2014 October Oak Cliff

The Oldies

(but goodies!)

SHOWING OUR TIME-TESTED, TAKEN-FOR-GRANTED FAVORITES THAT WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THEM

Photo of Wimpy’s Hamburgers by Danny Fulgencio

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BRITTANY NUNN

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designers: LARRY OLIVER, KRIS SCOTT, LISA DUDLEY

contributing editors: KERI MITCHELL, SALLY WAMRE

contributors: GAYLA BROOKS, SEAN CHAFFIN, ANGELA HUNT, GEORGE MASON, BLAIR MONIE, ELLEN RAFF, KRISTEN MASSAD, WHITNEY THOMPSON

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

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photographers: JAMES COREAS, MARK DAVIS, DESIREE

ESPADA, DAVID LEESON, KIM LEESON, JENNIFER SHERTZER

copy editor: LARRA KEEL

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RIPPLE EFFECT

How changing one life, even a little one, can impact many

Four years ago, our family cat died, and our son desperately wanted a replacement. I knew that a neighborhood veterinarian took in injured pets, nursed them back to health gratis, and then adopted them out.

We checked it out, and there in a small cage was a tiny, couple-month-old threelegged kitten, clipped by a car on a big street. How only its tiny left front leg was injured is beyond me, but the vets amputed the leg and sewed it up.

Today, that cat runs circles around its four-legged adopted brother, and out-eats the bigger cat, too. I guess it takes more energy for three-legged life than four?

And when that cat wants some attention, we’ll feel a tiny bit of pressure on the back of our leg or shoulder, and there it will be, on its haunches, its one good front leg elevated as high as it can reach, beckoning us for a little love.

Without being ground up by a vehicle, this street cat never would have come to live with us. Why it didn’t just die out there goes back to the person who ran over it, the person who found it, the vet and staff who took care of it — everyone’s life impacted by a cat and its injury, and the cat’s life impacted by everyone else.

I thought about this cat when we received an invitation to a party celebrating the doctor who, 40 years ago, cured my testicular cancer. I’ve written about my cancer experience before, so I won’t bore you again with most of the details.

But being invited to a dinner honoring Lawrence Einhorn, the guy who solved the disease, seeing his picture on the card

with no great detailing of his accomplishments, just a “come celebrate with me” note, made me think back to the two times his life intersected with mine, and how my life (and yours) is different because of him.

Had I been diagnosed a few years earlier, I would have faced months of chemo and radiation and then an incredibly invasive surgery involving a cracked chest and hand inspection of my lymph nodes. Back then, I saw a guy who had this surgery a few years after the fact, and he still looked like death warmed over. He lived, but his life was diminished and changed. Forever.

Einhorn’s cure meant that 80 percent of those diagnosed didn’t need the chemoradiation-surgery routine; we just needed two years of monitoring, and if we were

In the middle of the night, limping along on mental fumes and pretty much convinced I was a goner, I found the doctor’s email address and sent him a plea.

“I think you need to come up here,” he responded.

lucky, we were done. So I spent two years convinced I was dying, even though at the end of the day, the medical facts said otherwise.

It wasn’t fun, but thanks to Einhorn (whom I didn’t meet then), the ordeal was mostly mental. I still had my health and my energy, and I decided I wanted to get into magazine publishing with my life.

Ten years later, results of an annual blood test to make sure I was cancer-free came back elevated. Significantly.

Over the course of a couple of months,

I took the test again. The numbers were even higher. And again. Still higher.

Normally, testicular cancer doesn’t show up 10 years later, but the oncologist I was sent to in Dallas said that even though CAT scans and X-rays couldn’t find any cancer, we should assume I probably had brain cancer and get started on chemo immediately.

Even as I reached for the consent form, my wife snatched it away. She said we needed to contact someone else.

I didn’t know Einhorn. Had never talked with him. Neither had my regular doctor.

But in the middle of the night, limping along on mental fumes and pretty much convinced I was a goner, I found Einhorn’s email address and sent him a plea.

The next morning, there was an answer.

“That doesn’t sound like testicular cancer to me,” he said. “Send me your tests.”

I did. He looked at them immediately.

“I think you need to come up here,” he emailed. “Let us test you. Let’s be sure.”

So we flew to Indiana, met Einhorn, and he ran a blood test and took a chest X-ray.

His conclusion?

“Some people just have odd test results from time to time. I think you’re one of them. I wouldn’t do anything if I were you.”

I didn’t. No cancer materialized. Einhorn took a nearly mentally broken guy and saved my life.

As it turns out, I would have been “cured” of brain cancer had I taken that chemo regimen, since I didn’t have it anyway, but imagine what that would have done to my body. This job. My family. My life.

Just like our three-legged cat, who knows how many lives would be different today had Einhorn not responded to my email, or had he been too busy to take a look?

We’ve seen Einhorn once since then. He was in Dallas and wanted to have dinner.

We bought.

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

Jefferson Tower updates

Jim Lake Jr. knows Jefferson Boulevard will never be the same after his transformation of Jefferson Tower.

He’s banking on the idea that adding new places to shop and eat, plus 17 loft apartments, will draw a different crowd, a new energy, to the boulevard.

While he wants to improve the neighborhood, he doesn’t want to detract from it. It is the people — the taquero, the barber-school student, the fruit seller, the boot repairer — who make Jefferson what it is.

There has to be a balance between old and new.

That’s why Jim Lake Cos. this summer hired Adamson High School standout and Georgetown University scholar Adan Gonzalez as an intern. Part of Gonzalez’s job was to reach out to Jefferson Tower’s Latino neighbors in an effort to find out what they want for the neighborhood.

Gonzalez helped Lake come up with the idea for Jefferson Tower Mercado, which the company plans to launch this fall. The market, in a 7,000-square-foot space next door to Family Dollar, will offer small retail spaces for local artists, crafters and start-ups.

