Clay was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by Mayor Linda Inman for his service during the Council meeting on Tuesday.

“On behalf of the town, I want to thank him for all he's done and the time he's devoted for Providence Village during his time on the Town Council, ' Mayor Linda Inman read. “We appreciate all of his contributions, and we look forward to the best for you and your family.”

Before stepping down from the dais, Clay thanked his fellow council members and constituents.

Jason Lucas took his oath of office and was welcomed before taking the Place 4 seat on the council.

Following formality, the council reelected Kelly Nelson as mayor pro tem and Jeff Doramus as deputy mayor pro tem.

In a 4-2 vote, the council voted to remove fellow council member Stephen Benton.

The issue was raised because the Town Charter says that if a council member has three consecutive unexcused absences or misses 25% of regular meetings in a 12-month period, a public hearing and other action must be taken.

Benton was given the opportunity to explain his absences to the council but wasn’t present. During the public hearing, Clay asked the council to table matters and give Benton the courtesy of responding.

Both Elise Jumbelick and Lucas voted to table the agenda item; however, it failed.

“The voters just told us that they wanted stronger rules about absences,” council member Klayton Rutherford said. “And actually, that ballot measure had more support than any other. It was over 95% of voters voted in favor of us strengthening our attendance rules. And I think it's a disservice to them if we say that we're going to turn away from that.”

Other council members agreed with his statement and expressed that it was not personal.

“I would never ask anybody to put this before their job and their career, but we do need people who can fill the seat and be here consistently,” Inman said.

With Place 2 now vacant, the council can appoint a new council member to complete Benton’s remaining term that expires in 2027, City Attorney Fritz Quast said.

“There's a new procedure very loosely in the charter as it was amended in May, and it just calls for application during the 14-day waiting period, but you have to fill the seat within 30 days,” Quast said.

Council discussed an ordinance to amend Chapter 12, 'Traffic and Vehicles,' by adding a division for electric bicycles and a fine.

Some of the requirements in the proposed ordinance include prohibiting headphones and earbuds, requiring riders and operators under the age of 16 to wear a helmet, and prohibiting anyone under the age of 15 on a class three E-bike, Town Manager Brian Roberson said.

During the discussion, the council suggested that the police department provide helmets to children who ride bikes without them, impose possible limitations on where E-bikes can be used, and create educational courses and materials.

“Sometimes it takes a village to accomplish things and to help kids who might not have a guardian who is there to be a watchful eye for them, and it's up to us to have the tools and the ability to do that,” Jumbelick said.

Council wanted more time to review the matter before taking any further action, so the item was tabled.

Earlier in the meeting, the mayor presented resident Lincoln Foster with the Spirit of Providence Village Award for exemplifying the Providence Village core values.

The idea for the award came up after Inman spotted him picking up trash after a bad storm and soon learned it is something he is known for doing in the community to help protect the animals.

“I hope that all of our residents follow your example,” Inman said. 'You are a true example of what it means to be a good citizen, so we appreciate you.'

Council approved amendments to the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, which will not impact the property tax rate.

Also at the meeting, the council voted against several sign variance requests from Quick Quack Car Wash.

“The rules were adopted for a reason,” Rutherford said. “We did just recently have a similar discussion about Valvoline signs, and we said no to extra signs to them, so I don’t see this being any different.”

As the area continues to grow rapidly, the idea of changing the signage along U.S. 377 was sparked by a conversation between Aubrey Mayor Chris Rich and developers.

“The goal was for uniformity,” Rich said. “If you're driving through the area or up 377, that we were all on the same page.”

Before the idea, Tioga had already renamed its stretch of U.S. 377 to Ray Roberts Parkway, so Rich contacted the neighboring cities.

“I reached out to the mayors of the other cities along the corridor in advance to make sure that we had some legs before we pursued it,” Rich said. “I don't want to waste a bunch of time trying to pursue this if no one else was interested in doing it, and initially, everyone was on board. That changed later with one city specifically, but everybody else stayed on board.”

With support from the surrounding municipalities of Krugerville, Pilot Point and Collinsville, the cities soon added the name change to their council agendas for approval.

“The goal was for regional identification,” Rich said. “… Ray Roberts Parkway is the same road all the way through from end to end. There's no confusion. … It could have the potential for commercial attraction.”

When Krugerville Mayor Rodney Cagle heard the pitch several months back, he thought it was a great idea.

“I love anything that attracts the landmark that we have out near us, whether you're coming from the north, the south or the west,” Cagle said. “A lot of people come to this area for Lake Ray Roberts. They come and eat at the restaurants in all these towns. They shop. They go to the gas stations, the grocery stores. It was kind of easy as far as to get on board with it. We had no reason to stand alone on our halfmile stretch. There was no reason to try to be separate. It was definitely a better choice to work together.”

The Krugerville City Council approved the resolution to change Krugerville's signage along U.S. 377 to Ray Roberts Parkway during the April 22 council meeting.

“The way TxDOT works, it won't replace U.S. 377,” Cagle shared. “The addresses that say US-377 can remain with that. It's more of a designation so that you'll have an additional name to it. It will never leave [the] U.S. 377 name. But when you go through these municipalities, you'll have it labeled as Ray Roberts Parkway now.”

Another key aspect of the signage change is the economic impact it could have across the municipalities.

“The businesses that come, they can choose to use either address at that point,” Cagle said. “That gives them the opportunity to use that as an attraction piece. ‘Hey, we're going to Lake Ray Roberts this weekend.’ You look on there, and ‘Hey, there's a restaurant on Ray Roberts Parkway.’ They'll know that they're near their lake, and they won't think twice to stop in that area.”

He thanked those involved in the process that helped to solidify the change.

“I'm just glad that the Krugerville council unanimously supported that,” Cagle said. “That was a good thing. Everybody that I know of between the three councils, it was all unanimous, so I like to see everybody working together.”

Continuing up north before reaching Tioga is the city of Pilot Point, which approved the ordinance at its April 9 council meeting and also approved a change to the signage along FM 455 to G.A. Moore Parkway, in commemoration of the beloved football coach who passed away last year.

After the item was approved, Mayor Chad Major learned an interesting tidbit from Pilot Point Fire Chief Heath Hudson.

“I've since discovered, after talking to our fire chief, that they utilized that in the 911 dispatch system to identify the road rather than 377, and that our fire had actually been using Tioga's reference to Ray Roberts Parkway when they send and dispatch fire,” Major said. “… It actually helped them to identify which segment of the road and everything like that.”

He added that he was glad to see the agenda item pass to keep the highway consistent and to pay homage to Denton Congressman Ray Roberts, the lake’s namesake.

With more than 50 vendors set for the event, the PPMS gym will be the main hub for the Health Fair, which will again feature blood testing by Texas Health Resources, onsite mammograms by Texas Health and demonstrations by local health providers.

'For Denton Freedom House being a host, it is important to give back to a community that has been so giving to us,' said Maria Jones, one of four cofounders of the fair.

The idea for the event came to Jones during a Texas Health Resources health summit.

'Area code 76258 was shown to have the least amount of ... health resources,' she said. 'So, that bothered me, so then I said, 'Well, what can I do about that?'' She credited inspiration from God in helping her come up with the idea of the health fair and her fellow co-founders, Renee Polk, Wendy Adkins and Abigail Bardwell, with helping her make the health fair a reality.

'Last year was incredible,' Jones said. 'It more than met my expectations.'

With the goal number of vendors met for the 2026 fair, and 'a wide variety of vendors' at that, Jones has high hopes for attendee numbers.

'I'm hoping this year we have three times the amount of attendees,' she said.

That would be around 300 Health Fair visitors.

'There are so many resources that are available in our area that many people do not know about, and that includes nonprofits, that includes free and reduced [cost] health services,' Jones said.

Adkins added that she loves providing a chance for community members to get together to spend time interacting with a free community event, no matter their socioeconomic status.

'This is a great time to bring people together as families are thinking about starting the school year and looking at resources so they can keep their children healthy as the school year begins,' she said.

Polk added that she's grateful there will be so many resources available for not just families with young children, but also older members of the community as well.

'While our community is focused so much on new growth that's coming in, which typically means younger, newer families starting out, it seems that we lose our older population in the shuffle and forget to focus on them, so we're bringing alive what is available to them and making sure they're aware and they know how to get that help,' Polk said.

