December 2023

December 2023

your community • your magazine

Texas Christkindl Market

13th

Nov 24 - Dec 23

A n n ual

NORTH PLAZA AT GLOBE LIFE FIELD

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Home for the

Holidays

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• The Abbey Estate • Active Family Wellness Centers - North & South • Anything Goes • Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau • Arlington Independent School District • Arlington Parks & Recreation • C & W Antiques • City of Arlington • Downtown Arlington Management Group • First Rate • The Law Office of Stephanie A. Foster P.C. • Frost Bank • FunDentist - Pediatric Dentistry • Great Skin Spa - Skincare • Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce • Joe Hall Roofing • Harris Cook LLP • Hilton’s Flooring • Institute for Hormonal Balance • J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill • Keller Williams Realty • Kos Danchak • Mansfield Custom Homes • Mercury Chophouse • Obstetrics and Gynecology of Grand Prairie • PSK, Inc. • Piccolo Mondo • The Pilates Effect • Primrose School • Randol Mill Pharmacy • Sanford House • Karen Schroeder - Attorney at Law • The Family Law Firm of Donna J. Smiedt • State Farm - Al Clark • Sugar Shack Salon & Spa • Texas Appliance • University of Texas at Arlington • Zack’s Bistro

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1

CONTENTS December 2023 • Volume 10 • Issue 12

FEATURES

64

Merry and Bright John and Mary Hibbs go all out, and then some, for Christmas.

28

The Arlington Today Editor’s Choice Awards for 2023 In August’s All Star edition, we shared the results of our readers’ poll that celebrated their favorites.

Here, we offer our editorial picks in more than five dozen categories.

HIGHLIGHTS Starting Line 10 Itinerary 12 Scene 23, 26, 50, 56, 59, 62, 66 This ’n’ Data 16, 18 Around Town 20 Speaking of Sports 60 Bulletin Board 68 Keen Cuisine 72 Finish Line 74

44

The Gift of Life A sister gives a part of herself to her brother.

8

ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

Congratulations to Mansfield Custom Homes 2023 Editor's Choice for Home Builder

682.518.1158 | www.mchtexas.com | hayden@mchtexas.com

STARTING LINE

your community • your magazine

Today

EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Publisher Judy M. Rupay CEO Richard Greene EDITORIAL Sports Columnist John Rhadigan Website & Social Media Manager Bailey Woodard Graphic Artists Francisco Cuevas Betsy Lewis Contributing Writers Richard Greene, Bob Kowalski, Kenneth Perkins, Amanda Rogers Contributing Editor Betsy Lewis Contributing Photographers Kevin Bowens, Ryan Brown, Vicky Hale, Terry Ip, Dwayne Lee, Heather Lee, Joshua Stephen SALES / CIRCULATION Business Manager Bridget Dean Sales Managers Laura DiStefano, Paige Payne, Andrea Proctor, Debbie Roach, Tricia Schwartz Distribution Manager Hanna Areksoussi PRODUCTION Production Manager Betsy Lewis

ARLINGTON TODAY is published monthly.

Copyright 2023 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 annually.

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Phone us at (817) 303-3304

ARLINGTON TODAY GIVES BACK

Arlington Today magazine proudly sponsors Open Arms, Timeless Concerts, The Salvation Army, the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Theater Arlington and Alliance for Children.

FROM THE PUBLISHER JUDY M.

RUPAY With the Christmas Season upon us, our issue this month celebrates the annual Texas Christkindl Market as you see on our cover. Arlington is home to one of the most celebrated holiday markets in the country.

The market is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm through December 23 and is located in the North Plaza of Globe Life Field. Among the venders you will discover there include Käthe Wohlfahrt, JJ’s Schnitzel Haus, Sawdust & Bullets, Victoria Chefina, Grandma Cleda’s Gourmet Candy & Gifts, FlorVino Winery, Texas Rib Rangers and more.

The market is an outgrowth from Arlington’s decades-long relationship with its Sister City of Bad Königshofen, Germany. There is a booth at the market where you can find unique merchandise and learn more about the international partnership between the two cities.

You can find all the details and photos on pages 14-15 to inspire your visit to the market.

As you page through, you will also discover some amazing numbers of the World Series celebration of the Texas Rangers Championship. Take a look and enjoy how Arlington benefitted from Major League Baseball’s Fall Classic.

The city also celebrated Mayor Ross’ declaration of “Miss Persis Day in Arlington” and the unveiling of the street sign topper recognizing the role of Persis Forster for her decades-long career, positively shaping the lives of generations of the city’s youth through her Dance and Performing Arts Studio.

Our Editors’ Choice Awards for 2023 are all listed when you reach page 28 and their stories follow all the way to page 42.

We have a question and answer session with Arlingtons’ Monty Clegg whose career has taken him through the world of sports that include team operations, finances and much more.

An inspirational account of a brother and sister’s decision to share a kidney. The siblings marked their decisions in a celebratory dinner on the anniversary of their transplant with their families in July. You will enjoy their identities and journey when you reach page 44.

Did you know there was a church ministry at Globe Life Field? Father Daniel Kelley, who has been following the Rangers since the team’s arrival in 1972 concluded this year’s services – “My last time to have Mass was the last Sunday in the regular season,” he said.

“I was saying goodbye and thinking we had a chance to get into the postseason.”

Sports columnist John Rhadigan answers the question of whether there is a curse on the Dallas Cowboys and how it may be reversed in the outcome of the current NFL season.

In this month’s Home Sweet Home story, we take a look at how John and Mary Hibbs’ house has become a must-see at Christmastime.

Our regular car story features Dennis Brown’s 1938 Master Deluxe Chevrolet that the big car company guaranteed top speeds of 40 miles per hour. It’s also a beautiful red, appropriate for the season.

Finally, former Mayor Richard Greene writes about how the Texas Rangers’ World Series victory covered his last remaining campaign promise.

We hope you enjoy!

Happy Holidays to All, Judy Rupay judy@arlingtontoday.com 10 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

NO. 1 FOR VETERANS

UT ARLINGTON NAMED TOP PUBLIC UNIVERSITY FOR MILITARY-CONNECTED STUDENTS

T

he University of Texas at Arlington is the nation’s top public university for student veterans and No. 2 among all universities, according to the 2023 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges list.

The publication’s annual ranking is the largest and most comprehensive in the nation to examine the best schools for military service members and veterans.

In the 2023 list, it cited UTA for its intentional efforts to train students, faculty, and staff in the unique needs student veterans may have when attending college.

“UTA is honored to be named a top Military Times Best for Vets university

in the nation,” says James Kumm, executive director of military and veteran services at the University. “We take immense pride in our unwavering commitment to serving those who have served our nation, and our dedication to providing comprehensive services and support to our military-connected students is a testament to that commitment.”

Army veteran Sebastian Molina is one example of the rich community UTA has cultivated for military-connected students. When he first enrolled at UT Arlington, his mind was set on pursuing a career in engineering. But during a semester break, he felt inspired to help other veterans get the benefits and

resources they needed. So he switched his major to social work and began serving as a peer mentor with Veterans Edge, a group that helps new student veterans get acclimated to life at UTA. “I changed my major to try to better the lives of other veteran and militaryconnected folks,” Molina says. “I was convinced that I had made the right decision when I saw how much the staff and students in the military office actually cared about doing their jobs.

They go the extra mile to help the students out in any way, shape, or form they can.”

UTA.EDU

ITINERARY

LIVE MUSIC

Some holiday highlights from Arlington Music Hall Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays thru December 17 Theatre Arlington • 305 W. Main St.

Marie Osmond Symphonic Christmas December 7 & 8 • 7pm

Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue: Christmas December 9 • 7:30pm

Texas Tenors December 16 • 5 & 7:30pm

The 3 Mexican Tenors December 29 • 7:30pm

Located along the shores of beautiful Joe Pool Lake, Prairie Lights is a two-mile, drive-through holiday park experience featuring a stunning display of more than four million lights arranged in hundreds of festive scenes throughout the park.

Opens 6pm nightly thru New Year’s Eve Lynn Creek Park 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy., Grand Prairie

Ring in the new year at the biggest NYE celebration in DFW! New Year’s Eve Live! at Texas Live! will be a celebration filled with live entertainment, delicious food options, tasty drinks selections, Instagrammable installations, champagne toasts, and more! Ages 21+.

December 31 • Texas Live! • Doors open at 8pm

Six Flags Over Texas’ popular Holiday in the Park captures the magic of the season with millions of lights, scrumptious holiday treats and live entertainment.

Through December 31

12 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

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ON THE COVER

Texas Christkindl Market Considered a leading destination for the biggest and best sports events and concerts, Arlington is also the home to one of the most celebrated holiday markets in the U.S. – the Texas Christkindl Market.

Enjoy the charm of a German Christmas here in the Metroplex with the 13th Annual Texas Christkindl Market. This traditional Europeanstyle market brings the charm of German Christmas markets right to your doorstep. As you stroll through the market, you’ll be immersed in a world of twinkling lights, enchanting decorations, and the aroma of delicious food. From unique handcrafted gifts to mouthwatering treats, there’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Tens of thousands of people have visited the market in the Arlington Entertainment District over the last 13 years to get a taste of the German markets of Nuremberg and Arlington’s sister city, Bad Königshofen.

Presented this year by Reliant Commercial Paving, the market is a unique shopping experience featuring an exclusive Käthe Wohlfahrt boutique where guests can shop for traditional handcrafted gifts and collectibles like ornaments and schwibbogen like those from the iconic Rothenburg ob der Tauber Christmas Village. The market has grown significantly this year, with the addition of 10 new vendors!

However, this annual event isn’t just about the shopping, but all the ingredients that come together to create a recipe for a memorable holiday experience you’ll want to enjoy every holiday.

St. Nikolaus at the Texas Christkindl Market There is just something magical about THE St. Nikolaus at the Texas Christkindl Market. Also borrowed from the German holiday tradition, St. Nick, adorned in a beautiful rich velvety tapestry robe, his wonderfully long genuine white beard, and the time he takes to connect with each child, makes a visit with him a must for everyone at the market (the only place you’ll find St. Nik.) Guests are also invited to drop off wish lists and letters to St. Nikolaus at the special red mailbox at the market.

Festive Foods from JJ’s Schnitzel Haus It’s hard to visit a holiday market without talking about the food! From must-haves like bratwursts, kartoffel puffers, and the legendary hot spiced wine, “Glühwein,” JJ’s Schnitzel Haus cooks up nothing but delicious fare throughout the 30 days of the market! But don’t take our word for it - The Cooking Channel recently featured all the goodness of this local concessionaire in its show Carnival Eats. Jason and Andrea, who have been a part of the market for several years, are always smiling and ready to fill everyone with holiday cheer!

Live Music Entertainment Can you hear that? It’s not just the sounds of cheering and oohs and ahhs that guests will encounter at the market - it’s also the music!

Holiday-themed performances from local school groups, musicians, and even the beautiful sounds from our famous friends at the Swiss Horns Quartet, will complete your Holiday experience!

Market Information The Market is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm beginning November 24 through December 23 and is located in the North Plaza of Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Visit txchristkindlmarket.com for additional information, including musical performance times and dates and a list of market vendors.

