2016 July Oak Cliff

Paul Kirkpatrick

“I see more Sold signs than For Sale signs in the neighborhoods where I’d like to live.” We get it.

Brunner Ave.-UNDER CONTRACT Courtney Tauriac y

214.384.9338

706

2920 Woodmere Dr.-$199,900 Diane Sherman 469.767.1823

ON

HOT JOBS

Summer break isn’t just for soap operas and suntans. These Oak Cliffers spent their teenage years earning minimum wage.

IN THIS ISSUE

THE NEW BISHOP ARTS?

THE OAK CLIFF NEIGHBORHOOD THAT COULD BECOME OUR FUTURE FAVORITE HANGOUT.

ANGELA HUNT ON MAKING A COUNCILMAN’S ‘HATERS’ LIST.

RECORD SETTER

TOP TEN RECORDS HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 1956.

A DESIRE NAMED STREETCAR

THE NEW OAK CLIFF STREETCAR IS TAKING SHAPE 60 YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL ONE WAS SCRAPPED.

(Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

THE COVER: David Grover of Spinster Records evokes the album cover for “Whipped Cream and Other Delights” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND

BUT WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN ANYMORE?

You would expect a neighborhood to be a friendly place.

Isn’t that how we select our homes, to some extent, because eventually we hope to feel some type of kinship with the people who already live there? We may not know them yet, but the architecture and the lawns and the cars and the landscaping tell the story of future neighbors, people we hope will become our friends over time.

It doesn’t always work out that way, though. Friendship is elusive, and mere proximity isn’t necessarily enough to make what starts as a random connection turn into something more meaningful.

Someone said something interesting to me the other day: “I really don’t like my friends.”

It started me thinking about friends and friendship: Is it possible to have a friend you don’t like? Isn’t “liking” someone kind of elemental to calling them a friend?

Something else got me thinking about friendship, too: A recent study published by the Public Library of Science concluded that only about half of the people most of us call friends would say the same thing about us.

That’s right. If you identify 20 people as friends, only about 10 of them will tell someone else they’re friends with you. And if we knew which half didn’t really like us that much, we probably wouldn’t like them much, either — not exactly a great way to build a stable of friends.

Who is defined as a “friend” and what is defined as “friendship” are admittedly vague concepts, and those

Rick Wamre

concepts change with times and technology. Some of us have hundreds of Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections, but how many of those people can we count on to bail us out of a problem at 3 a.m.?

It all comes down to what we expect out of friendship. Are we satisfied calling people “friends” who know our names but not much else about us? Or do we believe a friend is someone who knows us inside-out, and vice versa?

It’s pretty easy these days, when checking out other peoples’ online accounts, to read the glowing snippets and watch fun-looking photos and videos and see the myriad approving responses from “friends” to convince ourselves that friendship is something everyone else has in abundance even as we struggle to find it.

It would be easier if neighbors or even co-workers were automatically friends, but it doesn’t work that way, either. We all have our lives to live, and for the most part, our priority is not usually someone else.

Perhaps the ultimate lesson in friendship is one I heard recently during an interview with NPR radio host Diane Rehm. She was talking about her late husband, and as a wife and presumably a friend, she seemed to have his need for friendship figured out: “He would rather have had lunch with The New Yorker magazine than any human being. Including me.”

Apparently, her husband identified the one friend he knew he could count on, and he married the one friend who helped him live his life as he wanted.

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“WE PROTEST OUR PROPERTY VALUATIONS AND THEN CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER EVERY TIME A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY SELLS AT A RECORD PRICE.” KELLY FRANTZ ON ‘10% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE’

“JUST HOPE IT STAYS THE WAY IT IS. WOULD SUCK TO HAVE ONE OF THE ORIGINALS CHANGE COMPLETELY WITH THE CHANGE OF OWNERS.”

JEREMY DANIELS ON ‘NEW OWNER FOR BISHOP STREET MARKET’

“WE DON’T NEED ANYMORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OAK CLIFF. SHE NEEDS TO BUILD THIS OUT THERE BY HER HOUSE.”

JIMMY SETTLES ON ‘EVA LONGORIA-BACKED FUND BUYS APARTMENTS’

“Instead of spending millions of dollars on that trolley near Methodist, we should have used it to hire more police in Dallas.”

JOE FLORES ON ‘WOMAN HIT BY STRAY BULLET’

ELEVATING ELMWOOD

THE ESOTERIC NEIGHBORHOOD POISED TO BECOME THE LOCALS-ONLY BISHOP ARTS

The year Elmwood began to take shape, building in Dallas was at an all-time high.

Frank Jester took a risk in 1925 when he began developing a former dairy, Tennessee Farm, just south of what was then considered the southern border Oak Cliff.

Ninety-one years later, and construction and real estate in Dallas again are hotter than ever. Now a few Oak Cliff insiders and creative professionals are putting

their money on Elmwood, this time in commercial property.

Renovated houses in Elmwood are now starting around $250,000 and can even fetch close to $500,000. But the mid-20th century commercial district there has yet to resurge.

