2014 March Lake Highlands

BETTER THAN

FICTION

A STORY BY ADVOCATE MEDIA BASED ON THE TRUE STORIES OF NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS

WRITTEN BY CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB PHOTOGRAPHED BY DANNY FULGENCIO, DAVID LEESON AND KIM LEESON

SHOOT! AT THE NEW ARCHERY RANGE BAR FUN ADDICTS UP THE STREET

The Hardt Group

The Dybvad and Phelps Group

Jan Stell

The Selzer Group

Deb King

Mike Bryant Perry J. Flowers, III

Konnie Clayton

Free Colon Cancer Screening Kit

Don’t wait until you have symptoms of colon cancer, such as a change in bowel habits, to be screened for the disease. If you’re over 50 you can help keep your colon healthy with a free EZ DETECT™ colon cancer kit* from Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake. Since March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to take this simple, sanitary test that can be done in the privacy of home. Call 866-764-3627 today for your free EZ DETECT colon cancer kit*.

No lab processing or stool handling is necessary, and there are no dietary restrictions before or during the testing period.

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* $7.99 retail value. Limit two kits per household, please. Offer good while supplies last. EZ DETECT is a trademark of Biomerica, Inc.

As seen on TV

Neighbors whose lives mirror (albeit loosely) the plots of popular shows and films.

of Amtguard at Norbuck Park: Benjamin Hager

On target

Everyone wants to shoot a bow, says Clint Montgomery, who recently opened a 13,000-square foot archery range at Walnut Hill and Central.

16

Get around

The Lake Highlands High School 50th anniversary festival and the St. Patrick’s Day parade are on this month’s to-do list.

18

Food and drink

Bars with good grub, in the White Rock area

Member

ON THE COVER: Black Belt Audrey Sequenzia by Danny Fulgencio

We’re

We’re open late because your health can’t wait at your new neighborhood Methodist Family Health Center –Timber Creek. Methodist Health System has been a trusted Dallas caregiver since 1927, and we are excited to announce that a Methodist Family Health Center is finally in your community. As your new neighbor for life, we’re nearby for all of your health and wellness needs.

Schedule an appointment today at 214-361-2224. To learn more about Dr. Beckstrom and our new location, log on to MethodistHealthSystem.org/TimberCreek.

Appointments are encouraged. Most patients can be seen the same day. Most insurance plans are accepted.

making more time for your family’s health.

Perry Beckstrom, DO

YOU WIN SOME YOU LOSE SOME

And it is unsettling to ponder how tenuous is the line between the two

Sometime soon, we’re going to see someone on television raising hands to the sky while jubilantly celebrating a victory, and invariably that person is going to thank a higher being for making the victory possible.

Maybe it will be at the end of the Mavericks game. Maybe it will follow a Dallas Stars victory. Maybe it will be right after another Rangers win.

But it will come. And the person doing the thanking will be thankful about the skills he or she has been given that led to the heroics that came his or her way.

It’s just another day in paradise, after all, so we probably won’t give it much thought. It won’t be the first time we’ve heard such an exclamation, nor will it be the last.

When the camera is trained on the winners, and when the winner invariably invokes the name of God to exult in a victory, let’s not forget that someone on the other side is trudging silently (or sobbing) away, wondering why his prayers went unanswered and his pleas for victory were overridden by the Big Guy in favor of someone else.

If you believe that life is pretty much a zero-sum game, that there’s a certain amount of wealth and luck and good will in the world and that how it’s allocated and who it’s allocated to is about all that changes from time to time, then you also can believe that while each of us is giving thanks for the bounties in our lives, someone else is wondering why his table is bare and his life isn’t as full.

You can argue that hard work or a superior education or simple fate are the harbingers of blessings, and that those elements determine the level of our thanks by dividing the winners from the losers. Or you can wonder at the thin, thin line between success and failure while giving thought to the eerie cries of those less fortunate, many of whom aren’t drugged-up

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advertising consultants

CATHERINE PATE

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EMILY WILLIAMS

each of us is giving thanks for the bounties in our lives, someone else is wondering why his table is bare and his life isn’t as full.

losers or lazy SOBs, they’re just people born on the wrong side of the proverbial tracks who haven’t yet been blessed with the necessary guidance to find the path that leads over to the “right” side.

Giving thanks is important, it’s valuable and it’s meaningful, and the blessings that have come our way — deserved or sought after or otherwise — are worthy of our thoughts and our praise.

But at some time or another, every winner winds up on the other end of the score, watching the other team jump up and down, fingers and eyes raised to the sky, thanking a higher being for their good fortune.

And it’s at precisely that moment in time that we find out how much we really have to be thankful for, win or lose.

469.916.7864 / ewilliams@advocatemag.com

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EDITORIAL PH/ 214.292.2053

publisher: CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

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senior editor: EMILY TOMAN

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editors:

RACHEL STONE

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BRITTANY NUNN

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senior art director: JYNNETTE NEAL

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designer: KATHRYN ROCHA

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designers: LARRY OLIVER, LISA DUDLEY

contributing editors: KERI MITCHELL, SALLY WAMRE

contributors: GAYLA BROOKS, SEAN CHAFFIN, GEORGE MASON, BLAIR MONIE, ELLEN RAFF, PAM HARRIS, KRISTEN MASSAD, WHITNEY THOMPSON

photo editor: DANNY FULGENCIO

214.635.2121 / danny@advocatemag.com

photographers: MARK DAVIS, ELLIOTT MUÑOZ, KIM LEESON, DAVID LEESON, JENNIFER SHERTZER

copy editor: LARRA KEEL

interns: BRANDY BARHAM, JAMES COREAS

While

State Senator John Carona. Focused on the issues that matter.

lead to more government control and he’ll look for new ways to fight Obamacare. It’s time to end the drain of Washington on our Texas economy.

Improving education. Education can strengthen our families, our communities, our economy, and our future. An outspoken leader for better schools, Senator Carona was named a “Hero” by Texas teachers. As our leader in Austin, he’ll work for permanent school finance reform solutions, and creating a financing structure that is fair and sustainable in the future. He’ll fight for local control and greater educational choice, oppose unfunded education mandates, work to reduce the influence of standardized tests, and hold teachers and principals more accountable.

Cutting waste & reducing spending. A strong conservative, Senator Carona has a proven record of cutting waste. As our State Senator, he will fight against the growth of government. He’ll lead for zero-based budgeting, and oppose entitlements. And he’ll work for free-market solutions to the big issues facing our state because he understands that more government is never the right answer.

Fighting federal mandates. Senator Carona believes that government should be limited and accountable. Right now, Washington has it backwards

they think the people should be accountable to government, and that’s just wrong. As our State Senator, John Carona will reject federal dollars that

Securing our borders. The key to future prosperity begins today with securing our borders – keeping us safer and mitigating the drain of illegal immigrants on our schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure. As our State Senator, John Carona will support increased funding to secure our borders, oppose sanctuary cities, and lead for expanding the use of e-verify.

Jobs & growth. Our business-friendly environment contributed to attracting jobs and growth, and allowed Texas to prosper when the rest of our nation was lagging. As a self-made business success, John Carona understands first-hand what attracts business and what deters it, and as our State Senator, he’ll work to protect the Texas of opportunity – leading for lower taxes on businesses and property owners, reducing government regulation and red tape, and always opposing a state income tax.

DIGITAL DIGEST

TOP 5 MOST-READ STORIES

Masked man robs Lake Highlands woman

Lake Highlands to compete with Highland Park, Mesquite schools

JJ’s Cafe open for dinner

These students won’t miss lunch, even if parents neglect to pay

Big Lots closes Skillman-Abrams store

READER COMMENTS

“This is why the Lake Highlands Town Center can’t get any tenants. All the money’s going into the easy bets on the wide open spaces that they can develop right on 75, or Northwest Highway, or the other major thoroughfares. It’s all about traffic, traffic, traffic. By now, I don’t know how or when this sad and pathetic LH Town Center saga will end, I just know it won’t end well.” — ArchStavros on The Shops at Park Lane begins construction on new 5-story building

“Glad to see this being done. I wish there was some way to extend benefits to cover the more common injuries.” — Wildcat Dad on Wildcat Club to pay for catastrophic injury insurance

“What’s the deal with Skillman/ Abrams? So many cars drive past there. Not sure why retail isn’t surviving.” —Torchness on Big Lots closes Skillman-Abrams store

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Top 5 Dallas Kitchen Design Trends for 2014

Professional Remodeler, HGTV, and StyleatHome have all published their national lists of top kitchen design trends. Here’s our insider’s look at what’s hot in Dallas kitchens for 2014.

1. Upgraded Counters:

As proven in a recent study on Houzz, granite remains the most popular choice, as 50% of respondents said they prefer the material, and 36% prefer quartz. There are advantages, however, to upgrading your counters to other materials like Caesarstone, which is more durable, and more resistant to heat and spills. A variety of synthetic materials are also available, some of which look natural, while offering durable finishes. Regardless of the material you choose, maximizing horizontal space enables you to accomplish more in the kitchen.

2. Elaborate Kitchen Islands:

A more elaborate kitchen island almost always factors into a remodel. If you’d like your kitchen to be a social hub, an island that separates the kitchen from the living is ideal. Maybe you’d like to multitask, cooking as you help your child with homework. Ultimately, kitchen islands can be customized for the way you live, with a variety of features including multi-level horizontal surfaces, built-in storage and cooking surfaces, and even bookshelves.

3. Kitchens with an Open Design:

We’ll be so bold as to predict the eternal demise of the isolated kitchen. Open designs are not only better for entertaining and room-toroom conversation, but for keeping occupants generally feeling a sense of togetherness. In fact, 77% of Houzz survey respondents prefer

the open kitchen concept while the other 23% may be trying to avoid their spouses or in-laws.

4. Refaced Kitchen Cabinets: Designs, colors, and materials for refacing existing cabinetry have become so diverse that it makes sense in many cases to forego the cost of a complete renovation. Refacing enables you to avoid major plumbing, electrical, and counter replacement expenses. In our design showroom, we can demonstrate the gorgeous makeover you can achieve simply by refacing.

5. Lit, Floating Shelves: A kitchen composed entirely of closed cabinetry lacks the artistry and imagination that you can incorporate with floating shelves. Light and airy, these shelves can add color, focal lighting, and a variety of textures to complement the cabinetry, which gives your kitchen a more dramatic and varied overall look.

Kitchens and bathrooms remain the most popular (and valuable) home remodels in our area. Next month we’ll be featuring the Top 5 Bathroom Trends for 2014 in Dallas. If you’re thinking about remodeling either of these rooms in your home, give Bella Vista Company a call and we’ll discuss the best solutions for your needs.

Launch

community | events | food

Clint Montgomery: Danny Fulgencio

Archery enthusiast sets sights on Lake Highlands

The new Texas Archery Academy facility at Central and Walnut Hill opened in January, giving neighborhood residents a safe, convenient place to hone their archery skills. While there may not seem to be that many local bowand-arrow enthusiasts right now, Clint Montgomery, one of the executive directors of both the TXAA and the Texans Archery Club, says it’s his mission

to expose more people to the sport. “I’ve never met anybody who didn’t want to shoot a bow,” he says.

The 13,000-square-foot space beneath Spec’s “had been dark for probably 15 years,” Montgomery says. But now the facility boasts several indoor ranges designed for everyone from young children to serious competitors. There are also party rooms for kids or corporate groups and a technical range where serious archers can record themselves and analyze their form. Even the parking garage will be put to use as an after-hours range for members.