ON THE COVER

Texas Texas Christkindl Christkindl Market Market WHAT WHAT Texas Christkindl Texas Christkindl Market 2023 Market 2023 WHEN WHEN November November 24 - December 24 - December 23, 2023 23, 2023 11 am - 11 8 pm am - 8 pm LOCATION LOCATION North Plaza North atPlaza GlobeatLife Globe Field Life Field Free admission Free admission to the market to the market * Parking * Parking available available for free for based freeon based District on events District events and activities and activities For more For information more information including including vendors,vendors, sponsors, sponsors, events, and events, more, andplease more,visit please visit www.txChristkindlMarket.com www.txChristkindlMarket.com and connect and connect with us on with us on social media socialat media @TXChristkindlMarket. at @TXChristkindlMarket. *Some of *Some the vendors of the vendors at the Texas at the Christkindl Texas Christkindl Market Market include:include: • Käthe Wohlfahrt • Käthe Wohlfahrt • JJ's Schnitzel • JJ's Schnitzel Haus Haus • Sawdust • Sawdust & Bullets& Bullets • Sister Cities • Sister of Cities Arlington, of Arlington, Texas Texas

• Grandma • Grandma Cleda’s Gourmet Cleda’s Gourmet Candy &Candy Gifts & Gifts • FlorVino • FlorVino Flowery Flowery Winery Winery • Texas Rib • Texas Rangers Rib Rangers The mostThe current mostlist current of vendors list of vendors are available are available on on TxChristkindlMarket.com.

TxChristkindlMarket.com.

And none And of none this holiday of this holiday fun would funbe would possible be possible without without the community the community and our and sponsors our sponsors including: including: • Reliable • Reliable Commercial Commercial Paving Paving • Käthe Wolhfahrt of America • Käthe Wolhfahrt of America • Linebarger • Linebarger Attorneys Attorneys at Law at Law • Viridian• by Viridian Johnson

by Johnson Development Development • Frost Bank • Frost Bank • Susser Bank • Susser Bank • Arlington • Arlington Highlands Highlands

• Arlington • Arlington Convention Convention & Visitors&Bureau Visitors Bureau • City of •Arlington City of Arlington • Greater• Arlington ChamberChamber of Commerce Greater Arlington of Commerce • Texas Health • TexasArlington Health Arlington Memorial Memorial Hospital Hospital • Advanced Integrated Marketing Inc. • Advanced Integrated Marketing Inc.

THIS ’N’ DATA

Bring your camera and take a picture with Santa before the parade at the Library, 100 S. Center Street, or after the tree lighting at the Founders Plaza, 100 W. Abram Street.

Saturday, December 9 • Parade begins at 6pm

#atpetofthemonth JJ has been a part of our team for over 3 years now. He hung out in our office parking lot for a few weeks (several people from other suites were feeding him along with us) and one morning, he decided to come in and introduce himself.

He was skin and bones, very matted, but still incredibly chatty; not skittish at all, as most stray cats are. We noticed one of his ears had been clipped –something animal control does with stray cats after they are picked up, neutered and released. It was hard for us to believe he was a stray, however, given his friendly and bold demeanor.

Our GM, Kourtney, took a photo of him and sent it to Mike, and his response was “I guess we have a new office cat.” Within a few days, we were able to get him cleared at the vet. With a clean bill of health, a box full of new toys, and an automatic feeder bowl, he made himself at home at our office! We called him “JJ” as a joke initially, short for “Jr - Jr,” following after our company owners, Mike Sr and Mike Jr. The name stuck, and it suits him well! He has truly become a part of the Medford Family and has even taken on the title of the office “Stress-Control Manager” – specified on the meet the team page of our website (with his very own headshot, of course!)

He greets all of our clients, delivery drivers, and

team members when they come to the office each day and has a photo included with the rest of us in our annual holiday card. JJ is constantly with someone in the office; he takes turns visiting different desks to get cuddles from everyone throughout each workday.

He wants to be involved in everything, including the weekly schedule meetings we have in the conference room every Thursday.

To say he has gotten comfortable with us is an understatement, as he will push his way onto your lap or intentionally sit on your keyboard to be sure he has your full attention. If there is one thing he loves, it is absolutely to be the center of attention! It’s hard to imagine our team without him; he truly is a special and one-of-a-kind fur baby!

– Ali Doskocil, VP of Marketing, Medford Remodeling

16 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

3 SCOOPS 1. Records show the first tree lighting at City Hall was in 1993. During the early years, one of the focuses was on how to bring Santa to town. Santa first came on a fire truck. In the following years Santa arrived on a Longhorn steer, in a helicopter, rappelling off the roof of City Hall and in a sleigh. Every year, the city tried to come up with an exciting new way to bring the jolly ol’ guy to Arlington.

2. Mattie Fielder Tolbert lit the Christmas tree at the Fielder House Museum’s 23rd annual ceremony. Tolbert’s grandparents, James Park and Mattie Barnes Fielder, built the Fielder House in 1914. Tolbert moved with her parents, Cicero and Rossa McNatt Fielder, into the house when she was just 5 weeks old. The Fielder House Museum event included tours, a visit with Santa, a bake sale, hot cider, music and wagon rides down Abram Street through the gardens of the Hill Gilstrap offices.

3. The “dot race” originated at Arlington Stadium! Like the nachos, the dot race spread to other venues around the country, morphing into such races as the Hot Dog Race, the Sausage Race and the Brat Race.

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THIS ’N’ DATA

Arlington by the NUMBERS: World Series Edition

104,000

Number of visitors in Arlington for the two World Series games held at Globe Life Field.

45

The number of different states World Series visitors came from.

19,200

The number of World Series fans who visited Texas Live! during the two home games.

(Source: Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau)

500,000 Number of people who attended the World Series victory parade.

Rendering from VLK Architects

Martin High School - Glaspie Field Athletic Complex

The new stadium, designed by VLK Architects, will include approximately 10,000 seats, a larger press box, locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. The groundbreaking occurred in October 2023.

Construction is scheduled for completion at the end of 2024.

Missing baseball already?

Globe Life Field offers 60 and 90 minute tours throughout the month of December. Take photos and even visit the gift shop with 10% off same day purchases with your ticket. globelifefield.com/tours-experiences-old/ tours-calendar

The Light Park Drive-Thru Light Show

Millions of lights plus DJ Christmas music. Light wands, magic glasses, snacks and drinks are available to purchase. It’s pet-friendly too.

Hurricane Harbor • Through January 1

DID YOU KNOW? More Hotel Capacity for Arlington

Arlington currently has roughly 7,400 hotel rooms, about 1,500 of which are full-service rooms with meeting space.

Arlington’s inventory will jump to 8,500 hotel rooms following the February 2024 opening of the Loews Arlington Hotel and Arlington Convention Center (888 rooms), and with the addition of the Drury Plaza Hotel (268 rooms) in the summer 2024.

(Source: Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau)

18 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

Shortest Day of the Year December 21 In Arlington, the solstice occurs at 9:27pm Thursday 12/21. It doesn’t look like it now, but the days start to get longer from here!

BE EXCEPTIONAL DO YOU HAVE THE MAVERICK FACTOR?

UTA.EDU

DA_ArlToday_Ad_Dec2022_PRINT.pdf AT_Ad 7.375x4.8275_Dec_2023.indd 1

1

11/16/22

9:13 PM

Celebrate the holiday season in your hometown downtown.

Join us for the Annual Arlington Holiday Lights Parade and Tree Lighting on December 9th.

Dec. 1–17 - A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show at Theatre Arlington Dec. 1 - Letters to Santa at the Downtown Library Dec. 2, 3, 16 & 17 - Kringle Village at Knapp Heritage Park December 2 - Merry Motown Christmas at Arlington Music Hall December 9 - Pre-parade events at the Downtown Library and Levitt Pavilion December 15 – Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl throughout Downtown December 20 - Girl Named Tom – One More Christmas Tour at Arlington Music Hall

Happy Holidays from Downtown Arlington!

Visit downtownarlington.org for more information about events and programs

11/14/23 2:57 PM

AROUND TOWN

A Last Season of Giving? Let’s Hope Not KENNETH

PERKINS Each year, Bailey Junior High hosts the Season of Giving project where students, over an exhilarating couple of hours, fill dozens of shoe boxes with daily necessities and small toys for children who wake up to very little, or nothing at all, on Christmas morning.

Each year, seventh and eighth graders new to volunteering learn of its rewards and worth, and often become life-long volunteers.

Each year, these young students learn of Carson Cares (CC), the non-profit that does most of the Season of Giving organizing, become CC members, and fuel a group that

has done so much for Arlington by simply showing up and asking, “What can we do to help?”

Now, all that might be changing.

Carson Cares has disbanded as a service organization. Carson Bold, the child service prodigy who started the organization (with mom LaShaunn Bold) at Duff Elementary, has moved on. He’s a college graduate and now working stiff. CC simply ran its course.

The Season of Giving at Bailey was last on the non-profit’s To-Do list. So, they again invited Bailey students (along with some high schoolers from Arlington and Sam Houston high schools and University of Texas at Arlington students) to do the heavy lifting. The cafeteria was lined with tables of shoeboxes boiling over from soaps and toothbrushes, footballs, and cute little stuffed animals.

What they put in the shoeboxes is what the child sees on Christmas morning.

The students moved about like a human assembly line, first receiving a box and then walking alongside tables filled with items to stuff them. Once a box was completed, they placed it on the stage only to repeat it.

By 5:30 p.m., the tables were bare; the boxes were stacked, and the student workers smiled from ear to ear.

They’d collected over 400 boxes. Then came the fun part. Taking them out to a waiting truck.

The project is in conjunction with Samaritan’s Purse, the non-profit that works

with local churches receiving boxes from organizations and schools like Bailey. The packages are then shipped to children in need around the world.

Season of Giving has become one of Bailey’s most cherished holiday events, partly because it pays dividends not just for the children receiving the items but for the students, some of whom are just learning the gift of giving.

“Mostly, what it does is teach our kids how to appreciate what they have,” said Bailey AVID teacher Catholene Buckles.

Buckles uses class time to empty the neighborhood dollar store where her eighth graders, armed with $5, buy items for the shoeboxes.

“Some of our kids need the very thing we are sending, but when they learn how little these kids from other countries have, it gives them a different perspective on their own situations,” Buckles said.

Before swinging into action, students learn about the kind of people they are helping through a video – kids without running water and air conditioning or even a toothbrush.

“That’s crazy,” uttered one student.

It’s powerful stuff.

Yet hanging over an otherwise triumphant evening was the question of whether this would be the last time. For CC, it is. They’re done. The ball is now in Bailey’s court, not to put pressure on Buckles and the Bailey administration.

I asked Buckles if they would continue.

“Not sure what will happen,” she told me.

I asked LaShaunn Bold the same thing.

“We’ll see,” she said.

And Carson.

“That would be nice.”

The evening ended when LaShaunn Bold asked her seventh graders if they would return next year.

A bunch of hands flew up.

There you go. The heavy lifters are ready.

No pressure, Bailey. No pressure.

Kenneth Perkins has been a contributing writer for Arlington Today for nearly a decade. He is a freelance writer, editor and photographer.

20 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

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Mayor Ross Declares “Miss Persis Day in Arlington” A large crowd was present for Mayor Ross’ presentation of a proclamation declaring “Miss Persis Day in Arlington” and then unveiling of the street sign topper that recognizes the role of Persis Forster for her decades-long service to Arlington positively shaping the lives of generations of the city’s youth through her Dance and Performing Arts Studio.

Forster established Miss Persis Studio of Dance in 1954, culminating a career in dance and theatre that included performing, directing, choreography and teaching. She was known simply as “Miss Persis” by literally thousands of aspiring and veteran local dancers. She passed away on June 8, 2021 at the age of 91.

Mayor Jim Ross (center) presents the proclamation to family members Kim Wilson, Mary Alden Wilson, Persis Ann Forster and Steve Burdick Photo credit: Richard Greene

The “Miss Persis Place” street sign topper is unveiled

Throughout her illustrious career, Persis Forster not only taught dance, but was a mainstay in local theater productions.

