2026 February Lake Highlands Advocate

Connecting Homes & Hearts

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NEXT STOP,

At 38, the youngest-ever chair of the DART board faces an uphill battle

Story

by

AUSTIN WOOD

Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

Seven days after Randall Bryant was sworn in as the youngest-ever chair of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit board, the city councils of Farmers Branch and Highland Park voted to call a withdrawal election from the transit agency.

A day later? Plano called its own exit election after a unanimous 8-0 vote by its city council. Irving and, most recently, University Park have since called withdrawal elections, threatening a catastrophic loss in funding for the agency as their exit would cut DART’s sales tax revenue by close to a third.

Member cities have been locked in a tense and often standoff-ish fight over DART’s governance structures and funding inequities in recent years. Officials say taxpayers are contributing far more than they’re getting out and haven’t been given a fair voice on DART’s 15-member board, of which the City of Dallas holds seven seats. Legislative efforts supported by suburban member cities over the summer include House Bill 3187, the unsuccessful so-called “DART Killer” bill.

At just 38, Bryant’s new role marks his fifth time serving on a board, commission or committee representing the City of Dallas. He’s also previously served as the chairperson of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and been a member of Dallas Citizens Council and the North Texas Commission. Since 2012, he’s owned and operated Politics United Marketing, a political and policy strategy firm that has

managed 75 candidate campaigns, political action committees and referendums at local, state and federal levels.

His call to civic responsibility goes back to his early years in Hamilton Park, where his mother served as the youngest-ever president of the neighborhood civic league — notice a trend? The first time he ever took a train came with the opening of the Red Line and Park Lane Station in June 1996, when he took advantage of free fares to visit the Dallas Zoo and see his grandmother in Oak Cliff. That same grandmother consulted for then-Dallas mayoral candidate Ron Kirk and staffed for the Clinton Administration.

He faces an uphill battle as he and the rest of the DART leadership team race to reach agreements with member cities before March 18, the deadline for municipalities to call off exit votes.

Out of nostalgia, Bryant chose to meet us at Park Lane Station, where his relationship with transit began. With the whistle of a southbound train overhead, here’s what he had to say about the future of the second largest transit agency in the state.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TRAIN RIDE?

I remember opening day right here. We took the Red Line down to the Dallas Zoo on opening weekend and had the experience. Seeing it from a young age, how impactful it was, living with great-grandparents in their 70s and 80s and being able to use a service like this to alleviate the pressure of them having to drive across town — for me, that was very important.

We just opened the Silver Line two weeks ago, and it was almost the exact same feeling, a fresh experience. The train was completely clean. Every new rider has a new perspective for us, and I think it’s important that we continuously keep up with the cleanliness and the safety and all those components that are very important to the first impressions of the rider’s experience.

WHEN WERE YOU CALLED TO CIVIL SERVICE?

My grandmother did a lot of that same work. She was a consultant for Ron Kirk when he first ran in 1995 and again, my grandmother lived in Oak Cliff. My great-grandparents, her parents, lived in Hamilton Park at the time. And at 7 years old, she walked into the house (where he lived) with a box of literature. And Hamilton Park is 750 homes, and she said, ‘Have the whole neighborhood flagged by Sunday.’ That was me at 7 years old.

I think for me, it really clicked when you could see how policy could be shaped and moved to impact the people that don’t even know people exist that are working on their behalf. I fully understand the people that are impacted the most, and the people that need the outcomes that we vote on the

most, don’t even know a DART board exists. So for me, it is a true labor of love for the communities.

CITIES LIKE PLANO AND IRVING HAVE RAISED CONCERNS OVER FUNDING INEQUITIES, AMONG OTHER ISSUES. ARE THEY JUSTIFIED, IN YOUR EYES?

I think all issues are justified. I’ve tried my best to have an attentive ear to those issues. Even prior to the withdrawal elections, the No. 1 thing I said I want to accomplish in these two years was fundamental changes to our governance and funding structures. It takes collaboration with both DART and all of our member cities, not just the ones that potentially have high-level issues. We have to be considerate of the cities that are also going to be impacted. And so we can’t do things that try to solve issues for a number of cities, whether they’re the majority or the minority, but then penalize those that have been allies or supporters at the same time.

