With cooler temperatures and colorful scenery on the way, Fall promises a more inviting backdrop for house hunting. With the market still active, now is an ideal time to settle into a new space before the holiday season arrives all too quickly.
Digital Marketing & Analytics: Autumn Grisby agrisby@advocatemag.com
Founder: Rick Wamre
214.560.4212 / rwamre@advocatemag.com
Custom Content: Sally Wamre
214.686.3593 / swamre@advocatemag.com
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS
Frank McClendon
214.560.4215 / fmcclendon@advocatemag.com
Michele Paulda
214.724.5633 / mpaulda@advocatemag.com
Catherine Pate
214.560.4201 / cpate@advocatemag.com
Linda Kenney lkenney@advocatemag.com
Brandon Rodriguez
972-754-3942 / brodriguez@advocatemag.com
Kennedy Cox 214-796-8626 / kcox@advocatemag.com
Classified Manager: Prio Berger
214.292.0493 / pberger@advocatemag.com
EDITORS: Alyssa High ahigh@advocatemag.com
Jillian Nachtigal jnachtigal@advocatemag.com
Aysia Lane alane@advocatemag.com
Austin Wood awood@advocatemag.com
Editorial Assistant: Simon Pruitt spruitt@advocatemag.com
Senior Art Director: Jynnette Neal jneal@advocatemag.com
Creative Director/Photographer: Lauren Allen lallen@advocatemag.com
Interns: Varsha Jhanak, Abbie Fleeman
Contributors: Patti Vinson, Carol Toler, Sam Gillespie, Contributing photographers: Kathy Tran, Yuvie Styles, Shelby Tauber, Victoria Gomez, Amani Sodiq, Austin Marc Graf, Ellie Overman, Haley Hill, Jenni Cholula, Austin Gibbs 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 printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject ay editorial, advertising or sponsorship material in print or online. Opinions set forth in Advocate publications are
advocatemag.com/newsletter
BEHIND THE SCREAMS
Meet the neighbor making a horror film right here in Lakewood
Story by AYSIA LANE
BRADLEY STEELE HARDING IS NO STRANGER TO CRAFTING A STORY. HIS EARLIEST MODE OF STORYTELLING WAS ACTING.
“What I learned through acting was that I wanted to be the person to call the shots. I wanted to be creating the story, the person driving the story. I didn’t necessarily need to be in the spotlight. So I think that from an early age, I wanted to create and create stories and create interesting things. And I always loved movies.”
It’s safe to say his love for movies began at his town’s local drive-in. His parents would take him and his brother regularly. His favorite films were horror movies. The gore, the acting, the plots — it was all little Harding could think about. After his parents separated, at around 8 or 9 years old, Harding began watching horror movies every weekend.
Horror became a full-time hobby.
The fascination with the genre continued and reached its peak when he stumbled across what would become a pivotal source of inspiration for his artistic trajectory: Fangoria . Flipping through those pages of the all-things-horror magazine — that he refers to as his “bible” — helped him realize he had to do something with all the inspiration he had gathered up.
“It was a huge influence in my life. That magazine made me want to become a writer as much as a filmmaker,” Harding says.
That magazine and his love of horror films became the “driving force” that took him from watching movies at the drive-in, to making them himself. After graduating from The University of Oklahoma, Harding came to Oak Lawn in 1994 with a desire to pursue production.
“I discovered very early on that I did not want to be in film production here or anywhere, actually, because I needed to be the person who was in charge,” Harding says.
He didn’t like the way he saw films being made. Directors would sit in rooms far away from their actors, watching them through a monitor, and never speaking directly to them. He could feel how disjointed the story would become through the prioritization of efficiency rather than enjoying the process of storytelling. More importantly, it wasn’t fun. He realized that his experience was common.
Harding eventually moved to Lakewood in 1999 and was making a name for himself as an entertainment journalist and independent filmmaker, writing for several different publications, including Fangoria . He has since written and directed several digital shorts through his production company Lampkin Lane Productions and created his first feature film 13 Tracks to Frighten Agatha Black that was released in 2022.
He has slowly but surely found a rotation of crew and cast members he likes to have in his orbit while creating films. He loves them. He trusts them.
“It makes it so easy if everyone is on the same page and they’re excited about the work,” he says.
Now, he is a full-fledged storyteller and, armed with experience and passion, he gets to run his own movie sets.
“My hands are all over everything,” Harding says. “My sets are very small and so I’m present. I am there for everything that’s going on during the time of production, for however long and I’m right there with the actors.”
His newest film Occult Canvas is in pre-production and is
Actress Birdie Marie Corbett has worked with Harding on 13 Tracks to Frighten Agatha Black (2022) as Agatha and will be playing Kim in Occult Canvas. Photo courtesy of Bradley Steele Harding.
DENTAL EXCELLENCE IN THE HEART OF LAKEWOOD
loosely inspired by the ’70s TV show Night Gallery and other TV movies from that era.
“Horror films made for television in the early ’70s have a very weird vibe and I want to try to capture that,” Harding says. “It’s a Valentine to ’70s TV horror, and it revolves around these paintings, these cursed paintings, and how they affect the people who have unearthed them. There are a lot of characters, and they’re affected in terrible ways.”
This new horror project is being filmed right here in Lakewood.
Harding took to Facebook to ask his neighbors for help narrowing down a home that fit the horror bill to shoot at. He was looking for something mid-century modern, with the same early ’70s vibe he was drawing inspiration from for the film.
“That Facebook post was very successful. I have really cool neighbors. I mean, Lakewood is just a cool neighborhood, and so a lot of people reached out,” Harding says.
