2016 February Lakewood

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEP:NG

PEOPLE AT WORK WHILE THE WORLD SNOOZES

goods. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Life at the landfill

This

Radiation oncologist Dr. Michael Folkert and other members of our genitourinary cancer team are treating select prostate cancer patients with a technique that delivers a more potent dose of radiation in fewer treatments. Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, SABR for short, is a technology that was pioneered at UT Southwestern and is now being adopted worldwide. It’s another example of the specialized care available at UT Southwestern—where scientific research, advanced technology, and leading-edge treatments come together to bring new hope to cancer patients.

To learn more, contact: Radiation Oncology at 214-645-8525 or visit utswmedicine.org/radonc

is where prostate cancer can be eradicated in just five treatments.

We have specialized in Lakewood and Dallas real estate for decades. We are truly committed to our neighborhood, and this passion is passed along in the way we do business.

8726 Sanshire · SOLD

5328 Del Roy · SOLD

6814 Avalon · SOLD

2945 Thomas · $599,000

6402 Malcolm · $789,000

8351 Santa Clara · $1,695,000

3610 Harvard · $2,495,000

7107 Alexander · $850,000

Presenting your home to the world

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

6732 Lakeshore Drive | $869,000

Lauren

469.867.1734 | lfarris@briggsfreeman.com

6034 Vanderbilt Avenue | $779,000

Lauren

| lfarris@briggsfreeman.com

6206

Tim Cox 214.334.1000 | tcox@briggsfreeman.com

Grant

469.939.1696 | gvancleve@briggsfreeman.com

6224 Oram Street #4 | SOLD

Grant Vancleve 469.939.1696 | gvancleve@briggsfreeman.com

Grant

469.939.1696 | gvancleve@briggsfreeman.com

5319 Willis Avenue | $745,000

Andy Slowe 214.215.4107 | aslowe@briggsfreeman.com

6834 Gaston Avenue | $699,900

Gia Marshello 214.616.2568 | gmarshello@briggsfreeman.com

7309 Clemson Drive | SOLD | Represented Buyer

Gia Marshello 214.616.2568 | gmarshello@briggsfreeman.com

briggsfreeman.com

Valek Farris

Vancleve

1424 Waterside Drive | $465,000

Tremont Street | SOLD

Valek Farris 469.867.1734

Vancleve

5844 Oram Street | SOLD

LIFE MEASURED IN DUMPLINGS AND SUPER BOWLS

Making our dwindling time count

I’ve always wondered about the wisdom of scheduling Valentine’s Day less than two months after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

We’ve just completed one orgy of gatherings and good will, and then another similarly critical event is thrust upon us.

If we participated at all in the loving and gift-giving at the end of the year, and if we did it with the prescribed amount of gusto, what gift is left for those who mean the most to us on Valentine’s Day?

By the time most of us reach our mid-30s, he concludes, we’ve burned through 95 percent of our in-person parent time

I was thinking about this while doing my job, a good part of which involves endlessly scanning the Internet, other magazines and newspapers looking for ideas about how to make ours better. I prefer to think of it as multi-tasking, but I suppose you could consider it dereliction of duty since most of this personal “thinking” seems to occur during work hours.

Regardless, I stumbled across the enewsletter “Charlotte Agenda” published by a small crew in North Carolina and dedicated to covering the city of Charlotte (it’s similar to a free one we publish for our neighborhood that you can subscribe to at advocatemag.com/social).

I read the Charlotte Agenda from time to time not because it’s attractive or flashy, like so much of what catches our attention on the

Internet these days, but because the writing is unique: one of the three writers seems full of himself, one seems to revel in being a wordsmith and the third flashes the rare ability to think and write at the same time.

This day she’s talking about the Internet site “Wait But Why,” and she’s pondering a specific article there about “The Tail End” in which writer Tim Urban quantifies by diagrams exactly how far along most of us are in our journey through life.

He starts by calculating the projected number of pizzas and dumplings he has left to eat. And there’s discussion about the number of Super Bowls he’ll likely still live to see (he assumes 60) and the number of presidents he may yet survive (nine).

But then he tilts more seriously: By the time most of us reach our mid-30s, he concludes, we’ve burned through 95 percent of our in-person parent time, meaning well before the presumed middle of our lives, we have relatively little time left to spend with our parents, if we’re lucky enough that they’re still alive.

Same with siblings: We go from spending every day with them for the first 18 or so years of our life to seeing them occasionally or rarely or not at all.

And so he concludes that if these things matter to us, we should make it a point to live near and spend time with the people we love most. And if we truly are in the last 10 percent of time we’ll spend with these people who mean the most to us, we should treat that time as the precious commodity it is, rather than worry too much about spending money on roses, chocolates and expensive meals on a fairly artificial holiday.

So maybe the person who scheduled Valentine’s Day was thinking clearly after all, making a date regularly associated with love for others to follow so closely after a season that seems to have moved far from its intended meaning.

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EDITORIAL

publisher: CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

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editors:

RACHEL STONE

214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com

BRITTANY NUNN

214.635.2122 / bnunn@advocatemag.com

ELIZABETH BARBEE

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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

5921 SWISS AVENUE | SOLD Robby Sturgeon Senior Vice President 214.533.6633 rsturgeon@briggsfreeman.com

HISTORY, STYLE AND PERSONALITY DEFINE LAKEWOOD AND EAST DALLAS LIVING. WE FIND THE PERFECT FIT AND CONNECT YOU TO WHAT MATTERS MOST. COMING SOON 5200 Martel Avenue 5010 Tremont Street 6434 Sudbury Lane

In 2015, in Lakewood alone, Becky Frey sold two of the highest priced homes over $1,900,000 AND sixteen other homes of all sizes, styles, and price ranges. Total sales volume was over $100,000,000 in the last 12 months. Becky and her small team plan to do it again, so, if you have been thinking of buying or selling your home in 2016, give us a shout or take a peek at beckyfrey.com.

HISTORIC ESTATE ON 1.5 ACRES – $2,295,000

MERCEDES AVENUE – CALL FOR PRIVATE SHOWING

HISTORIC HOME BY CHARLES DILBECK NEW BY KEEN HOMES © – $1,290,000

SUNNYLAND LANE – FOR SALE 6738 LAKEWOOD BOULEVARD – SOLD

Coldwell Banker Residential

6610 Nonesuch Ct. | $2,250,000 5/4.1/3 | 3 living areas Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780

710 Kirkwood | $330,000 2/2/2 1,450 sq ft, Hexter Elem. Melissa McSpedden | 214-552-4972

7334 Craigshire Ave | $599,900 5/3.1/2/Pool, Merriman Park Elem. April Cope | 214-755-2063

9301 Prairie Creek | SOLD 6.8 acres with stable & corral Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296

2402 Loving | $399,000 2/2 or lot, Fantastic Lakewood Location Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296

5123 Menefee | SOLD Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296

716 W. State St. | Available Suites Office, Studio, Conf Rooms Historic Downtown Garland Pam Nelms | 214-789-4911

4211 Rawlins #522 | $389,900 2/2.1/2 Palo Alto Townhomes, end unit Tom Sheshene | 214-604-9230

7415 Azalea Ln. | $789,000 3/3.1/2, Pool Beautifully updated Melissa McSpedden | 214-552-4972

4807 Reiger Ave. | SOLD Beautiful historical fourplex Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296

1535 Stemmons Ave. | $925,000 5/6/4 East Kessler Park Hills Darlene Harrison | 214-893-7547

7309 Bennington |SOLD 3/2/2 Fully Updated, Lakewood Elem. Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780

1243 Waterside Cir. | $695,000 4/3.1/2 Pool, Creek View Tom Sheshene

Meet the man hoping to succeed Mike Morath on the DISD board

“He is so passionate about public schools he won’t send his kids there? Does he believe his neighborhood school is for the ‘others?’ Greenhill admits only the very smart and/or the very rich. He’ll never know the community of a neighborhood school of diverse people working together for the kids, living within the rules and budget passed by the Texas legislature.”

— Dinah Miller

“I had the same reaction until I sat down with Dustin [Marshall] and queried him about his knowledge of the issues. He has accumulated a lot of public education experience and

made a large personal investment in four short years since returning to Dallas in 2011. He also understands the importance of gathering more information beyond the hard data. He’s intuitive, approachable and he listens. I guarantee, district parents and advocates will surely tell him what he does not know, as I did in our meeting.”

— Louisa Meyer

Councilman Clayton makes plans to revamp the GastonGarland-Grand intersection

“The last study examined the Gaston to [north-bound] Garland traffic going into a tunnel and the [south-bound] Garland to Grand traffic being elevated. This eliminated all traffic lights. I can’t remember the cost but it was deemed too costly for the

DEBBIE LABARBA

TEAM LABARBA

Realtor - Coldwell Banker

“Without Integrity Nothing Works”

Whether it’s her positive attitude or her never ending smile, Debbie’s clients tell you that she is diligent about making sure things go according to plan. Her clients are totally happy when it’s time to sign on the dotted line. I guess that’s what helped her grow her successful business for over 25 years! She is thankful to each and everyone of her clients and would welcome you as well with all your real estate needs.

Debbie LaBarba 214.729.9116

Debbie.labarba@cbdfw.com

traffic volume. With the traffic volume significantly up I wonder if this solution could be revisited now since the cost per volume would be less?”

— Lakewood Insights

“We have known about this problem for many years but ignored warnings that that the new shopping center would irritate the clogged intersection even more. The traffic gets worse every year, sometimes backing up cars to Whole Foods at rush hour. I think there will be several options on correcting the traffic jam.”

— Erica from dallas

Texas’ open-carry gun law goes into effect

“Chill, hippies. I lived in Ohio (an open carry state for everyone not just concealed carry license holders) for 37 years and never once saw anyone carry openly. You won’t notice a thing.” — Bob Lawson

“Private businesses can forbid open carry. That will make it easy to determine which ones to patronize.”

—

Bob Cheek

“Considering we are the 45th state to enact this. I’m guessing no real difference at all.” —

Chris Grams

“When you see someone with a gun just call the police and let them determine if the person is legally carrying. Not complicated.”

— John Coveney

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WHAT YOU’RE MISSING

Construction halted at Greenville-Belmont after city pulls building permit Texas’ open-carry gun law goes into e ect

Landlord, not bankruptcy threat to Dixie House

Owners of La Bodega’s push back opening date

Rep. Sheets honors Chamberlain Studios of Self Defense

FOLLOW US. Lakewood Advocate @Advocate_ed

TALK TO US.

Email editor Brittany bnunn@advocatemag.com

Q&A Landfill engineer Richard Akin

Most of us don’t think about our trash once it leaves our sidewalk. If we do, it’s probably not to contemplate the minute details of how the managers at McCommas Bluff Landfill keep the landfill from overflowing or how it drains rainwater. But for East Dallas neighbor Richard Akin, it’s all he thinks about at work. Akin is the senior landfill engineer at McCommas Bluff. Sounds like a job that stinks, right? Far from it. “It’s a fun place,” he says. As long as he does his job right — “We like to know that we’re not leaking, that we’re not polluting and that we’re collecting as much as we possibly can,” he says — the rest of us can continue on our merry, oblivious way.

What’s the biggest challenge of your job?

From an engineering perspective, just making sure we don’t overfill. Landfills live

and die by what’s called ‘airspace’ — what we’re allowed to fill. As long as we don’t go over a certain height, everything is fine. So I have to make sure that doesn’t happen.

What does your day-to-day look like?

