IN MEMORIAM
Lila Bonner
Hadley Hanna
Hanna Lawrence
Rebecca Lawrence
Eloise Peck
FINDING WORDS WHEN NONE WILL DO
I’ve witnessed enough sorrow to believe that most don’t know what to say to the grieving, and when we open our mouths, we prove it.
WILLIAM TAYLOR
That’s a sobering thought for journalists whose first reaction to tragic news is to write hundreds, if not thousands, of words about it.
Fewer is often better.
Two days after the fatal flooding of July 4, former President George W. Bush offered these:
“On this day of prayer, Laura and I are holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting. We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling. Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know.”
Yet even well-said condolences delivered by a former commander in chief can only go so far.
“We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will,” Bush concluded.
Your neighbors at Park Cities People — staff members and frequent contributors — feel the weight of the moment and wish we could do more and do it better.
“Our hearts are broken for the anguish all the families and their friends are going through,”
cookbook author and columnist Christy Rost told me. “I spent yesterday afternoon in prayer.”
Journalism has been described by the late Washington Post publisher Philip L. Graham and others as “the first rough draft of history.”
Regardless of who coined those words first, that’s a responsibility felt keenly by managing editors Claudia Carson-Habeeb and Sarah Hodges, and one they have sought to fulfill not just as journalists but as good neighbors.
Both have connections to some of the grieving and have persevered through motherly feelings to tell the stories of their communities.
I want to thank all who offered guidance, perspective, and sources in preparation for this issue, including founding editor Kirk Dooley, contributors Cade Hamner and Claire Collins, and former high school interns: Aadhya Yanamadala (Hockaday), Briar Bundy (Ursuline), Chloe Ching (HPHS), Dillon Wyatt (St. Mark’s), Emilea McCutchan (Ursuline), Juliet Allan (HPHS), and Kate Clark (Hockaday).
“This really is a tragedy unlike anything we’ve seen,” Dooley said.
In these printed pages and online at peoplenewspapers.com, find stories of neighbors seeking to help, to give, to comfort, and to remember, however they can. But we are far from reporting everything. Out of respect for the families who have suffered most, we’ve honored requests for privacy by skipping funerals and, for the most part, resisting the temptation to raid obituaries published elsewhere for details about the young lives lost.
We also know our work isn’t done with one month’s newspaper nor the next online post.
As columnist Kersten Rettig puts it, “Waves of grief will continue to swell and so must our compassion and care.”
Some will find comfort in eventually sharing stories of lost loved ones and causes be gun in their memories. We will be there to help.
Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do.
Contact editor William Taylor at william.taylor@peoplenewspapers.com, Claudia Carson-Habeeb at claudia.carson-habeeb@peoplenewspapers.com, and Sarah Hodges at sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com.
It’s not a permanent memorial, but victims of Kerr County’s catastrophic flood are already being honored through tributes written on a fence on Preston Road. DANIEL
Crime Reports June 9 - July 13
June 9
A garden variety thief stole lawn equipment from a home on Turtle Creek Boulevard at about 10:04 a.m.
A sharp-eyed officer spotted a 2011 Dodge Charger with a fictitious buyer tag in the 5400 block of Preston Road at about 8:12 a.m. After discovering that the car’s vin number had been tampered with, police impounded the car and cited its owner for failing to have insurance.
June 10
A low-level criminal may have deflated two tires on a Toyota Tundra in the 4600 block of South Versailles Avenue before 9 a.m.
June 11
While workers did routine maintenance on the HVAC system at Whole Foods in the 4100 block of Lomo Alto Drive, their van was a hot target for thieves who stole tools and damaged the driver’s door lock before 3 p.m.
June 13
A disoriented driver first collided with a Kia sedan while going the wrong way in the Highland Park Village parking lot at about 8:48 p.m., then hit a parked 2025 Lexus SUV as he took off without leaving information.
June 15
An opportunistic thief stole a North Face backpack containing workout clothes and a wallet, along with a fly-fishing bag holding two rods and three reels from a Dodge Ram 1500 that may have been left unlocked in the 3600 block of Shenandoah Avenue.
June 16
Reported at 10 a.m.: A light-footed thief stole pieces of construction equipment with hefty price tags — a tandem roller and mini skid steer — from the 4300 block of Lakeside Drive.
June 18
A law breaker damaged rear windows on a 2024 Lexus TX 350 and 2019 Audi Q7 and stole golf clubs and a golf bag valued at $2,800 from the Audi before 7:19 p.m. in the 4200 block of Oak Lawn Avenue.
June 20
The driver of a Toyota Tundra had trouble
distinguishing a driveway from a street at about 12:10 p.m. The motorist first entered a driveway, perhaps to avoid cones at the intersection of Maplewood Avenue and Eton Avenue, then tracked sealant onto the driveway while reversing after seeing cones at the other end of the street.
A crafty criminal stole tools worth between $750 and $2,500 from a home on Binkley Avenue before 8:45 a.m.
June 21
Reported at 9:53 a.m.: The irresponsible operator of a hatchback kept going after their passenger side mirror collided with a taillight of a 2018 Toyota Tundra in the 4300 block of Arcady Avenue.
June 22
A 2021 Chevy Silverado was stolen from Marquette Street at about 1:53 a.m.
June 23
Reported at 9:29 a.m.: A driver who parked his Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 in the 3700 block of Maplewood Avenue received a notification on his phone that his car had been in an accident. When he went looking for his vehicle, he found that it had been towed to Eton Avenue, probably due to road construction, and now had a crack in its windshield.
June 25
A thief helped themselves to the contents of an unlocked GMC truck in the 3700 block of Miramar Avenue before 7:45 p.m., including a Glock pistol with an attached weapon light, a gym bag, gym accessories, Hoka running shoes, and a Jiu-Jitsu Gi and belt.
June 26
Reported at 8:13 a.m.: A thief stole a Dodge Ram 1500 on Marquette Street.
June 27
A careless driver left scratches and scuffs on a Toyota Tacoma in the 3700 block of Beverly Drive before 5 p.m., but did not stop to leave information.
June 28
Reported at 6:30 p.m.: The theft of property worth at least $100 on Milton Avenue.
Get ready for a
June 29
A porch pirate stole three packages containing two pairs of cargo pants, shorts, and a photo print at about 2:32 p.m. from a home in the 3200 block of Dartmouth Avenue.
July 3
A thief broke into a Toyota FJ Cruiser in the 4100 block of Lomo Alto Drive before 12:25 p.m. and withdrew $500 from the center console that the car’s owner had just withdrawn from Chase Bank.
July 4
A criminal cruiser stole a 2024 Cadillac Escalade from The Plaza at Preston Center at about 2:15 p.m.
Reported at 4:43 a.m.: A Mercedes-Benz sedan was found with a damaged sideview mirror in the 3300 block of St Johns Drive.
July 5
Items were reported missing from a 2022 Hyundai Accent at about 4:22 p.m. on Northwest Parkway.
July 7
Reported at 10:17 a.m.: A backpack bandit may have been disappointed after opening the bag they stole from the Whole Foods break room in the 4100 block of Lomo Alto Drive. The backpack contained an apron, work gloves, Whole Foods hats, and knee pads.
July 8
A thief took off in a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali stolen from the 4400 block of Southern Avenue before 9 a.m.
July 10
Reported at 10:48 a.m.: A brazen burglar stole from a 2004 Nissan Altima and 2022 Ford F-250 on University Boulevard.
July 12
A thief stole a 2021 GMC Sierra from the 4500 block of Bordeaux Avenue before 1:30 p.m.
July 13
An employee reported a theft at CVS on Preston Road at about 1:36 p.m.
STRONG MARKET
Reported at 5:54 p.m. on July 1: A reckless reverser attempted to back into a driveway in the alley behind the 3100 block of Mockingbird Lane and hit a gas meter, causing a significant leak.
this Summer!
4
INSPIRED VOICES
Our residents are one of the best reasons to join us at The Tradition. Here is one perspective on why moving to our community was an easy decision:
“Life is just full and happy, and we don’t have any of the concerns you have when you’re in your own home, and having to arrange for this, that, and the other. It just happens.”
I hope that you consider a new way of living and join us at The Tradition. Please make an appointment to tour our beautiful community, meet residents firsthand, and learn more. I look forward to welcoming you home!
UIL Denies Appeal of HP’s Soccer Championship Forfeiture
By Sarah Hodges sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
The UIL State Executive Committee has denied an appeal that would have restored Highland Park’s Class 5A Division II boys soccer championship.
Highland Park forfeited its state title on April 11, hours after defeating Liberty Hill 2-0, when HP officials discovered that their team had used an academically ineligible player in the game, and self-reported the violation to the UIL.
The parent of that player appealed the forfeiture in May. She argued that because the student was earning a grade of below 70 in precalculus, which is treated as an honors course and exempt from no pass no play under the Texas Education Code, it should also have been exempt in Highland Park.
The parent drew on letters from former state Sen. Florence Shapiro and former state Rep. Rob Eissler, who chaired legislative education committees when no pass no play was amended in 2007.
ing certain courses from participation in extracurricular activities, it is silent on whether districts have discretion to impose suspensions for additional courses, he explained.
“I cannot imagine a scenario where local control being stripped from schools will enhance the education for our students,” Motheral said. “That’s true for what’s inside the classroom, and what’s outside of it.”
The decision means that Liberty Hill will retain the Class 5A Division II boys state soccer title. The parent had asked that Liberty Hill and Highland Park share the championship.
Highland Park’s No Pass No Play Rules Now Highland Park ISD will continue to use its own standards to determine which courses to exempt from no pass no play.
“I cannot imagine a scenario where local control being stripped from schools will enhance the education for our students.” Mike Motheral
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They stated that the Legislature was trying to achieve uniformity and meant to limit districts’ discretion to impose stricter no pass no play requirements than the state standard.
“The UIL has inadvertently positioned itself as a policeman for exactly what the Legislature intended to prevent,” the parent told the UIL State Executive Committee in May. “A hodgepodge of local eligibility rules.”
The State Executive Committee unanimously rejected that argument on July 9.
Public school districts are encouraged to exceed the requirements of law and State Board of Education rules, State Executive Committee chair Mike Motheral said.
