Issuu

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

SEPTEMBER 2020

LIFE AFTER 9/11

OFFICIAL MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATE OF THE DALLAS MAVERICKS

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

SEPTEMBER 2020 PUBLISHER

Becka Corbitt | becka.corbitt@lifestylepubs.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Julie Brown Patton | julie.patton@lifestylepubs.com

Looking Back In Remembrance AS I SIT IN MY OFFICE PREPARING ANOTHER OUTSTANDING ISSUE OF FRISCO LIFE, I'M REMINDED OF TIMES PAST AND THE REMEMBRANCE OF EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PIVOTAL IN OUR LIFE AS A NATION. One of those is September

AD DESIGNER

Whitney Lockhart LAYOUT DESIGNER

Dani Moore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

11th. How can we ever forget that day? I still know exactly where I was that morning, what

Kristi Anderson, Wendy Hardin, Julie Brown Patton, Paul Salfen, Dr. Boris J. Materne, Hayley Hyer

I was doing and how I responded to the news of the Twin Towers. I had the pleasure of

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

meeting Monica Pittenger in March at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through

Blake Richard

our Zoom visits we have gotten to know one another, and I came to find out that her husband, Kyle, is one of the survivors from the tragedy of that day in New York. We are honored to share his story of survival here on the pages of Frisco Life. One thing I continue to tell those who decide to and have continued to partner with Frisco Life is how much we value each individual story. Telling your story is pivotal in having others relate to you, see you as real and trust you to care for them through the services you provide through your business. This month, we are proud to bring you other stories from Frisco. Lyndsey Monahan shares with us how she has created a life she loves through her business of helping other succeed with financial freedom. Southgate Homes takes us inside their beautiful kitchens and shows our readers their gorgeous custom homes that could easily be yours.

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

From the first page to the last, we hope you will take time to relax, read and be

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen

refreshed by these inspiring, informative and encouraging stories. We also hope

REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

you will look through our partnering advertisers ads and support our local busi-

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

nesses as you make purchasing decisions throughout this month. We are here to serve you and bring you a great local publication each month. Do not hesitate to reach out to Frisco Life. As we prepare each month we are proud to take your calls, receive your emails and hear from you about local and inspiring stories throughout Frisco. See you around town and on Zoom. ARIZONA | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | CONNECTICUT | FLORIDA | GEORGIA IDAHO | ILLINOIS | KANSAS | MARYLAND | MASSACHUSETTS | MICHIGAN

Becka Corbitt, Publisher

ON THE COVER The Kyle and Monica Pittenger family; Kyle survived the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York during 2001.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLAKE RICHARD 4

Frisco Life | September 2020

514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

Proverbs 3:5-6 Frisco Life™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Frisco areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Frisco Life™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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INSIDE THE ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2020

FEATURES 12 Creating A Life You Love WealthWave Advisor Says She Can Help Anyone Set Finances

16 Luxury, Custom Houses On-Trend, Versatile Kitchens Are Hearts Of Southgate Homes

20 “I Survived 9/11” Frisco Resident Recalls That Fateful Day

16 20

26 Time For HVAC Tuneups Aire Serv of Frisco Is Just A Phone Call Away

DEPARTMENTS 4

Lifestyle Letter

Good Times

Around Town

Locally Owned

Renovate & Refine

20 Giving Back 26 Local’s Choice 30 Healthy Lifestyle 34 Parting Thoughts

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GOOD TIMES

Teen Starts Kindness Club To Send Seniors Positive Cards, Origami Pranavi Reddi, a 15-year-old Friscoian, founded Kindness4All on June 10 to ensure local seniors receive words of encouragement. She's already attracted 90 club/nonprofit members from Frisco and Plano, of all ages -- elementary, middle and high schoolers plus adults. For July, they made 100 origami pets with notes of happiness for Hunt Leigh Care Homes residents. Instagram: @ kindness4frisco or Kindness4all.org.

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Congratulations To Local Artist Milessa Murphy Stewart Frisco area artist Milessa Murphy Stewart received first place in her oil canvas interpretation of Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet’s style “playing” together in the Texas Visual Arts Association and juror Anita Lee AGS Picasso Gallery's show “Modern Interpretation of Art Masters.” It was showcased on TVAA.org. Her other work can be viewed at Milessa.com.

