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March 6 - 12, 2015 A r t s , D e s i g n a n d M e d i c a l D i s t r i c t s • Pa r k C i t i e s

Mull It Over page 3

Candy’s Dirt page 6

Movie Trailer page 9

Katy Trail Weekly

Vol. 2, No. 3

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Neighborhood News and Views

COMMUNIT Y NEWS

Picking up in the park

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Community Calendar

Photo by Lee Baker

On Saturday, March 7, the Friends of Reverchon Park and park neighbor Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children are hosting the 17th annual Reverchon Roundup, a cleanup and beautification of the 100-year-old City of Dallas park. The cleanup will focus on brush and litter removal in and around Turtle Creek; mulching the park’s Iris Garden, playground and crepe myrtles around the baseball field; and grating the sand volleyball court. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and pastries and coffee will be available. The cleanup runs from 10 a.m. to noon, when a picnic lunch will be served. Reverchon Park is at 3501 Maple Ave. — Manny Mendoza

Hop to the musical The musical adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s beloved “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” blends puppetry and live acting on Dallas Children’s Theater’s Baker Theater stage from March 13 - April 5.

DFW actor Adrian Churchill is the sole in-the-flesh-actor Photo by Craig Lynch playing Mr. McGregor.

Adrian Churchill playing Mr. Tickets are $15 - $28. Go to McGregor. dct.org or call 214-740-0051 for more details. The performance is at the Rosewood Center at 5938 Skillman St. ­— Sherry Ward

Bravo! ‘La bohème’ The Dallas Opera is preparing to whisk audiences away to the Latin Quarter of Paris for the blockbuster opera of the season: Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 masterpiece, “La bohème,” based on Henri Murger’s newspaper serial-turnednovel, “Scènes de la vie de bohème.”

Opening night is Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center at 2403 Flora St. Subsequent performances in this Photo by Marty Sohl limited run are on March 15 and 29 at 2 p.m. and March 18, 21 and 27 at Jonathan Beyer (Marcello) 7:30 p.m. Details at dallasopera.org. and Davinia Rodriguez (Musetta). ­— Suzanne Calvin

In This Issue

Ackles' Angle............................................................. 3 Along the Green Trail .............................................. 5 Charity Spotlight....................................................... 4 Classifieds.................................................................. 7 Community Calendar .............................................. 4 Dotty Griffith............................................................ 7 Fitness on the Trail ................................................... 3 House Call ................................................................ 2 Notes from the Editor .............................................. 2 Restaurant Directory ............................................... 9 Scene Around Town.................................................. 8 Shop the Trail ........................................................... 8 Trail Lawyer............................................................... 2 Wagging the Trail..................................................... 6 Find us at facebook.com/KTWeekly

Arts and Entertainment

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katytrailweekly.com

Conga lines a family affair with Olate dogs

By Shari Goldstein Stern shari@katytrailweekly.com

Volunteers beautify Reverchon Park during last year's Reverchon Roundup.

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“And the winner of ‘America’s Got Talent,’ season seven is … ” and with that announcement by host, Nick Cannon, one family and its little best friends’ lives would be forever changed. One million dollars and a contract to headline an act on the Las Vegas strip aren’t such shabby awards, but the rewards Richard and Nicholas Olate have gained since the Sept.

13, 2012 windfall have been even greater, according to Nicholas Olate, the younger of the father and son team.

Millions of viewers fell in love with the Olate dogs as they conga lined their way to becoming top dog on that season of

the multiple award winning, Emmy nominated NBC reality talent series, “America’s Got Talent” (AGT). Viewers were agog, but the Olates were sure they were the underdogs. One of the popular show’s judges, comedian and game show host Howie Mandel, always interjects along with his positive feedback, “ … but will America vote?” America voted.

Photo courtesy of Olate Family’s Dogs The winners, now on One of the Olates’ specialties is training their dogs for the conga tour will heel at the Irving line, which they say the dogs really enjoy doing.

Arts Center on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. After night, the Olates have headlines and jump ropes and acstealing hearts on television, lined in Vegas, with the robatics with their trainers. this new performance show“America's Got Talent Live in The ace performed in cases the trainers’ musical Las Vegas” stage show at The “The America's Got Talent talent and comedy in addition Palazzo Theatre in the fall of Live - All Star Tour,” a crossto the variety of stunts and 2012 and again in early 2013. country tour featuring top acrobatics.

The 90-minute show featured Since that life-changing scooters and backflips, conga see CONGA on page 4

JUST FOUND

Discovering food and friends in Dallas, America

By David Mullen

was looking for things to do,” Philippson said, “and saw a walking tour and I thought, ‘what a great idea.’ And then it At Cliff’s Bar and Grill on McKinney just took root from there.

Avenue one afternoon, a dozen well be“I started looking into the indushaved people came en masse to sample try,” Philippson said. “I went on tours all the signature stuffed jalapeños. around the country. It is such After a few minutes, led by a a good way to get to know a man wearing a headset with city. I am in love with Dallas, microphone, they headed out and I always end up being the door on their way to anhost. So I thought this was a other Uptown establishment. really creative way where we A drunken pub crawl can take people through our this clearly was not. neighborhoods.”

Jodi Philippson, M Streets As much as the tours are resident and self-proclaimed about food and learning, they “serial entrepreneur,” started are about friendship. “Fifty Food Tours of America three percent tourists and 50 peryears ago. Currently, “America” cent locals,” Philippson said is defined as Uptown Dallas. about the people that partake.

“I picked the name, honestly,” “The locals adopt the tourists Philippson said, “because I and weird, interesting things Photo by Steve Foxall thought we would do Fort happen and everybody conWorth, and I didn’t know what From left to right Amanda Andrews, guide Jeff Pollack, and nects. Sometimes the people Nicole Robinson on a Food Tours of America event. to name it.” No worries, howkeep going from there. When ever. Trip Advisor has named the Uptown got the antique trolleys, and we will take you go from place to place, you sit down tour the number one walking tour in people through West Village, and then we and then sit up and start again. So we Dallas, and it has garnered five stars. have some additional history add-ons.” really get a chance to interact with the “We take up to 16 people at a time,” Philippson, who has a Masters in people that they have come with and end Philippson said of her Uptown food and Organizational Communications from up making new friends. historical tour. “It’s narrated by a tour guide. the University of Kansas, started Food “We take them from restaurant to We take them on a true adventure tour of Tours of America out of necessity. “I was see AMERICA on page 8 the neighborhood. We go to anywhere from going to a wedding in Chicago, and I

david@katytrailweekly.com

four to six places. And we taste something at each place, so by the time people are done, they have had a full lunch.

“I started in Uptown because it is considered the most restaurant friendly neighborhood in Dallas,” Philippson said. “We’ve

FAIR PARK

‘Erin go back’ to annual North Texas Irish Festival

By Rachel Hedstrom The pipes may have called Danny Boy away, but this year, they will bring thousands of fans of the beloved North Texas Irish Festival at Fair Park March 6-8 for a celebration of Irish music and culture. Presented by the Southwest Celtic Music Association, a nonprofit that promotes the great traditions of Irish culture, this largest cultural festival in DFW is also revered as one of the best Irish festivals in the U.S. This year's theme, “The Pipes Are Calling,” is a nod to that unique instrument so beloved in Celtic culture that

produces such a haunting sound that it is a stirring call to arms and battle, as well as, to tell tales of love and lore.

Photo by Dennis Fritsche

The Vintage Wildflowers from Tulsa, Okla.

The North Texas Irish Festival features top Irish musicians and dancers from around the world and a number of cultural presentations on 14 stages at Fair Park. After all that music and dancing, hungry appetites can be satisfied with Irish stew, Shepherd’s pie, or even fish and chips at one of the many food booths featuring traditional Irish cuisine.

Gates open on Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. Hours are 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday; 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday March 7 and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 8. Tickets are available at ntif.org or at the gate.

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

PAGE 2

HOUSE CALL

Neuropathy can be numbing

By Dr. Kimberly Washington

unnoticed because there is no associated pain. It then will become washington.k@att.net infected. Infections can get out of One of the more dangerous and control quickly (literally within debilitating complications of diabehours to days) in diabetics when tes mellitus is diabetic untreated or unnoticed. neuropathy. Neuropathy Many patients present refers to a dysfunction with overwhelming inof the nervous tissue, fections of the toe(s) or which can occur for varfoot necessitating amious reasons. In diabetic putation. According to neuropathy, high levels the American Diabetes of glucose in the bloodAssociation, approxistream causes damage mately 60 percent of to the nerve tissue. This non-traumatic ampuDr. Washington tations that occur in can lead to debilitating symptoms.

