Merry Christmas, Oakhurst!

Wishing you and yours an enjoyable, peaceful, and safe holiday.  See you all next year!

City News: Connecting the Trinity Trails

For our neighbors that are fans/users of the Trinity Trails...the City of Fort Worth is currently working to expand and connect the trails in four areas:

Read more in this week's City News at http://fortworthtexas.gov/news/2015/12/Trinity-Trails-expansion/.

December Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet in full color online!  This month's newsletter features a report on activities at Carter-Riverside High School, information on our upcoming ONA Christmas Dinner Party and other events, and Remembering Catherine Moylan Singleton, the first Miss Universe (an editorial by Libby Willis).

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Best wishes from ONA for a safe and enjoyable holiday with family and friends!

November Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet in full color online!  This month's newsletter features a recap of October events, including Popcicles in the Park, the Garden Conservancy Tour, and the 28th annual Police and Firefighters Appreciation Dinner.  Also read about November's Yard of the Month, Fred's patrol report, and much more...

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

This Monday: Public Art Presentation for Six Points

On Monday, artist Eric McGehearty will be presenting his preliminary design for a public art project at Six Points Urban Village.  You are welcome to come out, meet Eric, and provide your feedback.  Click here for more details!

Six Points Public Art Project Design Presentation
Monday, 11/2, 6pm
East Chapel, Riverside Baptist Church
3101 Race Street
(parking on Chandler)

Happy Halloween from ONA!

Wishing all of our neighbors a fun and safe holiday!

IRS Tip: Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls

Tips from the IRS passed along by our neighbor Deb Brown:

The IRS continues to warn consumers to guard against scam phone calls from thieves intent on stealing their money or their identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Here are several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:

• Scammers make unsolicited calls.  Thieves call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via phishing email.
• Callers try to scare their victims.  Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
• Scams use caller ID spoofing.  Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
• Cons try new tricks all the time.  Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scams often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.
• Scams cost victims over $23 million.  The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, has received reports of about 736,000 scam contacts since October 2013. Nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million as a result of the scam.

The IRS will not:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:

• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
• Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.

If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:

• Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.

Phone scams first tried to sting older people, new immigrants to the U.S. and those who speak English as a second language. Now the crooks try to swindle just about anyone. And they’ve ripped-off people in every state in the nation.

Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

CANCELLED! Halloween in the Park

Please note that ONA's Halloween in the Park, scheduled for Saturday, 10/24, has been cancelled due to inclement weather.  Boo!

But stay tuned...Santa is coming to visit our kids and families in Oakhurst Park on Saturday, 12/5!  More details to come!

ONA Popsicles in the Park - Pictures!

October Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet in full color online!  This month's newsletter features the story of the Albrecht family in Riverside, info on ONA's upcoming general membership meeting, an Oakhurst Park adoption update, Fred's info on the Police & Firefighters Appreciation Dinner, Fran's Yard of the Month for October, and details on other upcoming events.

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Save the Dates: October Events!

October is Oakhurst's biggest month!  Join us for all the ONA and community events in the neighborhood listed below!

Popsicles in the Park
Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm

ONA is sponsoring a get-together for Oakhurst families with children! After you and your family have dinner, head over to the park for dessert with old neighbors and meet new ones! If you're a new family, this is a great way to get to know the other kids in the neighborhood. Popsicles will be provided.

Sponsored by the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association Welcoming Committee

Garden Conservancy Tour
Sunday, October 4, 10 am-4 pm

"Open Day" in Fort Worth, including two gardens in Oakhurst and two in Carter-Riverside. Check out www.gardenconservancy.com and read about the tour gardens in the September Oak Leaflet.

28th Annual Police and Firefighters Appreciation Dinner
Thursday, October 8
Springdale Baptist Church

Join us for this annual fall extravaganza as Oakhurst COPS and ONA honor our firefighters and police with a homemade meal made by Oakhurst residents. Bring your best casseroles, salads, and desserts and help thank the officers who look out for us—and also visit with your neighbors. Read more about the event in the September Oak Leaflet.

Sponsored by the Oakhurst Citizens on Patrol and Oakhurst Neighborhood Association

ONA Fall General Membership Meeting
Thursday, October 22, 7 pm
Calvary Academy

Come hear the latest updates from the Association and a special program on the history of Oakhurst from Libby Willis, author of "Fort Worth's Oakhurst Neighborhood," entitled "Why Oakhurst is Important to Fort Worth's History".

ONA Halloween in the Park
Saturday, October 24, 3-5 pm
Oakhurst Park

The annual Halloweenie Roast, Kids' and Canines' Halloween costume contest, and general all-around neighborhood good time celebrating fall! Bring your kids, bring your donations, and get ready to have fun!

