2026 May Lake Highlands Advocate

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LAKE HIGHLANDS ADVOCATE VOL. 33 NO. 5

PROFILE

8 Dr. Amp Miller III retires DINING

16 Hotsome Chicken FEATURES

4 The case of the missing painting

10 Design placeholder

20 Lake Highlands educators COLUMNS

30 Goats at White Rock Lake

Flavors at Hotsome Chicken range from Korean-style sweet chili, soy honey and creamy onion to Korean junkie, parmesan garlic, and sweet and sour. Read more on page 16. Photography by Kathy Tran.

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the case of the missing painting

The Advocate’s own Nancy Drew solves a mystery

Story by CAROL TOLER

Like most good stories, this one began with a rip-roaring fight at City Hall.

I was attending a town hall meeting in the basement of “the people’s house” to discuss the future of that building and whether I.M. Pei’s iconic, brutalist structure should be replaced by a basketball arena or preserved instead, despite its widely acknowledged unworkable design and leaking parking garage.

As I entered the small auditorium, a stranger quietly asked me to dial 911. He was clearly struggling to breathe, and his color was ashen. He drooped in his seat at an odd angle and periodically nodded off, then shook as if chilled to the bone.

I pulled out my phone and called for medical help, then strode to a nearby security officer to alert him. He said he would communicate with paramedics and guide them in through the basement parking garage.

During the 10 minutes or so while we waited, I stayed by the man’s side and checked his condition as directed by the 911 dispatcher. Mostly, though, I reassured him that paramedics were on their way. I worked to keep him calm by chatting with him, and I learned that — despite the meeting having been called by council members Cara Mendelsohn from District 12 in Far North Dallas and Paul Ridley

from District 14 in Lakewood — the man and I are close neighbors in Lake Highlands. His name is Randy Streng, and he’s a longtime Advocate Magazine reader.

In a scene straight out of film noir, Streng lifted a bit, looked me square in the eyes and told me he’s been searching for a painting he believes is missing from City Hall. He described a giant art piece painted in the late 1940s or early 1950s depicting civic leaders discussing our city’s future. Among those in the scene, to the best of his recollection, were R.L. Thornton, former mayor of Dallas, Rabbi David Lefkowitz of Temple Emanu-El and Fred Florence, prominent banker and philanthropist. The painting hung on the second or third floor but is nowhere to be found, he told me.

The good news is that Streng is rightas-rain today. It turns out he had a bad bout of food poisoning, and the fine folks at Baylor Hospital gave him great care. I wouldn’t have bet good money on him that night, to be honest, but he’s doing well now, and we’ve become friends.

The other good news is that he was correct about the painting. Renowned Fort Worth artist Victor Lallier painted it between 1951 and 1956, and it hung in City Hall for many years. Streng found this video of Lallier being interviewed by WBAP-

TV in Fort Worth about the painting and displaying it for the first time. Apparently, the artist discussed his hopes of finding a permanent home for artwork, though sound on the clip has been sadly lost. The video shows 14 men in the painting, with a listing of their names beneath.

So, what happened to the painting?!?

I called Ashley Guevara, Office of Arts and Culture senior public information officer, who kindly researched the subject. She said the painting had originally been on loan for display at City Hall. It was returned to its rightful home at the Department of Homeland Security.

Wait, what? Department of Homeland Security? The Department of Homeland Security didn’t even exist when that painting was created. Plus, that’s a federal agency.

Hmmmm, she pondered. Yeah, they said they sent it to DHS.

After a little sleuthing, I located it at the Dallas Historical Society (oh, that DHS), inside the Hall of State, deep in the heart of Fair Park.

“The painting that formerly hung at City Hall? Yes, that painting is here in long-term storage,” DHS Curator of Collections Kaitlyn Price said. “It’s crated now; it’s just too big for display here.” Mystery solved.

Robert Lee Thornton (1880-1964)

- Picked a bale of cotton a day as a 7-year-old, attending school sporadically and completing just eight grades

- Worked his way up to head of Mercantile National Bank

- President of the Chamber of Commerce, director of the Texas Centennial Exposition, organizer of the Dallas Citizens Council and president of the State Fair of Texas

- Dallas mayor; oversaw Forney Dam project, which provided for Dallas residents’ future water needs

- Called “Mr. Dallas” by journalists

David Lefkowitz (1875-1955)

- Placed in an orphanage by mother after immigrating from Prešov to New York City

- Rabbi at Dallas’ Temple Emanu-El

- Spoke out against the Ku Klux Klan

- Helped organize the Texas A&M Hillel Club, the oldest such group in America

- Interviewed many early Jewish settlers in Texas to gather and publish their accounts

William Hawley Atwell (1869-1961)

- Set up a law practice in Dallas and was appointed U.S. District Attorney by President William McKinley

- Nominated to run against incumbent governor Pat Neff but kicked up a political firestorm when he publicly condemned the Ku Klux Klan

- Appointed U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas

- Was appointed city zoo commissioner

- Served as national grand exalted ruler of Elks

Bernard Francis Mclain (1891-1968)

- Commanded trench mortar divisions in France during World War I

- Intelligence officer at Camp Morgan near Houston

- Director of Republic National Bank, Dallas Railway and Terminal, Texas Industries, Trinity Improvement Association and Dallas Grand Opera Association

James Woodall Rodgers (18901961)

- Led the Dallas Bar Association, the First National Bank of Childress and Delta Airlines