This wasn’t the first time the filmmaker had turned to his neighbors for help. He shot his first feature film in the neighborhood and asked his peers to weigh-in on possible shooting locations for the project. The support he’s received from the community is one of the many reasons Harding has grown a a deep sense of respect for his neighborhood. But Harding’s love for Lakewood is based on more than just his cool neighbors. The neighborhood itself serves as creative inspiration on a daily basis.
“I write the script in my head before I put anything on paper. And I pace. I often will walk the neighborhood. I will walk the lake. All of the images in my head are informed by this lovely neighborhood, this eclectic neighborhood with these, you know, terrible new builds and old houses, and it’s just an eclectic mix of interesting architecture,” he says. “It’s informed by my relationship here with the neighborhood.”
Dr. Ben Alexander and the Lakewood Restorative Dentistry team
Dr. Ben Alexander and his family are longtime
Cinematogragher Daniel Frank (left) and Harding (right) on the set of 13 Tracks to Frighten Agatha Black (2022)
SELLING LAKEWOOD
this is not a tv show, this is real life
Dallas Costume Shoppe is preparing for its first move since the 1970s.
NEW THREADS
MICHAEL ROBINSON HAS PLAYED A LOT OF PARTS, MOVING A DECADES-OLD BUSINESS IS HIS LATEST
Story by SIMON PRUITT | Photography by LAUREN ALLEN
MICHAEL ROBINSON HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THEATER HIS WHOLE LIFE. Literally. His first on-stage performance was as the youngest son in the Royal Family in a production of The King And I . Robinson was only a year and a half old when he was draped in royal garb. But knowing him, he probably stole the show.
Throughout grade school, Robinson couldn’t get off the stage. For a moment, it looked like his life would be spent on the stage, but a revelation led him to move behind it.
“When I was younger, I realized the way to make money is to work in the technical side of theater,” he says. “If you’re good at tech work, you’re always going to have a job.”
Robinson turned to the blue collar side of theater, becoming a sought-after stage and set designer through the 1980s. Near the end of the decade, he had the opportunity to tour A Christmas Carol with a cast and production team. While on the road, disaster struck.
He was traveling in a van with a tech crew, that hit a guard rail and went up into the underside of a bridge before crashing to the ground. Everybody survived, but Robinson’s right arm was shattered.
“I’d been performing and designing sets, and thought, ‘I’m not gonna perform for a while, I can’t build sets anymore, what can I do?”
In 1989, he received an offer to teach theater at Brookhaven College. From then, and the next 35 years that followed, he traded soliloquies for lectures, and syllabuses became his prop. He’s taught multiple generations of theater students and continues to do so today.
It’s a fulfilling job, but Robinson wasn’t close enough to the action.
“I’ll do costumes,” he remembers thinking. “That’ll be easy.”
Throughout his journey in the industry, Robinson frequented the same location for all his garment needs. Dallas Costume Shoppe was the industry’s singular institution, located in the heart of Dallas just off of Main Street since the early ‘70s. The storefront contained a vast variety of elaborate costumes for all different types of styles, eras or productions; as well as a team of tailors that could create just about anything a customer would want.
When owner Fortunato Mata was ready to retire in 1997, he gave Robinson an offer he couldn’t refuse. Mata sold him the business and the building that housed it all at once. Robinson has maintained the business ever since, both its inventory and as a designer of new costumes.
These days, Robinson says he designs for about three-to-four shows a month, with some productions requiring as many as 300 costumes. He’s currently working on A Doll’s House for Main Stage Irving and a new original show called Noises Off with Pegasus Theater.
“Tailoring is kind of a dying art,” Robinson says. “There’s not a lot of young men or women saying, ‘I want to be a tailor.’”
As such, it’s become a priority for Robinson to try and foster a community for the young tailors and designers. Earlier this year he made the shocking decision to sell the building, with his ownership coming to a close at the end of September, meaning that for the first time in 40 years, Dallas Costume Shoppe would have a new home.
His new location will be located at 2404 Arbuckle Court, just north of 635 and Preston Hollow. It will have more room for tailoring and a workspace for rent, set aside for designers in need of a temporary place to sew.
“Young designers don’t have space,” Robinson says. “You can only work in your bedroom or your basement, that’s not a lot. I want to have a space open where they can rent to work in and have access to the machines, and if they want to pull some stuff from the stock they can do that.”
This update is a welcome surprise for the theater community, who assumed that he’d be shuttering a nearly centuries-old business for good.
“People thought I was going to close when I sold the building,” Robinson says. “I could’ve, but enough people were not happy that I was closing my doors.”
When news broke, Robinson was flooded with requests for “one more show” from countless theater productions. With this new location, he’ll wear the costume of Dallas’ go-to designer for just a bit longer.
“I’ll do two more years,” he says. “We’ll start with two more.”
There are many reasons why it’s important to care for your heart. At Texas Health
& Vascular Specialists, our reason is you. With heart care plans customized to you and your needs, we’re ready to help you achieve a heart-healthy future. From proactive prevention and diagnostics to advanced bypass and valve surgery and more, discover our compassionate and comprehensive approach to your heart health. Schedule your in-person or virtual visit today.
Mohita Singh, M.D.
HELLO, DUMPLING
The key to the perfect dumpling? Keep it simple.
Story by VARSHA JHANAK | Photography by AUSTIN MARC GRAF
Handmade dumplings come in batches of eight and can be ordered pan fried (PF) or boiled (B). Regular dumpings range from $9.50 to $11.
THE INDIAN SAMOSA. THE JAPANESE GYOZA. THE SPANISH EMPANADA. THE POLISH PIEROGI. Although it is mainly known for its Chinese variant, many other cultures have their own dumplings.
