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Mural on Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico building. Art by JUST ROMI ARTESSA. Photography by Lauren Allen.
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The $28 steak
A mindful art practice
Well Grounded Coffee community
From politics to philanthropy
The East Dallas Uke-A-Ladies
The unexpected marathoner
Inside Well Grounded Coffee. Read more on page
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Constructing Healthcare
Get to know Shella Chainaranont, the East Dallas resident who is building healthcare in DFW
Story by LILLIAN JUAREZ | Photography by SHELBY TAUBER
No one else in Shella Chainaranont’s family are builders, let alone working in construction. It’s been interesting for the Chainaranont family to see Shella continue on the path less traveled by.
“There’s a stigma in Asian culture that you have to be a doctor or you’re not successful. I chose something almost entirely opposite,” Chainaranont says.
She’s not a healthcare worker, but she does build hospitals. Chainaranont, a Dallas-based project manager for Beck, grew up in North Dallas before relocating to her home on Lower Greenville. The 33-year-old has 11 years of experience managing and working on major healthcare construction projects throughout the DFW Metroplex.
There have been many inspiring individuals in her life, however, much of her inspiration comes from her grandfather, a former pilot in the Vietnam War who migrated to America to start a new life in the ’80s.
“Who I look up to the most is my grandfather because he was incredibly supportive and he does so much for his family. He passed away in 2016,” she says.
While Chainaranont may appear as the odd one out of her family that isn’t a doctor or engineer, she’s established a successful career following her passion.
Some of her work includes a 110,000-square-foot expansion of the University of Texas at Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management building, enhancing the Methodist Charlton Medical Center Emergency Department along with several hospitals and labs in Mansfield.
In addition to her projects, Chainaranont is a part of the American Institute of Constructors, American Society for Healthcare Engineering, Lean Construction Institute and TEXO Young Constructors Council.
WHAT IN YOUR LIFE HAS LED YOU TO CHOOSE THIS CAREER PATH?
I graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in construction science, but I actually started as an architecture major because I thought I enjoyed the art of it. A few weeks into my freshman year I quickly realized I didn’t know how to draw and it was very subjective. I was required to take a course called Materials and Methods which was focused on construction, and I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed learning how things are put together in that class and that’s how I’ve been since I was young, always playing with toys and building things like legos or woodworking around the house with my grandpa. I have a knack for picking up hobbies that require me to put something together, so I switched to construction and have enjoyed this meaningful work since. My job working with healthcare always keeps me on my toes.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE WORK YOU DO AND YOUR ROLE AS A PROJECT MANAGER?
I’ve been in construction for about 11 years. I primarily specialize in healthcare projects, both renovations, ground-up work and expansions. I oversee and manage the entire process from the second we receive the drawings, coordinating with the design team and
doing pricing, putting proposals together for it to be scheduled, then contracting subcontractors to implement the project until it’s complete and delivered to the client.
MOST OF YOUR PROJECTS ARE IN DALLAS. CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE WORK YOU’VE DONE IN DFW AND WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT?
My most recent project, Methodist Charlton Medical Center, was pretty challenging as we had to expand its emergency department. Their existing emergency department is the second busiest in DFW, next to Parkland hospital. We built 64 exam rooms, two radiology rooms, six psychiatric rooms, five trauma/critical rooms, eight triage rooms and one CT room. We also added a new underground parking garage, a new helipad and constructed a new remote plant to supply the entire campus for power and cooling. That was definitely the most challenging, however, the project received a Merit Award for our ability to find the correct solution for the building and our commitment to minority contractors.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE BEING A FEMALE PROJECT MANAGER IN A PREDOMINANTLY MALE-ORIENTED FIELD?
Before I started working at Beck, I had a couple of internships with other companies where I was always the only woman in construction, but I don’t know if that is a reflection of the field. At the time, we were definitely the minority, but it has and will continue to grow with more women gravitating towards the industry because of the opportunities. Sure it’s male dominated and it can be intimidating at first, but over time it becomes easier and you feel less alone because there are many women who have excelled in this career path.
OUTSIDE OF BEING A PROJECT MANAGER, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
I enjoy going to White Rock Lake pretty often. I used to only walk my dog there and now I visit for fun and visit the parks. I also volunteer often with Dallas ISD through P-Tech but I’m also involved in TEXO Young Constructors Council, which gives back to students and volunteers with various school districts. Additionally, I am on the steering committee for TEXO YCC, the Texas region of Associated General Contractors of America while also being on the construction leadership council for the national level of AGC.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF AND WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER YOUNG WOMEN GOING INTO CONSTRUCTION?
Don’t be intimated. You’d be surprised at how much you already know and how much you can learn. All of the women that I’ve mentored or worked with have always been incredibly stellar, overly detailed and always know their facts and projects. It’s really easy to be successful in this career path as long as you don’t get too intimidated and be confident in yourself and the understanding you have on construction.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
WHEN EXPERIENCE MATTERS MOST
The first six months of the year have been good for East Dallas. The Nancy Johnson Group has helped 44 families and sold 37 homes.
