Ferrara runs for 6th term on North Hempstead Town Board

By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Island Now on Oct. 17, 2017

Angelo Ferrara, a 72-year-old Republican from New Hyde Park who is running for re-election to the North Hempstead Town Board, says partisanship is the most significant issue plaguing the town.

The situation is similar to what is going on in the federal and state governments, he said in a sit-down interview with Blank Slate Media.

“The town is in better shape than most other towns but needs to work together in a nonpartisan way to get things done and support the people,” Ferrara said. “Donald Trump needs to keep his mouth shut, stop tweeting and focus on the problems that exist in this country. The structure we have right now is so broken it’s sickening.”

Ferrara said that, despite a 5-2 Democratic majority on the North Hempstead Town Board, he feels confident that his voice is heard.

“I’ve demonstrated to everyone else on the board that when I look at something, I don’t do it for political gain,” Ferrara said. “There’s a high degree of trust there. [Town Supervisor] Judi [Bosworth] and I have conversations you will never see anywhere else between a Republican and a Democrat.”

Ferrara, the board’s longest-serving member, has represented the 3rd District for 18 years over five terms. The district includes New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Mineola and Williston Park.

“The campaign is going good,” Ferrara said in the interview. “Look, I’ve been doing this a long time. Fortunately for me, especially as a Republican, I get all of the union endorsements.”

Ferrara reflected on how he has been able to get endorsements from unions like the Civil Service Employees Association.

“The first time I ran, I did not get the CSEA endorsement,” Ferrara said. “[After I took office,] there was a CSEA member who worked for the town who was fired. I asked to see her file and there was nothing bad at all about it. It turned out they just did not like her and wanted her out, instead of trying to do things the right way. I forced them to take her back with retroactive pay.”

Ferrara worked at Xerox for 20 years, ending his tenure as regional manager for technical services. He ended his business career at the Monroe Calculating Machine Co. when he took office.

“I gave up $300,000 a year for a $30,000 councilman job,” Ferrara said. “I’m doing this for the right reason, because I care, and want to set the right example for my five kids.”

Ferrara was raised in a family of Brooklyn Democrats, he said. He became a Republican because he considers himself a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. He would not say whether or not he would support Bosworth for re-election, “the same way she couldn’t outwardly support me.”

“The head of the party doesn’t support me but Republican [voters] support me. They’ve never primaried me but have threatened to,” Ferrara said. “I work too hard for the people and not hard enough for the party.”

Gerrymandering also poses a problem in North Hempstead, Ferrara said.

“This gerrymandering kills me but we keep doing it at all levels of government and that’s so sad because the losers are the public,” Ferrara said. “If we really want to win the confidence again of the public, we’ve got to make some major changes in our behavior. Judi and I are trying to set that precedent here.”

Ferrara said the next issue he hopes to attack on the Town Board is the Building Department’s system of giving permits, which he said “is not user-friendly.”

“I’ve asked for a meeting with Judi and the commissioner to go over what I think needs to change for it to run smoother,” he said. “There are a lot of stupid rules on the books that don’t need to be there.”

Ferrara said it takes months to get permits when it should take weeks, and he said the department is understaffed.

“The things that aren’t important are causing a lot of workload delaying the people that do need important permits,” Ferrara said. “We’re going to be going through every one of those laws to see what we can eliminate.”

Bosworth and Ferrara discussed raising fees for permits six months ago, he said. Ferrara said he supported the increase as long as the funds raised were only used to hire for the Building Department.

“She gave me that commitment,” Ferrara said. “That’s what’s supposed to be happening but we haven’t really hired the people yet.”

Ferrara said the town could take a more significant role in promoting business districts in its villages. He said Bosworth “has the personality” to collaborate on revitalizing closed storefronts in failing business districts.

“There are all these different fiefdoms and everyone has their own agenda. They don’t want anyone coming in and treading on that,” Ferrara said. “You have to form a partnership with them. [Former Town Supervisor] Jon Kaiman would have come in like a bull. Judi has the personality to do it.”

Ferrara said that options for redevelopment of failing business districts includes providing more mixed-use options, where young professionals can live above mom-and-pop shops.

“The population isn’t shrinking. It’s only increasing,” Ferrara said. “We need to find ways to better accommodate” young professionals.

Ferrara’s motivation to continue is that “there are so many people that need help,” he said.

“I cut through red tape,” he said. “As a businessman, I get things done.”

Jack’s Lounge signature cocktails include the Red Poppy Cosmo, (left) and the Spicy Rita (right). (Photo by Adam Schrader)

Jack’s Lounge offers local experience, cocktails and small plates

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in Community Impact Newspaper on April 12, 2017

Jack’s Lounge, at the south end of Sheraton Georgetown Texas Hotel & Conference Center, offers a gastropub experience without providing a full dinner. The bar offers small plates and pairings in a room characterized by rustic chic decor.