The market will have entrances on Jefferson and at the rear of the building. That is part of Lake’s plan to activate all four sides of the tower. All the

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

tower’s shops and restaurants currently face Jefferson, and the other three sides are unused, which Lake sees as a waste of space.

He is working to buy a portion of the alley from the city, and he plans to create entrances to businesses and apartments at the rear of the building. Also planned are green spaces, a barbecue pit area and parking for food trucks at the rear. The sides of the building facing Madison and Bishop have less sidewalk space, but Lake envisions offering spaces for popup shops on weekends.

Juan Contreras, who co-owns El Padrino restaurant and serves on the board of the Jefferson Business Alliance, says he thinks Lake’s work will have an effect on other property owners.

“There are property owners who haven’t paid much attention to their buildings down there,” Contreras says. “I hope that it triggers other property owners to start investing in their properties.”

Increased consumerism could lead to bigger revenues and business owners who expect more from their landlords, he says.

The first new retail tenant since Lake bought the building last year, Small Brewpub, is expected to open this month. Leasing agent Chris Price also has signed an ice cream shop, which will take a small space near the office building’s entrance. And he signed a coffee roaster for a space adjacent to Small Brewpub.

“We’re being very selective about what’s going in here,” Lake says.

The company has extended leases to longtime tenants Ramon’s Barber Shop, Gonzalez restaurant and a jewelry store.

The tower hosted a movie screening during the Oak Cliff Film Festival in June, and neighbors got to see what it could be like to have more street-level activity at nighttime on Jefferson.

“We’re super excited about increased traffic on the street, people walking back and forth,” says Barak Epstein of the Texas Theatre, about a block from the tower. “It makes Jefferson more of an entertainment district and a place where people are hanging out longer.”

Stone

Advocate editor Rachel Stone, reporting on East Kessler’s costly plan to mitigate erosion from Coombs Creek

“Fighting the erosion is a losing battle, but the East Kessler Park Neighborhood Association is waging a war against it. After all, Coombs Creek Park is all that separates the stunning homes of Kessler Parkway from the clamor of Interstate 30.”

Jefferson Tower continued frompage

She can do it

One woman’s grace in a man’s world

Anna Procaccini drives around the neighborhood in her 1972 Ford Ranger pickup, its door hand-painted with the name of her business: Anna’s Electric.

Procaccini, 58, started her own business in 1995, after 10 years working for the city followed by about nine years at home raising children.

The Oak Cliff native went to work as a trades helper for the City of Dallas in 1976, and she was the only woman in her department. It wasn’t easy.

“I was felt up and down on a daily basis,” she says.

There were guys who refused to work with her. Some literally pushed her around, and sometimes her male coworkers could be cruel.

“They put me up on a roof in summertime then took the ladder down and went to lunch,” she says. “It was hot up there no shade, no water.”

Some guys kept calendars of nude women in their offices and in the locker room. There were no policies or laws against such offenses at the time.

“I couldn’t get a credit card without my husband’s signature, and my mother couldn’t get birth control without my dad’s written consent,” she says.

But she says she never let gender discrimination or sexual harassment get her down. Instead, she used her difference as an advantage.

She laughs recalling the time she found a calendar of half-naked men and hung it on her own locker. A co-worker tore it down and ripped it to shreds.

Procaccini says she never complained, and she never lost her temper.

The advantage women have over men, she says, is a certain grace.

“You have to make yourself strong enough and smart enough to compete,” she says.

Anna Procaccini: Photos by Desiree Espada

Renovating old houses in Oak Cliff was a side business for Procaccini’s parents — her dad also ran a tailor shop out of their Kessler Park home. Helping out in their real estate business is how young Anna found she had a fascination for electricity.

“I absolutely love electrical work,” she says. “It is so damn dangerous.”

Some girls love bad boys; Procaccini says she has always had a thing for potentially deadly currents.

Jimmy Gann, who had served in the military with Procaccini’s dad, hired her at the city to fulfill equal opportunity employment requirements. Eventually, she found a mentor at the city, Johnny Juarez, and became a master electrician.

She quit to care for her first child, and once the youngest was in school, she decided to start her own business, specializing in electrical services to the old homes and buildings in Oak Cliff.

Nowadays, Procaccini is still the only woman on the job, only now she is the boss. She and her husband, Chester, live near Winnetka Heights and have three grown sons. Her whole work crew is composed of men, some of whom she recruited from Oak Cliff high schools and have been with the company for years. The crew also includes her husband and one of her sons. It’s not that she wouldn’t hire a woman, but there still aren’t many female electricians, she says.

Electrical work can be physically demanding. It requires crawling into tight spaces, climbing ladders and carrying heavy equipment. Procaccini says she can’t always do those things, as she has to bid jobs and take care of other administrative duties in the office. But she’s often out there with the guys.

“I can’t be on every job all the time,” she says. “I’m so fortunate to have this crew of men.” —Rachel Stone

Out & About

October 2014

Oct. 4-Nov. 2

Cyclesomatic

The month of bicycle love returns with Bike Friendly Oak Cliff events every weekend. Cyclesomatic kicks off with a bicycle brewery tour on Saturday, Oct. 4. Also planned are a bicycle swap meet, a scavenger hunt, a bike-in movie and more. Multiple locations, bikefriendlyoc.org, free

THROUGH OCT. 17

La Rica Latinoamérica

Univision reporter Edén Soto Alva shows photos from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Peru.

Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson, 214.670.3777, dallasculture.org, free

OCT. 2

Shop, eat, drink, pink

This event, from 6-9 p.m., raises money for a Methodist Health System program that provides mammograms for Dallas women who cannot afford them.

Bishop Arts District, Bishop and Seventh, foundation.methodisthealthsystem.org

OCT. 2-9

Sundance films

The Texas Theatre shows the 2014 liveaction and animated short films from the Sundance Film Festival on Oct. 2 and 7. The theater also shows a 2014 Sundance award winner, “20,000 Days on Earth,” through Oct. 9.

