2014 June Lake Highlands

YOUR CURE FOR STRESS STARTS HERE

Technologically Advanced Heart and Vascular Surgery

At Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, we offer innovative and advanced care for your heart. As a Cycle IV Chest Pain Center, our patients receive high-level comprehensive cardiovascular care. We introduced Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement surgery, and we now offer minimally invasive blood vessel and valve procedures. So if you ever have a heart issue and need us, we won’t miss a beat. Ask your doctor to have your heart procedure done at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

cover Pursuit of happiness

To shake off a stressful day, try these neighborhood sanctuaries. Neighborhood residents board horses at Lake Highlands’ Rocking M Stables: Photo by David Leeson.

44

A place for the displaced

After receiving political asylum, an Iranian refugee dedicates her life to helping others like her.

51

Tailgate theft … and other popular crimes in Lake Highlands

52

Bernie’s parole

What the release of a lovable convicted murderer teaches us about mercy, by religion columnist George Mason

16

Dr. Ernie

He’s helped generations of young diabetic patients experience a week of normal.

21

Man on the moon

Persistence, intelligence and good-ol’ Lake Highlands roots fueled astronaut James Reilly’s impressive career.

22

Wildly successful

Lake Highlands High School grads’ Arkansas-based Fayettchill is a unique, outdoorsy and booming business.

ON THE COVER: White Rock Lake: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Go

Free Stroke Screening CLOSE TO HOME

Anyone can have a stroke — whether you’re young or old, man or woman. When the first stroke symptoms appear it’s important to seek prompt emergency medical care.

Fortunately, award-winning stroke services are nearby at Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake.

Learn about your personal risk factors for stroke at a free screening on Saturday, June 14 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Call 800-887-2525 today to make your reservation.

Senior Living Near White Rock Lake

only in lake highlands

A portable potty near the White Rock trail took a tumble during a severe thunderstorm with high winds that swept through Lake Highlands and the rest of Dallas May 8. Search “storm photos” for more on Advocatemag.com:

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

This is where we treat breast cancer differently.

Radiation oncologist Dr. Asal Rahimi was the first physician in Texas to use advanced video monitoring (Vision RT™) to safely treat left-sided breast cancer patients by protecting the heart from excess radiation. Dr. Rahimi and her colleagues also are pioneering the use of CyberKnife for breast cancer. This state-of-the-art robotic radiosurgical tool pinpoints and treats cancerous lesions with extreme precision. This is UT Southwestern—where scientific research, advanced technology, and leading-edge treatments come together to bring new hope to cancer patients.

To learn more, call 214-645-8300 or visit UTSWmedicine.org

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SOUND OF SILENCE

The quest for a little peace and quiet

Light filled the dark night deep in the northern Minnesota countryside, the moon brightening the landscape and the stars as twinkly as they could be.

Lying on my back, a feeble breeze grazing my forehead just enough to keep the bugs and sweat at bay, my mind wandered here and there and nowhere at all. It was a night in the early stages of summer back at a time when I had more energy than direction, and I was consumed with worry about where I was going and how I would get there.

So there I was, lying on my back outside in a quiet place I found to help sort through the random thoughts that skittered across my mind.

I dreaded summer back then because school work was far easier than farm work. My greatest dream was to turn 16 and emancipate myself from my parents’ pseudo-indentured servitude to earn minimum wage sacking groceries and lining shelves. That would be the life, or so I fantasized.

On this summer night after a stifling, dirty day baling hay, I had just enough energy to lie outside and wonder how I would engineer my great escape. Would I be beckoned by an Ivy League school unable to continue without my noble presence? Would my baseball skills catch the eye of a professional scout and whisk me to faraway Paducah or Toledo or Cape Cod to launch a minor league career? Or would I simply tire of farm work one day and leave on a dusty gravel road in my trusty red Javelin with floorboards somehow rusted clear through, providing natural ventilation for my feet?

There has always been something energizing about mindless thought in those qui-

et places that helps generate brainpower inaccessible in helter-skelter, everyday situations. Places like those highlighted in this month’s cover story help stoke our ability to seem greater than we are, even if only to ourselves and only for a little while, making the empty solitude of a perfect quiet place something to cherish and protect.

There are plenty of places near all of us that are quiet, and yet not all of them are truly quiet places, with the defining difference mostly a matter of opinion. A place can be quiet and yet unfulfilling for me, uncomfortable or unwelcoming through no fault of its own, while offering you a perfect space for quiet reflection. In a city with growing density and dwindling green space, that is an especially good thing, because if all of us found only the same few quiet places acceptable for reflection, those

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places soon would be overrun and not special for anyone anymore.

I’m fortunate that my quiet place is portable, existing primarily in some part of my brain that seems resistant to erasure or reformatting, offering a throwback to the days when dreams were my pilot instead of my taskmaster, when moonlight alone was enough to light the way through the dark, and when I had plenty of time to simply wonder away the night.

contributors: GAYLA BROOKS, SEAN CHAFFIN, ANGELA HUNT 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

intern: JAMES COREAS

There has always been something energizing about mindless thought in those quiet places that helps generate brainpower inaccessible in helter-skelter, everyday situations.

WHAT YOU’RE MISSING

Joy Prom a joy for students with special needs and their ‘dates’

Top ten Lake Highlands High grads announced

Chickens: When an animal species becomes our friend, do we still eat them?

Lake Highlands homeowner almost burglarized by dreadlocked delinquent

Jake Gaba’s ‘Happy’ video will have you up and dancing

THE DIALOGUE

KILLING MORE THAN WEEDS ON WHAT’S ALL THE BLUE DYE AROUND WHITE ROCK LAKE?

“The killing of the Little League wildflowers in the outfields is most the noticeable result of the effort to eradicate unwanted vegetation at Winfrey Point this year. Only a tiny 8x8 foot area remains, the rest killed off by intense spraying of weed killer. Doubt me? Go look for yourself. Their spraying killed all the wildflowers. It will take years to rebuild.” —Ben S.

“Does the City of Dallas not employ certified Master Gardeners who specialize in organic care? Sadly, wildflowers are being killed instead of weeds. Little nesting killdeer are being displaced as well.”

—Tamie Oxley

“The city is missing a source of revenue here. If they skip the herbicide on the parking areas, in a couple years they’ll be covered with “weeds.” At which point the city can begin ticketing parked cars for parking on the grass, right? :-)” —wilson!

WANT MORE?

Launch

Q&A: Dr. Ernie Fernandez

Since it began in 1950, Camp Sweeney — a camp located near Gainesville, Texas, for kids with Type 1 diabetes — has hosted more than 30,000 children from across the United States and around the world. Dr. Ernie Fernandez, the camp’s director since 1989, has been practicing in our neighborhood at Clinical Pediatric Associates since 1991.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

velop a really strong sense of support that carries these kids not only through their camp years but through many, many years of their lives.

And so when these kids leave our program, they’ve felt what it’s like to be sort of normalized, overcome some of their anxieties, care about themselves, and have a village of support to try to keep them there. And by doing so, we positively impact the way they want to take care of themselves, and they can live longer, healthier lives. And it’s quite the program.

With your practice, are you able to be at the camp the whole time it’s in session?

I sure am. I always have been. I have a little cabin on the property, and what happens is, every morning I drive into Dallas. I leave at 7, get to my office at 8:30, I see patients until 2, and I’m back at camp at 3:30. I’ve done that every year I’ve been at camp. I’m there seven days a week, all 12 weeks, every summer. I’ve never missed a day of camp in the last 30 years. But I do keep my practice going at the same time.

What about the counselors there?

They come from all over the U.S. We have 160 full-time employees in the summer. Of them, 71 are counselors. We bring them in for three weeks of development prior to the first child arriving. Because we have to have the staff truly understand these four behavioral models and how they function and get themselves in that mindset of trying to make that difference in these kids’ lives. So by the time the children arrive, [the counselors] are really ready to try to passionately help these kids.

So

what are the camp activities like?

We have everything from archery, aerobics, zip lines, climbing walls, jet skis, tubing. We have fishing, skeet shooting, riflery, paintball, lacrosse, football, soccer. We have hiking, cross country, swing dancing class, weight-lifting class, internet publishing, video production. We own our own radio station, which serves the Cooke County/Denton

area, so they have broadcasting class as well. We try to find something for each child to overcome those anxieties and get them to shine.

After lunch, we bring in speakers from UT Southwestern [to talk about] the new techniques for diabetes. Then they go to small groups, they do the affirmations, they have more activities in the afternoon, they have supper, and then we go to the nighttime activities. We have rock bands that come out, they go to the movie theater, they’ve got hikes, they’ve got campfires, they’ve got big carnival nights, fireworks — it’s a big event every night. We’re teaching them how to incorporate the real-life things in their lives with their diabetes management.

