OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

By PATTI VINSON

Fowl problems

Liesl McQuillan is the damsel to call when ducklings are in distress

Scroll through the Lakewood Facebook page, the gossipy but addictive social media site, and you’ll see the usual posts: Neighbors seeking a reliable plumber or the best tacos in East Dallas; complaints about crazy drivers on Abrams or unruly children on restaurant patios; photos of ducks in the backseat of a Prius.

That last post would come from Liesl McQuillan, former philosophy professor, current graduate student, and always the one to call when ducks and geese are in peril.

The Duck Life began for McQuillan about five years ago when she saw a mother duck and her brood of six ducklings unwisely wandering back and forth across Abrams.

“I got involved,” she says, “because the ducks were almost hit several times as people fly down that street. I couldn’t stand the thought of those ducks being splattered all over Abrams.” She managed to herd them into a nearby neighbor’s backyard pool, but the neighbor didn’t take kindly to permanent ducks, so McQuillan got creative and enlisted the help of her Richland College philosophy students. She offered a few extra credit points to all those willing to assist in catching the little guys.

Long story short, the students left with boosted averages and the ducklings spent the night in McQuillan’s bathtub. Besides the extra credit, the students benefited in other ways. “My students had a fantastic time that day. I found that students who engaged in some sort of giving back activity did much better in my class than the ones who did not,” she says. “They got to know each other and they learned to work as a group, something essential for discussion-based classes.”

It was McQuillan’s first duck rescue, and the learning curve was steep.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” she admits, “so I didn’t catch the mama. We chased her all over the neighborhood, trying to catch her. I was devastated that we couldn’t.” any knowledge of them, and put in a call to Rogers Wildlife Rehab. She was told the duck and goose were likely newly released pets who wouldn’t survive in the wild.

Wanting the best possible outcome for the babies, McQuillan took to the internet and found Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Hutchins, a facility for injured, sick and orphaned birds. She was advised by center director Kathy Rogers not to take the ducklings to White Rock Lake because turtles, abundant at the lake, tend to eat baby ducks and geese.

The feathered buddies were relatively easy to catch and took a little ride in McQuillan’s Prius, hanging out in her bathroom until a trip the next day to Hutchins.

Thanks to social media, word soon spread that she was the one to call for ducks and geese in a jam, and she has been rescuing ever since.

She safely transported the babies to Hutchins the next day, where they received the care they needed.

Her next rescue was at White Rock Lake, a goose and duck pair who were close friends and waddled everywhere together. McQuillan was coming in from sailing when she encountered the two following folks around, trying to climb into vehicles. She did a bit of detective work, found no one in the vicinity with

But just how does she catch these birds? The secret is towels. Or blankets. Using a trick she learned from Rogers Wildlife, McQuillan calmly approaches birds, then quickly but carefully tosses a towel over them.

“They immediately stop moving. But you need to be very careful to not hurt their necks,” she cautions, then adds, “After that, it’s vitally important that when you pick them up, you pin their wings down so they don’t flap frantically and break one.”

Because so many of her rescues have that ran El Fenix. Le Caveau Vinoteque, a boutique wine shop, will join the Tex-Mex restaurant in the shopping center, and will cater to well-informed oenophiles as an antidote for the big box spirits stores.

Sweet Things

East Dallas is in store for some new refreshments. Botolino, an artisan gelato eatery, is slated to open in late August in the space formerly occupied by The Bottle Shop on Lower Greenville, next to Mudsmith. The frozen treats will be made from scratch and fresh ingredients, and come from Carlo Gattani, whose family has run Momo Italian Kitchen for years.

Soon, Lakewood will have a Taiwanese shaved ice location in the neighborhood. This unique treat from Snowbaby is feathery shaved ice, natural flavoring and condensed milk. The busness has hosted only a series of pop-ups but hope to add a permanent location in the neighborhood soon.

Closing Time

After just five months in business on Henderson Avenue, Mellow Mushroom has closed. The trendy restaurant strip has a glut of pizza places, with Pie Tap, Fireside Pies and Louie’s all competing for pizza-bound customers. The location formerly housed Hacienda on Henderson, but it sat vacant for almost three years before Mellow Mushroom’s brief stint.

In another blow for lower-priced dinner options in Lakewood, Zuzu Handmade Mexican Food is moving from Mockingbird and Abrams after 25 years in business at that location. Rent has gone up at the location, and when the grocery store closed, business took a hit. Zuzu hopes to stay close, but will probably have to move in August.

Worship

Anglican

ALL SAINTS EAST DALLAS / allsaintseastdallas.org

Sunday worship 5:00 pm / Live in God’s Presence. Live Out His Love. Meeting at Central Lutheran Church / 1000 Easton Road

Baptist

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

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

MUNGER PLACE CHURCH

Come and See mungerplace.org

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

LAKE POINTE CHURCH – WHITE ROCK CAMPUS

Classic Service at 9:30 & Contemporary Service at 11:00 am lakepointe.org / 9150 Garland Road

PRESBYTERIAN

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

214.827.5521 / www.northridgepc.org / Summer Worship 10:00 am

Church that feels like church and welcomes like family..

PRESTON HOLLOW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 9800 Preston Road

Refreshing Faith Summer Sundays: Grow 9:00 am, Worship 10:00 am

Senior Pastor Matthew E. Ruffner / www.phpc.org / 214.368.6348

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 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