2016 June Oak Cliff

Texas Breast Specialists is a part of Texas Oncology.

Oak Cliff history: Before there was Red Bird, there was Westcliff

Kimball graduate accused of serial rape

Jose Bautista stood up his Bolsa reservation

Waffle House opens next month in Oak Cliff Community arts center planned for 1929 Winnetka church

THE DIALOGUE

THREE NEW POOLS PLANNED FOR KIDD SPRINGS PARK

“Interesting how the city never did upgrades to Oak Cliff like this prior to a certain group moving in.” — Jrod713

“We are so excited about this! No complaints here.” — Amy Kirchhoff

“This price is much too high for neighborhood kids to afford on a regular basis, and that is what I thought neighborhood pools were all about.” — Patricia Carson

Clarke

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $1.2 MILLION FOR STREETCAR COST OVERRUNS

“[Councilwoman Jennifer] Gates is worried about this costing us taxpayers money but yet voted yes to giving away $3 million [to Costco] and $4,000 a day [to fight Exxxotica lawsuit]. Way to really look out for ‘us.’” — OCdwellin

CORRECTION: A story in the May 2016 Advocate misidentified the primary school that Aylin Hernandez attended. Hernandez went to Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy.

PILLOW PROBLEMS

WHEN STAYING IN BED FEELS SO MUCH BETTER THAN FIXING THE WORLD’S AILS

Do you ever wake up and just wish you hadn’t?

I don’t mean that in a “wish you were dead” way; just a wish-youdidn’t-have-to get-out-of-bed way?

These days, there are just so many mentally tiring things going on locally and around the world. And I’m not even talking about the presidential election.

Problems arise, solutions don’t, and although most of us have become adept at looking the other way, we know in the back of our minds that we’re just ignoring things rather than solving them.

Which, to me, is just plain tiring.

While reading the Dallas Observer the other day, I had time to consume a hot dog and peanuts while elevating my blood pressure about:

The most recently dismantled Tent City illegal homeless shelter under a Downtown highway overpass. But the displaced just shuffled or carted to another underpass. Bouncing homeless people from one public nuisance site to another doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy about our city tax dollars and politicians at work. But wait: The mayor has appointed a task force to study the problem. Now, I feel better.

A sad story by Eric Nicholson about the state’s Child Protective Services (CPS) agency, which appears to have mismanaged a 4-year-old girl to death, among plenty of other problems. The story made a case for “professionalizing” CPS workers by paying them more and requiring them to have additional training, as opposed to hiring kids straight out of college who only last about six months on the job. About $400 million in additional funding an-

Rick Wamre

nually would be a good start, the writer says, and then maybe this problem of caring for kids whose parents can’t — or won’t — will go away. Until the next time.

The Oncor bankruptcy money-grab. Jim Schutze talks about what he sees as the Hunt family’s stranglehold on city and state politics and politicians. And he notes the mayor found time while solving the homeless problem to pen a note asking the Public Utility Commission to reconsider the Hunt’s proposal to purchase Oncor, the bankrupt energy provider here in North Texas. Schutze has a consistently funny way of making complicated stories both simple and depressing, because once he explains the issue, there’s rarely a good solution. Maybe not understanding the issue is better than not knowing how to solve it?

This Observer didn’t even include a story about the South Dallas woman eaten alive by a pack of wild dogs that perhaps the city should have done a better job of controlling. Maybe that will be next week’s uplifting-story-ofthe-day contribution.

I’m not blaming the Observer for any of this: When you look in a mirror, you see what you see, warts and all.

But looking in a mirror is rarely uplifting these days, what with all of the potential hair and skin and general I-don’t-like-my-face issues that never go away, no matter how much money we throw at them.

All of this is making me long for the companionship of my pillow again. I wish I could summon some energy to face these challenges, but I just can’t.

Not today.

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

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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.

7 16

5 6

OUT & ABOUT 4 2 22 JUNE

June 5

DIY AUDIO/SYNTHESIS

June 2

WINE WALK

Buy a ticket and receive a wine glass. Then shop in Bishop Arts, where merchants will fill your glass and serve you snacks from 6-9 p.m.

Bishop Arts District, bishopartsdistrict.com, $20-$30

June 4

READING PARTY

The Mayor’s Summer Reading Program kicks off with a party from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. There will be carnival games, a photo booth and other events. Other reading program events at Hampton-Illinois this month include 3D books on June 6, African music and dance on June 15 and “tail-wagging tutors,” where kids read to friendly dogs, on June 25.

Hampton-Illinois Library, 2951 S. Hampton, 214.670.7646, dallaslibrary.org, free

June 5

ROBERT ELLIS

South Texas native Robert Ellis releases his new album, “The Lights from the Chemical Plant” this month. And he hosts an albumrelease party at the Kessler.

The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $18-$26

The Dallas Medianale brings this workshop, hardware hacking and DIY audio/video synthesis, to Oil and Cotton. Learn to use a cathode-ray tube to make audio/video synthesizers and analog video transmitters.

Oil and Cotton, 817 W. Davis, 214.942.0474, oilandcotton.com, $60

June 6

HOW TO MILK A COW

In this kick-off to the Mayor’s Summer Reading Program, the Southwest Dairy Farmers Association brings a live dairy cow to teach kids how milk gets from the farm to store shelves. Other North Oak Cliff reading program events this month include art bots on June 13, a Dallas Fire Department truck visit on June 15 and a Dallas Children’s Theater workshop on June 22.

