Bruce Croasdell & The YMCA : A Fond Farewell

I went to the Grand Prairie YMCA this week and my friend Bruce Croasdell the former executive director ,was not there . I miss Bruce . In the past month it has been a series of going away parties for Bruce culminating with a proclamation by the Grand Prairie Independent School District and a big party hosted by the City of Grand Prairie at the Ruthe Jackson Center .
Bruce brought a passion to deliver to our community . Bruce not only was a builder of bodies , he was a builder of character. It is people like Bruce that not only influence our young people to success , but he inspires people like me not to give up hope . In these days restlessness , you need to be able to hang your hat on the goodness of humanity.Bruce is no longer the executive director of the YMCA , because retirement calls , however Bruce will always be in the character building business. Thanks Bruce for being there , and oh yeah I will try to work out more .

Levi Stubbs 1936 – 2008

The Four Tops recently performed at the Nokia Theater . Levi Stubbs the lead singer did not perform as he was sick , shortly thereafter Mr. Stubbs passed away . The The following is the obituary from the Wikipedia web site .
Stubbs began his professional singing career with friends Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton to form the Four Aims in 1954. Two years later, the group changed their name to the Four Tops. The group began as a supper-club act before finally signing to Motown Records in 1963; by the end of the decade, the Four Tops had over a dozen hits to their name. The most popular of the Four Tops hits, all of which featured Stubbs on lead vocals, include "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", "It's the Same Old Song", "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Standing in the Shadows of Love", "Bernadette", "Still Water (Love)", and "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)".

Although Stubbs was a natural baritone, most of the Four Tops' hits were written in a tenor range to give the lead vocals a sense of urgency. Stubbs and the other Tops remained a team until Payton died in 1997, at which point Theo Peoples took his place. The Four Tops were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Benson also died on July 1, 2005. Levi Stubbs passed away after a long illness on October 17, 2008.

As an actor, he provided the voice of the carnivorous plant "Audrey II" in the movie version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Stubbs has also guest starred in a number of TV shows as himself.

Stubbs and his wife Clineice were married from 1960 until his death, and had five children. In 1995, Stubbs was diagnosed with cancer, and later, a stroke, and stopped touring. Since 2000, Theo Peoples has taken Stubbs' place as the lead singer of the Four Tops, with Ronnie McNeir taking the place that Payton originally held. Levi Stubbs died in his sleep on October 17, 2008 at his home in Detroit from his ailments. Abdul "Duke" Fakir is the only surviving member of The Four Tops original lineup.
following is a tribute to Mr. Levi Stubbs.

Temptations and Four Tops Come to Grand Prairie

I spent the Friday evening with 3 of my good friends , Mrs. Ruthe Jackson , the Clemson family ,and the Sala family . We had an exciting evening listening to the old school sounds of the Four Tops and the Temptations .I was surprised that even though both groups have lost some of their original members ,the sound was still awesome.The Motown sound is bigger than one man or one group ,its part of Americana ,and so is good friends.Thank you for both the friendship and the sounds of good music.
The music clips feature some of the original members of both groups , Turn up the music and enjoy!

Four Tops 2004 clip with Levi Stubbs who no longer longer tours:


This is the You Tube Temptations Tribute , enjoy the sounds!

America on The Move at the Grand Prairie YMCA

I attended the America on The Move program @ the Grand Prairie YMCA today . The Program was also attended by over 600 citizens this past Saturday , September 20 from 10:00-1:00 pm .
The kids had fun beating drums , dancing , face painting , eating hot dogs , and just being kids . The adults , well we had talking to the vendors , and participating in the adult information services. The vendors were led by ATT which debuted their Uverse product , many other vendors were there such as Camp Grady Spruce YMCA , Cedar Hill State Park , Grand Prairie Farmers Market , Chick Fil A , and many more .
The America on the Move program is a partnership between the YMCA and America on the Move.The program is designed to combat the obesity epidemic and get America Moving again. The following is a review from the America on the Move web site .