I’m sure you have many memorable stories.

There are many, many wonderful stories. But right now we’re in an unusual state. We lost one of our children yesterday. She was here in Plano, and she had a bad insulin reaction and did not wake up. And one of the things that makes our program different — the kids are so fantastically supportive and connected. And so anytime we lose someone who has been part of this family, they come so close together. Tonight we will be doing a Sweeney candle vigil in Plano. We have people flying in from everywhere because they get so connected, and they have to be there for each other.

A thing that echoes with me is, the year before last, there were three days left in camp. There was a little boy, and I said, ‘Are you excited you’re going home in three days?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, in three days I get diabetes again.’ And that’s just the way it is: When they’re there, it’s gone, and they’re kids that are building themselves up, having the greatest time of their lives.

—Larra Keel

Questions and answers have been edited for brevity

CAMP

sessions begin June 8, June 29 and July 20. Visit campsweeney.org to find out more.

From Lake Highlands to outer space

James Reilly, Lake Highlands High School class of 1972, has departed Earth three times. He worked construction on the International Space Station, a large habitable satellite that reportedly can be seen from Earth in the proper conditions. But Reilly — pilot, astronaut, geologist — also has explored the depths and far reaches of this planet. He was part of a 1977 scientific expedition to remote areas of Antarctica, and he traveled in submarines while working with the U.S. Navy and a Florida-based oceanographic research institution. After high school, Reilly ran a roofing company, earned three degrees at the University of Texas at Dallas and launched a career as an oil-and-gas exploration geologist. In the mid 1980s, he applied to the astronaut program at NASA. After eight years of filling out those applications, he got a call from NASA. “I was actually out working on a rig in the gulf when they called me in for an interview,” Reilly says. The interview was short but was followed by a solid week of physical, mental and psychological testing. “Of the 20 that were in my group [narrowed down from some 3,000 of the most qualified candidates] my resume was the thinnest, but I somehow got in.” He promptly resigned from his job and moved his family, including two adolescent-aged children, to Houston. His first mission was in 1998. “You’d think that you

would get nervous,” he says, “strapping into a highly explosive, million-pound ship, but I was pretty calm. Once you get to that point, you’ve simulated all possibilities in training. The night before the flight, I was standing on the launch pad and one of the mechanics walks over and says, ‘We will make sure you are 100 percent safe,’ and I believed him.” In space, he says, he worked 16-hour days, but never lost appreciation. “It’s difficult to come up with a way to describe the experience. You are floating, disoriented, you have to get used to doing things like walking across the room, which is now floating across a room. But you have to take a few seconds sometimes — the views are phenomenal. You see all the colors and textures of the Earth. It is amazing.” At Lake Highlands High School, he says, the teachers set the foundation for his success. He recalls physics teacher Mr. Wolf, especially, and Eddie Green, the director of the band in which Reilly played trombone. Incredibly, Reilly says, he recently ran into Green at a performance of his son’s high school band in Houston. “After the show they gave special thanks to Eddie Green and I thought, ‘No, it couldn’t be,’ but sure enough I went backstage afterwards and knew just by hearing his voice that it was him. It was good to see him again.”

—Christina Hughes Babb

Commander Rick Sturckon and specialist James Reilly in the International Space Station’s lab:

Photo courtesy of NASA

Lake Highlands native James Reilly with the Earth’s horizon in the background: Photo courtesy of NASA

Grant Holden, Mo Elliot, Devin

enjoying the outdoors.

“Our main goal is to bring the Ozarks to the nation,” Holden says.

The Ozark Mountain area, he says, presents lots of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors: fly fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, camping. But, he adds, you don’t need to go to extremes — or even go to Arkansas — to have the Fayettechill attitude. “You don’t have to hike the biggest mountains,” he says. “You can go out and walk around Lake Highlands and have a really positive experience.”

When Fayettechill started, it was as much of a movement as it was a business. “It was a way for our group of friends to represent the unique culture of the Ozark region,” Holden says. Holden and Elliott would ride their skateboards around, plastering “Fayettechill” stickers up around the campus and surrounding area. The entrepreneurial Elliott (who ran his own landscaping company in high school)

began selling T-shirts out of his apartment in 2009. In 2011 Elliott graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship, and Holden with one in advertising, so the two were well prepared to start a fulltime business. (A third UA grad, Devin O’Dea, joined them a year later.)

Today Fayettechill has 10 full-time employees and sells a wide range of clothing, accessories and outdoor gear in 46 shops in six states. Locally, their products can be found at Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co. and St. Bernard Sports. “Getting into St. Bernard is a dream come true,” Holden says. “My grandpa shops there, so he can really see what it is I’ve been doing.” The company also remodeled a 32-foot Airstream trailer the “Chillstream” which they use as a mobile retail store and showroom.

Holden and Elliott maintain close ties to Lake Highlands and say growing up here helped make them who they are. Holden says that in his White

Rock Elementary-area neighborhood, “there were tons of kids running around all the time. I think life there is more well-balanced than in some other places.” They both fondly remember their favorite teacher, Ginny Chambliss. Elliott recalls that he often parked his landscaping truck in Mr. Shea’s parking space.

Holden’s advice to current Lake Highlands High students: “Try as many different things as possible. It is OK to not know exactly what you want to do,” he says. “In high school, I played hockey, did photography, skateboarded, partied, but I didn’t really have a set path. Once I discovered the outdoors, it really clicked.” With Fayettechill — both the operation of the business and the philosophy behind it Holden says, “We’re trying to carve our own path.”

—Larra Keel

THE CHILLSTREAM

will be at St. Bernard Sports at 5570 W. Lovers on June 14. Find out more at fayettechill.com.

THROUGH JUNE Concerts at the Arboretum

Every Thursday night, the Dallas Arboretum hosts a different band on the lush Martin Rutchik Concert Stage and Lawn. Bring your favorite food and drinks, and enjoy a concert overlooking a beautiful view of White Rock Lake. All summer concerts are from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Dallas Arboretum, contact reservations@dallasarboretum.org or 214.515.6615, $15-$17 adult members, $25-$27 adult nonmembers, $10 children ages 3-12, package deals available

THROUGH JUNE 1 ’Charlotte’s Web’

Meet Wilbur, the “radiant” and “humble” pig, his savior Charlotte, and all their lovable barnyard neighbors, as envisioned by the pros at Dallas Children’s Theater. Enjoyed by ages 5 and older. Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, dct.org,  214.740.0051, $13-$26

Out & About

June 2014

June 5

CONFAB: A Dallas Parks Foundation Conversation

City insiders and advocates discuss the continuing development of public green space and hike-and-bike trails at 7 p.m. during an event hosted by the Dallas Parks Foundation. Topics include the Trinity corridor, historic park pavilions, upcoming trail connections and the case for tearing down I-345.

Dallas City Performance Hall, 2502 Flora, dallasCONFAB.org, $13

or submit your own

JUNE 7

DRC Bloomin’ 4-mile

The Dallas Running Club hosts a monthly race at Winfrey Point. This month marks the annual four-miler, which starts at 8 a.m. Runners and volunteers should register in advance online. Race day registration is available from 6-7 a.m. Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake, dallasrunningclub.org, non-members $10, members free

JUNE 7

Book signing

Susie Black Holamon, the author of “My Five Moms,” hosts a book signing at 3 p.m. Proceeds benefit foster children through Ebby House. Barnes and Noble Lincoln Park, 7700 W. Northwest Highway, 214.739.1124, free

June 27

Texas folk music

At 8 p.m. two University of North Texas grads perform: Lisa Markley, a singer-songwriter with a folk/blues/jazz sound, and White Rock-area resident William Foley, a pianist and composer with more than 30 years’ experience.

Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse, 9555 N. Central, 214.363.0044, unclecalvins.org, $15-$18

William Foley: Danny Fulgencio

White Rock Lake Park: Danny Fulgencio

214.560.4203

JUNE 8

Hugelkultur Horticulture

Attend Hugelkultur Horticulture at White Rock Local Garden from 9 a.m.–noon. Texas Worm Ranch’s Heather Rinaldi teaches attendees to use twigs, branches, logs and leaves to make a hugelkultur garden bed, the centerpiece of a fertile, water-efficient plot capable of cultivating fruit, herbs and vegetables.

