April 2020

April 2020

your community • your magazine

Today

A WORK OF ART TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN THE MAKING, GLOBE LIFE FIELD IS GOOD TO GO. HERE’S YOUR CLOSE UP LOOK AT THE PARK Serving Arlington, Mansfield and Grand Prairie

MAKE ALL OF YOUR DAYS MAT TER. Pain in your knees or hips is a common complaint affecting people of all ages, often limiting daily activities. The orthopedic specialists at Medical City Arlington take time to listen and evaluate your pain to determine a treatment plan that’s right for you. At Medical City Arlington, every patient is treated like family and healthcare is personalized.

Stop wishing you had done something sooner.

Call (855) 868-6262 to find an orthopedic specialist and schedule an appointment today.

The Official Healthcare System of the

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Your Business’ Financial Ally

Artwork created by UTA retired Professor David Keens

Attentive Service With decades of experience, PSK LLP offers an unparalleled range of services for your business. We’re different than your typical accounting firm.

At PSK, you aren’t just another name on our roster. Your business is important to us, and you’ll enjoy customized and personalized care.

ACCOUNTING | AUDITING TAX & BUSINESS CONSULTING PAYROLL | PERSONAL TAX

Client-Oriented Experience “PSK LLP has been my accounting firm for investment building projects for more than 30 years. They have the staff and the knowledge to handle new business and always stay ahead of tax consequences.”

- JIM MAIBACH COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKER & APPRAISER

3001 Medlin Dr. #100 Arlington, TX 76015 (817) 664-3000 www.pskcpa.com

Payroll Partnership Together, PSK LLP and Payroll Partners provide clients the opportunity for seamless financial services. We take pride in your success by providing top-notch account, auditing and consulting, plus the addition of payroll services.

3001 Medlin Drive #25 Arlington, TX 76015 (817) 226-8111 www.payrollpartners.com

Experience the Difference the Right Agent Can Make.

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The Austin Group | 817-229-7408

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Magazzine-Cunningham Group | 214-300-8600

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Arlington | $255,000 | 4/2.1/2

For more information, contact — ARLINGTON OFFICE 1201 West Green Oaks Blvd.

817-654-3737

MANSFIELD OFFICE 1600 Highway 287 N., Suite 100 682-422-0333

©2019. Equal Housing Opportunity.

FACT:

A baby loves peek-a-boo when he begins to understand an object exists, even when not in view.

BALANCED LEARNING® WAY:

We have teachers who could represent the U.S. in peek-a-boo.

SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY TO SEE FOR YOURSELF THE PRIMROSE DIFFERENCE! Primrose School of NE Green Oaks 817.543.2626 | PrimroseNEGreenOaks.com *

Primrose School of Southwest Arlington 817.478.6160 | PrimroseSouthwestArlington.com * AdvancEd Accredited

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Winner 2017-2019 Readers’ Choice

All Star

All Star Educational Preschool/Day Care

ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

Each Primrose school is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools® and Balanced Learning® are registered trademarks of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2018 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved. See primroseschools.com for ‘fact’ source and curriculum detail.

Recognizing kindness “We were happy to be a part of the Arlington Random Acts of Kindness Initiative. As a familyowned and operated restaurant, Prince Lebanese Grill is big on sharing our hospitality with people.

We have always preached it to our staff and how we treat our customers, but what was really cool was seeing our customers get involved, too.

“One thing that stands out to me after the sign was posted was a gentleman who was having lunch with his wife approached me in the middle of his meal. He pointed to a table of six men in uniform.

They were members of the United States Air Force. They were having lunch at Prince. He said that he wanted to pay for their meal. It was truly a random act of kindness. He wanted to remain anonymous. He just wanted to do something nice for them, and did not even want a thank you for it.

“I began to see it almost weekly, when a table of in-uniform police officers or first-responders would come in to have a meal, customers would tell the waitress they want to pick up their check. We even got to a point where multiple people would ask to pay for the same table of officers. It was great to see our community taking care of each other, and showing appreciation for the people who risk so much to keep us safe on a daily basis. And it was all through these random acts of kindness. Most of the time the person paying for the table did it anonymously. Seeing things like that make you happy to be a member of this community.“

– Aziz Kobty

Prince Lebanese Grill Become a part of the Arlington Random Acts of Kindess Initiative. Did a stranger lend a helping hand when you were stranded on the side of the road or surprised you by paying for your coffee or dinner? When you see an act of kindness, document it one of the following ways: 1. Use the Ask Arlington App 2. Use the City of Arlington Online Form 3. Tweet or post using #ArlingtonKindness and @cityofarlington 4. Email: crc@arlingtontx.gov The free Ask Arlington app can be downloaded from the Apple or Android app stores.

Once downloaded, open the app. Then tap on the “Submit a Request” button to report an act of kindness today!

CONTENTS April 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 4

HIGHLIGHTS 30 HERE COMES THE BRIDE: My wedding, my story ...

See page 34

DEPARTMENTS Starting Line 10 • This ‘n Data 12 Scene 20, 58, 62 • Around Town 22 Style 38 • Health / Fitness 60 Bulletin Board 64 • Keen Cuisine 66 Hot Spots 68 • Speaking of Sports 70 Finish Line 72

40

42

50

24 How we are adapting in the era of coronavirus ... To address the health challenge facing us, we offer important resources and news you can use.

30 A classic car retrospective ... We thought our readers might like to take a look back at some of the automobiles we’ve featured during the past few years.

36 Tying the knot in time for a weekend honeymoon ... Friday is often wedding day at Justice of the Peace Mary Tom Curnutt’s office on East Abram Street.

40 He always has a song in his heart ... Esteban Blanco is living the American Dream in Arlington.

42 Hail, Pantego! ... This quiet oasis in the middle of Arlington is embracing its potential as a Metroplex “go-to” destination.

44 Education ... While the COVID-19 situation has altered life dramatically at local school districts, good things are still happening.

46 Discovery channel ... A University of Texas at Arlington junior has earned a summer job at the renowned Marine Biological Lab.

48 Honoring one of the good guys ... Jerry McCullough, the “volunteers’ volunteer,”

ON THE COVER Two and a half years after the groundbreaking ceremony, Globe Life Field has reached completion.

Here’s a look at the Rangers’ new home.

See page 28 8

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

will receive the Bill & Shari Bowie Community Leadership Award.

50 Home SWEET! Home ... Here’s the perfect ‘Downtown Wine Down’ type of abode, located in the heart of Mansfield.

World Class Service with a Personal Touch

l Best OUTDOOR ceremony and reception venue in North Texas for up to 200 guests l Intimate indoor space for up to 50 guests l Catering by the Restaurant506 award winning culinary team l Delicious plated and buffet dining options or cocktail hors d’oeuvres l Exquisite accommodations for VIP guests l Spa and salon services for the bride and bridal party l Ask about our excellent wine selections, bar packages, and tenting options. l The Sanford House is ideal for rehearsal dinners, private parties, wedding shower, and more!

Inn & Spa 506 North Center Street • Arlington, Texas 76011 817-861-2129 • 1-877-205-4914 www.TheSanfordHouse.com

• STARTING LINE

DEFINING MOMENTS

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distinctly recall being perched on the couch in the living room with a thermometer in my mouth when the voice coming from the television speaker made the announcement that changed everyone’s life: “We interrupt regularly scheduled programming to bring you this news bulletin.”

The regularly scheduled programming being interrupted was “Cartoon Carnival.”

I was watching it because I was home from the second grade with what had been diagnosed earlier in the day as Tonsillitis. I remember being annoyed, initially by how long it was taking to determine the degree of fever I had, then by the notion that I wouldn’t get to see the end of my cartoon.

Instead, I was party to the end of the world.

At least, that’s how it felt the day President John Yale F. Kennedy was assassinated. That’s certainly how Youngblood many reacted to the news. Turns out, it wasn’t the end of the world – just the end of the world as we Editor knew it ...

Per my custom, I was listening to the radio in my office that September morning in 2001, when my favorite sports correspondents gradually evolved into my favorite news correspondents. They initially veered off the sports road when one of them said he just heard an airplane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York. By days end, they were chronicling a second airplanecrash-related incident, and then a third. And then a fourth. They didn’t relay the news as journalists; they were simply stunned Americans talking to fellow stunned Americans, who gradually were coming to a stark realization over the course of the day: This is the end of the world as we knew it ...

I had the flu a couple of weeks before this issue went to press. Of course, a couple of weeks before this issue went to press was not the ideal time to discover you have a cough, fever and a severely aching body. Those are the symptoms of another, much more daunting malady, the one that, at press time, had infected more than 350,000 people world-wide and killed 15,000-plus of them. By the time you read this, both those numbers will be much higher.

Of course, by the time you read this, you’ll likely be doing so from somewhere in your home, because the COVID-19 outbreak has virtually closed the world – and represented the end of it as we know it ...

Ironically, it will be easy to recall where you were when this latest “end” occurred.

We’re all there, at home, right now, constricted by another dark presence that is redefining convention.

But, as was the case the first two times we were stopped in our tracks, we will grieve and recoil and fret for a while – then we will move forward. We will clasp hands with our neighbors and move forward. It’s what we do.

In fact, it’s who we are.

yale@arlingtontoday.com

Visit arlingtontoday.com, like us on Facebook 10

ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

and follow us on Twitter

and Instagram

EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Publisher Judy M. Rupay CEO Richard Greene EDITORIAL Editor Yale Youngblood Contributing Editors Sara Pintilie, Marla Thomas Sports Columnist John Rhadigan Style Editor Tricia Schwartz Website & Social Media Manager Bailey Woodard Contributing Graphic Artists Francisco Cuevas, Susan Darovich Contributing Writers O.K. Carter, Karen Gavis, Bob Kowalski, Kenneth Perkins, Toni Randle Cook Contributing Photographers Hasson Diggs, Dwayne Lee, Heather Lee, Bruce Maxwell, Toni Randle Cook SALES / CIRCULATION Business Manager Bridget Dean Sales Managers Laura DiStefano, Amy Lively, Andrea Proctor, Debbie Roach, Tricia Schwartz Distribution Manager Hanna Areksoussi PRODUCTION Production Manager Susan Darovich ARLINGTON TODAY is published monthly. Copyright 2020 Arlington Today, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without permission of the publisher.

The inclusion of advertising is considered a service to readers and is not an endorsement of products.

Basic subscriptions are $33.95 for 12 issues (price includes tax and shipping). To subscribe, e-mail subscriptions@arlingtontoday.com.

ARLINGTON TODAY GIVES BACK Arlington Today magazine proudly sponsors Arlington Urban Ministries, the Junior League of Arlington and Theatre Arlington.

• Phone number: (817) 303-3304

• THIS ‘N DATA

PROTECTING THE CHILDREN April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Alliance For Children is leading the way to better lives

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pril is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Alliance For Children, with two Arlington locations, is the only Tarrant County non-profit organization involved directly in the protection from child abuse through coordinated and teamed investigations with local law enforcement agencies, Cook Children’s Medical Center, JPS Health Network, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Tarrant County Juvenile Services and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

The organization offers a download-able Child Abuse Prevention Month toolkit that can educate local families and give them a way to support an important cause.

The kit can be downloaded at allianceforchildren.org/ child-abuse-prevention-month.

Alliance For Children’s specially trained team of Family Advocates helps navigate children and their protective family members through the overwhelming process of dealing with a case of child abuse. From initial outcry all the way through prosecution, these Family Advocates are there to help families understand the process and successfully access needed resources in the community.

Families are referred to Alliance For Children’s program through its partners in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and local law enforcement agencies. All services are provided at no cost to the family and can include case management, resource referrals, court preparation, financial assistance, emergency needs and assistance completing Crimes Victims’ Compensation

RAISE YOUR HAND if you rode the Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas the year it was introduced – 1966. Keep that hand up if you rode it again in 2016 and noticed that the activities going on in the Ace Hotel (one of the ride’s attractions) featured a birthday party with streamers and a birthday cake in celebration of 50 years of the ride’s operation. For the record, the Mini Mine Train for younger riders came along in 1969.

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applications. Families are also supported through special programs, including Backpack to School Connection, Camp B.L.U.E., the Makeover Project, Next Steps and Christmas Connection. For more information about the Family Advocate program, email Lindsey Dula at ldula@allianceforchildren.org.

Alliance For Children offers both individual and group counseling services free of charge to confirmed victims of child abuse and their protective family members.

Clinical counseling staff members work closely with clients to determine an individualized treatment program for each child. Counseling modalities utilized include Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through individual and group counseling, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Following a traumatic event such as abuse, children often display several recurring behavioral traits, including nightmares, flashbacks, sadness, anxiety, anger, poor grades, fearfulness, drug/alcohol use and self-harm. Even if a child does not exhibit any symptoms, it can be extremely beneficial for them to speak with a trained professional to process what happened in order to make sure children understand and feel safe expressing their feelings. With the support of a protective caregiver and effective treatment, a child can recover without long-term negative effects. Therapy programs are offered in both English and Spanish. For more information about Alliance For Children’s Clinical Program, email Diana Davis at dldavis@ allianceforchildren.org.

#atpetofthemonth This is Sugar. She is a Labrador and Pitbull mix. Sugar is a rescue dog who was found running around in a field. She is extremely sweet and affectionate.

– Cristin Martin

Crossroads to college success

T

wo months shy of graduating from college,

Giselly Cobas-Rincon left Cuba in search of a brighter future in Texas where she could someday complete her degree.

