January 2020

January 2020

your community • your magazine

Today

YOU BELONG!

The YMCA’s Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Global Engagement Service

PY1 Brings a New Form of Entertainment to Arlington, Straight from Montreal

T

The pyramid-shaped venue blends music, art and technology to create powerful multimedia experiences in its U.S. premier

hirty-five years after Cirque Du Soleil, its co-founder Guy Laliberté explores new formats of entertainment once again. Only this time, instead of the tent, it’s a travelling, pyramid-shaped venue that is home to what Laliberté says is a lab for new multimedia experiences.

Now through February at Globe Life Park, PY1 – an 81-foot-tall pyramid that blends music, art and technology with powerful storytelling – will bring unique multimedia shows and vibrant thematic nights to the DallasFort Worth Metroplex. Equipped with massive screens, 126 speakers, 32 projectors, 948 lights and 39 lasers, the entirely new entertainment concept presents highly immersive shows for visitors of all ages.

From Lune Rouge Entertainment, the first custom multimedia production for the pyramid, Through the Echoes, is a 50-minute unique experience that takes visitors on a technological and emotional odyssey through space and time. Surrounded by lasers, 360° projections, kinetic aerial stage elements, atmospheric special effects, grandiose lightscapes and powerful sound, spectators are encouraged to explore the pyramid in a dream-like experience.

A new show for the entire family, Stella – The Time Machine Journey, is a 40-minute participatory multimedia show that encourages kids and their families to move and dance together in the biggest time machine ever built. Imaginations run wild as lights, sound and three co-pilots create an unforgettable adventure for the whole family.

On the weekends, PY1 Nights take over the pyramid, presenting a series of wonder-inspiring thematic worlds. The venue transforms into a gigantic dancefloor as party-goers discover, night after night, different themes like Candy World and Astral Plane. Guests are

invited to dress the part, as specially curated music, from electronic, open-format and hip-hop is played by a mix of local DJs and international guest artists. Enhanced by 360-degree projections and theatrical signature moments, creativity and curiosity run free as visitors discover the mysteries that await all who enter.

“PY1 is a marvel of technology and a playground for a new kind of entertainment,” said Stéphane Mongeau, the chief executive officer and executive producer of Lune Rouge Entertainment.

“But the heart of our custom-produced multimedia universe is the talent of some of the world’s greatest storytellers.”

The versatile, technologicallyadvanced venue, which offers capacity for up to 1,000, can also be customized as a spectacular backdrop for special events or corporate activation. A truly exceptional Through the Echoes opportunity to celebrate the New Year and to discover the PY1 pyramid before it moves to its next city.

Tickets for Through the Echoes are available now at PY1.com and Ticketmaster and start at $40.50. Tickets for Stella – The Time Machine journey start at $23.50. PY1 Nights kick-off on New Year’s Eve and Stella tickets start at $43 to ring in the new year, and $27 on other nights. Corporate events and group ticket pricing are also available. For more: www.py1.com.

Use Code 20PY1 to receive a 20% savings on peak and non-peak performances from December 31, 2019 through to February 1, 2020. Valid online, via phone or at the box office. The offer price for peak performance is $38.75 and the offer price for non-peak performance is $32.40. https://www.ticketmaster.com.

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OPENING NIGHT SPONSORED BY

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Presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Services

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ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

FACT:

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

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

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CONTENTS January 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 1

24

SPECIAL SECTION: New Year, New You! See page 42

40

50

65

HIGHLIGHTS 22 You belong! ... The YMCA’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and global

DEPARTMENTS Starting Line 8 • This ‘n Data 10 Scene 20, 60, 66 • Around Town 20 Style 48 • Bulletin Board 70 Keen Cuisine 72 • Hot Spots 74 Sights/Sounds 76 • Speaking of Sports 78 Itinerary 80 • Finish Line 82

engagement service.

24 Onward & upward ... The city council gives the go-ahead to an $810 million development project in the Entertainment District.

26 Focus on real estate ... Meet some of the people and companies that take care of commercial and residential property needs.

34 Home SWEET! Home ... You’ll be impressed with the way this dwelling’s “before” pictures turned into “after” images that ring with style.

40 The Kids Zone... This program offered by the Mansfield Parks & Recreation Department is a win/win deal for parents and children.

50 A storied vehicle ... An unplanned acquisition nets Lee Jackson a classic with a history.

54 A+ ... As schools head to the spring semester, we tip our hats to scholastic achievements done and to come.

62 Tornado warning ... A couple of notable storm chasers will be the featured speakers at January’s Arlington on Tap.

63 Revolutionary ... Orangetheory Fitness is taking the personal workout to a new level.

ON THE COVER Kim Tran (Associate Director of Community Development), Eric Tucker (President & CEO) and Heidi Hardy (VP of Community Engagement) of the Arlington Mansfield Area YMCA

See page 22 6

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

64 Comin’ back for seconds ... Ten years after helping Prince Lebanese Grill become an iconic local eatery, The Food Network makes a return visit.

65 Engaging with nature ... Why River Legacy Park (and all that it represents) is one of this writer’s favorite locations in Arlington.

Maverick Speakers Series Spring 2020

VIVEK WADHWA

COMMON AN EVENING WITH COMMON 7:30 P.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 11, COLLEGE PARK CENTER Common, the American hip-hop recording artist, actor, film

NAVIGATING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AT LIGHT SPEED 7:30 P.M. THURSDAY, MARCH 26, TEXAS HALL

producer, poet, and activist from Chicago, is renowned for his

An entrepreneur, academic, author, and keynote speaker, Vivek

work in films and television and his influence on hip-hop culture.

Wadhwa focuses his research on critical advances in robotics,

As an actor, he is known for his role in the film Selma and his

artificial intelligence, computing, synthetic biology, 3D printing,

recurring part in the Showtime series The Chi. He also starred

medicine, and nanomaterials, and on how these are creating

in the animated Warner Bros’ comedy Smallfoot and the

disruptive changes for companies, industries, governments, and

film The Hate U Give.

the culture at large.

He was nominated for an Oscar, a Grammy, and an NAACP

Wadhwa is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and at

Image Award for his song “Stand Up for Something.”

Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering.

Common has received 16 Grammy nominations, winning three.

In 2011, he launched Think Common Entertainment, his own record label.

His syndicated column for The Washington Post is one of the world’s most popular columns on all things technology and innovation. His newest bestselling book is Your Happiness Was Hacked: Why Tech Is Winning the Battle to Control Your Brain— and How to Fight Back.

• General admission tickets for both events are $5 each.

• Get preferential treatment with the preferred seating package for $35. The package includes reserved parking, front-of-stage seating, and front-of-the-line access to the autograph/book signing.

• For Common’s appearance, a $100 VIP package provides a pre-event reception with the artist and reserved seating.

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UTA.EDU

STARTING LINE

EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Publisher Judy M. Rupay

I LIFT MY GLASS

CEO Richard Greene

Here’s to the best city and region you can find!

F

or those keeping score at home, this is the 74th edition of Arlington Today. I think it might be the best one yet; however, I should probably note that one of my colleagues says I make that claim following every issue.

If I do that, I do that because, some six and a half years since we started celebrating the Arlington area, I still fervently believe in the cause. And I know the folks with whom I work take immense pride in knowing that we represent what is, for all practical purposes, the publication of record for a city and region that is as passionate and compassionate as any you’ll find. It’s easy to strive to be better with each step when your path is laden with fellow strivers, the likes of which occupy offices, practices and work sites from one end of the city limits to the other – in every direction.

As the calendar turns to introduce a new year – and, for that matter, a new decade – I’m eager to see where the collective resolve of this community’s residents takes this Yale Youngblood community in the coming years.

Our story about the resoundingly significant new Editor development that soon will be in the works in the Entertainment District (see page 26) and my colleague Richard Greene’s analysis of its place in local history and its potential role in defining the future (see page 82) suggest that continued success is in the offing. It’s amazing what like-minded, forwardthinking people can accomplish when they walk arm in arm toward a goal. Those walking here have consistently shown the uncanny knack for turning “can do” into “done.”

And in the very near future, when someone asks what Arlington has done ... well, they won’t have to ask. They can simply look at how the expanse of land that used to surround The Ballpark in Arlington has been filled with two more stadiums and a state-of-the-art entertainment venue and a pair of luxury hotels and business and residential meccas that will comprise a corporate testament to the kindred fervor that defines our fair burg.

Six and a half years and 73 issues ago, we began to chronicle the evolution of that definition.

We commenced to sharing who moves and shakes, who grooves and bakes. We initiated a quest to share what lies at the heart of a city and region and how it manifests in business successes and in recreational endeavors and in academic achievements and in athletic victories and in the simplest acts of kindness.

And how, over time, those manifestations ceased to be isolated incidents, but, rather, became the very identity of Arlington and the area that surrounds it.

I’ll go ahead and ‘fess up: I probably do claim following every edition of this magazine that it’s better than any of its predecessors. I certainly want it to be, because I feel an obligation to live up to that proclamation every time I sit down to prepare for the next issue.

Happy New Year, Arlington. May it be your best one yet!

yale@arlingtontoday.com

Visit arlingtontoday.com, like us on Facebook 8

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

and follow us on Twitter

and Instagram

EDITORIAL Editor Yale Youngblood Contributing Editors Sara Pintilie, Marla Thomas Sports Columnist John Rhadigan Style Editor Tricia Schwartz Website & Social Media Manager Bailey Woodard Contributing Graphic Artists Francisco Cuevas, Susan Darovich Contributing Writers O.K. Carter, Karen Gavis, Bob Kowalski, Kenneth Perkins, Toni Randle Cook Contributing Photographers Hasson Diggs, Dwayne Lee, Heather Lee, Bruce Maxwell, Toni Randle Cook SALES / CIRCULATION Business Manager Bridget Dean Sales Managers Laura DiStefano, Amy Lively, Andrea Proctor, Debbie Roach, Tricia Schwartz Distribution Manager Hanna Areksoussi PRODUCTION Production Manager Susan Darovich ARLINGTON TODAY is published monthly.

Copyright 2020 Arlington Today, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without permission of the publisher. The inclusion of advertising is considered a service to readers and is not an endorsement of products.

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

• Phone number: (817) 303-3304

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

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

Trust. Methodist.

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

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

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THIS ‘N DATA

Ties that bind Etiquette class teaches young boys the ins and outs of politeness

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hroughout 2019, the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department hosted the My Little Gentleman Etiquette Class, a fun and interactive event where boys ages 5-12 come to learn good manners, grooming and other etiquette skills that help them grow into polite young men.

My Little Gentleman participants learn etiquette like proper handshakes, eye contact and respectful behavior for formal occasions. The class covers various grooming items and techniques such as using soap, deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste and combing hair, as well as why each of these is important for growing Arlington Parks and Recreation Director boys. After all the boys rotate through each Lemuel Randolph shows how to properly lesson, they take place in a graduation-style tie a tie. ceremony with parents in attendance.

One highlight of the event was a special visit from Arlington Parks and Recreation Director Lemuel Randolph, who helped the boys learn how to tie a tie and gave each participant a proper handshake as they received their Little Gentleman certificates.

The classes are led by Recreation Program Coordinator Jheron Thompson, who says he is excited to have an opportunity to lead these young men.

Photo: City of Arlington “I think this class is very unique because not only do we not have another class like this in our community, but we are providing positive opportunities for our youth,” Thompson says. “Being able to provide, learn and grow together is extremely beautiful. Our community needs more leaders that aren’t afraid to take on the challenge. With this class, I have genuinely accepted that role.”

So far, APRD has hosted five classes with a total of 76 boys in attendance across all classes.

The class capacity is currently at 25, but there is a possibility of expanding that number to 30 due to the high enrollment. For more: shorturl.at/bfAP9.

#atpetofthemonth This is little sweet Kali. She is seven years old and is my little saving grace now that my youngest has gone to college.

She has the sweetest and funniest little spirit and soul.

–

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RJ Newman

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

RAISE YOUR HAND if you ate at Al and Thelma Matthews’ hamburger restaurant on Collins Street after it opened in 1957. If you did, you might recall some interesting patrons there – the location was so remote the Matthewses had to shoo cows off the drive-in parking. They closed that store in 1986, but re-opened a new hamburger store further north on Collins in 1989. (Thanks to the Arlington Historical Society for this nugget.)

Mansfield Mayor Cook will run for a seat in the Texas House

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ansfield Mayor David L. Cook announced last month that he has filed to run for the Texas House of Representatives District 96, which, according to Texas law, triggers an automatic resignation as mayor.

However, Cook also announced he would continue to serve his duties as mayor until such time as his successor is sworn in.

David L. Cook Cook was first elected as Mansfield’s mayor in 2008 and has led the city for more than a decade. In addition to his duties in local government, he is a partner at the award-winning law firm, Harris Cook, LLP.

Dr. Sheri Puffer

Dr. Joy Carter

Dr. Joan Bergstrom

Dr. Jessica Brown

Dr. Kiran Nangrani

Dr. Dawnette Peppler

Women’s Health Services now provides patient care in two locations in Arlington. We also provide state-of-the-art maternity care in the newly renovated labor and delivery suites at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital (THAM). THAM is ranked among the best hospitals in Dallas-Fort Worth, and was awarded American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet status, an award that recognizes hospitals that provide nursing excellence.

Women’s Health Services has been providing quality health care for women of all ages for the past 32 years. Our OB/GYN group been recognized in the community for its reputable and thoughtful care. In 2017, Women’s Health Services won Suburban Parent Magazines’ award for Best of Family Healthcare in Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as DFW Child Magazine’s Mom-Approved Doctors award for OB/GYN. Women’s Health Services’ doctors provide full OB/GYN services and are skilled in managing all aspects of women’s health care, such as normal and high-risk pregnancy care, gynecologic surgery, incontinence treatment, annual exams, and contraceptive and hormone therapy needs. Visit our new website and make your appointments online at www.womenshealthservices.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!

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South Office:

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5005 S. Cooper St, Suite 275 Arlington, TX 76017

Phone 817-277-9415 • Fax 817-277-0360 Email info@womenshealthservices.com

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THIS ‘N DATA

T

he University of Texas at Arlington’s online Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program recently was ranked as the best in the nation by College Rank.

“This recognition is another example of the commitment to excellence and impact of the programs offered by UTA,” says Elizabeth Merwin, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CoNHI). “I’m extremely proud of the work our faculty does to promote student success and ensure we address critical workforce needs in our communities.”

