2016 June Lake Highlands

At C. C. Young we are Raising the Bar

PILLOW PROBLEMS

WHEN STAYING IN BED FEELS SO MUCH BETTER THAN FIXING THE WORLD’S AILS

Do you ever wake up and just wish you hadn’t?

I don’t mean that in a “wish you were dead” way; just a wish-youdidn’t-have-to get-out-of-bed way?

These days, there are just so many mentally tiring things going on locally and around the world. And I’m not even talking about the presidential election.

Problems arise, solutions don’t, and although most of us have become adept at looking the other way, we know in the back of our minds that we’re just ignoring things rather than solving them.

Which, to me, is just plain tiring.

While reading the Dallas Observer the other day, I had time to consume a hot dog and peanuts while elevating my blood pressure about:

The most recently dismantled Tent City illegal homeless shelter under a Downtown highway overpass. But the displaced just shuffled or carted to another underpass. Bouncing homeless people from one public nuisance site to another doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy about our city tax dollars and politicians at work. But wait: The mayor has appointed a task force to study the problem. Now, I feel better.

A sad story by Eric Nicholson about the state’s Child Protective Services (CPS) agency, which appears to have mismanaged a 4-year-old girl to death, among plenty of other problems. The story made a case for “professionalizing” CPS workers by paying them more and requiring them to have additional training, as opposed to hiring kids straight out of college who only last about six months on the job. About

$400 million in additional funding annually would be a good start, the writer says, and then maybe this problem of caring for kids whose parents can’t — or won’t — will go away. Until the next time.

The Oncor bankruptcy money-grab. Jim Schutze talks about what he sees as the Hunt family’s stranglehold on city and state politics and politicians. And he notes the mayor found time while solving the homeless problem to pen a note asking the Public Utility Commission to reconsider the Hunt’s proposal to purchase Oncor, the bankrupt energy provider here in North Texas. Schutze has a consistently funny way of making complicated stories both simple and depressing, because once he explains the issue, there’s rarely a good solution. Maybe not understanding the issue is better than not knowing how to solve it?

This Observer didn’t even include a story about the South Dallas woman eaten alive by a pack of wild dogs that perhaps the city should have done a better job of controlling. Maybe that will be next week’s uplifting-story-ofthe-day contribution.

I’m not blaming the Observer for any of this: When you look in a mirror, you see what you see, warts and all.

But looking in a mirror is rarely uplifting these days, what with all of the potential hair and skin and general I-don’t-like-my-face issues that never go away, no matter how much money we throw at them.

All of this is making me long for the companionship of my pillow again. I wish I could summon some energy to face these challenges, but I just can’t. Not today.

Rick Wamre

is president of Advocate Media. Let him know how we are doing by writing to 6301 Gaston, Suite 820, Dallas 75214; or emailing rwamre@advocatemag.com.

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

ADVERTISING PH/214.560.4203

office administrator: Judy Liles

214.560.4203 / jliles@advocatemag.com

display sales manager: Brian Beavers

214.560.4201 / bbeavers@advocatemag.com

senior advertising consultant: Amy Durant

214.560.4205 / adurant@advocatemag.com

senior advertising consultant: Kristy Gaconnier

214.264.5887 / kgaconnier@advocatemag.com

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Sally Ackerman

214.560.4202 / sackerman@advocatemag.com

Nora Jones

214.292.0962 / njones@advocatemag.com

Frank McClendon

214.560.4215 / fmcclendon@advocatemag.com

Greg Kinney

214.292.0485 / gkinney@advocatemag.com

Michele Paulda

214.292.2053 / mpaulda@advocatemag.com

classified manager: Prio Berger

214.560.4211 / pberger@advocatemag.com

marketing director: Michelle Meals

214.635.2120 / mmeals@advocatemag.com

digital + social media director: Emily Williams

469.916.7864 / ewilliams@advocatemag.com

EDITORIAL

publisher: Christina Hughes Babb

214.560.4204 / chughes@advocatemag.com

managing editor: Emily Charrier

214.560.4200 / echarrier@advocatemag.com

editor-at-large: Keri Mitchell

214.292.0487 / kmitchell@advocatemag.com

EDITORS:

Rachel Stone

214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com

senior art director: Jynette Neal

214.560.4206 / jneal@advocatemag.com

art director: Casey Barker

214.292.0493 / cbarker@advocatemag.com

designer: Emily Williams

469.916.7864 / ewilliams@advocatemag.com

contributing editors: Sally Wamre

contributors: Sam Gillespie, Angela Hunt, Lauren Law, George Mason, Kristen Massad, Brent McDougal

photo editor: Danny Fulgencio

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

contributing photographers: Rasy Ran, Kathy Tran

by Jeff Siegel, Tom Zielinski and Rick Wamre.

MISSING

Dr. Kay Waggoner to take leave of absence from Richardson ISD

See the plans for Costco on Coit and Central New owners making plans for Skillman-Abrams Shopping Center

White Rock Elementary annex idea re-emerges to avoid redrawing boundaries

Jason’s Deli Upper Greenville closing due to ‘unreasonable increases in rent’

THE DIALOGUE

WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY ANNEX IDEA REEMERGES TO AVOID REDRAWING BOUNDARIES

“Considering the major jump in home values in the past few years, those who specifically bought homes at a premium price so that their children could attend White Rock Elementary would stand to lose a significant sum of money if lines are redrawn. So naturally there is pushback and a desire to figure out a solution that causes the least amount of harm.” — WRV Resident

“It’s time to re-draw the lines. This debate is senseless. You moved into a neighborhood where the elementary school is too small for all the influx of people. Deal with it.” —Jared

Heath

“I guess I just don’t understand the logic behind those being rezoned to a new school ‘losing significant property value.’ If a large portion of the very active and involved White Rock Elementary community moves as a group to a new building, couldn’t we assume that the new school’s PTA and traditions would be just as strong and vibrant as those of White Rock Elementary? Parent involvement is the single biggest factor in a school’s success, and clearly that variable would not change at the new school.” — Erin

Blaydes Anderson

INTERVIEW KAREN CLARDY

YOU SAY GOODBYE, AND WE SAY, ‘NO! NO!’

After 25 years at her post, beloved administrative assistant Karen Clardy will retire from Lake Highlands High School’s front office in June. Known widely as The Real Boss or The Woman Who Runs the High School, Clardy dishes about five principals, zany teachers, memorable students, the craziest pranks and that time Will Smith and Tony Romo attended a pep rally.

How did you get started at LHHS?

My husband, Floyd, and I moved from Washington, D.C., to Lake Highlands in summer 1990 with our two children,

Sarah and Ben, in grades 8 and 11, respectively — not an easy age for them to change schools. We ended up buying the home of Mike and Jill Gunnels, who still live in Lake Highlands over by Lake Highlands Junior High. They were our first introduction to the community — awesome people. My husband heard through one of his co-workers, Chuck Cabaniss, that his wife was leaving her job at the LHHS library and a part-time job was available. That’s how my career started at LHHS. Ron Maples was the principal who hired me

In 1998, I replaced Joanne Brecunier as the executive assistant for Bob Iden.

Karen Clardy (Photo by Rasy Ran)

What will you miss most?

I have been going to graduations since 1995, and I have missed only two graduations that I can recall. Graduation is my very favorite event at LHHS. I have the honor of pacing the students as they enter the arena. I get to see every single student’s face as they walk out and look up at all of the people who are here to see them graduate. They are in awe, even the toocool kids, and their smiles are worth a million dollars.

Tell us about the principals you’ve worked for over the years.

I loved working with Bob Iden. It was hard to keep him in his office. Bob would much rather be out and about in the halls visiting with students and teachers. He walked in one day after one of his hall walks with a smirk on his face and a pair of underwear hooked on the antenna on his radio said he found them in the hall He loved the students and the students adored him. He did not like meetings, and would much rather be out in the halls or on the sidelines of a football or soccer game. He would hand write birthday notes to every teacher. Bob’s handwriting was terrible, by the way. He also loved giving awards and had a closet full of certificates for any occasion. He also had a file for everything. He had eight file cabinets in his office at one time. I still have some of those files — I keep thinking I am going to need them one of these days. Bob would rarely eat while at school. He was too busy having fun.

His successor Walter Kelly had a very quick, dry sense of humor, which I really enjoyed. He was extremely organized, like me, so we worked well together. The first fall that he was at LHHS, I got a phone call from Will Smith’s promoter asking if he could come to one of our pep rallies. I said yes without asking Walter — you know, ask forgiveness later. I walked down the hall and found Mr. Kelly and said, “Guess what? Will Smith is coming and I think we need to put together a pep rally really fast.” He looked at me in amazement, like, “Does this happen

often?” We had to keep it a total secret and sneak the celebs in through the band hall. I had some great oneon-one time with them. The kids went crazy when Will and Tony Romo walked into the gym.

When Peggy Dillon first walked into my office, I wasn’t sure we would be a good match, but five minutes later I knew we would be great together. She was funny, funky and a daily fashion show. But when it was time to get down to business, she could be intimidating and firm. She had a nice big mirror in her office — I really missed it when she took it with her. We both like turquoise pens — she was always taking mine.

By the time Frank Miller arrived, I knew I could adjust to anyone. He was hired a week before school started and he came from a different school district and had never been a head principal. It was a huge adjustment for him, but he never seemed flustered or overwhelmed. He was high energy and can only sit for so long. When a meeting would be over he would dash out, singing and walking the halls. I have to limit his caffeine intake, and he loves strawberry donuts with sprinkles. Frank has the second worst handwriting.

Pranks. We’ve all heard about the ‘muffin men’ incident (if you haven’t, visit Advocatemag.com and search the term).

Were

there others you can recall?

There were always pranks — chickens in the halls during homecoming week. We had a pig one year roaming around. One morning we must have had every “for sale” sign in Lake Highlands put on the front yard of the school. The marijuana-laced muffin incident put us on the map, unfortunately. I can remember grabbing the spiked pastries out of the lounge and taking them to Dr. Iden’s office so the DEA could pick them up for testing. They were the best-looking muffins you ever saw, by the way.

Carol Toler

Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. To read the longer interview, visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com

BARBECUE BENEFIT

At the first White Rock Que, four barbecue-obsessed buddies vied for the best-brisket title. In pouring rain, 40 or so acquaintances assembled to sample their savory submissions, recalls Lake Highlands resident Trish McCoy, one of a tight-knit group of pals who cofounded the event. Just three years later, the 2016 Que — set for Saturday, June 4, from 5-9 p.m. at Oak Highlands Brewery, 10484 Brockwood — promises sprawling, booming festivities with hundreds of White Rock-area neighbors bonding over savory meats, live music and craft brew while generating a significant sum of money for The Rape Crisis Center of Dallas.

