Even with a delay in starting construction, it hasn’t taken long to complete the first phase of the Northaven Trail, an east-west hike and bike trail that runs along Northaven from Valleydale near the Jewish Community Center to Preston. The city broke ground on it last summer.

Although neighbors have been using the trail ever since the concrete dried, the trail will officially open on April 14.

We provided an update on connector projects in our March cover story about cycling in Preston Hollow. The next phase will be to link Northaven with the White Rock Creek Trail for which Dallas County has committed $2.5 million in matching funds. The connection is being dubbed the “Low Five” in contrast to North Dallas’ High Five freeway connector because it will provide five trail directions for walkers and cyclists. They can go north or south on the White Rock Creek Trail, north on the Cottonwood Trail, south on the Veloway Trail or west on the Northaven Trail.

The Friends of Northaven Trail are participating in the park department’s It’s My Park Day, hosting another trail clean-up event 9-11 a.m. on March 31. Volunteers will meet on the trail near Tifferet Israel. Bring your own gloves and yard tools.

Our neighborhood burger spots might have some competition. Houston-based chain Becks Prime is set to open its first Dallas location this summer in the old Jack-in-the-Box space at Preston and Forest, Pegasus News reported.

The Angus chuck roast burgers are grilled over mesquite wood coals, and Boar’s Head makes a hot dog exclusively for Becks. The fast-food restaurant does not use freezers or microwaves in its preparation. With 12 locations in Houston, Becks has received praise from a slew of local publications there as well as Texas Monthly.

The burgers start at $7.25 and go up from there. The menu also includes mesquite-grilled sandwiches, salads, chili, sweet potato fries, Parmesan crisps and more. Becks also will serve beer.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day one of these Whole Foods events. The Park Lane location host an all-day party on the patio Saturday, serving traditional Irish fare and beer. Hurry over to Preston Forest tonight for the Tour of Ireland 6:30-8:30 p.m. when guests can try seven different Irish beers paired with delicious Irish food. Register here.

Kick back and enjoy some live music at Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse. This Friday, Zoe Lewis performs an up-beat show, incorporating a variety of instruments such as the guitar, piano, harmonica, penny whistle, accordion, spoons and the “human trumpet.” Admission is $15-$18.

Learn to draw like the masters during a program 1:30-3 p.m. Sunday at the Meadows Museum at SMU. Guest artist Ian O’brien takes participants on a tour of the galleries, exploring different techniques. The event is geared toward adults and students 15 and older. Sketchpads and pencils will be provided, but you’re encouraged to bring your own. The session is free with museum admission, which is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for students. Be sure to check out the museum’s Santiago Calatrava collection on view through April 22.

From the WFAA report

White Rock Creek ran green yesterday afternoon near Medical City Hospital and no, it wasn’t a St. Patrick’s Day prank. Investigators identified the bright green substance as a dye that was being used to test for plumbing leaks in one of the hospital’s cooling towers.

Fortunately, the dye is entirely non-toxic. Check out the WFAA report. Pretty bizarre, no?

I have finally figured out why Americans don’t drink more rose, and it’s not what I thought — that we confuse rose with sweet pink wines like white zinfandel. The real reason? It doesn’t taste like red wine.

How else to account for the odd reviews for the Le Cirque ($11, purchased, available at Spec’s) on CellarTracker, the blog’s unoffical wine inventory tracking software? Several of the writers complained that the wine was too light, and they were exactly right — if they were reviewing cabernet sauvignon. But since the Le Cirque is rose, that’s a good thing. Roses are supposed to be light and refreshing.

In fact, my only complaint about this rose, which is from southern France, was price — I thought it was $9 and not $11 when I bought it. Having said that, it was very nicely done: Bone dry, with lots of cranberry fruit that gave it a pleasant acidity to balance the fruitiness. In this, it is a good example of what a grape like grenache can do for a rose. Pair this with salads and even lightly spicy foods, since there’s enough fruit to handle the spice.

And yes, chill it and drink it on its own and ponder the metaphysical question of why more Americans don’t appreciate rose.

This Saturday, March 17, the Dallas Mavericks take on the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. The game starts at 8 p.m.

The 1st person to email “I Love the Advocate” to mriney@advocatemag.com gets four tickets (platinum bar seats) to the game and a platinum parking pass.

The 5th person gets two tickets (platinum bar seats) to the game and a platinum parking pass. On your mark, get set, GO! …

The Hillcrest High School Interact Club needs to raise $6,000 so the students can renovated the school’s old, run-down courtyard. Here’s how they plan to do it.

In collaboration with Dallas ISD and the Park Cities Rotary Club, the 120 or so members of Interact will sell and install personalized bricks for $100 each to create a commemorative “Panther Walkway.” The idea is to honor supporters and those whose lives have been shaped by Hillcrest – parents, students and alumni. Their plan also includes repairing broken sidewalks and putting in a wheelchair ramp for the first time.

The Interact Club began five years ago with frequent support from the Rotary Club. The students follow the Rotary Club’s motto of “service above self” as they carry out community service projects.

Go here to buy a brick and help contribute to the commemorative renovation.

It’s not St. Patrick’s Day without eating or drinking something green, right? On March 17 only, Sprinkles in Preston Center is offering green velvet cupcakes, which is basically the bakery’s red velvet cupcake, colored green instead. It’s topped with cream cheese icing and a green dot.

There’s also the Irish chocolate cupcake, available now through March 18. It’s Belgian dark chocolate topped with Bailey’s Irish cream cheesing frosting. This one is adorned with a green Shamrock.

Set your DVRs. The “Nick News” episode featuring Marsh Middle School is set to air at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 18 on Nickelodeon. The show asks the question, “If a school is broken, can the kids fix it?” and illustrates ways that students are taking it upon themselves to improve their schools amid state and local budget cuts.

Marsh’s new library is a prime example, so no wonder Nickelodeon chose to include our neighborhood school in its broadcast. Read our March feature story about how the students, with help from a visionary librarian and community support, turned their aging, unused library into an active hub for learning.

Although “Nick News” is geared toward kids, it should be an interesting episode for all of us. Other stories include one about students in rural California who could no longer ride the school bus. Another story in Chicago follows a group of students who fought to keep their school orchestra.

He has already served as the interim president for several months, so now it’s official. After a nationwide search, the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce has named Bruce Bradford its new president, the Dallas Morning News Biz Beat blog reports.

Former president Steve Taylor retired after a serious car accident that happened in June while he was driving home from work one Friday night. He had served as the NDCC president for 25 years. Bradford came on as interim shortly thereafter.

Bradford has been in the banking industry for about 30 years, having served as regional CEO for Sterling Bank.