September 2018 - OurCelina

September 2018 | OurCelina.com

Celina High School Fall Issue

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Letter From The Publishers Whooohooo! We survived Back To School!

Some of you may have experienced tears this year, whether you dropped off a kindergartner for the first day of school or moved your graduate into a dorm hours away.

We experienced a couple of “first last days” in our household. Our oldest and middle sons, Chase and Colby, are both seniors this year. Chase is a senior at Texas Tech University and Colby is a senior here at Celina High School. Mama may have shed a tear (or 12).

The cover of this month’s issue is special to us. We gathered two 2019 seniors from each of the fall sports and activities to represent Celina Football, Cheer, Band, Las Gatitas, Sports Medicine, Bobcat Brigade, Color Guard, Volleyball & Cross Country. We had a lot of fun arranging a photo around 16 active kid’s schedules, but we got it done and managed to have some laughs in the process. A heartfelt “Thank You” to Rex and Sherese Glendenning for allowing us to use their beautiful ranch property for the photo!

We hope you enjoy this CHS Fall Issue of OurCelina as we celebrate all the incredible programs that make being a Celina Bobcat so incredible!

From our Bobcat Family to Yours,

Jimmy, Renee, Chase, Colby & Camden www.OurCelina.com Make sure to folllow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all the happenings in Celina www.facebook.com/ourcelina

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Table of CONTENTS

Letter from the Publishers

8-9

Paying Their Respects

10-11

School Zone

12-16

Fall Sports/Programs & Schedules

17

Celina Homecoming Information

16-17

Where it “Alla” Began

18

Celina Chamber of Commerce

19

Celina Main Street Oktoberfest Entertainment

24-25

City of Celina

26-27

Dancing Queens: Las Gatitas

28

Bobcat Alley

29

Celina Public Library Calendar

30

Membership Has Its Privileges

6

Editorial & Design Renee Marler Renee@4cMediaGroup.com Production Jimmy Marler James@4cMediaGroup.com Contributing Editor Lisa Ferguson Contributing Writers Renee Marler | Lisa Ferguson

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Published By 4CMEDIAGROUP, LLC

FEATURED Volunteers clean up forgotten graves at Corinth Cemetery in Collin County

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September 2018 VOL 1, Issue 8

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Contributing Art & Photography 4CMEDIAGROUP Renee Marler | Lisa Ferguson | Gina Overstreet

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201 sports 9 Seniors repres Las G and progra entin Footb atitas, Ban ms such g all fall a all, Bo d, Sp orts M s Cheer, bcat B Color edic Gu riga Photoard and Crode, Volleybine, a s By: R enee s Country. ll, Marle r

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Paying Their Respects

By: Lisa Ferguson

For decades, most of the long-forgotten graves at Corinth Cemetery in Celina were shrouded from view by waist-high grass and overgrown weeds. Of the handful of headstones visible to passersby on adjacent County Road 92, most were caked with dirt and crumbling.

The situation has changed dramatically in recent months, since Tim Montgomery and a small army of dedicated and determined volunteers began tending to the once-neglected resting place of some of Collin County’s earliest residents.

In June Montgomery, formerly of Celina, put out a call on social media looking for help to restore the cemetery. For years, he had passed the site most days on his way to work as a teacher at Scott Johnson Middle School in McKinney. “I drove by and said, `Why isn’t anything being done with this place?’” he recalled.

After retiring a year ago, he decided to take matters into his own hands. “I walked (the property) … and found out that about 60 percent” of the graves, which date back more than a century, were those of children. “I thought, `This is sad,’ so I did a little bit of research.”

He learned that the cemetery, founded in 1875, had belonged to the Corinth Tim Montgomery walks through Corinth Cemetery in Celina, where volunteers removed tons of buckled concrete from atop graves. (Photo courtesy of Church which was next to the site before it folded in 1920. (A schoolhouse also Friends of Coringh Cemetery of Collin County) once stood nearby.)

Montgomery, who now calls McKinney home, posted about the abandoned cemetery on the McKinney Cares Facebook page in search of volunteers willing to lend a hand. Nearly 100 people responded within an hour of his post. He then started a page called Friends of Corinth Cemetery of Collin County, which shares its name with the nonprofit organization he established to help cover costs associated with restoring the cemetery.

