MAY 2016 | ADVOCATEMAG.COM CLASS OF 2016 OVERCOMING THE ODDS MAY 2016 | ADVOCATEMAG.COM BE LOCAL IN LAKEWOOD/EAST DALLAS
Buying and selling a home can be complicated. Fortunately, there’s an Ebby Halliday REALTOR ® to help lead you through the process. We’ve been your trusted resource in the area for more than 70 years. We’re proud of our deep roots in Lakewood and East Dallas.
US TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF REAL ESTATE. Visit Ebby.com to find your REALTOR ® today.
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5434 RIDGEDALE | $1,150,000 4 Beds | 4.1 Baths | 2 Car | 4,043 Sq. Ft. THE DYBVAD AND PHELPS GROUP - 214-669-6255 6434 SUNNYLAND | $699,000 4 Beds | 3.1 Baths | 2 Car | 2,973 Sq. Ft. KIM NIKOLIS - 214-460-5456 1402 VERANO | $549,000 2 Beds | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 1,957 Sq. Ft DENISE LARMEU - 214.336.6687 5918 MCCOMMAS | $520,000 3 Beds | 2 Baths | 2 Car | 1,888 Sq. Ft. DENISE LOWRY - 214-228-1622 7298 WILLIAMSON | $475,000 3 Beds | 2 Bath | 2,012 Sq. Ft MARY POSS - 214-692-0000 5408 MCCOMMAS | $642,000 3 Beds | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 2,095 Sq. Ft CAROLYN BLACK - 214-692-0000 7003 SAN MATEO | SOLD 3 Beds | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,420 Sq. Ft ROB SCHRICKEL - 214-692-0000 6920 GASTON | SOLD 5 Beds | 4.1 Baths | 2 Car | 4,121 Sq. Ft. KIM SINNOTT - 214-536-8786 5910 RICHMOND | $748,500 5 Beds | 3 Baths | 2 Car | 2,846 Sq. Ft. COURTNEY MOLINA - 214-478-4660 1804 LOVING AVE | $410,000 2 Beds | 1 Bath | 1 Car | 1,068 Sq. Ft LINDA ROBERTSON - 214-692-0000 9836 COLDWATER | $389,999 3 Beds | 2 Baths | 2 Car | 1,557 Sq. Ft. KIM LE-HENDERSON - 214-244-8664 9825 ANGORA | SOLD 3 Beds | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,214 Sq. Ft ALISON O’HALLORAN - 214-228-9013 NEW LISTING NEW LISTING SALE PENDING SALE PENDING NEW LISTING SALE PENDING SALE PENDING
YOUR FRIENDLY REAL ESTATE EXPERTS IN LAKEWOOD AND EAST DALLAS Most of our clients don’t buy and sell homes very often. It’s relatively unknown territory to them. But it’s our native territory, since 1945. We know the East Dallas landscape. There’s no trail we haven’t been down before. We are here to help you fully experience one of the biggest, most joyful events of your life. Experience the difference the right agent can make. Visit Ebby.com today. LAKEWOOD/LAKE HIGHLANDS 214-826-0316 PRESTON CENTER 214-692-0000 EBBY’S LITTLE WHITE HOUSE 214-210-1500 7050 BELTEAU LN | $294,000 3 Beds | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 2,460 Sq. Ft RYAN BOOTH - 214-692-0000 1742 LOREE | $255,000 2 Beds | 2 Bath | 1 Car | 1,758 Sq. Ft. MARGOT STRONG - 214-415-6640 5200 MARTEL 22B | $184,500 2 Beds |2.1 Bath| 1,097 Sq. Ft NANCY REAGAN - 214-692-0000 3025 PRINCETON | SOLD 4 Beds | 3 Baths | 2 Car | 2,296 Sq. Ft. MAUREEN JACKSON - 214-208-4450 8620 REDONDO DR | $262,500 3 Beds | 2 Bath | 1,024 Sq. Ft JINI CYR - 214-692-0000 7214 LA VISTA DR | $355,000 2 Beds | 2 Bath | 1,407 Sq. Ft JP ZEPEDA - 214-692-0000 SALE PENDING THE EBBY LAKEWOOD/LAKE HIGHLANDS OFFICE IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE 43RD ANNUAL SWISS AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT MOTHER’S DAY HOME TOUR May 7 & 8, 2016, Saturday 10AM-6PM, Sunday NOON-6PM, Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday 11AM-2PM VISIT SAHD.ORG FOR DETAILS SALE PENDING SALE PENDING
BUSINESS Insurance Let me make sure you are receiving the right coverages and getting the BEST PRICES as well. Call me for a complete review. LIFE Insurance When was the last time you reviewed your Life Insurance position? It is important that you protect your loved ones adequately. I can help you. AUTO AND HOMEOWNERS Insurance Bundle together and you will get maximum discounts! All you have to do is phone me now and you will receive my 40+ years of experience to place you in the top rated Insurance companies at the cost that will be at preferred plus rates. Try me! I’m sure you will be pleased! You NEED Insurance! Buying the coverages you need Just Got EASIER!!! The Insurance Wizard Bill “Bulldog” Cunningham Insurance Agency 972-445-5100 fax 972-445-5180 bc@bulldogcunningham.com www. bulldogcunningham.com 6301 Gaston Ave., Ste. 210 Wells Fargo Bank Bldg. Independent InsuranceAgent Da llas I represent these fine companies: 1. I suggest you Buy Annuities from ME!!! SUPER SAFE! (You cannot lose any of your money.) 2. Individual Medical Insurance (Only available if you meet all federal mandates.) 3. Group Medical Insurance for your employees 4. Individual Disability Income Insurance 5. Individual Long Term Care Insurance 6. Travel Insurance 7. Special Event Insurance 8. Medicare Supplement Insurance for those 65 and older Call me for information. YOU MAY NEED THE FOLLOWING: For criminal law needs, contact, call Vic Cunningham at 214-850-1499. For civil law needs, call Ross Cunningham at 214-646-1495. NEED A LAWYER?
When life pushed these Woodrow Wilson High School students to their limits, they came out on top.
Kadrian Oliver. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)
Who votes?
You might be surprised who will decide the next election.
For men just out of lock up, there were limited options before Todd Fields.
back Celebrate National Preservation Month with a slew of history-focused events.
time The annual White Rock East Garden Tour includes some unexpected gems.
Veggie invasion
Chef Graham Dodd is focusing on the plants at his new place.
6 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 features 54
56 Rebuilding lives
launch 26
36
Looking
29 Treehouse
cover Overcoming
40 Volume 24 Number 5 | ED May 2016 | CONTENTS
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 7 in every issue DEPARTMENT COLUMNS opening remarks 8 launch 23 events 34 food 36 news¬es 62 live local 63 worship 64 scene&heard 66 crime 70 ADVERTISING dining spotlight 37 the goods 50 education guide 52 marketplace 58 worship listings 65 local works community 66 local works home 68 Fighting for himself Bennett McKee was born with Down syndrome, but it hasn’t slowed him down one bit from achieving his black-belt dreams in karate. 23 LAKEWOOD.ADVOCATEMAG.COM for more NEWS visit us online “... you wouldn’t think of taking five guys who are ex-cons with an average of a ninthgrade education as the people you want to start a business with, but that is our heart.” TODD FIELDS PAGE 56 214-324-5000 1200 N. BUCKNER AT GARLAND RD. at Highland Park Cafeteria 12000 R T RD at t Park LOVE David & Mary MET at Highland Park Cafeteria 1ST DATE at Highland Park Cafeteria MARRIED! NOW... They Dine Every Day At
TROPHIES FOR EVERYONE?
Why just showing up is no longer enough
Maybe it all started with the participation trophies so indignantly argued about these days, the awards everyone takes home after every youth sports season, win or lose and sometimes even without showing up much.
Maybe it started with ubiquitous cellphone communications, where no one really has to think for themselves because they can use an endless number of lifelines searching for help on even the most simple questions rather than being forced to figure things out on their own.
Or maybe I’m just mistaken: As those who know me best would be eager to tell you, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong.
What I’m talking about is life, and the general success or lack thereof so often associated with it.
anyway, surviving round after round of nail-biting stress simply to outlast high school.
It would be nice if the story ended right there: A good kid survives a tough time, and the rest is happily ever after. But happily ever after doesn’t seem to happen even in most movies anymore. Happy-for-now with storm clouds on the horizon seems more to be the state of life these days.
Whether it’s politics of any sort or education or nonprofits or sports, the good news stories always seem overwhelmed by pending DUIs or spousal abuse or gradeschool name-calling — all by people who seem to believe that showing up was all they needed to do to be successful.
Showing up isn’t enough anymore, if it ever was. Instead, life requires plodding along, day after day, pulling whatever weight we’ve been given in the general direction we believe is correct, and then picking up where we left off again the next day and the next day and the next, even when we aren’t exactly sure we’re pointed the right way.
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EDITORIAL
publisher: CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB
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managing editor: EMILY CHARRIER
214.560.4200 / echarrier@advocatemag.com
editor-at-large: KERI MITCHELL
214.292.0487 / kmitchell@advocatemag.com
editors:
It’s been said that the hardest part of life is showing up. To me, showing up is the easiest part of life; the hardest part is what comes after you show up.
But to a new high school or college graduate, that thought doesn’t seem to resonate. For the most part, new grads seem to believe that by graduating, they’ve already accomplished the hardest part of life, and the rest will be a simple roll downhill.
The students we’re profiling in this month’s issue are neighborhood kids who were dealt a bad hand and kept playing
Life seems a bit zombie-like when it’s stated like that, with a never-ending stream of tasks stacked higher than we can ever reach awaiting us day after day after day.
Attacking life in this way is what makes the students we’re featuring worth reading about. They knew the odds were stacked against them and yet they kept plugging away. They’ve reached that first stage of success; now they’ll have to reach back for more of the energy that brought them to this point. They need to stay after whatever it is they want to accomplish, because that’s the only way they’re ever going to get there.
If the hardest part of life is slogging forward day after day, regardless of the progress that is seemingly being made, they’ve already done a better job than most of us.
Now they just have to keep it up, as the rest of us know all too well.
RACHEL STONE
214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com
BRITTANY NUNN
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ELIZABETH BARBEE
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designers: LARRY OLIVER, KRIS SCOTT
contributing editors: SALLY WAMRE
contributors: SAM GILLESPIE, ANGELA HUNT, LAUREN LAW, GEORGE MASON, KRISTEN MASSAD, BRENT McDOUGAL
photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO
214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com
contributing photographers: RASY RAN, KATHY TRAN
any
or advertising material. Opinions set forth in the Advocate are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s viewpoint. More than 200,000 people read Advocate publications each month. Advertising rates and guidelines are available upon request. Advocate publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one copy per reader. Advocate was founded in 1991 by Jeff Siegel, Tom Zielinski and Rick Wamre.
Rick Wamre is president of Advocate Media. Let him know how we are doing by writing to 6301 Gaston, Suite 820, Dallas 75214; or email rwamre@advocatemag.com. OPENING Remarks
be local be local most used logo black and white used for small horizontal used for small vertical and social media Advocate Media 6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 820, Dallas, TX 75214 Advocate, © 2016, is published monthly by East Dallas – Lakewood People Inc. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject
Life requires plodding along, day after day, pulling whatever weight we’ve been given in the general direction we believe is correct.
editorial
6239 La Vista | SOLD - Represented Buyer Gia Marshello 214.616.2568 | gmarshello@briggsfreeman.com Presenting your home to the world 4641 Belmont Avenue | SOLD - Represented Buyer 6144 Berwyn | UNDER CONTRACT Robby Sturgeon 214.533.6633 | rsturgeon@briggsfreeman.com Gia Marshello 214.616.2568 | gmarshello@briggsfreeman.com 6834 Gaston Avenue | SOLD 6119 Richmond Avenue | $799,000 Cathy Orr Barton 214.202.9537 | cbarton@briggsfreeman.com Robby Sturgeon 214.533.6633 | rsturgeon@briggsfreeman.com 727 Skillman Street | UNDER CONTRACT Anne Lasko 214.597.8842 | alasko@briggsfreeman.com 5728 Swiss Avenue | SOLD Anne Lasko 214.597.8842 | alasko@briggsfreeman.com Gia Marshello 214.616.2568 | gmarshello@briggsfreeman.com 1243 Waterside Circle | SOLD - Represented Buyer Grant Vancleve 469.939.1696 | gvancleve@briggsfreeman.com 6146 Lakeshore Drive | SOLD briggsfreeman.com © MMXII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Briggs Freeman Real Estate Brokerage, Inc. is independently owned and operated.
LIFE SKILL LEARNING A
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The mission of the YMCA is to put Christian values into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.
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LaurenandKelley.com REALTORS TOP 25 Lauren Valek Farris Senior Vice President | 469.867.1734 lfarris@briggsfreeman.com Kelley Theriot McMahon Senior Vice President | 214.563.5986 ktmcmahon@briggsfreeman.com
5824 Marquita Dr. | $1,195,000
6034 Vanderbilt Ave. | $769,000
8438 Forest Hills Blvd. | $719,000
5947 Goodwin Ave. | $549,000
Ave. Lakewood’s TOP TEAM PENDING
SOLD |
Ave. Marmie Leech 214.734.9512 mleech@briggsfreeman.com
PENDING | 517 Clermont Ave. PENDING | 6044 Velasco
| 6820 Meadow Lake Cir.
5303 Ridgedale
At Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, we’ve been dedicated to the health of you and your loved ones since we opened our doors 50 years ago. With an experienced, compassionate staff and advanced technological care, we’re equipped to handle your needs. Whether that’s 24-hour emergency care, women’s health services, or sports medicine, we’re here for you like we have been for the last five decades.
1-877-THR-WELL
TexasHealth.org/Dallas-50
Doctors on the medical staff practice independently and are not employees or agents of the hospital except resident doctors in the hospital’s graduate medical education program. © 2016
50 years of care for and from our community.
A Legacy of Expertise in Lakewood LOU ALPERT 214.738.0062 JOHN WHITESIDE 214.725.5018 KEVIN SAYRE 214.384.2657 KAREN HETTRICK 214.914.7034 BOBBY FACKLER 214.507.4087 KATHY FORNER 214.683.3774 ANGELA THORNHILL 214.769.7840
CONNER CROMEENS 214.674.9266
7910 Glade Creek SOLD | The Enclave at White Rock Lou Alpert
6426
Vickery Blvd SOLD | Lakewood Kevin Sayre
9815 Fitzroy Dr | Lake Highlands | $434,400 Lou Alpert
3744 W Bay Circle SOLD | Lakewood Lou Alpert
6030
Goliad Ave SOLD | Lakewood Karen Hettrick
6707 Southridge Dr | Lakewood | $820,000 Lou Alpert Kevin Sayre
Dr. Michael McGuiness Karen Adams PA-C
General · Cosmetic · Surgical Dermatology in the Heart of Lakewood 6301 GASTON AVENUE • SUITE 325W DALLAS, TX 75214 CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT: 972-316-4555 Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:30pm Saturday appointments coming soon. NOW SCHEDULING MCGUINESSDERMATOLOGY.COM
Dr. Natalie Wright
Integrity, Experience, Results 2015 Individual Top Producer at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty Lakewood 214.616.2568 gmarshello@briggsfreeman.com giamarshello.com
8351
REALTORS TOP 25 REALTORS TOP 25 2015 THE JACKSON TEAM #1 Group in Lakewood and East Dallas 214.827.2400 scott@jacksonsells.com jacksonsells.com 6285
Santa Clara · $1,695,000
Revere · $879,000 6732 Winton · $979,000
6429 Kenwood · $1,150,000
6318 Malcolm · $595,000 “With the real estate market booming in East Dallas, we have the knowledge, experience, and connections you need.” Excellent Agents. Off Market Intelligence. Outstanding Results.