America are performed In diabetic neuropathy, the on people with diabetes mellitus. smallest nerves are usually the first Nearly every organ system reaffected. The most common localies on nerves to function. Therefore tion for symptoms are the feet and diabetes, in some way, can affect toes. The symptoms associated are them all. Previously mentioned were typically numbness or tingling pain. ways that somatic or sensory nerves Usually, it begins with tingling and are affected. Autonomic nerves are pain in the feet and toes. This can be also affected, whereby dysfunction very disruptive to everyday life as the can result in gastroparesis (dispain is usually constant and unrelent- cussed in last week’s section), blading. There are some medications that der dysfunction, erectile dysfunchave been found to cause mild relief, tion in men, and inability to sense but the results are variable. On occalow blood sugar. sion, the initial symptom is numbDiabetic neuropathy is a serious ness, which some would think is problem for patients with diabetes. better than pain. This is actually not It can potentially be a debilitattrue. Numbness is just as hazardous ing condition. The most important ­— potentially more so. With numbthing to remember, however, if you ness, injury can occur to the feet or are a diabetic reading this, is that toes and go relatively unnoticed. excellent glucose control can preRegarding numbness and invent this complication. Check your jury, this is what makes diabetic glucose often and avoid elevations. neuropathy such a horrible probDr. Kimberly Washington, lem. Many people who have diabetic a general surgeon at Highlander neuropathy with numbness can Surgical Associates in Arlington, easily get a small cut or laceration maintains an interest in health eduon their foot or toe. This injury goes cation and advocacy.

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Don’t make me drone on

By David Mullen

david@katytrailweekly.com Here at Katy Trail Weekly, we are considering delivering our humble, little newspaper by drone ... Remember how we fantasized about cool space age movies, “The Jetsons,” “Lost in Space” and any show or book that forecasted what life would be like in the future? We ate them up. But be careful what you wish for. This drone thing seems a bit unsettling. The new commercial for the 2016 Audi A6 mixing a drone attack with Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” is brilliant … If Apple was to get into the car business as has been rumored recently, it would revolutionize the industry. Think of people looking to trade in their car every six months. And think of the lines around the block to get into the dealership. I don’t care how much money a company like Apple has, they should be very leery to get into the automobile business. If they were alive, they could ask John DeLorean or Preston Tucker. What if Apple produced a lemon? Best bet would be to buy Tesla, already the Apple of cars … Don’t really understand the FCC ruling on net neutrality yet. I guess it benefits consumers against the mega-Internet service providers.

What I wish the FCC would enact immediately is the abolition of anonymous recorded phone calls — now infiltrating my cell phone — telling me that I have to act now to consolidate my credit card debt. They come

from Arkansas and Massachusetts and Washington and Minnesota. I wish I knew where they were actually located. I would drop a drone on them … And while we are at it FCC, I have another agenda item to consider. Ban door bells and telephone rings on television commercials. When we were kids, we used to laugh at our grandparents when they would go to answer the phone or the door when David Mullen there was a loud ring on TV. Well … The sign featuring Colonel Sanders got knocked off his perch at the Lemmon Avenue and Wycliff Avenue KFC. I could see him peeking out over the top of the dumpster … I blinked and suddenly the Albertsons on McKinney Avenue and Lemmon Avenue became a Minyard sun fresh Market. Nice store and better than the old Albertson’s.

As I did my quarterly shopping, I noticed that five people in a row left the store toting plastic bags. For shame! As I proudly marched in with my WinStar World Casino and the Loon tote bags (both golf tournament acquisitions), I realized one thing. The self service check-out has a problem recognizing two canvas bags. The machine kept yelling at me to remove the first bag and then refused my second bag. I felt like Larry David … Goodbye, Mount Speed Bump. We hardly knew you.

As reported here, the Grand Prairie city council might have been given

TRAIL LAWYER

a snow job. The developers that were going to build an indoor ski run in beautiful industrial Grand Prairie have backed out. Also seen in this column, it appears that plans to close the Great Southwest Golf Club for an industrial warehouse has hit some hazards. The members have given the developer an emphatic “No Shanks, er, Thanks!” …

I found the perfect place to break up. Splitsville, a bowling alley and “gourmet restaurant” that has six locations including Fairview … The Michelin Man recently completed a 1.3 million-road trip to mark the tire maker’s 125th anniversary. He rolled into 44 countries handing out tire pressure gauges. I bet that he ate at some great three-star restaurants.

He must have been worn down when he was done … I saw a billboard on Central Expressway advertising Pepsi with real sugar. Wait a minute! I thought we were trying to limit consumption of sugary drinks … Internet radio station Pandora has introduced a radio station full of songs to promote, well, love-making. And it is sponsored by Pampers.

More babies mean more baby diapers. You can’t make this stuff up … And finally, we are happy to welcome William “Bubba” Flint to the pages of the humble, little Katy Trail Weekly. You may see Bubba’s cartoons in the local daily. Well, much like Bubba’s Shrimp, Bubba Flint’s editorial empire is expanding.

He will now be contributing an all new, separate cartoon tailored to our readers on a weekly basis. It will be great to have his humor and insight with us.

Parkland peaking at right time

The gift and the curse — BYOD programs

By Gregory M. Clift

for work purposes.

• Setting out who pays for the device (including replacement devices) and any plans.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is an acronym presenting • A waiver of any right to privacy in the device’s contents, inperils for both employers and employees. BYOD initiatives allow cluding personal data. employees to use personally owned devices at work. Typically, • An unequivocal notice that the device may be wiped remotely BYOD programs are thought to build employee satisfaction at the company’s discretion. and productivity. The adoption of any BYOD program requires • Whether the company may use any GPS functions on the a company to implement strict policies to protect privacy and device. confidential information or trade secrets, separate company and • A step-by-step process for the company to obtain its data from private data, and to ensure wage and hour laws (and in some the device at the end of an individual’s employment. instances privacy laws) are not violated.

An often-overlooked issue is ensuring wage and Devices are continually improving. Devices hour laws are met. Time working remotely is still time are generally lightweight and small, which lends worked that requires an employer to compensate nonto the potential for loss. Risks to employers are exempt employees. Working outside of normal hours, significant if a device is lost. A company with such as responding to emails, must be considered. trade secrets or patient information stored on Companies must require employees to record all time employee devices faces even more significant worked accurately, including time outside of the ofissues. fice. A policy limiting the time an employee may work While no foolproof remedy exists, certain outside of normal hours may reduce any confusion applications and policies may reduce the risks. and potential liabilities. Companies must also account Gregory M,. Clift for the device’s plan’s costs when determining whether One technical step is to require employees to install a Mobile Device Management (MDM) sominimum wage laws are met. A device’s plan’s costs lution. A MDM solution allows employees to securely connect to may reduce the employee’s wages to below minimum. company networks remotely. The solution separates work-related Lastly, for healthcare companies, the Health Information applications, such as company email, from personal applicaPortability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) must be considered. tions, such as social network apps.

Data breaches require HIPAA-covered entities to provide notifiMDM solutions allow companies to implement controls, cation following a data breach. A breach is generally any disclosuch as remotely wiping a device’s data, requiring passwords and sure or impermissible use of protected health information. Any encrypting data and communications. Employees find comfort data breach is a concern, but the notice requirements for healthin segregating personal applications and communications from care data breaches may include notifying the media to reach work-related ones. affected individuals, making the breach more public and hurting Additionally, clear policies are necessary. Employers may a company’s reputation. consider including in any policy: While BYOD policies may prove beneficial, both compa• Specific guidelines for permissible uses of personal devices nies and employees must ensure their competing interests, and for work-related activities. For example, whether a device those of customers or clients are addressed. Security software, may be synced with another device or cloud storage must be carefully crafted policies, periodic training and constant policy considered. reminders are musts.

• Requiring the employee to notify the company within 24 Gregory M. Clift is a business and employment litigation hours of any lost device or data breach. partner with Clouse Dunn LLP, in Dallas. He may be reached at • Limiting the applications or programs an employee may use 214-239-2777 or gclift@clousedunn.com. gclift@clousedunn.com

Parkland Hospital has been active recently as the public hospital gears up for the new $1.32 billion facility that will open to patients in August.

Dr. Fred Cerise celebrated one year as president and chief executive officer of Parkland Health & Hospital System. And a few weeks ago, the announcement that the final milestone in the Dr. Fred Cerise, Parkland $150 million fundrais- President and CEO ing campaign led by Parkland Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Parkland Health & Hospital System, had been met. The public-private funding initiative, one of the largest of its kind for a public hospital in the U.S., engaged the entire Dallas community. The new Parkland Hospital will be 17 stories and 2.1 million-square-feet. — David Mullen

Cultural Affairs seeks applicants The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs announces a new funding program for nonprofit cultural arts organizations and individual artists in all disciplines. Awards of $1,000 to $5,000 will be presented through the Cultural Projects Program — Special Support Grants. Artists and organizations must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the Special Projects Grants Guidelines posted on the website. Applications are available online and will be accepted through March 27 for the first round of awards. Additional information is available at dallasculture.org/cpp.asp or by calling the Office of Cultural Affairs at 214-670-3687. ­— Margret Fullwood OUR MISSION

Katy Trail Weekly is a community-friendly newspaper designed to inform and entertain the people in many diverse demographics who live and/or work in these neighborhoods. Much like the Katy Trail itself, Katy Trail Weekly is designed to help bring together the neighborhoods of Downtown, Uptown, Cedar Springs/Oak Lawn, the Design District, the Medical District and the Park Cities, as well as others. The newspaper is placed in local businesses, and other locations, for free pick-up by their patrons. We support this publication by providing ad space to local businesses who want an effective and affordable way to reach the Katy Trail area readers we attract and serve. We welcome participation in the paper through story and picture submissions, and we hope that you will join us in making this paper the best it can be.