Her dream became reality thanks to UTA University Crossroads,

Through free offerings that focus on SAT preparation, college

a Dallas-based partnership comprising more than 90

awareness, and financial literacy, University Crossroads served

organizations that improves access to and success in higher

more than 38,000 North Texas students in grades 6-12 last

education for first- and second-generation students from low-

year, with over 2,500 gaining acceptance to a postsecondary

to moderate-income households.

education program.

Through University Crossroads’ college-readiness programs,

“The programs we offer are critical given Texas’ increasing

Cobas-Rincon learned to navigate the American higher

demographic shift and ethnic under-representation in higher

education system. She eventually enrolled at The University

education, particularly for the rapidly growing Hispanic

of Texas at Arlington, securing $4,000 in scholarships and

population,” says Michele Bobadilla, UTA’s senior associate

graduating in 2015 with a degree in political science. She now

vice president for outreach and community engagement and

works as a paralegal in Dallas.

assistant provost for Hispanic student success.

“UTA is a place where dreams come true, where you can find

“A college diploma can transform a student’s trajectory and

everything you need,” Cobas-Rincon says.

change a family for generations.”

UTA.EDU

• THIS ‘N DATA

3 Scoops 1. The Visual Communication Design program at The University of Texas at Arlington is ranked 44th nationally, according to Animation Career Review.

ACR is an online resource for aspiring animators, game designers, graphic designers and digital artists. It has ranked graphic design programs for six consecutive years. More than 700 schools with programs from across the U.S. were evaluated on their academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of the program, and value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness.

2. Arlington Water Utilities is installing 50 SmartCover Systems that were approved by the Arlington City Council in 2019. The SmartCover technology is added to sanitary sewer manholes and features sensors that constantly monitor sanitary sewer level, or depth of flow, at the location. Data is then transmitted wirelessly to a web-based database that alerts City engineers and field operations staff by text or email when levels in the manholes rise quickly.

3. Arlington Life Shelter recently named long-time community leader and businessman Jim Reeder as interim executive director to lead the agency in the final phase of its $5.8 million remodel and expansion effort. He will support the daily operations of the shelter as clients are transitioned from temporary shelters to the completed new shelter.

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When it is completed in the fall, the recreation center part of the East Library project will include fitness and aerobics rooms, a senior lounge and a 113,000-gallon indoor pool. There will also be community meeting rooms and a child care center.

Photo: City of Arlington

EAST LIBRARY/RECREATION CENTER IS COMING ALONG T

he construction phase is well underway on the new East Library and Recreation Center in east Arlington. The $26 million dollar facility was approved by voters in the 2014 bond election and will open this fall. The building is 47,249 square feet and combines a recreation center and library with state-of-the art design.

The library will be just over 8,500 square feet and will also include an outdoor innovation zone, designed by University of Texas at Arlington graduate students. Students have been meeting with east Arlington residents to create a space that best serves the community.

The recreation center will include fitness and aerobics rooms, a senior lounge and a 113,000-gallon indoor pool. There will also be community meeting rooms and a child care center.

The East Library and Recreation Center is located at Bob Cooke Park (2025 Craig Hanking Drive) and will replace the current Hugh Smith Recreation Center.

CITY PROMOTES KEITH BROOKS

T

he City of Arlington recently named Keith Brooks as its new Public Works and Transportation director. Brooks, who has served as assistant director/city engineer the past four years, began his career with Arlington nearly 18 years ago as a project engineer/civil engineer.

During his career, Brooks has been responsible for overseeing activities designed to improve life for residents and visitors, including street rebuilds, daily and special event traffic management plans, and construction inspection services for public infrastructure improvements Keith Brooks above and below ground.

Brooks’ duties have included managing the City’s Capital Street Program, which includes implementing voter-approved bond projects such as the Abram Street Rebuild between Cooper Street and the eastern city limits.

PROUD TO BE THE ONLY 5-STAR CMS-RATED HOSPITAL IN SOUTHEAST TARRANT COUNTY.

When you need medical care, you want confirmation that you are in good hands. Methodist Mansfield Medical Center sets the standard for healthcare. We are committed to quality, safety, innovation, and the health of our community.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our skilled healthcare team, Methodist Mansfield has earned 5 stars out of 5 in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Rating. Star ratings focus on ensuring that patients receive the necessary preventive care and management of long term health conditions. We are proud to be the only 5 Star CMS-rated hospital in southeast Tarrant County.

Trust. Methodist.

To find a physician, visit MethodistHealthSystem.org/Doctors.

Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, Methodist Health System, or any of its affiliated hospitals. Methodist Health System complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

MHSIV00144560 MMMC CMS 5 Star Ad FY1920_8x9.875.indd 1

2/21/20 2:21 PM

• THIS ‘N DATA

ARLINGTON CVB IS HONORED WITH 5 ADDYs

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he Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau recently won five ADDY Awards for its integrated marketing campaign, “Welcome to Arlington, a World of Wonderful.” The American Advertising Awards, home of the ADDY Award, is one of the industry’s largest creative competitions, attracting nearly 35,000 professional and student entries each year. The campaign was recognized at the New Orleans and Dallas ADDYs and will continue to the next phase of the competition.

At the New Orleans ADDYs, the campaign won Best of Show for Best Art Direction, a Gold ADDY for Film Video Sound Internet Commercial – Single Spot, a Gold ADDY (Best Art Direction) for Integrated Campaign – Regional/National. The campaign won two more awards at the Dallas ADDYs for Judges’ Choice: Elements of Advertising and a Gold ADDY for Animation, Special Effects or Motion Graphics/CGI. The leisure brand platform, “Welcome to Arlington, a World of Wonderful,” launched a 90-second short animated film titled “Arli and the World of Wonderful.” The short animated film is aimed at capturing how Arlington is the perfect getaway – laid-back and full of discovery, with a touch of magic. The spot brings to life beloved Arlington attractions such as AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Park, and Six Flags Over Texas and nods to newer destination assets such as Globe Life Field, Esports Stadium Arlington and Texas Live!.

The campaign ran in print, online and out-of-home media.

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VIA RIDESHARE OFFERS SERVICE TO TCC STUDENTS A

rlington’s Via rideshare service is doing more than simply offering rides around town. The service is now making college a reality for hundreds of students at Tarrant County College’s Southeast campus.

The City of Arlington expanded Via’s service area in January to include more of south Arlington, including TCC southeast. And even though the college extended spring break as a preventive measure against coronavirus, whenever classes resume, students will have a handy way to get to campus.

“What we’re seeing is students showing up on time for class. It’s been a wonderful addition to the campus,” says TCC Southeast President Dr. Bill Coppola.

Student Jacob Guajardo agrees. Before the Via expansion, Guajardo used other rideshare services and was spending significantly more on transportation.

“I can spend those extra $5 or $6 to get something to eat before class knowing I have extra money now,” Guajardo says. “Or I can use that money to pay for something I need for school.”

Many TCC students are first-generation college students. Administrators say students understand the value of an education but were forced to choose whether to spend their transportation budget getting to work or school.

“So putting Via with a price of $3 per ride and $15 a week for the package has really let students do both things – obtain their education and continue their employment to support their families,” Coppola says.

For more: arlingtontx.gov/city_hall/departments/office_of_strategic_initiatives/ transportation_planning/via_rideshare.

THE ARLINGTON WOMAN’S CLUB Spring Fling made 1,050 lunches for children in the Arlington Independent School District to have during last month’s scheduled spring break.

Members of the Spring Fling Committee include Jan Taborsky, Shelina Brown, Gayle Krengel, Susan Petry, Sharon Hampton, Judy Floyd, Jonibeth Evans, Linda Dunson, Gail Bryant, Judy Johnson and committee leader – and the person who organized the lunch-making endeavor with New Day Arlington – Jeanette Speed.

You can help AWC every time you shop at a Tom Thumb grocery store, which will donate up to 3 percent of your total grocery bill to AWC each time you check-out.

Simply link your reward card to AWC, charity #800.

Celebrating Kindness

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STUDENT MEAL PLAN Find your closest feeding site at aisd.net/coronavirus/student-meal-plan-during-school-closure/

02

AT-HOME LEARNING HUB Engage online at aisd.net/athomelearning

Uncharted territory Photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash

As we navigate through these uncharted waters, Arlington ISD is committed to being a

lighthouse and a constant source of comfort and familiarity for our students, parents and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. We know this is a challenging time for everyone, and we will get through this together.

We are constantly updating our Coronavirus website at aisd.net/coronavirus, but if you do not see an answer for your question, please send an email to pio@aisd.net. The Arlington ISD is working with local and statewide health officials to stay up-to-date and make the best-informed decisions. As decisions are made, we will announce them via our social feeds on Facebook and Twitter, online at aisd.net/coronavirus, and through email communication to staff and parents.

Our team is constantly developing resources for you and your families. Here are some of the resources that we currently have in place.

Arlington Independent School District and the COVID-19 Pandemic

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IN THIS TOGETHER

COMMUNITY RESOURCES Counseling Services Hotline for Students: 682-867-9416 Community Support Services Hotline for Students, Parents, & Staff: 682-867-9417

STUDENT MEAL PLAN Monday through Friday at 23 locations throughout the district, any child age 18 or younger may receive one lunch meal and one breakfast meal to go through the Student Meal Plan. Meals are distributed by the district’s food and nutrition services department. The numbers of meals and locations can be adjusted based on demand. The only requirement is that the child must be present to receive a meal and meals are distributed by the district’s food and nutrition services department.

ONLINE LEARNING The district has also launched the At-Home Learning Hub, an online learning program to keep students engaged while away from school. It includes lessons for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade, and the district will continue to add content that will evolve as long as campuses are closed.

These resources are meant to reinforce learning that has already taken place in the classroom in core subjects – English/language arts/reading, math, science and social studies.

Additionally, given the district’s continued focus on literacy, a variety of e-book platforms will be available for students.

As the program evolves, the district will engage teaching staff around instruction and

have teachers teach their own students using online learning management systems. When students eventually return, Arlington ISD is working on a plan to fill any knowledge gaps and provide extended learning for kids who are experiencing learning regression.

RESOURCES The Arlington ISD understands that this is a challenging and confusing time for our families, so we are constantly expanding the resources we provide while also helping to connect our families to resources in our community.

On our website, we have resources for food, clothing, transportation and more. We also have information on how to engage in appropriate dialogue that will be reassuring and not heighten any anxiety during this difficult time.

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The Arlington ISD knows it takes everyone coming together in times like this, and we know we’re in the right community for that to happen. Thank you to our Arlington ISD community for your care and kindness shown while we navigate these uncharted waters.

- aisd.net/coronavirus -

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SCENE Snapshots from Theatre Arlington’s Game Night and from the open house for media members and season ticket holders at Globe Life Field Photos: Jason AndersonPhotos: (Pendleton Yale Photography) Youngblood

Charles Brady and Leann Brady

Nik Blocker and Cindy Honeycutt at the Theatre Arlington Game Night event

Mary Hibbs and John Hibbs at the Game Night gala

Shelley Darnell, Cindy James, Melanie Hoover and Belinda Caylor

Linda Dipert and Judge Mary Tom Curnutt

Photo courtesy of Richard Greene

Jo Tibbetts, Seth Tibbetts and Donovan Marie Lawson during one of many lighter moments at the Theatre Arlington event.

Richard Urso addresses the crowd during the Theatre Arlington event

The highlight of the evening was a matching of wits among current and former city leaders.

For more great SCENE shots, visit arlingtontoday.com Photos: Richard Greene

Texas Rangers Executive Vice President of Ballpark Entertainment & Production Chuck Morgan at the Globe Life Field open house

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Rangers Executive Vice President of Business Operations Rob Matwick addresses the press at the open house

Harris Cook, LLP: Counselors for Life

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s adults, we are constantly bombarded with heavy thoughts. We may ask ourselves a series of “what if” questions that play on repeat in our mind.

What if my marriage falls apart?

What if I decide to sell my business?

What if my child gets injured?

What if I die without a will?

What if my real estate deal falls through?

The “what ifs” are seemingly endless and often overwhelming, especially in the ever-changing world we are currently living in. In times of distress, it is invaluable to have trustworthy guidance and assistance.

THE ATTORNEYS AT HARRIS COOK ARE DEDICATED TO ASSISTING YOU THROUGH ANY OF LIFE’S CHALLENGES. Harris Cook, LLP is a Full-Service Law Firm serving North Texas, with offices in Arlington, Mansfield and Flower Mound.

The firm is made up of seven attorneys with deeply rooted experience in complicated legal matters. The firm’s primary practice areas include: Business Law, Real Estate, Family Law, Personal Injury, Public Utilities, Wills/Estate Planning, Probate and Regulatory Affairs.

“Given the depth of our firm, it is common to work with clients on more than one practice area; once you are a client of ours, rest assured that we will do everything we can to offer meaningful counsel now, and if needed, in the future,” David L. Cook.

What Makes Harris Cook Unique Experience: Harris Cook believes in taking a comprehensive approach to every case. After an initial consultation, the attorneys will identify who in the practice will offer the best representation for your particular situation.

Rachel L. Wright, Managing Attorney of the firm’s Arlington

office, describes the culture of Harris Cook as team-oriented and client-focused. “Every client brings with them a unique set of perspectives, circumstances and objectives. Our job is to put together a tailor-made plan for that client’s individual needs and goals, and to work with them each step of the way to achieve them.”

Expertise: Managing Partner, David L. Cook is Board Certified in Family Law, and Partner, Paul J. Johnson is Board Certified in Commercial and Residential Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Less than 10% of all attorneys in Texas have earned specialized certifications in Texas.

