2018 July Oak Cliff

OAK CLIFF

INSIDE THE WOMEN’S EDITION

WINE AND SALTY PIG PARTS

THE BADDEST WOMEN AROUND

STICKING THE ENDING

We Get North Oak Cliff.

In North Oak Cliff, you need a proven professional to help you find just what you’re looking for. And as Dallas’ experts on our city’s close-in neighborhoods, no one gets Oak Cliff quite like we do. Buying? Selling? Call The Professionals at 214.526.5626 or visit davidgriffin.com.

We’re at home anywhere in the world. David Griffin & Company Realtors is a member of both Mayfair International Realty and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, so whether you’re looking to move across the street or across the globe, we can help. Learn more at davidgriffin.com or call 214.526.5626.

it’s ours.

Now Dallas women at every stage of life have a hospital that’s uniquely ours — where excellence meets elegance and healthcare is personalized just for us. It’s nice to know my daughter, my mother, my sisters, my friends and I can all expect the highest-quality, specialized care. And, it’s the only North Texas hospital with both a full-service children’s hospital and adult hospital in the same location.

Welcome to Medical City Women’s Hospital. It’s yours. It’s ours.

My Life. My Health. My Hospital.

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

ADVERTISING PH/214.560.4203

president: Rick Wamre

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office administrator: Judy Liles

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senior advertising consultant: Amy Durant

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senior advertising consultant: Kristy Gaconnier

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ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Sally Ackerman

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classified manager: Prio Berger

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marketing director: Sally Wamre

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EDITORIAL

publisher: Lisa Kresl

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editor-at-large: Keri Mitchell

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EDITORS:

Rachel Stone

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Elissa Chudwin

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Will Maddox

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Christian Welch

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digital manager: Jehadu Abshiro jabshiro@advocatemag.com

senior art director: Jynnette Neal

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designer: Ashley Drake

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designer: Emily Hulen Thompson, Emily Williams

contributors: Christina Hughes, George Mason, Brent McDougal

photo editor: Danny Fulgencio

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

contributing photographers: Mei-Chun Jau, Kathy Tran, interns: Allaire Kruse, Grace Valentine, Ashleigh Ekwenugo

Advocate, © 2018, is published monthly by East Dallas – Lakewood People Inc. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising material. Opinions set forth in the Advocate are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s viewpoint. More than 200,000 people read Advocate publications each month. Advertising rates and guidelines are available upon request. Advocate publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one copy per reader. Advocate was founded in 1991 by Jeff Siegel, Tom Zielinski and Rick Wamre.

ABOUT THE COVER

Artist Ricardo Angeles approached Jefferson Tower owner Jim Lake Cos. with a plan for this striking mural, which went up on the side of the tower in February.

OPENING REMARKS

By LISA KRESL

How to be a fierce female (ASKING FOR A FRIEND)

Fierce women deserve fierce treatment. Welcome to our all-female issue featuring page after page of inspiring women in our neighborhood.

A common theme in the interviews is advice these women would give to their younger selves: “Trust your instincts,” they said. “Don’t be so afraid.”

It’s the kind of advice you’d give your daughter — and expect her to heed — without listening to the advice yourself.

A Dallas Morning News colleague

frain from our featured fierce women.

I sometimes collapsed under the weight of it all.

My daughter, now a rising senior in college, confidently tells me that her Society of Women Engineers’ advisor recommends not to marry until she’s 30 for the optimum career path.

Life can surprise you.

On the journey to this issue, Roslyn Dawson Thompson, CEO of the Women’s Foundation, handed me the book, “What I Told My Daughter: Lessons from Leaders on Raising the Next Generation of Empowered Women.”

gave me this illustration 22 years ago. (Can’t you tell by the large size of the computer?) It was a work-place baby shower gift when I was expecting my first child, a daughter. I look like a confident editor in a male-dominated newsroom clueless about the work-life balancing act I was about to undertake.

I had practiced my daughter’s name while fake-answering the phone to make sure her name would sound like an authoritative CEO someday. But I didn’t anticipate that she would frequently be the last kid at after-school care. Or that I would cry in my mini van after delivering a dinner to a “family in need,” only to find a nanny with a bathed child at the door while my family of three waited at home for me — a mom with no plans on what to feed my own dependents for dinner.

Luckily, I found equality in a home with a beloved husband, a frequent re-

“As someone who has built a career on developing great storytellers, I believe every woman has an experience that can inspire and enlighten others,” writes editor Nina Tassler.

Here’s some of my favorite advice from the book:

Always be yourself.

Don’t be afraid to try new things.

Know that you can succeed but that you can fail without being a failure.

We become the women we are meant to be.

Madeleine Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, says it all: “When push comes to shove,” Albright wrote, “family always comes first.”

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

Illustration by Chris Morris

My family of three waited at home for me — a mom with no plans on what to feed my own dependents for dinner.

UP FRONT

JULY 14

BASTILLE DAY

Celebrate all things French with Go Oak Cliff starting at 6 p.m. Wine, crepes and other treats will be available for purchase.

Bishop Arts District, 400 N. Bishop Drive, bishopartsdistrict.com, free

7 things to do in Oak Cliff this July

JULY 6

FOSSIL FUN

The library offers

STEAM programming every Friday at 3 p.m.

On July 6 kids ages 6-11 can learn about fossils and how to make their own. Free snacks.

North Oak

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

JULY 7 AND 14

SAFARI NIGHTS

Bring chairs and blankets to enjoy an outdoor concert at the zoo. Ice House performs July 7, and the O’s on July 14. The concerts are free with zoo admission and start at 7 p.m. Dallas Zoo, 650

S. R.L. Thornton Freeway, dallaszoo. com, $12-$15

JULY 11

LEGO DAY

Bring the whole family to build things with Legos from 3-4 p.m. Hampton-Illinois Library, 2951 S. Hampton Road, 214.670.7646, dallaslibrary.com, free.

JULY 16

BOOK CLUB EN

ESPAÑOL

This month’s installment of Spanish book club focuses on Fernanda Melchor’s “Aquí no es Miami.” The club meets at 7:30 p.m. The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth, thewilddetectives. com, $10

JULY 21

DOUG BURR

This Denton-based singer/songwriter performs a backyard show starting at 7 p.m.

