PROSPERTIMES Friday September 1, 2017 | Prosper, Texas
VOL. 1 | NO. 18
WeAreProsper.com | $1.00
Prosper Prosper Gets New Fire Chief as Tucker retires Profiles Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.Com
Meet Gina Kern
Joyce Godwin
Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.Com
Gina Kern has lived in Prosper more than four years and has done a great job getting plugged into the community. Often her volunteer work is a family affair with husband Chris and three children. Most recently the family was seen at the Cornerstone back-to-school event helping youngsters get the right shoes and more for the new school year. When asked about her volunteer work she says, “Cornerstone is one of our big ones.” They also volunteer as a family to help during Cornerstone Christmas. Though volunteer work is important to Gina, she says she’s learned over the years to be judicious with her time. It’s easy to get overloaded and when you’re trying to do too much, no one is happy. But, she says volunteer work is really important to her and she feels giving back to the community is something everyone should do if they can. Gina has a job she loves with Coram Deo Academy, a Classical Christian School, where she handles the curriculum on the district level. She said she’s happy to be able to serve the Prosper Historical Society as treasurer and to volunteer at their church at Trinity Presbyterian where they have attended for 16 years. “Our family really enjoys putting out the flags for Rotary. Our kids really love doing that,” she said. Before living in Prosper, the Kerns lived in Frisco for about 12 years. Gina said they always loved Prosper and spent several years driving around Prosper on weekends just looking at areas they thought they’d like. But things finally lined up for the Kerns to move to Prosper in 2013. “This is the area we’ve wanted to live in since moving to Texas,” she said. They lived in Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Texas. Atlanta is where Chris grew up, but Gina grew up in Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from high school at St. Gertrudes in Richmond, an all-girls Catholic school. “So, I grew up Catholic but changed to Presbyterian later,” Gina said. She attended college at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. The Kern’s three children are Elizabeth, 16, Ethan, 13, and Caroline, 10. “We have two, old, geriatric poodles and then we have a Schnauzer, kind of the baby, and Caroline, for her birthday, got a hedgehog,” Gina said. The hedgehog is really cute and just a baby. “She makes this weird noise when she is scared and then she goes into a ball.” When asked about hobbies, Gina said she didn’t have time for such because they do so much with their children. But after having some time to think about that question, she clarified her answer a bit. “I spend my time (and love it) See KERN, page4
It’s all smiles around the fire house now after hearing the news of a new fire chief for Prosper. The smiles come after a sadness following longtime Fire Chief Ronnie Tucker’s announcement of his impending retirement (August 31). Applications were sought and people had to be interviewed to be sure the very best possible person was taking over the top chief spot at the Prosper Fire Department. The wait was hard on department members and others as Blasingame received notes and calls of encouragement. Last Friday, the decision was made and announced that Prosper’s own Assistant Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame would take over the top spot effective September 1. Tucker’s leaving has been a source of sadness for department members and the towns’ people alike since he announced his coming retirement earlier in the year. The anticipation of who would take over the top spot has been a source of anxiety for many. But all of that was cleared up on Friday when Town Manager Harlan Jefferson called Blasingame to his office to give him the longawaited news. “The continuity of leadership that Chief Blasingame brings to the department is invaluable,” Jefferson said in a press release. “I expect the department to continue to operate at the same high level that Chief Tucker established. I’m certain that the department will continue to maintain those standards under
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
New Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame has a casual moment Monday next to the fire truck in the fire department bay.
Chief Blasingame.” Chief Tucker was the department’s first compensated Fire Chief after having served among the various volunteer chiefs in the department’s history. He closes out a 42-year career in the fire service, 25 of which were spent with the Prosper Fire Department. Blasingame said after he got the news, he wanted his wife Michelle to be the first person he talked to about it. “I’m sure glad she picked up right away because I’m not sure how long I might have been able to hold onto that news,” he said.
After that, Blasingame posted the announcement on Facebook to which there have been more than 1,000 responses and reactions from well-wishers. Perry Waller, former president of the Prosper Chamber of Commerce wrote “One great man replaced by another great man.” When asked about the new position, Blasingame smiles and says he’s ready. He complimented Tucker’s management style and pointed out that Blasingame has been a part of the decision-making process for several years. He’s ready
now to lead the department because of Tucker’s leadership practices. Chief Blasingame has been a member of the Prosper Fire Department for 15 years, having served as Assistant Fire Chief for the last five years. Prior to his appointment as second in command, he served as Battalion Chief for a year, and Captain for six years. He joined the department in September of 2002 as a firefighter/paramedic after serving in Frisco as battalion chief. He said he took a pay cut to start all over in the Prosper ranks. See BLASINGAME, page 3
Prosper Responds to Needs in South Texas
Joyce Godwin Joyce@ CedarbrookMedia.com Hurricane Harvey’s news making endeavors are getting the attentions of most who pay attention to the news and weather. But a special class of professionals are also paying attention and responding.
Prosper Fire and Rescue deployed Engine 11 and three members of the Prosper Fire Department on Monday morning as part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System Strike Team responding to devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Lieutenant Scott Himes, Driver Engineer Zachary Stringer and Firefighter Paramedic Micky Blain, along with Plano,
Greenville, Lucas, and Princeton Fire Departments met at Station No. 12 in Plano before heading out to assist with disaster and flooding in South Texas. The PFD is asking that people keep these three first responders from Prosper as well as the multitude of other first responders headed to South Texas in the forefront of thoughts and prayers while they are gone. On a Facebook post it was reported that the Town of Prosper has received numerous inquiries about how to help with the damages and victims from Hurricane Harvey. The Fire Department on its Facebook page states that the fastest and easiest way to help right now is through a financial donation to a charity of choice, such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, North Texas Food Bank,
Trusted World, Samaritan’s Purse, as well as others. On August 30th, they also posted this message, “Our firefighters and other members of the strike teams on the TIFMAS [Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System] deployment down south are busy clearing residential structures in the Rockport-Fulton area. Our continued thoughts and prayers go out to all affected and everyone helping the southern portion of Texas.” The caution, for now at least, is to not take items to shelters as they don’t have the staffing or storage in place to support such donations. Anyone interested in volunteering to help should contact the Town of Prosper Emergency Management Coordinator, Kent Bauer, at kent. bauer@prosperfire.com or 469-2074731.
