The Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is putting on a grand Season Finale Concert on April 20th, 2024, at 7:30 P.M., at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts, located at 2351 Performance Drive Richardson, Texas 75082. Prices range from $18-$75, and may be purchased on the Eisemann Center’s website eisemanncenter.com or by calling 972-744-4650.

The Season Finale Concert features the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist Anna Geniushene. Anna Geniushene has been called a “powerhouse sound, forceful musical personality, and sheer virtuosity” by Musical America. She has released two albums, most recently her 2023 album “Berceuse”, and performs all over the world with highly well-known institutions, major venues and with famous conductors. On April 20th, Geniushene will be performing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 on the piano alongside the Richardson Symphony Orchestra. This piece is known for its astonishing virtuoso passages and for being Rachmaninoff ’s best-known melody. The RSO will also be performing Smetana’s Overture to The Bartered Bride and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98, which captures tension between lyrical beauty, intense drama, and subdued melancholy.

This is Maestro Clay Couturiaux’s 12th season with the RSO. Clay brings energy, precision and creativity to every RSO performance. He is also the conductor of the University of North Texas Concert Orchestra and works as the Assistant Director of Orchestral Studies at UNT.  

Balekian Hayes, PLLC is proud to announce the addition of three distinguished legal professionals to its esteemed team: John H Withers, Jr. joins as Partner, while Emory Osborn and Jennifer Arnold join as Associate Attorneys. Their wealth of experience and dedication to excellence further strengthens the firm's commitment to providing exceptional legal services in family law. 

"We are thrilled to welcome John H Withers, Jr., Emory Osborn, and Jennifer Arnold to our team," said Kris Balekian Hayes, Managing Partner at Balekian Hayes, PLLC. "Their wealth of experience, dedication to excellence, and commitment to serving our clients make them valuable additions to our firm. We look forward to their contributions and are confident that they will help us continue to provide exceptional legal services to our clients."

John H Withers, Jr. – Partner

As a Partner at Balekian Hayes, PLLC, John H Withers, Jr. brings a wealth of experience and expertise in family law and criminal law. A dual board-certified attorney with a distinguished career, John 's commitment to excellence and unwavering advocacy for his clients have earned him recognition as a Super Lawyer and a nomination to Best Lawyers. A native of Dallas, John 's academic journey began at Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. Following his undergraduate studies, John  pursued a path of service and leadership by attending the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as part of the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon completing his Basic Course, John H pursued his passion for justice by attending law school at Southern Methodist University. His extensive legal background includes serving as an assistant district attorney and co-founding a successful law firm. John's dedication to serving his community extends beyond the courtroom, as evidenced by his military service and involvement as a member of the State Bar College and the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.

Emory Osborn – Associate Attorney

Emory Osborn joins Balekian Hayes, PLLC as an Associate Attorney with a fervent dedication to the practice of law. Emory's academic journey began at Texas Tech University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Her educational background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the societal and legal dynamics within family law. Emory continued her education at Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she excelled academically and demonstrated a strong commitment to service. In her legal practice, Emory provides comprehensive representation to clients facing divorce, child custody, or CPS issues, among others. Her passion for justice and dedication to her clients' well-being make her a compassionate and effective advocate.

Jennifer Arnold – Associate Attorney

Jennifer Arnold brings a unique blend of educational background, professional experience, and personal values to her role as an Associate Attorney at Balekian Hayes, PLLC. With a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in criminology from the University of Oklahoma, Jennifer's background as an elementary school teacher has shaped her into an empathetic and skilled attorney. Her transition to the legal field was driven by a desire to effect positive change on a broader scale, leading her to pursue a juris doctor degree at the Texas A&M University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude with a concentration in estate planning. Jennifer's practice focuses on family law and estate planning, providing personalized legal representation tailored to each client's unique needs. 

As the legal landscape evolves, Balekian Hayes, PLLC remains steadfast in its mission to provide compassionate and effective legal solutions to individuals in Texas for their family law matters. For more information about Balekian Hayes, PLLC and its legal services, please visit https://bh-pllc.com/.

DALLAS, Texas, April 9, 2024—The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden held its annual Friends Blooms Dinner on March 27^th. This dinner honors Friends of the Arboretum and Caroline Rose Hunt Society patrons, a distinguished group of garden donors who annually support the garden’s ongoing horticulture, education and research efforts.

The evening began with a cocktail hour held in the Entry Plaza where more than 300 friends enjoyed beverages and light bites. Following cocktails, the event moved inside Rosine Hall for a seated dinner served by Gil’s Elegant Catering. Prior to dinner service, Will McDaniel, Dallas Arboretum board chair, and Sabina Carr, Dallas Arboretum president and CEO, welcomed and thanked everyone for supporting the garden and helping it to grow.

Friends of the Arboretum and Caroline Rose Hunt Society members receive benefits above and beyond general membership, including reserved parking, discounts on special event rentals, travel opportunities, elegant dinners in the garden and more.  For more information on these groups, visit https://www.dallasarboretum.org/support/membership/.

