Issuu

Local Know-How with a Legacy Behind It

LAKE HIGHLANDS ADVOCATE VOL. 33 NO. 7

COLUMNS

5 Opening remarks

PROFILE

8 Friends Ashley Gomez & Linda Casey’s mahjong world

DINING

10 Lake Highlands’ sweetest bakery

FEATURES 12 Desiree Chapman’s beauty vision

14 Fierce females

18 Neighbor

Joan Colgin’s healthcare legacy

Salt Sweets offers a variety of cookies like sugar, chocolate chip caramel and chocolate chip. Read more on page 11. Photography by Lauren Allen.

Hello!

OPENING REMARKS

By JEHADU ABSHIRO

You know when I tell people my job, their first instinct is to say, “like Miranda Priestly,” or some other fancy editor. And I assure them, hyperlocal community journalism doesn’t really have space for all that. My job is probably more similar to her first assistant, except I have to do payroll.

For more than a decade, our July issue has been our women’s edition. For about six years, it was referred to as Fierce Females. We’ve gone back to just referring to it as the women’s edition.

In the entirety of the Advocate’s existence, even when my predecessor, Rick, was running the show, we’ve had a staff made predominantly of women. Seeing as our audience averages 60% women and most journalism schools skew female, it makes sense.

Our women’s edition has featured an interesting cross-section of women across the city — a world champion boxer, one of the creators of Sesame Street, a leader in community gardening for public schools, the women running some of the most influential PR companies, neuroscientists, artists, nonprofit leaders and teachers. The list of dynamic, creative and exciting people we’ve written about is comprehensive.

That’s why, for the month of July, we’re sharing a story of one of the many women we’ve written about every day on social media. You’ll see a special section in our newsletters featuring the weekly seven.

One of my favorite aspects is how many times we find these women because their significant others, colleagues, children and friends contact us to let us know how influential or kind they are. How much they believe in the work she’s been doing. How she’s changed lives. How they’ve pioneered in a space that needed to be changed. She’s one of the best people they’ve met.

But this issue is particularly special to me because it marks five years since I’ve been the president of Advocate Media. Back in 2021, when we were making the transition into a nonprofit newsroom and I was appointed the president in the midst of a pandemic and general uncertainty, I was 26 years old. I regularly remind Rick what an insane decision it was to leave his legacy in the hands of someone who could barely rent a car without young driver fees, for crying out loud.

But the perk of working in this industry is talking to an exhaustive list of people who can teach you a little bit of something.

This includes our former editors and neighbors, like Keri Mitchell, who is running the Dallas Free Press, or Lisa Kresl, who spent two decades at The Dallas Morning News, and our Judy Liles, who kept everyone, including Rick, in line. Or our former staffers who left our humble abode for fellowships, to chase stories much bigger than themselves or start their own businesses. There are our interns who have become news anchors, reporters, lawyers and Ph.D. candidates across the country. And of course, there’s our staff members like Jynnette Neal, who has been at the Advocate for more than 25 years, and seemingly has an archival memory of every story and photo ever produced here.

I’ve begun writing significantly less as the years have gone by (eight years!) and the number of photo shoots I attend has been greatly reduced. For this year’s issue, I’m shooting portraits of the cover story subjects for their stories. One thing I’ve learned at the Advocate, is I should find the room with the smartest person in it and listening to her is worth it. The room happened to be our photo studio this month.

sincerely,

P.S. I’m told that I am supposed to include something about why you should donate to support hyperlocal journalism. Please do! We have potholes, libraries, preservation, history, art, music, education, so much zoning and of course, interesting neighbors to write about.

When Life Changes, You Need a Steady Hand

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It’s a Mahjong world, & we’re just living in it

Story by SYRA CASTILLO | Photography by AMY ROBINSON

BRIGHT

PINKS, BOLD GREENS AND VIBRANT BLUES color Ashley Gomez and Linda Casey’s mahjong tiles as players gather for an afternoon of friendship and conversation.

For Moss Haven and Preston Hollow residents Gomez and Casey, founders of the Dallas Mahj Club, the game has become much more than a simple pastime. What began as a small interest group among women in the Lake Highlands Women’s League has since evolved into a thriving club with 180 members and a waitlist of more than 400. Maybe it was timing or maybe it was Crazy Rich Asians , but mahjong was suddenly everywhere. In the years following the 2018 film’s release, interest in the centuries-old game surged across the country, fueled by social media, cute tile designs and a growing desire for face-to-face connection. In northern Dallas, Gomez and Casey found an opportunity to grow that interest into community.

