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23

contents

LAKE

PROFILE

8 Mary Pat Higgins

DINING

20 Meridian

FEATURES

12 3 Nonprofits

16 DJ Dentist

33 Olympian Erin Aldrich-Shean

Meridian has been voted one of the Best Restaurants in Dallas by USA Today and is home to a James Beard Award semifinalist. Read more on page 12. Photography by Kelsey Shoemaker.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) story is one of movement. It began on Aug. 13, 1983, when more than 100,000 voters in 14 cities and Dallas County cast ballots in favor of regional transportation. The agency’s vision of transporting North Texans efficiently, safely, and costeffectively became a reality after that vote.

DART had a vision for connecting more than just people and places, it wanted to serve as a vehicle to opportunity, progress, and growth. This new transformative transportation would inspire rebirth everywhere it went. From its first bus routes in the 1980s to the construction of the Silver Line today, DART continues to innovate as it adds new chapters to its story.

DART’s Board members, executive staff, riders, and others wanted to see the full potential of a multimodal transit system by ‘building out,’ a mindset that allowed DART to achieve the longest light-rail system in North America at 93 miles.

Since March 2020, a perfect storm of pandemicimposed challenges and infrastructure development delays created a once in a generation opportunity to take DART into a new era. DART’s new leadership pulled together to address challenges and focus on strengthening its rider-centric culture, to fulfill the promise made to city leaders, riders, and the community. As DART continues its journey, it will make safety, security, cleanliness, and reliability a top priority – now part of the agency’s operational DNA and allowing the agency to move forward and find opportunities to surprise and delight its riders.

“DART already had a strong foundation when I joined the organization two years ago,” said President & Chief Executive Officer Nadine S. Lee. “Even so, as a leading transportation provider in North Texas, we will never stop evolving.”

DART is currently investing more than $110 million for a cleaner, safer, and more reliable rider experience. The goal is to provide service that exceeds expectations and to operate a world-class system, powered by world-class employees. Recognized by Forbes as a top employer for four years in a row, DART employs more than 3,700 North Texans, and the organization continues to aggressively add talented, diverse, and passionate people to its workforce.

payment card that makes it easy for customers to ride and save money while doing so. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) bestowed its prestigious Innovation Award to DART in honor of GoPass, the first ticket-purchasing app to integrate multiple regional transit agencies and different forms of transportation onto a single platform. The app boasts two million downloads to date. In 2023, DART also introduced a new GoPass Tap card retail network that greatly expands the number of locations where riders can purchase and reload the fare card.

Perhaps nowhere can DART’s far-reaching impact be seen more clearly than in its transit-oriented development efforts, which embody the phrase, “Where public transportation goes, community grows.” With more than $16 billion in existing, planned, or projected development, DART continues to collaborate with its 13 service area cities to create fantastic spaces that are a draw for economic and social activities.

ABOUT THE COVER

Meanwhile, the organization’s Multimodal Modernization Program will replace aging vehicles, systems, and facilities giving DART a complete makeover in the coming years. DART’s Mobility+ effort is guiding agency improvements for the next decade, while the Silver Line Regional Rail project will span from DFW International Airport to Shiloh Road in Plano.

DART anticipates the line will be operational by late 2025 or early 2026.

In addition, the agency continues to innovate with GoPass, its industry-leading application that modernized the rider experience as a reloadable transit

“As an agency, we have a responsibility to ensure we are meeting the mobility needs of the community,” said Lee. “I am proud of how far we have come as an agency and will continue to work hard to meet the needs of today’s, as well as tomorrow’s, riders.”

Over the next 40 years, DART will embark on new initiatives to elevate service quality and provide seamless journeys for riders to maximize the social and economic potential of the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

White Rock DART Station pays respect to the beauty and the affection the park has inspired in generations of Dallas residents for almost a century. The station features a miniature “spillway” of lush greenery landscaping along the boarding platform that references the lake’s old reservoir spillway. Platform columns echo its boathouse features.

Photography by Lauren Allen.

“Where public transportation goes, community grows.”

As we look forward to the future of DART, let’s celebrate 40 years of milestones and memories made possible by our riders, employees, and community partners across all our service cities. Fort y Proud. Fort y Forward. Learn

ECHOING THROUGH HISTORY

Mary Pat Higgins looks to the past to shape our future

Story by SAMANTHA HABASHY

Photography by SHELBY TAUBER

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum transports visitors through time, guided by the vision of local Holocaust survivors. The museum’s walls are a testament to both the horrors of history and the undeniable spirit of resilience and progress.

