Forage for decor items in nature, garbage bins, Las Vegas Reivew Journal, July 2019

Forage for decor items in nature, garbage bins By Lisa Ferguson Special to Your Home July 20, 2019 Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. For Joanna Maclennan, the old adage about one man’s trash being another man’s treasure is a way of life. Having spent most of her life living in the picturesque countrysides of England and France, the professional photographer said she has long been a fan of decorating spaces with found items — from seashells and tree branches to furniture — that she has collected while out in nature, at flea markets and by sifting through the contents of garbage bins, among other spots. “It’s something that I do all the time,” said Maclennan, whose photos have appeared in numerous European interior design magazines. Her recently published book, “The Foraged Home” (Thames &Hudson), which she co-authored with her copywriter brother Oliver Maclennan, highlights the interiors of nearly two dozen homes throughout Europe, Australia and the United States. Their rooms are filled with unusual finds that have been repurposed in unlikely ways. In fact, several of the abodes themselves were constructed with reclaimed materials or are structures that formerly served another purpose. Case in point: The “Upturned Boat” home in Audierne, France, was built in 1950. This sizeable space once was a crab-fishing vessel — that is, until a French artist found it abandoned in a marina, towed the boat onto land and flipped it upside down. Now, the bottom and sides of the wooden hull serve as the pitched roof and rounded walls of this rustic, nautical-themed home that is decorated inside with large pieces of driftwood, thick ropes and small crab claws. An old dolphin bone hangs from the ceiling. Its floors are wooden slats which makes the structure easy to move should the owner ever decide, as he jokes in the book, to “turn and go on the sea.” A home in Provincetown, Massachusetts, called the “Whale House” looks more like a giant treehouse. It was entirely hand-built by its owner from pieces of twisted, knotty old wood that he foraged nearby and in other New England locales. “That was incredible,” Joanna Maclennan said of the home. “It’s 20 years that he had been building that.” Foraging is at the heart of the reduce, reuse and recycle movement and complements the emphasis that has been placed on sustainability in construction and interior design. However, there is more to it, she said. “I think the idea is to be a little more thoughtful about how we go about things,” Maclennan explained. “If you’re going to go to Ikea … get the essentials and things that you need. Don’t go to Ikea thinking, ‘This piece of furniture will be good for a month or so until I find something better and then I can just chuck that thing into a bin.’ … I think it’s just (about) being more thoughtful in that respect. “I also think it’s really fun to play around with your interiors. I think there’s something really exciting about finding something that’s free.” Maclennan’s own home, a 19th-century farmhouse in Provence, France, is featured in “The Foraged Home.” Several tall sheets of rusted corrugated metal serve as the headboard for her bed. Aged prints in ornate, distressed gilded frames hang backward on the wall because, as she explained, “maybe the back is more interesting than the front.” Living in the south of France, Maclennan is located near the Mediterranean Sea. Pine forests and vineyards brim with natural flora and other items (think sea glass and twisted vines) just waiting to be foraged and repurposed as decor. While it may prove a bit more challenging to forage in the desert and urban terrains of Southern Nevada, she is convinced it is still possible to do so successfully. Even prickly, dry scrub brush can be transformed into a decorative piece. “I think that can be very beautiful. Bits of bark, bits of wood.” Also, don’t underestimate the potential treasure that awaits inside local garbage bins or curbside at private homes on trash collection days, she said. With a bit of imagination, it is possible to breathe new life into discarded, broken furniture and other items. “It’s recycling in a different way,” Maclennan said. “I think if we look, if we become more aware of it, there is a way of being creative around it and I think we should take pleasure in it.” Las Vegas interior designer and stylist Lisa Escobar calls foraging “a different approach” to design. “But I get it, and I have a lot of appreciation for the intention behind it,” she said. “They’re using what’s already here and in nature, maybe lessening the carbon footprint.” However, Escobar said she would be hesitant about attempting to fashion an entire home with foraged finds. “You’re just not going to find everything that you need on the side of the road.” For those interested in giving this design style a try, she recommends limiting the number of found elements that are displayed so that they serve “as a conversation piece.” She added, “I don’t know that it could be one of your biggest (design) pieces” without some restoration. “If you found dining chairs on the side of the road, I would hope that you would give it a little TLC — sand it down, give it a new paint finish, reupholster the seats, something like that.” Above all, Escobar said it is important to consider how foraged items will function in your home. “If somebody said, ‘Oh, I love this branch,’ and then they try to (use it) to hang a shower curtain or something they’re using every day … it needs to make sense for their functionality as well as the aesthetic.”