“People were trying to play at each other’s homes, but it was too unorganized,” Casey says. “And we just said, ‘Hey, there is a community out there,’ and we decided to go in together.”

For both women, mahjong arrived during a period of transition. Casey, a former Richardson ISD executive director, found the game shortly after retirement, while Gomez turned to mahjong after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor.

“When I woke up from surgery, I got my phone and played one game of mahjong because I had memorized about 30 lines,” she explains.

The Dallas Mahj Club operates on a year-long membership model with annual reapplication and dues. Applications open in October and notices of admission are sent out Jan. 1. Once members, players meet at the Royal Oaks Country Club for weekly games,

Ashley Gomez & Linda Casey are using mahjong to create connection, community and lifelong friendships across Dallas

as well as private homes and restaurants. The club also travels and hosts special events.

Recently, members gathered at the historic Clint Murchison estate — once connected to the founding of the Dallas Cowboys — and hosted an evening of mahjong.

Today, the club has taught more than 3,000 women and around 100 men. Casey attributes this growth to the club’s atmosphere that reminds her of the social culture of the 1950s, when dinner parties and gatherings were more frequent.

“It’s very social,” Casey says. “We’re a social club. We’re not a competitive, walk-in-andkeep-your-score-type of group.”

Debbie Johnson, a member of the Dallas Mahj Club since its founding and one of Casey’s closest friends, began playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What first started as a way to learn a new game became an enjoyable challenge that has

brought me lasting friendships, plenty of laughter and endless opportunities to learn,” she says.

Gomez and Casey also helped establish the rules for “blanks,” a newer variation of mahjong that lacked standardized guidelines. Their rules are now documented and published nationally on the International Mahjong Card.

“About 90% of the club chooses to play with blanks, and some play all the ways,” Casey explains.

But beyond modernizing the game, the two stay busy with pickleball, needlepoint, sewing, reading and travel. Even outside mahjong, they say the game continues to shape much of their social lives.

“I don’t care if it’s with youngs. I don’t care if it’s with olds,” Gomez says. “I just want to play.”

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A PINCH OF SALT, A WHOLE LOT OF SWEET

Carrie DeCicco, owner of Salt Sweets, holds her signature chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with salt.

Lake Highlands baker built Salt Sweets from a single batch of chocolate chip cookies into a growing community favorite

Story by SYRA CASTILLO | Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

ON AN AVERAGE WEEK , Carrie DeCicco hand rolls 1,000 cookie dough balls every morning, ready to be baked and sprinkled across the Lake Highlands neighborhood.

A Colorado native and Lake Highlands resident of 19 years, DeCicco never expected baking to become a full-time career.

“I started Salt Sweets five years ago, out of the blue,” DeCicco says. “My neighbor had a party and she asked me to make her some chocolate chip cookies and said, ‘Oh, these are so good. You should sell them.’”

What started as a casual suggestion turned

into a business opportunity. At the time, DeCicco was teaching 2-year-olds at Prestoncrest Church of Christ Sunshine School in North Dallas. As Salt Sweets grew, she eventually left teaching to focus on the bakery full time.

“If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I would have had my own business like this, I would have laughed,” she says.

Her neighbor, Erin Willis, also inspired the bakery’s name. After noticing the flaky salt DeCicco sprinkled atop her cookies, she suggested the name Salt Sweets. DeCicco initially baked out of her Lake

Highlands home, but growing demand soon required additional kitchen space. Today, she splits her time between her home kitchen and Vector Brewing’s kitchen, which she rents several mornings each week. In return, she supplies the brewery with cookies, cinnamon rolls and cake pops.

As Salt Sweets grew in popularity, DeCicco partnered with other local businesses, including Shady’s Burgers and Brewhaha. Her cookies are now served with kids’ meals at Shady’s locations in Lake Highlands and Richardson.

In addition to those partnerships, most

Salt Sweets orders still come through the bakery’s website.

When she’s not baking, DeCicco is a wife, mother of three and travel enthusiast. Her oldest son, Alex, lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Her daughter, Hillary, recently graduated from Lake Highlands High School, while her son, Brandon, will be a sophomore there this fall.

