Park Cities People June 2020

WITH PARADE, PICNIC CANCELED, ROTARY PLANS NEW JULY FOURTH 10

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 40 NO. 6

“THE BEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN TEXAS”

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LOVE SOARS Photographs capture acts of kindness and moments of joy during the pandemic. PAGE 12

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NEWS

SCHOOLS

FAITH

A walkable future for Snider Plaza 6

Prom royalty must get their crowns 31

Fondest farewell monsignor 40

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June 2020 Vol. 40, No. 6 parkcitiespeople.com   @pcpeople  @peoplenewspapers

2 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

SAFER-AT-HOME IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

W

hen safer-at-home orders began, our household entered the same state of chaos that many readers experienced - suddenly becoming teachers while also trying to do our jobs.

The week we were due to start the grand adventure, I asked my colleagues a simple question one afternoon: Should I be documenting this whole thing for posBETHANY terity?

ERICKSON From that, the Sheltered Diaries were born, publishing almost daily on peoplenewspapers.com.

From the first entry on March 23, I’ve talked about my son’s (a third-grader we refer to as Tiny) opinion on things, ways we’re beating the cabin fever, and even great conversations with Sisters of Red Erin Duvall and Molly Duvall Thomas and Momentous Institute executive director Jessica Trudeau.

The first entry had Tiny telling us that he was “not in the mood” to get COVID-19. His journal entry that day gutted me: “I miss my friends. I miss my teacher. I miss my school.”

But a month later, we had a conversation about how things were going.

Me: What do you think about having to stay at home?

Tiny: “Oh, it’s pretty much fine. I like getting to spend more time with you guys, and I like having more time to play. But I can’t go anywhere that much, and I miss my friends a lot.”

Me: What is one thing that surprised you during all of this?

Tiny: “I didn’t think my birthday would be so fun, but it was fun to be with you guys all day

Contents

and to have a virtual birthday party. I still want a real one, though, so don’t think you’re not going to do that or something.”

Me: What’s one thing you would like to tell everyone?

Tiny: “Stay home so everyone can keep from getting sick, and then we can all go out again and create mayhem.”

Me: What are some things kids can do around the house to help keep people safe from COVID-19?

Tiny: “I wipe down the doorknobs, the remote controls, the Xbox controllers, and the light switches every day. I do it for money because nothing is free in this world. I have over $100 now.”

With the diary, I hope we’ve also let everyone know that we’re not homeschool masters.

We’ve shared the anxieties, the tears, the days when nothing went right (March 31: “The wheels on the bus fell off today, off today, off today, The wheels on the bus fell off today, so Mom hit the sauce”) and the days where nearly almost everything went right.

I’ve also written about the pivoting you have to do to help a child with special needs (Tiny is on the autism spectrum) navigate a whole host of things - anxiety, disruptions to schedules, general irritation with his completely uncool parents, and more.

We’ve learned a lot, and I’m sure you have, too, over the past couple of months - including that I like my family a lot, even when we’re all angry about math.

Bethany Erickson Deputy editor bethany.erickson@peoplenewspapers.com

Crime ............................ 4

Schools ........................ 31

Community ................. 12

Living Well................... 38

Sports .......................... 28

Classifieds .................... 43

News .............................. 6 Business ....................... 20

EDITORIAL Editor William Taylor Deputy Editor Bethany Erickson Deputy Editor Rachel Snyder Sports Editor Todd Jorgenson Production Manager Melanie Thornton

Society ......................... 36

Obituaries .................... 42

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by CITY NEWSPAPERS LP, an affiliate of D Magazine Partners LP, 750 N. Saint Paul St., Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75201. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission. Submissions to the editor may be sent via e-mail to editor@ peoplenewspapers.com. Correspondence must include writer’s name and contact number. Main phone number, 214-739-2244

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 3

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4 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Crime

S KU L D U G G E RY of the MONTH

BEST BURGLAR STYLE

A burglar with expensive taste got into a store at Snider Plaza and snagged a Saint Laurent satchel, a Valentino bag, a jacket, an Anya backpack, and three Fendi pieces. The incident was reported at 3:41 p.m. May 6.

GRAND THEFT AUTO

ANGER OVER MASKS TURNS VIOLENT,THREATENING Outbursts costs Michigan man’s life, Dallas man’s job

By Rachel Snyder and William Taylor People Newspapers

R

emember when someone wearing a mask into a store would spark feelings of alarm?

Lately, the arrival of unmasked visitors can raise concerns and not just for those worried about catching the virus that causes COVID-19.

ABC News reported in May on what the network called a “dark new front… in the battle over face coverings.” The story focused on violence across the nation, including the death of a 43-year-old man in a Flint, Michigan. Authorities said the Family Dollar security guard was killed after telling an unmasked woman to leave.

Anger over mask-wearing hasn’t turned violent in the Park Cities, but a social media post about masks, a firearm, and ammunition

put authorities on notice and got the man who wrote it fired by a law firm.

“No more masks,” the post says.

“Any business that tells me to put on a mask (Whole Foods on Lomo Alto) in Dallas…will lose my business forever… Do I have to show the lame security guard outside of a ghetto store my CV19 test results? I will show him my Glock 21 shooting range results. With Hornady hollow points. Pricey ammo, but worth it in this situation. They have reached the limit. I have more power than they do… they just don’t know it yet.”

Warren Mitchell of the Dallas Police Department said in an email that the department was aware of the post, and the department’s Fusion Center and intelligence detectives are reviewing the information.

Highland Park Department of Public Safety Lt. Lance Koppa also confirmed town officers were re-

viewing the information.

Whole Foods didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Because the man who put that message on Facebook had not been charged with a crime, peoplenewspapers.com didn’t identify him when first reporting the story.

But the news has since been picked up by the national media, including NBC News, who identified him as Kevin Bain, a former document services manager with the Thompson & Knight law firm.

The law firm responded with a statement on May 8: “This afternoon we learned that an administrative employee of the Firm issued a threatening and offensive post on a personal social media account related to COVID-19 mask protections.

This post is a complete violation of the values of our Firm, including our commitment to the health and safety of the communities we serve.

We have terminated this individual’s employment and notified the proper authorities about the post as a precaution. We are deeply sorry for this situation. This type of post is not and never will be tolerated by our Firm.”

CRIME REPORTS APRIL 13 – MAY 10 It’s not as much fun when it’s not a video game. Crooks took a Mercedes GLX SUV from a home in the 3500 block of Drexel Drive before 4:33 a.m.

April 29, led officers on a pursuit, and wrecked before fleeing.

WANT TO READ MORE CRIMES? SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER peoplenewspaper.com/ e-newsletters/ peoplenewspaper.com/ category/crime

APRIL 13 A crook ordered an Apple iMac computer using the credit card information of a woman in the 4300 block of Lomo Alto Drive. The woman told police she was also overcharged for school pictures she ordered online. The incident was reported at noon.

APRIL 15 A scoundrel scratched the passenger rear quarter panel, the passenger rear door, and the passenger front door of a Range Rover parked in the 4500 block of Edmondson Avenue between 2 and 9:30 p.m., leaving a piece of trim on the roadway.

APRIL 16 A thief drove off in a Chevrolet Tahoe from the 4000 block of Stanford Avenue around 5:30 a.m.

APRIL 17 A crook snagged three firearms from a Ford F150 in the

3400 block of Amherst Street around 8:44 p.m.

APRIL 18 A thief snagged a firearm from a BMW X3 in the 3100 block of Southwestern Boulevard. The incident was reported at 12:44 p.m.

APRIL 19 A scoundrel damaged a mailbox in the 4500 block of Westside Drive. The incident was reported at 9:07 p.m.

APRIL 21 A crook took a tailgate from a Ford F250 in the 3800 block of Caruth Boulevard overnight before 5:30 p.m.

APRIL 22 A thief got into a Toyota Land Cruiser in the 3400 block of Binkley Avenue and snagged a firearm, a backpack, and an Apple laptop charger between midnight and 1 p.m.

APRIL 23 How easy was it for a thief to take two Reilly bicycles, a Burley Bee child’s riding carrier, and a white bicycle helmet from a detached garage in the 4500 block of Fairway Avenue? The garage was likely left open. The incident was reported at 2:45 p.m.

APRIL 27 IT house call? A thief snagged a MacBook Pro that was plugged in at a home in the 3900 block of Normandy Avenue between 3 and 9 p.m.

APRIL 28 A thief took five Louis Vuitton bags, a pair of Louis Vuitton heels, a Judith Leiber jewel butterfly purse, and a textile fabric from Mexico from a home in the 3600 block of Euclid Avenue. The incident was reported at 11:11 a.m.

MAY 4 Branch v. SUV: A tree branch fell on a Jeep Grand Cherokee

parked in the 4500 block of South Versailles Avenue around 7:03 p.m., leaving a dent on the front driver side door.

MAY 6 Find and release? A Good Samaritan found a backpack at 7:30 p.m. containing a tackle box of lures and fishing line, as well as a wallet and business card in the 4500 block of Lakeside Drive and informed authorities.

MAY 7 Rock on? An unwelcome guest left a pile of granite on top of grass at a home in the 4600 block of Southern Avenue, damaging the yard. The incident was reported at 6:39 a.m.

MAY 10 An irresponsible motorist backed into the driver’s side front door of a Jeep Wrangler parked in the 4500 block of Belfort Place without leaving information between 5:45 p.m. and 7:04 p.m.

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News

COULD SNIDER PLAZA SOMEDAY LOOK LIKE THIS?

Ideas eyed for what is ‘effectively’ University Park’s downtown

The Catalyst Group, Pacheco Koch civil engineers, and Space Between Design Studio produced conceptual design plans for Snider Plaza for the city of University Park. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

S

nider Plaza, which opened in 1927, can keep its “mom-and-pop feel” and remain a family-friendly place to spend time while adding more restaurants, outdoor seating, and sidewalk amenities, a consultant says.

“Snider Plaza should be something that you couldn’t get off Amazon, and that’s all about the experience, and that experience is about walkability,” said Paris Rutherford of the Catalyst Group. “That’s what we’re after here.”

Working on behalf of the city of University Park, Rutherford has laid out in virtual meetings a vision for the shopping center at the corner of Hillcrest Avenue and Lovers Lane.

Public input has focused on transforming Snider Plaza from a “transactional place, where you just drive up, you walk into the store to get whatever it is you’re going to get, and then go back to a car and then leave, into a place you can stay for a bit longer,” he said.

With more restaurants and amenities, “there’s a place you can come for the whole family,” he said. “You can bicycle there if you want to... but there’re more reasons to be in what is effectively our downtown.”

To that end, Rutherford envisions a trellis or pavilion and outdoor seating at intersections and enough parking to accommodate more eateries.

“If that corner becomes a restaurant over time, you can imagine them pulling some umbrellas out over that seating,” he said. “If you

look in the middle at the Snider Common, what we’re calling the common space, right now, there’s some parking in there. We’ve got a couple of existing trees. We’re adding to those trees and providing some small pavilions as well that can be pop-ups for folks that have good ideas -- small businesses.”

The city engaged Rutherford in 2018 to facilitate public meetings to identify improvements and make follow-up recommendations. The city hired Pacheco Koch civil engineers, acting on those recommendations, to design water and sewer replacement expected to begin later this year.

The city since re-engaged the Catalyst Group to facilitate the detailed design of related landscape and other amenity improvements working with Space Between

Landscape Studio.

Rutherford said goals for a concept plan, per the 2008 task force recommendations, include more shading, clearly identified crosswalks, defined entries, and a pedestrian-friendly design that helps residential and commercial coexist.

City Manager Robbie Corder said the plan would come back before the city council with additional opportunities for public input.

“We’ll continue to build on this plan going into the summer as well,” Corder said.

“We’re not there yet and, quite frankly, we don’t have a timeline for that yet. This virus probably will build in some additional conversations about when is the appropriate time to go into Snider Plaza.”

What Will Voting Look Like? Stay Tuned

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

It seems like a million years since the primaries in March, but any voter likely remembers the lines, communal pens, touchscreens, and baskets of stickers.

What seemed so easy in March now sounds fraught with danger - which is why many are lobbying to allow any voter who feels concerned about potential exposure to COVID-19 to request a mail-in ballot under the disability provision.

Last month, Dallas County commissioners voted 4-1 on a resolution supporting residents who want to claim disability if they are worried about exposure.

Commissioners also approved about $600,000 for equipment to sanitize polling places and plexiglass shields as well.

Current law limits the use of mail-in ballots to people over 65, those who are sick or disabled, the military, or anyone who will be away from home when it’s time to vote.

Five states wholly hold elections by mailed ballot, and 28 more allow voters to ask for mail-in ballots without needing an excuse.

The commissioner’s court resolution is in stark opposition to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s opinion.

“Mail ballots based on disability are specifically reserved for those who are physically ill and cannot vote in-person as a result. Fear of contracting COVID-19 does not amount to a sickness or physical condition as required by the Legislature,” Paxton said.