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As a former Dallas County Prosecutor, District Attorney and State District Court Judge, Susan
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ESCAPE, BREATHE, PAUSE AND CREATE
Rachel
turned a background in psychology and education into a mindful art class business
Larlee
Story by ALYSSA HIGH | Photography by AMANI SODIQ
WOMEN OF COMPASS REAL ESTATE
TAYLOR BURDEN
Taylor Burden only wanted one career: real estate. So real estate is what she has pursued since graduating from Texas Tech.
This Park Cities native and perennial Top Agent is wellversed in Dallas real estate. She’s personally involved in more than $40 million in annual transactions, and she enjoys helping home buyers and sellers at every step in the process: first-time buyers, life events, new babies, home expansions and more.
When is the right time to buy or sell?
“Real estate is an escalator you have to get on,” Taylor says. “Maybe you can’t afford the dream home now, but you can get equity and eventually move up.”
Professional bonus?
“My husband is a title officer, so that makes my closings easy.”
Call Taylor Burden today, and climb the real estate escalator. 214-783-8921. Taylor. burden@compass.com
“BREATHE IN.”
“Paint a thin line.”
“Breathe out, push your brush down and paint your breath around the page.”
“There is no messing up, it’s already a mess.”
You could hear these phrases in one of Lake Highlands neighbor Rachel Larlee’s art classes at The Village, where mindfulness and the power of play are equally important in the process of creating art.
Larlee has a bachelor’s degree in psychology. While in college, Larlee was diagnosed with dyslexia, changing her career trajectory from psychology to education.
“I always knew that it would take me twice, if not three times as long, to do something that my friends just do really quickly,” Larlee says. “Before I went to university, I had a year out and went to Albania and worked in a children’s orphanage for that year. I’ve always loved working with children.”
Larlee began teacher training at Oxford, where she met her husband. She taught for a few years in a village outside of Oxford, using the creativity from her love for art to fill the classroom, partnered with her background in psychology.
Eventually, Larlee taught at a preschool in London, later becoming head of the school. On school breaks, Larlee kept her creativity alive with embroidery, often stitching pillows and making gifts for friends’ nurseries and Christmas presents.
In 2014, Larlee’s husband’s pastoral work led them to Dallas. Larlee started selling freestyle embroidery pieces on social media and at pop-up events.
Then, as so many stories go, the pandemic happened. And Larlee was unable to go home to see her family in the U.K.
“Creativity has always been like a reset for me. I am an introvert, and having three children and an extrovert husband, I needed those
moments of reset: of going in and creating,” Larlee says.
After doing an online watercolor painting class, Larlee “fell in love with watercolors” and using the art style in a “play-based way.”
Soon, the Larlee home was “bursting at the seams” with her artwork, which she worked on in her free time after teaching preschool in Lakewood. While looking for a solution to storing the art before selling, Larlee and her son took a walk around The Village.
The pair entered Linger, then a store selling artisan products, to pitch selling some of her artwork. Serendipitously, a woman in charge of The Village’s rental properties was in the store, and told her of the then-new studio spaces that would be available in the newer part of The Village’s shops.
Larlee opened her shop, teaching lessons on the side and using the space to create.
Her classes aren’t just about art. Her psychology and education backgrounds bring mindfulness exercises into the mix.
“Embroidery, particularly, is such a beautifully mindful process because you’re focusing on every little stitch and you get better,” Larlee says.
To further incorporate mindfulness, Larlee set up a
journaling bar with different pens, watercolors, collage material and prompts that focus on mindfulness, intentionality and self-reflection.
“We all know gratitude changes the brain chemistry,” Larlee says. “Journaling and embroidery and more open-ended projects that people can do are great for parents and children to do together. They’re really lovely.”
This summer, Larlee will host several camps for teens and preteens on top of her open houses on Saturdays. From July 16-18, a Canvas and Soul camp for ages 8-14 will take a “journey through the lives and works of Matisse and Kahlo.” From July 23-25, a Whimsical Woodlands camp will be centered around cottage core and nature for ages 6-12. Both camps are $260 each.
Focusing on the power of play, Larlee will also host a Pre-Teens’ Unplugged and Teens’ Unplugged camp for $295. The camps will include hands-on BBQ lessons from Larlee’s husband, pickleball lessons at The Sandy Pickle, nine square and creative art adventures.
“Our teens don’t know how to interact with each other if they don’t have a phone in their hand,” Larlee says. “We’ll be doing some journaling and mindfulness along the way.”
Larlee’s art focuses on mindfulness and often encorporates themes from nature.
CUPS OF HOPE
Natalie Huscheck commemorates her mission at Well Grounded Coffee Community
Story by SIMON PRUITT | Photography by KELSEY SHOEMAKER
Natalie Huscheck opened Well Grounded Coffee Community in late 2020 with the mission of hiring women recently released from prison. She partnered with Exodus Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that provides counseling and support to local mothers in need, to connect with mothers who were previously incarcerated.
Through Exodus, she met Hannah Dorsey, a single mother of two coming out of a three year prison sentence. Huscheck hired her to be a barista at the flagship location in 2021.