- Dallas mayor during World War II, oversaw construction of Central Expressway, Memorial Auditorium and the Dallas Public Library in his term

- Board chairman of the Dallas Council on World Affairs, a trustee of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (now the Dallas Museum of Art) and a director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

- Founder of the Greater Dallas Planning Council

Robert Gerald Storey (1893-1981)

- The executive trial counsel for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, America’s chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials; collected indisputable evidence of crimes against humanity used to convict 19 Nazis

- Assistant attorney general for Texas and president of the Dallas Bar Association

- WWI and WWII veteran. Awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honor

Fred Farrel Florence (1891-1960)

- Headed up Republic National Bank of Dallas

- Appointed by Texas governors and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve on various recovery and relief boards during the Great Depression

- Served on the State Fair of Texas board, the Dallas Civic Federation, the Citizens Council and the Chamber of Commerce

John Elvin Mitchell, Jr.

- Of John E. Mitchell Company plant (now The Bomb Factory), which produced machinery that proved invaluable to cotton growers throughout the South

- The company earned the prestigious “E Award” four times for “outstanding production of war materials”

- Factory produced ICEE frozen carbonated beverage dispensers, MagiVac cleaning systems and Handy-Mart commercial refrigerator units after the war

Edward Henry Cary (1872-1953)

- Dean of Baylor Medical College and organized Baylor Medical and Surgical Unit, which served in France during WWI

- Founded the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and was one of the founders of the Dallas Historical Society

- President of the Dallas County Medical Society and the American Medical Association

Umphrey Lee (1893-1958)

- Earned a Master of Theology degree from SMU

Pastored several congregations before leading Highland Park UMC

- SMU’s fourth president and its first to boast a PhD; tenure included the end of the Great Depression and WWII

- Welcomed large numbers of veterans returning to education on the GI Bill

- Used temporary buildings to house the influx of students and located this “Trailerville” where SMU’s Meadows Museum stands today

Karl St. John Hoblitzelle (1879-1967)

- Founded the Interstate Amusement Company with theaters across Texas

- Provided entertainment for patients in Army and Navy hospitals during WWI

- Leader at Hockaday School, Texas A&M University and SMU

- Director of the Dallas Citizens Council, the Dallas Art Association and the Dallas Symphony Association

Nathan Adams (1869-1966)

- President of First National Bank of Dallas, the largest in the South

- Called “Dean of the Texas Bankers” and is credited with the regional financial preeminence of Dallas

- Instrumental in the founding of the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children

- Served as a Shriner and Scottish Rite Mason

Thomas Carbry Gooch (1896-1941)

- Son of an Englishman and descendant of a knight of the first Duke of Marlborough

- His mother’s ancestors were among the first to settle the original Mexican-Spanish region of Texas.

- Served as reporter, then editor-in-chief, then publisher (even occasional cartoonist) of The Dallas Times Herald

- Active in the Associated Press , the State Fair of Texas, the Dallas Art Association, the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the Texas Press Association, the Texas Publishers Association and the Sons of the Republic of Texas

John William Carpenter (1881-1959)

- Rose from day laborer to lineman to plant engineer to bookkeeper to collector to superintendent at the Corsicana Gas and Electric Company

- Corsicana G&E’s president and general manager

- Moved to Dallas to lead Dallas Power and Light, then Texas Power and Light, then the Texas Public Utilities Corporation

- Organized Texas Security Life Insurance Company, the precursor to Southland Life

- Led the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Southwestern Legal Foundation, the State Fair of Texas and the first board of regents of Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University)

“He was the type of professor that whenever he spoke, everyone listened very intently,” student Scot Burkett says. Courtesy of Texas A&M University College of Dentistry.

YOUR FAVORITE DENTIST’S FAVORITE DENTIST

Educator who taught thousands of dental students looks forward to retirement

Story by MADELYN EDWARDS

Being a good dentist means seeing your patient as a whole human, not just a mouth in need of repair.

Dr. Jake Hornberger, who serves at Leftwich + Hornberger Dentistry in Lakewood, learned this best from his former college professor, Dr. Amp Miller III. The 78-year-old North Dallas native and current Lake Highlands resident is retiring in May after 53 years as a faculty member at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry on Gaston Avenue.

Miller sticks out in Hornberger’s mind in the time following the death of his grandfather, Dr. Charles Moody Alexander, who also used to teach at the dental college and chaired the orthodontics department back when it was under the Baylor umbrella. Alexander was Hornberger’s hero and the

main reason why he pursued his career.

“He passed away while I was in dental school,” Hornberger says. “It was a time that could have been very isolating, I think, and made dental school really tough because of the constant reminders.”

Miller, a friend of Hornberger’s grandfather, was there to pull him aside after class, ask about his family and let Hornberger know that he was thinking of them.

“It added this very personal feel to dental school, to the academic work and really helped remind me of that human connection of dentistry that goes so much further beyond the clinical skill,” Hornberger says. “What was unique about him is that he had that great ability to connect with students on a deeper level in a way that demanded

respect, but also, just made them feel known and cared for.”

Of course, Miller has decades of experience in working with students. He was an associate dean for clinical affairs at one time, but he didn’t stay there because he was more interested in teaching and managing curriculum. Miller has taught dental students of all levels and particularly enjoys one part of the learning process — the accumulation of swagger.