Joshua Goodine, director of restaurants and bars at the hotel, said the most striking qualities about the bar are its cleanliness and emphasis on providing a local experience.

Local artists created all art adorning the walls. A Texas crafter designed and created the bar’s central table specifically for Jack’s Lounge, and it is made from Thailand-sourced chamcha wood on a stainless steel base.

“Everyone asks about the table,” Goodine said. “It’s an expensive, beautiful wooden table.”

Goodine said the bar’s cocktail menu also draws inspiration from the locale, such as its Spicy Rita and Red Poppy Cosmo. The bar features Austin-area brews from Independence and Solid Rock breweries as well as Georgetown’s Rentsch Brewery.

“We like to have Rentsch in both the restaurant and the bar because the locals love it,” Goodine said.

Executive Chef Luiz Quezada created the bar’s menu, which is not standardized across Sheraton hotel bars. The bar, which offers 35 bottled wines and 25 bottled beers, also has no sommelier. But
Goodine said he and Restaurant Manager Liesel Krawik frequently identify new wines to rotate through the available selection. Goodine said he hopes the bar will soon offer local wines in addition to local beers.

Jack’s Lounge offers a social hour from 5-7 p.m. with $5 14-oz. drafts, $5 select wines and $1 off paired food items. All bar guests get a bar snack, such as potato chips made in-house with an adobo spice rub. The lounge also offers a “More for Four” special on Fridays and Saturdays.

The bar, since the start of April, occasionally hosts local musicians. In April, the bar also began selling $3 brisket sliders smoked in-house.

Goodine said he expects a full house more frequently. The 2,100-square-foot lounge can hold 80 people.

“I don’t like overcrowded bars. I want to be able to walk in and have my drink in less than five minutes,” Goodine said. “That’s not to say we’re never busy. But my four bartenders are well-trained and accommodate everyone.”

Red Poppy Cosmo Recipe

1oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. strawberry puree
3oz. Tito’s Vodka
Combine all items into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, strain and pour. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Jack’s Lounge
1101 Woodlawn Ave., Georgetown
737-444-2700
www.sheratongeorgetowntexas.com
Hours: Sun.-Fri. 5 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 5 p.m.-1 a.m

Diddy speaks at a school in Harlem (Photo by Adam Schrader)

Sean (Diddy) Combs kicks off first day of new Harlem charter school he co-founded

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By ADAM SCHRADER and BEN CHAPMAN
Published in The New York Daily News on Aug. 30, 2016

Rap mogul and would-be educator Sean (Diddy) Combs delivered a rousing speech Monday to kick off the first day of classes at a new charter school he co-founded in his old Harlem neighborhood.

Speaking from a podium onstage in the student auditorium at Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School, Combs told dozens of students and staffers that their school would change the world, starting with the people right there in the room.

“Great schools and great education make a big difference,” Combs told the cheering crowd. “Unfortunately, too many people don’t get the opportunity to succeed, no matter how hard they try. This is leveling the playing field here at Capital Prep.”

Combs, 46, was born in a public housing project in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon.

He first gained fame as founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, a record label that released music by The Notorious B.I.G. and a slew of hit artists in the 1990s.

Combs had no background in education until he started work on Capital Prep Harlem in 2014. Besides his work in music, Combs has found success in a number of ventures including his Sean Jean clothing line.

He founded the new Harlem school in partnership with Connecticut educator. Dr. Steve Perry, who previously created a successful charter school in Hartford.

Perry, who frequently appears on television and writes books and articles on education, founded Capital Preparatory Magnet School in 2005.

The Hartford school features a no-excuses approach to student discipline and extended instructional time for students. It will serve as a model for Capital Prep Harlem.

“The advantages (of having a celebrity like Combs) are clear,” Perry said. “Mr. Combs has made a significant commitment to this.”

Capital Prep Harlem admitted 176 students in sixth and seventh grades for its first year of classes. Students were chosen from a random lottery of roughly 1,000 applicants.

The charter will expand to enroll about 700 students in grades 6-12 by the year 2021, school officials said.

Traditional public schools in the city begin classes next Thursday, but New York City Charter School Center CEO James Merriman said class is already in session for roughly half of the city’s 216 charters.

“It’s this hard work and innovative spirit that makes the charter sector what it is,” Merriman said.

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker at a bullying event. (Photo by Adam Schrader)

Panel cites death of Staten Island boy when urging more support for victims of bullying; ‘The schools are not getting involved as much’

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By ADAM SCHRADER and LISA L. COLANGELO
Published in the New York Daily News on Aug. 22, 2016

A Staten Island teen who took his own life after being mercilessly bullied should have received unconditional support from his school, experts said Monday at the first ever conference sponsored by the New York Jets and the organization Stomp Out Bullying.

