March Issue

MANSFIELD PICKLE PARADE ||| FACES & PLACES ||| CINDERELLA BALL March 2018

your community • your magazine

Today

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International Folk Art Market Arlington

PHOTOS: MICHA EL BENANAV & COURTESY OF ARTI ST

THE GREEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON

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VIP Shopping THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 7-11PM The Market ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

UTA strengthens focus on innovation Innovation and creativity thrive at UTA through an ecosystem of discovery that encourages cuttingedge entrepreneurs to turn their great ideas into viable businesses that hire area residents and grow the Arlington and Dallas/Fort Worth economies.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS Cadmus Dental, created by alumnus SCOTT PARSINEN (’94 B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies), is a dental technology and manufacturing business that originated in UTA’s EpIC Mavs entrepreneurship workshops and provides dental professionals with quality products, helpful services, and cutting-edge innovation.

The National Academy of Inventors, an elite organization honoring those who invent and create solutions that benefit society,

Philosophy student TYLER SICKELS’ company, SolGro, is developing novel technology to increase crop yields by 200 to 400 percent, converting the 60 percent of the light spectrum unused by plants into light that can be used for photosynthesis, thereby boosting plant growth.

welcomed UTA’s DEREJE AGONAFER, the Jenkins Garrett Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as a new Fellow.

He is UTA’s 12th NAI honoree, making UTA No. 1 in Texas and in the top 10 in the nation for the most Fellows at a university.

“Election as a Fellow is an extremely high honor bestowed upon academic innovators and inventors who demonstrate a prolific spirit of innovation.”

– Duane Dimos Vice President for Research, NAI Fellow

Dr. Agonafer’s research focuses on cooling computer servers and the integrated circuits within them to produce more efficient and productive equipment, which has led to alliances with Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and General Electric.

Moreau

Gozova is an app that works like Uber for people who need trucks to move or deliver large appliances. Company founders are computer science senior CAMERON MOREAU and alumni GORAN KRNDIJA (’17 B.B.A, Management) and JAMES STAUD (’15 B.S., Computer Engineering).

Biology Professor JON WEIDANZ, associate vice president for research, created AbeXXa Biologics, a life-science company focused on research and development of novel antibody therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.

AbeXXA was one of 40 “Best University Startups 2017” chosen by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer.

UTA is leading the way to a more vibrant, prosperous Arlington through innovation, discovery, and economic growth.

UTA.EDU

Contents March 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 3

48 Photo: Richard Greene

On the cover Paul Fulks, owner of 3Di Sign+Design, is a family man, successful entrepreneur and pillar in the community. You can read all about him in our cover story that starts on page 28.

26

44

50

Departments Starting Line ... 12 • This ‘n Data ... 14 Scene ... 22, 54, 60, 68 • Around Town ... 24 Style ... 62 • The Tee Box ... 70 Dining Guide ... 72 • Health/Fitness ... 74 Sights/Sounds ... 76 • Speaking of Sports ... 78 Itinerary ... 80 • Finish Line ... 82

56

66

Highlights 26 Great job, kiddo A new Little Helpers chapter is starting to make a big difference in the community.

28 Great, by design Meet Paul Fulks, the person who mixed the first Strawberry/Banana Starburst candy. (Spoiler alert: He also has accomplished a lot more than that, especially in Arlington).

44 Home SWEET! Home David and Courtney Waller were looking for the perfect blend of old and new – this is what they found.

48 2018 Cinderella Ball The city’s oldest fundraiser benefits youth served by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington.

Faces and Places

30

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Special section: Faces & Places

This month, we focus on more than a dozen people and commercial entities that help make the Arlington area a better place to live. See page 30.

50 A car with a look all its own Have you ever seen an automobile like this? Most people haven’t. Here is the 1930 Franklin Airman Club Sedan owned by Bill and Jean Jewell.

56 How I became a Pickle Queen I was having some margaritas with some friends, and a Mansfield parade was born. By Amanda Rogers

64 Community Corner Find out about an award-winning Mother/Daughter program the Parks & Rec Department offers.

66 Retiring Old Glory with dignity Scout troops, a Masonic Lodge, first responders and veterans join forces during a moving ceremony.

10

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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Starting Line EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Publisher Judy M. Rupay CEO Richard Greene

The glue that holds us

EDITORIAL Editor Yale Youngblood

Our Faces & Places section shows all that is good about this city

A

s I was chatting with a friend the other day, we reached this consensus: There has likely never been a better time to live/work/shop/play/revel in Arlington. From our offices at Globe Life Park we see progress being made daily on the new Texas Live! entertainment complex across the street. We don’t have to drive five miles in practically any direction to note that the rest of the city is cleaning up nicely, as well.

Urban development? Check! Entertainment options galore? Pretty much everywhere you look. A new ballpark on the horizon, both literally and figuratively? Hey, this is ARLINGTON, by gum, and ARLINGTON votes for progress on a consistent basis. It’s not called the American Dream City without cause.

Which brings me to another conclusion that is as sound as the one noted in the inaugural paragraph: We’ve got people – lots of people – working together for the greater good of this community.

And, I’m proud to note, you have a chance to meet a few of them in this issue. For the past few years (we just celebrated birthday No. 5, for those keeping tabs on the chronology of this publication at home) we’ve devoted the March issue to lauding Yale Youngblood, Editor local businesses and business people that help keep the economic pulse rate at a healthy level. And that was a good thing.

But this is even better: We’ve renamed the special section devoted to the movers and shakers and groovers and bakers. What once was “Celebrating Local Business” (a somewhat generic salute that only captures in general terms how important these folks are) is now “Faces & Places” (a cooler – translation: more likely to be read – alternative that literally puts a face or a place on the spotlighted entities).

I’m a tad partial, because I’ve gotten to know everyone we salute in this issue, but I recommend that you get to know them, too. The section starts on page 30. Find the giant “Dream” sign that symbolizes just what the section is all about, and take a right.

Then keep cruising through the ensuing pages, and you’ll discover that everything my aforementioned friend and I discerned is 100-percent accurate. This is a great time to be in Arlington. And Arlington is populated by some of the harder-working, sincere and sincerely devoted people you will find anywhere.

Those faces you’ll see are smiling for a reason. And those places they occupy during working hours are testaments to a spirit that you don’t find very often these days, not in a big city, anyway. You do find that in Arlington.

Every single day of the year.

yale@arlingtontoday.com

Visit arlingtontoday.com, like us on Facebook 12

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

and follow us on Twitter

and Instagram

Contributing Editor Marla Thomas Sports Columnist John Rhadigan Style Editor Tricia Schwartz Website & Social Media Manager Courtney Lackner McCoy Contributing Graphic Artists Susan Darovich, Susan Youngblood Contributing Writers Michele Duskin, Karen Gavis, Bill Lace, Kenneth Perkins, Toni Randle-Cook, Amanda Rogers Contributing Photographers Gary Coots, Hasson Diggs, Dwayne Lee, Heather Lee, Bruce Maxwell Toni Randle-Cook, Amanda Rogers SALES / CIRCULATION Business Manager Bridget Dean Sales Managers Laura DiStefano, Amy Lively, Andrea Proctor, Debbie Roach, Tricia Schwartz Distribution Manager Logan Taylor PRODUCTION Production Manager Susan Darovich ARLINGTON TODAY is published monthly. Copyright 2018 Arlington Today, Inc., 1000 Ballpark Way, Suite 308, Arlington, TX 76011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means without permission of the publisher.

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

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

• Phone number: (817) 303-3304

Obstetrics/Gynecology

Women’s Health Services now in two Arlington locations: Women caring for women Women’s Health Services is excited to announce that in addition to providing patient care in both north and south 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.

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. The doctors of Women’s Health Services 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. Their goal is to provide quality care with high patient satisfaction. Visit our new website and make your appointments online at www.womenshealthservices.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!

North Office:

South Office:

1001 N. Waldrop, Suite 505 Arlington, TX 76012

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

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

Women’s Health Services doctor spotlight: Dr. LaTasha Jarrett Dr. LaTasha Jarrett joined Women’s Health Services in 2016. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Jarrett went to Brown University for college and attended University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She then completed her OB/GYN residency training program at University of Texas, Houston. After graduating in 2005, Dr. Jarrett moved to Dallas. Over the next 11 years she practiced in both the private and academic settings, teaching at UTSW Medical Center for several years.

Dr. Jarrett believes that partnering with her patients is the best recipe for success.

She enjoys all aspects of Obstetrics and Gynecology, including educating her patients and guiding them through a woman’s life from adolescence, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

Dr. Jarrett is skilled at performing gynecologic surgery, such as the treatment of fibroids and uterine prolapse.

She and her husband, Jonathon, have one daughter. Dr. Jarrett loves spending time with her family, cooking Italian food, and keeping up with HGTV. Dr. Jarrett is accepting new patients at both the North and South office locations of Women’s Health Services. You can schedule your appointment online at www. womenshealthservices.com or call 817-277-9415 to book at either location.

This ‘n Data

An inspiration Kirk Franklin is still making sweet music and history

A

s one of the biggest stars in contemporary gospel music, multiplatinum artist Kirk Franklin continues to inspire others to dream big in Arlington and throughout the country.

His debut album, 1993’s Kirk Franklin & the Family, spent 100 weeks on the gospel charts and became the first gospel debut album to go platinum.

Franklin, who has won 12 Grammy awards, formed his own label in 2015, known as Fo Yo Soul Entertainment. In the summer of 2017, he completed the transformation of a vacant furniture warehouse in Downtown Arlington into a $2 million, state-of-the-art recording studio. The gospel star is also a long-time Arlington resident.

“I love the people here, I love the spirit here, I love the energy here and I just fell in love,” Franklin says. “I fell in love with being able to leave New York, leave LA and to be able to come to a place where it’s home.”

Franklin married his wife Tammy in 1996 and they have two children together, daughter Kennedy and son Caziah. They also inherited two kids from previous relationships, Kirk’s son Kerrion and Tammy’s daughter Carrington. Franklin’s family experience has

Kirk Franklin Photo: aceshowbiz.com

left him impressed by the schools in Arlington. “The education that my kids have gotten here can compete with any level of education all over the world,” Franklin says. “It is a place that can equip my kids to be able to do whatever they want to do.”

In 2016, the Texas Commission on the Arts designated Downtown Arlington as one of only seven new cultural districts in the state.

Franklin sees a momentum building with the music scene in The American Dream City.

“The music and the arts that have the potential of coming out of this city are going to really be able to make some noise,” Franklin says.

– arlingtontx.gov

AHS Alumni band seeking help to fund important projects

T

he Arlington High School Alumni Band has recently undertaken two projects to help benefit members of the community – and is seeking the public’s help to accomplish both.

The band performed at several retirement centers in Arlington during the Christmas holidays. This included the residences of a former band director, and the widow of Dean Corey, one the first AHS Band Directors and Director of Fine Arts, and who co-write the words to the Arlington High School Alma Mater and Fight Song.

A scholarship was started in Corey’s name at AHS and is given to a graduating band senior who will be majoring in music education. The Alumni Band has become a 501c3 nonprofit and is taking over the funding of this scholarship from the Corey family.

14

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

The band has also recently purchased a 40-foot trailer frame and will be building out the trailer for use as a float in the parades and as a portable band stage. Currently, an alumni band member loans the band his trailer that is constructed twice a year as a float. The newly purchased trailer frame, when finished, will become the organization’s dedicated performance platform and will not have to be deconstructed after each event.

To raise money for both projects, the band has begun performing at AHS class reunions, accepting donations to apply to both projects. Contact information and PayPal information for the band can be found at ahsalumniband.com.

Arlington High School is Arlington’s oldest high school with the largest alumni

base. Any contributions for the trailer including building supplies, paint, welding or monetary donations for either the trailer or the Dean Corey Scholarship would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made through Prosperity Bank in Arlington or through PayPal under the name Arlington High School Alumni Band, Inc. The AHS Alumni Band was formed in 2002 with the mission of giving back to Arlington High School and promoting the spirit, pride and tradition of Colts from the past, present and future. The band consists of ex-band members ranging from the class of 1957-2016. The band performs several times a year, including the Arlington High School Alumni Association Open House, the homecoming tailgate party and the City of Arlington’s July 4th Parade.

Rethinking acid reflux.

Trina Henry-Patrick suffered from acid reflux disease and thought having it treated would be complicated. Thanks to minimally invasive robotic surgery with the da Vinci® Surgical System, the problem area between her stomach and esophagus was repaired, providing much-needed relief. Trust. Methodist.

“I had a great experience. I encourage others to not worry and trust the process. It really works.”

— Trina Henry-Patrick

For more information, visit MethodistHealthSystem.org/daVinci

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.

This ‘n Data

In memorium

Norman Lyons

Open Arms Health Clinic will celebrate its new facility at 3311 Little Road with an open house from 10 a.m.-noon on March 7. A ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, will be part of the festivities.

City loses A legend

N

Gala for Open Arms Clinic is this month

T

he Heart & Soul Gala, benefitting Open Arms Health Clinic, will be held on March 3 at the Ruthe Jackson Center in Grand Prairie.

Gloria Campos, longtime WFAA-Channel 8 news anchor, will serve as MC at the event, which will feature dinner and dancing to the music of Legacy 4. There will also be live and silent auctions, with proceeds going to support Open Arms Health Clinic, which aids un-insured and under-insured local residents.

Thanks to donations from The Arlington Tomorrow Foundation, Open Arms has a new facility at 3311

Little Road. An open house for the facility, which recently began serving patients, is set for March 7, from 10 a.m.-noon.

Visitors can tour the new Open Arms Health Clinic, a privately funded facility run by volunteers.

They also can hear stories about how the clinic has been a life-changer for many local residents in need.

A ribbon-cutting, featuring Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, will be part of the festivities.

To purchase tickets for the gala, visit one.bidpal. net/oahc2018/ticketing. For information about Open Arms Health Clinic, visit openarmshealthclinic.org.

Concours d’Elegance of Texas to feature a new ‘Track Day’

A

n exciting new element has been added to this year’s Concours d’Elegance of Texas unfolding in Arlington from April 20-22.

At the kickoff event on Friday of that weekend, participants will be in for an exciting police-escorted countryside tour to Cresson Motorsport Ranch for “Track Day” at the sports car country club. There motoring enthusiasts will find two road racing courses where you can drive your own classic or one of the many available at the Ranch.

Check concoursoftexas.org for details on how to sign up for the event.

16

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

orman Lyons, a longtime executive with the Texas Rangers before becoming Arlington’s Community Relations Coordinator, died last month after a long illness.

He was 73.

Lyons joined the Rangers in July 1993 as the team’s first vice president of community development. He held that role until his retirement in November 2009.

Lyons was credited with the creation and development of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, as well as other team-related charitable efforts.

“He was a great ambassador for the club and represented the Rangers in every corner of our community,” the Rangers said in a statement shortly after his death.

Lyons finished his career working for the city of Arlington.

Where caring and compassion meet Our mission is to provide comprehensive treatment of the highest quality for all problems of the ears, nose, throat, head and neck. By incorporating the latest technology, emphasizing thorough patient education and making your individual needs the highest priority, our team of Board Certified ENT specialists and support staff aims to deliver the best patient experience possible.

