The Cross Timbers Gazette September 2015

Serving Argyle, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Corral City, Double Oak, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lantana and Robson Ranch

September 2015

Getting Defensive About Safety

By Lyn Rejahl Pry, Contributing Writer

If you listen to the local news, how many times each week do you hear stories about a person attacked in a parking lot outside a mall, home break-ins-- even during daytime hours, carjackings, a runner jumped on a jogging trail or a child being lured by a stranger in a car?

How safe do you feel? What about your kids? Today, no community is free from random violence; that’s reality.

However, what is also a reality is that personal safety can be taught through self-defense lessons and those lessons are taught in Double Oak every Wednesday night— for free; no money, period. You can learn how to protect yourself if attacked and also practice how to get away by hurting the assailant and causing as much pain as possible.

The hour-long class is taught by Double Oak residents Gary Jordan and his student of 20-years, Phil Miller.

“I started studying a style of self-defense called Shaolin Kempo about 35years ago, when I was in graduate school in San Francisco,” said Jordan, who has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. “My wife and I had gone to see a Bruce Lee doublefeature and after the movies, we thought taking some lessons would be something we could do together for fun.”

Great idea, but student income didn’t leave money to spend for classes in Lee’s

www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

By Lyn Rejahl Pry, Contributing Writer

Amanda Thomas has been a warrior since she was a twoyear old toddler. It’s unfortunate that her life-threatening battles have been staged inside her own body.

As a toddler, she was faced with the then little-known kidney disease, Nephrotic Syndrome. It causes the body to excrete too much protein in the urine. The disease is usually caused by damage to the clusters of small blood vessels in the kidneys that filter waste and excess water from the blood. Actor Gary Coleman of “Diff’rent Strokes” fame was the most famous face of the disease. Thomas had only a 50-percent chance of living, which she did for 16 years.

She went into remission 20 years ago when she was 18.

Thomas went on with her life. She eventually married and had a son, Gage, 15, who’s a student at Marcus High School. After becoming a single mother 13-years ago, she and Gage have formed a dedicated bond to each other. That unbreakable bond is now being tested by Thomas’s current battle; a fight against a rare and aggressive breast cancer.

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #307 LEWISVILLE, TX

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Amanda Thomas, pictured with son, Gage, is fighting an uphill battle with everything at stake.

See FIGHT on Page A22

Going The Extra Mile For Good

By Noelle M. Hood, Contributing Writer

Inside This Section

Postal Customer

Since 1979

Flower Mound Mother In Fight of Her Life

See DEFENSE on Page A23

Mayor’s Columns Real Estate Corner Local Experts

Photo by Madison Hutchinson

Bryan Hutchinson loves classic cars and uses his hobby to help others in need.

Once upon a lost decade there was a British Lord Nuffield who owned the W. R. Morris automobile factory called the Morris Garage. The company invented and produced the legendary MG sport cars as a sales sideline.

Over the last century the brand changed owners numerous times. In 2005 the Nanjing Automobile Group bought and resurrected the defunct icon in time to celebrate its 90th birthday in 2013. Plan to travel if you’d like a late model MG, because today its showrooms are in China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom.

At the moment, local MG addict Bryan Hutchinson of Justin owns three MGs. “I’m a gearhead with a weakness for British sport cars,” he said.

He also keeps a Triumph, a Mustang, a Miata he says speaks fluent Japanese, and some vanilla workaday vehicles for a total of nine cars. At the head of this parade in a 1973 black MG See MOTORING on Page A19

September 2015

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September 2015

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Highland Village Honors Young Hero

By Lyn Rejahl Pry, Contributing Writer

Mikaela Sedillo (sixth from left) with her family at Highland Village City Hall.

The Sedillo family of Highland Village will always remember the date June 1, 2015. It’s the date the family home burned to the ground. It’s also the date that Mikaela, 12, became a hero when the seventh-grader noticed smoke coming from the ceiling and got her two younger sisters out of the house safely.

“Mikaela had learned what to do in case of a fire back when she was in fourth grade through the fire safety education at Highland Village Elementary and the Flower Mound Fire Department S.A.F.E. (Safety and Fire Education) Team,” said Misty Sedillo, Mikaela’s mother. “Back in 2012 when she learned what to do if there’s a home fire, we actually did a diagram of our home and had an escape plan and practiced it, including the next-door neighbors. She’s that typical first-born child who takes things seriously and is very responsible.”

Mikaela, who had registered for the Red Cross-sponsored babysitting class in June, was home watching her sisters, Mi-

cah, 9, and Mia, 3. The girls’ dad, Mike, was just down the block at a neighbor’s house and Misty was in a teacher-parent meeting. Mikaela was actually on the portable home phone talking with her father when she noticed the smoke. After she got her sisters over to the neighbor’s next door, the police and fire departments were contacted by the neighbor; the family phone was too far away from its base.

“Even though the police and firefighters arrived immediately, the house was completely on fire,” said Sedillo. “Apparently, the fire had started in the attic from some kind of electrical thing, but it reached a small propane tank on the back of the house and that exploded. The insurance and fire department ruling was ‘accidental-undetermined.’ Everyone was safe, including our family dog, Maverick, because of Mikaela.”

The family had been living with friends up in Denton for two months, until they were able to reach the top of a wait-list to See HERO on Page A11

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

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September 2015

From the Desk of Andy Eads Denton County Commissioner, Pct. 4

School has started and school zone speed limits are being enforced. Remember to use caution and watch for kids on bicycles, on foot and boarding school buses. And always wait until you’re out of the car before you text or email. We place a priority on the safety of our residents.

FM 407 Landscaping The Denton office of TxDOT has let the contract for the first of two phases of landscaping on FM 407 and work should start this month or early October. This first phase will include the areas through Highland Village, Flower Mound and Lantana. Typically, the work goes pretty fast – approximately six months for the actual work. Upon completion, the contractor maintains the plants and irrigation system until it’s set and ready to hand off to the municipalities.

This is the same process TxDOT and other area municipalities have partnered with in the past that really improved the highways here in Denton County. We are pleased to have worked with TxDOT and the cities in securing the funding of this infrastructure through TxDOT’s Green Ribbon Campaign which uses native plants and trees, low-maintenance and drought-resistant species, in these beautification efforts.

The second phase, which will include an option for Copper Canyon, Double Oak and Bartonville, will be sent to bid next year, pending those communities con-

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

tracting with TxDOT and agreeing to the long-term maintenance of the landscaping. A community always has the choice to opt out, in which case the median will remain grass, as it is now.

Country Club Road Construction Update The detours are in place and the work is underway on Country Club Road in Argyle. This project is funded by the 2008 Denton County Bond Election and is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2016.

The end result will be two 11-foot concrete driving lanes with five foot shoulders, a 12-foot left turn lane and an additional 11-foot deceleration right deceleration right turn lane at the Denton Country Club. There will also be left and right turn lanes at 1830 and a left turn lane from 1830 onto Country Club Road.

For complete project information and status updates, check our web page often at http://dentoncounty.com/ Departments/Commissioners/Commissioner-Pct4.aspx.

West Nile Virus Update The 2015 West Nile Virus (WNV) season in Denton County has been relatively quiet. Currently, only two human cases of WNV have been confirmed in Denton County, along with a total of 39 human cases in the state of Texas.

Denton County has collected and tested mosquito samples in unincorporated Denton County since May of 2015 and zero mosquito samples have tested positive for WNV. Thirty WNV positive mosquito samples have been reported from Denton County municipalities, and the vast majority of these occurred after the first of July.

However, preventing mosquito bites is a priority, par-

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ticularly at this point in the season. Historically in Denton County, August and September are the peak months for human WNV cases. It is important for residents to remember WNV season typically lasts through October.

Remember, continue to practice personal protection and avoid mosquito bites as the weather cools down and they possibly increase their outdoor activities. Long sleeves in the morning and afternoon, using DEET, and draining standing water around the house, all remain very important precautions. You can stay up-to-date with the latest information at http://dentoncounty.com/wnv.

35Express Update Construction on 35Express continues to move at a rapid pace. Be sure and check the web site often and sign up for the alerts for up-to-the-minute information to ease your commute. Here are just a few of the updates: At McCormick Street, work on the retaining walls north of McCormick Street along the northbound frontage road is nearing completion. Crews have started work on the retaining walls south of the intersection.

Beams for the new section of the I-35E bridge over U.S. 77 are placed and work has started on the southbound Loop 288 and Mayhill Road bridges, requiring various nightly intersection closures.

Crews paved the new southbound lanes of I-35E between Post Oak Drive and Corinth Parkway, and work has started to reconfigure the southbound frontage road approaches to the new Corinth Parkway and the east side of the intersection.

Crews continue to place panels for the Lewisville Lake bridge deck and work has resumed on the columns and caps for the bridge.

Deck placement on the new Garden Ridge Bridge continues. Traffic will shift to the new portion of the structure soon and work will then begin on the northern section of the bridge.

North- and southbound traffic is expected to be placed onto the new main lane bridge over FM 407 this fall. Once traffic is moved over, crews will demolish the remaining eastern half of the FM 407 bridge and begin constructing the new northbound I-35E main lane bridge.

The southbound exit ramp to Corporate Drive is closed for approximately two months for interstate expansion work and to construct a new ramp. Motorists exit at State Highway 121 Business and continue south on the frontage road to Corporate Drive.

Crews continue to widen the existing bridges at Harry Hines Boulevard by installing drill shafts, columns and bridge decking. Ongoing miscellaneous lane closures will take place during the day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. through October.

Motorists will continue to experience miscellaneous north- and southbound frontage road closures near Valwood Parkway. Full intersection and daily lane closures will allow crews to switch the northbound Valwood Parkway entrance ramp into its final alignment. Also, the southbound Valwood Parkway exit ramp is closed for the rest of this month.

This month, traffic using the southbound Crosby Road entrance ramp will shift slightly south into its final alignment. The northbound exit ramp at Crosby Road will also experience a shift, moving slightly north. As crews prepare for these changes, miscellaneous northand southbound frontage road closures will occur during the day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

South of Main Street, crews recently reduced traffic on the southbound frontage road to a single lane and shifted traffic to flow over the bridge over Hutton Branch Creek channel (between Main Street and Crosby Road). The second lane on the frontage road reopened but the southbound Belt Line entrance ramp is closed through 2017.

As crews continue to work on the new southbound main lane bridge, the southbound frontage road between College Street and Belt Line Road will shift to the west.

Check out the project website at www.35express.org for more detailed information and detour routes, as well as regular updates on lane and road closures and upcoming construction. In addition, access to traffic cameras along I-35E is available.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me hear from you. My email is andy.eads@dentoncounty. com and my office number is 940-349-2801.

