September 2022 Dreaming BIG! Dreaming BIG! UTA’s new President Dr. Jennifer Cowley is poised to take the university to new heights UTA’s new President Dr. Jennifer Cowley is poised to take the university to new heights
at FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY 7:00 PM - 12:00 SEPTEMBERAM17SATURDAY Kelly Hart | Ramona & Lee Bass | Anne & Orlando Carvalho | Louella Martin Advanced Mobile Filtration Services, LLC | American Airlines | Atmos Energy | Stephanie & Cody Baker Bennett Partners Architecture Interiors Planning | Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty Luther King Capital Management | Tammy & Ty McKinney | JP Morgan Chase & Co. PlainsCapital Bank & The Private Bank | REEDER Construction | Madolin & Ben Rosenthal | Judy & Brad Rupay Trinity Healthcare | Wagner, Tulbert and Doswell Families | Higginbotham/WhitneySmith | Ben E. Keith Company SPONSORED BY: 1600 GENDY STREET, FORT WORTH, TX 76107 | fwmuseum.org | (817) 255-9449 TABLES GOING FAST! Keith Urban Concert, Dallas Cowboys Tickets, Texas Rangers Suite Live DJ & Dancing, Strolling Magic, Mad Science Experiments Blue Goose Cantina, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Fitzgerald, Galligaskins, Heim BBQ, Pacific Table, Taco Heads at FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY 7:00 PM - 12:00 SEPTEMBERAM17SATURDAY Kelly Hart | Ramona & Lee Bass | Anne & Orlando Carvalho | Louella Martin Advanced Mobile Filtration Services, LLC | American Airlines | Atmos Energy | Stephanie & Cody Baker Bennett Partners Architecture Interiors Planning | Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty Luther King Capital Management | Tammy & Ty McKinney | JP Morgan Chase & Co. PlainsCapital Bank & The Private Bank | REEDER Construction | Madolin & Ben Rosenthal | Judy & Brad Rupay Trinity Healthcare | Wagner, Tulbert and Doswell Families | Higginbotham/WhitneySmith | Ben E. Keith Company SPONSORED BY: 1600 GENDY STREET, FORT WORTH, TX 76107 | fwmuseum.org | (817) 255-9449 TABLES GOING FAST! Keith Urban Concert, Dallas Cowboys Tickets, Texas Rangers Suite Live DJ & Dancing, Strolling Magic, Mad Science Experiments Blue Goose Cantina, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Fitzgerald, Galligaskins, Heim BBQ, Pacific Table, Taco Heads NOEL & DAVID NOLET EVENT CHAIRS
8 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com customers are well-served. Page 28 YOU NEED TO KNOW ... DEPARTMENTS Starting Line 10 Itinerary 12 This ‘n Data 14 Around Town 22 24, 50 Bulletin Board 60 Keen Cuisine 62 Speaking of Sports 64 Finish Line 66 Newly appointed President Dr. Jennifer Cowley recently shared with Arlington Today her impressions of her new school – and of her role in taking it to the next level. Page 26 ON THE COVER 34 32 New and improved The newly renovated Gunn Junior High is Arlington ISD’s latest state-of-theart facility 34 A little different Adlai Pennington decided to veer “off road” a bit when he acquired this 1956 Packard Four Hundred 42 Diamond diamonds Ian Kinsler and John Blake are the newest inductees into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. 46 UTA Today Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley became the first Black four-star general in the history of the U.S. Marines. 56 Mainly Mansfield Here, we suggest, are eight reasons to fall in love with Historic Downtown Mansfield. 5640 CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS September 2022 • Volume 9 • Issue 9 40 Home SWEET! Home Mansfield Custom Homes’ Julie Short takes us on a tour of a Modern Craftsman classic
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While we’re celebrating the season, we should be sure to accessorize with lawn chairs. That will give us the best seats on the lawn at Levitt Pavilion, no matter where we sit as we take in an autumn concert. Before the show, I recommend that we grab a bite to eat out on the patio of a downtown restaurant. There are plenty from which to choose. They are all good choices in the fall. OK, I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I’ll be smitten for the next three months. After that? Well, that depends on what mysteries ERCOT has in store for us this winter.
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The fact is: There was very little about the past three months’ weather that checked the “normal” box, which is all the more reason I am celebrating my favorite season, starting this month. I hope you’ll join me.
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I hope you’ll join me at Globe Life Field when the Rangers conclude the 2022 baseball season beneath the stars (and not a roof). I’m up for a game on any day in autumn but Friday, because, well, because God made autumn Fridays for high school football. Any Colt, Cougar, Texan, Viking, Volunteer and Warrior will tell you that. Oh, and Sundays are out, too. We need to save those for our date at AT&T Stadium, where we’ll take in an array of stars (including the sun, which occasionally gets in the eyes of pass receivers during playoff games). I jest, of course. But, c’mon, Jerry. Just close the blinds on game day. I’m not joking when I say that a stroll along a trail at River Legacy Park is one of life’s premier pleasures. Likewise, a picnic at Randol Mill Park. Both endeavors, when partaken in the fall, will give you a sneak-peek at heaven, and who couldn’t use one of those these days?
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your community • your magazine Today Starting Line YoungbloodYale 10 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the Junior League of Arlington, Levitt Pavilion Arlington, the Open Arms Clinic, and Theatre Arlington. EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Publisher Judy M. Rupay CEO Richard Greene EDITORIALEditor Yale Youngblood Sports Columnist John Rhadigan Special Columnist Edward G. Lengel Website & Social Media Manager Bailey Woodard Graphic Artist Francisco Cuevas Contributing Writer Kenneth Perkins Contributing Photographers Dwayne Lee, Heather Lee, Bobbie Jo Majors Bruce Maxwell SALES / BusinessCIRCULATIONManager Bridget Dean Sales Managers Laura DiStefano, Andrea Proctor, Debbie Roach, Tricia Schwartz Distribution Manager Hanna Areksoussi ProductionPRODUCTIONManager Francisco Cuevas
T here are all manner of things that mystify me, not the least of which occurred last month. There I was, resting in the confines of Youngblood Manor, appreciating the breeze emanating from the air conditioner vent that served to distract me from the fact that I was party to the hottest summer in the annals of scorch, when ... There I was, resting in the confines of Youngblood Manor, wondering if Noah would be kind enough to give me a lift. It would seem that this summer tried to get all historical on us. From June somethingth to August somethingth we had to monitor our thermometers routinely just to make sure they weren’t pre-programmed to register three digits. Then the skies opened wider than many of us can remember.Yet,some day, people who make a habit of looking back at weather patterns will conclude from the numbers that, “yeah, it was pretty much a normal summer, back in oh-two-two.”“EHHHHHH. Wrong answer.”
I’M READY FOR FALL. HOW ABOUT YOU?yale@arlingtontoday.com
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CONCERTSTIMELESS TO TAKE TO THE DANCE FLOOR Theatre Arlington will present the comedy, “The Cake” on Sept. 30-Oct. 16. Tickets are available at theatrearlington.org MUSIC TO OUR EARS
Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images
COWBOYS FOOTBALL
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B uttermilk Sky Pie Shop (1707 N. Collins St., Suite 115) will host its inaugural Pie Eating Contest at 1 p.m. on Sept. 17. Contestants will try to devour 4-inch pies with forks in a bid to be the area’s premier pie eater. They’ll be provided water to wash the pies down, as well as aprons and napkins to keep things as tidy as possible. Just remember this strategy: The pie is the limit in this endeavor. facebook.com/events/1007081333301058?ref=newsfeed
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12 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
Regular season is going, going, gone L evitt Pavilon Arlington (100 W. Abram St.) will host two ticketed concerts this month. Country music star Chase Rice will perform at 9 p.m. on Sept. 10. KC & The Sunshine Band will take the stage at 9 p.m. on Sept. 24. Artists preceding the Chase Rice show will be Palmer Anthony at 6:30 p.m. and the Scooter Brown Band at 7:30 p.m. Retrophonics will open the Sept. 24 show at 7:30 p.m. General Admission tickets for both shows are $45.Free Levitt concerts this month performancesincludebyTito Strange (7 p.m. on Sept. 2); Brave Combo (8 p.m. on Sept. 2); Kelley Mickwee (7 p.m. on Sept. 3); Ray Wylie Hubbard (8 p.m. on Sept. 3); Ellen Once Again (7 p.m. on Sept. 4); The New Respects (8 p.m. on Sept. 4); Igimèjí (7 p.m. on Sept. 16); The Peterson Brothers (8 p.m. on Sept. 16); Hispanic Heritage Celebration Featuring Sunny Sauceda (5:30 p.m. on Sept. 17); The Brad Thompson Band (6 p.m. on Sept. 22); the UTA Jazz Orchestra with Special Guest Melissa Aldana (7:30 p.m. on Sept. 25); Eaglin (7 p.m. on Sept. 30) and Abraham Alexander (8 p.m. on Sept. 30). levittpavilionarlington.org
T he Dallas Cowboys will open the National Football League season with a pair of games at AT&T Stadium this month, and they’re hoping to do more in 2022 than simply repeat as the National Football Conference East Division champs. They will host Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 11 and then entertain the Cincinnati Bengals at 3:25 p.m. on Sept. 18. dallascowboys.com Photo:dallascowboys.com CIRCLE THE DATE
ITINERARY ...