While the Texas Education Code requires districts to suspend students fail -
The district’s Board of Trustees approved revisions to the no pass no play policy on June 17, but HPISD’s standards remain stricter than the state minimum, and the revisions would not have changed the outcome in this case.
Under the new rules, students participating in extracurriculars must maintain a 70 average in all courses except for those that are designated as Category I or Category II, which generally include honors, advanced placement, and post-AP classes.
To remain eligible, students must maintain a grade of 60 in Category I courses, and a grade of 65 in Category II courses.
The new policy is designed to ensure the district treats courses consistently for GPA and eligibility purposes, board president Maryjane Bonfield explained during a June 3 work session.
Prior to the change, eligibility exemptions were only available for certain Category I courses for which a level-down was unavailable.
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Dam and Bridge Reconstruction to Begin in January
Safety-focused project to cost $22 million and take two years to finish
By Claudia Carson-Habeeb claudia.carson-habeeb@peoplenewspapers.com
The Wycliffe Avenue Reconstruction Project, planned to begin next year, would replace a dangerous Highland Park dam with one which in the event of failure shouldn’t result in loss of life.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) ranks the dam where Wycliffe and Fitzhugh avenues meet at Turtle Creek as a high hazard now.
Town leaders would expect a reclassification to low after a $22 million, multi-agency infrastructure project transforms the dam and neighboring streets.
The project has been designed and revised with public input. On June 18, a few residents posed queries about timelines, street closures, and resident access to homes, while several praised the project during and after a public meeting — in both formal town hall discussion and informal hallway conversation.Town leaders expect reconstruction of the existing dam and bridge to begin in January 2026 and span 20 to 24 months.
Director of engineering Lori Chapin outlined the plan for community members, calling it a technical and legal necessity to reduce the high hazard flood risk potential for loss of human life and significant damage to homes, important public utilities, and main streets.
The effort follows years of phased planning to also enhance emergency response
and was shaped in part by active multi-jurisdictional legal discussions, which initially limited the town’s ability to share details publicly.
A phased construction schedule will minimize disruption, said Chapin, with rotating closures of key roads including Wycliffe Avenue, Fitzhugh Avenue, St.
LEARN MORE
Visit hptx.org and search for Wycliffe Avenue Reconstruction Project to find the website town leaders created to keep residents updated about the project.
Johns Drive, and Turtle Creek Boulevard. Emergency vehicle access will remain fully operational, and traffic control measures will be implemented to maintain safety.
Roughly 72% of project funding will come from federal, state, regional, and neighboring partners. In addition to dam replacement, the project includes utility upgrades benefiting Highland Park, University Park, and Dallas, along with improved drainage, traffic flow, and floodplain reduction, she said.
To keep residents informed on timelines, key project elements, and what to expect as the project progresses, the Town will utilize its existing communication platforms — including the Town’s website, social media channels, newsletters, and Blue Zone notifications.
An Owner’s Representative has been assigned exclusively to the project to serve as an on-the-ground resource to oversee daily activities, coordinate with contractors, and help communicate directly with affected residents and stakeholders, Chapin said. To ensure transparency, minimize disruptions, and provide residents with timely and accurate information, a designated project website has also been created.
Kimley Horn renderings show how the Wycliffe Avenue Reconstruction Project should look upon completion.
COURTESY TOWN OF HIGHLAND PARK
5
Community
TRIBUTES COME AS RIBBONS, DRAWINGS, DONATIONS
By Sarah Hodges sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
The tributes have been simple, and so is the message: the community shares the heartbreak of families who lost loved ones in the catastrophic flooding, and it will stand with them in the hard times ahead.
“It might seem silly,” Lesley McCaslin said while tying ribbon around trees. “A bunch of green ribbon, is that going to help? At least it lets them know, everywhere they go, that their community is praying for them, and they’re here for them.”
Hundreds of families worked in the days after Kerr County’s devasting flood to turn the streets of the Park Cities into boulevards of green.
Moms exchanged text messages to let each other know which streets needed ribbon, blocks came together to order enough for all their trees, and families tied ribbons around trees, signposts, and bushes themselves.
McCaslin had already been out more than once by July 8. Her third grader went to school with Janie Hunt, one of the six Park Cities girls who did not survive the flooding.
“He said she was one of the nicest girls he knows,” McCaslin said. “That sweet, precious light is now gone.”
In tribute to Janie, Hyer Elementary student Conrad Drabinski drew a rainbow on his fence on Preston Road on July 12. His sister, Mary Collins, added “We Luv U.” Their parents placed chalk nearby for other neighborhood children.
The fence quickly became a place to share prayers, drawings, and words of love
and hope. Three days later, it was crowded with rainbows, hearts, and crosses.
“Fly High Angels” had been written in
or remembered flood victims by contributing to their memorial funds.
Girls from Camp Mystic’s Nightingale Nook Cabin raised $8,000 for the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund by baking about 550 Tweety Cookies, which are famous at the camp they love, to share with neighbors in Dallas.
At their stand on July 10, the girls remembered how much they had enjoyed Camp Mystic’s tribe games, and raved about its food, especially the chef salad and chocolate mousse.
The Nightingale Nook girls had returned home only a week before the flood took the lives of 27 campers and camp counselors, as well as the camp’s director.
Hearing about the disaster was paralyzing, said Samantha Wortley, whose 10-yearold, Miller, is a Camp Mystic girl.
The cookie stand “is so small in the grand scheme of things,” she said. “But it’s a way for us to give back.”
Local caterer Jeff Rockow had also picked his two daughters up from Camp Mystic the week before the flood. It had been his oldest, Sage’s, sixth year at camp, and his younger daughter, Violet’s, third time to go. To them, camp feels like family. Rockow returned to Kerr County on July 6, this time as part of a team from Mercy Chefs, which was serving hot, professionally-prepared meals to those in need. He said he hoped to volunteer again, perhaps with his daughters.
Acquainted With Grief: A Mother’s Perspective on Facing Loss
In recent weeks, our community has faced an unthinkable tragedy. As floodwaters rose with terrifying speed, six precious girls — Janie Hunt (9), Eloise Peck (8), Lila Bonner (9), Hanna Lawrence (8), Rebecca Lawrence (8), and Hadley Hanna (8) — were taken far too soon.
Their names now echo through our town, through tearful prayers and handwritten notes, through candlelight vigils and green, purple, pink, and white ribbons tied to trees. They were daughters, sisters, classmates, teammates, and friends. And in one heart-wrenching moment, they became angels.
There are no words that can fully carry the weight of such loss. But what I’ve come to know in the 16 months since losing our daughter, Molly, is that grief seeks out the light — and finds it in the love of others.
On March 16, 2024, our family’s life changed forever. Molly was killed
in a tragic car wreck.
Our two sons were critically injured, and I was too. We should not have survived. But by the grace of God — we did. And I believe we survived for a reason.
It’s become clear that part of my purpose is to stand beside families now facing the same devastating loss. To walk with them, sit with them in their sorrow, and remind them that though this road is long and unbearably quiet — they are not alone.
After the wreck, our community surrounded us. They tied pink bows around trees for Molly, filled our porch with meals, and spoke her name with reverence.
Those simple acts held us together in the early days. And now, I see our community doing the same for these five families. The ribbons, the prayers, the memorials — they’re not just symbols. They’re promises. That we will remember. That we will carry one another.
Grief has no map. But I can share what has helped us keep going.
We celebrate Molly the way she lived — with creativity and heart.
pink near the top of the fence. Throughout the Park Cities, children opened lemonade stands to aid relief efforts
On her birthday, we painted pigs in her honor. At Christmas, we filled her stocking with her favorite little treasures. We talk about her every single day.
We’ve poured our sorrow into purpose — improving highway safety, dedicating a mile in her memory, and fostering rescue dogs, something Molly adored.
We’ve leaned into our faith, into each other, and into those who’ve been where we are.
To the families grieving Janie, Eloise, Lila, Hanna, Rebecca, and Hadley — I see you. I feel your pain in my bones. And I will walk with you.
This is the club no one wants to join. But God puts people in our lives to help carry the weight. I will help carry yours.
And through it all, we keep breathing — together.
Each day brings us closer to the most beautiful reunion. Our daughters want us to live fully, to find joy again. Grief and joy are companions. We carry both. And somehow, with their love woven into us — we keep going.
“It filled my heart, it really did,” he said. “It made me feel good, about something so bad.”
-Emily Zeigfinger contributed to this story.
How to Help:
There are more agencies offering much-needed help to those affected by the Hill Country’s devastating flooding than there is space in Park Cities People. To learn more about ways to give, please visit peoplenewspapers.com. Nonprofits where Park Cities families have directed donations include:
• The Kerr County Flood Relief Fund: The fund from the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a public charity based in Kerrville, supports urgent relief and long-term rebuilding in flood affected areas. The foundation will directly distribute funds to vetted local organizations providing rescue, relief, recovery services, and flood assistance. Visit communityfoundation. net to make a donation.
• TEXSAR: The nonprofit first responder organization, which is based in Austin, deployed multiple resources to assist in the search for the missing. As of July 20, its K9 teams were continuing their efforts, and TEXSAR stood ready to assist the next time its help was requested. Visit texsar.org to make a donation.
• Salvation Army: Emergency disaster services teams from the international charitable organization are providing aid, food, drinks, emotional and spiritual care, and critical supplies to survivors and rescue workers. Visit give. helpsalvationarmy.org to make a donation.
—Compiled by Sarah Hodges
SARAH HODGES
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Nightingale Nook girls Ava Roberts, Olivia Walters, Miller Wortley, Harper Chalmers, and Mia Isom raise funds by selling Tweety Cookies. Green ribbons, and ribbons of different colors to represent individual girls, have been placed around the Park Cities. Lesley McCaslin wraps trees with help from her 6-yearold daughter, Sullivan. SARAH HODGES AND EMILY ZEIGFINGER
When Words
Won’t
Do, We Still Show Up
In the days following the heartbreaking tragedy in Kerrville, our entire community was shaken. Six young girls — our girls — lost far too soon. They were from here. They were part of us. And the grief hit close to home.
Like many of you, I felt completely overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.
I knew I didn’t have the right words — but I also knew we needed something. A moment to breathe, to reflect, to come together. So, I invited Chris Girata, head rector at Saint Michael and All Angels, to join me on The Bubble Lounge podcast.
