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WELCOME TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
I'M GEORGIA CLEMSON, AND WE HAVE A GREAT SHOW FOR YOU TODAY.
WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH SOMEBODY VERY SPECIAL.
WE HAVE FROM GRAND PRIX INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SUPERINTENDENT, GABE TRUJILLO.
OH, IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU.
AND I KNOW OUR VIEWERS ARE SO INTERESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO ALL THE DETAILS OF THE DISTRICT, BUT FIRST OF ALL, TELL US ABOUT YOU BEING IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
HOW DID YOU GET HERE, DOCTOR? WELL, UM, IT, IT, I I WOULD SAY IT WAS HEAVILY IN INTERVENTION.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I, BEFORE I START ANYTHING, I ALWAYS SAY I BELIEVE IN SOMETHING SO MUCH GREATER THAN MYSELF BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY SETS THE PATHWAY FOR US EVERY, EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND THE MINUTE I THINK I'VE GOT IT, UH, HE MAY STEP AWAY.
SO I DON'T WANT HIM STEPPING AWAY.
AND SO I, UM, I'VE BEEN, UH, UH, BLESSED TO WORK IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.
I'VE WORKED IN, UH, IN RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
I'VE WORKED IN, UM, SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ALSO URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND WHAT MAKES IT PRETTY INTERESTING IS RIGHT HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU THE MIX OF ALL THREE.
IT DOES, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE STANDING.
YOU COULD BE RURAL IF YOU GO DEEP SOUTH AND THEN YOU GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF SUBURBAN, AND THEN YOU GO UP NORTH NEAR IRVING IN THAT AREA, NOW YOU'RE GETTING INTO THE URBAN AREA, UH, AND COMING OUTTA THE SUBURBAN AREA.
SO I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WORK IN, IN THOSE KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTS.
UH, TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
UM, MY, UH, MY WIFE AND I ARE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS, UH, THIS COMING APRIL WILL BE, UH, 38 YEARS, UH, WOW.
AND, UM, WE'VE RAISED THREE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN.
UH, ALL OF THEM ATTENDED PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, ACTUALLY WE SEE A STRUCTURE GOING UP HERE IN TOWN THAT'S WITH TOPGOLF.
AND SHE ACTUALLY WORKS IN THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR TOPGOLF.
AND, UH, AND THEN MY SECOND DAUGHTER, MY SECOND CHILD, UH, SAID, UH, TO ME AND HER FATHER YEARS AGO, I AM NOT GOING TO BE IN EDUCATION.
WELL, SHE'S IN EDUCATION,
UH, SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH DALLAS ISD FOR THE LAST, AH, FIVE, SIX YEARS.
BUT SHE ACTUALLY CUT HER TEETH WORKING HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE, FIRST AS A PRE-K TEACHER.
AND THEN MY YOUNGEST SON, UM, UH, GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN DUNCANVILLE.
AND NOW, UH, HE WORKS FOR AMAZON.
UH, AND SO HE WENT OFF TO, UH, A AND M AND, UH, DID HIS SCHOOLWORK THERE.
AND SO I'M PROUD OF ALL THREE OF OUR KIDDOS THAT DEBORAH AND I HAVE RAISED.
AND, UM, AND SO WE FIND OURSELVES NOW HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND ACTUALLY IT'S A RETURN TO GRAND PRAIRIE, CORRECT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS HERE, UH, ORIGINALLY, UH, WITH SUSAN SIMPSON AND, UH, WAS HERE SEVEN YEARS.
UH, AND INTERESTING THING IS I WAITED TWO YEARS TO COME WORK FOR HER.
UH, JUST KEPT CHECKING TO SEE WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE, UH, AVAILABLE.
I'VE SERVED ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY IN DUNCANVILLE AND WAS THERE OVER A DECADE, UM, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR AND WANTED TO COME AND WORK FOR, UH, AT THE TIME WHEN WE, WHEN, UH, SUPERINTENDENTS WERE CUTTING THEIR TEETH, YOU KNEW WHO WERE INNOVATIVE, WHO WERE CUTTING EDGE, WHO WERE DOING AMAZING THINGS, AND SUSAN WAS ONE OF THOSE.
