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COVER Sigel’s Marketplace is in Upper Greenville, 5757 Greenville Ave., and sells beer, wine and spirits. Photography by Lauren Allen.

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LAKEWOOD/EAST DALLAS ADVOCATE VOL. 32 NO. 11

12 Collect, Preserve, Exhibit DINING

22 Sharing the aloha

11 Things to do in November 16 Actor, Artist, Badass 20 The ballad of the Tango Frogs OUR CITY 26 Top 10 code violations COLUMNS 30 Leave the leaves

All six Tango Frogs are back on Greenville Avenue, albeit in different locations. Read more on page 20. Photography by Lauren Allen. PROFILE

Compiled by MADELYN EDWARDS

COLLECT, PRESERVE, EXHIBIT

Forest Hills resident Karl Chiao isn’t a native Dallasite, but he’s passionate about preserving our city’s history.

Chiao, who has served as the Dallas Historical Society’s executive director since 2018, was born in Taiwan and came to the United States as a child. Mandarin was his first language, and he can still speak it to this day.

“I speak household Chinese fluently. Business Chinese, not so much,” he says, though he did use his bilingual ability while working with Heritage Auctions as the face of its wine sale in Asia. “As a 5-year-old, you don’t talk about stocks and bonds.”

Chiao grew up in San Antonio, attended Texas A&M University for his undergraduate studies and came to Dallas for law school at Southern Methodist University in 1990.

“The big law schools at the time were (University of Texas) and really SMU if you wanted to do more business-type law,” Chiao says. “As an Aggie, I really didn’t want to go to UT, and as someone who wanted to stay in Texas, Dallas is kind of the big place. And when you go to SMU, you have a very good network of people, so that kind of seemed natural.”

Chiao’s career experience is varied. He has worked in real estate development, brought banks to Dallas and run a Bentley, Maserati and Rolls-Royce dealership on Lemmon Avenue. At Heritage Auctions, he headed up the trusts and estates department.

“I’ve always been a collector, whether it’s baseball cards to ties to cars,” he says. “You either collect or you don’t; it’s like a weird gene that you have. As someone who was a collector and who knew a lot of the estate attorneys in town, trust officers in town, Heritage was trying to grow, and a lot of people didn’t know that they had expanded from just coins out to other collectibles.”

He recalls coming across the largest collection of space memorabilia in his work from a man who died in New York, complete with Buzz Aldrin’s toothbrush from his mission to the Moon.

Meet the Dallas Historical Society executive director & East Dallas neighbor

Story by MADELYN EDWARDS

Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

“It was like a $2 million sale of space memorabilia,” he says.

In 2012, while still working at Heritage Auctions, a friend asked him to join the Dallas Historical Society’s board and chair the collections committee.

The Dallas Historical Society was established in 1922 and has been housed in Fair

Park since 1938. The nonprofit collects, preserves and exhibits Dallas and Texas artifacts. The collection includes the largest diorama of the Battle of the Alamo, Coach Tom Landry’s trophies and rings, and the speeches of John Leslie Patton, Jr., the first Black man to receive top administrative appointment in Dallas ISD.

Chiao was no stranger to joining boards (like the Dallas Summer Musicals board), so he accepted the request and stayed on for six years. While there, he made observations about how the society was run.

“We went through five directors in six years,” he says. “There was no stability at the top. In the previous 20 years, I think they went through 15 directors. … When I took over, there were four employees, full-time and one part-time, and they’re managing the Hall of State and a collection of 3 million items. The Hall of State was kind of not the best of shape because the City hadn’t done much to that building in a long time. But you just can’t run a building that size and have rentals and have a collection and have museum artifacts with four people.”

Chiao decided to step up to the plate and serve as the executive director in 2018 with a goal of getting the society to its centennial anniversary in 2022 before handing the role to someone else.

“Well, that was seven years ago,” he says. “I’m still there.”

The historical society received $7 million from the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation last year to create Dallas history exhibits. The first one completed was Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom that explores the origins and impact of Juneteenth as well as the history of Dallas celebrations.

“We actually have the only copy of the Juneteenth document, the hand bill that was passed out during Juneteenth,” Chiao says. “We brought in a lot of technology so you can record your own history.”

The next exhibit is expected to cover Dallas history makers, people who made our city what it is, he says. Some of Dallas’ current-day movers and shakers will be honored on Nov. 20 during the society’s Dallas History Makers Luncheon at Fairmont Dallas.

“We tell the story of Dallas, North Texas and even Texas, so that current and future generations learn about us,” Chiao says. “It was important in the past, but with the growth of this city and all the people that are coming in from out of town, it becomes even more important for the people that are moving in from California, New York — you need to know where you are. You need to know the history of the place you’re at because if you don’t, then we lose our identity.”

“We try to tell the stories that people shouldn’t forget about Dallas.”

America’s

BackMenders

Christian

Ingram’s

Kohl’s

Mattress

Medallion

Milan

Salata Satya

Scrubs

Smiley

A C T O R A R T I S T B A D A S S

Remembering the legacy of Linda Marie Ford England

Story by MADELYN EDWARDS

Photography by CORRIE AUNE

This is how Lakewood neighbor Linda Marie Ford England described herself on her website that features her abstract paintings. Scroll down a little further, and you’ll find a paragraph outlining England’s philosophy next to a picture of her wearing a bandana and a bright smile.

“Life is short, eat the cookie! We get one go around, people, unless you believe in reincarnation, and how cool is that?!”

In photos, England’s most consistent feature is her big smile that lights up her whole face. Whether she’s pictured with her three sons, her husband of 35 years or alone, the smile stays.

