LAKEWOOD/EAST DALLAS O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 I A D V O C AT E M A G . C O M
OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com
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CEDAR CREEK LAKE
SOLD, Represented Buyer
6947 Ellsworth Avenue 5 BED | 5.1 BATH | 5,454 SF | $3,389,000*
5217paseotortuga.ebby.com
WrightHouse Group 214.693.1686 info@wrighthousegroup.com
SOLD, Represented Buyer
4933 Victor Street 4 BED | 4.1 BATH | 3,549 SF | $1,080,000*
3 BED | 2 BATH | 2,131 SF | $812,900
5 BED | 4.1 BATH | 3,165 SF | $2,395,000
Brown-Qualls & Schrickel Group 214.934.0077
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Peter Loudis 214.215.4269 peterloudis@ebby.com
6150berwyn.ebby.com
6150 Berwyn Lane
5217 Paseo Tortuga
8710 Sanshire Avenue 4 BED | 3 BATH | 2,703 SF | $949,000
WrightHouse Group 214.693.1686 info@wrighthousegroup.com
4815kelman.ebby.com
David Hardt 214.924.7577 hardtgroup@ebby.com
5743prospect104.ebby.com
4815 Kelman Street 3 BED | 2.1 BATH | 2,686 SF | $745,000
Lizeth Gonzalez 956.217.9644 lizethgonzalez@ebby.com
3124carmel.ebby.com
5743 Prospect Avenue #104 Carolyn Albers Black
3124 Carmel Street
3 BED | 3.1 BATH | 1,812 SF | $579,000
2 BED | 2.1 BATH | 1,947 SF | $479,000
214.675.2089 carolynblack@ebby.com
James Fairchild 214.826.0316 jamesfairchild@ebby.com
6120kenwood.ebby.com
6120 Kenwood Avenue 5 BED | 3 BATH | 3,287 SF | $1,369,000
WrightHouse Group 214.693.1686 info@wrighthousegroup.com
Local Know-How with a Legacy Behind It
1027sarasota.ebby.com
1027 Sarasota Circle 3 BED | 2 BATH | 2,131 SF | $925,000
Kim Sinnott 214.536.8786 kimsinnott@ebby.com
For generations, we’ve been part of the fabric of East Dallas — from Lakewood to Lake Highlands and every block in between. We don’t just work here; we understand the rhythms, architecture, schools and nuances that shape value. When it’s time to make your move, that depth of experience makes all the difference.
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Black 5743 Prospect Avenue #102 Carolyn Albers 214.675.2089
3 BED | 3.1 BATH | 1,812 SF | $639,000
carolynblack@ebby.com
ebby.com *Represented Buyer
SOLD, Represented Seller
9839 Cloister Drive 3 BED | 2 BATH | 2,122 SF | $400,000*
Peter Loudis
LAKEWOOD | LAKE HIGHLANDS 214.826.0316
214.215.4269 peterloudis@ebby.com
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EBBY’S LITTLE WHITE HOUSE 214.210.1500
A Passion for Community. A Standard of Excellence.
Skylar Champion 214.695.8701 skylar.champion@alliebeth.com
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EE FR AD M O SI IS N Step into an enchanting fall fairytale filled with thousands of pumpkins, gourds, and squash, creating picture-perfect photo opportunities. New this year, Fridays in the Patch features live music, kid-friendly movies, tasty treats, and more.
NORTHPARKCENTER.COM
D I ST R I B U T I O N / A D V E RT I S I N G 2 1 4 . 5 6 0 . 4 2 0 4 President/Editor-in-Chief: Jehadu Abshiro jabshiro@advocatemag.com Chief Operating Officer: Alessandra Quintero 786.838.5891 / aquintero@advocatemag.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Frank McClendon 214.560.4215 / fmcclendon@advocatemag.com Catherine Pate 214.560.4201 / cpate@advocatemag.com John Lynch jlynch@advocatemag.com Caroline Dolan 214.560.4209 /cdolan@advocatemag.com Classified Manager: Prio Berger 214.292.0493 / pberger@advocatemag.com E D I TO R S : Alyssa High ahigh@advocatemag.com Madelyn Edwards medwards@advocatemag.com Victoria Hernandez vhernandez@advocatemag.com Syra Castillo scastillo@advocatemag.com Digital Editor: Cloi Bryan cbryan@advocatemag.com Chief Creative Officer: Jynnette Neal jneal@advocatemag.com Creative Director/Photographer: Lauren Allen lallen@advocatemag.com Contributors: Patti Vinson, Carol Toler, Hailey Smith, Alexander Kwapis, Emma Ruby Contributing photographers: Kathy Tran, Yuvie Styles, Victoria Gomez, Cat Iler, Jenni Cholula, Austin Gibbs, Ethan Good, Tanner Garza, Gabriel Cano, Brandon Gonzalez, Jessica Turner, Justin Schwartz Advocate (c) 2026 is published monthly in print and daily online by Advocate Media - Dallas Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation based in Dallas and first published in 1991. Contents of this print magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements and sponsorships printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject ay editorial, advertising or sponsorship material in print or online. Opinions set forth in Advocate publications are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the Publisher’s viewpoint. More than 180,000 people read Advocate publications in print each month; Advocate online publications receive more than 4 million pageviews monthly. Advertising rates and guidelines are available upon request. Advocate print and online publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one print copy per reader. For information about supporting our non-profit mission of providing local news to neighborhood readers, please call 214-5604204 or email jabshiro@advocatemag.com
ABOUT THE COVER Visit the NorthPark Pumpkin Patch from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1, 2026. Photo courtesy of NorthPark Center. FOLLOW US:
Lakewood Restorative Dentistry’s Dr. Ben Alexander and family.