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AROUND TOWN encouraging minority women to become efficient and effective leaders. While medical professionals were treating patients, Ethan was making sure the hospital doors remained in working order and open. He also assisted restaurants and businesses with installing security systems while they were closed. Ethan is a locksmith and technician with Michaels Keys Locksmith.

LEGACY WEST HOSTS VIRTUAL CONCERT SERIES PERFORMANCE Legacy

West

shopping

district

managers

teamed up with Axiom Music to provide Dallasbased

sunshine-soul

singer/songwriter, Maya

Piata, a young singer/songwriter who uses her eclectic background to mold her own, unique style by pulling inspiration from her hometown, New Orleans, alongside the rich culture of her New Zealand roots. Maya describes her sound as and endless list of musical influences, ranging from

SERVICE FIRST AUTOMOTIVE REOPENS FRISCO LOCATION

Ms. Lauryn Hill, Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder to

Staff of Service First Automotive reopened

“Sunshine Soul," mirroring her bubbly personality

Prince, Sam Cooke and Michael Jackson.

the west Frisco location at 8675 FM 423. They provide oil changes and mechanical work. They also fix air-conditioning systems and can sanitize them with Frigi-Freshand, which kills mold, mildew, fungi and other odor-causing organisms. The crew says they also provide community service, especially to military veterans through their Wheels for Warriors program.

FRISCO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NOW TEACHING PEERS Escalate Education was founded by Friscobased, skilled high school students who want to help other K-12 students learn online beyond classrooms, with all proceeds being donated to UNICEF’s effort to assist children who need relief

LOCKSMITH NAMED IN COVID HEROES SPOTLIGHT Ethan Materne, a locksmith who services the Dallas region, was named as a silent hero on

from the COVID-19 pandemic, says Amrutha Ayyappan, vice president of the educational group. They have a one-time $5 registration fee that gives students access to all of their courses and lessons, and they are open to donations.

the front lines of COVID-19 by Giving Girlfriends,

Classes cover the categories of language arts,

Inc., a 501c3 organization about empowering and

science, history, mathematics, foreign languages

Frisco Life | September 2020

and fine arts. Participating tutors receive service hours for every tutoring session they take part in. Tutors represent various Frisco regional high schools among them. Escalate Education was co-founded by Mariam Saeed and Poulomi Mitra. In addition to Amrutha, a handful of other high school students are getting valuable leadership training while serving as the group’s marketing officer (Annika Joshi), social outreach/ communications Deshmukh),

officer

brand

(Ayushi

ambassador

(Aaryaa Moharir), operations ambassador (Milana Kulkarni) and creativity ambassador (Suzann Joseph). Regarding questions or class interests, email the group at escalateducation@gmail.com or check their website: EscalatEducation. wixsite.com/virtual.

FRISCO PROPERTY TAX RATE WILL CARRY FORWARD TO 2020-21 FISCAL YEAR Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney says council members are working to keep everyone’s taxes as low as possible, so they voted to keep the city’s property tax rate steady going into the municipality’s new fiscal year. The proposed tax rate is $0.4466 per $100 valuation. It is less than the

voter-approval

tax

rate

$0.455172 per $100 valuation and the no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.450894 per $100 valuation. The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate the city can adopt without holding an election to seek approval from Frisco voters. The no-new-revenue tax rate is the rate that would raise the same amount of property tax revenue for the city as the same properties in both the 2019 tax year and 2020 tax year.

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

LOCALLY OWNED

C R E AT I N G A LIFE YOU LOVE WEALTHWAVE ADVISOR SAYS SHE CAN HELP ANYONE SET FINANCES “I SPECIALIZE IN EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH

PERSONAL

FINANCE.

