2018 February Lake Highlands

Thanks for the Memories

Crystal Gale at KBOX concert.

OPENING REMARKS

By RICK WAMRE

Songs to love

The weird titles that hide in our playlists

When I switched to a new phone recently, my iTunes account voluntarily offered up a window identifying how many songs I have on the phone (762). For some reason, the very first song on that list was “I’m My Own Grandpa.”

This song didn’t make any year-end “best of” lists, nor did its writer win any major awards. But it’s a catchy little tune about a guy who finds out that by virtue of some unusual but legal marriages (he married a widow who had a grown-up daughter, who married his father, and they both had kids …). Eventually, all of this family business makes the singer become his own grandpa.

I’ve heard this old Moe Jaffe/Dwight Latham song played live once: We were in Wyoming on a family trip and stumbled across a “chuckwagon” theater, where a father and sons were playing Western music. It was funny at the time, so I bought it and promptly forgot about it.

Until now.

So I started wondering what other odd-titled songs were lurking deep in my phone’s memory or, perhaps, in my own?

Maybe “Satan Gave Me A Taco” from Beck is one of your favorites? Sample lyrics: “Satan gave me a taco, and it made me really sick. The chicken was all raw, and grease was mighty thick. The rice was all rancid, and the beans were so hard. I was gettin’ kinda dizzy eatin’ all the lard.” On and on the lyrics go, with the eventual punchline being the singer figures out the whole thing was a dream, and he was part of a rock ‘n’ roll video.

Weird Al Yankovic has some oddball songs, too: “Stuck In A Closet with Vanna White” (nothing R-rated happens), “My Bologna” and “Don’t Download This Song” come to mind.

Loretta Lynn is an old-school country singer known for telling it like it was,

and some of her songs are no exception: “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly” probably didn’t endear her to her husband.

“I Don’t Know Whether to Kill Myself or Go Bowling” is from Instant Witness’ album “Noise Gunk Murder Castle.” Probably that says enough.

Even Johnny Cash wasn’t immune from picking a weird song title or two: Have you ever listened to “I’ve Been Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart”? Yeah, it’s not high on my playlist, either.

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The Notorious Cherry Bombs reached number 47 on the Billboard Hot Country singles chart with “It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long.”

And since this month includes Valentine’s Day, I’m ending with a “love song” sung by a guy named Mike Snider. As far as I can tell, this song didn’t make Snider a legend in his own time: “If My Nose Were Running Money, I’d Blow It All on You.”

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Loretta Lynn is an oldschool country singer known for telling it like it was, and some of her songs are no exception: “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly” probably didn’t endear her to her husband.

DID YOU CATCH THAT NAME?

The Zeke apartments likely will get a pass, as Dallas schools and statues deal with removal and renaming

By CHRISTINA HUGHES

Photos

by

DANNY FULGENCIO

In 2016 the Dallas Cowboys drafted running back Ezekiel Elliott, “Zeke” to fans. The rookie represented hope for a despairing team. Like many a Cowboy prospect, he brought baggage, but he was a charismatic champ from a lineage of pro athletes, a star who leapt defenders in a single bound and ran at lightning speed for substantial yardage.

Arguably, the branding of a renovated apartment complex near White Rock Lake was clever. Dallas-based S2 Capital purchased and launched a $5 million renovation on the rundown Grove apartments. Today it is modern, clean and relatively code-compliant (unlike its Grove days).

Old gray and brick exterior transformed to trendy rustic orange and distressed wood, a scheme that did not reflect the Dallas Cowboys or the name that S2 Capital christened its renovated project: The Zeke, a nod to Elliot, who hadn’t yet played one NFL game, but who was under criminal investigation for beating his girlfriend. (Calls to an S2 representative, who sent an August 2016 press release on the topic, have remained unreturned.)

The allegations against Elliot were questionable, pundits said at the time. “The fact is, Cowboys fans loved him and they [thought] the whole thing was a sham,” says ESPN’s Tim Cowlishaw. Sportscaster, writer and Lake Highlands resident Matt Mosley finds humor in the name. “Naming an apartment after a tailback who hadn’t played a down is silly in the first place.”

It was an exhilarating 2016 season, thanks largely to Elliot, who habitually hurdled defenders and rushed toward the end zone, charming cheering crowds with his signature “feed me” gesture and gleaming smile. But the 24-year-old never seemed to stay out of trouble long enough for accruing allegations of misconduct to escape the collective mind of Dallas sports reporters and fans. He reportedly was involved in a nightclub

brawl. He yanked down a woman’s tube top, exposing her breast in public during Lower Greenville’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Feminist-leaning fans discerningly replaced Elliot T-shirts with less specific Cowboy gear.

“I was so freaking excited about Zeke, so pumped after the 2016 season, even though it ended too soon,” says Angie Swim, a 19-year-old “Cowboy fan for life” visiting her grandmother at The Zeke. “But, nope, I cannot wear the [Elliot] shirt. There’s too much evidence that something happened here.”

bad behavior, legally substantiated or otherwise.

As the Cowboys’ and commissioner entreaties proceeded, a tangentially related national movement emerged. A growing group of women united to share accounts of powerful men who they said had sexually harassed them and thwarted their careers. Separately, last summer, at protests, rallies or PTA meetings, citizens of Dallas and those across the nation debated the removal and renaming of perceivably offensive statues and school names.

The Zeke never was mentioned — no surprise. It’s private property, not a public institution. No one really remembered it was named after Elliot.

The NFL agreed. “The NFL’s disciplinary process does not carry the same burden of proof as the legal system,” according to Sports Illustrated reporters. “The league’s investigation determined Elliott was violent toward [his girlfriend] on three separate occasions.” After three appeals from the Cowboys, Elliot sat out six games, the baseline suspension for first-time domestic violence offenders, notes Sports Illustrated. Many felt he was treated unjustly; others said he needed the tough lesson — that too many NFL players receive a pass when it comes to

“I had no idea these apartments were even named for a football player,” says a female resident who recently moved in. “That’s some BS, though. I mean, if he did it.”

Her male companion opines that Elliot “deserves nothing named about him because he hasn’t done anything on the field this year. Simple. Give me ‘Troubled Michael Irvin Apartments’ any day,” he chuckles.

Sportscaster Matt Mosley believes Zeke is a great player, but, so far, his off-field behavior has overshadowed his on-field brilliance. “If I owned [the apartments], I’d admit I jumped the gun and immediately rename them The Whitten or The Emmitt.”