The Brady Bunch will pay a visit this month PIE EATING CONTEST Because everyone loves pie eating contests Y our Texas Rangers will wrap up the regular season with 14 home games at Globe Life Field this month and in early October. They will host the Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 9-11, the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 13-14, the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 20-22, Cleveland Guardians on Sept. 23-25 and the New York Yankees on Oct. 3-5. It’s likely the last chance to root, root, root for the home team, so make plans to take in some ball. mlb.com/rangers
T imeless Concerts will present “Music of Dance,” featuring works from dances through the ages, at 8 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Belltower Chapel (3712 Wichita St., Fort Worth). In addition to featuring music written for minuets, waltzes and tangos, the performance will spotlight music by Brahms, Shostakovich, Ravel, Piazzolla and Villoldo.Themusicians will also accompany professional dancers James Gonzales and Lydia Cabrera from the Arthur Murray School of Dance on a couple of special complimentaryThereselections.willbewine by the glass, soft drinks, and a few snack items including Pixie Popcorn. Table seating is available for up to 11, or private tables for 2. timelessconcerts.com
the Communities Foundation of Texas kicked off the region’s 2022 North Texas Giving Day activities with a training event held in June at Texas Live! Tuesday morning. Almost four hundred people attended to hear firsthand the ins and outs of this year’s fundraising extravaganza.Thesold-out event was designed to help the region’s charitable organizations prepare for this year’s events and to ensure they are ready to fully leverage NTX Giving Day, the largest community-wide giving event in theThenation.Arlington Tomorrow Foundation will be awarding 21 bonus grants totaling $115,000 to Arlington-based nonprofits that participate in NTX Giving Day this year: 14 Time Block Grants of $5,000 totaling $70,000; two People’s Choice Awards of $10,000 totaling $20,000; and five random drawings for $5,000 totaling $25,000. Created by the Arlington City Council in 2007, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation is dedicated to contributing to a Thriving Arlington by supporting causes that benefit our citizens and enhance the natural surroundings and lifestyle of our city. For more information or to register your business for North Texas Giving Day, visit northtexasgivingday.org
ArlingtonBythenumbers 22.8
Source: uta.edu $1,300
The approximate amount each resident doesn’t have to pay in annual taxes because of tourism tax revenue. Source: arlington.org 14 The number of acres comprising Champions Park, which has over a dozen eateries and retail facilities. Source: arlington.org
14 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
The size, in square feet, of The University of Texas at Arlington’s College Park Center.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you knew that John Burkett pitched a complete game to lead your Texas Rangers to a 6-2 win over the New York Yankees in 1996, marking the club’s first postseason victory.N orth Texas Giving Day is set for Sept. 22, and this year’s bar for philanthropy is high – in 2021, some 7,600 gifts totaling more than $2.2 million were donated to 158 Arlington-based charities, exceeding the 2020 total contributions by nearly $100,000. In all, nearly $67 million were raised for nonprofits across North Texas during the 18-hour online giving event, which is coordinated by the thisTexas.FoundationCommunitiesofToprepareforyear’sevent,
The length, in miles, of Green Oaks Boulevard, which loops the city.
ALTRUISM IN ACTION: NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY IS SET FOR SEPT. 22
T he Arlington Field of Honor, a local event created by the Arlington Veterans Park Foundation to commemorate Patriot Day, will be open to the public from Sept. 3–12 at Veterans Park (3600 W. Arkansas Lane). On the anniversary21stof the 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, the Arlington Field of Honor will be marked by a solemn formation of American flags, purchased by local citizens to honor victims, military members, veterans and first responders.“TheStars and Stripes reminds us of who we are as a people,” says event spokesperson April Pettitt. “The United States flag represents our solidarity in creating a brighter tomorrow and uniting us all.” For more: arlingtonfoh.org. DATA ...
THIS ‘N
Source: wikipedia.org 218,000
ARLINGTON FIELD OF HONOR WILL BE OPEN FROM SEPT. 3-12
16 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
A Knight’s Tale exhibition will open Oct. 21 and run through Feb. 12.
ARLINGTON ORGANIZATIONS/PROJECTSGRANTSFOUNDATIONTOMORROWAPPROVESFORFOURLOCAL
Arlington Museum of Art’s A Knight’s Tale Exhibit and Website Upgrades: $190,940 - Recently, the Foundation awarded a $149,500 grant to the museum for its current Legends of Disney exhibit. This new grant for the museum’s A Knight’s Tale exhibit will include armed horses, full sets of armor, and a transformed space to feel like the visitor is in a castle. Featuring over 120 Renaissance artifacts, armor, and paintings from Europe.
The spirit of the exhibit will delight, engage, inspire, and educate children and their families by making connections between living breathing animals and those of fanciful folklore.
The VM is non-profit Barbershop Harmony Society chapter and 13-time Gold Medal winners in BHS chorus competitions, with its most recent win in 2018. Tickets for the concert are $25. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. To order tickets, visit openarmshealthclinic.org
he Arlington Tomorrow Foundation Board of Directors last month approved four grants totaling $323,440 to Arlington nonprofit organizations, City of Arlington departments and neighborhood groups for projects that help the public. The grants went to the following:
CORRECTION In the August issue, some contact information in the All Star profile for Women’s Health Services was incorrect. The practice’s offices are located at 1001 N. Waldrop, Suite 505, and at 5005 S. Cooper, Suite 275. The phone number is 817-277-9415.
IF YOU ‘YOURCONTESTTACOS,CRAVETHISISTHING’
OPEN ARMS CLINIC TO HOST CONCERT BY VOCAL MAJORITY
Arlington ISD Foundation 2023 Back to School Kick Off: $20,000 - The AISD Back to School Kickoff provides backpacks filled with supplies to over 10,000 AISD students from low-income households each year, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
#atpetofthemonth
This is Penny the cockapoo. She is now 11 weeks old and a ball of fun! –KlempnauerKathryn T hrough Sept. 20, a dozen local restaurants will be offering specialty recipes in a bid to persuade you to deem them the makers of thehungryVentanaBurger,OriginalTheBar,Roadrun’rPrinceMillsMadeWangsHershey’sHayter’sGilligan’sCajunincludescompetingFavorite“Arlington’sTaco.”ThelistofeateriesDamian’sSoulCafé,J.Bar&Grill,BarandLounge,PalacePizzaandThangs,Barbecue,LebaneseGrill,ExoticCerealSmoke’NAshBBQ,CartelTacoBar,TheChopHouseTicTacoandGrille.Reallyvoterscanvisitallplacestowinprizes.Tovote,visit: arlington.org/savethetacos
V ocal Majority, the renowned musical ensemble that takes a cappella singing to a whole new level, will perform at 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 at Trinity United Methodist Church (1200 W. Green Oaks Blvd.). Proceeds from the event will support Open Arms Health Clinic, which offers healthcare, counseling, health education, social services and other vital resources to help patients gain control of their health and their lives. The Dallas-based Vocal Majority is a men’s chorus of 100-plus volunteer musicians who have CanadathroughoutperformedtheU.S.,andtheUK.
River Legacy Foundation’s Here Be Dragons – From Legends to Lizards Exhibit: $22,500 - The Foundation’s grant is for the center’s next visiting exhibit, “Here Be Dragons – From Legends to Lizards,” which runs Dec. 3 to March 25. This exhibit will showcase lizards, reptiles, serpents, dinosaurs, and even mythical dragons.
Arlington Heritage Memorial Grounds: $90,000Arlington Heritage Memorial Grounds Corporation restores, protects, maintains, educates the public, and shares the historical cemeteries located in the 600 block of West Arkansas Lane, between Center Street and Matlock Road. The grant will fund the final phase of the Arlington Heritage Memorial Grounds project, which involves making the site safe and appealing for visitors.
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 17 Students First. Excellence Always. UTA.EDU Congratulations to alumnus Gen. Michael E. Langley (’85 BBA, Systems Analysis), the first Black four-star general in the history of the U.S. Marines. UTA PROUD CMYCYMYCMYMCK ai166024889570_AT_Ad 7.375x4.8275_Sept_2022 CLC2.pdf 1 8/11/22 3:14 PM
1. Arlington residents can apply for a passport at the Arlington Public Library’s AcceptancePassportFacility located at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library (100 South Center St.). The Passport Acceptance Facility is an appointments-onlyonline system. To make an appointment, visit app/arlingtontx/uslibraries/appointments/whos-next.com/
3. Medical City Arlington has been recognized by Healthgrades as a recipient of the Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™ and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™. Medical City Arlington also received a 5-star rating for patient outcomes in vaginal delivery and C-section delivery.
“There’s strength in numbers,” notes Amy Cearnal, current WIP President. “Women Inspiring Philanthropy empowers our members to be part of something bigger than themselves. We provide a platform to build a much larger network and impact.”
2. Taste Project and the City of Arlington are partnering to bring the nonprofit’s pay-what-youcan community restaurant concept to Cooper Street, just north of The University of Texas at Arlington, by early 2024.
10 years, more than 220 members have made annual gifts of at least $1,000 and pledged their time and insights to the grant-making process. By pooling their charitable dollars, their combined impact is greater than any one member could achieve alone.
“In 2012, six of us met for lunch to discuss the idea of pooling our giving to make a bigger impact. We agreed that our giving circle had to make an impact, to contribute to a legacy, and to have fun in the process,” says Linda Dipert, founding member of Women Inspiring
WIP members consider funding proposals in the areas of culture, education, environment, family, and health and wellness and collectively decide where to invest funds. In 2022, WIP members voted to invest $50,000 in the University of Texas at Arlington’s Planetarium for equipment, software, and new shows. They also awarded $52,500 to Alliance for Children for FF&E, appliances, and AV equipment, and $50,000 to Dental Health Arlington for the expansion of the SMILES program for dental education and preventative services for Arlington ISD 4th graders. New members are welcome to join by making a donation to the fund. The next membership meeting is scheduled for Sept. 15 (from 5-7 p.m).
