days.

Maybe I’m being too sensitive. Maybe I’m asking too much. It’s just becoming harder and harder for me to separate things that “sort of” cross the line from those that obliterate it completely.

I don’t ever want to be someone who thinks that, in the middle of a movie purporting to address serious racial issues, a hot sauce-soaked tampon jammed somewhere it shouldn’t be is laugh-out-loud hilarious.

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EDITORIAL

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senior editor: EMILY TOMAN

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editors:

RACHEL STONE

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BRITTANY NUNN

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designers: LARRY OLIVER, KRIS SCOTT, EMILY WILLIAMS

contributing editors: SALLY WAMRE

contributors: ERIC FOLKERTH, ANGELA HUNT, GEORGE MASON, KRISTEN MASSAD

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

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contributing photographers: JAMES COREAS, JACQUE

MANAUGH, SCOTT MITCHELL, RASY RAN, JENNIFER SHERTZER, KATHY TRAN

copy editor: LARRA KEEL

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.

Q&A: Monte Anderson

Real estate developer Monte Anderson reinvented the Belmont Hotel almost 10 years ago, and he focuses his work on Oak Cliff and southern suburbs — Duncanville, DeSoto and Midlothian. He’s a capitalist, always concerned with the bottom line, but increasingly he is becoming known for responsible development. Anderson is a founding president of the North Texas chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism. He’s a vocal opponent of the Trinity toll road, Mayor Mike Rawlings and any city councilman whose votes go against what Anderson considers common sense. We asked him a few questions about his ideas for southern Dallas.

Let’s talk about your ideas for responsible urban renewal.

We need owner-occupied entrepreneurs instead of real estate developers. I want other entrepreneurs to be owners. I have my anchors, the Belmont and some other things, but otherwise I’m interested in owner/entrepreneurs; they don’t just rent from me. It’s

“gentle-fication”: The real key is that in the early days, the creative business owners would own their building so it doesn’t get gentrified so brutally. We did that in Bishop Arts. How did Bishop Arts grow? How did Jefferson maintain itself all these years? One little business at a time. It has good streetscapes. Jefferson is one of the best streets in Dallas as far as form. It moves people and traffic pretty well.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

How do you think the city is getting it wrong in southern Dallas?

We’ve tried everything in the world to fix southern Dallas. Walmarts, distribution centers, failed mixed-use by big developers. But what has maintained and survived are little pockets. Davis-Hawn, Wingfield’s, the motorcycle shop on Clarendon. Instead of enhancing what’s already there, [the city thinks] they need to put a big golf course and a five-story mixed-use apartment building, when all you had to do was fix the old gas stations along Beckley. Create streetscapes and on-street parking like we did in Bishop Arts in the early 2000s.

But at least the mayor’s Grow South plan spends money south of the Trinity, right?

I’ve quit believing in large economic development grants. That just breeds corruption and self-interest. And then grants and tax abatements create unnatural development. If you don’t have that, if you don’t have the money, you won’t do these big projects that fail; you’ll do things out of desperation. Maybe you only have the money to put up a tent or a trailer or a small building. The community will grow slower, but it will grow healthier.

The city does have money for economic development, so how should they be spending it?

They should be spending it on rebuilding infrastructure in places that are already doing well. Again, going back to the Community Development Block Grants in Bishop Arts. The sidewalks were bad. There were no street lights. The city ought to be taking money in small amounts and putting it into those types of improvements.

Aside from fixing sidewalks and streetscapes, how else would you spend economic development dollars?

Provide assistance and credit enhancement for entrepreneurs who are willing to go into risky areas, so they could own the property. The city could help guarantee loans in the next edgy area that’s not quite there. North Oak Cliff is going to be fine. Even Elmwood will be fine now.

South Oak Cliff and South Dallas are really the question now. There’s probably already a chef in South Dallas who always wanted to open his or her own restaurant. We need to help them get their own building in their neighborhood so that they can inject their own ideas and energy. Owner-occupied entrepreneurs are the key to planning a neighborhood because they become the neighborhood guard. They’re invested, and they care. It’s just like a homeowner neighborhood versus a renter neighborhood. It’s very common-sense.

You’ve been involved with Elmwood. What’s going on there?

I started working with Kenneth Denson and some other people who are very involved in that neighborhood to figure out what they can do and how the [Congress for the New Urbanism] could help. Elmwood was designated a legacy project for CNU 23 [the congress’s annual convention that’s coming to Dallas this spring]. What I like about Elmwood is that if you fix the streetscape — head-in parking, nice sidewalks — then all those parking lots could be one- and two-story buildings.

We often hear that it’s more costeffective to tear down old buildings and build new. Is that really true, or is it just that builders want to build?

Yeah, it is true. But consider this: What is the real cost of tearing down a building and putting it in the landfill? What is the real cost to our grandkids? Everything we look at in the world of finance, we look at what it does in the next five years. But what does it do in 20 years or 50 years? It cost a lot more to restore the Texas Theatre [Anderson served on the Oak Cliff Foundation, which saved that building from the wrecking ball]. We could’ve torn it down and built a new theater. But we’ve preserved it for the next 100 years. Also, we made it possible for an independent operator to run it and hopefully make money. [The Oak Cliff Foundation, which owns the theater] doesn’t have to make money, so we charge them really cheap rent. It adds to the X factor. It’s the secret sauce. That didn’t come from a development plan; it came from desperation.

—Rachel Stone

Company

Out & About

February 2015

Feb. 14

Masquerade ball

The sixth-annual Oak Cliff Mardi Gras masquerade ball features the music of Johnny Tone of Club Wood and Ice House Band. Tickets cost $60 and include a 7-8:30 p.m. buffet from Alligator Café.

