2010 March Oak Cliff

HOMEGROWN GRUB

FARMERS MARKETS ARE CROPPING UP EVERYWHERE, FASTER THAN CITY REGULATIONS CAN KEEP UP

NEIGHBORHOOD

SEED CO.

BLOGS, PODCASTS ANDMOREAT

PHOTO BY SEAN McGINT Y

MY WIFE HATES SPORTS

Our courtship suggested otherwise, and once I learned the truth, it was

too late

We sat in the upper deck at Reunion Arena watching the Mavericks stumble around the court. We checked out a polo match back when there was a field at Willow Bend. We even went to a high school football game to watch two teams neither of us cared about just because watching sports was something fun to do.

But no sporting event offered the sheer enjoyment of professional baseball, where we sat in cheap seats and bought cheap hot dogs. (My wife’s was smeared with so much mustard you couldn’t see the dog or the bun from the top.)

And then something happened that dramatically changed our lives we

were married. And only then, after the wedding gift exchange and the honeymoon and the new house, and once her name was all over my meager but still estimable assets, did I find out the truth: My wife hates sports.

It’s not that she harbors resentment toward sporting events; she absolutely, positively yawns through sports of all kinds and, as it turns out, always has. Well, I have to say that for a while, I felt duped. This revelation shook our marriage. I considered, privately and without consulting my wife, whether counseling (for her, of course) might help bridge the gap between us. But when I weighed the cost of counseling versus the number of annual sporting event tickets that would then be unaffordable, I glumly accepted my ‘til-death-do-us-part fate.

as we trudged forward with a happy public face.

And then, something happened that completely and dramatically changed our lives again: Our two sons were born, and they loved sports, too!

As the boys became older, and as their interest in sports grew, we did what any self-respecting family does when confronted with life-altering choices.

We voted on which activities to attend, and we agreed that majority ruled.

Rangers game this weekend, who wants to go? 3-1 in favor! Mavs vs. the Thunder? 3-1 in favor! Stars vs. anyone? 3-1 in favor!

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 to rwamre@advocatemag.com.

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

From time to time thereafter, I tried to conjure the old magic, slyly leaving tickets to a particularly enticing sporting event on the kitchen table the Stars versus the Red Wings, or the Mavs against the Pistons, or the ultimate sporting event, a Rangers double-header (two games on the same day!). No dice.

There seemed to be no way back from this deep, dark hole in our lives, even

ADVERTISING PH/214.560.4203 advertising coordinator: JUDY LILES /214.560.4203 jliles@advocatemag.com

Married life is good now, but I’m becoming a little worried since we’re losing our oldest to a college out of state next year; I’m afraid the vote might start looking like 2-1 more often, and that’s a little close for comfort.

But I have an ace up my sleeve for that day when son number two inevitably hits the road and I’ll be looking at a 1-1 standoff again, harkening back to those early, difficult years after we were married.

It turns out, unbeknownst to my wife, that I don’t like shopping. Never have and never will.

advertising sales director: KRISTY GACONNIER /214.560.4213 kgaconnier@advocatemag.com display sales manager: BRIAN BEAVERS /214.560.4201 bbeavers@advocatemag.com

senior advertising consultant: AMY DURANT /214.560.4205 adurant@advocatemag.com advertising consultants: CATHERINE PATE /214.292.0494 cpate@advocatemag.com

NORA JONES /214.292.0962 njones@advocatemag.com MADELYN RYBCZYK /214.292.0485 mrybczyk@advocatemag.com BRANDI S TRINGER /469.916.7864 bstringer@advocatemag.com

PATTI M ILLER /214.292.0961 pmiller@advocatemag.com classified manager: PRIO BERGER /214.560.4211 pberger@advocatemag.com

classified consultants: SALLY ACKERMAN /214.560.4202 sackerman@advocatemag.com SUSAN C LARK /469.916.7866 sclark@advocatemag.com

EDITORIAL PH/ 214.292.2053 publisher: RICK WAMRE /214.560.4212 rwamre@advocatemag.com managing editor: KERI MITCHELL /214.292.0487 kmitchell@advocatemag.com

editors: MARLENA CHAVIRA-MEDFORD /214.292.2053 mchavira-medford@advocatemag.com CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB /214.560.4204 chughes@advocatemag.com

RACHEL STONE /214.292.0490 rstone@advocatemag.com senior art director: JYNNETTE NEAL /214.560.4206 jneal@advocatemag.com assistant art director: J ULIANNE RICE /214.292.0493 jrice@advocatemag.com

designers: JEANINE MICHNA-BALES, L ARRY OLIVER, contributing

editors: JEFF SIEGEL, SALLY WAMRE

contributors: SEAN CHAFFIN, SANDY GREYSON, BILL KEFFER, GAYLA KOKEL, ERIN MOYER, GEORGE MASON, BLAIR MONIE, ELLEN RAFF web editor: COLLEEN YANCY /469.916.7860 cyancy@advocatemag.com

photo editor: CAN TÜRKYILMAZ /214.560.4200 cturkyilmaz@advocatemag.com

photographers: ROBERT BUNCH, MARK DAVIS, MOLLY DICKSON interns: ALEX KNESNIK, DAMION SELMON

When my wife-to-be and I were dating, our favorite activity was attending sporting events.

For Women, By Women

WELCOME THE RENEWAL OF SPRING!

Kecia Foxworth, MD

Nothing puts a “spring in your step” like health and wellness!

Dr. Kecia Foxworth, OB-Gyn Physician partner at Kessler Women’s Healthcare reminds women that now is the perfect time to renew your commitment to taking better care of yourself! Annual examinations, breast self examinations, vaccinations and preventive measures are a big part of a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Foxworth and all of the physicians at Kessler Women’s Healthcare welcome patients Monday through most Saturdays. Providing many women’s health services under one roof including in-office surgery, osteoporosis screening, birth control solutions and laboratory services, visiting Kessler Women’s Healthcare is a unique combination of caring, concern and convenience.

Kessler Women’s HealthcareHere When You Need Us

is on every Thursday. Search: weekend

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

Three editors and the occasional guest get a microphone and 10 minutes to talk about what’s on their minds. The result? Interesting insight and the occasional impromptu audio hilarity. Listen every Monday morning on

Search: Advocate radio

WATCH US SHOOT OUR FOOD

brings you behind-the-scenes video of Advocate staffers as they research and photograph neighborhood restaurateurs and their featureworthy menus.