A Long History of Service Harris Cook, LLP was founded by the late Senator Chris Harris on the pillars of service and giving back to our communities.

Managing Partner, David L. Cook continues Harris’ Legacy, and currently serves his community as the Mayor of Mansfield, a position he has held since 2008. The attorneys of Harris Cook serve on several of Arlington’s civic boards and organizations, including the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation and the River Legacy Foundation, and current attorney Lin Morrisett, previously served as an Associate Judge of Tarrant County Probate Court No. 2. Two former Harris Cook attorneys have moved on from the law firm to serve as State District Judges: Honorable Brody Shanklin, Judge of the 211th District Court, Denton County since 2015, and Honorable Kimberly Fitzpatrick, Judge of the 342nd District Court, Tarrant County, Texas since 2018. A legacy of public service certainly exists at Harris Cook.

“Our measure of success is not based solely on whether we win or lose, but also on what we give back to others. As we continue to see growth within our firm’s business, our mission will never waiver, and that is to be not only leaders in the courtroom, but also leaders in our community,” said Cook.

To learn more about Harris Cook, LLP and its services, visit www.harriscooklaw.com or call 817.275.8765.

• AROUND TOWN

I DON’T HUG, BUT I COULD USE ONE NOW

M

y much better half is a hugger. It’s what I like least about her. She hugs folks she knows only slightly or even not at all.

These embraces, tight and sincere, are famously nondiscriminatory. She hugs the postal guy, the lawn guy, the pool guy, the cable TV guy, the JC Penny saleswoman who alerted her to the sales loophole offering an extra 10 percent off window coverings. No kind deed goes without a warm embrace from this woman.

This problem isn’t hers. It’s mine.

I am, and have always been, an anti-hugger, one of those stiffs who lurks awkwardly in the background as folks swing arms around one another when coming or going.

I’m the dude who arrives late to shun the collective Kenneth embraces and leaves early Perkins to avoid the inevitable goodbye huggapaloosa.

Thing is, when the Much Better Half hugs, standing there, as if next in line, I’m expected to follow suit. I usually do, though tentatively, awkwardly, painfully.

Which explains why this whole coronavirus thing is a rather odd, ironic twist: The Much Better Half has been stripped of her hugability.

At first it seemed like a revelation. Now I’m not so sure.

When Mayor Jeff Williams instituted this whole Kindness Initiative a while back, calling on residents to perform random acts of kindness, I was all in, as long as it didn’t include hugging.

While reporting on the story, I remember asking Williams whether I could be kind without actually hugging someone. I was joking – kind of. He looked a bit dumbfounded. I changed the subject.

Driving around Arlington the other day, passing by The Parks Mall, snaking through The Highlands and ending up at Costco

Photo:hugproject.wordpress.com

in search of toilet paper (can’t find any), I notice the panic and worry in people’s faces and wonder what a great time to think about kindness.

Especially when it came to taking fewer pallets of toilet paper so others can have their share.

At the McDonald’s on the corner of Cooper and Pioneer, I ask a 30-ish woman in a power suit and high heels whether not being hugged bothers her. She thinks about it for a bit, and then says, “I’m not much of a hugger so I don’t know if it’s that big of a deal.

But my sister hugs people all the time. It’s like she’s addicted. (I tell her I feel her pain) So for her, she’s about ready to jump off a bridge, probably.”

One of the McDonald’s workers sweeping up around us gets in on the conversation, saying what we need now more than ever is that hug, a sincere embrace that tells someone “I care.”

We joke that in our new world of social distancing it’s impossible to hug standing six feet apart. Yet we need it, even when antihuggers like me find it excruciating.

That’s because we need human touch, or what a psychologist friend of mine calls “skin hunger.” She tells me this term is based on actual research studies showing how touch – particularly hugs – is able to communicate a wide range of emotions and is considered a vital social tool. “It even reduces your levels of stress hormone cortisol,” she says.

High levels of stress hormone cortisol means anxiety, low energy and even depression. I looked it up.

So what does that mean now for a society that can’t touch?

There’s a moment in most churches where parishioners are asked to “greet your neighbor,” with a handshake or (yikes) a hug.

At New Life Fellowship, where I attend, we went from hugging one Sunday to waiving the next to meeting via streaming as big gatherings were being discouraged.

“We can’t do the things we normally do,” Senior Pastor Dr. Maurice Pugh tells us, by teleconference, no less. “This is hard.

We can’t hug and touch hands.”

We can’t. It is hard. Even for an anti-hugger like me.

Kenneth Perkins has been a contributing writer for Arlington Today since it debuted. He is a freelance writer, editor and photographer.

22

ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

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arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

23

• THE COVID-19 CRISIS

A GUIDE TO HELP YOU IN THE ERA OF

CORONAVIRUS

Here are resources for local information about COVID-19, as well as some dynamic ways we are addressing this new challenge

Where to get the latest local information:

arlingtontx.gov/coronavirus

mansfieldtexas.gov/1516/COVID-19-Coronavirus

gptx.org/city-government/city-departments/ environmental-services/coronavirus-covid-19

Local education resources:

Local business resources:

The University of Texas at Arlington uta.edu/announcements/coronavirus

The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce • arlingtontx.com/covid-19

Tarrant County College tccd.edu/info-ribbon/coronavirus

Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce • grandprairiechamber.org/COVID-19

Arlington Independent School District aisd.net/coronavirus Mansfield Independent School District mansfieldisd.org/parents-students/covid-19 Grand Prairie Independent School District gpisd.org/HealthUpdates HEB Independent School District hebisd.edu/coronavirus

Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce• mansfieldchamber.org

Downtown Arlington Management Corp.• downtownarlington.org/covid-19

Local medical resources: Medical City Arlington • medicalcityhealthcare.com/covid-19/index.dot Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital • texashealth.org/Health-and-Wellness/ Understanding Coronavirus USMD Hospital at Arlington • usmdarlington.com/covid-19-message Baylor Scott & White Orthopedic and Spine Hospital • bswarlington.com Methodist Mansfield Medical Center • methodisthealthsystem.org/covid-19

Kennedale Independent School District kennedaleisd.net/domain/2393 For information regarding private and charter schools, visit the schools’ respective websites.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

City-wide closings list is available online As the community works to stop the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19, some City of Arlington facilities are currently closed. To find out what venues, services and departments are out of operation until further notice, please visit arlingtontx.gov/coronavirus/Closings_List.

Eats & drinks to go (or available via delivery)*: Bek’s Nizza Pizza • 965 W. Lamar Blvd. • 817-303-0000 BJ’s Brewhouse • 201 E. I 20 • 817-465-5225 Blu Ice Daiquiris • 7401 Matlock Road • 817-583-6005 Boiling Tails Co. • 816 N. Collins St.• 817-261-5798 Brooklyn’s Beat Pizza • 2425 S.E. Green Oaks Blvd. • 817-784-3565 The Brown Bag Club • 8651 John T. White • 833-586-2448 Burger Extreme • 8021 Matlock Road • 682-276-6512 Cafe Acapulco • 4001 W. Green Oaks Blvd., #121 • 817-483-4171 Candlelite Inn • 1202 E. Division St. • 817-275-9613 Cartel Taco Bar • 506 E. Division St., #150 • 817-200-6364 The Catch • 5809 I-20 West• 817-765-2226 Catfish Sam’s • 2735 W. Division • 817-275-9631 Chapps Burgers • 2596 E. Arkansas Lane • 817-460-2097 Chihuahua Charlies Cantina • 5835 I-20 West • 682-587-4760 Cicis Pizza • 4400 Little Road • 817-561-6011 Cindy Sue Catering To Go • 6204 S. Cooper St., Suite 112 • 817-602-0108

LuluPops by Lina • 3851 S.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Ste. 103 • 817-880-1111 Lupes Tex Mex • 770 Road to Six Flags, Ste. 178 • 817-460-6661 MaryLou’s Coffee and Sandwich Shoppe • 404 E Broad St., Mansfield • 817-473-1989 Maverick’s Sports Grill • 601 E. Main St. • 817-548-1442 Mellow Mushroom • 200 N. Center St. • 817-274-7173 Mixed-Up Burgers • 510 E. Ave. K, Grand Prairie • 972-606-6700 Mr. B’s Burger Pub • 2578 W. Pioneer Pkwy. • 817-860-6727 New York Eats • 604 Doug Russell Road • 682-593-1428 Old School Pizza Tavern • 603 W. Abram St. • 682-323-4441 One Love Lounge • 2315 S. Cooper St. • 682-323-4950 The Original Chop House Burgers • 2502 Little Road • 682-213-2253 Pancho Tacos (open 24 hours) • 3209 E. Division St. • 817-301-8136 Papaya Mexican Grill • 100 W. Pioneer Pkwy., Ste.120 • 682-238-3073 Pioneer Restaurant • 306 109th St. • 817-633-4433 Pitt Stop Cafe • 7089 E. Kennedale Pkwy. • 817-563-9226

Corky’s Brick Oven Pizzeria • 4760 Little Road • 817-561-2675 Cotton Patch Cafe • 1714 N. U.S. 287 Frontage Road, Mansfield • 817-453-9994 Daesy’s Tropical Sno • 3814 Little Road • 817-401-6310 Danny’s Big Burgers • 611 W. Park Row Drive • 817-538-9585 David’s Barbecue • 2224 W. Park Row, Pantego • 817-261-9998 Division Street Diner • 1800 W. Division St. • 817-274-1606 El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill • 2408 W. Abram St. • 817-276-8160 El Ranchito-Arlington • 3517 S. Cooper St. • 817-987-4560 Fattoush Mediterranean Kitchen • 2304 W. Park Row • 682-321-7650 Fork in the Road • 1821 S. Fielder Road • 817-459-3675 Grease Monkey Bar and Grill • 200 N. Mesquite St. • 817-665-5454 Hurtado Barbecue • 205 E. Front St. • 682-323-5141 IHOP • 5950 I- 20 West • 817-561-9973 Italy Pizza Pasta & Subs • 2221 Browning Drive • 817-276-3200 J. Gilligans • 400 E. Abram St. • 817-274-8561 Jambo’s BBQ at the Arlington Steakhouse • 1724 W. Division St. • 817-275-7881 Jr’s Grill Cafe • 2406 W. Park Row, Pantego • 682-323-8652 Legal Draft Beer Co. • 500 E. Division St. • 817-962-2210

Prince Lebanese Grill • 502 W. Randol Mill Road • 817-469-1811 Qdoba Mexican Eats • 4050 S. Collins St. • 682-276-6064 Restaurant506 at The Sanford House • 506 N. Center St. • 817-801-5541 Rockfish Seafood Grill • 3785 S. Cooper St. • 817-419-9988 Salsajoes Tex-Mex Smokehouse • 1700 W. Park Row Drive • 817-460-7800 Sasa’s Place Cafe • 2700 W. Arkansas Lane • 682-276-8424 Shell Shack • 770 E. Road to Six Flags, Ste. 100 • 844-588-2722 Smallcakes Arlington • 770 E. Road to Six Flags, Ste. 100 • 817-442-2253 Smoke’N Ash BBQ • 7301 Matlock Road, Ste. 127 • 817-987-7715 Sushi and Ramen Japanese Restaurant • 803 W. Park Row Drive • 817-277-1025 Taqueria Saltillo • 2300 S. Collins St. • 817-795-1928 • 2020 E. Pioneer Pkwy. • 817-303-7827 The Tipsy Oak • 301 E. Front St. • 817-962-0304 Tom’s Burgers & Grill • 1530 N. Cooper St. • 817-459-9000 Uncle Bo’s Hamburgers and Deli • 4701 W. Sublett Road • 817-516-5535 Urban Alchemy • 403 E. Main St. • 817-617-2054

*This list represents restaurants and beverage providers that answered a survey to determine local entities offering food to go, curbside pick-up or delivery. It is designed to give you a number of options when you want restaurant food or specialty beverages but can’t eat at at local venues because of social gathering restrictions. Call each eatery or beverage provider to see which to-go, curbside pickup and delivery options are available.

Another way to find out about what’s available at local eateries: The locally produced website arlingtontexasfamily.com has created a page devoted to helping local residents find restaurants that provide take-out, curbside pick-up and delivery services. shorturl.at/ILNO0

Here’s a Facebook page that gives updates on local businesses: I Love Arlington TX has dedicated a special Facebook page to help local business owners spread their various messages to their customers – and to help those customers keep up with what’s going on at their favorite companies during this unique time.

Content runs the gamut, from the sharing of great take-out options at local restaurants to special deals available from local companies. It also spotlights altruistic endeavors by area residents teaming with their literal and commercial neighbors to make the best of this situation and shares local tidbits of news about which residents might not be aware. facebook.com/ilovearlingtontx/posts/1396138967214298

Here’s a sample of what’s on the page: J. Gilligan’s owner Randy Ford promoting the eatery’s take-out option.

arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

25

General resources:

LOVE YOUR PETS? Let us share them with our viewers!

Submit pictures and a small bio of your pets to pets@arlingtontoday.com to be selected as one of our

#ATPETSOFTHEMONTH If selected to appear in the magazine you will receive a Gift Card.