I’m responsible for drainage and roadways through the landfill and projects that we’re going to do on-site, that we’re not going to contract out. I’m also in charge of the environmental science section. I have an environmental coordinator and four [hazardous-waste] inspectors. We don’t accept [hazardous waste]. They’re looking for things that are not acceptable. They do random inspections on the loads of customers, so they’re looking for things like unused paint or materials containing asbestos. Plus, we can’t accept liquids at the landfill.

They’re also responsible for all the daily

Richard

checks for our route site to look for what we call ‘leachate seeps.’ We have a big hill of trash and it gets rained on. Rainwater will percolate through the surface material, get into the trash, and it will matriculate down through the garbage, and it collects things as it goes to the bottom. If it decides it wants to come out on the side of the hill, it will form a wet area called a ‘seep.’ As long as it’s not running, it gives us a little time to get it fixed. The way they fix it is they pack more dirt on top of it, which encourages liquid to stay back into the hill and not try to pop out. If it forms any type of a stream, those require immediate attention because we don’t want any of that stuff to escape the

Akin is the guy in charge of making sure the landfill doesn’t overfill. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Texas‘

question. I just came

routine checkup and cleaning. As always, I found the staff not only the epitome of professionalism, but gracious and kind. I’ve been under their care for over 10 years and would recommend this practice to those who are looking for competent, professional care.” - George Monroe

landfill. So environmentally, there are lots of things to look at and lots of things to do.

Was it hard to get used to working so closely with garbage?

Not really. It’s funny people always ask, ‘Well doesn’t it stink? It’s nasty.’ Actually it’s not as nasty as you think. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but at the landfill there are different odors that are created by different things. Landfill gas itself has a particular odor. Leachate has a particular odor. The garbage itself has a particular odor. We can use those odors if we’re around the landfill inspecting, if we smell something in a place we don’t expect it. Visually it’s easy to see if something is not where it’s supposed to be, but if it’s something you can’t see but you can smell you go, ‘OK we shouldn’t be smelling this, why are we?’

Is your job dangerous?

The greatest danger to a landfill is fire. People ask about landfill gas. We’re concerned about it because it’s a greenhouse gas. It’s methane. People want to know what it smells like, but it’s like, ‘Well, landfill gas has an odor but methane itself does not.’ It is odorless and colorless, so you don’t know it’s there except that it burns nicely, although it’s not explosive.

Have you experienced a fire at McCommas?

Yes, but typically the fires that we see out here are vehicles. An actual landfill fire, though, I have not had to be a part of one of those. I hope to never be a part of it because you don’t fight them the same way you fight a house fire. Water won’t put it out. It’s a smoldering fire, and it could burn for years. So how do I know that I don’t have one right now? We have over 500 gas wells on the landfill. We’ve been harvesting methane gas. If we see a spike in the temperature, then we know something is awry and we go start the investigation. You have to smother a landfill fire with dirt. Part of our permit is a requirement that we have to have enough dirt on hand to be able to cover the entire working face within an hour with six inches of dirt. Do you eventually expand the

landfill or what’s next?

McCommas is as big as McCommas is ever going to be. There is zero desire to expand it. The permit modifications that would be involved would be such a hurdle that the city is not going to do it. The city decided that they wanted one single place to serve the needs of Dallas County, and that was back in the mid’70s when they started the permitting process for McCommas. They figured that their long-range plan was that it would have a life of 50 years. The 1980s was when they finally started accepting trash at the landfill. McCommas was originally permitted to bring in 10,000 tons a day. We haven’t seen that kind of volume since the last big economic boom many, many years ago. We see between 5,000-8,000 tons a day — with the exception of Sunday because nobody brings us anything on Sunday. At the current rate of material coming in and at the rate that it’s settling, we have about 45 years still left in McCommas.

We have an old part of the landfill that you’d never know is a landfill because it’s covered in grass. It’s also one of the highest land points in the City of Dallas. We have an absolutely panoramic view of downtown, and on a clear night it is a very beautiful sight. We have sunrises and sunsets that would blow your mind.

Interesting. What else would surprise people about the landfill?

It has nothing to do with the landfill itself. It’s the wildlife. McCommas itself is about 2,200 acres. Only about 978 of that will ever be used for the landfill. The rest of it is nature. I recently took a picture of a beautiful stag. It was magnificent, and silhouetted by the sunset. While driving through part of the landfill one day, I counted 15 deer, but we also have about 300 feral hogs. That’s not as pretty. They get to be big. We can’t hunt them or hurt them. We cannot touch them. We have four nesting pairs of red-tailed hawks. We have vultures and seagulls by the thousands. We’re also on one of the migratory paths for pelicans. —Brittany

Nunn

Big front porches, Fourth of July parades, and neighbors who know each other’s names. You’ll find a lot of neighborhoods like this in Dallas, if you know where to look. And we do. e Realtors at David Griffin & Company are e experts on Dallas’ established, close-in communities. Want to meet some new neighbors? Call 214.526.5626 or visit davidgriffin.com

“I want a home in a neighborhood that’s really a neighborhood.”

9725 Shadydale Ln. $945,000

4240 Prescott Ave. 4F SOLD

6706 Vada Dr. SOLD

6807 E. Mockingbird Ln. SOLD

10104 Woodgrove Dr. $579,900

147 Tranquil Pl. SOLD

6722 Norway Rd. SOLD

David Collier 214.536.8517

Marlis Rossetta 469.964.2650 David Collier 214.536.8517

David Collier 214.536.8517

David Collier 214.536.8517

Bart Thrasher 469.583.4819

Kris Long

$1,700,000 6255 W Northwest Highway #116 $285,000

Art created by East Dallas artist Darrah Gooden from layers of paper.

Artist in residence: Darrah Gooden

After having kids, White Rock artist Darrah Gooden began rediscovering her own childhood.

As the daughter of an elementary school art teacher, Gooden grew up in a house that was always brimming over with art and craft supplies.

“Art is something that has just always been a part of me,” she says.

As a teen she headed to Baylor University in Waco where she majored in painting. While in college, she told people she planned to be a children’s book illustrator when she graduated “because I didn’t know what else to say,” she says, “but I ended up somewhat randomly getting into making portraits of people and doing other custom work.”

That stuck for several years. Then inspira-

tion struck when her son was born and she needed art for his room.

“The market for finding fun kid stuff, it was hard to find stuff that I liked,” she explains. “It was usually more for babies, which is fine, but it wasn’t what I wanted.”

So she decided to create exactly what she wanted and fashioned tissue paper into colorful animals with bold, boxy features. She wondered if other people had the same trouble finding interesting kid art as she did and went to work making more collages. A year later she opened her Etsy page, Tiny Fawn.

Breaking away from portraiture, most of her creations are animals or inanimate objects. The layering effect creates an ethereal quality, that makes the designs look more like watercolor paintings. Bold shapes and

colors define her distinct style, which has become a kind-of game to Gooden.

“[Shape and color] is central to the art and a challenge that, to me, is the best part of working in this style,” she says. “The process is all about solving how to layer sheer cut tissue paper shapes on top of one another to create new shapes and colors, until they eventually morph into animals or other objects.”

Now a mother of two, Gooden says she is constantly inspired by the illustrations she sees in her children’s books and toys.

Although she hasn’t created any children’s book illustrations (yet, she says she’d still like to someday), her work has been featured in popular children’s stores such as West Elm and Land of Nod, among other places. —Brittany Nunn

Amanda Searcy

Cristina Trejo

Varita Michell began advocating for families in need through St. Matthew’s Cathedral in East Dallas last summer. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

EAST DALLAS IS FULL OF CHURCHES — old, new, big, small, traditional and modern. On Sunday mornings the parking lots swarm with neighbors dressed to impress and ready for an hour of worship and teaching, but during the rest of the week many East Dallas churches transform into community gathering places. They become concert venues, art galleries, afterschool programs, coffee shops and urban gardens — whatever the surrounding community needs. Over the next several months, we’ll take a look at some of the programs offered in our neighborhood’s houses of worship.

St. Matthew’s brings food to the masses

A lot of churches have food pantries, but only St. Matthew’s Cathedral in East Dallas has Varita Michell, who quit her job in church administration last year to dedicate herself fulltime to the needy.

The food pantry at St. Matthew’s has been around for decades and it has always been one of the few places in Dallas that embraces an open-door policy, where anyone who is hungry can find respite. Staff members give away bags of ingredients for a full meal, as well as food that doesn’t require cooking, every Thursday to whoever shows up, without requiring identification.

“We don’t have any restrictions on who can come to our food pantry,” Michell says. “Anyone can come, as often as they want.”

Michell is the wife of the Rev. Neal Michell, the church’s dean and rector, and she was on staff at St. Matthew’s when she saw an opportunity. High school students

who attend summer school at the church could serve the homeless population who primarily frequent St. Matthew’s pantry, she thought. So she volunteered to lead the effort.

“At first I was like, ‘Is it safe?’ ” she admitted, “but the more I got to know [the homeless population], the more I got over my fear and realized they’re just people with needs.”

She had planned on opening the students’ collective eyes to the needs of the community and show them how they could help make a difference in their own neighborhood. What she didn’t expect was the profound impact the experience would have on her personally.

Michell says she has always been passionate about missions. What could be more perfect than helping people in her own neighborhood?

“[Being involved in the food pantry] has been making a way for me to get to know

these folks and what their needs are,” she explains.

Michell stepped down from her job to focus all her time and energy helping homeless people navigate the resources available to them in Dallas.

“I’ve gotten a whole education on shelters and treatment centers,” she says. “I’ve helped people get bus passes and food stamps. I’ve been to the social security administration and the DMV to help people get their IDs.”

She organizes food, clothing, coat and blanket drives, and she occasionally donates money to cover needs when they arise. Most people just need a friend who has access to a computer and a car, she says.

Although she doesn’t have a clear picture of where her path will take her, she plans to follow it wherever it leads.

“Everyday I learn something new and meet new people I can help,” she says. —

Brittany Nunn

Lights, music, action

Prepare your senses for a ride in Apollo’s chariot.

The multimedia show “Apollo’s Flight,” brought to us by East Dallas neighbor Kristin Colaneri, will feature light projections, electronic live instruments, elaborate costumes and dance.

It started with an idea from electric violinist Marek Eneti when he wanted to build a show around some of his original composition. He teamed up with Colaneri, who has a background in professional dance and performance art, to brainstorm a concept.

Colaneri is studying multimedia at the University of Texas at Dallas, which mixes performance mediums, she explains. Most shows include different types of lighting or media, such as light projection or body mapping, combined with dance and a narrative element like acting or video, she says.

“[Eneti] looks like Apollo,” Colaneri says “Most of what’s written today is based off of Greek and Roman mythology or William Shakespeare, so I thought, ‘Let’s base it off Apollo because he’s the god of music and light, and it’s a music and light show.’”

She created a story narrative that “follows the structure of Apollo’s life” and also includes the mythological characters Orion and Daphne. Then Colaneri roped in several other Dallas artists: choreographer Valerie Shelton-Tabor, clarinet player Jonathan Jones, costume designer Jesse Thaxton, photographer Michael Myers and lighting designer Casidy Castillo-Wilson.

The costume design combines Greek influences with surrealism and biodesign, and the music concept has evolved to include original composition from Jones as well.

“We want to use some multimedia improvisation, which is a completely new form in terms of performance art,” Colaneri says. “There’s stuff like jazz and improvisational dance, but we want to put it all together and still react in real-time, so the audience is really a part of the creation at that moment.”

