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Allen Image INSIDE THIS ISSUE

April 2016

Vol. 26, Issue 4

cover story

44 in service to others

Would you swap a vacation at Disneyworld to escort high school students to impoverished orphanages or a Caribbean cruise for a hammock in an open-air boat? Well, Dr Jeff Burchard and Dr. Steve Williams did just that. Dr. Burchard went with his sons on a trip to Uganda and Dr. Williams accompanied his daughters to the Amazon.

special sections

KIDS KORNER

Birthday Parties 2016

23 PET PAGE Eileen

35 CALENDAR 58 22

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE civic forum 10 Voters decide how to fund the future

Ever wonder what happens to theatrical players?

13 Celebrate the Great Outdoors 14

Black Tie Gala with Creedence Clearwater Revisited

16 Christ the Servant Concert

Parents of Struggling Children

Texas Hold ’Em Tournament

Sweet Harmony Vocal Workshop

Sweet Repeat

library 18 Earthstains

Jamie Ford

Singapore Slingers

Texas Eats

The Letter As Art

travel 32 Beaver’s Bend—A Little Slice of Heaven in Southeast Oklahoma

21 Baseball education 24 LDI Teaches Leadership Inside and Outside of the Classroom

outdoor spaces 28 Architecture in the Garden

18 publisher/editor Barbara Peavy

office administrator Carrie McCormick

advertising sales Liz DeBoe

cover photo Larry Fleming

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contributing writers Chelsey Aprill Kirk Dickey Deborah Dove Tom Keener Peggy Helmick-Richardson

24 Allen Image © 2016 by Moonlight Graphics. All rights reserved. Allen Image is published by Moonlight Graphics and individually mailed free of charge to the residents of the Allen area. Subscriptions are available to residents outside the delivery area at a rate of $2.50 per issue—$30 per year.

Subscription and editorial correspondence should be sent to: Allen Image, P.O. Box 132, Allen, TX 75013, 972.727.4569, fax 972.396.0807, visit our website at www. allenimage.com or email us at contact@allenimage.com.

civic forum

Voters decide how to fund the future by Chelsey APRILL

On a mild night in October, a group of Allen residents gathered in the courtyard of Allen Public Library. Some sipped coffee. Others jotted notes. All listened intently as Allen Public Library Director Jeff Timbs explained why patrons often have trouble finding a place to park. “When they did the original design, they followed the general rule of thumb for libraries—one parking space for every 400 square feet,” says Timbs. “But they assumed people would come to the library just to check out books and leave. Now they come for programs—kids, adults and teens. And they stay in the building much longer.” The outing was part of a massive community effort to shape the future of Allen through a capital improvement program (CIP). The program identifies specific projects that will add value to the city—from road improvements to new facilities to public art. Then, in a bond election, voters decide whether to fund the proposed projects. “Community involvement is the cornerstone of the capital improvement planning process,” comments Dr. Joe Farmer, former Allen mayor and chair of the CIP steering committee. “Those who pay the bill are involved in recommending what capital im provements would provide the best services to the citizens.” More than one hundred residents participated in a steady

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stream of meetings and facility tours in late 2015. City staff members were on hand to answer questions and offer expertise, but final project recommendations were left up to residents. Many described the process as eye opening. “You see some of the rooms and they are literally bulging [with people],” said Michael Schaeffer, a member of the CIP public facilities subcommittee, following the tour of Allen Public Library. “It’s just like buying a family home. You don’t think you’ll ever outgrow it, but eventually you do.” The 2016 Allen Bond Election is focused on easing those growing pains, beginning with public safety. Proposition 1 calls for the expansion and repair of Central Fire Station, the construction of Fire Station #6 and the creation of a police firearms training center at a cost of $24.4 million. Voters will also decide whether to expand parks and recreation facilities. Proposition 2 contains $27 million in projects, including a new recreation and athletic center at

Rowlett Creek Community Park, to be built along W. Exchange Parkway between Alma and Ridgeview. Watters Branch Community Park, which is currently under construction, would receive additional dollars to add open sports fields and trail connections. The funding would cover a special use park at Allen’s last working farm, adding community gardens and an environmental education center at Molsen Farm. The bond would also fund land acquisition for future parks. Proposition 3 asks voters to approve a $16 million expansion of Allen Public Library, adding up to 45,000 square feet and 260 additional parking spaces. This would allow Allen to keep its library facilities under one roof, instead of building multiple branches as the city grows. “I was unaware of all the programming that occurs here,” said Kristina Brevard, another member of the CIP public facilities subcommittee. “It’s not just rows of books. It’s not just something they can get online. It truly is a communal space.” Allen also has an eye to the future when it comes to road construction. Proposition 4 dedicates $23.9 million to building new roads—including Ridgeview Drive—and improving old ones throughout the city, including streets in the Central Business District. Traffic signals and intersection improvements, median landscaping and lighting, and arterial roadway partnerships are also included. Proposition 5 allows a percentage of the total bond package— approximately 2%—to be dedicated to public art projects. Specific artwork, sculptures or architectural elements would be chosen at a later date through a citizen committee selection process. The 2007 bond election funded public art projects such as the Cottonwood Creek trail bridge railing installation “Current Drift” and the “Oceano” sculpture at Allen Public Library. Even if all propositions pass, residents are unlikely to see a tax rate hike because the $93 million bond

package would be spread over seven years. According to the CIP Steering Committee’s final assessment, conservative estimates do not anticipate a tax increase, but could include an increase of $0.004 (less than a half-cent) per $100 of assessed value. If an increase occurs, residents with an average home value of $200,000 would pay an estimated $8 more per year. “I’m very proud of our history. I’m proud of Allen today and I’m proud of our future,” commented Dr.

Farmer, who served as Allen’s mayor from 1988 to 1996. “The capital improvements proposed in this bond election will help us continue to be a great community.” The 2016 Allen Bond Election will be held on Saturday, May 7. Early voting runs April 25 through May 3. Additional project details are available at CityofAllen.org/AllenBond2016. v Chelsey Aprill is a Marketing Specialist for the City of Allen.

Allen Image | April 2016

Ever wonder what happens to theatrical players on a dark night?

by Kathleen VAUGHT The applause dies down after the final curtain call on the last night of a production’s run. This magical world that took months to create and build must be taken apart, piece-bypiece, in preparation for the next foray into the dramatic.

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There are a select few nights in the year of a successful theater like ACT when there is nothing happening in the space—no classes, no rehearsals and no performance. On those precious few nights, the theater is considered to be “dark.” It is on these nights that a gaggle of goofy and skillful dramatists, calling themselves the Dark Night Players, present the multi-disciplinary concoction known as the Dark Night Play House. There are even wacky prizes from around the world (i.e., dollar store items from China). The Dark Night Play House began in 2015 with a group of actors, a willing partnership between Allen’s Community Theatre and local artisan MKat Reclamations. Underwritten by a mission to bring as many branches of the artistic world—theater, writing, music, dance, film, art and improv—together at one time, the Dark Night Players delighted and confused nearly 500 theater-goers over the course of six shows. Their partnership expanded to include guest playwrights from around the metroplex and beyond, per formances by Allen Civic Ballet, popular local musicians like the Walden Twins and Maddie Keosoff, art displays by Pamela Van Laaen and MKat, and live premieres of original short films onstage.

Now, after a much needed hiatus to come up with new stuff, the Dark Night Players are back! Always on a Friday night at 8 p.m., the 2016 season foolishly kicks off with a new show on April 1 and another one May 27. The ensemble of players has shifted slightly over the course of a year, but the shows continue to contain the crazy, fastpaced vaudevillian voracity Dark Night Players’ fans have come to expect and enjoy. Typically on the 13-and-over-side of a PG-13 rating, the Dark Night Play House is a fun, cheap night out with your buddies, girlfriends, sweetheart or anyone with an extra Hamilton in their pocket. Everyone plays an important part in the Dark Night mayhem and has the ultimate chance to go home with a prize. Tickets are still only $10, cash at the door of Allen’s Community Theatre, 1210 E. Main Street in Allen. Make sure to like them on Facebook.com/ DarkNightPlayers to get the latest updates, links to videos from previous shows and behind-the-scenes snippets of how it all comes together. v Kathleen Vaught is the creative director, of Dark Night Players and owner/artisan of MKat Reclamations.

Celebrate the Great Outdoors at Earthfest Allen By Chelsey APRILL

Most of us are expert navigators of the Internet. We can find a baking soda substitute or a list of last year’s draft picks in seconds, perhaps with a little help from Siri. But ask us to navigate the great outdoors? There’s a good chance we’ll find ourselves up a creek without a paddle. “My goal for Earthfest is to get people outside,” says Donna Kliewer, waste services manager for the City of Allen. Kliewer also provides staff

support to Keep Allen Beautiful. “Allen has all this great park space, yet many people never step foot in it.” Now in its fifth year, Earthfest has evolved into a celebration of health, wellness and nature held this spring at Dayspring Nature Preserve. Guest speakers offer tips on attracting birds and butterflies and nature-themed crafts will keep kids occupied. Exhibitors are encouraged to share outdoor knowledge, earth-friendly

skills or services that encourage healthy lifestyles—but they must pair it with a hands-on activity that fits the spirit of the event. “It’s all familyoriented,” says Kliewer. Taking a cue from nature, Earthfest isn’t overly scheduled. Visitors can peruse the grounds at their own pace, pausing to toss a Frisbee or eat a picnic lunch as musical guests perform in the background. “For once, people actually put their phones away,” says City of Allen education specialist Josué Diaz. One of the most popular activities is the annual creek cleanup. Volunteers can pick up gloves and litterbags at the pavilion starting at 10:30 a.m. They are encouraged to spend 30-60 minutes collecting trash along nearby creeks and trails. Earthfest will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 2. Parking is available at Green Elementary, Boone Elementary and the Dayspring Nature Preserve’s south entrance. For more details, visit the Earthfest Facebook page at Facebook. com/EarthfestAllen. v Chelsey Aprill is a Marketing Specialist for the City of Allen.