According to College Rank, online bachelor program rankings are based on three factors: potential salary after graduation, individual program accreditation and overall affordability.

Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the National Center for Education Statistics.

The impact of UTA’s graduates in the workforce is reflected across the nation, but especially in North Texas. UTA partners with many area hospitals—such as Medical City Arlington, Texas Health Resources, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health—to fulfill patient care needs in surrounding communities and beyond.

UTA’s online nursing degree program is named best in nation

Now that the final piece of structural steel has been installed at Globe Life Field, the ballpark is nearly 90-percent complete. A recent fire is not expected to delay the park’s opening.

Photo: Texas Rangers

Progress report Despite blaze, Globe Life Field is approaching 90-percent completion and will open as scheduled

T

he opening of Globe Life Field – the new ballpark for the Texas Rangers – isn’t expected to be delayed after a fire damaged about 2,000 square feet near the roof, construction officials said last month.

The final piece of structural steel had been installed on the retractable roof on the west side of the site days before the blaze, and construction officials said the fire won’t represent a setback for the opening of the structure, which is approaching 90 percent completion.

The fire started when sparks from welding work ignited combustible materials being stored in a sub-roof area on one of the upper floors at Globe Life Field, fire officials said.

The official groundbreaking for Globe Life Field took place on Sept.

28, 2017 with construction beginning the following week. The new 1.8 million-square-foot ballpark will seat approximately 40,300 fans and is scheduled to open in March 2020. HKS is the design architect for the project.

Prairie Paws Adoption Center will host vaccination clinics on Saturdays this month

P Photo: City of Arlington

University of Texas at Arlington nursing students practice treating a mock patient.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

rairie Paws Adoption Center (2222 W. Warrior Trail, Grand Prairie) will host Low-Cost Pet Vaccination Clinics from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25.

The Clinic’s Penny Paws will be onsite to provide low-cost vaccinations for Rover, Daisy or ... (fill in the blank with your favorite pet name).

Prices for a variety of vaccinations range from $15 for a one-year rabies vaccination to $138 for a premier vaccination package that covers virtually every vaccination a dog could need.

For more: pennypaws.com.

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THIS ‘N DATA

3 Scoops 1. Hunter Pence, last year a Texas Ranger and a University of Texas at Arlington alumnus, is teaming with the Texas Trees Foundation to plant 100 trees at his former elementary school here in The American Dream City.

Pence is asking the community to help him raise $35,000 so the Texas Trees Foundation can build a Cool Schools Green Learning Environment at J.B. Little Elementary in Arlington. For more: pledgeit.org/texastrees.

2. The Mexican National Soccer Team will return to AT&T Stadium Sunday, March 29. The team is expected to bring its top roster as the game will be played during the March FIFA dates. The opponent and kickoff time will be announced at a later date. Tickets for the match are available via MexTour.org.

3. Crews recently began work on the installation of a new traffic signal at Mansfield’s Heritage Parkway and Commerce Drive, the street that connects to the U.S. 287 southbound frontage road. The first phase, which will include the pavement and curb improvements, is expected to take about four weeks. Traffic signal installation will begin in early January and take approximately two months. There will be intermittent lane closures during this time.

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Arlington students in grades three through six are eligible to participate in the 2020 Animal Essay Contest.

The write stuff

Deadline to enter annual animal essay contest is this month

S

tudents in grades three through six can participate in the 2020 Animal Essay Contest, entries for which must be submitted between Jan. 13-17. The annual Animal Essay Contest is open to all students residing in Arlington city limits in the aforementioned grades who attend either public, private or home school.

Original essays that are submitted should be 500 words or less and must be typed or handwritten. There are new essay topics and requirements this year.

Essay Topics Grade 3: If you could make up a holiday for animals, what holiday would it be and how would you celebrate it?

Grade 4: How do you think animals communicate with people?

Grade 5: If you could make one rule for the world to follow about animals and everyone had to follow it…what would that rule be?

Grade 6: In 2060, how will animal shelters be different than they are today?

For more information on essay topics, contest rules and requirements, visit arlingtontx.gov/ animal/essaycontest.

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Arlington PD honored for Night Out Campaign

T

he Arlington Police Department was awarded third place in the National Association of Town Watch program that honors communities for participation in the National Night Out Campaign.

In early October, Arlington PD hosted National Night Out with over 252 neighborhood parties celebrating together throughout the city. “Our community increased the number of parties by 41 this year, thereby enhancing citizen engagement efforts which are at the core of our geographic policing philosophy,” Police Chief Will Johnson says.

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Takeout available. Fax 817.226.3474 arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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PICTURE-PERFECT MOMENTS

SCENE Snapshots from the Arlington Board of REALTORS ® installation ceremony and from recent Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce events Dixon R. Holman is sworn in as the 2020 Chairman of the Arlington Board of REALTORS ®.

Cindi Bulla addresses the crowd at the Arlington Board of REALTORS ® installation event.

Photos courtesy or Dixon R. Holman

Dixon R. Holman and Mayor Jeff Williams

Here’s a group shot of the new Chairman, fellow real estate professionals and guests at the installation ceremony.

Photo: Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce

Rod MacDonald, Nina Henderson, Joanne Harney Justice, Carolyn McNabb and Rich Frazier at the installation event

Mission Arlington / Mission Metroplex Executive Director Tillie Burgin and Greater Arlington Chamber President & CEO Michael Jacobson loading collected toys.

For more great SCENE shots, visit arlingtontoday.com Photos: Southern Flair Photography

The Chamber recently took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Pecan Park Dental.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

The Chamber recently celebrated the ribbon cutting at the Canales Furniture Outlet Store.

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19

AROUND TOWN

OUT OF THE SHADOWS CILR is making quite an impact. You just don’t know it yet • By Kenneth Perkins

M

embership of the Community Influence Leaders Roundtable (CILR) is predominately African-American, but don’t call it an African-American organization.

Some of the notables invited to address CILR’s monthly gatherings might be staunch politicians, yet it doesn’t fancy itself as some stringpulling political congruent.

It has been hanging around since 2014, yet seeking to pin it down as some ominous backroom Kingmaker would be both off the mark and, I would suspect, acutely insulting.

Slowly, meticulously, methodically, CILR is peeking out from the shadows, revealing itself, as if following some sort of coming-of-age sacrament.

Makes sense. When a handful of city somebodies, led in part by Chaplain Richmond Stoglin, were piecing together an assemblage of what one might call “forward thinkers” interested in promoting economic inclusiveness in Arlington, the vision of what/how/where wasn’t all that clear, and Stoglin would be the first to admit it. So they moved along eagerly though gingerly, dotting the i’s and crossing t’s before they needed to.

When former Mayor Richard Greene was invited to speak to the group a couple years back he was satisfyingly surprised, starting with the notion that very few happenings in Arlington get past him, yet here’s something that did.

Crept by me, too.

Wanting to know more, I went to see Chaplain Stoglin. Towering and commanding, with a booming voice; thick, salt n’ pepper mustache and sly smile, Stoglin is a retired Navy guy who lives with his wife in a warm and cozy home tucked away on a cul-de-sac just south of I-20.

We’re sitting at a kitchen table, and Stoglin is pulling out strategic plans and meeting minutes and membership lists, all of which are fine, but it isn’t until Stoglin is ready to share that I learn that CILR is acutely connected as an Arlington Chamber of Commerce-hosted committee with the full backing of CEO and President Michael Jacobson.

As such, they share the principal characteristics of our fair city reaching its full economic potential.

Let me break through the high-minded speak here: cities understand that inclusiveness – getting everybody in the mix – is not just the right thing but awfully smart. We don’t have to look at data to show inclusiveness has a tangible impact on the bottom line, whatever that

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

bottom line might be. And that’s exactly what CILR is about.

What Stoglin preaches is that there’s a sharp variance in diversity and inclusiveness. A diverse room matters little if the unique perspectives that make up that diversity aren’t being heard and, more importantly, don’t feel a sense of respect, empowerment or true sense of belonging.

That’s the key. Cities are made up of human beings with various gifts and talents, but if those gift and talents are stopped at the door, it severely limits a city’s chief social and economic resource.

CILR meets regularly to discuss issues related to the economic and social development of the city.

That folks like Lisa Thompson, Theron Bowman, Curvie Hawkins Jr., Tarrick McGuire and Michael Glaspie are involved gives it sustenance. They have been quite instrumental in increasing the diversity of the city boards, commissions and committees.

They do it by being a sort of way station of talent for people to select from, although that might be a too simplistic way of putting it. The heavy lifting is this voice that has been instrumental in a number Chaplain Rich Stoglin of Arlington doings, such as making sure the New Arlington (Rangers ballpark, Texas Live!, etc.) has minority contractor representation.

As head of the Arlington Chamber and former director of Intel’s Corporate Responsibility Office, Jacobson finds it easy to see eye to eye with Stoglin.

“If we are going to champion the mission of economic and community prosperity,” Jacobson says, “everyone in Arlington has to have the ability to benefit from economic growth that is occurring.”

Now certainly there are those who push social justice over economic justice. To Stoglin and his group, there’s no either/or.

Getting economic issues under control can certainly help with the social ones.

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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COVER STORY

I

f you’ve paid a visit lately to any of the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA locations, you’ve likely noticed that the organization is undergoing something of a metamorphosis. No, check that.

What’s happening at the Y – at your Y – isn’t simply a transition; it’s a revolution, inspired by revelation and driven by resolution.

Over the past year and a half, YMCA President/CEO Eric Tucker and the Y’s Board of Directors have launched a project called the

dramatically over the years. Tucker and the YMCA board took notice and have made it Priority One to craft their organization not only to acknowledge the various changes, but to embrace them.

At the grassroots level, Y officials began seeking the input of those they serve and hope to serve and started creating viable services for members and for the community at large, based on what they learned.

“We’ve been able to engage over 40 volunteers throughout the

YOU BELONG! The YMCA’s Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Global Engagement Service DIG Initiative. The “D” in the acronym celebrates diversity, the “I” emphasizes inclusion, and the “G” represents global engagement.

Another explanation is a tad more concise (and just as accurate): The Y + DIG = something for YOU, whoever YOU are.

“What DIG is, is intentionality of being a diverse organization and being welcoming of all,” Tucker says. “The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life working side by side to strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility – they guide everything we do.”

Tucker says local Y leaders’ decision to become part of the innovative project was born from the aforementioned revelation: Demographically speaking, the Arlington/Mansfield area has evolved

22

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

community who really represent all segments of the people who live in Arlington and Mansfield.” Tucker says. “What we’ve done is we’ve broken down how we’ve engaged volunteers in the six key areas. We’ve looked at how we want to engage members, programs, leadership development, collaboration – so what kind of organizations and things we can reach out to? – resource mobilization – so, how do we raise money to support the programs? – and then brand and visibility.”

On the latter front, for example, the fruits of the research helped define an ongoing Y project. The Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA has a $1.6 million renovation in the works at its North Branch. All of the signage is in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The reason? The volunteers noted that many people in the Y service area speak those languages.

The research conducted as part of the DIG Initiative hasn’t been confined to this region, however. Last March, Tucker joined other

YMCA volunteers on a trip to Vietnam, where the AMA YMCA has a partnership with the Y in Saigon. The local contingent built schools with other YMCAs in Southern Vietnam – and, in the process, became better aware of the ways of their new friends in the region.

Five more local Y representatives will return to Southeast Asia this spring, and Tucker says the ventures have five-part plan this year, highlighted by the following actions: served and will serve to help the Arlington-Mansfield Y better address • It will participate in the U.S. Census Bureau’s community-wide the needs of the Vietnamese population in Arlington and Mansfield. effort to make sure that everyone is counted.

“We have Vietnamese members, but not at the level we could. The • It will purchase a percentage of all goods and services from population here is huge,” Tucker says, noting that the trip last year women- and minority-owned businesses. and the one planned for this year accomplish a variety of purposes.

• It will target new community organizations and partner with them.

In addition to the tangible benefits born from one community • It will serve as a community space for all faiths and include new helping another, trip participants from the local Y come back home programs tailored to address the needs of the people who meet there. with a better understanding of one segment of the populace that it • It will continue to participate in and deepen involvement with the seeks to serve – and now crafts programs that attract new members Vietnam World Service trip by inviting five key staff and volunteers to and create interest in the Y from prospective new members. attend the 2020 trip noted earlier.

That kind of global engagement Tucker says the Arlington-Mansfield is one element of the “For All” that Area YMCA also will establish is at the heart of both DIG and the THE DIG PROGRAM is a huge expansion a Diversity, Inclusion & Global Y’s quest to better meet the needs of the Y’s mission to serve the entire Engagement Committee that will meet of its community. “‘For all’ is a community by bringing together individuals quarterly to ensure that DIG goals are simple but powerful phrase,” Tucker of all different walks of life and furthering being met, including the advancement says. “Without it, the Y mission is their knowledge and tolerance for each of one level in each of the DIG incomplete. Our commitment to other. It’s a very ambitious endeavor that progressions steps. inclusion creates better communities, Collaborations will be at the heart a better country and a better world.” can have far-reaching results in all of our of this year’s implementation of the In turn, it also produces a local different communities in a non-sectarian DIG Initiative. “Collaborations with organization that is better prepared way. We all fear the unknown, and hopefully diverse global and local community and equipped to fulfill the mission this program will help bridge that gap with partners expand our reach and impact,” the YMCA has embraced since understanding.

Tucker says. “Engaging in meaningful it was founded in 1844: to put – Board Member, Val Gibson partnerships and facilitating Christian principles into practice collaborations among organizations through programs that build healthy with common goals positions the Y as a spirit, mind and body for all. convener that brings together individuals, organizations, communities “We know that the key to effectively nurturing the potential and the world.” of children, improving the community’s health and well-being The local Y has long been involved in community collaboration and supporting our neighbors is a passionate, experienced and efforts, but the new emphasis has expanded the list of partnerships diverse array of staff, volunteers and members who value what to nearly four dozen entities. The roster runs the gamut, from the everyone brings to the table,” Tucker says.

Arlington Parks & Recreation Department to Mission Arlington, To help define just who everyone is, the local Y is implementing a arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

23

(10 percent), Hindus (7 percent) and the religiously unaffiliated from the Arlington and Mansfield Independent School Districts (14 percent) comprise the largest groups. to the Miracle League, from the Rotary Club to places of worship, • 9 million U.S. adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or such as The Fields Church. transgender.