North Oak Cliff Library, 302 W. Tenth, 214.670.7555, dallaslibrary.org, free

June 7

DSO AT KIDD SPRINGS PARK

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra returns to Kidd Springs Park as part of its concerts in the park series. The show starts at sundown. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Kidd Springs Park, Tyler and Canty, mydso.com, free

June 16-19

OAK CLIFF FILM FESTIVAL

This year’s festival, the fifth-annual, draws inspiration from the New Hollywood era and includes 27 feature films and 41 shorts, plus live music and film workshops. The festival hosts filmmakers and screenings at the Texas Theatre, Bishop Arts Theatre Center, the Kessler Theater, the Basement Gallery and other venues around Oak Cliff. Various locations, oakclifffilmfestival.com, $35-$175

June 22

BOOK CLUB

The Hampton-Illinois Library and the Wild Detectives have teamed up for a monthly book club called “Straight Outta Hampton.” Check out this month’s book at the library and then meet at the bookstore to discuss it from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth, 214-942-0108, thewilddetectives.com, free

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

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

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

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, InTown 2828 Routh Street, Suite 100 214.303.1133

FUTURE CHAMPS

A NEW HEAD COACH FOR THE MOUNTAIN VIEW

COLLEGE SOCCER TEAMS SEES WINS ON THE FIELD AND OFF

Brad Namdar started as head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Mountain View College in August, two weeks before the season started, with no assistant coach, incomplete uniforms and virtually no budget.

By the end of the season, they had winning records and drew crowds that filled one side of the college’s stadium. The men’s and women’s teams have drawn scouts from NCAA Division I schools, including the University of Florida and Baylor University.

More important, all 10 sophomores on both teams were recruited by four-year universities.

Namdar also has found sponsors and funding for team warm-up suits, fan T-shirts, banners and other team needs.

He’s just getting started.

Namdar’s goals for the coming season include raising

money so the teams can travel, a national ranking for both teams and for every player to maintain a 3.5 grade point average.

About 190 hopefuls tried out for the two teams in May.

“We want to elevate our standards of everything,” Namdar says. “We want to send them to Baylor and bigger schools. We want higher win columns and to play tougher schedules.”

Jill Lain, director of marketing and public relations for Mountain View, says academics are more important than athletic success. Schools outside the NCAA Division I very rarely give full athletic scholarships; academic scholarships are much more common.

Namdar says all of his players eagerly show up to study hall and they all have academic goals.

For Namdar, success is not an option.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams at Mountain View College came a long way in one season under Coach Brad Namdar. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

He played football and soccer at Texas Tech University before he was recruited to Southern Methodist University by legendary coach Schellas Hyndman. After Hyndman became head coach of FC Dallas, Namdar asked if he could be his estagio , an unpaid coaching apprentice.

Hyndman said no at first, but eventually, he relented, and at 21, Namdar found himself on the sidelines of FC Dallas while still an undergraduate student at SMU.

After graduating in 2012, he went to work on a master’s degree at SMU while coaching soccer at St. Mark’s School of Texas.

Mountain View athlete Asante Perry, 19, was a soccer star at MacArthur High School in Irving.

But when he started on the Mountain View team, he quickly discovered he was out of shape, he

says. He gave a terrible performance in the first game.

“From there on he was very hard on me,” Perry says of Namdar.

Now Perry is among the best players on the team, and he’s coming back for a second season.

He wants a degree in sports management.

“Coach Brad can’t get us into college. It has to be us,” Perry says. “You have to have the academics. You can’t just be good at soccer.”

The teams drummed up local interest in the spring season by participating in a block-walk, wherein they invited neighbors to their games, which are free to attend. Dozens of Oak Cliff families showed up to the last few games of the season.

“You should’ve seen these [neighborhood] kids,” Namdar says. “It’s like they’re watching FC

Smart Moves

Barcelona or something. They get really into it.”

With sponsorships from Dr. David Engleman of Las Colinas Medical Center, Herrera’s restaurant on Illinois, Cancun’s restaurant, Dr. Elba Garcia and Azteca Sports in Oak Cliff, the teams are properly outfitted and have fan apparel. A budget increase allowed Namdar to hire part-time assistant coaches Jaime Ibarra and Octavio Sanchez. Namdar is determined to take his teams further than anyone thinks possible.

When soccer season starts in the fall, Namdar expects to fill both sides of the stadium.

—Rachel Stone

COLLEGIATE SOCCER CAMPS

The Mountain View College soccer teams offer weeklong camps for ages 6 and older throughout June and July. The camps cost $50 through the school’s continuing education program, and they run 8 a.m.-noon, Monday-Friday.

Two Realtors

Generations One Team The Foster Team

Two

Delicious

Bacon-cheddar meatloaf with pimento-cheese mac and cheese and brussel sprouts petals. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

Pink Magnolia is Blythe Beck’s baby. She’s been a celebrity chef and a reality TV star. She’s the only chef to serve two three-month terms at the helm of Kitchen LTO. But Pink Magnolia is the first restaurant of which she is part owner, with Kitchen LTO owner and mastermind Casie Caldwell. “It’s way more fun to play with other people’s money,” Beck says of being an owner versus executive chef. As an owner, she’s having plenty of fun, though. She and Caldwell renovated the space, formerly Driftwood, to create an open kitchen and a more inviting floor plan. Then she put all her favorites on the menu: Chicken-fried ribeye, bacon cheddar meatloaf, Texas ruby red trout with jumbo lump crabmeat, and tarragon lemon roasted chicken among them. There’s also smoked-brisket nachos, deviled eggs, chicken-fried oysters, pimento macaroni and cheese and even veggie fajitas. Whenever she can, Beck has a party. Celebration is a big part of the Pink Magnolia universe. She celebrates her baby’s milestones like a new mom with those monthly stickers.

