2015 May Lakewood

TALES

UNBREAKABLE

As a businessman, Mark understands the importance of economic development and job creation, but he is adamantly opposed to the “big ticket” project mentality of Dallas City Hall.

Mark believes tax dollars should be spent making needed improvements to our streets, public safety, and basic city services; all of which are aimed at improving the quality of life in neighborhoods.

“The Dallas Fire Fighters Association is proud to endorse Mark Clayton for City Council. We certainly recognize that there are a number of qualified candidates in this important race. After visiting with each of them, we feel that Mark is the most wellrounded candidate and we believe he will serve as a strong, independent voice for the taxpayers and families of his East Dallas district. We ask you to join us in support of his candidacy for Dallas City Council.”

features 30

The road

District 9 Dallas City Council candidates discuss what the Trinity Parkway project means to our neighborhood.

launch

Soulful style

Fifteen-year-old Maya Elia is using fashion to help elephants. 26

Horsing around Equestrianism has been a dream come true for high school senior Hannah Louis.

High

Secret gardens

Take a peek in eight backyard gardens on the White Rock garden tour.

The quiet game

“I honestly can’t explain it. I didn’t feel like a girl. All my friends and family referred to me as ‘she’ and ‘her,’ and that kind of hurt.”

OLIVER MILICI,

Woodrow basketball player Jakkisha Smith thrives

School for the

a program woven into

This is where we treat breast cancer differently.

Radiation oncologist Dr. Asal Rahimi was the first physician in Texas to use advanced video monitoring (Vision RT™) to safely treat left-sided breast cancer patients by protecting the heart from excess radiation. Dr. Rahimi and her colleagues also are pioneering the use of CyberKnife for breast cancer. Using radiosurgical techniques, this state-of-the-art robotic tool pinpoints and treats cancerous lesions with extreme precision. This is 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 | UTSWmedicine.org/radonc. Find us on Facebook

STOP! YOU’RE ON CANDID CAMERA

Success is even tougher in an age of rampant, continuously chronicled idiocy

Justin Bieber is one sad dude: rich, talented and famous but seemingly not too happy.

He had a rich, talented and famous girlfriend at one time; maybe he still does. It’s hard to follow all of the plot twists in their lives.

Neither is much more than a kid. But that hasn’t stopped us from hearing about them and reading about them and watching them and criticizing them from the get-go.

They make pretty easy targets, too, always saying and doing cringe-worthy things, despite their wealth and fame.

They’re good examples of how difficult it is to be young these days. Wealth can’t protect anyone from exposure, or overexposure, when we all carry cameras in our pockets. Thanks to new technology, any of us can shoot and broadcast video to the internet simultaneously.

That’s right: Before we even have a chance to think about the implications of what we’re doing, we’re done.

A college buddy and I had lunch recently, and we started talking about our first years out of school and on the job. It wasn’t uncommon for us or our friends to do some pretty dumb things.

Had any of us back then had the capability to constantly video people’s every step or misstep, instantly slap it on the internet where it would still be visible today, lives would have been permanently altered and history (with a small “h”) would be different.

Back then, we were protected from ourselves by the luck of the times — there was no easy way to forever record what was happening around us or what mistakes we made. For that, I and plenty of

others are eternally grateful.

Flashing forward to this month’s cover story about high school seniors who have turned tough situations to their advantage, the state of the world makes me admire them even more. They are succeeding in a time where it’s more and more difficult to avoid temptation or walk the straight and narrow. They are successful without the support and benefits so many of us have enjoyed in our lives.

Growing up has never truly been easy for a lot of folks, but I can’t imagine growing up in a more difficult time than today. Any mistake can be recorded forever, and there are more than a few people out there willing to cast stones.

Back then, we were protected from ourselves by the luck of the times — there was no easy way to forever record what was happening around us or what mistakes we made. For that, I and plenty of

others are eternally grateful.

And as for Justin Bieber, I felt sorry for him recently during a “roast” of his career by fellow tabloid luminaries. After sitting through a pretty brutal dissertation about everything he had done wrong in his life, he stood up to have the last word.

“There was really no preparing me for this life. I was thrown into this at 12 years old and I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into,” he said. “There’s been moments I’m really proud of and a lot of moments I look back, and I’m pretty disappointed in myself for.

“But the things I’ve done really don’t define who I am.”

Sadly, Justin, the things you’ve done really do define who you are. Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

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EDITORIAL

publisher: CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

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senior editor: EMILY TOMAN

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contributing editors: SALLY WAMRE

contributors: ERIC FOLKERTH, SAM GILLESPIE, ANGELA HUNT, GEORGE MASON, KRISTEN MASSAD, BRENT McDOUGAL

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

contributing photographers: JAMES COREAS, RASY RAN, JENNIFER SHERTZER, KATHY TRAN, ANDREW WILLIAMS, SHERYL LANZEL

FREE MELANOMA AND SKIN CANCER SCREENING

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, but it can be detected in the early stages through screenings when it is most curable. The major risk factors for the disease include a family or personal history of skin cancer, family history of atypical moles, high number of moles (more than 20), and history of excessive sun exposure.

Saturday, May 16

8 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Call 866-764-3627 for reservations.

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6965 Abbey Ct. | $814,500 4/4.1 Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780

726 Newell Ave. 3/2/2 Car/Gorgeous Updates Darlene Harrison | 214-893-7547

8417 San Fernando Way | $1,079,000 4/3.1/Quarters/0.72 Ac. Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780

8919 San Fernando Way | $199,000 3/2 Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296

6531 Lake Circle Dr. | $805,000 4/3.1 Pam Nelms | 214-789-4911

5939 Vanderbilt Ave. | $425,000 2/2 Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296

1311 Waterside Dr. | $549,900 3/3.1

Tom Sheshene | 214-604-9230

5909 Tree Shadow Pl. | $549,999 5/4

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          

              

                              

                

Launch

community | events | food

Maya Elia: Photo by Rasy Ran

Big girl pants

Fifteen-year-old Maya Elia, who lives in Lakewood and attends Ursuline Academy of Dallas, has loved elephants for as long as she can remember, so she jumped at the opportunity to visit them in Thailand last summer.

Through the organization Rustic Pathways, which offers service opportunities all over the world for high school students, she volunteered at a conservation center in Lampang, Thailand, that houses more than 50 elephants. There was an elephant hospital attached to the conservation center that tends to elephants anywhere in Thailand free of charge.

For a week, Maya took care of the elephants riding them, feeding them, taking them to the lake to swim — and somewhere along the way she fell in love with them. The hurt elephants she saw at the hospital especially inspired her.

When she returned home, she brought back several pairs of Thai harem pants decorated with various elephant patterns. Her friends saw them and begged her for a pair, but she didn’t have enough for everyone. She researched how to buy more and realized it was cheaper to buy them in bulk.

“I thought, ‘Well, this might be a cool business since cool pants are kind of a trend right now,’ ” Maya explains. “I’d been wanting to start a non-profit, so I thought I might as well donate the money to the elephants I just met.”

So she launched (wait for it) Elepants, a nonprofit that raises money for food, medical supplies and healthcare for the elephants at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center.

Not only does Maya sell the super comfortable harem pants for a very reasonable $20, she also sells elephants paintings, which are actually painted by elephants.

After launching Elepants in October, she already has received orders from all over the United States. In February, she made her very first donation of $7,500.

—Brittany

Nunn LEARN MORE at myelepants.com.

Driven to ride

Horses were not just a childhood fancy for this Woodrow senior

If all goes well, Woodrow Wilson High School senior Hannah Louis will be an internationally recognized equestrian rider this month.

“I can just imagine my little 12-year-old self looking at what I’ve done and thinking it’s amazing,” she says with a laugh.

But, as with any sport, the journey to where she is now has taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice. She rises early every weekday before school to take care of her horse, and spends her evenings practicing and her weekends traveling the country to compete. For years she has given up Friday nights, lazy summer days and even teenage milestones such as homecoming dances. She almost didn’t go to prom because it was the same weekend as her final show, but the date of Woodrow’s prom changed.

Like many little girls, Louis begged her parents for a horse. They thought she’d outgrow the desire — and then she didn’t. “I just became obsessed,” Louis says.

Eventually her parents allowed her to take riding lessons and she began “eventing,” which involves competing in dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

She leased a horse for the first year, and then a friend gave her a quirky little horse that otherwise couldn’t be sold. The pair had

a good run, but when Louis reached high school, her trainer encouraged her to start shopping for a better horse if she wanted to be able to compete at higher levels.

“Horse shopping is like car shopping,” Louis points out. “You have your budget

“Horse shopping is like car shopping. You have your budget and you have what you want, and you realize whatever is in your budget is not what you want.”

and you have what you want, and you realize whatever is in your budget is not what you want.”

She found a 16-year-old horse named Mo that she felt confident could take her to the top of the lower eventing levels, and she hoped to eventually break into the upper eventing levels before graduating high school.

Hannah Louis with her horse, Mo: Photos by Andrew Williams

“I wanted to be able to say I’m an upper level rider,” she explains.

Louis and Mo made it to upper level during her junior year. Not only that, they placed second in the preliminary level.

“On my super cheap, ancient horse,” Louis says. “I was over the moon. That qualified me for the national championships in September, which are held in Tyler, Texas. And that also qualified me for the CIC, which is an internationally recognized event. That was a goal I had in mind, to get to compete in a one star event before I graduated high school, but I didn’t think I’d ever qualify.”

With everything in place for her fall season, Louis went on a family trip to look at colleges. While away, Louis’ trainer called her and told her something was wrong with Mo. An MRI revealed an issue in Mo’s foot, and the doctors told Louis that Mo needed at least three months off. Then her trainer called her and told her they “needed to find something else for Mo to do.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried so hard,” Louis says. “He’s meant so much to me.”

It didn’t make sense for Louis to buy another competition horse at the beginning of her senior year, so she is leasing a horse from her friend until she graduates, which is what she’ll ride for her final show, a competition in Weatherford that is internationally recognized by the Federal Equestrian Internationale.

“That was a personal goal for me, to be able to say I’m an international level rider,” Louis says. “I feel like I’ve exceeded my expectations for myself. I’ve gotten some lucky breaks and ridden everything I could get my hands on.” —Brittany Nunn

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Garden fairy

A sign in the backyard garden of Robin Peckover’s East Dallas home pleads with guests: “Don’t piss off the fairies.”

