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President’s Message
by Chris Bellew

Happy New Year! I love the New Year and look forward to it every year as a time when things slow down after the hectic holidays and I get to reflect on what made the prior year successful and what I need to do in the next year to improve on the things that weren’t. I have been spending some doing this for the WRVNA over the last couple of weeks.

The largest reason for success in 2008, and 2005 – 2007, has been due to the great leadership of the WRVNA by Kathy. She has created very big shoes for me to fill as the new President. I thank Kathy, and her family for sharing her with us, and pass on our appreciation for everything she has done for our neighborhood and the greater Lake Highlands area. Fortunately we didn’t let her go to far, she will be serving as the Secretary for 2009. I would also like to thank the board members who left the board in 2008 for their many years of work to improve our neighborhood, Larry and Dorothy Ferguson, Pat O’Shea and Donna Haster. We have a great board for 2009 with new faces and new energy. Check out WRVNA 2009 Board on page 3,  for a list of the 2009 board members.

When I tell people that I am the President of WRVNA I am usually asked one of two questions: “Why would you want to do that?” and “How do you have the time with three small children?” The second question is the easiest answer, it’s because I have a great wife who is very understanding. The answer to the first question isn’t really that difficult either. I love the closeness and community spirit our neighborhood has and want to do my part to make sure that is not lost. This is where I think we need to focus our efforts in 2009. We are in the middle of major changes in our neighborhood ranging from commercial redevelopment to residential redevelopment and the normal changes related to one generation moving out and the next generation moving in. My goal for the association is to not let this community spirit get lost as we go through these changes. Watch for information throughout the year on what we are doing to preserve and build our community.

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, please join the association by both completing the membership application and mailing it along with your check to the address listed on the form, or go to www.wrvna.org and register on-line using your Pay-Pal account. All of the programs and services that WRVNA provide come at a cost and it is our very low dues that allow us to pay for it. Additionally, participating in the ENP program allows us to pay officers to patrol our neighborhood and continue our reputation as the safest Lake Highlands neighborhood.

I hope everyone has a safe and prosperous New Year!

LHAIA Update

The LHAIA calendar for 2009 includes general meetings on April 20th & October 19th both of which are to be held at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts, 5938 Skillman, Dallas, 75231.  The meetings are from 7:00-9:00pm, and the public is welcome.

The WRVNA is currently a member of LHAIA, acronym for Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association, which is comprised of 30 neighborhood and homeowner associations in Lake Highlands encompassing over 13,000 homes.  As a point of reference, the WRVNA includes 1,350 homes and is one of the larger associations in LHAIA.

As the WRVNA LHAIA Liaison, I hope to enhance the communications between these two complimentary community organizations.  Please feel free to contact me with information or questions of interest to those of us in LAKE HIGHLANDS TEXAS.

- Cindy Woolley

WRV Welcomes Deputy Chief Tom Lawrence to LH

Northeast Substation, Dallas Police Department is fortunate to have as the new Chief, Deputy Chief Tom Lawrence.

Chief Lawrence comes to Northeast with a wide variety of assignments.  Included are the following:  Deputy Chief for the Homeland Security and Special Operations Division, Commanded the SWAT teams, Traffic Section, Mounted Unit, Explosive Ordinance Unit, Canine Unit, Love Field Airport Unit, Helicopter Unit and the departmental coordinator for Homeland Security matters.

White Rock Valley is pleased to welcome Deputy Chief Lawrence to our community.

White Rock Valley 2009 Board

President — Chris Bellew — Chris lives at 9536 Highedge Drive with his wife Jill and three children; Julia, Christopher and Sarah. They are members of The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation. Chris is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and works as a consultant. He grew up in South Arkansas, but knew the stork had delivered him to the wrong state after visiting Dallas and attending a Cowboys game as a boy. He moved to Dallas in 1990, before the ink was even dry on his diploma, and has felt at home every since. The Bellews moved to White Rock Valley in January of 2002 and plan on being here when their kids graduate from LHHS.  214-503-0575 – e-mail cbellew@yahoo.com

Vice President — Donald Wright—Donald has lived in Lake Highlands since 1998. He has lived in White Rock Valley since 2005. He is a residential real estate agent with Gilchrist & Company, where he has worked for 5 years. He is proud to call Lake Highlands home and looks forward to helping to welcome new families to the neighborhood. When he is not selling real estate, you might find him at a  Baylor (his alma mater) sporting event. He travels all over the US with his Baylor Bears. If he is in town during the weekend, you might find him on a tennis court or just hanging out with family and friends. He loves to support anything related to Lake Highlands. 214-520-4407. donald@donaldmalikwright.com.

