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Fall 2008 Volume 2008, Issue 2 The Greenskeeper
1
The residents of The Greens of Firewheel (formerly ‘The Greens’) and The Greens
Estates are extremely lucky to have a Garland Fire Station so close to our neighborhood. Station A10, located at 1555 Provence Road and Brand, is manned by a very capable group of thirteen. They operate in three 24-hour shifts, four persons on two shifts, and five on one. Two more people will be added to give each shift enough to operate the ambulance, beginning October 1. Garland will then have ambulance service at each station. Two will man the ambulance and three will be on the fire team.
I visited with Captain Robert Fultz, and his crew on Shift C. The other C shift officers include Driver Engineer James Pratt, and Firefighter Paramedics Kevin Carrington, and Jon Diffee. The B shift officers include Captain Bowen, Driver Engineer Craft, and Firefighter Paramedics Loyd, Meuir, and Grimes. The people responsible for A shift are Captain Compton, Driver Engineer Whitfield, and Firefighter Paramedics Lowder and Fulmer.
These men work twenty four hours on duty and forty eight hours off. They keep busy at the station when not on call by maintaining the station, truck, ambulance, and grounds. The combined efforts of the three shifts have done an exceptional job of clearing up the area between the Fire Station and Brand. They also have fitness
machines to keep in shape. Many study for advanced promotions in their spare time. The progression goes Recruit, Firefighter, Driver Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and Fire Chief. At this writing there are no female firefighters at this station.
The approximate area served by this station travels along Murphy road to the Northern city limits of Garland and South on Garland Avenue including Creekwood and Wingbrook then back along the Bush Highway to Brand. Eighty five percent of the calls they receive are medical. It is very comforting to realize we have this service close by. Captain Fultz invited residents to stop by to get their blood pressure checked if needed. They also welcome invitations to speak
Inside This IssueCity Council Report ..................... 2
Brand Road Screening Wall Report .................................. 3
Where Do My GEHOA Dues Go? .....................................4
Greens of Firewheel President’s Message .....................5
Membership Drive - The Greens of Firewheel .....................5
How is the Housing Market? ........................................6
Greens Garage Sale Scheduled for October 24-25 ........................6
Luna Elementary PTA Sponsoring Spirit Nights ..............6
GEHOA Welcome Committee ....................................7
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame .........................7
Congratulations to Yard of the Month winners! ......................8
Pack 161 Busier Than Ever .........8
Update On Murphy Road .............8
G.I.S.D. Update ...........................9
What’s Up With the Wilkins ......................................10
October is National Fire Safety Month ..............................10
Book Review: I’ll Gather My Geese ....................................11
Susan Bloch’s Top 10 Books .........................................11
Published by The Greens of Firewheel and Greens Estates Homeowners Associations Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
ON THE GREENS
Greens Neighborhoods Supported by Fire Station A10By Wanda McGill • Secretary, The Greens of Firewheel • Greenskeeper Staff • 972-496-5781
Pictured from left to right are: Firefighter Paramedic Kevin Carrington, Firefighter Paramedic James Pratt, Captain Robert Fultz, and Driver Engineer Jon Diffee from Shift C
see Firestation A10 on page 3
The Greenskeeper Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
The Greens, Greens Estates &
FairwaysHomeowners Associations
Ken Davey Acting President, GHOA
Steve WattsPresident, GEHOA
The Greens HOAP.O. Box 451053
Garland, TX [email protected]
www.greensestates.org
The Greenskeeper is a publication of The Greens of Firewheel Homeowners
Association and the Greens Estates Homeowners Association.
Staff:Marilyn C. Pospisil,
Managing Editor, Contributor
Frank Wilkins,Graphic Design, Contributor
Wanda McGill,Contributor
Thanks to all of our regular contributors including Susan Bloch, Douglas Athas,
Archie Malcom, and Scott Luna!
The Greenskeeper is published quarterly (Spring, Summer, Fall, and
Winter). The Greenskeeper is generally distributed to all association members
and distributed electronically to contributors, advertisers, government
officials, and other associations.
Electronic copies (PDF) of past issues are available on the Greens Estates Web Site at www.greensestates.org. Limited
space is available for advertising. Rates are available upon request and are dis-counted for annual placements and/or
association members.
Articles, questions, suggestions and advertising should be submitted to [email protected]
The Garland City Council
recently passed the 2008-09 Budget. Like other area cities, tax revenues were down from previ-ous years. The
Council and staff cut $5 million to keep expenses down. Fees for various services and utilities were increased, primarily to cover higher fuel costs. The exception was electric rates, which remained the same and are expected to hold constant. Two engines were decommissioned in the fire department, but now all eleven sta-tions will have ambulances. That is a tremen-dous service improvement for The Greens because Station 10 off of Brand Rd will now have a manned ambulance.
Business growth in North Garland remains steady. Primrose School will open soon next to ASI Gymnastics. Construction for a new full-service Holiday Inn has begun just west of Primrose. Closer to the frontage road, in front of Primrose, Navy Federal Credit Union has purchased a lot for a future branch. Across SH-190, the Hyatt Place Hotel continues to rise and a shopping center with Buffalo Wild Wings and Dickey’s Barbecue is making fast progress.
