Preston Hollow People December 2019

NEW STATE LAW PROTECTS RIGHT TO SPEAK UP AT LOCAL MEETINGS 10

DECEMBER 2019 VOLUME 15 NO. 12

“THE BEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN TEXAS”

PRESTONHOLLOWPEOPLE.COM

I 

WHAT A MESS City counts storm’s cost PAGE 8 Merchants need Christmas help PAGE 20 Educators race to reopen schools PAGE 31

BETHANY ERICKSON

POSTAL CUSTOMER

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT NO. 3210

COMMUNITY

SOCIETY

LIVING WELL

Showgirl gets extra curtain call 14

Women With Promise offers mentoring 39

How much do you want a Snowday? 46

PrestonHollowPeople

December 2019 Vol. 15, No. 12 prestonhollowpeople.com   @phollowpeople  @peoplenewspapers

2 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

SIGHTS AND LESSONS AFTER A TORNADO

I

f you don’t regularly find yourself at Preston and Royal, or Walnut Hill and Marsh, for that matter, you wouldn’t have a difficult time forgetting that a tornado walloped north Dallas on Oct. 20.

But business owners, residents, and students who found their homes, livelihoods, and places to learn decimated in seconds will never forget.

To see the toy store you routinely use as “incentive/bribery” to get fidgety children through a sit-down dinner at a restaurant, the book store that always provided book lovers a cozy home away from home, and the grocery stores where you could always count on finding exactly what you need – even on Thanksgiving Day – shuttered thanks to 140-mile-per-hour wind and flying debris is sobering.

To know that many of the owners of those businesses were local – and even considered friends and family – was heartbreaking.

I began covering this tornado from my linen closet on that Sunday night. Early Monday morning, I left my home with my camera and managed to walk near the destruction wrought on the Preston and Royal intersection.

There were buildings without windows, buildings without roofs, and mannequins on a clothing store floor, flung there after windows blew out, but for all the world looking like they, too, had taken cover.

I eventually made my way over to Walnut Hill and Midway, where Walnut Hill Elementary sat, pumBETHANY meled by the same E R I C KS O N tornado. It was stunning to think about how different these stories we reporters wrote over the past few weeks could have been if this tornado had struck at noon on a Monday, instead of 9 p.m. on a Sunday during a Dallas Cowboys game.

It was hard to picture all that chaos calming anytime soon. But remarkable things began to happen. Dallas ISD was able to put thousands of students back in classrooms in three days. Communities and neighbors rallied to help each other and the most vulnerable victims of the storm, the students permanently displaced from their campuses.

A documentary production team reached out to me two weeks after the tornado, and asked, “Do you think it resonates that tornadoes don’t care about how much your house is worth or how much you make a year?”

It does. But what resonates more is that in the aftermath, the communities that rolled up sleeves to help didn’t either.

Bethany Erickson Deputy Editor bethany.erickson@peoplenewspapers.com

Contents Crime ............................ 4 News .............................. 8 Community ................. 14 Sports .......................... 18 Business ....................... 20 Schools ........................ 31 Crystal Charity Ball...... 36 Society ......................... 39 Living Well & Faith..... 46 Classifieds .................... 51

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

CORRECTION: Woody and Meredith Abbott founded the Rabbott Company to provide products to help parents. Their last name was mispelled in the October issue. People Newspapers regrets the error.

A DV E R T I S I N G

O P E R AT I O N S

Senior Account Executives Kim Hurmis Kate Martin

Distribution Manager Don Hancock

Account Executive Tana Hunter Client Services and Marketing Coordinator Kelly Duncan

Publisher: Patricia Martin

Interns Tanika Turner Liliann Albelbaisi Lauren Daniels Dalia Faheid

Production Assistant Imani Chet Lytle Park Cities People is printed on recycled paper. Help us show love for the earth by recycling this newspaper and any magazines from the D family to which you subscribe.

Park Cities People is published monthly

by CITY NEWSPAPERS LP, an affiliate of D Magazine Partners LP, 750 N. Saint Paul St., Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75201. Copyright 2019. 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

4 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Crime

S KU L D U G GE R I E S of the MO NTH

BREAKFAST BANDIT An 84-year-old man’s day didn’t start off as sweetly as expected. Before 8:43 a.m. Oct. 13, a thief fled the Original Pancake House at Midway Road and Northwest Highway with the senior adult’s property.

NOT COOL! The high was only 71 degrees on Oct. 16, the day thieves stole air conditioning units from a home in the 5600 block of Purdue Avenue.

It was 88 degrees on Oct. 20, the day the property owner reported the theft at 8:05 p.m.

QUICK WORK At 11:46 p.m. Oct. 27, police recovered a vehicle taken from the 5000 block of Shadywood Lane before it was reported stolen.

THIEF STEALS PRADA Before 11:37 a.m. Oct. 30: a shoplifter snatched six handbags from the store at NorthPark Center.

WANT TO READ MORE CRIMES? SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER prestonhollowpeople.com/ subscribe-to-our-newsletter/

APPOINTMENT HAS DALLAS LAWYER FOCUSED ON SAFETY

By Maddie Spera

Special Contributor

A

Dallas attorney will focus on issues ranging from improving Texas’ driver’s licensing process to addressing mass shootings in his new role on the Texas Public Safety Commission.

Steve Stodghill, a Preston Hollow resident and founding partner of the Winston & Strawn Dallas office, took office this fall after an appointment from Gov. Greg Abbott.

“I went through a kind of lengthy vetting process with Homeland Security because the work that the commission does involves handling classified information,” Stodghill said. “The Department of Public Safety interfaces with the CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, and various other agencies

about issues that are confidential and potential risks to Texas and the United States.”

The commission also addresses natural disasters and even assists the Investigative Division of the DPS in conducting investigations for cities that do not have the resources to sufficiently do so.

Stodghill’s term runs through Jan. 1, 2024.

“We will have scheduled meetings announced every two months, and in those meetings, the Commission will oversee the good work of the Department of Public Safety,”

Stodghill said. “There are certain things that need to be approved by the commission, like policies, procedures, appointments, and advancements of individuals within the DPS.” Stodghill said that a big focus for him personally, as well as the commission as a whole, is to improve the driver’s licensing process.

“We are trying to streamline that and put in maximum effort into making it easier and quicker,” Stodghill said.

Another top priority is to address mass shooting issues.

It’s very important to me because I have a 12-year-old son that I want to see safe.

Steve Stodghill

Stodghill explained that state leaders want to use their most advanced efforts to anticipate and avoid such events.

Stodghill expects his experience serving on philanthropy and business boards will benefit and shape his service on the commission.

His experiences in Scouting should also help, he said, describing the commission’s work as a bigger version of the safety preparedness required for him to become an Eagle Scout.

“I was born and raised in Dallas, went to UT Law School, so I know the safety of this state is really important to everyone, and it’s very important to me because I have a 12-year-old son that I want to see safe,” Stodghill said. “It’s nice to be able to return some of the benefits of being a Texan that I’ve received for over 58 years.”

CRIME REPORTS OCT. 7 – NOV. 3 OCT. 7

Taken before 11:04 p.m.: a Lewisville man’s vehicle from near the Shinsei Restaurant on Inwood Road.

OCT. 9

Before 9:10 p.m., a Cedar Hill man had a knife brandished at him at Lowe’s on Inwood Road.

OCT. 10

No rush. An Oct. 10 theft from a home in the 8500 block of Thackery Drive was reported five days later.

OCT. 11

Reported at 12:36 p.m.: An employee had been keeping her own Victoria Secrets, taking property over a period of time from the NorthPark Center store without permission. Police arrested a 25-year-old woman with outstanding warrants out of Lancaster.

OCT. 13

Taken before 4:53 p.m.: a 62-year-old woman’s vehicle from her home in the 6100 block of Averill Way.

OCT. 14

Halibut this caper: Before 8:21 a.m., a burglar broke into Lovers

Seafood and Market near Lovers Lane and Inwood Road and stole unspecified property.

at Preston Road and LBJ Freeway with two cases.

Before 10:56 p.m., an unwelcomed guest entered a 39-yearold woman’s unlocked apartment in the 6100 block of Averill Way. The incident report doesn’t say what happened next.

No groceries? At 8:45 p.m., an unwelcome visitor left Central Market at Northwest Highway and Midway Road with a criminal trespassing warning.

OCT. 16

Before 1:38 p.m. in the 5600 block of Walnut Hill Lane, a bully struck a 25-year-old woman in the face, causing pain and swelling.

A decaffeinated morning? At 5:33 a.m., a visitor to Starbucks in Preston Forest Square got a criminal trespassing warning.

Your pain, crook’s gain? Reported at 9:18 a.m., the burglary of a vehicle at the Cooper Fitness Center on Preston Road.

OCT. 17

OCT. 22

OCT. 23

OCT. 24

Before 5:33 p.m., a 63-year-old man received a threatening phone call at his home in the 6000 block of Park Lane.

OCT. 25

Before 6:43 p.m., a 19-year-old woman “felt embarrassed” by the behavior of another NorthPark Center visitor.

What’s the hurry? Reported at 1:01 p.m.: the Oct. 21 theft of a vehicle in the 10500 block of Berry Knoll Drive.

OCT. 18

OCT. 26

Before 7:30 p.m., a quick-fingered rogue pinched the wallet out of a 64-year-old woman’s purse at NorthPark Center.

OCT. 19

Reported at 2:17 p.m.: a beer run. The shoplifter fled the Texaco

Reported at 6:59 p.m.: a vandal did $3,000 in damage on Oct. 25 to a Utah man’s vehicle in the 10700 block of Midway Road.

OCT. 27

Stolen before 11:51 p.m.: a vehicle from a home in the 5600

block of Southwestern Boulevard, a busy street for crooks overnight. Reported the next morning: the theft of a vehicle in the 5700 block and the burglary of a vehicle in the 5600 block.

OCT. 28

How did the vandal damage a vehicle parked before 4:26 p.m. in the 4400 block of Ridge Road?

“By unknown means,” police said.

OCT. 30

Three days after a tornado ripped up the Preston Oaks Shopping Center, someone slapped a 60-year-old man in the face at 8:44 a.m.

OCT. 31

Unpleasant lesson: Before 7:27 a.m., a burglar smashed the window of a vehicle at Primrose School of Park Cities on Inwood Road.

Trick or treat? Before 4:30 p.m., a thief took copper off a home in the 7100 block of Lavendale Avenue.

NOV. 3

Reported at 10:19 p.m.: A 68-year-old woman received harassing phone calls at her home in the 5400 block of Glenwick Lane.

8 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

News

OVERTIME, CLEANUP, REPAIR EXPENSES ADD UP AFTER TWISTER Dallas easily exceeds $38.5M threshold to qualify for federal aid

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

H

ow much does it cost to have a tornado visit your city?

The Dallas City Council approved spending $60 million on emergency expenses associated with the EF3 tornado that struck Dallas on Oct. 20.

The council decision, made at its Nov. 6 meeting, will help address the cleanup and damage to the city’s infrastructure wrought by the storm.

City chief financial officer Elizabeth Reich and office of emergency management director Rocky Vaz were among the city staff who updated the council on the progress in cleaning up.

We just can’t say enough about how well everyone at the city has come together and worked around the clock.

Mayor Eric Johnson Reich told the council that about $45 million of that $60 million would be going to infrastructure damage, removing debris, and labor – specifically overtime.

The city needed to hit a $38.5 million threshold to qualify for

BETHANY ERICKSON

Dallas approved a $560 million expenditure for cleanup and repair after the Oct. 20 tornado. federal aid. It nearly hit that in the $30 million it took to replace destroyed traffic signals and signs.

“Then we have emergency

protective services we have been doing since the storm, all the labor cost, the equipment cost, the overtime for police and fire, and

all of sanitation, public works,” Vaz said.