The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, thetexastheatre.com

OCT. 4

Pumpkin patch

The Kessler School hosts its annual pumpkin patch and festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Buy pumpkins, take photos in fall settings, have lunch and play family friendly games. Floramay Holliday performs.

Kessler Park United Methodist Church, 1205 Turner, thekesslerschool.com, free

OCT. 5

Life Walk

The major fundraiser for Oak Cliffbased AIDS Arms Inc. begins at 1 p.m. Robert E. Lee Park, 3333 Turtle Creek, lifewalk.org

OCT. 7

National Night Out

One of the biggest National Night Out Against Crime celebrations in Dallas takes place at Kiest Park. Expect food, freebies, music and more. Kiest Park, 3080 S. Hampton, 214.671.9347, free

OCT. 18-19

Fall Home Tour

The Old Oak Cliff Conservation League’s 40th annual Fall Home Tour features 10 homes, from Wynnewood to West Kessler. Proceeds from the tour go to member neighborhoods in the form of grants. Last year, the league raised about $40,000. Multiple locations, ooccl.org, $20

OCT. 22

Bishop Dunne 100 Dinner

West Virginia University Athletic Director Oliver Luck, who serves on the new College Football Playoff Selection Committee, is the keynote speaker at this fundraiser for Bishop Dunne Catholic School. Hilton Anatole, 2201 N. Stemmons, 214.339.6561, bdcs.org

OCT. 25

North Oak Cliff Music Festival

Oak Cliff’s own Edie Brickell headlines the third-annual North Oak Cliff Music Festival at Lake Cliff Park, and she’s playing with the New Bohemians. A $50 family package includes entry for two adults and as many as four children, plus priority seating until 3 p.m. Lake Cliff Park, 300 E. Colorado, nocmf.com, $25-$75

OCTOBER

PHO 88

312 W. Seventh 214.948.0098 pho88dallas.com

AMBIANCE: CASUAL

PRICE RANGE: $6-$12

HOURS: TUESDAY-THURSDAY AND SUNDAY, 11 A.M.9 P.M.; FRIDAY-SATURDAY, 11 A.M.-10 P.M.

DID YOU KNOW? LIM OPENED HER FIRST RESTAURANT IN OAK CLIFF, THE NOWDEFUNCT ROYAL CHINESE BUFFET, IN 1993.

Jennifer Lim opened Chan Thai in Bishop Arts 15 years ago. Her restaurant space was so big that about 10 years later, she decided to turn one side into a bar, which was called Bar at Bishop. “I’m like everyone else; I got tired of all the bars around here,” she says. So Lim, a native of China who has lived in Thailand and Vietnam, decided to plug into the trendiness of Vietnamese food. “We’re the first ones in Oak Cliff for Pho,” she says. Pho, banh mi and Vietnamese noodle salads are gaining a regular clientele, although Lim says Chan Thai remains more popular with diners. The restaurants share an address, but each has its own kitchen. “It’s a lot of work,” Lim says. “They’re completely different. Nothing tastes the same.” —Rachel Stone

Left: Grilled pork and shrimp with egg roll over vermicelli noodles. Above: Spring rolls with peanut sauce. Photos by Elliott Muñoz

Espumoso Caffe (408 N. Bishop) opened in the Bishop Arts District in April 2009, and over the past five years, the neighborhood has changed dramatically. Even with competitors including Oddfellows and the Wild Detectives nearby, Espumoso keeps gaining customers. “With the popularity of Bishop Arts, it’s just getting busier,” says Tony Fernandez Sanabria, who owns Espumoso with his parents. “There’s enough for everybody.”

Fernandez’s mom, Clara, makes most of the shop’s pastries, including empanadas, flan, tres leches cake, and maple pecan and lemon bars. His dad, also Tony, manages the shop most days while the younger Tony is at work. The shop has applied for a license to sell beer and wine, which they hope to receive by the end of the year, and they plan to carry South American beer and wine labels.

Runner up: Davis Street Espresso Third place: Bolsa Mercado

NEXT UP FOR ADVOCATE’S 2014 BEST-OF CONTEST: Best dessert. Vote for your favorite at oakcliff.advocatemag.com/bestof.

Yoga for Everyone

611 N. Bishop Avenue Ste 104 Coming to Sylvan | Thirty Soon! 214.946.2224 syncdallas.com

Flow basics, flow yoga, flow & meditation, flow & release, yoga for healing, pre/post natal, yoga for children/families. Private lessons, workshops, experience groups, massage therapy and much more! Call today!

Getaway

2299 County Road 2008 Glen Rose, Texas 76043 254.897.2960 fossilrim.org

Take your sweetheart on a romantic getaway. Reserve your spot on the Sweetheart Safari Tour and an overnight stay at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center on Saturday, October 18. Enjoy a three-course candlelit meal, live music, a scenic tour at sunset and a peaceful night away from the city.

Photo by James Coreas

SWEET & SPOOKY HALLOWEEN TREATS

Halloween is hands-down one of the sweetest holidays of the year and truly one of the best times to bring out your creative side. Sweet treats, healthy snacks, fizzy drinks and the cutest packaging around top off any Halloween party. Here are my top eight ideas to get you started.

1. WITCHES’ STEW

There is nothing fancy about this recipe. Actually, there is no recipe. Just mix together whatever snacks you have in the pantry — such as pretzels, goldfish, candy corn, marshmallows and chocolate chips to satisfy the hungry witches in your family.

2. COOKIE CRITTER POPS

These chocolate-dipped Oreos on a stick will surely spook your guests. Decorate them with black licorice to create spider legs, or add a candy eyeball to make a cute one-eyed monster.

3. CANDY CORN PRETZEL STICKS

Old-fashioned candy corn is a childhood favorite, but with a month full of sugar, you might want to throw something salty into the mix. Candy corn pretzel sticks are dipped in white chocolate with yellow and orange food coloring.

