Richardson’s Sesquicentennial
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 Citizenship and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Science in Photography at the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Reed grew up in Richardson and has deep roots here. Photo credit for this “scrapbook” belongs to Reed, who states, “Richardson’s 150th anniversary celebration reminds me of the experience I had growing up in this city. I think all of us need to encounter the range of individuals I met and organizations I interacted with at the Sesquicentennial. I saw the Richardson Community Band performing songs for all ages, learned about water marbling and cultural harmony from the Dialogue Institute, and watched Mayor Bob Dubey and the CIty Council place items into a time capsule, which will be opened in 2073. Through these images, I hope that you can see the collective love we share for this place we live. On this day, we celebrated our joy, diversity and long-lasting ability to make this city a home for all of its residents. As a photographer, I aimed to capture this unity. The city of Richardson truly is remarkable.”
Gary Tittle (Chief of Police Richardson Police Department)
I was born in Texarkana, but my parents moved to the metroplex when I was one and I grew up in Murphy. Mom and Dad both worked for the postal service; Mom retired from the Richardson post office, Dad from the Garland post office. While we didn’t live in Richardson, we did a lot of business here and spent time in the area.
Richardson Reads One Book
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 earthquake • Four undocumented Mexican American students and two great teachers who enter a robot building contest • A Texas ranger who tries to solve two racial homicides • A clever octopus who brings family members together Hopefully, you’ve guessed it—they are all characters from a Richardson Reads One Book selection—a program that is now in its nineteenth year. Through an engaging author lecture, Richardson Reads One Book aims to: • Stimulate an interest in the pleasure and the importance of reading • Encourage citizens of the richly diverse Richardson community to come together to openly discuss a selected book and the issues it raises. The Richardson Public Library joined with various other organizations in Richardson to hold the first annual Richardson Reads One Book author lecture in September 2004 and it repeats in September every year because it is National Literacy Month This year’s selection, Remarkably Bright Creatures, is a delightful return to the tradition. If you haven’t read the book, here’s a taste from the author’s website: “After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-yearold son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound more than thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.” Shelby Van Pelt grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and loved the aquarium at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium from an early age. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and children now, but her debut novel is still set in the Pacific Northwest where Van Pelt grew up. As a literary program that attracts national and international best-selling authors to our city, Richardson Reads One Book is a singular, successful program in our community. Perhaps our 2012 One Book author, Chitra Divakaruni, said it best: “I believe strongly in the power of story in creating community. It is when we learn about the core of the lives of strangers that they become family to us.” Please join us at this year’s Richardson Reads One Book event at First United Methodist Church Richardson on Tuesday, September 26 at 7:30 pm. Free tickets will be available at Heights and Huffhines Recreation Centers and the Richardson Senior Center beginning Tuesday, September 5. Check out our website at http://cor.net/onebook, like us on Facebook @RROBTX, or follow us on Instagram @richardsonreadsonebook. RROB Shadow box event
Chelsea Jacobs (Owner, Yellow House Story Shoppe)
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 moved to a booth in Richardson’s Cottonwood Market in 2020 and have since opened a second location in the coffee shop at Central Commons in Highland Park. I can also be found online at http://yellowhousestoryshoppe.com.
