2010 April Oak Cliff

THEY SHALL OVERCOME

TOUGH TIMES DIDN’T KEEP THESE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS DOWN, BUT ONLY MADE THEM STRONGER.

Methodist Family Health Centers are spreading their roots in Kessler Park, and we invite you to help us celebrate. Join us for a Tree Planting Celebration where we will be planting new Red Oaks along Greenbriar Lane. Meet the new Methodist Family Health Center at Kessler Park physicians, and enjoy fresh coffee and pastries (courtesy of Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters), and take home a free Red Oak seedling.* We look forward to seeing you there.

Tree Planting Celebration

Red Oak Seedling Giveaway* Saturday, April 17 10 – 11:30 a.m.

The Methodist Shade Grove at Methodist Dallas Medical Center (Along Greenbriar Ln. at Haines Ave.)

Fenyves, MD Internal Medicine

The Methodist Family Health Center at Kessler Park 1222 North Bishop Ave. (at Colorado) Suite 300

MD Internal Medicine

E.

Darrell

Thigpen,

Paul

Against the Odds

Meet five seniors who beat adversity and rose to the top.

PhoTo by CAN TüRkyilmAz

FEATURES

The Rosemont Early Childhood PTA is ok with its gangster nickname, but don’t get it twisted — these parents’ mission is to foster arts education, build community, and raise good kids.

SOCIAL MEDIA RECLUSE

Facebook and Twitter might hinder us more than they help

When I go into a meeting these days, many of my co-workers — most of the young ones, anyway — do exactly the same thing.

They plop into a chair, pop some food or drink into their mouths, and crack open their laptops.

And so the meeting begins, with one laptop staring at another laptop, and the human behind the laptop relatively obscured from the view of most everyone in the room. And as we discuss whatever we’re there to discuss, emails ding and Tweets fly and Facebook sites are updated, all while we’re talking about what we’re being paid to talk about.

Don’t get me wrong. I have no complaints about my co-workers’ work habits or their output in fact

they’re hard at work tweeting and updating for Advocate’s social media (advocatemag.com/newmedia). But as someone who prefers actual face time to electronic face time, it seems as if the world is devolving into a frenzy of social networking.

And although I’m sure this will sound a little crotchety, I don’t know if this is a good thing.

As I read our cover story this month about outstanding high school seniors who have overcome long odds to graduate, I noticed that none of these students mentioned the pivotal role their laptop played in conquering their challenges. They didn’t talk about how social networking helped them reach their dreams. They didn’t even wax poetic about how the hours they spent texting monosyllabic responses to friends’ monosyllabic comments were contributing to society.

Instead, they told us stories that in today’s world seem kind of dated, tales that involved rising above obstacles the old-fashioned way — working hard, getting hands dirty (figuratively and literally), receiving help from friends and family, and simply bearing down to reach a goal.

So there’s the rub: Are all of the electronics we carry around really helping

us accomplish the dreams we once had for ourselves?

The truth is that I’m never alone anymore, because my smart phone sees to it that I’m not left to daydream or ponder anything quietly the phone is too demanding, too insistent, too disruptive.

But how much value is there in the time we spend in constant communication with one another, learning instantaneously who went to lunch where and what so-and-so had to say about such-and-such and then passing that information along immediately to someone else waiting breathlessly to find out who has what to say about all of that?

Yes, we can be in constant touch with just about anyone and everyone. And yes, there is a definite business and, sometimes, personal value in constant communication.

But on another level, how much does being in constant touch help or hinder achieving our dreams?

These high school kids show us that, even when we’re completely untethered from the electrical outlet, the old-school ways can still make a difference in our lives.

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

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

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

editors: MARLENA CHAVIRA-MEDFORD /214.292.2053 mchavira-medford@advocatemag.com

managing editor: KERI MITCHELL /214.292.0487 kmitchell@advocatemag.com

CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB /214.560.4204 chughes@advocatemag.com

assistant art director: J ULIANNE RICE /214.292.0493 jrice@advocatemag.com

RACHEL STONE /214.292.0490 rstone@advocatemag.com senior art director: JYNNETTE NEAL /214.560.4206 jneal@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, CURRAN KELLEY, T YLER TERRELL, NADIA HILL

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 e-mail to rwamre@advocatemag.com.

blog& BACK TALK

THE FUTURE OF OAK CLIFF CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Dallas ISD agreed to allow the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League to find a seller for the 95-year-old Oak Cliff Christian Church. The question remains: who might buy the place? And because Dallas ISD has already made progress on internal demolition and asbestos abatement, in what kind of shape is the church? View our slideshow (advocatemag.com/occchurch) to find out.

—KERI MITCHELL ON ’S BACKTALKOAKCLIFF BLOG

What a great place that would be for any of the arts at Adamson — plays, concerts, talent shows, etc. I would think DISD could find a use for it.

JAKE, via

Gosh. I’m speechless. Can we save this beautiful building?

—JON GARINN, VIA

What a beautiful building. There is so much potential for a new life for it.

—LISA, VIA

MEMORIES OF THE TEXAS THEATRE

One really great aspect of Jefferson Blvd. in the ’40s-’60s for my generation was the advent of all the theaters that were in close proximity (“A nickel for a pickle”, March Advocate). On the west end of Jefferson was the Vogue Theater, then the Roswin and then the Texas. My cousins and myself would always go to whichever one had the best serial. My dad and mom loved to go out and eat at Luby’s Cafeteria, and then go to the Texas for a movie on Sunday. In a kid’s mind, at least mine, my world was always centered on how much fun my cousins and I could have on Saturday mornings on Jefferson at the movies, especially the Texas. Back in the days we used to call the movies picture shows.

