2018 May Lake Highlands

LAKE HIGHLANDS

INSIDE

STUDENTS ON THE RISE

HONORING TEACHERS

CEDAR & VINE'S

HOMEGROWN SUCCESS

Moving Get

PERSONALIZATION

The app syncs to your Ebby.com account, making it easy to connect with your Ebby agent and ensuring saved favorites and searches are accessible on your mobile device.

SCOPE SEARCH

Aim your phone’s camera down a street and this innovative augmented-reality search displays available properties, offering additional interactive content and information.

JOURNEY SEARCH

View available properties as you travel through a neighborhood. As with each of the Ebby app’s interactive search functions, you may delve deeper into homes of interest.

MAP DRAW FEATURE

Use your finger to draw an area to include or exclude from your search. (Who said real estate apps can’t be fun?)

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“The words were so hard, quick, unexpected, but now I understand why.”

Colt Brock, Lake Highlands High School student page 20

OPENING REMARKS

By RICK WAMRE

True grit

How I found inspiration in unexpected places

Most speakers stride to the stage reeking of authority. They are there, after all, to tell the rest of us something we don’t already know.

So it was odd to see this bearded guy carried onstage, a handler bear-hugging him and carefully setting him down in front of the crowd. It’s not the kind of entry that whips the crowd into a frenzy.

There was a reason for the low-key entrance: The speaker has no arms and no legs.

That’s why 1,500 or so people gathered a few weeks ago at Fellowship Dallas Church on Park Lane and Central Expressway to see Nick Vujicic. It’s not often a guy with no arms and no legs swings through Dallas and wants to talk about it.

Before I continue, try to picture what the rest of us saw that night. Think of that animated Progressive Insurance box on television, the one whose constant talking and weird confidence grates on the other characters in the commercials. The insurance box also has no arms or legs, so it moves deliberately, twisting its box-body back and forth as it struts from one commercial to the next, all the time yammering about its odd sense of self and, of course, insurance.

Nick Vujicic is the insurance box’s live incarnation, born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a disease so rare medical researchers have no idea what causes it. Imagine his parents’ surprise when their son was born 35 years ago looking completely normal from the neck up but missing those key body appendages the rest of us take for granted. He says his mother, shocked by his appearance, refused to even hold him at first.

During his speech, he talked a little about those early days in Australia, when his parents told him over and over again he was a “special” child, when they worked to “mainstream” him in school, and when they tried to convince him

he could live a normal life despite an abnormal body

Much like the high school kids we feature in this month’s magazine, Vujicic dug himself out of a place he didn’t want to be. Others helped Vujicic and our students along the way, but at the end of the day, it’s their grit and determination that shaped their lives for the better.

As Vujicic shuffled back and forth on the Fellowship stage for an hour, stabilized by two small deformed feet that grew where legs should have been, I couldn’t help but wonder how I would have reacted to life in his position.

Frankly, I saw no scenario in which I wouldn’t have felt sorry for myself. Every day. All of the time.

Vujicic was in town to talk about Christ, who he credits for making his “Life Without Limits” book and

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worldwide evangelism crusade possible. It’s hard to argue with the results. The guy is a compelling warrior for Christ; he has a wife and four beautiful kids; he travels the world telling a story that inspires others, and from the looks of it, he couldn’t be happier.

Even without arms or legs, he’s a more fully developed person than most of us. Than me.

Rick Wamre is president of Advocate Media. Let him know how we are doing by emailing rwamre@advocatemag.com.

ABOUT THE COVER

Paddle boards line the shores of White Rock Lake. The spring weather brings watercraft in droves to hear the Arboretum’s Cool Thursday concerts. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

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He says his mother, shocked by his appearance, refused to even hold him at first.

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CHILDLIKE CREATIVITY

Etch A Sketch inspires Lake Highlands artist’s work

Story by ELISSA CHUDWIN | Photo by BRIAN MASCHINO

Monte Martin never imagined that hours he spent fidgeting with an Etch A Sketch as a child would be the inspiration behind his work as an adult.

The iconic drawing toy, which French scientist Andre Cassagnes developed in the late 1950s, was Martin’s favorite pastime. Out of habit, the Lake Highlands resident still scribbles geometric lines onto scrap paper and tissue.

Now he’s transformed the doodles into geometric art featured at The Lookout, an

apartment complex at the Lake Highlands Town Center.

Each piece is made with drop material, or leftover wood, from other projects. Using the leftovers, from oak and pine to cherry and walnut, gives each piece its own history and adds dimension to the work, Martin says.

“The hardest part is building the form,” he says. “The fun part starts from there.”

Martin constantly is immersed in quirky projects at Martin & Martin Design, a visual arts company he launched in 2006 that focuses on visual displays, lighting and art.

A massive warehouse is tucked away behind the Northwest Dallas business’ offices. The space is covered with piles of metal and wood and unfinished art projects scattered on tables. Another room is dedicated to creating museum display cases; artifacts in cardboard boxes are stacked on floor-to-ceiling shelves.

On a weekend in early March, Martin adds the finishing touches to the Etch A Sketch pieces, when he’s not rearranging African relics for a collector’s exhibition.

The seemingly random business is an amalgamation of Martin’s previous careers.

The native Midwesterner attended Iowa State and planned to be an architect, but quickly realized it wasn’t his calling.

“I didn’t care about the math of keeping a building up,” he says. “I just want to make the building pretty.”

So he majored in art instead and moved overseas after graduating. Martin landed a job at a museum, a career he continued to pursue after he returned to the United States. After a three-year stint at Fort Worth Modern, Martin opted to start his own business, one that combined all of his interests.