AND I WANTED TO COME IN AND, UM, AND WORK UNDER HER LEADERSHIP AND WHAT A WONDERFUL MENTOR AND WHAT A BLESSING ABSOLUTELY.
SHE WAS TO US, AND I'M SURE TO YOU AS WELL.
AND WHEN SHE BROUGHT ME IN, I WAS, I SERVED THE DISTRICT AS A DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
UM, UH, SHE WAS IMPRESSED AND PRETTY QUICKLY, UH, MOVED ME INTO MORE OF A, UM, UH, WORKING WITH THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND AS FAR AS, UH, UM, AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AND THEN BECAME, UM, AREA SUPERINTENDENT SERVICING, UH, UM, PLETHORA OF SCHOOLS, WHETHER IT WAS GP OR, UH, SOUTH, AT SOUTH OR ALSO AT, UH, REAGAN OR ARNOLD.
UM, IT WAS, UM, AND IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO WORK, UH, HERE, UH, THOSE SEVEN YEARS, WHICH REALLY HELPED ME CUT MY TEETH.
UH, WELL, AND, UH, TOOK ME ON TO BECOME THE SUPERINTENDENT IN NACODOCHES, ISD.
SO YOU CAME DIRECTLY TO US FROM NACODOCHES? I DID.
BOY, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD OVER THERE.
IT IS
BUT WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE IN OUR COUNTRY NOW.
AND IT'S SUCH A BLESSING TO HAVE GOOD LEADERSHIP IN A GREAT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I'M A PRODUCT OF GRAND PRAIRIE SCHOOLS.
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YES.MY DAD AND HUSBAND WERE BOTH ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND, UM, MOTHER WAS ON THE DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD.
BUT WE HAVE A HISTORY AND, UH, A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES FROM OUR EDUCATION HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL DISTRICT FULL OF POTENTIAL AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND TO WATCH THEM BLOSSOM AND GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND DO AMAZING THINGS IS, UH, JUST OUR PLEASURE.
AND WE KNOW IT'S AT THE BASE OF THAT IS OUR FAMILIES.
OF COURSE, MOMS AND DADS, UH, PICK GRAND PRAIRIE, UH, WHETHER TO BRING THEM HERE FROM TRAVELS FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT OR IF THEY'RE, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, LIVING IN GRAND PRAIRIE, BUT THEN ALSO THE TEACHERS THAT WE DO HAVE THAT FORM, THAT FOUNDATION THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN THE STRONG LEADERSHIP THAT, UH, THAT'S IN THIS DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING WHEN I WALK AROUND AND VISIT WITH FOLKS, YOU FIND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT A CITY, IT'S MORE LIKE A SMALL TOWN IN A CITY.
AND WHEN YOU TALK TO FOLKS, YOU HAVE, UH, CAFETERIA WORKERS, DRIVERS, CUSTODIAL TEACHERS THAT HAVE WORKED THEIR ENTIRE CAREER IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND, UH, SO SOME FOLKS MAY WONDER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN THE CITY AND TEACHERS MOVE AND IN AND OUTTA THE LIVES OF KIDS, NOT IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
UH, WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT HAVE WORKED HERE, UH, 30, 40 YEARS AND HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT NOTHING OTHER THAN WORKING IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND IT'S A BLESSING FOR OUR KIDS.
IT'S A BLESSING FOR OUR FAMILIES BECAUSE SOME FAMILIES MAY HAVE MULTIPLE KIDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SAME SETS OF TEACHERS.
UH, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S GLORIOUS FOR US.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, AS A CITY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US WHEN WE, UM, MARKET GRAND PRAIRIE YES.
TO BE ABLE TO SAY, LOOK AT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DON'T YOU WANNA COME LIVE, PLAY, AND WORK IN GRAND PRAIRIE YES.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE, UH, THIS, UH, THIS MORNING TO BE UP IN ALLEN.
AND ANYTIME I GET A CHANCE TO, TO STAND ON THE TALLEST PODIUM TO, UH, SPEAK ABOUT OUR DISTRICT, BOY I DID IT.
THEY GAVE ME THE MICROPHONE AND OUR MARIACHI, UH, THAT PERFORMS IN AS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
THEY PERFORMED THIS MORNING, UH, THERE, AND I REMINDED THE FOLKS, THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS THE BEST GROUP OF MARIACHIS THEY'VE HEARD.