Search: Vera Cruz

ARE YOU FOLLOWING US?

Aquatic & Specialty Plants

2125 Kingsley Ave. Garland, TX 75041

972.271.1411

www.creativewatergardens.net One mile north of 635, on Garland Rd. and Kingsley

Stalk us, please. If you don’t, you could be missing out on breaking neighborhood news. Get emerging Oak Cliff news from editor Rachel Stone at twitter.com/advocate_OC

“We’re not trying to compare ourselves to New York fashion week. But if you’re not showing in New York or L.A., then maybe we’re your show.”

—JULIE MCCULLOUGH KIM, COFOUNDER OF THE PIN SHOW SEARCH: PIN SHOW ON YOUR WEEKEND TO-DO LIST

BACK TALK

MARDI

GRAS OAK CLIFF

The parade was superb! Made me proud to be a cliff dweller and see what our slice of Dallas can do to create community. Everybody and literally their dog could be in the parade if they had the costume!

—DALLASCHAS, VIA

EPIC SNOW STORM

We don’t have electricity, but I’m four blocks down the street at Hula Hottie’s Cafe. Warm with soup and WiFi! Thankful that I’m so close to so many places to set up shop for a while.

—MEGAN, VIA

COUPLES

MET AT ADAMSON

We met at Adamson. Even though it took a number of years for us to get together, the beginning for our friendship was established in the halls of Adamson High School [John Nauss, class of ’64, and Beatrice Pierce Nauss, class of ’65].

—JOHN NAUSS, VIA

After eight long years of elementary school, I spotted the one I wanted to know at Adamson in my homeroom class our freshman year. After that, it was racing to her next class to request to carry her books. We were friends many years and dated. Then at 25 years old, we married at the local JP at Jefferson and Beckley. Unfortunately, Barbara [Ingram Jones, class of ’63] passed away Feb. 7, 2008.

—RONNIE JONES, VIA

LAUNCH

Graffiti is such a nuisance in Oak Cliff that city councilman Delia Jasso has made addressing it, through education and graffiti wipeouts, one of her top priorities. It’s easy to see graffiti as a scourge that deserves severe penalties. But some artists see it as a cry for attention from creative young people who need an artistic outlet.

KEV IN OBRE GON, an Oak Cliff artist who co-owns the Cube Creative studio and gallery, is launching a mural project called Cliffwalls that aims to fight graffiti with art.

What’s the idea behind the Cliffwalls project?

Part of it has to do with community outreach in the schools. It entails bringing in graffiti artists and muralists as guest speakers. The graffiti artists come in and talk about what it’s like to be arrested and living in jail, but still seeking street credibility with the graffiti. They get to hear the bad parts of it, and then they get to hear from these graffiti artists who have changed their game plan to become professional artists.

And you’ll do murals in the schools?

Then some muralists in the Cliffwalls stable will be called on to help schools execute their own murals. The children get to work with and be mentored by professional and amateur muralists and artists, and they learn all the intricacies and math involved in putting up a mural. And they get to figure out how to manage a project like that. They get that sense of accomplishment, that sense of ownership. And then, should the mural get tagged or defaced, they get an emotional response to see what it’s like having your work defaced.

SO IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN MAKING MURALS, REALLY?

It’s not only executing murals; it’s a workshop opportunity, and kids get to formulate a dialog about what is good graffiti and what is bad graffiti. We’re artists, and we know that graffiti is a valid art form. When taggers see that there’s a way for them to express their artistic selves and they can become professional artists, it changes their outlook.

ARTISTS ARE GOING TO BE CREATING THEIR OWN MURALS ASWELL?

We have professional muralists putting up murals along our corridors. Since this is OakCliff-centered, the first corridor we’re working on is Seventh Street [between Bishop and Tyler]. They will be quality murals by quality artists from all over Dallas.

HOW ARE YOU GETTING PERMISSION TO PAINT THEM?

If you’re a building owner, you can pay for a mural and commission it according to your desires. Prices will be determined by size, detail, style and the artist who is selected. But generally, it might be $1 to $5 per square foot. If they want to donate their building, then we encourage that, but they won’t get to decide what the artist paints. They’ll have to live with the art that’s on there.

WHYDO YOU WANT BUILDING OWNERS TO PAY FOR THE MURALS?

Although they’re altruistic by nature, artists are asked to donate their artwork all the time and sacrifice their income. We want to be able to pay the artists stipends for their work. And then there are costs for storage and paint, touch-up kits and other supplies.

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY WILL PAY?

Building owners have to grin and bear what taggers do to their buildings. We have a mural on this building [at Tyler and Davis], and it’s been up for a long time, and it’s untouched. No one has so much as taken a marker to it. It takes a lot of gumption to write over someone else’s artwork like that. —RACHEL STONE

My street is VERY D A RK How would I go about getting a STREETLIGHT installed?

1. C all the city’s service request number, 311, and tell the operator that you are requesting a streetlight installed on your street.

2. After you make the request, a work order will be issued to the district engineer within your zip code. T he engineer will send you a petition request; eight signatures are needed from surrounding homeowners for your request to be considered. One stipulation of the installation process is that if you want a streetlight installed between two houses, you need the other homeowner’s consent and signature as well as your own. If you cannot get your neighbor to sign the petition, the streetlight will not be installed.

3. After signatures for the petition are obtained and given to the

Although there is no fee for installing a streetlight in your neighborhood, the installation process can be pretty timeconsuming. Here’s how it works:

city, the petition is then sent to Oncor, the company responsible for the city’s streetlights and electricity. T he approval process may take up to 45 days to finalize, but once it receives an OK , your streetlight will immediately be installed.

4. By the way, to report a streetlight outage, call Oncor at 1.888.313.4747. Because Oncor owns all of the streetlights, the city is not involved in any repairs or maintenance, only in the initial installation request.