Now his creative streak, and a piece of his childhood, is visible here in Lake Highlands.

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CHRISTMAS ALL THE TIME

Kringle was the Evans family’s best gift that Christmas, 2011. Mrs. Evans worked at an East Texas school back then, when she noticed the friendly feline cruising campus. The creature with mint-green eyes and a downy, if inadequately warm, coat of fluff craved attention and marveled when scraps of food fell at her snow-white paws now and again. The schoolteacher summoned her husband, Gaines Evans, to retrieve the tabby and save her from the often-brutal outdoor elements. “She asked that I ‘relocate her’, ” he recalls. Gaines, however, was smitten. So he relocated her right back to the Gaines homestead. “I fell under her spell, and she has not been neglected since,” he says. That’s seven winters now spent with the Evanses in their cozy Lake Highlands abode; they relocated, too. Holidays loomed that first chilly day, when Gaines picked up the cat. Christmas jingles filled the atmosphere, so he called the kitty Kringle, as in “Old Kris.” It stuck, so a smidgen of yuletide cheer perpetually slinks around the grounds year round—toying with string, gazing out windows, eating on schedule and remaining blissfully temperate, no matter the weather.

UP FRONT EVENTS

Out & About

MAY 5

DOG DAYZ OF DALLAS

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this dog-friendly festival complete with contests, food trucks, scavenger hunts and pet vendors.

Flag Pole Hill, 805 Doran Circle, dallasdoglife.com, free

MAY 6

SUNDAYS AT THE PARK

Memphis Soul serenades attendees while local businesses dole out treats. The event starts at 5 p.m. Watercrest Park, 7070 Skillman St., free

MAY 6

PEEP THE COOPS

Experience an urban chicken coop tour through North and East Dallas, featuring innovative coops, expert advice and a local market with food, artisans, booths and entertainment for the whole family, benefitting Moss Haven Farm.

Tour begins at Moss Haven Farm, 9202 Moss Farm Lane, apeepatthecoops.org, $10

MAY 9 -26

‘THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN’

The play by Eric Coble tells the tale of Alexandra, an elderly artist who is battling her family over where she will spend her remaining years.

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

May 20

WHITE ROCK EAST GARDEN TOUR

Enjoy spring blooms during this selfguided tour through neighborhood gardens. Take in work from local artists along the way and visit a plant sale at Alex Sanger Elementary.

Various locations, 214.821.1860, whiterockgardentour.org, $10-$12

UNTIL MAY 12

‘SWEENEY TODD’

See a comical portrayal of the revenge-seeking Sweeney Todd and his zany accomplice Mrs. Lovett. Participation and popcorn tossing is encouraged during the performance.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre, 5400 E. Mockingbird Lane, pocketsandwich. com,$12-$16

MAY 28

CAMP SWEENEY FESTIVAL

Test your speed in a 5k or 1k, jump around in a bounce house or have your face painted at Camp Sweeney’s Play for the Day Festival. The organization has partnered with the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District once again to raise money to serve kids with diabetes. Lake Highlands Town Center, 7100 Wildcat Way, campsweeney.org, $35 for 5k, otherwise free

CHEERING FOR LAKE HIGHLANDS

Cedar & Vine strives to be our ’hood’s go-to spot

By ELISSA CHUDWIN I Photos by KATHY TRAN

Cedar & Vine Community Kitchen only opened a year ago, but it already is earning a reputation as Lake Highlands’ version of “Cheers.”

The upscale restaurant’s ambience isn’t quite like TV’s favorite grimy Boston pub. Rather, it’s the staff’s dynamic personalities and growing list of regulars that give Cedar & Vine sitcom potential.

Chef Chris Marolda occasionally bangs on the counter and shouts orders at the kitchen staff. His dramatic tendencies are for show and meant to keep the kitchen lively.

“I’m cracking the whip to make it fun,” he says.

Marolda, who previously was Gleneagle Country Club’s sous

DID YOU KNOW: The architects who designed the building and even the graphic designer who created Cedar & Vine’s logo are based in our neighborhood.

chef, goes out of his way to accommodate customers. He added a cereal bowl to the menu to satisfy one patron’s craving. He bought swordfish to serve a neighborhood family of three once they mentioned seafood was their favorite.

“How often we change for guests is unlike anywhere we’ve worked,” manager Nicole Dukeman says.

Fontina fondue

UP FRONT

Owners Jimmy Cannon, Brandon Carter and Sam Howard are Lake Highlands natives who returned to the neighborhood to raise their own families. They knew Cedar & Vine could fill a void in the area’s small but growing restaurant scene. They also knew residents’ expectations would be high.

The restaurant offers wine and craft beer on tap. Howard, a foodie himself, and Marolda collaborated to create the menu, which features simple, yet elegant dishes like brick chicken with whipped potatoes and Faroe Island salmon with couscous.

“It’s bold flavors, which is modern, served in a simple way, which is classic,” Marolda says.

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STILL I

RISE

These graduating seniors embody poet Maya Angelou’s promise to find a way into a “daybreak that’s wondrously clear.”

BY ELISSA CHUDWIN AND CHRISTINA HUGHES

PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

High school can be stressful and chaotic, as students navigate academics, friendships and impending adulthood. These students’ experiences would keep most of us down, some of us out. Instead their heartache propelled them to a future worthy of their struggles.