Texas Democrats filed suit in Travis County in April to let anyone concerned about COVID-19 claim

a “disability” and vote by mail. By mid-April, Travis County District Judge Tim Sulak ruled that voters who are not immune to COVID-19 could qualify for mail-in ballots under disability provisions in the Texas election code.

Paxton followed that ruling with a letter to local election officials where he told them that because he had appealed, eligibility had not expanded and that voters cannot legally ask for mail-in ballots by just claiming they’re worried about contracting the virus.

“The lawsuit recently filed in Travis County District Court does not change or suspend the disability requirements required by the Texas Legislature,” Paxton’s letter said.

“Pursuant to Texas law, the District Court’s order is stayed and has no effect during the ongoing appeal.”

That letter prompted local

Voting meant longlines in March. Could more mail-in ballots change that in November? (PHOTO: BETHANY ERICKSON) businessman Kendall Scudder and Dallas lawyer Woot Lervisit to file a complaint with the Dallas County District Attorney, claiming that Paxton deliberately misled election officials with his claims.

“It is against Texas Elections law to lie to and mislead elections officials in the State of Texas,” Scudder said when announcing the move on Facebook. “Voter fraud in Texas is not happening in mail-in ballots; it’s

happening in the office of the Attorney General.”

“This complaint is an outrageous effort by those who would mislead the public about Texas voting law in order to advance their own political agenda,” Marc Rylander, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, responded.

At press time, Paxton had asked the Texas Supreme Court for a ruling.

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  7

8 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

The Great Mask Debate: Who Should Be Required to Wear Them?

State, county officials argue enforcement; restaurant worker sues her employer

By Bethany Erickson and Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

After People Newspapers broke the story that Hillstone Restaurant Group forbid its workers at R+D Kitchen, the Honor Bar, Hillstone, and Houston’s from wearing masks, we asked our readers: Is mask use in restaurants and retail establishments important to you?

It didn’t take long for most to vote in our non-scientific polls, which ran on the Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People Facebook pages for seven days.

In Preston Hollow, 82% of the 104 who voted said it was important. In Park Cities, the margin was slightly lower at 78%.

The story started with a tip submitted through our news tip form, and we heard from many now-former and current employees of Hillstone Restaurant Group’s Dallas locations, who said they were not allowed to wear masks while working as a company policy.

“It is true. We’re not allowing masks,” the R+D Kitchen manager, who identified herself as Emily, said.

State guidance for restaurants says that if staff and patrons cannot maintain a 6-foot distance, face masks should be used.

“Have employees maintain at least 6 feet separation from other individuals. If such distancing is not feasible, measures such

INFORMAL POLL Is mask use in restaurants and retail establishments important to you?

Preston Hollow

82% yes, 18% no Park Cities

78% yes, 22% no *47 voted on the Park Cities People Facebook page; 104 voted on the Preston Hollow page.

(GRAPHIC: MELANIE THORNTON, PHOTO: 123RF)

as face-covering, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, cleanliness, and sanitation should be rigorously practiced,” the guide said.

Employees told us that they were told that if they insisted on masks, they would not be scheduled hours.

“We are scared,” one employee told us. “Please don’t use my name. I have to have a job. We just wanted people in the community who have dined with us a lot to know we are not safe. It’s

not safe for anyone. We should have at least been given a choice.”

One R+D Kitchen employee, identified in her request for an injunction as Jane Doe, went to court for the right to wear a mask while working.

“She wants to be able to go to work and go to work safely,” one of her lawyers, Brent Walker said.

“That’s all she wanted when she came to us.”

State District Judge Tonya Parker granted the temporary

restraining order.

Compounding the issue, Doe’s lawyers said, is that Abbott’s orders seem to say that restaurants are required to use masks, but enforcement is a loose end since it says individuals cannot be fined or jailed for refusing to wear a mask.

“But that doesn’t excuse a company who is governed by the other parts of this that say you should follow the recommendations of the CDC,” he said. By May 14, the company had quietly changed

its wording on its website to indicate that staff could wear masks if they chose to.

In early May, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins amended his orders to require businesses to follow Abbott’s guidelines as law in the county, even if they were just suggestions.

In mid-May, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a letter to Jenkins chastising him for that measure, among others, and calling it unenforceable.

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  9

10 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Paradeless in the Park Cities

Rotary Club plans alternative July 4th

By William Taylor

Check peoplenewspapers.com and like the Rotary’s parade page on facebook@ParkCities4thofJulyParade for updates and upCan Highland Park and University Park coming information about participating in residents come together to celebrate Indepen- planned contests. dence Day without a picnic and parade?

In the works: yard and neighborhood paThe Rotary Club of Park Cities aims to triotic decorating contests, a flag art compemake that work and keep it fun and memorable. tition for children and youth, and recogni“Rotary still felt it was tion of service projects important to honor the While we are

by Highland Park High School teams.

Fourth of July and still certainly sad about Historically, before have some communitywide celebration,” Sarah the cancellation, the parade and picnic Oliai said. became the communitythere’s certainly a The attorney who grew wide celebration anticup in Winnebago, Illinois, lot of excitement ipated annually today, is chairing the club’s pawere smaller blockabout planning the there rade committee for the by-block celebrations. second year and describes new Fourth of July.

“We are kind of going Independence Day as her back to the roots of how Sarah Oliai favorite holiday. things grew into the pa“I grew up in a small town, and the Fourth rade and the Goar Park festivities,” Oliai said. of July parade was the biggest event of the year The Rotary will still recognize its grand in town, so I have a soft spot for that type of marshals, Jim and Dr. Laurie Hitzelberger, and celebration,” she said. “It’s just fun. People are use the celebration to fundraise for the North in a good mood. It’s festive. Family and friends Texas Food Bank. are together.”

So far, donations and matching gifts exceed Club members spent weeks considering $61,000 – more than 185,000 meals worth options for continuing the Park Cities parade – and the club will continue to accept them in some form before deciding with town and through July 4, Oliai said. “While we are cercity officials to cancel it because of the ongo- tainly sad about the cancellation, there’s cering pandemic. tainly a lot of excitement about planning the “It’s the single largest event that happens in new Fourth of July.” the Park Cities, and we looked at it from all levels,” Oliai said. “With the logistics of the parade PAT R I O T I C P L A N S and the amount of spectators it draws, there was no way to follow social distancing guidelines at Yard Decorating Competition any level of participation, whether it’s the planbased on the theme “Stars, Stripes, ning, the participating in, or the spectators.” and Service” will include recognition The governments and the Rotary issued a of the top three yards. joint statement, which reads in part: Community Spirit Award will go “We know this announcement will come as to the block that shows the most a great disappointment for many. We are disfestive and patriotic decorations. appointed too. Fittingly though, as everyone (Decorations must not block or strives to keep loved ones and their circle of impede traffic). friends and workplace associates healthy and Flag Art Competition for children safe, we also know this decision is consistent and youth also will incorporate the with one of the values we celebrate each Intheme. Judges will determine first, dependence Day – respect for others. We gensecond, and third place winners uinely thank you for your understanding and chosen by age group: younger than support.”

6, 7-12, and 13-18.

The Rotarians have shifted their focus to planning the alternative celebration, which Spirit of Service Award will would likely include an online broadcast Inderecognize Highland Park High School pendence Day morning featuring music, pateams for service projects benefiting triotic messages, and footage from last year’s the North Texas Food Bank. parade.

People Newspapers

The usual floats won’t roll along Euclid Avenue and other Park Cities streets, and vendors won’t set up to giveaway treats in Goar Park. However, neighbors still can jointly celebrate independence this year with yard decorations and contests for their children. (PHOTOS: WILLIAM TAYLOR)

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  11

12 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Community IMAGES OF PRAYER, LOVE, AND SUPPORT

By William Taylor People Newspapers

Y

ou don’t have to be one of the best pilots in the world to demonstrate unity with and care for others during these challenging times.

But it doesn’t hurt.

The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels took to North Texas skies in May, roaring over hospitals and buzzing other parts of the city in a show of support that made it hard not to take notice.

The flyovers came as part of American Strong, a shared mission that has involved the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in some cities.

The message from the flight d e m o n s t r a t i o n s q u a d ro n s : Thank you to health care professionals, f rontline workers, and first responders.

Lesser-known acts of love and support also are captured in photos submitted to People Newspapers this month.

We see that Romeo and Juliet is more than just a tragic tale of young lovers. The Preston of the Park Cities used the balcony scene as a how-to guide f rom Shakespeare for making connections when typical visits to a senior living community are off-limits.

Can’t go to concerts? University Park residents Jennie and Zac Allen and Ellen and Paul Lee teamed up to provide weekly rolling performances for their neighbors and spurred donations for charitable causes.

Can’t gather for worship?

Members of Park Cities Baptist Church, Wilshire Baptist Church, and First Baptist Dallas stood in the parking lots outside the Ventana by Buckner on the National Day of Prayer. There they waived at and prayed for residents and employees of the senior living community.

“We have over 100 employees at Ventana who are working tirelessly to mitigate risks associated with the pandemic for our members,” community chaplain David Mann said.

“They are frontline heroes worthy of our prayers, love, and support.”

Caring also comes in partnerships for giving. Mimi’s Pizzeria on Northwest Highway teamed up with Robert S. Hyer Elementary’s Dad’s Club to donate more than 200 meals to workers at nearby hospitals.

“We’re grateful for the support during these uncertain times,” Mimi Ahmedi said, “and will continue to do what we can to help the community.”

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YO U R P H O T O ASSIGNMENT Seen other acts of kindness in your neighborhoods? Please email high-resolution photos with explanations to editor@ peoplenewspapers.com.

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1. The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels put on a show May 6 over Dallas skies. (PHOTO: COURTESY MEDICAL CITY) 2. Preston of the Park Cities residents gather on balconies as singer Marty Ruiz serenades them from a parking structure below. (COURTESY PHOTO) 3. Members of Park Cities Baptist Church gather in the parking lot outside Ventana by Buckner to pray for residents and workers at the senior living community. (PHOTO: COURTESY VENTANA

BY BUCKNER) 4. Workers for Mimi’s Pizzeria deliver donated meals for hospital workers. (COURTESY PHOTO) 5. Paul Lee Jr. and his wife, Ellen, ride through University Park on a trailer. They and their friends Zac and Jennie Allen used the rolling concerts to entertain their neighbors and bring in donations for Brother Bill’s Helping Hand (bbhh.org) and Our Calling (ourcalling.org) (PHOTO: ERIN SCHREYER)

‘June is Busting Out All Over’

“June is busting out all over; the feeling is getting so intense…”

So begins a stanza of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s popular tune of my childhood. It might well be the national LEN BOURLAND anthem, for by the time this is printed, those rebellions in state capitals may have spread all over.

People accustomed to freedom, the rugged individualists of our country, want to assess their own risks.

Plus, there’s no place like home until you have sheltered in place too long. I haven’t cleaned and cooked so much since I was a newlywed.

Housework is booooring. I am so grateful I was not a pioneer woman who lived on the plains doing chores all her life.

Holy Martha Stewart, I even got so bored I found an old hot glue gun and repaired picture frames.

When I turned my attention outside, I noticed just how many feral cats were in my yard. I made a post on Nextdoor asking for help. Don’t do that! People are so bored and tuned into their phone, the flood of messages nearly crashed my phone.

After turning to my closets, I wondered if I should throw out all the contents and start over instead of decluttering.

I’m so weary of streaming everything. Have I read all the great books, organized great projects, or written another book? Nope. I can’t fight my restlessness despite long walks, porch parties, and many Zooms.

Have I participated in charitable giving, calling the elderly, doing drive-by celebrations? Of course. Is my home more organized? Yes, so?

What I miss most is society and tactile experience (hugs). Too much sheltering in place is numbing.

But I have made resolutions. I will not bellyache so much about traffic ever again; people are working.

I will go to the gym and enjoy it until I shed my COVID kilo.

I will go to a playground and enjoy watching children playing, especially my grandkids. Another dog will grace my life. Appreciating those who are delivering my mail, picking up my garbage, checking me out at stores, making deliveries is my new M.O. Healthcare workers and teachers rock.

I will take a road trip. But when?

Bit by bit as things unfold into the new normal methinks.

Which reminds me of that other popular tune from my childhood: “Que Sera sera, whatever will be will be, the future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.”

Contact Len Bourland at lenbourland@gmail.com.

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 13

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14 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Collaborating For Community

Blogger Sophie McGuire, Koch clothing brand partner to design stylish masks

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

think of this idea? (to make face masks) You have the manufacturing (capability) in place,” Musselman said.

McGuire explained, “Nicole and I both wanted to spread joy during this uncertain time in our country. We designed face masks using Koch’s fabrics, and the masks were made in the Dallas factory.

“The first half were given away at zero cost to those interested in acquiring one for their own safety,” McGuire said. “The first two releases were sold out in minutes, and due to high demand, more masks became available for sale, with 10% of the proceeds going to the North Texas Food Bank.”

McGuire also answered some questions.

