News

Congratulations to the 2022-2023 District Teachers of the Year! They were chosen by a panel of judges with representatives from businesses, the community, and retired educators. The district is proud to have you represent Forney ISD!

Shirley Bruner was honored with the Suzanne McDaniel Award at the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) Key Personnel-Victim Assistance Coordinator Annual Conference. This annual event attracts over 300 Texas prosecutor-office personnel for a week of training and recognizing the people who daily make a difference in our counties.

Answer: TULIPS—(Two Lips)

The Mesquite Public Library System is a proud recipient of the 2022 Achievement of Library Excellence Award presented by the Texas Municipal Library Directors (TMLDA). Only 73 out of 542 Texas public library systems earned this prestigious honor for 2022.

North Forney High School senior, Gustavo Rubio, Jr., was recognized at the board meeting for being named secondary Student of the Month.

The City Nature Challenge is back in full force for the eighth year. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), through the Texas Nature Trackers program, invites all Texans to participate Friday, April 28, through Sunday, May 1, in a friendly competition between 15 Texas metropolitan areas. Everyone is invited to explore nature in their immediate surroundings: outside their front doors, in their yard or anywhere nature is found and can be safely and responsibly explored.

In observance of National Volunteer Month in April, the Young Marines named Heartland resident Jacqueline Bracey as Young Marines Adult Volunteer of the Year for Division 4. She is the Unit Commander for the Kaufman County East Young Marines who meet in Crandall. She will vie with five other division Adult Volunteers of the Year for the top national honor, Young Marines National Adult Volunteer of the Year, to be announced April 22, 2023, at the Young Marines Awards Banquet in Dale City, Virginia.

The Forney Chamber of Commerce will host their 35th Annual Civic Auction & Casino Night on Saturday, April 29 at The Venue at Rusted Rail Golf Club in Crandall. This year’s theme is “Building Something Special,” a nod to the efforts of the Chamber’s new executive director and board of directors to grow partnerships and offer local businesses more opportunities to connect with potential clients and promote their businesses.

The way a shaft of Spring sunlight moves through the air is sometimes a surprise to the viewer. Light in the sky illuminates but a shaft of light is special unto itself. And when a student’s face lights up like a shaft of light, the teacher is rewarded with that source of illumination signifying comprehension. Many of the educational professionals in Forney ISD are masters at engaging with their students causing those shining moments to happen.

Last night was one for the ages. I was surprised. We were carded as soon as we walked in the door. It was a very exclusive place, too. They had to buzz you inside through a locked door. Very speakeasy. It was a packed house! So much activity everywhere. Lots to see. Of course, there was drama. There always is at these sorts of soirees. Something about late nights, too many people, and shots brings out the best and the worst in folks. The event staff was nice. There just weren’t enough of them. We spent too much time waiting on service. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it was time to leave all the excitement behind and journey home. We both had splitting headaches, but my husband said he was fine to drive. I was glad. I had already gotten sick in the restroom. In fact, he almost had to pull over several times for me to puke on the side of the road. And, here we are now, at 10am, still in bed and reeling from the aftereffects of what we experienced. Were we at a fancy nightclub somewhere, drinking it up and dancing until the wee hours? Nope. We were just a couple of middle-aged grandparents who had extreme anxiety at the emergency vet until 1 am with a sick standard poodle. We still know how to rock.

“They didn’t recognize him because he was probably wearing raggedy clothes, and it didn’t look like Jesus,” says Cory, 9.

And, since HISTORY usually involves “ old folks and events,” such as Harry Power and his good buddy, Don Themer, I will close with some “tidbits” he recently sent to me, since, as he too often says: “Themer, we are closing in on ‘old age’.”

Will Grooms of Forney, Texas, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Grooms was initiated at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Grooms is among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.