5. For more information, visit the Oncor website at oncor.com, or visit dallascityhall.com/services/transportation2.html and click on “ Street L ighting”. —ASHA GWIN

STRUT YOUR MUTT

Almost 1,300 people and their dogs participated in this SPCA of Texas fundraiser last year. This year, the society has set a $160,000 fundraising goal. The money goes toward rescuing and caring for abused pets, providing low-cost clinic services and finding homes for animals. The 3k fun run and walk starts at 10:15 a.m. ($30 for registration), but the festivities, including a “bow-wow bazaar”, are from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The bazaar features vendor booths, activities for pets and kids, and the SPCA of Texas mobile adoptions unit. Awards and prizes will go to the top individual and corporate fundraisers. For every $100 participants raise, their names will be put into a drawing for prizes donated by Southwest Airlines, the Dallas Mavericks and other corporate sponsors. Fundraisers don’t have to walk or run to participate. The festivities take place at the SPCA’s headquarters, 2400 Lone Star. spca.org/strutyourmutt. —R AC HE L S TONE

FILM SCREENING

FREE The Unitarian Universalist Church Oak Cliff is screening “Aristide and the Endless Revolution” at 7 p.m. It’s a film about the 2004 coup d’état in Haiti and the impoverished nation’s struggle with reform. 3839 W. Kiest, oakcliffuu.org, 214.337.2429.

MEDITATION RETREAT $60-

$140 Experienced meditation teachers will lead a daylong retreat focusing on meditation methods developed by author and teacher Eknath Easwaran. The retreat is from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Kessler Park United Methodist Church, 1215 Turner Ave. Cost is on a sliding scale and includes a vegetarian lunch. easwaran.org/ retreats, 800.475.2369.

ART TALK $15 The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts is bringing back its salon series this spring, and the March installation is “Impressionism Meets Photography”. Heather MacDonald will speak on the exhibition titled, “The Lens of Impressionism: Photography and Painting along the Normandy Coast, 1850-1874”, which will be on display at the Dallas Museum of Art through May 23. The talk is from 7:30-9 p.m. and includes snacks. Turner House, 401 N. Rosemont. 214.946.1670 or turnerhouse.org.

ROBERT BUNCH

SEAFOOD DONE RIGHT

I N A TO W N F ULL OF M E X I C AN J OINTS , Vera Cruz stands out. It’s not really Mexican food. Well, maybe some of it is, including enchiladas and quesadillas, but the restaurant incorporates flavors from all over Latin America. The menu includes a dish with marinated dark-meat chicken cooked in a banana leaf. There is a “desert soup” that includes cactus, squash, beans, hominy, corn, chiles and tomatoes. People rave about the mole there, and Vera Cruz serves steak six ways. But let’s talk about the fish. Almond-encrusted tilapia is delicate and crispy. Oysters can be ordered the same way, and they are fried perfectly, hot and moist inside and tasting slightly of the sea. They’re light — not greasy — and are served with a spicy cream sauce. One of the most mammoth dishes Vera Cruz serves is “pescado xanath”, a whitefish fillet stuffed with shrimp and crab. It’s served with two cheese enchiladas.

—RACHEL STONE

VERA C R U Z

BISHOP & EIGHTH

214.948.4746

CAF EVERA C R U ZDA LL AS. C OM

Pictured: Almond encrusted oysters

Three more spots to reel in a fresh catch

YOUR GUIDE TO DINING OUT

The BEST BE E EAT S in our neighborhood

CHUBBY&S $ When looking for a restaurant to have breakfast, lunch or dinner, we all want a place that serves up variety, hearty helpings and even bigger portions of friendliness. The Touris family has developed a recipe that delivers all of the above at a good price. With four locations in the Metroplex, Chubby’s Family Restaurant provides a rustic setting with down home cooking. Catering available. Locations: 11331 E. NW Hwy. 214348-6065 and 7474 S. Cockrell Hill Rd. 972-298-1270

EL TIZONCITO $ Located at Illinois & Westmoreland, this Mexico City taqueria is a Dallas mustvisit. The décor offers a casual experience that corrects the misconception of an original Taqueria. The Tacos al Pastor shaved down from the vertical oven and the unique Tamarind Margarita are a must-try. “What a pleasant surprise.” George Bush. “Excellent service complement exceptional food.” Gary Fisher. “Best Tacos in Dallas.” Mico Rodriguez. Sun-Thurs 10am-11pm Fri-Sat 10am-1am. Catering available. 3404 W Illinois Ave. 214.330.0839.

TILLMAN&S

ROADHOUSE

$$ OD WB

Tillman’s is a place for really good food, drinks, and music in a fun, casual, come-as-you-are environment. An update on the classic Texas roadhouse with regional menu favorites, familiar tunes and no-one is a stranger hospitality — all energized with a modern take. A combination of both rustic and lush in everything from the menu to the décor make Tillman’s a good-time anytime destination. Bishop Arts District 324 West 7th St. 214.942.0988. www.tillmansroadhouse.com

OJEDA’S

Providing urological care for

GLEN ELLEN OLD VINE ZINFANDEL ($5) CALIFORNIA>

Cheap wine is all the rage in the wine business, because of the recession. National and regional retailers, the biggest wine producers in the country, have been wine that costs $5 or less a bottle for almost a decade, duplicate the success of Two Buck Chuck.

Two Buck Chuck is the nickname for the Charles that sell at California-based Trader Joe:s for $1.99 depending on store location. Trader Joe:s has sold million cases of Two Buck Chuck, which accounts petition it:s facing these days.

There are no Trader Joe:s here, but there are plenty the industry calls Oextreme valueQ or Osuper valueQ wines. And there will be more, when discount grocer Aldi, well-known for its $5 wines, opens stores in the neighborhoods where we publish magazines.

Do these wines offer value? Or are they just cheap? To that end, I did a tasting panel of six ordinary wine-drinking consumers W no wine geeks here, but people who actually taste wine before they judge it W to decide if wine that costs less than $5 a bottle is worth it. The results? Mostly yes, though two wines scored perfect zeros with the panels. The best-liked wines were: sold at Walgreen:s ($2.99). This California chardonnay was the surprise of the tasting. The panel gave it high marks (OI:m a red wine drinker, but I like this,Q said one), and I thought it approached the quality of some of my favorite $10 chardonnays, like Bogle.

sold at Target ($9.99 for a 1.5-liter box/about $5 a bottle). The panel liked this wine better than I did, noting its lemony flavor. And, as one noted, OYou shouldn:t discount this just because it comes in a box.Q I thought it was a little thin, though acceptable.

($9.99 for a 1.5-liter bottle/about $5 bottle). This was the best-rated red wine, Ogood aroma and wellrounded flavors.Q I liked it, too, even if it was a little softer than most zinfandels.