Anyone can drop in for a 30- or 60-minute session, held every hour from about 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. No reservations, equipment or previous training are necessary. But it hasn’t always been that easy to get a start in archery.

“Every kid can do it, whether they’re in a wheelchair or captain of the football team.”

Lake Highlands High School

50th Anniversary

(A Community-Wide Event for all Ages)

Sunday, March 23

1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 9449 Church Road

“People have always wanted to shoot,” Montgomery says. “There’s just been nowhere to go.” While hunters and other enthusiasts have traditionally had private clubs and ranges, most people just didn’t have a convenient, affordable way to learn and practice archery, he says. “The community outreach has been missing.”

That’s why the TAC, which was started in the 1960s as a benefit for employees of Texas Instruments, sponsors the academy — to make archery more accessible to the public. A nonprofit that was formed in 2011, the TXAA provides instruction, hosts tournaments, and operates indoor training facilities in Plano and San Antonio in addition to the new

• Student performances throughout the day

• 50 years of memorabilia on display

• Tours of the building, stadium and press box

• Food trucks

• Visit with former teachers & alumni

• Formal presentations at 4:20 p.m.

A special THANK YOU to Dallas City Councilman Jerry Allen, the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands and Friends of LHHS for their continuous support.

Walnut Hill location. TXAA ranges are open to the public, but members of the TAC are given free access to the ranges and equipment and can enjoy extended hours. A TAC membership is $120 a year.

Montgomery hopes that more people in the area start picking up bows. “Archery is not just bowhunting,” he says. “We teach everybody.” Because it requires self-discipline, control and focus, he says, archery is a great activity for children. “Every kid can do it, whether they’re in a wheelchair or captain of the football team,” he says. Montgomery has even taught toddlers, who shoot at big foam monkey targets. “Even though they can’t tie their shoes, they’re obeying the range commands,” he says.

And while he’s in favor of team sports, Montgomery says archery provides something they don’t. “It’s like golf,” he says. “It teaches you about yourself.”

If you’re not looking to do any self-exploration, that’s OK with Montgomery. “We don’t want to burden [beginners] with too much,” he says. “Just walk in and have fun.” —Larra Keel

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit texasarcheryacademy.org

“It’s like golf. It teaches you about yourself.”

PAWS & CLAWS

Fast friends

Not only is Gal loving and obedient, she also is super swift, says owner Taylor Kulovitz “She’s always putting a smile on people’s faces by her speed and sweet attitude,” Kulovitz notes. Gal tirelessly (harmlessly) sprints after squirrels, but she also enjoys quiet time while she sits still watching the cars pass or the kids play ball across the street at Lake Highlands Junior High. “Her claim to fame has to be turning several people who did not like dogs into dog lovers,” adds her proud owner.

Out & About

March 2014

March 23

Lake Highlands High School 50th

Whether you or a family member attended Lake Highlands High School, you taught or coached there, or you just happen to live within sight of the football field’s press box (that covers everyone from here to approximately the Oklahoma border, right?), you are invited to the high school’s afternoonlong 50-year celebration. From 1:30-5 p.m., tour the campus; see indoor and outdoor performances by the drill team, dance teams, bands and cheerleaders, to name a few; peruse a history of the school in photos and memorabilia; and catch up with former classmates, teachers and principals. Lake Highlands High School, risd.org, 9449 Church, 469.593.1000, free

MARCH 1

International Women’s Day

Celebrate women with International Women’s Day Dallas through its presentation of the “Words of Women” Essay of the Year, a history of International Women’s Day, community leaders speaking on the status of women, an international food buffet, cultural exhibits, music and entertainment, fun, food, and conversation.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, dallasculture.org, 214.675.6573, $18-$20

MARCH 5-22

‘Finishing School’

Is assisted living like high school all over again? In a two-act comedy by Dallas playwright Elaine Liner, new guy Al is the ‘’freshman’’ and Wizzer is the wiser senior. Laugh at late-in-life lessons about fitting in, flirting and finding new reasons to live it up. Starring Larry Randolph and John Davies.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, dallasculture.org, 214.675.6573, $18-$20

MARCH 28

Acoustic Tunes

Three-time Woody Guthrie Award winner K.C. Clifford performs at 8 p.m. Claudia Nygaard opens. Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse, 214.363.0044, unclecalvins.org, $15-$18

MARCH 7-30

‘Beauty and the Beast’

A young girl, a beast, a rose, a curse. Can love break the spell? The classic French fairytale passed down through generations is brought to life through the magic of Kathy Burks’ renowned company of artists. Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, dct.org, 214.978.0110, $17-$26

March 15 Dash Down Greenville

As is tradition, the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade and party is preceded by a speedier parade of runners racing the 5-kilometer Dash. The run, which starts at 8 a.m. near Central Market, benefits the North Texas Food Bank. Just think, by the time the race wraps up, the day’s festivities will be underway, and you will already have a parking space. Greenville at Lovers, runproject.org, $30-$40

MARCH 21–30

‘Mariachi Girl’

Join Dallas Children’s Theater for the North Texas professional premiere of this bilingual musical about young Carmencita. She dreams of being a mariachi singer and one day joining in a performance with her father, but he clings to a long-held family tradition of male-only mariachis. Can she celebrate her own heritage and expand his view of the world?

Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, dct.org, 214.978.0110, $17-$40

MARCH 22

Elks Lodge Ladies Style Show

The Divas and Daughters spring style show and luncheon features ensembles from Belk’s fashions for women. Wine is served at 11:30 a.m., lunch starts at noon, and the show goes on at 12:45 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Elks, who provide scholarships for neighborhood students, support for veterans, drug education and community improvement programs and more. Reserve your seat by March 17.

Dallas Elks Lodge No. 71, 8550 Lullwater, 972.414.1396, $18

THROUGH APRIL 6

Dallas Blooms

2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the Dallas Arboretum’s major floral festival Dallas Blooms, with the theme “Birds in Paradise.” Through April 6, the garden explodes with color as more than 500,000 springblossoming bulbs burst, and the beloved peacock topiaries return to spread their colorful petal tails in the Jonsson Color Garden.

Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6500, $10-$15, plus $10 for onsite parking

THE STORE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS

Necklaces, charms and bracelets by Waxing Poetic, as well as customized pieces. GREAT gift for Mother’s Day. Mon-Sat 9:30-5:30 10233 E NW Hwy @ Ferndale (near Albertsons) 214.553.8850 TheStoreinLH.com

CITY VIEW ANTIQUE MALL

Fill your Castle, Cottage, Lake House or Ranch House with one-of-a-kind finds from City View Antique Mall. Come visit 55 Dealers at our facility. 6830 Walling Ln. (off Skillman/Abrams) 214.752.3071 cityviewantiques@homstead.com

GECKO HARDWARE

Our unique ball composter may not be pretty, but it works great! Tumbles on its base or rolls to pick up leaves/organic material. Attracts heat to make compost faster. We make green living fun! 10233 E. NW Hwy @ Ferndale (near Albertsons) 214.343.1971 GeckoHardware.com

ADVOCATE GOODS

More than 200,000 sets of eyes are checking out these items right now. Get your specialty items or featured products in front of your neighbors that love to shop local for unique items. Read online at advocatemag.com/digital

PAINTING WITH A TWIST

Express your inner artist! Instructors lead attendees in creating paintings with a featured piece of art. Bring your imagination and beverage. Perfect for private parties and complimentary valet parking. 5202 W. Lovers Lane 214.350.9911 paintingwithatwist.com/dallas

ADVOCATE ORNAMENT

The Advocate Foundation’s limited-edition, numbered, and hand-painted ornament; perfect gift for the new home owner or Dallas transplant. Sales benefit neighborhood organizations. 214.292.0486 email foundation@advocatemag.com

THE ROYAL POUR

9099 Garland

AMBIANCE: BAR, CASUAL

PRICE RANGE: $4-$8.50

HOURS: MON-THU: 11 A.M.-12 A.M.

FRI-SAT: 11 A.M.-2 A.M.

SUN: 12 P.M.-12 A.M.

Someof the changes at the restaurant near the Peavy-Garland Road intersection haven’t been so great. For example, it seems as if every time we blink the place has a new name. Weylan McAmally, a pharmacist from Red Oak, who opened the location in December 2012, originally founded it as White Rock Abbey. When James Orr bought the restaurant in August of 2013, he changed the name to The Local Pour White Rock. Then, he learned a bar in Houston had copyrighted the name “Local Pour,” so after a chat with an intellectual property lawyer, Orr decided to change the name of the restaurant again, this time to The Royal Pour White Rock, and (cross our fingers) let’s hope it sticks. But despite the confusion, some of the changes have been good. Excellent, actually. Take, for instance, the pork chop nuggets created by chef Brent Ercanbrack and served with his grandmother’s “secret recipe” cream gravy — really good. After taking over the location, Orr and Ercanbrack completely reworked the menu. Ercanbrack, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas, is turning out creations such as the PB&J Burger, made with red curry peanut butter and bacon-cranberry marmalade, and the Angry Bird Burrito, made with spicy marinated chicken breast, seasoned lettuce, avocado, bacon, jalapeno, cheese and sriracha sour cream, all wrapped in a grilled flour tortilla. Cutesy names aside, these plates are still just quality, old-fashioned bar food meant to be consumed by the “everyman” crowd, as Orr puts it. “We’re a bar,” he says. “We think of ourselves more as a bar than a restaurant. This is bar food.” But that doesn’t mean it can’t be good, right? “The whole world is turning into foodies,” Orr explains. “People used to want to eat what they knew. Now people come in and want to try new foods. They want to know what’s unique to your restaurant.”

—Brittany Nunn

Pork chop nuggets: Mark Davis

| MORE GOOD BAR GRUB |

1 Go 4 It Grill

The eatery that once was a Blockbuster video store now entertains with friendly bar service and hearty fried foods including plump burgers and golden fried tater tots (there are salads, too, for those who prefer to drink their calories).

10677 Northwest Hwy.

214.221.9440

go4itsportsgrill.com

2 Sherlock’s Pub

Infamously, this is where Rangers ballplayer Josh Hamilton reportedly went on a bit of a bender, but this watering hole and grill has been a neighborhood staple, serving spirits, sliders and other shareable pub snacks, for many years — if only Hamilton were so loyal.

9100 N. Central

214.692.1111

sherlockspub.com

3 Liquid Zoo

Fresh-cut fries, juicy burgers and pimento cheese sandwiches are on the menu at this lively and spacious neighborhood hangout. So is karaoke. Happy hour lasts every day from open until 7 p.m.

6750 Abrams

214.221.3004

liquidzoosportspub.com

Burrito at Go 4 It Grill: Can Türkyilmaz

Local Look First

Search and Place Ads for:

– Neighborhood Services

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A LITTLE CITRUS AND A LITTLE SWEET

Kiwi lime Popsicles: Kristen Massad

Happy spring! We have much to look forward to this time of year — spring cleaning, beautiful weather and delicious fruits and vegetables. We are so lucky to live in Texas, where we can go outside and enjoy the season. When the beautiful weather comes around, I always crave Popsicles. And why not make them full of fresh fruit? Popsicles are one of the most versatile treats and can be made with fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Kiwi-lime Popsicles are perfect to kick off spring and to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. They’re so simple, and they’re sweet enough for kids and adults.