6711 Ellsworth · $1,295,000
Lakewood Elementary unites to support Mark Parks’ grieving family
The principal who rallied Woodrow Wilson High School is retiring
First look: Dream Cafe in Lakewood is now open Little Forest Hills ‘cautiously optimistic but vigilant’ about future barbecue Oasis Project
—Kristin Nelson
18 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
WHAT YOU’RE MISSING
WANT MORE? Sign up for the Advocate’s weekly news digest advocatemag.com/newsletter FOLLOW US. Lakewood Advocate @Advocate_ed TALK TO US. Email editor
bnunn@advocatemag.com DIGITAL DIGEST ON LAKEWOOD.ADVOCATEMAG.COM Extraordinary dental care is right down the street. D ENTISTRY IN THE H EART OF L AKEWOOD 6342 La Vista Dr., Suite C drkellislate.com · 214-821-8639 GET ACQUAINTED OFFERS FREE Exam & Consultation with paid x-rays. A $190 Value! Some restriction may apply. Call for details. Offer good for 30 days. FREE Teeth Whitening with paid exam & x-rays. A $165 Value! Some restriction may apply. Call for details. Offer good for 30 days. or Patient Quote of the Month: Great experience! Yes — at the dentist! Dr. Slate and her staff are always wonderful.
Pie is closed — already
Brittany
LAKEWOOD 7109 WILDGROVE AVENUE
$950,000 | 3 Living Areas
2 Dining Areas | 4 Bed
Victoria Wiman | 214.770.0695 victoria.wiman@alliebeth.com
LAKEWOOD 6834 GASTON AVENUE
$715,000
4 Bed | 3 Bath | 3,114 Sq.Ft. Sally Shaw | 214.679.6402 sally.shaw@alliebeth.com
LAKEWOOD 2616 PASADENA PLACE
$545,000 | 3 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,921 Sq.Ft. Lakewood Elementary | 62 x 180 Lot
Susan Bradley | 214.674.5518 susan.bradley@alliebeth.com
LAKE HIGHLANDS 10607 FERNDALE ROAD
$509,900
4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Living Areas
Victoria Wiman | 214.770.0695 victoria.wiman@alliebeth.com
LAKEWOOD 6138 MONTICELLO AVENUE
$439,000 | 3 Bed | 2 Bath
2 Living Areas | 1,648 Sq.Ft.
Gina Howell | 214.794.8001 gina.howell@alliebeth.com
MUNGER PLACE 5207 VICTOR STREET
$389,900
3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2,070 Sq.Ft.
Marsue Williams | 214.762.2108 marsue.williams@allibeth.com
SOLD SOLD
LOCHWOOD 10876 CAPROCK CIRCLE $445,000 | 3 Bed | 2.1 Bath 2 Living Areas | 1,994 Sq.Ft. Tim Schutze | 214.507.6699 tim.schutze@alliebeth.com
DRIVE $579,000 2 Bed | 2.1 Bath | 3,101 Sq.Ft. Sally Shaw | 214.679.6402 sally.shaw@alliebeth.com
$373,000 2 Bed | 1 Bath | 1,247 Sq.Ft. Sally Shaw
sally.shaw@alliebeth.com This property is offered without respect to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability. All listing information, either print or electronic, is furnished by the property owner subject to the best of his or her knowledge; it is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. 214.521.7355 | alliebeth.com SOLD SOLD SOLD
LAKEWOOD 6239 LA VISTA
LAKEWOOD 6030 REVERE PLACE
| 214.679.6402
6610 Nonesuch Ct. | $2,199,000 5/5/3 Private Gated Community Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780 9027 Mercer Dr. 3/2.5/3 Tom Sheshene | 214-604-9230 2807 Lawtherwood Pl. | $715,000 3/2.2/2 Gorgeous Modern at White Rock Lake Lili Ornelas | 214-808-0242 10714 Palace Way | $325,000 3/2/1 In Lochwood Master down Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296 6269 Sudbury | $451,000 2/2/2 In Caruth Terrace Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296 851 Peavy Rd. | $325,000 3/2/2 Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296 406 E. Tyler St. | $260,000 3/2/4/2LA Updated on 1/3 acre Under Contract in 24 hrs! Robyn Price | 214-793-8787 827 N. Buckner Blvd. | $419,900 3/2/Updated .29 Acres WRLake Peninsula Darlene Harrison | 214-893-7547 7415 Azalea Ln. | SOLD 3/3.1/2, Pool Beautifully Updated Melissa McSpedden | 214-552-4972 6018 Vanderbilt Ave. | $525,000 Under Contract Jill Carpenter | 214-770-5296 6345 Lakeshore Dr. | $825,000 4/4/2/3 Live In Lakewood Heights Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780 2305 Brassington | $487,000 4/2.5/2/2LA Pristine 2-story traditional home Pam Nelms | 214-789-4911 7030 Hillgreen Dr. | $929,000 5/3/2/3LA Incredible outdoor space Nancy Wilson | 469-441-4300 2821 Lawtherwood Pl. 3/2/2/2 Gorgeous Modern White Rock Lake Valli Hale | 214-533-4800 1243 Waterside Cir. | SOLD Highland on the Creek Tom Sheshene | 214-604-9230 6935 Tokalon Dr. | $1,995,000 4/3.5/3/2LA/Pool, 0.5 acre Remarkable home! Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780 Yes, you can buy peace of mind! Contact a local Coldwell Banker® associate. Administered by American Home Shield ©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LL All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Lakewood / East Dallas 6301 Gaston Ave., Suite 125, Dallas, TX 75214 214.828.4300 Drew Brenner 214.282.6387 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage LEADING REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE IN DFW | 109 YEAR LEGACY | 3,100 OFFICES IN 50 COUNTRIES 10716 Lake Gardens Dr. | $349,000 Lochwood home sold in 6 days! Lili Ornelas | 214-808-0242 6308 Dysart Cir. | $699,000 4/3/3/2LA Lakewood Elementary Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780 6021 Mercedes Ave. | $709,500 3/3/2/2LA Architecturally Significant Lee Lamont | 214-418-2780 1435 Waterside Cir. | SOLD Highland on the Creek Tom Sheshene | 214-604-9230 COMING SOON SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD UNDER CONTRACT COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM UNDER CONTRACT UNDER CONTRACT COMING SOON
DIGITAL DIGEST THE DIALOGUE
Angela Hunt: Is anyone listening?
Circumventing public input in the City of Dallas
“The doors will never be locked when Angela Hunt is representing our city. It is quite comforting to me and a lot of other Dallas citizens that Angela Hunt has listened and represents us on the Trinity Meandering Toll Speedway Park Road Plan Advisory Panel.” — Erica from Dallas
“And with the advent of social media, not only is the electorate smarter and well-informed, they communicate with each other much better.” — Ox-Bow
“What I feel is even more disturbing is the trend that outside members are ignoring the voice and desires of other members when the item
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GET TO KNOW PAIGE WHITESIDE
Paige Whiteside has more than 22 years experience promoting East Dallas homes.
“I know that searching for your dream home can be a time consuming experience. Working with a professional East Dallas Realtor will make the spend a fair amount of time with their Realtor, it is important to choose one you feel comfortable with, and one who is responsive to your needs. I have experience and knowledge you can trust.”
Paige is 100% dedicated to creating exceptional experiences for her Lakewood/East Dallas, Downtown, Uptown, Design District, Oak Cliff and Park Cities real estate customers and their communities through the passionate delivery of truly remarkable service.
Paige Whiteside 214-549-2540
Paige.Whiteside@cbdfw.com
resides within their district. When you [Angela Hunt] were in office, there was a respect for fellow councilmembers and their knowledge of what is best — those days are gone. It creates a troubling trend that issues in single-member districts are constantly at risk. If this trend continues, then we should seriously look at at-large representation to increase accountability.” —
Stephen Birch
The principal who rallied Woodrow Wilson High School is retiring at the end of the year
“Congratulations Kyle Richardson and thank you for all which you helped Woodrow Wilson High achieve in a short five years. Your efforts and dedication made incredible changes so you more than earned the right to retire and rest! WWHS and the Dallas school system along with all of the students and teachers you guided through the worst times to the best are all blessed that you were at the helm. May your successor maintain the high standards, which you have established!” — Lindy
Rainer
Coldwell Banker COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM Sponsored by: L o c h wood Northwest Hwy 75Central Expressway White Rock Lake Buckner GarlandRd. I-30 R.L. Thorton Frwy Lovers Ln Skillman Greenville Abrams Abrams Fisher SouthernPacificR.R. Lawther Winstead Williamson Westlake Brookside Oram Richmond Marquita Marquita Ross RossAve Gaston Richmond Goodwin HendersonFitzhugh Haskell Vanderbilt Longview Lakeshore LaVista Lakeland Van Dyke Classen Swiss. MainSt. Reiger GastonAve Shadyside CristlerCameron Graham EastGrand FergusonRd SantaFeR.R. Munger McCommas Brandenwood Washington MockingbirdLn. Peavy Peavy Easton Rd. 2 6 7 8 12 11 3 LiveOak Ferg u s o n R d Lak e H g h an ds 4 9 5 Jupiter Ron Burch 214-394-7562 ron.burch@cbdfw.com Lili Ornelas 214-808-0242 lili.ornelas@cbdfw.com AREA HOME VALUES March MLS home sale statistics*, plus annual totals MLS AREA MAP #Z12 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 HOMES ON MARKET 10 14 13 15 74 50 34 15 64 21 SOLD MARCH 2016 12 8 12 12 38 23 22 20 28 21 SOLD MARCH 2015 7 11 6 14 47 26 13 14 17 13 YEAR TO DATE SALES 2016 25 23 25 32 75 44 35 37 70 40 YEAR TO DATE SALES 2015 22 30 14 39 95 57 25 33 49 29 AVG. DAYS ON MARKET 2016 39 30 54 39 48 55 67 44 72 57 AVG. DAYS ON MARKET 2015 55 39 39 52 43 44 47 52 70 42 MLS AREA MAP #Z12 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 AVG. SALES PRICE 2016 $431,896 $364,994 $303,604 $287,645 $567,270 $753,448 $453,877 $257,434 $333,913 $532,942 AVG. SALES PRICE 2015 $390,682 $338,565 $352,664 $250,187 $501,386 $734,801 $400,064 $233,738 $260,429 $498,676 AVG PRICE PER SQ. FT. 2016 $223.43 $220.40 $191.88 $153.71 $239.41 $258.33 $203.18 $142.00 $166.47 $204.88 AVG PRICE PER SQ. FT. 2015 $177.40 $191.76 $185.55 $144.54 $221.78 $239.67 $174.69 $129.51 $140.90 $194.68 *Statistics are com piled by Coldwell Banker, and are de rived from Dallas Mul ti ple List ing Service (MLS). Numbers are believed to be re li able, but are not guar an teed. The Ad vo cate and Coldwell Banker are not re spon si ble for the ac cu ra cy of the in for ma tion.
ON LAKEWOOD.ADVOCATEMAG.COM
FOLLOW US. Lakewood Advocate @Advocate_ed TALK TO US. Email editor Brittany bnunn@advocatemag.com
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community | events | food
Strongman
Bennett McKee beams when his dad, Chris, nods at him from across the table and says matterof-factly: “He’s a strong dude.”
Bennett holds up his left arm and flexes, grinning widely.
“Exactly,” Chris says with a chuckle.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 23
Bennett McKee. (Photo by Rasy Ran)
Nineteen-year-old Bennett has Down syndrome, but that doesn’t keep him from participating in martial arts classes with what the McKee family calls “typical kids” or from succeeding in the sport. He has worked his way up the ranks to receive a purple belt with a black stripe.
“I love karate,” Bennett says.
“This is one thing that he can do with the other kids. He learns with the other kids and he competes with the other kids.”
The McKees live in Lakewood and Bennett attends Notre Dame School in downtown Dallas, which has been serving students with special needs for more than 50 years. Bennett participates in several sports through Special Olympics, but his parents, Lori and Chris, like that martial arts is an individual sport that allows Bennett to move at his own pace, and it allows him to interact with typical kids, usually junior high students.
“This is the one thing that he can do with the other kids,” Chris explains. “He learns with the other kids and competes with the other kids.”
He does it three days a week, and although his parents appreciate the benefits, martial arts originally was Bennett’s
24 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
Launch COMMUNITY
Dallas Center REALTORS WeAreLakewood.com Lori VanMeter 214.837.9781 8530 Santa Clara Under Contract Tony Nuncio 5319 Willis Ave. • Dallas, TX 75206 • $685,000 4 Bedrooms • 4 Full Bathrooms • 2 Car Detached Garage Bonus Room Upstairs • 3,000 sqft Paul Carper 5918 Penrose $524,000 3/2.1 2,426 SF 3110 Ross Ave #3 COMING SOON 3/3.1 1,968 SF 10124 Northlake Drive $285,000 2/2 1,418 SF 214.563.8441 5227 Vanderbilt Ave $869,000 4/3 3,892 SF
idea. He discovered it during a friend’s birthday party and couldn’t get enough.
“When we left the party, he kept saying, ‘I want to sign up for karate’,” Lori says.
Chris and Lori found Chamberlain Studios in Lakewood, which welcomed Bennett. The progression of levels is key to his success in the program.
“You start out with really basic skills,” Chris says. “They were really patient with him, and he picked it up.”
Bennettisalmostfinishedwiththe high school portion at Notre Dame. Next year he’ll go into the vocational program, wherehe’llgraduatewiththeclassof 2020. Right now he works at the Luby’s on Mockingbird, and Lori believes martial arts has helped him with his customer service skills.
“With martial arts, there’s that respect,” Lori says. “When he gets there, he has to shake everyone’s hand, look them in the eye and greet them. I think that has helped him at work and in other parts of his life as well.”
The structure and rules are helpful as well, Chris points out. To get belts, studentshavetotaketests,knowcertain terms and do things around the house.
It keeps Bennett active, and it has helped him to become physically strong.