September is America On the Move’s national month long celebration highlighting the benefits of active living and healthy eating. While obesity rates are on the rise making these two small simple changes can help prevent the annual one to two pounds of yearly weight gain in adults:

1. Move More – take 2,000 additional steps each day
2. Eat Healthfully – Reduce your daily calorie intake by just 100 calories each day.

By entering the six-week STEPtember challenge (start date between August 17 - September 30), you will receive daily tips on nutrition and physical activity, have the ability to track your progress, and be eligible to win the grand prize.

Grand Prairie Rotary Update : Rotary Honors Jim Blackmore

Linda Elliot from the Grand Prairie Rotary is doing an excellent job of promoting Rotary and its principles .In a recent conversation she articulated the goals and why the Annual Golf Tournament is honoring one of Grand Prairie's finest citizens .
Join me and other Rotarians as we honor Jim and save the children.

"This year we are honoring Jim Blackmore (1946-2008), for his commitment to
public service and his significant contributions to the Grand
Prairie Community. Jim made things happen and wore a variety of hats,
serving as president of the Grand Prairie Rotary Club, board member of the
GPISD Education Foundation and GP Chamber of Commerce."

Tournament information: Oct 17. Advanced registration is requested. Shotgun
start at 8:00 a.m., with 4-person Florida Scramble. Awards for 1st & 2nd
place teams, Individual Awards for closest to the hole, longest drive and
putting contest.

Cost is $125 per player. Other sponsorship opportunities available. For
more information, call 972-237-8012.

Rotary International President D.K. Lee Speaks:

Grand Prairie Rotary Golf Tournament

The Grand Prairie Rotary Golf Tournament will be played October 17 ,2008 @ Prairie Lakes .It is the signature event for the Rotary club. The tournament is the primary fundraiser that supports are charitable efforts in Grand Prairie. The programs that we support include scholarships , tuberculosis screening , and free dental examinations for Grand Prairie Independent School District students.
I have been a member of Rotary for over a year ,and I have found my membership to be most beneficial.It truly is service over self.
Contact your local Rotarian for more details on the Golf Tournament . There will be regular updates on this blog site regarding the tournament in the upcoming weeks .

Fight at Night in GP

Grand Prairie played host to Oscar Da La Hoya's promotional " Golden Boy " productions . The fight night in Grand Prairie made history as the first organized professional fight in the city . Parking spaces were at a premium and cheers were at a maxium . I cheered the exploits of Jesse Lara from Dallas , and the 2004 Olympian Rock Allen from Philly , and many others .As a long time fight fan and student of the game , I was impressed by the fantastic crowd that cheered the warriors as they entered in the ring . This will not be the last time Oscar or anyone else will put on a fight in the metroplex . When they do the perfect venue is Grand Prairie.

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

My heroes have always been Cowboys. Dallas Cowboys that is . When I was a kid , one of the first Dallas Cowboys I met was Bob Hayes . It was 1967 and "Bullet" Bob Hayes was the reigning fastest man on the planet .I attended the school across the street from his house and it was routine for him to wave to us kids on our way home .
As a young man ,I idolized the original 88 , Drew Pearson , and cheered when he caught the "Hail Mary" pass from Roger Staubach. When Roger "the Dodger"retired , my devotion to the Dallas Cowboys did not. My high school year book contains a signed autographed picture of his successor Danny White .
Even in the lean years I cheered the Dallas Cowboys.I laughed during the torrid heat wave of 1980 when "Crazy Ray" Jones had an parka on as he whistled at commuters on Commerce Street while shivering during an 110 degree August day .Years later I mourned with the Jerry Jones family at the "Crazy Ray " memorial service, and shared my memories with the Jones family.I mourned in a different way the firing of Tom Landry , and welcomed Jimmy Johnson to the Dallas Cowboy family.I hoped he would return to us the glory days. I didn't have to wait long.
I had the pleasure of meeting all of the triplets on three occasions.I met Troy Aikman at a hospital ,met Emmitt Smith at a friends birthday party. Guess what ? Emmitt was a good dancer even back in the day. I talked to Michael Irvin about football and life.