The commercial district, centered on Elmwood and Ferndale, includes auto shops, a taquería, a convenience store and a barbershop. But there are several vacant storefronts, a lack of streetlights and bumpy streets and sidewalks. It has a way to go yet.

Former Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce president Bob Stimson

and his son, Matt, in December bought an 8,000-square-foot 1950s office building at 1809 Balboa in Elmwood. They renovated the building, which had been vacant for decades, over the winter. The first new tenants took up residence in April.

They include a barber, a Spanish newspaper publisher and a travel agency, plus Sunset Art Studios, a startup from Oak Cliff-based artists Rachel Rushing, Ryan Rushing and Emily Riggert. The studio and gallery offers short-term artist residencies to emerging artists in Dallas, and twice a month, it hosts

Emily Riggert and Rachel Rushing recently opened Sunset Art Studios, a gallery and artists workspace, in Elmwood. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

an open studio, where anyone can join the artists at work.

There are not many such spaces in Dallas, Rachel Rushing says. And Elmwood allowed them affordable rent amid Oak Cliff’s creative culture.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur Julie McCullough is another creative who recently found a business home in Elmwood.

McCullough, who owns Folksie, Make and Made and the Pin Show, recently bought a one-story building on Balboa.

She started her entrepreneurial career around 2005 with Make, offering sewing and crafting classes in the rented Bishop Arts District space that now houses We Are 1976.

“Elmwood’s perfect for small entrepreneurs to buy real estate,” says real estate developer Monte Anderson, who has been hot on Elmwood for years. “I hope there will be more like Julie who do that.”

Anderson, who is known for transforming the Belmont Hotel, recently bought a 1920s industrial building in Elmwood with plans to turn it into a “co-working village.”

He and partners purchased the 127,000-square-foot former Dixie Co. building at 1300 S. Polk, adjacent to DART’s Tyler/Vernon station.

They plan to turn it into a co-working space for “creative industrial” makers — think furniture making, woodworking, welding, machining and the like. They especially want to attract makers who reuse and repurpose materials.

Space for traditional office co-working also is planned, and eventually, if they can achieve rezoning, they plan to build new residential buildings along Cedar Creek.

Anderson partner Gary Buckner will move his Stash Design from Lower Greenville to this space, which they named Tyler Station. There’s also interest from a local beer brewer, Anderson says.

Tenants could pay as little as $600 month for a place at Tyler Station, and the partners plan to keep the former industrial space open to encourage collaboration between tenants.

Stimson compares Elmwood’s commercial real estate to that of West Davis 10 or 15 years ago. Even after residential values increased in Winnetka Heights and Kings Highway, it took many years for West Davis to come around. He expects the same evolution for Elmwood, if a bit more esoteric.

“This won’t be for tourists as much,” Stimson says. “This is where people who actually live in Oak Cliff will want to be.”

Stimson, who also owns a 4,000-square-foot former mechanic garage in Elmwood, wants the city to consider installing streetlights in the district, similar to what it did for Bishop Arts years ago. City Councilman Scott Griggs asked city staff for an estimate, and they found it would cost about $500,000, so that could be funded in a future bond election.

—RACHEL STONE

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

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

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

Elmwood’s commercial district, along Edgefield, has plenty of affordable retail space. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

Smart Moves

Shannon Foster · 214-303-1133

Anne Foster · 214-682-1184

July 2

ORCHESTRATING AMERICA

Right before the Fourth of July celebrations kick in, join the Singapore Slingers as they celebrate America. Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis Street, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $20+

July 14

A HOOT OF A TIME

Learn about one of nature’s biggest hoots, the owl, at Trinity River Audubon Center. Come try out some owl calls and learn how to bring owls into your own backyard. Trinity River Audubon Center, 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way, 214.398.8722, trinityriveraudubon.org, free for members; $15 otherwise

July 14

BASTILLE DAY

Celebrate everything French in Bishop Arts during Bastille on Bishop. Wine, food, music and merriment. Don’t forget the beret. Bishop Arts District, West Davis and North Bishop, 214.946.7404, bishopartsdistrict.com, free to $25

July 17

PSYCHIC FAIR

The Universal Unitarian Church of Oak Cliff’s annual psychic and holistic fair is from 3-6 p.m. and includes psychic readings, Reiki, massage, crystals and more.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest, oakcliffuu.org, admission is free, and 15-minute sessions cost $20

July 19

IGNITE DFW

Fourteen speakers have five minutes to give a presentation on a variety of topics. Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, thetexastheatre.com, $10

July 21 DAY AT THE ZOO

What better way to spend a dollar than at the Dallas Zoo? Enjoy a variety of deals, including, $1 snacks, $8 parking and more. Dallas Zoo, 650 South R.L. Thornton Freeway, 214.670.5656, dallaszoo.com, $1

Delicious

This page: Peaches and squash at the Oak Cliff Lion’s Club Farmers Market. Opposite page, top: A Cliff Temple Baptist Church volunteer offers jars of homemade jam in exchange for donations. (Photos by Kathy Tran)

OAK CLIFF LION’S CLUB FARMERS MARKET

Tenth at Beckley oakclifflions.club

AMBIANCE: Open-air market

PRICE RANGE: $5-$15

HOURS: 8 a.m.-noon July 2 and the first Saturday of every month

The Oak Cliff Lion’s Club is the only permit holder for a farmers market south of the Trinity River.

