Lon Garner

  Lon Garner is a man you should know. He is truly our 12th man.
  There are four candidates vying for the seat being vacated by Judge Chris Oldner.  With the backlog of cases stacking up, this is no time for learning!

  Only one candidate for the Collin County District Court #416 has prosecuted and defended Criminal, Family, and Civil law cases.
  

Still the same, but better every day!

j.b. blocker

A letter from Mom
   Hello.  My name is Katherine Garner and I'd like to tell you a few little known facts about Lon L Garner, who is running for Judge of the 416th Judicial District Court.

   Lon was born during the Vietnam era while his father was in the Air Force, stationed in San Antonio. We later moved back home, to Jacksboro, Texas where he attended and graduated from Jacksboro High School. An honors graduate, he then attended Texas A&M University, was a member of its Corp of Cadets, and graduated with a degree in Political Science.

    He is one of the most dedicated, loyal and focused individuals I know and I have the pleasure of calling him my son.  Dedicated to God and his family and loyal to his clients and friends, Lon has maintained focus on a career path providing a service to the people of Collin County.

  Lon's interest in law was apparent when at the ripe old age of 5, he threatened to "sue" a doctor who held him down to give him a shot.  I'm still in a quandary about where that idea came from, although we have laughed about it for years.

  He is a natural leader who was always elected to leadership rolls by his peers whether on the athletic field or in the classroom. From Team Captain to Student Body President, Lon was a leader among his peers.  His leadership rolls enhanced his college career at Texas A&M and St. Mary's where he continued to lead by example.

  Only Lon could graduate from law school, get married, take the State Bar Exam, go on his honeymoon, and move from San Antonio to McKinney in a little more than two months and make it look easy!  After a brief honeymoon, Lon and his new bride, Roslyn, moved to Collin County where he had been offered a position in the Collin County District Attorney's Office. 

                                                                                     

  After 4 years as an ADA, Lon accepted a position with the law firm Touchstone Bernays, an insurance defense firm in Dallas, Texas.  During the time he was at Touchstone Bernays, Lon noticed his infant daughter was beginning to treat him as if he were a stranger when he came home after a long day at the office.  Believing that family was more important than a job, Lon resigned and has been self-employed ever since.

  I am very proud of my son.  I hope you will join me in supporting him as he runs for judge!!

When it was time for pre-school immunizations, 5 year old Lon Garner was not happy! He threatened to sue his family doctor! 

 “My name is Shellye (Berry) Harvey and I grew up with Lon Garner. In fact, it was my father Dr. Neil Berry that Lon threatened to sue! Dad fondly remembers Lon and his character. Looking back, Lon’s surprising defensive threat at being forced to be vaccinated was an early signal as to where his path lay.  It shows Lon’s logic and his desire to effect change and right the wrongs of injustice, even as a boy of 5 years! He has been that way throughout his life.

 We attended the same small-town public school in Jacksboro, Texas. I was a year ahead of him with around 50 students in each class. Jacksboro is a conservative, buttoned-down town where Lon always stood out. I knew him through school activities including band and Student Council. We were both drummers in our small high school band.

THE RIB WHISPERER at 3 STACKS, FRISCO

The League of Extra-Ordinary Reviewers invaded 3 Stacks BBQ and Tap House on Preston Road in Frisco.

  For this session, I invited a new collection of old friends. The group included Frisco's popular mayor, our county commissioner, a lady Associate Judge to keep everyone in line, and because of all the beer selections I included a respected beer judge. 

  My guest were so engaging as you will see, that I had to post the beer pairings separately.

Having a title like 'The Rib Whisperer' is a bold and challenging title. That is especially true in Texas! But Trace Arnold isn't foolin around. He is making his mark all over the country in his custom 80 ft. BBQ Emporium on wheels and on steroids.

There is a very logical reason for the 3 Stacks. While most BBQ is cooked in one massive smoker, it is very hard to moderate the temperature of different types of wood. Some cook much hotter, some smoke in different densities, and all the different cuts and kinds of meat require different timing and turning. The 3 separate systems allow Trace and his wranglers to control those important issues.

I'd usually have more to say, but Mayor Maso, Matt Shaheen, and Terri Green had more than enough to say. You'll find them to be entertaining and enlightening. Even though we were there to try some of everything, I had to fight for a rib.

Frisco Mayor Maher Maso (say that 3 times)

  It is always good to have a new business in Frisco and watch our community continue to grow.  I was especially excited to hear that 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House was opening in Frisco.  While opening a new restaurant in Frisco is not an uncommon occurrence,

  I knew that 3 stacks was going to be a great community partner when they quickly took action to help victims in West, Texas by being part of a relief effort.  I am always thankful for our community stakeholders to get involved and be part of making a difference.   That is why I was excited to be asked to be a “taste tester” for this article and to give my comments about the food there.

  Those who know me also know I really enjoy visiting our local restaurants and trying the many different menu items.   That led to the hardest part of being part of this review – the number of menu items! The food is displayed for your eye pleasure and if you are a lover of BBQ, the visual choices will almost be overwhelming.

