Posts by Dan Koller
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Kessler Park United Methodist Church Leaders Urge Boy Scouts of America to Lift Ban on Gays
The following was posted on Kessler Park United Methodist Church’s Facebook page today:
As the charter organization of Boy Scouts Troop 5 and Venturing Crew 5, Kessler Park United Methodist Church wishes to take a clear stance in anticipation of the National Meeting of the Boy Scouts of America on May 23: The BSA’s 1,400 voting delegates should adopt the resolution eliminating heterosexuality as a requirement for a youth’s participation in scouting. In the wake of that vote, BSA’s leadership should proceed apace to draft a subsequent resolution eliminating heterosexuality as a requirement for an adult’s participation as a volunteer in scouting.
As the single digit implies, Troop 5 is one of the oldest scout troops in Dallas; and Oak Cliff, the community in which KPUMC operates, was one of Dallas’ first neighborhoods to benefit from racial desegregation and openly gay residents. Our church, we would assert, has long experience attempting to reconcile diversity, security, and godliness. We believe that Christ’s teachings, as well as the Scout Oath and Law which flow from Christ’s words, call us to welcome all persons of good will in the training of children to become wholesome adults. As a practical matter, we witness on a daily basis the contributions that gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans-gendered individuals make to our community. Oak Cliff would be measurably less without them; our church would be measurably less without them.
The members of Kessler Park United Methodist Church entrust our pastor David Carr to respond to any questions on this matter from the press, the BSA, or concerned parents. Rev. Carr can be reached at (214) 942-0098 or dpcarrs@gmail.com. Please note that KPUMC, not Troop 5 or Crew 5, has issued this statement.
This is not entirely surprising, as I know the Rev. Carr has a much more liberal stance toward homosexuality than his church’s governing body. Given the demographics of his church’s neighborhood, that’s not surprising either.
By Dan Koller May. 20, 2013 | 3:10 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Let’s Take a Closer Look at This Year’s Voter Turnout
In today’s edition of Oak Cliff People, I make the case that Saturday’s elections for the District 1 seat on the Dallas City Council and the District 7 seat on the DISD Board of Trustees were largely decided by voters in Kessler Park, Stevens Park, and Winnetka Heights. I didn’t have space to properly present the numbers in print, so let’s do it online. These 12 precincts had the highest voter turnout for the City Council election (I included 12 because three precincts tied for 10th place):
Precinct Polling Place City DISD 4079 Kessler Park United Methodist Church 931 867 4074 Sunset High School 345 328 4073 Preparing the Way Ministries 225 208 4063 Elmwood United Methodist Church 210 190 4069 Winnetka Elementary School 210 188 4080 Kidd Springs Recreation Center 200 188 4067 Peabody Elementary School 175 163 4068 Lida Hooe Elementary School 148 137 4114 Cowart Elementary School 135 125 4035 Academy of Dallas 134 – 4061 L.O. Donald Elementary School 134 126 4078 Kidd Springs Recreation Center 134 125 Look at those relatively astronomical numbers for Precinct 4079, also known as Scott Griggs’ home precinct. (The link will bring up a map.) Those figures represent a quarter of the total turnout for both races. More than 85 percent of the voters in Kessler Park and Stevens Park preferred Griggs to fellow incumbent Delia Jasso, whose Precinct 4078 was one of the three that tied for 10th place. And 86 percent of them chose DISD Trustee Eric Cowan over his two challengers.
The dropoff to Precinct 4074 is significant, but that precinct, which serves Winnetka Heights, still had 120 more voters in each race than the third-place precinct.
Surprisingly, Cowan’s home precinct, Precinct 4077, didn’t even crack the top 10 in his contest. The 87 votes registered there were good enough for only 16th place. His two challengers — Rafael Narvaez III and Arturo “Art” Sierra — live in Precinct 4113 and Precinct 4068, respectively.
By Dan Koller May. 17, 2013 | 1:41 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
City Council to Consider PSW Zoning Request
By Dan Koller May. 16, 2013 | 9:36 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Golden Oaks Deadline Approaches … or Does It?