The author of the fashion blog Much Love Sophie used her keen sense of style to help design non-medical face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sophie McGuire, who’s preparing to start at SMU in the fall, started her blog when she was 13 as a way to “express my creativity and passion for style, beauty, and lifestyle.”

She’s since amassed a following of more than 18,000 followers on Instagram.

Nicole Musselman, owner of the clothing brand Koch, said she first met McGuire when the then 16-year-old applied for a social media manager position.

“We want girls to What are some of your favorite stores? make a mark on the world through joy-makShop Koch is ing and risk-taking. Soamazing. I love visitphie has a similar mising the Koch House sion in that she’s trying and seeing all of the to spread joy and posi- FROM LEFT: Sophie McGuire of the beautiful pieces. The tivity,” Musselman said. blog Much Love Sophie and Nicole Market in Highland “She’s one of the hard- Musselman of the clothing brand Koch. Park Village is anothest workers I’ve ever (COURTESY PHOTO) er favorite. Their Love seen.”

Shack Fancy SelecMcGuire worked on social media for tion is amazing. I also love Cabana/Canary.

Koch while being homeschooled. She’s been There are just so many great places to shop homeschooled since her sophomore year. in the Park Cities.

“Because the program is self-paced, I made it a big goal to graduate a semester ear- What’s a fun fact about you? ly. I graduated in December,” McGuire said.

Hope it’s OK if I share two... Being ReShe said she also found working on social wardStyles’s youngest influencer when I was 14 was really awesome. Also, I don’t know media for Koch to be a good fit for her.

“I looked at it as an incredible opportunity how to ride a bike, but one of my summer for me to learn from The Koch crew. I man- goals is to learn. aged their social account for one year, and loved every second,” McGuire said.

LEARN MORE So when the novel coronavirus brought To order a Much Love Koch mask, stay-at-home orders to Dallas and Musvisit shopkoch.com/products/muchselman was searching for a way to keep her love-koch-mask workers employed, the women found collaborating again – this time on face masks – a natural fit.

Sophie’s blog: muchlovesophie.com “Sophie called and said, ‘What do you

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 15

Advanced neurosurgical care with you in mind.

Our advanced neurosurgical program gives you the combined resources, research and technology close to home.

The neurosurgeons on the medical staff of Texas Health Dallas are now working in collaboration with UT Southwestern. This collective effort is using an interdisciplinary approach to diagnose and treat conditions from brain aneurysms and tumors to scoliosis and spinal fractures. The program also offers a dedicated neuro trauma Intensive Care Unit manned 24/7 with the experience and technology required for this critical care. It’s the comprehensive, personalized care you deserve.

214-345-4200 TexasHealth.org/DallasNeuro

Doctors on the medical staffs practice independently and are not employees or agents of Texas Health hospitals or Texas Health Resources. © 2020

16 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Now Streaming: ‘Inside the Rain’ Stars HPHS Grad Toland plays empowered sex worker in new romantic comedy

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

Ellen Toland felt some anxiety and trepidation over the romantic comedy Inside the Rain, and not just because she’s playing a sex worker whose body — in one memorable scene — becomes a sushi platter.

Toland’s first big-screen leading role represents a critical step in the career of the Highland Park High School graduate, winning the sort of acclaim that validates her decision to pursue acting full-time about a decade ago.

Despite all the things going on in the world, I feel like I’m in a really good spot in my career.

Ellen Toland

Highland Park native Ellen Toland stars alongside Aaron Fisher in the indie romantic comedy Inside the Rain. (COURTESY PHOTO)

In the film, which pivoted to a streaming release this spring once theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Toland portrays Emma, who moonlights at a strip club where she meets manic depressive film student Benjamin

(Aaron Fisher). When he’s threatened with expulsion from school, Benjamin recruits Emma to help him re-create the incident on film.

His afflictions draw the two closer together.

“Emma wasn’t portrayed as down-on-her-luck, or in trouble, or the usual things that you see from women in sex work,” Toland said by phone from New York. “Instead, it’s just about their friendship and their growth together.”

Toland, 30, grew up in the Park

Cities as the youngest of seven children in her family. She performed at the Dallas Theater Center for the first time at age 3 and was hooked.

“I loved everything about being on stage, and I loved dance,” Toland said. “I was 8 years old when I saw Dirty Dancing over the summer, and I came back and wanted to be the best dancer I could possibly be.”

After graduating from HPHS — where she was a member of the Highland Belles — Toland developed a passion for acting at Pace

We’ve Been Here

We’ll Be Here

Our pledge to the health and safety of our residents has long been paramount.

It has ingrained in us a commitment to preparedness, even for the unpredictable.

That’s why we have an expansive inventory of supplies, allowing us to deliver onsite healthcare services and immediately enact Enhanced Safety Protocols and Operational Procedures.

Through forward thinking, we have long embraced new technologies and are never ill-equipped or without a resource for someone who needs us, when they need us most. That’s why our community allows families and loved ones to schedule virtual visits and why our Senior Lifestyle Counselors offer virtual tours.

That’s why we are still accepting new residents.

Call us to speak with a Senior Lifestyle Counselor or schedule a virtual tour to find out how we can help today.

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University in New York. She even studied abroad for a semester at the prestigious Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts in England.

“It was something I always dreamed of doing. It was an amazing opportunity, she said. “The teachers there really changed my perspective on everything.”

Toland has amassed an impressive resume of roles thus far, including small parts as a cult member in the short-lived web series Doomsday and as a 1940s army wife in the

WA N T T O WAT C H ?

Find Inside the Rain on streaming services such as Sling TV, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

2018 indie feature The Chaperone.

She hopes Inside the Rain will continue that upward trajectory.

“My goal is to always keep changing and not get stuck,” Toland said. “Despite all the things going on in the world, I feel like I’m in a really good spot in my career.”

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  17

18 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Doggone Pandemic Threatened Operations of Grooming Business

Longtime client comes to rescue, pays April rent, payroll for Park Cities Pet Salon

Park Cities Pet Salon isn’t the only local business that’s found ways to continue paying employees with the community’s help.

I was stunned.

It was very generous. He’s been a very good client for a number of years.

Karen Clements

A groomer from Park Cities Pet Salon pampers a pooch. (COURTESY PHOTOS)

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

Park Cities Pet Salon can continue grooming and styling local pets thanks in part to the generosity of an animal and people-loving client.

By order of Dallas County to help slow the spread of COVID-19, pet grooming services have been allowed only

as necessary for the health and well-being of the animals, and, like many businesses during this time, Park Cities Pet Salon owner Karen Clements said her salon was reeling from the economic impact.

The salon at 10455 North Central Expressway has three employees and has been serving pet owners of the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and Uptown since 2000, according to

parkcitiespetsalon.com. Grooming services are available for cats as well as dogs.

Clements said a longtime client offered to provide her the money to pay the April rent and payroll for her business after a discussion about the state of the salon during the pandemic.

“I said I wasn’t sure (about being able to pay) rent for April.

He said, ‘You can pay me back.’

I was stunned,” Clements said.

“It was very generous. He’s been a very good client for a number of years.”

Clements added that the donor wanted to remain anonymous.

“I’d always loved dogs...this is what I always wanted to do,” Clements said. “We have wonderful clients. Their dogs are all good dogs.”

Similarly, as we previously reported, donations from members of Highland Park United Methodist Church supported workers from Preston Hollow Catering’s efforts to make lunches for shelters, including Austin Street, Stewpot, Genesis, and Wesley Rankin after many of its usual events were canceled because of the novel coronavirus.

Other local businesses pivoted their business models. For example, Nardos Design at the Plaza at Preston Center, began making masks and used GoFundMe to help offset costs during the pandemic.

Noteworthy Neighbors

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 19

A New ‘Front Door’ For University Park?

Bill Shaddock donates property at 4084 Lovers Lane for use as a city park Editor’s note: Rex’s Seafood & Market is sponsoring this monthly feature.

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

When Bill Shaddock used to look at a property at 4084 Lovers Lane, he thought it was a bit of an eyesore and that “someone should do something about it.”

“I remembered I was somebody,” said Shaddock, who has a Capital Title office at the corner of Preston Road and Lovers Lane and is building a home on Hunters Glen Road. “I’m frequently in the area.”

As a partner with Shaddock Development, who’d worked with the city of Frisco on Cottonwood Creek Greenbelt, he was perhaps uniquely well suited to be that person.

“Preston Road and Lovers Lane is the front door to University Park, and I thought it should have a nice front door, so I bought the home, went to the city, and made (a) proposal,” he said. “I wanted it to be a visual respite and an amenity.”

The University Park City Council then directed city staff to partner with Shaddock in December 2019 to work to develop the lot into a new city park. Kevin Clark with Naud Burnett since finished the final design for the project.

Preston Road and Lovers Lane is the front door to University Park, and I thought it should have a nice front door.

Bill Shaddock Shaddock said certain design features would help in his goal of turning the park

TOP: Kevin Clark of Naud Burnett landscape architects created a design plan for a park at Preston and Lovers for the city of University Park. BOTTOM: FROM LEFT: Andrew, Lisa, Bill, Kim, Anna, Will, Claire, Kaitlin, and Caroline Shaddock. (COURTESY PHOTOS)

into a respite. Expect benches and a smaller water feature.

“I am overjoyed at the opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of other people and the city,” he said. “It’s so much fun to plan an amenity.”

University Park City Manager Robbie Corder said the planned park would be a welcome addition to the city.

“Anytime you can partner with a resident to bring about additional greenspace, it’s a special opportunity,” Corder said. “Shaddock Park will enhance our community and greatly improve the look and feel of one of our major intersections.”

The council April 7 approved a letter of understanding with Shaddock regarding construction and payment plans for the park.

The letter of understanding outlined a process in which Shaddock would hire a contractor to construct the park and, following completion of the park, the city would buy the property for $500,000. If construction costs for the park exceed $500,000, the city and Shaddock will split the extra cost above $500,000 on a 50/50 basis. Corder said the total construction cost is capped at $775,000, so the maximum lot price for the city is $637,500.

The city council April 21 also approved an architectural construction administration contract with landscape architect Kevin Clark for $47,000 to help manage and oversee construction of the park.

Shaddock has since secured the landscape contractor and demolition to pave the way for the park began May 6.

20 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Business

‘IT’S GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOREVER’ Celebrity chef weighs in on post-pandemic dining in Dallas

Comings and Goings CLOSED Bartaco

Preston Center “We want to thank our hardworking team and our loyal Dallas guests for a great year,” said General Manager Javier Montemayor. “Though we are closing our doors in Dallas, our Fort Worth location will continue to serve up our signature fresh food and specialty cocktails in a relaxed, coastal atmosphere.”

Highland Park Cafeteria

1200 N. Buckner Boulevard The comfort food eatery had been a fixture in the area since 1925 but announced online that it would not re-open even when stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were lifted.

“We have been blessed to serve you for many years, to have been part of family celebrations and holiday traditions,” the statement read. “One final word – HPC is not tables and chairs and stoves, it is generations of cooks faithfully preparing special recipes and lovingly serving generation(s) of diners.

We are safeguarding the secret recipes, all 932 of them. So making no promises, but who knows? Zucchini muffins may one day make a comeback!”

Stella Nova

FROM LEFT: Todd Boren and Chef Ken Rathbun. Rathbun says his restaurants have seen 50% of their normal sales during the pandemic, thanks largely to curbside and to-go options and operating at 25% capacity. (PHOTOS: SCOTT HARBEN)

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

W

hen COVID-19 came to Dallas, safer-at-home orders left restaurants scrambling, and the pandemic may have changed the landscape of dining out in Dallas for a long, long time.

The Texas Restaurant Association estimates that more than 688,000 lost jobs in the restaurant industry, and restaurants lost $80 billion in sales revenue since March. Thirty-four percent of all restaurants in Texas closed.

This is a time if ever there were a time in our life and our career to re-evaluate what we do, how we do it, what is making us happy, what is making us a living, and re-evaluate whether we want to continue doing the things that don’t meet those criteria.

Kent Rathbun

“What I feel like most people don’t really understand is how fragile that most restaurants run on a daily basis anyway,” said Kent Rathbun, who owns several Dallas establishments, including Imoto and Rathbun Curbside Barbecue, along with Lovers Seafood and Market and Shinsei with wife, Tracy.

“Obviously there are varying degrees of success with all restaurants, but I would say, by and large, most restaurants run on a very tight, tight margin and a bad month or two can really make a big difference in a restaurant,” he explained.

Rathbun has been able to reopen Shinsei and Lovers Seafood but said Imoto would remain shuttered for the time being. Rathbun is also offering barbecue curbside at the Lovers Seafood location.

He said thanks to to-go and limited inside dining, business is running at about 50% of normal.

But what worried Rathbun the most, he said, was how the public was maintaining social distancing - especially since restaurants began opening up just as Dallas County started posting some of the highest new case numbers yet.

“Hey, I’m telling you, I was watching the Today show, and I’m seeing this graph, and there is not even a bend in it,” he said. “No, this thing is straight up. It hasn’t even begun to start the curve. And I’m like, OK,

that’s not good.”