Having the mammogram unit and other screening tests, too, is personal for her, as she experienced firsthand how crucial being checked for breast cancer in time can be.

'Had it not been for screening, mine wouldn't have been detected, and I probably wouldn't be here today,' Polk said.

The Health Fair will also have a Carter BloodCare drive on site.

Having a chance for people to get free checks so attendees 'know if there's something that they need to go and have checked out further' is why the project is important to Bardwell.

'That can really give a lot of peace of mind if there's someone who isn't doing well in some arenas of life for them to be able to get a snapshot of what's going on inside of themselves,' Bardwell said.

With increased vendors in the arenas of senior needs, mental health, veteran care and children's services, the Pilot Point Health Fair is set to have a little bit of something for everyone in the community.

To see the full list of vendors and sponsors, see Page 8A.

For more information, visit pilotpointhealthfair. org.

While the focus is on Pilot Point, people from neighboring communities are welcome to attend.

'We just want everyone to get checked and be well,' Jones said.

The annual event is hosted by the Tioga Volunteer Fire Department and receives support from sponsors such as the Tioga Economic Development Corporation and assistance from other entities such as the police department and community members.

“We love hosting this every year,” Chief Richard Hartman said. “It's a great community event. We have people from all over that come down for this display and the parade, as far out as Waco and Oklahoma City.”

Before the fireworks, the event started with its parade.

However, this year’s parade was especially memorable for the department because Tioga resident Edna Hilliard led it.

“She was our grand marshal, she's 91 years old and she's been participating in this parade for years,” Hartman said. “So, it was really special for us to have her lead the parade on her classic tractor. If you come to any Fourth of July parade, it's always in it.”

Leading up to the fireworks show, several food vendors set up as people gathered with their lawn chairs and blankets around the baseball field at Tioga Elementary School.

There was also live music from a variety of singers and genres throughout the evening to keep people entertained.

On Saturday, there were two grounded hot air balloons, including one with a banner that celebrated America’s 250 anniversary.

For volunteer firefighter Julia Hartman, this is her fourth parade, and for her, all the hard work that goes into an event like this is worth it because it gives her a chance to connect with the people she serves regularly.

“Not a lot of people see the behind-the-scenes of us going and running calls,” she said. “So, this can be a lot of the time that a lot of the community sees us or surrounding communities, because we have people come from Pilot Point, Collinsville, everywhere. So, I think it's a great way for us to [do] outreach and get to talk face-to-face with everybody.”

People like Pilot Point’s Glynn Tidwell and his family, who have been attending the Tioga fireworks show for over 10 years as part of their Fourth of July tradition and have no plans to stop.

“It helps their fire department,” Tidwell said. “It helps this community, and even though we don't live in the community, we come out and support this community and this fire department because they put on a heck of a show.”

Another draw for them is the people.

“Everybody gets along,” Tidwell said. “… Everybody's your neighbor out here. I've never seen anybody get uptight, riled up, out here at this one in all the years we've come.”

Keeping with tradition, the volunteer firefighters walked around the event with a boot in hand to accept community donations.

Since it's volunteer-run, the money is used to purchase new equipment, better vehicles, training and other needed items to continue supporting the community.

“I just love the group of volunteers that we have, guys and girls both,” Richard said. “Without the volunteers, we wouldn't be able to do this. We have 13 volunteers right now that serve 24/7 to help protect this city and the area around it. I can't say enough. Hats off to these guys and girls that are out here every day.”

It’s volunteers like retired firefighter Allen Lenaburg that make the difference.

“I had been an EMS for 35 years, and then I had a different career after that,” Lenaburg said. “And after I retired, it was like I didn't know what to do with myself, so doing this makes me feel useful.”

Lenaburg has served with the department since 2022 after moving to the area from California in 2019.

“I like the small-town kind of community thing,” he said. “Where I'm from is more city and people are a little more isolated. For example, here, you're at the grocery store, someone you didn't even know will just start talking to you.”

As the sky darkened, families and friends settled in to watch the night sky burst with fireworks, bringing another successful Fourth of July show to a close.

Bees are, well, the bee's knees.

They work well together to produce their hives, they have sophisticated means of communication and that sweet honey they produce is not just delicious.

One thing they're not great at? Protecting themselves against us.

Whether it's sacrificing themselves for the collective, facing fewer food sources or bringing home pollen and nectar laced with pesticides, the little bumbles face immense challenges.

Recently, I saw several coming and going out of the water meter box next to my mailbox.

I attempted to contact a beekeeper I've interacted with in the past, but she never buzzed me back.

Instead, I got a message from a hobbyist beekeeper, Darren Dyal from Denton, who wanted to know if he could come out to collect the critters and try to help us keep them from recolonizing our water meter.

We were thrilled because there just aren't enough bees to go around, and we didn't want these ones to be harmed for just trying to find a safe place to live and raise their colony. The Agricultural Research Service, information about which can be found at ars.usda.gov, has a whole hive of information about the six-legged pollinators.

'Honey bees are a critical link in U.S. agricultural production,' according to the website. 'Pollination by managed honey bee colonies adds at least $18 billion to the value of U.S. agriculture annually through increased yields and superiorquality harvests.'

If, like we did, you have a problem with bees bugging you, find a beekeeper who is willing to come collect them.

The flowers and the farmers will thank you.

Abigail Bardwell is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal, and she serves on both the North and East Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association boards. She can be reached at abardwell@postsignal.com.

Abigail Bardwell/ The Post-Signal

Every Weekday

•11 a.m. Congregate meals, conversation and games. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. 972-838-3259.

Friday, July 10

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse, 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•10 a.m. Exercise Class. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St.

•11 a.m. Early Childhood Storytimes (Ages 0-6). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•7 p.m. Live music with Jacob Elibol. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•7:30 p.m. Karaoke with Pam and Dave. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Saturday, July 11

•8 a.m. Cross Roads Community Farmers Market. Cross Roads Town Park, corner of FM 424 and Fishtrap Road.

•9 a.m. Blue Sky Therapeutic Riding and Respite Purpose Mercantile, 5098 U.S. 377, Krugerville.

•9 a.m. Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St., Pilot Point.

•10:30 a.m. The Aubrey Area Museum opens for walk-in tours. Tours can also be scheduled by appointment. 209 S. Main St. 940-343-1313.

•7 p.m. Karaoke Night. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

Sunday, July 12

•9 a.m. Krugerville Farmers Market. Woodland Park, 5200 U.S. 377, krugerville.org.

Monday, July 13

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse. 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•10 a.m. Exercise Class. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St.

•Noon. Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce directors meeting. 205 S. Main St., Aubrey. 940-365-9781.

•6 p.m. Aubrey Education Foundation. Aubrey ISD Administration Building, 415 Tisdell Lane.

940-668-0073, aubreyef@gmail.com.

•6:30 p.m. Pilot Point Educational Foundation. PPISD Administration Building, 829 S.

Harrison St. 940-686-8700.

•7 p.m. Tioga City Council.

Tioga City Hall, 600 Main St.

940-437-2351.

•7 p.m. Recovery Care Group. Midway Church, 9540 U.S. 377, Pilot Point.

•7:30 p.m. Pool tournament. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Tuesday, July 14

•9:30 a.m. Games. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. 972-838-3259.

•Noon. Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club. PointBank Community Center, 739 E. Liberty St.

•1:30 p.m. Local Vocals Community Singers. Contact Charlotte Petermeier, 214-514-4892.

•2 p.m. Book Club. Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S.

Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•4:15 p.m. Afternoon Storytime (all ages). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive. 940365-9162.

•5:30 p.m. Meditation Hour (ages 16 and up). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive. 940-365-9162.

•6 p.m. Aubrey Municipal Development District. Aubrey Council Chambers, 226 Countryside Drive. 940-440-9343.

•6 p.m. Jam Sessions. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•7 p.m. Poker tournament. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Wednesday, July 15

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse. 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•9 a.m. Mountain Springs Quilters. Mountain Springs Community Center, 173 Mountain Springs Lane. 940-736-8013.

•10 a.m. Exercise Class. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St.