Colt Brock

Braxton and Colt Brock always had shared striking similarities and major differences. Colt is academic, usually clean-shaven and outspoken. His older brother grew an unruly beard and “hated” school, but he was a genius when it came to mechanics and working with his hands, Colt says. After graduating Lake Highlands High School in 2014, Braxton sought out his own social group, like-minded friends with a yearning to ride and work on bikes. Braxton didn’t go off to college, but he labored some 50 hours a week. “All he knew was work,” Colt says.

At night Braxton slept on a twin bed, parallel to Colt’s.

At 21, he and Colt, 17, still divvied their childhood room. “We shared that room, it seems like, all our lives,” Colt says.

There’s no need for twin beds in the room today.

When Colt returned at the beginning of the school year, there were few at Lake Highlands High School who didn’t know Brock had died, killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in early August.

“People look at you. They don’t know what to say. There are a few people who actually do know how we feel,” he says.

Austin Silva, who died suddenly last year, was a classmate, he says. The Kampfschulte family of Lake Highlands, who lost a little boy to a rare illness, also made efforts to help Colt’s shocked family in any way possible.

Braxton was killed on his way home from work at about 9:30 on a Thursday night.

Responders told his family the driver might have not even noticed that he hit Braxton.

Colt was brushing his teeth when he heard loud banging at the front door. “Braxton,” he figured, “always trying to scare me.”

But it was two uniformed officers on the porch instructing the

family to drive to a Plano hospital, where, they said, Braxton was in ICU.

Except for sister Katsie Rane, a sophomore who was away at camp, they gathered into the car.

“I knew whatever it was, I had to hold myself together, because I knew my mom was not going to be able to take it,” Colt says. “I had to keep it together.”

When Colt, mom and stepdad arrived, the physician immediately imparted the unthinkable news: “There is no chance of him waking up.”

The surgeon was blunt, Colt says.

“It seemed mean at first. It hit Mom instantly like a wrecking ball to the gut. I went into shock, I think. The words were so hard, quick, unexpected, but now I understand why,” he says.

For one thing, Braxton’s remaining organs were healthy and young, and he had always spoken ardently of being an organ donor. He didn’t drink or party, his family says, so they expected viable parts.

But they had to move fast.

“He officially died the day following the accident, Friday, and we already had the ball rolling and everything,” Colt says.

Six people received Braxton’s life-saving organs and 75 others benefited. Skin, bone, eyes — almost everything was put to use.

Braxton wasn’t the sentimental type. “I recall thinking at the funeral services, he may not have liked everyone in this room, but he loved all of them, and would have given any one the shirt off his back.”

Giving his organs was a small catharsis, Colt says.

The devastated family pressed through the pain, because they had no choice. Sister Katsie has suffered a condition called fibromatosis most of her life. Some cases are treated with chemotherapy at certain

“There are a few people who actually do know how we feel.”

COLT BROCK

stages; in 2016, Katsie’s needed to be.

“She got sick, lost hair. Mom and my sister would go to MD Anderson hospital in Houston every Wednesday for treatments.”

But she is “a fighter;” they both are, he says of his sister and mother.

Since Braxton’s death, Colt’s stepfather has undergone a total hip replacement.

His mom eventually stopped working as a teacher and became her family’s nurse for a while. But the family is financially stable. The accident was mostly covered by the state, because it is considered a criminal case.

Braxton’s life insurance policy will go toward his siblings’ college funds.

Police still are searching for the white pickup truck, caught only in blurry images on a Plano street camera. “I can’t — none of us can — look at a white truck without thinking about it,” Colt says.

Colt used to be the senior wrestling captain but quit the team in October.

He started an architecture and design club. It is a national affiliate — so far only 20 high schools have chapters. LHHS “swept the district” at the first competition.

Colt plans to intern this summer at PBK Architects, the company that did the latest redesign at LHHS.

Eventually he hopes to earn a master’s degree in architecture. He loves the work, because it keeps his mind busy with problem solving and satisfies his creative side.

As he readies to head home for the day, the topic of facial hair emerges. In photos taken before his brother’s funeral, Colt’s face was smooth.

“In wrestling, we weren’t allowed to grow [a beard], but I stopped shaving the day of the accident.”

Now he sees a little more, even, of his brother in the mirror each day. n

ABOVE: Since the death of his brother, Braxton, Colt Brock wears his brother’s thumbprint on a necklace.

LEFT: Braxton Brock was killed at age 21 in a motorcycle accident.

Imani Johnson

It was devastating for a third-grader like Imani Johnson, who prided herself on good grades and hard work. Thanks to a new standardized exam, which she did not pass because of test anxiety, she was held back.

It would never happen again, the youngster promised herself — no excuses.

Almost a decade later, the Lake Highlands Exchange Club selected Imani Johnson (along with Colt Brock) as Students of the Month last September. Certain teachers at Lake Highlands High School, where Imani is a senior now, refer to “the Imani effect.” The infectiousness of her hard work and dedication influence even the adults around her, AVID teacher Matthew Morris says.

“She reminds us of why we chose our field. She’s a beacon of light in a sometimes bleak world,” he says. “She may seem overly zealous at times, but she is goal oriented and won’t stop until she achieves. And those of us who have worked with her — our lives are forever changed for the better.”

Imani fought hard with Advanced Placement Geography early in high school. As a freshman, she used what she learned in AVID, an academic club for students, to start an inclusive tutoring group. She now maintains the website, coordinates volunteers, provides snacks and connects students with outside resources.

“I’ve learned a lot from creating a group on campus, from improved management skills to effective advertising. It’s my hope that this group will remain on campus long after I’ve left high school,” she said upon accepting her award.