Central Park has 4 locations around the metroplex and offers the full range of ENT services including allergy testing and treatment, on site CT imaging, balloon sinuplasty, management of sleep apnea, and comprehensive management of hearing and balance disorders including hearing aid sales and servicing. We treat all ages and take most insurance plans.

Left to right: J. Mark Palmer, M.D., Chris T. Lee, M.D. Stuart N. Thomas, M.D., Rene M. Peña, M.D. Dana B. Gibbs, M.D., Tyler W. Scoresby, M.D. Arlington Location 409 Central Park Drive • Arlington, Texas 76014 • 817.261.9191 Dallas Location 4300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 110 • Dallas, Texas 75206 • 972.884.5606

Winner 2017 Readers’ Choice

All Star ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

2017 Readers’ Choice Winner,

Dr. Stuart N. Thomas “All Star Ear/Nose/Throat”

Fort Worth Location 800 Eighth Avenue, Suite 618 • Ft. Worth, Texas 76104 • 817.335.6336 Mansfield Location 221 Regency Parkway, Suite 111 • Mansfield, Texas 76063 • 817.592.8408

info@centralparkent.net • www.centralparkent.net

This ‘n Data

Another UTA milestone

T

he University of Texas at Arlington’s spring enrollment was just shy of 43,000 students, representing a 2.4 percent increase in enrollment over last spring and a record high for UTA. There was growth in both the undergraduate and graduate student population, with notable increases in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, the School of Social Work and the College of Business, all of which focus on development of highly skilled intellectual capital in areas of critical need for the Metroplex and the state. The University’s enrollment is up by almost 1,000 students over Spring 2017. Graduate enrollment has increased 4 percent in the past year.

Photo: City of Arlington

#atpetofthemonth: I’m a 3-year-old Mini Australian Sheperd. I share my birthday on November 21 with former Dallas Cowboy, Troy Aikman.

My hobbies include long walks, playing with my favorite little person, Lucy Blevens, swinging at the park, and giving kisses.

I’m told I have a “Licker Problem.”

I’m a graduate of Man’s Best Friend. I’ve learned to sit, stay, heel, and “high five.” I can also fetch, catch, roll over, turn a circle, and stand on my hind legs. Dog tricks bore me, but they seem to amuse our friends.

My favorite foods are carrots, blueberries, cheese, peanut butter, and salmon. I’ve also been known to enjoy green beans and sweet potatoes. I must admit I’d do most anything for Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. Anything!

I don’t mind dressing up occasionally for special holidays like Christmas or Halloween. I’m even a pretty good sport at birthday parties since there’s usually cake and ice cream involved.

My favorite day of the month is the day my Barkbox arrives.

I usually find a bag or two of special treats, a chew bone and a couple of toys. I’m told I’m spoiled, but I like to believe it is my compensation for the hours of entertainment I provide and my loyalty to my owners.

I’m a pretty lucky dog!

3 18

Scoops

Photo: Ken Martinez

RAISE YOUR HAND if you rode the Fiesta Train, back in the day, at Six Flags Over Texas. Keep it up if you knew that one of Arlington Today editor Yale Youngblood’s first jobs was driving the Fiesta Train, back in the day, at Six Flags Over Texas.

1. Dental Health Arlington’s third

2. The University of Texas at

3. The Martin High School Band

Annual Casino Night & Auction

Arlington has received a new

Booster Club is bringing back the

will be held from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. on

$227,000 grant funded through

Warrior Band on the Run 5k for

March 30 at J. Gilligans Bar & Grill

the federal government’s Medical

a third year on March 24. The run

(400 E. Abrams St.) The event serves

Technology Enterprise Consortium

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2/13/18 1:28 PM arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY 19

Happenings in the Arlington Independent School District • aisd.net

Arlington ISD’S 2018 National Signing Day Ceremony The Arlington ISD held its annual districtwide National Signing Day ceremony for students who signed with a college athletic program on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Nearly 80 students representing all six Arlington ISD high schools signed national letters of intent in nine different sports.

Arlington ISD signees (as of 1 p.m. on 2-7-18): BASEBALL: Arlington High School Jaret Granger, Ranger College Lamar High School Jose Gutierrez, Dallas Baptist University Martin High School Sam Creed, Luna Community College Seth Dunlap, Bacone College Tommy Foster, Ouachita Baptist University Grant Howe, Oklahoma Panhandle State University Andrew Mason, Sterling College Antonio Moreno, Sul Ross State University Cooper Randall, Luna Community College Ben Smith, Luna Community College Jacob Tamayo, University of the Ozarks GIRLS BASKETBALL: Arlington High School Rachel Tippens, Pratt Community College Bowie High School Jasmyne Robinson, University of North Texas BOYS TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY: Lamar High School Kayron Johnson, Ottawa University Seguin High School Ky’shaun Bradford, University of Central Arkansas Robert Teer Jr., Texas Tech University GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY: Martin High School Kree Perkins, Cowley College BOYS GOLF: Lamar High School Caleb Hicks, University of Texas at Arlington BOYS SOCCER: Sam Houston High School Jason Ramirez, Hill College Mario Trevizo, Hill College

GIRLS SOCCER: Arlington High School Camyren Antu, University of the Ozarks Kimberli Pak, Brookhaven College SOFTBALL: Arlington High School Renee Flores, Paris Junior College Lauryn Henson, Texas A&M University-Texarkana BOYS WRESTLING: Arlington High School Brandon Chapin, Wayland Baptist University VOLLEYBALL: Arlington High School Taryn Cates, Houston Baptist University Katie Clark, TCU Bowie High School Taylor Salone, Vernon College Martin High School Emilie Ickes, McNeese State University FOOTBALL: Arlington High School Theron Bellard, Cisco College Josh Bowen, RPA College D’Montae Davis, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Trey Felts, Cisco College Xzavier Guyton, New Mexico State University Dallas Heinemann, Texas A&M University-Commerce Zion Mills, West Texas A&M Darien Ruffin, Evangel University Jacob Russ, Bucknell University Bowie High School Branden Ellis, Snow College James Harry, Missouri Southern State University Brandon Kane, Emporia State University Emmanuel Lumanze, New Mexico Highlands University Alvin Runnels, Northeastern State University Emmanuel Taito, Cisco College Greg Ware, Angelo State University

Lamar High School Bobby Brown Jr., Texas A&M Dayton Dubs, Northwestern Oklahoma State University Jaylen Jones, Southern Nazarene University Martin High School Basel Abu-Ahmad, West Texas A&M Sorrell Brown, Tulane University Devin Bryan, West Texas A&M Cameron Cardin, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Keelan Chilton, Southeastern Oklahoma State University Dylan Ford, Southeastern Oklahoma State University Jacob Holland, University of Arkansas at Monticello Kaci Moreka, University of Northern Colorado Juma Otoviano, Rice University Emmanuel Sadala, Navarro College Spencer Trussel, Kansas State University Darrell Wair III, West Texas A&M Dylan Wheeler, University of Minnesota Crookston Brayden Willis, University of Oklahoma Sam Houston High School Joshua Bolden, Northeastern State University Robert Brown, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Jacob Dollar, Hendrix College Trey Flood-Hensley, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Keymon Jones, Oklahoma Panhandle State University Camren Landa, Cisco College Jerome Shackelford, Oklahoma Panhandle State University Jaylen Vincent, Southeastern Oklahoma State University Seguin High School Timothy Akinyoide, Dodge City Community College DeShawn Baker, Tarleton State University Jorge Barrera, Henderson State University Nolan Daggs, Tarleton State University Terrell Haynes, University of Texas at San Antonio Marcus Johnson, Dodge City Community College Joey Mahop, Fullerton College Madison Ridgeway, Air Force Academy

Picture-perfect Moments

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Photos: Southern Flair Photography

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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23

Around Town You might recognize the girl in the middle; it’s Pentatonix’s Kirstin Maldonado at age 8 in a photo that hangs on a wall at Theatre Arlington.

Not a bad rep

Photo courtesy of Theatre Arlington

Theatre Arlington has spawned some big-name stars along the way • By Kenneth Perkins

W

hen Kirstin Maldonado first walked through the doors at Theatre Arlington she was so spunky and lively and overly eager the girl had to be hosed down.

I’m kidding.

Sort of.

The truth is that those who first noticed Maldonado saw something special right away: a bouncy outlier in floppy pigtails.

She had, as they say, “it.”

Even at age eight.

Maldonado was put on the I-gotta-do-this-or-I’ll-lose-my-mind track, which at Theatre Arlington means intensive classes, summer camp, voice lessons, acting lessons, productions, the works.

“It was clear from the start that this is something she had to do,” says Valerie Galloway, Theatre Arlington’s Executive Director.

After Martin High School, Maldonado enrolled in the University of Oklahoma Music Theatre Department but bolted early to sing with some guys on an acappella music competition television show few had heard of.

Called themselves Pentatonix.

Won the competition, not to mention multiple Grammys and a huge, fanatical following.

There’s a photo in Theatre Arlington’s administrative office of about 30 kids (and then education director Todd Hart) that tells the story of this place far better than mere words. The cast pic for “School House Rock Live Jr.” shows not just a cheesing Maldonado sprawled on the floor but also a baby-faced Jennifer Stone, who would go on to star on “Wizards of Waverly Place,” Graham Galloway, now director of BarWine Comedy Troupe in New York, Dallas-based actors Parker Fitzgerald and Caitlin Galloway, Los Angeles actor Kolt Atchley, Chicago actor Alex Hardaway and Connor Lidell, a voice professor at NYU. There are others who didn’t go into the profession but hang around because it’s in their blood, such as Kylie Reynolds, a statistician and Theatre Arlington Board Member.

It’s like an all-star team before they became all stars. It represents the true legacy of this nugget of performance art that has grown steadily and right under our noses. Not in the photo: alums like Major Attaway (currently the Genie in the Broadway

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

hit “Aladdin”), Akron Watson (an American Idol performer who recently finished “Color Purple” on Broadway and is currently in “The Play That Goes Wrong”) and Allison Tolman (earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the television series “Fargo.”

Maldonado’s Pentatonix mate Mitch Grassi was also under the tutelage of Hart (Cindy Honeycutt is the current education director).

Most don’t know that Theatre Arlington is the second oldest live theatre in Tarrant County and the fifth largest in the country.

While the theatre didn’t start as youth-only, a testament to its success is a strong education program that can take wannabes as young as age four.

“That’s where we draw a lot, having been here 45 years,” Galloway says. “Talent that started as kids and have moved on in and outside the field.”

Theatre Arlington has a two-tier program – kids who don’t necessarily want to be actors or “stars” – and those who would cut off their right arm to be.

It’s a win-win, actually. Even those who don’t wake up picturing themselves on Broadway get an assortment of life skills. “It helps them whether they know what they want to do or don’t know exactly,” says Galloway.

Maldonado knew. She told Playbill’s Broadway.com recently how Broadway “has been my ultimate bucket-list goal since I was eight years old.”

Well, scratch it off now that she’s playing the role of Lauren in the long running play “Kinky Boots!” through April 8.

“It’s really exciting to fulfill two dreams,” says Maldonado, who released her solo EP, “LOVE,” this past fall. “I think the most fulfilling thing you can do in an artistic career is to do all these different things. I’m so eager and excited to add all this to my rep.”

So is Theatre Arlington.

And what a rep it is.

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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25

Altruism

A recent Valentine’s Day visit to a retirement community shows three ways children in the LIttle Helpers program can make a big difference.

Photos: Little Helpers Facebook page

Nice job, Kiddo New Little Helpers chapter is starting to make a big difference in the community • By Toni Randle Cook

A

new volunteer group has been launched in North Texas …

And while the helpers may be little, they are already making a BIG impact!

Michelle Carter and her daughters took part in a few Little Helpers events in Memphis. The group was created in “the Blues City” in 2010. According to its Facebook page, Little Helpers was designed to help young people understand the value of volunteering, recognize the blessings in their lives, broaden their community perspective and feel the sense of accomplishment received from lending a helping hand.

Last year, Michelle’s husband’s job brought the family to North Texas. And Carter brought the idea of Little Helpers with her.

“I was inspired to start a chapter here after my kids wanted to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. We struggled to find hands-on ways they could be involved in,” says Carter. “I asked my 8-year-old if we should think about starting a Little Helpers here, and her response was a huge ‘YES!’” Carter reached out to other moms on social media, asking if they would be interested. The response was overwhelming.

Parents not only wanted to be a part of the group, they wanted to help create a new chapter.

The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter was started in late 2017 and has nearly 600 members, many from Arlington.

“I have young children, and I know my daughter will be able to help in an age-appropriate way,” says southwest Arlington resident Cecilia Briseno. “It may be making cards or separating canned goods, but we are there to serve and give back to our community.”

In the few months since it has been established, the Little Helpers sorted and organized Thanksgiving meals for Christ Haven for Children (feeding about 60 foster kids and their foster parents), they raised more than a thousand dollars ringing bells for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, they made 65 blankets for Project Linus, and last month they visited with senior citizens for the Valentine’s holiday.

The Little Helpers of Dallas-Fort Worth organize one to two events per month. This month, there is nothing on the calendar.

That’s because they are participating in “Trevor’s 10 Random Acts of Kindness.”

Little Helpers chapters across the country are doing the same to honor a 9-year-old Little Helpers volunteer who died of Sudden Unexplained Death in Children. Trevor would have turned 10 on March 30.

The group is asking local residents to join them to honor the young boy by doing the things he always enjoyed – helping others and putting smiles on their faces. All you have to do is perform at least 10 acts of kindness through the month of March.

You can post photos to the Little Helpers and/or Treasuring Trevor Facebook pages and other social media sites.

There is no age requirement to join Little Helpers.

“It’s a great way to involve the entire family and give back to our community,” says Carter. “We typically have moms, dads and kids at all our events.”

Carter says the group is not limited to one area of the Metroplex and will go where the help is needed.

For more: facebook.com/LittleHelpersVolunteers/.

“It’s a great way to involve the entire family and give back to the community.”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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27

Cover Story

Great, by Design

A closer look at Paul and Toni Fulks

Paul Fulks, owner of 3Di Sign+Design, is equal parts art and science – while enjoying one wholly satisfying life

I

f you press him on the matter, Paul Fulks would likely tell you that he prefers the picture below to the one on view some 27 pages earlier. You know the photograph to which we’re referring – the big one. The cover shot. That one’s nice, he would say. But the one on this page is important.

For all the acclaim associated with the Gateway Monument – or any of the countless designs by Fulks and his 3Di Sign+Design company that welcome visitors to cultural hot spots Paul and Toni Fulks sit on and urban treasures the Gateway Monument that welcomes drivers on across the country – the I-30 to Arlington. photograph on this page reveals Fulks’ truest passion: his family.

That’s why he’s genuinely smiling as he poses with his wife Toni while dozens of drivers heading east on I-30 glance with respect at his art piece that beckons them to Arlington. That’s why, as this story was coming together, the first thing he said he wanted to accomplish with its telling was to Photo: Richard Greene make sure it would leave someone else smiling: his grandmother Helen Saunders in Ironton, Ohio.

