2015 July Oak Cliff

EASY RIDER

INSIDE THE (NOT SO) WILD LIVES OF BIKERS

Photo of Annette Jenson by Danny Fulgencio

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

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

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NO BAD SEEDS

Successful growth can happen, even against all odds

The pastor was talking about a familiar parable the other day. I know some of you aren’t big Bible fans, but this particular story is worth some thought regardless of your religious persuasion.

So it seems there was a guy with seeds who decided his planting technique was pretty much to let it fly. He grabbed a handful, whipped it into the wind and let the seeds fall where they may. And then he grabbed another handful of seeds and continued throwing and grabbing until his seed bag was empty.

As with all types of planting, nothing happened at first — a good farmer is patient beyond all good sense. And not surprisingly with this haphazard technique, the seeds fell in places that weren’t necessarily conducive to healthy plant growth.

Some of the seeds fell in random spots such as well-beaten trails, and birds turned many of those seeds into afternoon lunch.

Some of the seeds fell on stony ground; without much dirt, the seeds sprouted but their roots couldn’t grow deeply, and the hot sun fried many that had grown.

Some of the seeds fell among weeds and thorns, so as the seeds grew, the weeds grew even faster, choking out what the sower had planted.

And some of the seeds fell on good soil, and that ideal growing condition yielded great crops and lots of return for the sower.

The question the pastor asked that day was simple: Why the random planting technique, knowing full well that a good portion of the seeds weren’t getting a good start in life? Why not carefully plant each seed in good dirt, ensuring a better chance of growth and success?

His conclusion (or at least my interpretation of his conclusion): The sower’s job is simply to spread the seeds, mindless of where they land, because even though the odds aren’t great for seeds that land on trails, stones or among weeds, the odds of successful growth aren’t zero, either. And, just maybe, the seeds that had to fight their way to growth may wind up heartier and produce more than the seeds that found their way onto easy street.

That was an interpretation I hadn’t considered, but it made sense. Not every seed carefully planted in good soil lives, either, so why should all of the attention go to those seeds already getting a head start in life?

The same can be said of our neighborhood, too. There are good and, shall we say, less good spots in and around us, but we aren’t called upon to decide which of our neighbors succeeds or fails. Our job, as neighbors, is to do our best to encourage success in all quarters, because just as a rising tide lifts all boats, open-minded service to our city gives all of us the best chance to benefit.

It’s frustrating, though. Look at who voted, or mostly who didn’t, in the recent city council elections: More than 9 out of 10 of us decided voting wasn’t worth the trouble. I’ve seen a few explanatory theories advanced, but the best came from a reader who suggested that too many of us have decided that no matter what we do, government and politics will continue to smother us with idiocy, greed and whining.

So why do anything?

Suppose the sower in the parable had taken that approach, giving up before he started and deciding not to plant anything?

If nothing is ever planted, at some point, nothing grows.

That doesn’t seem like a good way to begin celebrating a holiday that encourages individual freedom and celebrates those who sowed seed for us in the past.

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DIGITAL DIGEST

WHAT YOU’RE MISSING

Five-story buildings, new apartments coming to Bishop Arts

Two more Bishops Arts developments in the works

Photos: A commuter’s perspective on Sylvan Avenue traffic

Developers tear down 100-year-old building at Oak Farms site

This map shows property owners in the proposed Alamo Manhattan project

READER COMMENTS

Is the Bishop Arts Gateway the ‘wrong kind of density’ for Oak Cliff?

“We still have potholes and areas of Kidd Springs park fenced off because the city has infrastructure financing problems. How can these developments pay for the badly needed repairs while being granted millions in tax breaks?”

—Andrew Hudson

“The design might be flawed, but it is absolutely not the wrong kind of density. Anyone who thinks the new Dallas Streetcar and recent zoning change would not attract thousands of apartment units along the line is either not paying attention or not very smart.” —lakewoodhobo

“The last thing that Oak Cliff residents want is to be transformed into the West Village, with its traffic, parking, gentrification and overall higher prices. However, the outside developers coming in, and the City staff encouraging and supporting them, have the West Village-ization of Oak Cliff as their goal. The same process occurring in Bishop Arts and the Gateway areas is also underway in the Wynnewood section.” —grannybunny

Farming for therapy, education

Eat The Yard’s mission to help vets is expanding

The farming dreams of Steve Smith and James Jeffers started in their own Oak Cliff front yards. The U.S. Army veterans started Eat The Yard after planting vegetable gardens for their own organic diets.

The nonprofit company now grows organic veggies and flowers for some of the city’s best restaurants, including Bolsa, and it recaptures compost from those restaurants to help them grow more good stuff.

But the dream is bigger than that. Eat The Yard aims to create a sustainable farm where military veterans can live and work. And they’re making plans for a sustainable demonstration farm on what currently is a parking lot near the Dallas Farmers Market.

James Jeffers and Steve Smith: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

A farm for veterans

Eat The Yard recently relocated their operation from Oak Cliff to a 17-acre farm in DeSoto. They took it over from missionaries who had let the fields go to seed and the aquaponics systems fall into disrepair. It is a lot of work, but they have a handle on it.

The tilapia they raise provide fertilizer for the fields. The chickens scratch at compost piles to turn it. The hogs turn up the land to prepare it for future planting. They know what they’re doing, and they didn’t need an agriculture degree from Texas A&M University to figure it out.

“We just watch YouTube videos,” Smith says.

It’s funny, but it’s true. They also read as much as they can about farming and attend conferences to learn tricks of the trade.