Prosper Rotary Hears from its District Governor Rick Amsberry Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.Com The district governor for Rotary was the guest speaker last week for Prosper Rotary and told the group, “Keep doing what you are doing.” He said the club is small but doing all the right things. Rick Amsberry is District 5810 Governor for the 2017-2018 Rotary Year. He is a CPA and a Certified Global Management Accountant who has operated his own client practice since April 1994. He spoke in Prosper about his own experiences with joining and serving in Rotary and said his biggest attraction was the opportunities he found in community service. “We touch peoples’ lives in little ways that we may never know about,” he said of the service projects in Rotary. Amsberry said he joined the Rotary Club of Park Cities (Dallas) in February 1998 and has served as treasurer, director, and president of the club, and as Trustee for the club’s charitable foundation. At the District level, he has served as district treasurer under four governors and as assistant governor for three years. He is a Paul Harris Society Member, and a Bequest Society Member. “Rotarians are the kind of people you want to have around all the time,” he said of his experiences with the organization. “Our
common interest is a basic desire to give back to the community. I don’t expect anything in return; I want to do it out of gratitude for my own circumstances. We have so many blessings, and if I can help another and give to someone less fortunate, I am happy.” Amsberry quoted Arthur Sheldon from something he said in 1911: “He profits most who serves best.” Amsberry says that is the attitude of Rotary. During the business part of the meeting, club members discussed the flag lease program, scholarships and the Christmas parade which is scheduled for December 3. All money that comes in from any of these programs goes to the scholarship funds and local charities. Some of the local charities supported by the Prosper Rotary Club are: PLA light lunch program; Angel Tree; Bethlehem Place; Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County; Main Gate; Cornerstone; and Shelter Box International. Rotary’s flag lease program involves leasing flags to residents and businesses in Prosper for $50 per year and these funds go to the Prosper Rotary Foundation which is a legitimate write-off for the resident and helps Rotary raise the funds for its charitable efforts. The flags are distributed on five Patriotic Holidays. For more information, or to
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Rotary’s District Governer Rick Amsberry speaking to the Prosper Rotary Club last week on Thursday August 24.
register for this flag service, visit the website at prosperrotary.org/flags. Anyone is welcome to attend a Rotary meeting which is held each
Thursday at noon at the Prosper ISD Administration Building. Look for the Rotary sign outside the door of the west entrance.
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Jill H. Sentlingar DDS • Cara Kessler DDS
BDG Foundation of Hope Top Golf Classic Seeks Sponsors and Players to Benefit Motherless Daughters The BDG Foundation of Hope Top Golf Classic will take place from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. Sunday, November 12 at Top Golf in The Colony. Levels of participation range from a team sponsorship for six players at $500 up to a Presenting Sponsorship for 12 players at $6,000. Players will receive two hours of golf time, food, a chance at a $10,000 Hole-in-One Contest and more. Individual tickets are available at $100 per person. The BDG Foundation of Hope was started in 2016 by six siblings who lost their mother, Bettie Gonzalez, at a young age to cancer. The foundation has provided college scholarships and mentoring to high school recipients with plans to serve and mentor motherless girls 14 years and older throughout Denton and Collin counties. According to Michele Feyen, founder of the BDG Foundation of Hope, “Girls who are motherless, because of death or absenteeism, should not be defined by their circumstances. Through advocacy and financial assistance they can have hope and a future to make their dreams a reality.” Proceeds from the event will benefit the BDG Foundation of Hope for Motherless Daughters. To purchase sponsorships or tickets to The BDG Foundation of Hope Top Golf Classic, go to www.BDGhope.org or call 214-334-6436.
Friday September 1, 2017
Jill H. Sentlingar DDS • Cara Kessler DDS Dr. Jill and Dr. Cara provide customized dental care for your entire family! They are committed to the highest level of dentistry that incorporates the most recent medical advances with time-proven traditional dentistry. From the moment you enter their office, every member of your family will feel like part of the Prosper Family Dentistry family.
Prosper Jill H. Sentlingar DDS • Serving Cara Kessler DDS And Prosper Family The Surrounding Area Since 2004 Owned & Operated 201 N. Preston Rd., Ste. A, Prosper, TX 75078 | ProsperFamilyDentistry.com
972-347-1145
PT IN HIS PRESENCE weeks of very intense work. I have another nephew who drives ambulances in town on an overnight shift. They are first responders and their lives were in danger along with the rest of my family. On Sunday, I awoke and realized that I could not preach the message I had written for my church. I was supposed to talk about “Beauty and the Beast” but my heart really didn’t want to hear “kill the beast” or “Be our guest!” I was filled with anxiety, fear and worry for my family and that was where my heart and mind was. I bet, like many of you, this was your mind too. I began to wonder why, as a pastor, I can walk with people through their storms, but when the storm involves my family, it is different. In some ways, it seems scarier. I feel more out of control and alone. I began to realize, it is in those times that the storms are personal. They affect someone I love and it is at that time, when I feel like I should be able to do something. Does this sound familiar?
PT I n O th e r W o rds
Leslie Scott is the Director for the Prosper Community Library.
Melissa Hatch is senior pastor at The Mission at Prosper United Methodist Church
published on social media. These are just the obvious Prosper Times contributor results one would gather from a simple Google search. And most know that Google is the Right To Be Forgotten mother ship of database results when you It’s a scenario right out of a science want to find out about someone. fiction novel or movie. Huge government In the past several years, if you wanted vs a huge company vs citizen’s rights, something removed from Google history makes for interesting conversation, (or any public record history), a person debate, and contemplation. Currently must prove its falsity or damage and distress the right to be forgotten is playing through a chain of legal protocol. The EU out in the European Union, and more specifically Britain, and and Britain have now made it much easier for the results are being watched their citizens to have information removed closely by those concerned in by a simple request. That’s it, just a simple request to have information removed from the United States. We live in a time where the history of data and it’s gone. Yes, even it’s given knowledge Google. However, the British Library is the that anything you say exception. As the largest archiver in Britain, can be used against you. the library has been made exempt from the It’s also applicable to European Union’s existing General Data any documentation about Protection Regulation and will continue to you which can and may be archive copies of all published materials found and viewed by most anyone (in any format) and the history of the entire via the Internet. The information U.K. web domain. This is a fascinating situation in which about you available varies greatly from your medical records, the law has placed the British Library. property ownership, marital status, They have assigned a mammoth institution, education, or employment history. which truly is the best of the best, as the Special focus is landing on sole entity allowed to preserve and archive anything you or someone else has a nation’s citizen information. The British
Leslie Scott
Library was once a department of the British Library, but in 1972 was detached to become a “Non-Departmental Public Body.” NDPBs, in the UK, are not part of any government department and perform their duties at a distance from acting government officials. So far, Google has complied fully and willingly with the European Court of Justice ruling. One should wonder if the United States may follow in this type of law, making it easier for its citizens to control what is being saved and then retrieved too easily by anyone with even a modicum of research ability. But, and this is the largest difference, the US does not have an entity like the British Library. So who would be allowed to keep at least that one record of you for all time? Will the US, in fact, challenge Google? Are most US citizens complacent regarding the information that’s available about them? Do we really know how easy it is Jill forH.someone Sentlingar DDS • Cara Ke to find out a great deal about us in mere minutes? As mentioned in the first sentence of this column, we are living the science fiction scenarios of what was once thought only fiction. Who would have dreamt that the right to be forgotten would even be the subject of debate and law?