Co-founders Nancy Black Rex Cumming David Mullen Andy Simpson Publisher Rex Cumming Editor in Chief

David Mullen

Managing Director Nancy Black Graphic Design Amy Moore Bronwen Roberts Art Production Ruth Sanchez Photographer

Can Turkyilmaz

Accounts Manager

Cindi Cox

Katy Trail Weekly

Distribution Andy Simpson Manager

Copy Editors Jessica Voss Rosa Marinero Online Editor Denver Sinclair Society Editor Sally Blanton Writers Chris Ackels Anna Clark Turner Cavender Chic DiCiccio Candace Evans Dotty Griffith Beth Leermakers Megan Lyons Naima Montacer Sara Newberry Mary Spencer Shari Stern

Susan Strough Wayne Swearingen Kim Washington

Advertising Sales Susie Denardo Becky Bridges

Distribution Lynsey Boyle Thomas Combs Billy Griffin Benjamin Smedley Lorenzo Ramirez Paul Redic Nicole Reed

(214) 27-TRAIL (87245) • P.O. Box 180457 • Dallas, TX 75218 info@katytrailweekly.com • katytrailweekly.com

© 2015 Trail Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Katy Trail Weekly is published weekly and distributed for free. Views expressed in Katy Trail Weekly are not necessarily the opinion of Katy Trail Weekly, its staff or advertisers. Katy Trail Weekly does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising.

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

MULL IT OVER

Alive and still Side-kicking

By David Mullen

Question: What was the first sporting event in the history of the American Airlines Center (AAC)? The answer may surprise you. And the fact that the local team that participated (in name, at least) is still playing may surprise you even more.

The Dallas Cowboys began the local team’s playoff runs in 2015, losing a heartbreaking and somewhat controversial game in Green Bay on Jan. 11. The Dallas Mavericks appear headed for the playoffs. The Dallas Stars will need an unprecedented rise in order to crack one of the top eight playoff spots in the NHL Western Conference.

But in between the NFL football and NBA basketball playoffs, there is a local team that is competing in the post season and is continuing their quest for a championship after winning their first round match. Give up? It’s the Dallas Sidekicks. Remember them?

They are the team that faced the San Diego Sockers on Aug. 19, 2001 to christen sports at the AAC. Sunday’s 6-5 nail biting win over Oxford City (Beaumont) FC of Texas at Allen Events Center gives the Sidekicks a second round berth in the Major Arena Soccer League, a 22-team, first year league with squads from Milwaukee to Mexico and Sacramento to Syracuse. The Sidekicks face the Monterrey (Mexico) Flash at Arena Monterrey on Sunday, March 8.

The Dallas Sidekicks began in 1984 — nine years before the Stars moved to town — ­ and were an immediate hit. They played at Reunion Arena and by 1987 were champions of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Their star player and face of the franchise was a 5-foot-6 Brazilian born forward named Antonio Carlos Pecorari.

He is better known to local fans as Tatu.

“I don’t remember much about 1984. That was a long time ago,” Tatu, who rarely speaks to the media, said. “The old days were a little bit more professional than it is today. It was easier to deal with players. We have a good team, but it was difficult to compare them with the past. The game today is good, but it is not the old days.”

The original Dallas Sidekicks team was founded on Jan. 9, 1984 when then Mavericks owner Donald Carter bought the bankrupt New Jersey Rockets of the MISL and moved them to Dallas. “1984 was the first year of the franchise,” Tatu, head coach of the current version of the Dallas Sidekicks, said. “So expectations were pretty low. We were building. The pressure was off. Anything that happened then was a success.

Gordon (then head coach Gordon Jago) made it clear that it would be a three, four, five year process before we would be competing for a national championship.” It took three years.

Led by Tatu, now 53-years-old and still living in Dallas, and a roster of excellent players like forward/midfielder Willie Milano, the

Photo courtesy of Dallas Sidekicks

Dallas Sidekicks now make Allen Event Center home.

Sidekicks won the 1987 MISL Championship four games to three over the Tacoma Stars despite being down three games to two and having to win the last two games in overtime.

“The series against Tacoma was an amazing series between us and them,” Milano said.

“For us to go back and win on their turf was an amazing feeling for us to do that.” More than 5,000 fans greeted the champions at the airport, and more than 10,000 attended a parade in their honor.

In 1993, the Sidekicks would win another championship, this time in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. Player-coach Tatu would lead the 1998 Sidekicks to the World Indoor Soccer League (WISL) crown and was named WISL coach of the year and most valuable player in the same year. In 2001, the Sidekicks were champions again led by Tatu and a young goalkeeper Sagu. At 41-years old, believe it or not, Sagu minds the net for the 2015 Dallas Sidekicks today.

In 2004, the WISL ceased operations.

It wasn’t until 2012 when a new league — Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) — emerged that the Dallas Sidekicks were reincarnated with a new home in Collin County.

In the summer of 2014, the PASL picked up teams from the defunct MASL to create today’s league. Professional indoor soccer has had almost as many leagues as Jules Verne.

“We find we do really well along Interstate 75, like Allen and McKinney, Frisco and Plano,” Melissa Smith, director of PR and Communications for the Sidekicks, said. “We are definitely geared toward families. There is still a lot of fan interaction. When a goal is scored, the ball is tossed into the stands. There are a lot of giveaways. This is the league’s first year, but the competition has been amazing.” The Sidekicks play pop music throughout the game, have a dozen cheerleaders/dancers and a crew of souvenir-tossers named “Purple Chaos.”

“It’s a little bit different,” Milano said, compared to the indoor soccer played in the ’80s.

“A lot more physical and fast paced, banging up against the wall. Back in the old days, it was much more technical; we had more technical players. It is totally different today.”

So the 2014-15 Dallas Sidekicks are in the playoffs, for now. And, while they may look a little different and are in their fifth league since 1984, they are alive and well and living in Allen with Tatu still the face of the franchise.

FITNESS ON THE TRAIL

Best and worst exercises for back pain

By Turner Cavender

alternate knees. Repeat several times on each side.

A second stretch Even when that helps the lower exercise is the back is a press-up last thing you back extension. feel like doing Lie on your stomwhile suffering ach and place your from low back hands under your pain, it could shoulders. Slowly lift very well be one up and either rest of the best remon bended elbows edies. The aches Turner Cavender or straighten your and discomfort arms so your back is of back pain are arched. Hold for 20 often relieved by strengthenseconds, lower to the starting ing and stretching your back, position and repeat. core and leg muscles. So Another helpful stretch when you just feel like lying is the bridge. Lie on your on the couch, you’d do better back, bend your knees and to get on the floor and do a place your heels on the floor. few exercises and stretches.

Now, squeeze your glutes Be picky, however, about and lift your hips up so your what movements to do. Some knees, hips and shoulders are exercises are beneficial for in a straight line. A personal back pain, while others may trainer in Wyoming expresses only make it worse. If it’s that you should avoid overbeen ages since you exercised, arching your back. Hold a few you’ve recently suffered a seconds, lower your hips, rest back injury, or your pain is for 10 seconds and repeat. unbearable, we suggest checkBack-strengthening exing with your doctor or phys- ercises. Any number of exerical therapist before starting a cises can be used to strengthen new exercise program. your back, leg and core musBack-stretching exercles. Pilates, yoga and exercise cises. Tight muscles aggravate ball activities are great options back pain, so one of the best as they can be tailored to those ways to loosen things up is by with back problems. When stretching. The hamstring mus- done correctly, lifting weights cle extends from your lower is generally safe and even back down your leg. Stretch recommended for back pain this muscle by lying on your relief. Work with your trainer back and bending both knees, or therapist for the best weight keeping your feet flat on the training movements for your floor. Gently pull one knee up condition. Even aerobic exertoward your chest while you cises are needed for a strong, hold your back flat against the healthy back. These types of floor. Hold this position 20 sec- activities get blood and nutrionds, lower your leg down and ents pumping to your muscles

Turner@dallasfbbc.com

ACKELS' ANGLE

Area athletes sign Letters of Intent

By Chris Ackels

Ch.ackels@gmail.com

david@katytrailweekly.com

to promote healing and help you lose weight, which relieves pressure from your back. Two smart aerobic exercises for those with back pain include walking and swimming.

Back-stressing exercises.

Not all exercises and stretches are safe for back-pain sufferers. One of the more damaging stretches is standing toe touches. Bending down to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight places great stress on your spine and can overstretch your hamstrings and the muscles of your lower back. Leg lifts (raising both legs while lying on your back) are a second stretch that can harm your lower back. And while sit-ups are a popular abdominal exercise, they can put a lot of stress and pressure on your lower back and spine.

When it comes to aerobic exercise, high-impact activities like jogging or jumping on the trampoline and sports that require bending and twisting such as tennis, basketball or football should be avoided to protect your back and prevent further injury.

Back to weight. Being overweight places extra pressure on your spine and can push vertebrae out of alignment. Turner Cavender/Dallas Fit Body Boot Camp believes that you can treat and prevent back pain by obtaining and maintaining a healthy weight.

Turner Cavender is a certified and licensed personal trainer and owner of Dallas Fit Body Boot Camp.

"Remember, just a matter of doing it" #JAMODI.

