Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 29

Section Page 5 Star-Telegram ARGYLE FLOWER MOUND JUSTIN NORTHLAKE ROANOKE Saturday December 20 1997 Racing toward progress Soon patrons of Roanoke Public Library will be spending more time surfing the Internet and less time waiting in line to use the computer The library 308 Walnut St has only one com Mx? sksJ iter-: i 'I Slar-TelegramKEVIN Fujll S00 race April 6 from big to bigger 11 I I An aerial view of Texas Motor Speedway during the inaugural Winston Cup Interstate Batteries With additions improvements Texas Motor Speedway goes uemon county riite'lis By Jo Virgil Special to the Star-Telegram ORT WORTH Rising from the surrounding plains like gargantuan rimrock Texas Motor Speedway is visible for miles from its site at Interstate 35W and Texas 114 Its accompanying condominium high-rise the Lone Star Tower and the 117-foot-tall electronic message track is an asphalt dual-banked oval 50 feet wide and VA miles around There is seating for 150061 people and room for an additional 53000 in the infield puter linked to the Internet now but that's about to change Library Boar members have approved and proceeded with a project to install four computers Library Director Katherine Boyer said The new system should be online and ready to use by next week Boyer said There's an activity put on by Justin Parks and Recreation Department that can benefit folks in three situations: parents in need of a break children want- ing a safe adventurous night away from parents and members of nonprofit organizations in need of a little fund-raising Sleepovers (a a adult-supervised pajama parties) are scheduled for today and Dec 31 Children can be dropped off at 6 pm at the Recreation Center and enjoy planned activities They can be picked up at 8 am the next day after doughnuts and juice The cost is $10 per child Sponsors from area church groups and other organizations are encouraged to sign up to help supervise the children with Parks and Recreation Director Marshall Brown Sponsors and the Parks and Recreation Department will split the revenue For information call Brown at (940) 648-1106 Ron Crawford of Roanoke is sick of child abductions The police detectivesongwriter has been promoting his song Pro-tect Our Little Ones sung by Pat- sy Andrews of Weatherford Crawford is working on anoth- -er song It's OK to Cry which addresses child abuse "It's about the screaming and hollering children have to hear when parents or guardians can't get along" he said It can be purchased at any Kroger supermarket in Arlington or Grand Prairie for $5 or by calling Crawford He has also released a video Protect Our Little Ones It sells for $12 with all proceeds going to charities Crawford said he hopes that the videos will be purchased by "every police department and every school in the country" For information call Crawford at 491-2032 Catherine Dailey ranging from the Hallelujah Chorus to White Christmas The show will kick off with a performance by Lake Cities Swing Band playing a few holiday favorites in swing-era style 488-5310 or 481-3350 Junior Jazzercise Christmas Camp for children 8 to 12 9 am to noon Dec 29 to Jan 2 Durham Elementary School gymnasium 801 Shady Oaks Drive Soutlake Certified instructor Adrienne Menichini will conduct the camp $60 421-0451 is Flower Mound will have a Planning and Zoning Com- mission meeting at 6:30 pm 'Monday at Town Hall 2121 Cross Timbers Road Roanoke post office will have extended window service next week The post office 516 Texas 114 will be open from 7:30 am to 6 pm Mon- day through Wednesday Today it will be open from 7:30 am to 2 pm It will be closed Christmas Day Flower Mound post office's holiday hours are 8:30 am to 3 pm today 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday and Tuesday and 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Christmas Eve It will be closed Christmas Day No senior citizen in Justin should have to stay at home this winter wishing for a well-prepared meal But a service organization can't help those in need if the orga- nization is in need That's the message that Metroport Meals on Wheels is trying to get out "We are desperate for vol- unteers in Justin" said Lucia McCoy social services direc- tor of Metroport Meals on Wheels The senior center there is covered McCoy said but several of the 20 volun- teers in Justin have stopped working during the holidays which has created a stretched workload for the others Usu-: ally the 20 volunteers handle one day out of the 20 in the month that food is delivered but now they are having to deliver once a week The other problem is that seniors in Justin simply aren't getting the