A special thanks to the Friends Blooms Dinner Sponsor:
Presenting Sponsor: Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians

Dallas Blooms Sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: Amegy Bank

Sponsor: CC Young Senior Living, Texas Telcom Credit Union

Media Sponsors: The Dallas Morning News, WFAA, Channel 8

Photo credit: Dallas Arboretum/Steve Foxall

Media contacts:

Terry Lendecker | VP, Marketing | 214.515.6523 | tlendecker@dallasarboretum.org

Juliette Coulter | The Coulter Group | 214.394.5532 | juliette@coultergroup.com

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Shelton Teachers, staff and representatives of NASA's Neurodiversity Network helped make the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse meaningful for Shelton students on April 8.

Upper School and Middle School students viewed the eclipse on the football field, and Lower School students viewed the eclipse outside the Lower School entrance. Students and staff shouted, "Five, four, three, two, one!" as the total eclipse became visible. Upper School and Middle School students started the day by attending a lecture by Ellen Torres Thompson, the Planetarium Lead Educator at The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California, and Spyros Kasapis, a postdoctoral fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center. Thompson spoke about the science behind the eclipse, and Kasapis spoke about "NASA Heliophysics' Big Year." Shelton Physics teacher Dr. Samantha Cason and Shelton Upper School Earth and Space Science teacher Meredith Moody presented eclipse questions from Shelton students, which were answered by Thompson and Kasapis. Students also viewed a video, "Shelton Eclipsing Expectations." 

In preparation for the eclipse, students benefited from curriculum from NASA's Neurodiversity Network.

• Lower School students studied what causes an eclipse, how something small can cover up something larger, eclipse safety and how to make pinhole eclipse viewers.
• Middle School students learned eclipse safety, used 3D and 2D models to describe what happened to cause an eclipse and made pinhole viewers. In addition, some classes made simple sundials and looked at the magnetic properties of the sun and Earth. 
• In twelfth-grade Earth & Space Science, twelfth-grade Physics II and eleventh-grade Physics, students learned how the Earth, moon and sun interact and how those interactions can cause a solar eclipse. The concept of a solar eclipse was also reinforced with videos, an app on the cell phone that follows the eclipse and activities supplied by NASA. 

Visitors from NASA Neurodiversity Network spoke to Middle School and Upper School students and visited Shelton science classes for eclipse activities on Monday.

• Spyros Kasapis completed his Aerospace Engineering Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he focused on controls and autonomous aircraft path planning. He moved to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for his second Master’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. His Ph.D. was focused on Machine Learning applications in visual recognition. He has worked as an intern at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he helped by characterizing the Van Allen radiation belt using the SDO satellite data. Additionally, he was a member of the NASA JPL 2022 Planetary Science Summer School cohort, where he worked on the Gelatto asteroid sample return mission proposal. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center. His research interests include the use of Machine Learning for Detection of Solar Active Region Emergence and SEP Prediction.

• Ellen Torres Thompson is the Planetarium Lead Educator at The Lawrence Hall of Science, a children’s museum in Berkeley, California. She develops and presents live, interactive astronomy programs for K-12 students and families. She graduated in 2021 with majors in Astrophysics and South and Southeast Asian Studies from UC Berkeley. 

• Ariana Riccio is collaborating on NASA’s Neurodiversity Network, which is working to create pathways to NASA participation and STEM careers for neurodiverse learners. Riccio holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the Graduate Center of The City University of New York and a BS in Biology and Community Health from Tufts University. 

Turtle Creek Chorale is proud to announce that the Eugene McDermott Foundation has presented a generous donation of $100,000 to the organization through its annual benefit gala, Rhapsody.

“I first saw the Turtle Creek Chorale with my grandmother and have always appreciated the unique cultural place the Chorale and its members continue to hold in Dallas. Their talent and their passion for what they do never fails to impress, and they make Dallas proud,” said Grace Cook, president of the Eugene McDermott Foundation. “I’m also very excited about seeing Cyndi Lauper, who is so much fun and an amazing advocate for equality. It’s going to be an incredible night!”

The co-chairs for the event benefiting the Turtle Creek Chorale are Grace Cook, Sheilon King, Tara Lewis, and Whitney Strauss. Funds raised at Rhapsody will support the Chorale’s mission to entertain, educate, unite, and inspire through its musical, cultural, and educational programs.

“We are so grateful for this award made by the Eugene McDermott Foundation in honor of the Rhapsody gala,” TCC’s Mike Dilbeck, Senior Director of Advancement for Turtle Creek Chorale Mike Dilbeck said. “This year's gala promises to be an unforgettable celebration of philanthropy, music, and community, made possible by the extraordinary generosity of our supporters.”

Headlining this year's Rhapsody gala is Grammy Award winner and punk glamor icon, Cyndi Lauper. Set to take place at the Omni Dallas Hotel on Saturday, June 1, 2024, the evening will offer an opening reception, seated dinner, luxury live auction, after party, and an exclusive private concert by Cyndi Lauper with full band and featuring a selection of her greatest hits. 

Gala tickets are now available and will include all the above benefits and access to the exclusive private concert for $600, $800, and $1,000. Tables are available for $6,000, $8,000, and $10,000. Sponsorships range from $15,000 to $25,000. For more information, go to tccgala.com.