So that’s kind of a balancing effect. My approach has been to truly try to understand. I’ve met with the cities that have called for their withdrawal elections directly and am trying to continue that dialogue with them. Now, they’ve taken their measures, and they have said that they will rescind them prior to March 18, if some compromises are agreed upon. And I think right now, it’s just ensuring that we fully understand what it is that they are looking to get out of the system going forward.

CERTAIN CITIES HAVE TAKEN ISSUE WITH DALLAS’ REPRESENTATION ON THE DART BOARD. IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?

When DART was first established in 1983, the governing structure was actually 25 board members. At that time, Dallas was contributing 78% of the funds to DART, so the other 12 suburbs were contributing 22%, and the board composition was only 60% for Dallas, 40% for the 12 suburbs. We didn’t hear anything about imbalancing of population inequities, of funding consummated to board governance and structure, and 42 years later, we are where those numbers have kind of leveled out a little bit more. DART had approved a resolution back during the session days to give more cities actual seats at the table. I actually wrote that one that the DART Board approved. So clearly, I’m showing some desire for a fundamental change, but ultimately, the state legislature has to enact that change.

CRITICS OFTEN POINT TO CRIME AS A MAJOR CONCERN, WITH INCIDENTS LIKE THE WHAT CAN DART DO?

Let me deal with that one for just a second. DART moves

FEATURING COMEDIAN CAROLINE RHEA

about 170,000 people per day across 700 square miles and throughout 13 cities. We are essentially a moving city of 170,000 people. So (in 2024), we had three murders. Per capita, that’s less than any other city in DART, including Highland Park. When you look at those numbers, I get it, they are sensationalized at the moment. DART has riders, we don’t have residents. And so I think we need to be working collaboratively together on addressing some of the more systemic issues that then create opportunities for crime. And we’re going to continue to do our part, but it has to be more in collaboration with our cities where our riders originate from.

WHERE ARE YOU DRAWING YOUR OPTIMISM FROM?

I think I have to just believe that this will all work out for the benefit of the people that we serve. And so I think that our member cities, the council members and the mayors and the managers that represent them, are taking a hard look at sources of revenue. They explicitly state this within their resolutions. All of them said that the state’s continual compression on their ability to grow their budgets is a fundamental element to why they are looking at these withdrawal elections. Nowhere in there do they say anything about ridership, crime, unhoused populations, the No. 1 thing that they pointed to is a funding source. I understand that. I’m cognizant of it, and I’m sensitive to it. I think right now, my focus is trying to figure out, how do we balance their desires for needing more revenue without limiting our abilities to operate or financially plan for the future?

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

RISD is the ONE for

LOVE WHAT YOU DO (AND WHO YOU DO IT WITH)

Meet three couples running neighborhood businesses together

Story by AUSTIN WOOD

NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPLY CO.

Neighborhood Supply Co. owners John and Kasey Bower will be the first ones to tell you how much it means to have a spouse in your corner.

The pair started dating in Waco after Kasey’s graduation from Baylor University, where John had also attended a few years prior. After a short dating stint, John proposed atop the roof of Hotel Palomar on Mockingbird Lane, now the Highland Dallas Hotel, with panoramic springtime views of the city as a backdrop. Kasey said yes, and the two walked down the aisle that September.

Since then, they’ve navigated his career shift from ministry to mortgage, infertility, the NICU, foster care and adoption. After an especially turbulent stretch leading up to 2018, John decided a new endeavor was just what he and Kasey needed while making a career change.

“We were pretty beat up, and I came to her and said, ‘I want to do something with you. I want to do something together,’” John says. “The thing that I saw in her was a creative gift and just kind of needing an outlet to do something.”

That something turned out to be Neighborhood Supply Co. The couple’s business specializes in locally-inspired hats and patches, custom embroidery and corporate apparel. One of its main draws comes with the Hat Bar, a mobile embroidery station from which Kasey can create custom designs on-site for birthday parties and corporate events.

When the business first opened, it operated out of Kasey’s home studio. Now, both her and John work out of Neighborhood Supply Co’s retail space on Church Road.