Kiwi lime Popsicles

GROCERY LIST

2 cups fresh kiwi, sliced

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice Zest of 1 lime

DIRECTIONS

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and boil until sugar has dissolved completely. Allow sugar water to cool.

Half Horizontal

Place sliced kiwi into blender and puree until smooth. Add sugar water, lime juice and zest to pureed kiwi, and blend just until combined.

Pour mixture into Popsicle molds and freeze until solid, approximately 5 hours. (There are several different types of Popsicle molds; please follow manufacturer’s instructions.)

Makes: 6-8 Popsicles

MEXICAN

Enchilada’s

Enjoy

Greenville Location 214-363-8969

MEXICAN

QUESA-D-YAS

in Lake Highlands? Come visit us where we take pride in making and delivering the best custom quesadillas using fresh ingredients and a variety of combinations that delight and satisfy.

Looking

NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE WHOSE LIFE STORY COULD BE A MOVIE

Post-awards season is a notoriously rotten period for movies. Sure, you can find quality television this time of year, but only after wading through an excess of options that actually might cause a loss of brain cells. May we humbly suggest an alternative? Turn away from the tube and read on for the real-life stories of Lake Highlands’ action heroes, speed racers and criminal minds.

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE RESTORATION SPECIALIST

LAWN DR. RON’S SPRING SPECIALS

FREE Core Aeration with application of Ron’s Super Compost $125 per cubic yard covers 1,000 sq. ft. (3 cubic yard minumum)

ORGANIC Total Landscape Treatments - starting at $300 per year

Landscape consultations come with complimentary $50 gift certificate

Sprinkler tuneup starting at $75 (flow system, check for leaks, adjust heads, provide written report and seasonal run times for maximum efficiency; includes 2 man hours, parts extra)

Arborist,

Area’s largest Organic Garden Center

KILL BILL

Ever since Lake Highlands High School graduate Audrey Sequenzia was attacked as a teenager, the idea of learning martial arts appealed to her, she says. But life got busy — there was school, organized sports, college, work, marriage, motherhood — and the ambition took a backseat. But a few years ago, feeling out of shape and vulnerable, the young mother walked into the Dallas Academy of Martial Arts on Plano Road. That was almost four years ago, and she has been attending faithfully — four nights a week, three hours a night — ever since. The color of her belt progressed from white to yellow and red. And a few months ago she earned her black belt. Sequenzia — an attractive and gregarious woman with an infectious laugh and obvious sense of humor — doesn’t possess the rage or revenge-lust of Tarantino’s heroine in “Kill Bill,” but she does feel that if the need ever arose, she could defend herself, maybe even pluck out an eye (OK, she didn’t say that). “I am completely different,” she does say. “I feel in control and powerful. I really feel that I could physically defend myself.”

Audrey Sequenzia: Danny Fulgencio

Licensed Irrigator, Certified Landscape Professional, Texas Master Nursery Professional and Landscape Designers all on staff and ready to help you.

featuring AUDREY SEQUENZIA in

A FEW GOOD MEN

He can handle the truth. It’s all he wants, really. Even if he makes a few people mad in the process of trying to wrest it — kind of like when Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) had to call Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) to the stand during the criminal trial of two rookie Marines. Colby Vokey is known for handling controversial cases as a military lawyer. He built a national reputation by demanding fair representation for U.S. soldiers accused of war crimes. The world took notice (he appeared on “60 Minutes,” on National Public Radio and in the Wall Street Journal) when he spoke out against the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay as the defense attorney for 15-year-old prisoner Omar Khadr. “Colby Vokey is a guy who always did the right thing, even if it upset everybody,” retired Col. Jane Siegel told the Advocate in 2010. He resigned from the Marine Corps in 2007. Today he practices at a Dallas firm and still specializes in military law. Among the 1983 Lake Highlands High School graduate’s high-profile clients was Frank Wuterich, a staff sergeant accused in 2005 of leading Marines in a deadly attack on civilians in Haditha, Iraq, an incident widely referred to as the “Haditha Massacre.” Vokey might defend military personnel accused of murder, manslaughter or major offenses, but he also fights for the rights of those whose crimes, such as drug possession, might have been a result of the mental trauma of war. “If they are dishonorably discharged, they can lose their [military] benefits. We owe it to them to get them a good defense.” To anyone who questions his efforts, he says it is all about implementing the law fairly. “The bottom line is that I support the U.S. Constitution, and justice is not for certain people, but everyone.”

Colby Vokey: Can Türkyilmaz

featuring COLBY VOKEY in

featuring HOLLY HUNTER in

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

The Netflix show (based on the book by the same name) about a young woman’s 365-day drug-related prison sentence was the critics’ darling last year. While the show garners some laughs, it also captures the general icky-ness that is institutionalization.

Neighborhood resident Holly Hunter (no relation to the actor) knows the inside of a women’s prison. She already was into drugs when she got kicked out of The Hockaday School for swearing at a staff member, she told the Advocate in 2011. At 16 she hooked up with an older boy and started selling. “I was trapped in the money game,” she says. “I could make $1,000 for 20 minutes of work.” Despite the constant rush of adrenaline, steady flow of money and feeling of power, she knew deep down that things were all wrong. “I thought I had it good, but I was living in fear. Constant fear.” Then one day she woke up feeling miserable and prayed for help. Be careful what you wish for, she warns. “Less than 72 hours later, I was sitting in jail.” She couldn’t shake the addiction, and she ultimately revisited prison multiple times.

“Let’s just say — all told — about a third of my life was spent in prison.” It was during that last stint that she sobered up. She could have taken drugs while behind bars. Her cellmates regularly did, she says, but instead she asked for rehabilitation.

“I began requesting substance-abuse counseling immediately when I got to prison [in the 1990s]. It took two years for me to get into classes and treatment.” After release, she embarked on an education in chemical-dependency treatment that included becoming certified as a licensed chemical-dependency counselor. Now — many years clean and sober — she works with Dallas attorneys and courts and runs A Court Class, which specializes in drug counseling and education, especially for those in legal trouble because of drug abuse.

TITANIC

Like the passengers on the fated luxury liner, Janie Christy and her traveling companions had no idea their cruise would turn disastrous (and like some of our other anecdotes, this real-life experience was far less tragic than its infamous counterpart). Christy owned the Janie Christy School of Dance in Lake Highlands for more than 10 years before she took up teaching at Dallas Ballet. When she was due for a vacation last spring, a Carnival Cruise seemed perfect. She traveled with some cousins, with whom she spent a fun-filled first day in Cozumel, Mexico. But hours after setting sail, a small fire caused the ship to lose propulsion and eventually power; the massive boat and its 4,200 passengers were left adrift — powerless and plumbing-less — off southern Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The story of the stranded ship instantly overtook all news broadcasts and the Internet. On Twitter it became #poopcruise; the plumbing issues most captured the public interest. But Christy says it wasn’t so bad. The crew was kind and positive, and no one was in actual danger. Tugboats eventually pulled the ship to shore in Alabama. The only cruising Janie’s interested in now is on Cedar Creek Lake where she pulls her grandkids behind the ski boat, she says. “That or a nice afternoon sail with my husband, Glen, on our Skipper 20 vintage sailboat, named ‘Miss Janie’.”

Holly Hunter: Can Türkyilmaz

featuring JANIE CHRISTY in

GAME OF THRONES

The battle for supremacy once was waged at Artus Pass. Never heard of Artus Pass? Ah, yes, you probably know the place by its common name, Norbuck Park. Many a Sunday afternoon, men, women and children have gathered there to eat, drink, socialize and clobber one another with well-padded swords. The participants belonged to Amtgard, a non-profit organization dedicated to recreational medieval and ancient-culture role-play. As in the HBO saga “Game of Thrones,” Amtgard players don 15th-century garb, and most speak with what sounds to the layperson like barbaric Scottish brogue. However, this cast gets along with far less actual dismemberment, gore and other R-rated content. Years ago, neighborhood resident Jorge Rodas was waiting tables at Chili’s in Casa Linda when a co-worker introduced him to Amtgard. It was magical, he says. “Another waiter took me to Garland’s Midnight Sun Park, and I was immediately hooked,” says Rodas, known at the park as “Duke Lord Squire Protector Sutra Bahuas.” Eventually, with the help of others, Rodas started the Artus Pass “shire,” a subgroup of the citywide Kingdom of the Emerald Hills (which most of us call Dallas), but it was short-lived. Now Rodas is a working actor, and the remaining Artus Pass players have re-integrated with the Midnight Sun crew. For current-day live-action role play in the White Rock area, check out the Barony of the Steppes branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, (steppes. ansteorra.org), which meets regularly at Tietze Park on Skillman at Vanderbilt.

featuring JORGE RODAS and FRIENDS in

Amtgard players: Benjamin Hager

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Slew Devil: Can Türkyilmaz

There is something about a horse with a personality that thrills. The racehorse Seabiscuit so inspired the nation in the 1930s that his life was the subject of a book and at least two movies. In the 1970s Seattle Slew took the world by storm and won the Triple Crown — and while Slew has no direct Lake Highlands connection, one of the thoroughbred’s (more than 200) sires is living a life of relative anonymity right here in the neighborhood. White Rock Stables resident Slew Devil is a descendent of the

Architect Meet-and-Greets

Speaker Reception at Design Within Reach the Friday evening prior to tour

champion and biological sibling of more than 100 stakes winners. Slew Devil raced as a young-un before moving to a show barn in Florida where, following a jumping accident that ended his professional dressage career, Lake Highlands High School graduate Karly Kilroy bought him. Like his silver screen counterparts, Slew Devil has a charismatic personality. When our photographer showed up for a shoot, Slew was a total ham — obediently and repeatedly running, posing and pausing for a treat. “He loves people and wants to be near people all the time,” Kilroy says. “He follows me around, neighs at me when I walk into the barn, puts his face close to mine. He is very patient with children, very calm.” He also loves watermelon.

“He loves people and wants to be near people all the time.”

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While Lake Highlands’ answer to Walter White and Jessie Pinkston are hardly Heisenberg level, there will live on in neighborhood lore a TV-worthy tale of a duo whose dabblings in the drug world left them in deep trouble. All hell broke loose on May 16, 2006 when Bishop Lynch seniors Ian Walker and Joseph Tellini, in an ill-advised prank, delivered marijuanalaced muffins to the Lake Highlands High School teacher’s lounge. By all accounts the pastries were lovely and delicious, but within minutes of consumption, staffers were feeling woozy. By day’s end, soon after administrator Karen Clardy caught on that the muffin’s were at fault, the LHHS conference room was wall-to-wall with representatives from Dallas Police, North Texas Regional Drug Enforcement Task Force, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Food and Drug Administration, Dallas County Health and Human Services and even the FBI, which showed up because of fears someone had tampered with commercially prepared food. Over the next several days, the prank became a national story and the butt of many a late-night television comedian’s joke. Everyone from the victims — including a beloved 80-something office worker, Rita Greenfield — to the LHHS principal, to the community at large was laughing. Everyone, that is, except the pranksters, who were facing serious criminal charges, and their parents. Eventually the young men received probation and both went on to graduate with honors from the University of Texas. Ian’s mom Caroline Walker published an Amazon e-book in 2006 entitled “Epiphany in Ordinary Time” about the family’s struggle with the consequences of the, ahem, Baking Bad incident.

