2010 September Oak Cliff

It's not their day job, but these neighborhood athletes are over-the-top, dedicated and pretty darn good

BUSINESS CASUAL

PhoTo

The future of medicine is here, today. And it belongs to you.

The nation’s leading doctors and medical facilities are here for you at UT Southwestern. You might know UT Southwestern as a world-class medical research and academic institution. But did you also know that we transform this knowledge and discovery into outstanding patient care for people just like you? Every day, our physicians and clinicians provide innovative, leading-edge treatments in a wide variety of specialties, from heart and cancer, to neurology and orthopedics. And we do so with an approach that treats the whole person, not just the patient. That’s the future of medicine, today. And best of all, it’s here for you.

In the most recent U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings, UT Southwestern Medical Center is ranked among the nation’s best in six specialty-care areas.

Sing-a-long king

Mitch Miller died a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t know him? You’re not alone.

Even if you’ve been following the music scene for the past 40 years, you may not remember the guy best known for a single accomplishment: a television show called “Sing Along With Mitch” that was popular from 1961-1964.

According to a New York Times obituary, Miller was a talented musician (he played the oboe for major orchestras in the 1940s and ’50s) and a big-time producer (he resurrected the careers of Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett). For awhile, he seemed to have the golden touch, culminating with a TV show based on a simple premise: Viewers sang along with his men’s chorus while a ball bounced atop lyrics scrolling along the screen.

For several years, “Sing Along With Mitch” was all the rage on TV, as people watched the crisply dressed, goateed Miller cruise through renditions of then-favorites such as “It’s A Long Way To Tipperary” and “Home On The Range”.

Highbrow critics disliked the show — one said it was best viewed with the sound off — but for a few years, audiences loved the downhome shtick and atmosphere.

If stardom was his dream, he achieved it. And then the rest of his life happened.

Just as suddenly as Miller stumbled into the limelight, he faded into the shadows. The TV show was canceled. He failed to sign Elvis Presley for his record label. He passed on signing Buddy Holly. He trashed the then-budding rock ‘n’ roll movement, memorably saying: “It’s not music. It’s a disease.” He effectively shoveled dirt on his own musical grave.

The years passed, and his legacy gathered dust. Then things became even worse. Shopping malls began playing “Sing Along With Mitch” to drive away loitering teens, and ATF agents used “Sing Along” Christmas carols in an attempt to flush Waco’s David Koresh out of his Branch Davidian compound.

Seeing his greatest accomplishment turned into a r unning joke had to hurt. But Miller hung around showbiz, producing a few Broadway musicals (mostly failures) and periodically serving as a guest symphony conductor. Maybe it wasn’t the life he dreamed of — it

definitely wasn’t the life he lived earlier — but it appears he made the best of it.

It turns out I was in Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan at the same time Miller was there dying. But I didn’t know it, because there was no celebrity buzz in the halls and no paparazzi encamped in the lobby.

When Miller died at 99, he had lived long enough to see himself go from celebrity to

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afterthought. At the end of his obituary, this caught my eye:

“What pleased me the most,” Miller told an interviewer asking about his life, “was a fellow who came up to me after a concert in Chicago and said, ‘You know, there’s nobody in the whole country who hasn’t been touched by your music in some way.’

“That really made me feel good.”

It appears that what mattered most to Miller when his road ended was the journey.

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ADvocAte pubLishinG

6301 Gaston Avenue, suite 820, Dallas, tX 75214 ricK WAmre|presidenttom ZieLinsKi|vice-president Advocate, © 2010, is published monthly by east Dallas – Lakewood people inc. contents of this magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. the publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising material. opinions set forth in the Advocate are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s viewpoint. more than200,000peoplereadAdvocatepublicationseachmonth. Advertisingratesandguidelinesareavailableuponrequest. Advocate publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one copy per reader.

If stardom was his dream, he achieved it. And then the rest of his life happened.

His stardom was short-lived, but he went out with gratitude

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;

CITY BUDGET WOES

Excellent points, Jeff [“Dallas budget winners and losers” by Jeff Siegel on the Advocate Back Talk blog]. I will be bringing each one of these points to the budget briefings. Thanks for your hard work. I encourage folks to bring these up at the town hall meetings as well.

—COUNCIL MEMBER DELIA JASSO, VIA

My spouse and I can afford to pay more taxes and should be asked. I am appalled at the mayor’s intransigence on this. As city employees lose their jobs, they spend less, and we all suffer as a result. That should be added to the public safety and quality of life issues.

—KIM, VIA

Leppert is thinking about his run for the Senate. He can’t raise taxes — that’s anathema to Republicans. He can’t cut projects that his backers, the business lobby, like. And if you can leave the mess for the next guy to have to clean up, nobody will notice. So get ready to have less police and fire protection. Get ready for the streets to get worse — although how much worse they can get in Oak Cliff? Get ready for reduced trash pickups, city office closings, and basically your life to be more difficult, unless you live in Park Cities, Preston Hollow, or the other zip codes with high median incomes and high Republican voter turnout. Will the last person leaving Dallas turn the Reunion Tower off?