PAGE 3

Over a dozen local athletes signed their National Letters of Intent in February to continue their athletic careers at the college level. Jesuit sends eight athletes to the Division I ranks, while Highland Park sends seven on to DI, and both schools celebrated over a dozen student athletes moving on to NCAA or junior college competition. Hillcrest also got in on the mix by sending one athlete to TCU. Here are each school’s NCAA Division I commitments: JESUIT Jesuit sends four students on to Division I football, highlighted by quarterback Bo Schneider who is bound for Central Florida. Schneider was named District 9-6A MVP and led all Dallas quarterbacks with 45 touchdowns and 3,492 passing yards.

Josh Cummings will represent Jesuit at Rice next year.

The defensive back was a cornerstone of the Jesuit defense.

Lineman Taylor Stine has committed to play at Kansas. Stine was recognized with First Team All-District honors this year.

Wideout Garrett Amy will go on to Air Force, one of two Jesuit athletes headed to the Academy. Amy was one of the area’s leading receivers and finished in the top three in touchdowns (18) and receiving yards (1,346).

On the baseball diamond, the Rangers are ranked seventh in the state coming into the season. The offense is led by Darius Hill, last year’s Dallas Morning News Hitter of the Year and Louisville Slugger All-American, who has signed to play at West Virginia. Teammate Nic Ready bats cleanup in the Rangers lineup, and has signed to play at Air Force next year.

Lacrosse attacker Gavin McClure will play next year at Washington and Lee, which has a respected lacrosse program.

McClure is a key part of the Jesuit lacrosse team, which this year seeks its sixth consecutive state Final Four appearance.

Golfer J.C. Campbell has signed to play at the University of Memphis. Campbell has been a part of a Jesuit district championship team during all four years of his high school career.

Other Jesuit athletes who have signed: Matt Miller (football, Benedictine); Andrew Murphy (football, Davidson); Nmesoma Nwafor (football, Tufts); Grant Reuben (baseball, Cisco College); Shane Ross (wrestling, Wesleyan); Ben Sloan (soccer, Austin College).

HIGHLAND PARK Highland Park sends five students to Division I football, including outside linebacker Mitchell Kaufman who will stay local and play with the SMU Mustangs next season.

Kaufman scored three defensive touchdowns during his senior

season, and will sign on as one of Chad Morris’ initial recruiting classes on the Hilltop.

Fellow linebacker Michael Linehan plans to play next year at Idaho. Linehan is the son of Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who also played at Idaho. The younger Linehan impressed in his one and only season in a Scots uniform.

Nick Waterman is the third member of the HP defense to go DI, as he heads to Air Force.

Offensive lineman Austin Webb, who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, is headed to play at Hawaii next year. The Scots also send offensive lineman Reese Lemay to Yale for football.

HP also has a strong baseball team this year, including two Division I athletes. Shortstop John Skidmore is a driving force in the Scots batting order, and has signed to play at Baylor next year. Pitcher Layne Looney has committed to play for Richmond in the Atlantic 10 conference.

Other Highland Park athletes who have signed: Dawson French (soccer, Trinity); Emily O’Neal (Nebraska, soccer); Kate Summers (Texas Tech); Clayton Woods (football, UT-San Antonio).

Finally, Hillcrest’s Arico Evans has signed to play for TCU next year. Evans was one of the most sought-after athletes in the area, and he received offers from a number of other Big 12 schools. The Panthers also send two brothers to play football at Snow Junior College: Makell Haley and Terrell Haley.

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

PAGE 4

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

Katy Trail Weekly

calendar artandseek.org

Have a submission for Picture of the Week? Let us know what’s going on in our community: info@katytrailweekly.com

Contact us at info@katytrailweekly.com with your Community Calendar Event.

March 6-7

1700 Rodeo Drive Mesquite, 75149

Mesquite Convention Center – Regional Watch and Clock Show Friday 1 - 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. - Noon featuring over 250 tables of watches, clocks, tools, and literature; watch and clock lectures; an exhibit of Viennese Clocks; and a Children's Program at 10 a.m. Saturday with an Activities Table and a Scavenger Hunt. Friday admission: $15 - couples; $10-individuals, children (17 and under) free. Saturday admission - FREE!

March 7

2010 Flora St. Dallas, 75201 214-979-6430

Crow Collection of Asian Art – The “At Home and At Court” exhibition draws on the museum’s holdings of paintings from China and Japan, and explores the East Asian painting formats of hanging scrolls, hand scrolls and folding screens. Open until Aug. 15. FREE!

March 8

5100 Ross Ave. Dallas, 75206 214-887-6552

St. Matthew's Cathedral Episcopal Church – Dallas Bach Society holds a family concert featuring flutist Tamara Meredith. Presenting an “all wine” tour of the famous wine regions of France, Italy and Germany. As the 18th century found its footing, the recorder gave way to the transverse or German flute. This new "flauto traverso" became the most popular instrument in European house music. 4 p.m. FREE!

March 9

2301 Flora St. Dallas, 75201 214.670.3600

Meyerson Symphony Center – The University of Arkansas Wind Ensemble will present the world premiere of City of Giants by Robert Mueller and pieces by Michael Daugherty, Michael Gandolfi, Ryan George, Percy Grainger and Joseph Turrin. The ensemble consists of 50 students who have demonstrated outstanding musicianship and are committed to musical excellence. 7:30 p.m. FREE!

March 9 – 13

211 N. Record St. Suite 100 Dallas, 75202 214-741-7500

Dallas Holocaust Museum / The Center for Education and Tolerance – Spend Spring Break with Curious George! Learn more about the beloved children’s book character, Curious George, and the journey that saved the authors of the mischievous monkey. Join us for daily educational activities, including a kids sized drive-in movie, story time and puzzling. Ages 4 to 9. Museum admission required. 11 a.m. $6-$10.

March 10

2520 Flora St. Dallas, 75201 214-671-1450

Dallas City Performance Hall – The Women’s Chorus of Dallas invites the Texas Woman’s University and University of North Texas Women’s Choirs to sing in celebration of Women’s History Month. You won’t want to miss this extra-special event featuring a chorus of women almost 200 voices strong! 7 p.m. $10-$35

March 12

4100 Cedar Springs Road Dallas, 75219 214-670-1359

Dallas Oak Lawn Branch Library – Come to our artist reception and meet local talent face-to-face. 6:30 p.m.

FREE!

Fri 3/06

Picture of the Week

Michelangelo, b. 1475 Bob Wills, b. 1905 Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, b. 1944 Moira Kelly, b.

1968 Shaquille O’Neal, b. 1972 1836 – 13-day siege of the Alamo ended.

The Dallas Museum of Art has acquired this Maya vessel (A.D. 700–900).

Send us a photo on Facebook and it may be featured here!

Photo courtesy of Dallas Museum of Art

Sat 3/07

Luther Burbank, b. 1849 Maurice Ravel, b. 1875 Wanda Sykes, b. 1964 Rachel Weisz, b. 1971 Jenna Fischer, b. 1974 1876 – Alexander G. Bell patented the telephone.

Sun 3/08

Daylight Saving Time Starts Oliver W. Holmes, b. 1841 Claire Trevor, b. 1909 Camryn Manheim, b. 1961 1894 – NY enacted dog license law. 1st animal control law in U.S.

CONGA cont'd from page 1

Donors and volunteers

show love and care in Dallas

THE FAMILY PLACE

Providing safety, counseling and new independence skills to victims of family violence

By Sally Blanton Each week, Katy Trail Weekly will feature a charity that is doing remarkable work in Dallas, a city known for philanthropy and generosity.

QW hat is your mission or highest purpose?

e Family Place empowers victims of A Th

family violence by providing safe housing, counseling and skills that create independence while building community engagement and advocating for social change to stop family violence.

Q H ow many clients are served each year?

e served 11,523 clients in 2014 providAW

ing shelter and transitional housing for 12 men, 446 women and 762 children; counseling 3,726 victims; helping 965 batterers stop abusing; reaching 5,370 children, teens and young adults with bullying, dating violence and sexual assault prevention education; and providing 477 adults and children with supervised visitations and monitored exchanges to keep children from witnessing further violence. Our Safe Campus Child Development Center served 196 children, our School-Age Program served 215 children, and our K-2 Learning Center served 61 children. Our Safe Campus clinic served 254 women and children.

QW hat percentage amount actually

reaches those in need?

Eighty percent goes to client services and 20 percent to administrative and fundraising costs.

A

gloves and hats of virtually all sizes and over-the-counter cold and flu medicines.

Our clients often come to us with only the clothes they are wearing.

QW hat is your facility like?

e are the largest family violence service AW

provider in the Dallas area. We provide 106 beds in 20 shelter rooms on our Safe Campus which also has a transitional housing program with 25 apartments, a Child Development Center, K-2 Learning Center and clinic all on site. We provide outreach counseling at three different offices.

QW hat sort of volunteer jobs are available?

A V olunteers support virtually every program

of the agency. Behind the scenes includes Administrative, Partner’s Card, Fundraising, Event planning, Resale Shop, and Special Events. But we also need dedicated volunteers to work with clients in Children’s Evening Outreach, the Child Development Center, Court Partnership at Frank Crowley Court House, our Shelter, our Family Center, and even to speak to groups on our behalf.

Q T ell us the name of a volunteer who always goes beyond the call of duty?

e volunteer that first comes to mind is A Th

Mary Ring. We cannot thank her enough for her time and generosity to The Family Place, and helping us for many years.

