Celebrate Coppell” Honors Book to Be an All-Star
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Serving Irving, Las Colinas, Valley Ranch, and Coppell RamblerNewspapers.com July 8, 2017 50¢ Irving celebrates Fourth of July By Joe Snell The sound of rain in the morning always sparks anxiety in Jackie Madden’s heart before a large event. So on the morning of July 4, the city’s Special Events Su- pervisor was worried as she drove toward Heritage Park hours before Irving’s annual parade kick-off. Determined not to let the rain stop the event and despite dark clouds looming overhead, she sent a note to all of the parade’s participants in the early morning saying the event was still moving forward. “We asked everybody to check in at 7:30 a.m. on the city’s website,” Madden said. “If there was a reason that we need- ed to modify our plans, we would let them know. At 7:30, we said it’s a go.” As the clouds parted before the parade’s start at Sowers Street and Irving Blvd, Irving hosted one of its most suc- cessful parades in recent memory. This year’s theme was ‘A Star-Spangled Celebration – Cel- ebrating American All-Stars.’ Participants were encouraged to show their pride by decorating floats or walking in groups to honor notable American historical figures or landmarks. CLOWNING AROUND: Irving's Mid Cities Clown Alley #85 are all smiles at the city's annual parade. The group won Best Music as part of the parade competition. “We wanted to make sure that when we think in terms of /Photo by John Starkey all-stars, we just don’t think sports celebrities and athletes,” Madden said. “We wanted all-stars to encompass American historians and anybody who made significant contributions to American history. You don’t have to be an athlete in our “Celebrate Coppell” honors book to be an all-star. Wherever advancements have been made, we are saluting all-stars.” See IRVING PARADE Page 8 Independence Day, park re-opening By Ariel Graham The entertainment included ting ceremony was held as area where we’ve got a lot of Great Flag Caper Despite the soggy weath- a performance from World part of the day’s festivities walkways and a lot of trails er, the citizens of Coppell Class Rockers, a band con- to officially open the new winding through the woods came out to celebrate the sisting of formers member park, with new additions connecting all of our other plants over 40,000 4th of July and a brand new of Journey, Steppenwolf, that include a group and Andy Brown Park Systems,” park during ‘Celebrate Cop- and other famous rock ‘n’ performance pavilion, as Reiling said. “We did a lot of pell - Party in the Park’ held roll groups. The party con- well as a boardwalk over- research with our residents at Andrew Brown Park East cluded with a large fire- look. Andrew Brown West and part of our ‘Vision 2030’ flags across Irving in Coppell on Saturday, July works display over the lake. is mostly complete with new plan was to make this park 1. This year, the city’s annu- athletic fields set to open in much more user-friendly. By Ariel Graham from a kind gesture she did The event, formerly al 4th of July festivities hap- September of this year. They were looking for space A neighborhood party for her new neighbors. known as the “Spirit of Cop- pened to coincide with the April Reiling, public in- where they could go out and hosted at the home of Nell “I moved to my house in pell,” was anticipated to be re-opening of the Andrew formation officer for the throw a football with their Anne Hunt on Monday, 1990, and my neighbors one of the largest Indepen- Brown Park East. The park City of Coppell, explained kids or they could practice July 3 celebrated the suc- were so nice,” Hunt said. “I dence Day events in the has been under construc- more about the changes be- their tai chi in groups out on th cess of Irving’s annual Great decided that on the 4 of city’s history. Along with tion since January of 2016 ing made. the lawn, where they could Flag Caper. July, I’d buy a couple hun- food, games, arts and crafts, as part of the city’s $21.1 “[The park] has gone rent out a pavilion and just For the last 24 years, Nell and a large kids’ area fea- million park system re-de- from a heavy sports-use Anne Hunt and her team of See GREAT FLAG CAPER turing inflatables were live velopment. A ribbon-cut- facility to a more passive See CELEBRATE COPPELL volunteers have been plac- Page 2 music and entertainment. Page 5 ing American flags up and