DENTAL EXCELLENCE IN THE HEART OF LAKEWOOD Dr. Ben Alexander and his family are longtime neighborhood residents
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Talk to us: editor@advocatemag.com Newsletter: advocatemag.com/newsletter OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com
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contents LAKEWOOD/EAST DALLAS ADVOCATE VOL.33 NO.10
OPENING REMARKS 11 Editor’s invitation to get out & about PROFILE 16 Neighbor launches children’s book series DINING 38 Ghost Pizza FEATURES 12 Catching up on school news 20 Day of the Dead at the Bath House 22 Meet Squirrel + the Girl 42 Regarding The Museum School of East Dallas COLUMN 46 Locals suspect paranormal activity SPECIAL SECTION 28 Education guide Frank Nuccio felt inspired by his late parents, who ran Pizza by Marco, to start his newest concept Ghost Pizza. Read more on page 38. Photography by Kathy Tran.
oct 26
C H O O S E Y O U R PERFECT L E T O U R EXPERTS N AV I G AT E T H E M A R K E T
6347 Chesley Lane | $1,350,000
6109 Ellsworth Avenue | $750,000
Michael Humphries
Susie Thompson
214.668.3640 | michael.humphries@alliebeth.com
214.354.8866 | susie.thompson@alliebeth.com
5610 Gaston Avenue | $1,150,000
802 Turner Avenue | $530,000
Diana Nelson and Gia Marshello
Susan Bradley
214.598.1135 | diana.nelson@alliebeth.com
214.674.5518 | susan.bradley@alliebeth.com
SOLD 6443 Velasco Avenue | Private Sale
FOR LEASE 8647 Langdale Circle | $4,500/month
Skylar Champion
Sanders Avrea
214.695.8701 | skylar.champion@alliebeth.com alliebethallman | alliebeth.com
214.458.1964 | sanders.avrea@alliebeth.com
ART WALK EAST Stroll. Cruise. Discover. Explore the vibrant art scene of East Dallas.
Meet artists and tour their studios. Listen to live music from local talent. Enjoy interactive art activities along the way. Food, fun, family friendly, and FREE to attend.
10 lakewood.advocatemag.com OCTOBER 2026
WANDER WIDE ACROSS MULTIPLE VENUES: Art on Main Caddo Lakewood Tower 22 District Spazio Morandi Art Gallery East Dallas Vintage Paper Arts on Peak Saint Valentine Libertine Lakewood Branch Library and artist home studios throughout East Dallas & Expo Park!
Sat, Nov 7 11 am - 6 pm
eastdallasartsdistrict.org
OPENING REMARKS
By MADELYN EDWARDS
Dear readers, A few months ago, I was driving through
65 YEARS. 29 STORES. 1 DALLAS TRADITION.
my hometown of Arlington and felt that familiar pain of nostalgia. RIP to my 1 8 -y e a r- o l d s e l f c r u i s i n g d o w n Co o p e r S t re e t a t m i d n i g h t i n my 2 0 0 2 Ho n d a Civic with a cigarette in one hand, singing along to The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather ” with my best friend. I had my favorite spots — the park around the corner from my mom’s house, the nail salon in Pantego, the snow cone hut across from the hospital — and they all felt like mine. I wondered if Dallas would ever be like that to me. Since I moved here a year ago, I don’t deviate much from my rat trail between work and home. I spend most of my offhours with my man and our cats, either crafting, playing video games or catching up on chores. That can only be fun for so long. At almost 32 years old, I will probably always be some version of an introverted homebody, but if I really want Dallas to feel like home, I’ ll need to put some effort in. In our September issue, I inter viewed Swizzle’s Jen and Marty Reyes about the local food and drink economy. They suggested that people explore our city in a staycation that’s more than hibernation. Pre tend you’re on vacation in Dallas — where would you go, and what would you do? Find a new-to-you restaurant, coffee shop or bar, buy tickets to that show, and meet the people we share our city with. I am challenging myself to get out there and do more to make my 18-year- old self proud that she grew up to be me. I invite those of you who are looking for connection to do the same. After all, life is too short for it not to be fun.
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OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com 9/14/26 3:22 PM
c l i c kwo rt h y
TAKE NOTE
There’s so much going on with schools these days and still so little time. We wouldn’t blame you for not being caught up. Check out these stories about recent education-related happenings in our neighborhood. And don’t worry, we won’t test you.
STORY BY MADELYN EDWARDS
Photos courtesy of Spanish World School.
SPANISH WORLD SCHOOL’S NEW FRONTIER Spanish World School plans to open its southwestern campus, located in the former Skillman Southwestern Branch Library, next year after the building is renovated. The private Spanish immersion school’s founders, Catherine Wallace and Luis Martinez, bought the building at a live auction earlier this year for $3.3 million, according to The Dallas Morning News. The library closed last year because of lack of City budget funding. “It’s been a meaningful location in the city, especially for those of us who grew up in the area,” Wallace says to the Advocate. “I grew up in Lake Highlands, so I passed by that building my whole life. It
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s e r ve d t h e c o m m u n i ty i n re a l l y important ways as a library, and I know that Spanish World School will keep using it in a positive and p u r p o s e f u l wa y a s a p re s c h o o l . It’s a visible and accessible building, and I think it’s going to help us open the doors to a lot of new Spanish World School families.” Lo ca te d n ea r T h e Vi l l a ge, t h e b u i l d i n g i s 1 3, 2 0 0 s q u a re f e e t a n d w i l l se r ve n u rse r y a n d p reschool-aged children from 3 months to 5 years old. Manuela Ortega, admissions and communications director, says the new campus will meet a need by making more room for interested families, about 200 of them. She says the old
library building was the right space to continue reaching Lakewood families, but also those in Lake Highlands and Highland Park. “We were looking for a new spot for, I think I would say, over a year, and this just came our way, and it was just like the perfect location,” Ortega says. Even preschoolers who are not enrolled at Spanish World School may be able to reap the benefits of after-school Spanish classes from this new campus, Ortega says. The renovation is expected to include 15 classrooms as well as outdoor play areas, a gym and offices. Construction is expected to start this fall and be done by the summer.