“You put some music in the parking lot, and this place goes nuts,” she says.

Oak Cliff is not just a business investment for Beck, she also bought a house here, in Oak Park Estates, even though she lives at work.

“It’s really an extension of our home,” she says.

—Rachel Stone

PINK MAGNOLIA

642 W DAVIS

469.320.9220

PINKMAGNOLIADALLAS.COM

AMBIANCE: PORCH SWING CHARM

PRICE RANGE: $14-$32

HOURS:

4:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday

Did you know?

Instead of happy hour, there’s a “sip and see” for Beck’s baby from 4:30-5:30 p.m. every day.

One90 Smoked Meats

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

Hours: Mon. Closed , Tues.-Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 11am-5pm

TASTE OF SUMMER: BERRY SLAB PIE

As we dive into summer with its backyard barbecues and pool parties, easy and fresh are what we want in dessert. A slab pie is the perfect warm weather treat, similar to a classic deep dish pie but on the lighter side due to its buttery crust. I don’t have to tell you that all pies are enhanced with a scoop of ice cream.

Serves 10 people

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups unsalted butter, chilled 1/2 cup cold water

Berry filling:

4 cups strawberries, sliced

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lemon, zested

Juice of 1 lemon

Egg wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Combine egg and water and whisk. Using a pastry brush, paint the egg wash onto the dough before baking to create a glossy and golden finish.

$209,000

If the date is updated on the page it means something has been changed for the new month

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9x13 pan.

In a food processor combine flour, sugar and salt.

Slowly pulse the dry ingredients while adding the cold butter in cubes.

Once the flour looks like course meal, slowly add the water to the flour mixture until dough comes together.

Divide dough into two equal parts, wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before rolling out.

While the dough is chilling, prepare the berry fruit filling.

Slice the strawberries, combine with blueberries and raspberries.

Add sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice to the fruit, mix until fully combined (refrigerated until ready to use).

Once dough is chilled, roll out to cover the bottom of the pan.

Add the filling to the top of the dough and spread evenly.

Roll out the remainder of the dough and cut into strips to make a lattice top. Egg wash the dough.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm.

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.

DALLAS ZOO CONCERT SERIES

Saturdays, May 28 – July 30, 6-9 p.m.

MAY 28 The Killdares

JUNE 4 Rich Girls

JUNE 11 Hard Night’s Day

JUNE 18 Satisfaction

JUNE 25 Escape

JULY 2 Rebirth Brass Band

JULY 9 The Landsharks

JULY 16 Limelight

JULY 23 Petty Theft & The Bird Dogs

JULY 30 The O’s

It’s summertime at the Dallas Zoo, and the Safari Nights concert series is back for another wild season. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music, beer, and wine on shady Cat Green. And check out Zoo animals while the sun goes down. It’s free with admission.

GONE SWIMMIN’

IT’S SUMMER IN DALLAS AND JUST ONE THING IS KNOWN TO LURE FOLKS FROM THEIR COMFY AIR-CONDITIONED LAIRS

STORY BY RACHEL STONE

PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

The thermostat seems stuck at 103 and, no, it is not broken. It’s just summer in Texas, where an indiscriminate barefoot on concrete or fingers on a metal seatbelt buckle can singe the skin. Our world is a sauna; everything’s sticky. The urge to cannonball into the nearest pool, splash around and soak up its chilly reprieve is fierce.

CREEKS

Since the early 1900s — when creeks served as our neighborhood swimming holes — citizens and city officials have sought to fulfill this aquatic yen.

Embarking on sizzling summer 2016, Oak Cliff residents are bolstered by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department’s updated Aquatics Master Plan, which promises a sunny future for local swimming.

Funded by its $31.8 million sale of Elgin B. Robertson Park at Lake Ray Hubbard last year, the park department anticipates major upgrades to nine of Dallas’ 17 existing public pools, including the one at Kidd Springs Park, which is expected to cost about $4.5 million.

It’s a remarkable feat, according to former city councilwoman Angela

LAKE CLIFF PARK

Hunt, who points out that as recently as 2014, the city intended to shutter many of its pools.

“The plan at that time called for closing all neighborhood pools and replacing them with a small number of regional water parks. It was a one-sizefits-all plan that failed to take into account the varying popularity levels of neighborhood pools across the city,” Hunt wrote last year in an Advocate column.

Hunt credits neighborhood residents with speaking up and city officials for responding.

That passion for public pools has been evident throughout our city’s history and it’s no wonder — pools have made southern summers bearable, even downright enjoyable. Pools also reflect the tensions and transformations our city has experienced over the years.

The earliest Oak Cliff residents

swam in spring-fed pools and our neighborhood’s creeks: Cedar Creek, Coombs Creek and Five-Mile Creek.

Oak Cliffers who grew up here in the ’50s and ’60s remember swimming in the creeks even up until the 1970s, when swimming in them was discouraged because of pollution.

“Five-Mile Creek was the summer playground,” says Mike Thomas, who grew up near Kiest Park. “It used to be right across the street from me. I had a lot of fun down there with the bird dog.”