The shop recently opened a second location in Bishop Arts with Dorsey at the helm. In only a few short years out of prison, she’s gone from unemployed single mother to the general manager of her own coffee shop.
Going on four years for WGCC, Huscheck realized her dream of helping women rebuild their lives after prison. Over the past year, she sat down and interviewed nine of her baristas for a book commemorating their mission. The result is But God… A 30 Day Journey of Hope The book oscillates between narrative and devotional, with each barista’s story broken up into past, present and future segments with a faith-based message at the core.
“When we got a copy of the first book, it became real for everyone,” Huscheck says. “They almost had buyer’s remorse. They all had moments of being absolutely vulnerable.”
The book pulls no punches about the severity of some of the women’s lives prior to rehabilitation efforts from organizations like Exodus and WGCC. Now that the book is published, their vulnerability is helping women with similar life experiences.
“When I hire, I do tell them that this is a completely unique situation where people will know that you’ve been in prison,” she says. “That’s just our mission, it’ll be out there.”
Huscheck has gifted copies of the book to various rehab organizations with the hopes of inspiring those who may just be starting their recovery process. Eventually, Huscheck wants to get the book in women’s prisons to show that there’s a pathway out of their current situation.
“They go from prison, no rights at all, everyone’s telling them what to do. Then they get out and the reaction is, I don’t want anyone ever telling me what to do,” she says. “It’s real life. People will always be over you. It’s managing that well and choosing healthy accountability.”
Well Grounded opened a second location in Bishop Arts in May 2024.
Each Steakyard steak is topped with the restaurant’s signature brandy peppercorn sauce and cooked over oak wood.
THESTEAK$28
What happens when a Texas de Brazil veteran and Delucca Gaucho’s former owners open a steakhouse
Story by JEHADU ABSHIRO
Photography by KELSEY SHOEMAKER
Walk into Uptown’s Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse and order the 10-ounce filet mignon ($62) and fries ($14). Your total with tax and a 20% tip will leave you with a $98 tab.
Walk into Dakota’s Steakhouse and order the 8-ounce center-cut filet mignon ($57, the least expensive cut) and fries ($11 or $13 for the truffle fries). Your total with tax and a 20% tip will leave you with a $87 tab.
Walk into Northwest Highway’s Steakyard and order the 9-ounce tenderloin — the bistro cut to be exact — served with a brandy peppercorn sauce ($28). It comes with fries already, so your tab with tax and a 20% tip is $36.
In a city full of steaks, that’s a deal. And it’s the point of the Steakyard. Its focus is on steak frites, similar to the kind served at the French bistros owners Evandro Caregnato and Vanderleia Mallman frequent in Paris.
“We went to a fancy place. And then the next day we went to this bistro that cost like a fraction of the price and said, ‘Wow, we love this place. We love this place much
more than the fancy one,’’’ Caregnato says. “So that’s what we want people to think when they come in here.”
The couple, originally from southern Brazil, came to the meteroplex after the founders of Texas de Brazil recruited Caregnato to help launch an authentic churrascaria in the late ‘90s. After spending nearly two decades as their culinary director, his wife Mallman and him opened Delucca Gaucho, serving churrascaria-style pizza in Southlake before expanding to four more locations.
Some of Steakyard’s must-haves include its seared salmon paired with roasted asparagus, a classic Cesar salad and lobster risotto.
the property tucked behind REI and Starbucks. They weren’t sure if it was going to be another Delucca Gaucho or a different concept.
Steakyard’s open kitchen is the heart of the restaurant.
Then, out of left field, they got an offer they couldn’t refuse and sold Delucca Gaucho in 2022.
With a clean slate, they started fully devoting their time to the Steakyard. It was the perfect fit for their Northwest Highway property.
a few Restoration Hardware pieces scattered throughout the restaurant. A deep green, something between emerald and forest, coats the walls and juxtaposes the deep burgundy booths and the light wood.
“We want people to know that this is elegance, but approachable,” Caregnato says.
Meanwhile, they had already started working on building a restaurant on
They sourced an assortment of secondhand tabletops, sanding them down in their Keller home. That’s why the tables are all different shapes and sizes. There are
There’s not an extensive steak selection. There are three cuts — the bistro, the picanha and the ribeye — cooked over an open flame. The rest of the menu is simple. Six appetizers, including a rainbow ceviche, four alternative entrees, seven sides and four desserts.
“Whenever you have 100 different things
on the menu, you need to have somebody in the back (who knows) how to make 100 different menu items,” Caregnato says. “So it’s better, we don’t have a lot of variety, but they know how to do it very well.”
The meat is aged 30 days before being served and the bistro is the best-selling item on the menu.
The cocktails are spins on classics. A lemon drop, but make it raspberry topped with a ball of fog. An old fashioned, but use maple syrup instead of sugar cubes.
“We try to keep it simple. We do the popular drinks that people understand,” Mallman says.
The bartender and one of their managers came from Delucca. Their daughter Sophia, a business student at Southern Methodist University, works front of the house with Mallman. Their Cornell-bound son Lucas works in the kitchen alongside Caregnato.
“I feel like that’s my favorite part. To see them being us,” Mallman says.