Are you about to graduate from high school? Do you live in Oak Cliff or go to school here? Are you planning on going to college this fall in Dallas, Tarrant, or Denton county?
Then you, my friend, qualify for the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce’s Golden Oaks Scholarship. And you have exactly 48 hours to turn in your application — assuming that the “Monday” in “Monday, May 17″ is a typo. If the “May 17″ is a typo, then you have 120 hours to turn in your application or your application was due 48 hours ago.
Either way, call the lovely and talented Chelsea Klepfer at 214-943-4567, ext. 17, to clear things up.
By Dan Koller May. 15, 2013 | 3:00 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Oak Cliff Chamber Announces Educators of Year
The following educators will be honored by the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce at 8 a.m. on May 23 in the Hitt Auditorium at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
College Educator of the Year: Mike Williams Sr. (Dallas Baptist University)
High School Educator of the Year: James Martin (Bishop Dunne Catholic School)
Middle School Educators of the Year: Bobby Diggs (W. H. Atwell Middle School) and Christopher Kemp (Fellowship Christian Academy)
Elementary School Educator of the Year: Alison Beazley (The Kessler School)
Pre-School Educator of the Year: Priscilla Cano (Mi Escuelita)
By Dan Koller May. 15, 2013 | 11:04 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Jonsson School Students Get to Caddy For Pros
Fifth-graders from the J. Erik Jonsson Community School get to do something fun this morning. Because their school is associated with the Salesmanship Club, just as the HP Byron Nelson Championship is, the students will get to caddy for PGA golfers on the 17th hole during today’s Gold Pro-Am at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas. Try not to snicker at the Salesmanship Club’s members’ red pants, kids.
By Dan Koller May. 15, 2013 | 7:53 am | No Comments | Comments RSS -
Local Newspaper Editor Forced to Eat Crow
Staff photo: Chris McGathey
In the May 2012 edition of D Magazine, I wrote a column about the political scene in North Oak Cliff. The column was inspired by how shocked I was to see that City Councilman Scott Griggs had endorsed Domingo Garcia’s bid for Congress, as opposed to the bid of Griggs’ pal Jason Roberts. I wrote that Garcia had shown me who was truly running things in North Oak Cliff, and I closed with a prediction: Griggs would lose his May 2013 showdown with fellow incumbent Delia Jasso.
Well, we all found out Saturday how wrong I was. Not only did Griggs cruise to victory, but so did incumbent DISD Trustee Eric Cowan, who faced two opponents, including one who was hand-picked and financially backed by Garcia. So I’m getting out of the predictions business … in about 30 seconds. I have one more to make.
Given that the URL for Griggs’ website is “scottgriggsdallas” and his Twitter handle is “scottgriggsdal,” I have a sneaking suspicion that a run for the mayor’s office is in his future. You heard it here first, folks.
But I’ll hang on to that crow, just in case I’m wrong.
By Dan Koller May. 13, 2013 | 11:01 am | 3 Comments | Comments RSS -
District 7 Update: Cowan Officially Re-elected to DISD Board of Trustees
With all 39 precincts reporting, Eric Cowan garnered 60 percent of the 3,678 votes. Rafael Narvaez III got 26 percent, and Arturo Sierra brought up the rear with 14 percent.
By Dan Koller May. 11, 2013 | 10:50 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
District 1 Update: Precincts Are Slow to Report
As I type this, we have only 17 of 28 precincts reporting in District 1. Meanwhile, in another race we’re monitoring for Preston Hollow People (North Dallas’ District 11), 34 of 34 precincts are in. What’s the hold up, Oak Cliff?
By the way, Scott Griggs is still leading with 60 percent.
By Dan Koller May. 11, 2013 | 9:58 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS -
District 7 Update: Cowan is Cruisin’
With half the precincts reporting (20 of 39), Eric Cowan has 60 percent.
By Dan Koller May. 11, 2013 | 9:06 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS
