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Texas Woofus, a horned and winged mythical creature, stands tall near the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center in Fair Park. The Woofus’ body is made of up of features
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Nick and Nora, the two adult bald eagles nesting near White Rock Lake, had a decidedly smoother spring mating season this year.
The nesting pair became first-time parents after successfully hatching their first pair of eaglets in 2024. However, after gale-force winds from a Memorial Day storm blew away most of their nest, White Rock Lake’s bald eagle enthusiasts were demoralized to learn both juveniles were missing.
While one was never located, the other eaglet was recovered nearby shortly after and taken to the North Texas Raptor Center, where staff dubbed it “Henley” after North Texas Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Don Henley, a founding member of the Eagles. Henley left the lake later that summer, although there have since been reported sightings of a juvenile around Henley’s age.
This spring, Nick and Nora hatched two more eaglets. Much like their older sibling, each of the eaglets got a new name from the community, with one earning the bittersweet moniker Luka (still too soon?). Dixon, the other eaglet, was likely named for the eponymous Branch Creek feeding White Rock Lake.
Luka and Dixon left the lake earlier this summer. While reports of the older juvenile making appearances at the lake aren’t rare, no definitive proof has been offered to support the identification.
Nick and Nora will likely leave White Rock Lake for a short time in the fall and winter before returning in time for the mating season.
Budget abridged
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert presented the first draft of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 at a city council briefing Aug. 12. The $5.2 billion budget outlines substantial investments in public safety and infrastructure, as well as cuts to other departments.
Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Police Department will see their funding increase by a collective $63.1 million under the proposed budget, which also provides for the hiring of 350 police recruits and a raise to starting salaries for both departments. The goal under the proposed budget is to finish FY 2025-26 with at least 3,424 sworn police officers. Under the Dallas HERO-backed city charter amendment passed last fall, the city is required to maintain a police force of at least 4,000. The budget also sets aside $162 million for street repairs, an increase from $125 million last fiscal year.
Among other cuts, the Skillman Southwestern Library is expected to close after being saved in last year’s budgeting process.
DISTRICT 9 PARK AND RECREATION
BOARD MEMBER MARIA HASBANY IS RESIGNING FROM HER ROLE AT THE END OF HER CURRENT TERM, AND SHE’S NOT SHYING AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT HER REASON WHY.
The Dallas Morning News reported last year that sailing and rowing clubs lease boat houses and water facilities from the City using a portion of their revenue.
“This subject came up about the contracts of the folks that are the operators out on White Rock Lake, and (District 9 Council Member Paula Blackmon) just took it in a very different direction and couldn’t really articulate what the end goal was and then, as part of that, just completely took me out of that process,” Hasbany said.
Blackmon confirmed that she is looking into contracts regarding usage of the water-related facilities, which includes rowing and boating. This involves finding out what is available at these facilities, what their five and 10-year strategic plans are, and what state their financials are in, among other questions.
“I think I’ve outlined what I’m wanting — a baseline understanding of what is happening there because the next step of this is to hire a consultant to look at are we maximizing our facilities for our community and is there a better way to do it and give them this information to say, ‘We’ve already done a lot of the heavy lifting for you,’” Blackmon said.
Hasbany said she wasn’t included in discussions regarding the contracts, and Blackmon enlisted private residents to help her look more closely at the them.
Blackmon defended her right and duty as a City Council member to ask questions and said she doesn’t have to include her district’s board members and commissioners in those inquiries.
“On behalf of the District 9 community, I want to thank Maria for her six years of dedicated service to our city,” Blackmon said. “We accomplished a great deal together for our community, and her commitment to advancing the goals of the Park Department and improving the East Dallas area has been deeply appreciated. I wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”
Moving forward, Blackmon said an active and longtime District 9 resident has been nominated to serve as the next Park and Recreation Board representative and is going through the approval process.
— MADELYN EDWARDS
— AUSTIN WOOD
— AUSTIN WOOD
Photo by Nick DiGennaro
THE THREEBARK HOTEL
Yardstick Dog Hotel opened in April with an elevated approach to dog boarding
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Photography by YUVIE STYLES
There’s a new name in luxury dog care in Dallas.
In 2024, Zillow and Bark, a subscription box company geared toward pets, named Dallas “America’s most dog-obsessed city,” based on apartment rentals and customer data. It was only natural when Yardstick Dog Hotel moved to open its first locations outside of Nashville in the city.
At the Medallion Center location, which opened in April, dogs enjoy room service, private suites and light grooming services — much like a spa.
Co-CEO and founder Dave Atkins grew up with dogs, but not the industry. His background is primarily in finance and investment.
The pet industry has experienced explosive growth in the last decade with highend dog food, sustainable
toys and veterinary practices. Atkins says he saw the trend and recognized the opportunity to enter a new business focused on premium boarding.
“What interested us more were concepts like Good Vets, kind of prevalent now in Dallas, and Modern Animal and Petfolk. You’re seeing these really great sort of branded concepts come to light that are trying to take a fresh approach to the industry,” Atkins says. “And so we’re looking at people doing that in vet and we said, ‘Hmm, this should be going on in nonvet pet services.’”
One factor that has been cited as a catalyst for the wave Atkins and his team are riding is a growing and deepening appreciation for pets in people’s lives.
In 2024, more than half (51%) of pet owners in the U.S. viewed their pets as
equivalent family members to human relations, according to data compiled by Forbes Advisor.
But as Atkins looked at the industry, he saw a gap between the data and what conventional boarders had to offer.
“On one hand, you’ve got (American Pet Products Association) data telling you parents view their dogs as children, and then on the other hand, you have a traditional kennel with chain link fence and (cinderblock) and kind of no thought put into HVAC or acoustics,” he says.
Yardstick Dog Hotel opened its first Nashville location in 2022. Atkins consulted with industry experts and Brooklyn-based architectural design firm Bolt Design. Each hotel roughly follows the same footprint, albeit with different exteriors, Atkins says.
At Yardstick Dog Hotel, if an owner feels like their dog deserves a treat (like CBD chews or puppucinos), they can dial up room service like any three-star human hotel.
As pet owners arrive at Yardstick facilities, they enter a lobby stocked with comfortable furniture, a coffee maker and merchandise. A front desk with a hovering “check in” sign adds to the resort feel.
“It feels kind of more like a hotel lobby or a beautiful, sort of retail environment, as opposed to kind of what you typically see in the industry,” Atkins says.
A lounge area for dogs featuring plush couches comes next. Behind that, six to seven individual suite rooms create a compartmentalized and sound-conscious environment. Each room features anywhere from 6-12 suites.
“Guests” are placed in rooms with other dogs of a similar breed and temperament. Dogs get their own suite, unless they were booked with a sibling, in which case the two are boarded together.
“So you can imagine that’s just a much calmer, less stressful environment for the dogs, as opposed to being in this large room with a ton of dogs,” Atkins says.
If an owner feels like their dog deserves a treat, they can dial up room service like any three–star human hotel. Options include CBD chews for anxious dogs or puppucinos for those with a sweet tooth. Staff also keep owners updated with texted photos and videos of their animal enjoying their stay-cation.
Each facility comes equipped with four to six indoor playrooms built with poured rubber floors, which are easy on pets’ joints, and an outdoor area. During the day, overnight boarders and daycare dogs (who
Lakewood Restorative Dentistry’s Dr. Ben Alexander and family.
also get their own suite for downtime) rotate between mealtime, playgroups and rest in suites. Owners can also book light grooming services including baths, brushes, nail trims, cleaning and tooth brushing.
Unlike most boarding houses which require a dog to spend time in daycare before boarding, Yardstick allows owners to book for the first-time without a “temperament test” for a stressfree booking process. The hotel offers a single tier of services, albeit with addons available, for daycare and overnight boarders. Full day daycare is $22.50 per dog per day. Overnight boarding is $85 per night.
“Our view was, let’s just offer one tier of accommodations,” Atkins says. “It’s a suite, right? Every dog deserves our best, and all of a sudden, you don’t have parents feeling guilty about not having splurged for the higher tier.”
So far, Atkins says East Dallas and Lake Highlands customers have more stays booked through four months than any other location.
“Medallion Center, obviously, is great for Lakewood, Lake Highlands, all of East Dallas, but it’s such a central location, just at Northwest Highway and US75 that it’s really accessible for a lot of the Metroplex, and so it’s just an awesome central location.”
The brand will look to further consolidate its foothold in Dallas with future locations. Listing Preston Hollow and Addison as future targets, Atkins says the brand is close to signing a lease for a third Dallas hotel.
There’s More To Medallion.
America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses
Applebee’s
BackMenders Chiropractic with Care
Bliss Nail Salon
Christian Science Reading Room
CVS
Down to Play
Ingram’s Donuts
Kohl’s
Mattress Firm
Medallion Barbers
Milan Laser
Planet Fitness
Pet Supplies Plus
RDA Pro-Mart Beauty Supply
Salata
Satya Yoga
Scrubs & Beyond
Smiley Dental
Subway
Summit Salon Studios
Supercuts
Target
The Skin and Body Co.
Unrefined Bakery
Yardstick
7-11
Northwest Highway Between Skillman & Abrams
MOCKINGBIRD MADNESS
Neighbors talk about traffic issues on Lakewood’s northern edge
Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
Photography by KATHY TRAN
WHEN A WRECK HAPPENS IN THE 6600 BLOCK OF EAST MOCKINGBIRD LANE, LONGTIME LAKEWOOD NEIGHBOR ELIZABETH GUERIN USUALLY KNOWS ABOUT IT.
“I hear every bang, every crash, every screech, every everything,” Guerin says.
Guerin, who is in her 60s, has lived in her home for about 35 years with her husband. She describes her neighbors on Mockingbird and around the Yosemite Lane horseshoe as ideal, but the traffic issues, which she says have been ramping up over the past five or six years, are not.
Because of her close proximity, Guerin says she’s had to help push vehicles out of the way after wrecks and learned that Dallas Police officers don’t respond to all car crashes.
From January 2024 to June 2025, the City’s Transportation and Public Works Department reported that there were 20 crashes in Guerin’s neighborhood, one of which fatal.
Mockingbird Lane from US-75 to Loop 12 is on the City’s High Injury Network, which are “city streets that account for a disproportionate number of fatal and severe crashes (i.e., the 7% of roads where 62% of crashes resulting in a death or severe injury occurred),” according to the City’s website.
The Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate has reported on major Mockingbird crashes before, including last year when three people died after their vehicle crashed into a tree west of White Rock Lake.
Guerin decided to contact the City for help. She was surprised when they asked her how the problem needed to be solved.
“I’m not an engineer,” she says with exasperation (though she does think the speed limit should be lowered). “I don’t know all your capabilities. I’m just a citizen that wants to help people.”
Earlier this summer, the City’s Transportation and Public Works Department listed a slew of changes that have been made to Mockingbird Lane, specifically in Guerin’s neighborhood.