•10 a.m. Music & Movement (ages 0-2). Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•10:30 a.m. Little Readers Book Club (ages 2-5). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•10:45 a.m. Preschool Music & Movement (ages 3-5). Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•11:30 a.m. Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce networking luncheon. Oak Point City Hall, 100 Naylor Road, Little Elm. 940-365-9781. www.aubreycoc. org.

•1 p.m. Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St., Pilot Point.

•4:30 p.m. Music & Movement (ages 0-6). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive. 940365-9162.

•6 p.m. Queen of Hearts. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

•6:30 p.m. Aubrey ISD board.

415 Tisdell Lane, Aubrey. 940668-0060. www.aubreyisd.net.

•7 p.m. Karaoke Wednesdays with Pam and Dave. Lowbrows Saloon, 200 S. Washington St.

•7:30 p.m. Pool tournament. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Thursday, July 16

•7 a.m. Coffee and Conversation with the Pilot Point City Manager. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•9 a.m. Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St., Pilot Point.

•9:30 a.m. Games. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. 972-838-3259.

•10 a.m. Thrilling Thursday: Science with Attitude. Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•10:30 a.m. Little Readers Book Club (ages 2-5). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•10:30 a.m. Providence Village Storytime/Craft (ages 5 and under). Town Hall,1755 Main St.

•10:30 a.m. Stitch & Sketch (ages 10-adult). Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•11 a.m. Tioga Senior Center open for refreshments, games and bingo. 305 N. Porch St.

•6 p.m. Improv Night. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•6 p.m. Mountain Springs Book Club. Mountain Springs Community Center, 173 Mountain Springs Lane. 940-902-5457.

•6:30 p.m. Pilot Point Capital Improvements Advisory Committee. Pilot Point City Hall, 102 E.

Main St. 940-686-2165.

Community Calendar is published weekly. To add or change a listing, email abardwell@postsignal.com.

The Ray Roberts Lake State Park Johnson Branch Unit, 100 PW 4153 in Valley View will offer Skins and Skulls, 10 a.m. Saturday, Nature Center; Discover the Stars, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nature Center parking lot; and Beat the Heat Morning Hike, 7:30 a.m. July 18, Kid Fish Pond.

All events are free with a paid entrance fee into the park. For more information, call 940-637-2294.

Dallas Puppet Theatre at PP library

The Pilot Point Community Library at 324 S. Washington St. will have Thrilling Thursday: Science with Attitude, 10 a.m. Thursday; Dino Keychain (teen/tween), 2 p.m. Thursday; Dallas Paleontology Society, 2 p.m. July 17; and the movie “Goat,” 11:30 a.m. July 18.

For more information or to register for classes, call 940-686-5004.

Murder Mystery Night at Aubrey library

The Aubrey Area Library at 226 Countryside Drive will offer Fun Friday: Perot Truck (ages 5-12), 3-5 p.m. Friday; Murder Mystery Night (ages 16 and up), 6:30 p.m. Saturday; and Throwback Thursday Movie: “Magic School Bus,” 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

For more information or to register for classes, call 940-365-9162.

‘Last Person on Earth’ at Starbright Center

Starbright Center for the Arts will have a free staged reading of “The Last Person on Earth” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at 110 S. Washington St. To reserve a seat, go to starbrightmpa. com.

The movie “Grease” will be shown at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets will be $5.

Mountain Springs plans July market

The next Mountain Springs Community Market will be from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at 172 Mountain Springs Lane in Valley View. There will be live music with Blake Aaron Davis from 9-11 a.m. and Jordan Stoltz from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Christmas in July Gift Tour

The Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the third annual Kippee Ki-Yay! Christmas in July Gift Tour on Saturday. Tickets are prepurchase for $20 and can be picked up between 9-11 a.m. at the Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St.

To purchase tickets, go to pilotpoint.org or email chamber@pilotpoint.org.

Summer Youth Camps offered at PPHS

Pilot Point High School will be hosting several summer youth camps this summer.

•Football camp, second-ninth grades, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, PPHS field house;

•Softball camp, second-ninth grades, 6:30-8:30 p.m. July 29-31, PPHS softball field.

Aging Well Workshop set for Aubrey

An Aging Well Workshop will be held from 12:15-1:15 p.m. Monday and July 20 at the Aubrey Community Room, 226 Countryside Drive in Aubrey.

To register, call Dusty Fife at 469-6786008 or email dfife@aubreytx.gov.

FMB to hold restoration event

The community is invited to attend the Farmers and Merchants Bank Restoration Ceremony at 5 p.m. Monday at 100 N. Washington St.

Aubrey luncheon in Little Elm

The Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce will have the next luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Oak Point City Hall, 100 Naylor Road in Little Elm. Guest speaker will be Denco 911.

To register, go to aubreycoc.org.

PP Health Fair seeks vendors

The second annual Pilot Point Health Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. July 18 at Pilot Point Middle School, 828 S. Harrison St. There will be local healthcare organizations doing basic low-cost screenings.

Carter BloodCare will have a mobile unit available. To schedule a mammogram, call 855-318-7696.

For more information, to schedule a blood donation or to become a vendor, go to pilotpointhealthfair. org.

Cactus, Succulent Day at Rooted In

Rooted In will have a free Cactus & Succulent Day community event from 9:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. July 18 at 12804 Pelzel Road.

Summer Music Series at Veterans Park

The next Summer Music Series will be from 5-9:30 p.m. July 18 at Veterans Memorial Park with Ronnie and the Redwoods and Austin Akins.

Wild West VBS at Grace Point

Grace Point Nazarene Church will have Wild West Vacation Bible School from 5-8 p.m. July 20-22 for children ages 5 through seventh grade at 611 E. Liberty St. For more information, go to gracepointnaz.net.

PP Parks & Rec plans Lunch, Learn

The Pilot Point Parks and Recreation will have Lunch & Learn from noon-1 p.m. July 22 at the Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. Guest speaker will be Eric Francois with Capital Plumbing. Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, call 940-686-2639.

City of Tioga plans market

The next Tioga Farmers Market will be from 6-9 p.m. July 24 in Gene Autry Park. There will be local vendors, food, drinks and community fun. Live music will be provided by Ty Junah and the Young Guns.

Market on Main in Pilot Point

The next Market on Main in Pilot Point will be from 8 a.m.-noon July 25. Live music will be provided by Guitar George.

Women’s painting challenge, devotional

Calvary Baptist Church will be hosting Chosen, Canvas & Masterpiece, a women’s painting challenge and devotional, from 9:30 a.m.-noon July 25 at the Calvary Baptist Fellowship Hall. Participants need to RSVP by July 18 to 972-989-0894.

Paint, create, connect at Aubrey Center

Paint, create and connect at the Aubrey Community Center from 6-8:30 p.m. July 29 at 226 Countryside Drive in Aubrey. The class fee is $25. To register, email dfife@aubreytx. org or call 469-678-6008.

Back to School Bash at PPHS

A Back to School Bash will be held from 9-11 a.m. Aug. 1 at Pilot Point High School, 1300 N. Washington St. There will be free haircuts, bikes, helmets and school supplies. For more information, call 940-686-2969.

HOPE Food Ministry asks for food, clothing

The HOPE Food and Clothing Ministry is asking for nonperishable food items, clothing and personal care items at 819 Sherman Drive in Aubrey. Donations can also be dropped off at Keller Williams Realty, 806 S. U.S. 377 in Aubrey.

For more information or to donate online, go to hopefood.org.

Meals on Wheels needs drivers

Volunteer drivers are needed to deliver Meals on Wheels one day a week Monday-Friday for 2 to 2 1/2 hours from 10:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in Aubrey, Krugerville and Pilot Point.

For more information, call Cindy Faris at 972-838-3259.

Around Town is published weekly. Submit information to abardwell@postsignal.com.

On Friday, it will be his creation, instead, that he will be sharing with the audience at the Starbright Center for the Arts's David Blackbox Theatre.

'I realized after being part of a very chaotic production that you want to start small with your directorial debut, so I decided to do this show instead,' Ben said.

He crafted the script for 'The Last Person on Earth' with the help of his brother, Joe Green.

'It started out as a solo project, but along the way I realized I needed a collaborator, so one day I asked my brother if he had any ideas, and next thing you know, we're just bouncing ideas back and forth, and he's got a writing credit,' Ben said.

Joe, like Ben, loves that the process helped them become closer.

