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Ursuline senior Ella Kate Nayfa is bringing movie magic to Children’s Health patients
Story by NIKI GUMMADI
Photography by JESSICA TURNER
For Ursuline Academy of Dallas senior Ella Kate Nayfa, movie nights have turned into a mission. When she was 13, Nayfa and her friend Barrett Gibbons, now a senior at Jesuit Dallas, launched Movies with a Mission. The nonprofit hosts screenings at AMC NorthPark to raise money for Children’s Health Dallas. After over four years and $100,000 raised, the pair has grown their impact beyond the box office. Last summer, they started the nonprofit Smile Cinema, bringing themed movie nights directly to Children’s Health patients.
HOW DID MOVIES WITH A MISSION START?
Barrett, the other co-founder, is one of my best friends. We’ve been friends our whole lives, and our moms have always been super close. They’ve always been a part of Children’s Health. Around the time we started it, I got TikTok for the first time, and I wasn’t
used to seeing all these videos of people’s perspectives on mental health and how bad it can be at such a young age. I would show my mom, and she was like, “You can talk to people at Children’s hospital and talk about what causes anxiety, what causes depression, what these kids are going through in the hospital.” So, I met with a girl named Holly at Children’s Health, and that was a moment where I was like, “I want to start a nonprofit for these kids in the hospital.” I realized how much I loved working with kids, and I wanted to use that to my full advantage.
HOW HAS THE ORGANIZATION CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED IT?
We’ve partnered with AMC all four years, but before, we couldn’t really get the biggest theater in AMC. It was super small, not a huge crowd. We weren’t really sure on decorations. There was no organization at all.
But last year was our biggest year. In the fall, we had a screening of Wicked as our biggest event, and I was so happy. There were so many people. We had a DJ, and we rented out the biggest theater in AMC NorthPark.The growth of it was awesome to me. We really became a lot more responsible and took it more serious every year. I’m just so much closer with the kids, so it makes it even more fun for me to host these events. It makes me super happy.
WHAT MADE YOU GUYS WANT TO START SMILE CINEMA?
Barrett and I do a volunteer program every year at Children’s Health. I was like, “I see these kids so much, but I’ve never actually had a film screening for them,” because they’re not allowed to leave the hospital. Maybe a few are, but I don’t want to do that if not all of them can. So once we had a meeting, I was telling everyone that
they couldn’t come to us, so we should come to them. So we went to them in the hospital, and we screened Lilo & Stitch . We had pizza, we had non-salted, non-buttered popcorn. They were super happy, and they also all got a chance to connect in a way, too.
IS THERE A MOMENT WITH MOVIES WITH A MISSION THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS PARTICULARLY REWARDING?
The screening of Wicked last year. Seeing all those people, like even the kids I babysit, and just the people I wouldn’t expect. My dance instructors and all my friends came to support me. I think just all the support really overall made me super happy. Another time was with Smile Cinema. Seeing the kids talk to me and thank me made me super emotional.
YOU AND BARRETT ARE BOTH SENIORS THIS YEAR. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF MOVIES WITH A MISSION/ SMILE CINEMA LOOK LIKE?
I still want to pursue Movies with a Mission in college because I don’t think it would necessarily be too hard if I ended up in the area. If I ended up further away, it might be a little more difficult. But what I’m hoping to do is do Movies with a Mission in different locations. If I do that in college and end up not having the time anymore, I would love to pass it down to a member that has always been super loyal to the charity, been to every ambassador meeting.
WHA T HAVE YOU LEARNED THROUGH THIS PROCESS?
I just learned that I love to be a leader. I feel like when I was younger, I would hold back from speaking up for myself. I knew it was always the right thing to help others out, but I would never really think about it in depth. I think just knowing how great of a leader I can become and how much I really do love helping people and doing good deeds. This charity has really helped me also become closer with God. I think now I’ve been thanking God every day for this charity and what it’s brought me.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
1,600 HOOVES
The Friends of the Northaven Trail are on a no-mow mission
They’re not your average city workers.
On Oct. 15, around 400 sheep and goats clocked in at the Northaven Trail for their latest project: eat, trample, fertilize, repeat.
The herd is part of a pilot project called Northaven TAILS organized by Friends of Northaven Trail. A partnership with the City and Open Space — a company based in The Colony — the project is aimed at testing a natural, low-impact way to maintain and restore native plants along the trail.
