Parr Library Offers Job Hunting Class

For Immediate Release   Jan. 12, 2010

Tammy Korns
Plano Public Library System
Ph. (972) 769-4211

Looking for Work?
Parr Library Offers Job Hunting Class

Plano Public Library System will present a Job Search class on Tuesday, Jan. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Parr Library, 6200 Windhaven Parkway. The free class will offer information about resources, using e-mail effectively and preparing for an interview.

Participants will also receive information about Tutor.com, a database available to library cardholders, which offers online real-time help with writing resumes and cover letters.

For further information, visit www.planolibrary.org or call (972) 769-4300.

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Dances from Around the World Featured at the PLANO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

For Immediate Release    October 9, 2009

Contact:
Linda Adler, VP, Publicity, PIFC
Plano International Festival Corp.
214-244-9560, Linda-adler@hotmail.com

TANGO to the HULA, Dances from Around the World Featured at the PLANO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

This Saturday, October 10, downtown Plano’s Haggard Park will come alive with the sights and sounds of the world as local cultural groups take to the stage in colorful costumes to share their music and dance traditions. Feathered Aztec headdresses, German dirndls, Scottish kilts, and Indian saris will be among the many cultural costumes on display from 11:00am – 5:00pm. See below for a complete listing of performances.

The festival will begin with a Parade of Nations featuring over 80 international flags. Then up to 75 people will be sworn in as new citizens in a Naturalization Ceremony, with Plano Mayor Phil Dyer, Mrs. International Armaiti Shahidi, and UTD School of Management Dean Hasan Pirkul addressing the candidates. The Dallas Black Dance Theater Academy will then kick off the continuous multicultural performances, which will also include the Scottish Highland Dancers, Oksana Cobb’s Tango & ChaCha Studio, and Hawaiian dancing with Keola’s Hula Halau.

Festival visitors can browse cultural displays and shop for treasures from around the globe in the cultural booth area. Kids can explore the world in the Children’s Workshop area, featuring a unique mix of nearly 30 free hands-on craft projects and demonstrations. Kids can explore a Nigerian village, test musical instruments, paint Turkish tiles, learn Tae Kwon Do moves, try soccer kicks, and create craft projects from South Africa, France, China and Latin America. All receive a Festival Passport to get stamped at various country booths.

Attendees can stroll across Avenue H to the Courtyard Theater, where the Festival’s second International Art Exhibit is on display. It features a collection of works in oil, acrylic, ceramic, pastel and watercolor. The artists, all residents of Plano and surrounding communities, are from the US, Asia, Europe and Latin America. The exhibit is open daily through October 30 and is being held in conjunction with the Plano Art Association.

Rounding out the fun, the international food court will offer cuisine from eight cultures—Pakistan, Thailand, the Mediterranean, Puerto Rico, the US, Mexico, Poland and India.

The Festival will again be a green event—all attendees will be asked to sort their trash into organic, recyclable and regular trash bins. The Festival is providing all food court vendors with 100% biodegradable plates, bowls and utensils. The plates and bowls are made from sugarcane fibers and decompose more quickly even that uncoated paper plates. The utensils, called “spudware”, are made from potato starch, and will completely decompose. At the 2008 festival, over 50% of all waste generated was either composted or recycled due to this program. The Festival won the City of Plano’s Environmental Star of Excellence award for its efforts.

Event Program – All performances will take place at the Gazebo Stage
11:00 Parade of Nations
11:15 Opening Ceremony — Remarks by Plano Mayor Phil Dyer, Festival President Graciela Katzer and MCOR Co-Chair Dr. Christopher A. Parr
Naturalization Ceremony — Special remarks by Hasan Pirkul, Dean, School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas
Special Guests — Mrs. International 2009, Armaiti Shahidi Fitzgerald, and young prodigy saxophonist Matthew Babineaux
11:50 Dallas Black Dance Theater Academy
12:05 Latin Dancing with Oksana Cobb’s Tango & ChaCha Studio
12:15 Indian Dance with TKG Academy
12:25 Dr. O’s Medicine Show — Americana
12:35 International Fashion Show
1:15 Sa’diyya & the Art of Belly Dance
1:30 Argentinean Dances with the Argentine Cultural Foundation
1:40 Music from South Africa with Boitumelo
1:50 Plano Senior High German Folk Dancers
2:00 Ollin Tonalzin Aztec Dancers
2:15 Action Martial Arts
2:25 Chinese Dances with the Jasmines
2:35 Hawaiian Dancing with Keola’s Hula Halau
2:50 Scottish Dancing with The Dallas Highland Dancers
3:00 Turkish Dances with the Raindrop Foundation
3:10 “I Piccoli Colori” with the Italian Club of Dallas
3:20 Korean Multicultural Dance Team
3:30 Party Time featuring DJ Adam and the PIFC Rockers!

