What do you get when you put paint on 280 fingers? A painstaking piece of art, of course.

High Meadows Academy, 1702 FM 407 in Lewisville,presented the works of 28 budding artists at the Seventh Annual Masterpiece of the Month Exhibit and Reception on Tuesday.

From Picasso to Pollock, the 28 students in kindergarten through fifth grade learned about eight master artists and replicated each artist’s masterpiece in different media.

Lanae Colchin, owner of High Meadows, estimates 40,000 fingerprints make up the Group Masterpiece, Bathers at Asniers, a pointillism-style (fingerprints instead of brushed dots) re-creation of Georges Seurat’s famous work.

Learn more about High Meadow Academy's exhibit.

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Southern Denton County … you have voted … and your favorites are ...

My sincerest apologies to American Idol and Ryan Seacrest (out!) for co-opting their most-likely copyrighted line; I’m just dying to know what y’all think are the best of the best around these parts.

I must admit it’s a selfish curiosity. See, I’m still getting comfy with my new surroundings, and I value your opinions on some important topics. Where do you like to shop and eat? Where do you work out? Where’s a good place to take the kids? Do you know a restaurant that serves scrambled tofu? (Well, maybe that’s not a question). Not only do I want to know, but your neighbors have also voted, and they want to know if y’all agree. Tell us your faves by voting in the 2008 neighbors Choice Awards. Act fast. Voting ends April 27.

A sporting chance

 

North Texas United 96 Girls Select Soccer team, above, posted its photo and story, and you should, too! We especially want to see action shots

Living in Texas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area in particular, we are constantly reminded how much sports are ingrained in our lives.

We pass soccer fields during group bike rides. We jog past a father and son fishing before sunrise. And we wait at stoplights behind SUVs with rear windshields cluttered with stickers of children’s names, numbers and school names and mascots.

Neighborsgo thinks it’s high time for the names on those windshields to appear more often in this paper. That’s why we are introducing a special section devoted to youth sports. Every week we will run the best pictures of young athletes that you posted on neighborsgo.com. We’re looking for kids wearing cleats, boys rolling bocce balls, teens playing tennis, students on skateboards, freshman figure skaters … you get the idea.

I’ve got a hunch that you’ve got a memory card or 12 filled with pictures of your young athletes in action. Those jpgs are doing no one any good just cluttering your cameras’ storage. So upload them at neighborsgo.com. It’s simple: Post your high-resolution pictures with the names and ages of the athletes in the caption. Who knows … your star athlete might appear on the cover of an upcoming edition of neighborsgo! No joke and no jinx (take that, Sports Illustrated cover).

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Setting up: Starting Saturday, April 19, there'll be plenty of folks and a whole bunch of good eats from area farmers.

There's not much to look at right now, but wait until Saturday! Join me at the Old Town Farmers Market. The market is 7 a.m. to noon, Wayne Ferguson Plaza, Old Town Lewisville.

RON BASELICE/DMN FILE PHOTO
James Pike carries a watermelon he bought at the Lewisville farmers market in 2006. He got it from produce provider Glen Wright.

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Flower Mound, you rock! No doubt more than 100 LISD students who attended Rock the Mound April 4 agree.

I enjoyed spending a couple of hours listening to some of the six area rock bands that took the stage last week at BakersfieldPark. Teens sunk their teeth into good food, picked up bands’ CDs and T-shirts, rode a mechanical bull and spun the neighborsgo wheel for some fabulous prizes.

I encourage anyone who was there to post a review of the bands, your pictures and definitely your videos at neighborsgo.com. And check out our Rock the Mound video.

Speaking of students …

Neighborsgo wants you to help us make history. May 17 will be our Student Edition. That means by you, about you, for you. With spring dances, final exams and graduation day not too far around the corner, you certainly have a lot on your mind. Share all of your thoughts on family, friends, hobbies; pics of recent accomplishments; and upcoming school events at our Web site. It’s free, fast and easy (kind of like Myspace and Facebook). There are only a few things we ask:

For your safety — Have a teacher or parent approve and upload your submissions.

Watch your words — Stories and columns should be no more than 350 words.

ID, please — If the photos feature people, include their names in the caption. Also, photos must be high resolution.

Do it now — All submissions must be posted at neighborsgo.com by May 9.

That’s it. Get to it.