Five-Mile Creek also was the playground upstream in the Glendale area and the old town of Lisbon, near the Veterans Administration Hospital.

That neighborhood got its own municipal pool, at Glendale Park, in 1953 and it’s still open.

Early swimmers at Lake Cliff Park, known in 1906 as Llewellyn Country Club, dipped in the 30-acre lake, fed by “numberless springs,” with clear water and lots of fish.

The amusement park at Lake Cliff, with its theater, skating rink, log ride, bowling alley and restaurant, drew big crowds in the early 20th century. It ultimately was a financial flop however, and the city bought it for $55,000 in 1914.

The pool at Lake Cliff was built in 1921 and by 1945, it had generated a total of $100,000 in net revenue for the city. The city estimated that around 80 percent of the population had swum in the pool that year.

It was a 310-square-foot all-concrete pool, 10 feet deep at the diving end with a 2.5 milliongallon capacity. It also had a sandy beach and bathhouses with showers and lockers.

The city renovated the pool in 1949, expanding its sandy beach and adding underwater lights for night swimming.

Several children drowned in the massive pool over the decades.

That, along with ever-increasing maintenance costs, inspired the city to close it in 1959.

KIDD SPRINGS PARK

When James Kidd, a former colonel in the Confederate States Army, settled in what is now Oak Cliff in 1878, the spring on his property was a “gushing fountain” in the side of the hill. The spring “raced away down the valley, making a creek,” according to a 1924 oral history from his son, Wilber M. Kidd.

E.P. Turner, for whom Turner House is named, bought the spring in 1895 and dammed it to make a lake for the Kidd Spring Boating and Fishing Club.

In 1911, Kidd Springs was opened to the public. A 1927 newspaper story described Kidd Springs as 25 acres with “hundreds of beautiful shade trees” and a two-acre lake. A main attraction in the ’20s was the giant “devil’s slide,” into the water. It also had a sandy beach and an orchestra pavilion.

The park operated as a private amusement park until 1947, when it

became part of the City of Dallas park department. The same year, the city closed the Kidd Springs Park lake to swimming.

In 1951, the newspaper reported that the once-gushing spring had been “reduced to a trickle” and today, the exact source of the spring is unknown.

In 1959, the city opted to close the pool at Lake Cliff Park and build a new one at Kidd Springs. The previous summer, the city’s pool system had served about 900,000 swimmers. Admission to city pools cost 40 cents for adults, 25 cents for kids ages 1217, and 15 cents for younger children.

The pool at Kidd Springs Park cost about $74,000 to build and debuted on May 15, 1959.

This summer is expected to be the last for the Kidd Springs Park pool. Construction on the new pool and bathhouse could begin next May; the new pool is expected to open for the 2018 season.

Left: Lake Cliff’s 2.5-million gallon pool and sandy beach drew swarms of Dallasites in the ’40s and ’50s. (Photo courtesy of the Dallas Municipal Archives)

Top/right: Kidd Springs Park’s 57-year-old pool is functional but outdated. The city should begin construction on a $4.5 million pool and bathhouse next year.

WADING POOLS

The big municipal pools drew bathers from all over, but Dallas also had neighborhood “wading pools.”

There were wading pools at parks adjacent to elementary schools in Oak Cliff, including Winnetka, Reagan, Lida Hooe and Rosemont.

Even though they were small and shallower than the big pools, these wading pools were free to use.

“We rode our bikes up there every day, or walked,” says lifelong Oak Cliff resident Jerri Locke, who learned

MARTIN WEISS POOL

The pool at Martin Weiss Park is the oldest operating pool in our neighborhood. It opened in July 1953, and it cost about $75,000 to build.

The city’s pools had drawn almost 574,000 swimmers the previous summer and the city was rushing to build more public pools. Another new pool, at Samuell-Grand Park, also opened that summer for a total of nine pools citywide.

Even though the Martin Weiss Park pool is older than Kidd Springs, it is not as well attended. The city’s aquatics master plan calls for building a new pool at Martin Weiss in a second phase, but that is so far unfunded.

to swim at the Rosemont pool. “The field always had stickers. We were always barefoot, so you had to watch out very carefully, and if it got really hot, the asphalt would bubble and we would stick our toes in it.”

In 2000, after a child contracted E. Coli swimming in a wading pool in Atlanta, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cracked down on wading pools, unveiling strict rules for operation. While large pools have a filtration system, the city’s wading pools did not, making them a potential breeding ground for bacteria.

Unwilling to spend the $4 million needed to upgrade the wading pools to meet new sanitary regulations, the city park officials made plans to close all 26. They faced immediate backlash, especially in Oak Cliff, where city councilwoman Laura Miller made a valiant effort to keep Arcadia Park’s pool open, going as far as to sit in a dunk-tank to raise funds for its continued operation. Despite raising more than $100,000, t wading pool eventually was forced to close.

Oak Cliff residents began swimming in the lake at Kidd Springs Park in 1911, but the city pool opened in 1959.

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr. , Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillp rep . o rg 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.

HOW INTEGRATION SHAPED THE MODERN SWIMMING POOL ERA IN DALLAS

1945 saw the modern era of public swimming pools emerge and progress during a time of desegregation and accompanying unrest.

Swimming pools became a flashpoint for racial contention, notes professor Jeff Wiltse in his book, “Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America.”

“Racist assumptions that black Americans were more likely to be infected with communicable illness,” inflamed opposition to racial integration, Wiltse wrote.