4. TANGERINE PUMPKINS AND BANANA GHOSTS

Halloween gives everyone an excuse to eat endless amounts of candy. Throw in a healthy twist with tangerines and bananas

decorated to look like pumpkins and ghosts, a recipe courtesy of weelicious. com. The kids will never miss the sugar.

5. MARSHMALLOW APPLE CHOMPERS

This recipe, from Lindsay Weiss’ BabyCenter blog, is the perfect DIY craft with simple ingredients: apples cut to create a mouth, marshmallows arranged as the teeth and peanut butter sticking it all together.

6. HALLOWEEN WATERMELON PUNCH

This Frankenstein-green watermelon punch, from the food blog Design Eat Repeat, will satisfy the thirsty monsters roaming around your house on Halloween.

7. FIZZY PUMPKIN PUNCH

This recipe from House of Smiths mixes orange juice, lemon-lime soda, pineapple juice and orange sorbet. You might skip the candy and just sip on this sweet drink.

8. DIY BROOM BAGS

So many wonderful treats need the perfect packaging. Martha Stewart does it with “witch’s broom” party favor bags made with paper lunch bags, sticks and a ribbon of your choice. Simple and sweet.

Kristen Massad writes a monthly column about sweets and baked goods. The professional pastry chef graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and owned Tart Bakery on Lovers Lane for eight years. She blogs about food and lifestyles at inkfoods.com.

Dang,

THAT PLACE is still there?

THE FORGOTTEN, OVERLOOKED AND TAKEN-FOR-GRANTED BUSINESSES THAT WE WOULD MISS TERRIBLY IF THEY DISAPPEARED

Story by Rachel Stone // Photos by Danny Fulgencio

The latest development here,rumors of a new restaurant there,and closures every other week — such is the typical fodder for business-news talk. But what about those oft-forgotten institutions — the ones that do not beckon with novelty or glamour, but, rather, persist quietly, like a patient grandparent, waiting for us to visit? When we do, we are reminded why they endure: because they are genuine, loyal, sturdy and loved. They are a constant in a perpetually changing environment. Periodically, pay a visit to our neighborhood’s oldies. It will make you feel warm and a tad nostalgic. (Oh, and you should probably visit your grandparents, too.)

Hardeman’s BBQ

618 S. Westmoreland at Schooldell 214.467.1154

2425 W. Kiest at Hampton 214.330.2210

THE BARBECUE JOINT south of Jefferson on Westmoreland is just a little hole in the wall. A few stools, wood paneling, a wall menu, a small cashier counter. There’s not much to the place.

But there is just something about it. It’s only been open about eight years, but it feels like it’s been there forever.

The owner is 27-year-old Jameon Hardeman, a tattooed former Kimball High School football standout who played at Baylor University. Hardeman is the fourth generation of his family to run a Hardeman’s restaurant. He took over the Westmoreland location from his mom, Gloria, who still runs the store on Kiest.

The original Hardeman’s BBQ opened at 2901 S. Lancaster in 1955, and there’s been a Hardeman’s in Oak Cliff ever since. But the Hardeman family’s barbecue history goes back even further. Chester Hardeman started selling barbecue out of makeshift roadside stands as early as the 1930s.

His son, George Hardeman Sr., learned to cook in the U.S. Navy. And when he got out, he opened his namesake restaurant. A framed portrait of Hardeman and his wife, Olevia Odom Hardeman, hangs in every Hardeman’s and Odom’s restaurant.

George Miller smokes the meat at Hardeman’s on Westmoreland. He met the elder George Hardeman when he was 20 years old, and was hired as a dishwasher. He moved his way up to pit master eventually. And he married (and later divorced) one of Hardeman’s daughters, Pam.

“I never had another job before cooking barbecue,” Miller says. “And it’s the only job I’ve ever had.”

The work is brutally hot. About everything he owns smells like smoke. What keeps him coming back every day is the gratification of serving good meat.

“When someone says ‘Boy, that sure smells good’ — that’s what makes me want to do it,” Miller says. “I don’t mind being back there sweating.”

Tachito’s Mexican Restaurant

WHEN TACHITO’S OPENED on Illinois in 1978, the tiny restaurant had lines down the sidewalk.

“We still have customers to this day who say, ‘You remember? We used to wait outside when it was so hot in the summer and in the winter when it was freezing cold,’ ” says owner Diana Vasquez.

Vasquez and her husband at the time had used their life savings to start a restaurant in a now-bygone shopping center at the corner of Illinois and Westmoreland, having no idea whether their dream of owning a restaurant would work.

There were few other restaurants around at the time, Vasquez says. That, along with good food and service, is what made them. They captured a lunch crowd of workers from Dresser Industries. And the dinner shift stayed busy with neighbors.

They quickly outgrew the space, and in 1981 bought their current place, at 3210 W. Illinois, from an architect who had built it for his offices. Vasquez and her then-husband did not take out a mortgage; instead, they bought the building from its former owner in payments.

Once again, they spent all their money turning an office building into a restaurant.

“It was like starting all over again,” Vasquez says.

When El Fenix built a restaurant at Hampton and Illinois in the early ’80s, friends warned Vasquez that she likely would lose business to that Tex-Mex empire. But Tachito’s kept plugging away, and the regulars kept coming back.

The ’80s and ’90s were Tachito’s heyday. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant would be packed on Friday nights. The busy lunches continued, and Tachito’s never had to advertise.

The second-floor party room regularly held quinceañeras, birthdays and office Christmas parties.

But then, in the early aughts, business started slowing. The Dresser Industries plant at 3400 Westmoreland had closed. The economy slumped following the burst of the tech bubble. And many of the dinnertime regulars had moved to southern suburbs.

“It was tough there for awhile,” Vasquez says.

She responded by closing up shop on their

slowest day, Monday. Eventually, Tachito’s closed on Tuesdays as well. But it all works out.

The restaurant has mostly the same kitchen and wait staff every day that it’s open, 11 a.m.9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. And everyone has the same days off. Business has picked up a little in the past few years.