“One of our long-term goals is to rewild the entire trail, bringing in just native species all the way from plants all the way down to the grasses,” Friends member Will Dawson says.
The Friends reseed the over 50 no-mow pollinator zones along the trail each fall. Despite their name, these zones still need to be mowed once a year to prepare the soil for reseeding. This year, however, 30 of the zones will see the mowers replaced with natural grazers.
The animals are set to graze three different stretches of the trail, with the first stretch running between U.S. 75 and St. Jude Center. The second will run between Inwood Road and College Park, and the third
will run south between Royal Lane slightly past Merrell Road, just east of Webb Chapel Road. Between each section, the herd will be loaded onto trailers and taken to the next.
According to Dallas Park and Recreation urban biologist Chris Morris, the herd should be able to clear about one acre per day, depending on the weather and how quickly they eat. In addition to the sheep and goats, Open Space provides shepherds, a trained Border Collie as a herding dog and fencing to keep the animals contained and safe.
The start of the project was originally expected to be in late September but was delayed, in part due to the logistics involved in transporting the number of animals being used. The grazers come from several farms across the DFW area, and transporting them safely takes coordination. Morris says this can typically only be done during cooler weather to avoid the animals sitting in trailers in the heat.
Dawson says the idea for Northaven TAILS came about during a Friends meeting in the spring, when someone suggested bringing around 20 sheep to graze parts of the trail. The group took the idea to Morris, who explained the benefits of such a project. Natural grazers eat away the thatch layer that builds up over time and blocks
germination. While they graze, their hooves break up compacted soil while pushing native seeds into the ground, improving growth and helping the seeds take root.
Morris says natural mowing projects like this can be better for the environment and the people that use the trail. Traditional mowing is typically done with machines that use fossil fuels and release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Morris says the weight of these machines can compact the soil, making it harder for plants to grow.
When native vegetation is restored, however, grasses and wildflowers can help cool the ground. Morris says the vegetation also creates micro-pores in the ground, helping water soak into the soil instead of pooling on the surface. That means fewer mosquitoes and better trail conditions after it rains.
“There are conservation ideas of all kinds wrapped up into this, and it just is such a better project for our overall lifestyle and happiness,” Morris says.
As enthusiasm for the project grew, so did the herd. The original idea of 1020 sheep expanded to include about 400 sheep and goats.
For the Friends group, the grazing project builds on years of trail restoration efforts. Volunteers have been planting wildflower seeds for over 10 years. Three years ago, for the first time, there were wildflower sites along all nine miles of the trail. Thanks to a grant from the Founders Garden Club of Dallas, 10 more no-mow pollinator zones will be added to the trail next year.
Funding for Northaven TAILS came from the community. The Friends raised money through donors and North Texas Giving Day, where the Northaven Trail became the largest green space in Dallas in both number of
donors (240) and total dollar amount raised.
Open Space’s services have already been used in other Dallas parks, including Creekside Trail and the AT&T trail, to clear invasive plants. Morris, who has been working to get these projects going since 2023, says the City hopes to expand the approach to other areas, like the trails around White Rock Lake and green spaces in South Oak Cliff.
“IT’S NOT A PETTING ZOO. THE GOATS ARE GOVERNMENTCONTRACTED EMPLOYEES.”
Since this is the first year of Northaven TAILS, Dawson says the organizers are focused on seeing how effective the herd is and how the community reacts. The Friends plan to compare germination rates between grazed and non-grazed areas and collect feedback from trail users.
The Friends also hope to use the project as an opportunity to show the community a more natural method of trail maintenance.
“This is how it was done naturally by nature prior to us moving into this area,” Dawson says.
The Friends group has reached out to and been contacted by schools interested in bringing students by to see the animals at work. They encourage neighbors to stop by as well, and they plan on placing a GPS tracker on one of the animals so people can follow the herd’s progress online.
Both Morris and the Friends warn potential viewers to maintain their distance from the herd.
“It’s not a petting zoo. The goats are government-contracted employees. They’ve got a job to do,” Morris jokes.
As the goats got ready to make their debut, Dawson says community excitement has been high. Neighbors have reached out asking when the herd will pass by their area.
“I think everybody wants to come out and just see them in action,” he says. “See what 400 goats and sheep look and sound like, you know. I don’t think most people who live in Dallas have ever seen that.”