Even with the rosiest of scenarios, Rathbun said where and how Dallas dines may continue to shift.

“My crystal ball is out in the shop, but I think, as I’ve said to many people, my biggest struggle right now is just not having the right answer,” Rathbun said. “I just don’t know what to do next because you know, every, every five o’clock on the news, you have to be able to adjust what you’re thinking.

“I think it’s probably going to be longer before things even remotely start to get back to normal. I think that it’s going to change the world forever.”

Rathbun said that the seriousness of the pandemic also has him re-evaluating what comes next.

“I’m not too germaphobic, but right now, I’m definitely making some different choices,” he said. “And I think the thing that I have sort of kind of thrown out there for myself and my wife - and we both agree on this - is that this is a time if ever there were a time in our life and our career to re-evaluate what we do, how we do it, what is making us happy, what is making us a living, and re-evaluate whether we want to continue doing the things that don’t meet those criteria.”

Read more of our conversation with Rathbun at peoplenewspapers.com.

Snider Plaza John Kennedy of Stella Nova called the combination of sidewalk construction (COURTESY PHOTO) in front of the brand’s first Texas shop after it opened in January and the COVID-19 pandemic as “devastating.”

“We will not be able to recover,” Kennedy said in an email. “We love this neighborhood and are very sad we couldn’t stay,” The brand has four locations around Oklahoma City, including one near the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

NOW OPEN Cerón Hair

Highland Park Village The salon opened in the former Fredric Fekkai salon, (PHOTO: CODY BESS) between Carolina Herrera and Frame May 18.

“I’ve long loved the stylish ladies – and gentlemen – of Dallas, so I could not have been more excited with this opportunity presented itself,” Cerón said. “I have to pinch myself when I think about my new salon being in the iconic Highland Park Village. It really is a dream.”

It will be staffed by the team from the former Fekkai salon, including artistic director Tony Salle, Joey Flores, Errin Haddock, Delores Villanueva, and more.

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  21

22 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

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24 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 25

You Know the Landmarks; Now Meet the Engineering Firm

By William Taylor People Newspapers

Admire the impressive architecture around Dallas but, like Caleb Duncan, know that “fun, creative, and interesting” structural engineering made it possible.

As president of L.A. Fuess Partners (LAFP), Duncan leads a company with four decades of experience tackling “interestingly complicated” projects. The work ranges from terminal renovations at Dallas Love Field and the American Airlines World Headquarters to exquisite homes in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow.

We loved the opportunity for creativity in solving the engineering challenges and making all of this work.

Caleb Duncan “We’re fortunate to work with some of the best architects, developers, and municipal and institutional clients in the world on truly landmark projects in North Dallas and

Caleb Duncan

Mark Peterman

Will Pender

L.A. Fuess Partners provided engineering services for such projects as SMU’s Robson and Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr-McMillion Natatorium, the Moody Performance Hall, and the Ventana by Buckner high-rise senior living community. (PHOTOS: STEVE HINDS, SARGENT PHOTO, HEDRICH BLESSING) the Park Cities, as well as around the country,” Duncan said.

The late Larry Fuess founded the company in 1979 and receives credit from LAFP leaders today for his congenial entrepreneurial spirit and a firm culture built on a commitment to collaborative excellence. LAFP has grown to include a branch office in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dallas projects have included the ballroom expansion, golfers bridge over Mockingbird Lane, and tennis buildings at the Dallas Country

Club, the Hamon Art Library and Greer Garson Theatre at SMU, and The Plaza at Preston Center office and garage.

Other collaborations include the center court and several stores at Highland Park Village, The Hotel Lumen, and multiple projects for the Highland Park United Methodist Church.

Blending a replacement addition into the 1925 church building came with the added challenge of aligning new spaces with ones built when

story heights were much shorter.

“The expansion looks just like a three-story building, but it has a basement two-stories-tall, classrooms in the upper levels, and trusses the full depth of the upper story spanning across a large auditorium space,” Duncan said. “It was also great fun to work with the existing drawings from 1925, including an original book of specifications which we found in the church’s library.”

Another project involved installing two new, organ cabinets behind

a choir loft enlarged to accommodate more seating.

“We loved the opportunity for creativity in solving the engineering challenges and making all of this work,” he said.

Will Pender, as vice president of Rogers-O’Brien Construction, worked with LAFP and HH Architects in recent years on the Tolleson Family Activity Center at HPUMC. “L.A. Fuess is an innovation frontrunner in structural engineering,” Pender said in a press release.

“They combined concrete and steel to make this intricate structure work beautifully on a small, tricky, and somewhat challenging site.

The associates in the firm are very adaptable and open to new ideas in working with the contractor to determine the best solution for the structural design. That makes it possible to come up with the absolute best solutions, and we did.”

Other projects have included The Mansion Condominiums on Turtle Creek, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and the headquarters for Toyota, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, and JPMChase.

LAFP principal Mark Peterman said, “We are continually grateful and inspired by the magnificent projects we have in our portfolio and ever excited about what’s on the horizon for tomorrow.”

26 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

HOUSE OF THE MONTH

Virtually Building Relationships During Social Distancing Era

7408 Wentwood Drive

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

(PHOTOS: COMPASS)

T

ransitional style blends with classic architecture and modern touches in this gorgeous home in Highland Park ISD, completed in 2016 with extensive designer upgrades. The gracious entry with elegant formals leads to a chef ’s kitchen overlooking the breakfast and living rooms. High ceilings, designer wallpaper, gorgeous light fixtures, and impressive finishes make this home magazine-worthy.

The master bedroom and four guest suites are upstairs with a game room, media room, and private office.

The main floor offers a flex room that can be a sixth bedroom, office, or playroom. The property features a large landscaped lot with mature trees, fully-turfed backyard with putting green, and gated driveway.

There is an oversized garage, tremendous storage, and the home is elevator ready.

When your business thrives on relationship building, how do you pivot during a time of social distancing?

Ebby Halliday CEO and president Chris Kelly said that the umbrella of services his company offered helped quite a bit in the first few fraught weeks of the safer-athome orders.

In addition to real estate brands that include Ebby Halliday Realtors, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, and Williams Trew, the company also owns Prosperity Mortgage, Home Team Insurance, and Tex- Chris Kelly as Premier Title.

Having a title company inhouse, for instance, meant that the company could quickly come up with a plan while waiting for Gov. Greg Abbott to sign an order that would allow notaries to witness signatures virtually.

“We would send mobile notaries who would pull into your driveway, hand you the papers with gloves on and everything, and you sign it on the hood of the car or inside your house, bring it back out to them, and they’d drive off,” Kelly explained.

A lot of things may remain after business opens back up as usual, just because they’re so much more convenient for buyers and sellers, Kelly said.

Virtual closings - which were allowed by law in 2018 - have become more common.

“Now, especially on the seller side, we can do the entire seller closing over online - and cash buyers,”

Kelly explained. “And then we, in theory, should be able to do buyers as well, but the secondary lending markets are where most mortgage companies then sell the loan to, not all of them have said they’re on board with that yet - but it’s accelerating, and we hope to be there with kind of what they call a hybrid closing.

“That, to me, is one of those things that will likely be a lasting change within the real estate industry,” Kelly added. “That’s not to say that no closings will take place in person anymore, but it’s one of the things you look at and say, well, why would you not continue to do this practice even when we’re through the COVID-19 era?”

House-hunting, Kelly said, has also changed during the pandemic.

“I just think that the number of buyers that are just out there, you know, kicking tires is, it’s going to be relatively low,” he said. “I think buyers are much more mindful of the different environments they want to walk into right now.”

One other thing that is helping buyers hone their lists? Kelly said the video tours of homes have been instrumental during the pandemic.

“Something that has just become almost a stable in their toolkit right now is the video tour of the property,” he said. “Some of them are fancy, some of them are having videographers do it, and then they’re narrating or whatever, and a lot of our agents are literally just taking their iPhone, and we’ve kind of taught them all how to do it.”

See more of our conversation about the real estate market during the pandemic at peoplenewspapers.com.

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  27

28 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Sports

‘THEIR TRUE CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY IS COMING OUT’

Highland Park High athletes make the best of lost spring seasons

By Todd Jorgenson

HP coaches and fans have tried to creatively honor the seniors by decorating house doors and creating virtual baseball cards on Twitter. A senior video is in the works, too, and they hope to gather physically at some point later this summer.

“For the majority of our players, there is no next year,” Yoder said. “They deserve to be recognized, and we’ve made a point of doing that.”

People Newspapers

O

n April 17, the Highland Park girls soccer team was supposed to be at the Class 5A state tournament in Georgetown, as the defending champion and favorite to repeat.

Instead, the Lady Scots — who hadn’t shared a field in more than a month due to ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic — met online to share some somber news. Their suspended season would not resume.

“It might have been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do as a coach — tell 14 very talented seniors that their high school careers were over,” said HP girls soccer coach Stewart Brown. “But the girls love each other and huddled around each other. What you get out of being a high school athlete is the friendships you create and the journey you get to share.”

Athletes in soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, golf, track, and other sports shared in the disappointment of the unprecedented cancellation of all spring sports. Dozens of graduating seniors will forever wonder what might have been.

“Your heart breaks for these seniors who didn’t get any closure. They missed out on so much,” said HP baseball coach Travis Yoder.

“You can’t fathom what they’re going through.”

Yoder’s squad featured 16 seniors whose final year didn’t even reach the start of district play by the time it was cut short in midMarch. That experience had HP anticipating another postseason run.

“You can do as many Zoom meetings as

It might have been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do as a coach — tell 14 very talented seniors that their high school careers were over.

Stewart Brown

Baseball and girls soccer are two of the sports at Highland Park that saw promising seasons cut short by the pandemic. (PHOTOS: MELISSA MACATEE) you want, but the face-to-face interaction and the competition is what the kids need.

They need that escape,” Yoder said. “They’re

handling it better than some adults are. Their true character and integrity is coming out because of how they’re responding to this.”

Many of the players on HP’s soccer roster experienced the triumph from the 2019 title.

Still, they were well-positioned to earn a second consecutive crown for the first time in the program’s illustrious history.

Instead, they held a virtual team banquet where each player wore their uniform one last time, sharing the memories that they’ll carry with them forever.

“Their seasons with Highland Park have been some of the most successful,” Brown said. “Our junior class this year will want to go forward and do some great things in honor of this senior class. We will use their disappointment as motivation to play every game like it’s your last.”

Two More HP Tour Hopefuls Take Familiar Route to Austin

Roden, Fojtasek following path of other Scots turned Longhorns like Cody Gribble

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

Scott Roden realized at a very young age that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of the boy next door.

When that neighbor is Cody Gribble, who won a national golf championship at the University of Texas and later an event on the PGA Tour, you don’t mind traveling the same path to success.

Roden and fellow Highland Park senior Randall Fojtasek will continue the Scots’ pipeline of golf talent with the Longhorns, hoping to eventually secure lucrative pro careers like Gribble, Hank Kuehne, Harrison Frazar, and Scottie Scheffler.

Roden grew up learning to swing Gribble’s clubs in the front yard.

But since Gribble is left-handed, his

With their final high school season cut short, Scots golfers Scott Roden and Randall Fojtasek prepare for college play. (COURTESY PHOTOS) otherwise right-handed protégé followed suit.

“His clubs were the only clubs I had to swing, so I just started playing that way,” Roden said.

Roden watched Gribble play a handful of college tournaments,

including nationals in 2012, after which Gribble briefly had the trophy at his house.

“I knew that was what I wanted,” Roden said. “That motivated me and made me feel that was a path where I could re-create some

of those achievements.”

Roden verbally committed to the Longhorns when he was only 13. He was homeschooling at the time while traveling and playing national junior tournaments.

He enrolled early at UT after getting his diploma in December.

His decorated career with the Scots included a Class 5A individual state title as a freshman and three team championships.

In the fall, Roden will be roommates with Fojtasek, who transferred to HP before his senior year.

He played for St. Mark’s as a freshman and spent the last two years at a golf academy in Virginia to grow his game with an eye on the next level.

“I felt like the next step would be to put myself in a team environment and be the best leader I

could,” Fojtasek said of his time at HP. “It gave me a really great opportunity to learn a lot from the other guys.”

Fojtasek missed several fall tournaments due to a lingering back injury but was able to play a few events in January and February with the Scots. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the team missed its chance to defend the team championship this spring.

Still, Fojtasek hopes to play some prominent youth tournaments this summer before heading to Austin.

“It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to finish this year, but I took it as a stepping stone for my career,” he said. “I’ve always aspired to one day be on the PGA Tour.”

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  29

30 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Andrews Rebounds from Injury to Lead Resurgent Yale

Former Greenhill standout honored by teammates for toughness, named captain

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

Just one victory away from making history, the Yale women’s basketball season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ellen Margaret Andrews could dwell on the what-ifs after the Bulldogs tied the school record with 19 wins this year. But instead, the Park Cities native reflects fondly on her junior campaign, which saw her average career highs in points (12.3 per game) and rebounds (4.2), while finishing fifth in the Ivy League in steals.

