American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day® will bring together outdoor enthusiasts across the country on Saturday, June 7, 2014, for the 22nd annual celebration of America's magnificent trail system and its countless supporters and volunteers. More than 2,000 nationwide events will take place including trail maintenance, hiking, paddling, biking, horseback riding, bird watching, running, trail celebrations and more. 

The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. will host a "Hike Across the Prairie" event to celebrate National Trails Day®. The event will be held at Plano's Oak Point Park, which is located at 5901 Los Rios Blvd. in Plano. The hike will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

"We invite everyone to join us for “Hike Across the Prairie” at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve. This hike will include a tour the Conservancy's informative wayside signage, which is located along the trails throughout the preserve," said The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. Co-Director Jeffrey Campbell of McKinney. "These signs tell the story of the native plants in the area, and also about the history of this Blackland Prairie, which included farming and pioneer life. The route includes views of the prairie, pecan trees and a duck pond. We may also see rabbits, squirrels and the occasional armadillo."

The event is free and open to the public.  Guests should park in the main parking lot located on Los Rios Boulevard in Plano. Group hike members will meet at the trail head that begins at that parking lot.

A long-standing celebration of America's magnificent trail system and its countless supporters and volunteers, National Trails Day® (NTD) is celebrated in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.  

For more information about the "Hike Across the Prairie" event, please call 972.941.2117, visit www.planoconservancy.org or email jcampbell@planoconservancy.org

About The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc: 
The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., a Texas corporation 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is an organization dedicated to promote civic pride in the past, to increase preservation awareness through education and public outreach, and to provide financial assistance to protect and preserve our heritage resources for this and future generations. For more information, please visit www.planoconservancy.org or call 972-941-2117. 

About National Trails Day:
American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day® is a nationally recognized trail awareness program that occurs annually on the first Saturday of June and inspires the public to discover, learn about, and celebrate trails while participating in outdoor activities, clinics, and trail stewardship projects.  National Trails Day® is a registered trademark of American Hiking Society.

About the American Hiking Society:
Founded in 1976, American Hiking Society is the only national, recreation-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience.  To learn more about American Hiking Society and its mission and programs, visit www.AmericanHiking.org or call (301) 565-6704.

High school graduation is a time of a lot of "firsts" and "lasts" for students as they prepare to exit the world of high school and enter the world of college and all of the independence and challenges that it brings.

And the five high school seniors at Plano's Faith Lutheran High School have the opportunity to be a part of the school's record books.  The students make up the school's second graduating class of seniors.  The school's first graduating class - which graduated in 2012 - consisted of only three students.

Sarah Denke of Plano, Rebecca Gutzmann of Plano, Swaneet Mand of Murphy, Timothy Merritt, Jr. of Plano and Grace Woelmer of Lucas make up the school's second senior class, which will graduate in an evening ceremony at the school on Friday, May 30.

"Faith Lutheran High School is a special place. One of the main reasons is our students," said Faith Lutheran School Headmaster Timothy Merritt of Plano.  "Our students are very hard workers. They do an average of four hours of homework a day. Despite this, they rarely complain, a fact which has been one of my biggest surprises and greatest delights.  Not only do they not complain much, they are among the first to step forward when asked to help and to do it cheerfully. This is indeed a rare characteristic in youth today."

Faith Lutheran High School is a small Christian college prep school located in Plano, Texas that currently has 11 students.  It is in its sixth year of operation.  The school has a rigorous program following a Classical Education model.

Merritt added that all of Faith Lutheran High School's students are very bright academically.  Their average test scores are in the top 20 percent nationally on the ITED, PSAT, SAT and ACT.

Class valedictorian Rebecca Gutzmann will attend Baylor University and will graduate under Faith Lutheran High School's distinguished achievement program.  She is graduating high school with 18 college credits already completed. 

Class salutatorian Sarah Denke will attend Concordia University - Wisconsin in order to study nursing.  She will graduate under Faith Lutheran High School's distinguished achievement program.  She is graduating high school with 17 college credits already completed. 