Ironton is where Fulks got his start in life. It’s where many family members still reside. The son of a Baptist preacher dad (Joe) and a nurse mom (Shirley), Fulks learned early life lessons in morality, faith and compassion. They define him even now, some several decades after he took the leap off solid Ohio soil – right into the ocean.

Even before he graduated college, Fulks decided to join the U.S. Navy, where he became a Nuclear Electrician Designated Submarine.

That’s a nebulous service term for someone trained to protect his country in like fashion should a madman on the other side of the ideological map decide to bring nuclear harm to our side. His is a

28

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

hero’s story, even if, technically, he never had to flex his hero muscles while on duty. Instead, he taught fellow sailors what to do in case of the unthinkable emergency.

“I think my military background is what pushed me toward perfection,” he says, recalling one of many lessons he has learned over a variety of career paths, some that were downright fascinating.

For example, after the Navy, Fulks moved to Waco, where he parlayed the chemical background he acquired in the service into a gig at M&M Mars – writing another chapter of unsung history in the process. Let the record show that it was Paul Fulks who mixed the first Strawberry/Banana Starburst candy. “I have to admit,” he says, “I’m kind of proud of that.”

Eventually, science gave way to art, and Fulks moved north up I-35 to the city he now calls home to pursue a musical career. “I was dabbling in country music at the time,” he recalls. “I saw that there was a lot of great music coming from the Stockyards, so I tried my hand at singing and playing the guitar.”

There was, however, a major drawback to that career choice, at least with regard to creating some more history. “I discovered,” he says, “that I was much better at a whole lot of things than I was at music.”

One of those things was “making lemonade.” Despite a failed bid to become a C&W headliner, Fulks managed to land a position shaping the Stetsons of those who sing under the spotlight. He also shaped the caps for practically every Texas Rangers baseball player at the time not named Nolan Ryan – “Nolan had his own guy.”

Next came a foray into the sign business, where he worked as a designer at a Richardson company for 13 years, the last few of

Signs of the times The artisanship and attention to detail that have made Paul Fulks’ 3di Sign+Design one of the country’s premier sign companies is evident all over the country. Here are samples of his work with Wyndham’s world-wide timeshare division, as well as with entertainment venues that sport distinctive looks that consistently turn heads.

which were marked by the economic crash of the late “20-aughts.” Fulks had an epiphany, professionally speaking. He had always possessed a knack for creatively reproducing what he saw. He also had learned through nature and nurture that hard work generally really does hold a reward.

So he started his own sign company.

One other thing he had mastered at a young age was a savvy business sense, and it told him that despite a general gloomy business climate, nobody in his profession seemed to be cornering the apartment community design market.

So he conquered it.

In fact, that company he started, 3Di Sign+Design, is now the largest in-house apartment sign company in the country, from design to installation.

What is the key to that success? “We don’t ever do any two jobs the same way,” he says. “That’s what sets us apart. We want to do something that nobody else has done.”

As a reward, Fulks and Co. have been tasked over the past decade to create signage for all manner of commercial endeavors, all over the map. “Our marketing is almost completely word of mouth,” he says.

“We do very little advertising. But we’ve been fortunate to get to do designs pretty much across the country.”

So, what’s his favorite spot? That would be Arlington, Texas, where he and Toni have raised two daughters, Olivia and Madison, and where he routinely gives back to a community that embraced him almost from the moment he hung his cleverly designed shingle at 1133 Main Street eight years ago.

As a father, he became a member of the Pope Dad’s Club, one of the city’s first father volunteer programs, when Madison was in pre-K. He became a board member of the Arlington ISD Education Foundation, and served six years as president of Dance Theatre Arlington. Professionally, he has served on the Construction Board of Appeals of Arlington. And he takes special pride in his membership in the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, where he has served as a board member and where, as part of the membership committee, he

helped the organization pick up 220 new members in two and half days.

On the civic front, Fulks is one of the original board members of the Levitt Pavilion and continues to compassionately bring free live music under the stars.

This month, he is again in the spotlight as a member of the team bringing the Texas Regional Radio Music Awards Show back to Arlington, specifically to Arlington Music Hall on March 3.

He has also served as a board member of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, and he is a past president of Young Men for Arlington.

He recently completed the paperwork to become a founding board member of the Independent Music Alliance. He cherishes his role as the co-chair of the first Chris Kyle Foundation Golf tournament, which was part of the city’s inaugural Veterans Day/Week celebration a few months ago. “That will happen again next year,” he promises. “I was visiting with someone at Southwest Bank not long ago, and all he could talk about was the 500 flags that were part of that celebration.”

As a member of the Margarita Society, Fulks has helped raise donations and toys for needy children in the community, and to spice up the holiday season in his hometown, he designs the Christmas decorations the crowd sees as it gathers for the annual holiday parade and tree-lighting ceremony.

When he’s not working and working for the greater good of the community, Fulks continues to pursue the one endeavor that didn’t turn out quite as he hoped. “I still play the guitar,” he says. “In fact, I have a lot of autographed guitars, so I guess you could say that’s a passion of mine.”

Sometimes, when he’s endured a tough stretch at the office, the six-string becomes his therapy. “Toni says she always knows when I’ve had a stressful day, because I come in and go straight to the music room and start playing that guitar,” he says.

Not that there are that many stressful days. “No,” he says, “I’ve been quite blessed. I have – and always have had – the pillars of faith and family. What more do you need than that?”

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

29

Faces and Places

30

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

A client’s lasting impact on Private Wealth Advisor Derrick Kinney

“Derrick, I’ve got cancer and the doctor doesn’t give me long to live.” I asked my well-loved client and friend, “Bob, how can I best serve you right now?” Faced with the end of his life, Bob wanted to make sure that his family would be taken care of. I suggested we hold a family meeting to share with them what was important to him. His wife, his children, and each of his grandchildren gathered together to hear him share the values he wanted to pass to the next generation. It was one of the most difficult conversations I’ve ever led. It was an emotional time and many tears were shed, but it was one of the most rewarding moments I’ve experienced as an advisor.

His family, who remain clients to this day, regularly thank me for helping their Dad speak to them in such an affirming and lasting way.

“That’s why we do what we do.

One client. One family.

One legacy at a time.”

- Derrick Kinney Recent Accolades for Derrick Kinney & Associates Winner 2017 Readers’ Choice

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Prince Lebanese Grill P

rince Lebanese Grill has a storied history in Arlington. Francis “Prince” Kobty opened the Original Prince Restaurant on March 11, 1989, offering patrons a lunch buffet and fullservice restaurant at dinner.

The winning team at “My dad was the first and only employee for Prince Lebanese Grill a long time,” says Aziz Kobty, who manages Photo: Southern Flair Photography the restaurant that evolved into the current Prince Lebanese Grill Prince Lebanese Grill. “He was a one-man 502 W. Randol Mill Road • 817-469-1811 • princelebanesegrill.com show, who did every job in the restaurant.

Over the years, Prince Lebanese Grill grew more in popularity and gained critical acclaim around town. In 2007, Prince moved locations and switched to full-service to apply everything I have learned in this business to give our customers the best restaurant. Prince also added some of my grandma’s secret recipes and has overall experience possible.” never looked back. The restaurant has grown from 23 seats to 145 seats to The staff consists of some 40 employees, including part-time help. meet the demand of hungry Texans.”

Management tries to provide the best work atmosphere possible. “We want The eatery now has a full staff that includes cooks, dishwashers, hostesses, it to be fun,” Aziz says. “We want you to know that we care about you, your cashiers, managers and waitresses. “We are proud to have grown this concept future. We consider every employee like family. We employ a lot of students to employ so many amazing people,” Aziz says. “It’s great to be able to share from local high schools and college. I enjoy that aspect of the job where we can our food and culture with the community every day. We recently expanded help teach kids early on the value of hard work and customer service. Our team our dining hall and menu. We have also recently remodeled. We believe in is made up of brothers and sisters of our community. At Prince one of our top investing in our business and people.” priorities is community service.”

Aziz’s history in the restaurant business started at birth – literally. “My dad In turn, the Prince team treats customers like family, as well, offering great opened the Original Prince back in 1989 on the same day I was born,” he says. service with the delicious cuisine. Prince is best known for its homemade creamy “You could say that I knew my calling from the day I was born. The hospital I hummus, bite-sized falafel, crisp Tabouli salad, and fresh made Shawarma and was born in is on the other side of the street 100 yards from where I go to work Gyro plates. Dishes are all homemade with family recipes and made fast. everyday. My friends and family joke that it took me 30 years just to cross the Aziz says the philosophy at Prince is simple: Top quality ingredients, fresh street. I have been in the restaurant business my whole life. Even at a young age food, and family-style hospitality. “Our main goal is for everyone who dines with when I got out of school my mom would bring me up to the restaurant to help my us to leave happy,” he says. “We accomplish this with crazy high standards and dad at dinner. I would greet customers, refill drinks and I really just loved being great passion for our food. We commit to giving our very best to the customer a part of the team and making people feel at home. I went to a college one hour every day. What makes our restaurant special is the people. We do make great away from home to play college football. During the football offseason at Austin food, but a lot of competitors can try to copy that. What you cannot imitate is College I used to come back to work at the restaurant and help my parents out. I our people. The atmosphere, passion and attitude we strive for at Prince is also managed a restaurant for a Super Chix. I learned a lot from the people there unmatched. From the moment you walk through the door you are truly part of and even got to travel to Dubai to open restaurants and do some consulting. I try our family.”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Kimberly Fitzpatrick K

imberly Fitzpatrick wears a lot of hats – and wears them all with distiction. At her “day job,” Fitzpatrick is a partner at the law firm Harris Cook, LLP, where her keen legal expertise and persistent yearning for justice serves clients on a daily basis.

When she’s not taking care of “civil” matters, she is addressing “civic” ones, as she also serves as the mayor of Dalworthington Gardens, a community that is embarking on a set of 2018 initiatives that includes further development of the recreational opportunities provided by the beautiful, 28-acre “Gardens Park,” along with the construction of a new City Hall both located in the center of the city.

And then, of course, there’s her No. 1 priority: her family. Fitzpatrick takes great pride in being a devoted wife and mother.

Fitzpatrick joined Harris Cook, LLP, in 2008 and is part of a legal team that is able to help clients with many issues such as business litigation, contract review, entity formation, employment law, family and custody issues, injury claims, wills and estate planning, and criminal matters. She manages the firm’s Arlington office.

“I understand that our clients want creative and timely legal solutions from attorneys who understand their needs and challenges,” she says. “I understand that clients want responsiveness and efficiency in the delivery of legal services while not being beaten down by the ‘billable hour.’ My firm’s goal is to deliver all of these. We pride ourselves on tailoring solutions to the particular needs of a client. We offer free consultations and offer a variety of payment arrangements.”

Fitzpatrick believes her best quality as an attorney is her persistence. “I’ve had more than a few reviews which compare me to a bulldog!” she says.

As might be expected, Fitzpatrick’s dual duties keep her busy. Asked how she manages to thrive in both settings, she says, “I have a very patient and loving husband named Ryan.”

Because of the two professional positions, she has been able to experience a number of highlight moments. In her first year as Mayor of Dalworthington Gardens, the city won the award for the most money raised per capita for the Salvation Army’s Annual Mayoral Challenge – “beating my nemesis, David Cook (her partner at the firm and mayor of Mansfield),” she adds with a laugh – as she also won the “Rookie of the Year” award, raising the most money the city has ever raised for the event.

Fitzpatrick loves the pace her busy life requires. “I’m a do-er,” she says.

“Both of these jobs give me a great opportunity to do important things.”

Kimberly Fitzpatrick

Harris Cook, LLP Arlington: 709 E. Abram St. • Mansfield: 309 E. Broad St. 817-275-8765 HarrisCookLaw.com

Kimberly Fitzpatrick is both an attorney and a mayor. “I’m a do-er,” she says. “Both of my jobs give me a great opportunity to do important things.”

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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The Jenkins Agency, Inc. M

s. Dale Sharpe-Jenkins, M.S., CIC, founded The Jenkins Agency in 1998 to help business owners understand and manage the risks associated with their business. This entails financing their risk through insurance but also includes helping them understand and implement risk-management strategies.

“Risk management is essential to business continuity, and business Dale and Jeff Jenkins continuity is a concern for all organizations, large and small,” SharpeJenkins says.

Photo: Southern Flair Photography When she started the agency, she had a strategic plan to target The Jenkins Agency, Inc. small construction companies as clients. “It seemed to make sense as I had left my position as Senior Construction Underwriter at St. Paul Celebrating 20 years of doing business in Arlington Companies to start the business,” she says. “Shortly after starting the 1161 Corporate Drive, #306 • 817-226-4311 • thejenkinsagencyinc.com business, many other opportunities came our way; opportunities that we did not know existed – particularly in the area of insurance consulting Management and Professional Development courses. Jeff also has 30-plus years’ for public sector entities.” experience in the industry.

Both Dale and Jeff Jenkins, who joined the company in 2000, come from families of That expertise, coupled with a philosophy focused on taking care of customers, entrepenuers. Jeff’s dad was an engineer, and he owned and operated a construction has made the company successful. “We aim to provide every client with the highest firm in Ohio. His advice to Jeff and Dale when starting the business was to be degree of professional services and personal attention,” Dale says. “We offer the prepared at all times. “He told us that opportunities will come, we just needed to be benefits that come with dealing with a small firm, such as customer service and ready for them,” Dale says. “We’ve followed that advice for the past 20 years!” accountability, alongside the knowledge and professionalism that comes with over Jeff joined the team the same year the company was incorporated. Since 65 years of combined experience in the agency.” that time, The Jenkins Agency has sold property, casualty and employee benefit Dale says she is especially proud of the company’s caring and committed staff. products to companies of all sizes and provided consulting services to public sector “Insurance is a very important part of what allows our customers to do business and accounts throughout Texas. The company now has five employees. make money,” she says. “We recognize that, and we work to make sure we provide Both Jeff and Dale welcomed their youngest daughter, Kristen Jenkins, to the firm them with what they need in a timely and accurate manner.” last October. Kristen is an Arlington Lamar High School graduate. She completed her To that end, the agency has a user-friendly website that provides plenty of undergraduate degree at the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas. functionality, as well as digital signature services so paperwork can be executed on CFO Dale has 30-plus years’ experience in the industry. She is also a lecturer a remote basis. at the University of North Texas College of Business, teaching Principles of Risk

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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Worthington Bank

orthington National Bank formally opened for business in 2002. It is a locally owned and operated, independent, and modern-day community bank that believes in doing business the old fashioned way. It is the only national bank that is chartered and headquartered in Arlington. Our bank has grown from a dream and vision with its initial Arlington location and $8 million in assets to a Tarrant Countywide presence with $230 million in assets, four banking center locations (Downtown Arlington, Downtown Fort Worth at Sundance Square, Colleyville, and Edwards Ranch in Fort Worth), and 50-plus employees.