The Zeke on Easton Road.

“I had no idea these apartments were even named for a football player. That’s some BS, though. I mean, if he did it.”

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BEST IN BUSINESS

The LH Chamber shows love for companies, entrepreneurs and nonprofits that enrich our neighborhood in Valentine’s Day ceremony

Story by CHRISTINA HUGHES I Photos by RASY RAN

Much like attaining romantic love, a feat underscored each Feb.14, the founding and building of a business is exhilarating — a cause for celebration.

A new business usually is a result of dreams, planning and risk-taking. Quixotic visions of lasting, mutual adoration between company and community might fill the most level entrepreneurial heads.

But any thriving proprietor can attest that living the dream requires a ferocious amount of work, not to mention stress, fear of failure, constant financial concerns and more.

That’s where a Chamber of Commerce can help — with business, that is, not your romantic situation.

Lake Highlands resident Ted Hill several years ago formed the Lake Highlands Chamber in an effort to support business in and near our neighborhood.

A vibrant business climate encourages a radiant community, where people want to live, he said at the time. Last year, the LH Chamber launched its “We Love LH Business and Community Awards Luncheon” to honor its strongest businesses, nonprofits and individuals.

These are the people and groups who shape our neighborhood and have

a lasting impact, organizers said during a nomination process.

The inaugural event awarded five members — C&C Exteriors (small business), Lake Highlands Automotive (business of the year), Resident Taqueria (new business) and Healing Hands Ministries (nonprofit). Finally, the “Legacy Award” last year was especially poignant and bittersweet. It went to Betty and Wayne Woodring, founders of the Highlander School. Betty taught thousands of children that nothing was impossible, as long as they remained citizens of character, former students recalled at her memorial.

Woodring earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the 1950s before opening her school in 1966.

You’d be hard pressed to find a better “legacy award” recipient.

“You just didn’t hear about a woman doing things like that back then,” daughter Jill Reed, a Highlander teacher herself, says. “She just so believed in [the school].”

When Highlander implemented computers in the ‘90s, Woodring returned to college.

“She needed to learn how to use computers and she wanted to make sure she knew everything she could to help the students,” Reed says.

Before Betty, along with husband Wayne, could receive their award from the chamber last year, Betty Woodring died, suddenly, of a heart attack.

Reed says she wishes her parents could have been there to accept the award, to know the community they so loved (the neighborhood where, in the ‘70s, the Woodrings attended each home high school football game, Dad wearing his signature game-night red leisure suit) loved them back.

This year’s award luncheon is, once again, on Valentines Day, Wednesday, Feb. 14, at the KayCee Club on Shoreview. Arrive at about 11:30 a.m. to network and soak up all that fiscal ambition and success. Lunch and awards begin at noon. Expect festivities to wind down by about 1 p.m., because, hey, these folks have work to do.

For ticket prices, a list of nominees and other specific details, visit lhchamber.com/event-calendar/

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Highlander School founder Betty Woodring posthumously won the chamber’s inaugural Legacy Award.

Whether you are planning on upsizing, downsizing or rightsizing this year, now is the time to get started – before the arrival of the traditional spring selling season. Friendly and knowledgeable, the Dunham Brothers, Max and Dan, are your competitive advantage in East Dallas, and beyond.

UP FRONT

WHAT GIVES?

SMALL WAYS THAT YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

BUY A MATTRESS

If you’ve been meaning to replace your bed anyway, wait until Feb. 3 to make your purchase. For the fourth year, the Lake Highlands High School band will sell name-brand mattresses to raise funds for travel and instruments. Past sales have raised as much as $9,000 for the student musicians. The fundraiser takes place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the high school auditorium, 9449 Church St.

ATTEND AN AUCTION

Austin Street Shelter provides food and services to more than 400 homeless people in Dallas every day. On Feb. 22, the “No Place Like Home” event happens at TreeHouse, in The Hill Shopping Center at Central Expressway and Walnut Hill. The night includes hors d’oeuvres from Nick and Sam’s chef John Kleifgen, cocktails and a silent auction loaded with trips from Nashville to the Mayan Riviera. Tickets are $35 and available at austinstreet.org.

PARTY LIKE AN ELK

Our neighborhood Dallas Elks Lodge celebrates its 150th year on Feb. 3 with a party from 3-11 p.m. The day includes dancing to the Simon Barch Band, games, raffles and an $8 smothered chicken and rice dinner, complete with birthday cake. The event will collect donations for the Sweetheart Camp, a program that offers free summer camp for special needs children. The lodge is located at 8550 Lullwater Drive. Visit dallaselks.org for more details.

EAT OUT

It’s a bit outside the neighborhood, but Mi Cocina at 6332 La Vista promises 20 percent of its proceeds Monday, Feb. 12, between 4:30 and 8 p.m., to Lake Highlands Elementary. Just mention the school when placing an order to make sure your donation counts.

FEB. 24-APRIL 8

DALLAS BLOOMS

The largest flower festival in the Southwest, Dallas Blooms returns with “A World of Flowers.” Each week will feature flowers, food and activities from all over the planet, in addition to hundreds of thousands of spring blooms.

Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6615, $5-$15

7 things to do in Lake Highlands this February

FEB. 3- MARCH 17

ART FOR LOVERS

“El Corazon” art exhibit celebrates its 24th year of works from local artists. This year’s theme, “Hearts and Music,” explores the connection between sound and emotion.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Drive, bathhouse. dallasculture.org, 214.670.8749, free

FEB. 7

PARENT TALK

Learn helpful strategies for parenting young children with purpose. These tips help parents learn how to discipline, communicate and build relationships to equip kids for the future.

Lake Highlands United Methodist Church, 9015 Plano Road, lhumc.com, 214.348.6600, $10-$15

FEB. 9

MASQUERADE

DANCE

Masks and ball gowns are the dress code for this masquerade daddy-daughter dance (Dad, dresses are optional). Daughters of all ages are treated to dinner, dancing and photos, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

KayCee Club, 10110 Shoreview Road, kc799.org, 214.348.7940, $50 per duo

FEB. 10

PAW PALOOZA

Bring the whole family, including pets, out to White Rock Lake for food, animal adoptions and low cost vaccinations. The event is free but donations to Texas Coalition for Animal Protection are encouraged.

