Allen Image May 2018

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Allen Image INSIDE THIS ISSUE

May 2018

Vol. 28, Issue 5

features

42 spring on the north texas wine trail

North Texas is quickly becoming a wine destination, with almost a dozen wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms in the area. The McKinney area and surrounding vicinity has become well known for its wineries.

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Making sparks fly

When Nick Stramel spotted a sixteen-foot-metal trailer, something big enough to haul an apartment load of goodies across town, he said, “That’s what I’m making senior project.” And, he did.

special sections

18 CALENDAR 34 KIDS KORNER

May Festivals

46 PET PAGE

Smokey

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46 4

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE civic forum

library

8 Monarch Waystation to Support

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Allen Ecosystem

Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt and War in the Philippines

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New App Will Help Cemetery Visitors

26 Young Country

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New Park to Foster “Spirit of Play”

Awake: The Life of Yogananda

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Travel Then and Now in Allen

27

What I Believe

15 Memorial Weekend Concert

travel

The Ross Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony

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Sculpture Exhibition Set for Connemara Meadow

Cast of Bronze Handbell Concert

A Weekend in Cowtown

education 36 From Start to Finish 39

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Park Mural Encourages Collaboration

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16 publisher/editor Barbara Peavy

advertising sales Linda Ramirez Patsy Rainwater-Maddux

26 contributing writers Chelsey Aprill Matt Cobb Heather Darrow Deborah Dove David Hicks

cover photography Larry Fleming

on the cover Sue Mitas

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Cambria Jones Tom Keener Peggy Helmick-Richardson Simon Valentin

39 Allen Image © 2018 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

Monarch Waystation to Support Allen Ecosystem

by Matt COBB

Allen was ranked the #2 best place to live in the nation in 2017 by Money Magazine, and the city is working to extend that hospitality to pollinating birds and insects that support the local ecosystem.

In addition to an existing butterfly waystation in Reed Park West, a pollinator garden to support the local environment, while providing fun and educational opportunities, is being established in Allen’s newest park.

Located at Spirit Park, a mammoth 75-acre community park on the west side of Allen that is scheduled to open this summer, will be a new pollinator garden filled with evergreen, native and droughttolerant plants to serve as a home to hummingbirds, bees and other pollinating insects.

“We’re excited to have the pollinator garden in such a big, public place,” said Terri Drury, Horticulturist for Allen Parks and Recreation. “The garden will showcase how you don’t have to use plants that require a lot of water to have beautiful wildlife.”

Focusing on aesthetics, the garden will feature a variety of plants of varying heights and colors, which

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are being carefully selected to provide shade, water and pollen for the inhabiting pollinating birds and insects. Art pieces and educational signage identifying plants and insects will be located throughout the garden.

“In order to qualify as a pollinator garden, you can’t spray chemicals on the plants,” Drury said.

“All plants and weeds must be handpicked.”

Also supporting pollinating insects and the local Allen ecosystem, a 3,000-square-foot monarch waystation is located in Reed Park West, providing a stop for the butterflies along their flight pattern from Mexico through the United States to Canada. Allen Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Keep Allen Beautiful, was able to establish

the waystation after being awarded a small grant from the Native Plant Society of Texas to convert a garden into the waystation. The waystation helps promote monarch butterfly and bee conservation while also providing educational information about best practices for pollinator garden projects.

“One neat aspect of the waystation is its location near Reed Elementary School and that local students get to see it every day,” Drury said. That emphasis on education and community involvement extended to the installation process as well. “We worked with Girl Scout Troop 3568 for the signage and to create a map of the area online. The girls were able to fulfill the required 50 hours for their

Silver Award project, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn.”

Allen Senior Recreation Center will also soon be the recipient of pollinating plants. The facility is getting a new vegetable garden, which will be raised to about waistheight for easy access and maintenance.

“Plants that attract pollinators will be located around the vegetable garden beds,” Drury said. “The pollinators will be an additional way to enhance the garden.”

Learn more about Allen’s park system, urban forestry and the Spirit Park development by visiting the website at AllenParks.org. v Matt Cobb is the senior marketing coordinator for the City of Allen.

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New App Will Help Cemetery Visitors

by Chelsey APRILL Drive by the rows of stoic, gray headstones at historic Allen Cemetery, 411 E. McDermott, this Memorial Day and you’ll likely notice a colorful array of silk bouquets and spangled flags. Some mark the final resting place of a loved one. Others honor brave strangers for their military service.

And, thanks to an new app developed by the City of Allen IT department, locating the graves of those dearly departed will soon be much easier.

“As far as I know, we’re the only city in the metroplex with an app like this,” said Matt Brogan, GIS manager for the City of Allen. GIS—an acronym for “geographical information system”—uses geographic coordinates to collect and display data, from the elevation of a roadway to the exact location of a property line.

The cemetery app is a program fifteen years in the making.

Back when Brogan was first dabbling in GIS, he attended a graveside service following the death of a family member. The experience made him ponder how high-tech mapping software

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could help loved ones navigate the physical terrain of loss.

“It’s this idea I’ve been kicking around ever since, but have never really had an opportunity to use,” said Brogan.

That is, until he was approached by staff with Allen Parks and Recreation. (The department’s landscape crews maintain Allen Cemetery.) When contacted by loved ones or history buffs in search of a specific grave, their only point of reference was a small paper map.

“Our first objective was to get the whole thing digitally mapped out,” explained Brogan.

Allen High School senior Akhil Saxena volunteered to help collect the raw data for his Eagle Scout service project. Armed with a cell phone and special software, he spent months meticulously gathering photos, headstone inscriptions and other information from more than a thousand geographic points within the cemetery. “[Saxena] deserves a lot of credit for bringing this app into existence,” said Brogan. “It was an incredibly tedious process.”

With photos and headstones now linked to geographic coordinates, Brogan began looking for information about the cemetery’s most notable figures. He unearthed a wealth of knowledge in Tom Keener, cultural arts supervisor for Allen Public Library. Keener supplied details on graves dating back nearly 200 years, including one from 1823.

“Some of the oldest markers contain very unique features,” said Brogan. Lambs displayed on several headstones signify the burial site of an infant. One of Allen’s early residents rests in peace beneath a grave marker made from wood—a fitting tribute to his career as a furniture maker. The app highlights these notable gravesites, along with those of military veterans.

The cemetery project also gave Brogan a chance to test a new GIS

feature: topographical data-gathering using a drone. These detailed images will be stitched together to provide a 3-dimensional rendering of the cemetery. Family members or historylovers could use the feature to make a “virtual visit” to gravesites, even if distance or health prevented a physical trip. It’s also a way to preview how the technology could help on more traditional city projects, such as building a roadway or previewing building elevations.

“GIS is becoming the backbone of

a lot of city operations,” said Brogan, rattling off a list of crews who already use location-based software to log repairs and respond to service requests. “This project gives us a way to test new applications of GIS, while providing a useful service to our citizens.”

The cemetery app is expected to be available this spring. Visit CityofAllen.org/GIS to find it. v Chelsey Aprill is the Senior Marketing Specialist for the City of Allen.

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New Park to Foster “Spirit of Play”

by Matt COBB The Allen Parks and Recreation Department is working to enhance the “Spirit of Play” in Allen through the opening of a new 75-acre community park this summer, providing a diverse range of opportunities to be active outdoors from sports fields and walking trails to a playground and pollinator garden.

The new park, which has been named Spirit Park, is located at the intersection of Bray Central Drive and Ridgeview Drive on the west side of Allen and will provide facilities to support the city’s growing adult athletics leagues while also serving as a community gathering point with amenities designed to enhance recreational activities and quality of life for adults and children alike.

One of the landmark facilities located at the park will be a lighted softball complex with four ball fields, restrooms and a concession plaza with space for food trailers. The softball complex will be surrounded by parking lots, feature public art and have a dedicated warmup area available for players and teams to use before taking the field.

“Similar to Allen Station Park, artificial turf is being used for the softball fields at Spirit Park, which is not only cost-effective, but also environmentally friendly,” said Kim Spearman, Site Superintendent for Allen Parks and Recreation. “Through the use of artificial turf, the field schedules will be less likely to be negatively impacted by rain or inclement weather, and they will maintain great conditions year-round.”

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As a part of a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife, 25 acres of natural wooded area are being left undeveloped.

Tucked away in the trees will be a playground called The Hideout designed to look like a kid-built environment, reminiscent of the classic movie The Sandlot, allowing the spirit of imagination to run free. The playground’s theme utilizes the look of tires, barrels and tin roofing to enhance the creative, kid-friendly experience.

For walkers, joggers and bicyclists, a trail will loop around the softball complex and connect to Allen’s citywide trail network, allowing easy pedestrian access.

To enhance the local environment, the park will include a pollinator garden with evergreen, native and drought-resistant plants to attract pollinators to help provide fertilization to the surrounding area and educational opportunities for park-goers. (Learn more about the pollinator garden on page 8.)

“Looking at all of Spirit Park’s features, we’re incorporating many components that have never been used in Allen’s parks before,” said Tim Dentler, Director of Allen Parks and Recreation. “From the playground to the ball fields, we’re excited for the park to help foster a spirit of play for all ages.”

Please visit AllenParks.org to learn more about the Spirit Park development, and stay tuned for an announcement about the park’s official opening later this year. v Matt Cobb is the senior marketing coordinator for the City of Allen.

Dr. Ross Miller may not be the busiest or cheapest dentist in town, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone more conservative. An honest and ethical dentist who takes a cautious and moderate approach, Dr. Miller won’t upsell or force his patients to do anything they don’t want or need, a practice that is all too common in a profession often driven by treatment plans designed to make more money for the provider.

“I won’t recommend what you don’t need,” he asserts.