White Rock area neighbors prepare for an annual fundraising cookoff.

(Photos by Rasy Ran)

“We officially started it just for fun in 2013 but last year decided to raise money for the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center,” says McCoy, explaining that one of her friends, another cofounder of White Rock Que, was one of three victims in a series of sexual assaults that shook our neighborhood in spring 2013. That a harrowing crime spree inspired the fundraising aspect of White Rock Que, is worth noting, the

women say, but they would rather focus on the $10,000 they aim to raise this time around. The money will help rape survivors and their families reclaim their lives, says the woman who survived an attack in her Lake Highlands home. DARCC is a rape crisis center for local sexual assault survivors, and she says the organization helped her begin to heal. They provide advocacy, crisis intervention,

counseling, prevention education and support to anyone impacted by sexual violence. “Things like sitting with victims at the hospital, advising you how to preserve evidence of the crime things [victims] wouldn’t even think of [in the immediate aftermath of a rape],” she says. This year, Oak Highlands Brewery lends its large warehouse and lot to the socalled White Rock Que BBQ Caucus. There, six teams will compete to see who makes the best brisket and pork. Attendees cast votes for The People’s Choice Champion. Tickets are $10 and $5 for kids under 12. In March 2014, a Dallas judge sentenced Cesar Benitez to 85 years in prison for the sexual attacks and burglaries of three Lake Highlands women in 2013. The victims all testified at trial, helping to put the 33-year-old rapist behind bars.

Christina Hughes Babb

OUT & ABOUT

Through June 18

‘MOON OVER BUFFALO’

This is the play that brought Carol Burnett back to Broadway. It’s a comedy about the backstage shenanigans of an aging acting couple with one last shot at stardom. Pocket Sandwich Theatre, 5400 E. Mockingbird, 214.821.1860, pocketsandwich.com, $12-$25

June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

COOL THURSDAYS

This month’s Arboretum shows include tributes to Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Santana, plus The Dallas Winds with a patriotic program on June 30. Gates open at 6 p.m. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6520, $10-$27

June 4

READING CARNIVAL

15 25

June 4, 11, 18, 25

GOOD LOCAL MARKET

The Mayor’s Summer Reading Program kicks off with a party from 2-3 p.m., including carnival games, music and refreshments. Other summer reading events this month at Forest Green include game day at 3:30 p.m. June 10, the helicopter engineering challenge at 2 p.m. June 11, “Zooniversity” at 11 a.m. June 15 and a Dallas Children’s Theater workshop at 2 p.m. June 25.

Forest Green Library, 9015 Forest, 214.670.1335, dallaslibrary.org, free

June 4

DOG DAY AFTERNOON

Operation Kindness, the no-kill shelter, celebrates its annual Dog Day Afternoon from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., featuring low-cost microchipping, “ask the vet” and “ask the trainer” tents and performances, plus an attempt at the world’s record for largest dog birthday cake. Flagpole Hill, 8100 Doran Circle, 972.418.7297, operationkindness.org, free

The White Rock and Lakeside markets have combined. The market now is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday through December at Lakeside Baptist Church.

Good Local Market, 9150 Garland Road, goodlocalmarket.org, free

June 11

DR. SEUSS

Barnes and Noble celebrates Dr. Seuss with a reading of “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” starting at 11 a.m., with activities to follow.

Barnes and Noble Lincoln Park, 7700 W. Northwest Highway, 214.739.1124, barnesandnoble.com, free

June 17-July 17

PINKALICIOUS

“Pinkalicious, The Musical” follows a little girl who eats too many pink treats, despite her parents’ warnings, and comes down with pinkitis. Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, 214.740.0051, dct.org, $22-$28

June 24

FOLK MUSIC

11 1 8 16 30 OFF DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND REPAIR •

24 9 17 10 4 2 23 quigleyac.com Regulated by the Texas department of licensing and regulation 800-803-9202 TACLA23686

JUNE

5% HEATING & COOLING

Houston-based Americana trio 2-Bit Palomino performs at Uncle Calvin’s.

972.441.7052

1st time customer only

(Photo by Kathy Tran)

CARLO’S BAKERY

Daily in the three months since Carlo’s Bakery opened near Northwest Highway on Preston, cannoli-crazed crowds have formed long lines that stretch almost to our neighborhood some 3.5 miles away. OK, that’s hyperbolic, but it is fair to say Lake Highlands’ sweet-toothed residents don’t mind crossing Central Expressway for the famous Cake Boss’ decadent creations, especially his signature cannolis. TV’s “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro sells 1,000 cannolis a day, “and that’s the bare minimum” says Chad Durkin, the bakery’s research and product develop-

ment chef. He has opened bakeries all over the country, but has never seen as robust a response as Dallas has provided. On an average weekday afternoon, at least 50 customers are waiting in partitioned lines, taking pictures with the lifesized Cake Boss cut-out and enjoying the buttery perfumed air. A dozen or so employees buzz around the store, constantly baking and moving patrons through the line quickly. “We’re a 24/7 operation, we have people baking all day and all night, every day,” he says. Want the goods sans the wait? Consider ordering online.

EMILY CHARRIER

Another Broken Egg

It’s

VEGETARIAN

Nature’s Plate

Plant-based meals, snacks, and treats to go!

• Order online for weekly pick-up

• Sign up for a meal plan – lots of options to fit busy schedules

• Stop by our store and choose from what we have – we cook fresh meals every day!

Northlake Shopping Center 10233 E. Northwest Hwy #432 Naturesplate.biz

Like us on Facebook for daily news

8319 PRESTON ROAD

469.726.2669

BAKESHOP.CARLOSBAKERY.COM/DALLAS

AMBIANCE: VINTAGE ITALIAN

PRICE RANGE: $2-$45

HOURS: 7 A.M.-9 P.M. SUNDAY-THURSDAY

7 A.M.-10 P.M. FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Did you know? On opening day, Carlo’s Bakery sold more than 16,000 cannolis, including three flavors that were specially produced for the Dallas location: Nutella, Oreo and salted caramel.

One90 Smoked Meats

Offering bbq combo plates, sandwiches, tacos, sides, desserts & a wide variety of locally smoked meats, including Brisket, Bison, Turkey, Chicken, Pork, Salmon, Duck, Lamb & Tenderloins.

Hours: Mon. Closed , Tues.-Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 11am-5pm

THAI

Thai Opal

We strive to be the premier Thai restaurant in Dallas!

We have infused the classical Thai cuisine with a modern ambiance. BYOB welcomed.

• Take out • Lunch Specials

• Now Serving Beer & Wine

6300 Skillman #156 thaiopal.com 214.553.5956

SMOKED MEATS

1/2 page, vertical 4 5/8” x 7 3/8”

4 areas Materials DUE May 13

Delivery begins late May

TASTE OF SUMMER: BERRY SLAB PIE

As we dive into summer with its backyard barbecues and pool parties, easy and fresh are what we want in dessert. A slab pie is the perfect warm weather treat, similar to a classic deep dish pie but on the lighter side due to its buttery crust. I don’t have to tell you that all pies are enhanced with a scoop of ice cream.

Serves 10 people

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups unsalted butter, chilled

1/2 cup cold water

Berry filling:

4 cups strawberries, sliced

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lemon, zested

Juice of 1 lemon

Egg wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Combine egg and water and whisk. Using a pastry brush, paint the egg wash onto the dough before baking to create a glossy and golden finish.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9x13 pan.

In a food processor combine flour, sugar and salt.

Slowly pulse the dry ingredients while adding the cold butter in cubes.

Once the flour looks like course meal, slowly add the water to the flour mixture until dough comes together.

Divide dough into two equal parts, wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before rolling out.

While the dough is chilling, prepare the berry fruit filling.

Slice the strawberries, combine with blueberries and raspberries.

Add sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice to the fruit, mix until fully combined (refrigerated until ready to use).

Once dough is chilled, roll out to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the filling to the top of the dough and spread evenly.

Roll out the remainder of the dough and cut into strips to make a lattice top.

Egg wash the dough.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm.

Kristen Massad writes a monthly column about sweets and baked goods. The professional pastry chef graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and owned Tart

Bakery on Lovers Lane for eight years. She blogs about food and lifestyles at inkfoods.com.

DIVE IN DIVE IN

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SWIMMING IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY

STORY BY CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB AND EMILY CHARRIER

PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

It is summer in Texas, our world is a sauna, everything’s sticky. The urge is fierce to cannonball into the nearest pool, splash around and soak up its chilly reprieve.

Since the early 1900s — through wars, economic booms and bustsdesegregation — citizens and city officials have sought to satisfy this aquatic yen.

As we wade into another sweltering season, neighborhood residents are bolstered by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department’s updated Aquatics Master Plan, which promises a sunny future for local swimming. Funded by its $31.8 million sale of Elgin B. Robertson Park at Lake Ray Hubbard last year, the park department anticipates major upgrades to nine of Dallas’ 17 existing public pools, including the one at Lake Highlands North and nearby Tietze Park. It’s a remarkable feat, according to former City Councilwoman Angela Hunt, who points out that as recently as 2014, the city intended to shutter both.

The plan at the time was one-size-fits-all and failed to take into account the varying popularity levels of neighborhood pools across the city, Hunt notes; she credits neighborhood residents with speaking up and city officials for listening and responding with dramatic changes to the program.

That passion for public pools has been evident throughout our city’s history, and it’s no wonder — pools have made Southern summers bearable, even downright enjoyable. And our approach to public swimming reflects the tensions and transformations our city has experienced.

WHEN WHITE ROCK LAKE WAS KING

It’s the early 1950s, bubblegum rock is topping the charts and White Rock Lake is the social spot where students from local high schools are most likely to be found.

“We did everything on the lake. We swam there. We took a lot of picnics down to the beach,” says Delores “Dee” Knight, who graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1954. “There was a lot of ‘parking’ that went on there at night,” she adds with a blush.

For 23 years, families from across Dallas flocked to White Rock Lake’s bucolic banks, sunning themselves on the sandy beach or cooling off with a swim — Norman Rockwell couldn’t have painted a more iconic scene.