“There’s no romantic notion that I wanted, but it evolved into something like that,” Hello Dumpling Founder and Owner June Chow says. “The business idea was [to make dumplings], but I drew from a passion, from a food that came from my childhood… I’ve said this numerous times that there’s dumplings in every single culture. It may not look like the Chinese dumpling, but it’s anything that’s encased in some sort of dough or something. People refer to children that are little dumplings or something that’s cute and warm and fuzzy. I think, in essence, it just makes people feel really comfortable and not intimidated. It’s not a foreign food because there are so many iterations of it globally.”
Chow was familiar with the restaurant business and the dumpling; her mother owned a Chinese restaurant when she was growing up. When discussing with her husband how they were going to put her two kids through college, she used her familiarity with running restaurants and her heritage to bring together Hello Dumpling.
Chow saw the need for good, authentic Chinese dumplings in East Dallas, she says. She opened her first location in 2017. Seven years later, her business is only growing.
Hello Dumpling’s menu is similar to a traditional Chinese dumpling house menu, where the options are few, but
perfected. Chow makes her menu different by adding noodles, but the menu stays simple, with the dumplings and noodles being the menu’s backbone.
“If you look at my menu, it’s a very tight menu,” Chow says. “What differentiates my dumpling place from other places around here is that they do dumplings, but they do a variety of things. They’ve got all sorts of stir fried stuff, all sorts of other things, which I don’t. My idea is to show people that when you go and have dumplings, it’s not an appetizer, it is not something that you start with. You go and you actually have dumplings, that’s how I ate it.”
Chow always wanted to have multiple locations for her restaurant. In 2022, Chow brought Hello Dumpling to Lake Highlands, opening the Walnut Hill location. But she says her expansion is about more than just expanding her business: it’s about expanding the dish itself.
“It’s a very basic type of food and it could be consumed everywhere,” Chow says. “I would like to show people how broad the appeal is, how everybody just eats dumplings. I guess the goal is to really normalize it and make dumplings just another food. That’s what happened to pizza. Pizza was weird in the beginning and now nobody thinks of it like, ‘Oh my God, that is so strange and foreign.’ You go and eat a taco, I think it doesn’t matter who you are, you know what a taco is. Having those kinds of foods become a part of someone’s everyday preference. It just becomes like a routine that I’m gonna go with dumplings. It’s not something weird and foreign.”
Everything under one roof. To design and build everything under
At Bella Vista, we’re with you every step of the way. From initial drawings to the final walkthrough, we’re a one-stop shop to help you design and build a home that is guaranteed to turn heads.
Tofu Chaun’r Skewers ($7) are a spicy, gluten-free option on the ‘Hot Bites’ portion of the menu.
When Chow was employing her original location, she wanted to reach out to the community. Through a friend, she learned of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and their employment placement program. Chow worked with the IRC and supported people from Myanmar, Guatemala, Mexico, Afghanistan and Indonesia.
“Being an immigrant, I see no specific difference between hiring someone who was born here or born there,” Chow says. “I just want to give an opportunity to someone who actually wants to work. Not everybody’s an asylum seeker or refugee, but many of [the employees] were. Everyone comes with an incredible drive to be productive in this country, but they don’t take it for granted.”
Chow aims to make Hello Dumpling not only a restaurant, but a safe space.
“I think the most rewarding part is to see joy on the faces of people,” Chow says. “It’s hard work. But, there are so many experiences that are so incredibly heartwarming. I’ve had so many experiences with people who have come in and they eat something and they go home feeling like they were fortified. We’re just not talking about nourishment [through the food], it’s really talking about something that they felt was given to them just in the space, the kind of food, something comforting and made them feel really good about eating. Whether it’s chatting with somebody at the restaurant or meeting other people. It brings me great joy when people say, ‘Oh my God, I feel so much better now’. That is intensely rewarding to me. It’s a safe zone.”
Hello Dumpling founder and owner June Chow.
THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG? ACTUALLY, THE COOP CAME FIRST
How three teachers, one wish and a group of parents are bringing chickens to Lakewood Elementary
Story by AYSIA LANE
We may never truly know why the chicken crossed the road, but we certainly know why chickens will be at Lakewood Elementary. Every winter, teachers and administrators join together to make a Wish List of items, not provided by the district, that they feel will make a meaningful impact on their students’ experience.
In the spring of every school year, leaders from Lakewood Elementary and their funding groups, Friends of Lakewood (FOL), Lakewood Early Childhood PTA (LECPTA) and the Lakewood Elementary PTA, come together to review the Wish List submissions and decide what from the List will receive funding for the next school year.
This round of Wish List meetings was the first time LECPTA President Jacki Pavlick and Lakewood Elementary PTA President Caitlin Maddox were involved. They had some idea of what to expect: special folders, new classroom furniture, art supplies, you know, the normal stuff.
The teachers don’t just make Wishes. They research. They plan. They pitch. Essentially, it’s kind of a written version of Shark Tank — except, instead of a cast of sharks like Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner, you have a cast of parents like Maddox and Pavlick.
So imagine the intrigue and curiosity that filled the room when the Wish for a chicken coop made its way onto their tables.
Three teachers were behind the chicken coop proposal: fourth grade science teacher Eryn Davila, first grade general education teacher Nicole Jones and third grade ELAR and social studies teacher Heather Shopoff.
“We had to think about all the things that would excite teachers to really go out there and get their kids to have this experience. So we just looked at all the possible hands-on learning opportunities in every discipline. Not everyone is a science teacher, you know, but we want to be able to teach math out there with the chickens and reading and writing and art. So it really does touch everyone,” Davila says. “I think we just all brought our own specialties together for the proposal.”
For Davila, this isn’t her first rodeo, or perhaps, coop. She previously taught at a Montessori school that also had chickens. She saw first hand the benefits of having students outdoors and interacting with animals as the head of that chicken program. She loved the idea of the kids “taking ownership of the chickens and learning so many valuable lessons out of the classroom and in the classroom” and realized that she missed being around chickens herself.
