The Richardson Symphony League Rich in History, Focused on the Future
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] 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 community through contributions of time, talent and resources, all with a desire to see the Richardson Symphony prosper as a cultural and civic force. Besides price in supporting the highly regarded RSO, members enjoy invitations to special events related to the arts and Richardson community. The organization is open to middle school and high school aged students in Richardson and surrounding areas. All members receive season tickets to the RSO concerts and enjoy opportunities to meet other students, League members and even musicians within the RSO. The RSL works with students to help them achieve their goals of obtaining service hours as well as leadership development. While all members are open to participate in all activities, members are only required to attend two concerts, two meetings and two service events to be considered a member in good standing. The service events are often combined with meetings and concerts so students can maximize their time, given how overscheduled students can be these days and the organization tries hard to accommodate this busy lifestyle. The cost for each student to join the RSL is $75 per year and $100 per parent sponsor (each student must have a parent sponsor to become a member). If you would like to join this wonderful organization, follow the link in the QR code on this page, or simply reach out to Faith Townsend, Marketing & Development Manager, at ftownsend@richardsonsymphony.org. * Volunteer Opportunities * Support your Community and the Arts * Leadership Development [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
Network’s Senior’s Net
When most people think of Network of Community Ministries, food distribution or clothing drives are usually top of mind. While these services are vital, Network’s impact runs much deeper.
The Richardson Gobble Hobble
For the past 19 years, a Richardson pre-Thanksgiving race known as the Gobble Hobble has welcomed runners donning turkey hats or turkey attire, dressed as pilgrims, pushing strollers, walking dogs, or wearing balloons on their heads. A festive blend of competitive runners and casual walkers of all ages and abilities come out to enjoy this beloved annual tradition.
Dr. Clayton Oliphint (Pastor, Leader, Family Man, Bridge Builder)
I was born a Methodist preacher’s son in Louisiana and my family moved to Texas when I was 12 years old. After high school, I attended Austin College in Sherman, graduating with a degree in religion and history.
RISD Educator’s Corner
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 of RLM, email pmotte@hylogroup.com. RISD Culinary Arts Programs By Jason Philyaw, RISD Communications Specialist The Culinary Arts programs at Richardson and Pearce High Schools are providing students the ultimate in hands-on experiences. Students are getting their hands dirty prepping and cooking and plating and serving dishes to teachers, administrators, fellow students and the general public. In late April, about a dozen RHS students were at ACE Hardware serving pulled pork quesadillas and smoked buffalo wings to residents. Chef Devin Niederhauser, who runs the RHS Culinary Arts Magnet, which has 76 students this year, said the students ran out of wings that Saturday at ACE as they ended up serving about 100 community members. He knows preparing food is just one part of the industry and that students need to be good communicators as well. “Freshman year, we’re providing them with a base of knowledge about different cuts of meats so they know the difference between a lamb shank and a lamb chop and how to prepare both while also teaching knife skills, but we’re also teaching them about food nutrition and how to shop for themselves,” Chef Dev said. “They’re going off to college soon and I want them to understand how a whole chicken, as opposed to a few chicken fingers and fries, can provide them with four or five meals at half the price. I want them making fiscally sound decisions about nutrition while also enjoying the process of cooking.” Junior Yodha Ghattamaneni likes the freedom of expression when working in a kitchen. She took culinary courses at North Junior High and has now been in the program for five years. “Chef allows us to try different things and really express our identity through food,” she said. Sophomore Liliana Cardona said the hands-on aspect of the kitchen helps her. “I’m not really a book learner,” she said. “So, working with my hands and learning through failure, learning by trying things over and over is a great process for me. I feel like if you show effort, Chef notices and helps show you where the dish went wrong and how to make it better the next time. I really feel like you get out of it what you put into it.” The culinary arts program enables students to gain industry-based certifications through groups such as the American Meat Science Association. Sophomore Archer Dickey said the food handler certificate he received as a freshman helped him land a summer job as a line cook at a resort near his grandparents’ house in Wisconsin. RHS sophomore Chris Jones said he was initially motivated to apply for the culinary magnet because of the real world experiences students gain from working in a kitchen, coupled with the opportunity to work as a team and learn from others. “One specific example of working as a team in a high-paced environment is our grab and go’s that make up our junior year finals,” Jones said. “As a group, we have to work as a whole to communicate and execute multiple dishes to sell and present.” Other examples of the fast-paced, change-on-the-fly environment that students are engaging in are the on-campus events they cater. At one event this year, students prepped a full menu of modern French cuisine for 120 people and closer to 175 showed up. The sophomores were preparing the tiramisu and crème brûlée. “Chef came back and said, ‘We need 50 more of everything.’ We had to go next door to use the equipment in the Food Sciences room. When I got in there, I was able to take a breath and step away from the stress of needing to make it all, but I was also able to realize that somehow we were going to get it done,” Liliana said. The same excitement surrounds the Pearce Culinary Program. According to Jeremy Tilly, Culinary Arts teacher at Pearce, “Our program is showing dramatic growth since the opening of its new top-of-the-line Culinary Kitchen at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year!” Upper level students at Pearce have gone through units on Italian cuisine, during which they learned how to make pasta, focaccia bread, and pizza, all from scratch. They then learned to make dumplings, stir-fry, and fried rice during their Asian cuisine unit, again all from scratch. Like their RHS cohorts, Pearce students complete industry-based certifications as part of the process, including Food Handler’s permits and Meat Cookery certifications. Says Tilly, “Students put together a few staff meals and also decorated cookies and prepared various desserts around the holidays for staff, all in support of the program. We have done Food Truck Wars with a special guest speaker, Cupcake Wars with special guest judges, and a pumpkin carving contest around Halloween. It has been an exciting year, and we are looking forward to continuing this growth in the future!” It appears that RHS and Pearce students are getting a lot done in their culinary arts magnet classes.