“The first few times they do something, they’re struggling, and you want to give them some thoughts on how they do that. Second year, they’re getting better, and some of them are getting really good. And then in the clinics, it’s fun to kind of watch them work with the patients the first time,” he

says. “I like to see them get a little swagger, begin to get better and better, and it’s fun to watch them teach, like to watch a second year sometimes teach a first year because they’ve done it once or twice, and the first years haven’t done it much.”

Despite his current dedication to the field, Miller didn’t always have a dream to work with teeth.

“I thought I wanted to be an athlete or something goofy like that,” the Thomas Jefferson High School alumnus says.

It wasn’t until his undergrad years at Southwestern University, between Waco and Austin, that he discovered an interest in health care sciences, like his major in chemistry, and teaching. Miller also connected his eventual pursuit of a dentistry career with his fondness for handmade models.

“Our family dentist would let me come sometimes and look over his shoulder in the lab,” he says. “I just got interested in the models and the details of the technical things that he was doing.”

Miller returned home to Dallas to attend what is now Texas A&M University College of Dentistry from 1969 to 1973 and never really left. He made friends with faculty members at dental school, who got him into teaching while also working as a dentist. Not too long later, he earned a prosthodontic (practice involving dental prosthetics) certificate in 1980.

At that time, restorative dentistry was the right place for self-proclaimed lab rats like Miller.

community for 120 years, and Dr. Miller has been an important part of that for nearly half the time. His contributions to dentistry are immense.”

Miller keeps an eye out for professionals who would be good teachers at the dental college. Enjoying teaching and being around students, helping and engaging them, are mandatory qualities, and once Miller recognizes that, he encourages them to give it a shot. And these are things he saw in García.

“I was always interested to see what she would do because I knew she would be a good educator,” he says.

“You used to have to really be OK with being in the laboratory,” he says. “Back in those days, we were doing everything analog. You make an impression, you make a cast, you wax it up, you do a bunch of things with it, and so you really had to spend a lot of time in the lab. I didn’t mind that so much.”

The process for this work has now become more digital, which Miller says is a good thing. Yet, having the manual “hand skills” — like figuring out where a tooth needs to be restored, drilling into it and placing a filling — are still important for dentists today to know.

“When you prepare the tooth for a crown, you got to have some hand skills in order to get the shape right,” he says. “You still need to have hand skills in order to do that, even though the scanners and the digital technology has made it a little bit easier sometimes to fabricate the crowns and get them ready to be placed.”

Like Hornberger, plenty of Miller’s students stick around the Dallas area after they graduate, and Miller enjoys bumping into them from time to time and checking in. One of his former pupils is the college of dentistry’s dean, Dr. Lily T. García.

“He’s taught thousands of dental students, including me,” García said in a statement. “The dental college has served the North Texas

Hornberger recalls meeting Miller for the first time as a teenager when he was at the college with his grandfather. He doesn’t remember what the conversation was about but left realizing that Miller was one to know.

“I remember meeting him and chatting with him and just thinking like, ‘Oh yeah, that dude carries a lot of weight around here,’ especially with how excited my granddad was to introduce me to him and all that,” Hornberger says. “It was very clear that that was someone that you wanted to know and wanted to be around and learn from and that there was a lot of respect garnered from his presence.”

Scot Burkett, a college of dentistry student who plans to graduate next year, had the same first impression.

“He was the type of professor that whenever he spoke, everyone listened very intently,” Burkett says.

Burkett doesn’t take classes with Miller anymore but will still check in when he sees him around campus. Miller remembers him and will ask how he’s doing with patients. After taking on an overwhelming first case in clinics, Burkett knew just who to turn to.

“He took time out of his day, even though it wasn’t anything regarding his class or anything that he really had any responsibility for, and he sat down with me for a good hour, maybe, and talked me through the decision-making and treatment planning regarding crowns and how to properly approach it,” Burkett says. “That was super awesome because it really showed that he still cared and always will care, and he’s always somebody to rely on whenever I have questions.”

Miller is retiring on his birthday this year, and he plans to use his newfound free time for himself by playing golf and working on home improvement projects. Miller hopes he is remembered as a “capable, caring educator that tried to make the programs as good as they could be and help the students when they need help” — similar to how Hornberger and Burkett described him.

No longer having Miller as a readily accessible resource may be a loss for the college of dentistry students, but Burkett is grateful to have had any opportunity to learn from him.

“We all wish that he could teach forever and teach everybody,” he says. “He’s got to retire, and you’ve just got to be happy that it happened.”

LONGING FOR EDEN

It’s kismet how music, art & history built this Highland Meadows home.

Story by JEHADU ABSHIRO

Photography by LAUREN ALLEN

In 1961, the Rooth children spent many of their weekends clearing out ivy on a lush property backing into White Rock Creek in the Sylvania Dells section of Highland Meadows.

Their father, notable architect Carl H. Rooth, is responsible for numerous commercial structures scattered throughout Texas, including several at the University of North Texas and the Collins Radio 277 complex, which was instrumental for NASA’s Apollo mission.

He wanted the Eden Roc Drive plot for his one and only residential project — his family home.

The two-story, midcentury modern house, which people often assume is a Ju-Nel, had all the markings of ’60s interior design — wall paneling, floating stairs, interior brick and sharp angles.

About 20 years later, Daniel Sibley’s family moved to a ranch-style home on the south side of Eden Roc Drive. It’s important to note that it was his assumption that all of the houses on the north side of the street had ping-pong tables. He played Hot Wheels in the neighborhood’s front yards with the neighborhood kids and attended Wallace Elementary School.