At the Town Center, the future Hollister store has every teenager talking and is due this fall. Also expected to open before Christmas are Houlihan’s Restaurant and Sweet & Sassy. Not long thereafter, Genghis Grill will open next to Dick’s Sporting Goods and Buckle will bring their fashion styles to Garland. Parkside, the apartments at the Town Center, are almost full, representing a big lifestyle change for Garland. Meanwhile, the new Brooklyns Old Neighborhood Style Pizzeria and Esteban’s Restaurante are doing great business.
In the center with Best Buy and Half Price
Books, numerous businesses are now open. Jenny Craig is the most recent, but Floor Expo and Ideal Dental and Orthodontics will be next.
We will soon move to a higher plane of development as the Eastern Extension of SH-190 starts construction and is completed to I-30 by December 2011. We should see dirt moving this year along several sections, including in the area close to the Town Center.
Closer to home, Dr. Don Grubbs has received approvals to build a new building to house his veterinary practice at Campbell Rd and N. Garland, next to Janet Mason’s dental office.
Across Brand Rd, The Oaks at Firewheel sub-division continues to get closer to actually building a house. Grand Homes has been slow building the streets and placing other necessary infra-structure, but the pace is probably tied to the current housing market and their completions at other nearby subdivisions where they are building homes.
The North Garland Library will eventually be expanding and moving somewhat closer to The Greens. Land has been purchased next to Comerica Bank on the corner of N. Garland Ave and Naaman Forest Blvd. for the future regional facility.
Downtown Garland is transforming rapidly. Located near the Granville Performing Arts Center, the Trammell Crow mixed-use build-ing, Fifth Street Crossing, with ground-floor stores, apartments on the second and third floors, and a 400-space parking structure, is already framing the second floor. The first new neighbors downtown will be moving in next spring. Nearby, across Walnut Ave, the Garland campus of Richland College is quickly taking shape and should be holding classes in the spring. Ventoni’s Italian Restaurant has opened in the same block as Dos Banderas Restaurant. I’ve fallen in love with their Chicken Florentine!
Some of the other changes coming to
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOXMARILYN’S SOAPBOX
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOX
City Council ReportBy Councilman Douglas Athas • District 1 • [email protected]
see Council Report on page 3
Fall 2008 Volume 2008, Issue 2 The Greenskeeper
The wall on Brand Rd. has been complete for more than a year, but work has not
completely finished. Some minor repairs have been necessary, but the major efforts have been restoring landscaping and stabilizing the section south of O’Shannon.
When construction on the wall was completed, about $10,000 remained in the special escrow account. At the annual The Greens of Firewheel HOA meeting, the Wall Committee agreed to reimburse the HOA $4,333 for damaged landscaping. That work on the entrances has them looking good
again.To stabilize the portion of the wall south
of O’Shannon, many cubic yards of dirt had to be hauled in. We’ve been fortunate that we were able to get quality top soil and help spreading it. We hired a landscaping com-pany to do the finer efforts to clear the area of rocks and masonry debris and to evenly spread the dirt so it drained properly.
The last hurdle has been deciding whether to hydromulch. Certainly it would have made the area look nicer sooner, but nature seems to be slowly doing the
job on her own, and for much less. We’ll continue to monitor the progress a little longer, but hopefully, we’re done. Money left in the escrow account will be returned to contributors or they can dedicate their remainder to a future project, such as lighting the entrances.
Even though the HOA was successful getting a grant to help rebuild the wall and many, many families in The Greens con-tributed, the HOA does not own the wall. It remains the responsibility of those along the wall to maintain it.
Continued from page 1
Greens Neighborhoods Supported by Fire Station A10
Continued from page 2
City Council ReportDowntown are not as easy to see, but keep watching. The city plans to completely re-do the old Police and Courts Building. District 1 resident Robert Smith is reconstructing the Nicholson Bldg, next to Suzy’s Quilts, to its original 1915 appearance. Other owners are
visiting with architects to refurbish their buildings.
These are quick updates. More detailed information on these subjects and others is avail-able at www.douglasathas.net/blogs/. Please check there regularly to keep up with North Garland and
other city business. Always feel free to e-mail me or call 972-495-8513. It is a pleasure to represent The Greens and District 1 when so many exciting changes are coming our way.
to schools and other organizations.In the line of community service, they
participate in golf tournaments and other fundraisers to support Muscular Dystrophy. One activity of particular interest is taking 25 or 30 needy kids on a shopping spree each year. They go with the kids to spend their money, many of whom head directly for essentials like socks and underwear. This program has been in operation for 25 years. Jerry Click of Station 7 is currently in charge of it.
Within the Garland Fire Department, in general, there is a singing group that has made a Christmas CD. I heard their quartet sing for the opening ceremonies at a Texas
Rangers game recently. They were selling CDs at the Christmas parade in downtown Garland last year.