Tucker says one of the newer alliances, born from the decision • 30 percent of LGBTQ youths have attempted suicide. to invest time and resources in Vietnam, is with the US Pan • 45.3 million people live in poverty in the U.S. Asian Chamber of Commerce-Southwest. “We helped start the Tucker says the local organization is committed not only to Dragon Boat Festival last year at Viridian,” he says. “That was a digesting these new norms and others like them, but to creating direct result of conversations we had around [the AMA YMCA’s a local YMCA that is ready, willing engagements in Asia].” and able to provide programs and Tucker says many of the Y services that appropriately address partnerships are founded and are WE STARTED PARTNERING with the Y urgencies outlined in the data. able to flourish because people in 10 years ago because of their Christian “Reaching new members requires this region have enthusiastically heritage and their obvious commitment understanding those who live embraced the local organization’s to serving everyone in our community as in our community and engaging commitment to the DIG Initiative. seen in the diversity of its members. This them according to their needs,” “The community engagement gave us the perfect opportunity to help he says. “[To do that], we consider has been awesome,” he says, the cultural and social issues adding that he is impressed by them lift high the “C” of YMCA in Arlington facing all segments of society, from how other local organizations have and Mansfield, as well as in places like newcomer/immigrants to LGBTQ also recognized the evolution of Vietnam in 2019. DIG helps us keep individuals, implement inclusive the populace in this area and share diversity at the forefront of everything policies and practices that ensure the Y’s yearning to address specific we are doing so that as many people as success for all, and intentionally needs and refine strategies that possible are included in our outreach, here recruit and retain members who serve the most people accordingly. and around the globe! reflect and build bridges between Here are some statistics all segments of society.” provided by the YMCA that – Bryan Sloan, Pastor, The Fields Church In other words – actually, in depict the changing landscape essence – Tucker, the Board, the throughout much of America – volunteers and the members are working in concert to create a including here – and that underscore the importance of measures YMCA that is, indeed, “for all.” such as DIG: “One of the quotes I like is ‘Diversity is being asked to the • 13 percent of the U.S. population is foreign-born. party. Inclusion is being asked to dance,’” Tucker says.

• Between 2010 and 2050, the Asian population in the U.S. will Arlington and Mansfield, would you like to dance? grow by 134 percent.

• More than 60 million speak a language other than English at home.

• By 2050, 22 percent of the U.S. population will be 65+.

GET INVOLVED! • The number of people identifying as multi-racial increased If you are interested in supporting us by donating, volunteering or by 32 percent from 2000 to 2010. becoming an advocate to YMCA’s Annual Support Campaign, email Heidi • 39 percent of immigrants identify as non-Christian. Muslims Hardy at Heidih@amaymca.org or call her at 817-299-9629, ext. 1600.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

DEVELOPMENT This rendering shows how the finished development will transform the city’s Entertainment District.

A

rlington continues to build on its unprecedented economic momentum with a planned $810 million expansion of the Entertainment District, which would add a best-inclass hotel brand, new convention center, corporate office headquarters, a mixed-use residential building, small business coworking and incubator space, and even more dining, retail, and entertainment options for residents and visitors alike in The American Dream City.

Last month, the Arlington City Council entered into a public-private partnership over a 30-year period to facilitate the transformative development project, which will further strengthen Arlington’s convention and tourism opportunities and create new revenue, housing and jobs for the community.

The expansion is a continuation of the strong publicprivate partnership between the City of Arlington, the Texas Rangers, Loews Hotels & Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Loews Corporation (NYSE: L), and The Cordish Companies.

The expansion will consist of: • A $550 million, 888-room Loews Arlington Hotel with 1,500 parking spaces. The hotel would be connected to a new Arlington Convention Center, which will offer 216,000 square feet of meeting and outdoor function space.

• A mixed-use residential building with 280 units and 100,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and Spark coworking and incubator space, which will help grow and support small businesses.

• A planned 200,000-square-foot corporate office headquarters in the Arlington Entertainment District.

“It’s another great day in Arlington, as we continue to build on the economic momentum in our world-class Entertainment District,” says Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. “When Loews Hotels & Co, The Cordish Companies, the Texas Rangers and the City of Arlington all come together on a project, there’s no limit to the dreams we can realize here in The American Dream City. This project and the recent National Medal of Honor Museum will add significantly to the city’s sales tax revenue, allow us to continue to keep our taxes among the lowest in the area and provide the quality services our residents have come to expect with minimal public investment.”

This expansion is the next phase of a greater City council gives the go-ahead to an $810 million $4 billion vision by the City of Arlington, Texas development project in the Entertainment District Rangers, The Cordish Companies and Loews Hotels & Co that began with the $250 million Texas Live!, which opened August 2018, and Live! by Loews Hotel which opened in August 2019. Together, along with • An additional public garage with 1,900 parking spaces. the Rangers’ new Globe Life Field, the total investment of new The expansion would bring these partners’ total investment in development by the partnership totals over $2.25 billion. The new Arlington, which includes the new Texas Live! and Live! by Loews – mixed-use project will be a major economic engine to the area and is Arlington Hotel, to more than $1 billion.

Onward & upward

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Major League Baseball, and the development projects announced this evening are another very exciting addition to the area.”

“It is an honor for The Cordish Companies to continue our partnership with the City of Arlington, the Texas Rangers and Loews Hotels & Co to deliver a transformative project for Arlington,” says Blake Cordish, principal of The Cordish Companies. “Loews is one of the preeminent hoteliers in North America and a leader in the convention and meetings industry.

The expansion of Arlington’s Entertainment District, anchored by the new Loews Arlington Hotel and Arlington Convention Center, will create a vibrant mixed-use development and will cement Arlington as one of the leading premier sports, entertainment, culture, hospitality and tourism destinations in the country.”

The $550 million Loews Arlington Hotel marks the largest investment the company has made to date, outside of Orlando, Fla., where Loews operates and owns (50%) soon-to-be eight hotels as a joint venture with Comcast NBC Universal.

Image courtesy of the City of Arlington The mixed-use residential building is expected to create a unique lifestyle experience as one of the premier facilities of its kind in the country. It will overlook the Texas expected to generate approximately $1.8 billion in economic benefits Rangers North Plaza and will offer residents an urban lifestyle in the to Arlington and Tarrant County. heart of the Entertainment District.

The new development is being hailed by all the principals.

Leveraging The Cordish Companies’ expertise in hospitality “As an owner and operator, Loews Hotels has the advantage and entertainment, the building will give residents one-of-a-kind of deciding when and where we build hotels. For us to invest amenities and services on par with the finest upscale residences in significant capital in the new $550 million Loews Arlington Hotel, the United States. demonstrates our belief in the great city of Arlington, Texas,” The expansion of the Entertainment District will also include says Jonathan Tisch, chairman & CEO, Loews Hotels & Co. “We the aforementioned 100,000 square feet of first- class retail and look forward to continuing our partnership with the City, The entertainment space, as well as a small business coworking and Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies, and are confident incubator space – Spark. Spark will support the growing Arlington that with the addition of Loews Arlington, the destination will and North Texas entrepreneurial community, placing members receive national prominence and recognition for hotels and within close proximity to hundreds of successful businesses, dining lodging as AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field did for sports and and hotel options and entertainment. entertainment.”

Spark launched its initial venue in the heart of Baltimore’s Inner “The Texas Rangers are proud to call Arlington our home as the Harbor in 2016, undergoing four expansions in its first four years. city and its leaders continue to create one of the nation’s premier Today, Spark Baltimore supports more than 165 companies and 470 sports and entertainment destinations,” says Texas Rangers Coindividual members. Spark will open in Arlington with the same Chairman and Managing Partner Ray Davis. “We want to thank our commitment to become an integral part of the entrepreneurial great partners, Loews Hotels & Co and The Cordish Companies for ecosystem of the city and region, providing first-class amenities to sharing our vision for the Arlington Entertainment District. With its its members. opening next March, Globe Life Field will be the finest ballpark in arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

27

FOCUS ON REAL ESTATE

Local real estate news & notes Dixon R. Holman installed as Chairman of the Arlington Board of REALTORS ®

D

ixon R. Holman assumed the role of 2020 Chairman of the Board for the Arlington Board of REALTORS ® during the organization’s installation event last month at AT&T Stadium. Holman is a REALTOR ® with Front Real Estate Co., located at 500 E. Front St., Suite 120.

“What an honor and privilege it is to have been installed as the 2020 Chairman of the Board,” Holman says. “Such a tremendous group of leaders we have as board directors. They are people who truly believe in their community, as well as protecting the sanctity of private property rights and ownership. Also, how fortunate we are to have REALTOR ® members who go out every day and do their absolute best to protect their clients’ interests and make dreams become reality.”

Dixon R. Holman Cindi Bulla, 2020 Chairman of the Texas Board of ® REALTORS , served as installing officer for the event. Holman says he is grateful to the staff members and others who organized the installation ceremony. “I can’t say enough about the hard work done by Andra Dunn Stovall, Sarah Lee Mascarenas, Natalie Halkyard and Erin Eyre, and all of the volunteers who put this wonderful event together,” he says. “Finally, I must recognize what a superb staff we have under the leadership of our CEO Larry Johnson and the incredible work they do every day for our members. I am humbled to serve as the elected leader of such a fantastic group.”

Land distribution in Arlington Land Use Category Area (Acres) Amusement, Fixed ..........................................................................................................6.4 Business/Commercial .....................................................................................................0.4 Commercial/Retail ...................................................................................................3,243.6 Entertainment/Recreational .....................................................................................1.429.7 Institutional ..............................................................................................................4,160.2 Manufacturing/Warehouse/Industrial .......................................................................2,767.1 Mixed-Use ......................................................................................................................3.2 Multi-Family .............................................................................................................2,278.8 Office .......................................................................................................................1,045.3 Park/Open ...............................................................................................................3,921.3 Single Family .........................................................................................................22,048.4 Transportation/Utility/Communications ...................................................................2,496.7 Vacant Developable .................................................................................................5,946.3 Vacant Undevelopable .............................................................................................1,340.1

Source: Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce 28

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Arlington makes list as one of the best home markets in the country

R

ealtor.com ranked Arlington eighth among the 10 top U.S. housing markets in a story spotlighting 2019 trends. It was the only Texas city to make the list, based on sales last June.

Each of the website’s Top 10 choices was either a small or mid-sized market, where prices haven’t gotten out of hand as in larger cities.

“Suburban metros are in demand,” Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale said in the report. “These ZIP codes have several things in common. They are close to city centers. They have huge numbers of millennials buying homes.

And are relatively affordable, which makes them attractive to entry level buyers.”

Demographically speaking, more than a third of recent buyers in Arlington were millennials, Realtor.com estimated.

The median list price for homes on the market in Arlington during the month of the report was $215,050, up 7.5% from a year earlier.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

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LOCAL DWELLINGS

Home, SWEET! Home After undergoing extensive renovation, this dwelling in the Shorewood Estates neighborhood is now on the market

L

ike the home you see on this and the ensuing pages, Cindi and Jerry Owen have undergone quite a transition in recent months. About a year ago, the couple closed on this house in the Shorewood Estates neighborhood and, as you can see from the photos, upgraded it considerably.

But, even if the “redo” was part of the original plan, what it now represents wasn’t.

“In January of 2017, my husband and I made the decision to purchase a home together, with my mother and stepfather, due to his failing health, that would accommodate space for all four of us to have separate living areas,” Cindi recalls. “In the fall of 2018, they were both doing much better, and decided they would like to live in a retirement community. In September, we moved them into Watercrest in Mansfield and put our home in Kennedale on the market in November. In December, my husband and I began looking for a home to downsize and found one that we loved in the very sought after Lake Arlington area. We negotiated a sales price and set 34

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

closing for Dec. 28. We planned for extensive renovations to begin in January on our ‘forever’ home.”

But a turn of events shortly thereafter put that plan on hold, at least for a while.

“On Dec. 18, my stepfather took a turn for the worse and was not expected to live much longer,” Cindi says. “There was no way that my mother could live alone, and we made the decision that she would move back into the Kennedale house and we would remove it from the sales market. Then just two days before we were to close, my stepfather made a miraculous recovery, and now we had a decision to make. Let it go back or move forward with the purchase.

We decided that we wanted to go through with the purchase and renovate the house as if we were going to live there. We had great success with buying and selling properties in the past few years,and I really enjoy seeing my visions in remodeling come to fruition, so it made perfect sense for us to ‘flip’ this one.”

Cindi and Jerry teamed to complete the renovation. “He has a full-

Before

After

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

This home, which is within walking distance of Lake Arlington, is located on a beautiful, wooded lot.

time job, so the day-to-day operations were pretty much left up to me,” Cindi says.

The home, custom-built in 1982, is located on a wooded corner lot within walking distance of Lake Arlington with 2,560 square feet of space, four bedrooms (three, if you want one to be a private entrance office), 2.5 baths, one living area and two dining areas.

“As you can see from the before pictures, the house had not been changed since it was built in 1982,” Cindi says. “We completely gutted the kitchen, both bathrooms, added a half-bath, closed up a wall and added a door to create a more private bedroom, removed cabinets to create an open concept, converted garage storage into an office/fourth bedroom, removed old decking and steps, and added all new windows, exterior doors, Modern Farm House style lighting fixtures, pot lights, appliances and flooring.”

The Owens also removed a dumpster load of brick on walls inside and outside the home, added all new interior doors and updated electrical and plumbing. They enlarged four windows and repaired brick trim. They trimmed and cut down dead trees, added new landscaping, added five piers for foundation, removed two damaged skylights, replaced the water heater, raised the sunken living area floor six inches, enlarged the steps that separated the living and dining areas, installed two barn doors, and utilized old kitchen cabinets in the garage. In addition, they removed all popcorn ceilings and painted the entire house, inside and out. They turned smaller double closets into large walk-in closets with shelving and clothes rods. They installed beautiful Shaker Style custom cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms. All of the windows and doors are trimmed in the Shaker Farm Style wood trim, and the mirrors are trimmed to match. They added two sets of French Doors on the exterior and a new Shaker style front door. They put granite countertops in the kitchen, the utility room and in all bathrooms.

