2019 October Lakewood

YOU KNOW YOU WENT TO WOODROW IF…

FROM

5922 RICHMOND | $825,000 4 Bed | 3.1 Bath | 2 Car | 2,950 Sq Ft The Chris Hickman Group - 469-569-1106

9035 SANTA CLARA | $598,000 3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 1,818 Sq Ft RoseMarie LaCoursiere - 214-886-4880

7108 EDGERTON | $455,000

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 2,048 Sq Ft Terri Gum - 214-564-0100 427 BLANNING | SOLD 2 Bed | 1.1 Bath | 1 Car | 1,272 Sq Ft Jay Forrester - 469-867-7302

9029 SANTA CLARA | $720,000

Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,600 Sq Ft RoseMarie LaCoursiere - 214-886-4880

2980 CARMEL | $589,000

Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,353 Sq Ft The DPS Group - 214-536-8187

6032 HIGHPLACE | $449,000

Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 2,256 Sq Ft Mary Poss - 214-738-0777 2502 LIVE OAK #127 | $249,000

Bath |

Car |

Sq Ft Mary Poss - 214-738-0777

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Sips for saplings

When a June storm swept through Dallas, felling more than 600 trees, three students at St. John’s Episcopal School decided to help make Dallas green again. Max Betasso, 6, teamed up with neighbors Jaden Sze, 10, and Nadia Sze, 8, to open a lemonade stand outside their home on Twin Tree Lane. Their efforts raised $170, which they donated to the Re-Leaf Fund at the Dallas Parks Foundation to replace trees in Lakewood, one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

Traffic jam treasure

In an art series called Barely Maps, absurd traffic patterns in Dallas were immortalized in print. The notorious list included the 3G intersection and the jumble of roads at Munger Boulevard, Collette Avenue and Eastside Avenue. And who could forget the navigational nightmare at Exposition Avenue and Canton Street or the intersection at Columbia Avenue, Carroll Avenue and Main Street?

Park art

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Advocate, © 2019, 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 any editorial 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.

ABOUT THE COVER

A heart for giving

After life-saving heart surgery, former Children’s Medical Center patient and Bishop Lynch student Ashlyn Duy will be recognized for donating more than $30,000 to the hospital. Duy will be honored Nov. 8 on Dallas’ National Philanthropy Day.

A 650-foot mural commissioned by University Crossing will debut this fall at Glencoe Park. EyeCon Studios began work in September along the park’s retaining wall. A rendering of the colorful, geometric design shows that the mural will reflect the district by incorporating a mockingbird and a pony in a nod to Mockingbird Lane and Southern Methodist University.

Compass Concierge

Exclusive to Compass, our Concierge program is among a suite of services designed to help prepare your home for the market. From deep-cleaning to cosmetic improvements, our agents will work with you to assess every opportunity to elevate your home’s value.

Once the necessary improvements have been determined, Compass will cover all upfront costs, collecting payment for the services rendered at the time of the property’s closing. By investing in your home’s potential, we aim to provide a swifter, more profitable sale.

OCT. 27 BE OUR GUEST

The Dallas Children’s Theater presents the classic Disney fairytale, “Beauty and the Beast.” Catch the last performance of this tale as old as time.

Where: Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman St. Cost: $15-$40 Info: dct.org

5 things to do in East Dallas this October

OCT. 1

The Great Pumpkin

Kick off October with a visit to the Arboretum’s Pumpkin Village. The display includes houses made from more than 90,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash.

Where: Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road

Cost: Free with $15 admissions ticket

Info: dallasarboretum.org

OCT. 5

Book Bargain

Support your local library and score some cheap books at the Lakewood Library Friends’ annual fundraiser. Thousands of gently used books and media will be available for purchase at discount prices.

Where: Lakewood Branch Library, 6121 Worth St.

Cost: Free

Info: dallaslibrary2.org

OCT. 12

Red River Rivalry

If you couldn’t snag a ticket to the Texas-Oklahoma football game, you can still yell “Hook ’em Horns” or “Boomer Sooner” in style at the Granada Theater. Watch the game on giant screens with concert-quality sound.

Where: Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. Cost: $11 Info: granadatheater.com

OCT. 13

Studio Showcase

Explore the places where art is created as you visit more than 50 studios. Guests are encouraged to talk to artists about ideas, processes and materials.

Where: White Rock area

Cost: Free Info: whiterockartists.com

We Get Lakewood.

In Lakewood, you need a proven professional to help you find just what you’re looking for. And as Dallas’ experts on our city’s close-in neighborhoods, no one gets Lakewood quite like we do. Buying? Selling? Call The Professionals at 214.526.5626 or visit davidgriffin.com.

7059 Whitehill St. SOLD David Collier

5600 Anita St. $664,500 Robert Kucharski

469.583.4819

155 Classen Dr. SOLD David Collier

5511

E. Lake Highlands Dr. COMING SOON David Collier

ELEVATING EXCELLENCE IN HEART CARE

Medical City Heart Hospital is focused on one thing: your heart health. Here you’ll find a personalized concierge experience that brings together a multidisciplinary team, expert physicians, the latest technology and unparalleled amenities, all dedicated exclusively to specialized cardiovascular care. Welcome to Medical City Heart Hospital, the new destination of choice for advanced cardiovascular care. To learn more, visit MedicalCityHeartHospital.com.

THE ROUNDUP

ON SPORTS DRINKS $1.9MILLION ON MEN’S AND WOMEN’S ACTIVEWEAR

Read more about neighbors working in the sports industry in “The Sporting Life” on page 40.

WE CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT

Bowlski’s. Neighbors Craig and Jennifer Spivey opened the bowling alley in the historic Lakewood Theater over Labor Day weekend. A year of renovations transformed the former movie theater and music venue into a 10-lane bowling alley with golf simulators, karaoke rooms and gaming suites. Plus, a restaurant and bar serves bowling-friendly items like sliders and pizza rolls. Bowlski’s is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

People always think this industry is different than it really is. They watched ‘Jerry Maguire’ and thought it was sexy. It’s fun to work in sports, but the reality is, it’s high stakes.

- SCOTT LONERGAN, MLBPA CERTIFIED AGENT AT BALLENGEE GROUP

Local Parents. Local Expertise.

The Heather Guild Group knows East Dallas.

Put

hgg@compass.com

972.755.9085

compass.com

With 40 years of combined local real estate experience, The Heather Guild Group knows East Dallas schools and communities inside and out. With a team of Realtors living throughout East Dallas and with children in eight local schools, the Heather Guild Group offers the deep community involvement and connections that help their clients thrive in the coveted neighborhoods of East Dallas.

With The Heather Guild Group, in-depth East Dallas know-how equals outstanding success for buyers and sellers.

BIZ BUZZ the hot list

WOODROW WILSON 2019

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:

MARCA LEE BIRCHER, Woodrow choir director and founder of the Variations show choir

JARRELL GIBBS, TXU president serving 9 million customers globally

THE REV. PAUL GOODRICH, leader of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church

PAUL HARRIS, Dallas ISD principal serving Lakewood Elementary, J.L. Long and Woodrow from 1952-1970

MIRIAM HISER, trial lawyer and founder of the Law Offices of Miriam Hiser; lifelong mentor to open-water swimmers crossing the English Channel

RICHARD MAXIMOFF, internationally recognized concert artist, conductor and record producer; founder of the Grammynominated Hampton String Quartet

DIXON M. MOODY, professor emeritus of neuroradiology at Wake Forest University

PERRY NICHOLS, influential artist of the 1930s and ’40s who exhibited his work with other young Texas artists known as “The Dallas Nine”

MICHAEL OROZCO, Dallas County constable serving the Woodrow Wilson feeder pattern

LAWRENCE PAYNE, executive vice president of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, which owns and operates the San Antonio Spurs

COL. GEORGE ROYSTER, legendary band director at Woodrow and J. L. Long from 1936-1967

RICHARD VITALE, senior vice president at Bank of America Merrill Lynch; founding president of the Woodrow Wilson High School Community Foundation

ALFLOYD WILLIAMS JR., U.S. Army Ranger and master parachutist who served five tours in Afghanistan and Iraq

GERALD WORRALL III, president and CEO of WKA Architects and Dallas civic leader

The Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce recognized eight neighborhood business owners at the organization’s annual business awards luncheon at the Lakewood Country Club.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Highland Park Cafeteria

CHAIRMAN’S BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Ferguson Road Initiative

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR: Element Dallas Downtown East

LIVE LOCAL BUSINESSES OF THE YEAR: 20 Feet Seafood Joint, Good Local Markets, Greenville Avenue Pizza Company

R.S. MUNGER BUSINESS PIONEER: Promise of Peace Gardens

PEOPLE’S CHOICE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Jesse’s AC & Appliance Repair

MAKING THE GRADE

In Dallas ISD, 29 campuses earned an A, and 102 scored a B when the Texas Education Agency released its annual list of school grades. Here’s how our neighborhood schools measured up.

Bella Vista Company recognizes the stress that money management can cause a homeowner and has safeguards in place to successfully navigate the financial part of home building or remodeling. “It’s important to hire a company that you can trust to handle the day-to-day financials and that has the accounting staff needed to distribute all of the costs accurately,” says Bella Vista Partner Sara Haley.

