January 2016

PLUS: Frank Lloyd Wright’s car ... Bridge, anyone? ... UTA’s art scene

January 2016

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Serving Arlington, Mansfield, Kennedale and SW Grand Prairie• January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY arlingtontoday.com

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Contents January 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 1

Highlights 24 Conversation

Arlington Fire Chief Don Crowson talks about how his department serves the city.

26 Swingin’ beyond the fences

The Texas Rangers are teaming with Cordish Companies on the Texas Live! project that will transform Arlington’s Entertainment District.

32 A fun run – and then some

Jiggle Butt Run celebrates 10 years of helping our neighbors find a better life.

26

34 This car matters

32 On the Cover

This month’s featured classic was once owned by noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

38 Bridge, anyone?

A former Mansfield teacher turns her love of the card game into a club for fellow enthusiasts.

For many in the area, Colorado is a prime winter destination. In our story on page 28, we look at five “hot” cold spots that you might want to put on your vacation planner this year or next.

40 Home Sweet! Home

This month, we tour Britt and Janet Phillips’ exquisite house – that he built for the family.

45 Real estate & financial pros

Meet some of the local people who help you find homes and take care of your money.

Departments Starting Line ... 10 This ‘n Data ... 12 Around Town ... 22 Scene ... 21, 57, 67, 71 Style ... 30 Good Eats ... 70 Golf Tip ... 72 Community Notebook ... 72 Health & Fitness ... 74 Sights/Sounds ... 76 Speaking of Sports ... 78 Itinerary ... 80 Finish Line ... 82

34

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

The International Bowl Series will feature outstanding players from the U.S. and Canada.

62 The UTA art scene

Upgraded facilities and a bigger faculty translate into the school finding a spot among the nation’s elite art programs.

66 Karaoke connection

The Music Lovers group brings local people and songs together on a regular basis.

68 Meet the map family

Dianne Powell has carried on a tradition started by her parents of preserving historical cartography.

40 8

58 Are you ready for some football?

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Starting Line

EXECUTIVE BOARD

History in the making?

Artifacts or artifiction? That is the question we ponder this month

D

uring a recent Sunday lunch, as I broke Italian bread with two family members and two friends, the subject of elementary school field trips came up. The ensuing conversation ultimately spawned the collective notion that some of our happier memories were rooted in ventures to the planetarium or museum – two go-to hot spots for practically anyone who grew up in or around this part of the state.

I have long been inspired by what I discover at the former. If you haven’t visited The Planetarium at UT Arlington, you should correct that oversight – this weekend, if possible, and today, if practical.

While I’m casting votes, I would also like to endorse a visit to any museum that features relics from ancient cultures that somehow weathered the years and elements to provide clues about the art and science of the time.

If, in fact, that’s what they do.

I have to admit, that when it comes to museums, I sometimes view them from a perch on “the grassy knoll.” Frankly, I have long wondered if they, indeed, portray what they purport to represent – that Editor is, an accurate depiction of life BSC (before smartYale Youngblood phone cameras).

Here’s my theory: We see an elongated, colorful mask or a portly clay pot on which a strange face is painted, and we conclude that an entire civilization used these artifacts to celebrate or dine in certain ways. In fact, volumes of books are written surmising just what these relics represented and proclaiming how they give us insight into the mindset of a primitive society.

But what if …

What we’re really seeing is art or dinnerware done by the town dunce or some four-year-old – or some really sorry artist like me.

And what if ...

These relics were displayed to hysterical laughter by the entirety of the village and rapidly discarded into the stream that became the glacier that preserved for posterity what is now considered, by simple dumb luck, the artistic and cultural archetypes of an entire civilization?

I write all that to say this: Someday, my monthly column might be held in higher regard than it is now.

yale@arlingtontoday.com

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

and follow us on Twitter

Executive Publisher Judy M. Rupay CEO Richard Greene

EDITORIAL Editor Yale Youngblood Contributing Editor Sarah Martinez Sports Columnist John Rhadigan Style Editor Tricia Schwartz Website & Social Media Director Rhonda Aghamalian Contributing Graphic Artists Susan Darovich, Susan Richtman Contributing Writers Corey Callaway, Donna Darovich, Sue Stevens Durbec, Michele Duskin, Bill Lace, Kenneth Perkins, Toni Randle-Cook Contributing Photographers Gary Coots, Dwayne Lee, Heather Lee, Bruce Maxwell, Bob Pruitt

SALES/CIRCULATION Business Manager Bridget Dean Sales Managers Laura DiStefano, Amy Lively, Andrea Proctor, Debbie Roach, Tricia Schwartz Distribution Manager Sam Thomas

PRODUCTION Production Manager Susan Darovich ARLINGTON TODAY is published monthly. Copyright 2016 Arlington Today, Inc., 1000 Ballpark Way, Suite 308, Arlington, TX 76011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without permission of the publisher. The inclusion of advertising is considered a service to readers and is not an endorsement of products.

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

• Phone number: (817) 303-3304

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This ‘n Data

Talks on tap Hightower, Pruitt to discuss art’s role in the community during unique local forum

Makenzie Roper, Maddie Bell, Baylee Low and Lauren Bartleson of Girl Scout Troop 2039

Photo courtesy of Maria Gregorio

Scouts’ honor While you’re taking a bite out of your Girl Scout cookies, the girls of local Troop 2039 are taking a bite out of life ARLINGTON’S GIRL SCOUT Troop 2039 is taking the annual cookie sale to a new level – or at least a new continent. The high schoolers’ goal this year and the next is to earn enough funds to travel to Europe.

Don’t bet against them. The girls of Troop 2039 have used their prior cookie sale funds to pay for all of their scouting activities and supplies, including field trips, resident camp sessions and service project supplies.

“I love these girls,” said Dawn Roper, who is the troop leader and whose daughter Makenzie is a member of the group. “No two are alike, but they complement each other. The girls are outgoing and adventurous.

They set goals for things, and most of the time achieve them.”

For example, the youths have sold 10,000 boxes of cookies over the past two years. “And,” noted Roper, “they have done this and still been active in high school activities outside of Girl Scouts.”

And now they take aim on their big prize. “This last spring we finally chose our big trip: spending 17 days in Europe,” Roper said. “This will be a life experience that they will not forget.”

Roper said this troop isn’t just about cookie sales – they used that as a means to greater end. “They have learned so many things through cookie sales,” she said. “They’ve learned how to interact with the public, how to handle money, how to sell a product.”

Then there are the things they got to do because of the money they earned selling cookies. They went to NASA and spent the night on site and to Colorado for river rafting together. They have been able to learn about horses. They took field trips to Dallas to the Sixth Floor Museum and Holocaust Museum. At the latter, they met Mike Jacobs, a survivor, and spoke to him for a short time.

“Girl Scouts have allowed them to grow as individuals and as a group,” Roper said. “They’ve learned skills that they will be able to use their entire lives and to meet people and make friends from other parts of our council at camp.” And soon, perhaps, from other parts of the world.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

ARLINGTON ON TAP returns this month with a unique perspective on public art (or the lack thereof) in the city – featuring Arlington Museum of Art Executive Director Chris Hightower, along with arts advocate and photographer Bob Pruitt.

Both will share the stage at 6 p.m. on Jan. 12 at J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill (400 East Abram St.). The discussion is free (the Chris Hightower optional drinks and food are not).

Pruitt was the driving force behind the community’s decision to purchase the giant “DREAM” sculpture now in place temBob Pruitt porarily on Abram Street immediately west of the Levitt Pavilion. Pruitt will discuss future plans for the “DREAM” – hint: it involves downtown. “We don’t call Arlington the dream city for nothing,” Pruitt said.

Hightower has engineered a dramatic turnaround for the struggling Arlington Museum of Art. He has witnessed what the presence of interesting and unique public art can do for a community’s brand and has become an authority on the topic. And he’s got a project in the works with ideas for more, which he will discuss at the talk.

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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This ‘n Data

For the record THE BEAUTIFUL flowers at the base of the Fielder House sign on Abram Street were planted and are maintained by the Arlington Organic Garden Club and Cross Timbers Master Naturalist/ Project Director Josephine Keeney.

RAISE YOUR HAND if you remember eating a meal at the Seven Seas restaurant. The eatery was part of the amusement park of the same name, which featured marine mammals and other animals. The park opened to the public in 1972.

Alas, both the park and restaurant became historical footnotes when the city council voted to close them in 1976.

AS THE ONLY potential U.S. Olympic bowling training facility, the International Bowling Hall of Fame in Arlington features a set of Olympic Rings outside the facility.

years of service and then stayed as an engineer – of the train at a fledgling amusement park, Six Flags Over Texas.

IN 1961, Charlie Patton retired from the Texas & Pacific Railroad after 53

THE FIRST EVENT at AT&T Stadium (June 2009) had nothing to do with

sports. The stadium kicked off with a concert featuring country music superstars George Strait and Reba McEntire. The opening acts weren’t too shabby, either – you might have heard of Blake Shelton and Lee Ann Womack.

Hail the Mansfield Lake Ridge Eagles: state runners-up!

Local philanthropists Sam and Rania Mahrouq recently donated $550,000 to the Arlington Museum of Art to pay off its mortgage.

Photo: Arlington Museum of Art

The art of giving Mahrouq family donates $550,000 to pay off the AMA mortgage THE ARLINGTON MUSEUM OF ART announced at the opening of its new exhibit “Modern Masters” that it has secured a $550,000 gift to retire the mortgage on the building. It is the largest single gift the museum has ever received.

“Local philanthropist Sam Mahrouq and his wife, Rania, very generously gave this $550,000 gift to retire our mortgage and lay the foundation for future growth,” said Chris Hightower, the museum’s executive director.

The recent success of the museum, the expanded programming and the collaborative effort with other Arlington arts organizations caught the eye of the philanthropist. In addition to the gift to retire the mortgage, the Mahrouqs have pledged an additional $20,000 in challenge funds for facility renovations and enhancements. The Mahrouqs will match contributions up to $20,000 to allow the museum to make needed improvements to the facility. For more: (855) 430-1039.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

MANSFIELD Lake Ridge turned the 2015 high school football season into something for the record books, finishing 15-1 and posting the best season in Mansfield Independent School District’s history.

The lone blemish came in the state championship game, when the injury-riddled Eagles fell to Richmond George Ranch 56-0. Stars Jett Duffey and Duke Carter – two great names and two great players – were hurt before the title game after recording a collective 88 touchdowns during the previous 15 weeks.

Nonetheless, what the Eagles accomplished this year was remarkable, especially in light of the fact that they went 0-10 in their first varsity season just four years ago.

The magnitute of the turnaround wasn’t lost on coach Kirk Thor. “I’m proud of our kids,” he said. “You can’t use it [injuries] as an excuse in football. Guys are going to get injured. We had them for 15 great games, and we played well.”

COME JOIN THE FUN! DOWNTOWN ARLINGTON IS YOUR “CAN’T-MISS-DESTINATION” FOR MUSIC, CULTURE, DINING AND SHOPPING!

JANUARY Now-Feb. 21 Jan. 14 Jan. 21 Jan. 22 Jan. 23

Modern Masters from the Guild Hall Collection • Arlington Museum of Art Brent Buemi • Symphony Arlington UTA Men’s & Women’s Basketball vs. Ark. State • College Park Center Franki Vallli Tribute Show • Arlington Music Hall UTA Men’s & Women’s Basketball vs. Little Rock • College Park Center

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

15

This ‘n Data

5 things we love about ARLINGTON ...

1.

We can ice skate yearround at the Parks Mall.

2.

Have you checked out C&W Antiques yet?

3.

How ‘bout that UTA men’s basketball team?!

3 Scoops ...

4.

Where is Village Creek Park located, again?

5.

Two words: Tin Cup!

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1. Live, from Arlington ... The Arlington ISD has

formed a partnership with Texas Trust Credit Union to build an outdoor performance area at the Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language. The AISD opened two fine arts and dual language academies this school. The academies are the first to combine fine arts and language. In the academies, elementary students have the opportunity to learn Spanish, Mandarin, visual arts, music (choral, strings and piano), dance and theater. Both fine arts instruction and second language acquisition help students increase cognitive abilities, improve thinking and verbal skills, enhance motor skills and problem-solving ability, and improve SAT scores.

2. To write or not to write ... Local children have until Jan. 15 to submit entries in the 15th annual Animal Essay Contest. All students residing within the Arlington city limits in third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades that attend public, private or home schools are encouraged to submit an original, thoughtful and creative essay about animals. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in each grade level. Specific topics may be found here: tinyurl.com/jywfmue.

3. Safer shopping ... As more consumers do their shopping online and use

Internet sites to sell personal items, local police departments noticed a trend of criminals capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of doing business with a stranger. To address that issue, the Arlington Police Department has created a Safe Exchange program where people can conduct face-to-face meetings for the sale or trade of items in the parking lot of the Ott Cribbs Public Safety Building (620 W. Division St.).

For more: tinyurl.com/helqzs9.

Circle the date

THE US PAN AMERICAN Chamber of Commerce SW will host a Lunar New Year & Good Fortune banquet at 6:30 p.m. Jan 30 at Maxim’s Restaurant in Richardson. The event will feature “The Top Ten Asian American Businesses Award,” which recognizes the region’s fastest growing Asian American-owned companies.

