BILL CHERRY'S GREATEST DALLAS PARK CITIES REAL ESTATE BLOG: May 2010

JAZZ'S MOST FAMOUS EDUCATOR, DR. LEON BREEDEN

Over the years, I have written a number of pieces about Dr. Leon Breeden, whose University of North Texas 1 O'clock Lab Band played for U.S. presidents, foreign countries' kings and queens, and ordinary jazz lovers all over the world, during his twenty or so year history with the University.

He's had a great influence on my life throughout our 50-year friendship, although I have never studied under him and I was never offered the opportunity to so much as to sit in during a set, playing the piano or Hammond B-3, with one of his bands.  That was an unspoken agreement.  (I'm a good musician, but not that good.)

We both counted comedian-jazz pianist and composer, Steve Allen, as one of our friends.

Dr. Breeden's former students are prominent musicians playing throughout the world. 

Stan Kenton was so impressed with the education Dr. Breeden gave his students, that he donated his entire band's orchestral book to UNT to archive.

Dr. Breeden, now in his 80s, has been living in a retirement home in Denton for the past few years, along with his wife, Bennye Wayne.  Mrs. Breeden died a few weeks back. 

I got a note today from our mutual friend, Richard Cox, that Dr. Breeden has moved to Dallas.

Former students, friends, and other well-wishers who would like to contact Dr. Breeden may email me and I will provide them with his address and phone number.

Dr. Breeden still plays his clarinet, and more than one person, including another great jazz educator, Jim Riggs, has told me that Dr. Breeden has no trouble playing several hundred tunes by memory.

Dr. Breeden has always been a social animal, and advancing age hasn't changed that a bit.  He'd love for friends to call and to come by and see him.  Talking about old times with him is always fascinating.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

WEB

4524 BELCLAIRE

HIGHLAND PARK

$1.995,900

MLS 11395920

Our agency welcomes you to view our French Vernacular listing this Sunday afternoon after lunch.

Four bedroom, four bathroom with two half-baths and fully furnished.  You will be touring it at your leisure.  Host Bill Cherry will be there to greet you this Sunday, between 2 and 4 PM.

A recent reconstruction, 4524 Belclaire was carefully conceived and designed so one might think it has always graced this address on luscious tree-lined Belclaire.  Custom designed by the owners, built by Park Cities home builder, Steve Hughes, the bricks, oak flooring and many of the accouterments of the original home were used in this from the bottom up reconstruction.

You'll find that a generous kitchen with commercial range and a side-by-side, two dishwashers, a warming drawer is within steps of the wine cellar.  With two fine fireplaces, and absolutely the best distribution of air conditioning air volume I've seen in a long while, it's a show place that's near Dallas' most prestiguous outdoor shopping at Preston and Mockingbird.

SMU is nearby as are the homes of the majority of Dallas' most prominent religious congregations.

From Mockingbird, go west on Preston, right on Belclaire. 

NOTE: For the safety of our clients' home it is our agency's long-time requirement that all Open House guests must sign in with full name, address and phone number before touring our listings.

Prospective buying clients who are represented by a Realtor are welcome to come with or without them, as we always welcome and explicitly honor those representations.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

web

The Texas Radio of Fame was founded with seventeen original directors*, but primarily with the insistence of Larry Shannon, himself a radio great. 

The year was 2002, and I have the honor of being the "Premier Member #96."   I am very honored to have been sponsored by one of the most famous of all of the DJs of the Gordon McLendon era, Chuck Dunaway.

I had worked in broadcasting as an avocation for forty-eight years, the most memorable for me was as host of the iconic "American Airlines Music ‘til Dawn" when I was a student at Tulane University in New Orleans.

And my last gig was as a feature writer and performer for News-24 Houston, with T.J. Aulds as my producer and director.

Each year since, members have sponsored and nominated those whom they believe should receive induction, and after secret ballot of the members, the new Cast of Characters is announced.

Shortly thereafter there will be a big banquet to officially inaugurate the new inductees.  In past years, if has primarily been held in Dallas, but last year it was held in Houston.

