RESCHEDULED: Santa in the Park!

From our neighbor Glenda:

Santa will NOT be able to visit the park this Saturday, December 3rd, due to the rainy and cold weather forecast.  He has rescheduled his visit; he will be at the park on Saturday, December 10th, at 2 pm.  So come by for a visit and take a picture with Santa.  His team of volunteer elves with be there too, passing out hot coco and doing crafts to take home ;)

Make plans to come out and join us!

Holiday Safety Tips

Passed along by the City of Fort Worth Police Department:

HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

These tips are useful all year long; however I like to remind people to be extra vigilant during the Holiday Season.

Away from home

• Do NOT leave anything in your vehicles!
• With that being said, I know that it is not always possible. Try to make regular stops at your house to drop off your shopping bags; they are safer at home than in your car.
• IF you have to leave anything in your car, hide it before you get to your destination. Placing it in the trunk before you head into the store is never a good idea.
• REMEMBER that all cars since the late 90’s have trunk release buttons. It is very easy to break the window and push the button in order to gain access.
• Stay aware of your surroundings. Have your keys ready before you approach your car. Lock your doors and keep your windows up.
• Try not to carry anything that you don’t need. Ladies, this is a good time to carry a much smaller purse. You only need keys, driver’s license, cash, credit card(s) that you plan to use and your phone.
• You do NOT need birth certificates, Social Security cards, all your pictures, the kitchen sink, etc. Just what you need! It’s lighter to carry, easier to keep control of, and less to lose if something happens.

At Home

• Keep your doors locked. Make sure your windows are also locked if you are away from home.
• Make sure that lights are left on if you are away at night or overnight.
• IF you have an alarm, SET IT! We get several break-ins a year where the alarm was not armed.
• Be watchful of people in the neighborhood. If you someone does not belong, call 911. Give the best description possible and a direction of travel.
• Door-to-door sales are legal, with a permit, in the City of Fort Worth. However, you did not ask them to come disturb you at home, therefore you owe them NOTHING! There is no need to open your door and carry on a long conversation just to be polite. If you are not interested, tell them so and close the door.
• Most Burglaries of homes happen during the day. Most burglars will knock on the door/ring the doorbell before forcing entry into the home. Most burglars do not want a confrontation.
• Answer your door if you are home. I did NOT say open your door. A simple “Who is it?” will do just fine. This lets them know that someone is home. If it is a saleman, see above. If it is a Burglar, they will normally make up a bad excuse as to why they are there and then promptly leave. Be alert! Did it make sense? If not, get a description and call 911!
• It is very common for them to say they are there to sell magazines. Are they carrying any samples or a clipboard to take orders? NO, then call 911.
• They also like to say “Is (insert name here) home?” or I’m looking for (insert name here)”. If you have lived at that house for a long period of time and know that no one by that name lives or has lived there, call 911. We may not get there in time to talk to them, but the worst that will happen is that the Police will drive through the neighborhood. You may just be saving you or your neighbor from a future burglary.

Packages

• Package thieves will be very active the next few weeks. Please have your packages delivered to an address where someone will be home or require a signature so that way it will not be left unattended. You may also consider getting a PO Box or similar box at a Pack-and-Mail type location to use during this time of year.
• Keep your receipts, record your serial numbers, and keep them in a safe place.
• I also recommend keeping your gifts stashed in different locations around your house. That way if someone does break in it will be less likely for them to get “everything”.
• Do NOT pile everything up under the tree until you are ready to open things up. 

Lastly, if anything happens, call 911. Officers are on-duty 24/7/365 and someone will be there to help!

November Oak Leaflet and Upcoming Events!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  In this month's newsletter, the upcoming World War I commemoration is highlighted, our neighbor Libby receives recognition from the Tarrant County Historical Commission, Fred and Phyllis Anglin provide their recaps of the Police and Firefighters' Appreciation Dinner, Fran Burns reminds us of the fast-approaching America Recycles Day, and much more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

This Thursday: Fall General Meeting Features Brent Hull!

Our Oakhurst Neighborhood Association fall general membership meeting is this Thursday night!  Please join us to hear Brent Hull, owner of Hull Historical Renovation and Restoration services, and star of the History Channel's new program, Lone Star Restoration.