Picking a solid, experienced contractor such as Bella Vista Company is a great start, but most homeowners still have questions about the whole process in general. It’s not uncommon for a homeowner to ask: When do I make a payment? Will work be done on time? Can someone take the money and run without completing the job? How can I financially safeguard myself? Am I able to finance all or part of the construction project?

Money. It’s the big “gulp” issue when it comes to remodeling or building a new home. How do you ensure the job is done right while also making sure your hard-earned money isn’t spent poorly or out-and-out stolen by a contractor?

Lochspring Drive Remodel: Our design process maximizes the spaces you love.

Lochspring Drive Remodel: From the foundation to the finishes, City Bank inspects the progress.

Lochspring Drive Remodel

“These concerns are why we have a tried-and-true process, and we stick to that process on every job,” says Haley.

Bella Vista Company often partners with City Bank Vice President and Mortgage Consultant Patti Hawkins on remodeling and new build projects that involve construction, refinance, home-equity, renovation-plus and purchase-plus loans.

“While there are quite a few moving pieces to the construction and renovation loans, I’ll take the customer step by step through the entire process. Projects are pricey and time consuming. Having an experienced lending partner can certainly assist in getting the project off the ground with the least amount of fuss,” says Hawkins.

Customers are pleasantly surprised to learn that City Bank reviews each draw payment request. “We want to make certain the work completed on site matches the amount of payment the contractor is requesting. It is in the customer’s best interest, as well as the bank’s, to manage the draw process correctly.”

City Bank and Hawkins send a property inspector to a job site each time a contractor requests payment — often 10-15 times during a job — to ensure funds are paid to the contractor to support work that has been completed and approved by the inspector. On their internal team, Bella Vista employs professionals to review invoices and handle payables.

“Mismanaging your money is a valid concern for homeowners,” Haley says. “Avoiding that is the reason to use Bella Vista, so that we’re dealing with the tradesmen, subcontractors, vendors and suppliers instead of you. City Bank and Hawkins actively monitor that each draw payment is appropriate and timely.”

Bella Vista operates on a “fixed-price contract” basis, Haley says, to simplify the financial piece for all parties. “We provide our clients with a fixed cost before we ever swing a hammer. Our clients have the benefit of knowing the number up front, and if there’s any disagreement with a supplier along the way, Bella Vista handles it.”

Bella Vista Company’s long-standing relationship with the lenders at City Bank makes the process run more smoothly for everyone. “We know Bella Vista, and Bella Vista knows City Bank. Together, each project will be efficiently managed and homeowners will have a local team working together,” says Hawkins.

Need help figuring out the financing needed to complete your renovation or new-build venture? Contact City Bank’s Patti Hawkins, NMLS# 414006, at Patti-Hawkins.com or 469.964.0707, or visit Bella Vista Company’s website at BellaVistaCompany.com.

“It’s important to hire a company that you can trust to handle the day-to-day financials and that has the accounting staff needed to distribute all of the costs accurately. ”

Sara Haley Partner

Lochspring Drive Remodel: Before

Lochspring Drive Remodel: After

“Bella Vista Company’s long-standing relationship with the lenders at City Bank makes the process run more smoothly for everyone. We know Bella Vista, and Bella Vista knows City Bank. Together, each project will be efficiently managed and homeowners will have a local team working together.”

Patti Hawkins City Bank Vice President and Mortgage Consultant

SPONSORED CONTENT

From new build to remodel, the team at Bella Vista Company is here to guide your way. We start by designing until you’re happy, and then we use our expertise to oversee the build every step of the way. Our talented team of builders and craftsmen work until every stick, brick and sink is just right.

Lochspring Drive Remodel: Master bath

Lochspring Drive Remodel: Entryway and office

UP FRONT

BENEDETTO BEGINS

Woodrow’s new coach has his eye on his students as well as the ball

Interview by JAIME DUNAWAY | Photography by DANNY FULGENCIO

When Anthony Benedetto first started coaching football at H. Grady Spruce, he had barely enough players to field a team. The squad went 1-9 his second season. But with hard work in the summer months, the team went 6-4 the following year and made the playoffs. “Coaches were hugging. Kids were crying,” he says. “They showed themselves what they could accomplish if they worked hard.” That’s what it’s all about for Woodrow Wilson’s new head coach and athletic coordinator. The Chicago native took over for Bobby Estes, who resigned in December after more than 20 years at the school. It may be Benedetto’s first head coaching job, but he has plenty of football experience. He played receiver for four years at the University of Sioux Falls before moving to Dallas and serving as offensive coordinator at Spruce for six years. Last year, he was the special teams coordinator at Mesquite Poteet, where he learned about mentorship opportunities for his players. He says, “When I left, I knew I could put those programs in place wherever I went.”

Why did you want to be a coach?

To be a head coach and an athletic coordinator, I have the biggest ability to impact the most kids. You can use high school athletics to teach responsibility, ownership and teamwork. You can put your stamp on a community for decades.

How did being an assistant prepare you for this job?

When you first start, you think, “I could be a head coach. I have so many ideas.” But then every year goes by, and you learn something new. You never know when you’re completely ready. Last year, (Mesquite Poteet coach) Kody Groves showed me how to delegate and how to lead strongly but not loudly. That prepared me to see the ins and outs of a successful program. It’s not just winning and losing. It’s how you impact the kids.

What do you love about Woodrow?

When you hear Woodrow Wilson, the name just means something. It’s a school with great tradition. It’s a microcosm of the country. It has affluent students. It has low-income students. We have a deaf population. They have the chance to make friends from all different cultures and learn to get along and work together. You can’t get that anywhere else.

How would you describe this Woodrow team?

Fundamentally sound players with discipline and energy. Kids who stick together through adversity. Our theme this year is brotherhood. I make the kids tell me something about somebody on the team. We put them through tough situations to see if they’ll crack.

You come from a family of coaches. How has that influenced you?

My dad was a coach. I have an older brother who coaches in college and a younger brother who is a high school coach. We all played in high school and college. We ate, slept and breathed sports. Our wives get mad because when we go back, all we do is draw stuff up and talk about football. It unified our family. It helped us form our beliefs and work ethics.

What’s the hardest part about being a coach?

The hardest part is when you see a student-athlete that you invest so much in continually make the same mistake. We have a kid who skips class a lot. You sit down and talk to him, and he gets it. A week later, he’s skipping class again. The next hardest thing is someone who does everything right but doesn’t quite get a scholarship or a test score. That hurts your heart big time.

How do you handle the pressure of this job?

I’m not very good at that. The season is stressful. You want to win. The community wants you to win. Before I had kids, I’d come home and talk with my wife, but it would just sit with me. I’ve had a couple bad days here, but when I open the door, a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old are running to my legs to hug me. Whatever I was mad about, I’m like, “That’s stupid. It doesn’t matter.” The biggest way is to just enjoy my family, play with my kids and see their love for me whether we win or lose.

What’s your favorite sports memory?

As a player, my dad was my coach. He was really hard on me and wouldn’t really tell me, “Good job.” One time I completed a pass to seal a game, and I looked over on the sideline, and my dad gave me a thumbs up. That’s something I’ll always remember.

What do readers not know about you?

I’m full Italian. My grandparents on both sides immigrated. At family parties, there’s a lot of pride. My grandma makes egg noodles and lasagna from scratch. She starts at 6 a.m. and will be done at 3 p.m. I have a unibrow that grows really fast. One year when I was teaching, I grew it out for my students because they passed a test. I didn’t play baseball in high school, but it’s my favorite sport. The Cubs are my favorite team. I used to know the starting lineup from when I was 7 to when I graduated high school.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

“It’s not just winning and losing. It’s how you impact the kids.”

A really big hairy deal: Pet obesity is growing

The number of overweight American pets is huge. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) in 2016, 59 percent of dogs and 28 percent of cats clocked in as overweight or obese. Obese pets have increased health concerns and potential for a reduced quality of life. Overweight dogs are at risk for chronic pain issues, joint disease and respiratory diseases. While obese cats have an increased incident of diabetes and liver disease.

Ultimately obesity can decrease life expectancy by 2 years or more.

ASK THE VET

Annual pet wellness exams allow development of customized diets for weight management. During those visits, a veterinarian will use the Body Condition Score System to evaluate your pet’s appearance and if they are heading for obesity. At that time, appropriate food types, portions and health concerns can be discussed.

Over all, prevention is the key. Dr. Rowan frequently talks about avoiding overfeeding by measuring, not free feeding, decreasing amounts and frequency of treats. Owners should look for healthy snacks such as carrots and green beans. Also, have some family fun by establishing exercise routines and increasing play time.

Find out how to keep your pet slim and trim: Call Rutherford Veterinary Hospital. 214-826-4166 or visit Rutherfordvet.com.

SANSA IN THE SPOTLIGHT

With strength, loyalty and cleverness, Sansa of House Hernandez has the same qualities that made her namesake one of the fiercest females on “Game of Thrones.” “She’s the alpha,” owner Priscilla Hernandez says. “Everywhere she goes, she’s the muse, front and center, strong willed. Plus, she has a little hint of red in her hair. Sansa fit.” The 2-year-old shepherd mix may not be queen of the North, but she rules Junius Heights on her daily walks. “She walks the neighborhood every day — rain or shine,” Hernandez says. “Everyone knows her.” When Sansa isn’t surveying her kingdom, she can be found at her daycare, Kinder Kritter, or sunbathing in the backyard. To cool off, she eats mini vanilla ice cream cones. “She stopped wanting treats, but she loves vanilla ice cream,” Hernandez says. “I don’t even know if she chews it.” — JAIME DUNAWAY

Lakewood resident Teri Rowan, DVM

PAWS & CLAWS

GASTON THE GREAT

In 1868, William H. Gaston moved to Dallas and became one of the leading financiers of Texas. He was president of the Gaston National Bank of Dallas, which opened in 1904 at 226 Main St. The bank issued 6,000 $10 sheets with red seals. They were printed for about six years between 1902 and 1908. Each note has a portrait of William McKinley. The bank became insolvent April 1, 1909, when it consolidated with Commonwealth National Bank of Dallas.