Jill H. Sentlingar DDS
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I began to hear a very real and clear voice. It kept saying, “Oh ye of little faith. Why are you afraid?” The disciples heard Jesus say this when they became afraid during a storm, yet Jesus was calmly sleeping in the stern of the boat. When awakened, he asked them the same question, while calming the storm. I think we all get nervous in any type of storm, literal or figurative. I think we worry that God can’t handle it, or has forgotten or abandoned us. But he hasn’t. God is in the middle of the storm, he was there before it started and he will remain through and after it. He reminds us Not to be Afraid. He is the God who calms the storms and is the God who has promised never to leave or forsake us. In the midst of any storm, may you cling to that truth. May you know that God is with you and will be there for the entire storm. He can be the calm in the midst of the crazy and chaotic if only we trust him.
Prosper Times P.O. Box 405, Prosper, Texas 75078
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BUSINESS OF THE WEEK
Like many of you, I woke up Sunday to horrifying images that filled my Facebook feed and were shown on every news station I turned to. Hurricane Harvey had indeed made landfall and things were progressively moving towards epic proportions. The storm was doing immense damage and hundreds of thousands of people were in very grave danger. Like many of you, I was heartsick for children and adults having to flee their homes and leave behind all their belongings. I could only imagine their fear and grief, and as a mother, I worried how these images would affect these people, especially the children, for their entire lives. And maybe, like many of you, I knew someone who was affected by the storm. My entire immediate family lives near Clearlake and the danger was very real to each of them. I have two nephews who are linemen for Centerpointe Energy and they were called in to begin what will be
Dr. Jill dental c committ incorpor with tim the mo member Prosper
Jill H. Sentlingar DDS • Se Ca Prosper Family 972-347-1145 The Surr Owned & Operated
Hello Dr. CaraRd., and ISte. are proud to be a part ofTX 201everyone! N. Preston A, Prosper, this wonderful community. When I opened this dental practice in 2004, I desired to create a family dental practice that makes everyone feel at home and like part of a family. We use current dental technology to bring the most advanced dental care to each of our patients, just like we would want for our972-347-1145 own family. Whether you need a basic cleaning or have a number of concerns you have been waiting on treatment due to fear or embarrassment, we would love to serve you. Come by and say hi! We would love to welcome you to our family. And we would like to thank the readers of the Prosper Times and PROSPER Magazine for supporting local businesses.
75078
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Friday September 1, 2017
Clothe A Child Frisco… celebrating 15 years Stephanie Allam Clothe A Child Needs versus wants. For many of us, there can be a lot of overlap in these two words. “Mom, I won’t SURVIVE if I don’t have the (insert newest gadget here).” It’s easy to take the basic needs… food, shelter, clothing…for granted. It’s easy for us to be so wrapped up in our own days that we forget that for a segment of the population, these basic needs are often not met. ALL communities have children in need. When I hear the numbers of homeless in Collin County, I struggle to believe it…even after 15 years of working with an organization that strives to fill one of the basic needs…clothing. Unfortunately, not all families have the means to provide the basic clothing items they need for school – shoes, shirts, jackets, jeans, underwear… Think about these stories: A student that doesn’t always get three good meals a day, or maybe a student who doesn’t see a parent enough because he or she is working multiple jobs. A student whose parent lost a job and now they are homeless, but they manage to get to school every day. A student who has a sick parent and is living with grandparents who are doing the best they can. A student who is also working a full-time job to help support their family. There are SO many life stories. All of the variables in the stories create stress…they erode a student’s confidence…they diminish their feeling of worth…like nails on a chalkboard, all these parts to their stories are like a terrible noise that just won’t stop. Now…will new clothes make the problems go away? Nope. But let me tell you that tears spring to my eyes when I see the smile a new shirt brings to a little girl’s face or when a middle school boy flashes a big grin as he holds a new pair of shoes. Some of these kids have never had a new piece of clothing…always hand-me-downs, something donated or from the resale shop. And, there is nothing wrong with that! BUT…there is nothing better than watching a parent walk out of Kohl’s Frisco in the early morning light, kids in tow…all with huge smiles and clutching a big bag (or two or three) of new clothes for school. Ok, maybe there is something better…what if you could shop with a family…for those NEW clothes?? What if you could SERVE them?? What if you left that experience feeling just as blessed as the family you served?? Clothe A Child seeks to help families meet that need through partnerships with KOHL’s – Frisco Department Store; Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper and Celina ISDs; churches, organizations, individuals, and businesses in the community to serve the new clothing needs of economically disadvantaged Kindergarten through 8th grade school children in Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper and Celina ISDs. Our mission is to provide a new clothing shopping voucher to each child in the program through our annual event at KOHL’s in Frisco. In years past, each voucher had a value of $100, but we are excited that this year, vouchers will have a shopping value of $125! Yep, a simple contribution of $125 clothes a child. We partner with the schools. The school counselors of Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper and Celina ISDs identify children through
Blasingame From page one Before joining the Prosper Fire Department, he was a member of the Frisco Fire Department, having served as firefighter/paramedic for a year before attaining the rank of Lieutenant, where he served for two years. The new Fire Chief earned an associate of applied science degree in Fire Administration from Weatherford College, and completed the requirement for Certified Public Manager from a program administered by Texas State University. He is a Certified Fire Executive, a designation conferred by the Texas Fire Chiefs Academy, and is fully licensed as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic. He has attained four levels in the Certified Fire Officer program of the Texas
interaction with the families and the “free and reduced lunch” program. Applications are sent home with each qualified child to be completed by the parents or guardians. The completed applications are returned to the school and then passed on to a Clothe A Child committee for review. Families are then contacted to confirm their children’s acceptance into the program. We partner with churches, organizations and individuals for monetary contributions…100 percent of which goes to clothing the kids! Clothe A Child is a 100 percent volunteer organization. We have companies that sponsor breakfast snacks for the volunteers and the families the mornings of the events. We have a company that gives faithfully each year specifically to support our minimal administrative expenses so that 100 percent of the money given to clothe children does just that. We partner with churches, companies, schools, organizations and individuals to ask for volunteers. Our thousands of volunteers (that’s you), ages 16 and older, are paired with a family to assist them in shopping. You tally how much they have spent, carry the clothes and just chat and get to know them. And, yes, it takes thousands of volunteers to make these events happen. And on event day…KOHL’S Frisco opens its doors early (like, still dark outside early) to allow our volunteers and families to shop. We flood the store! Inside…thousands of sleepy but smiling volunteers, laughing children, happy parents… first responders, mayors, team mascots…seriously, my favorite days every year. Clothe A Child was started in 1989 by Dr. Lawrence Kennedy of the North Church in Carrollton, Texas. In 2003, Clothe A Child was started in Frisco and has increased its impact each year. In 2008, children in Little Elm ISD were added to the CAC outreach. Prosper ISD joined the CAC partnership in 2011 and in 2013, we welcomed Celina ISD. WOW! FIFTEEN YEARS!!! In 2016, more than 2,250 Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper and Celina ISD elementary and middle school children from nearly 1,450 families received $100 of new clothing through the Clothe A Child program due to the generosity of our communities. Clothe A Child desires to impact as many qualified families from as many schools in our communities as possible. BUT…we can only give shopping vouchers to children based on the money we have collected. And, remember, this year we increased the voucher amount to $125. It was a much-needed adjustment…but the number of students in need hasn’t decreased, nor has the amount of contributions or volunteers needed. One of my favorite parts of the events is seeing the faces of faithful volunteers that have joined us year after year, giving of their time and money to support their community. Visit clotheachildfrisco.com to donate and or volunteer. They are early days, but, I promise, it will bring a smile to your face. This is our 15th year of serving our communities, and we’d love you to join us at our upcoming 2017 events at KOHL’s Frisco: Saturday Oct 14 – serving the children of Frisco ISD; Saturday Oct 21 – serving the children of Frisco, Prosper, Celina ISDs; Saturday Oct 28 – serving the children of Little Elm ISD.
