Michael Jones

I’m not proud to say so, but if it were socially acceptable I’d probably curl into a ball-shape and wait in earnest for the whole world to end rather than do any serious public speaking. Yep.

Michael Jones in a different camp. The Kahn Elementary fifth-grader — yes, he’s 11 — is a comfortable public speaker who has studied the work of Martin Luther King Jr., and a speech he delivered to hundreds of people Friday at the Majestic Theatre included thoughts about Michael’s own adoption and King’s stance on family togetherness. It took third place in this year’s MLK Jr. Oratory Competition.

Impressed? I was, too.

Congrats, Michael. And happy birthday, Dr. King.

Whoa, there. I’m a nerd with vices, yes, but nothing sounds like more fun to me than a barroom book club.

The Texas Theatre Book Club, which meets at the theater’s bar, is brand new, “for lovers of books, wine, beer, whiskey, and popcorn,” (says a Facebook page, where new members can join up) with a mission to “engage in thoughtful discussion about challenging, original, important books that are enjoyed by a fire while sipping wine.”

See you there?

On the back page of today’s edition of Oak Cliff People, we published a list of our top 10 stories of the year. The 10th story was a brief roundup of all the restaurants that closed or changed locations in 2011. In our haste, we mistakenly listed Cretia’s as one of the shuttered restaurants. The truth is, Cretia’s crossed the street.

Here’s a little Christmas present to all of the businesses looking to make an impression on our lovely readers in 2012. For the next 24 hours, we’re discounting our advertising rates for the Jan. 6 edition by 50 percent. To take advantage of this offer, you must call me at 214-523-5242 by noon on Friday. Don’t miss out on this chance to take advantage of our holiday spirit!

Roy Appleton works at that other newspaper.

Tonight, Methodist Dallas Medical Center is hosting a town-hall-style meeting at 6:30 p.m. in Hitt Auditorium (221 W. Colorado Blvd.) to discuss plans and timelines on the hospital’s expansion, including a six-story trauma and critical-care center.

The 248,000-square-foot expanded trauma and critical-care center will include 58 new emergency rooms, six trauma suites, eight surgical suites, a 36-bed critical-care unit, and the ability to expand to 11 stories in the future. The expansion is scheduled to begin construction in early 2012, with completion expected by the summer of 2014.

Further information is expected to be released at tonight’s meeting.

Mesa is owned by the Reyes family: Jaretzy, Olga, Raul, and Raul Jr. (Staff photo by Alana Harrison)

For the second time in three years, D Magazine has bestowed its Restaurant of the Year title on an Oak Cliff eatery. In 2009, the big winner was Bolsa. This year, the honor goes to Mesa. Hmm … “bolsa” is the Spanish word for “bag,” and “mesa” means “table.” If I were going to open a restaurant in Oak Cliff, I’d call it either Cama (bed) or Lampara (lamp).

Staff photo by Chris McGathey

On the cover of this week’s edition of Oak Cliff People, you’ll find a photo of Lea Langford taking a picture of the Texas Theatre marquee on Tuesday, the 48th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. The caption below the photo says that Tuesday was the 38th anniversary of that fateful day. That’s what happens when your newspaper is managed by a guy who hasn’t taken a math class since graduating from high school … [figuring] … [gimme a sec] … 19 years ago.

A little more than five years ago, the first issue of Oak Cliff People landed on lawns in Kessler Park, Stevens Park Estates, Wynnewood North, and other select neighborhoods. Featuring stories about development along the Trinity River, rising test scores at Sunset High School, and an upcoming festival in the Bishop Arts District, the cover also included a short note from editor-in-chief Wick Allison.

“Our newspaper is founded on the belief that Oak Cliff — with its long history, its major contributions to culture, and its current position as the neighborhood poised for major change — deserves a strong voice,” he wrote. “Our hope is to become that voice, with your support.”

After three years at the helm, I’m confident that we have achieved Wick’s goal. Between our features on your most interesting neighbors, our coverage of all the Oak Cliff-related actions at City Hall, and our exhaustive police blotter, we’ve got this area covered like a blanket. I’d like to think that our efforts have helped turn this wonderful part of Dallas into even more of a community than it was when we started in 2006.

But Wick also mentioned “your support,” and that’s what I want to focus on here.

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