Big Thanks to Robert Bellamy Design!

Small community movements like the Jefferson Median Beautification Project count on businesses like Robert Bellamy Design to help out with in-kind gifts.

For our tree planting project back in December 2009, Robert Bellamy Design donated four crew members to dig 18 holes for the large trees. For the uninitiated, the soil in Oak Cliff is notoriously rocky. It took Bellamy's guys a total of 8 hours to dig the holes!

Big thanks to Robert Bellamy Design + crew for their commitment to helping out the JMBP. Their hard work made the tree planting project a lot more enjoyable, and gave the weekend volunteers a break from this arduous task. Thanks, guys!

Robert Bellamy Design is an independent Dallas business specializing in landscape installation and architectural development. Visit them online at www.bellmay-design.com.

4th Annual Oak Cliff Earth Day

Come on down to the fourth annual Oak Cliff Earth Day festival at Lake Cliff park this Sunday from noon-5pm and enjoy all sorts of "green" fun. Learn to compost, buy plants and seeds, adopt a homeless pet, and shop from over 20 local artists and crafters.

The JMBP will have an informational booth where visitors can learn more about the project and purchase plants for sale. All proceeds of these sales go right back into our mission to beautify the Jefferson Median and turn it into a rich urban forest for all the community to enjoy.

Big thanks to Roy Appleton for including our Adopt a Tree program in the Dallas Morning News' Oak Cliff blog. Thank you, Roy!

Adopt a Tree in Oak Cliff

This is a great opportunity to so something green and civic with your family and friends this spring season and into the hot Texas summer.

Adopt a Tree in the Jefferson Median

The Jefferson Median Beautification Project (JMBP) has trees up for adoption. Eighteen trees were planted in the Jefferson median on each side of Hampton last December, and will need watering once a week now that the warmer weather has arrived. This would be a great family project and teaching opportunity for children.

JMBP plans to plant trees the 1.6 mile length of the Jefferson median from Oak Cliff Blvd to the Cockerell Hill city limits. This will be a multi-year project due to the large area covered. The trees planted on each side of Hampton last December were the first phase of this project.

To adopt a tree, contact JeffersonMedian[at]aol.com. Remember, the more water they get, the faster they will grow!

VAN JOHNSON
JEFFERSON MEDIAN BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT
http://jeffersonmed ianbeautificatio nproject. blogspot. com/

Build a Better Block

In conjunction with this weekend's 2nd Annual Art Crawl in Oak Cliff, the area of shops along 7th and Polk will transform into a temporary "plaza" style locale in an effort to show the city what the are could become - with its support (Are you listening, City Hall?). Expect to see a temporary bike lane, pop up flower and gift shop called Wigwam, and other fun happenings.

Also happening this weekend is the unveiling of Oak Cliff's latest (and seemingly endless) endeavors to build a better home - the Thing Small campaign. From the Go Oak Cliff blog:

"[The campaign's] major push is to recognize that the places people value and spend time are made up of small elements, whereas Dallas tends to look at massive works projects like signature bridges, half-billion dollar hotels, and major roadway construction, which do very little to create a sense of place. It’s the small plaza here, the neighborhood coffee shop there, and the community that lingers outdoors and plays that makes a lively, and engaging space. In other words, it’s not about the Eiffel Tower projects, it’s about the outdoor cafe and what makes that work…or worse, what hurts it’s development."

Sign me up for this campaign - bumper sticker, please!

(Read more at Unfair Park.)

Build A Better Block - This Weekend!

In conjunction with the 2nd Annual Oak Cliff Art Crawl, a new experience will be at hand. From the Go Oak Cliff web site:

Go Oak Cliff presents a live art installation called the “Better Block” developed to highlight the city’s restrictive zoning and ordinances that limit our ability to create a truly livable block. For two days only, on April 10th and 11th, the 400 Block of North Tyler Street will change from a car-centric thoroughfare, to a people friendly environment, complete with temporary businesses like a cafe, flower market, and kid’s art studio. We’ll also bring out historic lighting, cafe seating, and more.

Check out the Oak Cliff Art Crawl for more details on the businesses and galleries that will be open during the event. Also, view the recent press we receieved for the project by the Dallas Observer here.