Fire Station 41 on the southeast side of Royal Lane is a total

loss, city staff said, and Walnut Hill Recreation Center and Fire Station No. 35, as well as the Park Forest, Forest Green, and Preston Royal libraries all sustained damage. Cumulatively, it’s estimated at a nearly $15 million loss.

The city does have insurance on those buildings, however, with a $750,000 deductible.

Nearly 400 structures in all were destroyed or heavily damaged, Vaz told the council. In total, 905 structures had damage.

A little more than $11 million to cover costs will come from the city’s emergency fund, which has a balance of $35 million.

However, Reich said she was planning on replacing that money in next year’s budget, as she keeps a watchful eye on a potential recession.

“I don’t know when, but I want the city to be prepared for it and potential flattening of revenue,” she said.

The city staff said it expected FEMA to kick in about $34 million.

The council was effusive in its praise for the city staff and crews that worked through the emergency.

“We just can’t say enough about how well everyone at the city has come together and worked around the clock,” Mayor Eric Johnson said.

The council also voted to ask the Dallas Central Appraisal District to reassess damaged properties and adjust tax bills accordingly, joining Dallas County commissioners who voted to do so the day before.

10 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

New Texas Law Protects Right To Speak Up at Local Meetings Dallas ISD, city had policies but made minor tweaks to comply with new rules

But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few tweaks. For instance, the Dallas City Council voted Oct. 23 to add boards and commissions to its open meetings rules, and Dallas ISD’s most recent meetings have included interpreters for Spanish-speaking commenters.

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

Back in the day, it was called a soapbox.

Nowadays, if you want to vent your spleen about something your government is doing (or not doing), the portion of an open meeting reserved for public comment is one option.

Only, until September, some governments didn’t do it. The law didn’t require it.

So, House Bill 2840 sought to rectify the matter and make public participation in local government meetings uniformly offered across Texas.

“Before House Bill 2840, there were concerns that some local governments were not giving the public a sufficient opportunity to participate in open meetings,” Texas Rep. John Turner explained.

“For example, it was possible to allow public comments only at the end of a meeting or even not allow public comments at all,” he said.

What does the law require? Residents are allowed to comment before or even during consideration of agenda items. It also allows for double the time for non-English speakers to accommodate translation unless simultaneous translation services are available. It still lets entities establish time limits and sign-up requirements.

It also outlines what kind of meetings and entities must allow comment, so committee

COURTESY DISD

House Bill 2840, passed in the most recent state legislative session, aimed to make commenting at local government meetings more accessible. meetings and other discussions that may have once been open, but not open to comment, are likely now required to offer it.

However, for most local governments, it didn’t change much. Dallas ISD and the city of Dallas already offered the public the chance to comment both on agenda items and non-agenda items, generally at the beginning of the meeting.

“I believe we will handle the requests like we currently do in a public hearing,” said Dallas city council member Jennifer Staubach Gates. “We hear from those that

have signed up on the item and then hear from anyone else in the audience willing to speak.”

Dallas City Secretary Billierae Johnson added, “On items other than public hearings, they must be registered to speak on the item. Once they are registered, the speaker will be heard before the city council considers the item.”

For Dallas ISD meetings, time is set aside at the beginning of the meeting for public comment, and commenters are also required to register ahead of time.

Before House Bill 2840, there were concerns that some local governments were not giving the public a sufficient opportunity to participate in open meetings.

John Turner Dallas ISD trustee Joyce Foreman said she welcomes the clarity the new law affords since she frequently uses the public comment portion of meetings to explain her position when she lacks a second trustee to pull an item from the consent agenda.

“I am excited about HB2840 and its ability to give voice to the community,” she said. “This is a monumental step for the community to have the ability to weigh in on items of concern that are posted on the agenda.”

12 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Tornado Leaves Chamber COO Without Home or Office

Many meetings go on thanks to members and others with available spaces

By Bethany Erickson

and Royal took a hefty punch from the EF-3 tornado.

“It’s only about a year and a half old,” he said. “The windows have all been blown off; the roof ’s been blown off. It’s now been boarded up. And there’s a lot of interior damage.

People Newspapers

From Oct. 21 through Dec. 20, the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce had 24 events or meetings scheduled, and not one of them fell through, even though chief operating officer Jeff Kitner didn’t have a computer, a home, or an office the first few days.

Kitner said his family went from either sleeping or watching the Dallas Cowboys game that night to huddling in an interior bathroom minutes later.

“We woke our daughter up and grabbed our dog, who is very stubborn, into the bathroom on his leash,” he said.

Even as the twister flew over their neighborhood, Kitner wasn’t quite sure anything was happening.

“We heard some noises, but it didn’t seem that bad,” he said.

“Once it all had passed and we got word that the tornado had moved elsewhere, I went out of the bathroom, and I went to our living room first, which has a skylight, and the skylight had busted, and I saw insulation and leaves and debris inside the house,” he said.

“And I walked around the front of the house, and it looked OK, so I thought, ‘This isn’t so bad.’”

He soon learned he was wrong.

“The roof had fallen into our master bathroom,” he said. “Now there’s a tree in our master bathroom. . . There was a transformer in our backyard.”

Kitner’s family spread out among three locations while seeking an apartment. It could be six months before they can move back home.

But Kitner’s experience with the tornado wasn’t relegated to just his home. The NDCC office located on the southwest side of Preston

Now, there’s a tree in our master bathroom.

Jeff Kitner

The Oct. 20 tornado wreaked havoc on Preston Hollow.

COURTESY JEFF KITNER

“But the structure seems to have held up pretty well,” he said. “But it’s going to take a few months at least to get it back to where it was.”

In the meantime, chamber staff is working remotely, and Kitner managed with help from the community to reschedule all those events.

“We’ve had a lot of our board members and know many partners who have offered up space for us to relocate our events and to work at,” he said.

Even with all of the destruction – the NDCC said that 105 commercial buildings were destroyed, and 354 were damaged – Kitner said he’s thankful it didn’t result in more injuries or loss of life.

‘I mean, this happened probably the ideal time because everybody I talked to was doing what I was doing - watching the Cowboys game,” he said. “They heard about the tornado warning, or they heard the siren, but because they were focused on the TV, they got the warning immediately and went into an interior bathroom or an interior closet.

“And, you know, that probably saved a lot of people from being injured.”

14 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Community

FORMER VEGAS SHOWGIRL GETS ANOTHER CURTAIN CALL Linda Stewart shares memories of performing with the Rat Pack

By Tanika Turner People Newspapers

A

n excited hum moved through the room as residents of The Preston of the Park Cities retirement community waited for the guest of honor to appear.

Many were thrilled to learn one of their neighbors used to be a Las Vegas showgirl and would show off her memorabilia at a community photo shoot.

Linda Stewart’s story begins in Dallas. She grew up in Highland Park with her mother and her father, who was in the U.S. Army.

Stewart attended SMU until her sophomore year when she won the Miss Dallas- Fort Worth Press Photographer Pageant. As the winner, she received an all-expensepaid trip to Las Vegas to audition to become one of the Texas Copa Girls.

She loves reminiscing about those times and remains quite the dancer to this day as an active participant in our recreational programs.

Molly Meyer While many families may have choice words to say about a child leaving school to perform in Vegas, her family thought differently.

“They were thrilled with it,” Stewart said.

JAMES EDWARD

TOP, FROM LEFT: Macol Stewart Cerda, Janice Haney-Plunk, Mary Black, Linda Stewart, Jocelyn White, and Stewart Stewart. BOTTOM: Linda Stewart showed off memorabilia from her days as a Vegas showgirl.

Stewart did not go unaccompanied. Her aunt traveled with her, eventually becoming the bookkeeper for the show.

The Texas Copa Girls - the

Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders of the showgirl world - performed at the Sands Hotel and Casino, now the home of the Venetian.

Showgirls during that time were

known for being elegant, graceful, and unattainable. One non-negotiable requirement was height. A short showgirl was considered to be around 5 feet 8 inches tall. They

were 18 years of age or older and usually had a dance background.

In Stewart’s case, she did not have any dance training.

“I learned while I was there,” she said.

Showgirls, while graceful and talented, were known for their large and lavish outfits. According to the book Showgirls of Las Vegas, written by Lisa Gioia-Acres, the girls would sometimes wear a costume that costs more than $12,000. That’s more than a headliner such as Danny Thomas was making per show.

Some of Stewart’s fondest memories were of the celebrities she had the chance to meet. While dancing with the Copa Girls, she performed with the Rat Pack – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.

She even went on a few dates with Sinatra, she said.

Stewart left Las Vegas after about four years, moved back home to Texas, and did several modeling jobs. One of her most notable modeling gigs was as the face on a Camel cigarette ad.

Stewart also played Pat Boone’s girlfriend in the movie State Fair, although her character lost the guy to Anne Margaret’s character. She, to this day, recalls her line: “Please come back alive.”

Eventually, life slowed down, and she married Maco Stewart III, a former member of the Texas House of Representatives. After having children, she continued to visit Vegas.

“She loves reminiscing about those times and remains quite the dancer to this day as an active participant in our recreational programs,” said Molly Meyer, the community life director at The Preston of the Park Cities.

Read About Stress, History, and French Flair The holidays can be a stressful time. Why not sit down and take a break with a book from a local author?

“Turn Your Brain On to Get Your Game On”

By Leigh Richardson $14.99 thebrainperformancecenter.com/ The founder of the Brain Performance Center in Dallas discusses ways to protect brain health, train the brain to reduce stress and anxiety, and what happens to our brain as we sleep.

“The Last Card: Inside George W. Bush’s Decision to Surge In Iraq”

Edited By Timothy Andrews Sayle, Jeffrey A. Engel, Hal Brands, and William Inboden $22.97 jeffreyaengel.com.

University Park resident Jeffrey A. Engel and others look into the process by which Bush came to authorize the deployment of roughly 30,000 additional troops to Iraq in 2007. They draw on interviews with the former president as well as former vice president Dick Cheney, national security adviser Stephen Hadley, secretary of state

Condoleezza Rice, White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten, and secretary of defense Robert Gates. “Readers will find this a gripping description of how the president made one of the toughest calls of his time in office,” Retired U.S. Army General David Petraeus said.

“French Refreshed”

By Betty Lou Phillips $39.49 bettylouphillips.com The Dallas interior designer recently published a new design book with a modern take on French design.

“Phoebe Douse: Secret Society for Special Abilities and Artefacts”

By Lucille Samuels $12.99 lucillesamuels.com The Dallas traveler and operator of a global education company introduces readers to a Texas teen with extraordinary abilities in her first in a series of young adult novels. “The foundation of these stories are built on history, culture, personal experiences and underscores that everyone has a special ability if they are open to discovering them,” Samuels said.

– Compiled by Rachel Snyder

December 2019 15

It’s Definitely Christmas It is always a bit jarring coming home to America after traveling abroad. The exhilaration of having experienced another civilization and seeing another culture’s lifestyle invites comparisons.

The credit card fraud alert LEN BOURLAND on my Mastercard (while traveling) due to crooks on a spending spree, the slight sore throat, and one lost pair of earrings in no way clouded the adventure. In my case it was hard to think frosty, Christmas thoughts having just come out of the jungle of the magnificent Iguazu Falls along the Argentinian and Brazilian border in South America. Yet upon arrival despite it being only Halloween, the holiday season was in full swing. It begins with candy and “Trick or Treat!” and ends with champagne and “Happy New Year!”

In this case I arrived to the comforts of home where I learned so many others had lost theirs in a freak tornado. My housekeeper’s family, some acquaintances, church members were homeless and moving in with relatives and rentals. My son and family had camped in my bungalow during their power outage.

It’s hard to think Christmas shopping and Ho, Ho, Ho! when for some there is still no longer a chimney for Santa to shimmy down. Yet everywhere in Dallas I also hear messages of gratitude: for a community coming together, that nobody was killed, that sticks and bricks can be repaired. Which brings us to the great message of Christmas: new life, hope, renewal, and, for many, salvation.

