2014 September Oak Cliff

PETS!

THESE ARE THE ANIMALS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

LOCAL IN OAK CLIFF

JACKSON the hipster

Photo of Jackson by Danny Fulgencio

SNAP JUDGMENT

I knew that the woman who owns the three-story, multimillion-dollar closet in Houston was an idiot, especially when it was reported that a thief made off with $1 million in luxury goods from her closet one evening. My opinion was confirmed when I saw her crying on TV after the theft; her lips seemed a little artificially plump to me.

Same with whoever decided to bring a couple of Americans with Ebola to Atlanta to treat them — what kind of American brings people with an incredibly contagious disease into our country, risking the health of the rest of us? The 30-second clip didn’t go into details, but I don’t have time to think about Ebola longer than that anyway.

How about Beyonce’s sister, who started beating on Jay-Z in that elevator video clip? He was just standing there looking at her, so she must have been drunk or on drugs or just messed up. The video was kind of grainy, but I could see enough to decide.

That football player, Ray Rice, who turned up on hotel security cameras dragging his girlfriend (now wife) out of a hotel elevator when she appeared to be unconscious? What a bozo. He looked pretty guilty in that black-and-white video.

And the NFL commissioner who only suspended Rice for two games — when that other player who was smoking marijuana was kicked out for a whole year I mean, what was the commissioner thinking? I could tell all I needed to know from the TV news report teaser — there’s no question Rice should be spending time in prison instead of cooling his heels for a couple of Sundays.

That’s the greatest thing about life these days. Thanks to TV news, internet video clips and 10-second sound bites, it’s really easy to condemn, hate, repudiate and dismiss people I’ve never met and never talked with, all based on a few seconds of video or a single photo (celebrities without makeup!) or someone’s 140-character Twitter post.

It’s so much easier to be judgmental now. I don’t have to get my hands dirty with newsprint or books, and I don’t have to depend on friends telling me how to think. Thanks to the internet, I can think on my own and draw conclusions in just a couple of seconds.

Oscar Pistorius? Guilty! Vladimir Putin? Scary! Congress? Dummies!

There’s no longer any need to understand the background of an issue. No need to spend time researching

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complicated stories. No reason to consider what others with first-hand information about situations might have to say — I can be the judge, jury and executioner without breaking a sweat, leaving my home or even having any real knowledge about what I’m talking about.

And if I’m really lucky, I can take care of all of my thinking before breakfast while watching the morning news on TV.

Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the internet. You should really run for office someday and straighten out those guys in Washington!

contributing editors: KERI MITCHELL, SALLY WAMRE

contributors: GAYLA BROOKS, SEAN CHAFFIN, ANGELA HUNT

GEORGE MASON, BLAIR MONIE, ELLEN RAFF, KRISTEN MASSAD, WHITNEY THOMPSON

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

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photographers: JAMES COREAS, MARK DAVIS, DESIREE

ESPADA, DAVID LEESON, KIM LEESON, JENNIFER SHERTZER

copy editor: LARRA KEEL

Within 30 seconds, or 140 characters, we confidently shape our wildly under-informed opinions

The 30-second clip didn’t go into details, but I don’t have time to think about Ebola longer than that anyway.

Radiation oncologist Dr. Ramzi Abdulrahman leads a dedicated team of health care professionals who specialize in delivering extremely precise cancer treatments that allow our youngest patients to continue their journey into adulthood with fewer long-term side effects. UT Southwestern is the No. 1 referral center for Children’s Medical Center, and the only local facility that regularly treats children with advanced radiosurgical tools such as the Gamma Knife and CyberKnife. This is UT Southwestern—where scientific research, advanced technology, and leading-edge treatments come together to bring new hope to cancer patients.

To learn more, contact:

Radiation Oncology at 214-645-8525 | UTSWmedicine.org/radonc

This is where we’re helping young patients put cancer behind them.

retailers like Sam’s and Walmart.”

Q&A: David Grover

Forget MP3s. Ripping music off the Internet is so 2000s. The future of the music business, some say, is old school. Sales of vinyl records are the highest they’ve been since the 1980s. And Oak Cliff is getting in on the shift. Spinster Records could open as soon as October on West Davis near Tyler, specializing in records and stereo equipment.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Its owner is David Grover, 49, of Oak Cliff, who has about 30 years of experience in the music business behind him. Grover played in bands in Los Angeles, was a club promoter and DJ, and most recently, gained some retail experience working for Best Buy. He moved to Dallas from Los Angeles eight years ago and settled in our neighborhood with his wife, Suzette.

How were you inspired to open a record shop?

I was biking a lot from Hollywood to Santa Monica. I would stop at my friend Paul Livingston’s house. We’d have a beer, pull out some records … We just had a great time listening to music. With all the technology we have, putting on a record is almost is a passive way of listening. With records, you put the needle on … it’s a little bit of commitment compared to listening to your laptop. And we just had these great music times. I noticed that there were starting to be vinyl-only record stores in L.A. Three opened in 2008. They’re opening stores with nothing else but vinyl. It’s just a different way of finding things out when you go to a record store. It’s like going to the library. I just started getting really excited about that idea.

There are already some pretty good record stores in Dallas.

Yes, there are a few. I went to Good Records, and I was like, “Awesome. Cool shop.” Then went to Bill’s Records, and I guess he does most of his business online. Then you have Forever Young, which is a huge store in Grand Prairie. Then you have your secondary ones like Half Price Books. You have Top Ten Records, which really caters to Latinos. And nobody’s doing only vinyl.

