PROSPERTIMES Friday September 8, 2017 | Prosper, Texas
VOL. 1 | NO. 19
Prosper Profiles Meet Jack Dixon
Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com Jack is sure there is nothing interesting about him that would justify placing him in Prosper Profiles. He reluctantly agreed to do it with me anyway. Jack Dixon was recruited to come to Texas from Peoria, Illinois in 1969 by Ross Perot. He and wife Diane moved to the Dallas area as Jack began a career with EDS in Data Processing. The last eight years before retiring he worked as a technical auditor for EDS auditing all the Medicare and Medicaid accounts. One assignment for which he is particularly proud is the auditing he did for the Department of Education. He said they cleared up a tremendous amount of fraud and took money out of the hands of people who didn’t deserve it to put it in the hands of students who did. Jack and Diane lived in Frisco until it got too big for them. They had a two-story home and only lived in the downstairs section. Jack said they never went upstairs. They decided their arrangement was ridiculous and began to look for a new location. Jack said they looked all over Frisco but couldn’t find anything they liked. Then one day 10 years ago, they walked into a David Weekly model home, and months later, they were living in their dream home in Prosper. He says he dabbled a bit in town politics and had an unsuccessful bid for a spot on the town council. “I’ve been vocal at town council meetings,” he said. “Almost five years ago, Bill Hays, then president of the Historical Society, asked Jack to serve as committee chairman of the veteran memorial committee. I took that job on as a serious item.” He said there have been many false starts since that time but he’s pleased to be able to say the Town of Prosper has dedicated land at Frontier Park for the memorial and now the group can go about the job of raising the funds to get the memorial built. The first corporate donation was made by Kroger in honor of its recent ribbon cutting on the Kroger in the west part of Prosper. Jack’s family consists of wife Diane and three sons. Jack William lives in Lakes of Prosper just a few streets over from his parents. They also have twin sons, Craig who lives in Arlington and Cory who lives in Missouri City. Jack said Cory just missed all the damages from Harvey. So now Cory is out with Jack and Diane’s grandsons helping the others in their community who do have damages. The Dixons also have two pets. The famous JJ who neighbors are used to seeing walking around the neighborhood with Jack. He is a German short-haired pointer. “I tell people he is our fourth son,” Jack said. They also have a Minx cat named Waylan as in “Waylan and Willie and the boys.” But the two don’t get along, Jack says. Waylan stays in his part of the house and JJ has the rest. Jack says he has a strange hobby. “I’ve been a gun nut all my life and currently, at my age, I’m shooting in a skeet league at a shot gun shooting range,” he said.
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Celebrating a Lifetime of Service
Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com Final inspection came last Thursday for Prosper Fire Chief Ronnie Tucker as he greeted each firefighter under his command for the final time in a formal setting and in uniform. He shook each hand and shared words of encouragement and then shared a hug with each Prosper firefighter before stepping into the next stage of his life as Prosper's first retired fire chief closing out a 42-year career. It was a day of mixed emotions for Tucker and his family. Janie, Ronnie Tucker’s wife, said sleep was sparse in the Tucker household the night before. This day signifies a huge change in life for the Tuckers, and like any big change, it comes with ups and downs. Janie says after a lifetime of jumping every time the radio goes off, the Tucker family will be finding its new normal. And Janie says God is very important in their lives. “Without Him nothing would be possible. He gets us through the tough times.” She also subscribes to the philosophy found in the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11-13: “‘For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” She says their family will rely on the Lord to guide through this new stage in their lives realizing it is a huge adjustment. Donnie Norman, Fire Chief of Travis County Emergency Services District One, said this occasion was so important to him and his Assistant Chief Sammy Hancock that they drove three-anda-half hours to be with the Tuckers. Norman said he and Hancock met Chief Tucker 20-25 years ago. “He has been a friend and mentor to many of us so we wouldn’t have missed this event,” Norman said. “It’s worth the lengthy drive to be here.” Prosper Mayor Ray Smith said “Ronnie was such an instrumental part of our leadership team I don’t think we can honor him enough. This is just a small token of our appreciation. Hopefully he will be excited for some of the things that are about to happen.” Before final inspection, multiple presentations were made to honor the outgoing chief and to commemorate his service. Not the least of those was the announcement from Prosper Parks and Recreation Board Chairman Barbara Cottone. With several of the board members standing around her and next to Chief Tucker, Cottone said the park on First Street commonly known as Fire Department Park would be hereafter named Tucker Park. Children will be playing in that park and talking about Tucker Park for generations, she said. See Chief Tucker, page 3
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Retiring Fire Chief Ronnie Tucker greets firefighter Dwayne Norvell during final inspection as Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame looks on.
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Members of the Prosper Town Council make a presentation to Chief Tucker to declare the day Ronnie Tucker Day. From left are Councilors Jeff Hodges, Curry Vogelsang, Kenneth Dugger, Tucker, Mayor Ray Smith and Meigs Miller.
Prosper has First Responders Working in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
Courtesy photo
Both deployment teams of Prosper firefighters stand in front of Engine No. 11, also deployed to South Texas, as they trade duties. Lieutenant Scott Himes, Driver Engineer Zachary Stringer and Firefighter Mickey Blain were the first team to deploy and the second team of Lieutenant Benjamin Wendling, Driver Engineer Jeff Choquette, and Firefighter Colby Rogers arrived Monday in Fulton for the second wave and relieved the first team.
We at Cedarbrook Media have been following with great interest the updates from South Texas about the activities of our firefighters helping with the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. Lieutenant Scott Himes, Driver Engineer Zachary Stringer and Firefighter Micky Blain consisted of the first group dispatched and they have been sending back pictures of the rubble left by the storm. But one picture they sent back was a pose with Senator Ted Cruz who stopped by the station in Fulton to visit with the firefighters on deployment. From September 1, the Prosper Fire Department Facebook page stated: “Our crews continue to provide coverage to the area of Fulton and Rockport responding to emergency calls and searching structures. These pictures show the type of devastation in that area. Our current crews will be replaced Sunday with 3 additional Prosper Firefighters. We now also have one of our dispatchers,
Roxanna Johnson, supervising a crew in Missouri City! Our sincere appreciation to all of these hardworking men and women assisting our fellow Texans in South Texas.” From September 4, the Prosper Fire Department Facebook page stated: “UPDATE ON HURRICANE HARVEY DEPLOYMENT: Our first group of deployed firefighters returned home safely last night after a week long deployment. Thank you to Lt. Scott Himes, Driver Engineer Zachary Stringer and Firefighter Mickey Blain. Our 2nd wave of firefighters arrived in Fulton yesterday to relieve them. Our department is proud to have Lt. Benjamin Wendling, Driver Engineer Jeff Choquette, and Firefighter Colby Rogers helping our fellow Texans this upcoming week. Continued thoughts and prayers are appreciated.” For regular updates on the Prosper efforts to help first responders in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, check out the Prosper Fire Department Facebook page and watch for entries in The Prosper Times.
See Dixon, page 3
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
These pictures show the type of devastation in that area with which Prosper firefighters are dealing.
Senator Ted Cruz, second from left, stopped by the station in Fulton where Prosper firefighters are assigned, to visit with the firefighters on deployment. From left are Lieutenant Scott Himes, Cruz, Firefighter Mickey Blain and Driver Engineer Zachary Stringer.