I’m still basking in the glow of the milestone birthday present I gave myself: the experience of the most majestic waterfalls on the earth. Think the force of Niagara, with the vastness of Victoria and then multiply it. The plume coming off the “Devil’s Mouth” could be seen for miles. I got rainbows and thundering waters and the shivers and tingles that simply come from bearing witness to something that has no words. It’s the incredible majesty of creation…like a nativity scene. On a late humid spring night in the Southern hemisphere the canopy of the Southern Cross blanketed my balcony. I definitely heard the heavenly host in those rumbling falls.

But It can happen anywhere. Despite the traffic and weather, look in the eyes of children singing hymns or dancing the Nutcracker, the halo that surrounds all new infants, the grateful smiles of the elderly when helped, or just look up at the stars.

It’s definitely Christmas.

Len Bourland can be reached at lenbourland@gmail.com

16 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Letters to the Editor Thankful After Storms I’m so thankful to all those helping us. I am so thankful no one was killed. But I hear reports of looters, and this is disturbing that anyone would add to the suffering.

Thankfully, there are more amazing people. To the owner of Benchmark Bank, thank you for letting me park in your front space.

You are a kind woman, thank you!

My little business is upstairs at Preston Royal in the southwest corner behind the bank on the second floor, DD’s Skin Care. I have spent the majority of my 38 years as an esthetician in Preston Center and Preston Royal. I love the amazing people in this area, so I gladly drive in to serve these lovely people.

Debra D. Heinsohn Forney

Prepared to Help

I am a Boy Scout from Troop 838, and I was wondering if y’all have included the information on how to help in the tornado repair effort. I recently saw an article on the D Magazine website, and I know y’all are associated with D Magazine, so including an article of that type would be very beneficial

Readers were thankful for neighbors and Oncor after the Oct. 20 tornado. to the community if y’all haven’t already done something like that.

Truman Griffith Dallas Editor’s note: Good idea, Truman.

Visit prestonhollowpeople.com to see more coverage.

The Other First Responders

I applaud the devoted men and women of the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue, who have worked around the clock following Sunday night’s devastating EF-3 tornado in Dallas.

But in addition to these brave men and women, there are other first responders, who are most often unnoticed, rarely recognized and nearly always taken for granted.

These “other first responders” have one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. These other first responders, on a moment’s notice, leave their families and the comfort of their homes behind, risk their lives and work tirelessly to help restore peace of mind, order, and comfort for total strangers. These other first responders are

BETHANY ERICKSON

by definition – “unsung heroes” they commit acts of bravery and self-sacrifice; they achieve great things, and yet, they are rarely recognized or celebrated.

These other first responders are the electrical linemen who work day and night clearing debris, installing new electrical poles, replacing damaged electrical lines, and restringing cables in order to restore power and keep citizens safe.

They come from across the country, without hesitation, immediately following natural disasters such as the recent EF-3 tornado in Dallas.

I was fortunate enough to meet some of these unsung heroes in my neighborhood this week as they were tirelessly working around the clock to restore power. These electrical linemen were from Oncor Electric and included crews from around Texas and from 11 other states. The crews in my neighborhood were with Elliot Company and from North Carolina.

Each and every person I spoke to was apologetic that they couldn’t get the power on sooner; this was in large part due to the severity of the devastation. There was not one complaint nor excuse; each of these electrical linemen exhibited the utmost professionalism, courage, honor, and self-sacrifice. They each had a job to do, and each was 100% focused on doing it quickly, safely, and correctly.

My hope is that as our lights miraculously come back on, rather than focusing on the inconveniences we endured, or the damages we incurred, that each of us realize how lucky we are that we were not injured, and most importantly, that we each acknowledge and celebrate the self-sacrifices and bravery of the electrical linemen who restored our power.

Please take a few minutes out of your day and take the time to thank an unsung hero.

Dennis J. Reinhold Dallas

18 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Sports

CENTER STAGE: HICKMANS EMBRACE FATHER-SON BOND FOR RANGERS

Jesuit lineman verbally committed to SMU even though dad was a Horned Frog

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

B

ranson Hickman has been a part of the Jesuit football program since he was born. In his case, that’s not an exaggeration.

It was the third quarter of the school’s homecoming game in 2001 when his father, Brandon — then an assistant coach for the Rangers — got the call to leave the sidelines and head with his wife to the hospital.

Eighteen years later, Branson has developed into one of the top centers in the Dallas area and has verbally committed to play close to home at SMU. That also happens to be where Jesuit played during his first game as a ball boy.

“I was really excited to play for Jesuit,” Branson said. “I had seen a lot of guys come

through and worked out with some of the players.”

So it was natural when Branson became the starting center at Jesuit as a sophomore.

He’s since bulked up from 230 to about 280 pounds and anchors an offensive line that paves the way for one of the area’s top rushing attacks.

After he outgrew linebacker in second grade, Branson switched to center, following in the footsteps of his father, who was an offensive tackle at TCU in the early 1990s and has been Jesuit’s head coach since 2011.

“I knew I wanted to play for my dad,” Branson said. “It’s been a lot of fun. He’s taught me a lot, and we’ve celebrated a lot of wins together. He instilled my work ethic and my football IQ.” Football is a popular topic around the Hickman house in McKinney, but not necessarily

Branson Hickman is one of the area’s top centers. about the Rangers. Father and son mutually agreed to focus more on family time outside the office. And at this point, Branson doesn’t necessarily require a lot of outside coaching anyway.

“He’s matured more each year, which has been fun to watch,” Brandon Hickman said.

“He’s been a great mentor for our younger linemen.”

Branson received a scholarship offer from SMU after spring practice and committed to play for the Mustangs in June. He

FRANCIS CELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

plans to make his decision official during the early signing period in December.

The surging Mustangs, of course, are longtime rivals with the Horned Frogs.

But Brandon said that wouldn’t cause any issues when it comes to loyalty. For now, he’s an SMU fan.

“I’ve got some buddies who are giving me a hard time, but it’s your son, and you have to be supportive,” Brandon said. “I won’t be wearing a lot of purple for the next five years.”

He’s taught me a lot, and we’ve celebrated a lot of wins together.

Branson Hickman

A Cross Country Dynasty at Covenant?

Teamwork fuels dominant individual achievements for confident Knights

By Todd Jorgenson

the runner-up this year.

The Knights have embraced high expectations, Golden said.

They expect to win from the first day of summer workouts. During the regular season, they compete in meets against top public schools to challenge themselves.

People Newspapers

More than four years ago, a cross country dynasty was born at Covenant.

The Knights had a roster loaded with freshmen surrounding Caleb Jones, a state champion runner (now at Dallas Baptist University) who broke the news to coach Michael Golden early in the 2016 season.

“The boys all looked at each other. We were young and inexperienced,” Golden said. “They just kind of decided they wanted to go after a title. They keep pushing each other. It was something I thought they deserved.”

Covenant earned its first team championship in the TAPPS 3A meet that fall. Since then, the Knights have won three more titles, becoming a powerhouse among smaller private schools in Texas.

At this year’s state meet in Waco, Covenant claimed its most dominant victory yet, sweeping all three positions on the podium for the first time in school history.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Covenant Knights claimed another cross country championship this fall. FROM LEFT: Seth MacKinnon, Edward Graham, Skyler Perryman, Jack Rowland, William Peters, Arthur Flores, Jack Peterson, Carson Peters, head coach Michael Golden, and assistant coach Megan Yohe.

Sophomore William Peters crossed the finish line first, about 20 seconds ahead of teammate Jack Rowland. Another Covenant runner, Seth MacKinnon, was next.

Edward Graham and Jack Peterson also placed in the top 10.

“They were racing each other in

practice. They were pushing the pace,” said Golden, who is also a theology teacher at Covenant.

“They refused to let each other slack off. It was pretty incredible to watch them during the season.”

Golden attributes his program’s recent success to that tenacity and

mental toughness, which has become part of the tradition at Covenant.

In 2016, Covenant had just eight boys on the team. Now the Knights have 22. Covenant’s girls squad has joined the bandwagon with two state titles and finished as

They were racing each other in practice. They were pushing the pace.

Michael Golden That will continue after the season, too, as Covenant will send some athletes to the Nike Cross Regionals South meet on Nov. 23 in The Woodlands. Then the focus turns to track season in the spring, before preparing for a chance at a five-peat next fall.

“It’s been an amazing ride to be on,” Golden said. “They’ve gotten better every year.”

20 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Business

STORES HOPE HOLIDAY SHOPPING CAN FUEL RECOVERY Twister leaves customers without pizza, merchants miserable

By Bethany Erickson

WHO’S OPEN?

People Newspapers

M

ore than a week into November, restaurant owner Frank Nuccio still didn’t know in what condition the Oct. 20 tornado left his Marco’s Pizza in the Preston Oaks shopping center.

“State Farm insurance and I still are not authorized to enter the center until the structural engineer has finalized their report,” Nuccio said.

“I fear I may not be able to salvage any of my equipment. The roof has been peeled off for nearly three weeks, and it’s rained a third of the time.”

The shopping center on the southeast side of Preston Road and Royal took a direct hit with the twister shearing roofs off stores and destroying windows and walls.

“My gut tells me they’re going to tear most of the shopping center down and rebuild, and if that’s the case, I may not be reopening for up to a year because I would like to stay in this center albeit in a more visible spot,” Nuccio said. “Perhaps some folks reading this are real estate agents that could lease me a temporary space in Preston Hollow that was once a small eatery.”

Ben Davis, owner of The Gents Place grooming and lifestyle clubs, has grown disappointed and frustrated with his landlord.

“I have gotten my attorney involved, as several other tenants have, and we are hoping they give us an answer soon,” he said.

Eric Davidson, a spokesperson with Regency Centers, the property management company for Preston Oaks, said access is coming, but the focus is on safety first.

“Some have been able to go onsite, but we’re also working closely with our structural engineers to see what is safe to access and what isn’t due to the damage from the storm,” he said.

In the meantime, all Preston Hollow team members of The Gents Place have relocated to the Uptown location across from Breadwinners on McKinney Avenue, and customers looking to support them

BETHANY ERICKSON

Merchants on the south side of Preston and Royal were the hardest hit by the Oct. 20 tornado. can book appointments and buy memberships and gift cards online, Davis said.

Businesses on the north side of Royal Lane are faring better.

“Since the tornado two weeks ago, we have successfully helped 90% of our retail partners reopen,” said Clair Wei, spokesperson for EDEN Properties, which manages Preston Royal Village.

EDEN helped longtime local institution Toy Maven relocate to Preston and Forest in time for the busy holiday shopping season, she added.

TJ’s owner Jon Alexis appreciates the community support.

“The way it’s brought this neighborhood closer has been something truly inspiring and has reminded me I can truly touch people’s lives in a unique way,” Alexis said.

Holiday shoppers can help impacted businesses who reopened, but what about those trying to recover from more intense damage?

The roof has been peeled off for nearly three weeks, and it’s rained a third of the time.

Frank Nuccio First City’s Preston Hollow diners may catch their favorite servers at other locations such as Fish City Grill Lake Highlands, Half Shells – Snider Plaza, or Fish City Grill Frankford.

Sedona Salon moved to Ovation

Salon Suites at 9100 North Central Expressway, and Interabang Books stayed afloat through online book sales until finding space at the Pavilion on Lovers Lane.

Hard-hit North Haven Gardens regularly updates customers on Facebook and announced that the annual Holiday Art and Gift Market would occur Dec. 7 at Northaven United Methodist Church.

“In the near future, NHG will be encouraging patrons that have been wanting to support us to shop in our temporary operations when trees, greenery, and poinsettias arrive after mid-November,” said spokesperson Alexis Patterson. “We’ll also be offering gift cards, garden coach appointments, and a limited menu of offsite classes and workshops during the holiday season.”