Allen Image | April 2016

Black Tie Gala with Creedence Clearwater Revisited The Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County’s (CACCC) Gala 2016 will be held on April 23, at the HiltonAnatole in Dallas and will feature a headline performance by Creedence Clearwater Revisited. “Gala is the must-attend event of the year in Collin County and each year we are proud to welcome incredible performers, generous sponsors and committed donors who come together in the fight against child abuse,” CACCC CEO Lynne McLean said. “As our largest fundraising event of the year, Gala raises critically needed funds to help ensure that abused children in our community always receive the help they need from the center.” Creedence Clearwater Revival headlined the Saturday night slot at the legendary Woodstock Music

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Festival 45 years ago. Also that year, three Creedence Clearwater Revival albums simultaneously perched in the top 10 of the rock music charts. In 1995, following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cosmo and Stu launched their Creedence Clearwater Revisited project. The astounding response to the band has been driven in part by new generations of fans who, as Cosmo said, “weren’t even born when the music came out.” The band has taken their signature sound to North America, South America, Central America, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Asia. CACCC also announces that longtime supporter Robb Temple, Executive Vice-President of McKinney’s Independent Bank, will serve as Honorary Chair at Gala 2016. Temple was a founding CACCC board

member who has served as board president and board vice-president and currently serves on the advisory council, of which he has been a member since 2010. In 1994, Temple forged a partnership between Independent Bank and the CACCC. Independent Bank’s support of the center has included financial commitments and volunteers. “We believe in the mission of the organization, and they are great stewards of our financial support,” Temple said. “To create the greatest possible impact, we leverage a powerful combination of local funding and volunteerism, both addressing the needs of the community and supporting the passion of our employees. “For people to know there is an organization that cares and can help

them during this difficult time is critical,” he added. “We have such an extremely caring and generous corporate community in Collin County as well as school administrators and church leaders who can be the first recipients of an outcry.” Returning to Gala this year is the exciting Lexus car raffle. DFW Lexus will donate a 2016 RX 350 for the raffle with the winner to be selected at Gala 2016. Raffle tickets cost $50 each and just 2,500 tickets will be sold. Gala sponsorships are now available starting at $2,500, and individual tickets are $275. To purchase your Gala tickets, visit caccollincounty.org. For Honorary Chair at Gala additional information, contact 2016. Robb Temple Special Events Manager Dana Packard at 972.633.6602 or disciplinary team approach to facilitate dpackard@caccollincounty.org. the investigation, treatment and The Children’s Advocacy Center prosecution of child abuse. Working of Collin County utilizes a multi-

collaboratively with law enforcement and Child Protective Services, the center brings all services to abused children under one roof to minimize additional trauma to vulnerable children. Highly trained forensic interviewers provide a childfriendly environment in which children can safely share their stories. The Center offers therapy and support for children and their non-offending family members at no cost for as long as clients need help. Gala raises funds to support these and other services to abused children and their non-offending family members. Since 1992, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County has offered free services to more than 50,000 abused and neglected children. To learn more, visit caccollincounty.org or call 972.633.6600. v

Allen Image | April 2016

Snippets Christ the Servant Concert DFW Brass is comprised of top musicians in the North Texas area and is enthusiastic about sharing music of all kinds with audiences everywhere. This eclectic performance will include pieces from the Renaissance era to present day in varying styles; from sacred music to patriotic numbers, there will be something for everyone. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear members of DFW Brass perform with Jordan Smith, the organist at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. Visit dfwbrass.com or their Facebook page for details on this ensemble.

More information can also be found at christtheservant. com. The donation suggested is $10. Christ the Servant is located at 821 South Greenville Avenue in Allen. v

Parents of Struggling Children

On April 12, 6 p.m., at Ereckson Middle School, 450 Tatum Drive in Allen, a special one-night-only event will be presented with Dr. Robert Melillo, author of the bestselling book Disconnected Kids. Dr. Melillo is a leading expert in children’s neurobehavioral disorders and co-founder of The Brain Balance Program®, a comprehensive, drug-free program. Dr. Melillo’s lecture will address the questions of why so many children struggle with social, academic and behavioral issues and what is happening in their brains that causes these behaviors. This event is free and open to the public, so if you have a child who is struggling, please join us. Parents, educators and healthcare professionals are welcome! Space is limited, so register early. For more information and to register, please call 469.656.4580. v

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament The Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County (BGCCC) is pleased to announce their Fifth Annual Charity Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, March 31, at Gleneagles Country Club, 5401 West Park Blvd., in Plano. Doors open at 6 p.m.; seating begins at 7 p.m. To register for the tournament, please visit www.bgccc.org/poker. Individual players are to make a $100 donation to BGCCC. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the evening and blackjack will be available for guests that do not prefer poker for a $50 donation. The BGCCC is also selling raffle tickets for a 5-night stay in a beautiful 4-bedroom, 5-bath home in Punta Mita, Mexico. This 4,200 sq. ft. home sleeps eight and is located in a gated community on the Jack Nicklaus signature resort golf course. Tickets are $100 each, with only 300 tickets being sold. You can buy raffle tickets online at www.bgccc.org/poker Please contact Laura Bese at (214) 544-8924 x105 or LBese@bgccc.org with any questions. v

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Snippets

Sweet Harmony Vocal Workshop Series We’re looking for experienced singers to learn a cappella! It’s a sweet experience to sing with a family of sisters like NoteAbly North Texas Chorus! You’ll look forward to Thursday evenings filled with singing, learning, fun and laughter! In our workshop series, our “Sweet Harmony Singers” will learn the physicality of singing (posture, breathing, resonance, articulation and phonation); tuning and blending for a cappella singing; telling the story; emoting to draw in the audiences through use of tempo, dynamics and artistic breathing. Grand finale: Sweet Harmony Singers are invited to perform with NNT Chorus at the City of Allen Parks and Recreation “Patriotic Pops in the Park” event on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 7 p.m. at the Joe Farmer Hillside Amphitheater in partnership with the Allen Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra! You will be able to share your voice by singing the workshop songs and using the skills honed during the workshop. The workshop is Thursday, April 21 through May 26 at Blue House Too, 934 Market Street in Watters Creek Shopping Center, across from DSW Warehouse, 7 to 9 p.m. Register before April 21 for $35. After April 21, registration will be $45 at the door or online @ www.nntchorus.org under the Sweet Harmony Event tab. Registration includes workshop materials and a Sweet Harmony t-shirt. v

Sweet Repeat April marks the beginning of spring. The garden is alive with pollinating insects and it is time for gardeners in Collin County to plant vegetables, herbs, annuals and perennials to give them a chance to establish before the heat of summer sets in. Another sure sign of spring is the Plant Sale, presented by The Collin County Master Gardeners Association. Savvy gardeners know the CCMGA Plant Sale offers some of the best plants, at the best prices! The 13th Annual Plant Sale will be held at Myers Park and Event Center on Saturday, April 9, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Attendees can expect to find hundreds of varieties of beautiful plants recommended by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension that will include annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, roses, vegetables, herbs and grasses that thrive in sun, part-sun and shade. There will also be an opportunity to tour the research and demonstration gardens. Collin County Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and offer timely tips to help homeowners plant with confidence and success. You may purchase these proven performers by cash, check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). Bringing your own cart or wagon is encouraged. Children ages five and up can participate in environmentally-friendly activities at the Children’s Discovery Area. The plant sale will be held indoors, rain or shine, hot or cold inside the stall barn at Myers Park, 7117 County Road 166, McKinney. To find out more about the plant sale visit www.ccmgatx.org or call the CCMGA Information Center at 972.548.4232. v Allen Image | April 2016

library

The Library presents… Jamie Ford Earthstains

by Tom KEENER

Hear the story of the Kimes brothers, the nation’s first celebrity bank robbers during the 1920s and 1930s, from local resident Greg Shepard. He will be sharing their tale at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at the library. Greg first heard of Matt and George Kimes in 1985 while talking about family history with his grandfather. After the passing of his mother in 2011, Greg renewed his efforts to write his family history and rediscovered the Kimes brothers and their incredible story. The resulting historical novel, Earthstains, was published in 2015. In recounting the tale of these Oklahoma criminals and relatives from his father’s side of the family, Greg notes, “I did my very best to keep it as historically accurate as possible. I didn’t try to make excuses for their bad behavior.” Sociological trends were altered after World War I. Children were no longer necessarily assuming the occupations of their parents and their values. The Kimes Brothers, Bonnie and Clyde, and the Dillinger Gang were representative of sociopaths who had an uncanny ability to commit crimes, avoid apprehension by the law and escape jails. After successful bank heists, George and Matt Kimes were captured by a posse of local men a few miles southwest of Rudy, Arkansas, and were brought back to Sallisaw, Oklahoma, to face trial. Learn the rest of their exciting story at the Allen Public Library. Greg Shepard lives in Allen with his wife of 45 years. In addition to being a passionate Allen Eagles football fan, Greg is a student of American history and enjoys researching stories that have been lost in the annals of time. This free program is sponsored by the library. v

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New York Times Bestselling author Jamie Ford appears at 7:30 p.m., Monday, May 2, at the library. Jamie Ford is the great-grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who emigrated from Kaiping, China, to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name “Ford,” thus confusing countless generations. Jamie’s debut novel, Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter and Sweet was a New York Times bestseller. Hotel won the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and has been translated into 35 languages. Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.

Songs of Willow Frost is a powerful tale of two souls—a boy with dreams for his future and a woman escaping her haunted past. Twelve-year-old William Eng, a Chinese American boy, has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage ever since his mother died five years ago. On his birthday, William and the other orphans are taken to Moore Theatre, where William glimpses an actress on the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost. William is convinced that the movie star is his mother, Liu Song. This free program is sponsored by the Allen Public Library. v

Singapore Slingers Prepare for daring grooves of original jazz with The Singapore Slingers at 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 16, at the library. Combining the rhythms of the 20s and 30s with the edgy energy of contemporary music, The Singapore Slingers captivate audiences with their amazing music. Sponsored by the library and the City of Allen through a HOT funds grant, the program is free. At age eight, Matt Tolentino became enchanted by the great Adrian Rollini, an early 20th century jazz instru m entalist best known for his bass sax. In 2006, bandleader Matt Tollentino toured with the South Texas-based polka band, The Sauerkrauts, playing clarinet and saxophone. The same year he began to play with the Austin-based band, The White Ghost Shivers, on accordion and bass saxophone. In 2007, The Singapore Slingers was formed. Offering a variety of styles, this band is known for its “rag-a-jazz.” Matt explains, “Rag-a-jazz spotlights the brief period between ragtime and jazz, during the late 1910s and the early 1920s, when popular music was undergoing a big change. The rag-a-jazz sound, to me, is the unification of ragtime and jazz—when the newer jazz rhythms were slowly descending upon the older, ‘safer’ two-beat rhythms of ragtime. It was a musical hybrid that suggested great change was coming in the world of popular music. Think of it as early fusion!” The Singapore Slingers has performed at the Sons of Hermann Hall, Kessler Theatre, Pocket Sandwich Theatre and a host of festivals throughout the nation. In 2011, the Dallas Observer declared The Singapore Slingers the Best Pre-Swing Jazz Orchestra and “the city’s coolest, quirkiest retro jazz group.” A true multi-instrumentalist, Matt is equally at home on accordion,

clarinet, tuba, piano, tenor guitar, banjo and saxophones, specializing in baritone and bass sax. Matt brings the

music of yesterday to the audience of today, presented with respect and reverence—the way it should be. v