“They always talk about how strong he is,” Chris says. — Brittany Nunn
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 25
Bennett McKee‘s bedroom showcases his passion for and accomplishments in sports. (Photos by Rasy Ran)
PAST& PRESENT
Looking back at days gone
There are few things Lakewood revels in more than its history. Who doesn’t love a shot of vintage bathing beauties at White Rock Lake, or to see what the Lakewood Shopping Center looked like during the golden years at Doc Harrell’s pharmacy?
Preservation Dallas is celebrating the 43rd annual National Preservation Month with myriad opportunities to take a peek back in time and soak up some local history, in Lakewood and across Dallas.
Take a walking tour of Fair Park, a National Historic Landmark first established in 1886, led by the Dallas Center for Architecture. Or explore the park in a totally different way during the Fair
Park Art + Architecture Scavenger Hunt, when teams of kids and adults will follow a list of clues to take in all of the points of interest. For the serious fair fanatics, there is even a specific tour of
the Swine Barn, which was designed by Texas Centennial architect George Leighton Dahl for the World’s Fair honoring the 100th anniversary of Texas’ independence from Mexico.
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For those looking to learn in lecture form, panel discussions are planned throughout the months on topics ranging from the cultural heritage of Dallas to how economics influenced local architecture. A wide range
of organizations, such as Remembering Black Dallas, Dallas Mexican American Heritage League and Dallas Jewish Historical Society, will take part in the discussions.
—Emily Charrier
The Aldredge House, built in 1917, is pictured here at left as it stood in 1921. At far left, Frank Richards’ photo of the stately Swiss Avenue estate today. Both are featured in the “Then and Now” photo exhibition on display for free at St. Matthews Cathedral from May 5 to June 12. It features work by local photographers who captured some of Dallas’ most historic spots, some of which are juxtaposed with historic photos of the same spot.
GET A FULL SCHEDULE of the Preservation Month events at preservationdallas.org/events/presmonth.
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28 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 Launch COMMUNITY
Cindi Fitzgerald, Leif Linde and their expansive treehouse. (Photos by Rasy Ran)
Mid-city hideaway
The first thing you should know about Cindi Fitzgerald and Leif Linde is that they have a treehouse in their backyard that would make Swiss Family Robinson jealous.
The second thing you should know is that you can take a peek inside during the White Rock East Garden Tour — if you’re brave enough to make it past the rope bridge.
Linde built the treehouse for their daughters, who helped him design the layout, and it has been host to many sleepovers over the years.
The treehouse is one of many things Linde built at the couple’s home near White Rock Lake. He also designed the garden after they bought the home 10 years ago, although they kept some of the trees, which were planted along the edge of the property by the older man who sold them the house.
“He planted one tree every year he was here,” Fitzgerald says. “So that’s what we had to work with, was the bones of the trees. It was an overgrown mess. We had to cut some of them down since they’re all fighting for the same amount of sun and water. We’ve done everything ourselves.”
They kept some of the trees in the front yard that shield the house from the street. It gave their girls, who were little at the time, more space to play.
Linde made a driveway out of cinderblocks he cut in half and filled with soil to create something that would be structurally sound but also collect water and allow the trees around it to breathe.
Behind the house, wide windows open up the house to the expansive backyard. There are places to lounge — a fireplace on the porch, a hammock between the trees — but they left the very back part somewhat ungroomed.
“So the kids could kind of run wild,” Fitzgerald points out.
The White Rock East Garden Tour, which features nine gardens in Forest Hills, Little Forest Hills and Casa Linda Estates, is May 15 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 in advance, $15 day of. Learn more online at whiterockgardentour.org.
—Brittany
SEE MORE PHOTOS go to lakewood.advocatemag.com
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 29
Nunn
Launch COMMUNITY
We get it.
A house is an investment that should pay dividends every day. And no one works harder to match discerning buyers with distinctive homes than the Realtors at David Griffin & Company. If you're looking for a home that will make Monday mornings a lot easier to face, call 214.526.5626 , or visit davidgriffin.com.
“I want to come home to a house that reminds me why I go to work.”
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The road to good health begins with excellence
What gives?
Small ways that you can make a big difference for nonprofits
With the Wildcats
Members of the Exchange Club of East Dallas are all about the Woodrow Wildcats; in fact, many of its members attended the local institution themselves. So setting up a scholarship fund was a no-brainer when the club was looking for ways to support students in their next chapter of life. Since 2013, the club has presented $2,000 scholarships to a handful of standout Woodrow Wilson High School graduates. The scholarship is renewable every year for four years, as long as students maintain a full class load and a 2.5 GPA. Funds for those scholarships are raised during the Woodrow Alumni Fest, when Wildcats from all generations gather to feast on pizza and share stories from the good old days (don’t worry, the public is welcome too — it’s not just for Wildcats). The event includes a performance by the O’s and takes place Saturday, May 14, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Pour House, 1919 Skillman. Tickets are $20-$35 and available at exchangeclubofeastdallas.org.
Fighting the stigma of mental illness
One in five people in Texas is afflicted by a form of mental illness, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is here to help. The organization offers free therapy and support services to anyone in need, for both those suffering from mental illness, and their families who help them cope. NAMI hosts its fundraising walk to bring awareness and fight the stigma many face living under the cloud of mental illness. The 11th annual NAMIWalks Dallas is set for Saturday, May 14, at 8 a.m. at Fair Park featuring honorary chair, Miss International, Elise Banks who is herself a therapist. Supporters can form teams, get sponsors and spend the morning walking for a cause. For details, contact John Dornheim at 214.335.8334 or johnd@namidallas.org.
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.
30 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
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MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 31 Lost soul found Gypsy’s human, Kalee Blythe, wasn’t looking for a four-legged responsibility when Gypsy wandered into her life — that took an act of serendipity. “A momma dog and her eight puppies showed up at our front door,” Blythe recalls. “We found homes for all of the pups and momma dog, Gypsy, has become one of our most valued family members.” GOT A PET YOU WANT US TO FEATURE? Email your photo to launch@advocatemag.com PAWS & CLAWS Launch COMMUNITY 214-826-4166 RUTHERFORDVET.COM Hospitalization • Wellness care • Geriatric Care Boarding • Daycare • Emergency Care • Pet Taxi • Acupuncture SERVING NEIGHBORHOOD PETS SINCE 1924 Proud sponsor of Advocate’s monthly Paws & Claws design · build · remodel
32 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 Launch COMMUNITY
Left: Byron Nelson smashes one for spectators in the 1940s. Right: Nelson was a two-time Masters and PGA Championship winner, and he also invented the oversized golf umbrella.
Lakewood Real Estate BROSIUS BERG AND real estate team community.. www.JohnAndDebi.com Since 1995 we listen 214.475.3896
(Photos courtesy of the AT&T Byron Nelson)
To a tee
The Byron Nelson tournament started here
The glitzy Byron Nelson golf tournament draws professional and amateur golfers for payouts of more than $7 million, and it raises money for schools serving low-income students in Dallas.
The tournament now known as the AT&T Byron Nelson has been played in Irving since 1983, but it started in our neighborhood.
It evolved from a tournament called the Texas Victory Open played at the Lakewood Country Club in 1944. The purpose of that tournament was to raise money, via the sale of war bonds, for the U.S. military’s efforts in World War II. Waxahachieborn Byron Nelson won that 1944 tournament at 8 under par with a score of 276 and received $2,000.
Nelson, born in 1912, began competing in amateur tournaments in Dallas and Fort Worth as a teenager in the late 1920s. By the
’40s, he was a young pro set for stardom.
The Lakewood tournament preceded the peak of Nelson’s career. The following year, in 1945, he won an unprecedented 18 tournaments, and 11 of those wins were consecutive. Those records remain unmatched.
The tournament moved to Preston Hollow Country Club after the first year. In 1945 and 1946, the tournament champs were the Virginian Sam Snead and Stephenville native Ben Hogan, respectively. Those big three — Nelson, Snead and Hogan — were the same age, and they dominated pro golf for years.
Between 1958 and 1967, the tournament was renamed the Dallas Open Invitational, and was played eight times at Oak Cliff Country Club, now known as the Golf Club of Dallas. Sunset High School alumnus Don January had won the tournament in spectacular fashion in 1957, when it was played
at the Preston Hollow Country Club. He hit a 25-foot eagle from the sand trap on the last hole to win the tournament and a whopping $6,000.
The Salesmanship Club of Dallas took over the tournament in 1968 and renamed it after Byron Nelson, making it the first PGA tournament to be named after a person. The nonprofit Salesmanship Club also moved the tournament to Preston Trail Golf Club, where it was played until 1982.
Over the decades, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas — its members are the guys in the red pants who volunteer at the Byron Nelson — has raised millions of dollars through the annual tournament. All of the money goes to running the Momentous Institute, which provides top-notch education to low-income students in Dallas.
This year’s tournament is May 19-22.
—Rachel Stone
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 33
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OUT & ABOUT 1 1714
May 12
LUNAFEST
This unique film festival features only short films, all of which are produced by women. The six films to be featured that night cover a range of topics, from body image and women’s health to aging and cultural barriers. The event is hosted by and for the benefit of the Zonta Club of Dallas, which is the oldest women’s organization in the city, which focuses on improving the lives of women politically, educationally and economically.
Angelika Theater, 5321 E. Mockingbird, lunafest.org, $40
May 14
ALUMNI FESTIVAL
The O’s take the stage at The Pour House for this second annual event, put on by Woodrow Wilson alumni. Enjoy pizza and beer while you listen to the tunes. Proceeds provide college scholarships for Woodrow students. The Pour House, 1919 Skillman, pourhousedallas. com, 214.824.1170, $30 in advance or $35 at the door
May 1
BUGS AND BREWS
Granada Theater opens up its back lot for this event, which features a crawfish boil and live music by the likes of Oil Boom, Roxy Roca and Rebirth Brass Band. Arrive at noon and stay until 7:30 p.m. Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville, bugsandbrews.com, 214.824.9933, $15-$39
May 1
HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS HOME TOUR
This tour of historic homes in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood has something for everyone, including a 1929 Tudor and a 1912 prairie-style abode. Arrive at noon and peruse the houses until 5 p.m. There’s also the related Hollywood Art in Lindsley Park event at noon, featuring goods by local craftspeople and live music. Various locations, hsmna.wildapricot.org, 214.712.0222, $15
May 7-8
SWISS AVENUE MOTHER’S DAY HOME TOUR
Treat your mom to a tour of six East Dallas residences built in the early 20th century. Horse-drawn carriage rides are included in the ticket price. There’ll also be tours of Munger Place Church, an art fair, a vintage auto show, live music and food and drinks. The event takes place May 7 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and May 8 from noon-6 p.m. Sunday brunch is an additional $25 for adults and includes an omelet station and yogurt bar. Various locations, sahd.org,$20-$25
34 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 25
7-8
MAY 4
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May 17
SONS OF HERMANN HALL
Sons of Hermann Hall opened in 1911, so the walls have seen a lot. A couple of our neighbors — including John Slate, an archivist for the City of Dallas — will discuss the history of the hall and share some of their favorite memories at 6 p.m. Stick around for open mic night. Sons Of Hermann Hall, 3414 Elm, sonsofhermann.com, 214.747.4422, free
May 17
‘CURSE OF THE FLAMINGO’
This reading of a play by our neighbor Nancy Munger investigates how we make peace with the past and move forward with our lives. It was a finalist in Echo Theatre’s New Play Contest. See why at 7:30 p.m. and stay for a post-show discussion.
Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, echotheatre.org, 214.670.8749, free
May 25
NATURE NIGHT
It’s Wednesday, which means the Dallas Arboretum is open late. Visitors are invited to explore the garden and get tutorials from Booker T. Washington art students until 8 p.m.
Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland, dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6615, $15 for adults
May 20-June 18
‘MOON OVER BUFFALO’
George and Charlotte Hay, a married couple, are the protagonists of this comedic play, set in the 1950s. Both are wannabe actors, hoping to impress director Frank Capra.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre, 5400 E. Mockingbird, pocketsandwich.com, 214.821.1860, $10-$40 (depending on seat)
Through May 22
‘THE BFG’
Dallas Children’s Theater brings Roald Dahl’s novel “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) to life this month. Though he looks scary, this giant has a heart of gold and hopes to give his kind a better rap. Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, dct.org, 214.740.0051, $22-26
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 35 Launch EVENTS
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WAYWARD SONS
3525 Greenville 214.828.2888
waywarddallas.com
ATMOSPHERE: DRESSY CASUAL
PRICE RANGE: $7-$54
HOURS: SUN-WED 11 A.M.-10 P.M.
THURS-SAT 11 A.M.-12 A.M.
DID YOU KNOW? WAYWARD SONS GROWS SOME OF ITS OWN INGREDIENTS IN BIG PLANTERS ON THE BACK PATIO.
It’s hard to imagine Texas Red Chili that doesn’t contain a lick of meat would be a hit anywhere in Texas, but apparently Dallasites were primed for chef Graham Dodds’ experimentation — although he’s admittedly a little surprised himself at its success. The appetizer, which is made from beets and served with cashew crema (instead of sour cream) and quinoa crackers, started as temporary special when Wayward Sons opened on Greenville Avenue in December, but it has since become a staple at the restaurant and one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. “I’ve been talking about taking it off the menu because it’s getting warmer, but I’m getting pushback about taking it off,” he says. Go figure. That fits perfectly with Dodds’ overall focus for Wayward Sons. The popular Dallas chef made a name for himself with his “farm to table” mentality at Bolsa then Hibiscus, and he aims to make Wayward Sons the next level of that food trend. “I wanted to be more vegetable focused here,” Dodds explains. “There has been a shift in the way people are eating. They’re eating lighter and healthier, more vegetable-centered. That has been the national trend, and I think Dallas is catching onto that. I want it to be friendly for vegetarians, vegans and people who are gluten free.”
—Brittany Nunn
Launch FOOD
Smoked lamb brisket served over sweet onion purée with a parsnip slaw. (Photo by Rasy Ran)
Delicious
MORE PHOTOS
SEE
Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com
LW 5-16
If the date is updated on the page it means something has been changed for the new month
Kalachandji’s
Dallas’ oldest vegetarian restaurant offers a freshly made lunch and dinner buffet in a tranquil temple setting, included a patio shaded by a tree. The rich Indian spices can be smelled down the block and the filling curries means you won’t miss the meat dishes.
5430 Gurley
214.821.1048
kalachandjis.com
Roots Juice
While you can’t get a full meal, these cold press juices are basically a liquid salad, right? A wide range of fruit and veggie blends are pressed from farm-fresh ingredients on site. If you hate veggies, this is a tasty way to get your vitamins.
1906 Abrams Parkway 469.930.8855 rootspressedjuices.com
HG Sply Co.
There are plenty of meaty favorites on the menu, but all of the restaurant’s signature bowls are all offered with a quinoa patty option. As a bonus, they also offer a wide range of fresh pressed vegetable juices, some of which come in cocktail form.
2008 Greenville 469.334.0896
hgsplyco.com
BREAKFAST/LUNCH
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.
