Around Town

THE HUMAN ELEMENT OF APD’S SEVEN-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

Photo: City of Arlington

One of the key elements of the Seven-Year Plan for the Arlington Police Department is making sure the needs of both officers and the people they serve are adequately addressed.

What we tend to forget when it comes to law enforcement officers is that they are not robotic algorithms programmed from basements in some non-descript central office. They are flesh and blood, men and women who slip on their pants and shirts and socks and shoes much the way we do. They take showers in homes with pipe problems, jump in cars in need of repair, and wrangle through awful traffic to get where they are going. They fight with their wives and husbands and wonder how is it that their sharpwitted daughter is flunking History.

We don’t necessarily see them as workplace worker bees, not like us, anyway, putting in long shifts and dealing with office politics, coming home to eat and play with the kids despite the fatigue, and returning to do it all over again.

Trying to prove that cops are people, too, wasn’t the aim in April when the Arlington PD held a pair of town halls with community folk; it was Kenneth to dive deeper than that, Perkins Deputy Police Chief Brook Rollins tells me. “It’s was find out what the community and police department wants from us,” he says.

When Rollins says us, he refers to the police department where he has worked for a couple of decades. The town halls weren’t gripe sessions, although at times they resembled such; they were fact-finding missions that would be coupled with internal meetings at the department to see how the 46th largest law enforcement agency in the country with almost 900 sworn officers and professional staff members can work better from the inside out.

In March, Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones announced intentions to implement a Seven Year Strategic Plan that would, as he put it, “help steer the department into the future.”

A pair of community and four employee sessions were set up between March 22 and April 7. While the public might jump at this sort of thing, you can imagine what the APD rank and file thought.

“Let’s face it,” says a smiling Rollins, “most people’s eyes glaze over when you talk about strategic plans.”

Especially one covering seven years.

But by the end of the first session, Rollins, who has seen such plans come and go, was all-in.

“This has been one of the coolest things from a leadership perspective to absolutely take the fuel from the employees and have them tell us where we are going instead of me telling you this is the strategic plan,” Rollins says. “I’m excited we have this opportunity to put forward what people have asked us to.”

It was clear that Chief Jones had put the two groups most intertwined at the front and center of this plan: front-line staffers like patrol cops and the community they come in contact with each hour of each day.

“So from the sessions, we took the comments of the community and the comments from our front-line employees and collated them,” Rollins says.

They sat and read every suggestion to develop a directional theme based on a five-prong framework: communities through partnerships, using technology, managing through relational policing, evidence-based framework, and organizational diversity and succession.

In other words, officers need great working environments like any other worker bee.

“It’s about workplace values,” Rollins says.

Work values often determine what is essential for employees and what they want to achieve in their work. Law enforcement is associated with high engagement and a high risk of burnout. Chief Jones is aware that organizational effectiveness depends on respect for such values.

This is all in the early stages. Chief Jones wants to take a closer, more complex look at the men and women who, in addition to dealing with their life problems, head into work and become part of everyone else’s.

Yet their responses are expected to be kept in check for society’s well-being.

What about their well-being?

Making APD a better place to work means making our city a safer place to be.

SNAPSHOTS OF ARLINGTON/MANSFIELD/GRAND PRAIRIE AREA NEWSMAKERS

Arlington Urban Ministries Arlington Urban Ministries Boots, Chaps & Cowboy Hats event Boots, Chaps & Cowboy Hats event

Laura DiStefano and Dr. Alfred DiStefano TXU Energy guests

The Arlington Urban Ministries Boots Planning Committee

Photos courtesay of Jennifer Weber

Suraiya Culp, Jan Barton-Gerro, Pam Goh and Jennifer Weber

Dental Health Arlington Dental Health Arlington Love That Smile Casion Night Love That Smile Casino Night

The players were hoping to roll “7s” at the Dental Health Arlington Love That Smile Casino Night, but the real winners were those whose lives will be improved by the funds raised at the event.

Photos: Terry Ip Photography Photos: Terry Ip Photography

The Casino Night fundraising event drew a large, festive crowd to the American Airlines CR Smith Museum.

Healthy Living

Image: thistlelaw.com

A class to educate you about joint/spine surgery

Baylor Scott & White Orthopedic & Spine HospitalArlington’s joint/spine replacement specialists offer a program that has been designed especially for patients undergoing joint/spine replacement surgery.

The medical center’s prep class, Total Joint/Spine 101, covers a range of topics, including surgery preparation, specialized equipment needed after surgery, pain management techniques, postdischarge needs and more.