The club started our neighborhood farmers market in the spring, in a parking lot donated by Cliff Temple Baptist Church, and the market has been growing every month.

There are vendors selling coffee, juice, tamales, baked goods and pickles. By Dallas city ordinance, more than 50 percent of vendors at licensed farmers markets must offer foodstuffs.

Recently, an East Texas farmer took a spot at the market, offering squash, onions, greens and peaches.

Tables at the market cost just $25, a steal compared to any other market in Dallas. John McCall, a Lion’s Club member and the market’s organizer, says he is working to recruit more farmers to the market.

“We’re starting off small,” he says. “But we’re going to keep at it.”

SUMMER SWEETNESS

A classic French dessert that might seem intimidating to make will surprise you with its simplicity. Pâte á choux is the dough that creates the airy and crisp shell that can be filled with your favorite ice cream or custard and garnished with powdered sugar, a decadent chocolate sauce or fresh fruit. Bite size and full of ice cream and fruit, profiteroles will win over the hearts of your guests and keep you cool during the summer heat.

RECIPE: PROFITEROLES

MAKES 24

PÂTE Á CHOUX:

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter, unsalted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

FILLING:

Ice cream flavor of your choice (vanilla bean is recommended)

Fresh strawberries, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Heat water, butter and salt in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once the butter is completely melted, reduce the heat and add the flour. Whisk until the flour and butter mixture form into a paste that pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Take mixture off of the heat and pour dough into a mixer with paddle attachment.

Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes to

release the steam from the dough. Slowly add the eggs, one by one, and beat until the dough is smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or scoop dough into 2-inch balls on a baking sheet.

Egg-wash the top of dough for a golden brown finish.

Bake at 425 °F for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 375 °F for about 15 minutes or until profiteroles are a light golden brown.

Allow the profiteroles to cool completely before filling.

Cut profiteroles in half and add one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and fresh cut strawberries.

Garnish with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

—RACHEL STONE

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.

David Grover, page 20

STORY / Rachel Stone PHOTOS / Danny Fulgencio

will work for

SUMMER

IS

HERE , and most of Oak Cliff’s youth is basking in three months of unadulterated freedom. But for the industrious ones looking to pocket some extra cash, it means trading in schoolbooks for job applications. From lifeguards to lemonade stands, kids at all different ages seek seasonal work to save up for everything from candy to cars. Here, some of our prominent and longtime neighbors share their memories of working hard for the summer, why they did it and what they learned.

SCOTT GRIGGS, MCDONALD’S CASHIER

Now he’s a chess master, patentand-trademark lawyer and Dallas City Councilman.

But if you’d gone through the McDonald’s drive through at Preston and Campbell sometime in the early ‘90s, Scott Griggs might’ve taken your order.

“I always wanted to work the grill, but I never got to,” he says.

Griggs worked there with a bunch of his high school pals, who also wound up attending Texas A&M University together.

Between undergrad and law school at the University of Texas at Austin, Griggs worked at Boston Market on Preston. He knew a guy who owned a franchise and offered to let Griggs try his hand at every station with the idea that he’d consider a management position there.

“So I got to be the cook, which is incredibly hard work,” he says. “You’ve got to get there early in the morning to peel the potatoes and get all the vegetables ready for lunch.”

During his tenure on City Council, Griggs has advocated for paying the living wage, which in Dallas is calculated at $10.37 per hour. The City of Dallas now requires contractors to pay all of their employers at least $10.37. That includes sanitation workers, contractors who previously had earned the state’s minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to hang off the back of a truck and haul our trash away.

Contracted employees also include all workers at Love Field airport.

That’s important, Griggs says, because the person behind the

register at Dickey’s in Love Field is an ambassador for Dallas.

“Think about it. Someone gets off a plane; they’re hungry. That’s the first person they’re going to meet in Dallas,” Griggs says. And it’s often the last person they see before departure.

Turns out Griggs has a successful law practice and public policy career, but he could’ve been a fast-food

franchise owner. It’s always good to have options.

“It taught me how to get along with people, particularly at McDonalds,” he says. “There was such a cross section of people who worked there. People with families. People who had been to prison and were re-entering society working there. In that respect, it was a really interesting experience.”

City Councilman Scott Griggs worked at McDonald’s in high school and at Boston Market between undergrad and law school.

JOHN STOLLY, FOODBASKET SACKER

The old Foodbasket on Fort Worth Avenue was the first grocery store in Dallas with wall-to-wall carpeting.

“I can attest this was a terrible idea,” says John Stolly, whose first job was sacking groceries there in the late ’60s.

The carpet, Stolly says, was “a disturbing teal color,” something like Astro turf.

“I remember someone immediately dropping a jar of vinegar in front of the doors, and that spot was there forever,” he says. “If someone dropped eggs, you just ended up chasing it around. It kind of floated across that carpet when you would try to clean it up.”

