When you need a ride, and need to look good, look no further than Moss Transports. With a fleet of luxury vehicles, Moss will get you to your destination in style. President and CEO Anthony Moss took time to answer some questions about his company.

What separates your business from competitors?

Our dedication to customer service. We believe that profit follows the service, not the other way around. Our endeavor is to make our customers become lifelong patrons and even more so life long friends. To counter the growing trend of impersonal business interaction we do all that we can to engage with and understand each individual customer’s needs and wants. Why? Because we genuinely care about each and every one of our customers.

What are some benefits of luxury car rental services?

Our most popular and most common is nice, smooth, and comfortable ride from your residence or hotel to the airport. But we also provide services for romantic nights out on the town, limo services for those great, fun, and special events, and for those very special life changing moments… We provide cars, buses, shuttles and SUV’s for the entire family so that they can all be witness to the big Wedding day ceremony. And don’t forget about the after party, we are there to save the day and you and loved ones home safe and sound no matter how early or late the hour is.

What else would you like to convey to the public about your business? What do you enjoy about your job?

This business is one that is owned built and ran by my wife and I. We built our business from scratch and did it right here in the Dallas Metroplex. We love being able to work and serve those travelers from out of state, but it certainly gives us a certain level of Texas pride to serve the folks right here in our own community. We love to serve our neighbors and friends.

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One of the most fraught decisions that a parent has to make is the decision of where and when to place your child in child care. Will this place keep my child safe? Will this place support my child’s learning, emotional, social, and intellectual growth? Can we afford it? These are just the first questions that anxious parents ask before they send their young children off to a school.

The Stepping Stone Schools in Austin, Texas, have found ways to provide children with caring, developmentally attuned programs based on the latest research in early childhood education. Their extensive growth and stellar reputation in the community are a testament to the success they’ve had in this challenging yet rewarding work.

Rhonda and Bill Paver established Stepping Stone School over 35 years ago, after the family moved to Austin for Bill’s new job at the University of Texas. With three children under 5 years old, finding quality childcare was a pressing need. “While searching for care for her own children in order to return to work as a teacher, Rhonda found a distinct lack of high quality care with an educational underpinning for an affordable rate,” says Susan Watson, Vice President of Stepping Stone and Director of Operations.

Rather than seeing this lack of available childcare in the Austin area as a problem, they took it as an opportunity. Both of the Pavers have advanced degrees in education. Rhonda has a masters in Early Childhood Development from UT, and Bill has a Ph.D in Higher Ed. from University of Washington and served 25 years as Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Director of Admissions. “Their combined education and experience are an invaluable resource and asset that no other privately-owned early care and education provider in the nation has,” says Watson.

So rather than enrolling their children at a daycare they didn’t approve of, notes Watson, “they decided to open their own early care and education school in one side of the house they were renting.” Their bold move has allowed the Pavers to create a rich and dynamic early care and education program. They keep abreast with the most recent research on education and child development, and regularly re-design their curriculum in order to apply newly-established best practices.

Their success is evident from the growth of their programs. “Stepping Stone School has become the largest privately owned early care and education provider in Central Texas,” states Watson. And they consistently have ratings as one of the finest such establishments in the region. “Stepping Stone School has been voted ‘Best in Child Care’ by the readers of the Austin Family magazine for 17 years.”

So what is it that has made Stepping Stone such a center of excellence for so many years? The central factor is the hands-on involvement of the Pavers, working to ensure that every aspect of each child-care center meets their high demands for excellence. “Their vision is to provide the highest quality early care and education based on the latest research and best practices on how children learn, grow and develop,” says Watson. But this is not applied in a mechanical way. Rather, all the research and every change to the curriculum is engaged to honor and encourage the potential in every child, suggests Watson.

This dedication is evident from the first steps that one takes into one of the Stepping Stone School’s campuses. Rather than a simple classroom environment, Stepping Stone takes an approach more similar to that of a children’s museum, making them educational experiences that children don’t want to leave. “We designed our Stepping Stone School campuses with this concept in mind,” says Watson. “From museum quality displays featuring 3-D fossil replicas, to the entire solar system lighting up an atrium, your child’s imagination will soar the minute they step through the door.”

The spaces in each Stepping Stone campus are meant to stimulate the whole child, Watson suggests, appealing to all the senses and supporting intellectual, physical, emotional and social growth. “Unlike our competitors who are required to construct cookie-cutter buildings proscribed by the franchise company or international corporation,” says Watson, “every detail of our campuses are purposefully designed to engage your child and propel them in their learning experience.”

