Vol. 119 No. 33 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 August 17 - 23, 2008 ‘DALLAS Po 50¢ Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Her dream is for the birds Wende DeOliverra has hopes of building conservation center By CHRISTIE DELICATI For The Dallas Post ood things come to those who wait- ...and to those who have an adoring love for birds. That’s the scenario for Wende DeOliverra, a 47-year-old resi- dential real-estate appraiser from Dallas. It’s been years of imagining but now DeOliver- ra’s dream of building a large-scale conservation center for rare and unusual birds is finally under- way. Amidst an 86-acre Back Mountain property sits a 5,100 square foot farm house where DeOliverra resides with her 24-year old son, Gino, also a real- estate appraiser, her companion Dave Brown, 40, and many birds. In 1997, DeOliverra purchased her first bird, an Umbrella Cockatoo named “Woody.” By October 2007, she was determined to pursue the journey that would put her one step closer toward turning her dream into a reality so she purchased enough property to secure her chance at building what she’s named “Woody Acres Avian Conservation Eco-Center.” Woody Acres Avian Conservation Eco-Center is a not-for-profit zoological enterprise to promote avian and wildlife conservation, maintain and propagate certain rare and endangered avian spe- cies. DeOliver- ra’s love for rare birds devel oped when her son was a small People may not remember me af- ter I'm gone but when my birds wind up somewhere else and are protected here in the United States - that will be my legacy.” Wende DeOliverra child and she was looking for something to help create a bond between the two of them. She began exploring and researching rare birds on a whim and fell in love with cockatoos, as did her son who also plays a major role in the conservation project. After working with endangered birds for 12 years, DeOliverra formed a breeding cooperative with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to import endangered species. The USFWS is the principal federal agency charged with protecting and enhancing the habitat of more than 800 species of birds that spend all or part of their lives in the United States. Between her full- time job, caring for her family and her pursuing hobby, DeOliverra gets very little op- portunity for rest. not the easiest to deal with being that they are often eg. loud and destructive and prone to hu- man-like obses- =X The future site of the Woody Acres Avian Con- servation Eco-Center can be seen from the DeOliverra home. CHRISTIE DELICATI PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST sive compulsiveness,” DeOliverra said. “They need to be continuously stimulated and occu- pied.” According to DeOliverra, there are two differ- ent reasons for a project of this magnitude - first, the genetic management of endangered avian spe- cies and secondly, to expose the general public to rare and unusual birds and to provide bird good- will ambassadors. “Initially, the focus of this project did not in- clude opening it to the public but I've come to real- ize that the birds and I give people a reason to sup- port it,” she adds. The plan is to open the conser- vation center to the public by 2010. Endangered species of cockatoos don’t come cheap and are valued anywhere from $1,000 to $30,000, based on the rarity of the bird. DeOliver- ra is now responsible for about 80 birds which have come from zoos or private importing parties once all U.S. government permits are obtained. “The permit process is very crucial because back in 1992, the U.S. government seized the im- porting of parrot species in order to restrict the trade of wild caught parrots,” says DeOliverra. And that process is no simple task. In order to obtain such permission, a person must prove him- self or herself worthy to the government by being a zoological enterprise or having worked with a specific species in the private sector which is how DeOliverra proved her worthiness. She indicates that few people realize all parrot species are con- sidered endangered. One of her greatest concerns is the estimation that, due to human encroachment, deforestation and the illegal trade in wild caught species, anum- ber of species in residence at the center will be- come extinct in their country of origin. DeOliverra stresses that the conservation pro- ject is not an animal rescue. “My birds have an 80 to 90-year life span and are considered to be of the most intelligent and chal- lenging species in the world,” she said. “It is scien- See BIRDS, Page 8 Wende DeOliverra gets a kiss from 'Orem Ishi,’ her 2-year-old male cockatoo imported from Italy. HARVEYS LAKE EVENT BRINGS MANY HOME [de family donates book By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Members of the Ide family re- cently donated a book about their family genealogy to the Back Mountain Memorial Library. Copies of the book also have been or will be donated to Dallas High School, Lake-Lehman High SUBMITTED PHOTO Spc. Matthew Mahoney, right, a native of Sweet Valley, serves as a Black Hawk crew chief with Company A, 3rd Battal- ion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Task Force XII. He is currently stationed in Baghdad. SV native keeps helicopters flying Special to The Dallas Post