—BENNY KIRTLEY, VIA

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

Every day on the Back Talk Blog, you can find several brandspanking-new posts about breaking news, dining, arts and events, city hall happenings, interesting people, high school sports, street closings, public meetings and so much more. Last month, we wrote about the city’s budget troubles and

... YOU RESPONDED

“Your rant sounds like a blast from the Laura Miller past: ‘Just give me total authority and I can fix the city.’ At least she had the guts to run for public office. When can I expect your announcement as a candidate for mayor or city council?”

—JIM JONES

Search: missed

BE A WINNER

opportunity

Like our Facebook fan Jean-Marie Roman who picked up a pair of Stars tickets in one of our regular giveaways at facebook.com/ AdvocateMagazines

MORE THAN JUST TALK

Not just words — we’re also bringing video, like the recent high school drum off outside City Hall.

“Even if there is a referendum and Dallas votes to allow retail beer and wine sales in November, Oak Cliff — and most of Dallas south of the Trinity — could well remain dry.”

—JEFF SIEGEL, VIA

SEARCH: WET-DRY ISSUES ON

l AUNCH

DA r T board of directors chairman Bill VE l ASCO was born and raised in Oak Cliff, graduated from Sunset High School, went off to college at Texas A&M University, and then came back and bought a house in Winnetka Heights in the late ’70s, when they were selling for under $20,000. He is a founding member of the Winnetka Heights Historic District. His business, Velasco Tax and i nsurance, has been a fixture on West Jefferson for more than 20 years. He is the first DA r T board chairman from Oak Cliff in decades, and he thinks of that as a boon for the neighborhood.

The biggest transportation news in Oak Cliff right now is the $23 million TIGER grant that will go toward building a streetcar line from downtown to Oak Cliff. What do you think about that?

I was for streetcars as soon as I heard about them, and I was excited that we were able to get some of the TIGER funds. We’ve got a way to go before we can get started with it, but it’s definitely good news for Oak Cliff. It’s another amenity for Oak Cliff. It’s a good complement to what we have already. I think we’ll get more businesses in the Bishop Arts District and on Jefferson Boulevard. There are people in Dallas who never spend time in Oak Cliff, and now they’ll take that Sunday afternoon trolley car ride.

CAn TüRkyIlmAz

I KNOW DART IS GETTING READYTO CHANGE A LOT OF ITS BUS ROUTES. WHYISTHAT?

About 70 percent of the routes are being changed because of the opening of the Green Line. You know, it’s the longest commuter rail line under construction in North America. When it’s finished in December, it will run from Pleasant Grove all the way to Carrollton/Farmer’s Branch. All indications forecast that it’s going to be one of the busiest lines, if not the busiest.

WHAT

OTHER LINESARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION?

The Orange Line into the DFW airport — the first leg is almost finished — and that could be finished in the late summer of 2011. And the Blue Line from downtown Garland to Rowlett is under construction.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

All of our trains and buses are being fitted with WiFi. So you’ll be able to use some of your commute time to check email and get a little bit of work done before you get to the office. If you have a presentation that’s due in the morning, you can take the light rail and get it done. It adds more value to the experience. Also, we’re moving the DART police headquarters to the Monroe Shops building in Oak Cliff. There are over 300 DART police offers. That’s a $30 million project that was seven years in the making, and it’s opening September 2010.

THAT LOOKS LIKEAREALLY COOL PROJECT. IT’SA 100-YEAR-OLD BUILDING THAT ORIGINALLY WAS BUILTASAMAINTENANCE FACILITY FORTHE INTERURBAN RAILROAD. Yes. And it will be the entryway to Lancaster Blvd. We think it will help reduce crime in the area just by the presence. And it might spur a little development around there.

AND YOU’REALSO REPLACING THE WHOLE FLEET OF BUSES?

Yes, we’re getting brand new CNG (compressed natural gas) buses — we’re replacing the entire bus fleet. It came at a price, but we want to be a leader in North Texas with the importance of clean air.

WHATARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AS BOARD CHAIRMAN?

We want to become the regional transportation for North Texas and create a seamless system. Most of our partner cities are in the northern sector — the Garlands and the Carrolltons. So we want to bring DART to the southern sector cities like Mesquite, Duncanville, DeSoto. We’d like passengers to be able to take DART all the way form Waxahachie to Denton. They all want to be part of DART; they just don’t know how to get in. I’m having a southern summit in the next few months to see if we can bring them into the DART system. —RACHEL STONE

a guIde through the Maze oF CIty-reL ated questIons

I’ve got chemical waste, a broken computer, old batteries and other var I ous th I ngs hanging out in my garage — how do I d I spose of them?

no matter what strange things are hiding in your attic, garage or storage space, it’s likely the City of dallas has provisions for getting rid of them. dallas residents can dispose of most of these kinds of waste for free. here’s how it works:

1.

take the following waste to the home Chemical Collection Center at 11234 plano road for free disposal:

Chemical products for home use

paint and home repair products

Lawn and garden chemicals

a erosol sprays

pool chemicals

Craft and hobby supplies

Cleaners and polishes

Batteries

automotive fluids and oil filters

Fluorescent light tubes

Computers and cell phones

Collection center hours are tuesday, 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Wednesday and thursday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; and the second and fourth saturdays of each month, 9 a.m.3 p.m. Make sure to take your driver’s license and water bill as proof of residence so you don’t have to pay. residents of all other cities must pay a minimum $95 disposal fee; your water bill proves that you pay City of dallas sanitation fees.