“I’d say we’ve grown closer. John used to be a pas tor, and I was a stay at home mom. Now that we have the studio space, we get to see each other a lot more like day time, and we touch base,” Kasey says. “He helps me a lot with the vision of the company, and he does sales for our Hat Bar that we do on the road.”

“We kind of have a shared vision for what we want for Neighborhood Supply, what we want for the family, and we’re working together towards that, which is really cool.”

ADVICE FOR OTHER BUSINESS-MINDED COUPLES ?

Kasey: I think it’s very much, are you able to support each other? And if you have a family, particularly, how willing are you to really support each other in it? Because starting a business, owning a small business, it’s very taxing. It can be very risky, obviously, but having the support of John there has made a world of difference.

MOMO ITALIAN

Most Sunday nights, owners Wende Stevenson and Aaron Gross can be found sitting down to dinner at MoMo Italian Kitchen off Forest Lane. It’s been their date night spot since 2000, when Gross and Stevenson met at Cosmo’s Lounge during Texas-OU weekend.

“It became one of our favorite restaurants over the years, so that was like the early 2000s, all the way until we took it over,” Gross says. Stevenson’s connection to the restaurant goes even further — all the way back to her first stint waiting tables at the original MoMo location in 1988.

Both Stevenson and Gross are industry veterans in Dallas. Stevenson’s resume includes stops at The Green Room and Shinsei, while Gross managed concepts like Savory in Lakewood and Taste. Both left Shinsei to open and manage front-of-house operations at M ộ t Hai Ba in 2013.

In 2017, as the Gattini family looked to sell the business to open Botolino Gelato Artigianale, the couple bought MoMo, turning cherished memories into the culmination of a dream.

“It was probably more my dream and goal to have my own restaurant. And then Aaron just kind of walked that path with me,” Stevenson says with a laugh.

As regulars themselves, Gross and Stevenson have been sensitive to making wholesale changes. Staff were mostly kept on, the menu revolves around longtime favorites and MoMo still serves house-made focaccia to each guest.

Allen.

There have been some changes, cosmetic and otherwise. One nod to the couple can be found on the way to the bathroom, where paintings depict Cinque Terre in Italy, where they married in 2007. A full-service bar with cocktails came with an expansion after COVID, and MoMo now hosts prix fixe wine dinners and special events.

“(My favorite part has been) collaborating on the wine list, sometimes the menu, and doing some fun events,” Gross says.

One special event MoMo will soon host is a Galentine’s Day special in February complete with menu and drink specials.

Stevenson and Gross will spend Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Saturday this year, at the restaurant surrounded by guests. It’s still their date night spot, in no small part due to their efforts.

“I’m so glad the pieces fell into place. It was like one of those moments that it felt really comfortable. And I’m so I feel like we saved it, it would have closed. So we just loved it so much,” Stevenson says.

ADVICE FOR OTHER BUSINESS-MINDED COUPLES ?

Gross: Leave the restaurant at the restaurant.

NORTHLAKE HEALTH FOODS

Steve Long and Robyn Sanford have been married for three years, but the business they run together goes back further than that. His mother opened Northlake Heath Foods in 1974. Since Robyn started working at the store eight years ago, Northlake Health Foods has added a lineup of health-conscious skin care, hair, cleaning and cosmetic products to its offering of nutritional supplements. One of the more notable additions came with the addition of organic coffee products, which may differ from standard roasts.

“Most of the time, you hear coffee being bad for you.” Sanford says. “It wreaks havoc on your gut. But when you use the right kind, it’s actually really good for you.”

Sanford says the additions have helped bring younger customers through the door.

After three years of marriage and close to a decade working together, Long says they make the ideal team.

“We just play off each other, and it brings out the best of each other. She’s got ideas. When I first met her, I’m older, the store had been around for a while,” Long says. “I wanted a young person with new ideas, fresh ideas, energy, vitality, pretty, you know. And she’s all that.”

BACK TO BASICS

Rachel King’ s cookies keep it simple

Story by AUSTIN WOOD

Photography by JUSTIN SCHWARTZ

A SINGLE RECIPE, THAT’S IT.