It was kept as pristine as possible, intended as a water source for the city, not a swimming hole. But when Lake Lewisville was completed in 1929 as a larger reservoir, Dallas immediately made plans to turn its 1,015-acre lake into a recreational paradise. The Bath House opened in 1930, along with the bathing beach and boathouse. There on the eastern edge, a cement slab extended a hundred feet into the lake with 500 feet along the shore, making it the largest swimming pool in the city, according to “A History of Dallas Parks,” a manuscript kept in the city archives. Attendance often exceeded

100,000 per summer, even though sanitation always had been questionable. The water was chlorinated, first by boat and later through a pipeline. Historic images also show lake-goers wading in the spillway, under a pedestrian bridge that no longer exists, at the water’s southwest edge.

Despite periods of bleak economic conditions, families found affordable fun at the lake, which flourished with recreation from swimming to sailing to seaplanes.

The U.S. Army soon saw the value of the land, building its extensive Civilian Conservation Corps camps, which included two concession stands, camps, trails, picnic grounds and bathrooms, many of which are still in use today. Flush with funds from President Frank-

es of WWII in 1942, the camps became a training facility for the Army, before German prisoners of war were brought to reside there in 1944-45.

After the war, Southern Methodist University bought the camp for student housing — imagine if those walls could talk. Their stories, of which few were recorded, ended when the basic wooden buildings were either sold off or torn down in the post-war boom years.

In addition to the Army, private businesses and clubs capitalized on the urban oasis, offering a wide swath of water activities, from cruises to waterskiing. Speed boating became popular and many prominent citizens built their own boat houses with a measly annual lease of $1, according to Sally Rodriguez’s book “Images of America:

lin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Army Capt. Tom B. Martin oversaw construction beginning in July 1935, which brought an estimated 3,000 youth to live and work at the camp during its seven years in operation.

When America joined the allied forc-

White Rock Lake.”

By 1952, the city determined that the boathouses unfairly limited access to the shared recreational resource and they were torn down.

When a severe drought hit Texas in summer 1953, White Rock’s water again was needed to support the city and swimming was outlawed, a ban that has remained in place ever since.

Dee Knight can’t remember the reaction from friends upon news that their summertime playground would be shut down, “But it couldn’t have been good,” she notes. “It was the end of an era.”

Today, water sports are still enjoyed on the lake, albeit it in limited capacity — barges have been replaced by kayaks, speed boats by crew rowers.

“We did everything on the lake. We swam there. We took a lot of picnics down to the beach ... There was a lot of ‘parking’ that went on there at night.”

White Rock Lake boat races. (Courtesy of the Dallas Municipal Archives, City of Dallas)

Desegregation of parks and pools (story page 26) proved a “complex, difficult, dangerous struggle, with many roles played by many different agents of change,” according to Dallas archivist John Slate. Tension lingered throughout the 20th century and perhaps beyond. Still, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department efforts during integration launched Dallas into something of a sparkling period for public pools. Families from all neighborhoods — of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds — could spend summer days dunking themselves in an affordable, accessible public pool. It began with the pool at Fair Park in 1925, then Tietze Park in 1946 (the first community pool near our neighborhood, built at a cost of $40,000) then, following a temporary stall due to the Korean War, Samuell-Grand in 1953. In the late 1950s, the park department built at a rapid pace — the 1958 bond package provided funds for McCree pool in Lake Highlands, along with Kidd Springs, Red Bird, Bonnie View and Churchill. Bond packages in 1962 and ’64 did not provide for any new community pools, but dozens of junior pools and wading pools sprouted. Proof of Dallas’ love for its pool system is in the attendance record, which climbed to a high of 731,227 in 1957 according to park reports. Historic city records (which stretch only from 1921-58) show that the only year the city lost money on its pool system was in 1929 and 1930 following the stock market crash that plunged the country into the Great Depression. Even in 1943, when the entire pool system was closed down on July 2 amid a polio outbreak, the city still managed to make a profit of $2,956. In 1973, Dallas had 100 public pools.

By that time, the park department had started building the modern recreation buildings we see today, such as Lake Highlands North, known at its inception as Skyline. In 1984 the Dallas City Council announced plans to close six pools, including Griggs, the first area pool for black residents. Another 16 cut their hours. By 2000, the city was offering free days to entice more people into the pools. Then, it switched focus entirely, investing heavily in “spraygrounds.” With contraptions that shoot, spray and dump water in all different sorts of ways, they were cheaper to maintain because they don’t require lifeguards, and a 2003 voter-approved bond showed residents were in favor of the idea (see page 28). Today Lake Highlands North pool has the highest attendance of any pool in the city, councilman Adam McGough said when calling for improvement funds. Last year, 16,590 swam there, up from a low 748 in 2005. Strong attendance has historically saved Lake Highlands North pool from the city’s axe. In 1994, for example, when the city shuttered four of its 22 remaining pools, Lake Highlands North was never considered for the chopping block because it was the most popular pool with 20,254 swimmers according to city records. Nearby Tietze drew only 8,132 that year and was considered for closure.

Lake Highlands North community pool. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

DESEGREGATION SHAPES THE MODERN SWIMMING ERA

Though it is remembered fondly (see story on page 24), White Rock Lake never was the ideal place to swim, according to 1939-72 Park and Recreation Department director L.B. Houston, whose recorded oral history is provided by city archivist John Slate.

Years before it closed, “the popularity of White Rock Beach began to decline. It was not a very dependable swimming place. In fact, it was just a recreation center. You know, go see and be seen and play in the sand,” Houston said. “Sanitation was always questioned.”

When White Rock beach closed, swimming’s modern era, which began in ’45, was just evolving in Dallas, progressing during a time of desegregation and accompanying unrest.

Swimming pools became a flashpoint for racial contention, notes professor Jeff Wiltse in his book, “Contested Waters: A Social History of

Swimming Pools in America.”

“Racist assumptions that black Americans were more likely to be infected with communicable illness” inflamed opposition to racial integration, Wiltse wrote.

Also, gender mixing at pools was

dangerous, you know, perhaps mob violence.”

In Dallas, no written rule of racial segregation at park property existed. Rather, segregation was socially enforced, according to the park department’s centennial history. “Black cit-

relatively new, and white swimmers objected “to black men interacting with white women at such visually and physically intimate spaces,” he adds.

Across the country, stories emerged of young black men being beaten for attempting to swim at white pools.

“In my book, I have pictures of black Americans who lie still on the ground with bloody heads from being pummeled, just for trying to access a swimming pool,” Wiltse said in an NPR radio interview.

Houston and members of the Dallas park board understood the perils.

“We could see the time when racially mixed swimming would be with us,” Houston said. “We had the feeling that the very last thing that white people would tolerate would be mixed swimming. We thought it would be

izens risked harassment or worse for using white facilities.”

Aside from White Rock and other lakes, a couple of large municipal pools served Dallas swimmers in the early 1900s.

The nearest pool for black residents of Northeast and East Dallas was Griggs Park, the city’s second black pool after Exline, located south of Southern Methodist University, almost to Downtown Dallas. Prior to 1924 it was called Hall Street Negro Park and was renamed for Rev. Allen Griggs, a freed slave who became a minister and newspaper publisher.

Imbalance in amenities grew increasingly evident over the years.

A 1944 Dallas Morning News article reported that the city offered 60 acres of park for its 60,000 black res-

Children swim at the Hampton Road Negro children’s swimming pool in August 1955. (From the collections of the Dallas History & Archives Division, Dallas Public Library)

Children line up for swim lessons. (Courtesy of the Dallas Municipal Archives)

idents. In contrast, 5,000 acres were reserved for its 320,000 white citizens.

Compared to other Southern cities, Dallas managed to make a relatively peaceful transition to integrated pools, according to Slate, who cowrote a paper with current park department director Willis Winters about the desegregation of Dallas parks.

In their essay, “A means to a peaceful transition,” Slate and Winters credit Houston with leading “a quiet revolution that was a bright spot in an otherwise tumultuous time in the city’s relationship with its black citizens.”

Park board members Ray Hubbard and Julius Schepps worked closely with Houston, according to Slate, “within the confines of institutionalized segregation to encourage the peaceful transition to an integrated park system.”

Houston explained in his oral history how he and the board devised a new public swimming program while gradually integrating.

They developed a grid system of communities, both black and white, with a swimming pool at the middle of each. These smaller pools would progressively replace the existing large municipal swimming facilities.

The idea was directly tied to equal rights and desegregation.

“Houston surmised that providing more pools in more neighborhoods

would distribute them more equitably throughout Dallas while reducing the chances of confrontation,” note Slate and Winters.

Houston began keeping close track of the racial makeup of Dallas neighborhoods relying on employees who lived in transforming neighborhoods for information. He plotted data about racial trends and attitudes on a map hung in his office, which he used to make desegregation decisions.

“I never will forget the day [Schepps] called me and said, ‘L.B. are we ready to mix?’ By that time I

think we had six or maybe nine pools. I told him my opinion that some could and others, doubtful,” Houston said in his oral history.

When it became clear a neighborhood was nearing a black-majority population, the local park was closed for a month and reopened as a “black” park. “By that time, most whites had moved on, and the park had been peacefully transitioned,” according to Houston’s oral history.

“This method was used successfully for both Lagow and Exline parks, which served South Dallas neighbor-

In summer 2010, a story from Shreveport, La., horrified the region. Six black teenagers, dead. Five went in after their friend who was drowning in the Red River’s shallow rough waters. A crowd stood nearby, helpless. Like their children, the adults could not swim. Black American children drown at a rate almost three times higher than white children, according to the USA Swimming Foundation. Swimming officials stress the key indicator is not race, but family — children from non-swimming households are eight times more

likely to be at risk of drowning. Every summer for the past five years the YMCA of Dallas has taught minority children — 60 percent of whom cannot swim, they say — basic water safety skills through its Urban Swim Initiative. A component of the Urban Swim initiative is the Make a Splash program, which brings swimming lessons to neighborhood apartment complexes. In 2011 the effort resulted in 1,900 children in 27 apartment communities learning to swim. The next year, certified YMCA instructors taught twice as many. “Safety

in and around water is an important issue for all children, but studies show that there are a disproportionate number of drownings among minority children,” YMCA President Gordon Echtenkamp said in 2012. “The Y established Urban Swim to focus on decreasing the number of swim-related fatalities in minority communities by providing swim lessons to children at no cost.” The Y also runs the Urban Swim Academy to “increase the number of minority youth that are certified as lifeguards and trained to save lives in pools, lakes and waterfronts.”