Her efforts earned the former Greenhill standout the team’s Bulldog Award for her toughness. Next season, she will be a team captain.

Over the past three years, that foundation of team chemistry and a desire to work hard has provided that jumping-off point to thrive and get better.

Ellen Margaret Andrews “It was a really great season overall,” Andrews said. “We were disappointed that we weren’t able to get a spot in the NCAA tournament.”

The resilient Andrews bounced back after

Ellen Margaret Andrews scored 24 points as Yale upset North Carolina in December on its way to a 19-win season. (PHOTOS: SAM RUBIN)

a severe knee injury during a November 2018 game at Cincinnati forced her to miss the final 24 games of her sophomore season.

“I was still there for every practice and every game,” she said. “It was physically challenging, but I didn’t feel like an outsider. I felt so supported. It made me a lot hungrier.”

That sisterhood with her teammates and coaches drew Andrews to Yale in the first place. Plus, her grandfather David Sears played basketball for the Bulldogs in the 1950s.

“Yale didn’t have the same reputation basketball-wise as other schools I was looking at,” said Andrews, a history major. “It was more about the team and the coaching staff and how happy I would be. Over the past three years, that foundation of team chemistry and a desire to work hard has provided that jumping-off point to thrive and get better. It’s been really exciting.

“Even if we weren’t winning, I wouldn’t have regretted my decision at all. My teammates are some of my best friends, and it’s really allowed me to grow as a person.”

The versatile Andrews started her first career game early in her freshman year, in front of family and friends during an upset win at TCU. But perhaps her biggest highlight came in December 2019, when she tallied a career-best 24 points as Yale scored a stunning 66-63 win at North Carolina.

“We were playing in the stadium Michael Jordan played in. We had nothing to lose,” Andrews said. “When I don’t feel as much pressure, sometimes I play better. It was an awesome experience.”

Common Problems With Falls, Balance, & Losing Independence With Mobility After Being Isolated Because of COVID-19 (Corona Virus).

Now What To Do About It? 3 FREE SESSIONS TO GET STARTED!

By Leading Balance Expert, Dr. Jeffrey Guild, Physical Therapist We are seeing an epidemic of people suffering from loss of independence with their mobility, falling, and losing their balance.

This is because people over the age of 70 are being isolated and staying in their homes because of COVID-19 (Corona Virus).

Does this sound like you or someone you know?

Have you noticed you or someone you care about falling over the past month? Are you feeling less steady on your feet? Are you feeling weaker in your legs and simply walking around is harder than before? Here is the reason why…

If you don’t use it you lose it. Right now, most people are not using their muscles and their balance like before this COVID-19 (Corona Virus) problem. So many people are isolated in their homes, NOT walking out in the community like before, and NOT attending their usual exercise programs.

The decline of people over the age of 70 will be the next health crisis! In order to combat this upcoming problem, we are offering 3 FREE SESSIONS to get people

started.

We are doing this because it is our responsibility as licensed healthcare providers and balance specialists to share our services to help people in the community. What To Do Next?

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Author Dr. Jeffrey Guild, Physical Therapist is owner of Optimove Physical Therapy & Wellness.

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parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 31

Schools

NO PROM? NO WAY! SCOTS FIND TIME TO HONOR QUEEN, KING

Students use porch crownings, parade of cars to celebrate school royalty

Newly crowned prom queen Emily Morrow and king Clint Conger stand in front of their homes and greet prom chairs and other admirers. (COURTESY PHOTOS)

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

S

tay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may have canceled traditional proms, but some Highland Park students worked to make the occasion no less meaningful.

Kay Herring, whose son, Johnny, was one of the five prom chairs this year, said prom court elections went online via a Google Forms document.

After winners were determined, the prom chairs – five juniors selected by the previous year’s prom chairs – contacted the parents of the king and queen to make sure they’d be home and delivered the crown, sash, and flowers on their porches on what would have been prom night, April 18.

“When school stopped, and the shelter in places order was enacted, we started getting really concerned about prom,” prom chair Anna Haggar said. “So, like 10 days before the actual prom would have occurred, it was announced that Highland Park could do an online voting for prom king and queen.

“Once the votes started coming in, it was clear Emily (Morrow) was gonna win

prom queen,” Haggar said. Clint Conger was named prom king.

So we were kind of groggy all day until we … went to Emily’s and saw her getting crowned and the look on her face. We were all just crying… seeing Emily’s face made everything just OK and (us) realize the huge prom and decorations isn’t really what is important.

Anna Haggar “Everyone was really extremely sad about prom being canceled. The happiness from crowning Emily was so much better.

The look on her face when she opened the

door was pure joy,” Haggar said. “Once she opened the door, she put on the tiara and sash and spun around in her dress and was just the most beautiful prom queen.”

Haggar said Morrow’s parents were already planning a makeshift prom at home at the time.

“When her mom told her prom was going to be canceled, her mom said she cried for a minute, but then said, ‘That’s OK, mom, we can have prom here,’ and so we communicated with her parents and decided that was a perfect time to surprise her,” Haggar said.

“There (were) neighbors watching and her whole family was dressed up,” she said.

“Emily is just the best. During school, she’ll walk around with a huge smile and come up and give you a high five. She always wants to talk... just very outgoing and kind, and Clint is a really cool guy, too.

He’s a hunter, he likes to fish and hunt, but he has so many friends. Like he’s also very friendly.”

Herring said prom chairs, family members, friends, and neighbors cheered the prom court on from a distance and finished the night with a makeshift parade of cars congratulating the king and queen.

“We started prepping for prom last January, so it was a really sad day,” Haggar said.

“So we were kind of groggy all day until we … went to Emily’s and saw her getting crowned and the look on her face. We were all just crying… seeing Emily’s face made everything just OK and (us) realize the huge prom and decorations isn’t really what is important.”

G R A D U AT I O N D E TA I L S What: Highland Park High School spring 2020 commencement When: 8:30 p.m. June 5 Where: AT&T Stadium Information: Guidelines include pre-screening graduates and family members who attend for any symptoms of COVID-19 and keeping participants 6 feet away from each other unless they are members of the same household. Each family will be assigned a section to ensure social distancing.

32 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

What’s Your Superpower? Teen Authors First Novels Shelton student schools readers on camaraderie, authenticity

By Dalia Faheid

People Newspapers

Visit graciedix.com to read about the Vork Chronicles and author Gracie Dix.

What began as a literary contest entry evolved into the first novel of the Vork Chronicles superhero book series.

Seventeen-year-old Highland Park resident Gracie Dix, whose parents say has written since she could hold a pencil, yearned to publish her writing.

That day arrived after she discovered a literary contest with a 50,000-word requirement. Before Dix knew it, she’d written more than 70,000 words.

You just have to be yourself because that’s sometimes the hardest thing to do in this world.

Being yourself is a superpower.

Gracie Dix “I like to engross myself in stories that can’t happen in real life,” she said. “I just love everything magical and supernatural.”

LEARN MORE

Gracie Dix draws on her love for dogs, superheroes, and her friends in her young adult novels. (COURTESY PHOTOS) Welcome to Superhero School, released on National Superhero Day, April 28, follows teenage superheroes Oliver and Jessica Fletcher and their friends as they hone their powers and band together to defeat the villains of “Vork,” encountering everything from dragons to dinosaurs.

Letting her characters tell the story and writing what came to mind allowed the flow of the book to come naturally, said Dix, adding her high school experiences also informed the story. “I really wanted

to put some relatable experiences in there so that [readers] would know possible right ways to solve their problems.”

Welcome to Superhero School emphasizes the power of friendship and draws inspiration from people close to Dix at the Shelton School.

Knowing her friends’ traits, mannerisms, and speech patterns made the creative process more comfortable, she said. “I love everything about my friends, and I value them and treasure them close to my heart.”

Dix’s passion for animals motivated her to base a character on her beloved Maltipoo dog, Snowball, and also donate $1 from every copy of Welcome to Superhero School sold to SPCA, up to $10,000.

“I just want animals to have support,” she said. “Animals need love, too.”

Journey to Superhero School, a prequel published in March, has been ranked an Amazon best-seller in teen and adult fiction, a No. 1 new release, and has been downloaded more than 4,000 times. Dix says she

is “so happy that there are people out there, even from other sides of the world who really enjoy the message and who really enjoy my book.”

Readers won’t have to wait long to revisit the escapades of Oliver and Jessica Fletcher. A sequel to Welcome to Superhero School is in the works.

Much as superheroes rely on one another to defeat villains, Dix hopes her readers learn the value of loyalty and togetherness.

“You can’t go through life happy and successful without friends and family by your side to help you,” she said. “You have to lean on other people because loyalty is possibly the best trait anyone could ever have.”

For Dix, being a superhero isn’t about possessing special powers, but about being proud of the differences that make you who you are.

“I think that everyone has the potential to be a superhero,” she said. “You just have to be yourself because that’s sometimes the hardest thing to do in this world. Being yourself is a superpower.”

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  33

34 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Videos Help High School Mentors Stay Connected, Earn Service Hours Through United to Learn, volunteer teen tutors help Dallas ISD elementary schoolers

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

As a student tutor, Cate Goglia misses her face-to-face interaction with Dallas ISD elementary schoolers. So she wanted to find a new way to touch their hearts and minds.

The Hockaday School sophomore is part of a network of area high school students that visited weekly with youngsters at 27 campuses through United to Learn, a nonprofit focused on literacy and community activation in Dallas public schools.

There’s all of these little kids now who have a bunch of time on their hands. We wanted to be able to give them a safe and trusted resource.

Cate Goglia But all that changed when schools closed in March, prompting

Teens make videos reading for elementary school children or demonstrating music or other skills the high schoolers know. (COURTESY PHOTO) Goglia and some of her Hockaday classmates to move their efforts online. The teenagers started creating short videos, targeted to younger children, which were both informative and entertaining. In many cases, the teens could still accumulate campus-mandated service hours in the process.

“You’re still looking for a way to

connect with those kids,” Goglia said. “There’s all of these little kids now who have a bunch of time on their hands. We wanted to be able to give them a safe and trusted resource.”

Goglia’s team began curating and uploading the videos to YouTube. Some involved reading books, while others covered science

and art. From sports to careers to even magic tricks, the idea is to share what you know and have fun doing it.

“We didn’t want to limit the subjects too much. We’ve been getting all kinds of videos,’ she said. “We saw this gap. Parents didn’t have time to be with their kids 24/7, and the schools can only

do so much. We wanted to make sure they have more resources.”

Within the first month, the YouTube channel had almost 200 completed videos. United to Learn sends weekly email updates to campus principals and school counselors to help spread the word.

“It started by reading to students and has kind of grown from there,” said Katherine Tagtmeier, chief programs officer for United to Learn. “Schools are really embracing it, too. They’re making it a classroom experience.”

Building on the positive feedback, Goglia would like to keep broadening the network of student mentors and amateur videographers. And the online effort can continue once school is back in session, too.

“We can see it growing and always being an option for kids to engage in that way,” Tagtmeier said. “Many of the students are doing it because they’re intrinsically motivated. For students who need hours, it’s a way to be engaged and do it in a safe place at home.”

LEARN MORE Visit: unitedtolearn.org/ videoseries Email: videos@unitedtolearn.org

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 35

Common Ground Found in Learning ‘Heart Words’

Wesley Prep fourth-graders, refugee children put alphabet to verse

By Dalia Faheid

People Newspapers A work of whimsical illustration and heartwarming poetry expresses the magic that occurs when two seemingly different groups open their hearts to one another.

Heart Words is an alphabet book authored

by Wesley Prep fourth-graders in collaboration with kindergarten through second-grade students at Heart House, a program that helps refugee children acclimate to resettlement in Dallas. Wesley Prep is a private school ministry of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church.

Exploring the concept of belonging, the book is replete with comforting life lessons for adults and children alike.

“We’re all on a journey to find our way home, to a place where we’re seen, where we’re loved, where we’re known,” the book begins.

Wesley Prep and Heart House students found that place of belonging within each other. Friendships blossomed during weekly after school meetings where they wrote and illustrated together, said Wesley Prep teacher Lori Cousino.

“I think there’s something really magical about the creative process and going through something like that with other people,” she said. “The feeling of putting a beautiful thing in the world is definitely a unifying bonding experience.”

As the older group, the fourth-graders gained confidence in teaching the younger students, Cousino said.

“It’s so easy to reach out and make new friends and have fun,” said Wesley Prep

The fourth annual “Common Ground Experiment” brought Wesley Prep fourth-graders together with refugee children served by Heart House to create a book together. The group photo was taken before the pandemic closed the campus. (COURTESY PHOTOS) student Emilio. For safety reasons, Wesley Prep doesn’t release student’s last names.

Heart House students, most of whom have experienced traumas such as war or poverty, developed social skills from meeting new kids outside of their classroom environment, said their teacher Christina Park. Translating the book into 10 languages made it more easily accessible to Heart House students.

