2024 April Lake Highlands Advocate

9534 ALTA MIRA DR. $1,995,000

5 Bed | 5 Bath | Pool | 4,117 SF

Liz Freethy/SCD Group - 214.280.9091

2141 HELSMINSTER DR. $1,079,000

3 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,921 SF Mary Poss - 214.738.0777

9302 MOSS TRL. $912,500

5 Bed | 4 Bath | 2 Car | 3,322 SF Brown-Qualls & Schrickel - 214.801.1795

9933 VISTADALE DR. $739,000

4 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 2,594 SF

Sinnott Clayton Dybvad - 214.536.8786

9221 MOSS HAVEN DR. Listed for $1,300,000

5 Bed | 5 Bath | 3 Car | 5,033 SF Elizabeth Selzer - 214.797.0868

9758 VINEWOOD DR. $650,000

3 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,453 SF

Jorge Goldsmit - 214.335.5157

9537 HIGHLAND VIEW DR. $387,200

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car | 1,662 SF

Sinnott Clayton Dybvad - 214.708.5233

9012 LIVENSHIRE DR. Listed for $1,575,000

5 Bed | 4 Bath | 2 Car | 4,331 SF WrightHouse Group - 214.507.9629

10355 BARONNE CIR. Listed for $395,000

2 Bed | 1 Bath | 1 Car | 905 SF Peter Loudis - 214.215.4269

6502 COVECREEK PL. $1,125,000

5 Bed | 4 Bath | 2 Car | 3,478 SF Peter Loudis - 214.215.4269

PENDING - MULTIPLE OFFERS

8011 DEER DR. Listed for $1,229,000

4 Bed | 4 Bath | 2 Car | 3,428 SF WrightHouse Group - 214.244.3779

9014 WINDY CREST DR. $795,000

4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2 Car | 2,868 SF Elizabeth Selzer - 214.797.0868

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EDITORIAL

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Jehadu Abshiro jabshiro@advocatemag.com

EDITORS:

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Emma Ruby eruby@advocatemag.com

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Contributors: Patti Vinson, Carol Toler, Sam Gillespie

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Advocate (c) 2024 is published monthly in print and daily online by Advocate Media - Dallas Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation based in Dallas and first published in 1991. Contents of this print magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements and sponsorships

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The 635 signature bridge at the Skillman and Audelia intersection.

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april 24

LAKE HIGHLANDS ADVOCATE VOL. 30 NO. 4

PROFILE

10 The Lake Highlands Lepidopterist

DINING

19 Sweet Boom Bakery

FEATURES

16 7 Quirky Marketplace finds

26 A mid-mod makeover

30 Top Realtors

37 Capturing West Texas

40 An orginal Lake Highlands home

46 Archives: The Old Stone House

48 Best Of Local Services

STUDENT STORY

53 LHHS’ Short Film team

There

“Lauren and her team are the best! Her knowledge of the market and negotiation skills allowed us to sell over asking and purchase under asking by finding our new house off market! We are so grateful for her help and will work with her again.”

Lauren.rockwell@compass.com

ADVOCATE TOP REALTOR of 2023

ADVOCATE TOP 25 REALTORS

For over two decades, we’ve been dedicated to exceeding expectations in the Lake Highlands community and beyond. Trust TREND group to be your preferred choice for all your real estate needs.

Nicole Thomas

214.986.7896

214.538.3390

Jason Thomas

TheButterfly Guy

Tony Delia built a backyard monarch haven

Story by SIMON PRUITT | Portrait by LAUREN ALLEN |

“I pretty much spent my whole childhood chasing butterflies,” says Tony Delia, sitting in his backyard butterfly garden that he built by hand. “It was just a natural thing, chasing down and catching with my hands to play with them.”

He grew up in Upstate New York, spending his summers at his family’s country house in Long Island. When he was 17, Delia moved to Denver before landing in DFW, decades removed from thinking about the butterflies. He lived in Dallas for about 10 years before he met a guy named Dale Clark.

At the time, Clark was the president of the Dallas County Lepidopterist Society.

Lepidopterist (noun): a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths.

“He was more serious than me as far as technical stuff goes,” Delia explains. “We were talking about butterflies, and I’m like wow, I can’t believe that a grown-up does things with butterflies. How cool is that?”

Inspired, Delia began to pick Clark’s brain about the butterfly-raising process, particularly that of Monarch butterflies. He learned that Monarch butterflies exclusively eat milkweed, a small deciduous plant that grows year-round.

“I asked him where I could go to get milkweed because I wasn’t familiar with it here at all,” Delia recalls. “He told me about a couple of spots, I went there the next day and saw some butterfly eggs and brought them home to raise them.”

Delia hadn’t done anything butterfly-related since his childhood, but suddenly became re-immersed into the hobby that defined much of his upbringing. He took the opportunity to fulfill some childhood dreams.

“When I was a kid, I never actually got to see a butterfly hatch out of chrysalis,” he says.

chrysalis (noun): an idle insect pupa, especially of a butterfly or moth.

The butterfly transitions from egg, to caterpillar, to pupa, before forming a chrysalis and hatching out of it.