Chris has a way of helping people find light in the darkest places, and his message that day was one of gentle reassurance, honest reflection, and hope.
He reminded us that we are not meant to walk through grief alone. That even when we don’t know what to say or how to help, simply showing up for one another matters.
He shared the importance of resisting isolation and embracing connection. Whether it’s through conversation, prayer, or a simple act of kindness — those moments create healing.
One thing that really stayed with me was his encouragement to serve. To take action.
He shared that even if your efforts aren’t directly related to the tragedy, helping others — anywhere, in any way — is a powerful way to process grief and keep hope alive.
In the days that followed, I saw exactly that. This community poured out love, mobilized in support, and wrapped its arms around the families affected. And while the pain is still raw, the unity has been so moving.
But here’s the real challenge: Let’s not let this compassion fade. Let’s continue to show up for each other — not just in crisis, but in everyday life. Let’s keep checking in. Keep lending hands. Keep offering grace.
Because these young girls were part of our story. And the way we care for one another moving forward — that’s part of their legacy, too.
Martha Jackson, host of The Bubble Lounge Podcast, has lived in University Park for 20 years. She’s passionate about connecting with fellow moms, supporting local businesses, and finding humor in the chaos. The city of University Park recently named her Citizen of the Year.
MARTHA JACKSON
Volunteers Seek Healing Through Action
Preston Hollow Presbyterian combines service with prayer
By Josh Hickman Special Contributor
Neither donations nor prayer would be enough.
So, Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church included service as a key component as the congregation gathered in response to the Texas Hill Country flooding disaster.
“The main idea is not only to get people to help donate towards the relief, but to be a part of it as well,” said Katherine Pawlowski, communications specialist for the church.
said. “Luckily none of them were there when the flooding happened. We’d just like to make sure they know this is a time for healing, and they’ll still be able to have their happy memories from when they were there.”
Members young and old gathered at 4:30 p.m. to fill buckets with supplies — care packages bound for the flood recovery zone — before sharing a meal together and moving to the chapel for worship and prayer.
“Every person in our community knows a family or has someone in their kids’ school who has been affected.”
Matthew Ruffner
“During this time, so many people in our community have been affected by what has happened on July Fourth,” she said. “The idea of being a part of it and doing something is a way to heal as a community together while also helping the people who were first-handedly affected.”
The Evening of Service and Prayer drew a full house on July 10.
“We have two or three children who had gone to Camp Mystic last summer,” Pawlowski
“They’re packing cleaning supplies — trash bags, gloves, sponges, soap, clothing hangars,” Pawlowski said. “We also have hygiene kits — toothbrush, deodorant, combs, nail clippers — just things to help people survive during the next few weeks.”
In addition to assembling and transporting care packages, the church is also collecting donations for the cause and had already raised $15,000.
“We’re hoping to raise more,” Pawlowski said. “And if we raise more than the supplies we’ve bought, then that will all go to a
Alumni Recall Camp Mystic Ideals
Over the past 99 years, Camp Mystic, the Christian girls summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, has hosted thousands of girls from 7 to 17 years old.
Hundreds of them are from the Park Cities.
Many of this year’s 750 campers have mothers and grandmothers who spent their summers at the camp. Like several other Texas Hill County summer camps, Camp Mystic has deep traditions that run through several generations of girls becoming young women.
different relief fund.”
After the assembling of the orange Home Depot buckets of hygiene kits and cleaning kits, volunteers shared a meal from Chick-fil-A before joining in worship led by the senior pastor.
“Today, we’re offering the community an opportunity to come together and to unite in our shared grief over the floods in the Hill Country, but to also come together and respond with love in a time when we all need one another,” the Rev. Matthew Ruffner said.
“As part of our worship tonight, we’re going to honor those lives that have been lost. Every person I know in the church community has one degree of separation,” he said.
“We have some young people who were at Camp Mystic who had just returned from session one,” Ruffner said. “We have a young adult who is a counselor at a neighboring camp, and they were on break. Every person in our community knows a family or has someone in their kids’ school who has been affected. We have folks here who grew up going to some of these camps. And we have folks like a child of this church who is now a Presbyterian minister was down there with his family. And they’re still down there. They were stranded and are picking up the pieces.”
she made in young girls’ lives as their counselor — that she is now a licensed professional counselor at BasePoint Academy in Forney. Basepoint offers individualized holistic mental and behavioral treatment for teens.
“I grew up with two older brothers and going to Camp Mystic helped me to learn to relate to girls,” Klein said. “I made lifelong connections during each summer. I watched the Eastland family live within their faith. I gained independence being outdoors, exploring, playing, developing structure, and gaining independence while figuring out life on my own. Most importantly, I learned the Camp Mystic ideals of Be Kind, Let Camp Mystic Bring Out the Best in Me, and Grow Spiritually.”
Most campers, counselors, and alums of Camp Mystic are quick to point out that the greatest tradition of the camp has been Dick and Tweety Eastland and their sons.
Dick’s grandmother, Agnes Stacy, was the first camp director after she bought the camp in 1939. The camp had been there for 13 years, and she changed the name to Camp Mystic, for the Guadalupe’s morning mist. Dick and Tweety took over the camp in 1987.
“I am who I am because of my 12 summers spent there.”
Brandy Barbour
Brandy Barbour Morrison, a former camper and counselor said, “Camp Mystic is more than a place to me. I am who I am because of my 12 summers spent there. I am thankful for the friendships made and the lessons learned. I love Camp Mystic and am heartbroken for all affected by the July Fourth floods.”
Morrison
Dick was swept away by the raging flood waters of July 4 as he tried to save his young campers. Tears and shock echoed around the world as the news broke of a Texas girls camp losing 27 campers and counselors to a massive flash flood. More than 130 people died that day and as of mid-July, at least 100 were still missing.
Ginna Klein, a Highland Park High School graduate, said the Eastland family and their camp helped mold her into the woman she is today. She was a camper for nine years before serving as a counselor for all three summer terms until Covid changed the world.
Klein was so inspired by the impact her counselors had on her life — and the difference she knew
The Camp Mystic family is numerous and worldwide. The education and development that campers have learned at camp has translated into an army of women in Texas and beyond who excel as successful mothers, wives, business leaders, educators, and volunteers. And friends.
When Camp Mystic marks its 100th anniversary next summer, it will have the family of Dick Eastland running the camp.
Dick’s wife, Tweety, and their sons Richard, Britt and Edward and their wives and children all live at the camp and will circle the wagons and try to get past the unthinkable tragedy that overcame their world on July Fourth.
And supporting them in the background will be many Mystic women of all ages from the Park Cities, across Texas and throughout the nation who stand Mystic Strong.
KICK DOOLEY
Parker Childress wore her Camp Mystic shirt to honor those who lost their lives in the floods. PHPC members gather to fill buckets bound for the flood recovery zone with supplies. CHRIS MCGATHEY
Mourners wrapped a vehicle parked at Preston Road and Edmondson Ave. with ribbon and put up a sign. ALEX HABEEB
A River Runs Through It – A Reflection on a Beloved Place
As silent as the waters rising in the dark of the Hill Country night, there have been no words; only tear upon tear, grief upon grief.
The tragedy of the here and now, a shocking interruption to our neighborhood Fourth of July parades like an errant firework descending out of the sky upon us all.
Six precious lives in my neighborhood alone with green ribbons now tied to every tree, ties that bind neighborhoods and now shattered hearts together. Images of a beloved place harkening back to days of old strewn carelessly across the airwaves as if the story of Camp Mystic could possibly be told.
I was only a camper for four years at Camp Mystic, a First Term Every Loyal Kiowa in Twins II, Chatter Box, Tumble I, and Look Inn with days marked by the colorful posterboard calendars hanging on
the cabin wall detailing the day’s activities, the memories embedded into the fiber of your being, passed down in your DNA and on your James Avery charm bracelet.
My story runs deeper than my individual experience as it does for so many generations of Texans. My grandmother, Dorothy, was the first in my family to attend Camp Mystic. There were no cabins then, around 1930, only tents. Following in her footsteps would be 15 girls in my family — three more generations of Mystic girls and a fourth generation 2-year-old on the waiting list.
has now gone with it — the Hunt Store, Crider’s, the Ingram Dam, driving by all the camps on the way out to Mystic.
I was a junior in high school. She was in Hangout, and my sisters went with her as campers.
“I have never known a time without a draw to that idyllic place and all that comes and has now gone with it.”
In 1982, my grandparents moved to their newly constructed river home on the banks of the Guadalupe River, set squarely between the towns of Ingram and Hunt. I have never known a time without a draw to that idyllic place and all that comes and
And always the river — the constant and the connection. Days were planned around “going down to the river” with our river traditions — swimming out to the raft, canoeing to the rapids, going off the rope swing, watching for snakes, floating on rafts to play next door at the Waltonia Cabins, and perhaps venturing down to the low water bridge. The two worlds of Camp and my grandparents’ house always merging as naturally as the river flowed down from Mystic and past our house, interwoven into the fabric of who I was.
My mom even returned as a counselor for the newly formed “Third Term” when
I was at the house in the summer of 1987 during the last big flood, water lapping at the cabin steps and making it all the way up the hill to the fire pit. Silent, rising in the dark of night. That is my most vivid memory of the river then — dark and silent, encroaching — not the river of our sunny days. The river came quietly, unexpectedly and out of nowhere, as the impossible things of life seem to do. The river of the night.
In my grandmother’s final wishes, she requested to have her ashes placed in the Guadalupe River because of her love for it, and mentioned Mystic as being some of her most carefree days. The river of life and eventually of death always flowing on towards eternity while The Guadalupe River itself remains forever running through our lives, our memories, our hearts and our very souls, bringing both joy and sorrow as it simultaneously whispers and roars.
Like many Park Cities residents, Gini Weir Florer has generations of relatives who spent summers at Camp Mystic. Her memories include activities, jewelry, cabin names, friends, and the river.
COURTESY GINI WEIR FLORER
GINI WEIR FLORER
Home & Business
RISING INTEREST RATES BRING HOUSING SLOWDOWN
By Sarah Hodges sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
The frenzy has gone out of the housing market, which may mean more time to think for Park Cities buyers.
