Good morning, Justin and neighbors!

Good morning, November! We've officially made it to the month of Thanksgiving, cooler evenings, cozy mornings and the beginning of the annual debate over when it's socially acceptable to put up the Christmas decorations.

We also got our little reminder this weekend that daylight saving time is over. The clocks fell back an hour, which means a little extra morning light, earlier sunsets and a few days of wondering why we're ready for bed before dinner. Hopefully, we'll all adjust to the time change without too much trouble!

The calendar is looking a little quieter this week, too, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath before the holiday weeks start filling up. Maybe it's the perfect time to slow down a little, enjoy an extra cup of coffee, tackle that project you've been putting off or even drag out a few Christmas decorations.

A little reminder for November: Don't get so caught up in what's coming next that you forget to enjoy what's happening right now. Find something good in the ordinary days, make time for the people who matter and give yourself permission to slow down every now and then.

Happy November, neighbors! Here's to a month full of good things, good people and plenty of reasons to be thankful!

Walking away from a career you've spent years building and adjusting to a life with fewer certainties isn't easy. For Bradley, living with epilepsy has meant making some difficult changes, including stepping away from a career as a senior electrical design engineer and returning to Texas to be closer to family.

Bradley spent 12 years in San Diego, working on projects he was proud of, including an electric truck project. But as his focal seizures became harder to manage, even familiar tasks required more time and effort. After two serious vehicle incidents related to seizures, he also had to rethink something many of us take for granted: the freedom to get in the car and go.

Today, Bradley is channeling his creativity into Tachyon Branding, offering custom artwork, apparel, logo design, tumblers and personalized items. Running a business comes with its own challenges when health can be unpredictable, but he's finding ways to keep creating and building something of his own.

During our conversation, we also caught a glimpse of the family behind the story. Even while navigating their own challenges, they were making time to help a friend whose baby was experiencing medical complications. It's a small but meaningful reminder of what community looks like.

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, and Bradley's story is a reminder that there's much more to someone than the condition they live with. This is about understanding the challenges people may face behind the scenes and recognizing their talents, humor, determination and contributions.

Bradley is still Bradley. Epilepsy is part of his story, but it isn't the whole story.

Read Bradley's full story and learn more about epilepsy awareness.

Learn more about his creative business at Tachyon Branding.

Denton County voters will decide several state, county and local races, along with one local proposition for Justin.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Statewide offices

State and local judicial races

Denton County offices

Denton Central Appraisal District

- Board of Directors, Places 1, 2 and 3

City of Justin – Proposition A

Voters will decide whether to reauthorize the existing ½-cent local sales tax to continue funding the maintenance and repair of municipal streets.

The tax would expire four years after this election unless reauthorized.

A quick reminder: This is based on the Denton County sample ballot for Precinct 4219-12G. Ballots vary by voting precinct, so voters should check their own ballot before heading to the polls.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 7 AM–7 PM.

Check your ballot and polling location at Denton County Elections.

When most people hear the word epilepsy, they picture a seizure.

But for the person living with epilepsy, the diagnosis can affect much more than that one moment.

It can mean remembering medications every day, worrying about when another seizure might happen, making decisions about driving, school, work, sports, travel, and sometimes simply wondering how other people will react if they see one.

That is why I think epilepsy awareness should be about more than recognizing a seizure. It should also be about understanding the person living with the diagnosis.

Not every seizure looks the same. Some cause shaking and loss of consciousness, while others may look like staring, confusion, or brief changes in awareness. And while knowing seizure first aid is important, so is knowing how to respond afterward—with calm, privacy, and dignity.

If you witness a seizure, stay with the person, protect them from injury, time the seizure, and do not restrain them or put anything in their mouth. Call 911 if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, another seizure follows, the person is injured, has trouble breathing or waking, or it is their first known seizure.

But once the emergency is over, remember this too:

A person with epilepsy is not defined by the diagnosis.

They are still a student, a parent, a coworker, a friend, a neighbor.

This November, I hope we use Epilepsy Awareness Month not only to learn what a seizure looks like, but to become a community that understands a little more, fears a little less, and knows how to help when it matters.

Narmeen Syed, MD
Justin Primary & Pediatric Care • JustinPPC.com •(940) 946-1800

_{This article is part of a paid partnership with Justin Primary & Pediatric Care. We appreciate the support of our local advertisers, whose sponsorships help make the Justin Journal possible while bringing helpful information to our community.}

November is here, and the holiday season is starting to peek around the corner! With a little breathing room before the calendar gets busy again, it's a good time to enjoy what's happening around our North Texas communities.

A quick school calendar note: Northwest ISD students have Monday, November 2 off for a Student/Staff Holiday. Tuesday, November 3 is also a student holiday, with professional learning scheduled for teachers. That's a two-day break for NISD students!

A little something extra to add to the calendar (or just an excuse for a treat):

Enjoy the week, neighbors, and if you head out to one of these events, keep supporting the local businesses and organizations that make our communities special!

Tuesday~ Nov 3

Thursday~ Nov 5

Friday~ Nov 6

Saturday~ Nov 7

Sunday~ Nov 8

Wooden walkways, Saturday grocery drawings, familiar storefronts, and neighbors who always had time to stop and visit.

Gay Whittington Hopkins grew up in Justin and recently shared some wonderful memories of downtown life, including the old Ottinger Grocery Store, Brad's, the dry cleaners, and Dr. Allen's upstairs office.

She also shared stories of her family's generations-long connection to Justin and the people who helped shape the community.

Justin has certainly changed through the years, but these memories remind us of the people and traditions that made this town home.

Do you remember old Justin? We'd love to hear your stories, too!

Read Gay's memories of growing up in Justin