For more: arlingtonwip.org
WOMEN
WIP works with North Texas Community Foundation (NTCF) to steward their group’s pooled donations in a donor-advised fund. Members recently extended their philanthropic reach by establishing a second endowed fund at NTCF that has netted an endowment of $200,000.
CHARITABLEPHILANTHROPYINSPIRINGREACHES$1MILLIONMILESTONEINGIVING
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18 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com W hat started 10 years ago as a small group of charitably minded women has grown into a powerful giving circle that has reached the milestone of $1 million in grants to support causes throughout the Arlington region.Women Inspiring Philanthropy (WIP) is a community of women that seeks to transform lives in Arlington through high-impact and lifelong giving. WIP aims to educate members about local philanthropic opportunities, empower members through grant making, and engage women through social events.
Scoops3T he 2023 College Baseball Showdown is coming back to the Home of the Texas Rangers on Feb. 17-19, 2023. The WorldadvancingandwithpostseasonlineupprogramsField.seasontheConferencetheandArkansas,UniversityandTCU,Conferencepowerhouses.BigConferencethematchupsbaseballandprogramssixtournamentthree-dayfeaturescollegebaseballfromtheSECBig12Conference.ThekickofftocollegeseasonfeaturesbetweenSoutheasternand12ConferenceBig12membersUniversityofTexasOklahomaStatewillfaceVanderbiltMissourifromSoutheasterntokickoffcollegebaseballatGlobeLifeFive-of-the-sixinthe2023advancedtothein2022,UniversityofTexasArkansasbothtotheCollegeSeries.Formore: 2023 BASEBALLCOLLEGESHOWDOWNSETFORFEB.17-19
GlobeLifeField.com/ Showdown
Philanthropy.Overthepast
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 19 off skin care $system 10 (Mentioned this coupon) and come in for free Skin Care Consultation! Take 10 Years OFF Your Face!
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Photo: Kenneth Perkins KennethPerkins
Around Town
“When patients come to us, we focus on healing both the mind and body,” says Brenda Doughty, cardiac rehabilitation manager at Arlington Memorial. “Along with building physical endurance and confidence, our program offers courses that improve an individual’s psychosocial well-being.”
Kenneth Perkins has been a contributing writer for Arlington Today for nearly a decade. He is a freelance writer, editor and photographer.
Having a daughter put an extra strain on Barringer’s heart, KID COMES OF AGE (WITH LOVING HELP)
For better or worse, her family-like relationship will continue. Her replacement valve won’t last forever. She might be back in cardiac“Hopefully,rehab.this valve will last me more than 10 years,” she says, “and Ms. Brenda will still be there when I return.”
“If I was not getting good blood flow,” Barringer adds, again, as if speaking about something that wasn’t death-defying, “it was causing me to pass out as a child.”
22 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com eventually disintegrating her valve. By December of 2009, Barringer was diagnosed with full-blown heart failure. She had the valve replaced.
B randy Barringer was strolling around the shopping mall the other day when she came face to face with a broken escalator. There it sat, still and silent, steep and menacing, as if summering or challenging or, better yet, taunting her. Barringer took one step forward, then another, and another, until she’d reached the top. As she stepped onto the second floor, her sister, trailing with Barringer’s teenage daughter in tow, burst into tears. “She was really surprised,” Barringer says, referring to her sister’s impromptu emotional release. “She said to me, ‘You would never have made it up all these stairs before without having to stop and sit down.’” No biggie, Barringer thought. But, of course, it was. When I met with Barringer at an outdoor pavilion at River Legacy Park, she told me how difficult it was to walk a few feet from the parking lot to the bench without panting and gasping for air. She has lived with a chronic heart condition from day one, and she’s 35. Her family learned early on about a heart ailment known for producing a distinctive swishing sound during heartbeats; Barringer’s grandmother also struggled with a heart murmur. This condition occurs when blood flows abnormally through the heartAlongvalves.with the heart murmur, Barringer also dealt with pulmonary valve stenosis. Her formative years were dotted with multiple“Pulmonarysurgeries.valve stenosis happens when the valve that is located between the heart’s right chamber and lung arteries becomes narrow,” Barringer explains rather nonchalantly. “It reduces and sometimes blocks blood flow.”
That’s when Barringer enrolled in a cardiac rehab program at Texas Health Arlington Memorial. It’s a little like working out at your neighborhood fitness center, except you’re wearing a telemetry monitor as you exercise. Your heart rhythms are displayed on a large monitor constantly viewed by staff. Mostly, she was taught how to exercise without doing too much. She got more robust with each session.
“Before my first round of cardiac rehab, my energy level was horrible, and it’s depressing when you don’t have the strength to just walk through the mall with your daughter,” Barringer says. “It’s so depressing that you don’t even want to interact with anyone.”TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention found that behavioral challenges, such as depression, sometimes develop long after a cardiac event.
In other words, she could run around one minute and land face down in the dirt the next.
BarringerBrandy and Texas successinspirationalthecreateteamedHospitalMemorialArlingtonHealthhavetooneofarea’smorestories.THE CARDIAC
“They can say, ‘hey, let’s try bumping this elevation up,’” Barringer says. “Speed up a little. See how that feels.” Arlington Memorial being “home” helps. She was born there. Her daughter was born there. She was treated there early on, and the cardiac rehab she just ended was her second time. “I was here when Brandy came through cardiac rehab the first time,” Doughty says. “She stood out because she was such a young lady. This second time around, she opened her heart to the other people in cardiac rehab. This is such a loving and accepting environment that much of her encouragement came from her classmates. Now she’s the encourager.”
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 23
24 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com SNAPSHOTS OF ARLINGTON/MANSFIELD/GRAND PRAIRIE AREA NEWSMAKERS The State of the District event offered food for the tummy, as well as food for the soul. Kay Brown-Patrick, Grand Prairie’s Economic Development Business Manager, was honored in the Dallas Business Journal Class of 2022 40 Under 40 listing. Members of the Rotary Club of Arlington - Texas joined Arlington Police Officer Valle to welcome back the students at Webb Elementary School. Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s State of the District event Greater Arlington Chamber of State of the District event Arlington ISD Superintendent Dr. Marcello Cavazos addresses the crowd. Scene Kay Brown-Patrick earns 40 Under 40 distinction Kay Brown-Patrick earns 40 Under 40 distinction Animal Services adoptable pets received a big treat when 14 Rescue Readers read to them – some with great enthusiasm – on Responsible Pet Ownership Day. The day also featured a behind-the-scenes tour of the shelter. Responsible Pet Ownership OwnershipResponsibleDayPetDay Photos: City of Arlington Photos: City of Grand Prairie Photo courtesy of Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers Back to school with the Rotary Clubthe Rotary Club
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 25
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced early on, and how have you addressed them?
What, to you, are UTA’s premier selling points?
Our best selling points are our people, our scale and our location. Our staff and faculty are our institution’s greatest strength, and we have a long history of providing a quality education to a diverse population of students and providing access to that education throughout their lifetime. Our scale is a major advantage. We have more than 180 degree programs, hundreds of student organizations and flexibility in how we offer courses. You can chart a path at UTA that works best for you. And we have many ways we can partner with businesses, non-profits, and government agencies. And our location is hard to beat. UTA is located in the middle of everywhere, with major cities to the east and west and access to amazing cultural, dining, sports and entertainment activities in every direction. When Mavericks graduate, they gain access to jobs at 22 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the North Texas region —the fourth most in the U.S. When your time as president is over, what do you hope would be your legacy with the school?
1) The first is a commitment to our work that achieves outcomes for our students and community.
Recently appointed University of Texas at Arlington President Dr. Jennifer Cowley last month shared with Arlington Today her impressions of her new professional home – and of her role as its leader. Here’s what she had to say: Now that you’ve settled into the position, what stands out most to you about being UTA’s president? Before my first day, I knew UT Arlington as a national treasure, an institution brimming with talent, innovation, and possibilities. In my first months on campus, I’ve learned that it’s all I expected and so much more. I’ve been fortunate to attend more than 100 events and met more than 5,000 members of our Maverick family. I continually find myself energized and inspired by the multitude of talent at UTA. We have true and distinguished excellence here.
2) In a resource-scarce environment – resourcefulness is critical. What impact can we create with the resources that we have?
On the cover 26 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
One of my top priorities has been filling some of the senior positions that are critical to our academic leadership, athletic department and our marketing and alumni outreach, to name a few. I’m not at all surprised that our openings attracted some of the most talented professionals in their fields. We’re the fourth-largest university in Texas located in the nation’s fifth-largest and fastest-growing region. Students want to come here, and people want to work here. What is your personal philosophy, and how do you integrate that into your role as president?
3) Optimism about our future. Long-term optimism is all about 4)opportunities.Honesty.We bring our problems into the open, we own our mistakes, we take responsibility and in doing so we are building a high trust
5)environment.And,mostimportantly, impact. How can our work make things better for our students, faculty, staff and our community?
I believe that The University of Texas at Arlington can be one of the nation’s most inclusive and impactful research universities. We owe it to ourselves and to the state of Texas to achieve this goal. Our state needs us to dream big. With our commitment to making college education affordable, we have the passion and the programs to provide access to a college education for ordinary Texans and help them lead extraordinary lives. with PresidentUTA Dr. Jennifer Cowley Q & A
I have five core values that I have shared with my team and I believe are critical for the success of the university.
Getting the Texas Tier One designation has been a game-changer for the university. It’s a true milestone of academic and research excellence.