—OLIVER BABBISH, VIA

OIL AND COTTON CREATIVE EXCHANGE

I am so excited [“Unique art-supply shop and ‘creative exchange’ to offer classes” by Rachel Stone, Advocate Back Talk blog]! This is going to be an amazing place. All the best to [owners Shannon Driscoll and Kayli House].

—JESSICA STEWART, VIA

Yet another unique artsy presence in the Cliff! How’d we get so lucky?

—LAUREN NITSCHKE, VIA

WE LOVE YOUR BACK TALK. Visit advocatemag.com to read and comment on this month’s stories and daily Back Talk blog updates. Comments may be printed in the magazine.

FaCeBooK Fan proFile // ST ephan Ie “ Te FI ” hI nD all, 35, is a writer by day, but by night she’s a jewelry designer (tefidesigns.com), event planner (handmadebash.com) and Etsy Dallas organizer. She owns a rescue dog named Oliver and has an 18-month-old son, Ian, with “baby-daddy and fake husband of over nine years, Jason Wright.”

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

I don’t really get embarrassed. I’ve learned life is much sweeter if you just own up to your “stuff” and allow yourself to be human.

What would your career be if you could do it all over again without consequences?

I’d be a private investigator, righting wrongs without having to follow “procedure”. Like Magnum, P.I., sans moustache.

What’s your most treasured possession?

I keep a little piece of the Berlin Wall on my jewelry studio table. It has a large splatter of blue spray paint. I don’t know why, but it keeps me inspired. What’s your strangest or most random Facebook friend connection?

Once Gary Coleman tried to friend me. My reply: “Wha-choo talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?”

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be all these things at once: interior designer, writer, “Solid Gold” dancer, naturalist, saver-of-the-world.

If you could only eat at one neighborhood restaurant for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Gloria’s, hands down. Between the black beans, guacamole and pupusas, Gloria’s is a little piece of heaven on earth — and an Oak Cliff original!

Whole Foods, Central Market, Kroger, Tom Thumb or somewhere else — where do you grocery shop and why?

I love my neighborhood Tom Thumb. Everyone who works there smiles and says hello to me. But I go to Whole Foods for beauty and cleaning products — no animal testing, if I can help it.

What brings a smile to your face every time?

My charismatic son, Ian. He says the most ridiculous things and makes the silliest faces. What item in your closet is most humiliating?

A pink pair of jelly shoes and a Def Leppard tee from back in the day. Add a pair of acid-washed jeans, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster (or awesomeness, depending on how you look at it).

What are some jobs you’ve held in the past?

I worked at Taco Bueno for three weeks in high school, worked at a bookstore through college in Austin, and I’ve helped women measure their boobs at Victoria’s Secret. That last one? Not. Fun.

What celebrity would you most like to meet for coffee and why?

Colin Firth, because he’s a dreamy god-creature.

What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure website?

Regretsy.com, only I feel no guilt when I snark on insanely ill-conceived crafts. Do you have a favorite quote?

“Speak softly and carry a big stick. You will go far.” I freakin’ love Teddy Roosevelt.

What are you afraid of, rationally or irrationally?

Riding a bicycle. I grew up in the inner city and never learned. Once, I drove a Vespa in Rome on Christmas Eve for about 10 yards before crashing into a median.

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You said it

“Honestly, unless you think alcohol is the root of all evil, why would we not want to rid ourselves of these outdated laws? Even if passing this law does not create as much tax revenue as mentioned in the article, surely you can admit that it will create some degree of incremental revenue and some is better than none.” —Nick oN

“Wet-Dry StuDy: MillioNS aND MillioNS of DollarS of happiNeSS”

In YoUR FaCe(booK)! every month we profile our facebook fans on advocatemag.com. Go to our site and search “facebook fan”. to become a fan, go to facebook.com/advocatemagazines.

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BLOGGER PROFILE

You’ve seen our bylines, our blog posts, our tweets and our Facebook posts. But who are we, really?

EMILY TOMAN

JOBTITLE // Editor

ADVOCATE SERVITUDE // I’m a newbie. I started about four months ago.

FAVORITE QUOTE // “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” —Hunter S. Thompson

MOST PRIZED DESK OBJECTORORNAMENT // I haven’t done much decorating yet, but I definitely could not function without my laptop or notepad.

FAVORITE PARTOF YOUR JOB // Meeting new people, trying different foods, standing in a swarm of bees –all in a day’s work.

ANYTHINGELSE? // Glad to be here. Read us online and send me your feedback.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

WHAT WASYOUR FAVORITESUMMER MEMORY THISYEAR?

Making bookmarks with children at the North Oak Cliff Branch Library to give to the hard working members of the library’s friends group.

—ANN BEAVER

Zipping around town in my black twoseater convertible, top down with ‘60s radio blasting! —LESLIE WHITE CLAY

A Texas tradition: spending most of my summer picking peas and peppers.

