The Turtle Creek Association, a non-profit organization whose primary focus is to enhance, preserve, and protect Dallas’ 87-acre Turtle Creek Corridor, provides a special look inside three high-rise residences and one single-family home with their 2019 Tour of Homes on Sunday, April 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Following the tour will be a separately ticketed post tour reception from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The highly anticipated 2019 Turtle Creek Association Tour of Homes hosted by the Turtle Creek Association showcases lifestyles, amenities and luxury enhancements. The tour is the primary fundraiser for this non-profit organization, whose mission is dedicated to preserving the 87-acres of greenways and parklands throughout the Turtle Creek Corridor. The tour provides the rare opportunity to visit some of Dallas’ most prestigious tailored homes designed by prominent designers.

This year’s featured homes are:  

• Single family home at 3816 Turtle Creek Blvd.

• 17th floor of The Warrington at 3831 Turtle Creek Blvd.

• 24th floor of The Warrington at 3831 Turtle Creek Blvd.

• 15th floor of The Vendome at 3505 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Members of the Turtle Creek Association serve as volunteer docents in each home, sharing information about the owners’ personal art collections, accompaniments and connections to local artists, designers and builders.

Tickets: Tickets for the 2019 Tour of Homes and After Party are available for purchase by calling 214.526.2800 or visiting www.turtlecreekassociation.org. Tour tickets may also be purchased on the day of the tour, at the tour’s central parking location, or while visiting any of the tour homes. Home Tour tickets are $60.00 each for non-Turtle Creek Association-members and $50.00 each for members. Early bird tickets are available through March 31st for $54 each for non-members and $45 each for members.

A limited number of After Party tickets are available for $125 each and will be sold on a first-come-first serve basis. A combination package of one Home Tour ticket and one After Party ticket may be purchased for $150 each. There is no early bird rate for the combined tickets.

Parking: Parking will be available at 3811 Turtle Creek Blvd, Located at Turtle Creek Blvd and Blackburn Street; The parking garage building is adjacent to the Turtle Creek Village complex.

Shuttles: Buses will transport guests from the 3811 Turtle Creek garage to all homes on the tour and can also be boarded at any tour location.

Preservation Texas is honoring four Merriman Anderson/Architects’ historic projects in downtown Dallas. These projects include The Mercantile Commerce Building (1712 Commerce Street), Old Dallas High School (2218 Bryan Street), Old Dallas Central Library (1954 Commerce Street), and Tower Petroleum (1907 Elm Street).  

“These historical buildings are icons to downtown Dallas,” said Merriman Anderson/Architects President and Founder, Jerry Merriman. “Restoring these historically-significant buildings allows us to preserve Dallas’ history while adapting these buildings into modern and useful spaces.”

The Preservation Texas Honor Awards Reception and Ceremony took place at the historic Paramount Theatre at 713 Congress Avenue in Austin on February 27th and 28th. Preservation Texas is dedicated to protecting the historic resources of Texas. The 2019 Honor Awards, selected by a jury of preservationists, recognize successful efforts to save irreplaceable and authentic historic places in Texas. Preservation Texas honors individuals, government officials, businesses, organizations and news media that have made significant contributions to preservation efforts in Texas.

The Mercantile Commerce Building was revamped from a 1952 office building into a 209-room Marriott Residence Inn and AC Hotel after being vacant for 25 years. Old Dallas High School was built in 1907 and is one of the oldest institutional buildings on the local school district property list and remained in continuous use until September 1995. It remained vacant until it was bought in 2015 and was renovated to Class A office space. Tower Petroleum is a 1931 art deco building that was renovated and converted for hotel use becoming the Cambria Dallas Downtown. All four buildings were also honored with 2018 Preservation Dallas Achievement Awards. Old Dallas Central Library was built in 1955 as a public library with exhibit area, work rooms, rooftop terrace, and an auditorium. It was renovated into office space and is now home to Dallas’ major daily newspaper, The Dallas Morning News. The former library is connected to another Merriman Anderson/Architects preservation project, The Statler. The Statler opened in 1956 as a 1,001-room luxury hotel, convention center and gathering place and now features a 159-room Curio Hilton Hotel and 219 luxury rental apartments with many amenities. Also located in downtown Dallas, The Statler received a Preservation Texas Honor Award in 2018.