Peckover, an Australia native turned Texas transplant, says she needs all the magic she can muster to ready her garden for the White Rock East Garden & Artisans Tour on May 17.

“When I moved in five years ago, there was nothing,” she says. “Absolutely nothing, just a plot of dead grass.”

She chose her property because of three wrinkly old live oak trees in the backyard, which she says remind her of “magic forest trees.” Then she began spending most of her spare time with her fingers in the dirt, making her garden as enchanting as possible.

With a little help from the fairies, of course.

“I love fairytales,” she says. “As a child, I used to go out into the garden and look under every flower to find a

fairy, and I still do think I’m going to find them here.”

If fairies were to hang out anywhere, it would probably be in Peckover’s garden, which is overflowing with beautiful rose bushes and ivy. Everywhere you look, tiny creatures made of stone or metal are frozen in motion, and decorative mushrooms and other knick-knacks are scattered throughout.

“Gardening is in my blood,” she says. “I see it as giving back, a thank you note, to all that the Earth has given us.”

Aside from being a gardener, Peckover also makes mosaics, which will be on display during this year’s White Rock East Garden Tour & Artisans.

Hers is one of eight gardens on the tour, which comprises everything from elaborate grounds in Little Forest Hills to lush green spaces in Forest Hills. Check out some life-size sculptures and collect a few tips from the “master composter” of East Dallas. —Brittany Nunn

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit whiterockgardentour.org.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Free Crest Spin Brush for all New Patients!

Trinity toll road: Why should we care?

As the local election approaches, the most heatedly discussed topic is the Trinity toll road. But how much does the Trinity toll road issue impact the White Rock area?

The current version of the toll road plan has been a headline mainstay since the first public vote in 1998. In this Dallas City Council election, 17 years after the electorate first approved the concept, where does it sit in the collective minds of the voters of East Dallas’ District 9 and the candidates vying to represent them?

“When I have walked the neighborhoods of District 9, the people I have spoken to want to discuss White Rock Lake, streets, and police and crime,” says Christopher Jackson, candidate for District 9. Jackson says he is a supporter of the Balanced Vision Plan and aligns with Mayor Mike Rawlings’ support of the road. “Other things are on their mind,” he says of District 9 voters.

Mark Clayton, another candidate for the open seat in District 9, sees it differently. At the East Dallas Chamber of Commerce candidate forum in March, Clayton was clear: “The first thing I will do is kill this project.” Earlier that day at a different venue, Clayton called it “a litmus test” for this race and said: “Dallas should not be a truck stop for the entire region. Creating jobs and a larger tax base in the southern sector of Dallas will mean more money for parks and streets in our district.”

Sam Merten, another of five candidates for District 9, paints the issue similarly. “Although the Trinity toll road may have no direct impact on our district, it is an important issue for the neighborhoods — it’s a reflection of how a candidate feels about the city.” Merten acknowledge that “it’s rare when people say anything about it” when he is door-knocking, and it’s not nearly as important as streets or crime from his walks, but he believes that

toll road issue is a measure of the “old mentality of using concrete to solve our traffic problems.”

Another candidate for District 9, Darren Boruff, doesn’t believe it’s a neighborhood issue. To Boruff, the issues are “schools, green space and appropriate economic development.” Boruff note that when he is talking to voters, “it’s just not at the top of their mind, for the people I have spoken to. And when I walk, I am there mostly to listen.” Boruff also is on record as supporting the Balanced Vision Plan.

Rounding out the field for District 9 is Will Logg. His take is that “the toll road shouldn’t be an issue, but it apparently is as our tax dollars will pay to fund it. It is important for District 9 to get out and fight it.”

So back to the question: Is the Trinity toll road a neighborhood issue for East Dallas? As the races heat up, what initially is a street-and-parks-and-schools debate may well be shouted down by a proposed road that doesn’t come within 10 miles of our neighborhood.

Maybe Boruff summed it up as he paused before answering: “It’s complicated.” —Sam

Gilespie

WATCH US GRILL THE CANDIDATES

This game-changing city council election has five men vying for East Dallas’ District 9 seat. But how would they actually govern? In a series of quick-hit videos, we’ve cornered the candidates with questions that go beneath the surface We test their knowledge of the neighborhood, gain insight into their personalities, and find out just what kind of leaders they are

DON’T MISS AN EPISODE.

Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com and click on “2015 Election” at the top of the page to see the videos along with our full coverage ahead of the May 9 election and stay tuned for a possible run-off

“

We get it.

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More to love

Gorda’s human mom in East Dallas, Rachel Zajac, decided “Princess” wasn’t a good enough name for the 19-pound huntress. So Zajac bestowed upon her the “term of endearment” Gorda, which is Spanish for “fat girl.” She’s full-grown but has the attitude of a kitten. Zajac adopted Gorda from the SPCA. She likes to catnap on her back in random places, be brushed and use her automatic litter box.

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Unsure how to navigate Lakewood’s hot real estate market?

The secret is out: Lakewood’s exemplary elementary schools, proximity to Downtown, and the allure of scenic White Rock Lake have rapidly made our neighborhood one of the most desirable in Dallas.

As a result, Lakewood real estate is white hot.

Local home listings are selling faster than ever due to a record low inventory of available homes. That means you’ll need to be prepared in order to make the best real estate decision for your family.

Luckily, Ebby Halliday Realtor Courtney Molina is here to help. Molina’s wealth of knowledge, coupled with her commitment to staying informed of ever-changing federal regulations affecting real estate, lends her fresh insight into Lakewood’s real estate market.

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Molina, a former home finance professional, believes that waiting for the right deal is the key to a successful transaction.

“In a strong seller’s market, well-priced and well-located homes often receive multiple offers. Responding to an offer too quickly could possibly result in money being left on the table,” she cautions.

If you’re looking to buy in Lakewood, it’s also important to learn how to make your bid desirable to sellers.

“Buyers are becoming more creative with their offers hoping to stand out. While cash is still king, well-financed offers, with quick close dates, and a large down payment from well qualified buyers, can be just as viable as all-cash offers,” Molina says.

Molina’s prior home loan experience helps her understand what lenders need in order to successfully execute a loan. It is that same experience that allows her to recognize and overcome potential obstacles before they interfere with the loan approval process.

In a fast moving market, those financing “hiccups” can quickly kill a deal.

Molina provides the professional market analysis and elemental familiarity with the Lakewood vicinity that will ensure a successful real estate transaction — moving you one step closer to the home of your dreams.

Ebby Halliday Realtor Courtney Molina

What gives?

Small ways that you can make a big difference for nonprofits

Dust off your golf clubs … to benefit Woodrow Wilson High School athletics at the 2015 Tim Brown Woodrow Wilson Golf Tournament. While you’re there, celebrate Woodrow alum Tim Brown’s recent election to the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. The event is May 4 and starts at 11 a.m. Round up a team of four or sign up individually to be matched with others for an afternoon of golf with lunch, refreshments, raffle prizes and a live auction hosted by Brown himself. Go to timbrowntourney.eventzilla.net for more.

Put your high school diploma to the test … and offer GED tutoring for Alley’s House’s clients. Give a teen mom a couple hours a day, once or twice a week, and help her achieve a life goal. For females 21 and older, year-long mentor opportunities also are available. Alley’s House also needs childcare providers and someone to help organize the donated goods room. You also can organize a diaper drive or donate baby items such as strollers, car seats, or baby food and toddler snacks. Go to alleyshouse.org to download an application. For more, email program.director@alleyshouse.org.

Go shopping …

at Second Chance Treasures, to benefit homeless pets. The store is owned and operated by East Lake Pet Orphanage, a no-kill, non-profit organization that houses dozens of dogs and cats. If shopping isn’t your thing, you can also donate or volunteer at the shelter. Visit secondchancetreasures.org for more.

KNOW OF WAYS

that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.

Out & About

May 2015

MAY 1

Dallas Black Dance Theatre

St. Matthew’s brings dance talent to its Great Hall stage for a performance starting at 7 p.m. Performances include ballet, modern, jazz and ethnic works.

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Cathedral, 5100 Ross, episcopalcathedral.org 214.823.8134, free

MAY 1-17

‘Jackie and Me’

Travel back in time to 1947 Brooklyn and the harsh realities of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier.

The Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, 214.740.0051, dct.org, $17-$26

MAY 6-23

‘Heroes’

May 17

White Rock Garden Tour

Find inspiration on a self-guided tour of nine creative gardens in Forest Hills, Little Forest Hills and Casa Linda Estates. The White Rock East Garden Tour & Artisans also offers wares from seven neighborhood artisans. Various locations, whiterockgardentour.org, $12-$15

One Thirty Productions presents this 2005 comedy by French playwright Gerald Sibleyras, set in 1959 in a home for World War I veterans.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, 214.670.8749, dallasculture.org, $12-$16

MAY 7, 14, 21 & 28

Cool Thursdays

Tribute bands take the Dallas Arboretum stage this month with outdoor concerts for the whole family. On tap are the music of Billy Joel, Journey, Bon Jovi, the Eagles and Motown. Bring a picnic and a blanket or beach chair.

The Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, 214.515.6615, dallasarboretum.org, $10-$27

May 14

CONFAB

This third-annual conference from the Dallas Parks Foundation offers a day of speakers on parks, trails, bike infrastructure and urban planning. Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora, 972.803.1555, dallasparksfoundation.org, $13

Robin Peckover’s East Dallas Garden: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

White Rock Lake Park: Photo by Hilary Schleier

May 16

MAY 8

‘SlingShot’

The Woodrow Wilson High School robotics club and Young Life Lakewood offer a 6:30 p.m. screening of this documentary about engineer Dean Kamen’s water purification system, the SlingShot. The system could significantly reduce illness worldwide by making clean drinking water available.

Woodrow Wilson High School, 100 S. Glasgow, slingshotdoc.com, $8-$10

MAY 9 AND 23

Good Local Market

The White Rock Local Market is now Good Local Market, but it still has the same great local vendors. The original White Rock market is from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. The new Lakeside market, at 9150 Garland Road, is on the first and third Saturdays of the month. The Vickery Meadow market is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Sunday at Half Price Books, 5803 Northwest Highway.