For more: (682) 323-5869.

16

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

Maren Morris of Arlington is riding a hot streak in Nashville with a top-selling album and a popular single, “My Church.”

Why Maren is wearin’ a grin

Photo: y108.c

bslocal.com

WHEN WE LAST checked in on Arlington country/western singer Maren Morris about a year ago, she was planting roots in Nashville. It’s safe to say those roots are producing a significant career.

Late in 2015, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter’s self-titled EP reached the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums Chart, which specifically highlights artists on the rise. And a single off the album, “My Church,” recently earned Morris distinction as a tasteofcountry.com Critic’s Pick and led to her signing a recent contract with Sony Records.

Morris also was named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country. She has performed on tour with several powerhouse names, including Lynn, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt and Little Big Town.

During a recent live performance/interview at station 94.5 Country in Topeka, Kan., she was asked what she thought when she heard the new hit had topped 2 million streams on Spotify already. Her response: “Is there a glitch?

I really was astonished at the amount of traction it got. I haven’t put music out in so long, so having that kind of response was overwhelming in the best way.”

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Applications now open for unique AISD programs!

Career and Technical Education Programs

High school students can apply to participate in programs such as the AISD Fire and Police Academies, cosmetology, health care rotations, sports and entertainment marketing, technical dual credit, culinary arts, HVAC, accounting, and many more.

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This innovative high school allows students who likely would not otherwise consider attending college the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously.

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Applications accepted through Feb. 26.

More info at www.aisd.net

December AISD applications.indd 1

Students in this academy located at Martin High School will have the opportunity to earn high school and college credits along four pathways - engineering, biology/ biomedical science, computer science and math/science.

Corey and Jones Academies of Fine Arts and Dual Language

Elementary students have the opportunity to learn Spanish, Mandarin, visual arts, music (choral, strings and piano), dance and theater. Both fine arts instruction and second language acquisition help students increase cognitive abilities, improve thinking and verbal skills, enhance motor skills and problem-solving ability, and improve SAT scores.

11/20/15 9:47 AM

Happenings in the AISD

Arlington ISD, Texas Trust Credit Union partner for outdoor performance area The Arlington ISD has formed a partnership with Texas Trust Credit Union to build an outdoor performance area at the Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language.

The AISD opened two fine arts and dual language academies this school year with kindergarten students. The academies are the first to combine fine arts and language. In the academies, elementary students have the opportunity to learn Spanish, Mandarin, visual arts, music (choral, strings and piano), dance and theater. Both fine arts instruction and second language acquisition help students increase cognitive abilities, improve thinking and verbal skills, enhance motor skills and problem-solving ability, and improve SAT scores.

“We are pleased to partner with Texas Trust for this outdoor performance area,” AISD Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos said. “This outdoor facility at

Jones Academy will increase fine arts opportunities for students and families.”

The outdoor performance area, the first of its kind in the AISD, will be funded

by Texas Trust. It will provide additional performance opportunities for students attending the fine arts and dual language program and include the possibility for

amplified sound.

“Partnering with the district to provide these unique performance opportunities for students will equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to build brighter futures,” said Jim Minge, president and CEO of Texas Trust.

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Picture-perfect Moments

Sam Hanna and Amanda Hanna

Photos courtesy of Lisa Stewart

Mansfield Cares President Lisa Stewart, Santa (Terry Cook) and Darryl Haynes Photos courtesy of Charles Spiegel

Josh Molina and Christina Molina

Scene Snapshots from the recent Ducks Unlimited banquet and the Red Kettle Mayoral Challenge

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Mansfield Mayor David Cook and Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams

Stephen Martinez, “Queenbee” and David Holland arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

21

Around Town

Arlington to the Amazon What can West Arlington native Kerri Brown do with anthropology? Everything • By Kenneth Perkins

A

h, The Question. Kerri Brown knows it well. The Martin High School alum would get it each time she mentioned her major of anthropology while a University of Texas at Austin undergrad.

Got it every time she returned to her West Arlington digs, where she grew up.

Got it every time she got together with old high school pals moving right along into pre-med and engineering and marketing.

What, inquiring minds inquired about anthropology, are you going to do with that?

Now that Brown is a Ph.D. candidate in Medical Anthropology at Southern Methodist University, she still gets The Question. The answer to what she’ll do with it, though, is quite simple: Whatever she wants.

In fact, if there’s a quandary for Brown, who this month heads off to Brazil on a Fulbright–Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Grant – one of only 86 nationwide to receive such an honor – it is trying to figure out which of the many options she’ll want to pursue.

Her life over the next 18 months might bring that into focus as she continues work on her dissertation about public policy related to traditional medicinal plants in Brazil. She became interested in medical anthropology while a UT student studying there and volunteering at Criola, an organization that empowers Afro-Brazilian girls and women to seek better life conditions.

Brown was unnerved by some of those conditions, such as little health care, particularly for impoverished women suffering from domestic violence and other issues. Criola is where Brown became interested in their access to health care and how medicinal plants growing by the thousand in the world’s rainforests could benefit them.

That’s what anthropologists do. Ask what, why and how. For the grant, Brown will spend nine months in Rio de Janeiro and then head off to Oriximiná, a small town in the Amazon, to continue her research.

“Sooooo excited,” Brown told me from behind her laptop at the Starbucks on Little at I-20. “It’s going to give me so much flexibility and opportunity to just concentrate on this research.”

Martin teachers and classmates might remember Brown as the by-the-books, play-it-safe student who would go into accounting 22

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

because, well, it was the practical thing to do. Stable job. Good pay.

A CPA for life. Now she’s trekking off to the Amazon and the unknown, literally.

Brown grew up near Lake Arlington, one of two daughters to parents who gave them enough rope to move around and figure things out for themselves. No wonder they weren’t freaking out about the “anthropology thing.”

“My parents were always supportive of what we were doing and raised us in a let-live kind of way,” said Brown. “They allowed us to do the things we wanted, where a lot of parents would say, ‘what are you going to do with anthropology? You’re not going to make any money with that.’ My parents were always, ‘hey, go do it.’”

Kerri Brown will study Brown knew the academic in Rio De Janeiro during the next nine drill. She tried sports (track, for a months. semester, but no thanks) played in the Martin Orchestra and took lots of advanced placement classes. Then came the big Ah-ha moment.

“I didn’t want to do the practical thing,” she said. An anthropology book from her mother’s bookshelf helped her decide on taking a class in the subject at UT, which she found intriguing.

“I figured I would take the Photo courtesy of SMU practical stuff later in my college career,” Brown said. “I wanted to take the fun things first.”

Who knew anthropology would be the fun stuff?

Once she returns to Arlington, more work. She’ll take a year to write her dissertation and then follow that up with another two years of a post-doctoral fellowship.

After that, the sky really is the limit.

“We’ll see,” Brown said of her future, sounding nothing like the play-it-safe thinker who roamed the halls at Martin. “We’ll see what I do next.”

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

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817-635-6363 arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

23

Q&A

D

on Crowson is fire chief/director of emergency management for the city of Arlington. This month, he discusses how he and his fellow department members keep the community safe through enhanced communication efforts, tireless service and devotion to Arlington and its populace.

Arlington Today: How did you get into firefighting, and what were the professional stops along the way to becoming fire chief in Arlington?

Chief Don Crowson: I was working my way through college when a friend in the Arlington Fire Department called me. He thought I would be interested in becoming a firefighter, and he was right. I joined the department on Jan. 10, 1983. I promoted up through the ranks and became a chief officer in 1998. As a battalion chief, I managed medical operations, special operations and the training section of the department. In 2004, I was promoted to assistant chief until my appointment as fire chief in 2010. In the near term, I’ll be celebrating my 33rd year as a firefighter. I still love the job.

AT: What’s the best advice you’ve learned over the years from fellow firefighters?

DC: Give people opportunity and the authority to improve systems and services – regardless of rank, title or position – and great things will happen. People with a passion for what they do will make a difference every time. The enabling of dedicated professionals has resulted in a number of successful community outcomes. In fact, many of the great success stories of the Arlington Fire Department can be directly attributed to dedicated team members stepping forward and making a difference.

Conversation Arlington Fire Chief Don Crowson talks about how his department serves the city

AT: What is the best thing about being fire chief here?

DC: I’m charged with protecting my hometown. I was born and raised in Arlington.

I’ve raised my family here, and I love the energy and connectivity of our community. Arlington is in the center of the greater North Texas area and is involved in all kinds of exciting activities and issues often impacting the entire region. The fire department plays an important role in keeping our citizens and visitors safe as they enjoy all Arlington has to offer. This affords us a great opportunity to make a difference in and outside of Arlington. As you can imagine, there is never a dull moment in the Arlington Fire Department!

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

AT: What are some of the bigger challenges you face in the job?

DC: We’re currently dealing with a challenge of changing realities in healthcare and homeland security. The AFD is moving toward more agile and adaptive service models to meet the needs and expectations of our community. Another challenge is preparing the next generation of firefighters for a future paradigm more dynamic and complicated than ever before. The AFD leadership team of today is focused on preparing tomorrow’s leaders for the challenges ahead.

AT: Leading a department in a city of this size likely takes quite a bit of coordination. Can you share some of the measures the department has in place to best serve Arlington?

DC: The fire department is supported by a team of outstanding professionals focused on positive outcomes for the community. Many citizens may not be aware the fire department also manages the Arlington EMS System, provides special event services, has an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team, conducts large-scale emergency manageChief Don Crowson ment, directs 911 dispatch for police/ fire/EMS, and manages the public safety radio system. We assess our performance through key indicators as we work to improve our services through continuous process improvement and innovation.

Our business model focuses on producing services that are relative, effective and efficient. Annual reports are provided for the community to show the impact of our efforts.

AT: Please share some of the things that have happened during your tenure with the department about which you are most proud.

DC: A number of interesting incidents and events have occurred since being appointed fire chief in 2010. In the last five years the AFD has responded to numerous floods, a tornado damaging 500+ homes, many large-scale fires, a major gas well incident and various public health emergencies – all this in addition to our typical fire and EMS response model. We’re a busy department, averaging about 50,000-plus unit responses a year. Since 2010, the AFD has provided public safety services to two World Series, a Super Bowl and many other major special events in the city. During this time, we’ve also implemented several innovative service programs, including a partnership with AISD for a college credit high school fire academy, EMS quick response squad units, trained and implemented gas well response teams, and, this year, we’re piloting a community paramedic program to respond to the impacts of the Affordable Care Act. I’m fortunate to be associated with a group of great professionals ready to meet challenges of any kind; my pride comes from their accomplishments. To learn more about our department, check out arlington-tx.gov/fire/annual-reports.

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25

Urban Development

Here and on the next page are artist renderings of how Texas Live! will look upon completion.

Swingin’ for x beyond the fences T Images courtesy of the City of Arlington

Rangers team with Cordish Companies on Texas Live! project that will transform Arlington’s Entertainment District

he Texas Rangers will partner with the leading developer of mixed-use entertainment projects throughout the country to create Texas Live! – a $200 million venture that will transform the city’s Entertainment District in an effort to enhance Arlington’s image as the state’s premier family destination.

Early this year, construction will begin on the dining and entertainment venue that will be built across the street from the first base entrance to Globe Life Park.

The project will be completed by The Cordish Companies, an award-winning development firm with expertise in mixed use, entertainment and sports developments. Blake Cordish, vice president of the

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

century-old firm, described the remarkable project as a “generational opportunity” for the community.

In a city that has always known the potential for capitalizing on one of the best locations anywhere in the country for the benefit of its citizens, Cordish will fit right in.

Speaking of shared values in his company’s approach to creating exciting venues in proximity to sports facilities, Cordish echoed the objective of producing the “gold standard” in experiences for Arlington visitors.

Quoted in the Star-Telegram, he explained the objective. “The Rangers challenged us to create a game-changing project, not only for the local community, not only for the region, but one that would set a new stan-

Texas Live!

Ground will break early this year on dard in the United States for a sports-anchored, mixed-use development,” Cordish said. “We’re planting our flag, and we’re planting it in a huge way.”

To give citizens a better idea of what the project will offer, Cordish pointed to Ballpark Village his company built with the St. Louis Cardinals.

In addition to the restaurants and watering holes, “The venue features five performance stages, the largest retractable roof of its kind in the U.S., one of the biggest indoor TV screens in the Midwest and an outdoor festival space,” he concluded.

“This project is another significant investment in an Arlington economy that already has tremendous momentum,” said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. “We greatly appreciate the Texas Rangers’ continued investment in our community and we applaud their selection of The Cordish Companies, the premiere mixed-use developer in the country, as their development partner.”

Arlington’s $50 million investment in the project comes from money already on hand from revenues it has accumulated in the business of supporting natural gas production in the city.

Significantly, this is not about raising taxes, or even using tax money, nor will the city incur any debt in the financial arrangements for the project.

There’s also a formula in the deal for the city to recover its investment and restore the funds to the Tomorrow Foundation over time. While doing so, the city will continue to collect annual revenues equal to what it was getting from investment earnings on the money.

That means a continuation of the same level of support for unbudgeted improvements to public facilities and services, non-profit organizations and community service initiatives by the city’s volunteer entities.

