Published April 26th, 2008
The vision of snowflakes and gliding on the ponds of southeast Nebraska have been temporarily replaced by the sounds of locker room banter, pucks pounding the glass and ice spraying as I come to a screeching halt at the red line. The gloried fantasy of wearing the black, red and white #30 jersey of Dallas Blackhawks Michele Dumas have come full circle as I now dawn #30 of the Frisco Blackhawks, a 15 member team made up of 8 – 10 “rookies”, a few seasoned veterans of the house leagues as well as a couple of skaters who have not laced’em up in number of years.
After 3 months of lessons, a few bumps and bruises, and late night drop-ins, game time is here, God help us! I will finally get my chance to “deke” the defense and bury one into the “basket” as the first game of the Spring I-League is tonight, the Frisco Blackhawks (us) against “The Inuits” at 7:30pm at the Dallas Stars Center in Frisco.
I looked at simply having John over at the Stars Center put me on an existing team, as this would have made more sense making it a bit easier to pickup the game having 13 -15 other players who have all played a season or two help with my venture into the unknown. I don’t know if it is insanity or just the excitement that came with talking with some of the other dads at the arena who all have been living the same dream, to one day make it to the other side of the glass. With the weekly lessons, the occasional Adult Drop In on Friday and Saturday night I’ve ran across enough players who have always wanted to lace’m up!
The general consensus was this needed to be “ours”, our team, my team, something new and exciting. There is just something about going through this process with other “dreamers” who have spent years taking the little ones to practice, kissing bruised knee’s, consoling tough losses and sharing the overwhelming exuberance of scoring that first goal. It was not hard finding 16 players who easily related to the story in the March issue. There is only one word that can describe the feeling; this same word is used by not just me but also by the other 7-8 rookies who now share the same dream.
“GIDDY”
I’m telling you we are like a kid on Christmas Eve who just knows that new bike is a few hours away. We’ve had two official practices that included one badly bruised tailbone, a broken hand, and just too many “feet in the air” moments to remember. The excitement and sly grin is about to become a reality. Coach Modene has spent our first two practices going over the “triangle” offense and defense, how to get on and off the ice, the power play, assigning positions, and just helping us figure out how to stay upright!
So what has gone on the last month and a half? If you want full details stop by our official team site;
www.friscblackhawks.blogspot.com
It has been an incredible 6 weeks! Just a few of the memorable tasks have included;
Creating an online presence, this has been a great way to build the team identity. Recruiting other “idiots” (not my term but one used by most of our spouses), Finding the net minder which is an interesting story as our goalie worked for the Chicago Blackhawks! Once we knew we had enough players to field our own team we had to come up with a team name, really not that hard, the Frisco Blackhawks. Collecting the registration forms and payments from 16 players, never an easy task.
You can’t have a team with out a team logo! A special thanks goes out to Billy, the senior designer here at Frisco STYLE Magazine who worked up several choices before we decided on the final version here.
You can’t have a team logo and not proudly have it displayed on the front of a hockey jersey! Now came the task of convincing team members we each needed to spend $105 on a team jersey! I just could not see going down the path of the simple screen printed practice jersey, really what an injustice to the ghost of the Dallas Blackhawks! So off to Wrightway sports in Canada to embroidery the crest (front logo for those of you new to the lingo), full embroidered names and numbers, and of course a high quality material in the traditional colors of the “Dallas Blackhawks”!
Collecting Jersey info, placing the order through a Canadian sportswear company, then worrying they would not get here in time for our first game! They did and wow they are awesome! We’ve attended Adult Drop Ins and “Stick and Pucks” in Frisco, Plano, Farmers Branch, Grapevine and even Duncanville. Task have included advising new players on where to get equipment, the general consensus is Play It Again Sports in Plano has had just about everything we have needed. Then comes the fun part, helping new players figure out how to put on the new equipment. Of course with the busy lives we all have you can’t have a team without subs, recruiting subs has been an important part of the process. We’ve had an official meeting with all the team captains for the upcoming season; we have 9 teams in the league. Working through schedule revisions with the Stars Center. Two formal practices with Coach Modene who graciously took on this 2008 version of the Bad News Bears!
Along with our inaugural season comes playing for the new “Lochrann’s Cup”, the season will run through June 28th so stop by the Stars Center if you’re bored on a Saturday night and what you will find me along with my 15 buddies gliding full speed down the rink, tapping the “biscuit,” “dekeing” the defense hopefully confusing the opposing team while shooting one into the “basket”. Give me a wave as I hold my stick high and for a moment hear the crowd chanting “Fritchie” over and over again!