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House Plants Not Happy? (Let me help you with a few tips on watering them!) Are you confused about watering your houseplants? Many people consider it a simple matter, watering their plants whenever they think of it. Others are more methodical. They water regularly, according to the calendar, regardless of their plants' needs. Neither of these approaches is best for the plants. Just what is the right way to water indoor plants? It's important to catch them before there's any sign of wilting. BUT it's a mistake to keep soil wet all the time; it just encourages root rot. Room temperature and humidity, even how sunny or cloudy the weather has been, all affect a plant's water requirements. Learn to read the signs that your
plants need water. Foliage turns a slightly duller, less lively green. Succulent leaves become a little rubbery. The container feels lighter weight as moisture evaporates from the soil. And soil feels dry to the touch, first at the surface, then below it. Water requirements vary among different groups of houseplants, but regardless of what types of plants you care for, water them thoroughly each and every time you water. Then spill out the extra water that comes through the drain holes. Cacti and succulents may be allowed to get quite dry between watering, though when light is good; they'll thrive on additional moisture. Plants with tough leathery leaves such as the old-fashioned rubber tree or ponytail palm can also go for quite a long time from one thorough watering to the next. Most foliage plants should be watered before much of their root
Friday September 8, 2017
system dries. When you first find the soil surface no longer feels moist, there is still moisture further down in the container. This is good, because for most houseplants it's best to avoid wild swings from extremely dry to extremely wet soil conditions. Varied particle sizes in potting mix improve drainage. The type of potting soil in which your plants are growing can have an impact on how often you water. So can the type of container. Always use clean, fresh potting soil that consists of different sized particles. Varied particle size results in good soil drainage. The more moisture you wish the potting soil to retain, the higher its peat content should be. Layering pebbles or charcoal in the bottom of a solid container will not help soil drainage. Instead, choose containers with drain holes so water can drain freely from the soil. Be sure to spill out any excess water that remains in the tray or saucer after a few minutes. If the container is too large to lift easily off its tray, use a plastic turkey baster to siphon most of the extra water. Don't use "softened" water unless you really have no choice. It adds chemical salts to the soil which eventually build up and injure roots, just as excess fertilizer does. If you must use softened water, hold your containers over a sink or wash basin and water them heavily each time you water. This flushes much of those salts, even though some new
will be added. Of course, pots must have good drain holes for this to work. Chlorine, which is added to city water supplies to purify it for drinking, is not present in large enough amounts to damage houseplants. Fluorine, added to fight tooth decay, may be a different story. Certain plants, mostly those with long, pointed leaves such as dracaenas and spider plants are quite sensitive and can develop brown tips. However, water is rarely the only source of fluorine, and most plants have no problem with city water. What does trouble them is icy cold water. Most of the houseplants we grow originated in the tropics or sub-tropics where rainfall is relatively warm. If you water directly from the tap, adjust it to feel barely lukewarm. Or take the easy way; keep a full watering can at the ready for any time you might want it. Its contents will always be room temperature, making it easy to respond to the needs of individual plants. Question: Jimmie, I know this might sound very uneducated to you but what exactly is Hardscape? Thank you so much for all your columns, I have learned so much from you over the years!!! Blake L. in Prosper Answer: Hi Blake, please don’t feel bad about not understanding a landscaping term you're not familiar with. Hardscape, or "hardscaping"
refers to the inanimate (i.e., nonliving) elements of a landscape. This includes elements made from wood, even though wood was once animating (in the form of trees). Living plants, by contrast, constitute the "softscape." In particular, as the name implies, "hardscape" refers to hard elements such as those composed of concrete, brick or stone, in addition to wood. For instance, constructing a patio or deck is a hardscape project, as is a brick walkway, a stone wall, or a wooden fence. But hardscape goes beyond large-scale projects such as these. Any non-living ornamentation in your landscaping is, technically, part of the hardscape. And thank you for your kind words! Until next time…….Happy Gardening!!
believers, on the day when all of our works are put to the test. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) NCV The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation. 12 But if people build on that foundation, using gold, silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw, 13 their work will be clearly seen, because the Day of Judgment will make it visible. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work to show what sort of work it was. 14 If the building that has been put on the foundation still stands, the builder will get a reward. 15 But if the building is burned up, the builder will suffer loss. The builder will be saved, but it will be as one who escaped from a fire. Scripture is clear that we should spend what little time we have on this earth, building something that will last forever. This means doing things like walking in obedience to the Lord; stepping out in faith to do what God is leading you to do; sharing the Good News of Jesus with someone; giving to and helping those in need; and being generous with your time, your gifts and
talents, and your resources. Any time we turn our attention away from ourselves and selflessly give of ourselves to help and invest in others, we lay up treasure in Heaven that will last forever. So let me encourage you to take inventory of yourself and ask yourself the hard questions. Do you invest your time, energy, talents, and resources in things that only serve selfish interests? Or do you
regularly make sacrifices for the sake of others, and for the sake of being obedient to God? 1 Corinthians 3 tells us that you get to choose what the Day of Judgment will look like for you; a day of eternal reward, or a day of barely escaping the flames. Jim Lugar is Lead Pastor of Life Journey Church.
Jimmie Send your landscaping and gardening questions to Jimmie Gibson Jr. at http://www. absolutelybushedlandscaping.com or jimmie@absolutelybushed.com Jimmie is a Prosper resident and the owner of Absolutely Bushed Landscaping Company, an award winning, family and veteran owned and operated business created in 1980 to provide the highest quality custom Outdoor Renovation available to homeowners in the Dallas Ft. Worth area.
PT IN HIS PRESENCE Building Something Eternal Our church just moved into its first permanent facility! After more than 8 years of setting up and tearing down every Sunday at Rogers Middle School, we are now enjoying God’s blessings of being in our own building. We now occupy a 116-year old building in downtown Prosper that many Prosper residents still remember as Nevin’s Garage. And in the photo, you can tell that before it was Nevin’s Garage, it was Gibson’s Garage. I love being in the building and thinking about all the cool cars that used to sit in that space; Ford Model A’s, Hudsons, LaSalles and Packards. But it’s amazing to think that back in the 1930’s and 40’s God knew that in this space that once brought new life into broken old cars, there would one day be a church bringing new life into
hurting and broken people. During the renovation, we did our best to retain as much of the charm of the old building. So while we enjoy all the amenities of a modern day church, we’re surrounded by exposed brick, shiplap, and the original concrete floors. Over the last 8 months we invested a lot of time and resources to make this building exactly like we wanted it. But throughout the process I was constantly reminding myself that this building and everything we’re putting in it, will one day pass away. What really matters is the eternal difference we’re making in the people who pass through its doors. It is so easy in our culture to get distracted by temporal things and completely lose sight of the eternal. Jesus warned us in Matthew 6 not to spend this life laying up treasures here on earth, but to make investments in the next life by laying up treasures in Heaven. Our lives are so consumed with accumulating new stuff and maintaining old stuff. But are you making investments in eternity? Scripture gives us a vivid picture of two possible outcomes for
PT I n O th e r W o rds
Leslie Scott is the Director for the Prosper Community Library.
