2023 January Preston Hollow Advocate

Time to show your heart some love

February is Heart Month. And heart disease is the leading cause of death in our community and across the country. So, let’s do something about it, together. Every week during Heart Month we’ll be sharing heart healthy tips, from early warning signs to recipes and exercise ideas. Caring for the heart health of our friends and neighbors. That’s community and why so many people Trust Methodist.

Sign up for Heart Month emails with tips, recipes, exercise ideas, info on events, and more at: Methodist.com/HeartMonth

Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System. Methodist Health System compiles with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

TR

Where CONNeCTION A OMPANI CArING

As soon as you arrive, you’ll feel the warmth. From engaging activities to friendly conversations, life here is about connecting with others, and with the things you love to do. Our compassionate caregivers truly get to know you, going above and beyond with comfort and support so you can focus on living your best life.

Elevating heart care in Dallas since 2002

It’s been 20 years since we opened the first North Texas hospital dedicated solely to cardiovascular care. Today, we provide you with more treatment options through our ongoing heart and vascular research, our innovative programs, and our nationally and internationally recognized services. Then and now, we put patients like you at the heart of everything we do.

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DECORATING DALLAS

Neighborhood interior designer opens studio

Interview by ALYSSA HIGH | Photography by JESSICA TURNER

Surrounded by colorful wallpaper, varying wood tones, a kid-friendly pool and many dog-friendly couches, neighbor Eddie Maestri turns his artistic visions into stunning homes across Dallas.

Maestri started designing homes in 2004 and founded Maestri Studio in 2008. He draws his interior inspiration from his undergraduate and graduate courses at Texas A&M, his semester in Italy focusing on architectural and urban studies and his travels around the world. In fact, Maestri’s own Preston Hollow home is inspired by Palm Springs.

Maestri, his husband Adam Moore and their twin boys moved to Preston Hollow from Lakewood during the pandemic, seeking a bigger property but never expecting to find a waterfront property in North Dallas.

The decor pulls from the styles of Palm Springs and New Orleans, creating a clean but colorful space. Eclectic is an understatement. The decor is a conglomeration of mid-century collectors pieces, Anthropologie and Jonathan Adler, mirroring the varied styles he’s done in dozens of homes across Dallas. The home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2021.

Maestri Studio opened its gallery in 2018, displaying art curated from a variety of artists and vintage pieces imported from around the world. The studio is located in East Dallas inside Maestri Studio, where his team plans full-service projects that include architecture, interior design, furnishings, art and landscaping.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT THAT YOU’VE WORKED ON?

This probably sounds a little corny but I would say I’ve really enjoyed working on my personal house because I really got to experiment the most here and do some things where I don’t have to worry about being safe for a client. It’s been really fun. As far as other jobs go, there’s so many that are really great and that

I enjoy, but they’re always designing for a client and I think it’s been really fun on (my home) in particular just to kind of go all out and be more bold.

DO YOU HAVE A PIECE IN YOUR HOME THAT DEFINES YOUR PERSONAL TASTE?

As far as one piece of furniture, I tend to change things a lot. That’s one of the curses of being in this industry is that you always see new things. I have pieces that I love that are heirloom pieces that are kind of worn, and I love a good patina on furniture. The overall general house is very much our personality. There (are) some things that are quirky and fun, and there (are) other areas that are kind of formal. There’s not one or two pieces in particular that I’m like “Hey, that’s me in a nutshell.” It’s very eclectic and I tend to move things around a lot.

YOU LIVED IN LAKEWOOD FOR 17 YEARS. WHAT MADE YOU PICK UP AND MOVE TO PRESTON HOLLOW?

Never in a million years did I think we’d ever leave. We loved it so much. We just couldn’t find what we really needed out of a house. When we moved everything was shut down, but we had a good year and a half of really not going anywhere. It’s been fantastic because we live right by NorthPark Center and Preston Center. We love going up there for dinner and it’s been our new little downtown.