Allen Image | April 2016

Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook Texas Eats, this year’s ALLen Reads One Book Read selection, is not your typical cookbook. Describing the social history, culture and geography of the diverse regions of the second largest state in the union is as significant as the scrumptious recipes. Robb Walsh, the author of this carefully documented but engaging book, will be on hand at the library at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 9. For residents with deep roots in Texas or newcomers wanting to know more about their adopted state, this is an excellent resource for both good recipes and interesting history. The coastal region along the Gulf of Mexico is the first stop on the itinerary with Baffin Bay Seafood Sauce and Stingaree Barbecued Crabs on the menu. Then the reader is taken to the piney woods of East Texas, where various biscuits, cornbreads, Mama Sugar’s Sweet Potato Cobbler and other dishes are listed. In San Antonio and South Texas, classic Tex-Mex recipes such as tacos, classic chili con carne, green rice and charro beans are offered. Old World flavors of Central Texas reflect Texas’ German and Czech heritage. Whether it is Hill Country Goulash or Claudia Matcek’s Poppy Seed Kolaches, these recipes are part of the culinary odyssey. But, no book on Texas recipes would be complete without mentioning chicken fried steak and an assortment of gravies, onion rings or cheese fries. Texas Eats provides famous recipes for all of these Texas’ favorites. A former commentator for NPR’s Weekend Edition, Sunday and winner of three James Beard Foundation Awards as well as a number of nominations, Robb co-owns a restaurant in Houston, was a food critic for the Houston Press for 10 years, a former food columnist for Natural History magazine and the author of over a dozen cookbooks. Sponsored by ALLen Reads, this program is free. v

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The Letter As Art

Copies of handwritten letters from deceased loved ones mean more to most people than their electronic messages. Learn more about The Letter As Art from Dr. Dallie B. Clark and Susan West at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, at the library.

In this age of digital communi cation, it is increasingly rare for people to correspond via handwritten letters. The presenters will inspire you to reconnect with the art of letter writing. You will get to create your own illuminated alphabet letter on a piece of quality stationery and also learn how to develop and write a meaningful, artistic, handwritten letter using the stationery at a later time. “I want people to pause and think about letter writing as this wonderful connection to our humanity. That we’re made to create, and we need to do it artfully, and we need to do it with thought, love and depth,” said Dr. Clark. A humanities professor at Collin College, Dr. Clark was recently named its Lebrecht Endowed Chair for Scholarly and Civic Engagement. Susan West is an art teacher at Wylie High School. All supplies will be provided; no experience necessary; ages 16+. v

Baseball: The Nature, the Personality and the Power of the Game

Hank Aaron and Talmage Boston

Baseball historian Talmage Boston discusses America’s favorite sport at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the library. Talmage has written two critically acclaimed baseball history books—1939: Baseball’s Tipping Point and Baseball and the Baby Boomer, and has been inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame as a Media Member. In 2015, Talmage participated in a panel with former New York Yankees’ legend Bobby Brown to open an exhibit—Baseball & American Life—at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas. Talmage declares, “More than any other sport, throughout its eight-month season, baseball provides life with a daily rhythm. We wake up reading about what happened the day before and end the evening watching it. All in all, for much of the year, it keeps us in that joyous state of the even keel.” In recent years, Talmage has become one of the best known onstage public interviewers in Dallas, conducting interviews with the likes of Henry Kissinger, James A. Baker III, David McCullough, Jon Meacham, Ken Burns and Douglas Brinkley, to name a few. In September 2016, the edited transcripts of Talmage’s onstage interviews with some of the country’s most prominent presidential historians and presidential insiders will be released as a book entitled Cross-Examining History: A Lawyer Gets Answers From the Experts About Our Presidents. Talmage’s articles and editorials have appeared in The National Law Journal, Texas Lawyer, Dallas Morning News and Dallas Business Journal. v Tom Keener is the cultural arts manager with the Allen Public Library.

The library is located at 300 N. Allen Drive. Call 214.509.4911 for more information. Allen Image | April 2016

kids korner

Birthday Parties 2016 by Deborah DOVE

Paint and Pottery Studio

www.paintandpotterystudio.com, 204 N. Greenville Ave., Allen (in CiCi’s shopping center) This pottery studio offers paint-your-own pottery, canvas painting, wheel throwing and hand building. They offer several party packages for kids from tots to teens. A party package for ages three to five includes an hour in the party room; a salad plate, mug or patch-patterned animal to paint (includes bisque item, paint, brushes and firing); and a dedicated party host for set up and clean up. Bring your own cake and drinks; they have disposable plates, napkins, forks and cups if needed. Cost is $180 plus tax for up to 9 kids ($19 for each additional child). For ages six and up, party packages include the party room for an hour and a half and a selection of trinket boxes or animal figures to paint. Cost is $180 plus tax for up to 9 kids and $20 for each additional child up to 16 guests. The studio also offers private pottery wheel throwing parties for kids ages 7-18. Parties include the party room for an hour-and-half, including 30 minutes on the potter’s wheel, 30 minutes hand building and 30 minutes for cake. This package includes one firing to bisque in the kiln. Guests are welcome to come back and paint their pieces and have them fired again (guests pay for paint and $5 for the second firing). Cost is a flat fee of $220 for up to six guests ($35 per additional guest up to 12 guests).

Allen Community Ice Rink

www.cityofallen.org, 200 E. Stacy Road, #1350 (Village at Allen), Allen Enjoy a party at the coolest place in town—literally—with something for all abilities and budgets. The basic All-Star Package, $175, includes 12 skate rentals and skate admissions (the birthday child always skates free and gets a free t-shirt), an hour in the party room, and a party attendant. The Champion Package, $250, includes 20 skate rentals and admissions, a party attendant, an hour in the party room plus four large CiCi’s pizzas and four pitchers of soda. The Olympic package, $400— great for older kids—includes private ice rental for an hour, broomball or open skate for 200 guests, 30 minutes in the party room before and after the party, a party attendant, four large pizzas and five pitchers of soda.

iFLY

www.iflyworld.com/dallas, 8380 TX-121, Frisco A birthday party your child will never forget—the fun and completely safe simulation of true freefall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel. Party packages include 24 flights or 12 doublelength flights to be shared by up to 12 people, 12 video clips of your flights to share on social media, a training session, hands on personal assistance from a flight instructor throughout your flights, iFLY flight suits, helmets and googles, and a personalized flight certificate for each flyer. Adventurous flyers get the chance to get a “wind boost” on their second rotation, and the instructor performs a cool demonstration at the end of each flight. Cost is $714 for up to twelve guests (flying only), or $1028.31 for flying

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package plus a decorated party room, three large one-topping pizzas, and unlimited soda. If you have a smaller party and don’t want to purchase a package, flights are $75.72/person.

Sci-Tech Discovery Center

www.mindstretchingfun.org, 8004 Dallas Parkway, Frisco This small science museum is packed with fun, hands-on activities, making it the perfect spot for a birthday party for preschool- and elementary-aged children with a sense of curiosity and mind for science. Choose a theme, a party room and a date and they’ll take care of the rest. Parties include 30 minutes of exploring the gallery of science-themed activities and 30 minutes of themed activities, followed by an hour for food, opening presents, socializing and exploring the museum further. Themes for ages 3-6 include “The Lorax,” where guests make a Truffala tree and slime; or “Bubble-ology.” Themes for ages 5-10 include “Blast Lab” where guests build and launch rockets, make film canister rockets with Alka-Seltzer, and create soda geysers; “Jungle Jamboree,” with model-making a glowing critter, making rubber putty, plus a snake craft and live guest; or “Gross Out,” with elephant toothpaste, a cow eyeball dissection demonstration and a snot-themed demonstration. Party themes for ages 7 and up include more complex science such as circuit science, crystals and chemical reactions. Table covers are included, but bring your own food, drinks, decorations and paper goods. Cost is $260/members or $285/non-members for 20 children and accompanying adults or $160/members or $175/ non-members for 12 children and accompanying adults.

Bliss Cupcakes

www.blisscupcakesallen.com, 190 E. Stacy Road, Allen (Village at Allen) Aspiring cake decorators will love this on-site party where guests decorate an apron, then get cake decorating tips from a pro before decorating their own cupcake. This one-and-a-halfhour party includes a dedicated confection decorator, 1 cupcake and piping bag of icing per guest with a variety of toppings and a choice of juice or milk. Add $2 per guest for ice cream in a waffle bowl. Burn off some energy afterwards at the nearby Village Depot play area where kids can explore the four playhouses, a red caboose and a Texas-shaped hedge maze. Cost is $15.99/guest

Joann Fabrics

www.joann.com/makeitaparty, 2050 West University, #250, McKinney Turn your child’s favorite theme into a crafting party. JoAnn staff will customize a two-hour party with the birthday child’s interests in mind, where each guest makes a craft and then decorates a treat with sprinkles and frosting. Parties include the room, instructor, craft and treat-decorating supplies, clean-up and invitations. You bring the treats to decorate, beverages/ snacks, paper goods, cake, etc. Cost is $125/up to 8 kids ($10/ additional guest).

pet page

“Eileen” Eileen is a 30-pound, 8-year-old Jack Russell/ terrier mix with beautiful brown and white markings. She gets along with all dogs, likes cats and she loves people! She is completely crate-trained and house-trained and she can be trusted in the house alone. She enjoys walks and is a laid back companion who loves to cuddle while you watch TV.

She is one of our “diamond dogs” and her $75 adoption fee covers her spay, microchip, rabies vaccination and heartworm test (negative). Eileen is looking for her forever family. Could that be you? To meet this darling girl, please complete an online application: http:// legacyhumanesociety.org/adoptfoster/ adoption-application/ v Allen Image | April 2016

education

LDI Teaches Leadership Inside and Outside of the Classroom by Kirk DICKEY

ollin College’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI) provides a structure for the hard work of becoming a leader. For the students who choose LDI classes, though, that work is rewarded with both greater knowledge of leadership principles and a deeper understanding of subjects at the core of modern education. A sister program to the Leadership Empowerment and Development (LEAD) program profiled in last month’s edition of Allen Image, LDI takes a subject-centered educational approach to leadership training. The classes offer a leadership development emphasis in core courses including government, history, psychology, speech communication and English.

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are

made just like anything

else, through hard work. Phot: Nick Young, Collin College.