word that home delivery is available McCoy said "We know there are seniors out there we could be serv- ing" she said of the organi-P zation Metroport serves about 30 seniors in Keller 1 and 17 in Roanoke "We want to reach everybody in Justin" she said The organization would also like a Justin restaurant volunteer to prepare the meals So far the meals have "been prepared by Evelyn's Cafe in Haslet and delivered to Justin City Hall For infor- mation call 491-1141 Catherine Dailey flow to reach us If it's news to you it's news to us To suggest a profile for Spotlight call communities reporter Matt Frazier at 685-3852 Send community and club news to Gwin Grogan communities editor Star-TelegramNortheast 3201 Airport Freeway Suite 108 Bedford 76021 Fax: 685-3883 E-mail: fwst4star-telegramnet rffn center ensure that travelers and commuters know where they are on the map Texas Motor Speedway the brainchild of auto racing mogul Bruton Smith took two years to build to its present state Laura Maready public relations manager for the speedway said the project may always be a work in progress "The Lone Star Tower will probably be finished in early '98 and we are also building another tower an 8-story building for corporate offices at the first turn" she said Improved seating on the back-stretch and other additions and improvements are also planned "Bruton Smith had an idea of what he wanted it to look like It was his vision and he and the contractor would just go week to week on the plans" Maready said Construction on the speedway began in August 1995 and the first race was in April this year The speedway complex which includes more than 60 buildings and a small lake covers about 1000 acres The garages and pits The 195 luxury suites can accommodate more than 13000 people It took more than 5000 tons of concrete to built the speedway and its lighting system uses enough electricity to power more than 2000 homes Eight Texas Stadiums could fit into the infield "Because it's in Texas we had to do everything bigger and better" Maready said Mark Mourer the public relations coordinator is in charge of the graphics on the brightly lighted electronic message center a 24-by-48-foot sign next to Interstate 35W that displays messages animations and short video clips "The sign itself was installed in about a month and it cost over a million dollars" Mourer said "It's more than a marquee but not quite a TV set" Mourer said his department has experimented with the best type and length of graphics to use If" i -S 1 iJnUiinai 'J Star-TelegramALEX Diaz The giant electronic message board in front of Texas Motor Speedway has become a landmark for drivers along Interstate 35W Denton holiday activities include performances concerts parties mru I Star-Telegram Denton has planned many events for the holiday season Some are religious some secular Cultural programs exhibits performances and parties are all on the schedule Living Nativity 7 7:30 and 8 pm today and tomorrow First Presbyterian Church 1114 University Drive Free Call for directions (940) 387-3894 Legends of" Christmas Christmas Tree Forest a commu nity event featuring an exhibit of Christmas trees decorated by indi viduals or groups representing various Christmas legends 1 to 5 pm Fridays through Wednesdays and 1 to 7 pm Thursdays through Dec 30 Center for the Visual Arts Free (940) 565-3570 or (940) 382-2787 New Year's Eve Watch with dinner dancing and a live band 7 pm to midnight Dec 31 Denton 1 tttmr leyville Handbell Choir performance 4:30 pm today Barnes Noble bookstore 1217 Texas 114 Grapevine The combined youth and adult handbell choir directed by Jenny Boyd will play and sing Christmas carols 421-9483 Lake Cities Community Band and Lake Cities Community Choir holiday concert 7 pm tomorrow Carroll High School auditorium Farm Road 1709 and Peytonville Road in Southlake The free show will include music i (b TT1 I mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (j ft Hi Qfiafi Lfdtfie mhmmmitmmmmmmmmmmammmmmJKLmmmimmm m'A Mm 4M i Senior Center Call for cost (940) 349-8280 Also in the region: Trinity Dance Company performance of More Than the Nutcracker 2:30 pm today Barnes Noble book store 1217 Texas 114 Grapevine The dance troupe directed by Kathleen Steiner will perform variations on the original Nutcracker ballet Free 421-9483 First Baptist Church of Col- ufi ft tmmmmmmkmmmmmmm Wirt tun Tl Thursday HURST EULESS BEDFORD Gwin Grogan 6 8 Tuesday Saturday Denton GkGontibr ARGYLE FLOWER MOUND Wednesday HASLET KELLER TROPHY CLUB WESTLAKE waor HALTOM CITY ffQ JUL NORTH RICHLAND HILLS JUSTIN NORTHLAKE ROANOKE mil RICHLAND HILLS SUMMERFIELDS WATAUGA -tn 1 1 vxiamm Communities Editor 5 3 8 2 0.