2.

v arious components of televisions and computers can be harmful to the environment if they are improperly thrown away. dallas residents have a

couple of options when looking to rid themselves of old “e-waste”.

3. If your electronics are still in working condition, consider donating them rather than just giving them away. Most Goodwill locations will accept working televisions and computers. Oak Cliff residents can take donations to the Goodwill retail store just north of our neighborhood at 3020 N. Westmoreland. Find other locations at goodwill.org; all Goodwill drop-off centers are open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

4.

If your electronics are not in working condition you can recycle them at any one of Dallas’ four e-cycling locations, also free to Dallas residents. Locations include:

4610 Westmoreland, open Wednesday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., 214.670.1927.

5100 Youngblood, open Monday through Friday, 5 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturday from 6 a.m.-4 p.m., 214.670.0977.

9500 Harry Hines, open Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., 214.670.6150 during the week and 214.243.2670 on the weekend.

7677 Fair Oaks, open Wednesday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., 214.670.6126.

City of Dallas residents should bring their driver’s license and water bill to keep from being charged for the service. Non-residents are charged $21 a ton.

5.

For more information, contact the City of Dallas Sanitation Department at 214.670.3555.

—ELIZABETH ELLIOTT

GOT A MAZE YOU CAN’T FIND YOUR WAYTHROUGH? Email howitworks@advocatemag.com with your question.

For nearly three decades our name has been synonymous with the successful marketing of Dallas’ finest modern and contemporary homes.

APR il

out&about in

04.10.10-04.11.10

OAK CLIFF ART CRAWL

FREE The second-annual art crawl is a weekend stacked with art, music, food and shopping. Art crawlers can take advantage of three pedicabs coming in especially for the weekend — that’s a perfect way to check out the debut of the Seventh Street Mural Project, which will have some of its first murals up on the Seventh Street corridor between Bishop and Tyler. The Kessler Theater will feature bands Dove Hunter, True Widow and Descender at 7 p.m. Saturday for $5. Art galleries will have extended hours. A performance at Turner House takes place Sunday afternoon, and the Bolsa Farmer’s Market is Sunday. Real estate agents will stage “open-house blitzes” both days, with maps and hours. But one of the most intriguing aspects is a “living art exhibit” called “The Better Block” to show what one Oak Cliff block could be. The area known as the Tyler Davis Art District, or X+, temporarily will transform businesses and storefronts to show what the street could look like without certain zoning restrictions. Cliff Notes, the tiny bookstore on Tyler at Davis, will be transformed into an urban media store with bookracks on the sidewalk, for example. And all of the businesses will be jazzed up in ways that show what isn’t allowed under the current zoning. oakcliffartcrawl.com.

—RACHEl STONE

04.03 OAK CLIFF GATEWAY

04.10-04.11

MAKE’S URBAN BAZAAR FREE

BAKE SALE FREE

The Oak Cliff Gateway Foundation’s mission is to end childhood hunger in our community. All proceeds from the 7 a.m.-3 p.m. bake sale, which includes Easter-themed activities for kids, go to the North Texas Food Bank. Kessler Cookie Co., 1129 N. Beckley, oakcliffgateway.org.

04.03 NATURE WALK FREE Ah, springtime. Twelve Hills Nature Center invites the public to a nature walk starting at 11:30 a.m. Learn about the new trailhead, plus blooming flowers, birds and other interesting plants and animals. RSVP to Marcie Haley at marcieh@gmail.com or 214.941.6069. Mary Cliff between Kings Highway and Kyle, twelvehills.org.

One of the biggest and most unique street markets in Dallas, the Urban Bazaar in the Bishop Arts District features more than 50 artisans from all over North Texas. Saturday, noon8 p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. urbanstreetbazaar.com.

ANGE FiTzGERALD

happeningsLAUNCH

THROUGH 04.13 CHILEAN ARTIST

FREE Decorazon Gallery is showing paintings from Chile native Maria Jose Choncha. Proceeds from her work will go to her family in earthquake-stricken Chile. ThursdaySaturday, 11 a.m.-3pm and 6-9 p.m., and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. 417 North Bishop, 214.946.1003, decorazongallery.com.

04.17 OC ART DIVAZ SPRING SALE

FREE The Oak Cliff Art Divaz spring retail therapy event from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. features all handmade goods. Pearl at Commerce, 469.328.1115.

04.18 OAK CLIFF EARTH DAY FREE The fourth annual Oak Cliff Earth Day at Lake Cliff Park is a day to celebrate Earth. The noon-5 p.m. event features art, games, food and fun. Walk or ride a bike; otherwise, parking is available in lot 10 at Methodist hospital. Zang at Colorado, oakcliffearthday.com.

04.22 ARCHITECTURE TALK $15 The Turner House Salon Series this month brings us a discussion on Charles Dilbeck, the architect who designed the Belmont Hotel and many Oak Cliff homes, 7:30-9 p.m. Turner House, 401 N. Rosemont. 214.946.1670, turnerhouse.org.

04.23 KESSLER DERBY 2010 $78 The Kessler School’s biggest fundraiser at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie includes a silent auction, a buffet supper, champagne and, of course, horse races. 214.942.2220, thekesslerschool.com.