Worthington National Bank provides a full array of deposit and lending service for commercial businesses and consumers. Commercial lending products include loans for working capital, expansion needs, equipment purchases, real estate acquisition and development are just a few of the products offered. For consumers we also offer a variety of products including vehicle loans, home improvement loans, home equity loans, single family interim construction loans and a full service residential mortgage department to assist with your home purchase or refinance. In addition to our lending services the bank provides mobile banking, online banking services, ATM services, cash management services and remote deposit capabilities for our commercial customers to name just a few of our many services.

Greg Morse is our CEO and Founder. Mike Jarrett is the President of the Arlington Market, Mike Lewis is SVP – Commercial Lending, and Gena Attebery is our Lobby Services Manager. Together these four individuals have over 140 years banking experience, and our other employees – 12 in the Arlington office – have strong banking backgrounds as well. Bottom line, we know what we are doing and

Worthington National Bank 200 W. Main St. • 817-303-5900 (No 1-800 numbers here) worthingtonbank.com bring that wealth of experience and desire to make a difference in our community every single day.

Our professional philosophy is that we are a modern-day bank that believes in doing business the old fashioned way. We believe in relationship banking. We believe it’s our responsibility to know our customers. Every person that comes through our door is a real person not just a name and number. When we know our customers, we can truly help them with their banking needs.

The Only Locally Owned National Bank in Arlington

WorthingtonBank.coM

817-303-5900

200 W. M ain Street - DoWntoWn a rlington 500 M ain Street - SunDance Square 4814 colleyville BlvD. - colleyville 5825 eDWarDS r anch roaD - clearfork arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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Three Dog Bakery

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n 1989, three dogs, two guys, and one $0.59 biscuit cutter created the world’s Photo courtesy of Three Dog Bakery first bakery for dogs. Its revolutionary Three Dog Bakery idea – 100-percent natural, wholesome, human-quality ingredients – gave pet 817 E. Lamar Blvd. • 817-795-3165 • threedog.com owners a new option in healthy feeding.

What was radical then is what’s right now.

Bred from a love of dogs, the concept of involving a pet pooch in the actual • Coaching franchisees on key drivers of bakery success purchasing experience seemed like a natural combination of dog and owner • Increasing awareness and protect the brand equity of Three Dog Bakery lifestyle. After all, owners know their dog is special and delight in seeing others treat Kim Harmon heads up a seven-person staff – as well as her four bakery dogs them so. Just like the company’s locations today, the original Three Dog Bakery Max, Cash, Tink and Beltre – at the new Arlington location.The 2000 square-foot store was an inviting and exciting place for pets and the people that treasure them. bakery located at Parkway Central specializes in all-natural, fresh-baked dog treats Customers still enjoy the pleasant aroma of fresh-baked pastries, treats and food and personalized celebration cakes, as well as premium dog food, toys, collars, for dogs in a comfortable setting. and accessories. The new bakery will feature many Three Dog Bakery favorites Three Dog Bakery has by far (and in dog years) the most seasoned team in the loyal fans have enjoyed over the years. Its popular bakery case treats are sure to pet bakery industry. The management team supports the company’s bakery owners’ wow canine customers, including Pupcakes®, Celebration Cakes, Peanut Mutter goals by sharing years of knowledge and experience in retail, consumer packaged Cookies, Lickety Split, Drooly Dream Bars and more. The shop will also carry goods and manufacturing to help keep each bakery on the path of continued prepackaged Three Dog Bakery items, including its top sellers, Classic Crèmes and success. That management team assists franchises in many ways, including: Wafer Cookies.

• Leading culinary innovation and development of high-quality, innovative dog Three Dog Bakery has a simple philosophy: “We’ve been making tails wag since food and treats 1989, and today our mission remains the same: feed the souls of dogs and the • Collaborating with partners on site selection and bakery build-out people that love them.”

• Developing training programs that include pastry techniques, product and “I have had such great feedback from customers,” Harmon says. “But this was ingredient education, customer service, and “pre-opening” operations classes our very first review: ‘They have a great selection of treats and chews for my pups.

• Creating marketing programs for bakery store implementation to drive traffic The employees were also extremely kind to them and really went out of their way to and increase average ticket sales, including social media strategies make sure they felt special.’”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

The Law Firm of Roger ‘Rocky’ Walton, P.C. T

Photo: Southern Flair Photography

The Law Firm of Roger “Rocky” Walton, P.C. 2310 W. Interstate 20, Suite 200 • 817-429-4299 • rockywaltoninjurylawyers.com

Photo courtesy of Our Love Is

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Trinity River Farm & Equestrian Center 8375 Randol Mill Road 817-683-5610 trinityriverfarmtx.com

Our Love Is ...

Gift Boutique 612 Lincoln Square 682-347-4603 ourloveisboutique.com (starting March 31)

Our Love Is ...

ur Love Is… Gift Boutique was created by my sister Gabriele Morris and me (Kristal Kerley). We sat one Thanksgiving with our sisters and mother and decided to come up with something where we could really share our interest together. At the time all four sisters were planning on being involved, but in the end it was just us two and our Mother (Carmichel).

We all love to shop and felt it would be a great idea to create a gift store here in Arlington, where anyone could come and shop for anyone in their life. We wanted people’s faces to light up with a “wow!” look when walking into our store and to always want to come back, no matter the holiday or occasion. We spent nights on end going through catalogs trying to see what we both liked and what we felt others would love to have. Our Love Is ... carries a special meaning to our family of being able to share what our love is in life, which is Family!

he Law Firm of Roger “Rocky” Walton, P.C., has been located in Arlington since 1975 and has been at the 2310 W. Interstate 20 location for 13 years. Rocky Walton is a specialist in Personal Injury Trial Law, certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Less than 3 percent of Texas attorneys have this certification.

“We work very hard for our clients and we keep them very informed,” Walton says. “We are highly qualified and know the law and best strategy to get the desired results. We are completely honest and ethical with our clients and treat them the way we would want to be treated.”

Photo: Trinity River Farm & Equestrian Center

Trinity River Farm & Equestrian Center

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rinity River Farm and Equestrian Center is a unique equestrian facility and working farm that offers full-care boarding and training in dressage, hunter/ jumpers, and eventing. The facility teaches horsemanship and offers quality English riding lessons to students of all ages, summer horse camps and clinics.

Trinity River Farm & Equestrian Center also represents a lovely setting for special functions and events, such as parties and other group activities.

“We are committed to preserving and promoting equestrian and farm life and activities, and providing opportunities for the community to enjoy and appreciate the same, both now and for the generations to come,” says owner Julie Amendola. “At TRFEC you’re part of the family! We promote a special sense of community, responsibility and friendship with programs like our Young Riders Club and Summer Camps, and through hosting parties and events for the family.” arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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John Parker, owner of the Texas Insurance Agency Mansfield office

Richard Rhodes, Arman Aransen (Owner) and Turk Blackwell of CCSI Photo: Southern Flair Photography

CCSI: Customized Computer Services, Inc. 109 W. Randol Mill Road, #102 • 817-459-4000 ccsitx.com

CCSI

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CSI is celebrating its 29th year in business serving the Arlington-DFW metroplex. Founded in 1990 by Arman Aransen, the company began by building and selling personal computers but had a vision of bringing enterprise class technology to the small and medium sized local businesses.

At the time, technology was viewed as something for larger companies.

Smaller businesses were just beginning to replace type-writers with word processors and computers, but as the use of computers in business and everyday life continued to expand, CCSI increased its service products to include those needed by their growing customer base.

CCSI has always focused its business model on customer services; as a result, most of our business is from word of mouth. This has allowed us to maintain a vested group of clients from family-owned businesses and restaurants to healthcare practices and manufacturing companies, with an average client tenure of 15 years. Our well-established team of engineers has been with the company an average of 17 years, with skills ranging from help desk to network design. Our customers trust they’ll receive the best results from a familiar team of invested technicians who’ve worked with their IT systems for years.

As an IT outsourcing firm, we have two primary objectives: first, assess and manage all routine IT needs such as hardware/software issues, end-user support, data backups, etc. Second, we ensure that your IT system supports your existing business and work proactively to define future IT system needs.

This distinguishes us from other service companies, as we take a personal interest in ensuring your IT systems stay current and futureproof.

CCSI is now a full-service IT outsourcing firm providing organizations the opportunity to reduce and control costs by utilizing more efficient, effective and scalable IT solutions. From network planning and implementation, to help desk services and printer/plotter repair, we continue to generate successful business partnerships helping our clients with their every IT need.

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Photo: Southern Flair Photography

--- IT Support Services --CCSI: CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER SERVICES, INC.

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Texas Insurance Agency 500 E. Broad St., Mansfield • 817-226-9988 texasins.net

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Texas Insurance Agency

exas Insurance Agency traces its start back to 1959 in east Texas. The agency has gone through many changes over the years and has grown to include several locations in the north Texas area. Texas Insurance Agency is locally owned and operated.

“People often ask why choose a local Independent Agency?” says John Parker, who owns the TIA Mansfield operation. “Our response is we represent many different insurance companies, so we can compare coverage and price to give you the best possible value. Simply put ... we work for our clients. We also live and work in the same communities as our insured clients, and as such we are always available for a face-to-face meeting.”

Texas Insurance Agency provides auto, homeowners, commercial, and life insurance. It is associated with reputable insurers, including Allstate, Hartford, Mercury, Progressive, Safeco, and Travelers. “These insurance companies allow us to offer a wide range of quality insurance products that are competitively priced,” Parker says.

The company has added the ability for prospective clients to get actual real time quotes directly from its website, texasins.net.

“This allows the insured to reach out to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year,” Parker says. “The client information, as well as the policy pricing, is uploaded to us. We contact the client within 24 hours to confirm and update the information. This has been a valuable tool for prospective insureds because it gives them an idea of what their insurance costs will be.”

Photo courtesy of Urban Alchemy

Urban Alchemy Coffee + Wine Bar 403 E. Main St. • 817-617-2054 urbanalchemy.bar

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Urban Alchemy Coffee + Wine Bar

hen Tony Rutigliano first suggested opening a wine bar to his wife Nicole, she loved the idea. Theoretically.

“As an engineer, my whole approach to building something is to mitigate risk,” says Nicole, “so starting a business scares me. But through Tony’s enthusiasm and commitment, I’ve also come to see the many benefits this venture can bring to our family and community.”

While the broader vision began in late 2015 as a wine bar, it has grown as a result of the couple’s painstaking attention to detail. Urban Alchemy Coffee + Wine Bar opened last month in downtown Arlington in what was previously Lester’s Automotive Repair. The re-envisioned space includes plenty of softseating, a patio, chef-driven fare, and spaces for special events and live music.

While opening the storefront is an important milestone, it’s only part of the enterprise. Under the Urban Alchemy brand, Rutigliano offers his own line of coffees in partnership with Metro Coffee Grouppe, a Grand Prairie roaster. He hired a consultant to help develop the wine list. He also pledges to support local non-profits through an annual giving program.

Tony credits his six-year stint as president and CEO of Downtown Arlington Management Corporation for planting the entrepreneurial seed. During his tenure with DAMC, a community development organization that promotes economic vitality of the city’s center, Tony worked alongside hundreds of entrepreneurs as they turned their own ideas into completed projects.

“Taking this leap of faith was easy when God sent me so many gifted teachers,” says Rutigliano. “I’ve been blessed to learn from people who have both passion and know-how.”

“While they’re all very different people,” Rutigliano continues, “they share one fundamental characteristic: They can see beyond what’s there. They taught me to see Urban Alchemy as a place the community owns as much as we do. It’s somewhere comfortable, where you can relax, have fun and create connections. Like your second living room.”

– Amy J. Schultz

Photo: Southern Flair Photography

s Ha g d n e ri Sp rriv A

C & W Antiques 2100 N. Hwy 360, Suite 705-706 • 817-637-7637 candwantiques.com

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C & W Antiques

or the past two decades, C & W Antiques has offered unique, rare and interesting furniture and accessories not found at most stores stateside.

From their flagship showroom in Grand Prairie, Co-proprietors Jim Carpenter and Patrick Walsh create an inviting ambiance with fragrant Market candles, music and vignettes of old-world rooms that stimulate the senses.

C & W Antiques’ philosophy is to make each customer feel welcome. With our passion for antiques, we welcome each customer and provide a friendly atmosphere for their unique shopping experience. We treat each customer like family.

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

With Spring right around the corner the store is filled with Easter decorations by Mark Roberts and florals. This serves as an excellent backdrop for small events and gatherings which have become commonplace at C & W. To book a “Sip and Shop” event, please call 817-637-7637.

In addition to in-store service, we offer consultations at a customer’s home by appointment.

The show room is open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday through Friday by appointment.

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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Paul Alwine

Photo courtesay of Piccolo Mondo

Piccolo Mondo 829 Lamar Blvd. East • 817-265-9174 piccolomondo.com

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Piccolo Mondo

iccolo Mondo Italian Restaurant was established more than three decades ago and is known as one of the more popular and famous Italian eateries in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

And, why not?

The restaurant combines unique, delicious dishes with good service and an elegant atmosphere – such so that it has been honored as one of the area’s finer restaurants three straight years in Arlington Today’s Readers’ Choice poll.

Soon after Antonio Capaccioli and Nicola Saracino opened Piccolo Mondo in a strip center on the farthest end of East Lamar Boulevard, patrons began visiting and returning to enjoy a little slice of Italy right here in Arlington.

Capaccioli credits the outstanding cuisine to Saracino’s culinary genius, but he adds his own touch of charming hospitality to the recipe, which continues to attract customers to daily dinners and weekday lunches.

The restaurant’s piano bar and banquet room are additional draws, and take-out orders aren’t just available, but quite popular.

“We’re more traditional in style, I guess,” Capaccioli says. “I traveled a lot when I was younger, and when I found something I liked to eat, I took note.

And when we opened here, we offered all the things I liked myself – plus what Nicola liked and liked to cook.”

Dinner menu specialties include Lasagna alla Bolognese (baked with meat sauce, cheese and bechamel sauce), Capelli D’angelo alla Pescatora (angel hair pasta with fresh clams, shrimp and calamari), Eggplant Parmigiana, Gnocchi al Pomodoro (potato dumplings with fresh tomato sauce) and Penne con Broccoli (penne pasta with garlic, olive oil and fresh broccoli). Piccolo Mondo also prepares delicious veal, beef and seafood entrees.

Food critics obviously approve of the menu. The Zagat Dallas-Fort Worth Restaurant Guide named Piccolo Mondo “One of the Top 10 for Food in the Fort Worth area.” The restaurant also has won other awards, such as Taste of Arlington’s People’s Choice Award, and Order – Sons of Italy in America’s Citation of Epicurean Excellence (because “it exemplifies the fine art and traditions of Italian cuisine”).

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Photo: Southern Flair Photography

Edward Jones - Interlochen Village 1004 N. Bowen Road • 817-278-8508 Paul.alwine@edwardjones.com • edwardjones.com

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Paul Alwine

aul Alwine, ChFC & CLU, is a Financial Advisor at the Edward Jones Interlochen Village branch, where he has been proudly serving the community since 2016. Alwine says his firm is based on the core belief that personal relationships are key. “Call us old-fashioned, but we prefer the face-to-face approach – that’s why Edward Jones has over 13,000 offices in communities throughout the United States and Canada,” he says.