The Man from Monkeys Eyebrow

Jim McGee, Plano City Council #7
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 Indiana and Illinois meet western Kentucky at Ballard County. The Ohio River twist and turns like a great snake all along the northern Kentucky border. At one area, you see what people thought a monkeys head looked like. At the area where an eyebrow might be lies Monkeys Eyebrow, Kentucky.

  West of Paducah and Metropolis, (yes that’s Superman’s Metropolis sort of) the Ohio River valley features farms and ranches that trace their Irish roots to the migration of hardy families that spanned from 1840’s to the 1860’s. This was the time of the Potato Famines that left a million Irish starving to death.  Mixing with German immigrants, tiny communities sprang up. These were Protestant Irish. They were seeking their own religious freedom. With an Irish father and a German mother, Jim McGee and many like him were the melting point for the two cultures. “We were hard working country folks. We absolutely ate off of the land. We raised our own livestock and kept a family garden. We hunted and fished.  My Uncle Vern never wore a pair of shoes in his life.”

 

  Jim McGee can trace his roots back to the Civil War era. Their family farm still grows corn and carries on his great grandfather’s legacy. But the McGee School House Bell now resides in Plano, Texas. 

 “We got out of the dairy business, but not before I got all the experience I will ever want.” Young Jim McGee loaded up a ’65 VW Beetle and headed off to IU. I tried a couple of years of college, but I still wasn’t sure of the direction for my life.”

Full Service  

 “I had the opportunity to buy a gas stop after my 2nd year at university. The Clark Oil service station was nothing more than a gas, oil, and soda stop. The station was near Peoria but really off the beaten path. There was some industry nearby and the shift changes at the Pabst Brewery plant kept us busy.

 This was back when you pumped the gas, checked the oil and tires, and washed the windshield. Everytime!!! We were open all day and all night every day.  I usually worked double shifts and had eight employees that covered the rest.”

 “I took the opportunity to service vehicles very seriously.” Two years of owning the little gas stop gave Jim plenty of time to think and he was ready to discover America.

 

 For the next few years Jim was in the grain storage business. “We built corrugated round storage bins all over the Midwest. I did a good job and my responsibilities and area expanded. I enjoyed getting to know the agricultural communities across the heart land.”

Texas Bound

 “People ask me how I ended up in Texas. That’s an easy one! Sure, people talk about the opportunities, but for me, it was the people!”

 For friendly people, Texas hospitality has been a beacon for many all over America and even the world. It still is! Texas epitomizes the spirit of America’s range. Jim felt it like a magnet and in ’78 made Dallas his new home. It didn’t take long before the hope and promise of Plano lured him. The population was around 75,000.

 

Ken Roberts: Collin College Trustee

Ken Roberts for Collin College: Campaign Platform:

 New Leadership with New Vision needs New Perspective.

  Our community has proudly watched Collin College grow and become an integral part of the ‘Collin County experience’. It has progressed from a ‘greenfield dream’ of a higher education institution through Quad C to its present status as Collin College. Collin College is no longer a rural community college of 30 years ago. It is changing to a suburban College which resides in a county that is attracting Fortune 500, Global 2000 giants. This progression needs to constantly review perspective.

  We are approaching another milestone in the development of Collin College. We have a new leader, a new President, Dr. Neil Matkin. We have had 2 outstanding Presidents. Dr. John Anthony for 14 years in the start-up and foundation stage and Dr. Cary Israel for 16 years in the formative and establishment stage. I will work with Dr. Matkin to facilitate the new vision of our progression. My perspective is to be the Board member to help us ‘to the next stage’.

HR experience:

  I bring vital experience not present on the board; 25 years of HR experience. The Human Resources mindset is that the employees are the most important asset of their company. We must communicate, recognized and retain all the outstanding teachers and staff that we have at Collin College.

Corporation Partnership:

  Another vital experience that I bring to the Board is current Corporate/Business experience. We need to enhance our relationships with corporations; just as TI with UTD and PISD. Barclays Bank, Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Ericsson, Huawei, Frito-Lay, Dell, HP and, of course, the crown jewel, Toyota have decided to move here. The primary reasons are business friendly attitude, quality of life, and the outstanding educational systems in our County. My perspective is based on the corporation type mindset like the Global 2000 tech company I am currently employed.

Service/Board Experience:

  I have the strong desire to serve the community.  I have served the people of Plano and Collin County for over 20 years on boards.  I work well on boards. I have served in positions up to president on boards involved in education (adult & student), civil, philanthropic, city and county.  I am engaged and contributory. I volunteer, build concessions and effectively relate my position and ideas to other board members. I am a graduate of Leadership Plano and other leadership courses to train myself as a doer and facilitator.  I am passionate for an idea but not obsessive or egotistical. 

I feel that with ‘New leadership with New Vision, will need a New Perspective’ to move to the next level.

Please vote for me as Collin College Trustee, Place 8 on May 9^th (or before).

- J.B. Blocker is a media consultant based in Collin County in North Texas. Advertise with J.B. by calling 469-334-9962.