The New York native and University of Oklahoma alumna packed a lot into her “one go around” before she passed away suddenly in June at 60 years old when she developed sepsis. After meeting her husband Andy England in Tulsa, she eventually settled in Dallas with him and raised a family. Besides being a mom and wife, she was also co-founder of Echo Theatre in East Dallas, an actor, an artist, a St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church parishioner and beloved Whole Foods employee. She was active in politics and served as campaign treasurer

for her friend and District 9 City Council member Paula Blackmon.

Another of her titles circulated around the neighborhood after she passed — queen.

This is what she called herself on her blog It’s Good to be The Queen , where she wrote about being a mom to three boys. In these posts, she also described her sons as princes and her home as a castle.

When she died, her neighbors posted supportive messages in their windows, like England famously did herself, and plenty included the image of a crown or read, “Long live the Queen.”

To England’s friends and family, her legacy is kindness, wits and love for the people in her life.

LINDA, THE FRIEND

Another mom raising sons was Blackmon. Their children grew up together, so England and Blackmon became friends as well. Unrelated to their boys, Blackmon recalled a moment when England opened up to her while grieving a loss.

“She just started talking to me and crying on my shoulder when I first met her, and she just looked at me and she said, ‘You don’t even really know me, but I want to

thank you for listening,’” Blackmon says. “It kind of became that when we really each needed each other, we were there.”

While looking after each other’s children and picking them up from school to taking family vacations together, they became close.

“She was a lovely person, and she would do anything for anybody,” Blackmon says.

England’s sons remember their mom as someone who approached others with care and kindness.

“She always tried to love everybody,” her youngest son Christopher England says.

“She always believed that love was stronger than any other human emotion. It’s what drives us forward as people. So that’s the main message I try to take from my mom is you got to love others.”

Suzy Blaylock, who was part of the team that founded Echo Theatre, described how Linda England would greet her — calling her “sushi,” a mispronunciation of her name coined by Linda’s children, and arms wide open.

“That wasn’t just me; that’s Linda to everybody, arms wide open,” Blaylock says.

Her oldest son Tim England says she researched what items helped make life easier for people undergoing chemotherapy,

and then she, Tim and his brothers would drop off care packages to those in the St. Thomas community who were diagnosed with cancer. These gifts were given anonymously with only a note signed from “the chemo-fairies,” but Tim recalls the time that one of the cancer patients figured it out.

“I remember they ran into each other, and that person just broke down,” Tim says. “And she’s like, ‘You have no idea how much those baskets made a difference for me.’”

At Whole Foods (first on Park Lane and then in Lakewood), she was known as Miss Linda and would attract customers, her “fan club,” who would get in her check-out line just to talk to her. Tim says she asked shoppers how their day was, and some would respond with appreciation that someone cared enough to ask.

“Mom took being Miss Linda very seriously,” Tim says. It was like Linda England had never met a stranger.

“She had a personality where she knew everybody,” Blackmon says. “Even if she didn’t know you, she knew you.”

LINDA, THE MOTHER

While his father traveled for work, Christopher remembers his mother running the household, walking him to school and attending his sporting events.

“You could always hear her in the stands,” he says. Christopher continued to receive that support as an adult. The 24-year-old has been living in Germany since last year. His mother encouraged him to experience the world without being afraid.

“I’m sure she had the normal worries that anybody has about their kids, but she was never protective or like a helicopter parent,” he says. “She wanted us to succeed and fail on our own.”

Christopher admired the union between his parents, calling it one of the most healthy relationships he has seen.

“They’re one of the reasons why I hope to get married in my future,” he says. “It was a blessing to have such an amazing set of parents who loved each other, basically unconditionally.”

One of the most unsettling parts of loss is absence. Tim describes his mother as “the opposite of quiet.” Now that she’s gone, home is muted.

“There are days that we all have that I just want to talk to her,” Tim says. “There’s something that happened at work, or something going on that I just want her perspective on or want to hear her thoughts on, and I just can’t do that right now.”

At her funeral service, Tim remembers seeing St. Thomas completely filled and realizing a truth about his mother: “She was our mom, but man, she was everybody’s at some point.”

LINDA, THE CREATIVE

Earlier this fall, Echo Theatre hosted a celebration in honor of Linda England’s artistry.

“I couldn’t tell you the last time that I had been to the Bath House (Cultural Center) for anything Echo-related,”

Tim says. “It’s been a while, but that was what I remember so much about growing up, was being at the Bath House for anything Echo-related, or watching mom do her thing. So it was very odd being there without her.”

Some parents are familiar with the pride of seeing their child perform well in sports or fine arts and thinking, “That’s my kid.” Tim has a similar sentiment about watching his mother naturally perform with ease.

“Whenever I would see mom whether it be on stage or in the booth doing voiceovers, or when she was in the (TV show) Queen of the South , you knew that she was in the right spot,” he says.

Blaylock says acting with Linda was “a blast.”

“She worked so hard to develop her characters and to connect with the other actors on stage,” Blaylock says. “Just like any conversation, you can tell when you’re talking to somebody and they’re just waiting for you to quit talking so they can say something. It’s the same thing on stage. You still have to listen, even though your lines are memorized, their lines are memorized. And Linda was really, really good at listening and responding in the moment and not going on autopilot.”

Linda England, Blaylock and Pam Myers-Morgan created Echo Theatre in the late ’90s as a dedicated space to share the female perspective on stage. Without Linda, Blaylock says Echo would not be what it is today.

“What I will say about Linda is that when Linda makes up her mind that she’s going to do something, she does it,” Blaylock says.