Mommy

Tiny

Through April 6

VEGETARIANS, DELIGHT

ATSPIRAL DINER, PEOPLE GETEXCITED ABOUT CHEESE

The vegan restaurant specializes in diner-style comfort food made without meat, eggs, dairy or honey. They certainly don’t serve cheddar, but they recently added quesadillas to the menu. “They just came out with a vegan cheese that’s made from pea protein, but looks and tastes and melts just like cheese,” owner Sara Tomerlin says. “Vegans always say the hardest thing to give up is cheese.” One of the most popular menu items at Spiral is the chopped barbecue sandwich, which is made with wheat gluten meat substitute that mocks pulled pork, and is smothered in homemade barbecue sauce. Almost everything Spiral Diner serves is made in-house, including desserts like giant peanut butter cups, chocolate chip cookies, and all manner of cakes and pies.

SPIRAL DINER

EL DORADO & BECKLEY

214.948.4747 SPIRALDINER.COM

more spots to veg out

It’s not just about the meat at Hunky’s. They also serve two kinds of veggie burgers — black bean guacamole and veggie Swiss cheese. BISHOP & EIGHTH

The macadamia nut burger is original, and the restaurant just added two vegetarian tortas to the menu.

The vast menu includes lots of vegetarian options, including a veggie deluxe sandwich, a huge fruit salad, and veggie tacos and migas.

MOLLY DICKSON

Pictured: Blueberry pie with “I-scream”

Three

TO DINING OUT

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

cheers, y’all

LANDON WINERY TEMPRANILLO 2008 ($25) MC KINNEY, TEXAS>

Good wine is being made right here in the Lone there’s something all Texans can raise a glass to.

Regional wine, for years laughed at and looked types, is suddenly hip. This winter, a national survey National Restaurant Association identified regional as one of the top food trends in the country. Chefs ranked with locally grown produce, locally sourced seafood, and sustainability at the top of the list of culinary items.

This is huge news, especially for those of us who championed regional and Texas wine and felt — shall we say? — ignored. This new respect for local many reasons, not the least of which is that chefs and restaurants are discovering that local can give them a leg up in an increasingly competitive business environment. But also important is that the quality of regional wine has improved dramatically over the past decade.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Texas, where the improvement in quality has been impressive. Today, it’s no big deal to find a professional, competently made Texas wine; that wasn’t necessarily true at the turn of the century.

To that end, here are three Texas wines that show how far the business has come and that you almost certainly haven’t heard of.

All are available from the winery:

Grape Creek Vineyards Viognier 2008 ($17): Some of the best viognier in the U.S. is made Texas, and that includes California’s efforts. This a sophisticated, complex white wine with peach pit and apricot flavors — people who only drink chardonnay should try it.

Landon Winery Tempranillo 2008 ($25): Texas, especially in the high plains, has many similarities climate and geography with Spain, where tempranillo is the pre-eminent red grape. The Landon, made from West Texas grapes in McKinney, shows the quality tempranillo that the state can produce.

Haak Winery Madeira Jacquez 2006 ($40): No less an authority than Jancis Robinson, perhaps the world’s second most influential wine critic, has pronounced Haak’s madeira-style dessert wines as world-class. This wine is made with the jacquez, or black Spanish grape, a hybrid popular in Texas and grown on the Gulf Coast for this wine.

—JEFF SIEGEL

JEFF SIEGEL’S WEEKLY WINE REVIEWS

appear every Wednesday on the Advocate Back Talk blog, advocatemag.com/oak-cliff/blog.

WITH YOUR WINE

Amazingly simple quesadillas

You know those messy, sloppy stomach-pain-inducing quesadillas the chain joints serve? These aren’t it. They’re tasty, easy to make and require nothing more than what most of us have in the pantry or refrigerator. They’re a quick lunch or even an entree; just add some leftover chicken. Serve with your favorite Texas wine.

Serves four, takes about 12 minutes

1 to 1-1/2 c best quality green salsa

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

16 flour tortillas

1 c grated white cheese

1. Divide the ingredients into eight equal portions, and place between two tortillas.

2. Grill the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side.

ask the WINE GUY?

Q. HOW LONG HAS WINE BEEN MADE IN TEXAS?

A. Texas had a thriving wine industry before Prohibition, but Val Verde Winery in Del Rio, founded in 1883, is the only pre-Prohibition winery remaining. The modern Texas wine business can be traced to the mid-1970s, when Springtown, Llano Estacado and Fall Creek wineries opened. Today, there are some 200 wineries in the state, including more than 40 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

—JEFF SIEGEL

The OF

Measure Success

By RA che L STO ne PORTRAITS B y cA n Tü R ky ILMA z

So said Booker T. Washington, who was born a slave and died an orator, author and educator.

If his words are true, then these high school seniors already have achieved more success than most of us will ever realize. Despite the obstacles in their way, they have pressed forward.

Walking across the stage at graduation will not be the finish line. For these neighborhood students, it will only be the beginning.

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

It started with what Natalie Hernandez describes as “a ball” in her lower leg.

“I used to go running with my brother in the park, and it would hurt really bad,” she says. “But I didn’t tell my mom about the ball until it got pretty big.”

They went to a surgeon in summer 2008, and he told them it was a fatty tissue tumor. He said it was common, that it would require a 45-minute procedure.

But when the doctor started operating, the tumor was much bigger than he thought, and it was down to the bone, so he took a biopsy.

“It turned out I have alveolar soft part sarcoma,” says the 17-year-old Adamson High School senior. “It’s a very rare cancer.”