For Shopoff, it would always be a no-brainer to bring animals into the classroom, being a self-proclaimed “animal person” with a degree in agricultural business. She grew up raising lambs and has had several class pets, the most recent of which is a handful of toads.
“I just think it makes it a better environment for the kids,” she says.
The same builder for the coop, McKinney-based Urban Chicken, also agreed to build a gazebo. In came Jones, a North Texas Master Naturalist and Dallas County Master Gardener, who in her 11 years at the school has described the school’s garden as her “passion project.”
The coop is almost complete and the chickens will make their debut this October. Students have already begun asking the teachers when they can expect to see them, occasionally peeking outside of their classrooms at the work-in-progress sitting in the center of the campus.
“We’re looking at the recess initiative. We tentatively will call it ‘Flower-Power Friday.’ Kids will go outside, and then we’ll have a master gardener, master naturalist with a parent volunteer outside to work in the garden spaces. So one will be the chicken coop. But we’re hoping we’ll do that too in October,” Jones says.
The trio also plans to have a teacher representative in each grade that will monitor and allow access to the coop for students during recess and other designated times. This, alongside the integration of the chickens into the curriculum, will be the beginning of a new kind of outdoor learning experience for Lakewood students.
“I’m really grateful, especially to the teachers who are kind of adding this onto their plates. The staff at the school, the teachers, they all are incredible and do such a good job, and then for them to work outside of their everyday with their big classes and big to-do lists and to think of things that they could do more for the kids, it’s incredible,” Maddox says.
For Maddox and Pavlick, this is something they are sure will positively impact Lakewood students for generations to come.
“The passion that they have, the three teachers that brought it to us, all of the research they did about the benefits, you know, being outside, doing handson learning, learning how to care for a living thing,” Pavlick says. “Some of that is a really unique experience that you don’t get from a large city public school education. I just felt really strongly about it and I could picture kids in 20 years being like ‘I had chickens at my elementary school.’”
Students
Uncover new talents, form lifelong friendships, embrace intellectual challenge, nurture your faith, and prepare for the future. Explore a unique path, participate in a truly transformative experience and Discover Your Story!
BISHOP LYNCH HIGH SCHOOL
BELIEVING. BELONGING.
Becoming a Marksman.
The habits of character and the skills of leadership are taught with the same intentionality given to academic studies, spanning grades 1-12.
We craft our instructional process, daily interactions, and physical facilities around the unique characteristics of boys.
SMTEXAS.ORG
9:53 A.M. Upper School Assembly
lakehillprep.org
MASTERING PRINCIPLES MAKES A MASTER PRINCIPAL
Get to know the top 10% of DISD principals in East Dallas
Story by AYSIA LANE | Photography by LAUREN ALLEN
Every year DISD awards the top 10% of principals in neighborhood elementary schools, high schools and choice schools, with the Master Principal designation. With the School
Effectiveness Index, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and campus climate data as the criteria, these East Dallas principals have proven mastery at their craft. Let’s get to know them.
PRINCIPAL MARISSA LIMON
DAN D. ROGERS, MASTER PRINCIPAL 20222023, 2023-2024
WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO EDUCATION AND DISD?
You know, interestingly enough, when I first moved here, my initial headspace, I was thinking I was going to pursue a degree in engineering. But life happened a little bit early on. I ended up getting married and having kids, and so becoming a mother kind of put school on the back burner for a little bit. But it was when my oldest son started kindergarten, and it was really his experience that made me say it’s time to get back in school and go for this full throttle and it was that experience in school and with his teachers. And kind of, you know, he was definitely an energetic little guy bouncing around everywhere. And there was a newer teacher. He had a first-year teacher early on who immediately thought I should get him diagnosed with ADHD. And I just, I knew that he could sit down and focus if he had the right kind of things to engage him. And so in just talking with my husband and different people, they kept encouraging me. You know, I come from a place where, if there’s an
issue that I think I can be a part of the solution, I want to jump in and do that. And that just really called to me as a mother at that time. So I said, “You know what? I get to get back to school, get my degree and be on this side of it, not just as a parent, but as an educator too, and help know that those students who aren’t necessarily understood, had somebody who might go a little deeper for them.”
WHAT ABOUT YOUR PERSPECTIVE CHANGED ONCE YOU WERE ON THE ‘OTHER SIDE’ OF IT? It made me realize, well, it’s not as easy as it looks. So I definitely pushed myself to really think about each kiddo as an individual. And when I became a teacher, I could think from this perspective of a parent. I could empathize with parents and what they might be going through and so I was able to see each student as an individual that comes from a family with, you know, hopes and dreams for that kiddo, but at the same time, from a teacher’s perspective, I also saw how challenging it can be to try to meet the needs of so many different little personalities that have different kinds of needs. And so I think being a parent and a teacher at the same time, and learning both of those helped me think from both sides of it.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A MASTER PRINCIPAL?
It definitely isn’t something that one person could do alone. I think the role of the principal in general, I see myself as just, you know, a higher level coordinator. It’s really somebody who has a global perspective, just to make sure that all the pieces are supporting each other, and not getting in each other’s way, but really it’s about letting the leaders on campus do their jobs, make great decisions, be on the ground, understanding the impact and listening to the feedback that comes back up the chains. And I think our school success is definitely a culmination of a lot of people’s hard work. I think we’ve been able to build a really strong culture, both amongst our staff, with our students and even with our parents, and I feel like everybody understands that we all have the same goal, and so we were able to support each other in achieving that goal. But for sure, it’s more about connecting the dots. Being successful, I think, is always a matter of being able to balance the needs across the scope of the work. And so it’s really about connecting the dots and understanding how we impact each other, and then helping empower people to make good choices for themselves and see the impact
With our Women’s Heart Center, you have the power to care for your heart in a way that works for you. Our center’s concierge approach means you’ll have a multidisciplinary team by your side to support your heart—both physically and emotionally. We’ll partner with you to tackle obstacles and find peace of mind through prevention. Together, we’ll take steps to help keep your heart going strong.