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Published April 25th, 2008
Please help my friend, Steve Stoler, in the battle against Multiple Sclerosis by contributing to support Steve in the MS 150-mile bicycle ride. Your opportunity to participate is included in Steve’s letter.�Good luck, Steve.
Thanks, Beth RobinsonEditor
This year, to commemorate my fifth MS 150, I will ride for friends we have lost, those who are presently battling multiple sclerosis and those who will face MS in the years to come. In 2003, I rode for a true MS hero, former Plano Police Officer Steve Powell, who has since passed away. The next three years, I rode to honor my dear friend Donna Huerta, Director of Communications for the City of Rowlett. For the last 11 years, Donna has suffered from an array of chronic symptoms as a result of Multiple Sclerosis. Donna’s condition continues to slowly worsen every day, though she has learned to live with the pain. Despite having an incurable disease, Donna and so many others like her are fighting MS by joining us in raising money for research, so one day, she and 400,000 other Americans living with this debilitating disease can resume normal, healthy lives free of pain and uncertainty. On May 3-4, I will once again participate in the MS-150, a two-day, 150-mile bicycle trek from Frisco to Fort Worth. Thanks to your generosity last year, I will proudly wear #38 on my bike this year, as the 38th highest fundraiser. We need a cure for MS! My legs will do the work. Your dollars will do the rest. Your donations will support the National MS Society, which funds research to find a cure and provides services to help families cope with MS.
Please write your tax-deductible donation to the following e-link: http://www.ms150.org/edon.cfm?id=218080
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Published April 1st, 2008
Join us at 7pm on Thursday, April 3 for the 2008 Frisco STYLE Magazine Mayoral Debate at the Centennial High School Auditorium.
Moderated by former Frisco Mayor Kathy Seei, you will hear the vision of Frisco mayoral candidates Matt Lafata and Maher Maso through their opening statements, responses to prepared questions as well as questions submitted by the audience.
Learn about your city, where it’s going and how you can make a difference!
We look forward to seeing you there.
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Published March 27th, 2008
Spring is now here and we enjoyed it yesterday, Kristina and I ventured out to one of the local wheat fields here in Frisco and completed the first of two senior sessions. Here is a sampling from the shoot yesterday. The photos were all done by Style Creative Photography which is part of Frisco STYLE Magazine! If you like what you see in the magazine give us a shout.
www.stylecreativephotography.com
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Published March 19th, 2008
Has anyone out there been watching American Idol? My husband and I are new to it this season. We are usually far more amused by shows such as Lost and Heroes but with the writer’s strike we were desperate for something non-rerun and started watching Idol. And now, we are totally hooked! Thank goodness the strike is over…we may have got sucked into Dancing with the Stars!
Anyway, has anyone out there seen Idol lately? Is sad sack Kristy Lee Cook ever gonna get kicked off? Who is out there voting for this girl? She has been at the bottom almost kicked-off but hanging on by the hair of her chinny-chin-chin, spot for the last 4 or 5 weeks!
Now, I’m not saying I wouldn’t have voted the others off myself, well except Amanda, I love her Joan Jett wanna-be attitude. But is Kristy ever gonna get the boot? She would have gone a long time ago if I had my way, especially after last weeks, country star meets the Chipmunks performance. And, this week, she didn’t smile through the WHOLE song, not happy, not melancholy, not a sad smirk, just a blank stare through the whole thing.
Frankly, I am hoping for Carly or David Cook to go all the way. David Archuleta is a great singer, but boy he is dopey, not dumb, just a “golly gee whiz shoe shuffling shy boy” type. I think he needs a little more life experience. He kind of reminds me of a Rich Astley or a Michael Bubblé, great crooner, not necessarily pop star.
And one more thing, Jason Castro… Aggie??? I was seein’ burnt orange all over him… Maybe he’s a transfer.
Leah Ratliff - Art Director
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Published March 19th, 2008
I recently made a purchase on eBay that helped re-kindle some of the old memories. Here is a team photo of the 1971-1972 Dallas Blackhaws. Attending these games, watching players who were incredibly hungry to try and make it…..there was just nothing better.
Here in Frisco we are very lucky to not only have the Dallas Stars but also in my mind today’s version of the Dallas Blackhawks….Texas Tornado Hockey. You really should expose the family to this level of hockey. It is refreshing to watch sports at this level, the hunger is incredible.