Dr. Miller has established his niche in providing a blend of high technology and conservatism.

Whenever he’s performing a procedure, Dr. Miller takes pictures before, during, and after to show his patient what was done and why. This transparency in how he works reassures Dr. Miller’s patients that they aren’t getting treatment they don’t need. “I’ve trained my patients to be skeptical,” he adds with a laugh.

Dr. Miller believes in fixing what’s essential, and leaving the rest up to the patient. “If you’re happy with the way your teeth look, I’m happy,” he says, adding that he sleeps well at night when he makes recommendations.

There isn’t a high turnover of staff—most of Dr. Miller’s staff, which includes three hygienists, two assistants, an office manager and a receptionist, have been with Dr. Miller for years—which adds to the family-like atmosphere. Many of Dr. Miller’s patients have been with him from childhood and now bring their own kids to him. And as in all good relationships, Dr. Miller believes good communication with his patients is key.

“My patients are like extended family. There’s nothing I would recommend for them that I wouldn’t recommend for my immediate family,” he says.

In addition to bringing conservatism and honesty to his practice, Dr. Miller also brings a high level of expertise. He graduated from Texas A&M University

before attending Baylor College of Dentistry. “I’ve known since age thirteen that I wanted to be a dentist,” says Miller. When he was younger, he enjoyed building model airplanes and tanks—many of which are on display in his office—which led him to realize he liked working in small spaces with the fine hand skills required. In college, he also got involved in entomology and learned how to pin and mount butterflies.

“It is excellent practice for learning how to be meticulous and gentle with your hands,” he says.

Dr. Miller opened his practice in Allen on Exchange just west of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital ten years ago, after practicing in Plano over seventeen years. He provides all aspects of general dentistry such as cleanings, crowns, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and basic root canals, as well as Invisalign and CEREC restorations—a sophisticated system of designing and making high quality, metal-free dental restorations in one patient visit. Coupled with an in-office milling machine that allows Dr. Miller to create a crown while the patient waits, this technology allows Dr. Miller to save his patients’ time by offering one visit crowns.

It’s all part of Dr. Miller’s high technology conservative approach.

Travel Then and Now in Allen

by Cambria JONES

Even if we weren’t there at the time, many are likely familiar with Allen’s rich railroad history. The original township of Allen was located along the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which was built in 1872. Allen was named for Ebenezer Allen, a former attorney general of Texas and one of the promoters of the railroad. In 1877, J.P. Morgan and Company acquired the railroad, Southern Pacific bought it in 1883, and in 1918, the railroad built a freight and passenger depot in the Allen Central Business District, bringing some of the destination’s first visitors.

Today, Allen welcomes thousands of visitors each year,

and there are eight national brand hotels, with more on the way, including the Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen and Watters Creek Convention Center that will open in January 2019. It’s amazing how much has changed over the years, but one thing that has stayed remarkably the same is travel and tourism’s economic power in the lives of Allen residents.

Nationwide, the travel industry is a top 10 employer, and international travel is our country’s #2 export. One in nine Americans depend on travel to and within the U.S. for their employment—and it’s not just those directly working in the travel industry, either. Overall, travel supports 15.3 million jobs and is a $2.3 trillion U.S. industry.

Travel is powerful for cities and states, and Allen is no exception. The Allen Convention and Visitors Bureau was established in 2009. At the time, the total direct travel spending in Allen was $85 million. In 2016, direct travel spending in Allen had increased to $165 million.

That’s why it’s so important to keep visitors coming to Allen—and why the Allen CVB is highlighting “Travel Then and Now” during National Travel and Tourism Week 2018, May 6-12.

We encourage you to join us and celebrate all that travel does for Allen and for our country as a whole.

Allen residents can help keep visitors coming to Allen by bringing their meetings, conventions and events to their hometown. Allen was voted the #2 best place to live in the nation and #1 in Texas.

So, why not show off what makes it great? If you’re a member of an organization or association that holds meetings and conventions, suggest hosting it in Allen. The CVB can assist with all of the details including bid presentations, site selections, destination tours, providing guides and brochures, supplying convention bags and personalized welcome signage.

To find out more about how you can help support travel in Allen and learn more about the Allen Convention and Visitors Bureau’s services, call 214.509.4670 or go to VisitAllenTexas.com. v Cambria S. Jones is the Allen CVB Senior Marketing Specialist.

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Snippets Memorial Weekend Concert

The Allen Community Band, under the direction of Craig Logan, will honor those we have lost by opening the concert with “Semper Fidelis” by John Phillip Sousa, followed by “On A Hymnsong of Philip Bliss” by David Holsinger, at 7 p.m.

Friday, May 25, in the library’s Civic Auditorium.

The concert continues with Edward Gregson’s “Festivo,” a multi-metered and fast-moving selection and “Pas Redouble’,” which showcases the technical skills of the woodwinds with sweeping scalier runs highlighted by brass interludes of contrasting rhythms and styles. “March Hongroise,” sometimes known as the “Hungarian March,” was the unofficial state anthem of Hungary before Ferenc Kölcsey wrote the ”Himnusz,” which is now Hungary’s official national anthem.

Thought to have been originally penned around 1730, Hector Berlioz included the music in his composition La Damnation de Faust in 1846. Concluding the concert, the band will perform John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” featuring piccolo soloist, Julie Bell. This is perhaps the most well-known American march in the world.

The library is located at 300 N. Allen Drive. This free concert is sponsored by the Allen Public Library. Call 214.509.4911 for additional information. v

Ross Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony McKinney Mayor George Fuller will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 26, at Ross Cemetery in McKinney. Speakers and participants for this event will include: Florine (Flo) Henry, Pastor Louis Rosenthal The McKinney First Baptist Church, Pastor Gladys White Saint James CME Church, Minister John Shapiro First McKinney Baptist Church, Allen Mayor Steve Terrell, Fairview Mayor Darion Culbertson, Allen City Council Member Baine Brooks, McKinney City Council Member La’Shadion Shemwell, Buffalo Soldier Calvary Group Captain Paul Allen, Missy McPherson Daughters of The American Revolution John Abston Chapter, David Pedigo Associate Member Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #973, Scott Stanton Valley of Dallas Scottish Rite, Allen High School U.S. Marine JROTC, American Legion Post #110, American Legion Post #321 Honor Guard, First United Methodist Church Allen Boy Scout Troop #306, American Heritage Girls Troop TX 5413 and Man Up Plano.

Entry is through Pecan Grove Cemetery, located on Highway 5 in McKinney. v Allen Image | May 2018

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Snippets Sculpture Exhibition Set For Connemara Meadow Sculpture returns to the Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve this spring with an exhibition, “Human Nature,” by Dallas artist Art Garcia. An Opening Artist’s Reception will be held May 6, from 1-3 p.m., in which the public can discuss the exhibition with Mr. Garcia, who will conduct a tour of the sculpture displayed throughout the Meadow. The exhibition will run through October.

Cast of Bronze Handbell Concert On Sunday, May 20 at 7 p.m., Dallas-based handbell ensemble, Cast of Bronze, will perform a concert at Christ the Servant.

More information is available at www.

ConnemaraConservancy.org. v

Cast of Bronze is an auditioned community handbell ensemble and will be performing original handbell compositions, marches, classical and sacred music and other familiar tunes. The concert will also include two works for organ and handbells: Michael Helman’s “Prelude & Passacaglia” and Karen Buckwalter’s “Jubilee Concertante.”

Come and join us for a fun-filled informal and interactive concert that is free and open to the public. See and hear the largest and smallest handbells ever manufactured. Following the concert members of the audience will be invited to come and ring bells or chimes and ask questions of the ringers and director.

Cast of Bronze performs on 331 handbells and chimes, including seven-and-a-half octaves of American-made Schulmerich handbells, six octaves of Malmark Choir Chimes, five octaves of English-made Whitechapel handbells, three octaves of Dutch-made Petit and Fritsen handbells, three octaves of BoomWhackers and two-and-ahalf octaves of DeskSet bells and two octaves of R.H. Mayland handbells manufactured in the 1880s.

Admission is free, however freewill donations to support the concert series will be accepted. Christ the Servant Lutheran Church is located at 821 South Greenville Avenue in Allen.

Visit us on Facebook or at christtheservant.com. v

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MARKET PLACE

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calendar

may 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.

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Newsboys-United Tour

5 Allen Community Ice Rink’s ‘Cinco de Mayo Skate’ 10 An Evening with Emerald City Band Benefitting Treasured Vessels Foundation 11 Collin College Graduation 16 Kahlid-The Roxy Tour 25 Princeton High School Graduation 26 Wylie East High School Graduation/Wylie High School Graduation 27 Jon Paul II High School Graduation

parks and rec events For more information about Parks and Recreation events, visit AllenParks.org.

4 ASRC Health & Information Fair, 9 am to noon, at Allen Senior Recreation Center. Join us for our 13th annual health fair. Over 40

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vendors will provide screenings plus useful information covering a variety of health and senior adult related topics. Free to attend and open to ages 50+, prize drawings will occur throughout the fair.

5 Youth Fishing Derby, Bethany Lakes Park, 8-10:30 am. Don’t miss the Youth Fishing Derby. Free to attend and open to ages 2-16, prizes will be awarded for the largest fish caught per age group and overall. Check-in is at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the event.

5 Cinco de Mayo Open Skate, Allen Community Ice Rink, 11:45 am-1:45 pm. Join the fun on the ice for various games and activities! Open to all ages, all on-ice participants must wear skates. Cost: $5 entry/$3 skate rental. Donate two or more non-perishable food items to benefit Allen Community Outreach and receive a free skate rental.

