Highland Park High School students honored as U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates

Five Highland Park High School students have been named candidates for the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholar Program, the most in 14 years. Candidates are graduating high school seniors who have demonstrated accomplishments in many areas - academic and artistic success, leadership, and involvement in school and the community.

The candidates from HPHS are:

• Matthew Emerson
• Xiaohan Gao
• Daniel Huang
• Francisco Lopez
• Nga Vu

The Presidential Scholar Program was established by executive order in 1964 to honor and recognize the nation's top high school seniors. Each year, more than 4,000 students are identified as candidates for the program based on their exceptional performance on the SAT or ACT, and further consideration is based on student essays and leadership and service activities. Approximately 800 candidates will be named semifinalists, and the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will then select up to 161 students for the top honor in April.

The five HPHS students honored is the highest number of candidates chosen from the campus since at least 2002. HPHS Principal Walter Kelly lauded these students for their successes in and out of the classroom.

"I am exceptionally proud of these young adults for being named candidates for one of the top academic honors in the nation," Kelly said. "This recognition not only honors students for a high score on a test, but for their ability to serve as leaders in the community. Helping our students achieve success once they leave high school is of the utmost priority for educators in Highland Park."

Students who are selected as scholars will be invited to Washington, D.C. for an all-expenses paid trip to meet with government officials and educators, and will be honored at a ceremony sponsored by the White House. 

Highland Park ISD 

Decisions made by HPISD Board of Trustees are paying off for taxpayers

By Kelly Walker

HPISD Finance Officer

With the passage of the 2015 bond election and an opportunity to refinance remaining bonds from the 2008 bond program, these are busy but productive times for both the Highland Park ISD Board of Trustees and the Board's Finance Committee, which advises the board on financial matters. I am thrilled to report that our combined efforts during the last few months have saved taxpayers millions of dollars with the potential to save even more.

In December, following months of discussion to determine just the right time to maximize savings, the district refinanced $53 million of bonds remaining from the 2008 election. The refinancing will result in a net savings to taxpayers of more than $7.2 million over the life of the bonds - millions more than what was initially projected.

The timing of the refinancing was critical since interest rates were raised two days later. The end result is that the district will save $600,000 in interest each year for 13 years, equating to about half a cent on HPISD's tax rate.

Even better news is that we're not finished saving taxpayer dollars yet. In an effort to take advantage of 50-year lows in the bond market and the district's strong bond rating, the board has authorized the district to sell $225 million in bonds in February. This will allow work to begin in earnest on construction projects approved by voters during the November 2015 election. While the sale has yet to occur, we are confident that taxpayers will pay less than what was initially projected during the fall to fund the new schools and renovations.

I would like to thank my fellow trustees for their work in both fulfilling our commitment to improve district facilities and for looking out for the interests of taxpayers. Moreover, I sincerely appreciate the considerable expertise from members of the Finance Committee in advising the board on the best course of action. In addition to HPISD trustees, this committee includes eight volunteers from the community, all of whom have extensive experience in the financial sector. Their time and input has already proven extremely valuable and I look forward to continuing to update you on even more progress.

Highland Park ISD

No. 12 SMU Wins Big At USF, 92-58

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Shake Milton scored 22 points and Nic Moore added 17 as No. 12 SMU rebounded from its second loss of the season with a 92-58 rout of struggling South Florida on Sunday.

The Mustangs (20-2, 9-2 American Athletic Conference) shrugged off a three-point road loss to Houston by matching their season high with 14 3-pointers and shooting 60 percent overall. They never trailed, scoring the game's first 11 points. SMU hit its last six shots before halftime and then opened the second half with an 8-0 run to build their lead to 30 points.

Jahmal McMurray led South Florida (5-20, 2-10) with 18 points.

SMU, which had lost two straight on the road, has matched the best 22-game start in school history. The Mustangs won 26 of their first 28 games before finishing 26-4 in 1955-56.

The conference leaders have topped 20 wins in three of four seasons under Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown.

Milton made 8 of 12 shots, including 6 of 9 from beyond the 3-point arc. Five of Moore's six field goals were 3-pointers, and the senior guard finished with eight assists.

Jordan Tolbert made all five of his shots on the way 15 points and Markus Kennedy came off the bench to contribute 10 points and grab a team-high nine rebounds for SMU.

South Florida clinched its second 20-loss season in three years under coach Orlando Antigua. Jaleel Cousins scored 13 points and Angel Nunez had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who trailed by as many as 36 points in the second half.