Sibley grew up, went to Baylor University for an economics degree and worked for Dickey’s Restaurants in finance before making a lateral move into their construction department and then started his own design firm. He selectively works on residential projects within 5-6 miles of his own home. He married his former roommate and friend’s younger sister Katie about 15 years ago, got a house in the Lake Ridge Estates neighborhood and they had two daughters.

Although they made their

Ridgehaven Drive ranch home, the Sibleys had their eyes on Highland Meadows. Katie particularly loved the 70-year-old Lannett Circle home, where the Mediterranean Garden Club hosts their annual July Fourth party. But that house’s true custodians are descendants of the original owners.

But at the right moment in the real estate market, Carl H. Rooth’s one residential project was for sale.

“I didn’t even need to step into the house to say this is our house,” says Katie, who is an HR executive for a global tech company. “We came in the back, I remember, and I was like, ‘OK, that’s enough. Let’s make the offer.’”

It surprised Daniel because, as a contractor, his mind was going through all of the work it needed.

“I thought, ‘She’s gonna jump back in the car. We’re gonna speed away.’ But she stopped me,” Daniel says. “There’s an energy to houses, and this just felt like it was calling us.”

So in 2021, Katie found herself tearing

out ivy in the Eden Roc backyard. And lo and behold, Rooth’s daughter Linda, who herself had been doing the very same thing almost exactly 60 years earlier, was peeking over the fence.

With her came the blueprints, photos and original drawings of the landscape and interior design.

“She’s been so generous, and of course, she’s told us so many stories that are just fun,” Daniel says.

The Sibleys are the fourth owners — it’s a neighborhood where the front door keys aren’t passed on often.

“I think it was Daniel’s master plan all along, though, to get us here,” Katie says. “Because he grew up on the street and then went to Wallace, where our girls went to elementary school.”

Built into the rocky topography of East Dallas, the entryway drops you off on the second floor, where the kitchen, living room, dining room, “green room,” access to the pool in the front yard and wraparound patio in the back yard are located.

From purchase to move-in, it took 10 months to renovate the home. They expanded the footprint by about 2,000 square feet. The three-bedroom, two-bath is now a 4,300 square foot, four-bedroom, two-full baths, two half baths and an office, which works for a work-at-home family that entertains often.

Daniel has always had a love of houses. He originally wanted to be an architect, but that was not a degree program offered at Baylor. As a child, he would ride his bike around, look at houses in the neighborhood and draw homes. His grandparents owned a 1940s traditional in Lakewood.

“It’s 4 Nonesuch Road, which I always thought was such a neat address, like a storybook,” he says. “It had a big lot, and it was stately. And I loved it. I just thought it was fun to explore around, and maybe that was kind of where it started.”

This home specifically fell in line with Daniel’s own work as a contractor. He tends to focus on older homes that are architecturally interesting but need to be updated both for structural reasons and lifestyles.

“It’s turned into basically people that want to save as much of the original house as they can,” he says. “And I’m really into reusing everything we can. So at a bare minimum, we keep the foundation and then build on top of that, because I think you still keep some of the soul if you keep the foundation.”

Stripping the home allowed the Sibleys to reincorporate and preserve some of the midcentury details that had been taken away. The wood paneling, floating stairs, brick wall and sharp angles are all there. Somewhere over the course of 60 years, some of the original features were hidden or erased, like the low, boxy fireplace with soapstone hearth unadorned by a mantle that was hidden by Austin stone. They removed the ’90s finishes and used stucco.

The clean lines of the midcentury modern aesthetic just happen to be the closest labeled category Daniel can reference to try and explain his inspiration.

“For instance, you asked me what inspired me to pursue home design and con -

struction. I purposely avoided mentioning Frank Lloyd Wright because everyone does. I was probably more inspired by artists like Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko and Piet Mondrian,” Daniel said in an email.

Different types of terrazzo tiles, from California-based Concrete Collaborative, were installed primarily on the first floor, where Katie’s office, their daughters’ oceanthemed bedrooms and a den are located. Blue tones are carried downstairs in the wallpaper and art. The Sibleys chose to color-drench Katie’s office in pink.

“Why not? I spent a lot of time in there. I wanted to have some fun and some color. And so we thought, what color matches the blue in the main room, and that could play and fits with the vibe of the house,” Katie says.

If you know just enough about architecture and construction, you can tell the home wasn’t built by someone whose bread and butter was residential design. The brick in the dining room, for example, a deeper reddish brown that’s slightly larger than standard-issue, is actually commercial

grade. Acme Brick informed Daniel that the specific brick that was produced was no longer in production, and he ended up sourcing reclaimed pieces to repair the wall.

New plumbing needed to be installed. Daniel vaulted the ceiling, installed windows near the roof line and enlarged all the windows to flood the home in light.

They have a love for the Texas sun.

The backsplash that Daniel designed in a color gradient mimics the sunset. He printed a life-size template to assist the tilers in mimicking the pattern. The ceiling height double-stack, fully functional cabinets are a light blue meant to emulate the sky and keep the eyes moving upward.

The wallpaper in the twin niches, one for a wet bar and the second for a built-in bench, uses peach tones, geometric shapes and the sun illustrations.

“[When] we first got the house, it was so awesome to see the sunsets in a whole new way here. The song ‘Texas Sun’ had just come out by Leon Bridges, and we just felt like it was the vibe of this house,” Katie says.