And they are curated by President and CEO Mary Pat Higgins, who has led a transformative, decade-long journey for the museum. While she doesn’t consider herself an activist, Higgins says her mission is to provide Dallasites with history in an accessible, honest and educational way.

Her mission? “Don’t let history repeat itself,” she says.

In 2019, Higgins shifted the focus of the Holocaust museum to also teach about human rights. She brings exhibits to the museum that tie the events of the Holocaust to themes in civil and human rights history.

Recently, Higgins approved an installation called Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow. The exhibit teaches about the Black experience and the struggle for racial equality in the 50 years after the Civil War.

“I think that perhaps what’s most important to me

by someone who sees an injustice and intervenes — Higgins says, and the need to create Upstanders is still important today.

Indifference is the biggest enemy to the museum’s lessons, she says.

“Unfortunately, most of us tend to just look the other way, and think ‘There’s nothing I can do that will make a difference. Someone else will take care of it. Or, it’s not impacting me so I don’t really have a responsibility to do anything,’” Higgins says.

A Lake Highlands resident since 1990, Higgins has raised a family in our neighborhood and feels her tight connection to the community inspires her passion for making an impact.

“Our country is more divided than ever and I think Dallas still has huge issues of inequality to address,” she says. “While a lot of progress has been made, there’s still so much work to do.”

With the help of the museum’s staff, Higgins helps visitors understand that it is an ongoing process to understand, reflect and take action.

To Higgins, the museum represents far more than a one-off learning experience. She hopes that her curation can plant seeds into the hearts and minds of the community that will blossom into a more equal world.

“What’s most important to me is the opportunity to help shape the future leaders of our community and help them understand where hatred can lead and why it’s so important to stand up against it,” she says.

Planning for a better tomorrow

Rae’s Hope

Angela Rae Fields founded Rae’s Hope in 2008 to empower girls to take charge of their lives through volleyball. Rae’s Hope incorporates life skills such as financial literacy, community engagement and education into the program, and has served over 6,000 girls aged 5 to 18 over the last 15 years.

Every Tuesday, around 30 girls from across the Dallas metro area attend Rae’s Hope for the program.

“Exposure and awareness are the two things I try to bring to these girls’ lives,” Fields says. “Rae’s Hope operates much like a prevention program in that sense — we prevent these other ailments of little girls growing up to become pregnant at the wrong times in their life and (teach them) how to take care of their health.”

Before founding the nonprofit, Fields was a teacher and a volleyball coach at South Oak Cliff High School where she first developed a love for the sport and recognized its potential to bring girls together.

“Being a coach at South Oak Cliff High School, I saw how challenging it was for us to be successful because my kids didn’t get the same amount of touches as kids in the suburbs,” Fields says. “I realized that I needed to start teaching kids at younger ages.”

Throughout the years, Fields has started little league teams and hosted tournaments for Dallas Independent School District students.

In 1999, she started the South Dallas Darlings volleyball team where girls spiked, set and served all over the country.

“From that point on, I knew volleyball could become a vehicle in education,” she says. “A lot of our children weren’t getting some of the necessary life skills to help them further their lives.”

Fields considers the gym her classroom. When the girls step foot on the court, Fields hopes to shape their lives through volleyball, teaching the girls more than how to dive for the ball.

“You have to be able to know how to get along and work with others, and helping build self-esteem and confidence allows you to be a productive member of a team,” Fields says.

Some of the girls have gone on to receive volleyball scholarships and a few have become coaches. Kennedi Coleman, who first played volleyball with Fields as a sixth grader, is now an assistant coach at Red Oak High School, where she’s led her team to championships.

“We help them believe they have a purpose in life, and I see the fight and self-determination in these girls to rise up,” Fields says. “Volleyball is just there to push them beyond their limits, and along the way they learn not to give up.”

Unlocking Doors

When one door closes, another opens.

That’s particularly true when it comes to Unlocking Doors, a nonprofit that helps incarcerated individuals transition back into society. Started by Christina Crain in 2010, the organization has served over 7,000 people incarcerated in and around Dallas.

And, Unlocking Doors boasts a 92% success rate of preventing repeat offenses.