Linda England expressed her creativity in other ways, too. Christopher says he has vivid memories of his mother painting in the garage or outside when the weather was nice. He has two of her paintings with him in Germany — one blue with gold accents and gray with purple on the other.

“I remember every now and again, she would look at one of her paintings and just be like, ‘I don’t like that,’ and then she would just paint over it and start again,” Christopher says.

She became Dallas famous when she started posting messages in her windows

around the start of the pandemic (initially to wish her father a happy birthday while also socially distancing, but she continued them throughout the following years). Oftentimes, her messages were political, but she would also share jokes and hopeful words.

“Some people loved them; some people hated them,” Blackmon says. “What I saw was a very inspirational and creative woman that was able to speak her mind through a window.”

NEVER REALLY GONE

England’s death came out of nowhere. On the Monday beforehand, Blackmon and England made plans to have dinner together the following week, but she passed away that Saturday.

“It just shows you how life is precious,” Blackmon says.

Christopher says lots of people came to support his family and that was “a little bit of beauty in that dark, dark time.” Tim points out that the staff at Whole Foods also showed their support in the wake of his mother’s death.

“It felt like a revolving door. You couldn’t go an hour and a half without someone else popping in,” Christopher says. “I had friends who I haven’t seen in a couple of years come by to check on me. I know that there are people I haven’t seen that talk to my dad and my brothers. It seemed like anyone who could come came to us, and it was incredible.”

Blackmon did see Linda England again — in a dream on the birthday of her friend’s middle son, Matthew.

“I texted him and said, ‘Hey, your mom came to me in a dream. She hugged me, and we cried; she’s OK,’” Blackmon recalls, while adding that she also wished him a happy birthday. “And he said, ‘She came to me just a while back, too,’ so she’s still out there with us somewhere.”

Though she is gone physically, Christopher believes her spirit still lives in East Dallas.

“I do know that the White Rock area will always have a little bit of mom around, be it at Whole Foods, be it at St. Thomas or in our neighborhood,” he says. “Her legacy will not evaporate from that place.”

“Six

Frogs Over Greenville” — 1983

The ballad of the Tango Frogs

All six amphibians statues have returned to Greenville Avenue

Story by MADELYN EDWARDS

In the 1980s, Greenville Avenue facilitated the rise of one of the most storied bands in our neighborhood’s history — the Tango Frogs.

No, they didn’t release music — steel doesn’t have vocal cords. But the Frogs have written themselves into the folklore of Dallas, of Texas as a whole and (possibly) of Nashville.

The Tango Frogs are named after the nightclub that they were created for on Greenville Avenue. Shannon Wynne, a Dallas restaurateur and art collector, opened Tango in the 1980s. His other claim to fame is that his father was the brains behind the amusement park Six Flags Over Texas. Hence, the amphibian statues were sometimes called “Six Frogs Over Greenville.”

Wynne knew the late artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade and was looking around his studio one day and found a stuffed frog playing an instrument, according to an article on the nonprofit Memories Inc.’s website. They agreed creating art inspired

by the stuffed frog would be a neat idea, so Wade moved forward with the project.

The Frogs are described as 8-10 feet tall, made of steel and heavy enough to have to be lifted atop Tango’s building via crane. Their heads and bodies rotated and “danced” to music. And they cost tens of thousands — The Dallas Morning News reports $16,000 to $25,000 while Memories Inc. says about $20,000.

The Frogs first showed up publicly in the St. Patrick’s Day parade on Greenville Avenue on the tack of a flatbed truck, according to Memories Inc. When they were set on top of Tango, the City of Dallas initially ordered the Frogs be taken down, saying that they were a form of prohibited advertising. Wynne got this ruling overturned in court with the reasoning that the Frogs are art, not advertising, according to Memories Inc. and a 2014 D Magazine article.

Fireproof Frogs — 1990

But the Frogs had to go anyway when Tango closed in the mid-1980s. They went out

bang — according to Memories Inc. , a party was held in their honor at the nearby Fast and Cool Club. After Tango closed, Wynne sold the Frogs to Monk White, co-owner of the truck stop Carl’s Corner south of the Metroplex, for $2,500. Three of the them traveled in a sculpture show while the others stayed at Carl’s, but they all wound up at the truck stop again, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Carl’s burned down in 1990, but the Frogs were relatively unharmed.

Then, the band split up. The career-oriented musicians of the bunch — the ones playing the saxophone, guitar and maracas, respectively — went to work for the Chuy’s restaurant chain. Memories Inc. and a 2014 D Magazine article report that they were first at a location in Houston before landing in country music heaven (Nashville).

Home Sweet Greenville — 2014

The other three Frogs — the dancing couple and the trumpet player — seemingly stuck around the Carl’s Corner area, near Hillsboro. Maybe they were a little less ambitious than their siblings, but they made their next big move by coming back to Greenville Avenue. The Taco Cabana where Tango used to be acquired the trio in 2014.

Our neighborhood celebrated the Frogs’ homecoming that included an ’80s-themed party where the amphibians took photos with their fans.

Taco Cabana on Greenville Avenue closed in early 2020 prior to the start of the pandemic in the U.S. By the end of the year, Taco Cabana donated the Frogs to Truck Yard in Lower Greenville, where they are today.

“I couldn’t be more hoppy,” Truck Yard owner Jason Boso said in a previous Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate article. “Truck Yard has always desired and worked toward being an iconic Dallas location that our city can be proud of. We will position the ‘Tango Frogs’ so they can be an Instagram-worthy staple in our city and to show appreciation of this ‘unfrogettable’ artwork.”