Email: info@PlanoInternationalFestival.org • Website: www.PlanoInternationalFestival.org

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Plano Animal Services Reports Rabies Positive Bat

For Immediate Release Contact:
Sept. 10, 2009 Sherry Smith
Animal Services Supervisor
Phone: (972) 769-4373

Plano Animal Services Reports Rabies Positive Bat

The City of Plano Animal Services Division has received notification that a bat in the 1900 block of Antwerp tested positive for Rabies from the state laboratory in Austin. It is believed that no people or pets were directly exposed to the bat before Animal Services removed it.

Bats in particular are at a high risk of spreading Rabies. With this in mind, Animal Services would like to offer these helpful tips to prevent Rabies.

1) Do not touch injured, sick or dead bats. Contact Plano Animal Services at (972) 769-4360 for help.
2) If you or your pets have had contact with a bat, contact Animal Services immediately at (972) 769-4360. Bat bites are not always visible so do not assume that no bite occurred if you can’t see a wound.
3) Teach children to avoid contact with bats.
4) Keep the Rabies vaccinations of all family pets current.

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A Million Minutes and Counting

For Immediate Release   Aug. 3, 2009

Contact:
Tammy Korns
Plano Public Library System
Phone: (972) 769-4211

A Million Minutes and Counting

Plano Public Library System’s summer reading program is going strong with more than 1 million minutes of reading logged in the children’s program. The teen and adult programs continue to add participants, with teens logging activities and adults logging book titles read.

The summer reading program deadline has been extended until August 15 to allow more people to participate, and for those currently registered to log more time.

All readers who complete a log are entered into a drawing: children are entered to win an MP3 player, teens are entered to win a Best Buy gift card and adults are entered to win a Brinker Restaurant gift card. There will be multiple drawings for each group to allow for more winners. Children and teens also receive a variety of freebie coupons from local merchants upon completion.

Funding from Friends of the Plano Public Library supports summer reading and has allowed all five Plano libraries to offer a multitude of performers, movies and game days free to families this summer.

For more information and to sign up for summer reading, log on at www.planolibrary.org.

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Plano Quick Link Makes Finding Regularly Needed Information Easier

For Immediate Release June 18, 2009

Contact:
Monique Coleman
Neighborhood Planner
Phone: (972) 941-5397

Plano Quick Link Makes Finding Regularly Needed Information Easier

Today the City of Plano Neighborhood Planning Program activated a
new Web address at www.planoquicklink.org. The new page offers a one-stop shop for a variety of procedural information to help residents find specific information more quickly.
www.planoquicklink.org features links directly to information a resident can use, such as reporting a street light out, finding a homeowner’s association, reporting a property standards complaint, filing a traffic enforcement request and much more. It’s a collection of the most requested City information organized to quickly route residents to information addressing concerns and answer questions effectively and efficiently.

Check out www.planoquicklink.org today. For additional information on Plano and all of the programs and services offered in our All-America City visit www.plano.gov.

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DRIP DROP, WASTE NOT

For Immediate Release   May 1, 2009

Contact:
Melinda Haggerty  Sustainability Communications Coordinator
Sustainability & Environmental Services
Phone: (972) 769-4391 Cell: (214) 649-1895

DRIP DROP, WASTE NOT

It has been utilized for centuries across the globe. Native Americans and early settlers relied on it for drinking, landscape watering and agricultural uses. What is it? Rain water harvesting.

Want to learn how to capture some of that rainy day water for use in the hot summer months ahead? Learn Green to Live Green – “Rain Water Harvesting: Every Drop Counts!” will teach residents how to start and where to find materials for rain water harvesting in Texas.

Free to the public, the class will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 18 at the Maribelle M. Davis Library located at 7501-B Independence Pkwy. in Plano. Speaker Erin Hoffer, City of Plano Environmental Educator and Rain Water Harvesting Specialist, will share the benefits of rain water harvesting and demonstrate how to set up a system # in your backyard.

Harvesting rain water offers many advantages: it conserves municipal and well water, it is free, it is low in salts and good for plants, and it can reduce flooding and erosion. Rain water also provides an excellent primary, supplementary or alternative source of water.

“Because rainfall is so beneficial and a precious resource, property owners should capture as much rainwater as possible before it runs down the street,” Hoffer says. “But harvesting systems don’t have to be expensive or complicated. It’s easy to get started and use local resources in economical, sustainable ways.”

The Learn Green to Live Green series is a partnership between the Plano Libraries and the Environmental Education and Community Outreach Division. For more information, contact Deb Bliss at (972) 769-4313 or visit www.livegreeninplano.com.