Brands like Coca-Cola have risen to international dominance using a timeless formula. And while it may not come close in scale to the beverage giant’s billion-dollar revenue, Lake Highlands cottage bakery The Cookie Next Door has made a name for itself in the community using the same 12 ingredients — albeit with the occasional M&M — over and over.

When neighbor Rachel King moved back from New York City with her husband and son while pregnant with her youngest in 2021, she knew she wanted to keep busy, but wasn’t envisioning batch after batch of triple chocolate chip cookies just yet.

Her professional background is in speech pathology, having graduated from the University of Texas at Austin before completing a master’s degree at the University of Texas at Dallas. While taking time off following the birth of her youngest, she “doctored” a cookie recipe she’d found to create an easy, fun snack for children’s parties. That led to demand and, eventually, a new side hustle.

“They would be like, ‘Hey, for my son’s birthday party, y’all are coming, will you bring those or what ever?’ And, so I just kind of took off,” King says. Her husband, conveniently, works as a soft ware engineer and helped her create a website. The name is meant to be unpretentious and approachable, just like the product she bakes from scratch in her home oven. Her friend gave her the idea for the name, which she says is a nod to 2004 film The Girl Next Door.

She soft-launched the product in 2021 with Whitley Nemec, the “Lake Highlands Lunch Lady,” a fellow mom who sells weekly meals from her nearby home. Around the Fourth of July, King left sample bags for Nemec’s customers during party tray pickup.

“They were just for free so people can try it. She let me do that,” King says. “And then, people kind of started reaching out from there.”

King now lives near Lake Highlands Elementary after her family moved from their Old Lake Highlands rental in 2023. From her kitchen, she churns out anywhere from 80-100 dozen batches (960-1,200 cookies) each month.

At 4 inches across, some come close to being as tall as they are wide. Where’s the chocolate supposed to go, after all?

King believes cookies are best enjoyed chewy without much crunch or crumbs. Hence, she uses corn starch, which gives her product a softer, chewier texture, she says.

The most important ingredient? Salt.

“You need enough salt,” she says. “That is one thing that I’ve tweaked over the years. I got some

in the fashion of a baseball for team outings.

The busiest season comes with Valentine’s Day in February, when red and pink M&M’S prevail, and her creations take the shape of hearts.

“I was like, ‘Can I make it with the cookie cutter?’ But that didn’t work, because when they bake, it’s not like a sugar cookie — they hold shape. But I found some silicone molds that are food safe. It takes a little bit more work because I kind of have to flatten the cookie a little bit, but they bake in there like perfect, and then, they just pop out,” she says.

Her two sons, apparently, are fans of their mom’s business.

“If there’s any extras, they’ll definitely come get those for sure,” she says with a laugh.

King says she will likely start selling frozen batches of her cookie mix sometime in spring, possibly as soon as March. Past that, she’ll stick with just the original recipe for now.

Her favorite part of the process, she says, has been meeting the community.

“We were new to the area. As I kind of opened this and was getting into it, it’s just so fun meeting people, or it’s fun to run into someone and they’re like, ‘Hey, I’ve had your cookies.’ And then we kind of have that connection.”

YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW

Hamilton Park Civic League is a thread that runs through community history

Story by AUSTIN WOOD

Photography by JESSICA TURNER

Hamilton Park is a unique community.

It’s unique in the way it provided working and middle class Black families a safe haven from bombings in South Dallas and development in West Dallas in the early 1950s. It’s unique in that, while other historic communities like Deep Ellum, Tenth Street and Elm Thicket have given way to gentrification, Hamilton Park has stayed true to itself. In conversation, neighborhood geography still revolves around knowing whose grandmother lived in which house and where childhood memories were made.

And just like their parents and grandparents, residents still take pride in advocating for and representing their 233acre pocket of northeast Dallas.

“Being from Hamilton Park, you just feel like you have to do it,” says Taler Jefferson, Hamilton Park Civic League president and fourth-generation resident.

“When I go out into the world, and how I present myself, how I carry myself, I want people to know two things: One, I’m a Jefferson because of how I carry myself, and then two, I’m from Hamilton Park because of how I carry myself.”