—ARM VILLAFRANCA

Seeing my dear friend, Blessing Rowland-Adeniyi, graduate with a master’s degree at Dallas Baptist University and give the opening prayer. She is Nigerian and is going back to open a school for poor rural children. Our tutoring relationship turned into a deep friendship, and I’m helping her with the school —KELLY

L. STERN

WEB EDITOR CHRISTY ROBINSON compiles the “on advocatemag.com” section.

If you have suggestions for this section or our website, advocatemag.com, contact her at 214.635.2120 or crobinson@advocatemag.com.

At Kessler Women’ Healthcare, caring for women during their pregnancy is one of our great honors. We have delivered thousands of babies, each one of them our favorite! But the prenatal care you receive at our specialized facility is only part of your experience as one of our mom’s-to-be.

We are thrilled to share in this extraordinary time in your life and support you with care beyond compare, educational events, and personalized attention delivered in a kind and sensitive manner.

If the time is right to add to your family, then it’s the perfect time to call Kessler Women’s Healthcare. We deliver more than your baby - we deliver concern, caring and compassion throughout your pregnancy and all of the stages of your life.

Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 7am - 6pm; Fri. 7am - 5pm

1330 N. Beckley Ave., Dallas TX 75203

Patricia LaRue, MD; Rochelle McKown, MD Theresa Patton, MD; Kecia Foxworth, MD; Sandra Lozano, MD

For Women - By Women

www.kesslerwomens.com

LAUNCH

cAn TürkyILMAz

R AN d ALL W Hi

TE

lives and works in Oak Cliff, where he is president of consulting firm Elettore and a West d allas Chamber of Commerce board member. Two years ago, he started All Tri, a nonprofit that trains people to participate in endurance races and raise money for the charity of their choice.

Where did you get the idea for All tri?

I had gotten one of those promotional mails that a lot of people get for Team in Training, which trains people for endurance races and helps them raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I lost a loved one to blood cancer. So I thought, “I’m going to do this.” I joined up and did a triathlon in Maui. I raised about $12,000 for leukemia research, and I met a lot of cool people through the process.

And how did you start your charity?

My background is in nonprofits. And so we came back from Maui, and I was thinking, “I only wish there was a nonprofit that would train you for a marathon or a triathlon and teach you to raise money but let you benefit whatever charity you wanted.” I thought it might spur more people to be enthusiastic about fundraising. I was talking to some other people about it, and we said, “Let’s start one.” So that’s how it came about.

more on RANDALL WHITE

WHEN DID YOU START IT?

That was in 2008. The first year, we trained 40 or so people to do a triathlon and raise money for their own causes. Now we’ve finished up three semesters, if you will, two spring seasons and a fall season, and now we’re starting our second fall season. The deadline to sign up for the triathlon this season has already passed. But we’re training people for the White Rock marathon and half marathon in December, and the deadline to sign up isn’t until the end of September.

AND YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL COACHES?

Yes. You sign up on our website [alltri.org], and we train you to complete a half or full marathon and coach you on how to raise money for a cause you’re passionate about. You know, sometimes it can be hard to get up and work out every morning, but when you’re raising for a cause, and you’ve got people contributing toward that cause to help you cross the finish line, that’s a lot of motivation to get your out of the door in the morning.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHARITIES PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITTED?

The first semester, I raised money for the Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth. I have a niece and nephew who are Gladney babies. I think it’s a wonderful adoption center, and I wanted to help. But we’ve had people raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Gilda’s Club, Friends of Fair Park, and all kinds of charities. We have a breakfast after each event, and we invite representatives of the charities to come, and everyone gets to present their charity with a big, oversized check. It’s very moving because everyone gets to stand up and say, “I raised money for this charity, and here’s why.”

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU RAISED SO FAR?

Since we started, we’ve trained 60 people to complete a triathlon, marathon or half marathon, and they have collectively raised nearly $170,000 for 36 charities.

out&about in september

09.10.10

GARY P. NUNN

$10 Known as a founding father of the progressive country music born out of Austin, Gary P. Nunn will make his Kessler Theater debut this month. He has been a Texas music icon for nearly 40 years, and the singer-songwriter is still going strong with his latest album “Taking Texas to the Country”, released in April. The record chronicles a cowboy’s journey through love, sorrow, adventure and a constant longing for his Texas home. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. 1230 W. Davis or 214.272.8346 or thekessler.org. Buy tickets at prekindle.com. —emily TomAN

09.03-09.04

TWILIGHT SAFARI

$20 The Dallas Zoo will give visitors an afterhours look into what goes on in the animal kingdom when the sun sets. Tours are available in groups of four to 40, and run 7-9:30 p.m. 650 S. R.L Thornton. 214.670.7501 or dallaszoo.com.

09.10 SWAN SONG $5 Led Zeppelin tribute band Swan Song will perform at Jack’s Backyard at 9 p.m., playing fan favorites like “Black Dog” and “Misty Mountain Hop”. 2303 Pittman. 214.741.3131 or jacksbackyarddallas.com.

09.11-09.12 BARBeCUe COMPeTITION The Blues, Bandits and Barbecue contest pits neighbor against neighbor in four categories: brisket, chicken, spareribs and sausage. Entry fees starting at $100 pay for the meat, which Urban Acres is providing. There will be cash prizes ranging from $50 to $300, as well as live music at this event, which will span from the Bishop Arts District down Davis to Tyler Street. gooakcliff.com.