Leslie Scott
Prosper Times contributor
It’s a question many ask. It’s a question that gets differing answers. It’s a question that only comes up this time of year. It’s the question my daughter called to ask me this afternoon, “Can I wear white pants after Labor Day?” My answer to her was that some do and some don’t, some think it’s okay and some don’t, and maybe just Google it.” From the sigh I received, I knew I was of no help. Of course, after we hung up, I Googled it myself and I got the results I guessed I would. Some say it is okay, some say it’s not fashionably okay, and then I saw that my daughter and I were not the only ones asking that question as it was trending. Trending, in its original definition, has to do with traveling a certain direction, particularly up, down or around something or applied to something. Trending in the 1980s is when the term became more about popularity or occurrence and less about physical movement. Many of our online news sources and search engines keep statistical data on what we are
Trending and Most Searched
searching which becomes the makeup of what is trending. It’s very much guided by what is currently happening in the world. Trending is not just about people, but also about places, events, and even situations, as we’ve seen lately with the weather. Occasionally, I’ll see something or someone is trending and have no idea why or even who they are, but most of the time it is guided by our need for information in the present. Most frequently searched terms are completely different from trending in that they are not a current situation of frequent inquiry, but rather historical repeated inquiry over a length of time. I looked at Google trending lists at https://trends. google.com/trends/topcharts where they list the top trending and most searched results in many categories. These results are actually interesting and lead to more google searching. Top trending books for July 2017 are: Ready Player One; A Wrinkle in Time; The Lost City of Z; A Game of Thrones; and The Disaster Artist. Most searched books are: The
Bible; Thirteen Reasons Why; Hamilton; Quran; and A Game of Thrones. Trending animals include: Shark; Ape; Hornet; Dog; and Beetle. Most searched lists: Dog; Cat; Fish; Horse; and Bird. There is an array of categories listed such as actors, movie, colleges and universities, travel destination, political figures, sports and sports figures, and many more. Have hours to drop down a rabbit hole to learn more about search terms, their frequency, and what it all means? I would start with The 100 Most Popular Google Keywords at https://www.siegemedia. com/seo/most-popular-keywords. Or simply go to Google and enter “most trending or common searches.” If you’re like me at all, many will make sense at their inclusion and others will intrigue you to more searching and investigation. And then your searches also become part of the trending and most searched data. Leslie Scott is the Director for the Prosper Community Library.
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Friday September 8, 2017
Chief Tucker
PT F i re D e pa rt m e nt i n c i d e nt re p o rts
From page one
The ceremony was filled with speakers who worked with Chief Tucker in the past as well as presentations to honor him. Even Janie received a presentation. It was a metal sculpture to hang that reads “All Tuckered Out.” This came from the wives of the Prosper firefighters and they also gave her flowers. Captain Jason Graham, president of the Prosper Firefighter Association, presented Chief Tucker with a special fire helmet made especially for him. As the gift was being unveiled, Assistant Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame now Prosper’s Fire Chief, read the history behind the fire helmet explaining the different aspects that make it functional. This helmet was wrapped with photographs from Chief Tucker’s career from the beginning to the last fire. Jeremy Hunter and B.J. Wendling, both members of the fire department’s honor guard, presented the chief with a canvas wrap photo of the honor guard in front of the Central Fire Station and also presented him, in ceremonial fashion, with two flags that had been flown over the fire station. Members of the Prosper Town Council made a presentation to Chief Tucker to declare the day Ronnie Tucker Day. On many occasions, Tucker was brought to tears but none more than when he looked at his wife from the podium and said “Thank you.” He had to fight back the tears and at one point stopped to try to gain composure. He said, I’m going to get through this. He told Janie thank you for her years of support with the challenges of his comings and goings for the fire department. He told how his daughter Brande, when young, would ask him to stay home. Then he looked at Brande, their only child, and said, “Daddy’s going to be home.” He shared that when he and Janie married, she
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knew she was marrying a firefighter but she never signed on to be the wife of a fire chief. On a lighter note, Emergency Manager Coordinator Kent Bauer brought a walker for the chief decked out with headlights and sirens. Blasingame prefaced the presentation with a disclaimer saying he had nothing to do with it. Then Chief Tucker stood and asked Blasingame “Is that guy still on probation?” referring to Bauer whose job tenure is only a matter of months. Blasingame said yes and then Tucker said, “And I’m still employed as of midnight?” and Blasingame agreed as if Bauer should be worried about his job after making the presentation of a walker. The auditorium came alive with laughter. Following the ceremony and presentations, a luncheon was provided for everyone to celebrate. It was furnished by the Prosper firefighters and the Prosper Ladies Association. Robyn Battle, Town of Prosper Secretary, commented on Tucker’s retirement. “He has left such a mark on the town. I don’t think anybody will ever forget him. And he has left such a wonderful legacy that the fire department can build on to try to live up to his high expectations and high standards.” Others expressed similar feelings. Town Council member Kenneth Dugger said “Prosper’s been blessed to have Ronnie Tucker. He has set such high standards that will help keep Prosper being the best.” One of the firefighters, Lieutenant B.J. Wendling said for him, this event is bitter sweet. “I am happy for him and Janie to have time with each other to go do whatever they want to do for that next chapter of life, but I will miss him a lot.”
August 30: EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1800 block of Commons Way, Aubrey; Dispatched & cancelled en route on West University Drive at Gee Road; Water or steam leak in the 800 block of Field Crossing, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 800 block of Field Crossing, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 2400 block of Breezypoint Circle; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 7200 block of Preston Country Lane. August 31: Dispatched & cancelled en route in the 4300 block of Canopy Street, Little Elm; Smoke Investigation in the 26900 block of East University, Little Elm; Dispatched & cancelled en route in the 3000 block of Sunny Hill Lane; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 400 block of Business Park Drive; Motor vehicle accident with injuries on FM 1385 at West University Drive; Motor Vehicle Accident with no injuries in the 200 block of South Preston Road. September 1: Dispatched and cancelled en route in the 26500 block of East University, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 5000 block of Still Meadow Lane, Celina; Smoke detector activation, no fire - unintentional in the 4000 block of West University Drive; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1400 block of South Preston, Celina; Motor vehicle accident with no injuries on West University Drive at Gee Road; Lock out in the 1100 block of North Preston Road. September 2: EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1800 block of Bozman Trail; Lock out in the 26500 block of East University, Little Elm; Dispatched & cancelled en route in the 2600 block of Cascade Cove Drive, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 800 block of Texcoco Drive.
September 3: EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 26500 block of University, Little Elm; Dispatched & cancelled en route in the 2600 block of Westview Court. September 4: EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1500 block of East First Street; Carbon monoxide detector activation, no CO in the 1000 block of Jessica Lane; EMS call excluding vehicle accident with injury on West University Drive at Navo, Little Elm; Dispatched & cancelled en route on East University Drive at 720, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 26900 block of University, Little Elm. September 5: EMS Call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 1500 block of Crescent Valley Drive; Motor Vehicle Accident with no injuries at the intersection of East University Drive & Navo, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 900 block of High Willow Drive; Dispatched & cancelled en route to the 4300 block of Red Wing Drive; Motor Vehicle Accident with no injuries at the intersection of East University Drive & La Cima Boulevard; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury in the 100 block of Chapel Hill Drive; Public service in the 100 block of North Craig Road; Dispatched & cancelled en route to the 2300 block of Sumac Court, Little Elm; EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury on Sutton Fields, Celina; EMS Call, excluding vehicle accident with injury to the 1300 block of Settlers Ridge, Celina. Editor’s Note: Information found on the Fire Department website at www.prospertx.gov/firedepartment.
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DIXON
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Fire Marshal Bryan Ausenbaugh, left, Retiring Fire Chief Ronnie Tucker, and new Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame.
From page one “I like to fish and Jack, my son, is teaching me a better method of fly fishing.” Jack attended high school in Peoria, Illinois where he ran track and cross country. He said he was in the first class to attend all four years in the brand-new school. He went on to college at Iowa State and later to Southern Illinois and
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Retiring Fire Chief Ronnie Tucker greets firefighter Marty Nevil during final inspection as Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame looks on.
the Marines so he said he couldn’t share it exactly. It is the seven Ps. He said he cleaned it up for mixed company and it is “Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan and you will perform a good job.” He said he’s a good planner and the things he learned with the Marines have served him well for all his life. Jack says he feels an urgency to take care of and honor our veterans of all ages the way they should be honored.