Lone Star Restoration premiered Monday, October 3rd, and features Fort Worth's own Brent Hull and his team of craftsmen!  Brent is on a mission to bring back beautiful architecture and the art of timeless building in a world plagued by commodity construction.  Brent and his team are dedicated to preserving history and resurrecting the lost stories of architecture under years of dust and layers of shoddy construction.  ONA members will be one of the first groups to hear Brent Hull speak after the premier of the new show when he joins us this Thursday, October 27th, at 7pm.

Brent Hull, owner and founder of Hull Historical, is a nationally-recognized authority on historic design, architecturally-correct mouldings and millwork.  He is passionate about beautiful architecture and the art of timeless building.  Hull Historical is known for the design, fabrication and installation of architectural millwork for private residences, country estates, and historic properties across the country.  The firm creates environments that are not only beautiful, but also timeless.  Hull and his team are passionate about fine craftsmanship.  Their work is built to last for generations.

Brent enjoys working with his hands and has always loved building.  In 1991, he moved to Boston to begin a 2-year study of historic preservation at the North Bennet Street School.  NBSS is one of the oldest trade schools in the United States, and it was here that Brent learned the art of traditional building.

Returning to Texas with his wife, he settled in Fort Worth, and he soon opened his business in his brother's garage, a 1911 bungalow.  Over the ensuing 23 years, Brent combined his passion for restoring buildings along with his love of craftsmanship to build a business that focuses on preservation as well as historically-inspired houses and millwork.

Brent enjoys life in Fort Worth and spending time reading anything he can get his hands on.  He loves drawing and sketching for clients, but spending time with his wife and three kids dominates all other favorites.

A dynamic and popular speaker, Brent draws enthusiastic audiences of architects, designers and homebuilders to his keynote addresses and presentations.  Much of Brent's research is gathered from an astounding wealth of knowledge from books in a personal library of over 2,000 historic and trade pattern volumes.

Brent designed an award-winning line of moldings for Windsor Mill in California, and the Kuiken Brothers enlisted his help in designing 65 American molding profiles voted the The Top 100 Best New Products 2011 by This Old House Magazine.  His work and writings have been featured in numerous publications, interior design books and blogs.  Hull's book Building a Timeless House in an Instant Age was a Foreword Reviews' 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist.

Brent is the recipient of three John Staub Awards for classical architecture in craftsmanship and historic restoration, is a board member of the Texas Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA), and was recipient of the 2012 North Bennett Street School Distinguished Alumni Award.  He has published several books including Traditional American Rooms (Winterthur Style Sourcebook): Celebrating Style, Craftsmanship, and Historic Woodwork (2009) and Historic Millwork: A Guide to Restoring and Re-Creating Doors, Windows, and Moldings of the Late Nineteenth Through Mid-Twentieth Centuries (2003).

ONA Fall General Membership Meeting
Thursday, October 27th, 7:00 pm
Calvary Christian Academy

Brent Hull's bio information provided by the History Channel; http://www.history.com/shows/lone-star-restoration/cast/brent-hull. 

Reminder: ONA Halloween in the Park!

Coming up this Saturday...bring your little ghouls and goblins to Oakhurst Park for games, hot dogs and more!  Costumes for all ages welcome (dogs, too!).

Donations of candy, juice boxes, small bottled water and volunteers are needed to help with games and refreshments.  Please contact Glenda at 817.975.4653 or glendahartsell@att.net.  You may also drop off donations at 1924 Bluebird Avenue.  Thank you!

ONA Halloween in the Park
Halloweenie Roast and Costume Contest
Saturday, October 22, 3 pm

Emergency Sewer Repairs on Mapleleaf

The following was provided by Mary L. Gugliuzza, Media Relations and Communications Coordinator for the Fort Worth Water Department:

The City of Fort Worth Water Department is initiating emergency repairs to a collapsed sewer line in the Oakhurst neighborhood located east of I-35W and south of Watauga Road. Service to residents is not disrupted, but the line must be replaced. Mapleleaf Street, between Aster Avenue and Goldenrod Avenue, is closed to through traffic so that crews can set up bypass pumping for the affected residents.

The City of Fort Worth Water Department must make an emergency replacement of a collapsed wastewater line that serves approximately 20 homes bound by Daisy Lane, Goldenrod Avenue, North Sylvania Avenue and Mapleleaf Street.  Replacing the line will require access to backyards in the affected block. There is a utility easement that runs across the backyards.

