2011 April Oak Cliff

THE HOME ISSUE

COME ON IN AND MEET PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFUL

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN HAGER

THE Hands of Exp E ri E nc E

Improving Dallas Neighborhoods for Over 50 Years

Dallas’ historic homes – and many landmark businesses – are in some of the area’s most experienced hands with The Burke Company. Since its founding in 1959, the design, build, remodel firm has won numerous national awards for its work in Dallas neighborhoods. Groups as prestigious as the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and various industry publications have recognized their work over the years. Owner Jason Asmar is a Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Project Developer Abby Keyes is a Certified Green Professional (CGP) and Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) with NAHB. These certifications affirm The Burke Company’s dedication to providing homeowners with the highest levels of integrity and quality – from pre-construction planning to project management to saving

money down the road. With in-house designers, architects, builders and project managers like Keyes and construction veteran Clay Knight, The Burke Company is uniquely able to manage projects seamlessly from start to finish, with an emphasis on communication and strong personal relationships. Says Asmar, “We treat each project like it were our own home and neighborhood. We are able to make our clients’ modern visions a reality while maintaining the historic integrity of the building and the whole neighborhood.” The Burke Company is known for its respect to the surrounding homes throughout a project. “We know how important our work is to the homeowner as well as their neighbors,” says Asmar. “On each of our projects, the whole neighborhood is in good hands.”

For more information, call 214-887-0005. To see some of The Burke Company’s award-winning work, visit their online galleries at www.theburkecompany.com

OPENING REMARKS

P: 214.823.5885 F: 214.823.8866 W: advocatemag.com

BACK OF THE GROCERY LINE, AGAIN

STUDIES SHOW THAT I’LL BE A REPEAT VICTIM OF LINE JUMPING

A few months ago, I wrote a column about ethics, or what I perceived to be lack thereof, in the grocery store checkout line.

Without belaboring the point, I talked about how I was waiting in a long line when a checker opened the line next door; a free-for-all of people jumping from the back of the current line to the front of the new one ensued, and I wound up exactly where I was originally (stuck in a long line) and with a bit of a sour attitude.

Quite a few of you emailed and called me with your thoughts. Many were sympathetic and, as fellow line-jumping victims, glad to hear the problem didn’t just happen to them.

Several suggested I should have contacted the store manager and set in motion a series of events that might have freed the cashier to take control of the situation next time, rather than letting the inmates run the asylum.

A few were less sympathetic, indicating that maybe I needed to “man up” and move more quickly next time; otherwise, I should just keep my mouth shut.

And a few suggested that what happened deserved something akin to armed rebellion, and that at a minimum, I should have confronted the offenders right then and there to teach them a lesson.

As it happens, I did nothing then, and I’m still queasy about doing something “next time”. After reading a recent study conducted by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, however, I suspect there will be a next time. And a next time. And a next time ...

The Josephson study, which surveys more than 40,000 high school students every two years, attempts to identify the ethics and integrity of our country’s students and, by extension, the direction of our country’s honesty and morals.

I’ll let you digest these facts from the survey:

• 59 percent of high school students say they cheated on a test during the past year;

• 21 percent of students say they have stolen from a parent or relative;

2011 oakcliff.advocatemag.com

• 80 percent say they lied to a parent about “something significant”; and

• 92 percent of these same high school students say they’re satisfied with their own personal ethics and character.

So one in five students has stolen from a parent, four of five have lied to a parent, and three of five have cheated on a test. But nine out of 10 believe their lives still exemplify good morals, ethics and character.

There are a lot of things I could say about what it means when 90 percent of students believe they’re honest even as almost all of those same students have lied to their parents and most of them have cheated (and probably lied about that, too!).

But there’s really not much I can add to this discussion from my perch at the back of the grocery store checkout line, watching people push by to beat me to the newly opened line next door.

I’m starting to think that even if I open my mouth to complain next time, most offenders won’t understand why I’m upset because they don’t consider what they’re doing a breach of ethics, integrity or simple manners.

If they weren’t brought up to understand what they’re doing is wrong, nothing I say is going to change their minds.

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editors

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EMILY TOMAN

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RACHEL STONE

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contributors: SEAN CHAFFIN, BILL KEFFER, GAYLA KOKEL, GEORGE MASON, BLAIR MONIE, ELLEN RAFF, ELIZABETH KNIGHTEN

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Advocate Publishing 6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 820, Dallas, TX 75214

Rick Wamre is publisher of Advocate Publishing. Let him know how we are doing by writing to 6301 Gaston, Suite 820, Dallas 75214; fax to 214.823.8866; or email rwamre@advocatemag.com.

Advocate, © 2011, 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.

LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER?

Are you ready to find a fulfilling career that would provide unlimited earning potential and the opportunity to have a flexible work schedule? You should consider a career in real estate - an exciting and dynamic profession that makes a difference In people’s lives. If this sounds interesting to you, Call Mark Kohutek at 214-217-5735. for a confidential interview.

oakcliff.advocatemag.com

WALMART TO BUILD IN OAK CLIFF

02.25.11 The world’s largest retailer plans to build a store at Ft. Worth Avenue and Colorado, site of the former Colorado Place Apartments.

And a lot of people are mad about the new plans. What neighbors had hoped would be a development of homes, businesses and retailers, is now going to be ... Walmart. Read what candidates in this May’s election think about Walmart’s arrival. Search: Walmart

MSN.COM: OAK CLIFF WENT ‘FROM BLIGHTED TO BLING’

02.28.11 A real estate story on msn.com points to Oak Cliff as one of 10 neighborhoods in the U.S. that had a bad reputation in the ’70s or ’80s and is now hip.