September 11 Activities Stand Out in Prosper Prosper’s Community Picnic Set for Saturday Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
Seen here is an aerial photo of the park on First Street next to the Central Fire Station which will be name Tucker Park in honor of Chief Ronnie Tucker and his service to Prosper.
he ran track and cross country there as well. While in college he met a Marine recruiter who convinced him a better plan was to join the Marines so he did. This was during the Vietnam era and Jack spent six years of duty in the Marines. “The Marines taught a lot of people how to grow up and I guess I was one of them,” Jack said. “They taught me leadership and how to deal with people, skills I was able to take with me for the rest of my life.” His favorite quote came from
September 11 is just around the corner and Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame sent out a reminder of the upcoming activities. The Fire Department’s 9/11 ceremony for this year has been moved to Frontier Park. It will begin at 7:30 a.m. A special guest will be in attendance this year. He is Jose Prosper from the Fire Department of New York City. The Firefighters Association is flying Jose and his family to the Dallas area and he will be a guest speaker in Prosper. Prosper firefighters have had a relationship with Prosper for many years. He has been with the FDNY for 19 years and is assigned to E38 in the Bronx. He was a responder on 9/11. The FDNY did a recall of its firefighters that day and Prosper’s wife was dropping him off in Manhattan as the second tower fell. He quickly responded to help after that and worked on the pile for many months following. “We also have our own Sergeant Ronald Castro who was with NYPD at that time and who will be speaking as well,” said Blasingame. “He also worked ground zero during the aftermath.” After the ceremony, the World Trade Center Mobile Memorial will be brought back to Central Fire Station but will visit Rucker Elementary from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. then back to Central. It will be at Reynolds Middle School from 5:30 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m. before returning back home to Central Fire Station. Also, the Memorial will be at the Seventh
Annual Memorial Stair Climb in downtown Dallas this Saturday morning at Renaissance Tower at 8 a.m. where 946 Climbers will climb 110 floors to honor those responders who lost their lives that day. “We have multiple members [of the fire department] climbing and some on standby as alternates for Saturday,” Chief Blasingame said. The Mobile Memorial will be back to Prosper just in time to be at the Community Picnic from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Frontier Park. There will also be a non-profit exhibit and food drive to highlight the picnic. As communities like Prosper expand and grow, adding residents, rooftops and retail, many begin to leave behind the events and activities that call to mind the old-time charm and charisma of small towns. In contrast to that trend, the annual Prosper Community Picnic continues as a hometown tradition that recalls those simpler days, occupying a warm place in the hearts of residents. Instead of gathering to help a neighbor raise a barn or bring in a harvest, Prosper residents are invited to attend the free event to meet friends, make new acquaintances, and express those old traditions in new ways. In addition to free hot dogs, drinks, and dessert, attendees will enjoy music, fun, games and attractions for all ages. This year, in an effort to assist Prosper-based non-profit agencies and organizations get the word out about their services, a limited number of booth spaces are available at no charge. Interested non-profits should contact Julie Shivers, Recreation Coordinator
at julie_shivers@prospertx.gov or 972-569-1064 to reserve a space. The event will retain the popular tradition of residents being personally served by Mayor Ray Smith and members of the Town Council. As usual, the generosity of the members of local churches and service organizations helps defray the major costs of the picnic, making it a truly community-based celebration. For example, the membership of Lighthouse Fellowship Church is providing the hot dogs and fixings; the Prosper Ladies Association is furnishing and serving dessert; and members of Prosper United Methodist Church will provide and serve drinks. As in previous years, Bethlehem Place, Prosper’s only food pantry, will conduct its traditional “Hunger is No Picnic” food drive. Residents and guests who bring Items may elect to place those items in the collection bins for their favorite school, helping that school win the travelling trophy, awarded to the Prosper ISD school that has collected the most donations throughout the contest. “Inviting the non-profits to our event this year gives local organizations an opportunity to introduce themselves and their missions to the public,” said Shivers. “It will be inspiring to see numerous organizations represented this year.” More information on the Prosper Community Picnic is available at www. prosperparksandrec.org.
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Friday September 8, 2017
PT A B it of W is d o m … Following South Texas Efforts after Hurricane Harvey
Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com I confess to enjoy social media — just about all aspects of it. And when something is happening and in the news, I keep checking to see what’s been posted to Twitter or Facebook. This week I kept finding myself drawn into the many, and I mean MANY, posts about Hurricane Harvey, its destruction and the personal stories emerging of regular people helping regular people. The stories often make me cry. I came across one post from a friend of mine in Sherman. John Markl wrote: “Hundreds and hundreds of small boats pulled by countless pickups and SUVs from across the South are headed for Houston…. “Almost all of them driven by men. They're using their own property, sacrificing their own time, spending their own money, and risking their own lives for one reason: to help total strangers in desperate need…. “Most of them are by themselves. Most are dressed like the redneck duck hunters and bass fisherman they are. Many are veterans. Most are wearing well-used gimme-hats, t-shirts, and jeans; and there's a preponderance of camo. Most are probably gun owners, and most probably voted for Trump….” Then he got a little political so I’ll skip that part. He continues: “These are The Quiet Ones. They don't wear masks and tear down statues. They don't, as a rule, march and demonstrate. And most have probably never been in a Whole Foods…. “But they'll spend the next several days wading in cold, dirty water; dodging gators and water moccasins and fire ants; eating whatever meager rations are available; and sleeping wherever they can in dirty, damp clothes…. “Their reward is the tears and the hugs and the smiles from the terrified people they help. They'll deliver one boatload, and then go back for more…. “When disaster strikes, it's what men do. Real men. Heroic men. American men.” Politics again and he continues: “In the meantime, they'll likely be up again before dawn. To do it again. Until the helpless are rescued. And the work's done… “They're unlikely to be
reimbursed. There won't be medals. They won't care. They're heroes. And it's what heroes do… “And they won't differentiate between race, color, nor political slant. All they'll see is ‘my fellow American-neighbor’ in dire need. These are real Americans who love their family, their fellow citizen, and their country. Pray for the rescuers as well as the victims….” Another post I read has been copied and pasted so many times on the Internet, I can’t tell where it originated but I’ll share a part of it. “Dear President Trump, we know you are new at this. We are glad you came when you did. Don't listen to the media, they are not our voice. We are also happy you did not try to patronize us with insincere political pity. That's not what we need. What you said was correct. We are Texans, and we CAN handle anything. We still believe in America. And we appreciate our president coming to support us. Melania, don't listen to the haters. Clearly they don't know us. We are not afraid of high heels out here. Work it girl.” And in a Twitter post I saw a photo of a long line of people just waiting their turn and the post read, “This is Houston. Wanna know what this line is for? Food? Water? Housing? Nope. These people are waiting in line TO VOLUNTEER.” This was from @MichaelBerrySho. It’s hard to pick a favorite of all the things I’ve seen. Perhaps my very favorite post was on Facebook from someone named Shawn Price. It showed a video of a parade of red work trucks driving in line on the highway. It was dated August 28 and the caption read, “Hang on Texas! Oklahoma has heard the bell. We are sending all we got, OG&E is hauling down I-35 like a bat out of hell!” Perhaps one of the most important posts I found on Facebook was from our own Bethlehem Place. In case you are not familiar, Bethlehem Place is Prosper’s food bank and there are a good number of people who desperately need the help Bethlehem Place can provide. Managed by Betsy Winters of Prosper, the post entered on the agency’s Facebook page from August 31 follows: “We Need Your Help!!! Yesterday it hit us hard as we realized how Hurricane Harvey is impacting Prosper. Last night, our Prosper community helped feed our first Hurricane Harvey evacuees. Preparing for more to come and the expectation that the North Texas Food Bank, which delivers food to us monthly, will be in more demand from our neighbors down south, we feel the urgency to ask our charitable Prosperites to help fill our shelves in hopes of lessening the strain on NTFB while also, feeding some who come up our way. " Bethlehem Place is at 107 South Church Street in Prosper and someone will be there every day from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to accept donations. If you’ve been looking for a way to help, here it is. Let me just add one more thing about Facebook. Yesterday I became friends with Red Steagall. Yep, the one and only wants to be friends with me. I just had to tell somebody.