September 2015

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September 2015

Around Argyle

By Argyle Mayor Peggy Krueger

Welcome back to school! The Town Council and staff have spent the summer working on the budget and are very proud to present a balanced budget with no tax increases.

We will be voting on the budget in our September Council meeting and will have the second public hearing on September 8th at 6 p.m. The tax rate for tax year 2015-2016 remains unchanged from 2014 at $0.3975 per $100 of assessed value.

This is going to be a great year with the leadership of the new Argyle High School principal, James Hill. The Town staff and officials are looking forward to working together. I had the privilege to meet with Mr. Hill and discuss a new board that we want to establish together with Liberty

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Christian School. We are working on the Mayors Youth Advisory Council that will be a group of high school juniors and seniors who are recommended by teachers and Citizens of Argyle that have an interest in learning about local government.

We will offer a program in which the student council will meet with city officials to learn more about their city functions, and familiarize them with town operations. We want to give these students the opportunity to learn the process of passing an ordinance, looking at budgets and learning that each person of a Town does have an impact. We are presently putting the program together and will give more details later.

The Town of Argyle is currently accepting applications for service on our various boards. The deadline to submit applications is September 30th and the Council will consider the appointments at their October 27th meeting.

See AROUND ARGYLE on Page A21

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Bartonville Town Update

By Bartonville Mayor Bill Scherer

In Bartonville, West Jeter Road is now under construction and will be worked on until later this year.

Right now, North Texas Contracting is patching and stabilizing the road. Later this month into early October, Denton County will be overlaying it.

Late in October, contractors will complete edge backfill. The project should be completed around October 22.

The Town of Bartonville has invested $460,000 in the reconstruc-

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tion of West Jeter from Hunter Court to Frenchtown Road. The project includes spot repairs, recycle and overlay.

Various lanes will be closed and delays are expected.

Don’t forget, the Bartonville Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to sell out Wednesdays and Saturdays at Bartonville Town Center National Night Out Against Crime is being held October 6 at Bartonville Town Center.

The town has adopted a tax rate of about $.184 per $100 of assessed valuation. This is the same as last year’s rate.

The first of two public hearings on the tax rate was held September 1.

The second is scheduled for 7 p.m. on September 15 at town hall.

September 2015

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

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September 2015

What’s Happening in Copper Canyon

September 2015... from the desk of Mayor Sue Tejml

The Denton County Antique Tractor, Farm Equipment and Primitives Club’s annual fall meeting and picnic will again be September 26th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Raymond and Mary Fenley’s home and barn in Copper Canyon.

The public is welcome to come and look at old tractors and antique farm equipment.

The Fenleys’ museum barn will also be open displaying primitives, tools, and other equipment. Many photos of our antique farm equipment are on the club website at www.Texasplowboys.com.

The picnic is free to all members and visitors. It will include fried chicken, tea and other drinks, courtesy of the Fenley’s.

Members and Guests are welcome to bring a side dish to share at the picnic, but none is required.

The GPS address is 640 East Jernigan Rd, Copper Canyon, TX 75077 (southeast

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corner of the intersection of East Jernigan Road and Jernigan Road. East Jernigan can be accessed to the west from Chinn Chapel Road. Jernigan Road is north off of FM 407).

Last year the Club gave Seven $1,000 College Scholarships!

Raymond Fenley said: “As a club we may not be growing in membership, but we are growing in what we do as a contribution to Denton County’s young people.

Last year we gave seven $1,000 scholarships funded by a Two Day Garage Sale and Scholarship Auction.

“We all try to bring something we do not need to this picnic and donate it for the Scholarship Auction which will start about 1 p.m. Saturday. Along with the auction, we have added a Two Day Garage Sale starting on Friday September 25th and continuing on Saturday September 26th. Each day the sale starts at 8 a.m. and will be open until people stop coming in.

“If you read this article, you are invited to come out, join us for lunch, look, visit, and buy at the auction. If you want to See MAYOR SUE on Page A16

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News from Town Hall

By Mike Donnelly, Double Oak Mayor www.double-oak.com - 972-539-9464 @DoubleOakTx

Ted Gruenloh appointed to vacant council seat The Town of Double Oak is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Gruenloh to fill the open council seat that was created when John Maynor resigned due to moving out of town. Councilman Gruenloh’s term will expire in May 2016. Double Oak extends its thanks to the candidates who submitted applications and went through the process.

Decision on sales tax ballot measures The council, with input from citizens, has decided not to order the election in November. The town has been reviewing its

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options and studying new legislation (H.B. 157) which becomes law on September 1.

The new law gives municipalities increased financial flexibility related to local sales tax options.

The consensus of council and citizens is to call for a 1 percent sales tax election in May 2016. If approved by Double Oak voters, the town would recognize increased sales tax revenue. Voter approval would also put our town at the state approved 2 percent city sales tax cap which many municipalities are at already.

Council will be discussing this more over the next few months heading towards the May 2016 election.

Fiscal year 2015-2016 budget planning; proposed ad valorem tax rate increase; public hearings on proposed budget and tax rate Council, staff and citizen volunteers have been busy drafting the 2015-2016 proposed budget. The town’s current property tax rate is $0.224810 per $100. The council has proposed a property tax rate of $0.232400 per $100 for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The proposed budget and proposed tax rate inSee DOUBLE OAK on Page A15

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September 2015

Flower Mound Mayor’s Message

By Flower Mound Mayor Tom Hayden

At the time of publication, the Town has had eight mosquito samples test positive for West Nile virus this year. In addition, the Denton County Health Department late last month confirmed the year’s first human West Nile virus case in Flower Mound. The victim lives west of FM 2499 and was diagnosed with neuroinvasive disease, the more serious form of the illness.

As a reminder, Flower Mound does not spray for a single human WNV case, only positive mosquitoes or a cluster of human cases. However, our Town staff will conduct additional trapping and surveillance in response to a human case in the identified area.

We encourage you to remember the four “Ds”: • Stay inside at dawn and dusk. This is when mosquitoes are most active

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• Dress in light colored long sleeves and long pants • Drain any standing water. An 1/8th inch of water in a bowl under a flower pot is plenty of water for a mosquito.

• Wear a repellent containing DEET when outside The following precautionary steps are also advisable: • Stay indoors during mosquito spraying events if possible • If outside or in a vehicle during this time, be alert for the spraying truck and maintain a safe distance • If the spray should contact skin or eyes, wash skin with soap and water, and rinse eyes with water or saline solution • Close windows • Wash exposed fruits and vegetables before eating There are no special precautions or waiting period recommendations for swimming pools regarding ground spraying. Town staff will continue to conduct additional inspections and monitor the area after treatment.

The insecticide used in spraying is applied at ultra-low levels, breaks down quickly, and does not leave a toxic residue. For more See FM COUNCIL on Page A24

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Highland Village Update

By Highland Village Mayor Charlotte Wilcox

It has been an unusual summer here in North Texas. The spring and summer flooding put a damper on many opportunities to enjoy Lewisville Lake and our parks, caused delays in construction projects and caused significant damage to some roadways and drainage areas.

The bright side now is the flood waters are receding and we can move full swing into the fall months. Pilot Knoll Park has re-opened and the city will hold its annual family campout on September 19-20. We are also bringing back the fall concert series at Pilot Knoll Park. We hope you’ll join us at Pilot Knoll Park as we celebrate fall and cooler temperatures in Highland

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Village.

I’ve had several inquiries about the construction and improvement to Sellmeyer Lane since the project began in March 2015 and it was anticipated Sellmeyer Lane would be closed for about four months. Public input initiated improvements to the plan and the project had to go out for bid a second time.

Once re-bid, excavation of old utilities brought unforeseen complications then the spring/summer floods caused further delays for construction and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approvals. Now the contractor for the Wichita Estates subdivision is nearing completion of the improvements necessary for the paving improvements to begin.

The old alignment of Sellmeyer Lane contained a number of franchise and public utilities that needed to be relocated within the right-of-way of the proposed alignment before the actual paving operation could begin. The See HV UPDATE on Page A25

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September 2015

News From Your Neighborhood

New Golf Club GM Sets Course There is a new face leading the Lantana Golf Club.

Jim Sanders joined the club as General Manager in July and has quickly jumped into his new Jim Sanders role, listening to members and spearheading improvements.

“I am excited to be here and look forward to becoming a part of the Lantana community,” said Sanders.

Sanders has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of the golf industry. Prior to joining Lantana Golf Club, Sanders served as the Director of Golf at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in McKinney, General Manager at Gentle Creek Country Club in Prosper, and as the Head Golf Professional at several North Texas courses including Thorntree Country Club, Bridlewood Golf Club, and The Lakes at Castle Hills.

He graduated from Texas Tech University with a BBA in Management and was a four-year letterman on the Red Raider Golf Team.

Sanders has been married for 22 years to his wife, Brandy, and they have two children, Brittney, 17, and Braeden, 14.

They currently live in Allen where they have called home for the past 14 years.

When he’s not at the club, Sanders enjoys watching his children compete in their many sporting events, hanging out with friends, and even an occasional round of golf.

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Sanders replaces Stephen Phillips, who was promoted to Regional Vice President and General Manager of the Dominion Country Club in San Antonio after thirteen years at Lantana.

Family Fun Added to 5k Even if you don’t run, the 6th Annual Run Lantana 5K race has something for everybody in your family.

New family friendly attractions are being added to the September 19th event at Blanton Elementary School.

“There will be pony rides, a petting zoo and vendor booths from 8 to 10 a.m.,” said Mark Norton, Lantana Community Association manager.

Each year, the Lantana Community Association puts on the 5k to raise money for local charities. Norton said that the event has raised around $36,000 in the past five years “We are hoping to raise over $11,000 for our non-profit beneficiary this year,” said Norton.

SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center in Corinth was chosen to receive funds raised from the race this year. SpiritHorse offers equine therapy at no cost to children and adults who have been diagnosed with disabilities.

Previous beneficiaries include the Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home of Denton, Hydrocephalus Foundation, Pedi Place and the Children’s Advocacy Center.

Register at www.runlantana5k.com. To find out how you can volunteer or sponsor the 5K, call the Association office at 940-728-1660.

Community Garage Sale Sept. 26 Lantana’s Fall Community Garage Sale is Saturday, September 26, from 8 See LANTANALINKS on Page A12

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Robson Ranch Update: “Ethics Ordinance” for the City of Denton

By Kathleen Wazny, Denton City Council, District 3

It’s time to pass an Ethics Ordinance in the City of Denton.

Other Texas cities have these important rules on the books, as law. We need to do the same.

The city has an Ethics Policy. An Ethics “Policy” is not as strong as an Ethics Ordinance. An ordinance is a law.

In addition, there is an Ethics “Committee” that oversees City Council. I asked that I be placed on that committee, when I was elected.