The Power of Pet Rescue and Ownerships
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 physically active. In the case of rescued animals, an extra special bond seems to develop between the two and ‘who rescued whom’ is a phrase heard often among animal rescue groups. Three Richardson-based organizations are rescuing one stray, lost, injured or abused animal at a time. The work they do is demanding and can often take its toll emotionally, but all three rescues are passionate about saving homeless animals. Dallas Street Dog Advocates Although it has ‘Dallas” in its name, Dallas Street Dog Advocates (DSDA) is a Richardson-based rescue. After driving through an area of South Dallas and noticing all the strays, DSDA Vice President Relle Austin came across one dog in particular that tugged at her heart. She coaxed the sickly-looking pup into her car and tried to find a willing rescue, but none would take it. At that moment, Austin realized her calling: to advocate for those dogs who no one, including the typical rescue group, would take. Longtime rescue and foster Elise Bissell and local animal-lover David Maldonado joined Relle in founding DSDA with the mission of rescuing stray and forgotten dogs off the streets of Dallas. DSDA’s staff and facilities are kept minimal so that all funds raised can be used to rescue, vaccinate and spay/ neuter more dogs and cats. They have no kennel space, instead relying solely on fosters willing to act as the bridge between rescue and forever homes. In addition to countless rescues, DSDA also does outreach work in the South Dallas area where so many dogs are dumped. According to Austin, the people in the area who can’t afford the food and vet care necessary to keep their pets in their homes are instrumental in helping DSDA volunteers catch the strays by establishing feeding schedules and routines. They also tell volunteers about the dog’s history. They sponsor spay/ neuter and vaccination clinics as well as pet food drives to support those in need. Although the work is never-ending and can be emotionally draining, Bissell states, “What we have learned from our experience in rescuing dogs off the street is that many of them are highly adoptable. They yearn to love and be loved and deserve to be healthy, happy and have a home of their own.” Austin is driven by the challenge of taking in the most sad and broken animals and providing them the care and love they need to be adoptable pets. “I’m in the rescue business for selfish reasons.” she explains. “The satisfaction and enjoyment from what I do on a daily basis is extremely gratifying.” DSDA Co-Founder Elise Bissell Take Me Home Pet Rescue “One dog, one home, one community, one world. We are all in this together” – Relle Austin, VP, Dallas Street Dog Advocates Also based in Richardson is Take Me Home Pet Rescue (TMHPR), which takes an entirely different approach to animal rescue. Working with a network of other area rescue groups, TMHPR is in constant contact with a myriad of municipal animal shelters in DFW and East Texas to pull dogs and cats believed to be adoptable. Rescue groups such as TMHPR have access to necessary resources such as volunteers, foster homes and media attention that municipal shelters often do not have, thereby making the adoption process easier. TMHPR’s overall goal is to be sure the pets they take in are healthy, sterilized and a good match for their potential adopters. They carefully screen adopters and conduct home visits to be sure the personality and energy level of both pet and potential family are a good fit. Over the last several years, TMHPR has managed to save more than 300 dogs and cats each year. In 2020, TMHPR moved to a new adoption facility at 580 Arapaho Road, which provides more space to host adoption events, has isolation areas for new intakes to make sure no illnesses are spread, and has cat rooms to better house newly tagged felines. While this new facility provides many benefits, TMHPR still relies heavily on fosters to serve as gateways until permanent homes are found for their rescues. Fosters and volunteers are integral to their success in reducing shelter overcrowding and gives the organization the ability to take in more adoptable animals. According to Trish Clark, TMHPR Board Member, volunteer and adopter, “Fosters and volunteers are like gold to us.” She goes on say that “for every foster we bring in, that is just one more animal we can save.” Richardson Animal Services Considered by many to be one of the most well-run municipal shelters in the state, Richardson Animal Services (RAS) takes a different approach in providing animal services but has the same mission: to provide a safe and healthy environment for lost and stray animals. RAS falls under the jurisdiction of Bill Alsup, Health Director for the City of Richardson, but Noura Jammal, the facility’s manager, is responsible for the facility’s day-to-day operations. Noura started working at the RAS sixteen years ago as an animal control officer with no experience and has been caring for the city’s strays ever since. States Alsup, “Noura is a tremendous asset to the City of Richardson, its residents and its pets. Her professionalism and drive for customer service are only exceeded by her passion for animals and their welfare. She has developed many programs that benefit the animals in the shelter’s care and make the Animal Shelter an essential part of the community.” The shelter is open seven days a week (Mon-Fri 10:00 am – 6:00 pm and weekends 12:00 – 5:00 pm), a rarity among shelters who are usually open weekdays only. RAS animal control officers answer calls about strays, make welfare checks, conduct rabies quarantine checks, pick up deceased animals, and complete so
Guy Mezger
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 UFC and King of Pancrase titles for Mixed Martial Arts.