White Rock Lake Dog Park, 8000 E. Mockingbird Lane, texasforthem.org, 940.566.5551, free

FEB. 11

FILM CONTEST

Students from across Dallas showcase their work during a film contest hosted by the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens. All proceeds go toward reducing teenage pregnancy and supporting teen mothers.

Angelika Film Center, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, info@ntarupt.org, 214.717.6477, $5-$50

FEB. 14

VALENTINE’S SERENADE

As a Valentine’s Day treat, The Singapore Slingers are back to woo guests with dinner and a show. Reservations in advance are recommended. Pocket Sandwich Theater, 5400 Mockingbird Lane, pocketsandwich. com, 214.821.1860, $25

DELICIOUS

STEPPING INTO A LEGACY

Restaurant-savvy couple takes the reigns at MoMo Italian Kitchen

By EMILY CHARRIER I Photo by KATHY TRAN

The menu at MoMo Italian Kitchen still features the tried-and-true favorites from the Gosetti family’s cookbooks.

DID YOU KNOW:

The new owners plan to relaunch MoMo’s wine club and host regular dinners with beer or wine pairings.

It was shortly after WWII when a young Italian woman, Ferdnanda Gosetti, got the idea to relaunch the magazine La Cucina Italiana, a celebration of her nation’s food. She spent decades studying, preparing and writing about classic Italian dishes, becoming a national expert on the subject. Every recipe presented in the magazine she tested herself, often reworking them over and over until it was the perfect representation of classic Italian cuisine. She penned cookbooks that were translated into other languages and remain in print today.

Her son Antonio grew up surrounded by that rich heritage of food. When he moved to Dallas in 1985, he brought that experience, and his mother’s signature dishes, along with him. He opened MoMo Italian Kitchen on Forest Lane the next year.

Shortly thereafter, Wende Stevenson was hired as a server. Little did she know,

30 years later, she’d become an owner, alongside her husband, Aaron Gross. The pair have each spent their entire professional lives in restaurants; she at places such as Lola and Shensei, he at Savory and York Street, and together at Mot Hai Ba.

But they always wanted their own restaurant, and spent four years working on a French bistro that never quite got off the ground. Stevenson went back to work at MoMo a year ago, about the same time the family decided to sell.

“We were regular diners there too,” Gross says. “We were two people who loved what it was, so it made sense to buy it.”

They’re not looking to change much of anything, including the staff. Their goal is to maintain the recipes that Lake Highlands loves, pillowy gnocchi and perfectly tender risotto, for example.

“We know how people are resistant to change, and we wanted to be sensitive to that,” Stevenson says. “If anything, we put our stamp on specials.”

Some of those specials, like the Norwegian pan-seared salmon with spicy puttanesca sauce and sautéed spinach, have proved so popular they’ve been added to the main menu. The couple also launched a signature wine list that highlights some of their favorite bottles.

“We were looking to open a neighborhood bistro, and that’s very much what we got,” Stevenson says. “It is very much a Lake Highlands institution.”

MOMO ITALIAN KITCHEN

Ambiance: Cozy bistro

Price range: $12-$25

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday-Thursday, 5:30-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 5:30-10 p.m. 8989 Forest Lane, suite 130 972.234.6800

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DINING SPOTLIGHT

BOBA TEA

I Heart Boba

Restaurant GUIDE

2018

Boba tea, a traditional Taiwanese style tea drink that has been modernized to include coffee, smoothies, and slushies flavored to taste. Our featured Viet coffee many customers describe as “WOW, it’s better than Starbucks.”

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THAI

Thai Opal

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Thai Opal!

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• Take out • Lunch Specials

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• Delivery Available (5 mi. radius)

It’s time to ring in the Year of the Dog!

In the Chinese zodiac, the dog is symbolic of loyalty and honesty, whereas the dumpling is symbolic of deliciousness. So come in to celebrate this New Year with your favorite dumpling or two.

Photo by Kathy Tran

LakeHighlands LookBack

Snapshotsofthepast albumspulledfromphotoandscrapbooks acrosstheneighborhood

Ask anynyon o e witth somme his i toory y in L ak a e Higighl h an a ds d , and nd the he y’ y re r quuick c to k te tell ll you u abo b ut a favorritte res es taaur u annt or shop thaat is no lonongeger, r, or rec e alll chilildhdhooood visisitits to Pennny y Whistle l Parrk, k, Deu e ba b ck ck’s s Skakatiting g Rinink or Go G on o ey G ol olf. f y Somome e ve ven remememmbe b r wheen peoeoplple wer e e alllowwed ed to cliimb mb on to thhe White te Rocck L ak a e Spipillllwaway to spl p as ash in the he flowwining wataterer. Whihile le the he neieighborhhooood has as cha h ngged ed in manny wayays, s, fro r m bus u in i es e ses to s tr t ee e t namameses, Lakke Hi H ghhlaandds’ s foc o us on commmumuni n ty has a nev e er r wavaverreded. Thihis monnth t , we cellebbraate te thhat at thrhrouough h our u reaadedersrs’ hisstory y with a colllelect c io ion of snaapspsho h ts scrcrou o ngged ed up fr f om priivaate t fammily and nd schhool collle l ct ctioions ns eveen somme frorom fororme m r resesididenents t whho now w liv i e out u of t staate t . Thehese se neeiighhbobors shaare r d the h ir memmororieies and d mememenentoos out t of a pur u e lovove of Lakake Hiigghllannds d , pas a t and preresesent n .

At left, a teenage Candy Evans at a horse show in June, 1963. The land is now home to the Audelia Road Library. “My best friend and I rode everywhere, including over to Barnes Bridge Road because there was a drive-in theater and we would sit on our horses and watch the movie,” Evans says. “We went to KBOX and made requests to the DJ who would open up the window and talk with us while he was on the air.”

(Photo courtesy of Candy Evans). Below, Rhonda Tucker Seaton-McNeill, Debbie Goodwin Lloyd and Micha Aldon perch on the bridge over White Rock Creek in 1977 or ‘78.

(Photo courtesy of Rhonda Tucker Seaton-McNeill).