So what is the difference with Spinster?

We’re calling it a “music lifestyle store.” A lot of people want to collect records, but record players are kind of a secondary idea. I noticed at Best Buy that people were coming in for record players, and kids have no idea how to use one. So we’re going to try and get you into that next level.

What are you selling?

We’re going to have a curated record selection, but we can get you whatever you want. We’re going to make sure it’s the highest quality. We’ll have four brands of turntables, and we’ll have them set up so you can hear them. Nobody does that. We’ll have some old turntables too, and we’re going to be a place where we can do the needles, repairs. I’m working with Caroline Rothwell; she’s a publicist. She has some really great brand connections. So we’ll have sunglasses, T-shirts, jewelry, gift items all designed by or for artists.

What else?

I really like the idea of what Dave Spence is doing with the campus idea [at Tyler and Davis]. You can have coffee from Davis Street Espresso on a Saturday and roll on through. We’ll have some music playing and a cool hang-out area. We’re building a stage, and we want to have some meet-and-greets and in-store performances. We have a really great sound system that’s going in there.

You’re interested in local music?

I used to tour here with my band, and I played Trees in the ’90s, so I remember what Deep Ellum was like then. We really want to concentrate on local music. I’m interested in the history of the area. I’m trying to get as much T. Bone Walker and all that stuff that’s from here. I have a huge respect and awe for this whole area as far as all the stuff that came from Texas that you don’t really think about the roots of music. The whole Dallas, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana connection it’s pretty amazing. We should know and appreciate that. There’s such a great music tradition. When musicians would come to L.A. from Dallas, we would always have an ear out. This radio station, KCRW in L.A., they’re constantly playing Midlake, like every hour. There are all these great bands that are starting to come out of Texas again. I think we’re going to see a further explosion. I can be one of those conduits that can help people get their stuff out.

—Rachel Stone

1119 N. CLINTON | $515,000

It is such a joy to get to promote everything that is so special about Oak Cliff. We are truly lucky to get to live and sell the history, architecture, people, businesses, topography, and distinctive culture that makes Oak Cliff so unique.”

Out & About

September 2014

Sept. 20

Lake Cliff Park centennial

Oak Cliff celebrates the 100th anniversary of Lake Cliff as a city park. The celebration, from 5-9 p.m., includes a vintage car show, a bike ride, an outdoor screening of “Meet Me in St. Louis,” music, food and face painting, plus an exhibition of the 12-hole disc golf course planned at Founders Park.

Lake Cliff Park, Zang at Colorado, ooccl.org, free

more

OAKCLIFF.ADVOCATEMAG.COM/EVENTS

SEPT. 4-14

PlayPride LGBT Festival

TeCo Theatrical Productions hosts this competition wherein six playwrights vie for a chance to win $1,000 for a local LGBT community group. Each audience member receives a ballot to vote for his or her favorite play, and the voting will decide the winner.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler, 214.948.0716, tecotheater.org, $15-$20

SEPT. 5-7

LSD and baseball

In 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres … on acid. “No-No: A Dockumentary” is the story of that game as well as Ellis’ later work with drug addicts.

The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, thetexastheatre.com, 214.948.1525, call for showtimes and ticket prices

SEPT. 13

Campus Radio

This North Dallas-based new wave/postpunk cover band performs a free show on the outdoor stage.

The Foundry, 2303 Pittman, 214.739.1112, cs-tf.com, free

SEPT. 13

Rock the Cliff 5k

Bison Giving Back, a nonprofit founded by Sunset High School alumni, hosts this 5k race, which starts at 8 a.m. Proceeds go to scholarships for DISD students in Oak Cliff.

Lake Cliff Park, Zang at Colorado, rockthecliff.com, $10-$25

Sept. 20

‘Birdcage’

Davis Foundry Gallery presents this show from artist Sharon Bode Messimer. The show is a series of paintings that reflect her chapbook, “Rage in the Birdcage,” about a bird-woman who transforms into a whole woman. Davis Foundry Gallery, 509 W. Davis, 214.948.6969, free

Rage in the Birdcage by Sharon Bode Messimer

SEPT. 14

Chocolate workshop

Learn how to pair chocolate and wine in a 4-6 p.m. workshop from chocolate expert Adrienne Newman.

3015 at Trinity Groves, 3015 Gulden, 3015dallas.com, $80

SEPT. 18

Loudon Wainwright III

This American singer-songwriter’s most recent album is 2012’s “Older Than My Old Man Now,” but Wainwright has been making music since the 1960s.

The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $20$33

SEPT. 20

DADA bike swarm

The Dallas Art Dealers Association’s fall gallery walk includes a bike tour of Design District galleries. The ride leaves from the Oak Cliff Cultural Center at 1:30 p.m.

Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 231 W. Jefferson, dallasartdealers.org, free

SEPT. 27

Sylvan Thirty grand opening

The Sylvan Thirty mixed-use development celebrates its grand opening. The event includes demonstrations from tenants, a beer garden, live music, bike valet, crafts and entertainment. There will also be 5k, 10k and half-marathon races. Register before Aug. 30 for reduced pricing.

Sylvan Thirty, 1818 Sylvan, sylvanthirty.com

Delicious

PIER 247

Pier

247 W. Davis 214.948.3232 pier247.com

AMBIANCE: CASUAL, PUB

PRICE RANGE: $9-$20

HOURS: SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY, 11 A.M.-11 P.M.; THURSDAY-SATURDAY, 11 A.M.-2 A.M.

