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See COLORFUL Page 2

See TENNIS, Page 4

Hopping along as fast as a bunny, youngsters race to collect Easter eggs filled with toys and candy during the Citywide Egg Hunts. / Photo by John Starkey

Hindu Temple provides colorful fresh start

Kids hop to colorful Easter egg hunt

Irving library goes down the rabbit hole for 1st birthday

See LIBRARY Page 3

See FOUNDERS Page 3

Irving Tennis Classic brings in top talent

By Sarah BaysChildren and parents gathered

at the South Irving Library to step into the world of Alice in Wonder-land and celebrate the library’s first birthday on Friday, March 18.

Sofia Pena and Melissa Xanou-vong, both 9th graders, were there to help. They are both members of the Young Adult Action Council, a volunteer program that helps plan, organize and execute events at the library.

“I thought it would be actually re-ally fun to be out of the house and to be out after school with my friends doing something that we all really like,” Melissa said.

By Lorri KennedyThe relocation of the Holika bon-

fire, due to high winds from its ini-tial location outside the DFW Hindu Temple to inside its holy sanctuary on Wednesday, March 23, failed to dampen the convivial spirit of the annual Holi Festival of Colors. The festival is a two-day religious event in which Hindus pray for the de-struction of internal evil and wel-come the birth of spring, love and new beginnings.

The bonfire represented the prayers of people for the inciner-ation of evil, while Dhuleti – also called Rangwali Holi – is character-ized by people chasing and ‘coloring’ one another by throwing and smear-ing people with brightly colored dry powders, which also symbolize spring, love and new beginnings. Typically the festival is held back-to-back on consecutive days. But due to worshipers’ work considerations and family activities, the final day of Holi was held on Sunday, March 27.

A centuries-old spiritual fête, Holi begins on the full moon of the

By Lorri KennedyOffering $125,000 in prize mon-

ey, a chance to accumulate ATP (As-sociation of Tennis Professionals) ranking points with a reputation for getting high-ranking tour players, and its unique position on the ATP World Tour circuit are reasons the 2016 Irving Tennis Classic (ITC) is strengthening its cache as an ATP Challenger event for top men’s ten-nis talent. The event was held at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dal-las at Las Colinas March 14-20.

The five-year-old ATP Challeng-er hosted in Irving is strategically placed between two top-tier ATP World Tour tournaments – the two-week player mandatory Indian Wells Open and the two-week Mi-ami Open tournaments. But, were it not for the foresight and direction

By Courtney OuelletteBrandishing their baskets, hun-

dreds of youngsters arrived at the Irving Soccer Complex and Irving Heritage Society ready to hunt down loads of highly coveted Easter eggs filled with candy and toys

Irving’s Parks and Recreation team hosted two Citywide Egg Hunts this month on March 19 and 26. Each event featured egg hunts for children 10 and under, with thousands of toy and candy-filled eggs. In addition to the hunt, chil-dren had access to bounce houses, a

petting zoo and other free activities. To keep the egg-filled field even,

egg hunt times varied by age. New this year was the addition of the Egg Stroll for children ages one to two.

According to Irving Parks and Recreation, the Egg Stroll was de-signed for the event’s youngest participants and offers an exclusive area where they can hunt for eggs at their own pace.

The Easter bunny also made an appearance at both events, taking pictures with families and spreading Easter fun.

Both girls live in the area and used to visit the older, Central Library that is now closed.

“I actually like [the South Irving Library] more. Even though it’s smaller than the other one, it’s nicer, and it just seems more fun for every-one,” Sofia said.

All ages come to participate in Friday Night Library events, accord-ing to Sofia. A recent event, themed around The Book Thief, brought out teenagers and even adults.

“Usually when it’s something car-

toonish and whimsical more kids tend to come,” she said, adding that the library has a lot more to offer than many people expect.

“You don’t necessarily have to come for the books, you can do oth-er activities here and [other] things that actually get people attracted to the books more.”

Kids were at the library Fri-day night -- playing games, mak-ing crafts, enjoying cupcakes and snacks, posing at a photo booth and

final month of the Hindu calendar in March. The New Year on the cal-endar begins April 7, according to Manohar Lele, a 20-year member of the temple. The festival is primarily recognized by Hindus in India and Nepal, but is increasingly celebrated worldwide by non-Hindus.

“Anger, jealously, hatred – you put that into the fire and move on without it,” said temple member, Swati Pandit, about the bonfire rit-ual.

“Whatever you do, be truthful,” Lele said. “Otherwise you will not get a good result. Also, mixing all the colors; that’s the day you forget the past and start a new beginning.”

In terms of a social context, Lele said the fire represents the “burn-ing down of old things, like the past,” and explained that Holika is a she-demon who was motivated to “take down” ardent Lord Vishnu’s followers. “The demon was pun-ished by burning. We’re really ob-serving her demise. Bad people. Bad ideas? Burn them down,” he said metaphorically.

of the tournament’s three partners, Zoltan Papp, tournament director, Vince Menard and Brent Haygarth, a former tennis pro from South Afri-ca, the challenger tournament at the Irving Tennis Classic may not have materialized in 2012.

Unlike the approximately 150 worldwide ATP Challenger events aimed at up-and-coming players, the ITC is the only ATP-sanctioned challenger event open to the World Tour’s top 50 players. Additionally the event enables the tournament’s director to pick four wildcard play-ers for the ITC from among the top 100 players at the ATP Tour tourna-ment in Indian Wells.

“Among the players, the ATP Challenger is a huge success,” said Papp, a former college tennis play-

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ColorfulContinued from Page 1

COMMUNITY CALENDARHot Sauce FestivalApril 2, 11am - 6pm The IHCC, along with the Texas Musicians Museum, will be hosting a Hot Sauce Festival contest open to the participation of individuals and restaurants. The event will take place in the Texas Musicians Museum (parking lot) 305 N O’Connor Blvd. This event will feature Music + Car Show + Hot Sauce Awards.

New Philharmonic Orchestra of IrvingApril 3, 3:30 p.m.“Sundays at the Symphony” concert from classical music’s “northern lights” – compos-ers from Russia and Finland. The afternoon, at the Irving Arts Center’s Carpenter Hall, features a rare performance of Alexander Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto, with soloist Donald Fabian.Dr. Sergio Espinosa, NPOI’s conductor and musical director, has also programmed Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter

Festival Overture, and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major.Fabian is principal saxophone and soloist with the Dallas Wind Symphony, and the so-prano saxophonist with the Texas Saxophone Quartet, the first saxophone chamber music ensemble to win the prestigious Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in 1987. Part of the Artist Faculty at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, Fabian also serves as personnel manager for the Dallas Wind Symphony. He holds degrees from the Crane School of Music, S.U.N.Y. at Potsdam, N.Y., and Michigan State University. For ticket information or reservations, call the IAC box office at 972-252-2787, or go to www.IrvingArtsCenter.com.