My personal nominees for the 2010 recognitions are:

William A. "Rascal" McCaskill.  Now 82, in 1954 Rascal was the first to bring rhythm and blues to the Houston white teenager market.  And even though he did it on a small suburban radio station, Baytown's KREL, via his evening program "Night Train." he virtually obliterated the competing stations that were still playing Bing Crosby, Perry Como and the like.

He regularly received more than 25,000 mail-in requests each year.

Vandy V. Anderson, Jr. Now 69, Vandy began working at Galveston's KGBC as a teenager.  Although he made a couple of quick stops at Houston's KXYZ and KILT, he spent the majority of his career with the Island station.  Ultimately he ended up owning a major portion of KGBC and was its manager.

What makes Vandy a worthy candidate for induction in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame is his station's unbiased news coverage, and that he kept the station on the air 24-hours a day through every hurricane and storm.  The station provided most Island residents the information they needed to keep safe.

Vandy is now retired.  Islanders consider him on a level with Edward R. Morrow.

Walter Hammock.  Walter Hammock is the youngster in my group of nominees.  Now in the marketing business, Walter - known on the air as "Walt" - held court weekdays on Houston's KQUE-FM along with other Radio Hall of Fame members, Paul Berlin and Scott Arthur.

Owned by another legend, Dave Morris, KQUE-FM was the sister of station of Top 40 formatted, KNUZ-AM.

Jaan McCoy.  The last of the guys still working in the Dallas market who uses what we call a "radio voice."  That, in itself, is reason alone to get the vote of the membership.  Nevertheless, Jaan has been on the radio for more than thirty-five years, most of that time in Dallas. 

His morning show, "The Breakfast Club," is the mainstay of KAAM-AM and has been there for more than twenty years.

With few exceptions, radio personalities have been poorly paid for many years, always wondering if they would have a job the next day.  As broadcasting has become more and more automated, positions and salaries have further diminished.  But it is a personally rewarding career that most will say that their sacrifices were worth it.

I loved it, and still do.  However, I never had the resolve necessary to take the full-time gamble and the challenges that it required one to have.  I always thought if I could ever buy a station, my approach to management would be one that recognized and listened to talent, and paid them for their remarkable expertise.

It is my opinion as well as those who made it to Radio's Top, that the failures of radio -- diminishing audiences, and with some teetering on bankruptcy -- can be almost solely rested on owner/management's shoulders.  As we say, "The Suits haven't a clue how to build and keep an audience, and they don't want us to tell them."

* Original Directors:  Ann Arnold, Eddie Barker, Paul Berlin, Chuck Blore, Kent Burkhart, Al Caldwell, Ken Dowe, Chuck Dunaway, Clint Fornby, Tom Glade, Steve Hicks, Jo Interrante, Audrey Malkan, Jim Phillips, Art Roberts, Larry Shannon and Bill Young.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

OUR 45TH YEAR

214 503-8563

WEB

In the Realtor association that serves the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, at last report there were more than 14,000 agents.  I have no clue what percentage of those agents serve Dallas, however, just shy of 1,000 claim their primary market interest to be Dallas' Park Cities.

The Park Cities is normally considered to be comprised of Highland Park and University Park.  Lots of homes, surely the major portion having a market value of in excess of $1 million with a substantial portion being worth more than $10 million.

When times were good and mortgage money flowed freely, people on an Income Stream Tightrope managed to buy there, and builders and mortgage companies with Las Vegas mentalities caused hundreds of lots to be scraped and multi-million dollar spec homes built to replace them.

An interestingly large number of the Park Cities inventory was bought by those in the real estate business -- commercial and residential -- who made a great deal of commission income and were sure it was the result of their sales prowess combined with Divine Right.

Fate waved its magic wand, as it has five times during my many years as a professional real estate person, and the market evaporated --- it evaporated just like that!  Many found that the homes they thought they deserved weren't supposed to be theirs afterall.  What they had seen as their encouragement to buy was Phantom Divine Right.