White Rock Local Garden, 10222 Galway, $30 per person

JUNE 13-JULY 13

Little’

It’s big excitement for a little mouse when Stuart leaves his human family in New York and travels across the country in search of the bird that helped save his life. Enjoyed by ages 5 and up.

Dallas Children’s Theater, 5938 Skillman, dct.org, 214.740.0051, $17-$26

JUNE 21-22

Dallas Indie Fest

Artists of all disciplines show off their work at White Rock Lake: painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, metalwork, digital, sculpture, fashion, wood and more.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, contact Adam Zoblotsky at 214.908.6990 or director@ dallasindiefestival.com, $10

JUNE 29

Gardenlicious Kids Cook-off

Kids cook and submit a healthy dish, which celebrity chefs judge. The contest is open to first- through eighth-graders with any healthy three-ingredient recipe. The deadline for submitting an entry form, available on the Dallas Arboretum’s website along with instructions and rules, is June 8. Entrants must be available to attend the June 29 event; finalists present their dishes to the judges at noon, and the contest runs 1-3 p.m. Funds raised support the Children’s Garden programs.

Dallas Arboretum Camp House, arollins@dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6512, dallasarboretum.org, $30 to enter contest and attend the cook-off event with parents, cook-off audience tickets $5-$8

WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER

Celebrate the 4th of July in Style! Visit us for a fabulous organic gardening experience, and a gift store bursting with fun home accessories for every occasion.

T.HEE GREETINGS

This extra large tote carries it all. Available in pink, lime, and turquoise. You’ll find a great selection of pool, beach, and summer totes at T. Hee!

T. Hee Greetings locations, Lakewood and Lake Highlands. 214.747.5800 t-heegifts.com

GECKO HARDWARE

Raised beds are easy with “vintage” steel tubs. Show this ad and get FREE soil with tub purchase thru 6/30. Then choose from our beautiful plants. Like us on Facebook for classes and specials.

10233 E. NW Hwy @ Ferndale (near Albertsons) 214.343.1971 GeckoHardware.com

ADVOCATE ORNAMENT

Call 214.292.0486 or email foundation@advocatemag.com

2011 lakehighlands.advocatemag.com

THE STORE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS

Aspen Bay - Kaleidoscope Candles: Premier fragrances line of the highest quality and eco-friendly practices! Great for gifts!

10233 E NW Hwy @ Ferndale (near Albertsons) 214.553.8850 Mon-Sat 9:30-5:30 TheStoreinLH.com

THEgoods

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

Lower Greenville

NORA

1928 Greenville 214.828.0095 noradallas.com

AMBIANCE:

—Brittany Nunn

Lake Highlands offers a number of cherished cafés and restaurants, but there is a limit to our options. When you next feel that nagging need for epicurean diversity, know that our East Dallas neighbors are popping with culinary choices. Take Lower Greenville, for instance, and Matt Pikar’s new hotspot, Nora’s Restaurant & Bar. Once Pikar was certain Greenville was on the upswing, he decided to expand his business by adding a Sunday lunch menu, a private dining room and a rooftop patio. The patio was designed for lounging, so he doesn’t mind if you sit and stay a while. “I want people to come here, have a bottle of wine, enjoy themselves and relax,” Pikar says. There’s a full bar upstairs, as well as a limited menu of appetizers and other snack options. Nora’s serves gourmet Afghan food full of flavor and spice and everything nice. Aside from the usual offering of hummus and salad, it also has more exotic options. The kofta chalao is similar to meatballs over rice, the dolma consists of rice and spices wrapped in a grape leaf, and the sambosa is a pastry filled with ground beef and veggies.

DRESSY CASUAL, ROOFTOP PATIO & BAR, RELAXING

PRICE RANGE: $5-$12

HOURS:

SUN-THURS: 5:30-1O P.M.

FRI-SAT: 5:30-11 P.M.

SUN LUNCH: 11 A.M.-3 P.M.

MON: CLOSED

SEE MORE PHOTOS

Visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com.

Nora’s chicken kabob is served with grilled veggies and saffron rice. Photo by Mark Davis

| MORE LOWER GREENVILLE HOTSPOTS |

Crisp Salad Company

Located between Teppo Yakitori Sushi Bar and the Char Bar, this modest, healthy bistro, co-owned by Lake Highlands resident John Zimmerman, offers a buildyour-own-salad option as well as a menu featuring cobb, Waldorf and kale salads, to name a few.

2020 Greenville

214.821.2467

crispsaladco.com

The Grape

Ask yourself: is it worth crossing Mockingbird for the best burger in the state (so says Texas Monthly), to sample the culinary creations of Chef of the Year (2011, eater.com), Lake Highlands resident Brian Luscher? The answer is, YES. The housemade desserts such as banana pudding cheesecake and classic crème brulee are worth journeying for, but while you’re there, devour decadent caramelized sea scallops or herb-grilled lamb chops.

2808 Greenville

214.828.1981

thegraperestaurant.com

Snuffers

Greenville Avenue dining once was synonymous with Snuffers and those famously loaded cheese fries. Then the grill went through a ho hum era as diners and local media turned their attention to other area eateries, approaching Snuffers each October only for the seasonal “Snuffers ghost” story. When Snuffers was demolished in April 2013, however, we missed it. Now it’s reopened, remodeled and features a spacious new patio, plus those tried-and-true juicy burgers and French fry baskets. No word on whether the ghost is still haunting.

3526 Greenville

214.826.6850

snuffers.com

ARE YOU A MOONLIGHTER?

Advocate is looking for neighbors whose alter egos take over on nights and weekends for more artistic pursuits. From comedy routines to poetry slams to live music, tell us where you channel your heart and soul beyond the 9-to-5. Please send your name, zip code and brief explanation to editor@advocatemag.com.

Palapas Seafood Bar

We are now open and serving the most delicious seafood in the Metroplex. Come out to our Sunday Brunch under our palm-leaf roof patios and enjoy one of our Sinaloa style ceviches.

QUESA-D-YAS

Looking for a great

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.

POPOVER ANY TIME

With only four ingredients, popovers have an airy, puffy and custard-like interior that complements any breakfast, lunch or dinner. Popovers can be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar for a touch of sweet or flavored with black pepper and Gruyere for a savory addition. Being so versatile, they will replace a standard muffin, biscuit, bread or doughnut. A popover pan is necessary to create a sky-high puff and a crisp shell that will come out perfect every time.

Kristen Massad writes a

column about sweets and baked goods. The professional pastry chef graduated from the French Culinary Institute in

and owned Tart Bakery on Lovers Lane for eight

She blogs about food and lifestyles at inkfoods.com.

Popovers:

Photo by Kristen Massad

Sweet or savory popover

GROCERY LIST

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup milk

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

Mix the eggs, egg yolks, salt and one quarter cup of the milk. Whisk the flour into the egg mixture, making sure to whisk out all the lumps. Whisk in the remaining milk.

Pour batter into popover pan, filling halfway. Sprinkle with topping of your choice.

Place pans in cold oven and turn oven on to 425 degrees F. Bake popovers for about 30 minutes or until puffed and well browned.

Unmold popovers and serve immediately.

FLAVOR OPTIONS:

CINNAMON SUGAR:

Mix 2 tablespoons cinnamon and 4 tablespoons sugar, and sprinkle some on top of popovers before baking.

Once popovers are baked and removed from the oven, brush with butter and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar.

BLACK PEPPER AND GRUYERE:

Shred ¼ cup Gruyere cheese and mix with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle on top of the popovers before baking.

LEMON-ROSEMARY:

Zest 1 lemon, and chop 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary.

Sprinkle on top of the popovers before baking.

Makes 12 popovers

SEEKING SOLACE IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

BY CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

While it might not rival New York or Chicago’s urban pandemonium, Dallas is a bustling city with its share of high-stress professions, crowded scenes, road rage and those intermittent heartaches to which no human is immune. If you know where to look, you’ll find our neighborhood offers respite from the daily grind or occasional trauma in the form of peaceful nooks, comforting crannies and uplifting activities. Here, find a guide to our readers’ and our own favorite escapes.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

WHITE ROCK LAKE

There are those who tap their inner calm sitting still in a quiet place. Others’ serenity emerges during strenuous repetitive activity. For both types, as well as those in the middle, White Rock Lake offers solace.

For pedestrians and cyclists, a 9.2-mile paved trail encircles the lake (that trail connects to White Rock Creek Trail, which runs through Lake Highlands, to the Cottonwood Trail and North Dallas). Trail-using trekkers — from hardcore marathoners to sauntering birdwatchers, cyclists and in-

line skaters — pass the historic Bath House Cultural Center (521 E. Lawther), the oftgushing spillway, the old filter building, a dog park at 8000 Mockingbird (which is undergoing close to $1 million in improvements), scenic bridges, piers, and enviable multi-million-dollar residences, among other sights.