Crain is an attorney and chaired the Texas Board of Criminal Justice for several years, where she oversaw the incarceration, parole and probation of adult felons throughout the state. The position gave Crain a unique opportunity to see what is — or isn’t — being done for individuals who are re-entering society.

After leaving the board, Crain wanted to make sure that those individuals were being set up for success.

Unlocking Doors’ voluntary program aims to keep the formerly-incarcerated out of the criminal justice system by assigning each person with a mentor called a ‘re-entry broker.’

The brokers do a high-level assessment of each client, determining everything from the risk of reoffending to the specific needs that they have including employment, health care, mental

health, substance abuse, treatment, housing and transportation.

“Every individual has different needs and different skill sets,” Crain says. “Two people may both need a job, but their expertise is going to be different. Or they may both need housing, but one may have children.”

Unlocking Doors partners with over 200 different organizations that provide various services and job opportunities for their clients.

“We just had a client who came in two years ago who called to say he wanted to thank us because he's had a great job for a year and a half and wouldn't have gotten where he needed to go without our help,” she says.

While triggers could cause clients to re-offend, Unlocking Doors’ model ensures clients have a mentor to turn to.

“What makes us different from the 60 or 90-day programs is simply being here at all times,” Crain says. “We know that if you come to us, we're going to be here for you no matter what.”

The program aims to address any barriers a client may face, from the type of crime committed to gender or age.

“At the end of the day, we're all humans. And from the humanistic standpoint, it's just the right thing to do,” Crain says. “If we can do that, it makes our community safer and more productive.”

Rainbow Days

Addiction is a disease that affects everyone, including children.

Rainbow Days is a nonprofit organization that has been focused on helping children with addiction since 1980. Cathey Brown, the visionary founder, recognized an absence of a safe space for children who may be battling addiction to find solace and guidance.

What once started as a weekly support group for children grappling with addiction-related challenges has evolved into an institution that offers an array of life-enrichment experiences. The program helps build healthy coping skills, promotes social and emotional health and breaks down the walls from prior trauma.

Wright says it’s important to invest in youth because they are the people who will grow up to become leaders, healthcare workers, attorneys and public figures.

Still, at the core of the Rainbow Days mission remains a commitment to drug prevention programing, impacting more than 241,000 children in the Dallas community.

Director of Community Connection Cindy Wright has worked with Rainbow Days for over 27 years and focuses her efforts on school children who live in poverty.

“Over the trajectory of the 27 years, the kids keep changing,” Crain says. “Kids are angrier, lonelier and don't know how to form relationships.”

To Wright, Rainbow Days instills the ideas of intrinsic value and purpose. She is reminded of that every time she works with children who have had a difficult upbringing and may need the support Rainbow Days offers.

“I’ve worked with children who struggle with their identity because their mom has told them she wished they’d never been born, that they were her biggest mistake, or that their grandmother's raising them because their dad's in jail,” Crain says. “Whatever the situation is, finding out you're not alone is a comfort. Kids need to feel as though they do belong here.”

Wright typically works with children in a 10-week cycle. She says every week,

more and more open up about their experiences and feelings, and the groups build an unbreakable bond.

Wright recalls one student who entered a Rainbow Days support group in her freshman year.

“At first, she was just very withdrawn, and wasn’t interested in creating an attachment with her peers,” Wright says. “But, by the time she finished her first cycle of her freshman year, she had become a completely different person. She became somebody who was engaged in the group and speaking whereas she used to not speak during group time. And then in her sophomore and junior and senior groups, she became a leader in those groups and she was able to tell other kids — ‘it's okay you can trust that this is a safe place.’”

Wright credits her success with Rainbow Days to her empathy and love for helping others.

“I want people to understand that we're all special, regardless of what we look like, sound like, or whatever our disability or handicap is,” Wright says. “The more people I can tell that they're special, and that they do have intrinsic value, the better I am, my staff is, we all are, together.”

Dentist by day, DJ by night

THIS LAKE HIGHLANDS DDS WILL ASK ABOUT YOUR TEETH AND YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC

Story by RENEE UMSTED | Photography by KELSEY SHOEMAKER

ith a turntable in the hallway, shiny retro shelving and seating, and vinyl records galore, Dental Dimensions is not the average dentist office. And Dr. Brian Bishop is not the average dentist.

You may not expect to find the person who pokes and prods around your mouth DJing at a Deep Ellum club. But if Bishop is your dentist, you can’t rule it out.