Smith and Jeffers went through basic training at Fort Hood together and became reacquainted years later in Iraq. They stayed in touch after each was medically discharged — Smith following a terrible Humvee accident and Jeffers following severe combat injuries.

Adjusting to civilian life is one of the toughest parts of leaving the military, they say. An estimated 22 military veterans commit suicide every day. Smith and Jeffers say that upon their return to civilian life, they needed to do something to survive, to find the new normal, and it had to be something meaningful.

“You’ll rarely find anything in the civilian world that would push you that hard,” Jeffers says.

First they used their construction skills to flip houses, but then the real estate market soured.

Smith started planting vegetables in his front yard after taking on an all-organic diet. Vaccinations against anthrax attacks had left both men with digestive trouble. So Jeffers started growing, too. At first, they thought they might start a landscaping business installing edible gardens.

But once they started turning dirt, pulling weeds and watching things grow, they realized how profoundly therapeutic gardening can be.

After losing two friends to suicide, they went all in on Eat The Yard. Smith still owns and operates his foundation repair busi-

ness fulltime and works for Eat The Yard about two hours a day. Jeffers works fulltime for the nonprofit.

They so far haven’t been able to pay a staff, but they have about a dozen volunteers, most of them vets.

Doing farm work is meditative, Jeffers says. It’s a distraction from what’s going on inside a person’s head. Once veterans start doing mundane farming tasks such as pulling weeds, they start talking about their trauma, and they don’t even realize it.

“Farming is the fun part,” Jeffers says. “It’s healing.”

A farm for the city

Eat The Farm is working on a plan with the City of Dallas to turn a 2-acre parking lot near the Dallas Farmers Market into a demonstration farm. The farm would produce food to sell at the market. But it also would provide an agricultural education for schoolchildren and anyone who wants to learn about growing food.

This dream farm includes everything needed for a sustainable organic mini farm. Tilapia tanks, chickens, a hydroponic greenhouse and raised beds among them. But they also want to provide spaces for learning, including classrooms and kitchens, and they plan to make the buildings themselves out of recycled shipping containers.

The city is donating the land, but they think it will cost about $1.5 million to create.

—Rachel Stone MORE INFO

Donate to their effort or learn how to volunteer on their farm at eattheyard.net.

©2015 Equal Housing Opportunity An Ebby Halliday Company

Out & About

July 14

Bastille on Bishop

Our neighborhood’s celebration of all things French starts at 6 p.m. Sip wine, taste crepes and mussels, play petanque on a freshly poured court and tell your neighbors “joyeux quatorze juillet.” The event is free to enter, but a $25 ticket buys a wineglass and two tokens, which can be redeemed for wine or food.

Bishop Arts District, Bishop and Seventh, gooakcliff.org, $25

JULY 1

Keep jazz alive

Dallas-based jazz bassist Barri Pearson walks kids and adults through the history and theory of jazz music in a presentation, part of the Mayor’s Summer Reading Program, starting at 11 a.m. North Oak Cliff Library, 302 W. 10th, 214.670.7555, dallaslibrary.org, free

JULY 2

Sausage making

See how the sausage is made, literally, in this hands-on class with Urban Acres chef Melissa Wagner. The class includes instruction on breaking down and grinding meat, seasoning and recipes. Each student takes home two pounds of sausage. Urban Acres, 1605 N. Beckley, 972-3490209, uafarmstead.com, $75

JULY 7

‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff brings this Frank Capra-directed classic to the big screen as part of its social justice film series. The show starts at 7 p.m.

UUCOC, 3839 W. Kiest, 214.337.2429, firsttuesdayfilms.org, free

JULY 17

Party Static

Super-fun party rockers Party Static perform a free show starting at 9 p.m., with Sea Lion opening. The Foundry, 2303 Pittman, 214.749.1112, cs-tf.com, free

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Barefoot at the Belmont: Photo courtesy of kxt.org

July 4

Singapore Slingers

Get into the old-time spirit with an evening of patriotic music from the Singapore Slingers, who specialize in pre-swing-era American dance music. The 18-piece orchestra, led by Matt Tolentino, goes on at 8:30 p.m. The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $20-

$28

JULY 19

Natural dyes

An introduction to natural dyes includes instruction on using avocado pits, hibiscus flowers and black beans to produce a range of colors for dyeing fabric.

Oil and Cotton, 817 W. Davis, 214.942.0474, oilandcotton.com, $65

JULY 30

Barefoot at the Belmont

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. July 15 for Tor Miller and Holly Miranda. Belmont Hotel, 901 Fort Worth Ave., kxt.org, $30

2 Look on the right side of the map to determine your “Brush Week”

3 Click on the link “More info on Brush and Bulky Trash”

4 Choose the Calendar which matches your “Brush Week” number

5

Singapore Slingers: Photo by Kim Leeson

URBAN ACRES

1605 N. Beckley at Greenbriar 214.466.1260

urbanacresfarmstead.com

Urban

Acres CEO Joe Chou gave up the corporate life for a big pay cut and a job he loves. The mission of Urban Acres to buy from local organic farmers to offer the cleanest food possible is what motivates him. “We’re doing something really good for the farmers,” Chou says. “They’re the true heroes. Their job is really hard, and it yields low profit margins. They’ve sacrificed everything. I don’t know how they do it.” Urban Acres, which moved to its space on Beckley about a year and a half ago, offers a produce-share service and a market, selling a selection of grass-fed beef, local organic produce and a curated selection of other groceries. Urban Acres also is a restaurant, serving a small menu of breakfast and lunch dishes, and it’s working on an all-day brunch menu. Every Friday, pizza is offered from 4-8 p.m. And twice a month, they sell 24 tickets at $85-$105 a pop to a farmstead dinner with chef Melissa Wagner and at least two farmers in attendance.