The Foodbasket was just east of Hampton, where there is now an Elrod’s Cost Plus. It was part of a shopping strip that had a Skillern’s near where there now is a Chinese food buffet; Stevens Theater was on

the other end, near where there is now a Wendy’s.

It also had an art-supply store where Stolly, who now owns an advertising design firm, took painting classes as a teen.

“When I got my first car [a Volkswagen bus], my dad marched me up there to apply for a job,” says Stolly, who still lives in Oak Cliff.

His girlfriend, Linda, and her sister, Brenda, also worked there, as well as Stolly’s best friend. His two younger brothers would find jobs there later.

“We were kind of a tight-knit group,” he says.

Besides working with all of his best pals, his schedule was pretty groovy. He worked Tuesdays and Friday nights, when tips were the best. And he worked 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, which gave him the freedom to cruise Kiest Park in his bus all Sunday afternoon.

Life-long Oak Cliff resident John Stolly worked at the Foodbasket grocery store on Fort Worth Avenue.

(Photo courtesy of John Stolly)

will work for summer

MARC VEASEY, BURGER KING COOK

Before his political career, U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey worked at Burger King, as a sacker at Kroger and as a busboy at the Black Eyed Pea restaurant.

Now he works on Capitol Hill, but once a month, he does odd jobs. Not for money, but as a way to see labor and business through the eyes of his constituents.

Veasey, a Democrat who represents parts of Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie and Oak Cliff, takes time to work his constituents’ jobs. He’s worked at UPS, American Airlines, a family-owned taquería and QuikTrip, among others. Recently, he got busy steaming dresses at a Jefferson Boulevard quinceañera shop.

“People come all the way from Oklahoma and elsewhere to buy quiceañera dresses on Jefferson,” Veasey says. “Oak Cliff is known for that in the southwest region.”

Stints on the job allow Veasey to see first hand the struggles of working for the $7.25 minimum wage, finding childcare and managing transportation. He also sees the determination and work ethic of small business owners as well as the gratefulness of employees at big companies who receive cushy health benefits and good salaries.

Veasey grew up in Fort Worth, and after his parents divorce when he was 10, his mom raised three

children mostly on her own.

He started working at Burger King for $3.35 an hour, then the federal minimum wage, when he was about 15.

“I never made enough to buy a car, but it was still nice to go to the Gap and buy a pair of jeans that my mom wouldn’t have been able to afford,” he says.

There are plenty of people who don’t want their children to have jobs, on the theory that going to school and making good grades is job enough. But Veasey says he thinks working a part-time or summer job is invaluable for most kids.

“If you work hard, you appreciate the things you have,” he says.

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey steams a dress at Veronica’s, a quinceañera and wedding shop on Jefferson Boulevard, as part of his pledge to spend time in his constituents’ work shoes.

DAVID GROVER, ZIPPY’S DISHWASHER

Spinster Records owner David Grover went to high school in East Honolulu in the early ’80s.

Growing up on one end of Oahu was pretty idyllic.

Punk rock and new wave were just beginning to reach Hawaii, and his parents owned a house in Hawaii Kai, a residential development where everyone had free cable, including MTV.

His first high school job, however, was not a heady experience.

Saturdays through July 30, 5-9 p.m.

A friend, the bass player in his high school band, convinced Grover to join him as a dishwasher at the Hawaiian fast-food chain Zippy’s.

The restaurant offers plate lunches with rice, a protein such as fried chicken and a scoop of macaroni salad. But Zippy’s is most famous for its chili.

“I learned how to scrape chili off the bottom of pans,” Grover says.

A few months later, another friend told him he could get him a job at Baskin Robbins. This ice cream shop was right by the beach in the shop-

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.

JULY 2 Rebirth Brass Band

JULY 9 The Landsharks

JULY 16 Limelight

JULY 23 Petty Theft & The Bird Dogs

JULY 30 The O’s

“Girls coming in wearing bikinis all the time, at that age, it’s like I’d died and gone to heaven.”

everything we do is with you in mind.

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ping center that was the vortex of their teenage universe.

“Girls coming in wearing bikinis all the time,” he says. “At that age, it’s like I’d died and gone to heaven.”

In Hawaii, employers always feed their workers lunch. The guy who owned the Baskin Robbins told Grover and company, “Since I can’t offer you lunch, you can trade ice cream with anyone else in the shopping center.”

“So I would trade for gas, dry cleaning, nachos…” Grover says.

He worked there for about two years, and his sister worked there for a time, too. Later he waited tables during the week and played gigs with his band on the weekends. He did that for a couple of years before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a music career.

Some lessons from Baskin Robbins have stuck with him, Grover says. The shop’s owner was the first to tell him the first rule of real estate (or retail): “Location, location, location.”

Is it any wonder he set up shop in Oak Cliff?

Spinster Records owner David Grover languished in the Zippy’s dishwasher pit before his icecream redemption later.