Hurricane Ike was mentioned when we spoke and two men had evacuees staying with them until sometime in October when they can return home. Jon Diffee has seven extra in his home and Kevin Carrington has one.
Station A10 has a nice kitchen where they prepare their meals, often to be called away in the middle of them. Each shift has its own pantry which helps keep supplies separated. Each firefighter has a separate sleeping area and a locker to keep their personal belongings and bedding in between shifts. A
washer and dryer are available for their use.Many firefighters have other business
interests to help fill up their off time and Station A10 is no exception. Kevin Carrington does fence work (972-765-0739) and Jon Diffee owns Sprinkler Systems Specialists (214-455-6538).
Words of advice from Captain Fultz: change the batteries in your smoke alarms when the seasons change and if you have home fire extinguishers, check them occasionally and turn them upside down to shake the powder in them, keeping them active.
Brand Road Screening Wall ReportBy Douglas Athas • The Greens of Firewheel Resident • 972-495-8513 • [email protected]
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOXMARILYN’S SOAPBOX
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOX
3
Did You Know? “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd stayed on the Top 200 Billboard chart for 741 weeks - that’s 14 years. The harmonica is the world’s best-selling musical instrument.
Keep up-to-date with what’s going on in your neighborhood by
visiting your HOA web site at:www.greensestates.org
The Greenskeeper Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
ON THE GREENS
Where Do My GEHOA Dues Go? John Plata • Treasurer, Greens Estates • 972-495-3108 • [email protected]
The question comes up now and again, “Where do my HOA dues go?” A valid question for sure. The dues for the Greens Estates
Homeowners Association (GEHOA) were set and have been held at $220/year since the year 2000. We have to carefully watch our expen-ditures to keep the assessments from rising. The basic budget, as pre-sented at our yearly meeting each February, breaks down as follows.
INCOME: 121 homes x $220.00 = $26,620/year
ExPENSES:Landscape Contract: This pays for the mowing, trimming, fertilizing, etc. of about one-half mile of green area between Lochness Lane along Brand Road to beyond Calm Meadow Court along East Campbell Road. $14,547 (54.6%)
Association Liability Insurance: We are a state registered, not for profit corporation, and as such are required to carry insurance. $2,300 (8.6%)
Utilities: We have to water the common areas, and we have three water meters and three electric meters. We also have the landscape light-ing on the corner of Campbell and Brand. The water bill for 2008 has been exceptionally high due to the lack of rain. Our water bill thru August exceeds the budget for the entire year!!! That said, our budget for the year is: $5000 (18.8%)
Landscape Upgrades/ Repairs: Pays for replacing dead bushes, broken sprinkler heads, removing dead trees, lighting repairs, etc, and upgrades to the landscape areas. We made an extra effort recently to add and replace quite a bit of landscaping at and near the Calm Meadow entrance. This was in excess of our budget, and was funded from some of the carryover from last year. The budget for these items is: $5000 (18.8%)
Administrative Expenses: PO Box, rental of Luna for annual meeting, newsletter printing, postage, office supplies, legal fees, garage sale expenses, etc: $1292 (4.8%)
Those good at math will note that we spent more than our income this year. This was as-budgeted, since again we were carrying forward a surplus, and we are using it to manage our expenses rather than raise dues. With the current expenditure rate, our carryover to 2009 will be minimal.
Greens Garage Sale Scheduled for October 24-25
Fall 2008 Volume 2008, Issue 2 The Greenskeeper
The Greens of Firewheel Homeowners Association (GHOA) has continued
its focus upon beautification by renovat-ing the landscaping at the O’Shannon & Brand Road and at Flanigan and Brand Road entrances. In addition, the Wall Reconstruction project is in its closeout stage. At the entrances, cleanup, planting of new shrubs and flowers, edging replace-ment, and sprinkler system repairs are to be complete in October. Soil placement for erosion prevention and preparation for grass planting are being addressed by the Wall Reconstruction committee. With The Greens of Firewheel being a non-mandatory HOA, such efforts only happen with voluntary con-tributions and involvement.
On May 21, the GHOA Annual Meeting was attended by 15 people. Highlights of the meeting are summarized by the following points.
• The Treasurer’s Report was reviewed, with the basis for an annual budget pro-vided.
• A Wall Reconstruction status was pro-vided and discussed.
• Approval of the D&J Garcia Services proposal for landscape renovations was obtained.
• Authorization of the current Officers to manage the landscape renovations was provided.
• Plans for future enhancements were dis-cussed, with the addition of electricity and lighting at the entrances being the front-runner. The approximate $10,000 cost will have to be covered by a sepa-rate capital campaign.
• Election of Officers: The position of President remains open – no one was willing to volunteer for the position. The officers currently in place were re-elect-ed to their current positions. Officers and Committee Leaders are listed below.