Vasquez is in her 60s now. She serves the grandchildren of those customers who used to wait in line 36 years ago. She’s not sure how much longer she will keep Tachito’s going, but there are no plans to close the place.

“I’m not ready to retire yet,” she says.

“We still have customers to this day who say, ‘You remember? We used to wait outside when it was so hot in the summer and in the winter when it was freezing cold.’ ”

Wimpy’s Hamburgers

1802 Singleton at Vilbig 214.749.0277

THE VINTAGE SIGNS AT WIMPY’S announce frozen custard and breakfast. But walk up to the menu, hand-written on a whiteboard, and you’ll find neither of those.

Wimpy’s, which opened in the 1950s, served breakfast and hamburgers back in the day. But the West Dallas restaurant had been shuttered for years until 2007, when Lupe Gutierrez and her mother bought it.

They repainted the exterior, staying true to the old murals of hamburger-crazed Wimpy and other characters from Popeye the Sailor cartoons. They left the old handlettered signs announcing hamburgers, hot dogs and custard.

“We wanted to keep it true to how it’s always been,” Gutierrez says.

The menu does include hamburgers, of course, with thin patties and grilled buns, wrapped in filmy white paper and served in a paper bag. A cheeseburger with tater tots costs less than $6 — how’s that for old school?

Along with burgers, Wimpy’s also offers chicken and fish baskets, foot-long hot dogs

and more.

Gutierrez and her mother also own the Dog House, a few blocks away on Singleton, which also sells burgers, plus tortas and “knock-outs,” snow cones with soft-serve ice cream in the middle.

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• 26 years in the White Rock Lake Neighborhood 6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 800 214-821-0829

THE goods

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION to advertise call 214.560.4203

PAINTING WITH A TWIST

Express your inner artist! Instructors lead attendees in creating paintings with a featured piece of art. Bring your imagination and beverage. Perfect for private parties and complimentary valet parking. 5202 W. Lovers Lane 214.350.9911 paintingwithatwist.com/dallas

Gentle The Healing of Arts

THE goods

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION to advertise call 214.560.4203

PAINTING WITH A TWIST

Express your inner artist! Instructors lead attendees in creating paintings with a featured piece of art. Bring your imagination and beverage. Perfect for private parties and complimentary valet parking. 5202 W. Lovers Lane 214.350.9911 paintingwithatwist.com/dallas

All Are Welcome!

PK3-8th Grade

English, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Religion, Technology, Athletics, Art, Music, and Spanish.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School

4019

A non-profit childcare facility providing Early Childcare Education

• Provides Early Childhood Education to children with special health care needs, ages 0-5

• Family support services such as Financial Education and Parenting Classes

Since 1988, Bryan’s House has been providing children and families in our community with a continuum of care.

bryanshouse.org

214-559-3946

BRYAN’S HOUSE

3610 Pipestone & 802 S. Beckley / 214.559.3946 / bryanshouse.org Bryan’s House is a nonprofit childcare facility that provides care and early childhood education for children who have special medical needs who are ages 0–5-years-old. At Bryan’s House families can find a safe and nurturing environment for their children, as well as social services to help them find resources they may need to care for their children. It is NAEYC Accredited and participates in the Texas School Ready Project. Volunteers are also always welcome.

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / 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, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL

4019 S. Hampton Rd. Dallas 75224/ 214.331.5139 / www.saintspride.com

Walk in the Footsteps of Saints!!Now enrolling students PK3-8th Grade. St. Elizabeth of Hungary offers a full day curriculum for PK3-8th Grade, including English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Religion, Technology, Athletics, Art, Music, and Spanish. Caring teachers enhance curriculum with individualized attention and handson interactive participation. St. Elizabeth is a model of diversity, rich, and reflective of the ethnic and economic composition of the community it serves. Join us for an informational school tour and see for yourself how easy it is to become a Saint! Call 214.331.5139 for information.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org

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

69%

of our 200,000+ readers with average income of $146,750 want more info about private schools.

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

Brews you can use

The long-awaited Small Brewpub is expected to open on the ground floor of Jefferson Tower this month. The brewery, which gained popularity with backyard parties in Oak Cliff, will feature 12 taps — six for Small creations and six for other craft brews. The pub is expected to have a full menu from chef Misti Norris. The owners also have an option on an adjacent space, where they plan to open a live-music venue.

351 W. Jefferson, jefferson-tower.com

Urban Acres (almost) every day

Urban Acres is now open six days a week. The grocery and café hired a new chef, David Rodriguez, and offers a full menu, plus coffee and pastries, Tuesday-Sunday. Rodriguez’s revolving menu includes the “pig and fig” sandwich, chorizo tacos, chicken salad and organic pizza. The new hours are 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

1605 N. Beckley, 214.466.1260, urbanacresmarket.com

Eye guys

Father-son venture Glass Optical opened in September on West Davis at Tyler. Neighborhood resident Paul Wilkes left his 10-year career in advertising to go into business with his eye doctor dad, Steve. The boutique offers eye exams as well as handmade, independent glasses from labels including Garrett Leight, Sons and Daughters, and Mykita.

833 W. Davis,214.484.7854, glassoptical.co

—Rachel Stone

More business bits

1 Kate Weiser Chocolate opened in Trinity Groves in August, offering bonbons, ice cream, macarons and more. 2 QuikTrip opened a new gas station and convenience store on Zang at Twelfth. 3 Cake Bar, a concept from baker Tracy German, opened in Trinity Groves in September.

ANGLICAN

ALL SAINTS DALLAS / 2733 Oak Lawn / 972.755.3505

Radical Inclusivity, Profound Transformation. Come and See!

9:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Services. www.allsaintschurchdallas.org

BAPTIST

CLIFF TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH / 125 Sunset Ave. / CliffTemple.org

Building everyday people into everyday missionaries for Jesus Christ.

