Farm To Table Benefits of Eating Fresh, Local and Sustainable by Patti Otte Farm-to-table eating is about more than just fresh ingredients—it’s a movement that supports local agriculture, embraces sustainability, and cuts down on the environmental impact of long food...
CIVIC LEADER Curtis Poovey City of Richardson Fire Department Chief Tell us about yourself and your journey to becoming a firefighter. I grew up in Rowlett back when that town was considered country and so small there wasn’t even a store to buy a pair of socks....
Still in The Game The Richardson Roadrunners’Quest for Victory By Ken Marcus What to do when you’ve retired from working and don’t want to just sit around watching TV? It’s a question many retired people have and it’s not so easy to find something worthwhile...
Rooted in Well-being I first connected with Shannon of Rooted Counseling & Wellness two years ago, around the time I started my Instagram page. Back then, her practice was young and small, but I immediately knew it was something special. It created a much- needed...
Ariel Gunn Owner, Yoga Chikitsa Tell us about yourself, Ariel. What three adjectives best describe you? And have you always been an entrepreneur? I am strong, sincere and driven. I have a Bachelor’s degree (major in sociology and minors in psychology, art, and...
Note: School district information provided by Richardson ISD. Nurturing Minds Richardson ISD's Commitment to Mental and Emotional Wellness How the District is Cultivating Resilience, Support, and Growth for Students’ Well-Being According to the World...
Innovation and Impact at UTD's Texas Biomedical Device Center Dr. Michael Kilgard and colleagues blazing a new trail in brain-based therapies By Patti Otte When Mike Kilgard was young. he spent a lot of time in nature and called the water near his house the "bayou" It...
The Interdependence of Mental and Physical Health by Deborah Dobbs, MA Emotions continually influence our well-being. Chronic stress compromises our immune system. Highly optimistic people tend to live longer. A 2017 study by Edmondson and von Känel revealed...
The Richardson Family YMCA A Hub for Health, Connection and Purpose By Samantha Buehler and Jennifer Federici Since its establishment in 1961, the Richardson Family YMCA has been more than just a fitness center; it’s been a cornerstone of health, wellness and...
Allison Taylor Entrepreneur Allison Taylor of Taylored Monogram Shop What is your name and the name of your business? How long have you been in business? My name is Allison Taylor and I own Taylored Monogram Shop (TMS), which has been open since July of 2023....
The Richardson Paige Paige Hughes Hey, y’all! My name is Paige Hughes, but most of you know me as The Richardson Paige on Instagram. For those who don’t know me, I share about all things Richardson: small businesses, events, cool individuals, local favorites, hidden...
The Richardson Gobble Hobble Information for this article provided by RPD Assistant Chief of Police Coby Pewitt, who is currently serving as president of the Richardson’s Boys & Girls Club Advisory Council. For the past 19 years, a Richardson pre-Thanksgiving race...
RISD EDUCATORS’ CORNER Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we highlight individuals who are making a difference in the lives of Richardson Independent School District students. If you would like to nominate someone to be showcased in this section...
Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we highlight an individual, couple or...
La Casita Bakeshop: A Pastry Lover’s Paradise Chefs and Co-Owners Maricsa Trejo and Alex Henderson Making Magic in Richardson By Patti Otte In Richardson’s sleepy, nondescript shopping center on Arapaho Road just west of Custer, smart and savvy husband-and-wife...
The Richardson Symphony League Rich in History, Focused on the Future By Susan Kassen The Richardson Symphony League is rich in tradition and history, dating back to its establishment in 1966. The volunteer organization serves the Symphony and the Richardson...
Network’s Senior’s Net A Quiet, Peaceful, Picturesque Escape Within Richardson’s City Limits By Jane Kovacs, Network’s Senior’s Net Coordinator When most people think of Network of Community Ministries, food distribution or clothing drives are usually top of mind....
The Richardson Gobble Hobble Information for this article provided by RPD Assistant Chief of Police Coby Pewitt, who is currently serving as president of the Richardson’s Boys & Girls Club Advisory Council. For the past 19 years, a Richardson pre-Thanksgiving race...
CIVIC LEADER Dr. Clayton Oliphint Pastor, Leader, Family Man, Bridge Builder By Patti Otte Tell us about yourself. What path led you to the position you hold today at FUMCR? I was born a Methodist preacher’s son in Louisiana and my family moved to Texas when I...
RISD EDUCATORS’ CORNER Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we highlight individuals who are making a difference in the lives of Richardson Independent School District students. If you would like to nominate someone to be showcased in this section...
Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we highlight an individual, couple or...