WITH SUCH A CAREFULLY CURATED SPACE, HOW DO YOU KEEP IT MAGAZINE-READY WITH TWO KIDS AND A DOG?

I don’t have anything that is so precious that it is the end of the world if it gets damaged. I have my great grandma’s chairs in the living room and they are kind of worn, so the kids climb all over them and it doesn’t bother me. I was very careful to do a lot of high-per-

formance fabrics. In fact, I had my gray sofa maybe not even 24 hours before my son took a Sharpie and wrote all over it — it came right off with water. There’s a lot of selections that we’ve done (with) the pieces and fabrics so they can be friendly for kids and pets.

AFTER DOING INTERIOR DESIGN FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, WHAT LED YOU TO OPENING A GALLERY?

For me it was a natural extension to what we do. Art is the inspiration for a lot of things, a lot of details and the way that finishes come together and architectural details can be stripped down into art. Then it goes full circle, usually the final piece that goes into the house is a nice piece of art. It is inspiration being exposed daily to art, and when clients visit the studio, they are inspired as well.

Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Above: Seating area in Eddie Maestri’s studio near Deep Ellum.

Left: House model at Maestri Studio.

BANGKOK DEE THAI

A taste of Bangkok in Dallas

Story by TINA-TIEN NGUYEN | Photography by KATHY TRAN

THE AROMA OF SPICES FILLS THE ROOM. The sizzling sounds of homemade cooking drift straight to your table.

For 10 years, Bangkok Dee Thai Cuisine has served authentic Thai dishes, and the legacy continues with new co-owners — and longtime servers in the restaurant — Wijittra “Vicky” Kamol and Potchanee “Polly” Boonwangrae.

“We’ve been here so long that some customers still think of us as servers,” Kamol laughs. “I don’t mind, though,

because we both enjoy working with each other so much. I know her (Boonwangrae) as my best friend now since we’ve been here together since the beginning.”

Kamol and Boonwangrae say the only way to keep the restaurant authentic is to cook the food from scratch themselves.

“It’s hard to find someone who will know the true, authentic taste of Thailand,” Boonwangrae says. “We are very passionate about cooking, eating and serving good Thai

Beef noodle soup (pho) at Bangkok Dee Thai.

food to the customers, so we prefer to do it all here.”

Boonwangrae believes that in order to keep the restaurant true to the Thai taste, the food they serve has to be spicy.

“Thai people eat spicy, strong flavor(s), so we don’t offer too many mild flavorings,” Kamol says. “We use real, fresh Thai ingredients, so everything is going to be spicier than most places.”

To keep things as authentic as possible, some of the recipes even come from their family members.

One of Bangkok Dee’s standout dishes is “Thai Boat Noodle Soup” — it takes half a day just to make the soup base.

“Not every Thai place has it,” Boonwangrae says. “We are one of the few in the DFW (area) that offers it, as it’s not easy to make. But it’s a very popular dish in Thailand, so of course we wanted to bring it here.”

Some of the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced from Thailand — either shipped to the U.S. or carried back from the country. For example, the noodles imported from Thailand are Dragonfly Noodle and ITC Thailand; the rice and curry paste and seasonings are from Mae Ploy.

Desserts also include Thailand’s famous mango sticky rice, which Kamol and Boonwangrae import from Thailand whenever mango is in season.

“It’s very sweet and fresh whenever we cook it,” Kamol says.

Boonwangrae and Kamol have been serving return customers for almost a decade, so they know some orders by heart.

“I know this one customer that has been coming here since I started, and I’m still serving him,” she says. “Some customers that were young when we started are now married and have babies themselves.”

Throughout their years of working together, the co-owners have built a strong bond with one another.

“She is like my sister,” Kamol says. “Our babies are about the same age, and we are going through life together. Up until the last week of our pregnancies, we were still here serving guests. We enjoy working together and having our babies play together. I am so lucky to own a business with her and to have a best friend by my side.”