So far, the group has received some donations of funds and equipment which members have used to help locate, clean, repair and reinstall grave markers. Much more is needed to complete the work, which Montgomery hopes to do in the coming year.

Eventually, he’d like to reseed the grass or plant sod as well as pockets of wildflowers and place benches beneath the trees at the cemetery, which will eventually be surrounded by thousands of new homes. “There will be houses right up against the fence line,” he explains. “I want (future residents) to remember there was Collin County history here. … There were settlers here.”

Progress on the project has been slow but steady. Earlier this summer, Montgomery asked the Collin County Sheriff’s Office for assistance and it sent a crew of prisoners out to clear brush and trim trees. Meanwhile, firefighters from the Celina Fire Department visited and filled a donated water tank.

The volunteer Friends members work at the cemetery several nights each week and on weekend mornings. One of the first – and biggest – tasks they faced was removing tons of concrete A headstone marks the final resting place of the inthat covered several graves. It was installed decades ago, Montgomery explained, in an attempt fant children of Ella Loury. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Ferguson) to keep the headstones upright. As the ground shifted, the slabs buckled.

After securing donated earth-moving equipment, a tractor and two truckloads of topsoil, the 8

OurCelina.com | September 2018

Tim Montgomery, far right, and a pair of volunteers with Friends of Corinth Cemetery of Collin County, work to level the base of a headstone. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Ferguson)

concrete was removed. Montgomery and volunteers releveled the land and restored the plots that belong to members of the O’Brien and Newman families, whose broods were related through marriage.

Their grave markers are also being cleaned, repaired

and straightened.

Many of the headstones at Corinth Cemetery are severely damaged or destroyed, likely from being run over on rare occasions when the cemetery grounds were mowed. Others toppled and were subsequently covered by anywhere from a few inches to upwards of a half-foot of soil.

One of those belonged to Civil War veteran Henry Balfour. His marker, which denotes that he died “near Celina” on Nov. 24, 1881, was found under nearly 10 inches of dirt, soaked by groundwater but entirely intact.

The Friends have found more than a half-dozen markers underground. “They either fell forward or backward, so if there’s a base (visible) and there’s no headstone, we look for it,” Montgomery said, usually by poking around in the soil with shovels. In the process, they’ve also discovered clumps of aged lily bulbs, which they believe were probably planted decades Volunteer and amateur genealogist Courtney Lewis holds a piece of a ago by mournheadstone while kneeling before a pair of graves at Corinth Cemetery in ers and now Celina. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Ferguson) serve as clues as to where gravesites may be located.

Montgomery speculates that there may be dozens more headstones that have yet to be unearthed. His hope is that a generous donor will step forward and provide a ground-penetrating radar device or services, which would make searching for markers easier.

The last-known burial records for Corinth Cemetery were made in 1972. Volunteer Courtney Lewis, an amateur genealogist, has used those as well as old census, birth, death and marriage records, ancestry websites and local newspaper clippings, among others, in her search for information about the deceased.

“I think these people deserve respect because they were here (living in the area) first and they made this a home for the rest of us,” said Lewis, a longtime McKinney resident and business-management student at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Through her research, she was able to identify the graves of entire families who were laid to rest side by side, including J.E.

and Elizabeth Love and their four young daughters who preceded their parents in death.

Nearby, the headstone of Ella Loury was discovered not far from that of a marker belonging to her three infant children who died within three consecutive years. “They don’t have names.

It’s just `First Born, Second Born, Third Born,’” Lewis said.

She has yet to locate the plot belonging to Hardy Mills, a McKinney resident whose 1921 murder made local headlines after his body was found tied with baling wire at the bottom of a well.

Ezell Stepp, who was convicted of the crime, gained notoriety for being the last person in Collin County to be put to death by hanging the following year. (Stepp is buried in a marked grave at Horn Cemetery in McKinney.)

A volunteer with Friends of Corinth Cemetery of Collin County digs a headstone at the formerly abandoned cemetery.