According to its members, the Civic League operates more as a service organization for the neighborhood than a traditional HOA, with monthly meetings offering connection to City resources and departments.

“We don’t put any pressure on the citizens, and I think as compared to an HOA or formal type of organization, you are always looked at as a friend and not as a person that, if I say the wrong thing, I’m going to be in trouble,” Vice President Clayton Williams says.

It’s been a common thread in each chapter of Hamilton Park’s history. Claudia Gaines, the first elected president of the nonprofit, was sworn in before most

families moved to the neighborhood in 1954. And for its current president, pride and advocacy don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re highly interconnected aspects of a story 71 years in the making.

YESTERDAY

“The big thing that my uncle would say is we were able to pick out the color of our homes, and that’s something that they take pride in,” says Jefferson, who still lives in the house her great-grandparents’ bought in 1955.

At the same time as racial violence in the 1940s and ’50s began to drive families out of South Dallas’ Bonton neighborhood, aptly referred to as “Bomb town” at the time, Black communities in the Love Field area, Deep Ellum and present-day Uptown were torn down for runways and interstates. In a 2021 D Magazine article, late-editor Zac Crain wrote that over 800 homes in Elm Thicket, Deep Ellum, Bonton and North Dallas were demolished from 1947 to 1956.

The drastic upheaval created a desperate need for housing in then-deeply segregated Dallas. In 1953, after City officials, developers, philanthropists and community organizers came together to locate a site for Dallas’ first planned Black subdivision, Mayor R.L. Thornton christened Hamilton Park as “the dawn of a new day in Dallas” at its 1953 dedication. By the time construction ended in 1961, the community boasted 750 single-family homes, an apartment complex, a shopping center, a park, a 12-grade school and several churches, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

“For most of us, this was the first house we ever owned,” original homeowner Dymris McGregor told the Advocate in 2019. “We were so proud. We worked

so hard and saved our own money. To be able to buy your own house was a dream come true.”

While residents valued their slice of the American Dream, they also took pride in being part of a tight-knit community that revolved around church and, above all, the Richardson ISD Hamilton Park School.

Civic League Treasurer Billy Williams’ parents were among those who left South Dallas for Hamilton Park in the ‘50s. He says even after desegregation sent his school bus to Richardson High School in 1969, the community still traveled north to support its sons in force.

“It used to be a big thing because the community traveled to the football games, even after we started going to Richardson and Lake Highlands, because those were the only two schools that were involved in desegregation,” Williams says.

Today, the school lives on as the Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet, in part due to the communities’ fight to keep it open after bussing closed the elementary school, according to a 2019 Advocate interview with Hamilton Park neighbor and desegregation committee member Curtis Smith.

At the front stands a Texas State Historical Association marker commemorating Hamilton Park’s place in Dallas history. Its conclusion reads: “ Since the 1950s, the Hamilton Park Civic League has served the community residents, connecting them with City of Dallas resources, encouraging voter registration and turnout, and planning community events. This sense of community and pride among residents helps preserve the heritage and legacy of the original homeowners .”

Jefferson feels the weight of that legacy and the responsibility to carry on the work of those trailblazers, as she calls them. But the thing that she most remembers them for? Generosity.

“I just remember my grandparents’ [house] always being just full of people, and my watching my grandparents just give, give, give, give, give,” Jefferson says. “And so that kind of transferred into me and my uncle. My uncle is like, ‘OK, we got to give because that’s just how we were raised.’”

TODAY

The Civic League is currently governed by a six-person board, with yearly membership fees coming out to $10. Among the objectives laid out in its original bylaws

from 1954, one holds special relevance to its continuing mission. It reads, “ To present to any and all organized bodies, including the city, county, state and federal governments, such petitions as are deemed necessary for the continued improvement of this community .”

Williams has gotten the neighborhood’s baseball diamond restored by Park and Recreation following a storm and coordinated with Code Compliance to tame messy lawns in the past, so he’s no stranger to dealing with the City of Dallas. That’s where the organization truly finds its stride, he says.