Family remains at the center of DeCicco’s decisions and is a major reason she has resisted opening a storefront.

“My children do not help me unless absolutely necessary,” DeCicco says with a laugh.

The joke underlines a larger reality: DeCicco values the flexibility of her current business model and the independence of baking her recipes without trusting employees to bake for her.

“Just thinking about opening up a storefront is too much responsibility,” she explains. “I have a hard time trusting people to take my stuff, and I feel like they’re going to mess it up.”

Other bakery owners have warned her about the costs and stress that come with managing a physical location, reinforcing her hesitation.

“There’s plenty of bakers in Lake Highlands,” she says. “But it’s not a rivalry. Everybody is really nice to each other.”

DeCicco rotates seasonal flavors throughout the year, including pink lemonade cookies in the summer, peppermint chocolate chip cookies during Christmas and king cake cinnamon rolls for Mardi Gras. Her cookies come in a dozen ($26), half a dozen ($14) and a three-pack ($10). Her cinnamon rolls options include a three-tier cake ($50), a dozen ($26), half a dozen ($14), threepack ($12) and a single jumbo roll ($10).

Her sister-in-law, Krista Harper, also plays a role in the business, preparing gluten-free and diabetic-friendly desserts and pies separately from her own kitchen to avoid cross-contamination.

“Watching Carrie grow her business has been incredible,” Harper says. “When we work markets together, she seems to know almost everyone who stops by, and customers are always raving about her baked goods.”

an eyelash wish

Meet your next beauty best friend, Desiree Chapman, owner of EyeloveDallas Story by

SYRA CASTILLO

at a young age, Desiree Chapman knew beauty was her calling at just 8 years old. She practiced makeup on her three sisters and photographed their final looks.

A New Jersey native and Casa Linda resident, Chapman moved from the Atlantic coastline to Texas where she attended Tri-State Cosmetology Institute in El Paso in 2008. In 2011, she graduated with her esthetician license and moved to Dallas after her mother received a job offer.

After working a salon job in 2016, Chapman decided it was time to launch her own studio despite having no business plan.

“I found a salon suite that I had never heard of before, and they were giving me six weeks free. I was like, ‘Alright, I’ve got six weeks to find clients,’” she says.

Those six weeks were enough to launch her solo business, EyeloveDallas, which is located right off of Central Expressway and Meadow Road.

Today, Chapman sees roughly 200 clients a month and maintains steady business. Appointments are booked online, and she averages about eight clients per day. Clients can choose from a variety of services, including keratin lash lift ($150), brow lamination with a tint and wax ($150) and a keratin or Korean lash lift and brow lamination ($250), among other services.

As her client base grew, she outgrew her original salon suite near Preston Hollow and Northwest Highway and relocated her business to Lake Highlands, a move that kept her centrally located.

“I still have a lot of clients that come from Highland Park, Preston Hollow, and because I am in Lake Highlands now, I have tons of Lake Highlands women coming,” she explains.

Over the past decade, Chapman has built a steady client base by prioritizing education and staying current with beauty trends through continuing education courses and workshops.

“Education is the core of my business. I

want to make sure that I’m offering the best of the best and staying on top of what’s coming out,” Chapman explains.

While her mastery of skill brings clients through the door, Chapman says the relationships she has built with her clients is what she values the most.

“Some clients, for 10 years I’ve seen them when they were single, and now, they’re married and have three kids,” Chapman says. “It’s nice to be a part of their lives and their journeys.”

Lauren Callon, a client of EyeloveDallas for the past five years, says Chapman’s dedication shows in every appointment.

“Since starting my lash and brow routine with Desiree, there are months I’d rather skip a manicure than miss an appointment with her,” Callon shares. “Waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and already feeling confident is such a gift.”

Julianna Lewis first began seeing Chapman in December 2019 after receiving a recommendation from a friend. Nearly six years later, she remains a loyal client.

“I’ve never left (Chapman) and not been beyond happy with any of my services. Her added touches, like providing a blanket if cold or even snacks and water, have been the cherry on top,” Lewis says.

When Chapman is not lashing or fixing up brows, she enjoys traveling, time with her 17-year-old child and going to the gym.

And for Chapman, the most rewarding part of her work has never changed.