MAKING JULIETTE PROUD A partne rship that was announce d two years ago is on its way to fruition . In 2024, Juliett e Fowler Commu nities officiall y linked up with Bezos Academ y to e s t a b l i s h a t u i t i o n - f re e, full-da y presch ool for 60 childre n at its campu s on Abram s Road. Founde d by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the presch ool is inspire d by the Montes sori metho d of education for childre n ages 3-5 from eligible families (determined by income and age). Giving access to a service that familie s couldn ’t otherwise afford and commi tting to the Montes sori model is what attracted Juliette Fowler Comm unities . “There ’s a lot of synerg ies of the Monte ssori-b ased educational model with the trauma -inform ed care model that we use for our Ebby House young women and our Youth Suppo rt Center,” says Nicole Gann, Juliette Fowler Commu nities CEO and presid ent. “Also, Monte ssori is very aligned with demen tia program ming that we run for our elders who are living in our memor y suppor t neighb orhood s.” Based on the vision of the nonprofit’s namesake, Juliette Fowler Comm unities has a mission to connect with both young and older folks and help them thrive. Services for children and youth focus on those who have been through tough times. “ B e ca u se of o u r wo r k with The Ebby House and the Youth Suppo rt Center
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and getting young people that have been through traumatic events, whether it’s displacement through the foster care system and multiple placements or homelessness or couch surfing, we know that the more we can influence people earlier in their lives, the better chances they are of avoiding events that may lead them to those services,” Gann says. “So early childhood development became a significant part of the conversation.” Bezos Academy at Juliette Fowler has three classrooms, a workspace for educators and an outside play area, representative of an investment just under $4 million. Construction has been completed, and classes are expected to start this fall after some administrative processes are wrapped up.
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MERCI, MADAME MILLER
Students practice French in Kathy Miller’s elementary school class. Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.
O
ne of Kathy Miller’s students was putting the teacher’s lessons to good use over the summer. “The kids that took French last year, they’re speaking to me in French,” Miller says. “One of them said they went to Paris, and her dad told me, ‘Yes, she was talking to the taxi, the Uber driver, and she helped us order food at the restaurant.’ And that’s just thrilling that elementary
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school students can do that. I really get encouraged by that.” Miller is the only elementary school French teacher in Dallas ISD, and she instructs 824 children from kindergarten through fifth grade at Geneva Heights and William Lipscomb elementary schools. These classes are part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which includes foreign language courses from kindergarten through 12th grade. The goal is that the students will be fluent in three languages by the time they graduate high school, Miller says. The teaching veteran has been employed at Dallas ISD for 15 years and mainly taught at Emmett J. Conrad High School in Lake Highlands. Before then, she lived in France and taught English to elementary students there. This is her third year instructing elementary students in the States. “(Younger children) are so curious and want to learn, and they want to know everything about the language, the country, everything,” Miller says. “That desire to learn is just so prevalent in elementary school, and I missed that. And I missed their hugs. They give you a lot of hugs, too, and they’re funny.” On that last note, she recalled a student who forgot her name, addressing her as, “Hey, lady who speaks French.” Miller’s French classes include not only instruction on the language but on culture as well. This year, she tells the children about monuments in Paris and recounts stories and fun facts for each of them. “The more we get to know about people in a foreign land or people that are foreigners, the more we realize that they cherish the same things we do, like our family time together, good food, and we realize that people that you would think were different than us that they’re really just the same as us, and they want the same things that we want,” she says. “And French class kind of helps you see that.”
The White Rock YMCA has been an important part of our community. The easy conversations, kindness and new friendships have added value to our lives. Ballet encourages emotional regulation and consistent reassurance that we can do hard things while having fun with friends. Child Watch has allowed me to return to my fitness journey with confidence that my child is taken care of in my absence. Summer camp has not only filled our summer but is full of activities, field trips, excitement and learning. As a member of the YMCA my experience has been very welcoming and personable. - Villa Copeland, White Rock YMCA Member 7112 Gaston Avenue | Dallas, TX | 214-328-3849
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PAISLEY & ME
Paisley, the standard poodle who Anna Simon based her book series on, passed away last year. These days, she has Ollie, pictured, to keep her company.
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Former educator turns stories about her dog into a children’s book series Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
A History of Exceptional Dentistry
Photography by GABRIEL CANO
J U N I U S H E I G H TS N E I G H BOR ANNA SIMON LIKES A CHALLENGE. That’s what led the founder of Greenhouse Grant Writing and former teacher to write and illustrate a series of children’s books inspired by her late standard poodle, Paisley. Has she ever done that before? No, but that didn’t stop her from giving it a shot. Simon taught fifth graders for a few years at schools in Northwest Dallas. She enjoyed working with children but found that she liked developing activities more than teaching. So, she earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and took jobs where she could be more behind the scenes crafting children’s programming and coaching instructors. This includes stints at the nonprofit Project Transformation and YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. At the latter, she picked up a new skill — grant writing. “I started developing an interest on the fundraising side of things and moved into the grants manager position at the Y,” Simon says. “I’ve basically always been a writer. I’ve done curriculum development into grant writing into writing books. So, I’ve always done writing to some capacity. My audience has just changed.” Grant writing helped her make it through the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she lost her job at the YMCA. She founded Greenhouse Grant Writing in May 2020 and now has worked with over 100 nonprofits in Dallas-Fort Worth, plus those in other states and parts of Texas.