The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth, thewilddetectives. com, $10

JULY 28

LERA LYNN

This Nashville-based singer/songwriter releases her duets album, “Plays Well with Others” on June 22. She lights up the Kessler starting at 8:30 p.m. Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $18+

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

CHIC, DURABLE, DO-GOODER

Conscious consumerism meets tote-bag venture

Story by RACHEL STONE I Photos by DANNY FULGENCIO

Alisha Stephens, left, and Ruby Hunt quickly became business partners after striking up a friendship at a meditation class in Oak Cliff.

oakcliff .advocatemag.com JULY

They met at meditation in Beckley Club Estates and started having coffee together.

Ruby Hunt and Alisha Stephens both have degrees in international business. They’re both entrepreneur-minded globetrotters who believe that business can be a force for good.

And they’re creative on top of that.

Stephens works for a biotechnology company but also has a 6-year-old nonprofit that raises money for schools in Uganda. Hunt works for the Dallas Museum of Art but previously co-owned a jewelry line called Bella & Chloe.

It didn’t take long before they were working on a business plan.

“We want to spend the rest of our lives doing something meaningful that has an impact,” Stephens says. “And also be able to express our creativity.”

They launched Pacha, which makes high-end canvas bags, this past spring.

All of the bags — leather-handled totes and zippered pouches in two sizes — are made of waxed canvas. The material is sourced in Houston from a woman who applies Texas beeswax by hand. The leather and other fabrics all come from American suppliers.

the patterns from Hunt’s and Stevens’ drawings. They designed their big tote, the Atlas, with a pocket that holds a MacBook, rings to attach keys and pockets for phones and keys.

“You don’t want a big bag that you’re eternally digging through,” Hunt says.

They’re going for function and durability with a classic look. This isn’t disposable fashion.

“So often, we don’t know what the conditions are in the places where our clothes are made,” Stephens says. “We know where every piece of that [bag] came from.”

Vickery Trading Co., a Dallas-based nonprofit that employs refugee women (they also pay the living wage and teach life skills), manufactures the bags. The skilled workers there even made

The Pacha Atlas tote costs $96, and the pouches cost $22 and $32. They’ve pledged 1 percent of their annual sales to 1% For The Planet, which raises funds for environmentally sustainable initiatives.

So far, Pacha bags are available at Beatnik in Oak Cliff and online at shoppacha.com.

The material is sourced in Houston from a woman who applies Texas beeswax by hand.

All of Pacha’s bags are made of waxed canvas and leather sourced in the United States. The Atlas tote, above, retails for $96. The zippered pouches, left, cost $32 and $22.

By RACHEL STONE

Photos by KATHY TRAN

Susan Melnick has been matching discerning sellers and home buyers for more than 30 years. A longtime Kessler Park resident, she’s not only a really good neighbor, she and her team are thereal estate pros in North Oak Cliff. Call Susan at 214.460.5565. Email SMelnick@virginiacook.com or visit SusanMelnick.com.

Paloma Hinahon lives near everyone’s favorite East Dallas Italian grocery, Jimmy’s Food Store.

“I go in there occasionally to buy a bottle of wine, and I used to kind-of Russian roulette it,” she says. “Now I know every single thing about every single wine down the whole aisle.”

That’s because Hinahon and her boss, Jennifer Uygur, recently took an intense eight-week course to receive certification as Italian wine professionals.

Uygur is largely self-taught but she’s been in the wine business for years. Hinahon is a newcomer.

“On the first day, Jennifer was like, ‘This is really hard!’ ”Hinahon says. “There was never a point in the course where I was like, ‘I got this.’ ”

Learning all of the wine-growing regions of Italy and where they are located, the names of the grapes (and how to pronounce them), and all the wines took serious study.

DID YOU KNOW: Macellaio is Italian for “butcher.”

They made flashcards to drill each other during their downtime. They made up mnemonic devices: Umbria is in the center of Italy, like a belly button so, umbilical cord.

They’re wine nerds.

Lucia opened seven and a half years ago serving hand-made pasta and salumi in a 32-seat Bishop Arts restaurant where reservations are needed a month in advance.

Owners Jennifer and David Uygur, who live in Winnetka Heights, recently opened their second restaurant, Macellaio, around the corner on Bishop at Melba. The new place specializes in salumi and diverges from pure Italian with French and Spanish influences. It’s more casual and has 55 seats inside and 19 seats at the bar.

“With Macellaio open, it’s nice to know

that Paloma can step in and do my job,” she says. “Not only is she great with guests, she now has a deep knowledge of the wines.”

Hinahon and Uygur are two of a handful of certified Italian wine specialists in Dallas; only one of the others is a woman.

Some people consider the wine business to be male dominated, Hinahon says. But that hasn’t been her experience. All of her wine mentors are women.

“This was my first foray into wine in general, and now I want to keep going and get all the certificates,” she says. “It’s something I want to pursue and be a part of.”

LUCIA

Ambience: Rustic Italian romance

Price range: $20-$35

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5:30-10 p.m.

Address: 408 W. Eighth St. 214.948.4998 luciadallas.com

Paloma Hinahon, left, and Jennifer Uygur cheers. They studied for months to become certified Itaian wine professionals.

Q&A with an Oak Cliff-loving surgeon

We sat down with Susannah Hambright to find out about her practice and what she loves about our neighborhood.

Dr. Susannah M. Hambright is an Oak Cliff resident and surgeon at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. We interviewed Dr. Hambright to find out what makes her tick and how she wound up working and living in our neighborhood.

Why Oak Cliff for work and home?

Oak Cliff picked me. I’m a Michigan native but did my surgical residency training at Methodist Dallas. When I moved back to Dallas after fellowship training, I knew that Oak Cliff was the neighborhood I wanted my family to be in. We recently bought our first home here.

You specialize in general surgery and Hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) surgery. What is HBP, and what drew you to it?

HPB means liver (hepato), pancreatic and biliary surgery. It pertains to cancers and benign conditions of the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. I was drawn to this field both by the complexity of the cases, and the hope a surgical option can bring to patients. I also love general surgery and its variety of cases, including hernias, most of which can be repaired robotically.

What are your favorite neighborhood causes?

We donate to local elementary schools and support community events, including Dash for the Beads.