While different institutions cover different aspects, Stepping Stone School’s most recently constructed campuses have a variety of outstanding features, including ecologically efficient buildings, warm colors and diverse, natural elements for texture, and an “open” kitchen. Moreover, the school emphasizes light in beautiful ways, from spacious atriums for gatherings to LED color-changing lights to alter mood.

Stepping Stone is just as attentive to the quality of their outdoor spaces. “Many of our outdoor playgrounds are shaded by large heritage oak trees and there is always plenty of room to run, jump and play,” says Watson. Exercise and outdoor play have many benefits supported by research. “Experts know that children who regularly play outdoors tend to be fitter and leaner, develop stronger immune systems, play more creatively, have more active imaginations, report lower stress levels, and demonstrate greater respect for themselves and others,” notes Watson.

But Stepping Stone also wants children to experience genuine adventure. “Children need opportunities to do things that are exciting and adventurous,” suggests Watson, “By providing open-ended components we challenge children’s physical, social and cognitive abilities by encouraging them to create their own challenge or obstacle course and engage in increasingly more difficult and complex activities.”

Ultimately, though, the bedrock of Stepping Stone is the curriculum. Not only does the School provide a rich curriculum based in established research, but they are always working to improve. “Stepping Stone School is consistently upgrading and changing our curriculum to ensure we are always on the cutting edge of providing the most progressive learning possible,” says Watson. The current curriculum is called Platinum Learning for Life. This curriculum involves a variety of rotating themes, emphasis on S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, Math), language instruction including ASL, music, fitness, and the Communities of Character curriculum which emphasize the nurture of community through gratitude, empathy and solidarity.

And even the most content-heavy of these areas of the curriculum are handled with playfulness. “Stepping Stone School’s curriculum incorporates activities, materials and lessons that introduce those concepts to our students, from infants through school age.” Whether in art, science, languages, or community building, Stepping Stone uses creative, developmentally appropriate approaches.

One of the areas in which Stepping Stone is especially forward-thinking is technology. “Not only does each classroom have at least one computer with specially selected age-appropriate educational software,” says Watson, “but many of our campuses have Global Learning Centers which act as hubs of learning for all age groups with multiple computers and other learning technology.”

Among the approaches used are ABCmouse.com, a computer-based program with learning games across many areas, Hatch’s iStartSmart: All-In-One Computer Learning Center, and TeachSmart Learning System. TeachSmart uses an interactive whiteboard through developmental phases. “TeachSmart® is designed for cognitive and social/emotional development in pre-literacy, math, science and social studies,” notes Watson, and the system can be used individually, in a group, or together as a class.

Stepping Stone School is clearly an exceptional institution. With it’s cutting edge approaches, research-based curriculum, and carefully crafted, exploratory spaces, it is difficult to imagine an environment better suited to children’s development. Offering care for children 6 weeks to 13 years, Stepping Stone School offers an environment meant to bring out the full potential of every child.

By David Boegaard

The St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano is not only dedicated to its church members, but also to Plano’s community. The church fully believes in helping others through various walks of life. From work to the joys of adolescent milestones such as prom, St. Andrew is a pillar in its community.

Rev. Pam White, Connectional Ministries, says that St. Andrew believes “being in a community” is critical to spiritual growth. The Church is actively involved with the community and helping those in need. One of St. Andrew’s largest ministries is the Seven Loaves Community. Started in 2009, the nonprofit aims to support those who struggle with life’s basic necessities by providing food, clothing, and school supplies and winter coats for children. According to Rev. Jennifer Arnold, Outreach Ministries, Seven Loaves helps to feed over 725 families each month through a partnership with the North Texas Food Bank. Seven Loaves is also responsible for the Joseph’s Coat clothing ministry, where families in need can shop for free, gently-used clothing that consists of approximately 4,000 garments each month. Seven Loaves provides even more support with Project Hope, a program that connects women and families in crises with coaches who can mentor them through the difficult time.

• St. Andrew United Methodist Church

St. Andrew also helps those in need of employment. Once a week, unemployed or underemployed guests or members are welcome to attend Career Care. As White explains, career coaches meet with attendees to “assist with resumes, social media use, mock interviews, and more.” Educational speakers also attend regularly to further help with job and career searches. This program is also useful for those who are looking to switch careers, but need a little help getting started. Career Care posts jobs, offers networking, and has career assessment testing available.

The Church has programs available for all ages and walks of life. One example is the Mom to Mom organization, which is a weekly meeting that is especially helpful to first-time mothers. Mothers can meet in a friendly and casual atmosphere that encourages “sharing ideas, discussing common struggles as well as delights of raising children, and a growing network of friends.” As with all of St. Andrew’s programs, Mom to Mom aims to provide support and encouragement to its guests.