—JEFF SIEGEL

JEFF

R. Carrington Mason, D.O. | Michael D. White, P.A.-C Allan C. Van Horn, M.D. Jeffrey C. Toubin, M.D. | Siddharth G. Jain, M.D.

WITH YOUR WINE

Cordon Bleu stuffed chicken

This recipe was created by Dallas Cordon Bleu chef Nikki Boddamer for a recent cookoff at the culinary school (where I was lucky enough to be on BoddamerEs team). We didnEt win the competition, but we should have. Serve this with a chardonnay, which you can also use to cook with.

Serves four, about 30 minutes

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

4 ounces best-quality goat cheese

1/3 c chopped, toasted pecans

2 Tbsp chopped shallots

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

¼ c white wine

olive oil

salt

pepper

1. Use a knife and carefully make a pouch in the breast, starting at the big end. You donEt want to cut through the breast, but to make a hole to stuff with the cheese mixture.

2. Sauté the garlic and shallots in the olive oil for a couple of minutes, until the shallots are soft. Add the white wine, bring to a boil and reduce the wine until itEs almost gone.

3. In a bowl, crumble the goat cheese and add the pecans, shallot mixture and salt and pepper. Mix well. Carefully, stuff the cheese filling into the chicken breasts.

4. In an overproof skillet, brown the breasts in olive oil on each side until theyEre golden, which should take a couple of minutes on each side. Then put the breasts in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until theyEre cooked.

ask the

WINE GUY?

WHAT IS A BOXED WINE?

There are two kinds of wine in a box. The first comes in the same packaging as juice boxes; once you open the wine, it’s just like opening a bottle and the wine will oxidize. The second comes in larger sizes — the equivalent of two and four bottles. It has a spigot, and the wine is stored in a plastic bladder inside the box. These wines can stay fresh for as long as a month.

—JEFF SIEGEL

taste@advocatemag.com

Growing waistlines and shrinking budgets have many Americans rethinking their food sources, looking now to local farmers instead of mega-grocers. That national trend is sprouting roots here, which explains why in our neighborhood ...

IT’S A

R S F A R M E

K E T M A R

OUT THERE

Story by Marlena Chavira-Medford and Rachel Stone

Photos by Sean McGinty, Robert Bunch and Can Türkyilmaz

Three years ago in Dallas, if you wanted to buy local produce direct from the grower, the downtown farmers market was just about the only option. Last summer, however, at least half a dozen independent farmers markets mushroomed all over the city.

In our urban context, however, the increased number of neighborhood markets has come with its share of hiccups. Some markets have bumped up against Dallas regulations, which havenJt changed quickly enough to keep up with the new demands.

The popularity of planting gardens and raising chickens is also increasing, with some neighbors heading straight to their backyards to find local food. >>

FROM FROZEN TO FRESHLY PICKED: A DIETARY RENAISSANCE

)People are becoming conscious of what they eat, and if you become a student of local food, you learn that itAs not riddled with hormones and preservatives like the processed stuff you get at grocery stores,D says Brian Cummings, founder of eatgreendfw. com, an online resource for Dallasites who want to buy from North Texas farmers and ranchers.

)People are changing the way they think about food, and thatAs changing the way they shop.D

In other words, if theyAre not growing it themselves, consumers often want to buy it from local people who are. Thus the recent popularity of neighborhood markets, often dubbed )farmers marketsD. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farmers markets throughout the country have grown from just 1,755 in 1994 to 5,274 in 2009. Most of that growth has been very recent: From 2008 to 2009, the increase was 13 percent. ThatAs

APPLES TO TOMATOES?

Here’s a look at how we stack up compared to other Texas cities also dealing with neighborhood farmers markets:

Fort Worth

Houston

significant because the last time the USDA charted farmers market growth, it was for the two-year period between 2006 and 2008, when the number grew by only 6.8 percent.

Cummings has tracked this trend locally, helping organize several farmers markets, including the one at Bolsa on Davis and Llewellyn.

)In addition to the food, people also like the social aspect of local markets,D Cummings says. )ThereAs a carnivallike aspect with all these things to take in. You get to know the people behind the food youAre buying. You get to know that great Mennonite family known for its great bread. That kind of connection means something to people.D

Ed Lowe, owner of Celebration Restaurant, instituted a weekly farmers market last summer in his parking lot on Lovers near Inwood. Lowe says his eatery serves food made mostly with local ingredients, so the weekly market was )a natural progressionD.

It was a hit, Lowe says, until the city caught wind of what he was doing.

)A customer had complained that we had a dog on a patio, and I was not aware that we needed to have a permit to have a dog on a patio. So

Austin

[city officials] came out to notify us of the complaint _ on a Saturday. They came here on a Saturday, something thatAs never happened in my 38 years of being in business.D

And because it was a Saturday, Celebration was holding its farmers market.

)At first, we didnAt think it would be a big deal because weAd contacted the city twice to tell them what we were doing, and they said we didnAt need any special permits because weAre already running a restaurant here.D

But it turned out to be a big deal. Officials told them they would have to start paying permit fees or shut down the entire operation.

)First off, they said we could only have a farmers market quarterly, and we were having them weekly. Then they said that they wanted us to start paying about $150, and we had just been charging the vendors $10. So that was the end of the market for us.D

Cummings says this is precisely the problem facing budding farmers markets throughout Dallas.

)One of the issues around farmers markets is that municipals really donAt know how to deal with them

Dallas, for example, doesn’t have a permitting process specifically for them,” he says.

Right now, the city offers temporary food vendor permits, which are valid for only two weeks and can be used only once every three months. The permits cost $190, plus $5 for every additional booth.

“Sure, that kind of permit is great if you’re working at a food festival or the State Fair because you’re making a killing,” Cummings says. “But it’s different for someone at a small farmers market. On a good day, these vendors make $200, maybe $300. If you’re asking them to pay that much, you do the math: It’s not proportional, and it doesn’t make sense.”

Sarah Perry, who runs the White Rock Local Market, says her vendors are happy if they can make $100 in a day.

And Bruce Bagelman, who owns Green Spot Market & Fuels, which sponsors the White Rock Local Market, says city officials should consider that local markets bolster budding entrepreneurs.