PRINCIPAL
CHANDRA D. HOOPER-BARNETT WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL, MASTER PRINCIPAL 2023-2024
HOW DID YOU GET INTO EDUCATION?
When I graduated from college, my degree was in social work. I worked in a nursing home with the elderly, because I like assisting them. And then I left there, and I went to work in a juvenile system. And so I was like, “Okay, what am I gonna do here?”
And my mom was like, “Oh, great, you should go into education.” I’m like, “Umm, I don’t think so,”
because I don’t know if I can work with children, you know, all my life. But I was like, “Okay, let me try that.” So I think it was like my genuine love for helping others, because that’s where my heart is, and I think that’s why I really chose the education route after leaving social work and the juvenile system. But I just love building meaningful relationships with the students, creating a supportive and trusting environment for them.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE SPECIAL EDUCATION?
I think it still was all on the lines of the need of helping
others,the well being of students, creating an inclusive and supportive environment and then addressing the diverse learning needs, learning styles and needs of those students.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A MASTER PRINCIPAL?
I think for one, we produce a collaborative learning environment, so encouraging teamwork, collaborative work among students, which causes a sense of community, which enhances, to me, the students’ learning experiences. Then we reflect a lot on our teaching practices, seeking feedback, making improvements
PRINCIPAL BRITTANY THOMPSON LAKEWOOD ELEMENTARY, MASTER PRINCIPAL 2022-2023
DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD BECOME A TEACHER?
I never, never saw myself as a teacher, but I always loved to work with kids, and I loved coaching. I did a lot of cheer coaching when I was a kiddo in high school and working with younger women and young ladies and just different like camp counseling and that kind of stuff. So the aspect of coaching and working with kids was really appealing, but I never thought I was going to be a teacher.
WHAT MADE YOU CONTINUE TAKING ON LEADERSHIP ROLES AND EVENTUALLY BECOMING A PRINCIPAL?
I think what helped drive me to that was seeing those light bulbs go off and then getting validation and praise and encouragement from my
to enhance what we do as educators. And then I think the last is like differentiation, so we adapt our instruction to meet the needs of our students, teachers and we provide various ways to engage and/or demonstrate what we need from them, so they will understand.
WE?
Because it’s a team like, when I was named master principal, and I was like, “Well, how do you get that?” You know, I didn’t know the metrics of it because it was a surprise to me as well. So I just think this is not just my award. It’s me, my team, the students, it’s all for them.
kids, from my community, and also from other leaders in the campus who were kind of tapping me to step up and share some things that I was doing, and I was able to see that I did have something to offer and I had some value that I could bring, and others really encouraged me to continue on the leadership pathway, and it validated my love for working with kids, and opened my eyes to a whole new world of education.
I think it was a combination of, you know, wanting to grow and learn more and have a bigger, broader impact, but also others who are encouraging and giving the feedback and pushing me to take the next step. I feel like part of my job now as a principal is to look for those people who want to learn more and take on more leadership, but also that you see the natural talent and ability to develop a vision and advocate for kids and learn to tighten their instructional lens. And I think that’s a huge part of what I do now, is I’m developing and growing the leaders here so that one day they will be the future principals in Dal -
Independent
las ISD, and I think a lot of people in the education world need that someone to tap and validate what they do and notice the strengths that they have to offer and give them the tools they can to take the next steps.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR EDUCATORS LOOKING TO BECOME A PART OF ADMINISTRATION?
I think it would be to seek out as many diverse perspectives and experiences as you can. There’s always something to take away from every experience, whether it’s a failure or success, there’s so much to learn. So my advice is to be open, but seek out ways that you can learn different perspectives. I also think the people that we work with have a huge impact on our success. And I think reaching out and putting yourself out there to ask for support or ask for mentorship or ask for feedback, is going to exponentially grow your own growth process.
Assisted
Honoring
Fowler
Memory
most budgets.
Independent
Assisted
Honoring
Memory
Enjoy an active social calendar, dine with friends, volunteer and learn.
The only Center for Excellence in Memory Care in North Texas utilizing the internationally renowned I’m Still Here® philosophy. Fowler is a leader in the Dementia Friendly Dallas initiative
The only Center for Excellence in Memory Care in North Texas utilizing the internationally renowned I’m Still Here® philosophy.
Arte de Dia de Muertos
The Bath House’s annual show remembers the forgotten Story by
AUSTIN WOOD
When Bath House Cultural Center curator Enrique Fernandez was leading a tour of seven and eight-year-olds through the Center’s annual Day of the Dead Exhibition, the group stopped, awestruck, at one of the altars in the gallery.
Altars, or ofrendas, are an integral part of Dia de los Muertos. Family members display photos of lost loved ones and place the departed’s favorite items on the altars in anticipation of their soul’s return in early November.
As the children gazed at the exquisitely decorated altar, Fernandez overheard a boy marvel at the love and care that the honored individual had inspired. But another boy, who
had probably seen Coco , was upset at the thought of individuals who didn’t have anybody left to honor them with an altar. He thought — as Coco portrayed — that as memories of an individual fade, that their spirits begin “disappearing.”