Getting the band back together — 2025

The return of the saxophone, guitar and maracas-playing amphibians came with the relocation of Chuy’s in Dallas from the other side of U.S. 75 in the Knox District to Lowest Greenville.

“When we brought them back to Greenville, three blocks from their original spot at Tango, it just felt right,” Chuy’s decor manager Scot Aubuchon told Memories Inc. “From a marketing standpoint, it was a no-brainer. From a cultural standpoint, it was bringing them home.”

When taking the Frogs back to Texas, Aubuchon took them to visit their old stomping grounds, Carl’s Corner, where they received a warm reception.

“As soon as we pulled up, the women there said, ‘Oh, the frogs are back!’” Aubuchon said in the Memories Inc. article.

Both sets of frogs have received facelifts. Ken Robison repainted the Truck Yard bunch a couple of years ago, and Faith Schexnayder revived the Chuy’s trio more recently by adding features like shoes and eyelashes, according to Memories Inc.

Where will the Tango Frogs go next? Will we ever get to see them all in one place again? Time will tell — and we’ll cross our fingers for a reunion tour.

Note: Like any biography of a band, this sextet of musical amphibians’ story contains contradictions. We sourced this story from our own archives and articles fro m The Dallas Morning News and Memories Inc, and some details have been reported differently. We tried to piece together the consensus here. Just keep that in mind.

Sharing the aloha Sharing the aloha

Pine Isle chef brings his Hawaiian experience to East Dallas

Story by MADELYN EDWARDS

Photography by JUSTIN SCHWARTZ

LOCAL HAWAIIAN FOOD

EATERY PINE ISLE occupies a humble space in the small shopping strip on the corner of Capitol and Fitzhugh Avenues.

The space communicates what chef and owner Kevin Singharaj wants it to. Pine Isle is all about the food.

Nestled next to ZAAP Kitchen, the aesthetics of Pine Isle are minimal — “no frills,” as Singharaj says. Sure, an artistic portrait of a pineapple hangs on one wall; another is decorated with spaced out wooden slats that create a shelf holding knickknacks. There are a few potted plants inside next to the glass storefront.

But Pine Isle is a takeout restaurant, so the inside of the physical space ceases to be part of the experience once the customer leaves. You can eat your food at one of the umbrella-covered picnic tables outside the eatery or choose a different setting to consume your meal. Singharaj says some customers even eat in their vehicles parked outside the shopping center.

Takeout containers of the regular poke bowl/salad ($16) and mochiko chicken ($15) are filled to the brim. The fried mochiko chicken is crispy and spicy, and it’s placed atop rice, paired with macaroni salad and a garden salad. The regular poke bowl includes two poke scoops (three if ordering the large poke bowl) on rice or salad, and customers choose between shoyu ahi, creamy spicy ahi, gochujang tako, shoyu salmon, creamy spicy salmon and wasabi tako. Krab salad, seaweed salad, edamame, ginger and wasabi also appear on the side.

Pine Isle isn’t the only place in Dallas to get Hawaiian food, but Singharaj emphasizes that his restaurant is like ones found in the Aloha State, serving local dishes eaten by people who grew up there. Because Hawaii itself is a

melting pot of different cultures, so is the Pine Isle menu. Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino influences make their way into the food.

Singharaj is just as humble as Pine Isle appears to be. He grew up in Garland, graduated from Le Cordon Bleu’s former campus in Dallas in 2010 and doesn’t want to brag about having worked at the Dallas location of the fine dining empire Nobu. The only reason he brings it up is because being there is how he got to work on the island L a �na‘i. He trained the staff at Nobu L a �na‘i before being asked to stay in Hawaii, which he did for six years.

“I loved every single moment of it,” he says.

Singharaj first ate the kind of Hawaiian food that inspired Pine Isle at a L a na‘i takeout joint — a teriyaki burger with kimchi fries.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is my kind of food,’” he says.

Singharaj had poke for the first time in Hawaii and loved it immediately.

L a �na‘i also inspired the restaurant’s name. Much of the island was used for pineapple production for decades in the 20th century, and as such, it was nicknamed Pine Isle or Pineapple Island.

Singharaj eventually moved to Washington around 2016 to open a poke bar before coming back to Texas during the pandemic. That’s when he teamed up with his brother who owns ZAAP Kitchen in Upper Greenville to open more locations of the Lao and Thai food restaurants.

Meanwhile, Singharaj was cooking Hawaiian dishes at home for his wife, Diane Arounyanath, who eventually suggested that they go into business together. That’s how Pine Isle came to be.

“All I ever ask of customers is to come in and try to accept my food the way that it’s supposed to be, versus coming in with an idea of how it’s supposed to be,” Singharaj says. “I’m not trying to win awards. I’m just trying to share a chapter of my life with my hometown because I felt like we had something special to offer.”

Arounyanath already has a full-time job at Bank of America corporate, Singharaj says. For Pine Isle, she manages payroll, human resources and online design. This is the first time she has ever owned a business, so she’s dealt with the stress that comes with her new role, but Singharaj says she has risen to the occasion.

“She’s done a great job, and bless her heart, she’s hung in there. She’s like, ‘OK, babe, I’m ready to retire in five years.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, here we go. A little success and somebody wants to retire,’” he laughs. “But no, she’s been awesome.”

Before, Suite 104 at 2325 Fitzhugh Ave. was Korean coffee shop Tom N Toms, so the space had to be fully renovated to turn it from cafe to kitchen. Since opening in April, Pine Isle hasn’t had trouble finding customers. One video from August on the eatery’s Instagram shows a line of customers extending out of the storefront and wrapped around the corner on Capitol Avenue.