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

FEB. 3

‘Pay 2 Play’

John Ennis’ 2014 documentary about “our Monopoly-inspired system of government” is the February installment of the free first Tuesday social justice film series.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest, 214.337.2429, firsttuesdayfilms.org

FEB. 14

Dash for the Beads

Oak Cliff Mardi Gras kicks off Saturday morning with a 5k run. The run begins and ends at Kidd Springs Park, and the after-party includes barbecue, beer and wine, live music, a bounce house and costumes.

Llewellyn and Fifth, dashforthebeads.org

OAKCLIFF.ADVOCATEMAG.COM/EVENTS

FEB. 14

Ballet

The Dallas Neoclassical Ballet presents “The Turning Point,” a 1977 fictional film about at the real-life friendship between ballerinas Isabel Mirrow Brown and Nora Kaye. The company performs three pieces at 6 p.m., prior to the movie. Tickets cost $15. The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, dallasneo-classicalballet.com

Feb. 22

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie, a singer/songwriter, artist and political activist since 1962, performs an 8 p.m. show at the Kessler Theater. The show is presented by WordSpace and sponsored by The Arts Community Alliance and the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Tickets start at $25. The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, thekessler.org

Oak Cliff Mardi Gras parade: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

FEB. 15

Mardi Gras parade

The 4 p.m. Mardi Gras parade is the largest event in Oak Cliff, drawing thousands of revelers to our neighborhood. The route starts at Rosemont Avenue and runs east on West Davis to the Bishop Arts District. West Davis is closed from Rosemont to Bishop from about 3-5 p.m. gooakcliff.org

FEB. 19-MARCH 1

New play competition

Six local playwrights produce original one-act plays in this annual competition. The winner receives $1,000, and audience members get to vote for their favorites. Tickets cost $15. Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler, 214.948.0716, tecotheater.org

FEB. 28

Poetry

B. Randall hosts “Verse & Rhythm,” a free poetry night at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center starting at 7 p.m. Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson, 214.670.3777, dallasculture.org/ oakcliffculturalcenter

Oak Cliff Mardi Gras parade: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

VH

1115 N. Beckley 214.946.1308

vhrestaurant.com

AMBIANCE: FINE DINING

PRICE RANGE: $9-$24

HOURS:

TUESDAY-FRIDAY, 11 A.M.-10 P.M.; SATURDAY, 10 A.M.-11 P.M,; SUNDAY 10 A.M.9 P.M.; CLOSED MONDAY

DID YOU KNOW?

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN IS ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING BRUNCH ITEMS.

Victor

Hugo, owner of VH, knows what you think.

His restaurant space on Beckley has housed several popular yet short-lived restaurants. Maybe you think VH will fail too, but Hugo isn’t worried about it.

“I take care of every person who walks in the door and make sure they come back,” he says.

After all, it can’t be the location. Jonathon’s, just next door, packs the house daily. And VH has found a loyal following, too. Without a reservation on a Friday or Saturday night, diners could wait up to an hour for a table in the small restaurant.

The draw is great hospitality plus value. Nothing on the menu costs more than $25.

“It’s the best possible food, that you’re familiar with, for the best price,” he says. “We’re going to give you the feel of a four-star restaurant for an affordable price.”

Popular items include bacon-wrapped mapleglazed pork loin, macadamia-crusted mahi-mahi and red-wine pot roast. The menu, from chef Eric Brandt, represents the influences of Mexico, California and Texas, where Hugo has lived. The OC salad has black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, queso fresco and ancho-lime vinaigrette. Duck and goat-cheese taquitos, a starter, are served with cascabel chili salsa. It’s a solid, consistent menu. VH also offers an approachable wine list, and everything is available by the glass. Plus, local beer on tap and craft cocktails. Give them a try; you just might come back.

—Rachel Stone

Duck taquitos: Photo by Kathy Tran

Best Pet Service IN OAK CLIFF

VOTE ONCE A DAY, DECEMBER 1ST UNTIL DECEMBER 19TH.

And the winner is

Oak Clips (502 N. Edgefield)

Mari Mendoza says she treats her clients like one of the family. Especially, she says, her pet clients.

Mendoza, who is from Oak Cliff and still lives here, opened Oak Clips in 2011. She had worked as a dog groomer for about three years prior to that, and she had her own ideas. She wanted to be able to take her time with the animals. So she opened her own place with two partners.

“Every animal is different,” she says. “Some you can do quickly. Some are older or they have health problems, and they require a lot more time and effort.”

Oak Clips also sells pet food, and

they’re accommodating. If there’s a specific type of pet food that you want, Mendoza will order it and keep it in stock for you.

They also sell doghouses, beds, collars and accessories for dogs and cats. A craftsman in Oak Cliff, Strut Products, makes some of the dog houses and leather collars by hand. Mendoza also is working with an Oak Cliff seamstress on a line of dog clothing.

Oak Clips has done so well that

Mendoza recently opened a second location on Lower Greenville.

“Dogs are family members,” she says. “So we try to treat them just like I would treat my dog.”

Runner up: Green Pet

3rd place: Bishop Arts Dog Grooming

NEXT UP FOR ADVOCATE’S 2015 BEST OF CONTEST: Best date night. Vote for your favorite at oakcliff.advocatemag.com/bestof

Oak Clips: Photo by James Coreas

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

CHOCOLATE LOVERS’ GIFT GUIDE

Chocolate is a favorite treat throughout the year, but the month of February makes us crave it a little more. With so many decadent recipes and creative ideas, it’s a great Valentine’s Day gift for the ones we love. Plus, everything tastes better with a little chocolate.

1. CHOCOLATE SUGAR LIP SCRUB

Korean food

The owners of BB Bop, a Korean restaurant on Lower Greenville focusing on bibimbap, are opening a new location on West Davis near Tyler as soon as March. Husband-and-wife business partners Greg and Sandy Bussey live in Winnetka Heights. They own CBD Provisions and run BB Bop with their brother-in-law Steve Shin, who hinted that the Oak Cliff BB Bop might offer Korean fried chicken. The new location, at 828 W. Davis, has been vacant for many years and was the site of a popup bar three years ago.