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“So I feel like (the stor y) makes a feeling that we all have very relatable and understandable, especially for young kids, and a way that they can deal with some of these emotions in healthy ways.” “I decided, ‘Well, what can I lose? I’m just going to see if there’s a need. I’m going to start reaching out to nonprofits in the area and see if there’s an interest and a need in grant writing assistance,’” she says. “And it turned out there was a big need for that.” G ra n t w r i t i n g i s st i l l S i m o n ’s full-time job, but she was inspired to write the children’s book series on the side — Paisley Poodle Finds Courage, released this summer, and Paisley Poodle Finds His Style, which was expected to publish last month. Meant for children ages 4-7, these self-published books focus on overcoming fear and change, respectively. Paisley feels anxious about slippery floors, fire hydrants, sidewalk grates and a new haircut but learns to move forward despite being afraid. Simon hopes the stories help parents have conversations with their children about fears and navigating emotions. “Most kids have pets, so they understand interacting with a pet and the feelings that pets have and also experience those feelings themselves,” Simon says. “So I feel like it makes a feeling that we all have very relatable and understandable,
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especially for young kids, and a way that they can deal with some of these emotions in healthy ways.” Alongside the book, Simon also crafted free activities for children related to Paisley Poodle, available monthly for those who sign up at paisleypoodle.com. And she has a YouTube channel, Adventures with Paisley Poodle, where she does readings and hosts other activities. Simon and her husband adopted Paisley a few months after they were married and cared for him for more than a decade until he died last year. And he really was scared of fire hydrants and sidewalk grates. “When I was teaching, so before I even started curriculum development, I had the idea Paisley Poodle would be a really cute story, but never really did anything with it,” she says. “And then after he passed last year, the idea kind of came back to me, and that’s where it kind of picked up, and I ended up coming up with his story.” Simon didn’t initially plan to come up with the illustrations, too. She hired an artist but wasn’t satisfied with how the samples looked, so she did it herself to achieve the simple and colorful
style that she wanted. And that ended up being one of her favorite parts of the over a yearlong process. “I never really realized how much I would enjoy that,” she says. “I have no background in art. It’s nothing I’ve ever really done before, and so that’s been just really, really fun to do.” The fact that she created her own illustrations can also be a lesson for children to indulge their creative instincts. “Does it have to look amazing? No. I think whatever kids produce is amazing for them,” Simon says. “You don’t have to feel like it has to be perfect, or it has to look a certain way or that you’re not good enough. You can make it your own look.” Simon described getting her book in bookstores and libraries as one of the more challenging aspects because the children’s books market is competitive and can be difficult for an unknown, new author to break out. It may take releasing a few more books for readers to get familiar with Paisley as a character, the stories and Simon before that process is easier. “I’ve realized it’s not something
that’s just going to take off overnight,” Simon says. “It’s something that’s going to be a process. I always tell my clients the same thing with grant writing. Grant writing is a process, especially if you’re new to it. You’re not just going to get funded overnight.” She hopes the Paisley Poodle series will catch on, and she has gotten good feedback from her friends who have read the first book to their children. But Simon will be fine if it doesn’t end up being successful. “It was about getting Paisley’s story out there,” she says, “Because even if I only impact one child, I still impact one.” Maybe one of those children will be her own third grader, who has been supportive of her. “I think it’s good for my son to be able to see me try something new and fail or succeed, no matter which way it goes,” Simon says. “I want to teach him that he can try anything, and he doesn’t have to be the best at it, or it doesn’t necessarily have to work out like he thought. The point is to try.”
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Juan Hernandez’s “Remembrance,” oil on canvas, is a past art piece from the Bath House Cultural Center’s Día de Muertos exhibition.
A PARTY FOR THE DEPARTED 40 years of Día de Muertos at the Bath House Story by SYRA CASTILLO
B
right orange and yellow marigolds decorate wooden altars dedicated to loved ones who have passed. Burning candles illuminate the faces of those who have crossed over. Music plays, food is
shared, and stories of family members fill the air. That is the scene artists have been asked to create for this year’s Día de Muertos: They’re Having a Party! exhibition at the Bath House Cultural
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Center, where the annual celebration is marking its 40th year. “In the scenario of the celebration, we’re thinking about the spirits, about a spiritual presence,” says Enrique Fernández Cervantes, curator and visual
arts coordinator of the Bath House Cultural Center. “We imagine that they’re here and that they’ve come to have fun with us, and we want artists to imagine that setting of festivities and imagine those spirits having a good time.” For Cervantes, that distinction is important. Día de Muertos (also referred to as Día de los Muertos) is not about celebrating death itself, but about remembering the people who have died and the memories they left behind. That idea has shaped the Bath House’s annual exhibition for decades. The exhibition traces its roots to Cora Cardona Hurst, founder of Teatro Dallas, a nonprofit theater that focuses on international works and the Latino experience. Cardona Hurst was using the Bath House Cultural Center as a home for Teatro in the ’80s when she was producing the first iterations of the exhibition. “In 1986, I staged Don Juan Tenorio by Jose Zorrilla, the first DOD show, along with an altar where audiences were able to appreciate the arts and crafts made in Mexico during this holiday,” Cardona Hurst says. Her play included scenes where certain characters dine at tombstones, which she notes as a reason why so many Mexican-Americans embraced it since it deeply resembled the tradition of dining and celebrating at Mexican cemeteries for Día de Muertos. Cardona Hurst decided to bring the Día de Muertos altars into the Bath House’s gallery spaces as an extension of her production to inform the public about the holiday. “She began doing exhibitions here that featured Day of the Dead altars, and she did that one year, and the public responded very well,” Cervantes says. “The then-director (of the Bath House) invited Cora back to do another play.” What began as an extension of a theater production eventually became a recurring exhibition — one that would continue for four decades. By the time Cervantes, who came from Mexico City, arrived at the Bath House Cultural Center in 1999, the exhibition had already become a tradition “I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a festivity that I grew up with, and maybe I can do something to continue that tradition,’” Cervantes says. As visitors began coming to the exhibition, Cervantes noticed their curiosity extended beyond the artwork itself. They wanted to understand the symbols, traditions and details incorporated into the pieces.