—Vince Lombardi

Gonzalo Munoz Zivkovic

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Where LEAD takes the approach of drawing students in with fun extracurricular activities that offer opportunities for leadership education, LDI uses a mix of teaching methods, in-class exercises and extra-class assignments to bring the ideals of leadership to life. That is what happened for

Gonzalo Munoz Zivkovic. An immigrant from Chile, Munoz Zivkovic is pursuing an associate of arts degree and is considering permanent residence in the United States. In addition to being a core course for his degree, he thought the government class would be a good way to learn how the U.S. political system operates. Munoz Zivkovic said he realized after he got into the class that it was more than a collection of facts about the country’s government. “It had a special flavor from the start,” he said. “I was expecting more or less a classic government course. I was expecting ‘This is the Congress. This is how it’s made. This is the voting process,’ etcetera.” However, the leadership emphasis of the class provided for a more in-depth exploration of how people viewed the political process throughout history. Discussing the motivations of the major actors and going through their decision process allowed for a fuller understanding for him. “It helped you to realize the ‘why’ of some of these decisions, and it also helped you understand how your decisions should be focused through leadership,” he said. In addition to their normal government studies, Munoz Zivkovic and his fellow students examined case studies including the Apollo 13 disaster, a civil war battle, a Wall Street trading scandal and more from a book titled The Leadership Moment, by Michael Useem. By digging into the case studies, the students saw how good leadership can mean the difference between a tragedy and a triumph. Themes like problem solving, teamwork, decision-making and ethics were explored, and the students expanded on the research, ultimately presenting their findings to the rest of the class. LDI students are encouraged to take their studies beyond the classroom as well, including assignments to interview community leaders, attend Collin College Board of Trustees

meetings to see leadership in action and participate in the extracurricular activities offered through the LEAD program. LDI and LEAD complement each other, and students are encouraged to make the most of both. “Rather than having standard government class assignments, they have experiential learning and get to go out into the community,” LDI Director Dr. Debra St. John said. “We all know that some of the things that you learn outside of the classroom are

the most important things; the things that you hold on to.” Dr. St. John asks that her LDI students complete three extra-class assignments of the five options offered. These activities are reflected not only in the students’ grades, but also in a co-curricular transcript, which allows students to track their service hours and organizational involvement while attending Collin College. The transcripts are becoming popular tools to demonstrate

Allen Image | April 2016

Photos courtesy of Judi Wohead

community involvement in university and job applications. More than a notation on a transcript, however, the students are taking away experiences they might not otherwise have been exposed to. Students from Professor Judi Wohead’s Intro to Human Communication class worked with Habitat for Humanity of North Collin County to help build a home for one of

their fellow classmates. The idea came up early in the semester as Wohead was explaining the Service Learning aspect of her LDI class. Service Learning mixes aspects of instruction with service to the community, allowing students to live out ideals of leadership and teamwork. When one of Wohead’s students mentioned that she would be a recipient of a Habitat for Humanity

home, her classmates jumped at the chance to volunteer. “I know they are doing it for points in my class as a part of a project, but the ones who choose to do it are doing it because they understand that serving others makes you feel good,” Wohead said. “When you volunteer for others, you get more than you give. “That’s why I teach Service Learning in my classes, to give them an opportunity to do something like that.” Dr. St. John said that most students who sign up for the LDI classes understand that more will be required of them, but that they will also be rewarded with a deeper understanding of both the subject matter and what makes a good leader. Ultimately, the students benefit from LDI because they are learning a basis for being better citizens and better leaders, no matter what career path they follow. “Sometimes people do not realize that leadership is all around us and it’s in all things,” Dr. St. John said. “It can be in your church. It can be in your home. It can be in an organization. These skills are useful whether you are the head of a company or not. Everyone has something to bring and they can be a leader in the moment, because they offer a different perspective that no v one else has.” Kirk Dickey is a public relations writer with Collin College.

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MARKET PLACE

Allen Image | April 2016

outdoor spaces

Architecture in the Garden by Deborah DOVE

The Baker family added a pergola and outdoor kitchen to their patio last fall, which provides protection from rain while allowing sunlight in. With the advent of spring and warmer temperatures (but without the suffocating heat of late summer), families naturally gravitate toward the outdoors, spending more time entertaining, playing and relaxing in their backyard. With a little bit of time and careful planning, the backyard can become an extension of your house, a functional and pleasant addition to your living space thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connected with nature. But what if your backyard is nothing but a square slab of concrete and a patch of grass? There are numerous ways

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to enhance your outdoor living spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;planting trees; landscaping; creating, extending, revamping or upgrading a patio or deck; and adding potted plants, outdoor furniture, fireplaces or fire pits, yard art or water features. However, adding architectural interest in the form of an outdoor garden structure has one of the greatest impacts on transforming your outdoor space into something special. Landscape and garden structures such as arbors, pergolas, trellises and gazebos can be as unique and individual as the homeowner, and serve as points of

Photo: Rebekah Jane Photography

The Halls backyard design illustrates that pergolas don’t just have to be rectangular or lack architectural interest.

interest as well as functionality in the landscape. In addition to their aesthetic contribution, arbors can mark the passage from one outdoor space to another, pergolas can create shade over a patio, and gazebos serve as focal point of the garden. Best of all, all of these structures can support climbing vines and shrubs, if desired, softening the edges of the structure and adding a vertical dimension of colorful floral displays. The use of garden structures originated in the gardens of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia and China as early as 500 BC, and although they have changed a little, most still bear a resemblance to their predecessors. So what are garden structures? An arbor is a small structure with vines trained over latticework on a frame, providing a shady place. A true arbor includes a bench sheltered underneath for seating, which distinguishes it from a trellis (which is typically a latticework built to support climbing plants or vines that can be attached to the side of a building or freestanding). A pergola is similar to an arbor in that it is constructed of open slats that can support climbing plants, but pergolas usually have posts that support a roof-like structure such as over a patio. Gazebos are small ornamental structures or garden pavilions characterized by a roof and partially open sides, usually in the shape of an octagon or round. Some of the most beautiful yards in Allen incorporate one or more garden structures to make their backyard a place to relax, entertain and utilize their outdoor living space. Patrick and Iliana Hall, who live in Star Creek, used several pergolas to delineate their patio and create a series of separate outdoor niches with three sitting areas—one covered area with furniture for sitting and relaxing, a bar, and a reading and coffee nook by the doors. Another covered area marks the couple’s outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill, refrigerator and pendant lighting. They also added fans to keep the space cool during Allen’s long hot summers. “We wanted to extend the indoor area outside with more room to enjoy and Allen Image | April 2016

Photo: Rebekah Jane Photography

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entertain,” says Iliana. “We love the extra area to spend time with family (the couple has two teenage twins), cooking outside and relaxing.” The Halls backyard design illustrates that pergolas don’t just have to be rectangular or lack architectural interest. With the help of their vendor, Bobcat Custom Outdoor, they created an original design for the outdoor kitchen in a half moon shape to avoid blocking the sunlight in the family room. “It works great!” says Hall. The Baker family, who moved into their Lexington neighborhood home a year ago and added a pergola and outdoor kitchen to their patio last fall, had the same concerns about blocking light. Afraid that a fully-covered patio would darken the living area at the back of their house that looks out onto their beautifully landscaped yard with a pool and golf course view, they opted for pergolas to cover their outdoor patio and kitchen area. However, when the first big rainstorm blew through, they realized their as-yet-to-be-purchased outdoor furniture would be regularly soaked and their ability to enjoy their patio to the fullest extent would be limited by the open slat design of their pergolas. Luckily, their designer had the perfect solution— Polygal—multiwalled sheets of plastic that are manufactured in various colors and degrees of transparency, and provide protection from rain while allowing sunlight in. Best of all, Polygal is subtle enough that it doesn’t detract from the aesthetic appearance of the pergola, and in the popular bronze tint, can

also keep the temperatures under the covered pergola cooler. Like the Halls, Ken and Jill Baker used two pergolas of varying size to add architectural interest and leave room for light, constructing a taller pergola over the outdoor kitchen area and a slightly shorter one that doesn’t come out as far over the back door area. They added wooden ceiling fans with a slightly whimsical touch—wooden blades that look like leaves—which blend seamlessly into the wood-covered space and help keep guests cool. The family of six can’t wait to fully enjoy their new extended living space this spring and summer. Architectural interest in the form of garden structures doesn’t have to be big. A small arbor with a built-in garden seat or covering a porch swing can create a huge impact with a minimal investment. It can also provide an unequaled focal point in your yard as well as a favorite place to sit, enjoy coffee or a glass of wine or read. Similarly, a simple wood trellis can shield less than desirable views, create a separation for garden spaces or simply provide a vertical space for flowers and vines to add interest. Whether you go big or small, a garden structure can be just what you need to transform your back yard from humdrum to spectacular. v Deborah Dove is a freelance writer from Allen.

Allen Image | April 2016

travel

Beaver’s Bend—A Little Slice of Heaven in Southeast Oklahoma What’s your favorite place on Earth—the vacation venue you always return to or that place you escape to when you need a respite from life? For me, it’s Beaver’s Bend State Park in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. While it may lack the crystal blue waters and white beaches of a Caribbean getaway, the history of Europe, the nonstop entertainment of Disney World or the energy of a bustling city, it’s a little slice of paradise just a three-hour drive from Allen with a crystal clear, spring-fed lake, 100-foot pine trees and plenty to do against the backdrop of the gorgeous Kiamichi Mountains. Although there isn’t really a bad time to visit Beaver ’s Bend (with the notable exception of January and February, when everything closes down for the season and you run the risk of getting snowed in), spring and early summer in southeast Oklahoma is magnificent. The weather is perfect for the many outdoor activities offered within the state park and the surrounding area— horseback riding, canoeing, hiking, boating, fishing and swimming. And the evenings are cool enough to take advantage of making s’mores around a campfire and gazing at more stars than you can imagine.

Where to Stay

While you can reserve a tent, RV campsite or a basic cabin within the park, I like to stay in one of the many luxurious log cabins available for rent in the neighboring areas near the state park. Most are completely constructed of pine (including much of the furniture), fully furnished with all of the comforts of home (and oftentimes more), and most also offer hot tubs, an outdoor fire ring, and sometimes other amenities such as a pool table. Although there are many neighborhoods where you can rent a cabin, you can’t go wrong with Southern Hills, a subdivision located off Highway 259 just outside the state park. Good leasing companies to use in finding your perfect cabin getaway include Beavers Bend Getaways, Beavers Bend Creative Escapes, Five Star Cabins and Beaver’s Bend Lodging, although there are plenty more.

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Beaver’s Bend State Park

Beaver’s Bend State Park is the main attraction with fun outdoor activities for every age and skill level. Take in the scenery on one of five hiking trails that cover twelve miles and range in both skill level and length, with the shortest being one mile and the longest five miles. Our favorite is the Cedar Bluff Nature Trail, an easy one-mile loop through the woods with several switchbacks and climbs that culminates in a breathtaking view from the top of a bluff of the beautiful river below dotted with canoes. There’s also a small Nature Center located within the park with a small collection of animals and free daily activities and programs. At the Beaver’s Bend Depot and Stables, you can take a fifteen-minute ride on a one-third size replica of the C. P. Huntington S.P. train build in 1863 that winds throughout the natural forest area. Then saddle up for a one-hour trail ride through two-and-a-half miles of scenic terrain where, if you’re lucky, you might spot a few deer. Children ages three and four can double ride with a parent, and hayrides are also available on Saturdays. March through October, you can float twoand-a-half miles down the crystal clear river in a canoe or kayak with Beavers Bend River Floats, also located inside the park. The easy trip takes about an hour (although you can mosey along for up to two if you

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would like) and offers amazing views of the mountains on one side and the woods on the other. Bring along your fishing gear to fish the Mountain Fork River (the river is typically stocked with trout in February and March, increasing your odds of success), swim in the clean, clear water of the swimming area within the park or rent a paddleboat, kayak or stand-up paddleboard for an hour and explore at your own pace.