The class is offered at Baylor Scott & White Orthopedic & Spine Hospital-Arlington, located at 707 Highlander Blvd.

bswarlington.com

Image:medicinenet.com

If you have allergy issues, these doctors have solutions

For many North Texas residents, managing allergy symptoms is a year-round battle. At Central Park ENT, with locations in Arlington, Mansfield and three other Metroplex sites, allergy services are offered to give patients the benefit of treating the root cause of their ear, sinus, throat or breathing problems, not just symptoms.

Testing children for allergies can start as early as six months with the use of intradermal dilution test and prick tests. Central Park ENT specialists make it a priority to diagnose the allergy situation accurately and then to offer effective solutions, including shots and drops, that improve patients’ lives.

centralparkent.net

This guide will help you best address hearing loss

Dr. Melissa Danchak and her team at Kos/Danchak Audiology & Hearing Aids believe that providing their patients with the most up-to-date information about hearing, hearing care and hearing instruments is an important part of patient care and a valuable service to the community.

To that end, Kos/Danchak offers a free “Guide to Hearing Health & Hearing Loss.” The booklet covers a variety of topics that patients and prospective patients can study to help them determine whether their hearing situation might require further care, including the types of hearing loss and the various treatment options to address the problem. You can obtain a free copy of the guide at northtxhearing.com.

Photo: health.clevelandclinic.org

Female OB/GYN specialists taking care of female patients

Women’s Health Services is an all-female OB/ GYN practice that delivers compassionate, comprehensive care to women throughout the area.

With two convenient locations in Arlington, the team offers a wide array of innovative treatments, therapies, and in-office procedures. Led by practice founder Dr. Joan Bergstrom, WHS offers a state-of-the-art facility and has recruited a top-rated staff. At Women’s Health Services, patients are thrilled to find so many services under one roof, from preconception counseling, pregnancy care, and birth control to LEEP procedures, colposcopy procedures, in-office hysteroscopy, ablations, and hormonal consultations.

womenshealthservices.com

Photo: womenshealthservices.com

Healthy

Photo: Healthy Concepts

Your source for healthy nutritional solutions

As a Nutritional Consultant and Holistic Health Practitioner, Cami Grasher, owner of Healthy Concepts, helps clients find ideal nutritional solutions for a plethora of everyday concerns, including weight loss, hormonal issues, menopause, detox, adrenal fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and more.

“Nutritional and natural health gets to the root cause of any health concerns or issues by addressing general health foundations, primarily nutrition, and by supporting the organ and body systems,” Grasher says. “This support enables the body to heal from any roadblocks naturally and to restore the body to an optimal level of health.”

yourhealthyconcepts.com

Photo: fundentist.com

Because your child’s smile is always a source of joy

FunDentist Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry has a reputation for offering comprehensive pediatric dental care in a friendly, inviting, and professional environment. When you visit this practice, you’re not just another smile - you’re family!

Drs. James E. Hyde, Charles W. Miller, Ed Watts and Philip M. Bailey provide a variety of dental treatments that are comfortable, safe, and effective. The practice is equipped with the latest dental technology, so the FunDentist team can provide complete care for your little one’s smile.

The entire dental team is dedicated to your child’s health and helping maintain his or her beautiful smile for many years to come. fundentist.com

Living

Groundbreaking procedure can help prevent strokes

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center offers a new minimally invasive surgical procedure called Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) to treat high-risk patients with carotid artery disease.

Chris Henry, M.D., vascular surgeon at Methodist Mansfield, and the operating staff successfully completed the first TCAR procedure in Southeast Tarrant County in January.

TCAR is clinically proven to be a safe procedure that temporarily reverses blood flow during the procedure so that any fragments of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening.

methodisthealthsystem.org/methodist-mansfield-medical-center

Be proactive when it comes to pesky outdoor plants

With the summer season also comes the increased risk of encountering pesky plants that can cause harm upon contact, like poison ivy and poison oak.

Arlington Parks and Recreation says that if you are going where you suspect you may encounter poison ivy or poison oak, you should wear long pants or high socks to protect legs from exposure. If your arms could also be exposed, a lightweight long-sleeve shirt is recommended. Be sure to wash clothes that may have touched poisonous plants as soon as possible. Ivy Block lotion can be applied to the skin to provide some protection, but it’s still best to avoid direct contact altogether.

arlingtontx.gov/city_hall/departments/parks_recreation

Photo: miinclp.com

Photo: City of Arlington

Healthy

Photo: Texas Health Resources

Texas Health fitness centers can help you get/stay fit

Texas Health fitness centers offer a healthy approach to wellness and exercise in a comfortable, relaxed setting. Whatever your fitness goals — from losing weight to gaining strength, from endurance building to recreation — Texas Health can help.