The Church encourages the community to engage in the arts, as well. Plano residents are invited to attend the bi-annual concerts. Each year, St. Andrew presents the Salute to America performance on Memorial Day, as well as “A St. Andrew Christmas” on the second Sunday of each December. Beyond music, community members can meet nationally-recognized authors as part of the “St. Andrew Author Series.” Past authors have included Dr. Eben Alexander and Gretchen Ruben.

With such significant support, Plano is lucky to have St. Andrew. The Church understands the importance of connection and employs several programs to promote community outreach and involvement. St. Andrew is made up of “your neighbors, your friends, and your co-workers” – all coming together to support and welcome Plano residents.

By Courtney Clark

The Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music is part of the University of Texas in Austin and is considered one of the top music schools in the country. It offers degree programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level, with training in performance, composition, music teacher training, jazz, theory, musicology, ethnomusicology, pedagogy and liberal studies in music. The low student to faculty ratio allows students to work closely with faculty members who are gifted and renowned musicians themselves.

Performance experience is an essential part of a musical education and at the Butler School of Music, students get to perform with world class ensembles and musicians. In the past, students have performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and collaborated with musical legends like Andrea Bocelli and Willie Nelson, says Claire Spera, Publicity Coordinator for the School.

Students can also gain performance experience through the Gig Referral Service, which is “…a free musician referral program that matches excellent Butler School of Music musicians with clients on and off campus who are looking for performers and private instruction, students hone their skills while earning valuable career experience and compensation.”

Other projects that take students out into the community include the Chamber Music Outreach Project through which students participate in community outreach projects. Through the String Project and Piano Project, undergraduate and graduate students teach piano and string instruments to children aged four and older. This is one of the finest programs for training teachers in the U.S., and also for spotting and developing young talent.

The Student Life experience at the University includes musical ensembles which do not require auditions. Music students participate in these as well, says Spera, “Each year, students at the University of Texas at Austin participate in nearly forty different musical ensembles offered through the Butler School of Music. While all music majors are required to perform in ensembles as part of their degree, many non-music majors also perform in these groups as a way to foster their love of music and show their UT spirit. Our ensembles provide students experience working in teams, building self-discipline through musical practice, and developing leadership skills.”

An education in music allows students to develop their talents and to learn crucial skills, Spera believes: “The study of music develops skills ranging from musical expression to analysis of musical works. Music also develops the ability to concentrate intensely, listen introspectively, observe keenly, work under pressure, meet deadlines and maintain composure when faced with the unexpected. Well-developed communication skills, along with aural sensitivity, enable graduates to contribute to and succeed in many professions.”

Annual events hosted by the School include the Holiday Choral Concert in December, the Black History Month Concert in February, the Longhorn Jazz Festival in April and a tailgate event for Butler School alumni, donors, students and their families and friends on a Saturday in October, before a UT football game.

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Since 1999, there’s been a new game in town when it comes to Disc Jockeys in Dallas, Texas. The unique concept operation, Texas Professional DJ, serves the entire state of Texas?and beyond, in some cases. All hand-picked by the owner, Barrington Miles, the team of Texas Professional DJ brings the latest in entertainment services to your event.

Miles fell into the music industry by a freak chance that only fate could have thrown his way. “I’ve always had a great imagination and aimed for the unattainable,” states Miles. “I came to America in 1989 and a year later joined the US Army. I served as an Air Traffic Controller, which gave new insight into the aviation community. After 8 years of service and earning my wings I accidentally fell into the music world after losing a game of dominos. My friend was a DJ and with nothing to do but wallow in my loss, I jumped on the turntables and realized I am pretty darn good.”

After discovering he had a hidden talent, Miles decided to launch Texas Professional DJ. “Since then we’ve grown tremendously and now doing 500 events per/year,” he tells us. “Most of our events are Weddings followed closely by Bar Mitzvahs, Corporate and private events.”

So what is it that sets Texas Professional DJ apart from the dozens of other event DJs available in the area? “I believe the time I spent in the Army helped me to create a company that has integrity,” states Miles. “We keep our promises, we are super talented, and I have a team that loves what we do and it shows. These are just a few things that set us apart.” He adds, “Our clients become our friends, they allow us to share with them a moment in time and I am grateful.”

Another wonderful feature of Texas Professional DJ is that you’re booking an open-format DJ. “It means we can play anything at anytime and do it well,” explains Miles. “From Hip Hop, 80s 90s, Salsa, Country, Reggae, Big Band, Motown . . . you name it, we can rock it.”