Commission on Fire Protection. The Commission has also certified the Chief as a Master Firefighter, Fire Service Instructor at all three levels, Hazardous Material Technician, Wildland Firefighter, Incident Safety Officer, Fire Service Driver/ Operator, and Department Training Officer/Coordinator. He has also attended the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland where he completed courses in Command and Control of Incident Operations, Command and Control of Decision Making at Multiple Alarm Incidents, Command and Control of Fire Department Operations at Target Hazards, along with Fire Protection Systems for Emergency Operations, and Incident Command Systems for High-rise Operations. The Prosper resident is married and the father of two sons, active in school and sports.
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PT F i re D e pa rt m e nt i n c i d e nt re p o rts August 23: Alarm system sounded due to malfunction in the 1200 block of La Cima Boulevard; Fuel burner/boiler malfunction, fire confined in the 500 block of East First Street; Alarm system sounded due to malfunction in the 1000 block of North Coit Road; Alarm system sounded due to malfunction in the 700 block of Richland Boulevard; Water problem, other in the 2500 block of Wildflower Way; Dispatched and cancelled en route in the 700 block of Richland Boulevard; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury at the 27000 block of East University, Little Elm; Motor vehicle accident with injuries on Dallas North Tollway and West University Drive; Odor investigation in the 900 block of Woodview Drive. August 24: EMS call excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 27000 block of East University Drive, Little Elm; Public service on North Custer Road at Rhea Mills Circle; Emergency medical service, other in the 200 block of Booker Court; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 700 block of Trenton Drive, Aubrey; Assist police or other governmental agency in the 900 block of Tumbleweed Drive; Lock out in the 3000 block of Brookgreen Court; Alarm system activation, no fire - unintentional in the 26900 block of East University, Little Elm. August 25: EMS call excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 26800 block of East University, Little Elm; Motor Vehicle Accident with no injuries on South Windsong Parkway at Fishtrap Road; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 900 block of St. Peter Lane; Motor vehicle accident with injuries on West University Drive and Gee Road. August 26: Dispatched & cancelled en route on Twin Lakes at Frontier Parkway; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1000 block of Sagebrush Drive; No Incident found on arrival at dispatch address in the 800 block of Nightwind Court; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 26900 block of East University, Little Elm.
August 27: Motor Vehicle Accident with no injuries on U.S. Highway 380 at Paloma Creek, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1200 block of Broken Bend Drive; Motor vehicle accident with injuries on East Prosper Trail and North Coit Road; Dispatched & cancelled en route in the 2400 block of Whiteoak Drive, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury on Hays Road at East First Street. August 28: Smoke investigation in the 4700 block of West University Drive; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 26500 block of East University; Lock-out in the 1600 block of West Frontier; Odor Investigation at North Coit Road & Greenspoint Lane; EMS call excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 2200 block of East University Drive; Dispatched & cancelled en route in the 100 block of Shawnee Trail, Celina; Unintentional transmission of alarm, other in the 26800 block of East University, Little Elm; Smoke detector activation due to malfunction in the 1000 block of North Coit Road; Motor vehicle accident with injuries in the 26800 block of East University, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1100 block of Three Rivers Drive. August 29: EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1600 block of Navo Road, Aubrey; Motor Vehicle accident with injuries at the intersection of North Custer Road & East Prosper Trail; Power line down at the intersection of South Paloma Creek & East University; CO detector activation due to malfunction in the 4400 block of Honeyvine Lane; Motor vehicle accident with injuries at North Preston Road & Coleman Street. Editor’s Note: Information found on the Fire Department website at www.prospertx.gov/firedepartment.
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Attention Realtors! Are you Red Carpet Ready? Nothing says Red Carpet Party quite like a silent auction! Here's your chance to shine! Style a Red Carpet Themed Silent Auction item for a chance at winning a Star on our Walk of Fame & an Exclusive Grand Prize! Deliver to: Independent Bank | 900 N. Preston Rd. Grand Prize: Free AD in Prosper Times & 2 Tickets to the Chamber Banquet Courtesy of CedarBrook Media
10710 Eldorado Parkway Suite 140 Frisco, TX 75035
Zarmin Lalani, DDS MS Board Certified Diplomate American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
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PT C o m m u n ity C a l e n da r Friday, September 1st
Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9A vs McKinney Boyd at PHS Auxillary Gym #1 – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: JV vs McKinney Boyd, at PHS Arena – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9B vs McKinney Boyd, at PHS Arena – 6:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: V vs McKinney Boyd, at PHS Arena – 6:30 p.m. Eagles Football: Varsity vs Boerne Champion, at Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 2nd
Eagles Cross Country Meet at North Lakes Park – 7:00 a.m.
Monday, September 4th
PISD School Holiday – Labor Day
Residential Bulk Trash Pickup: From FM 1385 to Teel Parkway. Call 469-452-8000 or email Prosper@WasteConnections.com by 4:00 p.m. by Friday, September 1st to be placed on the schedule.
Tuesday, September 5th
Prosper Planning & Zoning Commission: Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month in the Municipal Chambers, 108 W. Broadway at 6:00 p.m. Prosper 5-0 Club: Games and dominoes every Tuesday, 9:30am to 11:30am, in the basement of First Presbyterian Church, 300 S. Coleman. ALL ARE INVITED! Eagles Tennis: Varsity vs Little Elm at PHS - 4:00 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9A at J.J. Pearce – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: JV at J.J. Pearce – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9B at J.J. Pearce – 6:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: Varsity at J.J. Pearce – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 6th
Ribbon Cutting for Spot Pet Salon & Wash: Join in welcoming Spot Pet Salon & Wash, located at 1061 N. Coleman, Suite 50 in Prosper at their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Ham Radio Class to Support Family and Prosper City Emergency Preparedness – 7:00 p.m.