'I mainly helped with the character President Gibson in the second half of the play,' he said. '... I never saw myself writing anything let alone a play.'

He encouraged others to try their hand at something creative.

' Any form of art is worth doing,' Joe said. The story focuses on Reginald Bottom, a British horologist who believes he is the last person on Earth, no matter how often he is proven wrong.

The style of show on Friday is a bit different than Garage Door Theater enthusiasts, and its mainstay actors, are accustomed to.

As a dramatic reading, it will be like inviting people into the 'dirtiest part of putting on a show,' as Basil Gist described it.

Gist is portraying Angry Al, one of five visitors who make their way into Bottom's world to disrupt his musings to the audience about being so happy to be the last person on Earth.

Other familiar faces include Anthony Caranna, who will serve as the narrator explaining the stage directions for the dramatic reading, Joe Hjelmgren as Bottom, Rodney Dobbs as Rick the Butler, Holly McClelland as Dallas Clampton, Jeff Neyman as President John Gibson and Justine Scott as Judi Smith.

One new face, Patrick Matous, volunteered to play Pastor Tom Kendrick because of his ties to the main playwright.

'It's just an amazing opportunity,' he said. 'I'd do anything for Ben.'

Caranna's goal is to paint the picture of what would be playing out through action in a more traditional staging of the play.

'These guys have put together a pretty funny piece,' he said.

Dobbs, who has been working on productions with Ben for years, said he was happy to be part of this one-night run.

'I was one of the first people to read Ben's script, ... one of the first drafts of it,' he said. '... I gave him some suggestions, and some of those are now in our script, and so it's exciting now to come back and read a part in it and see some of it become realized.'

Justine Scott, who is also a local playwright, loves helping the Green brothers refine their production.

'What we're doing here with this workshopping of this play is [taking] what they've written and their ideas through the motions and play with these words, and it's quite a privilege,' she said.

Ben and Joe hope for feedback on how the show works.

'I want to get the feel for how all this plays with an audience, because my hope and dream is that this can eventually be a main stage production with a Rodney Dobbs set and with costumes and all that,' Ben said. 'I want to hear what people think. I hope that this play will make people laugh, I hope it will make them think, and I hope they will walk away with their own individual take on the experience.'

Limited tickets were still available on Wednesday evening at starbrightmpa.com.

SHOPLIFTING – A woman, 18, was given a citation for theft Sunday by CRPD in the 11700 block of U.S. 380.

CRASH – Cross Roads police investigated a twovehicle crash Sunday in the 11900 block of U.S. 380. Minor injuries were reported.

THEFT – On Saturday, Cross Roads PD arrested a woman, 52, on a charge of theft over $100 in the 11700 block of U.S. 380. She was also given a criminal trespass warning.

WELFARE CONCERN – Pilot Point police were dispatched Saturday to a welfare concern call of abandoning and endangering a child criminal negligence in the 14000 block of Ladbroke Street.

THEFT – A woman, 39, was arrested July 3 by CRPD on a charge of theft in the 11700 block of U.S. 380. She was issued a criminal trespass warning.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS – A Cross Roads police investigation July 3 resulted in a woman, 36, being arrested on a charge of theft over $100 in the 11700 block of U.S. 380. She received a criminal trespass warning.

FRAUD – A woman reported to CRPD on July 2 that an unknown person used her personal information to open a bank account without her consent.

WARRANT – Pilot Point PD made an arrest July 1 on an outside agency warrant from Collin County near the intersection of Adderly Road and Drover Street.

INDECENT EXPOSURE – A woman, 27, reported to CRPD on July 1 that she had been a victim of an indecent exposure in the 11700 block of U.S. 380.

ASSAULT – A domestic disturbance call was received July 1 by Pilot Point PD in the 14000 block of Danesdale Drive. An arrest was made on a charge of assault family/ household member impeding breath/circulation.

SHOPLIFTING – A woman, 52, was arrested July 1 by Cross Roads police on a charge of shoplifting in the 11700 block of U.S. 380.

BURGLARY – Pilot Point police received a report June 30 of electrical breakers being taken from several homes under construction in the 14000 block of Olney Drive.

WARRANT – A 31-year-old was arrested June 30 by APD on a Collin County warrant charge in the 3100 block of Burmese Street.

BURGLARY – A report of vehicle burglaries was dispatched to Pilot Point police June 30 in the 300 block of West Division Street.

ASSAULT – On June 30, Pilot Point PD made an arrest on charges of assault causes bodily injury family member and assault family/household member impeding breath/ circulation in the 600 block of Minnie Lane.

SHOPLIFTING – A man, 31, was arrested June 29 by Cross Roads police on a charge of shoplifting and given a criminal trespass warning in the 11700 block of U.S. 380.

ASSAULT – Aubrey PD arrested a teenager June 29 on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/family violence in the 3100 block of Burmese Street.

-Kim Fleming

The Pilot Point Bearcats football team reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and hopes to build off that momentum for an even better 2026 season.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football released their predictions for the 2026 season, and the Bearcats are predicted to finish in the middle of the pack in a challenging district, featuring returning district champs Pottsboro and 3A Division II powerhouse Gunter.

“Some of the schools in the district have a lot of kids coming back—Whitesboro and Gunter have a lot, and Pottsboro is always solid,” said Chad Worrell, Pilot Point athletic director and head football coach. “We lost a good group of seniors, and it's going to be hard to replace them, but I think we’ve had a really good spring and summer, and we’re going to have some new kids that are ready to step up.”

The Bearcats finished last season as district runners-up in 3A Division I Region II District 6 and reached the second round of the playoffs, finishing with a 9-3 record.

This year’s road to the playoffs only grows more challenging with the Gunter Tigers making the move to Division I, but Worrell said his team will be ready.

“We have a lot tougher nondistrict schedule than we had last year, and I think that will prepare us a little bit better for our district, and we have one of the toughest districts in the state, in my opinion,” Worrell said. “The Top 5 teams in our district are super talented and are all storied programs with great traditions and good coaching, so it’s going to be a week-to-week battle.”

Last season the Bearcats leaned on their ground game and their defense to put up 47 points per game and hold their opponents under 18 points per game during the regular season.

Worrell said the rushing attack will continue to be a cornerstone of the Bearcats’ offense with the majority of the offensive line and senior running back Josh Chumley, who racked up over 1,100 yards and 18 TDs, returning.

'That's one thing that sticks out is having four of those five linemen back, who got better as the year went on, and they really became a force up front,” he said. “… [Josh] shared t he duties a little bit more last year because we counted on him so much on defense, but he’s going to be more of a focus going into this season.”

Worrell also highlighted the talent from the Bearcats' freshmen and junior varsity teams that moved up to the varsity team and are expected to contribute as soon as possible this season.

“Those guys got some really good experience down there, so we’re expecting them to make the transition from playing Thursday nights to being starters on Friday nights, and some of them are going to grow up in a hurry and do it,” he said. “… We just want to get those guys confident so they can play at a high level and hopefully be ready by the time district rolls around.”

Despite the changes to the district, Worrell said the Bearcats still plan to bring their familiar brand of hard-nosed football.

“We’re always going to try to be the more physical team,” he said. “We design our practices that way, and the kids have done a good job. They play hard, and we have the same goal this year, to get out there and wear people down.”

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football released their predictions for the 2026 season, with the Chaparrals predicted to finish in the middle of the pack in a district filled with new faces.

“This is pretty much a brandnew district,” said Keith Ivy, Aubrey athletic director and head football coach. “… We’ve also never been in an eight-team district since I’ve been here in Aubrey, and this is going into my 13th season, so that brings a new wrinkle into it because you’re only going to have three nondistrict games, … but we know it's going to be a very competitive district from top to bottom.”

After losing over 30 seniors the year before, a much younger Chaparrals squad battled through one of the toughest districts in the state, finishing fifth in their district with a 3-7 record.

Despite last season’s growing pains, Ivy said the Chaps are looking forward to turning things around in 2026.

“We feel good about the talent we have here,” he said. “We have 19 of 22 starters back, and we have some really good football players returning, and I know these young men are excited to get out there, improve themselves, have a better year and get back into the playoffs.”

He added that the experience the young Chaparrals gained last season should pay off for the team this fall.