What steered you to medicine?

I’m fascinated with the human body. I did human

genetics research initially, but it took months for results. I wanted something more rewarding. I studied undergrad at the University of Michigan, med school at the University of Toledo, surgical training at Methodist Dallas, HPB Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. I knew I wanted to come back here.

Your affiliations are through Methodist Health System. Why Methodist?

I met wonderful colleagues here during my surgical training. I’m now the skills lab director for the residents coming up in the program.

Does medicine run in your family?

I’m the first. My Dad jokingly said: “Are you sure you want to do that? That’s a lot of loans. How about being a dentist?”

Tell us about your family.

I met my husband, Greg, also a general surgeon, at Methodist during my residency. I am a step-mom to two sweet and fun kids.

Where do you hang out in Oak Cliff?

Tillman’s, PhD’s, Nova, and Imagionaire Salon. Shoutout to my hairstylist Stephanie! I was there right before this interview getting my hair done.

What do you love most about Oak Cliff?

The sense of community with its small-town feel and Downtown views. I also don’t mind my eight-minute commute to work.

When should someone call your office?

If you feel you have any general surgical needs, please call the office for a consultation. We can see most new patients within 48 hours.

For a consultation with Susannah Hambright call 972.298.2138 or visit methodistsurgicalassociates.com

“We donate to local elementary schools and support community events, including the Dash for the Beads.”

Methodist Dallas Medical Center surgeon Susannah Hambright lives in Oak Cliff and enjoys spending time in the Bishop Arts District when she’s not working with patients.

Photo by Ralph DiFronzo.

FIERCE

Story by RACHEL STONE and ELISSA CHUDWIN

Photos by DANNY FULGENCIO

Entrepreneurs. Game-changers. Adventurers. Risk-takers.

allas helped Erica Felicella reconnect to her artist self.

Originally from New Hampshire, she moved to Dallas 18 years ago to be near her sister.

“Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Felicella, who lives in Beckley Club Estates, was part of the original Art Conspiracy fundraiser in 2005 and served until recently as executive director of the fundraising nonprofit that it blossomed into.

She’s a performance artist, currently working on a piece that she’s secretive about but says it will involve herself and 20 other people, asking, “Can a community of strangers come together and work as one and create a path and trail-blaze?”

She is a curator, serves on nonprofit boards, is a consultant to arts incubator the Cedars Union and sits on the steering committee for the city’s arts plan.

Felicella, a community builder, attributes some of that to a passion for coffee.

“If anyone asks me to have coffee and talk about life, I take the meeting,” she says. “I’ve met some people who I might not have met. The direction my life has gone in is all thanks to coffee.”

Her third place after home and work: I’m at home lately at Full City Rooster during the day. The Cedars has become a hangout of mine. I grew up in a small town, so I feel really at home in Oak Cliff.

The scariest thing she’s overcome: Every day. I talk about mental health being an important part of my work and that’s because I have many struggles of my own. There isn’t a single day that I don’t wake up afraid, but I get up and do it every day. I’ve always been the girl who likes to stand backstage, and in the past decade I’ve had to come into the light. I’m an accidental leader. I’m a public speaker that can hardly call in a to-go order.

The best advice she’s received: One of my favorites is “Do it anyway.” An old studio mate always said, “Say yes and panic later.” That’s taken me to so many places. And “take risks,” because it’s worth it.

Her advice for others: Listen. Don’t make it about yourself.

What she’s proud of: I found a way to make

FELICELLA

work life. I’m proud of where Dallas has gone in the creative community and what it’s turning into. When I first moved here, we only had a small number of openings to go to once a month, and it was all the same people. Of course, I wasn’t here during the time of the Oak Cliff Five and all that. I can only speak to how it was in the early 2000s. There were a lot of jaded artists, but there was this bubble that was just going to continue to grow. Over the years, Dallas has just become a great place for artists to live and work. If you want to get it done here, all you have to do is ask. There’s not a lot of communities where that’s the case. It’s welcoming, and you just know that an artist has your back.

How she chooses volunteers: I look for people that need a community, people that have that little glimmer of passion. You know you can nurture

that, feed it and watch them grow. On the nonprofits she supports: It’s been a pleasure to watch Foundation 45 grow into a nonprofit. Anita Martinez Ballet Folklorico and what they bring to the community. Cry Havoc Theater Co. [founded by Oak Cliff resident Mara Richards Bim]. What she’s doing is off–the-charts amazing. I’m proud of the nonprofits that create big impact with smaller budgets.

How she would like to be remembered: Believer in community, defender of community, somebody who listened.

The biggest problem facing our neighborhood: If we can be sure that we don’t lose our identity in this process because we’re going through massive change. Remember the past and stay true to the future. That’s a hard line to travel.

Oak Cliff, O!

FAZ-GARZA

felia Faz-Garza left her career in the nonprofit sector about five years ago, even though she loved it.

“After almost 20 years of work, I wasn’t seeing a lot of change,” she says. “There are some great nonprofits in Dallas, but they tend to do things the way they’ve always been done.”

But the change helped her turn a corner in community service work.

The mother of three daughters, she started a book club for girls called Semillitas. She created a collective for writers of color called El Tallercito, which is planning a workshop for late summer.

She started a cooperative space called the Meet Shop, which received a grant from the City of Dallas and rented a small building in Elmwood for writers, artists, performers and community groups. The Meet Shop lost its lease recently, but they still do pop-ups at coffee shops and other places.

Her most recent project is Arte Local. Funded through the City of Dallas, it is a series of artist-led workshops at Lida Hooe Elementary. The monthly workshops are free and open to the public. Her third place after home and work: Maroches Bakery. I’m

hooked on his cookies. Plus, he hosts a lot of community events.

Her image of the Oak Cliff: There are two faces to Oak Cliff. There’s the Bishop Arts District, what a lot of people consider the cleaned-up Oak Cliff. You hear people say, “Oh, there was nothing here before.” Hearing that is triggering for me. And then there’s the real Oak Cliff, the Oak Cliff that I grew up with. The panaderías, the quince shops, the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that are owned by people who still live here. I know they kind of overlap. I’m almost defensive about Oak Cliff because this feels like home and family.