Corinth Cem- around (Photo courtesy of Lisa Ferguson) etery records indicate that a headstone for Mills “was standing in 1972,” Lewis said, adding that the man’s son, who passed away as an infant, is also believed to be buried there. Unfortunately, “I have no idea where they are.”

Lewis has contacted some of the relatives of those resting in Corinth Cemetery. “I’ve had a couple family members that were very excited that we’re doing this because they were aware of the (cemetery’s) condition.” For the most part, though, “It’s been really hit or miss,” she said. “Some people really have a heart for it and some people don’t, and that’s OK. I’m happy to have (the support of) people who do want to help … and who get to see that their family members are being taken care of.”

After all, Montgomery said, “Everyone deserves to be Many of the grave markers at Corinth Cemetery are destroyed. (Photo remembered.” courtesy of Lisa Ferguson)

For information about how to volunteer with Friends of Corinth Cemetery of Collin County, email friendsofcorinthcemeterycc@ gmail.com, or visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/groups/471999723257188/. Monetary donations are being accepted via a GoFundMe account at https:// www.gofundme.com/corinth-cemetery-restoration.

OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Celina Independent School District

SCHOOL ZONE

First Day of School

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

AUGUST 2018 CISD CAMPUS CALENDARs Celina Primary SCHOOL Sept 3

Labor Day (No School)

O’DELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Celina ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Sept 3 Sept 7 Sept 11

Sept 18

Labor Day (No School) FCA Meeting 7:30am Curriculum Night 6pm Watch D.O.G.S. Meeting 7pm Fall Pictures Beach Club Starts

Sept 3 Sept 4 Sept 7 Sept 19 Sept 25 Sept 26

Labor Day (No School) Parent Information Meetings 5:30pm FCA Meeting 7:20am Fall Pictures Beach Club Principals/Counselors Coffee 9am

Sept 3 - Labor Day (No School)

CELINA 6th Grade CENTER Sept 3

Labor Day (No School)

CELINA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Sept 3 Sept 1 Sept 20

Labor Day (No School) CJH CoCo BEST Kick Off 8am Volleyball Pictures

CELINA HIGH SCHOOL Sept 3 Sept 5 Sept 12 Sept 13

Labor Day (No School) School Pictures Senior Tux/Drape Pictures Senior Tux/Drape Pictures

Complete Celina ISD Calendar: https://www.celinaisd.com/calendar

OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Photo by: Phil Bailiff

1 Trent Espinosa, 2 Howie Venegoni, 3 Trey Gutierrez, 4 Logan Point, 5 Bryan Sutherland, 6 Chace Friedman, 7 Noah Ross, 8 Will Keaveney, 9 Hunter Watson, 10 Andrew Wade, 11 Will Anderson, 12 Travis Radtke, 13 Reece Bedford, 14 Blake Bunnell, 15 Logan Walker, 16 Riley Plunkett, 17 Scott Wilson, 18 Parker Holman, 20 Bryson Wagner, 21 Michael Hagenbrock, 22 Luke Addy, 23 Noah Daugherty, 24, Taison Holman, 25 Carston Cromwell, 27 Ryan Nebeker, 28 Logan Engle, 32 Zach Roberts, 33 Colton Dunn, 34 Riley Briscoe, 35 Caden Worthey, 40 Trevor Lyons, 41 Jason Bennett, 42 Jake Ubanoski, 44 Carson Davis, 45 Kaghen Roach, 49 Iosua Muala, 51 Cooper Buchanan, 52 Jared Taylor, 55 Keaton Adams, 56 Jayden Watkins, 57 Dawson Bullard, 61 Thomas McGuire, 64 Zac Poston, 65 Christian Oloworkere, 67 JC Atkins, 72 Andrew Martinez, 74 Tyler Bidleman, 75 Trenton Williams, 77 Caden Jackson, 80 Eli Price, 81 Kobe Ollison, 83 Preston Smith, 84 John Ryan Reed

Photo by: Phil Bailiff

Austin Miller, Colby Caldwell, JD Kuehn, Chet Hefton, Stockten Blanco, Haylee Heppel, Jamie Owen, Cora Douglas, Leah Tallent.