“Luckily, I had talked to a professor of anthropology and I knew about this celebration of the 30th of October,” Fernandez says. “When the spirits of people like that who passed away and were celebrated and remembered for years until they’re survivors begin to also pass away. And he said that the reason that people celebrated on the 30th was to honor the memory of those who didn’t have anybody else to remem -
ber them. When I explained that to the little boy in other words, he became very happy that there was an opportunity for the community to remember people who they didn’t know. He thought that everybody deserved a chance to be remembered.”
That interaction gave Fernandez the inspiration for this year’s exhibition theme. Entitled Día de Muertos: Messages of Love for the Forgotten and Disappeared , the exhibition seeks to honor those who don’t have a place on an altar anymore.
DIA
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is commonly celebrated by Mexican and Mexican diaspora com -
The Letter to my Compadre Mixed media by Raúl Servín
munities on November 1 (All Saints Day) and 2 (All Souls Day). On these days, it is believed that the spirits of the dead return to visit loved ones and friends, who welcome them with pan de muerto, marigold flowers and offerings of their favorites in life.
While it is celebrated in connection with Catholic holidays which arrived with the Spanish, its roots go back to indigenous Mexican society.
“[In Ireland] They adapted indigenous practice into a Catholic practice,” says Yolanda Chavez Leyva, a history professor at the University of Texas at El Paso. “And that’s what I see happened with the Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead started out as a two month celebration before the Europeans. And in order to make Catholicism more attractive to indigenous people, they took those two months and put them into the two days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.”
The original holidays took place in August and September, commemorating the harvest. The pre-Hispanic notion of death was much more transitory.
“It comes from being an agricultural society where there’s always that cycle of life and death,” Leyva says. “Which is why these two holidays were about the harvest, they were about the culmination of the agricultural season. That we could think of would also be the culmination of our lives. We were just like seeds that grow into plants that then die. So there was a respect for death, not a fear for death.”
As a reflection of pre-Hispanic ideas of life and death, the Day of the Dead is not a somber occasion. Instead, the return of loved ones, friends and ancestors is celebrated with great fanfare.
Families begin decorating altars in the runup to the holiday. The deceased’s favorite food, drinks, pictures and mementos are placed on the altar — which can be set up at a grave or in the home. Pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, is a common food during this time, as are sugar skulls known as calavera.
Many visit their loved ones’ graves to clean and decorate them. One of the most common decorations are bright yellow marigold flowers that are believed to guide the spirits of the dead to their family.
The holiday is mainly celebrated in southern Mexican states like Oaxaca, an epicenter of Dia de los Muertos celebrations. There are wide variations in Day of the Dead traditions across states, municipalities and
even towns. In recent years, the Day of the Dead has become much more popular worldwide following cultural depictions like Coco
Although November 1 and 2 are the most widely-celebrated days, there are lesser-known adjacent days used to honor specific spirits, such as unborn children and the drowned, with the 30th reserved for the forgotten.
THE EXHIBITION
The show has been a Bath House staple since 1986. Cora Corduna, the then-director of Teatro Dallas, was putting on a play traditionally performed close to the Day of the Dead, Don Juan Tenorio. She had altars displayed in the gallery to make the play a more immersive experience.
“It was just for that run of that play,” Fernandez says. “And little does she know that years later, we’re still doing that show.
Altars, including the one the two boys would be discussing years later, have remained a constant in the exhibition, now going into its 38th year. Fernandez says that most altars are built in honor of friends or non-family members.
“The others that are built by family members are very significant because they bring together members of the family,” he says. “There’s usually a person in that group who has artistic abilities, who can maybe direct the building of the altar, but the whole endeavor of putting the altar together, it’s a family effort.”
“And you hear them as they’re putting everything together, tell stories about the person or remembering an anecdote or something that happened with them and the person who was being honored. And there are moments when some of them are crying or sometimes they’re laughing.”
This year’s exhibition will be on display from October 12 to November 9, with an artists’ reception planned for October 13. Submissions, of which Fernandez says there are typically 250-300, are open to all forms of media. The show’s call for entries requested works to convey light and joyful messages. Paintings are common, but 3-D sculptures are also typically well represented.
“One piece that was very memorable was by a young artist who worked in a warehouse and he noticed that they were about to discard very large blocks of foam core that they use for packaging,” Fernandez says. “These were pieces that were probably three feet by three feet and they were really
huge. And with that discarded material he saw a potential for doing an art piece, and he sculpted a full bodied skeleton out of foam core that was about 20 feet tall. And our gallery is only 11 feet high.”
Luckily, the skeleton was able to sit down.
Ahead of this year’s exhibition, Fernandez will narrow the 150-200 entries down to 65 displayed works.
“We’re curious to see how artists would interpret the theme,” he says. “Will they explore you know, the joyful side, the part that says yes, they’re gone. They’re not here with us physically. But we believe that there’s a reason for celebrating because perhaps where they are now is a place that’s bringing them that level of happiness and joy.”
That joy can be hard to maintain when thinking about people being forgotten or spirits “disappearing.” But for Fernandez, that interaction with those two little kids told him all he needed to know.
“I think seeing that face lighting up and the eyes getting some consolation that yeah, maybe people don’t have people to remember them, but there are always others who are willing to do that for you. To me, that made it clear that maybe there’s also a happy side.”
El Poeta Linocut
print by
Eduardo Robledo
EQUITABLE EQUIPMENT
East Dallas teen
Dylan Taylor runs an organization set on making sports accessible
Story by
Wake up, go to school, handle homework and hit the soccer fields for practice. If you are a member of St. Mark’s School of Texas’ varsity soccer team, this schedule, every weekday with an extra practice on Saturday mornings, is part of your normal routine. One member, however, has made it his purpose to help neighbors unable to get proper sporting equipment.