The show is for one night only, on Feb. 5, at the Latino Cultural Center. It starts at 8 p.m. To learn more or purchase tickets, go to dallasculture.org/latinoCulturalCenter.

—Brittany Nunn

Kristin Colaneri will produce the multimedia show “Apollo’s Flight.” (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Foxy

Foxy, a 1-year-old rescue from Dallas Animal Services, can jump higher than five feet in the air, says her human, Josh Bullard, who added that he is considering starting her in Frisbee training “like those dogs you see on TV.” She recently was awarded with the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen certification, so you know her manners are on fleek, as the kids say. Mostly, she’s just happy to have a home of her own.

SERVING NEIGHBORHOOD PETS SINCE 1924

North Dallas’ Newest Shopping

Out & About

February 2016

Feb. 27-April 10

Dallas Blooms

Get ready for the Dallas Arboretum’s biggest floral festival, Dallas Blooms. The garden explodes with color as more than 500,000 spring-blossoming bulbs burst, and life-size bronze sculptures of American’s “great contributors.” Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6500,$10-$15, plus $15 on-site parking

FEB. 4

Chinese New Year

Children’s author Kena Sosa explores Chinese New Year through the art of illustration. Children can participate in the dragon dance, listen to traditional music and learn how to draw authentic Chinese characters. The program is from 6-7 p.m.

Lochwood Library, 11221 Lochwood, 214.670.8403, dallaslibrary.org, free

FEB. 5

‘Snail and Hummingbird’

Teatro Dallas brings a show to the Dallas Children’s Theater for one night only, at 7:30 p.m. “Caracol Y Colibri (Snail And Hummingbird)” tells the story of two characters that take time to listen to each other and create their own music and dreams.

Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, dct.org, 214.740.0051, $15-$20

FEB. 6

Hot Chocolate run

The Hot Chocolate 5k and 15k includes an all-chocolate post-race party and activities for children. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dallas. The 5k starts at 7:30 a.m. and the 15k starts at 8:15 a.m.

Fair Park, First Avenue at Parry, hotchocolate15k.com/dallas, $54-$74

FEB. 6

Works of heart

“El Corazon” art exhibition at the Bath House Cultural Center is now in its 22nd year. The show allows local artists to offer their interpretations of the human heart. It opens with a reception for the artists from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 6 and runs through March 5.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, 214.670.8749, bathhousecultural.com, free

THE goods

FEB. 10

The voice of Creed

Scott Stapp has had a rough go. He had a public meltdown in 2014 and did a stint in rehab last year. But then in October, the voice of Creed released a dramatic video announcing that he’s back, and he wants to help anyone who has shared similar struggles on his “Proof of Life” world tour. The Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville, 214.824.9933, granadatheater.com

$30-$59

FEB. 12-MARCH 6

Clothing, accessories and theater

“Love, Loss and What I Wore” tells women’s stories through the frame of their outfits. This Nora Ephron play is based on Ilene Beckerman’s bestseller as well as the stories of Ephron’s friends.

Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, 5601 Sears, 214.828.0094, contemporarytheatreofdallas.com

FEB. 13

Shoreline Spruce-Up

For the Love of the Lake invites neighbors to join its monthly Second Saturday Shoreline Spruce-Up at White Rock Lake. They meet at 8 a.m.

For the Love of the Lake, 1152 N. Buckner, 214.660.1100, whiterocklake.org, free

FEB. 17

Butterfly garden

Master Gardener Roseann Ferguson from Texas Discovery Gardens gives tips on how to plant a garden that will attract butterflies. The program starts at 2 p.m. Lakewood Library, 6121 Worth, 214.670.1376, lakewoodlibraryfriendsdallas.org, free

FEB. 26-28

Ballet and Bach

Neighborhood-based Contemporary Ballet Dallas premieres “Untold Tale of the Chevalier” with the New York Baroque Dance Company, guest Marcea Daite and music from the Dallas Bach Society. Montgomery Arts Theater, 2501 Flora, 214.821.2066, contemporaryballetdallas.com/season

GECKO HARDWARE

Does your sweetie love local? We have the perfect gifts— “Red-Hot” Love Candles, Texas Honeybee Guild Honey, Noble Coyote Coffee and more.

10233 E. Northwest Hwy @ Ferndale 214.343.1971 GeckoHardware.com

CITY VIEW ANTIQUE MALL

Transform, re-purpose or refresh old furniture with color choices from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®. A full range of paint products are available. Our 65 dealers offer great, quality, affordability & selection. 6830 Walling Ln. (Skillman/Abrams) 214.752.3071 cityviewantiques.com

THE STORE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS

CORKCICLE canteens and tumblers! Keep beverages cold for 25 hours, or hot for 12. Easy-grip, triple-insulated, fun color choices and sizes. Can personalize, too!

10233 E. NW Hwy @ Ferndale (near Gecko) 214.553.8850 Mon-Sat 9:30-5:30 TheStoreinLH.com

goods

ADVOCATE GOODS

More than 200,000 sets of eyes are checking out these items right now. Get your specialty items or featured products in front of your neighbors that love to shop local for unique items. Read online at advocatemag.com/digital

YOGA MART

Help your sweetie relax with Restorative yoga props. Class gift certificates available. Yoga Mart 6039 Oram (at Skillman) 214.534.4469 yogamartusa.com

ADVOCATE ORNAMENT Call 214.560.4203

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NATURE’S PLATE

10233 E. Northwest Highway 469.307.4217

AMBIENCE: MEAL PLAN PICK-UP

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ALL MEALS ARE BAKED AND PREPARED ON SITE. NATURE’S PLATE IS ALL-VEGAN, AND MOST OF THEIR PRODUCTS ARE ORGANIC AND GLUTEN-FREE.

Sisters

Annette Baker and Marianne Lacko never set out to become small business owners; it just kind of happened.

“Neither of us have a culinary background,” Baker says. Instead, their health food concept called Nature’s Plate simply “grew out of our interest and what we were doing for ourselves.”

Both became interested in plant-based food, health and fitness. Six years ago Lacko received a request from a co-worker.

“She said, ‘Would you cook for me if I pay you?’” Lacko remembers. “I had just had a baby, so I was like, ‘No way. I can barely keep up.’ ”

But Baker, whose kids are older, o ered her services instead.

“At the time I didn’t want to make money with it because she was trying to lose weight, and so I thought that would make me feel good to do that on the side,” Baker says. “I had no idea what was involved in something like that.”

It didn’t take long before others caught on and asked Baker to cook for them, too. Eventually she drummed up enough interest to justify starting a business. She got Lacko on board, quit her job and threw herself into her new-found passion.

In August Baker and Lacko opened Nature’s Plate at Northwest Highway and Ferndale, where they o er a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, entrées, breakfast items and treats. Neighbors can pick up meals in-store or have them brought to their doors through the local delivery service Artizone.

The menu is entirely vegan — Baker and Lacko are vegans but “not the preachy kind,” they say — but Baker points out that most of their customers are not; they just want to eat healthier, she says. —Brittany

Nunn

Spicy black-eyed peas and greens soup (Photo by Rasy Ran)

Simply Fit Meals

Simply Fit Meals on Lower Greenville opened last year to help busy people eat healthy. It features ready-to-go meals, fresh pressed juice and superfood smoothies with about 50 different menu options that rotate seasonally.

2937 Greenville, Suite #130 214.824.4444 simplyfitmeals.com

Snap Kitchen

Snap Kitchen is another food service that caters to health nuts on the run. It offers tossed-to-order salads, cold-pressed juices, specialty elixirs, high-energy snacks, diet-friendly desserts or other ready-made meals for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 4115 Skillman 214.613.4503 snapkitchen.com

Muscle Maker Grill

Muscle Maker Grill offers “an alternative to fast food restaurants.” It caters to any variety of specialty diets, including vegan, carbfree food and gluten-free, and each meal comes with a breakdown of the nutrition facts.

2217 Greenville

214.272.2210

musclemakergrill.com

FOOD AND WINE ONLINE

Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com/dining

Another Broken Egg

It’s our passion to create exceptional dishes for breakfast, brunch and lunch that are “craveably” delicious with an artisanal flair.

Mon-Sun 7:00 -2:00 pm

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

Alfonso’s Italian

• Celebrating 33 Years of Service!

• Newly Remodeled Dining Room

• Rustic Italian Cuisine

• 16-Seat Full Bar / New Wine List!

• Mondays: 50% off glasses of house wine & $3-off pizza 12” or larger

Circle Grill

February chill got you down? Come in & warm up w/ our Enchilada Platter! Served w/ Chips & our homemade Salsa; add Mexican Rice & Beans on the side! Homestyle meals w/ family & friends. Breakfast & Lunch 7 days-a-week Dinner Thurs.-Sat.

Snap Kitchen. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

THIS BARK IS ALL BITE

As you are preparing for one of the most chocolate-filled months of the year, when everyone is trying to buy or make something extra special for their loved ones, a no-bake and no-recipe treat will be your new best friend. Chocolate bark is not only one of the most beautiful chocolate treats you can package up, but it is also so decadent with its pure flavors. As you prepare to make chocolate bark, it’s imperative you select a high quality chocolate, whether it be white, milk or dark. Once you have decided on the chocolate you would like to use, you need to decide how to top it. For dark chocolate, I prefer nutty and dried fruit flavors such as cranberries, almonds, candied ginger, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, dried figs and dried apricots. The options are endless for chocolate bark, you can nearly put anything your taste buds desire.

No-bake Chocolate Bark

GROCERY LIST:

1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup almonds, lightly chopped

1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped

1/4 cup pistachios, shelled

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried figs, chopped

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Place three-fourths of the dark chocolate in a microwave safe glass bowl.

3. Microwave chocolate on high for 30 seconds, remove bowl and stir chocolate.

4. Place chocolate back in the microwave for 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted.

5. Remove the bowl from the microwave and add the remaining one-fourth of chocolate into the melted chocolate and stir until fully melted.

6. Pour chocolate onto prepared sheet pan and spread until even in thickness.

7. Sprinkle dried fruit and nuts all over chocolate (add as much or as little as you like).

8. Allow the chocolate to cool and harden at room temperature or refrigerate if you want the chocolate to set up quicker.

9. Once the chocolate is cooled, crack the bark into medium size pieces.

10. Keep in an airtight container or package up for gifts.

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.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

NIGHT SHIF T BLIND BUTCHER

“My wife works during the day, and I work at night. We don’t have any babysitters. I get to spend time with my family — my kids more so than my wife. It’s a little hard, but it’s either that or spend thousands of dollars a year on childcare.”

At first glance it seems like a thin crowd, but actually Blind Butcher on Lowest Greenville, a bar that prides itself on craft cocktails, beers and bites, is unusually crowded for a Tuesday night with about 20 or so people clustered here and there. The lights are dim and guests have to shout to hear each other over Snow Patrol blasting over the speakers. It’s a typical bar scene, as a couple canoodles in the corner, two young women at the bar engage in an intense conversation while sipping wine, and a table of friends banter loudly on the front patio.

M1:25

Two men saunter up to the bar, greeting bartender Stephanie Roethlisberger with a “Hello, how are you?" Roethlisberger replies, "Wonderful!" She says it dramatically, raising her hands like she's saying "Hallelujah!"

Roethlisberger has been bartending for 11 years, she says: "I have a degree in chemistry, but I still like this better.” She started at Blind Butcher just a month or two after it opened, but she worked for Goodfriend, Blind Butcher’s sister bar, since it first opened.