Steakyard 6726 Shadybrook Ln., steakyard.com
POLTICS TO PHILAN THROPY
Cameron Hernholm was supposed to be in politics, instead she chose philanthropy
Cameron Hernholm was on the debate team in high school. She studied political science. She was even preparing for law school. Her future was set, and her resume reflected it.
She always knew she would pursue a career in politics or law. That was always the plan, and when her mind is set on something, there’s no changing it.
It wasn’t until the senior year of her undergrad in ‘98 that the Lakewood resident would embark on a new journey of nonprofit work. After 21 years filled with professional experience in fundraising and development, the ambitious East Texan from Longview doesn’t regret her path one bit.
“It’s the only profession I’ve had,” she says.” I always tell peo -
ple I would be really out of luck if I didn’t love what I did or if I had to do something else.”
For two summers as an undergrad at the University of North Texas, Hernholm interned for state treasurer Martha Whitehead in Austin, and in her junior year, she interned for Congresswoman Kay Granger. Working alongside these women played a pivotal role
Story by LILLIAN JUAREZ | Photography by AMANI SODIQ
THROPY
in her life, but it wasn’t until she began working at Interfaith Denton that she caught a glimpse of a promising future.
“IF YOU ARE GIVEN GIFTS, YOU ABSOLUTELY OWE IT TO OTHER PEOPLE TO USE YOUR GIFTS.”
At the time of her starting at Interfaith Denton in 1998 — a nonprofit which provides basic need assistance — the organization didn’t have a fundraising person, not until Hernholm walked in at least. So she began doing small things like working on grants, annual appeal letters and donor records.
“It was literally there. I was like, ‘Wait, this is the part of public service I want to do, (philanthropy and fundraising work)’ and working
at the fundraising firm just solidified that for me,” she says.
Hernholm attended graduate school at Georgia State University for a master’s degree in public administration/nonprofit administration, where she did a practicum internship with a large fundraising firm in Atlanta reporting to Del Martin, former chairman and founding partner of the Alexander Haas Martin & Partners.
Now that she had found her passion, she says it was time to return to Texas. Hernholm took a job as director of development and public relations at CC Young, and in 2009 she moved to the Junius Heights neighborhood.
In 2017, Hernholm became licensed as a single foster mom in Texas, working with the foster care system. It was during this period that she collaborated with a former consultant from Nexus who asked her to discuss the organization’s philanthropic strategy in light of its new 2020 strategic plan. She came on board as a consultant, and soon they offered her a job.
Joining Nexus, a 53-year-old nonprofit organization specializing in recovery treatment for women facing substance abuse and addiction, was a dream come true, she says. Although she had imagined herself in the courtroom arguing a case, her role at Nexus involves fundraising, development, marketing and public relations. Hernholm and her team of five raise annual operating funds and are leading an $86 million capital campaign aimed at transforming the Nexus campus by 2031.
From an early age, she has been a go-getter, and much of her motivation comes from a desire to help others by leveraging the blessings and opportunities she’s received.
“If you are given gifts, you absolutely owe it to other people to use your gifts, whatever they may be, and to help others,” she says.
In 2019, Hernholm adopted her daughter and closed her foster license, starting a new chapter of life. Many of the things she has experienced in foster care and as a mother have prepared her to translate such skills and empathy when working with families who come into Nexus.
She will still participate in the Lakewood Service League and the Lakewood Women in Business organization and work towards her goal of raising $86 million for Nexus Center.
“I’ve always wanted to do what I do and I don’t see myself doing anything different,” she says. “I truly love what I do for a living, I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”
Heartstrings attacHed
How a love for music created the East Dallas Uke-A-Ladies
Story by LILLIAN JUAREZ
by YUVIE STYLES
Far left Robert Richie (Bob), Beverly Ann Moore, Julia Jernigan Gibson, Rebecca Boatman, Teresa Bond, Marty Ray, Margo Miller, BJ Anderson. Not included: Terri Stone and Angie Qilin Livesay.
Photography
Marty Ray sits on the large gray and white chair caressing her ukulele as if she was the godmother of the instrument. She’s not the intimidating type, but you can tell she’s been here long enough for everyone to respect her.
With a comb in hand, she begins floofing her hair as a “touch up” before all eyes are on her as she tells the origin of the Uke-A-Ladies.
Twenty years ago, Ray met Terri Stone as part of the White Rock Lake Artist Studio Tour (an annual art event where visual artists gather, created by Ray). They instantly bonded over their love for music. Stone played this, Ray played that, one liked this music, the other liked that and after a while, they began playing together and eventually bought ukuleles for rehearsals.
Why they chose to buy a ukulele isn’t certain, as Ray says it was a long time ago, but who cares. It was an easy instrument to play and they were no Tiny Tim.
Nothing was serious. They were just having fun. It wasn’t until 2009 that a third music enthusiast, Dana Smith, was adopted by the two, which led to the trio rehearsing in the back of Ray’s home regularly. Later, Ray’s husband Richard, a professional musician, wandered in one day and said, “Hey, y’all should be a band … y’all were playing something really good.”