Justin Box (Chef Extraordinaire, Recovered Addict, Good Guy)
Justin Box has been cooking for almost thirty years, a love affair that began atop a black wooden stool in his great-grandma Lareda’s kitchen.
Community News
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 best books by The Washington Post and NPR among others. The novel is split between two time periods: present-day and the period of 1918-1936. In the past, struggling young musician Frederick Delaney tries to make a name for himself in New York, performing with a jazz band and working at a music publisher. He meets Josephine Reed, a homeless woman who hears beautiful music surrounding her everywhere she goes. With talented Josephine as his inspiration, Delaney finds his career taking off. In present-day New York, Bern Hendricks, an expert on the now-famous composer Delaney, has been given a dream opportunity. He’s been asked by the Delaney Foundation to help them authenticate a piece of music that appears to be from Delaney’s long-lost opera. Thrilled at the chance to work on Delaney’s masterpiece, Bern and his tech-savvy friend Eboni soon learn that Delaney’s life is a complicated one. Slocumb takes the reader on a journey with Bern and Ebony to discover the truth of Delaney’s past. Raised in Fayetteville, NC, Slocumb is a music education graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For the past two decades, he has been a K-12 public and private school music educator and serves as an educational consultant for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He published his first novel, The Violin Conspiracy, in 2022 and is now at work on his third, to be published in early 2025. RROB will host Slocumb for an author lecture and book signing at First United Methodist Church Richardson on Tuesday, September 24. Digital and paper tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, September 10, at 9:00 am. Symphony of Secrets is available at the Richardson Public Library in regular print, large print, and digitally via the library’s website. For more information about RROB and its associated special events, call 972-744-4350 or visit http://cor.net/onebook. Richardson Reads One Book is also on Facebook at http://facebook.com/RROBTX.
Best of Richardson: How it works
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Best of Richardson 2025: Your Questions Answered & How It Works Thank you for your interest in the “Best of Richardson 2025” awards! We’ve compiled answers to common questions and outlined the process to help you understand how our local favorites are chosen and celebrated. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q1: What is the “Best of Richardson” award? The “Best of Richardson” award is an annual recognition program by Richardson Life Magazine that celebrates outstanding local businesses, services, and community experiences, as determined by community engagement and editorial curation. It highlights the very best our city has to offer. Q2: How are the “Best of Richardson” winners determined? Winners are determined through a comprehensive process that includes community nominations, public voting, and a final editorial review by Richardson Life Magazine. This ensures a balanced and authentic representation of community favorites and quality. Q3: When are the winners announced? The official “Best of Richardson” winners for 2025 will be publicly announced on August 10th. Please stay tuned to our website and social media channels for the big reveal! Q4: What do the winners receive? Winners receive significant recognition, including featured editorial placement in an upcoming issue of Richardson Life Magazine, an official “Best of Richardson” badge, enhanced online presence in our directory, and opportunities for community spotlight through our platforms. Q5: How can I find the full list of winners and categories? Once announced on August 10th, the full list of winners across all categories will be available on our dedicated Best of Richardson Guide page. Q6: Can I nominate a business for next year’s awards? Information regarding the nomination period for “Best of Richardson 2026” will be released closer to the end of the year. Please follow our updates for details on how to participate. How It Works: The “Best of Richardson” Process The “Best of Richardson” awards follow a multi-stage process to ensure a fair and comprehensive selection of our city’s top establishments. Nomination Phase: (April 1 – April 30) The process begins with a community-wide nomination period. During this time, Richardson residents and patrons are invited to submit their favorite local businesses and services across various categories. This ensures a broad representation of popular and beloved establishments. Voting Round: (June 1 – June 30) Following nominations, a select list of top-nominated businesses in each category advances to the public voting round. The community then casts their votes for their ultimate favorites. This stage gauges widespread popularity and support. Editorial Review & Curation: The votes are meticulously