Except there, in the late hours of the night, stationed behind his equipment, he is not a Lake Highlands resident and father of three Brian Bishop, DDS.

He is Vectorvision.

Bishop came up with the name about a decade ago, shortly after acquiring a Vectrex, a video game console from the 1980s, which is now displayed in his office for patients to see. The game’s vector graphics, crisp and angular, were a kind of visual representation of Bishop’s worldview.

“I’m kind of a perfectionist,” Bishop says. “I see things very black-andwhite, very technical.”

The son of a dentist, Bishop grew up in the small East Texas town of Gilmer — home of the East Texas Yamboree festival and the birthplace of singer

wJohnny Mathis, the Eagles’ Don Henley and blues guitarist Freddie King.

Bishop has always been interested in music. (Heavy metal was the genre of choice during his early years.) But he was active in sports, too.

He had a scholarship to play baseball at Tyler Junior College and studied there for two years before moving to Denton to finish up his degree at Texas Woman’s University.

Friends and teammates went to bars in their free time. But Bishop, who’s a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, doesn’t drink.

Bars bored him, but he discovered dance clubs and the rave scene did not.

“They turned into somewhere I could go by myself sometimes,” Bishop says. “I didn’t drink or do drugs, but I just enjoyed the music. I’m into things that are kind of futuristic.”

After awhile, he started thinking to himself, if he could make that kind of music, he could DJ.

Most of it was self-taught, though his best friend, who was a little more experienced, gave some pointers.

At the beginning, Bishop says, gigs are likely to be held at someone’s house. He did transition to public venues, but his hobby was temporarily interrupted for a two-year church mission in

London followed by dental school at Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. His mother was from Dallas, and he has always liked the city, he says, so he moved here as soon as he could.

After he knew his family and career were taken care of, he started spending more time DJing.

Over the years, he has DJed in clubs as far away as London and Barcelona or as close as It’ll Do in Old East Dallas. He’s not a fist-pumping DJ. He just wants to enjoy the music, and he wants listeners to enjoy it, too.

“I like to make other people dance,” Bishop says. “I wish I could be those people, but I enjoy living through them and making them dance and enjoy the music.”

Sometimes, people clear the dance floor during his set. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“That could mean that you’re playing something so different they don’t even know what to do with it — especially if you play for, I call it ‘normal people,’ people who definitely don’t know any of the music I’m playing,” he says.

He’s always searching for new music. On a recent trip to the Netherlands, for example, he spent nights at a music festival and days perusing record stores.

Experience the Difference

Connections made with DJs and artists in the ’90s, when he worked at Bill’s Records, helped Bishop land other opportunities in the industry.

Over the past 13 years, he has moved into producing music, releasing vinyl records on labels owned by people he met at Bill’s. He’s now working on developing a full album. The “average” person would probably describe it as techno, Bishop says, but it’s not really.

“It’s a little darker, a little more futuristic, a little more moody,” he says. “I like kind of melancholy music — not too, too happy, but not too extreme either.”

He also works in A&R (artists and repertoire) for Lone Romantic, a label owned by his friend and fellow DJ Maceo Plex. The hardest part of the job, Bishop says, is turning down artists. But it’s just part of the deal for someone looking for a unique sound.

“I think over time, my musical taste has developed almost like a chef, I guess. A good chef has a good palate,” Bishop says. “And so I think being a good DJ and producer, for sure a DJ, you have to have a good musical palate.”

Bishop’s priorities have been the same since he was in dental school — family first, job second. But music is third, and it seeps into his home and professional life.

He doesn’t want to force his kids into music, but he sees potential in them. His 14-year-old, a student at Lake Highlands High School, always has earbuds in listening to music. And his son likes to sing and takes piano lessons.

There’s always music playing in his office, located on Plano Road near East Northwest Highway. And the funky Space Age decor is a good icebreaker, Bishop says. It helps ease any patient anxiety and facilitates conversation with the dentist, a self-described introvert.

“Just helps humanize the dentist, I guess,” Bishop says. “I don’t want everybody to be scared of us. We’re people too.”

EAST DALLAS IRISH

Something different

The Village’s upscale Brazilian dining spot

Story and photography by KELSEY SHOEMAKER

In the Village’s biggest makeover yet, a series of gathering places like the Drey Hotel, a sports bar, a country club and a coffee shop were added. Juxtaposed, you can find an authentic upscale Brazilian restaurant conceptualized by a South American native.

