Feeling lucky? In 1994, the fate of Hillcrest High School’s football season rested on the outcome of a coin toss. Head coach Garry Monty was hoping for tails. We hope you enjoy this look back at some features from our 1990s archives.
An Open Letter to Parents (Nov. 1, 1990)
The heads of 12 area schools, including Greenhill, St. Mark’s, Hockaday, and The Episcopal School of Dallas, wrote a letter to parents warning of the danger of unsupervised weekend parties. The principals suggested to mom and dad that, when children’s health and safety hangs in the balance, prevention should start at home.
The James Herriot of Northside (Nov. 21, 1991)
Jo Eklof had cared for nearly 600 birds and more than 100 mammals at her home since March, Northside People reported. The former schoolteacher was currently housing a white pigeon with a bad foot, doves, a domestic ringneck pigeon with no known owner, a rabbit, injured birds, mourning doves, white opossums, a turtle with a dog-chewed shell, and mealworms to feed the turtle. Eklof was also a songwriter and performer whose music career helped pay for the animals’ life-saving equipment and food.
Cinemark Plan a Flop With Neighbors (Nov. 4, 1993)
Cinemark Theaters’ plan to construct an 18-screen movie complex on Inwood Road between Forest Lane and the LBJ Freeway had neighbors fuming. “It would be like Las Vegas Circus-Circus in the middle of our neighborhood,” resident Kathy Coffman told Northside People.Spoiler alert: The Dallas City Council narrowly nixed the project, and Cinemark sued. The city settled that lawsuit in 1996 at a cost of more than $5 million.
Ursuline Overcomes Legal Tangles, Wins State (Nov. 11, 1993)
Ursuline Academy’s cross country team brought home a state championship thanks to a little help from parents and attorneys, and a temporary restraining order from a Dallas judge. Ursuline was one of 20 schools that mistakenly thought it had registered for state when it signed up for district competition. TAPPS ruled that the schools were ineligible to compete due to their failure to file the correct paperwork. When TAPPS’ board of directors refused to budge, parents filed suit on behalf of the students. Ursuline, it turned out, had both speedy runners and firm legal ground to stand on.
A Lucky Coin (Nov. 10, 1994)
The phrase “tails never fails” hit home for Hillcrest football head coach Garry Monty when a lucky coin flip earned his Panthers a spot in the playoffs. Hillcrest, W.T. White, and Roosevelt were tied for the title in District 12-4A. But only two playoff spots were available for the three teams. The coaches decided that the odd man out on a coin flip would win the first seed, and that the remaining teams would flip for the second spot. W.T. White’s coach won the first toss, leaving Roosevelt and Hillcrest to vie for the remaining berth. Roosevelt’s coach called heads, and the coin came up tails. Northside People reported that Monty let out a sigh of relief and yell at the same time. Hillcrest fell in its bi-district game the next week.
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