Good Local Market, 702 N. Buckner, goodlocalmarket.org, free

MAY 9-10

Mother’s Day home tour

Take a peek inside some of the city’s most beautiful and historic homes on the Swiss Avenue Historic District Mother’s Day Home Tour. The weekend also includes an English garden tour, art fair, antique car show, live music, free horse-drawn carriage rides and a $25-per-person Sunday brunch. Tickets are available online, at area Whole Foods stores and at Talulah Belle Lakewood.

Swiss at Bryan, sahd.org, $20-$25

Scholarship 5k

This race benefits the Dallas ISD Superintendent’s Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to graduating seniors. This is the first year of the run, which is replacing a golf tournament that had been the main fundraiser. Woodrow alumnus and Heisman winner Tim Brown is the honorary chairman of the race, which starts at 8 a.m.

Woodrow Wilson High School, 100 S. Glasgow, 972.679.2720, dallasisdscholarshiprun.org, $10-$40

MAY 13

Hello Giggles

Meet author Sophia Rivka Rossi, cofounder of HelloGiggles, starting at 7 p.m.

The event includes HelloGiggles-themed activity stations followed by a discussion of Rossi’s new book, “A Tale of Two Besties.” Also expected are two yet-to-beannounced special guests — will they be some of Rossi’s Hollywood-elite besties? Numbered passes for the event will be given out starting at 9 a.m.

Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Highway, 214.379.8000, hpb.com, free

MAY 30

Woodrow Wilson Festival

The Pour House is throwing a party from noon -5 p.m. in support of the Lakewood Exchange Club and our neighborhood schools. A $30 ticket buys pizza, beer and entertainment by The O’s, fronted by Woodrow grad John Pedigo.

The Pour House, 1919 Skillman, 214.824.1170, pourhousedallas.com, $30

Delicious

BOWL & BARREL

8084 Park Ln #145 214.363.2695

AMBIENCE CASUAL, PARTY

PRICES

LANE: $30 AN HOUR PER LANE, SUN-THURS; $50 AN HOUR PER LANE, FRI-SAT. SHOES: $5 AN HOUR FOOD: $5-$30

HOURS

SUN-THURS 11 A.M.-12 A.M.; FRI-SAT 11 A.M.-2 A.M.

DID YOU KNOW? BOWL & BARREL ADDED A FULL WHISKEY MENU A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. “I REALIZED WE HAD A REALLY GREAT SELECTION OF WHISKEYS, BUT OUR GUESTS DIDN’T REALLY KNOW IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T REALLY EXPECT IT,” EXPLAINS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ERIC SALZER.

The first thing you’ll notice about Bowl & Barrel in Shops at Park Lane is that it doesn’t look like your typical bowling alley. There’s no sticky black carpet and flashing neon lights. Instead, Bowl & Barrel, from the creators of The Rustic and Mutts in Dallas, features slick wood floors, faded whitewashed brick walls, reclaimed wood ceilings, large industrial windows, chandeliers with Edison bulbs and black leather seating. “It has the feeling that it was something before. Like we found this old warehouse,” says director of operations Eric Salzer. “Everything in Shops at Park Lane was new and shiny. We wanted to kind of turn it down and do something different.” Bowl & Barrel also doesn’t serve food you’d expect to find at a bowling alley. “One of the things we’re really proud of is the quality of food,” Salzer says. “We’re restaurant guys first and foremost.” They brought on James Beardnominated chef Sharon Hage, who worked with them on the menu and created all the recipes. The menu is primarily upscale American food with a little extra mixed in. Bestsellers include the plate-sized pretzel, the veggie plate served with green goddess dipping sauce, the jumbo lump crab cakes and the chicken apple club sandwich. And the cocktails are a musttry with vodka, rum, gin, tequila and whiskey options. Don’t miss the 3-6 p.m. happy hour.

—Brittany Nunn

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com

Bowl & Barrel’s Green Board includes assorted vegetables, black pepper, tarragon, chives and green dip, aside the Astoria cocktail made with London Dry, lime, mint, violet and ginger ale: Photo by Rasy Ran

BURGERS

Casa Linda Plaza-Northeast Corner

9540 Garland Rd. #407

214.584.6261

DuggBurger.com

TEX-MEX

Dugg Burger

Now Open at Casa Linda Plaza! A whole new way to do burgers.

DUGG OUT – We dig out your bun FILL UP – We fill it with toppings you choose (all one price)

DIGG IN – Enjoy with a local craft beer and bread pudding

PIZZA

Greenville Ave.

Pizza Co.

Hungry for a late night snack? GAPCo delivers to Lakewood ‘til 3AM Sunday & Tuesday-Thursday, 1AM on Mondays and 4AM on weekends! Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

TM

Tupinamba Cafe

Now Open! Welcome to the tastiest Tex-Mex in the Metroplex!

Family Owned & Operated Since 1947.

9665 N. Central Expwy.

@ Walnut Hill tupinambarestaurant.com 972.991.8148

CAFE

1923 Greenville Ave.

gapc.co

214.826.5404

facebook.com/GreenvilleAvenuePizzaCompany

Twitter: @LiveByTheSlice

SEAFOOD

Palapas Seafood Bar

Come see why Dallas voted us Best Seafood Dallas & Top Ten Best new restaurant 2014. Experience our special flavorings & recipes from Mexico’s seafood capital Sinaloa. Enjoy our Happy Hour 4-7pm on one of our Palapa patios.

1418 Greenville Avenue 214.824.3000

palapasseafoodbar.com

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

Highland Park Cafeteria

NEW! Online ordering!

Our famous homemade pies, cakes, cookies and muffins can now be made to order in any quantity for take out!

Open every day 11am–8pm.

Casa Linda Plaza

1200 N. Buckner Blvd. at Garland Rd.

214.324.5000

highlandparkcafeteria.com

1152

AnotherBrokenEgg.com 214.954.7182

Another Broken Egg Cafe

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

1919

The Pour House

1st Annual Woodrow Wilson Alumni Association Festival

May 30th 12PM-5PM

Tickets $30 in advance or at door Pizza, beer, and the O’s perform Ticket sales benefit the Exchange Club of East Dallas and area schools.

75206

Best Patio IN LAKEWOOD

- EAST DALLAS

And the winner is Urban Vines

What is the one thing better than sitting on a patio on a nice evening? Sitting on a patio on a nice evening with a glass of wine. Urban Vines seems to understand this concept, which is probably why neighbors voted their patio the best in LakewoodEast Dallas. Urban Vines’ general manager Paul Kissell says the patio is packed every weeknight from 4-10 p.m. In the two years Urban Vines has been open, it has managed to establish itself as the No. 1 neighborhood hangout for unique, boutique wine and conversation — and no wonder, with the beautiful greenery and fireplace. It’s also

“incredibly dog friendly,” which Kissell says is a big draw for nearby neighbors. Urban Vines does not accept reservations, so seating is first come, first serve — a policy that was realized after neighbors began fighting for the popular spot near the fireplace. The patio can seat some 40 people on a normal evening, and parties of 60-80 when patio furniture is removed. During the summer,

Kissell says, Urban Vines weatherproofs the outside patio with misters and mosquito netting. Plus there’s also plenty of indoor seating for parties, events or wedding receptions.

Runner up: The Lot

Third place: HG Sply Co.

NEXT UP FOR ADVOCATE’S 2015 BEST OF CONTEST: Best bar. Vote for your favorite at lakewood.advocatemag.com/bestof2015

Retirees help others, have fun and get paid to do it, thanks to new Lakewood-area service

Growing older brings wisdom and wit, along with a few other changes that are less welcome. For many people, slowing down physically and losing the ability to drive can make retirement a lonely time. We try our best to visit elderly parents, but with the demands of work and family life, it can be difficult to help them stay mentally stimulated and emotionally engaged throughout the week.

For longtime Dallas residents and husband and wife team Jimmy and Sandy Maddox, this dilemma hit close to home. Last fall, Sandy was preparing for retirement, and she had a few fears about her own golden years. Namely, what would happen if she eventually lost her ability to drive?

“If it was a beautiful day, I wouldn’t be able to hop in the car and go for a drive. I wouldn’t be able to engage in things that keep me looking forward to the next day,” Sandy says.

She figured that if she felt that way, others probably did too. Inspired, Jimmy and Sandy founded People in Touch, a personalized senior companionship service to help busy families keep their elderly ones engaged in life — whether at home or a retirement facility.

“Relatives who visit aging parents may only have time for tidying up the house or tending to everyday matters. I want seniors to also have companions that are focused on making life more pleasurable,” Sandy says.

And People in Touch visitors do just that. Jim and Sandy meet with seniors and their family members to learn what activities

People in Touch | 214.794.7934 | peopleintouch.net Special

might be stimulating and fun, such as scheduled phone calls, home visits, and personalized excursions.

Recently, one client enjoyed a drive around a neighborhood that brought back childhood memories. Another client preferred a trip to the Perot Museum to watch a 3D movie about the Galapagos Islands.

Over time, Sandy says that she has developed friendships with regular clients.

“Generally, people in their 80s and 90s are still mentally alert and have lots to contribute. Frankly, it is great fun to spend time with them. We like it as much as they do.”

Fireplace on the patio of Urban Vines: Photo by James Coreas

NO-BAKE CRÈME BRULEE

Fancy dessert recipes tend to scare us out of the kitchen, but with only a few ingredients, no oven and no water bath, stovetop crème brulee makes it easy to recreate a favorite restaurant dessert at home. With its rich and silky texture and crunchy caramelized sugar topping, this will be your go-to dessert.

GROCERY LIST

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, split

4 large egg yolks

½ cup granulated sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine cream and vanilla bean (scrape seeds out of pod) and bring to a simmer.

While cream is heating, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.

Slowly add hot cream to the egg mixture and continue whisking until fully combined.

Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook until it starts to thicken (do not bring it to a boil).

DIRECTIONS

2 Tablespoons corn starch Turbinado sugar or granulated sugar (to brulee)

Once the custard is thick, remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes to make the custard extra silky Spoon custard into individual glass ramekins and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of the custard with sugar and torch until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately.

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.

An Education

Profiles by BRITTANY NUNN • Photos by DANNY FULGENCIO

Sometimes the toughest lessons are learned outside the classroom

High school and our experiences there often leave lifelong memories. Or scars. Imagine navigating those formative and frequently frustrating years while bearing an extraordinary burden — illness, disability, poverty, homelessness, parental abandonment or death, for example. The graduating seniors featured herein have endured a lifetime’s worth of adversity in their 18 years. In spite of, or possibly partly because of these challenges, they have managed to shine.