6207 Lavendale Avenue

featuring IAN WALKER and JOSEPH TELLINI co-starring “MISS RITA” in

featuring JAMES REILLY in

GRAVITY

The 2014 Best Picture nominee “Gravity” offers a beautiful and terrifying look at space travel; astronauts portrayed by George Clooney and Sandra Bullock lose all communication with Earth and are set adrift in infinite space. The film potentially will have the same chilling effect on astronautical ambitions that “Jaws” had on all aspirations of a nautical nature. But back in the 1960s, like a million other little kids, Lake Highlands-raised James Reilly wanted to be an astronaut. His interest was piqued at age 8 during a visit to the dentist where he listened to communications between John Glenn and Mission Control, he has said. After graduating from Lake Highlands High School in 1972, he pursued those dreams. Selected by NASA in 1994, he trained for more than a year before eventually logging more than 853 hours in space, including five spacewalks totaling 31 hours and 10 minutes. In the movie, even when Clooney’s character knows he is about to (SPOILER ALERT) spacewalk right into the afterlife, he takes time to appreciate the view. No matter what seriousness was underway, Reilly has said, he also took time to do the same. “One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from Yury Usachev, the commander of Expedition 2, on the space station. When I was about to do my first spacewalk, he told me that it was important to focus on my work, but every hour take 10 seconds and look around because those are memories that you will take with you that make all this worthwhile,” he told CHIPS, a Navy magazine. “He was right. Every hour I set aside 10 seconds to look around. I could look past the tail of the orbiter and see the Earth going by below it 25,250 miles away. That will be a memory I will never forget.”

RUSH

From “The Fast and the Furious” to “The World’s Fastest Indian” and last year’s Ron Howard-directed success, “Rush,” the true story of Formula One rivals, there is no shortage of movies about excessive speeding in a motorized vehicle. Lake Highlands mom Lisa Curtiss has a little something in common with the subjects of the aforementioned flicks. She can drive really fast. Racing vintage cars along the famous Utah Bonneville Salt Flats, Curtiss and team set several speed records. Her personal speed-record was set in the Lakester, a borrowed car built by Curtiss’ dad Grant Grumbine and his ingenious, dare-deviling pals, which reaches speeds of more than 200 mph. She notes that racing on the Bonneville Salts speedway is very different from a track race. “You are not racing other cars, but rather you are going for a time, and it’s all on this expansive salt flat.” (Think Anthony Hopkins in “The World’s Fastest Indian,” the true story of the world land-speed record setter). While exhilarating, it’s risky. “The biggest fear is fire,” Curtiss says. “My dad always tested out the car at the speed we needed to go before putting me in it,” Curtiss adds. Though her dad lost a good friend to a racing accident, Curtiss says that they’ve been lucky, overall, and that the experience has been a family-bonding experience. She stopped racing a couple years ago but still moves fast. The mom and grandmother has her own gymnastics-teaching business, which — along with participating philanthropic and family endeavors and even racing a triathlon — keeps her running.

Lisa Lyons: David Leeson featuring LISA LYONS in

ROMANCING THE STONE

Most days you can find neighborhood resident Cindy Causey working at Dallas Media Center at the corner of Skillman and Interstate 635, a small business owned by her and her husband, Scott. With her blunt, blond bob haircut and conservative attire, she looks like a totally in-place working mom. She preceded her entrepreneurship with a 20-year stint as a copychief/editor/content manager for J.C. Penney. But like Kathleen Turner’s subdued character in the 1980s adventure flick “Romancing the Stone,” Causey has a sexy side. All while juggling motherhood, grand-motherhood and business, she has penned two steamy romance novels — “A Different Drum” and “A Hot Time in Texas” — as well as one nonfiction book back in 1996 about environmental warming called “Cherish the Gift.” She’s keeping the romance alive, she says. “I have another book in the works.”

Cindy Causey: Kim Leeson featuring CINDY CAUSEY in

The addicts next door

In one Lake Highlands community, having ‘eight druggies living next to an elementary school’ frightens neighbors. And some want them gone.

Story by Chirstina Hughes Babb

How would you react if a bunch of men with a history of substance-abuse problems moved to a house at the end of your street, kitty-corner from the local elementary school?

Some members of our neighborhood’s Town Creek community faced that decision recently when they became unwitting neighbors of the Oxford House, a nationwide transitional-living residential program for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.

“Eight druggies living next to a school,” is how a concerned neighbor describes the situation.

The Town Creek Homeowners Association has no official stance on the issue, says a skeptical Ernie Kluft, the neighborhood’s former crime watch chairman: “I have not met one person in the neighborhood who thinks this is a good idea. Most of the neighbors are livid.”

Oxford House is a 34-year-old international organization with more than 1,000 houses — 100 in Texas. All are rentals in nice neighborhoods that offer newly sober men and women an opportunity to safely rebuild their lives.

Town Creek homeowners are not the first to object to soberliving houses in residential areas.

A 2002 New York Times article highlights several court cases involving sober houses fighting for the right to exist in neighborhoods and cities that don’t want them.

In the cited cases, people living in Oxford House had been accused of violating zoning ordinances that prohibit more than a few unrelated people from living together. But there, as in Dallas, Oxford Houses comply with city zoning requirements: Addiction is consid-

Oxford House resident Alan Hodges: Danny Fulgencio

The Advocate’s ongoing series about poverty-related problems in our neighborhood and the efforts to end them.

ered a medical condition, and recovering addicts and alcoholics are protected under the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act and Federal Fair Housing statutes.

THE LAKE HIGHLANDS HOUSE

The Lake Highlands Oxford House is a two-story, pink-ish place behind coifed hedges. The grass is a little yellow, but trim, and two St. Francis statuettes stand sentry at the front door.

Three men — Chris McGuire, Shawn Brown and Stephen Wilson — answer the door and offer a tour. Later, we meet roommate Alan Hodges, too.

The other occupants are either at work or prefer anonymity.

When there is an opening at an Oxford House — this one is full at eight — the existing members interview and vote on new members.

As we tour the property, it’s obvious that cleanliness is a priority.

The beige carpets are freshly vacuumed and — even where the sunlight hits the dark wood fireplace mantel — not a speck of dust is visible.

No one would guess from the sparkling bathrooms that eight single males, ranging in age from early 20s to 60s, live here.

Chores are a basic requirement of Oxford House life, says McGuire, who is the state outreach coordinator for Texas.

A dry-erase board in the kitchen lists the name of each inhabitant and his weekly duties.

Chores are completed twice weekly; slacking results in a fine of $5-$25 added to the weekly rent.

The chore requirement falls under the mandate “Do Not Be Disruptive,” one of the three official Oxford House rules.

“That rule covers a lot,” McGuire says. “It means respecting the property, being supportive, attending house meetings and just being a generally decent person.”

Each resident must pay rent, typically $110-$115 a week. Every Oxford House is owned by a third party and leased to Oxford House Inc.

“It is structured in a way that someone newly sober and struggling financially has an opportunity to live in a good neighborhood,” McGuire says.

The most important requirement for

Oxford House is zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use by residents.

“If someone relapses, they have one hour to permanently vacate the house,” says Brown, who founded the Lake Highlands house. “And your roommates are pretty quick to spot relapse behavior when it happens.”

As we chat, it is clear Wilson — the house’s youngest member — and Brown are good pals and supporters of each other’s recovery.

Yet, if Brown caught Wilson drinking, would he would rat Wilson out, knowing it would mean his permanent dismissal?

“Absolutely,” Brown says. “I would bawl my eyes out, but he would be out. That is for the good of the whole house. It is the only way we can avoid putting each other at risk.”

In order to prevent relapse, all house-

mates attend 12-step meetings — Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous or some variation thereof.

“It is not in the rules,” McGuire says, “but we all accept that the only way to stay sober is through a 12-step program, and we hold one another accountable. If someone is not going to meetings, they will be confronted.”

ADDICTION HELL

Lake Highlands High School nurse Nancy Cripe’s gentle and cheerful temperament belies her painfully acquired and profound understanding of addiction, tough love and Oxford House philosophy. Her son, Stephen, began abusing drugs at 14, after his father died from prostate cancer.

“I tried to get him into counseling after that, but Steve would sit there for a whole

hour and refuse to talk. It was right around then that he first used marijuana. I think that was the way he chose to cope.”

Stephen was the family baby. His brother and sister, respectively 8 and 11 years his elders, adored him, Cripe recalls.

Her photos show a clean-cut, handsome, smiling and laughing young man. But his chemical dependency escalated, and heroin became his drug of choice.

Funded by Nancy, Stephen entered treatment multiple times. He was jailed and placed on probation for attempting to sell marijuana to a cop.

Treatment is tricky, Nancy says, because 30 days — the typical rehab length — is enough to dry an addict out, but not long enough to teach him to live sober.

“When he was himself, Steve was just this wonderful person. He waited tables at Picasso’s and Mariano’s, and people would rave about him,” Nancy says. “He had all these regulars who asked to sit in his section.”

After his last stint in rehab, Stephen moved into an Oxford House in Richardson.

Nancy believed the sober house would improve Steve’s chances. But at Oxford House, Stephen used drugs again. When his roommates found out, they evicted him.

“It didn’t take long. Other people in recovery are going to spot a relapse quicker than I or a parent or spouse is going to,” Cripe says. “They know.”

After his eviction, he was arrested for a drug-related offense. His Oxford House roommates bailed him out and picked him up, but held fast to the zero-tolerance policy.

So did Nancy.

She gave her 24-year-old son enough money to get Downtown to the 24-Hour Club, an Alcoholics Anonymous-associated shelter.

But he never made it.

Later that night, Stephen injected himself with heroin and died in a Jack in the Box bathroom.

Cripe tries not to blame herself for Stephen’s death, and she doesn’t blame the Oxford House roommates, either.

“You can see it there. Many of them are three and four years sober, and it is because they live in a sober community.”

Even before Stephen’s funeral, Cripe called Chris McGuire at the Oxford House and told him she wanted to set up a fund

Oxford residents Alan Hodges, Shawn Brown and Stephen Wilson: Danny Fulgencio

in Stephen’s name to help the newly sober move into Oxford House.

It is her way of fulfilling Steve’s wish to help other addicts.

It is safe to say that most Oxford House residents have endured a painful battle with addiction and are taking the difficult steps to break free, Chris McGuire says. “[We] have a sickness,” he says. “There is relapse. Sometimes, it takes several tries.”

McGuire has been sober for many years sans relapse, but Brown says he relapsed before finally finding a formula — one that includes living and working as an outreach representative for Oxford House — that resulted in long-term sobriety.

Addiction can happen to anyone, the Oxford House residents agree. There are doctors and lawyers living in Oxford Houses and even people whose names you might recognize as local professionals or celebrities, they say. Alan Hodges was a certified public accountant and president at an Enron Corporation subsidiary. At the height of his career, the 55-year-old made $1 million a year.

Following a fraud scandal that skyrocketed Enron into infamy, Hodges discovered the pain-numbing effects of alcohol.

“Enron was something of a pressure cooker, but before the [scandal] I only drank socially.”

Hodges was divorced and had custody of his two daughters; one was preparing to leave for college when Enron went bankrupt, and Hodges lost most of his money, including $22 million in stock options, he says.

All of Hodges’ problems collectively were soothed with alcohol. “I would drink just to fall asleep,” he says.

He attempted suicide. He went through psychiatric treatment and sobered up for eight months but returned to drinking, socially at first. But things spiraled again.

