Publisher
Kyla Obert
Editor
Patti Otte
Ad Sales
Mike Obert
Designer
Open Look Business Solutions
Contributors
I’ve loved the written word since I was a little girl—probably six or seven years of age—writing stories in the privacy of my room in Hereford, Texas. I don’t remember what content I created but still recall the exciting feeling of writing something new from my imagination. This issue of Canyon Creek Life marks the one-year anniversary of my return to writing and I am so happy to be a storyteller again.
What fun it has been sharing your lives and meeting new people throughout the neighborhood. You are all so interesting, as are your pets, your businesses and our collective neighborhood events. I no longer need to manufacture stories…instead, I get to tell yours! Please keep sending your ideas and your nominations. And please continue to support the advertisers who help make this magazine a reality. We are so very grateful for them.
Speaking of gratitude, I am thankful for Susan Kassen, Warren Caldwell, Doris Benner and a multitude of neighborhood volunteers who made the annual Fourth of July parade and party a reality. The floats, golf carts, bikes and buggies get more and more creative each year. We couldn’t include all the pictures of the parade—we have more than 600!—but tried to select a broad range of photos to celebrate the day. We hope you enjoy them.
A special thanks to CCHOA board member Gabe Meadows, who makes sure that your hard work in creating and maintaining lovely landscapes is recognized through the CCHOA Yard of the Quarter program. Due to an oversight on our end, we didn’t include the second quarter winners in our last issue. So we’re including both the second and third quarter recipients today.
Also in this issue is our family spotlight, which focuses on the festive and entertaining O’Malleys. Mark, Kelly and Audrey have lived in Canyon Creek for more than twenty years and are such fun to know! As an added bonus, Mark shares some great grilling recipes and tips with us. You’ll meet CC the Torbie, a beloved rescue cat, and learn about three talented childhood friends who share a love of both jiu jitsu and the violin. And Blush Nails in II Creeks is our business of the month.
Take note of how many photo credits go to one Reed Granger. Reed, a rising sophomore photography and political science major at Syracuse University, reached out to me after reading our sister publication, Richardson Life Magazine, asking if we needed some help with photos this summer. Reed’s talent has elevated our August issue and we are super grateful.
Hopefully the heat will have abated by our October publication and we’ll see each other out on walks or hanging out in the neighborhood somewhere. Until then, enjoy your air conditioning and sending your kids back to school.
All the best, Patti
Wilson Allen, Lisa Parelli-Monaghan, Angela Green, Ryan Amerson, Warren Caldwell, Gabe Meadows and Patti Otte
Photographer Reed Granger
Special Thanks
Kyla Cotterrell, Mandy Pathak, Janet Kafka, Mark, Kelly and Audrey O’Malley, Susan Kassen, Linh Vuong, Vivian Nguyen and Kevin Lee
For Advertising Questions, please email mobert@hylogroup.com
For Editoral Requests, please email nominations@hylogroup.com
HyperLocal Media
224 W Campbell Rd, STE 428 Richardson, TX 75080
Managing Partners
Mike and Kyla Obert
time. Our neighborhood never disappoints with all its wildlife, which she cackles at in a very enthusiastic one-way conversation. Her toy basket is filled to the brim and she’ll dig deep for her favorite catnip banana and drag it all over the house. She is super happy when her humans are home and we hang out on HER couch. CC loves when I read a book in a comfy chair—she is a master “cushion-shmusher” when she shares my chair.
One unique thing about this girl is her tipped ear. Ear-tipping is typically the universally accepted way to tell whether a cat has been neutered or spayed as part of a TNR (trap-neuter-release) program. We have no idea what her back story was before she ended up at a shelter and was then rescued by TMHPR, but the ear tip may provide some ideas.
How long have you lived in Canyon Creek and what do you love about living here?
What is your name and your cat’s name?
My name is Janet Kafka and my cat is CC, who’s a torbie mix: a little bit tabby, a little bit tortoiseshell. She’s a beautiful combination of colors—black, orange, brown, whitish beige around her eyes and white on her chin. She has perfectly “applied” eyeliner which I am rather envious of!