What she’s proud of: That I’m able to juggle home and work because work doesn’t feel like work for me. The work that I’m doing is so that I can create the world I feel my children deserve. I feel privileged to work around my children’s schedule, and I’m proud that I can do that.

The most challenging thing she’s overcome: Self-doubt. That’s something that I still work on all the time. Dallas is a segregated city. I’m first generation. My parents are immigrants. We were the first Mexicans on the block, and we didn’t speak English. Our house was egged. I remember being at the grocery store and hearing people say, “You wetbacks need to go home.” I was the oldest, and I was the family translator. I had to translate a lot of things to my parents that were unpleasant. I grew up feeling “other” and that this wasn’t my home and that I don’t belong. But I do have a place here, and I do have something to contribute. I know who I am, and I know where I come from, so good luck getting me to shut up now.

The best advice she’s received: I did a workshop with Sylvana Alonzo, [who founded Oak Cliff Coalition for the Arts], and she said, “If you write, you’re a writer. Claim it.” And I have.

The best gift she’s received: My children. At the end of the day, everything I do is to create the world that I think they deserve and that I think other children deserve.

Her greatest influence: My mom. I come from strong women. My mom was undocumented when she came, pregnant with me. And I saw how hard she worked. She has metastatic cancer, and she’s still trucking along.

Advice for her younger self: Do you without worrying what others say or think. I spent a good part of my life playing nice and being who others expected me to be. I’ll never get those missed experiences back.

The biggest problem facing our community: Housing and the fact that people are being pushed out. It’s becoming the hot spot. And that’s great. But not when people are being pushed out, and people can’t afford to be here.

MATHIS

ive years, two boobs, two separate cases of breast cancer. Doctors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center had treated Sheri Mathis for breast cancer in 2007 with a lumpectomy, radiation and five years of the breastcancer prevention drug Tamoxifen. Then a mammogram in 2012 found that she had breast cancer again. This was a new case on the other side, not a recurrence of the previous cancer.

She opted for a double mastectomy.

Mathis and her two sisters all were diagnosed with breast cancer in their 40s, though their mother didn’t have it, and they don’t have the known breastcancer genes.

Mammograms saved their lives.

Since her initial diagnosis, Mathis has been dedicated to raising money to fund mammograms for women who couldn’t otherwise afford them.

She started with Volley for a Cure, a volleyball tournament at the Canterbury Episcopal School, where her children attended. When she took a job with Good Space Inc. about five years ago, she started Shop, Eat, Drink, Pink, an annual Bishop Arts District fundraiser.

She recently started a new nonprofit, Mammogram Poster Girls, with real estate maven Amanda Lake. Mammogram Poster Girls throws dinner parties with local chefs to raise money for breast cancer early detection.

Over the years, Mathis has raised more than $175,000, all given for the cause to Methodist Charlton Medical Center.

Her third place after home and work: Tiny Victories, just because you see everybody, from 21 to 70s and 80s, coming in there. And Nova. Her favorite image of the neighborhood: When I walk with my grandchildren to Annie Stevens Park. Just hanging out and watching how much fun they have at a place where I live. That was one of my first fundraising projects. I was on the Stevens Park Neighborhood Association board. It makes me happy that my grandchildren play on the same equipment that my kids played on. Accomplishment she’s most proud of: I’ve kept all three children alive at this point. But they’ve also taken initiative and are making their way in the world.

The most challenging thing she’s overcome: Losing my mother [who died the same week as one of Mathis’ major surgeries]. When you lose your mother, you lose your anchor. The scariest is that my mother was a bit of a hoarder. She was a keeper of memories and things. My biggest fear was having to go through her house, which is exactly what we did, and decide what stayed, what went. And we kept the important stuff. We kept the letters and mementos. But you can’t keep everything.

The best advice she’s ever received: Don’t give up. Never give up.

The best gift she’s received: My grandchildren. The gift of a second chance. Second to that would be when I got new boobs and a tummy tuck on my birthday.

Her greatest influence: My mother, for both the good and the bad. I would never be like her or I want to be like her, depending on the time.

What she looks for in volunteers: People with a passion for our mission, and doers. I don’t need any figureheads. I need hands-on people. We always need help. [Call her at 214.908.8741 to volunteer].

Advice for her younger self: Worry less. Same advice I would give to my older self, and I’m not very good at worrying less.

On the local nonprofits she supports: Methodist Hospitals of Dallas Guild, the Methodist Healthcare Foundation, Rosemont Early Childhood PTA and Rosemont Elementary, Reagan Elementary.

How she relaxes: On a raft in the pool slathered with SPF 30.

The biggest problem facing our neighborhood: How to best grow and not lose who we are. And, of course, I work for a developer. I’ve been here when we didn’t have a grocery store or a restaurant, but we also don’t want to outgrow ourselves.

COLEMAN WASH

hen Bishop Arts Theatre Center struggled, its founder, Teresa Coleman Wash, turned to the community.

The theater’s building on South Tyler Street had been donated to her theater company, TeCo, which she started in Atlanta in 1993. Her nonprofit had taken out $500,000 in construction loans to renovate it. Heritage Oak Cliff funded a marquee for the building.

But Wash was unsure how to fill those shiny, new seats.

She went to see famed arts administrator Michael Kaiser speak at the Latino Cultural Center.

“He said, ‘Sick people don’t get well by doing less. Now is the time for you to connect with your community.’ ”

So the company held focus groups to find out what the community wanted.

That’s how the theater’s successful jazz series came about as well as the summer theater camp, which now has a waiting list.

The theater gives a voice to marginalized playwrights, women and people of color. And it brings to light overlooked parts of society with plays such as “Black at the Assassination,” an oral historybased work about the day of the JFK assassination in Dallas, and “In the Tall Grass,” British playwright Paul Kalburgi’s play about Shade Schuler, a 22-year-old transgender woman from Dallas whose decomposed body was found in a field in the Medical District in July 2015.

The scariest thing she’s had to overcome: Having this building donated to us. I had never been a half a million dollars in debt. But that’s been 10 years ago. And we’ve won awards for demonstrating exemplary management. It was scary, but I was grateful for the opportunity because a lot of theater companies don’t own their space. We have autonomy to do whatever we want, and most theater companies don’t have that.

What she looks for in employees: I’m always looking for people who are smarter than me. I want to lead from behind.