(front) Kyle Sheridan 12

OurCelina.com | September 2018

Photo by: Melissa Hatcher

Top row: Kyle McDonald - Co-Captain, Ty Baker, Thomas Engelbert, Parker Oglesby, Landon Schroeder, Zane Wharton - Captain Bottom row kneeling: Landen Lindberg, Collin Otwell, Connor Cormier, Dylan Hussien, Pavan Advani

Photo by: Holly Farrow

Colbie Balsamo, Kinley Bishop, Rachael Briner, Hailey Buller, Bayleigh Dean, Caden Gravley, Heather Griffith, Riley Hall, Madi Holman, Kylee Meares, Avery Montgomery, Kalynn Perez, McKayla Reeves, Mia Rooker, Logan Sandidge, Lacey Smithart, Parker Ward, McKinley Wright

Photo by: Phil Bailiff Line officers: Ellie Lykins - Capt., Kara McDonald - Co Capt., Emily Hatcher - 1st Lieut., Claire Beckelman- 2nd Lieut.

Social officers: Deepali Advani, Tessa Ferguson, Cassidy Shaw Line members: Savannah Bise, Lainey Bowmer, Reese Briner, Lydia Daugherty, Estelle Delobbe, Alex Dobbins, Isabella Ledbetter, Landry Moore, Abby Morgan, Emma Peacock, Shaelyn Romero, Avery Russell, Grace Sharber, Paris Stevenson, Avery Trimmer, Callie Wages OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Photo by: Jen Symes

Benjamin Aune, Director of Bands Deepali Advani Trombone Karley Bennet Percussion Sullivan Blanco Baritone Sax Avery Camp French Horn Ian Carroll Percussion Andrea Castillo Flute Daniel Cevallos Tenor Sax Akash Chhabra Euphonium Hallie Clark Percussion Matthew Clark Trombone Adele Clarke Percussion Mason Cobb Percussion Rebecca Coblentz Trombone Sarah Coblentz Percussion Jared Davis Trumpet Zoe Dawson Color Guard Dora Delgado Trombone Louise Ditmore Color Guard Sophia Dunn Flute 14

OurCelina.com | September 2018

Annora Elias Flute Blaise Evans Trumpet Zach Flores French Horn Ava Ford Percussion William Ford Bb Clarinet Emma Fortenberry Percussion Julieanna Fraire Trombone Natalie Gonzalez Alto Sax Heidi Green Color Guard Madison Green Trumpet Hunter Grimes Percussion Peyton Grimes Percussion Trent Hamblin Tenor Sax Alexus Hastings Color Guard Jacklyn Hemphill Color Guard Sara Hernandez Alto Sax Braden Hoover Trumpet Lindsey Joines Bass Clarinet Kaden Keller French Horn

Hannah LaFreniere Percussion William Locke French Horn Justin Maina French Horn Carlin Martin Color Guard Yesmin Martinez Bb Clarinet Judith Matehuala-Delgado Flute Nate Mathews Bass Clarinet Eli McAdoo Trombone Wyatt Murray Trumpet Hope Nana Color Guard Makayla Olivarez Bb Clarinet Collin Otwell Trumpet Karla Presa-Colorado Bb Clarinet Erik Presa Euphonium Ayden Putsche Trumpet Olivia Rangel Alto Sax Savanah Roane Trumpet Penelope Sanchez Tuba McKayla Schmitt Percussion

Landon Schroeder Alto Sax Rebecca Shuler Color Guard Collin Smith Trombone Kya Smith Percussion Madison Smith Bb Clarinet Olivia Snyder Color Guard Jisel Solis Flute Angela Stalcup Trombone Glenna Stalcup French Horn Sean Swanson Tuba Trent Upshaw Trumpet Jacob Vaught Baritone Sax Valeria Venzor Color Guard Cameron White Alto Sax Trevor Wiggington Bb Clarinet Michael Wilson Tuba Scott Wilson Trumpet Erich Windrich Color Guard

