Bear, a male gray domestic shorthair cat, is available for adoption through the Dallas Humane Society's Dog and Kitty City.

Perhaps you don’t have room in your home to adopt another pet, but homeless animals hold a special place in your heart? If so, head over to the newly renamed OC Smokehouse on Saturday for a furry meet-and-greet with pets from the Dallas Humane Society’s Dog and Kitty City.

For the entire day, 10 percent of the restaurant’s food sales will go directly to Dog and Kitty City, Dallas’ only no-kill shelter. You can bring rover to get a good cleaning by Pet Love Mobile Grooming. For just a $10 donation to the Dallas Humane Society, Pet love will suds up small and medium dogs. Dogs over 70 pounds can get a makeover for a $15 donation.

Whether you’re a morning person or you’re like me (that is, all will to live is destroyed until at least two cups of joe have been downed), get your rear-end out of bed a little early tomorrow morning and bike it to City Hall with Councilman Scott Griggs.

Seriously. This is almost your last chance to participate in Bike Friendly Oak Cliff’s fourth-annual Cyclesomatic — their month-long nod to bicycling that’s been packed with events to get Cliffers pedaling.

Tomorrow, riders, including several unnamed City Hall officials, are meeting Griggs at 7 a.m. (yes, that’s A.M.) at Oddfellows (Bishop Avenue and Seventh Street), cycling over to Union Station to hook up with fellow Dallas bike troupes, and then proceeding to Dallas City Hall Plaza, where a brief press conference will be held.

This particular Cyclesomatic jaunt is a rally of sorts to kick off the new 2011 Dallas Bike Plan, which supports the first road projects incorporating bicycle infrastructure. BFOC’s goal? 200 miles of bicycle lanes, sharrows, and cycle tracks by 2013.

And, the major perk of getting your butt up early and then working it out — everyone’s invited to join the informal City Hall Biker Gang for a group spin to the Arts District for some tasty chow.

Zac Lytle, president of BFOC, said it best: “We want to get people on their bikes, making our neighborhood a more bike-friendly place and to help make it a part of people’s everyday routine.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has just been sent the City Council’s approved redistricting map, says assistant city attorney Barbara McAninch.

The next step involves a 60-day window review — a clock that stops and starts again, essentially, whenever the DOJ has questions regarding the map.

If you’d like to share some thoughts of your own with the feds, here’s how (and yep, it has to be done by snail mail):

Via regular U.S. Postal Service, you can address comments to the  Chief, Voting Section, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice, Room 7254–NWB, 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20530. If you opt for UPS or another means of delivery, the recipient and room number will stay the same, but the address differs: 1800 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20006.

All comments should be marked “Comment under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act,” and include “Dallas” and the Attorney General’s file number (2011– 4417) in the subject line.

Norma's celebrates Chicken Fried Steak Day on Wednesday.

Turns out, Oak Cliff’s very own Norma’s Cafe has helped lead the state in declaring Oct. 26 as the first “Official Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day.” Those who dine at Norma’s on Wednesday can enter a drawing to win free chicken fried steak for a year. Sounds like a darn good bargain to us.

Diners who win second place will receive a chicken fried steak “party” — with all the delish fixings — for six friends. And, diners who chow down on Norma’s award-winning chicken fried steak on Wednesday will receive a coupon for a free slice of the diner’s infamous “Mile High” cream pie.

In 2010, Norma’s owner Ed Murph, in conjunction with other restauranteurs throughout Texas, petitioned the state legislature to create a day that would celebrate the significance of this good ole’ home-cooked steak. Rep. Ralph Sheffield wrote a signed a proclamation with Govenor Rick Perry to declare Oct. 26 as official Texas Fried Chicken Day.

Wow! We knew chicken fried steak was a Texas passion, but Norma’s sure showed us just how much we really cherish that home-cooked dish.

“Norma’s Cafe’s chicken fried steak is a guest favorite during breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Murph said. “It’s one of the top comfort food inventions of all time, and we wanted to pay tribute to the dish that has long been a Texas tradition — and one of ours for more than 55 years.”