When she was diagnosed, she and her family were devastated.

“I thought I was going to die,” she says.

Hernandez has four doctors, and for all of them, she is the first person they have seen with this type of cancer. It’s so rare a diagnosis that doctors aren’t sure how best to treat it.

First, Hernandez tried an experimental drug. But the tumor grew bigger, and the

cancer moved to her lungs. So doctors recommended chemotherapy, but Hernandez didn’t want it.

“I didn’t want to lose my hair,” she says.

But she knew it was for the best. The first round of chemo lasted four months, and it didn’t work.

So last summer, Hernandez started more intense chemo for six months. She was in the hospital all the time, sick all the time. The scent of chewing gum or her own shampoo could make her vomit. Her hair fell out.

She was angry.

“I’ve always been a good student and a good person, and I didn’t know why this was happening to me,” she says. “I was confused about God. I didn’t know why He would do this to me. But now I realize that He did it for a reason. It was to make me a stronger person.”

Every time she took a chemo treatment, she told her mom it was the last one — she

wasn’t going back for more. But she kept going anyway.

She took her last chemo treatment in December. Doctors couldn’t give her any more for fear the cancer would build resistance to the chemo and that she could develop skin cancer.

But it seems to have worked.

Hernandez hasn’t missed school since December. She’s taking chemo tablets, and she will find out after her May graduation whether the cancer has cleared her body. After that, doctors will remove “the ball” in her leg.

To see her today, in a remarkably realistic wig, her eyebrows and arm hair growing back, one would never know she had cancer, says Adamson counselor Daniel Cruz.

“She’s such a happy person,” he says.

Hernandez has this message for other people suffering from cancer, including a friend at Townview Magnet Center, who recently was diagnosed with leukemia: “I know it gets really hard. But don’t give up.”

Hernandez plans to attend the University of North Texas in the fall and pursue a journalism degree.

Natalie Hernandez

“I know it gets really hard. But don’t give up.”

Javier Gutierrez lived a life of luxury. Think maids, chauffeurs and long vacations.

But about four years ago, his father decided to give up a lucrative job in Nicaragua and move the family to Texas because he and his wife wanted to devote their lives to the Catholic Church. Now they are missionaries at Our Lady of Pilar, and the family of eight (plus one on the way) lives in the parsonage.

And now, Javier is the chauffeur.

The 18-year-old plays tennis, golf and soccer at Bishop Dunne High School, and as the oldest, he makes time to get his siblings to practices, games and other extracurricular activities.

He maintains a 3.4 grade point average, and he has a lot to do.

“He never makes excuses,” says head golf coach and math department chair Thomas M. Perez.

Gutierrez knew a little English before he came to America, but has since mastered his second language. Maybe that’s why he’s never afraid to ask for help in school, where math is his favorite subject, or in athletics.

In golf and in math, he takes instruction well — he listens and lets his coach know if he doesn’t understand something, Perez says.

The hardest part about moving here, Gutierrez says, was leaving his cousins and other relatives.

“It was really hard at first. Most of my family is there, and we all lived in the same neighborhood,” he says. “Now I get to see them twice a year.”

Because his parents are busy with their jobs and they work late nights, Gutierrez often takes responsibility for his siblings. He makes sure they’re fed, bathed and doing their homework. Most nights, he’s too busy for homework, so he gets to school an hour or two early every day to study.

And Gutierrez is constantly aware that he’s far from home.

“I have to make my own bed and wash dishes, pick my brothers up from school and take them to their practices, babysit,” he says. “Sometimes I can’t go out because I have to take care of them.”

He’s not complaining. Gutierrez is proud of his parents, who believe they’re answering God’s call.

He wants to attend Texas Christian University or the University of Texas at Arlington to study engineering and earn an MBA.

Javier Gutierrez

When wrestling practice starts at Bishop Dunne High School, there’s no mohawked boy leading the warm-ups.

Instead, the leader is 18-year-old Alex Dean, one of three female wrestlers on the team.

“She’s always very cheery, and you never have to ask her to do anything, she just does it,” wrestling coach Stephen Guerrero says.

Dean is No. 13 in her class, despite being enrolled in challenging subjects such as Advanced Placement biology. She says her parents push her to make good grades and exceed expectations. But one gets the feeling she would do it anyway.

Her parents divorced when she was 12, which she says made her grow up more quickly. Since then, she has split time between her mom’s house and her dad’s house. When they divorced, she felt like she’d lost control of her life, so she threw herself into school.

“I know school isn’t going to fix that issue,” she says. “But school is a way to escape, so I wanted to do well in it.”

She started wrestling her freshman year, and she held nothing back in that arena, either. She has more than 90 wins under her belt and has gone to nationals all four years. Plus, she’s on the volleyball team, and spends about three hours a day on homework.

Dean says academics don’t come easy to her, but that she pushes herself to overcome obstacles.

“I like to have that control over things in my life, and some things you can’t control,” she says. “But I can control how I do in school, and I can achieve the goals I set for myself.”

Dean wants to become a physical therapist and is waiting to hear whether she’s been admitted to Texas A&M University, her first pick. Otherwise, she’ll go with her second pick, Oklahoma State University.

Jasmine Webb is tall and athletic. She smiles a lot and speaks in a loud, clear voice. She’s energetic and positive. She is, in a word, charismatic.

“She’s a tremendous athlete, and she’s a great individual too,” says Bishop Dunne High School track and field coach Dewey Wakefield. “She works very hard, and we try to use her as a role model for other kids.”