Photo by: Jen Symes

1

Alyssa Radtke

3

Kaitlyn Robison

5

Legacee Hoyt

6

Casey Thomas

7

Heather Griffith

8

Kylee Meares

9

Hannah Hodges

10

Megan Hodges

11

Riley Hall

12

Sage Murray

Manager

Sadie Southwell

Head Coach

Ginger Murray

Assistant Coach

Carla Bartlett

VB & SCHED OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Photo by: Renee Marler

Celina High School Cross Country Schedule

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

Celina Homecoming “ Unified �

October 5, 2018 1:00 p.m. - Lineup begins at Celina Junior High School 2:00 p.m. - Parade begins To register for parade or for more information, contact Tawnia King at (972) 989-0885

Parade Route

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August 2018 New Members

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709 E. Pecan St. Celina, TX 75009 • 469.202.3040

OurCelina.com | September 2018

Celina Main Street Spend your Fridays in the Historic Downtown Square this Fall! Enjoy live music, delicious food, and shop homemade, handmade, and homegrown goods from local farmers, producers, and artisans at Celina Main Street’s Friday Night Markets from 6-9pm on the first Friday of the month.

Upcoming events September 7 – Friday Night Market October 5 – Friday Night Market October 20 – Star Wars Movie Night on Square October 31 – Trick or Treat on the Square November 2 – Friday Night Market December 5 – Christmas on the Square December 8 – Christmas Gift Tour

If you would like to be involved in planning these events, vendor opportunities, or sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.celina-tx.gov/downtownevents or call 972-382-2682 x7002.

OurCelina.com | September 2018

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

Tan D YO req kless U KN W in uire y ater OW? sed order early Heate flus rs the iment to he The hea build remo s ve t u p you per exc fro go r wat forma hang m nce er. dow er h out this nhill eater of w ma fast inte wit ill nan hce.

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Entertainment options will be plentiful at the inaugural Celina Oktoberfest celebration, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, in the city’s historic downtown square at West Walnut and North Ohio Streets in Celina.

The family friendly event, to be presented rain or shine, will also feature a beer garden featuring a selection of tasty brews, a tempting assortment of sumptuous, authentic German foods and other cuisine, college-football matchups presented on a massive screen, fun contests, dozens of merchandise vendors, a free Kids’ Zone activity area and much more.

General admission tickets are $5. Children age 12 and under are admitted free, as will anyone who wears a traditional German lederhosen or dirndl costume to the event. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://celinaoktoberfest.com/ and will also be sold at the gate on the day of the event (cash only). A limited number of specially priced tickets are available on Groupon at https://www. groupon.com/deals/celina-oktoberfest.

Produced by the Greater Celina Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Landmark Bank, the entertainment lineup at Celina Oktoberfest will include a performance by Imperial Brass. The acclaimed DFW-based traveling tuba quartet will interact with audiences on the city’s square while playing selections from its expansive repertoire.

Also hailing from North Texas, The Royal Klobasneks strive to preserve the traditional American polka sound made popular during the 1920s through ‘40s. Founded in 2010, the group is led by accomplished accordion player and vocalist Matt Tolentino.

Set to take the main stage at Celina Oktoberfest are the Bavarian-style dancers of Texanischer Schuhplattler Verein D’Holzar, a cultural-heritage troupe that is the oldest German dance club in the Dallas area. Meanwhile, yodeling figures prominently into the lively sets of Alps-inspired group Auf Geht’s Musik, which has previously toured throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Since forming in 2016, Celina Oktoberfest headliners The Dogensteins have become a fixture at festivals throughout North Texas. The quintet’s multi-talented musicians are best known for transforming mainstream-music chart-toppers by the likes of Lynryd Skynryd, Cyndi Lauper, Green Day and others into crowd-pleasing polkas, rollicking waltzes and traditional Texas shuffles.

Additional entertainment at Celina Oktoberfest will include a cornhole tournament sponsored by the Celina Police Association, costume contests for children and adults, Chicken Dance circles, pumpkin- and cookie-decorating activities and a Dachshund dog-derby race, as well as beer-pong and beer stein-holding competitions.