Sponsored by Oakhurst Neighborhood Association

West Nile Virus Meeting This Thursday!

A letter from Ruben Olmos (City Manager's Office):

September 14, 2015

Dear Residents:

As you are aware, the City of Fort Worth has had a number of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus as reported to us by Tarrant County Public Health.

We’d like you to be aware the testing site in your neighborhood is Fire Station 19, 2613 Carnation Ave, Fort Worth, 76111.  This site has had multiple mosquito-positive tests.  As a result, the city may decide to target ground spray in your neighborhood.

A neighborhood meeting is scheduled to address any questions you may have regarding spraying:

Thursday, September 17, 6:30 pm
Riverside Community Center
3700 E. Belknap Street 76111

We’re asking all residents to remain vigilant in your efforts to reduce exposure and take action in reducing or eliminating mosquito breeding sites on your property.  To learn more about what you can do to lower your risk of exposure visit fortworthtexas.gov/mosquitoes.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Code Compliance Department
City of Fort Worth
817-392-1234

Tomorrow: Race Street Market + Gallery Night

Shared by our friends from the RAD:

SEE YOU ON RACE STREET TOMORROW!
"Brunch & Bazaar" 9am-1pm | Art Galleries All Day

There is a lot to mention so buckle up!

Our market will feature fresh produce from JB Organic, a myriad of awesome artists and craftsfolks selling their handmade creations. Did I mention the food and fresh coffee from Coffee:Experience?

Refuge at Sanctuary Fort Worth will be hosting/sponsoring a public art project during the market! They are creating a large chalk gratitude mandala incorporating both words and drawings created by the community.  This interactive art project is designed for people of all ages and abilities. Come by and create something beautiful with the community!

Our good friends Lindby will be providing the music for the market and giving us a sneak peak on their brand new album (being released this Saturday!).

AARP will be hosting their event Celebrate Riverside in the Riverside Arts District from 10am-2pm at North Sylvania and Race St. There’ll be music, art, a bike rodeo and other fun for the whole family.

While we're at it we should add our favorite Ice-Cream-teers, Gypsy Scoops will be hosting the grand opening of their parlor on Race Street!
They'll be open at 11AM, be sure to stop in and pickup some delicious scoops!

As always, we're family and pet friendly.
Check out schedule and more details below, see you tomorrow!

EVENT SCHEDULE

9am-1pm
Race Street Market
BRUNCH & BAZAAR - Enjoy art, music & food offered by local artists and vendors.
Community Art Project - Mandala Painting sponsored by Refuge at Sanctuary Fort Worth
3009 Race Street

10am-2pm
Celebrate Riverside!
A Livable Community Demonstration sponsored by AARP Texas
Age Friendly Demonstrations, car show, bike rodeo
Sylvania at Race Street


OPEN STUDIOS & GALLERIES

Riverside Arts District Gallery Night
2804 Race Street
7pm-2am
On the last weekend in May, Near Southside artists Jeremy Joel and Jay Wilkinson co-curated Bobby on Drums, a mixed-media extravaganza showcasing some of Fort Worth’s most promising up-and-coming artists, filling Shipping & Receiving’s Tilt Room with everything from a sonic installation to a giant sculpture of a homeless man. The duo’s Fall Gallery Night show on Race Street will feature work by Diana Urbina, Paul Thomas Leicht, Kevin Thornton, Olivia, Brandon Pederson, Hillary Dohoney, Guillermo Tapia, Devin Selby, Christopher Michael Waldon, Aimee Cardoso, Fever Dream, Jessica Fuentes, Scott Prather, Jasmine Flores, Alexa Alarcon, and Erin Margaret Alison Rambo, in addition to Joel and Wilkinson. Where Bobby on Drums was set to dazzle with its size, cleverness, and wild abstractions, RAD is also geared toward having a good time –– besides the paintings, sculptures, and photographs, local punk or punk-inspired rockers Sur Duda, Toy Gun, and Star Bass will perform. BYOB.

Arts Studios on Race Street
2814 Race Street
10am-9pm
Rose Marie Mercado, Michelangelo, Mason Cox, Guillermo Tapia, Gary Norman, Jan Friedman

One Hundred Years of Painting
10am-9pm
2902 Race Street #108
David F. Gibson, Greg Rivera

Gallery 2902 #100
10am-2pm
Kim Collins
Rachel Livedalen

Cleans Up With Soap And Water
2907 Race Street
4-9pm
Black Crow Pressed
Printmakers: Lori Thomson, Junanne Peck, Mary Boswell, Karla Sparger, Layne Calebro, Elizabeth Langley, Holly Mack

For more info, visit the RAD website!