PROSPERTIMES A Cedarbrook Media Publication Publishers Jason & Heather Reynolds Admin@CedarbrookMedia.com Managing Editor Joyce Godwin 903.815.0044 Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com Sports Reporter Renee Marler 214.592.7512 Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com To Subscribe 972.347.6231 Subscriptions@Cedarbrookmedia.com Letters to the Editor & Editorial Submissions to Editor@CedarbrookMedia.com To Advertise 972.347.6231 or Advertising@CedarbrookMedia.com Prosper Times P.O. Box 405, Prosper, Texas 75078
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Watch for Smoke Testing in Areas Around Prosper
From the Prosper Fire Department Facebook page comes the warning that the Town of Prosper Public Works Department will be conducting smoke testing in various areas throughout Prosper for the rest of this week. The smoke you see coming from the vent stacks on houses or holes in the ground is harmless, has little odor and creates no fire hazard. The smoke should not enter your home unless you have defective plumbing or dried drain traps. If this occurs, you should consult your licensed plumber.
Council Holds Second Public Hearing for Budget Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com The Prosper Town Council praised Finance Director Kelly Neal for her diligence in honing the new budget to allow for increased road repairs at the special meeting on Tuesday night. Neal spoke to the Council and said the theme is “Paving the way to Success.” She highlighted the changes that have occurred since the last time the budget was presented. She said she wants to make sure people realize the focus is on the biggest things in the budget which is roads, paving and infrastructure. “There is a total increase in the general fund by $869,201,” she said. “Frontier Parkway gets an increase of $150,000 and Windsong Ranch with regard to the Uretek procedure is $920,000 and phase II of $710,000 is not coming out of the general fund. It will be funded through debt service.” Neal told the Council “This is the last public hearing on the FY 2017-2018 budget and the Council will vote on the budget in a regular meeting on September 12.
The fiscal year will begin October 1.” The Uretek procedure was explained later in the meeting by Executive Director of Development and Community Services Hulon Webb. It is a deep injection process that raises the roadway to make it level and prevent further damage. Webb explained that it won’t fix everything but if the road damage if not too bad, the Uretek will fix it in most cases. It will allow the repairs to be completed without having to tear the existing roadway out. There were several Prosper residents who spoke to the Council — all from Windsong and all talked about their roads. Some thanked the Council and town staff for their diligence in sorting out the road problems saying they have come to realize it is a complicated issue. Others asked the Council to finalize all the street repairs in 2018. Mike Korbuly asked Webb to remind the Council of the repair schedule. Webb said most of the work would be completed in 2018. A public hearing was also held to consider and discuss a proposal to increase total tax revenues from properties on the tax roll in the preceding tax year by 8.45 percent. The Council adjourned the meeting and then had to hold interviews for the Commissions and Boards that need to be filled for the town’s business. Those positions will likely be announced in the September 26 meeting.
PT C o m m u n ity C a l e n da r Friday, September 8th Eagles Tennis: Varsity at Carrollton Newman Smith – 4:00 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9B vs The Colony at PHS Arena – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: Varsity vs The Colony at PHS Arena – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9A vs The Colony at PHS Auxillary Gym #1 – 6:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: JV vs The Colony at PHS Arena – 6:30 p.m. Eagle Hype Tailgate Party: Come out and enjoy the fun, great BBQ and the Pregame Show in the Reynolds Middle School parking lot! Sponsored by Prosper Times, Wayne Bartley Real Estate, Bodine Orthodontics and Triple G Group, the fun begins at 5:00 p.m. Eagles Football: Varsity vs Mansfield Lake Ridge at Prosper Eagle Stadium - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 9th Prosper Community Picnic from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Frontier Park: Since the days of neighbor helping neighbor with the harvest, Prosper families have gathered in September for the Community Picnic. A special component of the picnic is service from the members of the Town Council. A fun way to get to know new residents and greet friends, Council members serve hot dogs provided by Lighthouse Christian Fellowship Church; drinks provided by Prosper United Methodist Church; and pie, courtesy of the Prosper Ladies Association. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9A/9B Tournament at McKinney High School – 8:00 a.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: JV Tournament at Coppell High School – 8:00 a.m. Eagles Cross Country: Cross Country Meet at Bob Jones Park – 7:00 a.m.
Monday, September 11th Prosper’s 9/11 Commemorative Ceremony: This year’s event will be held at Frontier Park and will begin at 7:30 a.m. Guest speakers include Jose Prosper with the New York Fire Department, who responded on 9/11, as well as Sgt. Ronald Castro who was with NYPD and worked ground zero during the aftermath. Prosper Ladies Tennis Club: Plays Monday nights for all 2.5 and higher players. Contact Michele Williams for more information at m19williams@gmail.com or 469-583-1051. Residential Bulk Trash Pickup: From Teel Parkway to Preston Road. Call 469-452-8000 or email Prosper@ WasteConnections.com by 4:00 p.m. Friday, September 8th to be placed on the schedule. Chamber of Commerce: September Board of Directors Meeting at Prosper ISD Administration 605 East Seventh Street Prosper, TX 75078 at 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 12th Prosper Chamber of Commerce: The Prosper Chamber networking meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship at 7:00 a.m. All members are invited to come and bring a guest.
Please email calendar submissions to Admin@Cedarbrookmedia.com
Prosper Town Council: Town Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays each month at the Prosper Municipal Chambers, 108 W. Broadway at 6:00 p.m. Prosper Historical Society: Meetings are held at Prosper Independent School District Board Room at 1:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. 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 RL Turner at Prosper HS - 4:00 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9A vs Newman Smith at PHS Auxillary Gym #1 – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: 9B at McMillan High School – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: JV vs Newman Smith at PHS Arena – 5:30 p.m. Lady Eagles Volleyball: Varsity vs Newman Smith at PHS Arena – 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 14th Prosper ISD Gifted Minds Prosper/NuMinds Parent Presentation: at Prosper ISD Administration Building Boardroom 605 E. 7th St. Prosper – 6:00 p.m. Chamber of Commerce Ladies in Leadership Meeting: Your Personal Brand at Texas Health Prosper – 10:00 a.m. Town of Prosper Parks and Recreation Board: The Board meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Chambers Building, 108 W. Broadway. The Prosper Rotary Club: The Prosper Rotary Club is a local community service organization, which focuses on fellowship, fun, and improving the lives of Prosper residents. The Club meets Thursday afternoons from 12:00 - 1:00 PM at the Prosper Independent School District Administration Building (605 E. Seventh St., Prosper, TX 75078). Meetings include an entertaining and informative guest speaker and local visitors. Lunch is $10. All who are interested in getting involved and supporting our community are warmly welcomed to attend. Please RSVP by emailing Melody Lehmann at melsmailbox73@gmail.com if you plan on attending. North Texas Giving Day: What is North Texas Giving Day? North Texas Giving Day is an 18 hour online giving extravaganza for North Texas nonprofits that is powered by creative nonprofits, social media activism, area wide collaboration, and of course you! The goal is to help build awareness and support for nonprofits in the North Texas region. Where is North Texas Giving Day? North Texas Giving Day is an online event and most of the activity takes place via the NorthTexasGivingDay. org website. 2017 Giving Day is Thursday, September 14, 2017 from 6 AM Central – Midnight. Eagles Tennis: JV at R.L. Turner High School – 4:00 p.m. Eagles Football: 9th Green at Frisco Liberty High School – 5:30 p.m. Eagles Football: JV Green vs Frisco Liberty at PHS Artificial Turf Field – 5:30 p.m.