How did CC become a member of your family?
We adopted her from Take Me Home Pet Rescue (TMHPR). Our elderly cat had passed away and the house was empty without a loving feline around, so I did a quick internet search to see if a cat “called” to me. I stumbled on her glamour shot with a pink rose and a fancy pearl necklace and she got my attention. I read her profile and decided we needed to meet. Felt a bit like online dating…I swiped right!
It turned out that CC (her name was Speckles back then) was at her foster’s home just a few blocks away from mine. CC had been rescued from a local animal shelter
by
Elise Bissell, founder of TMHPR, just in the nick of time. Our meeting went very well. Of course, first we had to locate CC, who had hidden in a cabinet in her foster room! She was adopted on the spot—it was destiny!
Her name changed from Speckles to CC a few days after moving in with us since she had a whole lot to say and was very opinionated about, well, everything. CC is short for Chatty Catty. And to this day, many years later, we engage in much lively conversation.
Tell us about CC: fun tricks, unique talents, quirky personality, etc. Where do I start?! She’s never met a windowsill she doesn’t love and follows the sun all day long as it streams into the house. She loves YouTube squirrel and bird videos on the iPad and the Amazon Prime subscription allows for wildlife videos on the big screen. She tries to touch the critters with her paw and it turns out she is a lefty.
CC is an indoor cat, so real-time cat watching from a window is a favorite pas -
We recently celebrated twenty years in this neighborhood. We love so many things: the mature trees, Prairie Creek Park, II Creeks and the local restaurants. And the residents. Lots of care for our neighborhood. I am fortunate to have great neighbors who have become cherished friends.
Please share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek. I have a great porch and truly enjoy time out there. Several young families have moved in and it’s fun to see the kids playing; we have lots of front lawn conversation and always watch out for each other. I think the other bonus is that a few of us share food. When we cook dinner, we share the delish results. I love to cook and experiment with new recipes, so I have plenty of tasters. I often get a call from my friend next door who sends her “compliments to the chef.”
I am very passionate about animal rescue. If you are thinking about bringing a cat or dog into the family, please visit a local rescue group or shelter. You will not regret adopting a deserving cat or dog. And when you adopt from a rescue or shelter, doing so opens a space for another cat or dog who desperately needs help.
When your kids get home from school, it's often hard to keep them motivated to do their homework. Many distractions exist that can pull them out of their thoughts and onto things they find more fun, such as computer games and television programs.
Some parents use the kitchen island or the kitchen peninsula bar area for their kids to do homework so that they can monitor their progress. Sitting on a bar stool can become uncomfortable for children, though, when they have to sit there for an extended time. Also, you often need this space for other purposes, such as meal preparation.
You can create a specialized area in your home, however, that is comfortable for your children where you can still monitor their work. You simply need to reevaluate the space in your home to find the perfect area. Here are three ideas for study spaces that work:
Under the Stairs —If you have an open staircase with nothing underneath it, this space is ideal for a study area. For a staircase that is walled-up underneath, if you can remove the wall without compromising the structure of your home, you can free up that space for use. Set a long table or desk under
the stairs that will accommodate multiple children at the same time, if the area is large enough. Hang shelving above the desk or table for notebooks, research material and supplies. If possible, also include a set of drawers on both sides to hold pens, pencils, paperclips, rubber bands and other small items. Your children will love this study space, where they can set up their laptops, read, or create art. They're still working in a common area of the house, so you can easily supervise their progress.
Breakfast Nook—If you have a breakfast nook in your kitchen that you don't use very often because the family eats at the bar or in the dining room, consider converting this area into a dedicated study space. A conversion will make better use of that space than having your children work on a table with hard seating and no storage—with all their items strewn everywhere. They'll have a space of their own that won't always need cleaning up to accommodate the family. To start, select wood for a desk that matches your kitchen cabinetry for the best look. Then, don't choose regular rolling chairs. You should choose upholstered Parsons-style chairs. These chairs are comfortable and will look great in your kitchen. Finally, instead of open shelving over the desk area, opt for
closed shelving to keep things looking neat. If designed correctly, the study area will look great in your home. With the children so close while you're working in the kitchen, you can watch what they're doing and not worry about them becoming distracted.