09.12 ART SHoW FRee CRAVE, the semi-monthly art show and concert from photopol.us is back. It’s from noon-6 p.m. at Nova, 1417 W. Davis, and includes performances from Anna Proctor, Christian Ross, Lofi Chorus, Orange Peel Sunshine and El Cento.

09.18 DANCiNg WiTH THe STARS $35 The Fort Worth Avenue Development Group will hold its annual fundraiser, Dancing with the Stars in Oak Cliff, 7-11:30 p.m. at the Kessler. The event includes swing dancing exhibition, a silent auction and refreshments. 1230 West Davis. fortworthavenue.org

09.24 JAZZ SeRieS $62.50 Eric Darius and Jeff Golub will perform as part of the Jazz Series at the Bishop Arts Theater Center. Shows begin at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. 215. S. Tyler. 214.948.0716 or tecotheater.org.

09.25 WeST SiDe

MUSiC FeSTiVAL $10$15 The West Dallas Chamber of Commerce is hosting this benefit for Resolana, a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated women transition back into society. The festival will include local acts, and it’s taking place in a warehouse at 300 W. Singleton. Tickets are $10 per person or $25 per family in advance by calling 214.233.6558 or by email, resolanamusic@gmail.com. On the day of the event, tickets will be $15 per person or $30 per family. resolana.info or westdallaschamber.com.

A guide to dining & drinking in our neighborhood

GAME TIME

PEoPlE PA ck Ed InTo BE ckl Ey Br E wHous E to watch the USA team play during the FIFA World Cup.

“It was standing room only,” co-owner Ron Wills says. For such a small place, the restaurant/bar has become a hub for sports fans with three LCD HD TVs and comfy couches — not the mention the impressive menu including chips and salsa and the blue cheese burger with sweet potato fries. Cool off at the bar with a cold beer, cherry limeade or the more adventurous espresso martini, which combines espresso, Absolute vodka and Kahlua.

“It’s a very cool neighborhood hangout,” Wills says. The crack house-turned-brew house opened in 2006 as something of a gateway to the bustling Bishop Arts District. Wills says that rather than competing with surrounding business, they help each other.

“The rising tide floats all the boats, and that’s what Oak Cliff is all about right now.”

—Emily Toman

BE ckl Ey BrEwH ous E BE ckl Ey & ZA nG 214.943.8977

BE ckl EyBrEwH ous E. co M

Pictured: chip mix trio

Three more spots to watch the game

1 LA CARRETA ARGENTINA

For some a rgentinean fare, head to the house next door, which also offers a nice game-watching atmosphere. BEcklEy & ZAnG 214.944.5300

lAcArrETA-ArGEnTInA.coM

2 LAS RANITAS

a side from satisfying those late-night taco cravings, the restaurant doubles as a sports bar.

JEFFErson & crAwFord 214.942.4400

3 JACK’S BACKYARD

Jack’s has flat-screen TVs right over the dart boards.

PITTMAn & w. coMMErcE 214.741.3131

JAcksBAckyArddAll As.coM

MOLLy DICKSOn

YOUR GUIDE 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. 214-348-6065 and 7474 S. Cockrell Hill Rd. 972-298-1270.

TILLMAN’S ROADHOUSE $$ODWB

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.

SPY VALLEY 2008 ($18) NEW ZEALAND>

Screwcaps aren’t a joke any more. Screwcaps and artificial corks accounted for one-quarter of the wine market in 2009 — compared to just 10 percent at the turn of the century. Meanwhile, the number of screwcaps increases by an estimated 500 million worldwide every year, and more and more expensive, high-quality wines are closed with screwcaps instead of traditional corks.

About the only area of wine where screwcaps haven’t made inroads is with the most expensive wines (and you can find $100 wines with screwcaps). Otherwise, they’re all over the place.

And why has this happened? Natural cork suffered through horrific quality-control problems in the past decade, when as many as 1 of 10 bottles of wine may have been spoiled by bad cork. (The technical term is TCA taint, a chemical process that makes the wine smell like a wet basement.) And though cork’s quality has improved over the past several years, screwcaps are here to stay. They may not take over the world as it was once thought they would, but they still offer quality, especially for wines that don’t have to age.

And they’re much easier to open. These screwcap wines offer a good overview of why the closure has become such a success. All of these are available at Central Market:

This California white is a blend of viognier and chenin blanc — fresh, crisp and fruity, which makes it an ideal screwcap wine. Chill it, twist it open, and enjoy it with grilled chicken with a minimum of fuss.

I’m not a big fan of Australian shiraz, which can be pretentious and difficult to drink — literally, thanks to too much fruit and too much alcohol. That’s not the case with the Jim Jim, which has plenty of shiraz character but without the phoniness.

New Zealand’s wines were among the first to adapt screwcaps, which suit the wines they make — bright and full of citrus and tropical fruits. Spy Valley may make the best sauvignon blanc in the world (and its riesling is even better).