But they called it “North Oak Cliff”, which technically is inaccurate, in my opinion.

Read what commenters think about our “North” name. Search: msn.com

ZANG EXTENSION, NEAR DAVIS, TO BECOME PLAZA AND PARK

03.03.11 Design work is expected to begin in May. The plaza will have benches and planters, and the existing median at Seventh and Zang will provide some green space.

Find out more and see photos. Search: Zang extension

DUNCANVILLE GROCER COX FARMS MARKET TAKES SYLVAN/FORT WORTH AVENUE CORNER

03.08.11 The locally owned, organic market, which has a store in Duncanville, is expanding into Oak Cliff. It has leased 11,000 square feet in the Sylvan Thirty development at Sylvan and Ft. Worth Avenue, former site of the Alamo Motel.

Learn more. Search: Cox Farms

All month editor Rachel Stone keeps her finger on development and other news of neighborhood changes. To read her write-ups (excerpted below) and comment, visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com.

Buyers to verify all information. Square footage from tax deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

ADVOCATE SPECIAL COVERAGE

Mayoral, city council and school district voting takes place May 14. Watch unedited video interviews with the candidates and read blog posts at oakcliff.advocatemag.com/elections.

MEDIA KEY: WHERE TO FIND US ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

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MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS:

1. NEW FURNITURE STORE, DESIGN STUDIO TO HOLD GRAND

OPENING search: furniture store// 2. MSN: OAK CLIFF WENT

‘FROM BLIGHTED TO BLING’ search: bling // 3. WALMART TO BUILD IN OAK CLIFF search: new Walmart // 4. ADVOCATE VIDEO:

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PLANNED search: kidney // 5. FIRST SATURDAY BISHOP ARTS

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SEND WEB SUGGESTIONS TO crobinson@advocatemag.com

LAUNCH

CLEBO RAINEY’S college career could be set to the tune of B.B. King’s blues guitar riffs. He was caught with pot, arrested, kicked out of SMU and disowned by his parents, all in one week. Now 61 and married to Noemi, a lawyer, he’s come a long way since those college days in the ’60s. And he’s seen it all: drugs, tumultuous love affairs, traveling on a motorcycle from Dallas to Arizona in one night. Rainey has lived in Oak Cliff since 1990, and now he is one of the most reputable slam poets in Dallas. His larger-than-life persona, combined with his booming voice and physical stature, help him live up to his reputation as the “god of slam poetry”.

How did you get involved in poetry?

I’m up on Mulholland Drive[in L.A.]. I get off my bike. I walk up to this little park. It’s got a little round patio, and across from me is the Hollywood sign. Down below me is the Hollywood Bowl. I wrote my very first poem right there. I met these friends of mine, who are friends of mine to this day, who were poets. They took me to Austin where I read these poems, and everyone loved them. I remember pulling into Dallas on I-35 on my motorcycle — 6,000 miles and my bag full of poetry, and all the stories, and thinking to myself, ‘I’m going to be a poet. That’s what I’m going to do.’

grab-bag

Advocate April 2011

more on CLEBO RAINEY

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR POETRY CAREER GOING?

I started doing poetry readings in Deep Ellum. I started traveling a little. I met other people when slam poetry had just started, and I went to a slam in Tennessee. I said, ‘Dallas, we’re as good as anybody else. We need to get our own slam team.’ Because now they were starting to have national poetry slams. I was already becoming a famous local poet. I did some tours with Lollapalooza. They had a poetry stage, and so I was a Lollapalooza poet for a while.

HOW DID SLAM POETRY TAKE OFF IN DALLAS?

Noemi and I, basically together, started the Dallas Poetry Slam at Club Clearview. She was the organizer, fundraiser, scorekeeper, and I was what they call the ‘slam master’, which is the person who runs it. There was a long history of the established poetry scene hating slam because we were performers, and we were getting a lot of press. We were these street poets, and there was this big grudge against the two groups, but eventually, we started to cross-pollinate. I would bring them in to do features, and they would have us out to do things.

WHAT OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU PROUD OF?

LAUNCH NHG

Poetry slam grew, and we started going to nationals. At first we got our tails whipped. Finally, in Austin, we made the finals for the first time. In Seattle, in 2001, we won the National Poetry Slam Championship. We’re the only Texas team that’s ever won it. I was made a distinguished poet by the city of Dallas. I was on the Poetry in Motion series, and I had a poem that was on the DART buses and trains—so I retired.

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS?

Two years ago, I went to work for Half Price Books. I’m thinking about going back to part-time and getting back into performing and teaching.

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Sat. 1pm Starting an Herb Garden

Sat. 2pm Enhance Your Life with Herbs

Sun. 12pm-2pm Texas Worm Ranch

Learn to vermicompost & purchase worms. Sun. 1pm Building the Best Soil

April 9th –10th 2pm-5pm Dallas Flower Show View award-winning blooms.

April 16th 9am-Noon Daylily Sale

April 17th 10am-5pm Iris Flower Show

April 22nd FREE Earth Day Program!

11am-12:30 Bountiful Backyard Gardens

April 23rd-24th EASTER EGG SAVINGS HUNT Find eggs to save 10-30% off your purchase!

PETPAUSE old timer

HUNTER is a 19-year-old weenie dog who had back surgery four years ago, and he’s still going strong. His “human parents”, SCOTT and SHANNON CARREON of Oak Cliff, snapped this shot of him playing in the fall leaves last year.

