THIS is how it’s done

Photos: Levitt Pavilion Arlington

Undaunted by several challenges, the Levitt Pavilion continues to make beautiful music

The year 2020 – and the frst few months of its successor, for that matter – weren’t on most people’s “Things I Fully Expected” Bingo card. The pandemic crippled many organizations, venues, bars and restaurants with mandated closures or capacity limitations that prevented viable operations. Then came Texas’ Stormageddon.

In her freshman year as executive director of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington, Letatia Teykl was forced into a role she had never anticipated.

“Suddenly, I wasn’t booking artists and planning concerts; I was canceling performances and pushing dates out while our country grappled with the outbreak of COVID,” says Teykl. “What I quickly realized was being fexible to the changing circumstances was essential in our response.”

Teykl quickly crafted a plan of action to honor commitments to artists and sponsors alike with the blessing of the Levitt Pavilion board and guidance from Arlington’s Fire Chief.

“Our mission is free live music and giving a platform to artists,” says Teykl. “We never lost sight of that.”

With concert after concert canceled by most venues, the Levitt Pavilion Arlington emerged as a leader among the eight Levitt locations nationally (Bethlehem, Pa., Dayton, Ohio, Denver, Los Angeles, Memphis, Tenn., Sioux Falls, S.D. and Westport, Conn.). First, Teykl began booking artists to livestream only; and then as soon as conditions allowed, the Levitt Pavilion staf sectioned of the lawn to provide safe, socially distanced squares for families and friends to listen to live music in open air.

Across the United States, music venues were mostly ignored by initial federal fnancial assistance. Music venues such as the Levitt Pavilion acted as catalysts for revitalization. NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association, is behind the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act. With the passing of the Save Our Stages Act, the Small Business Administration will establish the framework on how to divvy out the $15 billion in relief for grants to help with payroll, rent, utilities and PPE. The permanent closure of music venues and sociable spaces could further damage the tourism and hospitality industries.

“Cultural arts, live music and festivals are an important part of being a successful tourism destination,” says Ron Price, President and CEO of Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. According to NIVA, for every $1 spent on a concert, it generates $12 in economic activity.

“A community’s vibrancy is enhanced with the recurring concerts and events produced by music venues such as the Levitt Pavilion,” adds Mayor Jef Williams.

Reporting on 2020 by the numbers, Teykl is proud of the role the Levitt Pavilion played in the Texas music industry’s ecosystem. • 63 artist contracts were honored for a total of 48 performances • 28 weeks of music livestreamed • 43 live performances on the stage • Concerts garnered 300,000 views by music lovers in 41 countries • 20 nights with live music on the Levitt stage with audiences on the lawn

“2021 will continue to present challenges as evidenced by the unprecedented cold weather and power outages,” Teykl says. “But the Levitt Pavilion will lead the charge on adapting and reinventing ways to showcase music talent to North Texas.”

For more: levittpavilionarlington.org

Photos: City of Mansfeld

HELP IS AT HAND

Local organizations team to create a website that matches needs to assistance for Mansfeld residents during times of disaster

On the heels of the devastating winter storm, and with the pandemic still making life difcult for many residents, several organizations have partnered to provide assistance for Mansfeld residents and coordinate with those in the community who want to volunteer to help.

Mansfeld TX Responds and its new website, mansfeldtxresponds.org, serves as the vehicle for both of those eforts: requesting assistance and responding to calls for volunteers and donations.

The site is a place for residents needing assistance to provide specifc information about their situation and their needs. Meanwhile, anyone wishing to volunteer will fnd those opportunities on the website. And if you are able to donate to these eforts, you will be able to do so online.

Five founding entities are part of this altruistic endeavor: the City of Mansfeld, Mansfeld Mission Center, Texas Baptist Men, Mansfeld Churches for the City and United Methodist Committee on Relief. The goal of Mansfeld TX Responds is to “work with a local, diverse, cross-sector committee to help with immediate needs and to form long-term recovery plans. Together, we assist our neighbors when they need us most.”

The partnership is a way to enhance a platform already in place at Mansfeld Mission Center, which works with local organizations, churches and city government to assist residents impacted by disasters.