REAL ESTATE REPORT

area home values

Katie purchased an East Dallas-based Ken Womack piece illustrating Leon Bridges’ Texas Sun album as a gift. Womack reached out once the Texas Moon album was released and created a similar piece, using found materials. Both fittingly are in the broccoli-green color-drenched music room, similar to the avocado green in the original kitchen, with a record player and floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with vinyls.

“I feel like music and the design are very interconnected,” Katie says.

There’s always music playing, sometimes without them noticing.

“We weren’t like, ‘Let’s put our love of music into the design,’” Daniel says. “I think it’s just so ingrained.”

Their art collection includes a massive Pop-Tart piece from Womack in their primary bedroom. There are a few concert posters, too, but not too many. Everywhere they travel, they try to bring back pieces from lesser-known artists, like a Japanese artist based in Belgium. Pieces from Daniel’s mom hang on the wall opposite the fireplace. Art from Dan Allison, Luis Jimenez, Dick Wray and Jame Surls in a variety of styles dot the home. Most of the lighting fixtures, which Katie sourced from the depths of the internet, doubles as art pieces.

“My mom and my stepdad used to say that it will speak to you. It’ll tell you where it’s supposed to be, and it kind of does,” Daniel says.

His assumption that the houses on the north side of the street had ping-pong tables was at least partially correct. In the photos Linda sent to the Sibleys, there’s a ping-pong table on the ground level of the house, which incidentally and unknowingly, is exactly where Sibley’s placed their ping-pong.

Katie, who is now part of the Mediterranean Garden Club, was talking to a member who lives a couple of doors down. Forty years ago, Daniel used to play in her front yard.

“She left and walked in the back of the house, and then came back and she had a Hot Wheels car, and she said, ‘Daniel left this in my front yard, and could you give it to him?’” Katie says. “It just made me feel like a part of a story that you started here.”

CRISPYFRESH,& CLOSE TO HOME

A NEW KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN spot on Audelia Road is drawing locals in with made-to-order meals, bold flavors and a family story behind every dish.

At Hotsome Chicken, a steady stream of customers enter the small white-walled restaurant, all drawn by the promise of something crisp, hot and just a little bit different.

Chicken hits the fryer only just after it is ordered, emerging golden brown and sizzling before being coated with one of more than a dozen sauces. It’s a method rooted in Korean fried chicken tradition, where texture and timing matter just as much as flavor.

That attention to freshness is central to owner Sooin Sin’s vision for the restaurant.

“It’s been three months since we opened the store, and all the customers who have visited us have been so incredibly kind and warm,” Sin says.

Sin’s path to opening Hotsome Chicken stretches across decades and continents.

She first came to the United States in 2001, newly married, when her husband moved to Ohio to pursue a Ph.D. While he studied, Sin focused on raising their children and began cooking daily meals that would become the blueprint for her future business.

In 2012, Sin and her family returned to South Korea for her husband’s work as a university professor, before relocating once again — this time to Dallas — in 2018.

“In 2021, my mom owned the donut shop next door,” Sin’s daughter, Katie Kim, says. “My mom wanted more control over the food, and since she’s not a baker, she had to be the cashier.”

Even though her donut shop introduced her to the Lake Highlands community, Sin was limited in the production and quality of the food.

While she could manage the finances of the shop, she had no

control over the flavors and freshness of the donuts.

“She wanted to cook something she was familiar with, and she knows Korean fried chicken,” Kim says.

So, Sin decided to retrace her steps back to Korea, where she grew up eating fried chicken almost daily.

“When I was young, living in Korea, I remember my father would come home from work with a box of fried chicken, and it made everything so special,” Sin says.

With the memories of her childhood forever etched into her mind, they became the foundation of her restaurant.

Unlike traditional American fried chicken, which is often cooked in large-scale batches and kept warm under heat lamps, Sin’s approach emphasizes quality over quantity.

Each order is fried on demand after being marinated for more than eight hours in a blend of garlic, onion and spices. Sin then coats each chicken carefully in batter and fries it until crisp before brushing it with sauce. The result is a balance of crunchy texture, juicy chicken and distinct flavors that define Korean fried chicken.

Sin’s menu reflects that same intentionality.

Designed to appeal to a wide range of tastes, the menu offers 13 different flavors ranging from sweet and savory to bold and spicy.

Popular options include Korean-style sweet chili, soy honey, and creamy onion, alongside more indulgent choices like Korean junkie, parmesan garlic and sweet and sour.

Wings remain the centerpiece of the menu, often ordered as part of combo meals that pair chicken with fries and a drink.

A four-piece wing combo starts at $10.99, while a six-piece

combo is priced at $12.99. Larger options, like their meal combo that includes chicken, fries, soda, garlic bread and a salad, range from $11.99 to $22.99.

“Whenever we get new customers, I always recommend the creamy onion because it’s my favorite,” Sin explains.

Kim says watching the restaurant take shape in the span of a few months has been especially meaningful.

“I feel really proud of my mom because she kind of did this all by herself,” she says. “I like bringing my friends here, and they love it, too.”

For Sin, each order is more than just a meal — it’s a reflection of the food she grew up with and the memories that shaped it.

“I hope that our fried chicken will bring families together and create meaningful memories just like it did for me,” Sin says.