The suicide of 13-year-old Daniel Fitzpatrick was on the minds of educators and panelists at the conference at the Jets’ Florham Park, N.J., training camp as they shared ways to prevent and detect bullying while supporting victims.

“If a child is coming to you and they’re hurt and they feel like something is wrong, the best thing is listening and being there and being able to engage with that child,” said Alexander Levy, 17, a teen ambassador for Stomp Out Bullying.

Levy said schools should not doubt students in pain or ask for proof of bullying.

Experts have said bullying is pervasive, from Daniel’s heartbreaking death to Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s mockery of disabled and women journalists.

Even Olympic superstar gymnast Gabby Douglas was the victim of vicious cyberbullying because she didn’t hold her hand over her heart for the National Anthem during the games in Rio.

“When kids see this, they’re picking up the behavior from the adults in their lives and the trolls online,” said Ross Ellis, who started Stomp Out Bullying to raise awareness and education.

Ellis said she has met with Marvel Comics, which is planning anti-bullying-themed issues with superheroes.

Celebrity psychologist Jeff Gardere was reluctant to draw conclusions about Daniel’s tragic case. But he said it’s important to note the teen didn’t feel supported by staffers at Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn.

“We do know that has been an ongoing complaint by many of our students,” said Gardere, who appeared on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.” “The schools are not getting involved as much.”

Nick De Mauro, a former police officer who oversees drug abuse education programs, said many teachers and administrators are slow to act on bullying complaints because they fear lawsuits.

“Unfortunately, we live in a society where everyone wants to sue everybody,” he said. “They’ve put a burden on teachers and administrators and really forced their hand to require proof and it’s become problematic.”

The panelists also stressed the importance of counseling, compassion and empathy for individuals who are bullying, since they may have serious problems.

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker made a surprise appearance to show his support. Decker was a student at Rocori High School in Minnesota, where two students were shot in 2003. The shooter, another student, said he had been bullied.

“It could get a lot worse if it wasn’t for you guys,” Decker told the crowd, urging parents to also educate their children about bullying.

Construction begins on Lewisville's Coyote Drive-In theater.(Photo by Adam Schrader)

Anticipation for Coyote Drive-In grows, company postpones opening for rain

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By ADAM SCHRADER and STEVE SOUTHWELL
Published in The Lewisville Texan Journal on June 4, 2016

Drive-in theaters have been absent from the Denton County community since The Rancho in Denton closed in the 1980s. There hasn’t been a theater like it in Lewisville since one closed off Business 121 in the 1970s.

So when Fort Worth-based Coyote Drive-In announced plans to open Lewisville location, the community couldn’t get enough of the news. It continues to be one of the most talked about local stories and residents frequently ask The Lewisville Texan Journal for updates.

The opening, which was once planned for late last year, will be postponed again after a series of delays in the planning stages when the theater realized it had space to add a sixth screen, and rain.

Coyote had then planned for a July 1 opening but now won’t be open until early fall, said Glen Soloman, a partner in Coyote Drive-In. No changes have been made to the planned design since Lewisville approved $306,500 of incentives in February; and work was moving on schedule since the company broke ground in January, before recent rains.

“Nobody is more sorry about the delay than we are,” Soloman said. “But when the long-anticipated location finally opens, it will be worth the wait.”

Soloman said significant progress will be seen in the next coming weeks as the weather forecast shifts.

Lewisville resident Todd Simpson, 36, said he loved going to theaters like it when he was younger.

“I absolutely would go and I understand it’s very difficult to build things when we’re getting the type of rain we’ve been getting,” he said.

Simpson said that next summer, when Coyote Drive-In is open, Texans won’t have to worry about the summer heat like they did.

“When we think of drive-ins, we think of the old days of having to roll down the windows,” he said. Coyote Drive-In uses special FM radio frequencies to which guests tune their car’s radio, so “there is never going to be an issue with the heat,” he said.

Lewisville resident Sallie Burris, 62, said that when she was dating in high school, she used to catch films at the Rebel Twin Drive-In off Belt Line in Carrollton. By the time the previous Lewisville theater opened, she was a young married woman with a baby daughter.

“We would load our Volkswagen bus with bottles, diapers and baby food and go to the movies,” she said. “Now I want my grandchildren to experience the drive-in movie. I am sure they’ve come a long way since then.”

Flower Mound resident Nicole Webb, 23, who is currently in school in Washington D.C., said she’s never been to a drive-in theater.

“Me and my friends in high school always wanted to. We never got around to it because all the ones open then were too far away,” she said. “I’d love to go when I’m in town next.”

Some residents had suggestions for Coyote before they open.

“We honestly don’t go to movies, but if there were a decent family film we would consider it,” Lewisville resident Kari Simpkins, 53. “I don’t care for any sort of violence or foul language. I would love to see some of the recent Christian movies shown there.”