However, I can help anyone looking to make changes to their personal financial situation. It doesn’t matter if they’re $100,000 in debt, or a million dollars in the bank.” Lyndsey Monahan is bold and confident. She’s a risk taker in life. As a financial advisor, Lyndsey works with WealthWave, LLC of Frisco. Passionate about bringing health and wealth to others, she devotes her expertise to freeing clients’ time and energy to do what they desire to do by removing financial stress. Clients say they pivot from life’s curve balls through her knowledge and simple explanations of complex abstract financial challenges.

Frisco Life | September 2020

ARTICLE WENDY HARDIN “I feel like I’m helping people in an area that I’m blessed in teaching others in: finances. I don’t carry a lot of stress around with my individual finances. And, I explain complex concepts in simple, easy-to-understand ways,” confides Lyndsey. Recently she assisted a client with navigating the COVID-19 crisis by guiding them from a face-to-face business platform into a virtual business. With her guidance, they outlined a plan that increased the client’s sales profits in 30 days to an all-time high. Another client success story includes a family facing a difficult medical prognosis to the breadwinner. By planning ahead, the family was able to overcome a bad situation by paying their medical bills and getting on top of things through some financial investment techniques and wise counsel about life insurance and other benefits. Lyndsey also guided this family through the red tape that accompanies the medical insurance claim process. She says in a short period of time after the spouse’s passing, the client’s family is stable and the surviving spouse is working in a well-paid professional job. This financial professional says she really understands the total, long-term impact for couples, specifically for women. “My gift is to listen to where they are in life, understand their goals and objectives, and build a plan to meet their goals,” she says. “The fun part, and the biggest reward for me, is when I get referrals from clients who can’t stop talking to others about how awesome this experience has been. That’s the biggest compliment I could ever receive,” she adds. Lyndsey thrives in a male-dominated industry. According to Bureau of Labor statistics, females make up less than 33% of the financial advisors in the world.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

LOCALLY OWNED (CONTINUED)

“As a kid, I just really wanted to be a doctor, to help people. I began my college career as a physical therapy major and quickly shifted gears after the requirements were extended and the program became a six-year program instead of the original five. Not wanting to continue at a private school for five additional years, I transferred to Illinois State University and changed my major to accounting/business information systems,” she says. Following receiving that degree, she excelled in the information technology area with computer programming and business management. Eventually, Lyndsey tackled several professional securities’ licenses and certifications, including the Series 6, 63, 7 and 66. She says clients typically start with a free, 30-minute connection meeting. “I try to understand where clients currently are with finances and educating them before jumping into the planning process. It’s important to help clients feel comfortable with me and give them confidence with finances before diving into products and services.” Discussing life experiences and creating goals occurs before introducing clients to a financial education system with concepts from tools and guides, such as How Money Works, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and The Total Money Makeover. Admittedly, Lyndsey says she specifically enjoys

Raised in Illinois, Lyndsey firmly believes three people helped her the most:

empowering women. Her favorite quote is from

her mom, maternal grandmother and a manager at a Fortune 50 company.

former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright:

All three mentors helped to morph her confidence and value system into the

“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t

professional business owner she is today.

help other women.”

“In life, I think being a risk-taker is extremely important. I have bold faith in

“I empower women through personal finance,” she

my ability. This confidence came directly from my mom. Next, my maternal

says. “As women, we tend to internalize stress about

grandmother was the kindest person to ever live. Lastly, my mentor, highlighted

the future and finances. Confidence around personal

my presentation skills and taught me to push myself and think outside the box

finances frees up your mind to be healthy to do what

about my values. He encouraged me to see my value outside of corporate

you’ve always wanted to do.”

America,” she says.

Lyndsey says many advisors look past women spe-

Though her roots stem from a turkey farm in the Midwest, she says she loves

cifically, assuming women don’t understand financial

her life in Frisco. “I see myself here for the long haul. I love that it’s blue skies

concepts, or speak over them during meetings. “I’m

and bright sunshine here all the time. It’s 25 minutes to the airport, so I’m close

careful to hear each clients’ goals separately and then

enough to be home with my family as needed. I love spending time outside

merge them together. Women often provide care to

walking, jogging, golfing, and vacationing to the beach,” she confides.

family and friends, and as a result, their goals, careers,

+ 972.391.7700

and ultimately their finances, are greatly impacted.”

