Monday, January 14, 2008

Cliff Dweller‘s predictions for 2008

By Staff of Cliff Dweller

As 2007 drew to an end we broke out our collection of clairvoyant goodies to see what ‘08 has in store. Laura gazed into her crystal ball. Raul frantically gouged pins into his favorite voodoo doll. Elena spent countless hours reading Tarot for Dummies while Rob and Bill just had fun playing with the ouija board. When these efforts yielded absolutely no results, we decided to ask a few friends what they thought about the new year. Here’s what they had to say.

Dallas will drop from the Number 1 crime slot for cities with over 1 million people, and our police response time will go down. The city’s pet adoption rate will go up. Economic development on Colorado and Jefferson, and in the Bishop Arts District will continue to grow.

Dr. Elba Garcia

Dallas Mayor Pro Tem

I predict that Oak Cliff biz buzz will continue to be positive, and that visitors will still call us a hidden gem...even though we all think we’ve been found. How glorious!

Lena Liles

General Manager, Belmont Hotel

This year, I might say that I want to try to live life to the fullest in 2008. After losing our dear friend Caroline and now sweet Ronnie Paulk, it really makes me see how short our time is here on this planet. We are only here for a few minutes and need to make each day count. So, my resolution is to be a better friend to my friends, to love and laugh at the highest level. Speaking of Oline’s, my other resolution would be to make and keep regular appointments so my hair will look good!

Sara Tillman

Owner, Tillman’s Roadhouse

A plan will be devised by the Dallas City Council to turn the Trinity River Park into the Trinity River Park Mall. The mall will have Sam’s; Bed, Bath and Beyond; the Gap; and similar stores so that toll road drivers will have somewhere to go.

Michael Amonett

Alchemy Salon

Oak Cliff will get its first church primarily for gay worshippers, and it will be a big success. The crash of the national housing market will be felt in Oak Cliff merely as a slow-down in sales of existing homes. But the soft market will leave investors and lenders squeamish enough that many recently-announced new-construction projects will be at least a year late in materializing. Delia Jasso’s tenure as a community columnist for the Dallas Morning News will end when she focuses her time on bigger aspirations. Just before his 51st birthday, Rick Barton, the boyish owner and patty-flipper at Hunky’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, will launch a line of skin-care products derived from animal fat. Barton will appear as the products’ pitchman with the slogan, “Bathed in grease, youth’s new lease.”

David Spence

Owner, Good Space & Godfather of the Bishop Arts District

I predict that Bill Cosby will continue to keep us all from seeing “The Little Rascals.” For good reason, fear will rise even more in the American public, the rich will become richer, the poor will become poorer; Good Records will continue to thrive and improve; Erick Swenson will create his most important work thus far is his young career; Mulcahy Modern will open in a new space that slays; Chris Crocker will fail; Oprah will sell more books, lotions, soaps and the like; people will hopefully lie less; systemic racism will unfortunately continue to be there; Paul Slocum will get in The Whitney Biennial; MOM will be much more well known around the country; Keith Olbermann will stay awesome; some smart gallery will start representing Lily Hanson and her beautiful art; The Granada Theater will keep up the good work and bring in more important music; El Jordan won’t change a thing; people will stop caring about American Idol (PLEASE!); bad art will stay that way; my Mother will call me every Tuesday morning to see how I am doing “out there in the big city”; all the potholes will be filled in overnight; my friend Dina will be nice to waiters and waitresses; Bill O’Reilly will be silenced; Ariel Pink will give up his life as a tweaker and go into a studio to record the record we’ve been waiting for; and last but not least, I will continue not to have a television and will rest well at night.

C.J. Davis

Good Records & Owner of Pancakes for Mattie Records

I am extremely optimistic that 2008 will include the announcement of two major real estate deals in Oak Cliff that are each in excess of 200 acres.

Bob Stimson

President, Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce

Pegasus News content partner - Cliff Dweller

See more stories in:

• Lifestyle