WITH A BACKSTORYbrSouthlake resident Aslam Khan is abrhighly successful entrepreneur andbrone of the top franchise holders inbrthe country. He lives in a sprawl-bring 16,500-square-foot home onbrthe west side of town, but he hasn’tbralways enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.brHe grew up in the small village ofbrFatehabad, Pakistan, where shoesbrand most human necessities werebrmerely a fantasy.
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BEST TRADITION IN ACTION
Ian Moss, a 2014 Carrollbrgraduate, is Texas A&M’sbrMascot Corporal for the 2015-16bracademic year. This means thatbrhe’s in charge of Reveille, thebruniversity’s official mascot, 24brhours a day, seven days a week.
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Connor Hendrickson, 2014 Carrollbrgraduate and former Dragon runner,brrepresented Team USA at the PanbrAmerican Junior Championships inbrEdmonton, Canada. Hendrickson wonbrGold in the 10,000 meters with a timebrof 30:46. This was the single fastestbrtime of all competitors throughout thebr24-lap race.
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The Dragons did it again. Carroll won its fourthbrconsecutive UIL Lone Star Cup, making it thebrfirst in history to win the newly formed Classbr6A division. It’s just another example whybr#ExpectExcellence is more than a hashtag.
br br brWhen the weather is nice, you can find us min-brgling over lunch at our favorite patio hotspots.brThere are plenty in the area – whether youbrwant to catch some fresh air during brunchbrwith the family or find a romantic spot for datebrnight. We gravitate toward the patio at Briobrcome lunch hour. There’s always a nice breeze,brgreat views, and of course, to-die-for food likebrthe Shrimp Mediterranean.br
brPGA Pro Ryan Palmer is a world-class golferbrwith a heart for giving back to kids. He startedbrthe Ryan Palmer Foundation in 2003, and itsbr“Birdies 4 Brighter Smiles” initiative raisesbrfunds for young kids to receive proper dentalbrcare. He says: “I feel blessed to give to thesebrkids. It puts the biggest smile on my face, andbrmost importantly, it gives the kids somethingbrto smile about.”
br br brTo anyone contemplating buying a lakefrontbrproperty, the prevailing sentiment is to comebron in – the water is fine. This year saw the mostbrdrastic changes in water levels, with 35 trillionbrgallons of water flowing into the region’s lakesbrin May alone. Lakes throughout central andbrNorth Texas are ranked among the prettiestbrin the country, though owning a slice of Texasbrutopia comes with unique charms and chal-brlenges.
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The Carroll Dragon boys’ swimming and diving team finished No. 1 in the publicbrschool national rankings by the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Associationbrfor the 2014-2015 school year. The Dragons have won five consecutive state champi-bronships, while the Lady Dragons finished third in the public school rankings. Over-brall, the Carroll program (boys and girls) finished sixth in the nation.
It doesn’t get any better than the men’s high-school Dragon lacrosse team. Theybrreceived the Bob Patterson Trophy and recognition as the state’s top program. Thebrannual award recognizes the top Texas men’s high-school program for their sports-brmanship, quality of play, respect for the game’s character and the honor that theybrbring to the sport.
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BEST REMINDERS OF CHRISTMASES PAST
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JUST FOR FUN, WE ROUNDED UP FIVE VINTAGE TOYSbrTO PUT SOME NOSTALGIA IN YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON.
LEGO STAR WARS MILLENNIUM FALCON
As if there was any question a Star Wars item was going to top ourbrlist. The three-foot-long toy with more than 5,000 pieces is a majesticbrtribute to Han Solo’s famed warship. Bids on eBay top $4,800 as ofbrpress time.
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VERTIBIRD
Before drones, there was the VertiBird, Mattel’s line of toy helicopters.brWe remember happily flying the little helicopter around a central hub,brswooping down to pick up a stray object (sock, coin, younger sibling)brin its flight path.br
LITE-BRITE
Aside from the little pointy pegs just waiting to be stepped on, we al-brways enjoyed making light-up works of art on the Lite-Brite. Hasbrobrreleased the toy in 1967, and over the years has included patterns forbrScooby-Doo, Darth Vader, My Little Pony and other pop-culture faves.br
ETCH A SKETCH
When the Etch A Sketch was first unveiled at the 1959 InternationalbrToy Fair, it was a total flop. Fast forward a year, and the mystical draw-bring toy was one of the most-requested toys of the holiday season. It’sbrstill a beloved classic nearly 60 years later.br
ROCK ’EM SOCK ’EM ROBOTS
brThe Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, one red and one blue, first engaged inbrbattle in 1964, and they’re still duking it out today. Players control thebraction in the boxing ring, throwing punches until the head of one ofbrthe robots pops up, marking the end of the round. Physical aggressionbrhas never been more fun.