‘I’m still fascinated that you have this little green

NEAL

chrysalis and a butterfly is going to come out of there,” he explains. “It’s just sitting there static and all of the sudden it’s a butterfly.”

He put a chrysalis on a small pot and brought it to his workplace as a nail tech.

“I just kept it at my desk and watched and watched,” he says. “I heard a little rustling and there it was crawling out. It was creating so much interest at the salon, I kept them on my desk all the time because I’m still fascinated after 25 years of doing it.”

Delia was hooked again. He began to transform his backyard to accommodate his butterfly raising process. He’s covered every inch of available soil with milkweed, even turning his garage into a 24/7 indoor milkweed propagation room.

“I’ve got a heater and an air conditioner in the garage as a split unit,” he explains. “I put heat in there through the winter and that keeps them fresh.”

Delia says he produces thousands of individual milkweed plants each year to keep his butterflies healthy.

At the end of his backyard, Delia built a 10x20 foot tent that he releases the butterflies into when they hatch in the spring. The interior is coated with flowers and air conditioning to ensure the environment is just right. Recently, he helped Martha Turner Reilly Elementary School create their own in-house garden in the courtyard area.

He now belongs to the Association for Butterflies (AFB) and the International Butterfly Breeders Association (IBBA) and hosts events and pop-up butterfly tents as “The Butterfly Guy.

“Every time I do an event, there’s always one boy or girl that’s really interested and I always see myself,” he explains. “They want to touch the butterfly just like I did when I was a kid.”

As Delia’s life comes full circle with the butterflies, he hopes that others find the same joy that he’s felt all his life.

“I always like to let people handle so you get a real close-up experience,” he says. “I love sharing my passion.”

THEY’RE SELLING WHAT?

7 Lake Highlands Marketplace finds

Story by ALYSSA HIGH

1930s Regal Mandolin

For those looking for musical finds, this mandolin has been dated to the early 1930s or late 1920s. The instrument is Mahogany and the fingerboard is ebony, the seller says. While those in perfect condition can run at about $1,000, this Lake Highlands resident is selling it for $250.

Child/Animal-sized real autopsy table

Okay, this one is a bit weird. One Dallasite is selling a vintage child/animal-sized autopsy table for $1,500. According to the owner, the doctor who used it was asked to remove any discarded sharps out of the central gaps, but there may be some those looking for something unique in the home, the table is selling for $1,500 but the owner is willing to trade for a trike, motorbike or go-kart.

3-Doll set of 1940s Ilse Ludecke cloth dolls

These vintage 1940s Ilse Ludecke cloth dolls stand at 14 inches tall. Each has a muslin center-stitched face with pressed and painted facial features and stuffed bodies. The dolls were popularized for their varied facial expressions, fantasy folklore costumes and booklets describing their region, not unlike today’s American Girl dolls. The dolls are marked with “Ilse Luducke Trachtenpuppen” on the base and are being sold for $550.

Antique Mahjong Set from 1920s

As Mahjong grows in popularity, this antique is one you might want to pull out and use. The 1920s collector’s set comes in a wood box with brass handles and accents. Each tile is bamboo and includes all pieces (though not jokers, as those were not included at that time period, the owner says). The set is being sold for $575.

1920s Metal/cast iron dental chair

As long as you aren’t afraid of the dentist, this antique metal and cast iron Ries Manufacturing Company dental chair is definitely a conversation starter. The light is in working condition, and if it doesn’t look like a medieval torture device to you, this find will ring up at $655.

1940s Asian-style Stone Motif Black Lacquered Fold Out Bar

This fold-out bar features a semiprecious stone motif and several compartments for liquor/wine bottles. A label within the cabinet says that the bar was specially made for Casa Salomon, a retailer in Panama. The bar was originally listed for $2,000 but the price has been reduced to $1,000.

1940s Vintage Rattan & Wicker Men’s Valet

Before walk-in closets became the norm, men hung their clothes on a valet to ensure they’d be wrinkle-free and ready for the next day. This valet has a drawer for shoes, a small shelf, a hanging area for your suit jacket and a seat to put it all together on. This Lake Highlands find rings up at $300.

We’re no strangers to our neighborhood – as Lake Highlands residents and top-producing agents, we live, breathe and work this community. Or goal is to provide our clients with decades of market insight and the best possible real estate experience. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest in Lake Highlands real estate, we only have one question: How can we be of service?

Vintage Budweister Lighted World Champion Clydesdale Team Parade Carousel Globe

If you’re looking for a unique man-cave find or are just a beer aficionado, this collectible Budweiser globe might be the find for you. The globe lights up and features horse-drawn carriages that rotate around the globe while it is lit. According to collectors, the globes were given to “good” customers by the Anheuser Bush Company in the 1960s. This seller is listing the globe at $1,800.

Story by CAROL TOLER

If you’re one of the few not yet playing Mahjong, don’t fret. It’s never too late to learn a new challenge and join a new circle of friends.

Peace Love Mahjong w ill host “Mahj and Mingle” on April 13, with proceeds supporting Feed Lake Highlands, the neighborhood nonprofit working to alleviate food insecurity in our community. Feed LH stocks a food pantry at Whitehurst Dr. and Skillman St., understanding well that hungry children are more susceptible to illness and likely to miss school more often. They also tutor students after class and go to summer camp with kids who’ve rarely left their apartment communities.

