Posts by Josh Hixson

  • Josh Hixson
    • Josh Hixson
    • Former Staff Writer

  • Funny Photo Caption of The Week Contest

    Write us a funny photo caption for the above scene and win blog immortality!!! Entries will be selected from the comments section for this post.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 21, 2010 | 11:40 am | 4 Comments | Comments RSS

  • Is Bolsa’s New Concept All Bull Or Authentic Offal Offering?

    There’s a reason certain parts of the animal aren’t diagrammed in this butcher’s guide to beef.

    While speaking with Rob Shearer this afternoon, he pointed us to some news regarding a possible new taco joint from the Bolsa Boys called “Los Dos Chrises.” In the video, the topic of meat selection leads to what appears to be some tongue in cheek … or tongue and cheek statements depending on how much stock you put in the local market for bull-meat tacos.

    Anyway, rest assured that once we get Chris Zielke and Chris Jeffers on the horn we’ll get their offal taco plans on the record — sans the sarcasm.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 17, 2010 | 11:55 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS

  • Jim Lake Responds to Bishop Arts District Rent Hike Comments

    In the ongoing saga of which is more responsible, a raise in rent or a decline in customer base, for Decorazon Gallery’s leaving the Bishop Arts District — landlord Jim Lake had this to say:

    “If it was an increase, it was nominal, and it wasn’t something that would make someone leave,” Lake said. “We’ve intentionally kept them below market. We are more focused on the correct mix over there.”

    He also gave us the inside scoop on some pending and signed leases in the Bishop Arts District. But for that info you’ll have to pick up a copy of the print edition of Oak Cliff People.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 16, 2010 | 5:28 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS

  • Hugo Speaks on Decorazon’s Departure From Bishop Arts District

    Whether or not you’ve ever set foot inside the Decorazon Gallery, or have an air of art, consider the following comments from gallery co-owner Hugo Garcia Urrutia food for thought as the city gets ready to vote on the Bishop-Davis Land Use Study in August.

    “The area has changed and the rent has gone up,” said Garcia Urrutia today when we talked about his and MK Semos’ decision to take their show on the road.

    “I think the area is more of a retail area or restaurant area. People can easily spend more money on candles than on art work,” said Garcia Urrutia on the changing landscape of the Bishop-Arts District. “We were about the last art gallery here. Most collectors or people who go to openings like to go to several at once.”

    For all the Decorazon fans out there, the couple will be hosting a closing party on July 24 called the Great Gatsby Event where artists will paint plates to be auctioned off with donations going to an AIDS charity. Garcia Urrutia said their doors will officially close July 25.

    Look for more news on Decorazon Gallery’s closing in Friday’s edition of Oak Cliff People.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 15, 2010 | 11:58 pm | 5 Comments | Comments RSS

  • How Many Sex Offenders Living Within a Mile of OC Elementary Schools is Too Many?

    Map: Texas Department of Public Safety

    Hopefully, by now you’ve picked up this week’s print edition of Oak Cliff People. If not, head to your nearest OCP newsstand and pick one up. Then come back here and give us your two cents on our story concerning the relatively high density of sex offenders living around North Oak Cliff’s public elementary schools.

    Specifically, tell us what number of sex offenders living within a mile radius of campus is too high for you to consider sending your child to school there? Keep in mind these are the same schools that lack the Raptor ID system adopted by DISD for it’s middle and high schools. We were told — by DISD spokesperson Jon Dahlander — money to install the technology in all of DISD’s elementary schools is in next year’s school board budget.

    Below you’ll find a list of DISD elementary schools in our coverage area and the corresponding number of sex offenders living within a mile of their campus, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records.

    Rosemont Elementary: 48

    Stevens Park Elementary: 30

    Reagan Elementary: 60

    James Hogg Elementary: 35

    Winnetka Elementary: 47

    Lida Hooe Elementary: 43

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 11, 2010 | 12:09 am | 7 Comments | Comments RSS

  • North Oak Cliff Woman Allegedly Raped in Far-Southeast Dallas Trailer

    A 29-year-old woman, from the Stevens Park Village area of North Oak Cliff, was allegedly raped last week in a trailer parked in the 2600 block of Dowdy Ferry Road, according to a Dallas police report.

    Over a period of two-and-a-half days — sometime between 9 a.m. June 2 and 9 p.m. June 4 — the woman was sexually assaulted in multiple orifices by a 62-year-old white-male assailant, according to Senior Corporal Kevin Janse, a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department.

    The woman arrived at the man’s trailer to recieve some money, but details on how she was detained or her relationship to the man are unclear at this time. After the assault, she went home where she was encouraged by family members to report the incident and seek medical attention at nearby Methodist Dallas Medical Center. She sustained a minor injury to her hand as a result of the incident, Janse said.

    Police have identified the suspect, but have yet to make an arrest as the investigation is still ongoing, Janse said.