Desk Armoire —Using an armoire is another way to create an efficient study space. An armoire hides all the clutter when not in use and looks like an elegant piece of furniture. You can set it up in your dining room or, if you need more than one, consider placing them in your great room. Select one wall and set an armoire in each corner. Angle the armoires so you can open them up with ease. Between the two armoires, set two desk chairs that your children can roll in front of each armoire when needed. Place a small table between them so it looks like a sitting area when the children aren't studying. Even though the seats will have rollers, if you select chairs with expensive looking leather or fabric that matches your home's style, they will still fit in well with your décor.
Various options exist for study areas in your home where you can watch what your children are doing. You simply need to look for creative solutions that will work for the entire family.
In 1997, Kelly Mitchell was the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding and the bride happened to be marrying Mark O’Malley’s cousin. The wedding set the stage for Mark and Kelly to meet. The two began dating immediately, fell in love, and then married in 2000. That same year the O’Malleys moved to their current home in Canyon Creek.
For two years, Kelly and Mark worked on their house, travelled and enjoyed young married life and in 2002, their daughter Audrey arrived. She attended Plano ISD schools, graduating from PSHS in 2021. She was a member of the Planoettes/Cougarettes drill teams and the FUMCR Journey Youth Choir. Now a junior at University of California Santa Barbara, Audrey is studying physics in an honors program (College of Creative Studies) and doing research this summer for an astrophysics group. She loves to cook for culinarily-challenged college friends or at beach picnics. The O’Malleys’ dog Dipper was adopted from the Dallas Street Dog Advocates (Harry Potter litter).
Kelly and Mark have had two unique professional paths. Mark has worked as an engi-
neering scientist at Raytheon since 2005. He formerly worked for Lockheed Martin developing an autonomous ground vehicle and conducted postdoctoral research at the William B Hanson Center for Space Sciences at UT Dallas, earning his PhD in physics from UTD. Kelly was a social worker who retired in late 2022 after twenty-nine years with Child Protective Investigations (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services), many of those years spent working night shifts triaging after-hours high-risk cases for immediate response and intervention.
They sound serious, but the O’Malleys know how to have fun! They love long road trips across the United States. And Galveston is, according to Kelly, their “gritty family haunt.” Mark has picked up golf again after a twenty-year hiatus and Kelly likes home decor projects and “primitive, seasonal, funky” crafts. They enjoy exploring neighborhood food/drink scenes across the metroplex and communal cooking with friends—both large and small groups. Mark became interested in food by trying to replicate dishes discovered while exploring restaurants with his dad. He believes that an alignment exists between the
processes in cooking and a physicist’s training. When Audrey was in the FUMCR youth group, Mark created scratch meals in the church’s commercial kitchen for the teens.
Mark has two trailered smokers—one fabricated and one gifted. For more than ten years, the O’Malleys have cured and smoked hundreds of pounds of Texas pastrami for neighbors. To accompany it, Mark ferments a traditional, an Italian and a spicy Texas kraut with accompanying sauces. It has become a Christmas tradition to have an “off-the-pit” reuben sandwich gathering. Says Mark, “It’s gratifying to see our pastrami in other families' holiday photos.”
He also loves the creative and logistical challenges of feeding unique meals to large groups
using only live fire. That passion grew from twelve years as campsite chef for Mark and Audrey’s father/daughter camping group. The O’Malleys now have a 12’ x 4’ multi-station live fire grill designed and constructed with friends. This mobile grill has a wood-fired flattop, dual spit-roast, 4’ x 4’ Santa Maria grill, and a warming station. Mark and friends have cooked for three years at the Heritage Farmstead for the Plano FFA, prepared two open-to-the-community Oktoberfest celebrations at Prairie Creek Park, and cooked elaborate meals numerous times in their backyard on Lawndale.