With a new school year dawning, what are some of the more exciting prospects for the university this fall and beyond?
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 27
R E A L E S T A T E
her group employs a team approach that allows each member to utilize their gifts and strengths, while creating synergy that helps produce the best results for clients.
As Kelley and her team continue to set the standard for the way to administer residential real estate, she believes they are doing more than that. “Lives are built and legacies left by daily decisions,” she says. “Each day we make choices based on the priorities of God, Family and Business. My goal is to live out 2 Chronicles 31:21b: In all she did, Brandee sought the Lord, worked whole heartedly and prospered.”
Arlington: 817-635-1141 • Southlake: 817-908-7929 brandeekelley.com
“These experiences have led to priceless relationships, which are a blessing to me personally, help in leading the team, and have created a network that benefits our clients,” she says. “We often know about homes before they officially hit the market, which is key in this current low-inventory market. And when we put homes on the market we purposefully utilize proven strategies to get multiple offers so the seller gets the most money for their home in the shortest amount of time.”That kind of service is a hallmark of the Brandee Kelley Group, and its leader says it hasn’t gone unnoticed.“Someone told me the following about our team: ‘This team has dedicated their lives to assisting clients with what is likely the biggest investment of their life, and they take that role very seriously. It’s much different than any other Realty group I’ve ever seen.’”
Brandee Kelley Group/Keller Williams Realty
Brandee Kelley
Professionals you need to know
Kelley has leadership experience in business, in the community and in ministry, a collective trilogy that has paid dividends in her professional journey.
B randee Kelley leads the Brandee Kelley Group with Keller Williams Realty. The group has helped meet the real estate needs of more than 1,000 families and individuals since 2005, serving clients with the highest standard of integrity through experience and teamwork.“Wehelp buyers, sellers and investors with residential and commercial transactions in DFW and throughout the world,” Kelley says. “Although we office in Arlington and Southlake, we literally have business partners throughout the U.S. and in 42 other countries.”Kelleysays
“Our team is supported by two of the most experienced administrators in real estate,” she says. “Our team also includes agents with different specialties like the luxury market, working with investors and first-time buyers.”
In addition to Kelley, who owns the company, the Brandee Kelley Group features Georgann Puddy, Lead Agent; Kyla Miller, Director of Operations; Terri Allen (Specialty: Luxury); Kristin Babek (Specialty: Builders and Investors); Becky Davis (Specialty: Senior Housing); Libby Wren and Emily Swanson. The team serves clients with the heart of a teacher and consistently strives for five-star service. Kelley notes that each team member has a heart for God, service and the community.“Godhas blessed us with an amazing business, which allows us to share,” she says.
“For example, part of every commission earned goes to Bikes For Mission Arlington, which each December allows thousands of children to learn more about the love of Christ through the gift of a new bicycle. The team also has supported thousands of teen girls during the There(4) conference, which helps them learn about and live out their identity in Christ.”
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 29 John Parker I N S U R A N C E • A C C O U N T I N G
Parker & Richardson, a certified public accountant firm, opened in 2004, but its origination dates back to the solo CPA practice Parker started in 1995. Over the years the practice has evolved into a boutique CPA practice that specializes in catering to the distinct needs of business owners.
Partexasins.netker&Richardson
500 E. Broad St., Mansfield • 817-226-6100
The company has added the ability for prospective clients to get actual real time quotes directly from its website, texasins.net.
500 E. Broad St., Mansfield • 817-226-9988
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“As entrepreneursboth and business owners, we understand the issues associated with owning and operating a business,” Parker says. “This experience, coupled with our tax expertise, allows us to be as tax efficient as possible when assisting clients.”
“This allows the insured to reach out to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year,” Parker says. “The client information, as well as the policy pricing, is uploaded to us. We contact the client within 24 hours to confirm and update the information. This has been a valuable tool for prospective insureds because it gives them an idea of what their insurance costs will be.”
Texas Insurance Agency/Parker & Richardson
Texas Insurance Agency traces its start back to 1959 in east Texas. The agency has gone through many changes over the years and has grown to include several locations in the north Texas area. Texas Insurance Agency is locally owned and operated. “People often ask why choose a local Independent Agency?” says Parker. “Our response is we represent many different insurance companies, so we can compare coverage and price to give you the best possible value. Simply put ... we work for our clients. We also live and work in the same communities as our insured clients, and, as such, we are always available for a face-to-face meeting.”
Parker & Richardson provides tax planning and tax preparation, as well as accounting and consulting.“Wehave several clients that have us handle all facets of their accounting needs,” Parker says, noting that the firm’s staff strives to provide great service and always do what is best for the client.
“These principles have been emphasized from day one and continue to be our focus on a daily basis.”
parkercpas.com
Texas Insurance Agency provides auto, homeowners, commercial and life insurance. It is associated with a number of reputable insurers, including Allstate, The Hartford, Nationwide, Progressive, Safeco and Travelers.“These insurance companies allow us to offer a wide range of quality insurance products that are competitively priced,” Parker says.
Whether you need tax planning, tax return preparation, strategic or transactional consulting, small business consulting, business valuation, state and local tax assistance, or a full complement of other individualized services, Parker & Richardson has the people and capabilities to respond effectively and efficiently to your needs.
Texas Insurance Agency
ohn Parker has made his mark locally in two important industries, as the founder of both the Texas Insurance Agency Mansfield branch and the accounting firm Parker & Richardson.
“My husband David and I moved to the area over 22 years ago, David in long-term healthcare and I in retail display/events,” Teasdale says. “We loved the sense of community here. In 2018 I retired from the furniture industry. We were trying to figure out what would be my next chapter. It only made sense to take the event company and move it to a brick and mortar location. I really felt Arlington/Pantego needed a high-end flower shop and gift store.”
The most important mentor might have been a high school teacher, who recognized that Teasdale had a learning disability and realized he would learn better by working with his hands. She introduced him to his first part-time floral job. “She told me that this career could take me anywhere I want to go,” he says, “and she was absolutely right.” It took him to part-time jobs in college with small-event flower shops, through the aforementioned stops on his career path, and ultimately to Pantego.
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Tommy Teasdale
T ommy Teasdale caught the entrepreneur bug at a young age – and its symptoms have manifested in one of the area’s more popular retail floral operations: Urban Country Flower Co. Teasdale has long turned his professional focus to design and craft. And after gaining experience with floral event companies, working for big box stores with their displays/store layouts, honing his skills in overseas product development and working as a buyer at market, he has created a store like no other.
Urban Country Flower Co. customers routinely find an array of products in a shop that, in addition to flowers, features gardening items, specialty pet items and a host of hospitality items, including beautiful charcuterie boards and accessories.
R E T A I L F L O R I S T
“I have always been drawn to the art in nature and enjoy designing things beautiful, so floral design made sense for me,” he says. “I’ve had several mentors along the way and enjoy passing on my experience and knowledge to up-andcoming floral designers. Whether it’s a floral bouquet celebrating a life or love, I have so much joy in creating unique floral designs.”
Urban Country Flower Co. opened as a small test shop (400 square feet) in a shared space. Within six months it had begun to outgrow the venue. “Even with all the craziness going on in the world the last few years, we’ve been able to grow to over 3,400 square feet with the support and love of our community,” Teasdale says. “With the addition we were able to grow the Urban Home Pantego shop, which features home decor, home fragrances, exquisite and unique gifts and gourmet food products.”Teasdale also recently added to the fare a stationery and card selection and a “game night” section.
Urban Country is also a premier Jon Hart bags shop featuring highquality bags, luggage and gifts as a resource for communityhavegroominghigh-qualityitems.“Manyofouritemsa‘giveback’component and we love to work with local, family-run businesses,” Teasdale says. “We have always aimed at being the best neighbor we can be and that includes truly knowing the people in our community. I want to be the shop owner that knows my customer’s names and their children’s names. It’s about relationships for us and we do our best to reflect that in our shop. I absolutely love when people stop by and say Hi. I believe that if we all stick together, we can help each other live well.”
Urban Country Flower Co. 2234 W. Park Row Drive, Suite D, Pantego 682-323-8109 • urbancountryflowerco.com
Professionals you need to know
And, most recently, Landry and her stellar team have taken “going above and beyond” to an even higher level, what with The Sanford House celebrating its 25th anniversary by performing 25 acts of kindness in the community throughout the year.
The former offers full body, facial, and nail services for special occasions or “just because.” Restaurant506 has won Diner’s Choice awards from Open Table each of the past four years and was also honored by Open Table for offering one of the top 100 brunches in the nation. Landry says she is devoted to making sure that people who visit The Sanford House – any facet of it – come away not only pleased with their “Sanford House experience” but so enamored that they make a point to return.
506 N. Center 817-861-2129St.•thesanfordhouse.com
There’s more to come as the year progresses, Landry promises. And she urges those in the Arlington-area to stay tuned to social media and the inn’s website throughout the year for more updates and photos as the events happen. The Sanford House accounts can be found Web:Facebook:Instagram:here:@thesanfordhouse@thesanfordhouseinnthesanfordhouse.com/25-yearsLandryhasbeeninvolvedwiththe storied local institution almost as long as she has been around. In fact, she began working there when her grandparents built The Sanford House two and a half decades ago. After college, she moved back to Arlington and began working as the Spa Director and Marketing Director for the company. “Soon after that,” she says, “we remodeled the property to accommodate our restaurant and bar, and I shifted into my current role as General Manager.”Inthatposition, she is overseeing the inn’s grand celebration, which will impact her community, as well as give visitors to The Sanford House a heightened sense of hospitality, regardless of what portion of the property they visit.