“The entertainment at Celina Oktoberfest will be nonstop from start to finish,” said Melissa Cromwell, president of the Greater Celina Chamber of Commerce. “From the main stage to the beer garden and in every corner of the city’s square, there will be exciting options for everyone to enjoy.”

For additional information and event updates, visit https://celinaoktoberfest.com/. Follow @CelinaOktoberfest on Facebook, and @celina_oktoberfest on Instagram.

OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Flyy Cutz Barbershop Specializing in All Clipper Cuts 701 N. Preston Rd #330 Celina, TX 75009

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

$12 adult cuts

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Stay Connected

Notify Me: Sign up by visiting www.celina-tx.gov/notifyme and receive email and text notifications about future road closures and water updates.

Facebook.com/cityofcelina Twitter: @cityofcelina Instagram: celina_texas Nextdoor: City of Celina

Celina Trails Master Plan Tour Kick-Off

City staff and consultants met on August 16, 2018 to identify existing and future trail connections and parks.

We are starting a process to create a city-wide plan that defines location, trail type, trail design and connections points. This plan will allow citizens, property owners, land developers and City to coordinate detailed plans and construction.

One goal is to be able to walk safely from neighborhoods in Celina to downtown, neighborhood schools and other places of interest.

City Receives Distinguished Budget Award for Second Year Government Finance Officers Association is pleased to announce that City of Celina, Texas, has received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as: ■ a policy document ■ a financial plan ■ an operations guide ■ a communications device Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award. This has been presented to Jay Toutounchian, Director of Finance.

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OurCelina.com | September 2018

Bond Rating Shows Strong Financial Performance for City of Celina Moody’s Investors Service assigns a bond rating of Aa3 to the City of Celina, reflecting a rapidly growing tax base.

Moody’s has also upgraded to Aa3 from A1 the City of Celina’s, TX issuer rating and rating on outstanding general obligation limited tax (GOLT) debt. The upgrade will provide significant savings to Celina taxpayers by qualifying the city for lower interest rates.

According to Moody’s, the upgrade was driven by Celina’s healthy reserve levels following multiple years of strong financial operating performance.

Such upgrades are also an indication of good fiscal governance by Mayor and City Council.

The certificates will fund various city-wide capital needs such as water and sewer infrastructure and street repairs.

Celina has also received an upgrade from “AA-“ to “AA” rating from Standard & Poor’s Global, viewing the outlook for this rating as “stable.”

TEXAS PROUD! Go Bobcats!

Jennifer Ramer Grzywacz Agent

236 W. Pecan St. Celina, TX 75009 O 972.382.4306 M 972.342.3197 E jgrzywacz@txfb-ins.com

COLW0818

OurCelina.com | September 2018

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By: Lisa Ferguson

For decades, Celina High School’s Las Gatitas drill team has filed onto the field at Bobcat Stadium during halftime and delivered high-energy dance and pom routines that entertain the crowds in the stands.

This year is no different. The team’s 24 members, dressed in their sparkling orange-and-white sequined uniforms, have already performed at weekly school pep rallies and football games several of the highly-choreographed numbers they crafted and learned during summer break, during which they attended workout sessions three days per week, as well as an intensive weeklong camp where they practiced into the wee hours of the morning.

“They are very much athletes,” said Kelly Babb, the office manager at CHS who for more than a dozen years has also served as Las Gatitas’ advisor. She is joined this season by the school’s attendance clerk Keri Owen, who is the team’s assistant advisor.

The girls “don’t always get credit for being athletes,” Babb said, “but they put in a ton of hours” honing their dance and choreography skills and perfecting routines. “They put in a lot more work than they get credit for.”

That includes hand-painting signs that decorate the fieldhouse at Bobcat Stadium, creating spirit-boosting banners for the football teams’ locker room, and smaller sentiments of support that are placed in the buses on which players ride to away games. Las Gatitas also assists the CHS cheerleaders in decorating the campus in advance of homecoming.

Calling the girls “ambassadors,” Babb said, “They’re just so willing to do anything for the school and help out in any way.”