April 3, 4pmThe audience will be able to “eavesdrop” as “A Conversation with Will Moses” is held by Irving Community Television Network Producer/Anchor Cathy Whiteman in the Irving Arts Center Dupree Theater, 3333

North MacArthur. The audience will also be able to ask their own questions. A recep-tion and book signing will follow. Original artwork by Will Moses will be displayed in the Dupree Theater Lobby April 2-June 26. Free admission. April 4, 4pm-5:30pmWill Moses will be at the West Irving Library, 4444 West Rochelle. He will visit with the audience about his artwork and life on his 200 year old family farm in Eagle Bridge, New York. Books will be available for sale and book signing offered. It is free to attend. April 4, 7pmWill Moses will participate in the reception for local artists of the Betty Jean Ramsey Huffman folk art exhibition at the Jaycee Center for the Arts, 1975 Puritan. It is free to attend. Locally created folk art will be on display at the Jaycee Center for the Arts through April and at the West Library through May 28. For information, contact the Irving Heritage Society at 972-252-3838.

Pledging to start fresh, festival goers at the Holi Festival of Colors playfully throw brightly colored powders at one another. / Photo by Lorri Kennedy

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“Serving the Irving community for over 20 years.”

One of the temple’s priest, Char-yulu, shed light on the history of the Holika Dahan. The demon sister of the demon King Hiranyaksha, Ho-lika was summoned by her brother to kill his son, Prahlada who disbe-lieved his father’s claim that Lord Vishnu was bad. Consequently,

Prahlada remained devoted to Lord Vishnu. Holika hatched a plan to kill her nephew by tricking him into fire. Her evil plan was upended when she, not Prahlada, was the one con-sumed by fire.

“Nothing happened to the kid. This is a celebration of when good

UNITY CHURCHUnity of Irving

Sunday Morning Services:9:30 AM Adult Class

11:00 AM Service& Children’s Church

Reverend Frank Poundersand Reverend Margaret Pounders

210 Virginia St., Irving, Texas 75061972-253-5083

unitychurchofirving.com

First United Methodist Church 211 W. Third, 75060

972-253-3531 www.fumcirving.orgSunday School 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.in the Sanctuary

6:30 p.m. in the ChapelSecond and fourth Sundays

Oak HavenUnited Methodist Church

1600 N. Irving Heights 75061972.438.1431

www.oakhavenumc.orgSunday School 9:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship 10:45 a.mMinisterio Hispano NISSIEstudio Biblico 1:00 p.m.

Servicio Adoracion 2:00 p.m.

UNITED METHODIST

CHRISTIAN SCIENCEFirst Church of Christ, Scientist

2250 W Pioneer Dr., Irving, 75061972-253-7202

www.ChristianScienceIrving.comSunday & Sunday School 10 am

Wednesday 7:30 pmReading Room Mon-Sat 10am-1pmDial in to services: 1-857-232-0476

access code 884879For inspiring programs 24/7 call:214-His-Work (214-447-9675)

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Belt Line RoadChurch of Christ

1202 N. Belt Line Rd., Irving, TX 750611st Century Christianity in the 21st Century

Sunday Bible Classes 9 a.m.Sunday Worship 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Wednesday Worship 7:00 p.m.972-790-8606

www.BeltLineChurch.com

Rev. Sara Hardaway,

WORSHIPList your organization here!

Call 972-870-1992

takes over evil,” said Priest Char-yulu, through a translator, Chandra Artham. “We pray for the dead to celebrate at the festival.”

DWI No-Refusal ResultsThe Irving Police Department

conducted DWI No-Refusal oper-ations over the Spring Break/St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend. The operations took place on the nights of Thursday, March 17, and Friday, March 18, by means of a grant from the Texas Department of Transpor-tation.

During No-Refusal operations, those arrested for DWI (driving while intoxicated) are offered only a blood test to determine their blood alcohol concentration. A search warrant, authorizing a blood draw,

is sought for anyone refusing con-sent to a blood test.

A total of eight DWI arrests were made and 43 citations were issued by officers working grant funded po-sitions over the holiday weekend. Of those eight arrests, two were felony offenses and three required search warrants to obtain a blood sample.

Additionally, officers made one ar-rest for Public Intoxication and one for outstanding warrants.

The Irving Police Department will continue to participate in these grant-funded operations as they have shown continued success in Ir-ving and across the state.

SOURCE Irving Police Department

The Coppell High School Band has just returned from a successful trip to London.

Crowds cheered as the CHS Band marched in the London St Patrick’s Day Parade, performing a medley of patriotic and upbeat tunes. The CHS Band was also honored to perform a concert at Central Hall Westmin-

Coppell High School Band performs in London St. Patrick’s Day parade

ster, showcasing the high level of discipline, dedication and achieve-ment of the band program.

While in London, the students were able to tour many of the city’s sights, including Windsor Castle, the British Museum, and the Tower of London.

There is an upcoming opportunity

to listen to the CHS Band in concert, as they perform at the Coppell High School Auditorium on Thursday, March 31 from 7 PM.

For more information on the award-winning Coppell High School Band, visit the band website at www.chsbandboosters.com.

SOURCE Coppell ISD

Page 3April 02, 2016972-870-1992

LibraryContinued from Page 1

Stopping to strike a pose like the Red Queen and the Chesire Cat, kids and their families celebrate the library’s first birthday. / Photo by Sarah Bays

dressed up like characters from Al-ice in Wonderland.

Library director Chris Dobson said things have been going very well since the doors opened on Schulze Drive. The library is working toward becoming a Family Place Library, and just earned a state grant for that purpose.

The designation means the library brings in child development experts, sets up different stations for kids to work at and talks to parents about child literacy. The focus is on ages 0-5.

Carla Morgan is the volunteer co-ordinator for the library.

“It’s been going well. They’re a lot busier here than I think they antic-ipated,” Morgan said. “They have a lot of activities going on, and this year they’ve added more things than they originally started with.”

The Friday evening events are all about bringing people back to books.

“Everything we do is kind of old school with a literacy focus,” Mor-gan said. “The computers aren’t available. Books are available; you can check out, you just can’t get on the computer. Everything has a theme of a story book or an activity.”

Usually, there’s also a story walk, where the library staff will take a picture book, blow the pages up to poster size, put them on stakes and post the whole story through Cen-

tennial Park so kids walk from page to page to page. Morgan said nor-mally about 8-20 kids walk along and the librarian goes with them and reads the story to them.

“They get a little exercise and a story,” she said.

One teen who really enjoys going to the library is Megan Parks. She’s a 10th grader, and she took her 5-year-old brother around to get a balloon figure.