Now, in a small shop in Lake Highlands, those same flavors are being shared with a new community, one plate at a time. Hotsome Chicken, 10725 Audelia Road #102, 214.815.8597, hotsomechickendallas.com

THE MINDS BEHIND THE MINDS

Meet the educators across Lake Highlands who are guiding, mentoring and inspiring students at every level

Principal DeMarcus Goree- Watkins, Forest Lane Academy

Staring intently at the glow of his com puter screen, Principal Goree-Watkins types quickly, the soft clack of keys filling his office.

His gray shirt, embroidered with “FLA” over the chest, reflects the pride he carries for Forest Lane Academy.

“Leadership (at Forest Lane) means ensuring we have the capacity to lead instruction properly — whether that’s reading or math — and building a cul ture that is productive for both stu dents and adults,” he says.

DeMarcus describes a model of leadership rooted in collaboration, where administrators work closely together with teachers to strengthen instruction plans.

That includes internalizing the content together and supporting educators in real time as they refine their practice.

“(Leadership) also comes with looking at data to make sure we understand where we are academi cally and how we need to move the children forward,” he adds. “But not only the children — the adults, too — because we’re all learning in the process and continuing to be lifelong learners.”

For Goree-Watkins, that commitment to a leadership model centered on teachers and students has earned recognition across Richardson Independent School District.

This year, he was named Elementary Principal of the Year at RISD.

“In my 18 years of education, I have been honored as teacher of the year, but this is the first time I’ve been honored as an administrator,” he says.“It is a badge of honor that I wear.”

That recognition is echoed by district leadership, including Tabitha Branun, superintendent of RISD.

“DeMarcus embodies the heart of Forest Lane Academy and is so deserving of the Principal of the Year recognition,” she says. “He has dedicated a decade pouring into his campus and has shown an unwavering dedication to providing opportunity, care, and high-quality education that opens doors and expands possibilities for all children, no matter their background, language or circumstances.”

As a Title I school serving a highly transient community, Forest Lane’s parent engagement structures look different from more traditional neighborhood schools, with PTA participation limited in part by high residential mobility and a large number of families living in apartments near the I-635 corridor and extended-stay housing like Budget Suites.

“Forest Lane Academy is a very unique campus since our mobility rate fluctuates between 40 and 43%,” Goree-Watkins says. “Meaning, that 50% of the students that start at the beginning will be gone by the end of the school year.”

That level of student mobility also creates challenges in building long-term consistency across the school, not just for students, but for staff .

“The average teacher retention rate at a Title I campus is 3 to 5 years. So, I look for a teacher who has the resilience to make sure that they can withstand what comes with being at a Title I campus,” he explains.

With that in mind, Goree-Watkins says his recent recognition as RISD Elementary Principal of the Year is something he hopes will also strengthen teacher recruitment and retention at Forest Lane.

“I just hope that by name and recognition alone, people will hear about Forest Lane Academy and want to add value to it,” he says.

Even amidst the challenges, Forest Lane has worked to create spaces of stability and hands-on learning for students. One of the most vivid examples of this is their new gardening program.

“We plant native plants and vegetables and send them home with the kids,” he shares. “And, we are also now raising chickens that will hatch, and even get a chicken coop.”

Goree-Watkins often returns to the message he wants students to remember most.

Mary Medders, Lake Highlands High School

In a newly renovated space, stu dents at Lake Highlands High School operate a student-run dog daycare and wash service.

The students manage real animals, real customers and real responsibilities, gaining hands-on experience in a program designed to mirror the veterinary field.

At the center of it all is Medders, who watches closely, offering guidance.

the principles of animal science, followed by small and large animal management in their sophomore year, where they study companion animals, animal welfare and handling, as well as equine science, including breeds, nutrition and care.

“One thing I would tell the kids is to always get back up — make sure that you are resilient, that you can bounce back, get back on your feet, and reach the destination you set your mind to,” he continues. “Things may look easy for somebody else, but they don’t tell you about their stumbles.”

“I like to keep my classroom student-centered,” she says. “I give them the information up front, and then I let them take ownership of it.”

As the instructor of the school’s animal science pathway, Medders leads the program that introduces students to everything from animal care fundamentals to veterinary medical applications.

As part of a four-year pathway,

“Their third year is when they learn veterinary medical applications and when they learn the ins and outs of running a clinic,” Medders says.

By their final year, students take a practicum in agriculture, where they can either help run the school’s on-campus dog daycare and wash, or pursue internships with local animal-related businesses.

“If they’re working in a vet clinic,

and the veterinarian agrees to sign off on all of their hours and their skills, they can have the opportunity to test with the level one veterinary assistant certification,” she says. “If they pass, they can graduate and already have that level one certification to go to work as a veterinary assistant.”

For students, that opportunity can also translate into significant savings and early career access. One student currently in the program is already working in a clinic while completing certification requirements, saving an estimated $1,500 compared to completing the credential after graduation.

The on-campus dog daycare and wash further extends that real-world experience. The student-run operation offers basic wash and grooming services, with optional add-ons such as nail trims. All proceeds are reinvested into the program to replenish supplies and support daily operations.

That learning environment is made possible by a newly renovated classroom and workspace designed specifically for hands-on instruction. The district’s Career and Technical Education program transformed the space over the summer, adding secure entry points, an outdoor access system, and monitoring tools that allow students to safely receive and manage animals.

“We have an iPad with cameras at my desk, so when owners arrive with their dogs, I can buzz them in,” Medders explains. “We also have waivers for students and owners because they understand that this is a learning environment.”