Symphony Of Secrets By Brendan Slocumb Richardson Reads One Book is celebrating its 20th anniversary and Brendan Slocumb’s Symphony of Secrets has been chosen as this year’s RROB selection. Slocumb’s novel, published in 2023, was praised as one of last year’s...
Get ready for Best of Richardson. Based on readers voting, find out who is the best in several categories. FAQs: Is it free to participate? No cost for businesses to be nominated/listed. How to get Ads = Exposure? Ads on the ballot and in Richardson Life Magazine...
Brianna Ruelas Music Brianna, you are such a talented and multi-faceted entrepreneur...musician, speaker, author, wife, mom. For those who don’t know you, how would you describe yourself and your business? Well, you hit the nail on the head with multi-faceted....
Building Bridges Across Communities of Faith By Patti Otte On the fourth Thursday of every month, a diverse group of faith leaders gathers to have lunch, share fellowship, and exchange ideas. For this hour, the group builds relationships and respect. Business is...
RISD EDUCATORS’ CORNER Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we highlight individuals who are making a difference in the lives of Richardson Independent School District students. If you would like to nominate someone to be showcased in this section...
Network of Community Ministries New MENTAL HEALTH and WELLNESS SERVICES By Patti Otte Network is responding to alarming mental health statistics in Texas by introducing mental health and wellness services to their existing programming. This initiative aims to...
BEN & SKIN Radio Celebrities with Richardson Roots By Patti Otte Most folks don’t get to earn a living chatting and laughing with their best friend. But that’s exactly what Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade have done every day since 2008 on their wildly popular...
ALISHA GIMBEL Director, City of Richardson Office of Emergency Management Tell us about your role as the director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The Office of Emergency Management consists of a part-time administrative assistant and four full-time...
DON MAGNER City Manager of Richardson Tell us about your early years. Where did you grow up and what was your early family life like? Where did you attend college? When did you know that you wanted to work in city government? I was born and raised in New Orleans. I...
A temporary Homes for Beloved City Service By Patti Otte While the City of Richardson’s original library undergoes its much anticipated transformation, citizens can once again enjoy the Richardson Library’s approximately 235,000 items in its new, albeit temporary,...
A New Beginning for J.J Pearce By Maggie Kennedy, Richardson Life Magazine Intern Recently, J.J. Pearce High School has undergone an “out with the old and in with the new” transformation. Anyone familiar with the school has endured these changes over the last three...
Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we highlight an individual, couple or...
By Jean Stuart and Patti Otte Nationally-renowned biochemist and cancer researcher Helen Dyer once stated, “Volunteering is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud.” A group of women...
ENJOY THE SHOW! CELEBRATING RISD’S OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE PROGRAMS What better way to say goodbye to summer and hello to the new school year than by shining a spotlight on Richardson ISD’s topnotch high school theatre programs. You’ll find something for...
The City of Richardson hosted an exciting Sesquicentennial celebration and Richardson Life Magazine’s summer intern, Reed Granger, covered it. Reed is a rising sophomore at Syracuse University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the Maxwell School fo...
GARY TITTLE Chief of Police Richardson Police Department Tell us about your early years. Where did you grow up and what was your early family life like? When did you know you wanted to serve as a police officer? I was born in Texarkana, but my parents moved to...
RICHARDSON’S ANNUAL LITERARY EVENT What do these characters all have in common? • A philosophical dog who loves racing in the rain • A Japanese boy and a Chinese girl who fall in love during WWII • Nine people who are trapped in a collapsed building after an...
Chelsea Jacobs Owner, Yellow House Story Shoppe What is your name and how long have you been in business? Where are you located? My name is Chelsea Jacobs and I have had the joy of running my little bookshop since 2019. After hosting book weekends in my home, I...
By Nancy McGuire Multiple studies have shown that pet owners reap many physical and mental benefits from their animal friends. Pets offer not only companionship, but also provide a calming presence, help reduce stress and anxiety, and encourage their owners to be...
World Champion Fighter Turned Philanthropic Family Man Want to know what makes Guy Mezger most proud? It’s not being a six-time world champion combat athlete. It’s not being considered one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time, having won both the...
By Patti Otte Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we highlight an...
RISD 2022-2023 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR RISD celebrated the close of the 2022-2023 school year by naming Mary Altmann and Ernie Huben as Elementary School Teacher of the Year and Middle School Teacher of the Year, respectively. Mary, a sixth-grade math and science teacher...
A New Nonprofit with Big Plans for the Future. By Michael Belvin & Patti Otte When Evie Belvin arrived, parents Katie and Michael Belvin were overjoyed; however, the doctors quickly swept Evie away for additional evaluation. It was in those initial days that the...
Nicole Gregory Owner of Staycation What is your name and how long have you had Staycation? Is that the full name of the shop? Nicole Gregory and yes, that is the full name. I opened Staycation in November of 2021. Tell us about Staycation. What makes it...