A spark was lit, and the three founding mothers Terri, Dana and Ray spawned a ukulele group that would later become known as the East Dallas Uke-A-Ladies.
Back then, “none of them were good,” Ray says with a laugh, “but you play with your passion.”
Around 2015, Teresa Bond also began taking ukulele lessons from Noel Tardy – the original Ukulele Lady of Dallas – in the Bath House Cultural Center operating as a ukulele shop. At that time it was the only ukulele specialty store in Texas that offered free beginner classes, workshops and special guest performances. It became a music haven for ukulele lovers, but after Tardy’s unexpected death, the store was at risk of going away.
Bond didn’t want to see something like this ukulele shop disappear, so in 2017, she connected with the other three women and started Uke-a-Palooza.
What began as a less than a handful of women having fun just taking Ukulele lessons at the Bath House Cultural Center has transitioned to a group of 11, 10 women — and Bob, who are a combination of amateurs and “real” musicians.
The Uke-A-Ladies — and Bob, the Uke-A-Lad — were ready to win over our neighborhood with their cheerful strums, catchy tunes and contagious dance moves. When you watch them play, you can’t help but be affected by their endearing Southern charm
and playful charisma on the ukulele. Audiences find themselves four hours later wondering, “How did this become so fun? How can I join them?”
Every year at the bathhouse in June, the Uke-ALadies provide free ukulele lessons to around 100 people of all ages. The ukulele group is known to play classics like “Bye Bye Blue Eyes,” “Forever Young” and “I Feel Fine.” They have played at private events, homes and on their lawns during the pandemic and on holidays.
While the ukulele band might appear official with their logo, numerous appearances in the neighborhood and a massive presence on Facebook, they don’t want to be mixed up with the professionals, because they are far from it, Stone jokes.
Uke-a-Palooza has no age limit, it’s open to all willing to let loose and have fun without judgment of being good or bad.
“We are not a professional group, we are not a performance group either,” Bond says. “We play because we want to have fun and that’s our whole thing.”
They’ve been there for each other through it all. From the pandemic to knee surgeries, cancer diagnosis, hip and shoulder replacements, movings and big accomplishments, Uke-A-Ladies is a community.
Every Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. the group meets to rehearse at Bond’s house, where her dog Boudreaux, their unofficial mascot, plays bass with his treats while the ladies and Bob sing songs such as “Three Little Birds,” “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” and “We’re Going To Be Friends.”
Uke-a-Palooza is a collaboration of the Friends of the Bath House, the Bath House Cultural Center and the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. It is a free event where attendees can learn to play the ukulele.
While they rehearse, “Betsy” — a colorful ukulele named after a former Uke-A-Lady who moved to Wisconsin — lies at the center table of the women to ensure her spirit is still with them, despite Betsy thinking they were terrible in the beginning.
“We are not a professional group, we are not a performance group either…We play because we want to have fun and that’s our whole thing.”
To ensure everything sounds correct, Dallas ISD music teacher Angie Livesay runs the song until satisfied, dancing, strumming and having a sing-off with Julia Gibson, who has been playing the ukulele for years. Everyone sways and taps a foot to catch the rhythm, sometimes they’ll get off track or miss a strum, but they’ll either laugh it off or just keep going.
That’s the beauty of the ukulele. When you play, it’s not meant to be intimidating like other instruments. It’s a tool that embraces imperfection, so much so that it seems almost purposeful, the women remind the audience.
“Ladies — and Bob,” Bond says, “let’s start from the beginning.”
Although it may look easy strumming four chords, it’s a lot of work.
“Ukulele is the topic but the big thing about us is the singing. There’s a couple of people in our group who don’t necessarily sing,” Ray says as she looks over at Terri and the two laugh.
“And we don’t care how we sound,” Bond adds.
Some in the group sing, some just mouth along, others belt, a few harmonize, and everyone is doing and playing in their own world.
And you’re never too young or too old to learn how to play, Ray says, recalling the time she taught a 90-year-old woman how to play.
“It’s fun for me to see these distinct ladies, I mean really accomplished, independent, incredible, successful, beautiful, wonderful women who are now expanding into a different genre in music,” Bond says.
“It’s kind of funny because it’s very different for all of us, like we’re just pushing the edge of continuing to learn [and] pushing new mediums as we age.”
The unexpected marathoner
From White Rock to Boston: Woodrow Wilson alumna Kelly Irwin’s marathon odyssey
Story by LILLIAN JUAREZ
by VICTORIA GOMEZ
KELLY IRWIN HAS RUN APPROXIMATELY 7,800 MILES over the span of five years, a distance equivalent to walking from Dallas to California five times. Despite being a natural runner, participating in 10 marathons such as New York and Boston, she has never considered herself an athlete.
During her sophomore year of high school, Irwin moved to East Dallas and later attended Woodrow Wilson High School. Not interested in athletics, her time was spent singing in choir and playing the violin and piano.
She was a bit of a shy child, “the meekest little mouse,” she recalls. However, the confidence instilled in her by her Woodrow choir director, Marca Lee Bircher, served as a catalyst to “get out there and do it,” a metaphor she’d use throughout her running journey.