Webb is a sprinter who has a track scholarship to Texas Pan-Am University in Edinburg.

She says no one at home asks her about schoolwork or whether she has homework they know she’ll take care of it. She is No. 21 in her class and has a 3.9 gradepoint average.

Ask her what motivates her, and she can’t quite pin it down.

“I’m not sure what I’m motivated by, but I feel like everything I do has to be the best,” she says. “People give up so fast, and they don’t think they have a chance. I want to be the example that there is life after high school. You can go to college.”

Part of her motivation comes from the

Jasmine Webb

Alex Dean

apathy she sees in other kids her age. Webb now lives in Lancaster with her grandma, mom and three siblings. But her family lived for a while in an apartment complex in Oak Cliff.

“All the kids took school as a joke. And I was like, ‘Y’all are crazy.’ They never valued it,” she says “And that just made me want to work harder and study and do good in school.”

Besides running track, Webb also plays basketball and has a part-time job at Chuck E. Cheese. She likes it, but she knows it’s a dead-end job.

“I don’t want to work at Chuck E. Cheese all my life. I don’t want a promotion to manager,” she says. “I want to succeed and excel in life.”

Webb is running in the Texas Relays, March 31-April 3, and Wakefield believes she could be one of the top runners in the state in her events, the 100 and 200 meters.

But Webb is already looking further ahead. She wants to become a lawyer once she finishes college.

VIEW A SLIDESHOW at advocatemag.com/oak-cliff

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.

MoMMy Mafia

Rosemont Early Childhood PTA is a gang of do-gooders

Goahead, call them the Mommy Mafia. They’re OK with that. The nickname isn’t really accurate, but it is kind of a hoot. Even if the Rosemont Early Childhood PTA does run Oak Cliff, in a sense, their motives are more Oprah Winfrey than Tony Soprano.

The group started as the Rosemont Preschool Association in 1926, which makes it the oldest early childhood PTA in Texas. Their biggest fundraiser, a silent auction that rakes in close to $30,000 a year, is April 9.

The group funds arts programs at Rosemont Elementary, including an artist-in-residence program with the Dallas Children’s Theater. Through that partnership, a professional actor does workshops with every class four times a year.

“They’ve all been on stage,” Rosemont principal Ana Brining says of the school’s students. “They’re used to performing in front of people and making art. It carries over into academics, and helps them become more well-rounded.”

The group also supplements other Rosemont arts programs,

The group started as the Rosemont Preschool Association in 1926, which makes it the oldest early childhood PTA in Texas.

Rosemont Early Childhood PTA members post up outside the school. From left to right: Becky Moffett, Laura Pulis, Tori Fowler, Aja Shroll, Celeste Pulis, Amy Wallace Cowan, Katrina Whatley and Tania Butler. PhoTo By C An TüRK yiLMAz

STORY BY Rachel S TOne

such as the orchestra, to make them as rich as possible, art teacher Stacy Cianciulli says. Funding the arts at Rosemont is the group’s mission, but there’s so much more to what they do.

The group’s 250 members have access to a play-date schedule, babysitter contact list, an email group and a resource database where parents can recommend anything from a daycare to a shoe store.

The group’s 250 members have access to a play-date schedule, babysitter contact list, an email group and a resource database where parents can recommend anything from a daycare to a shoe store.

It opens parents up to a community of people who want to raise good kids, says Cianciulli, who joined the group in 2004, when she was pregnant with her first child.

The resources, referrals and advice she receives from the group were invaluable to her as a new mom, she says.

“I’ve gotten the best potty training advice ever from this

group,” she says. “Way better than any book.”

Besides that, the group fills in the gaps at Rosemont. For example, when the Chris V. Semos Campus, known as “the lower school”, opened a few years ago, Cianciulli found there was nowhere to display three-dimensional art. It’s a beautiful school with plenty of wall space for artwork, but that one detail was missing. So the Rosemont Early Childhood PTA raised money to build pedestals.

“That’s just one example of what they do,” Cianciulli says.

And then there’s the Sunshine Committee. That’s a network of parents who volunteer to bring hot meals to families with newborns or some other arresting circumstance.

Member Vida Redmond took advantage of the committee when her family first moved to Oak Cliff. Her daughter was only a few months old, and while unpacking, Redmond fell and broke her ankle.

“So there I was in bed for two months, and I had a 6-monthold,” she says.

For the first month, the Sunshine Committee brought her a meal every day.

“It was huge,” she says. “It’s that kind of thing that really makes you feel like part of a community.”

That word keeps coming up in interviews with the group’s members — “community”. It’s past president Jen Lochridge’s key word when she talks about the group.

“It’s amazing how my friends who live in North Dallas don’t know people in their own neighborhood,” she says. “We see people we know everywhere we go, and it really makes you feel like part of a community.”

Because the group is tightly knit, and because of the email group, news spreads quickly among them — that’s part of the reason they got tagged with the gangster nickname. If one parent doesn’t like something, the other 249 can find out fast.

“I think it’s funny,” Lochridge says of the moniker. “It has kind of a negative connotation. But we are not known for badmouthing businesses. We have rules against that. You can’t badmouth anyone on our email system.”

Besides, as Tony Soprano might put it, there is no such thing as the Mommy Mafia. n

The RosemonT e aRly Childhood PTa’s Beatles-themed silent auction, “Come Together for Rosemont”, is at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 9 at the Hickory Street Annex, 501 Second Avenue. Tickets are $35 and available at recpta.org.