Photo courtesy of Heidi Cannella

Photo courtesy of Persis Forster

Persis Forster (center) poses with former students-turned teachers Mycah Butler and Chloe Cannella at the Miss Persis Studio of Dance Elf Show in 2019 22 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

SCENE

An Arlington Christmas like never before

The moment the Texas Rangers clinched their World Series victory

General Manager Chris Young

The Commissioner’s Trophy is handed to Rangers manager Bruce Bochy

Evan Carter and Austin Hedges MVP Corey Seager Jonah Heim and Adolis García

2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers

arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

23

Photo Credit: facebook.com/Rangers

THE CLEAR CHOICE

Arlington Independent School District The Arlington ISD is the clear choice for students to reach their maximum potential through relevant, innovative and rigorous learning experiences.

All three of those aspects start in elementary school in the Arlington ISD, and there’s nothing more innovative than the elementary school specialized programs the district offers.

Starting as early as pre-K in some cases, students can start following their passion whether it’s leadership, fine arts, dual language or STEM. Whatever path a student wants to take, the Arlington ISD can lead them down that path and start setting them up for their future beginning in kindergarten. Find out why the Arlington ISD is the clear choice for students!

LEARN MORE AT AISD.NET/SPECIALIZEDPROGRAMS

CROW LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

FINE ARTS AND DUAL LANGUAGE ACADEMIES

WIMBISH WORLD LANGUAGE ACADEMY

TWO NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STEM ACADEMIES

National IB elementary school

Kindergarten through high school

Dual language in French or Spanish

Grades K- 6 and 9 -12

Stay Connected!

Even though the Arlington ISD will be closed for the winter break from Dec. 22-Jan. 5, you can keep up with us on social and stay in the holiday spirit.

Be on the lookout for holiday musical performances from all 10 of our junior highs and Winter Workouts with Duff Elementary physical education teacher Matt Bostick

SCENE

Timeless Concerts’ EUROPEAN VACATION!

Featuring the music of Vivaldi of Italy, Liszt of Hungary and Pablo de Sarasate of Spain

Violinists Tim Angel and LeeAnne Chenoweth, with Pepper Crary and Chuck Fasnacht

Crestin, Jeremy and Julie Rudd, violinist Tim Angel, and Quin Rudd

Krystal Moore, tenor Sergio Cepeda and violinist LeeAnne Chenoweth

Violinist Tim Angel

Join us for our Valentine’s Special and Fundraiser! – Feb. 10, 2024 Info at timelessconcerts.com 26 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

RESTAURANT • PATIO

Holiday Party Headquarters

Whether you are in search of a venue for a corporate holiday party, or treating a few clients or employees to lunch and a round of golf, we’d love to host your next outing! For pricing and availability, please call (817) 575-8319.

Arlington Parks Nov 2021 Ad_Arlington Today.indd 1

10/20/2021 3:37:29 PM

Editors’ Choice Awards 2023 EATS / DRINKS / MERRIMENT BRUNCH Restaurant506 at The Sanford House BURGER J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill COFFEE HOUSE Grounds and Gold Coffee Co. CRAFT BEER Division Brewing DATE NIGHT The Vault DINNER Mac’s Bar and Grill FAMILY DINING Zack’s Bistro FINE DINING Mercury Chophouse GAME DAY MEAL No Frills Grill & Sports Bar HAPPY HOUR Texas Live!

ITALIAN CUISINE Piccolo Mondo LUNCH MaryLou’s MUSIC VENUE Levitt Pavilion PIZZA Prespa’s Italian PLACE TO MEET Nehemiah Coffee Co.

HOME LIFE ATTORNEY Schneider Law Firm, P.C. ATTORNEY - BUSINESS LITIGATION Jim Ross ATTORNEY - DIVORCE Stephanie A. Foster ATTORNEY - ELDER LAW Karen Schroeder ATTORNEY - FAMILY LAW Donna J. Smiedt ATTORNEY - PERSONAL INJURY Roger “Rocky” Walton ATTORNEY - REAL ESTATE Harris Cook, LLP BUILDER Mansfield Custom Homes EXTERIOR PROJECTS Elite Exteriors FINANCIAL ADVISOR Jack Webb - Edward Jones Investments FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Texas Trust Credit Union FINANCIAL SERVICES Frost Bank INSURANCE Al Clark PET CARE Pixie Paws Pet Palace PET CULINARY CARE Three Dog Bakery

STEAK Meehan’s Chophouse

REAL ESTATE AGENT Brandee Kelley Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

TEX-MEX El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill

REAL ESTATE COMPANY Keller Williams Realty, Inc. REMODELER Medford Remodeling

OB / GYN Dr. Joan Bergstrom, MD, FACOG, MBA ONCOLOGIST Texas Oncology OPTOMETRIST First Eye Care

ROOFING Joe Hall Roofing VETERINARIAN Richter Animal Hospital & Pet Resort

STOREFRONT ANTIQUES C&W Antiques APPLIANCES Texas Appliance BOUTIQUE Paisley Grace Boutique FLOORING Hiltons Flooring FLORIST Urban Country Flower Co. GIFTS Anything Goes JEWELRY Diamonds and Designs

WELLNESS AUDIOLOGIST Kos/Danchak Audiology & Hearing Aids CARDIOLOGIST Dr. William Nesbitt, MD CHIROPRACTIC / WELLNESS Dr. Kenyon Godwin, DC Active Family Wellness

ORTHODONTICS Drs Alexander Orthodontics PEDIATRICIAN Cook Children’s Pediatrics Arlington PEDIATRIC DENTIST FunDentist Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry PHARMACY Randol Mill Pharmacy PODIATRY Arlington Foot & Ankle Centers UROLOGIST Urology Partners of North Texas

PERSONAL SERVICES / LEISURE CUSTOMER SERVICE Wade Family Funeral Home GOLF COURSE Texas Rangers Golf Club HAIR SALON Daired’s Salon & Spa Pangéa HOTEL Live! by Loews - Arlington NATURAL SETTING River Legacy Parks PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Brown Photography

FAMILY MEDICAL Family Healthcare Associates

SKIN CARE Great Skin Spa & Facial Club

FAMILY PHYSICIAN Dr. Theresa Stretch, MD

SPA The Sanford Spa & Salon

HORMONAL SPECIALIST Mandy Cotten, APRN, FNP-C

WEDDING VENUE The Abbey Estate

LASIK Kleiman I Evangelista Eye Centers of Texas

28 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

C&W

Ho Ha p l Antiques ida py ys

Open Saturday & Sunday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm | M-F by appointment 817.637.7637 2100 N. Hwy. 360 Suites 705 & 706 | (NE corner of 360 & Carrier Pkwy.)

Grand Prairie, TX 75060 Faberge, Mark Roberts Collection, Raz Imports, Arthur Court, Aromatique, Market Candles Vagabond House, Antique Furnishings, Fine Art, Christmas Decor and Gifts

Eats / Drinks/Merriment

BRUNCH

Restaurant506 at The Sanford House

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estaurant506 at The Sanford House’s brunch has earned many awards, including Arlington Today’s All Star awards and Editors’ Pick in 2022. Set inside Arlington’s only luxury boutique inn, the lavish and delicious brunches at The Sanford House are legendary. Our editors once again named it the best brunch in town.

Brunch features “Breakfast with a Flare” options such as Bananas Foster French Toast, Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Pancakes and Creole Biscuits and Gravy. Other options range from classics like Sweet Cream Pancakes and Traditional Eggs Benedict to classics with a twist, like Cajun Turkey Omelet and Pulled Pork Benedict.

Lunch choices also blend tradition with creativity for options such as Beef Tenderloin Filet, Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich, Mushroom Swiss Burger to Dr Pepper BBQ Shrimp and Grits and Short Rib Tacos.

The family-owned and operated inn has hosted beautiful weddings and events for more than a quarter of a century, guided by General Manager Valerie Landry since 2008 and her mother and The Sanford House owner, Joan Bergstrom.

Restaurant506 at The Sanford House 506 N. Center St. 817-861-2129 TheSanfordHouse.com

BURGER

J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill

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hen a restaurant has been around for more than four decades, it’s a given that it is considered one of the city’s premier destinations for culinary and social pleasures.

Well ...

J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill can make both claims, in addition to one more: It’s a “no brainer” multi-time selection to our Editors’ Choice roster.

We love J. Gilligan’s burgers (and everything else on the menu). And we’d also like to note that the food and service are great, and there’s always a game, or several, on the televisions scattered inside and out on the patio, so you can cheer for your favorite team alongside friends.

J. Gilligan’s is the ideal venue for a casual lunch or dinner date, as well as party headquarters for gatherings that include reunions, birthdays, charity functions, political events, holiday parties, youth sports clubs, wedding events, business lunches and meetings and the proverbial “more.”

FAMILY DINING

Zack’s Bistro

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newcomer to town and the Editors’ Choice awards, Zack’s Bistro has made an impression.

A sister restaurant to Mercury Chophouse and Keller Chophouse, Zack’s offers American-style bistro favorites.

The wide variety of dishes will make it easy for everyone in your group to find something they like.

From simple favorites like a chop salad, club sandwich or meatloaf to finer dining options like filet mignon, Atlantic salmon and lamb shank, Zack’s has something to offer everyone.

The bistro is dedicated to delivering the finest quality food that diners have come to expect at Mercury Chophouse and Keller Chophouse, such as Allen Brothers meats, fresh seafood and farm-to-table quality.

Zack’s Bistro 900 E. Copeland Rd. 682-323-8789 zackbistro.com

J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill 400 E. Abram St. 817-274-8561 jgilligans.com

30 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

FINE DINING

Mercury Chophouse

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ou love the best-intown view. You crave the delicious cuisine. You appreciate the impeccable service. And now you know why, for the fifth consecutive year, Mercury Chophouse has earned an Editors’ Choice award.

In less than half a decade, Mercury Chophouse has gained a reputation around town (and around all of North Texas, for that matter) as the place to meet for a business lunch or for a dinner to celebrate a special occasion.

Because of its vast reserve of fine wines and cocktails and the small-plate selections, Mercury Chophouse has drawn in the happy hour crowd, as well.

Add it all up, and the sum is, literally, an award winning restaurant.

Mercury Chophouse 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 910 817-381-1157 mercurychophouse.com

WEDDINGS

VOW RENEWALS

PRIVATE PARTIES AREAS OF PRACTICE: – Personal Injury – Family – Business Litigation – Wills and Probate – Criminal Defense Call Jim Ross Law Group for your free consultation at 817-275-4100 or text “LAWYER” to 313131 JimRossLaw.com Principal Office – Arlington, TX

at The Abbey Estate Celebrate with up to 200 guests on 5-acres in historic Waxahachie!

Exclusive use of the entire property - indoor and outdoor spaces - plus tables, chairs, linens, variety of optional decor and outstanding event crew included.

Visit www.theabbeyestate.com to see our packages and book your tour!

Eats / Drinks/Merriment – Home Life

ITALIAN CUISINE

Piccolo Mondo

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hen it comes to Italian food, Piccolo Mondo owner Antonio Capaccioli knows his stuff. His restaurant is what he looks for in a dining spot – great food and attention to detail.

The dining experience at Piccolo Mondo has earned the restaurant our Editors’ Choice for Italian cuisine.

Creative and delicious Italian dishes paired with an extensive wine list make Piccolo Mondo the place for a special night out.