Swaneet Mand will graduate under Faith Lutheran High School's distinguished achievement program with 20 college credits completed.  She will attend Rhodes College to study English.

Timothy Merritt, Jr. will graduate under Faith Lutheran High School's distinguished achievement program with 18 college credits completed.  He will attend Thomas Aquinas College where he will pursue a double major in business administration and music.

Grace Woelmer will graduate under Faith Lutheran High School's distinguished achievement program with 20 college credits completed.  She will attend Concordia University - Seward where she will prepare for a career in church work as a teacher with a vocal music endorsement.

These five seniors together have been offered more than $300,000 in scholarship monies (including offers from schools with they chose not to attend).  The five students received offers totaling about $125,000 from schools they did choose to attend, which means about $25,200 for each student.  This total includes academic scholarships and other forms of financial assistance.

Aside from the colleges of their choosing, the seniors received acceptances from many and various colleges and universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Hollins University, Hillsdale College, Concordia University – Texas, Michigan Tech, and University of Texas - Arlington.

"I would never go so far as to say Faith Lutheran High School is responsible for creating these great young men and women," said Merritt.  "Their parents, churches, and the Holy Spirit had much to do with forming them.  I will, however, be so bold as to proclaim my belief that Faith Lutheran High School allowed them to grow and flourish in ways that would have been impossible at most other schools.  It would be difficult to put a price on the value of the ways we have challenged and strengthened them."

About Faith Lutheran School 

In 1971, the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas established a four-year-old preschool for children of the congregation. Since then, the school has grown and opened enrollment to others in the community on a tuition basis. Faith Lutheran School is fully accredited and currently provides classes from pre-school three-year-olds through the twelfth grade. School curriculum is based on the classical model of education. The school's educational program also includes both sports and the fine arts. To learn more about Faith Lutheran School, please visit the school's web site at www.flsplano.org or call 972.423.7448.

On Saturday, May 17 Plano's Haggard Park was filled with live music, activities and fun for all ages at "Prairie Jubilee", a The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. event designed to celebrate Plano and National Historic Preservation Month. 

The event featured live music from cowboy songster Andy Hedges, Texas blues man Rafael Espinoza, conjunto band Los Morales Boyz, the Faith Lutheran School of Plano student choir, and local favorites "The Twin Fiddles".

The festival also included trackless train rides, face painting, a sidewalk chalk art area, cane pole fishing, stick horse races, cow roping, tours of Plano's Interurban Railway Museum and Rail Car #360 and scholarship presentations by The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. and much more.

"This free, fun, family event was an excellent opportunity for us to celebrate the City of Plano and its heritage," said Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation Co-Director Jeffrey Campbell. "This event allowed us to gather for outstanding live music and lots of family fun, and also allowed us to educate guests about the historic preservation efforts underway in the city.  We hope this event provided folks a chance to enjoy a beautiful Texas spring day while learning more about the rich history and culture that this area has to offer."

The event was sponsored by The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., and proceeds from the event will benefit group's historic preservation efforts in the City of Plano.

For more information, please visit www.planoconservancy.org and www.facebook.com/PlanoConservancy or call 972.941.2117.

About Rafael Espinoza: Recent Berklee College of Music Graduate Rafael Espinoza is an Award Winning Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist from Golden, Texas who performs with his band at various venues throughout the year. Rafael Espinoza is taking the music world by storm performing original music that is deeply rooted in the Blues. Graduating with Academic Honors “Magna Cum Laude” at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in August 2013, Rafael studied with the top professionals in the music industry and performed at some of Boston’s finest venues. Along with his Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Music, Rafael’s most recent achievements include participating in the opening performance for Country Music Legend Willie Nelson at Boston University’s Agannis Arena during Berklee’s Commencement Concert. Rafael Espinoza also recently won The Heart Of Texas Blues Challenge at Antone’s in Austin, Texas where he competed against the state’s Top Blues Bands. Soon to be released "Brighter Day" is Rafael’s second album, but his first official full length LP album which is jam packed with high energy, positive original music. www.RafaelEspinozaMusic.com