—Rachel Stone

247 opened in an old service station on West Davis back in January. The restaurant specializes in seafood with a New Orleans lean, plus bar food. Chef Richard Glenn recently took over the kitchen, and he is changing up the menu a little. Favorites including the triple seafood club sandwich and the classic bacon cheeseburger are staying the same. But Glenn has added a few things. Among them are a grilled-salmon salad with candied pecans, goat cheese, strawberries and a warm bacon vinaigrette. He added two new po-boys — roast beef and “the peacemaker,” fried oysters with bacon. The chef also created an all-new dessert menu that includes bread pudding and deathby-chocolate flan. The restaurant also is expanding its bar area to accommodate TV watchers for football season.

DID YOU KNOW? PIER 247 SERVES A LATE-NIGHT MENU UNTIL 1 A.M. ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS.

Chef Richard Glenn changed the plating of the crabcakes to be served with micro greens and sriracha. Photo by Desiree Espada

And the winner is …

Jonathon’s

Jonathon’s (1111 N. Beckley) brought chicken and waffles to Oak Cliff three years ago, and that’s the dish that still gives the restaurant constant brunch business on the weekends. Husband-and-wife partners Jonathon and Christine Erdeljac opened the breakfast- and brunch-focused restaurant on Beckley near Zang in May 2011.

Christine Erdeljac says their success has been due in large part to her husband’s abilities as a chef. They just have really good food. But that’s not all.

“We’ve had a lot of community support,” she says. “We’ve just been really lucky.”

The Erdeljacs currently are renovating the former Mama Connie’s diner at 1619 N. Beckley for their next restaurant, Kessler Park Eating House. The new restaurant, which could open as soon as October, will focus more on lunch and dinner. It will serve brunch too, but the menu will be totally different from Jonathon’s, she says.

“We don’t want them to compete at all,” she says. “You won’t see chicken and waffles on the menu at Kessler Park.”

Runner-up: Norma’s Cafe

Third Place: El Jordan Cafe

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SNACKS

For the start of a new school year, I’m sharing recipes for some of my favorite old-school snacks. These are homemade and portable, and they pack perfectly inside the kids’ lunch boxes.

1. Back to the basics: the fudge brownie (recipe below)

Nothing is better than the perfect fudge brownie with a crispy, glossy top. Treat the kids (and yourself) while getting back into the school-year routine.

2. A power packed bite: cherry chocolate chip oatmeal balls

This is a simple, easy, no-bake breakfast or snack — perfect for on-the-go.

3. Roll it up: mango-peach fruit leather Fruit leather is a clean-eating snack that will give the kids that perfect midday sugar boost without all the sugar.

The perfect fudge brownie

GROCERY LIST

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in a large bowl over boiling water and heat until just melted. Whisk eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add melted butter and chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Slowly add flour and cocoa powder.

3. Mix until just combined, making sure batter is smooth. Pour batter into 8x8inch pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes (avoid over-baking so the center stays fudgy). Let brownies cool in the pan.

4. Cut into 16 2” squares. Serve or store in airtight container.

ALL OTHER RECIPES can be found at advocatemag.com or inkfoods.com or oakcliff.advocatemag.com.

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

AnimAlPeoPle

And their people animals

WE CALL THEM PETS — those creatures who cohabitate and bond with humans. They tend to love their person, even one who is crotchety or crazy. Dogs don’t judge—they evidently love doctors and pastors, evil dictators and lunatics the same. Each summer, in anticipation of the September issue, we ask readers to tell us about their pets. Then editors are deluged with emails and letters. The photos are striking and funny. The stories, heartwarming. Your love of your pets is evident and something to which animal people in every cul-

ture and community can relate. While pets are no substitute for human relationships, they do offer a sort of unparalleled, unshakable and near-mystic camaraderie. Writer-naturalist Henry Beston explained it eloquently when he wrote, “They are more finished and complete [than us], gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other Nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time.”

ON THESE PAGES

You will find a cross-section of the pets that populate our neighborhood. To see submitted photos and anecdotes not featured here, watch the Advocate’s Pet Pause section, which appears near the front of the magazine most months and features our neighborhood’s most photogenic pets.

Story by Rachel Stone // Photos by Danny Fulgencio

DILLA &

buddies

AFTER THEIR 14-YEAR-OLD CAT MAO died of cancer two years ago, Jeff and Cindy Jones noticed that their other cat, Dilla, missed him.

“Dilla was walking around, crying and looking for Mao,” Jeff says. “So we thought we needed to get her a friend.”

Jeff, an animal cruelty investigator for the city of Fort Worth, found Dexter in the city’s shelter. The kitten was still pretty wild when they got him, but he warmed up after about two weeks.

“I have never seen that much personality in a cat,” Jeff says.

The Joneses knew Dexter was home when he crawled into bed one night and lay across Jeff’s neck.

The younger cat is playful. He likes to get into grocery bags, and he plays with a small basketball. Dilla at first was skeptical of Dexter, but she came around. Now the two play together all the time. Jeff says Dilla seems happier and has lost weight. He and Cindy keep their friends and family updated on their cats’ antics on a Facebook page with posts written in the cats’ voices,

Dexter is the first animal Jeff has brought home from work in the six years he has worked in animal services. He says people often ask him how he can resist adopting more pets.

He sees some awful things. Things most people never want to see, he says. The worst situations he sees involve animal hoarding and neglect.

“I don’t want a roomful of cats because I know I couldn’t show them enough attention,” he says. “They know they are very loved, and they get a lot of attention.”