In 1872, Gaston began promoting the 40acre tract east of the city. Only four families settled there at the time, but with the coming of the railroads, people were attracted to the area and built houses in the undeveloped area between Dallas and East Dallas. Gaston designed and constructed his own Greek revival home in 1873 on the northeast corner of the old White Rock Road, now Swiss Avenue, and St. Joseph Street. His mansion was demolished in 1927 to construct Dallas Theological Seminary.

Gaston convinced the railroads to go through East Dallas by giving them $5,000 and free right-of-way through his property. The Houston and Texas Central arrived at the old Union Depot in East Dallas on July 16, 1872, and the Texas and Pacific on Feb. 22, 1873.

On Sept. 9, 1882, East Dallas was incorporated on a site of 1,400 acres. Some residents thought the town should be called Gaston rather than East Dallas. East Dallas merged with Dallas in 1890, making the population total 38,067. In that year’s census, Dallas placed first as the largest city in Texas for the first and only time.

BOTEFUHR

Your heart care begins with careful planning.

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The sporting

MEET THE NEIGHBORS WHO MAKE THEIR LIVINGS OFF ATHLETIC PURSUITS

Story by JAIME DUNAWAY

More than 165 million Americans, about 70 percent of the population, claim they follow sports. Each year, they pack stadiums and tune in to networks to watch their favorite teams. With a plethora of college teams and professional clubs from the five major sports, it’s no surprise Dallas is considered one of the best sports cities in the country. The games are an integral part of the sports industry, but they’re just a small part of the booming business. Professional athletes, sports marketers, agents and philanthropists from our neighborhood share what it’s really like to work in the industry worth $700 billion globally.

LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL

It’s hard to miss the 6-foot-6, 300-pound man shopping at the local grocery store. Although he might look familiar, you probably won’t recognize him. And that’s the way former offensive lineman Luke Joeckel prefers it. Joeckel received plenty of camera time as the No. 2 overall pick out of Texas A&M University in the 2013 NFL draft. But during his four seasons with Jacksonville and one with Seattle, he preferred to stay out of the media spotlight. “If my name wasn’t talked about in the media, the better I was playing,” Joeckel says. After retiring from football in 2018, Joeckel and his family moved to Lakewood. Neighbors might see him around town organizing student camps, speaking at his alma mater, Arlington High School, or volunteering at Woodrow football practices. “I really love Lakewood and how inclusive it is,” he says. “Sports are all about bringing people together — working hard and helping each other out — and Lakewood embraces that.”

What he’s doing now: I finished my undergrad, and I walked the stage in August. It was a beating to finish school six years after I got drafted. I was a grown-up for six years, and

life

then I was back taking undergrad classes. I changed my major from marketing to university studies-business to do everything remotely. I’m in the “figuringit-out” stage. I did a six-month internship with a commercial real estate group here in Dallas and looked at getting an MBA and getting more education in Dallas.

On life after football: I miss the locker room, the relationships, the bonds. You’re all working your tail off and getting beat up together, but I don’t miss the getting beat up part. I had three surgeries in five years and decided to call it. The transition has been a little tougher than I thought it would be. I still wake up early, and all I had to do was a couple school assignments. It’s definitely different than when you’re playing in the NFL. Every second in season is scheduled for you. It’s about constant growth and getting stronger. Not having that goal every single day is a tough transition.

What it was like on draft day: You’re in the green room with all the families of 25 different players. You’re sitting in silence. You can hear a pin drop because people don’t know where they’re moving or if they’re going to a good team or a bad team. Everyone is kind of nervous. When you get called, it’s such a relief, such a surreal moment. I was just excited to be playing and accomplishing my dream. I didn’t care which team I got drafted

Luke Joeckel

to. It’s a whirlwind after that until you get to OTAs. You have to do an hour plus of media interviews, answering the same question a hundred times. Then I got on a plane first thing in the morning to Jacksonville for more press conferences.

Biggest misconception about playing in the NFL: The NFL life does not live up to the Hollywood world. I never bought into that whole lifestyle. I was an offensive lineman. I liked being in the background. I liked playing the game and playing football and living a normal life.

HOMETOWN: Arlington, Texas

JOB TITLE: Student

ALMA MATER: Texas A&M

SPORTS HERO: Anthony Munoz POSITION: Left tackle for Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks

On being recognized in public: Being an offensive lineman, your face is never really out there. I didn’t get much camera time, so I don’t get recognized a lot. I like to think part of it is I’ve lost about 40 pounds since I stopped playing. I’m hoping that’s another reason.

KICKING IT

In a state where football is king, Lakewood Hills neighbor Andy Swift provides a sanctuary for the growing number of soccer fans in Dallas. Followers of The Ticket will recognize him from the weekly soccer show, “The KickAround,” which he hosts every Saturday with co-host Peter Welpton. But Swift’s sports career started from much humbler beginnings — hawking peanuts at Rangers games. He got his official start as a broadcaster covering the Cowboys and their 1996 Super Bowl win for the local Telemundo station. Then he tackled management positions at FC Dallas, where he spent eight seasons as president and general manager. Today, the veteran sports executive serves as a FIFA match commissioner and the director of the Dallas Cup, an elite youth soccer tournament that hosts academy players from Real Madrid, Manchester United and other prestigious clubs. Alumni include David Beckham, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Wayne Rooney. “It’s unlike any other youth tournament in the world,” Swift says. “For anyone who’s been part of the soccer community, it’s special.”

What his show covers: The show started five years ago in 2014 when the World Cup was taking place. The show was popular because it appealed to those who were interested in soccer and those who were new to soccer but following the World Cup. It became a regular on the weekend schedule. It covers all topics with domestic leagues and international competition. Like a lot of Ticket programs, we sneak in segments not related to soccer. We try to strike a

HOMETOWN: Punta

Arenas, Chile

JOB TITLE: Executive director of the Dallas Cup and FIFA match commissioner

ALMA MATER: Texas Christian University

SPORTS HERO: Zico

Andy SWIFT

balance and not get too nitty-gritty for those who are just learning, but we keep it interesting for those who follow it more in depth.

Responsibilities as Dallas Cup director: I oversee the running and operation of the tournament. It’s about raising revenue, selling sponsorships and creating relationships with professional teams. Two hundred teams and 5,000 players compete. About 100,000 people attend throughout the week. Putting such a big event on is a challenge. We’re a nonprofit, so the pressure is there every year. At the end of the day, it’s worth it. The goal is for players to have a unique experience they’ll take with them for the rest of their lives.

On soccer’s growing popularity in the States: The popularity of soccer in the U.S. is an interesting topic. You have to go back a few decades to appreciate the growth it has experienced. The difference between soccer and other major sports is that soccer is a global game. Soccer fans aren’t just following one professional league. Many are also following professional leagues in other parts of the world. When you add all that up, actual eyeballs are high. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. It’s

on par or even surpassed hockey. But some people just look at the number of people who follow MLS.

Favorite sports memory: There’s no other sporting event that matches the World Cup. I worked the World Cup in 1994 when it was in the U.S. I worked with ABC and ESPN as a researcher for the broadcast and attended the games. The electricity you feel when you’re inside the stadium is unmatched. There’s nothing like the passion a whole country experiences. It’s really exciting the World Cup is coming to the U.S. in 2026. I’m looking forward to having my career bookended by those events.

Building FC Dallas: It was enriching, living the highs and lows. You’re hoping you’ll be involved in a team that has a long history and tradition. The team has a good fan base. It started almost 25 years ago, and it’s cool helping all that get started.

On playing soccer: I played in Dallas Cup II and IV. I played with my club team until I graduated college, and I continue to play. My over-40 team just won our league championship. I didn’t play professionally, but I did the next best thing and worked professionally in sports.

MARKETING MAVEN

eed to contact Troy Aikman? Roger Staubach? Sorry to say, we can’t help you. But we know the person who can. Lakewood neighbor Todd Krumholz is the owner and managing director of JTK Talent, a marketing service that connects companies with professional athletes for endorsements, appearances and speaking engagements. Over six years at the position, Krumholz has represented Aikman, Staubach and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebackers Mike Singletary and Charles Haley. He’s also worked on commercials featuring Chicago Cubs pitcher Cole Hamels for Hari Mari, the Lakewood-based flip-flop company that has a national presence. The position has taken him to 15 Super Bowls, NBA All-Star Games and World Series. But before you become too envious, try getting Dez Bryant to an event on time. It’s no easy task.

Hardest part of the job: The hardest part of getting started is building the relationships and the trust. What you’re doing is calling people and saying, “I have an opportunity for you.” Unfortunately, these guys have gotten screwed over before. There used to be people who’d say, “I’ll give you $10,000 to come do this.” The athletes would make an appearance and never hear from them again.

