Preserving Oral History

The story of the historic Rose Marine Theater is one of perseverance and pride on Fort Worth’s North side.  But until recently, people only knew its history from talking to each other. 

On Saturday morning, NBC 5’s Deborah Ferguson will show you a new project to preserve the community’s history for eternity with a new documentary.  Here’s a link to the story: http://video.nbc5i.com/player/?id=667396

The documentary is being screened this Saturday, September 20 from 7:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

The Historic Rose Marine Theater is located at 1440 N. Main Street in Fort Worth.

Here’s a link to the Theater: http://www.rosemarinetheater.com/

Life Lessons

As soon as I heard about Amanda McKnight, I knew I had to do a story about her.

Earlier this year, I got an e-mail message from the mother of one of Amanda’s seventh grade students at Briarhill Middle School in Highland Village. The mother wrote me to tell me how much her daughter “adores” Mrs. McKnight.

“Mrs. McKnight in my opinion is not just a great role model, but an excellent teacher,” she wrote. “She lets each child show who they are in their work and always looks for the best in every child, even the ones that test her patience.”

She also told me about Amanda McKnight the Survivor. McKnight is a survivor of the Wedgewood Baptist Church Shooting, which happened on Sept. 16, 1999.

One hundred fifty teenagers were singing hymns at the Fort Worth church when a gunman burst in the door and opened fire on them. Seven people died, four teenagers and three adults; seven more were wounded. The gunman went into a back pew at the church and killed himself.

Nine years later, McKnight uses the tragedy in various Language Arts lessons to teach her students about heroes, forgiveness and perseverance.

“I was a senior in high school when the shooting at my church occurred,” McKnight writes, “and the event is woven so deeply into the fabric of my life that I can’t help but share it and the many lessons it taught me with my students.”

Her students are learning, and they love her for her honesty and realism.

McKnight’s story is a timely and meaningful, and her lessons are those anyone can learn from.

Where to find locally grown food

With rising costs of food, there’s a renewed interest in community gardens.  This weekend marks a special anniversary for greenspace growth in a part of Dallas.  NBC 5’s Kristi Nelson takes us to the East Dallas Community Garden today (Thursday) at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00 a.m.

The garden is at 1416 North Fitzhugh in Dallas. You can find it yourself at http://www.gardendallas.org/east_dallas_community_garden.htm

Museum Making in Cowtown

I once heard an old phrase, “when someone dies, it’s like a library dies.” Just think about the wealth of history, biographies and entertaining stories that die with that person.

 

Lenora Rolla was a beloved member of the Fort Worth community.  After her death, friends decided to use her home to keep her dream alive.

Today at 4pm, NBC 5’s Scott Friedman shows us how an old house is being tranformed into a new place to celebrate not just black history, but Fort Worth history.

For more information, http://blog.tarrantcoblackhistorical.com/

Tortilla Tradition

Our next stop on historic places around Dallas is Luna’s Tortilla Factory. 

In 1924, the Dallas tortilla and tamale restaurant started in the Uptown area of Dallas.  Back then, the area was known as Little Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Years later, the Luna family sold the building and moved to a new area on Harry Hines. 

Today at 4pm, NBC 5’s Kristi Nelson shows us how a matriarch’s dream lives on.

Luna’s Tortilla Factory is at 8524 Harry Hines Blvd. in Dallas. Click on www.lunastortillas.com for a link to this delicious part of Dallas past and present!

Take A Ride Back In Time

North Texas in 2008 is a land of highways, Hummers and Hybrids.  But it’s easy and FREE to see how people traveled in the first part of the 1900’s.  Head down to McKinney Avenue in uptown Dallas and take a streetcar!

 

 

 

Kristi Nelson took a ride on this part of transportation history in Dallas.  Here is a link to her report: http://video.nbc5i.com/player/?id=283879

 

Learn how this part of the past is helping current North Texans save gas and money while inspiring new memories.  For more information, click on: www.mata.org/

Historic Dallas Home Tour

You can take a walk back in time on Swiss Avenue in Dallas. 

You’ve heard about the century old homes and now Omar Villafranca is taking you inside them.  His reports air today at 4pm and Sunday (August 3) at 8am.

 

 

 

 

 

Homeowners Larry Waisanen and Virginia Dupy shared stories about their grand ol’ homes! 

 

 

 

 

 

Some date back to the 19TH century!  This is a picture of Dupy’s home on the prairie, the first on the block! Each has its own personality.

To learn more about the Swiss Ave. Historic District, click on http://www.sahd.org/

Wildlife in Arlington

 

 

The Trinity River has attracted people to North Texas for decades.

It is in its natural state in North Arlington. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The River Legacy Foundation has a summer camp for children to learn about native plants and animals in the park.

 

 

 

 

Its too late to join the camp, but you’re welcome to visit the Living Science Center at Cooper & Green Oaks Blvd.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is North of I-30 in North Arlington. 

For more information,  we’ve linked to: http://www.riverlegacy.org/livingsciencecenter.html

To see NBC 5 photojournalist Patric Alva’s story:

http://video.nbc5i.com/player/?id=279344#videoid=279286

Cookin With Carol

Enjoy Carol’s light and healthy Watermelon salad..

Click here for the recipe:

http://www.nbc5i.com/cookingwithcarol/16856605/detail.html

Come back here and tell us what you think!

Frisco Heritage Museum

This week’s Spotlight profiled the Frisco Heritage Museum.  Its a place you can go to learn about local history without spending a lot on gas!

Frisco Heritage Museum- www.friscomuseum.com/

972-292-5656

 

 The Frisco Heritage Museum allows you to experience the printing press and the process of making cotton – from gin to loom. 

 

 

 

 Kristi gave it a hands on try.  There’s also an old theater for you to experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you wonder how much gas cost in the early 20th century?  You can see at an old filling station.

Behind the museum is a living village, including historic homes, a log cabin and an early 1900’s era church.  The church is available to be rented for modern weddings.  Frisco started as an important train destination.  Just like Kristi, you can climb aboard an old locomotive!

To get to the Frisco Heritage Museum, take the Dallas North Tollway to central Frisco.  Turn right at Main Street.  Go past Pizza Hut Park and City Hall to John Elliot Drive.  Turn right and you can’t miss the buildings at the end of the road!