Austin food

Tacodeli announced in January its plans to open its first restaurant outside of Austin. The Texas taco chain, which has four locations in Austin, signed a lease at Sylvan Thirty and is expected to open this coming summer. Founder Robert Espinosa started the restaurant in 1999 because he missed the food of his hometown, Mexico City. The restaurant has its own tortillas made and serves 40 types of tacos, including cochinita pibil, carne asada, shrimp, chicken and veggie. Plus breakfast tacos.

More

business bits

Kessler food

Kessler Park Eating House, a new restaurant from the owners of Jonathon’s, put up a sign in January and had been expected to open as soon as Feb. 1. The restaurant, in the old Mama Connie’s café at 1619 N. Beckley, will focus on American food, but will be different from nearby Jonathon’s.

A little scrub goes a long way, so why not throw in two of our favorite ingredients, chocolate and sugar? The lifestyle blog Live Laugh Rowe shows us how chocolate is not only delicious to eat but is also full of antioxidants and will rid you of those dry lips during cold weather.

2. CHOCOLATE-COVERED BACON

Although it is hard to make bacon any better, the food blog Around My Family Table takes it to the next level by dipping it in semisweet chocolate for the perfect sweet and smoky treat.

3. CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

A rich addition to fruit, crackers or toast, this spread is a perfect gift to share. A combination of chocolate, hazelnuts, sugar, butter and cream featured on the website Epicurious, the treat can also be spooned over ice cream or swirled into brownies.

Yogi time

Sync Yoga & Wellbeing held its grandopening celebration at Sylvan Thirty Jan. 24. The yoga studio, which still has a location in Bishop Arts, took the second-floor space of a building that had been destroyed by fire in March 2014. Find Sync’s schedule of classes at syncdallas.com or by calling 214.946.2224.

1 Dallas Grilled Cheese Co. opened last month in the Bishop Arts District. 2 Chef Blythe Beck is the first chef to serve two consecutive stints at Kitchen LTO at Trinity Groves. Her stay has been extended through March. 3 Smoke opened a second location in Plano at the end of the year. The new restaurant includes a wood-burning hearth, and the menu has a focus on game.

4. HOT CHOCOLATE SPOONS

With only three simple ingredients — sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips — these handmade chocolate molds from the Adventures of Cake Girl blog will keep you warm all winter long.

5.CHOCOLATE ALMOND BARK

Chocolate bark is one of the easiest and prettiest gifts you can make. There are no rules and really no recipe required. Bon Appetit has a recipe for a salty, sweet bark, but feel free to sprinkle in your choice of nuts, dried fruit or candy pieces.

Sync Yoga

Photo courtesy of BB Bop

6.CHOCOLATE CREAM SHOOTERS

Whether you need a cocktail or a mocktail, chocolate cream shooters will win your heart. Food Network shares one of their favorite chocolate drinks filled with rich chocolate syrup, half and half and a shot of seltzer water to make it foam.

7. CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL BALLS

Two pantry staples, peanut butter and pretzels, make it easy to whip these up for a Valentine’s Day celebration. This bite-size candy was created with the perfect amount of salty, sweet and crunch. It will be hard to have just one.

8. CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

These little gems fall somewhere between the chewiest caramels and decadent dark chocolate fudge. If you are a lover, play around with the different intensities and choose your favorite brand to make these bite-size confections your very own.

FIND THE FULL RECIPES at inkfoods.com or advocatemag.com

Kristen Massad writes a monthly column about sweets and baked goods. The professional pastry chef graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and owned Tart Bakery on Lovers Lane for eight years. She blogs about food and lifestyles at inkfoods.com.

RIGHT IN Dive

Hole-in-the-wall restaurants we love

Our neighborhood is a destination for fine dining. It’s home to one of the city’s two five-star restaurants, Lucia. And the Bishop Arts District draws brunch eaters from all over Dallas and the suburbs. But Oak Cliff also has a rich culture of lowbrow food — tacos, gorditas and pupusas abound. Ours is a neighborhood where you can find a good meal in a gas station or the back corner of a meat market. We toured Oak Cliff’s holes-in-the-wall and dive restaurants so that we could showcase a few of our favorites here and tell their stories.

STORY BY RACHEL STONE — PHOTOS BY RASY RAN

Juan Contreras

El Padrino

See story, page 18

Dive right in

Somphou Market

4444 W. Illinois, 214.330.9616

Kam Southammavong escaped communist Laos in 1984 and resettled in Wichita, Kan., where he apprenticed under a jeweler and learned the trade.

Jewelry making is Southammavong’s passion. He produces custom jewelry for many clients in California, where he lived for 21 years. He could do the work from home, but instead he works inside a cage at Somphou Market, the business he owns with his wife, Ly.

“We have an interesting place,” says Kam, who is soft-spoken and humble. “I’m a jeweler, and my wife loves to cook.”

into the business for his wife. Their first was a hamburger stand in Irving that failed terribly. Kam says he lost almost six figures in 10 months. Then they went in with partners and started Koung Thai in Rockwall, which received positive reviews and still does good business. But Kam says he gave his share of the business to his wife’s younger brother because the commute to Rockwall took too long. Now they concentrate solely on their little market, about a block from home.

Below: Candy and produce share shelf space at Somphou Market. Bottom: Larb, a famous Laotian dish, is a meat salad that typically features duck sauce, lime, bean sprouts and cilantro. Somphou Market’s version is spiced for the Mexican palate and is their most popular to-go order. Right: Somphou Market owner Kam Southammavong runs the market family-style with his wife, Ly, and their three sons, Philip, Alen and Bryan.

Ly is the cook in the market’s takeout café, and one of their four sons usually runs the market’s cash register.

Ly produces Thai food in the café’s tiny kitchen, but it’s not authentic Thai food, Kam says.