When the city council voted unanimously last month to approve this project it did so in front of an appreciative audience of citizens that rose to their feet to express support of the latest achievement growing out of the long relationship with the Rangers. The rest of the $200 million price tag for the project comes from the Rangers.

Their focus on constantly improving the experience of fans attending baseball games includes the determination to take that enjoyment to new levels with the opportunity to come early and stay late as part of spending a day at the ballpark.

the $200 million Texas Live! Entertainment Complex, which ultimately will feature a 300-room upscale hotel with 35,000 square feet of convention space near Globe Life Park.

Additionally, the complex will have multiple best-in-class restaurants, retail and entertainment venues, along with a signature event space with a capacity of 5,000 people.

“THE RANGERS challenged us to create a game-changing project, not only for the local community, not only for the region, but one that would set a new standard in the United States for a sports-anchored, mixed-use development.”

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

27

Cover Story

Winter WONDERLAND (Or, if you’d prefer, Colorado)

F

or years, many folks in our area have scoffed at the notion made popular by the birds and flown north for the winter to Colorado. We believe this month’s cover gives a hearty testimonial to another notion: people are smarter than birds. The photo was taken by our team member Richard Greene when he and his family took a recent vacation. You can read all about it in the Finish Line on page 82. In the meantime, please read the following reports on five particularly special Colorado destinations, and see if you agree with us that, maybe, Colorado really is Winter Wonderland.

Vail VAIL IS NORTH AMERICA’S biggest and most popular ski resort. It is an alpine village located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, drawing serious skiers and celebrities to its challenging slopes.

IF SKIING’S YOUR THING ... With more than 5,289 skiable acres, Vail Mountain is the country’s largest single mountain resort, offering some of the best powder, thus making it a haven for slope experts. Vail is also a favorite destination for families, as the manifold choices of terrain, premier trail maintenance and family-friendly features cater to kids of all ages and all abilities.

IF SHOPPING’S YOUR THING ... Lionshead Village has many winter apparel and equipment stores, as well as jewelry and souvenir shops and a general store for basic needs. Vail Village is slightly larger, offering a variety of art galleries, handcrafted jewelry shops, specialty gift stores and clothing and shoes shops.

EVERYONE HAS TO EAT ... There are more than 100 restaurants and dining experiences to choose from, offering American cuisine, seafood, Asian, contemporary, fusion, farm to table, bistro, steakhouse, deli, diner, Mexican, barbecue and sushi options.

FOR MORE ... vail.net.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

Aspen ASPEN IS A world-class destination with outdoor adventures highlighted by marvelous skiing in the winter. But it also has a flair for arts and culture, while maintaining enough small-town charm for year-round residents to call it home.

IF SKIING’S YOUR THING ... The peak of Aspen Mountain is 11,212 feet. The Silver Queen Gondola offers a spectacular view as you make your way up, and the consistently great snow makes it fun to make your way down.

IF SHOPPING’S YOUR THING ... Aspen’s pedestrian malls are great for finding fine art, clothing and gear. Speaking of art, Aspen boasts of nine art galleries featuring Aspen-riffic works for sale.

EVERYONE HAS TO EAT ... At more than 100 restaurants, old favorites mesh with fresh menus and new talent to provide enough culinary options to please any palate.

FOR MORE ... One of the better A-to-Z resources on Aspen is the Chamber website, aspenchamber.org.

Breckenridge PROSPECTORS DISCOVERED GOLD when they founded Breckenridge in 1859. Today, visitors are still discovering gold — white gold, that is — in the 300 annual inches of pure Colorado powder for which this real mountain town and ski resort are known around the world.

IF SKIING’S YOUR THING ... Breckenridge Ski Resort boasts some of the best beginner terrain anywhere in Colorado, plus 58 percent of the trails are designated “difficult” or “expert,” so there’s an option for everyone.

IF SHOPPING’S YOUR THING ... History has made Main Street a colorful place to stroll or shop. There are more than 200 quaint stores that comprise a retail nirvana.

EVERYONE HAS TO EAT ... As you stroll among the historic buildings of Breckenridge, you will find a variety of restaurants to tantalize your taste buds.

FOR MORE ... gobrec.com.

Purgatory PURGATORY RESORT is located in the rugged San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, 25 miles north of historic downtown Durango. IF SKIING’S YOUR THING ... Purgatory features 1,360 acres of skiable terrain, 88 trails, 10 lifts, five terrain parks and a vertical drop of 2,029 feet. Renowned as a family-friendly resort, it was named “Best Ski Value” by TripAdvisor from 2012-2014. IF SHOPPING’S YOUR THING ... There are more than 500 stores in the Durango area, featuring everything from chic boutiques to jewelry stores, as well as the art galleries that have helped make Colorado a go-to destination for artists and aficionados. EVERYONE HAS TO EAT ... El Moro Spirits & Tavern is the “daddy” in the family of unique, independently owned eateries in the area, but elsewhere you’ll find something for every taste, including six local breweries. FOR MORE ... durango.org.

WINTER IN CRESTED BUTTE means skiing and other snow adventures, great music and visitor-focused events for the entire family. IF SKIING’S YOUR THING ... Explore the 1,547 acres of in-bound terrain accessed by 16 chairlifts. Crested Butte is ideal for families, with 15 percent beginner terrain and 54 percent intermediate terrain. Advanced skiers shouldn’t be dismayed; the mountain is also host to 542 acres of in-bound, double black diamond and extreme terrain.

IF SHOPPING’S YOUR THING ... Be sure to check out the variety of unique and locally owned boutiques, ranging from boho-cowgirl fashion stores to Native American jewelry shops. EVERYONE HAS TO EAT ... Crested Butte is a small town with big flavor, with unique restaurants such as Teocalli Tamale and the Secret Stash (pizza). FOR MORE ... skicb.com.

Crested Butte

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

29

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Worthy Causes

Ten years ago, Karen Bondurant, Mary Hibbs and Dr. Shelley Tardy started the Jiggle Butt Run for women to help women.

Photo: Southern Flair Photography

A fun run and T THEN SOME Jiggle Butt Run celebrates 10 years of helping our neighbors find a better life • By Michele Duskin

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

en years ago, a morning run for three women turned into the beginning of an Arlington 5k legacy. While jogging through a Dalworthington Gardens neighborhood, an orthodontist, camp director and stay-at-home mom half-seriously threw around the idea of planning a 5K run exclusively for women of all ages, abilities and sizes.

The run would be a fun “girl time” to work off the holiday eating and enjoy each other’s company, while doing something good for someone else. As the three rounded a corner, they discovered what they thought was a dollar bill lying on the ground. They all raced over to pick up the treasure, only to find a neatly folded up $100 bill staring back at them.

“We just stopped in our tracks and said, ‘I think we’re supposed to do this!,’” said Mary Hibbs, director of Community Outreach for Camp Thurman.

Race day schedule 7 a.m. – Registration, Indoor Expo and packet pick-up at University Center 8:30 a.m. – Pre-race warmup inside the University Center 9 a.m. – Race starts in front of College Park Center on Spaniolo Drive Awards will be handed out in University Center immediately after race.

For more detailed information about the race, and also how you can upgrade to a VIP participant, visit jigglebuttrun.com.

Photo courtesy of Jiggle Butt Run

It didn’t take long for the women to open up a bank account, deposit the $100, and begin planning the very first Jiggle Butt Run. Over the past decade, Hibbs and her co-founders, Dr. Shelley Tardy and domestic engineer Karen Bondurant, have turned the event into a wildly fun and successful fundraiser benefiting SafeHaven of Tarrant County. “We are excited to celebrate 10 years of the Jiggle Butt Run,” said Kathryn Jacob, president and CEO of SafeHaven of Tarrant County. “The donations received from this annual event are significant in achieving our mission to end domestic violence through safety, support, prevention and social change.”

Last year’s run resulted in a record-breaking $30,000 donation to SafeHaven. “It’s exciting that we can provide so much support to such a worthy cause,” said Dr. Tardy.

This year’s run will be held on Saturday, Jan. 9 at the E.H. Hereford University Center on the campus of the University of Texas

Arlington. “UTA has been phenomenal in supporting our efforts by offering their facilities and free parking for event participants,” said Hibbs. “Having the run at UTA brings recognition to a campus that is growing and changing dramatically.”

Online registration ends at noon on Jan. 6, but anyone wanting to “celebrate their jiggle” on race day can register at the event.

“This is an event that empowers many women to come out and do something that they usually never do,” said Bondurant. “It’s women helping other women. I love it!”

Adding to the fun of the event are the creative team names, such as “Jolly Jigglers,” “The Jiggle Vixens,” and, oh yes, the team with the name “We Thought They Said ‘RUM.’” Race day will go on, even with rain or cold temperatures. Women in their wigs, bells, pajamas, tutus and crazy hats will still show up and have a great time, all for a great cause, according to Hibbs.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

33

This car MATTERS Rochelle and David Buice’s British AC Roadster was once owned by Frank Lloyd Wright • By Richard Greene

I

The Buice’s British AC Roadster once owned by Frank Lloyd Wright has been fully restored to look like new.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

t’s likely that just about everyone knows that Frank Lloyd Wright became one of the world’s premier architects – that was evidenced by his recognition in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as “the greatest American architect of all time.”

Few of us, however, knew he had a lifelong passion for automobiles or that one of his favorites would show up in Arlington one day at a private classic car show held annually to feature some of the elite vehicles seen anywhere.

But such was the case when David and Rochelle Buice arrived with this month’s featured vehicle, along with its storied past, to the delight of the crowd gathered for the event.

There were only 44 of the 1937 two-seater British AC Roadsters ever built, and, as a testament to its importance and value, 37 of them remain on the road today.

A lengthy review by the Motor Racing Magazine when the car was introduced to the U.S. that year concluded, “Summing up, this AC has real sports car performance, yet it impresses as a docile, refined car that should hold its tune indefinitely and which contributes the minimum of effort to drive with the maximum of open-car enjoyment.”

THE BUICES ACQUIRED the car in 1973 from its owner in San Antonio, who had purchased it from the Wright estate two years earlier.

The engine was seized, the exterior was pitted and sun-bleached, and the rest of it was badly in need of total restoration if it was ever to be returned to its former glory.

The ensuing years would be composed of diligent research into the car’s origins and history, visits to the UK factory where it was built and meticulous commitment to learning every detail of its hand-made construction. The mission was to replicate all that when work began to bring it back to life – from the ground up.

David and Rochelle did all the labor, including hauling parts back to their home in carry-on luggage, the likes of which flight attendants had not seen before.

They convinced the baggage check operators to tag a couple of wheels they sent along with their suitcases, and slowly but surely the

Classic Cars

Rochelle and David Buice show off their pride and joy, which features a compelling Cherokee Red finish and engineering feats that have made it a longtime classic.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

35

THE CAR’S ORIGINAL color was ivory with fawn interior. But when Frank Lloyd Wright acquired it in 1948, he had it painted his signature Cherokee Red – a hue he called “the color of creation.”

The Historic Vehicle Association confirmed the status of this magnificent vehicle by recognizing its significance with the coveted This Car Matters award.

work got underway. It wouldn’t be until the Buices’ retirement that they could devote full time to their labor of love, but by 2014 the task was done, and what you see here is the result.

David, an R&D engineer by trade, said the cumulative time it took to complete the project covered more than five years.

More history on the car: The sport competition roadster was shipped to a dealer in New York City in June 1937, where it found its first owner, who purchased it for $3,685.

Because Henry Ford was selling his Model A’s that year for just over $500, you can get some idea of just how exclusive the imported AC actually was.

THE CAR’S ORIGINAL color was ivory with fawn interior. But when Frank Lloyd Wright acquired it in 1948, he had it painted his signature Cherokee Red – a hue he called “the color of creation.”

Wright explained his purchase of the car – he felt it represented thoughtful design, elegance and performance. He 36

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

incorporated it into his teaching, and his students used it on cross-country trips throughout the 1950s. The Historic Vehicle Association confirmed the status of Wright’s car by recognizing its significance with its coveted This Car Matters award.

The Buices have honored the relationship the famous architect had with this special vehicle – as evidenced by their debuting the Roadster at the Arizona Concours d’Elegance last January.

From there they reprised the photo of Wright and his wife at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin West, a national historic landmark near Scottsdale, Ariz. (see the inset photo).

Actually it was Rochelle who first interested her husband-to-be in great cars: “When we were dating, I told David I would marry him if he bought me a type 3.0 Jaguar, and if he wouldn’t, I would buy it myself, and then all the men on campus would want to marry me.”

He did, and 53 years later it remains, along with the magnificent AC, at home in their garage.

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37

Leisure

Upwards of 50 people play bridge regularly at the Mansfield Activities Center.

Photos: Southern Flair Photography

BRIDGE, anyone?

Former Mansfield teacher turns her love of the card game into a club for fellow enthusiasts • By Michele Duskin

W

hat does retired teacher Lauren Brown have in common with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett? All three are among the more than 25 million Americans who play bridge.

A longtime enthusiast of the card game, Brown parlayed her love for bridge into an idea and started a bridge club at the Mansfield Activities Center (MAC) shortly after retiring from the Mansfield ISD in 2012. The club started out with a mere 12 people, and has since grown to a membership of almost 50.

“We play duplicate bridge, as opposed to party, or social bridge,” said Brown. Duplicate bridge is a variety of the game where all players are dealt the same hands, which allows you to compare your score with others playing the same hands.