Following the winter storm that left thousands without power and water, the website represents a timely and helpful means to bring the partners’ – and their volunteers’ – abilities and resources together to respond to those in need. Regular updates note specifc needs that can be met, such as water and boxfans to go to residents afected by the storm, and ofers volunteer forms to aid helpers in fnding areas where their expertise might best be used.

“Mansfeld is a community that cares for those in need, especially when they are our neighbors,” a statement on the website reads. “We can meet the needs of those in our community who have been impacted by this disaster. Together we can make a diference. We are #MansfeldStrong.”

Scene Snapshots of note from places and events in the Arlington/Mansfeld/Grand Prairie area

It’s official! Al Jones It’s official! Al Jones is the new Chief of Police is the new Chief of Police

Chief of Police Al Jones takes the oath of office to officially assume his new role in heading the department.

Teaching (and learning) Teaching (and learning) about fire safety about fire safety

Photo: Arlington ISD Arlington ISD fire academy students recently put on assemblies about fire safety for students in kindergarten through third grade at Rankin and Burgin elementaries. Not your Not your father’s library ... father’s library ...

Photo: Arlington Public Library Arlington Water Utilities staffers offered Adopt-A-Plant kits last month at the Southwest Library Branch.

Green Oaks School Green Oaks School

Photo: City of Arlington Former Green Oaks School student Veronica Lopez (right) recently joined the school as a teacher’s assistant. Three generations of Three generations of Jensen racers Jensen racers

Photos: City of Grand Prairie Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen drove with his grandson Jackson, and then his son Eric joined them in the winner circle during a recent family foray to the track in Cresson.

Pantego Christian Academy Pantego Christian Academy opens athletic center opens athletic center

Photos: Pantego Christian Academy With the help of Baylor Scott & White Orthopedic and Spine Hospital, Pantego Christian Academy created the Mitchell Athletic Center, a state-of-the-art facility with indoor batting cages, archery range on indoor turf and a custom weight room. Planning to have Planning to have a block party? a block party?

Photo: City of Arlington The City’s Block Party trailer is back in circulation. If you’d like to reserve it for free, visit tinyurl.com/7p5fxrj6

Arlington Police Department Arlington Police Department officers do a good deed officers do a good deed

Photos: Prince Lebanese Grill

Photo: City of Arlington Photos: Arlington Police Department Photos: Arlington Police Department Last month, officers from the Arlington Police Department East District teamed up with Seasons of Change, Mission Arlington, Legacy Psalm Ministry, Treasor Nail Studio, ACAPP, AAPOA, ShareFest, and Ben E Keith Company to host a brunch for members of the area’s homeless population. The officers cooked food and provided their guests with supplies and haircuts.

TAKING CARE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS Perry. “The women of this club have a heart for service and are very proud to be able to help our community.” The objectives of the club are represented by the four sections of the organization’s crest: Science, Fine Arts, Religion, and Education. The AWC’s 400-plus members represent an array of life experiences and passions that are served when they become members by distinct departments. The departments include Antiques & More, Art and Design, Since 1957, the Arlington Woman’s Club has had a heart for Bible/Joyful Living, Book Review, service for their friends in need in the greater Arlington community Bridge, Creative Living, Garden & Gourmet, Literature Study, Mah Jongg, Night, Performing Arts,