“Everything’s easier to find and nicer looking. I like that they have a teen zone,” Megan said, adding that events like the Alice in Wonderland party are exciting. “This is really cool. It’s a good get together. They show movies, and they have activi-ties for little kids.”

Megan’s mom, Marcy Parks, was also at the new library with another of her sons.

“It’s great,” Marcy said, noting that her family checks out books at the library but also goes there to use WiFi, which they don’t have at home right now. Her youngest child likes to play in the upstairs kid zone.

She’s glad her kids enjoy the li-brary.

“I think it’s good because they get excited,” Marcy said. “My 5-year-old, I don’t even think he knew the word ‘library’ before, asks, ‘Can we go to the library?’ So they’re always excited to come to the library.”

By Sarah BaysPlanners for Verizon have again

requested a postponement of their massive mixed-use and transit-ori-ented project before the city council, this time during the March 31 Irving City Council meeting.

Citing more time needed to en-sure things are in place for a draft term letter and potential incentive package, Joseph Pobiner, who rep-resents the project’s designer Gens-ler, requested the delay earlier this month.

This item, which has been post-poned since December, includes a zoning change request to allow for transit oriented development on property roughly east of MacArthur Boulevard and south of Hidden Ridge Road.

The development area would be about 110 acres east of MacArthur, west of SH 114 and along Hidden Ridge, Meadow Creek and Green

Verizon postpones rezoning case before city councilPark Drive. Verizon owns the prop-erty.

The Hidden Ridge development would include about 77 acres of of-fice space, 7 acres of retail, 18 acres of transit-oriented development and 7.5 acres of undeveloped area.

The existing Verizon campus would remain as an anchor to the development with the possibility of redevelopment in the future. It is not part of the total acreage consid-ered in this request.

Verizon is trying to ensure that all facets of the complex project are working together, according to Steve Reed, director of the city’s planning and community development de-partment.

“They want to make sure that what’s happening with zoning goes along with planning,” Reed told the council at a recent work session.

Plans also include a new commut-er rail station that would connect

with Dallas/Fort Worth Interna-tional Airport and downtown Dallas.

Dallas-based developer KDC has been working with Verizon for months on the project, which is be-ing designed by architect Gensler. It will include about 12 office build-ings.

There is also a residential compo-nent to the project, with 1,750 units in high-rise buildings, apartment blocks and townhomes.

Plans show that a lifestyle center is a focal point of the layout.

“There will be a vibrant, mixed-use village extending from a new DART rail station that includes: over 3.5 million square feet of new office development; 85,000 square feet of retail and dining; a 150-key hotel; and a grand landscaped vil-lage green,” said Eric Wilkens, a spokesman for Verizon.

Verizon is in the midst of developing 110 acres around its current campus off MacArthur Blvd in Irving. / Photo by Sarah Bays

The City of Irving recently an-nounced Kuruvilla (K.O.) Oommen will take over as Irving City Attor-ney as of April 1. Oommen replaces Charles Anderson, who is retiring.

Oommen joined the city in 2007 as Senior Assistant City Attorney and was promoted to Deputy City Attorney in 2008. In his new posi-tion, Oommen will oversee a staff of 16.

“K.O. has been a tremendous as-set to Irving. We appreciate his in-tellect and professionalism and are

City of Irving names new City Attorneylooking forward to working with him as City Attorney,” Mayor Beth Van Duyne said.

Oommen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hous-ton with degrees in finance and po-litical science. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

He previously worked as an asso-ciate at Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sral-la& Elam, L.L.P., in Fort Worth and as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Houston., where he received

By Nathaniel SillinPhased retirement – a catch-

all term that describes a variety of part-time and reduced-hour work arrangements before leaving an em-ployer for good – is gaining steam. But before you sign on, it’s import-ant to understand how “phasing out” may affect your long-term fi-nances.

Washington is leading the way. The federal government authorized the move for its own employees sev-eral years ago and began accepting applications in late 2014 from work-ers aged 55 and up with a desire to switch to half-time employment in exchange for receiving half their sal-ary and annuity.

For employees with a long-term view, phased retirement can offer

Making phased retirement work for you significant benefits, but it requires due diligence and planning. Among the advantages, phased retirement means that there doesn’t need to be a hard stop on a successful career. In fact, a 2014 study by Merrill Lynch in partnership with Age Wave said that 72 percent of pre-retirees over the age of 50 report that their ideal retirement will include working “of-ten in new, more flexible and fulfill-ing ways.” The study also noted that 47 percent of current retirees were already working or planning to work during their retirement years.

If your company is talking about phased retirement or may do so in the future, here are some key ques-tions to consider:

What exactly do you want to phase into? For some workers, retirement

really will mean a classic vision of travel and leisure leading into old age. But for others, the picture may be different. Some retirees will want to work and some retirees will have to work. Such decisions will sum-mon a host of personal finance and tax issues based on your personal situation – read heavily and consult qualified experts before you make a decision.

What options will my employer of-fer over time? While the federal gov-ernment is in the lead with phased retirement, most private employers are moving at a slower pace. This gives you time to plan. For example, in a 2013 benefits study, the Society for Human Resource Management noted that only 6 percent of employ-ers had a formal phased retirement program that provided a reduced schedule and/or responsibilities prior to full retirement. Watch how your employer’s plan evolves and ask questions.

Phased or not, do you have a re-tirement plan in place? The decision to make a full or transitional exit from one’s employer should come after years of saving and investing both at home and at work. Years be-fore deciding how you want to leave your career, talk to qualified retire-ment experts about your personal financial circumstances and what you want to do in the next phase of your life. If it’s a new career, volun-teer work or full retirement, develop a plan first.

Have you talked to your senior colleagues? There’s nothing like di-rect advice from individuals closer to retirement to help you with your own set of pros and cons. Even if there’s no phased retirement pro-gram at your organization right now, it’s still worth talking about retirement preparation with senior colleagues willing to share what they’re doing. Also, start your own retirement planning in earnest with

qualified retirement and tax experts. How will phased retirement af-

fect your overall benefits? If you’re working at a lower salary level at the end of your career, ask how that might affect your future retirement benefits. Make a list of all the ben-efits and perks you now receive as a current full-time employee and investigate how every single one could be affected by phased retire-ment. And if you leave the company permanently before qualifying for Medicare, know how you’ll pay for health insurance. This is a particu-larly important issue to discuss with a qualified financial or tax advisor.

Bottom line: Phased retirement can offer the opportunity to adjust to full-time retirement or set up a new career once you finally leave your current employer. However, before you leap, fully investigate how such a transition will affect your overall finances and future retirement ben-efits.

the Ed A. Cazeras Award for Excel-lence and Professionalism in Munic-ipal Law.

Oommen serves on the board of directors of the Texas City Attor-ney’s Association; on the Council of the Government Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, where he currently serves as treasurer; and is a former Chair of the Government Law Section of the Dallas Bar Asso-ciation.