Members at the MAC group include people from all walks of life: former teachers, housewives, retired police officers and retired physicians, ranging in age from the mid-30s to early 90s.

The club is sanctioned under the American Contract Bridge League, and Brown is a certified director and bridge teacher. Having been an educator most of her life, Brown decided, “why not teach it?”

“Bridge is a very complex game to learn,” she said. “I like teaching a program called ‘Easy Bridge’ because you have a 15-minute lesson, and then you play for two hours. You learn basic concepts and then sit and play, and have a Lauren Brown is both a bridge player and wonderful time.” teacher.

As with any card game, skills improve with lots of practice. Generally, the basic course lasts about 35 weeks. “Bridge is a challenging game that one never grows tired of,” said Brown. “And you get to spend time with the

38

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

most fun and interesting people, many who become close friends.”

One such friend is Harriet Motter, who helped Brown organize the Mansfield group.

“Having this club here at the MAC is good for the community, and I’m so excited to see this game grow,” said the retired piano teacher, adding that people are driving from Duncanville, Desoto, Midlothian, Fort Worth, and as far away as Keller to participate in the Mansfield games.

“It’s become a really big deal, and Lauren has been a wonderful director for us,” said Motter.

Aside from its social aspects, bridge is also a game of concentration, strategy and tactics. Playing it requires reasoning, logic, math and memory retention, making it particularly beneficial for the aging brain.

Studies have shown that playing bridge has a direct correlation with preserved mental sharpness, and it has even been linked to higher standardized test scores among children.

While some players are more serious than others, Brown’s approach is just to have fun. “It is a wonderful opportunity to be a part of a social group while learning a game with which you can always improve,” she said. “It offers so much to our thinking processes and that, combined with the social opportunities, gives us all numerous benefits.”

Anyone interested in signing up for bridge lessons can contact Brown at easybridge183@gmail.com.

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39

Local Homes

Home SWEET! Home Britt and Janet Phillips found the perfect spot for their home in Pantego. Then Britt went to work building it, and the result is breathtaking.

W

Practically every inch of the Phillips’ home is bathed in elegance.

40

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

hen Britt and Janet Phillips set out eight years ago to craft the perfect dream house ... well ... they literally crafted the perfect dream house. Britt, who builds homes for a living, was developing a neighborhood in Pantego at the time. “And I thought, ‘hey, this would be a great place to build a house for us,’” he said.

As you can see here, he one-upped the great location with a home of distinction, which proved to be everything he and Janet had hoped they would find.

For starters, there’s plenty of room for the couple’s two children and four grandchildren when they pay visits, something Janet especially enjoys. The dwelling covers 4,000 square feet and has three bedrooms, three and a half baths and more than enough living area for practically any endeavor.

Then there’s the “wow factor.” As you enter the front gate, you are greeted by a front-yard swimming pool – yes, a front-yard swimming pool – which is just outside the living room, making for a spectacular and unconventional view from the main front window.

That living room is just a few steps from the pool, Britt said, so when members of his family or friends decide they want to take a dip, those who don’t want to join them can watch from the comfort of the house.

Speaking of ...

Britt said he went with Tuscan for the design of the home because it’s a style that fit both the neighborhood and his and Janet’s tastes. But, again, he embellished the surroundings with personal touches, most of which have stories behind them.

For example, the wine room you see on page 44 would be stately in its own right, but its genesis is rooted about 15 miles

Here’s a living room with a view to a frontyard pool, a kitchen and dining room that are the envy of the neighborhood, and one very nice master closet.

Photos: MLS-Images

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

41

away, where renovations to Fort Worth’s Amon Carter Museum a decade ago left a large supply of quality bricks available to any/all takers.

“All the material that went into building the wine room came from the Amon Carter Museum,” Britt said. “In fact, I had that in mind – using that material on a wine room – whenever I got around to building our house, so that’s what we did.”

The wine room – and the rest of the house – was part of a design

by Fort Worth architect Ken Schaumburg, who helped the Phillipses tailor the dwelling to fit their Above: the spacious master bath. Below: needs – and several desires. the master bedroom.

The living area pictured on page 44 fits the latter category me because it represents something I enjoy doing. It also starts and is also part of a personal story. “I am fortunate to be able to conversations when people come over.” hunt and collect these trophies,” Britt said of the ensemble of prize It’s good that the home has ample living area because Britt said game that adorns various walls of the room. “That’s our great the couple is very much into entertaining. They do it when their room. It’s very comfortable and entertaining, and it’s special to

42

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

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Britt Phillips said he and his wife Janet like to entertain yearround, and they have the perfect dwelling to do that. From the wine room inside to the breathtaking yard, the Phillips’ home offers visitors plenty to talk about and enjoy.

children come over with the grandchildren, and they welcome friends often. “We enjoy entertaining year-round,” he said. “The outdoor cooking area and the pool, of course, are great for family gatherings. Inside, we use the main living area, the study and the game room for large family gatherings.”

Elsewhere, Britt and Linda, a former flight attendant for American Airlines, have other favorite spots, such as the master bedroom (with the huge closet pictured on page 41 and the elegant master bathroom pictured on page 42), the kitchen and the dining 44

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

room. And outside ... Well, that’s a haven unto its own. Besides the aforementioned pool, there’s the spacious patio, which is put to use when the weather warms up and which is enhanced by a collection of flora that gives the collection of fauna inside a run for its money.

“When we built this home we were hoping to come up with something that was warm and comfortable, and I think we accomplished that,” Britt said. “Every house has a story, and I think the story our house tells is one that’s fun and welcoming.”

Real estate professionals you need to know

Photo courtesy of Amy Cearnal

CearnalCo COMPANY HISTORY: CearnalCo has been serving the residential real estate community since 2014 from Downtown Arlington. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: Our goal is to improve lives through real estate. We hope each transaction is an improvement one to our clients, our Realtors and the parties on the other side, as well. COMPANY’S SERVICES: As residential Realtors, we specialize in helping homeowners transition from one home to the next based on their current needs. We also provide residential property management and investor services. WHAT SETS THE COMPANY APART: We work hard to make sure our clients and the community are happy with what we provide with a whatever-it-takes attitude.

We look forward to serving our clients in the most professional way possible.

CearnalCo • 300 E. Abram St., #150 • (817) 543-0000 • cearnalco.com arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

45

Real estate professionals you need to know

Photo courtesy of Linda Magazzine

Linda Magazzine Ebby Halliday Realtors

OFFICIAL TITLE: Broker Associate. PROFESSIONAL HISTORY: I have been a professional Realtor for 37 years and I have been with Ebby for 15 years. COMPANY’S SERVICES: Real estate needs in both the residential and commercial realms. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity. WHAT SETS YOUR COMPANY APART: We are an exclusive, full-time professional real estate office. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I’m on the Advisory Council Board for Salvation Army; I work with Boys & Girls Club on the Capital Campaign; I am involved with WIP (Women in Philanthropy). Past boards I have sat on include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Alliance for Children and the Cancer Research Foundation. NICEST THING A CLIENT HAS SAID: “She has a great amount of experience and education, but more important than that she is just real and an amazing lady.”

Ebby Halliday Realtors • 1201 W. Green Oaks Blvd. • (817) 654-8589 • lindamagazzinegroup.com 46

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

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Marilyn and Terry Newton

The Newton Group/Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty OFFICIAL TITLE: Vice President, Realtor®/Broker. PROFESSIONAL HISTORY: Marilyn has spent 25 years in the real estate profession, and Terry has 15 years experience actively selling. We’ve been with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s since May 2012. COMPANY’S SERVICES: Residential real estate sales. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: Our pledge to our clients is to use all of our resources to obtain the highest price for their property in the least amount of time. To achieve this, we couple our business expertise in sales and negotiations with our robust marketing strategy, utilizing the Internet, advertising, community and public relations. Success, whether for a buyer or seller, is about relationships with results. WHAT SETS THE COMPANY APART: Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s marketing of homes is second to none and recognized nationally. Our clients have seen the difference in how our professional marketing gets their home sold quickly. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ​We love and live in Arlington. As 42-year residents, we are looking forward to being involved with the revitalization of downtown and the entertainment areas.

NICEST THING A CLIENT HAS SAID: It is what our clients say to their friends and family that is so important to us. It is their trust in us that we will take great care of any and all of their personal referrals.

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s • 112 State St., Suite 200, Southlake • (817) 801-3030 • briggsfreeman.com 48

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

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Photo courtesy of Angela M. Cassol

Angela M. Cassol V.I.P. Independent Mortgage Inc.

Financial professionals you need to know 50

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

TITLE: Senior Loan Officer (NMLS #196537). COMPANY’S SERVICES: At V.I.P. Independent Mortgage we offer home financing, including Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo loans and refinancing. We are a mortgage banker, meaning we lend our money. We offer an extensive array of loan products with in-house processing, underwriting, closing and funding servicing the D/FW area. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: My professional philosophy is making each customer feel the WOW experience. With over 20 years in the mortgage business, I know that every loan is different. I want my clients to feel like they are not being treated as a number, but as a unique individual and cater to their every need. Since getting into this business, my focus has always remained on building relationships and providing exceptional customer service – always striving to become my clients’ loan officer for life! WHAT SETS THE COMPANY APART: At V.I.P., we are committed to restoring the reputation of the mortgage industry through responsible lending practices. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, V.I.P. has become a full-service industry leader with a passion for innovation. Our focus is on Day 1 quality and long-lasting relationships. Our company culture is centered on heart and cultivating a family atmosphere enveloped in entrepreneurial spirit. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I am currently a member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce (Women’s Division) and volunteer at Mission Arlington, along with donating to many children’s charities. NICEST THING A CLIENT HAS SAID: “Absolutely the best service from a mortgage officer I have ever received. She made the process easy and painless, but also learned so much that was used to improve the negotiations. She was a wonderful advocate for me in this process.” – Chris Foster

V.I.P. Independent Mortgage Inc. 3939 West Green Oaks Blvd., #101 • (817) 727-8612 • vipmtginc.com/team/angelacassol VIP NMLS 145502 TX 814983

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51

Financial professionals you need to know

David L. Cook, Kimberly Fitzpatrick Harris Cook, LLP FIRM’S FINANCIAL-RELATED SERVICES: Creating wills; estate planning and management; creating family entities and trusts; and drafting living wills, durable powers of attorney. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: We are committed to always serve the client’s best interest; we often collaborate with other professionals such as CPAs and financial planners to ensure our clients’ objectives are successfully met. Our philosophy has always been to develop long-term relationships with our clients based on their long-term needs and objectives. Many of the people we work with today are the children and grandchildren of our original clients. Our law firm offers over 70 years of combined legal experience, to give our clients a wealth of experience when they have legal issues. WHAT SETS THE FIRM APART: Harris Cook values its personal relationships with its clients. We are in the business of assisting clients in identifying and achieving their objectives and in assisting with the step-by-step incremental attainment of the goals leading to those objectives. We pride ourselves on being responsive. By combining our expertise, experience and the energy of our staff, it is our mission to ensure each client receives close personal, and professional attention. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: David Cook is the Mayor of Mansfield, a post he has held since 2008. He is also the current Advisory Council Chair for Salvation Army. He also serves on the boards for Mansfield Cares and Tarrant County Mayor’s Council. Kimberly Fitzpatrick is the current Secretary and Treasurer of the Arlington Bar Association. She also regularly volunteers for North Texas Legal Aid, Boys & Girls Club, Salvation Army, Mansfield Cares and Mission Arlington. NICEST THING A CLIENT HAS SAID: Thank you so very much for being my legal hero in the great storm of life. Now you have given our family an anchor that we can build a strong foundation for our estate and one which will protect us for generations to come. My family is so grateful. Please thank all your staff. All of you did a tremendous job! Forever grateful and appreciative.

Harris Cook, LLP • 709 E. Abram St., Arlington • 309 E. Broad St., Mansfield • (817) 275-8765 • (817) 473-3332 • harriscooklaw.com 52

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

Doctors You Need to Know Appointment Date: February 2016 To advertise or subscribe: info@arlingtontoday.com

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News & Notes

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center opens new facilities METHODIST MANSFIELD Medical Center will open the Amon G. Carter Foundation Heart and Vascular Center and celebrate a new 208,000-square foot, 118-bed tower and expansion.

The $118 million patient care tower is located at the northwest portion of the hospital’s 23-acre health care complex and will open with 86 additional patient rooms.

The expansion features advanced cardiac care, including catheterization and electrophysiology. Some of the procedures offered will be cardiac ablations, loop recorders, implantable cardiac defibrillators and single or dual chamber pacemakers.

Additionally, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center will have four new operating rooms with a focus on minimally invasive surgery using the robotic da Vinci® Surgical System. The new tower will eventually employ up to 200 medical professionals.

Built with the patient’s comfort in mind, the new tower includes many new features, including: • Larger halls and doorways • Public sinks with soap and hand sanitizer dispensers along the corridors.

• Complimentary coffee bars on each floor and charging stations for mobile devices in every room.

• Heated massage chairs and curbfree showers with shower wands, grab bars and shower benches, pillow speakers and an in-room safe to secure valuables.

• Private physician consulting rooms on each floor, with monitors that allow clinicians to display patient images such as X-rays and MRI scans.