Secretary – Kathy Stewart —  The Stewarts moved to Lake Highlands in 1984.  Kathy is an attorney but spends her time and energy making Highlands Cafe a great neighborhood restaurant! Robb is an attorney with Locke, Lord and Liddell. They have three children, Cecelia is currently living in San Francisco and working for Google, Robbie is a freshman at the University of Texas majoring in engineering and Mary Claire is in the 8th grade at LH Junior High.  Robb and Kathy were first attracted to Lake Highlands because of its hills and trees (Kathy grew up in Fayetteville, AR) and have made Lake Highlands home because it is a strong stable community.  214-340-6963—e-mail ksmom41@aol.com

Treasurer— Laurie Bubel — Why would anyone WANT to be treasurer: because I enjoy being involved in our community, and being treasurer, allows me to do what I do best (balance numbers) and meet really great neighbors, who love our neighborhood too. Laurie and Tim Bubel have lived in WRVNA for  20 years.  They have 3 children who have all attended WRE. They are the proud parents of 3 graduates of LHHS: Neil, Kevin and Stephanie. Tim is a CPA and has his own practice, and Laurie is a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and works for Brown & Brown Financial Services.  In her spare time she still really does enjoy reconciling bank statements so this job is a natural fit.  214-340-2059 or bubel2@netzero.net

Beautification – Vicki Caldwell- Vicki Caldwell and her husband Gerald have lived in Lake Highlands for 22 years. Both of their children attended White Rock Elementary through Lake Highlands High School.  Gerald and Vicki served on the WRVNA Board in the early days of its existence, recruiting local businesses. Vicki works for Brown Jordan furniture and is an ’81 graduate of Baylor University.   E-mail vcaldwell@sbcglobal.net or 214-349-4301.

Beautification — Chris Aldredge — Chris and his wife Cindy moved to White Rock Valley in 1996 because they were impressed with the small community feel of the White Rock and Lake Highlands community as a great placed to raise their sons.  They loved the area so much when they wanted a larger house in 2004; they only had to move 5 houses up on the same street.  Both of their sons attended White Rock Elementary.  Their oldest son, Jourdan is a LHHS 2006 graduate and is a junior at the University of Missouri at Columbia (Mizzou).  Nathan is a UNT freshman.  Chris is a contractor.  Chris and his co-chair, Vicki Caldwell, took on the board position to become more involved with the community and neighborhood as both their families will be empty-nesters next year. 214-348-4422 e-mail c.aldredge@sbcglobal.net

Crime Watch — Bruce Bowles — Bruce and his family have been residents of Lake Highlands since 1973. Bruce retired after 27 years as president of Baptist Church Loan Corporation, a church lending agency of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He is married with two children and three grandchildren. Bruce has served in several positions on the WRVNA board, and keeps everyone informed of important neighborhood information as well as crime statistics. If you would like receive  e-mails, contact the information given.  214-341-5660—e-mail bwbowles@sbcglobal.net

ENP, Public Safety — Ken and Rhonda Coutant —Ken and Rhonda have lived in the neighborhood 21 years with Ken having previously served on the WRVNA board as Beautfication/Landscape chair and Treasurer.  Ken is a partner in a local CPA firm and Rhonda works in the counselor’s office at the Ninth Grade Center.  They have two sons, both students at Texas A&M.  214-373-8117×12 / 214-340-3953 kcoutant@HMCC.com / rcoutant@sbcglobal.net

VIP/Volunteers In Patrol – Jason Thomas -  Jason and his wife Wendy along with their three sons; Tucker, Hank and Owen live at 9520 Crestedge.  Jason & Wendy both graduated from Texas Tech and moved to White Rock Valley in May of 2002.  The only move they plan to make from here on out will be to a bigger house in the Valley.   Jason is a Realtor with Ebby Halliday here in Lake Highlands.   214-538-3390  jasonthomas@ebby.com

Newsletter/Website — Dana Kimbrough – Dana and her family have lived at their present address since 1970.  She and her husband Kermit were local business owners, and their two children started their education at WRE. The major motivation of accepting the position of newsletter editor was to re-establish close ties with the neighborhood, which was easier to maintain before her two children graduated from high school.  She is a consultant with BeautiControl Cosmetics and works from a studio in her home. She is “Nana” to her  granddaughters. 214-349-2841—danakimbrough@sbcglobal.net

National Night Out – Billy & Sarah Dorsey –  Sarah grew up in Lake Highlands, attended WRE, graduated from LHHS, then returned to teach 3rd grade at WRE for six years. Billy is a graduate of Texas A&M. They own Dorsey Construction, a residential roofing company. Sarah and Billy are proud parents of Elaina & Michael,  who attends White Rock Elementary, and a baby daughter. The Dorseys are ardent supporters of LH. 214.349.9759  goredorsey@sbcglobal.net

Welcome – Lisa and David Briggs - Both Lisa and David graduated from Texas A&M Class of ’82.  We lived in the M Streets for 13 years and then moved to our home on Edgepine.  We have 2 children.  Tyler is a Freshman at Texas A&M and Haleigh is a Junior at Lake Highlands High School. Lisa grew up in Lake Highlands and attended Wallace, LHJH & LHHS Class of ’78. David grew up in Bryan and Paris, Texas. He works for Bank of America. 214-221-8424.     e-mail lisahbriggs@sbcglobal.net