“I was living in a 16th-floor apartment with a balcony,” he says. “I was afraid I would jump. I knew I would die soon if I didn’t stop drinking.”

This time he knew that success would require putting sobriety-promoting pieces into place — psychotherapy, 12-step program, steady employment (he manages a high-end cooking-appliance store now) and a supportive living environment. He moved into the Lake Highlands house in

November.

One of the first roommates he met was a tattooed ex-convict.

“I was like, ‘What could I possibly have in common with this guy?’ But he turned out to be the nicest man,” Hodges says.

“We are all very different. But we have this obsessive behavior in common … we want the same thing the primary purpose of this house is to provide a safe environment where someone can be sober.”

IS THERE SOMETHING TO FEAR?

In September 2013, there was a fatal shooting at an Oxford House in Richardson. It’s a case frequently cited by the neighbors opposed to sober group homes. But Chris McGuire says Oxford Houses do not increase the risk of neighborhood crime.

He points to a 2006 study by the Center for Community Research at DePaul University. The study investigated crime rates (including assault, arson, burglary, larceny, robbery, sexual assault, homicide and vehicle theft) in areas surrounding 42 Oxford Houses and 42 control houses in the Northwestern United States.

“Findings indicated that there were no significant differences between the crime rates around Oxford Houses and the control houses,” according to the study.

Also, Oxford House opponents accurately cite the high rate of relapse in alcohol and drug addicts.

“I mean, what is the recidivism rate of these people?” Ernie Kluft poses rhetorically. “It is high.”

A 2007 Oxford House study by Jason, Davis, Ferrari and Anderson cited 150

Nancy and Stephen Cripe

people who had completed treatment — half went straight to Oxford House while the other half relied on public services and alternative living situations. Of those who moved to Oxford House, 31.3 percent reported using alcohol or other drugs again within a year, compared to 64.8 percent of those who did not.

Kluft also points out, accurately, that Oxford House allows ex-convicts. “This is not safe,” Kluft says. “The neighbors here are especially concerned with them being so close to the children at the elementary school.”

Oxford House’s McGuire argues that the need for Oxford House is especially significant for those with drug-related criminal records. Because of their background, landlords often don’t allow them to rent in nice communities, forcing them back into risky home situations where they are at increased risk of relapse. Brown and McGuire say they share the neighbors’ concern for students. They say that every Oxford House resident, in addition to being interviewed and voted in by his or her peers, undergoes a background check, and sex offenders are prohibited from living in Oxford House. “Many Oxford Houses are close to schools and it would be illegal for a sex offender to live in those. We take federal and state laws seriously,” McGuire says.

‘A CHANCE AT A NORMAL LIFE’

A community prosecutor and representatives from the city’s code compliance and group home department all have visited the Lake Highlands Oxford House.

Neighbors have complained about the number of cars parked on the street and the number of unrelated people living in the home, but City Councilman Jerry Allen says that the men are violating no laws or codes and that concerns about the house had been “addressed to the satisfaction of the leadership of the Town Creek HOA.”

“At the end of the day, the Oxford House organization has a very fine reputation, and the folks that call that location home are no different than anyone else when it comes to seeking a better quality of life,” Allen says. “The real story might be of their success and drive, versus [the stories of those who] find the bogeyman behind each corner.”

Nancy Cripe, who lost her son to a heroin overdose, believes Oxford residents can be as good as or better than the typical family next door.

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“I mean — do you really know most of your neighbors? You don’t know what most of your neighbors are doing,” she says.

“These are all people who want a chance at a normal life. They have all made a deci-

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Double vertical 3.25” X 2.75

Double Horizontal 3.4” X 2.4”

sion to seriously try to live clean and sober. And if they can’t do it, they are out.

“I look at pictures of Stephen as a little boy. Every one of these men was a little boy once. I know of one young man who was at Steve’s funeral who has since overdosed,” she says.

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and never leaving bed. But I got up. I went on a long walk with my neighbor, a friend who lost her child the previous year. I reached out to [Oxford House] and got busy with the foundation,” she says.

“The day after Stephen died, I came close to pulling the covers over my head

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“I am living proof that, with supportive, empathetic friends, life can go on. Like the ones who stay clean prove that there is hope.”

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ANGLICAN

ALL SAINTS DALLAS / 2733 Oak Lawn / 972.755.3505

Radical Inclusivity, Profound Transformation. Come and See!

9:00 & 11:00 am Sunday Services. www.allsaintschurchdallas.org

BAPTIST

LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425

Worship — 8:30 am Classic & 11:00 am Contemporary

Pastor Jeff Donnell / www.lbcdallas.com

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

All services & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45. Trad. & Blended (Sanctuary),

Contemporary (Great Hall), Amigos de Dios (Gym) / 214.860.1500

PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH / “A Church to Call Home”

Sundays: Bible Fellowship (all ages) 9:15 am /Service Time 11:00 am

12123 Hillcrest Road / 972.820.5000 / prestonwood.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 / www.nhbc.net / 9626 Church Rd.

Sunday: LifeQuest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Student Ministry: Wednesday & Sunday 7:00 pm / 214.348.9697

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

LUTHERAN

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

Sunday School for all ages 9:00 am / Worship Service 10:30 am

Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Ln.

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

METHODIST

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

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

Worship: 8:30 am & 10:50 am Traditional / 10:50 am Contemporary

WHITE ROCK UNITED METHODIST / www.wrumc.org

1450 Oldgate Lane / 214.324.3661

Sunday Worship 10:50 am / Rev. George Fisk

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

LAKE HIGHLANDS CHURCH / 9919 McCree / 214.348.0460

Sundays: Classes 9:30, Coffee 10:25, Assembly 10:45

Home groups meet on weeknights. / lakehighlandschurch.org

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

UNITY

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path For Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972.233.7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sunday services: 9:00 am & 11:00 am be local be local

advocatemag.com/newsletter

THE PHILOSOPHY OF ENOUGH

How finding satisfaction is the secret to happiness

They call him The King. Arnold Palmer once was and always will be the king of golf. He took a sport that had been largely shut up behind stone gates and made it appeal to the common person. He came by this honestly.

Arnie’s father, Deacon (a preacher’s got to like that name, don’t you know?), was the greens superintendent at the Latrobe Country Club in western Pennsylvania. He was Arnie’s first teacher. He taught him how to get the right grip on the club to play the game. He taught him how to get the right grip on ambition to play the game of life.

Deacon once was offered the position of greens superintendent at the neighboring, famed and exclusive Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh. When he told young Arnold of the opportunity, his son was proud and began to dream of being there. Deke turned down the job. He told his boy this: “Arn, I’m staying at Latrobe. We’re going to make it happen here. I can’t drink any more, I can’t eat any more, and I can’t love my business any more, so I’m staying right where we’re at.”

Arnold Palmer has lived long enough now (he’s 84) to judge that to have been his greatest life lesson. The Latrobe club hasn’t changed much over the years, but to Arnold it’s still got everything he needs. It’s home and I love it, he says.

The recent Super Bowl commercials reinforced what has become conventional wisdom among us: having “more, better or different” is the secret to happiness. We will be satisfied when we get the next job, house, car, spouse, child or thing. But the truth is, getting the next thing doesn’t cure the insatiable desire that undergirds every change.

We become what we practice. If we practice want, we will want forever. If we prac-

tice satisfaction, we will be satisfied.

We would all profit from adopting the “philosophy of enough” exemplified by Deacon Palmer. When you cultivate a sense of fullness rather than emptiness, you can experience satisfaction in life and practice gratitude.

St. Paul testified to this very thing: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all

things through him who strengthens me.”

That last line about being able to do all things through “him” who strengthens us has been taken in all sorts of well-meaning but ill-advised directions. Football players wear it as an eye-black amulet to draw strength from on the field. Spiritual motivation speakers beseech aspirants to prosper by letting God give them the promised edge. The context teaches us just the opposite: God strengthens us spiritually beyond our natural capacity so that we may accept the circumstances of want or plenty and learn contentment.

This may be bad for the economy, but it’s good for the soul of society. Jesus promised abundant life. He didn’t promise abundance of things. Like Deke Palmer, we can know the good life if we learn the adequacy of all that is already ours.

Enough already, then.

We become what we practice. If we practice want, we will want forever. If we practice satisfaction, we will be satisfied.

George Mason is pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church. The Worship section is a regular feature underwritten by Advocate Publishing and by the neighborhood business people and churches listed on these pages. For information about helping support the Worship section, call 214.560.4202.

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

JJ’s revival includes dinner

JJ’s Cafe owners, Jose Ramirez and wife Josefina Orozco, last year renamed the former Divine Coffee Shop and began making subtle changes. They spruced up the interior and enhanced the menu, but didn’t do anything to scare away the regulars — formerly the 70-plus set — and now a steady stream of young families are among the faithful patrons. Ramirez spends his days bouncing from table to table, and if he doesn’t personally know every customer, no one would guess it. Until now a breakfast-lunch restaurant, JJ’s will open for dinner beginning March 7 at 4:30 p.m. and will serve daily until 9:30 p.m. Dinner will consist of craw- and catfish, crabcakes, Mexican shrimp cocktail, BBQ shrimp and more. JJ’s doesn’t serve alcohol, so it’s BYOB. According to the staff, in fact, it is BYOB “plus something for the cook.”

LHHS grad startup: Local canning business

Lake Highlands High School grad Austin Dupree recently started the business Girls Who Can, selling hand-crafted jams, jellies, chutneys and salsas, and the response has been satisfying, she says. When she and partner Jesse Bartlett recently took more than a hundred jars to the hip Oil and Cotton Creative Exchange in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District, they sold out quickly. “We both were very interested in canning, and we bought various produce and played around with some recipes last summer. After our first batch, we knew this was going to be something fun to do and possibly the start of a small business.” They use fresh local produce to have “the most dynamic flavors,” and use social media to share recipes using the products they’ve produced. To place an order, visit their website, girlswhocan.bigcartel.com, or find them on Facebook. They can arrange a “pick-up day” at Oil and Cotton in Oak Cliff, or Dupree, whose parents live in Lake Highlands, says she might be willing to make a trip to our neighborhood.

Church members re-build clinic in Haiti

Lake Highlands resident Susan Brooks and her sister Caroline, with a team from Highland Park United Methodist Church, recently reopened a Haitian health clinic that was destroyed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The women’s father, Dr. Otto Willbanks opened the clinic in the 1970s. Brooks and the others had to reconstruct the building from scratch. “My sister and I were approached to chair the Haiti committee primarily because our dad had been involved, and so we had a

sentimental attachment to the project. But we knew it would be a big job and not really one we’d sought out. We would be overseeing construction, something neither of us were familiar with, and in a country we knew little about. Fortunately we were able to rely on Martti Benson, an architect and member of our committee, to lead us through the construction issues. .” Through it all, says Brooks, she gained a better understanding of not only the Haitian community but also her own father. “I always knew he was generous, but I did not really understand how deep that went.” See a video of the project at vimeo.com/ 84524811.