The Teng Family (Owners of Jeng Chi Restaurant in Richardson’s Chinatown)
It’s tough to catch Mei “Mama” and Yuan “Papa” Teng when they aren’t working. At 89, Papa is supposed to be retired from the day-to-day operations of Jeng Chi, the restaurant he and Mama founded in Richardson’s Chinatown back in 1990. But “rest” doesn’t seem to be in either of their vocabularies.
RISD Educator’s Corner
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 at Prestonwood Elementary, grew up in Plano and now lives in Addison with her husband, Sean. She has been teaching for eight years. Ernie is an eighth grade algebra teacher at Liberty Junior High School who lives in Richardson with his wife Janet, an instructional coach at Lake Highlands Elementary, and their two children. Ernie has been teaching for twenty-seven years. We asked Mary and Ernie to share a bit of wisdom with us in the form of advice or stories. As you send your own children or grandchildren back to school this year, know that they are in good hands with teachers like Mary and Ernie in the classroom. ERNIE HUBEN The seeds, and revel in the results. Staying in Richardson has allowed me to see the fruits of my labor, the success stories of my former students who come back to visit long after they have graduated. I never judge success by financial gains, but rather by those who do what makes them happy. I have talked to teachers, doctors, lawyers, auto mechanics, veterinarians, and more with one thing in common: they all had me as a teacher. I continually have my “George Bailey moments,” thanks to my students. I am truly blessed to have grown up in Richardson and now make my living in some of the same schools I attended. It is an honor to give back to the community that made me feel safe, valued, loved and excited about learning, all at the same time. In the summer of 1977, my mom moved us to Richardson after my father passed away. I was enrolled in Springridge Elementary in kindergarten and spent all seven years of elementary school there. I then went on to Liberty Junior High and graduated from Berkner High School in 1991. I attended Angelo State University, the longest time I have ever spent away from Richardson. While preparing to take the MCAT, I met a girl who was in the middle of student teaching. Several conversations later, I changed my major and my future. I remember calling my mom and telling her, “I’ve decided to be poor for the rest of my life!” After graduating in December, I received a phone call from my childhood principal asking if I’d want a teacher’s aide position for the remainder of the year…at Springridge, the same elementary school I had attended. At that moment, Richardson became my Bedford Falls, the fictional town that is the setting for George Bailey’s journey in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. I admired the character of George Bailey—the fact that he poured so much into making Bedford Falls a better place to live, with no regard for himself. Ernie teaching at Liberty Junior High I spent seventeen years of my teaching career at Springridge Elementary. To be able to teach beside many of my former teachers was an absolute thrill. To walk down the halls of the building which I had walked so many years before warmed my heart. Throughout my career, I had been in contact with the principal at Liberty Junior High. I finally decided the time was right to make the move to middle school and I have taught ever since at the same place I attended—Liberty Junior High. My classroom is the tiny part of Richardson in which I can emulate George Bailey. While George Bailey was concerned with affordable housing, I concern myself with the futures of those I teach. My classroom is my garden and the environment I create is the soil. I’m able to cultivate the soil, plant Mr. Potter couldn’t convince me to go elsewhere despite his millions. While I do need a new fence and a new car, Richardson is the district where I will remain. I heard a little girl once say, “Every time the bell rings, a teacher gets his or her wings.” Okay…I may have changed the ending a bit, but I believe this to be true. I can pass on those “wings,” which will raise my students to heights they had never imagined. And there is not a better job in the world than that. Ernie and Mary, RISD Teachers of the Year MARY ALTMAN Teachers, administrators, parents, families and the entire RISD community all have one very important thing in common: we each want the best for students. As an educator, I have witnessed hundreds of students experiencing personal and academic growth each year. Parents can help teachers ensure student success with their own actions, which are crucial for a child’s personal and academic growth. In class your students may hear me use the phrase, “I love you, but I’m not going to help you, yet.” When our students say they don’t know, we must remind them that they just don’t know, yet. They need to give themselves a chance: to use their notes, their resources, their strategies. More often than not, they’re able to take a step in the right direction. If students try but fail, part of our job is help them realize that failure is simply a part of the process. We learn from every error and we take that knowledge and move forward. By creating a safe space where taking risks and failing is encouraged and accepted, we empower students. We show them how capable they are and how to take that first step without fear. Mary Atlman on far right Create Experiences A lifelong love of learning is not built from textbooks and routine notes, but rather through experiences that make learning engaging and memorable: singing, dancing, movement, art (yes, even in math!), technology, robotics and so much more. Students in my classroom are exposed to new skills such as coding or