+ lyndsey.monahan@wealthwave.com

Frisco Life | September 2020

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RENOVATE & REFINE

ARTICLE KRISTI ANDERSON

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOUTHGATE HOMES

C U S TO M H O U S E S

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SINCE 2013, THE INTRICATE DESIGNS OF SOUTHGATE HOMES SET THEM APART. From the beginning of a build to selecting room finishes, every customer can walk away feeling they had built it themselves with customized floor plans and home styles. The state-of-the-art architecture selections are inspired from modern styles including Craftsman, Southern Plantation, Spanish Colonial, Hill Country and European. Southgate Homes can be found in Frisco, Allen, Prosper, Argyle, Lucas, Haslet and Sunnyvale.

Frisco Life | September 2020

Southgate representatives say their success comes from combining local home-building expertise with the strong financial resources of Green Brick Partners, Inc. The proof is in the builds! Southgate Homes has developed an award-winning team as well as designs to provide quality home builds to every customer. They’ve been featured in the industry as “Best Builders” five years in a row, and have received multiple McSam Awards for their architectural design, interior finishes and home of the year. The kitchen is the heart of the home. Southgate kitchens come with standard features, including hardwood flooring and KitchenAid stainless steel appliances. Customers can work with a design team for a “boutique” approach, as well as a few smart home options. They’ve created communal spaces featuring larger breakfast areas, wrap-around bench seating and expanded covered patios.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

RENOVATE & REFINE (CONTINUED)

The art of mixing different metals, textures and furniture styles is a growing trend in home builds for a better design flow. Southgate Homes customers stay on-trend with design packages that mix metals in kitchen spaces. Current design trends include golds, brasses and bronze elements, showcased in light fixtures, cabinetry hardware and vent hoods. Various colors within furniture selections also help make the kitchen a focal part of Southgate homes. Incorporating navy blues, blacks, and greens can make a kitchen pop; these can be spotlighted in kitchen islands, upper and lower cabinetry, and bar stools. 469.573.6787 SouthgateHomes.com

Frisco Life | September 2020

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GIVING BACK

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“I SURVIVED 9/11” ARTICLE PAUL SALFEN PHOTOGRAPHY BLAKE RICHARD

Frisco Life | September 2020

YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU’RE IN SHOCK. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT ’S HAPPENING.” FOR KYLE PITTENGER, SEPTEMBER 11TH WILL FOREVER HAUNT HIM. Although the Frisco resident is now settled into married life with three boys and living a fairly quiet life, what he saw that morning while coming out of Tower 2 at the World Trade Center will never leave him. Like others, Kyle suffered PTSD and sleepless nights years afterward. Born in Katy, Texas, and a graduate of Texas Tech, Kyle says he was completely unprepared in his early 20s about navigating New York City, much less during such a terrible crisis. Now 42 and the senior vice president of sales in talent solutions for IT staffing company The Pinnacle Group, Kyle shares his personal story for the first time in this format. FOLLOWING ARE HIS MEMORIES IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I was just recently married, lived in Houston and worked for Morgan Stanley. At Morgan Stanley, you’re an advisor working through other senior advisors and you train in New York for roughly three months. I got to New York on maybe the last walk on the Wall Street floor at the stock exchange, since they don’t do that anymore. We were in Tower 2. Morgan Stanley had several floors. All trainees were in one hotel, the bus picked us up in the morning and drove us to Tower 2. We would go down to the ‘basement,’ and it would take us up. There were two elevators. One would take you to the 45th level and another cuts over to get to the 60th floor.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

GIVING BACK (CONTINUED)

Mural created by artist Patrick Ganino

On that day, September 11th, it was a beautiful day, the skies were clear, I was going through my normal routine and we were in training. One of the lead analysts was just completing his session of stock market history. After that, we all took a break and boom! I started to see paper flying out. I hadn’t been to New York ever and I thought someone was maybe partying because they were celebrating a big trade or something because you’re seeing all this paper. When the filing cabinets came flying, I knew something bad was happening. I was looking out from the 60th floor at Tower 1 because Tower 1 got hit first. Over the speaker, Morgan Stanley security said, “A small plane has hit Tower 1. For the safety of all Morgan Stanley employees, we’d like to evacuate.” I left all of my stuff at my desk and headed down the stairwell with everybody else. No one knew what was going on, so we’re all casually going out all calm. We got down to about the 45th floor and nothing had happened yet. I was going to get off because I had left my laptop. Someone said, ‘Hey, I wouldn’t do that just yet. Let’s not stop.” It was the best decision ever not to go back up, because my life would have been impacted.

