September 2021

Editor: Jim Hauck
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There is rarely a need to warn you about the size and content of our newsletter. However, this one is a huge one. We have so much to say, you might want to sit down, grab a nice cold iced beverage, and take in all of the amazing things going on in Heart of Oak Cliff, the Heritage Oak Cliff newsletter.

Here is a summary of what you will find in this edition of Heart of Oak Cliff:

The big attractions, sponsors and raffle announcement for Passport Oak Cliff.
Check out our message from our Fundraising Chair.
Did you notice our new name and masthead?
Have you heard about our new Pioneer Sponsor?
Work with the city requires organization and yields great results.
We are seeing the first photos of completed neighborhood grant projects.

Message from our Leadership

by Mike Matthews - Fundraising Chair

Greetings, {Contact_First_Name} {Contact_Last_Name}!

Nine years ago, I moved from Fort Worth to live in a 1929 Oak Cliff bungalow with my partner. Wanting to connect with the community, I joined Heritage Oak Cliff to meet people through home tours, grant distributions, and Christmas parties.

When Ellie Hajek was President, I joined the board; when Ric Shanhan was President, I agreed to help with fundraising; when Christina Rossini was President, I waited for Wild Apricot installation; and when Travis-Lee Moore became President, I agreed to serve as Fundraising Chair.

Since fundraising happened through the home tour until the pandemic, Heritage Oak Cliff pivoted to other options in 2021. We entered new territory with North Texas Giving Day in September and Passport Oak Cliff in October. Crucial for making these changes happen are new members Trudy Newton, Special Events Chair, and Jim Hauck, Vice President of Communications.

This year, highlights for me include writing hand-written thank-you notes on Heritage Oak Cliff stationary; attending the grant distribution ceremony at the Turner House; receiving a visit from NorthTexas Giving Day officials, who came to my house in an Amazon Prime truck to provide a gift basket and to commend HOC for being an exemplary nonprofit; and helping my North Cliff neighborhood offer “Carnival at Catherine and Pierce” for Passport Oak Cliff. (Come see our historic landmark buildings on October 23-24.)

Heritage Oak Cliff has made Oak Cliff a better place for me to live and given me new friends. It evolves with changing leadership, so consider running for a 2022 office, allowing you to use Wild Apricot and Google Workspace to move HOC forward.

Please check out this newsletter for ways that you can help Heritage Oak Cliff succeed.

Thanks and cheers,

Mike Matthews

Fundraising Chair | Heritage Oak Cliff
e: fundraisingchair@heritageoakcliff.org | p: 817.504.7334
w: heritageoakcliff.org

PS: If you have questions or ideas, email fundraisingchair@heritageoakcliff.org, or talk to me at our NTX Day celebration on September 23, 5-8 p.m., at La Calle Doce.

New Newsletter Masthead and Name

by Jim Hauck

Last month, we ran a contest to come up with a new name for our Heritage Oak Cliff monthly newsletter. The entries were really creative and fun; here's what was submitted:

Ad Hoc
The OC Legacy
HOC Estate
Traditions
Heart of Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff Neighbors News
The HOC Gazette

We then created a poll and asked everyone who was interested in voting to please do so. We had 32 people cast a vote for a new name, and the majority winner was Heart of Oak Cliff, submitted by Timothy Herfel of East Kessler Park. Timothy was provided a $25 Amazon gift card and will be given one free ticket to Passport Oak Cliff. Plus, he has the bragging rights of naming our newsletter.

And in this issue we unveil the new masthead, as well. Thank you to Brandon Craddock for the speedy turnaround. Brandon is also the creator of our Passport Oak Cliff branding, and has been doing a great job of supporting our improving creative expressions.

This Passport is Going to be Big!

by Trudy Newton

If you’re not excited about the upcoming Passport Oak Cliff, you should be! Heritage Oak Cliff is getting support from every corner of our neighborhood – 14 neighborhood attractions (so far), a ton of sponsors, brisk ticket sales and more surprises to come. The event – and the anticipation – is growing!

