Neighborsgo asked several area leaders and residents questions about what the new year holds in store for them and their communities. Below are the different aspects of Allen we discussed. Share your thoughts and plans for 2010 in the comments area or e-mail them to community@neighborsgo.com.

>>THE YEAR AHEAD

• Contributor's Perspective
• Arts
• Health
• Education
• Public Safety
• Faith
• Making a Difference
• Sustainable Living

>>FEATURED STORY – ONLINE NOW

3 ... 2 ... 1 ... take off!

Kerr Elementary teachers Ashley Weller and Libby Kaspar try out their foam rockets at a recent hands-on science workshop presented by NASA on Jan. 4. Teachers used a variety of materials and teamwork to build different types of rockets then tested the high-power paper rockets outside. For the full story, visit neighborsgo.com/stories/48215.

>>GO BLOGS!
Burger Doctor: Review of JC’s Burger House in Allen
Going Global: From Dallas to India
My Name is MOM!: The perils and glories of being a room mom

>>ALLEN

• Allen caregiver of the year

• Golden Grip gymnasts take home Small Team Award at state meet

• Collin County Livestock Show to end Jan. 9

• Register for Master Wellness Volunteer training by Jan. 15

• Dual qualifier wrestling tournament held in Allen

• Trinity Trail ride and chili dinner Jan. 23

• Winter garden to-do list

• Senior Select donates $5,000 to Meals on Wheels

On this epic day in my alma mater's football history, the Horned Frogs will face Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl at 7 p.m. I'm going to save you all the curses I have been wishing on everyone involved in the BCS -- chances are, if you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you have heard all the Horned Frog complaints.

One friend (who is a darn Longhorn, by the way) tried to console me by saying this is a rivalry to prove which team is the best nonBCS team. Nice try, dude.

Anyway, seeing the game as a rivalry match-up will make things more fun tonight, as I focus on sending all my purple passion to Glendale, Ariz.

Area CHL teams, the Allen Americans and Texas Brahmas, hope to offer fans the same kind of fun. Except it goes further than a dysfunctional system. The Dallas-Fort Worth hockey rivalry is decades old -- from the Dallas Black Hawks versus Fort Worth Wings in the '70s to the Dallas Freeze and Fort Worth Fire in the '90s. 

Now, it's the Allen Americans versus Texas Brahmas, and in honor of their predecessors, they will be wearing Black Hawks and Wings jerseys for Game 2 of the North Texas Vintage Game Series on Friday. I went to the first game on Dec. 26, which the Americans won the thrilling overtime game 3-2. 

If you're a hockey rookie like me, the energy at these games make it easy to follow along in the fun. Read my Editor's Note in this week's issue for some thoughts from former Black Hawks and a current Allen American player on the cross-town rivalry.

7:05 p.m. Friday, NYTEX Sports Centre, 8851 Ice House Drive in North Richland Hills.

>>FEATURED STORY – ONLINE NOW

Mayor’s Challenge shows ‘true sense of community’

Wyatt Shelley, 9, of McKinney, makes his donation to the Salvation Army, while Councilman Ray Ricchi mans the red kettle at Market Street in McKinney during the Mayor’s Challenge on Dec. 19. Frisco Mayor Maher Maso and and McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller competed to see which city would collect the most donations for the nonprofit. For the full story, visit neighborsgo.com/stories/48003.

>>GO BLOGS!

• I watch too much TV: Twelve days of holiday movies

• Going Global: From Dallas to India

• My Playlist: Best of 2009

>>ALLEN

• Bay tree is the largest herb

• SPCA of Texas: Pet of the Week

• Santa visits BaylorRegionalMedicalCenter at Plano

• The best Christmas photos

>>DALLASNEWS.COM

• Special Christmas delivery: Woman gives birth on porch of AllenBirthing Center

>>MORE ONLINE

• Comptroller announces appliance rebates

• Appraisal district employees get into the holiday spirit

• Allen PD playing Santa Claus to four needy children

>>FEATURED STORY – ONLINE NOW

Couple defies odds with business success
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LOUISE HENRY
John and Kali Scheschuk of Allen started Closet Tailors in 2007 and have had success in the recession. For the full story, visit neighborsgo.com/stories/47645.

>>GO BLOGS!

I watch too much TV: Twelve days of holiday movies

Technically Speaking: The Droids are among us

Going Global: From Dallas to India

My Playlist: Best of 2009

>>ALLEN

Collin County Songwriters Association news

Area Project Linus chapter visits the NorthTexasHistoryCenter

5th Anniversary Winter Games of Texas more than just a game

Pets of the Week: SPCA of Texas

Tacone Flavor Grill opens in The Village

‘Runt of the litter’ at MPAC

Allen gymnast earns three state titles

>>DALLASNEWS.COM

Allen teen leads girl from China to new home

>>MORE ONLINE

Watters Creek signs six new tenants

AllenHigh School wins $25,000 WUP prize

I've never spent Christmas in the country and let me tell you -- the energy in Collin County is contagious. The Deerfield neighborhood in Plano was impressive, despite the unimpressive traffic control. If the attendance is any indication, you already know about all that.