Above, Gooney Golf was a favorite hangout for families at the corner of Plano Road and Forest Lane. Pictured here is Jim Irwin with son Terry and daughter Karen in 1972. (Photos courtesy of Linda Irwin). Below, left, members of the Dahman family in the early 1950s, who owned the land that later became Skyline Park. (Photo courtesy of Cindy Dahman Johnson). Below, right, kids used to hang out at the Cowboys’ practice facility on Forest Lane at Abrams Road, hoping to meet players. Here, John Loveland met defensive end Harvey Martin in 1979. (Photo courtesy of John Loveland).

Above, the teenage band Stone Creek, composed of Lake Highlands High School students, plays the opening of a store at the Northlake Shopping Center on Northwest Highway and Ferndale in 1967. (Photo courtesy of Terry Anderson). Below, to celebrate America’s bicentennial, Lake Highlands High School students dressed up in traditional Revolutionary garb in 1976. (Photo courtesy of Lake Highlands High School).

Above, members of the 1962 Lake Highlands Elementary PTA put on the show “When Us Girls Come Marchin’

In” as part of the Mt. Idy Follies, an annual talent show. (Photo courtesy of Lake Highlands Elementary School). Left, painting the railroad trestle over White Rock Trail became a senior class tradition at Lake Highlands High School in the 1960s after the city widened and paved Church Street. Each senior class was allowed to paint its own message, pictured here in 1986. The tradition ended in the early 2000s at the request of the city.

(Photo courtesy of Lake Highlands High School).

When young people’s faith in their country was shaken during the Vietnam War, Charles Meyer and his wife Jeanne Hickey Meyer, along with their six children, decided to launch Lake Highlands’ Patriotic Parade in 1968 on the Fourth of July from their cul-de-sac on Robin Hill Circle. “It started very small, with just a few neighborhood families,” Charles Meyer remembers. That first year, the Safeway on Audelia Road donated lemonade and cookies, and small prizes were given out to the kids who best decorated their bikes. Later, the Lake Highlands High School marching band would join the effort. “We’d begin by all getting in a circle to say the Pledge of Allegiance and the band played ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’,” Meyer says. Over the years, it grew to a neighborhood party that brought together around 100 people each year. Parade judges were given a sash that read “Here comes da judge,” an homage to “Laugh In.” Judges included local veterans like Jerry Singleton in 1975, who spent eight years in a Vietnamese POW camp. “Beyond the patriotism, it was about getting the neighborhood together,” Meyer says. The Meyer family moved to Houston in 1976. “A lady called me wanting to keep it going,” Meyer says. “I don’t know what happened after that, or if the parade ever happened again.” (Photos courtesy of the Meyer family).

733 STUDENTS, 32 COUNTRIES, 15 LANGUAGES

How the staff at Forest Lane Academy keeps up with its international student body

By ELISSA CHUDWIN I Photos by KATHY TRAN

Six fifth-graders are learning English in Monica Tubb’s morning language arts class.

Two boys haven’t memorized the ABCs yet. One, a Syrian refugee, still completes assignments in Arabic.

Tubb simplifies every story that the English-language learners read. She uses illustrations to teach them vocabulary words. She crams worksheets with letters and numbers into folders for students to practice.

The number of immigrants in Tubb’s classroom has increased since she started working at Forest Lane Academy three years ago. Her first year, one student couldn’t speak English. That seemed daunting enough until she partnered with another teacher who taught phonics.

By the end of the school year, he read the young-adult novel “The Hunger Games.”

“When the instruction is on their level, they make amazing gains in what they know,” Tubb says.

But Tubb sometimes worries she’s not doing enough to help her immigrant students catch up to their peers.

“If I don’t do all the extra stuff I’m doing, it’s doing them a disservice,” she says.

Forest Lane Academy’s staff educates one of Richardson ISD’s most diverse student bodies. The number of immigrant students has dramatically increased from 3.6 percent to 29 percent in five years, according to Public Education Information Management System data.

Roughly 212 of the school’s 733 students moved from countries such as Syria, El Salvador and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Taylor Christian’s kindergarten class learns at Forest Lane Academy, one of Richardson ISD’s most diverse student bodies. Principal Lariza Liner (far right) became principal of the school three years ago.

Students speak 15 languages — Spanish, Arabic and Farsi are the most common.

Some students have never stepped foot inside a classroom, either.

“The things they deal with are unimaginable to me,” principal Lariza Liner says. “They deal with them every day, but they come to school with a smile on their face.”

They arrive at the Lake Highlands elementary school with little knowledge of the language and even less understanding of American social norms. Students, at first, don’t understand why they have to walk in a line through the halls or raise their hand to go to the bathroom. They sometimes hit their peers, not with malicious intent, but out of sheer frustration and loneliness.

It’s up to staff to ease their culture shock and help them adjust, all while overseeing classrooms of roughly 22 students and following state-mandated curriculum.

“They have to have heart”

School counselor Copeland Norcross is never bored.

He juggles small group and one-on-one counseling with guidance lessons about bullying, self-control and anger manage-

ment. Norcross, who started his career in North Carolina, is the first to guide foreign students through the campus.

He uses sweeping hand gestures and visual cues to demonstrate appropriate behavior at school. Sometimes, students have no clue what Norcross is conveying, he says, so he’s forced to brainstorm new methods of communication — over and over again.

Plano ISD to work as an administrator at Title 1 schools in Irving and now Lake Highlands.

She’s determined to create experiences for students that they don’t receive at home. The school’s entire population lives in apartments between Interstate 635 and Audelia Road, and 90 percent are economically disadvantaged. Families shuffle through the neighborhood so often that roughly 265 students transfer in and out of the school throughout the year.

Since there are no nearby parks, Liner installed a basketball court in the schoolyard. She coordinates field trips, author visits and appearances from Santa Claus before the holidays.

Remaining optimistic is taxing, but working at Forest Lane Academy requires patience. Much of the staff is young — experience isn’t what’s most important to Liner. She hires staff members, in part, by how much they care for the students.

“They have to have heart,” she says. “They have to have resilience. The kids need to be seen as an opportunity.”

A school as challenging as Forest Lane Academy is a dream job for Liner, who walked away from her teaching career at

She received a grant to teach kindergarten, first- and second-grade students computer coding. Every room at Forest Lane Academy has a library.

Because of the school’s high mobility rate, Liner can’t track many of the students once they reach junior high. It’s why she’s adamant about encouraging a love of literacy and technology at an early age.

“If you give them that gift of reading, that lasts beyond Forest Lane Academy,” she says.