Mahjong is an intellectually stimulating game developed in Southern China in the mid-1800s. Played with tiles, or pais, similar to dominoes, the game c hallenges players to match sets and sequences of symbols and characters. The word “mahjong” means sparrow and refers to the bird-like clacking sound made by tiles as they are reshuffled.

Eleanor Dean Boynton and Amber Gipson cr eated Peace Love Mahjong out of their desire to bring family and friends together. They sell beautiful tiles and accessories, and they offer rental and instructional services for families and organizations hoping to host their own gatherings.

Tickets for Mahj and Mingle are $100 each and ma y be purchased online here. If you’re a veteran of the game, you’re asked to bring your Mahjong set. If not, Peace Love Mahjong instructors will be on hand to teach you.

VStory by CAROL TOLER

PATIO HOMES AND/OR TOWNHOUSES FOR EMPTY NESTERS ARE CURRENTLY being planned for the L Streets area of Lake Highlands, but they’ll need approval from city officials first. Dallas-based The Javelin Group is requesting to rezone the Northlake Building at 10405 East Northwest Highway, Candy’s Dirt reports.

The Northlake Building was developed decades ago and has been used primarily for office and medical uses. Land use planner and zoning consultant Rob Baldwin filed the zoning change application in February.

In addition to the 3-story office building, the 3.6-acre site includes a parking lot to the north. About 30 to 40 single family homes could be developed there, Baldwin told Candy’s Dirt , and Javelin is in discussions with developers now. Price tags

would be in the $500,000 to $600,000 range.

Javelin owns The Villages of Lake Highlands, a rehabilitation and senior living center northeast of the property. To the north is a carpet of houses on the L Streets, where young families — including many Lake Highlands High School graduates — are flocking to refurbish homes and raise their children. The L Streets neighborhood, so named because most street names begin with the letter L, was developed in 1954.

Baldwin expects the zoning change request to be heard this summer. City plan commission members and city council members have long been grappling with Dallas’ housing crisis and the resulting decline in population. Proposals for attractive and affordable housing have been favorably viewed around the horseshoe.

Lawal’s cakes utilize buttercream — never fondant.

Flavor and beauty have to go hand-in-hand, she says.

Chemistry2

Bunmi Lawal’s cottage bakery brings together flavor and beauty

Story by ALYSSA HIGH | Photography by VICTORIA GOMEZ

To the outside eye, Bunmi (pronounced boom-me) Lawal’s life looked a lot different a few years ago. Before moving to Dallas in 2017, Lawal was a pharmacist in Chicago, spending her days ensuring patients have the correct medicine and that each has the right temperature, humidity and light level.

It’s chemistry.

Now, she’s doing chemistry of a different kind.

In 2021, as many origin stories now begin, the COVID-19 pandemic kept Lawal at home, and that desire for chemistry mixed with an urge for creativity brought her to a childhood hobby.

“I was always passionate about food and making desserts,” Lawal says. “In high school, I was the girl that always brought brownies for everyone.”

Lawal’s first daughter was born in 2020. Between being a new mom and having to stay home, she was due for a hobby. And baking cakes was it.

“My dream has only been able to grow because of my kids,” she says. “I want other people to know that your dreams don’t die because you have kids in your life. My life literally just got started three years ago.”

In February 2021, her friends were having an event, and Lawal seized the opportunity to test out her skills.

“The cake was so ugly,” Lawal says. “It was not cute at all, but the girls were like, ‘This cake tastes amazing.’”

From February to June, she dug in and practiced making cakes and “just didn’t stop.”

“I’m not classically trained,” she says. “I literally went to YouTube University. And I haven’t graduated yet.”

To Lawal, a pretty cake isn’t good enough. And a good-tasting one isn’t either.

“My biggest thing is prioritizing flavor, making textures right so it’s a full overall experience,” she says.

Once Lawal was confident in her cakes, she launched Sweet Boom Bakery.

“With cakes, it’s a chemistry and it’s a science,” Lawal says. “You need to ratio how much baking powder or baking soda. It’s literally chemistry experiments every single time and that’s why I really like it and enjoy it.”

Though Lawal is still a pharmacist, her current job keeps her working from home, leaving more time to hang out with her two small children and bake cakes — which her kids are definitely not opposed to, she says.

“I really love being able to do a little bit of both where I’m a pharmacist but I’m also a mom, I’m also a wife, I’m also a baker,” Lawal says. “Just being able to wear many hats as a mom has been one of my biggest honors.”

Lawal’s cakes start at $50 and go up to $488+ depending on how many tiers and how many the customer is aiming to feed. Customizations for fruit, flowers and fillings are available at an additional cost. Cupcakes start at $36 per dozen.

Can’t decide on a flavor? Her favorites are chocolate ganache and lemon cake with raspberry filling.

“It’s like medicine but it’s medicine for the soul,” she says.