SOURCE City of Irving

Page 4 April 02, 2016 www.RamblerNewspapers.com

TennisContinued from Page 1

A finalist in the 2013 Irving Tennis Classic, Denis Kudla checks out the competition. / Photo by Lorri Kennedy

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BubblesHi. My name is Bubbles. I’m about 2 years old, and was rescued from another shelter. Are you up for a friendly, happy, eager to please young lady? I cannot wait to have a new family of my own. Maybe a

family that likes to go for walks. Maybe a family that likes to play. Maybe a family that likes to chill. It is all good with me. I’m saving up energy, just waiting to learn how to play catch, and lots of other commands. So if you are looking for one sweet girl, who has lots of potential, come on over and visit.

RollieHellooooo, handsome humans! Pardon me while I stretch my legs a bit. My name is Rollie [raw-lee]. I’m a handsome six-year-old gray/fawn fellow with long hair. I’m not fat. I’m fluffy. My journey has been a bit arduous. I had a home once, but my human decided they didn’t need me anymore, and they took me to a city shelter. That shelter filled up with cats quickly, so I was moved to another shelter. After a few days, the fine folks at DFWHS took me in. Whew! I’m a really laid-back guy who loves to lounge while you pet me. I’m just looking for someone to love me again. In my own home.

OtiS AltOn HAmm

On March 20, Otis Alton Hamm, a long-time resident of Irving, died

in Sarasota, Florida, at the age of 93. Al was born on 7 January 1923 in Monroe, L o u i s i a n a , then joined the US Navy

in 1943. He was awarded the Dis-tinguished Flying Cross and 3 Gold Stars for his service as a Navy fight-er pilot in World War II on the USS Kadashan Bay, an aircraft carrier in the Pacific fleet. After the war, he joined American Airlines as a pilot based at DFW airport from 1955 until his retirement, after which he taught at the AA Flight Academy for another 20 years. Al, who ran a cat-tle ranch in his spare time, attended the First Baptist Church of Irving

for many years. He is survived by three children, Bruce Hamm, Deb-orah Hamm and Pamela Erickson, and three grandchildren, Evan, Su-san and Michael. Burial was at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens under the direction of Donnelly’s Colonial Fu-neral Home.

Arrangements byDonnelly’s Colonial Funeral Home

972-579-1313

melvin JOe “Red” CROuCH

Melvin Joe “Red” Crouch, 78, passed away on March 26, 2016 in his Irving home. Melvin was born on March 12, 1938 in Dallas, Texas to Joe Irvin Crouch and Rosa Lee (Looper) Crouch. Growing up in one of Irving’s pioneer families Melvin saw many changes to the communi-ty. He was a 1957 graduate of Irving High School. After graduating high school Melvin went to work for the City of Irving where he worked as

the water sewer foreman for several years. Upon his retirement from the city he started Big Red Utility and did heavy equipment operations all over the metroplex. He was also a long time member of the Golden Triangle Saddle Club. Melvin was preceded in death by his wife, Vir-ginia Ann (Roberts) Crouch and his parents. He is survived by his chil-dren, Debra Rusche and husband, Ray of Irving, and James Bert “Ja-mie” Crouch of Burleson, TX.; and grandson, Raymond Henry “Trae” Rusche, III of Irving.

The family will receive friends for visitation on Monday evening from 6-8:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Chism-Smith Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens, Ir-ving, TX.

Arrangements byChism-Smith Funeral Home

972-259-7644

DEATH NOTICES

Arrangements byDonnelly’s Colonial Funeral Home

972-579-1313

Bette Mae (Germ) CrawfordDec. 7, 1926 - Mar. 26, 2016

Edwin Garwood “Colonel” HaysJun. 15, 1921 - Mar. 26, 2016

Elizabeth Loraine TurnerMar. 5, 1929 - Mar. 26, 2016

Francine DodsonJan. 17, 1928 - Mar. 28, 2016

Bonnie G. MathisNov. 20, 1928 - Mar. 29, 2016

Claude DunnJan. 12, 1931 - Mar. 30, 2016

Charles R. ShepherdFeb. 7, 1926 - Mar. 30, 2016

(972) 870-1992 laurier@ramblernewspapers.netOBITUARIES

Arrangements byBrown’s Memorial Funeral Home

972-254-4242

David “Dave” EnglishNov. 10, 1922 - Mar. 25, 2016

er at Baylor University and former ATP World Tour manager. “They love it. They can’t believe how nice it is being a challenger.

“ATP rules say we can’t have an-other ATP (World Tour) event, so we came up with a challenger event. We wanted the highest prize money of the challengers, the highest points available, and to pay for the (hospi-tality) housing cost of players,” he said.

In men’s tennis tournament play, the ATP World Tour is considered first tier; the ATP Challenger is second tier; and the Futures tour-nament is the third and final tier of hierarchy.

The genesis of the challenger be-gan in 2011 when a tournament in Sunrise, Florida lost its sponsorship and cancelled at the last minute be-cause it could not come up with the money, according to Papp. Conse-quently the ATP World Tour needed another tournament to replace the one it lost.

“And the purpose of this tourna-ment was to serve as another week of playing opportunity, practice match, and to ease the cost of the players with providing hospitality, food and hotel, and obviously earn some points and some money,” Papp said. “Essentially they lose that week of paycheck, per se. It’s unpaid vacation. So the Tour was deter-mined to find a lot better home that would be a lot better partner moving forward.”

Papp also said the need for a tour-nament to replace the Sunrise event was even more critical for players

who lived abroad.“International players could be in

the U.S. for four weeks,” Papp said. “Imagine the guy that loses the first round at Indian Wells and happens to lose again in the first round of Mi-ami. The guy spent four weeks in the U.S. and he’s going to go home with two first-round losing paychecks. And he had his coach here, maybe a physiotherapist, his family – it’s a full month and it all costs. He’s hardly making any money. Every-thing has to go into consideration. So [the ATP] said ‘okay, very good.’”

Challenger events are considered milestones in a player’s tennis ca-reer. Typically in an ATP Challenger event, top 50 players are not allowed to compete.

“Because that would kill the up-coming guys as a milestone, and you’d have the top 50 players come down to play this little tournament just to beat up on them, and then these guys will never be able to make it up there,” Papp said. “For that rea-son we had special rules. We have an exemption; this tournament is spe-cifically for the top 50 guys.”

When ATP finally gave its bless-ing to host a challenger event in Ir-ving in 2012, Papp said he and his partners had just weeks to organize the event.

“It was an unreal effort for two and a half months,” he said. The result was a large budget deficit, but five years later the tournament is breaking even. Initially struc-tured as a for-profit entity, the tournament was restructured as a non-profit organization that, minus costs, donates the remaining dollars to Emily’s Place. A non-profit agen-cy, Emily’s Place provides Collin County domestic-abuse survivors with long-term solutions.