To complete the renovation, they designed a spa-like master bathroom with Carrara marble, crafted a walk-in shower and wall and put in a large free-standing oval soaker tub in front of a reeded glass window. They added custom-framed mirrors in the bathrooms, as well as a seamless glass shower in the master bath. They put in new toilets, upgraded faucets and interior and exterior door hardware throughout. They added luxury waterresistant laminate flooring, faux finished the wall in the living area around fireplace, and added a custom mantel, all keeping with a Modern Farmhouse look. Outside, they put in some new gutters and repaired others, and they repaired any exterior wood that had deteriorated over time. >>>

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Join The Orchards of Arlington Highlands and The Arlington Chamber of Commerce for our Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. Toast champagne and enjoy hors d’oeuvres with the team and residents of The rchards at rlington ighlands. Raf e prizes throughout the event

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

37

With new brick, a new deck and some extensive landscape renovations, the Owens created an exterior for the home that is great for entertaining – and great-looking, as well.

“I feel that this home’s best features are the modern, updated look of the pure white and grey, which is in keeping with the latest trends which we are seeing in new builds, as well as home renovation television shows,” Cindi says. “It’s hard to say just which renovated area is my favorite. I guess if I have to choose, it would be the kitchen and master bathroom. They both turned out exactly as I had imagined them in my designs. I was able to find just the right Carrara marble tile sizes and accent trim to create the look I wanted in the high-end, luxury feel of the spa-like master bathroom. The beautiful, white-painted custom cabinets with an amoire’ in the center of the double eight-foot-long vanities are accented with the reeded glass doors, go to the ceiling and were more beautiful than I had expected. The grey and white colors are so soothing.”

As might be expected, the renovation has created a dwelling that is ideal for entertaining. Cindi says adding a more modern and stylish deck in the back opened up the views to the beauty of the back yard and lends itself to perfect entertaining. “The outside party can then move right into the living area through French doors to the open concept leading to the dining room, kitchen and breakfast room,” she says. “I am a chef and caterer, and the kitchen is definitely designed for convenience and practicality, just the way I wanted it for me.”

Now that the Owens’ previous “dream home” has been converted into a “dream flip home,” it is on the market and is available through The Christenberry Group. To find out more about the house, you can call Operations Manager Bree Caddell at 817-7702475 or email her at operations@christenberry.group.

Coming in February:

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ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

39

MAINLY MANSFIELD

The Kids Zone This program offered by the Mansfield Parks & Recreation Department is a win/win deal for parents and children

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The Mansfield Parks & Recreation Department’s Kids Zone offers a wide range of healthy, fun options for participants.

Photos: City of Mansfield

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

ansfield Parks & Recreation’s award-winning Kids Zone program provides safe and engaging childcare options for children ages 6-11. Kids enjoy field trips, active play, crafts, games and plenty of screen-free fun with trained counselors for a rewarding experience.

Parents who might need childcare for a day, evening, part of a day or, even, a week can take advantage of the program, knowing that their children will be provided trusted and entertaining activities.

Kids Zone After School features bus pickup from nine Mansfield Independent School District schools and fun and games at the Mansfield Activity Center until 6 p.m. Each day Kid Zone counselors help participating children cover homework and enjoy a snack time. Then they lead the children as they play games to burn off steam and relax, keeping everyone happy and entertained until mom and dad are ready to pick them up.

Kids Zone After School is available for students attending the following schools: Erma Nash, Annette Perry, Alice Ponder, Martha Reid, JL Boren, Willie Brown, Elizabeth Smith, Judy Miller and Cora Spencer Elementary Schools.

Spaces are limited and applications are accepted on a firstcome, first-served basis.

Kids Zone Day Camp is an all-day camp for girls and boys.

Daily activities include sports games, crafts, drawing classes, special snacks, local area park trips, swimming, special guests, ice skating, bowling and many other fun activities to keep the kids active. The trained Kids Zone counselors work to ensure that each child has a fun and rewarding camp experience. Campers go on weekly field trips throughout the summer and visit an aquatic facility once a week for an afternoon of water activities and fun in the sun.

Day Camp is registered by the week for the summer and spring break. Camps are also available over Thanksgiving and Winter breaks, but registered by the individual day to accommodate a more flexible schedule.

For more information about the program, email Mary Jones at mary.jones@mansfieldtexas.gov.

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center Committed to Our Community. Committed to Your Care.

M

ethodist Mansfield Medical Center, a 254-bed acute care hospital, is your trusted choice for award-winning care.

Serving the community for more than 13 years, Methodist Mansfield is proud to be the only hospital in southeast Tarrant County to earn five out of five stars in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Quality Rating System. The hospital’s employees and medical staff are committed to quality, safety, innovation, and the health of our communities.

“Methodist Mansfield offers personalized healthcare services for every stage of life and every state of health,” says Methodist Mansfield President Juan Fresquez. “Our families, neighbors, colleagues, and friends deserve a hospital that puts safety and patient care first and is committed to improving the health and quality of life.”

Here are just some of the new services that Methodist Mansfield offers.

In November, the Breast Center at Methodist Mansfield opened, providing comprehensive breast imaging, women’s health services, bone density scans, and pelvic health therapy all in one convenient location next to the hospital. Bringing together a dedicated radiologist, breast surgeons, oncologists, and a nurse navigator in one location, the center offers top-quality care and same-day results.

The hospital also opened the 82,000-square-foot, four-story Professional Office Building II on the 23-acre south campus. It’s home to a number of primary care physicians, oncologists, breast surgeons, urologists, pain management physicians, and brain and spine specialists, bringing advanced healthcare to the region.

To enhance care for our littlest patients, Methodist Mansfield has added the Angel Eye camera system in the neonatal intensive care unit, which allows parents to watch a live video stream of

their infant on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. A newly added telemedicine robot helps treat the youngest and most fragile babies in the hospital. With the capability to detect and monitor vital signs, this technology helps save lives when time is of the essence.

Security is also a top priority, and the hospital has added enhanced monitoring and alarm systems that observe babies 24/7.

The lobby at Methodist Mansfield has been redesigned for convenient postpartum services. Here moms can easily access lactation consults, bilirubin testing, and other services through a convenient outpatient center.

To allow patients convenient access to their personal and family medical histories, the hospital has launched a new patient portal, Epic MyChart. Accessible from a computer or smartphone or tablet app, My Chart gives patients access to this vital medical information whenever they want it.

With an eye on providing excellent patient care and the latest medical advancements, Methodist Mansfield has achieved exceptional safety scores. The hospital has consistently received the highest rating possible by The Leapfrog Group®, the independent hospital safety watchdog, as well as Magnet® recognition, the highest distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence.

Methodist Mansfield is designated a Level III Advanced Trauma Facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services and ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation for patient satisfaction and employee engagement.

To further enhance patient care, Methodist Health System is a member of the Mayo Care Clinic Network. This gives physicians practicing at Methodist Mansfield the opportunity to consult with Mayo Clinic physicians, bringing world-class care close to home.

For more: MethodistHealthSystem.org/Mansfield

FRESH STARTS

New Year, New You! Lisa Simonds’ debut novel is resonating with a wide range of readers • By Toni Randle Cook

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

New Year New You! A

s the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, and 2019 transformed into the newest decade, you likely had a yearning to ring in the new year right. Whether your resolutions focus on better eating habits or a more significant metamorphosis, the changing of the year is an annual opportunity to finally follow through on good intentions, to take what you like about yourself and make it better – and to rid yourself of things you no longer want or need. With that in mind, we offer this special section, which focuses on local entities that are dedicated to helping you make this your best year yet. Some help you become healthier of body, mind and soul. Others help you celebrate in unprecedented manners. Still others give you a chance – and/or an incentive – just to reflect and to recalibrate. Whatever it is that you want this year, here’s a toast to you finding that. Happy New Year!

Benissimo, ya’ll!

A

s you prepare to make a toast to 2020, you should consider doing it at Piccolo Mondo. This premier restaurant specializes in authentic Italian cuisine in a fine-dining atmosphere. Piccolo Mondo has live music Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. in the Piano Bar, and its bar is stocked with top shelf liquors and wines. So toast away. For more: piccolomondo.com.

Wellness done well R

esurgence Wellness specializes in providing advanced medical solutions to reach optimal health. Whether it’s stabilizing hormone levels, losing some pounds, or boosting your immune system during/ before a cold, the practice’s patient-centered approaches and experienced medical staff team to support your journey towards healing.

The medical professionals at Resurgence Wellness will assist you in creating an individualized treatment plan to enhance your body’s capacity to heal itself. The team is dedicated to helping people make big life transformations in order to live a vital life and to get back to owning each day.

Services offered include: medical weight loss, hormone replacement therapy, nutritional IV therapy, concierge medicine, sexual wellness, peptide therapy, aesthetics, PRP / stem cell therapy and anti-aging and regenerative medicine.

For more: resurgencewellness.com.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

43 Photo: mentalfloss.com

N E W Y E A R N E W Y O U !

Prepare to be floored by this compelling offer

I

f achieving your new you for 2020 extends to what you plan to do with your dwelling, consider that Hiltons Flooring is offering 12 months special financing on purchases of $2,000 or more this month.

That means you can get new floors – hardwood, carpet, tile/stone, laminate or vinyl – at great savings this time of year. And ... if you expand the home “redo” to include cabinets/fixtures, those are available at Hiltons Flooring, as well.

For more: hiltonsflooring.com.

If new years are about making smart choices, how about this?

A

s you celebrate the prospect of entering 2020 with renewed vigor, consider that you could launch the new decade with a new professional focus, as, over the years, have some 200,000-plus alumni of the University of Texas at Arlington.

As impressive as that number is, consider these: UTA is ranked the No. 1 university in the nation for veterans and their families (Military Times), is rated as an R-1 doctoral university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education for its research accomplishments and has produced 16 National Academy of Inventors fellows – the highest total in the country.

Ponder this, as well: UTA offers more than 180 degree programs across nine colleges. With world-renowned faculty and resources, the University of Texas at Arlington can help you carve out your path to becoming an innovator, thought-leader and global citizen.

And it’s in your back yard.

For more: uta.edu.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

When one of the first words you utter this year is ‘Ouch!’ what if the new year brings you a new ...o,injury?

You obviously want to get back to S a new you as soon as possible. Strengthening or retraining muscle movements, increasing physical strength and flexibility or learning to cope with new limitations are essential in the healing process of patients recovering from orthopedic injury. Methodist Mansfield Medical Center’s interdisciplinary team of physical medicine specialists offers evidence-based occupational therapy and physical therapy to help patients recover quality of life and functional independence.

Occupational therapy • Static and dynamic custom splinting • Orthopedic and neurological hand and upper extremity rehabilitation • Manual pain management therapy • Physical agent interventions • Activities of daily living retraining • Adaptive equipment training • Hand therapy provided by a Certified Hand Therapist Physical therapy • Orthopedic and neurological surgery or injury rehabilitation • Manual pain management therapy • Vestibular rehabilitation • Lower extremity training • Pelvic health • Sports rehabilitation For more: methodisthealthsystem.org/ methodist-mansfield-medical-center.

How Botox can help you look younger in a few short days

S

ince gaining FDA approval for cosmetic use in 2002, Botox has become one of the quickest, easiest and most affordable methods available for improving the appearance of moderate to severe frown and worry lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes and lines on the forehead and neck. Dr. Mark Bishara and his team at the Paragon Plastic Surgery Center & Med Spa offer a range of Botox treatments designed to help you become a new you in short order.

Botox is a purified protein made from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum and is the most effective neurotoxin known. Its use has become widespread worldwide, particularly by celebrities, as it is viewed as being less intrusive and artificial when compared to other types of cosmetic facial procedures.

Botox injections are received by millions every year, including both men and women at Dr. Bishara’s Mansfield office, placing the treatment at No. 1 as the most popular facial improvement method available. When performed by an experienced and qualified practitioner the procedure is considered to be very safe. Its effects typically last for about four to six months, although some results may be as long-lasting as eight months.

The procedure takes only a few minutes to perform, and results are visible within a few days.

For more: markbisharamd.com.

Photo: dmagazine.com

Have you checked out what’s going on Downtown lately?

T

his year – this month, in fact, – you should make a resolution to schedule a “staycation” that focuses solely on activities and sites in Downtown Arlington.

Why? Because Downtown Arlington rocks! With the city’s renewed interest in invigorating the area, you’ll find all manner of new restaurants and attractions blending with the old favorites, thus guaranteeing that you’ll be well fed, well groomed, well entertained – and well satisfied.

For more: downtownarlington.org.

Meanwhile, over in Downtown Mansfield ...

A

s you ponder resolutions for 2020, you’ll definitely want to put paying a visit to historical downtown Mansfield on your list of “go to places worth visiting.”

Like Arlington, Mansfield’s city leaders have put a priority on sprucing up downtown, and you’ll find an array of interesting places to see – and at which to eat. If you’re a history buff, you’ll want to check out the Mansfield Historical Museum and Heritage Center, which features artifacts from the city’s early settlers.

For more: visitmansfieldtexas.com.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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NEW YEAR NEW YOU!

Here’a great, affordable way to get younger-looking skin

G

reat Skin Spa & Facial Club has a history of making its clients look and feel younger, and when is a better time to make that commitment than at the start of a new year?

Great Skin’s belief is that the best results of skin care and body treatments are produced via continuous and regularly scheduled, skin and body treatment regimens teamed with an effective, customized home care system to use in between your professional treatments.

Great Skin’s Facial Club makes it affordable for clients to care for their skin in both aspects – in spa and at home.

Each service offers a one-time investment of a single treatment, as well as membership pricing, which is based on a four-time treatment plan that offers a lower investment per treatment, to give you the very best results and investment level. Once you achieve each goal, a maintenance program can also be purchased on Facial Club membership, thereby continuing maintenance at the best investment level.

For more: greatskin4u.com.

For those who really want to get in shape ...

O

rangetheory is a science-backed, technologytracked, coach-inspired group workout designed to produce results from the inside out.

The staff at the three Arlington-area Orangetheory Fitness locations makes it simple for you to push yourself, be your personal best and give you more results, more confidence and more life.

This is ... well ... more than a gym, because you shouldn’t live to exercise – you should exercise to live.

For more: orangetheoryfitness.com.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

If your new year is going to include a new addition ...

T

he Women’s Hospital at Medical City Arlington is where excellence meets elegance, and healthcare is personalized.

The hospital’s mission is to help you achieve optimal health through every stage of life. The specialists and care team at The Women’s Hospital at Medical City Arlington provide high-quality gynecology and reproductive care, including: • Childbirth education classes • Complete labor and delivery care • High-risk pregnancy care • Infertility services • Maternity unit tours • Postpartum care • Support groups The Women’s Hospital is designed with: • A dedicated postpartum floor with 34 private and peaceful patient rooms • Four spacious luxury postpartum suites • 33 medical/surgical rooms, including 14 antepartum rooms • 23 labor and delivery rooms • Three cesarean section (C-section) operating rooms • 35 Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) beds • 15 private NICU rooms • Two family overnight-stay rooms for NICU patient family members Two experienced medical teams are present for every birth at Medical City Arlington—one for mom and one for baby. This way, moms gets everything they want, while babies get everything they need.