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MAKING THIS HOUSE A HOME

Katie and Billy Withrow are bringing their modern, artsy touch to a midcentury home

Story by ALYSSA HIGH | Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

Nearly every item in the home was compiled over nearly a decade, many of which through Facebook Marketplace. (above) The home’s signature red door was built by a relative, while the breeze blocks are inspired by a Palm Springs vacation. (below)

The dining room’s decor and colors centers around a piece of art given to the couple as a wedding present.

For Katie and Billy Withrow, this year’s White Rock Home Tour has been a long time coming. The couple purchased their Highland Meadows home nearly 10 years ago shortly after getting married, and have slowly been collecting pieces and finishing renovations ever since.

“If you’ve got a ton of money, you can buy a house and you can do all the things we’ve done in a year,” Katie says. “When you don’t, you have to save up to do the next project and the next project. We’ve gathered all this stuff organically over nine years.”

Just blocks away from the L Streets, their home on Rolling Rock Lane is a ‘50s throwback chalk-full of mid-mod charm — plus some modern luxuries.

Like early midcentury modern homes, the home’s exterior is just as much a part of the home as the living room. The Withrows kept original windows present along the east-facing walls, which act as a doggy door while Billy is working in his office to let out their two pups: Maybe and Annie.

“Living in [the house] made a huge difference on the decisions that we make,” Billy says. “If I hope to live here until we retire, we know that everything in here is done rock solid because we’ve overseen every step of it.”

Because the home is nearly a decade in the making, Billy says, each item was carefully chosen and “there’s nothing in this house that doesn’t have a story.”

The home’s exterior brick work is inspired by an early trip to Palm Springs. Vintage record paraphernalia throughout the house demonstrates Billy’s love for music. An art piece that serves as a focal point of the dining room was a wedding gift, perfect for the dining room before the house was even purchased. And Katie has orchestrated each piece to blend together seamlessly.

The entire house was the couple’s doing, with another designer coming in as a sort of mediator for the kitchen and the exterior.

They weren’t without family help. The Withrow’s niece’s ex-husband, who is a woodworker, made their front door. The mid-mod Broyhill Brasilia furniture in the guest bedroom was found hidden at

Billy’s aunt’s home when she was getting ready to move out of her Illinois home. The guest bedroom’s signature lamp was found in a garage sale in southern Illinois by Katie’s brother-in-law. The outdoor oven was driven from St. Louis by Billy’s parents.

“Everything is a family affair,” they joke.

Speaking of the kitchen, the revived ‘50s style with modern organization and appliances — aside from a NuTone InBuilt Blender Mixer that the Withrows reinstalled — uses creative and functional design to maximize the space. Pops of color are found throughout, with paraphernalia to ground guests into the ‘50s feel.

“We’re not one of those who’re like, ‘Oh, it’s a midcentury house, so everything we have in here is going to be midcentury,’” Katie says. “We really tried to bring in modern with it but also try to keep the character.”

While interior design is not new to Katie, designing the home is a change of pace. As a corporate designer, she’s worked with health care groups, FedEx and Zales. While she knew the basics of design from college and her knowledge of quality fabrics from her two decades of corporate design work, the Rolling Rock home’s renovations and design come from the couple’s personal interest and style and years of attending the White Rock Home Tour themselves.

“We keep this house very lived in,” Billy says. “We wanted to be very personal, but also have the neat stuff too.”

The house’s renovation culminated in the master bathroom, which features pocket doors, a sunken tub and circular shapes defining the midcentury lines.

The Withrows are not afraid to stray from the ‘50s vibes to bring their personalities in. The office is a functional space full of vinyls, diplomas and pop art stuff.

“We don’t want to look like we take ourselves too seriously,” Billy says. “We don’t want this to be a museum. We don’t want this to be like we are tied to the midcentury … we want this to be a house where people come over and go ‘Hey, this is fun’and also reflects our personality because I think we’re fun too.”

Page 27: The home’s signature red door was built by a relative, while the breeze blocks are inspired by a Palm Springs vacation. Page 26: Katie and Billy Withrow have lived in and been slowly renovating their ‘50s home (occasionally alongside their dogs Maybe and Annie) for nearly a decade.

Re ltors

TOP 2023

AMY TIMMERMAN

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

DONALD WRIGHT

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

BOBBIE ALEXANDER

Alexander Properties - Dallas

MICHELE MARTIN

Michele Renea Realty LLC

CESAR BEZA

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

WARREN SIBLEY

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

BETH RIDER

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

NICOLE THOMAS

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

The Advocate’s annual Top Realtor special section recognizes the Top 5% of all active neighborhood Realtors, determined by reported sales volume.*

TOP 25

JASON THOMAS

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

PHILLIP TILGER

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

ROBIN MOSS NORCROSS

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

TERI WALTER

Key Trek-CC

SAM BULLARD

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

LOUISE BOLL

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

ELIZABETH SELZER

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

SHELBY JAMES

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

LAUREN ROCKWELL

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

RENEE BARFOOT

Robert Elliott and Associates

CLAY SMILEY

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

JOHN WEBER

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

GLEN CHRISTY

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

MELANIE MARTIN

Robert Elliott and Associates

JAN STELL

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

EDWARD SLATER

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

BRIAON ASTILLO

RE/MAX DFW Associates

KELLY BABB

Rogers Healy and Associates

JASON BATES

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

CHASE BRAY

Bray Real Estate Group

CHRISTIE CANNON

Keller Williams Frisco Stars

MICHAEL CASSELL

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

MARGARET CERCHIONE

Keller Williams DFW Preferred

ALESSANDRO COLA

Bray Real Estate Group

DAVID COLLIER

David Griffin & Company

PAUL D’ANGELO

William Potter Jr.

