Fr ee
The
Lewisville Texan Journal
Vol. 4, No. 44
L ife and L iber ty in the L one Star State
L ewisvilleTexan.or g
Thur sday, November 1, 2018
This edition of The Lewisville Texan Journal is a printed recap of our online stories from the past week. For timely updates on Lewisville happenings, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/LewisvilleTexanJournal or Twitter at twitter.com/LewisvilleTexan.
L ewisville L ake neared capacity Cavalli?s closed after month of histor ic r ainfall after two year s
The sign on Cavalli's front door indicating its sudden closure Oct. 25. (Photo by L eopold K nopp)
October 25, 2018 By L EOPOL D K NOPP Knopp@LewisvilleTexan.com
After two years in business, Cavalli?s Neapolitan Pizza has closed its location in Lewisville. The pizza restaurant was The spillway for the L ewisville Dam on Oct. 25. (Photo by Adonis Carcamo)
October 25, 2018 By L EOPOL D K NOPP
In the midst of what is now officially the wettest October in DFW history, Lewisville Lake is almost filled to the brim. The lake is at its highest level since January 2016, and could be poised to flood down the spillway. The last time the spillway flooded was June 2015, which came after a May that saw 16.96 inches of rainfall. This October has seen 14.33 inches of rainfall as of last night Oct. 24, according to the U.S. National Weather Service of Fort Worth. That makes it the wettest October on record for DFW with another week to go. As of this writing,
Lewisville Lake is at 529.47 feet above sea level with the flood pool 72 percent full, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tracking website. At 532 feet, water will begin to go over the dam?s spillway. The lake?s volume is divided into separate pools based on elevation. Below 522 feet above sea level is the conservation pool, which the Corps tries to keep full. This is the water the city draws on for drinking and municipal use. Above 522 feet is the flood pool. When the lake is above 522 feet, the Corps will release water from the dam?s outletworks. to get it back to 522 feet ? but the Corps will only do this if the
Elm Fork of the Trinity River can handle the discharge without causing other flooding downstream. That?s why, in order to release the water, these rains need to stop. According to The Weather Channel?s website, they may do just that. The next six days show between a 0 and 10 percent chance of precipitation and temperatures mostly ranging from the low 50?s to low 80?s. However, the forecast for Oct. 31 shows scattered thunderstorms with a 60 percent chance of precipitation. Several days of early November show between 40 and 60 percent chances of rainfall as well.
the third location for the Irving-based pizza chain, which was established in 2007 by the Cavalli family. The store is known for making its own crust, cheese and sauces on-site with Continued on P3
Salvation Ar my opens family store in L ewisville November 1, 2018 By L EOPOL D K NOPP
Last weekend, the Salvation Army opened a new family store at 602 E. Round Grove Road, just north of the mall, in Lewisville. It immediately becomes the largest family store in the DFW Metroplex. Family stores are a part of the charity?s adult rehabilitation program. Persons in the six-month program are housed at a facility in Dallas and bussed to family stores across the Metroplex, where they work a regular shift. The stores sell
Walmar t could ?reimagine?L ewisville store on Round Grove
An ar tists' render ing of the reimagined L ewisville Walmar t. (I mage cour tesy Walmar t)
name-brand clothing, home goods and electronics at discounted rates, with proceeds going toward the rehabilitation program. Salvation Army Lewisville director Steve Thomas said he regularly drives people from Lewisville to enroll them in the program. The Family Store is open now at 602 E. Round Grove Road on the inside of the ring around Music City Mall?s parking lot. The store is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
October 31, 2018 By L EOPOL D K NOPP
Yesterday, the Dallas Morning News reported that Walmart is considering developing some of its properties into Walmart town centers, and that one of the megamarts being eyed is the Lewisville location on 960 E. Round Grove Road. A Walmart representative clarified that this is purely an exploratory concept at the moment. Walmart spokesperson Delia Garcia said that the town center concept was purely in its exploratory stages, and presented last week by Walmart to real estate developers who might be able to make it a reality. While potential locations have been identified, there Continued on P3
Community
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From the desk of Bobbie M itchell, Denton County Precinct 3 Commissioner October 31, 2018 By BOBBI E M I TCHEL L
Run for fun and for the L ake Cities Spir it of Chr istmas
Denton County Precinct 3 Commissioner
Tr ibutes honor Denton County veter ans In November, we pay tribute to the veterans across Denton County who have served on our behalf. On Nov. 3, the Denton County Veterans Coalition collaborates with the City of Highland Village to raise funds to advocate for veterans and their families. The free festival at Unity Park includes music from the Dave Matthews tribute band Warehouse, artisan displays, craft and food vendors, carnival games, face painting, pony rides and more. The event begins at 10 a.m. and continues through 2 p.m. The annual ?Salute our Veterans? luncheon is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 785 State Highway 121 in Lewisville. The luncheon, sponsored by U.S. Congressman Michael Burgess (R- Lewisville), honors veterans for their dedication and service. The luncheon is free to all veterans and $20 for non-veterans. A special Veterans Day ceremony on the Courthouse on the Square is a collaborative event to recognize veterans. The Denton County Veteran Service Office, Texas Woman?s University, the University of North Texas and a host of military organizations organize the ceremony from 11 a.m. to noon on Nov. 12. We hope you will join us in paying tribute to the men and women who have dedicated their lives in service to our country.