Wesley Prep students empathized with the hardships of moving to another country. “I feel like we are just so privileged, and it was probably a hard journey for them. So it felt really important to try to help change that,” Lyla said.

This was the fourth annual “Common Ground Experiment,” in which Wesley Prep fourth-graders partner with nonprofit groups on creative projects meant to inspire unity over division. They’ve written books

with the Austin Street Center, Bonton Farms, and Cafe Momentum, raising a total of $36,000 in proceeds. Enduring relationships have continued to form, Cousino said.

“They’re at an age where they’re really

I think there’s something really magical about the creative process and going through something like that with other people.

Lori Cousino

thinking about where they fit in the big picture of the world. And I want them to be curious and learn about other people and not assess someone’s value by anything other than

the fact that we’re all human,” said Cousino.

Though Heart Words won’t be launched in-person as the books from previous years were, the students will instead host a virtual bedtime story event.

Cousino hopes the project will make her students braver and more open to creating connections with new people in the future. She looks forward to reuniting with the young authors so she can have a signed copy of Heart Words.

“I learned that even if you’re a kid, you can change the world,” said Lila.

LEARN MORE: Copies of Heart Words are $30 with proceeds supporting Heart House.

Visit commongroundexperiment.org.

36 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Society

DON’T DRESS UP: DO GALAS IN YOUR PAJAMAS

Nonprofit world forced to pivot after pandemic spawns cancelations

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

“

I miss Home Goods so much,” proclaimed radio personality Kellie Rasberry during a virtual party designed as a fundraiser for Dallas Habitat for Humanity.

The host of the nationally syndicated Kidd Kraddick show took part in the Home Sweet Home party as part of North Texas Giving Tuesday, designed to help charities and nonprofits struggling to raise funds during the pandemic.

In Habitat’s case, funds raised were to help homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages due to job loss and other issues related to COVID-19. Tickets were $75, and some guests purchased virtual tables and invited friends to join. Rasberry gave everyone a glimpse into her home and chatted about her job, home life, and more.

Participants were eligible for door prizes, and one would also win a meet and greet with Rasberry later this fall.

But Habitat isn’t the only charity that found itself turning to the internet to fundraise.

Several organizations, including AWARE, Rainbow Days, Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, the Dallas Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Girl’s Inc., and The Texas Ballet Theater launched virtual events since April.

“We wanted to engage our community during this crisis and continue to help fund life-changing T1D research and progress,” said JDRF Dallas executive director Amy Camp. “We decided a virtual silent auction is the best

way to do both.”

Equest provided comic relief in the form of horses and donkeys that crashed conference calls. For $50, one of Equest’s 30 therapy horses, or Taco, the miniature donkey, made cameo appearances in video conferences.

In the case of TITAS/Dance Unbound, pivoting has meant asking patrons to donate or defer their season tickets. It’s also meant that executive director Charles Santos has spent a lot of time in conference calls with other arts organizations, discussing best practices when theaters can open up.

“There are no bad ideas,” Santos said. “Everything is on the table.”

For TITAS, which brings dance troupes to the area, a festival and gala planned for August were ultimately eliminated. “ We had to scratch that ‘cause we were going to do the gala command performance, but we’re not secure enough that the theaters will be open,” he explained.

Instead, the organization will concentrate on U.S.-based dance companies for its upcoming season, and an opening night event in October - provided it’s safe.

In the meantime, Santos said they are potentially bringing “behind the scenes” type content and virtual salons online.

“There’s nothing like seeing a live performance,” he said. “But what we’re trying to get put together are process stories where we’re meeting with the choreographer, and there’s footage of the rehearsal process and interviews with dancers and then a snippet of a work to sort of build excitement.”

1.

2.

VIRTUAL EVENTS COMING UP • Rainbow Days Silent Auction, June 16-25 • Rainbow Days Pot of Gold Virtual Event, June 25, noon • Texas Ballet Theater Relief Fund, ongoing • TACA Relief Fund, ongoing Check with peoplenewspapers.com for up-to-date event information.

3.

4.

1. The Texas Ballet Theater launched a relief fund to help pay furloughed employees. (PHOTO: STEVEN VISNEAU) 2. Former Dallas Cowboy Darren Woodson will be a keynote speaker at the Rainbow Days Pot of Gold Virtual Event this month. (COURTESY PHOTO) 3. AWARE auctioned off several items, including a golf package to Dallas National Golf Club. (COURTESY PHOTO) 4. Equest offered up therapy horses and donkeys to liven up video conferences. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Gives $955K for Education, Outreach The Dallas Symphony Orchestra League capped its year May 13 with an annual meeting on Zoom, followed by a surprise parade.

League President Kim Brannon announced a gift of $954,722 to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Education and Outreach initiatives before turning over league leadership to the new president, Anne Ligon.

An hour later, DSO president and

CEO Kim Noltemy arrived for the check exchange at Brannon’s home, where board members surprised the outgoing president with a drive by parade.

The members kept 6 feet social distancing requirements while driving by in their cars decorated with festive signs and balloons. DSO Trumpet player Kevin Finnamore also made a surprise visit and played a brief celebratory serenade from the sidewalk.

Members say thanks to President Kim Brannon (RIGHT) with a Drive By Parade. (PHOTO: DEBORAH BROWN)

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020  37

38 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Living Well

A FEW MOVES TO AVOID GAINING QUARANTINE POUNDS

By William Taylor

T RY T H E S E AT H O M E

People Newspapers

W

hen the possibility lurks that COVID-19 could become not just the name of a disease but the number of pounds you’ve gained while sheltering at home, it could be time to consult some fitness experts.

We talked to Larry North, owner of Larry North Fitness, and Tamra Michelle, owner at District Climb, both in Preston Center.

Michelle noted that trainers are not immune to boredom and temptation while sheltering at home.

“I have not been working out as much,” she confessed, adding she’s also picked up a new affinity for craft beer.

“Not the best hobby to have picked up during my time at home, but with the nice weather outside, I find myself grabbing one and sitting in the backyard on a Tuesday,” Michelle said. “I can tell you I was more than a little disappointed two weeks ago as I stepped on the scale and saw my 7 pounds weight gain.”

She knew she needed to alter her daily routines, but not so much she could not stick to it. Michelle cut out drinking during the week and swapped restaurant delivery for Snap Kitchen’s weekly meal plan at 1500 calories.

“I do still allow myself to order take-out from local restaurants on the weekends, not only to support local but also to keep me sane,” she said.

North said he’d kept fit with protein drinks and blender-prepared smoothie ingredients on-hand. He takes vitamins, supplements, and walks around the neighborhood, stays hydrated, and does a one-minute muscle building exercises like lunges, squats, and pushups.

His suggestions: use an app or YouTube video for home workouts, practice meditation to maintain a positive mindset, eliminate snacking, and “Read!”

Fitness trainers Larry North and Tamra Michelle suggested a couple of moves try at home, one regular and one advanced each.

Advanced: Bird Dog Michelle: Get into a high plank position with your arms placed below the plane of your shoulder.

Bring your left arm up with your right leg hold for a few seconds while you squeeze your glutes and hold your core tight. Repeat on the other side.

Regular: Half Kneeling Row North: Begin with an elastic band attached to a point in front of you. Create tension in the band, holding your arms straight and placing one knee on the ground. Slowly pull your hands toward your chest in a rowing motion, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Hold for 1-2 seconds and return to the start position. Repeat 15 times and perform three sets of this exercise.

Advanced: Alternating V-ups North: Begin by lying with your back on the floor with your right hand over your head, your left leg flat, and your right knee bent. Lift your chest and left leg off of the floor, bringing your right hand up to touch your toe at the highest possible point.

Do this five times. Change positions so that your opposite arm and leg will do the same motion and do five on that side. Repeat this six times until you have done a total of 30 on each side.

Regular: Wall Sits Michelle: Make sure your back is against the wall, setting your feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down the wall, bending your legs until they’re at 90 degrees. Hold your position while contracting your abs. When you’re done with your hold, slowly stand up as you keep your back pressed against the wall (COURTESY PHOTOS)

Graduating to the Front Lines

New doctor begins career during pandemic

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

Becoming a doctor during a pandemic was not necessarily what Priyanka Gaur envisioned when she started medical school. Still, as she heads to Johns Hopkins Hospital to begin her residency, she’ll be tasked with reassuring and treating frightened patients.

I think we have to understand that we’re all in this together. We can only get out of this together.

Priyanka Gaur “I think it feels almost like you are getting recruited to a war of sorts,” she said.

“Usually, match day is a celebration, and

it’s a drawn-out thing filled with happiness and excitement. I do feel like there was an undertone of, ‘Oh, what’s to come?’ and fear and anxiety this year.

“But I think all of us take the physician’s oath, and we feel it’s our moral obligation to help others through medical service.”

If ever there was a doctor up to the task, it’s likely Gaur, who was presented with the Ho Din Award at the UT Southwestern Medical School commencement ceremonies on May 2. While at UTSW, Gaur earned her medical degree and a master’s degree in public health.

Established in 1943, the Ho Din Award goes to graduates who have exemplified the traits of compassion, human understanding, and medical wisdom.

“I think that tenets of the Ho Din Award - medical wisdom and human understanding - are so important now more than ever, Gaur said. “I want to be sure to always present the facts to patients and

Drs. Priyanka Gaur and Richard Hoffman discuss values in medicine. (COURTESY PHOTO) practice evidence-based medicine and really understand the science behind what I’m prescribing and what I’m counseling.

“I think we have to understand that we’re all in this together,” she added. “We can only get out of this together. Carrying the Ho Din spirit in those ways is really important as a practitioner - but also I think every human should try to consume good science and practice kindness as well.”

Dr. Richard Hoffman, a UTSW grad who has served with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presented the award.

“She gives me great hope because of her energy and her understanding of medicine and her willingness to, and dedication to, medicine and her patients,” he said. “That’s exactly what we need right now - the young doctors who are willing and able to help us through this pandemic.

Gaur played a pivotal role in creating a new facility for parents in need of daycare while they receive treatment at Parkland Hospital. The center, called Annie’s Place, will open this fall.

For more of our conversation with Gaur and Hoffman, see peoplenewspapers.com.

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 39

Ramadan During Pandemic Calls for Creative Family Celebrations Socially-distanced Muslims embrace month of fasting without their gatherings

By Dalia Faheid

People Newspapers Rania Kabbani decorated her dining room with lanterns, crescent ornaments, prayer rugs, and festive bowls filled with dates and sweets to recreate the mosque experience for her family of six.

Shortly after breaking fast, her family gathers at 9:45 p.m. nightly to pray and read the Quran. Her husband, Dr. Ihsan Housini, serves as the imam.

“We are experiencing a completely different atmosphere this Ramadan, and it’s a completely different experience for us as a family,” she said.

The holy month when Muslims fast f rom dawn to dusk is usually a time of togetherness characterized by reflection, worship, and giving. Muslims congregate at the mosque for prayers and Quran recitation, attend gatherings full of abundant food and bustling conversation, and stay up late with friends to go on 4 a.m. breakfast runs.

Families like Kabbani’s have adjusted but can’t help but feel nostalgic for the missed communal times.

Still, Kabbani said she’s grateful to bond with family while

Ayah Housini, Rania Kabbani, Ihsan Housini, Zeena Housini, and Mohammad Housini find new ways to celebrate Ramadan. (PHOTOS: RANIA KABBANI) sheltering in place. They pass time cooking, baking, gardening, and exercising together. Her older kids pitch in to teach the youngest, 12-year-old Abdullah, new skills like videography when he completes his online classes.

Kabbani hopes to read the entire Quran by the end of Ramadan.

Dr. Farah Masood, a physician at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Dallas and Sunnyvale and City Hospital at White Rock, grew accustomed to such precautionary measures as

filling out forms, checking her temperature, and wearing protective gear. This month she does it all while fasting.

We are praying for everybody to be healthy, God willing, and for everything to go back to normal.

Rania Kabbani

“Whenever I come home, it’s always at the back of my mind,” she said.

Fasting during her demanding job has impelled Masood to put more effort into staying healthy.

Masood’s family spent past Ramadan evenings at the Islamic Association of North Texas or East Plano Islamic Masjid.

But this year, her four children’s schedules make praying together challenging. “My oldest will be taking a quiz, my little one will be in a Girl Scout meeting,

and my daughter will be working on a project, so it’s hard to catch up with them.”

When gathered, they discuss what’s going on around the world, how they can contribute to those less fortunate, and increase their good deeds during Ramadan.

Eid al-Fitr falls on May 24. It marks the end of Ramadan when Muslims wear formal clothing and attend morning Eid prayer, followed by festivities and gift-giving.

Though Eid will look different this year, Masood still hopes to celebrate with a small number of Preston Hollow neighbors.

Because one of the virtues of Ramadan is charitable giving, Muslims donate to various causes.

Kabbani supported an initiative that delivers meals from Muslim-owned restaurants to families experiencing food insecurity.

Mosques like the Islamic Association of North Texas host weekly food drives and provide drivethrough meals on weekends.