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I hadn’t given this question much thought until recently, just like I haven’t pondered whether I am sufficiently “on fleek” or appropriately “woke.” (Yes and most definitely.)

But for the last few weeks, I’ve been mulling over the concept of “haters” — specifically civic haters — ever since I found myself on a short list of people categorized as such by a certain Dallas City Councilmember.

Last month, it was discovered that Lee Kleinman, who represents parts of northern Dallas, had created a list called “Haters” on the social media platform Twitter, ostensibly for those he had weighed in the balance and found, well, hating.

Among others, the list includes councilmembers Philip Kingston and Scott Griggs, City Hall watchdog and anonymous internet commenter “Wylie H.,” Dallas Observer columnist Jim Schutze, and D Magazine publisher Wick Allison. (The respective publications of the last two are likewise included on the “Haters” list, apparently tainted by Schutze’s and Allison’s extreme animus.)

I am going to make a giant assumption here and presume that this list represents people who — according to a certain worldview — “hate” our city. These are people who are happier criticizing Dallas than celebrating it, who would rather tear down our city than acknowledge its greatness. These are people who do

THE ‘HATER’ LIST

not, who cannot, truly love Dallas.

Only, that’s not what I see when I look at this list. Now, since I myself have been condemned (or honored) as a “hater,” some might dismiss my perspective as biased — “haters gonna hate,” as it were. But hear me out.

Among those who have been maligned as “haters,” I see two incredibly smart and relentlessly hardworking councilmembers who fight for neighborhoods, urbanism and common sense. I see a prolific and insightful online commenter who regularly brings to light complex municipal problems. I see a city columnist who’s spent the last 30 years uncovering and interrogating the deep racial divide in our city, and a publisher who has used his glossy magazine to focus on critical 21st century issues like transportation and the environment.

One thing you can’t say about any of them is that they hate Dallas. Quite the opposite. It’s their passion for our city that pushes them to critique and analyze and speak out and try to make Dallas a much better city tomorrow than it is today.

Despite its fundamental flaws, this “Haters” list provides great insight into a very particular way of thinking about our city, a way of differentiating Dallas’ tribes — the old guard and the new. It gives us a glimpse into two distinctly different, fundamental philosophies about civic leadership.

On the one hand is the group that has been identified as haters, sometimes known as aginners, almost always considered impolite in polite Dallas society. The people on this so-called “Haters” list don’t see

eye-to-eye on every issue, but here’s what they have in common: They are typically fiscal watchdogs who are skeptical of big-ticket projects as

a panacea for all that ails our city. They don’t like government waste and cronyism and aren’t afraid to call it like they see it. They believe in transparent, democratic government. They think that “world class” ought to be a descriptor used exclusively for dog shows and pro-wrestling.

The other group includes those who believe that one must be a relentless cheerleader in order to truly love our city. That our city must kowtow to the business elite because they know best. That Dallas must stick to the old ways of doing things, however outdated and antiquated, because that’s how things have always been done.

But why on earth would we want cheerleaders running our city? Aren’t they the ones who stand on the sidelines while the game is played and jump for joy, even when their team is losing?

No, we don’t want cheerleaders. We want city leaders who are dedicated to finding fault in our city government, who will uncover corruption and ineptitude and work to right the ship. Because the first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging you’ve got one.

ANGELA HUNT is a former Dallas City Councilwoman. She writes a monthly opinion column about neighborhood issues. Her opinions are not necessarily those of the Advocate or its management. Send comments and ideas to her at ahunt@advocatemag.com.

Aren’t they the ones who stand on the sidelines ... and jump for joy, even when their team is losing?

SPINNING TIME

TOP TEN RECORDS IS THE OLDEST RECORD SHOP IN DALLAS

STORY BY RACHEL STONE | PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

Mike Polk has a CD player in his car, but he doesn’t have any discs for it.

He doesn’t own a home stereo and he doesn’t claim allegiance to any favorite genre of music.

As owner of Top Ten Records since 1977, music is his business, but people are his life.

“I didn’t know the first thing about music when I started here,” he says. “I still don’t. I just listen to my customers.”

Dub Stark opened Top Ten Records in October 1956. The record store is still in its original location on Jefferson at Bishop, and it’s full of collectors’ treasures.

There’s an RCA Nipper figurine, a life-size cardboard cutout of Dolly Parton and a hand-painted sign announcing “Longhorn Ballroom advance tickets here.”

Catch Polk at the right time with the right offer and he might consider selling some of those things, although probably not.

What is for sale, though, are hundreds and hundreds of records.

Despite its name, the 60-year-old record shop hadn’t sold actual vinyl records for decades until recently.

“These are all records I took home 25 years ago,” Polk says of the boxes upon boxes full of never-played vintage records stacked on folding tables and lining the floor of the shop.

Polk stopped selling records around 1990, when demand for CDs and cassette tapes was high, and vinyl was all but dead. He got rid of fixtures that held records and replaced them all with CD-sized ones.

Now vinyl records are buoying the music industry and Polk has opened his garage. He did it as a way to raise money for the community radio station that has supported his shop for decades, KNON. Half the proceeds from vinyl sales go to KNON, and Polk keeps half.