Sunday School: 9:30 am / Sunday Worship: 10:45 am / 214.942.8601

GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST MULTI-CULTURAL CHURCH

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

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

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH / 534 W. Tenth St. / 214.941.0339

Sunday: 8 & 10 am Holy Eucharist, 12:30pm Santa Misa en Español

Sunday School for all ages / Children’s Chapel / christchurchdallas.org

METHODIST

KESSLER PARK UMC / 1215 Turner Ave. / 214.942.0098 / kpumc.org

9:30 am Sunday School / 11:00 Worship / All welcome regardless of creed, color, culture, gender or sexual identity.

OAK CLIFF UMC / 549 E. Jefferson Blvd. / oakcliffumc.org

Young Adult Gathering & Worship “The Cliff” 9:30 am / Contemporary Worship 11:00 am (Bilingual) / facebook.com/oakcliffumc

TYLER STREET UMC / 927 W. 10th Street / 214.946.8106

Sunday Worship at 8:30 am and 10:50 am www.tsumc.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

PRESBYTERIAN

OAK CLIFF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6000 S. Hampton Road

Sunday Worship at 9:30 am & 11:05 am 214-339-2211 / www.ocpres.com

KISSING THE LEPER

Action and physical manifestation always

accompany a real conversion

Sit in a circle where honest life stories are shared, and you’ll almost always hear a conversion story of some kind.

As a young, wealthy Italian at the beginning of the 13th century, Francis of Assisi believed that he heard God saying, “Francis, all the things you once loved in the flesh you must now despise, and from those things you formerly loathed you will drink great sweetness and immeasurable delight.”

Francis did more than reflect on these words; he applied them in a stunning and beautiful fashion. He rode his horse from town and encountered a person that he despised — a leper. At one time untreatable, this horrific disease involves bacteria infecting the nerves and then destroying them one by one, especially in the cooler parts of the body like toes, fingers and earlobes. “Nothing disgusted me like seeing the victims of leprosy,” Francis wrote of his preconversion life.

Remembering how he would come to love that which he loathed and filled with joy at his newfound faith, Francis leapt from his horse. He knelt before the leper, the story goes, and proceeded to kiss his diseased, pale hand. He kissed him. He then gave the leper money, jumped back on his horse and rode to a local leper colony. Francis “begged their pardon for having so often despised them” and refused to leave until he had joyfully embraced and kissed each of them. His life to follow would involve service and sacrifice on behalf of others, inspiring even the present leader of the Catholic church to make faith incarnate.

Some scoff at stories of conversion and transformation, but almost every human experiences it at one time or another. Conversion speaks of changing from one state to another, literally turning in a different di-

rection. We may experience a conversion to a different political philosophy, to a different religion, or to a different lifestyle, but almost all of us experience at least one conversion moment.

And don’t we desire to be changed? We may want to be more compassionate, to have a more meaningful line of work, to

Some scoff at stories of conversion and transformation, but almost every human experiences it at one time or another.

be more loving, to make a difference. And yet, the process of how conversion takes place can be mysterious. We may be forced to change through adverse circumstances, resistant at first, but later grateful for the hardship that created a change in us that we knew needed to happen. Or we may desire a change for years and years and finally, feeling so exhausted and defeated by the old way, we know that it’s time to turn in a different direction.

Author Sue Monk Kidd says, “When you can’t go forward, and you can’t go backward, and you can’t stay where you are without killing off something deep and vital in yourself, you are on the edge of creation.”

The point is that transformation often involves a moment like kissing a leper. Faith must touch flesh. Conversion must go beyond the superficial and become explicit action.

When that happens, we have a story worth telling.

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.

iWinning

Three lucky readers, who took a few minutes to fill out the online Advocate reader survey at advocatemag.com, won a free iPad, courtesy of Advocate Media. Winners are Greg Dale , Bianca Gantt and Danielle Spedale (not in photo), pictured with Advocate marketing director Michelle Meals Photo by Danny Fulgencio.

Local Resources

TO ADVERTISE 214.560.4203

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

LEARN NEW TESTAMENT GREEK

Beginners intermediates; Rice, TCU, DTS ex; John Cunyus 214-662-5494 www.JohnCunyus.com

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

EMPLOYMENT

AIRLINE CAREERS Begin Here. Get Trained As FAA Certified Aviation Technician. Financial Aid For Qualified Students. Housing & Job Placement Assistance. AIM 866-453-6204

SERVICES FOR YOU

DISH TV RETAILER Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 months) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available) Save. Ask about Same Day Installation 1-800-615-4064 BOUNCE HOUSES

SLIDES

MACHINES

Local BULLETIN BOARD

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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

FARMERS INSURANCE CALL JOSH JORDAN 214-364-8280. Auto, Home, Life Renters.

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

TRAVEL

CRUISEONE DALLAS Doug Thompson bigDcruises.com Plan your cruise vacation today! 214-254-4980

JOURNEY WITH JANE for a unique travel experience. Travel dreams become reality. 469-662-5212. journeywithjane.com

PET SERVICES

In-Home Professional Care

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

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

BUY/SELL/TRADE

GROUND FLOOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Unique Opportunity for Residual Income. A Legacy Company Which Affords You and Your Family Guaranteed Income. 401-741-7596 healthandwealthct@gmail.com

OLD GUITARS WANTED Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Martin. 1920s-1980s. Top dollar paid. Toll Free 1-866-433-8277

TEXAS RANGERS AND DALLAS STARS

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

MACHINES

PET SERVICES

DUKE CANINE Certified Behaviorist & Trainer. Board/Train. Indoor kennels. www.dukecanine.com or 214-529-2598

front row seats. Share prime, front-row Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars tickets (available in sets of 10 games). Prices start at $105 per ticket (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available) Seats are behind the plate and next to the dugouts for the Rangers: seats are on the glass and on the Platinum Level for the Stars. Other great seats available starting at $60 per ticket. Entire season available except for opening game; participants randomly draw numbers prior to the season to determine a draft order fair for everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com

TOP CASH FOR CARS Any Car, Truck. Running or Not. Call for Instant Offer. 1-800-454-6951

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

Moving, Retirement, Downsizing. One Piece or a Houseful. David Turner. 214-908-7688. dave2estates@aol.com

AC & HEAT

CLEANING SERVICES

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

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available

Free Estimates

972-672-5359 (32 yrs.)