I have gotten a little older , however my passion for football has not changed. I love football and Dallas Cowboy football in particular.I have done charity work with Larry Brown , discussed Machavelli with Calvin Hill.I have had the pleasure to know many of the Cowboys in other aspects of their live. A class act was Herschel Walker, who was always patient with the fans. Thank you Herschel , for allowing me time to share with your family at your book signing. There is obviously more to life than football ,but I want to thank all the Dallas Cowboys for providing joy in my life. From touring Valley Ranch with Robert Newhouse ,to talking about drug abuse with "Hollywood" Henderson, to telling Nate Newton that he had an imposter on MySpace , its a been quite a ride. It just leaves me to ask , "How about them Cowboys ? "

Ed Gray Congrats Grand Prairie Air Hogs

On behalf of all the fans I want to thank the Grand Prairie Air Hogs on a sucessful baseball season. What a great innagural season you have provided us. We all have cheered your exploits on the diamond. Inky and all the boys have done a fine job in representing Grand Prairie across the nation .Often times when you think of Grand Prairie in the news its an by thought .The Air Hogs have been our ambassadors to the nation ,continue my friends to be our ambassadors to greatness in Grand Prairie .

Ed Gray Tours the Grand Prairie Fire Department

Recently I took a tour of the Grand Prairie Fire Department .I applaud those brave men who take their lives in jeopardy to save our lives and property. One of the things that struck me as I toured the facility with Battalion Chief Rick Ledbetter , is that they give up a lot of family time to be with their extended family of firemen . Never have I seen such a dedicated band of brothers . The next time , these young men are at a street corner with a fire boot ,we must do more than the obligatory nod of appreciation . Thanks again Rick , thank you to all the fireman for all you do .

Prime Retail closes land deal for outlet shopping center in Grand Prairie

Prime Retail closes land deal for outlet shopping center in Grand Prairie

01:42 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 20, 2008
By SHERYL JEAN/ The Dallas Morning News
sjean@dallasnews.com
Developer Prime Retail said Wednesday it has closed on more than 64 acres in Grand Prairie to begin developing a 485,000-square-foot outlet shopping center.
Construction is set to begin this fall. Prime Outlets-Grand Prairie on Interstate 20 and State Highway 360 should be open in time for the 2009 holiday retail season. The shopping center will feature about 120 outlet stores, including anchors Neiman Marcus’ Last Call and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, an on-site food court and restaurant sites surrounding the outlet center.

Ed Gray Comments and Travels
I drove past the location for the shopping center . I am looking forward to the shopping center breaking ground . Grand Prairians need to spend more of their dollars in our city to increase the sales tax revenue . As our commercial property square footage increases , we can all rejoice that we have a progressive city council that wants to grow buisness in Grand Prairie .

Reunion Arena Going Out of Buisness

One of the metroplex's historical venues could possibly be closing down soon.The rising economic cost of hosting concerts at the cavernous Dallas facility and American Airlines Center contributed to the success of the Nokia facility in Grand Prairie.I look back on several great moments in sports history,and those wonderful concerts. The sports events ,watching the track stars of the 80"s ,the NBA All Star Game, (I still can't get over Spud Webb dunking)and my Mavericks,Ro,Derek ,and Mark,the original triplets.Wow the concerts of the past!Prince bringing in the New Year,Rick James and his infamous concerts,and Parliament Funkadelic opening up the arena. The long ago dates I had with my friends watching Luther, the Commodores ,Whitney and many others .Dreams die hard,memories linger on. As a seventeen year old ,I looked upon with pride,the diamond that was Reunion,today as a forty seven year old I wax nostalgically for the past.