Capacioli and his team also offer alluring ambiance, a popular piano bar and a banquet room perfect for big groups.

Piccolo Mondo 829 East Lamar Blvd.

817-265-9174 piccolomondo.com

ATTORNEY

Schneider Law Firm, P.C.

W

hen family matters become legal matters, the anxiety, stress, and fear you feel can seem almost unbearable. You need to feel confident that the legal process is going to resolve these issues for the best.

You need the competent, experienced representation of the skilled legal team of the Schneider Law Firm.

When you place your case in their capable hands, you may rest assured that they are going to do everything they can to resolve matters for the best possible outcome.

They see clients as people first, many of whom are scared or confused about the legal process. They will not only represent you, but reassure you by guiding you through this process with all the knowledge and experience they can bring to your case.

Schneider Law Firm, P.C. 5001 S. Cooper St., #221 817-799-7125 teamslf.com

ATTORNEY – BUSINESS LITIGATION

Jim Ross

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rlington Mayor Jim Ross, founder of the acclaimed firm, Jim Ross Law Group, PC, is an Editor’s Choice winner for the fourth straight year.

The former Marine, Arlington policeman and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) task force officer heads a general practice litigation firm that handles cases involving personal injury, family law, civil and business litigation, criminal defense and probate matters. The firm operates on the philosophy that all people deserve representation.

“It’s the Texas way and part of the American spirit,” Ross says.

“It’s often said that ‘no man is above the law.’ In America, that’s the truth,” Ross says.

“At our law firm, we represent people from many situations and walks of life.”

Ross says straight talk is the foundation of his practice.

“Sometimes this isn’t easy to do, and the news isn’t always good,” he says. “However, we firmly believe that our clients deserve the truth and to have unyielding support from a tough legal team that delivers on its promises.”

Jim Ross Law Group 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., #800 817-275-4100 jimrosslaw.com

32 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

ATTORNEY – DIVORCE

Stephanie A. Foster

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tephanie Foster has earned her third consecutive Editors’ Choice award in the Attorney-Divorce category.

We have long been impressed with Foster’s compassion and persistence while dealing with one of the more important legal decisions a person can make: divorce.

Foster is a strong litigator who effectively articulates and argues for her clients’ interests in contested divorce cases.

But her main priority is finding solutions that are beneficial to the family as a whole.

Foster believes the collaborative process is a powerful way to generate creative solutions in family law disputes while minimizing financial and emotional damage to families facing divorce. And we applaud her for that.

Law Offices of Stephanie A. Foster, P.C. 4214 Little Rd., Suite 1000 817-277-2805 StephanieFosterLawyer.com

TT higgst compliment clients can give us is tt refeeal ttir family and friends.

701 Highlander Blvd #400, Arlington, TX 76015 b r a n d e e k e l l e y. c o m (817) 635-1141

•

701 HIGHLANDER BLVD. SUITE 400 | ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76015 | 817.559.2460

Home Life

David L. Cook

ATTORNEY – ELDER LAW

ATTORNEY – FAMILY LAW

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Karen Schroeder his native Texan is a multiple winner for Editors’ Choice for Attorney-Elder Law, specializing in wills, trusts (including gun trusts), elder law, guardianships, asset and wealth protection and probate.

An Arlington High School honors graduate, Schroeder stays local, attending college and law school at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

After working as corporate counsel and an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas for a decade, with 7 years in the Civil Division as a Real Estate/Contracts Advisory Attorney, Schroeder opened her own practice in Mansfield in 2009. She also has served as an adjunct professor with the Tarrant County College District, teaching civil litigation to paralegal students.

Licensed as a Texas attorney since 1994, Schroeder has built a reputation as a problemsolver who serves clients’ needs with legal professionalism and a commitment to individualized attention.

Karen Schroeder Attorney at Law 550 N. Walnut Creek, Suite 110, Mansfield 817-842-0220 karenschroderlaw.com

BUILDER

Donna J. Smeidt

ATTORNEY – REAL ESTATE

Harris Cook, LLP

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W

M

amily law hits at the heart and is a very sensitive area.

The Family Law Firm of Donna J. Smiedt alleviates that stress for her clients in one of the most challenging times of their lives.

Smiedt has been named the Editors’ Choice for AttorneyFamily Law for the past four years, due to her firm’s stellar reputation for service.

Smiedt earned her undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University at age 19, then her law degree from SMU at 22. She continues that same work ethic in her practice.

Smiedt is a Board Certified Family Law Attorney – Texas Board of Legal Specialization who has received extensive training in this important area.

The firm can address a variety of legal concerns, from uncontested divorces to the most contentious custody litigation, as well as nonlitigation forms of dispute resolution, such as mediation and collaborative law.

The Family Law Firm of Donna J. Smiedt 3216 W. Arkansas Lane 817-539-6569 arlingtondivorces.com

inning is a tradition for David L. Cook, who was elected for 12 years as mayor of his hometown of Mansfield, and in 2020 to the Texas House of Representatives.

His firm has also earned another Editors’ Choice honor for Attorney-Real Estate.

Founded by the late Chris Harris, a 28-year member of the Texas Legislature, the firm has built a reputation for professionalism and effectiveness in a wide range of legal matters. The practice features a highly-skilled team composed of Cook, Patrick L. Dooley, Paul J. Johnson, Larry L. Fowler, Jr., Lin Morrisett, Marc A. Stach, Arin K. Schall and Wesly C. Maness.

Harris Cook is an AV Rated Firm, which represents the Gold Standard in attorney ratings, and features a wide depth of experience and talent across multiple practice areas.

Harris Cook, LLP Arlington: 1309A W. Abram St. Mansfield: 309 E. Broad St. 817-275-8765 harriscooklaw.com

34 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

Mansfield Custom Homes ansfield Custom Homes can build dream homes from the ground up, or renovate your current residence to make it the perfect place for your family.

The custom home builder, located in Mansfield, is our Editor’s Choice for builder.

Specializing in luxury homes with unparalleled quality and service, Mansfield Custom Homes’ staff has more than 40 years of combined experience in home building.

Mansfield Custom Homes can build on your lot or theirs, or work with developers and real estate agents to help you find the perfect location.

The builder also works with architects to create the features and details that make your home special.

Mansfield Custom Homes 1016 South 2nd Avenue, Mansfield 682-208-1576 mchtexas.com

Winner of Hormonal Specialist

MERRY

Christmas

All Star Boutique

Home Life

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Frost Bank

F

rost Bank is deeply rooted in the community, offering outstanding service for its customers and philanthropy to the whole area.

The bank is a multi-year Readers’ Choice and Editors’ Choice winner for financial services.

Founded in 1868, Frost provides a full range of banking, investments and insurance services across Texas. With a philosophy that emphasizes building long-term relationships and treating everyone with integrity, caring and excellence, Frost Bank has earned numerous awards for customer service to consumers and businesses.

Frost Bank Arlington: 101 E. Abram St., Suite 160 3801 Matlock Road 1881 Ballpark Way 5500 W. Arkansas Lane Mansfield: 1000 N. Walnut Creek Drive frostbank.com

INSURANCE

Al Clark – State Farm

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ustomer service is the name of the game for State Farm agent Al Clark, this year’s Editors’ Choice for Insurance.

Covering auto, home, life, renter, boat, condo, business, recreation vehicle, motorcycle and pet insurance, Clark is a one-stop shop for all your insurance needs.

Serving as a State Farm agent for 45 years, Al Clark’s mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams.

Founded in 1922, State Farm is the largest property, auto and casualty insurance provider in the United States.

Al Clark, State Farm 2452 West Interstate 20 817-468-3033 alclark.net

REAL ESTATE AGENT

Brandee Kelley – Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

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ith 18 years experience as a Realtor and over 3 decades of service to the community, Brandee Kelley has formed a network of clients in the Arlington and surrounding areas.

Kelley’s experience and service have earned her our Editors’ Choice for Realtor.

She has also won several other real estate awards in recent years (Real Trends Top 1% in the U.S., DFW Real Producers and Five Star Professional).

The Award that meant the most to her was from the Christian Women’s Job Corps as this was based on the Christian manner in which she runs her business.

Kelley is also a Certified Luxury Market Specialist.

“Homes that are over $725,000 are considered luxury,” she said.

“There are fewer buyers and in terms of showing the homes, we want real qualified buyers.”

Kelley also led the Keller Williams offices for Arlington, Mansfield, DeSoto and Corsicana from 2016-2020 with 750 agents.

“We serve with the heart of a teacher and strive for five-star service,” she said. “We have been affiliated with Dave Ramsey since 2021 as a trusted realtor. We serve clients with the highest standard of integrity through experience and teamwork.”

Brandee Kelly – Keller Williams Realty, Inc. 701 Highlander Blvd #400 817-635-1141 brandee@brandeekelley.com brandeekelley.com

36 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

REAL ESTATE COMPANY

Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

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ith a wide range of real estate agents to help, Keller Williams can help anyone find a new home. The long-time Arlington company has earned Arlington Today’s Editors’ Choice award for Real Estate.

With an extensive network of experienced Realtors, Keller Williams knows the neighborhoods in Arlington and can help every family find the right home.

The firm has its own listing agent and another person to handle closings to make sure that everything goes smoothly.

Keller Williams has more agents than any other real estate company, boasting 1,100 offices and 191,000 agents in the United States. The company is also No. 1 in sales volume nationally.

Keller Williams Realty, Inc. 1301 South Bowen Road 817-795-2500

Happy Holidays from Great Skin!

Come & see us!

Give the Gift of Beauty & Relaxation!

Tuesday-Sat 9am-5pm | Open til 6pm on Thursday Closed Sunday & Monday | GreatSkin4You.com

Home Life – Storefront

ROOFING

ANTIQUES

APPLIANCES

FLOORING

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C

W

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Joe Hall Roofing or 35 years, Joe Hall Roofing has been keeping the Arlington area safe and dry. The third-generation roofing and contracting company has earned our Editors’ Choice.

Over half the staff at Joe Hall Roofing has been with the team for more than 10 years, several more than 20 years, offering decades of roofing experience.

The company has earned the Golden Hammer Award, Outstanding Community Service for the 6 Stones Project, numerous residential and commercial awards and been on the Good Contractors List for 10 years.

Joe Hall Roofing & Contracting has built a reputation in the DallasFort Worth Metroplex for its honesty and craftsmanship in the roofing industry. The company is led by core values of integrity, family, knowledge, innovation and health, striving to create a one-of-kind customer experience and rich company culture.

Joe Hall Roofing 1925 W. Pioneer Pkwy.

817-274-6777 joehallroofing.com

C&W Antiques &W Antiques is a treasure anytime of the year, but the holidays bring out the festive spirit in co-proprietors Patrick Walsh and Jim Carpenter.

When it comes to antiques, C&W Antiques is in a class by itself. The showroom features unique, rare and interesting furniture and accessories rarely found at most U.S. stores.

Carpenter and Walsh have created a beautiful store with fragrant Market Candles, music and vignettes of oldworld rooms that stimulate the senses and inspire clients to visit and return.

C&W Antiques specializes in 17th, 18th and 19th century English and French furniture. It also has an exquisite collection of original fine art by Italian, French, Russian, English and U.S. artists, and its Faberge Collection is the largest in the state of Texas.

C & W Antiques 2100 North Texas 360, Suite 705-706 817-637-7637 candwantiques.com

Texas Appliance hen it comes to appliances and amenities for the home and yard, Texas Appliance is Arlington’s go-to store and our Editors’ Choice.

With roots back to the 1940s, Texas Appliance is an established, locally owned and operated retailer serving residential and builders’ needs. The company operates its retail division from three showrooms in South Arlington, Hurst and Fort Worth, along with its outlet store in Pantego.