• A direct nurse call system that allows patients to locate and call their assigned nurse, and physician boards to facilitate plans of care.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

In memoriam Chris Harris, former state senator and founder of Harris Cook law firm

F

ormer state Sen. Chris Harris died Dec. 21. The founder of the law firm Harris Cook LLP was 67.

His funeral was held Dec. 23 at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie.

Harris was an Arlington High graduate, he attended TCU and was a graduate from Baylor Law School who served portions of Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Parker and Dallas counties during a 28year career as a state lawmaker.

When he retired in 2013, he was the longest-serving Republican in the Texas Senate.

During his tenure as a lawmaker, Harris chaired the Senate Administration Committee for five terms, was head of commitChris Harris tees on jurisprudence and economic development and was the Senate president pro tempore in 2001. said. “He was so effective as a leader with Harris was known as a no-nonsense lawsuperior legislative skills that calling on him maker and lawyer. A self-described “bulldog” was sure to produce a good outcome for our on issues that affect Texas families, children city. When Chris said he would handle it, you and businesses, Harris was widely known for could count on him getting it done.” his persistence and acumen.

In a Facebook post, Parker County Judge A large part of Harris’ legislative legacy Mark Riley wrote, “Senator Harris representwere his contributions to the current version ed a portion of East Parker County in the late of the Texas Family Code. Harris led an ex1980s. He was one of the most responsive tensive overhaul of the Texas Family Code in state officials I have ever worked with.” the mid-1990s.

Harris was credited with leading the cause “I credit Chris with playing the major role to obtain special funding that served as a catin helping me become the family law advoalyst for the growth of the University of Texas cate that I am today,” said David L. Cook, at Arlington School of Nursing into the Colthe firm’s managing partner and a longtime lege of Nursing and Health Innovation, the friend. “It’s not too often that a lawyer, and largest provider of nursing graduates in the in turn that lawyer’s clients, can have access state and one of the most respected programs to the insight and wisdom of someone who in the world, UTA said in a statement. literally wrote the book on family law.”

Harris also championed funding for UTA’s Cook said he admired Harris for his teEngineering Research Building, enabling dranacity, and former Arlington Mayor Richard matic growth in the UTA College of EngineerGreene agreed. “Chris was a strong and deing, now ranked in the top 100 engineering pendable advocate for Arlington,” Greene schools in the nation.

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匀椀洀瀀氀礀 瀀甀琀Ⰰ 眀攀 洀愀渀愀最攀 礀漀甀爀 爀椀猀欀猀 琀漀 猀琀漀瀀 氀漀猀猀 昀漀爀 礀漀甀爀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 倀愀甀氀 䴀挀䌀愀最栀爀攀渀 愀渀搀 䄀猀猀漀挀椀愀琀攀猀 椀猀 愀 昀甀氀氀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀 瀀爀椀瘀愀琀攀 椀渀瘀攀猀猀最愀猀漀渀Ⰰ 瀀攀爀猀漀渀愀氀 瀀爀漀琀攀挀猀漀渀 愀渀搀 戀愀挀欀最爀漀甀渀搀 猀挀爀攀攀渀椀渀最 挀漀洀瀀愀渀礀 猀攀爀瘀椀渀最 挀漀爀瀀漀爀愀猀漀渀猀Ⰰ 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀攀猀Ⰰ 愀愀漀爀渀攀礀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 椀渀搀椀瘀椀搀甀愀氀猀 ጠ 氀漀挀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 爀攀最椀漀渀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 渀愀猀漀渀愀氀氀礀 ጠ ㈀㐀 栀漀甀爀猀 愀 搀愀礀Ⰰ 㜀 搀愀礀猀 愀 眀攀攀欀⸀

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON 55 12/18/2015 TODAY 9:48:30 AM

VIELEN DANK! Thank you to our community, sponsors and partners for a successful 2015 Market!

- From the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau

SPONSORS:

Featuring:

PARTNERS:

Check our website for 2016 Texas Christkindl Market dates at txchristkindlmarket.com

Picture-perfect Moments

Photos: Paul Knudsen

Robyn Barrere, Allan Saxe, Kellie Reichert and Kristina Anderson

Tom Overman, Ryan Yao, Abigail Duskin, Madeleine Stokes, Shazib Haseen and Mara Stallins

Barbara Day, Claudia Gray, Polly Walton, Letty Cruz and Lilia Orander Cruz

Shannon Salomaki and Timo Salomaki

Scene Snapshots from Arlington Life Shelter’s Home for the Holidays event Michelle Small, Angela LaBounty and Joanie Pace

Mayor Jeff Williams, Ryan Williams, Karen Peters and Greg Peters

Event MC Jenny Anchondo (top row, left) and children from Arlington Life Shelter, who sang Christmas songs at the event. arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

57

Gridiron Glory

Photo: internationalbowl.com

Some of the best young players in the United States will square off against Canadian all-star teams in the International Bowl Series at AT&T Stadium.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL? The International Bowl Series will feature outstanding players from the U.S. and Canada – right here in Arlington

T

he 2016 International Bowl Series, featuring games pitting under-19 football stars from the United States against Canadian counterparts, will take place beginning Jan. 31 at AT&T Stadium.

The first game will kickoff at 3 p.m. that day.

Before the week is over, however, local fans and North American visitors will be treated to eight international matchups – two on Jan. 31 and three each on Feb. 3 and Feb. 5. In the process, they’ll get to see 800-plus outstanding young players, from ages 13-18.

“The first International Bowl was played in 2010 on the heels of the inaugural International Federation of American Football Under-19 World Championship, which took place in June and July 2009 in Canton, Ohio,” said Steve Allic, an official of USA Football, which is presenting the Arlington showcase. “What started as an annual international competition between top high school football players in the United States and throughout the world has evolved into a series of games featuring the best high school and middle school players in the U.S. and Canada.”

Allic said the event will be a true festival of football, with each team taking part in a week of practice and jamborees leading up to an opportunity to represent their countries in one of football’s greatest venues.

Allic said fans should get quite a show – and some stellar football.

58

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

“These are not exhibitions,” he said. “These are official international competitions. There are no playing time rules or modified game rules.

Teams are playing to win.“ Allic said that at the Under-19 level, which will be in the spotlight on the opening day, many of the athletes are taking part in their last game before signing the following week with universities such as Alabama, Baylor, Florida State, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Southern Cal, Stanford, TCU and dozens of other “Power Five” conference schools.

Some notable North Texas players from past International Bowl games were Anthony Hines (Plano), Jared and Jalen Mayden (Sachse), Jack Topping (Parish Episcopal) and Tristen Wallace (DeSoto).

“The International Bowl is football’s largest annual international competition,” Allic said. “Young athletes grow up dreaming of playing for their country, but many football players don’t realize they have that opportunity. Many arrive in Arlington thinking they are part of an all-star game. By mid-week, you see the realization dawn on them that this is something special.”

Along with game day events at AT&T Stadium, all U.S. practices are open to the public. That schedule will be announced closer to the event at internationalbowl.com. Tickets may be purchased there, too.

Evangelizing Students To Be Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Education in Faith, Formation in Hope, Perseverance in Charity

Our Students are Changing the World!

Esto Dux - Be A Leader! www.nolancatholic.org

For a personal tour of our campus, please contact Lisa Griffith 817039500436 or lgriffith@nchstx.org

Saint Maria Goretti Catholic Church and School

For Early Registration and details on our Preschool Program, please contact the School Office: 1200 S. Davis Drive, Arlington, TX 76013

“Leadership through Discipleship”

817-275-5081 Or email: secretary@smgschool.org

Open House and Spaghetti Lunch Jan. 31, 2016 • 10am-1pm

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

59

Education

Schools in the SPOTLIGHT The Oakridge School

Arlington Classics Academy

FOUNDED IN 1979, The Oakridge School serves students and families from 30 cities and 10 countries. With 850 bright, college-bound students enrolled in 15 grade levels, Oakridge offers a full menu of curricular and extracurricular opportunities in a dynamic, student-centered environment.

ARLINGTON CLASSICS ACADEMY is a charter school that provides a college preparatory, liberal arts curriculum delivered through a classical style of instruction.

Mission: “To inspire students to seek their full potential in academics, the arts, and athletics in a challenging and nurturing environment that cultivates social responsibility, mutual respect, and personal integrity.”

Cutting edge features: The campus has wireless access and several 21st century classrooms – where lessons focus on creativity, communication and collaboration. The school recently introduced the first phase of Learn 21, which provides all fourth through 12th grade students their own computing device.

Fun fact: This year, approximately 20 percent of the senior class has earned the distinction of Alpha and Omega, having entered Oakridge in first grade or earlier.

Testimonial: “Oakridge is a wonderful school that is small enough to know you, yet large enough to serve you.”

Mission: “To equip a diverse student body with a comprehensive education, including a special focus on Western civilization. Students will develop a commanding knowledge of the origins of our liberty and the ability to sustain it through moral leadership. We aim to accomplish this goal through a high level of academic instruction and high behavioral expectations.”

Why a charter school?: Charter schools are free public schools that have the flexibility to adapt to the educational needs of individual students. Charter schools vary in mission and model, serving a wide range of students. Often, charter schools provide a personalized learning environment that promotes greater student achievement.

Fun fact: Students in K-2nd grade visit a lab where they are able to begin developing their technology skills.

Address/phone number/website: 5900 West Pioneer Parkway, (817) 451-4994, theoakridgeschool.org

Address/phone number/website: 5206 South Bowen Road, (817) 987-1819, acaedu.net

Nolan Catholic High School

St. Maria Goretti School

NOLAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL is a ministry of the Diocese of Fort Worth that evangelizes students to be tomorrow’s servant leaders through: education in faith, formation in hope and perseverance in charity.

ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC SCHOOL is a community of believers with the purpose of providing a Catholic environment in which the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught, practiced and experienced.

About the school: Nolan Catholic offers amazing academics, an accomplished fine arts programs and championship-level sports in a school where 100 percent of its students graduate and more than 99 percent go on to college. What really sets Nolan apart is that it is not only preparing students for college; it is not only preparing them to be citizens of the world after college – it is preparing them to live lives of service and faith.

Mission: “St. Maria Goretti Catholic School is a living testament to our Lord’s Work in his youngest disciples, exemplified by academic excellence, spiritual formation and compassionate service to others.”

Testimonial: A senior named Kyle was asked what he liked most about school.

Kyle answered that the best thing about Nolan Catholic was that he felt supported and challenged by his teachers, and that he felt like Nolan was his second family.

Fun fact: Nolan Catholic is home of the longest-running ecology program of its kind, featuring field studies in Costa Rica, Big Bend and Port Aransas.

Address/phone number/website: 4501 Bridge Street, Fort Worth, (817) 4572920, nolancatholichs.org

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

Curriculum: Students in grades K-8 engage in: daily religion, grouped reading and math, computer literacy, English, honors English (8th grade), art (grades 1-8) and music (K-8), spelling, physical education, handwriting, social studies, science, Saxon math, accelerated math (grades 6-8), Spanish (K-8) and health.

Technology: The school is fully networked with direct internet access on over 140 computers and tablets.

Fun fact: SMG’s “Buddy System” matches students within a younger grade level with a student in an older grade to work together on special projects.

Address/phone number/website: 1200 S. Davis Drive, (817) 275-5081, smgschool.org

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UTA Today

The rising

value of a UTA ART DEGREE

Upgraded facilities, bigger faculty translate into the school finding a spot among nation’s elite • By Bill Lace UTA’s top programs are listed, art is entering the conversation along with standbys such as engineering and nursing.

Numbers tell some of the story. In the 10 years since Department Chair Robert Hower arrived, enrollment has gone from 400 to almost 700 – second only in DFW to the University of North Texas. The faculty has grown from the low 20s to between 60 and 70 full- and part-time.

Facilities have been upgraded. The Fine Arts Building of the early ‘70s was a big improvement, but the Studio Arts Building in 2005 provided much-needed workspace.

High on Hower’s wish list is a more accessible display area. The 4,000-square-foot Gallery is a jewel, but, as with most everything else at UTA, parking is a problem for community members who wish to visit.

IT’S NOT YOUR PARENTS’ art department. Traditional media like drawing, painting, photography and sculpture have been joined by such relative newcomers as film, UTA faculty member Sedrick Huckaby stands before a self video, and art entrepreneurship. Visual comportrait done in the late 1990s, when he was in his early 20s. munication is the most rapid area of growth, It hangs in the art department advising office. encompassing graphic, app and web design; gaming; illustration; and packaging.

But the catalyst that most fueled the department’s flowering, ribbon of blue weaves along the ceiling in UTA’s Univerit’s generally agreed, was the acquisition in 2007 of a graduate sity Club. An aluminum spiral swirls skyward from the program – the Master of Fine Arts. Under the direction of Nancy campus research quadrangle. Multicolored terrazzo airPalmeri, the MFA is offered in intermedia, glass, film/video and planes stretch along the floors of 300-foot walkways in visual communication. Only 10 students are selected annually DFW Airport’s Terminal D as if queued for takeoff. from about 40 applicants.