Other Activities Although there’s more than enough to keep most families busy within the park, there’s so much more to explore in Broken Bow. Girls Gone Wine is a fun local winery where you can taste and purchase unique wines, socialize on the patio, make your own

wine with your personalized label or shop the gift shop. Broken Bow also boasts one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the nation; you can see six feet down to your toes in Broken Bow Lake’s crystal clear water. If you don’t have your own boat, you can rent a boat or jet-ski from the Beaver’s Bend Marina and enjoy some of the state’s best fishing, swimming or tubing. There are also hundreds of caches to find in Beaver’s Bend if you enjoy geocaching. Just log

on to https://www.geocaching.com/ play to find them. If you’re looking for an amazing horseback riding experience beyond a simple trail ride, Riverman Trail Rides and Stables offers two-hour trail rides by reservation that provide a lot of bang for your buck. It is well worth the $40 cost per ride. They also offer rappelling for visitors ages sixteen and older. In the fall, the fifty-four-mile Talimena National Scenic Byway just one hour north of Broken Bow, draws visitors looking for fall foliage with a drive filled with winding roads and breathtaking scenic vistas.

Dining

While you can save money by cooking at your home away from home, be it tent or cabin, there are several good restaurants in Broken Bow. Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Tap Room offers yummy hand-tossed pizza in a rustic environment with a giant fireplace on the outdoor patio, while Abendigo’s Grill & Patio is the choice for upscale American cuisine. The WhipPoorWill Resort and Fudge Shop provides the perfect treat in the form of thick slabs of homemade fudge. And for my family, no trip to Broken Bow is complete without eating catfish on the outdoor deck of the Beavers Bend Restaurant located within the park overlooking the banks of the Mountain Fork River. For more information, visit www. beaversbend.com. v Deborah Dove is a freelance writer from Allen.

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calendar

april CITY OF ALLEN Allen Event Center Tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster (www. ticketmaster.com), charge by phone at 800.745.3000 or at the Allen Event Center box office. For more information, visit www. alleneventcenter.com. 6 Allen Americans vs Evansville IceMen 8 Allen Americans vs Evansville IceMen 9 Allen Americans vs Evansville IceMen 15 Revolution vs San Angelo 29 Revolution vs Albuquerque

ALLEN PUBLIC LIBRARY Youth Services Weekly story times are held in the Children’s Program Room. All story times are free and no registration is required to attend. Note: The last day of spring story times is Thursday, April 21. Story times will resume on Monday, June 13. For more information, call 214.509.4906. Baby and Me—For pre-walkers with a caregiver, Thur., 10:15 am. Fun Ones & Twos—For 1 & 2 year-olds with a caregiver, Mon. & Tue., 10:15 am Together Time—For 3-5 year-olds with a caregiver. Mon., Tue. & Thur., 11:15 am; Wed., 10:15 am

All By Myself—For 4-5 year-olds without a caregiver. Wed., 11:15 am Pajama Story Time—For 3-5 year-olds & family. Tue. & Thur., 6:30 pm (Note the new start time!) For more information about any of the events below, call 214.509.4906. All events are free and no pre-registration is required to attend. 9 Family Lego Fun Day, 10:30-11:30 am, ages 5+ with their families. Bring your parents and create with Legos at the library! Caregivers must stay with children under age 9. 11 American Girl Club, 4-5 p.m., ages 7-12. Celebrate your favorite American Girl with crafts, snacks and more! 14 Teen Anime Evening, 6:30-8 p.m., 2nd Floor Program Room, ages 12-18. Join us as we watch anime, eat Japanese snacks and have fun! 17 Crafternoon, 2:30-4 p.m., ages 3+ with an adult. Create your own ar tistic masterpieces during this come-and-go program. Caregivers must stay with children under age 9. 25 Teen Study Night, 5-7 p.m., ages 12-18. Bring your study stuff and friends, we’ll provide the snacks. 28 Mother’s Day Story Time, 10:30-11:30 a.m., all ages. Enjoy a special story time and craft in celebration of Mother’s Day. Caregivers must stay with children under age 9.

29 Geek TV, 4:30-5:30 p.m., 2nd floor Adult Program Room, ages 12-18. Explore popular TV cult classics of the nerdy kind.

ADULTS Adult services programs are held in the 2nd Floor Program Room unless otherwise indicated. All events are free, and there is no registration unless noted. Please call 214.509.4905 or 214.509.4913. 6 Noontime Pageturners—All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, noon. Bring a lunch and a friend and join us for a lively discussion! We offer a relaxed environment where you can share the joy of reading. 13 Twisted Threads—A Fiber Craft Circle, 6:30 p.m. Twisted Threads is a social group for knitters, crocheters, felters, quilters, and any other crafters who use thread or yarn! All skill levels are welcome! So, bring your latest project and work on it in the company of other fiber crafters. 14 Discover a Healthier You—Mindful Eating, 1 p.m. Presented by Carrie Brazeal. Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally. In this session on Mindful Eating, we’ll learn benefits of eating with mindful awareness. We’ll also practice paying mindful attention to eating. 16 Earth-Kind Horticulture, 1 p.m. 1st Floor Meeting Room and Library Cour tyard. Diane Sharp, Collin County Master Gardener. You will learn how to use research-proven techniques to provide

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maximum garden and landscape enjoyment while protecting the environment. This program star ts in the meeting room for the presentation and finishes in the Ear thKind demonstration garden in the Library’s courtyard. Let’s Talk Dewey: Planet Earth, 7 p.m. Nonfiction readers! Join us for our chooseyour-own-nonfiction book club. We pick the topic—you pick the book! For April, read any book about planet Ear th (the environment, disasters, geology, etc.), which can be found in the nonfiction section under 333.7, 363.5, 363.7 or 550s. You’re welcome to join the discussion even if you haven’t had a chance to read a book. 20 DIY@APL—Folded Scrapbooks, 10 a.m. Create a mini accordion scrapbook. All supplies will be provided. 20 Ladies Night Out Book Club, 7 p.m. Come join us in a discussion of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Ages 18+ 23 ADHD and Your Child, 2:30 p.m. An overview of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and how parents can obtain additional assistance for their child in public school. Will also include a definition of the types of ADHD and suggestions for helping the child learn new and appropriate behaviors. Ages 18+.

CLUBS 2ChangeU Toastmasters, meets every Tuesday, 7 pm, Plano Family YMCA, 3300 McDermott Rd., Plano. Visitors welcome. For more info: www.2changeu.org. Allen Area Patriots, meets the second and fourth Thursday each month, 7-8:45 pm, Failth Fellowship Church, 415 West Lucas Road, Lucas. Local Tea Par ty presents speakers, encouraging citizens to par ticipate in the political process. For more info: www.AllenAreaPatriots.com. Allen Garden Club, meets the first Thursday each month, 7 pm, gardening talks by area experts, Allen Heritage Center, 100 E. Main. For more info: Denise Webre, 972.390.8536 or www.allengardenclub.org. Allen Heritage Guild, meets first Wednesday every month, 6:30 pm, Allen Heritage Center, 100 E. Main. For more info: 972.740.8017 or www. allenheritageguild.org. Allen Retired Educators, meet the third Monday each month, 10:30 am, Heritage Ranch Country Club, 465 Scenic Ranch Circle, Fairview. RSVP: Sondra Long, billysondralong@tx.rr.com. Allen Toastmasters’ Club, meets every Monday, 6:30 pm, Train Depot, 100 E. Main, Allen. Guests welcome. For more info: Joe Nave at 214.566.3100.

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Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Live networking breakfast, meets every Tuesday, 7:30 am, 5th Street Pizza, 111 Central Expwy., #102, (Inside Stacy Furniture). $1 member/$10 non-members 1st visit free. For more info: 972.727.5585. Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon, meets fourth Tuesday each month, 11:30 am-1 pm. $20member/$25 guest. For more info: www.allenfairviewchamber.com. American Association of University Women-Plano/Collin County Branch, meets second Monday each month, 6:45 pm, 2nd Floor Conservatory, Senior Living Center, 6401 Ohio Dr., Plano. Open to anyone with assoc. or bachelors degree interested in helping women. For more info: Carol, 972.862.3460. Art History Brown Bag Series, meets first Wednesday each month, 12:30-1:30 pm, Heard-Craig Carriage House, 205 W. Hunt St., McKinney. Lectures presented by Annie Royer. Bring lunch. For more info: 972.569.6909 or www.heardcraig. org. Bible Study, meets every Thursday, 9:30-11:30 am, Community Nor th Baptist Church, 2500 Community Avenue, McKinney. Bible study for women and children. Studying Luke. Reg. required. For more info: katpf@att.nett or mckinneyallen. cbsclass.org. Collin County Aggie Moms, meets the third Monday each month Sept-May, 7 pm, Texas A&M Ext. Center, 17360 Coit between Frankford & Campbell. For more info: 972.382.3124 or www. collincountymoms.aggienetwork.com. Collin County Archaeology Society, meets second Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Texas Star Bank, McKinney. For more info: archaeology@netzero.net. Collin County Genealogical Society, meets the second Wednesday each month, 7 pm, Haggard Library, 2501 Coit Rd, Plano. For more info: ccgs.programs@gmail.com. Collin County Libertarian Party meets every second Wednesday, most often at 5th Street Pizza, 111 Central Expwy., Allen. For more info: collinlp.org or email collinlp.org@ gmail.com. Collin County Master Gardeners guided tour of Myers Park, meets the first Wednesday of every month, 10 am, 7117 County Rd. 166, McKinney. Reervations req. For more info: 972.548.4232 or mgcollin@ag. tamu.edu.\ Collin County Republican Men’s Club, meets the third Thursday each month, 7 pm, locations vary. For more info: www.ccrmc.org. Dallas Dog Lovers, events for dogs and their owners in the Dallas area. For more info: www.dallasdoglovers.com Department 56 Village Collectors Club second Saturday every month, in the Plano/ Nor th Dallas area to share ideas. For more info: www.bigd56ers.com.