- President: Open
- Vice President: Ken Davey
- Secretary: Wanda McGill
- Treasurer: Archie Malcom
- Landscaping Lead: Pam and David Malone
- Crime Watch Lead: Scott Echols
- Welcoming Leads: Linda Bailey and Cynde Quinn
- Directory: Doug Athas and Archie Malcom
- Social: Open
A recent membership drive has resulted in 75 active members of The Greens of Firewheel HOA. Since there are 276 homes in The Greens, this means that only 27 percent of residences have joined. In The Greens, all funding of projects and ongoing maintenance comes from membership dues and contributions. If you have not yet joined, or paid the small $50 fee, please do your part by completing the membership form and delivering your payment – see the membership form for details.
This year is an important one for elec-tion of our government officials and public involvement. I hope everyone realizes how blessed we are to live in America; gets out to vote on November 4, and supports the neighborhood through HOA membership and involvement.
Membership Drive - The Greens of FirewheelKen Davey • Acting President, The Greens of
Firewheel Homeowners Association • 972-342-4672 •
The Greens of Firewheel Homeowners Association (GHOA)
has ongoing expenses associated with maintaining the condition of our neighborhood, providing a safe place to live, and keeping all residents informed. The only income to offset regular expenses and for improvement efforts comes from membership dues.
The Greens of Firewheel is very fortunate to have a voluntary Homeowners Association. Most all other neighborhoods have hundreds of dollars in mandatory dues. A small $50 annual contribution is a small amount to pay for helping to maintain our beautiful neighborhood. Please do your part and make your contribution today.
Membership forms and your contribution (checks payable to The Greens HOA) can be paid at any time, and are to be provided to Archie
Malcolm, Treasurer, at 6517 Lynch,
(972-530-4321).
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James
5
ON THE GREENS
Greens of Firewheel President’s MessageKen Davey • Acting President, The Greens of Firewheel Homeowners Association • 972-342-4672 • [email protected]
The Greens Home CountBarclay Lane 31 Lynch Lane 33
Chelsea Way 18 O’Malley Counrt 10
Dublin Drive 9 O’Phelan Lane 18
Fitzgerald Court 21 O’Ryans Circle 7
Flarity Lane 7 O’Shannon Lane 31
Kilkee Court 14 Scottsboro Lane 19
Limerick Lane 17 Talley Raod 1
Lochness Lane 9 Waterford Place 24
The Greens Estates Home CountAberdeen Drive 16 Lochwood Court 5
Calm Meadow Court 10 Shamrock Court 9
Glen Hollow Drive 18 Tartan Trail 32
Glen Meadow Court 8
Lochmoor Lane 8
Lochness Lane 15
Tables provided by Archie Malcom, Treasurer, GHOA
The Greenskeeper Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
ON THE GREENS
Greens Garage Sale Scheduled for October 24-25By Marilyn Pospisil • Secretary, Greens Estates • Managing editor, The Greenskeeper • 972-495-7817 • [email protected]
This is a friendly reminder that the fall edition of the semi-annual Greens
Garage Sale is quickly approaching. It’s time to clean out your garage and get some cash for that ‘precious’ junk.
The dates are set for Friday, October 24 and Saturday October 25.
Remember that you’ll need to obtain a free permit number to hold your garage sale. Here are a few tips from the City of Garland Code Compliance Department to make sure that your sale goes off without a hitch.
• Register Your Garage Sale: Contact Code Compliance at 972/485-6400 for a per-mit number at least 24 hours before the sale. No fee is required. Have the num-ber handy on the day of your sale in case Code Compliance stops by asking for it. There is a fine if you don’t have one.
• Posting of Signs: Garage/yard sale signs cannot be displayed, placed, or posted on telephone poles, traffic signals, street signs, street lights, or city trees. Signs must be on private property.
• PurposeofSale: A garage/yard sale is for selling used or unwanted household or personal items from the seller’s own premises.
• LocationofGarageSale: Merchandise and activities cannot be displayed or conducted on any public property, including sidewalks, streets, alleys, and parkways. Remember to be courteous to neighbors and keep the neighbor-hood neat and clean; all signs must be removed by 9 p.m. on the last day of the sale.
• TimeframeforaSale: Garage/yard sales cannot be held continually from week-end to weekend. City ordinance states:
“Garage Sales are permitted for a sale period not to exceed more than three (3) consecutive days, excluding holidays, and not more than three (3) garage sales should be permitted for the same loca-tion in any calendar year.
Happy Selling!
With the tightening of financing, many buyers cannot qualify for loans. Many conventional lenders are requiring a 700 or better credit rating. Foreclosures remain quite high. Dallas County has had 11,000 foreclosures in the first six months of 2008, and Collin County estimates 3,700 for September alone. Foreclosures add additional houses to the market and affect neighborhood prices. This all interprets to fewer buyers looking at a larger number of homes. Serious sellers need to price their homes to sell. The average time for houses on the market is running between six and seven months. It is a buyer’s market in most areas. Sellers are frequently taking a hit to get their house sold. Remember that you should do well when purchasing your next home.
The good news is that the North Texas area is in better condition than the rest of the country. A news article last month stated that DFW was first in job growth among
all metropolitan areas. Plano was ranked number one nationally, with a median income of $84,492. This was comparing Plano to cities with a population of more than 250,000.