For more than six decades, the Arlington Woman’s Quilts Etc., Theory of Games Old and New, and Travel. Club has been dedicated to promoting and developing In essence, club members become part of a sub-group within the potential of its members through education and the non-proft organization that meets monthly at the Arlington benefting the community through philanthropic ventures. Woman’s Club building (1515 W. Abram St.), thus fnding The fruit of that dedication is represented by some remarkable friends with like interests. The entire group meets quarterly. numbers. Since 2005, the club has given $336,700 in scholarships Collectively, the club has fve giving circles that fund to graduating seniors in each of the Arlington Independent scholarships. Each Giving Circle member pledges $50 per year. School District’s high schools. In addition, the club hosts an annual philanthropic event that In addition to scholarships to the graduating seniors who raises money for charities. will continue their education at a college or trade school, the However, the philanthropic event was canceled in the past Woman’s Club of Arlington also presents a scholarship each year, due to the pandemic. year to a student whose parent/parents are frst responders. “You can call me the COVID president,” Perry says. “Because Also, since 1997, the AWC has donated/raised a collective of the pandemic, we weren’t able to hold our annual event, so $329,314 for various local charities that serve the greater this year has been something of a challenge.” Arlington community. In addition to losing their hallmark event, club members also Local entities that have benefted from the club’s members’ had to forgo a lot of their service work, such as packaging meals philanthropic eforts include the Mission Arlington Night for New Day, which provides meals to hungry children in the Shelter, Arlington Charities, the Miracle League, Urban AISD schools. Ministries, Meals on Wheels, and New Day, among others. While 2020 and the early part of its successor have been In addition to traditional giving, AWC members also daunting, now that restrictions are easing statewide, Perry are involved in community service projects that beneft hopes the AWC will be able to fully return to its roots: local community residents through the likes of Arlington Life people helping other local people lead better lives.“These Shelter, the Open Arms Health Clinic, and Heritage and women truly enjoy being able to serve others,” she says. “We Oakwood nursing homes. can’t wait to get back to doing that the way we did before.” “We focus on education and charity,” says President Elouise For more: awctx.org

TO THE RESCUE

Arlington Charities is still serving those in need, despite a series of formidable challenges

Arlington Charities is the largest food pantry in the city. This month, Penny Rowell, development director for the organization, shares some of the challenges facing the organization as its staf and volunteers maneuver around a pandemic that has left the less fortunate in the community with an even greater need than normal ...

Arlington Charities is a “client choice” pantry. Previously, clients came into our facility to “shop” for the specifc grocery items their family needed. In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to drastically restructure our operations and take on a much larger client base due to school and work shutdowns. We transitioned to a drive-through pantry over the course of a single weekend and limited our once rotating cast of volunteers to a small group of individuals who came every day in order to limit exposure.

Very quickly, our client base more than doubled, and we began taking on new client groups, such as families from the Arlington Independent School District who were displaced from school. We also began to implement new programs, such as frequent drive-through mobile pantries (with National Guard help), utility assistance, and grocery delivery (outlined further in fact sheet).

As we were gearing up for our annual holiday distribution, disaster struck in the form of an EF2 tornado. We lost power for our heating/ air conditioning units, but the most devastating loss was that of our freezing and cooling units, which kept our perishable foods frozen. Our goal was to get back to serving clients as quickly as possible, and we were lucky to have the help of a very supportive community. For several days, we stored our food in refrigerated trucks and worked in the dark by headlamp until our power came back on.

The pandemic and tornado were not the only disasters Arlington Charities faced in the last year. Last month’s historic winter storm provided new challenges for many in our community. Arlington Charities was able to provide bottled water to city personnel who were working to get utilities back on and donated food and water to the Arlington Life Shelter. In the weeks following the storm, we provided food to an increased client base and gave out water to many who were still without running water.

One of the things we also experienced were changes to our fundraising. Previously, we hosted a popular annual event, the Help and Hope Celebrity Chef Showcase, where donors enjoyed a threecourse tasting and cooking demonstrations by a popular local chef. This was complemented by wine pairings and an auction. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the event last year due to COVID and limited time to restructure the event in a safe way. We are very excited to bring back the Help and Hope Celebrity Chef Showcase this year as a livestream event with a unique twist. Two local restaurant owners and Food Network Superstars, Randy Ford, from J. Gilligan’s, and Aziz Kobty, from Prince Lebanese Grill, will discuss the stories behind their restaurants, their most famous dishes, and what it was like to be featured on the Food Network - a live “behind the scenes look.” The event will be moderated by famed novelist, O.K. Carter, and livestreamed from Tony Rutigliano’s Urban Alchemy Cofee and Wine Bar. We will also be rafing of several exciting packages provided by some of Arlington’s favorite restaurants.

It has been a wild year for us, but we experienced a lot of positive changes and are excited to move forward into 2021.

For more: arlingtoncharities.org

Bulletin Board Bulletin Board

Former Rotary Club scholarship winner is now a member of the organization

Helping students from one of Arlington’s neediest elementary schools go on to college was the vision in 1994 when the Rotary Club of Arlington established its Webb Elementary Scholarship. Last month, one of the recipients became a club member. Veronica Rodriguez was a sixth grader at Webb Elementary in 1999 and graduated from Bowie High School in 2005. With the assistance of the $750 scholarship, she went on to attend college at Brookhaven Community College in Dallas, and two years later she attended the University of Texas at Dallas and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Political Economy. Shortly afterwards, she was awarded the

Veronica Rodriguez Veronica Rodriguez Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and attended the University of Chile in Santiago, Chile where she earned a Master’s degree in International Political Trade Policy. And, now, she is a member of the organization that helped her pave her way.