Why, visitors would ask, was a monarch butterfly appearing in a work? Why were short poems written alongside certain pieces? Among the traditions he and the Bath House have explored are calaveras — short rhyming poems that can be affectionate, satirical or even used to criticize public figures. “So, throughout the last 10 or 12 years, we’ve thought about one thing that maybe people don’t know much about in regards to the celebration, and we explore that,” he says. This year, about 350 to 400 works are expected to be submitted for consideration, with roughly 45-60 ultimately making their way into the three gallery spaces at the Bath House. “The main thing I look for is whether or not the artists actually read the description of the theme,” he says. “And, that they’re following our directive to think in ways that they can illustrate the theme’s idea.” Cervantes reviews photographs of the submitted artwork without knowing who created each piece. “It’s not only about the aesthetic elements of the piece, although that’s important,” he says. “It’s also about what the piece is communicating and how strongly that piece is touching or moving somebody.” After curating the exhibition 28 times, Cervantes also knows the importance of looking at the artwork through other perspectives. He occasionally seeks input from independent curators and artists who have experience with Día de Muertos exhibitions. But the artists who submit their work — and the people who come to see it — have changed considerably since the exhibition’s early years. Cervantes says that at the very beginning of the exhibition’s history, the majority of the artwork was submitted by artists of Latino origin. Now, the majority of the artists are no longer Latino. Rather than seeing that shift as a departure from the exhibition’s roots, Cervantes views it as a sign that people outside the Mexican culture have found something meaningful in the celebration. “I saw that increase of participation from non-Latinos as something flattering to my community, my Mexican heritage,” Cervantes says. “Day of the Dead is one of the most ancient rituals of the American continent,” Cardona Hurst says. “It belongs to all of us, whoever wants to embrace it and pay tribute to our departed loved ones.” The exhibit will run from Oct. 10 through Nov. 7.
Maggie Wolters, a Mexican artist leading cartonería (papier mâché) artwork in Dallas, is known for her large-scale papier mâché sculptures and Día de los Muertos altars. Photos courtesy of Enrique Fernández Cervantes.
OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com
21
1 GIRL + 4 SQUIRRELS = A DANGEROUS EAST DALLAS COVER BAND From St. Thomas Aquinas to The Goat, this group keeps rambling on Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
22 lakewood.advocatemag.com OCTOBER 2026
Squirrel + the Girl — from left, Sean Gaffney, Mike DeLisa, Tina Kimbell, Jeff Gruber and Marc Daigle — performs songs like “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Angel of Harlem” by U2, “6th Avenue Heartache” by The Wallflowers, and “My Church” by Maren Morris. Photo courtesy of Mark Rutledge.
WHAT DO YOU GET when you bring together five musically-inclined parents of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School students? Answer: the East Dallas rock cover band Squirrel + the Girl, jokingly taglined as “the most dangerous mom/dad band from East Dallas.” The group — singer Tina Kimbell, gui-
tarist Marc Daigle, guitarist and singer Jeff Gruber, drummer Mike DeLisa and bassist Sean Gaffney (all members sing except for the drummer) — started out in 2019 as a volunteer effort to help St. Thomas Aquinas by playing at events so the school wouldn’t have to pay a band. “The guys needed service hours,” Kimbell says, prompting a chorus of laughter from her bandmates. “The mom of the group already had plenty of service hours.” Gruber and Gaffney met through their children and were able to bring the rest of the members on board over the course of a year. “What I always tell people is that, on paper, that sounds like the recipe for a really either terrible or mediocre band,” Daigle says. “Like, ‘Hey, I know this guy who has kids at the school also who plays in a band.’ Sounds like I don’t want to be a part of that. But in actuality, everyone in the band has either played professionally or semi-professionally at some point. … It turned out to be a really cool thing.” Bringing the five members toge ther was like “lightning in the bottle,” Gruber says. They meshed musically, vocally and as friends. “The great thing is it’s a group of folks I would have fun hanging out with anyway,” Gaffney says. “It just so happens that everybody can play music.” They started under another name, which they didn’t reveal since it sounds like that of another band. That had to change once they graduated from playing school functions to East Dallas mainstays like The Goat and Barley House. “Squirrel + the Girl came about because these guys have very, very short attention spans,” Kimbell says. “And for years, I have called them squirrels because we can’t get through a two-hour practice session without them veering off. I always tell the joke about, like, ‘Did y’all see the documentary on blah, blah, blah, blah, blah?’ And I’m like, ‘Hang on guys, let’s pull it back together.’” The band focuses on subgenres of rock music — classic, yacht, alternative and grunge, specifically. Songs are generally from the 20th century’s later decades, but they’ll sneak in a Taylor Swift or Miranda Lambert tune on occasion. The setlist ends up reflecting what certain East Dallas folks want to hear. “When we play something like The Goat or even the Lakewood Country Club, we’re
on home turf,” Gruber says. “The people that are there, they’re not only our friends, but they’re like peers, and they all have the same musical sort of history and taste that we do as well. And so our setlists have meandered all over through different genres and eras. … It just sort of sounds like what people in the neighborhood listen to.” Kimbell recalls her bandmates pushing her out of her comfort zone to take on Robert Plant’s shout-like belting in the 1969 Led Zeppelin banger “Ramble On.” “That was one song Sean was like, ‘You could totally do this,’ and vocally for me, I’m like, ‘No way,’ but it is one of the most fun songs we play,” she says, as Gruber adds, “And you kill it.” She also says, “Gruber has become kind of the setlist master in the sense of where we play and what we play makes a difference. We can’t just play certain songs at The Goat. There has to be Goat songs.” As adults and parents, they have to balance the responsibility of the band with family and work. Squirrel + the Girl is a fun hobby for them, a way to share their musical gifts with listening ears, something to look forward to and take seriously but not too seriously. “You got to love a band to go and play at The Goat from 9:30 to 1:30 on a Friday night,” Kimbell says. Squirrel + the Girl has its share of fans (especially at The Goat) who follow the band’s multiple performances throughout the year, particularly while school is in session since they take time off during the summer. Upcoming shows are posted on Facebook and Instagram. Even the members’ teenagers enjoy the kind of music their parents play and sometimes make requests. “My daughter is about to be 16,” Daigle says. “She’s like, ‘Oh, I really like this song on Stranger Things;’ and I didn’t watch it after the first season. And she’s like basically playing our playlist of songs that we play.” But Squirrel + the Girl isn’t a tribute band. What else can you expect from a band self-described as jumping around from song to song like squirrels? “Our natural instinct was to be a little bit wider breadth,” Gruber says. “If you come and see us tonight, you’re not going to hear all ’90s, you’re not going to hear all country, you’re not going to hear all this. You’re going to hear something pretty distracted. But we hope you like it.”
OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com
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fo o d
You can build your own pizza at Ghost Pizza, starting at $9.95 for a 10-inch, and select toppings like pepperoni, salami, sausage, meatball, bacon, grilled chicken, artichoke, Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, pineapple, garlic and spinach. lakewood.advocatemag.com OCTOBER 2026
38
THE S LI CE TH AT C A ME BA CK Frank Nuccio carries his family’s restaurant legacy into Ghost Pizza Story by SYRA CASTILLO | Photography by KATHY TRAN
F RA N K N UCC I O was only in the seventh grade when he was put in charge of running his family’s pizzeria, Pizza by Marco, by himself for a week when his mom was having surgery. Although it was a daunting responsibility for a middle schooler, Nuccio had been helping his father with the pizzeria since he was 8 years old. By then, he knew the ins and outs of creating the perfect pie. Decades later, those early lessons continue to shape Nuccio’s approach to pizza. As the owner of Ghost Pizza, located in Northview Plaza in Lake Highlands, he’s applying everything he learned about consistency and quality to a new generation of customers. “I never really pictured myself staying in the business, and throughout my life, I’ve had my own businesses,” Nuccio says. Hi s fi r s t v e n tu re w a s Vi d e o Q u e s t , a video rental store at Preston Road and Royal Lane. When the Dallas Stars relocated from Minnesota, Nuccio gambled on adding a small selection of roller hockey equipment. The move paid off, eventually leading him to open Center Ice Hockey Supply in Addison. However, everything changed in 1995 when Nuccio’s father died. The following year, he stepped in to manage Pizza by Marco’s books, inventory and ordering.
Even as he helped run the family business, Nuccio continued pursuing new ventures. Following the release of the Counter-Strike video game, he launched a video game league that eventually grew into a company producing multimillion-dollar esports tournaments around the world. After selling his esports company, Nuccio turned his attention back to Pizza by Marco since he says Preston Hollow was “devoid of good food.” A s the res taurant ’s lunch business continued to grow, he returned to his entrepreneurial roots and began thinking bigger. “The pizzeria was doing better and better in the shopping center, and Borders Bookstore had just moved in, and we’re getting a big lunch business,” he says. “And I was like, I’m going to open up a couple more of these.” By the late 2000s, Nuccio had expanded Pizza by Marco beyond its original Preston Road location, opening restaurants in West Plano, Addison, Carrollton and The Woodlands. But growth came at a cost. As the only person who knew the family’s sauce recipe, Nuccio was making sauce for multiple restaurants while also overseeing the flagship location. “When I was a teenager, I’d asked my dad, ‘Let’s open up more stores,’ and he’d say, ‘No, it’s too much work. We’re doing fine right
OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com
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now,’” he says. “I didn’t like the answer they gave me, but now, I understand.” After manning multiple l o c at i o n s , t h e fi n a l p u s h t o close Pizza by Marco was with the passing of Nuccio’s mother in 2019. Once the pizzeria’s leases ended, he decided to close them down. After tr ying his hand at owning a boba store called Squishies, Nuccio remembers f e e l i n g h i s p a r e n t ’s s t r o n g personalities urging him to get back into the pizza business. “I kept hearing in the back of my head my mom, my dad nudging me to get back in the pizza business,” he says. “Their ghosts were talking to me.” Those “ghosts” became the inspiration behind Nuccio’s newest pizzeria, Ghost Pizza. Nuccio hopes to give customers an affordable option by keeping menu prices at 2019 levels, including a two-pizzas-for-$20 special. Keeping prices low starts with his business model. Rather than investing heavily in renovations or a large s taff, Nuccio has focused on keeping overhead costs down while making gradual improvements as his business grows. He hopes to replace the restaurant’s tables with booths later this year. “People are trying to maximize their profits. But me, I just want to pay my bills. I want to save some money, but I’m not looking to be a jillionaire,” he says. About five years ago, Nuccio began experiencing joint pain that he initially thought was a r t h r i t i s . Af t e r r e s e a r ch i n g possible causes and changing his diet, he says the pain disappeared once he focused on high quality ingredients — a practice he is implementing in his pizzeria. Today, Nuccio uses organic f l o u r, c o o k s s a u s a g e s a n d hamburger meat in-house, fries
40 lakewood.advocatemag.com OCTOBER 2026
appetizers in beef tallow, and says he prioritizes ingredients such as imported olive oil, black and green olives, and tomatoes from Italy and California. Ghost Pizza’s opening has already reunited Nuccio with longtime customers who grew up eating Pizza by Marco. “I’ve been going to Marco’s since the ’70s, and when I heard it opened up, I had to come,” customer Adam Naxxon says. “I live all the way over by the Galleria, and I’m really excited the (pizza) is back.” Among Ghost Pizza’s most popular offerings is the Maximus (starting at $14.95), a loaded pizza topped with onions, cheese, sausage, ground beef, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, black olives, green olives, green peppers and mushrooms. Another customer favorite is the Spartan (starting a t $ 14 . 9 5 ) , w h i c h f e a t u r e s s a u s a ge , o n i o n , h a m b u rge r, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, green peppers and bacon. For customers looking for something beyond pizza, Ghost Pizza also offers a Caesar salad (starting at $4.95), a pecan salad (star ting at $4. 95), calzones ($9.95) and fried ravioli ($8.95), among other items. Ghost Pizza is also currently offering a special that includes one 10-inch pizza and 20-ounce soda for $6.99. Nuccio attributes the pizzeria’s success to the over whelming support of the Lake Highlands community. On its first Friday, the restaurant sold roughly 150 pizzas, a turnout that exceeded his expectations. “ My c u s t o m e r s k e e p m e motivated. I (want) to keep making them happy, making them smile,” Nuccio says. “Hopefully, new customers will come back.” Ghost Pizza, 10675 E. Northwest Highway #1635, 214.363.6122
On the menu at Ghost Pizza is the Augustus with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, provolone and shredded Parmesan for $12.95 and up, and the Maximus with sausage, ground beef, onion, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, black olives, green olives, green peppers and mushrooms for $14.95 and up.