AND I SAID, AND I TOLD THEM, I SAID, YOU REALIZE THEY'RE NOT JUST THE FIRST, THE STATE CHAMPIONS FOR ONE YEAR.
THEY'RE STATE CHAMPIONS FOR TWO YEARS AND THREE YEARS.
AND ON THE SIDES WAS EDDIE LOPEZ.
QUIETLY STANDING ON THE SIDE CHEERING HIS KIDS ON.
BUT I WANTED EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW THAT THE TALENT YOU SEE ON THE STAGE IS THE DEDICATION THIS MAN HAS HAD FOR YOUR STUDENTS THAT ARE ON THE STAGE.
AND, UH, AND I SHARED WITH HIM ALSO SOME OF THE LITERATURE SOME OF OUR KIDS HAVE WRITTEN.
I PUT, I ACTUALLY PUT THE PIECE OF DOCUMENT THAT OUR KIDS WROTE, THE STORIES THEY WROTE IN THE HANDS OF THE FORMER SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, AND HE WAS ABLE TO READ A COUPLE OF THOSE STORIES.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I MAY MAKE A VISIT TO GRAND PRAIRIE, UH, TO SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT THAT, UH, WHAT YOUR DISTRICT IS ALL ABOUT IT.
THAT IS THE ADVOCACY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IS ALSO SPEAK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL, UH, OF A GRAND PRAIRIE TO THE WORLD.
'CAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS A JEWEL NESTLED RIGHT.
BETWEEN 30 AND 20 AND 1 61 AND LUKE 12.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LAYOUT, UH, FOR FAMILIES WITH SO MUCH TO DO, UH, IN, UH, IN WORKING ON GETTING AN AMAZING SCHOOL DISTRICT ONLINE FOR, UH, THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE KNOWN TREASURE IN THE PAST.
NOW, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE SPREADING THE WORD.
AND, UM, I KNOW YOUR PRESENTATION WHERE YOU DO THE STATE OF THE YES.
AND YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL THINGS, WHICH WE CAN'T GO OVER EVERYTHING.
BUT TELL US SOME OF THE OUTSTANDING THINGS ABOUT THE DISTRICT NOW, THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AND WELL, THE, THE, THE ONSET, THE LAUNCH OF THE CONVERSATION WAS HOW WE LIVE IN THE GAP.
AND, UM, I WAS PRIVILEGED TO WATCH, UH, YOUR MOM DO THESE VIDEOS AND HOW SHE CAPTURED THE TREASURES OF THE PAST OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND I WASN'T HERE DURING THAT TIME, BUT SHE EDUCATED ME ON THAT.
AND I OPENED UP THE HISTORY BOOKS WITH THIS GROUP WHEN I WAS PRESENTING THAT TO THEM AND TOLD THEM THAT BETWEEN THE PERIOD AND THE CAPITOL, THE PERIOD AND THE CAPITAL, THERE'S A LOT OF MISSING HISTORY.
THERE'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT GAP, AND WE LIVE IN THAT GAP.
BUT THE WONDERFUL THING IS WE GET TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF EACH OTHER IN OUR COMMUNITY DURING THAT ERA.
AND ACTUALLY, WE HAVE ARCHIVE VIDEOS THAT WE COULD GO BACK AND ACTUALLY REVISIT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M WANTING US TO KNOW, IS THAT WE HAVE TO FILL THAT GAP WITH WHAT CAN WE DO TODAY FOR OUR KIDS.
WHAT'S AMAZING IS WE SHOWCASED SEVERAL STUDENTS THAT HAVE
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COME THROUGH GRAND PRAIRIE THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL WORKING WITH GRAND PRAIRIE FORD.THEY'RE WORKING WITH HOL CATERPILLAR.
THEY'RE WORKING NOW ON THE, ON, UH, USS AIR CARRIER COMING FROM OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. UH, IT, THE, THE LIVES ARE TOUCHED BY THE TEACHERS INVESTING THEMSELVES IN THEM.
AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED, UH, WITH WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT YES.
OF MONEY THAT THESE KIDS HAVE RECEIVED AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
SCHOLARSHIPS IS AN ALL TIME HIGH, UH, CREDITS FOR, UH, INDUSTRY, UM, UH, IS AN ALL TIME HIGH.
