Looking back at 2012... the annual Best of from Southlake Style
Protecting our own annual tradition our editorial team takesbra fond look back at the year 2012. We've compiled our list of special people,brplaces and events marking the passing of another great year. What follows are 46 items that are partbrhistory, part humor and all SouthlakebrStyle. As in years past we aim to shine the spotlight, refresh your memory,brand reflect upon the happenings of our home town.
Best Man – Before Southlake was a destination for thousands therebrwas a man with a vision of a place for both community and commerce. Along withbrbusiness partner Peter Cooper the late Brian Stebbins proved doubters wrong bybrbuilding a thriving downtown where no one thought possible. He left us toobrsoon, but his love for Southlake lives on in many ways.
Best Cover – The sports scene is always rocking in Southlake andbrthis year we enjoyed covering both Texas Ranger’s GM Jon Daniels and Super BowlbrChamp Chase Daniel – but the hands down favorite as chosen by you was our Februarybrcover featuring Miss Teen Southlake Brittany Tew.
Staff pick –When a world-renowned artist offers to paint a custombrcover…you run with it. Now Time, Lifebrand Newsweek all have something in common with us – cover artwork from PeterbrMax!
Best Anniversary – After 25 years of doing good throughoutbrNortheast Tarrant County the Grapevine Relief And Community Exchange celebratedbrin style with their annual GRACE Gala. brChaired by Tommy and Stephanie Pennington this year’s black tie fundraisingbrevent was a record setter!
30 years - Lets just say we felt the love when Victor and KimbrFaszczuk celebrated their anniversary in Paris with a copy of Southlake Style.
Best Line – Its simple supply and demand- find the longest line andbrwhat’s at the end is generally worth waiting for. Past honorees include the Apple Store and thebrdrive-thru at Chik-fil-A. However, in 2012 the honor goes to those beating thebrheat at Milwaukee Joes Gourmet Ice Cream. Real ingredients, really good icebrcream.
Best in Education- Robin Kuntz and the Department of SpecialbrPrograms at Carroll ISD are helping Dragons with special needs reach their fullbrpotential through the C-STAR program (Carroll Students Transitioning to AdultbrRoles).
Best Mom – Each year we celebrate the lovely ladies in our livesbrwith our “Best Mom” essay contest. Emotions ran wild both at home and at ourbroffices as hundreds of essays came in for our seventh annual affair. This year’s submission from Old UnionbrElementary Fourth Grader Annabelle Smith won our hearts and a $2,500 prizebrpackage for her mom Julie.
Best Kind of Mom – Parenting columnist and proud stay-at-home mombrJessica Begley, MFT, took an unbiased and in-depth look at career moms andbrat-home moms. What she found- there isbrno right path for any one mom or family, but one thing seems certain;brcondemning another’s choice to feel better about your own should be the pathbrleast followed.
Best Arm- Texas A&M pitcher and former All-State Dragon RossbrStripling (’08) threw a no-hitter against San Diego State in May and was thenbrdrafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the MLB draft. While pitching in the rookie league for thebrOgden Raptors this summer he compiled an impressive 1.24 era in 36 innings ofbrwork.
Best Costume – As 2012 Miss Teen Southlake Brittany Tew knows whatbrit means to dress for success. When she’s not in eveningwear, or performing withbrher puppets (she’s also a ventriloquist) Brittany can be spotted on thebrsidelines wearing the lovable Dragon mascot outfit during football games.
Best Bath – is a quick shower. brHave you not seen all the city’s water conservation efforts… or our Julybrissue?
Best Helping Hand –Emergency Medical Services Lieutenant RyanbrArthur followed his uncle’s footsteps into a career as a fire fighter. In his new role the Southlake DPS Lieutenantbrtackles all aspects of public safety from answering alarm calls to helping withbrcritical patients and providing all-important training to other staffers.
Best Trip – This year we’ve shown off many interesting travel spotsbrfrom as far away as Hawaii and Alaska and many tropical ports of call. We’ve also highlighted Texas beaches, enjoyedbrthe outdoors in Avon, Colorado and the art and culture of New Mexico. Nevertheless, our favorite trip is alwaysbrTraveling with Style with our readers.