The two men have been scanning the drink menu and finally decide what they want. Tim

Photos by Danny Fulgencio

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Feutz, the closing manager on duty, places two bottles on the counter, reaches back and pulls his bottle opener from his back pocket, spins it around his finger and whips the bottle tops off in a snap.

Most of the people who patronize Blind Butcher during the week are neighborhood folks who walk to Lowest Greenville and walk home, Feutz explains, although tonight’s crowd is full of unfamiliar faces. The other half is made up of people who work in bars or restaurants along the avenue, most of which close at midnight or earlier.

as he leans against the bar to chat. He has been bartending at Blind Butcher for two years; although he says has more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry. “I waited tables, and then I figured out that bartenders made all the money,” he says. “I realized, ‘Wait a minute, I want that guy’s job.’” He has a knack for remembering people’s drinks — better than he remembers people’s names, he admits — but the hard part is the hours. “This is something that I do so that I can pick the kids up from school during the day,” he explains. “My wife works during the day, and I work at night. We don’t have any babysitters. I get to spend time with my family — my kids more so than my wife. It’s a little hard, but

it’s either that or spend thousands of dollars a year on childcare.”

A guy walks up to Feutz and gives him a hearty handshake. The guy is Zach Potts, a bartender at Remedy, and he’s still dressed for work in a button-down shirt and tie. "This place is the block-wide hangout,” Potts says, while he waits for his beer. This is the part of the job Feutz enjoys. “I enjoy talking to people and meeting people,” he says. “Even though I see the same people a lot, I see different people every night. Every night is different.”

A guy in a stone-washed denim jacket straight out of the ‘90s, with black rimmed glasses and a backwards hat, approaches the bar to pay his tab. He leaves $15 in cash on the bar.

A crowd gathers near the door. Seven guys all face one girl who is leaning on the end of the bar, sipping on a drink and talking over her shoulder with one of the guys. Tim distributes a round of drinks — mostly vodka and whiskey. “They’re all restaurant people from Remedy or HG [Sply Co.], so they’re all drinking straight stuff,” Feutz says. “They’re not drinking Alabama slammers or anything.”

The music stops. By this point the room is mostly empty, and the bar-back starts putting chairs on tables.

Lights go up and the last people make their way to the door as Roethlisberger and Feutz start packing up the condiments. “They know to leave,” Feutz says. “Those girls over there are waiting on an Uber. If it was full I’d have to ask people to leave.” —Brittany Nunn

Feutz keeps a watchful eye on the room

“I have a degree in chemistry, but I still like this better.”

“John was the Loan Originator for the purchase of my new home. He is knowledgeable about mortgage loans and provides options and detailed information. He is a problem solver. Most importantly to me was that he ALWAYS responded to your email/phone calls in a timely manner whether in the office or in the field. As a buyer you are anxious in the processing of the loan and John kept me informed on each step in the process. John earned my trust.”

– Joe F., Dallas, TX

VILLAGE BAKING CO.

AM4:20

It’s hours before the sun comes up, but already the parking lot of Village Baking Co. on University near Greenville abounds with the chalky sweet-sour smell of yeast rising. In a couple hours, neighbors will form a line in the parking lot to wait for the door of the cozy bread and pastry shop to be unlocked and thrown open at 7 a.m. Although most neighbors never go beyond the retail shop at the front of the building, it’s only a part of Kim and Clint Cooper’s Village Baking Co., which provides bread products and pastries to restaurants all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “This is a 24-hour process that’s continuously done,” explains Brittany Marquez, the distribution manager at the bakery. “What we made last night is being delivered this morning, and what they’re making right now will be delivered later on today and into tomorrow.”

AM4:23

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Marquez wanders through the warehouselike room. “We always start from the back,” she says. “This is where it all begins.” Half a dozen people bustle around, chopping dough and flopping chunks of it onto bulky metal machines. Latin music blares from loud speakers and shotguns through the room with a tinny, hollow ring. “Our day starts at 3 a.m. most days,” Marquez explains.

Pastry chef Ashlie Taylor hits the point home saying, “I got one hour of sleep last night. I’ve got a lot of pies to have out by the morning.”

AM4:30

Hector Perez, who oversees the breadmixing process, checks on the “mixing station,” which looks just like your mother’s mixer at home, only giant, as it rhythmically rolls the dough with a paddle. “And then they knead it, cut it and weigh it. It’s all done by hand,” Taylor says. “It goes through a proofer, and then it’ll go to the next step where it’s processed.”

AM4:31

Across the room a young woman chops dough into bricks, weighs each chunk and lines them up side by side along a table. All morning the bread makers — each of whom arrive at 3 a.m. and are usually referred to as “the mixers” — mix, measure and bake things like hamburger buns, hoagie buns, hoagie rolls, pretzel rolls, pull-apart sliders, sourdough bowls, jalapeño bowls, baguettes and more.

AM4:37

“These are the croissants we made yesterday,” Taylor notes, indicating several columns of stackable plastic trays filled with croissants that were left to dry overnight. “When [the pastry staff] gets in at 5 a.m., we egg wash [the croissant dough] and then pop them in the oven, so the majority of croissants are done by 7 a.m.,” she says. Taylor is attending Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas after teaching preschool for eight years. “All of our pastry people have graduated from Cordon Bleu or are attending Cordon Bleu,” she says. Aside from several different types of croissants (classic, chocolate, ham and cheese, etc.), Taylor oversees the creation of things like laminated brioche, macaroons, pies, cakes and more. “And we’re always trying new stuff.”

AM4:39

Taylor points to several stacks of flour in the corner of the room. The bakery goes through about ten pallets worth of flour every week, almost 25,000 pounds total. “You should see how much butter we go through,” she says. “Just on the pastry side alone, we go through half of a fifty-pound block [a day]. So 25 pounds of butter per day go into those croissants.”

AM4:48

A cargo truck beeps as it backs up to the delivery entrance at the front of the warehouse where packaged goods are sent out daily. Village Baking Co. ships more than 150 orders a day and each order has about 80 pieces, according to Marquez, whose job is to oversee the delivery process. Marquez began as a driver and "worked very hard to get out of the truck and into the office,” she says. Drivers first begin coming in at 3 a.m. to collect truckloads of pastries to deliver all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and they continue to make deliveries until about 1 p.m.

AM5:10

The retail store is stark and empty at this hour, but in just a couple hours, the shelves, the windows and the baskets along the countertop will be brimming over with freshly baked goods. “Right now it’s calm,” Taylor says. “It will be much louder come 10 or 11 o’clock. It will be busy, there will be no parking spots outside, you will hear the racks moving, and it will be hot. It will be completely different.” —Brittany Nunn

Living and Lending in East Dallas since 2006 JOHN OLSON

“As long as stupid people keep doing stupid things, we’ve always got work.”

CBS DFW MORNING NEWSCAST

AM3:08

It’s almost too quiet for a newsroom. Only the clacking of keyboards can be heard as anchors, producers and news writers prepare the lineup for the morning broadcast.

“Was she the passenger in the car? The woman who died?” asks one news writer who is reporting on a fatal traffic accident.

“Last we heard, she was the driver,” responds news producer Brenda Lawson, barely looking up from her screen. The mood is subdued, like almost any office toward the end of the workday. By this time, much of the team has already been at work for five hours chasing stories and writing copy for the 4:30 a.m. newscast.

A small news team works out of the CBS headquarters in our neighborhood on Northwest Highway; this particular broadcast is filmed in a studio in Fort Worth.

“As long as stupid people keep doing stupid things, we’ve always got work,” laughs field photographer James Pultz, keeping one ear on the police scanner. “You know the codes that make you stand up because they’ve found a dead body or something.”

It’s one of many tricks of the trade he’s learned from more than a decade spent pursuing news stories. He reads between the lines of chatter on the scanner like some people read tealeaves. “You can always tell when the cops shoot someone because it gets really intense, and then it’s quiet,” he says, adding that there is usually no mention of the shooting, just an officer saying, “confirm.”

“It took me years to figure that out,” he says.

AM

3:20

All those stories are filtered to Karen Borta, who at this moment is wrapped up in a parka with wooly Ugg boots looking more like a sorority sister than the lead anchor of a major network news market. When the cameras roll, she’ll shed her winter-wear in favor of a sharp white dress and sleek stiletto heels, which matched with her authoritative voice make this hometown girl one of the more popular anchors in the metroplex. But at this early hour, it’s all about comfort and staying awake, which explains the station’s extensive coffee offerings.

The morning shift doesn’t bother Borta — in fact, she prefers it. After 18 years on the nightly news, she was sick of missing family dinners

and her teenagers’ sporting events. When CBS offered her the morning slot, she jumped on the opportunity, paying little mind to the 2 a.m. wake up call.

“For me, I have a husband and three teenage kids. I was never with them,” she says. “This is ideal for me.”

She is one of the few who seem to have no complaints about the schedule this news team is forced to keep. She gets home in the late morning after her broadcast, takes a nap, then enjoys the evening with her family and catches a couple more hours of sleep before heading to the studio from her Arlington home. Compared to the other producers and news writers huddled at their desks, Borta oozes peppiness, making it clear why she’s an on-air personality.

AM3:47

With a flurry of fresh verve, meteorologist Scott Padgett enters the studio, already dressed in a crisp suit and a deep red tie. His energy is almost startling at this early hour as he beelines for his weather forecasting station in the corner of the television studio, a series of monitors displaying real time conditions that he studies to determine the forecast.

One has to ask, in an era where every smartphone tells you the weather by the hour, are television weathermen becoming passé? Not at all, Padgett says.

“Those [weather] apps work off an algorithm,” he says, which explains why it sometimes predicts rain when you go to bed, but you wake to sunny skies. “My challenge is to interpret those algorithms so you can understand the variables.”

It’s a challenge he doesn’t take lightly. He has a pet peeve when it comes to “shock value” news that makes mountains out of meteorological molehills.

“I’m not here to scare anyone,” he says. “I just want to make sure you and your family are safe.”

His own interest in weather was born from fear. As a child growing up in Illinois, he was petrified of the robust storms that sweep across the Midwest. To help him overcome that anxiety, Padgett’s father painstakingly explained weather phenomena to him, from the classic counting the number of beats between lightning and thunder, to watching the same daily forecasts Padgett now conducts. He was hooked. That, paired with his natural stage charisma, made his career choice easy.

“You never get used to the hours,” he

laughs. “At this point, my friends all know not to call me after 8 p.m.”

AM4:05

You hear Chelsey Davis before you see her. The clack of her heels reverberates brightly on the long hallways toward the studio. Her wide smile and clear charisma are a clear byproduct of her years as a cheerleader for the Arizona Cardinals.

If you want to know the status of Dallas’ notoriously gridlocked rush-hour traffic, you want Davis in your phone contacts. Traffic is her specialty and she is used to getting early morning check-ins from friends or family asking whether Highway 75 is backed up.

“Even viewers email me, and I always email back,” she laughs.

She’s dressed like Mrs. Claus this morning in cherry red with a big black belt. In addition to traffic, Davis also produces feature segments. Today’s has her presenting a shark-loving

7-year-old cancer patient a slew of surprises since he was stuck in the hospital for Christmas.

“It’s going to be the most amazing day,” she beams.

AM4:10

With its high-tech studio, you might imagine there’s a behind-the-scenes team of stylists who beautify the on-air talent before each broadcast, but Borta, Padgett and Davis share a sparse room lined with mirrors, where they handle their own hair and make-up. Borta and Davis twirl curling wands through their hair as Padgett swings by to check his already perfectly quaffed hair one last time. Then it’s time to head to the studio, where Borta positions herself behind the anchor desk to review the story list one final time, Padgett heads to his weather station and Davis scans the traffic patterns. Surrounded by a bevy of screens and teleprompters under a canopy of bright lights

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and wires, the anticipation builds as it gets closer to show time.