Coyote opened its second location in Birmingham, Alabama, at the start of May. Until the new cinema opens in Lewisville, residents looking to catch flicks from the comfort of their car can head to the company’s original Panther Island location in Fort Worth.

City grants $306,500 in economic incentives to Coyote Drive In

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Lewisville Texan Journal on Feb. 18, 2016

The City of Lewisville passed an economic development agreement, granting $306,500 in incentives to Coyote Drive In, at its Feb. 15 meeting.

Coyote Drive In will include six outdoor screens centered by a 10,000 square foot climate-controlled cantina, a shaded outdoor pavilion, and a 14,000 square foot mini-golf area and a kids play area.

Nika Reinecke, Director of Economic Development and Planning, wrote a letter to City Manager Donna Barron on why the city should approve the economic development agreement.

“As part of the agreement, Coyote will allow the city to use its property for parking purposes for certain city events,” she wrote. “They will also promote city events by projecting city-provided advertisements on all theater screens before each movie.”

The Fort Worth-based company is projected to create 80 permanent jobs and invest $9.8 million in the drive in theater, according to the agreement. Coyote will sponsor an annual hoteliers meeting or a city event at the facility at a cost not to exceed $1,000 annually.

“That property was always going to be difficult to develop,” said council member TJ Gilmore. “This was a great way to get a unique amenity and bring additional tax revenues to the city.”

In return, the city will waive the Coyote’s roadway escrow fee for Midway Road estimated at $247,000, issue a grant equal to the amount of fees paid for water and sanitary sewer impact fees estimated at $43,054, and reimburse all other fees paid to the city up to the total amount.

James Kunke, a spokesman for Lewisville, explained the roadway escrow fee waiver.

“Coyote will need a turn lane on Midway to pull traffic off the road into their facility, otherwise cars will back up onto the road and block traffic,” Kunke said. “But, we’re going to rebuild Midway Road and widen it. So it would be wasteful for them to build it now.”

Coyote will have to pay the city to build that turn lane, which will be included when the city rebuilds the road. But, the city is waiving the fee for the widening of Midway road which the city had already budgeted for.

The agreement ends on Dec. 30, 2026, unless renewed in writing by both parties. The developer will complete property improvements within 18 months. More time may be granted if, in the city’s opinion, Coyote has made substantial progress on construction and property improvements.

“Coyote Drive In brings a new regional entertainment choice for Southern Denton County,” Kunke said. “We are thrilled they chose Lewisville and think they have a lot to bring to our community and we want to support their success.”

21-year-old Lewisville native Anne Winters pursues acting dream in Los Angeles

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Jan. 14, 2016

Anne Winters, 21, uses her youthful looks to her advantage, usually playing 15- to 17-year-olds on shows like The Fosters, Wicked City and Tyrant.

After Winters begged her mother to help her land commercials in high school, her career quickly evolved.

“I thought it would be fun and I could make some extra money,” she said. “It would either grow into something more or it wouldn’t.”

It grew into enough to derail Winters from her plans of a traditional college track. By 19, she left her Lewisville home for Hollywood and hasn’t been without a job for more than six weeks since.

“She was always willing to perform in front of people,” said her mother, Karen Winters.

At 15, Anne won a Los Angeles talent competition, scoring a contract with a manager. She would return to Los Angeles for pilot season and callbacks.

“My sophomore year, I missed like 75 days of school, and that was tough,” she said. “I missed homecoming and all the fun things a high-schooler gets to do.”

That year, she booked commercials across Dallas and a Nickelodeon pilot. Ultimately, it didn’t run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ywmnst3zGg

“To get anything so soon in the game was the biggest shock ever, particularly to my dad,” she said. “He’s still skeptical of my career.”

Her junior year, Winters took a break from Hollywood to focus on acting in North Texas and her goal to be accepted into the acting program at Southern Methodist University.

Staying close to home, she worked a movie called Cooper and the Castle Hills Gang that was filmed in her Castle Hills neighborhood.

Winters auditioned for SMU during her senior year at Prestonwood Christian Academy. But she already had a growing resume. Faculty asked her why she wished to attend school instead of following her Hollywood path.

“That’s when I chose to move and pursue acting for real,” Winters said. “If things didn’t work out after a year, I could always come back.”

Winters said she had backup a lot of starting actors don’t have. Her parents could afford to provide time and financial support.

Winters graduated in 2012, moved to California and enrolled at the College of the Canyons.

“I went to college for a minute and booked the role of Lauren in Sand Castles, which filmed in Indiana. Professors told me I had to choose,” she said. “I never went back to school.”

Sand Castles follows a family wrestling with the mysterious return of Lauren, a mute who had disappeared from a beach parking lot.

Winters said she landed the role because of her acting coach, Saxon Trainor.

“I was working with her a lot when I moved out there. She got the role of this drunken mom, and told producers I’d be great to play her daughter,” Winters said. “They loved how she was my coach and said it would be a good dynamic on set.”