MEET TOMORROW’S LEADERS.

Mario Ramirez: Just dance

Woodrow Wilson High School senior Mario Ramirez never thought he’d be a dancer, and he definitely never predicted he would attend the University of Texas at Austin to study dance.

“I am terrified,” he admits with a laugh. “I wasn’t even planning to go to college, but I’m going because of dance. It’s so amazing how dance has helped me personally.”

And it all started as an accident.

“I wanted athletics [at Alex W. Spence Talented and Gifted Academy],” he explains, “but they messed up my schedule, and I had dance class instead.”

An Education

From the time Ramirez was a child, helping his mom has been his No. 1 motivation.

“My mother is my foundation,” he says. “My mother is what has kept me going, not just in dance,” but in all aspects of life.

During Ramirez’s early years, his alcoholic father was abusive toward Ramirez and his mother. Although Ramirez has some fond memories of his father taking him to the park or Burger King, his dominant childhood memories are those of running and hiding from his father. He even has a permanent knot under his eye from being struck by a belt buckle as a child.

“We would call the police and he would go to jail, and then he would come back and apologize and promise he was going to change,” Ramirez says. “That’s what I remember about him.”

When Ramirez was 5, they left his father and hid from him by moving around and switching schools regularly. His mother supported him and his little brother by sell-

ing tamales, but the small family always struggled financially.

“My mother wanted to give us everything,” Ramirez says. “We would go to school and she would work and work and work. And I would notice how tired she would be, so that had a huge impact on me. I want my mom to be healthy.”

When Ramirez was accepted into Spence TAG Academy in fourth grade, the family was able to stop moving around so much. That was where Ramirez first fell in love with dance, and he considered applying for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, but his dance teacher at Spence encouraged him to look into Woodrow.

During a festival, he saw Woodrow’s dance team perform a flamenco dance routine, which caught his attention.

“I just remember seeing red,” he recalls. “When I think of red, I think of passion and fire and all these things that are strong. There were fans and ballet technique and

culture — all these things.”

Aside from the one class he took at Spence, Ramirez had almost no formal dance training when he began training with Woodrow’s dance teacher, Lisa King.

“I was struggling to keep my grades up and I had no discipline. I have to thank Ms. King because she swept me up. She told me that if I didn’t pass my classes then I couldn’t dance. That was terrifying to me.”

He also struggled to find his identity. As a freshman, he hid behind his shoulderlength hair, which he straightened daily. He was especially self-conscious about the knot under his eye left by his dad, even though it’s hardly visible.

“Confidence and a foundation of pride, that’s what I lacked,” Ramirez says. “I came to high school with these people who were proud and confident of dancing. I wanted that.”

He began participating in folkloric and Aztec dances, which taught him about his own Hispanic roots. He became proud of

OAK CLIFF

EAST DALLAS

LAKE

LAKE

LAKE

his Mexican culture, “not only knowing and acknowledging my roots, but appreciating my ancestors,” he explains.

As he grew more confident and comfortable with himself, he eventually cut off his long hair. By junior year, Ramirez began taking dance more seriously, and it continued to open doors for him. King began encouraging him to attend college and to audition for the UT-Austin.

Ramirez hadn’t pursued dance with the intent to study it, but “it was beginning to call me, I guess you could say,” he says. The UT dance program is “a very hard program to get into,” according to King, but she believed Ramirez could do it.

“He could barely do anything when he first started the Woodrow dance program,” King says, “but this boy is just turning like a top now.”

Up to that point, Ramirez hadn’t seen college as a part of his future. At home Ramirez’s mother was working both days and nights to make ends meet. Ramirez worked part-time to take some of the load off his mother, squeezing it in between school, dance practice and travel for performances (including a trip to Spain, which was a “very huge deal” for him).

Ramirez initially resisted King’s pressure to apply to college but eventually decided to audition for her sake. He bought a Greyhound bus ticket and found someone in Austin he could stay with. When he arrived at the University of Texas, he couldn’t believe the level of the dancers around him.

“I was intimidated, but I thought to myself, ‘I can do this. I just have to do what I’ve been trained to do,’ ” he remembers. “I felt prepared.”

In February Ramirez received an email saying he’d been accepted into the dance company. He will enroll in UT-Austin this coming fall.

As excited and proud as Ramirez’s mother is to see her oldest son go to college, she’s also sad to see him move so far away.

“Mexican families aren’t used to being separated from the family and living at distances,” he explains, “but she is extremely happy for me and supports me fully.”

King says he’s become the poster child of the dance program at Woodrow.

“The other students look at him and go, ‘OK, maybe I can do it, too,’ ” King says. “He’s really raised the level of the department.”

you take care of others. let us take care of you .

You give a hundred percent to everything you do.

At Lakewood Women’s Center, we share your high standards. You’ll see this reflected in the quality healthcare we provide and the upscale, yet comfortable, environment we’ve created.

Our skilled physician, Dr. Julie Goodwin, is passionate about helping women of all ages feel their best. Whether you come to us for wellness visits, pregnancy care, or other health concerns, we’ll take the time to get to know you. Then we’ll provide care that’s personal and focused on what matters most to you.

To make an appointment, please visit www.lakewoodwomenshealth.com or call us at 214-613-0833

6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 370 | Dallas, TX 75214

Julie Goodwin, M D

For most of Rachel Myers’ childhood and young adulthood, one thing has dominated the life of the gradating Lakehill Preparatory senior: her little sister, Sarah.

Rachel was 3 years old when Sarah was born. As she walked through the hospital, the new big sister eagerly demanded, “Where’s my baby?” over and over again. But when Rachel saw Sarah for the first time, she found her baby sister didn’t look like the other babies she had seen.

Sarah was born with Char Syndrome, a condition that affects the development of the face, heart and limbs. She was covered in tubes and other medical devices as doctors worked to save her life. Baby Sarah was launched into a series of surgeries, and when she wasn’t in the hospital, her condition required round-theclock care, which kept Rachel’s mother, Lori, on constant nurse duty.

The Myers family was forever changed.

“When you have a sick child who requires as much attention as Sarah, you worry about your other children and how they’ll handle it,” Lori explains. “That’s a big fear when all you can do is sit and watch your kid struggle and you can’t help them. Like, ‘You’re on your own. Good luck with that test.’ ”

In a world where “helicopter parenting” is the new normal, Rachel spent much of her childhood fending for herself. When she was 5, her youngest sister, Emma, was born. Because Sarah was so sick, Rachel often helped her mother care for Emma. “Family vacations” were trips to Corpus Christi for surgery, and most family activities revolved around Sarah’s illness in some way.

Rachel went through phases of craving adult attention, which she eventually channeled into sports. She immersed herself in softball, cheer, track and swimming. She became incredibly competitive, both academically and athletically.

“Outside of the home, being able to focus and strive and succeed at something different, it was a distraction, almost,” Rachel explains.

The Myers family also became involved in Night Owls through Highland Park United Methodist Church, which is a faith-based respite program for children with special needs and their siblings.

“I’ve met so many great families and adults,” Rachel explains, “like volunteers and therapists who’ve helped me through when I’m annoyed with [Sarah], when she’s hurting us because she’s hurting and coping with the struggles of all that.”

Because of her syndrome, Sarah lives in constant pain, and sometimes she acts out by hitting, kicking and biting her family members or anyone who happens to be nearby. She usually targets people who are smaller than her, so because Rachel is bigger, Rachel is able to help Lori calm Sarah down.

“As a family we divide and conquer,” Lori says.

Rachel and Lori recall a particularly bad day for Sarah during a recent visit to Matt’s Rancho Martinez in Lakewood. When Sarah started throwing a fit, Lori kept Sarah from hitting her head on the concrete sidewalk while Rachel ran to get the car. Together, they managed to drag Sarah into it.

“I was crying,” Lori remembers. “Any other teenager would be looking around to see who’s staring, but Rachel just jumps in and helps. When I’m not doing OK, she can step in until I can gain my composure. With Sarah and her aggressiveness, it’s very emotionally tolling, and watching your child suffer, you can only do so much for so many days. So Rachel has helped a lot.”

Despite the many challenges and sacrifices, Rachel says Sarah’s illness also has had positive effects on her and her family.

“It’s made us closer,” Rachel says. “I’m a very family-oriented person because you have to be. You can’t have someone in the family who can’t help when the situation needs it.”

Her relationship with her sister also has taught her how to interact with people with special needs, which has greatly impacted her future plans.

In the fall, Rachel will attend Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo. She was accepted to a six-and-a-half year, direct-entry physical therapy program. She plans to become a pediatric physical therapist, and she hopes to work with people with special needs.

She thinks physical therapy will provide a good balance of the passions and skills she has developed over the years, such as empathy, athleticism and personal drive.

“It was one of those things that when people asked me, ‘What are you going to do with your life?’ I knew what I was going to say,” Rachel says. “I didn’t even have to think about it. It just felt right.”

Though Lori worried over the years about her oldest daughter’s development, today she believes Rachel is proof that a family illness can shape siblings into better people.

“It’s so great to see that a sibling can turn out amazing,“ Lori says, “and she is.”

Rachel Myers: Her sister’s keeper

An Education

Kati Nash: Eyes on the prize

For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, no matter what, Bryan Adams High School senior Kati Nash is going to college.

Growing up in a single-parent home, Nash is no stranger to financial struggle, which is why she is determined to earn a college degree to create a better life for herself.

“It used to make me so upset,” Nash recalls, “because we had no money and all this stuff that needed to be fixed and paid off. We’ve always needed more than we have — not wanted more, needed more.”

During her senior year, Nash wanted two things: to be a cheerleader, which she accomplished and then funded by working parttime for East Dallas sculptor Frances Bagley, and to be accepted to college.

“Neither one of my parents went to college,” Nash explains, “and that’s why I’m pushing so hard to go to college. It’s always been my dream. My whole family has known that, although I don’t know if they knew that I was serious.”

As soon as her senior year began, Nash was the first one in the college prep room applying to as many schools as possible, says Amina Igen, the college advisor at Bryan Adams.