The best advice she’s received: Connect to the community. Nonprofits exist to serve the community. This theater would not be here if not for that. I think that’s the secret to our success. I want the staff and the board to reflect the community that we serve. And I think that’s why our audience is so diverse. Because we are intentional about making sure that the community is reflected on stage.

The best gift she’s received: The gift of forgiveness. What I love about my board of directors is that they’ve allowed me to fail. You have to take risks, be allowed to fail and get back up again.

Her greatest influence: My mom. I watched her balance work and home life. She did it so effortlessly. I don’t remember my mom not

being able to attend a pageant or anything I did. I think, “How did she make that look so easy?” Now that I’m a wife and mom I realize how difficult it is for women to be all things to all people. She never had a breakdown. She held everything together and was always gracious. Advice for her your younger self: This thing of taking risks. I wish I had done it earlier. I wish I hadn’t been afraid to fail earlier.

Advice for others: Have a thick skin and be your own cheerleader. I’m always second-guessing myself. Often, we compare ourselves to other people and feel we’re not worthy. But the fact that we’ve been invited into a space validates that we are supposed to be exactly where we are. I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild Foundation of America, and I’m sitting there with Pulitzer Prizewinning playwrights. But every experience is valuable. My voice is incredibly valued because I’m bringing a different perspective. It’s not one-size-fits-all. You have to trust the process.

On the nonprofits she supports: The Well Community. I’ve been a member of the Oak Cliff Lions Club since 2007. The Family Place. We partner with the Promise House to bring in teens to see some of the shows that we’re doing. Big Thought are our partners.

On work-life balance: Nobody gets my cell phone. I don’t respond to work emergencies after 5 p.m. That’s why I hire creative problem solvers. I don’t call my employees after hours, and they don’t call me. I seldom look at my cell phone when I’m in the office. I don’t take meetings that aren’t scheduled. I run this theater like a corporation runs a bank. It’s important to set boundaries, especially for women, because we’re expected to answer to everything all the time, and who can do that?

Who she’d have dinner with if she could: Michelle Obama. That woman is grace under fire.

How she’d like to be remembered: As someone who decreased so that others can increase. I would like to be remembered as someone who made a corner of the world better because of my involvement.

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

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

CLANCY

fter two Half Ironman triathlons, Melanie Clancy wondered why she was dividing her training efforts instead of focusing on her strength: cycling. Now, the former University of Texas softball player competes in road and gravel races. Clancy, the content director at Roka, got her start in media at ESPN.com, where she covered rodeo and bass fishing.

How she started cycling: I had not ridden a bike since I was a kid. My husband, at the time my boyfriend, was super into cycling and triathlons. He kept telling me I’d be really good. He kept telling me, “You’re muscular. You have the build.” The only reason I rode was to spend more time with him. He’d leave on a Saturday morning and be gone for hours on end.

On making the change: It reminded me of what it takes to succeed in softball as a hitter. You’re constantly reading pitches and running scenarios in your mind. Cycling stoked my competitive fire, but it also brought in the intelligence. Last year I did well, but this year I started winning.

Her third place after home and work: Eno’s. We’re in the Mug Club, which is a big deal. You can find us at the bar at Eno’s. The first place we went when we got home from Peru was Eno’s. They were like, “We thought you guys were dead. We haven’t seen you in two weeks.”

What attracted her to journalism: When I was in high school, I would tell everybody I was going to become managing editor of Rolling Stone. I just always knew. I love to tell stories. When I can marry telling stories with the sports I’m passionate about, it couldn’t be more perfect.

Her biggest athletic accomplishments: Probably finishing my second Half Ironman. There were so many elements that required so much, from

conquering fear in the open-water swim to cycling and then running a half marathon afterward. I think of myself as a very average runner. I was cramping. It was so hot. The training had taken so much of my life that just to finish was emotional. I won La Primavera Lago Vista bike race. That was great. It ended in an uphill sprint, and I won by half a bike length. It was the equivalent of hitting a walk-off home run. I won the Tour of Corsicana. How she unwinds after a race: I’m a big fan of the post-race beer.

On pushing past the wall: When the negative thoughts creep in, I try to turn them into positive statements. You have to fight back the doubt. You have to convince yourself that you will win the race. That’s what keeps me going in the tough moments.

The best advice she’s been given: My parents used to tell me growing up that it doesn’t matter how you finished if you worked as hard as you could. I try to do that in work and sport. The one thing I can control is to work hard and the rest will play out as it’s supposed to.

On discrimination in sports and at work: In cycling, there’s always the battle of the sexes. Some guys, like my husband, don’t care. They love to see women do well. Then you have this experience called “getting chicked” when a female cyclist passes a male cyclist, and he just can’t handle it. He’s got to speed up and tries to hang with you. It’s obnoxious. I try to handle that by turning up the dial to 11 and reminding them why they got passed in the first place. I’ve definitely been in situations where I felt like men seem to be getting promoted at a faster rate for no reason. I try to handle it by being well-prepared and having this belief that cream rises to the top, eventually, if you’re patient.

How she unwinds: My husband and I camp quite a bit. We really like trying the latest microbrewery. I love to read.

Who she’d invite to dinner: Hillary Clinton. Has any woman ever been through the stereotypical sexist discrimination that she’s been through?

SPOOF LIFE

Story

The Oak Cliff studio that gave us ‘How It Should Have Ended’

by RACHEL STONE | Photo by DANNY FULGENCIO oakcliff

T’challa saves the world and uses Vibranium to build Batman and Superman a new café.

This is “How It Should Have Ended,” the YouTube series of animated videos that scores millions and millions of views.

Each video is five-to-eight minutes long, entirely written, performed and animated in Oak Cliff.

The woman behind How It Should Have Ended, HISHE for short, is Tina Alexander.

Alexander and business partner Daniel Baxter started the franchise for fun in 2005.

Just out of college, they had been making live-action short films with a few friends, but those friends got too busy, so they started thinking of a film project that just the two of them could do.

“We went to see ‘Flight of the Phoenix’ and were just laughing about how it should’ve ended more realistically,” Alexander says. “We’ve actually never done a cartoon on that movie.”

The cartoons employ digital puppetry and heavy doses of sarcasm.