For more: shorturl.at/hi349.

When you want to get away but don’t want to travel far ...

I

f you’ve ever treated yourself to a “staycation” that included spending a night or weekend at The Sanford House, you are likely putting a return visit on your 2020 list of resolutions. This luxurious boutique hotel located in historic downtown features 12 elegant combinations (including the Beethoven Room, pictured), a fine-dining restaurant and a full-service spa.

The often celebrated restaurant506 features “Inspired American” cuisine. The culinary team creates delicious seasonal menus which are hand-made with the freshest ingredients. The eatery is open to the public for lunch Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m to 2 p.m., for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 - 9 p.m. and for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 am to 2 p.m.

The Award Winning Sanford Spa & Salon is a stunning venue where men and women can experience an abundant selection of salon and spa services. The professional technicians are available Tuesday through Sunday to provide all personal care services.

For more: TheSanfordHouse.com.

Because better hearing is synonynous with a better life

F

Classes, programs to make you better

T

he Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA offers many opportunities for you to get in shape, feel your best and enrich your life.

With four locations in the area, the YMCA locations offer more than 200 weekly group exercise classes for youth and adults that can help you reach your wellness goals, and are included in your membership.

Because the Y team knows that healthy lifestyles are achieved through nurturing mind, body, and spirit, well-being and fitness at the Y is much more than just working out. Beyond fitness facilities, the Y provides educational programs, as well as programs that support physical, intellectual and spiritual strength.

For more: amaymca.org.

or more than three decades Kos/Danchak has made it a priority to improve the quality of life for those in need of hearing health care.

The practice provides comprehensive and individual hearing health care, while building long-term relationships with patients and their families based upon honesty, integrity, and respect.

Among the many services provided

by Kos/Danchak are complete hearing tests; earwax removal; hearing aid evaluations, selection and fittings; rehabilitation and Counseling.

Kos/Danchak also features a full line of hearing instruments, repair and service for all brands and models of hearing aids, hearing protection and swim molds and assistive listening devices. The practice provides a Complete Hearing Health Care Package at no additional cost with the purchase of a hearing aid. Kos/Danchak’s Complete Hearing Health Care Package is the most comprehensive service package in the area.

For more: northtxhearing.com.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

47

Winter fun!

1 from Anything Goes

2

from Anything Goes

3

from Gracie Lane

4

from Anything Goes

5

Winter fun!

6

from Anything Goes

7

from Gracie Lane

8

from Gracie Lane

from Gracie Lane

BEHIND THE WHEELS

Lee and Rhonda Jackson display their 1928 V-8 Dual Cowl Phaeton Cadillac. The vehicle is the convertible version of a car that both Al Capone and President Franklin Roosevelt helped make famous.

Photos: Richard Greene

A

fter the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, there was an Lee explains how he became its owner just a few months ago. immediate need to increase the security for President It was at the annual motorsports gathering at The Quail – an Franklin Roosevelt, especially when he was moving exclusive showing of rare, high-end automobiles – during the from place to place in a car. event’s Bonhams auction.

It would take a while before the White House fleet could be “I was sitting there with my good friend Ron Sturgeon, who retrofitted, so, according to CBS News, the secret service put owns a remarkable collection of classic vehicles. He was a the president into Al registered bidder at Capone’s 1928 Cadillac the event and had the heavily armored Town paddle in hand in case Sedan for his safety. he saw something he Since Al had wanted. deteriorated “When this Cadillac An unplanned acquisition nets Lee Jackson greatly during his appeared on the stage, a classic with a history • By Richard Greene imprisonment, he I commented that it didn’t need it anymore. was such a beautiful While the Cadillac car and that I really that belongs to Lee and Rhonda Jackson is somewhat like Al’s, liked it. ‘Here, make a bid,’ he declared as he thrust the paddle it is, as you can see, an open version of the 1928 V-8 Dual Cowl into my hand. I said I wasn’t registered. To that he replied, ‘Okay, Phaeton. let’s be partners’ And with that, the car became ours.” >>>

A storied vehicle

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

When this Cadillac, which features the best amenities of its time, was introduced, it fetched between $4,000 and $6,000. That’s the equivalent of some $85,000 today.

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

51

From the expressive hood ornament to virtually every spot in and on the vehicle, this classic Cadillac has the look and feel of a truly classic car.

This car’s provenance is indeed special. It was first delivered from Detroit to Los Angeles, where it became part of the renowned Bucker Family collection at Movieworld – a supplier of automobiles to the film industry.

It appeared in movies, perhaps the most notable a Three Stooges film, “Movie Maniacs,” and an episode of The Waltons, as listed in the Internet Movie Cars Database.

After its Hollywood career, it was acquired in 1975 by LaRue C. Thomas, the well-known proprietor of the Thomas Cadillac dealership in downtown Los Angeles, as an addition to his prized collection of antique automobiles.

Several of the cars were preserved by the family after the dealership closed, including this remarkable example of Cadillac’s prominence in the early years of automotive history.

The top division in the General Motors world offered more than 30 body types for the pre-depression 1928 models as 20,000 of them were sold. Prices ranged from $4,000 for the basic sedan to more 52

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

than $6,000 for the Touring Town Collapsible Cabriolet like this one. That translates to more than $85,000 in today’s dollars.

If you weren’t among the rich folks who could afford the Cadillacs, you could find a nearby Ford dealer where you could acquire one of Henry Ford’s Model A’s for about $500, less than a tenth of the cost of the fancy Cadillac. Henry sold about a million of them in 1928, so you can see how exclusive the Cadillacs were in those days.

Lee and Rhonda are really happy with their headturning beauty. “It’s just fun for us and we plan to take it to car shows, put it in parades, and sometimes just take it out on our way to dinner,” he says.

For anyone who has been curious enough about the history of the notorious gangster, one day the Jacksons may hear someone say, “Hey, that car looks a lot like Al Capone’s that he had for protection from the pursuit of the cops or rival mobsters.”

Or, maybe not. In any event, people love to discover the art form of these classic automobiles that put our country on the road in high style.

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Are your real estate investments at all time highs? And the property tax too?

You might want to consider selling now.

Get smart.

Call Callaway today. www.cfsadvisors.financia l 817-274-4877 • 721 N. Fielder Road, Suite C • Arlington, TX 76012 Securities offered through Callaway Financial Services Inc. Member of FINRA & SIPC arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

53

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

As schools head to the spring semester, we tip our hats to scholastic achievements done and to come

Pantego Christian Academy

UTA

P

antego Christian Academy is a private, Christian school for 18 months to 12th grade students. We provide a dynamic experience that will immerse your child in a sound Biblical foundation. This, in addition to our rigorous and impressive curriculum, has propelled Pantego Christian Academy to new heights!

Our 2019 graduating class of 42 earned a staggering $3.9 million in merit-based scholarships. Pantego Christian Academy’s students ACT average is 29.3, while the state average is 20.3. Students are not only excelling in the classroom and college admissions, they are becoming leaders in the community and around the world.

Each grade level of our high school goes on an annual mission trip. Our elementary and middle school students are also participating in mission driven projects to benefit our local community and organizations worldwide.

We are proud of several exciting accomplishments over the Fall semester – • Our PCA Football Team earned the title of 2019 District Champions.

• PCA’s Fine Arts department placed first in district for One Act Play and 3rd in the State competition.

• Our current senior class has already earned $1.9 million in merit-based scholarships, and the number is rising daily.

• Our elementary students are learning about healthy eating and analytical skills while working in our state-of-the-art on campus gardens.

• Our Early Childhood Education program is teaching and challenging our young scholars in new and unique ways as they discover God’s world.

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he University of Texas at Arlington conferred degrees to more than 5,200 graduation candidates in commencement ceremonies last month at College Park Center.

The newest graduates join about 240,000 UTA alumni, who earn the highest first-year median wage of graduates from any UT System academic institution, according to the 2019 UT Smartbook.

UTA has made employment readiness an explicit part of its mission, providing students with both a broad education and employable skills that empower graduates not only to be learned citizens but also be assured of gainful employment in a constantly changing world.

State Sen. Beverly Powell, a member of the state Senate Higher Education Committee, says UTA makes the promise of higher education accessible to thousands of North Texas students while helping meet the workforce needs across Texas and beyond.

“Through its remarkable growth and evolution, UTA is enhancing the North Texas region by educating its citizens and preparing them for high-paying jobs in industries that our crucial to our economy,” Powell says. “In addition, the university is addressing a substantial need for research demands that only a major, top-flight research academic institution can meet.”

Arlington classics academy

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rlington Classics Academy’s Middle School was awarded the Texas Cup by the Texas Charter School Academic and Athletic League for the 2018/19 school year.

This state-wide award recognizes the top Middle School (sixth through eighth grade) campus from more than 300 TCSAAL member schools based on their overall team achievement in a variety of academic, athletic and art contests.

Standings for the Texas Cup are compiled through a year-long accumulation of points based on team success at the divisional, regional and state championships in TCSAAL Premier and Varsity contest groupings.

In addition to that notable achievement, Arlington Classics Academy received an overall “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency.

The 85th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 22, establishing three domains for measuring the academic performance of districts and campuses: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. ACA has received the highest rating available from the Texas Education Agency through three major accountability system changes since 2007.

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

55

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Nolan Catholic School

Saint saint Maria Goretti School

St. ST. Joseph Catholic School

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en seniors at Nolan Catholic High School have been recognized as Commended students based on their exceptional academic promise as depicted by their scores on the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

These students, according to the National Merit Committee, “represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.

We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

The students who were recognized as Commended scholars for the 2019 school year were Andrew Benkowski, Lucine Devejian, Drew Emrich, Annie Emrich, Ryan Gale, Jacob Marquardt, Connor May, Angel Nguyen, Thien Ly Nguyen and Drake Varga.

“Their academic success does credit not only to them, but to their parents, teachers, friends and our whole school community,” says Nolan Principal William Perales. “We thank all of those people who have supported them in their journeys to academic achievement. And thank you, commended scholars, for your hard work and effort. We know this accomplishment is only one step along your academic journey, and we’re so excited to see where that journey takes you.”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

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hree Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School Robotic Club teams participated in the first Lego League season that concluded in the fall. One of those teams, SMG Skittle Bots, won the FIRST Lego League Core Values Award.

This award recognizes a team that excels across the Inspiration, Teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism® categories.

This team displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, knows they can accomplish more together than they could as individuals, and shows each other and other teams respect at all times.

Each of the Saint Maria Goretti School teams (SMG Builder Boiz, SMG Skylab and SMG Skittle Bots) earned the same number of points at the Robot games.

Thirty-four teams participated at the qualifier and four teams advanced to the Regional Championship, which will take place in Dallas on Feb. 8.

A mass was held at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Fort Worth to celebrate all the Catholic teams in the Metroplex. A small reception followed, which was organized by the RoboVikes Robotics Team from Nolan Catholic High School.

The SMG teams were led by mentors Claudia Morales, Gilbert Morales, Tom Payne and Hector Lara. They met weekly after hours with SMG students to guide and prepare them for the robotics competition.

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rlington Mayor Jeff Williams recently paid a visit to St. Joseph Catholic School to personally thank the school’s first and fourth graders for the role they played in helping bring the National Medal of Honor Museum to Arlington.

In the fall, fourth graders wrote letters and first graders drew pictures to ask site selection committee members to choose North Texas as the museum’s future home.

On Nov. 7, Joe Daniels, the CEO and president of the National Medal of Honor Museum, and Marc Wolf, the museum’s vice president of development, visited St. Joseph to thank the students for their contribution to the bid.

“Your letters had a direct impact on why we chose Arlington for this museum,” Daniels told the school’s fourth-graders.

In his talk with first-graders, Daniels said the museum would honor young men and women who helped others “under extremely difficult circumstances.”

He urged students to make difficult choices when necessary and do small acts of kindness.

“When you’re faced with hard choices or you see someone who needs a helping hand, make a good choice to give a helping hand or give a kind word,” he said.

Academic Excellence • Spiritual Formation Compassionate Service PK-8 GRADE OPEN HOUSE: Sun., Jan. 26, 2020 10am-3pm • 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR REGISTRATION BEGINS: January 27, 2020

Have you ever considered a Catholic Education for your child?

~ SAVE THE DATE! ~ Spaghetti Dinner

Catholic Schools Week

Dinner Dance & Auction

Jan. 26, 2020 • 10am-3pm

Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2020

Feb. 15, 2020 • 6pm

St. Maria Goretti Catholic School 1200 South Davis Drive • Arlington, TX 76013 817-275-5081 • smgschool.org

4501 BRIDGE STREET, FORT WORTH TX 76103

Come see how we are living our motto of Teaching the Mind and Nourishing the Soul through a Catholic education filled with community spirit and academic excellence. Please call our school office today to schedule a guided campus tour at 817-419-6800.

Find out more at our Open House on January 26th from 11am – 3pm.

2015 SW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76017 www.stjosephtx.org

817-457-2920

ADMISSIONS@NCHSTX.ORG

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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Save the Date!

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

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ast November, Sam Houston High School students honored the legacy of John F. Kennedy and commemorated the 56th

anniversary of his assassination. The nine students, all part of a percussion ensemble, performed live during the world premiere of a new documentary, “Three Hours in Dallas,” at the Sixth Floor Museum.

Arlington arlington ISD isd

“I really consider this my crowning achievement to this point,” said Xavier B., one of the musicians in the ensemble.

The ensemble’s director, composer and Sam Houston teacher Jesus

Martinez, composed the original soundtrack for the 16-minute film that chronicles the three hours JFK spent in Dallas on that

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fateful day in 1963. The film itself is mostly silent, except for a few highlights of speeches given by JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy.

Martinez, who has scored a number of other films as well, chose the percussion ensemble “in order to create natural effects throughout the film.”

The score syncs perfectly with the footage in the film, bringing the scenes to life and evoking emotion from the audience.

“We get to project the emotion that was felt back then,” said Maria B., another member of the ensemble.

“We wanted to keep it as a totally immersive soundscape between the kids and the video,” Martinez said in an interview with Amy Bishop on WRR 101.1 FM. “I like how every note is one small portion of the film,” said Bryan C., a senior in the ensemble.