Also, gender mixing at pools was relatively new, and white swimmers objected “to black men interacting with white women at such visually and physically intimate spaces,” he adds.

“In my book, I have pictures of black Americans who lie still on the ground with bloody heads from being pummeled, just for trying to access a swimming pool,” Wiltse said in an NPR radio interview.

Park director L.B. Houston and members of the Dallas park board in the mid-20th Century understood the perils of integrating pools.

“We could see the time when racially mixed swimming would be with us,” Houston says in a 1973 oral history, provided by the Dallas Municipal Archives. “We had the feeling that the very last thing that white people would tolerate would be mixed swimming. We thought it would be dangerous, you know, perhaps mob violence.”

In Dallas, no written rule of racial segregation at park property existed. Rather, segregation was socially enforced, according to the Dallas Park and Recreation Department’s centennial history. “Black citizens risked harassment or worse for using white facilities.”

In addition to Kidd Springs, a couple of large municipal pools served Dallas swim-

mers in the early 1900s.

South Dallas’ Exline Park, named for Marcus Page Exline, a Dallasite who founded the M.P. Exline Printing Co., offered a park and junior pool for black residents beginning in the 1920s. A community pool was built there in the 50s.

Imbalance in amenities grew increasingly evident over the years.

A 1944 Dallas Morning News article reported that the city offered 60 acres of park for its 60,000 black residents. In contrast, 5,000 acres were reserved for its 320,000 white citizens.

Compared to other southern cities, Dallas managed to make a relatively peaceful transition to integrated pools, according to city archivist John Slate, who co-wrote a paper with current Dallas park director Willis Winters about the desegregation of Dallas parks.

In their essay, “A means to a peaceful transition,” Slate and Winters credit former

Dallas park director L.B. Houston with leading “a quiet revolution that was a bright spot in an otherwise tumultuous time in the city’s relationship with its black citizens.”

Park board members Ray Hubbard and Julius Schepps worked closely with Houston, according to Slate, “within the confines of institutionalized segregation to encourage the peaceful transition to an integrated park system.”

Houston explained in his oral history how he and the board devised a new public-swimming program while gradually integrating.

They developed a grid system of communities, both black and white, with a swimming pool at the middle of each. These smaller pools would progressively replace the existing large municipal swimming facilities.

The idea was directly tied to equal rights and desegregation.

“Houston surmised that providing more

Children swim in the Exline Park pool during segregation. (Photo courtesy of the Dallas History & Archives Division, Dallas Public Library)

pools in more neighborhoods would distribute them more equitably throughout Dallas while reducing the chances of confrontation,” note Slate and Winters.

Houston began keeping close track of the racial makeup of Dallas neighborhoods relying on employees who lived in transforming neighborhoods for information. He plotted data about racial trends and attitudes on a map hung in his office, which he used to make desegregation decisions.

“I never will forget the day [Schepps] called me and said, ‘L.B. are we ready to mix?’ By that time I think we had six or maybe nine pools. I told him my opinion that some could and others, doubtful,” Houston said in his oral history.

When it became clear a neighborhood was nearing a black-majority population, the local park was closed for a month and reopened as a “black” park. “By that time, most whites had moved on, and the

park had been peacefully transitioned,” according to Houston’s oral history.

“This method was used successfully for both Lagow and Exline parks, which served neighborhoods that had seen some of the most violent responses to integrated housing in Dallas’ history,” according to Slate and Winters. Exline, for example, was the site of racially motivated bombings in the 1950s.

That strategy was employed around the city, arguably resulting ultimately in equal amenities for black citizens.

Years later Houston would have to defend the park department’s seeming silence on issues of integration.

A trade magazine called “Amusement Business” noted in 1961 that Dallas desegregated parks, golf courses and other recreational facilities but explicitly left public pools out of their agreement with civil rights leaders.

Houston defended his board’s methods, which, he pointed out, was supported by the Negro Chamber of Commerce and other local black groups.

“You were doing everything you could to prevent open rebellion. Because we were living on a powder keg. And when and if a revolt had ever been precipitated well, gosh, no telling where you would have ended up.”

Was it right to perpetuate socially segregated facilities? “No,” write Slate and Winters in their paper. “However, as agents of change from the inside they realized that whatever they could do from their positions would benefit a larger movement, and that anything that could prevent violent confrontation was better than the alternative.”

— Christina Hughes Babb

In the summer of 2010, a story from Shreveport, La., horrified the region. Six black teenagers, dead. Five went in after their friend who was drowning in the Red River’s shallow rough waters. A crowd stood nearby, helpless. Like their children, the adults could not swim. Black American children drown at a rate almost three times higher than white children, according to the USA Swimming Foundation. Swimming officials stress the key indicator is not race, but family — children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at risk of drowning. Every summer for the past five years the YMCA of Dallas has taught minority children — 60 percent of whom cannot swim, they say — basic water safety skills through its Urban Swim Initiative. A component of the Urban Swim initiative is the Make

a Splash program, which brings swimming lessons to neighborhood apartment complexes. In 2011 the effort resulted in 1,900 children in 27 apartment communities learning to swim. The next year, certified YMCA instructors taught twice as many. “Safety in and around water is an important issue for all children, but studies show that there are a disproportionate number of drownings among minority children,” YMCA President Gordon Echtenkamp said in 2012. “The Y established Urban Swim to focus on decreasing the number of swim-related fatalities in minority communities by providing swim lessons to children at no cost.” The Y also runs the Urban Swim Academy to “increase the number of minority youth that are certified as lifeguards and trained to save lives in pools, lakes and waterfronts.”