AM4:29

Producer Brenda Lawson scurries around the studio, checking in with each person and making sure they are ready to go live in a matter of moments.

“Fifteen” she yells.

“Seconds?” Borta asks, dashing to her place behind the desk.

A voice counts down, the cameramen take aim and the script starts rolling as Borta’s authoritative voice booms over the studio, welcoming the morning viewers to the day’s news.

“It all comes down to the teleprompter operator,” aptly notes CBS spokeswoman Lori Conrad. He has the challenge of staying up to speed with Borta, not moving too fast or too slow as she reads the words that scroll across the lens of the camera, so she can

DR. CLINT MEYER

Optometrist

Dallas Eyeworks 9225 Garland Rd., Ste. 2120

Dallas, TX 75218

214.660.9830

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Arrive 30 minutes before any

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Happy Valentines Day!

Join us at facebook.com/MakersConnectDallas/ to stay up-to-date, &/or join our mailing list at www.makersconnect.org.

See news & our latest artists’ work on Instagram: Chris_Makers_Connect

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speak directly to the camera.

Davis and Padgett don’t rely on teleprompters but instead improvise their broadcasts using the data they’ve compiled that morning. Padgett stands before a green screen, the monitor in front of him displaying a mirrored version of the weather map viewers see at home. Both he and Davis have mastered the precision of the “broadcast dance,” in which they effortlessly move toward and away from the camera. Watching it in person, it looks somewhat strange but on screen it gives them that friendly approachability that people expect from their morning news.

This cycle will repeat for the next twoand-a-half hours. News, weather, traffic, as the team greets each new segment of viewers waking for their day.

By 11:30 a.m., they’ll be home and in bed, right about the time the rest of us are starting to consider lunch.

—Emily Charrier

GREENVILLE AVENUE PIZZA COMPANY

AM2:15

Small clusters of people huddle around tables in front of Greenville Avenue Pizza Company (GAPCo) holding private conversations at a higher-than-necessary volume. Two guests almost collide with a glassyeyed man who’s bumbling out of the popular pizza joint at the same time they’re trying to make their way inside. There’s even more noise inside the restaurant than outside as people talk loudly to be heard over the din. Various couples claim the small tables along the wall, two men share a pizza at the bar by the front door and at least 10 people cram shoulder to shoulder at the community table in the back corner of the narrow room. Whether they’re on a date or with friends, they’re all here for the same reason: carbs.

AM2:20

Two pizza makers, Adrian Guerrero and Amy Mosqueda, frantically roll pizza dough right in front of the two guys chowing down at the bar. After they skillfully slice off the edges, they slather on a heaping spoonful of tomato or barbecue sauce and then sprinkle on the desired toppings. “We try to make everything where everyone can see it,” manager Jess Beckwith explains. “People like that." It takes roughly 15-20 minutes per pizza, she says.

AM2:21

Beckwith pulls a pizza out of the industrial oven, cuts it into slices, throws it in a box and yells "Pick up for Jynean!” before tossing it on the top of another box on the oven.

AM2:22

A phone rings and Beckwith answers it. "Hello? Oh, we close at 3 o'clock,” she says, then hangs up and moves onto the next task at hand.

AM2:35

Not only do Guerrero and Mosqueda have to churn out hundreds of pizzas a night in full view of customers, which is “physically demanding,” Mosqueda admits, but they also have to be friendly and somewhat entertaining for the folks who sit at the bar by the front door. They overhear some funny conversations that way, Guerrero points out. He’s particularly fond of watching drunken men attempt to flirt. “Drunk guys have no moves,” he says, and Mosqueda agrees.

"They don't really have any pick-up lines,” she says. "They’re just like, 'Hey, you're a girl.'"

AM2:44

No sooner had Taylor Free, one of GAPCo’s delivery drivers, arrived at the backdoor than he was on his way right back out, pizza in hand.

When he climbs into the driver’s seat of his car and turns the key in the ignition, techno music blasts from the stereo with a boom and a quake. He turns it down with a chuckle. "That's the best part of being a driver,” he says.

AM2:47

Free pulls out of the parking lot and checks the address to his next delivery location. He has only been a driver for GAPCo for a few months. “I needed a job and I thought, ‘Why not pizza delivery? I mean, you’re the guy with the pizza. No one can be mad at you,” he quips. “I recently took up another job that I’m working part-time because this job pays really well, but it’s really hard on my car. That’s the cool and weird thing about this job is that you make money with your car, but when your car goes out that changes everything.”

AM2:50

“Let’s see …” Free says as he slows down to check the nearby addresses. “It’s going to be on the left.” He parks and then a woman approaches the driver’s side window. “This is going to be interesting,” Free says as he rolls down the window. The woman asks if he is making a delivery and rattles off the address. He checks the address and confirms it’s the same one. “Sweet. This makes it so much easier,” he tells her, and she exchanges her signature for a pizza. As Free drives away he remarks that “that doesn’t usually happen, but every now and then you get one of those customers who just really wants their pizza,” he says.

AM2:56

Free pulls into the parking lot behind GAPCo and heads inside to pick up the next pizza.

AM3:00

The music goes off, but a handful of people still occupy the space. Guerrero and Mosqueda start packing up the pizza-making materials and scraping the pizza peels.

AM3:17

Beckwith tells the last stragglers the restaurant is closed and it’s time for them to leave. A girl exits with her arm around another girl. "You can be a superhero. What's your name?" she asks, but the door closes before a response can be heard.

Nunn

DEEP NIGHT SHIFT, DALLAS POLICE

AM12:00

About 40 uniformed officers gather in a classroom at the Northeast Substation of the Dallas Police Department on Northwest Highway at Audelia. They are rookies. Most appear to be under 30. Our tour guides are officers Lacie Darnell, 26, one of two females in the room, and Scot Ansley, 30. A sergeant takes roll call and warns, “The call load is crazy.” There was a drug-related shooting at an East Dallas apartment complex. “We expect some sort of retaliation.” Dallas is a few days away from implementing new open carry gun laws, which will allow citizens to openly carry holstered handguns. “Watch the video,” the sergeant says, directing the officers to an informational video on the police website. They take up a collection to buy a Christmas present for Cecelia the custodian.

AM12:15

Darnell and Ansley check their squad car for damages incurred during previous the shift. They stop at their respective personal vehicles to grab gear — gas mask, rain jacket, rain hat, for instance. “I hate the rain hat,” Ansley says. “It looks dumb.”

AM12:23

They head north on Audelia toward their assigned patrol area, sector 105, beat 213, which includes what they call “5 Points,” also known as Vickery Meadow. The assigned section is like home base, but they travel all over the subdivision — which includes Lake Highlands, East Dallas and Preston Hollow — answering calls as needed.

AM12:24

There is a non-emergency disturbance near Casa View — yelling and a loud bang, so they pop a U-turn.

AM12:26

Darnell says she had a pretty rough childhood. “I wanted to do something no one else in my family could or would do,” she says. She majored in criminal justice at University of North Texas.

AM12:29

The caller, a middle-aged woman with dark hair pinned atop her head, answers the door. The noises came from the neighbors, she says, pointing. Next door, a man, woman and Doberman pinscher materialize from the shadows. The man says he’s carrying a gun and raises his arms so Ansley can pat him down. He shows his Concealed Handgun License. Darnell scratches the dog’s head. The officers separate the couple and hear their stories, which coalesce. Back in the car, Darnell says, “There’s nothing, really, that we can do. We had to make sure there was

AM

1:15

no family violence, because we would have had to make an arrest.” But both parties assured officers the fighting was over, that the loud noise was simply a truck door slamming.

AM1:04

Darnell lives in North Dallas and has always been a night owl, she says. She can’t imagine patrolling days, with all the traffic. Ansley spent a year on days and wanted to come back to nights. “I like the sense of camaraderie. There are more people my age range. I just like it,” he says. They get off at 8 a.m., unless they are in the middle of something and have to work later. Darnell kind of enjoys shows like “Law and Order.” Ansley says he thinks all those cop shows are ridiculous. Darnell says she especially likes “SVU.” “I might have named my dog Benson,” she adds, smirking.

Darnell and Ansley respond to a non-urgent call that came in 90 minutes earlier. A woman who lives on Fair Oaks says someone is shining bright lights into her front window. They peruse the perimeters of the residence in question, a spacious two-story abode with big bay windows — it sits mid-street, at the top of a hill, facing a stop sign and three-way intersection. Because it’s late, Darnell calls the complaintant in lieu of knocking. But the caller wants the officers to come inside — she thinks she saw a shadow in the backyard. Wearing a bathrobe and slippers, she tells Ansley and Darnell she doesn’t sleep much. Spends most nights sitting on her upstairs deck, smoking. She says she has cancer. Darnell hears the woman’s concerns about the cars driving up and down the street that intersects her property, and their god-awful lights. Ansley suggests the blackout curtains he installed in his own home. They help him sleep during daylight hours, he offers. The woman snaps at him. “I do not want blackout curtains! I want people to stop shining their lights in here.” Ansley inches backward, letting his partner reclaim the conversation. “OK, ma’am, he is just trying to offer a suggestion,” Darnell says. “Because there isn’t anything we can do right now.” The woman relaxes. They remind her that her neighborhood association has its own paid patrolman who is parked right up the street.

WeWantto HearfromYou! PUBLIC MEETING

Share your ideas for the design of Dallas’ proposed regional, community, & neighborhood family aquatic centers & associated public art projects

Meeting Locations & Times

Proposed Site: Kidd Spring Park

Feb. 4, 2016 · 6:30 p.m.

Kidd Spring Rec Center

711 W. Canty

Proposed Site: Tietze Park

Feb. 9, 2016 · 6:30 p.m.

Ridgewood-Belcher Rec Center

6818 Fisher Rd.

Proposed Site: Fretz Park

Feb. 11, 2016 · 6:30 p.m.

Fretz Rec Center

6950 Belt Line Rd.

Proposed Site: Samuell-Grand Park

Feb. 18, 2016 · 6:30 p.m.

Samuell-Grand Rec Center

6200 E. Grand Ave.

NIGHT SHIFT

City of Dallas Aquatics Master Plan information available at www.dallasparks.org

AM1:38

Red Bulls are purchased at QT on Skillman at Northwest Highway. “I’ll only use the bathrooms at QT or Race Track,” Darnell confides. Her other public bathroom options are gross.

AM1:44

En route to the site of a reported theft at an apartment on Whitehurst, Darnell, who weighs maybe 115 pounds and looks like she could be a high school student, coolly recounts her recent encounter at a neighborhood apartment complex with a man’s mutilated body. “They cut his throat and pulled his tongue through the wound. He was so bloody, I didn’t know that was what it was until later,” she says. “It is a thing the drug cartels will do.”