In 2018, around her 50th birthday, Irwin decided to shake up her routine and pursue an active hobby. She grabbed her running shoes and her dog and began running in her neighborhood. Then, Connie Dozier, a friend from Woodrow, invited her to join her running group.
Photography
Dear Neighbors,
With hesitation, Irwin said yes. But she didn’t know she was agreeing to waking up at the crack of dawn to run a 9.4-mile loop around the lake — she could hardly handle four miles.
“Something compelled me to show up that morning and I did. I looped the lake with them and as soon as I knew I could do it, I kind of got hooked,” Irwin says.
Her journey has been gradual, starting with her running with Connie’s group around the lake to her most challenging race in Steamboat Springs. She never envisioned this hobby would become a lifestyle marked by continuously setting new goals and standards for herself, but it did.
Her first half marathon with BMW Dallas Marathon (formerly known as Dallas White Rock Marathon) in 2021 was a modest 13.1-mile run, yet it served as a significant milestone that questioned and challenged her as a runner. By 2019, she asked herself, “Can I run a marathon?”
A full marathon spans 26.2 miles – a distance equivalent to going from Lakewood to Arlington. Irwin couldn’t fathom the idea of running for almost six hours, two and a half if she were lucky. But her fear would be challenged when she received an email from the Gladney Center of Adoption in Fort Worth — where Irwin and her husband had adopted their two sons — offering one of 10 spots to run The New York Marathon as a charity sponsor.
Joining an 18-week training program through the Dallas Running Club, Irwin learned everything from proper footwear to hydration and nutrition techniques. Initially placed in the 4:20:00 group, five years later her personal best marathon stands at 3:51:00.
“She’s always up for a challenge. When she sets her mind to something, she does it,” Dozier says. “Once she got that bug for running then she just took off and now she’s multiyear running marathons, she’s very determined.”
From Texas to Japan, Irwin has quite literally run around the world. It began with New York in 2019, followed by a virtual Marine Corps Marathon during the pandemic. In 2021, she ran the Steamboat Springs Marathon
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in Colorado, alongside New York and BMW Dallas. The following year she ran the Big Sur in California, Marine Corps Marathon in Virginia and last year, Austin and Chicago, then the Boston Marathon in April 2024.
It was a “pinch me” moment when Irwin’s time qualified for the Boston Marathon (the women’s time requirement for ages 55-59 is 4:05:00, a 9:21 minute pace per mile). Each day, she trained for the course, studied the marathon and connected with groups for support.
“It didn’t shock me [she made the Boston Marathon] because she has that type of personality where if she likes something or loves something and enjoys it then she’s gonna take over and do the best she can with it and become very involved,” Dozier says. “She doesn’t do something halfway, she will go in and give it her all in everything in her life.”
While they no longer train together, Connie and the running group share excitement for Irwin as she accomplishes new milestones.
“It was kind of fun to see her take off and fly, like our little kid [that] grew up and now [we get to] see her go and flourish,” Dozier adds.
For Irwin, running hasn’t always been about the glory of reaching the finish line or the thrill of hitting a new personal record. It’s the chance to focus on her health and honor her mom who died in 2019 from an unexpected heart attack.
“I think the real reason I ran, as I saw my own mom’s health declining or mobility declining,” Irwin says. “I think deep down I wanted to resist that and avoid that happening to me.”
Irwin’s “fiercly independent” mom was an inspiration in more ways than one. Though she was born in the late ‘30s and unable to attend college, she “never let being a women get in the way,” and Irwin, in turn, grew up in a world where being a woman “wasn’t an impediment,” she says.
“[Midlife] is a tough age. The kids are getting older and will leave the nest. My mom is aging. It was just a relief from that in a way to stay healthy, thinking long term,” she says. “Let’s embrace life in this middle age.”
The Loveliest Maiden
Dallas’ avant-pop princess looks to leave a legacy
Story by SIMON PRUITT | Photography by AUSTIN MARC GRAF
In 1801, German author Clemens Brentano wrote “Zu Bacharach am Rheine,” which translates to “to Bacharach on the Rhine,” referring to the German town and Rhine River. In the ballad, a young maiden named Lore Lay falls to her death atop a cliff overlooking the Rhine. As she falls, an echo of her name resonates across the valley.
Two decades later, poet Henreich Heine refined the tale in a short poem titled Die Lorelei , which reinvented the character as an ethereal siren that sat atop the cliff over the Rhine, singing and luring sailors to the same fate as hers.
The loveliest maiden is sitting Up there, so wondrously fair; Her golden jewelry is glist’ning; She combs her golden hair.”
She combs with a gilded comb, preening, And sings a song, passing time. It has a most wondrous, appealing And pow’rful melodic rhyme.
In 1983, the poem manifested into reality. Heine’s description of Lorelei’s physical beauty inspired sculptor Natascha Alexandrova Jusopovto to craft a 16-foot bronze Lorelei statue that now resides over the Rhine. It was her statue that grabbed the attention of a 16-year-old Dahlia Knowles visiting Europe.
“She’s just really metal, cool, inspiring and I thought the name was really cool, so I just kind of took it and ran,” she says.