If that sounds exceedingly mature for a high schooler, make no mistake, it is all Imani. She is a reluctant grown up, she says, half joking. She is the oldest of five siblings. “When you are in that position, you are no longer a child,” she says. “You

“You can hold the gun, but your thoughts pull the trigger.”

IMANI JOHNSON

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have to be an adult. Not to say my parents don’t pull their weight, but I come home to all these little eyes looking up at me, wanting, needing.”

She loves them, but family is a touchy subject. “I sometimes feel a stressed relationship with my family,” she says. “I struggle with anger, depression and other things I try to numb myself from.” She doesn’t feel they totally understand the depths of her angst.

“I have been so down at times that I have wanted to die,” she says. “Young Life has been such a big part of healing and guiding me, spiritually.”

At Camp Buckner, which Imani attended recently, she admitted the suicidal ideations and received help. She learned that her own thoughts are all she can control.

“You can hold the gun, but your thoughts pull the trigger,” she says.

ORNAMENT

Call 214.560.4203

To an extent, Imani feels her struggles are of her own making because she holds in emotions. It is palpable when talking to this young woman with the 1,000-watt smile and overflowing energy. She rumbles, and only a slim fault line seems to exist between enthusiasm and anxiety. But she understands now the need to talk to her adult mentors — Michael Morris and Rhianna Anglin, AVID instructors, or “Ms. Meredith,” of Young Life.

“Imani’s uniqueness lies in her dedication to just keep going,” Anglin says. “Her positive attitude, her strength of character, her belief systems and her dreams keep her moving toward her goals. ... I am so excited to see her grow and change as she enters this next phase in her life because she can offer this world so much.”

Imani just received a full-ride scholarship to Bennett College. She also is interested in attending Houston Baptist.

She wants to be a nurse. She wants to serve. She is content with seeing “where God takes me.” n

Mansour Lam

Mansour Lam is an eloquent communicator, although he has yet to realize it.

The wiry, mild-mannered 17-year-old doesn’t need to be verbose to be articulate. His voice has a poetic cadence, and he thoughtfully answers questions in just a few words.

But Mansour, who speaks several languages, doesn’t talk about himself much. He worries his Senegalese accent is difficult to understand. The Lake Highlands High School senior prefers writing more than speaking, he says, because people relate best to others when they can’t see their faces. He excels in his AP classes despite that he enrolled in school for the first time at age 11.

“The fact I wasn’t born here, and I’m doing stuff kids who were born here can’t do, that I’m very proud of,” he says.

Mansour’s quiet demeanor shifts when he describes his family. He is the second youngest of 12 children, several of whom still live at home.

“You can’t get bored,” he says. “It can be frustrating but fun at the same time.”

Even Mansour’s eyes smile as he imitates how his brothers play basketball. They’ve practiced the sport every Saturday for years with little improvement. The Lam siblings only take granny shots, he says, as he haphazardly throws his arms into the air.

“I kind of like that they’re horrible, and I’m good,” Mansour says.

Since they immigrated from Senegal in September 2010, Mansour has relied on his family during the “bad days” — the times it feels as though needles are poking his stomach and his limbs are ripping apart.

Sickle cell anemia has caused lifelong bouts of excruciating and unpredictable pain in Mansour’s arms, legs or chest. He was diagnosed with the red blood cell disorder before he spoke English and could fully understand the disorder’s consequences.

“The fact that I know what it is makes it harder,” he says.

If powerful painkillers like hydrocodone don’t quell the agony, Mansour is hospitalized — sometimes

for two to three weeks. His mother won’t leave his bedside, despite his siblings’ offers to stay with him. His father, a devout Muslim, prays until the episode ends.

A bone marrow transplant is the only known cure for the disorder. Mansour hasn’t found a match.

“I’m honestly not worried about it,” he says. “When it comes, we deal with it. That’s all we can do.”

Mansour only confides in his best friend when he’s in pain. She doesn’t treat him differently like he worries others might, he says.

“I just know I’m me. I’m not a bad person. The things I can’t change, I can’t change. There’s no point weeping over it.”

Even though Mansour has missed dozens of days of school, he thrives in the classroom.

“It doesn’t deter him from his sincere belief that his life is going to be great,” AP U.S. history teacher Casey Boland says.

Mansour was accepted into the University of North Texas and plans to have a career as a physical therapist.

“He has that overall rosy positive attitude, without a hint of arrogance. If I were him, I’d be the most arrogant person on the planet,” Boland says.

Mansour’s parents fled war-torn Mauritania, a West African country bordering Senegal, in the 1990s. Children in Senegal aren’t required by

“The things I can’t change, I can’t change. There’s no point weeping over it.”

MANSOUR LAM

law to attend school, so he went to an Islamic school that only taught the Quran instead.

“We didn’t have enough money to buy bread in the mornings for breakfast,” Mansour wrote in an English class essay. “The 11 years that I lived there, I had to go around [to] different houses, asking for rice and milk.”

With little food, his parents applied for visas to enter the United States. Mansour — who dreamt they were in the U.S. before their visas were approved — was excited, until he became sick for the entirety of the eighthour plane ride, he says.

“I remember praying: ‘This is not what the food is like, because this I cannot get used to,’ ” he says.

The family thought they’d go to Ohio, where their extended family lives, but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services brought the family to Dallas. They ushered them into a townhouse near Forest Lane.

“The fridge was filled with anything you can think of,” he says. “That’s not something we were used to. Adapting was a different story.”

Mansour walked into school for the first time without knowing “hi” was a greeting or that uniforms were required.

