Wylie Today

Brittany Dockery competed in the National 4-H shooting sports competition in Grand Island, Nebraska in June. She did the hunting discipline which includes three different tests and four different shooting events. The shooting events were Shotgun, Archery, .22 rifle and Muzzleloader. Brittany took home a 7th place overall in the nation. She also earned a 4th place ribbon in Wildlife Identification and Management.

Brittany is from Wylie TX, and has been part of the Collin County 4-H Shooting sports program for 4 years and is currently serving as the President. She has been hunting with her dad since she was 11 years old. She enjoys shooting archery, muzzleloader, shotgun and rifle. Other than the shooting sports, Brittany enjoys working and playing with her dogs, running Karaoke every week, and riding horses.

Brittany was chosen to represent Texas on the hunting team last January by completing several essays, getting recommendations and scoring well in competitions including the State games in San Antonio.

Brittany would like to thank the Collin County 4-H Field and Stream club, Bass Pro, and CARGO members especially Mr. Mooney, Mr. Grubbs, Mr. Curtis, Mr. McCoy and Mr. Cortez for all of their support.

Dear Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,

I hope you and your family are having a great Summer! We have been busy at our house with planning our vacation, attending summer camps, visiting with family and friends and supporting our community. I wanted to write to you again this month and share with you some of the activities that are happening in and around our city.

I hope you all have taken advantage of the Summer Concert’s at Olde City Park , as well as movie night last Friday evening. The concerts have been great and it has been so much fun to get out and visit with our citizens at these events. These activities really help Wylie keep that “hometown” feeling. I hope you and your family are planning to attend the Wylie Independence Day program (Fireworks) at Founder’s Park this evening at 9:30pm.

I had the opportunity to attend the June Chamber of Commerce luncheon and listen to Chamber President, Mike Agnew, talk about the State of the Chamber, and all the things they are doing to support our community.

Many of our new businesses are also attending the Business Card Exchange on Wednesday mornings at Woodbridge Golf Club, and this has been a good way to connect with our small business owners and support them as they grow their business here in Wylie.

Also, as you may have noticed, dirt is beginning to be moved at the location of our new shopping center, Woodbridge Crossing. Soon you will have more shopping options available to you right here in Wylie , Texas !

This year’s high school graduation once again highlighted our outstanding Wylie students and their parents, It was an honor for Tammie and I to be able to attend that great event and represent our city.

This past month I also had the opportunity to speak at the Wylie Rotary Club luncheon and share with them our plans for the future of our city.

I have also had the opportunity to visit with Congressman Ralph Hall and Congressman Sam Johnson about our city. They are anxious to support us as we grow forward.

A lot of great things are happening in our community. In the coming weeks, you will start to see activity on the expansion of FM 1378. We will soon be holding a ground breaking ceremony for our new City Hall, Public Library and Recreation Center . Additionally in the coming month’s we will be continuing with our neighborhood revitalization program in some of our older parts of town. It is truly an exciting time to be in Wylie , Texas .

Please mark you calendars for our first Wylie Town Hall on August 11, 2008 at the Bart Peddicord Community Center at 7:00 pm. More details will be forthcoming about this event. We had hoped to schedule this sooner but with all the Summer vacations, we had to hold off until August.

Also in the planning stages is a meeting with our Home Owners Associations to get feedback from them on issues, concerns and ideas within their neighborhoods; and the Mayor’s Quarterly Breakfast. This breakfast will serve as an informal meeting with 15 to 20 citizens to come in and visit with the Mayor and staff on a quarterly basis. Citizens will be randomly selected to attend from our list of people who receive the eWylie Newsletter.

And, check out my updated web site with information about the office of the Mayor and upcoming events at www.erichogue.net

I believe in Wylie and my goal is to promote and grow our city in a positive way. When our citizens think of Wylie, I want them to think, “It’s good to be home.”

Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we continue to grow forward!

Your Mayor,

Eric Hogue

Rick and Alicia White are special citizens of Wylie, Texas. They are a unique couple that spend vast amounts of personal time and money helping and contributing to the world class Wylie Fire Department. They are always found on a fire scene early, documenting the events not just for themselves and Wylie citizens, but for the Wylie Fire Department itself.