“Recent improvements to improve traffic safety along Mockingbird between Abrams and Williamson Roads include several speed limit signs installed between
Abrams and Yosemite Lane, a speed feedback sign near Yosemite, curve warning signs and chevrons to mark curvature in the road between Hillside Drive and Yosemite, and replacing the 4-inch-thick broken lane lines with 6-inch-thick solid white lines to delineate lanes between Hillside and Yosemite,” according to the department’s statement. “In addition, Mockingbird Lane has received fresh lane line striping every three years.”
Mockingbird Lane in our neighborhood currently isn’t being studied like Abrams Road and Skillman Street are. (The City has analyzed conditions of the Lakewood-area sections of Abrams and Skillman starting in fall 2023 to make improvements.) However, the City’s Transportation and Public Works Department says speed and traffic volume studies have been conducted on Mockingbird previously.
“Full transportation safety studies for corridors are prioritized based on high-injury network rankings, available funding and community input,” according to the City’s statement. “The Abrams Road transportation safety study does recommend pedestrian-related upgrades for the signalized intersection of Abrams and Mockingbird.”
The Abrams Road study reports that the Mockingbird intersection is the third highest for intersection crashes between 2019 and 2023 on Abrams.
She adds, “That just makes you stop and like, ‘Whoa, we live on a crazy street.’”
This neighbor suggested alternating the traffic signals so that vehicles would have to stop at more red lights and slow down, putting more space between homes and the road, and using bike lanes to calm traffic. She and her husband have talked about moving away to a safer location, but that’s not something they want.
THAT JUST MAKES YOU STOP AND LIKE, ‘WHOA, WE LIVE ON A CRAZY STREET.’
One of Guerin’s neighbors, who requested anonymity because she feared retaliation against her husband’s job, described chronic speeding, car crashes and racing on Mockingbird Lane.
One of the wrecks involved another vehicle that spun around and totaled her car while it was parked outside her home.
“I was with my mom, who was visiting from out of town, and not even five minutes before it happened, we had just gotten out of the car and brought groceries inside,” she says.
“It’s unfortunate because we love the area, and the neighborhood has so much to offer,” she says.
They moved to their home in 2022 and liked that they were in walking distance to amenities, like the restaurants near Hillside Drive. But after seeing what Mockingbird Lane is like, this neighbor doesn’t dare walk there.
“It feels like we can’t actually utilize it to the full extent,” she says.
“LET’S
VS.
Both Woodrow Wilson & Lake Highlands High Schools have the same mascot. Why?
Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
GO WILDCATS!”
Wait, which wildcats?
Lakewood residents may assume we’re talking about Woodrow Wilson High School Wildcats. But our neighbors to the north in Lake Highlands also cheer on the wildcats — Lake Highlands High School Wildcats.
How can two high schools within 8 miles of each other have the same mascot?
Being a “wildcat” in high school is not unusual. Out of over 20,000 U.S. high schools, Sports Illustrated reported that 743 have the mascot, and Central Texas radio station KOXE FM named “wildcats” the fifth most popular mascot in Texas high school football teams in 2019. (Eagles took the No. 1 spot.)
It’s not clear why Woodrow Wilson High School picked its mascot upon opening in 1928. One possible reason is that the school’s namesake, former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, played baseball on a team called the “Fighting Wildcats,” according to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum’s website.
The mascot could have been chosen for the alliteration it creates — Woodrow Wilson Wildcats. WWHS alumnus Stephen Cargile also points out that “wildcat” has a double meaning — an animal but also an oil or gas well drilled outside of an established oil field. After all, high-ranking officials from Magnolia Petroleum Company, which eventually became part of Mobil Oil Company, lived on Swiss Avenue.
had taught there for so long, so I kind of did it as a memoriam to him,” Cargile says. “I consider that what I know about the school and what I love about the school and the school building in particular, which I think is really special, is because of him and the kind of classes he taught. He taught an appreciation for the building and used the building as a teaching tool for his advanced architectural drafting students.”
If you look closely at Cargile’s wildcat logo, you’ll find three “Ws” — on the forehead and each side of the face. The wildcat’s mouth is open in a roar, and its tongue is an abstracted heart, referencing the school’s motto, “Keep Thy Heart With All Diligence.”
On the other side of Northwest Highway, the first Lake Highlands High School graduates crossed the stage for their diplomas in 1964, and the Church Road campus opened the next year. A 2011 Lake Highlands Advocate article quotes Alan Walne, former City Council member and LHHS graduate, as saying the PTA President Imogene “Gene” Evans (former Dallas Mayor Jack Evans’ wife) attended Woodrow Wilson High School and adopted the mascot.
As a 4-year-old, LHHS alumnus Keith Whitmire was the Woodrow Wilson Wildcat mascot and donned a spotted cat costume. Photo courtesy of Whitmire.
What is clear is that the school’s mascot has always been the wildcats. Two alumnae, Jennifer Wheeler Hall and Teresa Musgrove Judd, say Woodrow Wilson’s inaugural students and the principal chose the mascot, which was done at all schools established before the ’60s.
Woodrow Wilson High School’s logo has a story all of its own. The University of Arizona sent a cease and desist letter to WWHS in the 2010s for using a similar wildcat logo as the university. After that wild turn of events, Cargile created today’s logo.
Cargile, who lives in California and works for The Walt Disney Company, made the logo in memory of his father, who spent his career teaching drafting at WWHS.
“At the time that I did (the logo), my father had just died, who
“When they had the meeting to determine what Lake Highlands’ colors and mascot would be, Gene said, ‘Well, I’ve always been a Wildcat, and we’re going to be the Wildcats,’” Walne said in that previous article.