“We had the feeling that the very last thing that white people would tolerate would be mixed swimming. We thought it would be dangerous, you know, perhaps mob violence.”

LATE NIGHT EATS

A Waffle House restaurant is expected to open in the 3700 block of West Illinois, near Coombs Creek as soon as this month. The Georgia-based chain of greasy spoons has about 18 new stores coming to the Dallas area this year. The new Oak Cliff store, along with the recently opened one on Ross at Garrett in East Dallas, indicate a new strategy with Waffle House locations, which typically have been placed on busy interstate highways.

MORE RESTAURANT NEWS

Cultivar, a high-end coffee shop, is now open at Jefferson Tower.

A specialty cheese shop is planned for the corner of West Davis at Edgefield, in the building that houses the Book Doctor and Bouchon 1314. The shop is called Cheese and Chutney, and it is expected to open soon.

Kessler Pie Co., which Armida Ortega started out of her Kessler Plaza home last year, is opening a storefront at 416 N. Tyler. The storefront could open as soon as next month.

Oak Cliff native Luis Olvera, recently opened a taquería, Trompo, in the 800 block of Singleton.

FORT WORTH AVENUE DEVELOPMENT

Lincoln Property Co. recently purchased the site of the former Colorado Place apartment complex on Fort Worth Avenue, according to Dallas County property records. The 18-acre site, between Colorado and Parkcrest, has been vacant since 2009 when 1940s apartments were demolished there. The property passed through several owners until Cienda Partners bought it in 2014. Earlier this year, Cienda also purchased the adjacent Gator Wash carwash, which was included in the sale to Lincoln. Lincoln has developed at least three urban apartment complexes in Dallas, pictured above. Jeff Courtwright of Lincoln did not responded to messages seeking comment.

NEW ’DO

Craft & Co. salon opened recently at Sylvan Thirty. The salon from Garrett Lemmons and Daren Brimberry, who also own Muse the Salon on North Henderson, will be managed by Lisa Robertson of Oak Cliff.

A new taquería called Pokito’s is taking the space formerly occupied by Los Torres on Clarendon at Edgefield.

Waffle House on West Illinois.

“You can trust my advice to refinance.”

its not time, I’ll tell you no.

PEOPLE

Oak Cliff-raised artist Lucretia Donnell Coke, who was a protégé of pastel master Frank Reaugh, died recently at her daughter’s Austin home. She was 99. Coke’s mother had been a student of Reaugh, and he discovered Coke’s natural talent when she was 6 years old. Coke and her mother and brother traveled for 10 summers to wild West Texas with Reaugh on his legendary en plein air painting trips. Near the end of Reaugh’s life, she wrote out in longhand his life story, as he told it to her.

EDUCATION

Four Sunset High School seniors won full-tuition dance scholarships to the University of Texas-of the Permian Basin in Odessa. The students, Diego Campuzano, Eduardo Quinones, Mariya Cano and Verenice Uribe, won the scholarships for folklorico dance, a style that celebrates Mexican heritage and culture.

NONPROFITS

Someone stole newly planted rose bushes from Lake Cliff Park in April. Now the Friends of Oak Cliff Parks, who paid for and planted the roses, want to buy nightvision surveillance cameras to prevent future flower thievery. Anyone can donate to the effort at friendsofoakcliffparks.org. And if you see someone stealing plants from any Dallas park, call 911.

CITY HALL

The City of Dallas will help you prepare for the upcoming mosquito season with free mosquito dunks. These traps attract mosquitoes, which lay their eggs in standing water. The active ingredient, bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, kills the larvae, but the traps do not kill beneficial insects. The city is giving away the dunks while supplies last at 3112 Canton, suite 100, and 7901 Goforth, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Bring proof of residency, such as a utility bill.

THE CASE FOR COMMUNION

RELIGIOUS OR NOT, A RITUAL CAN MAKE US FEEL CONNECTED

One of the saddest losses of those who have given up on the church is the loss of communion. Forget the sermons, forget the committees, and forget Sunday school. To have lost communion — that simple, sacred, mysterious moment of taking bread and wine, of being connected to something that bridges heaven and earth and binds humans as brothers and sisters now that is something to lament.

Of course, if you believe nothing is sacred, then you likely think nothing is lost. But if you believe that there is something

WORSHIP

BAPTIST

CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / 214.942.8601

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

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

GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST MULTI-CULTURAL CHURCH

mysterious and sacramental in the stuff of everyday life — in the blue bonnets, in the unexpected sunset of indescribable colors, in the cry of a newborn — then to have lost communion is to have lost one of the most beautiful and reverent moments this life can give.

Communion is an act of beholding the mystery that creation is enough to hold the life of God. Just as God appeared in the burning bush to Moses and as a baby in Bethlehem, in the Eucharist, God chooses to become known in ordinary elements. These earthy items point to a sacramental world. Farmers, vinedressers, and bakers spend their labor in what becomes a holy activity, thus making their actions holy as well. Fields and vineyards and kitchens are as blessed as any cathedral.