I’ve brought the need for an Ethics Ordinance to our City Council and legal staff. San Antonio has a strong Ethics Ordinance, and I would like to pattern our ordinance after their ordinance.

Many, many Texas cities have already led the way on this one. We need to follow suit.

The Denton City Council meets every Tuesday. Please check the city’s

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website (cityofdenton.com) for times and agendas. You can watch the Council meetings online, either real time, or after the meetings at cityofdenton.com I look forward to hearing from you!

Kathleen.Wazny@cityofdenton.com or 940-367-0171 See Exit 79 in Concert Robson Ranch’s own ‘Exit 79’ will be hosting an outdoor concert over Labor Day weekend. This is the third stop on the ‘Tour’ benefiting our amazing volunteer group, Support Our Troops.

Please come out and join us on Saturday, September 5th at 7 p.m. Because the turnout has been so great for the first two events the location is being moved to the Gallery Park at Gallery and Glenbrook, which is located at the west end of the community.

The Wildhorse Grill will have a BBQ stand and they will also be selling soft drinks that night. As always, you can bring a cooler with your favorite snack and beverage of choice. Bring your neighbors, your friends, your kids and grandkids for a great night out.

Exit 79 and Support Our Troops merchandise will be available at the event and all of the proceeds go to Support Our Troops. – Submitted by Don Duff

September 2015

Hero

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move into a townhome in the area. They hope to rebuild their Highland Village home and be able to move in by spring 2016.

Mikaela was recognized for her heroic efforts during the August 11 City Council meeting.

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Highland Village Fire Chief John Glover introduced members of the Flower Mound S.A.F.E. Team who were also in attendance. He explained that the S.A.F.E. Team is composed of professional firefighters who use a combination of slapstick comedy, fast-paced humor and a nationally-developed curriculum to deliver safety programs in community schools.

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Mayor Wilcox, the City Council, the Flower Mound Fire Department S.A.F.E. Team members, Chief Glover and the Highland Village Fire Department congratulated Mikaela for her heroism in remembering her lessons from the SAFE Team that everything, except for the lives of herself and her family, can be replaced.

“Today we are here to honor Ms. Mi-

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kaela Sedillo. She took the appropriate action, not only to preserve her life, but also her younger sisters’ on that afternoon,” said Glover. “That makes her nothing short of a hero in the eyes of the community and the eyes of the fire department.”

What Does your REALTOR Do? In the fast paced world of the internet and so many really good sites to view homes for sale, the question comes up why use a REALTOR when buying or selling a home. Many buyers and sellers only look at what they perceive as the cost of hiring an agent but then overlook the real benefit the agents brings to both sides of the transaction. Typically the seller pays the commissions to the listing agent for listing, marketing and selling the property and then the agent shares a portion of the commissions with the selling agent if there is one. In most cases the commission is the only fee charge and is only paid upon the sale and closing of the property.

An experienced agent is trained in the complexities of the transaction and is an expert in the market area where the home is located. The fiduciary allegiance owed by the agent to the client is first and foremost. The agent must represent their clients interest at all times. In addition, the negotiating skills of your agent is critical, which include strong communication skills, strategies, experience in problem solving, being creative and maintaining a rapport with the agent on the other side of the transaction.

Unfortunately locating a buyer and then putting the property into contract is only half of the equation. The early period of the contact is when the buyer hires inspectors to inspect the property. In most cases the buyer asked for repairs to be made by the seller that reopens the negotiations as to what the seller is willing to repair and what the buyer is willing to accept.

The agent is also in most cases involved in assisting the buyer in what type

for loan will best suit the buyer and make recommendations on a lender.

With all the choices now available from internet and what we have all heard about the issues with the large national banks the process of selecting a lender has become way more complicated. As an agent I believe using a smaller local community lender is the best. It doesn’t matter how great of terms the buyer is offered, if the lender cannot deliver what they have promised then it was probably too good to be true. Lastly the liability in selling real estate if not handled correctly can be great. The agent potentially assumes liability along with their client if the transaction is not handled properly. The state of Texas is a consumer state and requires the seller and the agent to disclose any defects in the property that either are aware of. Part of the agent’s job is to advise the seller of the importance of disclosure and make sure the proper forms are provided to the buyer. After the sale if there is a problem it is all most always about the condition of the property.

A real estate transaction is very complex and requires expertise. An agent can help you through the pitfalls. I use to teach SCUBA diving and would be asked if you need to know how to swim to dive. I would always say no you don’t unless you want to guard against something going wrong!

Gary Kuhatschek is a broker at RE/MAX Cross Country REALTORS located in the Victorian building at 1990 Justin Road in Highland Village. He can be reached by phone at 972-317-9401 or by e-mail at garyk@rmccdfw.com

31 17 23 $1,035,000 $202,500 $409,461 $455,399 $143.46 33

5 4 2 $1,200,000 $340,000 $724,500 $747,250 $185.66 31

3 1 2 $424,900 N/A N/A N/A $121.64 56

4 3 0 $1,100,000 $385,000 $435,000 $640,000 $152.16 19

7 8 1 $600,000 $275,000 $507,500 $473,750 $134.90 37

127 130 97 $2,900,000 $142,000 $357,000 $423,483 $126.88 26

36 31 16 $629,000 $200,000 $329,900 $355,490 $117.94 23

39 27 28 $710,000 $230,000 $360,000 $370,509 $112.74 54

98%

98%

96%

95%

100%

98%

99%

96%

Statistics for the Month of July 15, 2015 - August 15, 2015 Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed

CORINTH

CORINTH

DOUBLE OAK

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Fantastic Home with Updates Galore!! 4 Bedroom 2.5 Bath. Updated Paint and Carpet Throughout. Kitchen has upgraded Stainless Steel Appliances, Solid Surface Counter Tops, and Large Breakfast Area.

Family Room Adjoins Kitchen for easy Entertaining. Upstairs are 3 Bedrooms and 1 Updated Full Bath. Backyard has a covered patio with fans and TV, Playhouse, and Flagstone Patio along with shade trees and grass. Move-In Ready with quick access to 35E!

Incredible home in Oakmont, in highly desirable Fairway Estates.

5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, incl. Jack and Jill. 3 car garage and a swimming pool. Open kitchen to den. Great floor plan. Decorator colors. High vaulted ceilings. Big back yard. Nicely landscaped.

Solar screens front and back. 3 minute walk from home to Oakmont Country Club. Oakmont HOA includes access to Oakmont Country Club swimming pool, clubhouse and driving range.

Fantastic 1 Story w Bonus Media Room on 1-Acre in Taylor Oaks.

Tiled Entry with Hardwoods in Dining, Study, and Family Room.

Cooks Kitchen with 2 Ovens, 8 Gas Burners, 2 Dishwashers, and Granite CTops. 4 Bdrms Downstairs along with small media room.

Master has fireplace. Upstrs Media Rm has Projector, screen, surround sound, Bar Sink, Half Bath.Lge Lot w Heated Salt Water Pool. Well with Storage Tank provides all water to the yard. 4 Car Garage.

LANTANA

DOUBLE OAK

FLOWER MOUND

ACTIVE

PENDING

PENDING

Outstanding home on an over sized corner lot! Dramatic two story ceiling in Family Room gives an open & bright feel. Large Gourmet Kitchen with granite, SS appliances, 5-burner gas cooktop & Double ovens. Wood floors throughout first floor with carpet in master. Upstairs includes 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths & both a game and media room.

Covered patio outback faces east perfect size for a pool. Located in Walking Distance to Adkins Elementary School. $389,900

Beautiful One Story in Thornhill Estates! Three Bedroom 2.5 Baths with a Study. Gourmet Kitchen with Built in Refrigerator & Corian Counter Tops. Family Room has room for 3 TV's going at once with surround sound speakers. Two Bedrooms share a Jack-N-Jill Bath.

Master looks out to beautiful salt water pool and outdoor area that includes speakers. Separate 1000 SqFt Shop is heated and cooled, has bathroom and office space. Well, waters entire yard! $539,900

Fantastic Home! 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home with Salt Water Pool.

Updated Carpet Downstairs. Large Kitchen, Granite Counter Tops, Convection Oven, Stainless Appliances, Island Seating, Built-In Storage Benches in Bkfst Area. Stairs have been updated with iron and wood steps.

Master Bath has updated dual vanities, jetted tub. Upstairs has 3 Bdrms, Game Room, Full Bath. Large Backyard with Lots of Room for Swimming and Play. Extra space in garage! $309,900

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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LantanaLinks Continued from Page A10

a.m. to 3 p.m.

Residents can register to participate in the garage sale by emailing their neighborhood and address to aslovak@insightam.com or by calling the Lantana Community Association office at 940728-1660 by 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 24.

The association will advertise, provide maps and directional signage to each neighborhood, and have a banner at the three main community entrances to ensure a good turnout.

People drive from over four hours away to take advantage of the deals, according to Association officials.

Everyone is responsible for their own sale in their front yards and no extra signage is allowed. The Association will provide directional signage to each neighborhood.

Haltom Thrift will set up a manned truck for drop off of unsold items at E.P. Rayzor Elementary School on Rayzor Rd. from 12 to 4 p.m. the day of the garage sale. Proceeds from the sale of the items benefit Leukemia Texas.

Tennis Tournament Registration Open Tennis Anyone? Registration is open for the third annual Lantana Men’s Tennis Tournament. All levels are welcome and the tournament includes singles and doubles matches.

“We have had a blast getting to know each other for the last two years and it gets better every year,” said organizer Aaron Sadler.

The tournament is scheduled for October 17 at 10 a.m. at the Lantana and Guyer High School tennis courts.

Register at lantanatennis@yahoo.com or call 214-244-3619.

Lara Lopez, founder of Kids Kupboard Ministries in Lantana, with her four daughters, along with Jennifer Peterson and Staci Gibson of the Lantana Ladies League at a food drive on Aug. 22.

Recent Police Calls Aug. 3 - Animal Bite - 8400 block of Jefferson Way (Heritage) - Victim stated she was bitten by her own dog.

Aug. 7 - Welfare Concern - 8300 block of Tyler Dr. (Magnolia) - The subject was located under a bridge and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for observation. No criminal charges were filed.

Aug. 12 - Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information - 1300 block of Blue Sage Cir. (Bandera) - Unknown person used victim’s social security number to apply for a loan.

Aug. 17 - Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information - 900 block of Fortner Rd. (Larkspur) - Unknown person attempted to use victim’s personal identifying information to obtain credit in his name.

Development Watch Lantana had 3,192 occupied homes as of Aug. 30 with an estimated population of 10,374. There were 109 new home sales recorded year-to-date as of July 31, with the average new home selling for $405,361 or $130.07 per square foot.