Keith Whitmire was both a Woodrow Wilson Wildcat and Lake Highlands Wildcat. He graduated from LHHS in 1983, but as a 4-year-old, he acted the part at WWHS football games and pep rallies, complete with spotted cat costume (made by his mother, Mary Ann Whitmire, a teacher and the cheer sponsor at Woodrow Wilson) and face painted whiskers.
During pep rallies, Keith Whitmire would be on all fours inside a bamboo cage that was meant to provoke the crowd to cheer and yell anytime the door swung open. He felt like a little brother to the cheerleaders.
“My biggest memory of the football games is that we had a big flag, similar to the flag the LH Bell Boys run across the field. They kept the flag laid out on the sideline. I liked seeing the cheerleaders wave the flag, so occasionally I would go over and toss a handful of dirt on it,” Whitmire says. “That forced them to pick up the flag and wave it to get the dirt off. I never said I was a well-behaved Wildcat!”
HAWK, ARES, TANK, ODIN, ZEUS, CASH, COWBOY
Giant horses fill a stable in Fair Park. Past rustic maroon fences and pillars, 10 of them line up in the round pen with their assigned riders on a warm August day. A trainer stands in front of the horses and shouts commands.
Outside of one stall, a laminated sign reads, “Ares is our youngest horse in the barn. He has not been started under saddle. He has been learning a lot with ground training. We are excited for what the future holds for him.”
These horses have a special purpose; they’re training as part of the police department’s mounted unit. They offer the department a unique advantage: height.
“On horseback, you can see over fences, see into cars and parking lots,” Officer Zachary Johnson says. “You’re at a huge advantage being that high.”
The Dallas Police Department Mounted Unit has 18 horses with two in training and the rest in service. Ares is the baby of the stable at just 2 years old, and Cash is the oldest at 19. Each horse must measure at least 16 hands tall to join. (Horses are measured in hands, which equate to about 4 inches per hand.) The unit was first established in 1982 in response to Dallas’ crime rates that had escalated over the years, Johnson says.
“The City of Dallas was going through a huge string of burglaries,” he says. “So it was specifically designed for the prevention of and to catch burglars.”
After that proved to be an effective form of policing, a permanent unit was established. Now, it patrols all areas of Dallas.
“Whatever area’s getting hit with violent crime that week, our chain of command sends us to, and we saturate that area on horseback,” Johnson says.
DPD’s Mounted Unit has 18 hay-loving members
Story by KATHARINE BALES
Photography by LAUREN ALLEN
The patrol’s closest substation is on Hall Street in Deep Ellum, just a few miles from the barn in Fair Park. The mounted unit also frequently patrols the Santa Fe Trail, which weaves through East Dallas.
“With the amount of pedestrian traffic that we have, the Santa Fe Trail is embedded in a higher-crime area,” Johnson says.
Horses recruited to this unit have a specific temperament that aligns with the job’s needs. All horses who join must undergo rigorous training, which is carried out in house by the department.
“That training consists of desensitizing them to loud noises, people, crowds, fireworks, things like that,” he says. “It’s a pretty long process.”
Horses stay on the patrol as long as they can but typically retire around the age of 20, Johnson says.
“A lot of these horses will live to be 35, so we like to retire them when they still have life left, just to be a horse,” he says.
Each officer is paired with a horse, even past retirement. If the officer cannot keep the horse for any reason, a few ranches have volunteered to board the department’s retired horses. For the most part, though, the horse and rider stay together.
The Dallas Police Department Mounted Unit has 18 horses, including the baby of the stables, Ares, at just 2 years old and 19-year-old veteran Cash.
“They get assigned a specific horse, and that is their partner,” Johnson says.
Outside the stable, the unit patrols events such as riots, protests, parades and community events. Officers also perform standard police duties while riding the horses.
“We will do everything on horseback that a regular patrol officer would in a squad car, from traffic stops, pedestrian stops, answering 911 phone calls,” he says. “Our horse is our means of transportation and policing.”
Johnson is fond of some of the unit’s horses himself, he adds.
“Cash is pretty special,” he says with a smile. “That horse will walk through fire if you ask him to. He’s incredible.”
Johnson encourages people to approach if they see the mounted unit in public. The horses are trained not to kick or behave aggressively.
“One of the best things about this unit is the fact that we don’t have the division of being in a squad car — the doors, the windows,” he says. “On these horses, everybody loves the animals, so you don’t have that barrier between you and the community.”
vs.
Bistro SMASH
Will the second half of the 2020s see a continuation of smash burger momentum or a resurgence of the brioche bun?
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Photography by LAUREN
ALLEN
The hamburger, a quintessential icon of American cuisine since the 20th century, has undergone somewhat of a flattening in recent years.
There are at least three dubious and hotly debated origin stories, often attributed to north German immigrants, going back to the 1880s. But one thing is clear: people in the U.S. love a good burger. Some estimate Americans eat more than 50 million hamburgers a year (which averages close to three per week per person).
Despite their enduring popularity and mass appeal, burgers aren’t set in shape, with varying styles competing for domination throughout the decades. In the 2000s and 2010s, thick, brioche
bun-encased bistro burgers heaped with gourmet cheese varieties and far-out toppings saw a meteoric rise in popularity. The 2020s, so far, seem to be the decade of the smash burger.
Both styles are defined by their opposing patty thicknesses, with thin and thick patties having plenty of history. Although they certainly weren’t served on shining buns with imported goat cheese, the earliest burgers had a thickness similar to the bistro burgers of the 2000s.