—Rachel Stone

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com

AMBIANCE: CAFE AND MARKET

PRICE RANGE: $12-$15

HOURS: 8 A.M.- 2 P.M. TUESDAY-FRIDAY; 4-8 P.M. FRIDAY FOR PIZZA ONLY, 8 A.M.-3 P.M. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

DID YOU KNOW?

MELT ICE CREAMS, WHICH HAS A SHOP IN FORT WORTH, IS PLANNING TO OPEN A MINI SHOP INSIDE URBAN ACRES THIS SUMMER.

Farmstead salad, meatloaf burger and turkey ranch dip from Urban Acres: Photo by Kathy Tran

Best Bar IN OAK CLIFF

And the winner is …

Nova

It’s our neighborhood’s version of the “Cheers” bar. Where everybody knows your name.

Except instead of chintzy pitchers of beer and sass from Carla, our version has craft beer, decent wine and sass from J.D.

It’s appropriate that neighbors voted Nova their favorite bar in Oak Cliff, considering the restaurant and neighborhood hangout marks its fifth year in business on West

Davis at Windomere this month.

While nearby Bolsa does killer business from bridge crossers as well as neighbors, Nova feels more like a locals only place.

The menu changes about four times a year. Their new burger has pimento cheese, bacon and pickled green tomatoes. New entrees include a grilled Mishima strip steak and Texas wild boar chops. But favorites including the brick-oven pizzas and roasted cauliflower are always on the menu.

And by the way, we were just kidding about J.D. being sassy. He’s more likely to give a hug or a pat on the back, but if you’re a Nova regular, he probably does know your name.

Runner-up: Oak Cliff Social Club

Third place: Tradewinds

NEXT UP FOR ADVOCATE’S 2015 BEST OF CONTEST: Best Place for Kids. Vote for your favorite at oakcliff.advocatemag.com/bestof2015

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Tours

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Photo courtesy of Nova

It’s a girl! On Friday, April 17th, a giraffe calf was born at Fossil Rim. Visit our 1800-acre preserve for a chance to see the new calf with the rest of the herd.

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SUMMER SIPPING

A backyard summer barbecue is the perfect place to sip on a refreshingly fizzy homemade soda. Although this fruity drink is called Italian cream soda, it was originally created in the United States, flavored with well-known Italian syrups. This recipe gives the option to make your own syrups from scratch, which provides endless flavor possibilities for a quick and easy summer drink.

GROCERY LIST

2-3 tablespoons homemade blueberry or strawberry simple syrup

½ cup sparkling water

1 tablespoon half-and-half

SIMPLE SYRUP RECIPE

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 cup fresh strawberries or 1 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.

Once sugar has dissolved, add fresh fruit and boil for 10 minutes or until syrup thickens.

Strain the mixture to remove fruit, and keep the juice.

Allow the simple syrup to cool completely before using.

Add 2-3 tablespoon of simple syrup to a glass filled with ice.

Pour sparkling water on top of the simple syrup until the glass is almost full.

Top off the soda with a splash of halfand-half.

Stir to combine, and enjoy immediately.

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.

Story by RACHEL STONE • Photos by DANNY FULGENCIO

MOTO CLIFF

YOU MEET THE NICEST PEOPLE ON A MOTORCYCLE

WHEN A BIKER THROWS A LEG over the saddle and hits the starter, the sound of that motor revving up is like a choir of angels. Freedom, joy, love — all the good stuff in life — can be found from atop two wheels. Whatever troubles you, a long ride on an empty road can help. There’s nothing a trip on a rumbling bike can’t make better. At least, those are the prevailing feelings that draw our neighborhood’s motorcycle community together. Since the shootout in Waco, bikers are feeling more misunderstood than ever. Even though violent biker gangs exist, the vast majority of people who ride motorcycles are not part of one. Don’t let the leather chaps and tough looks fool you. These are professionals, parents, community volunteers and all-around nice people… who sometimes hang out at biker bars.

MOTO CLIFF

Opening spread: “Chopper Bill” has been riding his 1967 Triumph for over 35 years. This page: Ben D’Avanza is a commercial photographer who likes to wrench on motorcycles for fun. Opposite page: Greg and Jeanne Barham host bike night at their house at least once a year.

BIKE NIGHT

People start rolling in on their bikes around 7 p.m., and there are all kinds. Vintage Triumphs, Ducatis, Kawasakis, adventure bikes, scooters, even a bicycle.

“Bike night is open to everybody,” says Greg Barham, standing in his front lawn on Tyler.

By sunset, at least 40 bikes are lining both sides of Barham’s front yard. Dallas Bike Night started a few years ago as a way to stay in touch with two wheels and bike friends. As many as 100 bikers meet every Wednesday, usually at a bar or a house party such as the one at Barham’s.

Barham and his wife, Jeanne, have been riding motorcycles for decades, and he has restored several vintage bikes over the years.

The crowd at the party consists mostly of guys, whose ages range from 20s to 60s. But there are a few women too. Once all the bikes are lined up, they wander around the yard in twos and threes to check out one another’s machines.

It’s not just about camaraderie.

The more pals who put their eyes on your bike, the more likely you are to catch potential mechanical failures, says Michael Marshall, one of the founders of bike night. Or you might just learn how to run your bike better.

“It’s a lot of sharing knowledge,” he says.

