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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-12-13 Euless ArticlesDALLAS MORNING NEWS NOVEMBER 24, 2016 After a life-altering mistake on the football field, Euless Trinity alum becomes a revered cop EULESS — Officer Eric Fieilo's patrol shifts usually begin and end in the area where he grew up. The run-down apartment complex where he shared a two-bedroom apartment with his parents and four siblings. The pistachio green house where Fieilo and his friends often hung out after school. And Euless Trinity High School, where he played football and helped his team win the state championship in 2007. Around this time eight years ago, Fieilo became known as the kid who assaulted an official during a playoff game against Allen High School. It was his last game as a senior, and the one he's most ashamed of. But Fieilo, now 25 years old and a devout Christian, says his most embarrassing moment on the football field turned out to be his biggest blessing. "You know that saying that you take one forward and three steps back?" he said. "It was the opposite for me: I took one step back and five steps forward." A difference maker Between dispatch calls on a recent morning, Fieilo drove to the Trinity parking lot to pose for portraits at the school's practice facility. When he worked nights, he said, he would park his police cruiser in the dimly lit lot and reminisce about his high school days. On this morning, Fieilo is treated like a local celebrity. As he pulls into the lot in his squad car, one of the school's security guards drives over in a golf cart to say hello and catch up. It's a school day. The high school's resource officer, also a Euless police officer, walks outside to say hi as Fieilo poses for photos in his police uniform. "In football, you have difference makers like Dez Bryant, Dak Prescott and people like that," Cpl. Scott Axton says. "Well, same thing in this job. We have difference makers — and he is definitely a difference maker in Euless." The soft-spoken Fieilo brushes off the compliment: "He's blowin' smoke, man. He's blowin' smoke." Euless Police officer Eric Fieilo poses for a portrait at Euless High School on Monday, November 21, 2016. The sleeve on his right hand covers a tattoo honoring his Tongan heritage while he is at work. (David Woo/The Dallas Morning News The two exchange stories about their kids — Fieilo's are 3 and 5 years old — before parting ways. Fieilo's next stop is his parents' pistachio-colored house. He tries to make it a short visit but his 3-year- old rushes outside to say hi, and Fieilo can't help but scoop the boy up and give him a tight squeeze. "Be a good boy, OK? Take care of Grandma; don't let Grandma take care of you," he tells the boy. "He's still at the age where nothing can break him," Fieilo says softly as he drives away in his patrol car. On his left wrist is the black and blue band he started wearing in March, when his colleague Officer David Hofer was killed in a shootout with a man waiting to ambush officers at a park. Football dreams Fieilo was born in Euless, an enclave of Tongans in North Texas, after his family moved from the South Pacific islands in the 1980s. Fieilo learned how to play football in a grassy field next to his crime-ridden apartment complex. His family couldn't afford a gym membership, so he would sneak into his cousin's apartment complex to lift weights. He dreamed of a career in the NFL. When he started high school, he would walk to nearby Pennington Field to run bleachers and wonder what it would be like to play for the Trojans, as his older brothers had. His junior year, Fieilo made varsity as a starting linebacker and was among the standouts of the team that won the Class 5A, Division I state championship. "He kind of had that schizophrenic nature of a gentleman off the field, but between the whistles, there was nobody tougher than he was," said Trinity coach Chris Jenson, the school's offensive coordinator at the time. The next year, the Trojans were on track for another run at the title, and Fieilo was weighing scholarship offers from several Division I schools. In the span of one game, fortunes changed for the team and the player. Trinity was undefeated and had already beaten Allen during the season, but the Trojans found themselves surprisingly overwhelmed in the playoff rematch. As the last minute wound down on Allen's victory, Fieilo took out his frustrations by running away from the flow of the play and blindsiding one of the officials. "At the time, I would consider myself a big shot — overconfident. It was bad," he said. The consequences were swift. Fieilo was sent to alternative school for a month. He lost all of his scholarship offers. His only relief was that he wasn't charged with a crime. In his downtime at the alternative school, he would think about everyone he had disappointed — his coaches, his teammates, his family, God — because of his ego. Making matters worse, National Signing Day was weeks away. That's when Fieilo's fortunes turned again. One day, a coach from Sam Houston State University visited him at the alternative school. He knew what Fieilo had done, but he said he wanted to give him a chance to make things right. He offered him a full scholarship to play for the Bearkats in Huntsville. Euless Trinity linebacker Elikena "Eric" Fieilo (47) stands during the National Anthem comes to a close before a game against Keller