“We cook for Mexicans and Americans,” he says. “Authentic Thai is too sour and spicy.”

But considering it is one of two Thai restaurants in north Oak Cliff, it is excellent. The café has a small menu, with pho, pad thai and fried rice being the most popular items. There are a couple of tables at the back near the 8-liner machines, but it’s really a takeout place.

This is the Southammavong family’s third restaurant venture. Kam says he went

They serve the whole neighborhood, but they’re also rooted in the small Laotian community near the market. Every Laotian community has a jeweler, Southammavong says.

“I’m the first one here,” he says. “It’s not very big, but we are here.”

Kam and Ly, who met in a refugee camp in Thailand and married in California, have four children. Their oldest serves in the U.S. Air Force, and the youngest entered basic training for the Air Force in January. The other two are in college.

The Southammavongs have visited their homeland recently — it takes 18 hours by plane.

But they say they never want to give up the freedom they have here.

Kam says that under communism, “you belong to them, and your life is theirs.”

“WE HAVE AN INTERESTING PLACE. I’M A JEWELER, AND MY WIFE LOVES TO COOK.”

Dive right in

Crown Grocery & Deli

1210 S. Hampton, 214.467.3810

Ibrahim Dalgamouni never knew he was a good cook until he took over the kitchen in his own business.

Dalgamouni opened Crown about 22 years ago. Prior to that, he had worked for other people until he saved enough to buy his own building, a former foreign auto parts place, and renovate it.

Dalgamouni came to the United States from Jordan about 26 years ago, originally to get a Ph.D. He earned a bachelor’s degree back home and worked for the civil aviation authority. Friends told him that earning a Ph.D. while working in America would be easy.

“In reality, it was very hard, so I decided to open my own business,” he says.

He married an American woman, Ann Marie, and immersed himself in work. Earning that doctorate degree soon seemed unimportant.

Crown beckons motorists from Hampton with its strangely appetizing fiberglass sign with the image of a hamburger. It’s like, the king of hamburgers, you think. And then one day, you’ll try it.

For a fast-food burger, it’s not bad. A thin patty and all the fixin’s plus fries and a can of soda costs $7. Dalgamouni doesn’t griddle the buns — that just adds unnecessary calories, he says.

“Quality is my priority,” Dalgamouni says. “I try everything to be healthy. We don’t need bad ingredients and preservatives. I want to eat healthy, and I want to offer that to my customers.”

Onion rings, he says, could be the best-tasting food around. But he doesn’t eat them, and there is nothing on the menu that Dalgamouni doesn’t eat.

The menu does include corndogs, burritos and sandwiches, though.

Dalgamouni says he enjoys cooking, but the customers are what keep him interested. He likes giving advice to young men with the typical troubles of fighting, girls and schoolwork.

“My neighbors, my people, my customers. That’s my social life,” he says. “I know everybody. Everybody comes to talk to me.”

Top left: Crown owner Ibrahim Dalgamouni jokes around with a customer. He says interacting with customers is part of what makes his life meaningful.

Top right: The double cheeseburger with fries is a popular order. Above: A collection of artwork, photos and cards from Crown’s loyal customers are hung on a window.

“MY NEIGHBORS, MY PEOPLE, MY CUSTOMERS. THAT’S MY SOCIAL LIFE. I KNOW EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY COMES TO TALK TO ME.”

Dive right in El Padrino Restaurant

408 W. Jefferson, 214.943.3993

Juan Contreras worked for seven years as a janitor at Love Field and Tyler Street United Methodist Church until he saved $3,000.

That was enough to lease the little restaurant on Jefferson, but it wasn’t enough for everything he needed to start. His mother borrowed $300 from a friend so that Contreras could buy groceries and other supplies to start his humble Mexican restaurant in 1989. His sister helped out at first, but after just three months, Contreras hired four employees.

It seems funny now, but back then the restaurant answered a demand for tacos and tortas, real Mexican street food. Contreras had worked at a restaurant in his hometown, Nuevo Laredo, at a restaurant called Padrino.

“I named it after that,” he says. “When people come from Nuevo Laredo, they recognize it.”

The restaurant was so popular that Contreras opened a second location in the Bishop Arts District a year later, in 1990. That store moved to Pleasant Grove after he lost his Bishop Arts lease a few years ago.

After Contreras appeared on Univision in the early ’90s demonstrating how to make tortas, El Padrino had lines out the door most lunch hours.

The building is a former hamburger stand that went up around 1949. A customer once told Contreras he saw Elvis Presley eating there, and others remember it as a rock-androll café. Anyway, it’s a tiny little joint. There are only about seven tables. No more than about 20 people could be seated in there at once. But it has a kitschy charm. Have a big breakfast for under $7, and watch the action on Jefferson Boulevard.

El Padrino has very loyal customers. A few come every morning, Monday-Sunday. And some who ate there as children now bring their kids. Contreras works every morning except Sunday. And one employee, Ofelia, has worked there for 12 years.

Contreras doesn’t own the building, but he says El Padrino will be around for many more years. His 28-year-old son, also Juan Contreras, runs the restaurant’s catering business.

“We’re not retiring for at least 15 years,” he says.

Above: The tiny restaurant can seat only about 20 people at a time, but it has gained a following of customers who have been coming for over 20 years. Opposite page top: A selection of aquas frescas is made fresh daily. Opposite page center: Juan Contreras Sr. prepares a ham and cheese torta. Below, clockwise: combination tacos, beefand-cheese chile relleno, ham and cheese torta

The $143-million question

If the Trinity toll road could be killed, how should we spend the money?

Story by Rachel Stone | Photos by Danny Fulgencio

The Trinity toll road and related projects would cost about $1.3 billion to build. The projects so far are unfunded, although the North Central Texas Council of Governments does have $143 million socked away for the toll road project, should it ever get off the ground. Since the project started falling out of favor — even its political creator, former Mayor Laura Miller, now opposes the project — we began envisioning the toll road’s death. And that brought us around to the money. How else could the NCTCOG spend that $143 million to benefit southern Dallas? So we asked a few Oak Cliff-based urban planners, and these are their answers.