On Nov. 3, you can bring the family for the Lake Cities Spirit of Christmas Fun Run at Hickory Creek Sycamore Park. The 1-mile walk/race and 5k brings families together for a good cause. All proceeds will go to the Lake Cities Spirit of Christmas, an organization that provides Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner to more than 400 children in the Lake Cities communities of Corinth, Hickory Creek, Lake Dallas and Shady Shores.
Community Resource Expo to infor m residents The first ever Community Resource Expo will bring county, city and nonprofit organizations together in one location to help local residents become more aware of available resources. Blood pressure and glucose-level checks will be available to attendees as well as free haircuts. Information about transportation, counseling, mental health services, family assistance and more will be available through the joint efforts of the Together Lewisville Coalition and Next Steps Center. The free expo begins at 9 a.m. Nov. 3 at the Next Steps Center at 1305 State Highway 121 Business and continues until noon with light refreshments. Organizations providing information at the expo include Camp Summit, Christian Community Action, Communities in Schools North Texas, DCTA, Denton County Friends of the Family, Denton County MHMR Center, Grace Compassion Home Health Agency, Habitat for Humanity of Denton County, Health Services of North
Publisher Steve Southwell steve@LewisvilleTexan.org Managing Editor Leopold Knopp knopp@LewisvilleTexan.org Business Manager Jennifer Southwell jen@LewisvilleTexan.org Send letters to the editor to editor@LewisvilleTexan.org Send local calendar events to calendar@LewisvilleTexan.org
Texas, Journey to Dream, Military Veteran Peer Network, New Hope Learning Center, RSVP: Serving Denton County, Salvation Army, WTF ? Winning The Fight and Youth and Family Counseling. The coalition of government entities, social service agencies, businesses and others was created to expand the reach of local community support networks while syncing efforts and creating connection to better benefit residents.
Join the Tr i-Town Amazing Race An inaugural Tri-Town Amazing Race will take teams through Flower Mound, Highland Village and Lewisville packed with mental and physical challenges. Teams of two to four people will complete challenges at 10 pit stops through the three communities. The event begins at Doubletree Ranch Park in Highland Village beginning at 8 a.m. Nov. 10. The top three teams will receive prizes. A cost of $15 per person includes a light breakfast, lunch and a swag gift. Call 972-874-6281 or email shelby.griffin@flower-mound .com for more information.
Get to know your new L ewisville police chief Lewisville Police Chief Kevin Deaver and Farmers Insurance invite residents to stop by the Leo C. Stuver Auditorium at Lewisville High School, 1098 W. Main St., for the ?Coffee with Cops? from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Nov. 2. The gathering gives the community a chance to build relationships with officers and enjoy free coffee.
Fire and police face each other in 16th annual Battle of the
Badge If you thought you?d missed it, you?re in luck. Officials rescheduled the 16th annual Battle of the Badge softball tournament, originally scheduled for Oct. 20, to Nov. 17 at the Lone Star Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park. Starting at 7:30 a.m., the Lewisville Fire Department will compete against the Lewisville Police Department for top honors. Teams from neighboring communities, such as Garland and Arlington, also compete. Spectators are welcome, free of charge, to watch the competitions. Activities for children will also be available. The tournament benefits the Lewisville Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (LCPAAA), which hosts the event each year, in its mission to enhance relations between the community and the Lewisville Police Department. A portion of the proceeds also goes to the Children?s Advocacy Center for Denton County, which provides justice and healing for abused children. This year?s fundraising goal is $10,000. To find out more about the Battle of the Badge or to be a donor, visit LCPAAA.org or call LCPAAA president Heather Goodwin at 214-563-7413.