There’s no one best option in an appliance, just the best option for your home. With more than 40 major quality brands, Texas Appliance can help you select from the large displays of built-in and free-standing appliances.

Texas Appliance offers refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers and dryers, indoor and outdoor cooking appliances, ice makers, wine coolers, disposers, trash compactors, mattresses and more, all of which can be delivered.

Its experienced staff of contract sales representatives will meet with builders or their customers at their offices, job sites or in the showroom to assist in the selection, installation and demonstration of the appliance package.

Texas Appliance Arlington Showroom: 1500 I-20 East Pantego Outlet: 3401 W. Pioneer Pkwy.

817-299-2800 Hurst: 840 Airport Frwy.

Fort Worth: 4786 Hulen Park Dr. txappliance.com

38 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

Hiltons Flooring ith more than 25 years in business, Hiltons Flooring has won thousands of fans, one of the reasons the family-owned and operated company has been a Readers’ Choice and Editors’ Choice winner for many years.

Hiltons Flooring is a one-stop showroom for floor-covering, countertops and bathroom fixtures. Since 2013, Hiltons Flooring has been passionately serving customers as an accredited business with an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau.

The team at Hiltons Flooring is provides the best and largest selection of carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl tile, and stone in a friendly, comfortable and helpful atmosphere. Hiltons carries most name brands of flooring and also granite, marble, quartz and quartzite counter tops, back splash and showers, making it the place to shop for any home improvement project.

Hiltons Flooring 2800 W. Division St., Ste. D 817-461-5189 hiltonsflooring.com

Wellness

GIFTS

Anything Goes

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his one-stop shop for unique gifts has earned multiple Arlington Today Readers’ Choice All Star and Editors’ Choice awards. Want to be sure your gifts are loved? Go to Anything Goes.

That has been the case since 2012, when Mary Davis’ dream of creating an eclectic gift shop became a reality as the doors opened. Featured lines include Consuela, Mud Pie, Scout, Tyler, Natural Life, Round Top Collection, Warmies and Peepers.

In the past 11 years, the gift shop has grown from 1,200 square feet to almost 4,000 square feet of retail space that features products that meet the needs of customers of all ages.

Anything Goes 2504 W. Park Row Drive, Suite A, Pantego 817-542-0862 anythinggoesgiftshop.com

AUDIOLOGIST

Kos/Danchak Audiology & Hearing Aids

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os/Danchak Audiology & Hearing Aids has been helping Arlington hear better for more than 35 years. The practice is our Editors’ Choice winner for the fourth year in a row.

Dr. Melissa Danchak began working at Kos/Danchak Audiology in 1997 and purchased the practice five years later. Her quarter century of experience helping those with hearing challenges in the Arlington and surrounding communities underscores her passion for providing unparalleled care and service for her patients, which is on full display with the hundreds of online reviews they have been sharing for years.

Kos/Danchak Audiology & Hearing Aids 101 W. Randol Mill Road 817-277-7039 northtxhearing.com

CHIROPRACTIC / WELLNESS

Dr. Kenyon Godwin, DC – Active Family Wellness Center

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or the fifth straight year, Dr. Kenyon Godwin is our Editors’ Choice for Best Chiropractor/ Wellness Care.

Dr. Godwin started in a 500-square-foot office space in 2010 and has since expanded to two offices, caring for all ages from newborn to 95-year-olds.

His offices specialize in low back pain and assist with neck pain and headaches, using holistic methods and functional medicine to help with inflammation and natural weight loss.

Godwin offers patient-centered care that focuses on the integrity of the spine and relieving stress to increase performance and quality of life. He utilizes the values he learned in the U.S. Air Force and Biblical principles to serve the community.

The community has noticed with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce naming him Veteranowned Small Business of the Year. Dr. Godwin has also been Arlington Today’s Readers’ Choice since the competition began.

Active Family Wellness Center South Arlington: 4927 S. Collins St., Suite 105 North Arlington: 4120 N. Collins St., #200 817-557-2770 txwellnessdoc.com

40 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

HORMONAL SPECIALIST

Mandy Cotten, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

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his year’s Arlington Today Readers’ Choice Award winner is also our Editors’ Choice honoree, Mandy Cotten.

“Dr. Gary Donovitz, my father, started the business in 1985 and I took over in 2018,” Cotten said.

“It is truly a family business. We are not run by a big corporation so we have the ability to truly pay attention to patient care and patient wants and needs.

“I am a family nurse practitioner and am passionate about patient involvement in their plan of care,” she said. “We focus on holistic healthcare and providing options to our patients to provide them with health protection and prevention, and optimize their quality of life and health status.”

Cotten is focused on helping patients feel their best, working to be a one-stop shop for health and wellness to aesthetic services. She wants patients to feel and look their best.

Mandy Cotten – Institute for Hormonal Balance 4224 Park Springs Blvd., Suite 100 817-420-7387 donovitz.com

Donna J. Smiedt and her team of fine Lawyers have nearly 4 decades of family law experience.

Donna J. Smiedt is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been so certified for 32 years.

Donna J. Smiedt has been practicing family law for 37 years. y

The American Registry rated her one of the top attorneys in 2023

With lunch and dinner options that will satisfy every tastebud, we are

committed to making an extra effort to deliver the most delicious food on this side of the hemisphere.

Come on by and be sure to bring your appetite.

NOW OPEN!

900 E. Copeland Rd., Arlington TX 76011

Call Now (682)-323-8789

Donna J. Smiedt is collaboratively trained to provide clients with a private form of dispute resolution to avoid litigation.

Personal Services/Leisure

PEDIATRIC DENTIST

FunDentist Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry

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nce again, FunDentist Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry is the Editors’ Choice for favorite pediatric dentist. The practice has a reputation for friendly, inviting pediatric dental care that is comprehensive.

The practice offers a list of dental treatments that are comfortable, safe and effective. FunDentist is equipped with the latest dental technology, so its dentists and staff provide complete care for your youngster’s smile.

And don’t worry about getting an appointment. The office staff will work with you to make sure that appointments are scheduled at your convenience.

FunDentist Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry North Arlington: 801 W. Road to Six Flags, #101 817-459-1313 South Arlington: 4220 Little Road 817-478-2300 Central Arlington: 3101 S. Center St., #101 817-466-7057 Mansfield: 2300 Matlock Road, #28 817-539-0500 fundentist.com

PHARMACY

SKIN CARE

Randol Mill Pharmacy

Great Skin Spa & Facial Club

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A

andol Mill Pharmacy has been a beloved fixture in Arlington since 1965. Arlington Today readers have voted the pharmacy as their Readers’ Choice honoree for several years, and now our editors have named them back-to-back Editors’ Choice winners.

Five words embrace the Randol Mill Pharmacy team’s philosophy, highlighted in the company’s 5-C’s: Care, Convenience, Cost-effectiveness, Confidentiality and Communication.

Randol Mill Pharmacy is one of the area’s premier resources for prescriptions, compounded medications, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and medical equipment.

COVID vaccines, flu shots, shingles shots, and pneumonia shots are also given by their pharmacists. In addition, Randol Mill pharmacy can also compound your prescription (where you are not bound by commercial medications, but can have medications in the strengths and dosages that fit your particular needs).

In addition, the pharmacy’s staff strives to provide the friendliest, most professional and efficient pharmacy service in town. This pharmacy accepts most insurance plans and provides complementary local delivery.

Randol Mill Pharmacy has more than 6,000 square feet of shopping space stocked with a full range of medical equipment, including a huge selection of canes, 4-wheel walkers, wheelchairs, bath safety equipment, hospital beds, compression hosiery and lift chairs, as well as gifts.

reputation for an exceptional spa and skin care provider has earned Great Skin Spa & Facial Club multiple Editors’ Choice awards.

The spa is the brainchild of owner Brenda Cureton Hunt, who began her career in the beauty business as the first U.S. franchisee of Canadian-based FACES Cosmetics.

Cureton developed Great Skin Spa & Facial Club in Arlington more than a decade ago.

Great Skin offers skin care products for anti-aging, acne, hyperpigmentation and general skin care, as well as skin and body care for men, women and teens, and waxing, teeth whitening and massage.

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42 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

WEDDING VENUE

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The Gift of Life They named their kidney Betty.

David K. Sargent and his sister, Ashlee Jones, did not really have a relationship growing up. A 15-year age gap and the fact that David got his driver’s license when Ashlee was only a year old meant the two didn’t spend much time together.

Now, they are forever linked, after Ashlee literally gave David a part of herself, a kidney named Betty.

“I prayed about what was happening,” said Ashlee, 29, a stay-at-home mom to a busy 3-year-old daughter who lives in Aubrey. “I talked to my husband and he was very supportive. I was at peace with it.”

David, 44, was overwhelmed.

“It was very touching,” he said. “It was hard for me to get my arms around.”

David, president of Stripe-A-Zone in Grand Prairie, had been battling renal failure for more than a decade. He was looking at a long wait for a kidney and years of dialysis. His 9-year-old son had grown accustomed to his dad’s low energy because he had been fighting it for the boy’s entire life.

David first started feeling ill in November 2012.

“I had no symptoms,” said David, who lives in Arlington. “I started feeling really sick and checked with a doctor. They tested my blood and sent me to a hospital. They said ‘You didn’t walk in here.’ They tested my blood again and sent me to a bigger hospital.”

David’s creatinine, a waste product that is removed by the kidneys through the blood, was at 19. The normal level for an adult is 1.8 to 1.9, anything over 5.0 in adults signals severe kidney impairment. His kidneys were analyzed and scraped, and dialysis was begun over an 11-day stay at Arlington Memorial Hospital.

“They said my kidneys were virtually dead and they wouldn’t restart,” David said. “After dialysis, I felt instantly better. I think it was so gradual that I didn’t realize how bad I felt.”

He went to dialysis three days a week for four hours each day for eight months.

by Amanda Rogers

then he started urinating yellow, a sign that his kidneys were functioning. David asked his doctor to test him again, instead he put him on a sevenday dialysis that he could do at home.

On his next hunting trip, the portable dialysis machine wouldn’t function, but David’s kidneys did. His doctor tested him again and discovered that his kidneys were functioning at 20 percent, the minimum that he could go without dialysis.

After promising his doctor that he would return if he started feeling sick, he went home and made it for almost a decade without needing dialysis.

In October 2021, a routine lab test showed a decline in his kidney function.

“The doctor really wanted me back on dialysis,” David said. “I had originally been on the UNOS list (United Network for Organ Sharing).

The wait list for my Type A blood was about four years. When my kidney function came back at 20 percent, they kicked me off the wait list. So I had to get back on the list. It looked like I was going to have to go back on dialysis because I couldn’t wait four years.

“Then Ashlee called,” he said.

Ashlee didn’t realize how severe her brother’s condition was.

“In 2012, I was heading to college. I did not realize the severity of his illness back then. He is a very private person. I didn’t know a lot of the details about his renal failure until today. My father would share some of these things.”

But Ashlee knew what she needed to do.

“There was no questioning,” she said.

“Honestly, I thought just me saying yes would do it.”

But there was a lot more, checking if her kidney was a match for her brother’s, if she could survive on one kidney, if the kidney was healthy.

“They really tried to talk me out of it,” Ashlee said of the doctors. “I wanted more children and now I’m at risk having more children. So much blood work and lab work.”

“Dialysis made me feel so bad,” David said.

“It wasted a whole day. Most people can sleep through it. I couldn’t. So I would read, but I couldn’t remember what I read. It felt like I had just run a marathon.”