A member of Las Gatitas since her freshman year, senior Shaelyn Romero she said is she often recognized by her fellow students on campus. “They’re like, `You’re on the Las Gatitas’ … and they talk about the pep rallies and the games.” The 17-year-old said she’ll never forget when the Celina Bobcats made their 2015 run at the state championship title: “That is a big memory (for me), driving five hours to Houston with the drill team and cheer (team), staying at the hotel … and waking up that morning to go to the game.”

Las Gatitas “has been a huge part of my life,” Romero said. After graduation, “I’m going to miss the girls the most.”

Senior Avery Trimmer has also spent her entire high school career as a Las Gatita. “I would definitely say it’s been a really life-changing experience,” she said, explaining that a huge amount responsibility accompanies the role. “I love how much it has taught me. … This is hard work, but overall it’s really worth it because of how much fun you get to have, and you get to experience new things.”

She has also enjoyed being part of Celina’s football tradition. “Halftime is our time. … It’s always been like that,” 17-yearold Trimmer said. “I do feel like people look forward to watching us dance … and every single year they know that the Las Gatitas are going to be there to perform.”

Babb also oversees Bobcat Brigade, the all-male spirit organization founded at CHS in 2009. The boys work in tandem with Las Gatitas and the cheer squads during pep rallies and games, and also run the massive C-E-L-I-N-A flags across the field when the team scores.

This season, Bobcat Brigade’s 10 members are “really working to make sure that their reputation is that of a true, college-formatted spirit organization” similar to those at some universities, Babb said.

As she does for Bobcat Brigade, Babb also has high expectations for the 2018-19 Las Gatitas team, whose members will continue to practice and perform after football season comes to a close.

The girls will begin prepping in January for their competition season, during which they’ll participate in a pair of regional- and state-level contests against dozens of other high school dance teams.

In 2016, Las Gatitas won the Grand Champion prize at the state competition in Weatherford. They brought home several trophies 26

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from the 2018 event held earlier this year, and Babb expects similar results at the 2019 competition in February. “Every one of these girls are such good dancers. I see us coming home with a lot of awards.”

She points to the success already achieved by Las Gatitas’ seven officer members, who in July competed during a statewide officer camp near Austin. At the event, sponsored by Danceline USA, the girls won multiple honors including spots for each officer on the company’s Elite dance team.

Babb said the drill team is only able to afford its competition-related fees and other annual expenses by hosting fundraisers (its popular photo-laden wall calendar is now available for purchase at the high school) and thoughtfully utilizing the donations it receives from team sponsors in the community and beyond.

Among those who this year have generously supported Las Gatitas are Bodine Orthodontics; Animal Hospital of Celina; Fuse Prosper, LLC; Seelye Construction; Helms Team LLC; El Dorado Chevrolet; Southwest Construction; Texas Select Erosion; Independent Bank; Atomic T-Shirts; Imagine Resorts and Hotels; and the McDonald Family.

“Our sponsors are amazing. They have allowed us to buy competition uniforms, to be able to pay to attend competitions, to go to our (officer) camp this past summer. They have helped us out tremendously with supplies,” Babb said. “We could not survive as an organization if we did not have our sponsors.”

As they have done for several years, on Feb. 23 Las Gatitas will host a Danceline USA-sponsored competition at CHS. Hundreds of young dancers from schools throughout North Texas are expected to compete at the event, which is Las Gatitas’ biggest annual fundraiser.

Capping the year, the drill team will stage its popular annual Spring Show at CHS on April 27.

Members will spotlight their dance abilities as a group as well as in small ensembles and solo performances.

“This group of girls is truly a family,” Babb said of the team. “They really support one another.”

OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Bobcat Alley Dedicated to Celina Athletics

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August 2018 Celina Public Library Calendar of Events Monday, Sept. 3

Library closed for Labor Day

Friday, Sept. 7

Mother Goose story time, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 10

Teen Advisory Group (TAG) meeting, 5-6 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 14

Mother Goose story time, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 18

Library advisory board meeting, 6-7 p.m. (public may attend)

Thursday, Sept. 20

Book Club meeting for adults, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 21

Mother Goose story time, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 28

Mother Goose story time, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 5

Mother Goose story time, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Monday, Oct. 8

Teen Advisory Group (TAG) meeting, 5-6 p.m.