By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com
Instead of a last hurrah, it was a last hallelujah for Reunion Arena.
Former home to the Mavericks' NBA playoff games and the Stars' Stanley Cup rally, the 28-year-old arena bowed out Saturday evening with "Noche de Sanidad y Mulagros," a Spanish-language evangelical revival hosted by California-based Una Voz Profetica a las Naciones, A Prophetic Voice for the Nations.
Prophet Adrian Amado predicted attendance at 13,000 for an evening "with the vision to help people with special needs by giving them words of hope and healing."
At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, an estimated 5,000 men, women and children were standing, clapping in rhythm . Admission was free.
Norma Smith has worked security at the arena and at other venues around town since 1993 and she doesn't like the idea of tearing the place down.
"The city should sell [Reunion] to somebody that will use it or lease it out," she said. "I'm very disenchanted."
After losing more than $6 million in the last five years hosting American Airlines Center's leftover events, Reunion's once-glamorous run may come to an end this month. The Dallas City Council is expected to vote Wednesday ,June 25 on shutting it down.

Grand Prairie TV Comes Alive

The GPTV web site has been up and running for several years now .
The city continues to search for the best qualified applicants to meet the requiremnets for our public service .
The web site gives information on the city services and is accessible for all those who have the internet . Check it out , its quite interesting . Ride the wave , and embrace technology.
http://www.gptx.org/
http://www.gptexas.com/
http://gptx.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=63

Lets Go to the YMCA

Last week , there was an unfortunate incident at the Grand Prairie YMCA . Our local police and the YMCA leaders have committed to provide the patrons with a safe enviroment to enjoy our wonderful community YMCA. We have a wonderful program that is bursting out with excitement ! In our local YMCA , I feel safe and secure as I try to will myself into a better fit body . Join me and my family as we all work out this summer . The YMCA is more than a building it is a way of life !

About The Y ..........
More than just a gym, a pool, or a place for fitness, the YMCA is a place where our highest priorities are placed on developing character and values. Our members experience a sense of belonging that can''t be found anywhere else!
Of course, we can take care of your wellness needs with group exercise classes, strength training and cardiovascular equipment. But at the YMCA, you''ll find so much more. We offer programs to members of all ages and abilities - like swim lessons, karate, child care, team sports, even homework help - just to name a few. We also provide opportunities for our members to give back to their communities through meaningful volunteer work. The Y offers fitness, family and community...all in one extraordinary place.

Airhogs Fly Into Town

Airhogs Fly Into Town

Jon Nielsen from the Dallas Morning News (DMN 05/16/08 edition ) contributed content for this blog.

When pigs fly ! They fly in Grand Prairie Texas . My home town recently built a 20 million dollar $tadium for a minor league baseball team , the name of the team Grand Prairie Air Hogs .
The Airhogs name come from the nickname pilots game themselves when they use to hog the airspace .
6000 plus Grand Prairie residents crowded into a ballpark Friday night that was less than 10 miles from were the Texas Rangers are playing against the Houston Astros .
The best is yet to come for this team and Grand Prairie . It seems like the whole town was cheering for the success of the team and the town.
The following is the story as reported by Jon Nielsen of the award winning Dallas Morning News :
Grand Prairie resident Ed Gray is among those who bought season tickets for the AirHogs' inaugural season. He'll be at QuikTrip Park for the first pitch tonight.
"I can't think of this weekend without my mom, apple pie and baseball," Mr. Gray said.
A 17-year resident of Grand Prairie, Mr. Gray said he remembers the buzz when the Lone Star Park horse-racing track opened in 1997. He said he feels the same way about QuikTrip Park.
"One of the things that I'm also excited [about] is the baseball they bring to the city is a family event," said Mr. Gray, who purchased three season tickets behind home plate. "You have a lot of crowd participation; the prices are reasonable. With the economy being the way it is now, you have to stretch the dollar."
The baseball stadium joins Lone Star Park and Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie's entertainment district off Belt Line Road. In addition to the AirHogs' sold-out home opener tonight, Nokia Theatre will host comedian George Lopez and Lone Star Park will have its nightly live horse races.