8 JANUARY 2017 | PARKCITIESPEOPLE.COM
NEWS
FOR MORE NEWS:
parkcitiespeople.com
LONCAR REMEMBERED FOR STRONG ARM, BIG HEART By Joshua Baethge
People Newspapers Many saw Brian Loncar as an amusing character from local television commercials, the brash trial lawyer who implored viewers to “call in the strong arm.” But those who knew the Highland Park resident personally saw a generous soul who loved life and would do anything for his family and friends. “He loved people and genuinely wanted to help those that he could,” Loncar’s close friend Dr. Alex Black said. Loncar died Dec. 4, one week after his youngest daughter, 16-year-old Grace, took her own life. Black said he had never seen a more grief-stricken man. Nevertheless, less than a week later, Loncar had turned his attention to establishing a foundation in his daughter’s memory that
Sue and Brian Loncar C O U R T E SY S PA R K M A N H I L LC R E S T
would award a scholarship to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, the school Grace loved. “I was with him the afternoon before he died, and he seemed really positive and was looking forward,” Black said.
During his Dec. 9 funeral, Loncar’s sister Jillian Brade described her brother as a “force of nature” who “drove head-first into anything.” Brade recalled the day Loncar met his wife, Sue. He called his sister, and told her he’d met the “most beautiful girl in the world.” He canceled his scheduled meetings so that he could spend the afternoon talking to Sue. The conversation lasted for hours. The Loncars were married for 23 years and had two daughters together. They also had a combined four children from previous marriages, creating a dynamic that several friends compared to The Brady Bunch. John McShan knew Loncar for 25 years. He said that Loncar had a “heart as big as Texas.” “He had the image of the strong arm and all that but the overarching thing about Brian was kindness.”
Black recalled how people were usually surprised when they met him. “He wasn’t this loud guy that they thought he would be. He was smart, thoughtful, and always nice to everyone he met.” Black said Loncar would do anything for his friends: fly across the world to spend time with them; pick up the tab when nobody was looking. His generosity extended to those who helped him as well. He was almost legendary for the large tips he left golf caddies, waiters, and valets. Loncar was extremely open about his battles with alcoholism and depression. In his memory,
Sue established the Grace and Brian Loncar Foundation to help other families dealing with teenage depression. “We are determined to make something good come from our devastating circumstance,” she said in a statement released Dec. 8. Black said he still can’t believe the Loncar family has had to endure these two tragedies in such a short time frame. Still, he’s hopeful that they will be able to overcome these trying times. “It’s really tough for them right now,” he said. “But Sue is strong and I know they will get through it.”
M O R E D E TA I L S In honor of Grace and Brian Loncar, the family has established a foundation to help others facing teenage depression. For more information, visit graceandbrianloncarfoundation.mydagsite.com
New UP Elementary to Feature More Green Space, Less Sprawl By Annie Wiles
People Newspapers Highland Park ISD officials have learned to tread carefully with construction plans. The district’s new UP Elementary plans show a design approach rooted in the school’s traditional aesthetic — blonde brick, original stonework, if structurally viable — but updated to accommodate a more modern learning approach and the demands of the district’s ever-growing student body. “You’re going to see really interesting and innovative educational things happening across the district,” design and construction committee member and Highland Park dad Michael Malone said. The school’s capacity will increase 15 percent, allowing space for 770 students once the district is reorganized into five sectors. HPISD and Stantec, the architecture firm heading up the rebuild, will present their plans to the University Park planning and zoning committee Jan. 10 after months of negotiations with neighbors, the district’s own design committee, and the school’s Legacy Committee. “The students are going to have a great school, that’s not the question. But it will be improved for the community too,” Jonathan Aldis, the lead architect at Stantec, said. Aldis reported at a November board meeting, prior to finalizing plans, that the school’s outdoor playfield area will increase by 35 percent. This effect, which will soften the building’s 100,917-square-foot presence on the
R E N D E R I N G S C O U R T E SY S TA N T E C / H P I S D
block, is made possible by the compact interior design of the campus. Eliminating the wings and expansions that were patched onto the campus over the years will create more yard space, allowing the district to consider options such as better landscaping, an outdoor dining space on Amherst, and outdoor learning areas. The extra green space also frees up room to build in the future, which is beneficial to HPISD since the district’s school-age population continues to grow, while its geographic footprint is landlocked.
“That alone has driven so much of the planning of this particular school,” Malone said. “We’re not going to be able to come up with more land for these schools.” The green space, while potentially being kept as extra building space in the district’s back pocket, is designed to be both useful for the students and palatable for the neighbors. Aldis said designers will try to keep as many mature trees as possible, but most of the landscaping will be new. Another green factor: the roof of the building will allow for solar panels to be in-
stalled in the future. Onsite parking will remain on Lovers Lane. Six spaces will be lost to provide entry to an underground parking garage, which will accommodate staff parking needs. The updated classrooms, arranged in five grade-level pods with another pod for special education and courses, will be larger and feature flex learning spaces. Each kindergarten classroom is fitted with a single-student bathroom. Faculty will also get their own bathrooms. Art and music classrooms are accessible to the main hallway, with art students on the ground floor where they can easily take classes outside. Open spaces and traffic flow create a synergistic campus feel. But the keys to getting approval will be the size and setback of the building, as well as its general aesthetic. As of press time, max height is set at 48 feet on the far east side of the building. The building is as low as 18 feet in other places. The setbacks are 21 feet 4 inches (north), 53 feet (east), 37 feet (south), and 50 feet 9 inches (south gym). At the November meeting, Aldis presented both a redbrick façade and the traditional blonde brick, which Malone said was met with overwhelming favor by consultants. The latter will be presented to UP when the district seeks zoning approval. Malone said he’s been impressed with district’s efforts “to make sure that everybody will get their voices heard.” The district hopes to begin the bidding process in early May so they can break ground in early June.