The Sanford House Inn & Spa/Restaurant506
• Creating hygiene packs for Arlington Life Shelter residents; • Providing coloring books and dental care packs for local kindergarten students at nearby AISD campuses.
• Providing snacks for blood donors at a blood drive organized by The Rotary Club of Arlington; • Gathering books and board games for an upcoming Arlington Public Library Foundation donation drive; • Organizing a “Cones for Cops” event in summer to provide Kona Ice treats for police officers;
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 31
H
W hen it comes to taking care of customers, few local business principals can match what Valerie Landry at The Sanford House has accomplished. The venerable inn, which also sports a spa and the awardwinning Restaurant506, has been an Arlington Today Readers’ Choice winner for each of the past nine years.
Valerie Landry O S P I T A L I T Y
“This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community,” Landry says, “because without this community, we wouldn’t be here.”Together, she and the team have come up with an impressive list of events and non-profits to support. Here are a few of the services they have rendered or will render this year:
“Our mission is to provide tremendous, sincere hospitality to every guest,” says Landry.Even if you don’t stay in the inn, you can enjoy both the spa and Restaurant506.
New and improved
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All that noted, perhaps most exciting is access from the art room to the“It’soutdoors.justamazing,”
Education
Young says about the opportunity to go outside and draw or paint nature. “It does wonders for the kids.”
Members of each of the aforementioned groups got to take in the “new school smell” when classes began last month. For art teacher Zena Young, the new Gunn represents the best fresh start imaginable – she spent the past year in a temporary location, a science lab that lacked the storage that art requires. Her new room is one of three art rooms located in Gunn’s original building, now completely made over. Most of the original building was closed throughout the 2021-2022 school year while it was gutted and rebuilt. With the renovations, Young gets to teach in the most educationfriendly environment imaginable.
– AISD Communications
Gunn also now has a new turf athletic field and new parking lots. Plus, the entrance was moved from the east side to the west side of the building.
The largest addition – all classrooms – is on the south end of the building. The second addition enclosed what used to be open space between the original building and the gym/cafeteria building. It houses an all-new cafeteria (the old cafeteria was demolished), a kitchen expansion and a media center. The third addition, on the north end of the building, houses new locker rooms.
Here are some photos showing how the renovations at Junior High have transform it into a gold schools.
“Here (in the new room), we have an abundance of storage conducive to art,” she says.
Here are some photos showing how the renovations at Gunn Junior High have helped transform it into a gold standard for schools.
Photos: AISD
The comprehensive construction, which was completed slightly ahead of schedule – and in time to have the facility ready when students arrived for the fall term – represents a new beginning for the 51-year-old school.
Young is also excited about the plugs that hang from the ceiling. They’ll be great for powering for small tools like glue guns and dremels from anywhere in the room.
he start of a new school year is generally cause for excitement. But the buzz generating from Gunn Junior High and Fine Arts and Dual Language Academy this fall could be classified as “Category 5” exhilaration. Gunn has been completely renovated as part of a 2019 Bond package, making the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year a cause for celebration among students, administators, teachers and staff at the school, which opened in 1972.
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The years-long project, funded by the 2019 Bond, included three additions.
Renovated Gunn Junior High is Arlington ISD’s latest state-of-the-art facility
Students in every grade level will work with their teachers and counselors to complete the tasks necessary to become productive citizens, including required achievement in reading and math as set out by Vision 2030. They’ll also be learning other lessons like developing leadership skills and exploring career options.
– MISD Communications Preparing now for the future
Vision 2030 details the district’s mission, values, motto and guiding statements. Another major component of the strategic plan is the addition of student scorecards from all grade levels. The scorecards help students take control of their future and keep track of how well they are doing at being ready for the next phase of life through theyourindicators.research-based“Vision2030putsprioritieswhereshouldbe,”says Superintendent Dr. Kimberley Cantu. “Our students come first in every decision we make. At its heart, our strategic plan is a commitment by all of us to ensure every student is prepared for real life, a career or college by the time they graduate.”
“We’re wanting to increase every child’s chance of success by having them see what they need to have accomplished, according to research, in order to excel at the next level,” says Dr. Sean Scott, MISD’s deputy superintendent. “Factors like attendance levels, finance courses, earning certification and/ or college credit, participating in extracurricular activities –all of that will be part of the student’s scorecard, which can be pulled up at any time.”
Parents are encouraged to review the scorecard online with their child. They can watch a video explaining the student scorecard and see a sample scorecard for each student age group by visiting curriculum-instruction/student-scorecardmansfieldisd.org/departments/
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 33
T his fall and moving forward, Mansfield ISD is focused on making sure students are college, career and life ready through its Vision 2030 strategic plan.
MISD’s Vision 2030 will help students be college-, career- and life-ready 682 .276.6050
Something new for this collector
Adlai Pennington’s 1956 Packard Four Hundred needed a lot of work when he obtained it. He has renovated the exterior and will update the rest of the car in the near future.
Story and photos by Richard Greene
34 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com Behind the Wheels W hen we first introduced PenningtonAdlaion these pages, we discovered a classic car collector who pursued the hobby somewhat differently than any of the others we’ve written about in our more than 100 car stories. Readers may recall that his passion was to find rare, unmodified, unaltered, and unrestored vehicles and keep them just as they were when added to his collection of 20-plus unique models. Doing so means that he can say with confidence, “there’s not another one out there like this.” If he was to enter any of them in competition, his would be in the “survivor” or “preservation” class. Some may even be called a “rust bucket” and there’s a good chance the one we are looking at here could have fallen into that forlorn category, except for one thing.Unpredictably, Adlai decided to restore this end-of-the-era, 1956 Packard Four Hundred. “A guy who knows the kind of cars I like called me up and asked if I wanted this one. Sight unseen, I said I would take it. He brought it over on the back of a truck. It was
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 35
“A GUY who knows the kind of cars I like called me up and asked if I wanted this one. unseen,SightIsaid I would take it.”
36 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com an awful mess of rust and overall deterioration; the wheels were locked up, so it wouldn’t roll off. I wondered how he got it onto the truck.“The only solution was to back the truck up to the edge of my creek bank, hook the car to a backhoe, and pull it off onto the ground. And there it sat for a very long time until I got the idea that it may be time to bring it back to life – if such a result would even be possible.” To start the venture, he found a specialist who could restore the rusted exterior parts of the body and make it ready for paint. And that’s where the project stands today – if you look no closer than the outside of the car, it appears to be the correct Packard color scheme and a nice example of one of the last of its kind. However, the internal condition, as dramatically revealed on the preceding page, is another story. “I’m going to get the interior restored, “Adlai explains, “and then see what needs to be done under the hood to get her running again!” While that sounds like a good plan, a great deal of work lies ahead (to state the obvious), as everything from the frame up, including the floor itself, is going to have to be replaced before seats, upholstery, carpet, and the other finishes required to make the inside as nice as theAnd,outside.asdaunting as it may seem, there’s a mechanic out there somewhere who can get that big 4-stroke, 374 V8 engine running, and Adlai will find just the expert he needs. Then he will have something different, while still unique as the last of the true Packard line of a predepression, pre-war brand that once was generally considered the finest American-made automobile on the market.Thatwill also ensure no one will call it a “rust bucket,” and it can proudly compete with other restored classics at any car show. He can, as well, show it off cruising around town and sharing it with car lovers everywhere.Adlaipromised to let me know when it was all finished so I could bring this story to a conclusion. So, we’ll provide some “after photos” of this 66-year old project to compare with those featured in our story this month.
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 37 2 8 0 0 W D i v i s i o n A r l i n g t o n , T X 76 012 817.461.51.89 4 3 2 5 E U S H W Y 37 7 G r a n b u r y, T X 76 04 9 817.710.8604 10 0 2 N C e n t r a l E x p r e s s wa y # 6 01 R i c h a r d s o n , T X 76 0 8 0 972.521.9700 M F 9 6 • S a t 10 4 • S u n C l o s e d • w w w . h i l t o n s f l o o r i n g . c o m
38 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com Hosted by RE/MAX Associates of Arlington & Mansfield
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 39 Look who reads Arlington Today! #WeKnowArlington ArlingtonToday.com
40 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com Local Dwellings Home SWEET! Home
Homes’CustomJulieShortleadsatourofthisModernCraftsmanclassic
he best recipes contain many spices, and a variety of styles and materials make for an interesting home. You may have heard designers encourage clients to pick what they really love, and it will all work together. This house helps illustrate how modern, industrial, elegant and mid-century modern can all play nice in design. At first look, the drive up offers steel landscape beds, modern glass and steel, and traditional batten board siding. The concrete fireplace wall and industrial i-beams are joined together by elegant marblelook flooring and warmed by the wood beams gracing the ceiling. There are several walls throughout where tile bejewels from floor to ceiling. Elegant cabinet details and luxury lighting soften the look. His and hers closets might be the favorite feature here if it weren’t for the master bath with the barrel ceiling and magnificent chandelier. If you spend more time in the kitchen, you will appreciate the enormous pantry and top-notch appliances. Even the garage has an artistic floor finish and its own air conditioning system. Last, but certainly not least, you can appreciate the simplicity of the pool and the beautiful quartz surrounded grill. Turf makes the backyard lawn care easy and ensures no grass makes it into the pool. It appears every detail has been covered from outlet placement to custom cabinet designs. For more: julie@mchtexas.com
Photos courtesy of Mansfield Custom Homes Mansfield
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arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 41 His and hers closets might be the favorite feature here if it weren’t for the master bath with the barrel ceiling andchandelier.magnificent
he recently announced Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 features a pair of stellar contributors to the club’s history: former second baseman Ian Kinsler and current executive vice president of public affairs John Blake. That duo brings the number of members in this prestigious group to 24 – and highlights a notion that induction criteria focuses on achievements both on the field and behind the scenes. Over the Rangers’ 50-year history – and since the Hall was introduced nearly two decades ago – people honored include the standard fare of stellar players, as well as principals who factored into the teams evolution through the years.