PROSPERTIMES
Friday September 8, 2017
WeAreProsper.com | Page 5
Light Farms Elementary School in its Third Year Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
Author, Illustrator to be at Prosper Library Saturday Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com A Children’s Torn Tissue Workshop will be held at the Prosper Community Library at 11 a.m. on Saturday. It’s a chance to meet and play with authorillustrator Toni Yuly. She is the author of Saturday’s workshop as well as author and illustrator of Early Bird, Cat Nap, Night Owl, and The Jelly Bean Tree. “As she leads a workshop on how she creates her wonderful art, let’s see what you can create with torn tissue, too,” said Library Director Leslie Scott. “Come meet Toni Yuly.” Yuly lives in a small house by the water in Bremerton, Washington, a short ferry-boat ride from Seattle, where she was born. She attended the University of Washington and studied art with the great American painter Jacob Lawrence. Yuly has been a librarian in the King County Library system for many years before dedicating herself to designing, painting and writing full time.
PHS Band Percussion headed to Percussion Festival
The Prosper High School Band Percussion Ensemble has earned an invitation to perform at the Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival during the 2017 Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis in March. This is the first time that the Prosper High School Percussion Ensemble has received this honor. Prosper joined ensembles from across the nation in applying for the performance opportunity. They submitted recordings of two pieces for review and adjudication by a panel of judges. Only 10 groups were selected to perform at the 2017 festival. The Prosper High School Percussion Ensemble is directed by Michael Huestis. Last year the Prosper percussion ensembles, drumline and steel drum bands performed at the North Texas Percussion Festival, the Richland Carnival of Steel and won the high percussion award at the Birdville Marching Band Contest. “The Prosper High School percussion students are an extraordinary group of young people,” Ensemble Director Michael Huestis said announcing the official invitation. “The percussion students worked very hard last year to prepare extremely difficult percussion ensemble literature to be considered for the Music for All National Percussion Festival. It has been so much fun working with these wonderful students.” Prosper band director John Alstrin added, “I want to congratulate Mr. Huestis and all of the percussion students for earning the privilege of performing at the Music for All National Festival. Our students commit hours of time practicing, rehearsing and sharpening their talent to develop the highest musicianship skills. They are a fine example of what high school music students can achieve. We would like to acknowledge the parents of these fine students who have spent years supporting their children in their musical endeavors.” “We are honored that the Prosper High School Percussion Ensemble was selected as one of the performing ensembles at the 2017 National Percussion Festival,” said Prosper High School principal Dr. John Burdett. “Prosper High School continues to reap the benefits of the hard work, dedication and talent of our students and teachers.” Prosper ISD Superintendent Dr. Drew Watkins stated, “We are so proud of our growing band program – we are particularly excited that our percussion section will be representing Eagle Nation at the Music for All National Festival. Our young percussionists are amazingly entertaining and will certainly shine on the national stage – we are very proud of all involved.”
PT K i ds S a y …
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series about the schools in the Prosper ISD. Hopefully, the Prosper Times will be able to feature a different school each week. Haley Stelly is in her first year as a principal at a school that’s been in operation not much longer. This is the third year since Light Farms Elementary opened its doors. Stelly is up to the task. She’s exuberant and full of smiles and determined to know each of her 941 students by their first names. She started out at Baker Elementary where she stayed for five years before becoming assistant principal at Rucker Elementary. She was in that position for four years before moving to the assistant principal position at Light Farms and this year, she is principal. I came [to Prosper ISD] the year Baker opened and the growth has been unbelievable,” Stelly said. “And I’ve heard Dr. Watkins say several times we are just at the starting point.” Baker is where Stelly came to know Jana Thomson who currently holds a position as a school board trustee. Thomson was Stelly’s principal at Baker and instrumental in encouraging her to get her Master’s degree. “When I first became a teacher, I had no intention of ever becoming a principal one day, and then I just had a lot of people along the way who really believed in me and saw things in me that I might not have even seen in myself,” she said. “They gave me opportunities for leadership. Jana Thomson is one of those and has always been a very big cheerleader for me.” Stelly added how much she enjoys seeing Thomson on the school board. Stelly received her Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University in 2011 and served as the Assistant Principal at Rucker Elementary in Prosper ISD for four years. When asked about the best feature of Light Farms, Stelly shines the light on her students and staff. “Our students are amazing and our teachers are outstanding. We recognize the great things kids do every month at our Rise and Shine.” With all the many duties and things to do that require Stelly’s attention, she says her very favorite
Haley Stelly | From the PISD website
time of the day is first thing in the morning when she opens the car doors to help the students get out of their cars to start the day. “They are so excited to see us,” she said. Wherever she goes in the school, students run up to their principal and hug her and she hugs them back and calls them by their first name. “I feel like a celebrity,” she said. Stelly says she and her husband decided to move to Prosper once they started their family. They have a boy and a girl whom they want to be in Prosper schools. Stelly has something in common with working mothers everywhere in that she feels challenged to find the right balance between school and home. “I want to be fully present here and fully present for my family,” she said. Stelly also recognizes the growth in the district as exponential. “Navigating the growth that we face allows us to be really creative with the structures that we have,” she said. “Embracing our portable classrooms helps us manage our space well.” Light Farms has two teachers sharing a community room space which is pretty typical. “We have several schools doing it,” she said. “So those have been challenges, but that keeps it exciting, too.” Stelly says she feels blessed
to have the opportunity to serve students and live out her passion each day. I strive to positively impact the lives of children during their elementary educational journey.” One of the shining stars at Light Farms is its library under the direction of Terry Harkey who says libraries are changing. “They are not just books anymore,” she said. “One time a month we do ‘Maker days in the Library’ so the kids get to come in and create with legos and other construction tools and also technologies.” Harkey talked about last year’s second grade which was working on Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. “They had to build a functional and comfortable chair for one of our stuffed animals.” She described how the students broke into groups and worked in teams focusing on science, technology and engineering aspects. “So, we are trying to incorporate what they are doing in the classroom back into what they are building or making in the library,” Harkey said. “Schools are changing but it’s really good for the kids because that’s what the job force is going to require them to do — to be able to work with others in the work force and be creative and think outside the box.” Light Farms students are getting a head start in that direction.
Dr. Watkins speaks to Rotary
Courtesy photo
Prosper Rotary president David Huck greets PISD Superintendent Dr. Drew Watkins at last week’s meeting of the Prosper Rotary Club. Watkins spoke to the group about the condition of the school district and the talk was dominated by the effects of the exponential growth within the area and the need for new schools.