One90 Smoked Meats
Offering bbq combo plates, sandwiches, tacos, sides, desserts & a wide variety of locally smoked meats, including Brisket, Bison, Turkey, Chicken, Pork, Salmon, Duck, Lamb & Tenderloins.
Hours: Mon. Closed , Tues.-Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 11am-5pm
BBQ
Lakewood Smokehouse
$5 OFF a Purchase of $25 or more.
Dine in only. Not valid w/ any other offer.
Exp. 9/30/16 Happy Hour M-F 2-6pm 1/2 off all starters & pizzas
$4 Premium well liquor drinks
$2 off all drafts · 1/2 off wine by the glass
Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11am-9:30pm
Fri.-Sat. 11am-10:30pm
1901
•
•
•
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50% off glasses of house wine & $3-off pizza 12”or larger
ITALIAN 7260 Gaston Ave AndreasItalian.com
214.321.8800
Andrea’s Italian Restaurant
A True Taste of Italy
NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH Tues-Friday
Specials Mon: Pasta Dishes $11.95
Tues: Buy one entree get next free Wednesday BYOB Wine
Hours: Sun - Thurs 5-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 5-10pm
door. Purchase at ExchangeClubofEastDallas.org
Pizza, beer, and the O’s perform! Benefitting the Exchange Club of East Dallas and area schools.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 37 Launch FOOD | MORE VEGGIE SPOTS |
dining SPOTLIGHT SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION to advertise call 214.560.4203 BREAKFAST/LUNCH BREAKFAST/LUNCH SMOKED MEATS LATIN 10240 E. Northwest Hwy. one90smokedmeats.com 214.346.3287
Alfonso’s 718 N. Buckner #222 214.327.7777 AlfonsosItalianRestaurant.com “Like” us on facebook Alfonso’s Italian Restaurant
Celebrating 33 Years of Service!
Newly Remodeled Dining Room
Rustic Italian Cuisine
16-Seat Full Bar / New Wine List!
Alumni Fest 2nd Annual Saturday May 14th, 2016 Get Your Tickets! *OPEN TO THE PUBLIC* 1919 Skillman St. Dallas, TX 75206 214.515.9009
Mondays:
House
Woodrow Alumni Fest May 14th, 12PM-5PM
$30 in advance, $35 at
The Pour
2nd
Tickets
AMERICAN ITALIAN 1152 N. Bucker Blvd. Suite H100 AnotherBrokenEgg.com
214.954.7182
Mon-Sun 7:00 -2:00 pm Abrams Rd. lakewoodsmokehouse.com
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Forgotten recipe: York Street Salad
Some of Dallas’ favorite restaurant recipes can no longer be tasted — their doors have closed and their menus are all but forgotten. Take York Street, a staple of Old East Dallas until 2010 when owner Sharon Hage shuttered the shop for personal reasons after buying it in 2001 (it originally was opened by Mike Shaw in the mid-1980s). The closure was a blow to the local foodie scene; Hage was nominated for five consecutive James Beard Foundation awards for Best Chef Southwest during her time at York Street, when the restaurant was also named by Gourmet magazine as one of the 50 best in the country. So take a bite back in time and try the famed York Street salad, which was so popular that when the restaurant tried to pull it off the menu, people demanded they bring it back.
1-1/2 cups soy oil
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Dijon vinaigrette 4 egg yolks
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2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Dash garlic powder
Dash onion powder
Dash salt & pepper
In a mixing bowl, separate the egg yolks and add the two mustards. Slowly whisk the soy oil into the egg/mustard mixture until the consistency is creamy (about a minute). Then whisk in half the vinegar, adding the rest according to your taste preference. (Some prefer a tangy vinaigrette, others like it milder.) Then whisk in the other spice, again to taste.
Salad
4 to 5 bunches Frisee (or curly endive)
3 tomatoes, chopped
6 to 8 mushrooms, fresh and thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
12 slices of apple smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
Red onion sliced in rings
Toss the first five ingredients gently, coating evenly with the vinaigrette. Garnish the top with overlapping onion rings.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 39
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York Street frisee salad. (Photo by John Bonelli)
DARK PAST BRIGHT FUTURE
Recognizing 2016 graduates who shined in the face of adversity
STORY BY BRITTANY NUNN | PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO
Coming back from a catastrophic injury, helping a parent bounce back from violent tragedy, overcoming socioeconomic limitations — teenagers here and everywhere deal with hardships, but few do so while keeping up with their academics and emerge as leaders.
Jennifer Macias
It was a warm summer night when Jennifer Macias died.
The senior at Woodrow Wilson High School and captain of the Sweethearts Drill Team, climbed into the passenger’s seat of
her cousin’s car after a soccer game. It was after 10 o’clock but they had nowhere to be, so they decided to joyride until Macias’ curfew at midnight.
“We were just driving around, and for some reason we were speeding,” Macias
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says, although she doesn’t actually remember speeding. That’s just what she has since been told.
“We were going 100 miles per hour, and apparently — I don’t remember — I was recording it on my snapchat. That was the last video I posted.”
While making a turn, Macias’ cousin lost control of the car and slammed into a pillar, striking Macias’ side of the vehicle.
It was 45 minutes before emergency officials could pry Macias, unconscious and bleeding extensively from the pelvis, out of the vehicle. It was almost too late. She died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, but paramedics were able to revive her.
The next thing Macias remembers is being in the hospital weeks later. Although she’d been conscious, a brain injury caused memory loss and other complications.
“I don’t really remember the hospital days, especially those first few weeks,” she explains. “I had no memory of what hap-
pened. I didn’t know what had happened to me, or how bad it was, until after I got out of the hospital.”
Her body was crushed from head to toe. She had arch bars on her teeth to prevent them from falling out, metal plates in her
staple on the Sweethearts squad and in the Woodrow dance program.
pelvis and hip socket and multiple metal rods and screws in her legs.
In an instant, life as she knew it was halted. For weeks she couldn’t talk and every movement was an excruciating e ort. She certainly wouldn’t be dancing anytime soon.
After joining as a freshman and making it to captain her senior year, Macias was a
“The moment I saw her throw her first kick her freshman year, I knew she’d be captain her senior year,” says Lisa King, Woodrow dance teacher, who heads the Sweethearts team.
“Her form, her flexibility, and she has a very special presence while dancing. It doesn’t matter who’s dancing, your eye is always drawn to Jenn.”
She was fluent in all forms of dance from classical to jazz to cultural. Dance was all Macias wanted to do. Although her future
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 43
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“WE WERE GOING 100 MILES PER HOUR, AND APPARENTLY — I DON’T REMEMBER — I WAS RECORDING IT ON MY SNAPCHAT. THAT WAS THE LAST VIDEO I POSTED.”
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as a dancer suddenly looked shaky, her friends and teammates refused to give up on her.
The day after the accident, King called the drill team’s second in command, Sophia Landers.
“The first thing [Landers] said to me was, ‘I don’t want to be captain. Jenn is our captain,’” King recalls.
“That told me in an instant how much [Macias’] team admired her. The admiration her team had for her made me realize that, no matter what happened, the girls would not have it any other way: She would always be our captain, whether she pulled through or not.”
Macias hadn’t recovered by the time football season arrived, so her spot at the 50-yard line remained empty.
At every game, the announcers introduced the officers, and when they announced Macias, they dedicated the halftime performance to their “fearless captain,” and always ended with, “We kick for you, Jenn.”
Watching recordings of the halftime shows was bittersweet for Macias.
“That was really nice of them, but it was sad and it was hard,” she explains, “because I was in a hospital bed. I couldn’t be with them on Friday nights, on my last year.”
It wasn’t until Macias was released from the hospital, bound to a wheelchair for long distances and a walker for short distances, that the emotions really hit her hard.
“I missed being home, but it hit me how much had changed,” she says. “It was weird. It felt so good being home. It felt like everything was normal, but it wasn’t. I would stay up late most nights. I would go on YouTube and watch old videos of me dancing. It made me more sad, but it felt good seeing it and crying.”
King made it clear Macias was still a part of the Woodrow dance program and put Macias to work helping a group of students with their choreography for “The Nutcracker.”
“It felt nice to be back, yet at the same time it was painful seeing them,” she explains.
Macias was slowly but steadily recovering, but she still felt like she had to cut out dance and completely rethink her future.
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“Before [dance] I wanted to go into education,” she points out. “I like teaching, so I thought, ‘OK, maybe I can go into education.’”
When Macias went to King for advice, she was encouraged not to give up on dance.
King had also been in a near-fatal accident just a few weeks after she graduated
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high school. Like Macias, she was shaken both physically and emotionally, but she eventually pushed through and continued to dance.
She insisted Macias could do the same, although at first Macias wasn’t so sure.
“I told her, ‘I don’t know if I can do it. Just because you could do it doesn’t mean I’m strong. I’m not strong like you,’” Macias remembers. “It was kind of impossible for me to see myself dancing again after everything that happened.”
But King’s words resonated. Macias applied to the dance program at Texas Women’s University and in March found out she was accepted as a dance major.
“She has always inspired others,” King says. “She’s special, and now she has fought her way back from this tragedy.”
Determined not to let the accident prohibit her, Macias is moving forward and working toward becoming a dance teacher.
“People tell me all the time, ‘Don’t let [the accident] define you.’ I just listen to that,” she says. “Life keeps going, you know? I’m not always going to be stuck in a wheelchair, so I have to think about my future.”
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 45
“I TOLD HER, ‘I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN DO IT. JUST BECAUSE YOU COULD DO IT DOESN’T MEAN I’M STRONG. I’M NOT STRONG LIKE YOU. I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN DO IT,’”
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Kadrian Oliver
Nothing is going to stop Woodrow Wilson High School senior Kadrian Oliver from going to college — not poverty, not academic setbacks and not a terrifying run-in with a gunman who assaulted her mother.
Kadrian’s mom, Alyce, recognized Kadrian’s potential from a young age. Kadrian started reading as a toddler and even then had a thirst for knowledge. Alyce tried to expose her to as much of it as possible because she wanted her to go to college to build a better life, but getting there hasn’t always been easy.
Alyce and Kadrian are very di erent. Alyce was a troublemaker when was in high school.
“I always wanted better, but I didn’t think it was really possible,” she says. “Life just happened around me — a lot of unloveliness. My career in high school was about being the baddest, looking good and making sure no one was going to mess me over. I excelled in science and math, but I didn’t do it.”
That was exactly what she didn’t want for Kadrian.
“I knew that something was possible, so I just packed in what I had in me, and I hid it in my child,” Alyce explains. “Kadrian got no toys. She got books. We’re talking the classics, the Bible, history.”
When Kadrian was growing up, their small family — Alyce, Kadrian and her brother, Khahari — bounced around the Dallas area and from school to school, usually due to financial hardships. At times Kadrian and Khahari went to good schools, and other times their schools were less than stellar, but
“Anatomy and physiology,” Kadrian adds. “Literature. Everything in sight,” Alyce says. “I thought, ‘Hey, I can expose to her what I want her to see.’ I bought her the book, ‘Africana Woman,’ and that’s how I taught her black history.”
Kadrian was determined not to let that stop her from learning. She continued to read and research.
In some ways Kadrian was a typical child. In seventh grade she was in karate, book club and she read a lot of Manga. In other ways
46 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
“VISUALLY, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING BUT THE GUN. I REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE MAN LOOKED LIKE. I KNEW HE HAD IT, BUT I DON’T REMEMBER SEEING THE GUN EVER.”
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she had a curiosity that went far beyond that of a typical 12 year old.
“I remember we had Japanese vocabulary tests in karate, and in my Manga books I would see author’s notes written in full Japanese and I wanted to know what it said,” she explains.
And just like that, she found a website with Japanese phonics and began to teach herself Japanese, which she did for several years.
At the same time she was learning about the power of belief and positive thinking.
“I was on this belief kick and what I wanted was mine, so I started going after it,” she says.
When Kadrian learned about the international educational foundation International Baccalaureate (IB), she immediately knew it was the ticket to a good college and she began searching for a school in Dallas that o ered it.
The middle school she attended at the time wasn’t challenging enough. Knowing she wanted to be in an IB school, she pushed herself academically so she’d be pre-
cheer practice. At the time they were living in South Dallas and were on their way to catch the bus. They stopped to enjoy the sight of the moon above them when they heard a voice across the street. Kadrian’s brother said good morning to the stranger.
Through the darkness, the stranger rushed toward them. They saw he was holding a gun.
First he demanded money. As Alyce searched for her wallet, the man threated Kadrian and her brother, pointing the gun at both of them, even grabbing Khahari by the hair. Khahari screamed, but Kadrian remained calm.
“I kept telling him, ‘Khahari, just calm down. Calm down. Everything is going to be OK.’ Visually I remember everything but the gun,” Kadrian says. “I remember exactly what the man looked like. I knew he had it, but I don’t remember seeing the gun ever.”
Alyce adds, “And yet when he pointed it at her, she leaned right into it. She made him so uncomfortable he couldn’t keep the gun on her.”
pared for a more rigorous workload.
That work paid o when she was accepted into Woodrow’s IB program to which she commuted from her home in South Dallas.
The school’s principal Kyle Richardson immediately saw her potential, and told her that if she worked hard enough, she’d be headed for a good college.
“He was the first person to tell Kadrian that she could graduate from Woodrow and go to one of the top 50 colleges,” Alyce recalls, tearing up at the memory.
Everything seemed to be falling into place. Kadrian remembers her first year at Woodrow as a celebratory one. She wanted to try everything — and she did. She made both the cheer team and the debate team. Although people warned her the IB program would be “too hard,” she wasn’t deterred. She excelled.
Then two years ago, the Oliver family’s perseverance was tested.
It was late August in 2014. The family was up before the sun because Kadrian had
Alyce asked the man to let Kadrian and Khahari go back to the house, which he did. He made Alyce stay with him, but Kadrian and her brother walked home, dazed, and sat on the porch to wait for their mom.
The man raped Alyce at gunpoint in an alley and then released her. She ran home to her kids and they called the police. DNA analysis led to the eventual capture of Van Dralan Dixson, a serial rapist who terrorized South Dallas for more than two decades.
In April 2015 Dixson pled guilty to four counts of aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated robbery, although police believe he was responsible for at least nine attacks.
The family was shaken, but Kadrian remained positive and helped her family do the same.
“Kadrian was in the spotlight about reminding us how to feel when things happened,” Alyce points out.
“Bad things happen and good things happen all the time,” Kadrian explains. “We try
48 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
“I WAS ON THIS BELIEF KICK AND WHAT I WANTED WAS MINE, SO I STARTED GOING AFTER IT.”
to look at things in the most positive way possible because we’ve experienced and learned that the way we look at things actually changes what they are and how they come to a ect us.”
But they all still had to make the time and e ort to deal with the emotional aftermath. Kadrian pulled away from debate.
“I didn’t want to get back into debate after that incident,” Kadrian explains. “With debate you become super critical and I didn’t want to feel any more anger or hate than I needed toward him.”