The Mustangs improved to 20-2 following a school-best 18-0 start, stopping a two-game road skid included a nine-point setback at Temple and the three-point loss at Houston. SMU has won 27 games each of the past two seasons and its 74 wins since the start of 2013-14 are the most during a three-season span in program history.

The Mustangs are back in action Wednesday, Feb. 10 when they host Tulsa at Moody Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBSSN. A limited amount of tickets remain and can be purchased online at smumustangs.com/tickets or by calling 214-768-4263

HPHS students honored as All-State musicians

After months of competitions, rehearsals and lessons, two HPHS students have earned the highest musical honor a student can receive in the State of Texas. Peter Davies has been named to the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Band, and Cailin Jordan was named to the TMEA All-State Choir.

Davies is a freshman and plays the oboe in the Highlander Band.

"It is incredibly rare for a student to earn All-State status at any point, and unbelievably rare at the freshman level," HPHS Director of Instrumental Music Reagan Brumley said. "Peter is an exemplary young musician and the HPHS Band is fortunate to count him among its ranks."

HPHS Choir Director Natalie Walker praised Jordan, a sophomore, for her accomplishment.

"Cailin Jordan is a joy," Walker said. "She is a smart vocalist who pursues her goals with passion. Cailin was ranked as Third Chair in the Soprano One section of the Texas All-State Mixed Choir, an almost unheard of accomplishment for a sophomore."

The students will participate in three days of rehearsals and concerts directed by nationally recognized conductors during the annual state TMEA Clinic/Convention, 

Feb. 10-13 in San Antonio. They will conclude the convention by performing in concert before an audience of thousands.

Highland Park ISD

University Park KC Club Collected Coats & Art Supplies for Children in Juarez, Mexico

The University Park Kindness & Compassion Club collected 30 gently used and new coats from January 4 – 8 for boys and girls of Juarez, Mexico. In addition to the coats, a box full of coloring books and another box full of art supplies were donated from the families of University Park Elementary to the children of Juarez. The items were delivered over the weekend by UP Elementary Spanish teacher, Señora Lawton, who was on a mission trip with Greenland Hills United Methodist Church of Dallas working with Proyecto Abrigo of Juarez, Mexico.

Park Cities BubbleLife

Highland Park Lacrosse 'Meet the Scots' and Blue/White Scrimmage

Lacrosse fans, come ‘Meet the Scots’ at the annual Varsity Blue & White scrimmage on Saturday, February 20th at 1:00 pm at Highlander Stadium.  DI will scrimmage DII for an early look at players and teams this season.  This is free and open to the public.  Players will sign autographs and take pictures with kids on the field after the game.  Free give aways for young lacrosse players who attend!  

The 2016 Scots are the defending state champions for both DI and DII Varsity. Highland Park lacrosse has won 10 state championships in the past 12 years and with 12 returning DI players, are setting their sights on another trophy.

The two varsity squads have 10 verbally committed players to DI lacrosse programs throughout the country. Colby Kneese (Penn State), Chris Buell (Air Force), Luke Petty (Bellarmine), Jack Kozmetsky (UNC), Parker Alexander (UNC), Owen Seebold (Syracuse), Chris Walker (Georgetown), Cade Saustad (UVA), Paxton Alexander (Michigan), Gabe Galbraith (Ohio State).

Come out and support the Scots!  For more information, contact Megan Saustad at megansaustad@sbcglobal.net.

Park Cities BubbleLife

Highland Park to move to District 15-5A

Highland Park High School will rekindle old rivalries with several area high schools as part of a realignment announced today by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The Scots will compete in District 15-5A beginning in the 2016-17 school year.  

HPHS was reclassified by the UIL as a 5A school for the next two years based upon enrollment. While HPHS's enrollment had risen to 2,116, the criteria for being classified as a 6A school had risen even further to 2,150, which means that the school's academic, athletic teams and fine arts programs will compete at the 5A level for the 2016-18 school years.

The UIL realigns districts to balance the number of teams and to minimize travel. The following teams will compete with HPHS in District 15-5A:

• Forney
• Lucas Lovejoy 
• Mesquite Poteet 
• North Forney 
• Royse City 
• West Mesquite 
• Wylie East

Go Scots! 