Celina Public Library 142 N Ohio St Celina, TX 75009 Linda Shaw Library Director Phone: (972) 382-8655

Monday - Tuesday 10:00 am - 8:00 pm Wednesday - Thursday 10:00 am - 6 pm Friday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4 pm OurCelina.com | September 2018

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Membership Has Its Privileges... at Celina Public Library!

By: Linda Shaw, Celina Public Library Director

Summer break is over and a new school year has begun.

Since early August, Celina Public Library has assisted local students and parents access school forms and supply lists for the 2018-19 academic year.

Local department stores stocked up in preparation for families to purchase a plethora of supplies from backpacks to pencils, as well as new apparel. But one essential school supply that cannot be found in a store or on a school supply list is a library card.

Every year, the library’s preschool story times in mid-August are minus a few children who have headed to school for the first time. Some of our staffers have known these children since they could barely walk and, while excited for them, we miss them.

I should also happily mention that we recently made new friends with children who came to story time for the first time.

And what do the old and new members have in common? A library card!

Since 1987, libraries have designated September as Library Card Sign-Up Month in conjunction with the beginning of the school year for thousands of children across the country.

A library card is the least-expensive school supply (it is free), but the most enduring as it opens the door to academic achievement and a lifetime of learning. Parents and caregivers will save literally hundreds of dollars on services, educational resources and in-person assistance from public librarians and staff.

When I visit with young members of Celina Public Library and see their excitement about the new school year, I can’t help but feel nostalgic. As a youngster, I, too, was excited to get back to school in September.

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a library card. During high school, in Kansas, I would hop a bus after school and go to the old downtown Wichita Carnegie Library where I waited for my father to pick me up when he got off work.

While waiting, I roamed the stacks of books limited only by my imagination and dreams. Music librettos and scores fostered my fascination with musical theater and opera, and books opened a world of adventure and limitless possibilities. During the summer, I bicycled to the bookmobile at a nearby park once a week to make sure I was never without a book to read. Next to home, libraries are my happy place.

While it is fairly easy to convince parents and caregivers about the benefits of having a library card for their children, it is more challenging to win over adults who do not have cards themselves – even if they’re book lovers! After all, they may think, Who needs libraries when you can go to a book store or 30

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purchase books online? Hopefully I can convince a few non-library members of the benefits waiting for them as card-holding members of their local public library.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a benefit as “something that produces good or helpful results … or that promotes well-being.” Please keep that in mind.

As I’ve already stated, Celina Public Library cards are free.

There is nothing that needs to be purchased in order to enjoy the benefits of membership. We are not going to email or call asking you to buy or donate to anything. We just want you to use your card to take advantage of what the library offers: books, audiobooks, digital downloads, DVDs, Blu-rays, newspapers and adult and children’s programs, as well as databases and other online resources.

You can use the library while in your pajamas (in that case, preferably from your home) around the clock - even when the library is closed. With your card and Internet access you can explore online what the library has to offer, then reserve materials and pick them up at the library the next time you visit. If the library doesn’t have a title you want on its shelves, you can request that we get it from another library through our inter-library loan service. When the book arrives, the library will notify you by phone or email. This is a great way to save both time and gas money.

If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can access and read an eBook in the waiting room of your doctor’s office, or download an audiobook to listen to on a long drive. You can also get things done at the library: register to vote, scan and send documents for free, or fax or print them for a minimal fee. You can also use the library’s public computers or Wi-Fi to apply for jobs, take online classes, read and send email, and do your income taxes.

When you get a Celina Public Library card and begin to reap the benefits of library membership, you will uncover the magic of all libraries - a serendipitous encounter. What libraries do so quietly and modestly is both ordinary and extraordinary and differs for every person.

There is a core of goodness that attracts people to work in public libraries because the work is worthwhile. Our library staff offers practical help, a smile, a welcome and encouragement to everyone. The magic is connection, people helping themselves and each other.

Linda Shaw is library director for the City of Celina. Stop by the Celina Public Library, adjacent to City Hall at 142 N. Ohio St., to obtain a library card.

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