Swimmers take advantage of public pools in the 1950s. (Courtesy of the Dallas Municipal Archives)

hoods that had seen some of the most violent responses to integrated housing in Dallas’ history,” according to Slate and Winters. It was employed around the city, arguably resulting ultimately in equal amenities for black citizens.

Years later Houston would have to defend the park department’s seeming silence on issues of integration.

A trade magazine called Amusement Business noted in 1961 that

Dallas desegregated parks, golf courses and other recreational facilities but explicitly left public pools out of their agreement with civil rights leaders.

Houston defended his board’s methods, which, he pointed out, were supported by the Negro Chamber of Commerce and other local black groups.

“You were doing everything you could to prevent open rebellion. Because we were living on a powder keg. And when and if a revolt had ever been precipitated well, gosh, no telling where you would have ended up.”

Was it right to perpetuate socially segregated facilities? “No,” write Slate and Winters in their paper. “However, as agents of change from the inside they realized that whatever they could do from their positions would benefit a larger movement, and that anything that could prevent violent confrontation was better than the alternative.”

POOLS TO SPRAYGROUNDS TO NEW AQUATIC CENTERS

Just east of our neighborhood, the City of Rowlett is planning a $1 billion development that would bring an eight-acre manmade lagoon complete with a sandy beach and options for sailing. It’s the type of recreational paradise that will make Lake Highlands North pool look like a hole in the ground to some neighborhood families, no counting for nostalgia that will keep others swimming close to home (see “Where we swam,” page 30).

The City of Dallas has long tried to compete with the private sector in offering refreshing recreation. In the 1920-50s, it built dozens of pools, making the cool waters that were once only accessible to the wealthy something attainable for average families.

Prices to enter public pools have always been low, ranging from 50 cents to $3 before the year 2000, when the city enacted a summer of free swimming. The temporary program resulted in an attendance boom, according to a 2000 Dallas Morning News article.

Attendance at pools peaked in the 1980s, before budget restrictions led to shorter swimming seasons and reduced daily hours. In 1984 the city announced it would close six pools that recorded low attendance over that summer. Lake Highlands pools McCree and Skyline (Lake Highlands North) remained open, showing “robust attendance,” according to The Dallas Morning News. In 1994 the city closed four more of its remaining 22 pools. Other pools would scale back services. The department needed to cut spending, according to the Dallas Morning News, and the closures saved the city about $65,000. The park department at the time

“In my book I have pictures of black Americans who lie still on the ground with bloody heads from being pummeled, just for trying to access a swimming pool.”

A happy lifeguard and swimmers at McCree Park pool in May 1969. (From the collections of the Dallas History & Archives Division, Dallas Public Library)

offered neighborhood children free transportation from the closed pools to the nearest open pools a few days a week, the article said, reporting also that the most popular pool in the city that year was Lake Highlands North, which drew about 18,000 swimmers.

In the 1990s, around the nation, aquatic centers and spraygrounds were gradually replacing traditional municipal pools, notes Kimley-Horn Associates, Inc. in its Aquatic Facilities Master Plan for the City of Dallas, which it updated last year. “Changing pool trends and health codes, competition for recreation time and dollars, and the advent of the commercial waterpark all have impacted attendance and operational sustainability at old style pools,” note the consultants. In the 2000s, Dallas built spraygrounds that offer a more water park-inspired experience than a traditional public pool.

In fact, Lake Highlands North Park is home to one of the region’s most popular public sprayground. Built in 2006, its success is a product of partnership between the city and corporate, individual and nonprofit sponsors such as the Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League, which raised tens of thousands of dollars for extra sprayground amenities. In 2007 the trade magazine Athletic Business plugged it as a model for the nation. In an article about Dallas replacing pools with more cost-effective spray parks, Dave Strueber, assistant director for the park department’s west region, called the Lake Highlands sprayground “a huge magnet for that community, where folks from all over

LAKE HIGHLANDS NORTH FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER: PROPOSED AMENITIES

CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: $3.5 million

SIZE : 3 square miles

MAXIMUM POOL CAPACITY: 400

ADMISSION PRICE: $5-$7

FEATURES:

Up to 7,500 square feet of water

Shade structures

Six-lane lap pool

Water slides and a plunge pool

Toddler wading pool

Children's-themed play unit with tipping bucket

Up to 4,000-square-foot bathhouse with restrooms, showers and lockers

Lifeguard office and break area

50-car parking lot

Commissioned public artwork

the city are coming now.” He added, “We want to model the rest of our spraygrounds after Lake Highlands North.”

Ridgewood Park, just south of Northwest Highway, also opened its sprayground in 2006 and it was such a success, the area was flooded with traffic. By 2008 “residents only” parking signs lined nearby streets.

Today our city has set its sights on aquatic centers. Part neighborhood pool that can offer the traditional swimming lessons and camps; part water park with slides and other fun features, the new designs aspire to entice families looking for all the bells and whistles while also filling a basic community need.

The city has money to sink into the effort, thanks to the sale of Elgin B. Robertson Park at Lake Ray Hubbard,

which is funding the bulk of Dallas’ $52.8 million aquatic makeover.

In our neighborhood, that includes $3.5 million worth of construction at Lake Highlands North pool (adjacent to the famous sprayground) and, not far away, a $2.6 million facelift for Tietze Park.

Though the design of the new facilities at Lake Highlands North has not been finalized, it likely will become a “neighborhood family aquatic center” with a modern, family-friendly pool and bath house.

Final designs by Kimley-Horn along with Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture are expected by the end of the year, giving the city ample time to hear from residents about what they’d like to see. The city last year and in early 2016 solicited public input via neighborhood meetings. Tree preservation, security, exercise programming for children, seniors and families, and affordable pricing are among the things Lake Highlands residents listed as highly important. Designers aim to begin construction next year and to open the newly refurbished Lake Highlands Neighborhood Family Aquatic Center in May 2019.

Lake Highlands North community pool. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

GONE ARE THE WADING POOLS

While families have often had to drive to the nearest large swimming pool for respite from the heat, there was a time when neighborhood wading pools were a feature at most of the city’s small parks.

In fact, in the 1920s, two attendants, a male and a female, were assigned to each pool, enforcing rules that allowed boys (ages 7 to 14) to swim from 4 to 5 p.m., while girls had to wait for 5 to 6 p.m., according to the 1921-23 Parks and Playground System Annual Report produced by the city.

In the late teens and early 1920s, the City of Dallas put a huge investment into its parks department, building 10 wading pools all over the city at a cost of about $3,200 each (or $40,000 in today’s dollars). What’s more, each of those 3.5-feet-deep pools had to be drained, cleaned and refilled with 35,000 gallons of water daily, creating extensive work for the city’s maintenance department.

But no one can say the citizens didn’t love and use the pools. Wading pool attendance was listed at 9,333 at Exall Park from May to September in 1923, while Buckner drew 9,348, according to the report. That works out to more than 65 swimmers a day in the city’s first micro-pools. So popular were they that they kept building them, and by 2000 had amassed a collection of 26 sprinkled across Dallas parks.

That was the year the Centers for Disease Control cracked down on wading pools, after a child in Atlanta died from contracting E. coli after swimming in one. While larger pools are built with filtration systems to keep them clean, wading pools run the risk of becoming breeding grounds for bacteria in the stagnant water, even though it was changed daily, health experts said. In February of 2000, the parks department announced plans to close all 26 of the city’s wading pools, sparking an immediate backlash.

People were protective of their petite park pools, and vocally opposed the idea of losing them. Park officials countered that the wading pools were all at least 50 years old and would require about $4 million to bring them up to new state codes aimed at preventing disease outbreaks. Former Mayor Laura Miller was the most vocal opponent of the plan, and went about finding her own funding stream to protect four of the wading pools, specifically Arcadia Park in her Oak Cliff district. Despite the effort, the wading pools were eventually closed.

WHERE WE SWAM

MCCREE was the most popular swimming haunt throughout the 1960s-early 2000s, fondly remembered for its high dive, free-swim sessions, concession machines and easily scalable fence, sometimes taken advantage of by rebellious teens daring a midnight dip. It closed in 2007.

“We jumped the fence and swam at night … around ’79,” notes Sondra Smith McClendon.

“The drink machine dropped the little paper cup out then squirted syrup from one side and carbonated water from the other,” recalls Diane Hale Smith.

“First time I ever jumped off a high diving board,” Robbie Pigg tells us He had no air conditioning at home, so spent as much time as possible submerged. “We only had an attic fan … how did we do it?”

SKYLINE is a close second when it comes to nostalgia. It’s still open today, renamed Lake Highlands North, and it is due to receive a major overhaul next year. But way way back, opening day at Skyline pool yielded one of the most legendary bits of Lake Highlands lore: Amid opening-day frenzy — floatie-clad kiddies splashed in all four corners and every inch in between— a 5-year old girl stepped off the diving board’s edge, disappeared, and, moments later, had not resurfaced. The father of another child, watching from the clubhouse balcony, scanned the poolside. Had anyone else noticed? Deciding no, he jumped, shattering his foot in the process. He drew the attention of a lifeguard, who rescued

The top 10 swimming spots of yesteryear, according to neighborhood natives

the girl from the pool’s floor. That man was the father of Debra Oaks Pettit, a Lake Highlands resident. The little girl, now a healthy 52-year-old woman, was a friend of her sister. “They did not yet have insurance,” Pettit recalls, “so my dad paid out of pocket for his cast.”

Joanie Jordan Buster remembers being a lifeguard at Skyline her senior year, '81. ”I hated the hideous orange swimsuits they made us wear.”

A pre-teen Suzie Luther James caught the eye of one fellow swimmer. “My husband's very first memory of me is from the summer of 1971 at Skyline swimming pool. A 12-year-old skinny girl with a dark tan and a florescent orange bikini made a lasting impression on him.”

DIVE IN: WHERE WE SWAM

It was accompanied by an amusement park. “The kids loved Vickery Park,” Lake Highlands resident Mark Davis recalls. “It was a big pool and there were other things to do besides swim. We used to go ride the electric bumper cars straight out of the water, which I doubt was a very good idea, but at the time nobody cared if dripping wet children got on 220 volt electric cars with shoddy wiring and bashed each other.”

through the year at our school,” notes Amy Adams. “Gene Coppedge coached at LHHS and taught summer sessions of swimming at his pool for many years,” Joyce Pittman says. “The first technique Coach Coppedge taught me was to float on my back, then pull water up along my side so I’d end up crossing the pool face up and feet first,” Amy Matlock Connel recalls. “I still do it, and it always reminds me of that pool.”