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Published March 19th, 2008
More so this year than in the past, I am really enjoying the spring warm-up. The abundance of rain (and a peculiar burst of snow) has caused the flowers to pop their heads up and reveal their brilliance in the bright sunshine. It will not be long before summer makes its way onto the scene with the heat and rainless days that too often threaten our colorful landscaping. I particularly appreciate the green, green tightly manicured grass that surrounds many of our area banks and retail businesses…not a weed to be found! Beautiful!
Spring is definitely making good on its well-deserved reputation as the time of year for new life and color. It is a season of change: from browns and beiges to an entirely new palette that makes even the people at Pantone envious!
We at Frisco STYLE Magazine are also in the process of change. As most of your know, we recently completed our regular Readers’ Survey. Thank you to the many who participated and answered our online questions. We are pleased to announce that Frisco resident Sally Jennings (pictured above) completed our survey and was selected to win the Apple iTouch. I was pleased to present the iTouch to Ms. Jennings and congratulate her.
As always, the Readers’ Survey has been very informative. 94% of the survey respondents told us they think Frisco STYLE is either “Good” (46%) or “Excellent” (48%). 89% reported that they get more of their information about Frisco and surrounding communities from Frisco STYLE, than they do any other source.
More than half of the respondents said they enjoy reading our regular comic on the Calendar page. You also told us how much you love reading about area Dining and Entertainment, particularly in Frisco but also in the surrounding communities of McKinney and Plano. Story themes about family, local personalities and Frisco continue to be of greatest interest to you.
76% of you keep every issue of Frisco STYLE at least one month; 35% of you keep the magazine three months or longer!
Needless to say, we are flattered by the many kind words and responses to the survey. We do not take our role and responsibility lightly. We love our community and try to produce a publication that exemplifies our unique, family-oriented culture.
As a result of the survey, I invite you to keep reading! We will be making some changes over the next several issues to incorporate your comments and feedback. Hopefully, you will find them as noticeable and refreshing as our spring flowers!
Thank you again!
Chris Johnson
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Published March 19th, 2008
In case you did not see the story in the March issue “here it is. You can download and read the story here.
http://www.friscostyle.com/pdfs/0308_midlifecrisisorhockeystar.pdf
Category: Sports & Fitness | Tags: | 3 Comments »
Published March 17th, 2008
My son will be old enough to vote for the first time in the November elections. It’s an epiphany for me on two levels. One, that my baby is now old enough to participate in a responsible adult event and two, the interest level for young people in the national election predicts them turning out in record numbers come November. It is comforting to me to see open discussion and involvement by people of all ages regarding who will be leading our country and their philosophy in doing so.
On a smaller scale we are providing a similar opportunity to rally Frisco residents to action for the May 10th local elections for Mayor and City Council members. Frisco has the responsibility and opportunity to elect three new city officials due to Mayor Mike Simpson and two Council members having met mandatory term limits. We are fortunate to have several contenders anxious to take their seats.
In an effort to make our readers more familiar with the Mayoral candidates, I invite you to attend the Frisco STYLE Magazine Mayoral Debate on April 3rd at the Centennial High School Auditorium. The debate, from 7-8:30 p.m., will be moderated by former Frisco Mayor Kathy Seei who will ask the candidates prepared questions as well as questions from the audience. We hope this informative debate will assist you in making your selection for Mayor.
The April issue includes a question and answer article covering some of the hot topics for the incoming Mayoral candidates as well as City Council.
And remember to get out and vote on May 10th.
Beth Robinson - Editor
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Published March 17th, 2008
A friend sent this the other day, I think I’ll start wearing red on Friday’s!
Will you give this to my Daddy?
As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support ‘Red Fridays.’ Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia to attend a conference. While I was at the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) abruptly got to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I’m not alone. I’m not the only red-blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line every day for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He knelt down and said ‘Hi.’ The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier, who didn’t look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster, and then kissed him on the cheek. The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter’s name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, ‘I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.’ He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying ‘your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.’ The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably, and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event. As the soldiers began to leave, heading toward their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding, I looked around, and there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek. We need to remember every day all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it’s good to be an American. RED FRIDAYS —– Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the ’silent majority’. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media overage on TV to reflect our message or our opinions. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red. By word of mouth, press, TV — let’s make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once ’silent’ majority is on their side more than ever; certainly more than the media lets on. The first thing a soldier says when asked ‘What can we do to make things better for you?’ is…We need your support and your prayers. Let’s get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.
Beth Robinson - Editor
Category: Everyday Frisco | Tags: | 2 Comments »