“The impact the Webb Scholarship gave me goes beyond fnancial, Rodriguez says. “It allowed me to further my vision for what I wanted through education and provided additional steppingstones to create a better future with the support of the Rotary community.”

The Webb Scholarship program is available to all Webb 6th graders who go on to graduate high school. The scholarship is funded by donations and has awarded approximately $780,000 to over 600 Webb students. If you would like to make a donation, please visit arlingtonrotary.com or email Peter Scott at peterascott@sbcglobal.net.

Optimist Club sets youth sports dates

The Optimist Club of Arlington has announced tentative dates for the 2021 youth baseball and football seasons. Baseball Sign Ups will begin on April 1, with the season opener scheduled for the second week of May. The season will last for six weeks, ending in June. Football Sign ups will begin on July, 1. Practices will begin the frst week of August, and the season will begin around August 28.

The Optimist Club of Arlington is recruiting members and coaches. If you would like to volunteer to coach, or if you would like more information about youth leagues, visit oca.sportssignup.com/site.

Arlington Bass Classic will be held on April 10

Arlington Parks and Recreation will host the Eighth Annual Arlington Bass Classic on April 10 at Lake Arlington.

Registration is $100 per team (one or two people) and includes a Big Bass contest. There is a limit of one boat per team. The top six places are paid for the biggest stringer.

Prizes will be in the form of a cash payout. The frst place team will also be recognized as Lake Arlington Bass Classic Champions.

The big bass prize is $200 (based on 40 teams) and will be awarded to the team who catches the biggest bass of the event.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

5:00-6:40 a.m.: Registration and check-In at Richard Simpson Park (6300 W. Arkansas Lane) 6:45 a.m.: Pre-tournament meeting 6:55 a.m.: National Anthem 7 a.m.: Tournament begins 2:30 p.m.: Tournament ends 3 p.m.: Weigh-in deadline

For more: urlzs.com/ E1FNK

Photo: UTA

UTA Movin’ Mavs win their ninth national basketball title

The University of Texas at Arlington Movin’ Mavs won their ninth National Wheelchair Basketball Association championship last month, defeating Alabama 66-51 for the title.

UTA almost scored a “double,” but The Lady Movin’ Mavs came one win short, falling 67-53 to Alabama in the women’s national championship game.

For the men, Amit Vigoda, selected as the tournament’s most valuable player, led UTA in the fnal with 26 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. Carrington Marendes added 17 points and six assists. Aaron Summerill contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds, plus four assists. Vincent Dallaire, named to the all-tournament team, scored eight points, with fve assists and three rebounds.

UTA coach Doug Garner says his team’s mood was “joyous and celebratory” as they headed back to Arlington from Tuscaloosa, Ala., site of the tournament.

“It’s been great seeing all of these diferences come together in a team,” Garner said. “We had age diferences, philosophical diferences and cultural diferences. We had to mold together all these parts in just a few tournaments. These players were willing to put in the work.”

AIMING HIGH: The River Legacy Foundation Clay Shoot fundraiser will be held on May 7

The River Legacy Foundation Clay Shoot fundraiser will be held at 9 a.m. on May 7 at Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch (8270 Aledo Road, Fort Worth).

Chairman Chris Bookout, of Horizon Plumbing LTD, heads up this event to beneft River Legacy Foundation’s environmental education programs at River Legacy Living Science Center, including feld trips, wildlife outreach, and Nature School. Prices for the event are $200 per shooter and $800 per a team of four with sponsorships starting at $1,000. Tournament highlights include free ammo, breakfast and lunch, 100 rounds of clays, a signature gift, rafes, beer tickets, and an award ceremony. Participants can purchase tickets for the gun rafe, which features prizes like the Beretta A400 Xcel and Franchi Instinct L. Tickets for a general rafe can be purchased as well. The rafe will feature prizes like a Tower Shoot for two for the 21-22 season and more.