Water department representatives are meeting with the impacted residents at 6:30 pm on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Calgary Christian Academy, 1401 Oakhurst Scenic Dr.  City engineers and the contractor will be available to explain the work that will be done.

Service is not disrupted because of bypass pumping operations in place along Mapleleaf Street. Mapleleaf Street is closed to through traffic between Aster Avenue and Goldenrod Avenue because of this bypass pumping.

The construction includes upsizing the line from six inches to eight inches in diameter. All of those affected by the collapsed line will be connected to the upgraded line. The contractor is expected to begin mobilizing on Thursday, Oct. 27. Construction is expected to take one month. 

For more information please contact, Project Manager Adolfo Lopez at 817.991.8260.

THIS THURSDAY: Six Points Urban Village Community Meeting

The City of Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department (TPW) is hosting a community meeting to update residents on the design of the Six Points Urban Village.

Make plans to come out THIS THURSDAY and hear about the improvements on the horizon for our area.  And bring your neighbors!  For more details, see the flyer below.

Six Points Urban Village Community Meeting
Thursday, 10/20, 6 pm
Riverside Baptist Church Fellowship Hall
3101 Race Street

Six Points Urban Village Redeveloping, but Too Slowly for Some

Neighbors, check out this video interview from NBC5 (@nbcdfw): http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/5pm-Barr-Six-Points_Dallas-Fort-Worth-392082821.html.

October Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  This month's newsletter discusses the recent FWISD literacy partnership event at Oakhurst Elementary; highlights Brent Hull, our fall general membershp program speaker; features pics from our Posicles in the Park event, together with information on upcoming October events; showcases October's Yard of the Month, and much more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Coming up THIS THURSDAY!!! Police and Firefighter Appreciation Dinner!

The Annual Police and Firefighter Appreciation Dinner is coming up THIS week—Thursday, October 6 at Springdale Baptist Church!  What are YOU cooking?

The Oakhurst Citizens on Patrol / Oakhurst Neighborhood Association Police and Firefighter Appreciation Dinner is approaching its 30th year.  Oakhurst residents, led by event organizers from the Oakhurst COPs, prepare homemade food to contribute to a dinner which runs for all three shifts of the police and firefighters' workday.  Neighbors, police and fire chiefs, the mayor, our city council representative, and, of course, the police and firefighters of the North Division who serve the Oakhurst neighborhood come out for good food and fellowship.  It's one way the neighborhood says thank you to these valued public servants!

Will you join your Oakhurst neighbors THIS THURSDAY and plan to bring a side dish, vegetable, salad or dessert to add to the main course (Riscky's barbecue)?  Alternatively, you are welcome to contribute to the Oakhurst Citizens on Patrol!

We will also need volunteers to serve and help clean up during and after the dinner, as well as to take down and haul the equipment back to our home (very early in the morning).  If you are new to the neighborhood, this is an excellent way to make good friends and to meet your neighbors.

One reminder:  Please bring all your food in disposable containers, or be prepared to stay until your container is emptied.

Finally, if you bring a dish to the dinner hour, please stay and visit with the officers, as well as your friends and Oakhurst neighbors!

Oakhurst COPs/ONA Police and Firefighter Appreciation Dinner
Thursday, October 6, 2016, 10 am - late (1 am)
Springdale Baptist Church (corner of Selma and Riverside)

Amon Carter Riverside High School: Celebrating 80 Years (1936-2016)!

Contributed by Rick Herring

“A high school for Riverside!” was the rallying cry and dream for Riverside community leaders and citizens in the early 1930s. The dream became reality in 1936, when Riverside High School opened its doors to senior and junior high students. In the early years of the 20th century, the Riverside Independent School District operated a high school, but when Riverside was annexed by Fort Worth in 1922, the schools were taken over by the Fort Worth ISD and the high school grades in Riverside were discontinued. Riverside students wishing to continue their education past the 8th grade were forced to attend one of the other Fort Worth high schools, usually Central High School (now Paschal). Parents and community leaders were increasingly frustrated as the Riverside community continued to grow and no high school was available in the community. The Riverside Civic League and George B. Eagle, school board member from Riverside, began garnering community support and pressuring the school district to build a high school in Riverside. After several years of lobbying by Riverside citizens, plans were made for a new high school in Riverside.