Edward Jones provides an array of financial services, each rooted in Alwine’s passion for educating clients and partnering with them to help them live better financial lives. “I’m firmly committed to long-term client relationships, and through a five step-financial planning process I partner with my clients to develop retirement, education, estate and insurance planning strategies,” he says. “Through job changes, marriage, births and deaths, I work with my clients to ensure that their investment strategy and financial plan continues to be tailored to their specific needs.”

In addition to having his Series 7, 63, 65 and Life & Health Insurance licenses, Alwine hold holds the ChFC and CLU designations. “As a ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) and CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter), I continue to expand my learning so that I am able to help my clients navigate through today’s increasingly complex financial environment,” he says. “I have over 20 years of experience in the industry, and over that time I’ve partnered with my clients to help them through the ups and downs of the market.”

Alwine believes it is important to invest his time in order to understand what clients are working toward before they invest their money. “It’s also important to understand the level of risk you’re comfortable accepting when investing, so that we can balance it with the steps necessary to reach your long-term goals,” he says. “Thousands of people and advanced technology support our office, so we can help ensure you receive the most current and comprehensive guidance. In addition, we welcome the opportunity to work with your attorney, accountant and other trusted professionals to deliver a comprehensive strategy that leverages everyone’s expertise. Working together, we can help you develop a complete, tailored strategy to help you achieve your financial goals.”

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The winning team at Parker & Richardson

Photo: Southern Flair Photography

Parker & Richardson 500 E. Broad St., Mansfield • 817-226-6622 parkercpas.com

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Parker & Richardson

arker & Richardson, a certified public accountant firm, opened in 2004, but its origination dates back to the solo CPA practice owner John Parker started in 1995.

Over the years the practice has evolved into a boutique CPA practice that specializes in catering to the distinct needs of business owners.

Whether you need tax planning, tax return preparation, strategic or transactional consulting, small business consulting, business valuation, state and local tax assistance, or a full complement of other individualized services, Parker & Richardson has the people and capabilities to respond effectively and efficiently to your needs.

“As both entrepreneurs and business owners, we understand the issues associated with owning and operating a business,” Parker says. “This experience, coupled with our tax expertise, allows us to be as tax efficient as possible when assisting clients.”

Parker & Richardson provides tax planning and tax preparation, as well as accounting and consulting. “We have several clients that have us handle all facets of their accounting needs,” Parker says, also noting that the firm’s staff strives to provide great service and always do what is best for the client.

“These two principles have been emphasized from day one and continue to be our focus on a daily basis,” Parker says. “We truly care about our clients and their businesses.”

To help clients reduce their taxes, make better business decisions, and learn how to grow their wealth the firm provides reports on financial strategies for business owners, individuals and investors.

Clients also receive the latest breaking tax saving strategies in the company’s monthly newsletter.

Parker says the firm has had numerous clients over the years praise its work. “They tell us what a great job we have done for them and that they trusted us enough to refer their family members to us,” he says. “We appreciate the faith and trust that our clients place in us, and we work extremely hard to provide them with superior service.”

Linda Magazzine “All Star Real Estate Professional” Winner 2017

Readers’ Choice

Michael Cunningham “All Star Real Estate Professional” Honorable Mention

2017

Readers’ Choice

All Star

All Star

ARLINGTON Today

ARLINGTON Today

your community • your magazine

your community • your magazine

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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Melissa Danchak

elissa Danchak, owner of Kos/Danchak Audiology & Hearing Aids, teams with fellow doctors Marc Gracia and Alexandra Harris to provide a valuable service to the North Texas area: helping people hear the best they can every day!

Danchak says there are two key factors that separate her practice from others in the area that provide audiology testing and hearing aid dispensing services.

“First,” she says, “we know that people want good, consistent service. They want to meet with professionals that have proven their value to the community. We have more than 50 ‘5-star’ reviews on Google, Facebook and HealthyHearing.com - that gives those in need of hearing health care services a sense of confidence in us before their first appointment.”

“Second, we provide the most comprehensive hearing health care program in North Texas. Our Complete Hearing Health Care Program includes all of the followup services someone needs to be successful with their investment in better hearing and with Kos/ Danchak Audiology - including free batteries for the lifetime of your hearing aids!”

Danchak began working at Melissa KDA in 1997 and has owned the Danchak practice since 2002. “Susanne Kos, the original owner of the Kos/Danchak practice, was very well respected Audiology & Hearing Aids and trusted by many area 101 W. Randol Mill Road physicians,” Danchak says.

817-277-7039 “Those physicians referred northtxhearing.com patients to her on a monthly basis and continue to refer to us today.

We are proud and certainly humbled by the trust these physicians place in us and maybe even more excited than anything else as physicians are paying close attention to the hearing health care needs of their patients - more than ever before!

This practice has been helping people in North Texas hear the best they can for over 32 years. We’ve seen – and unfortunately continue to see – cheap imitations of hearing care come and go. We believe the consistency of these physicians referring to us has to do with our education, experience and success in helping people hear better.”

The mission at Kos/Danchak Audiology is to provide comprehensive and individual hearing health care, while building long-term relationships with patients and their families based upon honesty, integrity, and respect.

“We have over 32 successful years helping people hear better,” says Danchak.

“Physicians in and around our community trust us. Our current patients refer their friends and family members to us every day. Our goal is to live our mission each day with the people we meet with. To walk with our patients along their better hearing journey, providing them, and their loved ones, with a better hearing experience for life.”

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Photo courtesy of Gino’s East

Gino’s East Arlington 1360 E. Copeland Road • 817-200-6834 Ginoseast.com

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Gino’s East Arlington

hen Kay Duggan and her daughter Lauren purchased Gino’s East in June 2016, their quest was to offer “Real Deep Dish Pizza in the Heart of Texas.” “Although the restaurant has a 50-year history in Chicago, we are the only Gino’s East in Texas,” Kay says. “It is a scratch kitchen – the dough, sauce, dressings are made in-house daily, and we have focused on hiring experts that can all create our signature Deep Dish pizzas.”

Since purchasing the restaurant, Kay and Lauren have added a hugely popular private dining room for parties or business meetings. “In addition to our private room that can accommodate 50 people,” Kay says, “we have also reserved the entire restaurant for large parties.”

Gino’s East offers a range of unique, Deep Dish options, including Meaty Legend, Chorizo, BBQ Brisket Za, Jalapeño Blue and the new “Double Deep Dish,” which is already gaining popularity. “‘DDD’ is a delicious upgrade on our medium pizzas,” Kay says. “There’s 33 percent more dough, 75 percent more cheese, double the toppings – a burst of rich flavor in every bite.”

The eatery also has options for those who want something lighter. Its thin crust pizza, appetizers and salads are very popular. Gino’s East also offers frozen par-baked pizza to take and bake at home.

“Our regular customers pre-order their pizzas, so they are ready for them at their table when they arrive,” Kay says, adding that she, Lauren and the 30plus staff members take special pride in taking care of everyone who visits the restaurant. All of the managers have trained in the original Chicago location on the Magnificent Mile, and two of the staff members, Keila and Hector Campos, have been with Gino’s East since the opening and are “our ‘Maestro Pizzaiolo’ master pizza makers,” Kay says. In addition to the veteran kitchen staff many Gino’s East servers are University of Texas at Arlington students.

Kay says one word encapsulates Gino’s East’s philosophy: service. “Service to our customer through providing an exceptional experience based on quality food and a warm and welcoming environment, to our employees that are critical to our success and to the great Arlington community.”

Photo courtesy of Nicky Austin

The Austin Group - Ebby Halliday Realtors 1201 W. Green Oaks Blvd. • 817-229-7408 (Nicky) 817-229-0570 (Mike) • theaustingroup.ebby.com

Dan and Susan Serna at Globe Life Park

The Austin Group T

Ebby Halliday Realtors

he Austin Group with Ebby Halliday Realtors was founded in 1999 by Nicky Austin, and it became a family affair nine years later when Mike Austin came onboard. Nicky is a Broker Associate, while Mike is a Realtor.

The company offers real estate services/consultation, selling residential real estate primarily in Tarrant County. Nicky says both she and Mike have a passion for building relationships with their clients, a trait that has made The Austin Group one of North Texas’ premier real estate companies.

“It is not just bricks and mortar. It is about helping to guide clients through the biggest financial decision that most will ever make,” she says. “We believe that it is essential to tell clients what they need to hear rather than always what they want to hear. Our goal is to navigate the process to the point where the client can only focus on the excitement of the sale. They are not just a number or a sale ... we tend to get attached to our clients. We help them with referrals for just about any services you can imagine (from doctors to retail to kid activities and events). We want to be their resource and help to connect them to others.”

Both longtime Arlington residents are extremely civically active. “We believe that you have to give back to your community to help continuously make it better for all who live, work and play there,” Nicky says. “You really do a disservice if you are not plugged in and know what is happening behind the scenes. I am kind of a numbers nerd. I study the Tarrant County Market daily. I feel like we have to be able to trend for our clients in order to help them make a sound investment. We tend to sell outside of the ‘box.’ If we have a client with a need/want and it is not something currently listed, then we research the area, identify the potential prospects and solicit those homes to see if they are interested in selling. It is a win/win for all involved.”

A

Remembering Dan Serna

rlington has lost one of the community’s consummate public servants. Dan Serna died last month after a long illness.

Serna was a former member of the Arlington City Council serving during pivotal years that shaped the city’s future. Challenges to keep the Texas Rangers and the General Motors Plant operating in Arlington were met with the result being both of these critical resources expanding and thriving in the years that followed.

After helping win voter approval for the development of a new ballpark for the Rangers, Serna was named a director of the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Corporation and was the ideal member of the entity that would arrange financing for the project. The result of its careful management was to see the debt repaid in less than half the time originally scheduled.

That meant a new opportunity being available that would attract the attention of the Dallas Cowboys. Serna was among those who first spent time with the Cowboys, explaining why Arlington would be the best place for their new stadium and the expansion of the city’s tourism and entertainment economy.

In addition to running a successful public accounting and auditing firm, he somehow found time to serve as a member of the Texas Tech Board of Regents, and as a director of JPS Hospital, Arlington Memorial Hospital, and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. And that was in addition to a number of other non-profit and community service organizations he served and supported throughout his life.

Dan and his wife Susan enjoyed traveling together, but their greatest joy in recent years was to see both of their children happily married and the arrival of two grandsons. It was a natural extension of his love for baseball that memories would be made with them attending Rangers games.

Former mayor Richard Greene summed up Dan’s impact on the community: “Arlington is a better place because Dan came our way. His legacy of service will live forever as an exemplary role model for others to follow.” arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

43

Local Homes

HOME SWEET! HOME

A

David and Courtney Waller were looking for the perfect blend of old and new – this is what they found

s David and Courtney Waller searched for a new home for themselves and their young son Graham recently, their wish list started with a desire to acquire something older that had been updated.

As Nicky Austin and Ken Hanshaw sought to find a purchaser for a South Arlington house they had on the market, they promoted it as an older home that had been given a new life via a transformative cosmetic overhaul. In the real estate version of “The Match Game,” this is what’s called a “win/win” situation, and late

last year the Wallers’ victory culminated in the purchase of a nicely located and constructed – and renovated - dwelling with all the “fixings” the Wallers had imagined when they started their quest for the ideal home.

It sits in a neighborhood defined by ample amounts of flora and fauna, what with towering trees providing shade and wild guinea birds roaming the neighborhood.

Likewise, Austin and Hanshaw came away as winners in their shared quest to sell well-preserved, but cosmetically dated abodes

Photos courtesy of Nicky Austin

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After

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

45

that become like new again with the allure of some modern TLC (tender loving care). As the photos accompanying this text attest, the home was a veritable sleeping beauty just waiting for the prince’s kiss – in other words, just what the Wallers were hoping to find.

The neighborhood sold itself. Though Graham is about to turn one, he will be of school age soon enough, and the home is located near a couple of schools. The house proper has roughly 2,660 square feet of room and contains four bedrooms, three baths and an office, which is shared by Courtney (a registered nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit) and David (who works for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium).

Courtney says the first time they drove to see the home, the couple was impressed by the surroundings.

“The neighborhood was built in an old pecan orchard, so the trees create a wonderful canopy over the streets and homes,” she says.

By the time they stepped inside the front door, pictured to the right, the “before” look depicted in the photos on the first page of this story had been supplanted by fresh paint, new floors, era-appropriate fixtures and windows that provided breathtaking views almost everywhere they looked.

It wasn’t long before the Wallers decided that this would be their new home.

Courtney admits that it was pretty much a “love at first sight” experience as she and David made their way though the spacious living areas and bedrooms separated by an elegant staircase that, ironically, became the impetus for the process that led to the house ultimately becoming what it is today.

Austin says one the original owners suffered from health problems, which made navigating the stairs almost impossible. After that couple purchased a new home and moved, they maintained ownership in the hopes that someday they could sell it to someone who would put the love and attention into the house to make it the showplace it was when they purchased the house many years ago.

Austin and Hanshaw made the renovations happen, and the result was that the previous owners and the Wallers both got their wishes.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

“We wanted a turn-key home that we could settle into and enjoy immediately upon moving to allow more time to create precious memories with our son,” Courtney says.

Though that process, like their son, is in its infant stages, Courtney says she and David are already beginning to see new memories being made.

David quickly took to the office. Courtney says it’s his favorite part of the new house “because it’s a place he can go to relax and read.”

She loves to cook, so it is no surprise that she notes that the kitchen has quickly become her favorite room.

“And Graham loves the open concept living area because he has plenty of room to play,” she says.

Three months into any dwelling doesn’t provide much time for entertaining, but the Wallers will change that soon, as they’re preparing to host their first party at the new home in celebration of their son’s first birthday, which will take place later this month.

Before and after that, the Wallers plan to let their home help define how they spend their time there.

“The floor plan is ideal for us,” Courtney says. “The master bedroom and nursery share their own wing separate from the main living area.

Once Graham and his future sibling get older, they will have bedrooms upstairs that have a Jack and Jill bathroom.”

Austin and Hanshaw, meanwhile, will also share special memories associated with the house, as it represents the culmination of something they set out to do as real estate partners on a number of “fixer uppers” – namely showing the value of melding old with new.

Here are three examples “Ken and I have partnered on more of the remarkable than 50 of these houses over the years transformation of the home from “lived in” to “lovely.” with the goals of: (1) maintaining the integrity of the neighborhoods; (2) helping Arlington be recognized as a wonderful place to raise your kids; (3) getting past the stigma that Arlington is ‘old’ and (4) helping people see the value in these great, existing neighborhoods with the draw of the new amenities,” Austin says.

With the sale of this home to the Wallers, that mission has been accomplished. And everyone won.