Singharaj recalls Pine Isle being so busy that he felt like he was working on fast forward while jumping around between cooking, packaging food and fixing things.

“I worked every single day for the first four months, and I literally felt it. I felt the growth,” Singharaj says. He compared the ebb and flow of learning to manage the pace before getting slammed again to riding a roller coaster.

Nowadays, Pine Isle has a general manager and kitchen manager, so Singharaj is utilized for emergencies, to fill in for absent workers or bring in supplies as needed.

Providing quick, friendly service and dishes that are plated with purpose is important to Singharaj, even while serving takeout meals only. This is where he brings in his experience with fine dining, and he praised the hard work of the Pine Isle staff to keep up with high standards. Meals are made to order, and the goal is for the wait time to be no longer than 15 minutes.

“You can tell that the food was made with care,” Singharaj says. “It’s not just like slop thrown on a plate.”

Singharaj is vying for a place at the State Fair next year, which would give him a chance to put a new spin on Pine Isle menu items for the Fair — loco moco burgers, fried musubi, garlic shrimp wraps, kimchi fries.

“There’s definitely nobody like us in the State Fair,” he says.

& HOW TO AVOID THEM

Story by CAROL TOLER

Dallas City Hall has issued a list of the top ten code violations, enforced in residential areas, apartment communities and businesses “for the safety, health and welfare of citizens.” If you recognize yourself on this list, do yourself a favor and make repairs before you find a ticket on your front door.

If you do get a citation, I’ll share some advice from, ahem, a fellow recipient. Don’t get testy with the poor guy (or gal) who comes to your home — they are just doing their job. Chances are good they’ve documented your violation with digital photography and are responding to a call from your neighbors.

If you have the time, instead of simply paying the fine, consider visiting one of the City’s code enforcement district offices. (In Northeast Dallas, that office is at 7901 Goforth Road.) I’ve heard that the people there are quite lovely and helpful. Cooperative offenders who throw themselves upon the mercy of those officials just might find a person willing to allow time to make repairs without penalty.

David Letterman-style, here is the City’s Top 10 List of code violations:

(10) GRAFFITI — Defined as any marking, including, but not limited to, any inscription, slogan, drawing, painting, symbol, logo name character or figure that is made in any manner on tangible property. An owner of any tangible property in the city commits an offense if he/she fails to remove all graffiti from the property that is visible from any public property or right-of-way or from any private property other than the property on which the graffiti exists. Statistics prove that removing graffiti quickly may prevent the

graffiti from re-appearing. Owners will be issued a Notice of Violation and a timeframe to remove the graffiti. Failure to remove the graffiti may result in a citation.

(9) ILLEGAL OUTSIDE STORAGE — A person commits an offense if he/she places outside on a lot, in excess of 24 continuous hours, an item that is not customarily used or stored outside or is not made of material that is resistant to damage or deterioration from exposure to the outside environment (unless permitted by zoning and a valid Certificate of Occupancy exists).

(8) ILLEGAL DUMPING — The improper disposal of waste at any location other than a permitted landfill or facility.

(7) JUNK VEHICLES — Motor vehicles that are inoperative and/or partially dismantled and have expired license tags or safety stickers are considered junk motor vehicles. Owners of the vehicles and all lien holders will be notified of the violation by certified mail. Should the owner fail to remove the junk motor vehicle from the property or prove the vehicle operable, the vehicle will be towed and sold for salvage. Owners may store inoperable vehicles in a garage to avoid towing. Please note: Code Compliance only addresses vehicles on private property. If the vehicle is on the street, the Dallas Police Department has jurisdiction. Please report your concern to 311, and Dallas Police Department will respond.

(6) SUBSTANDARD STRUCTURES — Property owners are required to keep structures in good repair. Peeling paint, leaking roof, electrical and plumbing problems, holes in the wall, floor and ceiling, and decayed wood are building violations.

(5) BULK TRASH OUT TOO EARLY OR INCLUDES PROHIBITED ITEMS — The City’s once-a-month large item collection (large limbs, shrubbery, bagged leaves

sealed in bags up to 50-gallon capacity, furniture, appliances, mattresses and box springs, etc.) is operated by the sanitation department. The City does not collect debris from construction, demolition or clearing of land unless an additional fee has been paid. Additionally, no dirt, rock or concrete will be removed. No material may be placed out front earlier than 7 a.m. Thursday prior to collection week and must be in place by 7 a.m. on the Monday of the pickup week. Violators of the bulky trash ordinance are immediately ticketed.

(4) SIGNS IN PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY — It is a code violation to post any signs (notices, posters or other paper devices) on a utility pole, lamp post, tree and/or public structure. This includes garage sale signs.

(3) OBSTRUCTION OF ALLEY, SIDEWALK OR STREET — The occupant or owner is responsible for keeping the street, alley, sidewalk and public grounds clear of obstructions. This includes the trimming of trees, shrubbery and vines which may obstruct any vehicle traveling through an alley, or which may obstruct a sidewalk or street or other public grounds. Additionally, sidewalks must have a height clearance of 8 feet; streets and alleys must have 15 feet of overhead clearance. Take advantage of the City’s Bulky Trash Program by trimming trees and shrubbery to coincide with your legal Bulky Trash Week.

(2) LITTER — Homeowners or tenants are responsible for keeping lawns mowed, clipped, mulched or cleared and the property free of litter — paper, cardboard, wood, glass, bedding, auto parts, appliances, limbs, etc. The property must be maintained between the curb in front of the house (or if no curb, then from the edge of the pavement) to the middle of the alley (or the back property line if there is no alley).