“We’ve been in three years of gradual slowdowns,” said Cullum Clark, director of the George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative. “To find a time as soft as we are now, you’d have to go back probably to the mid-teens.”
The shift from a tight to a more historically normal market is due in part to a rapid rise in interest rates, which has made mortgages much more expensive over the past five years. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, average rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose from 2.67% in December 2020
to 6.81% in June 2025.
The rise has suppressed long-distance moves nationally.
One driver of the Dallas luxury market is buyers moving to the area from California, who may defer relocation if it means replacing their current mortgage with a new one at more than double its rate, Clark explained.
“I do think the demand to live in the Dallas area is still growing,” he said. “We are still a net destination for inbound moves and are likely to continue to be so in years to come. But nonetheless, from an interest rate point of view, there’s been a significant slowdown.”
On top of a decrease in crossstate moves, there has been a drastic decline in immigration.
Though most of the reduction has been among relatively low-in-
Real Estate Market Snapshots
Editor’s note: Find here the latest available (as of press time) real estate market statistics for Dallas, Highland Park, and University Park from the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems Inc. The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University prepares the monthly Multiple Listing Service (MLS) reports but leaves out municipalities when they don’t hit a 10-sale threshold for single-family homes. Highland Park last met that threshold in March. We would prefer more comprehensive and timely data but believe these market snapshots still provide a helpful look at where the industry is heading.
come individuals, Clark said he expects to find that there has also been a decrease in the number of higher-income immigrants.
The supply of homes, both across the country and in the Dallas area, has also outpaced demand.
Nationally, there are considerably more homes on the market per individual than there have been at any time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark said.
market may give buyers more time to do their homework before making purchases.
“To find a time as soft as we are now, you’d have to go back probably to the mid-teens.” Cullum Clark
Real estate professional Valerie Dillon with Perry-Miller Streiff Group said she is working to educate sellers on the importance of pricing their homes correctly and ensuring that their properties are move-in ready. Houses can continue to sell rapidly with multiple offers, but they need to appeal to buyers.
He doesn’t anticipate large price declines. But the slowing
“I still think there are a lot of buyers out there, but I don’t think we have a ton of inventory
that buyers are ready to pounce on, unless it’s priced right,” she said, “unless that person has to be in a home, and it’s updated.”
Buyers should do their due diligence, and make sure they’re comfortable with any findings of inspection.
“Especially if a home’s been sitting on the market for a while, you’re not going into the multiple offer situation,” Dillon said.
Clark said that the factors that have drawn buyers to Dallas haven’t changed, and he remains longterm bullish on the region’s future.
“The interest rate effect that I described is not forever. That’s a more intermediate term issue,” he said. “Over the long term, I think people move towards opportunity. They move towards where they think they’re going to have a better life.”
Art, Antiques, Jewelry From Prominent Estates Goes to Auction
One-day event to feature collections of Wallace, Cash, Pickens families
By Josh Hickman Special Contributor
“Luxe Life,” J. Garrett’s upcoming fall auction, is the epitome of Dallas luxury, featuring the contents of two of Dallas’ and the Park Cities’ best-known estates.
Property from the W. Ray Wallace Trust features art, antiques, and jewelry owned by Ray Wallace (Trinity Industries and oil tycoon) and Bea Wallace (formerly Pickens; many pieces once owned by Bea and T. Boone Pickens.) The estate of Dianne Tripplehorn Cash, whose house was named the No. 1 Most Beautiful Home in Dallas, 2017 by D Magazine, offers a remarkable art and antiques collection.
“It’s the coming together of two powerful estates, two really good art collections,” noted Julie Garrett. “Most of these works have never been up for sale other than in galleries. So, it’s fresh-tomarket stuff.
“Chihulys always bring a lot of attention,” she said of two glass pieces by the artist still in their original crates. “We have a Jean Dufy and a really good Clark Hulings painting, never been presented at auction.”
The Sept. 20 auction will of -
fer a rare opportunity to bid on original works by important artists such as John Ford Clymer, Tom Ryan, John Nieto and original artists of the Taos Society of Artists, including Joseph Henry Sharp, Oscar E. Berninghaus, Bert Geer Phillips, and E. Martin Hennings.
“They were both high society in
their day, the '80s and '90s,” she said of the two leading ladies in this auction story. “They were on those royalty lists — Dallas’ Richest, Top Most Beautiful Homes.”
Collections include Tiffany and Reed & Barton sterling silver, Moser and Baccarat crystal, and heavy-hitter jewelry offerings from designers Cartier, Van Cleef
& Arpels, Angela Cummings, and Tiffany & Co.
“This will be a jam-packed one-day power sale,” Garrett added. “We’re excited. It’s just the perfect storm — the period of time when they were both buying and collecting, both going to Santa Fe and seeking out the best of the best. They both bought similar
genres, and they were living and playing in that same world. So, for these two estates to combine has made just a killer collection.”
J. Garrett is Dallas’ leading boutique auction gallery and estate liquidation company with over 60 years combined auction experience in the fields of antiques, fine art, designer jewelry, and luxury handbags.
Garrett is consistently awarded “Most Watched Auction” at LiveAuctioneers and is a top ranked auction house across all platforms. Garrett’s sales are often highly-anticipated and this will likely be one of Garrett’s best auctions ever offered.
“I do feel like this is the auction event of the year,” Garrett said. “I haven’t seen a more varied, interesting overall collection come to auction so far this year. And not everybody has to have a million dollars to bid. There are pieces in this sale that will attract people with a modest budget that want to have something beautiful. There will be opportunities to buy. It’ll be fun.”
The Sept. 20 auction will include art from the likes of Bert Geer Phillips plus jewelry and other items from such designers as Cartier and Boucheron. COURTESY J. GARRETT
The Best Questions to Ask When Interviewing an Interior Designer
While there are many talented designers in Dallas, not all of them will be the right fit for your project. That’s why asking the right interview questions is important.
Here are some questions I would personally ask if I were hiring a designer for my home.
What are their credentials?
Many people practice in my field with no credentials. I’d want to know that my interior designer had a degree from a reputable university, was a registered interior designer, was a member of ASID, and had at least 10
years of experience. It’s also helpful to know if he or she has been published in magazines and won interior design awards.
Is this person a good fit for my project?
You can get a sense of the designer’s style and taste by asking them about their favorite colors, favorite house they’ve designed, and favorite places to travel. During the interview, ask the designer if they’ve done projects similar to yours in the past. If they say yes, have them show you before-and-after photos. You should also find out if the designer is willing to work with your favorite pieces.
How do they charge?
Some of the different payment methods you see in this industry include
A GIANT PARTY DISGUISED AS A 5K
charging by the hour, charging a mark-up on products, charging a flat flee, charging a percentage of the total project cost, or a combination of any of these. Designers who offer a flat-rate option usually have stipulations, such as a limit to the number of adjustments you request.
What is the designer’s process like?
Ask them: “How will you present your selections to me?” If I were hiring a designer, I’d like for them to give me two color scheme options for each room. Another good interview question is to ask the designer about a mistake they made in the past. How did they resolve it? To prevent potential problems, my firm double-checks items before we order to make
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CINNAMON SHORE Find Your Place at Cinnamon Shore
sure everything will fit. You can’t be too detailed in this business.
Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions at your interview. Your goal is to find a designer you enjoy working with who is invested in helping you discover your personal style, rather than just recreating their own style in your home. If you ask several of the questions here at each of your interviews, you’ll find the perfect match for your project in no time.
Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member, leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. Visit chambersinteriors.com/blog for more design advice.
laid-back living. From grand, Gulf-front estates to charming cottages, our real estate offerings bring timeless architecture and resort-style amenities to the heart of the Texas Coast—just a drive or an easy flight from Dallas.
Explore opportunities in our newest collections: Watersong Homes, designed for breezy elegance on a coastal lake, and the Heirloom Cottages, where every detail feels intentional and warm. Whether you’re seeking a vacation getaway or a smart investment, this is where memories are made and traditions begin.
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Nestled
This fall, don’t miss the “Best in Texas Coastal Home Tour,” spotlighting our stunning Holiday Home, decked in seasonal style and showcasing the best in coastal design. Step inside and imagine your family celebrating the season by the sea. Contact Cinnamon Shore Realty to learn more. 361-203-2824 cinnamonshorerealty.com
MARGARET CHAMBERS
The husband liked contemporary, and the wife preferred traditional, requiring a middle ground in this primary bedroom from an old home in Kessler Park. The clients of this bedroom project were given three potential color schemes to consider and chose this one with blues, whites, and creams. NATHAN SCHRODER AND DANIEL MOTTA WITH DESIGN BY MARGARET CHAMBERS
LEFT TO RIGHT: Alexandra Billmyre, Austin Holmes, Amy Ford, Ryan Nordhaus*, Rob McAngus*+†, George Parker*, Jim Mueller*•+†, Charlie Hodges*•+†, Abby M. Foster*+, Shane Landers, Kim Meaders, Ravi Mohan, and Maddison Clark
Comings and Goings
NOW OPEN
Chuy’s
1520 Greenville Ave.
The Tex-Mex favorite known for its Chick-Chicka Boom-Boom enchiladas, handrolled tortillas, and signature creamy jalapeno dip has found a new home on Greenville Avenue.
Frenchie
The Plaza at Preston Center
The new favorite of Francophiles and foodies opened its chic, kid and family-friendly location on June 23 in the space formerly occupied by Corner Bakery.
Keke’s Breakfast Café
7700 W. Northwest Hwy, Suite 600
Diners can rise and shine at the breakfast, brunch, and lunch destination, which features inhouse ground coffee, hand-cracked eggs, fruit, and the freshest ingredients prepared to order.
NorthPark Center
Various Stores
• The freshest sneakers and most on-trend sportwear in Dallas are now available at JD Sports on level two near Neiman Marcus.
• Fabletics, which aims to create the world’s most fashionable, high-performance activewear
for everyone and every body at an accessible price, has opened on level two between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
The PoBoy Shop
8421 Westchester Drive
The fast-casual spot bursting with Louisiana soul started serving up house-prepared meats, unapologetically bold cold and hot po’boys, and craveable Cajun sides in Preston Center on July 7.