WHAT GIVES?

Small ways that you can make a big difference for neighborhood nonprofits

ATTEND A PERFORMANCE AND LECTURE ...

... at Turner House. Opera singer Nicole McWilliams offers a program of Mexican bolero music from the ’40s and ’50s, accompanied by guitarists, from 7:30-9 p.m. Thursday, April 14. Photographs of Mexico by Dallas-based Carolyn Brown will be on exhibit. Tickets are $25 for Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts members and $40 otherwise. Tickets include refreshments, and proceeds go to building improvements at Turner House. More information is available at turnerhouse.org or by calling 214.946.1670.

EAT BARBECUE ...

... at the Tyler Street United Methodist Church Easter celebration from 12:30-2 p.m. April 17. An Easter egg hunt and piñata for kids 12 and younger is free. Barbecue lunches are $5-$10 and benefit youth summer missions. The church is at 927 W. 10th. More information is available at tsumc.org or by calling 214.946.8106.

KNOW OF WAYS that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.

out&about

04.09.11-04.17.11

DALLAS CYCLE CHIC

Inspired by the movement in Copenhagen, a few Oak Cliff luminaries have spearheaded a citywide event to celebrate the Dallas Bike Plan. Cycle Chic aims to get people excited about cycling. “Even if you have a lot of bike lanes, you don’t necessarily have a lot of people on them,” says Amanda Popken of Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. “We want people to realize how much they love their bikes, getting out and using the city.” The weeklong celebration begins with Cycle Census, a model search for the new face of Dallas cycling. “We want everyone — little kids and old grandmas,” Popken says. Photo stations will be set up at venues including Deep Ellum, White Rock Lake and Southern Methodist University on April 9. A scavenger hunt is planned for April 16. Other events are still in the planning stages but may include a bikein movie at the Texas Theatre and bike polo. For up-todate information, visit dallascyclechic.wordpress.com or facebook.com/DallasCycleChic.

04.03 GREASE SING-A-LONG $10-$15 The Women’s Chorale of Dallas presents a “Grease” sing-a-long at 2 p.m. at The Kessler Theatre. General admission is $15 and $10 for students. 1230 W. Davis, 214.520.7828, twcd.org.

04.17 OAK CLIFF EARTH DAY FREE This green event was birthed from grassroots organization by Oak Cliff neighbors, and this year will be the fifth annual celebration of the Earth. Exhibitors will fill Lake Cliff Park at Zang and Colorado, and some of the highlights include children’s events provided by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, a high school science fair with prizes for the best exhibits, a food court with neighborhood vendors and an artists’ pavilion with original works for sale. Find free parking and shuttle service at Methodist Health System’s lot 10 in the 1400 block of North Beckley. For details on the noon-5 p.m. event, visit oakcliffearthday.com.

As

04.15-06.03 CONFLICTS IN A NEW CENTURY FREE The Oak Cliff Cultural Center presents a contemporary photography exhibit that examines conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Congo and Ivory Coast. 223 W. Jefferson, 214.670.3777, dallasculture.org.

04.08 SIXTEEN CANDLES: A REUNION FOR ROSEMONT $35-$40 Rosemont Early Childhood PTA hosts its annual auction 7-11 p.m. to benefit the Dallas Children’s Theater Artist-in-Residence program. The event features catering from several Oak Cliff restaurants, a photo booth, live music and unlimited beer and wine. Hickory Street Annex, 501 S. Second Avenue, recpta.org.

04.09 SECOND SATURDAY MOVIES FREE

part of its ongoing series, Tyler Street United Methodist Church screens “Tangled” 4-5:30 p.m., offering free popcorn and lemonade. 927 W. Tenth, 214.946.8106, tsumc.org.

LISA BARNARD

food&wineLAUNCH

RESTAURANT TALK

Advocate writers serve up restaurant news every Monday in “Restaurant talk” on Read excerpts below, and for the full posts, visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com and search: Restaurant talk.

BEE ENCHILADERIA

03.14.11 While driving through Oak Cliff, I saw the restaurant BEE. That stands for Best Enchiladas Ever. I thought sarcastically, “Yeah right. We’ll just see about that.”

The very next night, I took my little family with me for dinner. This place sure made a mighty big claim, and I was ready to take ’em down a few notches.

I ordered one of their specials, the shrimp diablo: sautéed shrimp in a corn tortilla with chipotle crema. My second enchilada was pork carnitas in a corn tortilla with sour cream sauce. Both with my choice of toppings: tomato, onion, cilantro, shredded queso fresco and lime.

Here is where I eat my words, my stupid invisible scorecard and an enchilada. I can honestly say that the shrimp diablo is the best enchilada I have ever eaten. Period. I went back three consecutive days for the same enchilada. The chipotle crema has the perfect kick and is mildly addicting. You were warned.

—CANDACE THARP

g LOR ia ’s FLO

The goods

Let us create that special arrangement and ask for “the Florist Choice arrangement.” we will make it to meet your budget. Open Mother’s Day, May 8th. 3101 w. Davis 214.339.9273 gloriasflowersdallas.com

Painting with a twist

HULA HOTTIES CHANGES CONCEPTS

03.08.11 A pipe burst in the vacant apartment above Hula Hotties Café during the freeze in February and flooded the little restaurant. It’s been closed since then.

But husband-and-wife owners Jill Inforzato and Roger Simpson are taking the opportunity to change concepts.