Quinn and Declan
I interviewed these two brothers in their hide away under the stairs where they just happened to have a keyboard and played the Imperial March/Darth Vader’s theme song from Star Wars for me when we began. We had the most enlightening and educational conversation mid-interview about salmon and the distinctions of smoked salmon versus baked and how each tastes with crackers. How old are you? Quinn: 11. Declan: 8. What do you want to be when you grow up? Quinn: An Air Force pilot. Declan: Something heroic like the Army or something What is your favorite movie? Quinn: The Force Awakens. Declan: The Captain Underpants Movie. I want to see the Pixel Movie too. Quinn: We can’t see it. Declan: Well the preview looks good. Quinn: Our mom is not going to let us see it unless we are 17! What is your favorite color? Declan: Cyan (and he spelled it for me in case I didn’t know). Quinn: Teal. Declan: Is that a shade of blue? Quinn: It’s like a little brighter than cyan. What is your favorite book?
Quinn: (Thought for a long time and then said “pass.”) Declan: The Captain Underpants series. What is your favorite food? Declan: Bacon Pizza. Quinn: That’s really hard. I don’t have worldwide favorite foods, I have a favorite for each category, or a certain meal. Declan: I know what it is, it’s salmon. Quinn: Oh yeah, it’s salmon. (This is when I was given an education on salmon 101) Do you have a favorite video game? Declan: Cars 3. Quinn: Minecraft or Lego City Undercover, but I finished it really quickly and so I’d like it if there was a really long story line so I didn’t get through it so quickly. Who is the funniest person in your family? Declan: Connor. Quinn: That’s easy, it’s me! If you could be a superhero, which one would you be? Declan: Spiderman that’s white and black that’s a new version of a Spiderman. Quinn: Ironman. 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. Photo by Leslie Scott/Special to the Prosper Times Declan, left, and brother Quinn.
PROSPERTIMES
Page 6 | WeAreProsper.com
Friday September 8, 2017
Eagle HYPE
TM
Dedicated to Prosper Sports
Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com Prosper Eagle fans braved the gas shortage and a 400-mile round-trip drive to Georgetown for the season opener, but the 47-13 win would make it worth the trek. Junior running back, Kaleb Adams, rushed for nearly 100 yards and tacked on another 70 yards receiving with two touchdowns against Boerne-Champion who defeated Prosper 17-14 in last year's matchup. Teammates senior DJ Love and junior Wayne Anderson Jr., both ran for 76 and 64 yards respectively, each making it to the end zone to score. Jostein Clarke put up a pair of touchdowns right over the line. As the first half drew to a close with a score of 28-0, it was apparent the Eagles were dominating the field of play. “The game was going into our favor really early on so we didn't do a lot of passing and relied on our running game,” said
Brandon Schmidt, head coach for the Prosper Eagles. “Our lines were really physical.” Junior quarterback, Keegan Shoemaker, threw for 126 yards before the Eagles took the game to the ground. Senior safety Blake Harrington, whom Schmidt calls an “extremely intelligent player,” returned a 45-yard punt in the first quarter. Schmidt also added that he was very proud of the defensive game Prosper showed on Friday night. “Defensively we did really well overall with finding the football and just being physical,” he said. Going into Friday's home opener against Mansfield Lake Ridge, Schmidt says his team is ready. “We will really depend on our solid offensive line to play well, and we just have to keep them contained because they are a good program, but we are also,” said Schmidt. “We have some incredible athletes, but more importantly, we have kids who work hard and play for each other and want to get better every single day.” Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Kaleb Adams warms up for the scrimmage against Colleyville-Heritage on August 25.
Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Wayne Anderson, Jr. rushes in the scrimmage against Colleyville-Heritage on August 25.
Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Keegan Shoemaker prepares to pass the ball in the scrimmage against Colleyville-Heritage on August 25.
Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.Com Elite softball has taken the country by storm and for a group of Prosper eighth graders, that storm is close to home. Sydney Lewis, Gabby Coffey, and Ayden Allen may only be 13 and 14 years old, but they have more than 25 years of combined softball experience and this year they will, all three, be playing on the same club team. Glory 14u Naudin. The trio has known each other in the softball world but this will be the first year they will be playing together. “I'm super excited because I know the level of play these girls have and I am excited to see what we can all do on the field together,” said Sydney. Gabby plays catcher and is a utility player. She said she is thrilled to be able to play with Sydney and Ayden. “I know we can keep each other confident so we can call the game. We work well together,” said Gabby. Ayden, who plays the fast-paced third base position, said she likes to listen to country music on her playlist to get her in the mood for a game. “Each player has their game to play and I am confident in each of our abilities and know that we can do what we need to do on the field,” said Ayden. Sydney, who plays pitcher and first base, has been playing softball since she was about three years old. Last summer, she and Gabby played in several national exposure showcase tournaments at the 14u level throughout the United States such as the Tulsa Elite (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Top Gun (Kansas City, Missouri), Colorado Sparkler (Colorado Springs, Colorado), Triple Crown Nationals (Austin, Texas), and Premier Girls Fastpitch (Huntington Beach, California). These tournaments are arguably the most highly visible, widely attended events in the country
Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Ross Hendley looks to the sideline for play call in the scrimmage against Colleyville-Heritage on August 25.
as far as college recruiters. Sydney has attended camps hosted by Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas State University, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Illinois and was invited by the University of Houston to attend a prospect camp. Sydney will have her first “unofficial visit” this September to visit an SEC conference campus. All three young ladies earned roster spots on this Glory 14u Naudin team, which is one of the most respected travel teams in the North Texas area. In the fall part of their calendar, they are slated to play a few tournaments in Texas, but the highlight of their fall campaign will be playing in the Diamond 9 Sun Classic Fall Showcase in Orlando, Florida. The event will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex and attended by the top 100 or more teams in the United States. Prosper softball coach Staci Jackson, said she is excited about the upcoming talent her team will have in the coming years with athletes like Sydney, Gabby, and Ayden. “We are in a good place. We have some terrific athletes coming up the pipeline and that's incredible for the future of our program,” said Jackson. Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Sydney Lewis, 13, plays for the Glory 14U Naudin travel team
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PROSPERTIMES
Friday September 8, 2017
Prosper Cross Country Among Best in State Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.Com The Prosper Cross Country Team competed in the Marcus I Invitational on Saturday, September 2 at North Lake Park in Denton. Prosper competed with the best 6A and 5A programs in the State. Both boys and girls varsity ran in the Elite Division. On the girls’ side, senior Emily Patterson finished 15 out of 224 runners and finished her 5K in a time of 18 minutes and 27 seconds. The girls team placed 12 out of 30 teams and was the second fastest 5A team. On the boys’ side, Wyatt Landis led the team finishing his 5K in a time of 16 minutes and 38 seconds. The boys team finished 19 out of 41 teams overall, but finished in the top within 5A schools. Prosper also competed in several other divisions. Girls Open Varsity placed 17 out of 28 teams while boys Open Varsity came in 14 out of 40 teams. Boys Junior Varsity Elite crossed at 9 out of 35 teams. Girls JV Elite earned 17 out of 28 teams with freshman Macy Owens finishing an impressive 15 out of 349 runners.