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41
Who’s afraid of The Museum School of East Dallas? As The Museum School arrives, 32 parents rush to defend their schools Story by MADELYN EDWARDS
N OT EV E RYO N E I S A FA N O F A NEW CHARTER SCHOOL A I M I N G TO S E RV E FA R E AST DA L L AS ST U D E N TS. Since we wrote about it a year ago, The Museum School of East Dallas is open. It offers kindergarten through fourth grade classes in its first year but plans to eventually expand to serve pre-kindergarteners through eighth graders. And it has garnered some critics. A letter signed by 32 East Dallas parents circulated earlier this year and expressed concerns of The Museum School’s impact. They say local Dallas ISD campuses are already serving the neighborhood well, and adding a new charter school to the mix “creates unnecessary harm and destabilization.” The chief complaint lodged against The Museum School is “aggressively recruiting both students and teachers” from neighborhood campuses, specifically at Victor H. Hexter Elementary. This is especially a sore spot since the charter school’s founder and superintendent, Loren Colman, previously had her children enrolled at Hexter. How many Dallas ISD teachers were hired? Two out of 10 total on staff.
42 lakewood.advocatemag.com OCTOBER 2026
Two is a low number, but parents point out that it’s 20% of the charter school’s instructors, to say nothing of the experience of losing their child’s teacher. Lindsay Staggs, one of the parents who signed the letter of concern, said in a July interview she felt devastated, furious, betrayed and hopeless when she learned that her daughter’s teacher was recruited to The Museum School. “(The recruited teacher) was amazing for my daughter and amazing for her students, and the impact that such a talented and incredible teacher can have is just so accretive, and it’s like an investment that just keeps going,” Staggs says. “When you see the high impact of that, and then you start to hear, ‘Oh, they’re being paid more. The Museum School is offering them more compensation,’ and you know that a public school budget only has so many resources and a finite budget, hands are tied.” Mya Baker, The Museum School of East Dallas board chairperson, denied that the charter school was “paying teachers a bunch of extra money” in a July interview. “That’s not the case. We can’t afford to,” she says. Baker was confident that nothing illegal or unethical happened.
“Your teacher you really liked left doesn’t necessarily mean there was predatory hiring practices,” Baker says. Among its demands, the letter called for a “responsible recruitment policy and good-faith hiring commitment.” Baker says specific schools were not targeted, and leadership didn’t ask teachers to break their contracts. Recruitment was intentionally started before educators would’ve had to commit to their districts to avoid encouraging contract breaking. Parents also claimed that the school’s leader had directly poached teachers. Baker says one teacher had spoken to Colman about applying, and another from Hexter was referred. Staggs’s experience led her to ask more questions. She says the letter was intended to spread awareness among parents and challenge the charter school to be more thoughtful and transparent. “We are not opposed to innovation,” Staggs says. “We believe every child deserves access to high-quality education, but especially with how charter schools are managed, especially with the state of Texas and the funding involved, the community deserves transparency and accountability and a meaningful voice in
how these decisions are made. And the more research we did about The Museum School, its application and the location where it ultimately landed, there’s a lot more questions than answers.” Regarding location, the charter school’s application to the state, which was approved last year, anticipated the campus being located in 75228 for its first year. ZIP codes 75223 and 75150 were listed as alternatives, but the campus is currently located in nearby 75218 on Garland Road. “We had planned to be in a different location, which would have created more funding opportunity for the school in the long run, and so actually, our final location is not ideal for us,” Baker says, explaining that three options fell through. “We were sort of between a rock and a hard place without any other facilities in our original planned ZIP code that could even accommodate a school.” Granted, 75218 is listed in the application as a targeted ZIP code in some past instances, and the campus is very close to the intended area. Founding families were fine with the change as long as the school would still open, Baker says. Those from the ideal zone stayed with the school, and recruitment from there has been prioritized. Given this, does the change in location actually matter that much? It does to the local Dallas ISD parents. Two of them say they understand that the charter school wasn’t able to secure its intended location, but they wanted more transparency and community engagement from The Museum School. For transparency specifically, parents took issue with the way neighboring schools were framed, specifically but not limited to The Museum School’s state application. There is mention about “poor” accountability scores in the 75228 ZIP code, including “two nearby schools consistently receive ‘Not Rated’ (NR) scores below 70 (‘D’ or worse).” “While some families may settle for a B or C rating because that is all they have ever known, we insist that all students should have access to an A-rated education from kindergarten to eighth grade, building a solid foundation for high school, college, career and military readiness and success, and there are currently none in the community,” reads the charter school’s application. Again, parents who signed the letter are content with their Dallas ISD schools and see this narrative as inaccurate. “Leveraging the idea that there are not high-performing schools in our community for students to go to in order to sell the idea
of this school is incredibly unfair to the staff and students at DISD who have worked tremendously hard to build great schools under tremendous pressure and constraints,” says one parent, who asked for anonymity for fear of being personally targeted. “There was a time when Dallas ISD was not serving kids well, and the conversation can be different if that’s the case, but that’s not the case right now.
leaders and advocates had to sweat for it as our representatives argued over voucher funding, ultimately using $1 billion of taxpayer dollars for families to pay for private education-related expenses. It may be fair to say that Texas public school advocates want to protect what’s theirs, now more than ever. Staggs is concerned about The Museum School “siphon(ing) funds from our
“I think why we are sort of in this space right now where we feel tension with that choice is because at the end of the day, none of our public schools, charter or ISDs, are actually getting funded enough in the state of Texas.”