at Pennington Field on September 26, 2008. Dallas Morning News file photo "I didn't know what to do but just to fall to my knees and thank God for this blessing," Fieilo said. Second chances Fieilo's 5-year-old daughter often asks him if he puts the bad people in jail as a police officer. "They're not bad people, they just make the wrong decisions and we just have to watch them while they're in jail," he tells her. He said he prays for the people who end up handcuffed in the back seat of his patrol car. In some cases, he prefers to give someone a second chance instead of arresting or ticketing them. On Tuesday, Fieilo stopped a pickup truck that didn't brake properly at a stop sign. Fieilo thought he smelled weed, but the four teenagers in the truck insisted they didn't have any drugs. They said they were high school athletes. After patting down the teens, Fieilo found a tobacco pipe, a small amount of marijuana and packages of dipping tobacco in a gym bag in the back seat. "See, that's what really pisses me off — people lying to me," he told the teens. "When people lie to me, it just goes downhill, alright?" He confiscated the items and let the teens off the hook by giving them a warning and a stern talk about honesty. He also cautioned that he won't be lenient if he sees them again. "Y'all are young, you're student athletes," he told them. "I know you get curious here and there but please let this be a learning experience so you don't go down the wrong road. 'Cause I was once a student athlete myself." Redemption Fieilo married his high school sweetheart when he was a freshman at Sam Houston State, after she became pregnant with their daughter. He was excited to be a father, though it meant working two jobs while taking classes and playing football. The new challenges were welcome for a star linebacker still trying to outrun a reputation for assaulting an official. "Only God could have helped me at that time because I was running on two hours of sleep," he said. Being a father and a husband helped him prepare for the fact that football would not carry him much further. The first game of his senior year, he broke his neck while trying to tackle someone. He remembers lying on the field, unable to move before being taken away on a stretcher. The injury ended his season, but he was able to play one more year while he finished classes for his criminal justice degree. Euless Police officer Eric Fieilo works in the same city he grew up in. (David Woo/The Dallas Morning News) After graduating in 2014, Fieilo returned to Euless and applied to the Police Department. "It's such a blessing for me to be an officer in Euless, dealing with people that are like me, like how I was raised and what I went through growing up," he said. Last year, the football coaches at Trinity invited Fieilo to the school to talk about the lessons he learned after the playoff incident. He had carried the guilt for nearly six years, but as it turns out, his coaches forgave him long before he forgave himself. "The hardest way to learn a lesson sometimes is to experience it," said Jenson, the Trinity coach. "There are people who have survived and gone through life pretty much unscathed, but some of the deepest and most meaningful lessons come from some bad mistakes." http://www.dallasnews.com/news/euless/2016/11/24/life-altering- mistake-football-field-euless-trinity-alum-becomes-revered-cop Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) leaps as Sam Houston State linebacker Eric Fieilo (51) hits him out of bounds during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in College Station. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Rainy weather threatens to cancel or postpone Christmas celebrations The annual Parade of Lights kicks off the holiday season in downtown Fort Worth. (Star-Telegram/Brandon Wade) Brandon Wade Special to the Star-Telegram BY BILL HANNA AND DIANE SMITH billhanna@star-telegram.com dianesmith@star-telegram.com Santa, grab an umbrella. Rain that is expected to fall this weekend is causing problems for many of the holiday celebrations scheduled across the Fort Worth area. While most Friday night events are expected to go off as scheduled, some for Saturday have already been canceled or rescheduled, including: ▪ Saturday’s Christmas Parade of Lights in Euless has been canceled. ▪ Saturday’s Children’s Health Holiday Parade in downtown Dallas has been canceled. ▪ The Night of Holiday Magic at NRH20 in North Richland Hills has been moved to Friday, Dec. 9. ▪ Mineral Wells’ Christmas parade has been moved to Saturday, Dec. 10. ▪ Burleson canceled Saturday’s Christmas Parade, Tree Lighting & Fireworks. Fireworks will be saved for the Fourth of July celebration. ▪ Celebrations and tree lightings scheduled for Saturday in Haslet and Haltom City have been moved indoors. Other events, including Arlington’s Holiday Lights Parade on Saturday afternoon, were monitoring the weather, but planning to go forward. Organizers are asking those planning to attend to check social media and event websites for updates. “It’s going to be pretty miserable on Saturday,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Huckaby. “We could see temperatures in the 40s all day. It will be wet. It will be damp but there may be winding down late in the day. But it’s going to be the coldest day since last winter.” The rain is expected to move into the Dallas-Fort Worth around 6 p.m. Friday and then stick