White Rock area resident Dave Dozier circles the lake frequently. He’s done it some 9,000 times, he guesses. While he finds solace during quiet mornings, he finds it most comforting on busy Saturdays.

“I stop and talk a lot. I know everyone out there,” Dozier says. Jogging is the path to peace and happiness, insists Dozier, a

former competitive runner who now ambles. No matter the speed, “a lot of lives have changed out here,” he says.

West of the lake, step off the beaten path and explore a circuit of nature trails at the Old Fish Hatchery, whose entrance you’ll find between the spillway and the pump station (2810 White Rock).

Or leave land entirely and savor the water via sailboat, kayak or canoe. Those who don’t store a vessel at the boathouse or the sailing club can rent, inexpensively and hassle-free, from local outfitters such as White Rock Paddle Co., located lakeside at Mockingbird and Buckner.

Advocate reader Julie Burch Webber says

she recently tried canoeing for the first time, paddling under the Northwest Highway bridge.

“Felt like I was not in the middle of Dallas. Beautiful, and great spot for checking out a variety of bird species,” she notes.

One Lake Highlands engineering hobbyist, Dean Smith, built his own steamboat for exploring the lake and creek. The architect by trade is happiest when his boat is humming and he’s on the water. “I’ve been around White Rock Lake for many years, but it wasn’t until [I built the steamboat] that I’ve been on the lake, seen it from this perspective,” Smith says, his gaze on the water. “This is the part I like.”

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Photo by David Leeson

Despite housing a high school populated daily by some 2,000 students and staff, the Lake Highlands North area offers quick, quiet and free getaways. Attached to a newly spruced-up playground at Faircrest and Church is a winding path that, about .1 mile in, features a spouting fountain. On a quiet morning (go before 8 a.m. or after 9:15 a.m. when school is in session) you’ll encounter only sounds of trickling and chirping and perhaps the mumblings of a fellow walker or two. The more adventurous and less allergyprone can access the bubbling creek behind the trees from various manmade pathways — among the flora you’ll find myriad birds and spot the occasional rabbit.

Also of note, across Church and north of Lake Highlands High School, a freshly paved concrete trail is open. It runs along the north side of the school, behind the track and baseball fields, and continues to Fernald. It doesn’t offer the natural thickety landscape of the other nearby trails, but it is soothing to hike or bike without needing to dodge crowds and cars.

WATERCREST PARK

Dallas Park and Recreation Department authorities have compared Watercrest Park at Lake Highlands Town Center (7100 Wildcat Way) to the picturesque Lakeside Drive in Highland Park. “This is really a first-class linear greenbelt,” says Willis Winters, who, as the park department’s director, is an authority on the topic. Sprawling behind the new Haven apartments at Walnut Hill and Skillman, the paved walking trail at Watercrest flanks a little lake and is adorned with sculptures from local artists.

more than a mall. The 1.4-acre garden at the retail giant’s center features canopies of 45-year-old live oaks and red oaks (90 trees in all) as well as colorful blooms. It’s common to find people lounging on the lawn with a blanket and a book. Kristen Gibbins, NorthPark’s publicist, says the quietest times at the mall are during

afternoons. CenterPark Garden

the only place to escape the crowds.

“There’s a hidden spot within the food plaza,” Gibbins says.

Right in the middle of the mall’s busy food court is the compluvium, an outdoor eating area enclosed in glass and open to the sky.

THE SUMMER ARE BACK COOLEST NIGHTS

SATURDAYS JUNE 7 - JULY 26

Cool things down this summer with the Safari Nights concert series at the Dallas Zoo. Free with regular admission. Featuring The Killdares, Brave Combo, and more!

For more information, visit DallasZoo.com or text “SAFARI” to 47464.

Photo by Kim Leeson weekday

isn’t

ROCKING M STABLES

In 1955 Tommy Ernest Mayes, a devoted rider, purchased 10 acres on Dallas’ peripheries. He dreamed of a laid-back ranch where he could relax on his front-porch rocking chair overlooking his pasture and horses. Over the

years, our neighborhood sprung up around the Rocking M farm (7807 Fair Oaks). In ’78 the City of Dallas bought most of the land in order to build the Walnut Hill bridge. Remaining is an acre and a half of peaceful, rural terrain

Florist

Photo by David Leeson

stables housing some 60 horses — in the middle of a growing metropolis. Mayes’ grandson Michael, who now owns the place, says his grandfather instilled in him a reverence for nature and horses. Mayes labored over the years to turn Rocking M into a first-rate equestrian facility offering boarding and training for horses, and lessons and camps for humans.

For those fortunate enough to board their own horse at Rocking M, riding along the White Rock Creek trail toward White Rock Lake offers quintessential soul quieting. “A lot of our boarders are from Lake Highlands,” notes Mayes. “I live across the street,” a woman who is happily hosing down her animal chimes in as we pass.

Of course, boarders come from all around the city and the affluent Park Cities — after all, one must have a disposable income to break into the sport of horseback riding or dressage, the equestrian sport in which Rocking M specializes.

A stable at Rocking M runs $600-$800 a month. Mayes and his staff feed and water the horses, but, ideally, clients regularly ride and exercise their own animals.

For slightly less committed families, the summer is an especially good time to enroll in lessons and camps, according to Yvonne Kusserow, Mayes’ wife and a horse-riding master (literally, she has a master’s degree in horse riding from a German university). The sessions teach horsemanship, which means learning everything about the horse — what they eat, names of equine body parts, required gear, rules of safety and so forth. They progress to advanced classes and training in dressage and Olympic-level sport.

Even for neighbors not directly involved with the ranch, is it difficult to deny the aesthetic benefits its presence lends to our area.

On a summer evening, for example, a cyclist might find herself keeping pace alongside the paint horse named George Henry and the Lake Highlands woman who rides him almost daily.

A jogger might find herself trotting alongside Kusserow and her majestic steed Royal Falcon. Those trails, notes Kusserow, are where the horses find solace. “I like being in the [ring], practicing, but the horses, they need this for their peace of mind.”

Does your congregation have a heart for weaving?

Faith Inclusion Network of Dallas

We’re here to help faith-based communities FIND ways to weave inclusion of individuals with special needs into our North Texas congregations.

The Faith Inclusion Network of Dallas (FIND) is a collaborative network of community leaders, organizations and service providers committed to impacting change within faith-based communities and congregations in the ways individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families find opportunities to fully engage socially, emotionally, academically, spiritually and in service to others.

WEAVING INCLUSION INTO OUR FAITH COMMUNITIES

Free Symposium | June 19th & 20th | Highland Park United Methodist Church For more information, visit www.JFSdallas.org

June 5, 2014

Dallas City Performance Hall 2520 Flora Street Dallas, TX 75201

7 PM | Tickets $13

www.dallasCONFAB.org

GUEST SPEAKERS

Robert W. Decherd, Robbie Good Brandon Hancock, Michael Hellmann

Daniel Huerta, Max Kalhammer

Dr. Gail Thomas, Willis Winters

Sponsored by

Proceeds benefit the Dallas Parks Foundation a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Proceeds benefit the Dallas Parks Foundaiton a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

RICHLAND COLLEGE CAMPUS

This Dallas community college (12800 Abrams at Walnut) plays host not only to a population of students from varying walks of life, but also to residents of the surrounding neighborhood looking for a relatively quiet retreat or place to exercise.

Our pursuit of peaceful places led us straight to the tranquility labyrinth situated at Richland’s northeastern reaches. A labyrinth, unlike a maze, has no wrong turns and is employed in various religions as a meditation tool.

There are no rules for how to walk the labyrinth, but its creators suggest you “clear your mind and become aware of your breathing. Find the pace your body wants to go. When you reach the center, take time for illumination, reflection or meditation. As you walk the winding path back out, be strengthened for your return into the world …” Near the labyrinth is a symbolic water pump honoring the Walton family, who owned the land before the college was erected in 1966.

The east side of the rolling campus is a state-of-the-art soccer complex that hosts the Dallas Cup each spring. When not in use, the fields offer a lush green parkland for impromptu ball games, dog walking, trail running — a jogging/hiking path expands behind a wall of trees north of the fields.

South of the college is a three-quartermile asphalt track, which passes public-access tennis courts and a serene duck pond. It is common to see new ducklings and goslings each spring, as well as turtles and the occasional snake sunning on the pond-side concrete. Swans, gulls, rabbits and skunks also inhabit the preserve around the property.