There is beer and wine at the party, but no one appears over served. They grill hotdogs and talk about work, their kids, their home improvement projects, the real estate market,

The Safari Nights concert series is back. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music, beer and wine on shady Cat Green. Catch the all-new Giants of the Jurassic exhibit and other Zoo animals as the sun goes down. Featuring

and of course, motorcycles.

It’s just like any other party one might find in an Oak Cliff front yard, just with more “vroom.”

“No one here brought their nunchucks,” says bike night regular Annette Jensen.

Another regular is Oak Cliff neighbor Ben D’Avanza, a commercial photographer who pulls up on a 2009 Ducati GT 1000. This is his everyday ride, and he loves it. But he has several more in his home shop, and he has restored many vintage motorcycles for himself and friends over the years.

When he was about 20 years old, he rebuilt a Norton Commando, which was “what you would call a basket case,” D’Avanza says. He built the engine and whole bike in the living room of his bachelor pad in East Dallas. That bike was totaled when a truck hit him, and afterward, he bought and rebuilt a 1968 Triumph TR6, also in his living room, and that is still his favorite one, he says.

Asked why he rides, D’Avanza tries to describe the feeling of being outside on two wheels as opposed to a car. Later, he comes up with a simple explanation for why he loves motorcycles.

“I just really love rebuilding Triumph motors,” he says. “It’s like functional art.”

THE WIZARD

D’Avanza reveals that most of what he’s learned about rebuilding old motors came from a guy they call Chopper Bill.

William Neal was born and reared in Oak Cliff, and he lives with his wife and child in his grandmother’s old house near the Dallas Zoo.

In the late ’70s, he was riding a Honda 200, and all the mechanics at motorcycle shops would make fun of him for it, he says.

“I’d say, ‘but I’m here to buy parts for a Triumph I’m rebuilding,’ ” he says. “Then they were OK with it.”

That was a 1967 Triumph for which he paid $175. It is still his main bike and his favorite. He’s been riding it for over 35 years.

Chopper Bill tells a lot of stories. He says when the bike first was rideable, in 1979, he took it out on the street, even though it hadn’t yet been registered. He stopped at a light in Deep Ellum, and a pretty girl asked him for a ride. He says he later found out she was a pageant queen. As they pulled up

William Neal, known in the biker community as Chopper Bill, is a whiz with the electrical systems of English motorcycles. He was born and raised in Oak Cliff and still lives in his grandmother’s former home near the Dallas Zoo.

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to a light downtown, a police officer rolled up next to them and asked a lot of questions about the bike. As Bill tells it, the cop was so distracted by the unique motorcycle that he didn’t notice its lack of registration.

So on the first time out, he met a pretty girl and avoided a ticket.

“The machine has brought me so much good luck and so much fun over the years,” he says. “It’s a happy machine.”

He’s made many modifications, has rebuilt the engine several times and rebuilt the entire thing about 15 years ago.

“There’s not a part in here I haven’t touched,” he says.

Rebuilding engines is like a puzzle, he says. British-built engines, such as Triumph, particularly appeal to him because he says they are more straightforward than Japanese bikes. Their electrical systems are easy for him to understand, he says. He’s proud of his mechanical skills, and he’s not stingy with them. Chopper Bill has been a mentor to many Dallas bike mechanics and enthusiasts.

ence, he says.

In the imagined scenario where Bill rules the world, everyone would have to ride a motorcycle for two years before they could be allowed to drive a car.

In general, motorcycle riders are more courteous and more attentive, he says. When was the last time you saw a biker littering, eating or texting while driving?

“On a motorcycle, you notice every bottle cap, every little pothole,” he says. “You have to watch the road.”

The roads would be safer if every driver could have that perspective, he says.

BIKER CHIC

Chopper Bill has had his hands in the motor of Annette Jensen’s 1969 Triumph 500. She and friends built it up after her son’s father gave her the front end as a Christmas gift about 20 years ago.

“I found the frame in Chopper Bill’s backyard, and he sold it to me for $75,” she says. “Someone else sold me the motor for $250.”

She pieced it together in the kitchens, living rooms and garages of friends’ houses.

The Triumph wasn’t her first motorcycle. The hairstylist, who owns Sweet 200 in Oak Cliff, first started riding at age 12. Her father

Hair stylist and salon owner Annette Jensen rides her 1969 Triumph 500 on Jefferson Boulevard. She started riding motorcycles at age 12 and has forged very long-lasting friendships from riding and working on motorcycles.

and uncle had bought a 1972 Harley Rapido dirt bike. They told her she could ride it if she could kick start it, and even though she only weighed about 80 pounds at the time, she did. She spent the summer riding that bike around her family’s vast property in Wisconsin, and she was hooked.

She bought a Kawasaki Eliminator when she was 19 and brought it to Dallas after she moved here in the late ’80s.

She later had a 1998 Triumph America, which was too big for her. And now she has a 2006 Ducati Monster, her “baby.”

“It’s fast. It’s easy. It has an electric start,” she says. “Everybody always wants to buy it. It took me about two years to find one.”

She says she “hasn’t laid it down yet,” but wiping out is just part of riding motorcycles, she says.

Even so, it’s worth it.

She has taken long trips on motorcycles, once making a solo trip to camp in Colorado, a liberating and meditative experience, she says. But one doesn’t have to go far to feel far out on a motorcycle.

Sometimes on a “Monday fun day,” she and other biker pals in the service industry take day trips out to, say, Gun Barrel City and Cedar Creek Reservoir.

