Borrowing from legendary sports columnist Blackie Sherrod, this month’s column is devoted to scattershooting and wondering whatever happened to reruns of “Medical Center”…
It’s great that the Dallas media have finally started to identify our neighborhood as “Lake Highlands” rather than just northeast Dallas.
But along with identification comes misrepresentation, I guess.
Two recent, highly publicized crime stories are a case in point: The media made it sound like Lake Highlands is virtually overrun with random, violent crime.
Here’s one Morning News headline: “Woman found slain in apartment closet; Lake Highlands resident’s throat slit.”
As if that wasn’t enough, several weeks later, another story with this headline made the Morning News’ front page: “Three found shot to death in Lake Highlands condo; Police discover drug paraphernalia in unit, no forced entry.”
After scanning these headlines, the average reader would have to be concerned about safety in Lake Highlands.
But there is more to these stories than headlines: For example, everyone killed appears to have been killed by someone he or she knew, putting a damper on the “rampant, random crime” anxiety.
Even more interesting: Three of the four victims appeared to have been involved in drug use and abuse, likely accounting for crime.
After carefully reading the entire stories, I don’t see much reason to fear for my safety in Lake Highlands. But you can’t tell that by reading the headlines…
How to Build a Winning Team
The Wildcat football team just completed another fantastic year, and our cover story this month sheds a little light on what has become the team’s seemingly routine success.
Of course, the success is anything but routine, involving years of work and an entire neighborhood of dedicated coaches, parents and students.
There aren’t enough success stories in athletics today where good kids succeed on the basis of hard work. But that certainly appears to be the case here – not only with the football team, but with many other sports on virtually every level of our public schools.
It’s especially worth noting that in the midst of this success, no one is cut from the high school football team, regardless of skill level or likely playing time. That’s not always the case when large programs become successful, because there’s always that need to “get to the next level.”
I think a level where everyone who wants to play receives that chance, and the team still tops state rankings year after year, is perhaps the best level of all.
Advocate Is Changing
Beginning in April, we’re planning a few changes for the Advocate, and we could use your help in broadening our coverage.
We’ll be adding regular stories about neighborhood history and interesting collectibles. If you or your neighbors have noteworthy collections (anything from Pez dispensers to baseball cards to antique cars, I guess), please give us a call.
And if you or your friends have interesting pictures of early Lake Highlands or its residents, please let us know.
We’ll be telling you more about our new look in a few months.
And the Winner Is…
Elsewhere in this month’s magazine, you’ll find a nomination form for our annual Advocate Award.
We take pride each year in reviewing submissions from neighborhood residents who nominate people they believe selflessly work to improve life in our neighborhoods.
Unlike some of Dallas’ biggest-name public service awards, the Advocate Award usually is presented to someone you’ve never heard of from a family that isn’t politically active or wealthy.
Our award-winner is someone who typically shuns the limelight while going out of his or her way, for no personal benefit other than the satisfaction of a job well done, to make life better for the rest of us.
If you take a good look around our neighborhood, you’ll know who I’m talking about. And I hope you’ll let us know, too.