“Our spaghetti has been so popular, so I thought, let’s take a dive and make it a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place,” Inforzato says.

Inforzato’s family owned an Italian restaurant in Minnesota for almost 100 years, starting in 1913, she says. And she will use some of those old family recipes in the new restaurant, Inforzato’s Italian Café and Bakery.

Inforzato will still sell the Hula Hotties hot sauces — a venture the couple came up with in Hawaii, where they lived for many years. And they will still offer the same salad dressings, the four-cheese macaroni, cheese bread and, of course, spaghetti and meatballs, which had been the $6 Thursday special at Hula Hotties and will continue under the new concept.

—RACHEL STONE

ELOTES AT TAQUERIA EL SI HAY

03.08.11 At night, it becomes more than just tacos when Jose brings his elotes cart to serve the masses. He sets up around 5:30 p.m. and serves until he runs out. Elotes is a layered dish of roasted corn, generous portions of butter, salt and pepper, sour cream, Mexican cheese and a little chili sauce in a Styrofoam cup. My husband orders mine the same every time: “con un poco de chile.” Jose laughs, “Ahhh, para su esposa.” When I asked Jose the largest number of elotes he has sold in one evening, he answered in Spanish, “It just depends on how many people line up. On the weekends, it can be over a hundred.”

I am not kidding when I say that I dream about elotes, and wake up wanting them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At $2.50 each, I’d say it’s the best value in Dallas.

—CANDACE THARP

Express your inner artist! instructors lead attendees in creating paintings with a featured piece of art, bring nothing more than your imagination,wine or beverage. Perfect for Private Parties also. 5202 Lovers Ln. 214.350.9911 paintingwithatwist.com

Baking delicious cookies and treats from original recipes using fresh, natural ingredients like real butter and cane sugar. Visit our website to order or find a retail location. 214.864.7667 wackymskitchen.com

Delicious

A guide to dining & drinking in our neighborhood

IT’S GREEK TO ME

FOR JOANNA TATAKIS, GROWING UP GREEK resembled the hit film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. She saw the movie with her family when it released in theaters. “I leaned over and said, ‘Are you sure they didn’t have a camera inside our house?’” Tatakis owns the small BYOB Greek Café & Bakery in the Bishop Arts District where she treats all her customers like family. She and her father cook up all kinds of staples from scratch, including gyros, Greek village salad (sans the lettuce), pasticcio (Greek lasagna) and dolmas. She also has teamed with the folks at CocoAndré to offer chocolate-dipped baklava. Tatakis plans to add more vegan and vegetarian items to the menu. All recipes come straight from the source — Joanna’s father, who emigrated to the United States from Lavrio, about 28 miles outside Athens. “He came here without a dollar in his pocket,” Tatakis says. “My dad is an actual self-made man. He taught me everything I know.” She doesn’t claim to be a professional chef. “I just know how to do what I do well enough that people like it. I never thought I wanted to be in the restaurant business. I realized I love it. It’s really where science and creativity meet.” Tatakis also loves the people, her regulars. Like the couples who come in on first dates. “A year and a half later, they come in and tell me they’re engaged.”

—EMILY TOMAN

GREEK CAFÉ & BAKERY

DAVIS & BISHOP

214.943.1887

GREEKCAFEBAKERY.COM

Pictured: Baklava, hummus, owner Joanna Tatakis

1 NOVA

It’s no surprise former Kavala executive chef Kelly Hightower’s latest spot has some delicious Mediterranean dishes like the roasted garlic hummus and Greek pizza topped with spinach, feta, olives, peppers and extra virgin olive oil. DAVIS & WINDOMERE

214.484.7123

NOVADALLAS.COM

2 OAK CLIFF PIZZA

This neighborhood pizzeria offers Greek salad and an eggplant pizza if you’ve got Greek on the brain.

DAVIS & EDGEFIELD

214.941.8080

OAKCLIFFPIZZA.COM

3 SAMAR

OK, so this place isn’t in Oak Cliff, but it’s worth the trip across the river for upscale, eastern Mediterranean dishes from chef Stephan Pyles.

ROSS & OLIVE

214.922.9922

SAMARRESTAURANT.COM

PIZZA LOUNGE $$ OD FB Voted Dallas

best

by modest mussorgsky

it’s not all the same

KING ESTATE SIGNATURE PINOT NOIR ($30) OREGON >

There’s an old joke among people who don’t like red wine: The reason they don’t like it is because all red wine tastes the same.

These days, that’s become less joke and more truth. For any number of reasons, American red wine is becoming blander. There’s less varietal character in the wine and more of a one-size-fits-all style, where merlot tastes like cabernet sauvignon, and pinot noir tastes like syrah.

I noticed this when putting together the 2011 $10 Hall of Fame. Too many wines, particularly those from California and particularly if they were red, were flabby and dull. That’s also eminent wine writer Dan Berger’s conclusion, and he has written extensively about this change.

“It’s about playing it safe,” Berger says, “and about wholesal ers and retailers needing to sell wine. It’s about getting that 85 as a score, which is like manna from heaven if you’re trying to sell wine.”

So what do you do if you want wines to taste like what they’re supposed to taste like? Try these, which are good examples of wine with varietal character:

• Most inexpensive Italian wines, which still taste like they came from Italy. Consider the Falesco Vitiano Rosso (about $12), a red blend.

• Pinot noir from Oregon. This can be pricey, but is usually worth the cost. I especially like King Estate’s Signature pinot (about $30).