Best Travel With Style Photo - Showing that the love ofbrSouthlake knows no bounds, Margaret Burnette shared her Style with some newbrfriends in the Antarctic and won a great prize from Bag n’ Baggage.
Best for Your Sweet Tooth – With indulgent chocolate bar themed andbrcolorful fruit flavors of popcorn Southlake’s Le Popcorn and Candy shop bringsbrout the kid in everyone. We suggestbr“Crazy Confetti” for a colorful blend of all their favorites.
Best Build- We were sad to see Larry North shut down operations,brhowever it did leave room for Hines Development to join our list. After several years of waiting, developmentbrofficially began on Carillon- the 285-acre mixed-use development. Streets,brinfrastructure and homes within the development’s Chateaux district started tobrtake shape in 2012.
Best Spritzer – with no less than eight confirmed cases of WestbrNile virus the City of Southlake partnered with several Denton Countybrcommunities in aerial spraying to dramatically reduce the mosquito population.
Best Note Makers- The Apex Arts League continues to bring exquisitebrconcerts close to home- including HolidaybrBrass this month’s concert featuring the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Butbrwhen it comes to local music it doesn’t get much closer than Home Grown Volume 2 the student producedbrCD from those currently rocking lessons at Hall Music Productions of Southlake.
Best Bat-man – From cellar-dweller to bankruptcy and then twobrconsecutive American League Championships the Texas Rangers, under GeneralbrManager Jon Daniels, have clawed their way back to the top. Taking over thebrrole in 2005 at the ripe old age of 28- Southlake’s resident baseball geniusbrbecame the youngest GM in major league history and a driving force in thebrteam’s recent success. This spring hebrhelped secure the off-season’s biggest free agent in Japanese phenom and $60Mbrpitcher Yu Darvish.
Best Rub Down– It all starts with prep work and no one knows thatbrbetter than resident grill master Kyle Clark. That’s why so many of his RustedbrTruck Ranch catering and BBQ Boot Camps start off with his signature spices andbrrubs. We can’t get enough of “MidnightbrRide” Kyle’s tantalizing blend of whole peppercorn with a hint of groundbrcoffee.
Best New Addition- In order to profile even more of one of the mostbrnotable high school sports programs in the country Dragon Pride Spring was published for the first time ever. Dragon Pride now consists of two highlybracclaimed issues for our readers.
Best Racket with a Racquet – Even though the Southlake Tennis Centeris right in the heart of Bicentennial Park, no one has ever asked GeneralbrManager Mia Gordon-Poorman to turn down the volume. In fact, recent accolades as a USTA NationalbrOutstanding Facility has the noise level continually on the rise at this citybrowned facility.
Best Legs: Leading the Southlake Girls Soccer team (25-2-2) with 35brgoals and 13 assists junior forward Sophie Groff was also a First Team AllbrState selection.
Best Relay – the best relay is one you do for others- and for thebrpast three years Southlake has rallied its residents to take part in thebrAmerican Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. brThe local event which raises as much as $250,000 annually fell victim tobrrainy weather but more than 2,000 spirited participants braved the elements thisbrMay in the name of cancer research.
Best Big Wheels – Each morning the school drop-off lines resemblebran endless presidential motorcade sans secret service of course. Luxurious,brpowerful (0-60 in 6.8 seconds) and room for the entire team the CadillacbrEscalade could very well be the official vehicle of Southlake, should therebrever be one.
Best Not-So-Big Wheels – Slight yet stylish the Fiat 500 has thebrlooks that appeal to young drivers and a parent friendly price-tag.
Best Ballots - Two ballots, one easy to choose candidate. Southlake Mayor John Terrell rightfully ranbrunopposed for election to his second term. However, he still gave others abrchance to cast their vote, which they did - recognizing him as the City’s Citizenbrof the Year.
Best New Park – The City proudly unveiled North Park with a grandbropening ceremony in the fall. Perhaps nobrone group is happier than the Southlake Carroll Lacrosse Association. The SCLA plans to make great use of thebrpark’s three lighted multi-purpose fields for practices and special teambrevents.
Best With Restrictions – With more than 90 percent of the statebrstill suffering from drought conditions many cities, including Southlake, spentbrthe majority of the year under water restriction.