Highland Park ISD

Alcuin Upper School Students Assist with Local Tornado Recovery Efforts

Alcuin 9th grader Cole Murphy and Amanda Day, Alcuin project advisor, help collect donations for the local tornado victims during morning carpool.

Students Organize Donations and Join Relief Workers to Help Victims       

Upper School students from Alcuin, a leader in Montessori and International Baccalaureate (IB) education, recently organized a community outreach initiative  to support the local tornado recovery efforts in Garland, Texas.

Students were struck by the devastation seen on TV left in the wake of the North Texas tornadoes in late December.  After returning to school from winter break, the students quickly decided to take action by organizing efforts to collect donations from the Alcuin community during morning carpool to help those affected by the storms.   

The youngsters gathered a variety of household items including cleaning products, blankets, pillows, canned food, and storage bins.  Thanks to the generosity of the Alcuin School community, the students collected enough items over a week’s time to fill an entire bus with donated goods.  

Once the items were loaded onto the bus, the students and teachers delivered the donations to local relief organizations including Joseph House and Oasis Church, which served on the front lines of recovery efforts.  

The students joined forces with local relief workers to sort items and organize a donation room where victims in the neighborhood could come collect what they needed.

“It was a humbling experience for our students to participate in a community service activity that was part of a critical effort to help those facing tremendous loss,” said Amanda Day, Alcuin Upper School project advisor.  “This valuable experience demonstrated that we can all contribute to our community and answer the call to help support our neighbors in need.”

Park Cities BubbleLife News

Mustangs Fall To Temple, 89-80

PHILADELPHIA -- Eighth-ranked SMU became the last Division I team to lose this season when Devin Coleman scored a career-high 23 points and led Temple to an 89-80 win Sunday.

Coach Larry Brown and the Mustangs (18-1, 7-1 American Athletic Conference) were off to the best start in team history.

Coleman made all seven of his 3-point shots. Quenton DeCosey added 19 for the Owls (11-7, 5-2).

Temple fans rushed the court to celebrate the victory. The crowd at the Liacouras Center was smaller than usual after the game was pushed back a day because the winter storm that blanketed the East Coast.

Sterling Brown scored 19 points to lead SMU.

The Mustangs are back in action next Saturday, Jan. 30 when they host Memphis at Moody Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPNU. Tickets can be purchased online at smumustangs.com/tickets or by calling 214-768-4263.

Meet the Dynamic Duo Behind the Rustic and Bowl & Barrel

Siegfried and Roy. Penn and Teller. Noonan and Sepkowitz. 

Three great magic acts. Siegfried and Roy, now retired, were famous for their white tigers. Penn and Teller’s shtick is comedy and magic. Kyle Noonan and Josh Sepkowitz, the partners behind FreeRange Concepts, are growing famous in the restaurant industry for their magic—and disruptive—touch combining fun and really good food. 

The Rustic, Dallas. Photo by Jessica Sepkowitz

Noonan and Sepkowitz are the principals at Dallas-based FreeRange, a hospitality management company that was on track to rake in $20 million in 2015. The company is responsible for high profile eat-ertainment concepts The Rustic and Mutts Canine Cantina in Dallas, and Bowl & Barrel in Dallas, San Antonio, and, soon, Houston. Their newest venture, The General Public, an upscale gastropub, opened last summer in San Antonio. The “most elevated and sexy concept we’ve done … a good first-date place,” Noonan says of The General Public. Calling it very much a “Dallas concept,” FreeRange is in search of the right spot in Big D for GenPub.

The FreeRange leaders have very different skill sets and personality elements that bond for “great chemistry,” says Cityplace President Neal Sleeper, a developer who’s worked with FreeRange on The Rustic, its restaurant and live music venue, and Mutts restaurant and dog park. Additionally, Noonan and Sepkowitz are “very trusting of each other” and work well together, Sleeper observes. 

Link to full article here 

By Dotty Griffith for D Magazine

Mary Kay founder's former pink Preston Hollow mansion sells to Dallas buyer

RICHARD AT SHOOT2SELL PHOTOGRAPHY

It took four years — and a shift in the luxury real estate market in Dallas-Fort Worth — but the former mansion of Addison-based Mary Kay Inc. founder Mary Kay Ash has sold to an undisclosed Dallas buyer.

Realtor Karen Luter still doesn't quite believe it happened.

The soft pink, 12,115-square-foot home at 8915 Douglas Ave. in Old Preston Hollow sold at $1.9 million after being listed at a variety of price points throughout the years. At one time, the mansion was listed for $5.7 million.