And, the top code violation in Dallas is …

(1) HIGH WEEDS OR GRASS — Weeds or grass more than 12 inches high is a violation of code. Failure to keep them under control may result in a court citation or a bill for the City’s mowing services.

AC & HEAT

ALEXANDER HOME REPAIR. AC/HEAT Repair & Install. LIC#28052 469-226-9642

AIR SHIELD LLC AC/Heat Repairs, Installs Airshieldpros.com. 214-394-1788

THE HEATING & AC EXPERTS Installations & Repairs

CONCRETE, MASONRY & PAVING

JOHNSON PAVING Concrete, Asphalt, Driveways. New or Repair. 214-827-1530

R&M Concrete

Concrete • Driveways Retaining Walls Stamped Concrete

214-202-8958

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

dallasheatingac.com

APPLIANCE REPAIR

JESSE’S A/C & APPLIANCE SERVICE

TACLB13304C All Makes/Models. 214-660-8898

BUY SELL TRADE

I BUY USED CARS

Sam. Dallas. 469-609-0978.

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Top Dollar Paid. 1-866 -433-8277

CABINETRY & FURNITURE

JD’S TREE SERVICE Mantels, Headboards, Kitchen Islands, Dining tables. Made from Local Trees. www.jdtreeservice.com 214-946-7138

SQUARE NAIL WOODWORKING

Cabinet Refacing, Built-ins, Entertainment/ Computer Centers. Jim. 469-585-1588 jhholbert2@att.net

CLEANING SERVICES

ALTOGETHER CLEAN

Relax ...We’ll Clean Your House, It Will Be Your Favorite Day! Bonded & Insurance. Free Estimates. 214-929-8413. www. altogetherclean.net

WANTED HOUSES TO CLEAN. Organize, De-clutter, pack +more. Dependable, Thorough,Honest, Great Refs,15yrs.Exp. Sunny 972-487-6599 / 214-724-2555

WINDOW CLEANING POWER WASHING No Job To Small. 30 Yrs exp. Lwood resd. 214-360-0120

COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS

CONFUSED? FRUSTRATED? Let a seasoned pro be the interface between you & that pesky Windows computer. Hardware/Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Training. $100/hr. 1 hr min. Dan 972-639-6413 / stykidan@sbcglobal.net

NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMPUTER, Smartphone or Smart Home? My Tech Guy Harvey. 214-770-2598. hmccall@mtgharvey.com.

CONCRETE, MASONRY & PAVING

ADVANCE STONE ART CREATIONS

Decorative Concrete Overlays. 214-705-5954

CONCRETE, RETAINING WALLS 25 yrs exp. T&M Construction, Inc. 214-328-6401

EDMONDSPAVING.COM Asphalt & Concrete Driveway-Sidewalk-Patio-Repair 214-957-3216

CONCRETE DRIVEWAY SPECIALISTS

Repairs,Replacement,Removal. References, Reasonable. Been in Advocate Magazine for 22 yrs. Chris Roberts. 214-770-5001

FLAGSTONE PATIOS, Retaining Walls,BBQ’s Veneer, Flower Bed Edging. All Stone Work. Been in Advocate Magazine for 22 years Chris Roberts, 214-770-5001

#1ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician Family owned and insured. TECL 24948 Anthonyselectricofdallas.com. 214-328-1333

BRIGHT LIGHT ELECTRIC • 214-553-5333

TECL 31347 Brightening Homes and Businesses

LAKEWOOD ELECTRICAL Local. Insured. Lic. #227509 Call Rylan 214-434-8735

TH ELECTRIC Reasonable Rates. Licensed & Insured. Ted. E257 214-808-3658

WHITE ROCK ELECTRIC All Electrical Services. Lic/Insd.TECL-34002 214-850-4891

EMPLOYMENT

BENJAMINS PAINTING Hiring:18-26Yr.olds, Top Pay- Will Train. In Advocate since 2007. 214-725-6768

EXPERIENCED NANNY 2 months-6 Years Great References.15 Years Experience warconie@gmail.com. 469-987-2172

EXTERIOR CLEANING

G&G DEMOLITION Tear downs, Haul. Interior/Exterior. 214-808-8925

FENCING & DECKS

4 QUALITY FENCING • 214-507-9322 Specializing in Wood. YourWoodmaster.com

AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217

FENCING, ARBORS, DECKS oldgatefence.co 214-766-6422

LONESTARDECKS.COM 214-357-3975

Trex Decking & Fencing, trex.com All Wood Decks, Arbors & Patio Covers

HANNA WOODWORKS • Decks • Pergolas • Patio Covers Hannawoodworks.com 214-435-9574

& CARPETING

FLOORING &

HARDWOOD

aaa-texas-floors.com

GARAGE SERVICES

UNITED GARAGE DOORS AND GATES Res/Com. Locally Owned. 214-251-5428

GENERAL CONTACTING

A2H GENERAL CONTRACTING,LLC Remodel, Paint, Drywall/Texture, Plumbing. Electrical, Siding, Bathroom/Kitchen Remodels Tilling, Flooring, Fencing. 469-658-9163. Free Est. A2HGeneralContactingLLC@gmail.com

GLASS, WINDOWS & DOORS

LAKE HIGHLANDS GLASS & MIRROR frameless shower enclosures • store fronts replacement windows • mirrors 214-349-8160

ROCK GLASS CO Replace, Repair. Single, Double Panes. Showers, Mirrors. 214-837-7829

WINDOW MAN WINDOW CLEANING.COM

Residential Specialists. BBB. 214-718-3134

HANDYMAN SERVICES

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

DANHANDY.NET Repairs Done Right For A Fair Price. References 214-991-5692

HANDY DAN The Handyman. ToDo’s Done Right. handy-dan.com 214-252-1628

HANDYMAN SPECIALIST Residential/Commercial. Large, small jobs, repair list, renovations. Refs. 214-489-0635

HANDYMAN WANTS your Painting,Repairs, To Do Lists. Bob. 214-288-4232. Free Est. 25+yrs exp.