Leave Those Cell Phones Behind, Park Cities People, May 2019

Leave Those Cell Phones Behind February 27, 2019 By Lisa Ferguson A couple of memories standout for John Morgan about his boyhood experience attending a sleep-away summer camp: The cabin where he bunked lacked air conditioning, and the scheduled activities were few. “I was roughing it,” he recalled. “But the beautiful part of getting away and finding yourself in the wilderness a little bit was still there.” As was a youth pastor whose positive influence “changed my trajectory” in life. (ABOVE: Campers enjoy a range of activities including a ropes course and water sports. Photos Courtesy Sky Ranch) “I had somebody investing in me, caring about how I turned out,” Morgan said. The latter, Morgan said, is one of the “underlining principles” of Sky Ranch, a Christian-based camp with locations in Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Morgan started with the company in 1998 as a camp staffer. He now serves as vice president of its ministry programs and oversees its sleep-away camps and day-camp programs for schools and churches around Dallas-Fort Worth as well as camps designed to accommodate entire families. Located about 70 miles east of Dallas and situated on a 90-acre lake, Sky Ranch’s site in Van boasts modern amenities and facilities for children in grades one through nine. The campus can house up to 700 campers in its wooden-structure cabins, which feature air conditioning and indoor bathrooms, during each of its 11 weeklong sessions scheduled from May 26 through Aug. 10. The Van facility also has three pools, numerous waterslides and inflatables, climbing walls, treehouse-like structures, amphitheaters, an outdoor laser-tag course, a vertical playground with ropes obstacles, and an interactive nature center. Activities traditionally associated with summer camp are also available. “We still sing. We still have campfires,” Morgan said. An extensive horsemanship program, led by champion steer wrestler Rope Myers, is offered on an adjacent 240 acres where arenas and horse trails are located. Getting outdoors and away from modern-day pressures is important for children, who are not allowed to bring their cell phones to Sky Ranch. In a camp setting, Morgan said, “Even though we’re crazy and fun and loud and silly … it’s way more silent than the world … you get to leave behind, and you get to know your real self a little better.” Although it is not affiliated with any one denomination, Sky Ranch’s curriculum does include religious discussion and activities. Campers “sit down once a day as a cabin and walk through … some pretty basic fundamentals,” Morgan explained. “There are all kinds of campers out here, all different belief structures. We still adhere to what we know is true during those teaching times,” he said. “We love and care for everyone so well that even nonbelievers come back year after year and … feel cared for while they’re here.” Fees at Sky Ranch average upward of $1,000 per camper for each Sky Ranch session. Scholarships are available for those who qualify. Additional information can be found at skyranch.org. Morgan said the camp experience often proves “life-changing” for children. “There is some sort of personal development, spiritual development that happens.”

With Dogged Dedication, Frisco Style, May 2019

With Dogged Dedication By Lisa Ferguson - May 1, 2019 Most members of the Rotary Club of Frisco boast strong ties to the community, are highly-skilled in their respective industries and have a desire to serve others. However, only one walks on four legs. His name is Pudge, and he is an 11-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever who has spent most of his life working as a certified therapy dog in North Texas. His owner, Dawn Cruzan, is the president of the Rotary Club that bestowed on Pudge his honorary Rotarian status. She is also the founder of Camp Craig Allen, a Frisco-based nonprofit organization that serves physically disabled children, adults and military veterans. Pudge has, for years, been a fixture at its educational, recreational and therapeutic programming events. Elsewhere in the community, Pudge provides comfort by visiting the bedsides of patients at area hospitals and other facilities and appearing at events. He previously participated in a “Read to Rover” session at the Frisco Public Library, and, last Halloween, he posed in costume for photos with thousands of children during an event at Frisco’s Fire Safety Town. “I am very proud that he gives unconditional love and support to anyone who meets him,” Ms. Cruzan says of the dog, whom she has owned since he was a puppy. “He became very proficient in baseball catching,” so she named him after former Texas Rangers catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. Prior to founding Camp Craig Allen, Ms. Cruzan worked as a certified rehabilitation specialist with those who have catastrophic diseases and injuries that impact their mobility. She recalls observing qualities in Pudge early on that led her to believe he was suited to be a certified therapy dog. “I knew his disposition was very loving and kind.” Unlike service dogs (which are owned by those with disabilities, are trained to tackle specific tasks and are afforded access rights to public places, including restaurants and airplanes), certified therapy dogs generally provide comfort, psychological and, in some instances, physical support to people at hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, as well as in schools, libraries and other facilities. Their owners are certified as handlers. However, the canines are not allowed the same public access as service dogs. Ms. Cruzan started Pudge in a certification training program, which he completed when he was around two years old. He is specially-trained to lean his 75-pound body into manual wheelchairs and act as a stabilizer while adult patients with spinal-cord injuries transfer in and out of their devices. Also, they can grab hold of the handle on the official therapy vest the dog wears and he will help them roll forward. Pudge, who has worked locally at Baylor Scott & White hospitals and veterans administration facilities, also assists those in power wheelchairs. That “is a big deal,” Ms. Cruzan says, since a lot of dogs are very scared of their noisy motors. Over the years, Pudge has “gotten his tail run over, his foot run over, but he is not scared. If somebody is going to make a turn, he knows they are going to turn before they turn. He is very intuitive.” Pudge also helps in other ways. His presence previously has been requested by physicians to comfort spinal cord injury patients as they learned they would never walk again. Also, he once befriended a young cancer patient and remained at her side during her final days. At such difficult moments, “That patient just cries on him and Pudge gives them support,” Ms. Cruzan explains. “It is a very calming, gentle presence and environment that you feel.” In 2014, Ms. Cruzan experienced Pudge’s dedication and loyalty firsthand after enduring a life-threatening medical episode that rendered her unconscious at her home. “They do not know how long I was out, but emergency responders had to remove Pudge off the bed when they found me.” Comatose, Ms. Cruzan was hospitalized for weeks and endured a long recovery process, during which she had to learn how to walk again. Through it all, the dog “was very good. There were times that he needed to help me physically.” Ms. Cruzan believes Pudge was made to be a therapy dog. “He was made to take the tears of patients on some of their worst days. He is just a great source of comfort. His spirit is just amazing.” That spirit is usually on display when Pudge attends Camp Craig Allen events. The organization sponsors power wheelchair hockey and adaptive waterskiing programs and runs multi-day adventure camps for physically disabled children and adults at locations around North Texas. During water-skiing activities, “He runs the shoreline the whole way, back and forth, and he will swim out to the skiers,” Ms. Cruzan says. “He goes to all of our camp programs and he will run beside the golf cart or he will go on rolling wheelchair expeditions out in the woods. He knows every path and every way to go.” In his work at Camp Craig Allen, Pudge “has been a champion of what a dog can provide, as far as being an advocate for those with disabilities to get a service dog.” He certainly made an impression on Lauren Taylor, a University of North Texas graduate student who, in March, was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Texas 2019. Born with congenital muscular dystrophy, she has known Ms. Cruzan and Pudge since she was a youngster and has previously participated in Camp Craig Allen programming. “He is the sweetest dog you will ever meet. He will come up to you and lean in with all of his weight, just for you to love on him,” Ms. Taylor says. “It does not matter who you are, if you are in a wheelchair or not … he will just sit right next to you and lean up against you. It is just an immediate calming sensation when he is around.” More than two years ago, she became the owner of a service dog named Buchanan, a five-year-old Golden Retriever-Lab mix with whom Pudge has since become buddies. “They wrestle and tumble and play tug-of-war. It is so comical to watch them together.” Now semi-retired, Ms. Cruzan says Pudge’s previously action-packed schedule has lightened in recent years. Following her medical episode, the two were forced to curb their professional commitments. “He immediately went from having a full-time career touring hospitals and seeing patients and going to programs weekly to enduring complete downtime for six months. He really did not recover from that,” Ms. Cruzan says. In 2015, Pudge was diagnosed with a mild form of the canine version of Parkinson’s disease. “Luckily, his balance issues and tremors are at a slow progression,” Ms. Cruzan shares. She closely monitors the dog’s activity levels and overall health as he continues to take part in Camp Craig Allen activities several times annually and visits with patients at area hospitals upon request. Going forward, she intends to increase his participation in the library’s “Read to Rover” program. The two will also attend speaking engagements to educate others about the seven types of working dog classifications, while demonstrating Pudge’s role as an advocate for specialty-trained canines. “When he puts on his therapy vest and his harness,” Ms. Cruzan says, “He is in work mode.”