How to talk to kids about coronavirus The website pbs.org has created a page for parents that helps them discuss with their children what is going on with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. shorturl.at/cijvB The American School Counselors Association has created a page to help school officials tailor discussions on the topic with their students. schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors/professional-development/learn-more/ coronavirus-resources Resources for the home The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a page dedicated to helping people find adequate resources for the home as they address the pandemic. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/index.html Resources for the workplace The Labor & Workforce Development Agency has a web page focusing on resources for both employers and workers. labor.ca.gov/coronavirus2019

We might be stuck inside, but we don’t have to be stuck for ideas on how to spend time there • While the pandemic has forced the River Legacy Living Science Center to close its doors temporarily, patrons can still enjoy nature videos prepared by the center. facebook.com/pg/riverlegacyparks/videos/?ref=page_internal • The website freedomhomeschooling.com offers access to virtual field trips that allow viewers to visit places around the world without ever leaving their homes. Through virtual field trips, they can visit other states, countries across the globe, and even other planets. This allows children – and grownups, for that matter – to experience places they wouldn’t get to see otherwise. shorturl.at/cnsL3 • USA Today compiled a list of “100 things to do while stuck inside due to a pandemic.” It contains activities that can help make your time quarantined as interesting – and perhaps even as productive – as possible. shorturl.at/bqwy8 • The website kidsgardening.org offers an array of activities that families can do, each focused on helping them grow an appreciation and aptitude for gardening. kidsgardening.org/news-kidsgardening-offers-easy-parent-and-kid-activities • Not all the options are confined to entertainment. We know a fellow who lost his job as a musical entertainer – all his gigs were canceled through the summer – so he tapped his second passion, carpentry, and built new furniture for his home.

This might be the time you write that novel or clean out the garage or redecorate the house. The options are virtually endless, and you’ll have plenty of time in the near future to let your imagination go wild.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

What some local people/companies are doing to adapt to the pandemic • Texas Health Resources will not allow visitors in inpatient areas, although exceptions will be made for critically ill patients nearing end of life. Also, one visitor will be allowed in the labor and delivery and post-partum areas per patient, and two parents or guardians are permitted in the NICU area. Visitors are not permitted in the Emergency Department treatment areas. One visitor will be allowed in the hospital’s outpatient areas. texashealth.org/locations/texas-health-arlington-memorial • Birth & Wellness Center of Arlington (1001 W Randol Mill Road) is a collection of midwives offering discounts to people who want to transfer care to them vs. birthing in a hospital due to potential coronavirus exposure. All of the midwives are licensed, and the center has a Certified Nurse Midwife on staff.

“We are a small business owned and operated by all women,” explains the Center’s Kara Lindsey Milton. “We are trying to make it during this crazy time but also provide a service for those who need it. We are a safe/clean environment with all the proper equipment necessary to safely deliver.” birthandwellnesscenter.com • Can’t have a group gathering? You can follow the lead of 100 Men Who Give a Damn Arlington and prepare for the prospect of hosting a virtual meeting. The altruistic organization originally scheduled its next event for April 6 at Legal Draft Brewery (500 E. Division St.) and asked each attendee to come with a $100 donation that would go to “VetStarts.” That is an Arlington-based organization that supports veterans struggling with all that comes along with post-military life.

Because of restrictions on the size of gatherings, the group has rescheduled the meeting for 5:30 p.m. on May 18, but organization spokesperson Spencer Cearnal says the group is also ready to host the event online if it can’t be held at the brewery.

While that won’t simulate the cold beer available at the host site, it will still allow 100 Men Who Give a Damn Arlington to support this worthy cause.

For more information, email tgaines@firstrate.com or e.blanco@blancoit.com.

• Here’s a note we received from the staff at Levitt Pavilion Arlington: As everyone is aware, the pandemic of COVID-19 is changing everything on an hour-to-hour basis.

The Levitt Pavilion Arlington staff and board of directors are following all advisories and mandates regarding best practices and crowd sizes. While we are happy to share our summer concert season lineup, things are fluid right now and will likely change between now and May 15, our planned concert schedule opening. We will do everything in our power to make the best possible decisions for the Levitt, our staff, crew, volunteers, artists, and of course, the health and safety of our loyal Levitt fans. We will keep you informed about the Levitt concert season to the best of our ability as we all work together to navigate our world right now. Stay in touch with us for updates through our e-newsletters, website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our free mobile app Levitt Arlington. levittpavilionarlington.com • The Downtown Arlington Management Corp. has created “Downtown Delivers.”

Patrons of eateries in the downtown area can stay up to date on the latest way to get their favorite foods from Downtown Arlington restaurants.

You can find everything you need to see who’s currently offering to-go ordering, curbside pick-up, delivery, and quickly access their social media platforms. downtownarlington.org/visit/downtown-delivers

Stay home.

Read a magazine.

Phone a friend.

Video church.

Shop online and support local businesses and restaurants.

Be safe.

Stay well.

ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

arlingtontoday.com arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

27

• COVER STORY

1. This guy

2. And this guy, too

3. The view from the sweet suites

4. Rattlesnake dogs (no, really!)

5. Come July, when you take your seat for some summer baseball,

11. Even if baseball’s not your thing, Globe Life Field is still a goyou will almost certainly be spellbound by the view around to destination. Because of the venue size, design, central location, you. But you’ll be ecstatically spellbound by the notion that it and state-of-the-art technology, the stadium will host a multitude sure doesn’t feel like summer baseball in here. Yay, roof. Yay air of events like collegiate sports, concerts, festivals and other conditioning! professional sporting events.

6. Speaking of the roof, it is the first of its kind in baseball. With 12. The stadium has 47 concession stands, 20 bars, 11 kitchens, portions made of a transparent material, it allows for outdoor two vegan stands and 38 portable stands. With Delaware North ambiance indoors. And it can be retracted in a matter of minutes.

Sportservice at the forefront of concessions, you’ll find the likes of The Grit Dog (a foot long with creamy jalapeño cheese grits, 7. Globe Life Field spans 1.8 million square feet – that’s 0.4 million stadium chili, Rico’s nacho cheese and fresh Pico De Gallo), as bigger than its predecessor, Globe Life Park. Because the new well as The Stack (tostados layered with Tostitos tortilla chips and stadium seats some 9,000 fewer fans, it is a more intimate setting for your favorite nacho toppings, watching the game. But it has including pulled pork, Rico’s WAY more concourse space, nacho cheese sauce, jalapeño and you can still watch the peppers and stadium chili). game as you make your way through the new concourse.

13. The field’s dimensions all correspond with meaningful 8. The new ballpark features numbers in Texas Rangers two large video boards. The history. The distance to the foul main board in right field pole in left field is 329 feet, in measures 58 feet tall x 150 feet honor of #29, Adrian Beltre. Left wide. The one down the third field then juts out to 334 feet, in base line measures 40 x 120. By honor of #34, Nolan Ryan. The comparison, Globe Life Park’s left center power alley is 372 boards were 42 x 120 and 34 x 94.

17 things we love about Globe Life Field feet, a tribute to 1972, when the 9. We mentioned fewer seats Rangers played their inaugural at Globe Life Field. What we season in Arlington. The deepest part of the park is 410 feet, in needed to mention is that those seats are wider than what you honor of #10, Michael Young. Dead center field is 407 feet, in honor found in the past – by a full inch. of #7, Pudge Rodriguez. The right center power alley is 374 feet, 10. If you’re into watching the game from premium clubs, Globe in honor of the 1974 “Turnaround Gang” Rangers. And the right Life Field has you covered, with six premium clubs available. There field foul pole is 326 feet away, in honor of #26, Johnny Oates. The are 2,098 premium seats, as well as party suites available that can distance behind home plate from the plate to the barrier directly accommodate from 30-420 fans during a game. Globe Life Field has behind it is 42 feet, in honor of Jackie Robinson.

71 long-term suites and 37 nightly suites.

A HOME RUN!

14. The players’ clubhouse

15. The fans’ clubhouse

16. Powder blue is back!

17. Did we mention air conditioning?

Photos courtesy of The Texas Rangers, kasa-immo.com

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

NO PLACE LIKE HOME THANK YOU, ARLINGTON, FOR YOUR HELP IN BUILDING THE FINEST BALLPARK IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. THE TEXAS RANGERS ARE PROUD TO CALL ARLINGTON HOME. Globe Life Field, Texas Live!, and Live! by Loews Arlington renderings are approximate and for illustrative purposes only.

• BEHIND THE WHEELS

A CLASSIC CAR

Adlai Pennington’s 1949 Packard (Harry Truman’s car)

Bill and Jean Jewell’s 1930 Franklin

And now, Some of our favorite features on the classic autos ...

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Arnold Petsche’s 1937 Willys

Bill and Lynn Downs’ 1937 Rolls Royce

RETROSPECTIVE

Dennis Brown’s 1938 Chevy

We thought our readers might like to take a look back at some of the automobiles we’ve featured during the past few years • By Richard Greene

John Ridings Lee’s 1937 Bugatti

Joy Ames’ 1934 Packard

Mel and Jane McDonald’s 1911 Cadillac

arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

31

ONE OF THE VERY BEST parts of the monthly car feature is getting the story from the car owners like I’m doing here with Michael Brown in the midst of his remarkable Corvette collection adorned with his companion neon sign display inside his expansive garage/museum.

Mike Ames’ 1931 Packard

Ray Kinney’s 1936 Lincoln

Sandy Rose’s 1914 Buick Roadster

Now, these are hood ornaments ...

32

ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Tom and Faye Panzer’s 1936 Ford Phaeton

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33

• HERE COMES THE BRIDE

My wedding, my story ...

Recently wed Justine Lehringer shares her favorite memories of the ceremony and reception

L

ast fall, Justine Darice Lord married Christian Michael Lehinger at Retreat DFW in Cedar Hill. Recently, Arlington Today visited with Justine and asked her to share some of her favorite memories prior to, during and after the ceremony.

Arlington Today: Why did you choose Retreat DFW as the venue for your wedding?

Justine Lehinger: Wanted to have an intimate setting with close friends and family and enjoy each other’s company for the weekend. And still have a romantic place for the wedding.

AT: How long have you and Christian known each other, and when did you become engaged? Please share some memories of that moment, too.

JL: We ran in the same circle of friends for years but never actually met each other. Finally, we did meet at a business retreat in Breckenridge in August of 2018.

We were engaged in April of 2019. We have a park in our neighborhood where we spend a lot of time. We took a romantic afternoon walk, and when we got to the park Christian got down on one knee and proposed.

AT: Was there a theme for your wedding? If so, how did it play out?

JL: Simple. Everything was simple, clean and pretty. And fun!

We had a 150-foot slide, zip lining, a rock wall and a treehouse.

AT: How many people attended?

JL: About 65.

AT: What are your and your husband’s favorite memories of the event?

JL: Christian’s son David flew in from Okinawa with his wife Payten. David is an active duty Marine, and Payten is active duty in the Air Force. Christian’s daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah and Joelle, came in from College Station, Denton and Spokane. It was very special to have them there all together.

During the ceremony we performed a traditional hand fasting 34

ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

to honor our Celtic roots. Christian’s dad performed the hand fasting portion of the ceremony.

The speeches were very special for both of us. My best friend, Mary Day, gave a very special speech about her wonderful memories of me, and how special I was in her life and family. Christian’s son gave a great speech about family and finding love.

In general we really enjoyed seeing people that we loved enjoying each other’s company and having a good time.

AT: Who was involved in the planning and implementation of the wedding, and what did they do?

JL: Michelle Parker and Mary Day were instrumental in planning and preparing the wedding. The photographer was Bryan Grayson. Our good friend, Joey Bozik, performed the ceremony.

AT: Where did the wedding reception take place and what were some of the highlights of that?

JL: Both the ceremony and reception took place at Retreat DFW in Cedar Hill. The reception was outside and included plenty of food and alcohol, along with rock climbing, swimming, a water slide and, to top it all off, a zip line.

AT: Where did you go on your honeymoon, and what about that stood out the most to you?

JL: We traveled to Scotland. We got to tour many castles, including Sterling castle. We traveled to Loch Ness and the highlands by car. We are pretty sure we wandered onto the set of Outlander way up in the highlands and were quickly ushered away. We had wonderful hotel stays and amazing food and conversation.

AT: How has life changed for the two of you now that you’ve been married almost half a year?

JL: It sounds cliché, but things keep getting better. We love spending time together. We enjoy doing the little things to make sure the other feels loved and special. We both look forward to spending the rest of our lives by each other’s side.

Photos courtesy of Justine Lehringer

Here are some of the photographic highlights from the wedding – and the honeymoon – of Christian and Justine Lehinger. The couple was married last October at Retreat DFW in Cedar Hill, and Christian and Justine honeymooned in Scotland.

arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

35

A recent Friday was wedding day for four local couples pictured clockwise from top left: Ivan Ramirez and Ashley Delgado, (the hands of Ardith Carlton and Corky Visminas, Adriana Gray and Daron Smith, and Sterling Thomas Jr. and Jacqueline McCuller, who proudly show off their wedding rings.

Photos: O.K. Carter

TYING THE KNOT

(just in time for a honeymoon weekend)

I

f it’s Friday at Justice of the Peace Mary Tom Curnutt’s office on East Abram Street, she knows that once again it’s wedding day.

The justice of the peace office is often referred to as the people’s court, so it catches a mish-mash of legal issues; school truancy and highway patrol tickets. Tenant disputes, towing cases, small claims and more.

And, clearly, marriages. Lots of them.

They’re mixed almost seamlessly into the court’s other business and can take place any day the court is open – except that mostly they occur on Friday. The average that day is nine to a dozen vow exchanges, though it can be considerably more.

