THE hottest color for fall or at least for October will be pink. This year, don’t wear it mindlessly.  Make a commitment that for every little pink ribbon you see/wear, for every pink t-shirt you don you will be AWARE.  For many years now we talk boldly about Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it is time to be completely sure we all understand what we want to be AWARE of.  Be Aware that the best way to fight breast cancer is to have a plan that helps detect the disease in its’ early stages.   Be Aware that you must start your Early Detection Plan today.  Be Aware that you must be consistent with your plan.

Early detection
One of the earliest signs of breast cancer can be an abnormality that shows up on a mammogram before it can be felt. The most common signs of breast cancer are a lump in the breast; abnormal thickening of the breast; or a change in the shape or color of the breast. Finding a lump or change in your breast does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer. Additional changes that may also be signs of breast cancer include:
•  Any new, hard lump or thickening in any part of the breast    •  Change in breast size or shape
•  Swelling, redness or warmth that does not go away    •  Pulling in of the nipple
•  Pain in one spot that does not vary with your monthly cycle    •  Clinical Breast Exams
•  An itchy, sore or scaling area on one nipple    •  Self Breast – Exams
•  Dimpling or puckering of the skin    •  Mammograms
•  Nipple discharge that starts suddenly and appears only in one breast

According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.  One in eight women will be diagnosed during their lifetime.  Over 30% of women are diagnosed after breast cancer has spread beyond the localized stage.  When detected early (localized stage), the 5-year survival rate is 98%.  All breast cancer success rates have soared; early detection increases all the successes. You have probably heard all or most of this before, but now it is time to make a decision today to become a statistic…be one of the women who take charge of their breast awareness plan and be a positive statistic.

Be sure to read the Headrush Salon article on page 29!  The Salon is hosting a hair show to benefit the Susan G Komen foundation.  The finale is a drawing for a new Sea Doo Jet Boat donated by Jerry Whittle Boats.  Kudos to Headrush the Salon and Jerry Whittle Boats for being community leaders in the Breast Cancer Fight.

Vanpools are DCTA’s vantastic new way of giving you a comfortable, cost-effective and convenient way to get to work. Ideal for groups of six to 15 people, vanpools reduce stress, help the environment and save you money.

Employees: Come Together, Ride Now.
Does traffic make your head spin? Vanpools are DCTA’s vantastic new way of giving you a comfortable, cost-effective and convenient way to get to work. Ideal for groups of six to 15 people, vanpools reduce stress, help the environment and save you money.

If you live or work in Denton County, you can start a vanpool through your employer or create one of your own for as little as $64.29 per person per month for an eight-passenger van and $33.79 per person per month for a 15-passenger van. Wheelchair accessible vans are also available for an additional fee. You’ll still save a lot of cash, especially with DCTA covering half the fuel expenditures. On average, vanpool participants cut their commute costs by many hundreds of dollars per year.

DCTA offers vanpool drivers a month-to-month lease on passenger vans that includes maintenance, roadside assistance, and insurance costs. If you are part of our vanpool program, you can also take advantage of our Guaranteed Ride Home program, ensuring that you will always be able to get home when you need to. Vanpooling makes your commute easier, puts money back in your pocket – and takes care of you.

Employers: Power to the People – and the Bosses.
Employees are not the only ones to benefit from this program. First off, the federal government offers some tax benefits that could save employers money. If you help subsidize the vanpool cost for your employees, you could be eligible for a tax deduction on the amount provided. Plus, if you already help pay for parking costs, needing fewer spots will help reduce your bottom line. Not to mention the benefits you will get by having happier employees!

To get a vanpool started for yourself or your employees, call 972.221.4600.

Looking for a family friendly place to spend quality time? Perhaps you are looking for resources to assist with your job search?  Have you visited your local library lately?  The Denton County Libraries are busier than ever during these challenging times! Families are borrowing books and DVDs instead of buying them, the unemployed search and apply for jobs utilizing the library’s computer and broadband, and parents are taking their children to libraries for recreation.  But as municipalities must look for ways to cut spending, the libraries are unfortunately one of the targets.

Most recently and closest to home, funding for Denton County public libraries was cut for next year by 5%, at a time when the use and needs of the libraries continue to rise.  POINTBank, a local community bank, has made the Denton County Library System its major philanthropic focus, and is committed to raising funds to maintain and grow library resources and services, and impact library-based literacy programs.

POINTBank has supported the Denton County libraries for over 20 years.  Raymond David, the bank’s CEO states, “We believe strongly that libraries serve a critical role in fostering a prosperous, successful and healthy future for the local communities.”  As their major fundraising effort, POINTBank hosts an annual charity golf tournament benefiting literacy and the Denton County Libraries.