Seventeen-year-old Dylan Taylor, born and raised in Dallas, is a junior at St. Mark’s School of Texas, a member of the school’s varsity soccer team and a US Soccer Federation-certified referee. After 11 years in the game, soccer takes up a large part of Taylor’s life.
In spring 2023, during his sophomore year, Taylor founded Positively Enriching Lives of Tomorrow’s Athletes (PELOTA) to provide sporting supplies for neighbors and their children who aren’t able to purchase equipment themselves. Pelota also refers to a sports ball in Spanish.
Taylor started out with paid camps to raise money for the first free camps and supply donations. He found the first campers by going door-to-door and eventually made enough money to run camps for free.
He then returned to his old middle school and ran drives, where items like soccer equipment, clothes and school supplies were collected and brought to Casa View Elementary School in East Dallas. The Casa View neighborhood has an average median income of $53,174, which is significantly lower than the median for Dallas as a whole.
“One of the things we do is we ask them if they have any specific needs. If not, we’ll donate what we have,” Taylor says. “But if they have specific needs, we use either the money we’ve raised in the camps to purchase those things, or we’ll try and contact the right person.”
Taylor also ran a month-long donation drive at St. John’s Episcopal School. Taylor remembers taking note of how the surrounding community had come together to support the charity’s cause, filling up his entire garage with donated supplies.
The charity accepts sporting equipment for every sport, including golf, and works with other organizations such as First Tee and the Dallas Stars Foundation.
PELOTA has also engaged in partner -
ANDREW NORSEWORTHY
Photography by
VICTORIA GOMEZ
ships with St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas, YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, the West Dallas Community Center, and Chosen Children Village Foundation (CCV) in the Philippines.
Despite the distance, the charity’s partnership with CCV is particularly special to him. Taylor recalled spending a great deal of time visiting the Philippines, where his father Michael was raised.
“One of the big things that I saw there was the extreme poverty of a third-world country, and I’ve been doing volunteer work here throughout my whole life, but I really wanted to find a meaningful way that I could give back from where I live,” Taylor says.
Despite receiving support from his family, Taylor remembers the difficulties he experienced while starting the charity.
“I’ve had to wear all these different hats, like founding this organization. I’m a one-man organization, pretty much. This has been my passion project,” Taylor says. “I’ve had to go door to door countless days passing out hundreds and hundreds of flyers to families to try and advertise my camps.”
Taylor says that in the past he had hired members of the varsity soccer team to help manage soccer PE camp, which has 20-30 children at any given time. He hopes to expand operations to host between 15 and 20 such camps this summer and five more this fall.
“So the goal there really is to just get as many campers involved as possible and spread awareness about this,” Taylor says. “Eventually I’d like to, with the help of St. Mark’s, possibly expand to other sports, so we can run camps for all different types of sports, and also get more people involved so we can reach more charities during free camps and generate more supplies.”
With college looming on the horizon for Taylor, he has begun plans to keep PELOTA running in partnership with St. Mark’s.
“One of the things I’ve been in talks with them about is establishing a board of directors so I can establish sort of a long-lasting organization that St. Mark’s and students there can continue to build and grow, so it stays as an established organization within DFW,” Taylor says.
WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?
AC & HEAT
ALEXANDER HOME REPAIR. AC/HEAT Repair & Install. LIC#28052 469-226-9642
CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING
FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls, BBQ’s, Veneer, Flower Bed Edging, All Stone work. Chris 214-770-5001
FLOORING & CARPETING HASTINGS
Foors
colors
HOME IMPROVEMENT
RGC - HOME IMPROVEMENTS 214-477-8977
THE HEATING & AC EXPERTS
Installations & Repairs
Emergency Services
24/7 On-Call
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
AIR SHIELD LLC AC/Heat Repairs, Installs Airshieldpros.com. 214-394-1788 TA CLA67136C 214-710-2515 dallasheatingac.com
ASK ABOUT DISCOUNTS!
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
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
WANTED: HOUSES TO CLEAN, Organize, De-clutter, or Pack. Sunny 214-724-2555
WINDOW CLEANING Power washing No Job To Small. 30 Yrs exp. 214-360-0120
WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134
COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
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
CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401
972-533-2872 Complete Full Service Repairs, Kitchen & Bath/Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We Do It. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com
alvinohuizar@yahoo.com
Tubs, Tiles or Sinks
• Cultured Marble
• Kitchen Countertops
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
REAL ESTATE
SERVICES FOR YOU
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
DAVIS LAWN CARE, LLC 580-222-4909 or davislawncare214@yahoo.com
MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435
MONSTER TREE SERVICE DALLAS
Certified Arborists, Fully Insured 469.983.1060
NEW LEAF TREE, LLC
Honest, Modern, Safety Minded. 214-850-1528
PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.
RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779 RedSunLandscapes.com
RGC - STORM WATER MANAGEMENT drainage solutions 214-477-8977
TAYLOR MADE IRRIGATION Repairs, service, drains. 30+ years exp. Ll 6295 469-853-2326. John
WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER
Stop in for home decor, candles, house plants, succulents and more. It’s time to plan for spring. Call us for design, prep and plantings! 8652 Garland Road 214.321.2387
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com
RENOVATE DALLAS
renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247
S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427
TK REMODELING 972-533-2872
Complete Full Service Repairs, Kitchen & Bath/Remodeling, Restoration. Name It- We Do It. dallas.tkremodelingcontractors.com
BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation,production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads
DENTAL INSURANCE- Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258
DIRECTV STREAM - Carries the most local MLB Games! ChoicePackage $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once.HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.)No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405
DONATE YOUR CARS TO VETERANS TODAY. Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800 -245-0398
ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373
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
FOR RENT Little Forest Hills 2/1 Single Family Home w/fence. $1,600mo. $1,600 deposit. Cheryl. 214-235-1399
Kitchens, Bathrooms, Windows, Doors, Siding, Decks, Fences, Retaining Walls, New Construction
New Construction & Remodels FiferCustomHomes.com• 214-727-7075
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 Roofing iding utters Joe Clifford www exteriorscc.net
FREE HIGH SPEED INTERNET if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892
GENERAC Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt. Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-844-334 -8353
GET DISH SATELLITE TV +INTERNET
Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-479-1516
HUGHESNET Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live.25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499 -0141
PROFESSIONAL LAWN SERVICE:
Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833-606-6777
REPLACE your roof with the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install. (military, health &1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234
SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306
THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services
WATER DAMAGE
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
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
By PATTI VINSON
A Monarch’s plight
Looking into the lives of our winged neighbors
It’s autumn - at last! - in East Dallas and you suddenly see butterflies everywhere: orange and black wings, dotted in white along the edges. The Monarchs are back, making their usual stop in Texas before continuing to Mexico for the winter. Appreciate their beauty, yes, but know that they need our help.