“During the tail end of last season we started a lot of sophomores, and I saw great improvement during the second half of the season, and our confidence level went up the longer we played,” Ivy said. “These guys have worked extremely hard through the offseason boot camp, through 7-on-7, and they’re getting after it right now during summer workouts, so they’re extremely hungry.”

One area the Chaps will look to lean on is their talent in the trenches, with four of the team’s DCT Players to Watch being offensive linemen Brayden Wood, Stephen Coffman, P.J. Van Rijn and Jayson Melzer.

“We like to be physical, on both sides of the ball, and our offensive line is going to be big and nasty,” Ivy said. “… We want to play extremely physical and get after people up front, and they’re out to prove something this year.”

Ivy said the Chaps' offseason training has helped the team bond and that he believes that good team chemistry could make a difference this season.

“Even though we have a lot of starters coming back, we’ve been promoting competition,” he said. “We believe it's healthy and ultimately makes our program better, and the team has responded. They’ve really gelled together, and they believe in each other, and I believe we can have a good season as long as we stay healthy and continue to support each other and push ourselves to be the very best we can be each and every day,” he said.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football released their predictions for the upcoming season and have the Bulldogs predicted to finish in the middle of the pack in a challenging district, featuring the reigning 2A Division II State Champion Muenster Hornets.

“We’re rolling into this season with a lot of unfinished business from last year,” said Zach Birdwell, Tioga athletic director and head football coach. “Not being in the Top 25 when you’ve been there the last two seasons and being picked third in the district is just a reminder of the chip we’re going to have on our shoulders rolling into this season.”

The injury bug bit the Bulldogs hard last season, with their projected starting quarterback going down in the preseason and multiple starters missing significant time, but the 2024 2A-1 Region II District 6 champs battled their way to a 5-5 record before losing to Hamilton in the opening round of the playoffs.

Tioga’s road back to the top of their district got a little rougher after the recent UIL realignment, which moved multiple new faces in Chico, Olney and the back-to-back state champion Muenster Hornets.

“We’re on the journey to build an elite program here in Tioga, and what better way to take the next step than to compete against an elite program in the district with Muenster,” Birdwell said. 'They're one of the best 2A programs of all time, and I can’t think of a better measuring stick for our program, and we get to kick off district with them. That’s an exciting new challenge.”

One area the Bulldogs will look to rely on is their senior class headlined by DCTF Players to Watch receiver Jaxson Hurst, linebacker Jaxton Dejernett, and receivers/defensive backs Justin Arrington and Jake David.

“It’s a special group, and now it’s time for them to officially be the top dogs and the leaders,” Birdwell said. “This is their moment, and that’s what we’ve been preaching to them: to win the moment.”

Birdwell said one of the highlights of the offseason has been seeing multiple players recover from injuries and seeing new faces show potential.

'It's been great seeing the guys that battled through injury last season back in the weight room and back to doing things at full speed,” he said. “… It’s also good to see some of our young guys that we’re going to be counting on step up, one in particular, Joseph Cuellar. He’s been a big part of what we did last year on JV, and he’s going to step into a big role on the defensive side.”

Despite all the changes to the district landscape, Birdwell emphasized that the Bulldogs still plan to play their signature style of football.

“We’ve spent the last three years building the brand, and now it's time to protect it,” he said. “We fell short of that in some places last year, which contributed to our record, but when those lights come on Friday night, we have lot of wrongs we’re going to make right this year.”

After being represented by 30 competitors last year, the AAYSA has ramped up their roster, with 66 competitors scheduled to make the trip to Fort Worth to face off against some of the top runners in the region at Brewer High School.

“The season has gone really well for us,” AAYSA track commissioner Michelle Watkins said. “We have a lot of really good coaches, and we have everyone from sprinters to mid-distance and long-distance runners, ages 6U all the way up to 18U, and we have a few field events, and all our meets so far have gone really well.”

AAYSA’s track season started in April, with the team competing in meets in Denton, North Lake, Forth Worth and Euless, working toward the regional meet coming up next week.

“Everyone makes it to regionals, but only the top runners make it to State, and we’ll find out the exact number once everybody submits their athletes,” Michelle said. “Last year our region took the Top 6 in each event, which can have anywhere from six to 100 participants in events like the 200--and 400-meter dash, so it can be very competitive.”

AAYSA hurdles coach Christina Crossland highlighted the growth the team has seen over the last year.

“Our team has doubled in size from the first year to the second, and we have so many we had to split them into two groups this year: four to 10 and 11 to 18,” she said. “And as far as hurdles go, last year we had three and this year we have eight, and we have a lot of new hurdlers who have never done it before … and they’re having fun figuring it out and learning the form.”

Fuller Elementary fourth grader Noelle Ellis shared what she’s looking forward to the most at the regional meet.

“I’m really excited about running, trying my best and trying to see if I can get a really good place,” she said. “I hope I can run really fast and beat all the other runners.”

Eighth grader Ella Watkins, who attends McNabb Middle School, said she’s excited to make her second appearance at the regional meet.

“I’m really excited because I enjoy running, and I think this is a great opportunity,” she said. “… Last year I got sixth and made it to State, so I did pretty well, and I’m hoping I can beat my personal record in the mile and make State again.” Aubrey High School junior and new team member, Dillon Harper, shared his thoughts on competing at his first TAAF regional meet with AAYSA.

“I’m really looking forward to racing everyone there because I think that’ll help me get better and reach the times I’ve been working all summer and throughout the year to get,” he said. “I also hope I can see some of my friends from other schools and race with them.”

Back in April, the council passed a resolution for a notice of intent to issue $5 million in certificates of obligation toward the water and sewer projects, and the bonds have now been sold.

“I’m pleased to report that Standard & Poor's came back and affirmed the city's rating at an A-plus,” said Quynh-Thi Nguyen, Investment Banking Associate at HilltopSecurities. “Additionally, we also applied for bond insurance, provided by Assured Guaranty, in which they carry a little higher rating at a double A. This is similar to past issuance; we have done this in the past, nothing new, but as the credit rating goes up, interest rates go down, similar to ones on the personal credit score when obtaining a car loan.”

The bonds have a 30-year repayment term, and the average annual payment will be around $340,000.

With the council adopting the ordinance, the interest rate will stay set for the life of the bonds, Nguyen said.

Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer Michele Sanchez discussed how the city’s budget looks for the current fiscal year, starting with the general fund and the water and sewer fund.

“On both sides of it, we do look like projected revenues are going to come in a little under what we had budgeted, but expenditures are also trending low,” Sanchez said. “So we should finish the fiscal year in a positive way.”

She explained that it was low because development services have had fewer new building permit filings than expected, which also affects water revenue.

However, the city does not plan to end the year in a deficit, and City Manager Britt Lusk added that the development services department has been reaching out to see where developers are in the home-building process.

“Another thing that needs to happen as we go into FY2027 is again, making sure that we're staying current in our market with our comparator cities for salaries,” Sanchez said.

She added that the city’s mission is to remain within 10% of the market rate, and the financial impact will be about $600,000 across all departments.

Sanchez then provided a breakdown of each department's budget request, including equipment and staffing for the next fiscal year.

Some of the requests mentioned by the police department included faculty upgrades, weapons replacement and additional staff.

The fire department also requested additional equipment and three additional firefighters/EMTs.

The library requested a vault redesign, a library kiosk that operates like a vending machine and funds for the Museum Digital Archive Program.

The parks department requested funds for an extension of the Allen Groff Walking Trail, a shade structure for the Square, and traffic redirection for the Square along with a food court, which several council members expressed interest in.

The total general fund requests are over $4.3 million.

“Step one is moving any kind of projects that can be funded through special revenue funds out of the general fund to try and free up as much revenue as we can,” Sanchez said. “And then we start striking items that are just not possible.”

She then discussed the request from the water and sewer departments, which includes additional employees and equipment to help with the workload, as the city grows.

The total enterprise fund is slightly over $1.7 million.

“There's no way we're going to generate an additional $1.7 million next fiscal year in the water and sewer fund, but a lot of these capital projects, especially equipment, can be shifted over to some bond dollars,” Sanchez said. “So that will be step one, and then parceling through some of those budget requests for positions will be the next step after that.”

She noted that bond money cannot be used to lease equipment and that, in the long run, it’s more costeffective for the city to buy equipment than to lease it.