A total of 19 restoration, rehabilitation and preservation planning projects ranging in scale throughout Texas were also recognized at the 2019 Honor Awards Ceremony and Reception, spanning cities of Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Cisco, Dallas, El Paso, Karnes City, Houston, Morgan’s Point, Nacogdoches and Plano.

National tech training nonprofit Per Scholas announced the launch of a new pilot program for high-school students interested in pursuing a career in technology. The initiative aims to support high school students lacking access to traditional higher education by providing them with the training and career guidance they need to secure meaningful, long-term employment in the tech industry.

As part of the pilot program, which will initially serve 30 students in Dallas, Per Scholas is partnering with the Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff campus. Selected students will split their day between Per Scholas IT Support coursework and high school classes, producing an integrated approach that balances academic and on-the-job education. The IT Support courses will be led by instructor and Per Scholas graduate Jake Gordon.

“We’re excited to partner with Texans Can Academy to expand our services to high school students across the Oak Cliff community. Our goal is to ensure that high school students interested in pursuing immediate employment after graduation have the foundation they need to succeed and discover long-term career success. I’ve witnessed first-hand how life-changing this program can be for students at our Downtown Dallas training facility, and we hope to deliver the same impact to the Oak Cliff community,” said Stephanie Valadez, managing director of Per Scholas Dallas.

Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff will provide students with laptops and hotspots to help bridge the digital divide that can often exclude them from educational and career opportunities. High-Tech students will have access to internship opportunities through Per Scholas’s employer network, along with career counseling and additional professional certifications, for at least two years upon completing the program. Graduates will have the ability to either seek an internship and immediate employment, matriculate in the fall to a more advanced and specialized Per Scholas training track, or pursue a traditional college education.

“As educators, one of our primary goals is to help students gain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to reach their goals and promote access to sustainable career paths,” said Richard Marquez, president and CEO of Texans Can Academies. “Our goal for our graduating students is to provide the skills and options for a strong career path and higher education. In partnering with Per Scholas, opportunities are available that our students would have never had. Texans Can strives to be a value-added organization through this partnership as well as through our other partnerships.”

Texans Can Academy - Carrollton Farmers Branch will host their annual spring garage sale on February 2, 2019. The garage sale will be at the Pizza Patron parking lot on Josey Lane from 8 a.m. to noon.

The school is accepting donations from community members for the garage sale in order to raise money for school field trips and bus rentals. Texans Can Academies is committed to ensuring students have the opportunity to pursue their dreams while removing barriers that keep them attaining their education.

“We appreciate any and all donations from the community for the school’s garage sale,” said Dr. Lucy Hakemack, principal. “The community’s contributions make it possible for our students to go on educational field trips to expand their horizons.”

Garage Sale donations can be dropped off at the following location:

Texans Can Academy - Carrollton Farmers Branch

2720 Hollandale Lane

Farmers Branch, TX 75234

(972) 243-2178

Garage Sale will held at the following location:

Pizza Patron parking lot

14350 Josey Lane

Farmers Branch, TX 75234

For more information about Texans Can Academy, please visit www.texanscan.org or call 214-944-1985.

On January 12, basketball players for Texans Can Academy - Fort Worth Lancaster; Texans Can Academy - Dallas Oak Cliff; and Texans Can Academy - Dallas Ross Avenue attended Southern Methodist University’s basketball game for a special ceremony for Ira Terrell. One of Texans Can Academies’ longest and most dedicated volunteers, Terrell played basketball for SMU from 1972 to 1976 and earned a place in the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame. His jersey, number 32, was retired during halftime.

Terrell ranks second all-time at SMU in rebounds, sixth in scoring, and second in career scoring average. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the third round of the 1976 NBA Draft, and from 1976 to 1978, he played for the Suns, New Orleans Jazz, and Portland Trailblazers.

Terrell has volunteered with Texans Can Academies for over 30 years and is currently on the Dallas Development Council and Golf Committee. He invited Texans Can Academies’ basketball players to attend the game and the jersey-retirement ceremony.

After the ceremony, Terrell shared encouraging words with the students, signed their programs, and took pictures with them. Among those attending, only one of the students had ever attended a college or professional basketball game. The experience was one these students will not forget.

The Mustangs went on that night to take a nearly 30-point victory against the University of Tulsa.

Texans Can Academies is dedicated to graduating thinkers and committed to ensuring students have all the information and tools needed for a successful college or career path after graduation. For more information about Texans Can Academies, please visit www.texanscan.org.