InTheLoopKids iReporter

Love at every step as-much-as-you-possibly-can!  That was the message Eddie Coker shared with HPISD students as he premiered his new program, WEZMORE, thanks to the financial support of *HP Arts.  With a combination of tender tales of friends who suffered childhood bullying (like Maralissa Lou) and upbeat activities that had students up dancing (and even cleaning the seats of their chairs as they did the “Woo-Woo Dance!”), Eddie showed why he has had such a successful career as a children’s entertainer.   He masterfully made slight changes to the program to suit the age level of his audiences that kept all happy, smiling, and engaged as he shared his message of love, acceptance, health, and happiness.  Bright orange bracelets were distributed to the elementary school students after the shows with the words “LOVE @ EVERY STEP” and “WEZMORE” on them as a reminder of the day’s message.

WEZMORE premiered on Friday, February 10 with performances at Hyer followed by performances on Monday at Armstrong and on Tuesday at Bradfield.  Thursday morning found Eddie performing for a very different audience – HPHS freshmen and sophomores – as a presenter for the HP Literary Festival.  Although some students considered themselves to be far too mature to find anything of value in a presentation given by a children’s performer, a cursory glance through the audience discovered toes tapping and smiles emerging with each song that peppered Eddie’s lecture about songwriting.  Thursday afternoon found Eddie at UP for the last of his elementary school performances.

The last stop of Eddie’s whirlwind visit to HP schools was at HPHS on Friday where he presented a workshop titled “Songwriting & Your Personal Voice” to several small groups throughout the day also as part of the LitFest.  He discussed methods for finding one’s unique voice and then learning to create from that voice, whether in song, story, poem, or original thought. Students then got to hear how he made down payments on his kids' college tuitions from writing songs for a certain (purple) dinosaur whose name starts with B and ends with Y!  Although some tried to act like they did not know to what dinosaur he was referring, all ultimately admitted watching and enjoying the show when they were little!

It was fitting that Eddie returned to HP to launch his program that embraces love, kindness, and acceptance.  It was at HP that he first found acceptance – as a choir member and as a baseball player.  It was at HP that he first performed on and fell in love with the stage.  (His former classmates remember his run in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”)  It was at HP that he met and was encouraged to pursue his dreams by the legendary HPHS Theater teacher, Linda Raya.  And, how fitting, that in the audience at one of his WEZMORE performances were his proud parents, Melissa and Gene Coker.  This couple, whose four children attended HP schools, clearly relished the opportunity to see their son, as grown up as he is, once again perform on an HPISD stage.

*HP Arts is a non-profit corporation supporting HPISD arts programming. Established in 1987, the specific purpose of HP Arts is to enrich HPISD students' educational experience by encouraging their interest and participation in the arts.

It may seem like it's forever away, but spring and summer are just around the corner. Books and homework are filling up your child's daily schedule now, but in a few months, you'll be looking for activities to keep those little minds stimulated and those bodies active. The Grapevine Community Activities Center has some options to keep your little ones engaged and entertained throughout the spring and summer. There are a variety of camps for ages three to 18-years-old. 

Here are some of the options:

• Art Camps: Your child will learn a variety of skills and crafts, from painting to creating chocolate delights. Ages 6-12 years. Fee: $125.
• Everything Chocolate: Become skilled in making and decorating chocolates and dropped chocolates. Offered July 23-27.
• CAC Spring Break Camp: A day camp with supervised activities like basketball, dodgeball and more. Ages 7-12 years. Offered March 12-16. Fee: $150.
• Animation: Learn the basics of animation and digital design. Ages 10-17 years. Offered July 16-19. Fee: $165.

For more camps, pricing and date information, please click here.

"The Community Activities Center (CAC), located at 1175 Municipal Way, boasts a wide variety of opportunities for its members and citizens. Membership to the center is open to all Grapevine residents and Grapevine business owners. Although nonresidents are not eligible for CAC membership, they are welcome to sign up for classes offered throughout the department."

If fishing is your thing, don't miss the 2012 Trout Fishing Derby on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the East Pavilion at Towne Lake.  Presented by McKinney Parks, Recreation and Open Space, the event will begin at 8 a.m. and run until 12 p.m.

In preparation for the trout derby, more than 4,000 Rainbow Trout will be released into Towne Lake.  Open to the public, kids can fish for free.  The first 300 kids to catch their own fish will win a prize.  Prizes will also be awarded for the longest cast, heaviest stringer, biggest fish, and smallest fish.

Adults ages 17 and over can register for the Trout Fishing Derby for a fee of $3 and must have a fresh water fishing license.  All participants must bring their own fishing pole and bait.

In addition to fishing, there will be casting clinics, a free hot dog roast, and refreshments.

For more information, please call 972-547-7480 or click here.

The East Pavilion at Towne Lake is located at 1405 Wilson Creek Parkway in McKinney.

Some bottles of liquid infant Tylenol are being recalled after a number of complaints that the dosing system was difficult to use, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare division is recalling more than 500,000 one-ounce bottles of grape-flavored liquid infant Tylenol. Some consumers say that the flow restrictor, part of the dosing system, was pushed into the bottle. If you bought the product and it is not damaged, you can continue using it, according to Dow Jones Newswires. 

For more information, click here.

If your kid has always wanted to play hockey, they can learn this weekend, for free!  As part of Hockey Weekend, the Allen Community Ice Rink will host the Try Hockey For Free clinic on Saturday, Feb. 18.

From 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., children ages 4 through 9 years-old can learn the basics of the sport, free of charge. During the session, participants will receive a free skate rental and a one-hour group skills class.  Participants must bring a helmet, gloves and a stick.

For more information and to register for the event, please click here.

The Allen Community Ice Rink is located at 200 E. Stacy Rd.