Sweet Paris Crêperie and Café
6632 Snider Plaza
The French-themed restaurant, which features 27 different kinds of crêpes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, along with omelets, waffles, salads, and more, opened on July 7 in the former location of Buff City Soap.
CLOSED Office Depot
8317 Westchester Drive
Customers need to find another destination for their business and home office needs. This one has closed, though Office Depot is still open nearby at 5111 Greenville Ave.
– Compiled by Sarah Hodges
Frenchie COURTESY
Sports
LADY SCOTS CONFIDENT ABOUT NET GAINS
HP to tackle daunting schedule with depth, experienced roster
By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers
The offseason for the Highland Park volleyball team has focused as much off the court as on it, with players and coaches using their brains in addition to their arms and legs.
After a second-round postseason loss to McKinney North, the Lady Scots knew they needed to refine their culture and preparation. They read books and had challenging discussions about grit and mental toughness.
That left HP optimistic about its 2025 season, which again will carry high expectations with a tall and experienced roster.
“The end of our last season was a big disappointment. That’s the playoffs. You never know what’s going to happen,” said longtime HP head coach Michael Dearman.
“We took a hard look at that finish. It was very productive, and we’re very excited about moving forward. We’re anxious to see how that pays off.”
The Lady Scots have several returnees from a squad that finished 32-10 and shared the District 12-5A title with eventual Class 5A Division II state champion Frisco Wakeland.
HP should benefit from height across the front line that Dearman hopes will lead to some imposing play at the net. The roster
features five players 6 feet or taller, including seniors Lily Enfield and Brooklyn Bailey as well as sophomore Taylor Toomay.
Taller still are a pair of transfers — 6-foot-4 Creighton commit Allie Hudgins from Austin Westlake, and 6-5 UC San Diego commit Lydia Fisher from Georgia.
Then there’s sophomore Sarah Floyd, one of the top recruits in the country in her class who has spent time with the youth national program. She missed much of last season with an injury but is fully recovered.
“That’s going to be a very tall and very athletic front line,” Dearman said. “They’re also
very talented players besides their height.” Standout libero Gigi Whann, committed to Arizona, also returns for the Lady Scots after playing on a top-ranked club team this summer with Bailey. Other key contributors with experience are Tiffany Lindo and Marlee Roehm.
“It’s going to be very nice to have the depth. But also, the competitive level of our practices will allow us to push each other,” Dearman said. “We’re being kind of creative and looking outside the box for ways to utilize these players. That will start to shake out at the beginning of the season.”
Ex-SMU Star DeChambeau Remains Bullish on LIV Golf
Albert Huddleston’s Maridoe hosted Dallas stop for upstart, controversial circuit
By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers
Just like Scottie Scheffler or Jordan Spieth at the Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour, Bryson DeChambeau now has a local golf tournament to call his own.
The former SMU standout was the face of the LIV Golf event on June 27-29 at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton — before, during, and after.
DeChambeau was on billboards and advertisements spreading the word about the inaugural tournament. He drew larger galleries than Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, or Jon Rahm during all three days on the course. And it culminated with Crushers GC, the four-man squad he captains, claiming the team title.
“The people showed up, they showed out, and what a great atmosphere,” DeChambeau said. “This is what LIV Golf is all about. Man, I’m super pumped for more to come.”
DeChambeau is among the most recognizable stars on the nascent
tour, which began in 2022 as a global rival to the PGA Tour. Its considerable financial resources come from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which has attracted controversy given the country’s poor record on government corruption and human rights.
Nevertheless, the circuit’s talent and popularity has continued to grow, which was reflected at the Dallas event, which included three
rounds of individual and team stroke play with shotgun starts and a rowdier atmosphere.
The powerful DeChambeau is a California native who has lived in the Dallas area since he won both the NCAA individual championship for the Mustangs and the U.S. Amateur title during a historic 2015 season.
“Obviously, the game of golf will always be an individual sport. We’ll always play for individual titles,” De-
Chambeau said. “But why not have a team aspect as well to it? Why can’t we have more fun together? Why can’t we build something special? Why can’t we influence and inspire the next generation of golfers as a team? We’re just at the inception.”
Maridoe hosted the circuit’s team finals a year ago before returning for its first regular-season event.
The 2026 schedule hasn’t been finalized, so future plans are unclear.
Park Cities billionaire and golf aficionado Albert Huddleston said he built Maridoe, which has drawn raves since launching in 2017, to host world-class tournaments. When LIV approached him, he was eager to get on board.
“I’m super pumped for more to come.” Bryson DeChambeau
“[It’s like] being like an angel investor in Silicon Valley. I think people should have new ideas and have the privilege of rising and falling based on whether those ideas are great, and sometimes you morph them and you pivot,” Huddleston said. “LIV has the cream of the crop of talent, and I want Maridoe to separate cream from rich cream, so more of a kind of U.S. Open mentality, and they’re up to the task.”
Lily Enfield is among the impactful returnees for Highland Park this season. CHRIS MCGATHEY
Former SMU standout Bryson DeChambeau led Crushers GC to a team title at the LIV Golf event at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton. LIV GOLF
Schools
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON HPHS student repeats dad’s debate championship 39 years later
By Sarah Hodges sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
Most families are fortunate to see one debate state championship, but the wins are becoming a tradition for David Coale and his son, Camden.
“I didn’t start debating because of my dad, but it’d be really hard to ignore the fact that my dad was really good at debate before I did it.” Camden Coale
Highland Park High School junior Camden and his partner Layton Braziel earned both the 2025 UIL 5A state championship title in cross examination debate and a place in history this spring. 39 years earlier, David Coale was one-half of the duo that brought home the same 4A state championship for Allen ISD.
The Coales have done their research — a must-have skill for any
debater — and believe that they are the only father-son pair to ever repeat the UIL win. But the victories’ significance didn’t become clear to them until after Camden and Layton brought the state championship home to Highland Park.
“Immediately afterwards, we got the picture together and I was like, ‘Oh, that was a cool fact,’” Camden said. “I didn’t know it was the first ever.”
The state championship was the culmination of a debate sea -
son that started before the first day of the 2024-25 school year. Teams that don’t prepare for their topic in the summer, Camden said, are already behind when competitions begin.
Last year’s debaters were tasked with arguing either for or against the resolution: “The United States federal government should significantly strengthen its protection of domestic intellectual property rights in copyrights, patents, and/or trademarks.”
Students had to prepare to argue
both sides of the proposition — the position they took in each debate was determined by a coin toss — as well as to answer questions posed by their opponents during a three-minute cross examination period.
The dress-code for UIL debaters, who still wear suits, hasn’t changed much in the almost four decades since he was a high schooler, David said. But the massive amount of paper that his team had to haul around on a dolly has been replaced by a laptop, a change
Stick With Band or Graduate With Honors?
Beginning in 2026-27, HPISD students no longer have to choose
By Sarah Hodges sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
The Highland Park ISD board of trustees has approved policy changes that will make it possible for high-performing students to explore their interests in the arts and athletics without taking a GPA hit.
The new rules, which start going into effect in the 2026-27 school year, will help students on track to graduate from high school with honors: those with grade point averages of above 4.0.
Because an A grade in the fine arts or athletics is worth less than an A in advanced placement or honors courses, top marks in those electives actually lower the GPAs of high-performing students. And some students with honors ambitions quit their electives to maximize their GPA.
But beginning in the fall of 2026, students will be able to exempt more courses in the arts or athletics — up to two in each of their sophomore, junior, and senior years — from GPA calculations.
“I am so grateful that the board recognizes how arts students contribute to our school and community, and the critical role arts education plays in the success of our students,” said HP Arts president Deirdre Deignan. “And I am also grateful for the countless arts parents and volunteers that have advocated for this for years.”
High-performing students in the Highlander Band, who dedicate hundreds of hours to music outside of the classroom, will get a GPA boost starting in the 2026-27 school year due to policy changes approved in June.
HIGHLANDER BAND
The typical high school marching band student devotes 500 hours outside the classroom to the program in the summer and first semester alone, Deignan said, and some talented students leave HP’s program because their dedication to music hurts their GPA.
“For that kind of commitment to actively count against high academic performing students is simply unfair,” she said.
GPA exemptions will be available for PE, athletics, fine arts, debate, journalism, and robotics. Teacher Timothy Thomas, who coaches the robotics team, said he thinks the changes will encourage students to pursue electives that build valuable life and career skills.
“On numerous occasions, I have had a kid say, ‘Oh, I can’t take Robotics II. I need to take AP whatever, because I need to bump up my GPA, or keep my GPA a certain way.’”
Along with the exemptions, the board of trustees has approved changes that aim to keep students focused on classes that align with their interests, rather than simply rack up points toward their GPA.
Beginning with the class of 2030, students will be limited to taking six AP or post-AP courses in their senior and junior years, two as sophomores, and one as freshmen. High schoolers will also be required to take at least two classes that
that has improved responses to cross examination questions.
“Everybody would be shuffling around, looking for papers,” David said. “It was basically a clean-up time. Now … they can actually ask questions about the substance.”
Though the Coale family has lots of discussions at home, its members don’t do much debating. Camden stumbled upon debate “kind of randomly,” when he happened to put it on his schedule as a freshman at HPHS and enjoyed the class.
Father and son have since done some practice around the table but have only debated each other twice.
“Not to brag,” Camden said. “But I’m pretty sure I’m 2 and 0.”
Camden, who will be a senior at HPHS this year, hopes to repeat his UIL victory, as well as win the state championship from the Texas Forensic Association, which also organizes high school speech and debate competitions.
That would bring his state championship total to three. David, who went on to win a national championship with the team from Harvard College, only earned two Texas state titles, one from the UIL and one from the Texas Forensic Association.
“It’s a family business,” Camden said. “I didn’t start debating because of my dad, but it’d be really hard to ignore the fact that my dad was really good at debate before I did it.”
have a maximum GPA value of 4.0.
The rules will discourage students from gaming the system by finding ways to bypass AP prerequisites, or satisfying HP’s foreign language requirement over the summer, board member Blythe Koch explained during a June 3 work session.
The changes may lower GPAs at Highland Park but won’t make students’ transcripts less competitive at selective universities. Colleges do their own math when it comes to determining GPA, and may exclude electives from the calculation entirely, or not even assign extra points to advanced courses.