You know what followed, the same thing that has followed all five of the past ones that I've waded through since I began in 1964 with a real estate broker's license.

So I held an open house for one of my recent listings.  Realtors in that area have long agreed that those in the trade's open houses will be held on Tuesday between 9 and 11:30.

Out of my estimate of the nearly 1,000 who claim to work almost solely in the Park Cities, 1.6% showed up.  That's right, 16 all told.

The major portion of the 16 came from two agencies, Allie Beth Allman with the most, and Briggs Freeman a close second. 

(Two who also came were Ed Francis, the branch manager of Dallas' private mortgage bank and his new associatea, Stephanie Seeley.  I liked both of them very much.  I'll be sending them some business.)

There were two relatively new agents from Virginia Cook's agency.  Both were not afraid to be entering the business in tough times.  Both asked me how I get listings in that area where I have no prior pedigree.  I told them. 

Another agent came in the door with her cell phone stapled to her ear, and began a fast high-heel-clump-clump over the beautiful wood floors.  Without thinking that we had never laid eyes on each other, I yelled at her, "Hang up and look at the home!"  She quickly yelled back, "I will!"  But within a few moments she had seen what it had taken months and way more than a million bucks to build, and was out of the front door.  She had broken her promise, too.  The cell was still stuck to her ear.

Later I looked her up.  I gather she is newly licensed since there was no biography accompanying her name.

Two men drove up in a zillion year old beat up white convertible with the top down.  They parked in the driveway.  They were old-timers like me.  They meticulously inspected the home then, as they were leaving, stopped to visit.  They were seasoned, sell a lot, have survived at least most of the downturns I have, and have no reason to believe the beat up convertible has lesser standing than the new Lexuses and Mercedes that were coming and going from spaces at the curb.

One lady came in, and I'll swear, she was the perfect clone of a young French professor I had lived near and dated a few times when I was in graduate school.  Both fabulously pretty.  I restrained myself from telling the agent how lovely I thought she was, but I did have to tell her she reminded me of a French professor I'd known in my past life.  She said with a smile that it wasn't she. 

I wondered if the response came because she wanted me to know, as if I didn't already, that she was young enough to be my daughter, or if it was because her aptitude for learning French was as shallow as mine.

Later I looked her up.  I don't know why I did.  I hadn't needed to because I could tell by her behavior that she is one of the top sales performers, and has been for a long time.

But my overall impressions of the Open House experience were ones I could have predicted.

Relatively few Realtors are willing to invest the time to learn and know the product that is available for them to show to prospective buyers. 

How they select what they will show is beyond me. 

And in a market where buyers are not lined up to buy, many are willing to totally blame their lack of production on the Times rather than their lack of formal real estate education and unwillingness to invest the time necessary to build their business.

Sellers and buyers retain them anyway.  And agencies hang their licenses, hoping that for their small investment, the agent will sell enough by accident to keep it all afloat.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year!

214 503-8563

WEB

4524 BELCLAIRE AVENUE

HIGHLAND PARK

$1,995,900

Open House Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 2 pm to 4 pm

Virtual Tour

A recently reconstructed French Vernacular, carefully conceived so one might think it has always graced this luscious Highland Park French street site.

Custom designed by the owners, built by well-known Park Cities' builder, Steve Hughes, and using the bricks, heavy floor hardwood flooring and many of the original home's classic fixtures.  They are all set on the strong pier and beam foundation of the original home. 

All four of the bedrooms and four baths are on the second floor, as is one of the three big living spaces.  Guests enter the home through an impressive foyer -- living room on the left, formal dining room on the right.  Then on the way through the foyer, there is an owner's library on the left, with the fine staircase next.

There is a first floor wine cellar just before you enter the big family room.  It has visual and open access to the great kitchen, with commercial range and refrigerator-freezer, two dishwashers, ovens and warming drawer.

The rear patio has a wood burning fireplace, and there's plenty of room to add a pool, perhaps like this one (this pool is not on the property).

Photos and virtual tour of 4524 Belclaire can be seen in advance.  Just click here.

