Cross Roads Podcast
Cross Roads Podcast
Monica David and the Pilot Point Oktoberfest 2023
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Introducing Monica David, a volunteer extraordinaire who is heading up this years Oktoberfest in Pilot Point.
Cross Roads Podcasts for those who want to be in the know. Good morning Cross Roads. This is your host, Steven Killfoil, bringing you the news from across the land and locally. We want to welcome to the show today, my good friend and volunteer extraordinaire from Pilot point. Monica David. Thank you for coming on the show today Monica. Would you tell our listeners a little about yourself and some of the wonderful things you do for the community?
Monica David:Well, thank you for having me here today. Steven, this is just so amazing. Yes, I actually retired back in October of 2016. And shortly after that, I was approached by the Pilot Point Opera House to start up their theater and be their production manager. And from there, it just snowballed from a tiny little theater into what it is today, with actual theater, seating, new sound equipment, new lights, and we're bringing in tremendous actors from all over. So my husband helped me build that theater as well. So he put a lot of time and sweat into it as much as I did. But now that I retired from that two years ago, I thought, okay, it's travel time for Monica David. It's me time I deserved it at the age of 70. I figured so but then we started up and started with a friend of mine down the road with the Gab and Grabs, but I'll get into that a little bit more later. But I also volunteer in my church a lot also for with a 19th Century Club. I'm also on the City Center Churches group, which helped in getting the community center reopened and that's very up and active and running. So if you're looking for something to do, that's the place to go right now in Pilot Point.
Steven Killfoil:That's incredible. You remind me so much if my grandmother Bridgman, my mom's mom, it's uncanny. She was very civic minded. She was an Eastern Star, an avid bowler seamstress. She played the piano in Oregon for her church. You're heading up the Oktoberfest and pilot point on the 30th of this month. So tell me, how did you manage to get involved with such a fun task?
Monica David:Oh, wow, I'm not so sure I call it fun. It is going to be a very fun event. But it's a lot of work. It's been a learning experience. It actually it all started back in May, right before the election. One of my neighbors Rowdy Truven, Bach wanted to just have a neighborhood gathering community type gathering on the square, just for everybody to come out, share a slice of pizza, drink of water or ice tea, and just get to know one another and get to know the candidates. Well, after we did that first one, then more people found out about CES, were you going to do another one, I missed the first one. So that's how we started then doing the Gabbing Grubs, which we call them now, once a month. But now we're gonna move those to just once every quarter. Because it was just really too hot during the summer to continue. These aren't well, we had a boiler this one oh, we did. We really did. And so then at the very first community gathering that we had, the young lady by the name of Kathleen Scott approached me and she says, gosh, if you want to do any more of these, I'd be more than happy to help. I said perfect. You know, we really aren't thinking about doing another one. But if we do all let you know, Well, lo and behold, here we are. And then after Cinco De Mayo happened, we thought you know, Pilot Point has never had an Oktoberfest. Why don't we do an Oktoberfest? Why not? Yeah, exactly. So the group that was working with Gaben Grubbs we all got together. And Katie and I have formed this nonprofit. It's a 501 C three called Pilot Point Neighborhood Events, Inc. And so we're actually 100% nonprofit, everybody that works for us does not get paid. It's all free work. And so we decided we start doing this Oktoberfest. And the neat thing about this is the fact that our with our net proceeds, it will go into our future events that we want to do like taste of pilot point and continue the gab and grubs and continue on with our Oktoberfest to make it an annual event now. And but 30% of those earnings are going to go to a nonprofit and this year, the first nonprofit we picked was Shepherds Storehouse, which is our local food bank. And so the next year we will start another, well donate to another nonprofit.
Steven Killfoil:Great. Hey, would you be willing to come down here at Cross Roads some time in the future when we're after Oktoberfest, and I'd like to introduce you to Paula Paus. She's the head person over the Parks and Rec board. And Stephanie Housewright one of the council women of the town, who is also over the Parks and Rec board. I think your idea of this 501 C 3 is brilliant. And I think they could use your intelligence and perseverance and a little pat on the back to get some momentum with that and apply that here in Cross Roads.
Monica David:Sure I'd love to. Yeah, that'll be amazing. And I think Kathleen would be on board with that as well.
Steven Killfoil:Awesome. Well, we'll make that happen.