Though still in its first year, students have already taken ownership of the business model.

Campus leaders say Medders’ vision made the program possible. “She had a vision, built our animal science program from the ground up, and has done a tremendous job,” says Kerri Jones, principal of Lake Highlands High School.

.

Angele

NorthlakeBohling,Elementary

“Hey, slow down please!” Angele Bohling calls out, her voice echoing down the hallway as a student sprints past her at Northlake Elementary School.

It’s just after 4 p.m., and the usually lively halls — filled with the scutter of students moving between classes — have quieted. Now, only the low hum of after-school programs lingers in the background.

As the campus’s early childhood special education teacher, Bohling works with some of the school’s youngest learners, providing individualized support that helps build a strong foundation for their growth.

“I teach young students with disabilities how to communicate their

wants and needs and how to advocate for themselves,” she explains. “Big feelings in little bodies are hard to navigate, so I teach students how to collaborate and play with one another.”

Her instruction often happens through play and modeling. Bohling demonstrates how to take turns while sorting colored blocks, guides students in using scissors to build fine motor skills or narrates emotional regulation in real time — saying, “I’m mad. I need a calm-down space,” to help students put their feelings into words.

Bohling’s profound love for teach ing special education didn’t happen overnight.

She began her career in general education in

2000 after graduating from Texas A&M University – Commerce. She later earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of North Texas at Dallas, initially planning to pursue a path to the principalship.

But over time, she realized the classroom was where she could make the greatest impact.

After 26 years in education, she made a pivotal shift, transitioning into special education about four years ago — a move she says quickly reaffirmed her purpose.

“I like helping the (students) that struggle. To me, it’s more rewarding when you can make that connection and bring that next step in special education,” she says.

In her classroom, each day follows a carefully structured routine designed to support both learning and communication.

She begins each day by greeting students at the door, allowing them to choose how they want to be welcomed, before guiding them through a mix of whole-group instruction and small-group centers. Much of the learning takes place through play-based activities where she and her assistants work closely with students on the floor, incorporating visuals and handson engagement.

“Some people think we just play all day, but that’s really how I’m able to assess and teach,” she adds. “Many of my students are nonverbal, so we’re constantly working on communication – using visuals, core boards, anything that helps give them language.”

School leaders say Bohling’s impact is felt well beyond her classroom.

“Ms. Bohling is pure magic in the classroom. She has an incredible ability to meet each student exactly where they are and communicate in a way that helps them feel seen, understood and capable,” says Anna Coutant, principal of Northlake Elementary. “Because of her, our youngest learners are not only growing; they are thriving.”

For Bohling, her love for teaching is most meaningful in the moments she shares with students, especially the ones she doesn’t always get to see grow up.

She recalls a recent open house, when a former student, now in second grade, ran up to greet her.

“He came in with his mom and dad and said, ‘Ms.Bohling!’ and gave me a big hug,” she says excitedly. “He told me, ‘I have to come see you every year because you’re my favorite teacher.’”

Since many of her students move on to other schools, moments like these are rare, but lasting.

“He then told me, ‘You helped me talk,’” she says proudly. “And I said, ‘I did help you talk.’”

Rebuilding a life in North Texas often starts the same way: in a single room, across a table, with someone asking for help.

At DFW Refugee Outreach Services, that moment plays out every day. Inside a modest office, newly arrived refugees meet with staff and volunteers to navigate the first steps of resettlement — housing, employment, paperwork — often with little more than translation help and community support to guide them.

Founded in 2016 by Zeenat Khan, the organization began as a small, volunteer-led effort making door-to-door visits in refugee apartment complexes; that organization has grown since into a multifaceted support network.

“We want them to be able to stand on their own feet,” Khan says. “We want them to be able to survive in America.”

Today, the program serves dozens of women across North Texas, while also opening initiatives like Hope Kitchen and Hope Boutique, which provide opportunities to earn income from home.

“...they were stuck. They couldn’t go back, and they couldn’t move forward.”

Beyond the main office, that mission becomes more tangible. A hallway off the central room leads to smaller spaces where women gather to cook, sew and learn English, turning their daily routines into pathways toward self-sufficiency.

“Even if they cannot go out, through Hope Boutique and Hope Kitchen, they are able to survive and have an income,” Khan says.

At Hope Kitchen, dishes like chicken biryani, kabuli rice and Afghani-style chicken spaghetti reflect the personal recipes of the women behind them. The program operates as a catering service, with individualized menus that allow each participant to showcase their recipes from home.

A similar model drives Hope Boutique, where women sew together garments, decorations and take custom orders, building small businesses from their homes.

Beyond income opportunities, the organization also focuses on mobility — both literal and long-term. Through community donations, volunteers have helped secure used cars for women enrolled in driving classes, expanding access to jobs, education and daily necessities.

“We’ve given out about 15 to 20 cars, so far,” Khan says. “We’ll take the cars to a mechanic to make sure that there are no problems with them before we give them to our women.”

The majority of their donations come from their online presence on social media. With more than 3,000 followers on Instagram, the program uses daily posts to connect with supporters and meet the needs of the women it serves.

“We’re all over Dallas, but Instagram is our main resource,” she says. “We put everything there — our stories, what’s happening, what we’ve achieved. When people see a woman’s story, why she’s here

and why she needs a car, they understand how much it can help.”

And help they have received.