“It doesn’t feel like work,” she says. “I feel like I’m just catching up with my girlfriends.”

EyeloveDallas also offers skin services ranging from dermaplanning ($95) to red light therapy ($30). Photos courtesty of Desiree Chapman.

women toknow

Someone you could ask for advice or an amusing anecdote. The kind of woman who took unfavorable circumstances and made them favorable. The kind of woman who learns the rules to rewrite them. The kind of woman who props doors of opportunity open and invites the rest of us in. These are the people to know.

On any given weekday, the Lake Highlands High School PTA president might be brainstorming with Principal Kerri Jones or whipping through a board agenda like a Samurai warrior. She prides herself on efficient meetings and quantifiable results.

On weekends, she might be at a Wildcat football game cheering on her son Conrad, tracking the world travels of her oldest daughter and recent Aggie graduate Haley, or running down to College Station to celebrate Kappa Kappa Gamma Mom’s Weekend at Texas A&M University with daughter Brooke.

Other nights, though, you’ll find her at Lake Highlands’ most popular dive bar. Inside, the lights are dim, the beer is cold and the sound of clicking billiard balls competes with Willie Nelson on the jukebox. At King’s X, Ince’s name is familiar — she’s one of the owners.

Ince and her husband Brant bought King’s X with four other Lake Highlands families in 2016 when the previous owner opted to retire. They were fans of the fun neighborhood hang out, and they didn’t want the popular local spot to go away. Ince admits the King’s X may look “a little scary” from the outside but says, “It’s more like a scene from Cheers ” once you open the door.

“Everyone knows everyone, and most people have been coming for years to have a drink after work or a nightcap. We could have never imagined how owning the King’s X would impact our lives. Brant jokes that no one really knows or understands what he does for an actual living, they only want to discuss the dive bar.”

Owning a neighborhood hangout is about as far from Ince’s vision for the future as she could get.

She studied liberal arts, German and philosophy at the University of Texas and finished her degree at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany while studying abroad, working as a dishwasher to pay her way.

Story by CAROL TOLER | Photography by JEHADU ABSHIRO

In 1993, she returned to Austin to work with State Rep. Kenny Marchant at the State Capitol. Ann Richards was still governor then, and dealmakers had to be quick-witted to get what they wanted for their constituents. Soon after, she was promoted to chief clerk of the banking committee for the House of Representatives.

kristie ince

“Working at the capitol was my first real job after college, and it turned into my entire career. Talk about an eye-opening experience,” she recalls. “The legislative sessions are like drinking from a fire hose. It is 140 days of insanely fast-paced hard work with early mornings and very late nights.”

Ince says those experiences taught her how to work hard, negotiate, pay attention to detail and build relationships.

“The most important lesson I learned was how important our system of government is, and how important it is for us as citizens to understand and be involved in it,” she says. “Historically, things have always been crazy in politics, and I don’t think what we are experiencing now is really anything new but rather, the issues of our times. At the end of the day, we need to appreciate that we have a working system of government that is not perfect, but we would much rather live in a country where we have a system and rights rather than not.”

Ince later went to work for State Sen. David Cain, and they partnered with then Gov. George W. Bush to pass The Texas Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights. She left in 2000 to work as a regulatory vice president for Time Warner Telecommunications.

“Working in politics and government ingrained in me the importance of relationships and the bond of your word,” Ince says. “When you negotiate for a living, people have to know they can trust you because every deal is based on mutual trust — especially the big ones.”

You’d think life’s pace would be slower these days compared to days at the state capital, but Ince laughs at the thought. In December, her home and pool house on a double lot in the Moss Haven neighborhood was featured on the Lake Highlands Women’s League Holiday in the Highlands Home Tour, which earned $236,595 for neighborhood nonprofits, local schools and college scholarships.

“Brant and I are happy to support Lake Highlands,” she says. “Being on the home tour was a great way to partner with the Lake Highlands Women’s League to make a significant contribution to our graduating seniors and community charities. As a member of the league, I have been a part of many home tours, but being on the tour was so different. It was a lot of hard work to get the house ready, but it was such a great experience to be supported and thanked by the community for doing it. We attended the LHWL meeting where the scholarships were presented, and it was rewarding for us to see all the very deserving LH seniors who benefited from the home tour.”

merrion dale frederick

How does a freckle-faced redhead from Lake Highlands become an ardent advocate for refugees from impoverished areas of southern Asia and across the globe?