American tennis player, Donald Young, enjoys playing at the Irving Tennis Classic. He admitted, how-ever, the goal is not to play the chal-lenger as it signifies a higher-round loss at Indian Wells.

“It’s a well-run tournament,” Young said. “It’s a nice tournament between two big events, so I think it’s good, especially for the ones who don’t live in the states, to have a place to be in the U.S. that’s paid for with the hotel.”

Ukrainian-born American tennis player, Denis Kudla, is a third-time visitor to the Irving Tennis Classic. In his first year at the ITC, he was a finalist. Last year he was eliminated in the second round. His appear-ance at the ITC represents the first year the 23-year-old player is seeded at the event. Kudla, like Young, does

During a first-round match at the Irving Tennis Classic, American tennis player, Donald Young, hits a backhand shot. / Photo by Lorri Kennedy

not mind playing in the ITC, but ad-mits his presence at the competition is a double-edged sword.

“It’s a weird role for this tourna-ment, especially being between In-dian Wells and Miami,” Kudla said. “It’s not a priority tournament.

“You don’t want to be playing this, because you obviously want to be in your third round or fourth round of Indian Wells. But it’s nice to be able to fill in the gap in between, if you happen to lose first or second round, until Miami, because it’s so long: about 10 days. You want to keep

things flowing.” Kudla also acknowledged that un-

like other challenger events, the one in Irving is significant in terms of players’ rankings.

“If you win this tournament, it can make a big jump in your rankings,” Kudla said. “One hundred and 25 points is definitely a big deal. If I were to win this, this could push me around the 50s – close to the top 50s so that would be cool. Winning this tournament definitely means some-thing.”

Uniting to combat hunger, Steve Isam, Teddie Story, Jody Stroup, Heather Newell, Heather Stroup, Nick Vogeler and Sean Gardner (L-R) celebrate their newest funds that will support the food pantry. / Courtesy photo

Irving Cares receives $50,000 to buy food

The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation based in Lake Forrest, Illinois, has donated $50,000 to Irving Cares, Inc., in support of its food pantry.

“This grant will be used to pur-chase milk, eggs, and nutritious in-gredients for healthy meals,” said Teddie Story, CEO of Irving Cares. “We strive to ensure families have healthy meals even in times of cri-sis. We are grateful to The Grainger Foundation for its generosity.”

Irving Cares programs serve near-ly 900 families a month with grocer-ies including fresh milk, meat, and eggs.

This donation was recommend-

ed by Sean Gardner, Steve Isam, Jody Stroup, and Jay Thomason, all Branch Network Managers of W.W. Grainger, Inc.’s, Dallas and Ft. Worth locations. Grainger has been part of the Dallas/Ft. Worth business community for more than 82 years as the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products. “We are proud to recommend the programs of-fered by Irving Cares,” said Stroup. “We understand the need for Irving Cares to provide nutritious food for well-balanced meals to their neigh-bors in times of need.”

Source: Irving Cares

Page 5April 02, 2016972-870-1992

Hoping to take home a state championship, the Nimitz bowling team heads to the state compeitition in San Antonio this Sunday, April 3. / Courtesy photo

CLASSIFIEDS (972) 870-1992 laurier@ramblernewspapers.net

LEGALS

Main Location: 118 E. Irving Blvd.Open Thurs - SatCall Flo 214-543-1708

Visit one of our pop-up shops inside:Curiosity Shop 1216 Rock Island Rd.

FLC Boutique 114 E. Irving Blvd.

Furniture & CollectiblesVintage jewelery/clothing & china/silver/linens

FAMILY COURT FOR THE STATE OF DELAWARE NOTICE OF FAMILY COURT ACTION

To: Terry Jones, Respondent, Petitioner, Erica Shavers has filed a Rescind Guardianship petition against you in the Family Court of the State of Delaware for New Castle County on 03/02/16. If you do not file an answer with the Family Court within 20 days after publication of this notice, exclusive of the date of publication, as required by statute, this action will be heard in Family Court without further notice.

LEGAL NOTICEApplication has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a WINE AND BEER RETAILER”S OFF-PREMISE PERMIT (BQ) by FRAZER HOTELS LP dba Home2 Suites DFW N, to be located at 4700 Plaza Drive, IRVING, DALLAS COUNTY, Texas. Officers of said corporation are Nina Chudasama, Raj Chudasama, Paresh Patel, Rita Patel, Nitinkumar Patel, Urmilaben Patel, Piyush Patel, Nimesh Patel, and Krystal Patel.

In only the second year of the pro-gram, the Nimitz High School boys’ bowling team is heading to state for the second consecutive year. The team advanced after placing fourth

By Matt Mungle Synopsis: Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the man of steel while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs. Review: In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice no one wins. If any-one comes out on top, it is the die-hard DC fans who have the chance to see new characters pop up on screen; momentarily. The rest of us are left with a hodge-podge of mud-dled plot lines, confusing character arcs, and a dark story that is neither intriguing nor entertaining.

Everyone is still reeling from the devastation that Superman (Hen-ry Cavill) brought upon Metropolis when he battled his home planet. Many fear that left to his own devic-es he may become more a hindrance than a hero.

Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) is lick-ing his wounds and skulking around as well. He well remembers the de-struction and the loss of many of his friends. So Bruce is just itching for a reason to take out the man of steel.

Enter Lex Luther (Jesse Eisen-berg); another cog in the wheel of haters. This young and slightly psy-chotic wonderkin has a plan - why is not important obviously - to use some recently found kryptonite to bring down the chiseled messiah. So bottom line, things are about to get crazy.

Early on in the film’s process ev-eryone was up in arms about Affleck playing Batman. Now that the film is finished it is obvious that Ben is the strongest element. He is a fantastic Wayne/Batman. There is no doubt that he was the right choice. Grant-ed the script is such a mess that he ends up being sort of a jerk trying to keep his bat ears above water. His decision making is obscure and makes very little sense. The fact that he has held this grudge for so long that he is willing to take on Super-man makes no sense. Superman is caught in the middle and has a lot of

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber mem-ber Creating & Managing Wealth was named the Southwest/South Central Regional Finalist by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The prestigious DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award recognizes a company’s success, in-novation and contributions to eco-nomic growth and free enterprise. Seven regional finalists including Creating & Managing Wealth were selected from among the 100 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award win-ners. These businesses stood out as

Irving chamber memberreceives national award

highly successful enterprises with strong, meaningful ties to their cus-tomers and communities.

Three other Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber members were originally selected as Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winners in February, including DHD Films, Express Employment Professionals and Irving Cares.