Neighborhood Attractions

Winnetka Heights / Arts Mission Oak Cliff – with self-guided tour, artists and games
North Cliff / Carnival at Catherine and Pierce – at the 100-year-old North Cliff Neighborhood Center
Stevens Park Village / Renowned Alley Garden – hosted by a master gardener
El Tivoli Place / Historical Open Porches – with period dress, period night club and putt-putt golf courses
Elmwood / Artists Fair – with interactive mural wall and snacks from Elmwood Farm
Oakland Terrace / Elmwood Farm
Brettonwoods / Gladiolus Aviary Ranch – certified wildlife habitat and free wildflower gift (while supplies last)
East Keller Park / Historical Greenbriar Pocket Park – with yoga classes and live music
Oak Park Estates / Yards of the Month Tour – famous mid-century homes, each a unique style and seasoned vegetation
Wynnewood North / Urban Gardening – with backyard tour, scavenger hunt and more
Stevens Park Estates / Architecture and History – historian and conservationist with tour of example homes
Winnetka Heights / Historical Turner House – inside and outside viewing of preserved home
Polk Vernon / Two Parties – Texas Cultural Center with music on Saturday, block party on Sunday
West Kessler / Twelve Hills Nature Center – with Master Naturalist, virtual tours and migrating butterflies
Kiest Park Community / Kiest Memorial Tree Grove – established 1933 – 1941

End-of-Day Parties and Prizes

Each Passport Oak Cliff day will end with a party and prizes. Saturday’s party will be at the Turner House, 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Sunday’s party will be at Tyler Station, also 4:00 – 6:00 pm. A highlight of each party will be a raffle for amazing prizes. Remember, the more passport stamps you collect (from visiting the attractions above), the more chances you have to win. Plus, additional raffle tickets can be purchased at the parties. Prizes include:

Turner House event rental ($2,600 value)
JURA Swiss coffee maker ($1,500 value)
Art pieces from David Padilla and Manuel Padilla ($700 value each)
Stevens Park Golf Course gift bag ($500 value)
UV smartphone sterilizer ($200 value)
Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars tickets
Dallas Symphony Orchestra tickets

Thank You, Sponsors!

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our sponsors, Passport Oak Cliff is already a successful event – their donations will be felt throughout our community for years to come. Please support our sponsors as they have supported all of us.

Voyager Level – Charles Schwab
Explorer Level – Steve Neukom and Family
Adventurer Level – Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Dallas Zoo, Elliot & Elliot Real Estate Group (Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate), Judge Juan Jasso, The Pegasus Group (Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate), Ric Shanahan Team (Keller Williams Realty), Travis-Lee Moore (Coldwell Banker Realty) and Arrington Roofing Energy Solutions
Scout Level – Lisa Peters (Caliber Home Loans), Venture Commercial Real Estate, Snap Car Wash, Ludowici, and Generation House Partners

It’s Not Too Late to Join Us

Now that you’re all worked up, don’t forget to buy your tickets – for yourself and your whole family. And we’re not the only ones doing the inviting – feel free to share this article with friends, extended family, co-workers, clients and anyone else you think would like a weekend of good family fun in DFW’s best neighborhood.

For tickets, just click here – before prices go up.

See you there!

Being Organized Counts

By Susan Lee

Neighbors often ask why they should work with a neighborhood association. Here’s an example of why being organized makes a difference. This cultivated triangle below, now landscaped as a butterfly garden, has been a bright spot in the Elmwood neighborhood for over twenty years. It is volunteer-maintained through a City of Dallas MOWmentum agreement.

The Elmwood Tiny Triangle Park. This little park is a butterfly garden and a highlight of the neighborhood.

Photo Courtesy of Susan Lee

A Parks Dept. project is extending the parkway walking trail along Elmwood Blvd. Residents heard that the plan was to cement in the triangle to make it part of the trail crossing the street. Dismayed volunteers reached out to the Elmwood NA, who reached out to the District 1 City Councilmember Chad West for assistance. A meeting was arranged with ENA and several Parks employees to discuss options.

A robust gathering of neighbors turned out to speak in support of saving the triangle. Options were discussed, but the bottom line - for reasons of safety and accessibility - requirements limiting the slope of the trail won out.