11 SNAP Dance, Allen Senior Rec Center, 7-10 pm, ages 18+. Special Needs and Adapted Program! Enjoy music, a fun theme and snacks. This month’s theme is Fiesta! Cost: $10 Pre-reg./$15 at 5 pm on Wednesday prior to dance. For info, contact Ryan Patterson at rmpatterson@cityofallen.org or 214.509.4753.

18 Homeschool Prom—An Evening Under the Stars, 8-10:30 pm, Joe Farmer Recreation Center, ages 15-18. One magical night to remember under the stars with dancing, refreshments, and socializing with other homeschool students. Be a part of this

timeless coming of age dance. Pre-Registration $30/Walk-Up $40.

ALLEN PUBLIC LIBRARY YOUTH SERVICES Story Times are held in the Children’s Program Room.

All story times are free and no registration is required to attend. For more information, call 214.509.4906.

Summer 2018 storytime begins June 4.

Events for Families & Children For more information about any of the events below, call 214.509.4906. All events are free and no preregistration required. Events are in the Children’s Program Room except where noted.

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Star Wars STEM, 4:30-5:30 pm, ages 8-12.

Celebrate ‘May the 4th Be With You’ with Star Wars themed science activities.

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Star Wars Story Time, 10:30-11:30 am, ages 3 and up with families. Bring your young padawans to a special Star Wars Story Time!

We’ll read stories about our Jedi friends and make a special craft to take home!

7 Dot and Dash Robotics, 4:30-5:30 pm, ages 5-8. Come learn the basics of Dash and Dot as you make them move, make sounds and light up! This robotics program is sponsored in memory of S. Ramanathan.

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Ramadan Story Time, 6:30-7:30 pm, ages 3 and up with families. Enjoy a story time for the whole family featuring stories and crafts about Ramadan.

11 Sensory Play Day, 10:30-11:30 am, ages 0-3 with caregivers. Join us for a relaxed morning of stimulating sensory play stations.

18 Music and Movement, 10:30-11 am, ages 2 and up with caregivers. Join us as we sing, dance, and make music! Limited to 80. Free ticket is required to attend story time. Tickets will be available 30 minutes before the start the program at the Children’s Desk.

Teens (ages 12-18) For more information about any of the events below, call 214.509.4906. All events are free and no preregistration is required to attend. Ages listed are firm.

10 Anime Evening, 6:30-8 pm, in the Upstairs Program Room. Come enjoy an evening of anime, Japanese snacks and crafts!

ADULTS Adult services programs are held in the 2nd Floor Program Room, free with no registration—ages 18+ unless otherwise indicated. Call 214.509.4905 or 214.509.4913, or check AllenLibrary.org.

2 Noontime Pageturners Book Club, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower, 12-1 pm. A relaxed environment where you can share the joy of reading. New members welcome.

8 Talking History, When the World Seemed New: George H. W. Bush and the End of the Cold War, 7-8:30 pm. Learn how President George H. W. Bush responded to one of the most critical turning points in modern history with its author Dr. Jeffery Engel, of SMU. Dr. Engel is the director of the Center for Presidential History at SMU. Ages 16+; younger children welcome with an adult.

9 Twisted Threads—A Fiber Craft Circle, 6:30-8:30 pm. Twisted Threads is a social group for knitters, crocheters, cross stitchers, quilters and any other crafters who use thread or yarn! Are you stuck on a project and need help getting back on track? If so, Twisted Threads is for you! All skill levels welcome! Ages 18+; no childcare provided.

15 Travel Like a Pro!, 7-8:30 pm. Learn how to make your next trip the best one ever! World travelers George and Denise Bouhasin share more tips and tricks they’ve learned from many trips abroad. Focus is on strategies for packing, determining what to wear and planning your flight.

16 DIY@APL-Book Quote Canvas, 1011:30 am. Create a mixed media canvas using old book pages, paints, a variety of fun embellishments and favorite book quotes! All supplies provided. Ages 16+.

19 TheArts@APL, Writing Your First Novel, Part 1, 2:30-4:30 pm. Journalist and publication editor Lisa Poisso discusses what goes into creating a commercially viable novel.

Free; tickets available 30 minutes before the program at the Reference Desk. Limited to 15 participants.

26 TheArts@APL-Publishing Your First Novel, Part 2, 2:30-4:30 pm. Lisa will talk

about self-publishing. The workshop will help would-be authors understand their publishing options and choose the right path for their first Allen Image | May 2018

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novel. Free; tickets available 30 minutes before the program at the Reference Desk. Limited to 15 participants.

31 Trivia Night @ Nine Band Brewing Co., 6-8 pm, off site at Nine Band Brewing Co., 9 Prestige Circle, Allen. Team up with your friends to test your knowledge of beer, literature, history, science and more! Please keep teams to 6 or less. The library will not be providing alcohol. Ages 21+.

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 fourth Thursday each month, 7-8:45 pm, Allen Municipal Building, 301 Century Pkwy. Allen. Local Tea Party presents speakers, encourages citizens to participate.

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 the first Wednesday each month, 6:30 pm, Allen Heritage Center, 100 E. Main. Programs feature guest speakers on topics of historical significance.

For more info: 972.740.8017 or www. allenheritageguild.org.

ALLen Reads meets the second Monday each month, Board Room, Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Dr. For more info, www.allenfriends.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.

American Association of University WomenPlano/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, HeardCraig Carriage House, 205 W. Hunt St., McKinney.

Lectures 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 North Baptist Church, 2500 Community Ave., McKinney. Bible study for women and children. Studying Luke. Reg. req.

For more info: katpf@att.net or mckinneyallen. cbsclass.org.

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Collin County Aggie Moms, meets third Monday each month, 7 pm, Texas A&M Ext. Center, 17360 Coit Rd. For more info: 972.382.3124 or www. collincountymoms.aggienetwork.com.

Lone Star Parliamentary Unit, meets second Monday of each month September thru May, 10:30 am, Allen Public Library. Promotes parliamentary education.

For more info: 972.727.3090, Mae Shaw, Pres.

Collin County Archaeology Society, meets second Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Texas Star Bank, McKinney.

For more info: archaeology@netzero.net.

Lovejoy Preschool PTA. Monthly meetings at Creekwood UMC, second Thursday each month, 261 Country Club Rd, Fairview. Different topic & speakers. Free lunch; babysitting available for nominal fee.

For more info: www.lovejoypa.org, meetup.com/ Lovejoy-Preschool-PTA/.

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 second Wednesday each month, at 5th Street Pizza, 111 Central Expwy., Allen.

For more info: collinlp.org or email collinlp.org@gmail. com.

Collin County Master Gardeneers tour of Myers Park, meets first Wednesday each month, 10 am, 7117 County Rd. 166, McKinney.

Reservations required.

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 owners in the Dallas area.

For more info: www.dallasdoglovers.com Department 56 Village Collectors Club meets second Saturday each month in Plano/North Dallas 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 the third Monday each month, 7-9 pm, Collin Higher Education Center, 3452 Spur 399, McKinney.

Promotes interest in African violets and study of growth habits.

For more info: www.beautifulviolets.com.

Friends of the Allen Public Library meets third Wednesday each month, Board Room, Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Dr. For more info, www.allenfriends.org.

Gaslighters Book Review Club meets third Wednesday each month September thru May at Heard Craig House, 205 W. Hunt Street, McKinney, refreshments noon, speaker 1 pm.

For more info: LaRue Whatley, 423.585.4983.

McKinney Amateur Radio Club, meets second Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Spring Creek Bar B Que 1993 North Central Expressway, McKinney.

For more information: 972.814.4190.

McKinney Newcomers’ Club, meets third Tuesday each month, 9:30 am, social; 10 am meeting, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 5871 W. Virginia Pkwy., McKinney. This month’s program: Leonard Critcher, financial expert and author of Welcome to the Metroplex.

For more info: www.mckinneynewcomers.com.

McKinney Area Republican Co-Ed Club, meets second Thursday each month, 7 pm, Collin County GOP Hdqts., 8416 Stacey Rd., #100, McKinney.

Location varies.

For more info: collincountyconservativerepublicans. com.

NARFE Chapter 559, meets third Monday each month, 1:30 pm, Village of Stonebridge Assisted Living, 3300 S. Stonebridge Drive, McKinney. All current government employees and retirees invited.

Nar-Anon Family Group, meets every Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 pm, at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 750 W. Lucas Road, Lucas. Fellowship for those affected by someone else’s addiction.

For more info: Jerry or Carla, 972.837.6558 or pony100k@icloud.com.

Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano, meets second Tuesday each month, SMU in Plano, 5228 Tennyson Pkwy, Plano. All welcome to join.

For more info: www.newcomerfriends.org.

North Dallas Newcomers, meets first Thursday each month, 11 am, various country clubs.

For more info: www.northdallasnewcomers.net.

Open Forum, meaningful discussions, meets first Saturday each 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 each month, 7 pm, FUMC of Plano, 3160 E. Spring Creek Pkwy., Plano, all welcome.

For more info: www.K5PRK.net.

Greater Collin County Kennel Club, meets third Wednesday each month, 7:30 pm, Joe Farmer Rec Center, 1201 E. Bethany, Allen.

For more info: www.greatercollinkc.org.

Plano Photography Club, meets the third Thursday each month, 7 pm, W. Plano Presbyterian Church, 2709 Custer Rd., Plano. Visitors welcome.

For more info: www.planophotographyclub.com.

Legacy 4-H Club (Allen & Lucas), meets first & third Tuesday each month, 7 pm, Lovejoy High School, Lucas.

For more info: kathrin_esposito@asus.com or 214.616.2460.

Plano Republican Women’s Club, meets third Tuesday each month, 11:30 am, Reflections on Spring Creek, 1901 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano.

For more info: www.planorepublicanwomen.com.

Prelude Clubhouse, a community center for adults living with a mental illness meets at Vintage Church on E. Lamar Street, McKinney. Open Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10 am-4 pm.