The Greens seems to remain stable. In the last six months, eight homes have sold, with only one appearing to be a foreclosure, and six are currently on the market. With the passage of the government bailout, it is hoped that the market will turn around.
If you have real estate questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.
ON THE TOWN
How is the Housing Market?By Rick and Shelley McCall • Keller Williams Realty • 469-939-6464
Luna Elementary PTA Sponsoring Spirit Nights
Submitted by Dawn Walters, Luna PTA Publicity Coordinator
Luna Elementary is having Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A!
Be sure to tell the employees at Chick-fil-A that you are there to
support Luna Elementary!
5425 N. George Bush HighwayGarland, TX 75044-4801
972/496-6918
Save these Dates!Tuesday, October 21
Tuesday, November 18Tuesday, December 16
Fall 2008 Volume 2008, Issue 2 The Greenskeeper
Frank and Bridget Rivas moved to 6909 Lochmoor Lane from another location
in Garland. They have two daughters, Laura and Victoria, who attend St. Joseph school. Frank is self employed and is in the Sign business. They have a cute dog named Labbey that came to them from the creek next to their home.
Jill Shugart and Lynne Rigg moved to 7002 Aberdeen. We hope they are enjoying the neighborhood.
Ralph and Eva Segars live at 914 Glen Meadows Court. They previously lived in
Heath, TX and sold their house, moved to Garland, and now live near their sons.
Raymond and Jamie Loop moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to 6809 Lochwood Court with their two young daughters, Savanah and Lorelei. They work out of their home for Interiors for Hospitality Market.
The Greens Estates wishes a warm wel-come to our new residents and I hope every-one will give them a friendly wave when you see them!
After reading the books by Hallie Stillwell, our Dorothy Good Book
Club made a visit to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. It is located across the street from the Amon Carter museum in Ft. Worth. The Cowgirl Hall of Fame is located on the second floor of the building it shares with the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History.
A picture of Dale Evans and Roy Rogers is one of the first pictures you see as you enter. Annie Oakley, the peerless wing and rifle shot is an interesting display. She was featured in Wild Bill Hickock’s Wild West Shows.
There is a display of cowgirl boots and pictures of Enid Justin, founder of Justin boots who designed her first pair of fancy boots at the age of fourteen. Cowhand boots were first designed around 1860 with point-
ed toes to slip easily into the stirrup and higher heels to keep the shoe in place.
In 1935, Patsy Montana had a million selling record with the song ‘I want to be a cowboy’s sweetheart.’ Ranch romances and western fiction have popularized the notion of cowgirls since the 1800’s.
According to Dale Evans, “Cowgirl is an attitude, really, a pioneer spirit, and a spe-cial brand of courage.”
The Hall of Fame features photographs and in-depth information on cowgirl honor-ees. Electronic yearbooks provide insight into their distinguished lives. The youngest honored was a young deaf girl of 14. Hallie Stillwell was a 1992 honoree as was justice of the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor who has also written a book about her ranching days called “Lazy B.”
Rodeo cowgirls are featured in a big way,
including movies of their great rides. The types of rides include bareback, barrel racing, bull riding, cutting, trick riding and thorough-bred racing. There is also a display of belt buckles they have won in competitions.
There is an area where children can get dressed up in hats, chaps, and boots and sit around a chuck wagon or get their pictures taken on a horse. This is a big family attrac-tion and fits nicely with the interaction sci-ence museum downstairs.
“What is a cowgirl?” you might ask. This description seems to fit: “The cowgirl faces life head on, lives by her own lights and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take a stand; they speak up; and they defend the things they hold dear.”
7
ON THE GREENS
GEHOA Welcome CommitteeBy Marcia Lucido • GEHOA Welcome Committee • 972-414-8168 • [email protected]
ON THE GREENS
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of FameBy Wanda McGill • Secretary, The Greens of Firewheel • Greenskeeper Staff • 972-496-5781
Did You Know? There is no such fish as a sardine. Canned sardines are generally young herring. Goldfish lose their color if they are kept in dim light or are placed in a body of running water, such as a stream. Dogs and humans are the only animals with prostates. Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur. When a giraffe’s baby is born, it falls from a height of six feet, normally without being hurt. The first word spoken by an ape in the movie “Planet of the Apes” was “Smile.” The dalmatian dog originated from Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.
The Greenskeeper Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
Pack 161 had an exciting summer. In June, we were able to have a beautiful
sunshine-filled day at the Rowlett WetZone Water Park. At the park, scouts, parents, and family members enjoyed the cool refreshment of a day.
In July, our scouts were up early with the sun and off to the DFW Airport where we welcomed our United States service men and women home for a well deserved leave from the duties of combat in the Middle East. We proudly saluted each and every-one for the service they provide to our great nation.
