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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-02-28 Euless ArticlesMom and daughter looking to make history at Euless City Hall DALLAS – In the small City of Euless, a couple of women are looking to make big political moves at City Hall. Tupou Helu and Vera Layton are hoping to make history as the first mother and daughter to serve on Euless City Council. Both women are on the May 6 ballot. Helu is running for Mayor against incumbent Linda Martin. The longtime Euless resident says she is a business woman, originally from Tonga, a small island in the south Pacific. She is also a Sunday school teacher who says schools, promoting small businesses, and eliminating wasteful spending are top priorities. “I believe that when I become mayor, I will cut all of those useless expenses,” Helu explained. Days after Helu announced her bid for Mayor, Layton told the family she is running for City Council Place 2. Layton said, “You know, I feel like in Euless, a lot of people are so comfortable, right now. I think that we kind of need to wake them up a little bit. The 21-year-old is a pre-law student at the University of Texas Dallas. She says it is time for young voters to become more active in local politics. “I definitely want to influence a lot of young people, to be aware of what’s going on,” Layton said. “Government related issues affect us daily, and we shouldn’t wait until we get to a certain age to start realizing it. We should realize it now.” It is their first stint in politics. The mom and daughter say they are determined to make a difference. “I believe success is all about who you help,” Helu explained. “It’s not about how much money you have, not what kind of car you drive. No. It’s not about where you are from. It’s about who you are going to inspire in life.” The family says it is focusing on helping residents get registered to vote, for now. Copyright 2016 WFAA Students help save fellow Euless Trinity student after heart stops The school nurse and fellow students wasted no time taking life-saving measures after a Euless Trinity High School student’s heart stopped and he collapsed. James Nicholson and other band members were playing in the hall doing the usual warm up before a pep rally when the drummer’s heart suddenly stopped. "My heart completely stopped for about five minutes,” Nicholson said. Two students who have taken CPR and medical classes saw Nicholson collapse. "I can't explain it to you how it all happened as if God put us there and we knew exactly what to do,” said student Allyssa Lawrence. Student Kristen Williams ran to get the portable defibrillator. "I'm thankful that we were able to help in time so we could bring him back,” Williams said. Student Sierra Flores, who helped save Nicholson, said the incident was a tough remin der that life is short. “Tell people what you need, to tell them tomorrow isn't promised,” Flores said. Joana Bustamante, James' mother, said she is grateful that people were able to save her son. "I trust them with the future,” Bustamante said. “How they did this so calmly means more than anything." Nicholson said he is fortunate to be alive. “There's no way to describe than an act of God,” Nicholson said of his helpers. “The perfect set up for if it had to, for it to happen." Euless Mother and Daughter Trying for Historic First at City Hall EULESS (WBAP/KLIF News) – A Euless mother and daughter are attempting to make history at city hall. Tupou Helu is running for mayor against incumbent Linda Martina and her daughter is running for City Council Place Two. Layton, a pre-law student at the University of Texas Dallas, told WFAA TV she is not letting her age stop her from getting involved in politics. “Government related issues affect us daily. We shouldn’t wait until we get to a certain age to get into politics. We should start doing that now,” she said. Layton said regardless of the outcome of the election, she hopes her efforts will inspire young people to get involved in local politics. “I feel like in Euless, a lot of people are so comfortable right now. I feel like we need to wake them up a little bit,” she said. Helu said that she and her daughter may be new to the political arena, but the spirit of helping others runs deep within them. “I believe success is all about who you help. It’s not about how much money you have or what kind of car you drive. It’s about who you inspire in life,” she said. Both women are on the May 6th ballot and said they’re focusing on getting residents registered to vote. Copyright 2017. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.