“She would come every lunch period, to the point where her teacher allowed her to be in here during her fourth period,” Igen says. “She applied to seven schools. She applied to FAFSA [Federal Student Aid]. Everything about her is very focused and determined.”

Nash doesn’t have a lot of family support for her college dreams, says Laterica White, a counselor at Bryan Adams. “She struggles a lot with family dynamics,” White says — particularly of jealously from family members who didn’t go to college. “But I think it made her more driven.”

Nash began the school year full of vigor. Once she figured out how to navigate the college and scholarship application system, she also began assisting Igen during fourth period by helping other students apply for college, Igen says. At times Nash even encouraged students who otherwise might not have applied. “She’s very respected by her peers,” Igen points out.

But at the time, Nash had no idea what kind of year was coming down the pike.

At the beginning of the school year, Nash found out she has Type 1 Diabetes. She missed

a lot of school, but she didn’t let the accompanying sickness keep her down for long.

She continued working for Bagley to pay for her senior expenses and even pitch in with expenses at home like bills or rent, and she managed to keep up her grades as well.

Then her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer in early 2014, and doctors gave him six to eight months to live.

Nash was close to her grandfather, who also lived in East Dallas, and she visited him frequently before and during his battle with cancer to take care of him and play with his dog, or just hangout and talk. Nobody’s perfect but, in Nash’s opinion, he was as close to the perfect grandfather as a man could be.

When he exceeded the doctor’s time limit, his grandchildren grew hopeful.

“He would end up in the hospital and it would scare us so bad,” Nash recalls. “We’d be like, ‘Oh my gosh, this might be the day.’ It was really stressful.”

He took a turn for the worse around Thanksgiving. When he began losing weight, the doctors told Nash and her family that he probably wasn’t going to pull through.

“That’s when I stopped going to school,” Nash says. “I would skip school to stay home and help take care of him because everybody worked.”

Nash had already missed several school days because of her illness, and now the missed days were starting to pile up.

In February, a week before her 18th birthday, Nash called her mother when school let out. Her mom didn’t answer. When her mother finally called back, Nash said she wanted to see her grandfather.

“She said, ‘You can’t,’ and I said, ‘Tell me what’s going on. I want to see him.’ And she said, ‘Kati, he just died.’ I was crying already, and I just started crying even harder.”

Nash had to miss two more days of school for her grandfather’s funeral. During the funeral, Nash’s dad called with more bad news: Her cousin had died in a car wreck.

“All the cousins on my dad’s side are really close,” Nash explains.

When Nash returned to school after her grandfather’s funeral, she told her teachers that she had yet another funeral to attend. The school almost didn’t let her miss school for her cousin’s funeral because she had missed so many days of school already, but Nash desperately wanted to be with her family.

“I’ve lost people, but it’s never been family members all at once,” Nash says. “It has been really hard.”

Her friends — all with the best intentions — kept telling her their stories of loss, but Nash was emotionally spent and wanted to be anywhere but at school. She had missed so much, however, that instead of taking some time off to recoup, she had to make up dozens of hours worth of missed time if she was going to graduate on time.

“She almost didn’t graduate this year because she spent so much time out of school,” says Shelby Lott, the community liaison with Bryan Adams High School.

Reeling from the loss and the snowball of missed school days, Nash briefly considered not going to college and moving to Malakoff, Texas, to be with her dad’s family to help take care of her cousin’s young daughter.

“I thought I wanted to be down there with them,” she says. “But then it hit me: No, you’ve got all this stuff going with college. If I move to be with them, I won’t do it. If I move down there, I’ll be miserable. It’s a trap.”

She dropped out of cheer and track and threw herself into making up for missed time. She had to coordinate with each of her teachers by being at school early or staying late — whenever her teachers were available and willing to meet with her.

“I haven’t been able to focus on any extracurricular activities because of my family and because I’ve been doing college stuff,” she explains. “I got to the point where I decided, ‘I don’t care about anything else. I want to get my college stuff done. I want to get through high school, and I want to leave.’ ”

In March Nash fulfilled her final makeup hours. Even better than that, she received an early admittance scholarship as well as an academic scholarship to Prairie View A&M, where she plans to study psychology and then go on to law school.

“My life-long dream is to be a judge,” she says. “I want to be someone who helps people.”

White, who works with hundreds of students who are struggling through difficult home lives, insists she’s never met anyone like Nash.

“She’s exceptional,” she says. “I’ve never met a student with her drive. She’s so focused and driven.”

Igen has a similar opinion: “She has been through a lot, and I think that’s what drives her.”

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Juliette

Kate Looney Walters

What a year it has been.

In 2014 the Haven Group joined the incredible team at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate and it has been such a wonderful experience. I am honored to be selected as one of the Top 25 Realtors in the Lakewood/East Dallas neighborhoods. I grew up here in Lakewood, I still call it home today, and will soon be starting a family here. My clients are what make this job so enjoyable so I want to thank you all for making 2014 such a great year! The East Dallas market is thriving and it should continue to out-sell other markets so contact me if you have buying or selling needs in 2015I would love to work with you!

Kate Looney Walters

214.293.0506

katewalters@daveperrymiller.com

Woodrow junior Jakkisha Smith: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Silent success

Dallas ISD’s deaf education program makes it possible for hearing-impaired students to thrive

Story by Emily Toman

Jakkisha Smith can’t hear the ball move up and down the court. She can’t hear it bounce off the backboard and swoosh into the net. She can’t hear her coach shout the next play from the sideline. And yet she knows exactly what to do.

The junior shooting guard has become one of Woodrow Wilson High School’s star basketball players. She’s also completely deaf.

“I’ve never really felt different.”

She’s one of the many hearing-impaired students who attend Woodrow in the same classrooms as everyone else. It’s one of nine campuses within Dallas ISD’s Regional School for the Deaf, feeding through J.L. Long Middle School and Stonewall Jackson Elementary where the program originated. It serves 620 hearing-impaired students from across North Texas, most of whom attend class in an inclusive setting with hearing children, following the same curriculum and classroom structure as the general student body with accommodations such as an interpreter or a deaf education teacher. The district also has smaller, self-contained settings composed of hearing-impaired students who have other disabilities.

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“We pride ourselves on providing equal access to everything that a general education student has,” says program director Arlene Stein.

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The program also enriches the experience of hearing students who learn how to communicate with sign language and form lasting friendships with their deaf classmates from Stonewall to Woodrow. Chris Peters, chair of the site-based decision making committee at Stonewall, has had three children in inclusive classrooms.

“The exposu re t o kids with impai rements opens their eyes at an early ag e, ” Peters say s “That’s what’s so spec ial about having this program at Stonew a ll.”

The deaf education program also extends to extra - curricular activities. Ev er y student must have a facilitator present to attend events. If one is not available, the student misses out. Unlike smaller deaf education programs in the suburbs, DISD ha s the staff and resources to ensure tha t students can experience enrichmen t outside the classroom.

“They don’t do it like Dallas does,” sa y s lead interpreter Donna Murphy.

She c oordinate s accommodations for the de a f education program and herself recently accompanied a student to a track meet when no one else could. Plus, interpreters often form close relationships with students, she says. For many deaf students these school activities are the their main outlets for communication.

“Many of their parents don’t sign, and their neighbors don’t sign,” Murphy says. “The teachers and interpreters are like family.”

Within DISD’s Regional School for the Deaf, there are 66 students enrolled at Woodrow, 48 at Long and 27 at Stonewall. Graduating classes are much smaller and vary each year depending on the student’s individualized plan. For some, that means simply finding a job and becoming independent from their parents.

Deaf education supervisor Pat Robertson says many hearing-impaired children spend the first crucial years of their lives never communicating, stunting their development in the long term.

“Their language is always going to be behind,” Robertson says.

Some students spend more than four years in high school; they can remain in the program until age 22.

Then there are rare students like Jakkisha, who competes right alongside other athletes on the girls basketball team and is on track to attend college. She just happens to be deaf.

“I’ve never really felt different,” she signs through her interpreter, Elisa Singleton.

That’s because her entire family is deaf, including her brother and two sisters.

“She’s been communicating since the day she was born,” Robertson says.

Jakkisha is finishing her junior year at Woodrow and has visited with representatives from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., the world’s only university designed for deaf and hard of hearing students. But she has decided she wants to play basketball for a small division 1 school in Texas and stay closer to her family who inspired her from the beginning.

“I can’t imagine not having basketball in my life,” she says.

Jakkisha’s mother taught her how to play at 5 years old.

“She knew how to coach me,” Jakkish says. “I don’t even like to play basketball if my mom isn’t there.”

This year Jakkisha is one of the top players among 5A schools with 834 points and 240 rebounds in 32 games.

“This year she stood out a lot more,” says her coach Adrian Martinez.

He says things move quickly on the court, leaving little time to communicate plays through interpreters, so Jakkisha has had to adapt. She can read lips, and some of her teammates have learned a few words in sign language.

Martinez has a deaf brother, so he’s sensitive to Jakkisha’s experience but, “at the same time, I try to treat her like the other kids.”

Although Jakkisha can’t hear any of the action on the court, her motivation is the same as the rest of her team.

“I just really want to win,” she says.

14th annual

Sunday, May 17 10 am – 5 pm

Forest Hills - Little Forest Hills - Casa Linda Estates

Three unique gardens in each neighborhood & Fabulous Plant Sale

Local artists in each garden • Free water & maps

PRESALE: $12 Buy your ticket in advance and get $3 OFF! (Presale tickets May 3-16)

Buy at these local establishments:

Dee’s Doggie Den- 6444 E Mockingbird 75214

Gecko Hardware - 10233 E Northwest Highway #409 75238

The Green Spot Market - 702 N. Buckner 75218

Buy online: www.whiterockgardentour.org - use the PAYPAL feature

DAY OF TOUR: $15 at all nine gardens

Do you know all things digital?

POSITIVELY MEDIEVAL

A neighborhood couple discovers their real selves in a fantasy world

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

The day-in-day-out can be tiresome, driving many of us to seek escape. Possibly you binge-watch Netflix, golf, garden or paint. Or maybe you don the persona and garb of a pirate or Silk Road merchant.

At least, that’s what Caruth Meadows neighbors Stephen and Kathryn Poe do. Both toil in the corporate world by day, but many an evening or weekend finds them planning for or participating in a Renaissance faire or Steampunk event. “It’s R&R and stress relief for me,” says Stephen. “Spending a day in Medieval England is a total change from working in software in the current day.”

