PLANOMAGAZINE.COM | editor@planomagazine.com
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PRESIDENT Jehadu Abshiro | EDITOR Alyssa High
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Simon Pruitt
INTERNS Krista Fleming | Varsha Jhanak
DESIGNERS Jynnette Neal | Lauren Allen
OPERATIONS MANAGER Alessandra Quintero
SALES Frank McClendon | Linda Kenney Cover by Lauren Allen
Dear readers,
It’s that time of year again. At the time of publication, we were enjoying three days of crisp 60 degree weather and pretending it’s a true fall, and soon we are sure to do the same for winter.
With winter comes holiday shopping, and we’ve got you covered with our annual Gift Guide. In this year’s issue, we have several stores that have opened in the last 18 months, from West Plano’s Kadou Boutique to Central Plano’s Minecraft Experience.
One of these stores, Southern Stork Baby & Children’s Boutique is also a Plano Magazine 2024 Best Of Shopping winner.
Speaking of Best Of, to nominate a business for Best Of 2025, email alessandra@planomagazine.com. To pitch a story idea, let us know of an error you caught, apply to work with us or just say ‘hi,’ email alyssa@planomagazine.com.
Happy holidays and see you next year, Alyssa High Editor
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story Krista Fleming | portrait Kathy Tran
IT IS LATE AT NIGHT — PROBABLY WELL PAST MIDNIGHT , but Pam Rosener had been working long enough that the minutes blurred together. At her desk that night, working on the latest details for the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), Rosener says she felt the Lord stir in her heart.
This could be everywhere, she thought. We could take this nation-wide.
Two decades later, Rosener’s organization has expanded to 132 chapters in 18 states. Last year, YMSL — an organization that sends a mother and son pair to local charities — completed 650 thousand hours of community service.
“The world is difficult right now,” Rosener says. “It’s difficult for a lot of people. I am very fortunate to be able to have what I have. I have a big heart for people who are strug -
gling, because we all have to take care of each other.” she says.
When her daughter was entering seventh grade, Rosener enrolled her daughter and herself in the National Charity League, a program that teaches young girls about community service and etiquette. She wanted to do a similar thing with her three sons, so she began researching organizations to enroll in.
She found none.
“That was why we started it,” Rosener says. “We wanted to serve side by side with our sons — to spend time with them and teach them a little bit more about the world.”
In 2001, Rosener and her team launched YMSL in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Most philanthropies previously worked with girls. Rosener says she had to prove that the mother and son teams would show up when they said they would and provide something worthwhile.
“We built trust,” she says. “They took us skeptically, but now there are a lot of philanthropies who just love, love, love our organization.”
YMSL’s four-year program also teaches leadership and life skills, such as how to change a tire and first aid.
“We are really looking at the whole young man,” Rosener says. “We’re trying to build his heart and compassion, but we’re also trying to make him a better human going forward. In the end, we want him to be a positive influence on our society.”
On top of running the organization, Rosener works full time in real estate. When she was first beginning YMSL, she couldn’t start working on the organization until late in the evening. She was also taking care of her four kids. She said it has been her biggest challenge.
“Sometimes, I think that I can’t do it,” Rosener says. “But then it wraps me back in. I hear the hangers that we’re making people’s lives, and I just know that it’s what I’m supposed to do. I didn’t plan on doing what I’m doing. It just happened, and I’m very fortunate to be around amazing people who helped me.”
Though YMSL has grown to a 93-person leadership team, Rosener says she doesn’t plan on stopping there. She wants to continue creating new chapters, which takes approximately 90 days, and earn enough to financially sustain the organization.
“Take it one step at a time,” she says. “That’s what I always tell myself. When you share a vision with people, your natural talents will fall in place. Then you just take it one step at a time, and you look back to see all you’ve done. It’s a cause worth celebrating.”
story Simon Pruitt photography Lauren Allen
Describe a rock band.
“Ideally they trash hotel rooms, there’s a level of rebellion to them,” says a man named Cassin at 1418 Coffeehouse in Downtown Plano.