Amon Carter Riverside High School, est. 1936

A massive ground-breaking and community celebration in August, 1935, kicked off construction of Riverside High School, and the beautiful new high school building was opened for classes on September 15, 1936. The building was designed by noted Fort Worth architect Wyatt Hedrick, who also designed the Texas & Pacific Rail Terminal, Will Rogers Memorial Center, the United States Post Office and numerous other landmark Fort Worth buildings. Hare & Hare, a noted landscape architecture firm from Kansas City, landscaped the 40-acre wooded campus. Riverside High School quickly became the center of the community and strengthened the already strong bonds of the tight-knit Riverside community. A momentous change occurred in 1941, when the school was renamed Amon Carter Riverside High School to honor the well-known Fort Worth civic leader.

Popsicles in the Park - This Thursday!

Join us this Thursday for the 2nd Annual ONA "Popsicles in the Park"!

 

Bring your kids and/or grandkids to enjoy popsicles, meet neighbors, and play with other Oakhurst kids.

ONA Popsicles in the Park
Thursday, September 15
6:00 pm
Oakhurst Park

Sponsored by the ONA Welcoming Committee

September Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  This month's newsletter features an editorial on Joy Garrett, "Riverside's Stage and Screen Star", by Libby Willis, highlights upcoming events, showcases September's Yard of the Month, and more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Building Permits 101: Platting Requirements

A personal tale from Aaron Vorwerk, your neighborhood website editor...

As our nearby neighbors are aware, my wife Amanda and I embarked on a journey last summer to tackle additions and renovations to our home.  (Apologies to everyone for the mud pit that replaced our driveway for a few months!)  We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it has been a surprisingly challenging experience; we've learned a few hard lessons along the way.  And that's where this story begins...

The Replat

Back in 2006, the City of Fort Worth issued a memo (see below) making the decision to begin enforcing a 40-year-old provision requiring a plat (not a survey) to establish a legal lot of record prior to issuance of a building permit.  This provision grandfathers any lots established prior to January 1, 1948, so most of our Oakhurst neighbors are exempt.  Unfortunately, much of West Oakhurst was constructed after this date—ours was originally purchased in May 1948—so we are not so fortunate.

Memo from 9/8/2006 shared by the City of Fort Worth

What does this all mean?  For many residential owners in West Oakhurst (and throughout the city), a replat will be required prior to issuance of a building permit.  We were informed of this requirement by the City after submitting our application for a building permit in July 2015.  As detailed below, the process ended up delaying our project by roughly eight months (and costing us nearly $4,000).

Initially, I reasoned with the City that neither we nor any previous owners of our property have ever changed the property boundaries, and the West Oakhurst addition was platted in 1947, so there shouldn't be any logical need for a replat.  But in my (many) conversations with City planners, I learned that the fact that our property was originally sold in 1948 as a lot-and-a-half, like many West Oakhurst properties, meant that the 1947 plat of the neighborhood would not suffice.  I also learned that the City has enforced this provision on properties sold as little as two weeks after the 1/1/1948 deadline; they really offer no flexibility there.

My surveyor explained that he's debated this with the City for years, believing this to be a situation where the City is unfairly holding residential property owners to commercial standards, especially where property boundaries have never been changed.  We believe this causes undue hardship to homeowners wanting to improve their properties, especially for smaller projects (where the cost of a plat is out of line with the cost of the work to be performed).  This results in homeowners foregoing permits or choosing not to invest in their homes at all, when (ironically) it is in the City's best interest to encourage residents to invest in their homes, generating economic activity and boosting tax values.

As much as we love living in Oakhurst, Amanda and I will admit that we considered selling our home upon learning that we'd be delayed for an unknown duration due to the platting process, in addition to spending thousands of dollars that would otherwise have gone to renovations.

The Easement

If the replat itself weren't enough of a setback, it also resulted in us renegotiating an existing easement with the City.  Unfortunately, much of this had to do with the City's lack of resources and inflexibility on standards, as I'll explain later.