Kabbani reminds her children to count their blessings and to supplicate for those experiencing hardship. “We are praying for everybody to be healthy, God willing, and for everything to go back to normal.”

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40 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Monsignor’s Retirement News Merits Massive Parish Parade

Christ the King Catholic Church’s Rev. Donald Zimmerman to step down July 1

By Kirk Dooley

Special Contributor When Monsignor Donald Zimmerman announced his retirement, parishioners at Christ the King Catholic Church were unable to flock to him to express their gratitude for their pastor’s 26 years of service.

Social distancing and the church being closed nixed any mass gatherings in April.

With a quarter-century worth of gratitude bottled up, his followers creatively found a way to honor their shepherd in a socially responsible way.

With the challenges we’re facing with the coronavirus, we are learning new ways to communicate, and maybe some of them are better.

Monsignor Donald Zimmerman Under the guidance of Alan and Kathy Stewart, the various church ministries and Christ the King School leaders rallied together to throw a surprise parade on Sunday afternoon, April 26.

While the unsuspecting monsignor was escorted to the front of the school on

Monsignor Donald Zimmerman says he loved seeing children waving at him from sunroofs. His favorite car was Tom Merkel’s 1949 Cadillac limousine. (PHOTOS: KIRK DOOLEY)

Colgate Avenue by the Revs. Sean Martin, Tony Lackland, Arthur Unachukwu, and Bishop Greg Kelly, hundreds of parade participants surreptitiously lined up their cars behind the school.

Police officers gave the green light, and the parade entered Preston Road then turned west onto Colgate. With the Kingsmen (the

church men’s group) directing traffic, cars passed Zimmerman’s viewing area as television cameras rolled.

He stood and greeted his well-wishers as they rolled by. Dozens of decorated cars full of children, dogs, and hand-made signs poking out of sunroofs put a smile on the beloved pastor’s face. He was touched to have

a parade in his honor and was stunned that it just kept coming ... and coming ... and coming. In all, there were 350 cars and more than 1,000 Catholic well-wishers.

That made it the second-largest parade on Preston Road in University Park after the giant Park Cities Fourth of July parade.

Zimmerman’s favorite car in the parade was Tom Merkel’s 1949 Cadillac limousine.

He loved all the children waving at him from the sunroofs and the dogs smiling at him from the windows. And in one car two rabbits seemed to congratulate him.

“It was a great deal of fun,” said Zimmerman, who will officially step down July 1. “It was a glorious day, and the parade – like a carpool line – was invigorating. With the challenges we’re facing with the coronavirus, we are learning new ways to communicate, and maybe some of them are better.”

A 1965 graduate of Jesuit Prep, he knew at an early age that he wanted to answer the call of the priesthood. His teachers – the sisters and Jesuit fathers who taught there – had a profound influence on him. The Cistercian monks who taught him theology at Holy Trinity Seminary on the campus of the University of Dallas had an impact on him also. In his retirement, he’ll continue to live in the neighborhood; he’ll continue to love his rescued Cavalier King Charles companion and will travel to Rome as much as he can. He will not miss the administrative pressures of his job but will miss being of service to his flock, especially during the key moments in people’s lives – weddings, funerals, baptisms, and parades.

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parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 41

SPECIAL ADVERTISING CONTENT BRIGGS FREEMAN SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

A house in beautiful balance

DAVE PERRY-MILLER REAL ESTATE

Top-of-the-line townhome with elevator for sale or lease

EBBY HALLIDAY REALTORS

Elevating Real Estate and Putting People First

4517 Normandy Avenue, represented by Tania Boughton for $1,399,000 This is the definition of sophisticated living in one of Dallas’ most sought-after neighborhoods.

Custom-built by Crescent Estates Custom Homes and just four years old, the home beautifully walks the line between Contemporary and Traditional styles. It offers an open floor plan — 3,300 square feet in all — with soaring vaulted ceilings and natural light throughout. The bright, white entertainer’s kitchen is fitted with a Sub-Zero built-in refrigerator, a Wolf range and an island for casual meals, plus abundant counter and cabinet space.

The posh master suite is on the first floor and boasts a luxurious private bath. There are two flex rooms on the first floor, too, and a laundry room.

The home’s other two bedrooms and two full baths are upstairs.

The outdoor patio area has green turf installed, for low maintenance. With many post-construction upgrades and custom fixtures throughout, this airy, elegant home is a must-see.

4517 Normandy Avenue in University Park is represented by Tania Boughton for $1,399,000 To explore all the homes, ranches and land offered by Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty — across North Texas and around the world — go to briggsfreeman.com. And, for immersive video open houses and virtual-reality tours, don’t miss the new briggsfreeman.com/tour.

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

Chic modern living in the heart of Highland Park defines 43hundred Lomo Alto (4300lomoalto2.dpmre.com). Within the gated seven-unit enclave is this sophisticated three-story residence (Unit 2) with elevator. Built by AIA award-winning architect, Bernbaum-Magadini, the three-bedroom, 3½-bath home encompasses 2,948 square feet (per builder), and is available for sale ($1,550,000) or lease ($9,000) by Claudine King.

Inside, hand-hewn white oak flooring, Carrara marble, architectural windows, pristine gallery-style walls, and professional-grade stainless-steel appliances marry a sleek modernity with beautiful functionality.

Common amenities for the complex are every bit as tasteful as personal ones. Community outdoor dining, a grilling station and exercise room provide the ultimate in modern luxury. Serviced by HPISD and Highland Park Police and Fire departments, it’s in a highly sought-after location near Whole Foods, Highland Park Village, parks and more.

To schedule a virtual or in-person showing that follows CDC-recommended guidelines, contact King at claudine@daveperrymiller.com or 214-789-0101.

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate (dpmre.com) is a division of Ebby Halliday Real Estate, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, with four locations that specialize in Preston Hollow, Park Cities, North Dallas, Lakewood, East Dallas, Uptown, Kessler Park and Farm & Ranch properties.

Contemporary Homes Are Hot ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

Right-sizing your living space to fit your lifestyle

President & CEO Chris Kelly The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way homes are bought and sold and Ebby Halliday Realtors is at the forefront of combining agents’ hard-earned expertise and the latest technology to ensure easy, efficient and safe transactions for clients.

“We believe some of the new ways of doing business are here to stay,” says Ebby Halliday Companies President & CEO Chris Kelly. “Simply put, they are safe, streamlined and very efficient.”

While residential real estate was, and always will be a “relationship” business, there are safe, innovative solutions that are enabling today’s buyers and sellers to take advantage of a multitude of technologies across the entirety of the home buying and selling journey.

“Too often, consumers are being asked to choose between a technology or a traditional company to fulfill their real estate needs,” Kelly says. “From home showings, to mortgages, to insurance, to closings, when you choose Ebby Halliday everything can be completed efficiently and virtually – and when combined with the personal touch of a local expert associated with North Texas’ leading residential real estate brokerage, it simply is an unmatched experience.”

For more information about Ebby Halliday’s brokerage, mortgage, insurance and title services, visit the award-winning ebby.com.

THE PERRY-MILLER STREIFF GROUP

Classic Federalist Architecture on Dartmouth

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

Allman Sells Most Estates

When it comes to buying and selling estates in Dallas County, Allie Beth Allman & Associates remains the leading real estate firm. Last year, the Allman firm represented the seller or the buyer and sometimes both on 15 homes valued at more than $5 million.

Here are two estates currently on the market.

One of the last great estates on Lakeside Drive has come on the market after 40 years. The Old Highland Park estate at 4712 Lakeside Dr. sits on 1.3 acres. The majestic residence in one of the best neighborhoods includes a five-bedroom main house with a stunning entry, elegant living and dining rooms. There is detached quarters, and a cabana, tennis court and putting green.

A five-bedroom estate at 9207 Sunnybrook Lane is a contemporary showplace on three acres. Features include stone and hardwood flooring, a culinary center and a temperature-controlled, walk-in wine room. The master suite has a fireplace, secret garden and a spa-like bath with dual closets including a washer-dryer, as well as access to the backyard.

The upper level features four bedrooms, a utility room and game room. Outdoors is a pool and spa. There is also a guesthouse.

To find your estate home, visit alliebeth.com/estates.

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN URBAN

5506 Waneta Drive 3 Bedrooms | 5.1 Bathrooms | 5,753 SqFt Listed At $2,500,000 Elegant executive home meticulously finished. Located on one of the few corners in Greenway Parks. Home has been completely updated, remodeled and expanded. Venetian plastered walls, custom painted finishes throughout, French doors, unique vaulted ceilings with wood beams, slate roof and copper gutters. Master suite has a bedroom, sitting room, his and her bath, dressing rooms, large closets, exercise room and office.

5 zones of high efficiency HVAC, five custom fireplaces, oak hardwood floors, shutters on most windows plus many more amenities. Entire systems of the house have been replaced; plumbing, electrical, lighting, air-conditioning. Residence has 4 bedrooms; owners are using 3rd and 4th as library and study. For more information please contact Kyle Crews (214) 538-1310 | kyle. crews@alliebeth.com or Sanders Avrea (214) 458-1964 | sanders.avrea@alliebeth.com

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN Contemporary-style homes are so popular, it is hard for Allie Beth Allman & Associates to keep up with buyers’ demand. Designed to balance style with utility, contemporary homes are built to be in sync with the lifestyles of their inhabitants. Their common characteristics include simple, clean lines with open floor plans and large windows devoid of decorative trim.

Here are two contemporary-style homes that Allman associates recommend.

The two-story penthouse at the Vendome on Turtle Creek offers a rare opportunity to live above the crowd. The modern, four-bedroom home at 3505 Turtle Creek Blvd. #18C has more than 6,600 square feet of luxury urban living space. It was custom designed for flexible living and great entertaining, including a well-equipped kitchen and a 2,200-bottle wine room. Both floors have restricted elevator access A four-bedroom, newer construction home is found at 4678 S. Versailles Avenue. Features include hardwood floors throughout, museum finish walls, a wall of windows in the living room leading out to the back yard, home office and a master down. The kitchen includes a quartzite waterfall island, a Wolf convection over and Wolf gas cooktop. The lush backyard was designed with marble pavers and includes an outdoor gas pit.

Visit www.alliebeth.com to find your contemporary-style home.

Kitchens That Sizzle Offered for $1,295 ,000, 3214 Dartmouth presents a special opportunity in Highland Park.

What is the right size home for your life? We all have a sweet spot or two that tends to ebb and flow in our lives.

But the central question remains: how much space do we really need?

Every year it’s a good idea to take a serious inventory of your life, as well as your home, and ask a few important questions in the process. For example: is your current space benefitting or impeding you? Do you need multiple living areas or will a single one work? If you think your home is too large now, it might be time to explore right-sizing.

At Allie Beth Allman & Associates, we have experienced agents who are condominium specialists and know the ropes. From financial ramifications to exactly what type of home might be a better fit for a given lifestyle, our agents are experts in this area.

Right-sizing can also be an emotional experience, especially for those who may have lived in a home for many years. But size matters, after all, and an expert with a depth of experience in the area can help clients move beyond emotions to gain a more practical outlook on the options, and contributing factors including health, finances, family, and lifestyle.

3214 Dartmouth, built in the classic federalist style of architecture, is comprised of 3,295 square feet. This well-appointed home offers 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, 3 living areas, an elevator, and a 2 car garage.

Perfectly situated on a 50x150 interior lot with no through traffic and private access to the Katy Trail, this property offers a stellar location within HPISD convenient to Dallas’ best shopping, dining and schools. A front circular drive leads to a gracious entry flanked by the formal living and dining in a traditional center hall floor plan.

The main living area opens to a sunroom overlooking the backyard and is adjacent to the kitchen and breakfast area. The private master suite features a large bathroom with separate shower and tub, double basins, and walk-in closet. Also upstairs are two secondary bedrooms sharing a Jack-andJill bath and a fourth en-suite bedroom with its own bath.

Listed at $1,295,000, this home truly presents a special opportunity to be in Highland Park.

Contact Laura Michelle (laura@daveperrymiller. com) or Ryan Streiff (ryan@daveperrymiller.com) more information or visit DPMFineHomes.com.

Kitchens are the heart of the every home, and wannabe chefs today are looking for a home with a kitchen that is more than just a place to rustle up dinner.

Modern kitchens have become artistic studios, showcasing cutting-edge equipment in a beautiful environment where the latest recipes can be plated for family and friends.

Here are some homes the experts at Allie Beth Allman & Associates believe will wow any culinary artist.

The kitchen in the four-bedroom home at 3504 Mockingbird Ln. features elegant Carrera marble countertops, an island and commercial-grade, stainless-steel appliances.

In a large, 20-foot by 16-foot space, the kitchen has two pantries. The home has a wonderful floor plan with elegant living spaces, ideal for entertaining and family living. There is a wet bar with a Sub-Zero wine refrigerator and ice maker near the family room.

The four-bedroom estate at 4424 Manning Ln. was built for entertaining and beautiful living. The eat-in kitchen, near a dining room that seats 12, has a custom-built French worktable, two dishwashers and three ovens, including a Lacanche model beneath an inlaid tile backsplash. It has natural stone countertops, an island and a walk-in pantry.