Cassin is sitting at the last seat on the left at the end of their coffee bar, sipping black coffee out of a white mug. He seems puzzled by a question that should yield such an obvious caricature, but he continues.
“Black t-shirts,” he says. “And you got the ripped jeans and long hair.”
Most of the time, Cassin is right. But today, he couldn’t be more wrong. He’s sitting just a few feet away from Bennet Autrey and Andrew
Honescko, the core members of Honey I’m Home, a bonafide rock band that fits none of these descriptions.
The duo ditched the supposed rock band uniform in favor of wrinkle-free button-ups with thrifted hats and neat shoes. At time of publication, they have no known incidents at hotel rooms, and the only rebellion they show is their mutual obsession with trying to make the other laugh during the interview. It’s their first one as a band after all, for their hometown Plano Magazine
For all the rockstar confessionals about a lifestyle of partying and general promiscuity, these two don’t even drink, and they can’t shut up about their wives.
“My wife, Matilda, the best thing that ever happened to me in so many different ways,” Autrey says. “If not for her, I wouldn’t have a job and I wouldn’t have my friends today.”
It’s true. The 25-year-old has been working at 1418 since May, after his wife introduced him to store manager Nolan Gertwing and suggested him for an open position. These days, he splits time between 1418 and Dutch Bros to support Matilda and their 9-month-old daughter, Florence. The couple has been married since 2019 and met Honescko together at church.
Honescko was only 17 when he met his wife, Hayley, in 2019. Now 22, he starts his days at 4 a.m. making fresh bagels at Legacy Bagels in Prosper. When his shift ends, he heads to Dallas Baptist University to work towards a degree in music engineering.
That doesn’t leave a lot of time for music, especially time to write and rehearse together. But they make it work.
It wasn’t always this hard. The band originated in 2020 with Autrey trading vocal duties with former frontman Zeke Stortz, and Honescko backing guitar. They were younger then, with a pandemic keeping them home and no babies keeping them occupied. The core trio churned out the 5-song EP, Halfway Happy , featuring songs that Autrey and Stortz had written as teenagers.
“I’ve been making music since I was about 13,” Autrey says. “But I never really liked singing in front of anybody. I didn’t like people looking at me whenever I made music. I just kind of had to get those songs out.”
Years before he met Matilda, he
penned the swelling ballad “I Wrote A Letter For You,” a letter to his future wife — whoever she might’ve been.
I’m a little sad not knowing you, but that’s not the point I’m trying to get out to you, all I’m saying is that I already love you.
All I wish is for your miracle to come, but for now I’ll just ignore that you exist.
“Ben is an incredible songwriter,” Honescko says. “The first thing I said when I heard you guys were pregnant was that I can’t wait to hear the songs you write about her.”
“I tried to write songs about Florence,” Autrey replies. “But it’s hard whenever she’s so perfect and there’s nothing wrong with her.”
Autrey doesn’t hesitate to praise Honescko.
“Drew is the most talented guitarist I know,” he says. “He’s why I really wanted to keep making music in the first place.”
When they’re able to all get together and play, the core duo enlists the support of two fellow 1418 employees, drummer Matthew Lang and bassist Jonathan Collins.
Working full time as a baker and a student while also making time for Hayley, time is sparse for Honescko to refine his music. When he’s able to record music or perform live, having her around is top priority.
“My wife is very supportive and patient,” he says. “It means a lot to me whenever she’s there. It’s really rewarding for me and sacrificial for her.”
“Tilda also has made some sacrifices,” Autrey says. “Anytime I want to do something creative, she’ll be very understanding.”
Autrey even credits her for coming up with the name Honey I’m Home, perhaps a premonition about the essence of the band altogether. For as much as Autrey and Honescko create together, it’s the responsibility they share for their wives that keeps them moving.
After a recent music video shoot that ran late, Autrey returned home to a sleeping Florence. Regretful, he went to Matilda to explain.
“I totally did not need to go do that, but she understood that was a commitment I wanted to make because I want to create,” he says. “We got some cool wives.”
Indian cuisine. New York company. Plano foodies.
story Alyssa High | photography Kathy Tran
If you’re scrolling for available fast food options in the area, you’re going to find chains that are available most anywhere in the country, selling burgers, sandwiches, tacos or some form of fried chicken.