The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is the Army’s primary form of air transporta- tion — and also one of its fastest vehicles on, or above, the battlefield. In order for these helicopters to suc- cessfully conduct air missions, they need knowledgeable and focused crew chiefs to watch over passengers, maintain the air- craft and watch for threats from the sky. Such is the mission of Multi-National Division -Baghdad’s Spc. Matthew Maho- ney, a native of Sweet Valley, who said he never gets bored while flying because he has enough responsibilities to keep him busy. Mahoney, who serves as a Black Hawk crew chief with Company A, 3rd Battal- ion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Task Force XII, loves his job because it keeps him con- stantly engaged. “When we're flying, were continually monitoring the cockpit to back up the pi- lots,” he said. “We’re also on the lookout for towers and other aircraft flying around Baghdad. On top of all that, we manage all the passengers in the back and we are con- stantly on the lookout for any threats.” Mahoney first started his military ca- reer in the National Guard as a mainte- nance professional, working on Black Hawks, only to later switch to active duty and crew the helicopters. “I went on active duty after two years in the National Guard where I was a Black Hawk repairer,” he said. “Initially, I want- ed to become a pilot, but my recruiter con- vinced me to work on the helicopters to get some experience. When I went on ac- tive duty, I switched over to become a crew chief — and I am loving it.” Mahoney’s leadership greatly values his technical expertise when it comes to the helicopters. They say he’s the first soldier they talk to when they have specific ques- tions about the inner workings of their Black Hawks. “Mahoney is one of the best and bright- est soldiers I've ever worked with,” said Sgt. Brett Babin, a native of New Orleans, squad leader and crew chief with Co. A. “He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to these helicopters, so he is a great resource to have on my team. If any of us have any questions about something, he is always there to help us out.” For his future, Mahoney is still unsure whether he is going to stay in the military, but knows he will continue to work with helicopters even if he decides to join the civilian workforce after his deployment. “I plan on dropping my warrant officer packet if I decide to stay in the military af- ter this deployment,” he said. “If not, I still want to continue working with helicop- ters.” No matter what Mahoney decides to do with the rest of his career, Babin will sup- port him every step of the way. “I think he likes the maintenance side more than the flight side,” Babin said. “I know he’s been talking about getting out of the military and working as a civilian contractor, but I'd still like to see him stay in. I know he’ll be successful with whatev- er he does.” Until then, Mahoney, the son of Bob and Colette Mahoney of Sweet Valley, will be crewing the “Death Dealer” as it carries cargo and passengers from place to place CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE DALLAS POST Shirley Smith, seated left, and Willis Ide, seated right, both treasur- ers of the Ide Family Reunion, make a presentation to Martha Butler, left, director, and Ron Moran, president, of the Back Mountain Memo- rial Library Board of Directors, of the compilation of their family history. The Ide family history began in 1799 when the Ides came to the Back Mountain and built a cabin on Idetown-Huntsville Road, opposite the Idetown Cemetery. School, Misericordia University, the Osterhout Library and the Li- brary of Congress. “The Ide Book will be a wonder- ful addition to our local history col- lection,” said Martha Butler, direc- tor of the Back Mountain Memo- rial Library. “It is really great that families are willing to share their history with the community. Hav- ing local history in the library adds a dimension to the library and helps support the history of the Sandra May Johnson, of Harveys Lake and Florida, a project that took them five years to compile. The book was published by Gary During the Revolutionary War, Nehemiah Ide fought in the Battle of Trenton where, it is believed, he promised his dying friend he =~ community. We have a small but and Richard Ide, owners of a Dallas : around Baghdad. x : oe rg would m his fiancée, Mary. ofan used local history collec- ringing Pusiniess called Green The tg supposedly COrilL mp A book on the Ide family history ~~ Highlights of the book include PTOTSe: SHAR DTI BARTZ IR He DALLAS il was originally published in 1940 the Ide Code of Arms, Ide ancestry Nehemiah Ide came fo the Area Max Bassett, of Dallas, takes his turnin | _ 4. = updated version was print- in England and Ide ancestry and from Attleboro, Mass. in 1799 with the wading pool during Harveys Lake ed in 1956. The new book is com- homesteads in Massachusetts. Lo- his eldest son, Elijah, and built a Homecoming activities. For story and addi- | piled by Ide family members Judi- cal Ide family lineage begins with 10 cabin across from the present tional photos, please turn to page 3. brothers Nehemiah and Ezra Ide. See IDE, Page 10 68098 151200790 th Smith Korfonta, of Virginia, and
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