Texas Health Fitness Center Arlington Memorial offers a variety of group exercise classes for people of all ages and skill levels. Classes are free to members.

Classes include instruction in Chair Yoga, Lifestyle Conditioning, Strength, TBC-Total Body Conditioning, Yoga, Zumba and Zumba Gold.

All classes are included in memberships and are ongoing, so you can join at any time.

texashealth.org/Health-and-Wellness/Fitness/Arlington

Photo: GBSN

A team dedicated to helping you obtain/maintain health

Are you suffering from pain? Is a chronic disease or illness taking a toll on your life? Are you wrestling with weight issues? Dr. Kenyon Godwin and his team of holistic health specialists at Curis Functional Health have one ultimate goal: to make sure you get results.

“At Curis Functional Health, we often see people with headaches, neck pain, herniated discs, sciatica or prenatal and pediatric concerns,” Dr. Godwin says. “We treat folks of all ages: infants with colic just starting out in the world, adults who wish to experience everyday wellness, and seniors who wish to feel active and mobile throughout their golden years. We help the whole family.”

gocuris.com/providers/kenyon-godwin

Living

Let Pilates help you enhance your overall well being

The Pilates Effect is a fully equipped Pilates Studio dedicated to the overall well being of its clients. It is located in the heart of Arlington, minutes from downtown at the Shoppes at Brownstone Village (2410 W. Abram, Suite 112).

The goal at The Pilates Effect is to increase clients’ quality of life and to develop all muscles, transforming their body to the fullest, achieving personal fitness goals and improving your everyday physical lifestyle.

Using the Pilates principles, over time you will create stronger, leaner muscles, improving posture, increasing core strength, mobility and stability, thus creating benefits you will see in your everyday life.

thepilateseffect.com

Skin and body care that makes a big difference

Great Skin Spa & Facial Club owner Brenda Cureton Hunt developed Great Skin Spa & Facial Club in Arlington more than a decade ago, and the company has continued to grow and gain acclaim as an exceptional day spa and skin care provider.

Great Skin specializes in dozens of ever-evolving skin treatment protocols and instant slimming and body contouring procedures for women, men and teens hoping to improve the way they look and feel.

Through its Facial Club, Cureton Hunt and her team make it affordable for clients to care for their skin in the spa and at home.

greatskin4you.com

Photo: thepilateseffect.com

Photo: greatskin4you.com

Healthy

Photo: thesanfordhouse.com

This fine spa will leave you saying, “Ahhhhhh”

Just across the street from The Sanford House Inn lies the award-winning, full-service, 2,600-square-foot spa and salon, offering an extensive menu of services for both men and women.

The spa has seven treatment rooms for massages, facials, body wraps, microdermabrasion, waxing, and hand and foot treatments, while the salon has six styling stations, two pedicure thrones, and two manicure stations. All services are performed by certified technicians. A 360-square-foot resting room is beautifully appointed with an Italian tile waterfall and an artistically rendered blue skylight for a relaxing lunch or a casual meeting for up to 18 people.

thesanfordhouse.com/spa

Photo: arlington.org

Take a hike ... or a nature stroll ... or a bike ride ...

River Legacy Park is a 1,300-acre urban oasis following the curves of the Trinity River in north Arlington. The park’s ecological diversity of bottomland forest, wetlands and prairie provides abundant habitat for countless birds, fish, mammals and native plants.

River Legacy is a public City of Arlington park and is maintained and operated by the City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department. River Legacy Foundation works closely with the Parks Department to support the park’s amenities and preservation efforts. The former includes eight miles of paved hike and bike trails and a 10-mile mountain bike trail.

riverlegacy.org

Living

The art of making and sharing even more art

Pretty much everyone would agree that art can soothe the soul. Fortunately for folks in the Arlington area, they can find soul-soothing aplenty at Show Me the Monet Gallery of Fine Art, located at Gracie Lane in south Arlington.

Owner Pepper Crary calls her gallery “a place for local artists to show/sell their work, to host workshops and to hang out together and share our ideas.”

Of course, for Crary, it is even more than that: “It’s a gallery filled with everything I love, most importantly the people that come through the Gallery. It brightens my day when my customers share their decorating ideas and seek ideas for their homes.”

facebook.com/ShowMeTheMonetArlington

Arlington Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for Oct. 1

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® will take place in Arlington on Oct. 1, starting at Texas Live!.