The Kati Roll Company, or TKRC, aims to be different, offering accessible Indian dishes with quality, proprietary ingredients.
The concept started in New York City, when a woman moved from Kolkata — home of the Kati roll — and missed the authentic street food from back home.
Just over 20 years ago, she opened the first TKRC location in Greenwich Village. The spices were made in her basement. The Kati rolls, lassis and chips were made fresh daily by hand.
And as TKRC opened more locations — four in Manhattan and one in London — those things never changed. The spices are no longer made in her basement, of course, but they are still hand-blended and exclusive to the company.
Fast forward to 2020, and world-traveling restaurateur Hebron Sher was looking for a new venture.
Sher begged TKRC owners to allow him to franchise, citing the lack of Kolkata cuisine despite the increasing Indian population in the community.
“I kind of twisted the founder’s arm,” Sher says. “I wanted to bring it to Texas because I felt like we were missing that type of cuisine at a very accessible level.”
Eventually, in 2021, she caved, and Downtown Dallas became home to the first TKRC franchise.
The first location was a success, Sher says, partly due to the quality of the food.
“I started off just being an avid fanboy for the food,” he says. “I would never want to be involved in a brand that I couldn’t eat maybe two or three times a week without feeling like
The paratha rolls, which are filled with chicken or paneer, are layered and lightly fried on a cast iron griddle. Spicy potato chips — fried and seasoned in-house — are the restaurant’s main side.
crap and I think that The Kati Roll Company has just done a great job of serving real food in a time where we don’t really have good food that is fast.”
He opened the Plano location on August 24 with $5 rolls, and there wasn’t an empty seat in sight. No one seemed to mind the grand opening’s 45-minute wait time — knowing they won’t find a similar concept and menu in the area.
The menu is simple. Kati rolls are layered and lightly fried paratha rolls filled with the customer’s choice of protein and roasted on a grill or griddle.
Protein options vary, and Sher says they make a point out of not skimping on the portions.
Though the Kati rolls are the main event, Indo-Tibetan dumplings called momos are available as well as sides of house-made spicy potato chips and green chutney/ chili. To drink, traditional Indian yogurt smoothies known as lassies are made daily
with homemade yogurt and “the best mangos on earth.”
If you’re new to Indian cuisine, Sher suggests sticking with the “most sold protein in North America” and grabbing a chicken tikka roll, which features grilled chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and wrapped in the signature paratha roll, ringing in at $7.
The restaurant also caters, often to airlines and car dealerships, which Sher says is indicative of the accessibility of the cuisine.
“Everybody can relate to a roll right? This is why, globally, anything like a wrap, a taco, burrito, or in this case, a Kati roll, is so relatable to everybody,” Sher says. “When you’re talking about a circular bread with filling in it, everybody can eat it. Everybody seems to like it.”
The Kati Roll Company, 5588 State Highway, 469.261.5975, thekatirollcompany.com
USDA
Brined
HOPPING DAYS VENDOR MARKETCHRISTMAS
NOV 2
SATURDAY, 9 A.M., MY POSSIBILITIES, 3601 MAPLESHADE LANE. FREE LOCAL VENDORS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR A MARKET JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
PLANO ART & CULTURE QUEST
NOV 2
SATURDAY, 12 P.M., MCALL PLAZA, 998 EAST 15TH ST., FREE PICK UP A MAP FROM MCALL PLAZA TO MEET LOCAL ARTISTS AND PEEP INSTALLATIONS. NOV 2
NTPA STARDUST AWARDS
SATURDAY, 5 P.M., PLANO EVENT CENTER, 2000 EAST SPRING CREEK PKWY, $115 A GALA CELEBRATION HONORING PERFORMING ARTISTS AND THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SUPPORT THEM.
AT
NOV 7
THURSDAY, 7:30 P.M., PLANO HOUSE OF COMEDY, 7301 LONE STAR DRIVE, $20 FROM OPENING FOR FUNKMASTER FLEX TO RUNNING HIS OWN MORNING SHOW, CIPHA SOUNDS’ MOVE INTO THE COMEDY SCENE IS MOVING TO PLANO.