• Many French producers, faced with too much wine to sell, have really improved the quality of their products. Look for La Vieille Ferme Rouge (about $8), which not that long ago wasn’t all that well made. These days, though, it’s a red blend that tastes like it was made from the grapes used to make it.

—JEFF SIEGEL

ask the WINE GUY?

Q. WHAT IS SPICY, WHICH I HEAR USED TO DESCRIBE WINES? HOW CAN SOMETHING MADE WITH GRAPES BE SPICY?

A. Spicy includes flavors and aromas such as pepper and cinnamon. These flavors can come from the grapes (mostly red) used to make the wine, and the winemaker brings them out during the winemaking process. But many spicy flavors are also imparted from the oak used to age the wine.

—JEFF SIEGEL

WITH YOUR WINE

Cornish hens with lemon and balsamic vinegar

This is about as simple as dinner gets, and uses the balsamic vinegar that most of us have, but have forgotten about. Cutting the hen’s backbone is much easier than it sounds, and the broiler in a toaster oven works well. The hens and a well-made pinot noir, like the King Estate, are a nice match.

Serves four, 30-40 minutes (adapted from Mark Bittman)

2 Cornish hens

2 lemons

2 Tbsp best quality balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat a broiler and adjust a rack so it’s 4 inches from the heat source.

2. Use a sturdy pair of scissors, and cut the hen at the backbone. It should cut without any trouble at all. Flatten each hen and put them in a broiling or roasting pan, skin side down. Liberally sprinkle the exposed surfaces with salt and pepper. Slice one of the lemons as thinly as possible, and put the slices on the hens.

3. Broil for 10 minutes or until the lemon is browned and the hens appear cooked (they’ll start to brown). Flip the birds over (including the lemon slices) and season the skin side with salt and pepper. Return to the broiler and cook for 10 minutes until the skin is nicely browned.

4. Pull the hens out. Slice the remaining lemon, and put it on the hens. Put it back under the broiler, and cook five minutes until the lemons start to brown. Drizzle with the balsamic and serve.

JEFF SIEGEL’S WEEKLY WINE REVIEWS appear every Wednesday on oakcliff.advocatemag.com

HEALTH RESOURCE R

Op

Dr. Strong is committed to compassionate, quality eye care. He offers medical and surgical care, including cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration, and dry eye syndrome. He also offers routine eye exams and contact lenses. all ages are welcome, from children to seniors. Our office is conveniently located at Central expressway and Fitzhugh, just one exit south of Knox/Henderson.

Our clinic focuses on helping patients breathe better. Whether one has asthma, allergies, COPD, or chronic cough, we can investigate the cause and treat as indicated. We attempt to address the whole person, not just symptoms. Therefore we also can help with weight loss and sleep issues.

This Kings Highway Conservation District home blends with the vintage ’hood, even though it’s only four years old

story by Rachel Stone · photos by Benjamin Hager

DAN GUENTHER AND TOM FOWLER almost moved out of Oak Cliff four years ago.

They had lived in two 1920s Tudor-style houses in the neighborhood since 1997, and they were tired.

“Living in an old house, there’s always something that needs to be done,” Fowler says.

They redid all the ceilings and walls in their first house because the tape and bed was coming apart, and the sheetrock was cracking.

In their second house, one wall was pulling away from the rest of the structure, and they had to have it shored up before it damaged the roof. That cost $15,000.

They wanted a new house.

So they considered moving to North >>

“Living in an old house, there’s always something that needs to be done .”

Tom Fowler has practiced meditation for decades, and a guest bedroom is dedicated to his daily ritual. The homeowers’ extensive world travels are reflected in carpets, art and textiles throughout the home.

<< Dallas or the suburbs, but neither option appealed to them.

At a neighborhood meeting, they met Pam and Dan Williams, an Oak Cliff couple known for their interesting renovated homes.

At the time, the Williamses lived in a former 1930s grocery store on Montclair, which they had converted to a loft-style home.

“We saw their house on the [Old Oak Cliff Conservation League] home tour,” Fowler says. “And we loved it.”

The Williamses had just bought an old duplex at 905 N. Montclair. At first, they thought they would renovate the structure, but it had too many foundation problems, so they decided to scrape it and build a new house there.

Guenther and Fowler made their acquaintance at the perfect time.

“The foundation had been poured a week before we met them,” Guenther says.

In their neighborhood, the Kings Highway Conservation District, there are four types of architecture — Tudor, prairie, craftsman and bungalow. Pam Williams, who was the home’s general contractor, wanted to make sure the new house fit the neighborhood.

Almost everyone who sees it assumes the home was built in the 1940s, like other houses on the block, Guenther and Fowler say.

It has the low-pitched roof, overhanging eaves and tapered columns common in American Craftsman architecture.

But inside, it is thoroughly modern.

The front door opens to a living/ dining room of about 800 square feet. And there are 10-foot ceilings throughout the house. An aged-metal bar separates the dining area from

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Benefitting Blue Ribbon Hexter Elementary

Photo courtesy of Ellen Sabin

the kitchen, which features a sunny breakfast nook that leads to a patio and garden.

“We liked the open floor plan,” Guenther says. “We liked the way [Pam Williams] laid it out, so we didn’t change much of anything.”

Guenther and Fowler helped Williams pick some of the finish-outs — dark wood cabinetry in the kitchen and living room, taupe granite countertops — but for the most part, they trusted her design sense, too.

The homeowners’ personal style is drawn from their extensive world travels — India, Morocco, Australia and South America are represented throughout the home in an eclectic mix of rugs, textiles and artwork.