Taking after her muse’s story, Knowles has been performing music under the name ‘Lorelei K’ for over ten years now.
Her first widespread release came in January 2019, a three-track EP collaboration with KXT Radio host and multi-instrumentalist Paul Slavens titled KILL THE WORLD . Nine months later, she
released Lightbender , a full-length album that doubled down on her signature electronic crooning sound. She now has three albums under her belt. The most recent, Gucci Doom , released in 2023 with a deluxe follow-up this May with six additional tracks.
“Everything changes all the time. It’s stressful and it doesn’t ever stop,” Knowles says. “I feel like my music is sort of a way for me to document those changes. I hope that I’m able to share intimate moments with an audience. I enjoy the exchange of energy.”
Her next performance won’t be so intimate. She takes the stage at the 1,000-capacity Granada Theater on July 6 to open up Obituary Fest, a one-night music event celebrating goth culture. The show is hosted and curated by Leah Lane, who fronts Dallas-based goth rock band Rosegarden Funeral Party.
“I’ve never considered myself goth,” Knowles says. “But I enjoy goth culture, I’m sure we’ll be done up pretty dark for the show.”
A done up Lorelei K will debut “Colder” at the show, her newest single set to drop on July 5 with an accompanying music video.
“‘Colder’ is a song that means a lot to me,” she says. “It’s written to someone in my life that made things really complex and difficult, but gave me a lot too. I learned a lot from them, it’s more of a thank you letter.”
Knowles describes the song as a sprawling, cinematic ballad with dark undertones ripe for a gothic music festival. With it being performed in front of one of her biggest crowds yet, she’s sure to recognize the significance of the moment. For Knowles, that means to let the music speak for itself.
“I kind of ramble,” she says. “My words get all jumbled up whenever I’m just talking normally, but when I’m singing, there’s more clarity. My music is my output, that’s what I want my legacy to be.”
Lorelei K will release a new single, “Colder,” the night before Obituary Fest.
AC & HEAT
WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?
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!
214-710-2515 dallasheatingac.com
APPLIANCE REPAIR
JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE
TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898
BUY SELL TRADE
I BUY USED CARS
Sam. Dallas. 469-609-0978.
!!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
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 SERVICE
Move In/Out. Basic Clean.Res/Com goldencleaningservicetx.com. 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
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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
NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMPUTER, Smartphone or Smart Home? My Tech Guy Harvey. 214-770-2598. harveymccall@gmail.com.
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
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CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401
EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216
FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001
JOHNSON PAVING Concrete, Asphalt, Driveways. New or Repair. 214-827-1530
R&M Concrete
Concrete • Driveways Retaining Walls Stamped Concrete
214-202-8958
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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
EXPERIENCED NANNY 2 months-6 Years Great References.15 Years Experience warconie@gmail.com. 469-987-2172
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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
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All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers
HANNAH WOODWORKS
•Decks • Pergolas •Patio Covers
Hannawoodworks.com 214-435-9574
Foors
colors to choose (flakes optional) Call Nick for bid 214-341-5993 hastingsfloors.com
HARDWOOD INSTALLATIONS Waterproof, hardwood, carpets, tile laminate, & vinyl click. 214-440-6244 . aaa-texas-floors.com
FOR SALE
FOR SALE 6 pc Queen bedroom set (solid wood). Separately or together. Good Condition. $1200 for set. 956-645-1747
FOUNDATION REPAIR
Slabs • Pier & Beam
Mud Jacking • Drainage
Free Estimates
Over 20 Years Exp. 972-288-3797
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 Us Tackle Your To-Do List!
HOUSE PAINTING
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
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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,
• Tubs, Tiles or Sinks
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A CHARMING HOME
Decluttering + Organizing + Styling acharminghome.co 214-794-6382
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REMODELING
RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247
SERVICES FOR YOU
S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427
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
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Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061
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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
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PLUMBING
AC PLUMBING Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943
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ROOFING & GUTTERS
BERT ROOFING INC.
Family owned and operated for over 40 years
• Residential/Commercial • Over 30,000 roofs completed • Seven NTRCA “Golden Hammer” Awards • Free Estimates www.bertroofing.com 214.321.9341
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ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS! PLUMBING ISSUES ?
POOLS
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
WHERE DID YOUR MONEY GO? Bookkeeping Services for small businesses & Personal. Financial organizing. Quicken & other programs. Sharon 214-679-9688
REAL ESTATE
ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD?
Facing forclosure? IG Heron Homes Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839
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and
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SERVICES FOR YOU
AGING ROOF? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing Available.1-888-878-9091.
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GARDEN OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT
Walnut Hill @ CENTRAL.3 Smaller Suites Avail. Flexible Terms 214.915. 8886
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OFFICE SUBLEASE In Bishop Arts. Cool, Quiet.
1,179 Sq ft. 4 rooms + kit / bath, parking. $2,950 + NNNs. 713.302-7722.