"The deal was very complex and I was never going to be sure it sold until I walked away after all the papers were signed," said Luter, a Realtor with Dallas-based Allie Beth Allman & Associates, who has been marketing the home.

The deal closed in a short sale before Dec. 31. According to the Dallas Central Appraisal District, the property is valued at nearly $2.8 million and is owned by Pelicans Corporation Services LLC.

Link to full article and photos here

By Candace Carlisle for Dallas Business Journal 

Flick Fest for Lit Fest

This event is going to be a fun evening and a great way to support the HP Literary Festival.

Your $35 ticket gets you performances by Park Version (the award-winning HPHS choir ensemble), performances by the Highlander Strings Orchestra, the opportunity to bid on fabulous art donated by HPHS students, your choice of wine or popcorn/soda, a talk by Gary Cogill, and a great movie, Words and Pictures (starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche).  Additionally, if you dine at the West Village Mi Cocina, they will donate a portion of their sales to our cause.  Please join us for this fun evening!  

Park Cities BubbleLife

Seven arrested for stealing bags from Highland Park Chanel store

 DALLAS -- A high-end luxury store is attracting a lot of new window shoppers, but not for the reason employees had hoped for.

A minivan crashed into the Chanel store in Highland Park Village just before 6:30 a.m. Monday. Police say thieves hopped out of a second van and rounded up about 45 pricey handbags. Any fashion lover will agree it's a crime just seeing the handbags tossed on the street.

"The property value is going to be extremely high based on who manufactures the handbags and the cost of each handbag," explained Lt. Lance Koppa with Highland Park Department of Public Safety.

Lt. Koppa says an off-duty Highland Park Village security officer saw the smash-and-grab happen and called for help. Some of the suspects took off running, but officers eventually caught up to them. Some were hiding near Germany Park, others were hiding in a backyard.

One construction worker says he stumbled upon a suspect hiding inside the Highland Park home he's working on.

"He came out from the hole and I say, 'Hey man whatcha doing here?' and he said 'Hey man, I’m homeless, I have no place to stay,'" said Ismeil Mohamed-Ali.

Right now investigators are working on the cost of damage. About 45 bags were recovered, valued between $2,000 and $15,000. A pair of women's shows was also recovered, valued at $1,400.

The most expensive bag sold at the Highland Park Village Chanel is a whopping $70,000.

Police believe they nabbed all the suspects - seven in total. Five were adults, two were juveniles. They will all be charged with:

• Theft of Property (1st degree felony)
• Criminal Mischief (state jail felony)

The adult suspects have been identified as Jake Adams, Jesse Foster, Antonio Cobb, Jr., Charles Brown and Lamario Peel.

Link to full article here 

By Jenny Doren for WFAA 8 Dallas

The 2016 HPHS Prom Logo Committee announces Logo Winner

Blaire Kaufman poses with the winning logo for the 2016 HPHS Prom.

The 2016 HPHS Prom Logo Committee is excited to announce the winner of the Prom Logo Contest… HPHS Junior, Blaire Kaufman! She will receive $50 and two tickets to the 2016 HPHS Prom.  Blaire’s creative submission incorporated the “Off to the Races” theme using a green field displaying nine bright jockey jerseys cornered by four red roses which are in keeping with the derby theme. Plans are in full swing for the 2016 HPHS Prom, which will be held on the night of the Kentucky Derby, May 7, 2016 at Union Station.

Link to full article here

By Margaret Watson for Park Cities Bubble Life 

HP Library Has a New and Improved eBook Website

Now searching and finding downloadable eBooks from the Library is simpler. The Highland Park Library’s revised eBook website is now available from OverDrive.

The new OverDrive includes enhancements like:

• More options for signing in. You can sign into the website with your library card, your OverDrive account, or your Facebook account. You can also use your OverDrive or Facebook account to sign into the OverDrive app.
• A new design that's faster and easier to navigate and shows you at a glance whether a title can be placed on hold or borrowed right away.
• New ways to personalize searching for eBooks. When browsing through search results or a featured collection, you can select multiple subjects to further narrow the results.
• You can now see your library's entire digital collection on any device. Previously, OverDrive websites hid any titles that didn't work on the device you were using at the time. New OverDrive websites show you everything in your library's collection, with clear messaging about titles that aren't compatible with your current device.
• Under My account, you'll find a new Checkouts page (instead of your old Bookshelf), where you can access all of the titles you currently have checked out.
• Once you borrow a title, you'll immediately see a button suggesting the best way to get that title on your device (whether that's opening the title right in your browser or adding it to the OverDrive app).