“No surprise, a lot of them do value extracurricular activities. And they do like to see depth of involvement in your extracurricular activities,” Koch said. “We do think it’s beneficial for our students to be involved and stay involved.”
Koch explained that the AP-course limit together with the exemptions means that top performers who continue taking an elective through their sophomore year will have a GPA edge over those who quit.
“Even if you want to be the valedictorian, you are better off doing an extracurricular activity in Highland Park with this policy for at least two years, which we think is a benefit for those students,” Koch said. “It is helping them have some balance and giving them freedom.”
FROM LEFT: Camden and David Coale with Camden’s UIL state championship plaque and medal. A newspaper clipping from the May 21, 1986 Allen American on David Coale’s debate state championship.TOBY WHISENHUNT AND COURTESY DAVID COALE
COURTESY
PATRIOTISM DAZZLES DURING PARADE
By Sarah Hodges
sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
Enthusiastic spectators waving flags and wearing red, white and blue lined the streets of the Park Cities during this year’s July Fourth Parade.
The festivities were led by Grand Marshal Jim Whorton, who is best known as the Park Cities’ high wheeler. Whorton headed the parade in a fourwheeled convertible, instead of on the
two-wheeled, cherry-red bike he has ridden through the Park Cities for almost five decades.
The parade featured floats from community leaders, businesses, and sports teams at Highland Park High School.
Families left the post-parade celebration at Centennial Park with candy, which was thrown from floats by the handful, healthier snacks such as watermelons, and non-edible treats that included frisbees, pens, and sunglasses.
BEST FLOAT:
Advance ER – Park Cities and Preston Hollow
OVERALL BOYS BIKE WINNER: Hudson Suder
OVERALL GIRLS BIKE WINNER: Winnie Malone
FAMILY GROUP BIKE WINNER: Jonathan, Cassie, Lilly, Molly, and Abby Webb
The Rotary Club of Park Cities, which annually organizes the parade, announced these winners:
EMMA SALDIVAR, CHRIS MCGATHEY, AND CLAUDIA CARSON-HABEEB
CAFETERIA MANAGER RETIRES LEAVING LEGACY OF LOVE
Joan Bayes treated HPHS food service as a teaching opportunity
By Sarah Hodges sarah.hodges@peoplenewspapers.com
Joan Bayes knew as soon as she started managing the busy Highland Park High School cafeteria in 1991 that the role would be a perfect fit.
“Every day is a different day,” she said. “Every day, there’s some new little situation, or a new little surprise. Every day is not the same.”
More than three decades later, change continues to come to the high school cafeteria, though this time it’s less welcome. Bayes has retired as manager of the Highland Park High School PTA Food Service, and volunteers, students, and staff said that she’ll be greatly missed.
“There’s no job she wouldn’t do in the cafeteria, even though she runs it. She’s a great teacher,” said Alison Malone, who has volunteered with Bayes every Tuesday for the past two years. “She’s just so patient and good with everyone, and she’s just a loving presence in our school.”
“When I’m walking through the line, she’s always a smiling face,” said senior Cullum Brown, who will leave for Texas A&M University in the fall. “I’m glad that now that she’s gone, I’ll also be gone. I’d miss her in the cafeteria.”
Brown and his Highland Park Bass Team partner Dylan Sorrells were this year’s recip-
ients of the Joel Cribb Memorial Scholarship, which Bayes established in honor of her committed partner, who also loved fishing.
During her May retirement celebration, Bayes gave yet more gifts. She recognized staff members Aneisha McClure and Dina Ambriz with unique blankets that she had pieced and quilted herself.
McClure has worked with Bayes for six years, and Ambriz for 17. “I love it,” McClure said. “I’m glad I came here, really happy I came.”
Bayes began her career in Highland Park
ISD at Bradfield Elementary, but thought about quitting after her first year. The elementary school was slow, she explained, and she didn’t have enough to do. Bayes even briefly took an evening job at Braum’s.
Then she was offered her position in the high school cafeteria, and an insufficient amount of work was no longer a problem.
In addition to preparing food for and serving students, staff catered evening banquets where food was served on real dishes and rented tablecloths.
Budget cuts have put an end to extravagant decorations and food, but not to Bayes’
role as a teacher and friend to students. She’s taught young diners how to ring up their own purchases, a skill that will be useful when they get their first jobs, and has helped students in the Moody Advanced Professional Studies program develop their business plans.
“She’s just so patient and good with everyone, and she’s just a loving presence in our school.”
Alison Malone
“In the high school, there’s always something you can teach the students,” Bayes said. “No matter what the subject is.”
Bayes’ plans for retirement include traveling, golfing, fishing, paddleboarding, and quilting, as well as spending time with the Bible. She wanted to retire healthy and able to enjoy being in nature.
“‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight,’” Bayes quoted Proverbs 3:5-6 at her retirement celebration. “And He has made my path so straight, and so easy, and so lovely.”
Donovan Interviewed a Dozen Paratroopers About Pivotal WWII Battle
I recently met longtime local literary agent and author James Donovan near his office on SMU Boulevard to discuss his fascinating and exhaustively-researched new book Nothing But Courage. The 82nd Airborne’s Daring D-Day Mission – and Their Heroic Charge Across the La Fière Bridge.
Released this past May, the book details the 82nd Airborne’s daring, seemingly suicidal 1944 charge across the tiny but direly important La Fière bridge and into the jaws of the Nazis.
“The Germans were dug in there, more than a thousand,” Donovan said. “They had tanks, anti-aircraft guns, howitzers, mortars, and dozens of machine guns, all sighted down the causeway and the bridge. After a brief 15-minute artillery barrage that was supposed to get those German heads down, they charged
across the bridge in single-file.”
One of the most starkly heroic yet overlooked actions of World War II, this isolated battle following the Allies’ landing in Normandy is vividly brought back to life, often through the words of surviving paratroopers.
“I was lucky enough to find 12 members of the 82nd Airborne who had been involved,” said Donovan, who worked on the book for more than four years. “Combined, they gave me materials, research, and de-
tails that helped me flesh our parts of the book. All 12 are gone now.”
A literary agent in town since 1993 and the author of Shoot for the Moon, A Terrible Glory, and The Blood of Heroes, Donovan said he had longed to write about World War II.
“And time was running out,” he said. “The War ended 80 years ago. Anyone who was in it is over a 100. How many of them were left?”
Though some elderly veterans were unfortunately unable to recall
Nothing But Courage
By James Donovan
$35
jamesdonovan.net
much, Donovan was ultimately taken aback by the stories he heard.
“There were so many instances of heroism, courage, and sacrifice, I couldn’t put them all in it,” he said.
In the book, readers get to know the individuals whose heroism became the turning point of the war.
Lt. Turner Turnbull was a half-Choctaw Native whose platoon held off a furious counterattack by hundreds of German soldiers. Quiet, devout churchgoer Lt. Waverly
Wray from rural Mississippi went out on a one-man patrol and found and dispatched every member of a German command post. And there was Brig. Gen. James “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavin, the youngest combat general in the US Army at 37 and assistant commander of the 82nd Airborne, whose extraordinary bravery and devotion to his troops paved the way to an arduous victory essential to the success of D-Day.
“‘The common denominator was courage,’” Donovan said, recalling the words of journalist William Walton, who witnessed the battle. “‘It was everywhere, but you just didn’t notice it,’ he said. ‘I saw nothing but courage.’ And I know a good title when I see one.”
Josh Hickman, a Park Cities artist and author of such humorous novels as “I Am Luney: The Untold Story of The World’s Naughtiest Man,” is a frequent contributor to People Newspapers. Visit joshhickmanbooks.com.
Bayes embraces volunteer Amanda Albritton. Joan Bayes (center) celebrates her retirement with guests, volunteers, and staff at Highland Park High School.
SARAH HODGES
JOSH HICKMAN
Research for Nothing But Courage took James Donovan to France in 2021. COURTESY
Hot Days Call For Dreamy Desserts
Strawberries 'n Cream Trifles
Cake
Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, add eggs one at a time, and beat well.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Baking has always been my passion, but when it’s hot as blazes outside, I turn to sweet endings that either skip the oven completely or need only a short bake time. During the summer, I prefer desserts that are light in texture and look as cool and refreshing as they taste.
Versatility also factors in,
which is why I’m excited about this month’s recipe for strawberries 'n cream trifles. These prettyas-a-picture, individual berry and cream desserts are just the right size for everyone to have their own sweet treat, but the recipe can just as easily be made into one large, impressive trifle or a host of quick desserts.
A vanilla cake flavored with a whisper of almond extract takes only 15 minutes to bake and provides the foundation for the trifles. The thick cake batter is divided between two 8-inch square pans, yielding tender cakes that are only one-half inch thick.
Light as sponge cake, I use
a 3-inch biscuit cutter to form small rounds that fit into the bottom of the trifle dishes. Lay ered with strawberries and sweet Chantilly crème, each trifle is a chilled wonder that when served yields gasps of delight, but here’s where the versatility of this recipe comes in.
Instead of trifles, slice each cake in half, layer the slices with strawberries and cream, and you have an impressive, four-layer strawberry tea cake.
To serve a crowd or for Labor Day, slice each cake into 4-inch squares and top with berries and a dollop of whipped cream for a
Gradually add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with milk and vanilla, until the batter is thick. Spray the bottom and sides of two 8-inch square pans with nonstick spray-with-flour, line the bottoms with a square of parchment paper, and spray the parchment. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake 15 minutes or until a pick inserted into the middle
super-easy Strawberry Shortcake.
Or, while summer-harvest peaches and nectarines are ripe and juicy, substitute your favorite stone fruit and make peach or nectarine shortcake. Try any of these options and you’ll have dreamy summer desserts everyone will love!
comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in the pans, remove the cakes, and cool.
Strawberries 'n Cream
Ingredients:
1 pint ripe strawberries, rinsed, hulled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Sprinkle sliced strawberries with sugar, stir gently to mix, cover, and chill. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar to sweeten and stabilize the cream.
To Assemble
Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut five circles in each cake, reserving the scraps for quick desserts. Place a cake round in the bottom of five 6-ounce trifle cups. Top with strawberries and a layer of whipped cream. Place a second round on top of the cream and press gently to spread the cream to the edge of the bowl. Top with more strawberries, and just before serving, garnish with a generous swirl of whipped Chantilly cream.