Aaron Brothers Paper Source Zoe’s Roam Starbucks Steelcity Pops Hair Bar Sephora Face Haus Lilly Rain Sur La Table Pure Barre FedEx Element Massage Ballard Designs Royal China Kasart European Wax Short Stop Cousin Earl’s Sport Clips Ken’s Man Shop Snap Kitchens TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill Shake Shack The Shade Store Premier Sports Chiropractic Tom Thumb Neuhaus Café Flower Child Dougherty’s Pharmacy Custom Ink Spa Habitat Pinkberry Chico’s Soma Dry Nail Bar The Cobbler Relax the Back Spec’s Barnes & Noble Princi Italia Interabang Books (new location) Sedona Salon (new location) The Toy Maven (new location)

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 21

Underground Parking Solution Must Wait

University Park leaders: Snider Plaza to get landscaping, utility upgrades

By Rachel Snyder

use 50 spaces in the parking garage at Hilltop Plaza at a discounted rate — for 65 cents per hour each.

The garage, at the south end of Snider Plaza, opened in October with the public allowed to use it for free for one hour, then $3 per hour thereafter.

People Newspapers

Snider Plaza’s appeal comes from its collection of longstanding businesses, not the shopping center’s parking, infrastructure, and landscaping.

“We don’t have a collective sense of trees out there,” University Park City Manager Robbie Corder said. “They weren’t planted all at the same time; some were live oak, others are maples.”

The city will soon seek input from business owners and the public and rely on Catalyst Group and Space Between Design Studio to develop a plan for landscape improvements at the shopping center at Hillcrest and Daniel avenues.

Utility replacement planning also will proceed, except for on the storm sewers, public works director Jacob Speer said. The stormwater planning will wait for the landscaping plan.

“The utilities in and around Snider Plaza, most of them are either in the alleys or in Hillcrest itself,” he told council members at a recent work session.

“What we’ve told the engineer to do is, right now, ignore Snider Plaza proper and design the utilities in the alleys and Hillcrest because all of that can be designed regardless of what we do and how we do it in Snider Plaza,” he said.

It’s essential to make sure the utilities ac-

We don’t have a collective sense of trees out there. They weren’t planted all at the same time; some were live oak, others are maples.

Robbie Corder RACHEL SNYDER

Snider Plaza boasts a mix of longstanding businesses and newer ones, but its landscaping lacks a cohesive design, and its infrastructure is too old.

commodate the landscape plan, Speer said.

“A lot of the infrastructure is at the end of its useful life. We’ve experienced some water main breaks in the area in the last few years,” he said.

Max Fuqua, owner of Plaza Health Foods, a health food store that’s been in the plaza since 1947, said he’d like to see more

parking in the area.

“We need more parking, more parking enforcement, and more parking for employees,” Fuqua said. “(Increased) online sales make it hard for people to come to a store without parking.”

A new agreement with SPC Park Plaza Partners will allow Snider Plaza tenants to

Speer said a parking study around 2007 included options such as using street rightof-way, increasing the number of spaces using a combination of public and private land, and an underground garage.

“That’s a very expensive option,” he said of the garage proposal. “Right now, we’re not ready to move forward with that underground parking garage.”

However, Speer said city leaders hope to design the infrastructure in a way that keeps the option to add an underground parking garage later if they choose to build one.

24 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Comings and Goings COMING

NOW OPEN

The Forge on Dyer

Class Studios

5615 Dyer St. Suite 100 This fitness studio focuses on whole-body wellness with training, performance, and recovery without the commitment of a monthly membership fee. Its grand opening is scheduled for Dec. 7.

THE FORGE

TOP GOLF

NEW OWNERS

The Conservatory

The Barre Code

5757 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 350 The studio offers a comprehensive full-body fitness program designed for women and focuses on cardio, strength, and restoration. It celebrated its grand opening under new owners in mid-October.

Preston Center Fitness guru Jasmine Zutter opened her first Class Studios location at West Village in February 2018. Now, the hybrid studio, which includes cycling and circuit training under one roof, has expanded to Preston Center.

THE CONSERVATORY

Highland Park Village Find some Hudson Yards New York style in the Park Cities. The Conservatory serves as a window into the brand’s digital flagship, theconservatorynyc.com. Find some products in the store. Order others for delivery.

Topgolf Swing Suite

8250 N Central Expressway Located in Doubletree by Hilton Dallas-Campbell Centre, the suite features two simulator bays that can accommodate eight players each. Guests can also enjoy baseball pitching, hockey shots, and other activities. There’s also a common area where guests can dine with food and drinks from 82fifty Restaurant and Bar.

Yeti

3130 Knox St., Suite 120 Yeti, known for coolers and cups that keep everything cool in Texas heat, opened on Knox-Henderson for only a limited time. The lease runs through 2021 but gives the Austin-based company a chance to learn the market.

30 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 11525 Hillcrest Road

T

ucked away on a wooded lot down a quiet country lane sits an enchanting Connecticut-styled estate situated on 1.35 acres. With more than 6,100 square feet of space, three-bedrooms, and a threecar garage, the traditional-style home features charming design and sophisticated architecture surrounded by the beauty of well-tended gardens. Constructed in 1941, with additions completed in 1957 and a total renovation/expansion in 2001, the

COURTESY EBBY HALLIDAY REALTORS

gated residence offers a serene retreat with magnificent landscaping on private grounds.

Highlights include the two-story library, exquisitely crafted by a local cabinetmaker; spacious master suite with living area, large closet, and dressing area, and gorgeous spalike bath; chef ’s dream kitchen with stainless steel appliances, plentiful storage, and stunning garden views; and formal living room opening to the magical courtyard with wisteria-draped pergola.

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 31

Schools

DALLAS ISD ‘MOVED MOUNTAINS’ TO RETURN STUDENTS TO SCHOOL

Plan for shuffling children to alternate campuses came together quickly

BETHANY ERICKSON

COURTESY DISD

Dallas ISD crews, staff, and teachers worked at a fevered pace to get students back in class after the Oct. 20 tornado.

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

R

eporters gathered for an update on affected Dallas ISD schools less than 24 hours after an EF-3 tornado went on a rampage through North Dallas, and heard superintendent Michael Hinojosa confidently declare the improbable: Thousands of displaced students would be back in class the next day.

But this story starts at 9 p.m. Oct. 20, a Sunday during a Dallas Cowboys game when Apple devices alerted with a tornado warning.

A scant minute later, tornado sirens sounded. By 9:50 p.m., the system that spawned nine tornadoes was out of North Texas.

By 10 p.m., Hinojosa said, the district got to work. Maintenance and facilities executive director David Bates headed out to assess damage to each of the Dallas ISD buildings in the path of the twister.

All told, 21 campuses and one support building were affected.

Hinojosa said phone calls continued among senior staff, and by Monday at 8:37 a.m., they began hashing out a plan.

Five hours later, they had one.

That plan had an incredible array of moving parts.

Tom Field Elementary, shuttered a year before, would become the new home for Walnut Hill Elementary, one of the three schools that received the most severe damage.

To basically be able to move what is essentially an entire school district on one or two days is just fantastic.

Dan Micciche Thomas Jefferson High would relocate to the former Thomas Edison Middle School.

Cary Middle School students would be divided between two neighboring schools – Franklin Middle School and Medrano Middle School.

Burnet, Cigarroa, Pershing elementary schools, still without power and with damages that needed repair before students could return, went to Loos Fieldhouse where all three simultaneously

held classes. By Thursday, every student had a place to learn.

“By Wednesday, we only had seven locations where we couldn’t have school,” chief of school leadership Stephanie Elizalde said.

But in that first 24 hours, the numbers tell the tale of a massive feat. Bus routes – 38 of them – were created out of whole cloth. Instructional materials were moved into buildings and desks delivered as teachers put them together to be ready for classes.

Three thousand lunches were re-routed to new sites in one day.

“They were going to move mountains to make this happen,” Hinojosa said of district employees.

Trustee Dustin Marshall, whose district (along with Edwin Flores) was the most impacted by the storm, called it “one of the proudest moments I’ve experienced as a trustee.”

“You guys just moved mountains in 24 hours, 48 hours in some cases, to recover from a tragedy,” he said.

‘I’ve never seen anything turn around that fast,” said trustee Joyce Foreman. “it wasn’t just one part of the city that hurt, when we saw those children, it was the whole city.”

COURTESY PHOTOS

Trustee Dan Micciche said he fielded calls from members of the Texas Association of School Boards offering support.

“One said, ‘ Well, you know 3,000 kids, that is bigger than 75 percent of the school districts in the entire state,” he said. “To basically be able to move what is essentially an entire school district on one or two days is just fantastic.”

FIRST 24 HOURS,

BY T H E N U M B E R S

38 new bus routes 3,000 lunches relocated 21 campuses closed on Monday 12 campuses closed on Tuesday 3 schools in one field house 75% – Number of Texas school districts with 3,000 or fewer students

32 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

After the Sprint, Comes the Marathon for Dallas ISD

Architects already designing potential replacements for destroyed schools

By Bethany Erickson People Newspapers

Two weeks after a tornado severely damaged three Dallas ISD campuses, district officials gave a surprising update: They’re already drawing up plans for structures to replace them.

Chief of school leadership Stephanie Elizalde updated on how students at the three most damaged schools – Walnut Hill Elementary, Cary Middle School, and Thomas Jefferson High School – were settling in to new situations.

The deputy superintendent of operations Scott Layne got down to what it will cost to make repairs and, in some cases, rebuild.

“What Chief Elizalde just presented is what I would call the sprint because we had to get the kids back, and everything moves so fast,” Layne told the board.

“The next part is the building recovery, and that’s more of a marathon, that’s going to take some time.”

The good news? The school district is insured up to $500 million, Layne said, with a deductible of $2 million.

“There are other entities that may help offset the deductible,” superintendent Michael Hinojosa added.

Structural engineers have been assessing to see what – if anything – is salvageable.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has toured damaged sites, so there is also potential for federal dollars.

The board approved a measure to give district officials the purchasing authority to immediately make decisions on several repair and maintenance issues created by the tornado, including buying heating and cooling units for Cigarroa Elementary and replacing damaged roof sections and floors at Burnet and Cigarroa elementary schools.

The district estimates that it has already spent about $1 million just on clearing debris, tarping damaged roofs,

It’s still early, but one concept for rebuiding three schools destroyed by the tornado includes a K-12 campus. setting up alternate school locations, and bussing students to new campuses.

“I don’t think it’s too early to begin thinking about what we would like to do in the future to rebuild these three campuses,” Layne said.

Since the district already had an architect working on the pre-storm Thomas Jefferson High renovation, he asked for renderings for concepts for that school.

Additional teams of architects were deployed for concepts for Walnut Hill and Cary.

“There are options here for a 6-12 campus, or even a K-12 campus with complete separation of the elementary school, which would allow us to possibly

utilize the Walnut Hill site for some other type of program,” Layne said. “Possibly a career-tech center could go there.”

The next part is the building recovery, and that’s more of a marathon, that’s going to take some time.

Scott Layne The options intrigued trustees.

“I love the fact that you’re already thinking about how to re-do T.J.,” said

COURTESY DISD

trustee Dustin Marshall.

“There’s an incredible principal there that has done great work over the past several years and has turned that school into a shining example of what we can do with our students,” Marshall said, adding that the school building should reflect that.

“The facade of T.J. has not been impressive for a long time. And in an environment where you’re surrounded by ESD, Hockaday, St. Marks, and Greenhill, curb appeal matters,” he said.

Edwin Flores, whose district includes all three schools, was excited, too.