These are very different works – but with a common thread. All It’s a point of pride with Hower that the graduate program rewere done by members of UTA’s art faculty – River of Glass by ceived full accreditation from the National Association of Schools David Keens, Reach by Darrel Lauster and Wings by Benito Huerof Art and Design on its first application, no easy task. UTA made ta. These and several others dot the university, city and county its debut in the 2012 U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of landscapes as signs of increased visibility for the Art+Art History graduate art programs, coming in tied for 145th.

Department (the official name), not only among educators and art Hower is quick to say that rank “is not worth bragging about.” aficionados, but throughout the community.

But he added that it’s based only on initial material provided for This increase, not only in visibility but also in size and stature, accreditation and should go higher in 2016. has drawn national and international attention. These days, when

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

UTA faculty member Kenda North is shown with two of her photographs that hang in the president’s conference room. Both are from her series “Submerged.” The one on the left is called “Contrapposto,” and the one on the right is “Balance.”

Photos: Southern Flair Photography

He is excited, however, that December’s ranking of graphic arts programs had UTA 19th among public colleges and seventh in the Southwest.

“The grad program has been an enormous shift for us,” said Kenda North, a photographer whose work hangs in the UTA president’s conference room. “It’s taken us to a different level, and I think it’s been important for the undergraduate students to see what these people are doing at the next level up.”

Keens, who retired in 2013, agrees: “The fundamental nature of the entire department changed from a strong, but undistinguished undergraduate program to a powerful and rigorous graduate program focused on accepting only the best candidates and expecting their highest level of performance.

It’s a chicken-egg question as to whether the curriculum rampup led to talented new faculty or the other way around. Regardless, Hower said the faculty “are as good as in any program in the state – and that’s saying a lot. And nationally we are doing very well in keeping those people and the contributions they are making to the world and to the arts.”

Consider Sedrick Huckaby, known for his large, powerful portraits. Named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2008, he earned the Amon Carter Museum’s Davidson Family Fellowship in 2014 and is a fi-

nalist for the 2016 Smithsonian’s Boochever Portrait Competition.

Also, Stephen Lapthispohon and Lauster both have won SMU’s Moss/Chumley Award annually recognizing an outstanding North Texas artist. Justin Ginsberg, Keens’ successor as glass program coordinator, has had works selected three of the past four years for the Corning Museum of Glass annual review.

And film teacher Ya’Ke’s Smith’s Wolf, his first feature-length effort, made a huge splash at the 2012 SXSW festival and continues to generate lots of buzz throughout the indie world. His films have been shown at more than 80 festivals, including Cannes, and on HBO, Showtime, BET and PBS. ALL FIVE OF THE above joined the UTA faculty in the past decade, but that’s not to say that many veterans such as North, Huerta and Palmeri haven’t also received recent accolades. It makes for a smooth blending of experience, talent and collegiality without the Young Turk-Old Guard infighting that can plague academic departments.

“I imagine there are horror stories out there,” Huckaby said, “but the people in our department are very helpful to one another.

Some of the other professors have reached out to me, and that’s made me want to reach out to others.” >>>>> arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

63

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

<UTA photo

Photo: Don Beck

Art for our sake The contibutions of UTA artists span the Metroplex. Here are (clockwise from left) “Wings” by Benito Huerta, “Reach” by Darrel Lauster and “River of Glass” by David Keens.

One of those horror stories is closer than Huckaby may know. “I went through some time here when there were some really rough divisions and a lot of distrust,” North said. “I think that’s moved away.

We’re very fortunate to have faculty who embrace and support each other, and the students feel that.”

The continued blossoming of the department, Keens said, depends on the usual ingredients – talented faculty, research support, state-ofthe-art facilities – but only under the hands of a master chef. “The key is leadership that understands both the diversity of the faculty and can direct the common goals they share in mentoring student and emerging artist and art historians,” he said. “I believe the department has all these components in place, so its continued growth and subsequent increase in stature will be a natural evolution.”

“I think that if you create a community that has an appreciation for the arts, it tends to build on itself and draw people in,” said Hower, whose low-key, inclusive leadership draws high marks from faculty.

“We want to be a part of creating an atmosphere in Arlington that people will talk about ... that people are proud of.”

The true impact of the

MAVERICK FAMILY

“UTA’s influence on my life and my family has continued long after graduation.”

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Entertainment

Karaoke CONNECTION Music Lovers group brings local people and songs together on a regular basis • By Toni Randle-Cook

D

o you love music?

Are you looking for a fun way to meet some new people in this New Year?

Then you may want to check out the “Music Lovers” of Arlington.

Music Lovers is a karaoke group that has been in existence for more than a decade. The organizer, Bradd Beckham, said the group meets at many places across the Metroplex, including John B’s Food and Spirit located on West Arkansas Lane in Pantego.

If you are not familiar with it, karaoke is a form of interactive entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The lyrics are displayed on a screen for the performer to follow along.

The karaoke machine was invented in 1971 by a Japanese musician. However, it was a Japanese entertaining group that created the name “karaoke” after an orchestra went on strike and a machine was used instead to play the music. “Karaoke” translates to “empty orchestra.”

Karaoke didn’t become popular in the U.S. until the 1990s. It has now grown into a global market estimated to be worth $1 billion.

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And it’s definitely popular in North Texas. There are more than 10,000 DFW Meetup Karaoke members. This includes the 600-plus in the Music Lovers group.

While many participants in Music Lovers are good singers, there is no required skill level.

“Everyone gets applause, and everyone has their moment,” Beckham said. “The karaoke deejays we work with are all exceptional.”

It sounds as if the deejays are put to work on karaoke nights. Beckham said the group members enjoy a broad spectrum of music, including oldies, country, classic rock and even holiday tunes – anything that is a good dance song or that works well for a duet or small group to sing.

So, what if you’re not the type to get behind the microphone?

Don’t worry; you do not have to sing to join this group. Dancers, fans and those who just want to mingle enjoy several different weekly events. And those events have even broadened a bit to include contests, poker and trivia nights.

Beckham said people from 21 to 71 years of age belong to the Music Lovers group and that the best part is “the camaraderie experienced as a group of fun-loving singers.” Members also enjoy perks such as discounted food and drinks. And, Beckham said, line dancers and slow dancers are also an expected treat.

“We always have a great time, inexpensively and consistently,” he said.

If you are interested in joining a local karaoke group, check out “Music Lovers,” “DFW Friends & Fun” and “New Friends Network” on the meetup.com site. Fill out a short profile and then go have fun!

Picture-perfect Moments

Photos: Michael Ainsworth & David Alvey

Hesham Elgahil, Ken Schnitzer, Neil Grossman; Mayor Jeff Williams and Andy Noye at the Park Place grand opening ceremony Andrea VanDyke, Taylor Fratina, Maddie Wade, Keely Gillham, Lauren Scott and Stella Scott at the Wade event.

Mike Wade, Santa Claus and Tillie Burgin

The Jennifer Baldwin Combo entertained guests at the Park Place event.

Scene Snapshots from the the Toy Drive at Wade Funeral Home and Park Place Motorcars’ grand opening ceremony Amy Wade, Bonnie Follis and Mary Reimschussel

Photos courtesy of Wade Funeral Home

Hannah Fitzwater, Ben Fitzwater, Dylan Scott, Owen Gillham and Santa

The UTA drumline performed at the event. arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

67

Hometown Heroes

Meet the MAP FAMILY Dianne Powell has carried on a tradition started by her parents of preserving historical cartography • By Toni Randle-Cook

W

hen you hear the word “map,” you think of a diagram highlighting a particular area of the land or water. Maps are widely used to help navigate from one point to another.

But for those who study or collect maps, these drawings are about more than the geography. They are a piece of history.

Just ask Dianne Powell.

“Maps are visual history,” she said. “Maps are not separate from history; it’s all part of history – individual history.”

Powell was introduced to maps at a young age. She jokes that her family vacations were never to places like Disneyland. Instead, she remembers traveling to cities or towns that had great bookstores so that her father could search for manuscripts and first editions of things related to Texas history and the Mexican War. Her mother, who was also on these vacations, had an interest in art. So to keep herself occupied, she began looking at the maps found in these bookstores.

Powell said her mother “started realizing that they were a necessary component with my father’s collection of books and Dianne Powell said her mother manuscripts.” collected 375 atlases and 900 Her mother started buying maps, including this one and those on the next page. maps of the Gulf Coast area and over the years collected 375 atlases and 900 maps, dating from the 1500s until 1900. It’s reported to be the largest collection of its kind in private hands.

Powell is the daughter of Virginia and Jenkins Garrett. If you’ve ever stepped foot on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington, these names are familiar.

From 1990 to 1997 the couple donated their books, manuscripts and maps to the university. They are now important parts of the Special Collections Libraries.

According to the university website, “The Virginia Garrett Cartographic History Library is one of a handful of such institutions in the U.S. with an ongoing mission to collect and preserve materials relating to the history of cartography.” Powell said her mother and father 68

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

wanted to keep the collections intact and altogether. “Dad wanted everybody to be able to use it,” she said. “He wanted someone who would distribute duplicates to someone that had or didn’t have a big collection.”

UT Arlington offered that. And since the Garretts lived in Fort Worth, the collection was easily accessible to them, and they were able to participate up until their deaths in 2010 (Jenkins) and 2012 (Virginia). “All during that time they had the joy of being involved on a daily basis with the library,” Powell said.

The Garretts also founded the Texas Map Society. Powell said it was her mother’s idea in talking with others from the library “that it would be fun to get together folks from around the state who had an interest in maps. Not just Texas maps. But world maps, antique maps, digital maps, all kinds of mapping.”

The Texas Map Society meets two times a year. The spring event takes place in a city that is home to a significant map collection.

This year’s meeting is being held in April in Corpus Christi. The fall meeting is always held at UT Arlington. And every other year, part of that meeting includes the Virginia Garrett Lectures. That series will take place in October.

While Powell held leadership positions over the years with the Texas Map Society, she does not currently sit on the board. But she is an active member serving as a consultant, advisor and supporter.

She believes the only reason the map society doesn’t have more members is because people don’t know about it. “We are a secret that doesn’t want to be a secret,” she said.

Powell said current members include teachers, hobbyists, doctors and lawyers, to name a few. But she encourages anyone who is interested in history to join the group. You don’t have to have a history background, just an interest, and she guarantees you will find something to love about the Texas Map Society. “It’s a wonderful, friendly group of people that enjoy being together and exploring history through maps,” she said.

For more information on The Texas Map Society, visit the website, texasmapsociety.org.

Images: UTA Magazine

You are here Maps from Dianne Powell’s family are a prominent part of the Special Collections Library at the University of Texas Arlington. Powell said her parents wanted to keep the historic documents intact and all together – thus, the creation of The Virginia Garrett Cartographic History Library.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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Dining Guide

Piccolo Mondo Italian Restaurant was established more than 30 years ago and is one of the more popular upscale restaurants in the Metroplex.

SWEET Eats!

Here are 17 local restaurants you need to visit this winter Upscale

Restaurant506 at The Sanford House restaurant506.com 506 N. Center St. (817) 801-5541 Piccolo Mondo piccolomondo.com 829 Lamar Boulevard East (817) 265-9174 Cacharel Restaurant cacharel.net 2221 E. Lamar Blvd.

(817) 640-9981 VB Steakhouse vbsteak.com 2009 E. Copeland Road (817) 801-1440

J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill jgilligans.com 400 E. Abram St. (817) 274-8561 Grease Monkey greasemonkeyburgers.com 200 N. Mesquite St. (817) 665-5454 Candlelite Inn candleliteinnarlington.com 1202 E. Division St. (817) 275 9613

Barbeque

Spring Creek Barbeque springcreekbarbeque.com 3608 S. Cooper St. (817) 465-0553 2340 I-20, Suite 100 (817) 467-0505

J. Gilligan’s will be featured on The Food Network’s “Top 5 Restaurants!” later this month and in February.

1724 US-287, Mansfield (817) 453- 7454

Mexican/Tex-Mex Rio Mambo riomambo.com 2150 E. Lamar Blvd.

(817) 795-4555 6407 S. Cooper St. (817) 465-3122

Photo: J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill

American

Mac’s Bar & Grill macsteak.com 6077 I-20 Frontage Road (817) 572-0541

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El Primo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina elprimos.net 2300 Matlock Road, Suite 21, Mansfield (817) 225-4140 Lupe’s lupestxmx.com 770 E. Road to Six Flags (817)460-6661

Photo: Piccolo Mondo

Blue Mesa Grill bluemesagrill.com 550 Lincoln Square (682) 323-3050 Fuzzy’s Taco Shop fuzzystacoshop.com 510 E. Abram St. (817) 265-8226 4201 W. Green Oaks Blvd.

(817) 516-8226 1601 E. Debbie Lane, #1101, Mansfield (817) 453-1682

Italian

Prespa’s prespas.com 4720 W. Sublett Road (817) 561-7540 Vito’s vitosvitos.net 2234 W. Park Row Drive, Suite G Pantego (817) 276-1800

Fondue

The Melting Pot meltingpot.com 4000 Five Points Blvd., Ste.119 (817) 472-9988

Picture-perfect Moments

Tom Ware, Suzy Ware, Ryan Williams and Mayor Jeff Williams Photos: Andrea Proctor

Ellen Landrith and Julia Haddad

Bill Hinds, Coy Garrett, Tanis Garrett, Chad Bates and Joy Bates

Tommy Moore, Audra Moore and Kay King

Scene Snapshots from the Arlington Rotary Club Christmas party at Steve Zimmer’s house.