“Perhaps it’s because I make my living in a data-driven, fact-based world that I look for ways to escape to another time or place. I think my corporate attire is the real costume here.”

Stephen was an A&M student in 1974 when his fencing club helped out with a game at a new event: Texas Renaissance Festival near Houston. Stephen was hooked and has attended festivals throughout the United States ever since, particularly Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie. When Stephen and Kathryn began dating in the late ’80s, Kathryn discovered she shared his passion. In fact, their engagement was celebrated not with a ring but with a sword. “Anyone can get a ring, but true love deserves edged weapons,” insists Kathryn.

On any given Saturday in April and May, you can find the Poes in Waxahachie at the faire, a dusty field transformed into a 16th century village. Amid jousting knights, jugglers and the ever-present music of dulcimers and bagpipes, you’ll find Stephen in

the lane near the chain mail armour shoppe, hawking his wares and chatting up patrons. Dressed in an ornately feathered hat and Chinese silks, sword and chain mail upon his belt, Stephen might “bellow out across the meadow” to draw customers. And apparently he’s quite good: A few years ago, he was awarded “Hawker of the Year.” He also banters with other crafters and cast, and is sure to call out “Long live the King!” as royalty parades by.

Kathryn varies her role at the faire, sometimes portraying a merchant’s wife, sometimes a pirate or a wench. She laughs that her attire grows “smaller and smaller” as the temperature climbs, and she usually ends the faire as a belly dancer. Kathryn and other costumed volunteers provide “King Henry” and “Queen Margaret” with a military escort and protect them from “overzealous patrons” during the daily parade. She also helps “carry off dead knights from the field of valor at the joust.”

About five years ago, Kathryn researched an intriguing new movement known as Steampunk, a world in which science fiction meets turn-of-the-century fashion and customs. “Once I found that Steampunk was based on a Victorian world that never was, I was hooked bustles, lace and trains, oh my!”

Stephen has joined Kathryn in the Victorian sci-fi world, adopting an Airship Mogul persona, looking dapper at Steampunk conventions in his British military tropical uniform and Pith helmet. Kathryn often wears a skirt of brocade patches to play Mary Jane Kelly, a lady of the evening and the Ripper’s last victim. The Poes are perfecting costumes for the Steampunk Invasion at Dallas Heritage Village in September.

As fun as the costume play is for the Poes, it is not without its perils and sticky situations. At a convention last year, Kathryn was playing an “English tart” when she, ahem, offered services to a “clergyman.” He be-

came flustered and left quickly. Kathryn soon learned he was a minister in real life. “Oops,” she says.

And then there was the time the Poes were traveling to a Minnesota RenFaire, their swords in locked gun cases. A humorless agent insisted they sign forms certifying they were unloaded.

Kathryn, who is a trainer/instructional designer for a software firm, embraces these worlds of make-believe and echoes Stephen’s appreciation for the escapism: “Perhaps it’s because I make my living in a data-driven, fact-based world that I look for ways to escape to another time or place,” she smiles.

“See, I think my corporate attire is the real costume here. Just sayin’.”

Patti Vinson is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for 15 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine, and has taught college writing. She is a frequent flier at Lakewood branch library and enjoys haunting neighborhood estate sales with husband Jonathan and children, Claire (13) and Will (10). The family often can be found hanging out at White Rock Lake Dog Park with Dexter, a probable JackWeenie.

Allergy

Stephen and Kathryn Poe: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

214.824.2777

beadsofsplendor.com

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

REI now open

The new REI store on Northwest Highway at Shady Brook opened in March. REI serves as the anchor to a soon-to-be shopping center, which is a part of Half Price Books’ plans to develop the six acres across the street from its flagship store. The new center will have an additional 13,000 square feet of space available for other shops or restaurants.

House calls make a comeback

Lakewood resident and entrepreneur Dr. Johathan Clarke is doing away with waiting rooms and germ-filled offices with his healthcare start-up, Mend, which provides same-day or next-day urgent care visits with healthcare professionals. He calls Mend the “Uber of healthcare,” and his company is the first in Texas to provide services of its kind delivered via a mobile app. “Imagine applying the best qualities of a service like Uber to healthcare,” Clarke says. “Convenience, mobile accessibility, personalized service and price transparency, Mend does all of this by delivering on-demand healthcare to patients in their home, office or hotel, through a simple mobile app or web interface.” It launched in Dallas in March, so neighbors can book services through Mend’s free iOS app, mendathome.com, or by calling 469.458.6363.

The Y is here

The White Rock YMCA moved into its new building on Gaston at Loving last month, about 14 months after breaking ground on the $14-million project. The 30,000-squarefoot facility includes a child-care area, gymnasium, fitness center, outdoor pool and aerobics studio. The structure is now open to members and the pool will open midsummer.

New room for brew

Lakewood Brewing Co., founded by neighborhood resident Wim Bens, recently opened a 14,000-square-foot expansion, which adjoins Lakewood’s previously existing facility at 2302 Executive in Garland. The brewery’s enlargement doubles its production capacity and includes 8,000-squarefeet of new production space, a larger 2,000-square-foot taproom and a new canning line. The company began canning select beers, including Lakewood Lager, Rock Ryder and a new session IPA, Hopochondria, in April. The taproom offers 16 taps, including a selection of year-round favorites, rotating seasonal options and other specialty brews such as Legendary, Seduction Series and Taproom-only exclusives.

White Rock YMCA

SERVING AGES 3 MONTHS - ADULTS

4411 SKILLMAN Preschool & Elementary School 214-826-4410

5740 PROSPECT Nursery School & Adult Program 214-826-6350

DallasSpanishHouse.com

Lakehill Summer Camps Kindergarten through High School June 8 - August 7

Morning,

2720

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Highlander School

Does your bright child struggle with things like…

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CLAIRE’S CHRISTIAN DAY SCHOOL

8202 Boedeker Dr., / (214) 368-4047 / clairesdayschool.com At CCDS, we encourage a child’s sense of exploration and discovery in a loving, nurturing, and safe environment. We offer a parent’s day out program with a play-based curriculum fostering socialization, motor skill development, and an introduction to academics for children aged 4mo – 3yrs. Our preschool for children aged 3-5 further develops these skills, along with a more focused approach to pre-math and prereading. At CCDS, we have developed our own science, math, and reading enrichment classes to ensure kindergarten preparedness for every child. We make learning fun!

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. Limiting class size affords the teachers the opportunity to develop the individual learning styles of each student. Our goal is to insure knowledge and self-confidence in academics, athletics, and the creative and performing arts. Highlander offers a “classic” education which cannot be equaled.

THE 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.

SPANISH HOUSE

4411 Skillman 214-826-4410 / 5740 Prospect 214-826-6350 / DallasSpanishHouse.com

Spanish Immersion School serving ages 3 month - Adults. We offer nursery, preschool, elementary and adult programs at two Lakewood locations. Degreed, nativeSpanish speaking teachers in an “all-Spanish” immersion environment. Call for a tour today!

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

UT DALLAS CHESS CAMP

800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson 75080 / (972) 883-4899 / utdallas.edu/chess ) 2014 Summer Chess Camp Campers learn while they PLAY. Chess develops reading, math, critical and analytical skills, and builds character and self-esteem. Just don’t tell the kids…they think chess is fun! Join beginner, intermediate or advanced chess classes for ages 7 to 14 on the UT Dallas campus. Morning (9am-noon) or afternoon (1-4pm) sessions are available June 8-12, June 15-19, July 13-17, July 20-24 and extended playing classes. Camp includes t-shirt, chess board and pieces, trophy, certificate, score book, group photo, snacks and drinks. Instructors are from among UT Dallas Chess Team PanAm Intercollegiate Champions for 2010-2012!

THE WINSTON SCHOOL

5707 Royal Lane Dallas, Tx 75229 / 214691-6950 / www.winston-school.org If your bright child struggles with things like Attention and Concentration, Executive Functioning and Dyslexia, The Winston School may be able to help. The Winston School has a robust academic program which prepares a student for college while at the same time developing the whole child. We understand bright children who learn differently and recognize their unique gifts and talents. Celebrating and validating these assets with our students enables them to discover who they are, and empowers them to be consistently successful. The Winston School brings hope for today and a road map for tomorrow.

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.

of our 200,000+ readers with average income of $146,750 want more info about private schools. 69%

BAPTIST

LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425

Worship — 8:30 am Classic & 11:00 am Contemporary

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

PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH / “A Church to Call Home”

Sundays: Bible Fellowship (all ages) 9:15 am /Service Time 11:00 am 12123 Hillcrest Road / 972.820.5000 / prestonwood.org

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

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

RIDGEWOOD PARK UMC / 6445 E. Lovers Lane / 214.369.9259

Sunday Worship: 9:30 am Traditional and 11:35 am Contemporary

Sunday School: 10:30 am / Rev. Ann Willet / ridgewoodparkchurch.org

WHITE ROCK UNITED METHODIST / www.wrumc.org

1450 Oldgate Lane / 214.324.3661

Sunday Worship 10:50 am / Rev. Mitchell Boone

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

UNITY

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path for Spiritual Living 6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972.233.7106 / UnityDallas.org

10:30 am Sunday - Celebration Worship 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

FAITH TAKES PRACTICE

Showing up may be 80 percent of spiritual success

We can learn some things about producing successful spiritual lives from creative agents in other fields.

The writer/actor/director Woody Allen famously said: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” That quotation has been repeated often by others and altered slightly for all sorts of purposes. And the reason is that, while such a thing as success is hard to quantify in percentages, the sense of the sentence rings true.

Allen says he first used the line in talking to aspiring young writers. “My observation was that once a person actually completed a play or a novel he was well on his way to getting it produced or published, as opposed to a vast majority of people who tell me their ambition is to write, but who strike out on the very first level and indeed never write the play or book.”

The Southern short story writer Flannery O’Connor similarly talked about the habits of writing that lead to success. Despite suffering from lupus, she maintained a strict writing schedule. “I write only about two hours every day because that’s all the energy I have, but I don’t let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place. This doesn’t mean I produce much out of the two hours. Sometimes I work for months and have to throw everything away, but I don’t think any of that was time wasted. Something goes on that makes it easier when it does come well. And the fact is if you don’t sit there every day, the day it would come well, you won’t be sitting there.”