Before the council adopts the budget and the tax rate on Sept. 10, there will be several more conversations on the topic.

Also at the meeting, the council unanimously approved Board and Commission appointments for the 2026-27 year.

“I'm thankful for every one of them that volunteered their time and service to help the city,” council member Ray Dane said.

The Board, Commission and Committee Handbook was also approved by the council with the recommended changes.

Police Chief Angela Mathews introduced several new police officers and a new fire marshal at the meetings before they were sworn in and then pinned by their loved ones.

“I am so very proud of our team and our new members on our team,” Mathews said. “We are really and have been working hard to make this a police department that the city can be proud of.”

Stone, who has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission, was selected after a more than oneand- a-half hour executive session at the top of the June 25 council meeting, during which the mayor and council interviewed candidates.

'The candidates that came all brought unique experiences to the table,' Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Perry said. 'On behalf of the council and the mayor, we really appreciate your time. Thank you for coming in.'

He encouraged those not selected to volunteer on other boards and commissions for the city.

'Please don't get discouraged if you weren't selected,' Perry said. 'We'd love to have you work with us.'

The council voted to approve the plan for Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 3 for High- pointe Ranch.

Jennifer Sloan with MuniCap explained the funding details for the project, in which 'the city participates at a 38% rate,' she said.

'We have a total of 1,450 residential lots, and ... 285,000 square feet of commercial,' she said.

The council also approved the construction and funding agreement for authroized improvements and reimbursement of advances for the Palomino Public Improvement District, which Sloan also explained and which the council unanimously accepted.

Aubrey ISD asked the city to change the Comprehensive Plan designation for a 6.65-acre lot it owns to 'public institution' from commercial and high-density residential.

The use mentioned was the Aubrey ISD administration building, with the extension of High Meadow Drive.

The council unanimously approved the change, with Stone abstaining, as requested by City Manager Charles Kreidler 'out of an abundance of caution.'

'Could we get the new council member to recuse on the P&Z items, since she has already voted on P&Z?' City Manager Charles Kreidler said.

The council also approved the rezoning of part of the lot from multifamily to shopping center, 3-0-1 with Stone abstaining.

It also gave conditional approval for the replat of that same Aubrey ISD property.

Changes to the city's ordinances regarding specific types of signs— blade signs, feather flags and electronic message boards.

The feather signs would be for special events, such as 'for grand openings, holiday events, vacation bible school, those kinds of things,' Assistant City Manager Leanne Wilson said.

Businesses can use such signs for a two-week period with a permit.

The electonic message boards would be limited to city-owned properties in Downtown Aubrey, and blade signs would only be allowed in Downtown Aubrey, based on the ordinance change.

Stone asked about allowing blade signs in other areas of the city.

'As we do grow, I do see that there might be uses for them outside of [downtown],' she said.

The council also voted to limit electric bikes to designated areas in city parks and safety restrictions for their uses in the city.

'There's got to be some kind of communication for these kids to know what they shouldn't be doing,' Mayor Chris Rich said.

Aubrey Police Department Chief Richard Brooks agreed to share the information online.

'We can try to get it into the next water bill,' Kreidler said.

Also at the meeting, Ryan Phillips, Nathan Rigdon, Bryan Mackey and Hayes Mackey were sworn in as members of the Aubrey Fire Department.

Council member Randy Jones was absent from the meeting.

Connecting the past and the present, Sonny Gibbs, one of the founding members, spoke at the ceremony and recounted some of his earlier memories.

“The first time that we publicly met, we met at the community building in downtown Aubrey,” Gibbs said. “There was ice and snow all over the place. I think we had 35 people that showed up for the first meeting. We were thrilled to death with that.”

Gibbs, a Pilot Point native, shared that there were many great churches in the area and was glad to be among one of them. He also expressed his gratitude to be able to witness what’s taking place.

“It's just another step,” Gibbs said. “It's a building. It's not the church. It's where the church congregates during the week to be encouraged and informed so we can go out in the community and be the church in the community ... God is good, and he did all of this, we did nothing, we were available. He did it all, [and] He gets all the credit.”

Since 1976, the church has only expanded, finding new ways to accommodate and keep up with growth by holding two services instead of one, forming Rock Creek Church in Prosper and expanding Midway’s worship center.

In doing so, the church was then able to better host community and school events.

Then in 2022, they broadened their reach by creating Iglesia Midway, a Spanish-language church service.

“We're experiencing so much growth in the area and just wanting to be ready for that growth so that we can do what the most important thing is for us as a church, is to meet people's spiritual needs and ultimately lead people to Christ,” Communications Director Leah Rummel said. “… So as people come here, we want to be good stewards of where God's placed us here in this location and be ready for the people who are going to be in our backyard.”

To help fund the project, the church launched the Gaining Ground Capital Campaign in January with a goal of raising $4.8 million. They surpassed that goal, receiving over $6 million in pledges.

The funds will be used to create a new worship center, expand the lobby and kids' space and increase parking capacity.

“Over the next few months, people are going to be heading north and south on the highway,” lead Pastor John Theisen said. “And they're going to see dirt moving, equipment and machinery. And what we'll be witnessing is the testimony of a faithfulness of our God,” At the ceremony, Theisen shared that over the decades, missionaries have gone out, children have been disciplined, churches have been established and lives have changed.

“When you see buildings, always see people,” Theisen said. “And when you hear financial reports, you always think heart. And when you put heart and a burden for souls together with property, we can't save somebody's soul with buildings, but it's just tools and opportunities for more people to live a Christ-centered life and to have eternal hope, and we want that to continue.”

Heads bowed as Elder Neil Blais gave a prayer of dedication.

Then the Serve/Go Pastor, Jonathan Krawczyk, invited the individuals who represented ‘the family of Midway’ to stand behind the shovels, including representatives from the preschool, kids, student ministry, Iglesia Midway and the Aspen Group.

The children in the audience looked excited, wearing their colorful plastic hard hats and holding their popsicles as everyone yelled together in harmony, “Three, two, one—turn that dirt.”

A dear friend of mine took a few moments this week to drop into my office to catch up.

She shared something that was bugging her— the frustrations of others about something she's helped organize—and I arrived at the conclusion that people seem to be annoyed in interesting directions these days.

People get mad at their neighbors who try to put on events because they don't like the decisions they've made.

They get upset with local leaders whose hands have been tied by bigger governments up the chain.

They get mad at the local small businesses for raising prices. I think it's much easier to get mad at the people you know and see regularly than it is to get mad at the true sources of the trouble.

The problem is, when we get mad at the wrong people, we often come to the wrong conclusions on how to fix those issues.

Life is complicated these days.

We wake up, and we're instantly bombarded by information and notifications that filled our feeds and our phones while we were sleeping.

I don't know about you, but that instant jump back into the chaos of everything that's going on gets my heart racing, and not in a good way, as I start my day. I'm grateful for moments like I had this week when I was chatting with the leaders of Chandler Cabinets.

We talked about the importance and value of pouring back into the community, a lesson instilled in them by Buster and Vickie Chandler over the years.

They don't do it for the recognition, which is part of why I love to shine a light on them.

They do it because they would rather help than add to the chaos.

When we see something that's wrong, I hope we take the time to not only find the true source, but to also do something proactive to help make the situation and our community better.

Abigail Bardwell is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal, and she serves on both the North and East Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association boards. She can be reached at abardwell@postsignal. com.

Through this deal, the contractor found a playground for the park that was half off, the color schemes will be earthy greens, browns and tans.

“This playground … the main piece is over $66,000, and right now, under our purchase, would be $33,000, which, through all this, did two things,” Mayor Rodney Cagle said. “It made it affordable, and it made it where we could put pour in-place. The PIP that goes on is the soft rubber, instead of having mulch or engineered wood chips.”

The Community Development Corporation board also recommended the approval of the bid.

There is a little over $120,000 in funds going toward the park, and any remaining balance will be pulled from the CDC reserve.

The goal is to get the project finished by the end of summer.

“I am so excited to be at this point,” Cagle said. “That's been a long time coming.”

The council accepted Atlas Municipal Services' proposal to handle plan review inspection services and code enforcement and will replace the current company.

“We feel it is time to look outside of our current inspection company due to a lack of quality and professionalism,” Cagle said.