Smash burgers were invented as a cheap and quick way to stretch ground beef in the Depression and were kept in the mainstream by national brands like Steak ’n Shake. In our neighborhood, Keller’s and Jakes have been serving “good old-fashioned” thin patty burgers for decades. bon appetit partially ascribes the rise in popularity of the smash burger seen in the first half of the 2020s to nostalgia for classic fast food favorites like Keller’s and Jakes. Quick to make and oftentimes cheaper than a bistro burger, smash burgers start as balls of ground beef before being pressed onto a flat top grill with caramelized sweet onions and topped with cheese.
“They each have their own
SMASH
The Bistro Burger
[ˈbiːstroʊ /ˈbɜːr.ɡər/] noun
A style of hamburger popularized in the early 21st century, typically 6 ounces or more and served on split brioche bun. Commonly found with oversized ingredients and niche add-ons. Examples: Haystack Burgers and Barley and Liberty Burger.
The Smash Burger
[/smæʃ/ /ˈbɜːr.ɡər/]
Type of hamburger made by pressing ground beef balls onto a hot griddle with sweet onions and topped with yel low cheese. Characterized by irregular patty surface area and crisp edges. Example: Burger Schmurger.
CLASSIC
Burgers like Keller’s have been cited as a driver for the smash burger craze.
personality, and I think that’s cool,” says Dave Culwell, who launched an acclaimed smash burger brand as the style grew to popularity in 2020. “But I like the physical part of it. I love the prep of it. I love making the burger balls, having them weigh out and they all weigh the same to the gram, and then smashing that down and getting the sear on the crispy little edges.”
“I like a burger that’s going to be juicy. When you bite into it, it kind of spits on you. Your mouth is full of flavoring. Some people call it grease. I’ll call it flavoring. But smash burgers are great. The flavor profile is different.”
Culwell’s Burger Schmurger opened its first brick-andmortar in May. Packed since its debut, the concept is capitalizing on the smash burger’s trendiness. (Culwell says he goes through 1,000 pounds of beef and 500 pounds of sweet onions a week.)
“When you have these big old fat, thick burgers, and now I like a thick burger every once in a while, it’s just not my favorite kind,” Culwell says. “I love smash burgers. I love the sear. I love that mired reaction. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t crave
an Adair’s burger, but it’s just not what I prefer.”
Other local burger brands, however, are staying as loyal as possible to thick patties. But that doesn’t mean they’ve escaped the trend.
Kevin Galvan owns Haystack Burgers, a local four-restaurant chain that specializes in the bistro-style burgers of the 2000s. While he is rebranding the original Haystack restaurant in Richardson to a smash burger concept, he says he still prefers patties on the heavier side.
“I like a burger that’s going to be juicy,” Galvan says. “When you bite into it, it kind of spits on you. Your mouth is full of flavoring. Some people call it grease. I’ll call it flavoring. But smash burgers are great. The flavor profile is different. But they have to be done right, because some people tend to dry them out too quickly and cook them, and they’re real dried out.”
It might seem like smash burgers will dominate the entirety of the 2020s, just as the bistro burger did in previous decades. But, an article by SFGATE suggests bistro burgers have begun to make a comeback as the market saturates with pressed patties, especially in sit-down restaurants. At Goodwin’s on Greenville Avenue, Jeff Bekavac’s GW Burger — decidedly bistro in style — has drawn praise from critics and Yelp reviewers alike.
So, which style will win out in the later half of the decade? It’s still unclear, but we’ll likely see it play out in some small part right here in our neighborhood.
THE TOOTH OF THE MATTER
AS SUMMER FADES into fall, it’s a good time to check in on something that often gets overlooked: your pet’s dental health. Dental disease is one of the most common health issues in dogs and cats, and it doesn’t just cause bad breath. Plaque and tartar can lead to painful gums, tooth loss, and even more serious problems if bacteria enter the bloodstream.
The good news is that with the right care, dental disease is almost entirely preventable. A few simple habits can go a long way in keeping your pet’s teeth and gums healthy.
A FEW WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR PET’S SMILE:
• Brush their teeth regularly with pet-safe toothpaste
• Offer dental chews or toys that help reduce plaque buildup
• Stay on schedule with annual dental exams and cleanings
At Modern Animal Lakewood, we believe dental care is a key part of your pet’s overall health. Whether it’s time for a check-up, a cleaning, or you just have questions about home care, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
— Dr. Dammicci, Lead Doctor at Modern Animal Lakewood
Book anytime at modernanimal.com or in the Modern Animal app. USE CODE ADVOCATE for a free Essential Membership, including your first vet exam free and a year of 24/7 Telemedicine with Modern Animal.
LET’S KEEP THOSE SMILES SHINING BRIGHT ALL YEAR LONG!
Modern Animal
6465 E. Mockingbird Lane #310 469.373.9338 modernanimal.com
Sponsored Content
the river rat
Story by AUSTIN WOOD
Nutria may be cute, but they are also disruptive to their adopted environments. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Three sets of fur. Long, sharp orange-yellow incisor teeth with a powerful bite. Valves in the mouth and nostrils capable of sealing out
water
to
remain submerged for up to 10 minutes.
With just those specifications, White Rock Lake’s water nutria may seem menacing. Close up, however, an onlooker would likely be undeterred by the shy rodents, much smaller than the average beaver. One might even call them cute. But that doesn’t mean they’re not a threat.
Native to lower-latitude South American countries like Argentina and Uruguay, nutria often disrupt their adopted ecosystems. Burrowing can undermine soil and cause erosion near shorelines. When a breeding-sized population is established in a new wetland, the animals can decimate native plant life
and monopolize resources relied upon by native wildlife.