Aspiration needs perspiration for inspiration. If you want to achieve strength and depth of spiritual character, desire is the first thing. We get what we want, not what we say we want.

The achievement of desire’s intent next requires time and attention. Paying attention means making time and minding it. Sitting before a blank sheet with pen in hand, or a canvas with brush at the ready, or with a Bible on your lap and reading glasses poised on your nose: these are postures that allow inspiration to drop in.

Insights come from patient, practiced seeing. You have to see something before you can see into it. Monet painted haystacks and the Rouen Cathedral over and over in all sorts of light and weather. He was looking at the same thing each time he painted, but what he saw each time and showed to us was different because of the

Prayer can be rote until it’s not.

time of day and the effect of the elements.

Prayer can be rote until it’s not. You can say the same words of the Shema or The Lord’s Prayer over and over, and then one day it hits you — something new, something fresh. And it wouldn’t have if you hadn’t been saying it again and again.

Hymns in church get in our heads and stay there for when we need them. In fact, we know that people suffering from various forms of dementia can often sing along to beloved hymns long after they have forgotten the names of their beloved spouse and children. But the songs first have to get into our heads to do that.

Not sure about the other 20 percent, but showing up probably is 80 percent of spiritual success.

advocatemag.com/newmedia

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.

People

Neighborhood resident Judy Lowe’s second children’s book, “MJ’s New Friend,” was an award finalist in the North Texas Book Festival in April. The book is about a boy who meets a new friend who’s a little odd. Spoiler alert: turns out he’s an alien. And a pretty cool-looking one in the illustration by Ayuna Collins and David Edward Martin. The book is meant to teach children about courage, acceptance and diverse friendships. Lowe’s books are available on amazon.com.

Education

Dallas ISD’s $130-million “bridge plan” will benefit four neighborhood schools. Stonewall Jackson Elementary will receive $5.3 million for a building project to replace 15 portable classrooms. And Lakewood Elementary will receive $12.6 million for new classrooms, a new cafeteria and a new library.

The Woodrow Wilson Community Foundation appointed nine new board members: Derek Hopf, Amy Jones, Monica Latin, Lacey LaPointe, Dustin Marshall, Cheryl Camin Murray, Spencer Patterson, Eric Schenkelberg and Anne Thomas.

Giving

Starting in February, Comerica Bank collected hundreds of gently used prom dresses for East Dallas-based CASA In April, approximately 50 girls in foster care picked out prom dresses in a CASA-hosted boutique, which also included a make-up artist, shoes, purses, jewelry and accessories.

HAVE AN ITEM TO BE FEATURED?

Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag.com. Our deadline is the first of the month prior to the month of publication.

One sick bird

Neighbors brought a Sunset Bay swan, Katie , to the Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center last month after they noticed she wasn’t well. The swan had an object the size of a baseball, probably a piece of plastic or trash, lodged in her throat. The rehab center launched a fundraising campaign for the bird’s treatment, nursed her back to health and returned her to her home at White Rock Lake. SUBMIT

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,

ARTISTIC GATHERINGS

Casa Linda Plaza. Art Classes & Drop In Pottery Painting For All Ages. 214-821-8383. Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

GUITAR OR PIANO Patient Teacher. Your Home. 12 Yrs Exp. Reasonable rates. UNT Music Grad. Larry 469-358-8784

MATHNASIUM has a new Math Learning Center at 7324 Gaston mathnasium.com/dallaslakewood 214-328-MATH (6284) Learn to draw this summer with Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain ®

Classes now offered in Dallas

Visit our website for location and registration info

www.PerceptionDrawing.com

Brenda Catlett Certified Instructor (972)989-0546

JUNE DEADLINE MAY 6

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

CHILDCARE

LOVING, CHRIST-CENTERED CARE SINCE 1982

Lake Highlands Christian Child Enrichment Center Ages 2 mo.-12 yrs. 9919 McCree. 214-348-1123.

EMPLOYMENT

FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES 3108

Seeking Bar Staff. Apply In Person. @ 8500 Arturo Dr. 75228 TABC Cert Reqrd.

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

EARN RESIDUAL INCOME learn how to earn income on Energy and Mobile Service. Call Jay 214-707-9379.

SERVICES FOR YOU

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

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

SERVICES FOR YOU

DISH TV RETAILER Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 months) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available)

Save. Ask about Same Day Installation 1-800-615-4064

LEGAL SERVICES

A SIMPLE WILL. Name a Guardian for Children. Katherine Rose, Attorney 214-728-4044. Office Dallas Tx.

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY Estate/Probate matters. Free Consultation. 214-802-6768 MaryGlennAttorney.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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

BOOKKEEPING NEEDS? Need Help Organizing Finances? No Job Too Small or Big.

Call C.A.S. Bookkeeping Services. Cindy 214-821-6903

DALLAS INSURANCE SERVICES

Life, Health, Medicare Specialist. Jim. 30 Yrs. Exp. dis2insurance.com 214-507-3304

EAST DALLAS CPA Tax and Accounting

For Small Businesses and Individuals

Ragan McCoy, CPA 214-202-6525 ragan@eastdallascpa.com

East Dallas is …

The Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce and White Rock Partnership announced last month the result of their “East Dallas Is….” campaign. They stated in a media release:

“East Dallasites and fans of the ‘East Dallas Is’ Facebook and Instagram pages learned that East Dallas will also be known as the ‘Lake & Garden District.’ ” Pictured from left to right are Lola Lott, Jan Worrall, Carol Hensley and Reena Morris.

or 4 tickets per game available) Seats are behind the plate and next to the dugouts for the Rangers: seats are on the glass and on the Platinum Level for the Stars. Other great seats available starting at $60 per ticket. Entire season available except for opening game; participants randomly draw numbers prior to the season to determine a draft order fair for everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com

TOP CASH FOR CARS Any Car, Truck. Running or Not. Call for Instant Offer. 1-800-454-6951 ESTATE/GARAGE

JESSE’S

CLEANING SERVICES

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

•Washer/Dryers

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

BLINDS, SHADES & DRAPERIES

SMARTLOOKS WINDOW & WALL DECOR

Window Treatments & Repair. 972-699-1151

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 214-324-7398 www.squarenailwoodworking.com

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

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

GREENGO Vinyl Siding,Windows & Doors. 903-802-6957, 25 Yrs Exp.

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

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

•Repair •Remodeling •Restoration

full service

http://dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com Tommy 972-533-2872

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

AMAZON CLEANING

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

CALL GRIME STOPPERS • 214-724-2555

Wanted: Houses to Clean • 20 years experience. Dependable. Efficient. Great Prices. Excellent Refs.

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

DELTA CLEANING Insd./Bonded. Move In/Out. General Routine Cleaning. Carpet Cleaning. Refs. Reliable. Dependable. 28+yrs. 972-943-9280.

MAID 4 YOU Bonded/Insured. Park Cities/M Streets Refs. Call Us First. Joyce.214-232-9629

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

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

ALL COMPUTER PROBLEMS SOLVED

MAC/PC Great Rates! Keith 214-295-6367

BILL’S COMPUTER REPAIR

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

IT SOLUTIONS/SUPPORT For Home & Small Business. Parental Controls Speciality. 8 Yrs. Exp. Husband & Wife, Licensed Minister called to His Work. Texas Tech Guru. 214-850-2669

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

BRICK & STONE REPAIR

Restoration & 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 Mortar Repair. Call George 214-498-2128

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

972-727-2727

R&M Concrete Concrete Retaining Walls Driveways Stamped Concrete 214-202-8958

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com Family Owned/Operated. Insd. 214-328-1333

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

GOVER ELECTRIC Back Up Generators. New and Remodel Work. Commercial & Residential. All Service Work. 469-230-7438. TECL2293

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 & WOOD WORK oldgatefence.com charliehookerswoodwork.com 214-766-6422

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM Decks, Fences, Pergolas, Patio Covers. 214-435-9574

KIRKWOOD FENCE & DECK

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

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

ALL WALKS OF FLOORS 214-616-7641 Carpet, Wood, Tile Sales/Service Free Estimates

CLIFTON CARPETS 214-526-7405 www.cliftoncarpets.com

DALLAS HARDWOODS 214-724-0936

Installation, Repair, Refinish, Wax, Hand Scrape. Residential, Commercial. Sports Floors. 25 Yrs.

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

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

LONGHORN FLOORS LLC 972-768-4372. www.longhornflooring.com

N-HANCE WOOD RENEWAL. No Dust. No Mess. No Odor. nhance.com. 214-321-3012.

WILLEFORD HARDWOOD FLOORS 214-824-1166 • WillefordHardwoodFloors.com

CARPET HARDWOODS CERAMIC Quick, Reliable Installation

John: 972.989.3533 john.roemen@redicarpet.com

REDI CARPET

Reinventing the Flooring Experience

Restoration Flooring

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

469.774.3147

Phones

GARAGE SERVICES

GARAGE ORGANIZATION / Design / Remodel DFWGaragePros.com 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

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR custom mirrors • shower enclosures store fronts • casements 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

FRAME RIGHT All Honey-Dos/Jobs. Crown mold install $125/rm. Licensed. Matt 469-867-9029

GROOVY HOUSE Is A Different Handyman Experience! Find Out Why At www.groovyhouse.biz 214-733-2100 • 19 Year Lakewood Resident

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

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

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

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

Handy Dan

The Handyman “ToDo’s” Done Right

Save $25 on Service Call of $125 or $50 on Service Call of $250 handy-dan.com 214.252.1628

Your Home Repair Specialists

Drywall Doors

Senior Safety

Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs

And More! 972-308-6035

HandymanMatters.com/dallas

Bonded &

JUNE DEADLINE MAY 6

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

HOME INSPECTION

STONE

Granite,

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling,

Name It — We do it. Tommy. Insured. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

HOUSE PAINTING

1 AFFORDABLE HOUSE PAINTING and Home Repair. Quality work. Inside and Out. Free Ests. Local Refs. Ron 972-816-5634 or 972-475-3928

#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

A1 TOP COAT Professional. Reliable. References. TopCoatOfTexas.com 214-770-2863

ABRAHAM PAINT SERVICE A Women Owned Business 25 Yrs. Int/Ext. Wall Reprs. Discounts On Whole Interiors and Exteriors 214-682-1541

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 & REPAIR Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160

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

TEXAS BEST PAINTING • 214-527-4168 Master Painter. High Quality Work. Int/Ext.

