The long-awaited opening of the Lake Highlands Whole Foods Market is scheduled July 20. The natural-foods grocery store will anchor the shopping center at the intersection of Skillman and Kingsley.

The store features natural-foods groceries, along with nutritional and environmental information.

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Team leader Scott Saulsberry says the store will include a produce and seafood department, a meat department, deli, bakery, cheese and gourmet food departments, as well as other groceries.

The store will also feature the Wellspring Coffee/Juice Bar for refreshments.

“We have several kinds of food, and we realize it can be intimidating,” says marketing director Susie Blagdan. “One thing we are into is education and information.”

Employees will be stationed in aisles to answer questions, and brochures will be available throughout the store to provide additional information. Blagdan says complimentary store tours will be available, and cooking classes utilizing store products will be offered on-site.

Whole Foods will employee 80 to 100 people, most of them from our neighborhood, Saulsberry says. The Lake Highlands site was chosen because the company liked the neighborhood.

“We feel the time is right,” Saulsberry says. “We’ve got indications that customers are more interested in healthy lifestyles and quality foods.”

The store opening is being kicked-off with several community activities. Whole Foods has signed on as a sponsor of the community Fourth of July parade, organized by the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands.

The store also will host a July 11 luncheon for senior citizens at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center and will sponsor the July 17 Ironkids Triathlon.

On July 19, a Lake Highlands Summer Social Grill will be held at the store from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $15, with proceeds benefiting the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands Quarters for Kids Campaign.

And during the first week of operations, five percent of the store’s daily sales will be donated to neighborhood service organizations, Blagdan says.

“There will be ongoing community involvement in several ways,” she says. “It’s not something that will die down.”

News & Notes

ANDERSON NAMED DISTRICT DIRECTOR: Neighborhood resident Patty Kelley Anderson was installed as the ’94-’95 Director of District 15 for the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Dallas, Inc. She will oversee the 13 clubs in the Dallas area. She served as president of the Dallas chapter in ’91-’92 and was given “The Best of The Best” president’s award. This year, she was awarded Dallas, Inc.’s Woman of the Year. Anderson is the planning and design manager at Omega Studios in Las Colinas.

NEW DOCTOR’S OFFICE: Doctors Christopher Foster, Jaime Gomez, Kyle Lloyd and James Otto opened a new internal medicine group at the Baylor University Medical Center, 3600 Gaston, Barnett Tower, Suite 303. Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, 828-2889.