Their favorite part about the home, of course, is its low maintenance.

“The No. 1 thing for us is the energy-

People often mistake the 4-year-old home of Dan Guenther and Tom Fowler (opposite page) for one built in the 1940s.

       

efficiency of the house,” Guenther says. “It has insulation in the walls, which old houses generally don’t have. It has double-pane windows and energy-efficient appliances.”

Almost as remarkable as the home is the landscaping. When they moved in, Texas was in a severe drought. And since they were starting from scratch with no landscaping, they decided to put in water-saving plants.

They hired Oak Cliff-based Picture Perfect Landscaping to put in the xeriscape design Guenther envisioned. And they put in a vegetable garden, which the homeowners use in their cooking almost every day.

They put in a crushed-granite driveway to blend in with the landscape of native plants.

“It’s really porous, so we don’t need any drainage, and it was actually the cheapest option for a new driveway,” Guenther says.

Their home was on the Dallas Water Wise Garden Tour last year.

“Everyone who came through the water wise tour thought our house was old,” he says. n

Guenther and Fowler have traveled to India, Morroco, Europe, Australia and South America. Their home is full of mementos and artwork from their travels.

LIVE LOCAL

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

Grocery stores are coming. Locally owned grocer Cox Farms Market is expanding to Oak Cliff. The organic market, which has a store in Duncanville, has leased 11,000 square feet in the Sylvan Thirty development at Sylvan and Fort Worth Avenue, former site of the Alamo Motel. “With its focus on farm-fresh produce and natural food products, its local family heritage, diverse customer appeal and its strong history of community involvement, Cox Farms Market is the perfect anchor for our project,” Sylvan Thirty developer and East Kessler resident Brent Jackson says. “This is not your typical big-box retailer.” The original Cox Farms opened 20 years ago on South Main in Duncanville, and the Fort Worth Avenue store will be the company’s second. It is expected to open in fall 2012.

Walmart is also planning to move into our neighborhood. The mega-corporation plans to build a new store, smaller than its typical Neighborhood Market concept, on Fort Worth Avenue at Colorado, site of the former Colorado Place Apartments. Those apartments were torn down in 2009 to make way for a mixed-use development that never materialized. This is one of 15 new stores Walmart plans to open in Dallas.

In other grocery news, Urban Acres recently added a new prepared foods chef, Nicole Van Camp, formerly of Bolsa Owner Steven Bailey says the food will be local, organic prepared food and will include meals such as grilled salmon or chicken, soup, roasted vegetables, a stir fry kit that can be heated at home and chili. “The way we’re trying to do it is whatever we’ve got coming in from the farms and the store, we’ll do something with it,” Bailey says. Van Camp is a vegetarian, so there will be many vegetarian menu items from which customers can choose. The store also has new business hours: weekdays 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

469.248.2270, urbanacres.wordpress. com, 1301 W. Davis.

A new consignment shop, Eclectic Studioz , recently opened in the Bishop Arts District. Owner Noreen Sheets has been planning to open her own shop for a year. Sheets says she used to work in a friend’s store similar to hers and she enjoyed meeting people and seeing the merchandise come in. “I just love talking to people and just having fun,” Sheets says. She chose a location in Oak Cliff because initially a friend had asked her to share a store space, and when she realized she wanted her own shop, she enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the Bishop Arts District. “I live in Plano, and I’m amazed at how many people I already know just being here,” Sheets says. The store is open Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 469.644.9471, eclecticstudioz.com, 239 W. Seventh.

The 2011 Etsy Dallas team recently was announced. Some of the neighborhood members include Julie McCullough Kim, owner of Make Shop and Studio and Indie Genius , and founder of Etsy Dallas Stephanie Hindall, who is behind Tefi Designs . The new team will be at the third annual Spring Bash April 30 at Southside on Lamar from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The free event includes 60 artists and crafters, a DJ, full bar, DIY crafting, free photo booth, and $5 parking. There will be plenty of handmade items to purchase and the event is wheelchair, stroller and pet friendly. etsydallas. com.

Smoke restaurant chef Tim Byres recently won Food & Wine magazine’s title “The People’s Best New Chef” for the Southwestern region. Byres was the only Dallas chef nominated. 214.393.4141, smokerestaurant.com, 901 Ft. Worth.

Repotted will host a free class April 2 from noon-3 p.m. with guest speaker “Tropical John” Thomas. “He’ll do a two-hour talk on organic gardening, and then he’s going to spend two more hours after the talk helping

GO ONLINE to read weekly updates on neighborhood businesses:

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customers, and he will tell them anything they want to know about any of the organic products we have and how to use them,” says shop co-owner Jamie Laws. Thomas will discuss common problems that can be overwhelming to a novice gardener, such as compost and pest problems. The shop’s spring and summer hours are weekdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m. 214.948.4770, repotted.co, 700 W. Davis.

Methodist Dallas Medical Center recently announced that Laura Irvine is taking over for former president Michael A. Mayo. Irvine began her career as an administrative resident at Methodist Dallas in 1996 and has served as vice president of Methodist Charlton and, most recently, as president of the Methodist Mansfield hospital since 2005. “They’re doing a search right now for a new president at Methodist Mansfield, where [Irvine] is president, and then as soon as that person is named, she’ll move over here,” says Kathleen Beathard, Methodist vice president of public relations and marketing. Currently, the Dallas interim president is executive vice president and chief of operations officer Pam Stoyanoff. “I think the community, once they know Irvine, they will be happy to have her working on their behalf,” Beathard says. “She’s known in her past role at Mansfield for being very active in the community, very involved in a lot of different initiatives, so the community can expect to see a lot of her.” 214.947.2900, methodisthealthsystem.org, 1441 N. Beckley.