JEFF SIEGEL’SWEEKLYWINE REVIEWS

appear every Wednesday on the Advocate Back Talk blog, oakcliff.advocatemag.com/blog.

WITH YOUR WINE

Steamed mussels

Seafood, here in the middle of the prairie, is expensive. Plus, the quality, even when we pay a lot of money, can leave something to be desired. Mussels, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive, simple to do, and consistent in quality. Serve this with a loaf of crusty bread and with one of the screwcap whites (and use the wine in the recipe).

mussels.

Serves four, takes 20 to 30 minutes

3-4 lbs fresh mussels

1 1/2 c white wine

1 onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1/3 c chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash the mussels under cool running water, and remove the beard (the stringy part on the side of the shell), if any. Farmraised mussels, which are sold in most supermarkets, will be fairly clean and mostly beardless. After washing, throw away any mussels that aren’t tightly closed. If it’s open, gently tap the shell, and it should close.

2. Combine everything in a heavy pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for two minutes. If the mussels have opened, they’re ready. If not, cook for another 30 to 60 seconds.

3.Remove the mussels from the pot with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Then, carefully pour the liquid in the pot into the bowl with the mussels, making sure not to pour the liquid at the bottom of the pot, which can be sandy, into the bowl.

ask the WINE GUY?

CAN YOU COOK WITH A SPOILED WINE?

It won’t harm you, but why would you want to? The off flavors of the wine will get into your food. The best rule for spoiled wines is to throw them out.

SIEGEL

Theyaren’tpaid,but they’reover-the-top dedicated—andprettydarngood

Early-morning jogs, strict diets and punishing workouts are par for the course when

you are a professional athlete. But what about the attorney, salesman or student who has a relentless passion for a particular sport?

We’re not talking about your typical weekend warrior, but the hard-core athlete driven by something deeper than a desire to have fun or shed pounds.

CYCLING ADDICT

RayPorterofOakCliffstarted smoking when he was about 12 years old.Andwhenhequitat38,he started to put on weight.

“I got so big that I couldn’t get into my clothes,” he says. “So I bought a $70 bike, a Huffy, and I wore it down to nothing.”

He kept with the sport, upgrading to better, more expensive bikes, and he found that he was pretty fast. So after several years of trying, his wife, Gina, finally convinced him to enter a race.

Nowthe53-year-oldhandyman competesinandwinsendurance bicycle races.

“I found I could compete against younger guys and beat them a lot of

the time,” he says. “And that made me feel good.”

He prefers long distances, such as 100-mile races. And he frequently competes in 24-hour races. That’s where cyclists race on a track, literally for 24 hours, and whoever has made the most laps at the end wins the event.

Sometimes he’ll stop for a snack or a 15-minute nap, but then he keeps pedaling.

“A 24-hour race doesn’t seem that difficult to me now,” he says.

Almost anything seems easy compared with Porter’s greatest cycling challenge, the one that bested him. For about a year, he couldn’t even talk about it — the Tour Divide.

That’s a 2,700-mile race, roughly along the Continental Divide, from

Banff,Alberta,toAntelopeWells,

winner usually finishes in about 27 days.

It’s not like the Tour de France, where vans follow with spare parts and protein bars. No outside help is allowed.Participants can choose to stay in hotels and buy food along the way, but other than that, anything the cyclists need, they bring.

Porter ate Spam straight from the can while still in the saddle. Grizzly bears startled him a couple of times in the Rockies — one had a cub, but none came after him. And once, in the pouring rain, he slept in the public toilet of a campground.

“I made it 990 miles, and my legs were shot,” Porter says.

His mistake: bringing a single-speed bike to contend with the mountains.

When he finally decided to give up,somewhereinMontana,he stabbed himself in the hand taking his bike apart and had to have arterial surgery.

Cycling is Porter’s new addiction, and he says it’s hard to wait for the next race.

So far this year, he has placed amongthetop10(andusually somewhere in the top four) in nine long-distanceraces.Herides a $3,000 bike from Oak Cliff-based YBS,andtheOakCliffBicycle Company regularly hooks him up withpartsthatconstantlyneed replacing, such as pedals.

And he still has his eyes on the Divide.

“I have the perfect bike for it now,” he says.

N.M.The

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And bAtting first …

Lorenzo mce wen keeps his eye on the ball.

so simple, it’s the tenet that makes mce wen an all-star in the North t exas Amateur b aseball League.

“I’m not a home-run hitter, but I’m a contact hitter,” he says.

mce wen is probably the fastest guy in a league of about 20 teams. He’s the lead-off batter for his team, the Dallas Indians. so if he can just get his bat on the ball, he almost always gets on base. And then with his speed, he often steals second, he says.

mce wen, 34, played baseball in high school and then at Alcorn s tate University in m ississippi. After getting a job in his hometown, m ilwaukee (he’s still a b rewers fan), he found a competitive men’s league.

He moved to Oak Cliff five years ago to be with the woman who is now his wife.

“It was just me and my wife down here, and it’s hard to meet new people,” he says. b ut in the league, “you

meet all kinds of people. You play with people who are unemployed all the way up to C e Os of companies.”

b esides that, it’s helped him get to know the area. t he league has gamesin m cKinney,Carrollton, NorthDallas, t urtleCreek,Fort Worth and parks all over.