“I see us as a service organization. We have no power to command or demand, but we are in a position to ask for the community so that the citizens feel like they can bring their troubles to us, and we may not be able to fix it, but we’ll at least start a direction on what we can do,” he says. “I think that’s where the Civic League helps the community more than anything.”

Eight meetings are hosted annually at Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center, each falling on the third Tuesday of the month. At the meetings, neighbors can connect with board members and City departments such as Code Compliance and the Dallas Police Department.

“These people will come down there and answer these questions for you, these directors and stuff,” Jefferson says.

Code Compliance is often in the most demand, she says, due to questions on violations and enforcement, although the league also regularly coordinates with local neighborhood police officers (NPOs) from DPD.

In recent years, the board has begun handing out resource packets filled with City Hall numbers and information at meetings. In doing so, the league is trying to help neighbors advocate for themselves. “People will start there first, and then that gives them an empowerment to feel like they can do that,” Jefferson says.

Jefferson and her board maintain regular contact with elected officials in the area to help steer resources to her community, which she says points to Hamilton Park’s reach.

“Some of the things that I hear in like these other districts and stuff, I’m like, ‘Well, just contact your council member?’ And they’re like, ‘How do I get in touch with them?’ We don’t have those problems.”

On rare occasions, the league mobilizes to address problematic neighbors. In these cases, the organization coordinates with City departments and dialogues with landlords to address things like noise complaints, junk and suspected criminal activity.

The organization is so ingrained in Hamilton Park that people often think all residents are automatically given membership, Jefferson says. But even if they haven’t paid $10 or hold a membership card, the organization isn’t turning people away.

“Come get the resources. We’re not going to tell you no,” Jefferson says. “If you want to be part of it, you’re part of the Civic League. And we have people who are not even from Hamilton Park that are part of the Civic League.”

TOMORROW

Jefferson says the league will look to engage a younger generation in the aging neighborhood in coming years in order to continue the legacy of its founders. Finding a successor will be first and foremost in her mind through the process.

As a whole, Hamilton Park now stands largely alone as a living neighborhood in a city where many historic Black communities now sit marked by only a plaque. Jefferson says the ongoing risk of gentrification worries her, but that a sense of community responsibility has battled off large scale developers so far. In March 2025, the City Plan and Zoning Commission denied a request to build fourplexes in the neighborhood after significant resident outcry, in which Jefferson was outspoken.

She hasn’t forgotten the significance of Hamilton Park’s past and won’t take her eyes off of its future.

“We come together. We stick together, we have a lot of pride in our neighborhood where it’s just not going for it. …A lot of these other neighborhoods have been either gentrified or are completely just something different,” Jefferson says. “I feel like that’s a true testament to what my great-grandparents all set out for, and that’s why we’re still here. I’m pretty sure we’ll be here another 70 years.”

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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

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

#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

FLOORING & CARPETING

HASTINGS FLOORS Epoxy Garage Foors Many colors to choose (flakes optional) Call Nick for bid 214-341-5993 hastingsfloors.com

hardwood, carpets, tile laminate, & vinyl click. 214-440-6244 . aaa-texas-floors.com

FOUNDATION REPAIR

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!

HOME IMPROVEMENT

RGC - HOME IMPROVEMENTS 214-477-8977

HOUSE PAINTING

BENJAMINS PAINTING - Professional work @reasonable price. In Advocate since 2007 214-725-6768

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. Exp. Reliable. Quality Repair/Remodel. Phil @ 214-770-2863

VIP PAINTING & DRYWALL Int/Ext. Sheetrock Repair, Resurfacing Tubs, Counters, Tile Repairs. 469-774-7111

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

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

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL

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

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

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

TK REMODELING

KITCHEN • BATHS Complete Remodeling

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

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

Story by JAMES BAXLEY-CROSS

by MIKE DUHON

FRANKLON EVANS LOVES FOOTBALL.

From his days playing youth football with the Arlington Trojans to Friday night lights at the Boneyard, Evans has been infatuated with the game.

“(Football) means a lot to me,” Evans says. “It means everything, really.”