“Honestly,” Merrion Dale Frederick says, “it was less a straight line and more a gradual convergence.”

After Frederick graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2013 and Texas A&M University in 2017, she focused on earning a master’s degree in linguistics at the University of North Texas (UNT).

“I was fascinated by the ways language shapes identity,” she explains. “How the words a community uses to describe themselves, their history and their relationships carry so much more than their dictionary definitions.”

Frederick began working at UNT’s Computational Resource for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL), an archive for endangered and under-resourced languages. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), more than 220 languages have vanished from India alone in recent decades due to political violence, natural disasters, socioeconomic pressures, urbanization, political marginalization and globalization. Almost 200 more are at risk across the broader region.

“Interacting with communities whose languages — and with them entire ways of knowing the world — were at risk of disappearing gave me a firsthand view of what it means when a community loses control over its own records and stories,” she says. “From there, it felt very natural to ask the same questions about refugee communities.”

Frederick calls her work at CoRSAL a turning point. While interacting closely with refugees, she witnessed the difficulty they encounter in keeping critical documents safe as they struggle to navigate resettlement and prove who they are. She partnered with Dr. Ana Roeschley, a respected UNT professor and childhood refugee from Bosnia, to create Our Refugee Stories Archive (ORSA). Roeschley arrived in America without a birth certificate, so she has firsthand experience with the constant documentary burdens and frustrations refugees face. ORSA is a repository to house their critical records, including passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, citizenship papers and diplomas. ORSA also stores treasured photos, family videos and personal diaries, among other prized keepsakes.

“Every person has a personal archive that is worth preserving,” she explains.

More than 122 million refugees throughout the world have been uprooted and forcibly displaced from their homes and their personal archives, and the ORSA project aims to help

ensure no document or photo is ever lost again.

Community-centered archiving relies on authentic, trusting relationships, and Frederick admits building trust wasn’t easy. She was often perceived as an outsider within the refugee communities she longed to serve.

“I think that challenge is actually one of the most important things to be honest about,” she says. “Refugee communities have very good reasons to be cautious about outside institutions showing up and encouraging them to share information about their experiences. There’s a long history of researchers and organizations treating vulnerable communities as subjects to be studied rather than partners to work with.”

“Sustained relationships are necessary,” she explains, “because trust isn’t something you establish once at a first meeting — it’s built over time. ORSA’s whole model is built around that idea. We actively involve community members in the design process, in shaping what the ORSA looks like and how it serves them. That’s not ‘efficient’ in the short term, but it’s the only way to build something that actually belongs to the community it’s meant to serve.”

ORSA doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar home — it lives online as a digital archive. There are expenses though, and the creators experienced a crisis last year when an executive order terminated their funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency which supports libraries and archives across the country. Luckily, a later court ruling reinstated their grant. Today, they’ve expanded beyond the role of traditional archive to become a comprehensive information hub.

Frederick is now completing her Ph.D. in Information Science, and she’s earned the Theodore Calvin Pease Award from the Society of American Archivists. She’s opened a private consulting practice with Roeschley to build customized archives and digital asset management systems for institutions and individuals.

When she’s not preserving critical documents for the world’s refugees, Frederick spends her Saturday mornings at the St. Michael’s Farmer’s Market near Preston Center. Her husband Ross has a booth there, and together, they sell his homemade chow-chow.

“He learned firsthand from the master in his tiny South Louisiana hometown of Breaux Bridge, where people are incredibly competitive about their recipes,” she laughs. “He also makes the perfect pepper jelly and other seasonal rotating jams. Ross is so talented and has done so much to support me in all of my pursuits. It has been fun to be able to support him in this and watch him introduce the magic of South Louisiana cuisine to new people every week.”

lauren trimble

Dallas has been preparing to host soccer’s World Cup since 2018, from the moment FIFA first announced North America as home to the 2026 tournament. Making plans to welcome the world isn’t easy though, and just as visitors from across the globe began descending upon Big D, Ebola reared its ugly head again in Africa, and a deadly outbreak of hantavirus threatened vacationers on a cruise ship in the South Atlantic. The concerns were a familiar echo for Lauren Trimble, chief of staff for Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. Since joining his office in 2011, Trimble and the county’s multifaceted team have helped wrangle the 2012 West Nile Virus outbreak, the 2014 Ebola crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the day I sat down with her, Trimble and the team had completed recent preparedness training sessions with FIFA, and she was running off to yet another FIFA meeting later in the day. Their discussions and disaster simulations were complicated,

what should we be writing about?

but their goal was simple: Keep Dallas County residents safe during the tournament’s June and July games.