HARRY MOSS PARK OFF-ROAD TRAIL

Visible from Greenville are the Moss Park soccer fields (7601 Greenville), which are at the heart of one of Lake Highlands’ woodsiest expanses. South of the soccer fields is an entrance to the Harry Moss Park Trail, the product of a partnership between the City of Dallas and the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association. It took shape in fall 2010, and it includes more than five miles of dirt paths winding through towering trees, traversing quaint bridges (which, according to DORBA members, are made 100 percent from stuff found at the trail) and bordering rippling White Rock Creek. Posted outside the trailhead is signage including information about the five color-coded tracks that make up Moss Park’s trail system. It tells visitors, for instance, that the purple loop is 1.54 miles and the white is just a quarter mile featuring easy terrain for tots and pets. After a storm the area can get its fair share of trash buildup washed down from upstream, but there are several stewards of the trail that help maintain cleanliness, trim trees and weeds, and champion the rules such as “keep dogs on leashes,” “pick up after them” and “no littering.” It is perfect on a summer morning or evening as the setting or dawning sun pokes through the treetops — unless you have allergies, in which case you should stick to the nearby concrete trails that are in a more open, less wooded area. Turn into Buckeye Beverages parking lot. Continue past the metal gate. The trail is to the right.

Photo by David Leeson

LUCKY DOG BOOKS

“A bell jingled overhead. The mild, spicy smell of old books hit him, and the smell was somehow like coming home,” wrote Stephen King in The Waste Lands.

If your preferred mode of decompression involves curling up with a book — a real, paper-and-ink page turner — you’ll get lost, in the most pleasant manner, inside Lucky Dog Books (10801 Garland).

The building is small and welcoming. Inside, though, room after room, at least 10 of them, offer books organized by topic then author. Comfy chairs in crannies beckon visitors to loiter and peruse the pages they’ve heretofore plucked from the endless shelves. Once you’ve wrested yourself from the cozy couch in, for example, the poetry reading room, check the wall calendar for book signings, discussion groups, workshops and writing classes, and purchase your picks with cash, plastic or store credit, which you can obtain by donating your old books, records and media.

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

The Advocate’s ongoing series about poverty-related problems in our neighborhood and the efforts to end them. To read more stories from the series, search “solutions series” at lakehighlands.advocatemag.com.

Liberated refugee pays it forward

Samira Izmadi says a series of circumstances, and miracles, delivered her to the place from where she helps struggling emigrants

Story by Christina Hughes Babb

Samira Izmadi was a Muslim girl living in Iran when, she says, the Virgin Mary appeared to her.

“I had a vision of a lady in white who came from behind a rock. I asked my mom who Mary was and she told me, ‘the mother of prophet Jesus.’ ”

At 6 years old, Izmadi had no context for imagining Mary, the mother of the biblical Christ. She believes Mary appeared to deliver a message. It would be one of several during Izmadi’s young life that directed her to-

ward a dogma different than that which, in her homeland, she was required to observe.

While some of her assertions seem fantastic, Izmadi is not a religious nut. She is well spoken, comprehensively educated and, evidence suggests, tolerant of others’ religious principles.

Perched at a table in her office at the Gaston Christian Center at Greenville and Royal, the bright-eyed 41-year-old — wearing sunshine yellow and a gold crucifix necklace — speaks matter-of-factly about

the needs of our community’s refugees. She rattles off statistics — Texas receives almost 6,000 refugees each year, more than any other state, from dozens of countries; Dallas is second only to Houston when it comes to receiving refugees; these refugees are freedom fighters and the faithful, persecuted on religious grounds, and Iraqis who have helped American soldiers; there is a vast concentration of refugees from Iran, Iraq, Bhutan, Cameroon, Congo, Colombia, Liberia, Afghanistan and other countries at

Samira Izmadi launched a refugee resettlement program in Lake Highlands: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

nearby Vickery Meadow and in Lake Highlands — and she speaks frankly about barriers such as poverty, language, transportation and cultural issues that threaten their success in America.

Just as easily, she talks about the “seeds God planted in her heart” and jobs to which “God has called her.”

Today, she serves as executive director of the nonprofit she founded two years ago, Gateway of Grace, which serves Dallas/ Fort Worth-area refugees.

Iraqi immigrant Mohammed (he asks that we withhold his last name) is an engineer and interpreter who held highsecurity-clearance positions with both American and Iraqi military. He fled to the United States after his parents began receiving threats — at times from intimidating masked mobster types — because of Mohammed’s work on projects aimed at obstructing Al Qaeda, he says. Pressure mounted when he refused to quit, and he soon fled, he says.

When Mohammed, his wife and twin toddlers arrived in Lake Highlands in 2012 on a special immigration visa, they were financially broke and distraught about leaving their parents behind, he says. Izmadi was a stranger who reached out to him and, in a way, offered him a new family here.

“I was looking for a job — had nothing, everything had to be left in Iraq — when she first called me to say she had some furniture for me,” he recalls. “I thought at first she was trying to sell me something, but she wanted to give.”

Since then, he says, Gateway of Grace has helped his family in numerous ways and Izmadi has become “like a sister.” She might not always have an immediate solution — like when Mohammed’s wife Sarah needed eight root canals at a cost of some $18,000 — but she will work for you until she finds one, he says.

“I don’t know how, but she found a very kind dentist to start the work. Even though he did it free, two of the teeth, he treated

us so kind,” Mohammed marvels. He adds that the generosity fuels his desire to succeed and help others. He calls this sort of altruism “infectious”. He works the night shift as a security guard and is pursuing a master’s degree at University of Texas at Dallas. He says Izmadi would not care for him crediting her with too much. “She does not want to be flattered,” he jokes. “She says she does not want to get an ego.”

Izmadi’s journey from Shiite-run Iran to her desk at this Christian center in Lake Highlands was tough. She thanks divine assistance. By age 9, Izmadi wanted not only to convert to Christianity, she says, but also to become a nun.

“I saw ‘Song of Bernadette’ [a movie about an appearance of the Virgin Mary to a nun] and I knew it was a calling.”

At the time, however, becoming anything other than a devout Muslim was unrealistic.

Even belonging to Iran’s minority branch of Islam meant trouble.

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At age 15, Izmadi married a 23-year-old Sunni Muslim. Though she was young, she says, this was not unheard-of in her culture.

In her country, Sunnis were persecuted; Shiite Muslims were in control and made life difficult for Sunnis, she explains.

She gave birth to two sons before age 20. Life as Sunnis was challenging but tolerable for about 10 years, until the government searched the family’s home and discovered banned literature.

They were not immediately arrested, she says, so they fled.

“There was no preparation. We just basically escaped with two kids. The four of us. We paid a driver to get us to the border … his car broke down. Then we walked through the night, through four feet of snow, to get to the border.”

From there, Izmadi’s brother-in-law gave them money and helped them acquire Mexican passports. They made it to Mexico and, to help them travel to Europe, they hired smugglers, who stole their money and disappeared.

Stranded in Mexico City with no cash and no knowledge of the language, Izmadi spotted a Persian rug shop. Inside, someone spoke her country’s language, Farsi.

“I started crying and ran to get my husband. They began talking and the man recognized him. His father had been my husband’s tenant. He was from our country. The chances of something like that, in the biggest city in the world, meeting someone who knows you

“It was that, and, well, it is a long story, but it was there in Mexico, where we spent about a year, that I learned of the real presence of God.”

ficially, to Christianity.

“Since age 9, when God planted a seed in my heart, I knew I wanted to be where Mary was. I loved Mary, and I loved the church. I did not know who Jesus was, but I would find that out.”

Christianity seemed natural. It also meant that she could never return home to Iran. “They kill Muslims who convert,” she says.

She still had to face the immigration court, and the odds were not on her side. The presiding judge, Dietrich Sims, was known for his exceedingly high denial rate about 84 percent — in political asylum cases.

“My lawyer told me to pack up and go to Canada, that I did not stand a chance here. And denial here would hold in Canada, too, and I would be deported back to Mexico. But I said no. I have lost everything once. This church is my family. I do not want to lose them.”

She took her chances. Church officials George Mason and Mark Wingfield signed affidavits supporting her conversion claim. She had stacks of documentation proving her family’s persecution in Iran. Still, her attorney prepared her for failure.

“I remember arriving at the courtroom, and there was the church. Well, not all of them, but the court was filled with people from Wilshire Baptist. One of them rode the elevator with the prosecutor. When the judge asked the prosecutor to speak, he said he had no questions. He said he believed I should be granted political asylum.”