And cheer became a struggle as well. She wanted to do the best she could, but her family no longer left the house before daylight, which meant that she was often late to practice, so she dropped out.
“Sophomore year I kind of shut my classmates out,” she says. “It was just trying to feel good and focus on what was in me, to keep building on myself.”
“To keep going,” Alyce adds.
The IB program grew more di cult her junior year. Math and French came easily for her, but she struggled in chemistry, English and history. She questioned whether or not she should continue in IB.
“I was afraid to ask for help because I had been o the scene for a while,” Kadrian says. “… I thought I was incompetent and so I reacted by not doing anything.”
“She kept it from me,” Alyce points out. “I kept asking her how things were going and she told me, ‘Everything is great,’ every day.”
“Looking back, I don’t know what was so di cult,” Kadrian says, “but it was so dicult. I just couldn’t finish anything.”
She kept her head down and dedicated herself to her schoolwork. She found she was more motivated working in groups, so she returned to debate and joined the robotics team. Although she didn’t know any coding, robotics fascinated her.
“That felt good for me,” she says. “That was a part of me getting back into the groove of doing school. I made a lot of friends on that team.”
With the help of her teachers, she kept her grades up and pursued her dream of going to college by applying for University of Texas at Dallas and Temple University in Japan. It taught her three important lessons she can take with her to college:
“Take accountability, don’t be ashamed, be proud, and ask for help,” she says.
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Shakshi Davis
The first time Woodrow Wilson High School’s basketball coach, Patrick Washington, laid eyes on Woodrow senior Shakshi Davis, he was a tall, lanky eighth-grader shooting hoops by himself on a neighborhood court.
“I was leaving school one day and something told me that instead of going my normal way, I went the opposite way to get to the highway,” Washington says.
“I drove by the park across the street where the hardtop is, and I saw this kid about 5’11” out there with an old tattered basketball. It was one of those rubber basketballs with little spots missing on it where the rubber had been torn. He was out there shooting.”
Washington stopped to watch him. After Davis knocked down a couple of baskets, Washington got out his car to introduce himself and ask him where he went to school. He learned Davis went to J.L. Long Middle School and, although he loved basketball, he had never played on a team. No one had ever asked him to play on a team and he didn’t have money for shoes or equipment, he said.
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“I said, ‘OK, I tell you what, I like your shot. I don’t know that you’ll ever be able to be a superstar basketball player, but you have a good shot,’” Washington recalls.
Washington told Davis he had some old basketballs in the back of his car and offered him one. Washington then looked down at Davis’ feet and noticed his shoes were held together with duct tape.
“Immediately it just gripped my heart, and I felt compelled to do something,” Washington says. “Whether he ever decided to play basketball for me or not, I don’t want to see any kid like that.”
Davis happened to wear the same size shoe as Washington, so the coach gave him a pair.
“I told him, ‘Just use these and if you ever make it to Woodrow Wilson, you’re going to play basketball for me. You just keep shooting your jumpers,’” Washington says.
getting his players into college, usually on basketball scholarships. In the 17 years he has been a coach at Woodrow, only a handful of his players skipped college.
What Washington didn’t realize at the time was the real reason why Davis hadn’t ever tried out for a basketball team: Davis was afraid of getting to know people — or rather, of people getting to know him.
Davis is Hindu. His family is a part of the Hare Krishna community in East Dallas and is heavily involved at Kalachandji’s, the Hare Krishna temple that moonlights as a vegetarian Indian buffet. He was afraid the other students would spurn him if they found out.
“My family is weird because I have an Indian religion, I live in America, but my dad’s side of the family is African, so my middle name is African,” he says. “Because of my religion I’m vegetarian, so that’s kind of weird.”
He went to TKG Academy in elementary school where he was surrounded by other Hindu kids and families. Public school was a culture shock and some of the other kids bullied him in junior high because of a small ponytail he wore as a part of Hinduism.
He responded by isolating himself.
“At first I really didn’t relate to anyone once I got to public school,” he says. “I was a loner. That’s why I liked to shoot a lot.”
He spent hours shooting baskets at the neighborhood court.
“My form wasn’t good or anything, but I would just stay there all day and make shot after shot,” he said. “I’d make at least 1,000 shots per day.”
When Washington approached him, Davis recognized the opportunity. So as soon as he started at Woodrow, Davis joined the basketball team. He still was quiet and reserved. He didn’t bond in the locker room the way many of the other players did. He didn’t eat in the cafeteria, but instead brought a vegetarian lunch to school every day.
“When I first met him, it was like an act of Congress to get him to talk,” Washington points out.
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What Davis didn’t realize at the time was how much his run-in with Washington would change his life.
Washington has earned a reputation for
Not only was he serious about basketball, Davis also was bserious about academics. When the coach started talking with him and his family about college, Davis relished the possibility of playing college basketball
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and he continued to devote himself to practicing for hours every day.
He slowly began to warm up to other students at Woodrow, especially his teammates. He noticed the other students were very open with each other, and by the time he reached varsity, he decided he should open up as well.
“I decided it’s worth it. I’ve been here for long enough. People should just know,” Davis explains.
He braced himself for hostility, but to his surprise the other students were intrigued. They were eager to know more and asked him questions about his family and faith. His religion did give him a reputation, but not in the way he expected.
“I thought being di erent was a bad thing, but once I started to open up to people I realized it was a good thing,” he says. “I started getting to know more people and people started talking to me more. People knew me because I’m di erent. It has actually benefited me a lot more than I realized it would.”
Of course, as Washington points out, Davis is hard not to like.
“Because of his demeanor and how he handles himself,” Washington says. “It’s really tough to play for me, but if I get onto him about something that he’s not doing he never ever talks back. He just says, ‘I gotcha. I gotcha,’ and he goes immediately and tries to correct it. He’s a joy to coach. He really is.”
This year Davis’ hard work has paid o . He’s a starter for the Woodrow basketball team after carving out a name for himself by shooting at 42 percent from the threepoint line.
But he isn’t stopping there. An attitude like his will take him places, Washington believes — like college. Washington has been talking with colleges about Davis and he says there are at least a couple of small schools interested in having him on their basketball team.
Davis says he’ll be happy wherever Washington finds a place for him. He plans to take Washington’s advice to go where he’s wanted. After all, that worked for him at Woodrow.
“Just knowing somebody actually wants you,” he says. “That was it.”
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Founded in 1966, Highlander offers an enriched curriculum in a positive, Christian-based environment. By limiting class size, teachers are able to build a strong educational foundation to ensure confidence in academics, athletics, and the creative and performing arts. Highlander offers a “classic” education which cannot be equaled. Monthly tours offered; call for a reservation.
LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep.org
Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.
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Four East Dallas Locations / 214.826.4410 / DallasSpanishHouse.com Spanish Immersion Program in East Dallas! Nursery, Preschool, Elementary and Adult Programs available. Our new K-5 Dual-Language Elementary School will be opening in August 2016 at 7159 E. Grand Avenue. Please visit our website (DallasSpanishHouse.com) or call 214.826.4410 for a tour.
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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.
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WHITE ROCK NORTH SCHOOL
9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410 / WhiteRockNorthSchool.com 6 Weeks through 6th Grade. Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-of-the-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus.
ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL
6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.
52 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
education GUIDE
MORE THAN A MAGAZINE advocatemag.com/newmedia
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 53 to advertise call 214.560.4203 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION to advertise call 214.560.4203 of our readers say they want to know more about private schools. 69% Highlander School 9120 Plano Road, Dallas, TX 75238 214-348-3220 www.highlanderschool.com Since 1966 The Tradition Continues… • Classic education • Dedicated to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development of children • 3 years through 6th grade • Half-day and full-day Kindergarten options SCHOOL TOUR April 13 214.826.4410 DallasSpanishHouse.com Spanish House Elementary School 7159 E. Grand Ave. A Dual-Language K - 5 Elementary School Opening in August 2016. Call now for enrollment information! Nursery, Preschool & Adult programs are also offered at our at our 3 other East Dallas locations. Spanish Immersion School JUNE 8 –JULY 17 StJohnsSchool.org/Summer PRE-K – 8 th 6121 E. Lovers Ln. (@ Skillman) Dallas, TX 75214 214-363-1630/ ziondallas.org Zion Lutheran School provides a quality Christ-centered education. “ erefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the NEW has come!” II Corinthians 5:17 Camp Zion June 1 – July 31 Lakehill Summer Camps Kindergarten through High School June 6 - August 5 Online Summer Camps Guide: www.lakehillprep.org/summer_camps.html Academic Readiness * Acting & Film Making * Arts Community Service * Cooking * Crafting & Building * LEGO Minecraft * Outdoor Adventure * Science & Discovery Sports * Technology * and more! Morning, afternoon, and full-day teacher-led camps are available, as well as free before- and after-care. 2720 Hillside Drive • Dallas, Texas 75214 Phone: (214) 826-2931 Advocate March 2016.pdf 1 2/9/16 12:00 PM Morning (9 am-noon) or afternoon (1-4 pm) sessions. June 13-17, June 20-24, July 18-22, July 25-29 and extended playing classes. 972-883-4899 utdallas.edu/chess james.stallings@utdallas.edu THE UT DALLAS CHESS TEAM HAS BEEN 1ST IN 10 PAN-AM INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS! Ages 7 to 14 on the UT Dallas campus. For Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced Build analytical skills, self-esteem and character... Just don’t tell the kids, they just think... CHESS IS FUN! Congratulations! •6th Grade - Infants •Accelerated Academics •Foreign Language •Outdoor Learning Center •Fine Arts •Extensive P.E. Program Reagan West & Haley Taylor (214) 348-7410 WhiteRockNorthSchool.com School: White Rock North School Congratulates and all of our Graduating Alumni! 2016 Camp Starts June 6, 2016! Camp Ages: 1st-7th Grade
GRANDMA to decide how your kid is educated
THAT’S THE LIKELY SCENARIO FOR THE MAY 7 SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION
The typical voter in the 2015 Dallas ISD bond election was a woman in her late 60s.
People in their 60s and 70s, in fact, had the strongest showing at the polls. That means senior citizens, rather than parents with school-age children, were the ones whose ballots determined whether to give the district money to build and update schools.
If this is any indication of who will vote in the upcoming May 7 trustee election, then expect grandma to wield a lot of political power.
This May’s election is guaranteed to usher at least three new trustees, perhaps four, into a nine-member board that is notorious for 5-4 votes. Normally only three trustee seats open
each spring, but Lakewood resident Mike Morath’s recent appointment as Texas Education Agency commissioner before his term ended left a fourth spot open. Dallas ISD doesn’t have term limits so its races usually are stacked with incumbents, but among the four races, only Lew Blackburn in southern Dallas’ District 5 is seeking re-election.
Contested races — especially viable contests — also are a rarity in Dallas ISD. District 2, which forms a doughnut around the Park Cities and includes the M Streets, Lakewood and much of Old East Dallas, hasn’t seen a contested race since Preston Hollow businessman Jack Lowe first ran in 2002. Morath, this neighborhood’s representative for the past five years, never had a challenger, even in his initial race when he
54 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
Story by Keri Mitchell | Photo by Rasy Ran | Portraits by Danny Fulgencio
it to
Leave
was an unknown quantity.
The fact that four candidates are vying to replace Morath should cause a voter uptick — the question is, how much of one? Dallas school board elections have the poorest voter turnout of any local election. Last year’s trustee elections turned out a paltry 7 percent of voters. In 2011, Dallas ISD canceled the board elections because no one filed to run against the incumbents.
Of those who did vote in the bond election, women ages 58-67 was the strongest voting bracket, followed closely by women ages 68-77. Those two age brackets, male and female, comprised more than 50 percent of total voters in the election, and roughly two-thirds of all voters were 58 or older.
“That’s alarming on a lot of levels, and not just in public education. It shows the young voters are disenfranchised,” says Paula Blackmon, the district’s senior executive director over intergovernmental affairs and community relations. Her background is campaign work, including Mike Rawlings’ first campaign for Dallas mayor.
Granted, Blackmon says, “a school bond election is not sexy,” but she isn’t sure whether it was the bond in particular or voting in general that didn’t ap-
peal to younger voters, including those with children in schools.
Parents of school-age children seem more engaged in the May 7 District 2 board election, at least anecdotally. It’s their demographic that has been hosting the meet-and-greets, sticking signs in front yards, and working on the campaigns of the four candidates, who range in age from 38 to 48.
But the candidates’ age bracket produced only 6.2 percent of the votes in the 2015 bond election. Unless parents make an effort to change this trend, it will be grandparents who continue to call the shots on our children’s education.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 55
“It shows the young voters are disenfranchised.”
REVIEW OUR CHEAT SHEET OF THE DISTRICT 2 candidates, watch video interviews that put them on the spot and find ongoing election coverage at lakewood.advocatemag.com/vote2016.
MITA HAVLICK
CARLOS MARROQUIN
SUZANNE SMITH
MEMORIAL DAY MAY 30, 2016
HIGHLANDS TOWN CENTER
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Through the fire
Finding work after prison is tricky, but one East Dallas man has made it profitable
Story by Brittany Nunn
The house located on the edge of East Dallas is in shambles. It has been badly burned, battered by the elements and God knows what else.
Although it doesn’t look like much now, it’s on its way to being restored — very much like the lives of the men doing the construction.
There’s a sign posted on the front of the house that reads “#redeemdallas.” If you search the hashtag on Facebook, you’ll discover the story of 2S Industries. It’s a story worth telling.
2S Industries was created by White Rock Lake-area resident Todd Fields, who also isDa the founder of the nonprofit Second Saturday, which takes groups of volunteers into impoverished neighborhoods in Dallas on the second Saturday of every month to do home construction, landscaping and other work for families in need.
2S Industries is a for-profit company created from relationships formed at Second Saturday. While working in West Dallas, Fields met dozens of men who often have trouble finding “honest work” because they have jail or prison time on their records.
Fields decided to change that.
He created a landscaping business, which has since ballooned into a landscaping, construction and house-flipping business, and the first house is in the process of being flipped right here in East Dallas. They’re in the process of taking it down to the studs and rebuilding it from the ground up, and Fields hopes to flip more houses in the future.
“When you’re starting a business, you wouldn’t think of taking five guys who are ex-cons with an average of a ninth-grade education as the people you want to start a business with, but that is our heart,” Fields says. “We want to push to the furthest margins, and truly these guys are the most marginalized guys in Dallas.”
One of the men is Ahommed Jones, who has become a life-long friend to Fields and his family. They met seven years ago, and the beauty of their friendship is that Jones is the street cred to Fields’ real estate experience.
Fields once operated a successful real estate business, until he lost everything in the housing collapse of 2008. Then in 2009 he met
56 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
Todd Fields and Ahommed Jones. (Photo by Rasy Ran)
Jones, a man who was born and raised in West Dallas in the infamous Fishtrap Projects, which was the epicenter of the Dallas crack epidemic in the mid- to late-1980s.