In August, we participated in our annual back to school picnic which always
culminates in a large water war. This year, the water war included more than 1,000 water balloons. All of our scouts and their families enjoy this event and love to clean up all the pieces and parts of the balloons
at the end of the war.Now we are back to school and have
enjoyed another prosperous recruiting year where we had 34 new scouts join us for our year-round fun.
Pack 161 is sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Garland and recruits boys from Lister, Luna, and other Garland area elementary schools. If you are inter-ested in more information about Pack 161 or scouting for your son, please contact me at [email protected]
8
ON THE GREENS
Congratulations to Yard of the Month Winner!By Pam Malone • Landscaping Chair, The Greens at Firewheel • 972-530-1876 • [email protected]
Pack 161 Busier Than EverBy Kevin Harrison • Pack 161 Cubmaster
Congratulations to Roger and Sharon of Cotton 6725 Lynch (corner of Lynch and Lochness).
Their yard was chosen for September Yard of the Month. Their yard has a very manicured lawn and shrubs along with impatiens flanking the right side of the house and yellow lantana on the right side. The front entrance is bright with colors of green and purple potato vines woven in with various colors of coleus plants, orange and white impatiens, and green and white caladiums. On the front porch are a Boston fern and other flower baskets. Along with plants, Sharon always has a very festive wreath on her front door and a seasonal flag flying in the front flower beds. This is a house that is festive year around with color and decorations. Thank you Roger and Sharon for keeping our neighborhoods looking great!
Update On Murphy RoadBy Wanda McGill • Secretary, The Greens of Firewheel • Greenskeeper Staff • 972-496-5781
Wondering what all the commotion is on Murphy Road?
Sachse Public Works announces the replacement of the water line with a new
12” one along the east side of Murphy Road between Highway 78 and Campbell Road. The project began on July 7 and should take about 90 days.
Fall 2008 Volume 2008, Issue 2 The Greenskeeper
As the fall season creeps into
our bustling region of North Texas, it brings the refreshing climate and transition of colors associated with this time of year. In the midst of this invigorating shift in seasons, one of the
area’s largest entities is introducing some welcome changes of its own.
With more than 57,000 students, the Garland Independent School District (GISD) is well adapted to change. Whether a change in testing regulations, code and safety com-pliance, or food service and transportation guidelines, the district deals with change from the inside-out on a daily basis.
The district must stay alert to ensure that its methodology remains at maximum levels and personnel realizes that parents want to remain in the know as well. One man-ner in which GISD plans to incorporate the advanced technological era into their alert system is through SchoolMessenger.
Communications ImprovementsGISD now utilizes SchoolMessenger
– one of the nation’s best in providing superior parental notification solutions – to communicate with thousands of parents and staff regarding urgent situations, exclusive school events and important issues. It is a proactive upgrade that will assist the district with communication on a routine basis, and during times of crisis.
As a four-year member of the district’s Board of Trustees, I have witnessed first-hand the importance that GISD places on effective communication. This is just one more step in improving an already-reliable communications system.
With this system, SchoolMessenger allows the district to make contact with all parents and guardians in a matter of minutes. But to perform most effectively, it is reliant upon the most up-to-date contact numbers for families and staff. For this system to func-tion accurately, parents and guardians must inform the district of new phone numbers and contact information throughout the year.
Web Site EnhancementsThe district recently introduced changes
in campus web sites as well. GISD’s Web Communications Department
took on the project after six years of the same look for high school, middle school, and elementary school campuses. Vast improvements in website content manage-ment systems also prompted the conversion.
Parents and visitors can now stay informed with podcasts, a media gallery, audio files and videos. An online calendar previews events specific to each campus and gives visitors an option to receive reminders for upcoming events by e-mail.
And because the campus webmaster position is voluntary, the necessary upkeep has been slashed without sacrificing qual-ity – good news for the primary educational duties of teachers and staff.
Accomplishments by Students and EmployeesTechnology isn’t the only GISD phenom-
enon that merits recognition. The district has its share of noteworthy student groups and employees, too.
At this spring’s Health Occupations Students of America State Conference a group of students from Naaman Forest High School placed first in the Creative Problem Solving category and went on to compete at the national level.
The Rowlett boys track team won GISD’s first-ever track and field state title last
spring in Austin when they finished in first place at the Class 5A UIL state champion-ship.
Annette Kasparian, a social studies teacher at Lakeview Centennial High School, recently became one of 58 educa-tors nationwide to receive a James Madison Fellowship. The $24,000 endowment will assist Kasparian in pursuit of her master’s degree.
She was selected from a pool of candi-dates representing each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the nation’s island and trust territories. Her mock legislature high school team is one of the few in North Texas.
The 2008 Teacher of the Year is South Garland veteran math teacher Gail Womack. A self-described “nerd,” Ms. Womack has the ability to break down information into manageable bites so her students can quick-ly come to an “ah-ha” moment in the class-room. This ability is what makes her a true teacher and she takes this message to others in her duties as Teacher of the Year.
Building ImprovementsIt has been established that the students
and teachers of GISD are excellent at what they do, but the classrooms where they interact are noted for high achievement as well.