This Thursday: ONA's September Meeting

Join us this Thursday, September 10th, for ONA's monthly meeting.  Our featured speaker will be Terri McIlraith, former president of the Carter-Riverside Neighborhood Association; she will be discussing the upcoming Fort Worth Garden Conservancy tour.  Her own home and garden once belonged to a member of the Baker Brothers Nursery family, a long-time Riverside business that had a significant impact on the trees and plants (and flower street names) in the area.  McIlraith's garden will be one of those featured on Fort Worth's Garden Conservancy tour.

Calabrese Garden

Several of our neighbors' gardens are pictured here—all of which will also be featured on the upcoming Fort Worth tour.  Those neighbors have been invited to share a few words about their gardens.  To learn much more about local residents' participation in this event, see this month's Oak Leaflet.  And for more details on the Garden Conservancy, including ticket purchase information, please visit www.gardenconservancy.org.

Diaz Garden

Spell-Taylor Garden

Finally, Kathryn and Libby will highlight the many upcoming fall ONA events for our members.  Hope to see you there!

ONA September Meeting
Thursday, September 10, 7pm
Calvary Christian Academy

80 Years Ago: Riverside's New High School

The following article was contributed by Carter-Riverside neighbor Rick Herring:

It may be historic to us, but once upon a time it was new
by Rick Herring

80 years ago - August, 1935 - a sunrise breakfast and groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the beginning of construction on a new high school in Riverside, the school we know and love today as Amon Carter Riverside High School. The whole community was awakened on that momentous day by a "long, shrill train whistle, guaranteed to wake everybody in Riverside" at 5 a.m., followed by "modern-day town criers and Paul Reveres" who traveled the streets of Riverside honking horns, blowing whistles and ringing cow bells. All of this to summon the community to a grand celebration being jointly sponsored by the Riverside Civic League, Riverside PTA, and Oakhurst PTA. Boy Scouts were told to assemble in their uniforms at Scott’s Drug Store at Six Points no later than 5:30 a.m. and then march carrying the colors to the site of the new high school at Yucca Avenue and Frey Avenue (now Riverside Drive) where they were to light hundreds of camp fires prepared beforehand. The high school site was lined with 400 flags. The following excerpts are taken from a newspaper article that reported the day’s events:

"Several thousand Riverside residents, together with guests from other sections of Fort Worth, mixed sand with their bacon and eggs this morning at ground breaking ceremonies for the new Riverside senior high school, estimated to cost $400,000."

"A hundred camp fires were lighted soon after sunup and in a few minutes the smell of frying bacon and eggs permeated the 40-acre site on which the school is to be built. Coffee was served from huge urns provided by the Riverside Civic League, which has taken a leading part in assuring the school."

"A hundred or more civic leaders of Riverside and other parts of Fort Worth were introduced and some of them made talks. Then Mrs. May Royster, who has taught school in Riverside longer than anyone else…turned the first spade of dirt, while George B.Eagle, school board member from the Riverside section, and Mrs. W.G.Phillips, wife of the civic league president, assisted."

"…W.M. Green, school superintendent…announced [the] first classes would be held in the building in September, 1936…. When [it was] announced that construction would start within 24 hours, the crowd applauded."

"Mother Ingraham (Mrs. F. A. Ingraham), first president of the Riverside PTA, [was] presented a bouquet of flowers…. Sam Losh led the crowd in a sing-song…Boy Scouts had charge of a flag-raising ceremony while a bugler blew reveille."

What a celebration and show of community spirit! These folks had a lot to celebrate. The high school grades at the former Riverside High School had been discontinued in 1922-23 when the Fort Worth ISD took over the Riverside ISD. High school age students in Riverside then had to attend another Fort Worth high school, most choosing Central High (now Paschal) because it was easiest to reach via the city’s streetcars. But for many, the loss of the high school grades in the Riverside community ended their education.

Riverside leaders fought for years to get a high school back in Riverside. When a school board commissioned study recommended a new junior-senior high school for Riverside in 1933, the community went to work and collected over 1,500 signatures of qualified voters from Riverside, enough to persuade the school board to call a bond election for the erection of new schools. A bond program of $3,000,000 was passed and an additional $4,000,000 was secured from the federal Public Works Administration.

Given the fact that Riverside took the lead in starting the chain of events that led to the building program, and that the new Riverside High School was to be the first high school constructed under the program, Riverside leaders were determined to put on a grand celebration. A committee of 190 persons had charge of the plans and the day before the groundbreaking the press reported that "Riverside today will hum with last minute preparations for what promises to be the most gigantic celebration in a section of the city known for its enthusiastic support of civic enterprises".