QW hat do you think is the most important thing you do for the community?

Keeping victims of family violence safe and mitigating the risk of death of our clients is our most important role.

A

hat is difficult about your job?

QW hat are your critical needs now, besides Q W money donations?

A O ur Resale Shop is always in need of gently used clothes, furniture, accessories or collectibles in good repair. We are always in need of items for client “starter kits” when they leave our Safe Campus for safe housing. Our Safe Campus is home to many babies, so we are always in need of diapers and formula. During cold weather, we need coats,

A T urning victims away when every shelter bed in the community is full is a hard burden to bear.

QW hat is rewarding about your job?

A S eeing the generosity of our community year after year, and hearing from a client who has been helped by our programs — as I so often do — it makes my day!

Our thanks to Paige Flink, executive director since 1991, for answering this week’s questions.

acts from seasons six and seven. They also appeared on AGT’s 2013 finals episode as guest talent and have had gigs during halftime of NBA games; “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno;” and “Access Hollywood” among other programs. They were featured in upward of two-dozen periodicals at last count, including the New York Times.

After spotting the act on “The Today Show,” Ellen DeGeneres and her dog food company, Halo, offered to sponsor a tour. The Olates made four short films with Halo to encourage rescuing.

Halo now provides food for the Olates dogs. The videos are online at olatedogs.com.

While the act is “The Olate Family’s Dogs,” on the Halosponsored tour, they’re “The Olate Dogs Rescue Tour” to promote rescuing, one of DeGeneres’ missions.

Ten of the 22 trained performers are usually in each show. Most are a poodle mix, with some being Labradoodles.

Poodles are agile enough to do tricks without getting hurt.

Richard Olate’s story is the American dream on treats. He grew up in poverty in Santiago, Chile, one of 22 siblings. A third-generation circus performer, he was five years old when he started selling newspapers on the street to help support the

Mon 3/09

Amerigo Vespucci, b. 1454 Samuel Barber, b. 1910 Yuri Gagarin, b. 1934 Bobby Fischer, b. 1943 Brittany Snow, b. 1986 1959 – Debut of Barbie doll at Amer. Int’l Toy Fair.

Tue 3/10

Bix Beiderbecke, b. 1903 Bob Greene, b. 1947 Sharon Stone, b. 1958 Carrie Underwood, b. 1983 1849 – Abe Lincoln applied for a patent. Only U.S. President who’s done that.

family with a single mother.

He found a stray poodle on the street, who he named Peti and taught tricks. He realized he had a natural talent to train and perform with his furry friend. Soon, that one poodle turned into a pack of pups that Richard trained to walk upright, jump rope and even do backflips.

By age 13, he was supporting the family with his dog act. He traveled across Chile with circuses. Richard adopted and bought more dogs needing a forever home.

His brother José joined the act, and the two caught the attention of a circus promoter.

They landed their first contract in the U.S. in 1989 and worked for Circus Vargas, the Big Apple Circus and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Richard married Rebecca Smith, who was being shot from a cannon when they met, and later Nicholas joined the act. José left the act in 2012.

With circus in his DNA, Nicholas Olate joined his father’s act at the age of six.

He told us that his dad created and lead the act, while sharing the stage with him.

“My father doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. After a childhood like his, for him to become as successful as a performer, business man, father and son is remarkable.”

The younger Olate added, “My father was Superman, when I was

Wed 3/11

Lawrence Welk, b. 1903 Bobby McFerrin, b.1950 Douglas Adams, b. 1952 Lisa Loeb, b. 1968 Thora Birch, b. 1982 1702 – Daily Courant, 1st regular English newspaper, published.

Thu 3/12

Wally Schirra, b. 1923 Herb Kelleher, b. 1931 Liza Minnelli, b. 1946 James Taylor, b. 1948 Aaron Eckhart, b. 1968 1789 – The U.S. Post Office was established.

growing up.”

Nicholas and his wife, Yasmin, are expecting their first baby. Yasmin travels with the act, as does his mother. He met his wife at the same circus as his parents 22 years before.

The family’s home is a “fleet” of three big trailers, as their life takes them from city to city. This current tour has had performances in about 50 cities. “The dogs have their own trailer, but sometimes they hang out with us. They knock out in the comfort of the trailer when it starts moving,” Nicholas said. “And I can’t ever mess up. My parents are there 24/7!”

Once retired, the dogs still enjoy sitting on the stage as spectators. Lili, whose specialty is backflips, especially adores Richard. Nicholas told us that she climbs into bed with his parents and pushes his mom out of the way to get closer to his dad. The dogs are also attached to each other.

Tickets for the Olate Dogs Rescue Tour are available at the Irving Arts Center Box office 972-252-2787 and irvingartscenter.com. A portion of the proceeds from the 90-minute show will benefit the no-kill DFW Humane Society in Irving, which will also have a trailer full of adoptable dogs looking for a forever home starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Center. For more information, visit olatedogs. com and dfwhumane.com.

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Alpha followers 6. Pullman choice 11. Quay 15. Take without permission

20. It may be airtight 21. Move blindly 22. Reserved or reticent 24. Baking potato 25. Pedro's honorific

26. Belgian or Clydesdale 27. Raga instrument 28. Takes long strides 29. Know somehow 31. Grocery store rows

33. —, vidi, vici 34. Like Atalanta 35. Summer flower 37. Barely manages 39. Sloppy — 41. Exercise place

42. Lifts anchor 43. Goes for the gold 44. Watered silk 46. Worn-down pencil 50. Fair grade 51. Install a door 52. Has a fever 53. Smack a mosquito 57. Gullets 59. Like Tonto's friend 60. Skirmish 61. Bushel fraction 62. Droids 63. Corduroy rib 64. Risks it 65. Kind of system 66. Miffed, plus 67. Coastal flyer 68. Notre Dame's city 69. Conforms 72. Ceiling fixture 73. Retired 74. River rapids 75. Temporary trends 76. Strenuous effort 79. Big families 80. Kind of cake 84. Hold down a job 85. Wild party 86. Trickle 87. Yes, to Yvette 88. Foul-ups 91. Old-fashioned pen 92. Snorkeling venue 93. Call, as an elk 95. Ad — committee 96. Bungles 97. Large tanks 98. Not a god 99. Island near Kauai 101. Weed whackers 102. False fronts 103. Buttonholed 104. Timely question

PAGE 5 105. Mighty steed 106. Poet — Pound 107. Went first 108. Bane of pvts.

109. Archipelago dots 111. Fetches 112. T reasure in an oyster 114. Dallas sch.

117. Gal. fractions 118. House slipper 119. Ben Hur, e.g.

124. Shiva devotee 126. Mallard cousin 128. Hue, but not cry 130. Coat with flour 131. Pie-chart lines 132. Throw lava 134. Mortgages 136. Ran its course 137. Sultans' cousins 138. Cheap nightspots 139. Fossil resin 140. L ike heavy metal concerts 141. AAA or EEE 142. Surrender territory 143. Provides for 144. Craggy ridge DOWN 1. "— Street Blues" 2. Helen, in Spain 3. Salon rinses 4. More or less 5. It follows Orion 6. Snort of disgust 7. Brief bio 8. Like a sponge 9. — Downs (racetrack) 10. Plant in a swamp 11. "— Rheingold" 12. Bartender's stock

ALONG THE GREEN TRAIL

@naimajeannette

Plastic six pack rings, Styrofoam, plastic hangers, plastic wrap, Ziploc bags and bread bags all fall into a non- traditional category. Are these plastic items recyclable or not?

The Plastics Recycling 2015 Conference was held here in Dallas this past week. Plastic professionals from all around the world including China, Nepal and Italy, gathered to talk economic growth, sustainability and the future of the plastic recycling industry.

The industry relies upon raw materials, from consumers, to sustain their business. The challenge is balancing a steady stream of raw materials with cost efficient methods to return materials back into consumer products. The industry needs to compete at a cost equal to or less than products made from virgin materials. Low oil prices are not helping.

Low oil prices decrease the cost of virgin materials making it more cost efficient to buy virgin rather than recycled products.

What products are recyclable is all based on your local communities processing facilities, ability to pick up raw materials and transportation. Currently in Dallas, the non-traditional items are not recyclable through the curbside single stream blue bin program. Just because a product is not currently taken in your area does not mean that product is not recyclable. The recycling industry just hasn’t come up with a solution to easily recycle it, or the processing facilities are too great a distance away from collection to be cost efficient.

New creative technologies and

methods are being developed to recycle non-traditional items, which could change the items you can throw in your recycle bin.

A community in California recently Naima Montacer piloted an “energy bag” program in which non-traditional items (such as plastic spoons, cereal box liners and squeezable pouches) were placed into a separate purple bag within the bins. The three month pilot program resulted in nearly 8,000 energy bags collected totaling approximately three tons of material kept out of the waste stream. The possible changes are not a nuisance; it’s less waste going into our landfills.

Another hot topic at the conference was contamination. How dirty is too dirty? This is also unique to the facilities in your community and what they can handle. The industry is searching for a better answer through investigating a life cycle analysis of virgin plastics “from cradle to grave.” Steve Alexander, executive director of The Association of Postconsumer Plastics Recyclers, explained this research would look at answering the ultimate question of “is recycling that material worth it” and look at contamination rates across different facilities. The last analysis of its type was done five to six years ago, which in a fast evolving industry, has already become outdated.