Alicia said, “We are privileged to be allowed to get up close and personal on the scene of an incident. We capture scenes no one sees but a few. We see the intimate expressions on faces and the compassion these guys and gals give. But more importantly, we feel that we are part of a unique and loving family. The fire and police departments have let us become an integral part of them.”

Rick and Alicia post many of the photos they take on their website, http://www.wyliephotos.com. Here, one can see just what kind of quality photographs are taken and provided to the Fire Department. One can also get a feel for exactly how early and often they arrive on a scene.

So how does the Fire Department feel about Rick and Alicia? I was able to speak to Fire Chief Randy Corbin about them and not surprisingly, he had only good things to say. “I’ve been here for 18 months now and our arrangement is that Rick and Alicia are reserve members of our Fire Department. They arrive early on a scene, even in the middle of the night and their photographs are timely and professional. They help us with training, investigation and documentation photographs which really help us. ”

Cheif Corbin continued, “Rick is very technical in the communication business and we’ve really been able to tap into his knowledge bank. We’ve turned to him quite often as a technical consultant before and during our planning of an overhaul of our communications systems. Whether he is sharing his knowledge or pointing us to the right contacts to talk further, he has just been so extremely helpful and knowledgeable.”

Rick and Alicia White are special members of this great community and city in which we all live. They put a tremendous amount of time and effort to be of service to the community and the departments that make Wylie special. Wylie is lucky to have such fantastic and involved people living within it’s limits.

I hope Wylie Today can continue to bring readers some of the fantastic photographs or as some might say, “works of art”, that Rick and Alicia White produce.

Photos © 2008 Rick and Alicia White - click images for larger photos

WYLIE, TX (June 17, 2008) – On a cool spring day in April at Olde City Park in historic downtown Wylie, giddy guests gathered for a beautiful wedding. Ocean and ChrisW would exchange vows in front of their loved ones and friends: judybug, Lady Di, marknjul, mom of 3, momof4, Bodance, lrsimms, jett1boo and many others excited to share in this one-of-a-kind event.

If the happy couple’s name and guest list sounds unique, well, they are. What makes it even more unique is that many of the guests had never even met the bride and groom until this very day. You see, the couple and guests are part of an on-line community message board, The Wylie View. Wylie View members create an alias to post messages instead of using their real name. And it is on The Wylie View, the only one of its kind in and around Wylie, Texas, that the idea of a Wylie View wedding was conceived.

It started when Ocean (Renea Dobbs) asked for encouragement and prayers from her new found virtual friends. She joined in January 2008 and saw how supportive The Wylie View members where in a forum marked Prayer Requests. She asked her fellow Wylie Viewers to pray for her oldest son to understand why she and the love of her life couldn’t get married this year. Though Ocean and ChrisW (Chris Walker) had been together for 13 years, circumstances prevented them from tying the knot. A marriage by a judge would not do… they wanted to be married in the eyes of God.

Many Wylie View members responded to her request by offering their understanding and prayer. But one Wylie View member saw an opportunity, an opportunity to have the first ever Wylie View wedding! Newly licensed to preside over weddings, a man of God, Earl Newsom (his member alias and real name), announced that Ocean and ChrisW would indeed have their wedding this year and he personally would officiate.

Now all that was needed was a venue, time, and guests. That’s where The Wylie View members came in. Lady Di (aka Diane Culver) was appointed the wedding coordinator and asked the giving community of Wylie Viewers to pitch in. Bodance provided perfectly timed music and DJ services. Over Yonder’s wife, Jayne, supplied an elegant three tired cake. MrsHobbyLobby made the beautiful flower arrangements. Jessamos organized the delicious food, making much of it herself. Mortimer, jnewsom, and darndest photographed the event. Mom of 3 donated the chairs and helped momof4 and Hopemarie decorate the gazebo and pavilion. Alicia created a handmade guest book containing photos she took of the couple before the wedding. So many people, many whom had never met in person, offered support with their time, talents, and monetarily to make this wedding happen.

It was an exciting event; the bride was glowingly beautiful, the groom handsome and the happy couple’s family proud. After the wedding, ChrisW made a post on the message board saying, “I would like to let everyone involved in giving us this beautiful wedding know that we will cherish this for rest of our lives. Thanks for a meaningful future!”