VENUE UNDERWRITER

In addition to playing the piece live with the film, Sam Houston’s ensemble also premiered two other pieces written by local composers.

The performance that became part of the film was the

FALLEN OFFICER UNDERWRITER

culmination of months of hard work.

“My students have really loved the idea of film music,” Martinez said. “When I introduced this idea to them, they were more than willing to do it. Marching season just ended last week for us, so

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they’ve been doing double duty until 6, 7, 8 at night sometimes …

It’s incredible, and they’re willing to do it.”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

VALET UNDERWRITER

Your Hometown Attorney

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special program, “How Opportunity Creates Excellence,” will be presented at 6 p.m. on Jan. 15 at The Oakridge School (5900 W. Pioneer Parkway).

Emmy Awardthe oakridge school winning broadcaster Scott Murray will lead a panel discussion with former Dallas Cowboy Dexter Coakley, Dallas Sidekick Arthur Ivo, Montreal Expo coach Kerri Kajihiro, Lithuanian Basketball Assistant Athletic Director Reda Petraitis and former Oakland Raider Carlos Francis. The panelists will share their thoughts on how athletics build grit and character.

In addition to the discussion, a pasta dinner is part of the purchase price. Seats are limited, so event organizers are urging those who want to attend to visit the website at the end of this story to make reservations.

The Oakridge School is a college preparatory school serving students age 3 through 12th grade.

To reserve a ticket or to find out more information about The Oakridge School, visit theoakridgeschool.org/community.

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The Oakridge School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, physical disabilities, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, financial aid, and other school sponsored programs. arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

59

PICTURE-PERFECT MOMENTS

SCENE Snapshots from a variety of festive events that served to celebrate Christmas in Arlington and Mansfield Photos: Photos:Yale City Youngblood of Arlington

The Vandergriff family and a host of volunteers celebrate the family’s poinsettia tree at George W. Hawkes Library.

Photo: City of Arlington

Karen Williams and Mayor Jeff Williams at the annual Holiday Lights Parade

Photo: Shelley Shavant

Revelers from Pantego Christian Academy were part of the Holiday Lights Parade.

Here’s the Vandegriff poinsettia tree in its formative stages.

Photo: City of Arlington

It was a near-perfect night for a near-perfect parade through the streets of Downtown Arlington.

Photos: City of Mansfield

Jolly St. Nick paid an early December visit to Mansfield for the Hometown Holidays parade.

Here’s the Magnificent Theatre Company entry in the Mansfield Hometown Holidays parade.

The Hometown Holidays parade featured a visit from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

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

Photo: City of Arlington

This year, Mayor Jeff Williams had great partner for the Red Kettle Mayoral Challenge: Rangers Captain.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Photo courtesy of Terry Gaines

Terry Gaines and Teresa Gaines were jolly bell ringers for The Salvation Army last month.

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Deciding to divorce is one of the most important decisions a person can face so it makes sense to know your options. One option is traditional courtroom litigation. Another option is collaborative divorce.

Although attorney Stephanie A. Foster is prepared to be the warrior in your courtroom battle as she has been in thousands of Tarrant County divorce cases over the past 28 years, her preference is to be the peacemaker in your interest-based negotiations through the dignified, private, childprotecting process known as collaborative divorce which involves no court.

Stephanie A. Foster is confident that the collaborative process is a powerful way to generate creative solutions in family law disputes while minimizing financial and emotional damage to the couple and their children all the while promoting post-divorce psychological and financial health of the restructured family.

Thursday, January 30, 2020 • 6 pm JLA Center for Community Service 4002 W. Pioneer Parkway • Arlington, 76013 $75 Individual Admission $125 Couple Admission $400 per table of 8 Silent and Live Auction To purchase tickets: http://www.jlarlington.org/events Interested in joining Junior League?

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As a family law mediator and one of the first Tarrant County attorneys trained in collaborative law, attorney Stephanie A. Foster will help you navigate through your divorce options and zealously represent you through the process of your choice.

Contact attorney Stephanie A. Foster today to discuss your options.

One option is traditional courtroom litigation. Another option is collaborative divorce.

Law Offices of Stephanie A. Foster, P.C. 4214 Little Road Arlington, TX 76016 817-277-2805 StephanieFosterLawyer.com

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

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COMMUNITY CORNER

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rlington is known for many things, but most residents are surprised to discover that it is also headquarters of one of the more successful storm chasing companies in the country – Tempest Tours.

Note the word “tours.” Yes, people pay to follow twisters around the country.

Tempest Tours owner Martin Lisius – he’s also a famed videographer of tornados and hurricanes – and his tornadochasing sidekick Kim George will present the Jan. 14 Arlington on Tap, the popular downtown happy-hour-with-a-talk series. Lisius and George will bring with them some of the best footage ever captured of tornado alley, that stretch of storm-tossed America that runs north from Texas through Iowa.

“Storm chasing has always been a fascination for me,” says Downtown Arlington CEO Maggie Campbell. Downtown Arlington Management sponsors “Tap” along with the Arlington Historical Society and media sponsor Arlington Today Magazine.

Noted storm chasers Martin Lisius and Kim George will be the guest speakers at the next Arlington on Tap on Jan. 14 at Legal Draft.

Photos: Arlington on Tap, keloland.com

StormStock, has for two decades been the go-to site for movie and advertising directors who need high-quality weather footage.

Lisius – in the business he’s often called “The Storm Whisperer” – is an award-winning filmmaker himself, frequently also consulting on movie projects, such as the blockbuster film “Twister,” starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.

He’s also considered the primary inventor of extremely highresolution 16K video filming.

He began tracking storms in the mid-1980s and has produced several television programs relating to severe weather including “Chasing the Wind” (1991), and “The Chases of Tornado Alley” (1995). He co-produced “Storm Watch” for the National Weather Service, which employs it nationwide as the organization’s official storm-spotter training video.

In 1998, Lisius photographed the first-ever violent class tornado on 35 mm motion picture film at Spencer, S.D. In 1999, Lisius teamed with Chevy Trucks to help A couple of notable storm chasers will be the create their storm chaser commercial for S-10 pickups.

George will be presenting the Arlington on Tap featured speakers at January’s Arlington on Tap session with Lisius. She has been with the team for five seasons and chased storms in the Low and High Plains. She’s a trained storm spotter and coordinator for the Texas “This should be one of our most fascinating Arlington on Tap Severe Storms Association’s National Storm Conference, an event events, and we’ve had some great speakers.” dedicated to severe weather safety education.

Lisius, a University of Texas at Arlington TV grad, has been The time and place: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Legal Draft, 500 making a living for many years both filming violent weather E. Front St. and finding footage shot by other photographers. His company,

Tornado warning

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

a Studio Manager and a Head Coach that lead the fitness and operations teams in the studio. The Studio Manager is always there to help with customer service and any questions our members may have. The Head Coach is always available to answer fitness questions and help you set goals in your fitness journey. Each individual comes in with different goals than the person next to them, so it’s imperative to our staff to learn these and help guide our members in reaching those goals!

About the staff – Our studio staff is about 10 in total per location, so it’s part of their daily routine to get to know each individual that walks through the door.

The coaches get to know you by name and what your personal goals are so that they can assist you in reaching those goals. Whether Orangetheory Fitness is taking the it’s modifications or challenges, the coaches are there in each class personal workout to a new level to make the workout the most beneficial for you that day. All of our fitness staff are certified and have continuous education to make sure they are delivering a safe and effective workout environment each time you come in. rangetheory Fitness, with three locations in the Arlington Our philosophy – Orangetheory is a science-backed, technologyarea, is pioneering a philosophy and training regimen that tracked, coach-inspired group workout designed to produce results will change the way you think about working out. Here are from the inside out. Perhaps you’ve tried a gym or fitness routine in some of the ways this revolutionary fitness center is changing norms ... the past that just felt like a dead end – no guidance, no inspiration The story behind Orangetheory Fitness – Before creating the and no results. We want you to know that it’s not you, it’s your Orangetheory workout, Ellen Latham ran her own Pilates studio, but workout. You can still achieve your goals to become a fitter, stronger, noticed her clients were still working with personal trainers. They better version of yourself. We designed this workout with one goal wanted to burn fat, which Pilates alone couldn’t do. in mind: to make sure anyone who tries it feels successful.

Ellen developed a workout that would “metabolically charge the What makes Orangetheory Fitness special – Each Orangetheory body,” and the Orangetheory workout was born. Orangetheory Fitness has a unique community built inside. Our members get to is based on the science of EPOC, excess post-exercise oxygen know each other in the classes and help to motivate and inspire consumption. If you challenge your body at the right intensity, your each other. Time and time again, the stranger that works out next to body will work harder to recover oxygen lost during exercise. This revs you each day becomes a friend and a partner inside and outside the your metabolism and makes you burn calories long after your workout gym. This can also help with accountability! It’s a lot harder to miss is over. your workout when you know that you’re going to get a call or a Orangetheory has 1,200 locations worldwide. There are over 30 message from your workout buddy because they haven’t seen you locations in the DFW Metroplex alone. The goal is to open them in in a while! convenient locations so that members Worth noting – For all over the world can utilize it in their the first workout, you’ll own backyards! always get there 30 minutes Services offered – Each early! We’ll spend some Orangetheory has a tailored schedule time getting to know you to that studio’s needs. We start classes and your workout history, as early as 4:30 a.m. and run until personal goals and what the late afternoon/evening time. you’d like to accomplish We are open seven days a week, 364 at OTF. The coach will also days a year so that our members can give a brief run down on utilize convenient class times to their the workout prior to the schedules. We run the same workout Jordan Davis, Regional Fitness Manager, and class starting. Throughout in a day all over the world. It doesn’t Taylor Brown, Regional Operations Manager, at Orangetheory Fitness the workout, the coach will matter if you’re in Dallas, New York, Photo: Southern Flair Photography be checking in on you to or Denver, you’ll be doing the same make sure all your questions are answered and to see if you have any OTF class as your friends and family across the network. But, tailored needs to be successful! The class will be cheering you on! each day changes so that your body doesn’t plateau, you don’t get bored, and you never know what to expect! One thing remains the ORANGETHEORY FITNESS has three locations in the area: North Arlington, 1805 same, you will always get a full body workout, coached by certified N. Collins, Suite 111, 682-206-0879; Arlington Highlands, 4000 Five Points Blvd., trainers and tracked by our technology. #155, 817-419-2505 and Mansfield, 3141 E. Broad St., Bldg. 201, 817-225-4104 What clients will find at Orangetheory – Each location has For more: orangetheoryfitness.com

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arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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LOCAL TREASURES

Comin’ back for seconds 10 years after helping Prince Lebanese Grill become an iconic local eatery, The Food Network makes a return visit

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little over 10 years ago, Francis Kobty received the phone call that would immediately alter his life, the life of his family and the future of his moderately successful restaurant, Prince Lebanese Grill. So what did he do?

He hung up on the caller, who happened to represent The Food Network’s vastly popular program, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and who happened to want Kobty to agree to allow the show to spotlight the family restaurant.”

“He thought it was a prank,” recalls Aziz Kobty, Francis’ son and the manager of the restaurant. “He just laughed it off.”

Fortunately, the show’s representative didn’t give up. In fact, says Aziz, his father’s frosty response actually endeared the senior Kobty to DDD executives, who figured he might be a crazy character in the vein of the “Soup Nazi” on “Seinfeld.” So they called back shortly thereafter.

And local history was made.

Prior to that second phone conversation – and Prince Lebanese Grill’s appearance on one of the more popular television programs going – the eatery had eight tables, 32 chairs and steady, but not spectacular business. Once Francis, his wife Amira and Aziz became instant Food Network “stars,” everything changed.

“After that, business boomed,” Aziz says. Local people became patrons, visitors to the city made it a point to visit the restaurant.

“One guy came from Missouri, just because of the show. He watched our episode on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ and literally got in his car and drove to the restaurant.”

The buzz has continued to this day, prompting an expansion of the facility, located at 502 W. Randol Mill Road, and landing the Kobtys a gig this year as official caterers at a Dallas Cowboys game.

Coincidentally, it was at another recent catering job during which history repeated itself – twice. Aziz took a phone call. The voice at the other end said something about The Food Network – 64

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Photos above: Television images of Aziz and Francis Kobty preparing meals while eager patrons are served delicious Lebanese specialties. This photo: Restaurant friends gather for a watching party to enjoy the “Triple D Nation” episode on the eatery.

this time making a pitch for the show “Triple D Nation.” And Aziz thought it was a prank.

He didn’t hang up, though, and before the conversation was over, he gave the OK for the restaurant to appear on the network once more, this time to focus on how Prince Lebanese Grill was doing 10 years after Guy Fieri helped make the Francis family media darlings.

A host of patrons and friends – usually one and the same – gathered last month for a watching party, enjoying the images above as they played out during the program. The episode focused on the eatery’s success over the past decade and on how a special family runs a special business – still.

For more: princelebanesegrill.com.

Above: Becky Nassbaum Gerro shows guests the new exhibit at River Legacy Living Science Center.

Right: Some of the wonders of River Legacy Park.

Photos: courtesy of Becky Nassbaum Gerro & River Legacy Foundation

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iver Legacy Park is one of my favorite places to visit in Arlington. The Park’s beautiful, diverse ecosystems of bottomland forest, wetlands and prairies provide abundant habitat for countless birds, fish, mammals and native plants.

River Legacy Foundation’s Living Science Center draws visitors from North Texas and beyond to discover and explore the wonders of the natural world.

The mission of the River Legacy Foundation is to preserve and enhance land along the Trinity River and as an educational, recreational and natural resource. River Legacy’s mission consists of three parts: • Environmental Education to increase awareness and instill

Over the past 30-plus years, the Foundation has partnered with area businesses and individual donors to support quality science education for more than 500,000 North Texas children through classes and programs housed in the Nature Center.

River Legacy Foundation is partnering with Purdue Agriculture to offer their first-ever traveling exhibit, “The Nature of Things,” highlighted by “Bee-lieve it or Not, The Secret Lives of Honeybees.” The exhibit will run in the Discovery Room through Feb. 21. Families will enjoy learning about the natural world in “The Nature of Things,” which also features “Tooth Sleuth,” “A Salamander Tale” and “H2Whoa!” Children will have the opportunity to discover the special role honeybees play in their lives, how to search for clues to reveal what animals eat, understand how beautiful and necessary insects are to the environment, and learn about the many negative effects of water pollution. Special thanks to Chick-Fil-A North Collins and Arlington Water Utilities for helping to bring this Why River Legacy Park (and all that it represents) is one exhibit to Arlington.