Party People, Frisco Style, May 2019

Party People By Lisa Ferguson - May 1, 2019 Last May, if someone had told Allie Holtman how dramatically her life would change in less than a year, she likely would not have believed it. Back then, the Frisco resident worked as an information technology clinical educator. She traveled to hospitals in cities around the nation training physicians and other operating-room staffers how to utilize software systems. Also, a bride-to-be at the time, weekends were spent planning her then-upcoming wedding to Jeff Holtman, a project manager with whom she tied the knot last June. For assistance with the latter, Ms. Holtman turned to Jason Lewis, the owner of Five Star Event Services and the Venue at McKinney Town Center in McKinney. Amid selecting the perfect table linens, floral arrangements and entrée choices for her wedding ceremony and reception, the pair formed an unexpected friendship. “When I met him, it was just like we instantly clicked. Everything he said, his vision,” she recalls. “He wanted to work with me on what I wanted, not push what he wanted on me, and I really appreciated that.” As brides sometimes do, Ms. Holtman shed a few tears on her wedding day, but not for the reasons that most would expect. “It was the end of my reception. We had done our last dance, we had done our send off and Jason was inside (the venue) cleaning up. I went back inside and I was crying. I said to him, ‘We can still be friends, right, even though my wedding is over?’ And he was like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes!’” Within months, their friendship evolved into an unlikely business partnership. In December 2018, the two became co-owners/operators of the Venue at Frisco Town Center, a full-service event center located near downtown Frisco. In the space (which las long been an events center previously called Stone Creek Terrace and later, The Vine), they host a variety of private soirees from weddings and anniversary celebrations to bar mitzvahs and holiday parties, as well as events that are open to the public, such as a recent family-friendly Easter brunch service and the slate of live music and entertainment offerings that are scheduled in coming months. A Chicago-area native who moved to Frisco in 2015, Ms. Holtman says she had considered making a career change for a while. “I had been traveling and living out of a suitcase for five years and wanted to do something different. Operating rooms and clinical education are very cut and dry, and I felt a little bit like I was withering inside.” Planning her own wedding “was really fun for me, and I wanted to try something a little more creative.” That is why she approached Mr. Lewis about starting an event-planning business of their own. An alum of the University of Tampa in Fla., Mr. Lewis is a veteran North Texas event planner. “Being trusted to execute all the moving parts of a client’s dream wedding is truly an honor and privilege, and when you love what you do, well, it seems a lot less like work.” He also was looking to “mix things up a little” in his career when he met Ms. Holtman. “She had these ideas and wondered whether I would ever consider us doing business together,” he recalls. “We had a couple of opportunities in front of us,” which included opening the Venue at Frisco Town Center. “From the minute we pulled up, we just fell in love with the area and the property. We knew this was going to be our baby.” In the months since they have made improvements to its indoor and outdoor spaces, which accommodate up to 150 people, depending upon the event being produced. The pair recently had a new 900-square-foot pergola constructed around the trunk of a mature shade tree. Additional improvements are planned at the 6,500-square-foot property, which boasts lush landscaping and a trickling creek. Construction is also underway on The Patio at The Rail, a forthcoming retail, restaurant and office district being developed by Nack Development and located directly adjacent to the Venue at Frisco Town Center. “That was my biggest (decision) driver of coming down here,” Mr. Lewis says. “I love the vibe that is happening in downtown Frisco. I love that the city is widening the sidewalks and not the streets – that is foot-friendly. I love that we are wrapped around what is going to be known as the new East Pipeline. This building will be sitting in the middle of it.” Many of the events Mr. Lewis and Ms. Holtman have planned for the space are designed for public enjoyment. For example, on most Wednesday evenings, the place will transform into a hip spot with live music, adult beverages and a locally-sourced, tapas-inspired menu where folks can hang out for a couple of hours and listen to classy, nice music. “I do not see a lot of other event centers partnering with the community to do community things,” he says. “To be able to do something a little bit more fun and in the realm of conceptual events or performance-type events like concerts is going to be really exciting.” One of the pair’s goals for the event center, which strives to be eco-friendly by following extensive recycling practices, is to ensure that all members of the community feel welcome there. “This is definitely a judgment-free zone,” Ms. Holtman says. The picturesque space recently served as the backdrop for a family portrait-taking event sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA) of North Texas. “I really like meeting all of our clients and the variety of different events is really fun,” Ms. Holtman shares. “When I do a tour (of the property), I ask people right off the bat, ‘Tell me about yourself. Tell me about your fiancé. How did you guys meet?’ I customize each tour to the person because I want to make sure they get what they are looking for.” Between Mr. Lewis’ event-planning expertise and Ms. Holtman’s technology savvy, the duo’s partnership has so far proven to be successful. “Like any other good business model,” he says, “Allison and I bring different business strengths to the table, which makes our relationship work extremely well.” Ms. Holtman says she has “really been able to streamline some processes” that the business utilizes, while Mr. Lewis “brings the creative. He has such an eye for things. It has really been a great combination. He knows this industry and I come to it with some fresh eyes.” Meanwhile, working alongside a friend “has been really nice. I had been warned about going into business with a friend, but it has been really great.” While it is a far cry from the stress level of her former career, Ms. Holtman says that learning how to roll with whatever an event throws at you has kept her on her toes this year. Each shindig is very different. “I just try to stay two steps ahead of what is going to happen. In the end, you just make sure everyone is comfortable.” And, of course, that they are having a good time.