Yield: 5 individual servings
Christy Rost is a cookbook author, host of Celebrating Home cooking videos, and longtime resident of the Park Cities and Preston Hollow. Her ‘At Home with Christy Rost’ cooking series for Eat This TV Network airs on AmazonFire, AppleTV+, Roku, Samsung TV, and YouTube. Visit christyrost.com for details and recipes.
Memory loss in a loved one does not erase the need for connection, creativity, and best-in-class care.
Part of Edgemere’s exclusive Vitalize Memory Care Program, our new sensory room offers a calming, elegant space designed to reduce anxiety, spark connection, and honor individuality.
• VitalEase Sensory Chair (Only one of two in the U.S.!)
• Rendever® Virtual Reality
• Soothing sensory tools: Bubble wall, starry projector, aromatherapy
For a private tour of Dallas’s most advanced Memory Care community, contact Jennifer at 214.623.6107 or Jennifer.Wilson@edgemerelife.com.
CHRISTY ROST
CHRISTY ROST
JOHN STANLEY LEAVELL, JR.
J
ohn Stanley Leavell, Jr. was a man who held a passion for life and always had a smile on his face. He was a skilled aviator and eternal dreamer who soared to new heights during his incredible journey of life, which came to rest on April 9, 2025, with his loving wife at his side, after a valiant and courageous battle with cancer. He was born July 15, 1963, at Garland
ROBIN RICHEY WILLIAMS
Robin Richey Williams, born on August 17, 1934, passed into the glory of God at age 90 on November 16, 2024. A fourth-generation Texas pioneer family descendant raised in Atlanta, Texas, she was the daughter of Verde A. and Helen Hutchins Richey. She attended Southern Methodist University where she majored in music and was a member of Mortar Board and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. While at SMU, she also studied piano at The Sorbonne University in Paris. There, she fell in love with her high school crush, Robert R. Williams of Jefferson, TX, who was stationed in Dreux, France with the Army Corps of Engineers. Robin graduated with honors at SMU as a classical pianist, studying under Dr. Paul and Viola Van Katwijk, who were in the teaching lineage of Beethoven and Dr. Eugene Ellsworth. She taught music in Dallas public schools before marrying Robert in 1956 and they relocated to Grand Isle, LA, for his position as a geologist for Humble Oil. The couple later moved to New Orleans where their three daughters were born, and then moved back to Dallas in 1968. In 2014, Robin and Robert moved to Jackson, MS, to be closer to their eldest
Clinic & Hospital in Garland Texas, to Elizabeth Ray (Betty) Farmer and John Stanley Leavell, Sr. Born into a world of elegance and charm created by his late grandmother, Marie Tavor Leavell, he grew up in Highland Park, Texas and inherited his parents’ class and sophistication. John’s childhood was filled with a life rooted in refinement and compassion. His impeccable taste, warm demeanor, and unwavering kindness became the cornerstone of his identity to family, friends, and colleagues alike. In his early teens he spent one year at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. In 1981 John graduated from Highland Park High School. After time in the Air Force, John attended the University of Texas at Arlington and in 1987 obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration.
John’s first love was flying. He proudly obtained his pilot’s license when he was a teenager, frequently riding his bicycle from his home in Highland Park to Love Field to take flying lessons. John pursued his passion for aviation with unwavering dedication, logging countless hours in the cockpit, embracing the thrill of the skies, and inspiring everyone who witnessed his devotion to flight. This resulted in him obtaining an airline transport endorsement and flight instructor certification early in his aviation career. Over the years, he shared his enjoyment of flying with many friends and family
daughter and her family.
In Dallas, Robin was an industrious homemaker, supportive in not only her husband’s and daughters’ activities, but also taught Sunday schools and women’s Bible studies and served on the Administrative Board at Highland Park United Methodist Church; taught piano students for a span of 40 years; and presided over the Dallas Symphony Auxiliary, Dallas Opera Guild, and Dallas Geological-Geophysical Auxiliary. She was a member of the Dallas Woman’s Club, Mortar Board Alumni, Zeta Tau Alpha Alumni, Mu Phi Epsilon music honorary, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the Friday Book Club and Armstrong Book Review. As a late career accomplishment, she fundraised for the DFW Airport Chaplaincy to establish chapels in every terminal.
While in Jackson, MS, Robin and Robert were members of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Robin joined the local DAR, ZTA alumni chapters, and was a member of the Southern Luncheon Club.
Robin was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her brother David Michael “Slim” Richey and her parents. She is survived by her beloved daughters Claire W. Aiken (Richard) of Jackson, MS; Alison W. Hogan Vinson (Wade) of Houston, TX; daughter Susan Williams Haas (John) of Austin, TX; cherished grandchildren Robert Aiken (Corey), Elizabeth “Beth” Aiken Hudspeth (Seth) of Jackson, MS; Claire Hogan and Lauren Hogan, both of Austin; Robert “Rob” Hogan of Brooklyn, NY; Andrew Haas (Eliana) of Long Island City, NY, Erin Haas Tennant (Nathaniel) of Auckland, NZ, and Benjamin Haas of Austin; as well as six great grandchildren; nieces Cindy Sholes, Sally Savino, and Julie Phillips, and nephew Tom Richey; and many lovely cousins.
A graveside service was held on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Pine Crest Cemetery in Atlanta, Texas. If desired, memorial donations may be made to Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 432 Bozeman Rd., Madison, MS 39110.
by taking them up on winged adventures navigating the clouds and finding joy in every takeoff and landing.
For years, John was a highly respected member of the automotive and mortgage collection industries working at Santander Consumer USA (f/k/a Drive Financial Services), Carrington Mortgage, AutoNation, and Stellantis Financial Services. John’s kindness and compassion in the workplace inspired everyone he met, and his legacy will live on in the stories shared by friends and fellow colleagues.
John met Ellen Lynne Patrick in 2009, and it is very fitting that John shared his first love of flying with Ellen, ensuring their first official date included looking at Christmas lights over DFW. John and Ellen soon married. Together, they merged their passions for traveling, fine dining, flight museums, air shows, horseracing, golf, baccarat, and the beach, which took them to numerous destinations.
John is predeceased by his father, John Stanley Leavell, Sr., mother, Elizabeth Ray (Betty) Leavell, and stepfather, Hugh E. Prather, Jr. whom he noted as having an enormous impact on his life.
John is survived by his wife, Ellen, sister Marie Leavell of Dallas, Texas, sister Elizabeth (Lizzy) Holliman (William) of Jupiter, Florida. He is also survived by step-daughter, Kristy Patrick Parker of Kyle, Texas, step-son, Joe Patrick (Lyne) of Toledo, Washington, and four
granddaughters, Shianne Patrick, Kate Parker, Riley Patrick and Hailey Patrick, mother-in-law, Eleanor Weber of Astoria, Oregon, brothers and sisters-inlaw, John and Diane Bowers of Ruidoso, New Mexico, Karen and Patrick Conroy of Summerfield, Florida, Jim and Loretta Tucker of Vail, Arizona, and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
A private family service will be held in the future. The family appreciates the condolences and encourages you to leave comments at Obituaries Aria Cremation Service & Funeral Home | Texas. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift in memory of John to the Faith Caring Fund/Forefront Living Foundation. The Forefront Living Foundation supports the charitable work of Faith Presbyterian Hospice/T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center. Donations can be made online at www.forefrontliving.org/giving-opportunities/donate-now/ or mailed to 12467 Merit Drive, Dallas, Texas 75251.
The family would like to thank the staff at the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center and John’s care team, Dr. Haskell Kirkpatrick, Dr. J.A. Boyd, John’s care team and the staff at Texas Oncology Presbyterian Dallas, the Highland Park Class of 1981, along with other family and friends for the outpouring of support, prayers, and love during this difficult time.
MARKETPLACE
APRIL 28 Family Compass’ North Star Luncheon, Dallas Country Club. Brooke Bailey, Elizabeth Dacus, Erin Merryn, and Erin Pope. COURTESY FAMILY COMPASS
APRIL 7
Callier Cares Luncheon, Dallas Country Club. David Dennard, Gretchen Chrane, Angela Shoup and Beth Thoele.
MAY 1
SPARK! Dallas’ SPARKtacular 2025, Highland Park home of Leigh and Bryce Williams. Nell Bush, Sarah Losinger, Meg Bittner, and Carol Dalton. TAMYTHA CAMERON
APRIL 2
Turtle Creek Association’s Azalea Luncheon, Joule Hotel. Deborah Stanford, Mary Brinegar, J.D. Trueblood, and Sharon Ballew
ROB WYTHE/WYTHE PORTRAIT STUDIO
MAY 1
Shopping, Sips and Support Preservation Park Cities, Veronica Beard in Highland Park Village. Alisa Sell, Taylor Burnett, and Katie Walters.
ROB WYTHE/WYTHE PORTRAIT STUDIO
MAY 1
Friends of the Katy Trail’s Spring Donor Party, home of Sarah Ketterer and Alan Vorwald. Samar Mishra and Gayatri Satpathy. KRISTINA BOWMAN
MAY 5
The International Society’s Cinco de Mayo party, Blue Mesa. Scholarship recipients David Arutyunyan, Maria Valentina Gamarra and Mercedes Hotz.
COURTESY PAT BEAR
THE PERRY-MILLER STREIFF GROUP
Charming Texas Contemporary in the Heart of Dallas
2860 University is currently being offered for $1,750,000
Welcome to 2860 University Blvd, a beautifully designed four-bedroom, two full and one half-bathroom home in one of Dallas’ most coveted neighborhoods. Built in 1976, this soft contemporary residence blends timeless charm with modern livability.
Find luxury, comfort and community in Highland Park
Highland Park might be called one of the richest town in Texas, but that’s not just because of its affluent residents and luxurious homes. It has a strong sense of community, with award-winning schools, tree-lined streets and nearby parks and other green spaces that make it an enviable place to raise a family.
A real estate expert from Allie Beth Allman & Associates can help you find you the home of your dreams in Highland Park.