The home has a wine cellar and two wet bars.

To find your perfect kitchen, visit alliebeth.com.

42 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com

Saying Goodbye at a Distance

maximum capacity. Her staff uses an ozone generator to disinfect the funeral home.

Restland Funeral Home staff members assume that every deceased individual they come in contact with is a potentially infectious case, said cemetery manager Mike Day. After a person is embalmed, open-casket viewings are allowed at the service but not graveside, per CDC guidelines. For those not

embalmed, families can view the deceased through a glass barrier.

Day has been arranging funerals through video conferencing. If an in-person meeting is necessary, only two family members are allowed to attend.

“Not being able to comfort grieving individuals in our typical process is upsetting,” Day said.

Hughes, Restland, and Sparkman/Hillcrest all offer live-streaming options, so hundreds of those unable to attend can view funerals virtually. Restland calls those “viewnerals.”

With restrictions loosening throughout May, larger gatherings that still involve social distancing were beginning to occur.

“Once families are able to not have to choose the ones that will be allowed to attend the services of their loved ones and not have the added stress of who can attend, they can focus their entire mindset on remembering their loved one and arranging the ultimate tribute to the deceased,” Day said.

day. Nedra Matteucci purchased the gallery from Fenn in 1988 and continues to exhibit Goodacre works of every scale.

Glenna shifted her career from painting to sculpture, moving to Boulder, Colorado, in 1974 to raise her children and to be closer to Art Castings foundry in Loveland. After her divorce in 1983, Glenna moved to Santa Fe. She had visited New Mexico for years as a child with her parents, who had a cabin on the Pecos River. Glenna also made many trips to Santa Fe and Taos as research for her art. She married Dallas, Texas attorney C L Mike Schmidt in 1995. Schmidt’s family in Texas also had a cabin on the Pecos, but he and Glenna didn’t meet until much later in Santa Fe. After they were married, together, they built a cabin on the Pecos. They also had a home for several years in the Park Cities area of Dallas, Texas, and a home in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Glenna famously built or remodeled a number of homes and studios around Santa Fe on Arroyo Tenorio, Camino Del Monte Sol, Upper Canyon Road, and Camino Del Norte, among others. She enjoyed close friendships with several local artists and collected many of their works. An enthusiastic traveler, Glenna visited China, Russia, Africa, Guatemala, Mexico, and made many trips to Europe. Glenna and Mike’s home is filled with artistic treasures gathered in her travels.

Among hundreds of honors and awards, Goodacre received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from her alma mater, Colorado College in 1994, and in 1996 she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University in her hometown of Lubbock.

In October 2016, because of failing health, Glenna Goodacre an-

nounced her complete retirement from sculpting, casting bronzes, and making public appearances. She destroyed her lost-wax foundry molds and gifted her clay, sculpture tools, art books, and studio equipment along with four sculptures to the New Mexico School for The Arts, an arts-based charter high school in Santa Fe. Glenna was preceded in death by her parents Homer and Melba Maxey, and by her sister Carla Maxey. She is survived by her husband C L Mike Schmidt; her son Tim Goodacre, wife Denise, their children Isabelle and Joe Goodacre; her daughter Jill Goodacre Connick, husband Harry Connick Jr., and their daughters Georgia, Kate, and Charlotte Connick; her stepchildren Ben Schmidt, wife Dee Anna, their daughter Emily Schmidt; Wendy Schmidt wife of stepson the late Michael Schmidt, their children Parker, Blake, Ben, and Reagan Schmidt; Catherine Snyder, husband Stephen and their daughters Annabelle and Gracie Snyder.

Memorial contributions in Glenna’s honor can be made to the Glenna Maxey Goodacre Scholarship Fund at the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation. For online donations, donors may visit https://www.kappaalphatheta.org/foundation-online-donation. Memorial donations made by check should be made payable to Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation and mailed to Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, 8740 Founders Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268. Donors should indicate that the donation is in memory of Glenna Maxey Goodacre and designated to the Glenna Maxey Goodacre Scholarship Fund.

Donors can also include a name to send notification of the gift.

In keeping with Glenna’s wishes, there will be no memorial services.

Last responders balance ensuring safety with bringing closure

By Dalia Faheid

People Newspapers How do you decide who gets to say goodbye to their loved one, and who doesn’t?

That’s a question many in the funeral industry have been grappling with since limiting funerals to 10 people.

“We always deal with people on the worst day of their lives, that hasn’t changed, but the worst day of their life is harder,” said Stephanie Hughes, who owns Hughes Family Tribute Center with husband DeWayne.

W hat Stephanie Hughes misses most is hugging families.

Still, she comforts grievers with regular phone calls, worrying

that isolation will make matters worse.

“I think the grieving process has become harder for some because they are not only struggling with the loss of a loved one, but they are also trying to navigate the changes in daily life with a pandemic,” said Dan Adams, funeral director at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home.

Because experiencing loss without community support can result in unresolved grief, Hughes plans to redo life celebrations at no cost after the crisis is over. Other funeral homes have made similar offers.

“It’s just harder to be in the profession right now, but we love what we do, and we work really hard to make sure that they have healing,” she said.

The pandemic has forced funeral to be small. (COURTESY PHOTO) Funeral homes have taken precautions like sanitizing regularly and wearing face masks.

“Funeral service professionals are proficient in managing pressure under normal conditions,” Adams said. “As long as we understand the regulations, we’ll find a way to serve and honor the families that put their trust in us.”

Hughes sets up stations so that guests are 6 feet apart and locks the doors so as not to exceed the

OBITUARIES

ORVAL DURWOOD VINSON

O

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GLENNA GOODACRE

rval Durwood “Vince” V inson was born in Whitney, Texas, March 14, 1941, and fell asleep in death peacefully and faithfully during a nap on April 12, 2020, at home in Athens, where he resided with wife Claudia Cercone Vinson since 1991. Vince worked in the Dallas Metroplex for 20 plus years.

08/28/1939 - 04 /13/2020

JAMES FRANKLIN RUSSELL

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ames Franklin Russell passed away on April 26, 2020, in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 78. James (known by friends as “Jim” or “Jimmy”) was born on October 10, 1941, to John Bedford and Ruth Russell in Jackson, Mississippi. Jim graduated f rom Murrah High School (Class of ’59). He went on to earn Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mathematics from Ole Miss University, where he was President of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He served in the US Army from 1965-1969, achieving the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, before earning an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1970.

Throughout his 35-year ca-

reer in business, he worked as a financial officer for companies including IBM, The Beck Group, Jackson-Shaw, and Collegiate Development Services.

He was also a long-time active member of University Park United Methodist Church. Jim wore many hats throughout his full life, but his friends and family will best remember him as a loving husband and father, as well as a warm, charming gentleman.

He is predeceased by his parents and brother, John Bedford, Jr; and survived by his wife of 38 years, Katherine Lynn Davis Russell, and children: Steffen Paul of CA, James Mark (Amy) of Parker, CO, and Lauren Stephenson (Brad) of Salisbury, NC. His grandchildren are Talia Grae Russell (13), Jeffrey Davis Stephenson (9), and Emmett James Stephenson (6).

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the Lewy Body Dementia Association at www.lbda.org/donate.

A graveside funeral service for family will be on May 5 at 2 pm at Restland Funeral Home and Cemetery in Dallas.

S

culptor Glenna Goodacre died peacefully at her home in Santa Fe on Monday evening after a series of illnesses. A Santa Fe resident since 1983, Goodacre had an international reputation but is most well-known for the Vietnam Women’s Memorial installed in Washington, DC on the National Mall in 1993 and for the Sacagawea U.S. Dollar first minted in 2000. Her largest piece is the massive Irish Memorial cast in 2002 for Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.

Glenna Maxey was born on August 28, 1939, in Lubbock, Texas, and knew from an early age that she wanted to be an artist. She was encouraged by her parents Homer and Melba Maxey, who were creative, second-generation builders and developers in Lubbock. After high school, Glenna moved on to study art at Colorado College, where she met her first husband, William Goodacre. Upon graduation in 1961, she returned to Lubbock to begin her career as a prolific painter in addition to being a wife, a great cook and hostess, and the mother of two children, Jill and Tim. Her first small bronze sculpture was cast in 1969 by Forrest Fenn, who at the time had a foundry and gallery in Lubbock. In 1973 when Fenn opened his eponymous gallery in Santa Fe, Goodacre’s art was on display from the first

parkcitiespeople.com | June 2020 43 O B I T UA RY

ROBERT EARL WILBUR

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obert Earl Wilbur was born September 1, 1941, in Evansville, Indiana, to Elizabeth Alice Smith Wilbur and Gordon Griffith Wilbur. Bob arrived in Dallas as an infant and grew up in the Park Cities, graduating from Highland Park High School in 1959. He attended the University of Oklahoma and then the University of Texas in Austin, where he graduated in 1963. Bob then obtained a J.D. degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1966. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He continued to serve his fraternity as a member of the Board of Chapter Advisors and served as President of the Delta Tau Housing

Corporation at SMU. Bob served as a Captain in the Army in Viet Nam and was the recipient of the Bronze Star in 1968 while there.

Bob was a practicing attorney in Dallas for over 50 years. He began his career at Republic National Bank as an Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer in the Trust Department and from there with his partners started their firm, Wilbur Hall & McKenzie, which later merged with Taylor Mizell. In another merger, Bob joined Locke Purnell law firm, and after 10 years, left to begin his solo practice for the remainder of his career.

Bob’s servant leader’s heart led him in many different directions in his lifetime. His entire life was one of distinction, and virtually all of it was devoted to serving this community that he has always called home. As one of his friends said, “I can think of no better definition of a distinguished life than a life lived in service to others. Bob Wilbur lived such a life”. He was faithful, kind, and eager to serve those in need.

Bob was a member of the Salesmanship Club. During the formation of DART, he was a member of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority, representing the cities of Highland Park, University Park,

Rowlett, Glenn Heights, Buckingham, and Cockrell Hill.

Bob served on the Town Council of Highland Park beginning in 1989 and stepped down after his term as Mayor Pro Tem in 1996.

He was awarded the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award from Highland Park High School. Bob was a member of the 1957 Highland Park State Champion football team, and he continued his love and support of HP football for the rest of his life.

He was an Alumnus of the Dallas Region’s FBI Citizenry School, a member of the Dallas Foundation Advisory Board, a past President of the National Kidney Foundation of Texas. Bob was a member of the Central Dallas Association and an Advisory Board Member of the Turtle Creek Association. He was Vice-Chairman of the Center for Brain Health and was a member of the Advisory Board, the Leadership Council, the Steering Committee for the Performance Institute, and chaired the Wounded Warriors Committee. Bob mentored veterans at the Veteran’s Hospital of Dallas, helping our wounded heal and readjust after living the life of a warrior.

Bob was an active member of the Dallas Bar Association, the

American Bar Association, The State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Estate Planning Council, and a former Director of the University of Texas Law School Alumnae Association’s Regional Board. Bob was listed in Who’s Who in American Law in 1996 and the Bar Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers. Bob was a frequent lecturer at local, state, and national seminars and institutes on estate, tax, probate, retirement, and business planning for individuals, corporations, executives, and professionals.

Bob was an active member of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, where he served as Clerk, Chancellor, and Junior Warden of the Vestry. He was a Trustee of the Saint Michael Foundation, Chairman of the National Advisory Board of All Souls Episcopal Church in New Orleans, LA after Katrina. He was Chairman of the Mission Outreach for New Orleans’ All Souls Episcopal Church.

These were just a small part of his participation at Saint Michael, a church he loved.

Bob is survived by his wife of 54 years, Nancy Hughes Wilbur and his daughter Paige Elizabeth Wilbur of Dallas, his brother-in-law George Hughes and wife Nancy of

Laredo, sisters-in-law Penny Freedman of Dallas and Laura Hughes of McAllen, nieces and nephews, Matthew Hughes of McAllen, Carrie Hughes Saffels and Nathan Saffels of McAllen, John David and Jessica Hughes of Austin, Amanda Hughes Fuller and Josh Fuller of Colorado Springs, CO, Joe Robert and Ashley Hughes and Megan Hughes Billing and Ryan Billing of Houston, and Adam, Jeremy and Courtney Freedman of Dallas, and his aunt Carolyn Smith and cousins Sandy and Susi Smith of Atlanta.

Our family would like to thank our “angels without wings,” Jo Dunfield, Eunice Njane, Joyce Mwangi, Pauline Mbugua, Alice Kori, and everyone from The Preston at the Park Cities and Sage Oak who so lovingly cared for Bob over the last two and a half years. A memorial service for Bob will be held at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church as soon as we are allowed to gather together again. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Center for Brain Health, 2200 Mockingbird Lane, 75235; Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 8011 Douglas, Dallas 75225; and the Salesmanship Club, 400 S. Zang Blvd., Ste. 700, PMB 777, Dallas 75208.s 75208.

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44 June 2020 | parkcitiespeople.com