Hulme harvests homegrown produce
By Natalie Gilbert Staff Writer The frantic scramble for keys and use of the pocket cash as you race to the local grocery store for last minute dinner items is not a rare occasion in the life of a Coppell family, but for the Hulmes the solution can be solved with the crops growing in their backyard. Ever since he was a child, Coppell ISD trustee Thom Hulme has grown herbs, fruits and vegetables from the convenience of his own yard and has continued the task since his marriage to Kelly Hulme in 1993. Starting with tomatoes, the Hulme’s variety of produce has grown immensely. “With the help of Kelly, we are able to work…
Education Foundation Funding Garden at Valley Ranch Elementary
By Alex Irizarry Staff Writer On January 25th, Valley Ranch Elementary broke ground on a new school garden funded by a 7,000 dollar grant from the Coppell ISD Education Foundation. The Valley Ranch Elementary grant committee teamed with the Lowe’s in Lewisville and Real School Gardens to design and create the grant proposal for the new garden. Dubbed The Garden of Stars based on voting from the students, known as the Stars, the garden will feature eight raised vegetable gardens for each of the grade levels and the area will also be used to facilitate hands-projects and activities in support of the push towards the PBL (Project Based Learning) initiative. Also in the plans is…
Going green with gardening classes
By Corrina Taylor Staff Writer The best meals come from the best ingredients, and the best ingredients come from home. Families with their own gardens have direct access to fresh vegtables without high prices. Vegetables in stores may come filled with pesticides, sometimes even showing signs of age or bruising. These are attributes that are not desirable when cooking. For those who don’t know what it takes to produce their own garden, the first step towards learning would be to attend the Organic Vegetable Gardening Class this Saturday, Feb. 18. The class will offer instruction by landscape consultant John Hunt on planting, bed preparation, garden soil ammendments, pest management and seasonal planting selections. This is said to be the first in a series of core classes on garden maintenance, and will be…
Coppell Community Garden holds photography contest
Ashleigh Heaton Editor-in-Chief The Coppell Community Garden is seeking young photographers from Coppell, New Tech and Ranchview High School in their latest photography contest. Photographers are asked to take photos of the Coppell Community Gardens or the Coppell Farmers Market and submit them for consideration. The winner of the contest will be awarded $50 and announced in May. If you are interested in submitting your photography, you can send a maximum of 4 photos to TrudyWhite434@hotmail.com with your name, school, phone number and address included. All photos sent in will become property of the Coppell Community Garden Corporation, so be sure to keep that in mind while submitting.
Memories grow at Storch memorial
by Ashley Attanucci Staff Writer Video by Drake McWhorter After losing one of their most beloved students, Coppell Middle School East has built an on-campus memorial site for eighth grader Taylor Storch. An oak tree, known as Taylor’s Tree, was planted in the center of a student-designed garden to make permanent Storch’s presence at the school. Both for the students and teachers that knew her, and for her family –Mr. Todd Storch, Mrs. Tara Storch, Ryan, 11, and Peyton, 9- the site dedicated to Storch’s memory is a comfort and daily reminder of her spirit. “When all this happened, when Taylor passed away, Tara and I knew that the school is really important to her -it’s important…
Vergien’s experiment in homesteading makes him king of the coop
by Staff Writer Ashley Attanucci It seems the age-old joke has finally been legitimately answered. Why did the chicken cross the road? To join the scene in English teacher Michael Vergien’s backyard, of course. Vergien has a track record at the high school for loving the planet (he used to trek one hour on his bike to commute to work daily), and raising chickens at his home is his new take on being green. “I think there’s a lack of appreciation for the food we eat,” Vergien said. “We don’t mind letting food spoil in the fridge, but when you raise the animal, you have a greater appreciation for what that animal’s doing for you.”…