By Elisha Neubauer

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Long before he graduated from college, Luke Schlensker knew he wanted to work with cars. Owning his own car business was an enduring dream for Schlensker, who was instilled with an unrelenting work ethic by his grandfather. Founding The Classic soon after college, he believed in the unique proposition of offering the most luxurious and exclusive cars to the public coupled with a customer-centric approach.

“The Classic was established without the competition in mind,” Schlensker said. “We believe that if you offer a quality product accompanied by stellar customer service, the right customers will come.”

This Dallas-based company has a far reach, providing its services to the entire Fort Worth Metroplex area. Along with renting exotic cars, The Classic also offers unparalleled chauffeur service thanks to their staff of professional drivers. Treating customers as though they are family might sound like a marketing ploy, but The Classic’s management and staff actually live up to this promise. The company aims to accommodate nearly every client request and ensure that the experience is one-of-a-kind.

With an impressive fleet of vehicles, The Classic tries to outpace its competitors by sourcing some of the most exclusive cars on the market. Their collection includes the likes of BMW I8 Hybrid, the 600-horsepower Corvette Z06, and the powerful Rolls Royce Ghost powered by a turbo V12 engine. There are a dozen vehicles available for rent and Schlensker hopes for continued expansion. And for those nervous Nellies out there who are hesitant to take the risk of driving a luxury car, The Classic has ample coverage plans.

Schlensker’s most frequent customers are newlyweds. Arriving at your wedding in style is crucial, and the car is an important detail not to be overlooked. A great way to indulge yourself on such a special occasion, renting an exotic car is a great segue into the next phase of your life with your partner.

“People love to surprise their family and friends with the gift of driving an exotic [car],” Schlensker said. “Whether it is a birthday, anniversary, promotion, [or whatever], an exotic or luxury car can deliver the impression you desire.”

The Classic was intended to be much more than just a car rental agency. Everything pivots on the customer experience for Schlensker. To provide an absolutely tailored experience that satisfies a client’s every whim is the ultimate goal here similar to a concierge.

“If you are looking for a Rolls Royce for your wedding, we have you covered?if you are needing a photographer in addition to the Rolls, we take care of it,” he said. “This is what truly sets us apart from the rest.”

By Marina Jokic

Texas is fast becoming a hotbed of green living. From Dallas — where leaders are working to make it the “greenest city in America” — to Austin, environmentally forward-thinking initiatives are making it easier for residents to live and breathe easier. Here, we take a closer look at some of the popular green initiatives happening around the state.

Municipal LEED Standards

Already ranked high on the lists for green job creation, green energy purchasers and EPA local government partners, Dallas is positioning itself as an environmentally progressive city by initiating Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for municipal and commercial buildings with its own convention center as its star example. The Houston Green Office Challenge helps commercial tenants and property managers/owners head toward ENERGY STAR (energy efficiency) or LEED standards by offering financial and media-recognition incentives. This office program has helped propel Houston to a high ranking on the list of U.S. cities with the most LEED-certified buildings.

Hiking and Biking

Houston’s B-Cycle bicycle rental system now has 27 city stations and is expanding in 2014 to colleges, parks and more apartment areas. Heavy rentals of bicycles by residents near apartments were used for weekday work commutes while weekend fun found rentals good at stations near parks. Now those muddy bayou trails around Houston are being transformed into greenways and bicycle paths through a 2012 bond. Plus, the city is negotiating to use utility rights-of-way for offstreet urban pathways. Not to be outdone, Dallas created a 1,296-mile network of pathways called the Dallas Bikeway System and San Antonio is already well-known for The Riverwalk – connected walkways along the San Antonio River with shops and restaurants/bars. Austin’s Office of Sustainability has begun the Green Alley project, which transforms alleyways and forgotten areas into neighborhood green spaces in a collaboration between the city and area residents.

Brownfield Turnaround

Turning a brownfield (environmentally contaminated former industrial or commercial site) into a sustainable business area is noteworthy. In fact, Dallas was noted for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, which won the Phoenix Award for the largest and most successful brownstone project in the U.S. Houston has their Brownfields Redevelopment Program that provides free Environmental site assessments (ESAs) for Phases I and II, necessary for bank loans, to entice brownfield cleanup and reuse.

No major town is lacking in photography businesses. However, Dallas, TX’s Heather Buckley Photography sets itself apart with one thing: its namesake, Heather Buckley. The 24-year-old is just beginning her photography career, but is finding her way, setting her business apart from the rest by being relatable and working towards her cosmetic certification. She’ll photograph anyone interested in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, all the way up beyond McKinney and Sherman, TX. Buckley photographs graduations, weddings, children, loved ones and more.