Diamond diamonds
Local heroes
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Kinsler played with the Rangers from 2006-2013 and was a mainstay on teams that won back-to-back American League pennants in 2010-2011. He holds multiple offensive records for a Rangers’ second baseman and batted .273 with 156 home runs and 539 RBI over 1,066 games with Texas. Blake has spent 34 years with the Rangers, originally joining the club as director of media relations on November 1, 1984. He also served as vice president of public relations and senior vice president of communications over two decades in his first stint with the organization that extended through the 2004 season. After spending three seasons with the Boston Red Sox’ front office, Blake returned to the Rangers as executive vice president of communications in 2008 and transitioned into his current role this past January.
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Texas Rangers Hall of Famers
Photo: Getty Images
NAME CLASS Ian Kinsler (IF) 2022 John Blake, Executive 2022 Josh Hamilton (OF) 2019 Richard Greene, Mayor 2019 Michael Young (IF) 2016 Jeff Russell (P) 2015 Juan Gonzalez (OF) 2015 Tom Schieffer, Executive 2014 Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez (C) 2013 Eric Nadel, Broadcaster 2012 Kenny Rogers (P) 2011 Tom Grieve, Player/GM/Broadcaster 2010 Ruben Sierra (OF) 2009 Toby Harrah (IF) 2009 Rusty Greer (OF) 2007 John Wetteland (P) 2005 Mark Holtz, Broadcaster 2005 Buddy Bell (IF) 2004 Ferguson Jenkins (P) 2004 Tom Vandergriff, Mayor/Broadcaster 2004 Johnny Oates, Manager 2003 Nolan Ryan (P) 2003 Jim Sundberg (C) 2003 Charlie Hough (P) 2003
Kinsler, Blake are the newest inductees into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame back-to-back World Series, and Blake has served the club for 34 years.Photo: nolanwritin.com
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 43 Bay Sponsors
46 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
Photos: marines.mil Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley is presented with his fourth star during a recent ceremony at Marine Corps Barracks Washington. Langley is the U.S. CorpsMarine ’ first Black generalfour-star
UTA Today
L t. Gen. Michael E. Langley, an alumnus of the University of Texas at Arlington, last month became the first Black four-star general in the history of the U.S. Marines.Langley, who earned a BBA degree in Systems Analysis at the university in 1985, earned Senate confirmation after the Biden administration nominated him to command all U.S. military forces in Africa as head of U.S. Africa Command. Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. David Berger, promoted Langley, during a ceremony at Marine Corps Barracks Washington. “43 years we go from our first African American general to now our first - I think leading to many more - four-star African American generals,” said Berger, paying homage to Lt. Gen. Frank E. Peterson.Langley was joined by friends and family at the ceremony, including his father Willie C. Langley, who is an Air Force veteran. During the ceremony, Gen. Langley repeatedly talked about his father as his greatest mentor.“Mydaddy told me to aim high, so I aimed as high as I could and found the few and the proud,” said Gen. Langley. Langley was born in Shreveport, La., and grew up on a variety of military bases as a child before his family settled in Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1985. Langley has served in the Marine Corps for 37 years and sees his promotion as a sign to others that Marine Corps service rewards those who work hard to achieve their goals. “The milestone and what it means to the Corps is quite essential,” he says. “Not because of the mark in history, but what it will affect going forward, especially for those younger across society that want to aspire and look at the Marine Corps as an opportunity.”OneofhisUTA colleagues says Langley is the ideal choice to be the first Black four-star general in Marine Corps history. “It makes perfect sense,” says his track teammate Robert Howard, a recipient of the UTA Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2000 and president of Don Davis Auto Group. “He was committed to being as good as he could possibly be. The fact that he has achieved what he has achieved is not a surprise.” Since November 2021, he has served as commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, where he has overseen all Marine forces on the Atlantic coast. He also has served in Afghanistan, Somalia and Japan; led U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa; and held top jobs at the Pentagon.
arlingtontoday.com • September 2022 • ARLINGTON TODAY 47
Today, inspirED provides high school and community-based GO Centers (college and career centers), college prep and financial aid presentations, high school counselor trainings, and special higher education events, including its annual Destination Success and College and Career Expo. In addition, the staff of inspirED has also increased its involvement in various community groups and committees to expand its network of partners and find new opportunities for collaboration.
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Simply by visiting inspirED’s new office (located at 4381 W. Green Oaks Blvd., Suite 100) during the day and evening, they can receive help with college planning, college applications, financial aid and more.inspirED was established in 2014 by Higher Education Servicing Corporation (HESC), a private, nonprofit student loan servicing agency that has worked persistently over the past 40-plus years to ensure that students across Texas have access to higher education by providing federal and private education loans, scholarship funds, and outreach services and programs.
tarting this month, local students and families hoping to get a boost toward securing a college education will have a valuable resource “just down the street.”
Altruism
Photo: inspiredoutreach.org
With a brand new office, this local organization is helping find college opportunities for students from all around Texas
Partners include the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Mansfield Area Chamber of Commers, the Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, and Kennedale Independent School Districts, the North Texas Regional P-16 Council, Dallas Baptist University, the Arlington Public Library, Commit!, and Smart Arlington.Thepartners work with an inspirED staff that features Birdow and Outreach Coordinator Jessica Delmar, who team with a group of mentors from around the area to enhance local students’ opportunities to pursue higher education once their high school years have concluded. Birdow previously worked for the Arlington and Weatherford Independent School Districts to empower and engage students so they graduate prepared for whatever they choose in life. She received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Texas and a master’s of education from the University of Texas at Arlington.Delmar has been with inspirED since November 2018. previousHerwork as a mentor in the local GO Centers is invaluable as she studentsmentorsguidestoserveand help them find successful bachelor’spursuingCollegeTarrantinherJessicapost-graduation.pathsobtainedassociateofartteachingfromCountyandisherdegree at Texas Wesleyan University. Some 12 mentors – from the University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College and Dallas Baptist University – assist the staff. For more: inspiredoutreach.org. inspir ED
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“We’re focused on our mission: Inspiring students to achieve a higher education by promoting a college-going and career-focused culture through educational outreach activities, services, and community partnerships,” says Leslie Birdow, inspirED’s Director of Community Affairs. “And we’re here to help Arlington area students with anything they need to prepare for college, career or military.”
Photos: Spence Daryle Perez took home a Henry rifle for winning the VIP Gamers Poker Tournament.
Mansfield Cares’ Viva Las Mansfield Casino Night Mansfield Cares’ Viva Las Mansfield Casino Night Sean Dooley, Sarah Herrmann and Emily Herrmann Scene Travel & Sports Legacy Foundation at the AISD Back to School Kickoff Travel & Sports Legacy Foundation at the AISD Back to School Kickoff
50 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com SNAPSHOTS OF ARLINGTON/MANSFIELD/GRAND PRAIRIE AREA NEWSMAKERS Whitney Hoffman blows a kiss from the poker table. Cindy Schmidt tries her hand at the slot machine. Marianne Russell snagged Ante Up in the live auction.
The Arlington-based Travel & Sports Legacy Foundation was a proud partner of the Arlington Independent School District during the district’s recent Back to School Kickoff event at AT&T Stadium.
Photos: Amanda Kowalski
“Our shared goal as two non-profit organizations is to improve the health and well-being of the community, especially those who live with chronic disease and their caregivers,” says Shelly Young, Program Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association. The toll of Alzheimer’s disease and the reality of caregiver stress is an under-appreciated reality in our local community and across the nation. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and their 11 million unpaid caregivers – i.e. family members and friends – are feeling the effects of it take hold within their workplace and home lives. In 2021, 57% of caregivers had to go into work late, leave early or take time off due to caring for a friend or family member with dementia. Additionally, 18% went from working full-time to working part-time or cutting back theirHowever,hours.* McCarver is hopeful that the continuation of this programming will help to address this critical community need in Arlington.
United they stand
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“This partnership has created so much synergy between our two organizations,” says McCarver. “Sessions have been very wellattended, and we have had great community feedback on this summer series. We hope to expand this program into other areas of the Arlington and potentially Mansfield communities where this would serve a greatProgramsneed.”like the Alzheimer’s Education Series at AMA YMCA are free to the community, thanks in part to annual fundraisers like Walk to End Alzheimer’s - Arlington, which will take place this year on Saturday, Oct. 1. This will be the second year in a row the Walk in Arlington will be held at Texas Live (1650 E Randol Mill Road)“Nearly 80% of the funds raised from the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Arlington directly benefit the care, support, research, awareness and advocacy efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association,” Clinton says.For more information on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s - Arlington, visit act.alz.org/arlington. To learn more about the Arlington Mansfield Area YMCA, and to become a member, visit amaymca.org *alz.org/facts
Ivonne Uquillas, Alzheimer’s Association Bilingual Program Manager, attended the event to introduce herself, present Alzheimer’s Association’s educational programs and resources, and receive community feedback on the plans for the first educational series that would take place during the summer. Attendees were highly receptive and offered personal insight as to how Alzheimer’s disease has affected their family. The educational series at AMA YMCA included three informational sessions and one evidence-based presentation delivered from May to August. Topics ranged from “warning signs” to “managing finances.” Each session served 15 to 35 attendees, and was open to the public.