Andrew Howard

URBAN PLANNER, THE BETTER BLOCK

I believe we should focus now on access to the river and the existing trails from neighborhoods instead of the current “build it and then figure that out later” mentality. So, I would focus on bike and pedestrian access, parking and finishing the streetcar.

Before we make the Trinity our central park, we need to clean it up! It is stanky, which is funny because you can swim in it in Fort Worth. So, where does it get dirty? The

airport, roads and development are the biggest culprit, then cement ash from Irving and solvent runoff from Arlington. Mix that with our own poop water and you’ve got a stink!

So, we should invest in wetland restoration now to clean the Trinity for a future park. I think there is also about $30 million in park funds that could be detached from the tollway project. They are bundled in the environmental impact study with the toll road — a dirty

trick to get us to stick with the park. I suggest putting those into light projects like soccer fields, pavilions and overlooks (stuff that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers already allows).

We need an alternative plan to what is proposed now, because the way I see it, we need to dump the entire Trinity plan, park and toll road and all, and start over. Call it the biggest flop in municipal governance history and move on.

Amanda Popken

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, ASH+LIME STRATEGIES

FIX ROADS.

Building a road from scratch is typically $1 million per mile, and depending on what needs to be fixed, funding for street repair would go a long way. I know in the North Oak Cliff neighborhood, where investment is already being attracted, Seventh Street from Bishop to Rosemont is badly in need of major repairs. Even Davis (the main thoroughfare through the active commercial district), from Zang to Rosemont has major potholes.

Street repairs alone won’t attract and create businesses, though.

INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOODS.

Over 15 years ago a major investment in the small heart of Bishop Arts began the revitalization of the district into what we see today. In 1998 $2.6 million was spent (around $6.5 million in today’s dollars) on such a small area to add street trees, wider sidewalks, brick pavers, pedestrian bulb-outs at intersections framing parallel parking, and streetlights.

There are a number of similar shopping centers that could use similar treatments, if not more, to give neighborhoods vibrant districts, each with a unique design, attracting a neighborhood-specific set of offices, neighborhood services and retail for that area. Off the top of my head, I’d name Elmwood, Beckley from Claremont to Illinois, and Clarendon at Hampton.

INVEST IN PEOPLE.

This would need to be accompanied by a number of other initiatives that would promote small business development, support entrepreneurs in the development of creative new business models that fit the market needs, and provide social neighborhood services such as child or teen group activities to bolster positive change.

The toll road is meant to solve a number of issues, including moving people across the region. We have a number of roads that do that already — the focus should be on not requiring that the poorest of our region commute the farthest.

Pre-K3 through Grade 8 4019 S. Hampton Road • Dallas, TX 75224 214.331.5139 • www.saintspride.com

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. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL 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

ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL

4019 S. Hampton Rd. Dallas 75224/ 214.331.5139 / www.saintspride. com / PK3-8th Grade. St. Elizabeth of Hungary offers a full day curriculum for PK3-8th Grade, including English Language, Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Religion, Technology, Athletics, Art, Music, Spanish, and Library. Caring teachers enhance curriculum with individualized attention and handson interactive participation. St. Elizabeth is a model of diversity, rich, and reflective of the ethnic and economic composition of the community it serves. 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.

Academic excellence & Catholic spirit since 1958

Our mission at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School is to serve God through our ministry of educational excellence and to develop the spiritual lives of our youth within the ramework of the Gospel and the tradition of the Catholic Church.

Robbie Good

PRINCIPAL AT BR_DGE CREATIVE STUDIOS

$50 MILLION: Construct two new basic bridges with bike facilities across the Trinity. One connecting Oak Lawn to Coronet in West Dallas. One connecting Colorado to Belleview in the Cedars. If the COG wants to improve north-south mobility, more connections would be a good place to start. This also would go a long way in solving any local congestion as a result of increased density and development in West Dallas and the Oak Cliff Gateway, not to mention the Design District and the Riverfront corridor.

$20 MILLION: Upgrade DART bus stops and optimize bus routes along all major southern Dallas corridors. This would involve increasing frequencies, simplifying routes, adding green-light technology to vehicles, reducing underutilized stops, etc.

$20 MILLION: Implement the portion of the city bike plan that covers the southern sector and the core of the city. Buffered facilities and/or cycle tracks wherever possible. No sharrows [shared lane markings] except on residential streets.

$15 MILLION: Restitch the grid in the Fair Park/South Dallas/Cedars area as much as possible. The street network is an absolute mess over there. Of course mobility is a problem when you’ve got dead ends all over your neighborhoods!

$10 MILLION: Extend the streetcar to Jefferson.

$10 MILLION: Create a citywide bikeshare program.

$10 MILLION: Fund the Amonette, Herbert and Bataan Street underpasses in West Dallas [part of the City Design Studio’s West Dallas Gateway project]. It’s going to be instrumental to connect Singleton to Commerce as West Dallas becomes more dense in population. That’s going to happen incredibly fast. Sylvan and Singleton will be an absolute nightmare if this doesn’t happen.

$5 MILLION: Create a multi-modal connection between Klyde Warren Park and the Continental Bridge Park.

If it’s not already funded I would put $3 million toward connecting Coombs Creek Trail to the new Calatrava bike/pedestrian bridge at Interstate 30.

URBAN PLANNER, WRITER

I would follow the lead of the successful public and private returns on investment learned from the successes on Lowest Greenville and Bishop Arts. We wouldn’t even need all $143 million, but take a fraction of that and target five to 10 potential neighborhood centers of gravity. Walkable, mixed-use development produces five to 10 times the per-acre tax base (depending upon scale of the project), costs far less infrastructurally, and produces more jobs and more sales tax revenue.