The wedding was a success because a few caring people acted on a simple yet profound prayer request to help a mother’s son’s dream come true. The Wylie View has proven over and over again to be a generous community that allows compassion and kindness to go beyond the keyboard and computer screen. The Wylie View is a living, breathing community of good-hearted people living in and around Wylie, Texas.

The Wylie View, LLC is an Internet community message board bringing the people of Wylie and surrounding areas together online with over 2,500 registered users and growing each day. Log onto www.wylieview.com for more information.

Pictured with Arby’s General Manager, Bryan Washington and Arby’s Marketing Coordinator, Milica Barbir is Wylie resident Evelyn Hardin. Mrs. Hardin, a loyal Arby’s customer, won $10,000 during Wylie Arby’s Grand Opening festivities playing the Roll the Dice game.

Congratulations, Evelyn!

Saturday, May 17th @ 9 am @ Pirate Stadium

Proceeds will benefit the William Henry Smith, III fund at Inwood National Bank

Will is the son of BJ and Lajuana Smith. BJ is a coach and teacher at Wylie East High School. Lajuana is a teacher at Hartman Elementary. Will has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome/22q13 Deletion Syndrome. Specific developmental and physical features are affected by the loss or deletion of a small amount of genetic material from chromosome 22. Fewer than 300 people worldwide have been diagnosed as of 2006.

Please help support the wonderful teachers and contributors to our school district by walking on Saturday or sending in a donation.

More details can be found on the flyer distributed by the WISD.

1 May 08

Maxwell AFB AL

Colonel Richard J. Ragaller, Director of Air Force Junior ROTC, has announced that MSgt J. J. Smith, an Aerospace Science Instructor at Wylie East High School, was selected as one of the Outstanding Instructors for 2008. Under AFJROTC policy, the top 20% (384 of 1,920 instructors) were selected based on their individual contributions and impact on cadets, their school/unit, and community.

MSgt Smith was the coordinator for the Curriculum In Action trip for over 100 cadets that spent the night at Randolph AFB and in Corpus Christi, Texas aboard the USS Lexington. This trip served as a catalyst for building our senior leaders into a strong united team. It also served as a forum for all cadets to meet and work with each other. It has been a key motivator in building cohesiveness within the unit. He also planned and organized a JROTC Corps Night once each semester. This has been a big hit with the cadets and has lead to several non-JROTC students wanting to join just to participate in these type activities. MSgt Smith was the planner and coordinator for the Fourth Annual Wylie Pirate Drill Meet. He set up with the cadet staff a plan that coordinated all aspects of the event, including invitations to schools, coordinating facilities use with school officials, scheduling events, judges, awards, and award ceremony. Nineteen teams participated and every team praised the event as one of the best they had ever seen.

MSgt. Smith’s dedication and giving to the school district is unsurpassed, whether it is cooking for cadets and school staff, or chaperoning numerous after school events, he is always there when the district or kids need him. MSgt Smith has been with TX-200010 for 6 years and has taught AFJROTC for 12 years.

Air Force Press Release

Some of you may remember this post I wrote a while back about the Growth Project. Well, now is an excellent time to start your own. May 5-10 is Clean-Up, Green-Up in Wylie. While everyone is busy throwing out all the junk that magically accumulates in our garages throughout the months, let’s not forget the Green-Up portion.

Plant a tree or some shrubs somewhere on your property. You’ll grow to love and treasure the environment you create in your own backyard. The above picture shows the 5 year difference in my life since 2004 when my son and I planted that first cedar tree. We planted 2 other ones in a row along side that baby. All three trees are now flush and full and slowly but surely, I am starting to feel like I live in the country again just by walking in my backyard.

Billy Meeks cordially invites you to

Chili with Billy

The event will be held Saturday, February 16th. You are welcome to show up any time between 7:00 P.M. and 10 P.M. at the Bart Peddicord Community Center located at 100 W. Oak St in Downtown Wylie.
No campaign speeches, just the opportunity to enjoy a hot bowl of chili and visit with Billy Meeks.

What is your background pertaining to art and painting?