According to its first-quarter impact report, the organization helped 24 families avoid eviction, provided grocery assistance to more than 400 households, and supported five students who completed driving classes, with three currently enrolled.

Even as the organization expands its reach, external pressures have made the work more difficult.

Government shutdowns and shifting immigration policies have disrupted parts of the resettlement system, delaying services and limiting support for families arriving in North Texas.

“We’re talking about people who have already gone through the legal process,” Khan says. “It takes five or six years. (Families) were on their way, and when the flight bans happened, they were stuck. They couldn’t go back, and they couldn’t move forward.”

Khan explained that some Afghan refugees remain stranded in places like Qatar and Algeria, unable to complete their journeys unless they can secure additional funds or travel on their own. Others have been forced to rely on loans from family or friends in order to continue forward.

“We haven’t seen many (families) come through since then,” she says.

While some refugee populations, such as those from Ukraine, have received more structured government support, others continue to face significant gaps in assistance. Khan pointed to Syrians, Sudanese and Afghan families as among those still in need.

As a result, the organization has seen increased requests for urgent assistance from individuals seeking shelter, transportation or help navigating travel logistics when returning to their home country voluntarily.

“We try to make sure people are safe and supported through whatever next step they have to take,” she says.

Back in the central room, the work continues without pause. Refugees sit across from staff members, tracing the next steps of new lives in forms, conversations and translations. While their next steps remain uncertain, hope for a future in the United States continues to carry them forward.

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The goats at White Rock Lake brought joy & privet control to the neighborhood

Story by PATTI VINSON

In our divided, often polarized world, it was refreshing to find that we could all agree on one thing: The goats at White Rock Lake were awesome! “Where are the goats today?” was a common question among friends, neighbors and on social media back in February and March. How about a goat recap and update?

All told, around 300 goats, plus a few sheep thrown into the mix, helped restore about 26 acres around the lake “by thinning invasive plants and overgrowth, improving visibility and access, and naturally improving the soil,” says Brett Johnson, Superintendent of Environmental Quality and Conservation Manager for the City of Dallas.

The City had actually been toying with the goat idea for several years. As a joint effort of forestry and conservation city staff, a group known as the Forestry Technical Team, their pilot program occurred a few years ago at Frazier Dam, near Dallas Love Field. The goats also reported for duty near Bachman Lake, Northaven Trail and other locations before taking the stage in East Dallas.

For the goats at the lake, the City contracted with a farm in the Weatherford and Mineral Wells area. A shepherd remained with the goats constantly, to control and protect these important workers.

From the time the goats arrived on Feb. 5 until they were loaded up to leave on March 3, folks from all over East Dallas and beyond came by to take a gander at the herd. The first couple of days, as the goats and scattered sheep grazed on the hilly grassland above Bath House Cultural Center, visitors trickled by, approaching quietly, almost reverently, to see the ruminants at work.

Word spread quickly and crowds grew. Families and couples and groups of friends came by to watch the goats. The occasional street vendor or ice cream truck added to the carnival, county fair atmosphere. But all the while, the goats ignored the curious onlookers and continued their grueling work of eating plants they loved. One

Sunday morning, the goats munched away at delicious privet berries, completely oblivious to the group playing pickleball on a court just a few feet away.

The goats were entertaining and a source of joy for many, but they were also a tool in the fight to preserve precious prairieland and forest around the lake. Despite our modern technology, goats are often the best choice for a natural, eco-friendly approach to clear land. For humans, the work is labor-intensive, and machinery like mulchers and mowers can remove other plants needlessly.

Johnson explains that one of the objectives for the goats was thatch reduction. “Thatch is the layer of dead grass and plant material that builds up on the soil surface over time. In unmanaged areas, this layer can become thick and limit new plant growth.”

As they grazed in grassy areas, the goats converted their plant diet into manure and urine, which were quickly returned to the soil and replaced nitrogen and organic matter back into the system.

Johnson and his team were thrilled with the results. “On the thatch issue, they did a much better job than we were initially thinking.”

In the forested areas, the goats happily munched on privet, an invasive plant. “These plants can outcompete native grasses and reduce biodiversity,” says Johnson. “Goats are particularly effective at browsing these woody species, stripping leaves and even bark from plants up to several feet high.” You may have noticed many of the goats standing on their hind legs, reaching for higher berries and leaves. “Repeated grazing can weaken or kill these species, helping maintain open grassland conditions and supporting a more diverse plant community.”

Once they had munched their way through land stretching from

Mockingbird Lane to the Bath House Cultural Center, it was time for the goats to move on. Mission accomplished? “Very much so,” says Johnson, “but understand as the spring growing season unfolds, it may not be super noticeable after a few weeks. But if we can run the goats through the same area for two or three years, we will start to see a major difference.”

The question everyone is asking: Will the goats be back? Yes, assuming Johnson and team can find the budget and support. “Hopefully, next fall to early spring period. They have the biggest impact on privet in the winter when it’s the main species that’s green, and the berries are on the tree.”

While it was not the simplest task to manage 300 or so goats, the results speak for themselves. Bonus: the goats raised awareness of the need to take special care of the land around the lake, plus the effectiveness of using a creative, natural solution. Johnson smiles, “They have helped put a spotlight on the conservation efforts of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and Forestry Technical Team’s conservation efforts.”

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.

“THEY HAVE HELPED PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS OF THE DALLAS PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND FORESTRY TECHNICAL TEAM’S CONSERVATION EFFORTS.”

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