In California, she rooms with Devyn Smith, an actress from Rockwall. In their free time, Winters and Smith visit different churches around Los Angeles most days of the week. Church provides Winters a social outlet with people her own age in a town where it can be hard to make friends. She also enjoys singing during services.

“It’s great to have a fellow Texan to room with so far away from home,” Smith said. “We have a similar foundation and understanding of our upbringing that creates a mutual respect and bond.”

During pilot season in 2012, Winters tested for a role seven times and didn’t get the part.

“It was devastating. It was the first time I had my hopes up so much,” she said. “I mean who tests seven times and doesn’t get the role? That’s crazy. But no, it’s not crazy. That’s normal, apparently.”

She went on to land her breakout role — “mean girl” Kelsey in a recurring, two-season spot on ABC Family’s The Fosters.

“I loved being on The Fosters because it was a bunch of kids and I got to make friends,” she said.

After The Fosters, Winters was in the Showtime movie Fatal Instinct. She also starred inAll is Vanity, a post-apocalyptic movie set for release this year.

“I carried a rifle around and had a country accent the whole time,” she said.

In a Lifetime movie, The Bride He Bought Online, she is the main character, one of three girls who prank a man. He discovers their identities and takes revenge.

Growing fame helped her book Tyrant, an FX drama about an unassuming American family drawn into a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Winters lived in Israel for six months while filming season one. She said she could see missiles from her apartment.

She also went to Budapest for season two of Tyrant. Acting now pays all her bills.

Actress Jennifer Finnegan said she feels lucky to be Winters’ on-screen mother on the show.

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching Anne grow into a beautiful woman and extremely talented actress,” she said. “She’s a natural performer and always wants to listen and learn which makes her a force to be reckoned with. I adore her.”

Southern Denton County/Northwest Dallas County editor Adam Schrader can be reached at 214-773-8188. Twitter: @schrader_adam.

FILMOGRAPHY: Anne Winters

2009 — Gloria (short)

2010 — Summer Camp (Nickelodeon), A Christmas Snow (direct-to-DVD release)

2011 — Cooper and the Castle Hills Gang (Released online at castlehillsmovie.com), In My Pocket (DVD release)

2013 — Liv and Maddie (Disney Channel)

2013-14 — The Fosters (ABC Family)

2014 — Fatal Instinct (Showtime)

2014-15 — Tyrant (FX)

2015 — Pass the Light (Released in select theaters), The Bride He Bought Online (Lifetime),Wicked City (Hulu)

2016 (set for release) — Sand Castles (filmed in 2012 and shown at film fesitvals in 2014), All is Vanity

Disabled Lewisville couple faces unique challenges to remaining independent

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Oct. 29, 2015

Shawn Koester and his wife, Monica, claim one functioning arm and a pair of unbalanced feet between them. But their brains are as sharp as ever.

Their diseases have made them develop logic skills greater than their able-bodied peers, Shawn said.

Shawn Koester and his wife, Monica. (Photo by Adam Schrader)

“Able-bodied people don’t realize what a process it is to put on your pants,” Shawn said. “I actually have to through a systematic process of how I’m going to brush my teeth, shower, comb my hair.”

Shawn, 50, and Monica, 42, live together without outside help as they both deal with disabilities. Monica has cerebral palsy, which comes with poor coordination, stiff and weak muscles and difficulty speaking. Shawn is a quadriplegic resulting from Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, which, much like muscular dystrophy, has left him without any muscle strength.

Fighting for independence comes with obstacles, they said.

“I don’t want to give up. I research ways to stay independent,” Shawn said. “It comes down to attitude and the will to make things happen.”

Shawn Koester and his wife, Monica. (Photo by Adam Schrader)(Photo by Adam Schrader)

The disease isn’t fatal, and most people with it have normal life expectancies, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The Koesters use robotic electric wheelchairs. Their Lewisville apartment includes a motorized rail lift to carry Shawn through different rooms and lift him onto his bed and recliner. It keeps him out of the nursing home, he said.

“I have a lion inside of me, but I know that my body is disabled,” Shawn said. “I love football and run a college fantasy league online. I would love to play some football. My mind says I can do it, but my body won’t let me.”

Insurance paid for most of the lift; Shawn set up a GoFundMe campaign for the rest.

“I’m not completely paralyzed,” he said. “I can still move some, which is a blessing because I can scoot on the floor. That’s usually how I get around and use the computer.”

Shawn Koester and his wife, Monica. (Photo by Adam Schrader)

Monica does most of the caretaking. She cooks, cleans and takes care of their dog.

“I’m not as strong as I used to be and have issues cleaning and stuff, too,” she said. “We have to eat a lot of frozen stuff, which I know isn’t very healthy.”

In the meantime, Monica also works at Ross, a department store, across the street part-time to provide for the family.