New Fall Fashion Fest set for Nov. 17 in Old Town L ewisville The City of Lewisville is planning a new Fall Fashion Fest to highlight fashions to wear and for the home. The Nov. 17 festival in Old Town Lewisville will include live music, children?s activities and pop-up or rolling boutiques with trendy fashions. Vendors will offer everything from cosmetics to jewelry and clothing to interior designs. Live music will include PriMadonna, the
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Original Madonna Tribute Band, among others.
M ar k your calendar for the Old Town Holiday Stroll Before you know it, Dec. 1 will be here and so will the annual Old Town Holiday Stroll & Huffines Auto Dealerships Lewisville Christmas Parade. Be sure to set a reminder for the day of activities that start with the Lewisville Morning Rotary Pancake Breakfast and the Motorcycle Toy Run to the Christmas parade at noon. A petting zoo,by pony rides, story File photo Steve Southwell time with Mrs. Claus, performances, live music and more will be available all afternoon as parents shop at Old Town Lewisville stores. The Lewisville Lights! Tree Lighting Ceremony at Wayne Ferguson Plaza will be at 6:15 p.m. followed by a movie in the plaza and hay rides through Old Town Lewisville. The free event begins 8 a.m. with the breakfast and ends at 9 p.m. with the last hayride. It is a holiday experience for the whole family! For more details, visit www.cityoflewisville.com.
A time to say ?Thank you? At this time of giving thanks for family and friends, we want to offer our thanks to all of you and to wish you and yours a most bountiful of Thanksgivings this year.
Connect With Us Be sure and connect with Denton County on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions or comments, please let me hear from you. My email is bobbie.mitchell@denton county.com, and my office number is 972-434-4780.
Subscribe The Lewisville Texan Journal is not yet taking subscriptions for this print edition, but will soon offer it. Stay tuned.
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Cavalli's closes in Old Town, cites lack of foot tr affic Continued fr om P1
ingredients imported from Italy. Rumors surfaced Wednesday night on social media that the store would be closing on Sunday. The company?s official Facebook page pushed back on them. Restaurant owner Chase LaFerney, who bought the pizza chain from the Cavalli family soon before the Lewisville location opened, said he?d held a meeting with staff Wednesday evening to inform them that Sunday would be the last day. LaFerney said he wanted to see who could staff a weekend sendoff, but once the rumors of a closure emerged immediately after the meeting, it became apparent that wouldn?t be possible. ?Even if we potentially could stay open, it would be stressful, and it wouldn?t be a
good sendoff for us and people wouldn?t have a good experience when they came in,? he said. ?My plan and my hope was to close on Sunday.? LaFerney said he didn?t make the final decision to close the doors permanently until Thursday morning. He wrote a statement announcing the restaurant?s closure, thanking customers and encouraging them to support local businesses. Other locations remain open in McKinney and Irving. LaFerney said he is working to transfer the Lewisville Cavalli?s employees over to those locations, or help them get interviews for other restaurant jobs. LaFerney said the city supported Cavalli?s with everything that could have been expected, but that the foot traffic wasn?t where it needed to be and described the recent spat of rain was
the final nail in the coffin. He said that even if rent were completely free, the restaurant would not have been making enough money to cover staffing costs. He said that he was optimistic that the area will be better for restaurants in the future. ?Old Town is still somewhat of a developing area, I think, and I?m super optimistic about what it will be in the future,? he said. ?I think we were just a little early to the game.? Cavalli?s was part of a trio of restaurants established on Church Street on the same lot, spanning between Charles and Herod, the others being Twisted Root Burger Company and Prohibition Chicken. Lewisville waived permitting and development fees and provided sales tax rebates and an upfront investment for parking for the
Cavalli Pizza responded to social media inquir ies Wednesday night calling them unvalidated infor mation and speculative, unfounded gossip.
development. The restaurants, along with J2 Steakhouse on Main Street,
are part of the city?s push to turn Old Town into a Metroplex-wide destination.