IN SAUCE WE TRUST
The St. Monica Dads’ Club is keeping the annual spaghetti dinner tradition alive
Story by NIKI GUMMADI
Photography by JESSICA TURNER
It wasn’t an Italian restaurant turning out hundreds of plates of pasta that last Saturday of September. It was the cafeteria at St. Monica Catholic School, where a crew from the Dads’ Club stirred pots of sauce and cooked up meatballs and sausage.
The annual spaghetti dinner doesn’t raise much money, but that’s never been the point.
“The main purpose is to build community and engage the dads,” Vice President Sam Ackels says.
The dinner predates the club itself, starting as far back as the ’60s as a traditional church community meal. The Dads’ Club took it over in the ’90s, keeping the tradition alive. Ackels says that back in the early 2000s, when St. Monica was a larger school, the team would serve 1,000 meals and make around 1,200 pounds of sausage. The event has since shrunk,
but participation has grown again since the pandemic. Today, the dinner happens in two parts. On the Friday night before, a group of volunteers from the club will get together to make sausage. This year, they made 350 pounds of pork sausage, bagging it into 5-pound bundles and selling it to the community that day.
The sausage-making event has become an opportunity for St. Monica fathers to bond, even those whose children have long since graduated. St. Monica’s pastor, Father Michael Guadagnoli, stops by and blesses those participating.
The volunteers return early the following Sunday to set up and begin cooking. Those that stop by can choose from the homemade spaghetti, sausage and meatballs. Ackels says Campisi’s also donates food like subs, salads and
other staples. Football players and cheerleaders from St. Monica and whichever team they are playing that day eat free, as do the game’s referees. This year, 500-600 meals were served.
“You see a lot of people from all over the community who come just for this one event because they remember it for so long,” Ackels says.
The current iteration of the Dads’ Club has been active since 1992. It has become a key support system for the school, raising around $100,000$150,000 each year. The club has also become something of a brotherhood, with Ackels likening it to a fraternity at times.
Members meet each month at the Sparkman Clubhouse and host fundraising events like poker nights, chili cookoffs and mahjong nights. Ackels says the majority of
The St. Monica Dads’ Club took over the spaghetti dinner tradition from the church in the ‘90s.
The dinner brings together dads whose children have just started at St. Monica and those whose children have long since graduated.
the funds come from the school’s annual gala, which — unlike other schools’ galas — is planned by volunteers from the Dads’ Club instead of a select committee or the school administration.
Though there is an official board for the club, membership is informal.
“We always say, ‘If you’re a dad, you’re in the club,’” Ackels says. “Anybody who’s an alumni, anybody who’s young, who’s brand new, they’re all kind of welcome,” Ackels says.
The club invites all fathers new to the school to the first meeting of the year. This year’s drew about 135 people.
Ackels has two children at St. Monica and attended the school himself. He says joining the club felt like coming full circle.
“I spent a few years at St. Monica when I was a kid myself, and I always have loved the community here,” he says. “When I got here and saw for a couple years that there was this kind of opportunity for me with this club of really engaged dads, I thought this was something really unique and special that very, very few people get to have.”
He also says the appeal for joining the club goes beyond just being of service to the St. Monica community. It’s an opportunity to be present with their children.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to look back and wish I hadn’t done it, because you only get a certain amount of time with your kids this age, and this was my opportunity,” Ackels says.
The club’s efforts are encouraged by school and church leadership. Ackels credits Principal Stephanie Garza and Father Guadagnoli with always supporting the clubs’ projects and providing opportunities to give back to the community.
“Everything we do is for the benefit of our school, our church and our kids,” he says.
JSX passengers are required to arrive at the air carrier’s private hangar only 20 minutes before takeoff. Photography courtesy of JSX.
Air Apparent
Dallas-based JSX blurs the lines between private jet and commercial flight
Story by NIKI GUMMADI
IT LOOKS LIKE AN AIRLINE, FLIES LIKE AN AIRLINE AND COMPETES WITH THE AIRLINES. Just don’t call it one.
Dallas Love Field-based public charter jet service JSX operates in the grey area between private jets and the commercial flights of legacy airlines like United or American Airlines. Founded nine years ago with two aircrafts in Southern California, the company markets itself as a “joyful, simple experience,” offering private terminals instead of crowded concourses, a 20-minute check-in and only 30 seats per aircraft.
