Steve Stoler has seen Plano from both sides now – as a TV news reporter covering the Collin County beat for two decades, and now as the city’s media spokesperson. And Steve’s got stories – from the breaking national news he witnessed firsthand, to his longtime friendship with Plano’s own “Doctor Doolittle.” Hear his behind-the-scenes tales, in this episode.
Podcasts
Episode 21: Sleepless Nights | TEDxPlano
Hear from those who have dared the many sleepless nights to create a TEDxPlano experience, all for the love of “ideas worth spreading.” Do you have what it takes to deliver a TEDx Talk, or organize a TEDx event? Find out, as we go behind the scenes at TEDxPlano, the annual event that draws hundreds of devotees from across North Texas.
Episode 20: Election Topic Spotlight | Apartments
Feelings are running high over Plano’s upcoming May 6 election. At the center of the fury: homeowners up in arms over high-density apartments built or approved in Plano in recent years. They fear too many apartments will drag down schools, snarl traffic and affect our quality of life. We look at the question of apartments – good or bad for Plano? And we separate fact from fiction.
Episode 19: Play Ball, Plano | Bill Van Horn
It’s the start of Spring softball and baseball season in Plano. All across our city ball fields are packed with excited parents, hopeful players and a team of umpires ready to get the games underway. In this Plano Podcast Extra, we meet umpire Bill Van Horn who has spent his life devoted to the love of the game.
Episode 18: Mabrie Griffith Jackson and Marshall Jackson
Mabrie Griffith Jackson and Marshall Jackson weren’t born in Plano, but they got here as soon as they could.
Mabrie and Marshall know Plano. They opened up to us about Plano politics, Plano football, the Thunderbird Roller Rink, and all that came with growing up here in the 1970’s. Get the inside story on their relationship and why they’re excited about the future. Spoiler alert, that future probably includes more episodes of Marshall TV.
Episode 17: Plano Valentine | OP | Officer Arthur G. Parker, Jr.
We’re sending a Plano Podcast Valentine to one of our Plano’s most beloved characters: Officer Arthur G Parker Jr., better known as “OP”, school resource officer at Clark High School. He has made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of kids in Plano.
Parker, who has been with the Plano Police Department for 31 years, was the department’s Officer of the Year for 2015, making him the first school resource officer in department history to receive that award. He’s also the only Officer in Plano we’re aware of that has a Facebook Fan page.
If you haven’t met Officer Parker yet – or heard him play his harmonica, or watched him dance, or listened to him rap – you won’t want to miss this episode.
Episode 16 : Plano Podcast Extra | Nick Bridwell
After Nick Bridwell of Plano Magazine interviewed us for an upcoming story, we turned the tables and interviewed him. Listen in on the conversation, in this bite-sized Plano Podcast Extra.
Episode 15: First Up | Plano Early Risers
Does the early bird REALLY get the worm? Does “early to rise” truly make you healthy, wealthy and wise? For some answers, we dragged ourselves out of bed before the crack of dawn to talk to some Plano early risers. By the time the rest of us are awake, they’ve been up for hours. Find out what they’ve been doing and how it affects their careers, bodies and minds.
Episode 14: Downtown Plano Art and Wine Walk
The Downtown Plano Art and Wine Walk in December. Yes, it was the coldest night Plano had seen in 2016, but there was wine, art, shopping and music. So naturally we had to go. Catch the vibe from the Downtown Plano Art & Wine Walk and hear from brave crowd members (and one not-so-timid youngster) willing to answer a few questions live on our mic. It was a historic night for our city, listen to find out why.
Episode 13: The Heroin Shutdown | 20 Years Revisited
Twenty years ago, we were in the middle of the Plano heroin crisis. Before it was over, nineteen teens and young adults in Plano were dead – killed by heroin overdoses. We tracked down those who were brave enough to say, “My name is Plano. I’m an addict” and to tackle the crisis. This is the extraordinary story of the Plano heroin shutdown.