“Valentine’s Day fell on a Friday a while back, and I ended

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

up with 32 marriages, the record for a day for us,” Curnutt says. “It’s usually busiest when the following Monday is a holiday – sort of a long weekend honeymoon, I suppose.”

Curnutt, 52, and a fifth generation Arlingtonite, has held the office for almost seven years but notes that when she was considering running for the office, she studied everything about it. Or almost everything.

“Except for weddings,” she says. “I confess that part of the job was just something I didn’t give a lot of thought to.”

But she soon discovered that performing marriages came with the territory, and she’s become proficiently efficient at the task while still maintaining a warm ambiance. Mostly, it takes five minutes for setup, another five for vows and another

When one Friday fell on Halloween, Justice of the Peace Mary Tom Curnutt offered the bride and groom the option of having the ceremony officiated by Snow White, who was accompanied by a court of county employees dressed as dwarfs.

Photo courtesy of Mary Tom Curnutt

five for post-ceremony instructions. Curnutt’s style is warm, a blend of casualness and official procedure. It’s usually in-andout in 15 minutes or less.

The cost? $100.

If they show up with a license, Curnutt is legally bound to perform the ceremony, whether it’s gender-different, or gender-same, or mixed race.

What kind of people choose to have a justice of the peace wedding? All kinds. “I do a lot of remarriages,” Curnutt notes.

“And lot of destination marriages.”

Destination marriages? Curnut explains: “Let’s say they’re from Texas but going to get married in Hawaii or Jamaica or Tahiti. The officials there can’t legally do the ceremony. So, the official marriage is here, the ceremonial one wherever.”

“I tell the husbands they have to get their wives two gifts instead of one,” Curnutt jokes.

Curnutt also performs many re-marriages of people originally married in other countries, but who often show up in the U.S. without official paperwork. “They’re citizens but they need a wedding in the U.S.,” she says.

Curnutt has half a dozen ceremonies adapted for different needs, and since she’s proficient in Spanish, she’s often asked to officiate in that language.

But she’s also performed services with Laotian, Kurdish,

French, Vietnamese or sign language interpreters.

Too, some wedding participants appear in costume.

Falconers show up with a falcon on their shoulder. She’s wed Goth costumers, people in baseball and football outfits, cowboys/cowgirls and more. She’s also not adverse to a bit of costumery herself, one Halloween Friday offering marriage applicants a chance to be married by a judge dressed as Snow White – Curnutt herself – along with a court of county employees dressed as dwarfs. Or the usual more somber judge robe. Most opted to have Snow White preside. It was, after all, Halloween.

She’s also flexible. During a bomb scare evacuation of the sub courthouse building, a couple scheduled to marry at 2 p.m. showed up, entourage in hand. “They were on the schedule and had the proper paperwork, so I performed the marriage under a tree in the parking lot. They ended up with a giant crowd and TV stations that were there to cover the bomb scare.”

By now, Curnutt has performed hundreds of marriages but admits that originally it wasn’t easy to stay sufficiently detached.

“For the first three months, if someone started crying – and they often would – I’d find myself crying along with them,” she says. “It took me a while to acquire the proper emotional distance.”

arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

37

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• DOERS

HE ALWAYS HAS A SONG IN HIS HEART Esteban Blanco is living the American Dream in Arlington • By Karen Gavis

E

steban Blanco looked over the lush, green treetops of his home in Costa Rica from the window of an airplane. The 19-year-old was headed to America and chasing his dreams. Eventually, they would bring him to Arlington.

Costa Rica native Esteban Blanco found Now 41, Blanco is a board member of Metro YMCA a home – and a prosperous life – in Arlington. and a member of Young Men for Arlington, as well as Photos: Karen Gavis the Downtown Arlington Rotary Club. He also runs a ticket to LA and asked if he could use it. Blanco declined his Blanco IT, an information technology consulting firm. grandmother’s offer, but then 30 minutes later, Jon Stemkoski, the “My official title is chief geek officer,” he says of the business which founder of Celebrant Singers, called and ended up offering to pay for focuses on customer service and honesty.

Blanco’s entire tour if he could get to L.A. “We are very cognizant when billing of not charging customers for ”I hang up with him,” Blanco says. “And I call grandma.” anything they don’t use,” he says, adding that he’s also proud of the After moving to L.A. in 1997, Blanco traveled the world, performing fact that the company doesn’t charge customers “a penny more” than in 24 countries and 49 states. He recalls rehearsing 14 hours a day and what a part actually costs. A few contractors are used, when needed, reading music at night in bed with a flashlight to make sure he had but Blanco says he does much of the work himself, getting under his part down perfectly. While on tour with other Celebrants, a violist desks, climbing ladders, bringing drills ... “doing what it takes.” named Heather caught Blanco’s eye. He asked her out. She said yes, Blanco learned his work ethic from his father, Oscar. However, his and they fell in love and were married in 2000. love for singing came from hearing his mother, Maria Isabel, sing After leaving the road, Heather got a teaching job with Irving soprano while he was growing up. Since childhood, Blanco dreamed ISD, and Blanco went to work as a special education aide – until of traveling the world and singing before large crowds. the school’s superintendent learned he was He cut his teeth in Costa computer savvy — which launched his Rican dive bars. Then in computer tech career.

1996, while at a convention Soon after they began working at of Catholic musicians in “I SAW THE sign Irving ISD, the two began searching for Orlando, someone heard his on 360 that said, an apartment and found themselves in impressive vocals and asked ‘Arlington,’ and Arlington. him to audition for Celebrant felt like I was “I saw the big sign on [State Highway] Singers. He did and later entering home.”

360 that said, ‘Arlington,’ and I felt like I was received a letter of acceptance entering home,” says Blanco, who hasn’t saying that he needed to be in stopped dreaming. “One of my dreams is to Los Angeles by a certain date. be able to sing [the National Anthem] at the Blanco’s dream seemed to Rangers Stadium.” be within grasp until he learned that each musician had to raise $3,500 Although Blanco says he isn’t “hyper-religious,” he does credit God to cover half of their tour expenses. He recalls telling a Celebrant for opening doors. representative that it was impossible before hanging up the phone.

“The dream of that little boy was to sing in massive venues around “I went back to my room,” he says, ”and I was pretty bummed.” the world,” he says. “And it happened.”

Shortly afterward, Blanco’s grandmother called saying she had 40

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• BUSINESS BEAT

W

hen Mike and Amy Wade, owners of Wade Funeral Home, moved to Pantego about a decade ago, they were drawn by its small-town feel. “With its two beautiful parks, sidewalks, excellent schools and superior first-responder times, it is a nice, family friendly community,” Amy says. “I like to say Pantego is an ‘oasis’ in the middle of Arlington.”

In recent times, it has also become the focus of an economic development project that is tapping not only the livability of the town, but its potential as a commercial center. Mayor Doug Davis recently told Arlington Today that “Shop Pantego” isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s a point of emphasis embraced by the town council and the Pantego Economic Development Corporation.

Cathy Allen, the new Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Pantego, says she is excited to be a part of the energy and excitement in a town that has a proven track record of being financially sound and a safe area with a vision to continue to grow, even though it Here are principals at the heart of economic development in is surrounded by Arlington.

Pantego: Danny Lakey, president “The location actually makes Pantego a designation to ‘Shop of Pantego Economic Development Corporation; Cathy S. Allen, Pantego’ and meet the local business owners who take pride being in Pantego Economic Development Pantego,” Allen says. “Our mayor and council and PEDC (Pantego Coordinator; Joe Ashton, Pantego Town Manager; Amy Wade, Council Economic Development Corporation), along with the new Town and PEDC member, and Pantego Mayor Doug Davis.

Manager, Joe Ashton, and staff have embraced the revitalization of shopping centers and buildings and the welcoming of businesses into Pantego, along with streamlining the process to open a business in Pantego.”

To that end, that collective ensemble has defined the retail trade areas and upgraded the commercial areas by grants and loans through the PEDC, Allen says. The town has also added new lighting with “Welcome” seasonal banners down the Park Row corridor and put up new lighted street signs to Park Row and Pioneer Parkway.

Additionally, local business owners have established a Business Alliance group that partners with the Town and PEDC to enhance “Shop Pantego” vision.

“Community spirit continues with our Community Relations Board and, of course, our residents and businesses enjoy the safety knowing our Police and Fire are protecting our Town and visitors with the utmost care and response time,” Allen says. “All of this, combined with our commitment to ‘Shop, Dine, Play and Live in Pantego,’ brings the Town alive with wanting to be a part of Pantego. Property owners both residential and commercial want to be a part of this. It just feels like a small town, but it has big opportunities for all.”

Photo: Southern Flair Photography Amy Wade agrees and says she is passionate about serving on the PEDC because she sees the potential in her town for renewal of an aging This quiet oasis in the middle of infrastructure – and the subsequent economic boom that will follow. “It is an Arlington is embracing its potential exciting time for the town of Pantego, and many residents are getting involved as a Metroplex ‘go-to’ destination to help Pantego be an even more desirable place to live,” she says. “The future looks very good for our little town – right in the middle of the Metroplex!”

HAIL, PANTEGO!

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

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•EDUCATION

Because of the restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, Arlington Independent School District officials have had to adjust the way planning and implementation take place on construction projects.

But the work is continuing.

Photo: AISD

UNDAUNTED

District using resourcefulness to keep bond-funded school projects on schedule

T

hough Arlington ISD schools are closed for COVID-19, bond-funded construction projects – including those in construction and those in design – are continuing.

The Arlington ISD’s facilities planning and construction department, which directs and oversees all district construction projects, is operating normal workdays in an effort to keep projects on schedule. The department is taking extra precautions though, like minimizing face-to-face meetings and allowing certain employees to work remotely when possible.

Projects currently in construction, including the final projects of the 2014 Bond and the first project in the 2019 Bond, are proceeding as planned.

“Projects such as the District’s Fine Arts and Athletics Complex and the Gunn Fine Arts and Dual Language Academy will continue to move forward,” says Kelly Horn, AISD executive director of plant services, “provided the construction work force is not unavailable or diminished due to current health concerns affecting our community.”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Likewise, projects in the 2019 Bond that are in the design phase are moving forward, as well.

“Most design processes can be carried on remotely and through virtual design meetings,” Horn says.

That includes the design of new elementary playgrounds and the design of the future Webb Elementary.

The plan calls for two new playgrounds at each elementary, one for ages two-five, and the other for ages five-12. The playgrounds will include shade structures and accessible play equipment and surfaces.

On March 5, Webb parents and students gave their input on how the new site should lay out and how they envision their “dream classroom.” They also discussed and gave feedback on outdoor spaces, the media center (library) and dining area.

At press time, two other phase one projects in the 2019 Bond were scheduled to be bid upon last month: Food Service Center renovations and Crow Academy addition and renovations.

For more information on all 2019 Bond projects, visit aisd.net/bond2019.

5 MISD SCHOOLS EARN AVID MARKS

F

ive Mansfield ISD schools have received national recognition for being model campuses in the area of preparing students for life after graduation. James Coble Middle School, T.A. Howard Middle School, Linda Jobe Middle School, Rogene Worley Middle School and Timberview High School have each been named an AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction.

AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a nationwide college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges or universities. The program provides educators with proven, realworld strategies to accelerate the performance of underrepresented students so that all students succeed post-graduation.

Schoolwide Site of Distinction is the highest level of certification for AVID schools. It is awarded to schools nationwide that use AVID strategies to support college readiness for all students and have high percentages of students participating in advanced courses and completing

college-entrance requirements schoolwide.

Only 6% of schools in the country have earned that designation.

“To have five campuses reach this level of certification with AVID is quite an accomplishment,” says Katrina Mabry-Smith, AVID district coordinator at MISD. “It speaks to the level of commitment each campus has to supporting all students in becoming college, career and life ready.”

In addition to being a distinguished AVID campus, T.A. Howard Middle School and Timberview High School have been revalidated as National Demonstration Schools. The revalidation means the schools remain as exemplary models of the AVID system.

Photo: Mansfield ISD Demonstration schools undergo a rigorous validation process and are required to be revalidated every few years to ensure high levels of implementation. Only 4% of all AVID campuses are demonstration schools.

James Coble Middle School is also an AVID National Demonstration School. The school will be up for revalidation next school year.

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•UTA TODAY

DISCOVERY CHANNEL

UTA junior earns summer job at renowned Marine Biological Lab • By Dana Jennings

A

junior exercise science student at The University of Texas at Arlington has earned a summer position as a research course assistant at the renowned Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL).

Matthew Fiedler will assist with instruction of a physiology advanced research training course at the lab for seven weeks this summer. Highly adept in imaging techniques, Fiedler will help professors in the classroom and with hands-on microscopy lessons.

“This is an exciting honor and an outcome I didn’t exactly expect,” Fiedler says. “Just a few weeks ago I thought I’d be spending my summer at UTA, and now I’m off to Massachusetts for the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ll have the chance to work with new varieties of species samples while building my skills in teaching technical research concepts.”

Each year, MBL courses attract a diverse population of approximately 500 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from more than 300 institutions in over 30 countries.

Fiedler will lead these esteemed pre- and post-doctoral trainees

Matthew Fiedler will assist with instruction of a physiology advanced research training course at Marine Biological Laboratory for seven weeks this summer.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

as an undergraduate with two years left to complete his bachelor’s degree.

Fiedler is a research assistant in the laboratory of Marco Brotto, the George W. and Hazel M. Jay Endowed Professor in UTA’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation and director of the Bone-Muscle Research Center.