Gov’t Liaison – Paul Reyes – Claire and Paul have lived in the neighborhood since May 2006. Paul serves as General Counsel for a national property management company owned by our area’s state senator John Carona. Paul enjoys biking and boxing. He and Claire did the “Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred” bike race last year and are ready to tackle it again this year. Paul is also hoping to resume his amateur boxing career after being sidelined last year by an injury that forced him to spend three months on crutches and rely on Claire to drive him around. e-mail pcrreyes@yahoo.com

LHAIA Liaison — Cindy Woolley — Cindy and her husband Byron moved to their home on Meadowglen Drive as a young married couple, and have chosen to stay put right where they started out in Lake Highlands.  Byron has a law practice, and after a career as a CPA and in banking, Cindy currently spends her time and efforts as the perennial PTA volunteer, Boy Scout mom, LHHS Band booster, LHUMC Praise Team member, and general manager of the Woolley household.  With son Michael having attended WRE and LHJH, and now in 10th grade at the Lake Highlands Freshman Center, their lives are thoroughly enmeshed in the fabric of our community. cindywoolley@sbcglobal.net or 214-341-6374 / 214-734-6374

Website – Glenn and Kim Vance – The Vances have lived in WRV for the past 10 years, first on Eagle Trail and now on Forest Trail. Both are graduates of Baylor University and work together in their own marketing consulting firm: Trügenius Marketing. On their down time from building websites and bottom lines, Kim and Glenn like to spend their time running after their two sons – Noah, a kindergartner at WRE and his younger brother Peyton. They look forward to a successful year for WRV and welcome any content, changes or suggestions you have for your neighborhood website. 214.341.6144 / email kim@trugenius.com or glenn@trugenius.com.

Notes From Calloway’s

January can be a busy month in your garden!

Calloway’s Nursery is offering two FREE soil tests to every customer during January & February.  Visit your nearest store and take advantage of this special offer. Fertilize with confidence when you know the exact needs of your soil.

Now is the time to prune fruit trees and grapevines. Shade trees and evergreen shrubs can be trimmed to maintain shape and to remove damaged or low lying branches. Do not top Crape Myrtles; only prune to remove damaged branches. Trim summer blooming shrubs and vines to tidy their appearance. Leave a smooth cut flush with the trunk or branch from which you pruned. Apply pruning paint to cuts larger than a pinkie to prevent diseases and insect infestations.

For more information, please join us for FREE in-store clinics regarding these topics. These clinics are held in every store. To check the scheduled clinics, visit the website www.calloways.com.

Our experts will provide information on the necessary make-up of your soil and what all those numbers and letters mean!  Keep your plants green, growing and blooming with the proper nutrition.

Success in the garden begins with a good foundation! Become a member of our Garden Club and learn how to develop a beautiful landscape! Go to: www.mytexasgarden.com.
WRVNA Membership Drive 2009

Dear White Rock Valley Neighbors, Happy New Year! If you haven’t already, you will soon receive the annual membership renewal letter. You will also soon see signs around the neighborhood reminding you to pay your annual dues or to join the White Rock Valley Neighborhood Association. Exciting things are in store for 2009. And, we live in a fantastic and unique community! If you haven’t already, we would like to ask you to please consider joining our neighborhood association. Your participation will help us to continue to provide excellent services and it will also help us to continue to give back to the Lake Highlands community. Also, there are some programs that we would like to start or participate in. We need everyone’s help to make this happen. So, join us! You will be glad that you did. And, you will help to make our neighborhood even better. If you have any membership questions, please do not hesitate to call me at 214-520-4440. Thanks for your time.

- Donald Wright

WRVNA 2nd Annual  Christmas & Holiday  Lighting Contest Winners

Once again the LH neighborhood donned the glitz and glitter to compete for top prize (bragging rights) in the 2nd annual Christmas & Holiday Lighting Contest. Everywhere was festive and bright; it was hard to make a choice. The winners are:

1st Place:
The Rivenes
9541 Highedge

2nd Place:
The Hills
9703 Broken Bow

3rd Place:
The Ponces
9518 Highedge

Best Street:
For the second year in a row – Square Drive

LHHS Wranglers Performed at 2009 Presidential Inauguration

The Lake Highlands High School Wranglers (dance team) performed for an estimated 8,000 attendees at the Black Tie and Boots Ball taking place at the historic Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center the night before the Inauguration, but only after they acted as greeters to the host of dignitaries who  attended. And once the Wranglers finished their three act performance, they offered up line dancing instruction to all comers. While the juniors and seniors of the well-known Country & Western dance and stunt team are no strangers to high profile performances, they headed to Washington with a great sense of anticipation.

The Wranglers performed for the 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential inaugurations, the 2005 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and continued to add to their list of impressive performances in 2008 by performing in the New Year’s Day parade in London.

The 2009 WRVNA Directory

It is that time again, when the 2009 WRVNA Directory is delivered to your door with the 1st Qtr Newsletter for the year. This popular little book is eagerly anticipated, and awarded pride of place next to your computer and telephone; a important part of your communication ammunition you keep close at hand.

Thanks to Deborah Whitington of Re/Max Realtors for producing the directory again. It is our goal to provide current correct information. If there are errors or your information has changed, contact Deborah at 214-343-0427 or e-mail wrvna@yahoo.com, The changes will be published in the WRVNA Newsletter.