Frisco Life | September 2020

So I kept going down about five or 10 more floors and boom! We didn’t hear it but you could feel the building sway. That’s when chaos happened in the stairwell. Fear because you’re encased, there’s no windows, and this was years and years ago so connectivity was not what it is now, no one knows what is happening, and everyone is pushing each other out of the way, trying to stay calm. I was trying to stay with other people but I didn’t understand what could possibly happen. I think some folks who’d been around for a while were very fearful. They had a lot of ideas what could happen. As we got closer to the bottom, firefighters were coming. If you’ve seen the movie Backdraft, it’s almost identical to that. You’ve got firefighters coming up and us going down the stairs. So we got to the bottom of the stairs and they were pushing us out one way and there was a reason behind that because the way the towers were positioned, some people were jumping. For the protection of the folks coming out of the building, they had people coming out of the lobby where the shops were.

I GE T IT NOW. FINALLY I’M ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO DEAL WITH AND YES, IT BRINGS BACK BAD MEMORIES, BUT LOOK WHERE YOU ARE AND LOOK HOW YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE WORLD -- E SPECIALLY IN TODAY ’ S WORLD.’”

As I exited the building, I’ll never forget this -- I’ve never seen so many white sheets. As a 22-23 year old kid, I was new to everything. People are jumping off and they’re up

trying to find anyone who knew. Everyone was trying to

80 levels, because they were either going to burn or jump.

find me and eventually they found out I was safe and

It was pretty nasty. Scary. [Pauses] It’ll never be erased

back at the hotel. But it didn’t stop there.

from my mind. They moved us over to the church, which is

What’s unique is that I was trying to get out of the city, like

still standing today. One of my fellow trainees was from the

everyone else, and we were going to get on a train going to

Houston area as well, and he had an engineering degree

Delaware and I think they caught one of the terrorists on

and really thought we needed to keep moving because if

there. It felt like everything was falling and I just took a deep

the steel in the building got hot enough, it was going to

breath and I was like, ‘Alright, we’re not going to rush things,

collapse. So we started walking toward Jackson Square and about eight or 10 minutes later, Tower 2 collapsed.

It was the craziest time. It probably took me three years with PTSD. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t understand why

You look back and you’re in shock. You don’t know

God saved me. I didn’t have anything. I was a 22-year-old

what’s happening. All cell phone connectivity was down.

kid. I mean, I had a wife but I didn’t have kids. There are

You had no contact with anybody. We’re walking through

so many great mothers and fathers that are not there to

the city in shock trying to get back to our hotel.

see their kids. I didn’t understand. I was feeling guilty.

Once back to our hotel, I couldn’t be reached. My

For years I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t talk about my story.

wife told me they had gotten her out of her classroom

Over time I got to: ‘What is my purpose?’ And that’s to

in Houston where she was teaching to ask where I was.

get people to have gratitude for their life experiences. I

She said, ‘He’s on Wall Street.’ They said, ‘Do you know

get it now. Finally I’m able to tell people how difficult it

where he is?’ And she said, ‘I have no idea. He’s just on

was to deal with and yes, it brings back bad memories,

Wall Street.’ My sister-in-law or mom had called and said,

but look where you are and look how you can make an

‘Kyle is in Tower 2. He can’t be reached,

impact in the world -- especially in today’s world.

It’s pretty sad [pauses and starts to tear up]; it gets

‘That’s the stance I’ve taken, that this is my purpose.

me every time. No one knew. It could be five hours of not

It took me a while to get there. Once I figured that out,

knowing if you’re alive. So everyone’s mind got warped

I was able to get through September 11th. In years past,

pretty negative because they all thought I was gone. My

I just struggled. I just couldn’t understand: ‘Why me?

father-in-law was calling his investment banker buddies

Why save me?’”