“I hated the first few months,” he says. “It was the worst. I remember doing a test — everyone circling, bubbling — and I had never seen a Scantron … All eyes are on you. You’re just different. Everybody knows you have no idea what’s going on.”

One of his teachers bought him a winter coat and uniforms. The kindness she showed is, in part, why he gives his phone number to every new student and offers to befriend them.

It took Mansour a few years before he felt at home in Lake Highlands, he says, and he didn’t prioritize education until he became an upperclassmen. He studies for an hour every night before he even begins his homework.

“Now I just focus on my education instead of what I’ll eat for lunch,” he says. n

‘Efron’ Genet

The week before prom, Fitsum “Efron” Genet is preoccupied with the details of the Egyptian Nights-themed event. The animated 18-yearold is the senior class vice president tasked with planning the milestone.

This is Efron’s chance to be remembered at Lake Highlands High School, he says, and opportunities like that can’t be wasted. He rattles off all the key decisions he helped make, from the venue to the music to a special guest appearance, a local petting zoo’s camel.

Efron could be pegged as a politician in the making, even though he wants to be a doctor. He’s outgoing and charismatic — the type who treats strangers as lifelong friends.

Efron doesn’t introduce himself as Fitsum, his given name. He tells his peers his name is Efron, just like the actor. His father, though, gave him the nickname when he was a baby.

“I like it because it’s one of the good things my dad gave me,” he says.

Efron hasn’t seen his dad since he immigrated from Ethiopia to the United States when he was 9. His mother relocated to the U.S. when Efron was a toddler to ensure her son had better financial and educational opportunities. She worked several jobs to send his family money for necessities and pay for Efron’s private school education, where he learned English.

Without his mom nearby, his father, aunt and a nanny raised him. He and his father bonded during the day, but alcohol consumed his dad’s attention at night.

“My dad was an alcoholic; I remember it very vividly. That’s why at 7 or 8, I made a vow never to drink,” he says.

Efron’s father never moved

to the U.S., and he won’t see Efron receive his diploma this June. Efron learned his dad died from a heart attack in March. The news hasn’t registered yet, and Efron says he’s unsure if he’s begun to grieve.

“I’m angry that he died before he saw me succeed,” Efron says.

His father’s death isn’t the only thing he’s had to reconcile. Growing up, his dad told Efron that his mother abandoned them. So when she brought him to the United States at 9, he felt like he was moving to a new country with a woman he knew little about.

Even though he spoke English fluently, he was considered the weird kid in school, he says. He struggled with his mother’s rules and living with his little brother. He felt his dad stopped caring. Then,

“I’m angry that he died before he saw me succeed.”

EFRON GENET

when he was 12, his aunt died of breast cancer.

“I just didn’t feel like I was loved,” he says.

Navigating between cultures while in mourning was overwhelming, Efron says. He was suicidal as a middle-schooler, but he never mentioned how he was feeling to anyone until he attended a Young Life camp. He found solace in religion and met a mentor, Adrian Neal, who he’s still in contact with today.

“I felt God, and I know trying to end my life wasn’t what I was meant for.”

Now an honor roll student, Efron played football and ran track. He credits football coach, Lonnie Jordan, for increasing his work ethic and confidence. Efron also volunteers at Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Garland and attends Village Church.

He’ll either attend Aurora University in Illinois, West Texas A&M University or A&M Commerce, depending on the financial aid he receives. Efron is paying his college tuition by himself, and he hopes to graduate with little debt so he can eventually afford medical school.

He and his mom don’t argue anymore, and his little brother — albeit annoying, he says — reminds him of himself.

“I love my mom,” he says. “She’s my rock.”

Imani Johnson, one of Efron’s good friends, has watched him not only become more self-assured but also become more responsible.

Any challenge or mistake he views as a lesson, she says.

“If I go through pain, I hope I come out better for it,” he says. n

If you, or someone you know, is feeling depressed or suicidal, you have options. Contact teacher Casey Boland, A106, or call 1-800-273-8255.

Visit us today for North Texas’ best tropicals, annuals, perennials and more. Step in the store for fun gifts and beautiful home accessories. Also, ask how we can build your outdoor kitchen with one of our propane or charcoal grills.

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Teachers we

The good, the better and the best of Lake Highlands teachers

By ELISSA CHUDWIN

There’s no exact formula that determines a teacher’s success, but patience and compassion is certainly part of the equation.

For most, education is a field as unrelenting as it is rewarding. The majority of our time as children is spent in the classroom, and the people leading them often leave a lifelong impression on our young lives.

Whether it was the math teacher who lent us lunch money or the art teacher who consoled us during a bad day, these people are engrained in our memory long after we’ve graduated.

We asked Lake Highlands which educators, past and present, deserve to be recognized and received an overwhelming number of suggestions. Here are just a few of the teachers that we admire and appreciate. Visit lakehighlands.advocatemag. com to see a complete list of teachers that were recommended to us.

Jim Davidson’s students rarely saw him smile.

Only a slight smirk flashed across Davidson’s face when he found something comical.

His gruff exterior intimidated students who were unfamiliar with the seasoned journalism teacher. Davidson oversaw the student newspaper and yearbook, as well as taught a creative writing class.

“If you actually knew him, he was super friendly,” former student Jonathan Gurule says. “He didn’t put up with any kind of

shenanigans of any sort.”

Davidson disciplined teens with the kind of glare that didn’t require words to say “knock it off.” Mr. D, as his students called him, was strict yet beloved. He had a knack for guiding students without handing them the answers and critiquing their work without lowering their selfesteem.

