I’m getting the data on this from the appraisal district, but I wanted to throw the question out to you all as well: has your home valued declined? Secondly, does this bother you? For instance, if you’re not trying to sell it right now, the lesser evaluation would mean lower taxes, so it probably wouldn’t matter much.

Just an idea I’ve been playing with, and since I don’t own a house in the Park Cities, thought I’d throw it to you.

I was awestruck by this massive white house on the corner of University and Dickens yesterday. It’s obvious a lot of work is being done on the site, but I couldn’t immediately tell if it was a remodel or a new build. A new house in such a classic style would be a breath of fresh air, but a look at the street view function on Google Maps leads me to believe this is a remodel. If so, bravo to the owners for not tearing such a beautiful old house and starting from scratch.

Allie Beth has served on the TCU Board of Trustees, the Center for Brain Health Advisory Board, and the executive committee of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Dallas Council. Pierce, meanwhile, was one of the founders of La Fiesta de Las Seis Banderas and is the narrator for the Sixth Floor Museum.

Pierce spoke for his wife, whom he said is a proud native Texan, a claim he can’t make himself. “I’m from back east. I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas,” he said. “But as soon as the family learned to read, we moved to Texas.”

Pierce said one of his favorite things he ever read was an oath of citizenship young men had to make in ancient Greece. He then read it aloud to the room. I wasn’t able to jot it down word-for-word, but the basic gist of it was making sure you contribute to your city, to elevate it. “That spirit of old Athens is the spirit of new Dallas,” he said.

Finally, Pierce advised the attendees to never underestimate the power of an involved citizenry. “Just remember, the ark was built by volunteers,” he said. “Professionals built the Titanic.”

The Allmans weren’t the only Park Cities people honored at today’s luncheon:

• University Park resident Mark A. Roglán, director of the Meadows Museum at SMU, received the Award for Excellence in Arts Leadership.
• University Park resident Sandi Bond Chapman, founder of the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas at Dallas, received the Award for Excellence in Health/Science-Research.
• Turtle Creek resident William M. Lee, who holds the Meredith Mosle Distinguished Professorship in Liver Disease at the UT-Southwestern Medical School, received the Award for Excellence in Health/Science-Medicine.
• Northern Hills resident Frank Welch, who holds a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Society of Architects, won the Award for Excellence in Creative Arts.
• Caruth Court resident Sara Martineau, a former chairman of the Crystal Charity Ball, received the Award for Excellence in Volunteer Leadership.

Congratulations to all of the honorees.

If you’ve had enough time to shake off your post-World Series funk, perhaps you’d like to attend an event hosted by the Real Estate Council tomorrow morning. Talk show host Norm Hitzges will moderate a discussion about what a big business sports is in this region. Panelists will include Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson; Joshua Price, an assistant professor of economics at UT-Arlington; and Trey Yelverton, Arlington’s deputy city manager of neighborhood services.

The discussion will take place over breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Belo Mansion. The cost for nonmembers is $90. For more information, contact the Real Estate Council at 214-692-3600.

Well, now I know: It’s called Lakeside Village. And I know that because I received a press release yesterday trumpeting the shopping center’s sale to Retail Plazas Inc., a firm led by Highland Park resident Jeffrey Olyan. According to the release from Henry S. Miller Companies, Lakeside Village’s owner since 1999, the center was developed by Property Company of America in 1986.

“Some of the tenants are still the original tenants in the center, like SAS Shoes and Lakeside Cleaners,” said Vaughn Miller, head of the Henry S. Miller retail division, “and that speaks volumes about the strength of the center and the market area.”

Good news for Olyan: Not one crime has been reported at the Lakeside Village Subway this year.

A friend of mine just bought a house in North Oak Cliff that includes an indoor pool. That got me thinking that such houses would make a cool story for our “Real Estate Quarterly” section. Do you know any Park Cities residents who can go for a dip without going outdoors?

(a)     Any fence or wall constructed along the rear property line, where such property line adjoins an alley easement, shall not exceed eight feet (8′) in height.

(b)     Any fence or wall constructed along any rear property line, not adjacent to an alley easement, shall not exceed eight feet (8′) in height.

(c)     Every portion of a fence must be located a minimum of two feet (2′) away from the edge of the alley or on the rear property line, whichever is further away from the edge of the alley pavement.