Monica David:Awesome.
Steven Killfoil:Well, I'm trying to get Mady talked into and I successfully have her entering a strudel for the contest.
Monica David:Perfect.
Steven Killfoil:So we're going to be getting the ingredients for those this week. So do you think we might have some cooks out here and Cross Roads who might want to give it a try? How does somebody enter that contest?
Monica David:Oh, I truly believe Cross Roads has some amazing bakers. There is amazing bakers all over this area. Even Aubrey Krugerville and Pilot Point, especially, I know there's some wonderful ones there. In fact, I have a foreign exchange student this year from the Czech Republic was also going to enter that strudle contest. So what you need to do is there's no entry fee, just Bake a strudel. Bring it to the Oktoberfest on September 30. Have your student at the Sterling Event Venue, that's right there on the square, take it in there and have it there by 12:30. And now we'll get you registered, but it's going to be a blind tasting contest. So the judges will not know who strudle they are tasting.
Steven Killfoil:Right, right. So have you guys mapped the location for that? Or you just got to look for that? What do you call it?
Monica David:We will have maps that will be passing out. Okay. When people come to the event? Yes.
Steven Killfoil:Great.
Monica David:Yeah, it's just right on the north side of our square.
Steven Killfoil:Excellent. All right. So tell everybody how to find out more information about this Pilot Point Oktoberfest?
Monica David:Well, there's actually three ways that you can find out about this, we do have the pilot point Oktoberfest Facebook page. We also have a neighbor, neighborhood events, Facebook page, and then we also have our website, which is www.pilotpointoktoberfest.com.
Steven Killfoil:And that's October fest spelled with a K
Monica David:Yes.
Steven Killfoil:not a C?
Monica David:Absolutely.
Steven Killfoil:So make sure you make that with the K the German way.
Monica David:Otherwise, you're not gonna find it.
Steven Killfoil:or you won't find it. Absolutely. Well, tell me what are some of the other venues that you volunteer for?
Monica David:Well, I do volunteer once a week, one day a week for the community center. Because we have so many different things going on every day. So I'm wild. They're always there on game day. I love playing games, but I love the people because it's pretty much the same people every time that come and we have just made such wonderful friendships or it's been amazing. I also sing at my church choir every Sunday, which is I really love and then now and my foreign exchange student bowls, and she's musically talented. We are going to be singing in the Christmas cantata at the First United Methodist Church this year.
Steven Killfoil:Oh, that'll be nice.
Monica David:Yes.
Steven Killfoil:So I, this foreign exchange student is where she from?
Monica David:She's from the Czech Republic
Steven Killfoil:Czech Republic. Please tell me and our listeners about that experience. And would you recommend more people participate in that program? And how do you get to that program?
Monica David:Well, this is actually my first year. And I would highly recommend this to anybody and everybody. It's just a wonderful experience. And I had often thought about it over the years about hosting a student, but just never really took that plunge. And a friend of mine on Facebook was posting about her experience with an exchange student, and I commended her for doing that and mentioned the this is something I had often thought about doing but what is a 71 year old widowed woman have to offer a child you know, a student, you know, and she says, Well, let's talk and so we talked that evening and so I decided with the Northwest student exchange program. I contacted them. And then they gave me a list of a bunch of students that were wanting to come over for the exchange program. And so then I got to see their little bios, and I found Pavla is her name. And she has a lot of the same interests that I have 17 years old senior in high school. So I thought, you know, this might be a good match. And I just felt the Lord tugging at my heart to do this. So I plunged in and did it.
Steven Killfoil:That's great. You know, ironically, that is exactly how it was a program similar to this, that I got involved and met Romanians for the first time. And then I got an invite to come visit them in their country. And then lo and behold, I find one and fall in love. And now she's my wife.
Monica David:That's awesome. Cool story.
Steven Killfoil:It's pretty cool. I'm in big favor of student exchange programs. Yes, definitely. When I was down in Corpus Christi, that's where I was living for about nine years. They had a program and the large hotels there in Port Aransas hired hundreds of them over the summer to do the resorts. Because I mean, that's one people come to Corpus during the summer, spring break, and yeah, so they need to fulfill jobs. And it was a great, it was a great program. And they stayed with families in town, and the resort came and got them on a bus and took them to work and brought him home and dropped them off. It was fantastic. So I just You get to learn about a culture from across the pond that probably never heard much about other than what little you learned in the history books.