He was the type of teacher that, 25 years after his death, former students still credit for their careers and consider when facing a problem.

“I’m a father now of a daughter,” Gurule says. “The kind of patience he showed me as a student I definitely maintained as a father.”

Gurule isn’t a journalist, even though Davidson played an integral role in his career. He let Gurule, an Apple employee, borrow computers to tinker with during the weekends.

Another former student, Susan Clot de Broissia, spent several years working in international relations. But before that, she was an intern and the only female

Most revered: Jim Davidson Lake Highlands High School

photojournalist on staff at a smalltown Pennsylvania newspaper. Once she was sent to cover a house fire but wasn’t allowed near the catastrophe. Her boss thought it wasn’t safe for a woman. Frustrated, she thought of what Davidson would instruct her to do. The photograph she captured of a family embracing as smoke billowed above them made the front page.

“You always had him in your head,” she says.

Clot de Broissia still has a few darkroom tools stored in her house. They’re not useful, she says, but it reminds her of her favorite teacher.

Jim Davidson was known to leave students letters in the yearbooks that they helped create.

Davidson’s career ended abruptly when cancer took hold. He died in 1994.

His death was devastating for his students, many of whom attended his funeral.

Afterward, they visited his grave with flowers, wrapped in copies of the student newspaper.

Best mother-daughter duo Belinda Bradley, Merriman Park Elementary, and Amberley Bradley, White Rock Elementary

When Belinda Bradley got married in 1992, all of her students were invited to her wedding. A few even were junior bridesmaids and groomsmen. “She has parents that have their own kids who come back and say you’re my favorite teacher ... I wanted to have that much of an impact.” Says daughter Amberley.

Most innovative Kori Markussen, Wallace Elementary

To teach her students about money,

Kori Markussen created a March Madness bracket in her classroom. “That’s when I can’t sleep at night — if I fail a kid,” she says.

Ashley Jones, Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet

Whether it’s using Angry Birds to teach students how to decompose numbers or doing 15 minutes of yoga a day, Ashley Jones’, or Ms. Jonesy’s, unconventional classroom has earned her RISD’s Teacher of the Year Award. “I love that I’m the first layer or step in something they’ll learn their whole life,” she says.

Most dedicated August Whitaker, Wallace Elementary

Every morning, for three years, kindergarten teacher August Whitaker woke up at 4 a.m. to drive 100 miles to Wallace Elementary from her East Texas home.

Ann Peeler, Wallace Elementary

Ann Peeler is retired from Wallace after decades of teaching — sort of. She’s a volunteer substitute teacher and tutor nearly five days per week.

Stephanie Bowling, Northlake Elementary

Besides teaching third grade, Stephanie Bowling coaches basketball, runs the talent show and volunteers for nearly every PTA event. “She’ll make every effort to not let time affect her ability to create a positive environment for the students,” husband Brian Johnson says.

Ashley Jones’ classroom

Favorite rookies

Julia Swanner, Forest Meadow Junior High

“When I get frustrated, I think what would I have done on a Tuesday morning in seventh grade,” she says. “I try to be understanding with them.”

Jenna Ciardo, Lake Highlands Elementary

Jenna Ciardo transitioned from a marketing career to a third-grade teacher nearly seamlessly. The career switchup seems sporadic, but Ciardo is most comfortable in the classroom. “She has challenged my oldest but he still genuinely enjoys going to school and working to improve,” resident Suzy Habluetzel Shoup told the Advocate.

Most changed

James Rees, Lake Highlands High School

Band director James Rees wants students to grow as musicians, but “what matters is getting kids to be better versions of themselves,” he says. Rees, though, has grown himself after teaching for seven years. He jokes he was known as the “dream crusher” his first year.

Most determined

Karen Scoggins, Skyview Elementary

For more than 20 years, Karen Scoggins has helped students with learning disabilities. “She has students with very diverse special needs and works day in/ out to meet each and every one of them wherever they are,” Principal Ingrid Dodd told the Advocate.

Most enthusiastic

Jennifer Scarbrough, Lake Highlands High School

Jennifer Scarbrough can quote Flannery O’Connor and John Steinbeck, but her hope for students doesn’t solely revolve around the content she teaches. “I would like them to be excited about learning. Little knowledge is dangerous.”

Cathleen Barnette, Merriman Park Elementary

Cathleen Barnette’s third-graders pretend they’re Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel by taping paper under their desks.

“In my classroom, everything’s done with enthusiasm. I tell the kids if it’s not fun, we’re going to find a way to make it fun, and we’re going to learn it.”

Living legend David Wood, Lake Highlands High School

After decades of experience, David Wood is an institution in his own right. The English teacher also coached tennis and is a driving force behind Wild for Cats booster club.

Best in tech

Meagan Collier, White Rock Elementary

Whether it’s asking students to make videos impersonating a historical figure or starting a robotics program, Meagan Collier has a knack for all things electronic.

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LAKE HIGHLANDS ACUPUNCTURE

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Most school spirit

Susan Ruth, Lake Highlands Elementary

Even after 20 years, kindergarten teacher Susan Ruth’s patience has not yet waned. “Susan Ruth is tough when need be but also very loving,” parent Abigail Lau Jeffcoat told the Advocate. ” My 5-year-old son has had his challenges this school year but has made a complete 180 back in January.” Not to mention Ruth is teaching at the same elementary school she attended as a child.