For more information, please call 469.301.6639 or www.preludeclubhouse.org.

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 in Dallas area.

For more info: RandomEventsDallas.com.

Reasonable Faith Discussion Group, meets every Tuesday, 11am-12:30 pm, Cottonwood Creek Church Rm. B1116.

For more info: www.RFCCTX.org..

Reasonable Faith Collin County Chapter, meets second and fourth Thursday, 6:45-8:30 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.

Low cost childcare.

For more info: www.singlesideup.org or info@ thissideupfamily.org.

Texas Nationalist Movement-Collin County Chapter, meets first Tuesday each month, 6:30 pm at Scotty P’s restaurant in Allen, 109 Central Expy N #501, Allen. If you love Texas and value our independent spirit, come join us!

Toastmasters SpeakUp Allen, meets every Wednesday, “Become the Speaker and Leader You Can Be,” 7 pm, IHOP, 315 Central Expwy, Allen.

For more info: Bill Peterson, 972.523.9425.

United Methodist Women’s Reading Group, meets first Sunday each month, 2 pm, FUMC, 601 S. Greenville. Book discussion & refreshments. We encourage women of all faiths to participate.

For more info: http://www.fumcallen.org.

Volunteer Master Gardeners offer landscaping and 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 fourth Thursday each month, 10 am, Eldorado Country Club, 2604 Country Club, McKinney.

Social club open to women in McKinney and surrounding areas.

For more info: voyagersofmckinney@gmail.com.

ART/MUSIC/THEATRE Allen Folk Music Society, meets third Saturday each month, 7-10 pm, The Blue House, 102 S. Allen Dr. Bring snacks to share.

For more info: www.twiceasfar.com/news.

Allen Symphony Chorus rehearsals, every Monday, 7-9 pm, choir room at First UMC. For more info: Henry@WealthManagementGroupLLC. com.

CRAFTS Allen Quilters’ Guild, meets the third Thursday each month, 6:30 pm, Blue House Too, Watters Creek.

For more info: www.allenquilters.org.

Common Threads of Allen, meets first and third Tuesdays each month, 7 pm, Whole Foods Market Café, Stacy Rd. Share needle-work projects, learn techniques, etc.

For more info: contact Debi Maige at 214.704.0994 or debik@verizon.net.

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 third Tuesday each month. Offers support and resources for parents of children with autism and other related developmental disabilities.

Join online group at http://health.groups.yahoo. com/group/autismparentsupport.

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Allen Serenity Al-Anon Family Group, meets every Tuesday and Thursday, 7 pm, 1st UMC, Wesley House, 601 S. Greenville. For friends and family of alcoholics.

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 info and events.

For more info: www.BaylorHealth.com.

Cancer Support Ministry, meets second Sunday each month, 4 pm, 1st Baptist Church Allen, 201 E. McDermott, Rm E101.

For more info: Jimmy Smith, 972.727.8241.

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.

Heart Link Women’s Networking group, women only business networking. Monthly meetings. Days and locations vary.

For more info: www.75013.theheartlinknetwork.com.

Texas Health Presbyterian, variety of events.

For more info: www.texashealth.org.

National Alliance of Mental Illness Collin County Support Groups meet every Thursday evening, 6:30-8 pm at Custer Road United Methodist Church in the basement, 6601 Custer Road, Plano. There is one support group for persons with a mental illness and another group further down the hall for friends and/or family.

The Shores AA Group, every Monday-Friday, noon, Raceway Prof. Bldg., 200 W. Boyd, Suite C, Allen. Open AA discussion group. All welcome.

For more info: 469.854.9593.

Weight Watchers, meets every Thursday, 12:15 & 6 pm, 1st United Methodist Church, 600 S. Greenville Ave., Allen. 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.

Collin County Hobby Beekeepers, meets second Monday each month, 6:30 pm, Collin College, Central Park Campus Conference Center, 2200 W. University Dr., McKinney.

For more info: www.cchba.org.

Fit and Funky Fit Club, meets every Monday, 7:30 pm, & every Sunday, 7 pm, Unlimited Success Martial Arts, 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. Min. donation $5.

Proceeds donated to local charities.

For more info: email cattaneo.ray@gmail.com.

McKinney Chess on the Square, meets every Wednesday, 4-7 pm, Downtown McKinney Performing Arts Center. Open play & lessons.

For more info, 214.620.0527 or mckinneychess.org.

McKinney Chess Club, every Saturday, 10:30 am1:30 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.

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.

Skilled Motorcycle Riders Association promotes motorcycle safety through rider training.

Monthly practice courses, social activities, etc.

For more info: www.skilledmotorcycleriderassociation. com.

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Stroller Strides Classes. For class information, check out Fairview.fit4mom.com. First class Free.

For more info: Fairview.fit4mom.com, email Lolo@ fit4mom.com.

The Experiment Aircraft Association, Chapter 1246, meets first Saturday each month, McKinney National Airport. Everyone interested in aviation is invited.

For times and directions: eaa1246.org.

MOM’S CLUBS Allen Early Childhood PTA, support for parents and caregivers of kids age 0-5. Fun activities. Play groups, park days, lunch w/friends, field trips, Mom’s Night Out, Dads & Kids, etc.

For more info: www.aecpta.com or information@ aecpta.com.

Allen/McKinney Area Mothers of Multiples, new and expectant moms’ forum, meets 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 second Monday each month, 9:45 am, Parkway Hills Baptist Church, 2700 Dallas Pkwy., Plano.

Nursery res. req.

For more info: Suzanne Judkins, 972.712.3634.

Moms Club, meets the first Friday each month (Sept.-May), 10 am- noon, at Grace Church, 2005 Estates Pkwy, Allen. For moms of preschool children. Relax with hot brunch and speaker.

Childcare-$3 per child/$6 max.

For more info: www.grace-efc.org/womens-ministry/.

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 and more.

For more info: momsclubofallentx@gmail.com.

MOMS Club McKinney Central, support group for stay-at-home moms. Play groups, daytime activities, Mom’s Night Out, parties, babysitting co-op.

For more info: MckinneyMoms@yahoo.com.

Moms in Prayer, join prayer movement—bringing mothers together and seeing God change children through prayer.

For more info: MomsInPrayer.org or Amy Guthrie at amyguthrie@verizon.net..

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.

For more info: 972.727.8241.

MOPS of Hope Plano, Hope Community Church, meets the first and third Wednesday each month, 9:30-11:30 am, 3405 Custer, #200, Plano.

For more info: 214.762.0037.

Walking by Faith, offers prayer and practical support for mothers of children with special needs. Meets third Wednesday of each month (during the school year), 6 pm, First Baptist Church Allen, 201 E. McDermott, Rm B214. Childcare is provided with advance reservations.

For more info: Stacie Smith, staciesmithslp@gmail.com.

mUSEUMS/preserves allen heritage guild museum Open second and fourth Saturdays, 10 am-2 pm, 100 E. Main St., Allen. Permanent and rotating exhibits, DVD programs on Allen history and historic photo collages.

For more info: www.allenheritageguild.org.

Connemara Meadow Preserve Bird Walk at the Connemara Meadow Preserve, 3-hour walk, monthly alternating first Saturday and first Sunday, 8 am, Oct thru Apr; 7 am, May thru Sept., Alma and Tautm Rd., Allen.

Bring binoculars and field guides; wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and insect repellent; learn habits, calls and characteristics from Gailon and Rodney, Prairie & Timbers Audubon Society.

All ages.

For more info: www.connemaraconservancy.org.

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

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 Native Plant Society, meets first Tuesday each month, 7:30 pm, 1 Nature Place, McKinney.

For more info: 972.562.5566.

Heard Museum Nature Photography Club, meets the second Saturday each month, 1:30 pm, Heard Museum, 1 Nature Place, McKinney.

For more info: 972.562.5566.

Heard Museum Prairie & Timbers Audubon Society, meets fourth Tuesday each month, 7 pm, 1 Nature Place, McKinney.

For more info: 972.562.5566.

Third Saturday Nature Talks: Nature Journaling. Learn new ways to experience nature through nature journaling! An intro to journaling techniques thru hands-on activities.

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 member of ASRC. For more info: www.asgconline.com.

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.

For more info: 972.727.8241 or Eddie Huckabee at huckgolf@hotmail.com.

Singles Mingle 60+, meets first Monday each month at Delaney’s Irish Pub, 6150 Eldorado Pkwy, McKinney. Provides a social forum for active men and women singles who enjoy meeting new people and like getting together twice a month.

We have various social activities throughout the month.

For more info: For meeting information on the third Monday of the month at 5:30 pm, call Bill, 214.544.5835.

Xtra Years of Zest Seniors Luncheon, meets the third Thursday each month, 11:30 am, Sept. thru May, First UMC Allen, 601 S. Greenville, Fellowship Hall. Lunch ($5), fellowship, speakers and entertainers.

For more info: jgarling@swbell.net.

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SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

Assistance League, Greater Collin County Chapter, meets third Wednesday, 10 am at Gleneagles Country Club, Plano. Guests welcome.

For more info: algcc.org or call 972.769.2299.

allen/fairview chamber of commerce

Daughters of the American Revolution, NSDAR, The General Bernardo de Galvez Chapter, meets third Tuesday each month.

For more info:GenBernadoDeGalvez@gmail.com.

Visit www.allenfairviewchamber.com for more information.

Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce Eggs & Issues Breakfast meets quarterly at Hilton Garden Inn, 8 am.

Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce MOB (Men of Business), meets second Monday every other month, 11:30 am-1 pm, Kelly’s at the Village at Allen, for networking. $20 mem; $25 non-mems/ general public.

Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Live networking breakfast, every Tuesday, 7:30 am, Fairview Town Center, 311 Town Place, Fairview (formerly Wyland’s Ocean Blue restaurant). $1 member/$5 non-member first visit free.

Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon, meets fourth Tuesday, 11:30 am-1 pm, Hilton Garden Inn, Allen. $20 member/$25 guest.

Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce W.I.S.E. (Women in Support of Enterprise), meets second Thursday every other month, 11:30 am. Location varies. Networking and discussion of women’s issues. $20 member/$25 guest.

Allen/Fairview Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Breakfast, meets monthly at Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q, 1790 N. Central Expwy., Allen, 8 am. $15 members/$20 nonmembers.

Allen High Noon Lions Club, meets second and fourth 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, Bonefish Grill, 190 E Stacy Rd #100. Visitors welcome.

For more info: www.allenkiwanis.org.

Allen Lions Club, meets first and third Tuesday each month, 7pm, Kelly’s at the Village, 190 E. Stacy Rd., #1204, Allen.

For more info: Bob Schwerd, Secretary, 214.402.0982.

Allen Masonic Lodge No. 1435, meets second Tuesday each month, 7:30 pm at 101 North Allen Drive. Dinner is served at 6:30 pm.

For more info: www:allenlodge1435.org.

Allen Rotary Club meets every Wednesday, noon, 1st United Methodist Church, 601 S. Greenville, Allen.

For more info: www.allenrotary.org.

Allen Sunrise Rotary Club, meets every Wednesday, 7 am, Warm Springs Hospital, 1001 Raintree Cir., Allen.

For more info: 972.673.8221 or www. allensunriserotary.com.

Fairview Rotary Club, meets second and fourth Thursday each month, Stacy Rd, Fairview.

For more info: 214.893.5360.

FUMC Legal Aid Clinic meets second Thursday each month, 6-8 pm, First UMC, 601 S. Greenville Ave., Allen. Provides legal assistance for civil matters to low income individuals in partnership with Legal Aid of NW Texas. No reservation required. Food & fellowship provided.

For more info: kim.klieger@gmail.com or www.lanwt. org.

Knights of Columbus, meets 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.

Knights of Columbus Council 13044 meets fourth Thursday each month, 7:30 pm, Our Lady of Angels, 1914 Ridgeview Drive, Allen.

For more information contact Jason at jason. beckett.1@gmail.com, or visit us at https://kofcknights. org/CouncilSite/?CNO=13044.

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 second Monday each month, 1710 N. Church St, McKinney.

Post Members, 6:30 pm; Ladies Auxiliary at 5:45 pm; Men’s Auxiliary at 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 each 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 second Saturday each 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.

library

Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt and War in the Philippines

by Tom KEENER The Spanish-American War altered the map of the United States.

As a result of that war, Puerto Rico, Guam, The Philippines and other islands became American territories, and the United States was soon mired in a forgotten conflict that was known as the Philippine Revolution and ultimately the PhilippineAmerican war.

Investigative journalist, foreign correspondent and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Gregg Jones will discuss his book Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines, and the Rise and Fall of America’s Imperial Dream in a free program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17 at the library.

Jones first learned of this conflict while working as a foreign correspondent in the Philippines during the 1980s. Reporting on the rise of the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed

guerrilla force, the New People’s Army, Jones observed, “Philippine communist underground preached that ‘U.S. imperialism’ was the paramount enemy of the Filipino people, and the root cause of all their

problems. That took me back to the Spanish-American War of 1898, which really introduced Americans to the Philippines, and the subsequent Philippine-American War from 18991902.”

A former staff writer for the Dallas Morning News, Jones covered defense and energy issues. After the 9/11 attack on the United States in 2001, Jones courageously reported from Pakistan and Afghanistan on the U.S. military reactions, the pursuit of Osama bin Laden and the poverty and hardships confronting the Afghan people after decades of war.

Gregg Jones is also the author of Last Stand at Khe Sanh: The U.S. Marines’ Finest Hour in Vietnam.

The library is located at 300 N. Allen Drive. Call 214.509.4911 for more information. v Tom Keener is the cultural arts manager with the Allen Public Library.

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library

The Library presents…

by Tom KEENER

Young Country The vibrant music of Young Country will resound from the library’s stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11. Performing both original tunes and songs of premiere

Southwestern songwriters, this group offers outstanding vocal harmonies and unique instrumental interpretations.

Formed in 1970, this Dallas-based band has performed at Poor David’s Club, Hyatt at Lake Tahoe and served on three USO tours to Vietnam.

Their first album, Young Country, was produced in 1974.

On banjo, guitar, mandolin and dobro, Rick Sparks is currently president of the Northern Nevada Bluegrass Association and travels the country as a Wernick Method banjo instructor.

On tambourine and vocals, Cheryl Cleavenger appeared

on the Mike Douglas Show, has been the voice for Blue Bell Ice Cream commercials, and was on various television shows hosted by media personality Ron Chapman.

Singer/songwriter Randy Brooks performs nationally, including at the famed Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. Composer of the holiday classic “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” Randy plays bass and guitar.

A member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, Johnny Hooper is recognized for his contributions as a writer, producer, guitarist and vocalist in the field of jingles and commercials. Johnny fronts the band Mr. Inez, which opened for the Beach Boys last February.

Once a member of the New Christy Minstrels, Rod Phillips plays piano, mandolin, cello, harmonica, flute and vocals. Touring as a member of Michael Martin Murphey’s band, he had a solo career in Taos, New Mexico, and now in Branson, Missouri. v

Awake: The Life of Yogananda “If you keep running after too many hobbies, you won’t have any time left for bliss.”

– Paramahansa Yogananda

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Author of the best-selling spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda came to America in 1920, and by 1927, President Coolidge invited him to the White House. Yogananda brought the West techniques to focus energy and facilitate inner peace and soul-satisfying fulfillment.

Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi was the only book on Steve Jobs’s iPad. One means to learn more about this Hindu swami and his efforts to bring enlightenment to the West is to watch Awake: The Life of Yogananda. This film about the life of the

What I Believe Want to expand your knowledge about the spiritual belief systems of others? Plan to attend the “What I Believe” program where practitioners of Buddhism and Hinduism will share their beliefs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10, at the library.

Ryan Cuevas practices Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism with the Soka Gakkai International manager.

Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the chant that he practices, and while in his youth, he failed to grasp its meaning.

However, in 2010, after an opportunity to attend a festival in Chicago and hear multiple experiences, he elected to take his practice seriously

and has not looked back. Through this practice, he is able to understand deep compassion, the karmic ties in his life and the limitless potential that he possesses. Through various meetings and observing proof in his own life, Ryan was inspired to encourage other members to maintain their practice. The Soka Gakkai International stands for peace and respecting the dignity of human life, based upon on Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism and the goal of assisting all human beings to attain their inner potential and transform lives.

Marika Torok is a yoga teacher who received training from teachers from India as well as the Himalayan Institute and the Center of Body, Mind, Movement. She has been practicing Hinduism and yogic sciences for past two decades.

Currently she is instructing yoga at the Radha Krishna Temple in Allen.

This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Allen Public Library. 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.

Paramahansa Yogananda, will be shown at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at the library.

Filmed over three years with the participation of 30 countries, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern and ancient, East and West, and explores the legacy of Yogananda’s teachings. All the while, gentle sitar music and soothing narration set a relaxing mood. Directed by award-winners Paola di Florio and Lisa Leeman, the movie includes interviews with Deepak Chopra and George Harrison (who died in 2001).

This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the Allen Public Library. v Allen Image | May 2018

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travel

by Deborah DOVE

Where can you go when you have a short weekend and want to get away without spending a fortune? Looking for an overnight getaway with your significant other that’s close to home, but still feels like a vacation with culture and nightlife? Want to do something fun with the kids and explore another city, but don’t want to waste all of your time driving?

Fort Worth is less than an hour away, but this vibrant city with an Old West feel makes the perfect weekend trip without breaking the bank. Fort Worth is an interesting mix of the American West and urban sophistication, as the Stockyards, rodeo and Billy Bob’s share space

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with the Bass Performance Hall, world-class museums and a vibrant downtown that was named the number one downtown area in America by Liveability.com.

Downtown Fort Worth is one of the safest, cleanest, most walkable downtowns in the country, with a friendly vibe and a wealth of restaurants, shops, galleries and performance venues. At the heart of it all is Sundance Square, a 35-block

Upper left: Fort Worth Water Gardens Lower Left: Fort Worth Stockyards Above: Bass Performance Hall

shopping and entertainment district set amidst the glitzy skyscrapers. By day you can shop, dine on a patio or relax on the Sundance Square Plaza, people watching under the big umbrellas while the kids play in the jetted fountains.

Be sure to also visit the Fort Worth Water Gardens, an urban oasis near the convention center with cascading waterfalls with a series of steps on which you can climb down.

If you enjoy the performing arts, seeing a performance at Bass Performance Hall, voted one of the “top 10 opera houses in the world” by Travel + Leisure magazine, is a must.

Inside the white limestone building adorned with 48-foot tall hark angels, the Bass Hall’s interior resembles a classic European opera house and is considered to be acoustically perfect.

Summer events include several operas performed by the Fort Worth Opera, Texas Ballet Theater’s production of Swan Lake, Scheherazade by the Fort Worth Symphony and several musicals, including Matilda the Musical, Waitress, Love Never Dies—The Return of the Phantom and School of Rock.

The Fort Worth Cultural District is also home to three world-class museums—the renowned Kimball Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Best of all, the museums are free to the public on Sundays.

At night, downtown Fort Worth transforms itself with a vibrant nightlife scene and something to please everyone. Dine at a table near the window looking out on the city streets at one of the numerous Sundance Square restaurants, sample legendary barbecue at Riscky’s or soak in the ambiance at Reata, an upscale hotspot in downtown Fort Worth known for its southwestern cuisine and cool rooftop bar. Next door to Reata is Four Day Weekend, a hilarious improv comedy show that is created from audience suggestions and participation.