Chef Junior Borges curated the Meridian — from the restaurant’s garden to the menu.

He was born and raised in Bahia, located in the northeastern region of Brazil. The state’s culture — and cuisine — was heavily influenced by Europe and West Africa.

“This is a representation of things that I grew up eating, from memories of my grandmother and memories of me on the beach,” he says.

The menu is rotating with seasonal and traditional items.

“It was important how we showcased Brazilian cuisines and Brazilian flavors beyond the steakhouses that most people know,” Borges says.

The $68 rosewood Wagyu picanha’s flavors

are enhanced by a wood fire, and the beef rump is served with a squared-cut crispy potato pavé, chimichurri and smoked leeks.

The Kohlrabi Caesar salad ($16), made with a spiralized German-Swiss cabbage, a fried egg aïoli and aged pecorino, is a featured item. Available on the tasting menu is the brigadeiro, a traditional Brazilian cake dipped in dark chocolate crémeux and coated with candied orange and a Brazilian nut anglaise custard.

Earlier this year, the menu was solely prix fixe, but it has since changed to a dual menu with both a la carte options and a $115 prix fixe with an optional $62 wine pairing. Restaurant goers can also grab a $24 Wagyu burger served with yuca fries.

Borges zig-zagged his way into the culinary world. He first studied nutrition before moving to New York City in the ’90s.

“I knew that I wanted to be around food but didn’t know in exactly what capacity,” he says.

His mother happened upon an ad for a cooking school. He couldn’t afford it. But Borges was already in love with the idea and started

reading cookbooks, watching cooking shows and looking at recipes.

For the next twelve years, he worked his way up the tricky restaurant hierarchy. In 2013, after two years as an executive chef at Mirador and Americano, Borges got a call to guest teach a six-week Brazilian cooking class as part of Central Market’s Passport program in Houston, Texas.

“I checked with my friends to ask ‘Is this for real?’” he says. “And she said, ‘No, it’s pretty legit.’ And then I did my trip.”

After returning to New York, he met chefs from the Michelin-awarded Japanese restaurant Uchi who asked if he would be interested in opening another location in Dallas.

Then, as the initial concept for The Village’s revamp started five years ago, he received a call. There was going to be a restaurant, and it needed a chef and a menu.

Two years after opening, Borges, who is now the vice president of culinary over all Village Dallas restaurants, was named as a 2023 James Beard semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef category for his work at Meridian.

“I wanted to create a place for people to come multiple times and experience a lot of different things,” he says.

The Kohlrabi Caesar salad with fried egg aïoli and herb breadcrumbs.

Fostering

Fostering

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MOMENT OF TRUTH

Olympian Erin Aldrich-Shean says she was 16, attending Lake Highlands High School, when a coach from the University of Arizona began grooming her

Story by CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB

Photography by EMIL LIPPE

Afew years ago, by all appearances, Erin AldrichShean had the perfect life.

To local sports fans, the Lake Highlands High School alum is a legendary dual athlete. Back at Forest Meadow Junior High, her coaches petitioned for her to compete at the Texas Relays, where she won the high jump against an all-high-school field. She had decided at 6 to become an Olympian, and that high-profile performance set a course for her participation in the 2000 games.

Injured in a professional volleyball match, she missed a spot on the 2008 USA Track and Field team, she says. Being a twosport athlete came with risks, but she wanted to be a role model for girls, to “show them you can be great at more than one thing.”

But Erin harbored a secret she found too shameful even to tell her spouse.

“I thought I would take it to my grave,” she says.

However, it dawned on her that her nondisclosure might be hurting other women.

In 2020, Erin, along with ex-University of Texas athletes Londa Bevins and Jessica Johnson, filed a class-action lawsuit against John Rembao, Erin’s high-jump coach at the University of Arizona and later the University of Texas. The lawsuit alleged sexual abuse and harassment between 1997 and 2000, and named the NCAA and its Board of Governors as defendants for failing to protect athletes.

Rembao, who also has coached at Southern Methodist University, Stanford University and California’s Los Gatos High School, began recruiting Aldrich for Arizona when she was a junior at Lake Highlands High School.

In the 1990s, long before he ever touched her, Rembao spent long hours talking to Erin on the phone, flattering her athletic abilities, and gradually moved into commenting on her looks, she says. Sustained, progressive flattery brainwashed her into believing she and Rembao had a special romantic relationship.

