A rendering of the 40-foot cross that will soon join Prestonwood's Campus.

Sometimes when I’m writing a story, everything goes as it should. People answer the phone. I get the information I need by deadline, and all is right with the world. Other times, the sources and photos come crashing in days after the article goes to press. And a slim percentage of the time, I never hear back at all. While it was too late to include in this week’s paper, I’m happy to report I have some new information on the plans for a cross on the Hillcrest Road campus of Prestonwood Baptist Church. Read More…

In the July 22 edition of Preston Hollow People, Georgia Fisher wrote about Dallas residents’ efforts to help the orphaned children of Robin and Joshua Berry, who were killed in a July 2 car accident. The Berry children’s cause has since been taken up by a number of celebrities, including Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.

That’s the question I’m attempting to answer on behalf of all Hollow dwellers in this week’s paper. I’m comparing the number of burglaries committed in the distribution area for Preston Hollow People in the three coldest months (December, January, February) to the three hottest months (June, July, August). While conventional wisdom says crime rises along with the temperature, I wonder if that holds true for our little slice of reality.

On face value, the police blotters seem shorter to me during the summer than the winter, but I’ll let the crime statistics do the talking. And you of course, if you’re so inclined to share your opinion on the correlation between weather and thievery in the comments section.

Our Mother’s Day Makeover contest winner, Amy Westbrook, was a little gunshy about cutting her locks. But the results, courtesy of Gary D Salon in Preston Royal Southwest speak for themselves.

“Gary wanted me to go a little shorter and I was nervous,” Amy said, “so he compromised with me at this length.”

But with the helpful salon staff, a makeup session, and a $500 gift certificate from Clotheshorse Anonymous, we’re sure she’s turning heads! Congrats, Amy!

Petunia the potbellied pig has become the star of her neighborhood. (Staff photo by Christina Barany).

If you’ve driven down Meadow Road over the last several months, you may have seen an unusual sight. Weezie Margolis has a pet pig named Petunia, whom she walks four times a day. Want to know why? You’ll just have to pick up a copy of this week’s Preston Hollow People to find out. (A tip of the hat to Lydia Player for clueing us in to this story.)

While the Texas Legislature is wrapped up in debates over expanding concealed handgun licenses, it appears there is another weapon worthy of discussion. In this week’s police blotter, there isn’t a single offense involving a gun, but there are 15 marble-related crimes.

The majority of offenses took place on Saturday, April 9, but a few trickled over to Monday. According to police reports, a metal marble was recovered at a number of the incidences, which brought thousands of dollars worth of damage to car and home owners east of Preston Road. For a full run down on the blocks affected by this string of crime, pick up the April 15 edition of Preston Hollow People.

The Jesuit All Sparks are gearing up for the Dallas Regional FIRST Robotics Competition next weekend. Check out the video of the team’s fearsome Giraffodactyl and cheer the boys and bot on April 7 through 9 at the Dallas Convention Center. For the full scoop on the team, pick up the April 1 edition of Preston Hollow People.

Writing for a weekly paper definitely has its ups and downs. On the one hand, you have more time to investigate stories and develop ideas than a daily can afford. On the other hand, you rarely get to break news and there’s always the chance a story that was written on Monday or Tuesday is irrelevant by Friday. Well, we hit the crest of the wave last week with a lead story entitled “Burglars Prefer Preston’s East Side.” The day before this story hit your lawn, a gang of burglars ran a con on the east side of Preston Road, hitting five houses (three in our coverage area) in one afternoon. Don’t get me wrong — we’re not celebrating criminal activity. We’re simply glad that our reporting was timely and informative. For a full report of recent crimes in your area, read the police blotter in each week’s paper.

Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, burglars kicked in doors in the 6400 block of Azalea Lane, the 11100 block of Hillcrest Road, and the 7400 block of Currin Drive. No one was home at the time of the crimes, and an e-mail from the Glen Meadows Estates Homeowners Association stated that a group of burglars would ring doorbells with a fake query. If no one answered, they proceeded to ransack the home. If someone answered, they pretend to be looking for a person or pet and leave. The burglars made off with an estimated $10,000 worth of property from all three homes

The 16-acre campus at Hillcrest Road and Willow Lane has attracted the interest of Prestonwood Baptist Church. The mega-church is hoping to put a second satellite campus in Dallas to attract more members in a congregation that is already 30,000 strong. Both churches announced the news during Sunday services.

We are working on in-depth coverage of this development for our April 1 edition of Preston Hollow People. If you’re a resident of the Hillcrest Forest Neighborhood, or a member of either congregation, we’d love to hear your reaction. E-mail claire@peoplenewspapers.com

Jesuit's Derrick McNarry, 14, supports the ball in a ruck. Staff Photo Christina Barany

In this Friday’s edition of Preston Hollow People, Chuck Cox has a great centerpiece story about Jesuit’s 12th annual rugby tournament. The photo on the front page is pretty striking, but the one above isn’t bad either. Our photographers routinely capture more notable moments than we have room to print. Happily, we have endless space online. Check out our photo galleries to catch all the action from sports, society, and the arts.