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The Silver Leaf Cigar Lounge offers a sophisticated spot to enjoy a cigar, handcrafted cocktails, wine and an extensive selection of bourbon and scotch without the smoke, thanks to an innovative filter system that clears the air every few minutes. Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar is always a fun time, with plenty of throwback songs as well as current hits to sing along to.

And, in an alley just off Fourth Street, a simple neon sign beckons visitors to Scat Jazz Lounge, one of the top jazz venues in the world (and definitely the coolest). You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the Prohibition era as you take the elevator to the basement, where an intimate atmosphere, oldschool décor, a full bar and top-notch musicians make for a memorable evening.

While you can find a variety of affordable accommodation within walking distance of Sundance Square (I recently snagged a great last-minute deal at the Sheraton on Priceline), if you want to indulge, spend the night at the Omni in the heart of downtown, with glittering views of the city, a heated outdoor swimming pool, live music at the bar at night and a shuttle to the Stockyards.

Azalea House Bed and Breakfast offers completely different, but equally splurge-worthy, accommodations just ten minutes from Sundance Square and the Stockyards, where you can relax surrounded by the gardens of this stately country inn.

Breakfast—a full buffet served in the dining room at tables set with fine linens and vintage china and stemware—is an added bonus!

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No visit to Fort Worth is complete without a visit to the Stockyards, where the weathered brick streets are lined with historic buildings, restaurants, shops, saloons and other attractions that will transport you to the Old West. Every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Texas cowhands— dressed in authentic cowboy garb— drive a herd of Texas longhorns down Exchange Avenue.

The Grapevine Vintage Railroad, complete with Victorian-style coaches, provides a unique view of the city with rides to Grapevine or a one-hour trip to 8th Avenue and back. Shop for cowboy boots and hats and one of the numerous western wear stores; dine on Texas-style cuisine or grab a drink at the old Stockyards Hotel bar; take a picture with a longhorn; ride a mechanical bull; and entertain the

Upper: Joe T. Garcia’s Left: Scat Jazz Lounge Right: Rodeo at the Stockyards

kids with the Cowtown Cattlepen Maze and the Stockyards Petting Zoo. The Stockyards is also home to two entertainment icons. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is the world’s only indoor, year-round rodeo that’s held every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. and provides an authentic Western Cowboy experience with bull riding, tie down roping, team roping, barrel racing, bronc riding, break away roping, plus calf and mutton scrambles with prizes for the kids.

Billy Bob’s Texas, touted as the “World’s Largest Honky-Tonk,” is a 127,000-square-foot dancehall with over thirty bar stations where you can watch live indoor professional bull riding every Friday and Saturday night. Or, you may choose to take two-step lessons, line dance the night away, and enjoy live concerts from greats like Randy Travis, Willie Nelson and B.B. King.

Before you leave the Stockyards, have lunch or dinner at Joe T. Garcia’s, a Fort Worth staple since 1935 that’s known for its amazing patio filled with tables, fountains, archways, statues and plants as much as it is for its salsa and fajitas.

For more information, visit www. fortworth.com. v Deborah Dove is a freelance writer from Allen.

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YOUTH seen

Making Sparks Fly!

by Simon VALENTIN

The zzzt, zzzt, zzzt of an electrical current crackles through the shop at Allen High School and a noon-sunbright-light illuminates a welder hunkered over precision cut metal as he melds two pieces of steel—temperatures reaching a scorching 14,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The young craftsman flips his helmet back, wipes his brow and admires the smooth seam he created. Two years ago, Nick Stramel got this satisfaction on the field, his post high school dream was football fed. He was a talented right guard for Allen High School’s nationally recognized football team but, the six-foot-four kid with constantly tousled brown hair shot up three inches and lost thirty pounds over the summer, rewriting his post high school story.

“You can’t play football at 190 pounds when you were 220,” says his dad Patrick Stramel. “He’s been a hands-on guy since he was a kid, so that was always his plan B.” As a junior and member of FFA (an organization for kids interested in agriculture and leadership) he dabbled in carpentry, creating furniture that family-friends snapped up as soon as they saw it.

“He made an eight-foot-long Texas-themed table, I posted it online and one of my friends immediately wanted it,” says mom Kellie Stramel.

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Nick created more pieces, entered them in competitions, started winning ribbons and getting noticed. He was leaving a competition when he spotted a sixteen-foot-metal trailer sitting out front, something big enough to haul an apartment load of goodies across town.

He turned to his mom and said, “That’s what I’m making senior project, I’m going big or I’m going home.”

A bold statement since the only metal work Nick had done up to that point was popping the top of a can of soda. This would require designing a trailer, picking out metal, tires, the wood for the bed, and the electrical system for brake lights. Buying materials out of his-own pocket was one thing. Building it was entirely different.

This wasn’t a table held together by bolts and wood glue, it would be a ton of welded steel rolling down the freeway carrying weight equivalent to a fully loaded SUV. “I was apprehensive,” Kellie says. “The trailer was huge, but with Mr. Brill’s help (the Agricultural Science Instructor) and the high school, it became possible.”

Nick’s initial attempts at building weren’t aweinspiring. “My first tries at welding were terrible, it was hard, those welds were ugly,” Nick says.

He knew he needed training. Without proper guidance, in addition to being less than aesthetically

pleasing, this project could be incredibly dangerous. Allen High School’s Agriculture Science program taught him how to handle the high temperatures, UV radiation and blinding light created when welding.

“You have to have a shielded welding helmet to protect your eyes and face, a welding cap to keep the sparks out of your hair—it will burn your hair out. You need leather gloves and safety goggles.”

Armed with that knowledge, he rechanneled his gridiron-drive into metalworking.

“I was impressed, it’s hard to find a senior willing to put in the hours and attention to detail this requires,” says Agriculture Science teacher Grant Brill. “Cut one corner in the beginning and it haunts you at the end.”

Attention to detail meant having exact measurements. If they were off a quarter of an inch at the front, sixteen feet later, it would be off by inches.

“The trailer would ride down the road sideways, a danger to everyone,” says Grant.

Nick spent more than 200 hours

turning a pile of iron into a showpiece that’s not only rides flawlessly, but is dressed up with everything from diamond plate to silhouettes of the state of Texas.

“It took me a solid two and a half months. I spent every day after school, all my weekends and time during the summer working on it,” he says. “This will last at least ten years if it’s taken care of.”

Grant says he’s never seen a student create something this amazing.

“It’s built so well, I’ve comfortably pulled it down the freeway at sixty miles-per-hour.”

Once the senior finished his project and started winning competitions, including at the Texas State Fair and Ft. Worth Stock Show, he realized something.

“This craftsmanship is a dying art. I’m hoping people my age will see the trailer and want to learn to design, to weld, to create.”

He’s not alone in that hope. Brian Turmail, spokesman for Associated General Contractors of America, sees

the need for craftsmen daily.

“We represent 28,000 firms, from construction companies to high tech, and 78 percent say they’re having a hard time finding qualified workers,” he says.

“A good shop like they have at Allen High School is the exception…and kids like Nick are rare. I’d be surprised if his voice mail doesn’t fill up with job offers.”

That need goes beyond welders, electricians, carpenters and plumbers.

Companies looking to thrive are bringing high tech to the job.

“Virtual design is used more often in construction,” says Tim Willett, senior project manager for a large firm in the Metroplex. “We monitor construction with drones, flying over, mapping, comparing drone radar images to computer generated models to see if everything is where it should be,” he says. “These gamer kids can make a great living in virtual design, virtual monitoring with technology like drones.”

Although Nick will be a certified welder at graduation, his plans include college, since he hopes to oversee jobs like the ones Tim Willett runs.

His family knows he’ll succeed.

“He has drive and desire— something you can’t buy at Walmart.

It comes from here,” his proud dad says, tapping his chest.

After Kellie hears about the need for techies, she has a mom moment and an idea is born. “One of his brothers has drone knowledge; Nick has building knowledge…maybe a family business?!”

Looks like the end of a football dream may be the start of new story for the Stramel family. v Simon Valentin is a freelance writer from Allen.

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kids korner

May Festivals

by Deborah DOVE Thanks to balmy weather, you can enjoy a family-friendly festival just about any weekend in May with music, kid’s activities, special events, and more.

May Fest

Allen Arts Festival

Trinity Park, 2401 University Drive, Fort Worth, www.mayfest.org This four-day festival, May 3-6, held along the banks of the Trinity River in Fort Worth in the Fort Worth Cultural District, is the biggest family-friendly party in Fort Worth. Activities include live music, festival food, carnival rides, performing arts, pet adoptions, more than sixty Art and Gift Market vendors, free children’s activities, paddle boating on the river, rock climbing, ziplining, bounce houses, stilt walkers, a sand pile, face painting, retriever dogs performing their mad skills, a human maze and a student art contest. There’s also a playground where the kids can play while mom and dad chill out and enjoy an ice-cold beverage while listening to the music on the main stage. Cost is $8/adults 13+; $5/ kids ages 3-12, and $25/family of 5 (Admission is free on Thursday).

Watters Creek This family friendly arts festival, May 11-13, features juried work from artists from all over the country, as well as live music, dance, and kid’s creation stations in front of Bonnie Ruth restaurant, Frogg’s Café and on the Green.