Recycling in our communities takes research based processes and collaboration across community organizations. I

sat in the morning session led by a panel of plastic recycling executives who asked the large crowd to raise their hand if they were from a local or state government. One person of hundreds raised their hand. Without collaboration from the city governments who mainly pick up and transport recyclables, businesses, nonprofit organizations and community members, the success of recycling will remain stagnant.

Community members are vital to the equation and educating our public on the proper techniques to recycle products is key. I was impressed with the immense data presented on the success and failures of how each message from a simple graphic to a video that is disseminated to the public can cast a positive or negative light on recycling. I was just as intrigued as Kim Holmes, director of recycling for The Plastic Industry Trade Association said, “(plastic bag) bans just don’t really move us forward in the direction we want to go.” Instead of utilizing a ban that casts a negative connotation of recycling, they encouraged a more comprehensive approach to mitigate litter and providing recycling incentives.

Dallas may not be in the lead in recycling technologies, but after hearing the progress from New York City leaders of their “Recycle Everything” campaign that has taken the city to the forefront, I’m excited for our city to pursue similar collaborative measures. When we do, I just hope it’s backed by strong research based knowledge and input from industry professionals.

Naima Montacer is a freelance writer and conservationist. View more at her website EnviroAdventures.com.

YOUR STARS THIS WEEK

By Stella Wilder

The coming week is likely to require swift adjustments to rapidly changing circumstances. Although there is little chance for anyone to encounter serious personal risk to life and limb, the importance of staying current is undeniable at this time. Flexibility and the ability to change course quickly are essential.

Anyone who doubts that maneuverability is the key to making real progress has only to stand still a moment too long to find him- or herself woefully behind. While it may be possible to catch up eventually, the fact is that bringing up the rear can prove taxing, both physically and emotionally. It's best to stay with the pack!

Some may encounter situations that are charged with emotion, and it will certainly be best to separate these as much as possible so that they can be dealt with on their own terms, without too much complication or confusion. Matters of the heart must take priority at some point!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 5) You may discover that what you've been led to believe in the past may no longer hold true. Change can be made quickly. (March 6-March 20) – You'll want to put yourself in the best possible position to see what's coming; anticipation is key.

ARIES (March 21-April 4) More of what you want is on the way, but make sure that you are fully equipped to handle all that you can get your hands on. (April 5-April 19) – You may be feeling better after a period of doubt and uncertainty, but not all questions have been answered yet.

TAURUS (April 20-May 5) There are many who are willing to stand up and fight for what you believe in, but you must be willing to take the lead. (May 6-May 20) – You may be challenged to put your money where your mouth is, but such a risk may not be appropriate.

GEMINI (May 21-June 6) You have every reason to thank one or two individuals who have given you unusual support recently.

Return the favor! (June 7-June 20) – A personal commitment can be renewed, but you will want to make sure everyone understands where his or her limits are.

CANCER (June 21-July 7) You've been working under the impression that the rules are constant, but you'll discover that they've changed in subtle ways. (July 8-July 22) – You know what you have to do to make things come out

81. Bowser's ID (2 wds.)

82. Cafe — — 83. Investment returns 85. Book jacket ad 86. Treats fractures 88. Finish third 89. Wordy Webster 90. Aspirin target 91. Urgent requests 92. Pro — (in proportion) 93. Tarzan's kid 94. WWW addresses 96. Woodsy 97. DVD forerunners 98. European capital 100. One, in combos 101. Sentry's bark 102. Montezuma subject 103. Last a long time 106. Conger 107. Scholarly 110. W et-sneaker sound 111. Swallowed hard 112. Moon, in poetry 113. Golfer — Ochoa 114. Xanthippe, e.g.

115. Orange Bowl home 116. Loosened 118. Purple-gray 119. Usual weather 120. Q uartet member 121. R abbitt or Murphy 122. Discharge 123. Go back to brunette 125. Juicy gossip 127. C lapton of "Layla" 129. Viking name 133. Mao — -tung 135. Almost grads

OFF THE MARK

All plastic items are not recyclable ... yet

By Naima Montacer

13. Doves' shelters 14. Zen riddle 15. Filch 16. Archaeologist's find 17. Ponytail sites 18. Twitter 19. Shade-loving plant 23. Tex-Mex beans 30. Pamphlets 32. Trawler net 36. Dead heats 38. Small cask 40. River in France 43. Windmill blade 44. Treadmill units 45. Sixth sense 46. Warfare 47. Insect's middle 48. Debonair 49. Mukluk 51. Ice-fishing need 52. Cliffside refuge 54. " Read 'em and —" 55. Part of CPA 56. Ring stats 58. Downed a sub 59. Turf, not surf 60. Stores 63. Little chirper 64. Frighten 67. Poet's black 68. Anagram for shape 69. Seniors' org.

70. Banned bug spray 71. Pale blond 73. Tunes 74. — up (won't say) 75. Feudal domain 77. Sports "zebra" 78. Frat letter 79. Primitive weapons 80. Comb producers

as you have imagined them, but you cannot do it alone.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 7) Your powers of invention will not let you down. Indeed, you'll come up with many new ideas that others find irresistible. (Aug. 8-Aug. 22) – You'll have a chance to go back over recent work and make improvements that can increase your own rewards considerably.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 7) It's time to get on the fast track.

The work you do can surely propel you very swiftly toward a desired goal. (Sept. 8-Sept. 22) – You've been hearing the same old things from the same old sources, but a new piece of information changes everything.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 7) What you do and how you do it may be the talk of the town, but you know that what others see is only the tip of the iceberg. (Oct. 8-Oct. 22) – There's more to any endeavor than meets the eye. Make no lasting decisions until you have all pertinent details.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 7) The obvious is far more important than anything you may have to

Copyright 2015 United Feature Syndicate, Inc. search for or interpret. A straightforward approach works. (Nov. 8-Nov. 21) – That burden you've been carrying on your own of late is likely to be lifted. You'll recognize a new opportunity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 7) You may be surprised to learn that someone you thought was a rival has really been working behind the scenes to support your efforts.

(Dec. 8-Dec. 21) – You're ready to take things a bit more seriously where matters of the heart are concerned. A loved one is grateful.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 6) You must be willing to share with others the very things that give you an advantage — or they may actually backfire on you. (Jan. 7-Jan. 19) – Don't let another's unwillingness to see things in a new way affect you adversely. You must remain open-minded and flexible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 3) You can begin to evolve in a way that takes those who know you best completely by surprise. It's not entirely intentional. (Feb. 4-Feb. 18) – That which has been done before will give you an indication of what you may be able to do in the near future. Make plans!

● Each row and each column must

contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily 3-8-15

outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages

with the number in the top-left corner.

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2015 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

PAGE 6

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

By Candy Evans

Cliff Conservation District, an up-andcoming pocket of wood A little treat for frame bungalows, This home is located at 2757 Ivandell Ave., Dallas and is listed for $189,900. you today: a home Austin stone and I’m a sucker for a you could practibrick Tudors, travintage kitchen and this cally charge on ditional cottages, one is my favorite part of your MasterCard. and ranchettes the whole house. It fits Oh the AA miles adjacent to Ravinia everything you need in you would scoop Heights. It is listed its 10-by-12 size, includup! Every week on

by Brian Davis ing ample cabinet space, CandysDirt.com, at Dave Perrya working vintage range, which you should Candace Evans Miller InTown’s spearmint green counbe reading daily, we Quadrangle office. tertops and a wonderful present a home in The house is mint-yellow-and-white the $200,000 range. Only this week beautifully maintained, checkered floor. we knocked ourselves out. We found a with details like original Just off the kitchen is home for … are you ready? $189,900! hardwoods, fireplace a utility room with hookWith the ever-increasing home and glass doorknobs, ups for a full-size washer deal of natural light and feels cozy values in North Oak Cliff, house and the kitchen alone and dryer, and the hallway leads to hunters are quick to snatch up a could kill with cuteness. Newer styles and inviting. The flow of this whole the bedrooms.

The bedrooms are house is easy and well-planned, and good deal, and the darling Tudor at details, like bright pops of lime and equally-sized, at 12-by-14, and have it feels bigger than its actual size.

2757 Ivandell Ave. is no exception. mint green on the exterior and retro those gorgeous hardwoods.

They also The den measures 14-by-16 and It’s been on the market for just nine light fixtures, keep in line with the have larger-than-average closets for this area could be third bedroom days and is already under contract! feel of this 1927 beauty. this area. with a little imagination. But I acBut as a 2-2 with 1,504 square The entry opens directly into a Something that sets this Tudor tually think it’s perfect as a family feet for $189,900, and loads of origilarge living room/dining room area apart, though, is the two full bathnal character and style, I can see why. with that original fireplace and built- room near the kitchen and one of the rooms.

Many houses of this era have full bathrooms.

The house is located in the North in bookcases. The space has a great

Candace@CandysDirt.com

Photos courtesy of Dave Perry-Miller

only one. Both have delightful retro styling, like pink-and-gray tiles and an enameled stand-alone bathtub.

Pedestal sinks are never my favorite because I have lots of bathroom stuff that needs a cabinet for storage, but they do look smart, and there are medicine cabinets for some storage.