Kern From page one at kids’ activities,” she said. “Elizabeth plays varsity volleyball at CDA, Caroline's on dance team, and Ethan plays baseball and bowls. We’re a very active bunch.” Somehow through all of that, Gina is able to carve out enough time to workout with the Texas Fit Chic Group, and she’s been able to get to know a few people better recently. “There are several friends who live in our neighborhood whom I’ve enjoyed getting to know,” she said. The Kerns’ middle child Ethan is a special needs child but it’s not something they think about within the family. “He has Cerebral Palsy, but we don’t focus on it,” she said. “He’s a healthy 13-year-old kid who loves life and has a lot of friends and is very happy. It’s crazy because he is the balance in our house between the two girls.” Gina said they have met a lot of parents and couples over the years who let their child’s illness become their focus and the families of a lot of them just fell apart. “This is how God made Ethan and we have never really struggled with it,” she said. There was a time only months ago that Ethan spent five days in the hospital when he was found to have a mass that his doctors were convinced was cancer. Gina said those doctors were shocked when the tests revealed there was no cancer. “He has Wagoners Disease which is an auto-immune thing and something we will have to watch, and that’s the most difficult time he’s ever had. He’s been really healthy except for that.” She said she worries a bit as the children grow into adulthood, “Are we doing enough for them to help them become adults.” And for Ethan she worries about “Are we doing enough for him to make sure he moves around enough, but he’s just a healthy, healthy kid. He is an amazing person.” Gina named two passages from the Bible as her favorite quotes. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:56
Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com If you heard me now you might believe I was a native Texan but I didn’t get here until I was 12.
Please email calendar submissions to Admin@Cedarbrookmedia.com
Thursday, September 7th
PISD Elementary Curriculum Night: 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. for 1st – 2nd grades; 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. for 3rd – 5th grades Eagles Tennis: JV vs Little Elm at PHS 4:00 p.m. Eagles Football: 9th Green vs Mansfield Lake Ridge at PHS Artificial Turf Field - 5:30 p.m. Eagles Football: JV White at Mansfield Lake Ridge High School - 5:30 p.m. Eagles Football: 9th White vs Mansfield Lake Ridge at PHS Artificial Turf Field - 7:00 p.m. Eagles Football: JV Green at Mansfield Lake Ridge High School - 7:00 p.m. Prosper Chamber After Hours: Sponsored by Lynn A. Gross, CPA LLC. Everyone come to Lynn's office at 101 E Broadway, Prosper for a great time of networking. Food and Beverages, of course and games for all. We'll open the back doors and enjoy the Fall air and the company of great people of Prosper! The Prosper Rotary Club: The Club meets Thursday afternoons from 12 - 1 PM at the Prosper Independent School District Administration Building (605 E. Seventh St., Prosper, TX 75078). Everyone is welcome. Lunch is $10. Please RSVP by emailing Melody Lehmann (melsmailbox73@gmail. com) if you plan on attending. The Prosper Lions Club: Meets on the 1st
and 3rd Thursday each month @ 1:15pm at The Gin (next to the Cotton Gin).
Community Info, Outreach, and Prayer Groups Cornerstone Assistance Network of North Central Texas is a faith based nonprofit that unites with others the demonstrate Christ’s compassion by serving our neighbors in need. With the help of volunteers, they conduct intakes twice a month where they meet with new and current neighbors to hear their stories, help where they can, and give guidance where they cannot. If you need help, call 972-689-9115 and leave a message. Intakes are done on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information about Cornerstone, visit cornerstonenct.org. Bethlehem Place is Prosper’s only Food Pantry located on the parking lot of Prosper United Methodist Church at Third and Church streets. The food pantry is open for food distribution every Tuesday evening from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Bethlehem place greatly appreciates any food or monetary donations to support this organization. Please visit www. bethlehemplace.org for more information. Prosper Mom’s in Prayer is open to women who have a heart to pray for their school age children. For more information on Mom’s in Prayer, visit www.momsinprayer. org. For local meeting information for your child’s school, contact either Christy Rubin at 469-995-6061 or Karina Anderson at 214566-7762. Karina is able to answer questions in Spanish as well as English.
To Advertise in the PROSPER TIMES and reach every mailbox in the 75078 zipcode, please contact Cedarbrook Media at 972.347.6231 or email Heather@CedarbrookMedia.com
PT A B it of W is d o m …
Talkin’ Texan
Friday September 1, 2017
A story I wrote with Carl Rau last week included how he became a Texan and it made me remember my own journey to accepting all things Texan. My sister and I actually spent time at home practicing the Texas drawl because we desperately wanted to fit in with the other kids. We were pre-teens and being called a Yankee by our peers was not because we could both play baseball better than anyone else, and the name calling left a sour taste for us. Eventually we learned that in Texas, any person born north of the Red River is a Yankee. So, the two of us (my sister is just a year younger than I) worked on our vowels to draw them out into the speech we could recognize as Texan. But there were also quaint colloquialisms we had to master and my favorite then and now is “Fixin’ tuh,” meaning I’m about to do something. I just love that phrase and still use it commonly. Fixins can also refer to food but note the “s” added to make the distinction from getting ready to do something. Speaking of food, occasional confusion arises when Texans refer to “dinner” and “supper.” These are often interchangeable in other parts of the country. In Texas, though, “dinner” can mean lunch or supper, but
“supper” always refers to the evening meal. Now for any of you Prosperites who’ve moved in from another state, pay attention. On is pronounced “own;” Fire is “for” (and that’s actually more of an East Texas drawl); Oil is “all;” I is “ah;” ice is “ahce;” Everything is “Ev’thang;” Thing is “thang;” Creek is the way it’s spelled and not “crick;” Can is “cayan;” Baby is “buybee;” and Touchdown is “touchdayon.” Use “all y’all” instead of “you guys” to refer to a group, although I still use “you guys” for some reason. It just seems to say something “all y’all” can’t. Yessir and nosir are the custom. Texans also use “sir” and “ma’am” regularly, especially when asking a person to repeat something because you didn’t understand it. You would simply say “Sir?” or “Ma’am?” You can use that also to reply to someone who calls your name to get your attention. There are no ponds in Texas. Any body of water is a tank unless it’s a lake. A tank could be a watering hole for cattle or a fishing or swimming spot, but it’s not a pond. The hi sign is a gesture made while driving and greeting oncoming traffic. The hand never leaves the steering wheel but fingers are raised in a salutation. It’s usually seen on the country roads where oncoming traffic is sparse. As I mentioned above, I was 12 when we came to Texas and one thing I marveled at was that my dad knew absolutely everyone after we moved. While driving down any road in Gainesville, Texas where we lived, he waved to everyone we met on the road. I finally stopped asking “who was that Daddy?” because he never knew. But this waving
business is not something he did while we lived in Toledo, Ohio. The truth about my dad was he grew up in the Smokey Mountains of Virginia and often referred to himself as a ridge runner. Our move to Gainesville was more of a coming home for him because he was back in the south where customs of the time of his growing up were more common than not. Over yonder (pronounced yonduh) was something that just began to roll off his tongue as though he had never lived north of the Mason Dixon Line. Who was this man? My bachelor’s degree is in English with a minor in speech, so grammar is really important to me. So where do I draw the line? I have one and it comes down hard on ain’t and double negatives. I’m sure there are more but that’s all I can think of right now (pronounced naow). “Ain’t got no” and similar phrases are forbidden in my world and I would not allow my children to pick them up from their friends. We can talk Texan without being criminal against the English language. More Colloquialisms you need to know if you are not a native Texan: Cut off the light — turn off the light; Stove up — aching and hard to move usually after hard work; Coke — the generic term for any soft drink whether an orange, Pepsi or Seven Up; Might could — another way of saying “Might be able to;” Pure-dee — real or genuine; Visit with — chat with someone. I know I’ve left out a lot of phrases that our readers might like to share. Please feel free to put them in the comments section of WeAreProsper.com or on our Facebook page under this article. I’ll collect them all and you just may see them in a later story in The Prosper Times.