“The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is proud Creating & Man-aging Wealth was chosen as a Re-gional Finalist by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,” Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber’s COO Don Wil-

Nimitz bowling qualifies for statein the Texas High School Bowling Club Region IV competition held March 6 in Rowlett. State competi-tion is April 3 in San Antonio. Mem-bers of the team, led by Coach Oren-

thal Townsend, are C.J. Townsend, Rudy Rodriguez, Travis Snipes, Levy Campos, Gerardo, Herrera, Stephen Torres and Zion Hurd.

SOURCE Irving ISD

liams said. “Christina Winters Gears and her team work hard to provide innovative services, and they dream big.”

In the last eight years, 22 cham-ber-member businesses were hon-ored with the Blue Ribbon Small Business Award including two re-gional finalists.

Creating & Managing Wealth and the other Blue Ribbon winners will be honored at the 12th annual America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. June 13 – 15. During the summit, one finalist will be named and receive $10,000.

SOURCE U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Irving Elks Lodge Citizen of the Year has his day

Batman v Superman is bat brained super fail

soul searching to do. But he comes across as whiney and wishy washy. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and his mother Martha (Diane Lane) have to keep setting him back on course.

Luther is the most confusing character. Love or hate Eisenberg in the role (I liked him) the problem is that none of his reasons are merited for hating Superman. The back story is fuzzy and with everything else go-ing on the dialogue is lost is a sea of nonsensical verbiage.

There are a few other side char-acters that muddy the water even more. Zack Snyder is a great direc-tor, but the amount of story lines and piles of plot points are unruly and impossible to manage. It is like a freight train derailing at break-neck speed. Fans of Marvel movies who have become accustomed to humor and light hearted banter will be depressed by the very dark over-tones that permeate the entire film. You actually have no one to root for which in a film like this is uncom-mon.

Wonder Woman makes her Jus-tice League debut here and is met with cheers and applause. Other than a few classic poses though, she doesn’t get to shine much. It would have been better to have her show up much earlier, get all this childish behavior out of the way, and get to the meat of what the two super he-roes were meant for.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is rated PG - 13 for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality. The main parental issue is how dark the films themes are. The violence feels more malevolent because of the characters personalities and mind sets. Many young kids will certainly want to see it, but I would caution parents that this is not your typical Saturday morning super hero production.

I give it 2.5 out of 5 bat brands. Hard to pinpoint one problem, it simply gets lost in its own vastness.

At a ceremony honoring its officers and members, the Irving Elks Lodge surprised non-Elk Rick Fairless with the Citizen of the Year Award. Past exalted ruler James Dickens (far right) reads a mayoral proclamation naming the day, March 26, 2016, as Rick Fairless Day in Irving. / Photo by John Starkey

Page 6 April 02, 2016 www.RamblerNewspapers.com

FUN & GAMES

Organizations are required to re-submit their information on a monthly basis to insure that the Irving Rambler will have accurate information. Listings are limited to the Organization’s name, meeting location and time. If an organization wishes to have more information than the free listing offers, we will continue to offer other advertising opportunities.

(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

All Nations Bibles International Club of DFW

10 A.M. Saturday mornings 2011 W. Irving Blvd. Irving, TX

Call 972-704-6572American Legion Post #218

Heritage Park Building215 Main St. Downtown Irving3rd Thursday of each month.

Recruiting/Questions call 469-621-7878Buttons & Bows Square

& Round Dance Club 1st & 3rd Saturdays at 8:00 pm

Senter Park East 228 ChamberlainCircle I - Square

& Round Dance Club2nd & 4th Fridays at 8pm

Senter Park East 228 ChamberlainEvening Lions Club

1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00pmCommunity Bible Church

2301 Texas DriveGreater Irving RepublicansMeets the first Tues. each month@ Spring Creek BBQ at 7 p.m.

Hebrew Torah Scrolls Frame Sheets Club

2011 W. Irving Blvd. Irving TX 75061972-704-6572

Saturdays at 10 AM Irving Amateur Radio Club

Fourth Thursday of the month 7:30 to 9 PM

Senter Park East 228 Chamberlainwww.irvingarc.org

Irving AMBUCSThursdays @ 11:30 a.m.

at Spring Creek BBQ Irving Garden & Arts

2nd Thursday, 10amIrving Garden & Arts Building906 S. Senter 214.435.9876

Irving Masonic Lodge #1218Second Tuesday each month @ 7:30 P.M.

132 E. Second St. Irving, TX 75017irving1218@verizon.net / 972-253-5600

Irving Noonday LionsPH 972-409-9940

Every Wed. @ NoonGolden Corral, 1701 N. Belt Line Rd.

Irving Retired SchoolPersonnel Association

First Christian Church 104 W. Grauwyler Rd.

Second Thursday every monthIrving Rotary Club

Thursdays at 12 pmLas Colinas Country Club

ndugger@irvingisd.netIrving Sunrise Rotary

Thursday at 7 amLas Colinas Country Club

4400 N. O”Connor RdIrving Texas Democratic

WomenMeet the first Tues. each month

7 p.m. To 8:30 p.m.East Buffet Rest.

Irving Women’s NetworkLas Colinas Country Club

Fourth Tuesday of every month11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Matthew 18:18-21Two of You Agree Club Sundays from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

2011 W. Irving Blvd. 972-704-6572 or 214-677-2851

Metroplex Glass ClubEvery 2nd TuesdayAt Oak Haven UMC

1600 N. Irving HeightsSaturday Singles

Lunch Bunch 1st & 3rd Saturdays

469-348-5023Sticks and Strings

Community Knitting GroupFirst and third Tuesdays

2:00-4:00 pmS. Irving Library, 2nd floor boardroom Beginners and Crocheters welcome

www.sticksandstrings.org TOPS TX #58, Irving

Thursday at 9:30 a.m.Berean Memorial Church

1000 E. 6th StreetVFW Post 2494 IRVING

Post Meeting – 1st Thursday at 7pmLadies’ Auxiliary -1st & 3rd Wed at 7pm

Men’s Auxiliary – 4th Wed at 7pmJunior Girls – 2nd Sun at 12:30pm

3375 Belt Line RdWidowed Persons Service

Every Saturday @ 8:30 a.m.at Wonderful World of Cooking

Karen – 972-986-4056

CLUBS* It was 19th-century Russian playwright

and short story writer Anton Chekhov who made the following sage observation: “Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something.”

* If you suffer from galeophobia you’re certainly not alone; Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film “Jaws” may have popularized the fear of sharks, but it certainly didn’t start it. Logical-ly, though, swinophobia makes more sense -- pigs kill more people every year than sharks do.

* You might be surprised to learn that Harriet Tubman -- famous for her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad

-- also served as a Union spy during the Civil War, providing key intelligence that aided in the capture of Jacksonville, Florida. She also was the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War; the Combahee River Raid freed 750 South Carolina slaves. She even continued her humanitarian work after the war, opening the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged and Indigent in Albany, New York.