“When the instruction is on their level, they make amazing gains in what they know.”

FOREST LANE ACADEMY WELCOMES STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

TOTAL ENROLLMENT:

733 29% OF STUDENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS

2% ASIAN

North America

Mexico

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

United States

South America

Venezuela

Asia

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Malaysia

Pakistan

Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Europe

Romania

United Kingdom

Africa

Cameroon

Congo

Congo Demecratic Republic

Eritrea

Guinea

Kenya

Nigeria

Senegal

Somalia

South Africa

Sudan

Tanzania

Tunisia

Zambia

57% BLACK 31% HISPANIC 6% WHITE

37% HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

19% ARE BILINGUAL

17% OF STUDENTS LEARNED ANOTHER LANGUAGE BEFORE ENGLISH

90% ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

speakers and non-native speakers are paired to help each other, along with students who speak similar languages. Posters, illustrations and flashcards are other tools that teachers employ to help immigrant students keep pace with their classmates.

English as a Second Language specialists, bilingual specialists and an ESL aide work with students in their classes or one-onone sessions. Like Norcross, they have to start with the basics, even showing them what to do in a classroom.

“If they’ve had a foundation of education, they know how to learn,” says ESL specialist Skylar Phillips. “If they haven’t, you’re teaching them how to learn. It adds another step we have to take.”

Taylor Christian’s kindergartners are loud and animated.

“One, two, eyes on me,” she shouts to get their attention. “One, two, eyes on you,” they repeat in unison.

Once they’ve settled down, the kids practice writing the alphabet in groups. Some copy words from books; others mold Play-Doh into letters. When they finish the activities, they rush to Christian, who doles out high-fives before ushering them to their seats.

She’s multitasking between disciplining a handful of rambunctious kids and teaching another group of mostly immigrants about the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters.

“Uppercase,” she says, throwing her arms into the air. “Big.”

“Lowercase. Small,” she explains, as she pinches her thumb and index finger together.

Teachers group students together to ensure their needs are being met, regardless of their reading level. Native English

They learn social jargon, like “locker” or “door” quickly, Liner says, but frequently struggle with the language used in textbooks. Staff also has to balance between improving students’ English and teaching state-mandated curriculum that may be hard for them to comprehend. Children are required to take STAAR exams, which rates student achievement, regardless of their English proficiency. Only students who haven’t attended school before and have lived in the U.S. for less than a year are exempt.

Forest Lane Academy met state standards during the 201617 school year, despite the many language barriers, according to the Texas Education Agency. Liner and the rest of her staff don’t dwell on test results. Success is measured by the moments when everything clicks — when a student speaks in a complete sentence or writes their name for the first time.

“When they feel that moment, you want them to continue that love of education,” Phillips says. “They take so much pride in themselves.”

“You’re teaching them how to learn”

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A silver anniversary

Lake Highlands High Wranglers mark quarter-century of country dance

By EMILY CHARRIER I Photo by RASY RAN

IN THE EARLY 1990s, an added emphasis on fine-arts education was a trend sweeping Texas. When Richardson ISD Assistant Superintendent Leonard Molotsky saw an impressive dance team at a Portland, Ore., high school, he imagined the program at Lake Highlands High School and unintentionally created a legacy.

Molotsky tapped former Highlandettes coach Katha Black, a lifelong dancer, with developing a dance program at the high school. She began with plans to build a multi-faceted fine-arts program that highlighted several styles of dance, but that concept did not inspire male students to join the ranks. In 1992, working with football coach Mark Pace, she rebranded the effort as a country-western dance team, and the Wildcat Wranglers were born.

High-profile performances always were part of the incentive. Teams soon were dancing at the State Fair of Texas and professional sporting events like Mavericks and Cowboys games. The chance to dance in front of crowds in the thousands quickly attracted students, and the Wranglers became one of the most competitive clubs to join on campus.

These days, students need a teacher recommendation and an

essay to apply, and only juniors and seniors are allowed on the team, which is capped at 46 dancers to keep routines manageable.

“When you perform with the Wranglers, everyone knows who you are,” says Josh Klein, a current senior in his second year with the team. “You become instantly popular.”

Senior dancer Grace Cummins says there’s nothing quite like the roar of the crowd when the dancers flip, lift and twirl their way across a stage. “I like the reactions to our stunts, that’s my favorite part,” she says.

As of late, performing at President Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration was the pinnacle experience for the current team of Wranglers.

“I peaked in high school right there,” says senior Grayson Orr. “That’s probably the best thing I’ll do in my life.”

“When you perform with the Wranglers, everyone knows who you are.”

MORGAN FAIRCHILD

LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1967

WHILE SHE’S best known for her steely stares in 1970s soap operas like “Dallas” and “Search for Tomorrow,” Morgan Fairchild has managed to stay in the spotlight for more than four decades as an actress and host. But her roots stem to Lake Highlands, the daughter of a Richardson ISD English teacher.

Three things to know:

1 Morgan Fairchild is the stage name she adopted, but people who went to high school with her remember her by her birth name, Patsy Ann McClenny.

2 Her mother enlisted the youngster in acting class after she was too shy to read a book report at school. One of her very first television appearances was as a young child on WFAA’s popular “Mr. Peppermint Show” with host Jerry Haynes.

3 She was briefly kidnapped in New York in 1970 when two men grabbed her on the street and pushed her into a cab. “I was just damned if I was going to let them see how scared I was,” she said on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” “So every time they said something awful, I just made a wisecrack. Eventually one turned to the other and said, ‘You know what, she’s funny, let’s let her go.’ ”

TEACHER ARRESTED Lake Highlands High School English teacher

Dante Pinto Schmidt, 41, was arrested in January for possession of child pornography. Schmidt, a three-year LHHS employee, resigned immediately after the arrest. Officials say the charges stem from an ongoing investigation by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office and Plano Police, which obtained information that Schmidt was downloading and sharing sexualized images of children. They executed a search warrant on his Allen residence and arrested him the next day. LHHS Principal Dr. Joshua Delich shared the information in a letter sent home to parents and noted that police indicated the charge does not involve Richardson ISD students. No criminal behavior has been alleged about Schmidt at LHHS, Delich wrote. Parents or students with information or concerns about Schmidt are encouraged to contact police or Delich at Joshua.Delich@risd.org.