Shops at Park Lane expands

The Shops at Park Lane has broken ground for three new buildings that will add more than 160,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space to the 33.5-acre multi-use shopping center. Located at the northern end of the project near Park and North Central Expressway, the expansion will add a five-story, 150,000 square-foot building containing 120,000 square feet of office space with 30,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. In between the new five-story building and the building that currently houses Grimaldi’s and Gordon Biersch, developers hope to transform the green space into an outdoor plaza that will serve as a gathering place for community events. Two new buildings that will house ground-level restaurants boasting large patios will flank the plaza. “The expansion brings an outward identity to the project as well as a heartbeat in the form of the plaza,” says Sandy Spurgin, Vice President of Northwood Retail, via press release. The Advocate originally reported that the project would start last July and be complete by fall of 2014. Now, publicist Claire Butterworth says the project is slated to for completion by spring 2015.

JJ’s Café 10233 E NORTHWEST HWY AT FERNDALE 214.221.4659

JJSCAFE.NET

Girls who can GIRLSWHOCAN.BIGCARTEL.COM

Oil and Cotton 837 W 7TH AT TYLER (OAK CLIFF) 214.942.0474

OILANDCOTTON.COM

Highlands Park United Methodist 3300 MOCKINGBIRD 214.521.3111

HPUMC.COM

Shops at Park Lane 8080 PARK LANE (ACROSS CENTRAL FROM NORTHPARK CENTER) 214.365.0222

SHOPSATPARKLANE.COM

1 Big Lots in late January closed its Skillman-Abrams store

2 White Rock Abbey has been renamed The Royal Pour White Rock. 3 Lucy Bateman, a volunteer from Lake Highlands, was honored for 23 years of service at Presbyterian hospital.

we can give our

One is ROOTS and the other is WINGS.

Experience St. John’s

Pre-k through Eighth Grade Co-educational stjohnsschool.org

214-328-9131 x103

CLAIRE’S CHRISTIAN DAY SCHOOL

8202 Boedeker Dr., / (214) 368-4047 / clairesdayschool.com At CCDS, we encourage a child’s sense of exploration and discovery in a loving, nurturing, and safe environment. We offer a parent’s day out program with a play-based curriculum fostering socialization, motor skill development, and an introduction to academics for children aged 4mo – 3yrs. Our preschool for children aged 3-5 further develops these skills, along with a more focused approach to pre-math and pre-reading. At CCDS, we have developed our own science, math, and reading enrichment classes to ensure kindergarten preparedness for every child. We make learning fun!

DALLAS ACADEMY

950 Tiffany Way, Dallas 75218 / 214.324.1481 / dallas-academy.com Founded in 1965, Dallas Academy’s mission is to restore the promise of full academic enrichment to students with learning differences in grades 1-12. A meaningful connection with each student is established to overcome barriers to success. Dallas Academy offers students an effective

program and strategies to meet the special educational needs of bright students with learning differences, while including the activities of a larger, more traditional school. Classes are small, with a student-teacher ratio of 6 to 1 where students are encouraged, praised, and guided toward achieving their goals. Diagnostic testing is available to students throughout the community.

HIGHLANDER SCHOOL

9120 Plano Rd. Dallas / 214.348.3220 / www.highlanderschool.com Founded in 1966, Highlander School offers an enriched curriculum in a positive, Christian-based environment. Small class sizes help teachers understand the individual learning styles of each student. Give us a call for more information.

THE KESSLER SCHOOL

Pre K – 6th Grade / 1215 Turner Ave, Dallas TX 75208 / 214-942-2220 / www. thekesserschool.com The Kessler School offers an innovative academic environment that gives students a solid foundation, confidence, and a love of learning. Located just minutes from downtown Dallas; The Kessler School’s mission is to “educate the whole child,” and provides an individualized approach to teaching – meeting the student where their needs are. Students are educated socially through community time, physically through daily PE, academically through a well-rounded curriculum, and spiritually through a fostering of awareness and individual growth.

LAKEHILL PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep. org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

SPANISH HOUSE

5740 Prospect Ave. & 4411 Skillman / 214-826-4410 / DallasSpanishHouse.com

Spanish House is a Spanish immersion school with two Lakewood locations for children ages 3 months - Kindergarten. We offer half-day and full-day programs, with extended care available from 7:30am - 6:00pm. We also offer after-school and Saturday classes for PK and elementary-aged students, both on- and offsite. Additionally, we have an adult Spanish program for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish,

German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

UT DALLAS CHESS CAMP

800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson 75080 / (972) 883-4899 / utdallas.edu/chess ) 2014

Summer Chess Camp Campers learn while they PLAY. Chess develops reading, math, critical and analytical skills, and builds character and self-esteem. Just don’t tell the kids…they think chess is fun! Join beginner, intermediate or advanced chess classes for ages 7 to 13 on the UT Dallas campus. Morning (9am-noon) or afternoon (1-4pm) sessions are available June 9-13, June 16-20, July 14-18, July 21-25 and extended playing classes. Camp includes t-shirt, chess board and pieces, trophy, certificate, score book, group photo, snacks and drinks. Instructors are from among UT Dallas Chess Team Pan-Am Intercollegiate Champions for 2010-2012!

WHITE ROCK NORTH SCHOOL

9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410 / WhiteRockNorthSchool.com

6 Weeks through 6th Grade. Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-ofthe-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus.

WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL

100 S. Glasgow Dallas 75214 / 972-502-4400 / woodrowwildcats.org A proven college preparation program and a true high school experience. Woodrow graduates attend, year after year, our state’s and country’s finest colleges including Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU, Tech, West Point, Georgetown, Duke, North Carolina, Princeton and Yale, often with meaningful scholarships. With academic programs equaling the best private and magnet schools, Woodrow’s diverse student body also enjoys a traditional high school offering arts, music, dance, theater, math and science clubs, debate and writing competitions and a broad, inclusive and successful sports program, with cheerleaders and drill team. “It’s all at Woodrow and it works.”

ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL

6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.

Star treatment

The Lake Highlands High School basketball team invited Malik Little , a Merriman Park Elementary student with lymphoma, to sit on the bench during the last home game, where they officially recognized him at halftime. Meanwhile, his classmates sold “Malik Madness” T-shirts to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research.

Local BULLETIN BOARD

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

ALL AGES: LEARN PIANO WITH WADE COTTINGHAM LakewoodPianoLab.com Since 1998. 214-564-6456

ART: Draw or Paint. All Levels. Lake Highlands N. Rec. Ctr. Jane Cross, 214-534-6829. Linda, 214-808-4919.

ARTISTIC GATHERINGS

Casa Linda Plaza. Art Classes & Drop In Pottery Painting For All Ages. 214-821-8383. Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

DRUM & PIANO LESSONS Your location. UNT Grad. BucherMusicSchool.com or call 214-484-5360, 469-831-7012

GUITAR OR PIANO Fun/Easy. Your Home. 11 Yrs Exp. Reasonable rates. UNT Grad. Larry 469-358-8784

TUTORING: Writing. English. Grammar. Grade school through University and beyond. 20+ years exp. 469-263-7004

CHILDCARE

LOVING, CHRIST-CENTERED CARE SINCE 1982 Lake Highlands Christian Child Enrichment Center Ages 2 mo.-12 yrs. 9919 McCree. 214-348-1123.

EMPLOYMENT

AIRLINE CAREERS begin here. Get FAA approved maintenance training. housing & financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Aviation institute of Maintenance Houston 877-846-4155 or Dallas 888-896-8006

PET SITTERS, DOG WALKERS Email Recruiting@pcpsi.com

SERVICES FOR YOU

$14.99 SATTELLITE TV Includes free installation. High speed internet for less than $.50 a day. Low cost guarantee. 877-803-8837

$21 CAR INSURANCE Instant Quote, All Credit Types, Find Out If You Qualify. As Low As $21/Month. 888-291-2920

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

CONFUSED? FRUSTRATED? Let A Seasoned Pro Be The Interface Between You & That Pesky Computer. Hardware & Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $50/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 214-660-3733 or stykidan@sbcglobal.net

DISH TV RETAILER Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 months) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available) Save. Ask about Same Day Installation 1-800-492-0074

SERVICES FOR YOU

GRAPHIC DESIGN BY SOZA DESIGN Logos, Brochures, Posters & More. wsoza@yahoo.com 214-287-6499

HOUSE SITTING RETIRED COUPLE. Available June-Aug. Character refs. Pets no problem. Bill @806-778-7415.

SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB Alert for Seniors, Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less than 4 Inch Step-In Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Install Included. 888-612-8790 for $750 off.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

A WILL? THERE IS A WAY Estate/Probate Matters-Free Consultation. 214-802-6768 MaryGlennAttorney.com

ACCOUNTING, TAXES Small Businesses & Individuals. Chris King, CPA 214-824-5313 www.chriskingcpa.com

BOOKKEEPING NEEDS? Need Help Organizing Finances? No Job Too Small or Big. Call C.A.S. Bookkeeping Services. Cindy 214-821-6903

OSTEOPATHY—CRANIAL OSTEOPATH For structural or internal problems, head & body, newborn, young child, all ages. Liz Chapek, D.O. 214-341-8742. www.chapek.doctorsoffice.net

REED & RIORDAN PLLC Dallas Family Law Attorneys 10000 N Central Expy Dallas. 214-570-9555 reedriordan.com

Lake Highlands High School athletic director Scott Smith and Malik Little met at a Lake Highlands Wildcats basketball game where the team honored the young lymphoma patient.

Scouts honored

White Rock-area residents William Jones , Jack Lane , Lake Highlands residents Kirk Shannon , Hugh Swart and George Whiting recently earned Eagle Scout ranking.

100-mile hero

White Rock-area resident Nicole Studer (center) in February won the USA Track and Field 100-mile championship at the Rocky Raccoon 100 in Huntsville, Texas. Lake Highlands residents James Ayers and Brent Yost along with Eric Studer and Brent Woodle acted as her support team.

Local BULLETIN BOARD

BUY/SELL/TRADE

POOP SCOOP PROFESSIONALS Trust The Experts. 214-826-5009

Dallas’ First Doggie Daycare Featuring “Open Play” Boarding 14,000+ sq. ft. Play Area Inside

5,000+ sq. ft. Play Area Outside

15 Lux Suites w/ Webcams Grooming All Breeds Training & Obedience Classes

6444 E. Mockingbird at Abrams www.deesdoggieden.com • 214-823-1441

In-Home Professional Care Customized to maintain your pet’s routine In-Home Pet Visits & Daily Walks

“Best of Dallas” D Magazine Serving the Dallas area since 1994 Bonded & Insured www.societypetsitter.com 214-821-3900

BUY/SELL/TRADE

CASH FOR CARS/TRUCKS Get a Top Dollar Instant Offer. Running or Not. Damaged? Wrecked? Ok. We pay Up To $20,000. Call Toll Free. 1-888-416-2207

GROUND FLOOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Unique Opportunity for Residual Income. A Legacy Company Which Affords You and Your Family Guaranteed Income. Interviews to be Conducted to Launch a Business In Dallas. 401-741-7596 healthandwealthct@gmail.com

OLD GUITARS WANTED Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Martin. 1920s-1980s. Top dollar paid. Toll Free 1-866-433-8277

TEXAS RANGERS AND DALLAS STARS

front row seats. Share prime, front-row Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars tickets (available in sets of 10 games). Prices start at $105 per ticket (sets of 2 or 4 tickets per game available) Seats are behind the plate and next to the dugouts for the Rangers: seats are on the glass and on the Platinum Level for the Stars. Other great seats available starting at $60 per ticket. Entire season available except for opening game; participants randomly draw numbers prior to the season to determine a draft order fair for everyone. Call 214-560-4212 or rwamre@advocatemag.com

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

CLUTTERBLASTERS.COM-ESTATE SALES

Moving/DownSizing Sales, Storage Units.