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Worthy Causes

Miss Cinderella 2017 Carmen Regina

2018 CinderElla Ball The city’s oldest fundraiser benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington

C

The candidate raising the most money will be crowned Miss elebrating 58 years of benevolence, hard work and a heart Cinderella at the Ball. for the community, the 2018 Cinderella Charity Ball will take Cinderella Ball is hosted and managed by the Ladies Auxiliary place at 6:30 p.m. on March 31 in the grand ballroom of the of the Boys & Girls Club. It has raised more than $10 million since Arlington Convention Center. its inception nearly six decades ago. Donations to the candidates go Since early February, 20 local high school girls – the candidates toward capital improvements, youth programs, vehicle purchases, for the title of Miss Cinderella 2018 pictured on these pages – office equipment and scholarships for the families served by the have solicited donations that will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington. This year’s Ball co-chairs are Ladies of Arlington (BGCA). The Cinderella Ball is Arlington’s oldest Auxiliary members Lee Ann Jerome and Alicia Hendricks. continuing social charitable event. Last year, Miss Cinderella To help prepare the Miss candidates raised $415,749.78 Cinderella candidates for for the BGCA, as Carmen the fundraising effort, the Regina raised the largest Auxiliary hosts sales and total, $44,682.91, to become finance seminars. To show the 2017 Miss Cinderella. them what the project As the fundraising represents, the candidates campaign began last month, volunteer at the four many local residents branches of the Boys & Girls received letters in which Clubs, which serve some the candidates introduced 8,000 disadvantaged area themselves and explained youth each year. how the donation process In addition to the mailings works. Each contribution and to presentations before to a candidate ensures Here are the 20 candidates for 2018 Miss Cinderella, local businesses and civic that the BGCA will be plus last year’s winner, Carmen Regina. organizations, candidates better resourced to assist also take their pitches to disadvantaged youth in the family and friends. Over the past few years, candidates have hosted Arlington community. and managed fundraisers of their own, through events such as The Ball is the culmination of a six-week fundraising effort by high fashion shows, jewelry parties, restaurant nights out and other school sophomores and juniors who attend local schools or who live fundraising endeavors. For more: cinderellacharityball.com. in areas served by the local school districts.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Tatum Alyssa Baffa Martin High School

Berkley Anne Bertrand Oakridge High School

Megan Elizabeth Bishop Martin High School

Haley Marie Diaz Arlington High School

Zoe Madeleine Dipert Arlington High School

Emma Donaldson Lamar High School

Larissa Marie Hackley Martin High School

Karalyn Joy Haugen Lamar High School

Mason Caroline Henegar Oakridge High School

Bonnie Marie Holloway Oakridge High School

Megan Elise Linscott Lamar High School

Katelyn Reese Lowke Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy

Sydney Lynne Miller Lamar High School

Elizabeth Clair Proctor Nolan Catholic High School

Hannah Rahnke Lamar High School

Lily Rand Lamar High School

Lily Ratliff Lamar High School

Sierra Scala Grace Preparatory Academy

Kati Jo Turner Pantego Christian Academy

Kara Mae Wurm Mansfield High School Formal photos: Munson-Cox; group photo: Terry Ip Photography

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

49

Classic Cars

Bill and Jean Jewell’s 1930 Franklin Airman Club Sedan will be on display at Concours d’Elegance of Texas, which will be held in Arlington next month.

T

A CAR WITH A LOOK ALL ITS OWN

here are more than the usual number of exceptional qualities that distinguish Bill and Jean Jewell’s 1930 Franklin Airman Club Sedan. First, let’s get beyond the most frequent thing people say when they see the Arlingtons couple’s car when it’s out and about the Never seen an automobile like this? Most community in parades, on holidays and for special events. people haven’t, but here it is • By Richard Greene The exhortation is almost always a version of, “I’ve never seen a Franklin before.”

Bill just smiles when he hears that because it is exactly what he was hoping for when he acquired the classic antique four lightweight mechanical materials making the car more responsive to years ago. “We wanted to shop around for something not very the driver when compared to other luxury cars of the period. common.”

By the time the 1930 model was introduced, the refinements were After developing the first of the Franklins in 1902, the company quite advanced with the six-cylinder inline engine producing 100 moved into competition with Cadillac and Packard and other luxury horsepower that made it possible for the car to reach speeds up to 60 brands in the very early era of automobile production in the US. miles per hour.

Those first ones looked like horse-drawn carriages of the day, That year the company built just over 6,000 units, less than half only without the horse. Over the next couple of decades, Herbert the number of the previous year, and suffered an operating loss Franklin continued to refine and innovate. in excess of $4 million, or the equivalent of more than $57 million The major characteristics that separated the Franklin’s from in today’s dollars. The Great Depression had taken its toll on the the competition was their air-cooled engines, a wood body, and company’s product, and by 1934 Franklin Motor Company was

50

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

From this:

Bill Jewell says he and his wife Jean “wanted to shop around for something not very common.” The 1930 Franklin Airman Club Sedan they wound up purchasing definitely fits the bill.

to this:

Everything about this rare automobile attests to the painstaking restoration that converted it from a seeming scrapper into one of the finer classic cars in existence today.

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

51

Style:

bankrupt. Bill’s research has found only about 3,700 Franklins left in existence. So, his search for something uncommon was achieved, and he’s reminded of it whenever someone reacts to it with that now-familiar refrain.

But that is only the beginning of things unique about his car.

Of all the car restorations that have been done in automotive history, this might be the only one to which an entire book has been devoted, describing every detail of the rebuilding process literally from the ground up.

The non-fiction work modestly titled “Practical Car Restoration” unfolds over 210 pages and describes in the tiniest of detail every nut, bolt, bracket and washer, starting with the bare frame mounted on a couple of sawhorses.

Bill has been in touch with the author on several occasions to ask questions and to get some guidance on any maintenance he needs to perform.

Then this distinguishing characteristic: The Jewells have something in common with Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.

Both of these legendary pioneers of the future owned Franklin automobiles.

In fact, the optional hood ornament that adorns their car is a replica of Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis inspired by the aviator’s historic trip across the Atlantic.

Bill’s interest in antique automobiles goes back to when, as a 15-year-old kid, he received from his father a non-running 1936 Ford. With the help of a couple of friends, he was able to get it motoring on the road.

Once engaged in the journey of bringing old cars back to life, he developed a passion that might last a lifetime.

He’s certainly passionate about this Franklin that is perfectly restored to showroom standards and the source of family pride the Jewells love to share with others.

They will be doing just that at the Concours d’Elegance of Texas event on April 22 at Arlington’s premier linear park between Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium.

You ought to come see the Jewells’ Franklin (and more than 100 other classic cars) and try your own version of “I’ve never seen a car like this before.”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

and grace:

Unique is the word often used to describe this Franklin, which sports a hood ornament that was inspired by one of the original owners of this type of vehicle, aviator Charles Lindbergh.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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Traditions

HOW I BECAME A PICKLE QUEEN I was having some margaritas with some friends, and a Mansfield parade was born • By Amanda Rogers

“T

hrow me some beads!”

The roar from thousands of people bounces off the fronts of the stores lining Mansfield’s Main Street as the final two floats of the World’s Only St. Paddy’s Pickle Parade wind their way down the street. From my post on the back of the second float, I twirl a strand of green metal beads over my head and revel in the chaos.

Hard to believe that six years ago, this was all just a quirky idea inspired by a trio of potent margaritas.

Hello, my name is Amanda Rogers, and I am a Pickle Queen. And as far as I can remember, this is how it happened.

In the fall of 2011, I had just interviewed the owners of Best Maid for a newspaper article I was producing. Best Maid, the largest pickle company in the state, the third largest in the nation and a home-grown Mansfield product, has been in the same family for four generations.

After work, my husband and I headed to Steven’s Garden & Grill for margaritas with friends. After the third one, I leaned across the table and told a friend, “I want to have a parade, a pickle parade, a 56

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

St. Patrick’s Pickle Parade. And I want to have Pickle Queens.” She looked me in the eye and said, “I’d come.”

Inspired, I told some more friends, and they told some friends.

Then we talked to the city council and Best Maid. They both said they were in, gave us some money and a city permit.

Holy cow, this parade was really going to happen.

Now I had to find some queens. But not just any queens, mature, well-preserved, spicy ladies over age 40 with enough sass to get on a float in a red wig, thrift store prom gown and enough rhinestones to light up a disco ball.

The idea sprang from the Sweet Potato Queens in Jackson, Miss., who have their own St. Patrick’s Day parade. They were originated and ruled by Jill Conner Browne, the head queen and author of several Sweet Potato Queen books.

I signed us up to be an official Sweet Potato chapter, and got a call from the boss queen herself. Browne laughed her head off at the idea of a bunch of women brave enough to be Pickle Queens and gave me some pointers on parades, queens and dealing with a pack of women. >>>

Mansfield’s St. Paddy’s Day Pickle Parade started as a whim of Amanda Rogers (just below) and has evolved into a “Capital E” Event for the North Texas region.

Photo: Cassie Smith

Photos courtesy of Amanda Rogers

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

57

Mansfield’s Pickle Queens don’t just entertain; they build homes for the homeless, feed hungry children and fund scholarships for deserving MISD students.

So I sat down some of my friends, and some of their friends, and explained the idea – after I filled them full of margaritas. And the brave (foolish, adventurous, crazy) ones signed on – actually, 20 of them!

Discover Historic Mansfield, a local nonprofit group, stepped in to help us put together the details, and we put out the call for parade entries. Cheerleaders, Scouts, businesses and community groups signed up.

We figured maybe 500 of our friends, families and neighbors would show up. After the parade, we planned to head to Steven’s, listen to our favorite local musicians Scott & Steve, hold pickle eating and pickle drinking contests and have margaritas.

March 17, 2012, was a beautiful, sunny spring day. As the Pickle Queens mounted our two floats, we began to hear some interesting reports about the size of the crowd downtown, that there were a lot of people, a lot more than we expected.

When the floats turned the corner from Dallas Street onto Main, we gasped at the size of the crowd, more people than we had ever seen in downtown, at least 5,000, estimated the Mansfield police.

Some of the Pickle Queens started to cry, others were in shock. I started to smile.

In the past six years, Pickle Queens have come and gone – we have an even dozen now. But the parade has kept growing.

The seventh annual event will be a two-day party March 16-17 with four live bands, a free Pickle Playground with petting zoo, train, bounce houses, climbing walls, plus a pirate show with a pirate ship parked in downtown, dozens of food and retail vendor booths, 10k, 5k and Pickle Fun Runs, a pet parade, pickle eating and pickle juice drinking contests, pie eating contest and our 6-foot dancing mascot, the Pickle Dude.

This year, we’ve added Beer Keg Races (motorized beer kegs cruising down Main) and a baby parade for tots 6 to 48 months old in decorated wagons and strollers.

The crowds have grown every year, too, peaking last year with approximately 35,000. The police have to estimate the number of 58

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

people because we don’t charge admission to anything, except the runs, and that is to cover the cost. Sponsors, t-shirt and beer sales, and a portion of the hotel/motel tax fund from the city pay for the event.

There’s an all-volunteer board of directors that works year-round to promote and plan the event. They round up sponsors, line up volunteers, sign bands, find food vendors, sort parade entries, figure out how to fit in another vendor booth, balance the accounts, book porta-a-potties and an array of time-consuming behind-the-scenes jobs that make the parade and palooza possible.

AND THE PICKLE QUEENS do a lot more than smile and sling beads into the crowds. We’ve helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity, packed bags of food for Feed the Kids, donated to the animal shelter, rung bells for the Salvation Army and funded a Pickle Queen scholarship for a graduating Mansfield ISD senior. The queens have also become part of the school district’s second-grade curriculum, explaining the importance of community. The state legislature even named Mansfield the Pickle Capital of Texas!

We have also appeared in parades all over the state, laughing and waving as people get their first look at a Pickle Queen. In our hometown, we raise some eyebrows. There have been rumors that we have secret rituals to choose new queens (we don’t), and that some of us are actually guys (we aren’t).

But when we go out of town, we can be a little overwhelming.

You see the looks on people’s faces, the shock, the questions. “Are they for real?” “Are they insane?” Then women our age start to cheer – so do a lot of men. Teen-agers look appalled. Little girls like our sparkly jewelry, and little guys love the rock music blasting from our floats.

Being a Pickle Queen isn’t for sissies, but I have to admit that the view from the back of the float is pretty amazing. But they don’t let me have more than two margaritas anymore, just in case I have any more great ideas.

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

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Sprung!

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from Anything Goes

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from Gracie Lane

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from Gracie Lane

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from Our Love Is ...

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Community Corner

Brunch & Brushes Dottie Lynn Rec Center to host an award-winning Mother/Daughter painting event this month • By Toni Randle Cook

M

other’s Day may be a couple of months away, but there’s no reason not to celebrate, now…

So grab a plate and a paintbrush!

Dottie Lynn Recreation Center (3200 Norwood Lane) is again hosting its “Brunch and Brushes” event, from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. on March 24. Pre-registration is required. Tickets to last year’s inaugural event were sold out.

“With it being our first year to host the event, we didn’t know what to expect,” says Facility Manager Adrienne Lacy. “The response was unbelievable.”

For two hours on a Saturday morning in March, mothers and daughters can spend much needed quality time together while creating their own unique artwork with paint on canvases. The pairs are encouraged to use a pencil and sketch out their canvas before they paint. Then it’s up to each participant’s imagination to choose the colors and even glitter.

While Brunch and Brushes is best suited for ages 5 and older, there is no age limit. “There were mothers and daughters of all ages,” says Lacy. “And in some cases, all three generations were present.”

The event came at the request of Arlingtonians.

“After many years of hosting a successful Daddy/Daughter Dance, a Mother/Son Lock-In and Father/Son Adventure Day, Arlington

Parks and Recreation customers were asking for a Mother/Daughter event,” says Krissy Crosier, Center Programs Manager. “Dottie Lynn Rec Center created Brunch and Brushes to meet the need.”

Don’t be intimidated! You do not have to be a budding artist to attend. While you are at the Rec Center, staff members will be on hand to help. And one staff member, who is studying to become an art instructor, will create a sample canvas for the younger guests to use as a guide if they’d like.

Families can come together to spend time with their loved one(s) whether you are super creative or have limited talent.

“It was a wonderful event that brought everyone together to create art, and most importantly, memories,” says Lacy.

The event was so well received that it was nominated for the Lone Star Programming Award given by the Texas Recreation & Park Society (North Region). According to its website, TRAPS is a nonprofit educational and professional organization founded more than 75 years ago to advance the profession of parks, recreation and leisure services in Texas.

Crosier says it was an honor to be considered, especially for a new program.

There will be a variety of food options from several different Arlington restaurants served for the brunch.

For more: tinyurl.com/yd4cnxzh.

Viridian home sales more than double in 2017 – and there’s more to come this year

V

iridian, a master-planned community located in Arlington, finished 2017 with more than double the sales from the previous year and is set to welcome its 1,000th homeowner in the near future.

Builders reported 287 sales in 2017, a 102- percent

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

increase from the previous year. Fueling the surge in sales was the availability of more neighborhoods in the 2,000-acre community, as well as new builders.

Hundreds of homesites were released in the community during 2017, and builders opened 11

new model homes, 10 in a model home park. “I think location is key to our success,” says Debra Meers, marketing director. “There just isn’t a lot of opportunity for new homes that are located about 20 minutes from both downtown Dallas and Fort Worth.”