Boonwangrae agrees: “Yes, it was destiny for us.”

Bangkok Dee Thai Cuisine 10207 N. Central Expressway, bangkokdeethaicuisine.com, 214.739.3436

Red curry and fried egg rolls at Bangkok Dee Thai.

* DALLAS HAS SOME OF THE BEST DOCTORS. AND THE BAD DOCTORS ARE THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE RULE. BUT THAT DOESN’T HELP WHEN YOU’RE THE PATIENT OF THE EXCEPTION.

[ ]the bad doctors

DENTISTS, HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES, SURGEONS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH CARE WORKERS

(IN SOME CASES, THOSE IMPERSONATING THEM) ARE DOING TIME FOR DOING HARM

Story by CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB | Illustrations by JESSICA TURNER

In the 1870s, a bright young dentist — tall, lean, mustachioed and blonde, with a slight speech impediment and a nagging cough — opened his practice in Deep Ellum.

The lanky Georgia native Henry John Holliday had earned a doctorate of dentistry at 19 and won three awards, including best set of gold teeth, at a Dallas County fair.

But Doc, as he was known, had a dark side. Not only was he sick with a terminal illness, tuberculosis, but he also had a gambling habit. Thus, he would never become the doctor

he might have been.

Like some other promising healers in this story (most of whom had far more formal medical training and credentials than our outlaw DDS), Doc Holliday would be remembered for less noble reasons.

The law ran Doc out of town after a shootout at a Dallas saloon. He attempted several times to resume a dental practice, historians say, but his hacking concerned potential patients. He went on gaming and gunslinging until he died from his illness in Colorado in 1887.

Dallas is home to substantial

medical resources — Baylor Scott & White is the most awarded notfor-profit health system in Texas ( U.S. News & World Report ); we have the No. 1 scientific health care research institution at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center ( Nature Index ), the No. 10 overall hospital system in the nation (The Lown Institute) with Parkland Health and the country’s second largest Veterans Affairs hospital system.

But with so many doctors, clinics and hospitals, on occasion, a bad actor violates his vow to do no harm.

doctors

Dr. Death

dr. Christopher Duntsch became the subject of a Peacock original series for all the wrong reasons. He’s serving a life sentence for gross malpractice that resulted in two direct fatalities and the maiming of more than 30 neurosurgery patients, as told by Laura Beil, the journalist who hosts the Dr. Death podcast, on which the eponymous show is based.

Beil’s reporting was sensational and entertaining in a true-crime sense, but it served an important public service. It exposed a local health care system that allowed a dangerous doctor to move around to different hospitals rather than be scrutinized for his incompetence and, in some cases, willful destruction of patients’ health and lives.

It’s important to remember, Beil says, that this “pass the trash” phenomenon, where institutions transfer a destructive employee rather than deal with them, is not consigned to medicine.

*Duntsch began his career at Baylor Scott & White in Plano, but after several of his surgeries ended in paralysis, permanent damage or death, as well as reports of him showing up to surgery inebriated, Baylor revoked his privileges.

“The one ‘Holy Cow’ I had, was when I learned from the [then] president of the medical board that, had [Baylor] properly notified them of what was going on … they could have suspended him on an emergency basis while they investigated,” she says. “If that had happened, there are people who died who would have still been alive, because he would not have been able to immediately go somewhere else.”

Duntsch performed several surgeries at South Hampton Community Hospital (now University General Hospital). He sliced through a man’s artery during a surgery at Methodist Hospital, and he left the sponge he used to soak the blood inside the patient when he sewed him up, causing a horrific infection. Duntsch’s reign of terror, reportedly, ended after that operation.

As recently as 2021, his patients were still dying. Jerry Summers, a primary subject of the Dr. Death podcast, and Philip Mayfield both were left paralyzed with compromised immune systems and died from infections, according to what Summers’ lawyer and Mayfield’s wife told respective local reporters.