APPLIANCE REPAIR

AROTX 972-523-3996 WWW.AROTX.COM

We at AROTX repair all major appliances Visit our website or call us WE DO SAME DAY SERVICE

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

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

THE CABINET CONCIERGE

The Art of Storage. Call 214-821-5900

Email jin@thecabinetconcierge.com

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

JUAN AND ROSCOE 937-304-7950 Showers, Kitchens, Painting/Taping, Sheet rock.

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

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.org 214-403-7247

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872 Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We do it. Tommy. insured. http://dallas. tkremodelingcontractors.com

TK Remodeling

Your neighborhood remodeler

•Repair •Remodeling •Restoration

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

FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

4 U ELECTRICAL SERVICE, LLC

We will be there 4 U. 972-877-4183

ANNA’S ELECTRIC Your Oak Cliff Electrician

Since 1978. tecl25513. 214-943-4890

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

Family Owned/Operated. Insd. 214-328-1333

EXPERIENCED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN Insd. Steve. TECL#27297 214-718-9648

GOVER ELECTRIC Back Up Generators. New and Remodel Work. Commercial & Residential. All Service Work. 469-230-7438. TECL2293

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

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

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

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM Decks, Doors, Carpentry, Remodeling 214-435-9574

EST. 1991 #1

FENCE & IRON CO.

FLOORING & CARPETING

CLIFTON CARPETS 214-526-7405 www.cliftoncarpets.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

LONGHORN FLOORS LLC 972-768-4372. www.longhornflooring.com

N-HANCE WOOD RENEWAL. No Dust. No Mess. No Odor. nhance.com. 214-321-3012.

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

GARAGE DOORS

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOME INSPECTION

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

ALL SURFACE REFINISHING 214-631-8719. Tub/Tile/Refinishing. allsurfacerefinishing.com

BATHTUB, COUNTERTOP & TILE Resurfacing: Walls, Tub Surrounds, Showers. Glaze or Faux Stone finishes. Affordable Alternative to Replacement! 972-323-8375. PermaGlazeNorthDallas.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

A BETTER TREE COMPANY • JUST TREES Complete tree services. Tree & Landscape Lighting! Mark 214-332-3444

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 12 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925

GREENSKEEPER Winter Clean Up & Color. Sodding, Fertilization. Lawn Maintenance & Landscape. Res/Com. 214-546-8846

HOLMAN IRRIGATION Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

IRISH RAIN SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Installation & Repair. TXL#2738 214-827-7446

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

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

A

HOUSE PAINTING

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

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

INTERIOR DESIGN

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Name it— We do it

•Complete full service http://dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

Tommy 972-533-2872 INSURED

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

WALLPAPER AND MORE

Serving Lakewood For Over 15 Years. Upholstery, Custom Draperies & Shutters. free Consultation. 214-718-7281

LAWNS, GARDENS PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

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

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax

For General Treatment.

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

PLUMBING

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days

*Joe Faz 214-794-7566 - Se Habla Español*

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

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

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

REPAIRS, Fixtures, General Plumbing, Senior Discounts. Campbell Plumbing. 214-321-5943

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

POOLS

LEAFCHASERS POOLS

Parts and Service. Chemicals and Repairs. Jonathan. 214-729-3311

ROOFING & GUTTERS

ACE ROOFING Residential/Commercial Roofing & Repair. Call Tom. 972-268-4047

MEDRANO ROOFING Resd/Comm. Quality Service & Craftsmanship. Free Est. 469-867-2129

Allstate Homecraft Roofing

• Roofing & Remodel • Additions • Licensed/Insured Over 1,000 Satisfied Customers in the Lakewood, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow, Park Cities Areas

– M ETAL S PECIALIST –• Free Estimates

214-824-0767

allstatehomecraft.com

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

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.

TRUE Crime CUT AND RIDE.

William Bielamowicz loves biking road biking, mountain biking, whatever.

The Victim: William Bielamowicz

The Crime: Theft

Date: Friday, Aug. 22

Time: Between midnight and 7 a.m.

Location: 1000 block of Haines

He also enjoys adventure racing, which takes him on the road to race through state parks around Texas.

And until Sept. 7, Bielamowicz had never had any problems storing his bikes outside his garage. He recently decided, however, that it might be safer to go ahead and lock them up.

“The funny thing is that I kept them unlocked for a long time and then decided to lock them up,” he says. “And then, as soon as I do, someone steals one.”

Someone pried his gate open to get to the area near his garage. His new lock was cut, and his $800 mountain bike was gone.

Surprisingly, the thief left behind a more expensive road bike and his roommate’s bike, but it was still a frustrating loss for this cyclist.

Sgt. Kay Hughbanks with the Dallas Police Southwest Patrol Division says that this kind of crime is fairly common and that simply keeping bikes inside can prevent theft. She offers some tips on securing them:

“The best way to secure a bike is to park it in a locked garage or shed or take the bike in the house,” she says. “If this is not an option, do not lock the bike through a single wheel — run the chain through the bike frame or through both wheels.”

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer and author of “Raising the Stakes”, obtainable at raisingthestakesbook.com. If you have been a recent crime victim, email crime@advocatemag.com.