The detached two-car garage has more of the chic paint colors and stands out in the backyard.

I think this Oak Cliff Tudor is a total find, especially at the under$200K price. Are you as charmed as I am? Then hop on over to CandysDirt.com and tell us!

CandysDirt.com is the only blog in Dallas for the truly Real-Estate obsessed! Named by National Association of Real Estate Editors as the BEST Real Estate Blog in the country, we celebrate Real Estate every single day! Sign up at CandysDirt.com to get the latest real estate news delivered!

WAGGING THE TRAIL

Massaging your Maltese or Mastiff or Malti-Poo or Mutt

By Susan Strough

from injury or surgery. It will aid in the relief of joint soreness and pain while brining info@rawbycaninesfirst.com greater flexibility and mobility. In the case of wellness and prevention, massage can Just when you think you’ve prevent injury in young, active and heard it all, you find out about sporting dogs. In addition to these canine massage. If you already physical applications, there are behavknew about canine massage, you ioral applications, as well. Massage can are officially on the cutting edge give aid to dogs suffering from anxiof everything dog. For those of ety or fear. It can also help condition us still getting used to day cares a puppy to be calm and enjoy being and walkers, massage is moving touched. Our veterinarians and groomout of the periphery and into the forefront of everything else we Susan Strough ers would appreciate this aspect.

I was curious about how Nitro do for our dogs. Now, in addiwould receive a massage from a profestion to yoga and chiropractic sional, so I contacted Stacey Minshall, certicare, we can allow our dogs to participate in the fied canine massage therapist of Peaceful Paws ancient healing of massage therapy.

Pet Massage and made an appointment.

Nitro When you consider massage for dogs, is very protective of me and suffers from anxiit makes sense that dogs will benefit from ety and fear.

In addition to these behavioral massage in the same ways their owners do. challenges, he has compromised hips and a Massage will help dogs recover more rapidly Nitro before the massage.

Professional - Experienced - Trusted

Randy Elms, MBA REAltoR® (214) 649-2987 randallelms@yahoo.com

his ears, to his toes, to the tip of his long tail.

I believe I forgot to tell her about his dysplastic elbow, but she was able to tell that the left side of his body was tighter than his right. This was an indicator of her experience. It makes sense that Nitro’s left side would be tighter as it compensates for the right dysplastic elbow. By the end of his 45-minute session, Nitro was asleep.

If you have a dog suffering from pain or anxiety, consider adding massage to your Photos by Susan Strough relief efforts. After this experience I believe Nitro will benefit from could tell by his face and body regular appointments. I only language it took no time for wish I had known about it him to begin to enjoy himself. sooner. The next time a new Nitro walked away a couple dog enters my life, I will make of times as I would expect. He massage part of its wellness often changes position and program from the beginning. places when he rests as most dogs do. It didn’t take much Susan Strough is an coaxing to bring him back owner at RAW by Canines to his bed each time. Stacey First and a dog trainer. worked his entire body from

dysplastic elbow. I believed him to be a perfect candidate for massage. The only challenge would be to make sure he didn’t make a meal out of his masseuse.

As a favor to his massage therapist, I exercised him prior to his appointment to drain some energy. Under this circumstance I knew he would be more willing to relax. Mrs. Minshall arrived promptly and donned scrubs as I was returning from my walk with Nitro.

We went into my office where I introduced the two of them. She has a very calm and positive demeanor, so it took no time at all for him to feel comfortable with her presence. With spa music in the background, I presented Nitro with his bed, which he was more than happy to occupy. Stacey took her place on the floor behind him and began her work. I was pleased to see that Nitro had no reaction to this Nitro after the massage. novel experience. You

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

PAGE 7

LOOK INSIDE THE RESTAURANT

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Open your eyes to Blind Butcher

By Dotty Griffith

dottykgriffith@gmail.com Sharpen your canines and meat (sic) me at Blind Butcher. Hipper than hip, this restaurant on reborn Lower Greenville Avenue, is all about protein and fat, local and sustainable.

Blind Butcher is fun, trendy, daring and delicious.

Timid eaters will find plenty to keep them occupied, but they won’t really get it. Sort of like going to a Chinese restaurant on Greenville Avenue in Richardson and ordering moo Photos by Joy Zhang goo gai pan.

Pastrami Egg Rolls.

At Blind Butcher, start sense to you, stay with the fried out of Sitrin’s Pig Ears, cut kitchen … and into shoestring Austin until the strips before getlegislature closes ting dunked in up shop, with bubbling hot oil any luck by the until crisp. These end of May. munchsters are But do try Dotty Griffith the links. Duck totally addictive, with or without and foie gras the lemon aioli. Credit the sausage with pretzel bread crispy strips of orange peel and chutney was divine, fried into the mix, a touch of even though we washed it crispy citrus contrasts with the down with wine instead of richness of the pork. beer. The meaty fat of the Pig Ears.

Also habit-forming: sausage against the chewy Pastrami Egg Rolls with pretzel bread and sweetor waddled, there are some creamy mustard and steak tart chutney balanced flavors vegetable sides. Customers tartare. Please note that so and textures masterfully. The adore the thin-shaved Brussels far dishes are mentioned in beautifully arranged and garsprouts … with bacon. Hard descending order of weird. A nished meat and cheese board to find anything here unmound of raw, finely chopped is the best way to sample a touched by animal protein.

Waygu beef with a pickled wide range of Blind Butcher Note, the menu lists one unquail egg and capers sounds so wares. Great for conversation specified vegetarian offering, classic after fried pigs ears and and sharing. said to change daily. pastrami egg rolls.

If you’re absolutely deAfter pig ears, who could With all the unfamiliar termined to put something in turn down the daily spefrom which to choose don’t your mouth that never walked cial? Braised goat neck with ignore the sausage because you’re thinking sausage might be too familiar. Sausage is what Blind Butcher is famous for. And for its well-curated beer list to go-with. Since sausage and just about everything else is made in-house, you may be tempted to ask Chef Oliver Sitrin if you can watch. If tempted, remember the words of Otto Bismarck, for whom the battleship and movie were named: “To retain respect for sausage and laws, one must not watch them in the making.” If that makes Charcuterie Platter.

mushroom whipped potatoes and pan gravy. And who knew a goat’s neck was so big? Easily shared and quickly wolfed, the crosscut — three or four vertebras — of oh-so-tender, full-of-meaty flavor shards fell from the joints to happily mix with forkfuls of potatoes and satiny sable brown gravy.

Blind Butcher is the creation of the same guys who operate Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House, a meat and brew outpost in the Casa Linda area. (Featured in this space Jan. 23.) In this venture, owners Matt Tobin and Josh Yingling are partnered up with chef Sitrin, Tony Bricker and Ryan Chaney.

Blind Butcher storefront on Lower Greenville opens into a long narrow space with a bar that runs along one wall.

Communal tables stretch the relatively small space. On the Thursday night we were there, the place was packed. Beer and meat seems to be a winner here, as well as, in Casa Linda.

So you think the meat thing ends with desserts!

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Molten chocolate is baked in the hollow of an eight-inch piece of marrow bone; meltingly divine when dug out with a spoon.

Blind Butcher is known for its poutines, French fries smothered in meaty sauce and cheese.

It’s a French Canadian thing.

The dessert poutine at BB is a fun variation using churros (fried pastry rods) smothered with caramel sauce and marshmallows. Do not miss shortbread, flaky with duck fat. So good with the bacon ice cream.

Just do the dessert sampler and try them all.

Blind Butcher, opened in January last year, is the kind of restaurant that is getting Dallas lots of attention on the national scene. Sure it is committed to “local and sustainable.”

But Blind Butcher is also fun, trendy, daring and delicious.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp Try the shells — they are meant to be eaten in this recipe. But even if you’re squeamish, you’ll still enjoy this Chinese-inspired preparation.

1 1/2 pounds shrimp 1 cup corn starch 1 teaspoon coarse salt 3 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 cup vegetable or peanut oil 2 jalapeños Cilantro leaves, for garnish Using kitchen shears or a small knife, cut along the shells and just deep enough into the bodies to expose the vein.

Remove the vein but leave the rest of the shell intact. Pat the shrimp dry.

In a bowl, stir together the corn starch, salt and 2 teaspoons of the pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat with the cornstarch.

In a saute pan or wok, heat the oil until hot. Add the jalapeños (whole) and cook just until the skins are wrinkled, about 30 seconds a side. Remove and set aside. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until golden and starting to brown. Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a bowl.

Slice the jalapeños and add them and the remaining pepper to the bowl. Toss to mix, then sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve.

