Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, December 22, 2006 Page: 6 of 72
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Gay City Councilman Oakley kicks off mayoral campaign
Diverse group gathers for press conference officially announcing
candidacy for mayor; volunteers spend rest of day knocking on doors
By David Webb Staff Writer
About 100 volunteers and other supporters
turned out to help gay Councilman Ed Oakley
kick off his mayoral campaign last weekend.
The cheering crowd at the press conference on
Dec. 16 included young and old, gay and straight
and an equal mix of African-American, Hispanic
and Anglo residents. The strong, diverse turnout
gratified him, the candidate said after formally
announcing his intention to seek the city's top
elected seat.
"I'm blown away," Oakley said. "You never
know what to expect."
Oakley told the gathering that economic
strength is the key to solving the city's woes.
"This campaign will be about bringing jobs
back to Dallas," Oakley said. "Our city's chal-
lenges in crime and education can be solved
when we restore our city's economic strength.
That is what I have done in my district, and we
must do it citywide."
Oakley announced the support of North Dallas
Councilman Bill Blaydes, who is a straight
Republican.
"Ed may be a Democrat, but he will have a lot
of conservative Republicans like me supporting
him because he does what is right," Blaydes said
in a statement. "This city would not have the tax
cut we just passed without the hard work of Ed
Oakley."
Dallas County Community College trustee
Charletta Compton attended the press confer-
ence.
"As an African-American elected official, as a
neighbor of Ed Oakley, I have seen the job he has
done for his district," Compton said. "He has
served the city well and been extremely effec-
tive."
Jerome Garza, a Dallas Independent School
District trustee, is also supporting Oakley.
"As a school board member, I have seen first
hand how much Ed has done to make education
better," Garza said. "I trust Ed Oakley to be a
great mayor."
The supporters in the audience included
Oakley's most faithful one. Imogene Oakley
Martin, the councilman's mother, traveled to
Volunteers wearing "Ed Oakley for Dallas Mayor" T-shirts stand with the candidate as he kicks off his grassroots cam-
paign for Dallas mayor. About 100 observers packed Oakley's campaign headquarters for the announcement.
Dallas from Oklahoma for the event.
Oakley noted that his mother had helped in his
three successful campaigns for the City Council.
"She's been my biggest supporter," Oakley
said.
His mother said she believed Oakley would be
a good mayor because of his dedication to task.
"He'll do what he says he will," Martin said.
That sentiment and more was shared by
Rosaline Montgomery, one of Oakley's con-
stituents in District 3.
"He's done a good job with the district,"
Montgomery said. "He's a fair man about every-
thing. He thinks about everybody, not just certain
groups. He's for everybody."
See OAKLEY on PAGE 13
Black Tie Dinner smashes record
25th anniversary event
raises $1,35 million
for 18 beneficiaries
By Beth Freed Staff Writer
Once again, Black Tie Dinner, Inc.
has smashed previous record dona-
tions seen over its 25 years of giving,
with officials announcing this week
that the 25th anniversary event last
month raised SI.35 million.
Eighteen beneficiaries received
shares of that total when checks were
distributed Tuesday, Dec. 19. The
seminal charity event, presented by
hotels.com, has made its name known
nationally as the largest fundraiser of
its kind, both in attendance and dona-
tions, according to officials.
"Giving out money," said Jeff Hurt,
the new PR and Marketing Committee
chair, "I mean, who doesn't enjoy
that?"
Tears and hugs flowed out of the
givers and the receivers as spokespeo-
ple from each organization accepted
their checks. Northaven United
Methodist Church was the only first-
time beneficiary at this year's distribu-
tion event; they received a $44,660
check.
"It's just wonderful," said Eric
Folkerth, the senior pastor of the
church. "It's truly amazing. We're so
honored to be a part of Black Tie and
6 I dallasvoice.com I 12.22.06
Former Black Tie Dinner co-chair Tom Phipps, left, and co-chair Deiadra Burns bid a tearful
farewell to Sheila Bryant, former development director, at the check distribution event this
week at the Adam's Mark Hotel. Bryant is stepping down from the position after four years with
the organization.
we're stunned by the amount of the
check. We're just very, very grateful."
Some of the money will be used for
LGBT advocacy within the Methodist
Church, said Folkerth, but it will take
time to figure out how to best use all of
the money.
The Resource Center of Dallas
received the largest local donation at
$65,887, while half of the total sum
— $675,000 — went to the Human
Rights Campaign Foundation, head-
quartered in Washington, D.C.
Individual and corporate sponsor-
ships, sale of live and silent auction
items and ticket sales resulted in this
year's groundbreaking amount, offi-
cials said. So far, the Black Tie Dinner
has raised $10.48 million in its 25-year
history.
New leadership changes were also
See BUCK TIE on PAGE 1(1
Mountain rescue effort
called off for climbers
Searchers give up hope of finding missing Dallas man,
friend alive; family, friends head home after long vigil
By Beth Freed Staff Writer
Rescue efforts have been called
off for Brian Hall of Dallas, and
Jerry "Nikko" Cooke of Brooklyn,
the two climbers remaining of the
three stranded on Mt. Hood in
Oregon.
Hall was voted "Best Personal
Trainer" in the Dallas Voice's
Readers Voice Awards earlier this
year. He has been described by
friends and clients in the LGBT
community as a great friend and sup-
porter of the community.
The team of climbers has been
missing since Dec. 8, when they ran
into severe winter weather after
reaching the summit of the 11,239-
foot mountain.
Rescue volunteers discovered the
body of one of the three, Kelly James
of Dallas, earlier this week in a snow
cave. Officials presume that the team
separated when James injured his
shoulder, rendering him unable to
climb.
Remnants of supplies and a cut
rope led officials to conclude that the
two remaining climbers attempted to
d.
Popular Dallas personal trainer Brian Hall,
left, is presumed dead after searchers
failed to find him and a friend from
Brooklyn alive during a search on Oregon's
Mount Hood this week. Another climbing
partner, Kelly James, right, was found
dead.
attach themselves to a cliff face, but
got blown over by high winds. The
two are presumed dead.
Hall's friends say they are devas-
See CLIMBERS on PAGE 8
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Nash, Tammye. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, December 22, 2006, newspaper, December 22, 2006; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth238940/m1/6/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.