Retired Frisco banking executive turns thriller author with debut book

Frisco resident Richard "Ro” O'Connor is a published author. His debut book is a thriller called Bless Me Father For I Have Sinned. (Photo submitted by Mihoko Ward)

About a year ago, I visited Frisco for the very first time. I love a great cup of coffee, so I used the Yelp app on my phone to find the Global Peace Factory coffee shop.

As I enjoyed the coffee, I opened my iPad to look at Google Maps to figure out exactly where I was. I must’ve had a confused or lost expression on my face because that’s when a gentleman approached me and asked if I needed help with directions.

At that time, I was convinced that my future home would be in Texas. I just did not know exactly where. Richard “Ro” O’Connor said he was a local and knew a lot about Frisco, so I took his generosity to pick his brain about the area.

I learned that Ro had moved from Nebraska to the Dallas area when he was 8 years old. He started his banking career as a mail room clerk at age 20. By the time he was 27, he was promoted to executive vice president of the bank.

After his successful career as a banker, he decided to pursue his life’s dream to become a writer. From his impressive career, there is no question that he is a man of discipline and hard work.

“Working as a banker, I have been living in the left side of my brain — analytical… now I put my right brain to work — creativity,” Ro said.

Ro’s mother encouraged his interest in writing at a young age and he believed in his writing talent. When I first met Ro, he was not yet a published author, although he had already written five books by that time.

I recently moved to Frisco and I saw Ro at the same coffee shop.

He is now a published author. His first book, Bless Me Father For I Have Sinned, is a controversial thriller. It is the story of a criminal investigation of gruesome, serial clergy killings by a man who calls himself ‘God’s Avenger.’  The book explores the twisted psyche of the killer and the struggles of new police partners who go through tremendous pressure to solve the case while battling their own demons.

Once you start reading the book, you cannot put it down. There is no way for readers to guess how the story ends. Ro actually told me that when he is writing he does not even know the ending. He just writes the story as it comes into his head.

The writing is vivid and the characters are brilliantly drawn, so much so that I felt as if I was watching an intense thriller movie. Perfect read for Halloween!

Mihoko Ward is a financial advisor who was born in Japan. She recently moved to Frisco from San Francisco, Calif. 

Frisco-based nonprofit honors Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis, others at awards luncheon

Mo'ne Davis, who became the first girl to throw a shutout in the Little League World Series in August, was recently announced as the new Kid Ambassador for Frisco-based nonprofit, Play Like A Girl! (AP file photo)

The weather was perfect, the food delectably placed among a backdrop of playful pink decor as the feeling of childhood nostalgia filled the room on Oct. 24 at Play Like A Girl!’s 10th Anniversary Sweet Success Awards Luncheon.

I sat among a variety of philanthropic women from all over the Metroplex that sincerely wanted to support the agency’s efforts. Play Like A Girl! is a Frisco-based nonprofit agency whose mission is to inspire girls everywhere to live a happier, healthier and more active lifestyle by promoting physical activity as a path to health and success.

The event highlighted the nonprofit’s mission of educating young girls about the importance of healthy living while also providing information on donations, volunteerism, social campaigns and mentoring. By the end of the luncheon, everyone’s hearts were moved through the stories of those that have been impacted by the nonprofit.

The luncheon highlighted two programs offered by the agency to area students:

The Eat. Move. Play! Program which provides fun and healthy education including tennis for girls in grades Kindergarten through fifth and;

The Sugar & Spice Mentoring Program which builds self-esteem and improves eating behavior and physical activity for girls in grades sixth through 12.

The event was held at the Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco. It also promoted the social media campaign #WhenIWas10, which encouraged all to think back to the physical activities they enjoyed in their youth.

Continue reading →

Frisco Insiders discuss Halloween traditions in their neighborhoods

A jack-o-lantern from a past Halloween at Karen Samford's house. (Photo submitted by Karen Samford)

As a kid, I looked forward to Halloween not because of the candy, but the opportunity it afforded me to be whatever I wanted to be (OK, the candy was definitely a benefit).

Most of the time my characters were fashioned from old dance costumes (in a family with three girls in dance classes, there was a treasure trove of things to choose from).

With Halloween days away, Frisco Insiders share the can’t-miss events and what traditions the holiday brings in their family/neighborhood.