around for most of Saturday. There could be a break late Saturday afternoon but rain will return on Sunday and Monday. For the DFW-area, rainfall totals should be around 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Areas south and east of the Metroplex could see 4-5 inches, especially toward Houston and Austin. The rainfall totals in those areas could be high enough to cause flash flooding and impact weekend travel, Huckaby said. Some isolated areas of southeast Texas could see 8-11 inches of rainfall through Monday. After the rain moves out, a strong Arctic cold front will blow through the area on Wednesday. Lows will be in the upper 20s on Thursday morning. “We’re going to get a hard freeze on both Thursday and Friday morning,” Huckaby said. By then, however, it should be dry. Holiday events Friday Bedford, 4-8 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration, Old Bedford School, 2400 School Lane, and Bedford Public Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Drive. Tree lighting at 6 p.m. at the Old Bedford School. Colleyville, 5-8 p.m. Tree Lighting Celebration, at 5:30 p.m., City Hall in the Village at Colleyville, 100 Main St. Keller, 6-9 p.m. Holly Days, Keller Town Center, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway. Tree lighting at 7:15 p.m. Mansfield, 5-9 p.m. Hometown Holidays, Mansfield City Hall, 1200 E. Broad St. Tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. Richland Hills, 6:30 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting and Santa Visit, City Hall Municipal Complex, 3200 Diane Drive SATURDAY Arlington, 2-8:30 p.m. Holiday Lights Parade, downtown, UT Arlington area Parade begins at 6 p.m. with tree lighting at 7 on the steps of City Hall. Organizers ask that the public monitor social media and website for updates. holidaylightsparade.com Colleyville, 7-11 a.m. Colleyville Lion Club’s Breakfast with Santa at Colleyville Center, 5301 Riverwalk Drive. The event will be held indoors. Euless Christmas Parade of Lights has been canceled Fort Worth, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Christmas in the Stockyards presented by Wells Fargo, lawns of the Historical Livestock Exchange Building, 131 E. Exchange Ave. Parade starts at 4 p.m. Haltom City, 3-6 p.m. Christmas on Broadway, Haltom City Recreation Center and Broadway Park, 4839 Broadway Ave. All events have been moved indoors. Haslet, 4-7 p.m. Christmas in the Park has been moved from Gammill Park to the Haslet Community Center, 105 Main St. Mansfield, 2:30 p.m. Hometown Holidays parade in downtown Mansfield. North Richland Hills Night of Holiday Magic, NRH2O Family Water Park, 9001 Boulevard 26, has been rescheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9. The Run, Run Rudolph 5k Walk & Run is still on for Saturday, rain or shine. The run starts at 3 p.m. in the parking lot of NRH2O Family Water Park. Roanoke, 5-9 p.m. Roanoke’s Old-Fashioned Christmas, downtown, 211 N. Oak St. Musical performances, strolling carolers, concessions, parade, Santa and tree lighting at 6:15 p.m. Check roanoketexas.com for updates. Trophy Club, 6:30-9 p.m. Christmas in the Park, Indy East Park. Check for updates on social media or the town website. Bill Hanna: 817-390-7698, @fwhanna Diane A. Smith: 817-390-7675, @dianeasmith1 Eyes on H-E-B: The story behind the songs on Dec. 15 Without Christmas music, the holiday season would be an entirely different experience. And not nearly as much fun. Come on out to the Euless Public Library on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. to enjoy singing some of the favorite songs of the season and learn the story behind the songs. Hosting the event is the Euless Library Foundation. yulia_lavrova Getty Images/iStockphoto BY FAYE REEDER freeder@star-telegram.com Without Christmas music, the holiday season would be an entirely different experience. And not nearly as much fun. Come on out to the Euless Public Library on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. to enjoy singing some of the favorite songs of the season and learn the story behind the songs. Hosting the event is the Euless Library Foundation. Special guest is entertainer and author Andy Mason who will present his signature performance featuring a sleigh-full of fascinating Christmas history and trivia through music. “Andy Mason’s program will include every kind of seasonal music from 16th-century West Country English Christmas Carols to Christmas music from the new millennium,” said spokeswoman Evelynn Kelly. Mason’s musical performance will at last give the answers to many things you’ve always wanted to know, such as: “Who wrote the 12 days of Christmas? Why is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer so popular? Who sang Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree? What was the first Christmas song to be performed in outer space? And, did Frosty the Snowman really come to life?” Admission is free for this event. It’s a wonderful way to add to your family’s holiday celebrations as everyone sings along to so many holiday favorites. The Mary Lib Saleh Euless Public Library is at 201 N. Ector Drive. Contact Kelly at 817-988-2055 to inquire. HOLIDAY BREAKFAST FOR SENIOR ADULTS ON DEC. 15 A festive morning of fun awaits friends and family of the H-E-B school district who are 65 and older at the Holiday Breakfast set for Dec. 15 at 8:30 a.m. at the Buinger Academy. “We believe in community engagement at