Cottonwood Art Festival Cottonwood Park, 1321 W. Beltline Road, Richardson, www. cottonwoodartfestival.com Attending the spring version of this semi-annual juried art show, May 5-6, is like going to an outdoor art museum, but with live music, food, and spirits. Over 240 artists exhibit their museumquality work at the festival in the following categories: 2D Mixed Media, 3D Mixed Media, Ceramics, Digital, Drawings/Pastels, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, Metalwork, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Wood. There’s also a special art corner just for kids, where pint-size Picassos can enjoy a wide array of art and craft activities such as creating a sculpture hat from scrap, designing a masterpiece in plaster, adding to an enormous collage or practicing their hand at sculpting clay on a real potter’s wheel.

Plano Kiwanis Butterfly Festival Shops at Willow Bend, 6121 W. Park Blvd., Plano, www. greaterplanokiwanis.org On May 4-13, visitors can walk through an 800-foot mesh tent filled with green foliage, water fountains, and butterfly feeders and observe butterflies in a natural setting. Kids can learn about the character of butterflies and their life cycle and ecosystem, while the butterflies often land on their heads or clothes (they’re especially drawn to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple). They’ll also get to feed a butterfly, and possibly see a butterfly hatch from its chrysalis.

Butterfly novelties are also for sale. Cost is $6/adults and $5/ children.

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Scarborough Renaissance Festival 2511 FM 66, Waxahachie, Texas, www.srfestival.com Through May 28, step back in time to the 16th century when King Henry VII ruled England with festival food from the time period, costumed characters, games, medieval rides (plus camel and elephant rides), demonstrations (glasswork, blacksmith, pottery and more), shopping, attractions (such as the Dungeon of Yorkshire Tower, Mermaid Lagoon, and the Mythical Monster Museum), a children’s knighting ceremony each day 4 pm, full combat jousting, and twenty-seven stages with live shows and performances. Be sure and check out the fire whip show and birds of prey shows! Cost is $28/adults, $13/children ages 5-12.

Main Street Days Grapevine Historic Downtown Grapevine, www.grapevinetexasusa.com/ main-street-fest This three-day family festival, May 18-20, coincides with American Craft Brew Week, making it a win-win for parents and kids. Mom and Dad can experience 75 craft brews from 36 breweries as well as wine, kids will enjoy the Kid Zone with exciting activities and shows, as well as the carnival and midway, and the whole family can sample festival food and listen to live music on three stages.

Cost is $7/adults, $5/kids 6-12, and kids 5 and under are free

DFW Dragon Boat, Kite and Lantern Festival Lake Carolyn, Irving, Texas, www.dfwdragonboatfestival.com This annual one-day event, Sunday, May 21, from 8:30 am-6 pm, has become one of the largest events focusing on raising diversity awareness in the Southwest. Activities include dragon boat racing, three kite making classes and a kite flying competition, Asian culture demonstrations and cultural performances, traditional ethnic food, gondola cruises, a classic rock band, a parade, children’s activities and more. v

education

From Start to Finish Students Achieve Educational Goals on Collin College Campuses

by Heather DARROW

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I

mages of 9/11 made an indelible impression in the mind of 11-year-old Sean Cummings. Determined to serve his country, he graduated from high school and joined the military as an Airman First Class, a member of Security Forces. He suffered physical trauma, was honorably discharged and was bereft of direction.

Cummings wanted to help others, but he wasn’t sure how to do it. He used his military benefits to return to Collin College, where he took classes as a high school student. He began to serve again as the college’s Student Veteran of America Association’s historian and treasurer.

When he realized that he was not the only veteran who felt lost, he helped his fellow soldiers navigate registration, taking the time to walk them to the correct offices to start their college careers. In retrospect, Cummings might say his initial efforts were a reflection of his future career, though at the time he still felt aimless.

“I saw counselors that I couldn’t relate to,” Cummings said. “Finally, I met a veteran who became a counselor. He was able to translate what everyone was telling me in military language. It wasn’t sugar coated. It was raw and to the point.

‘This is what happens to your brain on war. You understand this was done. Now, you have to change what you are doing.’ On Tuesday, October 22, 2013, I found my purpose in life.

That counselor gave me the ability to grow from the trauma, so I could give that gift to another veteran,” said Cummings, who knew that day that he would become a counselor.

One day in class, he saw a flyer about university courses offered at the Collin Higher Education Center (CHEC) in McKinney. It was the perfect solution.

He could take classes at CHEC and online and earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s

degree in counseling from Texas A&M-Commerce (TAMU-C).

“I didn’t have to move or drive an hour for classes, and I could stay with a system I was familiar with.

Taking university classes at CHEC not only saves me gas money, but it also saves wear and tear on my vehicle and the frustration of traffic,” he said.

Cummings says the process was easy.

“I haven’t been to TAMU-C yet. I got information online and met with a TAMU-C advisor at CHEC. It was nice to address the whole university in just one person.”

Cummings adds there is a flow to his classes because he has some of the same professors, and he even has a cohort of students who share notes and support each other because they are earning the same degree.

“I am very glad to have this amazing opportunity. I would definitely recommend it. Come to CHEC. Don’t drive any further. Take

classes with people you know semester after semester.”

University classes close to home According to Dr. Don Weasenforth, Collin College associate provost of instruction, students can earn a variety of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Collin College’s five university partners: TAMU-C, Texas Woman’s University, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of North Texas and Texas Tech University.

“Our five CHEC university partners offer a total of 11 complete baccalaureate programs at the college’s beautiful Collin Higher Education Center,” Weasenforth said.

“With its location at the intersection of Sam Rayburn (121) and Central Expressway (75), the center brings these programs within easy reach of Collin County residents.”

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Checking off the degrees one by one Princeton elementary school teacher Kellie Hunter describes CHEC as a hub.

“If you want to take classes from area universities, you don’t have to drive far. It is an hour from my house

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to TAMU-C, but it is only a 15-minute drive to CHEC. When people ask me where I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I tell them I went to A&M Commerce, but took classes at CHEC.” Hunter comes from a long line of teachers. Her grandmother taught elementary school students for 25 years, her mother taught high school home economics for 35 years, and her

father taught middle school English for 16 years. However, Hunter will be the first person to tell you that it took her a while to reach her goal.

A wife and mother of two, Hunter was working when she began taking Collin College night classes.

She earned an associate of arts degree from the college in 2011.

“I felt well prepared for my bachelor’s classes. I had to pay for my education, and the tuition at Collin College was great. My professors didn’t treat me any differently than if I were a student straight out of high school. I could go to them with any questions.”

Hunter took classes online and also attended classes at CHEC to earn two degrees from TAMU-C: a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with an early childhood education focus, coupled with an ESL certification, in 2013 and a master’s of education degree in reading in 2017.

“All the professors at CHEC were wonderful to work with. It is difficult being a mom, a wife, working, doing all the sports stuff, but you can do it.

I had a lot of support. At first, I took one class and then another and built up to two or three courses at a time,” she said.

For Hunter, the end result was worth every minute she spent studying.

“I have students who start the year saying, ‘I can’t read,’ and half way through the year they tell me, ‘I just read that by myself,’ and I say, ‘Yeah, you did.’ I love seeing their faces, watching them realize that they are successful in something that is very difficult for a five-year-old to do.”

For more information about CHEC, visit http://www.collin.edu/ chec/or call 972.599.3100. v Heather Darrow is a public relations writer at Collin College.

Photos by Nick Young, Collin College photographer.

Park Mural Encourages Collaboration

by David HICKS

Jon David De Leon walks through the art classroom and passes rows of tables splattered with drops of colorful paint. He stops at each table to watch the fourth-grade students carefully draw images on large sheets of manila paper.

“Good, that’s good,” De Leon says as he inspects the students’ artwork that features peace signs, food, animals and plenty of Allen Eagles logos. De Leon offers suggestions and help as needed, all the while soaking in the images that will soon be the inspiration for a mural in the City of Allen’s newest public park.

De Leon is a professional artist partnering with the Allen Public Art Committee to create a mural at Windridge Park, located in the southern part of the city at the corner of Hanover Drive and Cambridge Drive. The park is brand new and scheduled to officially open on May 4. It’s referred to as a “pocket park” because of its small geographical footprint. Many of the park’s amenities were inspired by comments from local residents.

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“Before we built the park, we hosted a temporary pop-up park in that location with crafts and games, and we received a lot of feedback from the kids and parents,” said Laura Cuellar, Park Planner for the City of Allen’s Parks and Recreation Department. “For example, we didn’t have plans for a basketball court but decided to add it because of the overwhelming feedback we received.”

Another feature in Windridge Park is a 75-foot-long concrete seating wall that is only three feet tall. Parks and Rec wanted to add a splash of color to the grey, concrete wall, while also hoping that artwork would help deter graffiti. Parks and Rec pitched the idea to the Allen Public Art Committee and the art teachers at Allen High School and Boyd Elementary School (Windridge Park is located in Boyd’s attendance zone). Soon after, a selection committee narrowed a list of mural artists down to De Leon.

De Leon lives in San Antonio but spent his youth in California learning about art by tagging walls and buildings with graffiti. He continued

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to hone his spray paint art on concrete canvases until he was approached by a nonprofit organization that supported inner-city youth. Someone told De Leon that he could transition from graffiti into making money by becoming a professional artist, and suddenly, he was on a new path.

“This organization taught me how to silkscreen and how to get my own designs on clothing,” De Leon says while pointing to the selfdesigned T-shirt he’s wearing. “They taught me how to airbrush, and soon I was able to start my own company.”

De Leon returned to San Antonio and partnered with the community to begin painting murals on the walls of gas stations and liquor stores, most of which were located in high-crime areas. He says the goal of his murals is “all about beautification and creating something that the community can be proud of.”

An integral part of the Windridge Park project was receiving student feedback for the images, symbols and colors that would be incorporated on the mural. De Leon spent a week

visiting the art classes at Allen High School and Boyd to learn what the students actually wanted to see represented at the park. Jen Robinson, Support Specialist for the City of Allen Parks and Recreation Department and liaison to the Allen Public Art Committee, said that it only made sense to gather feedback for the mural since most of the park’s other features had been driven by the community’s response.

