SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY AND GRADUATION ISSUE!
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June 13 - 19 , 2014
Vol. 6, No. 1 • Neighborhood News & Views • Community Calendar • Amusements for All Ages • whiterocklakeweekly.com Community News
First official IB class graduates from Woodrow By Dr. Kelly Ritchie
Photo courtesy of Bryan Adams High School
BA faculty helps students enjoy prom
By Shari Goldstein Stern
Corsages. Photos. Limos. High school seniors traditionally look forward to their proms, for which many pull out all the stops. It’s a rite of passage. There’s a group of students, though, who can be overlooked when it comes to their special needs at prom time. This year, Bryan Adams’ (BA) Functional Living Skills (FLS) faculty set out to make this year’s prom as memorable for this group of seniors as it is for their classmates. Wednesday, May 7, when the BA class of 2014 soared into their prom at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, their FLS classmates were very happy passengers joining them. In addition to the selfless
teachers, who made both the graduation ceremony and the prom special for these students, generous businesses made sure that it happened. According to Diane Keene, who, with her husband, “Grandpa Bill,” are foster grandparents to Chelsea Keene, these are the businesses, which made the students’ prom memorable: McShan Florist; Men’s Warehouse; Balfour Photos, Logan Photos and Albertsons. BA faculty, who arranged the event are Ms. Robertson, Vice-Principal; Ms. Hammick, head of the FLS department; and teachers Ms. Johnson, Ms. Alexander, Mr. Futrall, and a number of teacher aides. This group of Cougars said they had a great time at their senior prom.
Photos by Kathy Koeneman
Dallas Lutheran goes under the sea for recent musical By Kathy Koeneman Mermaids and sea creatures may just be fantasy, but they certainly looked and acted real at the recent spring musical by Dallas Lutheran School. Performing to enthusiastic audiences of Disney fans, Dallas Lutheran students took to the high seas on a theatrical adventure of “The Little Mermaid.”
Ariel, played by sophomore Hannah Isett, longed to be part of the human world and moved from water to land in search of her true love, Prince Eric, played by junior Ed Schwieterman. Eager to capture Ariel's beautiful voice, evil sea witch Ursula and her hissing eels, performed by Hannah Barry, Rebecca Bartel and Anna
see DL on page 5
In This Issue
Classified ............................................................ 6 Community Calendar ........................................ 4 Crossword Puzzle................................................ 5 Horoscopes........................................................... 5 Letter from the Editor....................................... 2 Movie Review ................................................... 10 Mull it Over......................................................... 3 Real Estate Showcase ......................................... 7 Restaurant Directory ....................................... 12 Shop the Rock ................................................... 11 Worship Directory . .......................................... 10 White Rock Lake Weekly whiterocklakeweekly.com
Woodrow Wilson High School is proud to announce that 25 members of the 2014 Senior Class completed all of the requirements to be considered candidates for the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma. WWHS is the only DISD high school to offer the IB Diploma Program, and these students represent some of the most academically talented young people in the district. The top 15 graduates in the WWHS 2014 class were IB Diploma candidates. All 25 WWHS Diploma candidates finished in the top 22 percent of the class, and 83 percent of Diploma Candidates finished in the top seven percent of the class. We are so proud of these students and all they have
Photo courtesy of Woodrow Wilson High School
accomplished, and we know they are well prepared as they make their transitions to college and beyond. Congratulations to our
2014 seniors. For questions about the IB program, contact Dr. Kelly Ritchie, IB coordinator for Woodrow Wilson High
School at kritchie@dallasisd. org. The 2014 International
see WWHS on page 4
Centennial celebration funds being utilized By Lucy Higginbotham The White Rock Lake Centennial celebrated in 2011 continues to benefit visitors to the park and will for years to come, according to CoChairmen Darren Boruff and Reena Morris. The leaders recently met with WRLW at the Dallas Arboretum to share the results of years of work, hundreds of volunteer hours and more than a quarter million dollars in funds raised to help finance improvements around the lake. The first and most visible evidences are the substantial stone signs now ensconced at all the park entrances. “We raised about $250,000 in hard cash and received another $500,000 in in-kind donations,” Boruff explained. “Another $300,000 is earmarked for public art in the Dallas Water Department budget, but no projects for that have been identified, yet.” Of the funds raised, the
Photo by Lucy Higginbotham
Reena Morris (left) and Darren Boruff love White Rock Lake.