Ericsson Village Toastmasters Club, meets every Monday, 12-1 pm, Ericsson, 6300 Legacy, Plano. Guests welcome. For more info: Per Treven, 972.583.8273 or per. treven@ericsson.com. First Nighter African Violet Society, meets third Monday each month, 7 pm, Stacy Road Pet Hospital, 451 Stacy Road, Fairview. Promotes widespread interest in African violets and study of growth habits. For more info: 972.398.3478. Greater Collin County Kennel Club, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 7 pm, Joe Farmer Rec Ctr, 1201 E. Bethany, Allen. For more info: www.greatercollinkc.org. Legacy 4-H Club (Allen and Lucas), meets first and third Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Lovejoy High School, Lucas. For more info: kathrin_esposito@asus.com or 214.616.2460. Live @ 5 Business After Hours, meets the third Thursday each month, 5-6:30 pm at various member businesses. Free. For more info: www.allenfairviewchamber.com. Lone Star Parliamentary Unit, meets 2nd Monday of each month September thru May 10:30 am, Allen Public Library. Promotes parliamentary education. For more info: 972.727.3090, Mae Shaw, President. Lovejoy Preschool PTA. Monthly meetings at Creekwood UMC, the second Thursday of each month, 261 Country Club Rd, Fairview. Different topic & speakers each month. Lunch provided free; babysitting available for nominal fee. For more info: www.lovejoypa.org, meetup.com/ Lovejoy-Preschool-PTA/. McKinney Amateur Radio Club, meets the second Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Spring Creek Bar B Que 1993 North Central Expressway, McKinney. For more information: 972.814.4190. McKinney Area Newcomersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club, meets the third Tuesday each month, 9:30 am, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 5871 W. Virginia Pkwy., McKinney. For more info: www.mckinneynewcomers.com. McKinney Area Republican Co-Ed Club, meets second Thursday each month, 7 pm, Collin County GOP Headquar ters, 8416 Stacey Rd., #100, McKinney. Location varies. For more info: collincountyconservativerepublicans. com. Moms in Prayer, join worldwide prayer movementâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;bringing mothers together and seeing God change children and schools through prayer. For more info: MomsInPrayer.org or Amy Guthrie at amyguthrie@verizon.net. NARFE Chapter 559, meets third Monday each month, 2 pm at Golden Corral, 475 S. Central Expressway (75 & Virginia Pkwy), McKinney. All current government employees and retirees invited.

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Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano, meets the second Tuesday each month, 9:30 am, SMU in Plano, 5236 Tennyson Pkwy., Plano. Program—Michael Hamilton, decorator of the Dallas Arboretum Degolyer House for 12 years, will share exper tise on transitioning home decor into spring.. Guests welcome. For more info: www.newcomerfriends.org. North Dallas Newcomers, meets the first Thursday each month, 11 am, various country clubs. For more info: www.northdallasnewcomers.net. Open Forum, meaningful discussions, meets the first Saturday every month, 3 pm, Delaney’s Pub, 6150 W. Eldorado Pkwy., McKinney. For more info: Charlie, 214.585.0004. Plano Amateur Radio Klub, meets the third Monday of every month, 7 pm, FUMC of Plano, 3160 East Spring Creek Pkwy., Plano, all welcome. For more info: www.K5PRK.net. Plano Photography Club, meets the third Thursday of every month, 7 pm, W. Plano Presbyterian Church, 2709 Custer Road, Plano. Visitors welcome. For more info: www.planophotographyclub.com. Plano Republican Women’s Club, meets 3rd Tuesday each month, 11:30 am, Southfork Hotel, 1600 N. Central Expy., Plano. For more info: www.planorepublicanwomen.com. Preston Persuaders Toastmasters, meets every Monday, 7:15 pm, Champions School of Real Estate in the Rangers Room at 3721 Mapleshade Ln, Plano. For more info: Ed Meissner, 469.323.0538 or Todd Richardson, 214.497.4495 or www. prestonpersuaders.org. Random Events Dallas, laid back, fun, diverse social group with meetups throughout Dallas area. For more info: RandomEventsDallas.com. Reasonable Faith Discussion Group. This group studies current issues on how the culture challenges Christianity. Meets every Tuesday, 11am-12:30 pm, Cottonwood Creek Church Rm B1116. For more info: www.RFCCTX.org and email: ReasonableFaithCollinCO@gmail.com. Reasonable Faith Collin County Chapter. Local and national teachers, authors and speakers who address current topics about building an evidence-based case for Christian worldview. Meets 2nd and 4th Thursday, 6:458:30 pm, Cottonwood Creek Church Rm B202. For more info: www.RFCCTX.org and email: ReasonableFaithCollinCO@gmail.com Single Side Up, meets the third Saturday each month, 7 pm, This Side Up Family Center, 1100 Capital Ave., Plano. Single parent support group. Free. Low cost childcare. For more info: www.singlesideup.org or info@ thissideupfamily.org. The MOB (Men of Business), meets second Monday each month, 11:30 am-1 pm, TopGolf USA, Allen, for male bonding and networking. $20 chamber mem; $25 non-mems/general public. For more info: www.allenfairviewchamber.com.

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Toastmasters SpeakUp Allen, meets every Wednesday, “Become the Speaker and Leader you can be,” 7 pm, IHOP, 315 Central Expy, Allen. For more info: Bill Peterson, 972.523.9425. United Methodist Women’s Reading Group, meets the first Sunday each month, 2 pm, FUMC, 601 S. Greenville. Join us for book discussion & refreshments. Book selections determined at January meeting. We encourage women of all faiths to par ticipate. For more info: http://www.fumcallen.org. Volunteer Master Gardeners offer landscaping & gardening advice, every Tuesday and Thursday, 9 am-4 pm. Texas A&M’s Co-op Extension, 825 N. McDonald #150, McKinney. For more info: 972.548.4232 or 972.424.1460. Voyagers Social Club of McKinney, meets the fourth Thursday each month, 10 am, Heard-Craig Hall Gallery, 306 N. Church St., McKinney. Social club open to women in McKinney and surrounding areas. For more info: voyagersofmckinney@gmail.com. W.I.S.E. (Women in Suppor t of Enterprise), meets second Thursday each month, 11:30 am. Location varies. Networking and discussion of women’s issues. Fun & informative meeting for women in Allen & surrounding areas. $20 member/$25 guest. For more info: www.allenfairviewchamber.com.

ART/MUSIC/THEATRE Allen Folk Music Society, meets third Saturday every month, 7-10 pm, The Blue House, 102 S. Allen Dr. Musicians ages 15-100. Bring snacks to share. For more info: www.twiceasfar.com. Allen Symphony Chorus rehearsals, every Monday, 7-9 pm, choir room at First UMC. For more info: Henry@ WealthManagementGroupLLC.com Sweet Adelines, NoteAbly North Texas Chorus, meets every Thursday, 7 pm, Blue House Too (blue & white stripe awning) 934 Market St., Allen. Guests always welcome at our rehearsals! Women of Allen & surrounding area invited. For more info: nntchorus@hotmail.com or www. nntchorus.org.

HEALTH Allen AA meets every Monday-Sunday, 601 S. Greenville. Mon.-Fri., 7 pm; Sat., 9 am; Sun., 7:30 pm. For more info: Joe, 214.564.9403 & Tina, 214.566.7561. Allen-Frisco-Plano Autism Spectrum Parents Group meets the third Tuesday each month, provides suppor t & resources for parents of children with autism & related developmental disabilities. Join online group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ autismparentsuppor t. Allen Serenity Al-Anon Family Group, meets every Tuesday and Thursday, 7 pm, 1st UMC, Wesley House, 601 S. Greenville. For friends & family of alcoholics. For more info: 214.363.0461 or www.al-anon.alateen. org. American Cancer Society Road to Recovery needs volunteers to drive cancer patients to appts. If you have a car and have time 9 am-5 pm, you can help. For more info: Debbie Moen, 972.712.5711. Baylor Health Care System support groups, medical information and events. For more info: www.BaylorHealth.com. Breast Cancer Support Group for patients, family & friends, meets the third Monday of every month, noon, N. Central Medical Center, 4500 Medical Center Dr., McKinney. For more info: Kelly Finley Brown, 972.540.4984. Cancer Support Ministry, meets third Thursday each month, 7 pm, 1st Baptist Church Allen, 201 E. McDermott, Rm E101. For more info: James Craver, 972.727.8241. Collin County ADD/LD Parent Support Group, meets the second Tuesday each month, 7-9 pm, parlor, 1st UMC, 601 S. Greenville Ave., Allen. For more info: Shirli Salter, sscaroline@aol.com. Heart Link Women’s Networking group, women only business networking. Monthly meetings—days and locations vary. For more info: www.75013.theheartlinknetwork. com. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, meets every Tuesday, 6:15-8 pm, Good Shepherd UMC, 750 W. Lucas Road, Lucas. For more info: 1.800.YEA.TOPS or www.tops.org. Texas Health Presbyterian, variety of events. For more info: www.texashealth.org.

CRAFTS Allen Quilters’ Guild, meets the third Thursday each month, 7 pm, 1st Presbyterian Church, 605 S Greenville. For more info: www.allenquilters.org. Common Threads of Allen, meets the first and third Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Whole Foods Market Café, Stacy Rd. Share needlework projects, learn techniques, make friends. For more info: contact Debi Maige at 214.704.0994 or debik@verizon.net.

The Shores AA Group, meets every Monday-Friday, noon, Raceway Prof. Bldg., 200 W. Boyd, Suite C (Adjacent to Dayrise Recovery), Allen. Open AA discussion group. Everyone welcome. For more info: 469.854.9593. Weight Watchers, meets every Thursday, 12:15 and 6 pm, 1st United Methodist Church, 600 S. Greenville Ave., Allen. Enter south entrance, 2nd floor.

HOBBIES SPORTS/FITNESS

Allen Classic Cars, meets every Thursday, 7-10 pm, 103-111 N. Central, parking lot of Stacy Furniture. Fit and Funky Fit Club, meets every Monday, 7:30 pm, and every Sunday, 7 pm, Unlimited Success Mar tial Ar ts, 604 W. Bethany #208, Allen. Work out to p90x, Insanity, etc. Free. For more info: fitandfunky@att.net. Infinity Personal Fitness Charity Workout, meets every other Saturday at 9 am, 1201 W. McDermott, Suite 106, Allen. Minimum donation $5. All proceeds donated to local charities. For more info: email cattaneo.ray@gmail.com. McKinney Chess Club, meets every Saturday, 10:30 am-1:30 pm, McKinney Public Library, 101 E Hunt St. Free. And every Friday, 2-5 pm, Senior Center, 1400 South College Street, McKinney. Adults 50+(Free). For more info: 972.547.7491. McKinney Chess on the Square, meets every Wednesday, 4-7 pm, Downtown McKinney Performing Ar ts Center. Open play & lessons. For more info, 214.620.0527 or mckinneychess. org. Plano Bicycle Association, club rides, social activities, monthly meetings, newsletters. For more info: Chris Mathews, 972.964.2869 or www.planobicycle.org. Plano Pacers run at Schimelpfenig Library parking lot, second Tuesday each month, 5024 Custer, Plano, 7 pm., and at Bob Woodruff Park on San Gabriel Rd., Plano, the last Saturday every month, 8 am. For more info: Bob Wilmot, 972.678.2244, or www.planopacers.org.