“The community input is special because the students who live here are truly the ones who know this city,” De Leon said. “They have a unique perspective and catch a lot of things that adults might miss, so their feedback is important.”

Parks and Rec wanted to include feedback from both elementary and high school students to capture a wide range of ages and artistic skill levels in the process. Robinson noted that part of the reason the committee chose De Leon was because of his previous work with students in San Antonio. Tracy Henderson, an art teacher at Boyd Elementary, said it was evident from the start that De Leon felt comfortable in front of a classroom full of students.

“Jon David De Leon has worked with students from all different backgrounds before, and he really knew how to talk to the children and interact with them,” Henderson said.

“He was soft spoken, but still kept the students interested. He has a warm spirit about him, and the kids picked up on that.”

The students provided De Leon with plenty of inspirational drawings which included symbols of positive affirmation and words like peace, love and joy. De Leon gathered the feedback and returned to his San Antonio studio to develop the ideas and create a proposal for Parks and Rec. Upon receiving final approval, De Leon will complete the mural in mid-April, just in time for the park’s dedication in May. The artwork will be completed

using a paintbrush and airbrush and finished with a clear top coat to help preserve the mural. Henderson says that she wants her students to be able to enjoy the park and its artwork now and in the future.

“You can already tell these students have ownership in this

project, and I hope they spend lots of time playing at the park over the summer,” Henderson said. “I want them to feel a connection to this park and this neighborhood, and I hope in the future they bring their own kids to the park and show them what they helped create.”

With the vision of the students combined with De Leon’s artistic ability, Windridge Park is sure to be a cherished space in Allen for many years to come. v David Hicks is the Director of Communications for Allen ISD.

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feature

Spring on the

North Texas

Wine Trail

by Deborah DOVE

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While the thought of vineyards, winery tours and leisurely afternoons spent sipping chardonnay and red blends on a sun-drenching patio brings to mind Napa Valley, Texas is, in fact, the fifth largest grape-growing state in America. And, while most people associate Texas wine with the Texas Hill Country, North Texas is quickly becoming a wine destination, with almost a dozen wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms in the area.

In fact, the McKinney area and surrounding vicinity—from Celina and Aubrey to the west and Greenville to the east—has become so well known for its wineries that there are several wine tours devoted to the area.

The Texas Winos—a group that puts together wine tours across Texas—hosts a Celina/McKinney winery tour several times each month that includes a full day tasting fifteen to eighteen wines at three local wineries. The cost (typically around $150 per person) includes transportation, lunch, an exclusive educational tour of the facilities at three local wineries and the opportunity to meet at least one owner and winemaker.

Another organization, the Dallas Town and Country Wine Trail—one of the largest wine trails in North Texas—

consists of wineries in both urban and country settings that have joined together to offer fun and unique wine tasting experiences. The perfect outing for a weekend drive, wine trails allow you the opportunity experience multiple wineries in a day or a weekend at your own pace and leisure.

Spring is the perfect time to explore the wineries of north Texas, whether you participate in an organized wine trail event, visit one for the afternoon or grab a few friends or your significant other and make a day of it. A friend and I decided to conduct our own wine trail and visit as many as we could on one sunny spring afternoon. While the North Dallas Wine Trail consists of eight wineries, we focused on the three closest to home in McKinney.

Lone Star Wine Cellars In their location in downtown McKinney, we were fortunate to meet Sue, one of the bartenders, who was a treasure trove of fascinating information and made us feel right at home. Lone Star’s downtown McKinney location is the only place to buy the wine that is produced by third generation vintner Ron Ross and his wife, Deanna, at their 100-acre ranch in Whitewright.

In addition to the winery, the Triple ‘R” Ranch is home to a diversity of wildlife. In fact, most of Lone Star’s wines are named after animals on the ranch. I enjoyed tasting “Drinkin’ Buddy,” a red blend named after one of the ranch’s dogs, and “Percy’s Rescue Red,” named after a rescue horse named Percy, who is a direct descendant of Secretariat.

Located in the historic Ritz building, which was once an old theatre, Lone Star Cellars even has its own ghosts—two men and a woman who occasionally make appearances at the wine bar. “I once ran into the woman in the ladies’ room,” says Sue. “I heard a woman talking as I walked

in and then a toilet flushed. But, there was no one in there but me.”

Lone Star features live music Friday through Sunday, and guests are welcome to order take-out from any of the numerous restaurants on the square and bring it to Lone Star to enjoy with wine and music. However, one of the coolest things about Lone Star is their wine club. Members enjoy a free glass of wine per visit, six wine shipments per year (you can choose all reds, all whites or a mix), and an invitation to member-only events such as a Valentine’s Day wine pairing dinner with a worldrenowned chef.

Also, there are pick-up parties every two months where members can enjoy food from a local restaurant like Cadillac Pizza or Patina Green for $7.50, taste the wine club releases, enjoy live music and pick up their wine shipment. And, once a year, members are invited to the Triple ‘R’ Ranch to create the next year’s red blend. Each table creates their own unique blend, which is submitted for judging while they explore the ranch on ATVs and have lunch. After lunch, the members vote on the final three, and the winner becomes the next year’s blend.

Landon Winery From Lone Star Cellars, Landon Winery is a mere two-minute walk away. One of the largest Texas wineries, it makes all its own awardwinning wine from grapes sourced from west Texas. While the winemaking operation used to be housed at the McKinney location, they outgrew the space and now operate out of the winery’s Greenville, Texas, location. There, guests can take the two-hour barrel tours and tastings hosted by a winemaker every Saturday at 2 p.m. for $25 per person.

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and live music. In fact, the winery offers live music every Friday and Saturday. And, on Wine Down Wednesdays, guests enjoy half-priced bottles (for on-site consumption only) all day long.

We opted for the tasting, which includes five different wines for $10,

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or $15 if you’d like to keep the wine glass with Landon’s logo on it as a souvenir. Unlike most wineries, which offer a relatively small selection of wines to choose from, you can choose from any of the twentyeight varietals produced by Landon. I loved this option because it gave me the opportunity to try Landon’s Signature 2012—a Bordeaux blend that I usually wouldn’t spring for at $25 per glass.

Operating on the honor system, you choose your wine one glass at a time and return to the bar when you’re ready for your next taste. After learning that reds are my favorite, the knowledgeable bartender guided me through my choices, starting with a

light Pinot Noir, followed by the customer favorite, Texan, and the bartender’s favorite, the 5 Barrel Blend—a tasty rich red blend with soft tannins.

Mitas Hill Mitas Hill is located about eighteen miles north of Allen at the edge of McKinney and Melissa. As soon as we turned onto the small paved road leading to the vineyard, it immediately felt like we were miles away from the hustle and bustle of civilization. Rolling hills, a gazebo, trees and row after row of vineyards dotted the scenic and winding drive to the main building of the winery.

The winery itself is perched atop a hill, offering a panoramic view of the vineyards, orchards and gardens.

It is a sprawling 15,000-square-foot building with a wine bar, restaurant, an opulent-looking ballroom for parties and larger events and suites for bridal parties.

The restaurant offers a sampling of wine bites (everything from olives and antipasto boards to mussels and macaroni and cheese), as well as salads, a few choice entrees (such as locally sourced Wagyu beef filet and chicken parmesan) and wood-fired pizza, plus weekend brunch. And, of course, there’s plenty wine—cabernet sauvignon, syrah, zinfandel, tempranillo, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, bohemian blush and black

gypsy—all made on site from grapes grown at Mitas Hill except for the two whites, which are from Ste. Genevieve.

Guests can purchase a flight of any four wine samples (excluding reserves) for $10, or do a tasting and tour on Saturdays and Sundays at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. for $20. The tour starts with a tasting—including an explanation and background information about each wine— followed by a tour of the cellar where the wine is made and stored in French Oak barrels.

Built underground in the side of the hill with the stonewall still exposed, the winery is a cool respite on a warm day. Here, guests get a glimpse of the entire wine-making process, from de-stemming the grapes after harvest to seeing the machine press that separates the seeds, skins and solid materials, leaving only the juice. Afterwards, guests board the “gypsy wagon” for a drive-around

tour of the twenty-something picturesque acres of vineyard with 10,000 vines. Tour participants also get $10 off a bottle purchase.

Undoubtedly, the best place to enjoy a glass of wine is on the veranda, which overlooks the vineyards below.

According to Sue Mitas, who owns the vineyard and winery with her husband Harold, the growing season in Texas is short due to the heat. That is why they grow Spanish varietal grapes, which thrive in a similar environment. They prune the vines in March and harvest in August.

“There are no additives in our wine,” she says. “What you get is what comes from the grape.” v Deborah Dove is a freelance writer from Allen.

Resources www.texaswinos.com www.texaswineandtrail.com www.mitashill.com www.landonwinery.com www.lonestarwinecellars.com

Allen Image | May 2018

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pet page

“Smokey” Meet Smokey, an approximately one- to twoyear-old chocolate Lab/Stafford mix. He loves to make his foster people happy and wants to be with them all the time! He gets along great with other large breed dogs in his foster home and loves playing with the kids, which are ages 12 to 16.

Smokey is a great dog. He goes into his kennel without any problems and sometimes on his own just to take a nap and he is potty trained to go outside.

He does well on a leash and is currently working on basic commands. He is very gentle and calm for his age. Some lucky family is going to get an absolute great dog with Smokey!

He has been neutered, brought current on his vaccinations, microchipped and is heartworm negative. All he needs now is a forever home to call his own.

Complete an application today at http:// legacyhumanesociety.org/adoptfoster/ adoption-application/. v

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