Organize/De-Clutter Donna 972-679-3100

ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

Moving, Retirement, Downsizing. One Piece or a Houseful. David Turner. 214-908-7688. dave2estates@aol.com

APRIL DEADLINE

MARCH 12

214.560.4203

TO ADVERTISE

Ice Makers •Stoves • Cooktops • Ovens 214✯823✯2629

CABINETRY &

FURNITURE

THE CABINET CONCIERGE

The Art of Storage. Call 214-821-5900 Email jin@thecabinetconcierge.com

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

ATLANTIS DESIGN-BUILD, LLC

Complete Remodeling. 40 Yrs Exp. Additions. 1 & 2 Story. Kitchens, Baths. Small Jobs To Entire House. Renovation & Design. Full Time Supervision. Licensed/Insured. Free Estimates. 281-761-4648

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS, LLC

Complete Remodeling, Kitchens, Baths, Additions. Hardie Siding & Replacement Windows. Radiant Barrier, Insulation. Bonded & 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

CONNER FAMILY BUILDERS Since 1901. Home remodeling & painting. Superior quality, free estimates. Satisfaction guaranteed. A+ BBB Terry 469-338-1202 connerfamilybuilders.com

D SQUARED Design, Build, Remodel, Additions 214-213-2716

HANDY DAN “The Handyman” To Do’s Done Right! www.handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

KITCHEN AND BATHROOM SPECIALISTS

JCI Remodeling: From Simple Updates to Full Remodeling Services. Competitive Pricing! JCIRemodeling.com 972-948-5361

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.net 214-403-7247

RONALD L. SIEBLER

Remodeling & Historic Preservation

www.Siebler.com 214-546-7579

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING

Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 214-324-7398

www.squarenailwoodworking.com

CARPENTRY & REMODELING

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872 Complete Full Service Repairs, Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We do it. Tommy. insured. http://dallas. tkremodelingcontractors.com

CLEANING SERVICES

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

YOU HAVE IT MAID SERVICES 972-859-0287 bonded/insured. Youhaveitmaidservices.com

BRIAN GREAM RENOVATIONS

• 1 & 2 Story Additions

LLC

• Complete Renovations

• Kitchens/Baths

• Licensed/Insured 214.542.6214

PayPal ®

WWW.BGRONTHEWEB.COM

BRIANGREAM@YAHOO.COM

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

RENOVATION & REPAIR

214.341.1448

WWW.OBRIENGROUPINC.COM

• Bathrooms

• Kitchens

• Renovations

redoguys.com 214 / 803. 4774

TK Remodeling

Your neighborhood remodeler

•Repair •Remodeling •Restoration

•Complete full service

Name it— We do it

http://dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com Tommy 972-533-2872 INSURED

Unique Home Construction

- Design, Build, Remodel

- Kitchens & Baths

- New Construction or Additions

Many references available

- Licensed, Insured, Member of BBB www.uniquehomebuild.com 214.533.0716

CLEANING SERVICES

AMAZON CLEANING

Top To Bottom Clean. Fabiana.469-951-2948

CALL GRIME STOPPERS - 214-724-2555

Wanted: Houses To Clean & Windows to Wash 20 yrs exp. Reliable, Efficient, Excellent Refs.

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

MAID 4 YOU Bonded/Insured. Park Cities/M Streets Refs. Call Us First. Joyce.214-232-9629

MAID PRISTINE House Cleaning For Perfectionists. Reliable. Leticia. maidpristine.com 972-971-1571

MESS MASTERS Earth friendly housecleaning. 469-235-7272. www.messmasters.com Since ‘91

THE MAIDS Angie’s List Award! Eco-Friendly Products. www.maids.com 972-278-6000

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

ALL COMPUTER PROBLEMS SOLVED MAC/PC Great Rates! Keith 214-295-6367

BILL’S COMPUTER REPAIR

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

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

BRICK & STONE REPAIR

Don 214-704-1722

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

BRICK, STONEWORK, FLAGSTONE PATIOS Mortar Repair. Call George 214-498-2128

CONCRETE REPAIRS/REPOURS

Demo existing. Stamping and Staining Driveways/Patio/Walkways

Pattern/Color available

Free Estimates 972-672-5359 (32 yrs.)

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

EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216

FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001

Swimming Pool Remodels • Patios Stone work • Stamp Concrete 972-727-2727

Deckoart.com

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

4 U ELECTRICAL SERVICE, LLC

We will be there 4 U. 972-877-4183

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricofdallas.com

Family Owned/Operated. Insd. 214-328-1333

EXPERIENCED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN Insd. Steve. TECL#27297 214-718-9648

Business Resources

TO ADVERTISE 214.560.4203

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

GOVER ELECTRIC Back Up Generators. New And Remodel Work. Commercial & Residential.

All Service Work. 469-230-7438. TECL2293

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured.

Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

TEXAS ELECTRICAL • 214-289-0639

Honest, Quality. TECL 24668 CCs accepted.

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

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

BLOUNTS HAULING/TRASH SERVICE blountsjunkremovaldfw.com 214-275-5727

FENCING & DECKS

#1 COWBOY FENCE & IRON CO. Est. ‘91. 214-692-1991 www.cowboyfenceandiron.com

4 QUALITY FENCING Call Mike 214-507-9322

Specializing in Wood, New or Repair.

A FATHER, SON & GRANDSON TEAM Fences, Gates, Decks. Haven 214-327-0560

AMBASSADOR FENCE INC.

Automatic Gates, Iron & Cedar Fencing, Decks. Since 1996. MC/V 214-621-3217

HANNAWOODWORKS.COM Decks,Doors, Carpentry, Remodeling 214-435-9574

KIRKWOOD FENCE & DECK

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

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com

All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers

EST. 1991 #1

COWBOY

FENCE & IRON CO.

214.692.1991

SPECIALIZING IN Wood Fences &Auto Gates

cowboyfenceandiron.com

FIREPLACE SERVICE

CHIMNEY SWEEP Dampers/Brick & Stone Repair. DFW Metro. Don 214-704-1722

FLOORING & CARPETING

ALL WALKS OF FLOORS 214-616-7641

Carpet, Wood, Tile Sales/Service Free Estimates

BEAR FOOT HARDWOODS 214-734-8851

Complete Hardwood Flooring Services

DALLAS CARPET OUTLET Carpet/Wood/Tile. dallascarpetoutlet.com 214-342-1100

DALLAS HARDWOODS 214-724-0936

Installation, Repair, Refinish, Wax, Hand Scrape. Residential, Commercial. Sports Floors. 25 Yrs.

HASTINGS STAINED CONCRETE New/ Remodel. Stain/Wax Int/Ext. Nick. 214-341-5993. www.hastingsfloors.com

FLOORING & CARPETING

N-HANCE WOOD RENEWAL. No Dust. No Mess. No Odor. nhance.com. 214-321-3012.

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

Restoration Flooring

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

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

WANTED: ODD JOBS & TO DO LISTS

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

HOUSE PAINTING

25+ Years Experience

469.774.3147

Hardwood Installation · Hand Scraping Sand & Finish · Dustless restorationflooring.net

FOUNDATION REPAIR

• Slabs • Pier & Beam

• Mud Jacking • Drainage

• Free Estimates

• Over 20 Years Exp. 972-288-3797

We Answer Our Phones

GARAGE DOORS

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

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned.214-826-8096

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

A FATHER, SON & GRANDSON TEAM Expert Window Cleaning. Haven 214-327-0560

CLEARWINDOWSANDDOORS.COM

Replacement Windows & Doors Free Estimate 214-274-5864

LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR

custom mirrors • shower enclosures store fronts • casements 214-349-8160

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

#1 AT BIG JOBS. NO JOB TOO SMALL. 40+ years exp. Ron Payne 214-755-9147

A R&G HANDYMAN Electrical, Plumbing, Painting, Fencing, Roofing, Light Hauling. Ron or Gary 214-861-7569, 469-878-8044

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

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

HANDY DAN “The Handyman” To Do’s Done Right. www.handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/ Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

Your Home Repair Specialists

Drywall Doors Senior Safety Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs And

HOME INSPECTION

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

BATHTUB, COUNTERTOP & TILE Resurfacing: Walls, Tub Surrounds, Showers. Glaze or Faux Stone finishes. Affordable Alternative to Replacement! 972-323-8375. PermaGlazeNorthDallas.com

FENN CONSTRUCTION Any Tile Anywhere. www.dallastileman.com Back Splash Specials! 214-343-4645

HANDY DAN “The Handyman” Remodels Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

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

HOUSE PAINTING

1 AFFORDABLE HOUSE PAINTING and Home Repair. Quality work. Inside and Out. Free Ests. Local Refs. Ron 972-816-5634 or 972-475-3928

#1 GET MORE PAY LES

Painting. 85% Referrals. Free Est. 214-348-5070

A+ INT/EXT PAINT & DRYWALL

Since 1977. Kirk Evans. 972-672-4681

A1 TOP COAT Professional. Reliable. References. TopCoatOfTexas.com 214-770-2863

ABRAHAM PAINT SERVICE A Women Owned Business 25 Yrs. Int/Ext. Wall Reprs. Discounts

On Whole Interiors and Exteriors 214-682-1541

ALL TYPES Painting & Repairs. A+ BBB rating. Any size jobs welcome. Call Kenny 214-321-7000

BENJAMIN’S PAINTING SERVICE Quality

Work At Reasonable Prices. 214-725-6768

BLAKE CONSTRUCTION CONCEPTS, LLC

Complete Painting Interior/Exterior, Stain Etc. Custom Finishes, Custom Texture, Custom Trim www.blake-construction.com

Fully Bonded & Insured. 214-563-5035

MANNY’S HOME PAINTING & REPAIR

Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160

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

ROMEO’S PAINTING Int/Ext. Drywall, Damage Repair. Prep House To Sell. 214-789-0803

TONY’S PAINTING SERVICE Quality Work

Since 1984. INT/EXT 214-755-2700

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

BRIAN GREAM

PAINTING & RENOVATIONS LLC

• Interior/Exterior

• Rotten Wood

• Drywall

• Gutters

All General Contracting Needs 214.542.6214

TOM HOLT TILE 30 Yrs Experience In Tile, Backsplashes & Floors. Refs. Avail. 214-770-3444 WE

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

25% OFF TREE WORK Trim. Roberts Tree Svc. Insd. 10 yrs exp. 214-808-8925

A BETTER TREE COMPANY • JUST TREES Complete tree services. Tree & Landscape Lighting! Mark 214-332-3444

A&B LANDSCAPING Full Landscape & Lawn Care Services. Degreed Horticulturist. 214-534-3816

AYALA’S LANDSCAPING Firewood for Sale! Call the Land Expert Today! Insured. 214-773-4781

BLOUNTS TREE SERVICE Winter Special 20% Off Tree Work. 45 yrs exp. Insured. 214-275-5727

CHUPIK TREE SERVICE

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

COLE’S LAWN CARE • 214-327-3923

Quality Service with a Personal Touch.

