The Foundry opens tonight at 5 p.m. No word yet on when Chicken Scratch will debut.

Sometimes Bar Belmont is kinda crowded. If that’s the case tonight, head over to the newly opened Foundry Bar where Jack’s Backyard used to sit. The bar opens tonight at 5 p.m., which is perfect timing for the happy hour set.

Don’t forget to tell us what you thought about the place!

It’s a little wet out there today, folks. Your best bet is to find someplace with some good bites and good beer.

In that vein, Kings Highway Conservation District is having their happy hour tonight at 6 p.m. Head over to 635 N. Montclair Ave. for the festivities.

Also at 6 p.m. this evening, Oak Cliff Cultural Center will open a new exhibit called “Concrete Roses.” See the powerful work of Mark Crow and Violet Gutierrez tonight.

Itching for a case of the heebie jeebies? The Texas Theatre will screen “The Innkeepers” tonight starting at 6 p.m.

Are you planning on writing a love letter to your valentine? Earn extra points with calligraphy. Tonight at 6:30 p.m., Oil and Cotton will show you how to master pen and ink for your loved one.

Do you miss Bar 828? Michael Martensen’s Hid In 2612 opens tonight at 8 p.m. in the lounge space next to Jay Jerrier’s Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum. I know, it’s in Deep Ellum, but Amy Cowan assures me that there will be plenty of Oak Cliff folks headed out. Besides that, it’s only open for four evenings, unless you’re one of the lucky few who booked the spot for a private event.

There’s so much going on this weekend, so let’s just hit the highlights:

“Five Photographers” opens at 6 p.m. Saturday at Haley-Henman Gallery.

Stevens Park Estates Neighborhood Association is hosting their membership party at 1943 W. Colorado Blvd. The fun starts at 7 p.m.

The Kessler will be underwater with great Texas acts, including The O’s, Warren Hood & The Goods, and Gaston Light. Doors open at 6, seats at 7, Show at 8 p.m.

If the Super Bowl’s not your thing, perhaps you should try your hand at crafting felted flowers at Oil and Cotton this at 3 p.m. Sunday.

If the Super Bowl is your thing, the Texas Theatre is showing the game on it’s big screen starting at 5 p.m. Head upstairs for Kimono Club, where they’ll be showing “Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41″ at 8 p.m. There’s plenty of sake and karaoke to go around.

Did we miss your event? Leave a comment!

The historic intersection where JD Tippit was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald shortly after President Kennedy was assassinated is under construction due to DISD's update of Adamson High School.

Last week, the Texas Historical Commission approved a marker to recognize Officer JD Tippit, who was shot and killed in the line of duty by Lee Harvey Oswald an hour after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

While there are historical state markers on other prominent Kennedy assassination locations, including the school book depository and City Hall, there has not been recognition where Tippit was shot — at the intersection of Tenth Street and Patton Avenue.

We wrote about the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League’s efforts to procure a marker in our Dec. 2, 2011 edition, “At Last, Oak Cliff To Honor JD Tippit.” Brad Watson, a Channel 8 reporter, contacted the OOCCL on Nov. 22, 2010 — the 47th anniversary of Tippit’s death — and asked why there wasn’t a historic marker where Tippit was shot. Michael Amonett, president of the league at the time, said his group would be happy to help, but they needed money, an approved location for the marker, and a thorough proposal as to why the event deserved recognition.

Renowned Kennedy historian Farris Rookstool wrote the 109-page narrative for the Texas Historical Commission to consider.

“Without having a professional with the credentials of Farris, I don’t think we would have had as good of a chance at getting the marker,” Amonett said. “He was definitely the man for the job [Rookstool]. Our next challenge was finding a place for the marker.”

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The group that is steadily transforming Dallas, one block at a time, (and perhaps running for Congress?)has a new venture dubbed the Hive.

According to the website, the drop-in office is touted as Oak Cliff’s first “co-working space.”