THE KIDS ARE REALLY STEPPING UP AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, OF ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE.
AND THE EXCITING THING IS WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY, THAT GRAND PRAIRIE ISD WAS KNOWN FOR AND IS STILL KNOWN FOR, WHERE DISTRICTS AROUND US, WERE SEEING KIDS, WERE MAKING DECISIONS TO COME TO GRAND PRAIRIE, UH, AND THEY'RE STILL MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
WE'VE GOT STUDENTS COMING TO US FROM ARLINGTON, FROM MANSFIELD, FROM, UH, MANS, UH, FROM, UH, DUNCANVILLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS TO COME HERE.
SO WHEN FAMILIES MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, IT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES WITH SCHOLARSHIPS, INDUSTRY PARTNERS, BEING ABLE TO, TO WORK ON THE, ON THE, THEIR SKILLS OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, UH, AND NOT DESIGN IT FOR THE ADULTS.
YOU AND I WERE IN SCHOOL YEARS AGO AND WE CAME TO SCHOOL AND IT WAS DESIGNED BY ADULTS.
THEY TOLD US WHAT CLASSES WE HAD TO TAKE AND COMPLETE, BUT NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY ENGAGING IN WITH OUR STUDENTS AND SAYING, WHAT ARE THEIR INTERESTS? AND THEN WE'RE ALSO TALKING TO INDUSTRY PARTNERS.
WHAT DO THE KIDS NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORKFORCE? THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES SO QUICKLY THAT WE, YOU SHOULDN'T INVEST ON THE TECHNOLOGY IN THE HANDS OF KIDS IN OUR INDUSTRY CLASSES.
WE NEED TO TEACH THEM THE SOFT SKILLS, HOW TO SHOW UP FOR WORK, BE ON TIME, DRESS PROFESSIONALLY, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH EACH OTHER.
THOSE ARE THE SKILLS OUR INDUSTRIES ARE LOOKING FOR.
THEY'RE GONNA GIVE THEM THE WIDGETS BECAUSE ONCE WE GRADUATE THEM, THE WIDGETS ARE GONNA CHANGE.
IT'S GONNA BE A NEW TOOL OR A NEW PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY.
BUT THOSE SOFT SKILLS, THE KIDS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP, DO THE JOB, AND MEET THE DEMANDS THAT WE HAVE AND LOOK PEOPLE STRAIGHT IN THE EYE.
THAT'S WHAT BLOWS ME AWAY WHEN YOU TALK TO OUR KIDS NOW, IS THE WAY THEY ENGAGE WITH YOU, UH, IS NOWHERE WHERE I WOULD'VE BEEN WHEN I WAS 14.
I WASAND I WAS A LOT SHYER WITH THAT.
WELL, THIS IS SO EXCITING, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, AND I KNOW YOU COULD TELL STORY AFTER STORY AND SUCCESSFUL STORIES.
TELL US WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GOING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
WELL, THREE TO FIVE YEARS OUR ENROLLMENT IS DROPPING IN GRAND PARADE, JUST LIKE IT IS EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE STATE.
SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO REALIZE HOW DO WE, UH, ADAPT.
SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TAXPAYERS IN GRAND PRAIRIE AND RIGHTSIZE THE, THE DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR US IN THE FUTURE.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, VERY CONCISE PROGRAMMING FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND ALSO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR CHANGING, UH, TEACHING STAFF, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE COMMUTING GREAT DISTANCES TO COME WORK IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS? WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE INNOVATION.
WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN CREATE THAT ARE NO LONGER HERE, BUT ALSO WHAT ARE WE DOING THAT CAN CREATE OPPORTUNITIES? FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE ARCHERY IN THE DISTRICT, BUT THE RULES HAVE CHANGED WITH CTE PROGRAMMING.
SO CAN IT FIT IN THE CTE PROGRAMMING SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE OUR KIDS BETTER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH, UH, UH, ATTACHING ARCHERY WITH CTE BASS FISHING? WE HAVE JOE POOL LAKE.
I COULDN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO MENTION THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GRAFF CHEVROLET STEPPED UP AND DID AN AMAZING THING FOR US.