“Just being 20 miles outside of Dallas, you feel like you’re really in the country,” she says. “It’s such a different experience from being in a car. You can really clear your mind when you’re out there.”

Upon her arrival at bike night, Jensen makes the rounds, hugging and joking with the tough-looking dudes, hipsters and biker chicks, some of whom she has known for 20 years or more. This is what it’s really about.

“These are some of my oldest and best friends,” she says. “These are my people.”

Lewis Jr.,

“IT’S SUCH A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE FROM BEING IN A CAR. YOU CAN REALLY CLEAR YOUR MIND WHEN YOU’RE OUT THERE.”

Player’s ball

Oak Cliff’s gaming culture is thriving thanks to two new shops

Story by Rachel Stone | Photos by Danny Fulgencio

It’s Friday night in Oak Cliff, and the regulars at a little shop on Eighth Street have their game faces on.

This is a weekly ritual for a few Oak Cliff gamers, who spend much of their free time in the back room of Red Pegasus Games and Comics. Coca-Cola or Vitamin Water is their poison, and Magic: The Gathering is their game.

There are high school students and dudes in their 30s with kids and jobs, but a couple of times a week, they are equals at the card table.

Red Pegasus is one of two gaming shops, the other is Oak Cliff Games on Tyler Street, that have taken root in our neighborhood to foster an already vibrant gaming culture here.

Jorge Rangel opened Oak Cliff Games in January because he was tired of driving out of Oak Cliff to find gaming tournaments.

His shop offers Xbox and Wii on two big screens as well as Nintendo systems for a cluster of about six smaller monitors.

Card games are big here too, but this is Yu-Gi-Oh turf. People come from all over the Dallas area to compete in and trade cards for the game based on the anime series of the same name.

Both shops offer card drafts. That’s when a group of players pays into a pool of boxes — Magic: The Gathering cards can cost about $250 for a box of 36 packs. They open all the packs and a player can choose one card and pass the remainder around until all the cards are spoken for. That way, everyone receives a mix of cards and feels he or she has had some choice.

“Most stores don’t do drafts all the time,” says Jacob Sneed of Oak Cliff, who plays Magic at Red Pegasus.

Red Pegasus is more than just the Magic gathering spot, however.

Owners Kenneth Denson and Gabriel Mendez-Denson put on a ton of special events, including, recently, Bat Girl day, celebrating the birthday of Oak Cliff’s own Yvonne Craig.

Saturday mornings are “Pokemon central,” Kenneth Denson says. Tuesday is board game night. Saturday nights are reserved for Cards Against Humanity. Wednesday is for Dungeons and Dragons.

“We get a good turnout for just about every game we do,” Denson says.

Plus, because of their proximity to the school, “we’re the unofficial Adamson after-school program now,” he says.

This page: Kenneth Denson and Gabriel Mendez-Denson opened Red Pegasus Games and Comics last year. Opposite page from top: Red Pegasus offers all kinds of gaming trappings, including dice for various games. The shop also has a wall of comic books and hosts cardgame tournaments. At Oak Cliff Games, customers can play video games on the big screen.

214.331.5139 • www.saintspride.com

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 hands-on 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.

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

Meanwhile at OCG, as the kids call it, a middle schooler is playing “I Wanna Be Sedated” on the Rock Band guitar. Alex Rodriguez, who recently graduated from Sunset High School, and Jose Ayala, who will be a senior at Adamson, are playing Smash Bros.

Xbox games can cost about $60 each, and the shop allows them to play games they don’t have for $5 an hour.

Besides that, there is plenty of room, so they can invite all their friends to OCG instead of crowding them into their bedrooms.

They can host tournaments with their friends, bring in food and be themselves.

Nobody’s mom is shushing them.

The shop closes at 9 p.m., but regulars often stay later to play one more game and one more and one more, Ayala says.

“Sometimes we get everybody to play Rock Band, and it gets really crazy in here,” he says. “We get really into it.”

At Red Pegasus and Oak Cliff Games, customers are free to let their nerd flags fly. The masters of Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh, at their respective hangouts, will teach anyone who wants to play, and some of them will even let the card curious borrow a deck.

Having more and more players is worth it, even though that often means more competition, says longtime Magic player and Red Pegasus regular Pierre Browning.

“I taught him,” he says, pointing to a friend. “And I was even helping him, and then he beat me. That’s OK because we’ll play again.”

Magic: The Gathering players put together their strategies during a Friday-night tournament. 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.

Only in Oak Cliff

Collective heads exploded in Oak Cliff in June after a developer announced plans to build enormous apartment buildings and tear down existing buildings in Bishop Arts.

Developer Alamo Manhattan initially released drawings of imposing five-story buildings taking up whole blocks on West Davis and Seventh streets. The original plans called for 57,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and hundreds of apartments surrounding the future streetcar stop.

The developer walked it back a bit in reaction to neighborhood outrage over plans to demolish buildings including the Local Oak and Ten Bells Tavern. Alamo Manhattan told the Kidd Springs Neighborhood Association that its first focus would be building apartments over retail at Seventh and Zang, where Sonic is now, plus the block that includes Zoli’s and the auto collision place behind it. Development along the other side of Seventh, where Ten Bells and the Local Oak are, would be at least five years in the future, the company’s CEO Ryan Segrest said. Meanwhile, Ten Bells has seven years left on its lease, and the Local Oak has about 13 years left on its lease.