DJ Daniel Boom, whose Midday Mix-Up show airs from noon-2 p.m. Mondays, helped Polk retrieve the records.

“It had to be at least 10,000 records,” he says. “The records lined the walls, floor to ceiling, all the way around.”

Stacks of 45s at Top Ten Records. The shop once again sells vinyl records after ditching them around 1990.

Now they’re all for sale at Top Ten, most of them cost $5 each, or five for $20. Some rare records

Tejano and oldies, mostly — are priced higher.

Polk says he met Boom when the man, now a father of three, was about 12 years old.

“I lived in Irving, and I would take the DART bus all the way to Oak Cliff to be able to shop there,” Boom says.

Top Ten, then as now, mostly carries music that appeals to the Latino listeners of KNON — Tejano, freestyle and rap. Whatever is not in stock, Polk will order.

A majority of neighbors and customers wanted those styles of music, also starting sometime around 1990. And Polk went with it.

In 39 years as a shop owner on Jefferson, Polk says, he’s never called the police, and he thinks crime on the boulevard is sensationalized. His landlord, Victor Ballas, hasn’t raised his rent in 15 years, although Polk says, it is up from the $225 a month he was paying in 1979.

When Dub Stark sold Polk the shop, he asked: “Are you the worrying type? Because if so, don’t buy this place.”

Polk is not the worrying type. When a customer walks in, he is laser focused on that person’s needs. He attends his customers to a fault.

“If you walk in here and I’m with another customer, I might not even notice you were here,” he says.

There’s no TV in the shop, and he’d never look at his watch or fiddle with his phone in the presence of another. When Polk is with you, he’s really with you.

“Be kind to yourself,” he says when customers leave. “I know I will.”

Left: Mike Polk bought Top Ten from its original owner, Dub Stark, in 1977. Memorabilia in the shop ranges from rare record-store display items dating to the 1950s to a personal Christmas card from Houston-based rapper Chingo Bling. Right: Most of the albums recently pulled from Polk’s garage are selling for $5 each or 5 for $20.

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.

69%

of our readers say they want to know more about private schools.

to advertise call 214.560.4203

BUSINESS BUZZ

WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

CELEBRITY HOUSING?

Recently, a fund backed by “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria put money in TURNER IMPACT CAPITAL, a real estate group that invests in affordable housing. That fund recently purchased the View at Kessler Park to offer affordable housing to working families in our neighborhood. The View, which has 11 stories and 300 apartments, is one of two Dallas apartment complexes the fund purchased recently. The other is in Lake Highlands. According to Tuner, “Nearly half of all renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, and one quarter of all renters spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent.”

NOW OPEN

Caribbean food is coming to Oak Cliff. THE ISLAND SPOT Jamaican restaurant was expected to open June 24 at Jefferson Tower. Owner Richard Thomas opened The Island Spot in Carrolton in June 2010 and has since received good reviews for braised oxtails and jerk chicken.

There are two new places to wet your whistle at Sylvan Thirty. HOUNDSTOOTH COFFEE and JUICELAND, both Austin-based chains, opened there in June.

CRAFT & COMPANY SALON also opened at Sylvan Thirty in June, bringing a sleekly modern touch to hair care. They sell designer products from Oribe, to R+ Co, Smith & Cult and V76 and their stylists are certified in Balmain Hair Extensions. They’re open seven days a week with late hours Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.

Craft & Company Salon (Photo from Facebook)

St.ElizabethofHugary2X3school_5_16Page1

James Hayes , 8, of Oak Cliff, took the stage as Young Coalhouse when “Ragtime” came to Fair Park’s Music Hall. When James burst onto the stage for the show’s final scene, he was a natural. He lives in Oak Cliff and attends St. Philip’s School in South Dallas. At a cast party, James’ mother, Sherlyn McRinzie, said the bright lights didn’t faze him. Her son responds well to direction when he models, she says, and he is used to performing on stage as a drummer with several children’s choirs, including during the daily St. Philip’s chapel services.

George Starkey , owner of Starkey Service Center, which opened in 1964, died at the age of 86 on Thursday, May 26. Starkey Service Center is on West Davis at Kings Highway. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Beverly, with whom he had four children: Rodney, David, Debra and Susan.

CITY COUNCIL

Millions of dollars in improvements will be hitting Oak Cliff thanks to a City Council vote from late May. Improvements include, $68,000 for the sculpture of Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan in Kiest Park, $3 million improvements on Sylvan Avenue, $14,000 for erosion control at Martin Weiss Park and a stoplight at Colorado and Marsalis.

The Oak Cliff Municipal Center on Jefferson, which houses the city’s Sustainable Development and Construction Department, is set for a $20-million addition. The addition would comprise 38,000-42,000 square feet, including a parking garage. The cost includes conceptual design, structural review and cost estimate for a future renovation of the existing municipal center. It would be paid for from a fundcomposed of building inspection fees.

FAITH AND FARMING IN BOTH, ORGANIC, LOCALLY CULTIVATED AND FRESH IS BEST

Years ago John Denver sang a song (written by Guy Clark) that says: Only two things that money can’t buy/

That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.