AM1:46

A tenant of the Las Brisas apartments says a man she hired on Craigslist to help her move stole some of her clothing, including a dress. Her one-bedroom apartment is stuffed floor-toceiling with boxes. The hired man helped her pack and wound up staying for a month, she says. She let him borrow her car yesterday, she says, which is when he removed the shopping bags containing a $200 dress. Darnell listens to the whole story, nods and asks questions. She explains that the theft is a civil case now, because the man was living with her. “He did not live with me,” the woman barks. “I barely knew him.” Darnell asks, “You say he slept on your couch since Thanksgiving, right?” That’s

right, the woman admits. Darnell explains that this constitutes cohabitation in the eyes of the law. The woman rants that Texas is the worst place she has ever lived. Her laundry has been stolen three times from the apartment’s laundry room. The officers listen and nod and tell her to call them if the man comes back. “Do not let him back in,” they say. Before leaving, Darnell asks the woman about the other man, the one who was here last time she came. The woman says she doesn’t know what Darnell is talking about.

AM2:21

Back in the squad car Darnell says she is positive she was there recently and that the caller had a similar story the last time. “We see a lot of repeat customers on nights,” Ansley adds. Sometimes her job is simply to lend an ear or to comfort someone who is anxious, Darnell says. Sometimes, if the caller seems especially troubled, these types of visits lead to contacting Adult Protective Services.

AM2:25

As we pass The Haven apartments at Lake Highlands Town Center, Ansley says he found a naked guy sitting in his car there the other night.

AM2:34

The security guards at Valencio apartments in Vickery Meadow need assistance — trouble with a belligerent drunk. The complex is silent and dark, aside from impressive holiday light displays on several porches. The guards explain that they found a man sleeping in the passenger side of a car. When they attempted to wake him, they say, he began swinging. “When you

Leaving, we pass his cruiser. Parked at the stop sign, its headlights illuminate the caller’s living room.

startle a drunk person, that tends to happen,” Darnell says. Ansley approaches the vehicle containing the unconscious man and attempts to stir him. The man is disoriented but calm, at first — but a language barrier breeds confusion and soon he is yelling things in Burmese, and people emerge from nearby apartments. When the man begins howling and hitting, Ansley cuffs him and escorts him to the backseat of the police car. That’s when his bawling wife comes running from a downstairs apartment. A youngster from upstairs translates. The couple fought earlier, we learn, which is why the husband was sleeping in the car. Through the teenaged interpreter, Darnell explains to the woman that her husband will not be locked up for long. She hands her a piece of paper with the number and address to the Dallas Marshall’s office, where he will spend the night in the drunk tank. A back-up cruiser drives away with him.

AM3:13

Idling at Vickery Meadow park, Darnell types the report. She can’t do it while the car is moving — she gets carsick. If needed somewhere, they would switch places so she could drive and he could type, but things are quiet now.

AM3:45

The young officers agree that the worst parts of the job include any crime involving children. Just last week they discovered a deceased infant. The caregiver reportedly had rolled on top of the baby, who suffocated. Ansley recalls the recent case of a 13-year-old impregnated by her own father. Darnell lies awake some nights thinking of a kid she picked up walking down a residential street in his pajamas. It was a nice neighborhood and he was just wandering alone. No one knew who he was. Finally they found his house through the homeowners association. Inside they discovered a filthy, chaotic mess of a living situation and the boy’s father naked and inebriated inside a closet. “He was the sweetest kid,” Darnell recalls. “He drew me a picture that I still have. Thing was, inside that house, there were photos that had been taken maybe a year earlier, and the dad looked OK. They looked happy and OK. What had gone so wrong?” It all brought her own dysfunctional childhood to mind, Darnell concedes. It’s also hard because, once her part is done, she leaves the case behind. She doesn’t know what happened to that little boy after leaving him with Child Protective Services. “We don’t get closure,” she says.

—Christina Hughes Babb

Still cooking after all these

“I

His real name is Ernest Bowens, but absolutely no one calls him that. “Why’d you even want to put that in?” he questions when asked the spelling of his name. “Everyone, even customers, call me Mr. B.”

You may not recognize his name, or even his smiling face (although once you see it,

You’ve probably eaten Ernest “Mr. B” Bowens’ cooking at Highland Park Cafeteria.

you won’t forget it), but if you’ve lived in East Dallas for any meaningful amount of time, you have most likely eaten his food. Mr. B has been working the kitchen at Highland Park Cafeteria since 1956 and today, at 84 years old, he is still cooking as the head of the popular restaurant’s kitchen. He’s seen the business through multiple locations, owners and dozens of employees over the years, but he doesn’t have any plans to hang up his apron — retirement is not for Mr. B.

“Work is good for you, it is,” he insists.

“We ate whatever was put on the table. There was no, ‘I don’t like this, I’m not eating it’ in our house.”

It’s a mantra he’s clearly lived by his entire life. Mr. B was born in 1931, the third of 12 children just as the Depression sunk the country into economic despair. His father was a share-cropper in Pilot Point, Texas, and the children were expected to pitch in.

“My daddy, he took me to the fields to pick corn, but I didn’t have any gloves,” he remembers. “My hands got so cut up. I never forgot gloves again.”

Although he came from humble beginnings, Mr. B never really noticed because the family always had what they needed. They lived on the type of diet hipster foodies spend a fortune coveting today: organic, home-grown produce and humanely raised livestock.

“We ate whatever was put on the table,” he smiles. “There was no, ‘I don’t like this, I’m not eating it’ in our house.”

Mr. B says in his childhood days he was more of a nuisance in the kitchen than the skilled practitioner he is today. He remembers driving his mother crazy, whooping and running under foot one day when she was trying to make biscuits.

“She just took that biscuit dough and smashed it right into my face,” he says, his laugh warm like his memory of his Daddy’s sweet potato pie.

It was a family built on love and faith.

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Before every meal, all 12 children were required to recite a Bible verse, a practice he still believes in today.

“Everything I have is thanks to the Lord,” he says. He has an easy way of relating every topic back to his faith in that way that makes him come off like a street preacher.

Mr. B’s path to a professional kitchen was more practical than passion-driven. After graduating high school, he needed a job. World War II had just ended, and employment pickings were slim as the market flooded with vets returning from war. He got work cooking for students at Texas Women’s University in Denton, and found his niche.

“I got to liking it,” he says.

The Korean War briefly interrupted his career in the kitchen, when in 1951 he was drafted into the 45th artillery of the U.S. Army, where he spotted enemy planes for gunners to shoot down.

“I wasn’t the gunner, I couldn’t stand that, it was too loud,” he says.

After his service ended, it was 1956 and he was looking for work. A friend recommended him for a busser position at Highland Park Cafeteria, which Carolyn Goodman opened on Knox Street in 1925. Goodman herself hired Mr. B, and on his very first day, he knew he’d fit right in.

“We started each day with a five minute devotion,” Mr. B says, explaining how it helped him to begin the day in a grateful place. “That always helped us out, to think about how the Lord brought us all together.”

Like he had been taught from childhood, he worked his way up, from collecting dirty dishes to manning the drink station to carv-

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Highland Park Cafeteria loves to celebrate its history, and has walls adorned with old photos, including one of Mr. B’s early years on the kitchen staff. Creative Construction Remodeling Quality Remodeling & Restoration without showroom overhead for over 20 years.

ing meat. Eventually he ended up in the kitchen, where his willingness to do the work, whatever it was, came in handy.

“One night we ran out of meringue pies,” he remembers from his early days. The pastry chef had left for the night, but Mr. B had watched plenty of meringue pies being made, so he o ered to give it a try. Despite his lack of experience, he expertly whipped the egg whites into the sti peaks needed for flu y meringue, a task novice bakers often struggle with. Mr. B’s turned out perfect.

“That was my very first meringue pie,” he beams proudly.

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 

   

•  • 

• 

 •  •  • 



teach it to others.

“Everything I learned here, I learned from Mr. B,” says Travis Brown, his voice thick with reverence for his longtime mentor. Brown manages the kitchen these days but he says Mr. B is still the heart of the kitchen, as well as the keeper of the restaurant’s “hold backs,” those little secret ingredients that good homecooked recipes demand. Mr. B calls them his “come backs.”

“It’s what keeps people coming back,” he smiles.

Current owner Je Snoyer once compared the workers whirling around the kitchen to fish in an aquarium. “They’re always moving and they never bump into each other,” he marvels.

It’s an apt description, and Mr. B is definitely the stately elder koi fish that flows along seamlessly through the back-of-thehouse chaos. He is unflappable, keeping an eye on multiple pots, pans and baking dishes while manning the stove, his hands quickly flitting from stirring to sautéing to slicing. He can prep and cook 14 of the restaurant’s vegetable side dishes in three hours.

“He really is an inspiration for others in the kitchen,” Snoyer says. “When a 20-something is complaining about being on their feet all day, it shuts them up when they look over at Mr. B.”

Mr. B just smiles and reiterates, “Work is good, it really is.”

Everything about Mr. B is reminiscent of a bygone era, and like a walking time capsule, he has seen the times change as the years flew by. When he began at the restaurant the New York Times dubbed “America’s Cafeteria,” the kitchen sta was entirely black, while most of the front-of-the-house was white. Over time that changed, although Mr. B can’t remember exactly when that was. While racial tensions boiled all across the south during desegregation, Mr. B says it was not an issue at Highland Park Cafeteria.

“We had no problems, we always loved each other,” Mr. B insists. It’s how the kitchen has always been, close-knit and hard working, he says. “The crew we have, they may not be the best but they stand up against the rest,” Mr. B gushes. “This is a family here.”

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.

KESSLER SCHOOL

Pre K – 6th Grade / 1215 Turner Ave, Dallas TX 75208 / 214-942-2220 / www. thekesserschool.com The Kessler School offers an innovative academic environment that gives students a solid foundation, confidence, and a love of learning. Located just minutes from downtown Dallas; The Kessler School’s mission is to “educate the whole child,” and provides an individualized approach to teaching – meeting the student where their needs are. Students are educated socially through community time, physically through daily PE, academically through a wellrounded curriculum, and spiritually through a fostering of awareness and individual growth.

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.

SOLAR PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

2617 N. Henderson Ave. / 972.925.3306/ dallasisd.org/solarprep An exciting new Choice School in Dallas ISD. Accepting student applications Jan. 6-29 for kindergarten, first and second grade in the 2016-2017 school year. The mission at Solar Prep is to prepare girls to become trailblazers in STEAM-related fields and equip them with a depth of knowledge, capacity for leadership, strength of character, and love of self. Solar Prep offers blended learning, project-based learning, tech literacy and coding, engineering, robotics, integrated art, and drama. Enrollment is open to all girls living within the Dallas ISD boundaries, there are no academic entry requirements, and transportation will be provided. Visit www.dallasisd.org/solarprep for more information and to submit an application.

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.

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.

FULL BELLIES, FULL MINDS

A Woodrow Wilson High School teacher feeds her students’ bodies and brains

COMMENT. Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com to tell us what you think.

When you’re hungry, it’s difficult to focus on anything but filling that void and quieting that growl, and sadly, one out of four kids in Dallas can’t say for sure he’ll be having dinner on any given night. However, right here in our own neighborhood, a Woodrow teacher has taken steps to fill that most basic need for many of her students.

Brook Varner is a science teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. She’s that cool teacher, the one every school has who doesn’t mind at all if students hang out in her room every day after school as they wait for rides. In the process, some students confide to her that there’s no food at their homes.

At first, Varner kept her room stocked up, out of her own pocket, with ramen noodles and peanut butter crackers. But soon Varner realized the need was greater than her own pocketbook and enlisted the help of equally concerned parents. Woodrow parents Nancy Wilson and Jennifer Blumenstock got busy: Wilson visited another school’s pantry and took notes; Blumenstock applied her organizational skills. Varner emptied out a large storage closet attached to her classroom, stocking the shelves with a few cans and bags of rice.