Beil’s podcasts reveal that often hospitals do not report problematic physicians to governing

boards such as the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which is intended to flag them, because of costs associated with fighting and possibly losing wrongful termination suits.

Beil, a resident of Southern Dallas County who has continued to report on deadly docs, says her stories are not meant to reflect negatively on the profession.

“The vast majority of doctors are good and caring people who want the best for their patients,” she says. In fact, they are the heroes in the Duntsch story because they filed complaints, made phone calls and testified against him.

“The thing you don’t want is to be the patient of the doctor who is the exception,” she says in one podcast episode. “We are limited in what we can find out about a doctor, but a skepticism of a doctor you don’t know is not a bad thing.”

If there’s an overriding good thing about getting this story out there, she says, it is that people will take that extra measure, to the degree that they can, to protect themselves.

In 2021, Duntsch became the first doctor to be convicted of a crime committed in the operating room during the act of surgery.

While awaiting trial, Duntsch was arrested trying to walk out of the Walmart at Northwest Highway and Skillman Street without paying for $887 worth of sunglasses, watches, ties, briefcases, cologne and a pair of pants that he put on in the dressing room, according to a Dallas police affidavit filed on April 8, 2015

Dying for Curves

awoman known by her clients as Wee Wee operated a clandestine med spa in East Dallas where she offered black-market butt injections.

In 2015, clients hoping to attain Kardashian-esque curves could ask for the “Wee Wee Booty,” and, 24 hours before their appointment, she would send them the address, 3800 East Side Ave.

The amateur plastic surgeon, Denise Rochelle Ross (Wee Wee), and her assistant, Alicia Clarke, used material that was not safe to inject into clients’ bottoms.

Wykesha Reid, 34, did not survive an injection of silicone caulk, which prosecutors said entered her veins, traveled through her heart and was trapped in her lungs. Reid died in the clinic after lying down, saying she felt unwell. Her injectors left her “to rest” overnight and discovered her dead the next day, when Clarke frantically called 911, according to court records.

In 2017, Wee Wee and her assistant, Clarke, were sentenced to prison for murder in two separate trials. They were not doctors, but were practicing medicine without a license, according to police and court documents; thus their malpractice amounted to murder.

Police documents show Wee Wee was arrested at an Oak Cliff address shortly after they issued a warrant. She was sentenced to 60 years. She was denied

parole in 2020.

It is uncertain whether Wee Wee or Clarke administered the fatal injection. Each woman refused to testify against the other.

The dangers of pursuing the perfect rump are not relegated to the black market.

In 2017, a woman from Oklahoma, Rolanda Hutton, sued several cosmetic surgeons and nurses associated with the Dallas Plastic Surgery Center after she was left paralyzed following what she said at a press conference was a “botched Brazilian Butt Lift.”

The BBL procedure involves transferring fat from other areas into the buttocks. It’s both an in-demand and dangerous surgery, reports the New York Times . “The procedure has the highest mortality rate of any cosmetic surgery, but many women are undaunted,” the paper reported in 2021. In 2020 alone, there were 40,320 buttock augmentations, per the Aesthetic Society.

It’s common practice to move patients to unlicensed post-operative hotels after procedures — in Hutton’s case, The Cloister at Park Lane — but that is dangerous, her lawyers alleged. The defendants —doctors and nurses with offices in Lake Highlands, East Dallas and University Park among them — said, officially, that her claims are without merit. Court records reveal no settlement reached at this time.

The Forest Park Scandal

In 2014, a YouTube video went up showcasing a shiny new medical facility serving Dallas’ affluent, well-insured residents.

Located off Central Expressway, the gleaming five-level doctor-owned Forest Park Medical Center featured a luxurious lobby with fine art, modern furnishings and a two-story waterfall. A posh cafe and a Starbucks sat opposite a branch of Dougherty’s (a trusted high-end pharmacy and gift shop with a Preston Hollow store). Above bougie lounges were floors of doctors’ offices, state-of-the-art operating areas and commodious recovery rooms. Similar facilities emerged in Southlake and Fort Worth, and surgeons and specialists from all over Dallas can be seen in videos singing Forest Park Medical’s praises.