My First Time

My First……

Romancing the bean series by Caffeine Cowboy

  A lot of chefs know I’m the coffee guy. My friends certainly do. A regular son of a preacher man, “the only one who could ever please you!”

  I have tasted many satisfying coffees over the years. In all other cultures, making a personal cup for friends, guest, or even themselves was not wasted on making a bad cup of coffee.

  They might add sugars and spices or any number of creative/available additives to make the drink worth the time.  But virtually every coffee drinking culture really still takes their coffee time seriously.

  Except in America! Even the best restaurants are brewing coffee by the pot. Starbucks, Royal, and Community Coffee heavy weights supply all the equipment and then funnel their bulk coffees into 4 Star venues. America isn’t choosing their coffee like wine. Coffee service is rarely personal any more.

  Do you wonder why Starbucks types are doing so well? I think it is a psychological reason. The beverage is being made especially for the customer! It is as simple as that! Why else would many thousands of people spend their car payment each month for not so great coffee?

  I am not so certain they are even really satisfied!

  And there lies my mission. To satisfy you!

  I am truly driven by my depth of exposure to the world of food and beverage and its relationship with coffee!

  So how did this passion ignite? What ‘got me in to coffee’?

CAMPFIRE COFFEE

By J.B. Blocker

  Over a small camp fire, Old Tom began by heating the well-cured little skillet he had once carried with him on the open trail. It was just breaking dark as others were showing up to the rodeo arena on the edge of town.

 He would often arrive before anyone else and be drinking his coffee when his sons and grandsons pulled up with their trailers. Others would show up on most Saturday mornings.

 This was the ‘60’s. I was a teenager in love with western lore. Tom was born in the ‘1870’s and had lived his youth in the time of the last great cattle drives. He was a real cowboy!

ICONIC! The hub of Downtown Dallas

  If you see the Eiffel Tower in a photo, you know you are looking at Paris. If you see the Sky Needle, you know it is Seattle.  When the Twin Towers were lost, a skyline photo of New York was not the same!

  As long as the great mirrored multilevel building with the great ball in the sky is in a photo, you know you are looking at downtown Dallas. If the photo doesn’t include the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion most people wouldn’t know you were looking at the Dallas Skyline.

  Fifty Stories in the air, Wolfgang Puck’s 560 now occupies the Reunion Tower (the rotating ball in the sky). It is a must experience if you are visiting Dallas to view the city in all its glory at the Cloud 9 Cafe.

  The Hyatt Regency is perfectly suited to host conventions and perfectly located to easily access everything Dallas. When it opened in 1978, the city of Dallas became recognizable worldwide.

  Hundreds of thousands of guest each year take advantage of the 1120 rooms, 42 suites, 160,000 square feet of convention area, stunning views, and dining experiences to satisfy every whim.

  Just 10 minutes from Dallas Love Field and 15 miles from DFW Airport!

  This AAA Four-Diamond rated luxury hotel has an underground access to Union Station. From there, all the magical places you want to visit in Dallas radiates from this historic central transportation hub built in 1916. The 23 million dollar restoration can take you back in time and into the future.

  Amtrak can bring you directly to the Hyatt from all over America if you have the time to read or write a good book.

  From there you can ride the DART commuter transport system to Plano or Garland. The Cotton Bowl at Fair Park, the Dallas Zoo, the 6^th Floor Museum, Gilley’s, the Dallas Convention Center, the West End Entertainment District, the American Airlines Arena and all parts in and around the Dallas Metropolitan Area are on the routes.

  You can take the Trinity Railway Express to DFW or on to Ft.Worth without getting wet!

ICONIC DINING

Featuring Executive Chef Hermann Hiemeyer

 

The Great UnKnowns

isplaying Reunion at Reunion v3.docx.

Living among us are keepers of the flame!  Who truly understands the spark that ignited that inner fire? That spark which gave way to a young vulnerable flame. The flame that, when properly fostered, ignited into a raging inferno of desire capable of driving a person to a lifetime of the extraordinary?

  Who among us is 

Photo by Debbie Knowlton and D-Magazine
D-Magazine Article by Nancy Nichols 

equipped to predict when that passion, born of a creative young mind growing up in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or France, ultimately decides to settle in the most unlikely place a world away?

  That is exactly what happened in the span of several years stretching from the mid-70s to the mid-80s when a disparate group of chefs, each trained in the art of European cuisine and fine dining inexplicably relocated to Dallas, where they spawned a culinary revolution that reshaped and molded the Dallas food world.

True Texas Cuisine

“They came into Dallas at a time when fine dining was a big ole’ T-bone, a loaded baked potato, and an iceberg lettuce salad,” says Dotty Griffith, former food editor for the Dallas Morning News.

 “I became food editor in 1978 and that was when Dallas was really starting to enter a new age of cuisine. I can’t imagine the culture shock they must have experienced, most of them having come from Germany, Austria, Switzerland or France, and many of them had traveled much of the world in their training."

More than thirty years later,