Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White will be at an event at the Kessler Theater at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 30), per an e-mail from party spokesperson Amy Cowan.

Also attending the event is State Rep. Rafael Anchia, State Sen. Royce West, State Rep. Roberto Alonzo, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, and county commissioner candidate Dr. Elba Garcia.

Jazz violinist Richmond Punch will be performing, according to the flyer. The theater is at 1230 W. Davis St.

Dan Koller did not believe me when I said that the skate shop set to open in the Bishop Arts District had a half-pipe in the front. Well, as you can see from the photographic evidence, it does.

Although they weren’t open when I drove by this past weekend (nor were they last night when our own Chuck Cox drove by), The Shop in Oak Cliff was open for business this evening in the spot formerly occupied by Ouch at 332 W. Davis St. There were even a few friends and patrons taking to the half pipe in front.

The owner, P.J. Thebeau, is a native of Duncanville and has been skating for more than 25 years. His most recent project before opening The Shop is working with Hype! Skateboards, which you can purchase at his shop.

Better yet, catch the Nov. 1 grand opening party at The Shop with special guest and professional skater Jeremy Holmes. Things get started at 7 p.m., but get there early to enjoy a few giveaways.

Here we see 8-year-old Tatiana Gomez (left) and another girl working on a banner at Girls Inc., a Dallas nonprofit whose North Zang Boulevard campus has been keeping young women busy and safe after school for 15 years.

For more info on Girls Inc., see this week’s story in Oak Cliff People.

No, we’re not talking about the wet-dry propositions or Watkins vs. Clancy. We’re talking about the “Food & Drink” ballot in People’s Choice 2010. By tomorrow morning, that ballot will have been replaced by the “People & Places” categories. So vote today by clicking the icon at the top of this page.

But speaking of Watkins vs. Clancy, we do have a link to the League of Women Voters’ Voters Guide on this page as well. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll find it below the ad for the Democratic Party.

The Kidd Springs Recreation Center is having their Night of Fright fall carnival from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 28).

The center at 711 W. Canty St. has free admission, snacks, and refreshments at the carnival, but some of the activities will need tickets gotten from donating dry or canned food, according to a flyer forwarded by Kidd Springs Central president Augustine Jalomo.

Activities include carnival games, a bounce house, a cake walk, a fortune teller, and face painting. They’ll have contests for eating hanging donuts, having the scariest or most creative costume, or having the best scream.

You can get two tickets for 11 ounces or less of dry or canned goods, three tickets for 11.1 to 16 ounces of donations, or four tickets for over 16 ounces, the flyer states. The festival isn’t taking cash, according to center staff.

All items will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank, according to the flyer.

Here’s some recent business news:

A Southern Maid Donuts is scheduled to open at 937 W. Davis St. in mid-November, according to building renovation project manager Joseph Wilkins. Once open, it will have hours until early afternoon, and will serve grilled sandwiches for lunch, Wilkins said.

Angel Nichole’s Art Gallery and Boutique moved to 1227A W. Davis St. Sept. 1, with an opening party Oct. 9, according to owner Angel Nichole Hall-Nolven. The gallery, which sells jewelry, Haitian art, local art on consignment, and more, moved from another building a short distance east on Davis Street, she added.

Hall-Nolven said she’s going to have an after-party following the Harambee art festival at her gallery Oct. 30. The after-party will be at 8 p.m. and feature food and children’s activities, she added.

Only the most talented and gifted musicians can play guitar and keys simultaneously. (Photo by Carissa Byers)

Darius Holbert is one of my oldest friends. He was 12 and I was 11 when we met in 1986, riding the bus to DISD’s Talented and Gifted Academy at Spence Middle School. Six years later, we both graduated from the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Fast forward 18 years: I’m an ink-stained newspaper editor, and Darius is a professional musician living in LA. But tomorrow night, he will bring his talents and gifts to the Kessler Theater, where he will definitely engage in some performing arts, and maybe even some visual ones too. Tomorrow also just happens to be my wife’s birthday. Sounds like the recipe for a fun night out, right? There’s just one problem.

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