Pastry chef Katherine Clapner is one such success story. She started selling her unusual handmade chocolates at markets such as the White Rock Local, and her business gained enough steam that she opened a retail space, Dude, Sweet Chocolate, in the Bishop Arts District last year.

“It gives family-owned and small farms an outlet,” Perry says. “Most of them don’t grow enough to sell to a wholesaler.”

White Rock Local Market has its first meet of the season March 13, and Perry says it’s operating under the same guidelines as last year. The market applies for a special event permit and makes sure that all the vendors have the appropriate permits, such as certificates of inspection and state licenses.

Perry is planning to hold two local markets a month this year, as opposed to just once a month last year, because the market was so popular.

“The idea is to bring fresh and nutritious and locally grown food to our community and thereby strengthen our community,” she says. “A lot of people walk to our market and push strollers or ride their bikes. It creates a town-square type of feel.”

SHOP LOCAL

These farmers markets cropped up last spring and summer, and plan to open up shop again this year, if the city changes its regulations.

Bolsa

614 Davis at Llewellyn

First Sunday of the month

Five vendors who sell produce, meat and locally made gourmet items

Celebration Market

4503 W. Lovers at Elsby

Every Saturday

12 vendors who sell produce, meat, locally made gourmet items and crafts

Milestone Culinary Arts Center

4531 McKinney at Knox

Third Sunday of the month, May through November

16 vendors who sell produce, meat, specialty food items and crafts

Mockingbird Station

5300 E. Mockingbird at Central Expressway

Every Thursday evening, April through May

Eight vendors who sell produce, meat, specialty food items and crafts

North Haven Gardens

7700 Northaven west of Central Expressway

First Sunday of the month April through August

Seven vendors who sell produce, meat and specialty foods

White Rock Local Market

702 N. Buckner at Northcliff

Second Saturday of the month, March through December

40-50 vendors who sell produce, honey, meat, specialty foods, crafts, bicycles/repairs, plants and apparel

Source: City of Dallas memo to Transportation and Environment Committee, December 2009

WILL SMALL FARMERS MARKETS BE ABLE TO SPROUT ROOTS IN DALLAS?

City officials are now reconsidering the way the city treats farmers markets.

Assistant city manager Jack Ireland is heading a committee of farmers market stakeholders who are brainstorming possible ordinance changes, specifically to help out small vendors who want to sell regularly in our city.

That committee has its work cut out for it. City spokesman Frank Librio says the city must iron out a host of wrinkles before moving forward. For example, Librio says, sometimes zoning prohibits the outdoor sale of food.

DThe group thatAs charged to work on this is trying to come up with a permit process that allows them to override the zoning temporarily,I Librio says.

And the city wants to make sure that the markets are safe from a health standpoint. But by and large, Dthe city isnAt trying to control what happens at local markets,I Librio says. DThe city fully supports the neighborhood farmers markets.I

Part of the regulatory initiative comes from a fear that the local markets could compete with the Dallas Farmers Market. The city owns and operates

ness is an extremely competitive industry, neighborhood markets donAt negatively impact the main Dallas market.

DIf you think about it, every grocery store, including 7-11, is in competition with the farmers market,I she says. DSomething about the name Kfarmers marketA seems to imply that theyAre all in competition with each other, and theyAre not. They just allow people to trade with their neighbors.I

of 24 occurrences per year. It would also be required that all of the produce sold be grown within 150 miles of the downtown farmers market.

the nearly seven-decades-old market, and city officials set aside $6.6 million in 2006 bond dollars for infrastructure and improvements to the market.

It doesnAt appear that city will see a payback on its investment in the near future: The 2010 budget for the market includes $1.7 million in revenue, but $1.8 million in expenses.

Mariana Griggs, who coordinates Oak Cliff Community Gardens, says even though the Dallas-area grocery busi-

Most people who shop at BolsaAs market, for example, are people from the neighborhood, Griggs says. People rarely come to Oak Cliff just for that.

According to a memo from city staff to the Transportation and Environment Committee, drafted guidelines on the table allow for no more than 10 neighborhood market locations per year, and they would have to be at least three miles apart from each other. The markets would be allowed to open up shop weekly for a six-hour period, with a limit

Of course, all of these are just ideas at this point. After reviewing input from city staff and stakeholders, the Transportation and Environment Committee will create a proposal to submit to city council for approval. The hope is to have a policy in place by late spring.

Ultimately, neighbors having more options for local produce will be a winwin situation for both neighborhood markets and the downtown market, Cummings says, because it creates healthy competition.

DLike they say, rising tides lift all ships: The more farmers markets we have out there competing,I he says, Dthe better theyAll all get, which will ultimately improve the quality of life for all of us in Dallas.I

Community gardens allow anyone to grow their own for about 25 cents a square foot.

Many of us have strolled through the Dallas Farmers Market, at the corner of Harwood and Marilla downtown. But did you know that ...

its attendance is estimated to be 2 million per year, according to data released by the City of Dallas?

... its local farmers roster has grown from 50 in 2008 to 150 in 2009?

its non-farmer vendors include 47 produce (38 retail and 9 wholesale), 20 food, 7 non-food and 2 floral/plant?

For more information, visit dallasfarmersmarket.org.

GRABBINGGROCERIES FROM THE BACKYARD

Shopping for local produce isn:t the only back-to-basics trend on the rise. Some neighbors may be just as likely to grow their produce as they are to buy it.

When A.L. Nickerson was growing up in Oak Cliff, almost every backyard had a vegetable garden, and nearly everyone kept chickens for eggs and poultry. His mother canned peaches from the peach tree, and they traded fruit with neighbors who had apple and fig trees.

JWe had all kinds of vegetables all summer long,K Nickerson says. JEvery square inch had something edible. We:d have things coming up from early spring until the first freeze.K

That was life in the 1940s. With

our nation in the midst of World War II, these backyard vegetable plots, called Jvictory gardensK, were encouraged by the government as a way to make sure civilians and troops had enough to eat. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted her own victory garden on the White House lawn. Fast forward six decades, and vegetable gardening has returned the White House, courtesy of first lady Michelle Obama.

Nickerson now teaches a class called JThe Modern Victory GardenK, and advocates for community gardens throughout the city.

Some people take comfort in the trend, especially in this time of war and economic uncertainty.

Griggs says interest in Oak Cliff Community Gardens has grown exponentially in the past six months. The group has six gardens, including one at Methodist hospital, where neighbors can pay 25 cents per square foot to start digging.