OTHER public pools in the vicinity included Boundbrook Park, Ridgewood, Fair Oaks, Lochwood, Harry Stone, Tietze and Samuell-Grand.

PRIVATE POOLS grew popular, such as Knights of Columbus 799, known to Lake Highlands residents as the KayCee pool. It opened in the ’50s where the White Rock DART station now sits. It relocated to Northwest Highway near Ferndale in 1998. There is a two-year wait for an annual membership, which runs about $400. The Royal Oaks Country Club pool, Elks Lodge (then on Greenville, now on Northwest Highway), White Rock and Lake Highlands YMCAs, and the Jewish Community Center pools also were popular. “I practically grew up at the Elks Lodge,” Janie Pate Abraham writes . “The bottom of that pool ate the skin of my toes smooth off.”

CREEKS AND NATURAL POOLS were the best, recalls Phil Brockett: “We swam in the creek running behind McCree pool. There were places that got to about four feet deep with nice white rock bottoms.”

According to Todd Barnes, “Behind Lake Highlands North there is a path that leads down to two tunnels, and at the end of the first tunnel, under White Rock Trail, was a pool full of crawdads. No one ever swam in it intentionally, but some accidentally took a dip. At the end of the second was Jackson Branch. We would slide down the muddy creek beds as we watched the apartments and Kroger (now LA Fitness) being built.”

RESIDENTIAL POOLS came along in the ’70s. Mindy Hawley Stuart had a pool, she recalls, the only one in the neighborhood. “My dad set up a system for the neighborhood kids to come swim. He made a flag on a pole and when the flag was up anyone could come swimming but if the flag was down it was family time.”

“Our neighbors down the street had a pool where we would play Marco Polo,” reports Gene Saugey. “They had a sign that said, ‘We don’t swim in your toilet. Please don’t pee in our pool.’ ” Classic.

APARTMENT POOLS were pretty easily accessed by teens willing to bend the rules. The one at the Village Apartments was booming. “In high school me and the girlfriend used to go to the Village and swim in the nice big pool,” says Dean Ingram. “There was hardly anyone ever there and no one ever asked us if we lived there.” King Edwards and Villa Cipango Apartments also are mentioned.

VICKERY PARK, in the 1940s, was located near where Presbyterian Hospital is today and had Texas’ biggest swimming pool.

BELOVED SWIMMING TEACHERS , two in particular, were mentioned again and again.

“My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adams, and I have taught thousands and we still teach

NORTHPARK INN is remembered by few. In the ’70s there was a luxurious hotel located at 9300 Central Expressway. In addition to a helipad, limousine service, and TVs and radios, the inn boasted two swimming pools, to which a privileged few Lake Highlands residents had access. “Does anybody remember NorthPark Inn?” queries Nick Stevens. “We had a swimming pool membership there when I was little.” Few chimed in, but we located a vintage postcard of NorthPark Inn, which shows two large (and one smaller, likely a hot tub) aqua-blue bodies amid a sprawling complex. Best Western owned the place. For $35 a night, families could enjoy the amenities, plus dining, dancing and $1 drinks at the resort’s Old New York Tavern, according to an advertisement in Texas Monthly.

FORGOTTEN FEW

EVERY NIGHT, THOUSANDS OF TEENAGE GIRLS IN DALLAS ARE TUCKED SAFELY INTO BED, BUT ABOUT

400 GET READY TO GO TO WORK, ARDUOUS NIGHTS OF SELLING THEIR BODIES TO APPEASE THEIR PIMPS

STORY BY EMILY CHARRIER PHOTOS BY RASY RAN

Robin probably would have been a CEO in another life. She has the business acumen of a Wall Street broker and a keen sense of client relations.

Unfortunately, her industry of choice is illegal.

“Some call me an escort, some call me a hooker — it all means the same thing,” says the bubbly

19-year-old, who regularly sells herself on the Internet. “I am glad I do this work online, it’s so easy today with Craigslist and all the other sites. I’d hate to be out standing on the street.”

Like record stores, “street walking” prostitutes largely have been pushed out in the digital age. Instead it works much like ordering a

pizza online. Robin posts when she is available, and men almost instantly fill her inbox with replies. Most nights, the petite brunette has her pick of clients.

“Finding guys who want me has never been a problem,” she says absentmindedly scrolling through the two dozen responses she received from last night’s post while sprawled

THE goods

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION to advertise call 214.560.4203

THE STORE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS

We have Dads covered for Father’s Day. Come see our wonderful selection of gifts for that special man in your life. Open late the first Thursday of every month. 10233 E. NW Hwy @ Ferndale (next to Gecko) 214.553.8850 Mon-Sat 9:30-5:30 TheStoreinLH.com

CITY VIEW ANTIQUE MALL

Just arrived new Chalk Paint.®. Wax Black or White by Annie Sloan. Save the date July 2nd-July 4th Tent Tag Sale. 6830 Walling Lane (Abrams/Skillman) 214.752.3071 cityviewantiques.com

Follow us on Facebook/Instagram

ADVOCATE ORNAMENT

Call 214.560.4203

out on the pink floral comforter of her bed in her White Rock area apartment that would fit perfectly into a little girl’s bedroom.

In many ways, Robin is a little girl, just one that didn’t get to grow up like little girls should. Born to a mentally ill mother, she ended up in foster care after a neighbor reported seeing her shivering day after day without a coat to keep her warm in the harsh Midwestern winters where she was raised.

At first foster care was a step up, a place where her unmet needs were finally addressed. Then, she says, a relative of her foster family began molesting her at age 9. Her blue eyes cast down as she shrugs off the memory.

“Crappy things happen to everyone, right?” she says.

By 13, she was using any drug she was handed to numb the pain. At first, her dealer seemed like a friend, someone who protected her and made sure she had what she wanted. Then he started pressuring her

to perform sexual favors in exchange for more drugs.

“He took such good care of me it didn’t seem like a big deal to do it for him,” Robin says. “You do it a couple of times and you start to go numb.”

She began to see herself as an object, not a human. Knowing that her young age made her more desirable on the streets, she soon began sell-

ing herself. She met a man online who agreed to fly her to Dallas. No one seemed to notice when she ran away.

She worked for a pimp for sever-

Classes at New Friends New Life cover business and life skills in addition to healing emotional scars.

“Anytime you’re involved in any commercial sexual act under the age of 18, you’re being trafficked ... a child cannot choose to prostitute herself.”

30 WORD ON BODY TEXT IS ABSOLUTE LIMIT ON TEXT. WE WILL NOT COUNT ADDRESS,

al years, a man more than twice her age who beat her and raped her, but also gave her a place to stay and food to eat. Eventually, she made enough money to move in with a friend she met on the streets. Defiantly, she speaks out about what she does for a living.

“This isn’t new — girls have been making money this way for years. Why shouldn’t I?” she questions. When asked what she would do if she could do anything in the world, she rolls her eyes.

“What do you want me to say? President? That’s just not me,” she says, voice thick with cynicism. “Do I like doing this? Not especially, but it’s what I choose to do. I’m not some victim.”

Amanda Jones used to think like Robin. Just like Robin, she was sex-

DALLAS ZOO CONCERT SERIES

ually abused at home, before turning to the streets as a teenager. She was trafficked for the first time at 15, and spent the next nine years caught in the web of prostitution for a pimp’s financial gain.

“I didn’t ever see myself as a victim,” Jones told KERA radio in an April interview. “You’re just trying to survive at that age, so you don’t see yourself as a victim.”

Jones is now a successful accountant, living in Dallas in a life that is unrecognizable from her time on the street. It wasn’t easy and it didn’t come overnight, but she found support from neighborhood nonprofit New Friends New Life, which works solely with female victims of human trafficking and the sex industry. Of-

MAY 28 The Killdares

JUNE 4 Rich Girls

JUNE 11 Hard Night’s Day

JUNE 18 Satisfaction

JUNE 25 Escape

JULY 2 Rebirth Brass Band

JULY 9 The Landsharks

JULY 16 Limelight

JULY 23 Petty Theft & The Bird Dogs

JULY 30 The O’s

It’s summertime at the Dallas Zoo, and the Safari Nights concert series is back for another wild season. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music, beer, and wine on shady Cat Green. And check out Zoo animals while the sun goes down. It’s free with admission.

“A big trend right now is boyfriend pimps. They’re the ones who say ‘I love you, I’ll take care of you’.”

fering classes, job training, counseling and even childcare, the organization seeks to give these women the tools they need to regain control of their life on their own terms.

“We meet the women where they are,” says Lauren Haskins, development director for New Friends New Life. “No one is court-ordered to be here. The women who come here, they’re looking for change.”

On any given night, about 400 teens are trafficked in the commercial sex trade on the streets of Dallas, according to New Friends New Life’s research. The vast majority come from broken homes, girls who slipped through the cracks by neglectful or abusive parents. But others come from good traditional homes, lured into prostitution by manipulative predators, more and more commonly through social media.

“A big trend right now is boyfriend pimps. They’re the ones who say ‘I love you, I’ll take care of you’,” says Haskins. “Anytime you’re involved in any commercial sexual act under the age of 18, you’re being trafficked. You’ll hear us say this a lot, but a child cannot choose to prostitute herself.”

Situated in a non-descript office building near Central Expressway, the address of which is kept confidential to protect clients, New Friends New Life is working to combat human trafficking from all sides. In addition to helping women reestablish themselves after fleeing the life, they work to educate at-risk youth to be savvy and protect themselves from predators; and they look at demand, encouraging men to consider the potential impact of their actions. “I think the majority of people know human trafficking exists, I don’t think the ma-

“It’s not like there’s a retirement plan in this business. And I’ll be washed up by the time I’m 24.”

jority think it’s happening in their backyard,” Haskins says, explaining that her group has worked with girls from a wide swath of neighborhoods and socioeconomic backgrounds.

They are a standing fixture at the Letot Center in Northwest Dallas, a crisis intervention shelter for runaways, children taken by the Department of Family Protective Services and other wayward youth. They work with girls, hoping to catch them before they fall through the cracks and give them the tools needed to avoid street predators. They know, once a girl is back on the street, it’s only a matter of time before she’s at risk.

“After 48 hours on the street, the average runaway will be approached by a trafficker,” Haskins says.