Carver Elementary and Freeman Elementary were among the campuses rec-ognized for architectural achievement by a statewide group at the 2008 Exhibit of School Architecture.
Carver, which opened last fall, won in two categories – design and educational appro-priateness. Freeman claimed a design award for the makeover to its front entry. It was relocated from the building’s south side over to its east. The move changed the building’s address, allowed for more parking and took the entrance off of Walnut, which had grown increasingly busy throughout the years.
As we leave our neighborhoods each day to go about our lives, we can tell by the golden leaves and shifting landscape that change is imminent. GISD knows this and embraces change. The district is here to serve us all and there is none better to help you and your children adjust and inform you of what is happening in the Garland ISD. If I can be of any service to you, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
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DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOXMARILYN’S SOAPBOX
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOX
G.I.S.D. UpdateBy Scott Luna • G.I.S.D. School Board Trustee, Place 5 • [email protected]
Fall 2008 Volume 2008, Issue 2 The Greenskeeper
The Wilkins’ beautifully landscaped home is situated on a cul-de-sac of Calm
Meadow in the Greens Estates. A wooded draw runs behind their property and it is a source of constant interest and photography opportunities. They have a Barred owl that tunes up every night plus bats, snakes, raccoons, possums, and an occasional bobcat and coyote. In the spring, a pair of mallards returns and visits the neighbor’s pool. A logger-head turtle is close by also. The fact that Frank puts out corn and Kim is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine may explain why this is an ideal setting for them.
The family household includes Kim, the vet, Tristan, the basketball player, and Frank, a Graphic Designer and movie critic. Resident pets are Maggie a feisty toy fox terrier mix, Spencer, a friendly white and yellow cat left on the vet clinic steps with his wounded mother, and Michigan a large cat so named because his front paws have seven toes and look like the State of Michigan.
Kim was a student at the college of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M when Frank came there as a Graphic Artist and Medical Illustrator. They met through a mutual friend and the rest is history. They married and moved here after she graduated. Frank began working for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School illus-trating for humans rather than animals, but as Kim says, “parts are parts whether they are animal or human.”
In 1988, Kim opened her Animal Hospital of Rowlett and two years ago expanded
with the Animal Hospital of Heath. (She also contributes the ‘Vet’ articles to the Greenskeeper newsletter.) The Rowlett hospital has 23 employees with four doctors plus technicians and support staff. Two
clinic cats are the CFOs (Certified Feline Officers) of the office. They wear bow ties to signify their importance. Small animals are the specialty of the clinic and it is not unusual to find kittens on their doorstep when they arrive in the mornings.
Another of Kim’s interests is Interior Decorating. Their home is a prime example. It is warmly eclectic, with animal print chairs, pillows, and pictures.
Tristan is a handsome, tall, middle school student at Webb Middle School. In the sum-mer he plays baseball and in the winter he is a center on the basketball team. His inter-ests lean toward marine animals and skiing with the family.
Frank is now able to work from home. His
company is called Frank Wilkins Design Group – he does Graphic Design, adver-tising, and web design. Our Greenskeeper newsletter and Greens web site www.greens-estates.org. are his designs – for which we
are grateful.A passion of Frank’s is movies of
all types which have led to another venue for him. He is a member of the Dallas and Fort Worth Film Critics Association. This gives him the oppor-tunity to see and write about movies before they come out. A very cozy home entertainment center and office makes for a nice working environment. He tries to preview four or five movies a week. His film web site is www.franksreelreviews.com. Not sur-prisingly, he is an avid photographer and uses his work on his web pages.
The family enjoys eating out and try-ing new and different restaurants with
different types of food. He has also reviewed restaurants.
When Kim has a convention in an excit-ing place they all like to go. Last spring, they had a great time in Puerto Rico.
One activity they all look forward to is their annual ski trip to Colorado with Frank’s extended family from Little Rock, Arkansas. There are 18 in all, ranging in age from two to 62 and they all like to hit the slopes of Breckenridge together.
Future plans are in progress for an out-door kitchen and spa in their spacious back-yard. They are also looking forward to Kim’s next convention which will be in Hawaii.
That’s what’s up with the Wilkins.
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What’s Up With the WilkinsBy Wanda McGill • Secretary, The Greens of Firewheel • Greenskeeper Staff • 972-496-5781
October is National Fire Safety MonthDoes Your Family Have a Fire Escape Plan?
• Does everyone know at least two ways out of each room in your house?
• Does everyone know to ‘get out first,’ then call for help from a neighbor’s phone or a cell phone?
• Does everyone know about the meeting place in front of your home where you will gather to wait for the Fire Department?
• Does everyone understand that they should never –
ever – go back inside a burning building?• Has your family practiced escaping through smoke
by getting down on their hands and knees, and crawling to the nearest exit? (Make sure that every-one understands that they should exit ‘free from smoke or flames’ if they can.)
• Does everyone know to stop, drop, and roll on the ground to smother flames if their clothes catch fire?
• Have you tested your smoke alarms to ensure that they are working properly and put smoke alarms inside and outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home?