Initially HISHE hosted the videos on their own website. The first three were “The Matrix,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “Star Wars: A New Hope.”

One of them landed on the website Slashdot, and the HISHE website crashed because they couldn’t afford enough bandwidth to handle all the traffic.

That was 13 years ago.

Since then the company has produced

as the recent “Oceans Over 40” video, and the ongoing bit with Batman and Superman arguing in a café.

“It was really funny in the beginning because a lot of fans were like, ‘They can’t be in the same universe!’ ” she says. “We hardly ever get that comment any more.”

The café bit led to the Villain Pub, “where everybody hates your face.”

The company’s deadlines start as soon as trailers and movies are released.

more than 300 videos. They now employ three full-time and five part-time people, and they recently purchased a small Bishop Arts office building, all by making Youtube videos.

Alexander produces, writes and does some of the voices. Baxter voices most of the characters and does some of the animation. They all pitch ideas and jokes.

About 200 of the company’s videos are How It Should Have Ended. Most of the rest are spoofs of movie trailers, such

When a new movie comes out — particularly movies based on comic books, Star Wars and other blockbusters — the whole How It Should Have Ended crew goes to see it twice. The first viewing is for pleasure. The second viewing is for taking notes and brainstorming.

They first write a fatty script to get all of their ideas down and then trim it down to something they can produce in three-to-five weeks. They spend two weeks on art and then the voice actors start recording. They contract with a composer who makes a score that is recognizable but just different enough from the original to avoid copyright infringement.

The videos are protected from copy-

“Most of the movies we do, we love. We’re fans. It’s all in good humor.”

Opposite page: Tina Alexander in the How It Should Have Ended offices in the Bishop Arts District. She and business partner Daniel Baxter started the franchise in 2005. Below: Baxter does some of the animation and most of the voices.

right infringement because they are parody. But music has gotten them into trouble before.

In the “Frozen” How It Should Have Ended, they used a snip of the song “Let It Go,” and Disney stepped in. The whole thing worked out amicably, and the new version instead says, “Where’d it go … that other song is gone.”

How It Should Have Ended is very popular with people under 22 years old, and a majority of their viewers are male.

But they’re also popular with Hollywood types.

The directors of the movies they spoof often retweet them.

“I think it does nothing but help promote their brands,” Alexander says. “Most of the movies we do, we love. We’re fans. It’s all in good humor. We’re not trying to be mean. It’s more about having fun than being critical.”

In 2015, they launched HISHEkids.com, where popular videos include a psychedelic funk version of “Wheels on the Bus,” and the “Fixed Fairy Tales” series, which is basically How It Should Have Ended for classic fairy tales.

Alexander says she thinks “nerd culture” and the proliferation of movies based on comic books made the channel’s popularity possible. The “Black Panther” spoof is one of their biggest of all time.

“The bigger the movie,” she says, “the bigger the spoof.”

Contact: Brian Muth at 214. 339.6561 or admissions@bdcs.org.

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

By BRENT M C DOUGAL

Y’all come eat

There’s enough for everyone

There’s an old story about a crazy-eyed prophet named Elijah and a widow and her son. When a deadly famine came upon the land, God told Elijah to find a widow who would give him water and food. Elijah arrives to learn that there’s only enough oil and flour for one more meal before they die. The widow feeds the prophet anyway, and because of her generosity, the oil and the flour miraculously never run out (1 Kings 17:15-16).

It’s a troubling story that could be used by religious leaders to take advantage of suffering widows or others in desperation. But at its core, it’s a story about hope and God and abundance.

Some days it feels like the oil and flour are nearly out. While the stock market is skyrocketing and unemployment is the lowest in decades, still, according to the North Texas Food Bank, one in four children in our region lives without reliable access to enough food.

Sometimes it seems there is more than enough; sometimes it seems it’s not even close. There’s not enough time, not enough money, not enough margin. We can’t give more to help those in need — what if we don’t have enough for ourselves? Consumerism teaches that we swim in scarcity, which is why we need to work longer hours or buy one more thing to make us happy.

Scarcity or abundance. Which is it?

I recently heard Reverend Traci Blackmon, a pastor near Ferguson, Missouri, pose an alternative. Stop asking is there too little or too much? And instead ask, is there enough? Our shared reality suggests not abundance or scarcity, but sufficiency.

Sufficiency recognizes that together, there is enough; we are enough. We

don’t always believe in abundance, and scarcity dominates our public discourse. But we can all agree that there’s enough — for full stomachs, for healing, for peace.

After Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, protests grew heated. Tensions bubbled over as police presence increased and hundreds of people swarmed the streets.

Cathy “Mama Cat” Daniels pulled her van into Blackmon’s church parking lot one Sunday afternoon. She wasn’t a churchgoer. Without a word, Mama Cat took out two folding tables and spread tablecloths, then laid out utensils and paper products. Last of all she produced two steaming, industrial-sized pots of spaghetti.

Then she turned to the crowd and said, “Y’all come eat, and bring the others.”

All were welcome. Protestors, police, grieving friends, grandmothers and gang members, every hue and shade of humanity. Everyone had a place at Mama Cat’s table, and the food was enough — sufficient. Since 2014, Daniels has served a hot meal nearly every Sunday afternoon to anyone who is hungry.

We get to make the world we live in. Miracles of sufficiency happen in everyday ways. Don’t be afraid to open your pantry or closet or wallet to share what you have, because someone needs what you have more than you do.

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

WORSHIP

BAPTIST

CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / 214.942.8601

Serving Oak Cliff since 1898 / CliffTemple.org / English and Spanish

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

ROYAL LANE BAPTIST CHURCH / 6707 Royal Lane / 214.361.2809

Christian Education 9:45 a.m. / Worship Service 10:55 a.m.