Patrick Kennedy

HEALTH WELLNESS

PRESENTED BY

ADVISOR

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

For many of us, the well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions we made last month to work out more and eat less are starting to wane. That’s because real change doesn’t occur when we just try a fad diet or burn extra calories.

If we instead choose a holistic approach to health — one that involves our mind, body and spirit — it not only helps us feel fit, but it can also inspire and sustain a long-lasting healthy lifestyle. Two Oak Cliff fitness studios will help do just that.

Sync Yoga & Wellbeing owner Jennifer Lawson started practicing yoga in 2006. She says it immediately felt like home.

“I wanted to learn to teach so I could share what I was experiencing with others,” Lawson says.

She began teaching classes at several different studios around Dallas. When Lawson moved to Oak Cliff in 2008, she wanted to contribute to the neighborhood through a yogabased business. In the fall of 2011, she opened Sync Yoga & Wellbeing.

“The goal is for Sync to be a community-based space offering a variety of classes, workshops and wellness options such as yoga, massage, community outreach, and other experiences to enhance the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and relational well being of its teachers and members,” Lawson says.

Sync offers multiple types of yoga classes, including vinyasa flow, core flow, dynamic whole body movement, meditation and restorative yoga for healing. Students are encouraged to try several classes and find the styles that appeal to them and give them the most fulfilling experience.

“We have highly qualified teachers who support all students to find a safe place to ‘be’ no matter what class they attend,” Lawson says. “We have students of all ages, shapes and sizes, as well as ability level; we also have quite a few men who practice at Sync.”

The community aspect of holistic health is particularly im-

portant to Lawson. One of the mantras at Sync is “connection matters.”

“Yoga is often presented as a very individual experience, but we tend to emphasize the ways that the practice reminds us of how much we have in common, how similar we are to each other, and how we can take care of each other in subtle ways just by showing up together,” Lawson says.

Last fall, the studio formed “Team Sync,” an outreach group that does charity work in the community.

This year, Sync opened a second studio at Sylvan Thirty. Lawson says to stay tuned for kids’ classes, programming for specialized populations, and expanded class offerings during prime times such as after work and weekend mornings.

Another neighborhood fitness studio that offers more than just a good workout is Jonathan’s Private Training Studio. Owner Jonathan Sloan played basketball in college for four years on a full scholarship until he blew out his knee his senior year. Doctors told Sloan that he could never play any high-intensity sports again — including basketball.

For the past four years, Sloan has been working on rehabilitation to stay active and injury free. His personal recovery and the knowledge he acquired while earning a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science inspired him to open his own fitness studio in Oak Cliff.

“I became a trainer so that I could learn how to fix myself,” Sloan says. “Now I want to share my knowledge and experience by training others.”

Primarily, Sloan does that through one-on-one private training, although group classes are offered as well.

“My training philosophy varies, but it always focuses 100 percent on the individual. There is no one size fits all when it comes to health,” Sloan says.

“Just like one medication working for someone and being ineffective for another, one training philosophy may work for one individual and not work for another. My training centers around your goals and getting you results.”

Cardio fitness, posture correction and strength training are generally included in the personal workout.

Nutritional counseling is another emphasis at Sloan’s training studio.

“You can’t get healthy if you aren’t eating right. I think nutrition is 80 percent of the equation for achieving results.”

Sloan says he’s a firm believer in the notion that “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

“I want to encourage people to get moving efficiently again, reduce the risk of injury, and help them to discover a nutrition plan that works for them,” Sloan says.

syncdallas.com

jonathansloanfitness.com

BAPTIST

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

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH / 534 W. Tenth St. / 214.941.0339

Sunday: 8 & 10 am Holy Eucharist, 12:30pm Santa Misa en Español Sunday School for all ages / Children’s Chapel / christchurchdallas.org

METHODIST

KESSLER PARK UMC / 1215 Turner Ave. / 214.942.0098 / kpumc.org

9:30 am Sunday School / 11:00 Worship / All welcome regardless of creed, color, culture, gender or sexual identity.

OAK CLIFF UMC / 549 E. Jefferson Blvd. / oakcliffumc.org

Young Adult Gathering & Worship “The Cliff” 9:30 am / Contemporary

Worship 11:00 am (Bilingual) / facebook.com/oakcliffumc

TYLER STREET UMC / 927 W. 10th Street / 214.946.8106

Sunday Worship at 8:30 am and 10:50 am www.tsumc.org

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

ENCHANTED THINGS

Why we are drawn to fairy tales

I saw the big-screen adaptation of “Into The Woods” over the holidays. I loved the interweaving of the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, each tale representing a quest for something enchanted: magic beans, golden eggs or glass slippers.

Why do we love these stories so much? Why do series like “Once Upon a Time” and the Harry Potter chronicles still fascinate us, satisfying our desire to see and know something beyond what we see and know?

David Rose of the MIT Media Lab and author of “Enchanted Things” believes that these stories speak to our deepest longings (such as immortality, omniscience, telepathy and safekeeping) and often portray items that can offer such gifts. Then he points to the “internet of things” as the potential fulfillment of such longings. The “internet of things” refers to the Internet’s next big wave: the intelligent connection of people, processes, data and devices. By 2020, there could be 50 billion products connected to the Internet. Cars will locate parking spaces for drivers, tennis shoes will send text messages when they’re wearing out and trash cans will give verbal affirmation when one eats organic or produces less waste. In this future, Rose believes that such “enchanted items” will carry something of a sense of magic, allowing us to do things as never before and satisfy our deepest desires.

I get that his take on technology may be a bit embellished to help us see the value of such items and to dream how such products can make our lives better. But will we ever discover “enchantment” in a “thing”? No.