Now that Kelly has retired and Audrey has moved to California, the couple has more
time to devote to the pastrami business they dream of opening, which will be known as RegionsTX. Kelly and Mark are planning to sell their hand-carved pastrami reubens (Texas, Italian and traditional) and handmade sausage at local farmers’ markets. Details will be forthcoming on Instagram @RegionsTX.
CHIMICHURRI - a traditional Argentinian sauce for beef but goes great with anything
• leaves from one bunch of Italian parsley
• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ cup vegetable or olive oil (extra virgin may be too pronounced)
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes (more if desired)
Combine all ingredients in small food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Let sit for two hours (if using immediately, heat vinegar in microwave to mellow the garlic). Makes one cup.
TEXAS BEANS – no-fuss favorite, for self-service throughout the cook
• 1 lb pinto beans
• 1 qt chicken stock
• 1 medium white onion
• 2 jalapeños
• 1 ham hock or smoked turkey neck
• 1 tbsp salt for soaking
• 1 tbsp salt for cooking
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 tsp garlic powder
Mark is known in the neighborhood for his memorable cookouts. We asked him the secret to throwing an awesome backyard barbecue. He replied enthusiastically:
Make your Texas cookout an activity and a show. Enlist your neighbors to manage the fire, grill and sauce. The sizzle, smoke and flames are the show.
• Stretch the cookout using larger cuts of meat and lower temps if needed.
Grilled offerings
Place beans in pot and cover with salted water + 3 inches. Soak overnight. Rinse beans and return to pot. Add stock, onion cut in half, slit jalapeños, ham hock and spices. Add water to cover + 1 inch. Simmer with lid on stovetop, in crockpot, or in 300-degree oven for 1.5 to 2 hours (until tender). Add water if level gets below beans. Serves 16.
Jeff Robinson helping man the grill Galveston trip Fried cheeseI prepare these two mainstays for my cookouts!
Mark
• Know your local butchers. Our most local butchers are Franco and Wylie at Tom Thumb. They will make recommendations, custom cut meats, or special order anything you need.
• You will have friends who want to play with the fire. Hand them some tools.
• Bring your guests to the fire. Serve directly from the grill.
• Stagger the cooking so the food comes off throughout the event.
• Texas music makes a great soundtrack for any grilling.
• A chimichurri sauce will enhance and rescue, if required, any grilled meat.
• Don’t fret over the food. It will be delicious and people are there for the community.
To add a little zing to the sizzle, the O’Malleys enjoy preparing a Ranch Water bar. A traditional Ranch Water cocktail consists of tequila, Topo Chico mineral water, and lime juice. (They like Espolon Blanco. Tequila brand is a personal preference, but Topo Chico is sacrosanct, according to Kelly!) In addition to lime juice, they put out squeeze bottles with grapefruit juice, simple syrup and hibiscus syrup so guests can customize their beverages. Hibiscus syrup is made by seeping strong hibiscus flower tea, available in bulk at Central Market.
The O'Malleys Backyard fun Cookout at Plano's Heritage Farmstead
The Canyon Creek Homeowners Association wishes to thank all participants, spectators, judges, volunteers and the Canyon Creek Country Club for coming out to enjoy an old-fashioned, family-friendly Fourth. While we couldn’t share all 600+ photos from the day, we hope you enjoy reliving the fun times through this special feature.
Our August students of the month are sisters Jia and Mira Pathak and their friend Cora Cotterell. The girls have been best friends since birth and have lived just around the corner from one another in Canyon Creek their entire lives. Jia will be a sixth and Mira a third grader at Great Hearts Online, a virtual classical charter academy, in the fall. They both had previously attended Aldridge Elementary. Cora Cotterell will begin fifth grade at Great Hearts Online. She went to Aldridge Elementary for kindergarten and first grade and was homeschooled for second and third grades.
