My dad and his dad were in the car parts business from 1932 till, oh, few weeks back -- first in Deep Ellum, then on Second Avenue near Fair Park. So they've always known plenty of folks along Ross Avenue with automotive-related businesses; sold 'em more than a few alternators. And Dad's fraternity brothers at SMU used to buy all their cars from Sam Shalette, who sold 'em used along Ross. Schutze'll be along shortly with his history of Ross Avenue, but Dad got plenty pissed this a.m. when he read that the city council voted yesterday to shutter Woodard Paint & Body Shop, which opened in 1920 and has to git by 2010, thanks for playing.

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard," Dad said, getting warmed up on a subject that hits close to home. "That's bullshit. It's gonna take 'em years to build these restaurants and apartments no one will ever live in or eat at. Meanwhile, they kick a man out of his family business? Our city fathers are suffering from cranial rectitus." And this has been another installment in Stuff My Dad Says. Really need to do this more often. Give him a blog, maybe. --Robert Wilonsky

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