It was an emotional scene, she recounts. “Many of us, even some employees of the court, were in tears,” she says.

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The family turned themselves in to immigration, applied for political asylum and landed in Dallas. “A cab driver took us to a Motel 6. We started calling to find a place to rent. Looking for jobs. It was the first time I ever saw a phone book. I called the Islamic Center, who referred me to another person. The people picked us up and delivered us to a fully furnished apartment. It was Christians who were helping refugees, members of Wilshire Baptist Church. They had prepared this place for another family that did not make it here.”

The Wilshire congregation embraced Izmadi, who eventually split from her husband and remarried, and she converted, of-

Izmadi enrolled in Southern Methodist University, earned a Master of Divinity graduate degree from Perkins School of Theology and is working toward her Doctorate. She served as an Episcopal priest for two years.

But she could not shake the idea that her own journey and experiences with the Wilshire community provided a cornerstone for a distinct purpose.

After soul-searching, she started Gateway of Grace as a full-time ministry. It wasn’t easy. The model was different than other resettlement programs and she had no money, but like life’s other challenges, these were met with provisions.

Gateway of Grace partners with refugee resettlement services and recruits churches to “adopt” refugee families.

For example, Lake Highlands United Methodist, St. John’s Episcopal and Wilshire Baptist all are neighborhood churches that partner with Gateway to assist refugees. With the partner church, Gateway first provides furnished apartments, a contribution that proved pivotal to Izmadi’s early acclimation, she recalls.

Gateway is not programmatic, she says; rather it works via relationships and assessing needs on a case-by-case basis.

Izmadi works to mobilize churches, because they have resources and because church members often benefit, in a spiritual way, as much as the refugees, Izmadi says. Some neighborhood churches have strong refugee programs, and they do not need Gateway, Izmadi adds, “because they are already mobilized.”

While Gateway is a faith-based organization, they do not restrict services based on religion, race or nationality.

In fact, Mohammed, a refugee who says Gateway has assisted him immeasurably, is a practicing Muslim.

“At first I worried they would try to convert us. But they never preach. I took my family to the Christmas service. [Izmadi] gave my children gifts. The way I see it, it is not about Muslims, Christians — the main idea is, God sent prophets to show us how to live. She is helping and asking nothing in return. Jewish, Muslim — it does not matter if you are living for God.”

Izmadi feels sure about her religious beliefs, but says forcing them on others is counterproductive.

“They know we are Christian. We tell them why we do what we do. But we do not proselytize, because many refugees become refugees because of religion and the last thing they need is someone to force something on them. You don’t need to believe what we believe in order for us to love you. That is what we tell them. That is grace.”

TO VOLUNTEER one does not need to be a church member with Gateway. Contact Gateway of Grace Ministries through gatewayofgrace.org or 469.324.8825.

at lakehighlands.advocatemag.com.

BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com

REI relocates to Northeast Dallas

REI is the first retailer to sign on at the new Half Price Books shopping center, located at Northwest Highway and Shady Brook. A year ago, HPB bought six acres adjacent to its store near Lake Highlands and announced plans to develop the property. REI, the leading outdoor retailer in Dallas, will vacate its LBJ location to move into 34,000 square feet at 5929 E. Northwest Highway in spring 2015. The

ningham Architects of Dallas designed the center.

Perky Poodle reopens in Shops at Mockingbird

Last month, after 38 years of business in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, Perky Poodle Grooming & Boutique has moved to the Shops at Mockingbird at 4560 W. Mockingbird, Suite 126. Perky Poodle has been in the dog-grooming business more than 51 years.

Sculpture garden at Museum of Biblical Art

it’s a worthwhile stop for busy, hungry Lake Highlanders.”

Restaurant developers give up on White Rock, for now

new store will feature a bike shop to offer assembly and repair services, and also expand the company’s classes and programming through REI Outdoor School later this year, according to the press release. “When we decided to develop this shopping center, we wanted a tenant that our Half Price Books customers would love and we feel like we’ve gotten that with REI,” says Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Half Price Books. The development has been under major construction for the past few months. Aside from the large space that REI will fill, the new shopping center will have an additional 13,000 square feet of space available for other retailers or restaurants. David Lewis of Lincoln Properties and Jack Breard of UCR Urban brokered the deal, while Cun-

More business bits

After securing private donations and building permits, the Museum of Biblical Art, located just west of NorthPark Center at 7500 Park Lane, recently broke ground on the Via Dolorosa sculpture garden. The garden will adorn the front of the museum, featuring life-size bronze sculptures, by renowned artist Gib Singleton, that represent the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit open at Timber Creek shopping center

Though it cannot be expected to possess the character and charm of the original location at Henderson and 75, opened in 1941 by Roland Dickey, great effort has been made to make the new Dickey’s — at Skillman and Northwest Highway, inside the Timber Creek shopping center look vintage, notes Advocate contributor Carol Toler in an Advocate online (advocatemag.com) article. “Corrugated tin and distressed wood deck the walls, red and white tiles line the floor, and vintage photos recall Dickey’s history. With crepe myrtles at the front door, Johnny Cash playing in the background and crunchy fried okra ready in less than two minutes,

In a statement released by their new publicist, Lyle Burgin and Richard Kopf have suspended their efforts to build a restaurant on White Rock Lake’s Boy Scout Hill. “We both firmly believe that the concept would be an excellent amenity for all of the citizens of Dallas, but the present time is not the right time. We thank all of the individuals and groups that have voiced their support. And we will see you at the lake,” they said. The announcement came on the heels of a public meeting attended by some 500, most of them vociferously opposed to the proposed venue.

Pilates-and-more studio opening in Park Lane center

Studio 6, a pilates/ballet barre/yoga studio, will open a studio in the Shops at Park Lane sometime “mid-summer … on the plaza level where Whole Foods is,” according to Michelle Davis, marketing director for the Park Lane complex. The new Studio 6 will be the second location for the concept, founded two years ago by Elizabeth Lindberg in Preston Hollow. Originally named PilatesBarre, it re-launched as Studio 6 last summer, adding yoga and ballet barre classes to its pilates-based repertoire. Relatedly, original plans for The Shops at Park Lane included space for a 90,000-square-foot fitness center. Since then, developers reportedly have revamped the existing vacant fitness center and plan to lease it as office space once current expansion efforts are complete.

—Christina Hughes Babb

1 Budget clothing store dd’s Discounts, sister to Ross Dress for Less, is coming soon to the space near Fiesta in the shopping center at 6401 Abrams near Skillman. 2 Dallas’ second Tory Burch boutique opened last month at NorthPark Center; the original is located in Highland Park Village. 3 Members of the Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League report record attendance at April’s Run the Highlands event, which benefits neighborhood improvements and Lake Highlands students.

Rendering, Northwest Highway and Shady Brook

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 prereading. 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.

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 wellrounded 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.

OUR REDEEMER LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF DALLAS

7611 Park Ln, Dallas, TX 75225 / 214368-1371, ext 238 or carolb@orlcs.com www.orlcs.com At Our Redeemer Lutheran School, your child will receive more than academic excellence and a creative, individualized approach. For over 50 years, our caring, dedicated faculty has introduced positive Christian values—giving students a solid foundation to grow in love and commitment to God, family, community and individual excellence! Our affordable tuition is possible through the loving support of our sponsor congregation, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Call for a private tour and see why students and their families love our school! Limited spaces available for Fall. See ad for more details.

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 onand off-site. Additionally, we have an adult Spanish program for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

ST. CHRISTOPHER’S MONTESSORI SCHOOL

7900 Lovers Ln. / 214.363.9391 stchristophersmontessori.com St. Christopher’s Montessori School has been serving families in the DFW area for over a quarter of a century. We are affiliated with the American Montessori Society and our teachers are certified Montessori instructors. Additionally our staff has obtained other complimentary educational degrees and certifications, including having a registered nurse on staff. Our bright and attractive environment, and highly qualified staff, ensures your child will grow and develop in an educationally sound, AMS certified loving program. Now Enrolling.

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 PanAm 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-of-the-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

Washington Post’s 2014 list of Most Challenging High Schools in America. 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, 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.

of

our 200,000+ readers with average income of $146,750 want more info about private schools.

• Low student – teacher ratio

• ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) scores an average of 2.5 years above grade level nationally

• Music/Fine Arts, Religion, Spanish, Technology and Athletics Programs

• Age 2 through 6th grade programs

• Before and after school care programs

• Traditional educational curriculum blended with integrated technology

214-368-1371 | www.orlcs.com

7611 Park Ln, Dallas, TX 75225

Call for a Tour

Ages 2-6 yrs • AMS Affiliated For nearly 30 years we have been giving children the opportunity to develop at their own pace in a safe and nurturing environment.

