HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-26 Euless Articles North Texas' Ismaili Muslim community
celebrates end of Ramadan with a donation of
6,000 meals
June 15, 2018
Written by
Miguel Perez, Staff Writer At an Ismaili Muslim center in Plano, a crowd of volunteers gathered Friday to celebrate the end of Ramadan by enjoying one another's company, sharing a traditional meal -- and doing good work for the larger community. A few hundred members of North Texas' Ismaili Muslim community gathered at Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center to prepare and pack 1,200 meals to donate. Together with sister centers in Carrollton, Euless and Colleyville, they’ll donate 6,000 meals to mark Eid al-Fitr. "The month of Ramadan is a month of piety and self-reflection," said Salim Rahimi, a volunteer and community leader. "It's about understanding the gifts that we've been given and what we should be doing for the world at large." Friday's effort was coordinated by the Aga Khan Council for the Central United States. The meals will be distributed among several nonprofit organizations: 6 Stones in Bedford, CitySquare in Dallas and the North Texas Food Bank. According to the North Texas Food Bank, more than
800,000 people across the 13 counties the organization serves are food insecure. "It's really great to see a community that's so involved," said Anna Kurian, communications director for the North Texas Food Bank. "From when you walk in, you [see] that volunteerism and service are just ingrained in the culture. ... From a meal count perspective, 6,000 meals is pretty phenomenal from a single group." Volunteer Sabaa Ismail said it’s been about a month in the making. “The planning took several weeks,” she said. “We had a really amazing service member who reached out to all the charities and found out how much they needed. The donation is getting split to different organizations.” This is the second year for the event. Last year, volunteers put together 100,000 meals of red lentil jambalaya to support people affected by Hurricane Harvey.
This year, the group has assembled breakfast bags with oatmeal, granola bars, water and fruit snacks. Representatives from the nonprofits were present for a short ceremony at the center, along with Plano Police Chief Greg Rushin and Euless City Council member Salman Bhojani. Shaheen Bandeali is the chair for the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board. She said the effort is also meant to leave a lasting impression on younger volunteers.
Samaira Verani, 5, packs a snack bag to be donated to various area food pantries at Ismaili Jamatkhana in Plano, Texas on Eid al-Fitr, Friday, June 15, 2018. (Rose Baca/Staff Photographer) “When we mark the end of Ramadan, it’s a celebration,” she said. “From a very young age, we celebrate by doing things for other people. ... Especially for our youth, it’s about helping them understand that even when we are celebrating, we can be giving back at the same time. It just feels good.” Shamez Arab, 16, was just one of the many teenagers busy carrying boxes and assembling meals. For him, service is part and parcel of his community’s values. “We have so much,” he said. “It’s good to just give back to people who are less fortunate and don’t have what we have on an everyday basis like food and water.”
Second major liquor store plans
Euless location
BY ELIZABETH CAMPBELL
liz@star-telegram.com June 15, 2018 01:43 PM
Updated June 15, 2018 01:56 PM
EULESS A second liquor store plans to open in Euless shortly after Total Wine & More started building its 25,000-square foot location in the Glade Parks development. Houston-based Spec’s Wines, Spirits, & Finer Foods plans to build in the River Walk development once the site plan is approved by the zoning commision and the city council this month. Plans call for Spec’s to build in the 900 block of East Harwood Road, near the homes in the Estates of Bear Creek subdivision, although several residents said they didn’t want a liquor store in their backyard. Mike Collins, director of planning and development, said a special economic development plan would shift the building and parking farther to the north. The plan calls for a landscape buffer to separate the homes from the retail development.
Yet resident William Wilson said he does not think a liquor store is appropriate for the area. “Liquor stores are approved, but I think the city has far more choices of where a liquor store can go,” Wilson said. Ivan Granados, who also lives near the East Harwood Road development, said he is concerned about property values and about children walking along the road. “Harwood has a lot of foot traffic,” he said. “There is a church close by. While it may meet standards, we must not undermine these policies that were put in place to protect our children and residents.” Councilman Tim Stinneford told the residents that the council can’t turn down the request for Spec’s to come to Euless. “We can’t say no, you are a liquor store and you can’t come in,” he said. “This vote (approving the development plan) is to make it the least intrusive for single family homes.”
Brothers rescue woman in Euless apartment fire
June 26, 2018
Written by
Loyd Brumfield, Breaking News producer
A 14-year-old boy and his older brother helped free a woman from an apartment fire in Euless late Monday night, Euless firefighters said. The fire broke out around 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of Monterrey Drive and forced some second-floor residents to jump out of windows to escape, Euless Fire Chief Wes Rhodes said. During the fire, an elderly woman was pulled from her apartment when the boy and his brother saw flames and wondered if someone was grilling. They started knocking on doors until they came upon the woman, they said.
Cyrus Dunbar (left) and Benny Amani describe what they saw when they came upon an apartment fire
Monday in Euless. "I was freaking out a little bit," said Benny Amani, 14, after the woman was pulled through a broken window and taken to a nearby hospital for observation. Amani said he remembers thinking, "God, please, God give me the strength, you know. I hope this lady lives. I hope I save this lady. I hope this lady's OK. Hurry up and get her out of this window." Rhodes praised the actions of Amani and his brother, 28-year-old Cyrus Barker. "Thank goodness for their help," he said. The fire was contained quickly and damaged two apartment units. The apartment owners were trying to find housing within the complex for the residents who lived in the damaged units, Rhodes said. No other injuries were reported.