Arlington Police Department celebrates achievements, honors officers

T

he Arlington Police Department celebrated achievements at its annual awards ceremony last month. The annual celebration is sponsored by the Arlington Police Foundation and the John V. and Jeri McMillan Memorial Fund.

Two citizen-business awards were presented and honors were bestowed on 12 civilian employees and officers whose outstanding service contributed to a great year in 2017. KDFW Fox 4 News Anchor Clarice Tinsley served as the emcee as close to 750 guests were on hand for the department’s Honor Guard Presentation of Colors and a performance by the Arlington High School Jazz Band.

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson highlighted some of the department’s more notable accomplishments from 2017, including the success of National Night Out, growth of adolescent

mentoring programs and top honors in a national Community Policing in Action Photo Competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice. Other highlights included partnerships with the business community, responses to natural disasters, and extraordinary police work.

“This is always one of the best days of the year for me as Police Chief,” said Chief Johnson.

“Honoring the men and women who make Arlington a better place through outstanding and excellent service to our community is what makes this the best department in the nation.”

Among those who were presented awards during the ceremony were: • Business Partnership Award – Tarrant County MHMR • Citizens Community Award – Diane Kiel

The entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well at UTA festival of ideas

R

earview mirrors are good for driving cars, says Chris Christian, co-owner of the Dallas Wings WNBA team. “But they aren’t good for careers.”

Christian, who before venturing into sports was a successful songwriter, offered that notion during The University of Texas at Arlington College of Liberal Arts’ recent Festival of Ideas.

Christian was one of several speakers who captivated the crowd, which included students from UTA, the Arlington Independent School District and International Leadership of Texas, as well as faculty, staff and community members.

The 2018 Festival of Ideas centered on entrepreneurship and innovation, with a keen focus on how liberal arts majors are wellpositioned to succeed at both. The annual event is made possible by contributions from alumnus Mustaque Ahmed. An endowment from Ahmed, a 1981 graduate of UTA, created the College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Ideas Global Institute.

Ahmed’s goal was to create an outlet for students and the community to explore cultural and academic ideas together. This year’s festival explored the global link to entrepreneurship.

“I have been fortunate to have been in the College of Liberal Arts for more than 30 years and I can bear witness that it does

• Detective of the Year – Ben Lopez • Community Support Officer of the Year – Thomas McLeod • Operations Officer of the Year – David Hinson • Professional Employee of the Year/Administrative – Tammy Thomas • Professional Employee of the Year/Exempt or Technical – Detention Officer Michael Harris • Rookie Officer of the Year – Caleb Elliott • East District Officer of the Year – Robert Phillips • North District Officer of the Year – Dontrayevous Robinson • South District Officer of the Year – Shelly Bateman • West District Officer of the Year – Tom Pfefferkorn • Supervisor of the Year – Sergeant Kris Caldwell • Overall Employee of the Year – Trevor Clenney

The UTA College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Ideas drew students from UTA, the Arlington Independent School District and International Leadership of Texas.

not take a business degree to become a successful business owner,” said Elisabeth Cawthon, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “Conversely, everyone who has earned a degree in business will not necessarily have all of the tools required to maintain a successful business.”

UTA is an exceedingly healthy starting ground for entrepreneurs and innovators. Over the past five years, UTA faculty have received more than 100 patents. About 60 faculty and students are working on start-up businesses, with more than 20 companies currently developing around UTA. Speakers reminded the crowd that believing in what one does and being motivated by one’s cause is an important factor in success. “The phrase find your passion may seem overused but it should not be underestimated in entrepreneurship,” Cawthon said.

“It is even better if your passion becomes the solution to someone else’s problem. We aren’t all going to save the world, but some of these future entrepreneurs just may.” arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

65

Honorable Acts

Retiring old Glory with dignity Local Boy Scout troops, Masonic Lodge, first responders and veterans join forces during a moving flag ceremony

T

he United States Flag Code states, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” Some people will say that you must do it this way or that way, but according to the Flag Code, it just needs to be done with dignity.

The Boy Scouts of America and the American Legion are the only two organizations officially sanctioned to retire American flags.

Three local Boy Scout Troops – 68, 118, 545 – and a Webelo ensemble representing Pack 378, recently conducted a flag retirement ceremony in partnership with Arlington Masonic Lodge #438.

Scout leader Corey Callaway says he and fellow local scout leaders inherited a large volume of flags to retire from the nowclosed Nuts and Bolts Hardware store. “Scout troops retire flags at various campouts from time to time,” Callaway says, “but [retiring] the sheer volume of flags on hand would never be accomplished unless a large number were to be retired at the same time.”

The scouts used six troughs to retire the flags. One flag was formally and respectfully retired. “Then,” Callaway says, “one by one the rest of the flags were retired. There were flags of all sizes, including one very large flag that flew over an auto dealership.

We also retired many Texas Flags, one Christian flag and a flag representing all military branches with the Quote ‘We support our Troops.’”

In less than two hours approximately 500 flags were retired.

The event attracted military veterans from the Korea and Viet Nam wars, who also participated in the ceremony. The Arlington Police Department had one officer represented, and the Arlington Fire Department had three firemen participate.

Callaway says the event was very moving. “[Scout] Adam Raschio led the ceremony,” he says, “and surprised everyone when he led and belted out ‘God Bless America.’”

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Here are some of the highlights of the recent flag retiring ceremony involving local Boy Scouts, veterans, first responders and Masonic Lodge #438.

Photos courtesy of Corey Callaway

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Picture-perfect Moments

Ann Cavender, Steve Dietz, and Jill Hill

Photos courtesy of Kristi Payne

Ellen Ravkind introduces Raj, a corn snake, to Carol and Tommy Crumpton.

Alex and Mark Warren investigate the Wentz scopes.

Scene

Snapshots from the Private Donor Grand Opening of the River Legacy Discovery Room and from the February Arlington on Tap at J. Gilligan’s

Lori Shepard, Stephane’ McVay and Rick McVay

Photos: Yale Youngblood

Wayne Ogle, Tom Ware and Suzy Ware

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ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

Obidiah Mitchell and Cheryl Mitchell

Join Us On The Field May 2nd

These Generous Sponsors Have Already Said YES! The Gene & Jerry Jones Family

Bill & Marsha rickett FaMily Foundation

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Luncheon Chairman MARK A. CAFFEY • CLAIRE WHEELER Luncheon Vice-Chair

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For information contact Michael Cunningham • mc.michaelcunningham@gmail.com • (214) 300-8600, Linda Magazzine • lindamagazzine@ebby.com • (817) 980-8733 or Bridget Lenhardt • bridget.lenhardt@uss.salvationarmy.org • (817) 860-1836

Tickets available at inspiringhopeluncheon.eventbrite.com

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

The Tee Box

City offers discounts via its frequent players club

The 17th hole at Tierra Verde Golf Club

A

Photo: arlingtongolf.com

rlington Golf has announced its 2018 Frequent Players Club, which rewards golfers for their loyalty to city courses. 2018 Arlington Golf Frequent Players Club Membership cards are available for purchase and use at Tierra Verde Golf Club, Lake Arlington Golf Course and Meadowbrook Park Golf Course.

normal twilight start time • 8-day advance reservation privilege

Frequent Player’s Club Program Details • 15 percent off green fee and cart rental good any time MondayThursday and after 11 a.m. on Friday-Sunday • 10 percent off non-sale merchandise • 15 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages • A complimentary round of golf with half off the price of a cart at your choice of Lake Arlington, Meadowbrook Park or Tierra Verde.

This may be redeemed any time Monday-Thursday or after 1 p.m.

Friday- Sunday.

• Twilight advantage – receive the twilight rate one hour prior to

Other pertinent information Prices of membership are subject to change without notice. Cards are not valid with any other offers, replay fees, tournaments, leagues or on holidays. This offer is good through Dec. 31, 2018 regardless of purchase date. The card must be presented at each visit. Arlington Golf will send you periodic emails detailing upcoming golf and food specials. All data is kept confidential, and you may opt-out of communications at any time.

For more information on the 2018 Frequent Players Club, visit one of the participating pro shops or call 817-478-8500.

Frequent Player Club Annual Fee: $99 or $130 (includes GHIN Handicap Service)

Presenting Sponsor

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Dining Guide

chicken Marsala: an italian-american classic

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Keen Cuisine!

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

MEXICAN/TEX-MEX Blue Mesa Grill bluemesagrill.com 550 Lincoln Square • (682) 323-3050

Fontana’s Fine Cuisine fontanasfinecuisine.com 6407 S. Cooper St., Suite 101 (682) 323-5704

El Arroyo elarroyoarlington.com 5024 S. Cooper St. • (817) 468-2557

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 The Grease Monkey greasemonkeyburgers.com 200 N. Mesquite St. • (817) 665-5454 J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill jgilligans.com 400 E. Abram St. • (817) 274-8561 Mac’s Bar & Grill macsteak.com 6077 West-I20 • (817) 572-0541 72

El Primo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina elprimos.net 2300 Matlock Road, #21, Mansfield (817) 225-4140 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 Rio Mambo riomambo.com 2150 E. Lamar Blvd. • (817) 795-4555 6407 S. Cooper St. • (817) 465-3122 ITALIAN/PIZZA Café Sicilia cafesicilia.com 7221 Matlock Road • (817) 419-2800 Gino’s East ginoseast.com 1350 E. Copeland Road • (817) 809-7437 SEAFOOD Pantego Bay Gulf Coast Café 2233 West Park Row • (817) 303-4853 BARBECUE Bodacious Bar-B-Q bodaciousbbqarlington.com 1206 E. Division St. • (817) 860-4248

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

hat is Marsala wine, and where does it come from? Marsala is a town in the most western part of Sicily. The warm summers and rainy winters are perfect for wine production. Red and white wines are produced there, but perhaps the most-well-known wine to come out of this region is Marsala wine.

This fortified wine is made from white grapes such as Catarratto or Grillo, among other varietals. Catarratto is one of the most-widely-plated grape varietals in Siciliy and plays Chicken Marsala an important part in the production of Sicilian Marsala wine. Marsala wine can be dry or sweet – both are delicious!

Marsala is fortified as a means to preserve it. Once distilled spirit, usually brandy, is added to the wine the natural yeast dies, and the fermentation process stops. The result is a stronger wine, usually 15 to 20 percent alcohol by volume. Marsala wine is sweeter, and the flavor is more intense than table wine and is usually served in smaller glasses. Like any wine it should be stored in a cool, dark place, preferably not next to the stove, unless the chef is going to enjoy a glass or two while cooking. Then all bets are off!

Marsala was traditionally served as an aperitif between the first and second course of a meal. Nowadays we tend not to be so formal, so drier, chilled Marsala is often served with parmesan or blue cheese as part of the cheese course. Sweeter Marsala can be served as a dessert wine to accompany dessert. As a general rule sweet Marsala pairs well with dessert that is equally as sweet or sweeter than the wine.

Marsala wine is also used for cooking. We are all familiar with the Italian-American dish Chicken Marsala!

Chicken Marsala (serves four) Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts that have been pounded to 1/4 inch thickness; all-purpose flour for dredging, seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 1/4 cup olive oil; 8 ounces of crimini mushrooms; 1/2 cup chicken stock; 1/2 sweet Marsala wine; 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted and chilled; chopped parsley for garnish Method: Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Take care not to over-crowd the pan; if necessary fry the chicken in batches. When cooked, keep the chicken warm on a preheated platter and tent loosely with foil.

Brown the mushrooms in the same pan. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala, scraping all the delicious bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Check the seasoning. Stir in the chilled butter and return the chicken to the pan.

Allow the chicken to heat through. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Buon Appetito!

Karin

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Family food with a family mood MARCH SPECIAL

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Celebrate special occasions with a Gino’s “Make-Your-Own” Deep Dish Pizza Party!

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73

Health / Fitness

This photo and the one below depict how the new East Arlington Recreation Center and East Arlington Branch Library will look upon completion.

Images courtesy of The City of Arlington

Exercising body and mind City releases renderings of new East Arlington Recreation Center and East Arlington Branch Library

T

he City of Arlington recently announced the selection of a design for the future East Arlington Recreation Center and East Arlington Branch Library.

The project, which is a collaborative effort between the Parks and Recreation, Libraries, and Public Works and Transportation Departments, is the first of its kind in Arlington and will replace the existing Hugh Smith Recreation Center, which was opened in 1963 as a YMCA, and the East Branch Library, the City’s busiest and oldest library.

Funding for this $26 million project, which will be built at Bob Cooke Park, was approved by Arlington voters in the 2014 Bond Election. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the project completed by spring 2020.

To create a single building with two distinct functions, architects were inspired by the architecture and automotive designs from the 1950s and today. The intertwining of curved and angular elements, joined by a shared lobby, creates a state-of-the-art facility that 74

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

honors Arlington’s history while providing a modern space for present and future generations.

The open concept library is expected to include children and adult book sections tailored to support patrons’ interests, dedicated space for seniors and the public to use technology. The recreation elements of the center include a gymnasium, fitness center, indoor pool, community meeting rooms and outdoor amenities.

The East Arlington Recreation Center and East Arlington Branch Library project aligns with the City Council priorities to Champion Great Neighborhoods and Support Quality Education.

“With the scan of one library/ recreation center card, guests will have access to a menu of programs and services offered by both the Parks and Recreation and Library departments,” Parks and Recreation Director Lemuel Randolph says. “Applying for a job, registering for school, catching up on the latest news, taking an aerobics class, hosting a pool party or sharing a lunch with friends can now all take place in one east Arlington location.”

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400 E DIVISION ST MARCH 24 11-5PM

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ARLINGTON MUSIC HALL MARCH 22

HAPPY GOAT YOGA AT LEGAL DRAFT MARCH 3-SOLD OUT APRIL 21

MARCH 2018 Throughout March Live Music at Division Brewing Truth Vinyl J. Gilligan’s Grease Monkey Legal Draft Beer Co. J.R. Bentley’s Arlington Museum of Art

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39TH ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION MARCH 17

GRETCHEN CARLSON MAVERICKS SPEAKER SERIES UTA - TEXAS HALL MARCH 29

MAIN STREET JUNK FEST 406 W MAIN ST MARCH 17

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

75

Nightlife & More Latimore Casey James

Sights/Sounds Your resource to entertainment options in and around Arlington THEATER: DreamWorks Shrek Jr.: The Musical

When: March 2-4, 9-11 Where: Theatre Arlington (305 W. Main St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m. on Friday; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday; 2 p.m. on Sunday Notes: Everyone’s favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance.

For more: theatrearlington.org

MUSIC: Arlington Music Hall Concerts When: March 2, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 22 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224 N. Center St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: This month’s featured performers/performances include The Glenn Miller Orchestra (March 2), Ronnie McDowell (March 8), Wayne Newton (March 9), Shoji Tabuchi Live from Branson, Missouri (Feb. 10), Rhythm Revival: #tapisback featuring Rhythmic Souls Tap Company & Anthony Morigerato and Dailey & Vincent (March 16), Wanda Jackson and the Derailers (March 17) and Asleep at the Wheel (March 22).