THEY WERE ALL EXCITED, BUT WHAT WERE WE GONNA PULL THE BOAT WITH? WELL, GRAFF CHEVROLET STEPPED UP LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO, AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE YOU WITH A TRUCK FOR THE KIDDOS TO PULL THAT BOAT TO SO THEY CAN GO TO COMPETITION.
SO THE KIDS WENT TO THEIR FIRST COMPETITION AND SURPRISED THOSE HUNDREDS OF TEAMS THERE BECAUSE GRAND PRE NEVER HAD A BASS FISHING TEAM, BUT WE HAVE IT NOW.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT KIDDO WITH HIS BALL CAP ON SHIRT TAIL STUCK.
DAMN BLUE JEANS TURN AROUND AND LOVES HIS FISH WITH HIS DAD.
AND SO NOW HE SAYS, HEY, TALKS TO HIS FRIENDS, YOU WANNA BE PART OF THE BASS FISHING, UH, TEAM.
MAYBE THEY WEREN'T PART OF ANY OTHER PROGRAM OR A KID THAT WANTS TO BE AND ENJOYS PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND THAT SIDE OF IT.
SO HOW DO WE GET GAMIFICATION AND ESPORTS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THAT SET UP GOING AND LAUNCHING OVER AT TRUMAN.
I'VE ALWAYS SAID THIS AI IS NOT GOING TO REPLACE US.
HERE'S WHAT'S GONNA REPLACE US.
INDIVIDUALS THAT KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE AI ARE GONNA REPLACE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE AI.
SO HOW DO WE TEACH TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS TO UTILIZE, VET VERIFY ANYTHING THEY GET THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ART, THAT'S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND IT
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CAN IMPACT THEIR LIVES.AI IS EVERYWHERE WE WALK NOWADAYS, AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT IT'S BEING RUN BY AI.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT AND SO MUCH MORE, UH, FOR OUR STUDENTS.
BUT WE WANNA ALSO BE A DISTRICT THAT HAS ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
AND WE DO THAT BY, UH, HIRING, RETAINING, AND DEVELOPING OUR QUALITY TEACHERS.
SO WE HAVE SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC WHATEVER SCHOOL.
SO WHEN A PARENT PICKS A SCHOOL, THEY CAN GO INTO ANY CLASSROOM OR ANY SCHOOL FROM THE SOUTH END OF GRAND PRAIRIE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE NORTH END OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
WHAT A CHALLENGING JOB YOU HAVE, BUT HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US IN GRAND PRAIRIE, YOU'RE AT THE HELM AND YOU HAVE A FABULOUS TEAM AND CREW HELPING YOU.
AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR THAT.
AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WHAT WILL BE COMING, UH, FROM G-P-I-S-D.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT SEEING WHAT WILL BE COMING NEXT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.
PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST THE WEST NILE VIRUS.
USE INSECT SPRAY WITH DEEP WEAR, LONG SLEEVES AND PANTS.
ANYTHING WITH STANDING WATER, SHUT THE WATER.
GET MORE INFORMATION@GPTX.ORG SLASH LIKE THE BIKE.
THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE OFFERS ALERT GP A HIGH SPEED COMMUNICATION SERVICE FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS.
RECEIVE ALERTS FROM THE GRAND PRAIRIE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM BY GOING TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND FOLLOWING THE SIGNUP INSTRUCTIONS ALERT.
GP CAN NOTIFY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A SHORT TIME.
IT TARGETS THE ENTIRE CITY, OR SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE CRITICAL COMMUNITY ALERTS ARE NECESSARY.
IF WE CAN'T REACH YOU, WE CAN'T ALERT YOU.
VISIT GPTX.ORG/ALERT GP AND SIGN UP TODAY.
WELCOME BACK AND WELCOME TO OUR NEXT GUEST, ERIC ALVAREZ FROM OUR MARKETING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
SO FESTIVE ALREADY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
I BET YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT.
WELL, LISTEN, WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO OFFER SO MANY NEW THINGS FOR OUR GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENTS, AND REALLY ANYONE IN NORTH TEXAS WHO WANTS TO COME TO GRAND PRAIRIE.
NOW, I HAD TO TAKE A PLAY OUT OF SANTA'S PLAYBOOK, AND I HAVE THIS LIST.
'CAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY EVENTS,
SO MISS GEORGIA, YOU'VE HEARD THAT THIS IS THE 20TH YEAR OF PRAIRIE LIGHTS? YES.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
NOW, IT'S GONNA OPEN TO THE PUBLIC NOVEMBER 27TH, BUT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE A FEW OPPORTUNITIES TO BE THE FIRST TO SEE THE BIGGEST BRIGHTEST AND BEST PRAIRIE LIGHTS THAT WE'VE EVER PUT ON.
SO, UH, AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE THE SNEAK AT PEAK RUN, NOVEMBER 22ND.
NOVEMBER 23RD IS THE SNEAK AT PEAK WALK.
AND THEN THE NEXT DAY ON THE 24TH CYCLING WITH THE MAYOR, PRAIRIE LIGHTS RIDE ON A BICYCLE.
SO THEY HAVE THREE OPPORTUNITIES.
WELL, THERE, THERE IS ACTUALLY FOR THE, I WANNA WALK YES.
UH, NOVEMBER 25TH, THE MAYOR'S REINDEER RUMBLE.
AND ALL OF THE, THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS IS THE MONEY GOES TO SUPPORT SANTA COP, WHICH IS REALLY IMAGINE THE REASON FOR THE SEASON SUPPORTING KIDS YES.
WHO DON'T HAVE GIFTS UNDER THE TREE.
THIS IS A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN HAVE, UH, THE HOLIDAYS.
THEY'VE ALWAYS IMAGINED HOW COOL.
NOW I NEED TO OWN A MOTORCYCLE IF I COME TO THAT, OR YES.
AT LEAST HAVE A GOOD FRIEND WHO HAS ONE.
IT IS FOR MOTORCYCLE RIDERS AND REGISTRATION IS LIMITED.
NOW IT IS $75, BUT NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE GIVING TO A GREAT CAUSE.
AND NUMBER TWO, IN RETURN, NOT ONLY DO YOU GET A SNEAK PEEK OF PRAIRIE LIGHTS, BUT YOU ALSO GET A $150 FAST PASS.
SO YOU CAN COME BACK AT ANY TIME DURING THE SEASON AND BRING YOUR FAMILY PREFERABLY IN A, IN A VEHICLE CAR, SUV.
SO IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, IT COULD BE CONSIDERED A 50% DISCOUNT.
AND THEN AGAIN, LIKE I MENTIONED, NOVEMBER 27TH THROUGH THE DECEMBER 31ST, PRAIRIE LIGHTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVERY NIGHT STARTING AT 6:00 PM AND AGAIN, THE BIGGEST AND BRIGHTEST WE'VE EVER HAD.
AND WE CAN WE GO ONLINE AND GET OUR TICKETS? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
FOR A LOT OF THESE EVENTS, UM, YOU CAN JUST GO TO PRAIRIE LIGHTS OR FOR SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, GO TO GPTX.ORG AND FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER, OR EVEN IF REGISTRATION IS EVEN NECESSARY.
OF COURSE, THEY, IF THEY GO ON A WEEKDAY, IT'S NOT AS BUSY AS THE WEEKEND.
BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE DAY, DEPENDS ON THE KIDDOS.
ARE THEY AT SCHOOL? WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT GETS PRETTY BUSY
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SOMETIMES, SO YOU HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC ON THE DAYS YOU WANNA COME.AND WE CAN FIND INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE THAT WILL UPDATE US.
WE, WE LOVE UPDATING, UH, INFORMATION.
WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER THAN THEY NEED TO.
BUT THAT, THAT IS UPCOMING AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE DONE ONSET SHOW AT PRAIRIE LIGHTS BE BEFORE MM-HMM
AND WE, MAYBE WE'LL DO THAT NEXT MONTH.
MAYBE WE SHOULD, MAYBE MIGHT BE A LOT OF FUN.
BUT GUESS WHAT? WE HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'VE NEVER OFFERED BEFORE.
IT'S CALLED MAIN STREET MAGIC.
SO WE HAVE AN ENTIRE MONTH LONG SERIES OF EVENTS THAT'S GONNA BE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ON MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN.
ERIC, DOES ANY OF IT INCLUDE SHOPPING? UH, ACTUALLY IT DOES, IT DOES INCLUDE SHOPPING.
