2011 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the designation of Winnetka Heights as an Historic District in the City of Dallas.  We will be commemorating the neighborhood’s achievement through the rest of the year.

Winnetka Heights residents are dedicated to the preservation of this area of Dallas as an enduring symbol of early 20th century life, while ensuring Winnetka Heights remains the most vibrant historic district in the city.  Our urban pioneers helped organize the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League and set the stage for the redevelopment of Oak Cliff.  While we all enjoy the new urban atmosphere of the Bishop Arts District, Fort Worth Avenue, and the Tyler Davis area, among other areas experiencing a renaissance, we need to remember the young families that moved to North Oak Cliff in the 70’s and 80’s to revitalize areas that had been neglected by the city and acknowledge the contribution of the families that have been here all along.

The listing on the U.S. Registry of Historical Places contains some great information on the neighborhood and some of the residents that have called it home.   Please take a look.  Thanks to Kirk Kirksey for tracking it down.

Link to our Listing:  WH National Registry Listing

S. Willomet Ave. - Winter 2010

Help our Neighborhood Grow on Saturday, October 22^nd.

Do you have an empty parkway in front of your house?  Let’s beautify it!

The Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association in a co-operative effort with the City of Dallas has made available free trees for Winnetka Heights residents.

If you would like a free tree for your parkway, you will have to commit to:

• Digging a hole for your tree in accordance with city directions.
• Showing up at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 22 for the neighborhood tree planting.
• Helping all your neighbors plant their trees, until all the trees are planted.
• Watering and pruning your tree(s) regularly.

The following tree varieties are available:

• Cedar Elm
• Chinese Pistachio
• Crepe Myrtle
• Live Oak
• Red Bud
• Red Oak

(20 feet spacing in your parkway is required for larger varieties.  Corner parkways are also eligble)

If you would like to participate in the reforestation and/or get a free tree, contact Rob Romano at 214-942-1715 or at herrhansy@sbcglobal.net.

DEADLINE:   Your commitment to the tree planting and  your tree order must be placed by August 23

On tree planting day, we will need:  pick-up trucks, rakes, hoes, shovels, gloves and man and woman power!

On October 22, we will meet at the park at the SW Corner of Jefferson and Clinton at   9:00 a.m.  See you there!

We’ve elected a new board for 2010-11!
President – Kyle Ward
V Pres – Michele Colbert
Secretary – Diane Sherman
Treasurer – Trey Taylor

This is my last President’s message for the newsletter since I will not be eligible to serve another term. It has been my pleasure to serve these last two years as president. I have enjoyed every minute. It has gone by much quicker than I had anticipated. The first few months of my term were consumed with many trips to city hall, trying to defend our historic ordinance and zoning overlays against a number of outside sources. We won some battles and lost some others. All in all, the folks at city hall know the Winnetka’s voice will be heard.

“Thanks for all the support you have given me these past two years. It is all of you folks that live and work and play in this wonderful little corner of North Oak Cliff that make theneighborhood so special.”

Thanks to the magnificent work of our Holiday Home tour and Night in the Heights committees, our coffers are full. Our outstanding balance is the highest it has ever been. We are now strategizing how to use our funds to best meet the needs of the neighborhood. I thought the Davis St. Rezoning issues would be over by the time my tenure was up, but the hearings continue to be postponed. It appears now that this will extend into the next president’s term. Stay tuned to see how all of this will play out.

We also finished up a very successful Centennial Celebration in 2008 thanks to the leadership of Butch and Carla Boss. Things like the July 4th parade have now become an annual tradition thanks to the Centennial impetus.

Then, there are always lots of behind-the scenes meetings that take place that don’t get a lot of press time, but are necessary to keep things going. I will not bore you with any details The opening of the Kessler Theater is going to make Winnetka Heights a destination point. I think this is an exciting time in the life of this neighborhood and I want to wish the owner, Edwin Cabaniss, the best, in his endeavor.

Thanks for all the support that you have given me these last two years. It has been much appreciated. This neighborhood is so much more
than just a board and a neighborhood association. It is all of you folks that live and work and play in this wonderful little corner of North Oak
Cliff that make this neighborhood so special.

See you on the front porch!
David Haedge
WHNA President

It’s almost time for the 2009 Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour. The tour has been around since the early 1980′s, just a few years after we reached our Historic District designation 30 years ago. In the early years, the tour was held somewhat sporadically, mainly due to the fact that most of us in the neighborhood were in the middle of some sort of renovation project and really didn’t want to show our homes off until they were at least presentable.

This tour actually marks ten consecutive years of the tour. We have not missed a year since 2000. That amounts to around sixty different homes in those short years. Twenty-five years ago you were lucky to even find five or six neighbors that were willing to open their homes for a tour. This is a testament of what years of hard work and dedication to a once dying neighborhood can come to. Winnetka Heights is now a vibrant neighborhood with countless people pouring new life into this collection of 600 or so homes that make up our district. I hope you take some time this year to enjoy the tour, visit with your neighbors and start your holiday celebrations right here in the hood.