“There was prostitution, robbing and selling drugs; those were the three trades of the Fishtrap Projects,” Fields explains.
“It was bad. They’ve since torn them down, but these guys came from one of the top two worst spots in Dallas to come from, to the point where you’re looking at mortality rates among males being 42 years old.”
In 2009 Jones was desperate; he didn’t want to go back to prison. Fields tried to find him work, securing some odd jobs here and there, but it wasn’t enough for Jones to support himself or his family. Fields realized that if he wanted to really help Jones, and others like him, he was going to have to create a place for them to work.
Jones introduced Fields to several other guys who grew up in the Fishtrap Projects and who, like him, had no viable work options. Fields invested the last $50,000 he had in construction equipment, and together they created 2S Industries and did the unthinkable: they made money. Since it started, 2S Industries has paid more than $600,000 in wages.
“All to men who society looks at and says, ‘You’re not hirable’,” Fields points out.
Which is why it’s important for a business like 2S Industries to exist, Jones insists.
“Work like this, where people don’t judge you, where you can go in and learn a trade. Some of these guys have never had an opportunity, or they don’t know how to create an opportunity,” Jones explains.
If they stick with it long enough, team members can learn up to 20 to 30 valuable and marketable skills on the job. Ideally Fields and Jones would like 2S Industries to be a stepping-stone to better opportunities, although for some of the guys it’s the only job they can get, and 2S Industries welcomes them, too.
They have success stories. In March they lost a skilled employee, Floyd Conley, to a full-time welding gig with an annual salary and benefits.
Conley had been to jail multiple times and prison once for domestic violence. He told us he was looking forward to his future, even though in the past he has lost good jobs because of his criminal record.
“John was the Loan Originator for the purchase of my new home. He is knowledgeable about mortgage loans and provides options and detailed information. He is a problem solver. Most importantly to me was that he ALWAYS responded to your email/phone calls in a timely manner whether in the office or in the field. As a buyer you are anxious in the processing of the loan and John kept me informed on each step in the process. John earned my trust.”
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 57
Mortgage Loan Consultant / Sales Manager / NMLS# 546502 214-563-0171 jolson@firstunitedbank.com • www.dallasmortgageman.com 8750 N Central Expwy., Ste 930 Dallas, Texas 75231 Living and Lending in East Dallas since 2006 Home loans Construction & Renovation Local service from a local expert
JOHN OLSON
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THE market
URBAN THRIFT
Thrift store
9850 Walnut Hill Ln. 214.341.1151 Facebook.com/UrbanThriftStore
New stuff & sales everyday! We accept ALL donations! You’re welcome to come drop them off or schedule a FREE pick up! We give back to our community!
ROB WATKINS
Residential Mortgage Lender
BancorpSouth Mortgage Cell 214.926.5836 rob.watkins@bxs.com whiterockmortgageguy.com
NMLS 1403412
Rob can give you freedom, comfort, and happiness by helping you acquire the home of your dreams. If you already own your dream home, take advantage of Rob’s complimentary mortgage consultation. Either way, call the White Rock Mortgage Guy today!
SUNSTONE FIT
Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Cardio
1920 Skillman Live Oak Dallas, TX 75206 214.764.2119 x 113 sunstoneFit.com/slo
Arrive 30 minutes before any class to earn your One Free Class, become acquainted with our studio and staff, and receive exclusive special offers for our first-time students.
DUTCH ART GALLERY
50 Years of Custom Framing & Fine Art
10233 E. Northwest Hwy Dallas, TX 75238
214.348.7350 dutchartgallery.net
Presents “Spring Reflections” Art Show - Juried Wine & Cheese ReceptionMeet the Artists Saturday, May 14 - 11:00am-5:30pm Show will be on exhibit through June 30,2016
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TOP DRAWER ANTIQUES
Antiques & Consignments
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The Largest Mid-Century Showroom in North Texas is Now Open. We have a little bit of everything. High End Eclectic, Traditional, Antiques, Vintage, Art Dealers, Furniture & Jewelry. Space now available in the main showroom.
THE BALCONY CLUB
Live Music Every Night
1925 Abrams, Ste. B 214.826.8104 BalconyClub.com
Thursday May 12, 2016 at 9pm The Balcony Club Presents Eliot Lewis. As featured on Live from Daryl’s House from Hall & Oates & The Average White Band. Buy your tickets online for $23
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Confused? Frustrated? Let a seasoned pro be the interface between you & that pesky Windows computer. Hardware & software installation, troubleshooting, training, $60/hour — one hour minimum.
58 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
SPECIAL MARKETPLACE SECTION | to be added call 214.560.4203
painting above is by Henry Peeters 24x30 Image Size
“I felt like all the odds were against me,” Conley explains and points to the badly damaged house. “That’s kind of like how our lives are, they’re burned.”
ED5-16
But now he wants to smile more, he says.
“When I look at the future, I see me being in church, I see my family, I see a prosperous future,” he explains. “I trust that God is going to finish what he started in my life. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. It can be a simple life. I just know that there are better days ahead.”
Conley eventually hopes to own his own company, he says.
Fields, who at 6-feet-9 poses as an intimidating figure, learned a lot about teamwork from playing high school and college basketball, and he often falls back on that experience to guide his interactions with his colleagues.
2S Industries operates like a team, Fields says. They hold each other accountable, challenge each other and support each other through life’s ups and downs. It hasn’t been perfect. Over the years some of them have gone back to prison. Jones’ friend, Steven Douglas, was shot and killed by Dallas police back in 2014. (The case is awaiting review by
a grand jury.)
They work like a family Fields says. “When somebody’s down, we come and pick them up. If you’re going 50 percent one day, somebody else has to make that up. We’re a team.”
Although Fields grew up with a single mom who struggled financially and often relied on food programs, he recognizes the stark contrast between the kind of poverty he experienced as a child and the kind of poverty and environment that drove the guys on his team to crime at young ages.
“I would never compare my experience to theirs,” he says. “Although I lived on a lower rung — I didn’t have nice clothes or nice shoes, my mom didn’t have a nice car — I had a mom and grandparents and neighbors who had the same right to discipline me as my parents. Truly a village helped raise me. Look at their village.”
It was dozens of little things, like his mom helping him with driver’s ed, that made the biggest di erences in Fields’ life.
That’s why it’s such a big deal that at 28-years-old Jones now owns a house, has worked hard to clean up his criminal record
CLEAR VIEW WINDOWS
Windows & Doors
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David Spearman, Owner
The “CLEAR” choice for replacement windows that are custom made to exact measurements for your home. We offer single-hung, double-hung, slider, casement, picture and geometric shaped windows. For a free, no obligation estimate, call or visit our website www.ClearWindowsAndDoors.com
MAKERS CONNECT
Local Artisans Gallery & Classes
10242 E. Northwest Highway Dallas, TX 75238 972.803.8890
Join us in celebrating all things ‘Mother’during the month of May! Sign up on our mailing list to find out about upcoming events, classes, and promotions. www.makersconnect.org or call 972-803-8890
and even has a driver’s license — unlike most of the men his age in West Dallas. Where he was once a figure in the criminal underbelly of West Dallas, he’s now a pillar in the community.
“He always has at least two or three guys sleeping in his house,” Fields points out. “Ahommed [Jones] is the guy people go to when they’re at rock bottom because they know he’ll take them in, but he’ll also expect them to start working, so he’ll bring them along to what we’re doing.”
Except Fields, everyone on the team has some kind of criminal record. Even the project manager, Martin Evans, just got o parole after “making a series of bad choices” that lead to him falsifying financial documents.
But he insists going to prison was the best thing that ever happened to him because it forced him to change his life and eventually led him to prison ministry and 2S Industries.
“Now I’m working with men who need a chance,” Evans says.
CREATIVE ARTS CENTER
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MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 59
SPECIAL MARKETPLACE SECTION | to be added call 214.560.4203
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LAKE PROTECTORS
For
COMMENT. Visit lakewood.advocatemag.com to tell us what you think.
Heading out to White Rock Lake, what do you load up? Your kayak? Fishing pole? Fido or Fifi? Don’t forget the CD of frog calls or the chemistry set, essentials for some neighborhood volunteers who are dedicated to protecting and monitoring the water’s quality.
Ask Barbara Turner (a.k.a. “Head Frog Lady”) about those amphibians. Each last Friday at dusk from March through October, Turner welcomes any and all who wish to join her as she gathers data at Sunset Bay, data that will be submitted to Texas Parks and Wildlife. They in turn track the information for environmental changes. Turner explains, “Frogs are the first indicators of water purity. They live in it, breathe in it, lay eggs in it, their whole life cycle is in the water.”
Though it’s officially called “Amphibian Watch,” it’s a bit of a misnomer: more accurately, it’s an amphibian “listen.” To get the croaking rolling, Turner cranks up her CD of frog talk at the water’s edge. The statesupplied CD boasts calls from frogs/toads all over Texas, so Turner has narrowed her playlist to locals, such as the frequently heard Cricket Frog, Green Treefrog and Bullfrog. Sometimes Gulf Coast Toad shows up at the party, too.
Turner records the species that are present, identifying them by their calls. She then notes how many of each species she hears, and her trained ear detects frog/toad conversations. No trash talk here, just exchanges of pleasantries. She says the males are the most talkative; females rarely chime in. Generally, more and more amphibians join the chorus as darkness falls, and many a watch ends in a frog call cacophony.
They can be sensitive creatures, not at all fond of changes in their environment. Turner recalls a watch one month when a nearby spillway was undergoing repairs. The calls were “greatly diminished.” But Turner found the amphibians back in their usual
hangout ian mink, Turner mission. “Is the water pure?” she asks. “Is it sustainable for frogs and toads who live there?”
Neighbor Richard Grayson is another environmental steward of White Rock Lake, but instead of playing frog calls, he totes a chemistry set that would make Louis Pasteur swoon. Grayson is part of the Texas Stream Team, a statewide volunteer watermonitoring program. Around 75 volunteers actively monitor sites in Dallas, Collin and
ber in the community, including schools, scouts, Dallas Storm Water Management, Master Naturalists, Trinity River Audubon Center and For the Love of the Lake. Much of the team’s equipment is stored at FTLOTL headquarters.
“Citizen Scientists” undergo training to gain a full understanding of the importance and science of water quality. Team Leader Grayson has been a certified trainer since 2011 and frequently accompanies student
60 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
these neighbors, ensuring White Rock Lake remains healthy is a priority
INSIDE Story
Sunset Bay at White Rock Lake. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)
monitors to assigned sites. They learn hands-on how to put to good use to the intriguing set of test tubes, thermometers, probes and chemicals they carry.
You might spot a monitor at White Rock Dog Park. To ensure your dog has safe, healthy water in which to frolic, the monitor will follow a routine. He or she will make notes on field observations, such as weather conditions, water color and clarity, air and water temperature, and algae cover. Using meters, pH and conductivity are measured. Dissolved oxygen, one of the most important indicators of water quality for fish and other aquatic life, is calculated by first “fixing” a water sample with manganese sulfate, alkaline potassium and sulfuric acid. And that’s only the first step. It’s a tall order, all this chemistry, but volunteers are well-trained and dedicated.
At a few sites, advanced methods are used to collect data on bacteria such as E. coli, nitrates and phosphates. Collected data is sent to TST headquarters at Texas State University in San Marcos/Meadows Center for Water and Environment. The information gathered supports research, informs conservation policy, and can even serve as an early warning system for water health.
White Rock Lake, the largest urban lake in the country, is a treasure these neighbors are dedicated to protecting.
Juliette Fowler Communities is the boutique of senior living in East Dallas. Stately trees and gardens coupled with personalized décor options and welcoming neighbors create a rich retirement experience.
We are embarking on a new design journey - come see what is springing up at Fowler! Call 214-827-0813 today or go to FowlerCommunities.org
Patti Vinson is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for over 15 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine, and has taught college writing. She is a frequent flyer at Lakewood branch library and enjoys haunting neighborhood estate sales with husband Jonathan and children, Claire and Will. The family often can be found hanging out at White Rock Lake Dog Park with Dexter, a probable JackWeenie.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 61
INSIDE Story
FIND OUT MORE at ntmn.org/amphibian watch 15th
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Education
Kyle Richardson, the principal of Woodrow Wilson High School, recently announced that he will retire this spring. During his 5-year tenure, he has “led Woodrow Wilson High School from a low-performing campus to the highestperforming comprehensive high school in Dallas,” wrote Tracie Fraley, the Woodrow feeder pattern’s executive director, in a letter. Fraley also noted that this year, Woodrow posted its best achievement scores in the school’s history with seven distinctions from the Texas Education Agency.
People
Dallas City Plan Commissioner Neil Emmons passed away suddenly last month. He died in his sleep. Emmons, 45, had been a city plan commissioner for more than a decade and believed in the importance of historic preservation. “No single person in Dallas has done more to affect land use in recent history, and the changes he fought for were overwhelmingly positive,” councilman Phillip Kingston explained via Facebook. “His philosophy was always to side with the neighbor and the neighborhood because doing so produced the best result for the city ...” In lieu of flowers, Emmons’ family requests that charitable donations be made to the Dallas Endowment for Endangered Properties (Attn: Amanda Surret at Veritex Community Bank, Lakewood Branch, 2101 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX 75214).
Nonprofits
Mark Parks, a Lakewood resident and father of two, died while on vacation in Florida. He was pulled out in a riptide and did not survive. He was much beloved by the community, says Chris Prestridge, vice president of Friends of Lakewood (FOL). The nonprofit set up a family fund page for neighbors who’d like to donate to the Parks family: foldallas.org/lakewoodlove. At time of press, FOL had raised more than $47,000.
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62 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 NEWS & Notes
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activities,
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the first
• Tax Preparation • IRS Audit Representation • IRS Notice Resolution • 27 years in the White Rock Lake Neighborhood 6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 800 214-821-0829 Jack F. Lewis Jr., CPA cpa jlewis@jlewiscpa.com Coming down with “Taxfluenza”? Beware of the 1-800-docs! Check in with us first for a remedy. IT ALL BEGINS HERE. 1402 Corinth Street 214-860-5900 www.elcentrocollege.edu Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development The Art Metals program opens up employment opportunities within the art industry. Fine arts may include metal sculpture among other techniques. Cost: $249 for 48 HRS. For more information call 214-860-5900. Brian Bessner is a Registered Representative and a Financial Advisor of New England Securities (NES). Securities products and investment advisory services offered through New England Securities Corp., a broker/dealer (Member FINRA/SIPC). Brian Bessner Financial Advisor 214-320-3040 bbessner1@ chisholmtrailfinancial.com AdvocateWebDesign.com 214.292.2053 Mobile. SEO Friendly. Maintainable. NEED A NEW WEBSITE?