About Andy Hedges: Andy Hedges is a songster, reciter, and guitarist. His wide and varied repertoire includes classic cowboy recitations, old cowboy songs, dust bowl ballads and blues. Andy taught himself to play the guitar when he was 14 and began collecting classic cowboy poems and traditional cowboy songs. He has been performing for over 15 years and has released seven albums including four joint-projects with songwriter, Andy Wilkinson. In 2010, the two Andys received the Wrangler Award for Outstanding Traditional Western Music from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Andy lives in Lubbock, Texas with his wife and daughter. www.andyhedges.com/

About Loz Morales Boyz: Breaking onto the conjunto scene in 2012, this group of under 18 year-olds is comprised of three brothers and a close family friend from Dallas. Lead singer and accordionist Nachito Morales, age 17, attends the prestigious Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts and won Texas Folklife’s Big Squeeze state-wide youth accordion contest in 2011. Younger brother Rudy, age 12, plays bajo sexto, while eight year-old brother Cheque plays drums. Michael Ramos, age 17, plays electric bass but is also the 2013 reigning Big Squeeze champion. The Boyz recently won the Young Conjunto of the Year Award at the South Texas Conjunto Association Awards. They released their first CD “Conjunto Nunca Muere” this year. www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Morales-Boyz

About the Twin Fiddles: Megan and Leah Bynum started violin lessons when they were two years old.  They were classically trained to play and read music using the Suzuki method.  They haven’t always been fiddlers, however.  In recent years, they’ve begun to explore fiddling – they enjoy country, Celtic, western swing, and most of all, bluegrass.  Because they are classically trained and have played together since they were very young, their fiddling has a unique, synergistic resonance with a classical touch. www.thetwinfiddles.com

About The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc:
The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., a Texas corporation 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is an organization dedicated to promote civic pride in the past, to increase preservation awareness through education and public outreach, and to provide financial assistance to protect and preserve our heritage resources for this and future generations. For more information, please visit www.planoconservancy.org or call 972-941-2117.

Carol Tobias, the President of the National Right to Life Committee, gave several presentations Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Tobias spoke at the Dal North Zone Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) Spring Rally at the church the morning of Saturday, April 5.

"Abortion is not a pro-woman issue," said Tobias. "Women are not required to be told about potential risks, something that is required for any other major surgery.  Why do they fight health and safety standards? That is not pro-woman. Pro-abortion organizations like to say that they are helping women, but that's not true. They are looking to make a profit."

Tobias also spoke in an open-to-the public presentation at the church the afternoon of Saturday, April 5.

"We have the wonderful ability to be involved in our government, to choose our leaders and to effect the decisions they make.  We cannot be pro-life with our right hand and pro-abortion with our left," said Tobias.  "Abortion is a political issue.  Abortion is also a spiritual, moral issue.  The Bible gives us a pretty clear indication that each human being is a unique creation, made by God. We are not to harm His handiwork. We must speak on behalf of the voiceless."

"Abortion is a spiritual battle.  God loves His people," she added. "It is not a secret that a society that devalues life at the beginning will also devalue life at the end. What about the elderly and the disabled?  We see denial of food and fluids to people who cannot speak for themselves. This has been going on for years in this county. Americans don't yet realize what a slippery slope this is.  The loss of respect of human life in the early stages also leads us to discuss cloning and stem cell use.  Not a single cure or treatment has been derived from embryo stem cells.  All successful treatments have been created from adult stem cells."

Tobias also spoke to the Faith Lutheran Church FLAG youth group on Sunday, April 6, addressing the church's youth and their parents.