River Legacy’s Sporting Clay Shoot also ofers the opportunity to take part in shooting Firebird targets. With success based on how close a hit is to dead-on-center, Firebird targets are more than just fun; they are the perfect tool to increase accuracy and marksmanship. Participants who can hit these Firebird targets will be entered into a drawing for additional prizes.

“River Legacy’s Sporting Clay Shoot is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a day out at the shooting range while supporting an incredible cause,” says Robert Blake, Clay Shoot Committee member and River Legacy Foundation board president. “River Legacy Foundation’s mission to educate young people on the environment is special to me and my entire family. My two boys have been involved with River Legacy Foundation programs, camps, and festivals since they were little. River Legacy has given them the opportunity to experience nature, which is something you don’t always get to do in the city.”

To sponsor or sign up a team, contact Shannon Porter at 817-8606752, ext. 119, or via e-mail at shannon@riverlegacy.org. The registration deadline is April 26. Each participant under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. For more: riverlegacy.org

Keen Cuisine Keen Cuisine

UPSCALE

Chamas do Brazil • 4606 S. Cooper St. • 817-618-2986 • chamasdobrazil2.tru-m.com Cut & Bourbon • 1600 E. Randol Mill • 682-277-4950 • loewshotels.com/live-by-loews-arlington-texas The Keg • 4001 Arlington Highlands Blvd. • 817-465-3700 • kegsteakhouse.com Mercury Chophouse • 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 910 • 817-381-1157 • mercurychophouse.com Piccolo Mondo • 829 Lamar Blvd. E. • 817-265-9174 • piccolomondo.com restaurant506 at The Sanford House • 506 N. Center St. • 817-801-5541 • restaurant506.com

AMERICAN

Candlelite Inn • 1202 E. Division St. • 817-275-9613 • candleliteinnarlington.com Dino’s Subs • 2221 S. Collins St. • 817-274-1140 frieddaze • 5005 S. Cooper St., Suite 159 • 817-472-6666 • frieddaze.com The Grease Monkey • 200 N. Mesquite St. • 817-665-5454 • greasemonkeyburgers.com J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill • 400 E. Abram St. • 817-274-8561 • jgilligans.com

MEXICAN/TEX-MEX

Cartel Taco Bar • 506 E. Division St., Suite 150 • 817-200-6364 • carteltacobar.com El Arroyo • 5024 S. Cooper St. • 817-468-2557 • elarroyoarlington.com El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill • 2408 W. Abram St. • 817-276-8160 • facebook.com/elgabachotexmex Fuzzy’s Taco Shop • 510 E. Abram St. • 817-265-8226 • 4201 W. Green Oaks Blvd. • 817-516-8226 1601 E. Debbie Lane, Mansfeld • 817-453-1682 • fuzzystacoshop.com

La Isla Restaurant • 2201 E. Pioneer Pkwy. • 817-459-1498 • laislarestauranttx.com

ITALIAN/PIZZA

Café Sicilia • 7221 Matlock Road • 817-419-2800 • cafesicilia.com

Gino’s East • 1350 E. Copeland Road • 817-200-6834 • ginoseast.com/arlington

BARBECUE

David’s Barbecue • 2224 W. Park Row Drive, Suite H • 817- 261-9998

INTERNATIONAL

Cut & Bourbon Cut & Bourbon

Candlelite Inn Candlelite Inn

La Isla Restaurant La Isla Restaurant

Paying homage to a Texas Ranger hero

The next time you see Elvis Andrus in a picture The next time you see Elvis Andrus in a picture of this ilk in a game between the Rangers and of this ilk in a game between the Rangers and the Oakland A’s, he and the catcher will have the Oakland A’s, he and the catcher will have switched uniforms. switched uniforms.