Monica David:Exactly. Yeah. And I had been to Prague, but she doesn't live anywhere near close to Prague. However, you know, it's it's been a real experience for me learning how when we say upside down, she discovered that's when they say legs up. So we're learning from each other, you know, and she actually had her very first hamburger two weeks ago.
Steven Killfoil:What'd she think?
Monica David:Oh, she loved it to never have one before. So it's just like she's discovering all these new things that we have so long taken for granted.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah, we don't even think twice.
Monica David:Right.
Steven Killfoil:What's the hamburger? You know, I throw on the grill every weekend.
Monica David:Right? Yeah, exactly.
Steven Killfoil:That is great. Well, as a volunteer, would you share with our listeners about the importance of volunteering in your community? And some of the rewards that come along from that volunteering?
Monica David:Oh, gosh, there's so many places out there that need volunteers. I mean, it's not just organizations, but there's individuals that need help. And that to me that it just such a rewarding thing to do. Because not only do I volunteer at the community center in my church, but you know, at Thanksgiving time, I'll put a table in a sign out at the end of my driveway. And I started this three years ago. And just because we decorate hay bales on our Stritt Mater Road, and so I did a Thanksgiving one and I had just had a sign out there for donations, canned goods or monetary. Well, I figured if I get a couple bags full great for the Shepherd Storehouse. I had a whole carload for my dining room table was filled. Plus I had $200 in cash. So then I've just continued this every year, and it just keeps growing and growing. I had people from Denton bringing me stuck canned goods and sticking them on that table.
Steven Killfoil:Wow.
Monica David:Which is amazing. Yeah,
Steven Killfoil:Pretty soon you're gonna need a truck.
Monica David:Yes, I made like three trips to Shepherd Storehouse this past year with canned goods. So it really helped him out during the holidays.
Steven Killfoil:Oh, yeah. That That's great.
Monica David:Yeah,
Steven Killfoil:That is fantastic.
Monica David:And then just, you know, just seeing the smiles on people's faces, because you're helping them when you do take someone to the doctor or just take them to dinner because they don't have a meal to eat. I mean, it's just just the thank you is just so rewarding. You know, that means more to me than anything else. Just to know that I help someone. I don't need anything in return.
Steven Killfoil:Right? Yeah. Well, how how long have you actually lived in Pilot Point?
Monica David:I have lived in pilot point since 1984. Wow. Yes, yes.
Steven Killfoil:And what made you choose Pilot Point?
Monica David:I got married. Oh, well, this is where my husband was from?
Steven Killfoil:Definitely,
Monica David:yeah, that's how I otherwise I was living in debt. And when I first moved to Texas, and 77 from Minnesota,
Steven Killfoil:Well, how did you meet your husband?
Monica David:Well, it's crazy because I'll tell people through a support group. And it might automatically everybody's mind goes to oh, they were alcoholics. But that's not the case. I had while I still have Crohn's disease, which is a non curable disease and my husband had ulcerative colitis. And so there was a support group for that for those that had ostomies and that's how we met.
Steven Killfoil:Ah, oh, I'll be darned. That's cool.
Monica David:Yeah,
Steven Killfoil:you've been here since 1984. It's about as long as I've been in Texas. That's when I made the move to here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I told my mother, we went to Bryan, Texas when I was 12.
Monica David:Oh, wow.
Steven Killfoil:One of her cousins was married to a Sicilian. His name was Phil's Scamardo. And yes, he is related to Eileen and her husband, their cousins. And because they're all from that same area, and Brian, okay. And I told my mom, I said, You know what, when I get old enough, I'm gonna move to Texas, because I really liked this state. There was way more to do here than there was back home. I mean, I had a choice. I could go to work for the railroad, or become a farmer. And I didn't want to do either one. I had a travel bug real bad. I wanted to get out and see the world. Yes. And I did I have done I have done that. Exactly.
Monica David:Me too.
Steven Killfoil:Well is there anything that you would like to add or tell the audience about more about this Oktoberfest coming up? Or are other announcements that you may have that you would like to put it out there?