Visit https://highlandparktexas.overdrive.com/ to access the new OverDrive website.

Do you need to sign-up for a library card to start accessing the Library’s digital collections? Highland Park Library cards are free for residents of the Town of Highland Park. Please visit the Library during business hours, Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., to fill out a library card application. (The Library will be closed Saturday, January 16.)

The Highland Park Library is located at 4700 Drexel Drive. For more information on the Library and downloadable materials, please call 214-559-9400 or visit www.hplibrary.info.

Link to article here

Highland Park Wrestling Competes at Trinity Invitational

First place winner Caleb Kimzey

The Highland Park Varsity Wrestling team placed 5th in the Trinity Christian Academy Invitational Saturday, January 9.
 
Five individuals earned medals in the Varsity Division:                                           
120  Ben Kroencke      4th                      
126  Clay McPherson   4th               
145  Caleb Kimzey      1st                                         
152  Stephen Dieb      1st                                     
170  Aidan Conner     3rd                                   
 
Also competing and contributing to the Varsity team score were 106 Ethan Koellner 113 Walker Evans 132 Shane Reed 160 Colby Hopkins 182 Jeremy Hanes and 195 Matthew Evans 
 
Eleven of thirteen  wrestlers earned medals in the Junior Varsity Division:
106    Jacob Kroencke          1st                     
106    Connor Henderson    4th                 
113     Kiefer Wetzel            2nd                          
126     Mo Purnell                1st                                 
132     Derek Leonard.         1st
138     Chris Campbell        2nd
138     Colton Shawver.       3rd
138    Wilson Jacobson        4th
152     Logan Petty              1st
182     BenBorus                  2nd
182    McClain Matter          3rd        
 
Also competing for the JV were:  152 Mason McKenney and 106 Bryce Henderson 

Link to article here

By Kelly Reed for Park Cities BubbleLife

Billionaire scoops up most expensive house in Dallas

The home at 10000 Hollow Way Rd. had been listed for $100 million. Photo courtesy of Allie Beth Allman & Associates

Tom Hicks, with the help of high-profile listing agent Allie Beth Allman, finally landed a buyer for his Preston Hollow estate: billionaire Andy Beal, founder of Plano-based Beal Bank. Asking price had been $100 million for the 25-acre property.

Candy’s Dirt founder and CultureMap contributor Candy Evans says that Beal had been eyeing the Trammell Crow estate, a historic, 6-acre gem in Highland Park.

Allman sold the home to Hicks and his wife, Cinda, back in 1997, after which they began a multimillion-dollar renovation. The work took nearly three years to complete.

Evans toured the compound back in March 2015, including the 28,000-square-foot main house and 3,347-square-foot guest house. “The approach to the private gates of 10000 Hollow Way Rd. feels more like a drive through the French countryside to a fabulous chateau deep in the heart of the forest. It’s hard to believe this is just seconds from the Dallas North Tollway and less than 10 minutes from downtown,” she wrote.

The estate overlooks a forest of trees and a creek. The property also features meadows, trails, pond, rose and vegetable gardens, greenhouse, two courtyards lined with 16 magnolia trees each, tennis court, and helipad.

“The most expensive sale in Dallas prior to this was closer to $20 million,” Allman told the Dallas Morning News. “It’s my understanding that is the largest sale ever in Texas for a residential property.”

Link to article and more pictures here

By Jennifer Chininis for Culture Map Dallas 

6 Arrested After Driving Van Into Chanel Store: Highland Park Police

NBC 5 News

Highland Park police say several people drove a van through a display window at a Chanel Boutique and stole merchandise Monday morning. (Jan. 18, 2016)

Police said they arrested six people suspected of driving a van into the Chanel Boutique in Highland Park, Texas, and stealing merchandise Monday morning. 

Highland Park police said someone drove the van through a large display window at the store in the 100 block of Highland Park Village just before 6:30 a.m.

Several people went inside the store and stole merchandise, according to police spokesman Lance Koppa. Most of the items stolen were handbags.

Koppa said officers responded and, with the help of several nearby homeowners who called 911, were able to apprehend six people in two vehicles.

The side of the building with the damage faces Preston Road.

By Todd L. Davis at NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Link to article here