The air carrier is the latest addition to Dallas’ aviation story, which has historically been defined by competition. The current relationship between Dallas’ two main airports, Love Field and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, were born from decades of tug-of-war between Dallas and Forth Worth city leaders. According to a 2023 The Dallas Morning News article, the 1979 Wright Amendment was passed to limit DAL flights and ensure DFW would be the region’s main airport. But Southwest Airlines co-founder Herb Kelleher fought to expand routes, challenging DFW-based American Airlines’ dominance. The standoff eventually reshaped the Metroplex’s air travel and cemented Dallas as an aviation hub.
Now, JSX has entered the fold, though is not regulated like a traditional airline. It operates under Parts 135 and 380 of Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the framework for public charter services rather than the stricter Part 121 rules for major carriers. That setup allows JSX to sell individual seats while flying from its own facilities and using its own TSA-approved screening system. JSX Senior Director of Customer Experience Ben Kaufman says it is “every bit as safe and secure, just executed differently and on a smaller scale.”
The distinction has made JSX both popular and controversial. As View From the Wing reported, Dallas-based American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have in recent years urged federal regulators to close what they view as a loophole. They argue that JSX should be required to follow the same security and operational standards as commercial airlines. Pilot unions have joined in, saying the current regulations give JSX an unfair advantage.
In response, Kaufman says the criticism comes from “select labor groups and select competitive 121 airlines that have tried to politicize what is very legitimate and recognized and reinforced federal regulation for Part 135 and Part 380, more in an effort to protect their own commercial interests than anything else.”
He points to JSX’s strategic partnerships with
United Airlines and JetBlue Airlines as evidence that it is not necessarily the entire 121 industry against JSX but rather select companies.
Traveling JSX is a luxury experience — with all pets allowed and each seat having business class leg room — but Kaufman says the biggest misconception about the company is that it is for the 1% or unaffordable. The company markets itself as having some of the benefits of flying private but at a more attainable cost, with Kaufman saying it prices out similarly to what legacy airlines charge for first class seats. A flight from DAL to Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport averages out between $200-$300.
In 2018, JSX relocated to Dallas from Southern California, seeking a location equidistant from both coasts as it expanded.
“Dallas is a city that has a wealth of aviation talent within it,” Kaufman says. “Not just because it has two main airlines headquartered there, but because of all the infrastructure that supports the aviation business for those airlines and now for the rest of the industry as well.”
The company now operates flights from 28 airports across the country and one route from Dallas Love Field to Cabo San Lucas. Kaufman says some of the air carrier’s most popular markets are Las Vegas, South Florida and the tri-state area.
Though the company added some airports to its routes in 2025, Kaufman says that in 2026, the company will focus more on “connecting the dots,” making better use of the existing network it has. At the end of this month, JSX plans to begin flying a new aircraft type, the ATR turboprop, which Kaufman says will open up more opportunities at more attainable costs, as the operating costs for ATRs are lower than JSX’s usual E135 and E145 jets.
Despite scrutiny from Washington and some 121 competitors, JSX has continued to expand. The company currently has a letter of intent for up to 25 new ATRs and additionally plans to bring on six new aircrafts within the next year.
“We are ready for growth, but we’re only going to do it when we’re confident that we can do it successfully and in a metered and measured way,” Kaufman says.
While JSX continues to grow, Kaufman says it will also continue to rely on Dallas as its home base.
“Dallas is critical, not just because it’s our headquarters but because it’s our home,” he says. “We don’t want to be thought of as someone that just relocated to Dallas. We really want to be thought of as part of the fabric of what makes Dallas unique, because there’s really no other air carrier in the world like us.”
H-E-B MAKES ITS MOVE
The beloved Texas grocery store may soon be our newest neighbor
Story by NIKI GUMMADI
FOR YEARS, DALLAS SHOP -
PERS have had to cross city lines to get their hands on H-E-B’s acclaimed warm tortillas and fresh juices.
On Sept. 18, the City Plan and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval for a zoning change request from the San Antonio-based grocery chain. H-E-B had asked the city to rezone a lot on the corner of Hillcrest Road and I-635, the proposed location for Dallas’ first of the company’s flagship brand. The roughly 10-acre area is currently zoned as a Neighborhood Office District, but a change to a Regional Retail District would allow the company to build its proposed full-service store and pharmacy on the site.
The company has had a presence in Dallas since it opened a Central Market on Lovers Lane in 2002, and H-E-B’s Benjamin Scott told commissioners at the meeting that the
company is “very excited to expand (their) relationship with the City of Dallas.” In recent years, the grocer has steadily added locations in North Texas with new stores in Frisco and Plano and another that opened Oct. 29 in Rockwall.