Seven years later, 14 people — the group’s managing partner, Wilton “Mac” Burt, a number of spinal and bariatric surgeons, a pain management doctor,

anesthesiologists, nurses and a chiropractor among them — would be convicted in a bribery scam.

These individuals were sentenced to a combined 74 years in federal prison and ordered to pay a total $82.9 million in restitution (one of the largest ever medical fraud cases, according to the Department of Justice).

According to a report from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the $200 million scheme was designed to induce doctors to steer lucrative patients — particularly those with high-reimbursing, out-of-network private insurance — to the now defunct hospital.

Hospital manager Alan Andrew Beauchamp testified for the government during his co-conspirators’ 2021 trial and pleaded guilty in August 2018 to one count of conspiracy to pay health care bribes and one count of commercial bribery. He admitted that Forest Park “bought surgeries,” and then “papered it up to make it look good.”

Beauchamp is serving 63 months (five-plus years) in federal prison. Burt, the group’s managing partner, was found guilty on 10 of 12 counts—one count of conspiracy, two counts of paying kickbacks, six counts of commercial bribery and one count of money laundering. Burt faced the stiffest sentence, 12 1/2 years. Other defendants received sentences that ranged from probation to 96 months.

Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah said of the case that his staff was pleased with the harsh sentences, which issued a “strong deterrent message: Violate anti-kickback laws, and you will face consequences.”

Many good health care professionals worked at the hospital, and hundreds of patients reported their excellent experiences on sites like Yelp. No injuries or malpractice have been publicized in connection with this scam.

At the time, however, Shah said that allowing money to influence medical decisions puts patients in danger.

As the lawyer said following the 2021 trial, “Patient needs, not physician finances, should dictate where, when and how patients are treated.”

The Pill Mill Doc

dr. Carlos L. Venegas — who operated what appears to have been a legitimate clinic in the Preston Hollow area — also ran a series of sham medical offices, including one in Oak Cliff’s Wynnewood Shopping Center, where he oversaw the illegal prescription of almost a million units of narcotics with no legitimate medical purpose, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox said in May 2013. After Venegas was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, he was sentenced to 13 years in a federal prison.

Cox said these “pills mills,” fronts for distributing hydrocodone and alprazolam (Xanax), contributed to an opioid crisis that was, that year, killing 116 Americans a day.

At trial, witnesses testified that participants in this conspiracy paid homeless and indigent people to pose as patients seeking pain medication. Runners coached these men and women on how to describe their (nonexistent) symptoms, drove them to the clinics and paid for their appointments. Seven other defendants including nurses and property owners went on to serve sentences ranging from 18 months to 11 or more years.

The Case of the Tainted IV Bags

in June 2022, anesthesiologist Melanie Kaspar was feeling unwell. So the 55-year-old doctor grabbed a bag of what she believed was saline IV fluid from the Preston Hollow area surgery clinic where she worked, returned to her Lakewood home, got comfortable, and began filling her veins with the contents of the bag. A few hours later, she was dead. Investigators would learn that she died from toxic effects of bupivacaine, a local anesthetic that’s fatal when improperly administered. Investigators would also find evidence of the same drug in more IV bags at the clinic and more patients suffering complications. Fortunately, those patients were in a hospital setting where they were saved from Kaspar’s fate.

Her fellow anesthesiologist, Dr. Ray Ortiz, was arrested in September, suspected of tampering with IV bags at the clinic.

Criminal allegations against Ortiz are not evidence nor proof of guilt, notes the Department of Justice in a press release. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Meanwhile, the Texas Medical Board has suspended his license.