JACKSON the oak cliff hipster

WHEN JOHN AND ANNE FOSTER adopted their boxer, Jackson, from a shelter, “he was depressed and mostly lifeless,” they say.

He had been surrendered by his previous owner, who traveled too much to care for him properly.

But now that he’s been with the Fosters for 6 years, Jackson has turned into a big ham.

“Once he got a new home and lots of attention and love, he mostly dances now,” Anne Foster says.

Jackson is affectionate and playful, and he’s whip smart.

The Fosters taught him all kinds of party tricks.

He can rise up on two legs and “be a bear.” He can “howl” on command. And if they hold their hand like a gun

and say “bang,” he plays dead.

And of course, check him out on the cover of this magazine in the shades.

Most of all, the Fosters say, Jackson is a real Oak Cliff dog.

They’ve moved twice within the neighborhood since adopting Jackson, and they say he’s well known in the ’hood.

“He’s committed to the neighborhood,” Anne Foster says.

STELLA AND MOLLY MADE IT into the Advocate because of a picture of them lying on the bed cuddling. Who can resist a dog-cat BFF combo?

Brad Taylor of Elmwood rescued the dog, Stella, from Dallas Animal Services about a year ago. He had gone to see about her two puppies, but they already had been adopted.

“I fell for her,” he says. “She’s a sweetheart.”

By then, he already had Molly at home. Taylor had a cat that disappeared about three years ago, and he put up fliers in the neighborhood in an attempt to find it. A neighbor called and said, “I found your cat.” The cat looked nothing like Taylor’s other cat, but he gave her a home anyway.

Molly is a hunter and has brought mice and other rodents, usually ones that are still alive, into the house through the pet door. She once brought in a baby owl. It seemed uninjured, so Taylor took it back outside, where it flew away.

“She usually takes them into the bathtub, but then she gets bored with them and they’re running free in my house, so that’s a problem,” he says.

Taylor also has a garage apartment, and his tenant has a black lab. Both residences have pet doors, so all three pets run around together, Taylor says.

“It’s a nice little group,” he says.

MUFFIN

the original frou-frou dog

JONNIE ENGLAND NEVER CONSIDERED HERSELF a “frou-frou dog” kind of person. Then along came Muffin.

The shih tzu mix has a ’50s girl outfit, complete with pearls and a white satin purse.

“She’s been in quite a few costume contests,” England says.

The frou-frou era in England’s life started on a cold February morning about 11 years ago. She’d left her house near Kiest Park to run errands, and she saw a little white puppy hunkered down in the grass in the park. So she stopped.

“I walked up to her and she rolled over on her back,” England says.

So she put her in the car.

England volunteered with Operation Kindness at the time, and she tried to find someone to foster her. But that didn’t last long.

Muffin made friends with England’s big dog, Marigold, and quickly became part of the family, which also includes five cats.

When Marigold died about two years ago, Muffin was blue — she wouldn’t even come out of her crate to greet England at the door.

So that’s when she adopted another frou-frou dog, Daisy, a 9-pound Maltese mix. The two dogs are inseparable.

England’s 15-year-old cat is the boss of the household, but all the animals get along, she says. They all sleep in the bed with England.

“It’s nice to have a group that all works together,” she says.

Muffin is blind in one eye after a “freak accident” with Marigold, but that doesn’t slow her down, England says. At about 12 years old, the dog is still playful and likes to bite and growl at her plush toys. And she’s still pretty enough for pageantry: She’s won trophies in three costume contests.

THIS DOG REALLY KNOWS HOW TO RAISE THE “WOOF.”

Brandy is a 12-year-old chow mix who likes to hang out on the rooftop of her East Kessler home.

Owner Jenni Brakey’s neighbors found Brandy roaming the neighborhood with a chain wrapped too tightly around her neck about 10 years ago.

“She weighed about 20 pounds less than she does now,” Brakey says.

Brandy and Brakey’s other dog, Jake, are both escape artists. Jake can jump fences, and Brandy can climb up and over the chain link. They used to take “walkabouts” in their younger days, Brakey says. They could escape, take a walk and come back.

About eight years ago, Brakey removed the railing from a roof deck on her house, and that’s when Brandy started taking her walkabouts on the roof.

The dog likes to watch over the house with a bird’s-eye view. When Brakey works in the yard, Brandy keeps constant watch over her.

“She takes her job very seriously,” she says.

BRANDY the roof walker

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L ake CLiff Park at 100

How to preserve history and remain relevant at our neighborhood’s oldest park

Story by Rachel Stone | Photo by Danny Fulgencio

About 2,000 Dallas residents amassed at Lake Cliff Park when it opened to the public on July 4, 1906.

The privately owned amusement park boasted, at 18,000 square feet, “the largest skating rink in the world,” as well as amusement rides, a Ferris wheel, a casino and a three-story theater and opera house.

“Lake Cliff made Oak Cliff a destination,” says Michael Amonett of the Landmark Commission.

This month, Oak Cliff celebrates Lake Cliff’s 100th anniversary as a city park. Preservation work started on the park’s buildings and gardens in 2007, and some Oak Cliff neighbors are working on ways to bring the park into the future.

The history of the park goes back to 1890, when the lake was created for Llewellyn Park Country Club. Members and their

Top/ A panorama taken from Lake Cliff Tower shows a family walking together on a weekday evening. Above/ A vintage postcard touts Lake Cliff as “The greatest amusement park in the Southwest.” Note the streetcars in the right of the frame. The “shoot the chutes” amusement ride and the 18,000-square-foot skating rink are adjacent in the top right.

guests could swim, fish and use rowboats on the lake.