In addition to education, the organization focuses on pushing laws that fight sex trafficking. They’ve set their sights on “johns,” men who are rarely punished for their crimes in Texas, they say. The nonprofit is lobbying for stricter laws that would bring specific consequences to those who pay for sex.

“We see statistics that 85 percent of those buying commercial sex with children get a suspended sentence, they never see jail time, they never even have a jury,” said New Friends New Life CEO Katie Pedigo in the KERA interview. “That’s something we as a community have to say, ‘No more.’ For there to be true systemic change, we all have to come together and say, particularly with a minor, we are not going to look away, we are going to insist that it be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

The Dallas Police Department was recognized nationally for its diligent and delicate handling of child prostitutes. In 2005 the “High Risk Victims” unit was developed specifically to help repeat runaways get into counseling and away from their pimps, seeking to nip child prostitution in the bud. It proved so successful, in 2007 Congress green lit a $55 million program that would have allowed other police departments to create similar units modeled directly after Dallas’ system (it was later dropped from the federal budget amid a dispute with President George W. Bush, according to a 2009 New York Times article).

New Friends New Life works closely with Dallas police and speaks highly of their continued efforts to fight trafficking on the streets. But it takes investments from all sides. That’s why New Friends New Life works from Congress to the classroom, hoping to pull back the veil on this black market industry to make trafficking part of a wider national discussion.

It’s a discussion Robin is conflicted about. She acknowledges there are girls who are abused and enslaved every day, but doesn’t feel she’s ever been one of them.

“My choices are my choices,” she says emphatically.

As she lines up her night of work, four men and counting, her thoughts return to New Friends New Life. “Maybe I should check them out,” she says. “It’s not like there’s a retirement plan in this business. And I’ll be washed up by the time I’m 24.”

Children’s playroom at New Friends New Life.

ARKANSAS CEDAR CABINS

Vacation get-away

18308 Highway 84 Bismarck, AR 71929 501.458.1371

ArkansasCedarCabins.com

Come relax and enjoy these lovely cedar log cabins near Hot Springs, AR. These secluded cabins overlook the Ouachita Mountain foothills with flowing creeks and lush green forest. Make your reservations today!

URBAN THRIFT

Thrift store

9850 Walnut Hill Ln. 214.341.1151 Facebook.com/UrbanThriftStore

New stuff & sales everyday! We accept ALL donations! You’re welcome to come drop them off or schedule a FREE pick up! We give back to our community!

LAKE HIGHLANDS ACUPUNCTURE

Health & Wellness

10252 E. Northwest Highway 214.267.8636 lakehighlandsacupuncture.com

The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture for: chronic pain, high blood pressure, depression/anxiety, digestive problems (IBS, heartburn), common cold, allergies and more! Come see why! Now accepting insurance!

DAN “THE COMPUTER GUY”

Computer Repair

972.639.6413

stykidan@sbcglobal.net

TOP DRAWER ANTIQUES

Antiques & Consignments

10622 E. Northwest Hwy. (near Plano Rd.) 214.553.5510

Like us on Facebook

The Largest Mid-Century Showroom in North Texas is Now Open. We have a little bit of everything. High End Eclectic, Traditional, Antiques, Vintage, Art Dealers, Furniture & Jewelry. Space now available in the main showroom.

ROB WATKINS

Residential Mortgage Lender

BancorpSouth Mortgage Cell 214.926.5836 rob.watkins@bxs.com

whiterockmortgageguy.com

NMLS 1403412

Rob can give you freedom, comfort, and happiness by helping you acquire the home of your dreams. If you already own your dream home, take advantage of Rob’s complimentary mortgage consultation. Either way, call the White Rock Mortgage Guy today!

LAKE HIGHLANDS FLOWERS

Florist

9661 Audelia Road, Suite 118 214.340.9950 shopLHF.com

Make any occasion Beautiful. Two florists at one location. Lake Highlands Flowers and Holt’s Meadow Central Florists 214.363.2732. We offer the finest floral arrangements in the neighborhood.

ECHO BOUTIQUE

Upscale resale & unique gifts

9020 Garland Road (Between The Arboretum & Casa Linda) Dallas, TX 75218 214.370.4444

Time To Refresh Your Summer Wardrobe!

Confused? Frustrated? Let a seasoned pro be the interface between you & that pesky Windows computer. Hardware & software installation, troubleshooting, training, $60/hour — one hour minimum.

All Your Favorite Brands And Looks Arriving Daily. Upscale resale - unique gifts - women’s designer consignment hand-picked vintage - work by local artists

WORSHIP

ANGLICAN

ALL SAINTS EAST DALLAS / allsaintseastdallas.org

Sunday worship service at 5:00 pm

Meeting at Central Lutheran Church / 1000 Easton Road

BAPTIST

LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425

Sunday School 9:15am & Worship 10:30am

Pastor Jeff Donnell / www.lbcdallas.com

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org

Worship & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45 Traditional, Contemporary, Spanish Speaking / 214.860.1500

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

BIBLE CHURCHES

NORTH HIGHLANDS BIBLE CHURCH / nhbc.net / 9626 Church Rd.

Sun: LifeQuest 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am / 214.348.9697

Wed: AWANA and Kids Choir 6:00 pm / Student Ministry 7:00 pm

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / Worship 8:30 am - Chapel

10:50 am - Sanctuary / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

LUTHERAN

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

Sunday School for all ages 9:00 am / Worship Service 10:30 am

Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Ln.

Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am / Call for class schedule. 214.821.5929 / www.dallaslutheran.org

METHODIST

LAKE HIGHLANDS UMC / 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

Sunday Morning: 9:30 am Sunday School / 10:30 am Coffee

Worship: 8:30 am & 11:00 am Traditional / 11:00 am Contemporary

PRESBYTERIAN

LAKE HIGHLANDS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 214.348.2133

8525 Audelia Road at NW Hwy. / www.lhpres.org

9:00 am Contemporary, 9:55 am Christian Ed., 11:00 am Traditional

NORTHRIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6920 Bob-O-Link Dr.

214.827.5521 / www.northridgepc.org / Welcomes you to Worship

Summer Worship 10:00 am / Childcare provided. All are welcome!

UNITY

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path for Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972.233.7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sundays: 9:00 am Early Service, 11:00 am Celebration Service

START, SO YOU CAN FINISH

OF COURSE WE’LL EXERCISE — AS SOON AS WE’RE IN BETTER SHAPE

Getting started is always the hardest part.

I started a new fitness regime recently, so I am now the authority on starting and can preach to you. (Insert smiley face.) By next month I’ll probably have to write a column on finishing, as that is right next to starting in the catalogue of failure.

St. Paul thought success in the spiritual life had a parallel in the physical: “Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.”

Before we get to the spiritual, then, let’s look at the physical.

A recent study of heart-bypass surgery patients showed that 90 percent of those who were told by their doctors that they had to make certain lifestyle changes in order to ensure a healthy future either did not do so, or tried to but quickly reverted back to their old ways. In other words, the report said, “One in nine would rather die than change. Even death was not a sufficient motivator for making changes.”

Similarly, an article on fitness addressed the difficulty of overcoming our excuses for not exercising. Here were some of the top mental evasions: “I’ll exercise as soon as I’m in better shape.” Hmm. That would be never, without exercise. “I’ll exercise as soon as it’s not so uncomfortable.” It will only get more comfortable after you start exercising. “I’ll exercise as soon as my schedule clears up.” Right, and who controls your schedule? “I’ll exercise as soon as I figure out where to start.” Here. Now.

Apparently other people are like me. You?

The poet Billy Collins talks about the difficulty of getting started writing poems. In “Advice to Writers,” he counsels that first you should clean everything in sight — the walls and floors of the study, for instance. Maybe even go outside and wipe off the underside of rocks. Because we all know that “spotlessness is the niece of inspiration./ The more clean, the more brilliant/ your writing will be.” And in “Purity,” he describes his preparation process for writing that includes making a fresh pot of tea, closing the door of his study, carefully taking all his clothes off, and “then I remove my flesh and hang it over a chair./ I slide it off my bones like a silken garment./ I do this so that what I write will be pure.”

We avoid starting in the spiritual life because we know it’s hard work and we want to jump to the end of it right away — being strong and wise without the pain of the process that requires patience for progress. We find every excuse not to start.

Two things can help. Heart patients that succeeded found they did better when they did it with others, and when they focused on the joy of healthy living instead of what they had to give up to get it.

Spiritual fitness is aided by having workout buddies. Find a community of faith that will welcome you when you come and miss you when you don’t. Let others help as you grow together. And keep in mind that the gift of abundant life comes to those who put themselves in position to receive it. You can’t get to the end of where you hope to be without starting where you are. Ready, set, start.

George Mason is pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church. The Worship section is underwritten by Advocate Publishing and the neighborhood businesses and churches listed here. For information about helping support the Worship section, call 214.560.4202

PEOPLE

JACK KELLER, the founder of beloved 50-year-old burger joint Keller’s DriveIn, died in May. He was 88. Keller’s son, JACK KELLER JR. , said his father died a day after being diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer.

The Richardson Independent School District named LESLIE SLOVAK director of athletics recently. She is the first woman to hold the position. She succeeds BOB DUBEY, who is retiring after 39 years with the district.

SPORTS

The players of FC DALLAS CENTRAL U9 SOCCER TEAM earned a spot in the SuperCopa Elite 24 National Championships, where they will play teams from all over the country in a tournament June 3-5 at MoneyGram Soccer Park in northwest Dallas. “In the competitive youth soccer space, it is rare and quite frankly has probably never happened that a team made up of mostly neighborhood kids has gone on to play at this level,” says coach DANIEL RIVAS. Most of the boys attend St. Thomas Aquinas School and began their soccer careers with the Lake Highlands Soccer Association.

CITY HALL

The City of Dallas will help you prepare for the upcoming mosquito season with FREE MOSQUITO DUNKS. The traps attract mosquitoes, which lay their eggs in standing water. The active ingredient, bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, kills the larvae, but the traps do not kill beneficial insects. The city is giving away the dunks while supplies last at 3112 Canton, suite 100, and 7901 Goforth, 8 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Bring proof of residency, such as a utility bill.

DALLAS ACADEMY

950 Tiffany Way, Dallas 75218 / 214.324.1481 / dallas-academy.com

Founded in 1965, Dallas Academy’s mission is to restore the promise of full academic enrichment to students with learning differences in grades 1-12. A meaningful connection with each student is established to overcome barriers to success. Dallas Academy offers students an effective program and strategies to meet the special educational needs of bright students with learning differences, while including the activities of a larger, more traditional school. Classes are small, with a student-teacher ratio of 6 to 1 where students are encouraged, praised, and guided toward achieving their goals. Diagnostic testing is available to students throughout the community.