According to H-E-B’s Suzan Kedron, the company began collecting community feedback on the proposed store in October 2024. There were meetings with businesses adjacent to the site and the District 11 office. An additional three areawide neighborhood meetings were held — each drawing over 100 attendees.
In response to what neighbors expressed at the meetings, H-E-B developed a list of voluntary deed restrictions limiting what could be built on the site, including pawn shops, auto service centers, bus stations, funeral homes and commercial amusements.
There is little doubt that Dallasites want an H-E-B in their city, but the question of
where and how has stirred debate among some neighbors.
A number of supporters came before the commission, lauding the company’s reputation for being a good neighbor.
“They’re good to their employees, and they’re really good for the community. I mean, they make a difference,” said Grey Stogner, who works in an office adjacent to the proposed site. “This is a huge win for Dallas, huge win for the neighborhood.”
Greg Anderson called in from Houston, sharing his experiences with having an H-E-B in his neighborhood.
“It’s not just a grocery store. It’s a proven community anchor. I mean, they just do amazing things all over Austin, and they’re excited to do the same for your city,” he said.
A number of the plan’s opponents, however, voiced concerns over the store’s compatibility with the surrounding area
and how the increase in traffic will affect the neighborhood. Representing Shelby Management LLC, which owns property just south of the site, Chris Bowers asked the commission to delay the case by four weeks so the community could address issues he said were overlooked in the traffic analysis done by H-E-B. He argued that the study did not account for the popularity of H-E-B, citing the large crowds seen at the Plano location. Others echoed these concerns. Hillcrest Forest Neighborhood Association Vice President Kristen Malmberg read a letter from the association’s president Bruce Wilke, a former plan commission chair, asking for more time to review traffic data.
Kathy Coffman with the Hillcrest Preservation Coalition said, “We all respected H-E-B’s reputation as a quality grocer, but
the proposal at LBJ and Hillcrest is not the same H-E-B model that other Texas communities enjoy,” noting that most H-E-B stores are built on lots around twice the size.
Despite those neighbors in opposition, the commission recommended approval for the project with the added deed restrictions, which still must be approved by City Council.
Countering traffic concerns, the City’s Director of Transportation and Public Works Gus Khankarli spoke at the meeting. Khankarli said he has been studying this particular intersection for years and believes that updating signal equipment and adding a right turn lane from Hillcrest Road onto the I-635 feeder road would increase traffic throughput, even with the added traffic H-E-B would bring.
District 11 Commissioner Mike Sims
compared the site to the intersection between Midway Road and I-635, which sports a Walmart Supercenter and Sam’s Club, saying traffic flows smoothly there despite heavier use.
Explaining his vote to recommend approval, District 10 Commissioner Tipton Housewright said H-E-B was a clear choice for the proposed site.
“If we can’t put the best grocery retailer in the state of Texas on an interstate highway in Dallas, I don’t know where we can put it,” he said.
Sims said the addition of the H-E-B to the neighborhood will serve to reinforce Dallas’ role as an anchor city for the Metroplex by continuing to make it a place where people want to live and work.
“If we think about the history of Dallas, the only thing that has been unchanged is that Dallas changes,” he said.
H-E-B commissioned a traffic impact analysis to determine how its store will affect traffic throughput. Photo courtesy of BOE.
A HOUSE THAT DANCES
THE FALLS ROAD HOUSE DESIGNED TO MOVE TO ITS OWN RHYTHM
Story by NIKI GUMMADI
The H-shaped design of the home allowed for frontal exterior rooms, the often-asked-about water feature and another place for the homeowners’ dogs to run around. Photography by
Charles Davis-Smith via AIA Dallas.
Bentley Tibbs is not a sentimental man.
At least, not in his work. For the Dallas-based architect, design is not about nostalgia but rather about evolution.
“You need to know your history before you can go forward, and so the idea of sentiment in my mind is not the appropriate word for the work,” Tibbs says. “But I definitely build on my history so that my work, my history, my education and my clients and all that are grouped together, so that the work can hopefully always be both of today and tomorrow.”
This perspective is what guided Tibbs through the design process of Laura Couch and Tracey Henderson’s Falls Road home. The five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath residence balances warmth and clean lines, inspired as much by the couple’s personalities as by their priorities.
“I think the house is architecturally striking, but it’s incredibly livable,” Couch says.