“Think big, think long term of what this facility could look like,” he said.

 prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019  33

34 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Parish Breaks Ground on Performing Arts Center Parish Episcopal School broke ground on its new Noble Family Performing Arts Center at its Midway Road campus Sept. 27 and celebrated the completion of its $30 million “Limitless” capital campaign.

The 55,000-square-foot venue is scheduled to be completed in the Spring of 2021. It will feature a performance hall with a proscenium stage and seating for 600, as well as a black box theater seating 100.

Professional-grade features include optimized acoustics, a control room with light and sound equipment, a scene shop, dressing rooms, and a tailoring studio. Other spaces include dedicated spaces for dance, band, and film, as well as a gallery space.

“Just imagine, two years from now on this very courtyard, will stand a new state-of-the-art venue worthy of our students’ talents,” said Dave Monaco, Allen Meyer Family Head of School for Parish.

Among those on hand at the event were Natalie and Scott Noble. The new building will be named in honor of the Nobles and their children - Ford, Quentin, and Ava - who invested $3.7 million in the Limitless campaign.

campaign, helping the School raise $30 million and accelerate the vision for expanding the arts and passion-based learning at Parish. Other donors who made transformational gifts to the campaign include Nancy Ann and Ray Hunt ($5 million), Kathy and Tim Eller ($2.5 million) and the Goggans Family ($2.5 million).

COURTESY PHOTOS

Parish Episcopal School recently celebrated breaking ground on a new 55,000-square-foot performing arts center that will open in 2021.

The family has played pivotal roles in other milestone moments for Parish, making possible the School’s Gloria H. Snyder Stadium, baseball fields, and expanded programming in science and leadership.

More than 1,040 Parish families contributed to the Limitless

Common Unknown REASONS Why People Experience Dizziness.

You Know, That Dizziness That Just Takes The Enjoyment Out Of Life – Now What To Do About It!

By Leading Balance Expert, Dr. Jeffrey Guild, Physical Therapist Are you worried about losing independence because of dizziness or vertigo? Are you becoming increasingly frustrated with dizziness, unsteadiness, and a sensation of spinning interfering with your life? Here are some common unknown reasons why people can feel dizzy and a SOLUTION to get rid of the problem.

1. Vertigo (An Inner Ear Balance Problem): This is the classic spinning sensation when you roll over in bed, but it’s not always that simple… The symptoms can be a vague dizziness, unsteadiness, fogginess. This problem is more common with age and often goes unrecognized, but is simple for a specialist to identify and get rid of.

2. Moving Less Over Time: You might notice this if you become dizzy from walking and turning your head (Or maybe you don’t move your head much anymore to avoid the dizziness). Remember when you could ride a roller coaster when you were 10 years old but not when you were 40? To sum it up simply, if you don’t use it, you lose it. The inner ear balance system takes a lot of use to stay working properly.

3. Time Spent In The Hospital: In order to keep working well, our balance system needs us to be upright, move our heads a lot, and interact in a complex world (Crossing busy streets, bending down and picking up

grandchildren, turning our heads quickly to notice something interesting). Hospital stays do not offer much of these, so it is not uncommon for people to suffer from dizziness and balance problems for months and even years afterwards.

Want more information & solutions?

My new special report about vertigo provides Actionable Tips that will help you keep or regain your independence. And the best thing is it’s 100% FREE, and you’re under no-obligation to buy anything when you call.

IMPORTANT: For obvious reasons, my offer to send you this report FREE must come with a restriction on the number I can mail out… so it’s critical that you call TODAY and request your free report now.

What To Do Next?

Call: (214) 712-8242 (Leave a Message 24/7) & Choose: • Option 1: Have your FREE Report mailed or emailed to you • Option 2: Free Report + FREE Balance/Dizziness Testing Author Dr. Jeffrey Guild, Physical Therapist is owner of Optimove Physical Therapy & Wellness.

(214) 712 – 8242 www.OptimoveDFW.com J.Guild@OptimoveDFW.com

- Advertisement -

Just imagine, two years from now on this very courtyard, will stand a new state-of-the-art venue worthy of our students’ talents.

Dave Monaco The event also featured performances by Parish students and concluded with guests clapping in unison to “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, performed by the Upper School musical group Essential Standards.

- Staff report

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 35 the Don Jackson Center for Financial Studies, the MBA-Military Scholarships, and the David Miller Endowed Scholarship fund.

First Amendment Clinic

Largest Alumni Gift Ever

David and Carolyn Miller donated $50 million to the Cox School of Business, the largest alumni gift in its history.

This donation will help support the school’s plan to modernize curriculum by offering more scholarships, collaborating across the campus on new interdisciplinary programs, and enhancing facilities.

David earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and MBA f rom SMU. He has served on the SMU Board of Trustees for 11 years and as a Cox School of Business executive board member.

David said he appreciates SMU President R. Gerald Turner’s leadership of the university and the improvements he has made to both the university and the school of business. He also stated that Dean Matt Myers has a vision and a plan for how to take Cox to a higher level.

“Our gift is all about supporting that vision,” Miller said.

The Millers’ past support includes the David B. Miller Endowed Professorship,

Thanks to a gift of $900,000 from the Stanton Foundation, SMU’s School of Law will launch a First Amendment clinic that will focus on issues such as free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly and petition.

“We believe that freedom of expression and the First Amendment must be protected by enhancing law students’ understanding of the First Amendment and providing a resource for organizations, students, journalists, and citizens defending their First Amendment right,” said David Johnson, spokesman for the Foundation.

Tom Leatherbury, a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP with 40 years of experience, will serve as the director and an adjunct professor to help direct the clinic.

Tom Leatherbury

David and Carolyn Miller gave $50 million to the Cox School of Business.

Researching Minecraft

SMU Lyle School of Engineering, Guildhall, and the Simmons School of Education and Human Development are using a grant from the National Science Foundation to research teaching computer science and computation thinking through the popular video game Minecraft.

“We’re presented with the challenge of finding creative ways to positively impact student outcomes in STEM and the value it can provide in the learning experience,” said Leanne Ketterlin Geller, professor and Texas Instrument endowed chair in education at Simmons.

The research will study game design, human-computer interaction, machine learning, curriculum design, and education assessment

RACHEL SNYDER

by integrating STEM-based curriculum into the game. The research begins this month, with funding extending through 2022.

The goal is to create a more stable, ethical, Leanne Ketterlin Geller and inclusive data science workforce by enhancing the interest in data science to an assorted population of K-12 students.

– Compiled by Tanika Turner and Rachel Snyder

36 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Crystal Charity Ball CRYSTAL CHARITY BALL THEME TAKES TRIP TO SOUTH AMERICA

LEFT: Scenes from the 2018 “A Celebration in Nouvelle Orleans” theme. This year, the Hilton Anatole will be “South American Mosaic.” PHOTO BY KONRAD KALTENBACH RIGHT: Charles and Pat McEvoy attend the Circle of Angels dinner for the top donors to the Crystal Charity Ball. Pat McEvoy is ball chair. PHOTO BY DANA DRIENSKY

By Rachel Snyder People Newspapers

I

t’s a thankful season, and the Crystal Charity Ball — the crown jewel of Dallas’ myriad of spectacular galas— will honor those who helped raise a record-setting $6.8 million for local children’s charities.

The ambiance of the 2019 extravaganza will transport attendees to colorful South America.

This year’s event chair, Pat McEvoy, has served on the Crystal Charity Ball Committee since 2004 and held various duties within the organization. McEvoy’s also been involved with fundraising for Goodwill, Genesis Women’s Shelter, the Center

for BrainHealth, the Food Allergy Center at Children’s Medical, and more.

It will be lively; it will be fun; it will be elegant.

Pat McEvoy She said the theme of this year’s event, “South American Mosaic,” is a nod to her love of traveling and experience in South American countries.

“It’s inspired by Argentina and Brazil…and the natural beauty (there),” McEvoy said. “It will be lively; it will be fun; it will be elegant.”

This year, the record-setting $6.8 million will benefit the Child and Family Guidance Center; Community Partners of Dallas; Cristo Rey Dallas High School Inc.; For the Nations Refugee Outreach; Interfaith Family Services; Jubilee Park and Community Center; Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic Inc.; Mercy Street Inc.; Promise House Inc.; and Readers 2 Leaders.

There are an additional 100 committee members that help raise funds for the organization’s beneficiaries.

McEvoy said this year’s event would also feature a silent luxury auction.

Underwriters who give $5,000 or more will receive two tickets to the Dec. 7 soiree.

C RY S TA L C H A R I T Y B A L L

WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 7 WHERE: Hilton Anatole INFO: crystalcharityball.org

$149 MILLION raised for more than 100 children’s charities since 1953

Add Sparkle For Winter Formals It’s almost time for the grand dame of Dallas’ myriad of spectacular galas, the Crystal Charity Ball, so we asked the staff at luxury boutique Tootsies about some trends in formal wear to help get glam for the big event.

Swarovski insets will absolutely glow at Crystal Charity!

What are some trends in formal wear you’d like to see go away?

We would love for everyone to stop being so sensible when it comes to choosing a dress. Tootsies always loves a daring detail to set yourself apart in a sea of black gowns. Perhaps it is a plunging neckline or a metallic fuchsia hue; if you love it, go for it. With this year’s jubilant theme of South American Mosaic, we say embrace the bold and have fun with your formal wear!

What are some trends in formal wear for this December?

Sparkle is always an excellent choice for winter formal wear.

This year we are seeing new ways to shine from designers like Galvan London who are adorning their gowns with small, strategically placed strips of sequins as well as go-to designers such as Badgley Mischka that designed a perfect evening gown with a sequin capelet draped over the shoulders. Winter white is also a lovely trend for evening wear. Far from being bridal, a sleek ivory Safiyaa gown with minimalist

Favorite trends?

We love a long-sleeved gown here at Tootsies, and our buyers scour the globe for chic formalwear options with sleeves. No matter your age, a long sleeve adds mystery and sophistication to a gown.

COURTESY TOOTSIES

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 37

BENEFICIARIES CHILD AND FAMILY GUIDANCE CENTER

assistance. Its three clinics serve over 33,000 patients, 54 percent of them uninsured. It uses a high-volume group service delivery model, shared medical appointments, and an interactive approach to healthcare in a group setting that brings patients with common needs together with one or more healthcare providers.

The Commitment: $953,800 Established in 1896, the oldest child guidance center in Texas is a provider and referral source for mental health and related services for children ages 3-18. It is serving over 5,500 children and 5,500 adults a year.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS OF DALLAS

The Commitment: $660,552 The agency provides resources to the caseworkers of Child Protective Services (CPS), including items for children who have been removed from their homes by CPS. The agency served more than 20,000 children last year, 78 percent of whom are younger than 10.

MERCY STREET

The Commitment: $751,758 The Dallas program provides mentors, sports programs, and leadership development to children in grades 4-12. The relationships developed through the mentoring program and the leadership skills gained have increased the high school graduation rates of the student participants.

CRISTO REY DALLAS COLLEGE PREP

The Commitment: $910,799 Since 2015, the private, college preparatory high school has served students whose families couldn’t otherwise afford private education. Located in Pleasant Grove, it occupies a former elementary school campus designed in the 1950s to house 250 students. A corporate work-study program allows 472 students to work one day a week at one of 141 corporate partners. In turn, all corporate partners pay Cristo Rey Dallas for the students’ time, which offsets 63 percent of a student’s yearly tuition, allowing the family to contribute as much as they can afford.

FOR THE NATIONS REFUGEE OUTREACH

The Commitment: $711,857 The faith-based educational and family services nonprofit helps refugees adapt to life in the U.S. The agency has preschool classes for children ages 3-4 and after-school programs to help children with homework and offers supplemental reading and math instruction. An eight-week summer program meets daily with lessons in math, reading, science, and art, plus opportunities to go on field trips.