Over the past few years, their numbers have dwindled alarmingly. Why be concerned? They are pollinators, playing a vital role in the natural ecosystem and our food system.
A little Science 101 refresher: similar to bees, Monarchs help flowering plants through the pollination process. When they sip a flower’s nectar, the flower dusts pollen onto the butterfly. This pollen is transferred to the next plant where the butterfly dines. Voila! Pollination.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35% of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. That’s one out of every three bites of food you eat.
Monarchs play another important role: they are a food source for birds, other insects and small animals.
So why do they need our help? For one, their beloved milkweed, a plant necessary for the Monarch’s eggs and caterpillars, is often eradicated because it’s considered a weed. Use of pesticides, plus farming and urbanization also contribute to the loss of this important plant.
Another reason: loss of habitat due to deforestation and development in areas where they previously nested. In Mexico where they overwinter, there is particular concern about Oyamel trees where the Monarchs cluster. The tree is a valuable lumber source to many of the local people and as logging continues, it opens up the forest canopy, exposing the fragile butterflies to snow and rain.
Hope is not lost thanks to Monarch butterfly champions like Ellen Guiling. Since visiting the Monarch overwintering site in Mexico in 2009, she has made it her mission to help them and to educate others about them.
She happily explains their life cycle. “Starting in February when the monarchs begin to fly north from Mexico, they will almost all fly through Texas. About the time they arrive
in Texas from Mexico, the female monarch will lay eggs.”
She continues, “Two weeks later the egg will hatch into a teensy caterpillar larvae and grow to the size of your little finger in about two weeks. It will then hang upside down and shimmy off its skin to reveal the chrysalis already formed just under their skin! How cool is that?”
After two weeks in the chrysalis, a big butterfly hatches. It will continue to travel north, laying eggs along the way. After five or six generations, it makes it to Canada where they stay until fall migration.
“But get this,” marvels Guiling. “The monarchs flying south go into reproductive diapause and save all of their energy to travel the many miles to the same area in Mexico where their great-great-great-great grandparents began their life. There is no leader of the pack who can tell these creatures where to go. They just know!”
Guiling serves as the lead organizer for Monarch tagging for North Texas Master Naturalists. During the Monarchs’ layover in Dallas, she and other Monarch lovers begin the process of tagging. Using materials provided by Monarch Watch, a program based at University of Kansas, they gently catch butterflies, apply a small, numbered tag to the wing, then release.
The Monarch makes its way south to Mexico where more Monarch enthusiasts look for tagged butterflies and take photos. The data collected helps answer questions about origins of the Monarchs, as well as the timing and pace of their migration, mortality and changes in geographic distribution.
East Dallas neighbor Connie Koval is another Monarch enthusiast and tagged her first butterfly in 2019. Long concerned about the decline in populations of insects, she took action. “I wanted to be involved in the research aspect and learned about Monarch Watch.”
“During training to be certified as a Texas Master Naturalist, I learned about conservation efforts to help preserve the habitats of the Monarchs and other species that are becoming endangered,” she says.
“Tagging my first was at a state-wide naturalist conference. I was with several seasoned taggers, so I received excellent instructions
and luckily, the Monarchs were plentiful,” she remembers.
“Handling the net requires practice,” she admits. “But once you get the hang of how to approach the butterfly while it is nectaring on a flower and how to then flip the net, the retrieval, holding and tagging is relatively simple. There is a special way to hold the butterfly by the thorax or just above it that will not damage the outer edge of the wings and hinder its ability to fly.”
She adds this caution: “There is a learning curve and it’s important to learn from an experienced tagger. And it helps to watch videos on MonarchWatch.org.”
Our neighborhood offers plenty of ideal locations for Monarchs. “I tag Monarchs at my own home in my pollinator garden beds, at the Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake, at Warren Ferris Cemetery at the corner of San Leandro Dr./St. Francis Avenue, and Harry Moss Park, to name a few. Any place where there is an abundance of flowers blooming in September-October is usually a good opportunity.”
There are other ways to support Monarchs. Add native flowering plants to your garden and avoid the use of pesticides. Plant milkweed, but be sure it’s native to this area, not the tropical variety. “I suggest the website of Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT.org) as a valuable, well-researched site for information for ecoregions across Texas,” Kovel advises.
If you’re curious about tagging and want to learn how or see the process up close, you have opportunities. Kovel says Monarch taggers will be out in force this fall at neighborhood pollinator gardens, armed with nets, tags, and log sheets.
“Look for us on Saturday mornings at the Native Texas Park at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus. The North Texas chapter volunteers of Texas Master Naturalist lead free tours in the park on most Saturdays beginning at 10 a.m. in the spring and fall.” Check out NTMN.org for a calendar of events.
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.