HIGHLANDER SCHOOL

9120 Plano Rd. Dallas / 214.348.3220 / www.highlanderschool.com Founded in 1966, Highlander offers an enriched curriculum in a positive, Christian-based environment. By limiting class size, teachers are able to build a strong educational foundation to ensure confidence in academics, athletics, and the creative and performing arts. Highlander offers a “classic” education which cannot be equaled. Monthly tours offered; call for a reservation.

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep.org

Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

SPANISH HOUSE

Four East Dallas Locations / 214.826.4410 / DallasSpanishHouse.com Spanish Immersion Program in East Dallas! Nursery, Preschool, Elementary and Adult Programs available. Our new K-5 Dual-Language Elementary School will be opening in August 2016 at 7159 E. Grand Avenue. Please visit our website (DallasSpanishHouse.com) or call 214.826.4410 for a tour.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org

Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

UT DALLAS CHESS CAMP

800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson 75080 / (972) 883-4899 / utdallas.edu/chess ) 2016

Summer Chess Camp Campers learn while they PLAY. Chess develops reading, math, critical and analytical skills, and builds character and self-esteem. Just don’t tell the kids…they think chess is fun! Join beginner, intermediate or advanced chess classes for ages 7 to 14 on the UT Dallas campus. Morning (9am-noon) or afternoon (1-4pm) sessions are available June 13-17, June 20-24, July 18-22, July 25-29 and extended playing classes. Camp includes t-shirt, chess board and pieces, trophy, certificate, score book, group photo, snacks and drinks. Instructors are from among UT Dallas Chess Team Pan-Am Intercollegiate Champions for 2010-2012!

WHITE ROCK NORTH SCHOOL

9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410 / WhiteRockNorthSchool.com

6 Weeks through 6th Grade. Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-of-the-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus.

ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL

6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.

Build analytical skills, self-esteem and character... Just don’t tell the kids, they just think...

Ages 7 to 14 on the UT Dallas campus. For Beginners, Intermediate

Morning (9 am-noon) or afternoon (1-4 pm) sessions. June 13-17, June 20-24, July 18-22, July 25-29 and extended playing classes. 972-883-4899 utdallas.edu/chess james.stallings@utdallas.edu

THE UT DALLAS CHESS TEAM HAS BEEN 1ST IN

PAN-AM INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!

AS FAST AS YOU LIKE

The Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League’s Run the Highlands celebrated its 12th year by drawing one of its biggest crowds to date with more than 1,000 participants. From serious runners to families looking for some fun in the sun, the 5k is more about getting the community together to raise funds for “Growing Minds in Lake Highlands,” a defined early childhood and grade school section at the Audelia Road Library.

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

ART: Draw/Paint. Adults All Levels. Lake Highlands N. Rec. Ctr. Days: Mon & Wed. Students bring supplies. Nights: 1xt month workshop, supplies furnished. Jane Cross. 214-534-6829,

CREATIVE ARTS CENTER More than 500 adult art classes/ workshops from metal to mosaic! www.creativeartscenter.org

EMPLOYMENT

PET SITTERS, DOG WALKERS reply to http://www.pcpsi.com/join

SERVICES FOR YOU

AT ODDS WITH YOUR COMPUTER? Easily Learn Essential Skills. Services include Digital Photo Help. Sharon 214-679-9688

COMPUTER HELP! Viruses, Data Recovery, Upgrades, WiFi Problems, Onsite Tech. 214-533-6216 WebersComputers.com

CONFUSED? FRUSTRATED? Let A Seasoned Pro Be The Interface Between You & That Pesky Windows Computer. Hardware & Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $60/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 214-660-3733 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net

MY OFFICE Offers Mailing, Copying, Shipping, Office & School

Supplies. 9660 Audelia Rd. myofficelh.com 214-221-0011

NEIGHBORHOOD ENERGY EXPERT Helps you earn rewards for free energy, travel points & more. Call Elaine today for a free electric bill review. 214-500-3667 Make the Switch & Save!

JULY DEADLINE JUNE 8 214.560.4203 TO ADVERTISE

LEGAL SERVICES

A FREE CONSULTATION Wills/Probate/Guardianships. MaryGlennAttorney.com 214-802-6768

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

ACCOUNTING, TAXES Small Businesses & Individuals. Chris King, CPA 214-824-5313 www.chriskingcpa.com

BOOKKEEPING NEEDS? Need Help Organizing Finances? No Job Too Small or Big. Call C.A.S. Bookkeeping Services. Cindy 214-577-7450 PROPERTY TAX PROTEST laurenmedel.com. 972-773-9306 Mobile. SEO Friendly. Maintainable.

AdvocateWebDesign.com 214.292.2053

MIND, BODY

OAKCLIFF-LMT.COM Between Kessler & Stevens Park. Swedish & deep tissue massage. LMT Renee, 214-704-8193.

PET SERVICES

DOGGIE DEN DALLAS Daycare, Boarding, Grooming, Training. 6444 E. Mockingbird Ln. 214-823-1441 DoggieDenDallas.com

POOP SCOOP PROFESSIONALS Trust The Experts. 214-826-5009. germaine_free@yahoo.com

PET SERVICES Society Pet Sitter,Inc.

BUY/SELL/TRADE

FREE RANGE PORK & LAMB from local resident’s farm. Hormone & antibiotic free.Heritage Red Wattle pigs. Stock up now. laralandfarms.com 214-384-6136

OLD GUITARS WANTED Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Martin. 1930s-1980s. Top dollar paid. Toll Free 1-866-433-8277

SHARE FRONT ROW

Texas Rangers, Stars & Mavs seats. Tickets are available in sets of 10 games (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available). Participants randomly draw numbers prior to season to determine a draft order fair to everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

CLUTTERBLASTERS.COM ESTATE SALES Moving & DownSizing Sales, Storage Units. Organize/De-Clutter Donna 972-679-3100

ORGANIZEANDREJUVENATE.COM

Declutter/Files/Feng Shui. 972-816-8004

OVERWHELMED? CALL All Points: “A Solutions Company” AllPointsEstateServices.com • 214-802-2781

AC & HEAT

WINDOW AC TUNE UP Repair, Cleaning, Etc. Buy/Sell 214-321-5943

CLEANING SERVICES

CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133

CLEANING LADY ALSO WINDOW GUY

110% Always! Great Prices & Refs. Experienced, Dependable. Sunny 214-724-2555

MESS MASTERS Earth friendly housecleaning. 469-235-7272. www.messmasters.com Since ‘91

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333

TECL 31347 Lighting and Electrical Services

FLOORING & CARPETING

ALL WALKS OF FLOORS 214-616-7641

Carpet, Wood, Tile Sales/Service Free Estimates

HASTINGS STAINED CONCRETE New/Remodel. Stain/Wax Int/Ext. Nick. 214-341-5993. www.hastingsfloors.com

Serving the Dallas area for over 30 years

We raise our kids here,

Family Owned & Operated 972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

Serving your Neighborhood Since 1993

Repairing: Refrigerators •Washer/Dryers

• Ice Makers •Stoves • Cooktops • Ovens 214✯823✯2629

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING

Cabinet Refacing, Custom Built-ins and Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Full Kitchen and Bath Remodels. For information, contact Jim @ 214-324-7398

Licensed Contractor proudly serving Lakewood/ East Dallas since 1995 squarenailwoodworking.com

CLEANING SERVICES

A MAID FOR YOU Bonded/Insured.Park Cities/ M Streets Refs. Call Us First. Joyce 214-232-9629

AFFORDABLE CLEANING Insd./Bonded. Move

In/Out. Routine Cleaning. Reliable. Dependable.

Residential/ Commercial. References. 28+yrs.

Delta Cleaning. 972-943-9280.

AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING

$100 off 1st clean for new weekly/bi-weekly clients. Staff trained by Nationally Certified Cleaning Tech. Chemical-free, Green, or Traditional Cleaning. WindsorMaidServices.com 214-381-MAID (6243)

ALTOGETHER CLEAN

Relax ...We’ll Clean Your House, It Will Be Your Favorite Day! Bonded & Insurance. Free Estimates. 214-929-8413. www. altogetherclean.net

AMAZON CLEANING

Top To Bottom Clean. Fabiana.469-951-2948

TWO SISTERS & A MOP

Move in/Out. Reliable/Dependable 20 Yrs Exp. 214-283-9732 twosistersamopmaidservice.com

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

BILL’S COMPUTER REPAIR

Virus Removal, Data Recovery. Home/Biz Network Install. All Upgrades & Repairs. PC Instruction. No Trip Fee. 214-348-2566

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

ALL CONCRETE RESTORATION & Decorative Designs. Staining 214-916-8368

BRICK & STONE REPAIR

Tuck Pointing / Crack Repair. Mortar Color Matching. Windows,Doors, Cracks Etc. Don 214-704-1722

BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available Free Estimates 972-672-5359 (36 yrs.)

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal,

References. Reasonable.

Chris 214-770-5001

EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216

FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001

EXPERIENCED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN Insd. Steve. TECL#27297 214-718-9648

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

TEXAS ELECTRICAL • 214-289-0639

Prompt, Honest, Quality. TECL 24668

TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd. E795. 214-850-4891

EXTERIOR CLEANING

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING & DECKS

#1 COWBOY FENCE & IRON CO. Est. ‘91. 214-692-1991 www.cowboyfenceandiron.com

4 QUALITY FENCING Call Mike 214-507-9322

Specializing in Wood, New or Repair.

AMBASSADOR FENCE INC. EST. 96 Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, ambassadorfenceco.com 214-621-3217

FENCING & WOODWORK oldgatefence.com charliehookerswoodwork.com 214-766-6422

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers. 214-435-9574

KIRKWOOD FENCE & DECK New & Repair. Free Estimates. Nathan Kirkwood. 214-341-0699

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com

Restoration Flooring

25+ Years Experience

469.774.3147

Hardwood Installation · Hand Scraping Sand & Finish · Dustless restorationflooring.net

Willeford hardwood floors

Superior Quality: Installation • Refinishing Repair • Cleaning & Waxing Old World Hand Scrape 214-824-1166

FOUNDATION REPAIR

OPTIMUM FOUNDATION SERVICES

Reliable, cost-effective foundation repair. We are dedicated foundation specialists who bring customized solutions. Free estimates and transferable warranties. Contact us for an easy, no-obligation consultation. 214-500-0351 Info@optimumfoundationservices.com

• Slabs • Pier & Beam

• Mud Jacking • Drainage

• Free Estimates

• Over 20 Years Exp. 972-288-3797

We Answer Our Phones

GARAGE SERVICES

ROCKET GARAGE DOOR SERVICE - 24/7. Repairs/Installs. 214-533-8670. Coupon On Web. www.RocketDoorService.com

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers 214.692.1991

FENCE & IRON CO.