Karen Samford:

”In our neighborhood there have always been lots of little ones. Even before Veronica, Mike and I enjoyed staying here and seeing all the neighbors and the ever-changing assortment of costumes.

Last year, the cutest we saw was a 4-year-old dressed as a Rubik’s Cube that his parents had made. It was nothing more than an uncomfortable box and a means to get candy for him, but his parents were so proud.

Last year, Spider-Man ruled the streets for boys and there were more Dorothys than any other costume for girls. This year, we are betting on hazmat suits.

On our street, the adults bring chairs and refreshments into the front lawns where they can watch the parade of costumes and hand out candy.

In our family, we always do a Trick-or-Treat potluck dinner. A Crockpot or two of some kind of chili or soup and everyone else brings a side. That way there are plenty of adults to take the kids through the neighborhood and always someone left to hand out candy.”

 

Cindy Sampson's dog, Naughty, won the dog costume contest at Trick or Treat the Square on Oct. 26. (Photo submitted by Cindy Sampson)

Cindy Sampson:

“We went to the Trick or Treat the Square in Frisco on Oct. 26. It was packed and there were a ton of cute kids dressed in their costumes.

However, that wasn’t the only thing that was cute. There was a dog costume contest. We put our dog, Naughty in and she won. She is a Chiweenie and was dressed as a farmer’s daughter/Daisy Duke.

We will be doing this again next year. I hate that our kids are too old to participate, but we can always dress up our dog.”

Voting for late-night ordinance takes the ‘shackles off our entertainment industry’

Frisco voters will weigh in on late-night alcohol sales in the Nov. 4 election. Currently, bars and restaurants stop serving alcohol at midnight six days a week and at 1 a.m. on Saturdays. (DMN file photo)

When I moved to Frisco in 1999, I thought I’d left behind the “wacky liquor laws” of Utah for good. It was an eye-opening experience, then, when I stopped into the local grocery store and couldn’t find the beer section. A query of the manager was met with a cool gaze and an icy “we don’t sell beer in Frisco.”

Fast-forward a few years to Frisco’s first attempt to allow beer and wine sales within its borders. It seems, given our unique geographical position straddling the Denton/Collin County line, that we were ineligible to decide our own fate, as other Texas cities can. Undaunted, some of our intrepid politicians made a few trips down to Austin and we were granted a special dispensation from the Legislature to vote on that topic. It passed.

Next came the campaign to extend the closing time at our local watering holes to match that of our neighboring cities. Then, as now, Frisco eateries had to stop pouring at midnight six days a week and at 1 a.m. on Saturdays. So the City Council passed a measure in 2007 (Ordinance No. 07-08-37, to be precise) authorizing the sale of alcoholic beverages up until 2 a.m. any day of the week (the so called “Late Night Hours”).

But that didn’t last. A contingent of citizens felt that the City Council had overstepped its bounds. They put together a citizen’s referendum, drummed up enough votes and passed Ordinance No. 08-05-52 in 2008, which overturned the council’s decision. Back to square one.

Well… here we go again.

The City Council is now asking Frisco voters to overturn the 2008 ordinance that overturned the initial ordinance. Confused? You’re not the only one. The ballot measure reads:

An ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 08-05-52 of the City of Frisco, Texas, which repealed Ordinance No. 07-08-37 which authorized the sale of alcoholic beverages by holders of a Mixed Beverage Late Hours Permit until 2:00 a.m. on any day.

You’re then asked to vote for the ordinance, or against it.

So let’s be clear. Just voting for the ordinance, doesn’t mean we’ll get the late night hours. Not necessarily. What you’re really doing with a “for” vote is giving the City Council the authority to turn back the clock and reconsider its original ordinance. At that point it will, we suspect, add the issue to the City Council agenda, debate the relative merits, and either pass or reject the concept.

If the “against” side wins, things are a bit clearer … but only for now.

You see, this issue might be a short-term concern. According to the great State of Texas, once the population of any county reaches 800,000 souls in the U.S. census, the state’s 2 a.m. laws kick in automatically for all cities in that county. Collin County has already passed that number (although the law won’t go into effect until results come in for the 2020 Census). Denton County is expected to do so before the next census. So, regardless of what happens with this vote, in a few more years, we’ll likely have late-night drinking anyhow (at least in the eastern half of town).