The result of a compromise which allows a new trail with accessible features which only took a portion of the triangle garden away. And the city is arranging for additional gardens to be created for the community.

Photo Courtesy of Susan Lee

However, a great compromise was reached! Only the trail portion of the triangle is paved, leaving two beds for cultivation on either side. In addition, two more beds in the park will be finished out for Elmwood with a butterfly/pollinator garden and irrigation to extend the habitat. These beds will grow into a gorgeous feature of the trail. Being organized made this situation a great win.

Congratulations on Completed Grant Projects

by Susan Lee

It’s always a pleasure to recognize our neighborhoods working to improve our Oak Cliff community. Here are some projects completed in the last year.

West Kessler Neighborhood Association

West Kessler NA completed three projects funded by HOC grants. A Community Development grant went toward a neighborhood Mardi Gras event, a great way for neighbors to have fun together.

To improve neighborhood outreach and communication, WKNA used a Neighborhood Improvement grant to put together a neighborhood directory. See the polished results below.

Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association

Electricity expenses for a cul-de-sac used for Winnetka Heights NA events were reimbursed by a Neighborhood Improvement grant. This electricity allows extra lighting for safety and other event amenities whenever the neighbors get together.

Winnetka Heights NA completed another installment of their Walkable Winnetka sidewalk replacement program. Sidewalk projects can add up to a lot of money. Fortunately, the City offers partial funding assistance and, with a Neighborhood Improvement grant to help with the owner’s expense, the cost is much more reasonable and achievable. Congratulations to WHNA for managing the lengthy process in order to address walkability. HOC would also like to thank WHNA for the mention on social media.

Stevens Park Estates Neighborhood Association

Stevens Park Estates used a Neighborhood Improvement grant to help with website expenses. Maintaining current information is part of what keeps neighbors coming back to check the website. Here is the professional looking result.

Wynnewood North Neighborhood Association

Wynnewood North also used a Neighborhood Improvement grant to help fund annual web hosting and website improvements.

WNNA also showed Adamson High School teachers appreciation partially funded with a Community Development grant. Teachers received a small gift certificate from WNNA along with a Thank You card. What a great way to recognize these hardworking professionals.

The Friends of Oak Cliff Parks

This group completed a non-profit grant project for garden signage. Grant funds were used to purchase plants map signs along with the stakes to hold them. These signs provide plant information via QR Code technology that links to a database about individual plants in the park. We love the modern touch to our Oak Cliff Parks, and especially the HOC mention on the sign. Thank you, Friends!

As you can see from projects brought in this year, there are dozens of ways to make a difference in a community. All it takes is an idea, some elbow grease, and a grant application! Applause to all of our hardworking neighborhoods!

Welcome Charles Schwab

By Jim Hauck

Brad Perry, CFS®

VP - Financial Consultant

Contact Me | +1 972-788-7831

Heritage Oak Cliff and Passport Oak Cliff secured a great sponsorship with Charles Schwab. We are so excited to announce what is going to be a great partnership. We will be presenting information from Schwab on financial planning and all the great things Schwab brings to the table. So welcome our local contact Brad Perry, who can't wait to help you out. Here is a little bit about Brad in his words:

I can partner with you to understand your goals, create a personalized plan, and provide investing guidance. You’ll understand where your money is invested and why, how your investments are performing, and how much it’s costing you. Plus, you’ll have access to Schwab’s portfolio management expertise, insights, and specialists. It’s a modern approach to wealth management—so you can take ownership of your financial life.

Business Members

Please support our Business Members. We appreciate their support of Heritage Oak Cliff and they appreciate your business. You may see several new Business Members have joined Heritage Oak Cliff. We made sure as part of their sponsorship of Passport Oak Cliff they got a Business Membership, while existing Business Members received a $250 discount on the Passport sponsorship (the cost of the membership).

Interested in becoming a Business Member? Click here and sign up for your Business Membership today!

Heritage Oak Cliff is an all-volunteer organization. We are always looking for enthusiastic people who want to help us build community and improve the neighborhoods of Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas.

Your current membership information is listed below. If you are not a member or your membership has lapsed, please consider signing up or renewing today.

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