PROMISE HOUSE

COURTESY PHOTOS

INTERFAITH FAMILY SERVICES

The Commitment: $314,152 For nearly 30 years, the agency has provided transitional housing, support services, and children and teen programs for working families who are homeless. Also, there are programs to help parents become stable, obtain higher-paying jobs, and reduce debt. There is also free and low-cost on-site childcare as well as after-school and summer programs.

JUBILEE PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTER

The Commitment: $474,650 Since 1997, the agency has worked for

community renewal and enrichment to the Jubilee Park neighborhood, a 62-block area in Southeast Dallas. It offers after-school and summer programs and helps families and members of the community identify and access resources that help provide stability and enhance their quality of life.

LOS BARRIOS UNIDOS COMMUNITY CLINIC

The Commitment: $558,390 Since 1972, the west Dallas clinic has provided children with healthcare and supportive

The Commitment: $756,072 The agency began in 1984 to provide support for homeless and runaway youth with a 16-bed emergency youth shelter but has expanded programming to include crisis intervention, transitional housing, counseling, education, and outreach to neglected, abused, and at-risk youth. At the Emergency Youth Shelter in south Dallas, residents receive basics like food and shelter, along with access to medical, dental and mental health services, counseling, therapy, tutoring, and other educational resources.

READERS 2 LEADERS

The Commitment: $750,000 The literacy program serves west Dallas kindergarten and elementary students by offering instruction to more than 450 children each year with in-school, after-school, and summer camp programs. The goal is to develop and grow the reading skills of underserved Dallas children ages 3-12 so that they can succeed in school and graduate prepared to live productive lives.

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 39

Society

FOUNDATION AIMS TO HELP AFTER THE CRISIS Looking Ahead Women with Promise focuses on education, mentorship

JANUARY

10 - ARTS Awards, honoring home industry excellence, 6 p.m., Hilton Anatole Hotel.

31 - National Council of Jewish Women Dallas 107th Birthday Luncheon, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Dallas 31 - Big Climb Dallas, benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, starting times as assigned, Bank of America Plaza.

FEBRUARY

1 - Catholic Foundation Award Dinner, honoring Joe Dingman, 6:30 p.m., Hilton Anatole.

7 - UNICEF Dallas Gala 2019, benefiting UNICEF, 6:30 p.m., Ritz-Carlton Ballroom.

22 - Rhapsody, Turtle Creek Chorale’s Anniversary Gala featuring Tony Award-winning Idina Menzel, 6 p.m., The Statler.

Society Online

Visit parkcitiespeople.com to see galleries of these and other events: Jada Pinkett Smith Captivates Audience Jada Pinkett Smith captivated the New Friends New Life Annual Luncheon audience of nearly 1,000 on Oct. 11 at the OMNI Dallas.

COURTESY WOMEN WITH PROMISE

FROM LEFT: Board members Alana Ackels, Barbara Doucet, Leisha Cadwallader, Shannon Summers, Kate Lengyel, Dawn Wright, Lynne Stewart, and Jana Vanantwerp.

By Liliann Albelbaisi People Newspapers

I

n Dallas, many organizations serve women in crisis.

The founders of Women With Promise realized they wanted to be helping those women after the initial needs from the crisis were met.

“When you improve the lives of women, you have a lasting and cascading impact to other women and their families for generations to come,” foundation founder and president Leisha Cadwall said. She noted that helping women helps their children.

To that end, women professionals in 2013 created the foundation to utilize their network to help women in need get to the next step: education.

Marketing chair Shannon Summers said the mission is “to empower women to build a future filled with promise and success – which we define as having the ability to live self-sustaining lives that support women and their families.”

With fundraising and donations received, the foundation established a scholarship fund in 2018 to “provide scholarships for non-traditional students who have suffered a tragic life, homelessness, poverty, and abuse.”

Beyond scholarships, the organization helps those served jumpstart their careers by connecting them to a network of other women.

“Let’s support women through their journey, not only with scholarship money but match them with a mentor and tap into their potential,” said Shannon Summers, marketing chair.

The organization has raised $250,000 to date and partnered with organizations such as Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, Agape Resource & Assistance Center, Inc., Project Hope, Genesis Women’s Shelter, YoungLife, and the Wesley Inn at the Promise House.

Recent work included giving $10,000 to Hope’s Door New Beginning Center to fund education programs at the center. The foundation has also provided funding for Agape Kid Summer Camp, developed a 400-book library for The Wesley Inn at the Promise House, provided educational and life skills programs for homeless teen mothers, helped complete a home for homeless women and children, and provided monitored security systems for a woman’s shelter.

When you improve the lives of women, you have a lasting and cascading impact to other women and their families for generations to come.

Leisha Cadwall

Women With Promise is operated by volunteers with no administrative costs and all of its funds staying in north Texas.

Summers said she was personally moved to be a part of Women With Promise when the first recipient of their scholarship, who was a sex trafficking victim, was able “to dream again” with the help.

I F YO U G O WHAT: Cocktails, Couture and Cookies with Santa WHEN: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 WHERE: Neiman Marcus, 1618 Main St. TICKETS: $60 ($150 VIP) INFORMATION: womenwithpromise.org

KidneyTexas, Inc. Celebrates 20 Years Celebrating its 20th anniversar y, KidneyTexas Inc.’s The Runway Report Tr a n s f o r m i n g Lives Luncheon a n d Fa s h i o n Show brought f riends and family together.

2,300 Park Lovers at Park & Palate Park & Palate Grand Taste, presented

by R e p u b lic National Distributing Company on Oct. 26, indulged 2,300 Park lovers with tastings from more than 40 of Dallas’ favorite restaurants, pitmasters, and chefs.

40 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

UNLIKELY HEROES RECOGNIZING HEROES

Cassadee Pope

Kellie Rasberry

Shaun and Val Alexander Gary and Janet Greve

Taylor Dayne

Cathy Kelley

Anjelah Johnson

Ryan and Kelle Sherpy Steve Kemble and Chad Collom

Noel and Vanessa Bouchè

PHOTOS BY THOMAS GARZA

Rebecca Bender, Kathy Bryan, Jeri Moomaw, Erik Gray, Leah Albright, and Rebekah Charleston

Rich Emberlin and LeeAnne Locken

More than 400 supporters gathered at The Ritz Carlton-Dallas on Oct. 26 to celebrate the work of Unlikely Heroes, a non-profit organization that rescues and restores child victims of trafficking worldwide at the seventh annual Recognizing Heroes Awards Dinner and Charity Benefit. The evening featuring a live musical performance by three-time Grammy-nominated pop icon Taylor Dayne, an exclusive VIP cocktail reception, silent auction, and red carpet arrivals with special guests.

 prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019  41

42 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

$8 MILLION RAISED AT 21ST TWO X TWO

John and Lisa Runyon with Howard and Cindy Rachofsky Lucy Wrubel, Suzanne Droese, and Brooke Hortenstine

Teal Black and Eric Muscatell

Marguerite Hoffman, John Van Doren, and Aram Moshayedi Kristen and Joe Cole

Jennifer and John Eagle Jessica Nowitzki, Dana Arnold, Meghan Looney, and Nasiba Hartland-Mackie

Nancy Rogers and Hamish Bowles

Christen and Derek Wilson with Patty and Bobby Nail

Tina and Minjung Kim

Jordan Jones and Christian Munoz

PHOTOS COURTESY TWO X TWO FOR AIDS AND ART

On Oct. 26, the 21st annual TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art benefit dinner and contemporary art auction raised $8 million with funds benefiting amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Dallas Museum of Art. Five hundred people attended the sold-out black-tie event co-hosted by Cindy and Howard Rachofsky at their home, The Rachofsky House, along with Lisa and John Runyon. The Gala evening was designed by Todd Fiscus of Todd Events, who transformed the 7,000-square-foot geodesic dome tent into a dramatic Moroccan-inspired fete.

44 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

OPENING OF DEKELBOUM RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

Doug and Ann Smellage with Annell and Kelly Williams

Sandra Estess, Pat Staudt, Cecilie Holman, and Ronnie Holman

New family suite

Ronald McDonald with RMHD guest Larissa Dip

Shiloh (RMHD Chief Cheer Officer) with Jax (RMH Lubbock Chief Cheer Officer)

Karl E. Rathjen, M.D. PHOTOS BY BRET REDMAN

Suzy and Larry Gekiere

RMHD Young Friends – David Lisch, Katherine Bahcall, Dennis Moore, Ronald McDonald, Kathlyn McGuill, Caroline Overman, Madelyn Irwin, Chanel Patel, and Zahra Ali

Kelly Williams, Natalie Dossett, Heather Gandy, Jill Cumnock, and Bert Crouch

New butterfly installation by Carlyn Ray

There was much to celebrate on Oct. 10 when Ronald McDonald House Dallas (RMHD) cut the ribbon to open The Dekelboum Family Foundation Wing. The $11.5 million expansion at RMHD offers 30 new guest rooms, allowing RMHD to serve 800 more families per year while their children are being treated for critical illnesses or injuries in the Dallas area. In 2018, RMHD hosted over 1,400 families, but had to turn away nearly 800 families because the House was at full capacity. The 18,000 squarefoot, two-story addition, designed

by HKS Architects and built

by Hill & Wilkinson, includes two stunning art installations, six larger suites for longer-stay families, and 24 guest rooms.

46 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Living Well and Faith Things To Do

SNOWDAY DALLAS CAPTURES NOSTALGIA OF MISSING SCHOOL

Interactive photo experience one of many holiday-themed activities

It’s just so much fun to take wild risks and turn crazy ideas into a reality.

Scot Redman

Snowday Dallas includes six photo booths.

By Liliann Albelbaisi People Newspapers

D

allas residents have seen their fair share of interactive spaces such as the Sweet Tooth Hotel and Candytopia that were fully decked out with sweets.

Snowday Dallas is arriving next, and the latest venture from Scot and Kristi Redman is bringing more than candy to the Plaza at Preston Center.

The Redmans are known for many things surrounding fashion, photography, and film in Dallas. In the last year, they created an immersive 3D photo booth experience that included an array of nine

cameras that takes photos all at the same time to get the same picture from multiple angles.

While the end of November through early January will bring many holiday-themed attractions and events, the Redmans are offering the nostalgia surrounding the idea of having a snow day and being able to miss school.

Snowday runs Nov. 21 through Jan. 5. Tickets are $30 with children younger than 3 admitted for free. Visit snowdaydallas.com.

“We wanted to give Dallas an experience like it had never seen before, especially during the holidays,” Redman said.

COURTESY PHOTO

“It’s just so much fun to take wild risks and turn crazy ideas into a reality.”

Their goal? With the help of the Bayer Brothers and MOTUS, it is “to have it extremely interactive, and to hit all sensory levels.”

It will even be cold inside to further enhance the snow day experience.

Redman said the 3,000-square-foot space would be “insanely utilized” with 10 different rooms and six high-end photo booth experiences. They even managed to get an RV in there.

Guests have an option to have high-quality pictures that they couldn’t get from their phones, Redman said.

Holiday in the National Parks: Christmas at the White House 2007 When: Nov. 21 – Jan. 5 Where: The George W. Bush Presidential Center Cost: Included with the price of admission Get a peek into what the holidays looked like in the White House during the Bush years. The exhibit examines First Lady Laura Bush’s visits in support of National Parks. It features a replica of the Blue Room Christmas Tree with 347 hand-painted ornaments featuring scenes of the National Parks. Go to bushcenter.org.

The Christmas Village When: Nov.29 – Dec. 3 Where: The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden Cost: Included with the price of admission Park Cities residents Pauline and Austin Neuhoff donated a Christmas Village that includes a bakery, candy shop, and Santa’s house.

Visit dallasarboretum.org.