On damage control: Doing it for a long time, you learn who you want to work with and who you don’t. Then you can steer your client toward success. I’ve waited on Dez Bryant for two hours for an appearance. That’s happened to me twice. You send a car, you follow up, you talk to his handler — but there’s nothing I can do about it. You hopefully get to a point where you can consult your client into being successful in who they’re choosing to work with. Sometimes they get hung up on who they want if they have personal feelings for a particular player. You’re hiring me for when something goes wrong. If they don’t show up, I can get someone else. I save my clients time and money on getting deals done. If you’re Hari Mari and want to get

Todd Krumholz

in touch with Cole Hamels, you have no idea where to start. I can get in touch and check interest and availability.

Best part of the job: I never thought growing up in Dallas in the ’90s that the Triplets would know my name. There are some surreal moments when you’re doing stuff with guys like that who are your heroes and getting to know them on a personal level. There are some cool moments when you’re in this business.

Favorite sports memory: Vince Young winning the national championship for Texas. I was at the Rose Bowl with a bunch of buddies from college.

HOMETOWN: Dallas, Texas

JOB TITLE: Owner and managing director of JTK Talent

ALMA MATER: University of Texas

SPORTS HERO: Vince Young

A positive memory with a client: I helped Pudge Rodriguez with his Baseball Hall of Fame induction. I was with him all week in Cooperstown with his wife and kids and family. I was like his right-hand man with pens and sharpies. It was really rewarding, but it was a lot of work. It’s like managing a wedding with the Rangers, the hall of fame, family and friends. He was very gracious and was taking it all in stride.

MATCHING PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES

As a young tennis player, Carla Rosenberg wanted to win Wimbledon, then find a cure for multiple sclerosis, the disease her mother had. She didn’t win Wimbledon, nor did she become a medical doctor, but the M Streets neighbor found a position in sports where she could still do meaningful work. In 2012, Rosenberg founded MatchPoint, an agency that specializes in nonprofit management and charity events for professional athletes. “Tennis was my one true love growing up,” she says. “The agency I started was called MatchPoint because of that.” After playing tennis at the University of Illinois, Rosenberg moved back to Dallas and joined Dallas Influencers in Sports and Entertainment, where she met Kern Egan of the marketing firm, Americas at Lagardère Plus. The president leased her office space and made MatchPoint part of the grander team through an acquisition in 2018. Rosenberg, a South Africa native, knows the Dallas philanthropic scene and has executed Dirk Nowitzki’s Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic and the Red River Celebrity Softball Game with Roger Clemens, Matthew McConaughey, Toby Keith and other A-list celebrities.

What her day-to-day job is like: There are two sides of what we do. We help athletes with their charitable initiatives, and we execute their fundraising events. For the most part, we run charities day to day. Or athletes can focus on other programming and then bring us on to execute their marquee event. For a charity, a big source of revenue is to have an event — a poker evening, a

Carla Rosenberg

golf tournament, a gala. We can get hired by a client just to take their event to another level. It can be a nonprofit, an athlete or a brand.

HOMETOWN: Cape Town, South Africa

JOB TITLE: Senior vice president of charity events and management at Lagardère Plus

ALMA MATER: University of Illinois and the University of Dallas

SPORTS HERO: Steffi Graf

POSITION: Four-year tennis player at Illinois

The most challenging part of her job: The biggest challenge will always be time management and being able to prioritize and communicate effectively to all the groups. We have to communicate to clients, vendors and all different entities. Putting on an event takes a lot of time, and everyone wants it done yesterday.

A positive memory with a client: My first client was Nancy Lieberman. She’s a basketball hall of famer. We do her Dream Ball Gala, which draws a slew of A-list

FEATURED LISTING:

celebrities. We had Ice Cube and Dr. J and raised a million dollars at the Bomb Factory. We started with her 10 years ago. To see what she’s been able to accomplish with events and programming, the impact she’s having in this community and beyond, it’s rewarding to know we played a small part in that.

On growing up in South Africa: I grew up under apartheid. To go from experiencing that and moving to the States and figuring out that’s not how the world functions and operates, I’m glad I have that perspective. The political climate when we were growing up was terrible. Nelson Mandela became president right after we left, but my dad did not know where the country was going to go. He always had an affinity for the States, and he wanted us to thrive here. We all played sports, and he wanted us to have an opportunity. My mom was also diagnosed with MS, and it was more medically advanced here. Everything was handicapped accessible.

What she loves about the neighborhood: Dallas is a great sports town. It has all the major teams and all the minor teams. It’s accessible and affordable. As a whole, it makes it very appealing for someone who works in sports entertainment. A lot of my colleagues live in this area, and they said, “You need to come over.” I’m like, “How did I not move here sooner?” People are cycling, running around, out in their yards. There’s a nice energy.

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NEIGHBORHOOD MLB AGENT

The first time Scott Lonergan arrived at spring training with the Boston Red Sox, he saw 80 other pitchers competing for a spot on the 12-man roster. “It was overwhelming not knowing where I stood on that depth chart,” he says. The right-hander out of Rice played three years with the club’s minor league teams before he went on to pitch for Germany’s Regensburg Legionare. He later worked at the team level, serving as advanced scouting coordinator for the San Diego Padres and as amateur scout for the Chicago Cubs. But he never forgot his professional playing experience and wanted to help other young athletes succeed. In 2015, Lonergan moved to Lakewood as a certified MLB Players Association agent with the Ballengee Group, whose clients include Roger Clemens, Ryan Pressly, Chad Pinder, Caleb Smith, Garrett Cooper and Austin Slater.

Why he became an MLB agent: I worked in two different front offices. When I left to join an agency, I wanted to leverage my experience and help athletes learn from the mistakes I made. One of my biggest priorities is to help athletes understand what their player development plan is by communicating with teams, the general manager, farm directors — whoever

Scott Lonergan

necessary. I don’t want people fighting for their life when their job is secure. Just go to camp and get better. Wouldn’t it be better if you were allowed to make a mistake today? I learned that the hard way. I just didn’t know. I take pride in helping supplement where teams fall short.

HOMETOWN: Poway, California

JOB TITLE: MLBPA certified agent

ALMA MATER: Rice University

SPORTS HERO: Tony Gwynn

Biggest misconception about being an agent: The two things you hear about being an agent are, “It’s glamorous” because you get to hang out with athletes, and “It’s sleazy” because there’s a lot of stuff that goes on under the table. Both are true. People always think this industry is different than it really is. They watched “Jerry Maguire” and thought it was sexy. It’s fun to work in sports, but the reality is, it’s high stakes. It’s a cutthroat industry. We hired some interns, and one of the kids we hired ended up quitting. On his way out he said, “When I signed up for this job, I thought it was 9-5 p.m. not 9-5 a.m.” Games are played on weekends and holidays. By the time (athletes) shower, change and eat, they call at 11 or 12. If you’re not answering the phone, some

POSITION: Pitcher for Rice University and the Boston Red Sox

other agent is. You have to have a very understanding wife and kids.

The dark side of the industry: A lot of times you’re lucky to work with players who are great people. But there is a dark side that dangles carrots and shiny trinkets in front of players, and they’re susceptible to that. The majority of athletes are uneducated consumers. I’ve gotten burned along the way losing athletes to that sort of trickery. My personality type takes it personally. You kill yourself for these guys. You’re sitting there trying to justify to your wife and kids why you have to get on a plane and leave them. I was given the advice, “Just get hired more than you get fired,” and I can’t buy into that.

Favorite sports memory: I think the most fun I ever had playing baseball was pitching for Rice in the College World Series. I was doing it with my best friends. College baseball was not just a team, but also a family. The hard part was transitioning to professional baseball. You have friends on your team, but it’s all competition. You’re all trying to get to the next level. You really aren’t pulling for the same goal until you get to the big leagues. Before that, everyone’s trying to get out of A-ball. I enjoyed my time in professional baseball, but it took a lot of love out of the game for me. I realized it’s a business.

REID SLAUGHTER D.D.S.

CONSULTANT TO THE STARS

There’s no doubt Lakewood neighbor

Kern Egan pulls some weight in the sports industry. He’s president of consulting for the marketing agency, Americas at Lagardère Plus, and works on behalf of brands like Citi, MetLife, Bridgestone, HEB and Metro by T-Mobile. He’s also using that influence to leverage the power of sports to make the community a better place. In 2013, Egan co-founded the Heart of Dallas Bowl, now the First Responder Bowl, to keep a bowl game in the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium and raise money for Dallas charities. He sold the bowl to ESPN the next year and used the annual funding to form the Heart of Dallas Young Professionals, which rebranded to Dallas Influencers in Sports and Entertainment in January 2018. The organization has more than 400 members who have helped more than 1,000 individuals and 34 nonprofits like Café Momentum and The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation. The goal is to raise more than $1 million for charities.

On brands, sports and political issues: Do you stand for something? With any good partnership, your values and ambitions should align. You have to decide if that partnership reinforces what you stand for or exposes what you don’t. We ask our clients to answer

Kern EGAN

those questions. It will become evident which partnerships make the most sense and how to navigate through controversy.

HOMETOWN: Cary, Illinois

JOB TITLE: President, Americas at Lagardère Plus

ALMA MATER: Indiana University

What got him interested in this field: Sports was a big passion of mine from an early age. It bled into the career aspect, and it was a focus of mine from a pretty young age to work in the business. I read an article in Sports Illustrated when I was in high school about a football agent, and I was sure that’s what I wanted to do. It was a long and winding road, but I’m happy to be in this position. I work on the sponsor side rather than with athletes or talent directly.