The siblings checked into Baylor Scott & White in Fort Worth on July 27, 2022, and the surgery was completed within a few hours, the hospital’s first robotic surgery. Three days later, they were both discharged. David had to return a couple of days later when he started to feel sick again.

He went on a hunting trip where one of the other hunters asked if he could pray for him. And

“They said I was rejecting the kidney,” David said.

44 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

After seven days of treatment, he was released.

The past year with the new kidney has been life-changing for David. He lost 84 pounds, went from 60-plus pills a day to nine and his creatinine level is at 1.7. After getting the new kidney, he felt better, so he started doing more, then he started losing weight, so he started exercising, then he changed his diet and stopped working as hard.

“My only wish was for him to change his lifestyle.” Ashlee said. She continues, “I wanted him to start putting his family first and enjoying his life. He was a workaholic.”

David’s high-pressure job and stress probably led to his renal failure, he said.

But Betty the kidney has changed some things, too.

“I never had a sweet tooth, but Ashlee has a big sweet tooth,” David said. “After the transplant, I was having a Butterfinger Blizzard every day, and still losing two or three pounds a day. Now it’s carrot cake.”

Carrot cake and Butterfinger Blizzards are two of Ashlee’s favorites, and apparently Betty’s, too.

Ashlee and her brother had not had an easygoing, joking relationship, but now they are much closer.

“I’m indebted to her for her sacrifice,” David said. “It says something about her character.

She’s a good person.”

David, who can find the humor in almost every situation, did share with his sister how much he cares.

“He’s not a very sentimental person,” Ashlee said. “He sent me a very sentimental text. I’m going to take that and hold it to my heart.”

The siblings shared a celebratory dinner on the anniversary of their transplant with their families in July, and in October the hospital put Ashlee’s name on the transplant donor wall.

The family remains grateful for the support of their family and friends throughout this journey.

Both David and Ashlee realize this support helped them through their healing process and continues today.

They expect to celebrate a lot more milestones together with Betty the kidney, named after actress Betty White, who lived almost 100 years.

“I think I’ll live a long happy life,” David said.

“This kidney will last at least 20 years.”

Ashlee, David. and his son Kyle celebrate the anniversary of the special gift

David Sargent and his sister Ashlee Jones preparing for surgery

David and Ashlee in front of the donor wall

The Sargent family gathers in front of the donor wall arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

45

He’s game-ready As Monty Clegg’s career took him through various sports landing spots, it was natural for him to sign on when two college football bowl games were brought to North Texas. Clegg, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio State University, has lived in Arlington since 1986 with his wife, Brenda.

He’s the associate manager of events for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, which will be played on Saturday, December 23 at TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium, and the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, scheduled for Tuesday, December 26 at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

What’s your professional background?

You name a baseball stop in the Metroplex and chances are I’ve worked there since moving to Texas.

But to start – right out of college I got a job with the Oklahoma City 89ers (Triple-A affiliate for the Texas Rangers) in 1983, then 15 years with the Rangers, four years with the Fort Worth Cats, one year with Grand Prairie AirHogs and other stops: TicketCity Bowl (two years), and Big League Dreams (one year).

How did you become affiliated with the Armed Forces Bowl, and with the First Responder Bowl?

It’s kind of ironic. The current bowl director, Brant Ringler, and I worked together for the Fort Worth Cats. I was the executive vice president and general manager, and he was the marketing/sales director. At different times, each of us was let go. Now he is my boss. The Armed Forces Bowl is one of 14 bowls owned by ESPN. ESPN picked up the TicketCity Bowl/Heart of Dallas bowl nine

by Bob Kowalski

years ago, and since it was in the area, our office took over management duties for both of those bowls.

What are some of your duties?

Operations, finances, team liaison. There are only three of us overseeing two bowl games, so we all wear a lot of hats.

What are some of your most memorable experiences with the bowls?

Well last year’s 14-degree and negative wind chill factor at kickoff won’t be forgotten.

Having Don Graves, a 92-year-old Iwo Jima veteran, sing the national anthem one year was pretty special. Flyovers and parachute drops each year still give me chill bumps.

Each year, with the help of the Red Cross, we bring back a soldier from overseas to reunite and surprise his/her family on the field during the game, always a highlight of joy.

What are your favorite parts of the bowls?

It sounds cliché, but the end of the game, knowing that we gave everything we had to provide a memorable game and experience for players and coaches and fans and veterans and first responders.

How are teams selected to play in the games?

The $64,000 question. Each bowl has agreements with conferences. So first and foremost, those contracts dictate the matchups. A prime example is that the Rose Bowl has always had a Big 10 vs Pac-10 agreement. However, with us and the lowertier bowls, it’s not so clean-cut because we along with most bowls have agreements with several conferences. In the end, the 14 bowl

games owned by ESPN have an ESPN VP assist in getting each of the ESPN bowls the best matchup based on those agreements and regionality.

Besides football, what other activities are connected with the games?

There’s lots of fun in the pre-game fanfests, lots of on-field promotions to benefit military and first responder honorees, and giveaways for fans (programs, cheer cards).

One of the most interesting items for fans is what is called a fancam. There is a company that takes a photo of the stadium and provides a link to where fans can log in and zoom in to find themselves in the stands.

The technology is amazing to where they can zoom in to a clear image to notice every detail about themselves. down to the color of a button on their jacket.

How can people attend the games?

It’s super easy to purchase digital tickets via the bowl websites starting Dec. 3 when the teams are announced. However, going back to the recognition and honoring theme, military (active and veterans) and first responders can log onto the websites and claim four free general admission tickets now (Armedforcesbowl.com, Firstresponderbowl. com).

What do you like to do in your free time?

I’m an outdoors guy. I enjoy bicycling, walking. I’m a high school and select ball softball umpire and answer to “Hey Blue.” I’ve been doing that for 14 years and enjoy being on the diamond and challenge of it. A hobby is magic, and I’m an Eagle Scout, Christian, and baseball and college football fan.

Monty Clegg With the College Gameday crew

Photos courtesy of the Armed Forces Bowl

46 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

At the 2022 Armed Forces Bowl

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Photos: Kevin Bowens Photography

Recognizing a leader in health care.

Forty Under Forty Honoree As Trauma Program Manager at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, there isn’t much that Joni Belz can’t do. Whether she’s pursuing research projects, mentoring and supporting her interdisciplinary team members, speaking at national conferences or volunteering with Mission Arlington, she is passionate about improving the health of the communities we serve. And we’re proud to say she’s an Arlington Chamber of Commerce Forty Under Forty honoree.

TexasHealth.org

Church Ministry at Globe Life Field A lot of prayers were going up this year from the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field as the team earned its first World Series championship. Father Daniel Kelley has been sending up prayers from inside the Major League Baseball stadium for eight years, performing Mass for the Sunday home games.

“Catholic Athletes for Christ formed a number of years ago to provide Mass and the sacraments to players and coaches for college and professional teams,” Kelley said. “They talked to the teams to allow them to have Mass. They got a lot of professional athletes to support them.

“Bishop (Michael) Olson called me eight years ago,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about it. He asked if I would have Mass. I was very excited.”

Kelley played right field for Sunnyvale for two years when he was at Bishop Lynch High School. After high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force, followed by college and the seminary. He became a priest in December 1995, and has served at St. Jude Catholic Church in Mansfield for the past year and a half. Before that, he was the pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arlington for a dozen years.

Even with his prayers going up from inside the stadium, he doesn’t take any credit for the Rangers’ first World Series title. But he should probably get props for growing the attendance at Mass at the stadium.

“The first year I went, maybe five or six people would come,” Kelley said. “We met in a very small room. It was mainly coaches.”

Kelley, a Dallas native, has been a life-long baseball fan and has been following the Texas Rangers since the team moved to Texas in 1972.

Since then, attendance has grown to 15-30 people at the Sunday home game Masses, and the group has progressively moved to larger rooms, he said.

“My dad was from outside St. Louis and he would sit in his car and listen to the Cardinals games,” he said. “When the Rangers came, he used to take us to the old stadium. He would have gotten a kick out of the Cardinals playing the Rangers in the World Series in 2011.”

Most of the attendees are from the visiting teams, Kelley said.

“The games are late enough in the day that the Rangers can attend Mass at their home churches and then come to the game,” he said. “Many of the visiting teams don’t have

Father Kelley holds Mass at Globe Life Field

52 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

by Amanda Rogers

easy access to Catholic churches. Then they started letting anyone who worked at the stadium come.”

Signs are posted in both locker rooms, inviting the teams to Mass on Sundays.

“Bally Sports television host John Rhadigan would come and he would always do the readings,” Kelley said. “The teams that normally have the most are the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels. I get a lot of employees. The players usually come right before Mass.”

And, yes, he did get to see some games at Globe Life Field this year, but not any of the World Series games.

“My last time to have Mass was the last Sunday in the regular season,” he said. “I was saying goodbye and thinking we had a chance to get into the postseason. I never thought they’d win the World Series.”

The Rangers have made him a believer, though, and he thinks their chances to repeat next year are good. And he’ll be back at the stadium, holding Mass as long as the bishop asks, he said.

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A new treasure comes to Viridian

by Amanda Rogers

N

orth Arlington has a new upscale Mexican restaurant with some familiar faces.

Maria Cuca’s Mexican Cuisine opened this fall in the Waters Edge at Viridian shopping center, 3970 N. Collins St., specializing in authentic Mexican and Tex Mex dishes.

Bochy was rumored to have been spotted at Maria Cuca’s the weekend after winning the World Series. When he stood up to leave, the other diners gave him a round of applause.

bring in another chain restaurant. I want them to come from all over the city, not only the neighborhood but this city and surrounding cities.”

“We want this to be the place to come in Arlington,” Haddad said. “I did not want to

“I want people to be aware of the treasure that I brought to Arlington,” he said.

Built by legendary real estate developer Mojy Haddad, the shopping center will fill the needs for the 2,000-acre Viridian residential development across the street.

“The people in Viridian are very appreciative of the services I have brought in,” Haddad said. “They wanted a good Mexican restaurant and I went out and got the best one.”

Haddad called on an old friend, Enrique Rodriguez.

“I’ve known him since he was 14 years old,” Haddad said. “He had a (Maria Cuca’s) location in Keller and I heard so many good things about it. I designed the shopping center and Maria Cuca’s. I wanted to have a modern twist to Mexican, but still wanted to have the Mexican flavor. It’s simple but elegant.”

“Rodriguez brought his family recipes.

He and his brothers have worked in the restaurant business since the 1970s, and all used to work for Mariano’s,” Haddad said.

“My brother, Francisco Rodriguez, all of the recipes are his,” Rodriguez said. “The passion that we put into the work we do (is the secret).

Most of the people working here, I have been working with for years.”

Rodriguez brought in his old friend, Chef Roberto Morales, to create the house specialties, like Cuca’s Pollo, Tacos de Mexico, Camarones Vallarta, Sopas, Carne Asada and premium margaritas. Made with premium tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice and a secret mix, the margarita on the rocks drew a lot of attention at the recent ribbon cutting.

“The mayor said it was the best margarita he ever had,” Haddad said.

The restaurant is drawing attention from a lot of other people, too, including some celebrities. Texas Rangers manager Bruce 54 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

EXPLORE THE FOREST LIKE NEVER BEFORE...

SCENE

Night with Nature at

River Legacy Nature Center

Nov. 18 through

Feb. 10 RIVER LEGACY NATURE CENTER 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd.

