If you’re a Bike Friendly Oak Cliffer then you’ve probably already seen this sobering story from last weekend’s Ninjas VS. Pirates Ride, but I thought it appropriate for anyone in Oak Cliff riding a bicycle or driving a car:

“Hi, I wanted to share a few words about an event that occurred on Sunday afternoon.

I was riding back from the Oak Cliff Ninjas vs. Pirates bike ride when two cars slammed into me. I had left Arapaho Center Station and was at the Coit and Melrose intersection waiting for a green light – I was just sitting on my bike. A car in the cross-traffic took a sharp, unprotected left turn and a car driving the opposite way struck it. The two cars then slid toward me; slamming into my body and causing me to fly back with them. The next thing I remember is being under one of the cars as it dragged me a few feet. Once the car stopped I scrambled out from underneath; half of my body was underneath the car; I felt the weight of the car on my back.

The incredible part about all of this was I walked away with only scrapes and bruises. After being rushed to the ER and staying for a few hours, I was released. Anyone at the scene, including me, thought my back was broken, and at least one of my legs as it was rotated 90 degrees inwards. Even my bike was spared major damage.

Because of this event I wanted to stress two points to everyone who bicycles, will, or knows someone who does:

1) Wear a helmet! Simplest rule but I know many disregard it. Many people at the Ninjas vs. Pirates bike ride didn’t wear one. I too wore a costume, but I also wore a helmet. Remember, I was basically a pedestrian who was struck, they say I had a concussion; but nothing more.

2) Continue advocating for car-free and/or car-light lifestyles. Promote alternative forms of transportation as they are safer, healthier, and friendlier for us. What would you want to be on the road: 18 pound aluminum frames or 4,000 pound tanks?

-Angelica Huerta

(Update: I still limp a little and externally my wounds are healing. Most of my current pain is internally though.)”

Just Add Jeans, a new Bishop Arts clothing boutique, will host its grand opening event from 6 to 9 p.m. tomorrow on Seventh Street. Guests can scope out some lovely denim pieces, enjoy free flowing cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and partake in some major giveaways. And these are some stellar giveaways folks. We’re talking $100, $50, $20, and $10 gift certificates for 30 winners, plus a slew of grab bags. Sounds fabulous, right? While you’re there, don’t forget to say hello to owner Chaska Norwood (on the right, with step sister Devon Befancenez), and grab a bite at Tillman’s Roadhouse next door. For more info, call 214-437-3321.

Here’s some context from D Mag’s Peter Simek on the found object art community project at the Nasher Classroom:

“Well, trash re-contextualized. The Nasher Classroom will display from May 8 through May 15 the fruits of the FOUND OBJECT ART, a community project meant to teach local students about “found” and “readymade” art. … There she is: The project is a collaboration between Sarah Jane Semrad’s La Reunion TX, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and Dallas ISD. Six Dallas ISD schools are participating, including Hillcrest, Conrad, Adamson, Skyline, and Seagoville High Schools, as well as Greiner Middle School.”

Winners in the Trinity River Corridor Project‘s photography contest will be honored at a reception this evening in the main lobby of Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Mayor Tom Leppert and City Councilman Dave Neumann are among the scheduled guests. The festivities begin at 6 p.m.

Kaye Harrison dropped us a note to promote an informal Sunset High School Class of ’73 reunion. The Bisons will gather at El Fenix (120 E. Colorado Blvd.) from 2 to 5 p.m. on May 22. If you plan to attend, send an e-mail to missy0218@aol.com by May 10.

We’d like to invite your participation in a new, and hopefully long-running, feature on the best blog this side of the river. It’s called the Weekly Funny Photo Caption Contest. The rules are simple: Write a funny and not mean caption for the above photo in the comments section of this post. The commenter with the best caption gets their own 15 minutes of blog fame with a post featuring said comment. Ready. Set. Go and Be Funny!

Word just came down through e-mail and Twitter via Nixle that Oak Cliff native David Brown (formerly first assistant chief) has been named Dallas’ new chief of police.

Big surprise, huh? But if for some reason you’re unfamiliar with Etsy Dallas and the many talented artists who reside in OC, you’re in for a treat. Etsy Dallas, a craft collective of Dallas artists and designers who sell their wares on the hip online marketplace Esty, will host a Handmade Bash from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at South Side on Lamar.

Etsy is a great place to shop for one-of-a-kind, handmade wares, and the artists involved in this event know how to create those, “Omg, that’s so cool,” pieces. The craft show will feature items by some of Oak Cliff’s most popular artistans, such as Julie Kim of 2Enju, Laura Davis of Design Lab, Larry Pile of the Kessler Craftsman, Tara Tonini of Tara to the T, and Stephanie Hindall of Tefi Designs. To top it off, there will be a DJ, cocktails, photo booths, goody bags, a raffle, and more. Did I mention it’s FREE to get it? See you at the craft tables folks!

Channel 8 is reporting that, after narrowing the field to six candidates for Dallas’ top law enforcement job, First Assistant Chief David Brown will likely get the promotion. Brown was born and raised in Oak Cliff, the report says. City Manager Mary Suhm could make the formal announcement any time now.

Just got off the phone with Ed Murph, owner of Norma’s Cafe on Davis, who verified that MasterCard was shooting a commercial there last week for their MasterCard MarketPlace.

Anywho, we got to talking about the many celebrities and local dignitaries who have broken bread inside the Oak Cliff institution. Murph made a comment about the long line of Dallas mayors who have stopped by for a meal and he boasted that every mayor since 1986 has visited — except for Mayor Tom Leppert.

“Every mayor has eaten with us up to this new guy and I think he’s going to break the streak,” Murph said. “The rest of them have since I owned it. We’ve had police chiefs, the sherrif, we’ve had actors and musicians … judges, criminals — we’ve had them all.”

Worth noting: Tom Cruise also gave Norma’s the snub while filming “Born on the Fourth of July” in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Elmwood. The rest of the film’s crew thought the food was up to par, Murph said.