Vegetable gardening goes vertical, Las Vegas Review Journal. April 2019

Vegetable gardening goes vertical By Lisa Ferguson Special to Your Home April 27, 2019 - 8:05 am Amy Andrychowicz is bucking conventional gardening wisdom. In “Vertical Vegetables: Simple Projects That Deliver More Yield in Less Space” (Quarto Publishing Group), the first-time book author demonstrates how to produce bigger and better fruits and veggies by growing them upward instead of outward in traditional planting beds. “Pretty much anything can be grown vertically as long as you chose the correct structure for it,” said Andrychowicz, who a decade ago established Get Busy Gardening (getbusygardening.com), a popular DIY blog for beginners. Vertical gardening has grown in popularity, she said, as more people (including aging baby boomers) have taken up residence in apartments and condominiums. “So many people don’t have a lot of space, they don’t have big yards, they live in the city. Even in suburbia, they don’t want a huge, ugly garden that they have to take care of sitting in their backyard. They want something to … be small and easily maintainable, to be able to grow stuff right on their deck or patio.” A longtime gardener, she first experimented with vertical gardening years ago while living in a duplex. After moving into her first home and building a horizontal vegetable garden, Andrychowicz said, she noticed the larger vining plants crowding one another and decided to trellis them. The result was “one of the best growing seasons I’ve ever had,” she wrote. Even weighty watermelons and sizeable squash can flourish while suspended vertically from a sturdy — and aesthetically pleasing — garden arch or trellis, she said. “They’re hanging down, so they’re shaped nicer, they don’t have that ugly spot on them, you don’t have to worry about them sitting on the ground and rotting or getting eaten” by pests. Visitors to her Minneapolis home are often surprised when they come into my garden and see pie pumpkins hanging from an arch crafted from PVC pipe and standard garden fencing, she said. In the book, Andrychowicz details techniques for hammocking heavier plants but said she has“never had a problem with any of them ripping off the vine.” Her yard is filled with a variety of vertical planting structures, many of which she fashioned herself using new, reclaimed and upcycled items, and stationed in unexpected spots. An entire chapter — brimming with detailed material and tool lists, instructions and photos — is dedicated to building trellises and other structures including a tall, freestanding wooden arch. There are also guides for constructing a long, wire-arch tunnel that stretches over a ground-level planting bed, creating additional growing space above it, as well as classic- and contemporary-style wooden obelisks, elegant pyramid-shaped structures that are often found in formal gardens. Andrychowicz created a whimsical fan trellis by affixing an old shovel, rake and hoe to three wooden extension poles. She utilized metalized rain gutters and lengths of threaded steel pipe to build a self-standing “gutter garden.” Thrift-store and garage-sale finds can also be transformed into vertical planters, such as an industrial-style metal utility cart featured in the book. Even old picture frames can be altered to support herbs and other small edible plants while simultaneously decorating oft-overlooked spaces such as walls and fences. In addition to being able to grow food in a smaller footprint, Andrychowicz contends that larger harvests result from vertical vegetable gardening. The practice also helps to conserve water while preventing fungus and other diseases as well as pests from infiltrating plants. “If you have things growing vertically … you just have specific spots to water rather than watering your entire garden … which also helps control weeds because those weeds aren’t getting watered,” she said. However, vertical gardening may not be as easy as Andrychowicz makes it look. Brandi Eide is the botanical garden supervisor at Springs Preserve. She said the technique “comes with its own inherent challenges.” For starters, because the soil’s substrate surface is restricted, “You don’t have as much space for roots to grow and develop.” Meanwhile, because soil tends to dry out very quickly in the Las Vegas Valley and throughout the Southwest, “Watering is also a challenge.” Eide advises vertical vegetable gardeners to employ “a very high-organic content soil that’s going to retain moisture longer. That way, you’re not having to supplement with water as frequently.” Springs Preserve staffers recently completed renovations on the facility’s own vertical garden wall, which featured succulent plants on one side; an assortment of tomatoes, beans and vegetables on the other; and a drip-irrigation system that kept everything adequately hydrated. (The structure is now used exclusively to grow succulents.) “I don’t know that vertical gardening is easier than just gardening horizontally,” Eide said. “There are a lot more challenges and it’s probably a lot more time, labor and maintenance intensive from every situation that I’ve ever seen.”

