BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

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Books and sporting goods

The 34,000-square-foot REI on Northwest Highway across Shady Brook from Half Price Books is nearing completion. REI, which sells outdoor recreation gear, sporting goods and clothing, anchors a brandnew shopping center, which is a part of Half Price Books’ plans to develop the six acres across the street from its flagship store. The bookseller, which operates 113 stores in 16 states, spent several years buying the acreage. REI is moving an existing store from Farmers Branch to this location. The center will have an additional 13,000 square feet of retail space.

Home improvement

A new Habitat for Humanity Restore opened last month in the old Big Lots space on Skillman at Abrams. The nonprofit home-improvement store, which benefits Habitat for Humanity, sells new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. The store also accepts donations of furniture, appliances and building materials.

JCPenney woes

Plano-based JCPenney announced last month it would close 40 stores and cut 2,250 jobs. The store at Timbercreek Crossing (Skillman and Northwest Highway) is one that’s not currently on the chopping block.

Indoor playground

The new Wildcat Fun Zone indoor playground opened last month inside the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center, 9440 White Rock Trail. Kids younger than 5 can climb, crawl and explore the indoor playground, which Dallas Park and Recreation officials say is the first of its kind in Dallas rec centers. The project was made possible in large part by the Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League, whose members raised more than $80,000 for the design, construction and installation.

People

American Airlines’ first Boeing 787 Dreamliner rolled out last month to much fanfare, and its pilot was Lake Highlands High School alumnus Jim Dees. Dees flew the first leg of the threehour trip from Washington to Dallas, and Captain Bill Elder took the second. Reportedly, the Dreamliner is made of composite materials and is 20 percent more fuel efficient than previous planes.

Lake Highlands High School alumnus and neighborhood resident Brad Walker received an Academy Award in February, his second in five years. Walker is part of a team of current and former Texas Instrument employees the Academy honored as the inventors of the digital cinema projector using Digital Light Processing technology. Walker and his wife, Linda, attended the technical awards presentation dinner in Hollywood Feb. 7.

Runner Nicole Studer, who lives near and trains often at White Rock Lake, set an American record last month, clocking the fastest time ever recorded by a female in a 100-mile trail race. Studer finished in 14 hours 22 minutes in the 2015 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile. The closest woman was more than an hour behind her. She won $2,000 — $1,000 for winning the race, and $1,000 for breaking the record.

Lake Highlands Junior High School teacher Nakenya Claiborne and 10 of her current and former students appeared on the “Steve Harvey Show” in February. Claiborne, who teaches eighth-grade English, appeared on the show as part of a matchmaking segment after her mother called the show. Claiborne knew she would be set up with several bachelors, but she didn’t expect to see her students. The show flew them into Chicago as a surprise.

Community

Save the date, Saturday March 7, for the Connect the Plots community garden tour. According to organizer A.L. Nickerson of the Lake Highlands Community Garden, “the goal is to get all the community gardeners and supporters together to share information, reliable suppliers, gardening best practices, war stories and probably pain remedies ...” It will be similar to East Dallas’ popular chicken coop tour, he says, but free. For more details, visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com.

School

Adam Meierhofer, Richardson ISD school board member, Place 1, has decided not to run for re-election this May. Jean Bono from Lake Highlands is running to replace him. Eron Linn of Richardson has announced he will run for the board’s Place 5 spot. Kim Caston, board president, is expected to run again in Place

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Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag.com. Our deadline is the of the month prior to the month of publication.

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 9:30 am

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

Lutheran

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

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

Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird 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. Mitchell Boone

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

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

214.827.5521 / www.northridgepc.org / Welcomes you to Worship

Summer Worship: May 25 - Aug. 31 / 10:00am / Childcare provided.

Unity

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path for Spiritual Living

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

10:30 am Sunday - Celebration Worship Service