Shadow Shine
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 Belvins’ journey with Evie began. Evie spent 227 days in the NICU before finally being released in July of 2015. Over the next few years, Evie underwent countless overnight hospital stays, procedures, surgeries, tests and outpatient visits. As her health challenges continued, Evie’s medical care became the family’s top priority. Her older sister, Charlotte, was too young to fully grasp the gravity of Evie’s situation and her parents’ need to give extra attention to her little sister. Like so many siblings of children with special healthcare needs, Charlotte felt frustrated and overlooked at times. One day, Charlotte verbalized to her parents that she felt as if they cared about Evie more than her. Although that concern couldn’t have been further from the truth, Charlotte was indeed living in the shadow of her sister due to circumstances beyond the family’s control. Michael shared Charlotte’s worry with his good friend Chad Ray. The two discussed ways in which they might be able to help not only Charlotte, but other siblings facing similar situations within their own families. As Michael and Chad searched online for programs to help Charlotte feel less alone, nothing appeared outside of traditional therapy. The statistics they discovered were staggering: one in five children in the US under the age of eighteen has a special healthcare need, which meant that Charlotte truly wasn’t alone. In that moment, it dawned on them that the existence of young adults who had been through Charlotte’s situation was a real possibility—the challenge was finding them. And that’s when Michael and Chad came up with the idea for Shadow Shine, a nonprofit whose goal is to build connections between the siblings of children with special healthcare needs. They want to help siblings in the shadows feel loved and special by building bridges between families with the same dynamic. The nonprofit’s mission is to create a safe space for the siblings to have their voices heard through constant support, meaningful relationships, and leadership opportunities. “Developing something from the ground up is always tough, with no compass to guide you on the path, but it has been incredible to see the excitement people have displayed towards the idea of this organization and what it can accomplish,” states Michael. By design, the nonprofit plans to pair a high school aged sibling mentor—the “Scout”—with a younger sibling from a different family—the “Sidekick.” A unique attribute of the program is that both the Scout and Sidekick must have siblings with special healthcare needs. “Truly an ‘I have walked in your shoes’ approach,” says Michael. Shadow Shine is a grassroots, geography-based program. Michael and Chad want Scouts and Sidekicks to be able to easily interact and spend time together without distance being a factor. To date, the organization has relied solely on word of mouth at local schools, pediatricians’ offices, and children’s hospitals to spread the word about their brand-new nonprofit. The men enthusiastically share that they “have some incredible self-proclaimed dreamers on our board, and we could see Shadow Shine growing to help serve families across this country as time goes on!” Charlotte and Evie Belvin Shadow Shine held a kickoff event in March, at which time the Shadow Shine board shared their dreams for the organization with members of the community. Up until that point, their work had transpired behind the scenes. After the event, Shadow Shine began receiving inquiries from people wanting to get involved with the organization. States Michael, “We are excited to put together our first pairings this year, ideally in August as the school year commences. We are not setting a specific limit to the initial number of pairings right now, but we do want to make sure to nurture these initial relationships. We are also looking to hire an Executive Director to help guide the growth of the organization.” “The heart of Shadow Shine stems from a firsthand need experienced by our family and is rooted in the place we call home. The people of Richardson mean so much to us, so we wanted Shadow Shine to start in the community that has supported us throughout the years. We are also looking forward to building relationships and partnering with schools, counselors and physicians in Richardson,” states Michael. For more information about Shadow Shine and its mission, visit http://shadowshine.org.