“I probably never would’ve gone to m cKinney,” he says. “ b ut there’s a nice restaurant there that I like, and it helps you get plugged in.”

the league plays about 25 games perseason. theyhireprofessional umpires, and each team buys uniforms.

they’re serious about it, but they don’t get much practice time. It’s a struggle because everyone works dif-

ferent hours. so most of their practicetimecomesintheoff-season, and most of them work out regularly duringtheseason. mcewenruns almost every day, and he lifts weights every other day.

e venthoughhehasbeenin Dallas for five years, mce wen says he’sstillnotquiteacclimatedto the t exas heat. b ut it beats playing baseball in the cold, so he doesn’t understandwhymoreguysdon’t play in the league.

“We should have a lot more than 15 or 20 teams here in Dallas,” he says. “We had that many teams in Wisconsin, even in the bad weather, so it should be at least double that here.”

TOUGH GUY

When Abraham Torres was in junior high, he would often come home bloody and bruised from fighting. So his dad took him to Vivero Boxing Gym in Oak Cliff.

“I was in a lot of sports before, but nothing ever kept my attention,” he says.

Boxing built his confidence, along with his strength, and soon, bullies left him alone.

Now the 22-year-old criminal justice major at the University of Texas at Arlington has more than 70 fights under his belt. And he has titles: He’s a five-time Dallas Golden Gloves champ and a silver medalist in the Under 19 National Championship.

But more important than those accolades, the Molina High School graduate has focus. He’d like to go pro when his coaches think he’s ready, but he’s more interested in

discipline. He comes to the gym five or six times a week to work out for two-and-a-half hours. And on “off” days, he runs or jumps rope.

“I have to work out every day, or I don’t really feel right,” he says.

And the discipline he has learned in the gym spills over into other areas of his life. He’s a good student and a calm, considerate person.

“He’s a pretty tough guy,” boxing coach Gene Vivero says. “He likes the sport, and he takes everything in stride, win or lose.”

Torres says boxing has kept him out of trouble and off the streets. And he hopes to one day make some money in the sport he loves.

But he knows that professional boxing is a risky business where guys can be hurt or swindled, so he’s in no rush.

“He’s in school, and that’s what I like,” Vivero says. “He’s got his head on right.”

ROLLER MANIA

One of the baddest broads in roller derby is a mild-mannered Oak Cliff nurse

STORY BY RACHEL STONE

By day, 28-year-old Aundrea White is a registered nurse in the ICU at Parkland hospital.

But one Saturday a month, she is Luna Tick TickBoom, oneofAssassinationCityRollerDerby’smostfearsome players.

SincejoiningtherollerderbyinNovember,Whitehas dropped 40 pounds and now weighs in at a muscular 260.

“It’s the only sport in the world in which my figure is really appreciated,” she says. “I’m a big girl, and it works for me.”

The league’s players come in all sizes — some as small as 100 pounds. And they’re morediversethanthetattooed tough girls that come to mind.

Playersincludewomen from18toolderthan40. There are single moms, stayat-homemoms, a medical student, a lawyerand a Harvard graduate.

Roller derby became popular in the first half of the 20th Century and even wound up

continued on next page

AundreaWhite, aka, Luna TickTick Boom, dropped 40 pounds sincejoining the rollerderby in November. PHOTOBY CAN TÜRKYILMAZ

“It’s the only sport in the world in which my figure is really appreciated. I’m a big girl, and it works for me.”

continued from previous page

as the spectacle of a few TV specials in the 1970s. It had a revival in the late ’90s, and now it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Since last year’s roller-derby movie “Whip It”, which Drew Barrymore directed and acted in, the sport is more popular than ever.

This season the Assassination CityRoller Derby league has sold out every bout at Dad’s Broadway Skateland in Mesquite, plus draws a standby crowd of people who wait for spectators to leave at halftime so they can get in to watch the second half.

“People think that we just come

Advocate

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

out here and put on fishnets and act tough,” says the woman called Cordelia ChaseHer, in the rollerderby tradition of pun names. “But there’s so much more that goes into it.”

Everyone must attend at least one league practice per week, and each team schedules its own practices besides that. They sometimes work without air conditioning to save money (the players own the league). And occasionally, the grueling work-

“I think our league is different from any other because we do socials, and we help each other get through life’s problems as well as doing the sport.”

outs cause someone to bend over and wretch in the rink.

All that work is for a few moments of glory on the roller derby track. Each team in the league plays only about a dozen games per year, and each “bout”, as the games are called, lasts one hour.

White was a regular at RedBird Skateland as a kid, but when she joined the derby, it had been at least 10 years since she’d strapped on a pair of skates.

“I was definitely the Bambi skater,” she says. “And you wonder if you really can do it. You think, ‘What did I get myself into?’”

But she’d already spent some $300 on equipment, and she stuck it out. Now she’s a member of team Viva La Revolucion, and she’s making her mark on the league.