W hen nonprofit organizations come together to address a critical community need, there is an opportunity for synergy and partnership.Thistypeof synergy was palpable when Cheryl McCarver, Executive Director of the Arlington Mansfield Area YMCA, and Holly Clinton of the Alzheimer’s Association first broached the topic of educating the Arlington community about Alzheimer’s disease. This quick conversation blossomed and matured into a summer series of educational programs for the AMA YMCA community members. Recently, on April 20, 2022, AMA YMCA hosted their monthly Coffee & Conversation event for the Arlington community.
Alzheimer’s Awareness
Alzheimer’s Association teams with the YMCA to educate residents about the disease Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA classes focused on a variety of Alzheimer’s-related topics.
• By Pamela Rainville Photo: blog.4tests.com
On Sept. 7, 2021, my recipient and I had our surgeries. To-date, we are both doing great. A week before the surgery, I resigned my position. You see, I went back into a career that I thought I would enjoy again, but the stress was overwhelming. I applied for other positions within the organization, but nothing panned out. Knowing I was about to do something life-changing, both for me and my friend’s sister, I chose to resign. This would allow me the chance to fully heal without stress. More importantly, finding a job that allowed me to apply my experiences while also being impactful and finding joy was top of mind.Employers want the perfect match – I want the perfect job. Somewhere in between, both of us will likely have to compromise. While I continue to apply for jobs, network, tweak my resume, and construct eye-catching cover letters, I hope that fate, not luck, will open the door to my next career. To reach Pamela (or to talk about a job), email her at pamzpix.3@gmail.com
54 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com
First Person
F or years, and I mean decades, I have had the best luck relative to landing great jobs. Either I meet someone who knows someone, already have a good working relationship with someone doing the hiring or happen to be a temporary receptionist for an organization looking for someone with my education and skills. I’ve been lucky … until now. As of the writing of this article, I’m going on almost a year of unemployment. Eek! I’ve had a few careers over counselor, business owner, community relations and stewardship and cultivation. With all this skill and expertise, why can’t I find a job worthy of my years of experience and a salary commiserate with my years of service? I wish I had an easy answer. When the U.S. jobs reports are announced, there are hundreds of thousands of jobs available. Time to celebrate? Not for me. I’m not a snob, but there is nothing wrong with knowing one’s worth. I’ve put time and money into my education (I have a master’s degree – not being snobbish, merely factual). I have years of experience and references to back up the jobs for which I have applied. The number of jobs available that equal my education plus experience is considerably fewer than hundreds of Ithousands.feellikethe voice coming out Dr. Seuss book “Horton Hears a Who.” Horton hears tiny, collective voices shouting, “We are here!” to avoid destruction. In my case, I’m shouting to my computer screen “I’m here!” to the many employers who hold my fate in their hands. So, what happened a year ago that resulted in my unemployment? I literally saved a life. Long story short, a dear friend’s sister had kidney disease and desperately needed a kidney. I offered to see if I was a match. Lo and behold, I matched! After months of testing me for healthiness and ability to donate, I was approved.
Will work for… Less?
Mainly Mansfield 8 reasons to fall in love with Historic Downtown MANSFIELDTheLOTDowntownTheLOTDowntownPickleParade & Palooza (held in March) Pickle Parade Palooza in Farr Best TheaterFarr Best Theater Mansfield Rocks (held in July) Mansfield Rocks (held in July) Music Alley (held in April) Music Alley in Mansfield Historic Museum & Heritage Center Mansfield Historic Museum & Heritage Center Eats, drinks & merrimentEats, drinks merriment Shopping opportunities galoreShopping opportunities galore
The Simmons Multi-Media Engagement Study revealed that magazines are the No. 1 medium of engagement – across all dimensions measured. The study showed magazines score higher than TV or the Internet in ad receptivity and all of the other engagement dimensions, including “trustworthy” and “inspirational.”
Source: Forbes
PEOPLE LOVE TO READ MAGAZINES!
Print is memorable! Print creates an emotional connection. Print builds relationships. Physical material is more “real” to the brain, involves more emotional processing, is better connected to memory, with greater internalization of ads – all important brand associations.
Source: statista .com
There are some 7,416 magazines printed in the United States, producing some $23.92 billion in aggregate revenue, according to the website statista.com. Further, the number of readers of magazines grew to more than 220 million in the period between 2012 and 2020. More Americans read print magazines than use the Internet! Bet you didn’t see that one coming, but according to wainscotmedia.com, 91 percent of American adults have read a magazine in the past six months, compared to 85 percent of American adults who surf the net.
Magazines engage readers! Here’s something else from wainscotmedia.com: We think of magazine readers and picture bored people flipping through pages in waiting rooms, but the reality is that the average reader spends more than 53 minutes on each issue – and more than eight hours each month reading magazines.
Here’s the deal:
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The Richard Greene Scholars for the 2022-23 school year include Emily Buchele (Lamar High School), Alexis Chukwunyere (Seguin High School), Brett Hoelscher (Arlington High School), Zoey Jackson (Martin High School), Cindy Luu (Bowie High School), and Maite Marin (Sam Houston High School).TheRichard Greene Scholars Program, named for former Arlington Mayor Richard Greene, was established in 1997 as a collaborative effort with the City of Arlington and Arlington Independent School District to pay tribute to the mayor that led the campaign to keep the Rangers in Arlington. Over the past 25 years, the program has provided more than $1.3 million in college scholarships to 138 Arlington ISD students, along with an immersive internship and mentorship opportunity that includes time with the City of Arlington, Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, River Legacy, Arlington ISD, UTA, Mission Arlington, Tarrant County Commissioners Court, North Texas Council of Governments, Arlington Memorial Hospital and classroom experiences at the Dipert Career Technology Center. In 2018, The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation’s Richard Greene Scholars Program was recognized by Major League Baseball, winning the Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence.
THE TEXAS RANGERS Baseball Foundation last month announced the six Richard Greene Scholars selected to receive $10,000 college scholarships and represent each of the Arlington ISD high schools in an internship program set to begin their senior year.
60 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com Bulletin Board
Six new Richard Greene Scholars join the fold
Photo: mlb.com/rangers
JLA is preparing for its fall new member class
Recognizing how the COVID-19 pandemic has both highlighted needs and impacted volunteer opportunities, JLA is poised to train a new generation of women to make a difference in the Arlington community.
Arlington, Grand Prairie, Kennedale and Mansfield ISDs received “B” ratings for the 2021-2022 school year on the TEA’s A-F Accountability Ratings. HurstEuless-Bedford ISD, whose district boundaries include the Viridian development in north Arlington, received an “A” rating.
“We have a refreshed curriculum for this new member class that really gets to the core of who we are at JLA – women united in service – and even who we aren’t,” says April Benjamin, JLA President. “New members will learn everything from our history and how we develop women leaders to how we help improve our community. And since our members are our mission, we want to give new members every opportunity to identify which part of JLA speaks to their heart for service.”Applications for the fall new member class are still open. Women interested in joining JLA can apply online at jlarlington.org
Districts serving Arlington students receive high marks from the TEA
The newest class of Texas Rangers Foundation Richard Greene Scholars was recently introduced during a game at Globe Life Field. S chool districts serving students who live in the City of Arlington received high rankings from the Texas Education Agency last month.
THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF ARLINGTON is preparing for the start of its fall new member class. The fall curriculum starts with a day of team building and hands-on service opportunities, plus a tour of Arlington, and is followed by five monthly classes that cover various aspects of JLA’s mission and membership, culminating in a holiday fundraising project in December.
LEVITT PAVILION
The event will feature food trucks, a Nonprofit Village, a VIP Lounge, and live music. Fest is free to attend, and donations for the Pediatric Behavioral Health Program at Parkland are encouraged at the event. For more: DoGoodFest.com/Texas
THE ARLINGTON CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION will host its Eighth Annual Golf Scramble on Monday, Oct. 10 at Mansfield National Golf Club (3750 National Pkwy.) Registration will begin at 7 a.m., and play will begin at 8 a.m.This event is the organization’s largest fundraiser, and the proceeds from the tournament will go toward the purchase of items for the Arlington Police Department not included in the city budget. The tournament will have separate prizes for women and men for closest to the pin on all par 3s and for the longest drive on three of the par 5s. Even if you can’t play, or if you don’t live in the Arlington area, you can be part of this altruistic endeavor by donating for a playing spot for an Arlington Police Department officer or for an officer from your own community. For more information about the association or to register for the tournament, visit acpaaa.org
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ARLINGTON will host The National Life Group Do Good Fest featuring Gangstagrass at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7, with proceeds from the concert going to support Parkland Health’s Pediatric Behavioral Health Program. Parkland’s innovative program is uniquely designed to serve those most in need: kids from low-income backgrounds or who are uninsured/ under-insured, often preventing them from receiving behavioral services through other means.“National Life has always been purposedriven,” said Beth Rusnock, President of the National Life Group Foundation, which previously presented a benefit concert in Vermont that raised more than $300,000 for a charitable cause there. “Helping protect children and families is what we do. That’s why supporting children’s mental health is a focus of ours. We’re excited to introduce Texas to Do Good Fest so we can come together to celebrate and support kids.”
ACPAAA to hold a golf tournament on Oct. 10 Gangstagrass
Mansfield to get an H-E-B store soon H-E-B toannouncedrecentlyplansopenastorein Mansfield, continuing its expansion in the DFW Street.oflocatedTheMetroplex.storewillbeatthecornerUS287andBroadItwillbecome the first H-E-B store format in Tarrant County. H-E-B owns roughly 28 acres at the“Forsite.years our residents have asked for an H-E-B, and on behalf of the City Council, we are proud to welcome this desireddrivereconomicandmuchbusiness to Mansfield,” Mayor Michael Evans says. “With our growing economy and invested community, Mansfield is the perfect home for the first H-E-B location in southeast Tarrant County.”