* According to the nuns who worked with her, Mother Teresa’s last words were, “Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you.” According to her doctor, the last thing she said was actually, “I can’t breathe.”

* If you wanted to erect a building in Colonial times, you’d go to an undertaker; that’s what building contractors were called back then.

* Ancient Romans recognized three distinct forms of kissing: The word “basium” denoted a kiss between acquaintances, “oscu-lum” was used for a kiss between close friends, and “suavium” de-scribed a kiss between lovers.

1. MOVIES: Who starred in the martial-arts movie “Enter the Dragon”?

2. MEASUREMENTS: What unit of measurement contains 4,840 square yards?

3. HISTORY: In which war did the military offensive “Operation Desert Storm” take place?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the last president to visit Cuba before 2016?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What process involves heating an ore to extract a metal?

6. FOOD & DRINK: What is the top-selling spice in the world?7. INVENTIONS: In what year was the first commercial television

sold?8. SCIENCE: What does the pH scale measure?9. GEOGRAPHY: In what country is the Basque language spoken?

Answers1. Bruce Lee2. An acre3. Gulf War

4. Calvin Coolidge in 19285. Smelting6. Pepper7. 19288. Acidity or alkalinity9. Spain

Page 7April 02, 2016972-870-1992

Meet the 2016 Irving City Council Candidates

Join the League of Women Voters of Irving

CANDIDATES FORUM Irving City Council / Irving and Carrollton-Farmers Branch School Boards

Dr. Gabriel Bach, Moderator

April 12, 2016 • 6:30 p.m.Irving City Hall • 825 W. Irving Blvd.

ELECTION and CANDIDATE INFORMATION: lwvirving.org; VOTE411.org; and Dallascountyvotes.org

www.lwvirving.org

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office at any level of government, nor does it support any political party.

Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce • Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce • Las Colinas Association

Co-sponsors:

John C. Danish Place 1**

John’s grandparents came to the United States from Czechoslovakia. John’s father moved to Texas to di-rect San Marcus Military Academy’s band. After serving in the U.S. Ma-rines during World War II, John’s father, a Doctor of Theology, was the Minister of Berean Memorial Church in Irving for fifty-two years.John is a lifelong Irving resident. John was raised in the area compris-ing District 1. He graduated from Ir-ving High School, Wheaton College, and SMU Law School. John has been an Irving practicing attorney since 1975. John and his wife, Deb-orah, have been married 34 years. They are parents to daughter, Karis, who was born and raised in Irving. John is a member of Berean Memo-rial Church.

John has served Irving for over three decades. He is currently Dis-trict 1’s Irving City Councilman. Previously, John served as Member and Chair of the Planning and Zon-ing Commission; Founding mem-ber and Board President of New Tomorrows, an agency assisting domestic violence victims; trainer for Irving Teen Court participants; Chair of the ISERVE committee (Irving-South Economic Resources Values and Economics); Chair of the Irving Chamber of Commerce Public Transportation Committee; Chair of the DART Citizens Advi-sory Council to the DART Board.; Chair of the Board of Directors for the Irving Veterans Memorial Park Committee; and Chair of the DART Board of Directors.

John’s years of Irving service have established a record of FAIR AND PROVEN LEADERSHIP. With your vote John will be re-elected on May 7, 2016, as your District 1 Coun-cilman.

Loren J. ByersPlace 1

A naturalized Texan by mar-riage; Loren has two sons and has lived in Irving since 1974. Loren moved to Dallas shortly after grad-uating from Ferris State University in 1970 with a degree in marketing and more recently from the Uni-versity of Texas at Arlington in In-terdisciplinary Studies/Community Affairs. Since moving to Irving, Lo-ren took an active role in a citizen’s action to prevent development in a flood plain. Had they not been suc-cessful in preventing the develop-ment it would have put an entire neighborhood of families at risk of losing their homes to flood waters. While his wife served on the Irving Youth Board he was there to assist her whenever the need arose. He is presently a member of an Irving political club where he has served as an officer and member of the ex-ecutive committee. He is a precinct chairman, election judge, and has served the past three election cycles as a committee chair for a major po-litical party at District Conventions

and as a committee member at the Texas State Conventions. Most re-cently, he proudly represented the 33rd U.S. Congressional District as a member of the 2012 Texas Electoral College. Loren has always been an active participant in the democratic process having organizing several voter registration efforts.

Shortly after graduation, a na-tional corporation recruited Loren to Texas as an expeditor of field operations. Because of his innova-tive approach to problem solving he was soon promoted to Assistant Project Coordinator for the account. Shortly thereafter a new account was brought on line and Loren was named Project Coordinator. He was housed in the customer’s corporate headquarters to assist with the cre-ation of their corporate identifica-tion department. Loren went on to become District Manager over the field operations of five states. An-other company called on Loren to create an outbound telephone-mar-keting department while that in-dustry was still in its infancy. The nation’s second largest armored car company again tapped his orga-nizational and creative leadership talent. He was asked to assist in the creation of their marketing depart-ment, to open branches throughout the southern and western states, and to develop and organize an air transportation department. He was promptly named to direct the new department. Loren also created and ran a successful independent small package consulting and marketing firm as well as administered the op-erations of a unique import/export trade facilitating company.

Sixteen years ago, around Thanks-giving, the area was in the midst of a severe cold spell. Learning there was a shortage of warm clothes and blankets for the homeless, Loren directed his organizational skills to creating clothing drive. The opera-tion was completely voluntary, had absolutely no overhead, and 100% of all donated items went to organi-zations that give directly to people in need.

Loren would sincerely appreciate your help in bringing his innovative problem solving leadership abilities to work for you and the City of Ir-ving. To accomplish that end it will be essential for you to periodically take a moment of your time to check this site for his latest post, provide you feed back on the “Voice of Ir-ving” page, and volunteer/donate to his grass roots campaign. Remem-ber, every little bit helps and is deep-ly appreciated.

Shamima Mondal Place 2 (at-large)

Study abroad & study in Amer-ica as well. Bachelor’s of Art with honor & Associate with Economics. Associate with English Universi-ty of Arkansas Little Rock. Served three University in Arkansas with Library higher academic research. Five years University of Arkansas

Fayetteville with higher academic & with public service & serve Fay-etteville community. One year Ar-kansas Tech University multi media Library technology manager. And three year University of Arkansas Little Rock community. Always in-volve with community work & na-tional events & community fund raising program. It’s always interest me ---my community & it’s people. Living in Irving almost four years & made a huge connection with South & North Irving & it’s people & com-munity. Like to walk with all class of life. Involve with volunteer work around the City Government, small business & various organizations.

Independent international Jour-nalist & interest to write any kind of issues about human life--can be so-cial,political or economical all inter-est me. I do have a talented & young musician daughter--name Lira Mondal--Graduated from Arkansas Hendrix College.I’m proud for her. Like to meet with people.

