Granny Geek

Hooray! Those grotty, seedy buildings on the south side of Fort Worth Avenue just west of Hampton are about to be demolished.

The Colorado Place Apartments will be demolished by bulldozer this Saturday morning, and you’re invited to watch! Bring the kids and the camera.

Colorado Place Apartments demolition
9 am, Saturday Nov. 21
Fort Worth Avenue (between Minyards and the Sonic Drive-In)

Located just west of Hampton Road, the vast brick apartment community will soon be replaced by the more neighborhood-friendly La Reunion Towncenter.

And get THIS: free doughnuts, coffee and orange juice will be provided by the developer of LaReunion Towncenter.

Be there or be square!

Well, isn’t this just too sweet for words?

In a true spirit of community, folks in the neighborhood have erected their very own NO PARKING signs in front of their house. Talk about taking the law into your own hands!

“Recession is just a word.”

Denton, Texas.

The fierce bird has kept a watchful eye on Jefferson Avenue here in Oak Cliff for more than 60 years.

According to one of our favorite sites about Oak Cliff:

Raven Pharmacy was founded by George A. Raven, a native of Bridgeport, Wise County, Texas. After completing pharmacy college he came to Dallas in 1937 as a medical service representative for Eli Lilly & Company. Raven was a well-known business and civic leader in Oak Cliff.

In 1946 Raven Pharmacy was located at 326 W. Jefferson.

The building has sat quiet and vacant for too long. Last week, it came to life again as another pharmacy.

This is good news! We HATE to see empty storefronts.

This year, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has made it easy for us to get to the Texas State Fair from Geezer Manor. The new Green Line train lets passengers off at the Front Gate of Fair Park here in Dallas. No traffic jams, no expensive parking, no hassles.

We walked about 200 feet from our house to the corner, where we caught the bus for the four-minute ride to the train station.

Rush hour was over, so the station as well as the train were almost deserted at 9:00 in the morning.

We changed from the Red Line to the Green Line at Pearl Station in downtown Dallas.

The Green Line train was full: standing room only.

About five minutes later, we were at Fair Park. Piece of cake!

Round trip fare for geezers: $2.00 each for an All-Day Pass for the bus as well as the train.

Take it from someone who is a Million Miler. This is the ONLY way to fly!

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has to be one of the most bizarre public policies in American history. Basically, it prohibits homosexuals from serving openly in the military. Currently, the military can discharge members who engage in “homosexual conduct,” which is defined as a homosexual act, a statement that the member is homosexual or bisexual, or a marriage or attempted marriage to someone of the same gender. You see, gays and lesbians can serve their country, but they have to keep their sexual orientation a secret. The theory has been that homosexuality is incompatible with military service.

What a lot of rot. Gays serve openly in the military in most European countries, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It’s about time the USA joined the rest of the civilized world in having a military that’s G-friendly.

There’s good news. today. The New York Times is reporting that a major military publication, the Joint Forces Quarterly, includes an essay calling for a change in policy.

After a careful examination, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly. Based on this research, it is not time for the administration to reexamine the issue; rather it is time for the administration to examine how to implement the repeal of the ban.

It’s about time. Wouldn’t Barry Goldwater be pleased?

The conservative movement, to which I subscribe, has as one of its basic tenets the belief that government should stay out of people’s private lives. Government governs best when it governs least – and stays out of the impossible task of legislating morality. But legislating someone’s version of morality is exactly what we do by perpetuating discrimination against gays.

When you get down to it, no American able to serve should be allowed, much less given an excuse, not to serve his or her country. We need all our talent.

Amen and Amen.

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that northwest Oak Cliff is becoming a mecca for new businesses? In recent months, we’ve seen several new restaurants, a dry cleaner and a supermarket. Now, we’re getting ANOTHER supermarket. Save A Lot is opening on Jefferson Avenue, west of Hampton, in the Jeff Davis shopping center. A Fiesta supermarket in that space closed several months ago and the place is under extensive renovation.

Save-A-Lot has more than 1200 stores nationwide. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SUPERVALU INC., a Fortune 100 company.

Welcome to Oak Cliff!

Perhaps this is an early sign of economic recovery.

The parking lot at a local fuel stop, located at Interstate 30 and Cockrell Hill Road, has traditionally been a resting place for drivers. Sometimes, we’d see 30 or 35 trucks parked there. Until about a year ago. Suddenly, the lot was empty. Occasionally, we’d see one or two trucks in the lot, but the place was mostly vacant.

Until about a month ago. Now, we’re seeing 20-25 trucks at a time.

This is quite a change. Here’s hoping it’s a harbinger of better times.

I wish that somebody would please, PLEASE pull the plug on these two.

I think I need a priest.

Cliffies, we’ve all read about Smoke, the restaurant at the Belmont Hotel at 901 Fort Worth Avenue. It’s the rebirth of the old Cliff Cafe.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, patrons may order from a menu divided into four sections: at the Bar, for appetizers and small plates: From the Garden, for salads and vegetables; On the Stove serves hot sides and entrees; and On the Grill, for SMOKE’s Hearty section of barbeque and hardwood-fired meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. The menu will also offer several vegetarian options. All menu items are priced $25 and lower.

We stopped in yesterday, mainly because we noticed a few empty parking spaces around SMOKE, something we haven’t seen since the place reopened a few weeks ago.

We like it. It’s comfy and laid-back: the perfect oasis on a hot, Sunday afternoon in Dallas. We had been running errands and were in serious need of an adult beverage. The bar beckoned.

Those who were eating as well as drinking were obviously enjoying the dining area.

But the real star of the day for us was Zack. Look for him when you visit SMOKE. The man makes a wicked martini. A GIN martini, of course. Gin is the original basis for a martini. Who ever heard of Bathtub Vodka? Everyone knows that vodka has no flavor. It has to be gussied up with fruit or flavorings. It’s for sissies. But no matter which you prefer, Zack is your main man.

Who knows? Next time, we may even try the food at SMOKE.