THE COWBOY AND THE CAT

The wild and brutal escapades of two notorious gangsters

COMMENT. Visit oakcliff.advocatemag.com/backstory

Born five years apart in different North Texas small towns, Benny “The Cowboy” Binion and Herbert “The Cat” Noble both ended up in Dallas during the 1920s boom, when East Texas oil money was pouring in and before the law was willing to challenge many of the significant vice industries thriving around the city. Both men were heavily into the local gambling machine, with Binion’s headquarters anchored in the Southland Hotel Downtown and Noble’s at his Airmen’s Club venue in Oak Lawn (although Noble was an established Oak Cliff resident). The two men prospered, grew their various “enterprises,” along with all the underpinnings, and enjoyed what most would describe as a free rein in the North Texas underworld market. But as the saying goes, there is no honor among thieves.

Binion, with his many “friendships”

among North Texas law enforcement personnel, provided protection for the other gambling bosses — for a 25 percent interest in their profits. But when The Cowboy (nicknamed that because of his acrobatic shooting style) realized that Noble’s business was beginning to match his, Binion upped the fee for protection. Noble refused to pay.

The feud that ensued, along with the 1938 murder of another gambling racket competitor (and Kessler Parkway resident), Sam Murray, on the streets of Downtown Dallas — planned by Binion but carried out by one of his associates, Ivy Miller — started what became known as the Texas Gambling War. It lasted 20 years, and it got messy.

According to Gary Sleeper’s book, “I’ll Do My Own Damn Killin’: Benny

Binion, Herbert Noble, and the Texas Gambling War,” the racketeer murders became so frequent that both Dallas and Fort Worth police departments came to accept the situation. Dead bodies were found in quicklime pools at Lake Worth, acid vats in East Texas and everywhere in between. It was a nasty business run by nasty people.

As a carrier for the Dallas Times Herald from 1940 to 1942, Adamson High School alumnus Don Coke had a route that included the west side of Beckley, home of a domino parlor just south of Jefferson and the “entertainment emporium” directly across the street. “These were well known hangouts for Noble and other shady characters,” Coke says. “My folks cautioned me to always go by to collect in daylight hours and never linger after getting my money.”

But things began to change in 1946, when Henry Wade was elected as the

new district attorney for Dallas County and promised to crack down on crime in Big D.

Binion, known by most as the “boss gambler,” quickly moved his main operation to Las Vegas, where he had already begun buying property, and opened his famous (and also infamous) Binion’s Horseshoe Casino. Although Binion had physically left town, his fingers remained all over Dallas, Fort Worth and West Texas gambling operations. And he had no intention of letting Noble expand or take over.

Well-known hit man Lois (pronounced “Loyce”) Green — possibly the most ruthless and cruel man of his ilk — often worked for Binion and was almost certainly responsible for several of the at least 11 attempts on Noble’s life. Surprisingly, after most of these attempts, no matter where he was in North Texas, Noble hightailed it back to Methodist

“These were known hangouts for ... shady characters.”

Benny Binion holds his wrists out for Deputy U.S. Marsh Henry White to lock his handcuffs after receiving a fouryear prison sentence: From the collections of the Texas/Dallas History and Arhives Division, Dallas Public Library

Hospital in Oak Cliff for treatment. During one hospitalization, a hit man actually fired rifle shots through Noble’s hospital room window on Methodist’s fourth floor.

On the morning of Nov. 29, 1949, Noble’s wife, Mildred, walked out of the family home at 311 Conrad in Beckleywood and stepped into the car that her husband normally drove. (Herbert Noble had earlier taken his wife’s car.) Starting the engine, Mildred Noble met her end when a car bomb exploded, killing her instantly and distributing body parts around the neighborhood.

Overcome with grief, Noble reportedly buried Mildred in a $15,000 (in 1949 money), two-ton, solid copper casket, said to have been the most expensive in Dallas County to that date. Those who knew him said he never adjusted to her loss.

In Las Vegas at the time, and without today’s tracing capabilities, Binion escaped any prosecution on Mildred’s murder. But everyone in Dallas — and Nevada — recognized all the signs, believing that Lois Green almost certainly carried out the hit on Binion’s behalf. Thus, on Christmas Eve, in the rear parking lot of the Sky-Vue Club at 542 W. Commerce, Lois Green was blown away by a 12-gauge shotgun. His death certificate states that he was “shot by unknown assassin;” however, insiders understood that one of Noble’s hired guns most likely did the deed. At the time, Green lived at 1401 Walmsley in Oak Cliff.

According to Sleeper, the death of Isaac “Slim” Tomerlin, a Forty Thieves gang member, was another among those “believed to be motivated by greed, jealousy, and the power vacuum created by Lois Green’s death.”

“My next-door neighbor on Melba Street was a gunman for Benny Binion and was gunned down in his living room,” says another Adamson alumnus, Bob Johnston. “Of course we didn’t know what Slim’s ‘career’ was.” Tomerlin was DOA at Methodist Hospital on Jan. 13, 1951.

A licensed pilot who had a landing strip at his Flower Mound ranch, Noble actually planned an air raid on the Binion family’s Las Vegas home. Noble had one of his airplanes equipped with bombs and an aerial map of the targeted house. Fortunately for the Binions, a Dallas police investigator intervened.

The many lives of The Cat came to an end on Aug. 7, 1951, when he stopped his bulletproof car next to his ranch’s mailbox just before noon. Another brutal explosion took care of business, and all signposts again pointed to The Cowboy.

Binion eventually was nailed on tax evasion charges and agreed to a prison term. When he died in 1995, his family had managed to entangle and foolishly manage his empire into a financial and legal disaster, with his immense wealth evaporated. However, Binion’s reputation remains, as does his bronze statue in Las Vegas and his status as the creator and patron saint of the World Series of Poker.

It’s a bit difficult to believe that so many participants in the Texas Gambling War lived and operated all over Oak Cliff — and that several of the major hits took place here. But those are the facts, ma’am. Those are the facts.

Gayla Brooks 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. Brooks is one of three co-authors of the recently published books, “Legendary Locals of Oak Cliff” and “Images of America: Oak Cliff”, and writes a monthly history column for the Oak Cliff Advocate. Send her feedback and ideas to gbrooks@advocatemag.com.

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