“In any emergency, the first thing we look at is what do we need to do for life safety,” Trimble says. “Suppose all these things go wrong on day one: there’s a bomb threat, and people are fainting because of the heat, and there’s a huge car accident — what’s the most important information to get out to the public? What do we have to do to keep people safe?”

Trimble and Jenkins were just one year into their jobs when the West Nile Virus infected almost 2,000 Dallas County residents in 2012. They knew lives depended on their actions.

“Those were some really tough decisions — things like spraying pesticides — but that’s what the science and the medical community told us we had to do to save lives, and it ultimately worked,” Trimble explains. “It was a tough call, and public opinion was not always supportive.”

Receiving personal criticism and being second-guessed by naysayers has been a constant part of the job, but Trimble says she works to remain disciplined and focused on the crucial tasks at hand.

“A theme that we’ve maintained for West Nile, Ebola and COVID-19 is to listen to the subject matter experts. Follow the science,” she says. “We’ve relied heavily on our public health department and the state health experts.”

Communicating critical information is key, and Trimble’s team has learned to be creative in their messaging — and messengers.

“The more information you can get to people, the better decisions they can make. I think the community struggles when they don’t feel like they have the information they need. Now, how they get it has changed. We put stuff out on our social media channels, but we also use other trusted voices when we can. Maybe it’s an expert from the medical community, or maybe it’s Dirk Nowitzki. If something happens within the Argentinian community during FIFA, we might turn to their consulate or to an Argentinian soccer player to get the word out.”

Each incident resulting in lasting injury or death takes a personal toll.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Trimble says. “West Nile spiraled out of control so quickly that a lot of people got sick before they realized they needed to be using bug spray or wearing long sleeves or avoiding dusk and dawn. With

Ebola, Mr. (Thomas Eric) Duncan got sick before he came to Dallas, and there were limited medical treatments at that time, but we helped (his partner) Louise (Troh) as best we could. We moved her into a new place and took care of her. We’re still in touch with her, actually. It’s hard because you want to do more, especially when you’ve met them.”

If you’re wondering why a county judge is handling emergency management tasks, you’re not alone. Trimble says her boss is more like the mayor of the county.

“When you say county judge, everyone assumes it’s a black robe judge, and I don’t know why Texas hasn’t just changed that term. A lot of other places call it a county executive, which makes more sense.”

Dallas County government also handles Parkland Hospital, the tax office where we pay our property taxes and get vehicle license plates, and the clerk’s office where we get marriage licenses and passports. The county also funds roads, bridges, parks, trails and open space preserves, and they’ve created a pilot program to help fund childcare with participating businesses and the Dallas Regional Chamber.

Trimble’s life at home is just as busy, since her husband Ryan works at Allyn Media and hosts the Deconstructing Dallas podcast about local politics, sports and current events. Their children, aged 6 and 9, attend Spanish World School.

“I stumbled on an analogy about the struggle of working moms, and it really resonated with me,” Trimble says. “A working mom is juggling all the balls — some are glass, and some are plastic. You learn that it’s OK to drop the plastic balls because they won’t break, but the glass balls are the ones you have to keep juggling.”

Trimble grew up the only child of an American Airlines captain and flight attendant who appreciated world travel. Her mom shared stories of trekking Taiwan, Korea and other foreign locales. Now, Trimble’s passion project is to show her own kids the world.

“We discovered we couldn’t go to all the places we wanted to go because it was so expensive, so we found a way through credit card points and miles,” she explains. “Now, I teach other moms how to do that on my ‘Adventuring Party of Four’ Instagram account. I don’t want to be 70 years old and wish I had gone places and done things. We want to show our kids that there’s this whole world outside of Dallas. We want them to be good global citizens.”