Continue reading →

Video: Frisco, McKinney residents document journey to gold-medal win at skydiving championships

Members of Dallas 350, a Dallas-based skydiving team, earned a gold medal in their category last month at the United States Parachute Association National Skydiving Championship in Chicago. (See video above to view the jumps that brought home the gold)

The Dallas Morning News staff writer Caitlyn Jones recently talked to members of the team, which includes Frisco resident Scott Levy and McKinney resident Lucas King. (read the full feature here)

Levy said one of the most difficult parts of a skydiving competition is remaining focused.

“The hardest part is staying composed,” Levy told Caitlyn. “It’s very easy to get down or excited when you’re up there but neither are conducive to competition. Team cohesion is everything.”

Odysseus Chamber Orchestra begins its inaugural season in Frisco next week

The award-winning Odysseus Chamber Orchestra, led by Artistic Director and Conductor Jason Lim, will perform a concert in Frisco Nov. 1. (Photo submitted by Tammy Meinershagen)

The award-winning Odysseus Chamber Orchestra, led by Artistic Director and Conductor Jason Lim, has become one of the first residential orchestras in Frisco.

Founded in 2012 in Denton, the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra consists of 40 professional classical musicians from all over the North Texas area. Since its inception, the OCO has performed with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet, Christopher Deane, professor of percussion at the University of North Texas and Jeff Bradetich, world-renowned double bassist, featuring the popular Tango music of Astor Piazzolla.

Just recently, the OCO won second place in the 2014 American Prize Competition for professional orchestras, recognizing it as an emerging orchestra in the nation. Maestro Lim was awarded third place in the Conducting Division of the same competition in 2013.

I sat down with Lim to learn more about his background and Odysseus’ journey to Frisco.

Jason Lim is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra.

Born in Penang, Malaysia, Lim started playing the viola at age 12 and grew to love music.  He attended the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and then moved to Australia to earn his bachelor’s degree in viola performance at the Australian Institute of Music. He studied conducting at the Canberra School of Music and completed a year-long apprenticeship with the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra in Sydney.

Lim moved to the U.S. in 1997 and studied conducting at the University of North Texas. He won first prize in the New South Wales Ministry of Arts Conducting in 2001, served as Music Director of the NOVA ensemble and also as Assistant Conductor with the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra.

It wasn’t until Lim traveled to Ithaca, N.Y. for a conducting workshop that he realized he wanted to start an orchestra of his own. And much like Homer’s Odyssey, Ithaca became the conceptual birthplace of Odysseus.

Lim put his own savings into setting up a nonprofit status for the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra, recruiting professional players and paying each performer. In May 2012, the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra emerged onto the public scene, performing works of Mozart and Wagner at their first concert in Denton.

Continue reading →

Leadership Frisco offers behind-the-scenes access to city programs, officials

Members of the current Leadership Frisco class. The Frisco Chamber of Commerce program is in its 18th year. (Photo courtesy of Frisco Chamber of Commerce)

I learned about an interesting program from a new friend of mine. It just so happens that Debbie is a part of the current class for Leadership Frisco, a nine-month training program sponsored by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce geared toward leadership development, community outreach and teamwork among highly skilled individuals. As I listened to my friend speak about it, I had to learn more — I was intrigued (and maybe one day hoping to be a future student).

Once a month, the class meets for a different topic, and along the way participants work on a class project together. Topics include team building, social services, economic development, education, city government, regional information, public safety, health services and leisure/culture. It’s a broad spectrum, complete with insider access to both how things work and to the people who make it happen on a daily basis.

I reached out to Shona Huffman, the program’s staff liaison (and a graduate). She included Leadership Frisco Advisory Council Chair, Peter Burns (also a graduate) in the discussion. They gave me a great feel for the program, beyond what was already helpful from its website. I appreciate their time and willingness to give me such detailed information and it only further suggests that this is a strong program for local business and community leaders to strengthen their skills and meet others who are as enthusiastic about Frisco.

The program is in its 18th year, and Mayor Maher Maso was the original chair of the committee during the formation and foundation — the thought being that city leaders saw the need to have well-informed citizens ready to step into leadership roles now and into the future. As the city’s growth continues at its astronomical rate, it seems that group was not only right, but very smart to build a program that annually fosters new and emerging leadership.

