PROSPERTIMES Friday August 11, 2017 | Prosper, Texas
VOL. 1 | NO. 15
Prosper Profiles
WeAreProsper.com | $1.00
Council provides funding to repair Windsong Ranch streets
Meet Mike Neeley
Taylor Arledge sent us an email to suggest her dad, Mike Neeley, for our Prosper Profiles spot. Mike Neeley said their home was built in July 2000 and the family has spent 17 years in Prosper. “When we moved to Prosper, the population signs said 2,200 or 2,300. The Texaco was the only choice we had, and when they built the Exxon, it was a big deal because it had a Subway.” He said they moved the family to Prosper from Plano because they wanted to get their children in a smaller school district. They also wanted a little more acreage. “Dave Williams built our home and he was just an awesome man,” Neeley said. The only man in a house full of women, Neeley says he wouldn’t change it. Mike and Connie raised two girls, Lauren and Taylor. Now they have two dogs, a yellow Labrador and a 3.5-pound Chihuahua. Each was left behind when the daughters went to school. Mike says the girls cannot have their dogs back. “They’re ours now,” he said. Neeley says he and Connie love to travel. They go to Mexico a couple times a year and have been up and down the eastern sea board and still have a bucket list “a mile long.” Neeley went to high school in Carlsbad, New Mexico where he grew up and graduated from the University of New Mexico. He said five days after graduation he was in Dallas and has been in the area since 1979. “I came here on a spring break and had never seen so many pretty women in my life so I said, ‘That’s where I’m going.’” He said he worked in real estate for a while with one of his father’s high school classmates and that’s where he met Connie. Neeley says he reads a lot and keeps a lot of clippings of things he reads in newspapers and magazines. One of his favorite authors is Norman Vincent Peale. His favorite quote comes from the Bible: “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.” — Jeremiah 29:11.
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Mayor Ray Smith, left, and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Jason Dixon look at pictures presented during the Tuesday night Prosper Town Council meeting.
Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.Com There was standing room only in the Prosper Municipal Chambers on Tuesday night for the regular town council meeting with attendees flowing out the door and even more standing outside. At issue for most was a continuation of remarks made in the July 25 meeting — the condition
of streets in the Windsong Ranch Development. While Windsong residents had the largest contingent presence, there were others there to speak before the Council and other issues on the agenda. Mayor Ray Smith conducted the order of the meeting to best facilitate the large numbers present realizing they were mostly there for one item so he skipped to that item as soon as possible. The agenda item in
question was approved unanimously. It was a proposed ordinance amending the FY 2016-2017 Budget and Capital Improvement Plan to provide funding for the Acacia Parkway (Gee Road - Windsong Parkway) Project and First Street (Dallas North Tollway - Coleman) project. Prosper Finance Director Kelly Neal introduced the agenda item saying the CIP Amendment allows for $1,022,782 to fund the
reconstruction of Acacia Parkway which will be transferred to the Capital Fund. Also $136,000 for additional survey work on the First Street (Dallas North TollwayColeman) project. Steve Glass, Deputy Director of Engineering Services, followed Neal with a timeline description of the actions taken over several years to remedy the Windsong problems and then Mayor Smith opened the floor for individual speakers, of which there were many. The first speaker was David Blom with the Terre Verde Group, developers of Windsong. He spoke to the frustrations of not only Terre Verde but the residents who’ve lived on streets that are falling apart for the past two years or more. He told the Council, “You can see by the amount of attendance that the interest is high.” Blom described some of the actions taken by Terre Verde which included regular Town meetings to answer residents’ questions and explained that they are to the point that only the Town can answer the residents’ questions now. It is out of the hands of Terre Verde. He acknowledged the great relationship Terre Verde has had and continues to have with the Town of Prosper. He explained that Windsong now has close to 400 homes occupied and the development is only one-third completed so there is a long way to go. See COUNCIL, page 3
Students in PISD Gather with Parents for the Safety Fair at Rogers Middle School Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.Com Making identification records for their children was one of the most popular stops at the stations set up in the Rogers Middle School cafeteria last Friday for the Safety Fair, which was sponsored by Prosper Independent School District. Cheerleaders of all grade levels were on hand to greet folks as they came through the doors and into the gym inspiring a party-like atmosphere for the kids. They also performed some of their cheer routines. The high school sent its ace disc jockey, Kathy Nelms, to preside over the party in the gym with lively music. Police from the PISD Police Department and the Prosper Police Department, as well as Prosper firefighters, were on site with their equipment and vehicles. Children took turns sitting in the vehicles or walking through them and touching the things that inspire their curiosity. Keisha and Joey Harrison were there with their second-grade daughter who attends Baker Elementary. Keisha Harrison pushed a doubleoccupant stroller with twin girls, 11 months. Joey Harrison said he brought his family to the safety event out of concern for his second grader. “Safety is important these days and the more comfortable she is, the better,” he said. That is just what officers and firefighters were trying to accomplish. They were trying to help the young school children feel comfortable around the safety personnel and equipment that is important for the safety of the community.
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Officer Leon Goodman, left, and Sgt. Gerald Smith at one of the tables for the Safety Fair at Rogers Middle School last Friday.
Prosper Community Library Finishes Summer Schedule
Neeley says his business has been extremely blessed. “There are not enough hours in the day but that’s okay,” he said. I’ve been on the other side of that and this is far better.” The Neeley’s say they really love Prosper and love living here. “They’ve started to remodel their home after living there for 17 years. “We don’t plan on moving.” he said. “We’re glad to be getting a lot of new shopping coming to Prosper. Hats off to those guys involved in getting all that done, because we’ve seen it when there wasn’t much here.”
Joyce Godwin/PROSPER TIMES
Sharon Alderton, who often reads and conducts story time for the library, shares the book “Pout-Pout Fish with a group of children at the Prosper Community Library Saturday morning.
Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.Com Story times, face painting, crafts and more were on the menu at the Prosper Community Library last
Saturday morning as children and parents crowded in to participate. It was the grand finale for the summer reading program and children flocked in to pick up prizes they earned through reading.
Not everyone who was there had participated in the summer reading program. But close to 200 children came through the doors that morning and were warmly welcomed by Librarian Leslie Scott, who did a
great job of getting children to the reading corners for guest readers or to participate in the craft stations spread around the library. Assistant Police Chief Gary McHone was one of the guest readers, as well as Prosper residents Cap Perry, Trey Webb, Sharon Alderton and several others. In the back corner of the library was a cozy setup with a chair for the reader and rugs set around for children to gather close sitting on the floor. On the opposite end of the library was the face painting station which was very popular among the youngsters. Hulon Webb, Executive Director of Development and Community Services for the Town of Prosper, came with his son Trey, who was one of the volunteer readers. Webb said he thought it was a great turnout. “Leslie Scott, Chelsi Henry and Maurice Atkinson did a tremendous job and I was excited to see the enthusiasm on all the kid's faces,” Webb said. “Also, seeing my son volunteer to read to others, made me a proud papa.” If there are youngsters who’ve not been able to pick up reading prizes, prizes may also be picked up August 12 and August 14-19.
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