“I like working at Ross, but it’s getting harder to do it because there are days I don’t feel very good or Shawn needs me,” she said. “But we do what we’ve got to do to stay independent.”

Monica used to ride her electric scooter to work day shifts. But now, she’s on a nightly schedule. Shawn said that a friendly co-worker drives her two to three nights a week, which has been a blessing as colder weather approaches.

“If a friend wasn’t willing to pick her up, she probably wouldn’t have a job,” he said. “We don’t really think it’s safe for her to ride her scooter across the street at night.”

Monica was raped more than 18 years ago, she said. The attack led to her now 18-year-old daughter, who also endured sexual assault as a child, Monica said. The Koesters met in an online chat room for singles soon after. Shawn helped her overcome the trauma.

More than their disabilities, Monica said, it united the couple in their fight for independence.

“Figuring out how to get the diaper on, dress Emily and being able to take care of her financially or otherwise was difficult,” Shawn said. “At one time, I was going to try to adopt Emily, but that didn’t work out. We actually missed out a lot on her growing up, which was difficult for Monica being the biological mother.”

The Koesters met Jan. 1, 1999, and were married July 2, 1999. Monica walked down the aisle. Shawn used a three-wheel electric scooter.

“My family was old-fashioned and didn’t want me to move in with him until after we got married,” Monica said. “When I was in Vegas for our honeymoon, they moved my stuff in for me.”

Monica said that unlike Shawn, she was sheltered growing up and that concerned her before the wedding.

“I didn’t know how to cook,” she said. “I was staying with my family, and they took care of the cooking and cleaning.”

Shawn walked as a child, but as he aged into adulthood, he needed support.

“Then I started falling down more frequently and had to go to a manual wheelchair that I was able to push myself,” he said. “When my muscles got weaker and I could no longer push myself, I got the electric wheelchair.”

This was around the time he married Monica — when he still had the use of his hands and could dress and wash himself.

“Sometimes when I’m trying to eat, I need help,” Shawn said. “Monica will feed me.”

Shawn said it’s been traumatic for Monica to watch his disease worsen.

“When we got married, we discussed the future and talked about how this is what we’d face,” he said. “Monica, the strong person that she is, understood that and decided to stay with me anyway.”

But Monica, too, has lost some of her ability. Her balance has worsened and her left arm, once semi-functional, is now unusable. Luckily, her speech impediment has improved some, Shawn said.

“When I met Monica, the communication between us was challenging,” he said. “Now we have no trouble with it.”

Monica says it’s because she talks more now.

The couple has lived together for 16 years — the length of their marriage. Ten years were spent in a Section 8 housing program, Shawn said. But those funds have decreased annually.

The Lewisville apartment complex formerly accepted Section 8 vouchers, Shawn said, but its new owners will not after December. The Koesters will have to start paying regular rent, which is around $950 a month.

They could try to find a new home that would take the funds, Shawn said, but a new place means costly transport and rebuilding the lift.

Shawn got his GED and attended Richland and El Centro colleges in Dallas.

“I didn’t get my degree, but I got a job in the computer lab and tutored classes,” he said. “Then I got a job as a computer operator at a bank association, which launched my IT career.”

Shawn then worked at JC Penney corporate headquarters, but his last job was at National Tech Team in Dallas before its move to Fort Worth. In all, he worked in the IT industry for 17 years.

“It was a real high honor to work for National Tech Team,” he said. “But with the baby and my increased ailments, I had to take my severance package.”

Shawn drove until 2009, when it became too difficult to transfer from his wheelchair to the driver’s seat.

“Since we don’t really go out now, we have our computer and TV and watch a lot of movies,” he said. “When we do get to go on dates, it’s awesome. It’s the little things that really give you joy and happiness.”

Now, Shawn can get stuck in the apartment for a month at a time because he doesn’t have reliable transportation. He can’t load his electric wheelchair unless a vehicle is equipped with a ramp or lift. So, he’s been researching ways purchase another van.

“God has blessed us with good brains, and I have looked into working from home,” Shawn said. “But I’ve been out of the workforce for more than a decade.”

Shawn said his IT skills are now obsolete like the technology he worked on, but updating his skills would cost money he doesn’t have.

“Reliable transportation is the only way to have any quality of life,” he said. “With a new van, I wouldn’t be able to drive — but my sister could.”

Not having to worry about paying rent would change their lives, Shawn said, and taking some of the stress off Monica having to work.

“We just want peace of mind that we can pay our rent, pay our bills and get our groceries,” he said. “Right now, we rely on those days she gets at Ross to get by. “It’s really frustrating; we don’t qualify for Medicaid and food stamps because we’re just over the limit. It just makes it tough that I can’t go out and work a full-time or part-time job to help pay the rent.”

Shawn said that living on a limited income is more difficult for people with disabilities, and living independently takes serious planning skills.