Signage • Rebuilding of the Dreyfuss Rental Facility • Reconstruction of Eight Fishing Piers • Reflection Point Addition (Gateway to Lakewood) • Reforestation • Stone Tables Restoration • Water Quality Improvements/Floating Wetlands Currently, according to the Dallas Conservancy website, the city has $4.8 million allocated to these projects through bonds voted on by Dallas residents. Completion of the goals will be accomplished through both private and public partnerships. Boruff said the Centennial leadership is working closely with the city to steadily and responsibly disperse the funds raised by the huge birthday bash. They hope to have everything
first $120,000 went into the new signage. More is slated for a complete restoration of Stone Tables thanks to a $25,000 matching grant from the Centennial fund to the White Rock Conservancy, which is leading the effort. All Centennial proceeds are held by the Dallas Foundation and being allocated to the 10 projects identified during the Centennial celebration, Morris said. Any organization that
held an event — and there were 24 events in 100 days — could decide where it wanted to put the money raised by that event. The Top 10 projects identified by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department included: • Parking Reconstruction • Lighting Master Plan Implementation • Mockingbird Dog Park Renovation • Park Furnishings and
In fact, generations of White Rock families enjoy buying their cakes there, along with other unique gifts and cake accessories. NBC bakes small, bite-sized Bundtinis, single serving Bundtlets, 8” and 10” cakes and double-tiered cakes. The bakery delivers to specific areas. When asked how the company maintains quality and consistency at every store, Campbell said: “Everything is baked by hand using the same recipes and specific guidelines. The store receives packaged dry ingredients of NBC’s recipe daily. We purchase all the fresh ingredients like eggs, butter and vanilla locally. The company sends quality assurance representatives to every store on a regular schedule to inspect and ensure that guidelines are met.” Casa Linda’s Nothing Bundt Cakes has a staff of 14,
with nine working at all times. All the baking is done on-site and by hand. “The reason bundt cakes are so popular is that they maintain moisture better than other cakes, which contributes to their high quality,” Campbell explained. NBCs offers a flavor of the month. Strawberries and Crème is this month’s flavor. For a sneak peek: July’s flavor will be lemon raspberry with white frosting. “We do Photo courtesy of NBC not call our frosting Sherry Campbell, right, with Morgan icing. It’s frosting, and Dishman, a 2014 Lake Highlands it’s made with real but- High School graduate. ter, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Everything a basic red velvet, chocolate is frosted, but you can order chip, lemon and white chocowithout,” she said. late raspberry. Most popular among the 10 flavors NBC bakes are see NBC on page 12
see LAKE on page 4
Clever bakery offers nothing bundt heaven
By Shari Goldstein Stern When you first walk into “Nothing Bundt Cakes” in Casa Linda Plaza, you’re greeted by the heavenly aroma that only fresh, homemade baked goods produce. It’s a beautiful thing. Then, as soon as you try one of the samples on the counter, you’re pretty much hooked. Sherry Campbell is the shop’s operator (the company’s term for manager) and was there to open the Casa Linda location of the national franchise in May of 2013. The company recently opened its 99th location, with 11 of those being in the Dallas area. Tien Pham, Dinh Le and Tuan Nguyen own the Casa Linda and Arlington franchises. NBC has the feel and atmosphere of a local, family bakery. The staff is warm and engaging, and you’re made to feel like part of the family.