“I hope Matthew spends this summer engaging in work that sparks a long-term academic career and starts his journey to becoming an independent investigator,” Brotto says. “Should he raise and harness a passion for something, whether it’s a concept or technique, it will serve to advance our lab as a whole when he returns. I am certain Matthew will be a fantastic addition to MBL and show them the true power of UTA research.”

Fiedler originally applied for a volunteer internship at the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Upon seeing his resume and practical experience, a director from that organization suggested Fiedler investigate the course teaching opportunity at MBL. The director then assisted in the process of his acceptance to MBL. “We were thrilled to learn that the skills he’s mastered have earned him positive attention and directed him to perhaps an even better summer experience,” Brotto says. “It shows the importance of applying for opportunities.”

Fiedler connected with the research community at UTA just four weeks into his freshman year.

He quickly learned the importance of speaking with professors about his interests and exploring research on campus.

“Many students are intimidated by research, especially as undergraduates,” Brotto says. “But if their eyes are opened to what is taking place around them, they might have an interest sparked.

Then once they get a taste of conducting research and making a discovery, they’re addicted.”

Fiedler is living proof of Brotto’s philosophy.

Photo: UTA “As I look through a microscope and find something, there’s a few moments in which I’m the only one who knows what has been unlocked beneath that lens,” Fiedler says. “I’m hooked on that feeling. I love research. I would love to spend the remainder of my working life doing research.”

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•LOCAL HEROES

HONORING ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS Jerry McCullough, the ‘volunteers’ volunteer,’ to receive the Bill & Shari Bowie Community Leadership Award many capacities over the years, not the least of which occurred during his tenure as an educator. When he retired after 43 years with Arlington Independent School District, he says he was not sure what the Among Jerry McCullough’s many volunteer endeavors is his future held for him. work with Mission Arlington Metroplex. Here, he is pictured with the mission’s Executive Director, Tillie Burgin, who was “After spending a summer reading retirement the 2018 recipient of the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA’s books, both Christian and secular, praying and Bill & Shari Bowie Community Leadership award. thinking about where God was leading me, I felt very Photo courtesy of Jerry McCullough strongly that he wanted me to serve our community, ongtime community activist Jerry McCullough has been both spiritually and physically,” McCullough says. “God has given selected by the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA as the me so many opportunities in our community through Mission newest recipient of the Bill and Shari Bowie Community Arlington, Salvation Army, Trinity Sports Foundation, Young Leader Award.

Life, Tarrant County Child Protective Services, River Legacy, He is scheduled to be presented the honor at the YMCA’s North Texas Higher Education Authority, Arlington Dental Health annual meeting luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 24 at Sheraton and Mended Hearts. The satisfaction and fulfillment that each Arlington Hotel (1500 Convention Center Drive). The meeting organization has given me has been beyond my imagination of had been scheduled for this month but was postponed due to the eight years ago.” coronavirus situation.

Even though the Bowie Award represents a high point for his Plans call for the 2018 recipient of the award, Mission Arlington service, McCullough says he has no immediate plans to “retire” Metroplex Executive Director Tillie Burgin (pictured above with from helping others.

McCullough), to present him his award.

“Several men and I are working to help other men feel the Even with a delay in the fanfare – most who know him would satisfaction and fulfillment [of service] through an organization say “especially with a delay in fanfare” – McCullough says he is called ‘A Night with Christian Men,’ which encourages all men, touched to receive such prestigious recognition. with emphasis on men in retirement or close to retirement, to “What an honor it is to me and my wife, Becky, that I was volunteer in some way in our community,” he says. “There are selected to receive the Bill and Shari Bowie Community Leader so many wonderful nonprofit organizations and churches who Award from the YMCA,” he says. “Knowing the standards that the need volunteers, especially men. I tell men that ‘retirement’ is not YMCA set in establishing the award named for Bill and Shari, I mentioned in the Bible.” was humbled to be named the recipient of the award.”

For more about McCullough and the Bill & Shari Bowie award, McCullough’s Arlington-area journey has led him to serve in visit amaymca.org/about-us/community-awards.

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Litigator; Collaborator; Mediator arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

49

• DWELLINGS

HOME, SWEET! HOME

Photos courtesy of Daydream Photography

Here’s the perfect ‘Downtown Wine Down’ type of abode, located in the heart of Mansfield

U

nwinding and relaxing at home ... Obviously, what that means runs a broad spectrum that is dictated by life experience and personal taste. That noted, almost everyone will agree that a few key ingredients need to be present: • The space should be beautiful • The space should be functional • The space should be in the right location This homestead checks all the boxes for owner Sandi Hamm, a premier dentist in Mansfield.

After raising her family and building a successful dental practice, Dr. Hamm decided to “right size” for her needs. With a sleek sense of style and a smart sense of functionality, this home packs a lot of use and beauty into the 1,961 square feet.

The open concept and use of space provide for entertaining while offering three generously sized bedrooms and three full baths. A tasteful amount of shiplap and classic design elements appeal to even the most meticulous visitor.

The exterior looks more like the arboretum than a suburban yard.

Who wouldn’t want to sit on the deck and enjoy the abundance of floral design and the occasional concert coming from nearby?

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

This home is located in the Historical Downtown area of Mansfield, adjacent to The LOT – Live Outdoor Theater, an outdoor venue that host such artists as Josh Weathers and The Brazos Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Hamm and her friends can sit on the deck enjoying a glass of wine, then walk over to one of the downtown restaurants or the locally owned brewery.

Mansfield Custom Homes continues to transform the landscape of historic downtown with the company’s award-winning designs and quality builds. Today’s home buyer is sophisticated and wants a beautiful home that meets the needs of their family, in a location that offers community and entertainment nearby.

Cities have stepped up and taken notice of this trend in home buying. More cities now than ever have a focus on their downtown areas and ensuring there is a blend of shopping, eating and entertaining that serves the desires of the residents, young and not so young.

To find out more about homes of this ilk – or about any dwelling in the Mansfield Custom Homes portfolio, call Julie Short at 682-552-4384 or email her at julie@mchtexas.com.

When Dr. Sandi Hamm decided to “right size” after raising a family and establishing a successful practice, her search for a new dwelling brought her to the Historical Downtown area of Mansfield, where she found a home that is beautiful, functional and in an ideal location to meet her needs.

arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

51

• INFRASTRUCTURE

GETTING THERE

Two local roadway projects funded by bond money have been completed

Timberlake Drive Project

T

he City of Arlington’s Public Works and Transportation Department recently completed construction on the Timberlake Drive (east city limits to East Pioneer Parkway) Project. This project, which began in April 2018, consisted of the following improvements: • Rebuilding Timberlake Drive, from East Pioneer Parkway to Park Row Drive, with 10-inch pavement to create a longer lasting and smoother road surface • Asphalt reclamation from Park Row Drive to the east city limit • Stormwater drainage system improvements • Sanitary sewer line renewals •Improvements to sidewalks, installation of ADA-compliant ramps, and replacing streetlights for a more inviting environment for pedestrians Funding for the rebuilding of Timberlake Drive between Pioneer Parkway and Park Row Drive was approved by Arlington voters in the 2014 Bond Election. Asphalt reclamation from Park Row Drive to the east city limits was paid for by funds collected through the Street Maintenance Sales Tax Program. This project aligns with City Council’s priorities to Enhance Regional Mobility and to Champion Great Neighborhoods.

The City uses an annual pavement survey program to inventory the condition of all streets within the city limits.

The condition of each street segment is reported as an Overall Condition Index (OCI) Rating between 0-100 based on the “ride” and “distress” of the segment. Roads with a rating lower than 50 are called “red streets” and are recommended for inclusion in the department’s Capital Improvement Program.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Collins Street improvements

I

f your commute or if some of your routine traveling takes you down Collins Street between Mayfield Road and Interstate 20, there is good news for you. The Public Works and Transportation Department recently announced that a $4.5 million project to improve the flow of traffic in this highly traveled area has been completed.

The project, which began last summer, consisted of widening Collins Street by constructing two additional lanes and adding southbound right turn lanes at both Arbrook Boulevard and IH20. Additional infrastructure improvements included replacing existing concrete panels as needed; adjusting water and sanitary sewer facilities; replacing streetlights, pavement markings, street signs, sidewalks, fiber conduit, and median landscaping and irrigation improvements.

After the first phase of major paving and roadway construction was completed, crews installed new traffic signals. The signals became operational last month.

Funding for this project was approved by Arlington voters as part of the $160 million street improvements package in the 2014 Bond Election and aligns with the City Council’s priorities to Enhance Regional Mobility and Champion Great Neighborhoods.

To learn more about both of these projects – and about all projects in the city that are being funded by bond money, visit arlingtontx.gov/city_hall/budget_finance/bond_tracker.

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arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

53

• COMMUNITY CORNER

M

ayor Jeff Williams and officials of the Arlington Housing Authority recently joined local partners and a representative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to officially designate Arlington’s new EnVision Center.

This designation serves as a critical component of HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s EnVision Center initiative to offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools that can lead to self-sufficiency.

Benjamin DeMarzo, HUD Assistant “EnVision Centers are a way to connect local Deputy Secretary for Field Policy resources with the people who need them the most,” and Management, and Mayor Jeff Williams celebrate the designation says Benjamin DeMarzo, HUD assistant deputy of the EnVision Center in Arlington. secretary for Field Policy and Management, who Photo: City of Arlington traveled from Washington, D.C., to speak at the within the Arlington EnVision Center will include: event. “From job training to financial counseling, vital services will • Referrals to youth leadership programs like Girls Inc. and be provided that will have an unimaginable impact on the lives Life Skills classes from the housing authority (Character and of the people being helped. I look forward to seeing the brighter Leadership Pillar) futures the EC will bring to the Arlington community.”

• Financial literacy classes /workshops made possible by the EnVision Centers are centralized hubs that serve as one-stop Center for Transforming Lives, Pathfinders and Happy State Bank shops to help people access the four key pillars of self-sufficiency: (1) (Educational Advancement) Economic Empowerment; (2) Educational Advancement; (3) Health • Health classes made possible through numerous partnerships and Wellness; and (4) Character and Leadership. which focus on access to healthy food and connecting to health and The Arlington EnVision Center is one of only 39 in the country mental health services through My Health My Resources and the JPS and the fourth in Texas, following the opening of the Fort Worth, Health Network (Health and Wellness) San Antonio and Brownsville locations.

• Family Self-Sufficiency programs, capacity building for small “We’re excited for the EnVision Center designation,” Mayor Jeff businesses and the future Economic Mobility Center by the Center for Transforming Lives, and workforce training hosted by different organizations New EnVision Center will address housing/education needs of many (Economic Empowerment) “United Way of Tarrant County is committed to partnering with the City of Arlington’s Williams says. “The Center will assist Arlington Housing Authority Housing Authority to enhance service delivery for Arlington clients and city residents, and we look forward to providing more residents,” says Regina R. Williams, United Way of Tarrant County’s resources for our low-income families to help break the chain of vice president of community investment and regional director for poverty in our city, and I want to thank HUD and Secretary Ben Arlington. “Through our regional office, United Way-Arlington, we Carson for supporting Arlington and empowering our families with are excited to support the pillars of the EnVision Center through opportunities to improve their economic outlook.” programs such as VITA and our veteran services initiative, Mission The Arlington EnVision Center will be located at the Arlington United.”

Human Service Center, 501 W. Sanford Street. Services provided

THE HOME FRONT

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

4 STUDENTS EARN HERITAGE TEAM SCHOLARSHIPS

I

Republic Services asks Mansfield to bag its trash

O

fficials at Republic Services are asking all Mansfield customers to keep trash and other materials secure in plastic bags for collection to reduce potential risk to crews.

Customers should place all materials in plastic bags and not in boxes or other unsecured receptacles, making sure the bags are secured tightly to prevent the scattering of waste materials. This also applies to customers who use trash cans or carts. Materials should not be placed loosely into trash cans or carts.

Recycling materials should continue to be placed in the rolling bins. Do not bag recycling materials.

Republic Services is also requesting that residents refrain from placing large amounts of bulk and yard waste out for collection at this time. Crews are expecting an increase in residential trash volumes during the current public health emergency.

“Our focus is to maintain the collection of normal household materials that might pose a health risk to our workers and the community at large,” officials say. “We know this places an imposition on our customers, but we believe these changes are necessary given the current situation.”

nterested in learning pointers for presenting yourself at your best during an interview? This is just one component of educational life skills learned by Heritage Team students this past year. Four of those students recently earned scholarships through the program.

Scholarships are awarded based on the student’s participation in the program, and their performance in a contest during which they present to an audience. Presentations are performed and rated by a panel of judges. The winning students were: • 1st Place – Mirabel Lynch, awarded $500, Oprah Winfrey • 2nd Place – Isaiah Boone, awarded $400, Sojourner Truth • 3rd Place – Asia Johnson, awarded $300, Michael Jordan • 4th Place – Mary Skiba, awarded $200, Harriet Tubman The experience – and the subsequent scholarship reward – has proven invaluable, says one of those who earned a scholarship.

“Volunteering has shown me that the animal shelter is much more than just adopting animals,” says Lynch. “I’ve learned so much from so many amazing people in these last several months.”

Heritage Team members learned interviewing skills by preparing for and doing a mock interview with Arlington Animal Services manager and program founder Chris Huff.

For more: arlingtontx.gov/city_hall/departments/ animal_services/volunteer_opportunities/heritage_team_program.

GROCERY STORES OFFERING SPECIAL TIMES FOR SENIORS

S

ome grocery stores are designating special times for seniors, who are at higher risk of more serious complications from COVID-19, to do their shopping.