MOM’S CLUBS Allen Early Childhood PTA, support for parents & caregivers of kids age 0-5. Fun activities. Play groups, park days, lunch w/friends, field trips, Mom’s Night Out, Dads & Kids, etc. Come play with us. For more info: www.aecpta.com or information@ aecpta.com. Allen/McKinney Area Mothers of Multiples, new & expectant moms’ forum, meets the third Thursday each month, 7 pm, First Christian Church, 1800 W. Hunt, McKinney. For more info: www.amamom.org or 972.260.9330. Collin County Early Childhood PTA, meets the second Monday of every month, 9:45 am, Parkway Hills Baptist Church, 2700 Dallas Pkwy., Plano. Nursery reservations required. For more info: Suzanne Judkins, 972.712.3634. MOMS Club of Allen, for moms and children in Allen, Fairview and Lucas. Monthly playgroups, kid field trips, business tours, special events, Mom’s Night Out & more. For more info: momsclubofallentx@gmail.com.

Allen Image | April 2016

MOMS Club McKinney Central, support group for stay-at-home moms. Play groups, daytime activities, Mom’s Night Out, parties, babysitting co-op, etc. Monthly bus. meeting. For more info: MckinneyMoms@yahoo.com. MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), support group for moms with kids 0-5 years, meets every other Friday, 9:30-11:45 am, First Baptist Church, Allen. Childcare is provided. For more info: 972.727.8241. MOPS of Hope Plano, Hope Community Church, meets the first and third Wednesday of every month, 9:30-11:30, 3405 Custer, #200, Plano. For more info: 214.762.0037.

mUSEUMS/preserves allen heritage guild museum

Open 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 10 am-2 pm, 100 E. Main Street, Allen. We have permanent and rotating exhibits, historic photo collages and DVD programs on Allen history. Programs feature guest speakers of historical significance. For more info: www.allenheritageguild.org.

Connemara Meadow Preserve Bird Walk at the Connemara Meadow Preserve, monthly alternating between the first Saturday and the First Sunday, 8-10 am, Allen. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them; learn what to watch for in habits, characteristics and calls from Gailon and Rodney, with Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society. All ages welcome. We recommend wearing long pants, closed-toed shoes, sunscreen and insect repellent. For more info: www.connemaraconservancy.org.

HEARD MUSEUM 2nd Saturday Bird Walk Educational Program, 8 a.m. Learn more about birding! These walks are intended to help beginning and intermediate birders with bird spotting and identification techniques.

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3rd Saturday Nature Talks: Nature Journaling. Learn new ways to experience nature through nature journaling! An intro to journaling techniques through hands-on activities designed for individuals with no journaling or ar tistic experience; those with journaling experience welcome as well. If weather cooperates, this talk will also include an outdoor component. Heard Museum Collin County Hobby Beekeepers, meets second Monday each month, 7 pm, Heard Craig Center, McKinney. For more info: 972.562.5566 or www. northtexasbeekeepers.org. Heard Museum Native Plant Society, meets the first Tuesday each month, 7:30 pm, One Nature Place, McKinney. For more info: 972.562.5566. Heard Museum Nature Photography Club, meets the second Saturday every month, 1:30 pm, Heard Museum, 1 Nature Place, McKinney. For more info: 972.562.5566. Blackland Prairie Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, meets the second Tuesday each month, 7-9 pm, Heard Museum, 1 Nature Place, McKinney. Visitors welcome. For more info: www.bptmn.org or email info@bptmn. org. Heard Museum Prairie & Timbers Audubon Society, meets the four th Tuesday each month, 7 pm, 1 Nature Place, McKinney. For more info: 972.562.5566.

SENIORS Allen Senior Citizens Luncheon, meets second Tuesday each month, 11:30 am, St. Jude Catholic Church, 1515 N. Greenville. For more info: 214.509.4820.

Allen Seniors Genealogy Club, meets fourth Monday each month, 1 pm, Allen Seniors Center. Must be a member of ASRC. For more info: www.asgconline.com or Richard Henry, 972.390.7402. Allen Senior Rec Center Dances, meets every Friday, 1-3 pm. Ages 50+. Members free/ Non-members, Allen residents $3. For more info: 214.509.4820. Classic 55+ Game Night, first and third Friday each month, 6:30 pm, 1st Baptist Church Allen, 201 E. McDermott, Rm E104. Snacks, fellowship & games. Open to community, no res. required. For more info: 972.727.8241 or Eddie Huckabee at huckgolf@hotmail.com. Singles Mingle 60+, meets the first and third Monday each month, 5:30 pm, Delaney’s Irish Pub, 6150 Eldorado Pkwy., McKinney. Single men & women 60+ in McKinney and surrounding areas who are active and enjoy meeting new people. For more info: Bill, 214.544.5835. Xtra Years of Zest Seniors Luncheon, meets the third Thursday each month, noon, First UMC Allen, 601 S. Greenville, Fellowship Hall. Lunch, fellowship, speakers & entertainers. For more info: griflkl@sbcglobal.net.

SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS Allen High Noon Lions Club, meets the second and four th Thursday each month, 5th Street Pizza (inside Stacy Furniture), 111 Central Expwy. S. For more info: Peter Young, 972.849.4952. Allen Kiwanis Club, meets every Thursday, noon, Café Del Rio, on 75 just south of McDermott. Visitors welcome. For more info: www.allenkiwanis.org.

Allen Lions Club, meets the first and third Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Kelly’s at the Village, 190 E. Stacy Rd., #1204, Allen. For more info: Bob Schwerd, Secretary, 214.402.0982. Allen Rotary Club meets every Wednesday, noon, Courtyard by Marriot, 210 E. Stacy Rd. For more info: www.allenrotary.org. Allen Sunrise Rotary Club, meets every Wednesday, 7 am, Savour Tasting Room & Social Club, 968 Village Green Dr., Allen. For more info: 972.673.8221 or www. allensunriserotary.com/ Daughters of the American Revolution, NSDAR, The General Bernardo de Galvez Chapter, meets third Tuesday each month. For more info:txshawm@sbcglobal.net. Knights of Columbus, meets the third Thursday each month, 7:30 pm, St. Jude Catholic Church, 1515 N. Greenville, Allen. For more info: Steve Nagy, 469.569.3357 or www. stjudekofc.org. Sons of Confederate Veterans, William H. L. Wells Camp, No. 1588, meets the second Monday each month, 7 pm, Tino’s Too Restaurant, 2205 Ave. K, Plano. Speakers, programs, etc. Open to anyone interested. For more info: Lloyd Campbell, 972.442.5982. VFW “Lone Star Post 2150,” meets the second Monday each month, 1710 N. Church St, McKinney. Post Members, 6:30 pm; Ladies Auxiliary, 5:45 pm; Men’s Auxiliary, 6:30 pm. For more info: 972.542.9119, gmlsp2150@gmail. com or visit on web: www.vfwpost2150.org. VFW “Lone Star Post 2150” Motorcycle Group 33, meets first Saturday every month, 10 am, 1710 N. Church St., McKinney. For more info: “Driveway John” 971.822.4483, gmlsp2150@gmail.com or visit www.vfwpost2150. org. VFW Post 2195, meets second Wednesday each month, 7:30 pm, Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church, 1015 Hwy. 121, Allen. For more info: Larry Nordgaard, 972.727.9956 or www.vfw2195.org. Vrooman’s Regiment, Children of the American Revolution, teaches children to serve their community, meets the second Saturday every month. For more info: 972.396.8010.

Please keep us informed of any local activities or events of general interest to our readers by fax to the Allen Image at 972.396.0807 or email to contact@ allenimage.com.

Allen Image | April 2016

For Your Health

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For Your Health

Allen Image | April 2016

by Peggy Helmick-RICHARDSON

Dr. Jeff Burchard

cover story

Would you swap a vacation at Disneyworld to escort high school students to impoverished orphanages or a Caribbean cruise for a

Dr. Jeff Burchard

hammock in an open-air boat?

Although he had taken weekend medical missionary jaunts to Mexico, serving as a parent Would you trade luxury escort for a week-long student trek to Uganda raised the bar significantly for Dr. Jeff Burchard. He for sweat and hard labor to has now traveled twice to this equatorial African with Prestonwood Christian Academy teens make a difference in the world? nation and looks forward to returning. Growing up in Midland, Dr. Burchard graduated from Texas A&M and then the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio. A residency with the Family Medicine Residency Program in Waco followed. While in school, he participated in missionary trips to Mexico through the Baptist Student Union and Christian Medical and Dental Society. Attributing his move to Allen as “a God thing,” Dr. Burchard learned about the community from his childhood best friend, dentist Dr. Shannon Stokes. Deciding to take a look around the area as well, he found that Family Health Care Associates had a position available in its Allen office. After visiting with Dr. Michael Kellum and receiving recommendations from other respected professionals, Dr. Burchard was sold on both Dr. Kellum and Allen. Persuading his wife Janna to move to a metropolitan area took a little more work. “My wife really didn’t want to come to the Dallas area, but I felt like this was where we were supposed to be,” he explains. “She gave me a couple of years to convince her and then we came down here.” The Burchard family settled in Allen in 1999 and began to grow. Ten years later they moved to Carrollton to be closer to Prestonwood Christian Academy, their boys’ school. The Burchard’s four sons are Grayson, now 20 and a business major at Texas A&M; Cayden, 16; Colson, 14; and Holden, 12. The Burchard family’s active involvement with the school is how the mission trips to Uganda began. “The week before spring break, our school has what is called a minimester where every kid in ninth through twelfth grade is encouraged to do mission work somewhere,” Dr. Burchard explains. “And one year they have to go somewhere international, so we have hundreds of kids around the world.” These students are offered many options including Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, London/Paris and Uganda. Allen Image | April 2016