BALDEMAR DE LEON

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

MICHAEL DELGADO

Bray Real Estate Group

MAX DUNHAM

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

ASHLEY FAIRLEY

Keller Williams Realty DPR

RACHEL FINKBOHNER

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s Int’l

SUMMER GRAHAM

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

FORREST GREGG

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

ALAN HAMILTON

Paragon Realtors

LAURI ANN HANSON

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

KRISTEN HARRIS

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

KATHLEEN HAYS

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

HEATHER HICKS

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

CARRIE HILL

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

RICARDO IBARRA

Castle Heights Real Estate

NANCY JOHNSON

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

TYLER JOHNSON

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

JENNY KELLOGG

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

CLIFTON KESSLER

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

RAM KONARA

REKonnection, LLC

JASON LANDRY

Brinkley Property Group LLC

BLYTHE LAYNE

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

MARMIE LEECH

Compass RE Texas, LLC

KATE LOONEY WALTERS

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

CATRIONA MCCARTHY

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

LAUREN MCCULLOUGH

C21 Fine Homes Judge Fite

COTTON MENDENHALL

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

CRAIG MERRIMAN

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

JAKE MILNER

Davidson & Bogel Real Estate

MEGHAN MITCHELL KELLEY

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

PHILLIP MURRELL

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

SCOTT NEAL

Scott Neal Real Estate

KRISTEN PETERS

Pinnacle Realty Advisors

CHRIS PYLE

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

ASHLEY RASMUSSEN

Allie Beth Allman & Associates

RUSSELL RHODES

Berkshire Hathaway HS

PenFed TX

MISSY RICHARDSON

Paragon Realtors

MARY RINNE

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate

EMILY ROBERTS

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

COLE SAWYER

Sawyer Realty Group

JAMIE SHEEHAN

Ebby Halliday, Realtors

COURTNEY SLATER

Compass Real Estate Texas, LLC

TY VAUGHN

Robert Elliott and Associates

ROBERT WONG

Coldwell Banker Realty

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE THE RIGHT AGENT CAN MAKE

Honored to be named 2023 Advocate Top Realtors

Mary Rinne

214.552.6735

maryrinne@dpmre.com

Alison O’Halloran

214.228.9013

alisonohalloran@dpmre.com

Experience matters when it comes to serving your real estate needs. Whether you are looking to upsize, downsize, right-size, or invest in real estate, let the Rinne-O’Halloran Group guide you from contract to close.

Lake Highlands is more than just a place — it’s home.

Thank you to my friends and neighbors for trusting me with your business! I love being an ambassador for Lake Highlands and all it has to offer. My commitment to this beloved community shines through in every transaction.

Thinking about buying or selling? Let’s chat.

214.797.0868

elizabethselzer@ebby.com

These agents and friends have proven that they can navigate any market.... hot or cool. With Melanie and Renée by your side, you’ll be in great hands.

DFW Real Producers Top Agent | Lake Highlands Advocate Top Realtor

THE VIVIDNESSES OF WEST TEXAS

From cowboy trails to canvas tales: A journey of landscape artistry

Story by PARKER JOHNSON

| Photography

by AMANI SODIQ

DAVID GRIFFIN’S JOURNEY

FROM THE DUST-COVERED LANDSCAPES OF WEST TEXAS to celebrated galleries and exhibitions around the world is a tale of passion, perseverance and a profound connection to the land. A distinguished painter known for his vivid portrayals of landscapes, Griffin has etched his name into the world of contemporary Western art with his unique vision and masterful execution.

“I was going to all these ranches and just working with cowboys ... My grandfather was a cowboy,” Griffin says.

This deep-seated connection to the cowboy life and the landscapes of West Texas laid the groundwork for Griffin’s initial foray into the world of art, focusing on documenting the cowboy’s life through his paintings.

However, Griffin’s artistic journey took a pivotal turn when he decided to remove the cowboy from his compositions, shifting his focus entirely to the landscapes that had always been the backdrop to his narratives.

“I started doing landscapes in order to develop a new artistic voice ... finding really where my basic core artistic values are. And that’s with the land, the dirt,” he says.

This transition gave him a distinct identity in the vast realm of Western art, driven by his intimate knowledge and love for the land.

Griffin’s landscapes are not just depictions of place; they are explorations of the essence of the American West, capturing the beauty of its vast skies and rugged terrains. His works capture the beauty in the often overlooked or unremarkable, such as the deserts of West Texas or the arid landscapes of New Mexico.

Griffin finds magic in these places, a magic rooted in the dirt and the dust, a reflection of his own beginnings and a metaphor for life itself.

His work has been featured in the magazines Cowboys and Indians, Victoria, The Dallas Morning News , Western Art Collector, Western Art and Architecture, and Southwest Art (with a cover and feature in October 2013).