H-E-B ISD, and the seniors in our community rarely get the chance to visit our schools,” said district spokeswoman Deanne Hullender. “We want to meet them and provide them the opportunity to connect with one another and at the same time see the great things going on in our district at a free event.” Guests can mingle while a scrumptious breakfast of eggs, hash browns, fruit, muffins and yummy biscuits and gravy is served. Later on there will be time for a few fun holiday crafts and a sing-a-long. Entertainment will be live performances by the strings orchestra and the show choirs from Bell and Trinity high schools. Word has it that a special personal appearance from jolly ol’ Saint Nick is also part of the fun, so bring your cameras for photo opps. Admission is free, but reservations are required. RSVP to lesleysanderlin@hebisd.edu or 817-399-2025. Space is limited, so response quickly. The Buinger Academy is at 1849 Central Drive. TEXAS RANGERS HOST COWBOY SANTA TOY DRIVE PARTY ON TUESDAY It’s the season of giving, and the Texas Rangers baseball team wants to do their part for the countywide Cowboy Santa Toy Drive. On Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. come on out to Globe Life Park in Arlington for a party, and bring a new, unwrapped toy for boys and girls, newborn to age 12. “Rangers personalities will be on hand to sign autographs for the occasion,” a spokesman wrote in a news release. “Holiday movies will be shown on the video screen, the Rangers KidsZone will be open, and drink and food specials will be provided by Sportservice.” “Other activities will include face-painting, crafts, a photo booth, and a special appearance by Santa Claus. Additionally, complimentary holiday tours of Globe Life Park will be offered every half hour during the event.” If you can’t make it to the party, residents are invited to bring new, unwrapped toys or books to the Rangers Gram Slam Gift Shop at Globe Life Park any time through Tuesday. An alternate drop-off location is the Rangers Team Shop at 316 Main St. in Fort Worth or any Fort Worth police or fire department. The Cowboy Santa Toy Drive annually distributes thousands of toys to children from low-income families in Tarrant County. Parking for the event is in Lot B. Enter for the party through the Majestic Grand Slam Gift Shop. To inquire, call 817-273-5207 or visit texasrangers.com. AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED Would you like to become more engaged with your local government? If this appeals to you, you may want to volunteer to serve on an advisory board, commission or committee for Tarrant County. According to Precinct 3 Commissioner Gary Fickes, there are openings on several county boards and commissions. The need for volunteer service in this area fluctuates all the time, so anyone interested should contact Commission Fickes’ office to learn about the options currently available. County boards include Child Protective Services, Workforce Development, Emergency Services, the Historical Commission, Tollway Authority, Human Services Advisory Committee and a host of other opportunities. “Most terms run two years and will meet on an average of eight times per year, however, the work of members is continuous,” Commission Fickes wrote in a newsletter. This type of service “affords citizens an excellent opportunity to become engaged with their government and provide judicious advice and recommendations from a citizen’s perspective.” Fickes wrote that people volunteer for service for a variety of reasons including a desire to fulfill their civic responsibility and give back to the community. Or some volunteers choose to serve because they want to help shape policy or donate their professional skills. “Whatever your reason, we look forward to hearing from you. Tarrant County is so great because of the many caring individuals who get involved to make a difference,” Fickes wrote. Learn more by contacting the Commissioners Court secretary, at 817-884-1234, or call Fickes’ office at 817-581-3600. In other Precinct 3 news, the community is invited for Christmas Coffee with the Commissioner on Friday from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Northeast Subcourthouse community room. A special exhibit of Tarrant County history will also be on display during this time thanks to the Tarrant County Historical Commission. BRIEFLY • The Artisan Center Theatre has shows performing until Dec. 23. Theater is at 444 E. Pipeline Road in Hurst. Call the box office at 817-284-1200 or visit www.ArtisanTC.com to see show times and purchase tickets. Showing until Dec. 23 are: Scrooge The Musical, Elf the Musical, Jr., Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and A Christmas Carol Musical Comedy. • The Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra will present their holiday show Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Irving Arts Center on Carpenter Hall. The concert will feature sopranos Christina Pecce and Anna Laurenzo performing a variety of songs, including Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze” and Rossini’s “Cat Duet.” For tickets, call 972-252-4800 or visit www.lascolinassymphony.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Please send your Eyes on H-E-B news tips to freeder@star-telegram.com. Keep up with even more community news by liking our page on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SocialEyes.ST. Twitter: @FayeReeder