Monica David:Okay. Well, we had a little bit earlier talked about volunteering. And actually, we will be in need of volunteers. And we have set up a sign up genius. And you can find it on our Facebook page and on our website as well, how to get to that signup, genius and just volunteer for one hour that day, whether it be the dunking booth, wiener dog races, the kids zone, you know, we got all different kinds of things that need to be done or helping with the vendors and those sorts of things, or selling T shirts or selling our beer mugs for us. So there's lots of opportunity there. We also do have actually a few spaces left yet for vendors, if you're interested in being a vendor and you can get the vendor form right off of our webpage as well. Or if you have a Dachshund we still have about five spaces that we can take five more Dachshunds for the Dachshund races.
Steven Killfoil:How's that gonna work?
Monica David:Oh, well, DNL is ram-rodding that for us. And so they do four dogs at a time. And then it's just kind of like with your basketball playoffs, you know, you got your chart. And so the winner from each of those individual races will compete against each other.
Steven Killfoil:But how do they race them? Are they in like a small little box?
Monica David:No, no, no, it's they all they'll have like, it's going to be open range, we'll have a fence around a certain area, you'll have one owner on one end, and another owner of that dog on the other end, and they each have a treat in their hand. And so they entice their dog to run to them for their treat. So that's how those in Yeah, but there are lots of fun. They're very entertaining. You know.
Steven Killfoil:I love wiener dogs. My father. He had two of them. Christopher and Barkley.
Monica David:Oh, yeah.
Steven Killfoil:And poor old Chris he finally he lived to be 22 years old. For a dachshund. That's pretty nice. Yes. Oh, poor Chris. Finally just he laid down and just didn't wake up. Why and dad went and buried him beside Barkley. And but he he gave my dad a lot of joy. Oh, that for 22 years. Yeah. So Oh, I'm sure
Monica David:Yeah, yeah. And that's kind of how I hope I die someday is just in my sleep.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah, well, that'd be the way to go. That's how my my grandmother went. She was almost 101 Wow. And she just finally went went away to be with God being grandpa. Yeah, it had been a long time. So yeah, I'm pretty sure she's glad to be there.
Monica David:Yes, I'm sure. Well, and also too we do actually have sponsorships available yet. If any business here locally would like to do a sponsorship to help sponsor our event. That would be awesome. They can find that sponsorship form on our webpage as well our website and there's all different levels from $250 on up
Steven Killfoil:okay. Okay guys out there. businesses, local businesses Chick-fil-A, Dutchman's coffee, Dunkin Donuts, Bottle Cap Alley, Jack in the Box, Whataburger. Give them a call. You got it? What? What's, what's the website? Again?
Monica David:It's www.pilotpointOktoberfest.com
Steven Killfoil:with a K
Monica David:with a k, right? Or they can email us at pilotpointneighborhoodevents@gmail.com and they can let us know and we can direct them as well.
Steven Killfoil:Okay, let's do it. Guys. Let's get out there and participate. This whole quarter is full of participating people and they love to do things together. And we're like one great big giant neighborhood anyway, so close enough. Yes. Let's make it happen. All right, well, you heard it today from my friend Monica David. There will be a town council meeting tonight at 6pm. Everyone mark your calendars for September 30. From 12pm to 8pm. At the historical Pilot Point Square, there will be family friendly activities like Dachshund races, petting zoos to Stein hoisting and costume contest. Oh yes, that is right. Mady and I have ours ready. So we're looking forward to this. So come on out to Pilot Point and celebrate Oktoberfest honoring the German roots that Pilot Point was founded on for more information go to
https://pilotpointOktoberfest.com. That's Oktoberfest with a K, the German way. Or you can call 940-367-0895. But before you head on out to Oktoberfest, be sure to stop by the park in Cross Roads and visit the Boss Lady's Vendor Market from 8am to 12pm. Then to finish off your evening after hoisting beer all day, come back to the park at Cross Roads around 6:30 that night for movie in the park. The featured movie is Minions the Rise of Gru. The Untold Story of a 12 year olds dream to become the world's greatest supervillain. Town Council. We'll be meeting again tonight from 6pm to 8pm. Stay tuned in for next week, I will have my good friends and financial advisors hopefully, Nick Bogan and Pedro Gonzalez, who will share with you the importance of planning. Remember what the famous al Williams said people do not plan to fail. They simply fail to plan. Nick and Pedro are going to be sharing some very important good practices for family's finances. So until next week, I'll see you at the top