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cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809
TUTOR/LESSONS
WANTED: OBOE TEACHER needed for 14 year old student. Call 214–235-7429
By PATTI VINSON
It’s trash can, not trash cannot
One lake’s trash is another queen’s costume
Blue recycle bags. Plastic water bottles. Spam cans and Cool Whip containers. Tiaras. It’s what all the royals are wearing. The royalty of White Rock Lake anyway. Presenting: The Trash Queens, ambassadors of the For the Love of the Lake (FTLOTL) organization.
It’s truly their love for the lake, along with a healthy sense of humor, that inspire Amy Ewell and Vail Fassett, longtime organization volunteers and current Trash Queens, to throw all inhibition to the wind and dress in items they dig from their blue recycle bins, all to bring attention to and increase awareness of trash pickup at our beloved neighborhood lake.
For those unfamiliar with FTLOTL, board president Elizabeth Sullivan outlines its mission as “the preservation and enhancement of White Rock Lake Park as an urban oasis and to ensure those who enjoy White Rock Lake Park actively engage in service to maintain the environment for future generations.”
Notice that last bit - that means you and me and everyone else who enjoys the lake all have to do our part. Enter the Trash Queens to remind us with their quirky humor. “We are stewards of FTLOTL,” explains Ewell, “and all of the trash that people leave behind.”
As second-generation Trash Queens, they make public appearances all around East Dallas, often accompanied by FTLOTL’s mascot, Rocky, an 11-foot-tall duck. Chances are, you’ve seen them in one of the gazillion parades held in the neighborhood. “Here at For the Love of the Lake, we love a parade and it shows,” laughs Sullivan. “Our Trash Queens and Rocky the Duck participate in the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Lakewood 4th of July parade (“Most Creative Costume” 2010), Little Forest Hills 4th of July parade and the State Fair of Texas Parade. They serve to raise awareness of For the Love of the Lake’s mission across the DFW Metroplex in a unique and fun way.”
They also make appearances at Second
Saturday Shoreline Cleanup and other events sponsored by FTLOTL.
Ewell and Fassett have definitely had fun fulfilling their royal duties for the past twelve years. Both residents of Little Forest Hills, they’ve been friends and running buddies since 1998 and were active volunteers for FTLOTL when they first got to represent the organization in a parade.
“One year we were asked if we wanted to ride along in the parade with FTLOTL group so of course we said yes! It was the Saint Patrick’s Day parade and a blast,” recalls Ewell. “We rode back and forth around the beautiful blue Cadillac owned and driven by Gary Spence, and the Trash Queens perched on the back seat looking fabulous. I think Rocky was there too.”
As fate would have it, their royal time was coming. The following year, the original Trash Queens were unable to fulfill their duties, so Ewell and Fassett were asked to step in and serve. “We were reluctant but hopeful we could live up to the job,” says Ewell.
Turns out they were naturals. “It was a surreal and amazing experience,” remembers Fassett, “and we loved being able to help to promote FTLOTL as the Trash Queens as we were chauffeured by Gary Spence in his ginormous amazing blue Caddy.”
Ewell and Fassett were inspired by their predecessors but put their own stamp on their queenly attire. “We’re not as classy as the original first generation of Trash Queens,” admits Fassett. “Our ‘outfits’ are trashier and a bit more bizarre and outrageous.” While they kept the big hair and red lipstick of the first generation Trash Queens, they decided to get creative and send a message with clothing.
“Trash ain’t pretty,” Fassett reminds us. “We took the Trash Queen concept, and took it to the next level, dressing mostly in trash bags and recycled trash from our recycle bin.”
“We added/took away/tied things here and there but tried to make it as ‘trashy’ as
possible without buying items,” adds Ewell. The Queens explain it’s a “work in progress” for every event, and, of course, they tailor outfits for specific events, such as lots of green for Saint Patrick’s Day.
The Queens can do amazing things with blue bags, wrapping and twisting and fastening them in such an artful way that you have to look closely to see that it’s not an off-the-rack formal dress. And what is a queen without a tiara? Fassett often wears a vintage tiara given to her by a friend who is a former beauty queen.
Sometimes they go for the elegant, blue-bag dress look, other times they head down the outrageous path. Ewell has been known to don a queenly sash over a red shirt, topped with a chunky necklace of Coors Light cans and two Cool Whip containers forming a Cool Whip bra. She’s used flattened Spam cans to create her giant earrings. Her “tiara” is made from a recycled box, Diet Coke cans, a Cool Whip lid, plastic water bottles and other recyclables.
Ewell and Fassett are having fun, but their message is serious. They love White Rock Lake and want to spread the word that we all need to take care of it. “Such a gem to have this in an urban area,” says Ewell. “FTLOTL and others have kept it from being taken over by commercialism, kept it clean, and encouraged community involvement to make everyone feel more responsible and respectful of what we have.”
“It’s an honor and a privilege to take on this role. It’s a wonderful way to promote the FTLOTL message and promote White Rock Lake, our amazing urban oasis,” Fassett agrees.
For More Information: whiterocklake.org or info@whiterocklake.org
PATTI VINSON is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for more than 20 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine.
The Trash Queens bring their trash-ladden get-ups to neighborhood events like St. Patrick’s Day parades, the State Fair of Texas and the 4th of July Parade.
Photography courtesy of The Trash Queens.
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