“If you needed to make some money, you can go to McDonald’s and get a part-time job,” he said. “We can’t, so we have to find other ways.”

Police designate safer space for trades

News Stories Archive

By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News and The Denton Record-Chronicle on May 23, 2015

The Flower Mound Police Department recently put up two signs marking two adjacent spaces in its parking lot. Police hope the signs, which read “online exchange zone,” will encourage smarter shopping with online classified sites such as Craigslist.

Wess Griffin, a Flower Mound police spokesman, said the signs are precautionary measures. So far, the town has been fortunate to avoid incidents in which an unwary buyer or seller gets ambushed when meeting someone with criminal intent.

“I can’t think of a single instance in Flower Mound where online transactions had gone wrong,” he said.

Craigslist transactions go flawlessly 99 percent of the time. It’s just one nice person trying to sell an object, and one nice person buying an object, Griffin said.

“If you’re someone who’s thinking about doing harm to someone else, hopefully you’ll think twice before trying to attempt that at the police department,” he said. “But I’m not going to say nobody would be brazen enough to try something in front of the police station.”

In February, Denton police Officer Orlando Hinojosa proposed the idea for online safe zones for Denton residents — also for precautionary measures. The safe zone in Denton is also at the police station.

“It wasn’t because we were having issues. Anybody will feel safe doing a transaction at the police department,” Hinojosa said. “If they don’t want to make the exchange at the station, I wouldn’t make a deal with that person.”

Online transaction zones have become popular because of several high-profile cases in which a buyer or seller went to meet someone and ended up getting robbed or killed.

A Dallas County state district judge recently declared a second mistrial in the capital murder case of Christopher Howard Beachum, according to a Dallas Morning News report. Beachum was accused of killing Gerald Canepa, 68, a man he met through Craigslist.

A post on the Richardson Police Department’s Facebook page mentions two robberies in which Craigslist sellers lured potential buyers to two homes in Richardson and robbed them at gunpoint. Similar crimes have occurred across the country, such as the case of Philip Haynes Markoff, the so-called “Craigslist Killer,” who is accused of one murder and two aggravated robberies in Boston.

Dan Rochelle, a captain with the Lewisville Police Department, said his station doesn’t have any designated safety zones. But residents are always welcome to do their exchanges at the station, he said.

“We’ve had plenty of reports filed that they didn’t get the merchandise they paid for,” he said. “But I don’t know of any that are violent in nature.”

The Flower Mound zones have received positive feedback on social media.

Greg Decker, a Flower Mound resident, said safe zones represent an improvement in services.

“I have done quite a few Craigslist deals, and I would never go to [someone’s house] or ask the other party to my house,” he said. “I used a public lot near a restaurant I patronized where I knew employees. I parked in sight, told my buddies what I was doing and to watch, and also had my own defense if needed.”

Brenda Stiles Johnson, another Facebook user, wrote the safe zones are also a great place for a divorced parent to drop off children with the other parent. Johnson said her divorced daughter is more comfortable now when she drops off or picks up her child.

“My daughter loves that Flower Mound has a place,” she said. “She has been meeting her ex in front of Denton PD, but both of them are in our town a lot as both work here.”

Griffin said his department hadn’t envisioned that the safe zones could be used by divorced parents.

“For years and years, our police department has been used for custody exchanges, and we encourage people to do that too,” he said. “It’s always good if there’s any ill will there.”

Griffin said the benefits of buying or selling items at the police department is that the station is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Additionally, the spots were chosen to be close to security cameras as possible, which would make it easier to identify suspects and vehicles.

Officers had not considered the possibility that some may use the safety zone for nefarious operations — essentially hiding in plain sight, Griffin said. For example, some drug dealers could think that conducting business in front of the station may prevent them from getting shot by potential buyers.

“I’d hope the safety zones would act as a deterrent, but you never know,” Griffin said. “We caught a guy stealing a bottle of hand sanitizer from our lobby on camera.

“If my dealer wants to meet me in the police department parking lot, I’m probably not going to show on that one. But you never know. Stranger things have happened.”

ADAM SCHRADER can be reached at 940-566-6882 and via Twitter at @schrader_adam.

Stump is named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. (Photo by Kjunstorm, used under Creative Commons)

Cross Roads resident to again judge Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

News Stories Archive

By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in the Dallas Morning News and the Denton Record-Chronicle on Feb. 1, 2015

Once again, dog lovers from across the world and celebrities from the stages of Broadway and the sets of Hollywood flood New York City’s Madison Square Garden for two days and nights in February for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The show offers more than 3,000 dogs in the competition of a lifetime. They know when they’re being shown and respond to the applause.

But it’s not just the spectators and dogs who have a good time. Cross Roads resident Norm Kenney will judge 16 breeds at the 139th annual Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show on Feb. 16-17. This will be his seventh time judging at the Westminster show.