We and our neighbors have long had a 4' sewer easement on each side of our rear property line.  However, current standards call for 7.5' on each side.  Now this wouldn't have been that significant of an adjustment, but because the City wasn't sure of our sewer line location, they wanted to increase our rear yard easement from 4' to 15'!  My surveyor and I disagreed with the City for many reasons:  (1) given the 4' easement on the neighbor's side of the property line, the maximum we might anticipate the City requesting of us would be 11'; (2) the sewer line is a small branch serving only 2-3 homes, i.e. no need for a large easement; (3) this would threaten large oak trees in our backyard that predate the original installation of the sewer line; and (4) given that all surrounding neighbors have 4' easements, there would be limited benefit in dedicating a large swath of our backyard.

In response, the City asked our surveyor to locate the line, but he countered that this was the City's responsibility; he didn't have the access or permission from all adjacent neighbors to locate the City's line, and this shouldn't be performed at the homeowners' expense.

During this back-and-forth, I proposed a compromise:  We would accept an increase of 6' to our original easement, giving the City a total of 10' on our property (14' overall).  I felt that this was generous, but I also thought I'd be unlikely to build any new outbuildings along the rear fence, given present-day setback requirements and the fact that we already have an old shed back there that has encroached on the original easement for decades.

The City initially declined, agreeing instead to send out a crew to locate the line.  But weeks dragged by with no progress.  Eventually, in mid-December, a City engineer asked me if I'd still be willing to compromise.  He later admitted to our surveyor, "...the reason Aaron and I came to this agreement is due to issues with us having City Staff going out to locate the lines."

By the time this process was concluded, it was mid-January of this year.  We (finally) received our building permit in February, and we broke ground in March.

In Summary

From the very beginning, we have found our home improvement project fraught with challenges. It has taken a healthy dose of patience, some real heartache, and a spirit of compromise to get us this far.  But we believe that our neighborhood is a great place to invest, and some of you may be thinking about taking on a project of your own, so we thought it would be worth sharing this cautionary tale with you.  May yours go smoothly!

August Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  This month's newsletter recaps ONA's 4th of July celebration, highlights watering guidelines and permit requirements, and features July's Yard of the Month!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

July Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  This month's newsletter covers ONA's latest award from Neighborhoods USA, our neighborhood's Little Free Library, July's Yard of the Month, Fred's Oakhurst Patrol Report (guest-authored by Phyllis), and more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

This Saturday: ONA's "July 4th" in the Park!

Join us this Saturday, July 2nd, for ONA's annual "July 4th" in the Park!

We will start at 10 am, with a family-friendly PARADE at 10:30 am, followed by GAMES and LUNCH!  WE will provide the hot dogs, YOU bring the sides and desserts.

See you THIS Saturday, July 2nd, at 10 am!

ONA "July 4th" in the Park
Saturday, July 2, 10 am
Oakhurst Park

This Thursday's Meeting: Estate Planning

If someone asks if you have a will and you say no, you may hear the following response from an attorney:  “Yes, you do. The State of Texas has already drawn it up for you. And unless you take the time to prepare your will the way you want it to ensure that your wishes are carried out, the state will decide for you.” Attorneys say everyone needs a will. Getting the facts to help with key decisions in estate planning can be an important first step for most people.

New Oakhurst resident and estate planning attorney Jeremy Carroll will present a program entitled “What is Estate Planning?” at the ONA monthly meeting this Thursday, June 9 at 7pm in the library at Calvary Christian Academy. Jeremy is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University with a degree in business management. In 2014, he earned his law degree from Texas A&M University Law School. Jeremy works in the firm of Leach and Fox, P.C., Estate Attorneys in Hurst. He practices in the areas of wills, trusts, estate planning, probate and estate administration, advanced directives, and powers of attorneys.

A resident of Bluebonnet, Jeremy is pleased to be in Oakhurst. Recently, he was one of the “newbies” who attended the ONA new resident dinner. He’s happy to share a program with his neighbors which he regularly presents to other groups throughout Tarrant County. Please come hear Jeremy’s information on will and estate planning.

ONA June Meeting
Thursday, June 9, 7pm
Calvary Christian Academy

ONA's Oak Leaflet Wins Another Award!

Last month, at the Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) conference in Memphis, TN, our very own Oak Leaflet was awarded 2nd place!  This is a national award in the category for newsletters, printed format, published 7 or more times annually.