Continue reading →

Pancake, the pig at Becky’s Hope, has a new girlfriend

Pancake (right) lays in the shade at Becky's Hope Horse Rescue with Marshmallow (left), his new girlfriend. Pancake and Marshmallow were both rescued by Sue Chapman to live on the ranch in Frisco. (Photo courtesy of Becky's Hope Horse Rescue)

You might remember the story from earlier this month about Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue, and the menagerie of animals you’ll meet there, including Pancake, the lonely pot belly pig rescued from the Garland dog pound.

I got good news from Sue Chapman, the president of Becky’s Hope, this morning: Pancake has a girlfriend named Marshmallow.

After the story ran in neighborsgo, Chapman said she was inundated with calls asking about Pancake. “Are you a horse rescue or a pig rescue?” they asked. (To be clear, she’s a horse rescue, but Pancake and Marshmallow were too cute to turn down.)

Chapman soon had three candidates for Pancake’s mate, but a white pig with four-inch hooves that made it hard to stand or walk and eyes swollen nearly shut won her heart. She was depressed and living alone in Lewisville, just like Pancake.

“She was the one who needed us the most, even if she wasn’t the cutest,” Chapman said. Marshmallow, who the humans at Becky’s Hope affectionately call Mellie, cried the first three days in Frisco. Chapman stayed outside in the rain all night to keep her calm.

For Pancake, it was love at first oink.

He’s given up his little “condo” shack to stay outside with Mellie, who’s too big to get into his shelter. They work out together, playing in the mud and eating healthy to help Mellie lose some weight. Chapman also reports that Mellie has been spayed, so the couple won’t need to worry about unexpected piglets in the future.

Just like Pancake, she loves belly rubs, although it took five days for her to be comfortable enough to let Chapman touch her. Veterinarians are coming out to Becky’s Hope to help Mellie get healthier, Chapman said, but she’s already become quite a star on the ranch.

“Pancake is much more handsome, but she’s so ugly she’s cute,” Chapman said. “Who knew there were so many pig lovers?”

Allen-Frisco-McKinney neighborsgo editor Charles Scudder can be reached at 214-977-8778.

Frisco ISD offers another cheerleading opportunity for elementary students

Wakeland High School will host their Little Miss Cheer on Nov. 1. Cheerleaders from the freshman, JV and varsity squads will teach elementary school students in two sessions from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m or 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.(Photo submitted by Genna Corwin)

Whether your budding cheerleader recently attended Little Miss Cheer at Frisco High School or they missed it, there is another opportunity to learn cheers, chants and jumps taught by National Cheerleaders Association award-winning cheerleaders.

Wakeland High School will host its Little Miss Cheer on Nov. 1. Cheerleaders from the freshman, junior varsity and varsity squads will teach elementary-school students in two sessions from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m  or 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This is the ninth year for Wakeland’s Little Miss Cheer event and it typically averages around 225 participants. Although most of the little cheer fans are from Wakeland’s six feeder schools, the clinic is open to students from any school in any district.

“The primary goals of Little Miss Cheer are to provide community outreach and encourage school spirit,” said Kate Montgomery, Wakeland Cheer Booster Club president. “We expect this clinic and the performance at the varsity game will get younger students excited about attending Wakeland in the not-to-far-off future.”

The $40 cost also includes a cheer T-shirt, pom poms, a megaphone and admission to Wakeland’s Nov. 7 varsity football game. At the game, Little Miss Cheer participants will show off their skills and routine throughout the first half.

The booster club is also asking for toiletries, cleaning supplies and condiments, which will be donated to Frisco Family Services.

For more information on Wakeland’s Little Miss Cheer, visit wakelandcheer.org. And in order to ensure accurate quantities of shirts, please register your child by Oct. 27.

Genna Corwin has a degree in English. She grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., but now calls Frisco home.  She enjoys writing about everything from interior design and career staffing to all things Frisco. 

Free impact concussion screenings to be held at new Frisco emergency center

Elite Care Emergency had its ribbon-cutting Thursday. (Elite Care on Facebook)

Elite Care Emergency will offer free impact concussion screenings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 9255 Dallas Parkway in Frisco.

The emergency care facility had its ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. It will officially open to the public next week, but will hold a pre-opening event Saturday that includes free impact concussion screenings, blood pressure testing and tours of the facility.

To learn more, visit elitecareemergency.com.