Community comes together for EcoCoppell Earthfest
Written by Staff
By Jess Paniszczyn
Everyone was invited to join Keep Coppell Beautiful and City of Coppell for EcoCoppell Earthfest in the Town Center Plaza on April 6.
“An event like this kind of ties everyone together,” said Bob Jones, gardener with Coppell Community Garden. “Everyone gets to see what goes on in the city. The Community Garden has been around for a long time, but some people are still not aware that we are here.
“A lot of people have started growing their own vegetables and are trying to get into the organic movement. We will do whatever we can to help them out. Gardening teaches children where food comes from, and people get to eat food that they have grown themselves. They realize that it takes a little effort and work sometimes. But the results are well worth it, because you get fresh stuff that you’ve probably never tasted before and a lot of varieties that you don’t get at the store, and it tastes better than the stuff that has been shipped all over the country to get here.”
Even the Mayor and City Council participated and did their part to help keep the city green.
“The City Council and myself meet each year at 8:30 a.m., and we pick up trash on a specific tract of Denton Tap,” Mayor Karen Hunt said. “The good thing is that this year there was a whole lot less trash. I think it is the result of a combination of a little bit of development and people’s awareness of these issues.
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 May 2013 09:29
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Calendar 4.13.13
Written by Staff
April 13 8 a.m.
Celebrate the Revitalization of Old Town Coppell
The Farmer’s Market had Bethel Rd. will be bustling with historical re-enactors, live music, food, games, crafts, dancing and much more.
April 13 8:30 p.m.
The Irving Symphony Orchestra Presents
Visit the Irving Arts Center for a Romantic Extravaganza, a performance of two of the most romantic piano concertos ever written. The orchestra will present two Rachmaninoff piano concertos performed by two internationally acclaimed pianists. Irving Arts Center box office: 972-252-ARTS.
April 13 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sweets for People
Support the work of the no-kill DFW Humane Society by helping with their garage and bake sales. Donate items all week and shop on Saturday at the Irving Animal Care Campus!
April 13 10 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
Discover Islam Course
Come and learn about the most asked and talked about topics in Islam, including Understanding Islam, Prophet Muhammad, Jesus and Mary in Islam, Women in Islam, The Qur'an, & Shariah Law, just to name a few. Please call 972-972-812-2230, ext. 1005 to RSVP.
April 13 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Residential Green Cleaning Class
Keep Coppell Beautiful is offering a class about implementing a green program in your own home that can reduce the negative effect your cleaning and sanitary operations have on the environment. Come learn about the environmental and health benefits of green cleaning in your home! The free event will be at the Cozby Library and requires no registration.
April 13 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Document Shredding Opportunity
Irving residents are invited to a free shredding event at the drop-off recycling center located at 3000 Rock Island Road. Participants will be limited to two boxes per visit and proof of Irving residency may be required. City-sponsored shredding events provide residents with an opportunity to have sensitive documents properly destroyed at no cost. For more information, call (972) 721-8059.
April 13 2-3:30 p.m.
The City and The Man presents Tracy Hoffman
The 6th Annual Celebrating Irving activities continue with a special at the Central Library. Guest speaker Tracy Hoffman, Ph.D. Dr. Hoffman is currently working on an article about Irving’s relationship with Mary Shelley and a book project titled Searching for Madam Bradley: African-American Women of the Oklahoma Territory, a study based on a female character in Irving’s Tour on the Prairies. For more information, call 972-252-3838.
April 15 6:15 p.m.
Heritage Crossing Business Alliance Meeting
Come to the Chamber Information Center (Community Building), 135 S. Jefferson Street to the results of the University of Dallas students’ analysis and promotional plan proposals. We will also discuss the upcoming Spring Spectacular event and other marketing plans.
April 15 7 p.m.
Irving Silvertones Concert
Come down to the Heritage Senior Center for an evening whose free program will include a variety of sacred, classic, pops and patriotic music featuring Amy Stevenson, the popular Bass Hall performer!
April 16 6-9 p.m.
7th Annual Purse Auction
The annual purse auction is the major event for the Irving International Women’s Consortium and has become one of the premier events to attend each year! Purses that are new or gently used are donated by local women as well as celebrities and all the proceeds go to fund scholarships for women of other countries seeking certification for their degrees here in the U.S.A.
April 18 7 a.m.-12 p.m., 3-7 p.m.
Red Cross Blood Drive
Volunteers are the backbone of the American Red Cross. In the hour it takes to give blood, donors can help save the lives of up to three patients. Make the difference. Victory Place at Coppell, 550 N. Denton Tap Road in Coppell.
April 18-20
2nd Annual Earth Day Eco-Film Fest
This year’s Earth Day Eco-Film Fest will feature a collection of some of the most dynamic, interesting and thought-provoking eco-conscious documentaries and movies available. More than 40 movies will be shown in six venues to provide attendees with an opportunity to see films that focus on issues such as food, water, natural resources and everyday people with a vision of making a difference. For more information call (972) 742-2296.
April 19 5-7 p.m.
9th Annual Fish Fry
Past guests have put their “seal of approval” on this delicious meal and fun evening hosted by the Heritage Senor Center at Heritage Park. The event will include a silent auction of cakes as well. Fish fry tickets are $12.50 in advance or $15 at the gate. For more information, call 972-252-3838.