EvEnts

RUMMAGE & BAKE SALE Thursday & Friday, April 22 & 23, 8am-6pm at Knights of Columbus Hall. 3021 S. Hampton Rd. benefitting St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church.

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Credit Cards Accepted.

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PLAY BALL

Ted Thomas and Mary Maddox traveled with the Advocate to the Dodgers/ Rockies game during a vacation to Los Angeles, Ventura Beach and Santa Barbara.

WHEELS ON THE BUS

profEssional sErvicEs

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mind, Body & spirit

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pEts

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EstatE/GaraGE salEs

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rEal EstatE

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Chuck Reed took the Advocate with him to Manila, Philippines last summer.

AC & HeAt

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CArpentry & remodeling

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•

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interior deSign

•

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CleAning ServiCeS

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ALL ELECTRICAL SERVICES

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AMPLE AMPS for home/business. TECL 19031 MHK Electrical Contractors, Inc. 214-675-1375

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gArAge doorS

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glASS, WindoWS & doorS

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Time to refresh your nest?

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k it CH en/B A t H / t ile/ g rout

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inSulAtion/ rAdiAnt BArrier

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interior deSign

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M e

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PooLs

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roofinG & GuTTers

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news & notes

community

the oak Cliff CinCo de Mayo parade is May 1 at 11 a.m., and organizers are looking for parade entrants. The 1.2-mile parade along West Jefferson is the biggest Cinco de Mayo parade in North Texas, and about 1,000 people are expected to participate, with at least 20,000 spectators. Oak Cliff Cinco de Mayo is a family-friendly event with no alcohol sales. Parade entry fee is $25 for individuals and nonprofits, $100 for small businesses, and $250 for corporations. Booth rentals at the festival also are available for $100 plus 25 percent of sales, and corporate booths are $500 plus 25 percent. For more information, contact Manuel Rodela Jr. at 214.927.9153 or mcrodela@yahoo.com.

Cliff walls, the oak Cliff Mural projeCt, is seeking sponsors. Donations of $100-$499 include invitations to a party with the mural artists. For $500-$2,499, an artist will paint the donor’s name on a “donor wall” mural. And for $2,500 or more, they will paint a portrait or corporate logo on the donor wall. For more information, contact the Cube Creative at 214.458.4593.

HAVE AN ITEM TO BE fEATurEd? @

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.

roofinG & GuTTers

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ADVOCATE PUBLISHING does not pre-screen, recommend or investigate the advertisements and/or Advertisers published in our magazines. As a result, Advocate Publishing is not responsible for your dealings with any Advertiser. Please ask each Advertiser that you contact to show you the necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work you are requesting. Advocate Publishing takes comments and/or complaints about Advertisers seriously, and we do not publish advertisements that we know are inaccurate, misleading and/ or do not live up to the standards set by our publications. If you have a legitimate complaint or positive comment about an Advertiser, please contact us at 214-560-4203. Advocate Publishing recommends that you ask for and check references from each Advertiser that you contact, and we recommend that you obtain a written statement of work to be completed, and the price to be charged, prior to approving any work or providing an Advertiser with any deposit for work to be completed.

Grow Local!

Fresh herbs & veggies from your garden are best!

Our vegetable-growing experts will help make this year’s harvest a success! In April, plant basil, thyme, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, peas, & more! Visit www.nhg.com for a schedule of FREE garden education & veggie-growing tips. Enter Spring Herb Weekend’s Salad Dressing Contest April 24-25. Details at www.nhg.com.

t he t R acks in the snow signaled the cRook’s path.

Record snowfall blanketed the area on Feb.11-12, and Roger Pickett and his family were returning to their Stephens Park home that night.

“We had been taking our daughter-in-law to the hospital,” Pickett says. “It was snowing, and the car got stuck. I could not move forward or backward.”

The Picketts’ car was trapped in several inches of snow as Pickett tried to pull his car into the family’s long, steep driveway. They left the car in front of the house that night as snow continued to fall.

The next morning, Pickett went to the driveway to get the newspaper. The snow had stopped, but still covered the ground.

3 shoplifting busts at a h ampton Road g R oce R y sto R e in a two-week pe R iod

LakehiLL PreParatory SchooL

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

the Victim: Roger pickett

the c rime: b urglary of a motor vehicle

date: thursday, feb. 11 to friday, feb. 12 time: b etween 10 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. location: 1000 block of p lymouth

“I thought, ‘How dumb of me, I left my window open,’” he says. “But I didn’t — someone had broken in. They took everything inside the car.” The thief has smashed the window and made off with a key card as well as other keys and items Pickett uses in his work as a Realtor. The damage and stolen items totaled $500.

Pickett believes the break-in occurred that morning after the snow had stopped because snow was not inside the car. Tracks also were visible form his car to the street.

“It was just random,” Pickett says. “Fortunately, they didn’t ruin the interior of the car.”

The good news was that his daughter-in-law turned out to be OK. Pickett says his son was out of town, and they provided transportation during an emergency.

Dallas Police Deputy Chief Rick Watson of the Southwest Patrol Division says cold weather alone won’t deter criminals.

“Like anyone else, a criminal offender may be unable to operate — driving, traveling on foot or using public transportation — during this kind of weather, and are more susceptible to being caught or tracked due to their lack of mobility,” Watson says. “More residents are likely to be home on these days due to school and work closings, and are therefore more likely to be vigilant of their property and report suspicious activity. Burglars do not like to enter homes when the home is occupied. Based on a five-year trend in crime, February routinely has a reduction in crime, in part due to the normal cold weather issues.”