Dallas Park and Recreation biologist Chris Morris says the population at White Rock Lake falls definitively short of infestation levels and estimates the population to be close to one to two family groups.
“They do a little bit of a mess right around that little dock area of Sunset Bay,” Morris says. “But they haven’t really disrupted or displaced any of our native populations of rodents and or other animals, and they don’t seem to have just destroyed an entire marshland.”
The nutria mainly seem to stick to the east side of the lake, with the greatest concentration found in the Dixon Branch Creek wetland between Winfrey Point and the Bath House Cultural Center.
Weighing 15 to 20 pounds as an adult, the average nutria is about one-third the size of an adult beaver, although it may look similar due to its brownish coat and teeth. Much like the beaver, nutria are nocturnal herbivores who split time
in the water and on land. The majority of its diet consists of aquatic plantlife, seeds, flowers and other plants found near wetland habitats.
“White Rock Lake being a lake itself, it also has plenty of vegetation. It’s got plenty of covered habitat. It’s pretty much a little oasis on the east side of Dallas. So why wouldn’t they prefer the lake?”
Nutria were originally introduced in the United States in the 19th century for fur farming. Since then, the invasive “river rats” have spread to more than 20 states across the U.S. according to the Department of Agriculture.
A 2003 Dallas Observer article indicates nutria have been in Dallas’ lakes since at least the 1980s and originally spread to bodies of water like White Rock Lake through the City’s drainage system.
Morris says that while the natural predators in the area, like coyotes and bobcats, seem to prefer preying on other animals, some nutria have been attacked.
That, along with January/February sub-zero cold snaps, have kept the population in check.
“I think as long as we still have those nice freezes right around February, it’s kind of knocking back their populations because whatever ones are good enough and breed up during the summertime, when we get those cold snaps, they’re not used to that because their evolutionary chain from South America does not have those cold snaps.”
Morris says there is currently no population control program for the nutria at the lake, but emphasizes the impact of invasive species like nutria on native ecosystems.
“If they all disappear tomorrow, that would be really awesome, because they still steal resources from our native populations,” Morris says. “But as far as invasive species go, they’re not as bad as the feral hogs. They’re not as bad as the emerald ash borer beetle or several other invasive species.”
Brandi Nickerson, a state and federally-permitted wildlife rehabber, has extracted problematic nutria from several properties where they caused ecological damage. She says it’s important not to get caught up in their looks.
“Hogs, almost everybody understands, and they’re fine with shooting hogs and getting rid of hogs because they’re not cute,” Nickerson says. “But when you have something that’s cute, like a nutria, people tend to not care that they’re invasive, but they also don’t understand the impact that they have.”
HEY MOM, LOOK WHAT I BROUGHT HOME
OLD LAKE HIGHLANDS TEEN RAISES EXOTIC CREATURES
FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD ZACH
PORTER thought taking home Madagascar hissing cockroaches was cool.
But his mother was less than thrilled.
“I had PTSD from the giant water roaches at Six Flags from when I was a teenager,” says Angela Johnson, East Dallas 4-H Club Manager.
These insects aren’t as ugly as the roaches we’re used to seeing in Texas, but they’re still bugs. They look more like beetles (or roly-polies, Zach says), and thankfully, they can’t fly.
Madagascar hissing cockroaches can be ideal for someone who wants an unusual pet and doesn’t mind insects because they’re low maintenance. Zach only fed his first Madagascar hissing cockroach a handful of dry cat food twice in its lifetime. The cockroaches’ cage needs to be misted with a spray
bottle every day or two since the country these bugs hail from typically has a tropical, humid climate.
“It was surprisingly easy,” Zach says of the cockroaches’ care. “I was expecting much more of a challenge.”
East Dallas 4-H Club President Zach, who joined the club a few years ago as a homeschooler, took home his first hissing cockroach in the entomology project group during his first year of 4-H. He had the roach — named Lord Farquaad — for three years, and it was about 2 inches long. Lord Farquaad eventually died of old age, but Zach currently has three more. They enjoy hanging out on tree bark in their small tank.
Johnson can see the Madagascar hissing cockroaches in their cage without shrieking in horror, but she isn’t comfortable with
an up-close view of them outside their cage.
“He is not allowed to have it any closer to me than the other side of the room,” Johnson says.
Meanwhile, Zach will let the cockroaches crawl around on his hands.
“You don’t take them out for walks or play with them, but you can take them out and have them on your hand and look at them,” he says.
The cockroaches’ hiss is a defense mechanism that they also do in the mating process. The sound is louder than expected and can be heard from across the room, Johnson says.
“You can hear it if they want you to hear it,” Zach says.
You can tell if Madagascar hissing cockroaches are male or female based on the horns at the top of their heads.
Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
Photography by Zach
Porter
Males have pronounced horns while females barely have them, Zach says.
“You don’t want to get a male and a female because then you will have a zillion cockroaches,” Johnson says.
Zach also has a leopard gecko, which is more to his mother’s liking. Johnson convinced him to adopt the gecko at this year’s Dallas Public Library Community Nature Expo. The gecko, named Bubba, is bumpy all over, except for his velvety-soft tail, where excess fat is stored, Zach says. Bubba was overweight when Zach first got him, and his tail was as big as his body.
Bubba eats crickets, superworms and mealworms, but his meals must be live insects, Johnson says. The gecko needs three feeders, as in one cricket or one mealworm, a week, Zach says. Superworms are treats and should be
BUBBA FUN FACTS
used sparingly. The insects he eats need to be fed as well for the meal to be nutritious.