DIRECTIONS:  From Northwest Highway west, I-45 South, take Mockingbird west past Hillcrest, SMU, to Preston.  Turn left.  Travel past Dallas' best shopping, then past Beverly to Belclaire, turn right.  4524 Belclaire will be a few blocks down.  The home is on your right.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

web

3608 BRENTWOOD -- COLLEYVILLE

$369,000

MLS # 11410688

Charming home with large pool in the fine town of Colleyville.  For more information, contact us.  Realtors, contact CSS to schedule appointments.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

WEB

THE LORD OF THE JUNGLE

WAS ALSO

A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS BAR ASSOCIATION

By Bill Cherry 

I suppose there is a good percentage of Texans who had never heard of John O'Quinn.  He was a Houston attorney who was killed in an automobile accident on October 29, 2009, at the age of 68.

<==JOHN O'QUINN (photo by Pam Frances Photographer, used with permission)

So here's your chance to know something about a man who made clients and himself rich while leaving companies like Wyeth Laboratories, Dow Corning and the tobacco industry's treasuries in shambles, as juries awarded his clients billions.

In fact, those who keep up with statistics say that all told, O'Quinn's clients, throughout his career, shared $20 billion. 

There was a fellow who had been employed by an ethylene unit of a chemical plant in Galveston County.  He began having lung problems.  They got more and more severe, then he passed away.

The man's family suspected that his illness and death may have been caused by unsafe work surroundings, so they asked Galveston attorneys, Bob Moore and Jeff Kilgore, to investigate and see if they thought there would be reason to sue.

Well, I know Moore and Kilgore and they are the kind of attorneys who are relentless.

They don't give up until they have found an answer to a problem. 

A few months later, the two attorneys sat down and read through the information and documents they had accumulated, and they thought they could win a suit against the chemical plant.

So the next day, they filed suit in Galveston County.  Their agreement with the deceased man's family was that the legal fees would be on a contingency basis - if Moore and Kilgore won, they got paid; if they lost, they got nothing for all of their time and the expenses they had incurred.

They won.  The jury awarded over $100 million in Judge Hugh Gibson's court. 

But the elation didn't last long.  Judge Gibson thought the award excessive, so he ordered the whole thing to be tried again, but this time by a procedure known as bifurcation.

Frequently, civil cases are bifurcated into separate liability  and damages proceedings. That way, the pieces can be considered individually, requiring any awards to be specific to the infraction rather than just one pile of dough.

But remember, Moore and Kilgore had already fronted about $250,000 of expense in the case, so they decided that they had best bring in help.  Moore called his old law school friend, John O'Quinn.

"Send me your files, and I'll let you know," O'Quinn told Moore.

So the new team of Moore, Kilgore and O'Quinn got a new court date.  Meanwhile, O'Quinn moved into the Tremont House Hotel near where the suit's "War Room" would be maintained.

About 5:30 AM on the day that the new trial was to begin, it was foggy and cold on the Island.  Not a soul was stirring anywhere near the Tremont House.  After all, most of the city was just starting to stretch, yawn, and open the beginning of the day.

One lone janitor, Joe Garcia,  was finishing cleaning the Wentletrap Restaurant which shared the alley with the Tremont House.  As he went out to sweep the sidewalk, he heard the cry of Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle.

It scared the bejeezes out of him.  And then Tarzan sounded his cry again.

Garcia put his broom over his head club-style and carefully crept to the corner of the building, then peaked around it.  In the alley was a tall man in jogging shorts, tank top and Reeboks.

No one else was nearby

The man threw his head back and started flapping his right hand over his mouth, as again he screamed the Tarzan yell at the top of his lungs.

Just as he finished, the man saw the janitor and started laughing.

"You must think I've escaped from the psychiatric ward," he said to the Garcia.  "I'm John O'Quinn," he said as he extended his hand to shake that of the janitor.

"I'm an attorney and I've been living in the Tremont House while preparing a case for Judge Gibson's court."

"Today's the first day of the trial.  A lot's at stake," O'Quinn continued.