He added that Atlas Municipal came highly recommended.

Police Chief Stoney Ward shared that the police department passed both their audits with “flying colors.” He thanked Administrative Assistant Susan Zambrano for her contributions to the audits.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Audit and the Criminal Justice Information Services Audit make sure agencies are following state and federal standards.

Related to that, the council approved new policies and procedures for the police department.

“During those two audits, they came up with a lot more in-depth rules and regulations that we have to follow, not just us as Krugerville, but statewide.”

He noted that there were no major changes in the policies.

During the mayoral comment, Cagle said that streets will be a high priority for the city as they work to address concerns.

“I'm approaching this with ‘we're not going to band-aid things anymore.’ If you know any kind of road work, it is expensive. So, it was a little more than I could handle, so I've kind of assembled a team with this dais here, Cagle said.

The team he mentioned consists of council member Stacey Sasser, working to find a qualified contractor, and Marion Ragsdale, who is identifying trouble areas around the city.

“We're gonna get together, prioritize some of these things, and get some of these things bid on,” Cagle said. “We do still have some bond money for infrastructure work. A significant chunk of that was for the sewer. We've played that game for two years, and hopefully it comes through. But the streets are a priority right now.”

Other items the council approved were an amendment to the city’s general fund budget for fiscal year 2025-26 because of changes in the EDC.

“We made a couple of changes on the EDC budget,” Mayor Pro Tem Kristen Kromer said. “We had to reduce our income because our sales tax is down a little bit. We increased our interest income … We took some funds out of our business incentives and allocated those funds to Park Fest, in the event that Park Fest needed it.”

Every Weekday

•11 a.m. Congregate meals, conversation and games. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. 972-838-3259.

Friday, July 3

•Municipalities and Pilot Point Community Library closed for Independence Day.

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse, 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•11 a.m. Early Childhood Storytimes (Ages 0-6). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•7 p.m. Jam & Java. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•7:30 p.m. Karaoke with Pam and Dave. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Saturday, July 4

•Libraries closed for Independence Day.

•8 a.m. Cross Roads Community Farmers Market. Cross Roads Town Park, corner of FM

424 and Fishtrap Road.

•9 a.m. Fruit Jar Junction Market. Veterans Memorial Park,

301 S. Main St., Aubrey.

•Noon. Pioneer Baptist Food Bank. Pioneer Baptist Church,

100 Cumberland Trail, Valley View.

•8 p.m. Backroad Travelers. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Monday, July 6

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse. 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•10 a.m. Exercise Class. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St.

•6 p.m. Pilot Point Main Street board. Pilot Point City Hall, 102 E. Main St. 940-686-2165.

•7 p.m. Recovery Care Group. Midway Church, 9540 U.S. 377, Pilot Point.

•7:30 p.m. Pool tournament. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Tuesday, July 7

•8:30 a.m. Positive Pilot Point meets for breakfast and fellowship. PointBank Community Center, 739 E. Liberty St.

•9:30 a.m. Games. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. 972-838-3259.

•Noon. Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club. PointBank Community Center, 739 E. Liberty St.

•1:30 p.m. Local Vocals Community Singers. Contact Charlotte Petermeier, 214-514-4892.

•4:15 p.m. Afternoon Storytime (all ages). Aubrey Area Library,

226 Countryside Drive. 940--

365-9162.

•5:30 p.m. Aubrey Area Library Advisory board. 226 Countryside Drive. 940-365-9162.

•5:30 p.m. Meditation Hour (ages 16 and up). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•6 p.m. Aubrey Parks and Recreation. Aubrey Council Chambers, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-440-9343.

•6 p.m. Cross Roads Planning and Zoning Commission. Town Hall, 3201 U.S. 380, Ste.105.

940-365-9693.

•6 p.m. Jam Sessions. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•6:30 p.m. Providence Village Economic Development Corporation. Providence Village Town Hall, 1755 Main St. 940-365--

9333.

•7 p.m. Poker tournament. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

•7:30 p.m. Providence Village Town Council. Providence Village Town Hall, 1755 Main St.

940-365-9333.

Wednesday, July 8

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse. 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•9 a.m. Mountain Springs Quilters. Mountain Springs Community Center, 173 Mountain Springs Lane. 940-736-8013.

•10 a.m. Exercise Class. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St.

•10 a.m. Baby & Toddler Storytime (ages 0-2). Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•10:30 a.m. Little Readers Book Club (ages 2-5). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•10:45 a.m. Preschool Storytime (ages 3-5). Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•1 p.m. Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St., Pilot Point.

•6 p.m. Queen of Hearts. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

•7 p.m. Karaoke Wednesdays with Pam and Dave. Lowbrows Saloon, 200 S. Washington St.

•7:30 p.m. Pool tournament. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Thursday, July 9

•8 a.m. Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce board. Pilot Point City Hall, 102 E. Main St. 940--

686-5385.

•9 a.m. Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St., Pilot Point.

•9:30 a.m. Games. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. 972-838-3259.

•10 a.m. Thrilling Thursday: Dallas Puppet Theatre. Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•10:30 a.m. Little Readers Book Club (ages 2-5). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•10:30 a.m. Stitch & Sketch (ages 10-adult). Pilot Point Community Library, 324 S. Washington St. 940-686-5004.

•11 a.m. Tioga Senior Center open for refreshments, games and bingo. 305 N. Porch St.

•6 p.m. Aubrey Planning and Zoning. Aubrey Council Chambers, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-440-9343.

•6 p.m. Cross Roads Municipal Development District. Town Hall, 3201 U.S. 380, Ste.105.

940-365-9693.

•6 p.m. Improv Night. Pilot Point Coffee House, 110 W. Main St.

•6:30 p.m. Pilot Point City Council. Pilot Point City Hall, 102 E. Main St. 940-686-2165.

Friday, July 10

•8:30 a.m. Shepherd’s Storehouse, 1189 U.S. 377, Pilot Point. 940-686-2620.

•10 a.m. Exercise Class. Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St.

•11 a.m. Early Childhood Storytimes (Ages 0-6). Aubrey Area Library, 226 Countryside Drive.

940-365-9162.

•7 p.m. Live music with Jacob Elibol. Pilot Point Coffee House,

110 W. Main St.

•7:30 p.m. Karaoke with Pam and Dave. Vaughn-Walling American Legion Post 550, 905 N. Foundation St., Pilot Point.

Community Calendar is published weekly. To add or change a listing, email abardwell@postsignal.com.

The Ray Roberts Lake State Park Johnson Branch Unit, 100 PW 4153 in Valley View will offer History Beneath Our Feet, 9 a.m. Saturday, Nature Center parking lot; Dutch Oven Demo, 11 a.m. Saturday, Kid Fish Pond; and Beat the Heat Morning Hike, 7:30 a.m. July 18, Kid Fish Pond.

The Isle du Bois Unit, 100 PW 4137 in Pilot Point will have Red, White and Bluebird, 8 a.m. Saturday, Lost Pines Amphitheater, and 250 Celebration Trivia, 2 p.m. Saturday, Nature Center.

All events are free with a paid entrance fee into the parks. For more information, call 940-637-2294 or 940-686-2148.

Dallas Puppet Theatre at PP library

The Pilot Point Community Library at 324 S. Washington St. will be closed Friday and Saturday for Independence Day.

The library will have Thrilling Thursday: Dallas Puppet Theatre, 10 a.m. Thursday; Dino Keychain (teen/tween), 2 p.m. July 16; Dallas Paleontology Society, 2 p.m. July 17; and movie: “Goat,” 11:30 a.m. July 18.

For more information or to register for classes, call 940-686-5004.

Fun Friday, movie at Aubrey library

The Aubrey Area Library at 226 Countryside Drive will be closed Saturday for Independence Day.

The library will offer Fun Friday: Creature Teacher (all ages), 4:30 p.m.; Lightbulb Lab (ages 5-13), 4:30 p.m.; and Throwback Thursday Movie: “Atlantis,” 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

For more information or to register for classes, call 940-365-9162.

PP Early Childhood opens registration

The Pilot Point Early Childhood Center has opened registration for the 202627 school year for new and returning students. For more information, email enrollment@ pilotpointisd.com.