But have you experienced the environmentally friendly snowfall at Watters Creek yet? I hear it's beautiful -- and honestly, the fully lit 100-year-old pecan tree is enough reason to get my butt out there in the freezing weather.

The forecast calls for 10-minute snow at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This weekend is your last chance, so get out there -- and maybe run into me tomorrow. :) Who knows when we'll see snow in North Texas again, right!?

If you're not convinced, just take a look at the photo ace contributor Jim Hoffheins sent me.

If you're like me and have zero wrapping skills, you might want to hand over the work to a couple Sloan Creek Middle School students.

Morrison Dean and Alexa Mapes have been selected to participate in People to People Student Ambassadors, which involves traveling throughout Europe to promote cultural understanding and world peace. To help pay for the expenses, they are wrapping gifts for donations. So far, they've raised $250. 

Details after the jump.

For questions or more information, contact Elizabeth Dean at deansrus@sbcglobal.net or 972-342-4392, or Lisa Mapes at lisamapes@sbcglobal.net or 917-400-4974.

>>FEATURED STORY
'The Nutcracker'
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY AMY MCMILLIN
Collin County Ballet Theatre dancers perform 'Snow' from Nutcracker. The company will present its eighth annual Nutcracker 6 p.m. Dec. 23 in the Hill Performance Hall of the EisemannCenter in Richardson. This is the only Nutcracker production in the Dallas area accompanied by a live symphony.

>>GO BLOGS!
Going Global: From Dallas to India
Know Your Neighbor

>>ALLEN
Vaughan Viking Shipmates & Captains
Eagle swimmers take second, third in Mansfield Invitational
Allen cheerleaders win at competition
Allen Early Childhood PTA scrapbooking fundraiser
Meals on Wheels secret Santa program
Red Mango treats area with five new stores
Dry cleaning and laundry service offered at Texas Health Allen

>>DALLASNEWS.COM
Religious groups oppose Allen zoning change
Study ranks Allen as safest city in Texas

>>FEATURED STORY – ONLINE NOW

• Firefighters visit with Bolin first-graders

Firefighter Trent Caldwell visits with Bolin Elementary first-graders Sarah Goldberg, Julia Tran, Keith Stephans and Allen Cullum during a recent visit to the school.

>>ALLEN

• Student selected to ride in the Adolphus Children’s Parade

•Curtis Middle School celebrates multicultural day

• First Christian Church to hold parade activities Sunday

• 'Light Up a Life' memorial tree on display beginning Dec. 4

• Arts of Collin County gets $1 million infusion

>>BEST FROM THE DMN ALLEN BLOG
• Allen named safest city in Texas

• 'Scrooged' launches film series at library

• Former Allen ISD educator expected to lead McKinney public schools

>>MCKINNEY

• City comes together for Dickens of a Christmas

• Scouts learn to properly retire American flag

• Meet Prince: SPCA of Texas' Pet of the Week

• Festival of Trees a must see in McKinney

• Kiwanis kicks off 28th Spirit of Christmas food drive

• Assistance League gala raises funds for Collin County

NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS

McKinney Noteworthy: Fresh Picks

neighborsgo.com/blog/McK_noteworthy

Plano Noteworthy: Fresh Picks (West Plano, Plano/Murphy)

neighborsgo.com/blog/planonoteworthy

>>FEATURED STORY – ONLINE NOW

Megan Clark enjoys her Dallas Cup wins Nov. 13. She took first place in the 200-yard free and 50-yard free. Eight JV swim teams faced off on Nov. 13 in the Dallas Invitational with Eagle swimmers taking third place behind Plano and Lovejoy. For the full story, visit neighborsgo.com/stories/46446.

• Exchanging Cultures: From Dallas to India

• Faybles: Accolades for "Mr. Plano"

• The Great Beard-Off of 2009: The men who stare at snakes

>>ALLEN

• The Village at Allen hosts ‘The Big Guy’ fan club

• Santa’s return marks the beginning of holiday festivities

• Connemara to host author Matt White

• Allen boxing gym heads donation drive for women’s shelter

• Flu vaccine locator debuts

• Allen gymnasts take tops in national testing

• Children's choirs rock The Heights

>> GO AND DO

Dec. 9: Free Medicare session for seniors

>>DALLASNEWS.COM
• 2 held in fatal stabbing of cricket player in Allen

>>MORE ONLINE
• Allen personal trainer completes World Championship triathlon