I'D LOVE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT.
SO, UH, WE ALWAYS HAVE THE TREE LIGHTING AND THE HOLIDAY PARADE.
THEN IT'S GONNA KICK OFF MAIN STREET MAGIC.
UM, THEN WE HAVE EVENTS BASICALLY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THAT MONTH, ROCKING AROUND.
THE LIBRARY IS A UKULELE SHOW AND SNOW DANCE PARTY.
SO FOR THE KIDS, WE HAVE THE FAKE SNOW GOING BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW IT IS IN GRAND PRAIRIE, IT MIGHT NOT BE A WHITE CHRISTMAS TYPE OF A SITUATION.
BUT WE HAVE THE FAKE SNOW AND THE KIDS CAN ENJOY THAT.
WE HAVE ANASTASIA, THE MUSICAL AT THE UPTOWN THEATER, UH, DECEMBER THE 13TH.
WE HAVE THE HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR AND THE HOLIDAY MARKET FREE HOT CHOCOLATE PHOTOS WITH SANTA SUPPORT SOME OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS AND VENDORS.
AND IT LIES THE SHOPPING ANGLE.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT, UH, A LOT OF MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY LIKE THINGS THAT ARE HANDMADE YES.
SO COME ON OUT DECEMBER THE 13TH.
AND THEN, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS, MISS GEORGIA? NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PETS.
I JUST HAVE MY HUSBAND AND SOME PLANTS.
WELL, UM, FOR ALL THE PET, UM, ANIMAL LOVERS OUT THERE ON DECEMBER 20TH, PAUSE ON THE PRAIRIE HOLIDAY PET PARADE AND COSTUME CONTEST.
WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW IT SOUNDS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SO MANY, UH, I ASSUME MOSTLY DOGS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CATS LIKE WEARING COSTUMES.
BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE PARADING IN THEIR HOLIDAY, UH, PET COSTUMES.
AND YOU CAN, IT MAKES GREAT PHOTOS.
SO, AND BEING IN MARKETING, WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
BUT YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON ALL OF THESE EVENTS@GPTX.ORG.
JUST LOOK MAIN STREET MAGIC, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND THAT.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUN AND SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS THAT ARE FUN.
AND THEY DON'T ALL COST MONEY.
UH, IN FACT, NOT ONLY DO THEY NOT COST MONEY, AS I MENTIONED YOU, YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT THE LOCAL ARTISANS.
YOU CAN SUPPORT SANTA COP, AND YOU CAN SUPPORT WFA A'S SANTA'S HELPERS.
YOU REMEMBER THEY WERE, THEY WERE HERE LAST DECEMBER.
IT WAS JUST THIS INCREDIBLE, UH, TOY DRIVE THROUGH AND WFAA, WHICH BY THE WAY IS I USED TO WORK AT WFAA.
UH, THEY'RE COMING BACK FOR SANTA'S HELPERS DECEMBER 10TH FROM FIVE TO 8:00 PM AT THE EPIC.
AND THAT IS THE DRIVE THROUGH.
SO JUST BRING A, AN UNWRAPPED TOY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, JUST LIKE OP, UM, A LOT OF US ARE VERY FORTUNATE, UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT SOME FAMILIES TIMES CAN BE HARD.
AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS, TO HELP OTHER GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY KID HAS, YOU KNOW, THE HOLIDAYS THAT, THAT THEY'RE REALLY, THAT, THAT THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING UNDER THE TREE.
AND WHAT, OR SOMETHING, WHETHER THEY HAVE A TREE OR NOT.
SOMETHING SOMETHING FOR ALL OF THE KIDS.
SO AGAIN, SANTA'S HELPERS DECEMBER 10TH, FIVE TO EIGHT.
UH, WFAA DOES LIVE SHOTS THROUGHOUT, UM, THE EVENING.
SO YOU NEVER KNOW IF YOU COME BRING A A, AN UNWRAPPED TOY, YOU MIGHT END UP ON WFAA ON LIVE TV AS WELL.
AND ERIC, SINCE YOU MENTIONED WFAA MM-HMM
HOW DID YOU GET TO GRANT PRAIRIE? OH MY GOODNESS.
I WAS IN BROADCASTING FOR 15 YEARS.