JIn Oak Cliff, I think we have a great attitude of self-sustainability,K Griggs says.

The Trinity River bridges create a sense of separateness that makes people in Oak Cliff crave independence, she says.

JYears ago, we had this big exodus from agricultural lands to the city. And people our parents: age think that:s doing it the hard way,K says Griggs, who is 33. For her parents: generation, the typical attitude is: JWhy would I want to do all that when I can go to the grocery store and fill up my cart with chicken?K

Doing things the hard way, the slow way, takes more work and time, but it:s more rewarding, Griggs says.

She also keeps backyard chickens, which get out of their coop sometimes and dig up her lawn looking for worms. Sometimes they make a mess of things. But they lay about three fresh eggs a day.

BACKYARD VEGGIE GARDEN BASICS

If the thought of picking your own vine-ripened tomatoes makes you salivate, but your thumbs are brown, take some advice from the Dallas Arboretum’s senior horticulture manager, Susan Morgan. Her tips will help neighbors who are ready to turn their backyards into fertile ground for vegetables.

Soil is the foundation

Morgan was emphatic about potential vegetable growers using only the quality stuff. “Soil is probably the key ingredient to any garden. It’s often the most overlooked as well.” She suggests adding compost, which can be purchased at any garden center, or made in your backyard. (For a how-to, Morgan suggests turning to local experts Neil Sperry, neilsperry.com, or the “Dirt Doctor” Howard Garrett, dirtdoctor.com.)

Morgan also strongly recommends taking soil from various spots in your yard, bagging up the samples, and sending them to the Texas A&M extension center (urbansolutionscenter.tamu.edu or 972.231.5362). For a small fee, the center will analyze the soil and make recommendations based on the results.

Location, location, location

Choose an area of your yard that receives “full sun” (six to eight hours a day). Morning sun is best, Morgan says, because the “Texas afternoon sun can be brutal.” Less than six hours, she says, and “you’re going to be strapped for any kind of vegetable production.” Rent a tiller from your neighborhood garden center, or break up the soil “the old-fashioned way — a pitchfork and shovel,” Morgan says.

Start small

“It’s easy to have grand, lofty ideas about a half-acre garden, but it’s best to start small and experiment,” Morgan says. “Once you get that first year under your belt, you’ll have learned what you can and cannot do. Maybe you just want to experiment with tomatoes and get that under your belt, and next year experiment with pep-

pers.” The process will also provide time for more research and some Q&A with garden center professionals.

“The nice thing about being a gardener is everybody has some experience, whether killing their plants or having a flourishing garden,” Morgan says. “Talk to people and gather information. That said, everybody has their own opinion on what they think works best.” When researching online, Morgan always adds “Texas” to her search engine phrase. “Texas tends to be a whole different ball o’ wax,” she explains. “I like to have [advice] tailored to the Texas growing conditions.”

Pick your plants

Don’t let temptation get the best of you, Morgan says. “It’s easy to buy everything because everything just looks so beautiful at the store or on the seed packets,” she says. Find a garden center with a good plant selection because that will lead you to knowledgeable people who can help you. Ask them what they recommend, and whether you should start with seed packets or transplants, or live plants that are past the seeding stage and have fairly developed root systems.

What you plant will depend on what season it is, the cool season (fall/winter) or the warm season (spring/summer).

When starting out, good bets in the cool season are mustard greens, collard greens and lettuce, and radishes are one of the quickest seed starts, Morgan says. In the warm season, “tomatoes and peppers are the good standbys,” she says, and squash is another fairly easy vegetable to grow. The North Haven Gardens website (nhg.com) has a great resource on what to grow when, Morgan says. CONTINUED ON NEX T PAGE >>

Raising backyard hens for fresh eggs is also becoming more common. For proof, simply pick up a copy of Backyard Poultry magazine or drop in at the next Dallas Backyard Poultry Meetup Group, which includes more than 120 members and meets monthly at North Haven Gardens in North Dallas.

KI totally take blame for the chicken thing here M that was all my doing,N jokes Leslie Halleck, the general manager at North Haven Gardens.

She began a push to sell backyard hens at the garden center last year, but much like the farmers markets, the plan hit a roadblock in terms of city regulations.

KIt all came down to a zoning issue,N Halleck says. KWhen North Haven Gardens first opened, it was out in the country. But as the city expanded, it annexed this area, and we were zoned as residential.

KYou can go sell live chickens in front of Walmart because itTs zoned for retail, but we werenTt.N

The city ultimately agreed to change North Haven GardensT certificate of

occupancy, recognizing hens as garden-related accessories. And the law for homeowners remains the same: We can keep hens, but roosters are outlawed due to cockfighting.

Interest in backyard hens remains high, Halleck says, with 50 to 100 people showing up every time North Haven Gardens offers a workshop on how to care for the birds. Whether youTre growing your own veggies or buying them locally, whether youTre keeping your own hens or getting fresh eggs at a nearby farmers market M it all boils down to a better quality of life, Halleck says.

KItTs really about controlling your own food. ThereTs really no reason why us urban dwellers canTt do that. Just because we live in the city, that doesnTt mean we donTt have a right to that.N

The only issue she takes with the back-to-basics trend is the fact that anyone is calling it a KtrendN.

KITm always amused when people call this a trend, like itTs some new concept. People have always grown their own food, and there used to be chickens all over Dallas. It was a very common thing. It was only in recent decades as Dallas became more urban that the practice stopped. ItTs certainly not a new thing for Dallas.

KI mean, after all, we are in Texas for PeteTs sake. This lifestyle is our roots.N

<< CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Let them drink

Ample watering of your veggies is “crucial” the first few weeks, Morgan says. They need a “good, deep watering” once a day and perhaps twice in the heat of summer. If you’re a lazy gardener, as Morgan professes to be, drip irrigation can help. Buy a soaker hose, which has a porous lining and slowly oozes water. Hook it up to your water spigot, and situate it along the base of your plants for an hour or two. This method is “slightly better than overhead watering,” Morgan says, because too much water on plants’ leaves make them more susceptible to rotting, mildew and disease.

Mulch also helps plants retain their moisture. It can be made of anything, Morgan says —straw, hardwood, newspapers, compost, etc. — but with a vegetable garden, it’s especially important to make sure that the mulch doesn’t contain any compounds. “Think about it — whatever you put into your soil, whatever you’re feeding your plants, you’re eating that later,” she says. “These are veggies, not just beautiful flowers you’re looking at.”