"Not only does an innocent baby die in abortion, but the mother is impacted as well...for years afterwards.  The fathers are impacted, too.  Whether a woman is considering an abortion or has had an abortion, we must open our arms to her.  There is such a physical risk to the mother. There are emotional and psychological effects. We must show love and grace," she said.  "This is a family issue that effects everyone. When an abortion takes place, you start cutting branches off of a family tree."

The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and the largest national pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide.  The group works to protect human life from induced abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide through legislation and education. It was founded in 1968 and is a non-partisan political group.

"I heard Carol Tobias speak at the recent National Right to Life Convention.  She cares about women and the babies they carry.  She has a passion for all of life.  We greatly appreciated her presentations," said Faith Lutheran Church Senior Pastor Rev. James Woelmer of Lucas.

"Abortion is interfering with the spiritual life of many Christians," said Tobias.  "Women that have had abortions are all around us.  Guilt and shame weigh heavily. Many women are hurting, and they need to hear about the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Church members need to be open, responsive and loving.  Do the people in your church know that abortion is wrong? You cannot tell all of your members who to vote for, but make sure your members know where candidates stand. Be informed.  We do need Christians in politics.  We are citizens of two kingdoms. I would encourage you all to go forward and serve God in both."

About Carol Tobias:
Carol Tobias is president of the National Right to Life Committee. A native of North Dakota, she has served on the National Right to Life board of directors since 1987.  From 1983 to 1991, she was executive director of North Dakota Right to Life and in 1991 was hired as National Right to Life political director, a position she held until 2005.  In that capacity, she organized and conducted seminars on pro-life issues and on becoming involved in the political process. She was a regular speaker at conferences around the country and participated in candidate-training seminars, teaching candidates how to handle pro-life issues in a campaign.  During her tenure as political director, pro-life majorities were elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.  In both 2000 and 2004, she oversaw the efforts of National Right to Life's political action committee on behalf of George W. Bush. Mrs. Tobias has appeared on ABC's World News Tonight, NBC's Today Show, The News Hour on PBS, news shows on CNN, C-SPAN and Fox News Channel, as well as numerous television and radio programs throughout the country. She has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and USA Today.  She and her husband, Damon, live in Cedar Crest, New Mexico.

About Faith Lutheran Church:
Faith Lutheran Church puts Jesus at the center of all that is preached and taught.  Faith Lutheran Church is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and has locations in both Plano and Wylie, Texas. It is a congregation that is faithful to the Scriptures. For more information, please visit www.faithplano.org and www.faithwylie.org or call 972.423.7447.

Students at Plano's Faith Lutheran School recently observed the school's "Celebrate Life Week."

"Students studied from a special curriculum designed to celebrate all stages of life," explained Faith Lutheran School fourth grade teacher Cheryl Wildauer of Allen.  "Students in grades 6-8 attended two sessions of a special program called "180 Degrees", an abstinence-until-marriage program presented through Real Options for Women."

 A monetary collection was taken for Real Options for Women. Real Options for Women is a local information resource for women facing unplanned pregnancies, a gateway to medical care for those continuing their pregnancies and a provider of STD screening for those at risk of infection.

A unique monetary donation program called "Baby Bottles for Life" was used to collect funds for the group. Each student was given a baby bottle to be filled with coins, bills and checks for the non-profit group. Baby clothing was also collected and donated for distribution to some of the clients of the facility. The Faith Lutheran Church ladies sewing group also donated a number of baby quilts to accompany the donated baby clothing.

Students, faculty and staff were also given green ribbons to wear each day during the week to remind them of the importance of life.

About Faith Lutheran School
In 1971, the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas established a four-year-old preschool for children of the congregation. Since then, the school has grown and opened enrollment to others in the community on a tuition basis. Faith Lutheran School is fully accredited and currently provides classes from pre-school three-year-olds through the twelfth grade. School curriculum is based on the classical model of education. The school's educational program also includes both sports and the fine arts. To learn more about Faith Lutheran School, please visit the school's web site at www.flsplano.org or call 972.423.7448.