After spending much of the 2024 season perusing the game from the sidelines, Evans, now a junior at Lake Highlands, was given his opportunity to shine this past year.

Evans seized that opportunity, leading the Wildcats in touchdowns in 2025 as a utility player on offense. His 16 regular-season scores were good for 96 points, the 14th-most among 6A Dallas-area foot-

There was no slowing down for Evans once the postseason began. Facing South Grand Prairie in the bi-district round for the sixth consecutive season, he helped lead the Wildcats to a 43-36 victory. Evans acknowledged the challenge

“I know that they’re a really good team,” he said. “With only one loss on the season (and) I know they got a good defense. So

A great game it was, and Evans’ team-high six receptions for 80 yards and two touch -

Holding just a one-point lead with 8:58

remaining in the third quarter, Evans found himself wide open in the middle of the end zone, where he caught a touchdown pass from nine yards out to extend Lake Highlands’ lead to 15-7.

Then, with the score knotted at 22 in the fourth, Evans struck again.

Facing third down and four from the South Grand Prairie seven-yard line, Wildcat quarterback Chuck Smith rifled a pass to Evans in the end zone. He bobbled the ball for a second before hauling in a tough reception, giving Lake Highlands a 29-22 lead with just 11:53 remaining in the contest.

After holding on to win, Wildcats Coach Cory Campbell lauded the performance of his two dynamic playmakers: Evans and running back Christian Rhodes.

“(Rhodes and Evans) haven’t played much in the second half in a lot of games,” Campbell said. “And man, we needed every second of those guys tonight. They were big for us.”

Before the game, Evans admitted that Rhodes’ and Smith’s play has done a lot to make his life easier as he has moved up Lake Highlands’ depth chart. The connection with his first-year quarterback, in particular, has been strong since Smith first joined the team after transferring from Highland Park following his junior year.

“(Our chemistry) was just there since we first started catching,” Evans says.

Smith was also a beneficiary of the strong bond he shared with his receiver, with Evans hauling in 42 receptions for 539 yards and nine scores on the season. Evans was productive from the ground, too, amassing 461 rushing yards and nine more touchdowns.

“Franklon is so reliable, it’s crazy,” Smith says. “If I’m going to throw it up to somebody, it’s going to be Franklon. I mean, I know he’s going to come down with it nine out of 10 times.”

Evans’ connection with his teammates doesn’t stop there. He values the bonds he’s created with all of his peers. Off the field, he enjoys spending time with them, namely hanging out with fellow receivers Tray Willis and Mason Spangler.

“They’re all fun to be around,” he says.

Evans also plays video games, with Madden being his game of choice, a true testament to his love of football. More often than not, he finds himself playing as the Kansas City Chiefs, utilizing two-time AP NFL Most Valuable Player and Tyler, Texas native Patrick Mahomes to wreak havoc on his opponents.

But with the Wildcats’ season over after an area-round playoff loss to Allen, Evans has turned his attention to how he can get better as he enters his senior year. Coming into his own as a junior, Evans ran into some challenges despite his breakout season.

“When I was a sophomore, I wasn’t really a big part of the offense,” Evans says. “A challenge that I’ve faced is the scouting report and players being keyed in on me. They notice that I’m going to get the ball, so I see the importance of doing extra work and taking care of my body.”

As for how he wants to improve, Evans has a couple of things in mind as he seems primed to take a higher snap count with Lake Highlands losing Rhodes and others to graduation.

“I would want to improve on my routes because I feel like they can be better than what they are now,” he says. “And also, my vision as a running back.”

He elaborated further, explaining, “Sometimes, I’ll say, I don’t see the wide-open hole in the gap, which causes me to not get as much yards as I should’ve gotten.”

Of the Wildcats’ top seven rushers in 2025, six will graduate in May. The other is Franklon Evans.

That leaves 260 rushing attempts on the table, and although Evans certainly won’t receive all of those handoffs, it does set him up to be the focal point of next year’s offense. Lake Highlands has produced a slew of productive runners over the last decade, and Evans might be the next.

“I’m just grateful to be in this position,” Evans says. “(I’m grateful for) my coaches and teammates believing in me this year to go out and showcase my abilities.”

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