NOV 7 ‘NEATH THE WREATH
THURSDAY, 9 A.M., PLANO EVENT CENTER, 2000 EAST SPRING CREEK PKWY, $15 THE HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET HOSTS UNIQUE HOLIDAY ITEMS, WITH FUNDRAISING BENEFITING THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF COLLIN COUNTY.
NOV 8
FRIDAY, 10 P.M., ART CENTRE THEATRE, 1400 SUMMIT AVE., $25 A 17+ BURLESQUE SHOW TAKING GUESTS THROUGH A 12 MONTH CALENDAR WITH
SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES SONGS.
20TH ANNUAL PLANO ARCHEOLOGY FAIR
NOV 9
SATURDAY, 9 A.M., HAGGARD PARK, 901 EAST 15TH ST., FREE DEMONSTRATIONS FROM A NATIVE PERFORMING GROUP, FLINTKNAPPING AND OTHER HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES ABOUND IN THE ARCHEOLOGY FAIR.
NOV 9 PLANO FLAGS OF HONOR
SATURDAY, 10 A.M., RED TAIL PAVILION, 2801 E SPRING CREEK PKWY, FREE
ENJOY MAGIC & PUPPET SHOWS, COMPLIMENTARY FOOD & DRINK SAMPLES, PLUS P HOTOS WITH SANTA ($30 BENEFITING CHARITY), TREE LIGHTING AT 6:30 P.M.
NOV 12
TUESDAY, 6 P.M., URBAN RIO CANTINA AND GRILL, 1000 E 14TH ST., $70 URBAN RIO IS HOSTING A FOUR-COURSE DINNER PAIRED WITH FOUR COCKTAILS TO CELEBRATE THE SEASON.
NOV 21 DOWNTOWN SIP & SHOP THURSDAY, 5 P.M., HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PLANO, 1021 EAST 15TH ST., FREE A THANKFUL-FOR-YOU THEMED SHIP AND SHOP EVENT WITH WINE SAMPLES AND LOCAL ART FROM THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION.
DICKENS IN DOWNTOWN PLANO
DEC 7
SATURDAY, 4 P.M., DOWNTOWN PLANO ARTS DISTRICT, 1021 E. 15TH ST., FREE THE TREE-LIGHTING FESTIVAL WILL FEATURE VENDORS, A SNOW SLIDE AND FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES.
PLANO
2024
DEC 14
SATURDAY, 9 A.M., CARPENTER PARK RECREATION CENTER, 6701 COIT ROAD THE PARK WILL BECOME A MINI WONDERLAND FOR TREATS, HOLIDAY CRAFTS AND A VISIT FROM SANTA HIMSELF.
DEC 14 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
SATURDAY, 9 A.M., CARPENTER PARK RECREATION CENTER, 6701 COIT ROAD THE PARK WILL BECOME A MINI WONDERLAND FOR TREATS, HOLIDAY CRAFTS AND A VISIT FROM SANTA HIMSELF.
DEC 20 A CHRISTMAS CAROL THE MUSICAL
FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M., COURTYARD THEATRE, 1509 H AVE., $36 AN ADAPTATION OF CHARLES DICKENS’ STORY PERFORMED BY REP COMPANY.
DOWNTOWN SIP & SHOP
DEC 21
THURSDAY, 5 P.M., HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PLANO, 1021 EAST 15TH ST., FREE A THANKFUL-FOR-YOU THEMED SHIP AND SHOP EVENT WITH WINE SAMPLES AND LOCAL ART FROM THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION.
DEC 22
SUNDAY, 9 A.M., OAK POINT PARK, 2801 SPRING CREEK PARKWAY A HOLIDAY-THEMED 1 MILE, 5K AND 12K WITH TREATS FOR FINISHERS.
DEC 21
THURSDAY, 5 P.M., HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PLANO, 1021 EAST 15TH ST., FREE A THANKFUL-FOR-YOU THEMED SHIP AND SHOP EVENT WITH WINE SAMPLES AND LOCAL ART FROM THE PLANO ART ASSOCIATION.