Photo: seattlepi.com

It is a phrase that has been uttered after nearly every trade in the history of the Major Leagues: “Baseball is a business.” Yet, rarely has it hit so close to home, rarely has it hit so hard. Maybe third baseman and the shortstop. The business of baseball had become funny business, as Elvis and Adrian had more fun on the feld than the law allows. For eight seasons, business as usual for that is because Elvis Andrus plays the game with the passion, the these two was a youthful enthusiasm rarely seen before or since. enthusiasm and the smile of a child. He plays as if he does not Elvis had his ups and downs during the years that he played know it’s a business. with Adrain, mostly ups. Like his appearance in the 2012 All Star

Of course, he does know. In fact, in July of 2007 the business of Game, the second of his career. And before the start of the 2013 baseball was on full display. The Rangers traded Mark Teixeira to season he was rewarded with an eight-year, $120 million contract Atlanta for fve up-and-coming prospects. Among them was an extension. 18-year-old shortstop regarded as the second best prospect in the There were downs, too, like Game 5 of the ALDS in Toronto in Braves organization. In August of 2007 Elvis joined the Rangers 2015. Elvis had two errors in a three-error inning, as the Jays came organization and went about the business of proving he was from behind to beat the Rangers. worthy of that lofty ranking. After the game Elvis stood at his locker, took responsibility and

By Opening Day of 2009 it was clear that he was. Michael Young proved what a good leader – what a good man – he had become. had agreed to move to third base, clearing the way for a guy who His response to that disappointment was the 2016 season when would occupy the shortstop position for he hit over .300 for the frst time in his a dozen years. career. Then 2017 when he hit 20 home

Omar Vizquel was also on the roster in runs, more than twice as many as in any 2009. The 11-time Gold Glove winner was previous season. signed to show Elvis the ropes. Perhaps John Rhadigan He hoped to follow up that power Omar was a great teacher, or, maybe, surge in 2018, but on April 11 he was hit Elvis is just a fast learner. He was the by a pitch that fractured his elbow. He second youngest player in the American went on the injured list for the frst time League that year, and he started 145 THOUGH he doesn’t wear in his career. He was back in business games and fnished second in balloting the uniform any more, Elvis by mid-June and played in 97 games for Rookie of the Year. Andrus will go down as one but could never regain the form of the

In 2010 the Rangers sent a message previous two seasons. to the rest of the American League: of our favorite Rangers. The past two years have been barely “We mean business!” Elvis was already OK by his own lofty standards, but thriving. He made the All Star Team in his second season, and by when you look at the last 12 you see something so special. Elvis the end of the year he was leading of, as well as playing shortstop. was always taking care of business of the feld. He was loved by You might say he was front and center in the Rangers quest to win this community and he loved it right back, in the form of charity their frst World Series. appearances and autograph signings and smiles and hugs and fun.

The 2011 team was the best in franchise history. Bolstered by the The Rangers acquired Elvis to help build a championship team. of-season acquisition of Adrian Beltre, Elvis hit .279 that year – a Now they have come full circle, trading him in an attempt to full 14 points higher than in 2010. He also had more RBIs, more hits rebuild the organization to a championship level. They traded him and more steals than in the previous season. The end of that year within the division. They know this is risky business. They will see was heartbreaking, but with this version of Elvis there was hope for him a lot, they will face him a lot. They realize that there is a chance even better years to come. that they will fnd themselves on the business end of an Elvis

There was also a friendship developing between the Rangers Andrus resurgence.

Itinerary Itinerary

TIMELESS CONCERTS will present an “Evening in Italy!” concert at 8 p.m. on April 24 at the Arlington Museum of Art (201 W. Main St.). It will feature music by Italian composers that span centuries, from the early music of Paganini to romantic Resphighi and Italian-American Henry Mancini. Tenors Don O’Neal LeBlanc and Sergio Cepeda will sing the greatest hits of Puccini and Rossini opera, and a Verdi aria heard in 18 different movies. A post-concert party will include complimentary wine, soft drinks and desserts. COVID precautions will be in place. timelessconcerts.com

THE RIVER LEGACY Living Science Center is registering children for Summer Classes, Nature School, After School and Homeschool Clubs. River Legacy education programs provide an environment that encourages a child’s inborn sense of wonder and curiosity to fourish. Indoor and outdoor explorations at River Legacy Living Science Center introduce children to the wonderful world around them while they gain skills that will last a lifetime. River Legacy has a new Parent Portal for registration. Visit urlzs.com/1nVYJ, click the “Enroll Now” button and hit “Sign Up” in the top right corner. Fill out your information, and hit the button on the bottom saying “Sign Up” to create your parent portal account and register for classes. riverlegacy.org