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

GIVING BACK (CONTINUED)

Eventually, Kyle got out of the city by taking a train to Baltimore

why. Kids love convenience, and they don’t understand why things are

with a fellow trainee from Maryland. He then flew home to Houston.

put in place, but it’s a good opportunity for people to understand why

He worked for Morgan Stanley for another year. He stays in touch

so many security protocols are in place to protect us.”

with colleagues there since bonding over the terrible tragedy. He’s had to continue to work, even when it means being near One World Trade Center at the site of the fallen Twin Towers.

LIFE IN FRISCO NOW After living in North Texas for the last 18 years and working with The Pinnacle Group, Frisco is home to Kyle.

TAKING HIS KIDS TO THE SCENE

“It’s clean, safe, family-friendly, there are great schools, and it’s

About three years ago, it happened.

good for business. You can see the explosiveness happening all

“I was finally ready to go and that’s all I did. But it took me that

around in Prosper, Allen, Plano -- it’s booming. The amount of cus-

long. Yes, I was on the footsteps of the memorial constantly -- I would say probably every other month, but I would never stop. Obviously, I would think about everything and say a prayer for everyone else but never took any time to go through the memorial until I was ready and wanted to take my family,” recalls Kyle.

tomers coming here is insane,” he says. But like 9/11, COVID-19 impacted the country in many of the same ways, changing the way business occurs. After traveling for two decades, Kyle is working from home, mostly via video. “Being through something like a crisis situation, you stay

He adds, “As my kids are growing up, they’re trying to learn about

calm even when you get rattled. And with COVID as well -- I think a

this and why it happened. I think that’s where we are in the history

lot of people got rattled. You gotta’ look at it and say, ‘We’re gonna

books and that’s why there are so many security protocols in America.

get through it,’ take a deep breath and make sure we’re making the

It may not be convenient, but you have to tell the story to get to the

right decisions.”

Frisco Life | September 2020

Come Sing with Us! Grades 3-6

Texas YouTh & Children’s Chorale Contact Ann Smith

Artistic Director

Ann Smith

www.NTChoirs.com • ann@ntchoirs.com • 940-453-7424 Register now for TCC and TYC at www.NTChoirs.com

MEET THE MASTERS Introducing Eugene I love helping people feel good about themselves. I’ve been an artist all my life. I’ve been a stylist since 1985. I’m a Lakme color educator. However, haircuts are my passion.

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abv

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

time for

LOCAL’S CHOICE

HVAC

TUNEUPS AIRE SERV OF FRISCO IS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY

INDOOR AIR QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH MORE PEOPLE SPENDING MORE TIME IN THEIR OWN HOMES. The level of air quality relates to both health and comfort of occupants, and is affected by temperature, humidity, ventilation, and chemical or biological contaminants found within each structure. Some good news is that air quality doesn’t have to be left up to chance. To get advice from local HVAC experts, Frisco Life checked in with Gary and Shelley Mertz, who were happy to answer all the questions. They’ve been in the HVAC business for 10 years, and became Aire Serv in 2017. Their company’s team services at least 27 different brands for both residential and commercial needs, while handling air conditioner installations; air conditioning maintenance; and repair or replacements of air conditioners, heaters and furnaces. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO HANDLING THIS TYPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE? Gary’s working life began in construction, and eventually moved into the hospitality industry – hotel and restaurant management. Shelley also worked in the hospitality industry and teaching. “Owning an HVAC company is a perfect blend of these vocations.” Gary uses his knowledge of the systems, materials and mechanics, while serving homeowners and helping them to get the most comfort, enjoyment and efficiency from their homes. And Shelley applies her skills both in taking great care of customers and in effectively working with and training employees to be their best.