Work will begin soon on a new subdivision north of Bandera called Barrington.

The entrance will be off the roundabout at the end of Lantana Trail and the neighborhood will connect to Copper Canyon Rd. Phase A of Barrington will consist of 119 lots.

The final phase of Bellaire that connects the Bellaire and Azalea additions is under construction. Newport Homes will be the builder within the 32 lot subdivision.

The Garner West subdivision adjacent to Fairlin should be completed by the middle of September. LionsGate will be the builder in the 52 lot subdivision.

THE FIRST NAME IN FLOWER MOUND REAL ESTATE TM

©2015. Equal Housing Opportunity.

SEE ALL OUR OFFICE LISTINGS AT FLOWERMOUND.EBBY.COM

Page A12

The Reata subdivision consists of 90 lots and is located north of Tanner Parkway adjacent to golf hole 16. Construction is scheduled to be completed in November.

Plans have been reviewed and approved for Tokyo Samurai Restaurant, Terry Donuts, Lantana Eyecare, Marble Slab Creamery, and Lantana Spa and Nails in the strip center next to Kroger at Lantana Town Center. Plans should be submitted soon for an additional dentist office and a doctor’s office. SuperCuts, Nathan Romney DDS and The Tutoring Center are open for business.

Two additional strip center buildings are going up north of Kroger in Lantana Town Center. Construction will begin soon on a 9,800 square foot multi-tenant building consisting of four lease spaces.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Domino’s, Starbucks and one other business is expected to occupy the building. A second adjacent building will consist of two lease spaces and is approximately 4,200 square feet.

Construction is underway on a 10,474 square-foot, three tenant retail strip center at the northeast corner of Simmons and FM 407 adjacent to the dry cleaners.

A sandwich shop and dance studio are expected to occupy the building.

Completion is scheduled for early October on a 12,000 square-foot Primrose School of Lantana, located at 7020 FM 407, between CVS and Pizza Hut. Plans for a splash pad (water play feature) have been resubmitted and are being reviewed.

TxDOT has approved a stoplight at the intersection of Branch Crossing and FM 407. The signal is expected to be installed in the next 4 to 10 months.

TOP PRODUCERS | JULY INDIVIDUALS Jeannie Seth Karen Sefcik Lee Conte-Vaughn Jack Mallouf Carol Waugh GROUPS Ayres, Ferguson & Smith Group The Ebby Elite Group The Robichaux Group

3413 BECKINGHAM COURT $349,000 FLOWER MOUND | one-story with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and close to Flower Mound High School Mark Lally 972-880-9880

820 KIRBY DRIVE $330,000 LANTANA | 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2 living areas and game room upstairs Jeannie Seth 214-215-0895

2701 CASCADE COVE DRIVE $300,000 LITTLE ELM | 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, granite counter tops, 3-car garage and the master is downstairs Jeneane Sanfelippo 972-757-5647

194 VENICE TRAIL #1403 $285,000 LEWISVILLE | 2-bedroom condo with 2 living areas, 2.5 baths, granite counter tops and much more Mandy Pickerill 214-274-6440

4000 VISTA GREEN DRIVE $188,000 FORT WORTH | one-story home with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, with a huge backyard and covered patio Renie Masi 469-867-3713

12980 PRUETT ROAD $100,000 KRUM | great opportunity to build your own home on a gently sloping 10-acre lot Becky Garrison 972-571-8190

EBBY FLOWER MOUND | 972-539-3000 | FLOWERMOUND.EBBY.COM | SERVICIO EN ESPAÑOL LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE OR A CHANGE IN ADDRESS OF YOUR CURRENT REAL ESTATE OFFICE? For a confidential discussion, contact Connie Niedzwiecki at 972-355-5606 or ConnieN@Ebby.com

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Join us daily for Doggie Day Care.

We’re having FUN ! ! !

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September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Breakthrough Weight Loss System Available in North Texas for People Who Struggle with Weight Have you tried to diet and exercise only to lose 1 pound a month? Have you tried the big box programs only to fail? Do you look in the mirror and feel depressed at the way you look?

What if you could lose 3 to 7 pounds a week?

talk about weight loss there are so many things that you have to consider.

Hold On You might be thinking that this requires surgery, NO You might be thinking that you have exercise like crazy, NO You might think that your probably starving yourself, NO

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You have to be thinking that this absolutely impossible. That you can lose weight, WITHOUT exercise, WITHOUT surgery, and WITHOUT starving yourself? ABSOLUTELY Hi, My name is Dr. Bao Thai DC. I am an author, weight loss guru, neuropathy expert. If you are over the age of 40 and struggle with your weight, I am here to tell you I have your solution. As you get older, your body starts to change naturally. Your metabolism starts to slow, if it hasn't already. Your job becomes more and more sedentary every day. You feel like you have no time to exercise. You feel like it it's too hard to eat right. Your hormone levels are decreasing and you feel more and more tired everyday.

If this describes you, then read on.

Losing weight as you get older is not as simple as it was when you were a teenager. At this age, it's not about calories in and calories out. It's about how your body is functioning. It's about if your on medications and do the medications affect your body's ability to lose weight. Your bodies ability to lose weight is determined by how well your body process food and fat. So when you

Let me tell you about the solution you have been waiting for. My weight loss program that I have developed is a one of a kind individualized program. It is a customized doctor supervised program that will get you the results you have been waiting for. Our patients are losing 25 - 45 Pounds in a as little as 40 days!!

I have helped hundreds of people lose weight and get healthy. My program can focus on balancing hormones naturally as well as removing toxins from the body. We have a food based management plan based on the individuals needs to make sure they lose weight and are never hungry. My program is so successful because it simply speeds up the process of time. I use common sense principles along with technology to help people overcome their struggle with weight.

No matter how old you are, if you are looking to make a change.

If you are tired of the way you look and feel and want to do something for yourself. I have the answer. I want to help you transform the life you previously had to the life you want to have. If your looking to start melting away the fat, CALL ME TODAY I CAN HELP YOU! If you are one of the first 25 callers that mentions that you saw us on The Cross Timbers Gazette you will receive a No Obligation Consultation. Where I will determine why you have not been able to lose weight. If it is determined that you are good candidate for my program, you receive $75 off your weight loss program. Now spots fill fast, so you must call soon.

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September 2015

Double Oak

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formation may be found on the town website www.double-oak.com. The town will hold two public hearings at town hall on the 2015-2016 proposed tax rate and budget: First hearing will be 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 8; Second hearing will be at 7 p.m. Monday, September 21.

A town council meeting will be noticed and held between September 25-30 to adopt the 2015-2016 budget and tax rate.

The town’s new fiscal year begins on October 1.

If you are a Double Oak resident or business, and have any questions, or want to share your thoughts on budget, tax rate or any other business of the town, please feel free to contact myself, members of council or town staff at any time. We are happy to meet and discuss.

Contact information is listed on the town website: Mayor Mike Donnelly, mdon-

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

nelly@double-oak.com; Town Secretary Charlotte Allen, town_secretary@doubleoak.com Women’s Club Kicks off New Membership Year The Double Oak Women’s Club (DOWC) will hold its first general meeting of this membership year on Tuesday, September 15th at Double Oak Town Hall beginning at 7 p.m. The club supports the town and the community in many ways and offers opportunities for women to meet and connect with others with similar interests.

All ladies residing in Double Oak are invited, as well as prior members who have moved out of town. Join us for fun and refreshments and to see what the club has planned for this year. Contact Publicity Chairwoman Candy Lamel at candylamel@aol.com if you did not receive a complimentary newsletter for September.

–Submitted by Candy Lamel

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September 2015

Mayor Sue

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help a college bound high school senior and would like to donate an item for the scholarship auction, please call me at 940241-2700. You can drop the item off at my home or I will pick it up.

“I am extremely proud that our club is now a 501-C3 non-profit organization.

This means that all donations of scholarship money, auction items, primitive tools, and farm equipment can be written off on your annual income tax return as a charitable deduction. Donations can be made out to: Denton County Tractor Club.

Any amount is welcome!

“If anyone should ask me what was the most rewarding thing that I have done in my life, I would have to say it would be starting the establishment of the college scholarships for Denton County kids and helping to raise money for the fund.

“I am looking forward to seeing a lot of new faces at the picnic this year!”

Proposed Sales Tax to Fund 3rd Deputy Sheriff dedicated to Town At the August 10th Council Meeting, Council Member Valerie Cannaday discussed the possibility of funding a third Sheriff’s Deputy dedicated to Copper Canyon. Her personal experience was to call 911 in the evening, and it took 45 minutes for a Sheriff’s Deputy to respond. Too long a wait for a law enforcement emergency.

But, the sheriff’s office only has a limited number of roaming Deputies to cover ALL of Denton County, especially areas not covered by a municipal Police Departments.

Denton County is a huge geographical area encompassing 958 square miles. Sheer distance, and so many roads in the county under construction, dramatically increases the response time of the limited number of roaming Sheriff’s Deputies!

At that Council Meeting both Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Steve Hill and Council Member Dave Svatik noted that there is in-

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

creased development on Copper Canyon’s boundaries (especially in Lantana to the west), and there will be more development within the Town - and that we should be pro-active in providing more law enforcement ahead of the anticipated development. Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Mangum and I agreed.

A Crime Control Prevention District, funded by a one cent additional sales tax, could fund that 3rd Deputy. But, were we too late to meet the State’s required notices to appoint a Temporary Crime Control and Prevention District Board, and for a CCPD Board to order a November 3rd Town election to approve a one cent sales tax?

INCREDIBLY TIGHT Two Week TIMETABLE for TOWN TO APPOINT a CRIME CONTROL PREVENTION DISTRICT BOARD: The next morning (Tuesday) Town Attorney Terry Welch began investigating if Copper Canyon could possibly meet the stringent State required posting notices.

Wednesday afternoon he told me that the Town would have to post the notices in a newspaper no later than Friday! And, the Council would have to appoint the 7 member Temporary Board for CCPD no later than August 24th - AND, the CCPD Temporary Board would have to call the November sales tax election no later than that same day! First hurdle: could we get the required notice published in a newspaper the very next day! Early Thursday morning Town Administrator Donna Welsh called a friend at the Denton Record Chronicle, and he agreed as a favor to her to insert the required posting notice in the next day Friday’s edition. First hurdle crossed.

WHO COULD SERVE ON THE TEMPORARY 7 Member CCPD BOARD of DIRECTORS? Town Administrator Donna Welsh had the brilliant insight to ask P&Z Members and alternates to serve on the Temporary CCPD - as (1) the Council was already fa-

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

miliar with them, and (2) most would also be coming to the already scheduled P&Z Meeting on August 24th And Monday August 24th was the LAST DATE for a Temporary CCPD Board of Directors to call a November election for residents to vote on a sales tax to fund a permanent CCPD. Donna and I also decided, as a precaution, to add to the potential list of Board members two additional persons who could ALWAYS be relied upon to attend Council Meetings - Dale Svatik and Annell Bradford.