SPORTS HERO: Walter Payton

Why he created DISE: I moved here from Chicago. I didn’t know anybody and needed a job. People who had no reason were so helpful to me. I wanted to give back and corral the spirit so people could help each other even more. I had a heart for creating a youngprofessionals group in the industry. We’ve expanded membership and partnerships. We run professional events and programming throughout the year. We honor a different athlete every year for their charitable contributions. We’ve given $600,000 to charity in the first four years.

Favorite sports memory: I’ve been to every Super Bowl since 2006. I got to sit in the royal box with the commissioner and watch the first NFL game outside the U.S. Augusta is a pretty special experience. But being in high school and going to a Chicago Bulls game and meeting Michael Jordan is a pretty hard experience to top. My dad is a printer, and one of his clients was the halftime act for the Bulls. He got us courtside seats. The locker rooms at the old stadium were under the court, and we were able to go down there before the game. The Bulls were there waiting to walk up the stairs. Being too naive to know any better, I shook (Jordan’s) hand.

YOU’VE GOT PERSONALITY, WE’VE GOT FRAMES TO FIT

SETH WAITS AND HIS TEAMMATES plunged their paddles into the water of the San Antonio Bay at breakneck speed. Crew members couldn’t ignore the tightness in their shoulders or the muscle spasms in their forearms, but they dug in again and again. Their canoe surged forward and closed the gap between the competing vessel just 150 yards ahead. White-tipped waves crashed into the boat, which threatened to capsize, but Waits and his team continued toward the finish line in a dead heat.

Just 79 hours earlier, Waits had embarked on the Texas Water Safari, which markets itself as the world’s toughest canoe race. Contestants on the 262-mile adventure from the headwaters of the San Marcos River to the town of Seadrift on the Gulf Coast must traverse whitewater rapids, dams and soul-sapping heat — all in 100 hours. To finish, teams must travel day and night without sleep to cross the finish line by the cutoff.

“I’m the kind of person who enjoys challenges and adventure,” says Waits, a graduate of St. John’s Episcopal School who now teaches at Jesuit College Preparatory School. “That’s a big part of what this was.”

Competing in the water safari was years in the making for Waits, who published his race memoir “With the Current, Against the Odds” in 2018. The 36-year-old learned about the race from a Dallas Morning News article the summer before his senior year of high school. Three years later, he was still searching for teammates with the right mix of intelligence, bravery and, perhaps, stupidity. He ultimately turned to college friend Jon Markowitz and Jesuit high school buddy Ben Black with his “crazy idea.”

“Looking back, it didn’t cross my mind that I would

AGAINST THE CURRENT

say no,” says Black, who grew up near White Rock Lake and now lives in Austin. “Of course I would do that with you, Seth. Why not? It was a naïve response.”

The trio arrived on race day in 2005 with an optimism that quickly dwindled as they scanned the fiberglass canoes and expensive carbon-shaft paddles around them. Other racers seemed to have spared no expense. But as college students, they had to find equipment that fit their meager budget.

They purchased a used metal canoe from a family friend for a third of the original price. But it was heavy and weighed down further by wooden paddles and gallon-size pickle buckets the group had gotten for free to store food, equipment and medical supplies.

As competitors saw them laying out their gear for check-in, they laughed openly or uttered sarcastic comments. One man, who had raced in the safari many times, stopped at their location, criticized their gear and bluntly said, “I hope you all have fun, but you have zero chance of finishing.”

“That was a turning point for us,” Waits says. “When somebody tells a team of young, naïve, invincible 22-year-olds that they can’t do something, that creates more motivation to prove them wrong. We were really ticked off, but it was one of the best things that happened to us.”

The team was determined to finish after not getting to compete the year before. When they arrived at the starting line in 2004, the crew found a locked gate with a notice that said the race had been canceled because of high water levels.

They bought a six-pack of beer and sat on the footbridge over the San Marcos River, drinking away their devastation. No verbal pact was made, but the

Story by JAIME DUNAWAY | Photography by DANNY FULGENCIO

Seth Waits completed the Texas Water Safari, which markets itself as the world’s toughest canoe race.

How a St. John’s alum survived a 262-mile canoe race 

“It stressed how important it was to work together.”

teammates knew they would attempt the race again.

When the starting horn finally sounded, the racers got off to a disastrous start, Waits says. The first time the crew had all been in the boat was 20 minutes before the race, and they hadn’t rehearsed how to paddle or communicate. During the first several miles, they veered into the bank and inadvertently hit another vessel as they emerged from the brush. Shortly after, they grazed a bridge piling, and the canoe emerged facing upstream as a slew of spectators looked on.

But perhaps the most embarrassing moment was when the canoe flipped in front of a crowd at mile 9. The team had bypassed a series of rapids by walking the canoe along the bank, but the water was still turbulent when they re-entered. Large boulders gave way to smaller rocks hidden under the water. When they re-emerged — unharmed with gear intact — it was with a renewed sense of unity.

“It stressed how important it was to work together,” Waits says. “It took a lot of courage to keep going.”

The team’s communication improved, but the race didn’t get easier as exhaustion set in. While paddling along the river late at night, crew members passed a spooky field of glowing eyes that belonged to a herd of cattle. Around another river bend, they saw a school bus filled with cardboard cutouts of children sitting on a sandbar.

“We all just looked at it and kept paddling,” Black says. “There are accounts of people hallucinating during the race from fatigue, so we were like, ‘Hey, you saw that, right?’ You know someone put that there just to mess with people. I appreciate the commitment to the cause on that one. That’s a long-range joke.”

But clarity and adrenaline returned as Waits, Black and Markowitz prepared for the final stretch. They knew they were going to finish, but they couldn’t resist one final challenge.

Spying another boat just half a mile ahead of them, they increased their stroke rate until their paddles were churning. They poured their remaining energy into the last mile as sweat dripped down their faces and elbows. It wasn’t enough. They finished in 58th place, 8 seconds behind the other canoe. Of the 92 registered teams, 73 finished the race.

“It was a different finish than most people see and experience,” Black says. “I was just glad to be done. I have no desire to repeat it, but I’m proud of the accomplishment of pulling it off. It’s a pinnacle experience that I’m glad is in my story.”

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GHOST BUSTER

THE PARANORMAL IS NORMAL FOR AUTHOR J. RENÉ GUERRERO

Story by JAIME DUNAWAY | Photography by DANNY FULGENCIO

Author J. René Guerrero explores East Dallas legends in his book, “White Rock.”

LAKEWOOD IS KNOWN for charming cottages, funky restaurants and the natural beauty of White Rock Lake. But beneath that serene façade, it is home to some of the spookiest places in Dallas and the city’s most famous ghost.

Fitzhugh Avenue neighbor J. René Guerrero spent years researching the community’s dark side for his novel, “White Rock,” which follows protagonist Laura Milton as she grapples with the ability to see spirits at neighborhood landmarks that many residents will recognize.

The paranormal has always fascinated Guerrero, who grew up listening to his grandmother’s tales about witches, vampires and mummies. One evening when he spent the night at her house, the doorbell rang in the middle of the night. As he prepared to open the door, his grandmother warned him of restless spirits searching for a home. When they went back upstairs, they saw an apparition of an old woman slowly walking down the road.

“I like being scared, but liking something and being confronted with it are two different things,” he says. “After it happens a number of times, you realize there are other forces at work. I’m not going to tell you I know what it is, but there’s something on the other side of that veil. It’s not just unbridled energy. It has focus and purpose.”

As the author investigated the city’s paranormal history, he soon learned that East Dallas neighbors had their own scary stories to tell. Here are four neighborhood haunts where residents say unexplainable events have occurred.

THE HIGHLAND

The Highland hotel has an upscale, luxurious reputation that is a far cry from a sordid event that allegedly took place in its past. The building opened in 1967 as the Hilton Inn at Mockingbird Lane and Central Expressway. It became a popular rendezvous point for mobsters traveling to Dallas on business.

Two former hotel employees told Guerrero that in the wee hours of the morn -

ing in June 1969, they were working a party when armed men entered the hotel event space and fired into the crowd, killing those inside. The next day, the event was mysteriously missing from the papers.

Did corrupt police officers cover up the shooting? Did the mob blackmail journalists into silence? Do ghosts of the past feed off the lives of the present at The Highland hotel? Check in for a night and see for yourself.

THE GRANADA THEATER

Snuffer’s is home to one of the neighborhood’s most well-known ghosts. The spirit of a man stabbed there decades ago supposedly causes levitating glasses, echoing voices and swaying lights.

But the ghost that haunts the restaurant may also frequent its next-door neighbor, the Granada Theater. When the Granada still operated as a movie theater, an employee told Guerrero that the door to the projector room opened and closed on its own.

It’s unclear if the Snuffer’s ghost was up to his usual tricks in a new location or if a more sinister event in the theater’s past prevented another restless soul from finding eternal peace.

Rumors claim that parts of Lower Greenville sit on an old Indian burial ground. In that case, many buildings on the street could be haunted.

SHIPS LOUNGE

Speaking of Lower Greenville haunts, Ships Lounge is one of the oldest dive bars in town. Established in 1947, much of the original bar remains intact. But when it reopened in 2016 after a brief hiatus, it sported a new seating area with bookshelves and a pool table on the second floor.