The tech items that impress us today won’t impress us next year. Many products, such as step trackers, get our bodies in

shape but will never create wonder beyond our initial fascination with their capabilities. One can take ten thousand steps and miss a thousand wonders along the way.

Enchantment, or that which brings a sense of “magic” to our eyes, still finds its greatest reservoir in three areas: human relationships, a sense of purpose and a connection to the Divine.

Human relationships offer security, ma-

Will we ever discover “enchantment” in a “thing”?

No.

turity and hope. A sense of purpose offers meaning and a belief that we are making a difference. Our connection with the Divine, however we may conceive that relationship, offers a linkage to ultimate things, peace with our own mortality and help in troubled times. The quest for these three, with passion and abandon, creates a lifesource of enchantment within.

Along the way, we do collect some enchanted items: a family quilt, a grandmother’s well-worn BIble, or some other treasure that may be worthless to others, but one that we hold as precious. What makes these items enchanted is the story they tell, the relationship they represent or the meaning they carry.

So in a way, I believe in enchanted things and I believe in the possibility of an enchanted life. I guess you could say that I believe the fairy tales.

The tech items that impress us today won’t impress us next year.

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.

Local Resources

TO ADVERTISE 214.560.4203

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

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

EMPLOYMENT

AIRLINE CAREERS Get FAA Approved Maintenance Training At Campuses Coast To Coast. Job Placement Assistance. Financial Aid For Qualifying Students. Military Friendly. AIM 866-453-6204

MCSHAN FLORIST is currently accepting applications for full & part time drivers. Please apply in person @ 10311 Garland Rd.

SERVICES FOR YOU

CAREER/EXECUTIVE/STRENGTHS Coaching for ages 9-99. www.alisecortez.com 214-597-6463

DISH TV RETAILER Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 months) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available) Save. Ask about Same Day Installation 1-800-615-4064

Human kindness

The Dallas Historical Society honored 14 people at the Awards for Excellence in Community Service at the Fairmont Hotel in November. The S.M. Wright Foundation won the humanities award. The foundation provides support and stability to underprivileged children and less fortunate families through hunger relief, economic empowerment and assistance in education, health and social services. From left to right, Calvin Wright , Debra Wright and S.M. Wright II

Local BULLETIN BOARD

LEGAL SERVICES

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY Estate/Probate matters. Free Consultation. 214-802-6768 MaryGlennAttorney.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

FARMERS INSURANCE CALL JOSH JORDAN 214-364-8280. Auto, Home, Life Renters.

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

PET SERVICES

DUKE CANINE Certified Behaviorist & Trainer. Board/Train. Indoor kennels. www.dukecanine.com or 214-529-2598

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

BOUNCE HOUSES • SLIDES • MARGARITA MACHINES POPCORN MACHINES • PIÑATAS • CHAIRS • TABLES (214)941-7440 - www.pinatacity.com 1705 W. CLARENDON, DALLAS TX 75208

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

TEXAS RANGERS AND DALLAS STARS

front row seats. Share prime, front-row Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars tickets (available in sets of 10 games). Prices start at $105 per ticket (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available) Seats are behind the plate and next to the dugouts for the Rangers: seats are on the glass and on the Platinum Level for the Stars. Other great seats available starting at $60 per ticket. Entire season available except for opening game; participants randomly draw numbers prior to the season to determine a draft order fair for everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com

TOP CASH FOR CARS Any Car, Truck. Running or Not. Call for Instant Offer. 1-800-454-6951

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

Moving, Retirement, Downsizing. One Piece or a Houseful. David Turner. 214-908-7688. dave2estates@aol.com

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

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

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. 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.org

214-403-7247

TK Remodeling

Your neighborhood remodeler

•Repair •Remodeling •Restoration

•Complete full service

http://dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

Tommy 972-533-2872 INSURED

CLEANING SERVICES

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

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

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Call George 214-498-2128

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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 Family Owned/Operated. Insd. 214-328-1333

EXPERIENCED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN Insd. Steve. TECL#27297 214-718-9648

GOVER ELECTRIC Back Up Generators. New and Remodel Work. Commercial & Residential. All Service Work. 469-230-7438. TECL2293

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

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.

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM Decks, Fences, Pergolas, Patio Covers. 214-435-9574

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

CLIFTON CARPETS 214-526-7405 www.cliftoncarpets.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

LONGHORN FLOORS LLC 972-768-4372. www.longhornflooring.com

N-HANCE WOOD RENEWAL. No Dust. No Mess. No Odor. nhance.com. 214-321-3012.

WILLEFORD HARDWOOD FLOORS 214-824-1166 • WillefordHardwoodFloors.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

NEED FLOORING?

Carpet • Ceramic • Wood • Luxury Vinyl Call John Roemen 972.989.3533

john.roemen@redicarpet.com

REDI CARPET

Reinventing the Flooring Experience

GARAGE DOORS

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

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

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

Handy Dan

The Handyman “ToDo’s” Done Right Save $25 on Service Call of $125 or $50 on Service Call of $250 handy-dan.com 214.252.1628

Your Home Repair Specialists Drywall Doors Senior Safety Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs And More! 972-308-6035 HandymanMatters.com/dallas

HOME INSPECTION

HOUSE PAINTING

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

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

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

ALL SURFACE REFINISHING 214-631-8719. Tub/Tile/Refinishing. allsurfacerefinishing.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. 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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

A BETTER TREE COMPANY • JUST TREES Complete tree services. Tree & Landscape Lighting! Mark 214-332-3444

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

GREENSKEEPER Winter Clean Up & Color. Sodding, Fertilization. Lawn Maintenance & Landscape. Res/Com. 214-546-8846

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

ORTIZ LAWNCARE Complete Yard Care. Service by Felipe. Free Est. 214-215-3599

JUST

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

Schools

Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School is one of 22 finalists nationwide for the National Center for Urban School Transformation’s excellence in Urban Education Award The award recognizes the nation’s highest-performing schools that serve socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The center will visit all the finalists before winners are announced in March.