The open layout lends itself to their lifestyle,
which revolves around their dogs and the tightknit group of friends they have known for more than 20 years. The couple moved in at the end of 2020 and quickly realized how much the design suited their lives. Henderson works in Houston during the week, and though they have a place there, she prefers to spend weekends at the Falls Road home.
The homeowners had originally planned to remodel the existing house on the lot, but after meeting with Tibbs, it became clear that their vision required an entirely new structure. The result is a home that reflects the life they have built together.
The couple’s three German shepherds were a priority, so much of the design centers around them. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a strategically placed kennel room allows the dogs to see all the way through the house to the front door. The dogs, however, were not Tibbs’ only consideration.
“There was a lot of tactile, sensual ma -
teriality to the house that does relate to the dogs but also kind of related to how Laura and Tracey have merged their lives together,” he says.
Tibbs describes the couple as lighthearted yet grounded, something he brought into the home. The single-sloped roof with deep overhangs was designed to feel “flutter-like,” but the house itself was designed to feel solid. Cool tones and sturdy materials — like the clay tiles, brick accents and granite kitchen countertops — prevail throughout, giving the home its balance.
The materials, Tibbs says, don’t necessarily blend, but they do something better.
“They all dance together beautifully, so dancing is different than blending,” he says. “So two people who are completely different and don’t go together, if they dance well together, that’s powerful. So I try to pick materials that react with each other that way.”
Tibbs’ favorite feature of the home is a tribute to Frank Welch, whom he had worked with after college. A trademark of Welch, often referred to as the Dean of Texas Architecture, was a “stick ceiling” made of small square pieces of wood, which Tibbs included in the Falls Road home’s living room as a private nod to his mentor. It’s the first and only time Tibbs has used the technique, one of Welch’s trademarks. His outlook traces back to his roots in the Mississippi Delta. His father told him and his brothers they could study anything they wanted in college as long as they also earned degrees in history. When Tibbs told his father he had chosen architecture as a second major, he simply pointed to the shelves of books above him. As a child, Tibbs had written on almost every page of the family’s collection of architectural history books.
“He knew that I would always be an architect, but let me find it, which was an incredible luxury,” Tibbs says. “My history here in the Mississippi Delta was traditional, and it’s a poor part of the country, but it’s lush and rich in its own way. And so I took those things with me.”
Though some describe his style as Southern modernism, Tibbs avoids a label. His process is guided less by categories and more by the clients themselves. As a result, each of his homes are unique to their owners, and the Falls Road residence is no exception.
“I said, ‘I don’t want it to look like anything else on the block,’ and it doesn’t,” Couch says.
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WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists serving Dallas 15 years.Trim, Removals. Tree Health Care services. Insured. Arborwizard.com. Free Est. (972) 803-6313.
A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 18 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925 Lawns, Gardens & Trees
DAVIS LAWN CARE, LLC 580-222-4909 or davislawncare214@yahoo.com Serving Lake Highlands & Lakewood.
PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.
RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779 RedSunLandscapes.com
RGC - STORM WATER MANAGEMENT drainage solutions 214-477-8977
TAYLOR MADE IRRIGATION Repairs, service, drains. 30+ years exp. Ll 6295 469-853-2326. John
WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER
Stop in for home decor, candles, house plants, succulents and more. It’s time to plan for spring. Call us for design, prep and plantings! 8652 Garland Road 214.321.2387
CONSTRUCTION LAWYER | Garrett A. Heckman, Esq. Indian Wells, www.heckmalawpc.com, 760.636.3508
NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT INC. All types of Pest control. Natureking.com Natureking.com. 5 Star rating on Google 30+yrs. Exp. 214-827-0090. "Keeping Children & Pets in Mind" Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic 214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com abetterearth.com
WHERE DID YOUR MONEY GO? Bookkeeping Services for small businesses & Personal. Financial organizing. Quicken & other programs. Sharon 214-679-9688
REAL ESTATE
ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD? FACING FORCLOSURE? IG HERON HOMES Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839
FOR RENT Little Forest Hills 2/1 Single Family Home w/fence. $1,600mo. $1,600 deposit.Cheryl. 214-235-1399
GARDEN OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Walnut Hill @ CENTRAL.3 Smaller Suites Avail. Flexible Terms 214.915. 8886
REMODELING
BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730
FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com
HK CONSTRUCTION
We Do It All. All trades. 214-717-8317
RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247
S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427
SERVICES FOR YOU
AGING ROOF? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing Available.1-888-878-9091.
BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 877-543-9189
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DENTAL INSURANCE- Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036
www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258
DIRECTV STREAM - Carries the most local MLB Games! ChoicePackage $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once.HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.)No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405
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ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373
Kitchens, Bathrooms, Windows, Doors, Siding, Decks, Fences, Retaining Walls, New Construction
New Construction & Remodels FiferCustomHomes.com• 214-727-7075
TK REMODELING
KITCHEN • BATHS Complete Remodeling
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PROFESSIONAL LAWN SERVICE: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833-606-6777
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SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306
THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services
WATER DAMAGE
cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809
TUTOR/LESSONS
WANTED: OBOE TEACHER needed for 14 year old student. Call 214–235-7429
PIANO LESSONS 30 years exp. Also voice & composition. Text (469) 708-6151
DISTRICT 13 RECOGNIZES OUTGOING COMMISSIONERS, WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
On Sept. 26, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem and District 13 City Council Member Gay Donnell Willis welcomed neighbors to the District 13 Board & Commission Farewell & Welcome Reception at the Central Market Community Room. Here, Willis joined the neighborhood in bidding farewell to outgoing D13 commissioners and welcoming appointees to their new roles.
On Oct. 1, District 13’s Lily Marshall began her time on the City’s Youth Commission, and Jared Slade began his time on the Board of Adjustment.
OUTGOING COMMISSIONERS:
PARK AND RECREATION BOARD
Calvert Collins-Bratton: After eight years, Collins-Bratton stepped down from the City’s Park and Recreation Board. She started her tenure in late 2017 after being appointed by Jennifer Staubach Gates and continued her time on the Park Board after being reappointed by Willis. During her time on the board, Collins-Bratton served a term as chair and saw the City’s parks department grow. In 2021, she worked with longtime Park Board member Tim Dickey to secure funding for Fair Park renovations. Collins-Bratton’s time on the Park Board was a continuation of her family’s legacy in public service to the City of Dallas. Her mother was also on the Park Board, and she is named after her grandmother, Calvert, who was the first woman on Dallas City Council in 1957.
SENIOR AFFAIRS COMMISSION
Peter Kline: After being appointed in 2019, Kline stepped down from the Senior Affairs Commission, for which he served as chair. In his role, Kline worked with City Council to recommend social services for the elderly and acted as a way for which elderly citizens could have their concerns heard by the City. Beyond the board, Kline was an outspoken advocate for Dallas’ senior population, penning opinion pieces in The Dallas Morning News reminding community members to not forget about their elderly neighbors.
JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION
Jennifer Balido: After four terms, Balido stepped down from the Judicial Nominating Commission. In her role on the JNC, Balido advised City Council on matters relating to municipal judges, such as vacancies, reappointments, salary, etc. and on possible improvements to the City’s Court and Detention Services. Balido is chief of the appellate division for the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. She has previously been both a public defender and a private practice attorney. At the beginning of the year, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Balido to the Criminal District Court No. 1 in Dallas County, a term that will expire at the end of 2026.
COMMUNITY POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD
David Kitner: Kitner stepped down from the Community Police Oversight Board after serving on it for eight years. He was first appointed to the board — at the time known as the Citizens Police Review Board — by Gates in late 2017 and later reappointed by Willis in 2023. Before that, Kitner served on the Finance and Housing Board. Kitner’s tenure saw a tumultuous time for the board, including attempts to limit the board’s authority and investigative power.
ARTS AND CULTURE ADVISORY COMMISSION
Jim Nugent: Nugent was nominated to the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission by Willis in late 2023, and ended his term this year. His time on the board adds to a history of service in the arts community. In 2024, Nugent was given The Arts Community Alliance’s Silver Cup Award. He sits on the board of numerous arts organizations around the city, and he often uses his background as a retired CPA to provide pro bono financial services to them.
DID YOU KNOW?
When thinking about who represents you on the City stage, your district’s city council member may be what first comes to mind. Behind every council member, however, is a number of topical boards and commissions that advise the council. There are currently 36 boards and commissions based on eight different strategic priorities: economic development; environment & sustainability; government performance & financial management; housing & homeless solutions; public safety; quality of life, arts & culture; transportation & infrastructure; and workforce, education & equity. Volunteer-based positions are appointed by council members for their district, with exceptions for district-only boards. Each fall, council members make appointments to fill any vacancies.