Beyond the Ballot, Frisco Style, April 2019

Beyond the Ballot: Get to Know Your Candidates By Lisa Ferguson - April 1, 2019 FRISCO CITY COUNCIL ELECTION Shona Huffman – shonafrisco.com, Place 2 Incumbent Shona Huffman was elected to the Frisco City Council in 2016 and currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem. She works as the community relations manager for MTX Group Inc. and was president of the Leadership Frisco Class XVI. Ms. Huffman was involved in the 2015 Citizens Bond Committee; chaired Frisco’s Legislative and Arts Facility committees; and was a member of its Governance Committee, as well as the Mayor’s Youth Council and the FISD’s Long-Range Planning Committee, among others. She is also a member of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary and mentors students in the FISD’s Independent Study and Mentorship program. If elected to a second term, she would like to “see (the council) do more in bringing jobs and commercial investment to Frisco, allowing us to provide further property tax relief for homeowners,” as well as improve roadways and public safety infrastructure. “And I want to see us make progress on the community arts facility — that is one area where there is a demand that we have yet to meet.” Jeanne Weisz – Place 2 Jeanne Weisz worked in the radiology field for more than four decades. For a dozen years, she was an ultrasound technologist at Medical City in Plano, and also worked at its Frisco location before retiring in 2018. The Panther Creek resident volunteers with local and national charitable organizations and is an active member at Frisco First Baptist Church and the Frisco Senior Center. The city’s tax burden “is taking a toll on our residents, and many people feel that large corporations and special interests take precedence over the people who live in Frisco,” she says. “I feel the City Council is not representing the residents of Frisco as much as big business, special interests and outside investors. The everyday, hardworking citizens need a voice, and someone to champion their concerns, and someone who is not conflicted about who they represent. I will be a voice for the people.” Mukesh Parna – mukesh4frisco.com, Place 2 Mukesh Parna is a founding member and 2020 president-elect of the Dallas North Indo Centennial Lions Club. He supports a variety of local charitable programs benefiting shelters for homeless, low vision kids for studying and endeavors benefitting impoverished children internationally. After 20 years, he left the corporate world, made Frisco home and started a small business. He would like to see more stability in small businesses and help sustain jobs brought to Frisco by maximizing returns on incentives that were provided to big developments, reduce property taxes and resolve traffic congestion using technology. “We need a person who has the passion to give back and sustain small business jobs – someone who has experience to measure returns on big incentives, maximize returns on taxpayers’ money and who has knowledge of utilizing corporate and commercial to increase overall tax base and reduce resident taxes. That has been my strength.” Stephanie Cleveland – stephanie4frisco.com, Place 4 Stephanie Cleveland leads the Global Strategic Pursuits Team for Dell Technologies. A U.S. Navy veteran, she advocates for “vulnerable” members of the community, including the homeless population and has led committees focused on veterans’ issues. When it comes to tackling traffic troubles, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution for a city as diverse and spread out as Frisco. I think we are going to have to look at a solution in layers,” she says. “I would like to see a combination of an inter-city transportation system such as a trolley that hits major areas, attractions and neighborhoods, and maybe the scooters/bikes for concentrated areas like downtown, the ‘live, work, play’ communities … and the new UNT campus.” Bill Woodard – bill4frisco.com, Place 4 Incumbent Bill Woodard was elected to the City Council in 2016 and previously was a member of the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission. He also served on two Charter Review Commissions and chaired the 2010 Census committee. The executive vice president and chief credit officer at Titan Bank, N.A., he has been involved with the Panther Creek Homeowners Association; served as president of the Shawnee Trail Cycling Club; and is a graduate of Leadership Frisco Class XIII. Balancing resources is one of the biggest issues facing the city. “With Frisco’s growth, we are seeing residential, commercial and retail development. The emphasis of where we should focus can change in a very short amount of time, depending on a variety of factors. Council and city staff have performed admirably in balancing these various projects. It takes a talented group of people to go from looking at residential developments, to big projects such as The Star, Frisco Station and the PGA, and then to commercial redevelopment, such as the mall or Hall Park.” FISD SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION Nate Adams – nateforfriscoisd.com, Place 1 Nate Adams is the owner-operator of FullSec Solutions, which provides physical and cybersecurity systems to nuclear power plants. The U.S. Air Force veteran served in the Iraq War and founded the Airman’s Leadership Council, an organization that provides leadership opportunities to junior service members. The father of a pre-teen son who is autistic, Mr. Adams says, if elected, he would work to help the district attract and retain “the best teachers,” boost student safety, spend funds more wisely and advocate for special-needs students. “Education is the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society. I want to ensure all our students enter the world prepared to thrive in today’s economy. We need a board diverse in skills including corporate finance, strategic goal-setting and measurement, with experience in large organizational management. I can bring these missing skills to the board, as well as unique perspectives from being a security expert and a special-needs parent.” Gopal Ponangi – gopalforfisd.com, Place 1 The father of two daughters, Gopal Ponangi is a program and project manager for Tata Consultancy Services. He founded and is president of the Shubham Foundation, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to FISD high school seniors and supports the GDAS Cancer Clinic in Richardson. A member of the FISD’s Long-Range Planning Committee and the Frisco Education Foundation’s advisory board, he volunteers with Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a collaborative program of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce and the FISD. “One of the biggest issues facing the FISD is addressing the growth challenge,” he says. The district’s “strong academics and outstanding opportunities for students continue to make the FISD a destination school district for families moving to or relocating within the Dallas/Fort Worth area.” Growth “needs to be handled by having a keen eye on the growth patterns and new registrations and by tweaking the plans to build new schools and re-configure existing schools without impacting class sizes.” Natalie Hebert – nataliefisd.com, Place 2 A former FISD teacher, Natalie Hebert has taught at the elementary and secondary levels, as well as special education. At Vandeventer Middle School, she co-chaired the family and community involvement committee. The mother of two also served as a member of the district’s Priorities-Based Budget Committee, which analyzed district spending and was on the District Improvement Team. “I want to bring an educator’s voice to the boardroom. Public education is vital to the livelihood of our community. We have a shared responsibility to ensure that the needs of every single child are met every single day. The end goal is to establish a team that works together to foster the potential each student possesses, while also addressing the needs of the staff to ensure their full professional and personal development,” she says. Also, “Frisco continues to struggle with the fast-paced growth of our community while maintaining the level of student opportunity. Until Texas comes up with an effective plan for school-finance reform, the FISD will continue to be forced to derive innovative ways to fund our school district to the level of excellence that our community expects.” Steve Noskin – stevenoskin.com, Place 2 Incumbent Steve Noskin, whose company manufactures and installs playground safety surfacing, was elected to the FISD Board in 2016. A member of the West Frisco Homeowners Association, the father of four founded the nonprofit Fury Basketball and Flag Football Leagues and has coached several local youth sports teams. Formerly the president, vice president and a trustee of the Half Hollow Hills School District in New York, he chaired its School Board Facilities Committee. On his campaign website, he lists among his goals “establishing transparency and fostering community participation in all decision making, so every member of our district has access to critical information and the opportunity to contribute to the process,” and “demonstrating fiscal responsibility in the allocation of our tax dollars as we implement cutting-edge programs.” Muniraj Janagarajan – muniforfisd.com, Place 3 Muniraj Janagarajan is an information-technology specialist for a Fortune 500 company. The father of a teen daughter, he has served as a volunteer crossing guard for Vandeventer Middle School; is a member of the Richwoods Homeowners Association board; and is a graduate of the Frisco Citizens Police Academy. Improving the district’s “fiscal discipline” is among his top priorities. “We are collecting huge property taxes from each and every homeowner, along with bond debt (and) other state funds to spend on top-class education for our children. We have good opportunities to improve our financials.” Also, “The FISD should expand its current mission statement to include all stakeholders such as taxpayers, teachers and parents, along with students. This will guarantee prudent decisions by trustees and (that) every tax dollar collected is well-spent with high return on investment.” Chad Rudy – chadrudy.com, Place 3 A certified financial planner with Retirement Investment Advisors, Inc., incumbent Chad Rudy was elected to the FISD Board of Trustees in 2015 and for two years has served as its vice president. The father of three daughters was on the 2014 FISD Bond Committee as well as the Frisco Sunrise Rotary and Leadership Frisco Advisory Council boards. “I am proud to have been a part of so many solutions and advances that have been implemented (within FISD) since 2015, but I also see how much more we have to do,” he says. “I am running for re-election because our district is constantly changing. It is different today than when I first ran in 2015. We have 10,000 more students, 12 more campuses and 600 more educators. We have added new programs, new technology and new outreach to parents. Our senior leadership team has gone through some changes, and we are working with new regulations and requirements from the state legislature.” Visit friscotexas.gov/1490/2019-general-election to learn more about Frisco’s 2019 General Election and view the City Council candidates’ ballot applications. For the FISD Board of Trustee candidates’ campaign notices, visit friscoisd.org/about/board-of-trustees/board-elections.