• Computer

• Chinese

• Spanish

• Ballet

• Drama

• Godly Play

• Chess Class

• Gymnastics

• Fine Art

7900 Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75225 214.363.9391 www.stchristophersmontessori.com

Ranked "Most Challenging Schools in America" by Washington Post

AND IT WORKS!

972-502-4400 l woodrowwildcats.org

There

UP, DOWN, AND GONE.

The crime just seemed like a real annoyance. Jeff Marek’s 2008 Toyota pickup was parked in the driveway that night just like any other.

Sometime that night, a thief approached the vehicle, lifted the handle on the tailgate, and detached it — a crime that literally takes only seconds, but can bring on hours of hassle for the owner. Newer trucks often include backup cameras that add to the replacement costs.

The Victim: Jeff Marek

The Crime: Auto accessory theft

Date: Thursday, April 10

Time: Between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Location: 10500 block of Chesterton

Marek says an exact replacement from the dealership would cost around $3,200, and a used tailgate would run at least $1,100 — so no option is cheap. Marek is trying not to get too down about the situation, and trying to move on.

“I wish they’d have broken into my house that night when I was at home; it would have been a different outcome,” he says with a laugh.

Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division says tailgate locks are a good option to make this kind of crime more difficult for thieves. He also recommends keeping the vehicle where others can see it easily when you’re away from home.

“Park your vehicle in a high-traffic area so that if a thief attempts to take your property, someone may see the offense and report the theft.”

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer and author of “Raising the Stakes”, obtainable at raisingthestakesbook.com. If you have been a recent crime victim, email crime@advocatemag.com.

| CRIME NUMBERS |

sawed-off shotgun was recovered from the Northeast Dallas home of Danny Cantu during the Dallas Police Department’s 2010 execution of a no-knock search warrant

grams of cocaine also was discovered in Cantu’s home, which police allegedly entered with the assistance of a flash-bang grenade before allegedly restraining Cantu with zip ties and beating his face

amount Cantu received in a settlement claiming personal and property trauma as the result of excessive force used during that search

are two lasting GIFTS we can give our children: One is ROOTS and the other is WINGS.

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 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. 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

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

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

MERCIFUL JUSTICE

People need both our best judgment and great mercy

Bernie is out of jail.

The title character in Richard Linklater’s small but popular movie “Bernie” has been released from prison on $10,000 bond. He will live now in Linklater’s garage apartment in Austin, far away in distance and culture from East Texas, where his conviction for the murder of the cranky and stingy Carthage socialite, Marjorie Nugent, took place in 1997.

The movie, starring Jack Black, Shirley McLaine and Matthew McConaughey, pictured Bernie Tiede as a sympathetic figure. He was a mortician by profession and a friend to many in that small town. When Nugent was widowed, he began a weird and complicated relationship with her that included her signing over her estate to him but also subjecting him to levels of emotional abuse that were factors in his shooting her four times in the back and stuffing her body in a freezer.

Recent revelations about that abuse, and new revelations of abuse he suffered in childhood, have contributed to the judge’s decision to mitigate punishment and set him free under conditions of supervision.

So did justice or mercy prevail in the end?

Seems the attitudes of people in Carthage have turned against Bernie over time, although in the immediate aftermath of the murder and trial, they were generally supportive of the man who had become a generous benefactor with his victim’s money.

Justice and mercy live in creative tension. Justice without mercy is coldhearted; mercy without justice is softheaded.

The Bible weighs in for both justice and mercy. And the application of them among the communities of Israel and the church over time proves the need for compassionate judgment. For example, the Old Testa-

ment rule of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was an improvement over the culture of disproportionate revenge that created generational cycles of violence. But proportionality was often still out of whack, since capital punishment was not limited to the crime of murder but could include things like the stoning of a chronically disobedient son. Gratefully, the community rarely carried out such permissible punishment, as the cause of mercy trumped the claim of justice.

Jesus taught caution about meting out judgment, lest we ourselves be judged by the same standards. He urged that mercy prevail in order that restoration rather than retribution might rule our relationships.

The law makes distinctions for those who take another life. Homicide can be first, second or third degree murder; it can be manslaughter; or it can be justifiable homicide (which is not a crime), all depending upon the circumstances. We make judgments that include motivation and situation.

This could lead to lost accountability for bad behavior. It could undermine responsibility. It could endanger the community by exposing it to future risk. All those “coulds” could be true.

But mercy also could give hope. It could create conditions for productive lives. It could produce forgiveness that relieves the burden of guilt and teaches responsibility.

Reasons are not excuses. There is no excuse for murder. There may be, however, mitigating reasons that make it understandable, albeit still inexcusable.

We all know people who need our best judgment and great mercy. Come to think of it, we ourselves are such people. Thank God none of us truly get what we deserve from God. And there begins the lesson …

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.

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

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

ART: Draw/Paint. Adults All Levels. Lake Highlands N. Rec. Ctr. Yearly fee. 18-59 yrs-$15, 60+$10 Mon-1-3: Wed 10:15-1:15, Jane Cross, 214-534-6829.

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.

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

Hallelujah! It’s raining eggs

Hundreds of neighborhood children converged on Lake Highlands North Park the Saturday before Easter hoping to stuff their baskets with their share of some 10,000 goodyfilled plastic eggs. Prestonwood Baptist Church pastor Chris Kouba, a Lake Highlands resident, initiated the helicopter egg drop last year as a community-building event. Participation was free for all children ages 2 to third grade.

Local BULLETIN BOARD

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

LEARN NEW TESTAMENT GREEK Beginners intermediates; Rice, TCU, DTS ex; John Cunyus 214-662-5494 www.JohnCunyus.com

MUSIC INSTRUCTION Especially For Young People Aged 5-12. Guitar, Piano, Percussion. ChildPlayMusicSchool.com. 214-733-1866

TUTORING: Writing coach. Manuscript Editor. 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 Trained As FAA Certified Aviation Technician. Financial Aid For Qualified Students. Job Placement Assistance. AIM 866-453-6204

PET SITTERS, DOG WALKERS Email Recruiting@pcpsi.com

SERVICES FOR YOU

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. $60/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 1-800-615-4064

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

JULY DEADLINE JUNE 4 214.560.4203 TO ADVERTISE

Photo by James Coreas

Egg drop: Ariel view

Advocate photographer

James Coreas joined a pilot from Epic Helicopters, along with the Easter Bunny (or a co-pilot who strongly resembled him), in the chopper, from which rained 10,000 colorful candy-containing spheres onto the welcoming juveniles. Epic’s Brian Dunaway provided the egg flight pro bono. Over the years Dunaway has donated helicopter rides to young natural-disaster survivors and children living with incurable illnesses.

Local BULLETIN BOARD

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

TRAVEL

CRUISEONE DALLAS Doug Thompson bigDcruises.com Plan your cruise vacation today! 214-254-4980

JOURNEY WITH JANE for a unique travel experience. Travel dreams become reality. 469-662-5212. journeywithjane.com

PET SERVICES

DEE’S DOGGIE DEN Daycare, Boarding, Grooming, Training. 6444 E. Mockingbird Ln. 214-823-1441 DeesDoggieDen.com

POOP SCOOP PROFESSIONALS Trust The Experts. 214-826-5009. germaine_free@yahoo.com

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

GROUND FLOOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Unique Opportunity for Residual Income. A Legacy Company Which Affords You and Your Family Guaranteed Income. 401-741-7596 healthandwealthct@gmail.com

LOST PET? >> List your lost pet ad for free online at classifieds.advocatemag.com

BUY/SELL/TRADE

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

TOP CASH FOR CARS Any Car, Truck. Running or Not. Call for Instant Offer. 1-800-454-6951

ESTATE/GARAGE SALES

CLUTTERBLASTERS.COM-ESTATE SALES

Moving/DownSizing Sales, Storage Units. Organize/De-Clutter Donna 972-679-3100

ESTATE LIQUIDATORS DALLAS Prof service since 1981 Call Ruth. 972-818-3000. 214-566-3861 estateliquidatorsdallas@yahoo.com

ESTATE SALES & LIQUIDATION SERVICES

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

REAL ESTATE

MUNGER

Photo by James Coreas SUBMIT

All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

972-523-3996

CARPENTRY & CARPET

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

CUSTOM CARPENTRY by Ron. 214-674-1604

Trim Specialist- Mouldings, Cabinets, Hardware. Misc. Projects & Repairs. No Job Too Small.