Donations from the event have contributed to building expansion and improvements, technology, books, job search tools for unemployed citizens, reading programs for children, and child education and development, just to name a few.

“The Denton Public Libraries used the grant from PointBank to fund the Summer Reading Club Program, with approximately 4,582 people benefiting through the program this year”, stated Eva Poole, Director of Libraries for the City of Denton.

This year, in celebration of the event’s 20th Anniversary, it is being held at The Cowboys Golf Club, a premier resort-style, daily fee course and the world’s first NFL-themed golf course, in Grapevine on Saturday, September 18th.  The format is a 4-person scramble with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m.  The player fee of $150 or $500 per team includes a full hot breakfast, round of golf with cart, and unlimited non-alcoholic beverages and food on the course. After the tournament, each player will receive a commemorative team photo and attend a celebratory luncheon where cash prizes will be awarded. “You can’t even play at the Cowboys Golf Club for $150”, said Deke Alexander, coordinator of the tournament, “when you add all the extras, this package is worth over $200 plus it goes to a very worthy cause”.

Ray David, POINTBank President, expresses the importance of this effort.  “This year it is even more imperative that we raise as much as possible to assist the libraries in providing the services and resources to which the citizens of our community have grown accustomed.”

To help the libraries and POINTBank celebrate 20 years of fundraising efforts, to learn more about the tournament, or to register as a player or sponsor, please call Milly French at 940-686-7000 or visit www.POINTBank.com

by Taryn McColpin

Ahhh…August.  Backyard gardens are giving up their crops, and pantries are filling with jewel-toned glass jars of canned goods.  The air is ripe with the sound of ice cream truck music, air conditioner hum, childrens’ swimming pool squeals, and…cell phone ringtones?

As recently as 60 years ago, some places in this country did not even have landline phones. This is the story of The Time The Phones Went On In Texas.

Once upon a time, there was little girl who lived on a farm waaaay out in the country, on Garrett’s Creek Road, with her grandparents.  She spent her days playing with baby chicks and climbing the peach tree behind the farmhouse, which was covered in hot pink blossoms and butterflies in the spring, and carefully-avoided reddish fruits in the summer.

On a steamy day in July, the bushel baskets and Mason jars were pulled from the dry cellar, and Mammaw walked the path to the peach tree in her sundress and wide-brimmed hat. Carefully inspecting for worms, she dropped the winners into the baskets, and soon the kitchen counter was covered with piles of fruit.  The little girl watched from her yellow metal chair-stool, wistfully yearning to help Mammaw can the peaches, but such a dangerous process is not for the young.

Soon the big black cookpot of peaches was boiling away to help with the peeling process, the scented steam roiling above it, then they were cut in half, pitted, stowed away in the hot Mason jars, and carefully lowered into the canner, with its ominous-looking gauge on top.  After what seemed like hours but was only ten minutes, the weight on the lid began its jiggling dance and off went the fire. More “hours” for the pressure to subside, then the golden jars were carefully lifted from the canner and set on hotplates to cool, covered with dish towels. The little girl had been told that this was important, in case one of the jars exploded, and when she saw a towel slip off, she leaned over from her perch to re-cover the jars, and….bang! Too far of a reach, too top-heavy of a stool, and down she went.

Mammaw turned around at the noise and saw her unconscious baby lying on the floor, a knot already forming on her forehead.  Panicked, she scooped her up in her arms, calling out her name, and when no response came she ran cold water in the tub and immersed the fully-clothed child, hoping to waken her.  Still no response, and with the girl again in her arms, she ran out the door and down the rock road, not noticing the rocks cutting into her bare feet. The closest neighbor, the local nurse, lived an eighth mile away, and Mammaw flew there on wings of adrenaline and love.  By the time she arrived, the child was awake; the diagnosis, possible concussion and “keep her off high stools.”

In those days, telephones were an option and a luxury, not the necessity they have become, and the small and poor country community had seen no need for the expense. But the little girl’s fall, and the cloud of “what might have been,” put things in a different light.  Within the month, phone lines were in, and Garrett’s Creek Road was connected to the rest of the country.