And so was born the Woodrow Peace Pantry. Now in its second year, it is bursting with cans of beans, soup, chili and tuna; packages of pasta and rice; basic hygiene products; gently used uniforms and shoes.

“Having a pantry at school allows students to take the food directly from the school to their home,” Varner explains. “This saves them time and energy. When a family is temporarily insecure, knowing how and where to access resources can take time that they may not have. Finding a job or focusing on school can be the top priority without having to worry about the next meal.”

Most students who use the pantry are

referred by friends, rather than teachers, a system Varner encourages. “It helps them to feel comfortable and welcome.” Parents might be between jobs or struggling to pay rapidly increasing rents occurring in the neighborhood.

At the beginning, it was trial and error. “There was definitely a learning curve,” Varner laughs. If you have teenagers, you know they’re always on the prowl for a snack, and when word spread that Varner had food in her closet, the students swarmed. Gradually, though, students understood that the pantry was for the needy, and with that understanding came a desire to help.

Brook values her student helpers, all of whom have shown up voluntarily just to be

involved. They sort and stock donations, and they even act as informal, keeping-ithonest screeners. At times, students who have plenty of food at home have come by the pantry. The students know one another and their situations better than any teacher could, and a few times the student helpers have had to turn some away students with a gentle admonishment that “you know this is just for the truly needy,” not for the kid who simply forgot to pack a snack that day.

Not only do the student volunteers learn a compassionate viewpoint, but they also pick up life skills in the process. “The pantry is teaching leadership skills and collaboration by uniting the students, parents and teachers with one goal: that every stu-

Woodrow teacher Brook Varner stocks food for her students. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

dent has what he or she needs to be successful in the classroom so they can go to college,” she said.

The Woodrow community has embraced the pantry. Teachers and feederpattern schools such as Lakewood and Stonewall have donated groceries and gift cards, as well as new backpacks. The Woodrow Interact Club, a service organization, conducted a food drive, and the school’s Aerospace Engineering students collected more than 1,000 items. Woodrow basketball and football teams help keep the pantry clean.

The neighborhood, too, is hearing more about the pantry and showing support. Woodrow parent Kippy Clapp coordinated with Brownie Troop #7721 in a recent food drive. And students from Incarnation Academy donated 250 backpacks filled with food and essentials. The backpacks were handed out just before Thanksgiving to carry students and their families through the holiday.

Though she is quick to deflect any recognition, it was Varner’s desire to help that ultimately led to the establishment of the pantry. “This is something I care deeply about,” she reflects. More than anything, she hopes to inspire others. “The ultimate goal would be to see pantries established at other Dallas schools. Gather together, develop a plan that works best for your school or neighborhood and get to work.”

Patti Vinson is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for over 15 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine, and has taught college writing. She is a frequent flyer at Lakewood branch library and enjoys haunting neighborhood estate sales with husband Jonathan and children, Claire and Will. The family often can be found hanging out at White Rock Lake Dog Park with Dexter, a probable JackWeenie.

People

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott named Dallas Independent School District Trustee Mike Morath of Lakewood as commissioner of the Texas Education Agency recently. Only one candidate so far has indicated he would like to run for Morath’s seat, which represents schools in the Woodrow Wilson and Hillcrest high school feeder patterns. Dustin Marshall of Preston Hollow is the CEO of a freight delivery company and a father of four children ages 2-8. The older two attend Marshall’s private school alma mater, the Greenhill School. Marshall describes himself as “passionate about education reform.”

Texas state Rep. Kenneth Sheets recently honored Nick Chamberlain of Chamberlain Studios of Self Defense in Lakewood with a Texas flag that was flown above the Texas Capitol. Last year, Chamberlain received designation as grand master and achieved the rank of 10th degree black belt at the Kenpo International Hall of Fame. Sheets’ two children take classes at the studio, and he surprised the self-defense expert with the flag and a letter of resolution, in which Sheets states “Chamberlain is setting an inspiring example for others.”

Local attorney Robert Radcliff is taking up the banner to honor David Stevens, an avid runner who was brutally murdered by a mentally ill man near White Rock Lake last fall. Before Stevens’ wife, Patti, committed suicide, she was raising funds to have a plaque installed near the lake where her husband loved to run. Radcliff is hoping to see that effort through, and is working to establish a permanent memorial for Stevens near the lake.

Eagle Scout Vance Holub just wanted to give people a nice place to relax as they enjoyed the Santa Fe Trail. To complete his Eagle Scout project, the Swiss Avenue resident and Jesuit student built his own trail rest station, complete with benches, a trash can and a water fountain. His work was subsidized by the community, thanks largely to the efforts of the Friends of the Santa Fe Trail, which helped him raise more than $10,000 for his project. The City of Dallas stepped in to do some of the construction, but Holub also organized workdays with friends and family.

Athletics

The Woodrow Wilson High School cheerleading squad won the United Cheer Association’s regional competition recently. That positioned the cheerleaders for a shot at the national title at “the Super Bowl of cheerleading” in Orlando this month. The team has been busy fundraising to cover the cost of flying to Florida, staying in a hotel and the entry fees for the competition. Help them out by searching “Woodrow Cheer” on gofundme.com.

Please submit

Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

niowska, opened the conservatory at Lakeview Center, near Cane Rosso and On Rotation. Brandys founded Park Cities School of Music in 2010, and she teamed up with Korzeniowska to offer dance and art as well. They plan to expand the program to include acting lessons for children, plus art, music and dance lessons for adults and possibly even cooking or sewing classes.

Emergency medical

Lakewood ’cue

Lakewood Smokehouse is open at 1901 Abrams, the space left vacant by Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill. The upscale barbecue joint received an overhaul that gives it a distinct Texas vibe; it will serve brisket, smoked turkey and sausage with sides such as macaroni and cheese, fried okra, green beans and potato salad. Don’t expect to shuffle through a line to pick it up; Lakewood Smokehouse is a full-service restaurant. The concept is brought to the neighborhood by Jason Hall, the owner of 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House in Frisco, and John Pantenburg and Mike Mullen, who have been friends and co-workers in the restaurant industry for 20 years.

Latin vibes

La Bodega’s, a Latin cuisine concept at 1905 Greenville, is hoping to open soon. Owners James and Iana Price, who also own Chombos at the Dallas Farmers Market, had hoped to open by the first of the year, but the space was still under construction last month. Their plan for the space on Greenville at Alta, which has had high turnover the past few years, includes a patio in front. James is from Panama and has lived in Dallas most of his life. “It’s Latin cuisine, so a lot of Central American, Panamanian, a lot of Argentinean dishes, Puerto Rico, maybe Cuban,” he says. He’s also planning a fresh-squeezed juice bar and “a lot of new concepts from Europe and Central America” for the drink menu.

Fine arts

The Lakewood Conservatory of Fine Arts opened recently, offering music, dance and art lessons for children up to 18 years old. Two women, Eva Brandys and Ewa Korze-

After more than nine months of construction, the ER On Lovers Lane and the Imaging Center On Lovers Lane opened. The 14,000-square-foot building is at 5800 E. Lovers, across the street from Central Market. It’s a division of Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake and serves as a satellite ER, offering 24-hour emergency care every day. It is staffed by certified emergency medicine physicians and registered nurses, and accepts all major insurance plans. The Imaging Center On Lovers Lane offers advanced 3D mammography, called breast tomosynthesis, for breast cancer screening. Visit doctorshospitaldallas.com for more information.

Cajun crab

A new Cajun restaurant called Ragin’ Crab is open on Greenville at Prospect, the space Kush Mediterranean Grill and Hookah Lounge occupied until recently. Ragin’ Crab’s owner, Steven Sohn, also owns Hibashi Teppan Grill Sushi Bar in Far North Dallas. There are a couple Cajun food restaurants on Greenville already, and Daddy Jack’s has been serving seafood on the street for 22 years. But manager Steven Whitear says he’s confident Ragin’ Crab’s food, service and sports bar vibe — complete with 15 TVs — will distinguish it on the block.

BBQ at Lakewood Smokehouse. (Provided photo)

Raging Crab is now open. (Photo by Emily Charrier)

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 & 11:00am

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

CATHOLIC

UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS MINISTRY CONFERENCE / udallas.edu/udmc

Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, 2016 / Sponsored by Catholic Diocese of Dallas

Sessions on Faith, Scripture, & Ministry / Exhibitors / Music / Mass

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 Lane

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 & 10:50 am Traditional / 10:50 am Contemporary

PRESBYTERIAN

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

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

8:30 & 11:00 am / Church School 9:35 am / Childcare provided.

ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN / Skillman & Monticello

Rev. Rob Leischner. / www.standrewsdallas.org

214.821.9989 / Sunday School 9:30 am, Worship 10:45 am

WEATHERING THE TORNADOS

Faith not to command the winds but to endure them

Maybe I don’t have enough faith. Maybe if I just claimed my spiritual authority, I could do more good. After all, I am a pastor; I’m somehow supposed to be closer to the secret powers of the universe than mere mortals. I mean, what good is ordination if you can’t pray away the bad and pray in the good?

My golfing partners sometimes chide me for not using my powers to chase away the rain when it threatens our game. My standard response: “I’m in sales, not management.” I can’t control the weather; I can only weather it like everyone else.

Apparently, a Rowlett woman doesn’t share my reticence. On the night the illfated tornadoes hit just east of Dallas this past Dec. 26, she says she took charge of the storm in the name of God.

“We actually went outside and started commanding the winds, because God had given us authority over the winds, the airways. And we just began to command this storm not to hit our area. We spoke to the storm and said, ‘Go to unpopulated places.’ It did exactly what we said to do, because God gave us the authority to do that.”

Well, not exactly. The storm didn’t hit her house, but it didn’t miss populated areas altogether. It killed 12 people and damaged more than 1,000 buildings, including churches, by the way. So, the authority of all that spiritual command and control failed, unless it was only meant to divert the deadly funnel from her neighborhood.

be still.” And they were stilled. Then Jesus questioned the fear of the disciples and urged more faith instead.

Somehow, the weather-commanding woman took that to mean that God had given her the same powers as Jesus to direct the storm. If she had enough faith, she could tap into the power of heaven in order to bring peace on earth.

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

UNITY ON GREENVILLE / Your soul is welcome here!

3425 Greenville Ave. / 214.826.5683 / www.dallasunity.org

Sunday Service 11:00 am and Book Study 9:30 am

But what of the claim that God has given us authority over the winds? It surely comes from the story in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus was on a boat out on the Sea of Galilee with his disciples when a sudden squall kicked up the waters and threatened to capsize them. Jesus was awakened from his nap by scared followers and commanded the winds and the waves “Peace,

Let’s give her credit for wanting to maximize the power of faith and for wanting to divert the storm to unpopulated areas. These are not unholy impulses. But we ought to question the spiritual premise of whether one’s faith, if great enough, might grant such power over nature.

God is not a wonder worker waiting for us to say the magic words in order to break open the divine box of tricks to astound or advantage us. The day before the storm we celebrated Christmas, which recalls God becoming one of us and thus being subject to all the whims of winds and woes that we are. The Lord of nature took on the harness of nature in order to heal it from within, not in order to harness it for special privileges by the faithful.

Which leads to the question: What’s faith for, then?

Faith is not the power to command the world to serve our interest; it is the power to serve the interest of the world — whether the weather brings chaos or calm.

My golfing partners sometimes chide me for not using my powers to chase away the rain when it threatens our game. My standard response: “I’m in sales, not management.”