In 1906, a newspaper described the lake as 30 acres and fed by “numberless springs,” with clear water and lots of fish.

Charles A. Mangold, who owned and operated the amusement park, eventually added a bowling aalley and a “floating pool.” A fire in March 1913 destroyed the skating rink, the park’s grand entrance gate and the “shoot the chutes” amusement ride.

The city bought the park from Mangold for $55,000 in 1914, and in 1921 it installed a $65,000 pool and bathhouse. The pool closed in 1958.

The Works Progress Administration in 1934 designed formal rose gardens, and the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts planted 2,000 rose bushes. The WPA also built the pergolas, a pavilion, the pineapple fountain and

retaining walls, which remain today.

By the 1940s, Fair Park had become the city’s amusement park, and the city changed Lake Cliff’s focus to sports. Seven tennis courts, two softball diamonds, one baseball diamond, a football and soccer field, a handball court and a volleyball court were added in the late ’40s, along with the paved path around the perimeter.

PRESERVING HISTORY

In 2007, the city renovated the pergolas, pavilion and vintage playground equipment using $1 million in bond money.

The same year, the Friends of Lake Cliff Park began designing and planting rose gardens based on the bygone WPA-era ones, with help from a grant from the Oak Cliff Lion’s Club. The rose gardens are irrigated and planted with “old-growth” roses, variet-

ies that have been around since at least the 1850s, says Friends of Oak Cliff Parks founder Barbara Barbee.

“All the planting is paid for by donations and cared for by volunteers,” Barbee says. “This is a real community project.”

Most evenings, the park is abuzz with people exercising on the path, pick-up soccer games and children playing on the playground equipment. But the park does have problems with vandalism, Barbee says. And there are parts of the park, on the Blaylock and Fifth Street sides, that are not as heavily used.

A few neighbors have ideas for creating more uses in the park.

DISC GOLF

Neighborhood resident Zac Lytle first got the idea to create an Oak Cliff disc golf

BrinG Your own BAnk

course — for what George Costanza on “Seinfeld” described as “frolf” or Frisbee Golf — in 2012.

He and some collaborators chose Founder’s Park — just across Colorado from Lake Cliff — as a location for nine holes.

“We’d like to use those dead spaces where nothing’s going on,” Lytle says. “Founder’s Park is so empty; it’s not safe.”

Go Oak Cliff raised about $4,000 for the disc golf course. And Lytle raised $5,000 from friends and family after he announced that the course would be named in memory of his infant son, Roger William Lytle, who died in April.

Lytle and the Oak Cliff Disc Golf Club plan to put together a demonstration of their course design at Founder’s Park during the Sept. 20 centennial celebration. Users can give feedback on what works and what could be better.

The disc golf club also wants to extend the course across Colorado into Lake Cliff Park. They even won $10,000 from the Dallas Parks Foundation in April to build the course extension there. But more recently, some neighbors have said they don’t want a disc golf course in Lake Cliff Park, which is part of the Lake Cliff Historic District.

“There’s still a lot of discussion about whether disc golf is appropriate in a historic park,” Barbee says.

Ultimately, the Park Board decides whether disc golf should be allowed at the park, but the board would be expected to vote based on the desires of the neighborhood.

And

that is yet to be determined.

There are some in the neighborhood who are on board with the disc golf plan, including Ashley Peña. It would be good to have the course, especially in the underutilized back side of the park, as long as it doesn’t interrupt the playing fields or disturb historic structures, she says.

Architect Alicia Quintans of Preservation Dallas agrees.

“We want to protect the historic structures, but all the park land should be utilized for what the neighbors want, and what the community wants,” she says. “It should all be current and relevant.”

THE LAKE CLIFF PARK CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION is from 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20.

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

Sí, señor

The new Cuban restaurant from Hattie’s owner Tony Alvarez opened last month in the Bishop Arts District. C. Señor serves Cuban sandwiches and coffee out of the former El Padrino taco stand. The menu is simple: Four sandwiches, a burger, sides of Cuban rice and beans, fried yucca and plantains, plus espresso and cafe con leche. There also are plans to serve taco versions of the sandwiches.

Dance troupe

Danielle Georgiou recently moved her avantgarde dance company,

DGDG: Danielle Georgiou Dance Group, to a studio on West Davis in Oak Cliff. She and partner Hillary Holsonback are sharing the space with their collaborator, photographer Emily Loving. The dance company is one of six small companies participating in the Wyly Theater’s Elevator Project, and they will perform a show there for two weeks this fall, Nov. 13-24. Georgiou also teaches dance workshops at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. She is the lead faculty of the dance program at Eastfield College, and she is director of the dance ensemble at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Chango Botanica

The white paint came off of Chango Botanica on West Davis recently, but the shop is not going anywhere, says owner Jorje Diaz. His father, Francisco “Pancho” Diaz, originally opened Chango Botanica in the Kessler Theater building in 1976. He moved it across the street after the rent went up, but the second space didn’t have enough parking, so he bought the current Chango Botanica building in 1995. Diaz

died in May. A few real estate investors have approached Jorje Diaz since his dad passed with offers on the building. “It would be easy for me to sell it and go to California,” he says. “But what is that going to accomplish?” Diaz lives in an apartment at the back of the shop. Chango is open seven days a week and has not been closed a day since it opened 38 years ago. Jorje Diaz even opened the shop on the day his father died. Even though he’s taking off the white paint on the building’s Davis Street-facing facade, he’s leaving Kevin Obregon’s Saint Barbara mural undisturbed.