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 May 2013 09:24
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All in a day’s work
Written by Staff
Photo by Phil Cerroni.
Hero Rush brings firefighting challenge to obstacle course.
By Phil Cerroni
Hero Rush, the themed 5k that celebrates firefighters and honors the memory of fallen heroes, returned to Irving’s Trinity River Park on April 6 for a second year of exciting challenges and intense amusement. Obstacles included smoke-filled rooms, a hazmat zone where runners had to swim through a pool of slime, an obstacle course contestants had to navigate while lugging heavy tires behind them and a final test of mettle which involved people running around burning logs in order to reach the finish line.
Kaul said Irving is one of the 16 stops on the Hero Rush tour because of the popular demand from around the Metroplex.
“We have over 85,000 Facebook fans, and we kind of saw that a lot of our people on Facebook were actually from the DFW area, so we met with the CVB, the Conventions and Visitors Bureau, and they told us about Trinity View Park,” he said. “This is our second year here and we absolutely love it.”
The Grapevine fire department attended the event but as part of the Remembrance Rescue Project that commemorates the sacrifice of firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11 and educates young Americans about that day. Fire departments around the country host either “Rescue 4” or “Rescue 5”, two of the trucks that took part in the rescue efforts surrounding the World Trade Center.
“It’s a living memorial, museum piece, so we’re proud to host it, take it out to events and show it off and educate people about it and remember and honor the guys that lost their lives that day,” said Sean McGregor, a firefighter with Grapevine FD.
Matt Ivy, a member of Dallas FD participating in Hero Rush, said the event accurately simulates the dangers faced by firefighters.
“It’s actually pretty close to what we do sometimes, especially with things they show in the movies,” he said. “[In movies] going to house fires, you can see everything. [In real life] you can’t see anything with all the smoke – you can’t see your hand in front of your face, and some of the obstacles are like that.”
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 May 2013 09:22
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Salvation Army Luncheon promotes legacy of giving
Written by Staff
Freely you have received, freely give. –Matthew 10:8
By Sissy Courtney
The Soup, Soap and Hope Luncheon, sponsored by the Salvation Army League of Volunteers of Irving, helps to carry on the work started by the Slum Sisters many years ago in England. The luncheon was at Las Colinas Country Club on April 2.
“The people were so impoverished; they were hungry; they were dirty,” said Bonnie Kelley, who welcomed those attending the luncheon. “The Slum Sisters would take buckets of soup and go house to house and feed the people, and then they left them a bar of soap to clean with. After they fed them and cleaned them, they shared the message of Jesus Christ with them.”
“Our main goal is to provide the young people of the Irving community the resources, environment and relationships necessary to propel themselves forward to academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles – that’s really at the foundation of everything that we do at the Irving Boys’ and Girls’ Club,” said Aaron Proctor, a new member of the Irving Corps.
Proctor said their focus is on two main national programs, Triple Play and SMART Moves.
“Through the Triple Play experience, youth are challenged to become healthy and active,” Proctor said. “They learn new ways to eat nutritionally, manage their stress, maintain their physical fitness, and form positive relationships with their peers.
“SMART Moves is a nationally acclaimed prevention program. Youths learn knowledge, skills, self-esteem, and peer support that they need to make healthy choices, practice responsible behaviors, and avoid using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
“Dedicated women from our League of Volunteers will lead weekly activities in art, science, and math. Those activities help reinforce what the youth are learning already on a daily basis in school as well as new things to set the stage for their future education.”
Last Updated on Monday, 08 April 2013 12:03
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Woman shares story of violence to help other victims
Written by Staff
Accepting the Doris Black Award on behalf of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Active Citizenship Council, Jamie Wilson is congratulated by Dr. Beverly Black, Doris Black’s daughter (lft), and Tina Strand (rt). John Starkey / Staff Photographer.By Jess Paniszczyn
December 5, 2003 should have been a day like any other for Waco resident Carolyn Thomas, but it was not. In the spirit of cordial friendship, she gave her ex-boyfriend, recently paroled after four years in prison, a ride to Ft. Worth to see his parole officer. That ride would forever change her life as she explained during Chocolate and Chic, a luncheon benefiting Brighter Tomorrows, which was held in the Irving Convention Center on March 27.
“Once we got back to Waco, he asked if he could come over to the apartment,” Thomas said. “By me not having a safety plan, not knowing what I was going to do when he got out, my idea was just to be cordial to him: to keep him at bay. Because over the course of those eight years, he would always tell me, ‘if you leave me, I will kill you.’
“He and I began to tussle back and forth for the pistol. He gained control of it and shot my mother in the stomach,” she said. “He then dragged me into the living room and shot me in the face at pointblank range. At that time, I didn’t know what my injuries were or how bad my face was. I remember touching my face and it felt something like a sponge.”
“Brighter Tomorrows received 4,769 hot-line calls, provided shelter, food, clothing, resources and comfort to 501 adult victims and 598 children in our Irving and Grand Prairie emergency safe shelters,” said Tina Strand, vice-president of the board of directors. “We had clients in shelter for a total of 14,221 nights. We assisted most clients in creating a safety plan for themselves and their children, and served 39,880 meals.”
Last Updated on Monday, 08 April 2013 12:00
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