In 2020, Griffin was selected as a Texas Centennial Artist for the Bullock Museum, an opportunity that

allowed him to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Texas State Parks through his paintings. This project not only highlighted his contributions to Texas heritage but also offered him a platform to explore and paint various state parks, further cementing his bond with the land.

“I got to be around some really interesting artists ... and then to explore Texas in a more detailed way,” Griffin shares.

Griffin’s involvement in the Coors National Western Art Exhibition, where he was the Featured Artist in 2022, underscores his significant presence in the Western art world. This long-term engagement has been instrumental in shaping his identity as an artist, offering him invaluable opportunities to connect with other artists and collectors, and fostering relationships that have nurtured and inspired his creativity.

Whether he’s capturing the serene beauty of Big Bend or the rugged majesty of Palo Duro Canyon, Griffin immerses himself in the environment to capture not just the visual splendor of these places but also their emotional and spiritual essence.

“I have to be in a location that inspires me ... I have to be present,” he says.

As someone who has navigated the challenges and triumphs of the art world, Griffin offers sage advice to emerging artists: find a community, trust yourself and embrace failure as a teacher.

“Talent comes after a lot of hard work.”

Left: His accolades include an Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America Exhibit and being honored with the Silver Thunderbird for the best body of work at the Maynard Dixon Invitational in 2016. Moreover, his contributions to the 14th Art Renewal Center International Salon Competition, which toured with Sotheby’s NYC and MEAM Museum in Barcelona, Spain, earned him 2nd place in the landscape category, an honorable mention for his two paintings, and the coveted American Legacy Award.

The custodians of Lanett Circle

Story by JEHADU ABSHIRO

Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

WHEN KEVIN WAS A CHILD, HE’D COME TO HIS GRANDPARENTS’ HOUSE AT LANETT CIRCLE TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS IN A WOOD-PANELED DEN WITH CORKBOARD FLOORS AND CREAM CURTAINS. There’s two pre-Civil War rifles — one British and one unknown — hanging opposite each other. He would spend summers playing with the neighborhood kids. He’d daydreamed about a pool that didn’t exist in the backyard and would doodle pictures of a diving board off the second-story balcony

Built in 1955, before Lake Highlands was more than just rolling farmland, Kevin’s grandparents built a custom home on an acre and a half that slopes back into White Rock Creek. They asked the architect for two different designs and settled on a more modern ranch style with crosshatch window paneling and hand-carved eave braces. Kevin’s grandfather asked for three estimates on everything and kept every receipt. It all cost about $50,000.

The original home had two bedrooms with a Jackand-Jill bathroom upstairs with a formal living room, kitchen, dining room and a master downstairs.

Kevin’s mother eventually moved into the house. Nothing much changed.

And when she was ready to move out 20 years later, she asked Kevin and his partner John if they’d like to take the house. They were in a 2,700 square foot midcentury modern house they loved in Old Lake Highlands. Kevin has always had an affinity for midcentury modern furniture and homes.

Kevin asked his two older sisters if they wanted the house. They said no. Kevin asked his niece and her husband if they wanted the house. They said no.

“I didn’t want my mom to sell it and then somebody tear it down,” Kevin says.

So, they bought the house six years ago.

“When we were even discussing it, we knew if we make this commitment, it’s a forever home because it

The den has been preserved almost as is since the home was built in 1955. All of the art in the room is made by Texas artists and the antler chandelier is actually carved wood.

was his grandparents,” John says. “Now we’re just becoming the next custodians.”

Three generations later, the wood-paneled den with corkboard floors and cream curtains with two rifles are still there. Two hides, an Eames chair, a vintage maroon living set from Austin and Kevin’s duck collection have been added.

It’s Kevin’s third midcentury home.

The original house hasn’t changed much. The formal living room now is a collection of collections and memories. A rack of his grandfather’s tobacco pipe sits on top of a schoolteacher’s antique bookcase that holds his grandfather’s watches. His parent’s pottery collection is scattered throughout the room. There’s a picture of his greatgreat-grandparents’ grocery store

on Second Street in South Dallas and one of his other great-greatgrandparents’ general store in Shamrock, Texas. Tobacco tins and a cash box from great-grandfather King’s store decorate the room.

“My grandfather didn’t throw anything out,” Kevin says.

When they moved in, Kevin’s mother said the master, bathroom and kitchen were really too small.

“She said, ‘I think you’ll love it.

Left: The orginal living room holds watch, tobacco pipe and pottery collections from his parents and grandparents. Right: The master bedroom has a faux-brick wallpaper that mimics the orginal brick wall in the kitchen.

so feel free to do whatever you want here,’” Kevin says.

So they extended the hallway, combined several rooms into one large room and continued the wooden beams from the den into the newer space. The living area is brighter than the den but with similar wood accents like a thin wood floor trim and stain

Green is the color scheme. It wasn’t on purpose, yet it helps tie in the backyard views from the large windows. The green cushions on the dining set’s chairs, from one of Kevin’s grandparents, complement the large palm print curtains

“It felt like a little bit of the Golden Girls but when they hung up, I was like,‘I really do like these,’”John says.