Best Use of Glass- Dale Chihuly’s colorful and durable glassbrsculptures on exhibit throughout 2012 at the Dallas Arboretum. When visited in the evening Chihuly Nightsbrtakes on a romantically illuminated glow that is a must-see for couples.
Best One Way View- Dark tinted glass partitioned the luckier TexasbrRanger fans from sight during the inaugural season of the Batter’s Eye Club atbrthe Ballpark in Arlington. From thesebrcoveted centerfield seats Rangers faithful now enjoy their favorite team with air-conditionedbrcomfort, a buffet, full bar and a private restroom.
Best with Just About Anything – Straight out of Hatch, New Mexicobrcomes the Hatch Chile Pepper. For 17bryears and counting the foodies of Central Market have put the spicy and tasty pepperbrin every recipe imaginable. From Hatch Brownies and Hatch Ice Cream to crabbrcakes and enchiladas the only thing stopping the flavor is the limited harvestbreach August.
Best Way to Lose Your Marbles – With six boys and a girl even a simplebrtrip to the store is an adventure for the Reed Family. Nevertheless, ex-corporate man and currentbrSouthlake Baptist Church Pastor, Clayton Reed is determined to not let life’sbrhectic schedule overrule his world. Hisbrweekly “marble ceremony” marks off the time left with his children and is abrreminder to enjoy life’s every moment- for we all know it passes by too quickly.
Best for Local Flavor – We all know the restaurant game isn’t easybrand when it comes to adding a heaping portion of local flavor three Southlakebrfavorites always come to mind. Resident Restaurateurs from Feedstore BBQ,brWildwood Grill and Johnny B's Burgers and Shakes always fill our bellies andbrour city with pride.
Best Way to Admit Defeat– Sometimes you just can’t beat the heat andbrwhen that time comes you should make a trek 800 miles northwest to visit Avon,brColorado. The Vail Valley has plenty ofbroutdoor fun for the family and average August temperatures about twenty degreesbrcooler.
Best Hat Trick – From the Big Apple to the Lone Star State Fort Worth Star Telegram columnist,brauthor, and public watchdog- Dave Lieber eventually found his way as the YankeebrCowboy. Donning the cap of ol’ Kris Kringle as the co-founder of Summer SantabrLieber has helped hundreds of children and earned the role of honorary Texan inbrthe process.
Best Left Turns – Officially completed by the city after months ofbrconstruction left turns are now a little safer thanks to the new medians alongbrSouthlake Boulevard.
Best Team Effort – Amidst reduced state funding, CISD School Boardbrmembers; Read Ballew, John Thane, Erin Shoupp, Sue Armstrong, Craig Rothmeier,brSherri Williams and Fred Stovall tirelessly volunteer their time and expertisebrto keep every Dragon at the top of their game.
Best New Bars- A glass of wine or a cocktail from the masterbrbartender at Patrizio's new and trendy upstairs bar is a great place to enjoybrthe Southlake nightlife. If you’rebrlooking for some darts and a frosty cold one there is always plenty on tap at ThebrGinger Man.
Best Bird Watching – Established in 2008 and dedicated to educationbrand conservation the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve consists of 76 acresbrto the north side of our city. An integral part of the Cross Timbers ecosystembrthe area is home to over 300 species of birds.
Best Drive –Motorcycle enthusiast Kevin Howel may look tough but hebrhas a softer side. As the founder of Spokes4Hope he shares his love of ridingbrtwo wheelers by delivering bicycles to kids. br
Best Accessory – When it comes to accessorizing “mum” is the wordbron most everyone’s lips each fall. Bigbrand gaudy with budgets to match mums have gone wild with everything from largebrstuffed animals and battery power lights to sound speakers and more.
Best Dragon Spirit – Was on display as hundreds gathered in abrcommunity-wide candlelight vigil for the Ledet Family. Dragon Stadium went dark in remembrance ofbrPaul and Mason Ledet and their father Leonard who all tragically passed awaybrafter their plane went down during a family trip.
Best High School Reunion–Chase Daniel along with fellow Dragonbralumni Garrett Hartley and Justin Drescher are teammates on the NFL’s NewbrOrleans Saints. Not stopping at just footballbrDaniel founded the Arlington based company 10-Star Apparel with two more of hisbrhigh school running mates-Aaron Luna and Evan Fentriss.