The River Legacy Foundation of my favorite locations in Arlington • By Paul Brodie strives to help every visitor to the Nature Center and also to its website become more engaged with nature at the park and in their own positive environmental stewardship backyards. The foundation’s message is clear: Every plant and • Recreation through interaction with the Trinity River ecosystems animal, from snails to humans, has an important role in nature.

• Conservation through classes, field investigations and the River Legacy wants to help you discover how you can make a preservation of 1,300 acres of parkland for the recreation and positive impact on the earth! education of the community

Engaging with nature

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

65

PICTURE-PERFECT MOMENTS

SCENE Snapshots from Evening Under the Stars, supporting Arlington Life Shelter and from the Mayor’s Holiday Luncheon at Eunice Activity Center, catered by Spring Creek Barbecue Photos: Photos:Yale Paul Youngblood Knudsen

Christian Moore and Tara Hutchins-Welsh at the Evening Under the Stars event

Joe Owens and Beth Owens

Brenda Hunt and Malcolm Hunt

Barbara Odom Wesley, Sissy Day and Devan Allen

Bryan Perry and Kim Perry

Beatrice Davis and Chandra Thompson

Evening Under the Stars drew a large crowd to Esports Stadium Arlington in support of the Arlington Life Shelter.

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

Tara Hutchins-Welsh and Megan Waguespack

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Photo: City of Arlington

Seniors were treated to a meal at the Mayor’s Holiday Luncheon at Eunice Activity Center.

Theatre Arlington’s Board of Directors is thrillled to present

the

DRE

M

at THEATRE ARLINGTON’S

Friday, February 28, 2020 1010 COLLINS Celebrate the rich history of the great city of Arlington and 47 years of live theatre! Guests will enjoy an evening featuring dinner, live entertainment, a luxury live auction, “Envelope Please,” “Heads or Tails” and an exciting GAME SHOW with some of Arlington’s most iconic people, including former Mayor Richard Greene and current Mayor Jeff Williams.

Featuring Celebrity Contestants!

Former Mayor Richard Greene, Mayor Jeff Williams & other Arlington icons!

RESERVATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JANUARY.

Interested in being a sponsor and giving children of North Texas opportunities to shine like a star?

- CONTACT KIM LAWSON TURNER -

kim@theatrearlington.org or call 817.261.9628 x11 or visit TheatreArlington.org/support/#annualgala

!

817-261-9628 • theatrearlington.org

Gala The Fort Worth Club

The Event You Don’t Want to Miss!

Join Us for the 6th Annual

May 21st, 2020 • 12pm On the Field at AT&T Stadium

Jerry Jones 2015

Roger Staubach 2016

Emmitt Smith 2017

Darren Woodson 2018

Daryl Johnston 2019

The breathtaking view from the field of AT&T Stadium will add to the excitement when we announce our next Keynote Speaker. This year’s speaker promises to captivate the audience and inspire everyone to become involved.

Our community needs your commitment to realize a brighter future. We hope to see you at this important event.

Reserve Your Table for this Special Event Today!

Luncheon Chairman MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM • LINDA MAGAZZINE Luncheon Vice-Chair

SPONSORSHIPS, TABLES & TICKETS AVAILABLE

For information contact Linda Magazzine • lindamagazzine@ebby.com • (817) 980-8733, Robyn Barrere • rbarrere@oldrepublictitle.com • (817) 751-4187 or Bridget Lenhardt • bridget.lenhardt@uss.salvationarmy.org • (817) 860-1836

Tickets available at inspiringhopeluncheon.eventbrite.com

All proceeds go to support the North Texas Youth Education Town The Salvation Army Family Life Center and Youth Education Town 712 W Abram • Arlington, TX 76013 • (817) 860-1836 • www.sayet.org

BULLETIN BOARD

Storied Arlington PD officer PJ Brock honored by the city

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Here are the upgrades made at Fielder Park, Marti Van Ravenswaay Park, Carl Knox, Jr. Park, Jake Langston Park and Gibbins Park.

five city parks get new equipment and amenities

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he Arlington Parks & Recreation Department recently improved playgrounds at five city parks with new equipment that features swings, slides, climbing and spinning components as well as interactive, sensory and imaginative-play components.

The playground designs at Fielder Park, Marti Van Ravenswaay Park, Carl Knox, Jr. Park, Gibbins Park and Jake Langston Park aim to encourage strength building, hand-eye coordination, balance and problem-solving skills in children.

The Arlington City Council approved the playground improvement project in June.

The new equipment, which aligns with the City Council priority to Champion Great Neighborhoods, enhances playground safety by replacing older equipment at these locations.

The previous playground equipment was more than 15 years old and needed to be replaced to meet current safety and industry standards.

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ongtime Arlington Police Department officer PJ Brock was recently honored with a Proclamation declaring Dec. 3, 2019 as “PJ Brock Day” in the City of Arlington.

A member of the department’s second-ever academy class, Brock first came to APD in 1991. She had previously Mayor Jeff Williams served in the honors PJ Brock.

U.S. Air Force and with the SMU and DART Police Departments.

She retired from full-time police work in 2013, but immediately came back to work for the department as a part-time officer, where she continues to help the traffic unit file DWI cases.

Though deeply respected for her stellar police work, Brock truly made her mark when APD’s chaplain approached her about helping to coordinate officer funerals. It became her job to ensure each officer received the full compliment of honors and tributes befitting of their profession at their memorial service – and to make sure the officer’s immediate and police families were equipped with everything they needed.

Mansfield Snowman Run set for Jan. 12

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ansfield’s annual 5K Snowman Run will be held at 8 a.m. on Jan. 12 at Katherine Rose Park (303 N. Walnut Creek Drive). The all-age event includes a timed race, s’mores and hot cocoa at the finish line, making it a great winter activity to keep the whole family active. The run is sponsored by Mansfield Methodist Medical Center.

For more: mansfieldtexas.gov/795/Snowman-Run.

After opening a year and a half ago, Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark has attracted guests from all 50 states and 11 countries and has hosted 4,500-plus birthday parties.

Here’s some epic news – Literally

D

the Epic Combo Pass, which encourages guests to id you know that Texas’ largest indoor waterpark is experience both the waterpark and our sister property, right in our own backyard? Since the City of Grand The Epic. It’s all part of the shared vision between the Prairie opened Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in 2018, City of Grand Prairie and ARM to create synergy between the family entertainment venue has exceeded both all the properties on the EpicCentral campus, one of the expectations for guest attendance and conventional most unique spaces in the United States. notions of the “municipal” waterpark experience. We By the way: If you’re planning a corporate caught up with Richard Coleman, CEO of party, you should definitely check us out. At the waterpark’s management company, any time of year, we can create a fabulous American Resort Management (ARM), to find “wet and dry” event that allows guests to out what’s in store for Epic Waters this year: flow between Epic Waters and The Epic for Arlington Today: It’s been two years since an experience that you absolutely can’t get you opened. What are some highlight-reel anywhere else. moments?

AT: What’s on the agenda for 2020?

Richard Coleman: It’s hard to choose, but RC: Big news: Epic Waters has been asked to I’ll start with our numbers: We have already Richard Coleman host both the national and world flowboarding reached projected guest attendance and championships, which is a huge honor. This happened have far exceeded anticipated financial results. In fact, because we created a very successful surfing festival we are achieving results that an independent market event last year, FlowaPalooza, that centered around a survey indicated we wouldn’t hit until 2026. regional competition leg of the U.S. Flow Tour – it was a Other numbers: To date, we’ve attracted guests from huge hit, and 2020 is going to be even better. all 50 states and 11 countries, and we also hosted over Speaking of things flowboarding, we’re also rolling out 4,500 birthday parties in our first 18 months of operations. a Friday/Saturday night after-hours series, Boards ‘N Last May, we opened Epic Waves, a 10,000 square-foot, Brews, as well as a flowboarding competition league that 300,000 gallon outdoor wave pool – guests love it! pairs amateurs with experienced flow athletes.

Another proud moment was winning the Leading Edge We are also in the early stages of a multi-year Award from the World Waterpark Association in 2018. masterplan at Epic Waters and we will be announcing This was validation that the park’s layout and design future expansions soon. has impressed top experts in the waterpark industry, in AT: What do you like most about your job? addition to wowing our guests.

RC: It’s fast-paced in our business and no two days are AT: Besides Epic Waves, what else is new at the park? ever alike. I also like the fact that we’re in the business of RC: We recently upgraded to new flooring that provides creating family-friendly, memorable experiences – it’s what a ‘boardwalk-and-beach’ appearance that enhances I grew up with, and it’s what I try to provide every day. the resort-like feel of the waterpark. Also, we introduced

arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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DINING GUIDE

KEEN CUISINE Local eateries you definitely need to check out UPSCALE Chamas do Brazil chamasdobrazil2.tru-m.com 4606 S. Cooper St. • 817-618-2986 Cut & Bourbon loewshotels.com/live-by-loews-arlington-texas 1600 E. Randol Mill Road • 682-277-4950 The Keg Steakhouse & Bar kegsteakhouse.com 4001 Arlington Highlands Blvd. • 817-465-3700 Mercury Chophouse mercurychophouse.com 2221 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 910 • 817-381-1157 Piccolo Mondo piccolomondo.com 829 Lamar Blvd. E. • 817-265-9174 restaurant506 at The Sanford House restaurant506.com 506 N. Center St. • 817-801-5541

AMERICAN Candlelite Inn candleliteinnarlington.com 1202 E. Division St. • 817-275-9613 Dino’s Subs 2221 S. Collins St. • 817-274-1140 frieddaze frieddaze.com 5005 S. Cooper St., Suite 159 • 817-472-6666 The Grease Monkey Burger Shop & Social Club greasemonkeyburgers.com 200 N. Mesquite St. • 817-665-5454 J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill jgilligans.com 400 E. Abram St. • 817-274-8561 72

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Cut & Bourbon

Mac’s Bar & Grill macsteak.com 6077 W. I-20 • 817-572-0541

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

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill facebook.com/elgabachotexmex 2408 W. Abram St. • 817-276-8160

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, Mansfield • 817-453-1682

ITALIAN/PIZZA Café Sicilia cafesicilia.com 7221 Matlock Road • 817-419-2800

Piccolo Mondo

Gino’s East ginoseast.com/arlington 1350 E. Copeland Road • 817-200-6834

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

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

J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill

Arlington-Mansfield 5001 S Cooper St, Suite 111 Arlington, TX 76017 (817) 557-2253 North Arlington 839 E Lamar BLVD Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 583-6522

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Mansfield Cares arlingtontoday.com • January 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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HOT SPOTS

HELLO, OLD FRIEND Arlington Highlands still holds plenty of the charm I remember • By Sara Pintilie

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ew year, new face mask from The Sleepy Cottage, the a place I haven’t been in quite awhile. As I drove down to that local store I randomly found online around this time and big-kid arcade, I realized that it felt like a new experiment, as if I ignited my quest to “rediscover” Arlington. hadn’t been there years before.

And in the spirit of “rediscovering,” I revisited an old haunt.

Even the inside of Dave & Buster’s had changed. I had a different During my holiday season, my picture of the place locked in my social dance card kept taking me head, but was pleasantly surprised back to an area I haven’t given a when I walked in. It was somewhere proper chance in years – Arlington I had that nostalgic fun but with Highlands. some really cool new amenities.

Like most Arlingtonians, when And a decent bar. the Highlands were erected in Before that, I had another group 2006, I was there almost every outing at Walk-On’s Bistreaux & weekend. I loved Borders – Bar, a New Orleans restaurant that remember that store? – and actually sits in the old Houlihan’s building. got the last Harry Potter book there Houlihan’s, a restaurant favored at a midnight event. for a quiet meal, is sadly gone, but I met with my friends at this new establishment, though Kincaid’s Hamburgers. Worked different, is still a great place to have a ... challenging job at Portrait a group of people mingle and drink.

Innovations. Loitered in World And most recently, a group of Market. Petted cats at Petsmart. friends wanted to give Pluckers a Saw movies at Studio Movie Grill. chance. Most of us had never been It was a stomping ground for a but heard good things. We weren’t good five years. disappointed. Their wings were But then, I grew bored of the massive. The sauces were tasty, the area. And the traffic didn’t help, beer was right amount of cold, and either. As much as I liked walking they had TVs everywhere. I can see I recently “rediscovered”Arlington Highlands, and I am so glad that I did. around the pretty landscaped why that place is packed during area, going down there wasn’t as every Dallas Cowboys game. appealing anymore.

Each outing, I had a blast and liked that I could pop over to a I only went down there if I was running errands nearby and nearby store real quick while I wait for a friend to arrive. wanted a sandwich from Which Wich.

It was interesting that the Arlington Highlands, which has more So I found myself growing unfamiliar with the Highlands until than 800,000 square footage of tenants, doesn’t feel dense and the past few months. I had multiple social outings – from vastly heavy. Sure, traffic isn’t great, but I do find myself wanting to give different social circles – that led me to the shopping area. the lifestyle center more attention in 2020.

And each time I trekked down there – I live in North Arlington – I saw more and more how the Highlands adapts and thrives.

It didn’t feel like a relic, but like a living entity. It’s pretty cool to Sara Pintilie is a distinguished writer, editor and have a vast area like that keep fighting for people’s attention, even photographer who calls Arlington home. In her column, she offers a millennial’s take on matters with all the new things being built nearby. of local importance.

Recently, a group of colleagues wanted to go to Dave & Buster’s,

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ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Thank you to all our donors, sponsors, guests, volunteers, staff and board for helping provide warm food, clothing and shelter to our homeless neighbors during the cold winter months ahead.

www.ArlingtonLifeShelter.org

Photos: Paul Knudsen Photography

NIGHTLIFE & MORE

SIGHTS / SOUNDS Live, from Arlington/Mansfield/Grand Prairie ...

MUSIC: Concerts at Arlington Music Hall When: Jan. 3 - 31 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224 N. Center St.) Show times: See below Notes: This month’s concert schedule will feature the following performers/events: ZZ Top vs. Lynyrd Skynyrd, featuring Trio Grande and Lone Star Skynyrd (8 p.m. on Jan. 3), Rush More: A Tribute to Rush (8 p.m. on Jan. 4), Bricks in the Wall: Pink Floyd Tribute (8 p.m. on Jan. 11), Collin Raye (7:30 p.m. on Jan. 17), Phil Vassar (7:30 p.m. on Jan. 24), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (8 p.m. on Jan. 25), Hiromi (8 p.m. on Jan. 29) and The Kingston Trio (7:30 p.m. on Jan. 31).