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BEST GARDEN STORE
WINNER - LIVING EARTH
2ND - WELLS BROTHER PET, LAWN & GARDEN
3RD - HOGAN NURSERY & LANDSCAPE SUPPLY
BEST GIFT SHOP
WINNER - SAMPLE HOUSE AND CANDLE SHOP
2ND - LA FOOFARAW
3RD - THE WOODEN SPOON
BEST HOME DECOR
WINNER - HIGH STREET ANTIQUES & DESIGN
2ND - SUTTON PLACE FURNITURE
3RD - SPECIAL TOUCHESHOME DECOR & GIFTS
BEST KID’S STORE
WINNER - SOUTHERN STORK BABY + CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE
2ND - ONCE UPON A CHILD
3RD - MADNESS GAMES AND COMICS
BEST MEN’S STORE
WINNER - VU’S CUSTOM CLOTHIER
2ND - FILSON
3RD - TRAVISMATHEW
BEST PET SUPPLIES STORE
WINNER - THREE DOG BAKERY
2ND - HOLLYWOOD FEED
3RD - JETT PETS
BEST SHOPPING AREA
WINNER - DOWNTOWN PLANO
2ND - LEGACY WEST
3RD - PRESTON VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER
BEST SPECIALTY SHOP
WINNER - HOLMAN POTTERY
2ND - CARRIERS SKATE SHOP
3RD - SHINOLA/FILSON
BEST W OMEN’S BOUTIQUE
WINNER - GRIFFIN & GRACE
2ND - THE FEATHERED NEST
3RD - LYLA’S: CLOTHING & GIFTS
story Alyssa High
It’s the season of giving, and our gift guide is in full swing, with nine stores featuring items available for the holidays. From unique home decor finds to apparel for the whole family, we’ve got gifts for them all.
Each item is entirely unique, like this painting entitled Cherry Blossoms by Mark Whitmarsh and porcelain bust set.
Parkwood Square, 3000 Custer Road, Suite 180
Painting - $2,200, Porcelain busts - $79 each
KADOU BOUTIQUE
This lightweight Marble Scotland holiday sweater is available in both red and black at the Preston Road store, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary in Plano.
Preston Park Village, 1900 Preston Road
Sweater - $179
This necklace and earring set features amethyst, amethyst drusy and sliced amethyst in a sterling silver setting, produced and manufactured in Jaipur, India and designed by Dallasite Vinay Sigh.
Preston Parkway Center, 1517 Preston Road
Necklace set - $1,306
MINECRAFT EXPERIENCE: VILLAGER RESCUE
Though the family-friendly experience will only be in town until December 1, the immersive experience is open six days a week until then with merchandise like hoodies, hats, stuffed characters and pins. Tickets are not required to purchase merchandise.
2712 N Central Expressway
Pin set - $39, Creeper pillow - $35, B&W Mesh Cap - $25, Hoodie - $64
SOUTHERN STORK BABY & CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE
These boys-and-girls sweaters from Pink Chicken New York and Ruth and Ralph are 100% cotton with a soft yarn to keep the kiddos warm.
Lakeside Market, 5809 Preston Road, Suite E-579
Sweaters - $98, $68
BRIANNA CANNON
The nationally-recognized brand’s exclusive Plano retail location features gameday picks for NFL teams, collegiate sports and other leagues like this Cowboys headband alongside Southern-style apparel.
Preston Park Village, 1900 Preston Road, Suite 155
Headbands - $95 each
MYX BLEND BAR
This gift bundle includes a makeup bag, a vegan sugar lip scrub and a bombshell 24/7 lip treatment. Gift cards are also available for custom-makeup creating services.
The Shops at Legacy, 7300 Lone Star Drive
MYX Blend Bar bundle - $60
Striped Box Boutique recently opened their Plano location, which sells women’s apparel, like this Black Floral Standout Sweater, and home decor. This Hazel Oval Stone cocktail ring comes in three color variations and pairs with the Betty Mixed Stone and Enamel earrings.