According to the sisters, “Our dad wanted us to try martial arts and learn how to defend ourselves. We tried a few places until we found Progresso Jiu Jitsu and loved it. We made a lot of friends there. It builds confidence knowing how to defend yourself. Jiu Jitsu is fun because it's good exercise that also makes you think.” The girls also both enjoy music, animals and horseback riding.
Jia and Mira have earned a variety of accolades. The girls once competed in a violin Trophy Festival and received awards. They also both have a collection of medals from Jiu Jitsu tournaments. Mira was the 2022
Season Champion in the Jiu Jitsu World League for her belt and weight category. And Jia excitedly shared that she “won first place for riding the most difficult horse at camp this summer.”
As for school interests, Mira's favorite subject is history because she enjoys learning about the past and Jia's favorite is English Language Arts because she loves writing stories. When asked what they love about living in Canyon Creek, they respond, “The waterfall and all our neighbors!”
Cora Cotterell
Cora was introduced to Progresso Jiu Jitsu by Mira and Jia. She recalls, “I liked it. I think that it builds confidence and grit. Sometimes I get tired of it, but it is important to persevere and learn to defend myself. I have competed in three Jiu Jitsu competitions. In the first two, I didn’t earn any medals, but in the third competition, I earned a silver medal.”
Besides jiu jitsu, Cora loves anything creative and prides herself on her academic success, having received all A’s in fourth grade. Her favorite subject is history because she “likes learning about the people who made our country great and I like learning about people and stories from the past.”
A young lady with a variety of interests, Cora loves archery and has played the violin with Jia and Mira for about six years. She enjoys swimming and likes to read, bake and scroll saw with her dad. But, says Cora, “Most of all, I love horses.” At horse camp this summer, she was one of six campers nominated for camper of the week and was especially happy to receive an award for “best control of the fastest horse at camp.”
When asked about her life in Canyon Creek, Cora replies, “I have lived in Canyon Creek my whole life, and the things I like most about living here are that my neighbors are very nice and that most people help to keep our parks and roads nice. I have six chickens, which I got at the same time as Jia and Mira! I also have two dogs that are very sweet but like to get into our stuff. Jia and Mira are like sisters to me, and I love living near them!”
Winnie the Pooh once said, “We didn’t realize we were making memories; we just knew we were having fun.” It seems as if Jia, Mira and Cora are doing just that as they share their lives together.
Jia, Mira & Cora at Progresso Jiu Jitsu Young violinistsWith tools and resources made for student success, your degree might be closer than you think.
Start
Earn your BSN in as little as 39 months
Our WCU-Texas campus in the Dallas area offers classrooms and labs designed for hands-on learning. Practice your nursing skills using high-fidelity manikins that cry, sweat, and react just like real patients!
Schedule a tour and see the campus for yourself! Get started today at WestCoastUniversity.edu
One-on-one support every step of the way
What is your name and the name of your business?
Hi! We are Linh Vuong, Vivian Nguyen and Kevin Lee and we own Blush.
How long have you been in business?
We have luckily been in business for three years now. We were set to open our doors near the end of October of 2019, but due to construction delays, our opening day was pushed back to March 2020. We opened just a week before the nationwide shutdown.
Tell us about your business (what do you do, where do you do it, etc).
Blush is a nail and lash boutique located in the cutest neighborhood at II Creeks Shopping Center in Canyon Creek. We provide nail services (mani/pedi, gel, dip powder, builder/hard gel, gel x, Russian dry mani, specialized nail art), lash services (lash extensions, lash lifts and lash tint), waxing services, brow lamination and brow tint, and Japanese head spa services.
What inspired you to do what you do?
We have been in the industry for almost two decades. Since being in the industry,
we’ve seen A LOT working for different salons. There were many flaws in the industry that we didn’t like, and it inspired us to hopefully make a change or difference. That’s when we decided to create Blush.
What makes your shop unique among nail salons?