I WAS A NEWS ANCHOR AND REPORTER FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE TO JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
I WAS BORN IN DENTON AND I GREW UP IN FORT WORTH.
SO THE GOAL WAS ALWAYS TO COME BACK TO DFW, UM, WHICH IS THE NUMBER FIVE MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S THE FIFTH LARGEST MARKET.
I DON'T KNOW IF A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT.
UH, BUT IT'S KIND OF A DESTINATION MARKET AND AN OPPORTUNITY CAME UP WITH WFAA.
UH, AND SO I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE RECRUITED, UH, AND CAME BACK, WHICH MADE MY MOM AND DAD, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, VERY HAPPY YES.
TO HAVE ME BACK AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS.
UH, AND THEN I, UM, WENT OVER AND WAS AT THE NETWORK LEVEL, UH, WITH NBC UNIVERSAL.
UH, BUT IT CAN BE KIND OF HARD.
IT CAN BE A, A VERY STRESSFUL JOB.
AND SOMETIMES THE, UM, THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT AREN'T ALWAYS, UH, THE NICEST, NOT PLEASANT SOMETIMES.
AND IT KIND OF WEIGHS ON YOU AFTER A WHILE.
THERE'S REALLY ONLY SO MANY, YOU KNOW, HURRICANES AND CRIME SCENES AND HOUSE FIRES YOU CAN GO TO AND, AND STILL BE YOURSELF WHEN YOU COME HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE, YOU GET TO TALK ABOUT FUN THINGS AND YOU HAVE A LONG LIST OF FUN THINGS.
IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
UH, AND I STILL GET TO DO THE PHOTO VIDEO STORYTELLING.
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YES.AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VASTLY DIFFERENT AND I'VE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH.
WELL, WE'RE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU IN GRAND PRAIRIE, AND YOU'VE ADDED SO MUCH TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND, UH, REALLY BROUGHT IT UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
AND I HAVE SEEN THAT AND I'VE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
SO WE'RE THANKFUL YOU CAME TO GRAND PRAIRIE.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST A FEW MORE QUICK THANKS.
'CAUSE THERE'S OH, A FEW MORE.
UH, SO WE HAVE, UH, WINTER WONDERLAND, UH, AT EPIC CENTRAL.
WE HAVE A, A, LIKE A REALLY BEAUTIFUL, I CAN'T SAY TOO MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT A BEAUTIFUL ELUVIA SHOW, HOLIDAY THEMED AND ELUVIA.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THAT? OH, IT IS WONDERFUL OUTDOORS.
AND YOU GET TO ENJOY THE CRISP BEAR AND SEE THAT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
AND A LOT MORE WATERFRONT HOLIDAY MARKET.
AND, UH, DID YOU HA, DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO GO TO THE TU LIGHTS FESTIVAL LAST YEAR? YES, I DID.
SO THEY'RE BACK WITH A NEW, UH, DISPLAY.
IT'LL BE DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR.
UH, KICKS OFF NOVEMBER 7TH AND RUNS ALL THE WAY THROUGH JANUARY 18TH.
AND THAT, MISS GEORGIA AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IS OUR VERY, VERY LONG LIST OF HOLIDAY OFFERINGS.
AND THAT LIGHT, TIAN U, IS THAT HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT? TNU YES.
GRAND PRAIRIE CRICKET STADIUM.
REALLY, IF YOU JUST PUT CRICKET STADIUM IN YOUR GPS, IT'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT THERE.
AND BY THE TIME YOU GET THERE, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE AMAZING LIGHT DISPLAY.
BUT WHAT A GREAT LIST OF FUN THINGS TO DO OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
AND ERIC, YOU'VE DONE A FABULOUS JOB OF, OF BRINGING US ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
AND I CAN'T WAIT TILL THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS SUCH A FUN EVENT.
AND WHAT DATE WAS THAT? THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING WAS DECEMBER THE SIXTH.
UH, CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND HOLIDAY PARADE.
SO THEY DEFINITELY NEED TO PUT THAT ON THE CALENDAR.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING ALL OF THIS FABULOUS INFORMATION WITH US.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.
I'M GEORGIA CLEMSON REMINDING YOU AS ALWAYS, IT'S HAPPENING IN GRAND PRAIRIE.