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The Impossible Dream

Finally, a plan to connect LHHS and its Freshmen Center

Story by CAROL TOLER I Photo by EMILY CHARRIER

For years, parents of students walking between Lake Highlands High School and the Freshman Center have complained about the hassles of making the trek. Punishment for being late to class, showing up soaked from the rain and worries about security are just a few objections often brought to principals, PTA meetings and the school board. All those entities have considered ways to build a covered walkway between the buildings to keep students dry.

The answer was always the same – it can’t be done. There’s a fire lane running between the Freshman Center and the school, and any covered walkway would pass through and interfere with the fire lane. Conventional wisdom was that the fire lane could not be moved.

Never say never.

The high school is in the early stages of a major expansion and renovation project funded by the 2016 bond, including transformation of its library, extensive upgrades to its HVAC and plumbing systems, a brand new multipurpose activity center and construction of 24 new classrooms. Architects

on the project, which is expected to be completed in 2020, have spoken to the City of Dallas, which says “it’s possible” to move the fire lane northward on the property and build classrooms or a covered walkway to close the gap.

The plans are still in the development phase and must go to the Dallas City Plan Commission for approval.

When the Freshman Center first opened in 1998, few of its students spent any of their days on the main campus. Freshmen had their own principal, their own counselors and a separate (and smaller) catalog of freshman-only courses. Today, there is more movement between the two buildings, but the expansion would go even further in unifying the campus, keeping Wildcats together instead of isolating underclassmen.

The answer was always the same — it can’t be done.

ADMITTING YOUR SITE NEEDS HELP IS

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT’S ACTING CAREER FLOURISHES

Kameron Badgers, who found his niche as a circus performer in elementary school, has transitioned away from the big top’s controlled chaos to the feverish pace of the big screen. The Lake Highlands High School student earned a lead role in the film “Beyond the Bridge,” which debuted in April and chronicles the experiences of three young adults coping with depression or suicidal ideation. “It’s a really important topic,” he says. “I think people need to understand what it’s like, so they have something to hold onto after they watch the movie if they deal with something like this at home.”

RICHARDSON ISD ROLLS OUT ACE PROGRAM

Richardson ISD officially rolled out its $3.2 million plan to put its best teachers and principals into its four worst-performing elementary schools, each one filled with impoverished students: Carolyn Bukhair and RISD Academy in Far North Dallas, and Forest Lane Academy and Thurgood Marshall in Lake Highlands. Their attendance zones wrap around rows of low-income apartment complexes. The plan, Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE), is modeled after Dallas ISD’s program of the same name. Besides bringing the district’s most successful teachers to these schools, the program also provides additional services, such as tutoring and meals, before and after school.

WILDCAT RECEIVES DELL SCHOLARSHIP

Wildcat senior Reginald “Reggie” Mensah has earned a Dell Scholarship. Recipients receive more than $20,000 per year to help navigate the barriers of college and challenge themselves academically, even if they haven’t been stand out students based on traditional criteria like test scores and GPAs. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation created the program in 2004 to support low-income, first-generation students and provide them with resources to ensure they earn a degree.

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GIBBY HAYNES

LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1976

What he’s up to now: Gibby Haynes was born into a show business family, the son of Jerry Haynes, aka. Dallas’ beloved children’s TV show host “Mr. Peppermint.” Although Haynes was a talented athlete, he moved toward a career in the arts. In 1981, he cofounded the Butthole Surfers, an acclaimed punk-rock band that has been making music for more than 30 years.

Three things to know:

1 The Butthole Surfers broke through the crowded punk scene in the early 1980s when Jello Biafra saw them perform in San Francisco and invited them to open for his band, the Dead Kennedys.

2

Kurt Cobain cited the Butthole Surfers as one of his core musical influences. When the Nirvana front man’s personal mix tape was released for public consumption after his death, it contained three of the band’s songs.

Haynes was a basketball star, both at Lake Highlands High School and at Trinity University, where he also was named Accounting Student of the Year. “I was always a real good shot,” he told Rolling Stone in 1996. “I may still have records in high school, but I made, like, 80 percent free throws and 50, 60 percent field goals and … what was the question?

3

WORSHIP

By GEORGE MASON

All the golden rules

Be golden. That’s the call from the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, Edward Burns, to all of Dallas in the coming year. Live the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The Golden Rule is Jesus’ rendition of established rabbinic teaching. The Babylonian Talmud records the story of a contest between two rabbis: the stricter, Shammai, and the more liberal, Hillel. Their two schools of interpretation preceded and overlapped the era of Jesus. “Once there was a gentile who came before Shammai and said to him: ‘Convert me on the condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.’ Shammai pushed him aside with the measuring stick he was holding.

“The same fellow came before Hillel, and Hillel converted him, saying: ‘That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow, this is the whole Torah, and the rest is commentary, go and learn it.’”

As Jesus was himself a Jew, it is uncharitable to suggest that the Jewish obligation to one’s neighbor is only negative, while a more robust Christian view is positive. Sometimes, I painfully consider my own actions and those of my Christian siblings and wish we would at least adopt the “do no harm” aspect of that teaching if we can’t quite get to the “do something good” part.

Islam also features a version of the Golden Rule. The Hadith, which contains stories about and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, says: “None of you have faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself.”

In her book “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life,” historian of religion Karen Armstrong digs into all the world’s religions to find this common

concern. Confucius was asked to summarize his teaching, and he replied that it amounted to treating everybody with respect. Predating the rabbinic Jewish teaching by 500 years, he said: “Do not do to others what you would not like yourself.”

Compassion underlies the Golden Rule. It means literally to feel with or to suffer alongside. The Christian writer, Frederick Buechner, puts it this way: “Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it’s like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you, too.”