A fun way to work out A fun way to work out

The Downtown Arlington Health & Wellness Series will continue at 10 a.m. on April 3 and 10 at Levitt Pavilion Arlington. The sessions also will be livestreamed and will feature popular workouts, such as Zumba, meditation and yoga.

levittpavilionarlington.org

Photo: levittpavilionarlington.org

Kayaking 101 Kayaking 101

The Mansfeld Parks & Recreation Department will offer Kayaking 101 classes at 10 a.m. on April 10 and 17 at Britton Park. Participants will learn the basics of kayaking and enjoy a scenic nature paddle.

mansfeldtexas.gov/Calendar.aspx

Photo: wikipedia.org

Play ball! Play ball!

This month, your Texas Rangers will open the 2021 home season vs. the Toronto Blue Jays (April 5-8), the San Diego Padres (April 9-11), the Baltimore Orioles (April 16-18), the Los Angeles Angels (April 26-28) and the Boston Red Sox (April 29-May 2).

mlb.com/rangers

In the company of the very best

While I’ve been ofering my observations on this page on a wide variety of topics every month for almost eight years, this time it’s personal as my pride is showing.

remarkable success with this movie was achieved. And, it almost didn’t happen at all. “We frst read the script in 2015,” Amy explains, “and three Big time! years later the crew and a highly diverse team of mostly local

My daughter Amy and her partner Chris Stinson have been deaf actors, both adults and children, had been assembled and we making movies together for a long time. All along the way my began flming based in Boston. wife and I have been enjoying getting to know some behind-the- “Then issues arose with our fnanciers, and it looked like we scenes ways the art form has attracted generations of millions would have to shut down. So, Chris went to work with new since motion picture cameras were invented 130 years ago. investors, and we were able to begin principal photography on

But now our experience has reached a pinnacle as news has time.” just come that one of their flms has been nominated for an Leading actor Riz, when he was cast in the role, didn’t play Academy Award. drums nor did he know sign language. After months of diligent

Wait … make that SIX Academy Awards! work to master both skills, he was ready to turn in a performance

The movie, a low-budget independent flm, is “Sound of Metal.” that has earned him additional best actor nominations from It’s a story about the drummer in a metal band who has lost his the Golden Globes and a score of other industry sources and hearing and faces a crisis that puts him into a life-changing world entertainment media . he never imagined. Not to be overshadowed by the human members of the cast,

His journey unfolds throughout the Amy and Chris’ dog Louie appeared two-hour drama and draws in viewers in a supporting role. Louie, always a with a compelling focus that makes favorite of any cast, is a veteran and can you wonder how you would deal with a turning point for which you were totally Richard Greene be seen in other of their movies. “We shot on flm,” Amy emphasizes, unprepared to comprehend. “which is very costly and highly

Dramatic artist Riz Ahmed delivers unheard of these days, especially on a a break-through performance that “SOUND OF METAL” low-budget independent flm.” earns him a nomination for the Best Our Amy and Chris Chris’ summary of the project Performance by an Actor in a Leading concludes, “Crazy things happen Role. are Academy Award when you combine a bunch of amazing

His relationship with the manager Nominees flmmakers with one of the best scripts of a facility for the deaf played by Paul I’ve ever read. We stayed with this Raci, himself raised by deaf parents project through thick and thin over and fuent in American Sign Language, is absorbing. Raci’s many years while multiple cast and fnanciers came and went interpretation of his role earned him a nomination for Best until we fnally ended with the perfect combo.” Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. So, what’s next for this pair?, you may ask. Right now they are

The Academy goes on to recognize the flm with nominations producing a movie in New York with Ray Romano, who is making for achievements in Best Sound, Best Original Screenplay and his directorial debut and starring in the flm. “We’ve selected two Film Editing. new projects to follow later this year and, as always, lots of other

With those top-of-industry recognitions, it may be no surprise ‘maybes’ out there as well.” that the Academy has nominated the movie as Best Motion As Academy Award Nominees, this team will attract all kinds Picture of the Year! of new opportunities, and we’ll be along as eager parents who

While always curious about how each of their projects were are among the best of movie fans everywhere, but, now, this is all put together, I wanted to know more about how Amy and Chris’ delightfully personal.