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FOR SALE-LIFE FITNESS RECUMBENT Exercise Bike. Like New. Call for pricing Bill. 214-384-6368

FREE MALE & FEMALE AKC registered Yorkies puppies. Need a sweet/loving home.’ barbarashaffalo1001@hotmail.com

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.

Professional Service, Dependable, Experienced. Honest, Fair prices. Excellent Refs, Sunny. 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

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

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

FOUNDATION REPAIR

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

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

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!

WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL ...?

LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES

A BETTER TREE MAN Trims, Removals, Insd.

18 Yrs Exp. Roberts Tree Service. 214-808-8925

Lawns, Gardens & Trees

BRUMLEY GARDENS. Landscape Design,Installation, Estate Maintenance and Commercial Services.

Shop Local And visit our Garden Center and Gift Shop. 10540 Church Rd. 214-343-4900

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

O RGANIZATION

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.

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

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

"Keeping Children & Pets in Mind"

Termite Specialist - Mosquito Mister Systems Licensed · Insured · Residential · Commercial · Organic 214-350-3595 • Abetterearth.crw@gmail.com abetterearth.com

PLUMBING

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

Business

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

New Construction & Remodels

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

FiferCustomHomes.com• 214-727-7075

TK REMODELING

KITCHEN • BATHS Complete Remodeling and Restoration Design • Build • Detailed

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

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ABOUT DISCOUNTS!

POOLS

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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

CERULEAN POOL SERVICES Family Owned/ Operated. Weekly maintenance, Chemicals, parts & repairs. CeruleanPro.com 214-557-6996

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

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

The legacy of prevention

Joan Colgin dedicated her career to nursing, education and advocacy

Story by SYRA CASTILLO | Photography by VICTORIA GOMEZ

Sunlight filters through the windows of Joan Colgin’s Lake Highlands home near Skillman Street and Church Road as she settles on the couch.

“I never thought about being a physician; it was always about being a nurse,” she says.

For more than five decades, Colgin has spent years advancing diabetes education, leading research programs and helping patients take control of their health before complications arise.

Her path to nursing began before she stepped into a hospital setting as a professional.

When Colgin was just 5 years old, her kidneys had not fully connected to her bladder, leaving surgery as her only option. After spending her childhood surrounded by nurses and doctors, it seemed inevitable she would become a nurse herself.

“Being in the hospital just influenced me,” she explains.

Much of that encouragement also came from her mother.

“My mother used to tell me, ‘Child, growing up, God didn’t put you on this earth to clean toilets and be on the floor — he had higher expectations for you,’” Colgin recalls. “So she encouraged me to go into nursing.”

After graduating from Bishop Lynch High School in 1967, Colgin attended St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, earning her degree in 1970 before later completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Texas at Arlington.

She began her career at St. Paul University Hospital in Dallas and later became head nurse of the Intensive Care Unit at Medical City, where she participated in the hospital’s first open-heart surgery.

“I was out one Saturday night and the chief physician called me and said, ‘We’re doing open heart surgery,’ and it was successful,” she recalls.

Yet, it was diabetes that became her life’s work.

As blood glucose monitoring technology emerged, Colgin taught patients how to track their blood sugar levels outside of the hospital, helping them better manage their condition and avoid hospitalization.

“I taught the first patient that was at the hospital how to check sugar, and he was able to stay out of the hospital after that,” she says.

This experience anchored Colgin’s belief that education could keep patients healthier.

Colgin went on to help develop diabetes education and research programs at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Endocrine Associate of Dallas and Doctors Hospital, worked with children through camps, including Camp Sweeney and Camp New Horizons, joined Novo Nordisk as their executive medical liaison and later became the first female president of the Dallas chapter of the American Diabetes Association. She also previously served on the Dallas Area Agency on Aging Board.

Her advocacy work also extended into state policy when Colgin was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016 to serve a fiveyear term on the Texas Diabetes Council, where she worked with legislatures to get Medicare coverage for diabetes medications. Outside of medicine, Colgin serves as the co-chair of the St. Patrick Catholic Church parish pastoral council.

Today, Colgin and her husband, Tony, have called Lake Highlands home for more than 45 years, and looking back at her career, Colgin still believes prevention is one of medicine’s most powerful tools.

“I think my legacy is prevention,” Colgin says. “Whatever you have, whether it’s diabetes, kidneys, so many diseases can be managed for a normal life.”