Lakeside Market, 5809 Preston Road, Suite E-578A
Pockets offers a variety of menswear options. This outfit consists of a sportcoat ($4,695), a shirt ($325), a vest ($1,595) and a pocket square ($95).
Legacy West, 7701 Windrose Ave
Price - $7,388.06
McLaughlin and Kincheloe have been friends since their daughters started going to Prince of Peace Catholic School together. Now, the two work together to turn Kincheloe’s happy cows into McLaughlin’s steak.
“STAY AWAY FROM THAT COW,” says Tim McLaughlin, coowner of Crossbuck BBQ. “This one is real agitated.”
He met the cow just over a year ago at KV Ranch in Clifton, Texas, about 40 minutes west of Waco. He coowns the ranch with Richard Kincheloe, whose family has owned the property since 1995. The two met as their children attended Prince of Peace Catholic School in Plano, where both families reside. At KV Ranch’s sprawling 7,500 acres, you’d be free to approach any other animal except for that one cow.
“Here’s the ribeye off the steer Tim was talking about,” Richard Kincheloe says, showing a photo from his phone of a darker cut of meat. “The big thing you’ll notice is the color. A darker cut means more blood retention at the time of slaughter. More blood retention equals stress.”
It might be hard to stay calm in the face of imminent death, but what’s the point of that death at all if the end product is going to suffer?
“When we harvested the cow that was calm and happy, it had very high quality meat,” McLaughlin says.
“It’s just because it wasn’t agitated,” Kincheloe adds. “It wasn’t overworking itself. It wasn’t just running its muscles for no reason at all.”
An epiphany: Frustrated cows equals disappointing meat. Happy cows equals better meat.
A plan: Separate a group of cows from the rest to be given special treatment. Slaughter them for better results, then sell the formerly happy meat at a premium.
It was too good not to try, but how?
“Our main focus was fly control, water availability and scratching post availability,” McLaughlin says. “If there’s flies all over the place and they’re flapping their tail, they’re agitated. We want to keep the animal as calm as we possibly can through its life.”
This group of cows and the process they go through have been branded as Crossbuck Cattle Co. There, a cow should fight no battles — insects,
thirst, itch or even illness. Happiness is the number one priority.
“We no longer call ourselves an antibiotic free farm because if a cow gets sick, we’re going to take care of it,” McLaughlin says. “If we’re going to keep the cow happy, we’re going to keep the cow healthy.”
This method is a new experiment, but being on a farm is nothing unusual for McLaughlin, who spent summers on his grandparents’ cattle farm in Iowa.
“I have memories of my grandma going outside, yanking vegetables out of the ground and snapping a chicken’s neck,” he says. “That was dinner, and that’s something that stays with you.”
And it did. McLaughlin has been cooking professionally since he was 17. He went on to study at Le Cordon Bleu, a prestigious French culinary institute. At 23, he was named executive chef at David Slay’s Zuzu’s Petals restaurant in St. Louis. He’s never looked back, helping open Lockhart Smokehouse in 2011 before creating Crossbuck BBQ in 2022 with fellow pitmaster Damian Avila.
With cooking experience all over the country, McLaughlin recognizes how unusual his situation with KV Ranch is.
“With Tim’s program, if he cooks you a brisket, he knows exactly where that steer was fed its entire life,” Kincheloe says. “We are growing Texas beef on a Texas ranch for Texas.”
Texas has responded. Crossbuck Cattle products are sold out of a small pop-up next to the cash register at Crossbuck BBQ. Inside a fridge and surrounding shelves, housemade sausages, tallow and a variety of cuts of beef in vacuum sealed bags are available for sale. Since launching earlier this year, Crossbuck has sold out of its products twice.
“As a chef, to be this close to the product is super exciting,” McLaughlin says. “You talk about farm-totable, this gets real close to the table. We own the farm together, and it ends up on these tables.”
story Varsha Jhanak
photography Amani Sodiq
In rural South India, Prisha Bhat’s grandmother faced a harsh reality familiar to many people in the region: the devastating impact of drought.