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BUSINESS BUZZ
The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses
Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com
In the lines
Dairy Queen across the way from Jimmy’s Food Store. It was family-owned and operated, run by Ann Lee. According to The Dallas Morning News (DMN), Perry Guest Company recently bought the property, including next-door Mai’s, out of foreclosure. They have plans to redevelop the property, and Jade Garden got the axe — although, there are differing stories about how that happened. Lee told the DMN that Perry Guest simply doesn’t want the restaurant to stay. “We tried,” she says. But Neal Morris of Perry Guest told the DMN that Jade Garden’s lease ended in November, and Perry Guest kept the restaurant on month-tomonth to give Lee time to find a new home, which she failed to do. “We talked to them about market rents, and the economics just didn’t work,” Morris told the DMN. “This is the worst part about redeveloping any property.”
Adult coloring books have quickly emerged as a popular new trend. They made national headlines last year after four of them reached the top 10 best-selling books list on Amazon.com. Last year we profiled Walter Hofheinz, a Lakewood resident, who capitalized on the trend with an adult coloring book of his own. By day he’s an attorney, but he’s been making mandalas — geometric circles comprised by lines, dots, swirls and other designs — for at least 20 years. He just released his second adult coloring book and it contains 60 three-inch mandalas, plus space to practice drawing your own mandalas and quotes printed beneath many of the designs. The book is listed on Amazon. com and can be easily found by searching
“Walter Hofheinz 2.”
Bragging on Bragg
Captain Jack R. Bragg Jr. retired from the Dallas Police Department recently after more than 41 years of service. We interviewed Bragg in 2014 about his role as dive team commander. When there was a suspected drowning at White Rock Lake or another local body of water, Bragg typically was first on the scene, after Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel. He was one of only two people in the entire Dallas Police Department with the title of captain. Despite the gloomy nature of his work, Bragg’s colleagues say he always has a cheerful disposition.
Closing
Jade Garden, which has been a staple on Bryan Street in East Dallas for 34 years, went out of business recently. The Chinese restaurant first opened in 1982 in an old
Opening
Construction is still underway on the neighborhood’s newest Latin cuisine concept, La Bodega’s, at 1905 Greenville. Owners James and Iana Price originally hoped to open by the end of the year but were delayed by some city approval issues. James told us he hopes to introduce “a lot of new concepts from Europe and Central America” to the drink menu. “I’m really excited about that.” Roots Juices opened in the Lakewood Shopping Center in April as well. Owner Brent Rodgers says the shop is open weekdays from 7 a.m.-8 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The dream of an East Dallas Dream Café was realized last month with the opening of the new restaurant at Abrams and Mockingbird. Just like its sister stores in Addison and Uptown, this location will serve breakfast lunch and dinner. Lakewood neighbor Christine Lott opened the local franchise, maintaining Dream Café’s dedication to freshly produced dishes.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 63 LIVE Local
Coloring book by Walter Hofheinz.
Dream Café on Mockingbird. (Photo by Brittany Nunn)
#1 residential broker in Lakewood & East Dallas Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Lakewood 2311 Abrams Road, Suite 100 214.522.3838 Impeccable Service Super Market Knowledge Skilled Negotiating HeatherGuildGroup.com
THE UNSPOKEN SHADOWS OF BLESSING
Foreveryflowerofspringthatblossoms forth from seed in fertile ground, God knows how many failed to come to life. God knows, but some others know this secret, too, in a more personal way.
There’s a hidden pain in church pews each spring as Easter bursts with praise of new birth from nature’s womb and death’s tomb. Our language of teeming life runs poetic. Images of propagating bunnies everywhere seem apt, until they’re not.
Those who suffer the disappointment of infertility, the grief of miscarriage, the agony of early childhood death, the longing for marriage and parenting, or the mixed regret and relief of abortion all live in the quiet shadow of these celebrations of life. Manyoftheminhabitourchurchpews Sunday by Sunday.
Doctors,supportgroupsandfriends oftenarehelpful.Anonlinecommunity, called Project Pomegranate, offers helpful spiritualandpracticalencouragementto individuals, families and religious congregations. The Grief and Loss Center of North Texas stands at the ready, also.
In churches like mine that dedicate babies and in churches that christen them instead, tears fill the eyes of sentimental worshippers. There’s something about the innocence of an infant and the unqualified promise of a new life being held up before us that speaks of blessing. The world isblessed,theparentsareblessed,the church is blessed, the child is blessed.
Some tears in the congregation, though, come from longing and loss. While talk of blessing surrounds every infant, does the lack of one suggest cursing? When we say that a child is a gift from God, do we also mean that being childless is a sign of God withholding a gift from some?
All religious rituals have an unspoken
shadow side, and none more so than a baby dedication. A few times through the years, I have called attention to this by doing a childless dedication. I put the burp cloth on my shoulder as I normally do, and I walk around the church with arms shaped to hold an infant not present. I speak the pain of childless women and men (both!). I remind the church that flesh and blood does not inherit the kingdom of God, and that the family of spirit is what endures eternally.
I ask church members to make promises to those among us who do not have children of their own, just as I ask them to make promises to those who do. The promises are different, but the aim is the same: that we would be a community of faith for all, and that we would be sensitive to the pain of some while we celebrate the joy of others.
We need to take care with our words and deeds toward those who suffer silently. We want to offer our blessing to them, too, and that without empty promises that their day will come or that God knows best or that we know how they feel when we really don’t.
Couples going through these experiences need all the understanding and support they can get. Yes, there may be medical solutions for some, and adoption may be a wonderful option for others. In time.
In the meantime, remember that love is sometimes best expressed by simply being present without the need to have an answer.
64 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016
Every celebration amplifies someone else’s pain
While talk of blessing surrounds every infant, does the lack of one suggest cursing?
worship LISTINGS REMODELING DALLAS FOR 17 YEARS WWW.OBRIENGROUPINC.COM 214.341.1448 D featured in 214-769-0324 The Pond Man Cleaning & Repairs WEEKLY OR MONTHLY SERVICE SERVING LAKEWOOD SINCE 1978 214.821.9687 Kelly Harris Your Local Agent 6500 E MOCKINGBIRD LN STE 100 DALLAS, TX 75214-2497 The savings you want, the coverage you deserve. SERVING LAKEWOOD FOR OVER A DECADE FarmersAgent.com/kharris2
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.
to advertise call 214.560.4203
ANGLICAN
ALL SAINTS EAST DALLAS / allsaintseastdallas.org
Sunday worship service at 5:00 pm
Meeting at Central Lutheran Church / 1000 Easton Road
BAPTIST
LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425
Sunday School 9:15am & Worship 10:30am
Pastor Jeff Donnell / www.lbcdallas.com
PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org
Worship & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45 Traditional, Contemporary, Spanish Speaking / 214.860.1500
WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100
Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00am
Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org
CATHOLIC
DALLAS MINISTRY CONFERENCE / udallas.edu/dmc / Sept. 29 - Oct. 1
Sponsored by the University of Dallas & the Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Sessions on Faith, Scripture, and Ministry / Exhibitors / Music / Mass
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185
Sunday School 9:30 am / Worship 8:30 am - Chapel
10:50 am - Sanctuary / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org
LUTHERAN
CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road
Sunday School for all ages 9:00 am / Worship Service 10:30 am
Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222
FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Lane
Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am / Call for class schedule.
214.821.5929 / www.dallaslutheran.org
METHODIST
GRACE UMC / Diverse, Inclusive, Missional
Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 am / Worship, 10:50 am
4105 Junius St. / 214.824.2533 / graceumcdallas.org
LAKE HIGHLANDS UMC / 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com
Sunday Morning: 9:30 am Sunday School / 10:30 am Coffee
Worship: 8:30 am & 11:00 am Traditional / 11:00 am Contemporary
PRESBYTERIAN
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
Sundays: 9:00 am Early Service, 11:00 am Celebration Service
UNITY ON GREENVILLE / Your soul is welcome here!
3425 Greenville Ave. / 214.826.5683 / www.dallasunity.org
Sunday Service 11:00 am and Book Study 9:30 am
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 65 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
LIVE MUSIC EVERY NIGHT Open Daily · 5pm-2am · 1925 Abrams, Ste. B 214.826.8104 · BalconyClub.com Come See Our New Expanded Lounge BALCON CLUB THE est. 1988 DALLAS TEXAS 6444 E. Mockingbird at Abrams 214-823-1441 www.DoggieDenDallas.com DAYCARE • BOARDING • GROOMING • TRAINING BOOK NOW FOR SUMMER VACATIONS! 18 years of serving over 40,000 neighborhood doggies Doggie Den Dallas rd ascom W LocalWorks.advocatemag.com
In mourning
Shortly after the demolition of the McCommas Colonial apartment complex, a group of East Dallas residents hosted a candlelight vigil. Like many, they were saddened by the loss of neighborhood history. The apartment complex was built in the 1930s. It will be replaced with 36 new condominiums.
CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS
ART: Draw/Paint. Adults All Levels. Lake Highlands N. Rec. Ctr. Days: Mon & Wed. Students bring supplies. Nights: 1xt month workshop, supplies furnished. Jane Cross. 214-534-6829,
CREATIVE ARTS CENTER More than 500 adult art classes/ workshops from metal to mosaic! www.creativeartscenter.org
MAKERS CONNECT Craft Classes & Workshops. Led by & for Local Makers. Check Schedule: makersconnect.org/classes
EMPLOYMENT
AVIATION GRADS Work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and Others. Start Here With Hands On Training For FAA Certification. Financial Aid If Qualified. Aviation Institute Of Maintenance. 866-453-6204
EMPLOYMENT
PET SITTERS, DOG WALKERS reply to http://www.pcpsi.com/join
US POSTAL SERVICE NOW HIRING 1-800-269-9731. $21hr avg. W/Fed. Ben. incld. to start. FT/PT. Not affiliated w/USPS
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 Windows Computer. Hardware & Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $60/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 214-660-3733 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net
LEGAL SERVICES
A FREE CONSULTATION Wills/Probate/Guardianships. MaryGlennAttorney.com 214-802-6768
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
ACCOUNTING, TAXES Small Businesses & Individuals. Chris King, CPA 214-824-5313 www.chriskingcpa.com
BOOKKEEPING NEEDS? Need Help Organizing Finances? No Job Too Small or Big. Call C.A.S. Bookkeeping Services. Cindy 214-821-6903
PROPERTY TAX PROTEST laurenmedel.com. 972-773-9306
66 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 community is online too! LocalWorks.advocatemag.com SCENE & Heard
(Photo by Jerod Costas )
Mobile.
Friendly. Maintainable.
A NEW WEBSITE? AdvocateWebDesign.com 214.292.2053 JUNE DEADLINE MAY 11 • TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203
SEO
NEED
ESTATE/GARAGE SALES
Wet weather
Storms have hit our neighborhood pretty hard in recent months. Since it’s finally May, here’s hoping the worst is behind us. Thankfully this traffic light and street sign were replaced shortly after they collapsed due to heavy winds.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 67
FREE RANGE PORK & LAMB from local resident’s farm. Hormone & antibiotic free.Heritage Red Wattle pigs. Stock up now. laralandfarms.com 214-384-6136 SHARE FRONT ROW Texas Rangers, Stars & Mavs seats. Tickets are available in sets of 10 games (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available). Participants randomly draw numbers prior to season to determine a draft order fair to everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com
CLUTTERBLASTERS.COM ESTATE SALES Moving & DownSizing Sales, Storage Units. Organize/De-Clutter Donna 972-679-3100 ORGANIZEANDREJUVENATE.COM Declutter/Files/Feng Shui. 972-816-8004
DEN DALLAS Daycare, Boarding, Grooming, Training. 6444 E. Mockingbird Ln. 214-823-1441 DoggieDenDallas.com POOP SCOOP PROFESSIONALS Trust The Experts.
germaine_free@yahoo.com In-Home Professional Care Customized to maintain your pet’s routine In-Home Pet Visits & Daily Walks “Best of Dallas” D Magazine Serving the Dallas area since 1994 Bonded & Insured www.societypetsitter.com 214-821-3900 BUY/SELL/TRADE DONATE YOUR CAR FOR BREAST CANCER Help United Breast Foundation education, prevention, support programs. Fast free pickup. 24 Hour response. Tax deduction. 855-403-0213 LocalWorks.advocatemag.com Let Local Works work for you! SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE WEEKLY UPDATES LAKEWOOD.ADVOCATEMAG.COM/GET-OUR-NEWSLETTERS community is online too! LocalWorks.advocatemag.com
BUY/SELL/TRADE
PET SERVICES DOGGIE
214-826-5009.
SCENE & Heard SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO. Email a jpeg to editor@advocatemag.com.
(Photo by Kyle Baugh)
AC & HEAT
WINDOW AC TUNE UP Repair, Cleaning, Etc. Buy/Sell 214-321-5943
Family Owned & Operated
972-274-2157
www.CrestAirAndHeat.com
APPLIANCE REPAIR
JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE
TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898
CLEANING SERVICES
MESS MASTERS Earth friendly housecleaning. 469-235-7272. www.messmasters.com Since ‘91
TWO SISTERS & A MOP Move in/Out. Reliable/Dependable
20 Yrs Exp. 214-283-9732
twosistersamopmaidservice.com
WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM
Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134
COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
BILL’S COMPUTER REPAIR
Virus Removal, Data Recovery. Home/Biz Network Install. All Upgrades & Repairs. PC Instruction. No Trip Fee. 214-348-2566
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
EXPERIENCED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN Insd. Steve. TECL#27297 214-718-9648
LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured.
Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735
TEXAS ELECTRICAL • 214-289-0639
Prompt, Honest, Quality. TECL 24668
TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658
WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd. E795. 214-850-4891
EXTERIOR CLEANING
G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925
FENCING & DECKS
#1 COWBOY FENCE & IRON CO. Est. ‘91. 214-692-1991 www.cowboyfenceandiron.com
4 QUALITY FENCING Call Mike 214-507-9322
Specializing in Wood, New or Repair.
FLOORING & CARPETING
Restoration Flooring
Hardwood Installation · Hand Scraping Sand & Finish · Dustless
25+ Years Experience
469.774.3147
restorationflooring.net
Willeford hardwood floors
Superior Quality: Installation • Refinishing Repair Cleaning & Waxing Old World Hand Scrape 214-824-1166
FOUNDATION REPAIR
• Slabs • Pier & Beam
• Mud Jacking • Drainage
• Free Estimates
Serving your Neighborhood Since 1993
Repairing: Refrigerators •Washer/Dryers
• Ice Makers •Stoves • Cooktops • Ovens 214✯823✯2629
CLEANING SERVICES
A MAID FOR YOU Bonded/Insured.Park Cities/ M Streets Refs. Call Us First. Joyce 214-232-9629
AFFORDABLE CLEANING Insd./Bonded. Move
In/Out. Routine Cleaning. Reliable. Dependable. Residential/ Commercial. References. 28+yrs. Delta Cleaning. 972-943-9280.