HK CONSTRUCTION We Do It All. All trades. 214-717-8317

HOME REPAIR Doors, Trim, Glass. Int/Ext. Sheetrock, Windows, Kitchen, Bathroom 35 yrs exp. 214-875-1127

HOMETOWN HANDYMAN All phases of construction. No job too small 214-327-4606

ONE CALL WEEKEND SERVICES

Contractor & Handyman. Remodels, Renovations. Paint, Plumbing, Drywall, Electrical. 469-658-9163 Let Us Tackle Your To-Do List!

Drywall

Doors

Senior Safety

Carpentry

Small & Odd Jobs

And More!

HOUSE PAINTING

HECTOR PEREZ PAINTING Commercial/residential. Intrior/ Exterior. Fair Rates. 214-489-0635

RAMON’S INT/EXT PAINT Sheetrock, Repairs. 214-679-4513

TEXAS BEST PAINTING LLC Resd,Interiors 30Yrs. 214-527-4168 TOP COAT 30 Yrs.

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

#1 WHITE ROCK TREE WIZARDS Professionals, Experts, Artists serving Dallas 15 years.Trim, Removals. Tree Health Care services. Insured. Arborwizard.com. Free Est. (972) 803-6313.

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd. 18 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925 Lawns, Gardens & Trees

DAVIS LAWN CARE, LLC

580-222-4909 or davislawncare214@yahoo.com Serving Lake Highlands & Lakewood.

ELEVATED GARDENS - 469.682.5039

Raising the Standard of Outdoor Beauty

HOLMAN IRRIGATION

Sprinkler & Valve Repair/ Rebuild Older Systems. Lic. #1742. 214-398-8061

MAYA TREE SERVICE Tree Trim/Remove. Lawn Maintenance. Resd/ Commcl.Insd. CC’s Accptd. mayatreeservice.com 214-924-7058 214-770-2435

NEW LEAF TREE, LLC Honest, Modern, Safety Minded. 214-850-1528

OLD TREE LIGHT SYSTEMS Affordably Removed/Updated treelightmaintenance.setmore.com

PAT TORRES 214-388-1850 Lawn Service & Tree Care. 28 Yrs. Complete Landscape Renovation. New Fence Install & Brick Repair. Concrete Removal and Gutter Cleaning.

RED SUN LANDSCAPES • 214-935-9779 RedSunLandscapes.com

RGC - STORM WATER MANAGEMENT drainage solutions 214-477-8977

TAYLOR MADE IRRIGATION Repairs, service, drains. 30+ years exp. Ll 6295 469-853-2326. John

WALTON’S GARDEN CENTER

Stop in for home decor, candles, house plants, succulents and more. It’s time to plan for spring. Call us for design, prep and plantings! 8652 Garland Road 214.321.2387

CONSTRUCTION LAWYER | Garrett A. Heckman, Esq. Indian Wells, www.heckmalawpc.com, 760.636.3508 ORGANIZATION

A CHARMING HOME

Decluttering + Organizing + Styling acharminghome.co 214-794-6382

PEST CONTROL

MOSQUITO SHIELD 972–850-2983

Imagine A Night Outside Without Mosquitoes

NATURE KING PEST MANAGEMENT INC. All types of Pest control. Natureking.com Natureking.com. 5 Star rating on Google 30+yrs. Exp. 214-827-0090.

Children & Pets in Mind" Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic 214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com abetterearth.com

Repairs, Fixtures, Senior Discounts. Gary Campbell. 214-321-5943

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

C.A.S. BOOKKEEPING SERVICES

Personal/Small Business. Payroll, Accounting, Organizing, Consult. Cindy 214-577-7450

WHERE DID YOUR MONEY GO? Bookkeeping Services for small businesses & Personal. Financial organizing. Quicken & other programs. Sharon 214-679-9688

REAL ESTATE

ESTATE HOME NEEDS TO BE SOLD? FACING FORCLOSURE? IG HERON HOMES Call Ricardo Garza @ 469-426-7839

FOR RENT Little Forest Hills 2/1 Single Family Home w/fence. $1,600mo. $1,600 deposit. Cheryl. 214-235-1399

GARDEN OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Walnut Hill @ CENTRAL.3 Smaller Suites Avail. Flexible Terms 214.915. 8886

REMODELING

BO HANDYMAN Specializing In Historic Home Renovations & Pro Remodels. Custom Carpentry, Doors, Kitchens, Baths & more. 214-437-9730

FENN CONSTRUCTION Kitchens And Baths. Call Us For Your Remodeling Needs. 214-343-4645. dallastileman.com

HK CONSTRUCTION

We Do It All. All trades. 214-717-8317

RENOVATE DALLAS renovatedallas.com 214-403-7247

S&L CONSTRUCTION All Home Services & Repairs. 214-918-8427

SERVICES FOR YOU

AGING ROOF? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing Available.1-888-878-9091. BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 877-543-9189

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation,production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

DENTAL INSURANCE- Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance -not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-888-623-3036

www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258

DIRECTV STREAM - Carries the most local MLB Games! ChoicePackage $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once.HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.)No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

DONATE YOUR CARS TO VETERANS TODAY. Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800 -245-0398

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING FOREVER! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 15% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-855-402-0373

Kitchens, Bathrooms, Windows, Doors, Siding, Decks, Fences, Retaining Walls, New Construction

New Construction & Remodels FiferCustomHomes.com• 214-727-7075

TK REMODELING

KITCHEN • BATHS Complete Remodeling

GENERAC Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt. Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-844-334 -8353 GET DISH SATELLITE TV +INTERNET Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-479-1516

HUGHESNET Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live.25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499 -0141

PROFESSIONAL LAWN SERVICE: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833-606-6777

REPLACE your roof with the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install. (military, health &1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234

For complete terms and conditions, visit advocatemag.com/ advertisingterms.