Despite the weather, Watson says Pickett’s case is an exception to this trend.

“It is fair to say any criminal offender with intent to commit a crime will seize any opportunity they believe will yield successful results, which includes burglarizing a vehicle stuck in the snow.”

—SEAN CHAFFIN

$100 in meat and toilet pape R on f eb. 26

$100 in steaks on m a R ch 3 26 potted plants wo R th mo R e than $230 on m a R ch 9 sou R ce : dallas police depa R tment

Academics * Arts * Computer Technology

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Kindergarten through 12th grade Co-educational

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Spanish * Sports * PSAT/SAT Boot Camp

Kindergarten through 12th grade Co-educational

Online Summer Camps Guide: www.lakehillprep.org/parents_summer_camps.html

2720 Hillside Drive • Dallas, Texas 75214 Phone: (214) 826-2931

Leading to success. lakehillprep.org

2720 Hillside Drive • Dallas, Texas 75214 Phone: (214) 826-2931

Morning, afternoon, and full-day teacher-led camps are available, as well as complimentary before- and after-care.

Leading to success. lakehillprep.org

GIMME A T-E-A-M!

Remembe R ing the heyday of junio R high athleticism

We’ve got high schools and middle schools, and upper and lower and elementary schools. there are magnet schools and alternative schools, ninthgrade centers and private schools. a nd, we’ve got montessori schools and charter schools.

Very complicated. b ut it wasn’t always so.

for decades, the d allas i ndependent s chool d istrict had the same structure: first through eighth grades in one building, ninth through 12th in another — a simple, uncomplicated system. b ut as the city’s population increased, so did school overcrowding, and younger teens were becoming more sophisticated, which generated a new adolescent cluster. the disd school board made a decision, and voila! the junior high was created.

eventually, seventh- and eighth-graders, plucked from elementary schools, and ninth graders, formerly a part of

the high school structuring, comprised the new junior highs. the first to be built in o ak c liff? b oude s torey, in 1933.

i n 1944, boys at greiner j unior high wanted to play football, but the only junior high program at the time was basketball. u nthinkable today, the disd allowed the greiner boys who were in the s unset district to ride their bikes to the high school and play for the b ison j V, nicknamed the “ hamburger team”.

i n the early 1950s, the junior highs were handed a full slate of athletic teams, along with cheerleaders, girls’ drill teams, majorettes and marching band activities. the junior high programs mirrored, on a smaller scale, their high school counterparts.

thus began the heyday of the junior high.

on the drill team front, there were the storey eaglettes and the greiner jacketeers. Zumwalt had the l ionettes, holmes the tigerettes, Kimball junior high the Knightelears, b rowne the troyanns, s tockard the s trutters and a twell the a rboletes all comprised of ninth-grade girls. each squad had officers, and there were head cheerleaders, head majorettes and drum majors. s ome had flag corps and pep squads. the whole enchilada.

each activity group ordered custom-designed jackets with participation logos on the front, embellished with the student’s name. o n the back, factory stitched lettering announced the group’s name and years involved. a thletes earned letter sweaters, while girls flocked to Robert’s j ewelers in Wynnewood Village or to a harris to order boot, megaphone or baton charms to wear on chains around their necks. ( there were no girls’ sports.)

j unior high football games were played two-to-a-night on s aturdays, normally at either P. c c obb or s prague stadiums. the stands were populated, the stadium lights blazed, and the games were fierce. track meets were held at different facilities, with the south zone meets at s prague and the city meet at c obb. basketball games took place at either c obb or s prague field houses, and baseball games were played on diamonds at the individual schools, as were the tennis team matches.

b efore football games, and for important basketball games, students decorated the family cars with crepe paper in school colors and painted white shoe polish messages on the windows. naturally, parents drove everyone to and from games, and afterward to Kip’s, g off’s or Phillip’s freezette for a burger and shake. i t was a booming time of participation and camaraderie, and much of o ak c liff was involved.

i n the late ’70s, however, the disd decided to reinsert the freshmen

With batons in hand are the 1961-62 storey junior high majorettes. Photo couRtesy of baRbaRa moffett

When these girls attended Zumwalt junior high, long sleeves and long skirts were the cheerleader fashion. Photo couRtesy baRbaRa moffett

into the high schools, and to pull up the sixth-graders to the new “middle” schools. These middle schools had sports programs, but they were after-school activities. And each middle school administration decided which extracurricular programs it would offer. Some had cheerleaders and/or drill teams and marching bands. Some didn’t.

As of 2007, the athletic period is back in the DISD school day schedule, for both boys and girls. However, the individual campuses’ administrations still decide which, if any, additional extracurricular activities they’ll offer — much different from earlier times.

The heyday of junior high school, as many of us knew it, is now a forgotten relic. The old Greiner building has been replaced, and the former Jacketeer, Troyann, Arbolete and other drill team uniforms are a thing of the past. Kip’s,

VISIT ADVOCATEMAG.COM to view more photos and images of bygone junior high athleticism, including a photo of columnist Gayla Brooks Kokel donning her drill team uniform.

Goff’s, and the Freezette are all gone, as well.

All gone, yes. But not forgotten.

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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.

Ten cents was the admission price for the Stockard vs. Rylie football game on Oct. 21, 1960 at the Cotton Bowl Stadium. IMAGE COURTESY JOAN MACAULAY HAMMOCK