“He was grooming me by calling me beautiful and sexy,” she says. “I was in love with him even before he touched me.”

In August 1996 Rembao volunteered to chaperone her at the world junior track and field championships in Sydney, Australia when her LHHS coach was unable to travel.

“He bought the whole family into it,” she says. “My parents fully trusted him, everyone in the [sporting community] loved him.”

On that trip, when she was 18, she says, Rembao first initiated sexual contact. He said he would leave his wife and convinced Erin she could never be an Olympic athlete without him being her coach, she says.

Rembao’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment, but he and his client have denied all allegations. “I maintain I did not groom, assault or harass these women,” he told the Santa Cruz Sentinel

The case against Rembao was dismissed by plaintiffs after the parties reached a confidential settlement, according to Lynn Ellenberger, attorney to Erin and the two other women. She adds that the suit against the NCAA was dismissed by the court in 2021 based on the statute of limitations.

Erin says one of the hardest things to accept was that, years ago, she did not support a fellow victim, Jessica Johnson, who filed a deposition when she was at UT being coached by Rembao.

“I had a flashback to 20 years ago, when [Rembao] pulled me to the side of the track and said Jessica was accusing him of things,” Erin says. “And I believed that he wouldn’t do that.”

Erin revealed her experiences to her husband, her parents and a mental health professional. In therapy, she wrote a letter to Rembao, confronting him, asking why he hurt her, begging him to resign from coaching. Later, she called Rembao and requested a meeting. Had he responded, that might have been the end of it. His silence created a “pivotal

moment” in which she stopped feeling empathetic.

“That made me mad,” Erin says. “I wanted him to listen. If he’s not going to give me that respect, I do not feel so bad about stopping his coaching career.”

She filed a report with SafeSport, established in 2017 to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct on minor athletes and impose sanctions. Erin’s disclosure to SafeSport was a “critical piece” in the effort to protect young athletes, according to Olympic tennis player Tracey Smith, a sexual assault survivor who interviewed Erin on her show Open Stance .

“By detailing her former coach’s dangerously slow and methodical grooming process that led to her sexual abuse, Erin brought a focus to the potential dangers and inherent power imbalances in the coach-athlete relationship,” Smith said on the show.

Despite its dismissal, the lawsuit represented a “tremendous call to action” that could help empower athletes at every level by promoting lasting institutional change within the bodies responsible for athletes’ wellbeing, Smith added.

In March 2020, USA Today reporter Christine Brennan’s story about the allegations against Rembao broke. Los Gatos High School terminated his employment after hearing of his SafeSport suspension, according to the Sentinel .

“That bumped it up to the very top. We got him out of sports, which was the objective in all of this,” she says.

During the pandemic, Erin’s career in commercial real estate seemed doomed (“we did not know if the world was ending or what,” she says). Her husband (chief academic officer at an online college) works remotely, so they sold their Southern California house to return to Dallas.

Today they live in Lakewood, and Erin, after working with a performance and life coach, decided to become one herself.

In her new role as owner of Ascension Coaching & Consulting, her most painful experiences have become some of her most valuable assets.

“I have been in so many places, competed at the highest level in two sports, lost and regained motivation, been unhappy and happy,” she says. “I just knew I had to leverage it all and help others going through similar phases in life.”

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are scheduled starting Wed., October 18th thru Sunday, October 22nd. Come discover a beautiful collection of antiques, art, china, jewelry, glass, collectibles and more, curated by 65 dealers! 6830 Walling Ln. (off Skillman/Abrams) 214.752.3071 | cityviewantiques.com

We worked with Bart during one of the hottest housing markets in recent history. Bart stuck with us through several offer cycles, and each new house he found was better than the last. His background in architecture and construction is a huge plus. He always has a flashlight in the car and is ready to crawl down below a house. You won’t be disappointed with his skills and work ethic. Thanks Bart for everything!

M.

WHERE CAN I FIND

AC & HEAT

ALEXANDER HOME REPAIR. AC/HEAT

Repair & Install. LIC#28052 469-226-9642

AIR SHIELD LLC AC/Heat Repairs, Installs

Airshieldpros.com. 214-394-1788

THE HEATING & AC EXPERTS

Installations & Repairs

Emergency Services

24/7 On-Call

100% Satisfaction

Guarantee

ASK ABOUT

DISCOUNTS!

CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING

ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS

Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954

CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable.