Legend has it that Ships’ original owners used to live in the newly renovated space. As the bar sailed to success, the marriage floundered. The wife, believing her husband had cheated on her, killed him before taking her own life. A friend found them dead in the upper-story apartment a few days later.

Today, a bartender says that on slow nights, staff can hear pictures falling off the walls or books tumbling off the shelves — as if the couple was still fighting years later.

WHITE ROCK LAKE

Nearly every neighbor has heard the story of the Lady of White Rock Lake. On a hot July night in the 1940s, a couple found a soaking young woman wearing a white dress on the shore of White Rock Lake. She asked to be taken to an address, but when the vehicle arrived, the back seat was empty, but still wet, where she had been sitting. After a fruitless search, the driver knocked on the door, and the man who answered said his daughter had died in the lake two years before.

In the 70 years since the Lady appeared, other versions of the story emerged, muddling the truth about what really happened that night. Sometimes she is said to be from Highland Park rather than Lakewood. Some claim she asked to be taken to a house in Oak Cliff instead of a residence on Gaston Avenue. Others say she didn’t drown in the lake. She committed suicide. And still others attest that she knocked on doors around the lake, asking to use the telephone.

Discrepancies in the tale can mean only one thing: There’s more than one ghost haunting the lake, Guerrero says.

His theory may seem farfetched, but history is on his side. Before White Rock Lake existed, the Freedmen established three municipalities in the valley that eventually became the lake. Each municipality had its own cemetery, all of which were assimilated when the City of Dallas began planning for a water reservoir in 1907.

“I know (there’s more than one ghost) because there has been so much death in that place,” Guerrero says. “All that spiritual residue is concentrated in one area, and I believe it is a contributing factor to all the strange things that have happened there over the decades.”

“You realize there are other forces at work.”

YOU KNOW YOU’RE A WOODROW WILDCAT IF….

FIND OUT IF YOU’RE THE REAL DEAL IN HONOR OF THE SCHOOL’S 90TH ANNIVERSARY

Story by JAIME DUNAWAY

WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL

opened Sept. 14, 1928, with the first class of seniors graduating the following year. For the next 90 years, countless students, including Dallas Arboretum President Mary Brinegar and Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band, have walked through the building that is a Texas Historic Landmark. Now, it’s time to party. The Woodrow Wilson Alumni Association is commemorating 90 years of Woodrow with a weekend of events Oct. 24-26. Celebrate the milestone at the homecoming game, then stay for the hall of fame induction ceremony and tours of the new addition.

YOU HAD CLUB DAY. Wouldn’t it be great if extracurricular clubs met during school hours? In the 1950s, they did. Every other week, students spent first period meeting with their clubs. There were history, political and environmental clubs, but they weren’t all scholastic. “I was a member of the Canasta club. It was a card game,” says “Blazing Saddles” actor Burton Gilliam, who graduated in 1956. “Everyone looked forward to it.”

YOU GOT PRANKED AS A FIRST-YEAR STUDENT. Hazing isn’t tolerated at Woodrow, but students through the years can’t seem to resist playing a few harmless pranks on underclassmen. During the 1950s, all new male students had to roll their pants above their knees after lunch. “We all felt dumb for doing it, but it was all in good fun,” Gilliam says. “They wouldn’t put up with it today.” By the 1970s, the wholesome pranks of the past turned entrepreneurial, and the seniors charged the freshmen tickets to use the elevator. “Of course you couldn’t use them, but freshmen had no idea it was a prank,” says 1976 graduate Michelle Bobadilla, senior associate vice president of outreach at the University of Texas-Arlington. “Luckily, I had a sister who graduated in 1970 and warned me about it.”

YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THE MUSICAL.

The first musical production was in 1943, and the tradition has continued ever since. Woodrow doesn’t produce your typical high school musical. In 1994, the “Singin’ in the Rain” show featured a shower that poured water on the cast. And in 1998, monkeys flew in “The Wizard of Oz” thanks to professional stage-flight equipment rented from Las Vegas. Although students are the ones who spend months rehearsing, moms help with costumes while dads build the set and serve as stagehands in a group called “Men in Black.”

“YOU SAY WOODROW. YOU DON’T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE. ENOUGH SAID.”

YOU KNOW WHAT’S WRITTEN ABOVE THE AUDITORIUM STAGE.

The unofficial chronicles of the Woodrow Wilson musicals are located high above the stage. Since the 1970s, students in the show have climbed the catwalk to write their names and graduating years on the wall. The practice is no longer encouraged because of safety reasons, so students have taken to writing their names in closets around the stage. But a few daring students still sneak up to the catwalk to keep the tradition alive. “Yep, I did that,” says Katie Anderson, a 2009 graduate and the former Woodrow musical director. “It’s like putting your name next to a famous person. These kids have been going to the musicals since they were 5, so they know the stars and want their name next to theirs.”

YOU’RE INVOLVED IN THE IB PROGRAM.

Woodrow is the only Dallas ISD school with graduates in the globally focused International Baccalaureate program. Ruth Vail, a 1991 graduate, spearheaded the implementation of the program when she returned to the school as principal in 2005. She rallied the community, parents and alumni, and together, they raised $25,000 to cover the program’s authorization costs and annual fee. “I always thank the outside community for helping,” Vail says. “Asking DISD, it would have never happened. I tried to make sure students could benefit from a public school. You don’t have to pay $30,000 for a private school.” Since the first class graduated in 2015, enrollment in the program has grown to 150 students, and their test scores have surpassed the national average.

YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SLICE OF CAKE.

For nearly a century, a tasty morsel has been entombed in the foundation.

The slice of cake from the 1913 wedding of President Woodrow Wilson’s daughter was sent by a Texas bridesmaid to her cousin in Dallas. In 1927, the slice was laid in one of the school’s cornerstones. How the cake was preserved for 14 years before it was buried in the foundation is anyone’s guess.

MULTIPLE GENERATIONS HAVE ATTENDED THE SCHOOL.

Constable Michael Orozco graduated from Woodrow in 1991, his son graduated from the IB program in 2017 and his daughter will graduate in the class of 2023. “Everyone at Woodrow will tell you it’s such a special school because it’s like one big family,” he says. “Many of the alumni want their sons or daughters to attend so they can have the same experiences.” Generations of alumni share his story. For a decade, Bobadilla says at least one of her family members attended Woodrow. “My sister was homecoming queen. My brother was on the football team,” she says. “It gave you a sense of community. We felt grounded and rooted in our school.”

YOU HAVE WILDCAT PRIDE.

There’s nothing like high school football in Texas. And at Woodrow, the tradition of athletic excellence runs deep. It is the only public high school in the country to produce two Heisman Trophy winners in Notre Dame wide receiver Tim Brown and Texas Christian University quarterback Davey O’Brien. Throughout the years, students have looked forward to Friday pep rallies, where the Sweethearts dressed in gray and red cheer their team to victory. Under the lights of the stadium, fans yell the familiar cheers. “The seniors still yell S-E-N-IO-R-S, seniors are the best,” Anderson says. That Wildcat pride remains, even after heartbreaking defeats. When 1966 graduate Gary Griffith attended Woodrow, his undefeated team lost to rival Hillcrest. “We had visions of moving on

and playing in the state final, but it was a reminder that things don’t always turn out the way you want,” Griffith says. “You can’t take anything for granted as a team and a school. It was a nice reminder for life. There are setbacks, but we were taught at Woodrow how to meet those challenges.”

YOU WERE IN THE LARGEST ROTC GROUP IN THE USA.

In the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, Woodrow had the largest Junior ROTC program in the country with 16 different companies and an ROTC band. Every Wednesday morning, cadets marched in an ROTC parade. “It was a way of life at Woodrow,” Gilliam says. “I took it to heart. It required body and soul.”

YOU WERE STUDENT OF THE WEEK.

Each week, an outstanding student was recognized with a segment on the local news. But nothing stands in the way of students and their caffeine. “It was a Friday, and my friend and I decided to go get coffee,” Vail says. “I was Student of the Week, and when I came back, the principal was mad. He said the TV people were looking for me. With no cell phones, they couldn’t text me.”

YOUR SLOGAN WAS, “WOODROW…ENOUGH SAID.”

Leigh Ann Stovall

O’Quinn was brainstorming ideas for a cheer squad fundraiser when she saw a sorority bumper sticker that sparked her imagination. She went to her grandmother, a 1936 graduate who owned a decal business, and created the slogan, “Woodrow…Enough said.” The saying spread throughout the class of 1991, and the decals, which featured red bubble letters on a gray background, can still be seen on a few cars in the neighborhood. “When people ask where you went to high school, you don’t say Woodrow Wilson,” O’Quinn’s classmate Orozco says. “You say Woodrow. You don’t need to say anything else. Enough said.”

YOU GIVE BACK.

One of the best ways to stay connected to Woodrow is to give back, Griffith says. The former Dallas City Council member and his classmates founded the Land-Hyland Scholarship Fund, which has given more than $60,000 to student-athletes in honor of two football players who died. And in October, Griffith’s class will unveil a marble stone plaza dedicated to Wildcat legends. Community members can purchase stones engraved with the names of hall of fame members. All proceeds go toward school projects. “Woodrow prepared me in a number of ways to be a volunteer in the community,” he says. “I’m a small story, but the big story is what you learn about community service and civic responsibility.”