Early Thursday morning, I began calling P&Z Members and Alternates to see if they would be present August 24th - AND be willing to serve on the Temporary CCPD Board of Directors. The list is in the order of their response. Janet Aune, Andre Nicholas, Michael Cannaday, Tom Reed, Louise Williams, Cesar Castaneda, Dale Svatik and Annell Bradford as 1st Alternate. American Airlines pilot John Brothers returned the call a day later. He was willing to serve on the CCPD, but could not be present August 24th. P&Z Alternate Kaki Lybbert also returned my call later. She was willing and would be present August 24th, so she is named as the 2nd Alternate to the Temporary CCPD Board.

Tom Reed will not be present August 24th, so we will drop down to 1st Alternate Annell Bradford. Many, many Thanks to all of you for agreeing to serve on such very short notice!

The CCPD Board of Directors members are “temporary”. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in Texas is for the Council, after residents vote to approve the CCPD and additional sales tax in the November election, to appoint the Council as the permanent CCPD Board.

State Required TWO YEAR CCPD BUDGET and PLAN: Town Administrator Donna Welsh wisely drafted the Budget and Plan with some financial cushions. Current estimated sales tax revenue for next fiscal year is $108,000.

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Cost of a Sheriff’s Deputy and Patrol vehicle is approximately $92,000. This allows a $16,000 cushion for a Town home business to close or the cost of a Sheriff’s Office Deputy to increase. Most important - Sales taxes from Copper Canyon home businesses are usually paid primarily by NON -Town residents.

NOVEMBER 3rd ELECTION to approve Crime Control and Prevention District funded by an additional Town Sales Tax Between now and November 3rd the Council and the Temporary CCPD Board will need to educate our resident voters on the benefits of a third Deputy. Additional traffic control coverage is not our goal. The third Deputy will allow law enforcement coverage every day of the week and more coverage in the evenings and on weekends.

Our concern is to have an immediate quick response by a Deputy dedicated to Copper Canyon to any Town resident’s 911 call for law enforcement help.

How Copper Canyon keeps abreast of new information for Towns in Texas Copper Canyon keeps abreast of new information for towns in Texas by having Staff and Council regularly attend conferences sponsored by the State and the Texas Municipal League. Our Town Secretary Sheila Morales and Municipal Court Clerk Carol McLeod regularly attend educational seminars to qualify for their respective State certification programs. Town Administrator Donna Welsh attends the annual 2 day conference for City Managers in Texas and also attends specialized grant writing workshops. I attend the two day TML Annual Conference, the TML “Small Cities Problem Solving Clinic,” and the City of McKinney’s very much appreciated annually sponsored workshop for small towns.

Council Member Steve Hill completes State required financial courses that qualify See MAYOR SUE on Page A18

Custom Stonework Drainage ● Trees ● Shrubs Seasonal Color Retaining Walls Outdoor Kitchens Pavilions

September 2015

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September 2015

Mayor Sue

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him to be our Town’s Investment Officer.

Bill Castleman, elected to Council last May, just returned from a standard Texas Municipal League one day conference titled “Newly Elected Officials Workshop.”

Bill Castleman shares Notes from Texas Municipal League Conference A Council Member in Texas must understand the requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act and the Texas Open Records Act. These two statutes are the backbone of government “transparency” in our State.

Individual violations with court convictions are punishable by prison time. Castleman asked: (1) If Copper Canyon posted notice of any meeting of a quorum of three Council Members? Answer - Absolutely. Posted at Town Hall and on the Town web site. (2) Did CC have a reserve fund for financial emergencies? Answer -Yes, $200,000 which we only use for emergencies, but haven’t yet needed to dip into. (3) Could we use general funds for road maintenance? Answer - Yes. (4) If the Mayor did not attend a Council Meeting, could the Mayor Pro Tem’s presence count towards a three person quorum and could the Mayor Pro Tem vote? Answer - Yes to both questions. (Though, I believe have only missed two Council Meetings in a decade.) (5) Were individual Council Member’s emails concerning Town business subject to the Open Records Act? Answer - Yes. Council Members are advised to have a totally separate email address for all Town business.

Question: How to keep Council Meetings to a Reasonable Length of Time?

This is a recurring issue for most municipal Councils. (Roanoke excepted. I am in awe of their Council’s unbelievably swift meetings!?! My congratulations to their Mayor Scooter Gierisch and City Manager Scott Campbell for the incredible

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

preparation and organization that precedes any Council Meeting!)

Our Council Members volunteer their personal time to serve on Council. They are not compensated in any way, financial or otherwise. I am retired, but all other Council Members are also working full time. And, Council Member Valerie Cannaday has new baby Kate! So, there is a fiduciary duty for all Council Members to respect this mutual time commitment.

Our Council Members receive a Preliminary Packet the Wednesday afternoon prior to a Monday Council Meeting. The final packet is posted online Friday afternoon prior to the Monday Council Meeting. It may contain additional last minute Agenda items or more supporting documents.

(Since Copper Canyon’s Council usually only meets once a month, it is important to include all current pending issues – or the issues must wait another month to be addressed.)

Answer: Require “Individual Questions” to be asked and answered BEFORE the Council Meeting!

Council is strongly encouraged to ask any questions of the Town Administrator beginning on Wednesday afternoon after receiving the Preliminary Meeting Packet by email. And, the Town Administrator’s position is NOT a “9 to 5” one. TA Donna Welsh makes herself available to the Council by phone or email throughout the weekend prior to a Council Meeting. She can probably answer 8 of 10 Council Member questions immediately. But, occasionally she appreciates the time to double check facts and numbers or research the answer to questions prior to Council Meeting.

But, she will get back to Council Members ASAP. Council Members are respectfully asked to NOT wait until Monday night for “individual” questions. Council Member questions are ALWAYS welcome! But Council Members have different backgrounds of knowledge, and some may already know

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the answers to “individual” questions. Asking questions in advance – and hopefully getting satisfactory answers – respects everyone’s time at meetings.

Our Town has been truly blessed with Council Members who do NOT have “an Agenda”! “Single issue” Council Members often want to “grandstand” at Council Meetings with a “captive audience” of their fellow Council Members and attending Town residents. Sadly, their attitude can be one of “gotcha”, while they “sandbag” and embarrass a fellow Council Member or Staff Member with a question the latter was not expecting and may not be adequately prepared for.

But, for a decade, my experience has been that Copper Canyon Council Members genuinely want the best for ALL who choose to live in our very small, but very special, Texas Town! And, they treat each other with genuine mutual respect. The Council’s discussions are thoughtful, creative, sometimes humorous (nothing like a good laugh to defuse a difficult issue), but always civil. Even more fortunately, our Council Members unfailingly extend this respect and courtesy to both Town residents and our very small Staff. This results in a long tenured group of individuals with invaluable historical knowledge of Copper Canyon. But the friendly atmosphere also encourages newcomers to Town to be willing to volunteer and become a part of our neighborhood community. And, newcomers are always welcome to our Team spirit!

My sincere thanks to Town Administrator Donna Welsh, Town Secretary Sheila Morales, Municipal Court Clerk Carol McLeod, Building Inspector Steve Koehler, Sheriff’s Deputies David Berry and Jess Moran, Animal Control Officer Brian Hall, Town Engineer James Gaertner of Halff Associates, and Town Attorney Terry Welch of the law firm of Brown and Hofmeister. As a Town Team, you and our Council and our many Volunteers enable our Town to function efficiently,

Page A18

financially sound, and with safety for our families and an old fashioned community spirit of “neighbor caring for neighbor.”

Thank You All! Our Fire District offers free CPR Classes to Public, funded by ESD#1 Our Fire District just completed its 4th CPR class offered free to the public. The classes have been taught once a quarter, but due to their popularity the District is going to offer free CPR classes once every two months. The classes will be smaller, averaging 12-15 students with 3 rotating instructors. (Previous classes had 24-25 students.) New CPR mannequins have also been purchased. To register for the free CPR classes, call Marlene Tackett on the non-emergency AVFD number 940464-7102. Classes are held at Fire Station 411 on the southeast corner of FM 407 and Jeter Road in Argyle.

Hardworking Planning & Zoning Commission updating some Ordinances Our P&Z Commission consists of some very dedicated Copper Canyon residents!

Council appointed volunteers are Janet Aune, Chairman, and Commissioners John Brothers, Michael Cannaday, Andre Nicholas, Tom Reed and Alternates Cesar Castaneda, Brad Kokoron, Kaki Lybbert, and Louise Williams. P&Z Commissioners and Alternates live in a variety of geographical locations in Town.

The Council appoints them for a two year term, but they serve at the discretion of Council.

P&Z Recommendations to Council concerning Board of Adjustments P&Z recommended to Council two amendments to Ordinances concerning our Board of Adjustments. Proposed Ordinance 15-012 provides 10 day advance notice to all landowners within 200 feet of request for variance by BOA. Landowners See MAYOR SUE on Page A20

September 2015

Motoring

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roadster called Maggie, the first Grand Champion of a North American motoring scavenger hunt called the Moss Motoring Challenge.

Moss Motors, an American born and bred company with plants in Virginia and California, supplies not only parts for older and vintage British cars worldwide, but a sense of camaraderie among the vehicle owners and clubs. One group in Cedar Hill holds regular get-togethers called GOFs or Gatherings of The Faithful.

“Maggie’s a sexy 14-foot-long gal with 10 coats of black paint that gleam under 10 more coats of clear finish that cover her 6-foot-wide body,” Hutchinson said.

As cars go, “She’s a sleek 2,356 pounds including a black convertible top and leather upholstery.”

A vamp? The car’s young enough to have a steel frame, but her 1920s grandparents sat on wood foundations.

He acquired the lady from his brother and sister-in-law who a decade earlier gave it to themselves as a honeymoon gift. When the time arrived to sell, Maggie had been asleep in a garage for 10 years.

“She moved like grandma on horseback, and belched a trail of smoke,” Hutchinson said.

He ran up the new parts tab at Moss, and currently the odometer reads 200,000 miles.

“I drove her 12,000 miles in the 2013 Challenge. My daughter Madison and I put 16,000 miles on her last year.”

How long does he think the car will last? “As long as I keep her running.”

Navigating mountain passes in Colorado, his daughter, a student at Argyle High School and self-professed “gearhead gal,” learned the fine art of driving a stick.

Hutchinson’s dad was an MRI/CAT scan tech whose sideline love was building and rebuilding old race cars. His sons grew up tinkering and fixing “and skinning our knuckles” in pop’s garage over in Garland.