Several neighborhood meetings cropped up in response to the development, including one at Ten Bells, where City Councilman Scott Griggs answered questions.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

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BUSINESS BUZZ

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The Belmont sells

Monte Anderson, who renovated the Belmont Hotel 10 years ago, has sold the 64room hotel to Dallas-based Behringer Lodging Group. Anderson says he will be able to focus on other projects and that the company’s undisclosed price was too good to pass up. Behringer Lodging Group plans to renovate Bar Belmont and the hotel’s guest rooms, but nothing will be demolished. Partner Jeff Burns told The Dallas Morning News that the renovations will be “respectful” to the hotel’s original architect, Charles Dilbeck. The buildings housing Smoke restaurant and the Claire Vista fitness club were included in the sale, and both those businesses will retain their leases.

New homes

David Weekley Homes began preliminary construction recently on 53 new homes on Stevens Forest Drive at Mary Cliff, across the street from the Rosemont Elementary lower campus and backing up to St. Cecilia Catholic Church. The development is called High Grove and consists of 53 “high-density” single-family homes. Planned are 29 three-story homes with 15-foot backyards, 20 two-story homes with central courtyards, and four three-story homes with private front yards. The builder is removing trees from the lot but is saving two 100-year-old oak trees that will be the centerpieces of two common areas. The development also will have a private dog park. Houston-based David Weekley Homes is one of the biggest homebuilders in Texas and recently set its sights on urban areas of Dallas. It also is building 40 new homes in the Cedars and has developments underway in East Dallas, Oak Lawn and just east of Downtown on Live Oak.

Bishop Arts development

Work on the Bishop Arts Village project could start soon. A security fence went up around one city block — Bishop, Ninth, Madison and Melba — signifying the beginning of demolition. The block includes nine single-family homes, one empty lot and a 1970s apartment complex, where asbestos remediation is taking place. The $42-million

project planned for this block includes 200 apartments, one- and two-story retail buildings and a two-story underground parking garage. Developer Exxir Capital will receive $5 million in future tax credits from the city of Dallas. About four years ago, the city kicked in $2 million to help the company buy properties for the project.

Bishop Arts east

The Dallas County Schools Building on Zang at Davis is selling to Charlotte, N.C.based Crescent Communities. Crescent is still making plans on how to redevelop the property and declined to discuss future plans except to say they will be seeking community input. The property is part of the Oak Cliff Gateway; it is currently zoned for up to eight stories with a mix of retail, office, townhouses or apartments.

Local juice

Local Press + Brew, an organic juice bar and coffee shop, opened on Beckley at Greenbriar. Its owners are neighborhood residents Ben Johnson and Tiffany Vance. They make organic juices and nut milks using as much local produce as possible. Specialties include the OC, which has beets, carrots, green apple, orange and turmeric. The shop offers Holy Kombuca and Noble Coyote cold brew on tap, as well as Noble Coyote pour-overs and specialty drinks. The signature coffee is the shaken espresso; it’s a shot of espresso mixed with house-made chai, a blend of cashews, hazelnuts and almonds. The shop is open every day, 7 a.m.7 p.m., and is currently hiring two or three employees.

The Belmont Hotel

CHECK THIS OUT!

At the checkout counter of an Oak Cliff grocery store, I watched as pleasant but subdued shoppers marched forward and placed their items on the conveyer belt. It would have been unmemorable except for the constant commentary offered by the one scanning and bagging:

“Ooh, this looks really good! I was going to buy some, too, before I go home after work.”

“These flowers are beautiful! She’s going to love them. Got a date tonight?”

“I am so addicted to this stuff. I eat it every morning on my toast.”

I could see the difference her tone and posture made. Smiles emerged on forlorn faces and no one was bothered by the wait. She reminded me that every kind of work carries the possibility of making the lives of others better.

The difference? Enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm can make a dull work glow, an office come to life, a cause pulse with the possibility of success.

I’m concerned that cynicism is on the rise. People often express cynicism about politics, about the environment, about societal challenges such as racial division and about their own lives. The word “cool” could mark these personalities — neither hot nor cold, neither expectant for a better day nor willing to give in to despair. They have dreams, but they don’t pursue them with passion for fear of failure or disappointment.

But Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

The word enthusiasm springs from a divine origin. The Greek enthus means ‘possessed by a god, inspired’ with the root word theos, or ‘god’, at its heart. Enthusiasm could be translated the God inside. An

enthusiastic person was believed to house the indwelling Spirit of God. The word atheist shares the same root but carries the opposite meaning. Of course, many atheists live with much passion and vitality, accomplishing great things on behalf of others. The word no longer speaks only to a Spiritfilled reality, but instead of a zest for life and energy toward a cause.

But we all crave that dynamic, full, abundant life. We all would say that enthusiasm

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 Worship

GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST MULTI-CULTURAL CHURCH

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

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

CATHOLIC

UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS MINISTRY CONFERENCE / udallas.edu/udmc

October 22-24, 2015 / Sponsored by Catholic Diocese of Dallas

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

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

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

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

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

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

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

is better than apathy, indifference and the ordinary, dull march of mediocrity.

So how’s your level of enthusiasm?

Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote extensively on the power of positive thinking, said that, “Enthusiasm can be aroused by two things: first, an ideal that captures your imagination by storm, and second, a definite, workable plan to put that ideal into practice.”

Essentially, enthusiasm needs a source. It’s something that is stirred and sustained inside of you, but not something that is self-generated. As an artist needs a muse, enthusiasm needs an ideal. An ideal without a plan will only lead to disappointment and disillusionment. But an ideal with a plan, infused with enthusiasm, can change the world.