Celina's new youth services librarian is focused on kids, Celina Record, March 2019

Celina's new youth services librarian is focused on kids Lisa Ferguson, Star Local Media Contributor Mar 26, 2019 There is a new face at Celina Public Library. Amy Staples recently began as the youth services librarian and is working to boost the library’s programming for children and teens, expand its collection of books and materials for youths and redesign its popular annual Summer Reading Program, among other tasks. “I am very excited” about the position, she said. “Working with young people and getting them fired up about reading is my passion. This is what recharges me.” She is also getting to know the library’s young members. “I like hearing what they’re doing. … I like hearing what they’re going through, their day-to-day stuff, what their interests are, what they’re experiencing,” she explained. “It helps me to shape the programming.” Formerly of Saginaw, Staples holds a bachelor’s degree in applied behavior analysis from the University of North Texas, and a master’s degree in library science from Texas Women’s University. She also has a teaching certification as a fourth- through eighth-grade generalist. After a stint student teaching literature to seventh graders, she worked as a substitute librarian at a middle school and went on to volunteer at the Saginaw Public Library where in 2012 she was hired as a children’s assistant. As part of her duties there, she oversaw art programs for teens and managed youth volunteers. In 2014, Staples was one of 18 Library Science graduate students from throughout Texas selected to receive a grant and study online as part of a special cohort trained specifically to serve families with young children. After a year working as a library assistant at Fort Worth Public Library’s downtown branch, Staples for two years served as the youth services librarian at the White Settlement Public Library before joining the Celina Public Library team. “Amy’s passion for children of all ages was evident her first day of work,” said Linda Shaw, director of library services for Celina. “She will be instrumental in defining the library’s commitment to the children of our community.” Staples looks forward to leading weekly storytime sessions beginning this summer. She is also creating programs specifically for tweens and teens. “I’d like teens to know that Celina Public Library is their space, too,” she said. “New programming is currently available for teens, as well as an actual, physical Teen Posting Space,” where they can comment on a variety of topics. She also will implement changes to Celina Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, which kicks off June 7. This year, the program will feature separate reading requirements for students in preschool through completed 5th grade, and completed 6th grade through grade 12. Also this summer, the library will host “Teen Tuesday” programming, as well as family friendly shows and events under the downtown pavilion as part of “Whiz-bang Wednesdays.” “It’s important to me that kids feel relaxed here and that they’re having fun, that it’s a positive experience for them,” Staples said. “The most notable joy of our public library is that everyone can come here and have fun together.”