The leopard gecko’s tank needs to be set up with a warm side, heated by a lamp, and a cool side. The warm side needs UVB light and a basking rock, which are necessary for Bubba’s health. The 20-gallon tank must also be equipped with three kinds of places for Bubba to crawl into — warm, cool and moist, Zach says. Johnson points out that the basking rock also can’t get too hot or the gecko can get burned.
Unlike the cockroaches, Johnson doesn’t mind spending time up close and personal with the leopard gecko.
“Bubba is really cool,” she says. “He’s gorgeous, just his coloring and his eyes and everything. And when you talk to him, he looks at you.”
• Madagascar hissing cockroaches contain a neurotoxin that numbs the mouth and makes it difficult to swallow.
• Madagascar hissing cockroaches are excellent climbers and can scale smooth glass.
• Madagascar hissing cockroaches are detritivores, which means that they help break down decaying plant and animal matter.
• L eopard geckos are one of few gecko species with eye-lids.
• L eopard geckos can detach their tails as a defense mechanism.
Photography by Angela Johnson
The State Fair of Texas is The Power Twins’ ‘happy place’
Andrea Power Wichman and Angela Power — aka, The Power Twins — are self-described “Coupon Carnies,” seasonal employees who sell those all-important coupons from a booth sitting in the shade of the Texas Star Ferris Wheel.
You know those coupons: the currency required to purchase corny dogs, Midway games, rides on the Texas Star and pretty much everything else at the Fair. And you know the booths: the little structures dotting the grounds that usually have a long line of people waiting to hand over a lot of money.
The Power Twins grew up attending the Fair with their parents and then, as adults, attending “as often as humanly possible,” Andrea says. So about 15 years ago when a friend involved with the Fair referred her to seasonal work, she jumped at the chance. She, in turn, recommended her twin, Angela, a few years later, and the two have worked together in Booth 11 ever since.
Both have other full-time employment on weekdays, so they work the Fair every Sunday during its run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fortunately, they have no complaints about their booth. “Ours fits two people sitting comfortably, and we can squeeze in a couple of people standing if necessary,” says Andrea, smiling. “It’s no luxury hotel, but it’s our home away from home,” complete with padded swivel chairs and an A/C unit. “State Fair supplied us with a nifty windbreaker a few years back, and we turn the temp down and enjoy the cold air.”
Over the years, they’ve learned to be prepared. “We actually have a kit for the days that we work. It has thermoses for our food and
coffee, chamois to dry the counter if it’s raining, snacks, utensils for our eating adventures,” ex plains Angela. During busier times, they bring along a small slow cooker to prepare meals.
So how’s the view from the booth’s windows? “We get to see the excitement on the Fairgoers’ faces,” Andrea says, “and we love to talk to customers. We don’t get a lot of time with them, but we try to squeeze in some conversations. Some talk about how many years they’ve been coming to the Fair, what they plan on seeing and eating while they are there.”
As fellow Fair enthusiasts, they can relate to their customers. “So many people have long histories with the Fair, and it’s great to share the excitement with them. When we meet folks that are visiting for the first time, we try to fill them in on a few things in the short time we have their attention.” Each year, the twins make it a point to familiarize themselves with the grounds, particularly the food. “We like to have firsthand knowledge of some of the goodies so we can share it with anyone who passes by our window.”
And they understand that buying coupons doesn’t fall under the entertainment category. “Waiting in line for coupons isn’t fun,” Andrea admits, “but we try to make it fun when you’re at our window.” They make an effort to “calm the sting of prices” with jokes. “Angela always makes customers laugh when she says ‘see you in an hour’ after they purchase their coupons.”
As fun as the booth can be, they remain vigilant for fraudulent activity and are trained to watch for and recognize counterfeit money. It doesn’t happen often, but Angela recalls an attempt. “The guy was in a hurry, and he
and asked for $40 in coupons. I told him if he would give me real twenties, I would be more than happy to sell them to him.” On the rare occasion when it happens, they call the office to let them know and provide a description of the person.
Angela adds this caution: “There’s also a problem with counterfeit coupons. It’s best to buy coupons from a coupon booth and not from an individual.”
One of their favorite activities during lulls is people watching. “Years ago a man came with his emotional support dog, a dachshund, dressed in Dallas Cowboys gear and sunglasses,” Andrea recalls. “The dog was incredibly laid back.”
“Also, we get to see interesting photo shoots in front of the Texas Star. One time there was a gymnast doing a backbend. And we’ve had cowgirls with cotton candy, dancing around.” The Power Twins have also seen photo shoots featuring ballerinas and other dancers.
The multitude of sights and sounds at the Fair, The Power Twins enjoy it all. “It’s loads of fun, lots of people watching. I love watching people walk around having fun, riding rides, trying foods,” says Andrea. “It can be hard work, especially when the crowds get big, but we have the time of our lives in that booth. The State Fair of Texas is my happy place.”
PATTI VINSON is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for more than 20 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine.
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MAKING GOOD WITH MOTHER EARTH
Constellation
of Living Memorials program aims to revitalize neglected cemeteries to benefit bugs, birds, animals & humans
Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
Photography by AMANI SODIQ
While cleaning up the cemetery next to her home, Forest Hills neighbor Julie Fineman experienced an awakening of sorts.
Fineman came from California to Texas and at first, wasn’t too interested in our state’s cultural history, just the natural history. During the clean-up at Warren Ferris Cemetery, she met the late Susanne Starling, who gave Fineman a copy of her book Land is the Cry!: Warren Angus Ferris, Pioneer Texas Surveyor and Founder of Dallas County.
“I read the book and fell in love with who Warren Ferris was,” Fineman says.