Thanks to these Riverside "pioneers", we have a beautiful building and campus to claim as our alma mater and center of our community.

Future students studying plans for their new school and a map of
the route to reach the site of the groundbreaking celebration.

Mrs. May Royster at Riverside Public School, 1911, and George B. Eagle, Sr., 1937.

The silver-plated spade used at the groundbreaking.

Some of the revelers at the groundbreaking celebration.

Research and text by Rick Herring, copyright 2015. Used with permission.

Happy Labor Day!

Regardless of your occupation, thank you to all of our neighbors for your unique skills and expertise that benefit our city, state, and country.  Best wishes for a relaxing holiday weekend from ONA!

To learn more about this unique holiday, visit The History of Labor Day on the U.S. Department of Labor website.

Oakhurst Park Adoption Update

As several of our neighbors have been inquiring as to the state of Oakhurst Park, ONA leadership have compiled the document below regarding ongoing efforts to work with the City and formally adopt the park:

Click on the image above or this link to view and/or download.

September Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet in full color online!  This month's newsletter features the upcoming Fort Worth Garden Conservancy Tour (featuring two of our neighbors' gardens), a North Sylvania Street traffic update from Jan, Fred's monthly patrol report, September's Yard of the Month by Fran, and more details on the upcoming Police and Firefighter Appreciation Dinner.

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Save the Date: ONA Family Night

As posted by our neighbor Molly Jamison over on Nextdoor:

ONA is sponsoring an event for Oakhurst families with children at Oakhurst Park on October 1 at 6:30pm.  After you feed your family dinner, head over to the park for dessert to visit with old neighbors and meet new ones!  Popsicles will be provided.  If you're a new family, this is a great way to get to know the other kids in the neighborhood.

See you all there!

ONA Family Night
Thursday, October 1st, 6:30pm
Oakhurst Park

City News: Police Chief Finalists, City Services Survey

Two recent City news items that affect all of us in Oakhurst:

Most residents satisfied with city services; public safety, streets merit attention

Most Fort Worth residents are satisfied with city services, although they would like to see more emphasis placed on street and facility maintenance and public safety services.

Those are the major findings of the latest citizen survey, conducted this spring by ETC Institute of Olathe, Kan.

The survey's purpose was to assess residents' satisfaction with the delivery of major city services and to help determine priorities for the community as part of the city's ongoing planning process. Of the households that received a survey, 1,685 completed the survey. At least 200 households were surveyed in each of the city's eight council districts.

More than three-fourths (76%) of respondents indicated they were satisfied with the quality of life in Fort Worth.

For more details, visit http://fortworthtexas.gov/news/2015/08/citizen-survey-results/.

Get ready to meet the finalists for police chief

Finalists for Fort Worth police chief are expected to be announced later this week, and the public will have an opportunity to meet the candidates the following week.

“A very important part of this recruitment and hiring process is transparency and inclusiveness,” City Manager David Cooke said. “To that end, one of the components of the process is a Community Forum where members of the public can meet and listen to the candidates answer questions.”

The Community Forum is planned for 7-9 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex, 501 W. Felix St.

For more details, visit http://fortworthtexas.gov/news/2015/08/meet-police-chief-finalist/.

Public Zoning Meeting TONIGHT!

Passing along this message from the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods:

1985 - 2015

 

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF FORT WORTH NEIGHBORHOODS

 

This is an important meeting; we encourage you and your fellow neighborhood leaders to attend.

Public meeting TONIGHT to discuss proposed changes to residential zoning definitions.

Wednesday, August 12, 6 pm

University Christian Church

2720 South University Drive, Room 207

An upcoming public meeting will provide residents a chance to comment on proposed zoning definitions related to residential uses, including options for a new "single housekeeping unit" definition.

The meeting will start with an open house at 6 pm for one-on-one questions and comments with city staff, followed by a presentation on proposed changes to certain definitions, including:

• Restaurant
• Community home
• Transient or short-term resident (new)
• Boarding house or lodging house
• Family
• Single housekeeping unit (new)

After the public meeting, the Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing and vote on the definitions on September 9 at 1 pm at City Hall.  The City Council will conduct a public hearing and vote on the definitions at its meeting on October 13 at 7 pm at City Hall.

Click here to view the pre-council briefing on this issue. Under Available Videos, scroll to Pre-Council, July 21, 2015; click and scroll to Item 11.

ALSO, PLEASE SAVE SEPTEMBER 28 ON YOUR CALENDAR AND PLAN TO ATTEND THE LEAGUE'S FALL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING—A CELEBRATION OF 30 YEARS OF THE LEAGUE OF NEIGHBORHOODS. DETAILS TO FOLLOW!