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. While there is no fee to register for Walk, all participants are encouraged to raise critical funds that allow the Alzheimer’s Association to provide 24/7 care and support and advance research toward methods of prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure.

Participants register as a Team Captain, team member or individual, learn how to raise funds online, then participate in Walk. alz.org/walk

Photo courtesy of Show Me the Monet

Photo: Alzheimer’s Association

TWICE TRANSFORMED

Dennis Brown is eager to share his passion for his 1950 Dennis Brown is eager to share his passion for his 1950 Chevrolet Bel Air with others. As these photos show, there is Chevrolet Bel Air with others. As these photos show, there is plenty to be passionate about. plenty to be passionate about.

Photos: UTA

This Chevrolet Bel Air has been given the ultimate makeover • By Richard Greene

The most likely reaction when anyone sees this car is to ask, “what is this?”

Its proud owner, Dennis Brown, is more than happy to provide the answer of how it became the only one of its kind.

And, if you have a few minutes, he’ll explain the remarkable skill and engineering that went into its transformation from the original version introduced by Chevrolet 72 years ago.

We’ll get to his comments in a couple of minutes but, first, a little history of the car’s importance when it made its debut.

The excitement that occurred in 1950, when Chevrolet introduced the first top-of-the-line Bel Air, made it the year’s best-selling car in the country.

The post-war Chevys were already popular as the transformation was taking place from the cars of the late 1940s. But the Bel Air mark would identify the company’s most luxurious offering

for the next 31 years. Chevrolet’s slogan declared it to be “Finer than ever for ’50!” It was the first pillar-less coupe in the low-priced market. Their sales brochure promoted it as “open to the summer breeze” yet “snug against the wintry wind” with “the coziness and permanence of an allsteel top.” IF YOU HAVE a few minutes, Dennis Brown There’s still will explain the remarkable skill and fine plenty of the engineering that went into this classic car’s original versions around today of transformation. the “new” model that would not undergo significant design changes until the introduction of the 1955

With its unusual doors and a 425-horsepower Chevy small block engine that produces plenty of power, this 1950 vintage Bel Air will be a conversation piece wherever Dennis Brown takes it. And now that the pandemic restrictions are largely a thing of the past, he has plans to take it all over.

model year, but there’s only one like Dennis has.

You will have to examine it closely to even find evidence of the original 1950 body, the car’s interior, or any of its redesigned features. Dennis and I both found it hard to imagine the skills of the technician who could completely cut and reshape the sheet metal that today provides the look of a modern sports car.

The exquisite leather alone, that extends even through the trunk, comes at a price that exceeds the original cost of the entire car.

The high-tech instrument panel, front and rear bucket seats, LED lights, and invisible door handles are all examples of designs never imagined nor even possible in 1950.

Neither would there have been “suicide” doors as they were regarded as unsafe even though they dated back to the days of horseless carriages.

Dennis first discovered the car when it belonged to a life-long friend who he got to promise to let him know when he was ready to sell it. That happened just after he had acquired a new motorcycle as a birthday present for himself.

“It didn’t take more than a minute for me to decide to sell my birthday present - it’s out the window, it’s gone - and sold another car and made the Chevy mine,” he declares with a big smile, “I’ve always wanted to own this really special car.

“It set up a whole year during the Covid pandemic, and as soon as I got the car home, I rebuilt the carburetors, and it ran like a top!

“The original engine that produced about 92 horsepower and a top speed of maybe 60 to 65 MPH was replaced with a 425-horsepower Chevy small block, and it will go lots faster than that now!”

I then asked him about his future plans for the car.

“First,” he says, “I’m going to drive it. I love to get it out and just take a ride in it. It’ll be in parades, car shows and stuff like that. There’s one coming up right away not far from me, so that’s next. I just love old cars – always have and always will.”

Readers may recall that we featured his 1938 Chevy in this space about two and a half years ago and found that his love for classic cars began as a kid at Arlington’s Roark Elementary in the 1960s.

While his enthusiasm for his latest acquisition featured here may be at the top of his automotive experiences for now, we’ll stand by to see what comes next.

SNAPSHOTS OF ARLINGTON/MANSFIELD/GRAND PRAIRIE AREA NEWSMAKERS

TXU Energy & Arlington Urban TXU Energy & Arlington Urban Ministries Beat the Heat event Ministries Beat the Heat event

Patrick Johnson, Kim Campbell, Jan Barton-Gerro, Congressman Roger Williams, Jennifer Weber, and City Council Members Barbara Odom–Wesley and Nikki Hunter

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Weber

Congressman Roger Williams addressed the crowd during the Beat the Heat event.