Located near fine dining and shopping at Highland Park Village is a French-inspired traditional home at 4444 Arcady Ave. The interior makes living formal but comfortable, with elegant touches such as vaulted ceilings and arched doors
The interior of 4541 Westway Ave. has been rebuilt to create two living rooms, a gourmet kitchen anchored by a beautiful quartzite island, and a mainlevel primary suite for a private retreat.
Just steps from Flippen Park, 4428 N. Versailles Ave. is a limestone-clad home designed by renowned architect Lionel Morrison. Step into the impressive foyer, with a marble floor that leads to the staircase and elevator. The renovated kitchen features Miele appliances, a dedicated wine refrigerator and access to the large outdoor kitchen.
Bed | 5.1 Bath | 4,676 SF Listed for $1,750,000 by Sanders Avrea
Meticulously crafted with intentional design and elevated finishes, this remarkable home offers a rare blend of sophistication and thoughtfully curated features. The flexible floor plan includes a downstairs secondary suite and a bonus room already framed and ready for a seamless fifth bedroom conversion— no additional building or electrical permitting required. High-end Thermador appliances anchor the chef’s kitchen, which also features quartzite countertops and rift sawn white oak cabinetry. The home is outfitted with 4” white oak hardwoods, single sanded with plenty of life remaining, and custom modern baseboards throughout. Quartz or marble surfaces continue in all baths, with the primary suite showcasing a fully marble-clad bathroom and a built-out walk-in closet. All secondary bedrooms are oversized, each with walk-in closets and en suite baths. The primary suite offer thermostatic controls and four shower heads to really feel like true spalike experience. The home features impressive 10’ ceilings, polished nickel plumbing, and a spacious game room pre-plumbed for a wet bar.
Inside, expansive windows flood the living spaces with natural light, highlighting the warm wood tones and clean architectural lines that define its era. The thoughtfully designed layout includes spacious living and dining areas, perfect for both everyday comfort and entertaining. The first-floor primary suite offers a private retreat with a generous ensuite bath, while three additional bedrooms upstairs provide ample space for family or guests. The kitchen features ample cabinetry and a seamless flow to the breakfast area and family room, making it the heart of the home.
Step outside to your own private oasis—a sparkling pool surrounded by lush landscaping, perfect for warm Texas evenings. With its prime location on University Blvd, this home is just moments from top-rated HPISD schools, parks, dining and the best of Dallas living. A rare opportunity to own a classic home in a premier location—don’t miss it!
Contact Matt Malaise (214.533.7142) or more information or to set up a private showing. Visit DPMFineHomes.com to learn more.
DAVE PERRY-MILLER REAL ESTATE Live the Manhattan Life
Experience elevated luxury living in this custom residence at The Mayfair (3401lee505.daveperrymiller.com), where Manhattan-style sophistication meets the vibrant heart of Dallas. The 2-bedroom, 2.1 bath home is listed for $2,525,000.
Nestled along scenic Turtle Creek with direct access to the Katy Trail, Uptown, Downtown, and the Dallas Arts District, this one-of-a-kind home offers 3,925 square feet of single-floor living with sweeping views of Turtle Creek Park. Designed for both grand entertaining and comfortable living, features include elegant formal areas, a chef’s kitchen, wine cellar, den (or third bedroom), office, guest suite, and a palatial primary wing.
High-end finishes such as Venetian plaster, custom cabinetry, hardwood floors, and a Control4 smart system elevate every detail. Enjoy four garage spaces, two storage units, and exclusive Mayfair amenities: 24-hour valet and concierge, fitness center, pool, Sky Club with downtown views, and more. This is luxury redefined – perfect for those who demand the finest in location, design, and lifestyle.
To schedule a showing, contact Tammy McLaine at 214679-0586 | tammy@dpmre.com or Kendall Travis at 917-9915452 | kendalltravis@dpmre.com.
Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate (dpmre.com) is a division of the Ebby Halliday Companies, specializing in Preston Hollow, Park Cities, North Dallas, Lakewood, East Dallas, Uptown, Kessler Park, and Farm & Ranch properties.
ALLIE BETH ALLMAN
When you’re looking for a home in Highland Park or University Park, the Park Cities experts at Allie Beth Allman & Associates can help.
Those who live in the Park Cities enjoy a luxurious lifestyle surrounded by green spaces and friendly faces. Check out these dazzling new offerings represented by Allie Beth Allman & Associates.
An incredible gem awaits at 3516 Wentwood Drive. Designed for both large-scale and casual entertaining, the six-bedroom, 8,644-square-foot home boasts vast living spaces and exciting amenities. It has something for everyone: The lifelong movie buff or sports fan who wants to watch in style, the avid cook eager to make culinary memories with loved ones, the creative host who loves entertaining, and more. A pool and spa, outdoor pergola and patios, game room, media room, and wet bar designed to look like a classic pub are just a few of the perks you’ll find.
Renowned Oglesby Greene Architecture designed the sleek paradise at 6625 Golf Drive and gave it soaring walls of glass that wow. Some spaces give nearly 360-degree outdoor views, making it feel like the most lavish tree house you’ve ever seen. Spanning 5,137 square feet and with an aesthetic that is meant to be showed off, the home beckons for elegant cocktail parties or candlelit nights chatting with friends in front of your two-story living room’s massive fireplace.
ALLIE BETH ALLMAN
Discover elegance and comfort in breathtaking Park Cities homes
Rely on a luxury real estate expert at Allie Beth Allman & Associates to sell your Park Cities home.
With some of the area’s finest schools, a proximity to Dallas nightlife, and a strong sense of neighborhood, University Park and Highland Park offer something for every family.
An Allie Beth Allman & Associates real estate expert can find you the perfect place to call home there.
A Mediterranean-inspired home at 3219 Saint John Drive in Highland Park has been thoughtfully updated, including a redesigned outdoor area with Wolf grill, Lynx pizza oven, a pool with hot tub and lush landscaping.
A long, flowing driveway leads you to 6625 Golf Drive in University Park, a contemporary masterpiece designed by Oglesby Greene. The floorto-ceiling windows showcase the natural landscape.
Allie Beth Allman & Associates agents are known for their expertise in the Park Cities. Here’s a look at some of the brokerages recent sales.
Updated formal spaces sold the new owners on 3417 Hanover St., a home in the vibrant walkable fairway of University Park. The home has plenty of wine storage and a kitchen ready for big parties.
Located in one of University Park’s most exclusive areas, 6024 Connerly Drive features a double staircase in the two-story foyer, which sets the tone in this custom-built home.
EHC Summit 2025 to Take Place at Winspear Opera House
On September 10, Ebby Halliday Companies will host its annual EHC Summit at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas’ Arts District, drawing nearly 1,000 real estate agents for a day of inspiration, learning, and connection.
Agents from Ebby Halliday Realtors, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, and Williams Trew – some traveling from offices as far as Tyler, Stephenville, and Cedar Creek Lake – will attend the exclusive, agent-only event.
The “Real Estate Event of the Year” features keynote speaker Clint Pulver, an Emmy Awardwinning motivational speaker, who will share strategies to help agents strengthen client relationships and grow their businesses through mentorship and authentic connections.
Attendees will also hear from Dr. Daniel Oney, Director of Research at the Texas Real Estate Research Center, and a panel of top-producing agents from California, Colorado, and New York, offering unique perspectives.
“This in-house event at a world-class venue promises to empower and inspire our agents,” said Betsy Cameron, President of Ebby Halliday Companies. “We’re committed to equipping them with the tools and knowledge to thrive in an evolving industry.”
Celebrating 80 years of integrity and service, Ebby Halliday Companies continues to support agents at every stage of their careers. Learn more at ebby.com.
ALLIE BETH ALLMAN
Two extraordinary estates just listed in University Park
Beth Allman & Associates.
University Park consistently earns an A+ as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Dallas. Its sumptuous, serene estates are also a major draw and rival those of areas anywhere in the U.S.
Listed with Park Cities experts at Allie Beth Allman & Associates, these are homes you don’t want to miss.
The more than 9,500-square-foot residence at 6715 Golf Drive showcases breathtaking modern elegance as well as top-notch technology. Smart and beautiful, the glamorous abode brims with the finest finishes and fashionable touches. Scandinavian white oak flooring, Porcelanosa tile, striking fireplaces, and jewelry-like light fixtures abound—as well as tranquil views, since the picturesque property sits directly on Turtle Creek. Architecture aficionados who want to own a contemporary masterpiece should check out 6124 Saint Andrews Drive. This stone stunner was devised by architect Gary Cunningham with the sleek yet inviting interior design curated by Trisha Wilson. Picture coming home each day to your soaring glass front door, stepping inside and immediately seeing your verdant backyard through further vast walls of glass. Exploring on, an organic blend of materials in the great room bolsters the home’s natural, minimalist style and beckons you to unwind.
ALLIE BETH ALLMAN
Modern, sleek and simple: The beauty of contemporary homes
For a home with stunning contemporary design, connect with an Allie Beth Allman & Associates agent.
Welcome home to contemporary design. With open floor plans, abundant light, clean lines and neutral tones, you don’t have to trade style for serenity in these homes.
Let a real estate expert from Allie Beth Allman & Associates show you available contemporary in the Dallas area.
Light fills this modern masterpiece at 11345 W. Ricks Circle. Inspired by the famed Farnsworth house, the cantilevered roofs, horizontal lines and sleek landscaping make a bold architectural statement. Minimalist style meets comfort in this 6,325-square-foot property. They can show you the pool made of black granite in concentric circles with a waterfall edge.
California living can be yours in Bluffview at 4130 Cochran Chapel Road. Each room of this 8,984-square-foot modern home offers unobstructed views of the surrounding 3.38 acres. With gallery-style white walls, warm wood finishes and soaring ceilings, this house is made for entertaining on a grand scale.
Find the right modern home with the help of an Allie Beth Allman & Associates real estate expert. Call to connect with an expert agent: https://www. alliebeth.com/roster/Agents
ALLIE BETH ALLMAN
Allie Beth Allman & Associates agent are leaders in the sale of homes in Highland Park.
Amenities are plentiful in this University Park estate, offered by the Park Cities real estate experts at Allie
ALLIE BETH ALLMAN URBAN
EBBY HALLIDAY
Jessica Edgerton, Chief Legal Officer at Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, speaks at EHC Summit 2024.