New venues, entertainment, handcrafted goods featured on 2019 Celina Garden Tour, Celina Record, March 2019

BEYOND THE GARDEN GATES New venues, entertainment, handcrafted goods featured on 2019 Celina Garden Tour Lisa Ferguson, Star Local Media Contributor Mar 9, 2019 The 2019 Celina Garden Tour, an exclusive showcase of eight area home gardens and wineries, will be presented rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 8. Presented by the Celina Garden Club, the self-guided tour winds through the picturesque countryside of Celina, providing stunning views of its vast farmlands and gently rolling terrain as well as rare glimpses at several of area’s most impressive gardens. “We are excited about the 2019 Garden Tour as we enjoy sharing Celina’s beautiful gardens and wineries with our North Texas friends and neighbors,” said Celina Garden Club President Lynn Balint, whose own home garden is featured on the tour. Other venues on the tour include Caudalie Crest Winery; Eden Hill Winery & Vineyard; a private home vineyard; Maryland Farms; and a trio of suburban-home gardens that highlight the beauty and benefits of indoor-outdoor living. An assortment of handcrafted foods, beverages and products will be available for purchase at several venues, including homemade pies and preserves, home décor and other items. The 2019 Celina Garden Tour will highlight the burgeoning area’s rustic charm and resources, according to Melissa Green, who oversees special events and philanthropy for the Celina Garden Club. “This year’s tour reflects the urban growth Celina has experienced with the addition of new, smaller garden spaces featured at homes in a couple of the city’s suburban developments. It will also highlight our rural heritage with sprawling vineyards and peaceful country properties.” Advance tickets are $20, and will be available online beginning March 16 at celinagardenclub.org, for pickup starting at 8 a.m. on tour day in Celina’s historic downtown square, near Walnut and Ohio Streets. Same-day tickets may also be purchased there for $25. Tickets will also be sold at four area retailers: Annie Jack, 222 W. Walnut St., Celina; D&L Farm and Home, 811 N. Louisiana Drive, Celina; Texas Seasons Nursery, 807 N. Preston Road, Celina; and Cristina’s Stone & Garden Center, 14400 Preston Road, Frisco. Garden Club Tour Founded in 1945, the Celina Garden Club’s mission is to educate and stimulate the knowledge; to share our resources and experiences; and to enjoy fellowship with other gardeners through monthly meetings, field trips and projects. Club members actively participate in civic improvement programs, which include sponsoring an annual scholarship for students interested in environmental-related studies. With funds from its 2015 tour, the Celina Garden Club planned and executed a garden and learning center at Celina Elementary School. Proceeds from this year’s tour will assist the club in continuing its community outreach and beautification projects.

Experts to discuss saving strategies at Celina library event, Celina Record, Feb. 2019

Experts to discuss saving strategies at Celina library event Lisa Ferguson, Star Local Media Contributor Feb 14, 2019 When it comes to planning for retirement, it is likely that most people think about where they’d like to travel or decide what new hobby to take up during their free time. However, according to local financial professional Chianna Rodgers, there is much more to consider, especially when it comes to properly funding the so-called “Golden Years.” “Usually people retire, and they’ll have a large lump sum of money. They go on vacation, they buy cars, they buy a house,” said Rodgers, a registered financial representative with Principal Financial Group. “Then they realize their money isn’t going as far as it did when they had a regular paycheck coming in, so they have to adjust. You can still do those things, but you have to plan accordingly.” A resident of Celina, Rodgers serves as chairperson of Celina Public Library’s Advisory Board. At the library, 142 N. Ohio St., she and her Principal Financial Group colleague Fred Shlesinger will present a free Retirement Educational Strategies Training (R.E.S.T.) workshop from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 21. Among the topics to be discussed are investment and tax-diversification strategies as well as asset protection. Informative handouts and worksheets will be available to those in attendance. No solicitation or selling of financial products will occur during the event. Linda Shaw, head of library services, said the decision to include the retirement workshop in Celina Public Library’s 2019 programming was an easy one. “What is important to members of our community as individuals is important to us at the library,” Shaw said. “This is an awesome program. … It is a terrific opportunity for people to become better educated about all of the benefits that are available to them.” A married mother of three children, Rodgers holds both Series 6 and Series 63 securities licenses. A native of Chicago who relocated to North Texas seven years ago, she is also licensed to sell life, health, property and casualty insurance, and previously was an agent for State Farm. Prior to retirement, Rodgers said, “Most people don’t know how to calculate how much money they’ll need” to pay for routine expenses while maintaining the lifestyle they enjoyed during the years that they were employed full time. “They don’t take into account medical and tax expenses, how much that costs when you’re older and don’t have a constant income stream.” Meanwhile, she explained, “All of the things you learned about investment strategies reverse at retirement. That’s a big flip for people.” The R.E.S.T. workshop is designed to educate those preparing to retire soon, as well as people who plan to remain in the workforce for years to come. “It’s never too early to start thinking about retirement,” Rodgers said. “It’s your job to be prepared.” You must be logged in to react.