“THE BIG STORY IS WHAT YOU LEARN ABOUT COMMUNITY SERVICE.”

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

By PATTI VINSON

Boys to men

How teen boys transform our neighborhood, project by project

For the Love of the Lake, C.C. Young, Juliette Fowler and Woodrow Peace Pantry all have one thing in common: Young Men’s Service League, a group of boys that devoted 1,700 volunteer hours last year to neighborhood organizations. And they’re just getting started.

The Young Men’s Service League is a national nonprofit whose members are teenage boys and their moms. They volunteer together to serve their communities. The local chapter was formed last year by neighbor Amanda Cecil, who had heard about the league from friends in other parts of Dallas.

“Since Lakewood is my home, I thought we needed this organization in our neighborhood,” Cecil says. “I didn’t like the idea of joining a different group not in our neighborhood because I wanted to make an impact in East Dallas.”

She recruited some other like-minded moms and got busy. “We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but it was so worth it,” she says.

The goal is to recruit members in East Dallas and the Woodrow Wilson High School feeder pattern. Most current members, now numbering 135, attend Woodrow, but others live in the area.

“It’s important as parents that we instill giving back and service in our children,” Cecil says. “I wanted my children to understand that part of their job as humans is to give back and provide support, love and service to those who are less fortunate or don’t have the same resources.”

Neighbor Carol Riemer is a recruit. When she and her son, Daniel, a junior at Woodrow, were asked to get involved, they jumped in.

“It appealed to me because it offered a structured opportunity to do some community service,” she says. “We are fortunate to have most of our needs met,

but life could have easily gone in a different direction, and it could have been us needing kindness and help.”

The boys are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service, 10 of which are completed as a mother-son team. Most of those service hours are completed right here in our neighborhood. For the Love of the Lake’s shoreline cleanup is a frequent beneficiary.

“White Rock Lake is where a lot of life happens in East Dallas, so I feel a certain obligation to give back to it,” Riemer says. “Daniel and I get frustrated at the amount of trash in the water.”

Not far from the lake is C.C. Young Senior Living where the boys interact

with the residents — playing board games, providing tech support and spending time with those who live there. At nearby Juliette Fowler Communities, they do the same and help with gardening.

At Woodrow, the boys volunteer at the Peace Pantry, which provides food, clothing and toiletries to students in need. Last fall, they helped pack Thanksgiving food and cooking supplies, which needy students took home to enjoy with their families. Hunger Busters is another charity on the list. The organization provides meals to food-insecure children in Dallas ISD schools. Daniel says he enjoys packing lunches because he feels accomplished seeing them lined up and ready to go.

Teenage boys volunteer with the Young Men’s Service League. (Photography by Carissa Byers.)

By GEORGE MASON

Faith first

How the religious community can truly help the homeless

“Let the faith community pick up the slack.” That’s the mantra of some who see social services as a function of charity rather than taxes.

The Dallas City Council recently debated this issue while discussing the city manager’s proposed budget. To strengthen the public safety portion of the budget — increases for police and fire departments — he proposed a third-cent tax increase that would mean about $8 per year on a home valued at $300,000.

Because market values have risen sharply in recent years, some council members fought the increase, seeking instead to hold the tax rate steady and reduce the social services portion of the budget as an offset.

The city manager revised his proposal, and the tax rate remained the same. Social services kept much of their funding.

Public safety is crucial to thriving communities. Having a sound public safety sector is good for everyone. It also takes up 60 percent of the budget.

The social services sector is significantly smaller by comparison. It addresses inequities in our city that are the inevitable product of a market-driven economy — disparities that imperil the quality of life for senior citizens, the disabled, the homeless and the poorest among us.

Dallas’ investments in social services are not mere taxpayer-funded charity. They are strategic attempts to provide opportunity for growth where the market has failed and to make wise expenditures that will save tax money in the long run.

For instance, the cost of one homeless person in Dallas is about $35,000 per year. That includes recurring costs like calls to police, shelter stays, jail time, emergency room visits and drug and alcohol treatment. We can save about $22,000 per chronically homeless person per year by directing them to permanent supportive housing units.

This “housing first” strategy gives them

a safe place to live in a community with support and accountability.

Part of the budget is dedicated to shifting toward that cost-saving strategy. Cutting that portion of the budget ends up costing more, not less.

But maybe the faith community could pick up that cost. Consider this: Dallas had 4,538 homeless persons at one point this year. Is it realistic to ask congregations of all faiths to make a dent in homelessness to reduce the cost to taxpayers?

WORSHIP

BAPTIST

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

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

ROYAL LANE BAPTIST CHURCH / 6707 Royal Lane / 214.361.2809

Christian Education 9:45 a.m. / Worship Service 10:55 a.m.

Pastor - Rev. Dr. Michael L. Gregg / www.royallane.org

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

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

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

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

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

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

LUTHERAN

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

A Welcoming and Affirming Church / Rev. K.M. Truhan

Sunday School 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am / CentralLutheran.org

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA) / 6202 E Mockingbird Lane

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

METHODIST

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

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

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

LAKEWOOD UMC / 2443 Abrams Rd. / 214.823.9623

Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am / mylakewoodchurch.org

Messy Church for Children and Families Sunday 5:00 pm

MUNGER PLACE CHURCH / Come & See

Sunday: Morning Worship: 9:30 & 11:00 am Evening Worship 5:00 pm 5200 Bryan Street / mungerplace.org

If we asked the faith community to move 200 homeless persons into supportive housing next year, churches would need to raise an additional $2.5 million in tithes and offerings at a time when charitable giving is down everywhere — due, in part, to income tax reform. That doesn’t account for medical, dental and mental health care, assistance for refugees and countless other services that make our city welcoming and well.

Religion provides a moral conscience to our communities. It does not replace the duty of every neighbor helping every neighbor flourish. The faith community will do its part, but we need the City of Dallas to join us in making the city whole.

GEORGE MASON is pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church, president of Faith Commons and host of the “Good God” podcast. The Worship section is underwritten by Advocate Publishing and the neighborhood businesses and churches listed here. For information about helping support the Worship section, call 214.560.4202.

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

LAKE POINTE CHURCH – WHITE ROCK CAMPUS

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

LAKEWOOD FELLOWSHIP / Sundays 9:30 am White Rock YMCA / 7112 Gaston Ave LakewoodFellowship.org / Lakewood@LakewoodFellowship.org

THE CHURCH AT JUNIUS HEIGHTS / 5429 Reiger Ave. Services Sundays at 10:30 am / Pastor Sam Dennis 214-377-0396 / thechurchatjuniusheights.org

PRESBYTERIAN

NORTHRIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 6920 Bob-O-Link Dr. 214.827.5521 / www.northridgepc.org / Sunday Worship 10:00 am Church that feels like church and welcomes like family.

PRESTON HOLLOW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 9800 Preston Road

8:15 am Chapel, 9:30 & 11:00 am Sanctuary, 5:00 pm Founder’s Hall

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

ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN / 3204 Skillman St. 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 Metaphysical Bible Study 9:30 am

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“Is it realistic to ask congregations of all faiths to make a dent in homelessness?”

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CABINETMAKER Design/Build Custom Furniture. Repair, Refinish. 40 yrs. exp. Jim 214-457-3830

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Art Cub: Mon’s. 12:30-2:30pm, Free For LHNRC

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CLEANING SERVICES

ALTOGETHER CLEAN

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

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

WANTED: HOUSES TO TIDY, Organize, De-clutter, or Pack. Sunny 214-724-2555

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Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

ALL COMPUTER PROBLEMS SOLVED

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

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

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

BILL’S COMPUTER REPAIR

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

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CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING

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, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001

CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401

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 SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

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

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333 TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses

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

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

WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd.TECL-34002 214-850-4891

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com

AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217

FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS oldgatefence.com 214-766-6422

FENCING & DECKS

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

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

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com

All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers

FLOORING & CARPETING

CALL EMPIRE TODAY To Schedule A Free In -Home Estimate On Carpeting & Flooring. 1-800-508-2824

DALLAS HARDWOODS 214-724-0936

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

HASTINGS STAINED 214-341-5993

Hardwoods- Install/Refinish/Stain. Stained & Sealed Concrete. hastingsfloors.com

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

FOUNDATION REPAIR

• Slabs • Pier & Beam

• Mud Jacking • Drainage

• Free Estimates

• Over 20 Years Exp. 972-288-3797

We Answer Our Phones

GARAGE SERVICES

IDEAL GARAGE DOORS • 972-757-5016

Install & Repair. 10% off to military/1st responders.

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

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

EC0NOMY GLASS & MIRROR Mirror, Shower, Windows Repair. 24 Hr. Emergency. 214-875-1127

LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR

frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160

PRO WINDOW CLEANING prompt, dependable. Matt 214-766-2183

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

HOME REPAIR HANDYMAN Small/Big Jobs + Construction. 30 Yrs. Exp. Steve. 214-875-1127

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

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical.469-658-9163

WANTED: ODD JOBS & TO DO LISTS

Allen’s Handyman & Home Repair 214-288-4232

Your Home Repair Specialists Drywall Doors

Senior Safety Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs And More! 972-308-6035 HandymanMatters.com/dallas Bonded & Insured. Locally owned & operated.

HOME INSPECTION

BOOK YOUR HOME INSPECTION TODAY hardwoodhomeinspections.com 214-697-6173 TREC #23765

HOUSE PAINTING

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

972-6-PAINT-1 Int/Ext Paint & Drywall. A+ Quality. Call Kirk Evans 972-672-4681.