For more information, visit www.nfpa.org -- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
The Greenskeeper Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
I’ll Gather My Geese and My Goose is Cooked are books written by Hallie Stillwell, a 1992 honoree in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. They are a west Texas ranch woman’s life story.
The title “I’ll Gather My Geese” was gleaned from a saucy reply she gave her father when he told her she was going on a wild goose chase after she signed a con-tract to teach in the border village Presidio, Texas. The time was 1916 and Pancho Villa was often raiding that territory. She fulfilled that contract and the next year took a con-tract in Marathon, Texas in the Big Bend Country.
She caught the eye of a handsome wid-ower who was twice as old as she. He raised horses, played poker, and ‘frequently enjoyed a ‘toddy.’ Her parents were, again, upset with her choice; however, they eloped to Alpine and married in the home of her cousin on July 29, 1918.
Her new husband, Roy Stillwell was homesteading a ranch spread near the mouth of Maravillas canyon, some 25 miles north of the Mexican border. The ranch hands predicted, “That school teacher won’t last six months” as they moved their gear from the house to the barn. However, they were dead wrong. She lasted 79 years and most of those days it didn’t rain.
Hallie was expected to work equally with the ranch hands with very little help or encouragement from her husband. She became quite self reliant and a sure shot. She even shot a mountain lion that had been
terrorizing their stock. In her beginning domestic endeavors, she scrubbed down the walls of their cabin only to found out that she had destroyed all of their financial records that had been written on the walls.
She learned to ‘witch’ for water for a well and built a bathroom for herself. Hallie and Roy had three children, Roy Walker (called Son), Marie Elizabeth (called Dadie) and Guy Crawford (called Guy). After Roy’s death in an accident with his truck, the chil-dren helped her maintain the ranch.
These were tough years of drought and dust, but they survived by being inventive. They began to make wax from a local desert plant named candelilla. Wax was in high demand during the Korean war.
The Stillwells built a wax factory to help raise enough money to keep their ranch in operation. Hallie began to be a stringer on several newspapers to help raise funds. She even co-wrote a book called “How Come It’s called That,” which was about the origins of Texas town names.
After Roy’s death, Hallie went on to a life of public service besides maintain-ing the ranch. She became Justice of the Peace of Brewster County from 1964-1978. Life held fun times too. She was the Judge of the Terlingua Chili Cook Off contest for many years and became known as the Chili Queen. She had several Chili Pepper Crowns.
Other interests Hallie had were in the cave pictographs found in the caverns and cave dwellings in Maravillaas Canyon. She also learned to pilot a plane, something she had always wanted to do. Many years later she wrote a sequel to “I’ll Gather My Geese” called “My Goose is Cooked” relating the years after Roy’s death.
Hallie died two days before her 100th birthday; she was truly a legend in her time and she never tired of telling her stories. Her family still maintains the 22,000 acre ranch and now also operates a general store and camping facilities on the property just east of Big Bend National Park.
There is an extensive article in the January 2008 issue of Texas Highways magazine called Hallie Country by Dale Weisman. It contains excellent pictures of the Big Bend countryside.
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOXMARILYN’S SOAPBOX
DID YOU KNOW
MARILYN’S SOAPBOX
I’ll Gather My GeeseBy Wanda McGill • Secretary, The Greens of Firewheel • Greenskeeper Staff • 972-496-5781
1. Faefever by Karen Marie Moning
2. Turbulent Sea by Christine Feehan
3. Trudy’s Promise by Marcia Preston
4. Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
5. Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman
6. 7th Heaven by James Patterson
7. Always Time To Die by Elizabeth Lowell
8. The Seance by Heather Graham
9. Black Creek Crossing by John Saul
10. The King of Torts by John Grisham
The Greenskeeper Volume 2008, Issue 2 Fall 2008
GHOA Officers and Committee ChairpersonsPresident Ken Davey (Acting) 972-342-4672 [email protected]
Vice President Ken Davey 972-342-4672 [email protected]
Treasurer Archie Malcolm 972-530-4321 [email protected]
Secretary Wanda McGill 972-496-5781 [email protected]
Landscaping Pam and David Malone 972-530-1876 [email protected]
Crime Watch Scott Echols 972-414-9696 [email protected]
Social OPEN
Welcoming Linda Bailey 972-495-4440 [email protected]
Cynde Quinn 972-495-2501 [email protected]
Directory Doug Athas and Archie Malcom 972-530-4321 [email protected]
GEHOA Officers and Committee ChairpersonsPresident Steve Watts 972-495-5527 [email protected]
Vice President– Landscaping OPEN
Secretary Marilyn Pospisil 972-495-7817 [email protected]
Treasurer John Plata 972-495-3108 [email protected]
Newsletter Marilyn Pospisil 972-495-7817 [email protected]
Frank Wilkins 972-530-6816 [email protected]
Welcoming Marcia Lucido 972-414-8168 [email protected]
Social Carrie Jackson 972-530-6887 [email protected]
Yard of Month Ken Kirkland 972-496-1279 [email protected]