“The bouts let you bring out your inner rock star,” White says. “To hear fans scream your name when you make a good play is an awesome feeling.”

But there’s more to it than that. For White and many others in the league, roller derby opened up a whole new social scene.

“It brought sisters back into my life,” White says. “I think our league is different from any other because we do socials, and we help each other get through life’s problems as well as doing the sport.”

It might seem astounding that in such a rough sport, which requires dozens of women to work together, these chicks don’t beef among themselves.But they all say it’s true.

“I’ve never had friendships like this before in my life,” says Pyro Maim Ya, one of the league’s biggest stars. “I’m the strongest, most confident version of me, and I owe it all to roller derby.”

THE ASSASSINATION CITY ROLLER DERBY’S CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTAND SEASON FINALE takes place on Saturday, Sept. 18. Purchase tickets for $12 at acderby.com. The event is BYOB (no glass bottles) and BYO camping chair because of limited seating.

Doors open at 7 p.m.

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East Kessler Park resident Jules D. Roberts stopped at the Grand Canyon with his July issue of Advocate It was part of a recent vacation in which he traveled from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

sUBmIT yOUR PhOTO. Email a jpeg to editor@advocatemag.com.

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ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

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These Oak Cliff residents took their Advocate all the way to Istanbul, Turkey. From left: s arah Jane s emrad , La Reunion executive director and Art Conspiracy president; artist Nancy Rebal; and John Lunsford , retired curator and former director of the Dallas Museum of Art.

business

BECKLEY BREWHOUSE at Zang and Beckley is being sold as the current owners, Ron and Corinna Wills, prepare to move to the West Coast. The couple has owned and operated the restaurant/ bar since 2006.

OIL AND COTTON CREATIVE EXCHANGE, a crafting business, will open a store this month in the Tyler-Davis Art District, offering classes on things like basket weaving, gardening and paper marbling. For details visit oilandcotton.com.

education

SIX OAK CLIFF STUDENTS traveled to Washington D.C. this summer for the Texas Leader Forum along with 11 other DISD students. Jasmin Escalara, Glenn Vargas, Ristine Reyes and Dominik Reyes of Sunset High School, as well as Dulce Perez and Ivan Salazar of Moises E. Molina High School, participated int he week-long forum hosted by U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions. They attended meetings at the White House and the Pentagon, learning the inner working of U.S. government.

community

THE OAK CLIFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE will host its annual Golf Chamber Tournament at 10 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Golf Club of Dallas, 2200 W. Red Bird. Sponsorships start at the individual level at $250 and go up to $10,000. For details visit oakcliffchamber.org.

THEFRIENDS OF OAK CLIFF PARKS will host its quarterly meeting on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. at the Grand Bank of Texas, 305 E. Colorado. For details visit friendsofoakcliffparks.org.

LA REUNION is calling for four female artists for its Art Chicas program, a collaboration among La Reunion, Dallas Art Dealers Association, Deaf Action Center and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. Artists will be given a stipend, materials budget and high school apprentices. All media are considered. The deadline is Sept. 3. For details, visit lareunion.org.

people

SOUR GRAPES GRAFFITI GROUP painted its signature ice pops on the wall outside the Oak Cliff Bicycle Co. on Seventh Street in July. The group of high school friends formed in the neighborhood about eight years ago, spreading their love for graffiti art.

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

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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 214-5604203. 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. OctOber deadline Sept. 8

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

s hattered glass I nterrupted the conversat I on.

It was a nice evening, and paul Williams and his wife were passing some time in their living room. the next thing he knew, something had shattered the window in his rear office.

“We had someone behind the house throw or sling a projectile into the house,” Williams says. “my wife and I were sitting having a conversation, and suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass. It’s happened a number of times, that’s the annoying thing.”

Luckily, no one has been injured, but repairs to windows have cost more than $1,000. Williams says he doesn’t believe the incidents are the results of any vindictive actions as he says he has never had an argument with anyone in his neighborhood. He also does not believe these have been the

the v ictim: paul Williams the c rime: c riminal mischief

date: thursday, July 15

time: 5 p.m.

location: 1200 block of melbourne

results of random gunshots because bullets, or bullet holes, have never been found.”

“We didn’t hear any sounds of gunshots,” he says. “the angle with which the projectile came, the trajectory didn’t look like a gunshot shot straight into the air.”

beyond merely the safety of his family and his property, Williams is also concerned for children in the area. Henderson elementary is right across the street from his home, and Williams is afraid a child might be struck by a random rock or projectile if the crime keeps occurring in his neighborhood.

Block of West Ill I no Is W here elI za B eth s anchez W as arrested, accused of leav I ng her ch I ldren, ages 2, 4 and 7, In the car WhI le she shopped at aB out 7:50 p.m. a ug. 7

AD NAME

Dallas police Deputy Chief rick Watson of the southwest patrol Division agrees that more than likely the damage was not the result of a gunshot aimed in the air due to the angle of the projectile entering the home.

“What goes up must come down,” he says. “It would usually hit the roof rather than the window.”

He believes the crime may have been committed by someone who has a perceived disagreement with Williams.

