News

When my middle son was a toddler, he had a thing about food texture. In the family video vault, that place where VHS tapes go to die, there’s film footage of him sitting at the bar in a random rent house somewhere. He’s probably 3. He swears we had stuffed his mouth to capacity with green beans, French style, to be exact. He doesn’t know. He was 3. Ask me, the mom who was there. At most, there were 3 green beans hanging from his mouth. Also, there was lots of slobber and tears. See, he didn’t care for green beans or green anything or, really, any foods at all. Any edible substance placed into his mouth would result in a full, catastrophic melt down of epic proportions. He began dropping weight. The pediatrician became concerned. “Let’s try and get this guy to eat, shall we?” I cried all the way home. How dare that self-absorbed doctor dare to look at me and assume the problem was my lack of trying! So, I tried harder, hence the green bean episode. Finally, I caved. Fine, let the kid eat the only thing he’s willing to eat. Enter Peter Pan creamy peanut butter. That’s all he consumed until he turned 12. I am not kidding. If we were at a family wedding with a delicious buffet of barbeque and mashed potatoes and Czech delicacies like klobase and strudel and apricot kolaches (those sausage things at the doughnut store are pigs in a blanket, not kolaches, FYI), out of my mom purse would appear 2 slices of white bread and a jar of peanut butter. Relatives began gifting him with the industrial cans from Sam’s Club, as a joke. But, the real story was a mom win. I supplemented his 2-ingredient diet with Slim- Fast. I mean, there are nutrients in there. There was no Ensure back then. There were no calorie dense protein powders. It was the 90s. Eventually, he turned 12 and ate a hamburger at a friend’s house. I cried because I wasn’t there to witness the miracle. At least there were no more sightings of a kid who lived off of diet drinks and peanut butter. It was magic, though, that formula. That’s what mommas do. We make magic.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mathew Lombardo

Promptly at 7:00 p. m., President Deborah Stuart called the meeting to order with a quorum present: Charles Beason, Tracy Drane, Jana Garner, Donna Hervey, L. C. Randolph, Deborah Stuart, Donald Themer, Rick Townsend, Margaret Tull, George Venner, Lawrence Higgins, Kendall Nobles (Museum Manager); two absent: Fran Jones, Andy Parker.

The first annual Blackland Prairie Student Film Festival was held on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at Film Alley in neighboring Terrell, Texas, featuring the work of students throughout Forney ISD. Presented by the Forney Education Foundation, the event began on the red carpet with photos and a Meet & Greet with the stars of the films. Surrounded by fans, family members, and FISD administration, the student filmmakers signed movie posters and posed for photos as the crowd anxiously awaited the start of the festival.

The North Forney Indoor Percussion Ensemble has had an incredible season that culminated in the group’s second appearance at the Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, on Thursday, April 21 and Friday, April 22. Entering the preliminary competition at the WGI World Championship as the 2022 North Texas Colorguard Association (NTCA) Percussion Scholastic Concert World Class Champions with a score of 92.75, North Forney was in place to defend its 2019 sil ver place finish.

Tate Tarpley will play the role of Harry the Horse in the upcoming SAU Theatre and MHS Theatre production of the musical “Guys and Dolls” on April 21-24, 2022.

Springtime and catfish angling are back at Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Neighborhood Fishin’ Lakes across the state. The program provides friends and families the opportunity to participate in the Texas traditions of outdoor recreation and reeling in catfish close to home.

If you reach retirement with a significant amount of assets, you’ve done a great job of saving and investing. But now comes another challenge – making that money last.

Arbor Day is a day to observe, appreciate and plant trees, and it’s seen as a day of optimism for the planet. This year’s National Arbor Day is April 29. The Arbor Day Foundation explains, “While most holidays celebrate something that has already happened and is worth remembering, Arbor Day represents a hope for the future. The simple act of planting a tree represents a belief that the tree will grow to provide us with clean air and water, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities, and endless natural beauty — all for a better tomorrow.”

Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to a greater risk for a variety of health conditions. According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, Inc., 75 percent of esophageal cancers are attributable to chronic excessive alcohol consumption. Such consumption also is linked to a 10 percent increase in a woman’s risk for breast cancer, while heavy chronic drinking has been connected to 36 percent of primary liver cancer cases.

Mother’s Day has felt a little less than normal over the last couple of years. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of many Mother’s Day gatherings in 2020, and while things felt more familiar in 2021, this year may mark the most normal Mother’s Day celebrations since 2019.

With more people enjoying the outdoors this spring season, you may start to notice more wildlife in your backyard, neighborhood or surrounding areas. Species including birds, deer and snakes are active this time of year and their young can be mistaken as abandoned. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) experts caution against lending a helping hand.

My plumber once told me that if we would only flush the toilet when it was “really” necessary, and if we would “fix” leaky toilets, we could save untold thousands of gallons of water and help future generations.