Our church hosts the Lion’s Club

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 Sunday Worship

GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST MULTI-CULTURAL CHURCH

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

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

farmer’s market on the first Saturday of each month. Vendors offer vegetables and much more: tamales, jam, pickles, popsicles, caramels. Grower/ producers pride themselves on using natural methods and ingredients.

People get tired of mass-produced, preservative-laden products. They crave food prepared in a deliberate and thoughtful way. North Oak Cliff has become known for its community gardens, niche shops and quality restaurants that offer different takes on everyday foods.

So what implications does a homegrown flair have on spirituality and the way that faith is practiced? Let me plant four seeds in your mind.

First, faith is best when it’s practiced locally. Even if one is part of a congregation outside of Oak Cliff, faith becomes real in the neighborhood places where we live, work and play. It’s personal and authentic. Faith in the way of Jesus embeds in culture and seeks to bless others on a daily basis.

Second, faith must be fresh. The infinitely creative Spirit of God always calls us into fresh expressions. Faith can be demonstrated in hundreds of fresh ways — through meditative prayer, poetry, gardening, baking, sewing, serving by mowing yards, or reaching out to a neighbor who is hurting. Our community needs more than stale, churchy clichés and explanations. It needs the

Brent McDougal

gospel translated through transformed lives.

Third, faith must be ecologically balanced. Mission efforts concern more than the saving of souls. Just as local farmers consider the long-term use of soil, we need to be concerned with our long-term impact in a community. Honoring our local context means approaching our community in humility and reverence and being mindful of the impact of our presence. We inherited the soil in which we work, and one day others will work the soil. What are we leaving behind?

Finally, faith must be pure. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Organic farmers use as few pesticides as possible or none at all. Our motives, approach and activities should all spring from hearts that are pure. Mission efforts can’t be a bait-and-switch to get people to come to a worship service. To truly see God, there must be a genuineness and love that reaches out without having control over the outcomes.

Money can’t buy homegrown tomatoes, and it can’t buy a spiritual experience. Faith needs to be local, fresh, ecologically balanced and pure for it to be really satisfying. It takes planting (stepping out in faith), watering (intentional spiritual development), sunshine (acts of kindness and compassion) and weeding (removing that which inhibits or kills the spiritual life). We can’t buy faith like that. But when we give our lives to such an organic process, we’ll cultivate something even sweeter than a homegrown tomato: the life of love.

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.

UNEXPECTED GIFT

Broadcaster and former National Football League quarterback Babe Laufenberg was at an awards ceremony at the Dallas Can Academy when he first heard the story of Nadia Rangel. With one parent in jail and another hooked on drugs, Rangel was raised in foster care and eventually dropped out of school because she had to work. She found her way back to school where she got her diploma from the Dallas Can Academy. Laufenberg was so touched with her plight, he got a personal shopper to help her pick out the perfect graduation outfit, which he bought.

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

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 Services

FLOORING & CARPETING

Willeford

hardwood floors Superior Quality: Installation • Refinishing Repair • Cleaning & Waxing

Old World Hand Scrape 214-824-1166

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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 & Insured. Locally owned & operated.

972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

We raise our kids here, too! TACLB29169E

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

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

CLEANING SERVICES

AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING

$100 off 1st clean for new weekly/bi-weekly clients. Staff trained by Nationally Certified Cleaning Tech. Chemical-free, Green, or Traditional Cleaning. WindsorMaidServices.com 214-381-MAID (6243)

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

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

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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

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

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available

Free Estimates 972-672-5359 (36 yrs.)

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

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

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@optimumfoundationservices.com

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

1. Change the filter monthly during the cooling season.

2. Install a programmable thermostat.

3. Insulate, insulate, insulate!

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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 charliehookerswoodwork.com 214-766-6422

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

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

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

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 Gary 214-622-7488, 469-878-8044

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

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

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

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

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

•

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

IRISH RAIN SPRINKLER SYSTEMS TXL#2738 Repair, Stonework & Drains 214-827-7446

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

The dog days of summer are here. Keep your AC blowing all through the hot months:

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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.

JULY SPECIAL

$625 OFF 4 man crew/ALL DAY

Just Trees

Call

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

REMODELING

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

30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions

SKYLIGHTS

Locally harvested wood!

Mark Wittlich 214-332-3444

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

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

MOVING

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

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

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

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax For General Treatment.

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

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

214-328-7371

MetroFlowPlumbing.com

Lic.# M16620

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

Complete Renovations • Kitchens/Baths

214-341-1155

bobmcdonaldco.net

ROOFING & GUTTERS

BERT ROOFING INC.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years • Residential/Commercial • Over 30,000 roofs completed • Seven NTRCA “Golden Hammer” Awards • Free Estimates www.bertroofing.com

214.321.9341

SHOWCASE YOUR SPACE

972-985-1700

2830 W. 15th

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. Is

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TRUE CRIME: TWO LIVES CLAIMED IN ONE NIGHT

Timothy C. McGraw was a good Samaritan who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He stopped to help a motorist around 9 p.m. on May 18, when he was hit and killed by a 2007 blue GMC Yukon. Witnesses say the motorist was speeding when he struck a utility pole and McGraw. Following the crash, the driver leapt from

his vehicle and disappeared into the night. McGraw died at the scene.