PROSPERTIMES
Friday September 1, 2017
WeAreProsper.com | Page 5
PT I n G o o d Ta ste
Think Outside the Lunchbox FAMILY FEATURES
E
ating the same thing every day can make lunch seem so “blah.” Now’s the perfect time to break out of the lunch rut and add some excitement to your meals. Thinking outside the traditional lunchbox is easy with the right ingredients. Perk up your noontime noshing with fresh, seasonal ingredients coupled with kitchen pantry classics, like California Ripe Olives, which add a unique flavor and bold, distinctive color to any dish. California farmers grow more than 95 percent of the ripe olives consumed in the United States. From planting, pruning, harvesting and processing, they make sure that the highest quality olives come from their farms to your table – one can at a time. Adding olives to any lunch can help bring California sunshine to each and every bite. Try some of these portable and packable recipes to add excitement to lunch on-the-go and find more at calolive.org.
Greek Salad in Jars
Courtesy of Simply Recipes Makes: 4 salads Salad Dressing: 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional, to taste (optional) pinch of black pepper, plus additional, to taste (optional) 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon honey 5 tablespoons olive oil 4 pint-size canning jars with lids Salads: 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 large English cucumber, sliced 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 3/4 cup California black ripe olives 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 4 small handfuls fresh baby spinach or other dark, leafy greens 4 pita bread rounds, halved (optional) To prepare dressing: In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and honey. Gradually whisk in oil. Taste. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Divide dressing between four pint jars. To assemble salads: Divide onion between four jars. Divide tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives and feta cheese between jars. Pack remaining space with spinach, compressing leaves slightly. Secure lids and refrigerate up to two days. To serve: Empty salads into bowls and toss with dressing. Serve with pita bread. Note: Store and transport salads upright so dressing stays on bottom.
Deliciously Different Smoked California Ripe Olives can produce a crave-worthy culinary surprise and become one of your favorite flavor discoveries. There are a few easy ways to make your own smoked olives, including preparing them on the grill with these quick steps:
1. Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Drain well. 2. Pierce a foil pan several times with a
small, sharp knife and spread wood chips in a single layer in the pan. Set directly on hot coals or metal bars on a gas grill. Close the lid and set heat to high only under the pan of chips.
3. When chips are smoking, place
drained California Ripe Olives in a grill basket on grill with the burners off. Close the lid and smoke for 30 minutes.
Black and White Pizza Makes: 1 pizza
Maple Olive Cheesecake Bites Makes: 16-20 mini cheesecakes Nonstick cooking spray 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons butter, melted 3 tablespoons sugar, divided 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 1 1 1/4
tablespoons flour teaspoon vanilla extract egg cup coarsely chopped California Ripe Olives Heat oven to 325 F and coat 16-20-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1 tablespoon sugar. Place equal amounts into each mini muffin cup then press firmly into bottom of each cup. Working with one cup at a time, press small piece of plastic wrap onto
PT K i ds S a y …
surface and press crust firmly into mini muffin cups. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, maple syrup and remaining sugar until smooth; beat in flour and vanilla on low speed. Add egg and beat until just combined; stir in olives. Spoon equal amounts into each cup. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until filling feels set. Let cool completely then run small, thin knife around edge of each to remove from pan.
Leslie Scott Special to the Prosper Times
Aiden
He’s 5 years old, is in Kindergarten, likes his teacher Ms. Hughes, his favorite colors are red and blue, and he can ride a bike without training wheels and told me when you ride a bike slow it falls so you can’t go slow. What’s your favorite thing about school? Reading books and watching movies. We watch the movies on the TV and when you turn it on, it has the green dot first and then it turns into a bright light. We don’t watch actual movies, it’s like commercial movies, no it’s like cartoons with people, but it’s movies that’s cartoonish. Do the cartoonish movie commercials teach you something? I don’t know that they teach me anything. They teach me, but I don’t know how they teach me. What is your favorite things to eat? Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for pizza crust 1 cup onion, quartered and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons roasted garlic, minced 4 ounces small baby bella mushrooms, chopped flour 1 package prepared pizza dough 1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce 1 cup smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into 1/2-inch pieces 1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Do you take that in your lunch to school? Yes. I have a lunch box that’s red and black. I thought mommy was going to draw Mario on it, but it’s too late, because school started very quick. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know. I think when I grow up, I think I’ll talk about that whenever I’m 10 years old. That’s going to be 5 more years. I’m going to be 5 I’ll be 6. There will be Halloween first. What do you think you’ll be for Halloween? Buzz Lightyear. I have a Buzz Lightyear costume from last year. But maybe I’ll be Willy Wonka. And Willy Wonka is the second movie and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the first one. What is your favorite holiday? Is it Halloween? Actually Halloween is not a holiday. What is a holiday? It’s about celebrating. Halloween is just something you get candy. I like Thanksgiving because you get a lot of candy. But it’s not like Halloween
1 can (6 ounces) extra-large California Black Ripe Olives, drained and cut in wedges freshly grated ParmigianoReggiano Heat oven to 450 F and line large baking sheet with parchment paper. In large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes, or until onions are soft. Reserve. Roll pizza dough into thin oval on lightly floured surface. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil then spread evenly with Alfredo sauce. Top with mushroom mixture, cheeses, chicken and rosemary. Sprinkle olives over pizza. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned around edges. Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
because there’s a parade. And they throw candy at you and you try to get it. Favorite animal? I don’t know what my favorite animal is. But I think it might be a dog and a cat. I have a dog and a cat too. When I get full eating I let my doggy eat it, but the kitty has to eat his food because he can only eat kitty food and he can’t eat other stuff. And there’s this kitty food and it shows the picture of him on the bag. And he likes it. So the kitty only eats the food that’s in the bag? No, he doesn’t eat his food out of the bag. He likes the food that’s out of the bag in his bowl. And he has water in another bowl and there’s milk in another bowl. He likes milk. Does the dog drink the milk too? No we don’t give the dog milk, only the kitty. The dog doesn’t have a bowl for milk. EDITOR’S NOTE: Prosper Community Library Director Leslie Scott has a unique opportunity for candid discussions with youngster of all ages. She is sharing these experiences through the Prosper Times.