"I've learned that just like an opera singer, I have to be in good voice when I'm trying a case.  After all, I'm a performer, too.  And I also have to appear to the opposition and to the jury to be the winner.  By acting as Tarzan just before I go into court, I not only get my voice practice, but I psych myself into believing that I actually am Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle."

O'Quinn told Garcia that he was absolutely sure his secret ritual was very important to his success.

This time, with Tarzan, Moore and Kilgore as a team, after a couple of days of trial, the defense figured it had better fold up its tent and go home, so it offered a huge settlement.

That was a smart move.  Every bug, every bird, every snake, and every animal knows that Tarzan is the Lord of the Jungle. The defense attorneys had obviously learned that, too.

Copyright 2010 - William S. Cherry

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563 WEB

HARRY Mc CARLEY

I swear, he's going to the dogs!

This is my friend, Harry Mc Carley, who in real life is a clerk at the counter of the Ferndale branch of the Lake Highlands post office.  And he's a good one.  I make special trips there because I like him and his counter partner, Janet Jackson.

Harry's been thinking about what he'll do when he retires.  "I'm not going to sit around like my daddy did," he told me.  When I went in today to get stamps, Harry said, "I've hit it!  The perfect idea!"

So it turns out that Harry's founded a new business -- he's the chairman of the board, the president, and he also cleans the outdoor toilets, so to speak.  The company is called SCOOPERS.

Here's the gist of the service.  His clients no longer have to clean up their yards after their dogs have made their deposits.  Harry takes care of that for them.  The slogan is, "The scoopers for your poopers."

So even though Harry's not retired from the post office, he's got his new business up and running.  Use Scoopers yourself and recommend it to your friends.

WEB SITE: www.scooperspwm.com

PHONE HARRY: 214 926-6033

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

OPEN HOUSE 2 TO 4

SUNDAY, MAY 23RD

$1,875,000

My associate, Ashley Dugas, and I will be there to welcome visitors and Realtors who would like to tour our excellent 5,700 square foot home listing in prestigous Highland Park.

Beautiful curb appeal, and with open flame gas lights providing the soft lit shadows that frame the entrance, the interior itself couldn't be more spectacular.

One of the architectural "tricks" that seems to be so hard for designers to execute is to have the living areas of a home feel comfortable when there is a crowd of fifty sharing cocktails and miniature roast prime rib sandwiches, or on a winter Tuesday evening when mom, dad and the kids are sitting by the fire, discussing school events and homework.

Well, architect Gary Coventi pulled that trick off.  In fact, I'd say he pulled it off better than any of the hundreds of fine homes I've seen over my years as a Realtor for the gentry.

And the kitchen and bar are so spacious and well situated that the caterer or the homeowners themselves can easily prepare and serve without running out of counter space or getting in each other's way.

And while I'm at it, there is a swell screen porch with its own fireplace overlooking the backyard gardens.

Upstairs, of course, are generous bedrooms and baths plus a small office and media room.

Stop by and see Good at its best.  In the meantime, there is a fine virtual tour on our web site.  You can enjoy it right this moment.  www.billcherryrealtors.com

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

web

The history of the reclamation and restoration of Galveston Island's Grand 1894 Opera House is a true star in the hat of historic preservation.

Under the leadership of executive director Maureen Patton, this fine Galveston architectural bookmark has been hosting great national and international talent for over thirty years.

Of course the miracle is that funds have been raised every year to supplement ticket sales so that the Grand has managed to stay in the black.

One of the great events of each year is called GRAND GATHERINGS: A SERIES OF CULINARY EVENTS. 

This year they begin Saturday, June 5th, when Houston TV weatherman, Frank Billingsly and Kevin Gillard join Stephen and Patricia Rennick of the famous Mosquito Cafe to host an evening for thirty guests.

If you're on the Island or plan to be there, here's a great way to have a fine evening and support the arts where The Arts first began in Texas.

The schedule of events follows....

BILL CHERRY REALTORS

Dallas - Park Cities

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

WEB