Chris 214-770-5001

CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401

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

TA CLA67136C 214-710-2515 dallasheatingac.com

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

BUY SELL TRADE

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar Paid. 1-866 -433-8277

SALE: FULL SIZE BED. $400. Bed frame, headboard, box spring, mattress, Good Condition. 469-363-2480

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

SERNAS & BASS DESIGN-BUILD

We design, build & Install cabinets & tops! (214) 354-3074 • aldo@sernasbass.com

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING

Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 214-324-7398 jhholbert2@att.net

CLEANING SERVICES

ALTOGETHER CLEAN

Relax ...We’ll Clean Your House, It Will Be Your Favorite Day! Bonded & Insurance. Free Estimates. 214-929-8413. www. altogetherclean.net

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

GOLDEN CLEANING, Home Basic Clean,Move in/out. 214-500-6998

WANTED: HOUSES TO CLEAN, Organize, De-clutter, or Pack. Sunny 214-724-2555

WINDOW CLEANING Power washing No Job To Small. 30 Yrs exp. 214-360-0120

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

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

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 Windows computer. Hardware/Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $100/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 972-639-6413 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net

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

JOHNSON PAVING Concrete, Asphalt, Driveways. New or Repair. 214-827-1530

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician. TECL24948 anthonyselectricdfw.com 50 Yrs. Electrical Exp. Insd. 214-328-1333

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333

TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

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

WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd.TECL-34002 214-850-4891

EMPLOYMENT

BENJAMINS PAINTING Hiring:18-26Yr.olds, Top Pay- Will Train. In Advocate since 2007. 214-725-6768

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com

AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217

FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS oldgatefence.com 214-766-6422

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

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

HANNAH WOODWORKS

• Decks • Pergolas

• Patio Covers

Hannahwoodworks.com 214-435-9574

FLOORING & CARPETING

HASTINGS FLOORS Epoxy Garage Foors

Many colors to choose (flakes optional) Call Nick for bid 214-341-5993 hastingsfloors.com

HARDWOOD INSTALLATIONS Waterproof, hardwood, carpets, tile laminate, & vinyl click. 214-772-9503. Free In Home estimates

FOUNDATION REPAIR

• Slabs • Pier & Beam

• Mud Jacking • Drainage

• Free Estimates

• Over 20 Years Exp. 972-288-3797

We Answer Our Phones

GARAGE SERVICES

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428

GENERAL CONTACTING

A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC

Remodel, Paint, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing. Electrical, Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Est. A2HGeneralContactingLLC@gmail.com

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR

frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160

PRO WINDOW CLEANING prompt, dependable. Matt 214-766-2183

ROCK GLASS CO Replace, Repair. Single, Double Panes. Showers, Mirrors. 214-837-7829

HANDYMAN SERVICES

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

DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692

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

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

HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.

HOME REPAIR Doors, Trim, Glass. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 35 yrs exp. 214-875-1127

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

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations . Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical. 469-658-9163 Let

HOUSE PAINTING

Interior & Exterior Painting

$500 OFF

Over 25 years of experience Free Estimates 214-702-2188 morganexteriorsdfw.com

BENJAMINS PAINTING - Professional work @reasonable price. In Advocate since 2007 214-725-6768

HECTOR PEREZ PAINTING

Commercial/residential. Intrior/ Exterior. Fair Rates. 214-489-0635

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

TEXAS BEST PAINTING LLC Resd,Interiors 30Yrs. 214-527-4168

TOP COAT 30 Yrs. Exp. Reliable. Quality Repair/Remodel. Phil @ 214-770-2863

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

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

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

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

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

Complete Full Service Repairs, Kitchen & Bath/Remodeling, Restoration.

Name It- We Do It. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

JIM 972-992-4660

WE REFINISH!

• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks

• Cultured Marble

• Kitchen Countertops

214-631-8719

www.allsurfacerefinishing.com

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists serving Dallas 15 years.Trim, Removals. Tree Health Care services. Insured. Arborwizard.com. Free Est. (972) 803-6313.

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 18 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925

Lawns, Gardens & Trees

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com

214-924-7058 214-770-2435

MONSTER TREE SERVICE DALLAS

Certified Arborists, Fully Insured

469.983.1060

NEW LEAF TREE, LLC

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

PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.

RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779 RedSunLandscapes.com

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

DALLAS KDR

SERVICES

• Lawn service

PEST CONTROL

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

MOSQUITO SHIELD 972–850-2983

Imagine A Night Outside Without Mosquitoes

NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT INC. Squirrels, Racoons, Skunks, Snakes, Possums, etc. Pest & Termite. Neighborhood Resident 30+ Yrs.exp. 214-827-0090

PEST CONTROL

WHERE

REMODELING

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

FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com

KEYS AND GRIM

30 years of experience in residential remodeling. “They are the best…and so nice.” ~ Mom keysandgrim.com 214-952-4490

O’BRIEN GROUP INC. Remodeling Dallas For Over 24 Years www.ObrienGroupInc.com 214-341-1448

RENOVATE DALLAS

renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

"Keeping Children & Pets in Mind"

Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems

Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic 214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com abetterearth.com

PLUMBING

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

Complete Full Service Repairs, Kitchen & Bath/Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We Do It. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com

MP ARCHITECTURAL Design & Construction. mattandpaul.com 214-226-1186

ROOFING & GUTTERS

BERT ROOFING INC.

SERVICES FOR YOU

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation,production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

DENTAL INSURANCE-Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258

DIRECTV STREAM - Carries the most local MLB Games! ChoicePackage $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once.HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.)No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866859-0405

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply.Promo Expires 7/21/21.1-833-872-2545

DONATE YOUR CARS TO VETERANS TODAY. Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800 -245-0398

Family owned and operated for over 40 years

Experts!

PLUMBING ISSUES ? We’re

30 Years of Excellent Service

• Water Heaters • Water Leaks • Sewer Backups • All Plumbing Repairs

ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!

POOLS

24/7 On-Call

972-379-4000 staggsplumbing.co

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

C.A.S. BOOKKEEPING SERVICES Personal/Small Business. Payroll, Accounting, Organizing, Consult. Cindy 214-577-7450

REAL ESTATE

ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD?

Facing forclosure? IG Heron Homes Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839

GARDEN OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Walnut Hill @ CENTRAL.3 Smaller Suites Avail. Flexible Terms 214.915. 8886

OFFICE SUBLEASE In Bishop Arts. Cool, Quiet. 1,179 Sq ft. 4 rooms + kit / bath, parking. $2,950 + NNNs. 713.302-7722.

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

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373

FREE HIGH SPEED INTERNET if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892

GENERAC Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt. Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-844-334 -8353

HUGHESNET Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live.25 Mbps just $59.99/mo!

Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499 -0141

INFLATION is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up.CreditCards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote.1-877-592-3616

MOBILE HELP, America's premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you're home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! 1-888-489-3936

SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services

TUTOR/LESSONS

WANTED: OBOE TEACHER needed for 14 year old student. Call 214–235-7429

The Last Dance

LHHS Senior Alli Truscott says goodbye to her furry alter ego

Story by SIMON PRUITT |

Bruce Wayne becomes Batman by donning a cape and cowl. Anakin Skywalker is known as Darth Vader inside his foreboding, all-black robes.

When Lake Highlands senior Alli Truscott puts on her furry suit and mask, she becomes Willie The Wildcat.

Truscott, as Willie, is on the sidelines for every Lake Highlands football game, with performances at pep rallies and community events. The neighborhood knows exactly what that short, fursuit represents, but few know who’s inside it.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Truscott has been Willie. She has been mascotting since junior high, falling in love with the anonymity it provides and the high jinks it enables. It’s become a gregarious extension to her already fun-loving personality.

“There’s kind of a power to it,” she says. “I could make friends with these people, and they wouldn’t know who I am.”

Making friends is exactly what she did. Truscott speaks glowingly about the bonds she has made as Willie with students and young children over the years.

“It’s to make Lake Highlands a loving place for everyone,” she says. “A wildcat can be friends with anybody.”

Truscott will say goodbye to her alter ego when she graduates in May, but her mascotting journey won’t stop there.

“I’m gonna do it in college,” she declares. “I’m thinking about Texas State and Oklahoma. They’ve made it this far on my list because I can try out as a freshman for mascot. That was my criteria.”

She plans to study film no matter which school she attends. Until then, she has one more year at the Boneyard. She’ll be serving up a healthy dose of Wildcatnip along the way.

“I’ve been part of the Lake Highlands community my whole life,” she says. “It’s given so much to me, I’m happy that I get to give back.”

Photography by VICTORIA GOMEZ

Dream BIG