CHEERING FOR WALLACE

It took the sixth-grade girls at Wallace Elementary just nine days to raise the $800 they needed to properly equip their new cheerleading team with uniforms. Team sponsors April Byrd, a counselor at Wallace, and Megan Williams, a third-grade teacher, say that this gives the international student body a chance to have a uniquely American experience. About 25 percent of the school’s students are refugees from Myanmar and Thailand, and 65 percent live in socioeconomically disadvantaged homes.

“They are the sweetest group of young ladies, and they love being cheerleaders. They cheer for basketball and soccer games, practice every other week, and work to be positive role models for the school,” says Byrd.

The sixth-grade cheerleaders at Wallace Elementary will soon have proper uniforms to replace their team T-shirts.

OUR CITY

By ANGELA HUNT

Bike ‘litter’ a sign of progress

Bringing Dallas into a new era of transportation, one ride at a time

As someone who truly believes that if the world were a just place, Frito pies and chocolate-filled doughnuts would be recognized as their own food group, it is remarkable to me that my youngest child loves fruits and vegetables as much as she does. I mean loves them. I’ll find half-eaten bags of baby carrots in the stuffed animal bin, desiccated orange peels on the window sill, an apple core on her bedside table.

Sure, I remind her to return uneaten food to the fridge. I encourage her to use this newfangled gadget we’ve got called a trash can. But still, I find broccoli stems in her backpack and leftover grapes in the carseat.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It brings me joy to find the remnants of her unusually healthy appetite (although, to be honest, it does make me wonder about a baby switch at the hospital). No, her discarded edamame shells and peach pits are evidence that she’s forming healthy eating habits, hopefully for a lifetime. Picking up a few scraps here and there is a small price to pay, and fretting about it is missing the point entirely.

That’s what I think when I hear the frenzy over rental bikes strewn across our city. In the last two years, several private bike companies have come to Dallas in a big way, allowing people to find and rent bikes easily and cheaply from their smartphones. In response, Highland Park has all but banned them. The City of Dallas is poised to regulate them.

But this isn’t something we should be wringing our hands over, and it’s not something that we should try to “solve”

with heavy-handed and over-reactive government regulation that will very likely kill these new businesses.

No, this is a problem we should be celebrating. These bikes littering our city are the best evidence yet that Dallas is changing, and for the better.

The leftover bikes — the bike wrappers, if you will — are proof of a significant pent-up demand for bikes as a transpor-

COMMENT

Visit lakehighlandsadvocatemag.com. and search Angela Hunt to tell us what you think.

tation option. Conventional wisdom in Dallas has long held that Dallasites are attached to their cars with superglue and there is no real need for bike infrastructure because only hippies and children ride bikes (and who cares about hippies and children, amiright?). The success of bike share proves that many regularly-bathing adults will use bikes when it is cheap and convenient. We need to encourage this.

The success of bike share is also proof

that people will get out of their cars if we give them cheap and convenient transportation alternatives. So let’s focus on how we can make other public transportation options more attractive to riders. If people will get out of their cars to ride bikes, why aren’t they getting out of their cars to ride buses? Is it that buses aren’t convenient enough? Not going to the right places? Not efficient enough? Let’s identify ways to improve other non-car transportation options and get even more people out of their vehicles.

Lastly, Dallas has lagged in investing in on-street bicycle infrastructure because of an erroneous perception that there isn’t a demand and roads are for cars. (By the way, it’s hard to justify building a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river.) All the people pedaling around Dallas on bright green and yellow bikes are proof that Dallas needs to invest in safe on-street bicycle infrastructure. The City’s $20 million recent investment in the Loop Trail, which will connect central Dallas’ trail systems, is a critical start. We need more.

As Jim Schutze recently wrote in the Dallas Observer: “If we think piles of bikes look tacky and we want to figure out how to clean them up a bit, well, ok, maybe. But we ought to be cheering this potentially transformational change, not fixating over minor growing pains.”

Angela Hunt is a former Dallas city councilwoman. She writes a monthly opinion column about neighborhood issues. Her opinions are not necessarily those of the Advocate or its management. Send comments and ideas to her ahunt@advocatemag. com.

Conventional wisdom in Dallas has long held that Dallasites are attached to their cars with superglue and there is no real need for bike infrastructure because only hippies and children ride bikes (and who cares about hippies and children, amiright?).

Come hear Dr. Irie L. Session as Royal Lane joins Baptist Women in Ministry in celebrating the Martha Stearns Marshall Women in Preaching Month during the 10:55 a.m. Worship Service on Sunday, February 4, 2018.

Lunch & Conversation with Dr. Irie in Family Hall following the Worship Service

Dr. Irie uses her expertise in pedagogy, theology, academic and social research, and curriculum development to increase the impact of the education and training she offers to survivors organizations. She delivers expert training and

6707 Royal Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 214-361-2809

MARKETPLACE

LAKE HIGHLANDS ACUPUNCTURE

Bryan Ellett, L.Ac.

The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture for: chronic pain, high blood pressure, depression/anxiety, digestive problems (IBS, heartburn), common cold, allergies and more! Come see why! Now accepting insurance!

10252 E. Northwest Highway 214.267.8636 lakehighlandsacupuncture.com

MY OFFICE

Shipping and Office Supplies

Sometimes Love is all you need! Come and see our cute collection of all things Valentine. From decorative candy jars to cards to tokens of love, we’ve got you covered. Don’t forget you can mail here too. Step into My Office, you’ll always find something you need.

9660 Audelia Road, Suite 123 214.221.0011 myofficelh.com

BIZ BUZZ

WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

NOW OPEN

Cedar & Vine Community Kitchen + Cocktails opened in the space once occupied by Neighbors Casual Kitchen and Highlands Café at Walnut Hill and Audelia. The owners are Lake Highlands High School classmates Brandon Carter, Jimmy Cannon and Sam Howard. “There will always be something new to try,” says Howard. “We’re using a fresh fish wholesaler in Lake Highlands, and we’ll have rotating flatbreads, homemade pastas and other things on the menu that will keep people guessing.”

They hope to inspire others to expand the dining scene in our neighborhood. Cannon says, “You can’t eat at Cedar & Vine every day of the week. You need other options in the neighborhood, and the more business we can bring to the area, the better. We want to keep dollars in Lake Highlands. We want to get people who live outside of Lake Highlands coming in. We want to make Lake Highlands the dining scene.” Cedar & Vine is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week in Lake Highlands Plaza, 9661 Audelia Road.