New homes

The Austin-based company that has two new-home developments underway near Kidd Springs Park says the homes already are selling. Five of the 45 Bishop Heights homes and six of the 31 Kings Highway homes have sold, according to the PSW Real Estate website. The homes in both projects range 1,700-2,700 square feet and start in the $300,000s.

C Señor 330 W. DAVIS 214.941.4766

Daniele Georgiou Dance Group 518 W. DAVIS DGDGDANCEGROUP.CARBONMADE.COM

Chango Botanica 1405 W. DAVIS 214.941.4119

PSW Real Estate 214.560.4203 PSWREALESTATE.COM

Cuban sandwich stand C Señor

All Are Welcome!

PK3-8th Grade

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

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School

est. 1958

4019 S. Hampton Rd. Dallas 75224 214.331.5139 ext. 21 / www.saintspride.com

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

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

ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL

4019 S. Hampton Rd. Dallas 75224/ 214.331.5139 / www.saintspride.com Walk in the Footsteps of Saints!!Now enrolling students PK3-8th Grade. St. Elizabeth of Hungary offers a full day curriculum for PK3-8th Grade, including English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Religion, Technology, Athletics, Art, Music, and Spanish. Caring teachers enhance curriculum with individualized attention and handson interactive participation. St. Elizabeth is a model of diversity, rich, and reflective of the ethnic and economic composition of the community it serves. Join us for an informational school tour and see for yourself how easy it is to become a Saint! Call 214.331.5139 for information.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service. St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency

Gateway zoning

A plan to rezone 890 acres surrounding Lake Cliff Park is heading to City Council, but not before a transportation plan is ready. City Councilman Scott Griggs says a vote on the gateway proposal likely will be delayed until the transportation plan comes through. It could be ready as soon as this month, he says. The plan should outline requirements for sidewalk widths and on-street parking as well as patterns for auto and streetcar lanes, plus a strategy to optimize DART bus ridership in the neighborhood.

Conservation Districts

A rewrite of the city’s rules for forming conservation districts is headed to City Council after the zoning board approved it last month. City staff and the Dallas Builder’s Association argued that the process should be more transparent and that the changes are in the interest of property owners’ rights. But the Dallas Homeowners League, the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League and some conservation district residents countered that the change will make it impossible to create a district in the future. The board’s approval included two lastminute amendments favoring the homeowners league’s suggestions.

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.

Correction: A story about Opalina Salas in the August Advocate should have stated the location of the monthly Mad Swirl poetry night as Absinthe Lounge.

to advertise call 214.560.4203

DANGER DRIVER.

Teresa Piraro liked the short bicycle commute to her local gym. She tries to keep in shape and pedaled away to work out at the fitness center near her Kings Highway Conservation District home. It should have been a leisurely trip, but it turned into a scary night out involving police.

The Victim: Teresa Piraro

The Crime: Harassment

Date: Wednesday, July 9

Time: About 7 p.m.

“I felt so relieved that they were searching for the vehicle and checking up on me,” she says. “Thank you, Dallas Police Department, for protecting the citizens.”

On her way home, Piraro even saw a parked patrol car at Kidd Springs Park on West Canty, where she initially called 911, which she says really made her feel safe.

Location: West Canty near Kings Highway

While she was riding down West Canty from Kings Highway, a tan Dodge Ram two-door pickup truck began circling around her bike and driving close while attempting to speak to her.

“I yelled that I was calling 911, and as I did, the taunting continued,” she says.

Piraro told the operator where she was headed and received a call back from the police minutes later, after she had arrived. She was able to give police a description of the man who was harassing her. Minutes later, a policeman walked into the gym to talk to her about the incident.

Sgt. Kay Hughbanks with the Dallas Police Southwest Patrol Division says to call 911 immediately if you believe someone is intentionally harassing you or if you’re experiencing someone with road rage. She says to give your direction of travel or at least a cross street, the best description of the suspect vehicle and the driver possible, and a bit about the situation.

“Do not pull over on a side street or vacant parking lot and confront the suspect,” she says. “However, you might want to pull into a business parking lot with a lot of people around.”

Hughbanks says victims should stay on the phone with 911, keep the windows rolled up, doors locked, and not get out of the car.

ANGLICAN

ALL SAINTS DALLAS / 2733 Oak Lawn / 972.755.3505

Radical Inclusivity, Profound Transformation. Come and See!

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

BAPTIST

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

Building everyday people into everyday missionaries for Jesus Christ.

Sunday School: 9:30 am / Sunday Worship: 10:45 am / 214-942-8601

GRACE TEMPLE BAPTIST MULTI CULTURAL CHURCH

831 W. Tenth St./214-948-7587/Sunday Worship English Service

9:30 am/Spanish Service 11am/ gracetempledallas.org

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship 9:30 am Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

EPISCOPAL

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

Sunday: 8 & 10 am Holy Eucharist, 12:30pm Santa Misa en Español Sunday School for all ages / Children’s Chapel / christchurchdallas.org

METHODIST

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

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

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

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

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

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

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

KESSLER COMMUNITY CHURCH / 2100 Leander Dr. at Hampton Rd.