AFFORDABLE, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING
$100 off 1st clean for new weekly/bi-weekly clients. Staff trained by Nationally Certified Cleaning Tech. Chemical-free, Green, or Traditional Cleaning. WindsorMaidServices.com 214-381-MAID (6243)
ALTOGETHER CLEAN
Relax ...We’ll Clean Your House, It Will Be Your Favorite Day! Bonded & Insurance. Free Estimates. 214-929-8413. www. altogetherclean.net
AMAZON CLEANING
Top To Bottom Clean. Fabiana.469-951-2948
CINDY’S HOUSE CLEANING 15 yrs exp. Resd/Com. Refs. Dependable. 214-490-0133
CLEANING LADY ALSO WINDOW GUY
110% Always! Great Prices & Refs. Experienced, Dependable. Sunny 214-724-2555
JUNE DEADLINE MAY 11 214.560.4203 TO ADVERTISE
CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING
ALL CONCRETE RESTORATION & Decorative Designs. Staining 214-916-8368
BRICK & STONE REPAIR
Tuck Pointing / Crack Repair. Mortar Color Matching. Windows,Doors, Cracks Etc. Don 214-704-1722
BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319
BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Straighten Brick Mailboxes & Columns. Call Cirilo 214-298-7174
CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS
Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways
Pattern/Color available
Free Estimates 972-672-5359 (36 yrs.)
CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001
EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216
FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com
50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333
BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333
TECL 31347 Lighting and Electrical Services
AMBASSADOR FENCE INC. EST. 96 Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, ambassadorfenceco.com 214-621-3217
FENCING & WOODWORK oldgatefence.com charliehookerswoodwork.com 214-766-6422
HANNAWOODWORKS.COM
Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers. 214-435-9574
KIRKWOOD FENCE & DECK
New & Repair. Free Estimates. Nathan Kirkwood. 214-341-0699
LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975
Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com
All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers
EST. 1991 #1
COWBOY
FENCE & IRON CO.
214.692.1991
SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates
cowboyfenceandiron.com
FLOORING & CARPETING
ALL WALKS OF FLOORS 214-616-7641
Carpet, Wood, Tile Sales/Service Free Estimates
DALLAS HARDWOODS 214-724-0936
Installation, Repair, Refinish, Wax, Hand Scrape. Residential, Commercial. Sports Floors. 30 Yrs.
HASTINGS STAINED CONCRETE
New/Remodel. Stain/Wax Int/Ext. Nick. 214-341-5993. www.hastingsfloors.com
THE TEXAN FLOORING SERVICES
Wood, Laminate. Remodel Showers, Bathrooms. thetexanflooringservices.com 214-680-0901
• Over 20 Years Exp. 972-288-3797
We Answer Our Phones
GARAGE SERVICES
ROCKET GARAGE DOOR SERVICE -24/7. Repairs/Installs. 214-533-8670. Coupon On Web. www.RocketDoorService.com
UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned.214-826-8096
GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS
EAST DALLAS WINDOW CLEANING Power Wash. Free Est. Dependable. Derek. 214-360-0120
LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160
ROCK GLASS CO Replace, repair: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 214-837-7829
HANDYMAN SERVICES
A R&G HANDYMAN Electrical, Plumbing, Painting, Fencing, Roofing, Light Hauling. Ron or Gary 214-861-7569, 469-878-8044
ALL STAR HOME CARE Carpentry, Glass, Tile, Paint, Doors, Sheetrock Repair, and more. 25 yrs. exp. References. Derry 214-505-4830
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
G & P HANDYMAN Plumbing, AC, Electrical, Painting, Roofing, Fix Appliances. 214-576-6824
68 lakewood.advocatemag.com MAY 2016 Home is online too! LocalWorks.advocatemag.com
Serving the Dallas area for over 30 years
We raise our kids here, too! TACLB29169E
HANDYMAN SERVICES
HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628
HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635
HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606
HONEST, SKILLED SERVICE With a Smile. General Repairs/ Maintenance. 214-215-2582
WANTED: ODD JOBS & TO DO LISTS Allen’s Handyman & Home Repair 214-288-4232
Your Home Repair Specialists Drywall Doors Senior Safety
972-308-6035
KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT
BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC Complete Kitchen And Bath Remodels. Tile, Granite, Marble, Travertine, Slate. Insured. 214-563-5035 www.blake-construction.com
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS
Professionals, Experts, Artists. Trim, Remove, Cabling, Bracing/Bolting. Cavity-Fill Stump Grind. Emergencies, Hazards. Insd. Free Est. 972-803-6313. arborwizard.com
Tip: All pest animals must have 3 things: food, water and a place to hide. Prevent pests from making your home theirs:
1. Inspect roof and gutters for leaks, making sure any water is away from the foundation.
2. Prune all trees several feet from the roofline.
3. Don’t leave pet food exposed outside.
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
U R LAWN CARE Maintenance. Landscaping. Your Personal Yard Service
HOUSE PAINTING
1 AFFORDABLE HOUSE PAINTING and Home Repair. Quality work. Inside and Out. Free Ests. Local Refs. Ron 972-816-5634
A+ INT/EXT PAINT & DRYWALL Since 1977. Kirk Evans. 972-672-4681
BENJAMIN’S PAINTING SERVICE Professional Work At Reasonable Prices. 214-725-6768
MANNY’S HOME PAINTING & REMODEL Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160
RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513
TOP COAT 30 yrs. exp. Reliable, Quality Repair/Remodel Phil @ 214-770-2863
VIP PAINTING & DRYWALL Int/Ext. Sheetrock Repair, Resurfacing Tubs, Counters, Tile Repairs. 469-774-7111
• Exterior Painting
• Interior Painting
• Cabinet Makeovers
• Fence Stain
• Fence Repair
www.CertifiedPaintersCo.com 214-500-1021
LocalWorks.advocatemag.com
LocalWorks.advocatemag.com
KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT
FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645
MELROSE TILE James Sr., Installer, Repairs. 40 Yrs. Exp. MelroseTile.com 214-384-6746
STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS Granite, Marble, Tile, Kitchen/Bath Remodels. 972-276-9943.stoneage.dennis@verizon.net
SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING Expanding to do Kitchen/Bath Remodels. squarenailwoodworking.com 214-324-7398
Since 1995
TOM HOLT TILE 30 Yrs Experience In Tile, Backsplashes & Floors. Refs. Avail. 214-770-3444
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 12 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925
A&B LANDSCAPE Degreed Horticulturist. Landscape & Stone Work. 214-538-9625
AYALA’S LANDSCAPING SERVICE
Call the Land Expert Today! Insured. 214-773-4781
CHUPIK TREE SERVICE
Trim, Remove, Stump Grind. Free Est. Insured. 214-823-6463
DALLAS GROUNDSKEEPER Comprehensive services designed to meet your needs. 214-504-6788 dallasgroundskeeper.com
DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914
Lawn Service & Landscape Installation
HOLMAN IRRIGATION
Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061
LIGHT IT UP DALLAS
Your lighting specialists. 972-591-8383
Parties, Weddings, Patios, Landscape.
LSI LAWN SPRINKLERS “Making Water Work”
WE REFINISH!
• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks
• Cultured Marble
• Kitchen Countertops
214-631-8719
www.allsurfacerefinishing.com
MOVING
AM
Delivery.469-278-2304 ammovingcompany.com
PEST CONTROL
A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL Keeping the environment, kids, pets in mind. Organic products avail. 972-564-2495
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
TRACY’S LAWN CARE • 972-329-4190
Lawn Mowing & Leaf Cleaning
MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL Prices Start at $85 + Tax For General Treatment.
Average Home-Interior/Exterior & Attached Garage. Quotes For Other Services. 214-328-2847. Lakewood Resident
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 69 Home is online too! LocalWorks.advocatemag.com
Carpentry Small
Bonded & Insured. Locally owned & operated. HOME INSPECTION GreenWorksServiceCo.com 1.855.DGWorks • Michael Craycraft Home · Lead-based Paint · Infared · Termite · Radon · Mold Certified·Licensed·Insured
& Odd Jobs And More!
HandymanMatters.com/dallas
by Uwe Reisch uwereisch@yahoo.com 214-886-9202 ”WE CARE ABOUT YOUR TREES” On Staff: • 4 - Certified Arborists • 1 - Tex- Tech Degreed Ag • 1 - Tex A&M Degreed Forester • 3 - Certified Applicators 214-327-9311 FULLY INSURED Commercial/Residential www.holcombtreeservice.com
MOVING
&
COMPANY Specialty Moving
PLUMBING
A2Z PLUMBING 214-727-4040
All Plumbing Repairs. Slab Leak Specialists. Licensed & Insured. ML# M36843.
AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943
ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521
# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com
Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days
*Joe Faz 469-346-1814 - Se Habla Español*
ARRIAGA PLUMBING: General Plumbing
Since the 80’s. Insured. Lic# M- 20754 214-321-0589, 214-738-7116, CC’s accepted.
HAYES PLUMBING INC. Repairs. Insured, 214-343-1427 License M13238
M&S PLUMBING Quality Work & Prompt Service. Jerry. 214-235-2172. lic.#M-11523
NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913 Lic. M-40581 Res/Com. Repairs & Leak Location
SPECK PLUMBING
Over 30 Yrs Exp. Licensed/Insured. 214-732-4769, 214-562-2360
214-328-7371
MetroFlowPlumbing.com
REMODELING
BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS, LLC
Complete Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths, Additions. Hardie Siding & Replacement Windows. Build On Your Own Lot. Insured. www.blake-construction.com 214-563-5035
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
FENN CONSTRUCTION Full Service Contractor. dallastileman.com 214-343-4645
O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 17 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448
RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247
Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS
30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions
Complete Renovations • Kitchens/Baths
214-341-1155
bobmcdonaldco.net
Full Service Remodeling & Restoration Company
•Kitchens & Baths•
Dallas.TKRemodelingContractors.com
972-533-2872
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TRUE Crime
In February, two women were attacked within 15 minutes each other. Initially, police thought the incidents were unrelated, but it’s now believed one man is to blame. He’s described as a black male, between 30 and 33 years old, approximately 5-foot-8, stocky in build with curly black hair. The composite sketch here was released only recently.
The suspect allegedly attacked the first woman on McCree as she was walking to her home at the Hilton Head apartments. He grabbed her and covered her mouth and nose with a gloved hand. She kicked and screamed, successfully tripping the man. A neighbor responded to her cries and the suspect fled the scene.
Minutes later, the second attack took place on Jupiter at the nearby Villas at La Risa apartments. This time the suspect reportedly dragged the victim behind a nearby dumpster, attempting to choke her and throw her to the ground. But that victim also fought, forcing her attacker to relent and flee northbound on Jupiter.
If the composite sketch looks familiar to you or you have additional information, call 214.671.3584. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 214.373.TIPS (8477) instead.
JUNE
972-263-6033
| CRIME NUMBERS | 41
homicides reported in Dallas this year between Jan. 1 and March 28.
22
homicides reported in Dallas last year during the same time period. It’s not just murder that’s on the rise. The city saw a 30-percent increase in violent crime overall in the first two months of 2016.
600
number of officers moved to the night shift by Police Chief David Brown to address this problem. Brown also asked an additional 700 officers to rotate to foot patrol. Special forces will be formed to target violent crime, including domestic violence. The city’s sex-offender force will shut down temporarily to focus on what Brown sees as more pressing issues. Local police unions are vocally unhappy with these changes and have called for Brown’s resignation.
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THE POWER OF ONE
How Neil Emmons changed the face of East Dallas COMMENT.
East Dallas neighborhoods are not known for being quiet. We’re active, we’re engaged and we make our voices heard at Dallas City Hall on issues that affect us. Most importantly, we fervently believe that the destiny of our neighborhoods should be determined by us, the residents who live here and have the most at stake.
some hired consultant, not a wealthy developer. But the neighbors who actually have to live with the decision.
The notion that a city should be built from the ground up, not top down, is essential for strong neighborhoods and has proved critical to the success of Old East Dallas. Our area of town has thrived when neighbors’ voices were heard (witness our proliferation of successful historic and conservation districts), and done less well when decrees were issued by City Hall over our objections (the destruction of Gaston and Ross avenues).
figuratively and literally, when they were disengaged and uneducated, and he worked to make sure neighbors were armed with information, history, knowledge of process, and understood the political dynamics of City Hall.
You can see this philosophy in issues large and small across East Dallas, whether it’s an expansion of a shopping center, a proposed restaurant at White Rock Lake, parking areas for the Dallas Arboretum or improvements to Lower Greenville.
The idea that residents are in the very best position to know what is best for them is called “neighborhood self-determination,” a concept I first learned from a City Plan Commissioner named Neil Emmons. It’s the common-sensical notion that the people who are most affected by an issue should have the most say in the matter — not Dallas City Hall, not
Neil Emmons was an ardent champion of neighborhoods. I first met him in the early 2000s, when our M Streets neighborhood was trying to become a conservation district. Neil was serving on the City of Dallas Plan Commission — the city board that decides zoning matters — and he educated our neighborhood about the conservation district process, community engagement and how to navigate Dallas City Hall.
Zoning was totally new to me, and Neil taught me about that, too. I learned that zoning regulation determines what gets built where, how big it can be and what it can be used for. Developers sometime seek zoning variances, often to build bigger and taller than what the current zoning allows. I learned from Neil that neighbors speaking in one voice can have a remarkable impact on this most fundamental of city regulations.
Neil was a bit of an evangelist about neighborhood participation, and for good reason. He had seen neighborhoods get bulldozed, both
After I was elected to the Dallas City Council in 2005, Neil agreed to stay on as plan commissioner for District 14, and we worked together for four years. The Plan Commission’s job is to make recommendations to the council on each and every zoning case, and I could count on Neil to thoughtfully analyze zoning applications, to work closely with residents and developers in finding compromise, and (most importantly) to have the fortitude to say “no” to bad zoning requests.
I mention all of this because Neil passed away just a few weeks ago at the young age of 45. It is such a loss for our city and especially for our neighborhoods. Neil leaves behind a remarkable legacy: countless new development projects in Uptown and Oak Lawn and East Dallas that he tweaked and molded to ensure their compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods.
But Neil will be remembered for much more than better buildings and improved edifices. His legacy can be seen in the many community leaders he inspired to be fierce guardians of our neighborhoods, to organize and voice our will to the city, to accept nothing less than our seat at the table when important decisions are being made. His impact on our neighborhoods will be a lasting one. What a great gift to leave our city.
MAY 2016 lakewood.advocatemag.com 71
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The idea that residents are in the very best position to know what is best for them is called ‘neighborhood selfdetermination,’ a concept I first learned from a City Plan Commissioner named Neil Emmons.
LAST Word
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.
David Hardt 214.924.7577 davidhardt@ebby.com Ronda Hardt 214.502.8666 rondahardt@ebby.com We would like to thank our clients for once again making us an Advocate Top 25 producer! Your success is our goal! -Ronda & David REALTORS TOP 25 2015 REALTORS TOP 25 2016 BEST OF VOTE for your favorite local eats in Lakewood/East Dallas Vote daily May 2 - May 8 at lakewood.advocatemag.com/bestof2016
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