Wild at Heart, Frisco Style, Feb 2019

Wild at Heart By Lisa Ferguson - February 1, 2019 Coyote in deep grass and sagebrush As a longtime runner, Frisco resident Kimberlee Malin knew the possibility existed that she could encounter coyotes or wild animals while traversing the streets around her Panther Creek-area home. “I was always told they are more scared of you than you are of them. Just yell and they will never approach you.” However, during the pre-dawn hours of October 26, 2018, Ms. Malin learned firsthand that is not always the case. That morning, Ms. Malin hit the pavement to continue training in advance of running the following month in the famed New York City Marathon. Alone and headed east on Eldorado Parkway, approaching Granbury Drive, she spotted a pair of eyes peering at her from the intersection and quickly determined it was a coyote staring back. “We both looked at each other. It was very close to me — a lot closer than I had ever been to one,” she recalls. Assuming the animal would be skittish around humans (as most coyotes that live in urban areas usually are), Ms. Malin says, “I thought he was just as freaked out, so I was going to keep going on my path and that would scare him off. So, I kept going up the road,” she says. Instead, the animal advanced toward her on the sidewalk. Ms. Malin said she began jumping backward and kicking wildly in an attempt to scare it away. “I kept moving around in a circle and he kept trying to get behind me. It was probably like 10 seconds of him coming near me and trying to touch me. That is when I started screaming, ‘No, no, no. Get away, get away, get away!’” A passing motorist happened upon the scene and blew their vehicle’s horn, causing the coyote to briefly retreat. It returned once more before the blaring noise finally scared it away for good. “I had an angel or somebody looking out for me,” Ms. Malin says. “It was kind of getting to the point where I think an attack was imminent.” Ms. Malin’s encounter with what local safety officials and state wildlife experts described as an “aggressive” coyote was one of five such incidents that occurred from late October through mid-December last year, along a two-to-three-mile stretch of Eldorado Parkway. Four people, including a young child, sustained injuries when the animal attacked them. In one case, a female jogger was hospitalized and underwent surgery after being bitten on the neck. While an unknown number of coyotes inhabit Frisco, Animal Services Supervisor Steven Lerner says the behaviors exhibited by the critter in question were not typical of most that roam the city. “This is the only incident in 12 years that we have had an aggressive one like this,” he explains. “They are curious and they will come close, but they have their boundaries. Normally, you cannot touch them.” Animal Services, along with Frisco Police Department officers and representatives from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, coordinated on the case by stepping up patrols of the area, responding to calls of coyote sightings and setting traps to capture the creature, among other efforts. Frisco Police Public Information Officer Grant Cottingham says the department “made sure that we could devote as many resources as possible … with the goal of making the public feel safe.” On December 18, 2018, the police department announced that a coyote believed to likely have been related to the attacks had been “removed” from the area and sent for testing (the results of which were not available prior to publication deadline). Frisco is home to a wide variety of wildlife including bobcats, raptors, hawks and raccoons. Even white-tailed deer can still occasionally be spied frolicking in the remaining creek beds and wooded areas that were once the landscape norm here before it became one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. However, with additional residential and commercial construction projects of all shapes and sizes planned or already underway, questions and concerns have arisen over whether Frisco’s fauna will continue to survive and thrive as the creatures’ natural habitats disappear. Case in point: Construction is set to begin by March 2022 on a 100-acre branch campus of the University of North Texas at Panther Creek Parkway and Preston Road, very near the locations of the 2018 coyote attacks. “It is not unusual to see a coyote in there,” Mr. Lerner says. “The creek that runs through there, that is nature’s highway.” Meanwhile, PGA of America announced last year it will relocate its headquarters to a 600-acre, mixed-use development to be built on an expanse at Rockhill Parkway and Legacy Drive. Scheduled to open beginning in 2022, the project is slated to include a pair of golf courses, a 500-room hotel and a 127,000-square-foot conference center, as well as retail and office space. Despite current and future development plans, Mr. Lerner says it is unlikely wildlife populations will ever abandon Frisco entirely. “No matter what we build, we will have coyotes in the area. They will stay here,” he explains. “As the city expands, we are just going to have to learn to peacefully co-exist,” Mr. Cottingham says. The key is educating residents. “With the number of new folks who move into Frisco ever year, it is almost re-setting the clock because they are not used to the wildlife that we are accustomed to seeing every day.” Earlier in the city’s development, he recalls, the police department would often receive late-night calls from residents of newly-built subdivisions who thought “they were hearing a wounded animal in the area. We would have to tell them those are coyotes. Once people realize that and become accustomed to it … they will understand.” However, Mr. Lerner does not believe construction has caused the local coyote population to become more aggressive. “We had a lot more reports because people panicked a little bit, so they called in for every one. Of course, that was a great education opportunity for us to talk about coyotes to people,” he recalls about last fall. He anticipates that Animal Services and Frisco police will again experience an uptick in calls beginning this month as the coyotes’ annual mating season gets underway. Sam Kieschnick is an urban wildlife biologist who oversees the Dallas/Fort Worth area for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. He worked alongside Frisco police officers and Animal Services staffers while investigating the recent coyote attacks. The species is particularly adaptable in city settings, he shares, referencing the findings from the long-running Urban Coyote Research Project, which has for years studied coyote populations in Chicago. He says, “They are literally living in parking garages and basically the cracks of the sidewalks is where they roam.” Wildlife “has three choices in all of life: It can adapt, it can move or it can die,” Mr. Kieshnick explains. “Even in the wild, there is always a new disturbance,” such as drought, floods and fires. “In the urban environment, they have to adapt to us (humans) taking over some of those open spaces. Fortunately, we like to leave some areas wild … and these are the spots that wildlife goes to for refuge. They will use parks; they will use ditches, or they will use the little area where the river runs through where people cannot develop as their new refuge.” That is not necessarily detrimental for either species. “It is kind of a remnant of the wild that is still here, even in the urban environment,” Mr. Kieshnick says. “It is a good thing they are here with us. They control rodent populations, they clean up the carrion and roadkill. So, they are doing a great ecological service to all of us.” While many in Frisco continue to keep a closer eye on the wildlife around them, it is good news that we have not run these furry neighbors off just yet.