For more: arlingtonmusichall.net

MUSIC: Local Yoakam When: Jan. 9 Where: Fat Daddy’s (215 E. Front St.) Show time: 8 p.m.

Notes: Local Yoakam is a Dwight Yoakam Tribute band playing gigs all over Texas. They also like to mix things up by playing various artists that have influenced Dwight in one way or another, like Tom Petty, CCR, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. They will throw in some originals as well.

For more: fatdaddyslive.com/live-events

THEATER: Ripcord When: Jan. 10 - 26 Where: Theatre Arlington (305 W. Main St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. on Sunday Notes: A sunny room on an upper floor is prime real estate in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility, so when the cantankerous Abby is forced to share her quarters with new-arrival Marilyn, she has no choice but to 76

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

get rid of the infuriatingly chipper woman by any means necessary. A seemingly harmless bet between the old women quickly escalates into a dangerous game of one-upmanship that reveals not just the tenacity of these worthy opponents, but also deeper truths that each would rather remain hidden. This play contains strong adult language; it is appropriate for audiences aged 16 and up.

For more: theatrearlington.org

MUSIC: Symphony Arlington, featuring Cicely Parnas, cello When: Jan. 16 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224 N. Center St.) Show time: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: This concert, directed by Robert Carter Austin, will feature Mozart’s “Divertimento in Bb Major, K.137,” Bloch’s “From Jewish Life,” Vivaldi’s “Cello Concerto in A Minor, RV418,” Finzi’s “Romance,” Grieg’s “Holberg Suite” and Anderson’s “Plink, Plank, Plunk.”

For more: symphonyarlington.org/january

MUSIC: Coors Light Block Party, featuring Mike Ryan When: Jan. 18 Where: Texas Live!

Show time: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: Mike Ryan is a San Antonio-born singer/songwriter who has accumulated fans across the U.S. and throughout the world with powerful, whiskey-smooth vocals and well-crafted lyrics. His thoughtful writing style evokes emotion and plants the audience inside his songs. Ryan’s brand of country music, infused with southern rock and soulful rhythms, has generated more than 105 million streams to date.

For more: texas-live.com

REACH FOR THE STARS AT THE UTA PLANETARIUM he University of Texas at Arlington Planetarium (700 Planetarium Place) will present shows on Saturdays and Sundays throughout January.

UTA Planetarium is one of the three largest planetariums in Texas and features unparalleled views of the night sky, the solar system, stars, and distant galaxies – complemented with Dolby® surround sound.

For a list of programs and show times: uta.edu/planetarium/index.php.

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NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW ...

WELL ... JUST GO SEE IT adies and gentleman, children of all ages, get ready as the Arlington Improv (309 Curtis Mathes Way, Suite 147) brings you variety comedy, stand-up comedy and magic – all in one show, which will be presented at 2 p.m. on Jan. 25.

This is an interactive show designed to have you and your whole family laughing and in awe no matter your age, with a combination of comedy and magic – the fun doesn’t stop!

For more: improvtx.com.

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SPEAKING OF SPORTS

YOUR HOME TEAM XFL’s Renegades will give local fans something to cheer this month • By John Rhadigan

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oming down from the high of the “most wonderful time of He’s right: He’s not the only one. In fact, studies show that the year” can be very difficult. But at least January offers even in March and April football is the most popular sport in us the thrill of some great football. From Bowl Games to America. So the XFL intends to give the people what they want. the College Football Playoff to the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl, More football. According to Raskin, they have taken that one step our appetite for football will be satisfied until Feb. 2nd. further by asking fans how their football watching experience That means that on Feb. 3rd we begin the “least wonderful time could be enhanced. of the year?” That time when there is no football at all. But I have “Less stall and more ball,” Grady reveals. “They want ways to some good news! This year the “least wonderful time of the year” keep the game moving along.” lasts only six days.

For me, one of the greatest things the Renegades have to offer That is because on Feb. 9th the is their home stadium. The fact XFL begins play. Now I know what that we can still enjoy games at you’re thinking, “The XFL? Didn’t Globe Life Park is thrilling to we try this once before?” me. Raskin, who worked for the To answer your question, yes we Rangers and the Stars earlier in did. But that XFL will bear little his career, calls Globe Life Park a resemblance to this one. According “blessing” to the franchise and to to Grady Raskin, the President of the league. the Renegades, who will call Globe He says this is a league Life Park in Arlington home, there of opportunity. Not just an are only two carryovers. opportunity for fans to get a “This league is a 180 from 2001,” football fix in the late winter and Raskin says, referring to the oneearly spring, but an opportunity year run of the league previously. for really good players to keep “The only similarities are that playing.

Vince McMahon is still the owner Stoops concurs. and the name is still XFL.” “The last 10 players cut from Renegades Head Coach and each NFL roster are really good The XFL’s Renegades will start play this month at Globe Life General Manager Bob Stoops is players,” Stoops contends. “And Park, and they’ll be a breath of fresh air for football fans. To find out more or to buy tickets, visit xfl.com/teams/dallas. adamant. “I would not be here if anybody who shines could get a it was like it was before,” Stoops chance in NFL camps just a few says. “This is totally different than it was last time. This will be months after the XFL season ends.” good, solid football with more action and less stoppage.”

So don’t fret football fans, the least wonderful time of the year Before relaunching the brand McMahon hired Oliver Luck. will be just six days in 2020. Then it is time for more football, more He is a Rhodes Scholar finalist who played for the Oilers and has excitement and more memories made right here in Arlington at had several jobs in coaching and administration, including as the Globe Life Park.

Athletic Director at his alma mater, West Virginia.

Luck and McMahon spent 13 months in R & D. That is research and development. They spent much of that time talking to football fans, and they concluded something that Stoops already knew.

Sports columnist John Rhadigan is an anchor for “I can’t be the only one disappointed when the college football the Fox Sports Southwest television network. season ends or when the Super Bowl is over,” Stoops says.

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Here’s the deal: PEOPLE LOVE TO READ MAGAZINES

The number of magazine readers in the United States in 2018 was 224.6 million. That’s actually MORE than read magazines seven years ago.

Source: statista.com More Americans read print magazines than use the Internet!

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, but according to wainscotmedia.com, 91 percent of American adults have read a magazine in the past six months, compared to 85 percent of American adults who surf the net.

The Simmons Multi-Media Engagement Study revealed that magazines are the No. 1 medium of engagement – across all dimensions measured. The study showed magazines score higher than TV or the Internet in ad receptivity and all of the other engagement dimensions, including “trustworthy” and “inspirational.”

Magazines engage readers!

Here’s something else from wainscotmedia.com: We think of magazine readers and picture bored people flipping through pages in waiting rooms, but the reality is that the average reader spends more than 53 minutes on each issue – and more than eight hours each month reading magazines.

Print is memorable!

Print creates an emotional connection.

Print builds relationships.

Physical material is more “real” to the brain, involves more emotional processing, is better connected to memory, with greater internalization of ads – all important brand associations.

Source: Forbes

EVENTS, ETC.

ITINERARY Your official guide to fun (and the like) Portraits: Photography

by Dennis Hevia When: Through Jan. 3 Where: Arlington Museum of Art Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday; 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday In a nutshell: The masters of the Dutch Golden Age (which spanned basically the 17th century) saw the emergence of artists like Vermeer and Rembrandt. In this exhibit, Hevia shares his photographic take on some of those great works, including Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring” and Rembrandt’s self portraits.

For more: arlingtonmusem.org

The Nature of Things When: Jan. 1 - Feb. 21 Where: River Legacy Living Science Center (703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd.)

Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

In a nutshell: River Legacy Living Science Center presents the traveling exhibit, “The Nature of Things,” featuring “Bee-lieve It or Not! The Secret Lives of Honey Bees.”

Visitors can investigate the Nature of Things featuring The Tooth Sleuth, What’s Bugging Belva and A Salamander’s Tale. Get the beeswax on what makes a honey bee a honey bee; discover why pollinators are important and learn who is a pollinator through an interactive video game experience. Admission to Discovery Room includes the traveling exhibit. Exhibits are organized by the Purdue Agriculture Exhibit Design Center.

For more: riverlegacy.org/event/ traveling-exhibit

UTA Basketball When: Jan. 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 16, 18, 30 Where: College Park Center (601 Spaniolo Drive) 80

ARLINGTON TODAY • January 2020 • arlingtontoday.com

Times: See below for tip-off times In a nutshell: This month, the University of Texas at Arlington’s mens and womens basketball teams have a full slate of home games. The men will play host to South Alabama (7 p.m. on Jan. 6), Appalachian State (7 p.m. on Jan. 9), Coastal Carolina (2 p.m. on Jan. 11) and Louisiana (7 p.m. on Jan. 30. The women will entertain Arkansas State (7 p.m. on Jan 2), Little Rock (2 p.m. on Jan. 4), Louisiana (11:30 a.m. on Jan. 16) and Louisiana Monroe (2 p.m. on Jan. 18).

For more: utamavs.com

Jiggle Butt Run When: Jan. 25 Where: University of Texas at Arlington Maverick Activity Center (500 S. Nedderman) Time: 9 a.m.

In a nutshell: This popular annual event is a 5K Walk/Run just for women. Proceeds from the Jiggle Butt Run support SafeHaven’s quest to help women find freedom from domestic violence. A pre-event party will be held from 6 - 8:00 p.m. on Jan 23 at The Runner (3535 W. Pioneer Pkwy.). Registration for the race is open through race day. After Jan. 23, you must register at The Runner.

For more: jigglebuttrun.com

Mansfield Chess Club When: Jan. 11 Where: Library Community Room (104 S. Wisteria, Mansfield) Time: 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

In a nutshell: Learn how to play chess or just brush up on your skills. All ages and levels are welcome. No registration is required.

For more: shorturl.at/fgrAC

BOOST THE BOTTOM LINE WITH THIS WORKSHOP he “2 Day Small Business Workshop with The Business Woman’s Network” will be held from 5 - 9 pm. on Jan. 10 and from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Jan. 11 at Union Worx Coworking in Downtown Arlington (500 E. Front St., Suite 160).

The Businesswoman’s Network is an open group of CEOs, directors, owners and businesswomen from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Its top priority is to EMPOWER one another, ENGAGE the communities in which we live and work, and ENHANCE the future with its impact.

Featuring break out sessions include: • Creating a Business Plan • Idea to Brick & Mortar • Vision Boarding • Beginner and Advanced Social Media • Email Blasts for Your Business • Graphic Design • The Perfect Elevator Pitch In addition, each attendee will receive a free headshot taken by The Business Network’s professional photographer.

This event was created to help you change the trajectory of your business.

Let this workshop show you what the experts have learned so you can stop scratching your head and start living your dream.

For more: shorturl.at/ouR04.

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and the

Arlington Area

All Star Awards go to ...

It’s that time again.

Balloting that will determine the winners and runners-up of our annual Readers’ Choice Awards will open Feb. 1 at arlingtontoday.com.

Be sure to cast your votes.

ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

2020 Arling ton To day

All Sta

r

Winners and runners-up will be announced in our August issue.

arlingtontoday.com arlingtontoday.com• •December January 2019 2020 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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FINISH LINE

CAN DO (STILL)

Here’s a rendering of what the new Loews hotel that is part of the $810 million development will look like.

Image: City of Arlington

The year ahead will be like none before • By Richard Greene

I

n his famous play, The Tempest, William Shakespeare coined the phrase, “What’s past is prologue.”

That was 400 years ago. Today it stands for the idea that history sets the context for the present and predicts the future.

The quotation is engraved on the National Archives Building in the nation’s capital.

For Arlington, the words could not be more appropriate as the New Year begins to unfold.

That’s because of the announcement from City Hall last month of the expansive, high-rise $800 million development in the city’s entertainment district that involves major new projects.

We will see construction started on a second Loews hotel – this one of 20 stories with 888 rooms rising out of a new 150,000-square-foot convention center, and a multi-use office and residential tower across the street as one of the ways The Ballpark in Arlington is being re-purposed.

It’s all detailed in the story on page 26.

Added to what these developers have already completed in the entertainment district, the total investment of non-sports venues being added to the city’s economy is about $1.2 billion. When you include the two Rangers facilities and AT&T Stadium, the number grows to $4 billion.

After the city council meeting when all of this was announced, someone I didn’t know asked me, “How does Arlington keep doing these amazing things?”

What a great question, I thought, especially for those in our city who haven’t lived with us for very long.

The answer actually begins with the arrival of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club in 1972. That event set into motion the possibilities of Arlington becoming the kind of major league city with few others that have the privilege of hosting the games of the nation’s greatest pastime.

But, it would not be long before that identity might have slipped away when, in the late 1980s, a change in the Rangers ownership brought about the need for a new ballpark to replace the inadequate Arlington Stadium.

Immediately, and I mean overnight, the Dallas media laid claim to the Rangers, publishing news stories and illustrations of locations in downtown where a new ballpark would be built. One of their sports columnists, obviously overcome with premature excitement, wrote that the Rangers would be moving to Dallas “where they belong.”

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All of this was happening during my watch as the city’s mayor, and I was amazed at how quickly Arlington was being counted out as the city where the Rangers would call home.

Ultimately, we worked out a partnership with the team owners and then did what I knew would confirm that Arlington had been underestimated when it comes to protecting what was rightfully ours.

We turned to the quintessential can-do spirit of our people, and they showed up in record numbers for an election proposing a new ballpark that would keep our team where it really did belong.

By a margin of landslide proportions, voters said yes to that new ballpark and seized the potential of what that would mean to the city’s future development of our local economy.

The owner of the Dallas Cowboys was watching that achievement and decided to cast his lot with us and added the NFL to our national identity.

When the lease we had entered into with the Rangers was reaching its maturity, the team owners wanted to develop a new enclosed air-conditioned facility, taking fans and players out of the Texas heat.

Again, that can-do legacy revealed itself once more when voters provided another landslide answer to the opportunity to keep the Rangers and protect our city’s major league status.

Everything that has happened since, including the announcements that came last month, is the result of building one success upon another.

And, it continues. So, don’t be surprised if we begin every new year with expectations that this upward trajectory is going to make us the No. 1 tourism destination between Orlando and Las Vegas.

Or, perhaps we should aim even higher. After all, it’s Arlington’s legacy, and everything is possible.

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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