Despite the overwhelming monsoon rains, long bouts of drought can cause arsenic pollution. According to the National Library of Medicine, rice plants under drought stress become susceptible to arsenic uptake and accumulation because genes involved in arsenic uptake and transport may be unregulated and expressed more frequently. When Bhat’s grandmother consumed rice containing arsenic, she was forced to deal with the terrible truth of the situation. Bhat’s perspective changed and she felt compelled to take additional action.
“I essentially started looking for ways that I could remediate those toxic chemicals from the soil through natural means,” Bhat says. “I genetically engineered a rice plant so that it acts like a sponge, so it can absorb that arsenic from the soil while also preventing it from going into the actual edible portions of the plant. It’s almost like a dual-purpose solution in that way.”
Empower Earth is a nonprofit organization started by Plano East Senior High School senior Prisha Bhat with the mission of advancing environmental justice initiatives like the rice plant through both science and social justice.
“I was inspired to do this primarily because of where we live,” Bhat said. “[We live somewhere] that’s car-dependent, no public transport or infrastructure, and honestly, not that many trees around. I was inspired by a lot of the efforts that other cities have taken toward becoming a little bit more green, and I thought that by starting this organization and promoting environmental justice, I could essentially take a step toward that.”
From informative articles to community projects, Empower Earth’s initiatives aim to teach others about environmental injustice.
Through the American Forests Tree Equity Map, Bhat noticed the low tree equity scores in the community and decided to combat the issue. She decided to start small, beginning with her school campus. In April, Bhat, along with other students, planted trees on the Plano East campus to combat tree inequity. According to Bhat, the underlying problem behind the unequal distribution of trees is deeply rooted in the history behind the planning of cities.
According to Beyond Greenspace, oftentimes, when cities are being planned, wealthier communities tend to receive more funding for green infrastructure. The consequence of a lack of trees is the loss of benefits provided by trees. Trees provide a number of health benefits by providing shade, reducing the risk of UV-related complications like skin cancer, and promoting mental health overall, as they can also provide great spots for socialization.
Along with the planting, Empower Earth has partnered with the Texas Tree Foundation to organize sapling giveaway events and distributed several hundred saplings to affected areas within the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
“I just noticed there’s a pretty decent disparity between areas of our community,” Bhat says. “I thought, if there’s any way at all I can help to combat this, I do want to try to do that. So I thought, why not just start small with my campus? I had to do quite a bit of research into which tree specifically to select. I ultimately decided on oak trees, because not only are they native to Texas, but also, when fully grown, they provide a very good amount of shade, and the roots don’t branch outwards, meaning that, no one’s gonna accidentally trip on them.”
Over the course of two months in May and June, Empower Earth held an art exhibit at the Parr Library titled Dose Makes Poison . The local community responded well to the show, Bhat says, which sought to increase public awareness of the pervasiveness of poisons in our surroundings.
Students can join Empower Earth through their website or even start a chapter at their school. Educating oneself on environmental issues, Bhat says, helps their mission.
Empower Earth doesn’t want to stop here. In college, Bhat hopes to expand the organization and help more people learn about environmental justice.
“Probably one of the coolest things is being able to feel that sense of accomplishment, like I’ve done something,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s gratifying to know that what I’m doing, while it might not immediately have huge effects, eventually, through continued effort, I can bring about at least some positive change in the community.”
The tiny houses (pictured left) are part of a roomsized exhibit from Soheyla Rashidyan herself. Most of the items are handmade, while others are rare finds in stores and thrift shops.
Planoites strive to make Plano’s Downtown a true arts destination
story Alyssa High photography Lauren Allen
Plano’s drive to become a fine arts destination goes back several decades.
In 2015, the neighborhood applied to become a designated cultural arts district, a lengthy process through the Texas Commission on the Arts that affords the opportunity to apply for grants.
The application included a list of cultural assets in the historic district, including galleries, Plano International Fest, Dickens and Night Out on 15th. The designation was awarded in December of 2016. Today, there are many initiatives aimed at furthering the fine arts scene.