COVINGTON’S NURSERY & LANDSCAPE CO. 5518 Pres. George Bush Hwy. Rowlett 972-475-5888 covingtonnursery.com

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

FOREVERLAWNTEXAS.COM George Berre. Quality Synthetic Grass, Free Est. 214-263-0828

GREENSKEEPER Winter Clean Up & Color. Sodding, Fertilization. Lawn Maintenance & Landscape. Res/Com. 214-546-8846

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

ORTIZ LAWNCARE Complete Yard Care. Service by Felipe. Free Est. 214-215-3599

RONS LAWN Organic Solutions. Not Environmental Pollution. Landscape & Maintenance 972-222-LAWN (5296)

SERIOUSLY METICULOUS Verdant Grounds. 214-763-0492

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

THE POND MAN Water Gardens

Designed & Installed. Drained & Cleaned. Weekly Service. Jim Tillman 214-769-0324

TRACY’S LAWN CARE • 972-329-4190

Lawn Mowing & Leaf Cleaning

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

WATER-WISE URBAN LANDSCAPES www.TexasXeriscapes.com 469-586-9054

WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists. Trim, Rmv, Cable Repair, Cavity-Fill Stump Grind. Emergency Hazards. Insd. Free Est. 972-803-6313

PLUMBING

A2Z PLUMBING 214-727-4040

All Plumbing Repairs. Slab Leak Specialists. Licensed & Insured. ML# M36843.

ANDREWS PLUMBING • 214-354-8521

# M37740 Insured. Any plumbing issues. plumberiffic69@gmail.com

Sewers • Drains • Bonded 24 Hours/7 Days

*Joe Faz 214-794-7566 - Se Habla Español*

ARRIAGA PLUMBING: Faucet, Sewer, Sink Repairs. Water Leaks. Water Heaters, Gas Testing. Remodels, Shower Pans, Stoppages. Insured. Lic 20754. Since the 80’s 214-321-0589, 214-738-7116,CC’s Accptd

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

JUSTIN’S PLUMBING SERVICE

For All Your Plumbing Needs. ml#M24406 972-523-1336. www.justinsplumbing.com

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

REPAIRS, Fixtures, General Plumbing, Senior Discounts. Campbell Plumbing. 214-321-5943

SPECK PLUMBING

Over 30 Yrs Exp. Licensed/Insured. 214-732-4769, 214-562-2360

POOLS

ADAIR POOL & SPA SERVICE

1 month free service for new customers. Call for details. 469-358-0665.

DFWPOOLCHEMICAL.COM Never Pay Retail Again. Chemicals, Parts, Motors, Etc.

LEAFCHASERS POOLS

Parts and Service. Chemicals and Repairs. Jonathan. 214-729-3311

LOCK’S POOL SERVICE - 469-235-2072

40 years experience. Pool Electrical TICL #550

MICHAEL’S POOL SERVICE

Maintenance & Repair 214-727-7650

ROOFING & GUTTERS

A&B GUTTER 972-530-5699

Clean Out, Repair/Replace. Leaf Guard. Free Estimates. Lifetime Warranty

MEDRANO ROOFING Resd/Comm. Quality Service & Craftsmanship. Free Est. 469-867-2129

NATIONWIDE ROOFING

Fencing, Gutters BBB member. 214-882-8719

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 for your dealings with any Advertiser. Please ask each Advertiser that you contact to show you the necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work you are requesting. Advocate Publishing takes comments and/or complaints about Advertisers seriously, and we do not publish advertisements that we know are inaccurate, misleading and/or do not live up to the standards set by our publications. If you have a legitimate complaint or positive comment about an Advertiser, please contact us at 214560-4203. Advocate Publishing recommends that you ask for and check references from each Advertiser that you contact, and we recommend that you obtain a written statement of work to be completed, and the price to be charged, prior to approving any work or providing an Advertiser with any deposit for work to be completed.

RILEY RAWLINS’ ACCUSED KILLER GOES TO TRIAL

The woman charged with criminally negligent homicide after hitting and killing Lake Highlands teenager Riley Rawlins in 2011 will go to trial in April.

A year ago Riley’s mother, Monica Rawlins, told the Advocate she did not expect the case to go to trial — the defendant, Soraya Villanueva, was unlicensed and uninsured and driving at twice the posted speed limit when she hit Riley as he attempted to cross the street at Abrams and Royal.

“I want a trial,” Monica Rawlins said last year after Villaneuva rejected a plea and hired an attorney, but Rawlins added that she believed that once Villanueva’s attorney saw the details, it probably would “come down to another plea bargain.”

Monica Rawlins and her husband, Chris, and their district attorney had an acceptable plea in mind, but it was unconventional. They wanted the defendant to spend five Christmases in jail. Not five years in jail. Just the Christmases.

“Sure, it’s an inconvenience for her to miss Christmas with her kids, but you know what? It’s five years. I have a life sentence of Christmas without my son. No birthdays. No Thanksgiving. Nothing,” Rawlins says. “She chose to get behind the wheel of a car knowing full well she was not trained to operate that machine properly. She chose to

speed through an intersection. She took a life because of her poor decisions, and I feel that Christmas in jail is a light sentence.”

Rawlins says she and the DA were not budging on that condition, so Villanueva has opted to go to trial. It is set for April 14.

Rawlins says she is still OK with having to take the case to a jury.

“While I am fully aware that it may turn out that a jury will find her not guilty and she could walk away free of any charges, at least I did everything I could to get justice for my son.” She adds that she and her family have had to go through so much grief and confusion in the years since her son’s death that she sometimes “loses faith that she will get it.”

Villanueva is a mother of two. She had one child when the accident occurred and according to Rawlins had a baby over the summer. When the Advocate attempted to contact her via her lawyer Mark Perez no one returned our call.

—Christina Hughes Babb

Lake Highlands Elementary hosts its annual Bubb Recycling Event on Saturday, March 22 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at 9501 Ferndale. For a small fee, organizers shred documents and accept household items such as clothing, sporting goods, toys and games, books and musical instruments for recycling — no chemicals or furniture, please. All of the day’s proceeds will go toward sending LHE fifth graders to fall science camp at Sky Ranch. LHE raises funds to send all students, and not just those who can afford it, to camp. Learn more at lhepta.com.

Schools

If you have been a recent crime victim, email crime@advocatemag.com.

| CRIME NUMBERS | 20

is the number of driveway robberies that have occurred, mostly in the White Rock areas, since the year began 2

Lake Highlands residents, a man and women, faced three black men who robbed them at gunpoint outside their Moss Haven-area home

1

man brandishing a knife and wearing a mask was implicated in a different Lake Highlands robbery that went down inside a woman’s garage

214.671.3584

is the number to dial if you have any information that might help police solve these crimes

The Lake Highlands Highlandette drill team earned multiple awards at the American Dance and Drill Team competition in February. They won the Gussie Nell Davis Award, named for the famed founder of the Kilgore Rangerettes; three judges’ awards (for their novelty, pom and contemporary routines); awards for choreography, overall presentation and overall technique and the sportsmanship award. Smaller groups of Highlandettes won prizes in hip hop, jazz, high kicks, choreography, precision, and they took home Best in Class. The officer squad — Anna Starr, Mattie Briscoe, Bess Detar, Ashton Plotts and Caroline Whiteside earned Judges’ Awards for their novelty, contemporary and jazz routines. They also were awarded Best Overall Technique, Best Overall Choreography, Best Overall Precision, Best Overall Presentation and Best in Class. Anna and Sara Starr were runners-up to winners Bess Detar and Ashton Plotts in the Duet category. Anna Starr, drill team captain, was solo-artist runner-up.

and

Merriman Park Elementary students last month were selected as Clarice Tinsley’s Hometown Heroes and were featured on evening and noon Fox 4 News broadcasts. In an effort to support teacher Beth Lyons, second grader Hannah English and fifth grader Malik Little, who all have been diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, the students launched a fundraiser for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At the end of the campaign the students tallied more than $15,000 for leukemia and lymphoma research.

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Defendant Soraya Villanueva

MONEY MATTERS

Through education and incentive, Lake Highlands programs aim to pull people from poverty cycles

COMMENT. Visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com and search Ellen Raff to tell us what you think.

“There are a lot of exciting things going on in Lake Highlands,” Lake Highlands High School alum Ginger Greenberg says. “We’re on the precipice of seeing a collective impact.”

She’s talking about the goal set by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas to lift 250,000 people out of poverty by 2020. Under the umbrella of that goal, Dallas’ Consumer Credit Counseling Services has received a grant of $100,000 to target people living in Lake Highlands who need help.

Greenberg, who is director of communications and public relations at CCCS, says, “Lake Highlands has the second-most-dense population of poverty and low-to-moderate-income people in Dallas. And we have a lot of residents in Lake Highlands who are refugees and new to the U.S. They are unfamiliar with our financial system, and having a coach is important to help walk them through learning. United Way looked to us to provide these services to Lake Highlands specifically.”

To reach as many people as possible, CCCS has formed partnerships with local organizations, including Lake Highlands United Methodist Church, The New Room, Healing Hands Ministries, Watermark, QuestCare Clinic, Highland Oaks, Kids U and Richardson ISD.

With the help of the grant, CCCS has launched two programs in Lake Highlands.

“The first is the Financial Stability Initiative. The clients that we enroll in LHFSI will receive coaching, counseling and education for a 12-month period.”

Counseling will take place at the venues of the partners listed above, but if those times and places don’t work out, there are also webinars and even an option for telephone counseling.

Despite the many opportunities to participate, does it still sound like too much trouble for working families?

“Clearly it would be helpful if there were a financial incentive that comes with it,” Greenberg says. “And that’s where A.I.M. comes in.”

This is the best part: the Accountable-Inspirational-Motivational (A.I.M.) Individual Development Account (IDA), which boils down to — in plain English a savings program that matches up to $25 a month in a local credit union when participants make a deposit in their savings account. Where else are you going to find 100 percent return on $300?

To receive the funds, a client needs to participate in one class, counseling session, or webinar per month for a year, in addition to adding to the savings account. Clients who manage to save $25 a month will have an emergency fund of $600 at the end of the year.

Just how important is that emergency fund?

“People who live without any savings at all get off track when there’s a medical expense, a death, a sickness,

a flat tire,” Greenberg says. “And that’s when they’re going to a payday lender, quite frankly, because there’s nowhere else to go. But wouldn’t it be better if they had a savings account to get them out of that situation?”

Having the account can be the difference between paying the rent and having to move.

Stable households are better for everyone, especially children. One huge benefit of financial stability is that if families don’t have to move, kids don’t suffer the disruption of changing schools. That’s why the Richardson school district is partnering with CCCS and providing an additional outreach to the target population as well as classroom space.

Who is eligible for the A.I.M. matching grant? Any adult (18) or household in the geographic service area that earns up to $56,080 per year, (which is 80 percent or less of the area median income).

That description fits a lot of people who live in Lake Highlands.

To raise awareness of the need for increased financial literacy, April has been dedicated to the national cause. But if you’re reading this in March, no need to wait. Classes and webinars are in session right now, and everyone in Lake Highlands, regardless of income, is eligible for one free credit counseling session.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CLASS SCHEDULES AND COUNSELING, visit cccs.net Lake Highlands residents can schedule counseling appointments by calling 214.540.6837. Contact A.I.M. Director Stephanie Van Kirk at svankirk@cccs.net, 972.674.9479, or Ginger Greenberg at ggreenberg@cccs.net, 214.540.6816.

Ellen Raff, a neighborhood resident, writes a monthly opinion column about neighborhood issues. Her opinions are not necessarily those of the Advocate or its management. Send comments and ideas to her at 6301 Gaston, Suite 820, Dallas 75214; FAX to 214.823.8866; or email editor@advocatemag.com.