blog& BACK TALK

MEJA BLUE 99 SOCCER TEAM’S FUNDRAISER FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH

In an effort to raise money for breast cancer research, the 11-year old girls on the MEJA Blue 99 soccer team challenged neighbors to pay $1 for every goal they scored in October. The team of 16 managed to score eight goals, earning $1,107, which they donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

—MARLENACHAVIRA-MEDFORD

Way to go girls!

—-BECKY WAND

Bliss Rawcaf Openatpreston Center

Bliss Raw Café is open at Preston Center, about half a block west of Einstein Bagels, right off Brookshire. Maria Whitworth, who handles marketing for the restaurant, tells me the concept will stay the same: It’ll be all about superfoods and elixirs. Blackboard specials will also be offered monthly. And much like the Greenville location, it’ll be a small space just 700 square feet with room for about 30.

-—MARLENACHAVIRA-MEDFORD

Congrats, Bliss! I look forward to visiting your new location. Keep up the good work — love, love, love the food!

—TRYSTANTORRES

Sweet Deliveries

“everyone loves a cupcake.” It’s a simple truth, tressa Leboeuf says, and it may be why her business, citizen Sweet, is booming. Leboeuf launched a cupcake delivery business earlier this year, and already her growing customer-base runs the gamut. “If you’re in the corporate world, this is a great gift to send a client because we can even customize the box with a company’s colors or logo. or, if you’re a working mom who doesn’t have time to bake cupcakes and drop them off at your child’s school, we can deliver them for you with a card that says ‘love mom’.” Aside from cupcakes, customers can order muffins, twists and cookies. All of those are baked fresh daily with organic ingredients. “I’m a foodie at heart, so it was really important to me that we made real food, no preservatives, trans fat, or anything artificial.” In fact, Leboeuf explains that her top-selling cupcake is the black velvet, “not to be confused with red velvet, because there’s no red dye no. 4 in it.”

—Marlena Chavira-Medford

FiNd CitizeN Sweet oNLiNe At CitizeNSweet.Com. Most deliveries can be made the same day, though it’s preferred to place orders a day in advance. orders range from $4 to $27, and delivery ranges from $10 to $15 depending on distance. You can also receive weekly discounts, like free delivery, by subscribing to the newsletter.

A guide through the mAze of city-rel Ated questions ?

how can i request a bus stop closer to my house? What if i ’m not A ble to m A ke the walk at all?

it’s easier than you might think to get a bus to come closer to you, as opposed to you walking block after block just to get to the nearest bus stop. the entire process may only take a matter of weeks, so it might be to your benefit to inquire about a new bus stop closer to your home. here’s how it works:

1. first, contact dArt you will need to complete a request form, which will ask for information such as where you would like the bus stop to be, and why it would be beneficial to have a bus stop at that particular location. if the new location is within a pre-existing bus route, then the process will be a lot easier and less time-intensive. if the location is outside the boundaries of dArt bus routes, your request will go to city councilmen, who ultimately will decide the outcome.

2. After receiving the request, dArt begins investigating the new location. its surveyors look at factors such as the number of riders in and around your neighborhood that the new bus stop would benefit. they also will be looking for potential reasons why a bus stop wasn’t in that location to begin with (such as a history of vandalism, damage, etc.). the surveyors will then come up with an assessment of why the neighborhood doesn’t have service, and present those findings to city council. it will then take 10–15 business days for the city to determine whether or not to add the bus stop. for more information about this or any other transit issue, contact dArt at 214.749.3333 or visit dart.org. —ASHA

3. senior citizens and people with disabilities are able to avoid all the hassle and take advantage of dArt ’s paratransit program. the paratransit buses are wheelchair accessible, and offer curbside service to anyone who can’t easily make it to the nearest bus stop. it’s not a service for the lazy, however; paratransit riders must submit the necessary forms (available on dArt ’s website) and provide a doctor’s assessment. Anyone approved simply needs to provide a schedule of when and where he will need picked up at on specific days and hours.

GWIN

01.11&01.25 DFW INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

INSTITuTE FORuM $50 The DFW International Community Alliance announces this seminar series led by local cultural group leaders, which will explore what it means to be a “new American” in today’s multi-ethnic business world. The program also includes workshops on non-profit management, which covers topics such as how to create bylaws, keep minutes, set agendas, etc. Sessions are offered on alternating Mondays from 6-7:30 p.m., and each series of three classes costs $50, or $140 for the complete 9-class program. Register at dfwinternational. org/leadership or by calling 972.661.2764.

DFW International, 12830 Hillcrest, dfwinternational.org.

01.23 INDIA NITE $8-$12

Celebrate India Republic Day with a cultural kaleidoscope of colorful dance and music. The Indian Association of North Texas presents this 34th annual showcase from 4-10 p.m. Tickets to the show are available on a first come, first-served basis and can be purchased at indianite.iant.org. Southern Methodist University’s McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, 6405 Boaz.