—ELIZABETH KNIGHTEN

DO YOU KNOW OF A NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS renovating, expanding, moving, launching, hosting an event, celebrating an anniversary, offering a special or something else noteworthy? Send the information to livelocal@advocatemag.com or call 214.292.0487.

THIS OLD HOUSE MAGAZINE named Oak Cliff the best place to buy an old house in Texas. Old Oak Cliff Conservation League president Michael Amonett submitted Oak Cliff to the magazine, and our neighborhood was selected.

MSN INCLUDED OAK CLIFF in an online real estate story that highlighted the 10 neighborhoods in the U.S. with bad reputations in the 1970s and ’80s that are now desirable places to live. The story pointed to turn-of-the-century homes, tree-lined streets and residents’ acceptance of redevelopment.

F.I.D.O. IS A GROUP OF DOG-LOVING OAK CLIFF NEIGHBORS that recently organized, inspired by Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. The group is identifying dog-friendly venues, such as “bike-friendly” businesses in Oak Cliff are identified with a window sticker. They are planning monthly social gatherings to raise awareness of stray dogs in our neighborhood and raise money for a dog park. Until the group launches a website and blog, the best way to find information is on Facebook.

THE CITY ANNOUNCED THAT DESIGN WORK on the Davis and Zang plaza and park will begin in May, closing the Zang extension. The design will include benches, planters, lighting and green space along the existing median at Seventh and Zang. The project is funded by 2006 bond money and is expected to be complete by April 2012.

people

OAK CLIFF-BASED PHOTOJOURNALIST Debi Lang traveled to Nepal to work with Himalayan Health Care, which has helped the poor of Nepal since 1992. In 2003, Lang started Caring for the World Films, a documentary production company that makes movies about nonprofit, international humanitarian organizations. The company has produced a three-part documentary about Cape CARES, an organization that provides medical care and health education in rural Honduras.

CATHERINE A. HORSEY, former Preservation

Dallas executive director, is now the executive director of La Reunion TX, a 35-acre forested tract just west of Oak Cliff. Founded five years ago, its mission is to give artists a retreat from their everyday lives. Horsey will lead efforts to create an artist-in-residency program.

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THE LAB @ LAKE HIGHLANDS

10050 Shoreview Rd., Dallas 75238 / 214.901.4280 / www.thelabdallas.com

The Lab is a fun place for kids to learn about science! Programs include a mix of demonstrations, hands-on experiments and auditory and sensory stimulation in a fun, age-appropriate environment. Servicing all school-aged children, we offer on-site birthday parties, science fair project mentoring, homework help, enrichment classes, school assemblies and Scout programs. Please visit our website for up to date calendar of activities and events, www.thelabdallas.com.

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931, www.lakehillprep.org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, collegepreparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd. Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131

www.stjohnsschool.org / Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service. St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

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A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Middle school students, high school students and faculty advisers from Bishop Dunne Catholic School attended a Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Student Leadership Conference at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. They took the Advocate with them to Epcot Center.

READING, CAT IN THE HAT-STYLE

Rosemont Elementary held a literary celebration in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday in March. Principal Anna Brining , a.k.a. the Cat in the Hat, poses with Victoria Semos , left, and Tassie Semos

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www.groutdoctor.com • see more photos and video about your favorite stories • r ead current and past stories • download advocate radio podcasts • submit items for publication • sign up for the monthly e- newsletter know more than the news may deadline april 6 HOME SERVICES TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203 H

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THE ROOMS WERE WRECKED.

According to Gallup, the U.S. unemployment rate reached 10 percent in mid-February. Unfortunately, Car ol Davila’s husband was one of those statistics. He works in construction, and with the slowdown in that industry, both nationwide and locally, he found himself laid off from his job in January.

Davila says she has been able to hold onto her job, but like many people, she is a bit nervous about what the near future holds for her family as her husband searches for employment.

It was right at this tough juncture that a crook found an opportunity to victimize the Davilas in their Elmwood neighborhood home.

“They br oke in through the back window,” the mother of two says. “A neighbor saw a suspicious car earlier in the neighborhood and called the police.”

Davila’s husband came home from some errands around 2:45 in the afternoon, and was shocked at what he saw.

“It was a mess in every room,” she says. “He heard them run out when he

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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.

The Victim: Carol Davila

The Crime: Burglary

Date: Thursday, Feb. 24

Time: 2:45 p.m.

Location: 1600 block of Cascade

came in with our 4-year-old daughter.”

Family and friends were happy the two were uninjured, considering the possibility of coming face-to-face with the crooks. The burglars made off with thousands of dollars in electronics and jewelry as well as some cash. The breakin was just another negative for a family already attempting to make ends meet in these trying economic times.

So far, police have not recovered any property, but the neighbor was able to take a photo of the license number of the suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood.

Dallas Police Lt. Santos Cadena of the Southwest Patrol Division says the information provided by the neighbor actually helped lead to an arrest in this case, and he strongly encourages neighbors to

watch for people who might look out of place in their neighborhoods.

“The neighbor actually provided very useful information,” Cadena says. “As it turned out, an officer used the description and license number and took two people into custody later.”