Espresso Nutcracker When: Dec. 13 Where: Majestic Theater Cost: $22.50-$32.50 The Dallas Black Dance Academy presents its second annual performance of Espresso Nutcracker, a different take on the tale. For one night only, see a jazz-inspired version of the original music by Tchaikovsky alongside Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. Visit attpac.org or call 214-880-0202.

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 47

A Magical Christmas Morning

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting I’ve always believed Christmas morning is positively magical. Our tall, fragrant spruce tree – freshly cut in the forest – glows with lights and glistens with cherished ornaments Randy and I have collected CHRISTY ROST since our first Christmas HOME + KITCHEN together. A fire crackles in the hearth, snow falls outside our windows, and holiday music plays softly in the background.

Each year, Randy and I spend Christmas at Swan’s Nest – our 1898 historic, Breckenridge, Colorado home. Our Christmas-in-Colorado tradition started when the boys were little.

We’d pack luggage, gifts, kids, and dog into the car and drive almost 15 hours nonstop to the family condo. Our quarters were cozy, but we cherished those mountain Christmases.

Our first Christmas at Swan’s Nest lasted three hours. We had purchased the house the prior year and were in the midst of restoration that would take more than two years. We were staying in the condo in the meantime, but had set up a tree in Swan’s Nest’s living

CHRISTY ROST

room, and packed gifts, Christmas breakfast, and blankets for the 20-minute drive to the house. There was no heat or running water, and it was minus 17 degrees outside, so we had hung sheets of plastic to form a cocoon of sorts, and fired up four electric heaters connected by extension cords to the garage.

No one removed their coats, hats, or gloves for the celebration. We feasted on homemade panettone and sipped mugs of hot cocoa and coffee, while opening gifts and doing our best to stay warm.

These days, Christmas morning is a more comfortable celebration. A breakfast of eggs, grits, and bacon or ham keeps us fortified after leisurely opening our stockings and the first round of gifts. But, we still begin with a sweet, homemade bread, and mugs of hot cocoa and coffee by the hearth. This year, I’ve created a recipe for super-soft cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting that ‘s sure to become our new Christmas morning tradition.

Merry Christmas and warmest wishes.

Visit christyrost.com or follow public television chef Christy Rost on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ChristyRost.

Sweet Dough Ingredients: in a warm place until the dough 1 ½ cups milk ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces 5 cups bread flour 2 packages active dry yeast 2/3 cup sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons salt 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: In a medium saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until warm, about 115 degrees. Remove it from the heat and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Pour in warm milk mixture and beat 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 minutes more.

Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and springs back when pushed with a finger. Transfer it to a greased bowl, turning the dough over once to grease its surface.

Cover with a towel and set it aside

has doubled in size. (I heat the oven for one minute just until it is warm, turn it off, and place the dough in the oven to rise.)

Filling Ingredients: ¾ cup unsalted butter, very soft 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1 tablespoon butter, to grease baking sheet Directions: Remove the dough from the oven when it has doubled, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Punch down the dough with a fist, transfer it to a floured surface, and knead 1 minute until smooth.

Roll it out on a floured pastry cloth to form a ½ -inch thick 11” x 14” rectangle.

In a medium bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice until it is well blended.

Sprinkle the mixture over the dough and spread it evenly to the edges with an offset spatula. Tightly roll the long edge of the dough to form a 14-inch long spiral, using the pastry cloth to assist. Use fingers

to seal the roll along the bottom and ends.

Grease a 17” x 11” x 1” baking half sheet with butter. Slice dough into 1 ½-inch thick slices with a serrated knife and place them on the baking sheet. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm place to rise, about 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool 15 minutes. Mix frosting and spread it on rolls while they are still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Frosting Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened dash of salt 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions: In a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and salt together with an electric mixer until well mixed. Add milk and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Yield: 15 large cinnamon rolls

48 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Holiday Guide to Shopping Better at Central Market

KERSTEN RETTIG

Central Market boasts aisles of tempting items and can get crazy near the holidays.

Nothing tests your reputation as a good or bad cook like preparing a home-cooked holiday meal. Good food starts with sourcing, and even if you’re a good cook, you can be a lousy shopper and vice versa. The mecca for top ingredients always, but especially around the holidays, is Central Market, and if KERSTEN RET TIG you’ve shopped there around the holidays, you know it can get crazy. Here are a few tips to reduce shopping stress: 1. Cart selection – now isn’t the time to employ the extra-long “race cart” your kids are begging to ride, nor is it the right time to teach your 4-year-old how to push a shopping cart.

2. There are about 10,000 varieties of edible, non-hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Central Market sells about 20 kinds at any given time. Some of them look pretty rad, I know. I love that your Oklahoma kin have never seen so many different mushrooms in real life but, it’s a mushroom display, not an eight-top dining table. Please have your extended family take shifts ogling the mushrooms so I can get the shiitake out of there.

3. If you have memory problems, please write down that eight-digit number for organic shallots, so the queue for the scale isn’t backed up to the fresh cranberry pond.

4. Please tell all family members to keep their hands out of the cranberry pond.

5. The gauntlet of meat and seafood counters is enough to make a person go vegan. This area is as crowded as I-635, but there’s no flyover express lane, so be strategic about where you park your cart so others can get through. And be ready when

your number is called.

6. Yes, you should sample that wine.

And that one, and that one, and that one.

And maybe they should put this sampling station at the front of the store so our senses can be dulled before we jump in here.

7. Pro tip: If you get tired of navigating your cart up and down every aisle, park it in the Asian food aisle because no one is ever there during peak holiday shopping times.

8. The spoons in the bins near bulk spices ARE NOT for taste testing. Do not take it upon yourself to sample 13 kinds of chili powder. And since this area also gets crowded, please let grandma know that, yes, they even have Lemon Pepper, so let’s not take up space looking for it.

9. Bread and cheese samples are just that, samples. Don’t ask the nice lady in the hairnet to make you a grilled cheese.

Use tongs, people, and if you’re sick, just proceed to the check-out line.

10. Please tell family members to keep their hands out of the olive bins.

11. Don’t write a check to pay for your groceries.

12. Happy shopping, cooking, eating, and happy holidays!

All kidding aside, Kersten Rettig, a Park Cities-based writer with more than 30 years’ experience in food and beverage marketing and PR, says Central Market is vigilant about food and guest safety, but don’t try to sample chili powder. Follow her on Instagram @KickshawPapers.

S O N G PA I R I N G “I Wanna Be Sedated”

by Ramones.

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019 49

Rate Stamps, Vinyl Records, Books, and Baseball Cards

Retiree’s love for collecting knows few limits

FROM LEFT: Lisa Solomon and Jennifer Helms.

COURTESY PHOTO

Gee, Your House Smells Terrific (But at What Cost?)

By Jennifer Helms

Special contributor

COURTESY EDGEMERE

George Clayton adorns his apartment with stamps, baseball cards, books, and John Wayne memorabilia – highlighted by the life-size cutout that stands guard in the corner.

By Liliann Albelbaisi People Newspapers

George Clayton loves to collect baseball cards, vinyl record albums, western books, and, most importantly, stamps.

“Once I get my teeth into something, I don’t hardly let go,” he said.

Thirty years from now, stamps will become completely obsolete.

George Clayton In the late 1970s, when his stepson, John, was growing up, they picked up collecting stamps together. As his stepson grew up and began to lose interest, Clayton’s interest waned, too, but only temporarily.

After he moved into Edgemere, Clayton decided to join

the Dallas-Park Cities Philatelic Society, and the joy of collecting stamps came back to him.

He has seven notebooks of John F. Kennedy on foreign stamps, two of Abraham Lincoln stamps, eight of presidents on foreign stamps, one of unused U.S. Mint collection stamps, and two of world stamps.

The ironic part of having all these JFK stamps?

“I didn’t like Kennedy,” said Clayton, a veteran of two Vietnam tours. “I voted for Nixon.”

Collecting stamps has taught him many things not taught in traditional education, he said. Clayton has learned quite a few theories that people have about the presidents, especially surrounding the assassinations of JFK and Abraham Lincoln.

His oldest stamp is of Benjamin Franklin from 1861, followed closely by one of George Washington from 1870.

He also knows that the most expensive stamp is a Led Zeppelin

MEET OTHER C OLLECTORS What: Dallas-Park Cities Philatelic Society When: 7:30 p.m., the second and fourth Wednesdays each month Where: Edgemere, 8523 Thackery St. incorrectly printed upside down.

Only around 20 of those are circulating within the stamp collecting community, he said, adding it’s the most expensive, “Because everybody knows about it.”

While Clayton collects stamps for the enjoyment of it, he also thinks they might hold higher monetary value in the future when they become increasingly rare.

“Thirty years from now, stamps will become completely obsolete,” he said.

But collectors will still want them.

A commercial for an essential oil diffuser by a mainstream air freshener company showed vibrant flowers and beautiful ocean waves and described its new product as “transforming natural essential oils into a fragrant mist.”

The images of nature and plants and reference to natural essential oils caught my attention. This sounds like a great way to safely deodorize a room or a house. No matter how well we clean, our homes can be the source of all kinds of unpleasant odors - from diapers to rotting food to sweaty clothes.

What better way to get rid of the stink than to get a really good air freshener?

Ironically, the products we know as air fresheners end up releasing synthetic chemicals that can cause health and environmental concerns.

Mainstream air fresheners typically contain a variety of synthetic “fragrances. ” They have a pleasant odor. but can include more than 3,000 different chemicals.

The EPA has found that the harmful particles released into the air by air fresheners (known as Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs) can cause respiratory irritation, headaches, liver and kidney damage, and even cancer. Now that stinks!

So, how am I supposed to get rid of the smell of burned bacon from this morning?

1) Open the doors and windows. Did you know indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air? Ventilate the house and get some real fresh air circulating. Now, if it is 100 degrees outside and the mosquitos are swarming in to enjoy your A/C, then. . .

2) Diffuse REAL essential oils in an ultrasonic diffuser. Be careful to buy 100% pure essential oils that have not been chemically altered.

We love and trust Young Living Essential Oils.

3) Try a stove top simmer.

We love this recipe in the winter months. It smells amazing and lasts for hours. (add additional water as needed) Fill a large saucepan or crockpot with water.

Then add: 2-3 cinnamon sticks 1 orange, peeled 1 apple sliced in half 1T whole cloves 1T whole allspice berries 5 whole star anise Bring to a simmer (or for a crockpot, set on low or high with the top off ) Jennifer Helms along with Lisa Solomon co-founded Cleerlife, a onestop shop for all things clean, green, and nontoxic. Reach her at info@ cleerlife.com or visit cleerlife.com.

50 December 2019 | prestonhollowpeople.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING CONTENT BRIGGS FREEMAN SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Properties where anything is possible

THE PERRY-MILLER STREIFF GROUP

New Construction Near Hockaday

6905 Vassar Avenue, represented by Joan Eleazer for $13,950,000

4708 Nashwood is currently being offered for $1,895,000.

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty has an unmatched legacy of selling homes, from historic to new.

But the brokerage represents parcels of land, too — in cities or on wide-open ranges — where you could build exactly what you wish.

One of the finest estate lots in Volk Estates, the 2.22 cleared acres at 6905 Vassar Avenue border Turtle Creek on the southern and western sides, making it the ultimate building site. Rich in history, the neighborhood is an enclave of prominent homes surrounded by parks — but wonderfully close to shops, restaurants and Dallas Love Field. It is also within the Highland Park Independent School District.

6905 Vassar Avenue is represented by Joan Eleazer for $13,950,000.

The Point is the rarest opportunity in Highland Park. At the convergence of Preston Road, Armstrong Avenue and Lakeside Drive, The Point is two properties that could be one ultimate address. Known as 4311 and 4321 Lakeside Drive, the properties form a 2.34-acre peninsula of trees, light and shade — offering intriguing possibilities for homes or an estate. 4311 Lakeside Drive is represented by Faisal Halum for $12,950,000.