George Mason is pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church. The Worship section is a regular feature underwritten by Advocate Publishing and by the neighborhood business people and churches listed on these pages. For information about helping support the Worship section, call 214.560.4202.

A guide to navigating local health and wellness solutions

MEET LAKEWOOD’S NEW NEIGHBOR, EXCELLENCE ER

Let’s face it: During a medical emergency, you need help fast. And that’s just what Excellence ER sets out to offer to the Lakewood community. Despite its name, however, Excellence ER is more than a standalone emergency room.

Along with offering you immediate medical assistance when you need it the most — without the typical emergency room wait — the newly opened Skillman Live Oak Center medical facility treats a variety of ailments, from allergic reactions and concussions to broken bones and lacerations.

On-site laboratory and radiology technology will quickly provide your test results. Plus, Excellence ER houses a pharmacy that’s open 24 hours a day, so you’ll have access to the medication that you need to feel better on the spot.

Most importantly, you can expect to be a priority at Excellence ER. “We believe the best medical care begins with patientcentered efforts,” Marketing Manager Ashley Trujillo says. A modern waiting area, pediatric rooms, and high definition TVs create a comfortable, relaxed experience.

Professional urgent care is tantamount, and Excellence ER’s board-certified doctors will provide you with the highest level of care. “Our physicians and support staff work tirelessly to provide unparalleled service to this community,” Trujillo says.

EXCELLENCE ER

469.202.8646

EXCELLENCEER.COM

5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A NEW DENTIST

Finding a new dentist can be intimidating. Now, more than ever, there seems to be a dental office or clinic on every corner. But Dr. Ashly Cothern is here to help. Before scheduling your next dental appointment, consider these tips:

SEEK THE COMFORTS OF HOME

If you’re anxious about dental procedures — or even a dental cleaning — it’s important to find a dentist that makes the process as painless as possible. At Dr. Cothern’s office there are pillows, blankets, and headphones with your choice of streaming movies or music. If you feel particularly nervous about dental treatment, nitrous oxide and sedation are also available.

RESEARCH YOUR DENTIST’S EDUCATION

A graduate of Texas Tech University and of the Baylor College of Dentistry, Dr. Cothern’s dental practice has several pillars — to offer the most technologically advanced and effective dental care available, and to offer the most comfortable dental care experience possible.

LOOK FOR A SECOND OPINION

Seek out a second opinion if you feel uncertain. “There is no pressure to get work done at our office. We want you to feel confident that you are getting the best care possible,” she says.

LEARN ABOUT PAYMENT OPTIONS

Find a dentist who is willing to estimate fees before starting recommended treatments. “Optimal, comprehensive dentistry is what we practice, and we do not base our treatment on what

insurance will or will not pay. We base our treatment on what is best for you,” Dr. Cothern says.

ASK QUESTIONS

A knowledgeable and friendly staff will answer your questions, demonstrate techniques, and give further education so you can care for your smile in every way. “The health of your mouth can be directly related to the rest of your body, including major organs such as your heart, brain and lungs,” Dr. Cothern says. She helps her patients restore and maintain a beautiful smile, while encouraging them to care for their entire body.

Dr. Cothern knows that you have a choice. If you value quality care and a genuine long-lasting relationship, Dr. Ashly Cothern is here for you.

Free high fives

A little girl cheers on local runners during the Dallas Marathon in December.

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

FARMERS BRANCH AQUATICS CENTER Visit our new natatorium. Begin swim, fitness classes & open swim. fbh2o.com

MAKERS CONNECT Craft Classes & Workshops. Led by & for Local Makers. Check Schedule: makersconnect.org/classes

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

SERVICES FOR YOU

CARGO BICYCLES Custom Built, Hand Crafted. For You/ Business In Oak Cliff. 214-205-4205. oakcliffcargobicycles.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

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.

(Photo by Robin Korevaar)

Lakewood residents form a human tunnel for runners taking part in the Dallas Marathon in December. (Photo by Robin Korevaar)

REAL ESTATE PET SERVICES

AFFORDABLE HOME PET CARE Pet Sitting, Dog Walks. pawsitivestrolls.com 214-504-5115

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

BUY/SELL/TRADE

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

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

972-274-2157

www.CrestAirAndHeat.com

APPLIANCE

APPLIANCE REPAIR SPECIALIST

Low Rates, Excellent Service, Senior Discount. MC-Visa. 214-321-4228

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

CLEANING SERVICES

AMAZON CLEANING

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

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

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

WANTED: HOUSES TO CLEAN Windows, too!

Great Prices / Refs. Family owned. 20 yrs. Reliable. Call Sunny 214-724-2555. grimestoppershere.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 EPOXY COATINGS, CONCRETE Countertops, Stamping, Staining & Designs, Floor Demo and Overlays Landscape Designs Call 214-916-8368

BRICK & STONE REPAIR

Tuck Pointing / Crack Repair. Mortar Color Matching. Windows And Door Cracks Etc. Call Don 214-704-1722

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

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS

823

2629

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING

Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 214-324-7398 www.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

A Clean You Can Trust

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

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

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

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.

Automatic Gates, Iron & Cedar Fencing, Decks. Since 1996. MC/V 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

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 (32 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

FLOORING & CARPETING

Restoration Flooring

Hardwood Installation · Hand Scraping Sand & Finish · Dustless

25+ Years Experience

469.774.3147

restorationflooring.net

FOUNDATION

GARAGE

DFW GARAGE PRO Garage Organize/Reorganize. Painting, Shelving, Cabinets, Storage, Disposal. 303-883-9321

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

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

Swimming Pool Remodels • Patios Stone work • Stamp Concrete 972-727-2727

Deckoart.com

Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com

All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers 214.692.1991

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

ALL WALKS OF FLOORS 214-616-7641

Carpet, Wood, Tile Sales/Service Free Estimates

DALLAS HARDWOODS 214-724-0936

Installation, Repair, Refinish, Wax, Hand Scrape. Residential, Commercial. Sports Floors. 30 Yrs.

FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

THE TEXAN FLOORING SERVICES

Wood, Laminate. Remodel Showers, Bathrooms. thetexanflooringservices.com 214-680-0901

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

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

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

972-308-6035 HandymanMatters.com/dallas

HOME INSPECTION

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

AYALA’S LANDSCAPING Firewood for Sale! Call the Land Expert Today! Insured. 214-773-4781

CHUPIK TREE SERVICE

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

DALLAS GROUNDSKEEPER Comprehensive services designed to meet your needs. 214-504-6788 dallasgroundskeeper.com

LAWNS, GARDENS

HOUSE PAINTING

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

#1 GET MORE PAY LES

Painting. 85% Referrals. Free Est. 214-348-5070

A+ INT/EXT PAINT & DRYWALL Since 1977. Kirk Evans. 972-672-4681

ALL TYPES Painting & Repairs. A+ BBB rating. Any size jobs welcome. Call Kenny 214-321-7000

BENJAMIN’S PAINTING SERVICE Quality 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

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. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

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

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

Tips for preventing outside water damage

1. Remove vegitation from behind the downpipes

2. Use a hand mirror to check for cracks or splits that are not easily noticed

3. Install an underground drain (French drain)

4. Create a berm or pond to redirect waterflow

214-631-8719

LAWNS,

#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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779

RedSunLandscapes.com

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

WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER

Plan now for spring. Call us for your Design Work, Bed Prep, and Tree Plantings. 8652 Garland Road 214-321-2387

PLUMBING

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

Lic.# M16620

POOLS

ADAIR POOL & SPA SERVICE

1 month free service for new customers. Call for details. 469-358-0665.

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. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 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

30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions Complete Renovations

214-341-1155

bobmcdonaldco.net

ROOFING & GUTTERS

A&B GUTTER 972-530-5699 Clean Out, Repair/Replace. Leaf Guard. Free Estimates. Lifetime Warranty BERT

TRUE Crime

Jeff Godsey Roofing

Roof Repair Specialist

• Exterior Repair & Re-Roofing

• Insurance Claims

• Custom Chimney Caps

• Licensed & Fully Insured Jeff Godsey 214-502-7287 Residential

ADVOCATE PUBLISHING does not pre-screen, recommend or investigate the advertisements and/or Advertisers published in our magazines. As a result, Advocate Publishing is not responsible for your dealings with any Advertiser. Please ask each Advertiser that you contact to show you the necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work you are requesting. Advocate Publishing takes comments and/or complaints about Advertisers seriously, and we do not publish advertisements that we know are inaccurate, misleading and/or do not live up to the standards set by our publications. If you have a legitimate complaint or positive comment about an Advertiser, please contact us at 214-560-4203. Advocate Publishing recommends that you ask for and check references from each Advertiser that you contact, and we recommend that you obtain a written statement of work to be completed, and the price to be charged, prior to approving any work or providing an Advertiser with any deposit for work to be completed.

FIRE DESTROYS HOME DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

An East Dallas family lost everything in a house fire two days before Christmas. Dallas firefighters rushed to a home on Casa View Drive that was completely engulfed in flames around 10:30 p.m. Dec. 22. Three of the five people in the house, including a 6-year-old boy and a teenage girl, had evacuated safely on their own. Firefighters rescued two adults, Lily and Alex Ramos, from inside the burning home near White Rock Lake. Both were seriously injured but have been released from the hospital, and Alex returned to work last month. The Casa View Haven Neighborhood Association stepped in to set up an online fundraising page that raised nearly $14,000 within two weeks, but more help is needed. To donate, search “East Dallas house fire relief” online at gofundme.com.

NUMBERS

As of Jan. 1, licensed gun owners may openly carry a holstered weapon on their belt or shoulder almost anywhere concealed guns are currently permitted, save for churches, schools and some places where alcohol is served. Here’s who’s carrying in our neighborhood.

655

concealed handgun permits were issued in Lakewood zip codes in 2014 (the most recent data available) 1 permit application was denied

2 were revoked 2 were suspended

6552 Vanderbilt · $789,000 Kate Walters 214.293.0506

6936 Pasadena · $1,150,000 Mysti Stewart 214.213.3537

6222 McCommas · Private Sale Susan Nelson-Wheeler & Wes Wheeler 469.878.8522

8247 San Leandro · $625,000 Harry Morgan 214.769.3303

7023 Casa Loma · $830,000 Dawn M. Rejebian 214.354.1523

8922 Echo Valley · $319,000 Marissa Fontanez 214.789.9187

6262 Swiss #A · $274,900 Keith Callahan 214.675.6777

6939 Santa Monica · $499,000 Kate Walters 214.293.0506

6336-38 Belmont · $299,900 Christopher Miller 214.528.0707

2408 Loving · $1,349,000 Kim & Taylor Gromatzky 214.802.5025

#1 residential broker in Lakewood & East Dallas with more than double the sales of any competitor.

7107 Alexander · $850,000 The Jackson Team 214.827.2400

6748 Lakewood · $2,450,000 Susan Nelson-Wheeler & Wes Wheeler 469.878.8522

6602 Yosemite · $669,900 Nancy Johnson 214.674.3840

6555 Bob O Link · $1,399,900 Nancy Johnson 214.674.3840

8351 Santa Clara · $1,695,000 The Jackson Team 214.827.2400

909 Easton · $465,000 Skylar Champion, Heather Guild Group 214.695.8701

2225 Forest Hollow · $489,000 Alex Simpson 214.883.1149

6402 Malcolm · $789,000 The Jackson Team 214.827.2400

4219 McKinney #A · $659,900 Amy Malooley 214.773.5570

4636 Chapel Hill · $7,495,000 Kim & Taylor Gromatzky 214.802.5025