down MacArthur Boulevard and across Irving. Volun- teers picked up their flags Free spirit: on June 30 and began plac- ing them on July 1. This year by the end of the weekend, an estimated 40,000 flags Local dancer turns were put up. Hunt explained that the Great Flag Caper got its start 90 years young By Elaine Paniszczyn Irving is home to a Renaissance man whose story is parallel to few, if any. Lee Matthews cele- brated his 90th birth- day Monday, July 3, but reaching age 90 is not what is remarkable about him; it is how he lived those 90 years. Locally, Matthews is best known as the friendly guy who danc- es four nights a week at area senior centers and serves as a dance host at Marilyn Meyers NEW RECRUIT: After high school dances twice a month. graduation, Lee Matthews joined the Army Matthews dances every and was stationed in France shortly after dance and rarely sits World War II ended. /Photo contributed one out. “Everybody loves danc- Born in Cuba, Matthews ing with Lee,” dancer Henry served overseas in the U.S. Foster of Carrollton said. Army, U. S. Merchant Ma- “When dancing the swing, rines, and U.S. Air Force. he sometimes throws in a He graduated with a de- few tap dance steps. He’s a gree in journalism from the free spirit, for sure.” University of Oklahoma That would be enough and waited until age 60 to to set him apart from most settle down and marry. He 90-year-olds, but there is more. See FREE SPIRIT Page 3 Page 2 July 8, 2017 www.RamblerNewspapers.com New headquarters of Pioneer Natural Resources breaks ground By Ariel Graham ral Resources on Thursday, been operating in Irving, North O’Connor Boulevard, the new Pioneer building is fluence on the industry. City officials, developers June 29th. Texas since the company but with the lease set to end that it is designed for, and “Millennials are the larg- and business owners broke Pioneer, an independent began in 1997. The compa- in 2020, they began looking partially designed by, mil- est generation we’ve ever ground at the site of the fu- oil and gas exploration and ny is currently located at for a new place to call home. lennials. Dove said a large seen in the United States, ture home of Pioneer Natu- production company, has Williams Square Towers on Pioneer President and number of the building’s and that’s also encompassed CEO Tim Dove made it clear planning committee, as well in our employee base,” Dove that he wanted the company as his company, consists of GREAT FLAG CAPER to remain in Irving. Aside millennials, and that the new See GROUNDBREAKING Page 4 Continued from Page 1 from the city being a great building will reflect their in- place to do business in, Dove said, Irving’s central location made it ideal for his employ- ees all over DFW. “The nice thing about Ir- ving that appeals to our body of employees is the fact that it’s central to all of the differ- ent areas of the Metroplex where they live,” Dove said. “We have people who live all the way from southwest Fort Worth to Prosper, and this is a place where everybody can come together, work on FLAG PLANTING: The Great Flag Caper spreads patriotism as participants decorate Irving with American flags./ Photo a team and work in a central- contributed ized location. It’s very close dred flags and put them out that it was so easy to put to break it up.” to the airport, it’s very close in my neighbors’ yards. Well, those flags in the ground. Hunt chose MacArthur to DART stations, and it’s everybody liked it so much People kept coming back Boulevard as the main thor- just a phenomenally efficient that the next year I bought and saying, ‘I finished in 15 oughfare for the project for place to do business.” twice as many, about 400. minutes! Do you have any several reasons. The new building, located All the neighborhood said, other streets?’ It really was “We picked it because at 777 Hidden Ridge, will ‘Oh, this is so nice! We want wonderful, and I hope it’s a everybody’s on MacArthur be 1.125 million square feet to have [flags for] the whole trend we’ll have again.” pretty much every day and and ten stories tall with a neighborhood, and we want Beca DeLoach and her gets to enjoy the flags,” she seven-story parking garage. to help you.’ After our neigh- husband Clyde are board said. “It’s a symbol of unity, New amenities will include borhood looked so great, all members for the Great Flag because there is no North or open, communal workspac- the other neighborhoods Caper.