BLIND BUTCHER: CURED MEAT AND CRAFT BEER 1919 Greenville Ave. 75206 214-887-0000 Open daily 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. theblindbutcher.com

Directory of Area Places of Worship LifeDallas Church Inwood Theater, 75209……………………214-733-4131 Worship Service: Sundays at 10am Grant Myers, Pastor, “Less Ritual--More Meaning” www.lifedallas.org Oak Lawn United Methodist Church 3014 Oak Lawn Ave., 75219 ……………… 214-521-5197 Sunday Worship: 9 and 11 am; 10 am Discipleship Hour; Noon each Wed. Brown Bag Communion • Dr. Anna Hosemann-Butler, Senior Pastor www.olumc.org Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA) 4124 Oak Lawn, 75219……………………214-224-2500 Sunday Worship and Classes: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 am Wednesday Vespers with Communion: 5:30 pm www.pcpc.org For inclusion rates & publishing deadlines, call 214-27-TRAIL

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KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

PAGE 8

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

Scene Around Town

By Sally Blanton Society Editor

Go Red For Women

Check Presentation

American Heart Association Omni Hotel

Barbara and Mike Smith, Susan Holmes

Christmas Market raises funds for charities Chi Omega House, SMU

Kaley O’Kelley of CBS

Co-Chairs Sara Koda and Emily Thorsen

President Karen Gray, Sue Bailey

Beacon of Hope Dinner

David B. Miller Family Foundation Westin Galleria

Community Partners

Red Wagon Parade sets Guinness World Record Wilson Historic District

CEO Paige McDaniel, Phillip Robertson of Guinness World Records

Cindi and Alan Halliburton

Barb Farmer, Emcee Terry Bentley Hill

President Vanita Halliburton, Co-Chair Maloree Banks, Jim McIngvale, Elisabeth McIngvale-Cegelski, Co-Chair Bob Banks

Talk Series

Speaker Bob Phillips, Texas Country Reporter Edgemere Retirement Center

Brant, Candace, Caroline and John Winslow

Bob Kilgore, Bob Phillips, Mary McManemin

“Fashion Stars for a Cause” Reception Suicide Crisis Center Diamond Doctor, Preston Center

David Blank, Terry Bentley Hill, Yvonne Crum, Jessl Moreau, Steven Strobl

SHOP THE TRAIL

COMMUNITY COUNTS. KEEP IT LOCAL.

To be featured in this section, call: 214-27-TRAIL or email: sales@katytrailweekly.com

LUCAS STREET ANTIQUES AND ART GALLERY Dallas’ newest antiques and art gallery Stop by and browse over 60 booths of Mid-Century Modern, Urban Contemporary, Industrial, Primitive, Shabby Chic furniture and a great selection of original art, photographs and sculpture. Check out the wonderful selection of rugs, lamps and a large number of African and American large game head mounts. Located at the end of Market Center Blvd. at Harry Hines, directly behind the Holiday Inn Hotel. www.LucasStreetAntiques.com 2023 Lucas Dr. Dallas, TX 75219 214-559-9806 Mon-Fri: 10-6 Saturday 11-5 Sunday 12-5

AMERICA cont'd from page 1 restaurant,” Philippson said.

“We tell the story behind the restaurant or the unique food that we are serving. We do a little bit of foodie education when we can.” Restaurants on the Uptown tour include Baboush, Eureka!, The Rustic, Shellshack, Bisous Bisous, and Cliff's Bar & Grill.

Tours run seven days a week. Prices are $49 for a two

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and a half hour tour and $65 for a three and a half hour tour, which includes all food and a gratuity for the restaurant.

There is an alcohol upgrade option and Tours of America works with some of the restaurants on an alcohol paring with the food. “We are the only regularly running food tour in Dallas,” Philippson said.

“Dallas is a city where you really need to know somebody to get a good experience,” Philippson said.

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“When tourists to expand, we will come in and don’t find interesting know what to do, areas that people they just end up would not be able downtown. But to find on their they don’t know own. We exist to about Bishop Arts entertain and show district, and they them a good time don’t know about on a casual tour.

Deep Ellum and It’s about showPhoto by Bryan Chatlien ing people our Greenville Avenue Jodi Philippson. and all of these neighborhoods.” little pockets. I feel “For the tourlike Dallas is a city ist, hopefully they of pockets. When we choose will go on a tour at the beginning of their stay,” Philippson said. “That way they find restaurants that they are comfortable and connect to and then they go back. We partner with our restaurants and folks we believe in and their story.

We know what it is like to come to a city, want to have a nice experience and not get caught in a tourist trap.

“What happens with the

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locals is that they get to connect deeper to their neighborhood if they live in Uptown,” Philippson said. “But what happens is we get a lot of people from Arlington or Plano.

When you are so far away, it is almost like a vacation in your own city.”

Birthday parties, bachelorette parties, church groups and corporate functions often jump on board, because the tour takes the planning out of the event. “We pick areas with a food element and a cultural element,” Philippson said.

Expansion into more of America is planned. “I am partnering with some people to help me expand,” Philippson said. ”We are considering Deep Ellum and we are considering Lower Greenville. Maybe the food trucks in Fine Arts (district). You’ve got Main Street Grapevine and Sundance

Square in Fort Worth and the Stockyards.”

Locally, the next destination makes perfect sense. “I’m kind of in love with Deep Ellum right now,” Philippson said. “I think that is where we will go next.”

The first tour outside of DFW is planned to be in the most unlikely of places … Las Vegas. “I have friends there that have strong marketing and operational backgrounds,” Philippson said.

“There are the typical things to do in Vegas, but if you want to do something a little different, there really is not much to do. So what we are in the process of designing is a chocolate tour.”

So next time you find a group coming into a local restaurant led by a person with a headset, fear not. The people are just touring America.

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

PAGE 9

Our Favorite Restaurants

MOVIE TRAILER

Plot of Glenn Ficarra's 'Focus' is blurry at best

By Chic DiCiccio

screen and the flick comes to a screeching halt. One would think that sticking For the last 10 years, two actors like Smith and Will Smith has starred in Robbie who aren’t exactly either average at best acbad to look at in Buenos tion/sci-fi flicks or sappy Aires would be movie melodramas. The hardest gold, but instead the story thing to swallow about his takes all the claws out of last decade is that all his Robbie’s character and charm seemed to exponenturns her into a damsel in tially vanish as each movie distress of sorts. was worse than the one It’s a constant guessbefore it. ing game if Nicky is play“Focus,” Smith’s lating Jess or vice versa, est, isn’t going to burn up but the story revolving the box office, but this is Photo courtesy of Overbrook Entertainment around a motorsports the best movie he’s shown team owner, Rafael Margot Robbie lights up the screen as Jess. up in for what seems like (Rodrigo an eternity. Only a few Santoro), is a actors can play a sleazy, lying con man and make you root for snooze, so it’s tough to stay involved. If anything, him, even when he has no other motives other than to “get the movie is begging for more moments with Smith’s paid.” It’s just that Smith is so damn cool, from his clothes to Nicky and Rafael’s head of security, Owens (Gerald the way he talks, that you cannot possibly dislike him.

McRaney).

The movie’s plot? That’s another story. “Focus” moves “Focus” won’t win any awards or earn millions along great at only 105 minutes, but the alleged twists and upon millions of dollars, but it does have a very turns aren’t that twisty or turny. Every actor is making lemunique achievement. The entire movie was edited onade out of these lemons and directors/writers Glenn Ficarra with Apple’s Final Cut Pro X, which makes it the and John Requa direct the heck out of their script that has style largest production ever done with that program. The in boatloads, but little substance. movie does not falter due to this and in fact, the edSmith is Nicky, a lifelong con man that everyone calls iting and camerawork is near perfect.

“Mellow,” which is a name that he despises due to the way it A scene with Nicky and Rafael at a race track came about. The first 30 minutes or so of “Focus” involve Jess uses the sound and images of Formula 1 cars roaring (Margot Robbie) becoming an intern of sorts in Nicky’s masby to add to the tension, making you wish the story sive con operation, while they target Super Bowl week in New had more to it. The script is almost undeserving of Orleans. the direction, editing, sound and acting that it gets.

During this opening portion of “Focus,” the movie does Margot Robbie is definitely more than a pretty quite well. Nicky and his team teaching Jess the ropes is equal face. She keeps up with Smith in the cool departparts fascinating and disgusting, as these criminals steal from ment, even when she is playing the victim. She anyone and everyone. The finest sequence of the movie haplights up the screen with her looks, but there are pens in a private suite at the Super Bowl as Nicky engages in several moments when that totally disappears and an excruciatingly stressful game of high stakes gambling with she throws out zingers and sarcastic rage with ease.

Liyuan (BD Wong), with Jess watching in horror as Nicky disRobbie is definitely an actress worth paying attenplays his warts for the world to see. tion to, and she’ll be a big star in no time.

Then the dreaded “Three years later … ” shows up on the “Focus” is a great way for Will Smith to get back @Chiccywood

to what he does best: charm the pants off of everyone watching.

The guy is the very definition of movie star, and he pulls out every big star move in the book here. It’s almost like he makes you say, “Lie to me more,” because it’s done with such slickness that it makes it all seem okay.

This is also one of Smith’s most adult movies to date. It’s mostly a darkly comic story and seeing Smith play such an anti-hero is extremely refreshing.

Lastly, Gerald McRaney makes “Focus” worth the price of admission. He is the ultimate “get off my lawn” character, ripping everything from smart phones to paninis as he insults Smith every chance he gets.

“Focus” is an average movie that is way better than it should be. If you strip away the stars like Smith, Robbie, and McRaney (yes, McRaney), it’s a by-the-numbers con man story that you’ve seen over and over again. But if Will Smith can do what he’s done with this character, we should see him in something truly great sooner rather than later.

SOLUTION TO THIS WEEK’S PUZZLE

PAGE 10

KATYTRAILWEEKLY.COM

MARCH 6 - 12, 2015