“He really was a genius with mechanical things,” Hutchinson said.

Over the years the Hutchinson brothers developed a weakness for MGs. Madison said her dad had owned 15 MGs by the time she raced with him last year.

“The Challenge isn’t about speed,” Bryan said. “It’s about enjoying and exploring the world.”

There are 14 British car clubs in the State of Texas, and he belongs to two in the Dallas/Fort Worth area: the Texas MG Register and the Texas MG T Register. The former’s logo is a solid blue silhouette of the Lone Star State filled in with the red, white and black crosses of the British flag called the Union Jack.

A North Garland High School graduate, Bryan joined the army in 1996, and became a paratrooper for a 5-year hitch.

Not only did he learn to waddle around under 125 pounds of military equipment, he learned how to jump out of a plane with it, plummet through the wild blue yonder, and live to tell the tale.

That was no mean accomplishment, but “the thing that captured my imagination was how the military commands made leadership transitions,” he said.

After discharge he returned to Garland, and entered Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, but leadership transitions still niggled his imagination. He transferred

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to Dallas Baptist University, and by 2005 had a bachelor’s degree in business, and a Master of Arts in Professional Development. By 2009 he started to accumulate professional awards in the real estate world. He joined forces with Victor Myers, a luxury home builder in Denton County, and today Bryan’s the managing partner of Legendary Luxury Homes.

“We grew up in economically modest homes,” he said. “One of our partnership goals is to support local charities.”

Bryan took on the task of developing giving ideas the same year Moss Motors gave birth to the Moss Motoring Challenge. At a family brainstorm session, the Hutchinson family came up with an idea they dubbed “Miles with Maggie.”

Bryan’s mother had survived a breast cancer battle. The expenses connected with his sister-in-law’s breast cancer battle, and his nephew’s autism diagnosis occasioned Maggie’s sale.

What if Bryan and Maggie entered the Motoring Challenge, and his network of family, friends, and acquaintances supported him by pledging charity donations for each point he earned? The first place prize was $1,000, and he could add the pledges to the kitty. That evening two more partnerships came to life, one with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the other with Autism Speaks.

Maggie won the contest’s maiden voyage with 110 points, and has supported other charities since that time.

“The thing about life is that it’s not about winning,” Bryan said, then waxed eloquent. “Life is about making a difference. It’s about developing the spirit of giving, about caring for others, about going the extra mile for a friend or a stranger.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is that small things can have a major impact on the world around us.

When we dream, we should act, and not give in to discouragement.

“Think about this. If I hadn’t acted on my dream I’d have never visited Xenophon, Tennessee which is about halfway between nowhere and somewhere. Would I have ever visited the Arcade Restaurant in Memphis?”

That’s where Elvis Presley went when he craved peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Bryan defended The King’s taste buds. “It’s not a bad snack!”

One rainy night Bryan and his car stopped at a Waffle House in a small Mississippi town. The staff saw his car, asked questions and learned about his charity goals. Everyone knew cancer survivors, and autism wasn’t news either.

“Not only did these working people of modest means pool tips to pay for my meal, but they donated to Miles with Maggie.”

Bryan emphasized that he grew up in unassuming circumstances. He appreciated the restaurant staff members’ generous sacrifices that night.

“The best part of the Challenge has been meeting people from all races and backgrounds, and experiencing their spontaneous goodness,” he said.

What Bryan enjoys most about the road race is meeting other competitors at point locations. He plans to enter several cars in upcoming races, including the Miata with Madison behind the wheel.

Contact the writer at noellemhood@ gmail.com

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Minimally Invasive Dentistry – An alternative to Crowns So often you are told that you need a crown. It may be because you have a large filling, the tooth is cracked, decayed, or simply broken. So many people ask “Is there not an alternative way to fix teeth without doing a crown?” Yes there is, and the procedure is called an Onlay.

Onlays are a very conservative method to restore teeth. They remove only the broken, decayed, or weak parts of your teeth. Healthy unaffected parts of teeth are not removed.

Having more of your tooth means your tooth is stronger, healthier, and happier.

We are a small, patient centered dental office that focuses on one patient at a time. If quality is your main concern, please call us and we will be more than happy to help you.

If you would like further information on any of these procedures, please feel free to contact me at Dentistry For The Quality Conscious at 972-6911700 or www.drgolab.net . 3020 Broadmoor Lane #100, Flower Mound, TX 75022

September 2015

Mayor Sue

Continued from Page A18

may attend the BOA Meeting (or send an email) to oppose the variance or to demonstrate their support for the variance.

P&Z also recommended approval of proposed BOA ordinance 15-013 which requires Council to number the four BOA Alternates from #1 to #4. If a BOA Member is absent from a meeting, the Town Secretary will seat an Alternate who is present at the meeting beginning with designated Alternate #1 and continuing in sequential order.

State and Municipal Requirements of a Fence around Swimming Pools.

The State of Texas sets the requirements for fencing around pools at multi-residential sites such as apartment projects. But municipalities by ordinance can establish the requirements for fencing around new pools on single family residential lots. The

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

County does not have this authority over homes in unincorporated areas.

Our Staff had asked for clarification of our current ordinance to answer our residents’ most frequent questions. (1) For instance, does the requirement for fencing a swimming pool include fencing other bodies of water – such as a stock tank, livestock watering trough, fountain, or ornamental fish pond, etc? P&Z asked our Town Attorney Terry Welch to include in our ordinance the State’s definition of a “residential swimming pool” that required security fencing to protect children. This would definitely exclude agricultural tanks and troughs and smaller ornamental water features from the fencing requirement.

(2) The second most frequently asked question was did the Town’s fencing requirement apply to existing swimming pools? No, it doesn’t. The fencing requirement only applies to new pools while under construction and before being plastered.

However, a resident’s personal insurance carrier may require a fence immediately adjacent to and around a swimming pool. And as Louise Williams noted, whether required by the Town or not, parents may wish to fence their existing swimming pool for the protection of their small children, neighbors’ children, and friends and guests.

(3) The third most frequent question was “Does an existing fence around the perimeter of a backyard of a one acre lot, or around a multi-acre lot, suffice to secure the pool? Yes, if the fence is tall enough, gates are self-closing and locking or remain locked. However, insurance carriers may require an additional fence immediately around the pool and/or loud alarms when a door in the home opens directly into a larger fenced pool area. Commissioner Mike Cannaday, also a home builder in North Texas, said other munici-

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palities require the homeowner to sign an Affidavit that they have installed a security fence immediately around this new pool or they have installed an alarm system adjacent to every house door that opens directly into the fenced area around the pool.

Building Standards for a Variety of Accessory Buildings to Homes Accessory buildings to homes come in a variety of types and sizes: detached garages, carports, RV shelters, tool sheds, sheds for garden implements or pool equipment, greenhouses, pergolas, roofed outdoor kitchens, etc. For larger acreage there may be barns, horse stalls, and/or sheds for tractors, trailers, tools, and/or feed. Agricultural buildings and small accessory buildings of a 100 square feet or less (i.e. 10 foot x 10 foot) are exempt from our current town standards. But all other accessory buildings are just lumped together.

Commissioner Andre Nicholas suggested that garages be regulated separately and that exteriors should consist of materials and colors complimenting those of the existing home. The P&Z Commissioners seemed to generally feel that there should be different requirements for maximum size, exterior materials, and number of accessory buildings allowed based on the size of the residential lot. A very large unpainted metal shed, or multiple accessory buildings, could be very intrusive on one acre lots, due to the close proximity of neighbors’ homes and backyards. But standards might be more relaxed for two acre, five acre, and even larger residential lots. The increased distance from neighbors could allow for different standards for accessory buildings in maximum size, height, exterior materials, and even number of accessory buildings allowed.

P&Z will meet Monday night September 14th after the Council Meeting to further address the issues of fenced swimming pools and accessory buildings to homes.

Copper Canyon residents are always welcome to attend both Council and P&Z

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Meetings! Any comments are suggestions may be emailed to townadministrator@ coppercanyon-tx.org.

Interesting Fact: For the first time Tablets outsell Desktop and Laptop Computers.

As anyone who owns a smart phone and/ or tablet knows, these devices are incredibly handy, small, and mobile for accessing internet information, organizing data, and contacting individuals and businesses.

PCs and laptops are not going away, but sales are declining significantly worldwide.

Gartner Inc., an information technology company, estimates that for the first time in 2015 more tablets will be sold than desktop and laptop computers – 320 million to 316 million.

“Sales of personal computers have fallen off a cliff, along with the stock prices of the companies that make the things. Shipments of PCs worldwide dropped 11.8 million units to 66.1 million units, according to a recent report by International Data Corp.

This was the largest decline in two years, with all the major PC manufacturers except Apple Inc. having major declines in sales.

“China-based Lenovo Group LTD., the world’s largest computer maker with about 20 percent market share, saw sales drop 7.5 percent in the quarter. And PC sales at long-suffering Hewlett-Packard Co. were down 10.4 percent, while Dell saw a decline of 8.7 percent. Acer Group was the biggest loser among PC makers with a jaw-dropping 26.9 percent decline in sales. On a positive note, shipments of the Apple Macintosh were up 16.10 percent, as it continued to take market share from competitors, although it remains the fourth largest PC maker.

“PC makers are hoping potential buyers have simply delayed buying computers… until the much anticipated launch this week of Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system.” (Article by columnist Will Deener in the Dallas Morning News, July 27, 2015, page 1D.)

September 2015

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Around Argyle Continued from Page A6

The Council makes appointments to the following boards: Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) – The P&Z is an advisory board to the Town Council that makes recommendations regarding amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, changes of zoning for real property, Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance amendments, zoning to be given to newly annexed areas, approval of plats of subdivisions and other planning-related matters. The P&Z also serves as the Tree Preservation Board and the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee. The P&Z consists of seven qualified Town voters (must be resident and taxpayer) appointed by the Town Council for a staggered two-year term. Currently the P&Z meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. There are three positions up for appointment or reappointment.

Argyle Economic Development Corporation (EDC) - The EDC acts as a separate political entity that reports to the Town Council. It is through the Board’s discretion that projects are planned and funded using a portion of the Town’s sales tax.

This Board establishes a budget every year that must be approved by the Town Council. The EDC consists of seven regular directors that are residents of the Town or of Denton County. The Town Council may also appoint advisory directors that may participate in discussions of the board, but have no voting rights. Currently the EDC meets the second Thursday of each month in the evening. There are four positions up for appointment or reappointment.

Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD) - The CCPD board has the authority to finance all the costs of a crime control and prevention program, including the costs for personnel, administration, expansion, enhancement and capi-

Photo by Helen’s Photography

New Argyle ISD and Liberty Christian School teachers got a warm welcome from the community on Aug. 18 at the annual New Teacher Welcome Breakfast hosted by the Argyle Chamber of Commerce at Lantana Golf Club.

tal expenditures. The CCPD is governed by seven directors that reside within the Town appointed by the Town Council for a staggered two-year term. The board currently meets on the third Thursday of the month at 9 a.m. There is one position up for appointment.

Keep Argyle Beautiful Board (KAB) – The purpose of the KAB is to assist the Town Council in establishing a town wide policy for litter prevention, beautification and minimization of the impact of solid waste in the Town of Argyle. The KAB is comprised of five members, with at least three members being residents of the Town of Argyle. Currently, the KAB meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. There are three positions up for appointment or reappointment.

Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) – The ZBA has the authority to hear and decide special exceptions to the terms of the zoning ordinance when the ordinance requires the board to do so. The board also may authorize, in specific cases, a variance from the terms of zoning. The ZBA consists of five regular members and

up to four alternate members that must be resident citizens, taxpayers and qualified voters of the Town. The ZBA meets as needed, typically no more than once per year. There are two regular positions and two alternate positions up for appointment or reappointment.

Applications can be found by visiting the Town’s website at www.argyletx.com Have a great September and please stay informed. Come to the Council meetings or call your officials to give us your ideas.

Aune Resigns from School Board Greg Aune resigned from the Argyle ISD school board on Aug. 24 because he and his family are moving out of the school disGreg Aune trict into Lantana.

Aune has served on the board since 2013. The AISD school board has seven members who each serve

three-year terms.

“When elected, my ultimate goal was to protect our tradition of academic excellence and responsibly manage the fast growth projections,” said Aune. “I am proud to say we have accomplished many goals to the benefit of students and taxpayers.”

His resignation was effective immediately.

“Greg Aune has been a tireless advocate for the students and teachers of Argyle ISD,” said board president Brian Ratcliff. “Among his many accomplishments, Greg was a key member of the facilities committee that spearheaded the improvements to the high school and the development of a new middle school campus.”

According to AISD policy, in the event of a vacancy the remaining board has a couple options for filling the seat: Fill the vacancy by appointment until the next board member election; or call a special election to fill the vacancy.

If more than one year is left on the term See AROUND ARGYLE on Page A26

September 2015

Fight

Continued from Page A1

Her diagnosis is a Stage III-A Metaplastic Carcinoma with Chondrosarcoma. Less than one-percent of the population is diagnosed with this very rare form of cancer.

“I always had fibroid-thick breast tissue and, as a result, have had many breast biopsies over the years; always coming back negative,” said Thomas.

“In addition to testing the cobweb-like breast tissue, I was taking Tamoxifen for years which blocks high estrogen production and is used to help prevent types of breast cancer. In addition, I also had genetic testing for BRCA1 and 2 like Angelina Jolie has, but that also came back negative.”

In spite of her preventive measures and no family history of cancer, a tumor the size of a marble was detected in the upper part of her right breast. It was diagnosed as metaplastic breast cancer;

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

a very aggressive and invasive cancer which usually has already spread beyond the duct or lobe.

The first recommended treatment was to wait to perform surgery following a series of chemotherapy sessions. Thomas felt uncomfortable delaying a double mastectomy and asked her primary physician for a second opinion referral.

Time passed.

“I was working [as an interior designer] in a client’s home when my breast cancer diagnosis entered our conversation,” said Thomas. “The tumor had grown from the size of a marble to the size of an avocado or large lemon. A four-hour conversation with her client and the woman’s husband convinced me to speed things up. They helped save my life to this point.”

Most often, metaplastic breast cancer starts in one type of cell, such as those from the epithelial cells or the glands of the breast, and changes into another type of squamous or non-glandular cell. It is different from the much more common ductal or lobular breast cancer.

Metaplastic breast cancer is considered a subtype of triplenegative breast cancer, because it doesn’t have estrogen receptors (ERs), progesterone receptors (PRs), or the HER2 receptor, which is a protein found in ductal and lobular breast cancers.

Thomas had a double mastectomy this May and hoped she wouldn’t need to undergo radiation or chemotherapy infusions; allowing her to return to work after the surgery.

With that goal in mind, she had breast reconstruction completed

by Dr. Drew Sanderson of Flower Mound Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Spa, during the procedure.

“The surgery went really well

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with a result of getting all of the tumor and clear margins,” said Thomas. “The oncologists also determined that there was no spread of the tumor to any lymph nodes or surrounding tissue or organs; it looked good and so did the reconstruction.

Dr. Sanderson did a fabulous job.”

Once again, her body had another surprise. Test results showed the presence of chondrosarcoma—another type of cancer.

Usually, chondrosarcoma is a type of sarcoma that affects cartilage. It is a rare cancer that accounts for about 20percent of bone tumors and is diagnosed in approximately 600 patients each year in the United States.

Because chondrosarcomas are rare, they are treated at specialist hospitals with Sarcoma Centers.

At this point, she sought the advice of three doctors via referral from her oncologist to University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to have her treatment plan created. The doctors there are some of the best in the world at one of the most outstanding research hospitals in America.

Medical opinion led Thomas toward chemotherapy even though “no standardized” treatment is currently available for this type of cancer.

“Apparently, I fall into the less than onepercent of rare cancers,” said Thomas.

“I’m pretty much one-of-a-kind, so I’m a sort of a study subject … which is okay if it can help other patients.”

Her inability to work and fight cancer fulltime has caused an extreme hardship to provide for basic needs and housing, much less to seek out the best care to beat her cancer.

“Gage and I are able to stay in our place thanks to the generosity of my landlord,” she said. “I’ve always been the kind of person to stand on my own; put on a happy face, no matter what. I

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never would ask anyone for help, but it’s not just me who’s been affected by my cancer.”

Thomas’s family lives three-hours away on 45-acres of land with livestock, so her local friends, classmates from Grand Prairie and even her friends from elementary school have stepped in to support her.

An interview on KISS-FM radio led to a Fox TV News segment in the last week of August. It featured Thomas selecting a wig to wear during her chemotherapy sessions and beyond. Her wig was through the sponsorship of Jeanna Doyle with the nonprofit group, Suite Hope.

Her friends have also created a fundraising site: www.youcaring.com/ gage-and-amanda-417635. So far, $4,800 of the $75,000 goal has been raised, but there’s less than six-weeks remaining for donations.

Thomas has arranged to have her chemotherapy sessions locally at Texas Oncology in south Denton, although she must return regularly to MD Anderson in Houston for monitoring.

“I’m on the third of 12 sessions and was supposed to have one last Thursday [August 20], but I was too sick, so it got postponed until September 3rd,” she said.

Thomas and her family are holding tight to their faith while she is fighting the battle of her life and being there as a supportive mom of an incredible 15year-old son.

“I believe in the power of prayer and in fighting the good fight,” she said. “Even when you’re physically and emotionally sick, prayer can work wonders. I may not have any money or be able to work, but I can pray. Already my friends have become my family and that’s a blessing.”

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Defense

porates blocking and punching, as well as how to kick and use an assailant’s body to Continued from Page A1 create imbalance like Japanese Jujutsu or Judo.

“We teach people how to ‘feel’ themselves in space and be aware of their environment, as well as how to push, hit, kick, or punch an attacker to be able to get away,” said Jordan. “We don’t want people to hang around and stand toe-totoe and fight their Double Oak residents Phil Miller and Gary Jordan offer free self-defense attacker. We want lessons each week at Double Oak Town Hall. them to know how style of martial arts—Jeet Kune Do, incorto make an advantage for them and the porating elements of kung fu, fencing and most pain for the attacker, so they can get boxing. As luck would have it, Gary’s wife out of there and be safe.” was working in a pet store and-- through a Skills and techniques such as body parrot connection-- the couple learned of awareness, economy-of-motion, speed, inexpensive classes in the Shaolin Kempo power are taught, as well as how to have martial arts style being taught in a basea “Plan B” in case “Plan A” isn’t successment studio. ful.

“Although Shaolin Kempo has a formal The beginning-level classes are taught ranking style like the ‘hard-style’ martial on a sequential six- to eight-week revolvarts of Korean Taekwando or the Japanese ing schedule. That learning format means Karate from Okinawa, or the ‘soft-styles’ that students who might otherwise attend like Chinese Kung Fu or Tai Chi, it’s prichurch-related functions on Wednesdays marily a style used for self-protection,” can still participate in the free self-defense said Jordan. “Although it’s best to hear, ‘I classes. An adult is required to attend never had to use it,’ if someone does need classes for children under age 12. to protect him/herself, that person was “People don’t have to commit to a able to avoid being a victim.” weekly block of classes,” said Jordan.

Most martial arts are taught in a face“If they miss a few weeks, they can reto-face, male boxing-like stance, but most turn and learn that week’s lesson without women and children are actually attacked having missed any ‘building’ techniques; from behind. each class can stand on its own.”

Shaolin Kempo is ranked midway beAs an added bonus, students can learn tween the ‘hard’ styles-- which use closed the history of the martial art-- dating back fists, while standing at arms-length-- and to the 5th Century in southern China taught the open ‘soft’ styles, started by Buddhist by an Indian Buddhist monk named Bomonks to protect their temples from Chidhidharma, to its introduction to Hawaii nese war lord invasions. This style incor-

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and then mainland America.

Also, stories of how martial arts tools, such as nunchucks, were originally used by farmers to pound rice are shared; or, how “flying” high kicks-- which were originally used to knock soldiers off their horses in hilly countries like Korea-- have been adapted into modern day techniques.

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Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. Independent Bank and IBG Financial Advisors are not registered broker/dealers and are separate entities from LPL Financial.

The weekly classes are open to everyone and held from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Double Oak Town Hall, 320 Waketon Rd. For more information on the classes, contact Town Secretary Charlotte Allen at 972539-9464, or send her an email at: town_ secretary@double-oak.com.

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September 2015

FM Council

Continued from Page A9

information, contact Flower Mound Environmental Services at 972-874-6340 or visit www.flower-mound.com/mosquitoes.

Veterans Day Relay Veterans Day is coming up and Flower Mound is busy planning its second Veterans

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Day Relay, brought to you by Credit Union of Texas, for November 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Town is looking for relay participants and volunteers who will help this year’s event another success!

The 27.3-mile course will traverse throughout Flower Mound and the relay will travel the course two times. Each relay runner will run approximately two-miles, commemorating our nation’s veterans and

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their service by carrying the American flag.

The course will start and end at the Flower Mound Community Activity Center (CAC), 1200 Gerault Rd. and will be followed by a post-event celebration from 5 to 6 p.m. at the CAC. All volunteers and runners must attend an informational meeting on Tuesday, September 29, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Luke’s Locker in The Shops at Highland Village, 1701 Shoal Creek in Highland Village.