For more: arlingtonmusichall.net

MUSIC: Texas Regional Radio Music Awards Show

When: March 3 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224 N. Center St.) Show time: 6 p.m.

Notes: The 2018 Texas Regional 76

Radio Music Awards Show is returning to Arlington, where it all started on 2011. This year’s performers will be Deryl Dodd, Steve Helms, Justin Ross, Jamie Richards, Bradley Banning, and Girls From Texas with special guest Sundance Head, winner of “The Voice” season 11.

For more: arlingtonmusichall.net

N. Center St.) Show time: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: Scheduled featured works include Weber’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in Eb Major, “ Goldmark’s “Im Fruhling,” Wolf’s “Suite from Der Corregidor” and Kilar selections. Piotr Sulkowski will be guest conductor.

For more: symphonyarlington.org

MUSIC: Concerts at The Grease Monkey

MUSIC: Alabama

When: March 3, 9, 10, 16, 23, 24 Where: The Grease Monkey Burger Shop & Social Club (200 N. Mesquite St.) Show time: 9 p.m.

Notes: Scheduled performers include: 57 Sauce (March 3), Clayton Gardner (March 9), Josh Lee Band (March 10), James Cuevas (March 16), Velvet Love Box (March 23) and Acoustic Hash (March 24) For more: greasemonkeyburgers.com

TRIVIA: Live Trivia with the Pub Guys When: March 7, 14, 21, 24 Where: World of Beer (5005 S. Cooper St.) Show time: 7 p.m.

Notes: Bring your smart friends for the trivia and your rich friends for the tab.

For more: worldofbeer.com/ locations/Arlington

MUSIC: Symphony Arlington’s Rachel Kudo Piano

When: March 15 Where: Arlington Music Hall (224

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

When: March 23 Where: Verizon Theatre (1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie) Show time: 7:30 p.m.

Notes: Alabama’s band members have literally gone from picking cotton in the fields to international musical stardom that includes sales of 73 million albums – while changing the face and sound of country music. The Grand Prairie concert is part of the group’s Southern Drawl tour.

For more: verizontheatre.com

THEATER: Red

When: March 30 - April 11 Where: Theatre Arlington (305 W. Main St.) Show times: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday; 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. on Sunday Notes: Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Play, Red is a raw and provocative portrait of an artist’s ambition and vulnerability that brings to light the meaning of art, integrity, commerce and audience.

For more: theatrearlington.org

Photo: porretta2013.blogspot.com

Blues, blues and even more blues

T

he 14th annual Dallas Blues Festival will be held March 17 at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie (1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie). The music begins at 7 p.m.

The event features some of the country’s bigger names in blues music, including Latimore, Sir Charles Jones, Willie Clayton, Pokey Bear, Bobby Rush, Lenny Williams and Tyree Neal.

Sir Charles Jones and Latimore have become staple acts at the annual festival. Between them, they have recorded more than 30 blues albums and won countless awards for their contributions to the genre.

The 2018 edition of the popular blues fest will assemble artists with more than 100 years of experience in the music industry.

For more: verizontheatre.com

Thursday, March 15, 2018 | 7:30PM

Rachel Kudo

Weber - Piano Concerto No. 2 in Eb Major Piotr Sulkowski, Guest Conductor

Thursday, April 19, 2018 | 7:30PM

Symphony Arlington Concert Mahler - Symphony No. 1 in D Major (“Titan”)

THANKS TO OUR SEASON SPONSORS

ARLINGTON MUSIC HALL 224 N. Center St. • Arlington, TX 76011

For more information, visit www.symphonyarlington.org

817.385.0484 info@symphonyarlington.org

THEATRE ARLINGTON Board of Directors invites you to attend a Dinner Dancing Live Band Gold Glove Raffle Luxury Auction Envelope Please Heads or Tails Classy Casual Cash Bar Sponsorships Available

at

JACK DANIEL’S CLUB

GLOBE LIFE PARK ARLINGTON, TX Event Parking in Lot K

Friday, March 23, 2018 | 6:30pm with Master of Ceremonies JOHN RHADIGAN, FSN Sports Anchor Live Music by The Inspiration Band For more information, please contact us at 817.261.9628 or TheatreArlington.org/Gala.html

arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY

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Speaking of Sports

A gamer (and Hall of Famer) It has been a privilege to get to cover Texas Rangers’ third baseman Adrian Beltre • By John Rhadigan

I

n December 2010 the Rangers had a Christmas celebration and filled an auditorium at UTA with fans. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, after all, and the Rangers were just two months removed from the first trip to the World Series in franchise history.

Still, there was disappointment in the air that night. Earlier that day Cliff Lee had announced his intention to pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies rather than sign a long-term contract with the Rangers. It felt like a loss; it felt like a slap in the face. Fans and even some media spent time wallowing in defeat. General Manager Nobody has more Jon Daniels did not – he acted swiftly fun playing baseball than the great and decisively and used that money to Adrian Beltre. sign another free agent.

Perhaps you have heard of him; his name is Adrian Beltre.

That might be the greatest swing and miss – and home run – in Rangers history. A swing and a miss on the Lee contract turned into a grand slam in Beltre.

You might recall that there was some controversy as he arrived. After all, Mr. Ranger, Michael Young, was the third baseman in 2010. He would be asked to move ... again. Amid that brewing controversy, Adrian joined the team, with his mad defensive skills, his remarkable offensive consistency and a love of the game that could be seen every time he smiled, which he did a lot.

In fact, he still does.

In 34 years of covering baseball I don’t believe I have ever seen someone enjoy the game more than Adrian. He loves being in the clubhouse with his teammates, he loves hanging out around the cage during batting practice, but most of all he loves the games.

From his fleet-footed happy dance in the batter’s box after a pitch came a little too close, to messing with Elvis when either of them could catch a pop up on the left side of the infield to getting tossed out of a game for moving the on deck circle, Adrian Beltre makes everyone around him smile.

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Amazingly, I have never seen anyone have a more serious approach to the game, either. He strikes the perfect balance, playing a kids’ game with the wide-eyed joy of a pre-teen and the stern demeanor of a coach.

Adrian has been playing professional baseball for 20 years. So he knows the appropriate action or reaction to everything that happens. If a player is getting too cocky or disrespecting the game, it is AB who lets him know. If Elvis crosses the line and has too much fun or is not serious enough about his craft, AB will pull him aside. Last year when the team had a night off in Oakland Adrian arranged a spot for the team to watch the Mayweather/McGregor fight.

He is like that perfect parent who has tons of fun with the kids but can affect their behavior with just one look.

Adrian has one year left on his contract, so this could be the last year we have to enjoy what has become a Hall of Fame career.

We got to celebrate 3,000 hits with him last year. There will be more milestones this year, although none as significant as that. He would like to play a couple of more years beyond 2018.

Whether those years are with the Rangers will depend on how the team Photo: zimbio.com performs this year. The truth is: For all he has accomplished, Adrian does not have a ring. He wants one badly. So after this year he could sign with a team that gives him a chance to win one.

We can only hope the Rangers are that team. We can hope they are good enough this year to bring him back. He will turn 39 in April, but he will continue to act more like a 9-year-old on the field. A 9-year-old who loves to win, loves his team and loves the game.

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

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Events, etc.

Itinerary Your resource to entertainment options in and around Arlington Planetarium shows

When: March 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31 Where: UTA Planetarium (700 Planetarium Place) Times: Check website for show times In a nutshell: UTA Planetarium is one of the three largest planetariums in the State of Texas. With its 60-foot dome projection surface, fully digital projection system and advanced software, UTA Planetarium provides its visitors views of realistic night sky, the Solar System, stars, and distant galaxies complemented with Dolby surround sound.

For more: uta.edu/planetarium

CreateX: Painting

When: March 9, 24 Where: Globe Life Park in Arlington Time: 7 p.m.

In a nutshell: CreateX allows you to unwind with friends and tap into your artistic side. Each class is held in a unique event space where you are sure to be inspired by knowledgeable instructors and the stunning views of the ballpark. Painting techniques, printmaking skills and tips for taking better photographs are just a few of the things you can learning in a CreateX class.

For more: alturl.com/cknda

Nature Walk

When: March 10 Where: River Legacy Living Science Center (703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd.)

Time: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

In a nutshell: Explore the nature trails surrounding the Science Center on a family-friendly guided Nature 80

Walk. Walks are free, but space is limited. RSVP to the number below.

For more: (817) 860-6752

Jared’s Epic NERF Battle 3

When: March 10 Where: AT&T Stadium Time: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

In a nutshell: Jared’s Epic NERF Battle 3 is the largest NERF battle in history. Your ticket includes a “Self Guided Stadium Tour,” so you are free to roam around the stadium.

For more: alturl.com/s2ez8

Spring Break at Six Flags Over Texas

When: March 10-18, 23-25 Where: Six Flags Over Texas Times: Check website for park hours.

In a nutshell: There’s nothing quite like celebrating Spring Break at Six Flags Over Texas. Hang out with your friends or family and hop on one of your favorite thrill rides. Don’t forget about the shows, too. You can celebrate the arts with live and local band performances, Six Flags Karaoke, the Spring Break Performance Feature series, and Spring Break Lip Sync Challenge.

For more: sixflags.com/overtexas

Family Dodgeball Night

When: March 13 Where: Mansfield Activities Center (106 S. Wisteria, Mansfield) Times: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

In a nutshell: Enjoy an evening of dodgeball with your friends and family. This popular sport is great for all ages and skill levels. All equipment is provided. This event is

ARLINGTON TODAY • March 2018 • arlingtontoday.com

for players 8 years old and older.

For more: alturl.com/xpw45

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration When: March 17 Where: J. Gilligan’s Bar and Grill (400 E. Abram St.) Time: 11 a.m. until midnight In a nutshell: The pub’s 39th annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will feature green beer and the “World Famous” Irish Nachos.

For more: jgilligans.com

Mexico National Soccer Team Match

When: March 27 Where: AT&T Stadium Time: Noon In a nutshell: The Mexican National Team’s journey to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia continues with a U.S. Tour visit to AT&T Stadium. With the match being played during the March FIFA window, all national teams are expected to bring their top players.

For more: attstadium.com

Gretchen Carlson

When: March 29 Where: UTA’s Texas Hall (701 W. Nedderman Drive) Time: 7:30 p.m.

In a nutshell: The next Maverick Speakers Series event features an evening with female Empowerment advocate and television host Gretchen Carlson. Carlson is a former news anchor and a tireless advocate for workplace equality and empowerment. She most recently hosted The Real Story on Fox News.

For more: uta.edu/maverickspeakers

Photo: nolanwritin.com

are you ready for some baseball?

I

n a break from the traditional April home opener, the Texas Rangers will begin the 2018 regular season with games this month. They couldn’t ask for a better opponent to ring in the new year: the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.

The teams will play on March 29-April 1 at Globe Life Park, renewing an in-state rivalry that has become heated over the past few years. While the Astros sit atop the baseball world heading into 2018, the Rangers are trying to recapture the form that saw them be the American League West kingpin much of this decade.

Texas is pinning its hopes on a number of promising young players, including outfielder Nomar Mazara (pictured). For ticket and game time info: texasrangers.com.

“Every Child Deserves a Chance to Play Baseball ”

Thank You to Everyone Who “Stepped Up to the Plate” for The Miracle League DFW!

Texas Rangers Alumni • Wilson McLain • Dynamic Vision Co. • First Rate Inc. Sutton Frost Cary LLC • Rental One • TYL • Margaret Inman • Paul Jones

ARLINGTON Today your community • your magazine

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Finish Line

Dan Dipert speaks during the center dedication.

Center of attention

Photo: Richard Greene

A premier community achievement is deservedly celebrated • By Richard Greene

W

hen Arlington voters were presented with Tarrant County’s largest-ever school bond package in 2014, they responded with an enthusiastic vote of approval to update and improve virtually every school in the district. With almost 70 percent of the electorate saying “yes” work began immediately to deliver the promised improvements.

Then-school-board-president Bowie Hogg remarked on election night that voter turnout solidified how much the “community cares.”

“It’s an overwhelming message by the community that we support public schools and we are not going to sit back and not allow our schools to be the best they can be.”

Among the ambitious projects was a proposal to develop a career and technical center that would have as its mission that of preparing students across the city for careers in diverse fields heretofore left to chance. Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos explained the purpose, “This will allow us to provide increased access and opportunities for our students in order to meet our mission to empower and engage all students to be contributing, responsible citizens reaching their maximum potential through relevant, innovative and rigorous learning experiences.”

Now we know exactly what Cavazos had in mind as the doors of the Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center have swung open and begun in earnest to deliver on the vision, meet expectations, and ensure a promising future for today’s and future generations.

Appropriately, the center honors its namesake, Dan Dipert, who is the quintessential role model for success achieved through a commitment to working hard in meeting the needs of others. Dan’s career in Arlington began in 1964 as the youth director of the First Baptist Church. In 1972 he purchased a small travel agency and built it into a multimillion dollar travel and transportation business that is among the safest and most respected motor coach charter operators in the nation.

Somehow in the midst of Dan running a successful business, his outreach through community service is also exemplary and includes serving for two terms as trustee on the AISD Board of Trustees.

Current Board President Dr. Aaron Reich introduced him at the center’s dedication ceremony as “a Renaissance man” – an entirely fitting characterization of Dan’s devotion to the community he loves.

But Dan was quick to emphasize the importance of the facility, which is now recognized as the premier career and tech center in the

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state, preparing young people for immediate employment in a variety of fields upon their graduation from high school.

Professions already offering workforce dual credit programs in collaboration with Tarrant County College and the University of Texas at Arlington range from accounting to architectural to machinist to welding and more.

By extension students can prepare for careers in agriculture mechanics, horticulture, and veterinary medicine as the Agriculture Science Center takes shape in Dalworthington Gardens.

Today services available at the tech center include a variety of personal care, culinary arts, and automotive needs.

In the cosmetology department students are being prepared with the skills and knowledge required to become a licensed cosmetologist. Services offered to the public include haircuts and shampoos for $5, partial and full highlights starting at $35, manicure, polish change, eyebrow wax and facials range from $3 to $8.

Over in floral design you can get your events catered, including weddings, birthday parties, proms and special events. There are times available for yearly floral service, and greenhouse availability from October to December and in April and May. For your vehicle, you can get your oil changed, wheels aligned, brakes adjusted, steering repaired, suspension fixed – along with other maintenance done Monday through Friday.

Preparing students with the skills and knowledge to pursue career opportunities in dining services is the discipline of the culinary program.

Services in that department include food catering for special events, party trays for pick-up, boxed lunches and a variety of other food services.

You can arrange for any of the above with a phone call to 682-867-9500, via the website at aisd.net/career-technical-center, on Twitter @aisd_ctc_ag, or through Facebook at facebook.com/aisdctc.

The future is bright, promising, and comes alive at the Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center – an awesome achievement by a community that cares.

Richard Greene served as Arlington’s mayor from 1987-1997, was appointed by President George W. Bush as Regional Administrator to the EPA, and currently teaches in the University of Texas at Arlington’s graduate program in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.

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