“Your Hometown Church Near the Heart of the City.” 10:30 am Contemporary Service / kesslercommunitychurch.com

PRESBYTERIAN

OAK CLIFF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6000 S. Hampton Road

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

DOG IS LOVE

Lessons about life, love and loyalty from a beagle

I’ll begin with a confession: I am not a dog person. In North Oak Cliff, this is blasphemy. From Kings Highway to Kiest Park, people cherish their dogs. They’re everywhere, part of the fabric of our neighborhoods and beloved family members in just about every home. I have admitted my lack of love for dogs to my congregation, and they are praying for me and constantly trying to convince me to be a dog lover. It makes no difference that as a paperboy, my first job, I was terrorized and bitten by all varieties of canines.

So it may surprise you that Rosie, a beagle, resides in our home. She is the sweetest, most well-behaved dog imaginable. She never barks, never begs, never wakes me up at 5 a.m. to open the door so she can answer nature’s call, as other owners tell me their dogs do. When I point out any of her faults to my wife or children, I am the one compelled to go out, not Rosie.

In this confessional mindset, I’ll also admit that Rosie has taught me a few things, even spiritual truths.

First, Rosie has taught me about unconditional love. She loves all people. Even when I seem aloof to her, a simple, friendly voice will bring her running. All is forgiven, all is grace. If love is what truly matters in the end, then Rosie, in her way, probably knows more than I do. I believe that every person should know unconditional love, but Rosie does more than believe; she puts it into practice.

Second, Rosie demonstrates what wonder looks like. In a hurried and tense world, dogs know how to be fascinated by the ordinary, by every new smell or scurrying animal (squirrel!). They’re content with the mundane. The same walk around the block is never dull,

because everything is always changing. If we could recapture the wonder that dogs demonstrate, we would be blessed indeed.

Third, I am constantly reminded by Rosie that the way one treats those who are helpless and dependent is probably the best determinant of what that person is on the inside. How often have I raised

my voice at her and seen the hurt in her eyes and posture, only to quickly feel that disappointment and anger turned upon myself for what the episode had revealed of my heart. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven [Matthew 19:14].” He could have said the same of every small thing, any person or animal who is needy and reliant on others for the necessities of life. May North Oak Cliff always be a place where we care for the little ones, for the children, the animals, the weak and the helpless.

As I write these final words, I hear Rosie scratching to go out. I rise from my desk, pat her head and open the door. She rushes into the backyard where everything is new.

I believe that every person should know unconditional love, but Rosie does more than believe; she puts it into practice.

Brent McDougal is pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church. The Worship section is a regular feature underwritten by Advocate Publishing and by the neighborhood business people and churches listed on these pages. For information about helping support the Worship section, call 214.560.4202.

Block party

Artist Karla Ceballos flashes a big smile in her interactive art tent at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center’s fourth-anniversary block party in August.

EVENTS

STAMP COLLECTING!!

Remember the fun of stamp collecting? Dallas Philatelic Society meets the 2nd and 4th Weds at 7:30 pm at Edgemere Retirement Center. 8523 Thackery St Call Joe Baker 972-390-2648

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

LEARN NEW TESTAMENT GREEK

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

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

EMPLOYMENT

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

SERVICES FOR YOU

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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

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

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

TRAVEL

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

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

PET SERVICES

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

In-Home Professional Care

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

“Best of Dallas” D Magazine

Serving the Dallas area since 1994

Bonded & Insured www.societypetsitter.com 214-821-3900

BUY/SELL/TRADE

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

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

TEXAS RANGERS AND DALLAS STARS

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

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

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

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

OCTOBER DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 10 214.560.4203 TO ADVERTISE

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO. Email a jpeg to editor@advocatemag.com.

AC

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING COMPANY RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

469.334.0196

www.Bel-AirMechanical.com

6318 Gaston Avenue, Suite 202 Dallas, TX 75214

“Stay

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872 Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration.

Name It- We do it. Tommy. insured. http://dallas. tkremodelingcontractors.com

TK Remodeling

Your neighborhood remodeler

•Repair •Remodeling •Restoration

•Complete full service

Name it— We do it

http://dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

Tommy 972-533-2872 INSURED

CLEANING SERVICES

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

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

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

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Call George 214-498-2128

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available

APPLIANCE REPAIR

972-523-3996

WWW AROTX COM

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

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

THE CABINET CONCIERGE

The Art of Storage. Call 214-821-5900

Email jin@thecabinetconcierge.com

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

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

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

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

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

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.org 214-403-7247

Free Estimates

972-672-5359 (32 yrs.)

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

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

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

4 U ELECTRICAL SERVICE, LLC

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

ANNA’S ELECTRIC Your Oak Cliff Electrician Since 1978. tecl25513. 214-943-4890

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com Family Owned/Operated. Insd. 214-328-1333

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

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

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

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

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

4 QUALITY FENCING Call Mike 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood, New or Repair. HANNAWOODWORKS.COM Decks,Doors, Carpentry, Remodeling 214-435-9574

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

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

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

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

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

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

GARAGE DOORS

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

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

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

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

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

Your Home Repair Specialists

HOUSE PAINTING

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

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

INTERIOR DESIGN

WALLPAPER AND MORE

Serving Lakewood For Over 15 Years. Upholstery, Custom Draperies & Shutters. References Available Upon Request. 214-718-7281

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

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

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

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

HandymanMatters.com/dallas

HOME INSPECTION

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

WE REFINISH! www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

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

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

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

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

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

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

A Better Tree Company Your

JUST

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

JD’s Tree Service

RESPONSIBLE TREE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

OC rotated for 9-14

Locally harvested wood!

Firewood/Cooking Wood

Full service trimming & planting of native trees. 214.946.7138

Tree

214.394.2414

ParkerTreeService.biz

Family Owned since 1937

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

PLUMBING

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

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

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days

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

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

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

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

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

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

POOLS

LEAFCHASERS POOLS

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

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,

ROOFING & GUTTERS

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

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

Allstate Homecraft

•

BERT

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.