Speak many Languages & exten-sive diverse communication & peo-ple skills.

Thomas D. Spink Place 2

Experience: Insurance agency owner since 1964 serving two terms on Irving City Council 2007 – 2010 & 2012 – 2015 during this latter term was appointed Deputy Mayor pro-tem, Chaired the Audit & Fi-nance Committee, maintaining our AAA-AA bond rating, serving on the Transportation Committee Chaired by Councilman, Brad LaMorgese and the Planning and Development Committee Chaired by Councilman, Gerald Farris. Our Mayor, Beth Van Duyne, Brad, Gerald and I success-fully championed the city’s efforts to be recognized for sound financial practices, exemplary customer ser-vice and performance excellence so that Irving received the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2012.

Emmanuel LewisPlace 7

I am humbled with the opportu-nity of getting to run for Irving City Council. I am a Christian. I am not the hand-picked political elite can-didate. I am an Irving home own-er of 11 years. I am a precinct chair who previously ran for county office. I currently work as a caregiver for an autistic adult. I was a supervisor of a 400 seat 24/ 7 call center. I did the citizens police academy. I have worked on issues and have helped candidates locally, state-wide, and nationally. I am running to be a voice for the people. My focus is the neighborhoods and listening to the voter. I think candidates should not run unopposed. I want make Irving serve more of the folks and not just some of them. I firmly oppose alco-hol increases. No to trash cans and to changes to our trash pickup ser-vices. I am a college graduate. I got my Associate’s Degree and I am 2 courses away from a Bachelor’s de-gree. I have many courses over the required 120 credits for a Bachelor’s degree.

Kyle Taylor Place 7

PersonalRaised and resident of Irving for over 40 years.Educated in the IISD, graduated from MacArthur High School, Married to Cydney Roberts, and ather of two daughters.

Education BBA – Northwood University 2004

Professional Coordinator of Volunteers – Irving Cares

Civic Service Board of Directors – Hispanic Chamber of CommerceBoard of Directors – Irving Las Coli-nas Rotary Club

Candidates for Places 1, 2 and 7 submitted short biographies, which will be followed by Q&A answers in the following weeks.**Current office holder

All candidates were invited to submit a biography. Not all candidates chose to participate. For a full list of candidates see below:

Place 1:John C. Danish**

Loren J. ByersPlace 2:

Allan E. Meagher**Shamima Mondal

Tom SpinkPlace 7:

Emmanuel Lewis Kyle D. Taylor

Check out next week’s issue to see what the can-didates think about pub-lic-private partnerships, who their supporters are and why they’re running!

Page 8 April 02, 2016 www.RamblerNewspapers.com

By Nathaniel SillinWhen you die, will your kids fight

over your money? It’s an important question that

might be hard to answer now, but parents who devote themselves to estate planning with relevant up-dates over their lifetimes can poten-tially keep arguments between adult children to a minimum.

As of 2013, American retirees are the sixth most generous in the world when it comes to the amount of as-sets passed on to family, according to a survey by HSBC, the global Brit-ish bank. The latest survey (http://www.about.hsbc.com.au/news-and-media) noted that 56 percent of American retirees planned to leave an inheritance with an average amount of $176,814.

How you allocate your estate, no matter what the amount, requires planning and proper communica-tion. Here are a few ways to start.

Know where you stand first. If you haven’t updated your estate plan-ning in the last 5-10 years, do so now

Keeping the peace between adult children in estate planningto fully understand your complete financial picture. Like all personal fi-nance issues, estate planning should be adjusted when significant life changes happen or there is a major shift in assets, such as when a rela-tive needs help. In short, your estate picture has to reflect current finan-cial realities, so before you decide how to allocate your wealth either before or after you die, seek quali-fied financial, tax (https://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Estate-and-Gift-Taxes) and estate advice.

Once you’ve determined distribu-tion, confirm your plan. Managing money and family are usually par-allel issues until the topic of estate planning arises. For some families, splitting money, property and pos-sessions more or less equally among adult children is a smooth process. However, when it doesn’t result in the fairest outcome for everyone involved, it can be trickier to nav-igate. Varying situations for each child might mean that an even split

won’t work. Once you are able to determine your assets, start think-ing through how you can distribute them.

Re-affirm your executor and powers of attorney. Making a will and designating various health, financial and business powers of attorney as applicable are the stan-dard first steps in estate planning. Certain kinds of trusts might also be relevant. Generally it’s good to have documents in place (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/es-tateplanning) early in life. As your children get older, it’s a good idea to review those documents and desig-nated leadership.

Start communicating. Hollywood has produced many a movie scene with family members sitting ner-vously in a lawyer’s office waiting for the will to be read. Such moments make for great comedy or drama, but not great modern estate plan-ning. Based on what you hope to leave your family, the state of your relationship with your adult chil-

dren and whatever weigh-in you get from qualified advisors, it’s usually better to communicate your plans to your children in advance in person and make sure your legal documents confirm exactly what you plan to do.

Bottom line: Could your current estate planning eventually put your kids and other family members at odds? Don’t wait – the time to up-date or start estate planning is right now.

Employee volunteers from the Verizon Hidden Ridge campus in Irving partnered with Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) and the Irving Parks and Recreation Department for a day of community service at the Lively Pointe Youth Center on Sat-urday, March 19.

These “Verizon Green Team” members were also joined by North Lake College Service Learning stu-dents in giving a fresh coat of paint to the activity room and other areas of the center. In total, eight volunteers gave 32 hours of service while mak-ing this very popular destination brighter and more inviting. As part of their shared goal to decrease the amount of disposable plastic bottles in the environment, each volunteer was given a reusable drinking pouch as a thank you gift.

Keep Irving Beautiful has part-nered with Verizon since 2009, and employee volunteers have worked on a variety of projects, including beautification activities at North-west Park and the Fritz Park Petting Farm, and the Don’t Mess with Tex-as Trash-Off in the spring and the annual Trash Bash in the fall. The Irving team’s efforts are part of Ver-izon’s goal to encourage volunteer-ism world-wide. There are current-ly more than 20,000 Green Team members in 25 different countries, who live the company’s mission of

Verizon Green Team and KIB partner for Lively Pointe paint project

“We believe that sharing our suc-cess with the community makes the world in which we live and work bet-ter than it was yesterday.”

“Verizon, with its Green Team and numerous environmental ini-tiatives, is a great example of the kind of company we like to partner with,” KIB Board member Julie

Schmitt said. “They are always look-ing for ways to improve the com-munity where they work and where many of them live. KIB is a natural fit. We have found their employees to be great volunteers who are very passionate about their commitment, and just a lot of fun to be around.”

SOURCE Keep Irving Beautiful