Not only is it unfair, it’s tinged with a lot of assumptions that public schools are somehow not good enough for some kids, and that is really upsetting.” Baker clarified that the application was made with available data at the time, circa December 2024. These scores for campuses and districts are subject to yearly change. The parents are concerned about the competition because they believe that it will cost their local Dallas ISD schools students and teachers, leading to closures. Baker doesn’t think the couple of hundred students at The Museum School by full grow-out could ever threaten Dallas ISD as a whole but didn’t dismiss fears of campuses closing as unreal. “There have been charters and private schools and things in this area for a long time,” Baker says. “I think why we are sort of in this space right now where we feel tension with that choice is because at the end of the day, none of our public schools, charter or ISDs, are actually getting funded enough in the state of Texas.” Both Dallas ISD and The Museum School are funded in part by the state based on their students’ average daily attendance. Less students, less money. State lawmakers eventually allocated $8.5 billion in new funding for public schools, the first comprehensive funding package in years, in 2025’s legislative session. But public school
already constrained resources in our schools.” The anonymous parent predicted that children without engaged parents would be left behind in the wake of this charter school. The parents say they don’t blame families or teachers for choosing The Museum School. But they don’t agree with the charter school’s existence and wish it would go away — to another neighborhood or through its leaders redirecting their efforts to Dallas ISD schools instead — though they know that’s unrealistic. The Museum School of East Dallas, which Baker says is poised to be the only one of its kind in Texas, is here because some local families want it to be. “I’m glad people love their local schools, but for some parents, they didn’t love their local school, and they didn’t love it enough that they got in a lottery and filled out an application with us and have been invested with us,” she says. “This isn’t just like, ‘Oh, we’re going to offer the same thing across the street.’ We’re offering something really different for a lot of folks.” It may be too soon to tell how The Museum School will impact nearby Dallas ISD campuses. Parents and the public are free to continue voicing their opinions about it, but the charter school is operating, as are other local schools, and that probably won’t change. At least, not in this school year.
OCTOBER 2026 lakewood.advocatemag.com
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OUR NEIGHBORHOOD Illustraion via Getty Images/ilbusca.
By PATTI VINSON
friends on the other side Le ge n d s f ro m n e i g h b o rs
E
ast Dallas, you have stories. Ghost stories. Some of you welcome these spirits, some of you are curious and a bit puzzled, and some of you are creeped out. Read on, neighbors, about the spectres all around us. (Note: To preserve privacy, sources are identified by first names only.) If you live in an old house, you may occasionally hear creaks that seem normal for an elderly structure. Lisa lives in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood in a house built in 1920. “We constantly hear things, but we always debunk it to being the house settling,” she shrugs. But some things aren’t so easily explained away. “When my son was a toddler, he saw someone standing in our back room, which was an addition from the 1950s,” she remembers, adding, “I still see a shadow every now and then.” Her security camera also consistently records what appear to be orbs flying about. To further deepen the mystery, she has this: “We did find a secret hidden room about five years ago.” She offered no other details or explanation. Some East Dallas neighbors find the occasional paranormal experience a positive thing, even comforting. Longtime neighbor Diane takes exception to the term “haunted,” believing “it gives a negative vibe.” Instead, she feels she is visited by those who’ve crossed over. “I have several spirits around me all the time — loved ones.” When the love of her life died years ago, she was sorting through his papers, thinking how much she missed him and asked him for a sign that he was still around. The next day, on top of a pile of documents, she found a card he had given her the year before. The spirits seem to respond to her. “Years ago, I noticed I had not ‘seen or heard’ from anyone in weeks, so I commented out loud that observation. About 20 minutes later, all four of my dogs alerted on the kitchen. A couple minutes later, the Brita water pitcher on top of my refrigerator went flying across the kitchen,” she says. “No, it didn’t fall off,” she insists. “It went
about 7 feet to the end of the kitchen. I then said, ‘OK, thanks. Can you dial it back a bit, just a touch?’” Some spirits, on the other hand, are not disruptive at all. There are tales of entities who are simply there, quietly going about their afterlife. Down on Worth Street, Tracy lives in a house built 118 years ago. “My house definitely has a presence. She’s sad but not scary at all.” And neighbor Sarah actually has witnesses to apparitions in her home. “My housekeepers say they see ghosts sitting in the living room who don’t seem scary.” Kathleen is another neighbor with spirited guests — which she welcomes. “Our current home, built in 1931, has what we call a poltergeist. It plays with electronics and loves to relocate things.” She also tells of a former loft apartment where she heard unexplained footsteps and voices. “A woman in high heels was always walking down the hallway. I checked many times over seven years, and there was never anyone there. But the best part was falling asleep to the sounds of the parties. The rumble of conversation, glasses clinking and cutlery against plates. It was awesome!” East Dallas resident Brandi is another who nonchalantly says her house is haunted. “It was built in 1910 and owned by the same family for over 60 years. Three of them passed in the home, and I think they are here. It’s a very warm presence. They have comforted me before when I was going through my dog’s passing and other things. Things I have hung on the wall have randomly fallen; lights and TVs turn on at will. I’m personally thrilled to have them.” Not all spirits are welcome though. Their presence can be unsettling and creepy. Paul tells of witnessing “something darting from the
46 lakewood.advocatemag.com OCTOBER 2026
dining room to the bedroom” in his 1926 house. “We always figured it was the spirit of a child up past bedtime.” Victoria lived by herself in a fourplex on Worth Street for a year, but she never felt alone. “I always felt a presence in a hallway.” She remembers each time a friend’s dog would visit, he would bark at the space even though nothing was there. “It happened several times.” Lakewood neighbor Tina lives in a townhome built on land where there once stood a hospital. “When I moved in, pictures that were carefully hung fell off the wall. I’m not the first to say it. Other neighbors have experienced the same thing.” And neighbor Megan recalls an incident a few years ago in her 1942 home involving a friend’s 5-year-old son. “He was standing in my closet and asked me who that girl was. There wasn’t anyone in there. Then his eyes/head followed her up to the ceiling. When I asked him who he saw, he looked at me bewildered and confused and almost immediately said, ‘Oh, I was looking at this shirt,’ pointing to a shirt in my closet, like he was ashamed of seeing a ghost. His grandmother told me he saw her husband at their house after he passed, too.” East Dallas, pay attention. What was that noise? It’s said the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world is thin this time of year. Just ask your neighbors. PATTI VINSON is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for more than 20 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine.
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