You are urged to check with your local grocery store’s website or social media pages to confirm these special hours for senior shoppers or for other information about business hours and limitations that may be in place to encourage social distancing due to the coronavirus. Here are stores and special hours: Alberston’s/ Tom Thumb: 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday Costco: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m Target: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday Walmart: 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday Just remember, when venturing out to pick up your food, merchandise and supplies from these shops, please maintain social distancing – keeping at least six feet away from others. arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

55

• RECREATION / LEISURE

GONE FISHIN’!

The eighth annual Arlington Bass Classic is still set for April 11 at Lake Arlington

A

t press time, the eighth annual Arlington Bass Classic was still scheduled to be held on April 11 at Lake Arlington.

The event will start at 7 a.m. at Richard Simpson Park on the lake, which, because it is outdoors, has not been subject to restrictions linked to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Check-in for the Classic will take place from 5:30-6:30 a.m.

A pre-tournament meeting will be held 20 minutes before competitors set out to try to catch the biggest bass – and to claim more than $25,000 in potential prizes. The tournament will conclude at 3 p.m.

Tournament prizes will be given to the top eight teams for big stringer. Prizes will be in the form of checks or gift cards. The

first-place team will also be recognized as Lake Arlington Bass Classic Champions.

The big bass prize is $200 (based on 40 teams) and will be awarded to the team that catches the biggest bass of the event. If there is a tie, the prize will be split evenly.

There are no separate divisions based on age or ability.

Ties will be decided by: • Number of fish weighed in • Biggest bass weighed by each team in tie • Coin flip On tournament day, teams that finish outside the top-eight will be placed in a random drawing for two $50 sporting goods gift cards after the conclusion of the tournament (you must be present to win). Here are some general rules for the event: • The tournament is limited to 40 teams that register. Pre56

ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

registration is encouraged to ensure your spot. If at capacity, no walk-up entries on tournament day will be permitted.

• Registration is $100 per team (one or two people) with a $20 deposit prepaid online. The remaining $80 balance is due on tournament day (cash only) between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. in the Richard Simpson lake room. The entry fee is non-refundable.

• There is one boat per team.

• At the conclusion of the tournament, all boats must be within the safety buoys at 3 p.m. A one-pound-per-minute penalty will be assessed for late arrivals.

• Anglers must be in line to weigh fish before 3:30 p.m. All anglers are required to check-out with the tournament director prior to leaving the lake, regardless of the number of fish caught or if leaving prior to tournament weigh-in time.

• The tournament is open to all anglers; however, anglers 17 or under must have a parent/guardian authorization on registration form.

• The tournament director will weigh up to five bass (largemouth only, 14-inch minimum) per team. The total combined weight of five fish will be recorded and be used for tournament placement.

Contestants may only possess five bass in the boat or live well, unless they are in the process of culling.

• Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat, except areas posted or otherwise designated as “offlimits,” “no boats,” “keep out,” “restricted,” “no trespassing” or “no fishing” (or similar language or markings intended to restrict public access) by local, state or federal officials, or within 50 yards of a contestant’s boat that was first anchored.

Lake Arlington is a municipally owned multi-purpose reservoir used for municipal and industrial water supply, and for recreational purposes. The reservoir is located on Village Creek in Tarrant County at the western edge of Arlington. The lake covers approximately 2,250 surface acres and has a watershed of 143 square miles. The service spillway overflow elevation is 550 feet above mean sea level.

Lake Arlington is maintained and operated by the City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department. The Lake Office is located at 6300 West Arkansas Lane.

For more, contact Jared Skaggs at 817-459-6231.

County-wide order tightens the scope of allowed activity

T

o mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley recently signed a second amended disaster declaration due to the local health emergency.

The new restrictions close in-person worship services but will allow worship support staff to facilitate online services.

The new rules will also close malls and other non-essential retail establishments, such as barber shops, hair salons, nail salons as well spas and massage parlors.

Essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies and other establishments that sell household goods will remain open.

In-house dining at restaurants remains closed but drive-in, drivethrough, takeout and delivery are still permitted.

There should be no gatherings of more than 10 people regardless of the situation. There is no distinction between the types of gatherings in the amended declaration.

“We cannot stress enough that Tarrant County residents practice social distancing where you stay at least six feet away from other individuals,” Whitley says. “You need to have sufficient space to have people be at least six feet apart. To whatever degree possible, we would encourage you to have sign-in logs to keep track of everyone you have come in contact with.”

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SMARTSCAPING YOUR YARD THIS SPRING?

T

exas SmartScape™ Month is a regionally coordinated effort to promote water conservation, stormwater pollution prevention, recycling, composting and waste reduction principles of Texas SmartScape. These principles offer a variety of advantages for local ecosystems and homeowners’ wallets.

SmartScape methods not only add aesthetic value, but also contribute to the control of temperature, erosion and invasive species while providing a habitat for a variety of wildlife especially pollinators. These methods also mitigate the excessive amounts of fertilizer and water required by conventional lawns, which can harm local waterways and the wildlife that rely on them.

SmartScapes are adapted to the Texas heat, drought tolerant, pest- and disease-resistant and beneficial to animals and insects. They are not desert scapes, rock gardens or cactus patches. SmartScapes utilize native and adaptive plants to conserve water, reduce stormwater runoff, reduce water pollution, provide wildlife habitat and save money.

By incorporating Texas SmartScape plants and strategies into your lawn care routine, you have the potential to save money, time, water and reduce harmful chemical use. Texas SmartScape approved plants are native or adapted to the Texas climate and need less water and fertilizer to thrive in the intense heat of Texas summers. In addition, the Texas SmartScape program encourages proper design, care and maintenance techniques to better protect the environment. Because April is at the start of landscaping season – and because of the various restrictions being placed on indoor events due to the outbreak of COVID-19 – this is an excellent time to turn your yard into a resilient and attractive SmartScape yard by planting native and adapted plants.

For more information on how to plan, design and search for native and adapted plants suitable to North Texas visit txsmartscape.com or visit the Texas Smart Yards page at arlingtontx.gov/stormwatereducation. arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

57

SCENE Snapshots from Arlington on Tap at J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill featuring guest speaker, Mayor Jeff Williams and from the most recent Timeless Concerts event at Arlington Museum of Art Photos: Yale Youngblood

Carolyn Morgan, Carole Lemonds and John Lemonds

Karen Williams, Mayor Jeff Williams and Maggie Campbell at Arlington on Tap

Judy Matlock and Sherri Lucas at Arlington on Tap

Reecia Stoglin, Laura Hawkins, Sylvia Hernandez, Lisa Reed and Chaplain Rich Stoglin

Dick Thomas, Alicia Gray and Cathy Thomas

Michael Hepp, Deidre Hepp, LeeAnne Chenoweth, Kelly Girnas and Stan Girnas at the Timeless Concerts event

Jamie Castillo and Chris Castillo

Photos: Yale Youngblood

Guest speaker Mayor Jeff Williams drew a capacity crowd to Arlington on Tap at J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill.

For more great SCENE shots, visit arlingtontoday.com Photos courtesy of David L. Cook

Tatiana Baeva, Saule Naourizbaeva, tenor Sergio Cepeda, Don Ray, Jamila Javadova-Spitzburg and Natasha Ray

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Photos: Sharon Holmes

Timeless Concerts performers Tim Angel, Heejung Kang, Don O’Neal LeBlanc, LeeAnne Chenoweth, Sergio Cepeda, Judith Rodriguez and Sara Birnbaum Hood

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5/22/2015 TODAY 2:03:27 PM arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON 59

• HEALTH / FITNESS

Temporarily closed* * The optimum word here being “temporarily”

A

fter an extensive review of all operations and in accordance with recommendations provided by the City of Arlington Office of Emergency Management, the CDC, and other local health agencies advising communities about the most-effective ways to address the outbreak of COVID-19, the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department recently announced that the following facilities and programs will be closed to the public until further notice: • Bob Duncan Center • Cliff Nelson Recreation Center • Dottie Lynn Recreation Center • Elzie Odom Athletic Center • Meadowbrook Recreation Center • Eunice Activity Center • Hugh Smith Recreation Center & Indoor Pool • Lake House Events Center • Senior Recreation Center New York • All youth and adult sports leagues • All pavilion rentals • All athletic field rentals • All APRD special events City staff is contacting individuals who have registered for a

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

program, or reserved a special events space, that are impacted by this closure to discuss alternative arrangements.

At this time, all City golf courses, Arlington Tennis Center, Lake Arlington and all City parks and trails will maintain normal operating hours.

This is an ongoing effort to be proactive in protecting the health and safety of Arlington citizens and visitors. At press time, COVID-19 had caused more than a quarter million illnesses worldwide and had been attributed to more than 10,000 deaths.

“Arlington Parks and Recreation wants to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we continue to navigate through the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19,” says Director Lemuel Randolph, who encourages residents and visitors to review additional information and guidelines at cdc.gov, who.int and arlingtontx.gov/coronavirus.

“As circumstances continue to evolve, we will work to provide timely and up-to-date information based on the most current guidance from our local, state and federal health authorities,” Randolph says.

For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Administration Office at 817-459-5474.

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61

SCENE Snapshots from Eat Your Art Out, from The Oakridge School’s “A Night in Africa” event at the Fort Worth Zoo, from a special award presentation to Marc Caffey and from a moment commemorating Prince Lebanese Grill’s second national TV appearance

Photos: Yale Youngblood

City Council Member Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley and Sam Mahrouq, who was honored during the Arlington Museum of Art’s Eat Your Art Out event

This table at Eat Your Art Out featured fare by Creme De La Creme Cake Company

This cookie display by Sweet Kate Bakes was a sweet twist on Sunday Funday!

A lot of folks enjoyed a lot of great desserts at Eat Your Art Out.

Photos: Arlington Museum of Art

Who could be blue with this delicous cake from Tarrant County College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management programs?

Photos: The Oakridge School

Ryan Worthington and Head of School Jon Kellam at “A Night in Africa”

Joyce Maddalena, Lindsay Yanaway, Heather Clayton and Liz Hicks

Anita Heiskell and Michael Heiskell

For more great SCENE shots, visit arlingtontoday.com Photos courtesy of David L. Cook

Former recipients Jerry McCullough, Judy Rupay, Richard Greene and Mayor Jeff Williams join 2020 Arlington Silver Eagle Award recipient Marc Caffey (center) during an event hosted by the Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Photo courtesy of the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

Elizabeth Kobty displays a plaque made to commemorate Prince Lebanese Grill’s appearance on the Triple D Nation TV show.

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arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

63

• BULLETIN BOARD

field(s) of dreams

Arlington police officers, civic partners honored

A

After Head of School Jon Kellam celebrated the groundbreaking for new baseball and softball fields at The Oakridge School last May, those facilities came to fruition earlier this year. Here are photos of Peirson Field and Mahrouq Field, which began hosting Oakridge games this season.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

number of members of the Arlington Police Department were recently recognized, along with business and community partners, for going above and beyond in their efforts to help make Arlington better.

At the APD Annual Awards Ceremony held at Esports Stadium Arlington + Expo Center, awards were presented for 14 categories.

Winners included: • Overall Employee of the Year – Detective Hayden Perdue • Supervisor of the Year – Sergeant Robert Robertson • North District Officer of the Year – Officer Kort Munoz • South District Officer of the Year – Officer Clayton Merritt • West District Officer of the Year – Corporal Michael Dosser • East District Officer of the Year – Officer Tim Dillon • Detective of the Year – Detective Nathan Bishop • Operations Officer of the Year – Officer Cody Adams • Community Support Officer of the Year – Officer Fred Kemp • Rookie of the Year – Officer Hannah Michel • Professional Employee of the Year Technical/Exempt – Debbie Langjahr • Professional Employee of the Year – Administrative – Darla Taylor • Citizen’s Community Award – Mrs. Tillie Burgin • Business Partnership Award – Safe Kids North Texas Fort Worth

Library’s diversity reading program honored T

he Arlington Public Library was recently honored with a 2020 City Cultural Diversity Award for its World Languages Storytime program. The award is given out by the National League of Cities and recognizes innovative programs promoting inclusivity and diversity.

Since March 2019, the Arlington Public Library has offered storytimes in five international languages, as volunteers read to children each month in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese and Vietnamese.

The library received funding through the Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to purchase new books in seven top language populations in fall 2018 and spring 2019. During this time, the library was able to recruit and train volunteers for the program.

City offers interactive map of local trees to help residents better know the urban forest

N

ew data is helping the City of Arlington, which has nearly 100 parks, better understand the diversity of its urban forest and the potential risk from insect and disease threats to our native shade trees.

Last summer, the City conducted tree sampling in 44 of the 99 parks to determine and analyze tree density and the composition. The research found that 95 percent of the estimated 110,740 trees in the sampled parks were native trees, and that the three most common trees are sugarberry, post oak and cedar elm.

This and other data gathered in the study will help guide the City in future tree planting decisions and has led to the creation of an interactive map that allows the public to view tree data by individual park.

To access this map, go online to shorturl.at/iqUW5, where you can find information on spring blooms, shady spots for summer, fantastic fall colors and more.

Photo: The City of Arlington

Overall, 48 unique tree species were identified throughout the 44 park sites included in the study. Of those, 30 species are considered shade tree species that are highly beneficial in providing heat island reduction, air pollution removal, and stormwater runoff control. Some of the most common are American elm, live oak, eastern red cedar, boxelder, pecan, osage orange, mesquite and Shumard oak.