Later that night, around 1 a.m., a second life ended in the 1900 block of Elmwood. Police were called on report of a shooting, and found a man lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was later identified as 47-year-old Joseph Paul, who lived near Keist Park with his partner. He was reportedly missing his wallet when police found him.

Anyone with information about either of these crimes can contact Crime Stoppers at 214.373.8477.

THE GHOST OF STREETCARS PAST

STREETCARS RETURN TO BISHOP ARTS AT THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR DEMISE

The new Oak Cliff streetcar rolls into the Bishop Arts District this fall.

One could call it a second coming of a transportation network that served Dallas for 84 years.

In its heyday, the old Dallas streetcar system connected Highland Park, Uptown, East Dallas, Downtown and Oak Cliff. The Oak Cliff to Downtown line was the last to survive, closing in 1956.

The original system began with mule-drawn cars in 1872, when Dallas was a dusty little village with wooden sidewalks and a creek running down Main Street.

The first car, painted yellow and white, was purchased by Capt. George M. Swink and was pulled by the Swink family’s white carriage horse, Sam. Eventually, Swink and his 19 partners (each had invested $500) installed two cars, the Belle Swink, named for his eldest daughter; and the John Neely Bryan, named for the founder of Dallas, who was still alive at the time.

By 1886 the system had 18 mules and nine cars. The following year, the streetcar system upgraded when a group of Oak Cliff businessmen started the Dallas-Oak Cliff Steam Railway, which ran down Jefferson and across the river via the Tenth Street Bottoms.

Electric cars came just two years later.

The Sunset Hampton-Second Junius line traveled from Peak and Elm through downtown to Oak Cliff then along Jefferson past Sunset High School almost to Cockrell Hill Road. It was the last to operate.

BUSES DOMINATE

More than 300 streetcars were running in Dallas by 1936, but that’s also the year that bus service

began. Although the first buses were uncomfortable and noisy, bus service outnumbered streetcars by the 1950s.

The Dallas Transit Co. bought 55 new buses for $1.25 million in 1956, adding to its nearly 400-bus fleet.

The transit company’s vice president, George I. Plummer, told the Dallas Morning News in January 1956: “I wouldn’t trade one of our new luxury diesel-powered, foamrubber seat, air-ride suspension

Top: The old Dallas streetcar comes across the Trinity River on the streetcar trestle in 1946. (Photo courtesy of the Dallas Public Library) Above: An early 20th-century postcard shows the streetcar on Commerce Street in Downtown.

buses for a whole fleet of streetcars, and neither would any man who has made the comparison.”

The voice of newspaper writers at the time leaned in favor of buses over streetcars, but there were a few letters to the editor warning that Dallas would regret closing the streetcars when buses “hog the streets” and cause accidents. The Morning News also interviewed 90-year-old Irene Swink, the daughter of the original streetcar’s founder. Swink lived at 5803 Lewis in East Dallas. A streetcar had run down Matilda and turned on Lewis toward Greenville Avenue until around 1950.

“The passing of the streetcars? I don’t like it,” Swink told the newspaper. “I’ve ridden the bus, and I don’t like it. It’s a mistake!”

A 30-year-old streetcar led a parade of 44 brand-new buses from Oak Cliff to the car barn at Elm and Peak as a ceremonial last hurrah in January 1956. The car was filled with old-

timers who had been motormen in the heyday of streetcars, as well as thenmayor, Robert L. Thornton, according to news reports. John W. Carpenter, then the 75-year-old president of the Southland Life Insurance Co., also showed up in a limo for the parade. He told the news he had served as a motorman in Corsicana as a young man.

The streetcar ceased service at 2 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, 1956, but demand was so high for nostalgic rides that the company ran it back and forth across the Oak Cliff Viaduct later that day, giving four hours of free rides.

CARS SCRAPPED

The transit company disassembled and scrapped the streetcars for $100$150 each. Only one was spared, and it was entered into a raffle. The winner was 20-year-old Bobby Sliger of Cedar Hill, who was a messenger at the Oak Cliff Bank & Trust. He and his buddy, 18-year-old Joe Woods of Oak Cliff, had mimeographed their names onto entry blanks because the rules allowed for entering as many times as you wanted.

Sliger told the news he had no idea what to do with the 48-foot car, but he supposed he and Woods would sell it and split the money.

The old Dallas streetcar served the workers, errand-runners and adventure-seekers of Dallas for 84 years. When the Oak Cliff streetcar line to Bishop Arts opens this fall, 60 years after the end of the last line, it will run about 2 miles from downtown to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, with plans to expand it from Union Station to the convention center and eventually, Uptown.

But imagine it as that yellowand-white car pulled by Sam the white carriage horse. This is just the beginning, again. —RACHEL STONE

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