To see all the homes, ranches and land offered by Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, go to briggsfreeman.com.

Exceptional craftsmanship and design situated on a 100x170 lot in the highly sought after Hockaday area.

This new construction home at 4708 Nashwood was just completed by JH Design + Build and includes 5 bedrooms, 5.1 baths in 6,401 square feet.

The functional floor plan features impressive finishes throughout along with a study, flex rooms on the first and second levels, and a 3-car garage.

The open living-dining concept includes a great room leading to a spacious backyard with covered verandah, grill and outdoor fireplace. The kitchen features a large island with quartz countertops and Wolf and Subzero appliances.

The private downstairs master suite boasts a luxurious bath and large walk-in closet.

Well appointed with attention to detail and quality, this is an incredible opportunity for new construction in the greater Preston Hollow vicinity Contact Laura Michelle (laura@daveperrymiller.com) or Ryan Streiff (ryan@daveperrymiller.com) for more information or visit DPMFineHomes.com.

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

Family Friendly University Park Has Beautiful Homes

University Park, home to Southern Methodist University and President George W. Bush’s Presidential Library, is one of the area’s most sought-after communities. Only five miles from downtown Dallas, UP is close to great dining, shopping and entertainment.

Here are two homes in this neighborhood to visit.

The four-bedroom Mediterranean estate at 3242 Bryn Mawr Dr. was designed by William Briggs and built by Tom Black. It features a front courtyard, while inside are beamed ceilings, arched doorways and mahogany flooring. The wellequipped kitchen features Brazilian marble countertops.

The master suite has an updated bath and is adjoined by an office. Outside is a covered loggia with a fireplace, glass pool fence and turfed backyard with a pool, spa and fountain.

The five-bedroom home with a stucco finish has a fabulous front with arched entryways and windows. The home at 4113 Colgate Ave. has a large living room with a fireplace.

The kitchen has top-of-the line Viking stainless-steel appliances and a beamed ceiling. Arched stone walls separate the kitchen from the family room. French doors open to the outdoor living space that has a covered patio with a fireplace beside a heated pool and spa, a built-in grill and flawless landscaping.

To find your dream home, visit www.alliebeth.com.

DAVE PERRY-MILLER REAL ESTATE

Perry-Miller Streiff Group markets updated home with pool

EBBY HALLIDAY REALTORS

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

GRAND VIE SHOWCASES LUXURY LISTINGS AND MORE

Enjoy Watching Football in Your New Home

Visit grandviemagazine.com to view the fall/winter 2019 edition of Grand Vie: Luxury in Living magazine.

The fall/winter 2019 edition of Grand Vie: Luxury in Living magazine, the luxury-home publication of Ebby Halliday Realtors, recently mailed to homes across North Texas.

The 28th edition of Grand Vie features some of D-FW’s premier luxury properties for sale and inspiring editorial content, including “The Art of Table Setting,” featuring ideas to elevate your tablescapes and entertain in style; “Weekend Getaways: Waco,” offering tips for a visit to the Central Texas city with small-town charm and vibrant local businesses; “Houses of Art,” highlighting some of the top cultural events of the season; and special sections for lake, farm, ranch and recreation properties. Also, in the fall/winter edition: “All About That Paper: Not Your Grandmother’s Style,” features wallpapering advice from local designers Shay Geyer and Tiffany McKinzie.

In addition to the exposure received from Grand Vie, Ebby Halliday luxury listings benefit from national and international exposure provided by luxury marketing partner Luxury Portfolio International and its website, luxuryportfolio.com, one of the most-visited luxury home sites in the world.

To view the digital version of Grand Vie, visit grandviemagazine.com. To learn more about Ebby Halliday Realtors, its Associates and all of the homes available for purchase in North Texas, visit ebby.com.

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

A Dream Mansion that Pays the Mortgage

Tucked away in a hidden North Dallas neighborhood on a corner lot just off Forest Lane near Hillcrest Road, is 6415 Forestshire Drive (6415forestshire.daveperrymiller.com). Offered by Karen Fry and Ryan Streiff for $1,499,000, the completely renovated four-bedroom home with three full baths, two half-baths and a fabulous pool area for entertaining.

After taking in the impressive drive-up and multi-level exterior, step into the two-story foyer of the 4,611-square-foot (per tax) home to see a floating stairway. Open-concept living and dining spaces with high ceilings, a light paint palette and large expanses of hardwood flooring, further enhance the sense of spaciousness. Windows galore provide natural light to show off its many luxe amenities.

Other noteworthy features: a remodeled kitchen with high-end appliances, first-floor master suite, large study with balcony, 50-year metal roof, three-car garage and whole-house audio system.

To schedule a showing, contact Fry at 214-288-1391 / kfry@daveperrymiller.com or Streiff at 469-371-3008 / ryan@daveperrymiller.com.

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate (daveperrymiller. 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.

Have you dreamed of living in a Gone With the Wind Tara-like estate where you could raise horses? But you worried you couldn’t afford the mortgage for such a spectacular property?

Ask Juli Harrison or Kimberly Rote to show you the famous Lone Star Mansion on more than 17 acres in Burleson.

This unique property is an antebellum mansion set in the Texas horse country south of Fort Worth. Offered for $2,685,000, the Lone Star Mansion at 629 John Charles Dr. is a 7,676 square-foot, five-bedroom estate, originally constructed in 1985. Like the plantation home in the famous Civil War movie, the home is set back along a curved driveway between white wooden fences. It leads to a circular drive in front of the two-story columned veranda.

Inside are exquisite interior finishes, crown moldings, marble fireplaces, hardwood flooring and glass half-moon transoms above double doors. The kitchen has curved walls and features stainless-steel appliances. The large, oval-shaped master bedroom has spectacular views. Relax in steam and dry saunas or enjoy a game of billiards in the media room down a curved flight of stars in the finished basement. Outside, a pool has a broad terrace.

A gem of this estate is the Carriage House, built in 2015, which is perfect for wedding receptions and other special events. The Carriage House has a commercial kitchen and walk-in cooler for catered events.

Picture perfect grounds feature a pond with a gazebo that would be a perfect background for wedding photos.

For more information, visit www.alliebeth.com.

Watching football at the stadium is exhilarating, but with today’s luxuries, the best way to enjoy every run, pass or kick may be in your own home.

Relax in your overstuffed chair as you watch the games on a giant screen television with high-quality speakers that bring all the game’s sights and sounds to you. And delight in the luxury of having a well-stocked refrigerator only feet away. A place to invite your friends and family to your new home to root in comfort for your favorite teams.

Here are two Football Friendly Homes.

The five-bedroom transitional classic home, built in 2018, has timeless architecture and is designed with all the modern technology. The home at 6466 Lavendale Ave. in Preston Hollow features both a media room and game room for football-watching parties.

It has an island kitchen and a separate catering kitchen.

The two-bedroom home at 5710 Orchid Ln. in Preston Hollow has been totally updated. It features an open floor plan with a quartz fireplace, hardwood flooring and a vaulted ceiling. In the kitchen are stainless-steel appliances, quartz countertops, a gas range, coffee bar and a decorative accent wall.

To find your perfect game day home, visit www.alliebeth.com.

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN

High Rise Homes Present Exciting Opportunities

High-rise living these days offers a wide range of options.

Residences feature spectacular views and amenities that appeal to all generations. The buildings are close to some of the city’s best dining and entertainment.

Most buildings put a premium on service and security, with a concierge and parking valet, making your high-rise residence a perfect place to call home. There are holiday parties, weekend get-togethers and other resident events that create lasting friendships.

Here are two homes in high-rise buildings that view.

In the prestigious high-rise, The Residences at the Ritz Carlton, there is a four-bedroom custom-designed home with two large master suites. The home at 2555 N. Pearl St., No. 202, features two living and dining rooms and hardwood flooring throughout the 4,256 square feet of living space. An oversized terrace has tree-top views of the private pool and courtyard.

In the luxurious Azure, a two-bedroom, corner-unit res idence has more than 1,400 square feet of living space. The condominium at 2900 McKinnon St., No.1004, has an open floor plan with a kitchen that has Sub-Zero and Miele appliances, a built-in espresso maker, wine refrigerator and gas cooktop. The residence also features an outdoor balcony that overlooks vibrant Uptown.

To find your high-rise dream home, visit www.alliebeth.com.

ALLIE BETH ALLMAN URBAN

2555 N Pearl Street #RR4 3 Bedrooms | 4.1 Baths | 6,079 SqFt Offered For $6,700,000

Designed by renowned architect Robert A. M. Stern and finished by Mark Molthan, Platinum Custom Homes, this stunning, one of a kind 6,079 sf brownstone inspired, contemporary townhome has three bedrooms and a study with a full bath that could be a fourth bedroom. High speed elevator connects the private garage with all levels of luxury living. Custom finishes and furnishings by acclaimed artist and designer Allen Kirsch. Regency Row is a private enclave of custom homes at The Tower Residences at the Ritz-Carlton. Owners enjoy 5-star services from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

For more information please contact Kyle Crews (214) 538-1310.

prestonhollowpeople.com | December 2019  51

Churches Celebrate Christmas With Songs

By Tanika Turner People Newspapers

The holidays are a time for fun, family, friends, and music.

These and other area churches will offer the sounds of the Christmas season. Go back to the manger, experience songs and flavors from around the world, and enjoy instrumental takes on favorite carols.

A Journey to the Manger When: Dec. 8 Where: H. P. United Methodist Church Cost: $20 adults; $15 students

For the annual Tower Arts Concerts, conducted by Alan Raines, the Highland Park Methodist Church Chancel Choir and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will lead a musical journey to where it all began: back to the manager. Performances are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Visit hpumc.org.

All the Nations Music Festival When: Dec. 14 Where: Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School Park Cities Baptist Church teams up with the Dallas Zomi Community Church and the Healing Hands Community

Church for the All the Nations Music Festival. The holiday celebration starts at 1:30 p.m. and includes music and food from all around the world. Visit pcbc.org/events.

Christmas Pipings: A Holiday Concert When: Dec. 10 Where: Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Cost: Free The concert featuring Ryan Anthony on the trumpet, Gary Beard on the organ/ piano, and PHPC’s own Bradley Hunter Welch will include Christmas favorites from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Visit phpc.org/event.

COURTESY PHPC

FROM LEFT: Ryan Anthony and Gary Beard will perform Dec. 9 at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church.

CLASSIFIEDS To place your ad in People Newspapers, please call us at 214-523-5239, fax to 214-594-5779, or e-mail to classified@peoplenewspapers.com. All ads will run in Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People and online on both websites. Pre-payment is required on all ads. Deadline for our next edition is Monday, Dec. 2. People Newspapers reserves the right to edit or reject ads.

We assume no liability for errors or omissions in advertisements and no responsibility beyond the cost of the ad. We are responsible only for the first incorrect insertion.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

H E A LT H

HOME SERVICES

BURIAL PROPERTIES

Premier Family Estate burial property at Sparkman/Hillcrest with Internment Rights for up to Twelve individuals.

Property is private, hedged and landscaped, and carries forward a Forever Perpetual Maintenance agreement.

For further detail please contact owner by telephone 214.585.2609 or via email: fmafg@mac.com CHILD CARE

HOME SERVICES

#1 Home Cleaning Service for a Reason! www.DallasMaids.com (469) 487-6669

Dina Taylor

Professional Organizer

EASILY ORGANIZED

941-921-5066

www.easilyorganized.com HEALTH

Weight Loss, Energy, Focus,

Depression, Impotency and Fatigue etc.

FIREWOOD DELIVERY SPLIT SEASONED OAK 972-333-8444

R E A L E S TAT E

Leslie Duong, 214-887-8325 LESLIEDUONG.COM BS Biology, Health Nutritionist, Licensed Herbalist

BE SEEN. BE HEARD. BE HERE. Classifieds: 214.523.5239