As documented in court, clinic personnel identified more than 10 cardiac emergencies during otherwise unremarkable surgeries between May and August 2022, and exclusively when Ortiz was in the room.

Ortiz is charged with tampering with a

consumer product and with intentionally adulterating drugs. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

This isn’t the doctor’s first time in a courtroom. He was fined $3,000 in August 2022 in relation to a November 2020 incident in which a patient he was anesthetizing required resuscitation and emergency transportation to another hospital.

Ortiz also had relinquished medical staff privileges at North Garland Surgery Center for failing to disclose to the board a prior criminal conviction and arrest “for cruelty to a non-livestock animal,” according to the Texas Medical Board. In June 2016, a Collin County jury found Ortiz guilty of cruelty to an animal, for shooting and wounding his neighbor’s dog.

The motive, the jury decided, was retaliation after the neighbor testified against Ortiz at a protective order hearing and helped one of Ortiz’s domestic violence accusers escape his home. According to documents from the State Medical Board, Ortiz was arrested in 1995 over accusations of assault causing bodily injury to his former spouse.

GOING GREEK

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church celebrates 40 years of Greek education in our neighborhood

Story by ALYSSA HIGH | Photography by SYLVIA ELZAFON

TWICE PER WEEK, dozens of students walk into Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church to learn the language and culture of the church’s congregation. And they’re not alone. The students follow a long tradition of language learning that came to this community more than 100 years ago.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church was the first Greek church in Dallas and was established in 1915. Back then, all Greek Orthodox establishments were required to include a Greek school, and one was erected. Each priest became the school’s teacher, and eventually,

schools operated in other local Greekfrequented establishments to meet the needs of the community, like Semos Coffee Co. and Crozier Tech High School.

“The first thing Greeks care about when they are away from their homeland is how to feed their soul

and spirit,” says Alexandra Poulos, a teacher at the Greek school. “From the early years of their presence in this blessed country, they cared for their religion, their language and their cultural traditions, building churches and Greek schools in every corner of this country. The Greeks of Dallas were no different.”

The majority of the students were children of Greek immigrants, learning from Greek teachers and books printed either in Greece itself, reprinted American editions or books directly from the Archdiocese.

By the 1970s, the Greek population in Dallas became more established. The school’s students comprised third- or fourth-generation Americans, many from mixed Greek and American marriages with parents who did not speak Greek at home.

Instead of focusing on the language solely, George Nikolopoulos, who took over the educational program in 1975, expanded the curriculum to include religion and history and ensured that the generations of Greeks who

had never left the U.S. would have a connection to their culture.

“The ultimate goal is to motivate our children to maintain and promote the values they have received from their parents and ancestors, and to keep them close to their fellow Greeks, to Hellenism and to our Greek Orthodox Faith,” according to the school’s website.

In 1977, an adult class was established for the first time. Due to the spread of Greeks throughout northern Dallas, the teachers and priests found a need to move to a more central location and relocated the school to Preston Hollow, immediately increasing the number of students who were able to attend, Poulos says.

“The biggest problem for us and for the children is the distance and the traffic,” Poulos says. “But there are still people that are interested. We’ve never had this many adults, so the way that it is working (virtually) is phenomenal for that.”

In honor of retired teacher George

Nikolopoulos, the school provides scholarships for Greek classes and for college.

The school has three major celebrations throughout the year, including the “OXI Day” celebration honoring Greek bravery and heroism in World War II, the “Three Hierarchs” Celebration, celebrating the learning of Greek letters and teachings, and the March 25th Celebration honoring the Feast of Annunciation and Greek Independence Day.

Adult classes are offered through a mix of in-person and online sessions twice weekly. Children’s classes are held after school twice weekly in person.

“Let us welcome the next century with a banner written in the most vibrant colors of our own wishes! (It is) the will of current parents and the efforts of the children that the Greek school is not past; it is future and will live because it has teachers who inspire and want to teach,” Poulos says. “And children who are thirsty to learn.”