Tree pruning and thinning Tree removal Stump grinding

214.394.2414

ParkerTreeService.biz

Family Owned since 1937

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

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

REPAIRS, Fixtures, General Plumbing, Senior Discounts. Campbell Plumbing. 214-321-5943

UPTOWN PLUMBING. Serving Dallas 40 + Yrs. 214-747-1103. M-13800 uptownplumbing.com

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.

Boude Storey Middle School teacher Shareefah Nadfir Mason won the Tom and Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award from the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution in January. The award recognizes a teacher whose outstanding instruction on the Revolutionary War demonstrates exceptional accomplishments in the classroom. Mason won $300 and a trip to the Freedoms Foundation Summer Teacher Graduate Workshop in Valley Forge, Penn.

Raul Quintanilla Sr. Middle School teacher

Thom Browne’s heartfelt poem about his students’ lives won an essay contest, and he spoke at the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit in January.

Sidewalks

Work began at the end of last year on a $220,000 makeover of sidewalks surrounding the Kessler Theater at West Davis and Clinton. The project could be completed this coming summer.

History

Legendary bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. Vaughan was born in Oak Cliff in 1954, and he grew up here. He attended Lenore Kirk Hall Elementary School, L. V. Stockard Junior High and Justin F. Kimball High School. Vaughan died in a helicopter crash in 1990 at the age of 35, after overcoming alcohol and drug addiction. He is buried at Laurel Land Cemetery.

The Beckley Avenue rooming house where Lee Harvey Oswald slept the night before the JFK assassination is now listed on the National Register of Historical Places. A listing on the register does not allow buildings any protection, but it deems them worthy of preservation and makes them eligible for tax credits.

HAVE AN ITEM TO BE FEATURED?

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SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

Picture postcards are a big part of one Oak Cliff family’s history

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Christopher Tuck of Stevens Park found an album filled with old postcards at an antiques show years ago. The cards were from a young man in the south of England who wrote to his sweetheart in London each week to let her know what time his train would be arriving for their Saturday visit.

Call it a very early version of text messaging.

Before telephones were widely available, postcards were an inexpensive way to communicate short messages.

That book of postcards was more than just an insight into history; it was part of Tuck’s family history.

Tuck is a descendant of the man who started the world’s preeminent postcard company.

Raphael Tuck started a publishing company, Raphael Tuck & Sons, in London in 1866. Raphael Tuck is Christopher Tuck’s greatgreat-grandfather.

The company founder, who was born in Prussia, didn’t invent postcards, but he made them popular, and his company set a high standard for quality in printing.

In 1900, at the height of a global postcard boom, the company had about 4,000 postcard designs available.

Raphael Tuck & Sons published at least 31 cards depicting Dallas, including one of Lake Cliff Park, in the early 1900s.

Postcards were extremely popular as a way to communicate and as keepsakes. Imagine traveling to Dallas by train from the sticks of Oklahoma to see the great State Fair of Texas, for example. The only way to show the sights to one’s friends and relatives back home would be to purchase picture postcards, which were inexpensive and cheaper to mail than a letter.

Raphael Tuck & Sons also is credited with making Christmas cards popular. In 1880, the company launched a contest offering 5,000 pounds in prizes for the best Christmas card designs.

“It was a way for them to gauge people’s

ideas about Christmas,” Tuck says.

Some 5,000 people submitted their artwork into the contest.

The best designs were shown in a London gallery, and after that, Christmas cards became the norm in England, and the tradition grew from there.

The company printed more than just cards. Its products also included children’s books, paper dolls, tourism pamphlets, and educational and religious wall hangings, among other printed materials.

But cards were their bread and butter. The popularity of postcards and Christmas cards

brought in new revenues to the British Crown through postage sales. Because of that, King Edward VII in 1910 created the Tuck Baronetcy. Upon the death of his father, Christopher Tuck will inherit the baronetcy and could employ the title “sir.”

Tuck’s mother, born Louise Renfro in San Angelo, was a fashion model who married the postcard heir Sir Bruce Tuck in 1951. They moved to Jamaica when Christopher and his brother were little. Christopher also has lived in London, Montreal, New Orleans and San Angelo. He is a retired systems engineer.

The Raphael Tuck & Sons London head-

Raphael Tuck & Sons printed at least 31 postcards with images of Dallas.

Above: Main Street, 1908, looking west. Right: The Trinity River, 1905. All photos courtesy of tuckdb.org.

quarters, a five-story building with a view of St. Paul’s Cathedral, was destroyed in The Blitz of 1940. Among the devastating losses were decades of original artwork, about 40,000 designs. The company continued to operate after World War II, but by then, telephones were ubiquitous. Cameras were becoming more affordable and user friendly. The company never regained its former success and closed in the 1960s.

Christopher Tuck says his father, now in his 80s and living in England and Italy, never has shown interest in his family’s history. Christopher’s older brother, Richard, who died in an accident last year, also was uninterested in family history or antiques.

So after his mother’s death, Christopher inherited a houseful of antique furniture and

paintings. His Stevens Park home, which he chose because of its pre-1950 construction, feels very English, with its oil paintings of ancestors and delicate Victorian furniture.

Along the walls of a staircase, he keeps framed collections of Raphael Tuck & Sons postcards, along with news clippings and other memorabilia.

He tries his best to preserve the family’s history because he finds it fascinating, and also for the sake of his 7-year-old daughter, Madeleine. Tuck’s mother died before Madeleine was born. And the family is so far flung that she’s been able to spend little time getting to know her Tuck side.

“This is her legacy, and this will hopefully connect her to my side of the family,” Tuck says.

—Rachel Stone

Above: The Exposition Building at Fair Park, 1906. This card probably was sold as a set of six. Top: Commerce Street, 1905, facing west from Griffin. There now is a McDonald’s where the Dorsey Hotel was.

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