PROSPERTIMES
Page 6 | WeAreProsper.com
Friday September 1, 2017
Eagle HYPE
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Dedicated to Prosper Sports
Eagles Soar Over Colleyville-Heritage Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com
The Eagles traveled to Colleyville-Heritage for the season opening scrimmage on Friday night. The first hour and one-half was split into ten minute quarters switching out offense and defense for the freshman and JV teams, followed by thirty minutes of varsity 7 on 7 and offensive/defensive line drills. Fans got a sneak peek of the kicking game leading up to the varsity controlled scrimmage. Prosper head football coach, Brandon Schmidt, spoke to the huddled team before the scrimmage to kick off the evening reminding them of their team motto to “Do Your Job”. The Eagles lost over 30 seniors last year, but the talent represented this year could position the team to play well into December. Renee Marler/PROSPER TIMES Offensively, the Eagles called on junior quarterback Keegan Shoemaker and the team of Kaleb Isaac Brown catches a pass during the Adams, Wayne Anderson, Jr., Jostein Clarke, Isaac Brown, and DJ Love. scrimmage against Colleyville-Heritage Friday, When Anderson Jr. gets the ball, his speed will make it difficult for any defense to compete. He August 25. made a long touchdown run in the live quarter. In another scoring play, Shoemaker found Brown in the end zone for an on-your-feet 45-yard touchdown reception. Returning senior linebackers, Justin Benvie and Ross Hendley, along with Renee Marler/PROSPER TIMES free safety Blake Harrington, also a senior, are set to lead the team defensively. Jostein Clarke catches a pass in the Both Benvie and Harrington had an exceptional night against Colleyvilleendzone during the scrimmage against Heritage. Colleyville-Heritage Friday, August 25. After the live quarter, Schmidt gathered the team once again for an exciting wrapup. “Let me tell you what I love about tonight. I love the attitude on the bus, the attitude at warmup, the attitude on the sidelines. Don't lose that ever,” said Schmidt. “I saw every person on this team supporting one another and that gave me chills because Renee Marler/PROSPER TIMES I know we are about to do DJ Love and Isaac Brown celebrate a this thing!” The Eagles will make touchdown during the scrimmage against Renee Marler/PROSPER TIMES Colleyville-Heritage Friday, August 25. Wayne Anderson, Jr. runs the ball for a the trek to Georgetown Renee Marler/PROSPER TIMES touchdown during the scrimmage against on Friday to face BourneJustin Benvie and Blake Harrington take down an opposing Champion. Colleyville-Heritage Friday, August 25. player during the scrimmage against Colleyville-Heritage Friday, August 25.
Young Prosper Trio Rides for Championships Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com Prospering Farm is a full-service hunter/jumper barn located in the heart of Prosper. Many young equestrians train at the barn, but three young Prosper girls are making a name for themselves on the North Texas Hunter Jumper Circuit (NTHJC) this year in their respective divisions. Prosper residents Halle Dunn, Jessica White, and Ciara Stiles ride in an average of 20 to 30 shows per year all over Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Kentucky as well as the Prosper Homecoming and Christmas parades. Halle, an eighth grader at Reynolds Middle School, has been
riding for seven years. She has competed on the NTHJC since the age of 9 and won the Two-Foot Division in fourth grade on her pony Prospering’s L of a Deal (Elle). She was winning in Ponies and in the Two-Foot-Three-Inch Division last year on her pony Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Muffin), until Muffin was injured breaking her splint bone jumping last August, rendering both unable to finish the show season. Muffin did heal after six months of therapy and is now doing great. Injuries are not uncommon as these ponies and horses are like human athletes who work hard daily at their sport, so they are very susceptible to injury. Halle is currently riding Prospering’s Ring my L (Ringo) and is leading the Two-Foot-Six-
Courtesy Photo
Halle Dunn rides Elle in preparation for competion at Prospering Farm
Inch Division. She is also in the top eight of the Two-Foot-Nine-Inch Equitation Division, where the rider, rather than the horse, is evaluated. Halle said, “Horses have influenced my life, and I could not, and will never, live without them.” Jessica, an eighth grader at neighboring Rogers Middle School, has been riding for eight years. She is currently winning on her pony Peaches and Crème (Peaches) in the Pony Hunter Division on the NTHJC and is in the top eight of the Two-Foot-six-Inch Division on her horse Unfinished Symphony (Big Boy). Both Halle and Jessica have participated in off-campus physical education in Prosper since fifth grade, allowing them to earn their PE credits during the time spent on their sport. Both girls spend approximately four hours a day working at the barn during the week and up to 16 hours a weekend on show weekends competing. They spend their afternoons helping work the horses and also help with Summer Camps. The pair also get their hands dirty by doing grunt work feeding, riding, and taking care of the close to 90 horses currently residing at Prospering Farm. “Every day after school I teach kids about horses, ride them, and clean the barn constantly. It's a lot of work,” said Jessica. The youngest of the three, Ciara, is a seventh grader at Rogers Middle
Courtesy Photo
Jessica White rides Unfinished Symphony in preparation for competion at Prospering Farm
School. She has been riding since she was only 3 years old after riding in a friend's backyard. Shortly after, she met Susan Sexton Horn who had established the barn in 1988. “My mom said I have riding in my blood because she's been riding since she was just 6 years old,” said Ciara. Ciara won the Two-Foot Division last year on the NTHJC riding Prospering’s Princess Fiona and is currently winning the TwoFoot-Three Inch Division this year on a horse named Status Quo (Stanley). At the end of the season last year, Ciara received Reserve Championship in the Year End Awards for Equitation, sixth in Hunters, and sixth in the Medal Final. Running on the momentum of last year's successes, so far this year, she is in First Place for Equitation as well as First in Hunters and 10th in Future Jumpers riding a horse named Stanley. The NTHJC Season runs from March to November and the girls
will now begin the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Team Season which follows the school year. Prospering Farm has 10 girls on the middle-school team and eight girls on the high-school team this year. The IEA team is different in that competitors go to barns and ride horses they have never ridden before, so this circuit is very challenging. Last year, Horn had several girls on her teams make it to Regionals, which is a huge feat considering the amount of girls riding in this area. Horn’s full-service barn has more than 90 horses and ponies and she employs two other fulltime trainers to help teach and show the horses. Prospering Farm has been successfully training riders for 30 years and they compete on the “A” Circuit, The North Texas Hunter Jumper Club (NTHJC), Interscholastic Equestrian Association Circuit (IEA), and Welsh Pony Circuit, which Horn specializes in breeding.