Sunday Worship: English Service 9:30 am / Spanish Service 11:00 am 831 W. Tenth St. / 214.948.7587 / gracetempledallas.org

CATHOLIC

DALLAS MINISTRY CONFERENCE / udallas.edu/dmc / Sept. 29 - Oct. 1

Sponsored by the University of Dallas & the Catholic Diocese of Dallas

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

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

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

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

OAK CLIFF CHRISTIAN CHURCH / Celebrating 125 Years

Fellowship 9:30 am / Sunday School 9:45 am / Worship 11:00 am 660 S. Zang / occch.org / 214.376.4375

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

Barbara Brown Taylor said, “By the power of our beliefs, we choose what kind of world we will live in — a porous world, full of glory doors leaking light, or a flat world where everything is as it seems.”

Communion is more than beholding. Communion is also belonging. Brian Zahnd said that the Eucharist “teaches us how to belong to God’s good world a world that is more sacred than we ever dreamed.” Flesh and blood connect with simple elements made from the same dust. Broken bread reminds us of Christ’s broken body, and our own brokenness, but somehow we experience wholeness when we receive together. That’s found only in community, not as solo flyers of faith.

On a recent beautiful Saturday morning, I performed a wedding at the Arboretum. The couple exchanged vows and rings, and then turned with me to a nearby table where bread and wine were waiting. I reminded them that they would never be alone. Christ would be with them, in living Presence, and through the Body of Christ, the church. Surrounded by budding flowers and singing birds, who can say where the sacrament began and ended?

In Water to Wine, Zahnd offers a beautiful poem on the sacramental nature of life called “Belong.”

Let Christ inform all of life

Don’t be a religious cliché

Be a real human being

Belong to the human race

Belong to the woods

Belong to the city

Go for long walks…

Laugh more than you do

Weep now and then…

Pray

Eat a peach

Do something ridiculous

Go dancing…

Talk to your neighbor

Not about religion

Go to church

Go to the circus

Don’t confuse them

Be human

Belong

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.

“Communion is an act of beholding the mystery that creation is enough to hold the life of God.”

Earth Day

Oak Cliff Earth Day, which held its 10th-annual celebration at Lake Cliff Park in April, presented its first “Earthie Awards.” The awards went to, from left, David Spence of Good Space, Friends of Oak Cliff Parks and Annmarie Bristow.

AC & HEAT

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

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

Family Owned & Operated

Serving the Dallas area for over 30 years

We r a

972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

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.jdtreeser vice.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. WindsorMaidSer vices.com 214-381-MAID (6243)

CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp.

Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133

TWO SISTERS & A MOP

Move in/Out. Reliable/Dependable 20 Yrs Exp. 214-283-9732

twosistersamopmaidser vice.com

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonr y 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.)

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

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

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

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333

TECL 31347 Lighting and Electrical Ser vices

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

Tip:

FLOORING & CARPETING Willeford

har dwood floors

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

FOUNDATION REPAIR

OPTIMUM FOUNDATION SERVICES

Reliable, cost-effective foundation repair

We are dedicated foundation specialists who bring customized solutions. Free estimates and transferable warranties. Contact us for an easy, no-obligation consultation. 214-500-0351 Info@optimumfoundationser vices.com

1. Skim the pools surface by hand and clean out strainer baskets each week.

2. Vacuum and brush the walls and tile once a week to minimize algae buildup.

3. Check the water level weekly.

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

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

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

Your Home Repair Specialists

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

HOUSE PAINTING

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

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

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC

Complete Kitchen And Bath Remodels. Tile, Granite, Marble, Travertine, Slate. Insured. 214-563-5035

www.blake-construction.com

LocalWorks.advocatemag.com

LocalWorks.advocatemag.com

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

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

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

Northlake Fence and Deck

Locally owned and operated by the Mccaffrey family since1980

214-349-9132

www.northlakefence.com

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

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

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

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Ser vice 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 Ser vice Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It — We do it. Tommy Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

The secret to keeping a pristine pool is routine care.

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

LIGHT IT UP DALLAS

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

LSI LAWN SPRINKLERS “Making Water Work”

Irrigation system Service & Repair. Specializing In Older Copper Systems. LI #13715. 214-283-4673

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

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

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

JUNE SPECIAL

$625 OFF 4 man crew/ALL DAY

rees

Call Mark Wittlich 214-332-3444

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Firewood/Cooking Wood

Locally harvested 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

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

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

PLUMBING

214-328-7371

MetroFlowPlumbing.com

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

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

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

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As To Children

Cliff Temple Child Development Center admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to children at the Center.

Cliff Temple Child Development Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and other Center administered programs.

True crime: A deadly Oak Cliff weekend

Two Oak Cliff neighbors were shot and killed in separate incidents within blocks of each other over two days in May. Police responded to a call Friday, May 6, and found 48-year-old Ana Ramos Pacheco dead from a gunshot wound at 2510 W. Brooklyn. No suspect has been identified in that case. The following day, a man was shot and killed a few blocks away in the 2400 block of Grafton. In that case, police say 25-year-old Jose Matilde Reyes shot and killed an unidentified man after a fight. The Dallas Police Department also reported a third homicide at 1:45 p.m. Friday, May 6, in West Dallas, in the 2800 block of Guymon. Altogether, there were three murders in Dallas on one Friday alone; a third occurred in Far North Dallas. The murder rate in Dallas is on an upswing, having nearly doubled since last year. Overall violent crime is up about 30 percent over last year.

citizens group Safer Better Dallas wants to raise to buy ‘less-lethal’ firearms for the Dallas Police Department

40

-millimeter sponge guns are designed to stop someone in their tracks without breaking the skin. Instead, the ammo expands on impact, causing pain and incapacitating a suspect

$19 million Better Safer Dallas has raised for DPD equipment and programs to date

ON JEFFERSON BLVD.