tallied. Our editorial team at Richardson Life Magazine then conducts a final review, considering factors such as consistent quality, community impact, and alignment with the magazine’s values. This step adds a layer of expert curation to the community’s voice. Winner Selection: Based on the combined results of nominations, public voting, and editorial review, the “Best of Richardson” winners are officially selected. Announcement & Celebration: Winners are notified confidentially prior to the public announcement. On August 10th, all winners are officially revealed through Richardson Life Magazine’s website, social media, and in our upcoming print issue. We then celebrate their achievements and showcase what makes them the best of our city! For a deeper dive into the categories and featured businesses, please visit our main Best of Richardson Guide. Have Feedback or Category Suggestions? We value your input! If you have any feedback or suggestions for new categories for future “Best of Richardson” awards, please feel free to contact: Mike Obert Phone: 214-403-3755 Email: mobert@hylogroup.com Boost Your Business: Advertise with Richardson Life Magazine! Are you a Richardson business looking to reach our engaged local audience? Whether you’re a winner or a vital part of our community, we offer powerful advertising opportunities. Learn more about advertising options: Visit our Advertising Page Download our Marketing Kit: Download Marketing Kit PDF [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]
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?
Richardson Interfaith Alliance
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 conducted, future plans are made, and a guest speaker presents a program centered around items of concern to all, including topics close to home, such as hospital and school districts, police and fire departments, City government and services, safety and equality. They also discuss broader issues facing the world at large, like human trafficking, race relations, refugees and immigration. Time is then devoted to questions and answers, a significant part of the bridge-building process. After the monthly meetings, attendees disseminate information to smaller pockets of faith communities throughout Richardson. This thoughtfully created organization is known as the Richardson Interfaith Alliance (RIA). It was formed in 2012 and, according to RIA Chair Niranjan Hanumanna, who has served in that position for the past five years, the “purpose of the Richardson Interfaith Alliance is to increase respect of all faiths through education and increased awareness and to coordinate and enhance faith-based services for the betterment of OUR community…As the mission statement states, Richardson Interfaith Alliance is striving to achieve enhanced understanding amongst peace-loving residents of this great city!” Richardson Interfaith Alliance is a zero-cost forum for leaders from a variety of faiths to share their wisdom and commit to promoting compassion and unity. They are tasked with providing solutions to problems pertaining to faith issues within Richardson. One way they look for solutions is to discuss how people of various faith perspectives address topics such as conflict resolution and forgiveness. As of this time, approximately 40 groups are involved with RIA. They range from Buddhist to Christian to Islamic to Jewish to the Baha’i Faith and many unitarian groups as well, such as the Sai Center & Meditation Center. Richardson Interfaith Alliance’s steering committee consists of 8-10 individuals who work in the background to keep the group on track. Thanks to Niranjan Hanumanna’s leadership and a committed steering committee, the group has survived de-spite an aging member population and numbers which dwindled during COVID; thankfully, the group is currently growing back to its pre-COVID participation. One of the cornerstones of the group centers around compassion in action. RIA has a compassion in action director, a program director and a youth group leader, a position which is currently vacant. The City of Richardson partners with the RIA on several cultural and public safety initiatives, including Trash Bash. Beyond working with the city, the group participates in Feeding Children Everywhere, National Day of Prayer and other charitable initiatives. With a wide representation of different faith communities working together, RIA does its part to see Richardson flourish through a common thread of loving one’s neighbor. According to steering committee member Rev. Dr. April Bristow, “Central to RIA’s mission is the charter for compassion. At the heart of compassion is a recognition of pain and dis-ease in the world and a conscious and intentional effort to ‘be with’ others in ways that are healing, to help individuals and communities move to wholeness. I am proud to be a part of efforts that seek to build rather than tear down.” Through the thoughtful work of the Richardson Interfaith Alliance, the cross-cultural ties that bind Richardson citizens together have grown stronger every year.