Courtesy Photo
Runners at the starting line of the Elite girls race at the Marcus I Invitational on Saturday, September 2
WeAreProsper.com | Page 7
Senior Braden Carmichael Spotlight Class of 2018
Sport: Baseball Position: Pitcher, Outfielder Parents: Darby and Julie Nickname: BC When did you start playing baseball? I started playing when I was 5 years old. Biggest strength and weakness in baseball? My biggest strength is composure, weakness is power hitting What do you love about baseball? I love the mental side of the game that most people don’t see. Sport you always wanted to try? Racing or BMX Most memorable moment in baseball? 1st round of playoffs last year when I threw 7 shutout innings in relief. Favorite Athlete: Russel Westbrook or Derek Jeter Favorite Sports Team: Yankees, Thunder or OU Three people you can have dinner with....dead or alive: Jesus, Derek Jeter, Bob Stoops Favorite quote: I have two. 1) “If you ain’t first, you’re last” - Ricky Bobby 2) “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:11
Favorite subject in school: Baseball counts, right? What’s on your playlist? Old Lil Wayne and Drake, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Big Sean, Selena Gomez, and Rihanna
Plans after HS? Play college baseball and major in business/sports management.
Eagle Tennis Starts District Play with Win at Home Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com The Prosper Varsity Tennis Team played its first district match Tuesday afternoon at home and came out with a big win. The Eagles won 16-3 against Little Elm High School. “Everyone, and I mean everyone, gave it their all today in every bit of play,” said coach Mandy Bowling. “They've been putting in the work and it's really paying off.” Juniors Phillip Johnson and Michael Mudd had a great three-set match, winning 11-9 in the tie breaker. “They kept their mental game and played smart,” Bowling said. Johnson, who was down 6-7 after the first set, came back to win his singles match in three sets as well, finishing the second 6-1 and third, 10-3. Prosper Tennis will face Carrollton Newman Smith High School at Newman Smith on Friday. Courtesy Photo
Prosper Varsity Tennis poses for a photo after a win in district play versus Little Elm on Tuesday, September 5.
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Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Neha Madhira returns a serve in district play versus Little Elm on Tuesday, September 5.
Interest in Prosper Archery Hits Target Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com Nearly 200 people filed into the PISD Administration Building on Tuesday evening for the Prosper Archery informational meeting. Prosper Archery is now an official club recognized by Prosper Independent School District after the huge turnout “Our goal is to have all archers last year for the inaugural season. Last year, due to limitations on selected to be notified by this practice time and having to use an Friday,” said Hedges. “The season offsite facility for practice, the group is set to start Tuesday with our first was limited to 30 archers. This year, tournament scheduled for early with the help of PISD, they will be November.” Practices for middle school teams able to triple that number and spread out the participation throughout the will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 6 to different grade levels. Prosper High School, Rogers 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays Middle School, Reynolds Middle for elementary grades and high School and the elementary grade school. All practices will be held level students will each have 24 spots in the archery practice area in the open for the archery program, totaling administration building. practice 96 possible archery spots across the area in the administration building. district. Archery coach Becky Hedges said they will still have to use the same lottery system they utilized last year, and that any return archers from last season would, in Courtesy Photo fact, have the right of first Archery coach, Becky Hedges, speaks to refusal on their spot in the interested parents at the information meeting on Tuesday evening program.
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Athlete of the Week Kaleb Adams Junior, PHS Football
Junior running back, Kaleb Adams, rushed for nearly 100 yards and tacked on another 70 yards receiving with two touchdowns against BoerneChampion in Prosper’s season opening win 47-13 over Boerne-Champion.
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CHILDREN + TEENS + ADULTS
Renee Marler | PROSPER TIMES
Freshman Jett Anderson stretches for a return in district play versus Little Elm on Tuesday, September 5.
Page 8 | WeAreProsper.com
PROSPERTIMES
Friday September 8, 2017
Lady Eagles Volleyball Flying High After Pair of Sweeps Renee Marler Renee@cedarbrookMedia.Com Renee Marler Renee@CedarbrookMedia.com Let me preface this week's column by saying I am not a fan of either team, but I have watched one of my all-time favorites, Troy Aikman, don the blue and gold and I appreciate an exciting game so we sat down to watch Texas A&M take on UCLA last Sunday evening. Around 8:30 p.m. my Facebook and Twitter feeds were going crazy! Aggie fans across the globe were praising Trayveon Williams' 188 rushing yards in the first half. The Aggies forced a Bruin field goal on their first drive. Add some fumbles and no pass protection, and it seemed nothing was going right for UCLA. With every refresh, #12thman seemed to be the hashtag of the hour. With about four minutes left in the third quarter, it seemed that A&M would pull off the victory as they led UCLA 44-10. You've often heard the term “a tale of two halves”. Well, I'll take your “tale of two halves” and raise you a complete and utter catastrophe brought to you by the #12thman. I don't want to lessen the performance of UCLA by saying it was all on A&M. Josh Rosen, as well as the Bruin defense, were stellar after halftime. Whatever pep talk Jim Mora Jr. gave in that locker room worked like pure magic. Silence began to fall on news feeds everywhere. If you were an Aggie fan, the next 19 minutes would be torture — plain and simple. The Aggies gave up
almost 400 yards and five touchdowns to lose...no BLOW...a 34-point lead. A lead so big only one other team has done worse, by only one more point. (That was the 35-point comeback in 2006 by Michigan State to win over Northwestern 41-38, if you were wondering). Even ESPN tweeted that during multiple points during the game the Aggies had a 99.9% chance of winning this ball game. The final blow came with a Marino-esque fake spike touchdown to win the game. But I will go on record and say I think Rosen wore it better. Check out the final 40 seconds of the Dolphins vs Jets, November 27, 1994 and let me know what you think. Around 10:30 p.m. the internet was ablaze with blame, disbelief and some creative jabs at the expense of the Aggies. The #12thman was replaced with #firesumlin, a sentiment that has been expressed long before this monumental collapse. Even Tony Buzbee, a Texas A&M regent member, publicly called for the firing of Sumlin after the loss, to which Sumlin simply stated he didn't pay much attention. If you are an Aggie fan, this will sting for a while. I guess one positive for Texas A&M out of the entire game is that poor 2006 Northwestern team is still topping the list.
The Prosper Lady Eagles hosted McKinney Boyd last Friday night and swept them 3-0 winning 25-19, 25-21, and 25-20. Seniors Hope Gramly and Haley Killinger had a combined four blocks, 21 kills, seven digs, and two aces while juniors Cici Hecht, Madi Whitmire, and Kayla Martin added 16 kills, 29 digs and two aces. Whitmore also had 39 assists in the match. Boyd could be considered the best team on the Eagles’ schedule with some quality wins against teams like Lovejoy, Amarillo, Frisco Wakeland and Plano East, so the girls were given a scouting report and studied the Boyd players. “We just played really well overall,” said Prosper coach Erin Kauffman. “I knew that we would have the advantage at the net, but our back court had to match theirs. We served well and played great defense. Both our left sides [Killinger and Hecht] did a fantastic job of playing six rotations and carrying a heavy load.” Tuesday night, Prosper traveled to Richardson to play JJ Pearce. The Lady Eagles once again swept the match 3-0 by scores of 25-22, 25-11, and 25-14. Prosper, now 25-5, opens district play on Friday as they host The Colony Lady Cougars at 5:30 p.m in the PHS Arena.
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.
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Joyce Godwin| PROSPER TIMES
Haley Killinger jumps for a kill in a match against McKinney Boyd on Friday, September 1
Joyce Godwin| PROSPER TIMES
Rogers and Reynolds Middle school volleyball players were presented before the Eagles’ varsity volleyball game started Friday at the Prosper arena.
Joyce Godwin| PROSPER TIMES
Madi Whitmore sets the ball for Hope Gramly in a match against McKinney Boyd on Friday, September 1
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