The Yogurtland at Lake Highlands Town Center began welcoming customers last month. Franchisee Shezy Khan says the California-based frozen yogurt shop, with flavors like pecans and pralines and cranberry-raspberry tart, uses its own dairies to create ingredients, which includes dairyand gluten-free options.

Fish City Grill also opened at the Town Center in January, famous for its fried dill pickles, roasted jalapeno soup, shrimp and grits and homemade bread pudding. The new eatery is located at Skillman and Walnut Hill, on the corner between Jersey Mike’s and Taco Diner.

NEWLY PROPOSED

An empty lot behind Sonic could soon become our neighborhood’s newest night spot, although few details of Club Azul have been decided, so far. “Until that zoning requirement goes through, we don’t do any design work,” says Jay Woo of JNF Associates, the project’s architect who is also representing owner, NWH & McCree, LTD., in its application for a specific use permit to operate a nightclub at the site, 11921 Northwest Highway. The land is zoned commercial, and neighboring bar Bombones already has a specific use permit to serve alcohol, meaning the request does not set a new precedent on the block. According to the application, “the facility will be open mostly in the evenings on weekends.”

DAN “THE COMPUTER GUY”

Computer Repair

972.639.6413

stykidan@sbcglobal.net

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A program born to assist troubled youths in getting their lives on track eventually transformed into Texans Can Academies, a series of charter schools that targets students who don’t thrive in traditional classrooms. It has a special emphasis on supporting those who have dropped out and are seeking a way back into education. The nonprofit is proposing a new campus in Lake Highlands, on Skillman Avenue north of the LBJ. It already operates six campuses in Dallas Country, from which 1,100 students have graduated.

By GEORGE MASON

BAPTIST

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

Worship & Bible Study 9:15 & 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 & 11:00 am

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

BIBLE CHURCHES

NORTH HIGHLANDS BIBLE CHURCH / nhbc.net / 9626 Church Rd.

Sun: LifeQuest 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am / 214.348.9697

Wed: AWANA and Kids Choir 6:00 pm / Student Ministry 6:30 pm

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

EPISCOPAL

ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH / 9845 McCree Road / 214.348.1345

Worship 8 & 10 am / Family Service 10 am / Sunday School 9 am

Nursery Open for All Services. / StJamesDallas.org

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH / stjd.org

Worship: Sat 5:30 pm, Sun 8 & 10:30 am / Christian Ed Sunday Morning & Weekdays, see calendar on website / 214.321.6451 / 848 Harter Rd.

LUTHERAN

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

A Welcoming and Affirming Church / Pastor Rich Pounds

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

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Ln.

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

METHODIST

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH RICHARDSON

503 N Central Exwy / fumcr.com / 972.235.8385 / Dr. Clayton Oliphint

8:45, 9:45, 11:00 am sanctuary / access modern worship 11:00am

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

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

LAKE POINTE CHURCH – WHITE ROCK CAMPUS

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

PRESBYTERIAN

LAKE HIGHLANDS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 214.348.2133

8525 Audelia Road at NW Hwy. / www.lhpres.org

9:00 am Contemporary, 9:55 am Christian Ed., 11:00 am Traditional

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

214.827.5521 / www.northridgepc.org / Sundays 8:30 & 11:00 am

Sunday School 9:35am / All Are Welcome

Chocolates or ashes?

What happens when religious holy days and secular holidays overlap?

Clergy like me like to gripe about how culture calendars usurp church calendars. We’ll have to be especially creative this year as Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day is also Easter. Oh my.

How we tell time is a spiritual exercise. Our calendars direct the seasons of the soul and mark the holy days (holidays).

Christians follow a calendar that tracks the life of Christ. It begins each year with Advent, reimagining the coming of God in Jesus as the babe in the manger and yearning for the coming of God’s final union with the world at the end of days. The seasons then move from Christmas to Epiphany to Lent, during which times we follow the ministry of Jesus and learn to follow in his steps today. Holy Week climaxes with his crucifixion on Good Friday, and the world begins again on Easter Sunday with his resurrection from the dead. Easter season yields to Pentecost, when the Spirit that empowered the earthly Jesus is given in a new way to the church. The latter half of the church year then is devoted to how the resurrected Christ continues his liberating work through the church. This longest season of the year is Ordinary Time, so called because we order our daily lives by the agenda of Jesus.

Jews and Muslims order their lives with similar calendric approaches. The three major pilgrimage festivals of Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) and Tabernacles (Sukkot) highlight the Jewish year. The Muslim month of fasting known as Ramadan ends with the Feast of Eid Al-Fitr. The pattern of fasting before feasting is common to all faith calendars. Likewise, the originating narrative of the religion is annually rehearsed, featuring Moses or Jesus or Muhammad, along with the people they formed.

The lunar calendar undergirds these

religious calendars, thus joining the natural and supernatural rhythms in one dance. What annoys religious leaders is when the commercial calendar, the school calendar or the sports calendar takes precedence. Neither Hallmark, nor Congress, nor the NFL determines our holidays. Mother’s Day is not a religious day. Memorial Day does not commemorate martyrs. Super Bowl Sunday doesn’t change the menu at the Lord’s Table.

Do you see the challenge?

This year some of us will celebrate romantic love with ashes on our fore-

Neither Hallmark, nor Congress, nor the NFL determines religious holidays.

heads. We may indeed need to repent of our lack of love in order to renew it, but my guess is that restaurants will be busier than churches and people will be giving chocolates rather than giving them up for the start of Lent. Penitence and indulgence are hard to reconcile.

Easter is a little easier, since an old tradition of the church has the preacher starting the sermon that day with a joke. Resurrection Sunday was the ultimate fool’s day. On Good Friday, the Devil was tricked into believing he won with the death of Jesus; Easter proved the joke was on him.

Maybe the spiritual will conquer the secular this year after all. Time will tell.

George Mason is pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church. 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.

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AC & HEAT

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ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

WANT TO MAKE MONEY? Richardson Mercantile is looking for dealers who want to join one of the best antique malls in DFW. Need details? Go to richardsonmercantile@gmail.com

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

AMBASSADOR FENCE INC. EST.96 Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks Ambassadorfenceco.com 214-621-3217

FENCING & WOODWORK oldgatefence.com . 214-766-6422

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM

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

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

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

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

WOODMASTER CARPENTRY 214-507-9322

Quality Wood Fences & Decks. New or Repair.