Dr. Burchard’s two trips to Uganda were his two older sons’ mission choice. On the first visit, the primary effort was providing eyeglasses for those in need. “We took 6,000 pairs of glasses with us!” he recalls. His 2015 trek to this African nation was more of an “evangelical or village ministry kind of trip.” Prestonwood’s service to this land-locked eastern African nation is hosted through the Collin Countybased non-profit organization, Engage Hope, for which Dr. Burchard serves as a board member. The adventure involves 20 to 30 students along with adult sponsors. “This is a ministry that has an association with several schools where we sponsor kids,” he points out. On his second tour, Dr. Burchard was especially excited to be working with Babi Kasadha Emmanuel (or Emma). This Ugandan physician, pastor and executive director for Care Medical Centre also established an elementary school for homeless orphans in the Ugandan capital of Kampala and recently opened a secondary school for teens. In addition to visiting his school, Dr. Burchard, along with several girls from Prestonwood, assisted Emma at his pre-natal clinic. Every student and attending sponsor is required to pay for their own mission trips, he explains. Most students earn this money through working and soliciting donations. Each person traveling to Uganda is allowed two large pieces of luggage—one is for personal items and the second carries donated supplies to be distributed to the clinic and schools they visit. “We pack them with medical supplies, bandages, medicines, eyeglasses, toys and lots of clothes,” Dr. Burchard points out. Among these items are several hundred care packages for individual children sponsored by people in the United States. One of the biggest challenges for the American students is

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experiencing the astoundingly high number of orphans living in Uganda and the extreme level of poverty they face. Dr. Burchard explains that most of these children were orphaned because of the HIV epidemic that has ravaged the nation since the 1980s. Although the number of HIV positive diagnoses has dropped significantly, the young and middle-aged adults—the primary working portion of the population—has been decimated. “Orphans have a hard go of it here,” he sighs. “There is a place in the slums of Kampala where probably 10,000 boys between the ages of 4 and 16 just try to survive. They live in cardboard boxes and there is a smell you could never imagine.” But the level of hunger is what leaves the strongest impact. “They run around with scarves with kerosene or gasoline on them” he recalls. “A lot of them sniff them to take away the hunger pangs.” Dr. Burchard shares the story of how the church and school established the relationship with the schools and orphanages in Kampala through the efforts of one church member name Yvonne. “Her ministry began with one of the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas boxes that Billy Graham’s son, Franklin, started. A person gets a shoe box and packs it with Christmas stuff—like toys, pencils, crayons—and they are sent all over the world. And this lady put a note in hers that said ‘Call me’.” Her box ended up in the hands of 10 boys who were sleeping on the floor of a garage and earned money by playing in a band they had created by using discarded musical instru ments. When they found her message, they did call her. Shortly after that, she traveled to Uganda to meet them and continues to return to this nation several times every year to assist them and others. Dr. Burchard notes that Lutaaya, one of the 10 original boys, started African Hearts, one of the Kampala

schools for orphans that Prestonwood students are involved with. Despite the over whelming poverty, Dr. Burchard describes the Ugandans as “joyous.” He explains, “They have nothing. They sleep on mats on the floor and the ladies spend half their days sweeping leaves and branches off of dirt roads. And they have to carry in their water in five-gallon jugs from a long way off—and they are drinking water from puddles! But they are the happiest people you have ever seen.” “This gives our students a sense of gratitude and realization that where we live is not the real world,” the Allen doctor continues. “And because these kids are asked to work really hard and do things they are not comfortable doing, they gain a lot of confidence.” Illness due to making improper eating choices is a significant issue for the travelers and everyone is ad monished to be cautious about what they eat. One of the mainstays of the Ugandan diet is matoke that Dr. Burchard describes as “looking like a banana, supposed to taste like a

potato, but is more like cardboard.” So most of the meals for the s isted Prestonwood missionaries con of rice and beans, pineapple, avocados or scrambled eggs. On their first day in Uganda, they go to church and then travel to the geographic equator. The following morning, everyone buckles down and goes to work, traveling from school to school by bus. He notes that the

students at each Ugandan school greet their visitors with singing. Dr. Burchard states that typically the Ugandan boys then wanted to play soccer and other outdoor games with their male visitors, and the girls would opt for face painting and crafts such as making jewelry. The students also distributed sacks of premeasured food to huts in remote areas to invite the residents to come to church. One highlight of the trip for this Allen doctor was the chance to visit with Ashiraf, the 15-year-old student his family personally sponsors. “He’s moved on to secondary school and is doing really well,” he boasts of the young man who aspires to go into medicine. “It’s cool that I could maybe sponsor a new doctor who wouldn’t have been able to be one otherwise. On the last trip, he said to me, ‘I just want you to know that my mom says she prays for you every day, thanking God that you are allowing me to do this.’” Then Dr. Burchard concludes with a laugh, “A 15-year-old grateful to go to school? Oh my goodness, we don’t get much of that around here!”

Allen Image | April 2016

Dr. Steve Williams Providing service for those in need is also nothing new to Allen dentist Dr. Steve Williams. Growing up in Magnolia, Arkansas, he attended Southern Arkansas University for two years and graduated from Southern Methodist University. He went on to Baylor College of Dentistry and then joined his father’s dental office in Magnolia. After his father retired a few years later, he stayed in Arkansas for another 10 years. In 1999 he opted to move his family to McKinney and join his brother Dr. Jeff Williams at Allen Dental Center. Dr. Williams and his wife Karen have seven children—all were homeschooled. Today, daughter Erin Smith is an emergency room nurse at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in McKinney and son Joshua is at Texas A&M Baylor Dental School. Nathan is in pre-dental at Sam Houston State University and Anna recently graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Hospitality and works for Noah’s in Fairview. Sara starts at John Brown University this fall on a full-ride basketball scholarship and Gracen is in eighth grade. Their daughter Lauren graduated with her BA in music at the age of 19 and passed away the next year from an unexpected illness. Despite his busy practice and family demands, Dr. Williams finds the time to assist those in need. He once joined a group of physicians through Cornerstone Ministries to aid villages in the northern jungles of Honduras. In addition, working with Allen Community Outreach, his office has hosted special days providing free dental work for those unable to afford the service. So when Dr. Williams learned of an Amazon River mission trip in need of a dentist this past June, he

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signed on. Anna and Sara opted to join him. “Anna talked me into it,” he laughs. “She goes to The Village Church in Plano and one of the ladies there works for Amazon Outreach. She put the word out that they desperately needed a dentist to go.” In addition to giving a week of their time, volunteers were also asked to raise their own funds to cover their travel expenses. For the trek, all participants put their personal clothing and supplies in a carry-on bag. This allowed everyone to use their two suitcases for holding medical and dental supplies, as well as donations such as clothing, shoes and toys. The over two dozen members of this Amazon Outreach team flew from Miami to the city of Manaus in the northwest state of Amazones. Here, they picked up their boat crew and then took a bus to the Amazon River and the boat they would be traveling on for the week. “We got there around 11 o’clock in the evening, got on the boat and traveled down the river for about 15 hours, then turned up a tributary and went north for another 10 hours. In those remote areas, we started seeing villages,” he recalls. These villages would be as small as five families or as large as thirty families. Their multi-level open-air boat offered hammocks to sleep in. Traveling every night while the missionaries slept, the boat would pull into a village at daybreak. “We would then bring some lawn chairs from off the boat and a plastic table to set instruments on. Since there was no electricity, I had a headlight with a rechargeable battery so I could see,” Dr. Williams recalls. “We had a group that would go out and take care of children, doing like a vacation Bible school. They would play games and tell them Bible stories,” Dr. Williams con tinues. “And we had teenagers on board who would play with the

teenagers there. The women’s ministry would meet the needs of the women and take them fingernail polish, brushes, combs and hair braiding supplies, and the men’s ministry would help the men with whatever they were doing that day, maybe cutting down a tree or cutting boards to make a house.” Dr. Williams was the only dentist on the medical team that also included a physician and pharmacist who arrived with ample donations from several large pharmaceutical companies that included the antibiotics and painkillers Dr. Williams often needed for his patients. Another volunteer distributed eyeglasses that had been donated. Emphasizing “I treated them the same way I treat my patients in Allen,” Dr. Williams notes that it usually took one or two villagers brave enough to try him out before others stepped forward for their own dental work. “But after the word gets out that it’s a good experience, we would have chairs lined up.” His primary dental work along the Amazon was tooth extractions. “They would have two, three, four and even five abscessed teeth and just needed them pulled,” he sighs. The CFO of a large corporation in the Metroplex assisted him in keeping the process running smoothly and sterilizing equipment. “He did a great job of moving from being a CFO to part of a ministry in the middle of the jungle!” Dr. Williams recalls. “It rocked his world in a good way.” In the afternoon, there was always a soccer game to be played. “That’s a big deal in Brazil and they all want to play.” Dr. Williams states. “They usually have a cleared grass field somewhere and goals are made out of sticks or whatever they can come up with. As the day wound down, the group would participate in a ministerial service for each village and distribute food and clothes to each family. “We always had to be back on the boat before the sun went down,” he observes, adding that because they were close to the equator, sunrise and sunset were always around 6 a.m. and

6 p.m. “There are no lights and no electricity in the villages, so when it gets dark, it gets dark!” Although mosquitos were thick along the shoreline as the sun set, their boat proved to be a safe haven once it was in the middle of the river. Even netting was not required when everyone slept in their hammocks on the open, multilevel boat. But insect repellant was necessary once they came to shore. Good nutrition was a significant need for the villages Dr. Williams

visited. The principal foods for these jungle villagers were the fish caught in the Amazon and the manioc root dug up. He describes the latter as “like a corn mash or flour and they put it in everything.” Although they were often offered food by the locals, the American volunteers were advised to accept it graciously and take it back with them on the boat where they could offer it to the local boat crew. “Our stomachs were not capable of handling their food,” Dr.

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Dr. Steve Williams with his daughters, Sara (left) and Anna (right). Williams explains. “We only ate on the boat and only food that was prepared for us on the boat.” At the onset of the trip, a chef was on board to prepare not only traditional Brazilian meals but also Mexican and Italian food. Dr. Williams points out that, despite the poverty, most villagers prefer their remote lifestyle over the prospect of moving to a city. “They don’t have crime and they get along with everyone else in their village,” he

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explains. In addition, the larger of the villages close to the river often have a small school that those in smaller nearby villages can bring their children to learn to read and write Portuguese. Dr. Williams had no time for sightseeing or even taking on a game of soccer. “A dentist is in high demand and we were there to work,” he notes, adding that the only time he saw his daughters was at night after they returned to the boat. He enjoyed the

evening rides down the Amazon, “watching the birds fly by and the pink dolphins that would swim alongside us. And the stars at night are beautiful because there are no lights.” One memorable outing was going alligator hunting in a small motorboat with a crew member one night. He recounts, “He shined a flashlight into the eyes of the alligators and could tell you the size of them by the space between the eyes. If one was small enough that he felt comfortable enough to go into the water and grab him, then he’d catch him.” The one the group snagged that night was between two and three feet long. They temporarily taped the creature’s mouth shut so they could bring it on board to show the others before releasing it. Although anxious to return to the Amazon with the same team, the arrival of his and Karen’s first grandchild, estimated to be the same week in June, means he is opting to wait another year before returning to Brazil. v Peggy Helmick-Richardson is a freelance writer.