Pastor - Rev. Dr. Michael L. Gregg / www.royallane.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

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

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

TACLB29169E

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

BUY/SELL/TRADE

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

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

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

CLASSES/TUTORING/LESSONS

PIANO/MUSIC LESSONS. TRY IT FOR FREE 30 Yrs. Exp. Call Tim 214-577-7497

CLEANING SERVICES

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

TWO SISTERS & A MOP MAID SERVICE Reliable Quality Work.Best Rates. 23 Yrs. Exp. 214-283-9732

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

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

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

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

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

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

EMPLOYMENT

25 TRUCK DRIVERS TRAINEES NEEDED Earn $1,000 Per Week.Paid CDL Training. Stevens Transport Covers All Costs 1-877-209-1309. drive4stevens.com

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

AVON AGENTS WANTED StartAvon.com. Reference Code; CHASKIN

EVENTS

ST. ANN’S ALUMNI & LITTLE FRIENDS OF MEXICO

Eighth Annual Scholarship

Dinner/Dance & Silent Auction

JULY 14TH, 2018 6 P.M. -12 A.M.

The Double Tree by Hilton • Campbell Centre 8250 N. Central Expressway, D,TX 75206 Call Leanor Billareal 214-823-7275

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

AMBASSADOR FENCE INC. EST.96

Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks Ambassadorfenceco.com 214-621-3217

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

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

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

WOODMASTER CARPENTRY 214-507-9322 Quality Wood Fences & Decks. New or Repair.

Northlake Fence and Deck

Locally owned and operated by the Mccaffrey family since1980

214-349-9132

www northlakefence.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

CALL EMPIRE TODAY To Schedule A Free In -Home Estimate On Carpeting & Flooring. 1-800-508-2824

FENN CONSTRUCTION Manufactored hardwoods. Stone and Tile. Back-splash Specials. 214-343-4645

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

GARAGE SERVICES

IDEAL GARAGE DOORS • 972-757-5016

Install & Repair. 10% off to military/1st responders.

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

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

PRO WINDOW CLEANING

prompt, dependable. Matt 214-766-2183

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

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

HOME REPAIR HANDYMAN Small/Big Jobs + Construction. 30 Yrs. Exp. Steve. 214-875-1127

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

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical.469-658-9163

HOME SECURITY

SAFES For Guns, Home or Business. We Offer a Large Selection Plus Consultation & In-Home Delivery. Visit Our Showroom. 972-272-9788 thesafecompany.com

HOUSE PAINTING

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

JUNK REMOVAL

JUNK LEADERS Complete Junk/Trash Removal Service. junkleaders.com 903-742-5865

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

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

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

Granite, Quartz, Marble For Kitchen/Bath-Free Est. stoneage.brandee@gmail.com 940-465-6980

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

PET SERVICES

BRUNO’S PLACE A d-i-y dog wash in Oak Cliff. Variety of Cowboys apparel & more. 262-427-8667

THE PET DIVAS Pet Sitting, Daily Dog Walks, In Home/Overnight Stays.Basic Obedience Training. thepetdivas.com 817-793-2885. Insured

PLUMBING

AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943

M&S PLUMBING Quality Work & Prompt Service. Jerry. 214-235-2172. lic.#M-11523

REMODELING

INTEX CONSTRUCTION Specializing in int/ext. Remodel. 30 Yrs Exp. Steve Graves 214-875-1127

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 17 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com

214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS

renovatedallas.com

214-403-7247

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

SERVICES FOR YOU

A PLACE FOR MOM The Nation’s Largest Senior Living Referral Service. Contact Our Trusted Local Experts Today. Our Service is Free/No Obligation. 1-844-722-7993

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CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED DIGITAL CLASSIFIED ADS

Online ads have long been a part of our classifieds, but we at Advocate magazine are always looking for ways to improve. What’s new? Our digital ads now include photos and logos of companies. Plus, they are searchable on Google.

SERVICES FOR YOU

EARTHLINK HIGHSPEED INTERNET As Low As $14.95/month.(first 3 months) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology Stream Videos, Music & More. 1-855-520-7938

GLORIA’S FLOWERS We Deliver The Finest Flowers for Any Occasion. 3101 Davis St. 214-339-9273 gloriasflowersdallas.com

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SKYLIGHTS

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

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

POOLS

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996

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

GREEN LOVE HOMES Turnkey

Renovations,Kitchens, Baths, Floors, Windows. Free Estimates. greenlovehomes.com 214-864-2444

Support your neighborhood by contacting these local companies, who are ready to help you with home and professional services, tutoring, lessons and more.

Pull up our oakcliff.advocatemag.com, then click on the Marketplace tab. Search the category that you want, then start contacting local services. Thanks for supporting our classified section.

classifieds.advocatemag.com

REMODELING

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions Complete Renovations • Kitchens/Baths

214-341-1155 bobmcdonaldco.net

SERVICES FOR YOU

DIRECT TV SELECT PACKAGE Over 150 Channels. Only $35/month (for 12 months) Get a $200 AT&T Visa Rewards Gift Card (some restrictions apply) 1-855-781-1565

DISH NETWORK. $59.99 For 190 Channels. $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation. Smart HD DVR Included. Free Voice Remote. Some Restrictions Apply. 1-855-837-9146

SHOWCASE YOUR SPACE

972-985-1700

Call AUG. DEADLINE JULY 11 214.560.4203 TO ADVERTISE IT DOESN’T GET MORE LOCAL THAN THIS. GO ONLINE FOR VALUABLE SERVICES NEAR YOU. CLICK MARKETPLACE AT ADVOCATEMAG.COM 28 oakcliff .advocatemag.com JULY 2018

THREE YEARS, $1 MILLION, FIVE SCIENCE LABS, COLLEGE ACCREDITATION

And now their science labs are accredited to offer dual-credit classes.

“We can do real science and real service if we have adequate, nicely designed facilities, and that’s what we’re putting in,” Palmer says. The donors are:

The Haggerty Foundation: $350,000

The Hillcrest Foundation: $50,000

The Staubach Family Foundation: $15,000

Rauch Foundation: $5000

Bishop Dunne class of 1975: $10,000

The Rees-Jones Foundation: $100,000

The Gollob family: $100,000

The Catholic Foundation: $70,000

St. Anne Catholic Parish: $5,000

raises most of its annual grant funds through its fall home tour.

Bishop Dunne Catholic School president Kate Dailey wanted her students to be able to receive college credit through courses taken in the school’s own science labs.

After a $6-million upgrade to the 1961 school building in 2015, the private school near Kiest Park applied to Texas Community Colleges’ dual credit program, but they were turned down.

“This, of course, was very disappointing,” Dailey says. “But it also really activated us into making sure that we got this done.”

