It’s been almost a year since I joined the team as an assistant editor and became a “neighborsgo newbie.”

My first official story was covering the retirement celebration for former Highland Park ISD superintendent Cathy Bryce.

I was so excited and ready to begin my much-anticipated career as an editor, and I couldn’t wait to write stories that made a community impact.

In April, I was promoted to Mesquite editor, a position that allowed me to produce a weekly edition of community-centric news, photos and events. It just couldn’t get any better.

So this moment is bittersweet, because Sept. 18 marks my last day as Mesquite editor for neighborsgo, a season in my life that I will never forget. I learned so much from a great boss in Managing Editor Oscar Martinez and an awesome neighborsgo staff – it’s truly been an amazing experience.

I’m also going to miss working with the wonderful people of Mesquite, Balch Springs and Sunnyvale. Thank you so much for welcoming me and becoming my friends.

In this next season of my life, I will be working in community outreach for a local faith-based nonprofit organization. I am expecting great things on this journey as well, because it is God who directs my path.

I want to assure you that your community newspaper is not going to miss a beat.

Samantha Urban, who currently is an assistant editor/reporter who also helps manage our Web site, is stepping in as interim editor.

Sam graduated from Southern Methodist University in May, and she grew up in Mesquite and Rowlett.

She’s just as excited as I was about this opportunity and looks forward to covering and publishing the news that matters most to our readers.

So if you have a story idea or just want to welcome her to the editor’s post, feel free to contact her at surban@neighborsgo.com or 214-977-8735. She’d love to hear from you!

And remember, keep posting your stories, photos, blogs and events on neighborsgo.com for a chance to see them in print.

 

You all know her as the Lake Highlands editor for neighborsgo but Jocelyn Delgado aka GoJo became my good friend when she was moved to my office area a few months ago. Jocelyn is moving to New York to be closer to family and to find her path in life. I remember being her age (26) with so many possibilities and so many dreams dancing in my head. I think this is a good time for her to branch out and find what will fulfill her most. My dad always told me, “Whatever you do, make sure you do it while you’re young.” What he meant was that you should never put off following your dreams or chasing new challenges. Time is of the essence. None of us even know how long we are meant to live on this earth anyway. So waiting “until” may come back to bite you.

Now I’m not saying that you’re ever too old either. In fact, I didn’t even know who I really was in my 20s. So it can be good to be a late bloomer. But I’m so excited that Jocelyn is stepping out on faith and I know that she’s going to have a great future.

Jocelyn, remember to keep God first on your journey and throughout your entire life. You are a wonderful girl with a sweet spirit. I will miss seeing your smile in the mornings and hearing your laughter throughout the day. But make us proud in New York and don’t forget the little people! Love ya!

Well, we're more than half way through spring break week and I know you've got fun photos and cool stories to share. So why not post them on neighborsgo.com for a chance to get in print? You never know, your story just might make the cover!

I have to raise my GO ball to neighborsgo AME/Mesquite editor Jenice Johnson and the Mesquite contributors for a smashing Starbucks meet and greet on Friday, Feb. 13. But Jenice and I had an even more interesting time getting there..

Before we jumped in her car and sped off for the 11:30am gathering, Jenice informed me of something that threatened our safe and prompt arrival.

“I didn’t have time to get gas this morning,” she said. “I hope we make it.”

As I fixated my eyes on the blinking “E” on the gas gauge, I thought to myself Okaaaaaay. So I decided to flip through Mesquite neighborsgo instead of focusing on what could happen a few miles down the road. Then, before we got on the freeway, I noticed a man walking across the street, right in front of us, who Jenice seemed completely oblivious to.

“Don’t hit the man!” I advised her as we pulled to a stop right in front of him while he angrily waved his hand at us, mouthing what may have been profanities.  

I continued to flip through the Feb. 13 Mesquite neighborsgo - which is a great edition by the way - but I started to become a little nervous about Jenice’s driving style. After some chatting, she decided to go ahead and pull over for gas since we had some time to spare. Before we knew it, we were back onto the freeway with a full tank. Up to this point, several thoughts had gone through my mind including Jenice, please look behind us before you throw the car into reverse and Jenice, please don’t drive so close to the back of the car in front of us.

But we did finally make it to Starbucks, ready for the crowd. And a crowd it was. Nearly 30 people showed up to the meet and greet for a healthy exchange of ideas, questions, and comments regarding Mesquite neighborsgo. Free coffee and gift cards were given out and everyone was truly enjoying themselves. I noticed how Jenice and her Mesquite contributors interacted with one another – it was like one, big happy family.

Our meet and greets are pretty cool and really worth your time. I, myself, look forward to attending more as they really speak to the importance of what neighborsgo does and why it’s such a vital publication for the metroplex. Bottom line, people care about their communities and so do we. It’s a great combination.

 

No, it’s not a Cosmo quiz or some cutesy email that promises a cupid-inspired hook-up. Nor is it the title of a new romantic comedy.  It’s a phenomenal tool used in the movie Fireproof, now on DVD, a movie that will stick with you after credits have rolled and the popcorn’s all gone.

Centered on the marriage of Caleb and Catherine Holt played by Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, Fireproof takes you inside their broken relationship and the trials they go through on the way to putting the pieces back together. Caleb, a firefighter who’s neglectful and battling an addiction, is more concerned with putting out fires in the community instead of putting out the inferno in his own home. In fact, he comes home after “saving the world” and treats his wife like his enemy. Catherine is emotionally withering away after seven years of frustrations and marital failure with Caleb, and she begins to look to another man for the attention and affection she so desperately needs. Sound predictable? Not quite.

If you’re married, you must see this movie.

If you desire to be married, you must see this movie.

If you know someone who’s married, you must see this movie.

Learn all about “The Love Dare” and let it change your life.

There's another cute pair of shoes in the office - this time worn by White Rock editor Jennifer Carpenter. Will she dethrone the current shoe queen AME Jenice Johnson?

It was a jam-packed work day for me on Friday, Jan. 16. Right after joining senior editor Allison Wisk at Starbucks for a neighborsgo "meet and greet" with contributors, I zoomed over to Barnes & Noble in Lincoln Park to cover Bob Greene's book-signing event for his latest The Best Life Diet Cookbook. If by chance you're wondering 'Who's Bob Greene?,' well, he's Oprah's friend and personal trainer - and he's super nice! Sometimes you don't know what to expect with celebrities, so it was refreshing to meet Greene who was so friendly and down-to-earth. He even picked up a copy of neighborsgo!

I had such a great time on Friday, Jan. 16 with Park Cities & North Dallas editor Allison Wisk. It was my first Starbucks "meet and greet" for neighborsgo so I was grateful that Allison let me tag along. She had about 8-10 of her contributors show up for a Q&A and free coffee, and they discussed everything neighborsgo. I was really inspired by how much the contributors were involved in their communities, schools, churches and organizations. And they were so thankful to have neighborsgo as an outlet to post their local news. The whole event just solidified how important neighborsgo really is. So if you love where you live, keep posting or start posting your stories and photos, and put your community on the map!

In mainstream culture, C.S. Lewis is widely known for his books The Chronicles of Narnia. But if you want to go a little deeper than that, you'll be blown away by other literary works such as The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity. These books have helped me redirect my focus in life. So you can imagine my sheer delight when I saw this.

Well, these answers seem simple enough. But the question is: Will they or won't they? I guess we have all year to find out!

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