First place went to the Oakwood News of the Historic Oakwood Neighborhood in Raleigh, NC, and third place to the NET News of the Northeast Tacoma Neighborhood Council of Tacoma, WA.  Other finalists included the Dahl Update of Dahlman Neighborhood Association in Omaha, NE; the TONAPU News of the Triple One Neighborhood Association and Parent's Union in Omaha, NE; and the South Shore Current of the South Shore Community in Chicago, Illinois.

ONA's Beautification Committee was a finalist in NUSA's Social Revitalization category, as was an East Fort Worth organization.

Congratulations to editor Libby Willis, all of the volunteers that contribute to the Oak Leaflet on a regular basis, and the membership of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association on another national award!

June Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  This month's newsletter covers efforts by neighbors to improve traffic on Sylvania, info on ONA's June meeting guest speaker, May's Yard of the Month, a feature article on Brad Roberts' Oakhurst home (and the history found within), the upcoming July 4th in the Park event, Fred's patrol report, a puzzle by Glenn Calabrese, and more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Oakhurst Roots Run Deep in Riverside and Fort Worth

Contributed by Libby Willis:

These are heady days for Oakhurst as many new residents are finding and deciding to move to our neighborhood.  They are discovering our great small town feel, green space, lots of trees, charming period houses, and a walkable neighborhood with many friendly neighbors.  What isn't always apparent is what has gone before.  Those reminders come only when we get to know our neighbors, talk to them about their lives here, and learn some fascinating stories.  In Oakhurst, the presence of the past is real.

For instance, a fair number of neighbors have longtime family ties to greater Riverside.  Bluebonnet resident Paul Griffin’s family has lived in Oakhurst since the early 20th century.  His grandfather was Edwin Perry Barclay.  He and his parents, Lawrence & Frances (Stevens) Barclay, were from the Toledo, Ohio area.  They came to Texas (via Kansas City) for the men to work in the cooperage business.  Edwin met & married Zora Rachael Cleckler in about 1898.  They moved to the Riverside area in about 1900 & built the house at 914 Chandler (it's still there).  The Riverside streets Barclay and Cleckler were named after the two families.

Edwin Perry Barclay, third from left, front row, was Paul Griffin's grandfather.  He is shown in front of the 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse at a Labor Day Parade in the early 20th century.

Other Oakhurst families have strong ties to businesses of local, statewide and national importance.  Between 1942 and 1951, the Frank Hames family lived at 2312 Primrose Avenue.  The Hameses have lived at other addresses in Oakhurst and Riverside and have been fixtures in the community for many years.  They had three sons, including Frank, Raymond, and Mike.  Mike and his wife Kay still reside on Bluebonnet.  The brothers are the grandsons of Bill Hames who created Bill Hames shows and carnivals based in Fort Worth and known across the United States and Canada.  If you’ve ever been to the midway at the Stock Show, you’ve seen or ridden Hames family rides.  If you’ve ever ridden the Miniature Train at Forest Park, you’ve been on a Hames family operated train.  They had midway concerns at the Stock Show when it was still held on the Northside in the Fort Worth Stockyards before 1944.  They even had a similar train and other rides in Sylvania Park on Belknap Street during the mid-1950s according to Frank.

Far left, 1959:  Bill Hames, founder of the Forest Park Miniature Train and Bill Hames Shows

The railroad’s first passenger cars were named for family members of the original Bill Hames, who developed the miniature train.  Cars were named for Frank and Mike Hames (Here’s a Western swing footnote: The “Mary Helen Special” car was named for Hames’s daughter, who was married to Milton Brown, Brown pianist Fred “Papa” Calhoun, and Bob Wills).  Frank Hames calls himself “the one and only concrete carney.”  That’s because besides his prodigious work in the carnival business, he has also had a decades long and successful career in the concrete business constructing well known facilities like Texas Stadium, the upper deck at TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium and major buildings such as 777 Main Street in downtown Fort Worth.  “But we loved Oakhurst,” Hames said recently.  “Those houses were well built,” he said.   (That’s a relief, coming from someone who knows the construction business!)  “At 2312 Primrose, we kept about 41 chickens in the backyard,” he said.  “One day, Dad got tired of all of them and decided it was time to have them meet their maker.  We put them in the freezer and had many fried chicken dinners from those birds,” he said.