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

Northlake Fence and Deck

Locally owned and operated by the Mccaffrey family since1980

214-349-9132

www.northlakefence.com

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned.214-826-8096

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

EAST DALLAS WINDOW CLEANING Power Wash. Free Est. Dependable. Derek. 214-360-0120

LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160

ROCK GLASS CO Replace, repair: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 214-837-7829

HANDYMAN SERVICES

A R&G HANDYMAN Electrical, Plumbing, Painting, Fencing, Roofing, Light Hauling. Ron or Gary 214-861-7569, 469-878-8044

ALL STAR HOME CARE Carpentry, Glass, Tile, Paint, Doors, Sheetrock Repair, and more. 25 yrs. exp. References. Derry 214-505-4830

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

G & P HANDYMAN Plumbing, AC, Electrical, Painting, Roofing, Fix Appliances. 214-576-6824

HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

HONEST, SKILLED SERVICE With a Smile. General Repairs/ Maintenance. 214-215-2582

WANTED: ODD JOBS & TO DO LISTS Allen’s Handyman & Home Repair 214-288-4232

Your Home Repair Specialists Drywall Doors Senior Safety Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs And More! 972-308-6035 HandymanMatters.com/dallas

HOUSE PAINTING

1 AFFORDABLE HOUSE PAINTING and Home Repair. Quality work. Inside and Out. Free Ests. Local Refs. Ron 972-816-5634

A+ INT/EXT PAINT & DRYWALL

Since 1977. Kirk Evans. 972-672-4681

BENJAMIN’S PAINTING SERVICE Professional Work At Reasonable Prices. 214-725-6768

MANNY’S HOME PAINTING & REMODEL Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160

RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

TOP COAT 30 yrs. exp. Reliable, Quality Repair/Remodel Phil @ 214-770-2863

VIP PAINTING & DRYWALL Int/Ext. Sheetrock Repair, Resurfacing Tubs, Counters, Tile Repairs. 469-774-7111

HOUSE PAINTING

• Exterior Painting

• Interior Painting

• Cabinet Makeovers

• Fence Stain

• Fence Repair

www.CertifiedPaintersCo.com 214-500-1021

Remodeling tip: Selecting the right contractor

-Curtis Hicks, Bob McDonald Company, Inc.

1. Check your contractors banking & supplier references. Be sure your contractor has insurance to protect you during construction.

2. Ask for a list of references & check the status of any organizations to which he may belong. ie.,(NARI,DBA,BBB)

3. Make sure you feel comfortable with the contractor and evaluate his integrity and competency.

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

ORTIZ LAWNCARE Complete Yard Care. Service by Felipe. Free Est. 214-215-3599

TRACY’S LAWN CARE • 972-329-4190 Lawn Mowing & Leaf Cleaning

U R LAWN CARE Maintenance. Landscaping. Your Personal Yard Service by Uwe Reisch uwereisch@yahoo.com 214-886-9202

YOUR TREES could look like a WORK OF ART, I Guarantee It.

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC

Complete Kitchen And Bath Remodels. Tile, Granite, Marble, Travertine, Slate. Insured. 214-563-5035 www.blake-construction.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645

MELROSE TILE James Sr., Installer, Repairs. 40 Yrs. Exp. MelroseTile.com 214-384-6746

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS Granite, Marble, Tile, Kitchen/Bath Remodels. 972-276-9943.stoneage.dennis@verizon.net

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It — We do it. Tommy. Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

TOM HOLT TILE 30 Yrs Experience In Tile, Backsplashes & Floors. Refs. Avail. 214-770-3444

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. “Remodel with Success”

Bob McDonald 214-341-1155

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists. Trim, Remove, Cabling, Bracing/Bolting. Cavity-Fill Stump Grind. Emergencies, Hazards. Insd. Free Est. 972-803-6313. arborwizard.com

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 12 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925

A&B LANDSCAPING Degreed Horticulturist. Landscape & Stone Work. 214-538-9625

AYALA’S LANDSCAPING SERVICE

Call the Land Expert Today! Insured. 214-773-4781

CHUPIK TREE SERVICE

Trim, Remove, Stump Grind. Free Est. Insured. 214-823-6463

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

LIGHT IT UP DALLAS

Your lighting specialists. 972-591-8383 Parties, Weddings, Patios, Landscape.

LSI LAWN SPRINKLERS “Making Water Work” Irrigation system Service & Repair. Specializing In Older Copper Systems. LI #13715. 214-283-4673

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

Keeping the environment, kids, pets in mind. Organic products avail. 972-564-2495

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax

For General Treatment.

Average Home-Interior/Exterior & Attached Garage. Quotes For Other Services. 214-328-2847. Lakewood Resident

PLUMBING

A2Z PLUMBING 214-727-4040

All Plumbing Repairs. Slab Leak Specialists. Licensed & Insured. ML# M36843.

AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521 # M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days

*Joe Faz 469-346-1814 - Se Habla Español*

ARRIAGA PLUMBING: General Plumbing

Since the 80’s. Insured. Lic# M- 20754 214-321-0589, 214-738-7116, CC’s accepted.

HAYES PLUMBING INC. Repairs.

Insured, 214-343-1427 License M13238

M&S PLUMBING Quality Work & Prompt Service. Jerry. 214-235-2172. lic.#M-11523

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913

Lic. M-40581 Res/Com. Repairs & Leak Location

SPECK PLUMBING

Over 30 Yrs Exp. Licensed/Insured. 214-732-4769, 214-562-2360

214-328-7371

MetroFlowPlumbing.com

PLUMBING

REMODELING

Chandler Design Group Design / Build

POOLS

LEAFCHASERS POOL SERVICE Parts/Service. Chemicals/Repairs. Jonathan. 214-729-3311

REMODELING

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS, LLC Complete Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths, Additions. Hardie Siding & Replacement Windows. Build On Your Own Lot. Insured. www.blake-construction.com 214-563-5035

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 17 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

214-341-1155 bobmcdonaldco.net

ROOFING

GUARDIAN ROOFING & SOLAR

Roof Repair & Solar Installation. Project Mgr. John Beasley 214-772-7362 guardianroofingandsolar.com

BUSINESS BUZZ

WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

HOSPITAL MERGER

Two of East Dallas’ biggest names in healthcare became one recently, when BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE HEALTH and its affiliate TENET HEALTHCARE CORPORATION took over operations at DOCTORS HOSPITAL AT WHITE ROCK LAKE.

During a May ceremony, the newly anointed Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – White Rock was unveiled. “Our

intent with this partnership is to take the best of both,” said Brett Lee, Dallas Market CEO at Tenet Healthcare, during the event. “We got the opportunity to work with some really talented people with this partnership.” The staff at Doctors Hospital will not be impacted, and the hospital will continue to accept all of the major insurance providers, meaning patients should still be able to access their preferred doctors. Doctors Hospital is one of five in North Texas that Baylor and Tenet formed partnerships with this spring. The move does stitch the 57-year-old, 218-bed local hospital into a much larger medical system that now includes 48 hospitals, 6,000 active physicians and 40,000 other employees. Baylor Scott & White Health is the largest nonprofit healthcare provider in the state with total assets of $9 billion.

EAT UP, DRINK UP

Iconic Dallas restaurant group NORMA’S CAFÉ was busy last month hiring more than 80 positions for its new location at Caruth Plaza, 9100 N. Central Expressway, suite 151. They plan to open this month, offering diners big bites of traditional southern flavor including their famed chicken-fried steak and mile-high pie. This marks their fourth store, with additional locations in North Dallas and Frisco. The original Norma’s Café opened in 1956 in Oak Cliff.

ATOMIC PIE, which closed last summer amid plans to expand, has brought back carry-out service from 4-9 p.m. daily, with plans to restore full restaurant service soon. When it reopens, it will have a fresh vision that also incorporates Lake Highlands Creamery. New investors are making the expansion possible, the business said on its Facebook page: “Our new managing partners, Tom Goodale and Ryan Nicholson have been working hard to help put together a fresh new concept for Atomic Pie. We think we have a well balanced menu and atmosphere that the neighborhood will be proud of.”

COSTCO’S COMING

After the Dallas City Council approved a $3 million tax credit, COSTCO WHOLESALE is prepped to begin work on a 13-acre property on Coit at Churchill. The retail giant is expected to bring in $16.8 million in sales and property tax in its first 20 years of operation. They will also be bringing an anticipated 225 full- and part-time jobs that pay an average of $22 an hour, but a base of $13, well above both minimum wage at $7.25, and Dallas’ living wage of $10.37. Construction will begin in August, with the store expected to open in February 2017.

Brett Lee of Tenet Healthcare, Gary Brock and Jay Krishnaswamy of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center and Rep. Kenneth Sheets.

The task force’s crime takedown

The numbers are impressive: 2,510 traffic stops, 314 arrests, 30 stolen vehicles recovered, 31 search warrants executed and 61 illegally possessed guns taken off the streets. That all happened in two months — March and April — according to a Dallas Police Department announcement that attributed the crime fighting to the formation of the Violent Crime Task Force. The task force includes 170 officers from various units of the department — SWAT, narcotics and gang — who have adjusted their schedules and embedded in Dallas’ most dangerous areas, responding to our city’s climbing crime stats. The northeast sector of Dallas had been hit particularly hard; we were seeing multiple murders weekly, even after the Forest-Audelia task force was in place. But police say the task force has brought down violent crime by 4.9 percent. Follow along with the task force on Twitter at @DallasPDVCTF.

Crime numbers

$225,000

Amount citizens group Safer Dallas Better Dallas wants to raise to buy ‘less-lethal’ firearms for the Dallas Police Department

40-millimeter sponge guns are designed to stop someone in their tracks without breaking the skin. The ammo expands on impact, causing pain and incapacitating a suspect

$19 million raised by Safer Dallas Better Dallas for DPD equipment and programs to date