Frisco Life | September 2020

ARTICLE JULIE BROWN PATTON PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AIRE SERV

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU SUPPLY? “To make the air in which we live and breathe comfortable and clean! Everything from maintenance, service, design and installation, inspection and safety checks of the air conditioning and heating components, to improving, repairing and cleaning duct work, air filtration and purification, and installation of UV light systems. We provide these services in both residential and commercial applications.” WHAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS WHO PROVIDE THESE SAME TYPE OF SERVICES? “The emphasis on customer service, and the high-quality employees we have working on the team.” With their hospitality backgrounds, Shelley and Gary say it feels like an art to provide best-inclass service. Each of their customer service reps, home comfort designers and service professionals have made a commitment to always do their best to WOW. They say they have a great team of dedicated, fun professionals of which they’re proud. “No one WANTS to have their HVAC worked on, but there’s no reason the actual experience can’t be great.” WHAT STEPS HAVE YOU TAKEN GIVEN COVID19 CONCERNS? They say they’ve been doing all they can to make customers comfortable during these strange times. They are wearing masks and gloves for each appointment, but they also are taking care to watch out for the most vulnerable clients. Whenever possible, they’re concentrating efforts in service and maintenance on the outside unit until the worst of this is over. And anytime they’re inside, they wipe surfaces they touch, especially thermostats, with antibacterial wipes. Additionally, the air purification system they install uses the same technology that many hospitals use to clean and sanitize hospital rooms. DO ALL YOUR TECHNICIANS WORK DIRECTLY FOR THE COMPANY VERSUS BEING CONTRACTED, SOLO TECHNICIANS? All of their technicians work directly for Aire Serv of Frisco. In addition to a thorough interview process and background checks, the Mertz’s say their technicians are required to complete a minimum of 80 hours of training per year, and to achieve NATE certification within one year.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

LOCAL’S CHOICE (CONTINUED) ARE THERE ANY NEW SERVICES YOU’VE LAUNCHED THIS YEAR, OR INTEND TO LAUNCH BEFORE YEAR’S END? With indoor air quality weighing on people’s minds as a result of the pandemic, they say they want to make sure the air everyone breathes is as healthy and clean as it can be. They believe they have a distinct advantage in the field of IAQ because they’ve been selling UV lights and upgraded filtration for years. They say they have an excellent relationship with their IAQ vendors: Environmental Dynamic Air Quality and Lennox. Their technicians have been fully trained in what options are available and the features and benefits of each. “We can’t control the quality of the air in a lot of places where we spend time, but in our homes, we can absolutely control the air we breathe.” WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY? “Changing the way people live in their homes is definitely the biggest reward of the business. Customers are frequently amazed about how we can achieve a comfort level that they didn’t realize was possible. Everything from ducting, filtration and increased comfort, to helping a client find a new system, when that time comes, that has the benefits, features and cost they are looking for. HVAC is one of the biggest investments you will make in your home. A customer needs to have all of the information available to make the right decisions, and we see it as our job to help a client put that information together.” 214.378.3655 AireServ.com/Frisco

“ C h a n g i n g t h e way p e o p l e live in their homes is defin i t e ly t h e b i g g e st r e wa r d o f t h e b u s i n e s s.

Frisco Life | September 2020

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E V EN T P L A N N I N G • FR I S C O, T X

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2 1 4.5 3 2. 3 07 9 • M A K EM O N U M EN TA L M EM O R I E S.C O M

At Inclusive Community Home Care, we believe we can change the world if we help meet the needs of another.

BRIDE WA S SHELBY EZZELL | VENUE WA S UNDER THE WILDWOOD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HALEY K ATHERINE PHOTOGRAPHY

FRISCO

ALLEN

PROSPER

LUCAS

S U N N Y VA L E

HASLET

ARGYLE

NEW COMMUNITY • OPENING THIS FALL IN FRISCO •

NORTHWOOD MANOR

J o i n O u r V I P L i s t To d a y ! S O U T H G AT E H O M E S . C O M CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

E A T

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

KEEP YOUR PLATE IN STYLE WITH THESE FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOU LOOK + FEEL GOOD

ARTICLE HAYLEY HYER

P R E T T Y

H E A LT H Y /// CARROTS

EYES

/ / / S W E E T P OTATO E S /// PUMPKIN /// BUTTERNUT SQUASH VITAMIN A IS ESSENTIAL TO PROTECTING THE CORNEAS OF OUR EYES. By taking care of your corneas, you can extend the health of your eyesight and reduce vision loss with age. An easy way to remember what to eat for healthy eyes is to look for orange foods. Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and butternut squash are all high in vitamin A.