Old 101 Ranch Calliope, acquired by Bill Hames in 1938 and shown in 1950 at Hames' WInter Headquarters in Fort Worth; later donated to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin

Oakhurst residents have been associated with great local community institutions for many years as well.  A little remembered fact is that the Fort Worth Community Theater had its first home in Riverside.  Many well known actors and productions came out of that organization which has been the bedrock of theater in the city.  Paul Griffin tells the story about his experience.  One day in 1964, while he was doing volunteer work painting sets at Fort Worth Community Theater (when it was housed in the Morgan Theater at 608 North Sylvania around the corner from Race Street), the director of “Two Blind Mice” asked if he would do a bit part in the play.  “You don’t have to audition, there are no lines.”  So he did.  Meeting neighbors like Paul and former neighbors like Frank help us remember all the people and institutions which have made Oakhurst and Riverside what they are today.

Paul Griffin on stage at Fort Worth Community Theater in "Three Blind Mice" about 1964; at this time, the former Morgan Theater on Sylvania was home to the FWCT.  Today, the building houses Prayer of Faith Temple Church.

 This article originally appeared in the May 2016 edition of the Oak Leaflet.

May Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet online!  This month's newsletter features Oakhurst Roots Run Deep, an editorial by Libby Willis on residents of Oakhurst and the Riverside area over the years, April's Yard of the Month, Fred's patrol report (including info on the recent police and firefighter event at Oakhurst Park), a copy of the neighborhood garage sale sign-up form, and more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Reminder: ONA General Membership Meeting This Thursday!

Please join us for our spring ONA General Membership Meeting this Thursday!

Our speaker will be Carol Roark, local historian, on How do We Get Through This? Fort Worth and the Great Depression. Even in the depths of the Great Depression, Fort Worth (and Oakhurst) continued to experience development and growth. Amon Carter-Riverside High School, Oakhurst Scenic Drive, and many homes in Oakhurst and surrounding Riverside neighborhoods were built during this period in the 1930s. Come hear this great presentation, vote on officers and street representatives for 2016-'17, hear an end-of-year report on ONA's activities, and enjoy a social with your neighbors.

Bring your favorite sweet or savory to share!

See more about our speaker below:

Carol Roark worked for twenty years as Manager of the Special Collections Division at the Dallas Public Library, where she honed a passion for historical research and helping people find needles in haystacks. She holds a Bachelors degree in Anthropology from the University of Texas, Austin, a Masters degree in American Studies from Texas Christian University, and a Masters degree in Library Science from the University of North Texas.

Carol has published four books:

Fort Worth & Tarrant County: An Historical Guide
Fort Worth Then & Now
Fort Worth's Legendary Landmarks
Catalogue of the Amon Carter Museum Photography Collection

She has also written chapters for the Grace & Gumption books on Fort Worth women, as well as numerous articles and book reviews for historical journals. She edited the Tarrant County Historic Resources Survey volumes for the Historic Preservation Council. Her passions are architectural and photographic history. Carol and her husband live in a 1919 Arts & Crafts bungalow in Fort Worth's Fairmount neighborhood.

ONA Spring General Membership Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 2016, 7pm
Calvary Christian Academy Cafetorium
1401 Oakhurst Scenic Drive

Police and Firemen in the Park Pics!

Our neighbor "Queen" Rita shared these pics from our event on April 9th; click on any of them for a larger view!

Also, our neighbor David Collyer shared this postcard for the upcoming Fort Worth Police Department Annual Peace Officers Memorial Service, to be held on May 4th:

April Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet in full color online!  This month's newsletter covers Rita Wilson's Citizens on Patrol award, the ONA Nominating Committee report, city codes, neighborhood beautification, historic designations, the Oakhurst collective garage sale, and more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.

Yard of the Month - Nominate Your Neighbor!

With Spring just around the corner, you'll soon find Oakhurst yards in bloom.  Consider nominating a neighbor for Yard of the Month!

We've been busy making some updates to Beautification page.  You can now download a nomination form from our site:

You'll also find a (partial) list of past YOM winners, per the Oak Leaflets that we have in our archives.  As always, please Contact Us if you have additional information, documentation, or media regarding the history of ONA.

March Oak Leaflet Now Online!

Check out this month's issue of The Oak Leaflet in full color online!  This month's newsletter covers a new addition to Amon Carter-Riverside High School, our upcoming March and April events, the North West Student Exchange and more!

Visit our Newsletter Archive to view or download your copy.