From the fine print:

The Hive is poised to be an integral part of the quality of life movement that is
forming in Dallas. We are not just redefining the way entrepreneurs work, we
are creating a vibrant community that is reshaping Dallas’ landscape.

Striking out on your own and need some space? Here’s the application. Beware, it’s just a stone’s throw from the Dairy Queen at Fort Worth Avenue and Hampton Road. That’s too close to a steady source of Blizzards for me.

I was at City Hall earlier today for a few zoning matters, and I happened upon the glamour shots of our various City Councilmembers in the lobby. As Dan remarked when I showed him the above photo, this is actually somewhat of a rare instance. It seems like not all of the photos are ever up at the same time, and those that are up are of various shades of faded. Angela Hunt’s looks like it was taken in 1986.

Griggs’, though, is fairly new. There’s no fade, and he’s playing to his base by not only posing in front of The Kessler, but also propping a bike up against the doors. Well played.

Jason Roberts

Before Jason Roberts and Amy Wallace Cowan ever officially announced the creation of their community relations firm, I would get emails from her that ended with “cowanroberts.com” and assume that the domain name was reserved for a future presidential run by some combination of Jason, Amy, or their respective spouses, Andrea and Eric.

Since then, Eric has thrown his hat in the political arena, winning a seat on the DISD Board of Trustees. Later, their buddy Scott Griggs ousted Dave Neumann from the City Council.

Well, this afternoon, Jason tweeted that he is exploring a run for Congress. “With redistricting up in the air, it’s going to be an incredibly short campaign for the primary,” he wrote. As the current districts stand, the Robertses live in Pete Sessions territory.

I’m not smart enough to know why someone would want their property’s zoning switched from Planned Development District No. 830 to Conservation District No. 7. But, according to the agenda for today’s meeting of the City Plan Commission, that’s what Mark Miranda and Craig Schenkel want for a property on the southwest corner of Bishop and Neely.

The problem is, it’s been less than two years since PD 830 was created, as a result of the Bishop-Davis Land Use Study. And any zoning changes within that PD aren’t supposed to happen until after Aug. 11 — the second anniversary of its creation. That’s why city staff is recommending that the commission deny the developers’ request.

“The test is ‘change of circumstance’ to warrant a new hearing,” city planner Neva Dean told me, “and we’re very conservative when it comes to change of circumstance.”

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As of this morning, Shepard Fairey's mural on Singleton Avenue was still a work in progress.

I had to make a stop over on Singleton today to check out Shepard Fairey’s work for myself. While the artist was supervising another mural on the southern facade of the same building, this one on the eastern wall was nearing completion. As of this afternoon, this mural is complete.

Have you seen any of Fairey’s work in person yet?

Brent Jackson, the face behind Oaxaca Interests and Lynxette Exploration, went before the Fort Worth Avenue TIF board today seeking $3 million to jumpstart his development. What he got instead was two hours worth of debate, and then a rain check on the check.

“I don’t see us giving approval today. I don’t see a consensus of the TIF board,” said board chair Joseph Hernandez.

Board members will put together a comprehensive list of their issues with the project, and then it will be up to City Design Studio’s Brent Brown and Jackson to hash out their solutions.

For more details, pick up a copy of next week’s Oak Cliff People.

I love the range of colorful stories that come out of Bishop Dunne Catholic School. There was the supposed mountain lion. And (through yesterday) Manuary, a facial-hair-growing contest to raise money for prostate cancer research. Yep.

And now — on a more serious/technical note — a foray into robotics.

Per an email notice sent by Bishop Dunne this afternoon, robotics teacher Drew Halevy and his four robotics teams took first, second, fourth, and fifth-place honors at the TCEA Area 10/11 robotics competition Jan. 14 in Allen, Texas, where fourteen regional teams vied for a title.

Dunne’s first-place team was all female, as school spokeswoman Judy Porter points out: Lauren Ellis, Amanda Green, Keodara Seifert and Rachel Donovan.

Congrats, all.