Those who live with enthusiasm seem to understand that the secret of a full life is found in embracing each day with vigor, believing that they can overcome challenges, and enjoying every minute of it.

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

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.

Enthusiasm can change the world

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Stacy Gauthier

CeCe Gonzalez

LaBarba

Education

The Dallas Independent School District voted to reject Superintendent Mike Miles’ proposal not to renew Rosemont Elementary principal Anna Brining’s contract and those of two others: Joy Morris of Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School and Dinnah Escanilla of North Dallas High School. But Miles had the ultimate decision. Brining has worked for DISD 22 years, including 15 as Rosemont principal.

Justin F. Kimball High School received national certification for a science, technology, engineering and math program that has been available since 2010. The program, Project Lead the Way, “offers a rigorous world-class curriculum that allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science class to real-life activities, projects and problems.” Kimball’s Academy of Engineering received certification for Project Lead the Way in May, along with two other DISD high schools, Woodrow Wilson and W.T. White. The certified program gives enrolled students the opportunity to apply for college credit, scholarships and admissions preference

Nonprofits

Promise House, the Oak Cliff-based nonprofit that helps homeless and at-risk youth, raised $100,00 0 during its annual golf classic recently

The Kiest Park Community Group needs to raise money for projects, including its ongoing restoration of the historic Kiest Park tree groves. The group is selling Oak Cliff-centric T-shirts. On the front, they read “Oak Cliff Proud,” and on the back, “Best Neighbor’hood’ in Dallas.” They cost $15-$17 and are available in several colors at teespring.com.

HAVE AN ITEM TO BE FEATURED?

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

The party must go on

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas park department canceled the annual free outdoor concert at Kidd Springs Park due to “rain-saturated fields” in June. But Oak Cliff partied anyway. Neighbor Rob Shearer had promised his daughter, who turned 3 that day, that she would have an orchestra for her birthday. So he found a public address system and downloaded a playlist of songs performed at previous DSO performances at Kidd Springs Park to his iPod. Then he spread the word via social media that the show would go on. About 150 people brought their blankets and picnics to hear Shearer’s non concert.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Photo by Rachel Stone

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

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

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

EMPLOYMENT

AVIATION GRADS Work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and Others. Start Here With Hands On Training For FAA Certification. Financial Aid If Qualified. Aviation Institute Of Maintenance. 866-453-6204

FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES 3108

Seeking Bar Staff. Apply In Person. @ 8500 Arturo Dr. 75228 TABC Cert Reqrd.

SERVICES FOR YOU

Art for respect and compassion

Artist Karen Blessen worked with students from Sunset and Adamson high schools in May to create “Piece 24,” part of her 29 Pieces project. The public art project, sponsored by Craig Schenkel Real Estate, “aims to spread the message of a ‘viral influence’ that inspires people to choose to be contagions of respect and compassion for all living things.” The 15-foot collaborative sculpture will be displayed on Jefferson Boulevard this year.

LEGAL SERVICES

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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

PET SERVICES

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

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

PET SERVICES

In-Home Professional Care

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

“Best of Dallas” D Magazine Serving the Dallas area since 1994 Bonded & Insured www.societypetsitter.com 214-821-3900

BUY/SELL/TRADE

CASH FOR CARS Any Make Or Model. Free Towing. Sell It Today. Call for Instant Offer. 1-800-864-5784

OLD GUITARS WANTED Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Martin. 1930s-1980s. Top dollar paid. Toll Free 1-866-433-8277

TEXAS RANGERS AND DALLAS STARS

BOUNCE HOUSES

PIÑATAS • CHAIRS • TABLES

MARGARITA MACHINES POPCORN MACHINES

(214)941-7440 - www.pinatacity.com 1705 W. CLARENDON , DALLAS TX 75208

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

AC & HEAT

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable.

Chris 214-770-5001

FLOORING & CARPETING

CARPET · HARDWOODS · CERAMIC Quick, Reliable Installation

John: 972.989.3533

Your

Serving the Dallas area for over 30 years

We rais e ou r kid s here , too !

Family Owned & Operated 972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

TACLB29169E

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

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

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

CLEANING SERVICES

AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING

A Clean You Can Trust

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

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

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS

Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining

Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available

Free Estimates 972-672-5359 (32 yrs.)

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

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

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

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

FENCING & WOOD WORK oldgatefence.com charliehookerswoodwork.com 214-766-6422

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

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

john.roemen@redicarpet.com

REDI CARPET

Reinventing the Flooring Experience

Willeford

hardwood floors

GARAGE SERVICES

GARAGE ORGANIZATION / Design / Remodel

DFWGaragePros.com 303-883-9321

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

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

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 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

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

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

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

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

WE REFINISH!

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

www.allsurfacerefinishing.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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

IRISH RAIN SPRINKLER SYSTEMS TXL#2738

Repair, Stonework & Drains 214-827-7446

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

PERRONE’S • 214-502-2296

Pros at: - Tree Trimming - Full Landscaping - Sodding - Year Round Lawn Care

TEXAS HARDY LAWN & LANDSCAPE

Complete lawn & landscape maintenance

Commercial/Residential, Oak Cliff resident. 469-337-0371

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

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

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.

PLUMBING

CAMPBELL PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. 214-321-5943

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

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

ROOFING &

Allstate Homecraft Roofing •

BERT

AUG. DEADLINE JULY 8 214.560.4203 TO

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.

TRU E Crime

MUSICIA N SHOT, KILLED DURING ROBBER Y AT WYNNEWOOD VILLAGE

Leonardo Jesus Ortega worked at Subway in Wynnewood Villag e to support himself as a musician, and his life came to a tragic end after a botched robbery in June.