FENCING & DECKS

Northlake Fence and Deck

Locally owned and operated by the Mccaffrey family since1980 214-349-9132

www.northlakefence.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

DALLAS HARDWOODS 214-724-0936

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Manufactored hardwoods. Stone and Tile. Back-splash Specials. 214-343-4645

HASTINGS STAINED CONCRETE

New/Remodel. Stain/Wax Int/Ext. Nick. 214-341-5993. www.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. 214-826-8096

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

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

ALL STAR HOME CARE Carpentry, Glass, Tile, Paint, Doors, Sheetrock Repair, and more. 25 yrs. exp. References. Derry 214-505-4830

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

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

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovationsRefs214-489-0635

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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

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

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Handyman Services Offered.469-658-9163 Handyman, Contractor, Engineer

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

HOME SECURITY

SAFES For Guns, Home or Business. We Offer a Large Selection Plus Consultation & In-Home Delivery. Visit Our Showroom. 972-272-9788 thesafecompany.com

HOUSE PAINTING

1 AFFORDABLE HOUSE PAINTING and Home Repair. Quality work.

Inside and Out. Free Ests. Local Refs. Ron 972-816-5634

A+ INT/EXT PAINT & DRYWALL

Since 1977. Kirk Evans. 972-672-4681

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

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. stoneage.brandee@gmail.com 940-465-6980

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779

RedSunLandscapes.com

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

TRACY’S LAWN CARE • 972-329-4190

Lawn Mowing & Leaf Cleaning

WE REFINISH!

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER

LAWNS,

MARCH DEADLINE FEB. 7

Taking one day to organize your entire week will smooth out your days and allow you more time on busy weeknights. Here’s five things to do on Sunday to ease the stress.

1. Check the calendar — Nothing worse than forgetting meetings or an important event. Review your week each Sunday, and don’t forget to plan some fun stuff, too.

2. Shop and prep meals — Helps you eat healthy. Plus, you can avoid mid-week trips to the grocery store.

3. Tidy up — Straighten up enough so that your place looks presentable when you wake up on Monday morning.

4. Make a list for Monday — Identify the biggest priorities so you know what to tackle first when you get to work.

5. Go to bed early — Don’t start Monday off tired and stressed. Have a stress-free week!

classifieds.advocatemag.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

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

CHUPIK TREE SERVICE

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

DALLAS GROUNDSKEEPER Organic Lawn Maintenance designed to meet your needs. 214-471-5723 dallasgroundskeeper.com

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation.

Stop in for home decor, candles, house plants, succulents and more. It’s time to plan for spring. Call us for design, prep and plantings! 8652 Garland Road 214-321-2387 LAWNS,

LEGAL SERVICES

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

MORTGAGE SERVICES

NEED A PURCHASE, REFIANCE Or Renovation Home Loan? Call Pat Nagler, PrimeLending Sr. Loan Officer (NMLS: 184376) 214-402-4019 for all your mortgage needs.

MOVING

AM MOVING COMPANY Specialty Moving & Delivery. 469-278-2304 ammovingcompany.com

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL Keeping the environment, kids, pets in mind. Organic products avail. 972-564-2495

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

PET SERVICES

DOGGIE DEN DALLAS Daycare, Boarding, Grooming, Training. 6444 E. Mockingbird Ln. 214-823-1441 • DoggieDenDallas.com

THE PET DIVAS Pet Sitting, Daily Dog Walks, In Home/Overnight Stays.Basic Obedience Training. thepetdivas.com 817-793-2885. Insured

PLUMBING

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

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521 # M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues.

HAYES PLUMBING INC. Repairs. Insured, 214-343-1427 License M13238

M&S PLUMBING Quality Work & Prompt Service. Jerry. 214-235-2172. lic.#M-11523

NTX PLUMBING SPEC. LLLP 214-226-0913 Lic. M-40581 Res/Com. Repairs & Leak Location

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?

PLUMBING

THE PLUMBING MANN LLC

All Plumbing! Since 1978. Family Owned. RMP/Master-14240 Insured. 214-FAST-FIX/ 214-327-8349

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

BOOKKEEPING NEEDS? Need Help Organizing Finances? No Job Too Small or Big. Call C.A.S. Bookkeeping Services. Cindy 214-577-7450

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE & INT. DESIGN SERVICES

contact John Cramer, Realtor w/ FireHouse Real Estate Services 214-212-6865

REMODELING

BAD MOTHER SHUTTERS 214-909-8879 jwilliams@badmothershutters.com Custom Made

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

REMODELING

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

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

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

ROOFING & GUTTERS

BERT ROOFING INC.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years

• Residential/Commercial • Over 30,000 roofs completed • Seven NTRCA “Golden Hammer” Awards • Free Estimates www.bertroofing.com 214.321.9341

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

SERVICES FOR YOU

A PLACE FOR MOM The Nation’s Largest Senior Living Referral Service. Contact Our Trusted Local Experts Today. Our Service is Free/No Obligation. 1-844-722-7993

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

30+ Yrs. in Business • Major Additions Complete Renovations • Kitchens/Baths

214-341-1155 bobmcdonaldco.net

• Turnkey Renovations

• Kitchens

• Baths

• Floors

• Windows FREE ESTIMATES greenlovehomes.com 214.864.2444

DISH NETWORK. 190+ Channels. Free Install. Free Hopper HD-DVR $49.99/month.(24 months) Add High Speed Internet. $14.95 (where avail.) Call Today & save 25%. 1-855-837-9146

ENJOY 100% Guaranteed Delivered To -TheDoor Omaha Steaks.Save 75% Plus Get Four More Burgers & 4 More Kielbasa Free! Order The Family Gourmet Buffet-Only $49.99. 1-855-895-0358 mention code 51689LCX Or Visit omahasteaks. com/cook03

LIFELOCK Identity Theft Protection. Do Not Wait. Start Guarding Your Identity Today. 3 Layers Of Protection. Detect, Alert, Restore. Receive 10% Off. 1-855-399-2089

SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY TV, Internet & Voice For $29.99 Each. 60 MB Per Second Speed. No Contract or Commitment. More Channels, Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. 1-855-652-9304

74 years of Real Estate experience

117 years as Lake Highlands residents

172 homes sold in our very first year

2017 was just the beginning.