Bishop Burns is calling Dallas to a neighborliness that grows out of our varied faith traditions and grows toward them at the same time. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, he linked the love of neighbor with the love of God, as if to make them indivisibly one commandment.

Atheists and agnostics, secularists and seekers can also join this call to “be golden” without any pangs of conscientious religious dissent. We all may not pray alike, and some may not pray at all, but we all can want for and work for the well-being of our neighbor.

Being golden brings about the common good.

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.

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 & 11:00 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

In every faith, and even among the faithless, we find this measuring stick

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?

AC & HEAT

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

ALL COMPUTER PROBLEMS SOLVED

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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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CLEANING SERVICES

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BRICK & STONE REPAIR

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BRICK, BLOCK, Stone, Concrete, Stucco. Gonzalez Masonry. 214-395-1319

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WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd. E795. 214-850-4891

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

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EXTERIOR CLEANING

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FENCING & DECKS

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Northlake Fence and Deck

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www northlakefence.com

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.

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

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, 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, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

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

HandymanMatters.com/dallas

And More! 972-308-6035

Bonded & Insured. Locally owned & operated.

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

WE REFINISH!

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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

U R LAWN CARE Maintenance. Landscaping. Your Personal Yard Service by Uwe Reisch uwereisch@yahoo.com 214-886-9202

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

Looking for local services and don’t have an Advocate magazine handy?

CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED DIGITAL CLASSIFIED ADS

Online ads have long been a part of our classifieds, but we at Advocate magazine are always looking for ways to improve. What’s new? Our digital ads now include photos and logos of companies. Plus, they are searchable on Google.

Support your neighborhood by contacting these local companies, who are ready to help you with home and professional services, tutoring, lessons and more.

Pull up our lakehighlands.advocatemag.com, then click on the Marketplace tab. Search the category that you want, then start contacting local services. Thanks for supporting our classified section.

classifieds.advocatemag.com

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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 CARE

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

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

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

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?

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

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

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

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

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

CROSS COUNTRY MOVING Long Distance Moving Company. Out of State Move $799 Long Distance Movers. Get Free Quote. 1-800-511-2181

DIRECT TV SELECT PACKAGE Over 150 Channels. Only $35/month (for 12 months) Get a $200 AT&T Visa Rewards Gift Card (some restrictions apply) 1-855-781-1565

DISH NETWORK. $59.99 For 190 Channels. $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation. Smart HD DVR Included. Free Voice Remote. Some Restrictions Apply. 1-855-837-9146

EARTHLINK HIGHSPEED INTERNET As Low As $14.95/month.(first 3 months) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology Stream Videos, Music & More. 1-855-520-7938

Bob McDonald Company, Inc. BUILDERS/REMODELERS

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

214-341-1155

bobmcdonaldco.net

ADVOCATE PUBLISHING does not pre-screen, recommend or investigate the advertisements and/or Advertisers published in our magazines. As a result, Advocate Publishing is not responsible

IRS TAX DEBTS? $10K+ Tired Of The Calls? We Can Help. $500 Free Consultation. We Can Stop The Garnishments. Free Consultation, Call Today. 1-855-823-4189

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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

WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

FOOD NEWS

Unleavened Fresh Kitchen quietly opened its doors at The Hill Shopping Center, near Walnut Hill Lane and North Central Expressway. Since Capref Manager LLC implemented its $90-million redevelopment project, the previously derelict development is now home to TreeHouse, Tacodeli and Houndstooth Coffee Restaurants Bella Green, Civil Pour, Luna Grill and Snooze also have announced their impending arrival at The Hill.

There were already salt and pepper shakers on the table at Taco Diner when the floors were ripped up and the ceilings were removed. There’s no reason to panic that your taco cravings will never be satisfied — at least not yet. Owners M Crowd rehired Mico Rodriguez to oversee the project, and he opted to redesign the bar, patio and menu. If all goes according to plan, Taco Diner will start serving customers later this month.

Celebrity chef John Tesar made a neighborhood appearance this past month when he manned Oak Highlands Brewery’s kitchen for a pop-up dinner. Tesar — who has been nominated for several James Beard awards — prepared a four-course meal priced at $75 per person.

NEWS & NOTES

DEVELOPMENT DISASTER

A fire displaced several residents at Hive Apartments in the 6000 block of Abrams Road. Dallas Fire-Rescue officials hadn’t yet determined the cause of the blaze as of the Advocate’s press time. No injuries were reported.

TRANSPORTATION

A DART bus stop is finally being offered at Greenville Avenue and Royal Lane. The stop, route No. 84, will especially benefit organizations like Kids-U, Healing Hands Ministries and Gateway of Grace, whose clients often have to walk to receive critical services. “It’s more than just about bus service. This is about connecting people in a way that can break the cycle of poverty. It connects people to work, to school and to healthcare,” says Janna Gardner, founder and CEO of Healing Hands Ministries. “As we’re about to launch our ob/gyn clinic and pediatric clinic, we’ll be adding about 10,000 more patients, so it’s super-important to have this stop here.”

CRIME

A 19-year-old was shot at an apartment complex in the 9000 block of Markville Drive in mid-April. Police had yet to identify the two suspects, who appeared to be in their 20s, as of the Advocate’s press time. The unidentified victim, who survived the attack, was approached by two men from behind at about 7:45 p.m. They shot him and fled the scene.

There were already salt and pepper shakers on the table at Taco Diner when the floors were ripped up and the ceilings were removed.

BIZ BUZZ