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, yes, that is the full name. I opened Staycation in November of 2021. Tell us about Staycation. What makes it unique among coffee shops? I think what makes any concept unique is the heart and energy of the people who gave life to it. The heart and energy behind Staycation is simply about the enjoyment of simple yet beautiful things, moments, and conversations alongside other humans. Does Staycation have a motto? If so, what is it and why did you choose it? Our tagline is “stay awhile.” I think it speaks for itself, especially in tandem with the brand name. I felt like coffee shops were becoming more geared towards the remote worker and by association, this age of productivity that we live in, and I wanted a space that was geared towards “staying awhile” with a friend, with yourself, in conversation, in contemplation, in a moment—slowing down enough to maybe do nothing but savor the present moment and sit with it. Who is your typical customer? One of the special qualities about Staycation is that it is a space for ALL, and that is truly what we get. All age ranges, all life backgrounds, all social statuses. It’s a mixing pot of beautiful life. What inspired you to open Staycation, and what is the inspiration for the name? This question is a complex one for me because I did not set out to be a sole business owner when this project began. I was in a partnership with an individual, and when that partnership came to an end, I made the decision to build the company and give it life. The inspiration behind the name comes from the ethos I’ve operated within throughout my time in the coffee industry: it’s an idea around living a life that we do not have to “vacation” from in order to find rest. An idea around balance, around honoring the “new” in the middle of lives that we so often equate to ‘normal’ and ‘mundane routine.’ Life is magical, and being alive is material enough to always be in wonder and curiosity—if we are willing to slow down our pace and experience and savor it. After sharing these ideas with my ex-business partner, he said, “Staycation fits that,” and so Staycation it became. Do you live in Richardson? If so, what brought you here? If not, what made you decide to locate your business in our city? I lived in Richardson until I was 11 and now live in East Dallas. Richardson came up through a series of events, and when the little house on the corner was proposed, I knew it fit well with everything that rang true to me for a coffee shop brand. I have also been a longtime fan of Richardson’s diversity in its population and its food and cultural scene. I wanted to be a part of that. What made you choose the house where you located the coffee shop? Through a series of introductions, I met the developers who own the house, and discussions began for a coffee shop. Because I tend to love what most would label “the simple way of living,” having an old house as a backdrop for the brand seemed absolutely fitting. What is your background? Have you always been an entrepreneur? My background is a simple life. I grew up within the Mennonite community and spent my childhood in the garden, exploring the woods on our property, cooking, sewing, and learning about LIFE. Due to that free and untethered way of growing up, I believe I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit in me and even though I’d go on to work for corporate companies, I’ve always operated within a certain rogue mentality, if that makes sense. What are three adjectives that describe you? Passionate, Creative, Authentic What skills do you find most necessary in running a new small business? I believe the skills I’ve found most necessary for me have been the ability to say “no” and perseverance. What do you look for in a team member…especially in a barista? Authenticity and life-giving energy. Are there certain menu items that are unique to Staycation? What is your best-selling drink? Our Ginger Turmeric latte is unique to us. I make all of our syrups, and that one is made from boiling down ginger and turmeric root into a syrup and it is absolutely delicious. Our top seller is probably our Dulce De Leche latte. Share with us a funny or awesome story of having a business in Richardson. The amount of awesome stories I have is unending. Probably the one that has stuck with me most is when our back communal table got taken over by a Bible study group and a Muslim group, both on opposite ends. They were all regulars, but I was so curious how that seating union was going to pan out. After about an hour and a half of listening to them laugh together, open their Bible and Koran and share stories and similarities, I realized that THIS is what makes Staycation IN Richardson so special: this interfacing of diversity that supports, nurtures and encourages conversation/interaction outside of where our normal routines take us. Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about Staycation or you? Life is the most precious gift we’ve all been given and to spend it here— on this planet that’s teeming with magic and organic complexities (that we still cannot fully comprehend)— is truly special and I hope that as a person and as a brand, I never stop inspiring people to honor and take part in its beauty. Nicole and Friends at Staycation Staycation Interior Evening at Staycation A Perfect cup Staycation’s backyard