Kenney, who has been judging since 1978, has judged thousands of dog shows. His first time judging Westminster was in the early 2000s, and most recently in 2013. But his favorite experience in the past 37 years was judging the working group for the Westminster show in 2008, he said.

“I enjoy going across the country and the world actually, seeing the different dogs and the breeds. But Westminster is really the Super Bowl of dog shows,” he said. “It’s the best of the best.”

Tom Bradley, chairman of the Westminster Dog Show, said Kenney was picked to judge again this year because his base knowledge of the breeds. Kenney is approved to judge six of the seven groups of dogs found in the country and is working on getting approval for the last group, which in his case is hounds.

“This is no small feat and it takes someone with a strong dedication to the sport to be approved to judge all of the breeds that are recognized by the AKC,” Bradley said. “There are less than a dozen people in the U.S. who are actively judging who can judge all of the breeds. On top of that, he is well respected and a gentleman, which helps in finding him a place on our panel.”

The dog show extravaganza in Madison Square is the second oldest sporting event in the country, second only to the Kentucky Derby. In the 1870s, a group of men gathered in the bar of their favorite hotel to boast about their shooting accomplishments and their dogs’ abilities in the field. One night in 1877, they decided to put on a dog show — that they named after the hotel.

The organization and its show predate the founding of the governing body of the sport, the American Kennel Club, which was established in 1884.

Kenney will judge some of the more than 3,000 dogs competing in the all-breed dog show and the club’s second annual Masters Agility Championship at Westminster.

For any American Kennel Club dog show, including the Westminster show, a selection committee looks at a registry of roughly 3,000 judges. They send invitations to a few of those judges for the show. Judges are chosen to select winners at three different levels of competition, the breed, group and best in show.

In what is considered the first round of the dog show, Kenney and his fellow breed judges will select the best of each of the 192 eligible. This level of the competition is not televised. The winners of the breed classes, labeled “best of breed,” go to the group level — which are considered the finals, or playoffs so to speak, and televised. There, judges select the best of each of seven groups: sporting, hound, working, chariot, toy, non-sporting and herding groups. Each group winner competes for the top award, “Best in Show.”

In the working group, Kenney will judge Anatolian shepherds, German pinschers and Neapolitan mastiffs. In the toy group, he will judge miniature pinschers, Shih Tzus, silky terriers, toy fox terriers and Yorkshire terriers. In the non-sporting group, he will judge American Eskimo dogs, Tibetan terriers and Xoloitzcuintli breeds.

In the sporting group, Kenney will judge Brittanys, Spinones Italiano, Vizslas and Wirehaired Pointing Griffons breeds. This year, the dog show will add two breeds to its competition lineup: the Wirehaired Vizsla in the sporting group and the Coton de Tulear in the non-sporting group. Kenney will also have the honor of judging the Wirehaired Vizsla this year.

None of the breeds he will be judging is a breed he currently owns. But there is no extra preparation for judging at Westminster, he said.

In the coming weeks before the show, Kenney said he will just have to refamiliarize himself with the written breed standards of the breeds he will be judging.

“When a judge is invited to judge, usually a year or so in advance, you usually know at that time which breeds you are being invited to judge,” he said. “So now I’m really just getting the tuxedo out for the evening festivities.”

Kenney, originally from Boston, started breeding and showing Doberman pinschers in 1967. Over the past 48 years, he has bred a variety of dogs. He has judged all over Texas since moving to Cross Roads two and a half years ago.

“There is a great dog-loving community in Texas, from dog show handlers, breeders and judges,” he said. “The only thing I regret is that I didn’t move here 30 years ago.”

Kenney’s first love is for dogs and his second is for horses, which is one of the many reasons why he lives in Texas, he said. Cross Roads is in the middle of reigning horse country. Kenney, who retired from development and construction, has bred horses for the past 10 years. It has become his primary business. In between judging dog shows, he raises baby quarter horses with his girlfriend, Rhonda Nickels, and sells them at yearly sales. Right now, he is breeding foals and waiting for a bunch of them to be born.

Kenney and Nickels are also involved with Doberman and boxer rescue — volunteering to any dogs that need to be placed a helping them find new homes.

“The dog world is interconnected — whether it is pure bred or mixed breeds, we’re all dog lovers and want the best of the animals,” he said. “And it all starts with the American Kennel Club.”

The evening finals are televised live from 7 to 10 p.m. on CNBC, Feb. 16 and on USA Network on Feb. 17.

“I’m very proud and excited to go with Norm to watch his judging at Westminster Kennel Club,” Nickels said. “I am looking forward to seeing the best of the best in the dog show world.”

ADAM SCHRADER can be reached at 214-773-8188 and via Twitter at @schrader_adam.

By ADAM SCHRADER Published in The Dallas Morning News on Jan. 14, 2016

By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Jan. 14, 2016