Two gunme n entered the stor e at closing time June 14, at least on e of them brandishing a firearm. They jumped the counter an d demanded money, according to the Dallas Police Department

A femal e employee was cleaning out the register, and the men took the cash and the woman’s phone. When she screamed, Ortega came out of the bathroom, where he had been mopping.

Ortega struggled with the robbers, and they shot him three times in the chest. The robber s fled, and Ortega tried to chase them. He made it about 30 yards before collapsing, and h e died at Methodis t hospital.

Polic e said surveillance video captured images of the robbers, who appeared to be in their 20s and were wearing hooded jackets. But no detaile d description of the suspects has been released.

Crime Stopper s will pay up to $5,00 0 for information leading to arrest and indictment. Oak Farms Dairy i s offering up to $10,00 0 for information leading to an arrest.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

The Oak Cliff motorcycle shop behind the world’s fastest bikes

COMMENT. Visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com/backstory to tell us what you think.

European motorcycles, Triumph in particular, are kind of a big deal in Dallas. The force behind that is Big D Cycle, a legendary motorcycle shop that got its start in Oak Cliff in 1963.

Jack Wilson opened the shop after working at Dalio Motorcycle Sales in Fort Worth for many years, following military service in World War II.

As a mechanic at Dalio in 1956, he helped build a world-famous bike on which a Texas racer beat the land-speed record that had just been set by Germans.

He built it with airline pilot J.H. “Stormy” Mangham and racer Johnny Allen. It was called the Triumph Streamliner, nicknamed the Texas Ceegar for its oblong aerodynamic shape.

Allen broke the record on the Texas Ceegar, which ran on methanol fuel, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. His speed was 214.4 miles per hour. Triumph named its now-classic 1959 Bonneville in honor of that record.

That was just the beginning of Wilson’s career as the mechanic behind dozens of speed records and nationalchampion racers.

A 1970 Triumph advertisement listed 36 speed records set on its bikes. Twenty-four of them came out of Jack Wilson’s Big D Cycle.

Wilson was fiercely allegiant to Triumph, and he loved to beat Harleys, friends say.

“Jack, first and foremost, was a competitor. He always went to win.

Second place is not winning,” friend and mentoree Robert Baucom wrote in a eulogy for Wilson in 2000. “If he had to do a valve job in the blowing sand, on the side of the race track, in a 30-milean-hour wind in San Angelo, he did it. Because he came to win.”

Motorcycle racing was a big deal in Texas at the time. In our neck of the

Below left: Jack Wilson of Big D Cycle, left, was one of the fastest motorcycle pit mechanics ever, and he liked to win. Below right: Jon Minonno, who raced for Big D Cycle, was a five-time national road racing champion. Photos courtesy of Big D Cycle

The original Texas Ceegar, the Triumph Streamliner, broke the land-speed record in 1956. Photo courtesy of Triumph Motorcycles

woods, they road raced at Hensley Field, the old Air Force base in Grand Prairie. And there were enough tracks in Texas that road racing took place about every weekend.

Wilson brought dozens of young racers to the tracks in Texas and around the nation. All of them started as what Wilson called “piss willies.” He was not one to suffer fools, and he had a temper, former racers say. If they proved themselves fast and better than idiotic, they could graduate to “racer,” in Wilson’s eyes and then, maybe, “champion.”

One of Wilson’s most legendary champions was Rusty Bradley, who started racing for Big D at 16, and he won races all over Texas. Although he wasn’t a mechanic, he worked at Big D after high school, while he attended the University of Texas at Arlington.

The mop-headed kid won so many races that eventually he was courted by HarleyDavidson and Kawasaki. He became a club racer for Kawasaki, winning at Talladega and Daytona racetracks.

From an interview with fellow Kawasaki racer Blaine Birchfield on superbikeplanet.com:

“Rusty was very fast and he was very competitive, he loved to race and loved to win. He’d love to go to some race a few states away and get up there and race

with a Gary Nixon or someone. Just to see what he could do. He wasn’t as mechanical with the motorcycle as you’d expect with his background. He was a talented rider, could just do a lot with any kind of bike just because of his riding talent.”

In 1971, Bradley entered the Daytona 200, his first professional race. And he expected to win. In the first turn of the race, however, he took a spill and crashed; he died as a result of his injuries later that day.

Big D turned out many other champions, including five-time national road-racing champion Jon Minonno as well as Buddy Elmore, who won the Daytona 200 in 1966 — the Triumph Daytona was named in his honor.

Triumph Engineering, the original manufacturer of Triumph motorcycles, stopped production in 1984 (the brand would be resurrected 10 years later), but Big D Cycle remained an expert shop for working on classic Triumphs.

Keith Martin, a motorcycle racer who managed Big D Cycles, bought the shop from his mentor in the late ’90s, and he renamed it RPM, selling and servicing Triumphs. Martin moved the shop to Dallas, off Interstate 35 near Walnut Hill, and eventually changed the name back to Big D Cycle.

The original Texas Ceegar had been donated to the National Motorcycle Museum in England and was on display for years before the museum suffered a fire in 2003.

Martin had the Texas Ceegar’s burnt remains returned to Texas, and with the help of the North Texas Norton Owners Association, Ed Mabry and the shop’s staff, restored it to its original condition.

—Rachel Stone

Right: Rusty Bradley raced No. 64 for Big D Cycle.

Below: Jack Wilson, second from right, with his team in the 1960s.

Photos courtesy of Big D Cycle

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