Courtesy Photo
Ciara Stiles rides Status Quo in preparation for competion at Prospering Farm
PROSPERTIMES
Friday September 1, 2017
WeAreProsper.com | Page 7
PHS Volleyball Record Improves to 24-5 as the Winning Continues Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.Com Friday, Prosper traveled to Plano for the last tournament of the preseason, the PSA Lone Star Circle of Champions Tournament. The opening match of the tournament put the Lady Eagles up against Ursuline, where Prosper would win in the best of three. Next up for Prosper was Flower Mound, whom they swept in 2, 25-21 and 25-18. The final match of the first day would be played against Amarillo, where once again, the Lady Eagles would sweep 25-21, 29-27. Seniors Haley Killinger and Hope Gramly, along with juniors Cici Hecht and setter Madi Whitmire, would dominate the first day of play earning a combined 131 kills while Whitmire put up 77 assists. Day two started out rocky as Prosper lost 2-1 to Lovejoy. But the Lady Eagles would answer back with sweeps of Grapevine and Heath. The final match of the tournament, Prosper faced El Paso Coronado. The Lady Eagles again called on Hecht, Killinger, Whitmire and Gramly, in addition to senior Taryn Weber who had 10 kills in the match. Prosper took Coronado in 3 to win the bronze. Gramly was named to the Lone Star Circle of Champions tournament team. On Tuesday evening, the PHS Arena came alive as the Lady Eagles hosted Keller. Prosper swept Keller winning 25-20, 25-13, and 25-21. Hecht was on fire with 10 kills, 19 digs and 2 aces. Whitmire added 36 assists and 10 digs to her stats and Hope Gramly had 4 aces, 4 blocks and 5 kills in the match. Prosper, now 24-5, takes on McKinney Boyd at 6:30 p.m. Friday night at home in the PHS Arena.
Renee Marler/PROSPER TIMES
Coach Erin Kauffman talks to the team during a match at the PHS Arena against Keller on August 29.
Prosper Cross Country Teams Medal in Relays Courtesy Photo
Prosper varsity boys cross country team placed fifth in 6A-5A division at the Greenhill Luke’s Locker Relay on August 26
Courtesy Photo
Prosper varsity girls cross country team placed second in 6A-5A division at the Greenhill Luke’s Locker Relay on August 26
Prosper Cross Country Team poses for a photo at the Greenhill Luke’s Locker Relay on Saturday, August 26
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Dedicated to Prosper Sports
Athlete of the Week Isaac Brown Senior, PHS Football
The dangerous combo of Shoemaker-Brown which resulted in Brown’s incredible 45-yard touchdown reception got the Eagle fans on their feet Friday night in Colleyville. We expect to see much more from this duo!
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PHS Coach’s Son Offers Major League Relief for Hurricane Victims St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher, Matt Carpenter, posted that he will donate $10,000 to hurricane relief for each home run he hits for the rest of the season. Carpenter is the son of Prosper head baseball coach, Rick Carpenter.
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PROSPERTIMES
Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com Sports writing is about so much more than the score. I've been on the sidelines, in the dugout, on the court, and in press boxes going on five years now and each season of each sport is special. Is it the sport itself that makes it special? In part. But it's the players and the coaches that really make the game for me. Each season brings a new roster and fresh faces. I get such a thrill out of meeting the new athletes, getting to know them, and watching them give their all, week after week. Their successes bring smiles to my face. The first Prosper sports I covered last school year were soccer, track, baseball and softball. Just by the nature of soccer and track, it was a little more difficult to get to know individual athletes in a short period of time, but I met Haley Killinger early on. I found out she was going to be attending Texas Tech on a volleyball scholarship and since our oldest son attends Tech, I found a little common ground with Haley. And because she was the lone PHS athlete to advance to the State track meet, I had a little more time to get to know her. I am excited to be able to cheer her on the volleyball court this year!
Another athlete I followed last year was Easton Murrell. Easton was a leader in the dugout and on the field. When I found out he was going to be playing in the All-Star game after graduation, I knew I wanted to make the trek to Round Rock to cover his game. I was able to get a little head start with some of the skilled players while covering seven-on-seven football over the summer and there are a few athletes with personalities the size of Texas whom I know will make the season entertaining. Wayne Anderson, Jr. always has a smile for the camera and quarterback Keegan Shoemaker is quick to offer a polite hello. I will say, parents and coaches, you are doing a terrific job! Every single player I have met in covering Prosper athletics has been the epitome of polite. Very admirable. I was a student-athlete, but I am also a parent of athletes. I recognize the unique advantage I have being able to see the kids up close and personal. I see them when they are happy, sad, angry, and unfortunately sometimes hurt. Behind the lens, I have been fortunate to capture some amazing moments and raw emotion. And when the kids “tweet” or post photos or articles, that's the ultimate stamp of approval!
I am proud to be a part of the Prosper Times as we begin the 20172018 year. We love our Prosper Eagle family. Eagle Hype sports is committed to highlighting successes of the Prosper programs and athletes. Thank you, parents and coaches, for sharing these amazing athletes with us. If there is something sports related you would like to see explained or mentioned “Inside the Locker Room” please email Renee Marler at Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com.
Friday September 1, 2017
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Don’t Miss The Action! www.CedarbrookMedia.com/EagleHype Correction: Last week in the Prosper Times, we wrote about the Educational Athletics Program adopted by the PISD Athletic Department. In the article, we mistakenly quoted PISD Athletic Director regarding the benefits of the program. The correct quote is as follows: “When we teach them these positive
values, it translates into success on the field of play,” Little states. “And it also means that our players will have discipline, responsibility and a strong work ethic. Never assume that each student athlete is born with these traits, rather these traits need to be brought out through a developmental process.”
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PRE-GAME Sponsored By:
PROSPERTIMES Starting 2-hours before kickoff at every PROSPER EAGLE home game in the Reynolds Middle School parking lot!
Pre-Game Podcast Eagle Coach & Player Video Interviews Game Highlights BBQ Provided by: First 20 people are FREE 1/2 off for all PISD Employees (with badge)
Each plate purchased this season enters you into the drawing for a custom Prosper Eagles Fire Pit!