A Sears 1960s TV, a wedding gift for Kevin’s parents, serves as a console underneath their Samsung Frame TV The other newer pieces in the room are a discontinued 2019 green woven Crate & Barrel couch and black kitchen stools. The original brick wall with a cubby for the oven is still there.

But step into the sunroom, the walls are stark white with modern art and lighter wood tones. Hidden behind an original cabinet door in the office is a bright stairwell that leads into a cement basement that serves as a TV room, primarily for watching the Cowboys and is decorated with movie theater paraphernalia from a cinema a family member owned in a small town.

Brick wallpaper that mimics the kitchen pops up in their darker, modern master bedroom complemented by a white bathroom and dark gray walk-in closet. It has views of the backyard and a pool they put in. At least one of Kevin’s doodles came true

Their three dogs — A Little Bit, a one-eyed Chihuahua found on Northwest Highway, a medium-sized dog named Tempe, short for Temporary since they hadn’t planned on keeping it (they tried to give the dog to the same niece they tried to give the house to) and their Belgian Malinois named Schatzi — find all sorts of wildlife in their backyard. Kevin and John have been attempting to reclaim the overgrown trees and shrubs at the edge of the property next to the creek.

And every summer, the Mediterranean Gardens Women’s Club hosts a 100-plus-person party on their front lawn, like they have for the last forty years.

“We knew that was part of the deal of moving here, so we accepted it,”John says.“We’ve enjoyed it”

It’s part of the charm of living in one of the first houses on an idyllic street, where neighborhood children have always played in front yards. A kind of house that holds nearly a century of one family’s history, owned by a couple who are already finding the next generation of custodians

Kevin and John say they don’t venture much from their neighborhood, as they stand at the edge of their gravel driveway

It’s quintessential Lake Highlands.

Views from the sunroom are the raised garden beds and massive front lawn with a magnolia tree.

The Old Stone House

The Goforth family and their home on Flag Pole Hill is core Lake Highlands history. Perhaps, why the Advocate has been writing about the Goforth family since our inception.

Originally published in the September 1999 issue, the Advocate tells the story of the modest home.

Story by DIANE S. ELLIOTT

There’s a street in Lake Highlands named Goforth where an old stone house sits, its history more complex and reaching back farther than a passerby could possibly guess. Long before the first stone was set, the Goforth family was struggling along the path that would lead them here.

Samuel Cecil Goforth was a man of principle, says his grandson, David Luther Goforth of Athens, Texas, who was born in Garland in 1924. The elder Goforth believed slavery was wrong, and when the Civil War broke out, he fought for the North and his brothers, Thornton and Columbus, fought for the South, “brother against brother,” says the retired cotton farmer.

“The family still remains split to this day,” Goforth says. “My granddaddy used to tell my daddy that ‘selling a woman for breeding purposes was just plain wrong’ and he wouldn’t have no part in it.”

A passionate man, the elder Goforth got caught up in the expansion westward fervor sweeping the land after the war, and like many others, he followed the sound of wagon wheels rolling toward Texas.

Goforth’s father, Campbell David Goforth, one of Samuel’s seven children, was just nine at

the time, but plenty big enough to be a good farmhand. The year was 1875.

“Within two years, my granddaddy was dead, and my grandmother had to raise the kids alone,” he says. He recalls his daddy telling the story of how he and his mama would cut and sell firewood to make ends meet. “A chord of firewood sold for 50 cents, and the cotton gin operation in the little town of Rheinhardt (once located just north of Peavy) was their best customer,” Goforth says.

“My daddy built the family home on what is now known as Flagpole Hill,” Goforth says. “It wasn’t always grass. It got that way because the original stable owner dumped horse manure on it all the time. Flagpole Hill was just one big rock back then.”

By the turn of the century, White Rock Creek represented a potential lake and park for the community, but most importantly, a new water supply for the city...with just a little engineering.

In 1909, at a cost of $176,420, the city acquired White Rock Park, and the following year entered into a contract with the Fred A. Jones Company to build a dam at a cost of $253,070.

In general, the City’s plan had public support, but when the Council attempted to condemn 30 acres of Campbell Goforth’s property, the rock hill and its adjacent land, he demonstrated the

same Goforth passion that his father had displayed concerning slavery.

First, he moved his home to its new location, Peavy and Van Dyke, by placing it on telephone poles, and then he sued the City, demanding $100 per acre for his land.

“Whenever we’d drive past Flagpole Hill, my daddy would tell me, ‘I won that one, son,’” Goforth remembers.

Campbell Goforth deeded a piece of property to his nephew, Ira Goforth, who in 1910 built a modest, but unique, stone home. One of the first homes built in the Lake Highlands area, the stone was shipped here from Central Texas.

Ed Doran Jr., the home’s current owner, says he “loves the privacy of the place and the opportunity to keep horses.”

The vista from Doran’s backyard deck today is mostly lost, taken over by the roofs of homes recently built in the valley below his property line.

However, when he sits on the old front porch swing, he says this view remains the same. The only difference between today and 89 years ago – the hedge that frames the front yard has grown tall and thick.

Before the land was Flag Pole Hill, the land was acquired from the Goforth family. The following is information from the Pioneers of Dallas County Facebook page:

The 1899 photo, pictured on 46, shows Samuel Church and Alice Gualt Goforth with their older children.