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

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

RENOVATE DALLAS

renovatedallas.org 214-403-7247

RONALD L. SIEBLER

Remodeling & Historic Preservation www.Siebler.com 214-546-7579

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

BRIAN GREAM

Serving your Neighborhood Since 1993

Repairing: Refrigerators •Washer/Dryers

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

BLINDS, SHADES &

SMARTLOOKS WINDOW & WALL DECOR

Window Treatments & Repair. 972-699-1151

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING

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

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

BATHROOM AND KITCHEN SPECIALISTS

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

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

• 1 & 2 Story Additions

• Complete Renovations

• Kitchens/Baths

• Licensed/Insured

214.542.6214

PayPal ®

WWW.BGRONTHEWEB.COM

BRIANGREAM@YAHOO.COM

TK Remodeling

Your neighborhood remodeler

•Repair •Remodeling •Restoration

•Complete full service

Name it— We do it

CLEANING SERVICES

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

INGRID CLEANING SERVICES Reliable, Dependable. Habla Español 214-395-1190

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

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

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

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

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

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

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

CONCRETE/ MASONRY/PAVING

FIREPLACE SERVICES

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

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

HOUSE PAINTING

MANNY’S HOME PAINTING & REPAIR Int./Ext. Sheetrock. Manny 214-334-2160

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

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

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

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

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.

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

FLOORING & CARPETING

ALL WALKS OF FLOORS 214-616-7641 Carpet, Wood, Tile Sales/Service Free Estimates

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

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

Hardwood Installation · Hand Scraping Sand & Finish · Dustless

25+ Years Experience

469.774.3147

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

DOVETAIL CUSTOM SHUTTERS

Louis Wiggins 214-342-0889 dovetailshutters.com

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

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

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

Your Home Repair Specialists

Drywall Doors

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 • Drywall • Rotten Wood • Gutters All General Contracting Needs 214.542.6214 WWW.BGRONTHEWEB.COM BRIANGREAM@YAHOO.COM

Senior Safety Carpentry Small & Odd Jobs And More! 972-308-6035

HandymanMatters.com/dallas

HOME INSPECTION

KITCHEN/BATH/ TILE/GROUT

ALL SURFACE REFINISHING 214-631-8719. Tub/Tile/Refinishing. allsurfacerefinishing.com

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

D.R. TILE SERVICE

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

Free Estimates•Wood•Marble•Tile•Travertine Kitchens & Baths•Countertops. 214-536-0045

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

STONE AGE COUNTER TOPS

Granite, Marble, Tile, Kitchen/Bath Remodels. 972-276-9943 stoneage.dennis@verizon.net

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

Business Resources

TO ADVERTISE 214.560.4203

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

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

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

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

ALL YARD SERVICES Fertilization, Trim, Edge, Color. Com./ Res. 30 Yrs. Exp. Call Brooks. 972-279-3564, 214-923-5439

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

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.

DALLAS K.D.R.SERVICES • 214-349-0914

Lawn Service & Landscape Installation

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

IRRIGATION SYSTEM REPAIR Call Carl. 972-948-4335.Texas Irrigation Lic # 8708

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

SPRINKLER REPAIR SPECIALIST $25Off. 972-226-1925 www.rainmakertx.com LI#7732

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

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

A Better Tree Company

JUST TREES

Your Trees Could Look Like a Work of Art, I Guarantee

PEST CONTROL

A BETTER EARTH PEST CONTROL

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

McDANIEL PEST CONTROL

Prices Start at $85 +Tax for General Treatment

Average Home, Interior, Exterior & Attached Garage Quotes for Other Services

214-328-2847

Lakewood Resident

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.

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

ACE ROOFING Call Tom. 972-268-4047

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

NATIONWIDE ROOFING

Fencing, Gutters BBB member. 214-882-8719

ROOFING & GUTTERS

Allstate

BERT ROOFING INC.

Education

Richardson ISD has two new trustees — Justin Bono, father of two daughters in Lake Highlands-area schools and Kristin Kuhne, mother of two sons in Pearce-area schools. They replace retiring school board members Karen Ellis and Kim Quirk.

Altrusa International of Richardson awarded $1,500 scholarships to five high school seniors at a recent Richardson Woman’s Club meeting. Two Lake Highlands students, Anastasia Kovanova and Susie Ghidei, were among them.

Deaths

Longtime Dallas Arboretum employee and member of Lake Highlands Presbyterian Church Cris Emrich died April 22 after living 16 years with breast cancer. Despite her illness, Emrich, wife of sportscaster Roger Emrich, reportedly remained an active and productive member of both the arboretum and the church.

George Boyd, a well-known photographer of White Rock Lake, died in April at age 86. Boyd recently told the Advocate he saw the “artistry of God” in the lake area’s creatures and flora. He shared his vision by participating in local exhibits and selling his prints at the East Dallas shop Wild Birds Unlimited.

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

Boyd: Photo by

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN TASTE TEST

After a trip around Lake Highlands, the results are in COMMENT. Visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com and search blueberry muffin to tell us what you think.

What makes a perfect blueberry muffin? First, it shouldn’t be too sweet; second, plenty of inky blueberries, ideally coddled in muffin-matter (technically, quick-bread) that is tender, but not cakey.

One day recently, I went on a scavenger hunt for blueberry muffins in Lake Highlands. Three hours and one-fifth tank of gas later, I had scared up eight muffins.

At home, I set up a blind taste test for my family members. In addition to

independents: White Rock Coffee and Café Silva.

Following are the awards, with the overall winner at the end.

Placing in the Most Surprising category is Fiesta. At only 50 cents, Fiesta’s muffin was the best value, but it was also the smallest. Blueberries were not abundant. Although the muffin was spongy (cake-like) it also had a pleasing texture, with a hint of pan dulce. Two of us thought we detected a corn flavor, which is nicer than you might think.

The prize for Much Better Than Expected goes to 7-Eleven. I give them kudos even for having single muffins available, complete with a sign that reads, “baked fresh today.” My husband commented that the flavor was weak, and the top undistinguished, but I gave it high marks for not being too sweet.

in Lake Highlands goes to Tom Thumb.

Rated favorably by my family members, this muffin is topped with crystallized sugar that enhances the toothsome nature of the alreadyappealing top. At $1.25 per muffin, it’s our most expensive supermarket choice, but it also weighs in at a respectable 4 1/8 ounces — the largest supermarket muffin in Lake Highlands.

Which brings us to the also-rans, starting with Albertsons, whose offering was good, just not as wonderful as Tom Thumb’s. The sad news is that Albertson’s has acquired Safeway, which owns Tom Thumb. Here’s hoping the new management will retain the Tom Thumb bakery techniques.

flavor and blueberry quantity, muffins were judged on the appeal of their allimportant tops, respective sizes and price.

Four grocery stores made the cut: Albertson’s, Fiesta, Target and Tom Thumb. (Neither Kroger nor Walmart are represented here because they sell muffins only in 4-packs.)

One convenience store: 7-Eleven. One chain coffee shop: Starbucks. Two

If I may momentarily digress from my strict focus on pastry particulars to recognize atmospheric excellence, the award for Best View in a Coffee Shop goes to Café Silva, which is located next to the bike trail at Royal and Greenville, and looks out over the trail and golf course. This isn’t exactly a secret, considering the shop was filled with patrons. In our blind test, Silva’s muffin distinguished itself with its shapely top. It wasn’t too sweet, and I also detected a twist of herb or citrus flavor.

The Biggest award goes to White Rock Coffee. Priced at $1.55, the sixounce muffin holds plenty of blueberries per square inch, and, while its top is unremarkable, it is satisfying sans excessive sweetness.

And now, cue the drum roll: The award for Best Blueberry Muffin for sale

Super Target’s muffin was a little bland, but when you’re at Target you can also buy camping equipment, so I’m willing to give them high marks for convenience.

Trailing the pack — although I’m impressed with their innovation was Starbuck’s. Their current muffin is a small dense version called “blueberry-yogurt” that tasted, for all the world, like nothing much. Keep trying, guys.

For the record: No muffins at Highlands Café, JJ’s, Dallas Diner or even Denny’s. Despite my dragnet of our neighborhood, I may have missed one or two vendors. If you know of a notable contender please comment on my June column at advocatemag.com.

For extra blueberry kicks, visit my blog, Year of Cooking Randomly (cookingrandomly.blogspot.com), where homemade muffins are attempted. If you have a good recipe, your input is desired.

Super Target’s muffin was a little bland, but when you’re at Target you can also buy camping equipment, so I’m willing to give them high marks for convenience.

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.

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