Buckley developed her love of photography in high school. Growing up in San Luis Obispo, CA area, she often took her mother’s camera out to shoot the scenery. Her hobby started as a love of black and white landscapes.

Later, when a few of her friends missed senior portraits, she offered to photograph them, and her love of portrait photography was born. Now, she feels a special connection to in-school clients as well, relating to them since it brings her back to these days and she isn’t that far apart in age from these clients.

“I think not only my style of photography, but [also] my age sets me apart amongst the other photographers,” Buckley says. “I wouldn’t say I completely specialize in a certain type of photography. However, I am 24 years old and love the high school and college-aged graduates. I can really connect with them and our portrait sessions are always fun. That is why high school and college graduate portraits hold a special place in my heart. It is such a fun and exciting time in their lives and I can totally relate.”

Buckley is actively working towards being certified in makeup. Once she is officially licensed, she will add these services to her photography sessions, further setting her business apart from the rest. Additionally, she recently added wedding photography back to into her services and says she’s excited to get that started again.

“I am always coming up with new ideas and learning new techniques, with all of my portrait photography,” Buckley says.

Buckley can be contacted via her website to schedule sessions. She is currently booking for 2017 senior portraits.

By Kelly Church

PhotosTM is a Dallas, TX-area photography business operated by one recently relocated man, Tsafrir Melamed. The father of two has been received the Award of Excellence after being one of the finalists in the 26th Annual College Photography Contest held by Photographer’s Forum Magazine. Melamed received his first camera at the age of 13 for his Bar-Mitzvah.

“I fell in love with photography and started documenting all the field trips at school, and experimenting with film photography,” Melamed says. “My unique style of creative lighting and angles separates me from the competition, in addition to the high quality Italian albums I personally design. I love taking the non-traditional images [with] unique angles and special lighting setups that make the images pop out of the page.”

At the age of 21, he received his first DSLR camera, which he calls a total game changer for his photography and the biggest turning point in his career. Suddenly, he was able to see an image immediately after taking it.

He no longer had to fuss with exposure settings, writing them down on a piece of paper and having to compare results after developing film. He was introduced to the digital world of photography and never looked back. It was then he started taking professional photos at a salsa dancing night club.

“It was awesome since I loved dancing salsa and taking photos, so getting in for free to dance and take [a] few photos for the clubs was a perfect combination,” Melamed says.

Melamed transitioned into photographing larger events and then weddings later. He says he loves working with a bride and groom, capturing their relationship on camera. He offers what he calls Photo Magic, retouching and editing services where he can do everything from removing a blemish to brightening and creating a black and white version of a color photo. He also photographs Bar- and Bat-Mitzvahs, public events, modeling shots, portraits and more.

“I can sum up my love [of] being a photographer with one simple line: I love capturing people at their best moments, and the best compliment I get is when someone says, “I love that photo,” Melamed says.

For more information please visit their website at www.photostm.com.

By Kelly Church

If you can’t grasp Pilates right away, don’t sweat it. You’re hardly alone.

Sarah Cornett, who owns Pilates Concept in Fort Worth, Texas, cautioned all beginning practitioners of Pilates to not put pressure on themselves to “get it” right away. It can take some time to learn just how to navigate your body as it pertains to Pilates, Cornett said. But the rewards can be numerous, from both a physical and mental perspective.

“Pilates is amazing because it helps to create a lean, long, and toned figure,” Cornett said.

Resistance methods are commonly used as a mean of practice in Pilates, with a requirement for no more than 10 to 15 reps. There’s also mat Pilates, again maximizing a small number of reps, which involves a low impact workout that utilizes all planes of movement and incorporates mobility along with stability.

The strengthening of core muscles is what Pilates is most known for, but that’s not to say other muscle groups are forgotten either. In fact, according to Cornett, smaller muscle groups that can be neglected in other workouts are strengthened through Pilates. Joint stabilizers are one example of this.

Cornett described the studio at Pilates Concept as “amazing,” because everyone there is highly trained to work with individuals with whatever their issues may be between injuries or other restrictions.

“We pride ourselves on being able to accommodate anyone, whether they are a major league pitcher to a stroke patient who is working on walking,” Cornett, who is also STOTT certified, said. “I love being able to help people meet their goals and strive beyond what they thought they were capable of. Pilates is low impact and grow with our clients so they can continue for the rest of their lives.”

Pilates Concept can be visited online, at www.thepilatesconcept.com. It is located at 4201 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite C, in Fort Worth.

By Jake Levin