Arlington, TX 76006

Larissa Vilela, Brittany Garcia-Dumas, Robert Blake, Councilwoman Rebecca Boxall and Don Boxall

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Currently taking new patients.

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Open Arms

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Jason and Cindy Bradley, Curran Bradley and fiancée Hollie, Adam Bradley

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Ray Gallerani, Teresa Burda, Mike Burda Adam Bradley aka Mayor

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Linda Ruffle, Cindy Bradley, Charlotte Finely Photo credit: Pepper Crary

56 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

ON YOUR RETIREMENT

ALFRED DiSTEFANO, MD Thank you for 43 years of providing exceptional oncology care to area patients! arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

57

Delivering babies is always special

by Amanda Rogers Dr. Jamy Bulgarelli has only been in practice for three months, but she’s already delivered three babies in the same family – and she’s getting ready for a fourth.

Bulgarelli, 32, did her residency at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where she met Maryam, who was struggling with infertility and a wayward cycle of periods. With infertility treatments, Maryam was pregnant within months.

Bulgarelli cared for her during her pregnancy and then delivered her daughter.

“She referred her sister-in-law,” Bulgarelli said. “I delivered her baby on September 22, 2021. She got pregnant again. I told them I could take care of her, but I would be graduating and leaving JPS. Her husband said ‘We will follow you anywhere.’ I delivered her baby the night of the open house (for her new obstetrics/gynecology partnership). That was the first baby I delivered outside of residency.”

Bulgarelli says being an OB/GYN is like having two jobs, obstetrics and gynecology.

“They are both rewarding in different ways,” she said. “Hysterectomies are a life changer for some people. The infertility treatment is more rewarding than almost anything. If you get to help people achieve their goals and get pregnant, then you get to take care of them and deliver that baby, it’s the most special thing ever.”

Caring for pregnant women and delivering their babies is always special, Bulgarelli said.

“It’s the most rewarding feeling in the world when you get to hand that baby to her,” she said.

“Her face is just pure love. I get a little teary.

When the dad cries, I’m going to get emotional.”

Especially when it’s one of her patients, Bulgarelli said, like Maryam.

And now Maryam is expecting her second baby, and she knew exactly who she wanted to deliver the baby.

“She is so friendly, she answers all your questions,” Maryam said. “I just have great bonding with her. She is so good and listens so carefully, that’s why we like to go to her. I trust her.”

“I told her it was time to have a second baby,” Maryam said. “My cycle is irregular. She said ‘Let’s do the same thing we did last time.”

Bulgarelli’s practice is currently accepting new patients. Call 972-662-8134 to schedule an appointment.

Shamsa, Baby Tahir, Dr. Bulgarelli and Adeel

After graduating this summer, Bulgarelli went into partnership with three other doctors (Ralph Wiegman, Michael McCullough and Reynold DiLena) to form Obstetrics & Gynecology of Grand Prairie, 1901 North State Highway 360, Suite 102, in August. Since then she has delivered about 30 babies, adding to the almost 1,000 she delivered at JPS. Bulgarelli earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, her master’s degree in biology from Drexel University in Philadelphia and her medical degree from Touro University in Nevada.

She loves being an OB/GYN. “I didn’t want to have a specialty where I operated on people and then never saw them again,” Bulgarelli said. “I wanted longer patient relationships. Forming a bond and long-lasting relationships is extremely meaningful to me.”

Shamsa, Baby Maria, Dr. Bulgarelli, Adeel and toddler Tahir

Dr. Jamy Bulgarelli with Baby Sabiha, Maryam and Sohail

58 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

SCENE

Military/Veterans Appreciation & Networking Brunch

Photos: HD360 Photos arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

59

SPEAKING OF SPORTS

It’s finally happening, but will the curse be reversed?

JOHN

RHADIGAN

T

he spring of 1994 was very busy for those of us in the Dallas/Fort Worth media. We had followed the Cowboys to a second straight Super Bowl. Another defeat of the Bills, this one staged in Atlanta. As back-to-back champions, the Cowboys had recaptured the attention of the world. Even in the off season we covered the team on a near daily basis.

Still imagine my surprise as I completed a long day of work at Texas Rangers spring training when the phone rang. I thought, “wake up call already? It seems like I have only been asleep for two hours.” Turns out I had only been asleep for two hours. It was just after midnight in DFW. In those days the “early edition” of the Dallas Morning News arrived at the offices of NBC5 right at midnight. It had the story of a huge feud between Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson. In it Jerry was feeling disrespected and said he could get 500 other coaches who could lead the team to the Super Bowl. The two were at NFL meetings just up the road in Orlando.

We left the hotel in Port Charlotte at 3:30am for the three and a half hour trip to Orlando.

Jerry was available to talk to the media that day but Jimmy was not. We did learn that Johnson would be attending Emmitt Smith’s football camp in Pensacola that weekend.

So after a couple more days covering the

Rangers we packed up the car and embarked on an eight and a half hour trip to the Florida panhandle.

Jimmy was there and he was talking! He heatedly discussed what had happened in Orlando and said he did not believe that he and Jerry could continue working together, not after the 500 coaches comment. Later that week the split was official. At no time before or since has a coach been relieved of his duties after winning back to back championships.

For 25 years the Jones/Johnson relationship was chilly at best. But when Jimmy was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame the two seemed to have made up.

They laughed and joked in Canton together.

In fact, Terry Bradshaw who was there at the time, noted that they were cutting up and acting like brothers. Jerry said then that Jimmy would be added to the ring.

Still four years after the call from the Hall of Fame, Jimmy was still on the outside looking in at the Ring of Honor. He watched from afar as Demarcus Ware went in earlier this season.

In fact, in some ways the Ware induction was tarnished by all of the questions asked about why Jimmy had not been added to the ring.

So, it is finally happening. Jerry announced last month that Jimmy was going in. Jimmy joked, “One reason for this year is I’m still alive.” Both men are octogenarians now and it appears that time really does heal all wounds.

After thirty years of waiting for this day, Jimmy was all smiles.

60 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

“My feelings have never changed,” Johnson said. “I love this guy. He’s a big, big part, maybe the biggest part for my entire career, and I’m very appreciative.”

For his part Jerry was not as interested in the long delay or what caused it. He was focused on the long term relationship that dates back to the early 60’s as college teammates at Arkansas.

“This shouldn’t, in any way, stand in place of the great relationship we had,” Jones said.

We were boys together. We had a chance to literally climb on a rocket.”

And so, on December 30th, 2023, Jimmy Johnson will become the 24th member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor. He will join Tom Landry as the only other coach in the ring.

He will take his rightful place alongside Troy Aikman, Larry Allen, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson as 90’s Cowboys whose names will live forever in franchise lore.

Many fans have believed that the Cowboys have been cursed since Jimmy left, considering they have not even made it to the NFC Championship game without a team assembled by Johnson. I’m not a big believer in curses but does this lift the curse? Check back with me in February, I may become a believer.

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

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The Arlington Independence Day Parade Receives High Honors The Arlington Independence Day Parade was named the Best Parade of its size at the Texas Festival & Events Association conference in San Antonio on Nov. 14. The all-volunteer parade also received second place for social media and third place for the parade’s mascot, Sparky. The parade, which is run by a 501(c)3 board, recently hosted its 59th parade in downtown Arlington.

Board members Amanda Kowalski, Board President Kevin Donovan and Board Vice President Bob Kowalski.

2023 Parade Volunteers 62 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

Love Beyond Help brighten a family's Christmas and then extend the LOVE BEYOND to provide help all year long. Our goal for 2022 is to raise $450,000 through Red Kettle donations for The Salvation Army and North Texas Youth Education Town. Please help by pledging your financial support today...and Love Beyond!

3 Easy Ways to Support Us: Opportunity #1

Opportunity #2

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Join The Virtual Red Kettle Challenge

You can create a personal or business challenge site or create a Red Kettle Team engaging your friends or employees. Determine your amount, donate it to your Virtual Red Kettle, set your goal at double that amount and challenge your family, friends and employees to help you hit that goal.

Opportunity #3 Register to Ring the Bell

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You can do this as an individual or with a group of friends and take on an entire location for a day or more. If you are a business owner you can also make this a great team building opportunity. For every volunteer hour, more funds are raised since we do not have to hire a bell ringer for that time.

Thank you for your support!

– Love Beyond – You may also send a donation by mail to: The Salvation Army, 712 W. Abram, Arlington, TX 76013

All funds raised will go directly to support the Arlington, Mansfield and surrounding areas. arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

63

LOCAL DWELLINGS

HOME SWEET! HOME Story by Amanda Rogers

T

he Christmas spirit doesn’t just sweep across John and Mary Hibbs’ house, the spirit settles in and makes itself at home.

Mary’s newest obsession is the start of her collection of Lori Mitchell figurines, while John collects United Design Santa figurines.

“It takes about two weeks to set up,” said John Hibbs. “I work on the outside and she works on the inside.”

The decorations start going up in midNovember, and stay up through mid-January, Mary Hibbs said. But with all the new décor, setting up takes longer every year and sometimes starts before Halloween.

Spreading the Christmas spirit is not a new tradition for the Hibbs.

The Hibbs’ home near Lake Arlington doesn’t just draw attention, it attracts visitors.

“Last year we got two Christmas cards from people we don’t even know,” he said. “They stopped and took their Christmas photos under our ornament arch in the front yard and thought we would like to see them.”

Come sundown, the front and back yards glow with twinkling lights, big bulbs line the walkway, while Christmas trees, baskets of ornaments, the Grinch Cave, skating penguins and Peanuts’ Lucy in her psychiatrist booth cover the front and back yards, and snowmen wave at the cul-de-sac behind their house.

“We have won our HOA’s Clark Griswold Award for at least four years,” Mary Hibbs said proudly.

Inside the home, every corner is filled with Christmas, the walls are lined with pine garlands and twinkling lights, as are both of the fireplace mantles. Stockings hang from one fireplace, while an army of Nutcrackers stands guard over the other.

Both the dining and kitchen tables are set with Christmas dishes, and a large tree fills the front room window.

“I knew I was in trouble our first Christmas,” Mary Hibbs said. “There was a competition for the best decorated apartment door. I came home and it was … how would you describe it? A 3-D terror?”

John Hibbs defended his early decorating.

“I grew up in humble means in West Fort Worth,” he said. “For me, more tinsel meant more merriment. There was a banner over the door and big candy canes on each side. We won. We got a microwave out of it!”

The couple, who met at Texas Christian University and married 38 years ago, have gradually added to their holiday collection.

Their first big purchase was a large wooden display of three dancing penguins for the front yard that they got at the Arlington Junior League’s Holiday Magic market 36 years ago.

“If there is anything the kids will fight over, it will be the penguins,” Mary Hibbs said.

The Hibbs have a son, two daughters and a grandson. They are all starting Christmas 64 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

traditions of their own, their parents said.

One thing the Hibbs kids won’t fight over is Mary’s collectible Byers Choice carolers, 40 Dickens-like foot-tall figurines that she got from her mother that she displays every Christmas.

“The kids think they’re frightful,” she said.

“They love them with an attitude. We come in and they have set them up in a crime scene.

We find them all over the house, under our pillows.”

Like the carolers, there’s a story behind all of the Hibbs’ collections, John said.

“There was something that drew us to them,” he said.

The couple doesn’t just spread Christmas cheer at home, they have played Santa and Mrs. Claus in the Arlington Holiday Lights Parade for six years, and get calls to visit a half dozen elementary schools every year as the jolly couple.

John Hibbs began portraying Santa Claus 34 years ago, starting as a signing Santa for his wife’s hearing-impaired students in the Arlington ISD. The Hibbs don’t celebrate any other holiday to this degree, just Christmas.