North Texas Giving Day

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

Give $25 or more to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center via NorthTexasGivingDay.org on September 18th between 6am and midnight and your donations will be multiplied from a pool of $1.5MM of bonus funds and prizes.

jonathansloanfitness.com

Here the emphasis is on YOU!!! I offer private 1 on 1 and small group training. Prepare to MOVE and LIVE BETTER than you ever have before!

Call today!

BOULEVARD TO NOWHERE

How the automobile killed George Kessler’s picturesque plan for Oak Cliff

Even when I was a child, some things simply didn’t make sense to me.

One of those things had to do with a local oddity that I began noticing early on, begging the question: What was the deal with the impressive — but highly out-of-place wide, grassy medians in North Oak Cliff? Strangely disconnected medians. Abandoned medians. Medians that didn’t seem to fit their location at all. Even as a 5- or 6-year-old, I knew that something wasn’t right. But there they were, and there they stayed, and there they remain today.

Back in the 1950s, when my family traveled from our home by Kiest Park to the southwest corner of Wentworth and South Oak Cliff Boulevard to visit our family friends, the Smythes, we often traveled north on Edgefield, past Clarendon and then Burlington, which is where the mystery began. I always thought it strange that these potentially elegant medians lead to, well, nothing.

Like most children (and probably most adults), it seemed that a median like the one on Burlington would indicate something more akin to a highly charmed street scene from a movie such as “Pollyanna” or “Mary Poppins.” Or perhaps “Meet Me in St. Louis.” You know, some ritzy, turn-of-the-century Victorian neighborhood. But the smaller, frame and brick houses running along both sides of the street definitely weren’t the type of domiciles one would imagine lining a Victorian-era easement. At least not to me. But then I was a kid,

and what did I know?

The several medians on South Oak Cliff Boulevard and the one that ran between Tenth and West Jefferson also seemed completely out of place. The medians up and down Jefferson made sense. But what was the deal with the others? I’d pondered these questions since roughly 1952.

Recently I stumbled on some information that answered my question. Actually, it was fairly simple.

When the City of Dallas contracted famed

Kansas City landscape architect George Kessler back to Dallas (where he had grown up) to create a master layout, the design called for four boulevard loops around the city, one circling the area then comprising Oak Cliff and possibly part of West Dallas. The “Kessler Plan” called for divided park boulevards landscaped with fountains, upscale shrubbery and trees, complete with recreational spaces. Designed primarily as paths for Sunday afternoon carriage rides and family leisure, these boulevards made sense in the first decades of the 1900s. What could be more picturesque than affluent and semi-affluent Oak Cliff families hitching the family steed to a cute little surrey and impressing the neighbors by parading around the loop, or up and down one of the boulevards, with parents and cherub-faced children playing on the grassy, park-like medians?

The original 1911 design began at the viaduct and proceeded up Zang to Bishop (the street layouts were a bit different at the time), to Ballard and then Montclair, to

Tenth up to Oak Cliff Boulevard, to Burlington, next to either Beckley or Marsalis and then back to the viaduct.

There was, however, one small problem that contributed heavily to ending Kessler’s impressive project: the automobile.

About the time construction began on the “loop,” the car — the most popular offspring of the internal combustion engine — exploded onto the American scene, causing the horse-and-buggy days to fade almost overnight. Although the automobile had been invented and developed during Kessler’s lifetime, speeds above 15 mph were unimaginable in his day. Thus the automobile and its increasing ability to reach higher and higher speeds were the death knell of Kessler’s fairy-tale vision. Sunday drives out in the country, with mom, dad and all the kids packed into the family car, quickly trumped those outdated and boring leisurely rides inside town.

Kessler understood the importance of protecting property value and used the proposed boulevard medians to encourage the

The wide medians on Oak Cliff Boulevard were part of George Kessler’s grand idea. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

construction of larger, more stately homes along the streets involved. But when the city realized that the project was no longer relevant to the evident transportation changes of the early 20th century, the project was halted and the plan eventually scrubbed. Although there are some larger homes lining Tenth, and a handful or so sprinkled along South Oak Cliff Boulevard, few of the envisioned larger homes were ever built, and only remnants of the boulevard loop project remain today.

Yes, my question concerning the oddity of the medians was finally solved. But it took some additional mental calisthenics to figure out why the various boulevard sections were so disconnected, orphaned one might say. And why did the eastern end of the Burlington median simply stop, functioning as a would-be majestic entrance to

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nowhere. Shouldn’t there be some sort of 4- or 5-story mansion at the end? Perhaps the house in TV’s “Dynasty”?

Just as our modern highway and street construction goes, the planned Kessler loop was most probably developed in sections to eventually connect as the project progressed. When complete, the wide, grassy easements would link and become the elegant, winding pathway through Oak Cliff that Kessler and the city fathers of that day had imagined.

Obviously, that didn’t happen.

A beautiful landscaped loop through Oak Cliff would have been nice and would be nice now. But knowing my own high school friends and acquaintances (and also my parents’ Sunset and Adamson friends), the Kessler Loop would most likely have ended up being one of our teen “cruising strips,” along with South Hampton, South Westmoreland and the Kiest Park circle (which was, ironically, originally a bridal path).

And we definitely would have been driving faster than 15 mph. Yes, definitely.

Interested in an Arts Metal

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

George Kessler: Photo provided by stevenspark.org

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