The cost to upgrade the five science labs to college-level standards came to almost $1 million.

Once science department chair Roger Palmer and other teachers assessed the needs of the five labs, then Dailey, advancement director Lydia Torrez and communications director Allie Daus worked together nonstop for three years to receive financial commitments from fourteen sources.

As a result, the school has been able to upgrade all of its science labs; three of them are done already, and the other two will be finished by the start of the school year.

Grants from the Haggerty Foundation allowed the school to focus on chemistry labs, which improved students’ scores on the AP chemistry exam. A grant from the Rees-Jones Foundation made possible an animal health and wellness class, which they hope will steer more students toward veterinary medicine.

The school holds an annual STEM conference called Geotech that has drawn speakers such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jane Goodall.

The Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust: $10,000

Fred and Shannon Cerise: $50,000

Anonymous: $5,000

Moody Foundation: $87,500

Total: $837,500

—Mike Lukas

NEIGHBORHOODS WIN GRANTS FROM HERITAGE OAK CLIFF

Heritage Oak Cliff donated $40,000 to neighborhood projects recently.

The nonprofit formerly known as the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League funded 33 projects from 13 neighborhood associations. The organization

The grants include: sidewalk repair programs, murals by Chris Bingham at Jefferson and Hampton and in Moss Park, improvements to the Kessler Steps, maintenance and enhancements to public spaces, including Stone Park in Kings Highway, projects to support local schools, including a grant to purchase school uniforms for students that need help, support of National Night Out events, curb address painting and help with neighborhood association communications, such as newsletter printing and postage. The recently reorganized Kimball Square Neighborhood Association received its first grant from Heritage Oak Cliff, $500 for neighborhood communication costs.

TEXANS CAN PRODUCES HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Nine students of Texans Can Academy — Dallas Oak Cliff received Certified Nursing Assistant certificates from Mountain View College recently. The seven-week nursing assistant program includes lectures, skills labs and clinical experience. Texans Can students can enroll in the course for free.

The students learn how to take blood pressure, how to move patients and many other skills. Once they pass the state exam, they can find work as a professional nursing assistant in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

FOLLOW THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE, TX

Remember that time Dallas Observer columnist Jim Schutze had to “eat crow” after calling the Margaret Hunt Hill a “bridge to nowhere”? He maintained that the Santiago Calatrava-designed bridge is “still stupid,” but he acknowledged that West Dallas definitely is somewhere. That infamous quip now has made its way into a West Dallas developer’s plans. Oaxaca Interests, the developer of Sylvan Thirty, is opening a new entertainment venue in a former West Dallas industrial site. It’s called Nowhere, TX. The venue, at 1216 W. Commerce at Edgefield, debuted last month. The venue will host pop-up events with rotating chefs and menus. “Our hope is to create a unique space that showcases a creative new use for the spaces along this industrial corridor. We plan to host and produce events at Nowhere, TX for a few years,” says Brent Jackson of Oaxaca Interests. The 2.8-acre venue has three buildings. Hocker Design Group is designing the landscape, including an enclosed children’s play area.

PRESERVATION AWARDS

Preservation Dallas gave preservation achievement awards recently to three Oak Cliff buildings. Oak Cliffbased boutique real estate developer Christian Chernock’s new build at 1038 Kings Highway won for its example as new multifamily construction that fits into the historic surrounding neighborhood. Robert and Brenda Garza won for the renovation of their historic home on Lake Cliff Park, at 223 E. Sixth. And Arts Mission Oak Cliff, formerly known as Winnetka Congregational Church, won for Todd and Lola Lott’s painstaking restoration of an 89-year-old church.

LAND SWAP PITCHED AT FOUNDERS PARK

The owner of Founders Square Apartments wants to redevelop them into a high-rise apartment building with ground-floor retail if neighbors and the city will agree to a land swap with Founders Park. WindMass Capital has a plan to build a five-to-seven story apartment building at Founders Park, either on the site of the existing apartments or on an adjacent tract on Colorado at Marsalis. The 65-unit apartment complex at 929 N. Marsalis sits on 1.37 acres surrounded by Founders Park. WindMass wants to swap that site for an adjacent 1.37 acres on the corner of Colorado and Marsalis. They would then demolish the existing apartments and turn that acreage back into parkland. The swap would nearly double the property’s roadway frontage. The current site has about 250 feet along Marsalis. The new site would give the developer more like 475 feet of frontage on Colorado and Marsalis, which would make retail development feasible. They also would want a zoning change to be able to build seven stories instead of five on that corner, with 223 apartments. Without a land swap, the developer could, by right, tear down the old apartments and build a six-story, 250-unit apartment building on that site with no retail component. With the land swap, they would build an underground parking garage. To build on the current site, they would construct podium or “donut” parking where apartments surround an aboveground parking garage. In exchange for the land swap, the developer would do about $500,000 worth of work to Founders Park, including brush removal, tree remediation and lighting and safety improvements. WindMass also has plans to seek future tax reimbursements for the project. Mitch Voss of WindMass gave a presentation to Lake Cliff Park-area neighbors Wednesday night. The Dallas-based commercial real estate investment and development company has hired Kevin Sloan Studio landscape architect of Oak Cliff and Wilder Belshaw, an architect with offices in Dallas and Austin, who grew up in Oak Cliff. So far there are no specific plans, but Voss says their vision is to design an articulated building front, wide sidewalks and facades that face the street and the park. Construction on a new building would take about two years. With the land swap, they could keep the old apartments open while the new ones are under construction. Voss said WindMass would offer new apartments to the approximately 100 current residents of Founders Square at prices close to what they pay now, although their units would be smaller. If the developer receives future tax reimbursements from the city, they would be required to offer 20 percent of the units as affordable for 15 years. Rent at Founders Square currently costs about $925-$1,100 for one- and two-bedroom apartments with all bills paid. That’s about $1.50 per square foot. The new apartments, averaged with the affordable rents, would net about $2 per square foot, Voss says. The land swap must be approved by the city’s Park Board and City Council. WindMass is planning several more meetings with neighbors before deciding which path to pursue.

Christian Chernock’s condo development at 1038 Kings Highway.

710 West Greenbriar Lane / Oak Cli / $1,590,000

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