Frisco Life | September 2020

/// FLAX SEED /// WALNUTS /// CHIA SEEDS /// FISH

H E A LT H Y SKIN Did you know that vitamin A is also imperative for skin health? So while you’re caring for your corneas, you’re also boosting your outer glow. If you want to kick it up a notch, be intentional about eating plenty of foods with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce acne and inflammation and help your skin produce its own collagen. For your healthy fats, go for flax seed, walnuts, chia seeds, and fish.

/// EGGS /// BROCCOLI

HAIR

/// SPINACH

H E A LT H Y

/// SALMON

For soft, flowing tresses, make sure you’re getting an equal amount of B vitamins in your diet. We naturally get plenty of B-6 because it’s in most grains, but it’s easier to end up with a biotin or B-12 deficiency if you don’t pay attention. Focus on foods like salmon, eggs, spinach, and broccoli for a healthy balance of B vitamins for your hair.

CityLifestyle.com/Frisco

Frisco Life | September 2020

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REAL ESTATE PORTRAITS

PARTING THOUGHTS

Corners Of The Heart ARTICLE DR. BORIS J. MATERNE

POLIO SURVIVOR: “LET’S TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER” IN THE 1940S AND 50S, THE POLIO VIRUS TERRIFIED AMERICAN

get me up, I told her I couldn’t get up and I couldn’t even move. I was

FAMILIES. Parents tried “social distancing”—ineffectively and out of

paralyzed. I was rushed to a doctor and the diagnosis must have hit

fear. Polio was not part of the life they’d signed up for. In the other-

them like a sledge hammer, Infantile Paralysis, POLIO.

wise comfortable World War ll era, the spread of polio showed that

This was during World War II and at the time gasoline was being

middle-class families could not build worlds entirely in their control.

rationed. The doctors told my parents I would have to be taken to Charity

During those days, parents were so worried for their kids. Now it’s

Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. People in our neighborhood were

the kids who are so worried about the older generation. Parents lived

caring enough to pitch in to give my parents some of their gasoline

in fear that one of their children would contact the dreaded disease.

rations so they could afford the long 250-mile journey to New Orleans.

That is exactly what happened in the Materne family in 1945. My

The corner of my heart I want to share is how much my mother

mom told the story to me over and over again after I grew old enough

and dad loved me and sacrificed over the many years that followed

to understand. On the night before I contacted the disease, I had a

in taking care of me and helping me cope with the crippling disease

slight fever and felt very tired. My mom just thought is was a cold

of Polio. Let’s make sure we do the same during these crisis days of

coming on, but the next morning when she went into my bedroom to

the COVID-19 virus.

Frisco Life | September 2020

VIRTUAL TOURS

STAY SAFE. STAY HEALTHY. WEâ€™LL GET THROUGH THIS. Community means everything. And weâ€™ll get through this together. At Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes, we want to help you stay excited about buying a new home. With modern technology and our unwavering commitment to providing superior customer service, you can now find your new home from the comfort and safety of your sofa.

taylormorrison.com | 469.252.2306

darlinghomes.com | 469.252.2255

All information (including, but not limited to prices, views, availability, incentives, floor plans, site plans, features, standards and options, assessments and fees, planned amenities, programs, conceptual artists' renderings and community development plans) deemed reliable as of publication date but not guaranteed and remains subject to change daily or delay without notice. Floor plans and elevations are an artist's conception and are not intended to show specific detailing. As-Built Condition will control. Price(s) shown may not reflect lot premiums, upgrades and options. Photos are for illustration only and do not necessarily represent a specific community. All homes subject to prior sale. Maps and plans are not to scale and all dimensions are approximate. Not an offer in any state where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. Please see a Community Sales Manager for details and visit www.darlinghomes.com or www.taylormorrison.com for additional disclaimers. April 2020. Darling Homes ofTexas, LLC and Taylor Morrison of Texas, Inc., respectively. All rights reserved. 1567