The City of Dallas acquired over 400 acres of land from the Goforth family during the construction of White Rock Lake. Flag Pole Hill area was part of this purchase.

“If I recall correctly, Church Road was named in honor of Church Goforth,” says Jim Foster, admin of the Pioneers of Dallas County Facebook page.

- originally published Novevmber 2019. Story by

Marissa Alvarado

THE ONE TIME LAKE HIGHLANDS’ FAVORITE OLD BARN WAS FOR SALE, JUST $1.2 MILLION

Story by CAROL TOLER

Have an extra $1.2 million lying around? You could be the proud owner of Lake Highlands’ favorite dilapidated old barn. The property, sometimes called “Dixie Hill” or “the Goforth place,” includes 1.11 acres at 7921 Goforth Road where generations of LHers have kept horses and taken photos before LHHS Barn Dance. If you want to snap a selfie, though, you’d better hurry. The property sits in the coveted White Rock Elementary attendance zone, and new buyers are likely to subdivide and raise McMansions.

When news of property’s status went up on Facebook, Lake Highlands oldtimers took a moment to grieve the neighborhood’s loss.

“Nnnooooo,” wrote Caitlin Hope Wright. “I lived right next to that barn and frequently sat on my front porch, drinking coffee and watching the horses run in the field along White Rock Trail.”

“Oh, this is so sad,” agreed Katie Housholder Badger, LHHS graduate and teacher at Merriman Park Elementary.

“My sister Anya [Stepcick Lucas] and I have been taking care of our mom and have moved her to memory care,” explained Kirsten Stepcick Howard, whose family has owned the property since the 1970s. “She loves this barn, but now we are focusing on her, and unfortunately it’s time to let go. It was a great backdrop for so many memories. My sister and I are thankful our mom had the tenacity to take care of it all these years.”

“That barn, along with the stone house next door, was owned by my grandfather, Campbell Goforth,” wrote Teresa Goforth, a recent attendee at the 50th reunion of her LHHS Class of 1968. “He gave it to his nephew, Luther Goforth, as a wedding present in the 1930-1940s. Luther fell asleep in bed smoking in about 1956 and died in the front room. I remember going over there with my dad when he got the call about the fire and finding his body. It stayed in the family a few years after, then sold in the ‘60s.”

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Caroline Davis led a team of LHHS students to a film competition victory.

LIGHTS, CAMERA… GO!

The team created a short film in 48 hours that won Best Overall Film for the district

Student feature by

AMORY MOORE | Photography by AMANI SODIQ

BETWEEN THE FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS OF RISD, six teams of eight throughout the district competed in a cinematic competition to create the best short film in 48 hours.

The Lake Highlands team consisted of seniors Megan Jones, Caroline Davis, Alli Truscott, and juniors Bo Richardson, Nathan Macy, Waylon McNamara, Charlie Young, Munachi Etunwaoko. This group of students called themselves “Goated” and earned the title when they won Best Overall Film.

The six student-led teams across the district were given 48 hours to make a 3 to 5 minute short film under very specific parameters.

The film had to be set at a gas station, interpolating a POV and a low angle tracking shot at some point during the runtime. Both a lollipop and a spatula had to be included as a prop, the line “I myself, am strange and unusual,” said by a character and the lyric “When it’s hot like this, you know what I do? I put my undies in the ice box,” sang in a song.

Pop, the short film, is about a man who gets stuck with a lollipop, and he finds someone who can help him escape a loop that he’s trapped in. The film encapsulates their journey of meeting each other and escaping the loop together.

“Working on any sort of film project always brings some sort of learning curve to the table,” Caroline Davis, the director of Pop, comments. “There’s always some sort of technical difficulty, unexpected happenings, or just the inability to execute your ideas the way you wanted.”

Not only did this LHHS team take home Best Overall Film, Nathan Macy won Best Editing, and Caroline Davis won Best Screenplay. When Lake Highlands was announced as the overall winner, Davis couldn’t believe it.

“We were up against Richardson High School, which is like the magnet film school in our district. Composition-wise, the Richardson films looked absolutely spectacular, and watching them during the festival, I thought we had no shot at winning,” Davis mentions.

One of the main things that contributed to the team’s success was their ability to communicate openly and effectively.

“Having a team of eight taught me how to properly relay both information and ideas to everyone and explain it well. I was super lucky to have a team that was so willing to work with each other and open to listening. I believe I’ve become a better director because of my work on Pop,” Davis says.

In any film setting, especially in a high-stress situation, it’s easy to get lost in the process. Davis adds that in the beginning of their 48 hour race, she made an “Affirmations” Google Slideshow as a joke to keep the team in high spirits. Positive phrases like, “I will not raise my voice if I’m mad,” and “I will not let my stress get in the way of my work,” were used.

“We were able to joke around with each other but also knew when we had to focus and work efficiently. I’m super grateful for all of the friendships that grew stronger and new friends that were made over those 48 hours,” Davis added. “Luckily, we didn’t ever have any fights within our crew, and whether it was due to the affirmations or not, everyone was cooperative and grace-giving. That led to our success in the end.”