I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1995. Before and after graduation I participated in several art groups in North Carolina and displayed work in multiple shows. After moving to Texas in 1996, I was active in area art groups was accepted into several juried shows and won a few awards. After the birth of my second child in 1998, I put my art career on hold until the fall of 2006 when my youngest child entered Kindergarten.

I entered three local juried shows in the Spring of 2006 and was accepted into all three with different artwork and won a award at the Richardson Civic Art Society 40th Annual Regional Juried Show. Since that Spring I have been accepted into other juried art exhibits as well as several local juried art festivals and sold artwork through my art booth at each.

What inspired you to do so?

Being an artist was not my dream when I was younger. In school, my strengths were math and science and I planned on being a mechanical engineer. Art was always a strong interest but I never considered it as a potential career. Circumstances intervened and I had my mid-life crisis at age 18 when I decided I did not want a “safe” career. It took another year for me to settle into pursuing an art degree but I’ve never regretted my decision to dedicate my life to the pursuit of art. I love challenges and art is a continual challenge to me. It is a love of learning and the thrill of the chase all rolled into one!

In what medium do you paint?

I currently paint mostly in acrylics. Due to the nature of the application process for art festivals, I needed to “specialize” in one type of medium and acrylics allow me to paint in the large format that I enjoy. I am also proficient in pastels, watercolors, and collage.

How long have you been teaching people to paint?

I have been teaching children since 1997. I’ve taught at The Classics in Plano and at WyliePreparatory Academy in Wylie. For the past two years I have been teaching from my home studio/classroom as well as doing demonstrations and classes offsite.

Do you teach people of all ages?

I’ve taught from preschool through adult and I currently have 31 students from age 5 to 12 in my classes. I teach adults as well and am currently working on a Winter/Spring schedule for adult workshops.

What inspired you to teach?

At first, practicality..I could get paid to do it! Now that I am earning money from my artwork, I teach because I love it! Nothing is as inspiring as being around creativity and creative people as much as possible. In my own artwork, I often have to narrow down my artistic concentrations to build a consistent body of work to display and sell. When I am teaching, I can do anything that I find interesting. This past summer, I did a mosaic project with each session of my summer camps. It was the first time I had ever worked with mosaics and it was awesome! I can truly say that I learn as much from teaching my students and I teach to them.

For those that don’t know, can you explain the commission process?

Most artists work from their own inspirations and ideas. Some artists are able to translate your ideas into a work of art. I currently offer Pet Portraits and Vacation Portraits in pastel or acrylic and People Portraits in pastel. When you commission artwork from me, we will get together to discuss size, medium, and a general mood of the artwork. During the consultation a contract is signed and a 50% deposit is paid.

I will either use your photographs or take my own reference photos to work from. I do not work from one individual photo but rather use them as a reference..a color here..an angle there. Then I do some preliminary sketches to get the right setting and, upon approval of the sketches, start the artwork. After the painting is complete, I’ll submit photos of the painting or have another meeting to view the painting. Minor changes can still be made at this point. When the final version is approved, the remaining 50% is paid and the collector takes home their artwork.

Do you have individual pieces for sale?

I have a large body of artwork for sale. I sell through local art festivals and exhibitions. Between shows I have all my artwork hanging in my home, which is also my studio and classroom. Studio visits are available by appointment.

Although I am in the middle of a large renovation of my website, many of my paintings can be viewed on my current website. The new site will be more up to date and feature pricing and framing information about each piece. I always welcome inquiries about current artwork or commissions.

What other projects have you been involved in?

With my artwork I have illustrated a children’s book written by a local WISD teacher. I have painted several wall murals, from a “graffiti-stained glass” teen Sunday School room to Mother Goose tales on a nursery wall. I have also designed numerous t-shirts for youth groups, scouts, and schools.

With my teaching I have led PTA Reflections’ programs, done projects with local moms’ groups, and spent two full days at a local preschool teaching about color mixing and doing painting projects with over 120 2-4 year olds. This past fall I set up a booth at my neighborhood’s fall festival and taught an art project to about 75 students in a couple of hours!

I’m always open to new possibilities and opportunities to explore my art. I truly believe God has given me both my art abilities and my love for teaching as a gift and I’m obligated to reach my highest potential with both.

Thank you, Charlotte for taking the time out to let our readers know more about you and your gift. Charlotte’s website is http://www.demolay.com .