ONLY ON JEFFERSON

The Texas Theatre celebrated its 85th anniversary April 21. Festivities included the cracking of a safe supposedly once owned by Howard Hughes. Artist Bryan Campbell, channeling 1980s Geraldo Rivera, emceed the event, which was streamed online. Much like the anticlimactic ending to Rivera’s 1986

opening of Al Capone’s vault, the safe at Texas Theatre was empty. At the end of his performance, Campbell was struck by a folding chair, a staged event reminiscent of Rivera having had his nose broken by a thrown chair during a 1988 brawl on Rivera’s talk show.

(Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

NATURAL DISASTERS

THE THREE BIGGEST STORMS TO EVER HIT OAK CLIFF

Two deadly twisters and a devastating flood damaged our neighborhood in the 20th century. Nothing like that has hit Oak Cliff since. Take a look at the natural disasters that terrorized Oak Cliff.

THE 1908 FLOOD

May of 1908 was rainy from Montana to Mexico. Floods hit Kansas and Oklahoma that spring, and when April came, the Trinity River flooded.

But that was just a prelude. It rained 15 inches on May 25, 1908. And the next day, the river crested at 52.6 feet, a record that remains today.

The flood killed five people and left 5,000 people homeless out of a total population around 90,000. The total cost of the destruction reached about $2.5 million, which would be almost $65 million in today’s dollars.

In West Dallas, “…scores of families with scarcely more than their night clothing upon their bodies perched upon the roofs of their submerged houses, patiently waiting through the long hours of Monday morning for rescuing parties,” a newspaper reported at the time. From the rooftops, they could see looters at the edges of the floodwater stealing their “pigs, chickens, ducks and pet dogs.”

Most of the city was without power and water. Sewers were overflowing. Fires broke out. Trains couldn’t run. West Dallas, Downtown and the McKinney Avenue area were under water for days. But in West Dallas, the destruction and devastation to one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods was overwhelming.

The magnitude of the flood brought to light how poorly planned the city was.

Three years later, the city adopted a master plan known as the Kessler Plan, some of which was implemented

over the following 10 years, to include levees, street improvements and rail facilities. The original east and west levees were built in 1928.

THE 1933 TORNADO

Sunday afternoon, July 30, 1933, was warm and windy.

Eyewitness W.O. Reed of 2726 Ivandell told a newspaper reporter that he didn’t see a funnel cloud. He said storm clouds were black and swirling with a terrible roar.

The tornado that day hit at South Hampton and the old Santa Fe Railroad line, near what is now Wright Street, and cut a path about 30 feet wide and about 2-miles long through Oak Cliff and Cement City.

It destroyed about 30 houses and damaged another 45. Hitting without warning, in the days before tornado sirens and weather radar, it also killed four people and seriously injured another 30.

The first home hit, at 1536 S.

Top: The roof of the Kessler Theater, on West Davis at Clinton, caved in during the 1957 tornado. (Photo courtesy of the Dallas Firefighters Museum) Above: The 1957 tornado winds its way through Dallas. (Photo courtesy of the NOAA photo library)

Hampton, belonged to the Searcy family. Onetime Sunset High School football star I.G. Searcy, 22, was killed after running to the home’s second story to rescue his ailing mother. The house collapsed on them. The son was killed immediately, and the mother died three days later at the hospital. A nearby street is now named Searcy Drive.

Other casualties were a 70-yearold man who died of a heart attack during the storm and an 86-year-old woman on West Brooklyn whose house collapsed on her.

The tornado caused a number of oddities. For example, it lifted one house off its foundation and placed it in the middle of Twelfth Street virtually undamaged. It lifted a piano out of a house and left it standing upright in someone’s front yard. It pulled a man out of his house and onto the lawn; he survived with minor cuts and bruises.

In all, the tornado left about $500,000 in damage and left a scar on the neighborhood for years to come.

THE 1957 TORNADO

“Death rides over Oak Cliff” was the headline with a standalone photo, by Dallas Morning News photographer Joe Laird, of the twister that hit our neighborhood the afternoon of Tuesday,

April 2, 1957.

It was the deadliest tornado in Dallas’ history, killing 10 people, including three children from one family. It also injured 200 people and caused about $4 million in damages (about $33.9 million in 2016 dollars).

It started at South Polk Street and streaked through Winnetka Heights and West Dallas. It traveled 16 miles in about 40 minutes.

“At the time it was one of the most photographed tornadoes,” says Dallas historian Mark Doty.

Photographs of the tornado helped lead research in understanding and forecasting tornados, he says.

About 125 people photographed the slow-moving tornado, and others captured video footage.

Old theories held that debris from a tornado was sucked into the funnel and spit out the top. Photos from the ’57 twister disproved that, showing that things were lifted off the ground along the edges of the cyclone.

Evidence from the tornado contributed to the formation of the Fujita-Pearson Scale, which measures the intensity of tornadoes, beginning in 1971. The Oak Cliff tornado retrospectively was rated an F-3.

—Rachel Stone

The slow-moving 1957 tornado in Dallas was one of the most-photographed twisters up to that time. Photos and videos from the storm helped scientist answer questions about tornadoes and aided in measures to predict and measure the storms. (Photo courtesy of the NOAA photo library)