Celebrating Charles Smith, Richardson’s Very Own Centenarian By Patti Otte On September 24, 2023, Charles Smith will turn 103 years young. Mr. Smith’s mind is filled with vivid memories of a time when Richardson was mainly farmland and the best mode of transportation...
Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we will focus on philanthropies that are making a difference in our community. If you would like to nominate a nonprofit to be celebrated in the pages of the magazine, email pmotte@hylogroup.com. NETWORK OF...
Brand New Richardson Hot Spot Now Open By Raquel Henry Richardson’s newest casual retreat for the Holy Trinity of a Texas good time—live music, great food and cold beer—Old 75 Beer Garden is now open for business. Located just off Central Expressway between Beltline...
Local Playwright and Performers Celebrating Richardson’s 150th Actors Miracle Lewis and David Keller Photo By Autumn McNamara Not many cities can point to a play based on their history. Far fewer the size of Richardson can make that claim. As part of Richardson’s...
Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we will highlight an individual or organization making a difference in the lives of Richardson Independent School District students. If you would like to nominate an RISD teacher, staff member or organization,...
On Saturday, May 6, Richardson elected its 2023-2025 Mayor and City Council Members. While their official bios were widely publicized during the election, we wanted to get to know each civic leader on a more informal basis. We sent twenty questions to each civic...
Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine, we highlight an individual, couple or...
One of Richardson’s cultural crown jewels, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1961 by Maestro Chris Xeros and a group of dedicated volunteers. In 1990, Maestro Anshel Brusilow became the second conductor of the RSO. The orchestra continued to grow and is...
Tiger Woods appeared on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2, putting with Bob Hope. He shot 48 for nine holes at age three and was featured in Golf Digest at age five. Rory McIlroy started golfing at age 7. Preston Stout, on the other hand, grew up playing baseball,...
A Special Village Within our City Limits In 1945, General Douglas MacArthur was tasked with overseeing the rebuilding of Japan following World War II. He did so from his walnutpaneled sixth floor office in Tokyo’s Dai Chi Life Insurance Company building. For...
The award-winning Shady’s Burgers & Brewhaha, a family-friendly neighborhood restaurant and bar, will celebrate ten years on April 1. The Best Burger in Dallas winner, according to the Dallas Observer’s Best of 2022, opened in 2013 in the Canyon Creek neighborhood...
How are Chamber Presidents chosen and how long is the term of service? A Chamber President is the CEO of the organization. The position is neither an elected one nor is it governed by term limits. Instead, the Chamber President is hired and managed by a Board of...
Richardson Oasis Undergoing Major Renovation Canyon Creek Country Club, located in the heart of the Canyon Creek neighborhood, offers a variety of member privileges, including a championship 18-hole golf course, 13 outdoor tennis courts, 4 indoor courts, 10 outdoor...
Featured Artist for Spring Show The City of Richardson is excited to announce that Karina Llergo, a multicultural heritage artist, will be featured at the spring Cottonwood Art Festival, set for May 6-7 at Cottonwood Park. A panel of jurors reviewed artwork from...
Owner, Justin Thyme Homes I’m Desiree Johnson, founder of Justin Thyme Homes. I’d like to share how I went from being a marketing director, flying all over the world and managing brands for Fortune 500 companies that included Dr. Pepper, T-Mobile and American...
Choosing The Right Roofing Contractor Spring is here and local homeowners know that means potentially severe weather. For anyone who owns a residential property or commercial building, they know the time will eventually come when they will have a need to hire a...
Changing Lives and Building Bridges One of Richardson’s not-forprofit shining stars is the Richardson Adult Literacy Center (RALC). Founded in 1990, RALC’s purpose is to transform lives by providing English as a Second Language and workforce readiness programs to...
Living a healthy lifestyle in Richardson is easy thanks to the City’s investment in its many parks and trails. There are 87 miles of trails and walkways across Richardson, including 6 miles of soft surface trails. Richardson continues to make improvements to existing...
RICHARDSON’S MOVERS AND SHAKERS Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we...
Since its founding in 1966 as the first arts organization in Richardson, the Richardson Civic Art Society (RCAS) has had one stated purpose: to organize and support projects that further creative visual art and artists. The group is instrumental in fostering an...
Growing Again to Better Serve You and Your Family It’s not somewhere you plan to go. But when emergencies happen, you want to go somewhere close to home that you trust to return you and your loved ones to good health. That is why Methodist Richardson Medical Center is...
Editor’s Note: In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we will highlight an individual who has made a difference in the lives of Richardson Independent School District students. If you would like to nominate an educator, email pmotte@hylogroup.com . Our inaugural...