“When I was growing up, Christmas was when you got your school clothes,” John Hibbs said. “When you come from humble beginnings, it’s pretty special. I never want to let go of Santa Claus.”

arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

65

SCENE

Frederick Douglass Republicans of Tarrant County Holiday Party

Chaplain Rich Stoglin, Chairman, FDRTC; Darlene Leech Oddo, Volunteer of the Year; Yesha Patel, President’s Award; Larry Mike, Spirit of Frederick Douglass Award.

Not pictured: Joel James, Emerging Leader Award TACLA97235E

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66 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

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BULLETIN BOARD

Dallas Cowboys Home Games

DECEMBER

88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Philadelphia Eagles December 10 • 7:20pm Detroit Lions December 30 • 3:30pm

BOOK CLUBS

The Classic returns to primetime.

December 29 • 7pm AT&T Stadium

Football State Championships December 13-16 AT&T Stadium

Southwest Morning Reading Group – 12/13 • 11am Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus Southwest Branch Library

Night Out Book Club – 12/14 • 7pm The Measure by Nikki Erlick Feng Cha Arlington

Play with your own blaster toys on an NFL stadium field!

A 4-hour series of amazing toy blaster battles like never before.

December 23 • 6-10pm AT&T Stadium Free Parking

Good Grounds Book Club – TBA Choose your own book Woodland West Branch Library

Texas Authors Book Club – No December Session Teen Book Club – 12/19 • 5pm The New David Espinoza

by Fred Aceves Woodland West Branch Library

Southwest Spine Crackers – 12/21 • 7pm The Girl With the Louding Voice

by Abi Daré Southwest Branch Library

Silent Book Club – 12/23 Bring any book and enjoy refreshments Location varies

Brandon Hollein Photography

68 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2023 5:30 PM REGISTER HERE!

Celebrate your team at Choctaw Stadium!

The 9th Annual “Every Start-Up Holiday Party,” goal is to align with companies that value the spirit of innovation and celebration that defines the start-up community. Entrepreneurs, professionals, and industry leaders can purchase their tickets by using the QR code above. All unused funds will be donated to Metro Sports Fieldhouse supporting youth in our community.

BEHIND THE WHEELS

Dennis Brown stands with his 1938 Master Deluxe Chevrolet, which, thanks to a 350-cubic-inch engine, can get up and go with the best of them.

A special car among many special cars Dennis Brown’s pastime has spawned a lifetime • by Richard Greene When GM’s Chevrolet Motor Division rolled out its 1938 models the big auto maker was able to meet and top the competition by offering a car with top speeds in its basic coupes of about 40 miles per hour.

Dennis Brown’s Master Deluxe model that he calls a “cruiser” (not a hot rod, mind you) will go twice that fast, thanks to a 350-cubicinch engine installed in it – something that had not yet been invented in the pre-war era of automobiles.

“I had worked on one like it more than 20 years ago and been looking for another since then,” Dennis says. “About a year ago, a buddy in Dallas found this car for me, I checked it out while it was still in the upholstery shop, and bought it without ever taking it out for a drive.”

It’s all because he likes “tinkering” with cars and trucks – something he’s been doing since he was a kid at Arlington’s Roark Elementary in the mid 1960s.

Even as a 12-year-old he managed to acquire a Suzuki T90 motorcycle that he enjoyed tearing down and discovering all its parts and how they came together to make it run. When his father saw it all disassembled and spread out across the garage he responded, “I hope you know how to put this thing back together because I know nothing about these Japanese motorcycles.”

It was a self-taught experience that would

serve the junior Brown well in years to come.

By the time he was approaching driving age as a ninth grader at Ferguson Junior High, he and his dad were working on restoring a 1956 Chevy Pickup that would be his for making his daily run to Sam Houston High School.

He was anticipating how cool that would be when one day upon returning home from school, he couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t there. His dad explained that “a guy came by with more money than sense, and I sold it to him.”

That’s when a not-so-cool ’59 Chevy Nomad station wagon became a substitute for the one that got away. It would later be traded for a ’55 Chevy Pickup that became his “original” truck.

By the time he had reached his 20th birthday, Dennis acquired a new, red-onred, 1979 Corvette Stingray and settled the coolness factor once and for all time.

Since then, Dennis describes having pursued his passion of working on, restoring and retrofitting a “bunch” of vehicles. Among them are a couple of fire trucks, long out of service, as well as some tractors and a wide variety of cars.

To say he is passionate about his hobby would be obvious considering his lifetime of finding great satisfaction in its pursuit. His recollection is that he has found pleasure in the pastime that has included two dozen or 70 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

more vehicles across the years.

These days he is enjoying this sparkling Chevy from the depression days of the 1930s that represents a turning point in the company’s history.

The decade began with Chevrolet playing keep-up with Ford that had begun to upgrade its designs from the earlier Model A to still affordable coupes and sedans that, along with the Model B, offered buyers choices that were serious competition for the cars from Chevrolet.

Chevy regained production supremacy for the model year ’38 with cars like the one Dennis enjoys, and rarely surrendered it in decades to follow.

Yes, Dennis has a day job that he has practiced as a lifetime career. He describes it as the “business of dirt moving.”

Residential subdivisions all over the area began when he showed up for his developer clients and began preparing the land that would soon become neighborhoods where countless residents would come to lay residential roots.

There’s always time, however, to enjoy taking the head-turning, bright-red vehicle out for a spin and onto the highways, where he can test that 80-MPH performance of his 80-year-old classic right along with the rest of them.

Whether you look inside, outside or under the hood, you’ll discover an automobile for the ages.

Photos: Richard Greene

arlingtontoday.com • December 2023 • ARLINGTON TODAY

71

KEEN CUISINE

AMERICAN Candlelite Inn • 1202 E. Division St. • 817-275-9613 • candleliteinnarlington.com Dino’s Subs • 2221 S. Collins St. • 817-274-1140 • dinossubs.com The Grease Monkey • 200 N. Mesquite St. • 817-665-5454 • greasemonkeyburgers.com Hearsay Lounge & Restaurant • 1711 E. Randol Mill Rd. • 817-591-1700 • hearsayarlington.com Mercury Chophouse • 2221 E. Lamar Blvd. • 817-381-1157 • mercurychophouse.com Tipsy Oak • 301 E. Front St. • 817-962-0304 • thetipsyoak.com The Tin Cup • 1025 W. Abram St. • 817-303-5518 • tincupdeli.com Zack’s Bistro • 900 E. Copeland Rd. • 682-323-8789 • zackbistro.com

Candlelite Inn

ITALIAN/PIZZA Café Sicilia • 7221 Matlock Rd. #3409 •817-419-2800 • cafesicillia.com Moni’s Pasta & Pizza • 1730 W. Randol Mill Rd. • 817-860-6664 • monispastapizzamenu.com Italy Pasta Pizza & Subs • 2221 Browning Dr. • 817-276-3200 • italypastapizzasubs.com Old School Pizza Tavern • 603 W. Abram St. • 682-310-6266 • oldschoolpizzatavern.com Vietalia Kitchen • 1220 S. Cooper St. • 817-460-1945 • vietaliakitchentx.com Piccolo Mondo • 1829 E. Lamar Blvd Arlington. • 817-265-9174 • piccolomondo.com

Italy Pasta Pizza & Subs

BARBECUE David’s Barbecue • 2224 W. Park Row Dr., Suite H • 817-261-9998 • davidsbarbecuetx.com Hurtado Barbecue • 205 Front St. • 682-323-5141 • hurtadobbq.com Bodacious Bar-B-Q • 1206 E. Division St. • 817-860-4248 • bodaciousbarbq.com Spring Creek Barbeque • 3608 S. Cooper St. • 817- 465-0553 • springcreekbarbeque.com

Spring Creek BBQ

INTERNATIONAL Gangnam Rice • 4638 S. Cooper St. #190 • 682-320-8720 •gangnamrice.com Sunny Thai • 4306 Matlock Rd. #108 • 817-617-2216 • sunnythaitx.com Tic-Taco • 715 W. Park Row Dr. • 817-617-2980 • tictacogo.com Cane Rosso • 200 N. East St. • 817-533-3120 • canerosso.com Gyros To Go • 710 E. Sublett Rd. #101 • 817-419-2878 • gyrostogo1.com Spicy Bites Indian • 1220 S. Cooper St. • 817-642-5005 • spicybitesarlington.com Prince Lebanese • 502 W. Randol Mill Rd. • 817-469-1811 • princelebanesegrill.com 72 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

Arlington-South 5001 S. Cooper Street, Suite 111 Arlington, TX 76017 (817) 557-2253 Arlington-North 839 E Lamar BLVD Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 583-6522 Mansfield 3141 E Broad Street Suite 115 Mansfield, TX 76063 (682) 204-0235

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FINISH LINE

World Series Covers Campaign Promise RICHARD

GREENE

P

olitical figures make lots of promises during their campaigns. I’m no exception and the Texas Rangers World Championship reminds me of one of those commitments I made more than 30 years ago.

I’m really not sure I made this exact vow but maybe I did. If so, it’s finally been delivered as a terrific Christmas present. Here’s the story.

Leading the 1990 campaign to win voter approval for developing a permanent home for the Rangers, I constantly talked about what it would mean to us to achieve that outcome.

I emphasized the importance of maintaining our city’s unique privilege of being only one of 28 US cities that can call themselves Major League.

Including all that was possible beyond building a new, first class ballpark, I also projected a vision of how that could result in significant economic development in our entertainment district.

Then, I ended some of my speeches by declaring that one day we would get to host a World Series. That was quite a claim since the Rangers, in all their history, had never played even a single post season game.

So, when Neftali Feliz struck out the Yankee’s Alex Rodriguez and sent the Rangers to the 2010 World Series, I thought my promise had finally been fulfilled. And, I thanked the team for covering my only stillpending political assertion.

Or was it actually my last one. With the Rangers winning their first ever World Series last month, it got me to thinking.

Did I also tell voters that we would someday get to host a World Series

This photo was taken during the launch of the “first pitch” of the 1990 campaign to keep the Rangers in Arlington. It was then that I began to make the promises described in this month’s column.

Championship? That the Rangers would win it all if we helped to build that new ballpark and attract the game’s best players?

I honestly don’t remember if I said that. But, it’s entirely possible that I did. Like any other retired holder of an office awarded by voters, I don’t want to be remembered for failing to deliver, so I’m going to sleep better knowing my good name is now secure.

Again … my gratitude is expressed to this remarkable Rangers team that has accomplished something that no other team in the franchise’s history has done before.

It took a while, but now that World Championship banner can fly over Globe Life Field forever.

And there will be more of them. Oh, wait, is that another promise? Okay if it is, then we’ll revisit the outcome in times to come.

But, what about that other opportunity for economic development success we forecasted in that 1990 campaign? Look around and realize that we have the country’s 74 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com

most successful sports and entertainment industry between the East and West coasts.

All of that and this World Series Championship would never had happened were it not for the record turn out of more than 22,000 voters who showed up in January, 1991. With a 65% margin of victory, they said a resounding “YES” to ensuring all the possibilities that have developed since with more on the way.

They are the ones, in the traditional Arlington can-do spirit who set all this into motion. And they, together with the ones who again met the challenge under former Mayor Jeff Williams’ leadership in 2016 with the approval to build Globe Life Field, are the ones who deserve all the credit.

The fact that my campaign promises were covered in years that followed, is only a footnote to history and some measure of personal relief.

Richard Greene is a former mayor of Arlington.

76 ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2023 • arlingtontoday.com