    The area where the trailer was located is an unicorporated part of Southeast Dallas just east of Hutchins and about a 3.2 mile drive south of the Hutchins State Jail — a 69-acre minimum security prison that can house up to 2,276 inmates.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 9, 2010 | 11:13 am | No Comments | Comments RSS

  • Sidedish Provides Tasty Review of El Tizoncito

    Over on Sidedish, one of our numerous and exciting sister blogs, Dallas culinary curator Nancy Nichols provides a review via Andrew Chalk of one of North Oak Cliff’s newer taquerias, El Tizoncito.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 8, 2010 | 3:10 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS

  • Neumann Rallies The Troops For DHA/MDHA Cliff Manor Fight

    City Councilman Dave Neumann sent the following e-mail to business and property owners along Fort Worth Avenue this past weekend in an effort to gather support and share his progress in the struggle to keep the Dallas Housing Authority and Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance from moving the homeless into Cliff Manor without a public hearing on the matter (see item #1):

    Business/property owners:

    I am reaching out to each of you as business and property owners along
    Fort Worth Avenue to respond to this DHA proposal. As such, please
    allow me to update you.

    With the assistance of Mayor Leppert, I am very pleased to announce:

    1) We have secured a HOLD on the proposal to move homeless into the
    Cliff Manor by Dallas Housing Authority and Metro Dallas Homeless
    Alliance.

    2) We have received confirmations for a Community Town Hall Meeting
    for Monday, June 21 @ 6:30pm @ Methodist Hospital-Hitt Auditorium. The
    Mayor, DHA and MDHA have accepted my invitation to participate and get
    feedback from Oak Cliff residents.

    3) We will begin our engagement with MDHA and DHA to better understand
    their proposal and determine what’s best for Oak Cliff and our City’s
    need for permanent supportive housing.

    4) We have 5 neighborhood leaders on the City Council agenda to speak
    on this issue this Wednesday, June 9th.

    5) We continue to keep raising the public awareness of this issue by
    utilizing the media through the DMN and television stories

    6) I plan to pull together a group of business owners to be advocates
    along side of neighborhood leaders to protect their investment in
    property and employees along Fort Worth Avenue. Will be in touch.

    Please reply to this email if you want to be involved in this advocacy
    effort for business/property owners along Fort Worth Avenue.

    Keep in touch.

    Thanks-Dave

    David A. Neumann
    Councilman
    City of Dallas, District 3
    214-670-0776

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 7, 2010 | 11:13 pm | 1 Comment | Comments RSS

  • Dallas Sheriffs Corral Graham Cracker Chaos at I-35 and Colorado Boulevard Exit

    (Photos: Josh Hixson/Oak Cliff People)

    Last night an 18-wheeler carrying a truck load of graham crackers overturned while taking the fish-hook-like Colorado Boulevard exit off northbound I-35E. A 43-year-old black male was sent to Methodist Dallas Medical Center in stable condition as a result of the accident, according to Dallas Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Kimberlee Leach.

    When I got to the scene around 9:30 a.m. this morning, DSD officers watched the perimeter while people picked up whatever they could salvage of the golden-crackered mess. Oak Cliff resident Monica Saavedra told me she came to retrieve a few boxes because, “I wanted to get some crackers for my little cousins. I seen it last night when I was driving through here coming from work.”

    Unfortunately for Saavedra, and the other dozen or so opportunists, officers chose that exact moment to tell everyone to drop the boxes and leave immediately.

    “It’s not their property and it’s a safety hazard right now,” said Officer M. Ramirez, of the Dallas Sheriff’s Department.

    Leach explained they received a call from the county health department around 9:50 a.m. in which they were warned that the graham crackers exposure to the elements overnight posed a health risk to those who consumed the crackers.

    As for the cleanup effort, Leach was unsure at the time whether TXDOT or the transportation company would be responsible for removing the damaged goods.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 4, 2010 | 1:36 pm | 1 Comment | Comments RSS

  • Bishop/Davis Zoning Debate Postponed Until August Per Residents’ Request

    Michael Amonett, president of the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League, sent word this week that a group of residents living within the boundaries of the Bishop/Davis Land Use Study exercised a rule within the Dallas Development Code allowing for a four week or more delay on zoning requests related to their property. The matter is now projected to go before the council on Aug. 11.

    In a letter sent June 2 to the mayor and city council, the group explains their reasoning:

    “The intention is not to delay for delays sake but to legitimately study, educate
    and respond with regards to this document which will permanently impact many North Oak Cliff residents way of life … Even today, the final document that was to be voted on by you on June 9th is not available online or at City Hall to refer residents and affected parties to,” reads the letter signed by Art Garcia, M. Eloy Trevino, Pam Conley, Greg Freiser, Justin Epker, Luis Vega, Rebecca Jackson, Meeka Bain, and Laura Palmer.

    They aren’t alone in having trouble finding the final ordinance that was derived from what one of my colleagues described as a “15-minute-long amendment” from city plan commissioner Mike Anglin at the meeting where the expansive zoning study was passed. When we called City Plan Commission Staffer David Cossum last Wednesday for an updated version of the ordinance, he told us that he had yet to write it.

    By Josh Hixson Jun. 3, 2010 | 10:54 pm | No Comments | Comments RSS
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