Lois Krueger, Lynn Stavinoha and Linda Gibson

Steve Zimmer, James McCroskey, Charna Blumberg, Dan Blumberg and Valerie Landry arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

71

Golf Tip

Community Notebook Community Notebook

Photo: wikihow.com

Slowing your swing to 70 to 80 percent will help you hit the ball more squarely, more often.

How to achieve CONSISTENCY

E

Forget the perfect shot; these three strategies will help you attain lower scores • By Kevin Herod

very golfer wants to shoot lower scores, and they also are always looking for the perfect swing. Sorry to say there is no such thing. The only way to achieve any kind of consistency is to learn to strike the ball in the sweet spot and repeat it time after time. If you truly want to become a consistent golfer, the next few proven tips will help you gain more consistency.

Find the right equipment – The first thing I would say is this: Before buying a new set of clubs, get fitted. Next, I would say to find, learn and use only one method. Once you find your teacher, make sure to follow his or her instruction without fail until you have achieved a good golf swing with your fitted clubs. Another thing that often is overlooked: find the right golf ball for you. There are ball fitters out there, as well. Not having the right ball for feel and touch could affect shots and your consistency.

Hone the routine – Creating a golf routine is very important, because it almost puts you in autopilot mode. Developing a routine can definitely lead to you playing better golf. By routine, I mean when you arrive at the course, when you get to the first tee, your pre-shot routine and the pre-putt routine. These things will definitely put you in a comfort zone that will have you play at your best.

Tap the throttle – The final tip is reducing your golf swing speed to help you hit the ball solidly. A lot of beginner golfers think the faster or harder you hit the ball the further it will go. That technically is not the case for the majority of golfers. All instructors will tell you to swing at a 70 to 80 percent to achieve a more consistent swing.

Try these tips to create and gain more consistency in your golf game. You will be surprised at the results you will see. You have to stick with what you find and are comfortable with and always remember: “Practice, Practice, and Practice.”

Kevin Herod is first assistant golf pro at Shady Valley Country Club.

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The Back the Blue Bash is a great way for local citizens to show their support for the Arlington Police Department.

Back the Blue Bash set for March 4 THE THIRD ANNUAL Back the Blue Bash supporting the Arlington Police Department will take place March 4 at the Arlington Convention Center. Doors open at 7 p.m., the program starts at 7:30 p.m. and the band Chinatown will begin playing at 8 p.m.

The Bash is sponsored and run by the Arlington Police Foundation, a 501 C-3 organization that works to support Arlington’s police department.

“The Arlington Police Foundation funds essential equipment and programs for the Arlington Police Department, which are not included in the city budget,” said attorney Jim Ross, vice-chair of the foundation’s board of directors. “In addition, the foundation provides financial assistance to the families of Tarrant County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.”

While the foundation has held golf tournaments and uses other means to support the police department cause, the primary fundraiser is the Blue Bash. Ross said more than 1,000 people are expected to attend this year.

Ross, who is chairman for the committee on the Back the Blue Bash, became associated with the foundation four years ago, when then-Police Chief Theron Bowman asked if he would consider getting involved. ”Chief Bowman and I had gone to the police academy together and both worked for the Arlington Police Department,” he said. “I spent near 13 years with the PD prior to going to law school in 1996.

My son is also a sergeant with the department, so I have strong ties to them.”

Now those ties stretch farther than ever. He said money raised at this year’s event will go toward numerous endeavors the foundation supports. “The projects have included providing financial support for life saving kits for patrol officers, K-9 officers and motorcycle officers,” he said. “We also support the Explorer Program, PALS, and numerous other kids-at-risk programs within Arlington.

Ross said anyone is welcome to “back the blue.”

“The best way for the community to get involved is to donate and/ or volunteer by contacting us through our website: arlingtonpolice foundation.org or through Facebook,” he said. “Also, we would love to have as many from the community as possible join us at the Bash on March 4, 2016.”

A monthly Star Tech convention • By Bill Lace SOME PEOPLE ARE keen on robots, some on concrete and still others on earthquakes. A group of folks in Arlington, however, embraces all these topics and anything else touching – or even coming close to – technology.

They’re members of the Arlington Technology Association, meeting at 7 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at UTA to hear presentations as practical as 18-wheeler design or as esoteric as the origin of the universe.

It’s an eclectic, gown-town bunch encompassing university faculty, business and industry professionals, educators and others simply turned on by technology. The 50 or so members include engineers, doctors, architects and business executives, as well as educators.

Students, who join free of the $36 annual dues, come to fulfill course requirements for out-of-class activities – and doubtless also for the free breakfast. “Getting up at that time of morning is difficult for them,” said longtime member and retired engineer James Ditto. “But students love free food.”

The organization’s antecedents go back almost a century to the Technical Club

Dr. Ernest Crosby (right), president of the Arlington Technology Association, poses with Javier Salazar, a 2015 graduate of Arlington High School and one of the recipients of last year’s ATA scholarships for $1,000.

Photo: Southern Flair Photography

of Dallas in 1919. A satellite group, the Mid-Cities Technical Club, was established in Arlington in 1999, and its members in 2008 chose to stand on their own as a non-profit as the Arlington Technology Association.

“We decided to promote UTA and to provide responses to the community relating to technical issues around here,” said Dr. Ernest Crosby, ATA president and UTA adjunct civil engineering professor.

“It was an attempt to link all the research issues at UTA with those in Arlington and the Mid-Cities.”

The diversity of membership and topics also brings education of a different sort.

“One of our goals is to provide a platform for faculty, especially younger faculty, to give and polish presentations,” Crosby said.

Dr. Khosrow Behbehani, UTA engineering dean, agrees. “Engineers are not trained to do that (public speaking) very well,” he said, “and if one becomes a faculty member, presentation skills are going to be important.”

Here again, membership diversity brings an advantage.

An electrical engineer speaking to colleagues, Behbehani said, can toss

out technical terms confident they will be understood. “But this audience is broadbased,” he said. “This gives our faculty – and students – training in how to present a technical topic to a non-technical audience.”

The ATA isn’t all talk. The group raises money to give scholarships to Arlington high school graduates coming to UTA as engineering students and helps finance awards for student accomplishment. Crosby said increasing the number of scholarships awarded is high on the organization’s priority list.

In addition, the ATA wants to make its base even broader, extending to areas within the university and community not usually thought of as technical. Expanding the organization’s relationship with the city is also on the agenda, and Mayor Jeff Williams is April’s scheduled speaker.

The core function, however, remains the monthly exchange of ideas. “At first glance, our organization seems almost narrow in scope,” Crosby said. “But when you realize we’ve been around 17 years and given more than 190 presentations, we must be doing something right.”

For more: arlingtontech.org.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

73

Health/Fitness

A worthwhile resolution The Parks & Rec department can help you motivate yourself to get moving this winter • By Susie Traylor

A

t this time of year, many of us start reminiscing about 2015. Did we meet our goals we set, did we even come close, and did I accomplish anything? On that list of goals, taking better care of ourselves was definitely one. You know exercise is good for you. Doing it, though, is another thing.

Why are we so good at thinking of what to do, but so terrible at actually doing t hose t hings? You make goals … but then you procrastinate. You write a todo list … but then you don’t follow through.

Wit h eac h new yea r, somet hing magical happens that inspires you to become motivated all over again and set new goals for yourself – but this time it will be different! You decide it’s important to find people – find friends, or find the right place to work out with someone to encourage you to stay on track.

At the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department, we have fitness leaders who will do just that. Our instructors add that FUN factor and connect with you on a personal level.

At all of our recreation centers, the fitness leaders create a sense of community within the classes. People feel connected to one another. They begin to learn each other’s “spots” in the class and encourage each other. They start a phone tree or email group, and now, thanks to social media, they even form a Facebook group to keep one another motivated and accountable.

Ximena Brock is one of our fitness instructors. She, a motivator and a friend to her students, discovered the love of fitness, re-vamped her eating habits and conquered the negative thoughts in her head. She shares her journey with everyone who struggles to stay motivated.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

Through exercise, Ximena has lost 82 pounds and has gained tremendous perspective on what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Zumba has changed my life,” said Brock. “It gives me an opportunity to serve others, relieve stress and lose weight in a fun-type atmosphere.”

Then there is Robin Capp, who creates a group fitness adventure taking her classes on an imaginary trip through a beautiful park or on a mountain expedition where you can envision a run, walk or climb.

This encourages people to exceed their own expectations and helps participants reach their goals.

We have many instructors like these two who can offer t he mot ivat ion to help you stay active during the winter months.

Here’s a snapshot on some of our offerings: Fit over 50 low i mpac t c la s s, Zu m ba, JOIN THE TEAM! yoga, chair yoga, tai chi, piInstructors such as Ximena lates, boot camp, low impact, Brock (above) and Robin Capp can help Arlington fitness line-dance and fitness residents get and stay fit salsa, strength and sculpt and through an array of innovatrampoline fitness classes. We tive programs offered by the department this winter. accept the Silver Sneakers and Silver N Fit programs.

Don’t let the winter blues take control. Let us help you find the right exercise program that will make you feel invigorated, alert and ready for the challenge of the day – and for the days to come.

Call us at (817) 459-5474, and we’ll connect you with the right class. Good luck and have an energetic winter!

Susie Traylor is recreation facility manager for the City of Arlington.

Join Us! May 4, 2016

LUN

CH

EO

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2 0 16

May 4th, 2016 • 12pm • AT&T Stadium Check-in begins 11:30am – Sponsorships & Tickets Available

The Inspiring Hope Luncheon

Charlotte Jones Anderson Honorary Chairwoman

On May 4, 2016, the Arlington/Mansfield area Salvation Army will host the 2nd Annual Inspiring Hope Luncheon.

Supporters, volunteers, and local dignitaries will come together at AT&T Stadium to learn more about the work of The Salvation Army and hear our guest speaker, Roger Staubach.

For more information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Bridget Lenhardt at 817-860-1836 or bridget_lenhardt@uss.salvationarmy.org Purchase tickets online at inspiringhopeluncheon.eventbrite.com

The Salvation Army Family Life Center and Youth Education Town 712 W. Abram, Arlington, TX 76013 • 817-860-1836 www.sayet.org

Nightlife and More

Sights/Sounds

History, Mansfield-style

Your resource for stellar entertainment options in and around the city COMEDY: Live at the Arlington Improv When: Jan. 1-3, 8-10, 14-17, 21-24, 29-31 Where: The Arlington Improv (309 Curtis Mathes Way, #147) Show times: Check website for show times Notes: This month’s featured entertainers include Jay Phillips (Jan. 1-3), Clayton English (Jan. 8-10), Donnell Rawlings (Jan. 14-17), Special K (Jan. 21-24) and Michael Yo (Jan. 29-31) For more: ow.ly/Uevk1 MUSIC: Acoustic Sundays with Jesse Jennings & Friends When: Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Where: Fat Daddy’s Sports & Spirits Cafe (781 W. Debbie Lane, Mansfield) Show times: 7 p.m.

Notes: Jesse Jennings, originally from Dublin, Texas, is a singer, songwriter and musician based in Fort Worth. His album, “A Long Way From Home,” features 13 tracks written and produced by Jennings. The debut single from the album, “Drink and Fight,” put Jesse on the Texas music charts for the first time in his career. His lyrics are true reflections of his personal experiences: love, loss, heartache, small-town life, life on the road and more.

For more: fatdaddyslive.com TRIVIA: Live trivia with the PubGuys When: Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27 Where: World of Beer (5005 S. Cooper St.) Show time: 7 p.m.

Notes: Every Wednesday is trivia night. Bring your smart friends for the answers, and your rich friends for the tab.

For more: worldofbeer.com/Locations THEATER: “Light Up the Sky” When: Jan. 15-31 Where: Theatre Arlington (305 W. Main St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday; 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. on Sunday Notes: “Light Up the Sky” was Theatre Arlington’s very first production back in 1973, and it was reintroduced in 1987. The hilarious action in this backstage comedy takes place in the hotel room of Miss Livingston prior to the opening of a new play being produced in Boston. The opening night doesn’t seem to go too well, and all believe the show to be a flop and turn against each other. The tables are turned, however, when it turns out the reviews are favorable, and hilarity ensues.

For more: theatrearlington.org MUSIC: Let’s Hang On!: America’s No. 1 Frankie Valli Tribute Show When: Jan. 22 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224 North Center St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: Let’s Hang On! has established itself as the preeminent Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute group by combining spot-on vocals and crisp choreography with a genuine ability to entertain an audience. Let’s Hang On! respectfully pays tribute to all these classic “Seasons” details while also paying tribute to the Broadway show, The Jersey Boys.

For more: arlingtonmusichall.net 76

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

You might be in the DFW area if ...

Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy

Photo: rfd.com

COUNTRY comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy will team for a night of fun at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

The “We’ve Been Thinking Tour” will feature both comedians delivering a laughter-packed evening of all new material before they come together on stage for an uproarious interactive encore with the audience.

For more: verizontheatre.com.

MUSIC: “Pirates on the Prairie V” When: Jan. 23 Where: Uptown Theater (120 E. Main Street, Grand Prairie) Show time: 6 p.m.