Nowadays, there is no longer a landline at the old farmhouse.  Everyone who lives there has a cell phone, connecting them not only to the country, but to the world.  The rock road is paved, the peach tree is gone, but a little girl’s memory of peaches – and love – lives on.

by Leigh Anne Gullett, FC Dallas

America’s “New” Sport

It’s the biggest sporting event on the planet. Only 32 countries qualify for the FIFA World Cup every four years and only seven countries have claimed the trophy in the tournament’s 80-year history. With 205 nations competing, simply qualifying for the tournament, a three-year process,  is challenging. The United States shocked World Cup favorite England in 1950 with a stunning 1-0 win at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil’s Belo Horizonte. Author Geoffrey Douglas later chronicled the upset in his book The Game of Their Lives, which was later made into a film of the same name. However, the celebration was short lived as the Americans failed to qualify for another World Cup until 1990, 40 years later.

My, how times have changed. Only seven countries have qualified for the last SIX World Cups (1990-2010) and the United States is part of this elite group.  Those countries are Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain, South Korea plus the U.S.  The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa garnered unprecedented attention in the United States. From telecasts to radio to newspapers, magazines and blogospheres, the World Cup mattered more than ever before on American soil. Why now? For one, the U.S. National Team is better than ever. The birth of Major League Soccer in 1996 and its subsequent growth has seen matching progress for the U.S. National Teams. Since MLS began in 1996, the U.S. has qualified for all four World Cups. Of the 30 players who participated in the final U.S. World Cup training camp (including FC Dallas defender Heath Pearce and former FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson), 23 either currently play or have played in MLS. Of the final 23 players, 17 have MLS ties. Thanks to MLS, the American player is better than ever before and earning a spot on the final 23-man roster has become more and more difficult with increased competition for fewer spots.

No one understands just how elusive those final 23 roster spots are better than Dallas’ Heath Pearce. The 25-year-old defender has 32 caps with the U.S. National Team and made 11 appearances in 2010 World Cup qualifying matches. Only nine defenders made the 30-man preliminary roster for the U.S., including Pearce. Only seven defenders made the final 23-man USMNT roster for South Africa. Worldwide, there are only 736 players on a 2010 FIFA World Cup roster. Broadening the view beyond just the U.S. National Team, MLS has players representing England (an injured David Beckham is serving as a member of his country’s technical staff), Honduras, New Zealand and Mexico. L.A. Galaxy captain Landon Donovan is widely regarded as the best U.S. player and is joined on the squad by Galaxy teammate Edson Buddle and MLS stars Jonathan Bornstein and Robbie Findley.

Brazil is the host country for the 2014 World Cup and FC Dallas has quite a few young stars, like Pearce, who should be in the mix. There’s 18-year-old phenom Bryan Leyva (Mexico) and young U.S. stars Brek Shea (20), Dax McCarty (22) and Kyle Davies (21). Exactly who will form the next generation of American soccer stars? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, we have a front row seat in Texas.

by Mark S. Stegman, Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Mark.s.stegman@ampf.com

Before you walk down the aisle

They say love is blind, which may help to explain why so many couples enter into marriage without regard to their financial compatibility. Sadly, money and financial stress are leading causes of marital problems and divorce. So while many brides and grooms would rather spend time selecting the right reception hall or perfecting their guest list, financial fidelity should take precedence over wedding planning. To improve your chances of a happy, healthy and stable marriage, your first order of business should be to reveal the whole truth about your finances to one another. Here are some steps you can take to nurture monetary policies that are as compatible as your hearts.

Reveal your debt. It’s only fair to let your future spouse know your entire financial history.  This includes whether you are carrying debt from credit cards, student loans or car loans or have financial obligations to family or friends. Exchange information about income and expenses to get an idea of how well your combined household will manage from a financial perspective.

Share attitudes, aspirations and expectations.  It’s not unusual for couples to have vastly different ideas about how best to earn, spend or save money, and it’s important to realize a wedding ring won’t magically resolve your differences.  Talk openly about your thoughts and feelings about money. How important is it to you? What kinds of financial habits do you have? Scrutinize spending behavior and look for potential conflicts in how you handle money. Ask the tough questions, including what each of you expects from the other in the money department. Talk about your career goals, including potential for future income growth and whether one of you plans to take time off from a career to help raise a family. Decide whether you will you share everything or maintain separate savings and checking accounts. Ongoing communication and compromise are key.

Develop a plan. Call on an expert for this one. Enlist a financial advisor to help you evaluate your financial future together. This person can make recommendations based on your goals and dreams in the context of your current financial reality. In addition to offering strategies to help you save more and in the right places, an advisor can recommend strategies to help protect your future, such as obtaining appropriate levels of life and disability insurance and creating a will.

Do it together. For richer or for poorer, your future spouse will be your financial partner in life. Maintaining open communication and candor about your finances—even through tough times—will help strengthen your trust in one another and improve your ability to realize the dreams you both share.