Walmar t ?Town Center ?concept still in explor ator y stage Continued fr om P1
are no plans yet. City of Lewisville spokesperson James Kunke confirmed there have been no conversations with Walmart about this property. ?The Reimagined Walmart concept is strictly in an exploratory concept. We have identified eight locations where the Reimagined Walmart concept might be possible. In each of these locations, we are looking for real estate developers who are excited to partner with us in
reimaging how customers might experience Walmart,? Garcia said in a statement. ?Whether a project materializes over time depends largely on identifying the right real estate developers and gaining community support for this innovative development approach.? Garcia said that one of the key concepts is to develop land in one unified parcel instead of separate ones, which may be why the Round Grove location was singled out. The supercenter is flanked to the east by a
628,223 square foot parcel of land that Walmart already owns, according to Denton County Appraisal District. The town center concept, which has its own website, could feature not only a Walmart, but also local retail spaces and restaurants, fitness locations, daycare and pet care centers, transportation hubs and entertainment ? including a golf driving range, which the website singles out as a possibility. Garcia said the idea was born of looking for unique ways to use the stores?assets.
?Our vision is to offer a more robust and dynamic shopping experience that combines entertainment venues, curated local food vendors, health and fitness services as well as recreational opportunities in a way that connects and engages with the community,? she said. However, many of the stores are already located at heart of major urban developments. The other Lewisville location on Main Street, for instance, shares a parking lot with seven restaurants in addition to the
Subway inside, and stares at six more and a 24 Hour Fitness right across the street. When asked how a formal Walmart Town Center would be different, Garcia said that given that the concept is still in its exploratory stages, it is not yet clear. Based on the website, it is possible that more local stores or a broader variety of attractions could be the difference. The Lewisville Texan Journal will follow up if this story if it sees further development.
Volunteer s sought for K L B Tr inity Tr ash Bash October 31, 2018 Submitted Content
Keep Lewisville Beautiful will hold the 10th annual Trinity Trash Bash waterway clean-up 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 10 at Lewisville Lake Park, 600 Sandy Beach Road. Volunteers are needed to help clean-up more than 30 creeks, streams, canals and shorelines. After the cleanup, we?ll celebrate Texas Arbor Day by planting trees at Lake Park and volunteers will enjoy a free onsite educational expo. All supplies will be provided onsite to volunteers. Both onsite and offsite volunteer opportunities are available. The Trash Bash starts with registration at 8 a.m. at Lake Park Catfish Picnic Area. We hand out supplies to volunteers and send them
to various waterway areas in Lewisville to clean up trash. Volunteers then bring back their trash to home base for the chance to win some door prizes, get a free volunteer shirt, breakfast snacks and more. This event is open to all ages and is family friendly. Participants can register as individuals or part of a group. We can accommodate large groups, but please register in advance. Almost all areas are land based shoreline and creek bed pick up. If you have a kayak and want to clean on the water, please call the office to register. KLB is currently looking for sponsors for this waterway clean up event. Sponsorship levels vary and go towards providing valuable supplies for our
volunteers to go out and clean designated areas across the city. These supplies include litter grabbers, trash bags, safety vests, gloves, water and more. If you would like to become a sponsor of this event, please contact our office by calling 972-538-5949 or email us at info@keeplewisvillebeautiful .org. You can also donate online through PayPal. Current sponsors include: City of Lewisville, Keep American Beautiful, Keep Texas Beautiful, Waste Management and Republic Services. To register for this event, Apr il Ballweg, L eeAnn K elly, Rachelle Bar inka, L ou Bar inka and Roger please contact the KLB Place with EA Engineer ing won the adult small group, collecting 28 bags of office at 972-538-5949 or tr ash from Timber Creek. (Photo cour tesy Apr il Ballweg.) send us an email at All ages are welcome. info@keeplewisvillebeautiful Cleanup sites are determined .org. Participants can also by group size and ages to register online at ensure a fun and safe event. keeplewisvillebeautiful.org.
Thursday, November 1, 2018 ?
469-322-4265 ? LewisvilleTexan.org
Photos
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L ewisville Gets Spooky
I n spite of one of the wettest months in DFW histor y, L ewisville found ways to celebr ate Halloween. The spooktacular tr ails event was moved indoor s to the Fredr ick P. Her r ing Recreation Center, and the city hosted its fir st Tr ick-or-Treat down M ain Street, an even that could become an annual tr adition. M usic City M all hosted a haunted house and indoor tr ick-or-treating on Halloween night. For year-round spooks, RSVP with Gateway Ghost Tour s at 972-922-4675 or Histor y 'n M yster y at 940-435-8354, both of which host ghost tour s of Old Town around the calendar. Photos by L eopold K nopp.
One of the animatronic monster s inside M usic City M all's Halls of Hor ror haunted house tour.
The Lewisville Texan Journal
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