Notes: The pirates are back on the prairie as Grand Prairie’s Official Pirate Band, the Bilge Pumps, will be returning to the Uptown Theater to put on an evening full of pirate music, great fun and nautical nonsense for the entire family.

For more: uptowntheatergp.com MUSIC: Bethel Music When: Jan. 26 Where: Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie (1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie) Show times: 7 p.m.

Notes: Bethel Music is a community of worshipers and artists based in Redding, Calif.

Born of the local worship ministry of Bethel Church, Bethel Music produces songs and albums that are largely written and recorded by members of their Artist Collective. According to its website, “Bethel Music aims to write songs that express who God is and who we are in Him; capturing fresh expressions of worship in every season and providing music that will resonate with individuals and worshipping communities around the world.”

For more: verizontheatre.com MUSIC: Sinatra My Way: Andrew Heller with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra When: Jan. 30 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224 North Center St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: Andrew Heller beautifully delivers great Sinatra classics “his way.” The result is a wonderful tribute to Sinatra based on his original arrangements. As a youth, Heller placed first in the New York Young Artist Metropolitan Opera Auditions and was mentored by Leonard Bernstein.

For more: arlingtonmusichall.net

Happy New Year Everyone!

Look who reads Arlington Today!

Basic subscription: $33.95 for 12 issues Price includes tax and shipping.

subscriptions @ arlingtontoday . com

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Arlington ISD Education Foundation Presents

Dream Makers Banquet Recognizing Extraordinary Teachers and Funding Innovative Ideas in Education

Thursday, February 25, 2016 6:00 pm – 9:00pm

Cacharel Grand Ballroom $35 per person

purchase tickets at: WWW.ARLINGTONEF.ORG

Cash Bar

arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

77

Speaking of Sports

How ‘bout those Mavs?!

The UTA basketball team is off to a great start; you should take in a game this month • By John Rhadigan

C Photo: Ellman Photography

Ten of the 15 players on the UTA roster are from Texas. Maybe that is why they get along so well. The truth is, chemistry is one of the more elusive things in sports, and this team has it.

78

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

all me sappy, but I always feel sorry for the baseball player who hits his first home run in a long time (or ever), and the reaction from his teammates is non-existent.

He returns to the dugout to silence or a chorus of “whatever.” Eventually, the hijinx ends, and the player finally gets his just reward, which is high fives, handshakes and hugs.

I have never known of a scene like this to play out in basketball until I stumbled onto video of the UT-Arlington postgame reaction after the Mavs beat Memphis earlier this season.

In the video, which can be seen on the website utamavs.com, the camera follows Mavericks coach Scott Cross into the locker room. He enters shouting, “It’s awfully quiet in here, it’s awfully quiet in here …” He then slaps five with each of his players, who do not leave their seats and wonder in mock protest why coach is making such a big deal out of this win.

Finally, after the last player’s hand has been slapped, they all jump up and gather in the middle of the visitors locker room for a raucous celebration.

There is chanting, hugging, hollering and dancing. The Mavs had beaten mighty Memphis on their court, and, believe it or not, this was not the only reason to cheer.

Three days earlier the University of Texas Arlington had won a game in Columbus, Ohio.

Yes the Mavs have a win over Ohio State on their resume, too.

Under Coach Cross, the Mavs play an in-your-face style of basketball, where they are not afraid to press on defense or run on offense.

Consider a game in December against Bradley – the Mavs’ press forced the Braves into 24 turnovers. The team scored 36 points off the turnovers. On the same evening, UT-Arlington broke the single-game record for 3-point field goals with 17.

So as the post-holiday blues set in, do yourself a favor and find your way to the College Park Center. The Mavs’ beautiful arena provides a real home court advantage. UT-Arlington has won 84 of its last 117 home games.

The arena, which opened in 2012, is exactly 2.4 miles from AT&T Stadium, and there will be a lot more action at the home of the Mavs than there will be at the home of the Cowboys this January.

Ten of the 15 players on the roster are from Texas. Maybe that is why they get along so well. The truth is, chemistry is one of the more elusive things in sports, and this team has it. The team took a preseason trip to Vancouver and spent a week in the Bahamas together last summer.

Coach Cross noticed something on those trips: “You could just see that they liked each other off the court, and I think you’re seeing that on the court.”

None of this early season success guarantees that they will make it to the “Big Dance,” but the Mavs have a real shot at winning the Sun Belt Conference and getting an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament aka “March Madness.”

If they do make it, I can already picture the celebration; it will look a lot like the one after they beat Memphis.

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

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817.860.6752, ext. 104 www.riverlegacy.org weddings@riverlegacy.org arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

79

Events, etc.

Itinerary

History, Mansfield-style

Your official Arlington/Mansfield/Kennedale/SW Grand Prairie guide to fun (and the like) Jan. 1-16 What: Ringside: Memories of World Class Championship Wrestling Where: University of Texas Arlington Library (702 Planetarium Place) When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

In a nutshell: The wrestlers. Their extravagant costumes. Overly exuberant fans yelling for their favorites. The referee who wasn’t entirely necessary. The old-time arenas that smelled of sweat. It’s the staple of World Class Championship Wrestling, and the focus of a new exhibit at The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Special Collections.

For more: (817) 272-3393 Jan 1-Feb. 21 What: Modern Masters from the Guild Hall Collection: Warhol, Pollock, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, de Kooning, Motherwell Where: Arlington Museum of Art (201 W. Main St.) When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday In a nutshell: This exhibition will feature work by 60 artists and explore traditional mediums of art from “outside the box” and show how the art world embraced the work that represents a movement that changed the face of fine art in America.

For more: arlingtonmuseum.org

Ron Paul to speak at UTA on Feb. 2

Ron Paul

Jan. 2-31 What: Planetarium Shows Where: University of Texas Arlington Planetarium (700 Planetarium Place) When: Check website for show times In a nutshell: The January schedule at one of North Texas’ premier planetariums features the following programs: “Season of Light,” “One World, One Sky,” “Cosmic Color,” “Laser Country,” “Laser Zeppelin,” and “Laser Pink Floyd.”

For more: uta.edu/planetarium/shows Jan. 2, 21, 23 What: University of Texas Arlington basketball Where: College Park Center When: See below for tipoff times In a nutshell: The UTA Mavericks’ men’s and women’s teams have home games this month against Georgia Southern (Jan. 2), Arkansas State (Jan. 21) and Little Rock (Jan. 23). Women’s games begin at 5 p.m., while the men’s games start at 7:15 p.m.

For more: utamavs.com Jan. 3 What: Dallas Cowboys football Where: AT&T Stadium When: Check website for game times In a nutshell: The Cowboys wrap up the regular season hosting their rivals, the Washington Redskins.

For more: dallascowboys.com Jan. 4-29 What: Grand Prairie Library Classes and Activities Where: Main Library (901 Conover Drive), Shotwell Library (2750 Graham St.) and 80

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

FORMER Congressman Ron Paul will be the featured guest at the next University of Texas Arlington Maverick Speakers Series program at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Texas Hall.

Paul enjoys a national reputation as a premier advocate for liberty in politics today. In addition to hosting the nationally syndicated podcast “Ron Paul’s America,” he has launched an online network, The Ron Paul Channel.

For more: utatickets.com

Warmack Library (760 Bardin Road) When: Check website for times and locations In a nutshell: This month, the Grand Prairie Libraries will host the following classes and activities: Book Babies Storytime; Read, Play, Learn; Toddler Time!; Pre-K & Kinder Ready Story Time; Crafting Saturday; Movie Showing: Selma, Lord, Selma; and Parent University: Elementary & Secondary Technology Resources.

For more: gptx.org Jan. 5-30 What: Mansfield Public Library Classes and Activities Where: Mansfield Public Library (104 S. Wisteria, Mansfield) When: Check website for times In a nutshell: The Mansfield Public Library offers the following classes and activities this month: Basic Computer Class, Creative Colors for Teens, Listener’s Story Time, Bilingual Story Time, Creative Colors for Adults, MPL 101: Learn How to Use the Library, Teen Xbox One Gaming, Story Time for Tots, Homeschool Art Club, Get Crafty @ The Mansfield Public Library, and As the Page Turns Adult Book Club.

For more: mansfieldtexas.gov Jan. 16 What: Beginner Bird Identification Workshop Where: Kennedale Municipal Office (405 Municipal Drive, Kennedale) When: 8-10 a.m.

In a nutshell: If you’re interested in learning more about identifying the birds you see around your home and community, this workshop is for you.

For more: (817) 985-2105 Do you have something our readers need to add to their Itinerary? Email it to yale@arlingtontoday.com.

Presents

Charity ball

Saturday, February 27, 2016 Walnut Creek Country Club 7:00 pm - Midnight Featuring the KING DAVID BAND Live & Silent Auctions • Heavy Hors d'oeuvres Cash Bar • Valet

THE

Black &White The

SAVE DATE

MANSFIELD CARES

SAVE DATE Saturday, February 27, 2016 THE

• DOORS AT 7:00 PM • • PROGRAM AT 7:30 PM • “Chinatown” performs at 8:00 PM At the Arlington Convention Center

To get the VIP treatment you deserve, reserve your tickets or table now at www.mansfieldcares.org Also, if you have any charitable donations you would like to make before the end of the year for tax purposes, please consider donating to Mansfield Cares.

Register or NOW ToToRegister or Donate Donate NOW! go to Go tomansfieldcares.org mansfieldcares.org

Mansfield Cares, 990 Hwy. 287 N. #106-185, Mansfield, TX 76063 Sponsorships Available $125 per person ($150 at the door)

Please RSVP at www.mansfieldcares.org by Feb. 9 or send check/cash to: Mansfield Cares, 990 Hwy. 287 N. #106-185 Mansfield, TX 76063 (817) 269-1915

“Back the Blue” Bash is sponsored and run by the Arlington Police Foundation, a 501 C-3 organization that works to do great things for Arlington’s police department. arlingtontoday.com • January 2016 • ARLINGTON TODAY

81

Finish Line

Mountaintop experience!

A winter wonderland – and so much more – awaits in the Rockies • By Richard Greene

O

ur family has made the two-day road trip into the splendor of the Rocky Mountains during Thanksgiving week for the past couple of years and found it a perfect way to usher in all the beauty and wonder of winter.

The destination for us is Silverthorne, Colo., which is right in the middle of all the reasons so many Texans find their way to the mountains every year.

From that strategic location, places like Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Vail, Beaver Creek and more are just 30 minutes away – depending, of course, on just how much snow falls on any given day. All those well-known places are where you will find the countless ski resorts that are the No. 1 reason Colorado holds ample opportucrowds gather there. nity for winter family fun, as the Greene clan discovered over While my wife and I are not the Thanksgiving holiday. among those who head for the slopes, some in the family are, and regardless of the wait time at the lifts, the thrill of the downhill run is well worth it.

Beyond skiing, however, there is so much more to enjoy.

We love hiking. Trails into the forests on the mountainside that weave beside lakes, streams and frozen waterfalls offer an experience that is quite different from the summertime version along the same trek.

In winter, there is the challenge of finding the ones that are open. Without snowshoes you will find yourself waist deep in the white stuff that covers the mountains, often for the entire winter.

But there are still plenty that are open and available to adventurous trekkers equipped with layers of winter attire that allow longer stays in the woods at temperatures below freezing.

We found the trail to Lily Pad Lake that took us into the Eagles Nest Wilderness. We trudged through thick stands of lodge pole pine and aspen, crossed some small streams and passed several beaver ponds.

Upon arrival at the lake, where the picture here was taken, we found it frozen over and remarked that we needed to return in the summer when we could sit and watch moose, elk and other White River Natural Forest creatures come and drink.

While the bears were hibernating, we did come across evidence of the mountain lions known to be active at this time of the 82

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2016 • arlingtontoday.com

year. Fresh remains of some kind of furry creature lay adjacent to the trail. While the carnage was a little off-putting, we were reminded of nature’s forces at work in the wilderness.

Back in civilization, there is the opportunity for endlessly exploring the shops and stores, ranging from the big outlet mall in downtown Silverthorne to the quaint storefronts and cafes in the small towns, where retail activity is the whole economy.

One of our favorites is Idaho Springs where, history records, the Colorado gold rush began in 1859. Today it is the most populous town in the county, counting just over 1,700 residents. It is about halfway between Denver and Silverthorne and lies, as you might expect, in the valley of Clear Creek Canyon just off Interstate 70. Even though its main street is only about five blocks long, a “quick stop” can easily turn into a half-day experience.

About 10 minutes from the neighborhood where we stayed during the week is Frisco with perhaps the most picturesque main street anywhere in the mountains.

The shops carry the works of artisans from the area and antiques that take you back to the days of life in the mountains before the tourism boom that surrounds the town today.

Frisco is also where you can find Adventure Park offering tubing, beginner skiing, Tumble Bubbles, sleigh rides and more fun for everyone in the family.

Every day, we found the experience of sitting by the fireplace, playing family games and enjoying the accommodations of a mountain home where looking out the windows in any direction was worth the trip all by itself. The cover photo of this month’s edition is a good example of one of our views.

It’s little wonder that among all the common experiences, crossing paths with fellow Texans is a certainty no matter where you go in the mountains of Colorado.

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

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