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

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

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

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

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

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS LLC

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

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

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

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

Granite, Quartz, Marble For Kitchen/Bath-Free Est. jennifer@gmail.com 214-412-6979

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

CHUPIK TREE SERVICE

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

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com

214-924-7058 214-770-2435

NEW LEAF TREE, LLC

Honest, Modern, Safety Minded. 214-850-1528

PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.

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

LEGAL SERVICES

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY! Estate/Probate matters.maryglennattorney.com 214-802-6768

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

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

MCDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 + Tax For General Treatment.

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

NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT, INC

Squirrels, Rats, Racoon, etc. removal. Best Rates. Since 1994. Same Day Service Available. Rated 5.0 Star on Google. 214-827-0090 natureking.com

PET SERVICES

WINSTON ABBEY PETS

Fur Babies, Dog Walking, Pet Sitting, etc. Insured & Bonded, winstonabbey.com, 214-808-8993

PLUMBING

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

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues.

STAGGS PLUMBING Water Heaters, Sewer Backups, Water Leaks. All Plumbing Repairs. 972-379-4000

POOLS

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

ACCOUNTING/TAXES Small Business/Individual Chris King, CPA 214-824-5313 chriskingcpa.com

C.A.S. BOOKKEEPING SERVICES

Personal/Small Business. Payroll, Accounting, Organizing, Consult. Cindy 214-577-7450

REMODELING

A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC

Remodeling, Painting, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing, Electrical,Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels, Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Estimates.

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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 Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com

INTEX CONSTRUCTION Specializing in int/ext. Remodel. 30 Yrs Exp. Steve Graves 214-875-1127

MP ARCHITECTURAL Design & Construction. mattandpaul.com 214-226-1186

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

ROOFING & GUTTERS

Residential • Commercial (214) 503-7663 www.scottexteriors.com

SERVICES FOR YOU

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”WE CARE ABOUT YOUR TREES”

MUSICAL NOTES

THREE MUSICIANS ARE BETTING IT BIG ON OUR CREATIVE CLASS

Neighborhood artists fill clubs and coffee shops, ready to catch some attention. Here are three to watch:

JJ MAXX’S EXCELLENT MEDLEY

JJ Maxx arrives in khakis, a button-down shirt and dress shoes. It’s an unexpected look for someone

whose stage name has two X’s.

Maxx is a former law school student who was raised on a heavy diet of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

“It was the lowest-hanging fruit,” he says. “I already knew all the songs. When you hear the horns playing those songs, it is the most magical thing you could experience. It gives me chills to think about it.”

After law school, Maxx began performing jazz and singing classics with 14-piece bands. Since moving to Dallas, Maxx has changed his style, playing an upbeat pop-rock medley reminiscent of an early Maroon 5. While he still has a day job, Maxx spends his weekends at venues. He released a new EP in August.

“More and more musicians are going to come out of Dallas because there is a culture here of quality over quantity,” he says. “The music scene is undervalued. Great musicians come out of the universities here. There are so many talented musicians in DFW.”

DECIBELS WITH DESABELLE

For Edward Desabelle, music was the lifeline in a course load filled with physics. He began playing seriously at the University of Texas at Dallas — bonding with friends over jam sessions in the dorm rooms.

He now plays in East Dallas with his blues-folk-rock band, Desabelle. The group’s influences are endless, ranging from Norah Jones to Jimi Hendrix.

“You take little pieces of what you like and make a collage,” he says. “It becomes you. We all try and do bad impressions of our heroes. We emulate our heroes in the worst way possible.”

Desabelle is excited about Dallas, saying the city is “starting to become itself.” The Dallas native seems proud of the relationship between musicians in the city.

“Musicians are like a dysfunctional family,” he says. “Everyone plays for or with everybody. I would say the music community in Dallas is close. Everybody is rooting for each other. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but mostly it is people looking to get inspired by other people.”

RYAN BERG: 250 SHOWS A YEAR

Ryan Berg sits outside White Rock Coffee, sipping an iced latte. Before he was a musician, he was a barista. He started playing openmic nights at White Rock Coffee and remains a local favorite.

“I have a really high-pitched voice, and that was something that I was made fun of throughout junior high and high school,” he says. “Now, that’s where I make my bread. That was my struggle and my strength.”

Berg has played full time for four years. He began working with 13th Floor, a Dallas-based booking agency that helps hire local musicians. Berg plays 250 shows a year and is adapting to being a full-time artist.

“It’s not living the dream all the time,” he says. “A lot of people think it’s the shows, but a lot of the work is at home doing not-so-fun stuff.”

Berg has faith in Dallas artists.

“I played in Austin for a couple years, and the level of competition is so intense that it’s hard to make relationships with other musicians,” he says. “Dallas is a melting pot in the best way. Everyone gets along.”

— SARAH NUNEZ-LAFONTAINE

learning

It’s an exciting time at Spanish House! The East Dallas Spanish immersion school opens a new campus next June at 550 N. Haskell to serve infants – age 5. The new school will replace the existing Prospect Ave. nursery school.

Check

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By MITA HAVLICK

A new chapter for Dallas libraries

Hello to chair yoga, farewell to late fees

Returning library books is not my strong suit. I’m so bad at it that until recently, I hadn’t checked out a book in ages. More than once I’ve elected to buy a new copy of an overdue book because it was more cost effective than paying the late fine.

But when the Dallas Public Library went fine free in May, it changed my life. I released any previous humiliation and returned to an institution to which I have a strong connection.

My first job, at the tender age of 15, was as a page at our local public library in Oswego, Illinois. My employment was kept a secret for several months because labor laws stipulated an employee had to be 16 years of age. I really think it was because I was paid $2.85 an hour, well below the minimum wage of $3.35 at the time.

My hometown library evolved during my two-year tenure. Word processors replaced typewriters, and VHS tapes became part of the offerings. But one thing that remained constant was the late-fee structure. After a three-day grace period, it was 10 cents a day for each overdue item. There were no exceptions. Whether your kids were sick, your car broke down or you simply forgot, you paid the fine. It was punitive, springing from the belief that the penalty incites people to return items by their due date.

However, that’s not the case. Overdue fines do little more than keep patrons away, says Jo Giudice, Dallas director of library services.

Backed by national data, Giudice and the Dallas Public Library successfully lobbied for a change in the city’s ordinance to remove all late fees. It was a shift in library culture, but a change that Giudice felt confident making. Fines contributed

less than 0.5 percent of revenue to the library system budget, and policing the policy had unintended consequences — some books and, more importantly, some customers (like me) weren’t coming back.

Giudice took the helm of Dallas libraries in 2012. Prior to her arrival, the position had been vacant for three years, and the system was significantly underfunded. Under Giudice’s guidance, our libraries have evolved from book depositories to neighborhood gathering places that Giudice calls “the third living room.” There aren’t a lot of places where you can access high-speed internet, educational classes, movies and eBooks free of charge.

If you haven’t been to the library recently, go to any of our East Dallas locations. I visited the Lakewood and Lochwood libraries and immediately felt the welcoming environment that Giudice and her branch managers have worked hard to create.

Giudice wants to eliminate roadblocks to improve accessibility. For example, the Dallas Public Library does not accept federal funds because that requires a residency check. And remember when you couldn’t eat in the library? Giudice changed the policy to allow food because people, especially kids, get hungry. You may get a tap on the shoulder if you bring in fried chicken or sliced raw onions, but a granola bar and a beverage are perfectly acceptable after-school sustenance.

“The reason that libraries are around today is because they’re flexible and adaptable,” Giudice says.

Leslie Lake, manager of the Lakewood branch, agrees.

“We want to be an integral part of the community, and we strive to be reflective of our community,” she says.

When it comes to creating new programming, her personal motto is: “Let’s try it.”

With flexibility and community as norms, our local libraries address trends and take suggestions from library patrons. Those ideas have led to the library investing in an abundance of books on urban chicken farming and offering retirees in our neighborhood a six-week chair yoga course. They also provide educational and craft classes. Watercolor, Composting 101 and Day of the Dead crafts are coming this fall, as well as book wreaths just in time for the holidays.

There’s plenty of new programming, but one mainstay is, and will always be, storytime. I miss going with my kids to Bookmarks at NorthPark Center, and if my two teenagers let me, I’d still take them to listen to Dr. Seuss.

The wealth of on-site and online offerings have led to an increase in circulation. Perhaps it’s because of the elimination of fines. It’s too early to analyze the data, Giudice says, but anecdotally, it seems that since the library became fine free, thousands of patrons have returned, and books are coming back before their due dates.

Lake says it’s been a relief to not be the library police, preferring a “we’ll work with you” approach.

I, too, prefer that approach. The six library books I checked out on my last visit, along with the two Kindle books I’ve borrowed via my laptop, are evidence of the joy it has been to rediscover the library, both in person and online.

MITA HAVLICK is a neighborhood activist. Find her commentary regularly in the back pages of our print edition and online at lakewood. advocatemag.com.

If you already live here, then you get this. Like all of us, you were probably drawn to the mature trees and topography, the proximity to downtown, White Rock Lake and The Dallas Arboretum, the abundance of locally owned retail and restaurants and the wide variety of options for great schools. And you stayed for the neighbors who became friends, the small-town feeling and the sense of belonging to something bigger and greater.

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