The City of Plano is working on a Comprehensive Cultural Arts Plan. Earlier this year, the City brought in a consultant to conduct in-person discussions with area artists, media, cultural groups and the public to include diverse input into a Cultural Arts Plan. The plan aims to span at least five years and create a cultural asset inventory and map, make grant program recommendations, suggest public art and recommend both public and private arts funding.
At the same time, Soheyla Rashidyan and Mike Korman had been working toward the creation of a nonprofit art museum in the district for over six years.
Originally slated to be a contemporary art museum for children, the pair expanded their idea to be more inclusive of all ages and art types, though they’d still like to have a permanent children’s exhibition one day.
“Soheyla has done a lot of reading on how every child, regardless of culture, language, ethnicity, whatever, they all go through the same stages of development of their art skills, so she has come up with some depictions of all of those stages and we would like to have a permanent exhibit that will show all the stages with example of real child art,”
Korman says. “The whole spirit of this museum was predicated on that idea.”
Still in its infancy, but now called the Plano Museum of Contemporary Visual Art, the museum is located downtown in the Chaddick Center alongside the Torres Music Academy and shares an office with Trusty Garage Doors. Visits to the museum are by appointment only, where Korman or Rashidyan themselves can walk you through several rooms featuring Rashidyan’s own work, rotating exhibitions and donated pieces of varying styles.
There is no rotating theme here, though — Rashidyan and Korman aim to bring in up-and-coming or under-featured artists of all backgrounds and art types.
The museum’s first exhibition featured artist Mi Sook Chung, who works with clay sculptures and even taught a class in the museum’s workshop on ‘Happy Food’ made with clay. The second exhibition featured Mehran Yousefi, whose works focus on the history, legends and poetic imagery of Persian heritage.
“We are really trying to get things that interest people, not just, ‘Oh, this is what our local artists have done,’” Korman says. “Not to demean the local artists, they’re great, but we’re actually trying to help them and the whole community by bringing in artists that could help them raise up the level [of art that is produced] and it can cause a ton of energy.”
Though the museum is in a small rental space for now, the duo has big dreams – dreams that they believe the City is coming closer to with the addition of the Cultural Arts Plan. As part of the plan’s process, an architect came to the museum and created pro-bono designs of “what the building could become.”
To Korman, that dream is multifaceted. Many locations were vetted before finding the current rental space, aiming for a spot that spoke to the charac -
The duo met while working with the Plano Arts Association, where Rashidyan was president from 2015-2017.
ter of the museum while making sure to stay within the Plano Arts District, as some of the pioneers of the district’s creation. But the current building is small and even the architect’s design would require donations beyond what the museum is currently seeing.
“What we really want to do is re-energize Downtown Plano,” Korman says.
To get the museum to the next stage, short-term goals include finishing out the museum’s first rooms, designing each to its own personality. And though workshops are not the main focus, after a successful series of art therapy with Shahrzad and Nazaneen and Sook’s clay painting series, more concepts with diverse artists are in the works.
To bring awareness and fundraise for the museum, it is hosting its first art competition with a date TBD, entitled The Great Goat.
Like the exhibitions, the art contest nods to local history by focusing on farm animals and livestock. Korman and Rashidyan expect the theme to become an annual event with art focused on these themes.
Before the contest is finalized and kicks off, the museum is calling for sponsors who will receive naming rights for competition categories like two and 3D awards, Best of Show and Best of Goat.
“You’ll see the sponsorship level is up to $50,000 to [sponsor] the whole thing, because we want the prizes to be exceedingly high compared to what is normal around here right now,” Korman says. “We want this to be something really important and we want it to happen every year.”
The museum is also looking for volunteers of any kind, especially those who are able to serve on the board of directors with applicable skills for titles like development director, grant manager, financial officer, legal advisor and web administrator.
“We want to change the spirit of art in Plano, because we have a lot of artists and they do not get enough attention,” Rashidyan says. “But we also want to bring artists to Plano … and we want everyone to know we are here and want to help because it’s not only for us, this is for Plano now.”
11:00am-1:00pm Saturday, November 16 4:00-8:00pm Sunday, December 8 1:00-5:00pm
thru Wednesday, November