Warren Angus Ferris was from New York and moved to Texas back in 1836, before it became part of the United States. Locally, Ferris’ claim to fame is his work “survey(ing) the three forks of the Trinity area and help(ing) set the boundaries for Dallas and other nearby counties,” according to the historical marker at the cemetery. Ferris started the burial site on his family farm in 1847 after his son died. He and his second wife, as well as more of his chil -
dren, are buried at the cemetery along with other “early Dallas County settlers.”
The last burial took place just after the turn of the 20th century, but the gravestones don’t exist anymore because of vandalism and the passage of time.
In 2017, Fineman and her husband moved to their home located next to Warren Ferris Cemetery. The area was described by the Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery’s website as previously being “an eyesore and embarrassment to the neighborhood.”
“When they moved here, that area … you could hardly even walk in it,” says Harryette Ehrhardt, a former state representative who Fineman sought guidance from on the cemetery project.
That has changed in less than a decade because of the efforts of the Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery. Now, you can stroll through the cemetery at the corner of St. Francis Avenue and San Leandro Drive on a self-guided tour. Along the path are little signs with ecological lessons printed on them. One reads, “Dead trees are
filled with life. Leave fallen trees, stumps and branches. They create an important habitat.” There’s a similar message about not picking up leaves because insects and birds need “fallen autumn leaves for nesting and foraging. To help their population thrive in your backyard, don’t dispose of your leaves.”
“We have passive educational signage to empower and educate,” Fineman says during a tour of the cemetery. “The naysayers come in, and we hope they leave feeling not so much of a naysayer anymore.”
The cemetery is also a National Wildlife Federation-certified habitat. The cemetery’s inhabitants include owls, armadillos, opossums, coyotes, squirrels, birds, rabbits, snakes, butterflies and moths.
After moving into her home, Fineman got involved with the Dallas chapter of the Native Plants Society of Texas and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs. Armed with education, Fineman turned her attention to the cemetery.
“Non-native plants (in this case, privet)
Kim Conrow, Julie Fineman and Harryette Ehrhardt smile big in the Warren Ferris Cemetery, which started a larger project to transform abandoned cemeteries into natural habitats.
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are called invasive or exotic plants,” Fineman says. “Because they’ve been brought in intentionally or unintentionally from other countries, they don’t have predators that can disrupt their lifestyle … in this new space. And so because of that, they’re free to run amok. There’s no checks or balances that have evolved over millennia between the relationship of flora and fauna, and so then they outcompete the native vegetation that came before and robs them of their sunshine and any other environmental factors that help to benefit their survival.”
But this isn’t just an issue for plants. Former Native Plants Society of Texas President Kim Conrow says the invasive plant takeover means no year-round food for wildlife, meaning it’s no longer life-sustaining.
Ehrhardt adds, “It was a natural disaster for plants, but it was also a natural disaster for our pollinators, for our birds, for any of the indigenous animals that wanted to live here.”
Texas’ Blackland Prairies were life-sustaining and attracted early settlers who wanted to farm in Texas.
“Originally, the pioneers came here because the Blackland Prairie was rich and ripe for the picking for farming,” Fineman says. “Blackland Prairie is integral, instrumental in the survival of wildlife that’s not only local but migrates between here, Canada and Mexico and everything in between.”
The problem is that native Blackland Prairies are largely lost, thanks to development, row-crop agriculture and overgrazing, according to an article on the Native Prairies Association of Texas’ website. This is where cemeteries can be particularly useful because graveyards are usually untouched by farming or development.
“So the native seed banks that lay dormant underneath the soil now have an opportunity once we stop the mowing or we pull out the invasive plants that rob the sunshine from these native species,” Fineman says. “This allows them to regenerate, which then supports building the pollinator populations that include insects and spiders and birds and mammals.”
Fineman found expanding the restora -
tion of graveyards beyond Warren Ferris Cemetery to other neglected Texas cemeteries could make a big impact. With the help of Ehrhardt and Conrow, the Constellation of Living Memorials program was established to implement this concept at other cemeteries. The program has also partnered with the organization Texan by Nature, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the local communities.
“If we can even take one-tenth of a third of those cemeteries and restore them to wildlife habitats, to resurrect what once was, a little bit goes a long way in helping the birds, the bees, the butterflies,” Fineman says.
Currently, five other Dallas cemeteries are participating in the Constellation of Living Memorials program — Albert Carver Cemetery, Western Heights Cemetery, W.W. Glover Cemetery, Oakland Cemetery and Beeman Memorial Cemetery. People can sign up to volunteer at these cemeteries on Constellation of Living Memorials’ website.
Sure, that’s great for the birds and bees, but could this help our fellow Texans?
Ehrhardt thinks so.
“We don’t water or fertilize or blow or mow this cemetery. If you just took the money that was used to do that for just the cemeteries that are having cursory care, that would eliminate a lot of expenses for these little towns or little churches or whoever is caring for it,” she says. “If you then go one step further and show what could be done by using those same native plants in people’s yards as Julie is doing here … if we were actually to make it acceptable and positive to have the kind of native plant yards in our businesses and in our residences, we would have no water problem in this state.”
Conrow adds, “Also, helping native habitats are so good for human health, not only our physical health but our mental health.”
One way the program can help Dallasites’ mental health is through giving people something tangible they can do to address climate change, not just what we think our leaders should be doing.
“You don’t need to go to another country to solve a problem,” Fineman says. “You can do it right here in your own neighborhood. And I think that’s critical because people feel helpless and hopeless, and by activating them to participate takes that frame of mind to a place from negative to positive.”