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For your consideration: What does it require for a band to be un-reunitable? (yep, I just made up a word, y’all).

I bring this up because there’s been a slew of reunion talk this week. In no particular order:

1. Stone Temple Pilots: Scott Weiland and those other guys will be at Nokia on June 29. First order of business — Apologize to the poor folks of Corpus Christi. Earlier this week the band shocked, well, everybody, by initally scheduling a gig there. Weiland might not be doin’ dope, but the group’s tour planner might be. Sorry, Corpus. Nothing but love for ya. Enjoy that Lifehouse show June 8.

2. Blind Melon: Wha, wha, wha?!?! I loved that band. That love’s past tense for a reason. Sans Shannon Hoon, this Melon should also be mute and fall on deaf ears. You be the judge April 18 at The House of Blues. I guess I should give the other fellas who danced with the Bee Girl in the “No Rain” video some credit. They've been recording and performing since their singer's death in 1995. At least they didn’t try to fill the vocalist slot through a reality TV competition. I mean, c’mon, who would do that?

3. Led Zeppein: Surviving members and Bonzo’s son have done some mini-reunions, most notably for the Atlantic Records anniversary in ’88 and most recently last November in London. Rumors have put Dave Grohl behind the kit and in front of the requisite gong for a tour since whispers of a reunion cropped up in the '90s. Anyone who still thinks of Grohl as a drummer first and heard his work on Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf will agree he’s the best modern day man for the job. And, Grohl, who says Jason Bonham is the man for John's throne, admits he's available anytime, anywhere. Y'know, come to think of it, I approve of this reunion. Do it, Dave!

4. NKOTB: That’s New Kids on the Block, and that’s all that needs to be said. I give up.

Which reunion appeals to you or repulses you?
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Tomorrow I will complete my move from Waco to Lewisville. As much as I strive to be a minimalist, I will be pleased to have all of my stuff in Lewisville, especially my bed  (the air mattress has worn out its welcome).

My bikes also will return to my clutches. It's not like I'm fiending to pedal, but I do want to hop on the roadie, explore routes and learn the region the best way possible — on saddle and at slowspeed. And once the ground dries out, I'll hit the local mountain bike trails, too. Considering the early morning gullywasher, it's gonna be a while.

My return to cycling will also mean fewer morning jogs with my iPod earbud wires dripping past my lobes. Don't get me wrong: I actually enjoy jogging. I didn't use to, and I credit music with making cardio more enjoyable. Loud, aggressive music — stuff I listened to religiously in high school. Rage Against the Machine tracks get plenty of play when I pound the pavement. Vocalist Zach de la Rocha whispers "Anger is a gift" on "Freedom," and it works. It pushes me. I run harder.

However, such a sentiment is laughable outside of my workouts. I get nothing through anger (well, except a quicker mile or more burnt calories). Yesterday I posted that patience is a virtue. I believe it. I've seen the results. Can anyone honestly disagree?

 

Smattered, smothered, covered, diced ...

I passed Waffle House on my way home from work last night and remembered a few of the ways the cooks sling their hash browns. Is the House's hash good for ya? In excess, probably not. But the litany of options for starchy goodness, in moderation, sure is pleasing. And in this gimme more (now!!!) world we live in, who doesn't love/demand more options?

The same is true for opportunities. The more the merrier, verdad? Unlike the aforementioned potatoes, opportunities -- in mass quantities -- are good for everyone. This is where I find myself three days (fave Jane's Addiction song, btw) into my tenure as neighborsgo editor. I am smattered, smothered and covered with a heapin' helpin' of things to do and people to meet and know.

In many situations, myriad options and opportunities can be overwhelming. However, I firmly believe patience is a virtue (more on that topic in an upcoming post). And my patience will be rewarded every time I return a contributor's call and reply to an e-mail or friend request on neighborsgo.com (add me if you haven't).

Considering what's in front of me, I think Kevin John Phillips, a neighborsgo regular, can relate to my situation. His blog, "Pushing 50," is a great example of handling what's on your plate with a smile and a laugh. His humorous views on his upcoming birthday just might shine some sun on your day. I enjoyed speaking with Kevin yesterday and look forward to his posts.

Again, patience is a virtue. I am excited to be here and thankful for everyone's patience as I learn the ropes from exiting editor Jodi Shumway.