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Relocate America Honors Plano

Relocate America Honors Plano in America’s Top 100 Places to Live
For Immediate Release   April 22, 2009

Contact:
Susan Helt
Public Information Director
Phone: (972) 941-7315

Relocate-America Honors Plano in “America’s Top 100 Places to Live”

Plano has been selected as one of “America’s Top 100 Places to Live” by
RelocateAmerica.com. The annual listing provides relocating consumers and area residents with access to local community resources.

“We are ecstatic that Plano is being recognized as a great place to relocate. As a City, we work hard to provide community amenities that are both desirable and accessible for the diverse residents we serve. We try to create an environment that is ripe for growing a business or a family,” said Plano City Manager Tom Muehlenbeck.

RelocateAmerica’s criterion for the list was focused on future growth and ability to rebound from these unsteady economic times. The review panel evaluated government and business leadership in each community. They looked for visionary programs such as “Live Green in Plano.”

Plano was nominated and Relocate-America’s editorial team selected it based on interviews with local leaders, feedback from residents and economic, environmental, education, crime, employment and housing data for the past year.

The complete Top 100 List along with community profiles, photos and video can be viewed at http://top100.relocate-america.com/

RelocateAmerica is operated by trueV New Media Group. Relocate America is a leading online relocation resource having served millions of consumers annually since 1997.

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Clark High School Student Collapses During Workout

For Immediate Release April 3, 2009

Contact:
Captain Peggy Harrell Plano Fire Department Phone: (972) 816-8187

Clark High School Student Collapses During Workout

On April 2, 2009, at 6:05 p.m. Plano Fire Department crews were dispatched to Plano
East Senior High School where a 16-year-old male had collapsed while working out
during football practice. The student was a sophomore attending Clark High School in Plano.

Upon the fire department’s arrival a Plano Independent School District coach and trainer were performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) on the student. The school’s AED (automated external defibrillator) had been used on the student as well.

Plano Fire Department crews took over care of the patient and transported him to Medical Center of Plano where he later died. His body has been transferred to the Collin County Medical Examiner.

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Texas SmartScape – Save Money and Water, Naturally

For Immediate Release   March 6, 2009

Contact:
Melinda Haggerty
Sustainability Communications Coordinator
Sustainability & Environmental Services
Phone: (972) 769-4391 Cell: (214) 649-1895

Texas SmartScape – Save Money and Water, Naturally

Your landscaping can save you money and conserve water when you practice Texas SmartScape techniques. Local landscaping expert, Bonnie Reese, will present two free seminars on planning a water-wise landscape on Saturday, March 14 at the Plano Municipal Center, Council Chamber, 1520 K Ave., Plano.

While admission is free and no pre-registration is required, seating is limited. The first 150 participants receive a free copy of Common Sense Landscaping (one per household). Everyone attending the event will be eligible to win a personal landscaping consultation
worth $175.

Landscape Design, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., teaches the basics of good landscape design.
Fantastic Plants for North Texas, 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., is a compelling slideshow replete with the rich colors of Texas friendly plants and flowers. If you’re sensitive to Texas heat and prefer an indoors perspective of the great outdoors, then this “armchair tour” of drought-tolerant native and adapted plants is the perfect solution. Reese’s common-sense approach to gardening is consistent with Texas SmartScape practices. If saving time, money, effort and water are important, then be smart, and plant a Texas-friendly landscape.

For more information about Texas SmartScape programs and other educational opportunities, visit www.livegreeninplano.com.

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Home Energy Workshop Provides Tools to Save Energy

For Immediate Release   February 7, 2009

Contact:
Melinda Haggerty
Sustainability Communications Coordinator
Sustainability & Environmental Services
Phone: (972)769-4391 Cell: (214)649-1895

Home Energy Workshop Provides Tools to Save Energy

High energy bills have you in the dark? The City of Plano and Elliott’s Hardware come
together for a free Do-It-Yourself Energy Efficiency Workshop which will shed new light
on simple steps to save energy, save money and save the environment.

This series of how-to seminars will give in-depth information about making basic energy efficiency adjustments to a home. Residents attending the seminar will receive a free tool kit of materials to help implement a few changes in their homes.

Choose from four dates:
Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 7 from 9-10 a.m.
Saturday, Mar. 14 from 9-10 a.m.

Elliott’s Hardware in Plano is located at 2049 Coit Road on the NW corner of Coit and Park Blvd.

Only Plano residents who participate in the seminar will receive a tool kit. Residents from other cities may RSVP to attend a seminar, but tool kits will not be available to them. Plano residency will be verified with a current Driver’s License and utility bill with matching address.

RSVP is required and spaces are limited. To register for a class contact Melissa Baird at (972) 769-4132. For more information visit www.livegreeninplano.com.

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