Sometimes, however, a thief may use a stolen car or stolen license plate number, which can complicate the investigation. But any description will at least give officers something to look for each day as they patrol their neighborhoods.

“Our officers in the field are always on the lookout for these things. Information provided by a neighbor is going to at least give the detective a lead in cases like this.”

BYE BYE, RED BIRD

TO LONGTIME CLIFFITES, THE AIRPORT MAY NEVER BE KNOWN AS ‘DALLAS EXECUTIVE’

Back in the day, driving south on Hampton Road, it was easy to spot the large “Piper” sign, along with the similarly sized “Airhaven” flight school sign. Both were, along with the control tower and slowly aging hangars, part of what was then called Red Bird Airport.

North Dallas had Highland Park, NorthPark Center and most of Dallas’ upscale shopping and finer amenities.

But Oak Cliff?

Well, we had an airport. A longstanding airport.

In 1944 the City of Dallas purchased the 1,046-acre spread on the northwest corner of Hampton and US 67 for $125,000, and the airfield has been in continual operation ever since opening for business in August 1947. As a general aviation airport, the facility did, and still does, house a variety of aviation-related businesses and private flight instructors. And from 1960 to 2003 it hosted a public restaurant: Casa Blanca.

Oak Cliff’s original air terminal was the privately owned Clearview Airport located off the southeast corner of Hampton and Illinois, and its most famous story concerned the B-17 E bomber that crash-landed there. The plane, carrying 22 people on a war bond tour, caught on fire in April 1943 and had to perform an emergency landing.

According to then-Cliffite Bill Strouse, the plane few over Illinois Avenue and briefly skidded on the street before crashing on the runway, followed by witnesses watching a slew of

fire trucks and military vehicles arriving on the scene. According to the official report, all aboard survived but were seriously injured.

The Red Bird facility remained a general use airfield for years, and, according to one local historian, at some point either a National Guard Unit or an Army Reserve airborne unit was stationed there. In the 1980s, the airport became the base of the Dallas Police Department’s Aviation Division, housing its helicopter fleet.

And when Stevie Ray Vaughan left his father’s funeral at Laurel Land in 1986, he few out of Red Bird.

However, for those of us who are a bit older, the most memorable part of what we called Red Bird Airport was the annual announcement that NFL football season had begun: the arrival of the Goodyear Blimp!

In the 1970s, the Houston-based company used Red Bird as its major Dallas-Fort Worth base when the blimp was in town for the football games and the state fair, and later for the Cotton Bowl game and other promotional activities. Hundreds of Cliffites — no, thousands probably — made Saturday or Sunday afternoon trips south on Hampton to catch a glimpse of the blimp, take photos, chat with the crew or simply stare at the dirigible. (Before the age of 24-7 television, computers, video games and the like, events like the arrival of the blimp were really big deals.)

Jerry Felts, posting to a Dallas history thread online, said that he had worked at Red Bird Airport,

The 1970 Kimball High School cheerleaders use the Goodyear Blimp landing at Red Bird Airport for a photo op. PHOTO COURTESY THE EXCALIBUR YEARBOOK

and part of his job was to fuel the blimp. “On the last day of each visit,” Felts posted, “they [the crew] would give me a ride in it, just to make sure I would be there with the fuel truck when they needed it” — quite an adventure for an Oak Cliff kid back in those days.

Other reports are that the farm owner on the other side of Hampton often watched as miniature model planes occasionally landed in his pasture, flying off course from the model airplane enthusiasts operating on Red Bird’s periphery. Another Cliffite, Cecil Hatfield, says his father taught him to drive on the runways before the airport opened. And it’s hard to believe, but in the 1950s high school boys actually went bird hunting there — with shotguns — gathering near and beyond the runways! (Just try doing that these days.)

Around 2000, substantial sums of money were invested to revamp the airfield and enlarge and update its facilities. With a new name and control tower, two renovated concrete and asphalt runways, and a new administrative building — along with other aviation-related businesses and a fresh infusion of paved streets and lighting — the now-named Dallas Executive Airport is growing, servicing a sizable portion of the Metroplex and enhancing the Southwest Dallas and Oak Cliff business climate. In 2004, out of the 21 such facilities around the state, the airfield was named as the Reliever Airport of the Year by TxDOT.

Delta Charlie’s Restaurant, Bar and Grill, located inside the airport terminal, offers a unique dining experience where customers easily watch airplanes arriving and departing on the runways. The restau-

rant also offers a dinner package that includes an airplane tour of Dallas — a huge hit with patrons.

But although they’ve renamed the place, built new buildings, changed the entrance and logo and everything else necessary to compete in the current climate, to us old-timers it’s still Red Bird Airport — with the Casa Blanca Restaurant, the old signage and, of course, the blimp.

And ... oh, yes. Did I mention it used to be a fairly popular place for high school sweethearts to “stop and watch the airplanes land” for a while? Hmmm ... somehow that almost slipped my mind.

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Re: Business use of vehicle. Recommendation: Invoices with odometer readings & dates s/b kept with your tax records.

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• 22 years in the White Rock Lake Neighborhood

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6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 800 214-821-0829

Gayla Brooks Kokel can date her neighborhood heritage back to 1918, when her father was born in what was then called Eagle Ford. She was born at Methodist Hospital and graduated from Kimball High School. Kokel is one of three co-authors of the recently published book, “Images of America: Oak Cliff”, and writes a monthly history column for the Oak Cliff Advocate. Send her feedback and ideas to gkokel@advocatemag.com.

An aerial view of Dallas Executive Airport.