19th Century Club silent quilt auction

The 19th Century Club is having a silent quilt auction with proceeds going toward scholarships for local high school students. The quilt is on display at PointBank in Pilot Point.

Participants can bid on a sheet in the bank or by emailing 19thccpp@gmail.com.

Movie Day at Starbright Center

Starbright Center for the Arts will have movie day featuring “Grease” at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. July 11 at 110 S. Washington St. To purchase tickets or for more information, go to starbrightmpa.com.

Summer Youth Camps offered at PPHS

Pilot Point High School will be hosting several summer youth camps this summer.

•Boys basketball camp, fourth-ninth grades, 5-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, PPHS gym;

• Football camp, second-ninth grades, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. July 13-15, PPHS field house;

• Softball camp, second-ninth grades, 6:30-8:30 p.m. July 29-31, PPHS softball field.

Books with Bearcats at PPES

Join Pilot Point Elementary School staff members read Books with Bearcats behind PPES at Vail’s Garden on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. through July 14. For questions, email dwoolison@pilotpointisd.com.

Tioga VFD sells raffle tickets

The Tioga Volunteer Fire Department is selling raffle tickets for the annual fundraiser through Friday. The cost is $5 per ticket or $100 for 25 tickets. To purchase tickets, email info@tiogafire.com.

Local Fourth of July celebration events

There are several local opportunities to celebrate America’s 250 birthday this year.

•Freedom Fest Parade, 8:45 a.m. Saturday, West Elementary, Aubrey;

•Pilot Point parade, 9 a.m. Saturday, downtown Pilot Point;

•Tioga’s Fourth of July Celebration, 5 p.m. Saturday, downtown Tioga;

•Freedom Fest, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Rancho De La Roca, 2459 W. Blackjack Road, Aubrey.

Aging Well Workshop set for Aubrey

A three-part Aging Well Workshop will be held from 12:15-1:15 p.m. on Monday and July 13 and 20 at the Aubrey Community Room, 226 Countryside Drive in Aubrey.

To register, call Dusty Fife at 469-6786008 or email dfife@aubreytx.gov.

Volunteers needed for school bash

The Pilot Point Police Department is looking for volunteers to help with the annual Back to School Bash at 9 a.m. Aug. 1 at Pilot Point High School. Participants need to respond by Monday to Rita Aguilar at raguilar@ pilotpointtx.gov.

Ice Cream Social in Collinsville

Keep Collinsville Beautiful will host an Ice Cream Social at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Collinsville Community Center. For more information, call 903-267-3806.

Mountain Springs plans July market

The next Mountain Springs Community Market will be from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. July 11 at 172 Mountain Springs Lane in Valley View. There will be live music with Blake Aaron Davis from 9-11 a.m. and Jordan Stoltz from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Christmas in July Gift Tour

The Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the third annual Kippee Ki-Yay! Christmas in July Gift Tour on July 11. Tickets are prepurchase for $20 and can be picked up between 9-11 a.m. at the Clifton and Nadene Irick Museum, 201 S. Jefferson St.

To purchase tickets, go to pilotpoint.org or email chamber@pilotpoint.org.

FMB to hold restoration event

The community is invited to attend the Farmers and Merchants Bank Restoration Ceremony at 4 p.m. July 13 at 100 N. Washington St.

PP Health Fair seeks vendors

The second annual Pilot Point Health Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. July 18 at Pilot Point High School, 1300 N. Washington St. There will be local healthcare organizations doing basic low-cost screenings.

Carter BloodCare will have a mobile unit available. To schedule a mammogram, call 855-318-7696.

For more information, to schedule a blood donation or to become a vendor, go to pilotpointhealthfair.org.

Summer Music Series at Veterans Park

The next Summer Music Series will be from 5-9:30 p.m. July 18 at Veterans Memorial Park with Ronnie and the Redwoods and Austin Akins.

PP Parks & Rec plans Lunch, Learn

The Pilot Point Parks and Recreation will have Lunch & Learn from noon-1 p.m. July 22 at the Pilot Point Senior Center, 310 S. Washington St. Guest speaker will be Eric Francois with Capital Plumbing. Seating is limited.

To reserve a spot, call 940-686-2639.

City of Tioga plans market

The next Tioga Farmers Market will be from 6-9 p.m. July 24 in Gene Autry Park. There will be local vendors, food, drinks and community fun. Live music will be provided by Ty Junah and the Young Guns.

Market on Main in Pilot Point

The next Market on Main in Pilot Point will be from 8 a.m.-noon July 25. Live music will be provided by Guitar George.

HOPE Food Ministry asks for food, clothing

The HOPE Food and Clothing Ministry is asking for nonperishable food items, clothing and personal care items at 819 Sherman Drive in Aubrey. Donations can also be dropped off at Keller Williams Realty, 806 S. U.S. 377 in Aubrey.

For more information or to donate online, go to hopefood.org.

Meals on Wheels needs drivers

Volunteer drivers are needed to deliver Meals on Wheels one day a week Monday-Friday for 2 to 2 1/2 hours from 10:15 a.m.12:45 p.m. in Aubrey, Krugerville and Pilot Point.

For more information, call Cindy Faris at 972-838-3259.

Around Town is published weekly. Submit information to abardwell@postsignal. com.

The start of the event was delayed because of a summer thunderstorm, but despite the weather, the Chandler Cabinets family, staff and community supporters came together at the Bridges Golf Course in Gunter to honor the memory of the Chandler Cabinets founder and family patriarch Clarence Ray “Buster” Chandler.

“We started the foundation to continue Dad’s work, and the amount of support we get is incredible,” Chandler Cabinets CEO Josh Chandler said. “The amount of support after three years seems like it's growing, and we’re thankful and blessed to have the community and friends stand behind Dad’s foundation. We want to continue what he started, and one of the best ways for us to do that is events like this.”

Chandler Cabinets COO Coby Chandler shared his appreciation for the event and its participants.

“We really owe everything to all the sponsors that come and help and the players that come out to play as well,” he said. “I’m also glad everyone hung around and that we were still able to play the tournament. Also, I want to thank the Bridges for allowing us to finish the tournament after all the rain.”

This year’s event hosted 36 teams and raised around $85,000 in charitable donations that will go toward continuing Buster’s legacy of giving to the Pilot Point community in the form of donations to the Shepherd’s Storehouse, Tunnels to Towers, the Pilot Point Fire Department and the Pilot Point Police Department.

Pilot Point Fire Chief Heath Hudson was on-site to share his appreciation for the event.

“Coby and Josh and everybody at Chandler Cabinets have been great supporters of the Pilot Point Fire Department for many years, and it’s been a great experience to be able to come and be a part of this,” he said. “[The Chandlers] sponsored our team and allowed us to come participate. I can’t explain what they and their support mean to us within our department.”

The tournament participants also competed in mini games like musical chairs, golf cart karaoke, a putting contest using building tools and soccer darts complete with a giant inflatable dartboard, with prizes for the winners of the mini games and for the winners of the tournament.

Wurth Louis and Company sponsored multiple prizes, and National Sales Director Lacey Osbon said they were happy to do it.

“[Chandler Cabinets] has been a great business partner and friend to us, so we wanted to help sponsor the tournament,” she said. “We sponsored all the hole-in-ones, and we’re just excited to be here, have fun and support the Chandler Cabinet Family.”

PointBank was represented by two teams at this year’s tournament, and PointBank Team No. 2 of Dustin Holdge, Chase Medler, Chandler Cooke and Rachael Hicks took home the crown.

“It’s just important to us to support the Chandlers and their family,” Holdge said. “We’ve known them a long time, and they’re a great partner for us at PointBank, and they’re great for the community. We love Josh ... and Coby, and we appreciate the long relationship that we’ve shared.”

That team opted to donate back the $1,000 in prize money they received, which meant a great deal to the family and the foundation organizers.

Year over year, the Buster Chandler Foundation draws in more donations, multiplying the good the organization can do in honor of its namesake.

Chandler family matriarch Vickie Chandler spoke on behalf of her late husband, Buster, and thanked everyone who helped make the third Buster Chandler Foundation Charity Golf Tournament the best yet.

“We’re just happy that we had a big turnout, and [Buster] would have loved it,” she said. “I’m sure he’s looking down and having fun watching us.”

- Martin Edwards & Paisley McGee, The Post-Signal