Riding Unlimited of Ponder was one of nine therapeutic horseback riding centers invited to participate in the recent Chisholm Challenge for Special Riders, an event held in conjunction with the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
Mary Gwinner, executive director of Riding Unlimited, said the following riders participated in the event: Hava Barry, Jim Barton, Conner Bateman, Hunter Bellan, Joel Bellan, Eloise Bourns, Sam Buchanan, Tammy Coffeman, Deb Cook, Alainne Farrell, Seth Gile, Brett May, Anna McArdle, Everett Pendleton, Dillon Smith, Benjamin Splain, Courtney Twing, Kendall Werner, Sam Wolfe and Nicholas Yager.
The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo donated John Justin Arena and many other amenities for the eighth annual Chisholm Challenge, according to a stock show news release.
"It was another great show for so many riders," Gwinner said in an e-mail.
Riders competed in events including English equitation, Western equitation, Western riding, showmanship at halter, barrels, pole bending, driving and working trail, according to the news release.
The Chisholm Challenge relies on more than 350 volunteers who donate their time and talent.
Riding Unlimited is located at 9168 T.N. Skiles Road in Ponder. For more information, visit www.ridingunlimited.org  or call 940-479-2016.
MLK exhibit opens at Denton library
An exhibit titled "The Road to the Promised Land: Martin Luther King Jr. & the Civil Rights Movement," planned for Feb. 1-28 at Denton's North Branch Library, has opened early, said Carmen Grant, public service librarian.
"We have it on display now," she said. "It's a great exhibit. It's really nice. I've had a lot of positive comments about it."
The Humanities Texas exhibit is visiting the library for Black History Month. It surveys the Civil Rights Movement from the emergence of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott of 1955 through the 1990s, according to a library announcement. There is no charge to view the exhibit, which is open during regular library hours.
North Branch Library is located at 3020 N. Locust St. For information, contact Grant at 940-349-8778 or carmen.grant@cityofdenton.com .
 
Trash collectors needed Saturday in Pilot Point
Keep Pilot Point Beautiful is calling for volunteers to help pick up trash Saturday, said Karen Schoonover, group president.
"We're going to be cleaning up two areas," she said.
The main pickup effort will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Schoonover said. "Hopefully, we'll be done by 2 p.m."
Anyone who would like to help but can't attend Saturday is invited to get started early.
"Saturdays are not always convenient for everybody," Schoonover said. "Volunteers can come by City Hall and grab some trash bags and pick up trash on their own time.
"The more help we can get, the better."
Those interested in helping with the effort should call Schoonover at 940-686-2185.
Pilot Point residents also are invited to bring their private documents for shredding Saturday, Schoonover said. Representatives of Magic Shred will be on hand in the Pilot Point City Hall parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon, she said.
The shredding event is sponsored by Keep Pilot Point Beautiful, Northstar Bank and PointBank, Schoonover said.
The shredding service is available to Pilot Point residents only, Schoonover said, adding that proof of residency will be required. "A driver's license or utility bill would be appropriate," she said.
City Hall is located at 102 E. Main St. in Pilot Point.
Thursday Club meetings planned in Aubrey
Adults age 50 or older are invited to visit the Aubrey Area Library on the first three Thursdays of each month for activities and fellowship offered as part of a program called Thursday Club.
Each session starts at 10 a.m., and lunch will be slated for 11:30 a.m. Participants must sign up for lunches a week in advance.
February's schedule will feature bingo on Feb. 3, games and a "Valentine Potluck" on Feb. 10, and a safety presentation by the Aubrey Police Department on Feb. 17, said Kathy Gilson, library director.
"It's really fun; they enjoy the company," Gilson said of Thursday Club participants. "We usually have a couple of dozen participants. It varies with the weather."
Meals are sponsored by Special Programs for Aging Needs, with the occasional potluck meal, she said.
"The food is always really good," she said, adding that participants can bring napkins or other items instead of food for the potluck meals.
"We have single folks who don't cook," she said.
The Aubrey Area Library is located at 226 Countryside Drive in Aubrey. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The library is closed Sunday, Monday and Friday.
For more information, call 940-365-9162.
Area artist contributing to food bank fundraiser
Kashmira Mistry of Roanoke is among area artists creating bowls for guests to take home from "Empty Bowls: An Artful Taste to Fight Hunger," to be presented from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18. The event is sponsored by Tom Thumb and benefits the Tarrant Area Food Bank, according to a news release.
"She has participated in this event for several years," said Andrea Helms, communications director for the food bank.
Empty Bowls will be held in the West Room of the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall at Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. Guests will sample soups and desserts prepared by staff members of several restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
General admission tickets for the fundraiser are only sold in advance at a cost of $40 per person. The ticket price enables Tarrant Area Food Bank to provide food for 160 meals, according to the news release. A silent auction also is featured.
The Empty Bowls fundraiser typically sells out about a week in advance, Helms said, so early reservations are recommended. Tickets are available at www.tafb.org or by calling Susan Frye at 817-332-9177, ext. 110. A limited number of individual sponsor tickets are available at $125 per person.
Denton County hunger-relief charities that receive food from Tarrant Area Food Bank and will benefit from Empty Bowls include: Argyle Food Pantry; Denton Freedom House in Aubrey; Health Services of North Texas; Asbury Relief Ministry; Denton Community Food Center; Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home; Denton County Friends of the Family; Elizabeth Home; First Step Denton County Outreach Program; Foster Grandparent/Senior Companion Program; Lifegate Church; Singing Oaks Church of Christ; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and Our Daily Bread; The Shepherd's Hand; and Community Storehouse in Roanoke.
LES COCKRELL is interested in your input for Out & About. Help share information about Denton County events and people by calling 940-566-6887. His e-mail address is lcockrell@dentonrc.com .
 