Arlington Museum of Art’s Disney Arlington Museum of Art’s Disney Art from Private Collections opening Art from Private Collections opening

Chris Hightower, Dalworthington Gardens Mayor Laurie Bianco and Arlington City Councilman Raul H. Gonzalez Alice Sobel and Ralph Sobel

Photos courtesy of Kerry Gonzalez

The Grand Prairie Libraries Summer The Grand Prairie Libraries Summer Reading Club kickoff party Reading Club kickoff party

Photos: City of Grand Prairie

The Grand Prairie Libraries Summer Reading Club kickoff party at the Main Library (901 Conover Drive) provided fun activities for dozens of local children and their parents. The theme for this year’s club is “Oceans of Possibilities.”

HOME HOME SWEET! SWEET! HOME HOME

Photos: The Cunningham Group

This month, we join the Cunningham Group of Ebby Halliday Realtors to turn the spotlight on this three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,558-square-foot “private escape” that anchors a 4.3-acre lot in North Arlington.

Its list of amenities includes a running creek, an outdoor pavilion area, a sparkling swimming pool, landscaped walkways and hundreds of trees – and that’s what This North Arlington abode offers This North Arlington abode offers plenty of room to roam, whether plenty of room to roam, whether you stay inside or venture outdoors you stay inside or venture outdoors

you see at this private resort- style getaway before you even step inside.

The main house is ideal for entertaining, as it offers a large family room with a rock stone fireplace, three dining areas, a game room, and an office upstairs with a full bath that could be converted into a fourth bedroom. The large kitchen open to breakfast room and sun room showcasing floor-to-ceiling windows that blend the indoor-outdoor spaces in a series of breathtaking views.

There’s also a guest house with an open floor plan, kitchen, full bath and dining area, a guest cottage with a bedroom, living room, fireplace and full bath, a 30-foot-by-40-foot metal shop building, a tennis/basketball court, and a climate-controlled, five-car garage.

For more information, email mcunninghamgroup@gmail.

Photo: theconversation.com

40 UNDER 40 COMES TO GREATER ARLINGTON

• By Britton Merritt, VP of Marketing & Communications, Greater Arlington Chamber

It’s vital to our community to highlight young leaders across all industries and walks of life. The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Arlington Today magazine, is launching its inaugural year of 40 Under 40. This is your chance to honor a peer, a mentee or someone you admire. It’s also an opportunity to share an inspiring story of success with a larger audience.

“To ensure Arlington’s bright future, it’s our responsibility to cultivate the next generation of business and community leaders,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Greater Arlington Chamber, “This new program enables us to showcase these upand-comers with everyone in greater Arlington.”

Arlington is the 49th largest city in the USA; we’re larger than New Orleans, Orlando and Pittsburgh. It’s critical to our success to have a pipeline of responsible, communityinvested leaders to serve as our elected officials, lead our businesses and give back to our local nonprofits as board members and volunteers.

We welcome all of those under 40 to be nominated (full eligibility details are listed at the end). Think of the employees in your office, as well as the entrepreneurs you interact with. Maybe, it’s a client or vendor that has impressed you; reach out to them and tell them you want to nominate them.

Under 40? Ask a mentor, boss or community leader to nominate you and tell them why you feel you deserve this.

After a selection committee from the Chamber evaluates all nominees, the top 40 will be announced, and each honoree will be recognized in a dedicated 40 Under 40 issue of Arlington Today magazine, as well as at an event where they can all meet, network and celebrate.

“Arlington Today could not be more excited to venture into this space,” said Judy Rupay, Co-Creator of the magazine and former City of Arlington Councilwoman. “It’s time for us to focus on who our future leaders will be and to nurture their growth by connecting them to each other and our community.”

Nominations are open now and will close Friday, Aug. 19. You can find details at Arlingtontx.com/ 40under40.

ELIGIBILITY: (1) Must live AND work in Arlington or a city that touches Arlington (Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Kennedale, DWG, Pantego). (2) Only one person per small business will be selected as an honoree. For larger businesses or organizations (500+ employees) two nominees will be considered if they’re from different departments. (3) In order to be considered eligible, nominees must be 39 years old or younger as of Jan. 1, 2022. (4) Chosen honorees are required to attend the awards presentation on Nov. 17, 2022. Inability to attend the awards event is an automatic disqualification from the program. (5) Selfnominations are NOT permitted. (6) Chamber membership is NOT a requirement.