Levitt Pavilion will host Do Good Fest on Oct. 7 to support pediatric health
Photo: newsroom.heb.com
62 ARLINGTON TODAY • September 2022 • arlingtontoday.com 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 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 No Frills Grill • 4914 Little Road • 817-478-1766 • 1500 Eastchase Pkwy., Suite 1200 • 817-274-5433 2851 Matlock Road, Suite 422, Mansfield • 817-473-6699 • nofrillsgrill.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, Mansfield • 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 BARBECUE David’s Barbecue • 2224 W. Park Row Drive, Suite H • 817- 261-9998 INTERNATIONAL Prince Lebanese Grill • 502 W. Randol Mill • 817-469-1811 • princelebanesegrill.com R'Haan Thai Cuisine • 2500 N.E. Green Oaks Blvd. • 817-795-9188 • facebook.com/rhaanthaicuisine Restaurant506Restaurant506 KEEN CUISINE ...
Ingredients 2 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped carrot 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce ¼ cup favorite barbecue sauce 4 tsp apple cider vinegar ½ cup yellow cornmeal 3 TBS flour 1 TBS maple syrup 2 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 1/3 cup unsweetened plant milk, such as almond, soy or oat ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1010 Collins Event Center Tickets go on sale September 7th S P O N S O R S
Photo: forksoverknives.com
Patricia Thomson, aka Dr. T, is a recently published author of “WFPB20 - A Step-by-Step Guide to Adopting a PlantBased Lifestyle, a certified plant-based nutritionist, and geeky scientist. She is the co-Founder of Wellness20 along with author, former vegan restaurant owner, chef, and certified nutritionist Brooke Ali. They have created classes, workshops, summits, markets and coaching services, all designed to successfully assist people who want to live a healthier and more fulfilling life. They aim for the whole person approach including nutrition, mindfulness, spirituality and incorporating physical movement into daily lives. They also meet people wherever they are on their health and wellness journey. wellness-20.com
Recipe of the Month (with Dr. T)
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- In a 2-qt. baking dish combine cooked vegetables, beans, to mato sauce, barbecue sauce, and 3 tsp of the vinegar (should have 1 tsp left). Bake, covered, 30 minutes. - For corn bread topping, in a small bowl mix together corn meal, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl combine milk, applesauce, syrup and the remaining 1 tsp -vinegar.Remove baking dish from oven. - Add milk mixture all at once to cornmeal mixture; stir just until combined. Spoon batter into four mounds on top of hot bean mixture. - Bake uncovered for 20 minutes more or until filling is bubbly and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean. - Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with green onions. Note: You can make this soy free by substituting 1 can of chickpeas for the tofu. BBQ Bean and Corn Bread Bake
Instructions - Preheat oven to 400°F - In a large nonstick skillet, water sauté the chard, onion, celery, carrot and garlic over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally and adding 1 to 2 TBS of water at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
He went with his dad to work after school and on weekends and learned the business of equipping a team. Bucky was in the sixth grade when he started with the Cowboys. He was 11 years old when his father began the process of “teaching me everything he knew,” Bucky says. His dad was a beloved employee of the Dallas Cowboys who lost a battle with Polymyositis in 2015. At the time of his father’s death Bucky was interviewed by Dallas Cowboys dot com. He said, “I really don’t know if my dad ever made anybody mad. Nobody ever said a bad word about my father.”
YOU MIGHT
BUCKY
“Checklists and organization,” Bucky says. “Those are two of the most important things I learned from my dad.”
Speaking of Sports
As the Cowboys embark on another season in Arlington, you can feel confident that they will have all of the right equipment. Bucky has obviously inherited a keen attention to detail from his father.
Photo: twitter.com RhadiganJohn
Y ou never notice them until something crazy happens, but equipment managers are an extremely important part of any team. An example of something crazy: Years ago Darren O’Day pitched his first game as a Texas Ranger wearing the uniform top of Kason Gabbard. O’Day had been acquired so late in the day during a road trip that there was no jersey made with his name on it.
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Sports columnist John Rhadigan is an anchor for the Bally Sports Southwest television network.
You know what else Bucky has? He has kids, and maybe one of them will follow in his footsteps. We have had a Buchanan at the helm of the Cowboys equipment for almost 50 years. Why not 50 more?
The broadcasters had fun with it; Ron Washington even had a funny comment about it during his post-game press conference.Butthiswas not funny to the equipment manager. When the team returned home I saw him and joked about it and realized that he was devastated. He told me he had issued written apologies to everyone from the owner of the team on down.Amajor league equipment manager takes the job very seriously and does not want to be Sincenoticed.1973the Dallas Cowboys equipment manager has been polishing helmets, snapping chin straps and making sure that all the names and numbers are correct. Actually, Bucky Buchanan has only been employed by the team since 1994. Buck Buchanan, Bucky’s dad, was hired by the Cowboys in 1973, and in those days there was no money in the budget for an assistant equipment manager. Enter Bucky.
detailattentionTheJohnAssistantofpregame(r)BuchananManagerEquipmentCowboysBuckydoesacheckthingswithCoachFassel.former’stomakes him a great fit for his job. SAY THAT BUCHANAN IS GEARED FOR SUCCESS
He’s right about that. I started covering the Cowboys in 1990, and all of my memories of Buck are great. My first memory of Buck is seeing him at training camp in Austin. With his blue coaches shorts, white shirt and receding hairline, I thought he resembled the great Tom Landry himself. The more I got to know Buck, the more I realized that he had learned a lot from Landry. Buck carried himself with the same dignity and class that coach Landry did. He also wore a bowler hat with his suit on road Speakingtrips.of road trips, the equipment manager is responsible to get all of the gear needed to the visiting city. It is a job that Buck did with aplomb. It is a job that Bucky has been doing for 29 years. These days, players are much more demanding and needy than they were in the ‘70s. Whereas Buck might have been able to tell a player to, “rub some dirt on it,” Bucky must come prepared to “put a pad on it.” He must prepare for every eventuality, and he must know the personality and the needs of all 53 men on the roster. Like his dad, Bucky handles all of this pressure with a smile and a wink. He is confident he will not be caught unawares. That confidence comes from a very good source.
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Texas Rangers. In his induction speech, former General Manager and fellow Hall of Fame member Tom Grieve gave a tribute to John that included stories of his passion.
Importantly, all that story is now on constant display across the concourse walls and hallways in the new Globe Life Field. John Blake is a primary source of how that remarkable story unfolds annually for the current generation of two to three million baseball fans and those to come in years ahead.
RANGERS’ LATEST HALL OF FAMER IS A GREAT ARLINGTON FRIEND
“John transformed and modernized the public relations department. He brought credibility and respect to the franchise by developing a culture of trust and honesty with the media, both locally and nationally.
It’s on those occasions when the opportunity presents itself to highlight our 50 years as a major league city and how we became and sustained that sought-after celebrity, overcoming in the beginning great odds against us, and later, challenges to our future that the people of Arlington won twice with their votes.
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Finish Line
During his long career, first as Director of Media Relations and now as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, John has been, and is today, the person who awakens national reporters to the realization they are covering the Texas Rangers in Arlington. That’s especially important during the times we have hosted the All Star Game, two Rangers’ World Series, and 52 postseason games. I’m not sure it came up, but John almost certainly would have noted that it also was Arlington that hosted the 2022 COVID-year playoffs and World Series.
Richard Greene was Arlington’s mayor from 1987-1997 and currently teaches in UT-Arlington’s graduate program of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.
“Along the way, John has been recognized throughout baseball for overall excellence in his field.”
All of what he does can be traced to the fact that he is a consummate baseball fan dedicated to the success of the John Blake, who was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame last month, has been the consummate public relations professional, as well as a true friend to the city of Arlington.
On occasion when he emerged from his focused attention supporting all the game’s media and, Tom said, “[John] probably broke press box etiquette but, in doing so, he showed how much he cared.
All that happened in Arlington, and we have one of baseball’s premier public relations professionals to thank for the Grieve’snotoriety.closing words as he introduced John to the podium sum it up nicely: “Congratulations, John, and welcome to the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame – it wouldn’t be a hall of fame without you in it!”
“He made the Rangers PR department ‘Major League’ in every way and became one of the most respected people in his“Johnfield.has been that one constant for the Texas Rangers, guiding the franchise through [11] managers, six general managers, and five ownership groups, not to mention three different stadiums, division and league titles, two world series, a bankruptcy, the steroid era and a pandemic.
J ohn Blake puts everyone else in the spotlight, and that explains why you may not recognize his name. It’s way past time for him to emerge from the background and be appreciated as one of Arlington’s best friends. His installation in August into the Texas Rangers Baseball of Fame provides just the opportunity for us to applaud his 34 years of advancing our city to the center of the national stage.Being among only 28 cities privileged to host a major league baseball team is a good starting place. But, we always have to remind the national sports media that the Rangers are our team and not that of one of our bigger neighbors.
A standout in his career was John’s promotion of Nolan Ryan’s remarkable achievements in pitching records that will never be broken. Tom Grieve included in his remarks this somewhat hidden tribute: “Nolan was so moved by John’s national PR effort to promote the milestone of his 5,000th strikeout that he later told long-time Rangers media pro T. R. Sullivan that it was a big factor in deciding to keep pitching after his first year with the Rangers.”
RichardGreene
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