Have fun

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the details of gardening, Morgan says, but it’s most important to simply enjoy the process without worrying too much about the results. “I’m a horticulturist, and if you came to my house, you would not be able to tell that somebody who works at the Arboretum lives here,” Morgan quips. “I have some dead plants in my backyard.” It’s all about what you’re able to accomplish in your yard with the time that you have, she says. “The actual act of doing it and talking to people and seeing what happens is part of understanding how your garden is going to work for you.”

KEEPING CRITTERS THAT AREN’T PETS

Marianna Griggs runs OakCliff Community Gardens and raises chickens in her backyard.

Dressing thepart

A couple of non-singers in our neighborhood found their way onto the opera stage

Story by Rachel Stone / Photo by Robert Bunch

When Mark Blaquiere met Cathy Ann Fears at a party in the late D90s, two things about her impressed him, besides the fact that he thought she was a knockout.

HI owned a beautiful house in Oak Cliff, and I had a role in KDie FledermausD with the Dallas Opera,M Fears says.

Blaquiere is a lifelong opera fan. And he became smitten with Fears, a professional actress and elementary school arts teacher, almost instantly.

Now the two, who have been married for 10 years, have parts as supernumeraries in HDon PasqualeM, which runs through March 7 at the

Cathey Ann Fears and Mark Blaquiere have non-singing roles in the Dallas Opera’s “Don Pasquale”.

Dallas Opera.

A supernumerary is a non-singing role in opera. And being cast as one is no easy feat.

First of all, opera companies usually either own all the costumes for the operas they produce, or they rent costumes from other opera companies. So directors cast supernumeraries to fit costumes. If the costume for a role is a size 6, for example, they’re not going to audition anyone who is a size 16.

“Sometimes they’ll put out a casting call that says they’re seeking grizzly, weathered manly men, or something like that,” Fears says. “You’re cast on how you look. It’s all about looks.”

Fears is a size 8, so she fit the

a 39-year-old American baritone who in 2008 made People magazine’s list of “The Sexiest Men Alive”. A recording of “Billy Budd”, on which Gunn sings the title role, recently won a Grammy award. In short, he’s a huge star in the American opera world.

“Everyone kept saying, ‘Oh, you have a scene with Nathan Gunn, aren’t you nervous?’” she says.

“But I didn’t know anything about him. I thought he seemed like a regular guy. No arrogance.”

For Blaquiere, who runs marathons and likes to pay for things with a wad of $2 bills, it is an unusual opportunity to rub elbows with opera stars and to sit backstage at the Winspear Opera House and listen.

“When you think about what it takes for them to create those sounds with their voices …” he says.

Fears, who graduated from Kimball High School, got her first taste of acting as a third-grader at Anson Jones Elementary School in Cockrell Hill.

“I played George Washington’s wife, and I’ll never forget how I felt,” she says.

costume to play the guardian to Norina, the soprano lead in “Don Pasquale”. And Blaquiere, who has a distinctive, angular face, fit the role of the valet to Don Pasquale.

When Fears was cast in “Die Fledermaus”, which was her first supernumerary role, it was because they needed actors who looked like famous opera stars, and Fears looks like Maria Callas, one of the most famous sopranos ever.

“I got to play Maria Callas as ‘Tosca’, and I did a comic bit with Charles Nelson Riley,” she says, referring to the late American comedian.

Directors also look for actors who have good reputations as dependable workers. After all, opera producers have enough divas on their hands.

Fears, who is not a serious opera fan, has scenes with Nathan Gunn,

She’s pursued roles ever since, and she even starved for her art during a 10-year stint in New York City.

The best part about working as a supernumerary, she says, is the luxury. There are costumers whose only job is to keep track of shoes, and crewmembers whose only responsibility is to move one piece of scenery.

“When you’re in a play in Dallas, you do everything,” she says. “You’re cleaning up; you’re running the light board. When you work for the opera, you are so well taken care of.”

Blaquiere and Fears have witnessed some diva behavior on the set of “Don Pasquale”, and with the way opera singers are pampered, it’s no wonder.

But from the perspective of outsiders looking in, they find it all entertaining. And, at least for the run of “Don Pasquale”, they’ve got some of the best seats in the house.

MELE KALIK IMAK A

RAISE THE ROOF

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The Haley family of Oak Cliff brought the Advocate to Hawaii’s Laniakea Beach on Christmas Day. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Marcie Haley , Susan Palmarozzi Haley and Holly Haley In the back row are Charles Haley , Charlie Haley and Steve Haley

The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts celebrated last month because it raised enough cash to start work on much-needed roof repairs. Pictured, from left to right, are David Haedge , Russ A ikman , Robert Ungemach , Michael A monett and Rick Barton

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APRIL DEADLINE MARCH 10

NEWS & NOTES

THE CUBE CREATIVE has designed a poster for the Bishop Arts District, which features a design from artists Kevin Obregon and Vanessa Neil on one side and a map of Oak Cliff attractions on the back. They are selling 300 limited edition versions of the poster, printed with archival paper and inks and signed by the artists, for $50. The posters are available at cubecreative.com or by calling 214.458.4593.

URBAN ACRES, a produce cooperative active in Oak Cliff, Addison and the Park Cities, is opening a storefront on West Davis in Oak Cliff. The former De La Fuente’s Produce building at Davis and North Windomere is now the first Urban Acres Farm Store. Co-op members can pick up their produce deliveries at the store and shop for other groceries on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available at urbanacres.wordpress.com, or by visiting the co-op on Saturday mornings.

THANKS TO DONATIONS from the Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association, the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League, Shambala Body Gallery, the Bishop Arts Merchants’ Association and others, work is beginning on the most urgent repairs on the roof of Turner House, the 1912 Winnetka Heights mansion that serves as the clubhouse for the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts. The society is still raising money for other repairs the building needs.

Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag. com or online at advocate.com/submit_oc_news.

Our deadline is the first of the month prior to the month of publication.

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A NICKEL FOR A PICKLE

IN ITS HE Y DAY, THE T E X AS T HEATRE WAS THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT BAN G FOR Y O U R B U C K

Oak Cliff business tycoon C.R. McHenry collaborated with Texas billionaire and later Hollywood producer, Howard Hughes to fulfill his dream of an elegant movie house in Oak Cliff. The result?