Classes take place at the church and those who have committed to learning the language to further their education in college.

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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

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

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

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333 TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses

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

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

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

EXTERIOR CLEANING

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

FENCING & DECKS

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

AMBASSADOR FENCE CO.

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

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

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975 Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers

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: windows, mirrors, showers, screens. 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

HOUSE PAINTING

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

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

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

KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT

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

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

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

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

FLOORING & CARPETING

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

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

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435

MONSTER TREE SERVICE DALLAS

Certified Arborists, Fully Insured 469.983.1060

NEW LEAF TREE, LLC Honest, Modern, Safety Minded. 214-850-1528

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

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

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

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

DALLAS

PEST CONTROL

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

ROOFING & GUTTERS

SERVICES FOR YOU

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

"Keeping Children & Pets in Mind" Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic 214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com abetterearth.com

PLUMBING

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

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

REAL ESTATE

ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD?

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

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

REMODELING

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

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

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

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

TK REMODELING 972-533-2872

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

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

URBAN PIONEER REMODEL. Total construction & Remodel. 214-682-4564 urbanpioneerconstruction.org

SERVICES FOR YOU

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS If you have water damage and need cleanup services, call us! We'll get in & work with your insurance agency to get your home repaired and your life back to normal ASAP! 855-767-7031

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

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

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

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

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

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

HUGHESNET Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live.25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499 -0141

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

PROTECT YOUR home from pests safely and affordably. Pest, rodent, termite and mosquito control. Call for a quote o rinspection today 844-394-9278

SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line 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

VIVINT SMART SECURITY

Professionally installed. 1 connected system for total peace of mind. Free professional installation! 4 free months of monitoring! 1-833-841-0737

WORSHIP

By MATTHEW RUFFNER

Resolution or intention?

Here it is. Another year. What am I prepared for? What shall I resolve to change, or maybe a better question is what shall I become?

I spent December contemplating with ancestors of faith, Moses and Mary. They both experienced encounters with the Divine. And they both said the same thing, “Here am I.” I can only imagine their reluctance as Moses turned aside to see the strange sight of a bush not burning up and Mary wondered what was waiting behind the greeting she heard. Neither knew what was to come but both agreed to become more. Both gave the best of themselves, amid their own struggle, to a world that was struggling too.

I spent time with Moses and Mary because I also was feeling reluctant. I was being drawn into one of those negative spirals. My negativity serves no one, least of all myself. And it leads me to argue as Moses did to send someone else to do the work. Rather than “Here I am,” I resist with “Who am I that I should…?” or “How can this be?”

But Moses wasn’t chosen because he was prepared. He was chosen because he noticed. How many other shepherds walked past that burning bush and were too preoccupied to notice there was something special about it? How many young women did Gabriel

invite to become more of themselves for love of the world before Mary said yes? Before either one took another step, they were both assured they would not walk alone. Love was with them and would lead them.

“I will be with you,” God said to Moses when he was called to deliver the people from their oppression. Before asking her to deliver love into the world, Gabriel assured Mary, “the Lord is with you!” And so it is with us. Before saying “yes,” before knowing what is to come, knowing we are not alone is a great promise.

Maybe my best intention for the year to come is to greet each day with “Here I am” and see what I notice. I may (likely!) still argue along the way and struggle with saying yes. But with grace and led by love, I’ll find courage to hear the struggle of the world, to walk alongside, and give the best of myself to a world that is struggling too. I don’t know what to expect, but I am willing to become more. I wonder what your intention might be?

REV. MATTHEW RUFFNER is the Senior Pastor at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. He is a husband to Sarah Ruffner and a father of two. You can follow Matthew on Instagram at @ thisismatthewruffner and visit PHPC. org to watch the church’s live stream and listen to sermons.

WORSHIP

BAPTIST

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org Bible Study 9:15 / Worship Services 10:45 Traditional, Contemporary, Spanish Speaking / 214.860.1500

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Here I am with grace and love