SAFE STEP North America's #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

THE GENERAC PWRCELL, a solar plus battery storage system. SAVE money, reduce your reliance on the grid, prepare for power outages and power your home. Full installation services

WATER DAMAGE

cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home's value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809

TUTOR/LESSONS

WANTED: OBOE TEACHER needed for 14 year old student. Call 214–235-7429

PIANO LESSONS 30 years exp. Also voice & composition. Text (469) 708-6151

Upstairs in the East Lake Medical Building. Come see Tracy Tucker, LAc., specializing in fertility, IVF/IUI support, sciatica, migraine, chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. Call or text 214.267.8636 for an appointment!

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

By PATTI VINSON

Leave the leaves

Fallen leaves are beneficial to plants and wildlife

It’s fall, and the leaves are falling. Time to get out the rake and plastic garbage bags, right? Not so fast. It’s time to see your leaves differently, as a tool to nourish your lawn, help wildlife and reduce climate change. And before you panic at the thought of a wild-looking yard and stop reading this, understand that we’re simply suggesting your leaves don’t have to be left exactly where they fall. Neighbor Nancy Wilson can walk you through the reasons for and the process of leaving the leaves.

Nancy is a master gardener, master naturalist and frequent educational speaker in the community. She first learned the concept of “leave the leaves” from a webinar on invertebrates. But it was observing the critters in her own yard that convinced her. “Probably the real turning point was finding robins pulling worms out from under leaf litter and then finding a moth that looked just like a leaf fluttering in the litter.” She adds, “I could see for myself that leaf litter was life-giving. Insects and small animals need places to overwinter and hibernate.”

A note on terminology: “leaf litter” does not imply “trash.” It refers to leaves which have fallen on the ground.

To get on board with leaving the leaves, it helps to understand why those unsightly plastic bags you see piled at the curb are a bad idea. About 8 million tons of leaves end up in the landfill every year. The leaves in the bags break down anaerobically — without oxygen — and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and global warming.

Keep in mind, it’s not just leaves you’re scooping up and depositing in those bags: you’re also trapping caterpillars, firefly larva and other life, essentially ending the next generation of butterflies, fireflies, moths, beetles and other critters.

Nancy knows it’s a challenge getting folks to feel warm and fuzzy toward bugs. “Most people react negatively to insects,” she says, “but they need to realize that most insects and spiders are beneficial and do no harm to humans or to plants. Insects are vital components of the cycle of life. Without them, we would have no flowering plants and very little food.”

Your leaf litter provides a habitat for overwintering insects, including many pollinators, and by leaving the leaves, you’re investing in future pollinators. Bees, moths and butterflies — whether as eggs, pupae or adults — use the leaf layer for warmth and protection during the cold winter months.

Birds, too, benefit from the leaves that have fallen on your yard. If you enjoy watching the birds in your space, know that a layer of leaves provides them with food and shelter. Bonus: more birds will visit your yard because of your hospitality.

“During winter months,” Nancy explains, “many seasonal birds come to Texas. Juncos, towhees, warblers, robins and sparrows all search for food in the leaf litter. It’s really fun to watch them. Towhees are super cute — they will jump up and scoot the litter behind them with their feet. Other birds nose around with their beaks and search with their feet as well. It’s fun to see when they find something.”

There are many kinds of bird food hiding in leaf litter: seeds, nuts, berries, worms, ants, spiders, snails, beetles, toads and lizards, just to name a few. Birds are instinctively attracted to this protein-packed buffet.

And just like their invertebrate colleagues, birds use leaf litter as a place to hide from predators and snuggle into to stay warm.

“Everywhere you look, there are studies showing the dramatic decrease in the number of birds and insects surviving in our world,” Nancy says. “Habitat loss and pesticide use

are two of the biggest reasons we are losing our birds. Every teeny bit of healthy habitat we can offer in our neighborhoods really makes a difference.”

Leaves support wildlife, yes, but they are also beneficial for your plants. As leaf litter breaks down into a natural mulch, it releases essential nutrients back into the soil. If you have extra leaves after leaving a thin layer for wildlife, use them strategically as you prepare for our inevitable harsh winters and dreaded freezes. “Leaves can be tucked in under shrubs or in out-of-the-way spaces,” says Nancy.

Applying a layer of leaves around the base of trees helps protect roots from freeze damage. Leaves left on flower beds can insulate perennials, keep soil from drying out and break down to return nutrients to the soil. Nancy also advises, “On bare soil, a few inches of leaves will suppress weeds from sprouting.” Why buy mulch when your leaves do the job for free?

Another option is running a mower over leaves. “This chops the leaves into small pieces, which break down faster and naturally fertilize your lawn without smothering it . You could also compost the leaves, which creates a fantastic, nutrient-rich material that you can later use in your garden. While mulched or composted leaves won’t benefit wildlife as much, you’re at least keeping the leaves out of the landfill.”

Think about it: when did you ever see a forest that was raked? And yet it thrives. The more we mimic nature and leave the leaves, the better we support the ecosystem.

PATTI VINSON is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for more than 20 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine.

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