Additionally, the research found limited risk in the City’s parks from known insect and disease threats, including emerald ash borer and oak wilt.

arlingtontoday.com • April 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

65

• DINING GUIDE

Remember: Most of the featured eateries offer take-out service.

’S YUM WORD THE

KEEN CUISINE Local eateries you definitely need to check out UPSCALE Chamas do Brazil • 4606 S. Cooper St. • 817-618-2986 • chamasdobrazil2.tru-m.com

Chamas do Brazil

Cut & Bourbon • 1600 E. Randol Mill • 682-277-4950 • loewshotels.com/live-by-loews-arlington-texas The Keg Steakhouse & Bar • 4001 Arlington Highlands Blvd. • 817-465-3700 • kegsteakhouse.com Mercury Chophouse • 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 910 • 817-381-1157 • mercurychophouse.com Piccolo Mondo • 829 Lamar Blvd. E. • 817-265-9174 • piccolomondo.com restaurant506 at The Sanford House • 506 N. Center St. • 817-801-5541 • restaurant506.com

AMERICAN Candlelite Inn • 1202 E. Division St. • 817-275-9613 • candleliteinnarlington.com Dino’s Subs • 2221 S. Collins St. • 817-274-1140

Cut & Bourbon

frieddaze • 5005 S. Cooper St., Suite 159 • 817-472-6666 • frieddaze.com The Grease Monkey • 200 N. Mesquite St. • 817-665-5454 • greasemonkeyburgers.com J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill • 400 E. Abram St. • 817-274-8561 • jgilligans.com Mac’s Bar & Grill • 6077 W. I-20 • 817-572-0541 • macsteak.com

MEXICAN / TEX-MEX Cartel Taco Bar • 506 E. Division St., Suite 150 • 817-200-6364 • carteltacobar.com El Arroyo • 5024 S. Cooper St. • 817-468-2557 • elarroyoarlington.com

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill • 2408 W. Abram St. • 817-276-8160 • facebook.com/elgabachotexmex Fuzzy’s Taco Shop • 510 E. Abram St. • 817-265-8226 • 4201 W. Green Oaks Blvd. • 817-516-8226 1601 E. Debbie Lane, Mansfield • 817-453-1682 • fuzzystacoshop.com

ITALIAN / PIZZA Café Sicilia • 7221 Matlock Road • 817-419-2800 • cafesicilia.com Gino’s East • 1350 E. Copeland Road • 817-200-6834 • ginoseast.com/arlington

BARBECUE David’s Barbecue • 2224 W. Park Row Drive, Suite H • 817- 261-9998

El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill

INTERNATIONAL Prince Lebanese Grill • 502 W. Randol Mill • 817-469-1811• princelebanesegrill.com

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• HOT SPOTS

GOOD MEALS ARE STILL OUT THERE

(JUST NOT IN THERE)

I

don’t have to tell you how trying this time has been. This Coronavirus epidemic has affected almost every aspect of our life and left us relearning how to spend our evenings.

Most restaurants have closed their dining areas, which leaves an entire local industry in the lurch, and shuts down a favored pastime – and way to socialize and unwind – for everyone.

Before the outbreak, I looked forward to dining with a friend about once a week. And though, in the scale of things, it’s not a very significant loss in a world where friends have canceled weddings and lost income, it is something I miss.

Losing a good meal at a friendly restaurant hurts. But it hurts the local eatery more. Local restaurants are struggling during this difficult time and we need to help them if we want them to survive through this.

Luckily, a lot of local establishments are fighting the good fight.

Sara I found, while driving Pintilie around during lunchtime one day, that most local restaurants are offering ways for you to still get your favorite food while being safe and socially distant.

A lot of restaurants already have a to-go system available and still operating, but many restaurants are going one more step and bringing the food to your car.

The Tipsy Oak, The Grease Monkey, Piccolo Mondo and other local restaurants now offer curbside pickup. Most eateries seem to be promoting some type of curbside pickup/to-go option. Some are even doing delivery (And don’t forget that alcohol can be delivered with that food, says Gov. Greg Abbott.)

And then there’s some fun innovation. J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill created their own drive-thru in the parking lot. It actually made me smile seeing it.

I would suggest checking your favorite restaurant’s social media or calling them to see what options they have.

Image: spongebob.wikia.com

While writing this column, I looked up about a dozen local establishments and found that almost all of them had updates on how they are adapting to the situation.

And at press time, some of them were even doing deals.

If you don’t want to trek to the restaurant – or can’t – and the eatery doesn’t have delivery, third-party delivery apps, like Uber Eats and GrubHub, offer options to get your favorite comfort food meal to your door without being in contact with anyone.

I ordered dinner using one of these apps, and asked for a contactless delivery. The courier left my food on a table I set next to my front door and just rang my doorbell to alert me. We were never in contact with each other, and I felt like it was a safe option for delivery during this time.

These apps are great, but they can cut into the profit margin of a restaurant, so just keep that in mind. If you’re fine with using the restaurant’s curbside option, it is the best way to make sure that your local favs get as much profit as possible.

Anything works for helping our local eateries. I felt more comfortable using the app because of the contactless option, but I couldn’t help but partake in Prince Lebanese Grill’s “Ultimate Quarantine Survival Kit” – a family-sized chicken shawarma meal (including salad) with a jug of cinnamon tea and a roll of toilet paper. I ordered it online via their website during the morning and headed to the restaurant at the time I scheduled pickup. They brought it out to my car, and I laughed as they handed me the roll of toilet paper along with my food.

I was in and out in less than 10 minutes and didn’t have to leave my car.

But please, please, be safe about it, and be courteous. We are all in this together. And we can all get through this one good meal at a time.

Sara Pintilie is a writer, editor and photographer who offers a millennial’s take on matters of local importance.

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• SPEAKING OF SPORTS

OUR BATTLE WILL BECOME OUR VICTORY

M

y youngest child, my son, is 21 years old. That means he was three when 9-11 happened. He doesn’t remember much about those dark days, those horrific images. He does recall something dramatic. September of 2001 is the first time he saw his dad cry. I am not ashamed to say I cried a lot back then as I wondered where our world was headed.

This world crisis has made me react differently. It has scared the “you know what” out of me. Like 9-11, everyone will have a “where were you?” story to share about COVID-19. The day prior to any formal news announcements or pandemic awareness, I was at the new Globe Life Field in the midst of a large social gathering.

There was a season ticket holder open house that day. There was excitement John in the air as we sampled Rhadigan new foods that would be available and explored this beautiful ballpark and its state-of-the-art amenities. There were hugs and handshakes.

As I left the ballpark that night things began to change. The Oklahoma City Thunder game against the Utah Jazz was called off...?! Then we found out why. Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19. That is when everything in my world, your world, our world began to change. Most days since have been a mixture of disbelief, fear, anger and hope.

For now, let’s focus on hope. It started quickly for me. As I listened to Mark Cuban on the Mavs post game show that night, I was inspired by his immediate reaction to pay the game-day employees even during the time that there were no games. It would have been easy for him to wallow in grief and bemoan the fact that his precious NBA was going to shut down.

But, instead, he thought of others.

Not how does this news affect me; rather how does it affect others who are less fortunate? There is a lesson for all of us

Here’s a shot from the open house at new Globe Life Field, which instead of featuring the anticipated cheering throngs, will sit empty until the coronavirus pandemic is resolved.

in that single and immediate action taken by Cuban. You don’t have to be a billionaire to help others. There are many in our social circles and local community that could use our assistance. As this health crisis continues we must continue to help others when we can. Support does not have to be financial.

A smile or a word of thanks and encouragement can go a long way during these unprecedented times.

But, oh, how I miss sports! I’m sure most of you do too.

The reality is that when you have been blessed by a career of covering sports, this is a double loss.

Perhaps if we model the teamwork and perseverance of our favorite teams, and each play our part in the containment and recovery game plan, we will get back to our beloved pastimes more quickly. And with renewed enthusiasm, appreciation and joy.

One thing I remember vividly about the aftermath of 9-11 is how the American people came together. In a different time, we literally and figuratively joined hands and hearts to defeat this unseen enemy known as al Qaeda. There was a spirit among us that was indefatigable.

We would not be beaten.

A similar thing is happening now. We may not sit in a ballpark or arena to cheer on our favorite players ... but we do cheer on our healthcare workers, our service providers, our elected officials and all who continue to grapple with a new reality and work to serve us.

As a team, we adhere to the recommendations and limitations requested of us, for the greater good, because that is the best way to beat this thing.

And when we do beat COVID-19 ... that is when I will shed my tears. Of gratitude and joy.

Stay safe, friends.

Sports columnist John Rhadigan is an anchor for the Fox Sports Southwest television network.

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Junior League of Arlington's Pinwheels for a Purpose April 2020

"We're all in this together. We're going to take care of all the people of our community. We have so many volunteers reaching out to help in any way they can. If you need help of any kind, reach out and let us know.

We want to help you."

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Help us sponsor a pinwheel to honor every child who experienced abuse in Arlington, and help raise funds to support abuse prevention efforts.

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Arlington

Sponsor a pinwheel for $10 by going to our website or visiting the JLA Center for Community Service.

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For more information, visit www.jlarlington.org Interested in joining Junior League?

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• FINISH LINE

THE ORIGINS OF GLOBE LIFE FIELD

I

f you look at the timeline from ground breaking to the completion of the Texas Rangers new ballpark, it appears to have unfolded over the past 32 months.

It actually began some 56 years ago.

I was reminded of this reality in a recent discussion with Al Rollins who served as Arlington’s city engineer, director of public works, director of utilities, city planner, all before becoming the city manager in a time span from 1956 to 1967.

Those were Arlington’s formative years in what we mark as the beginning of the city’s modern history.

General Motors had rolled off the first of the big car maker’s products in their new plant on the Southeast edge of the city.

Residents were getting their drinking water from the new Lake Arlington following a contentious election to fund the lake that ensured the city’s rapid expansion.

An effort by Dallas and Fort Worth leaders to Richard convince Major League Greene Baseball to grant a new franchise for the area had ended when MLB owners had rejected the proposal that included the promise of an enclosed, air-conditioned domed stadium.

As former city manager Rollins explained, that failure wouldn’t be the end of the dream of professional baseball for Arlington.

Tarrant County Commissioner (who would become Judge) Howard Green was helping lead the development of a Fort Worth convention center. Al’s account: “He approached Tommy (those who served with Vandergriff still call him that) to secure his support for the bond election that was to be held to fund the new center.

“Tommy asked Howard, ‘Why should I do that? What’s in it for Arlington? If you are looking for our help, there’s something we want,’ and a deal was struck.

“The bond election was expanded to include funding for what was to become Turnpike Stadium and potentially host a minor league team.”

That election was held in 1964, and a majority of voters said “yes” to a proposal for a publicly funded ballpark. They would come back six years later and approve $10 million of new dollars to expand the little stadium and, importantly in years to come, acquire 132 surrounding acres for future development.

That makes twice even before the Rangers arrived in 1972 that voters had authorized tax money to support the city’s emergence as a Major League City.

Notwithstanding its many transformations, Arlington Stadium, as it had been renamed, would prove inadequate to support the growing cost of running a major league baseball team through the decade of the 1980s and beyond.

When new owners acquired the team in 1989, headlines blazed in the two Dallas newspapers with stories about how the Rangers would be moving there because a new ballpark would be required and only Dallas could handle such a project.

Dallas television stations would add to the “certainty” of the Rangers relocation.

The coverage was accompanied by maps showing three Downtown Dallas sites where a new ballpark could be built and still another speculated in Irving near the Cowboy’s Stadium.

It wouldn’t be the first time Arlington and its can-do spirit would be woefully underestimated.

Following an aggressive plan to convince the new Rangers owners of the city’s capacity to meet the team’s needs, voters showed up in record numbers for a special election in January, 1991. They overwhelmingly approved a half-cent sales tax to support the city’s partnership with the team to provide its portion of the cost to build The Ballpark in Arlington.

Twenty-five years later with the need to provide players and fans alike relief from the oppressive summer heat, voters for the fourth time in the city’s history of supporting professional baseball said yes to the development of Globe Life Field.

Arlington will celebrate its 50th anniversary as a Major League City in less than two years, and now you know, thanks to the recollections of former City Manager Al Rollins, how it all began.

Richard Greene served as Arlington’s mayor from 1987-1997 and currently teaches in UT-Arlington’s graduate program of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.

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Arlington Urban Ministries Presents

Boots, Chaps & Cowboy Hats Details

Arlington Urban Ministries is pleased to announce its annual fundraising dinner. Join us as we celebrate the 7th anniversary of Boots, Chaps & Cowboy Hats. Enjoy live music by Uptown Drifters, silent and live auctions, raffle, wine pull and plated dinner catered by Awesome Catering.

Emceed by retired news anchor, Jim Douglas. Enjoy a fun, meaningful evening to support Arlington families who are facing homelessness, utility disconnection and hunger.

1010 Collins Event Center Saturday, August 29, 2020 Individual Reservations $90 1010 N. Collins St. VIP Reception 5:00 p.m.

Make your reservation online: Arlington, TX 76011 Doors Open 6:00 p.m. www.ArlingtonUrbanMinistries.org

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Cast your vote at arlingtontoday.com Voting ends at midnight, April 5, 2020.

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SOMETHING TO REMEMBER:

WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS And when we do, we’ll join with our civic/business neighbors and come out even stronger in the end

UTA

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