“there may be the possibility that there is a dispute of some kind from one of his neighbors. It doesn’t seem to be widespread.”

CHAFFIN

mI nutes the ch I ldren WaI ted WIth the eng I ne off and WIndo Ws up

t he outs I de temperature reported for that even I ng

s ource: d allas p ol I ce d epartment press release

Sweet Stevie

Born, raised and B uried in o ak Cliff, s tevie r ay vaughan left a lasting lega Cy in his B rief 35 years

at the very least, Cliffites have a small bone to pick with the folks in austin.

the texas capital city claims the legendary stevie ray vaughan as their “favorite adopted son”. there is, however, one small problem. no one in oak Cliff signed the adoption papers. granted, stevie ray played more in austin as an older teen and early 20-something than at any other place on the planet. however, dallas — oak Cliff — was his home, where he got his start, where he experimented with style, where he always returned. Cliffites continue to claim him as our hometown treasure.

that will never change.

stephen ray vaughan was born at Methodist hospital on oct. 3, 1954, and attended lenora kirk hall elementary school, l. v. stockyard Junior high and Justin f. kimball high school. the blues legend, singer, songwriter, composer and six-time grammy winner was a product of his working class oak Cliff community, learning to play the acoustic guitar while sitting in his bedroom inside his family’s modest home at 2557 glenfield.

then, along with older brother Jimmie, stevie became obsessed with the amplified sounds of the electronic guitar.

stevie played at the Cockrell hill Jamboree, at the rocket skating Palace, at Candy’s flare (inside the red Bird national guard armory) and at kimball high school events, oak Cliff Country Club, and then various clubs and stages around dallas. he even auditioned for the kimball knight Beats jazz band, but didn’t make the cut. he couldn’t read music.

during Christmas break of his ’72 high school senior year, the then “steve” vaughan made the life-altering decision to forgo graduation and move to austin, to pursue his music career and join the others who had done the same. traveling

there most weekends anyway, austin provided the atmosphere and habitat for this young musician to develop further — without parents, teachers, rules or curfews.

learning, growing, experimenting, and developing his own style, he blossomed into a true guitar wizard.

in 1982, after being the first unsigned and unrecorded artists to ever play at the prestigious Montreux Jazz festival, stevie ray vaughan and his band, double trouble, began their ascent up the entertainment ladder. announced as the 1984 W.C. handy award winner (now renamed the Blues Music award) for both Blues instrumentalist and Blues entertainer of the year — in the latter, he was the first non africanamerican artist to garner the title. in 2003, he was named, posthumously, as no. 7 on rolling stone’s “100 greatest guitarists of all time”. granted, Jimi hendrix, who tops the list, was amazing, but srv fans might challenge the magazine on its no. 7 choice. our vote for stevie might be at least no. 2.

Whenever on hiatus, or on tour in the tri-state area, stevie made frequent trips back to oak Cliff, sometimes spending holidays with his family. When he returned from drug and alcohol rehab in 1986, the world famous musician made a bold decision: he moved in with his widowed mother, Martha — back to his oak Cliff childhood home. When he purchased the first home of his own, he chose a dallas condo, to go along with another address in new york City where his girlfriend worked as a model.

stevie was comfortable in oak Cliff and dallas, and, when not on tour or recording or in nyC, he navigated dallas’ streets, attempting to live a relatively normal life, maintaining his sobriety. on the last thanksgiving before his untimely death, one Cliffite told me he passed stevie in the aisle of the hampton-illinois Minyard grocery store, assumably making a last-minute purchase for his mother — picking up a missing ingredient for the family thanksgiving dinner held at the glenfield home.

in most ways, stevie remained a hometown

left/ vaughan with oak Cliff buddies Pam Mount and Christian Brooks in 1990. Photo By harold doZier BeloW/ one of stevie ray vaughan’s high school bands. Pictured in front are randy Martin, vaughan and Paul kessler, and in back are are Bobby ragan and oscar head.

Photo Courtesy of randy Martin

boy, even mowing his mother’s lawn on occasion when he visited and always being kind to old friends. Stopping by unannounced at the 1988 Oak Cliff Reunion, held at Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom, the crowd was electrified with his surprise performance when he hopped on stage, grabbed a secretly prepared guitar, and joined the other musicians. It brought down the house!

Born in Oak Cliff, Stevie was also laid to rest in Oak Cliff. Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne and Dr. John were among the celebrities participating in the funeral service. Stevie was buried at Laurel Land Cemetery on Aug. 30, 1990, after his tragic death in a Wisconsin helicopter crash three days earlier.

With the death of Stevie’s father in 1986 and his mother in 2009, three of the four family members are now together in the cemetery’s Vaughan Estate, where Stevie’s sizable bronze grave marker is continually adorned with guitar picks, flowers and other mementos left by adoring fans. Oak Cliff’s beloved music legend and American success story, Stevie Ray Vaughan, is now permanently home.

Rest in peace, sweet son.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION. Visit the Advocate blog at oakcliff.advocatemag.com/blog

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 atMethodist hospital and graduated from Kimball HighSchool. 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.

Photo by: Amy Columbus amycolumbusphotography.com