We have a vigorous sanitization protocol in place. We pride ourselves on the cleanliness and quality of our work! We are different because we care about the integrity of our clients’ nails, quality, have excellent customer service, and are always on top of new nail trends. We also use high quality products. We don't offer acrylic with monomer, so our salon is fume-free.
Do you live in Canyon Creek? If so, what brought you here? If not, what made you decide to locate your business in Canyon Creek?
Linh: I do not live in Canyon Creek but have always loved the area. Vivian and I grew up in North Dallas/Plano. While living in
Richardson almost a decade ago, we fell in love with this unique shopping center at II Creeks. Prior to opening Blush, my husband and I were looking for houses in Canyon Creek before we moved to Frisco. We are hoping to find one here in the near future.
Share with us an awesome story of having a business in Canyon Creek. We do love the community that Canyon Creek has! We had a block party a year after we opened (pretty much our delayed grand opening party). We had lion dancing for good luck (in our culture) and we loved how the community of Canyon Creek came out and supported us. It was really memorable for us!
Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about your business or you?
We want our neighbors in Canyon Creek to know that we truly appreciate their support. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. And don’t forget to book your appointments!
We missed the chance to show off Canyon Creek’s best-looking yards for the SECOND QUARTER of the year, so here they are!
This edition’s editorial constraints consign your intrepid correspondent with the mission to prove Shakespeare’s Polonius’ idiom that “brevity is the soul of wit.” Therefore, I shall eschew obfuscation and tally forth!
It was again to my eternal satisfaction to view the legendary Canyon Creek Fourth of July Parade. To judge from the enthusiastic participation, drawing from Canyon Creek’s well of patriotism yields abundant cool, clear water. Watching the kiddos celebrate while becoming inculcated with love of our great Country was balm for the soul and a healer of the division that we will (and must) overcome. Please lend a hearty applause to our Parade Organizer Supreme, the one, the only, the indomitable Susan Kassen!
An example that will further lend substance to the vision described above is young Piper Silverthorne’s t-shirt entry into our annual contest (image below). Beyond merely expanding the geographical borders of our realm into what ZZ Top might sing about with the line “I’m Nationwide,” the beauty
of her design lies within the frank perfection of its simplicity. She has knit together the idea that we celebrate locally while simultaneously recognizing that we are a part of a larger union. E pluribus unum is (minted on) the coin of the realm after all. Thank you, Piper!
There are (many) other places where one can consume thoughts and words of toxicity and negativity that decry what we have all collectively built, but it will be evidence of a very bad day if you ever read such things in this column. Here we prefer to chronicle deep thoughts, expressive ideas and heroic deeds that tighten the weave of the fabric of our Community.
Frodo: “What are we holding on to, Sam?”
Sam: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
Canyon Creek, we got this. We wouldn’t be the same without YOU!
Warren Caldwell Canyon Creek HOA President
The insurance industry is witnessing a steady rise in premiums across various sectors, leaving consumers wondering about the reasons behind this trend. Several factors contribute to the increasing costs:
Natural Disasters —More frequent and severe natural disasters due to climate change lead to substantial financial losses for insurers. To manage the heightened risk, premiums are raised.
Advancements in technology and medical care raise healthcare and property insurance costs as treatments and repairs become more expensive.
Inflation and Economic Conditions
Rising living costs impact all industries, including insurance, necessitating premium adjustments to cover expenses and claims.
Shifting Demographics —An aging population drives up the demand for healthcare services and life insurance, increasing premiums.
Regulatory Changes and Market Conditions —Stricter regulations may require enhanced coverage, leading to higher premiums. Economic fluctuations can also impact insurers' investments, prompting them to raise premiums.
Underwriting Challenges —Uncertainty in assessing emerging risks prompts insurers to raise premiums to safeguard against potential losses.
As these influences continue to shape the insurance landscape, consumers should expect the likelihood of continued premium increases. It remains crucial for policyholders to shop around for competitive rates and understand the factors impacting their insurance costs.
Information above was obtained from NTREIS. Properties were listed and/or sold by many Brokers between 6/1/23 - 7/18/23.