He sure said it! Have fun chowing down on Wednesday and best of luck on that raffle!

A Bishop Arts District patron who refused to hand over his wallet to a masked gunman was shot in the rear end Friday night.

According to a Dallas Police Department incident report, the victim parked his silver 2012 Dodge sedan in the 400 block of North Madison Avenue at 8:15 p.m. because he was meeting friends at a nearby bar. When the victim got out of his car, the masked gunman approached and demanded his wallet. Rather than hand it over, the victim ran. The victim heard the gunman shout, “[Screw] you,” before he heard a gunshot. He was hit in the buttocks and transported to Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

I’ve called the hospital to get an update on the victim’s condition, which was critical when he was admitted. The incident report says police found no bullet casings and no witnesses.

Update at 1 p.m.: Methodist officials say the victim’s condition is good.

Burger King is a-coming to Wynnewood Village. Per a press release from property owner Brixmor — Centro Properties’ new name, in other news — the fast-food joint is soon to appear at the northwest corner of Illinois Avenue and Zang Boulevard.

Another newcomer, Car Spot, has taken the vacant garage space at Wynnewood Drive and Lewellen Avenue. The business is just offering detail services for the time being, said employee Pedro Gonzalez, but will (as signage suggests) eventually do title changes, alarm installations, and more.

Jason Roberts leads Rosemont students to Eno's for root beer floats. (Staff photo: Christina Barany)

The third iBike Rosemont Week culminated Oct. 14 with a Bike Rodeo and a group ride to Eno’s Pizza Tavern. Click here to see footage of the action.

While we can’t imagine you haven’t heard about Go Oak Cliff’s Blues, Bandits, and BBQ festival this Sat., we’re reminding you to head over to Lake Cliff Park around noon for some good ole’ Q and a “full-blown music festival,” according to Amy Cowan, one of the event’s coordinators.
A few notes:
>Festival goes from noon to 6 p.m.
>Music line up: Tallon Latz, Kirby Kelly, Hunter Hendrickson, Andrew Tinker, Lance Lopez, and Bobby Patterson (music starts at noon)
>Admission is $10 in advance; $15 on Sat. — arrive on a bicycle and get in for half-price!
>BBQ tasting is from 2 to 4 p.m.; fee is $25 (includes admission and tasting)
>There are ONLY 350 BBQ-tasting wristbands this year; they’re available here. Your wristband allows you to taste all the BBQ.
>If you happen to be a vegetarian like me, no worries. Spiral Diner will be there dishing up vegetarian and vegan fare.
>Other eateries include Lockhart Smokehouse and Mainstream Fish Camp

Getting pumped for Halloween? Check out Texas Theatre’s “Terror At The Texas” — coined “pyschotronic movie trailers and general pop culture leftovers.” Boogie down to a unique Halloween set from DJs JukeboxMafia and Sir Scott Mack. According to the Theatre, you’ll hear the grittiest, greasiest, craziest, sickest, and sleaziest 45s that Halloween has to offer — whatever this might mean. We’d love a full report. Spook dance-a-thon begins at 11:30 p.m. Fri. night, and costumes are strongly encouraged!

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff’s Cyclesomatic leads bikers on “The Oak Cliff Coop Snoop Tour Ride” on Sat. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. What the hay? Apparently, eight OC residents are coming out of the coop and placing their chickens on public display. The OC Coop Snoop’s mission is to increase awareness of backyard chicken keeping, while raising money to install coops and flocks in Dallas schools. Cluck, cluck!

The fifth annual Kessler Plaza Neighborhood Association’s Oktoberfest and Halloween bash is set for Sat., starting at 7 p.m. The fun-fest is a fundraiser for the neighborhood — proceeds will help complete the upcoming year’s neighborhood projects. (Suggested donation is $25.)
The agenda:
2515 Marvin Ave.: 7 to 8 p.m.
2526 W. Tenth St.: 8:15 to 9:15 p.m.
2443 W. Tenth St.: 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.