TONY’S PAINTING SERVICE Quality Work Since 1984. Int./Ext. 214-755-2700

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

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

•

A BETTER TREE COMPANY • JUST TREES

Complete tree services. Tree & Landscape Lighting! Mark 214-332-3444

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd.

12 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925

A&B LANDSCAPING Full Landscape & Lawn Care Services. Degreed Horticulturist. 214-534-3816

AYALA’S LANDSCAPING SERVICE

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

CHUPIK TREE SERVICE

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

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

GREENSKEEPER Winter Clean Up & Color. Sodding, Fertilization. Lawn Maintenance & Landscape. Res/Com. 214-546-8846

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

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

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

RONS LAWN Organic Solutions. Not Environmental Pollution. Landscape & Maintenance 972-222-LAWN (5296)

TAYLOR MADE IRRIGATION Repairs, service, drains. 30+ years exp. Ll 6295 M-469-853-2326. John

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

PLUMBING

CAMPBELL PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. 214-321-5943

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

UPTOWN PLUMBING. Serving Dallas 40 + Yrs. 214-747-1103. M-13800 uptownplumbing.com

POOLS

ADAIR POOL & SPA SERVICE

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

ROOFING &

MCDANIEL

Pest-Free · Hassle-Free

• Careful methods p f e

• Respectful service

s 214306969

saf h

• State-of-the-art applications 4-340-6969 fehavenpest.com

PLUMBING

A2Z PLUMBING 214-727-4040

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

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days *Joe Faz 214-794-7566 - Se Habla Español*

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

COLD CASE: MARIE JENKINS ZICKEFOOSE

In January 1984 Marie Jenkins Zickefoose was discovered dead in her bed in her Skillman-Northwest Highway apartment, an open magazine at her side. Investigators guess she was reading when her killer struck.

Her brother Talmadge Willard Jenkins, his bloody and lifeless body nearby, apparently visited at the wrong time, interrupting the crime. Though investigators lifted a good print from the scene, they could not track down the murderer.

The Dallas Police Department has scarce resources dedicated to cold cases like this one.

It’s tough to fault the department for this — there are hundreds of recent and active cases on which to focus. They have boosted awareness about cold cases via the recently launched blog dpdbeat.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The DPD also uses members of the Dallas Police Reserve — a 60-year old organization of professionals (often in fields of law or medicine or retired police officers) who undergo rigorous certification and dedicate at least 16 hours a month to police work — to solve cold cases.

One of the reserve officers working on cold cases is retired police detective and White Rock area resident Ron Pettie.

In his home office, Pettie keeps stacks and stacks of binders stuffed with information on Dallas cold cases. The ones that get his attention are, essentially, those that someone still cares about. He dedicates about 50-60 hours a month to the job.

“In the Zickefoose case, for example, the retired detective who worked it told me it still weighs on him. He said he got real clear prints. It is the kind of thing you can retest with the latest technology,” Pettie said.

Pettie also is working on the case of Jill Bounds, who was bludgeoned to death in her Lakewood-area home in 1988. And that of Myra Barrett, who in 1991 at age 44 was murdered inside the Uptown-area boutique she was preparing to open — the fulfillment of an entrepreneurial dream. —Advocate staff

SMARTER WAYS TO THINK BIG

The right kind of large projects could transform Dallas for the better COMMENT. Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com and search Last Word to tell us what you think.

“Are there any big projects you would support?”

I was asked this question recently while speaking on a panel about Lower Greenville. I had just extolled the virtues of smaller city investments and suggested that the city should shift its focus from a handful of massively expensive projects to a multitude of smaller neighborhood projects like Lower Greenville’s rezoning, infrastructure improvements and revitalization.

I argued that small, smart city investments like Lower Greenville and Bishop Arts, which cost less than $5

I’m sure there are some folks who would prefer our municipal government focus on the most basic city services and little else. But I think there are many more of us who expect more.

million in public funds, can have a dramatic impact on our neighborhoods as well as the larger community, without taking on the significant financial risk of massive projects. Small projects offer greater flexibility, can be tailored to an area’s specific needs, can be more responsive to nearby residents and have a direct impact on their daily lives.

That’s when I was asked about big projects. Are there any I would support?

Absolutely.

I can’t speak for everyone who wants smaller, smarter government, and who are tired of Dallas City Hall’s near-myopic focus on massive, shiny projects. I’m sure there are some folks who would prefer our municipal government focus on the most basic city services and little else. But I think there are many more of us who expect more.

Large projects can be transformative for our city, as long as they benefit the people who live here and call Dallas their home. The problem is that we too often target our large projects at drive-through suburbanites, transient conventioneers, or worse, distant architectural cognoscenti. Too many times, the city invests in projects to impress others (see “Bridge, Calatrava”), or expends city resources on projects that have little appeal to most of us, like horse parks or white water rafting courses.

Instead, Dallas City Hall should focus on big projects that make Dallas a more livable, enjoyable place to call home. The city should invest in more Klyde Warren Parks, where Dallasites can convene and play together; build more Katy Trails where people can hop on their bikes or go for a walk; and support more Children’s Adventure Gardens and Audubon Centers where families can engage with nature. Investments like these not only benefit current residents, but also attract people to move to our city.

Thinking big in Dallas should mean connecting all of Dallas’s off-

street trails and major assets and creating a true protected on-street bikeway system. It should mean lowering freeways and building deck parks to knit back together neighborhoods scarred and divided by massive freeways over I-30, reconnecting East Dallas to Fair Park, and over I-35, re-connecting Oak Cliff to the Dallas Zoo. Thinking big should mean creating an accessible, vibrant park along our Trinity River, our city’s most under-utilized asset, and investing in a total transformation of Fair Park and the surrounding area. Most importantly, thinking big should mean bringing real infrastructure improvements and big manufacturers south of I-30.

These are all large investments that will improve the everyday lives of Dallas residents. They aren’t shiny, and they probably won’t be featured in any obscure architectural journals. But they will help make Dallas an incredible city to call home.

There is a misconception among the old-guard, Citizens Council oligarchy that those of us who think it’s folly to build a horse park, a faux suspension bridge, a park-killing toll road, or a city-owned hotel think our municipal government should limit its focus to fixing potholes. We are dismissed as naysayers and aginners, without grand aspirations or dreams for our city. To them, our skepticism of worldclassiness equates with small-minded provincialism. We don’t think big. We lack vision.

The truth is, we do have a vision for Dallas. It just looks very different from theirs.

Angela Hunt is a neighborhood resident and former Dallas City Councilwoman in East Dallas. She writes a monthly opinion column about neighborhood issues. Her opinions are not necessarily those of the Advocate or its management. Send comments and ideas to her at 6301 Gaston, Suite 820, Dallas 75214; FAX to 214.823.8866; or email ahunt@advocatemag.com.

MOTHE R ’S DAY HOME TOUR

MOTHER’S

6111 ST MORITZ

KEITH CALLAHAN 2146756777

9911 CARNEGIE $225,000 AMY MALOOLEY 2147735570

2626 MADERA $339,000 AMY MALOOLEY 2147735570

6936 SPERRY $384,500 AMY MALOOLEY 2147735570

6319 KENWOOD $429,900 MARISSA FONTANEZ 2147899187

6960 SANTA MARIA $415,000 MARISSA FONTANEZ 2147899187

8311 SAN LEANDRO

HARRY MORGAN 2147693303

12524 DEGAS

HARRY MORGAN 2147693303

6231 BERWYN $419,000 KATE WALTERS 2142930506

2602 LAKEFOREST $379,900 KATE WALTERS 2142930506

6964 SOUTHRIDGE $749,000 HEATHER GUILD GROUP 2145632385

6007 PENROSE $369,000

6521 BOB O LINK $889,000 NANCY JOHNSON 2146743840

7006 CORONADO $525,000 NANCY JOHNSON 2146743840

6806 INVERNESS $849,000 AMY MALOOLEY 2147735570

©2015. Equal Housing Opportunity

6111 ST. MORITZ $295,000 KEITH CALLAHAN 214.675.6777

9911 CARNEGIE $225,000 AMY MALOOLEY 214.773.5570

2626 MADERA $339,000 AMY MALOOLEY 214.773.5570

6936 SPERRY $384,500 AMY MALOOLEY 214.773.5570

6319 KENWOOD

MARISSA FONTANEZ 214.789.9187

6960 SANTA MARIA $415,000 MARISSA FONTANEZ 214.789.9187

8311 SAN LEANDRO

HARRY MORGAN 214.769.3303

12524 DEGAS $545,000 HARRY MORGAN 214.769.3303

6231 BERWYN $419,000 KATE WALTERS 214.293.0506

2602 LAKEFOREST $379,900 KATE WALTERS 214.293.0506

6964 SOUTHRIDGE $749,000 HEATHER GUILD GROUP 214.563.2385

6007 PENROSE $369,000 SUSAN NELSON-WHEELER & WES WHEELER 469.878.8522

6521 BOB O LINK $889,000 NANCY JOHNSON 214.674.3840

7006 CORONADO $525,000 NANCY JOHNSON 214.674.3840

6806 INVERNESS $849,000 AMY MALOOLEY 214.773.5570

7218 LAKEWOOD $1,399,000 NANCY JOHNSON

6627 LAKEWOOD $1,584,000 NANCY JOHNSON 214.674.3840

2726

5511

JOHNSON

4907 GASTON

NANCY JOHNSON 214.674.3840

6423 ELLSWORTH $449,900 NANCY JOHNSON 214.674.3840

6272 MERCEDES $2,495,000 THE JACKSON TEAM 214.827.2400

6611 ELLSWORTH $1,079,000 THE JACKSON TEAM 214.827.2400

6421 LAKE CIRCLE $549,000 THE JACKSON TEAM 214.827.2400

6729 SONDRA $979,000 THE JACKSON TEAM 214.827.2400

6338 VELASCO $845,000 THE JACKSON TEAM 214.827.2400

8358 SAN FERNANDO $875,000 SUSAN NELSON-WHEELER & WES WHEELER 469.878.8522

5735 ANITA

JOHNSON/ALEX SIMPSON