Inside Community and Education

INSIDE COMMUNITY

TEDDY BEAR PARK

4601 Lakeside Dr. • Dallas, TX 75205

If you like to explore new areas then the 14 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in Lakeside Park is for you. And, you read that right, this park is not only perfect for picnics in the cooler weather, long walks along the trails but it’s home to cute and cuddly teddy bear statues. Christmas card photo opportunity? Check it out and then send your teddy bear photos to our art department, we would love to see them! artwork@murray-media.com.

SUPPORTING LOCAL TEAMS

If you are looking for an organization to support this giving season, the Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks Basketball team is a non-profit that offers school-aged children with physical disabilities a competitive and recreational atmosphere. Donations are used for wheelchair tires, tournament entry fees, travel expenses, and much more. To learn more about wheelchair basketball and how to donate,

INSIDE EDUCATION

HOLIDAY STROLL

Sat., Dec. 5 | Wayne Ferguson Plaza

150 W Church St. • Lewisiville, TX 75057

The annual Old Town Holiday Stroll is tentatively schedule for December 5 but due to COVID-19 restrictions, this event has not yet been confirmed. As soon as a decision has been made the City of Lewisville will make an visit www.CityofLewisville.com.

announcement. To stay up-to-date, visit www.DallasJuniorWheelchairMavericks.org/support-us.

HOMECOMING KING AND QUEEN

Congratulations to the 2020 Homecoming King and Queen! Kenny Hall and Raquel Lopez from The Colony High School were recognized at the homecoming game on October 2. photo courtesy of Greg Weghorst

VIRTUAL TURKEY TROT

Thurs., Nov. 26 | 8am-Noon | Virtually

The 8th annual Castle Hills Turkey Trot 5K will be held virtually this year due to the pandemic. Hosted by Riverstone Minstry, Castle Hills residents and beyond are encouraged to sign up for the 5K run/walk/bike event to help raise money for local and global charities. To register, visit www.RiverstoneMinistry.com/turkey-trot.

TEACHER GRANTS

On October 1, the Lewisville ISD Education Foundation surprised more than 65 teachers on 47 different campuses with grants totaling $103,000. Projects awarded this year ranged from technology to helping students learn at their own pace to books written in multiple languages for students at dual language campuses. Congratulations, teachers!

HILLS CAFÉ

2520 King Arthur Blvd., Ste.109 Lewisville, TX 75056

A new café is coming to town focusing on the most important meal of the day: breakfast! This new breakfast and lunch spot is set to open at the Castle Hills Village Shops in December. The menu will include fan favorites like French toast, huevos rancheros and lunch offerings like a Tuscan Panini and an avocado

bacon burger.

INAUGURAL LEF WEEK RAISES OVER $203,000

The Lewisville ISD Education Foundation hosted a series of in-person events and virtual campaigns to raise $203,000 this past October in support of Lewisville ISD teachers, students, and community members in its first ever “LEF Week” celebration. LEF is also celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Thank you to the Foundation for all it does for the LISD community! photo courtesy of Greg Weghorst

Becomes METRO DENT ONE-STOP-SHOP

by Diane Ciarloni | photography by Your Candid Memories (YourCandidMemories.com)

Metro Dent in Lewisville was, is, and will continue to be a premier leader in the technology of paintless dent repair. For more than 25 years, people have known this was the place to take a car or truck riddled with door dings or hail dimples and, within a few days, pick up the same vehicle that now looks as if it’s fresh off the showroom floor. Mike Nosker purchased Metro Dent from his friends in 2018. His immediate goal was to begin expanding the services offered to his customers. Working with dedicated focus, he needed only two years to broaden the service umbrella to cover any type of automotive or marine repair. we can offer them the best of everything, and wouldn’t leave. While doodling, it occurred to him that adding “a” to the beginning of “utopia” changed the first four letters to spell “auto.” That was it! Autopia was born. Boatopia, to describe the ton of boat and jet ski work the business handled, just followed naturally. Both Autopia and Boatopia are owned and operated by Metro Dent. Now, there’s something extra special at 1620 E. State Hwy 121. It goes way beyond dents and dimples. It’s a literal

“I still had a lot of customers who were surprised when they learned about all the services we provided in addition to hail and paintless dent repair,” said Mike. “I decided the name Metro Dent fell short in describing our expansion into a ‘one-stopshop’ kind of business. I created two new DBAs to better reflect to customers that

whether they bring us a car, a boat, or a jet ski.”

Creating names can require a great deal of deliberation. It needs to indicate the service provided, with a sound and rhythm that sticks in a person’s head. Mike played around with words for several weeks. “Utopia” popped into his brain utopia, where anything is possible.

“People are too busy these days to go to a list of places to fill their needs. State inspection. Oil change. Professional detail. Even a frame-off restoration. We can do it all, which means wyou drive to one place, turn your vehicle over to us, take one of our ‘loaners’ if necessary and leave everything in our hands,” Mike said. “We’ll even take care of insurance issues. We believe this approach is essential for our customers’ convenience, as well as the most efficient way to meet their needs. Also add to all of that a lifetime warranty.”

Metro Dent is one of those places that actually found the silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing? One of the best places to accomplish that is on the lake! There was a giant

214.735.8365 | 1620 E. STATE HWY. 121, STE. C100 | LEWISVILLE, TX 75057 AutopiaNTX.com | BoatopiaNTX.com | HailFreeCar.com

upswing in boat and jet ski sales. It was a way for people to get out of their homes without exposing themselves to human transmission of the virus. The result was new boaters and a doubling of watercraft traffic on the lakes. Boatopia is ready to keep all those water-going vessels in top mechanical and physical shape.

“We handle everything pertaining to auto and marine,” said Mike. “That includes cosmetic, structural, mechanical, electrical, interior, and exterior. We have a new tagline for our business. It says: ‘Time, trust, and integrity – restored and reconditioned through expert quality and service.’”

What really separates Metro Dent from the would-be competition?

Answer: The entire technical staff, including Mike, travel the world to learn different techniques, actually assisting the on-site technicians from whom they’re learning. This keeps them on the cuttingedge of available technology.

Raised in Dublin, Ohio, Mike spent 20 years traveling the world and working in hail storms, automobile manufacturing plants, and body shops. He’s worked on six of the seven continents which, in itself, is impressive. The goal that chased him from one place to the next was to have a shop that provided the best service and quality anywhere on the planet.

He grabbed the opportunity by the horns when he purchased Metro Dent from his friends in 2018. There’s no indication he’ll slow down anytime soon. After all, it requires total dedication to remain the best on the planet.

THE GOAL THAT CHASED HIM FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT WAS TO HAVE A SHOP THAT PROVIDED THE BEST SERVICE AND QUALITY ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.