The Texas Theatre.

However, during 1930 construction, silent movies were rapidly becoming relics. Construction halted to redesign the acoustics, and add what was then considered stateof-the-art sound technology and a Barton organ. Thus, the Texas became the first Dallas theater to show “talkies” and provide airconditioning — the largest suburban house in the Southwest.

Originally, the 1,000-seat Spanish-Moorish motif theater displayed elaborately painted interior walls and plush custom carpeting. With elevated box seats flanking the stage, and specially designed backlighting for the extensive architectural details extending upward to the cloud- and star-painted four-story ceiling, this movie palace was impressive.

At the April 21, 1931, opening, Cliffite Billie Paul Mount, an industrious 14-year-old, became the first customer to pass through the theater doors. Hired to pass out fliers announcing the theater’s opening, he received movie passes instead of a paycheck. He

arrived early and stood at the main entrance, determined to be the first one into the beautiful interior.

And it worked. The now 91-year-old Mount (Sunset High School ’37) is still proud of his accomplishment.

During the ’30s and ’40s, most Cliffites headed to the Texas Theatre at one time or another. With easy streetcar access and a location midway between Sunset and Adamson high schools, it was convenient and affordable Depression- and war-era entertainment.

From 1947 to 1969, the Texas hosted the forerunner of what is now the annual Oak Cliff Lions Club “Extravaganza”. After a 35-year hiatus, the event returned to the partially renovated theater in 2008 and 2009.

To the public at large, the Texas normally invokes thoughts of 1963, when presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was captured inside at approximately 1:45 p.m. But to Cliffites of my parents’ generation and mine, the theater is an icon of our growing-up years.

The building’s appearance began declining during the late ’50s and early ’60s. But for many of us, it was still the place to be on Saturday mornings if you were a kid, and on Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoons, if you were a teen. I enjoyed both. For roughly $1 or so, patrons under 12 could enjoy several hours of food and fun. With admission between 15 and 25 cents, it was still possible to purchase a hot dog, a soft drink, a box of popcorn, a candy bar and a 5-cent pickle, and still have a dime left over to call home and request being picked up by your parents. (No cell phones back then.)

I remember going to the Texas to see Elvis do his thing in “Jailhouse Rock”, and a junior high date taking me to see “Judgment at Nuremberg”. And on Sunday afternoons, when almost nothing was open due to the Blue Law, going with friends to see a Vincent Price flick like “House on Haunted Hill” or “The Tingler” gave us something to do, although I’m not sure it was a good time investment. (Doing

Above Left/ Preliminary sketch for a poster by Don DuBoise Above Right/ The iconic Texas Theatre sign Below/ “Opening Night” by Naomi Brotherton

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homework or studying might have been a better choice. No offence, Vincent.)

I paid admission there, as a young adult, to see the “Odd Couple”. I believe I even saw “Gone With the Wind” for the first time at the Texas Theatre.

Unfortunately, the multi-screen suburban theater changed the landscape. In 1989, the Texas officially closed.

If I could turn back the clock and walk through the doors again, I believe I’d be able to endure another round of “The Tingler” or dodge whatever happened to be lobbed down on me from the balcony. I’d just dig in my purse and pull out a nickel for a pickle and then a dime to call home.

HAVEN’T BEEN TO THE TEXAS THEATRE

LATELY? Head there Saturday, March 20 at 7 p.m. to watch a movie made right here in Oak Cliff. “Angels Love Donuts” was written by Oak Cliff natives Leon McWhorter (Carter '72) and Alan Elliott (Adamson '70), adapted from a stage play the pair originally wrote for the Tyler Street United Methodist Church drama group, the CrossWise Players. Tickets are $10, and proceeds benefit neighborhood organizations. Call 214.330.8478 or visit crosswiseplayers.com for tickets and more information.

G LASS WAS EVERYWHERE, AND THE PLAYSTATION 3 WAS GONE.

Martha Nunez lost her husband in a car wreck caused by a drunk driver seven years ago. Suddenly becoming a single mother was a crushing experience. However, she eventually remarried, and added more children to her family — now two boys and two girls. Her husband is often away from the home as part of his job, and Nunez does her best to take care of her children.

Relatives help out, including her sister-in-law, who lives in another small home located in the rear of the family’s property. Nunez had taken her 2-year-old there for a few hours. While they were visiting, a burglar seized the opportunity, smashing in the side glass door and making off with her teenage son’s Playstation 3 and games.

The V ictim: Martha N unez

The C rime: Burglary

Date: Thursday, Feb. 28

“We’re still waiting on police to come do fingerprints,” she said. “We were on the property, but did not see the burglary.”

2 CARTONS OF K OOL CIGARETTES WERE THE ONLY ITEMS TAKEN IN THE ARMED RO BB ERY OF AN O AK C LIFF CONVENIENCE STORE LAST MONTH

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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.

Time: Between 9:30 a.m. and 1:40 p.m.

Location: 3400 block of I vandell

The games were a Christmas present to her teenage son, who has had a tough time adjusting to his father’s death.

“He’s pretty upset,” Nunez says. “He’s taking it real hard.”

The Nunez family estimates it will cost them $1,000 to replace the game system and the broken door. Because the game system was targeted and other electronics left untouched, family members have begun to suspect it might have been an acquaintance of her son from high school.

Despite the break-in, Nunez is happy no one was injured and she was not at home at the time with her baby.

“The 2-year-old’s always playing in that room,” she says of where the burglars entered. “What if I had been in there by myself with the baby?”

Dallas Police Deputy Chief Rick Watson of the Southwest Patrol Division says because of the circumstances of this case, the family’s instincts of an acquaintance breaking in the home may be valid.

“That’s very plausible if that’s the only thing taken,” he says of the game system being taken.

In these types of crimes, it may be easier to find a suspect, he says, if the family has an idea who may be responsible. Sliding glass doors like the ones in the Nunez home are also a target for crooks.

“They’re easy to go into and more susceptible to entry, making it easy for a criminal.” SEAN CHAFFIN

$100 IS THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE CIGARETTES

5 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR AN AGGRAVATED RO BB ERY CONVICTION IN T EXAS

S OURCE S : D ALLAS P OLICE D EPARTMENT, TEXAS PENAL CODE

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