Please sign-up by September 28 at 5 p.m. as a relay runner or volunteer at www.flower-mound.com/relaysignup. The relay will accommodate 30 participants and local veterans are encouraged to participate in this memorable event.

Twin Coves Park Upgrades Thanks to a $400,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation grant, Flower Mound will be able to add a few more wish list items to the planned Twin Coves Park upgrades scheduled to begin this fall.

In November, crews will begin construction on 19 furnished cabins and 18 new RV slips, in addition to a variety of other amenities including: small craft launch with fishing pier, disc golf course, playground, two 25’ x 35’ pavilions, grass volleyball court, a great lawn area, nature trails, and a lake overlook area with a fire pit and seating.

Each RV slip will be equipped with the latest 50 amp utility hookups that will accommodate the newest and largest RVs. Twin Coves is expected to reopen in fall 2016.

However, before any new construction can begin, crews will need to clean-up Twin Coves Park, which was largely under water since May’s historic rains. The flooding damaged the park’s electrical system, fire pits, left behind major debris, and carried off several trash receptacles. Approximately 40 trees died in the flooding; those will also need to be cleared. In fact, park employees were not even able to access Twin Coves until August 17 to begin damage assessments. At this time, Grapevine Lake is 12feet above conservation pool level and is not expected to be at normal levels until September. The Town is in the process of filling out the appropriate paperwork with FEMA

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to recover some of the costs associated with the clean-up and repair of the park.

Since the park has been closed since May and will remain closed until cleanup and construction are complete, the Town will issue a partial refund to all annual pass holders. For annual pass holders that have additional questions, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at 972.874.6300.

National Night Out National Night Out is a nationwide initiative encouraging residents to turn their porch lights on and organize block parties, sending a message to criminals that our neighborhoods are fighting back. By strengthening neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and heightening crime and drug prevention awareness, National Night Out unites residents to “Give Neighborhood Crime and Drugs a Going Away Party.”

Neighborhoods that organize National Night Out Block Parties from 6 - 9:30 p.m. on October 6 will be eligible to compete for the annual Flower Mound Neighborhood of the Year award. The winning neighborhood will receive a street sign proclaiming the neighborhood as the 2015 National Night Out Neighborhood of the Year. Registered block parties could receive visits from members of the Town Council, the Flower Mound Police Department, fire trucks, the Fire Department Clowns, and McGruff the Crime Dog. Street barricades will also be provided upon request.

New this year, children in kindergarten through fifth grades are invited to participate in a poster contest. Contestants are encouraged to use their imagination and create a masterpiece that falls into the theme: What do you like about the Flower Mound Police Department? Children will be split into age divisions and the first place winners of each division will receive a prize.

Full contest rules can be found here. Kids poster contest entries will only be accepted at the Flower Mound Police Department, 4150 Kirkpatrick Lane, in person on October 1 and 2 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and October 3 from 9 a.m. until noon. Late entries See FM COUNCIL on Page A25

September 2015

FM Council

Continued from Page A24

will not be accepted. All posters must be submitted with an entry form so that judges may contact the winning artists.

All block parties must be registered by September 29 at 5 p.m., please download an application, email Officer Justin Buck at crime.prevention@flower-mound.com, or call 972.874.3357. Please visit www.natw. org for more information and block party ideas.

Get Involved The Flower Mound Town Council is cur-

HV Update

Continued from Page A9

city’s contractor will mobilize next month to begin constructing its portion of Sellmeyer, north of the subdivision to Highland Village Road and south of the subdivision to Foggy Glen.

The city’s contractor has 240 calendar days to complete this project. The subdivision contractor will be working on their portion of Sellmeyer, adjacent to the development, during this same time frame. We now anticipate Sellmeyer Lane to be complete by summer 2016.

When we were experiencing the record flooding in Highland Village, Canyon Creek Drive failed. The existing 16 year old metal culverts located in the creek crossing under Canyon Creek Drive have exhibited metal deterioration and were failing. Erosion has been occurring around the culverts in the creek under Canyon Creek Drive causing a critical situation to public safety.

More recently, with the heavy rain events causing record flooding, the existing drainage infrastructure is exhibiting expedited failure, which has caused damage to the street pavement on Canyon Creek Drive. Consequently, the city is in the process of addressing this situation to provide for replacement drainage facilities at this location.

The Canyon Creek Drive Drainage improvements project will provide for replacement culverts using longer lasting materials (such as concrete box culverts) and for repair and replacement of the damaged pavement on Canyon Creek Drive. The city has secured engineering services to design the proposed project.

It is anticipated that the design will be completed early fall, 2015. Funding the construction phase is proposed in the 2016 budget. The construction phase is anticipated to commence in late fall / early winter. For the interim, the east bound lane of Canyon Creek will remain closed to traffic as it is deemed unsafe for the traveling public to utilize. The emergency access to Longfellow Drive located in the northwest corner of the Canyon Creek Subdivision is open and available for use as a route to Highland Village Road.

If Canyon Creek Drive deteriorates further, the city may close it completely. The city will keep residents up to date on both the Sellmeyer Lane and Canyon Creek Drive projects on the city website.

Our police department is hosting the 8th Annual Fallen Heroes Bike Race and 5K Run on October 17. The race will benefit the Texas Chiefs of Police

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rently accepting applications for seats on various boards and commissions including the Animal Services Board; Board of Adjustment/Oil and Gas Board of Appeals; Environmental Conservation Commission; LISD Liaison; Parks, Arts, and Library Services Board; Outstanding Citizen Committee, Planning and Zoning Commission; Cultural Arts Commission; SMARTGrowth Commission; and the Transportation Commission.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on September 9. For additional information, please call the Town Secretary’s Office at 972.874.6070 or email theresa.scott@flower-mound.com.

Fallen Officer Fund. The event will take place at the Shops at Highland Village.

Again this year they are partnering with the Highland Village Business Association’s Restaurant Week to showcase Highland Village restaurants.

Restaurant Week will take place from October 11-17 and participating restaurants will give a portion of their sales to the Fallen Officer Fund.

I hope you’ll try a new restaurant or visit your favorite eatery and help support our local businesses and the fund.

The October 17 event will include live music, children’s activities, and a chance to meet some of our race sponsors in the vendor area during the race.

The goal is to raise $25,000 for families of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. This is the fifth year that the race will be held at the Shops at Highland Village - we anticipate a large crowd will come support the race, the Fallen Officers Fund and enjoy the entertainment.

If you have children back in school, you know the range of emotions they are experiencing. Some are eager to start the learning again. Some can’t wait to get back into the schedule and see their friends. Others may be nervous about moving up a grade or starting a new school.

As parents, your support and preparedness is of the utmost importance.

You’ll want to make sure your kids are well-rested, fed and on time for their school days. I recently spoke with our school resource officers and they reminded me that back-to-school safety is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to take extra precautions to keep our kids safe.

So, as we begin the school year let’s remember to watch our speed in school zones, don’t use cell phones in a school zone, pay attention to the crosswalks and look out for kids and families walking or bicycling to school. Our officers will be out in force keeping watch and targeting enforcement on safety violations. With more and more distractions, it’s important to slow down and pay attention. Do your part and set the example!

I encourage you to look for ways to model kindness, generosity and patience for your children and those around you. Positive actions create positive reactions. Share your smile and joy with those around you.

Highland Village has always been a close-knit, family-oriented community.

Let’s continue in that tradition and be the example for those around us. I hope to see you around our wonderful city and to share a smile.

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September 2015

Around Argyle Continued from Page A21

vacated, that spot must be filled no later than the 180th day after the date of vacancy. –By Sarah Bays

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Taste for Good Helps Charities The Argyle Chamber of Commerce puts on the annual event, which doubles as a fundraiser for area nonprofits. The first Taste for Good was held last year, and brought in 252 people.

“It’s a very, very good date night,” said Gavin Fleten of the Argyle Chamber.

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“Tasting events seem to be quite successful but often they’re only for one nonprofit, and then they have raffles and silent auctions and you might leave feeling like you lost your shirt,” he said.

Participants will be able to taste food at 20 stations from places including Kroger, Prime Farm to Table, Costco, Yellow Rose of Texas and Rockfish Grill.

Also, breweries, wineries and distilleries will be there for tasters to sample their wares. Those include Traveler Beer Company and Angry Orchard cidery.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Lantana Golf Club. Tickets cost $30 and include food and drink sampling, cigars and bourbon outside the club and a chance to play craps, blackjack and roulette. Tickets can be purchased at www.argylechamber.org.

One-half of the proceeds will be given to nonprofits who participate in the event.

Information booths will be stationed at the tasting. Last year, each participating nonprofit earned $538, Fleten said.

“We just want people to come and have a good time for a good cause,” Fleten said.

Only 300 tickets are being sold and the dress is casual. –By Sarah Bays Lion’s Club Hosts Clay Shoot The Argyle Lion’s Club will host their 3rd annual Sporting Clay Shoot this month.

The event features five teams competing to be crowned champion and various individual awards. There will be door prizes and a shotgun raffle.

The clay shoot will be held at Fossil Point Sporting Grounds, 7282 N. FM 51 in Decatur on Sept. 18 at 10 a.m.

Please contact Curtis Langston at cl2424@verizon.net if you are interested in fielding a team, sponsoring or shooting as an individual. –Staff Report

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Back to School for Argyle Seniors Books, pencils, tablets, pictures and rulers were displayed on a table to remind the seniors what school was like years ago at our August luncheon.

Karen Kiel, vice president of the Argyle Senior Organization acting as teacher gave the seniors a geography test and all passed but president (Stella McDaniel) -she couldn’t find where she lived on the map. She gave up and said, “I don’t know where I live.” Everyone laughed!

Everyone had a good time. Some of the seniors wore their school colors. Carrie Quraishi of Quraishi Law Firm of Frisco furnished lunch and spoke on the 7 Mistakes People Make On Estate Planning.

Everyone enjoyed the presentation and learned a lot.

National Night Out will be Saturday, October 6, from 6-8 p.m. We will have a booth set up to sell our cookbooks and lots of items for stocking stuffers for Christmas. I need your help in putting these items on the table for people to see and buy.

The next luncheon will be Friday, September 18, and the theme is Mexican so wear your sombreros and dress appropriately. All attendees are asked to bring a covered dish or donate $4 that will go into the senior fund.

We elected officers for 2016-2017.

They are: • President, Stella McDaniel • Vice President, Karen Kiel • Secretary, Myra Gohl • Treasurer, Donna Lumpkins • Kitchen Supervisor, Cathleen Chenail Karen Kiel was also elected as our publicity chairman.

If you have something you want in the newspaper you may contact Karen at 940-464-0506. For more information you may contact Stella McDaniel at 940-4647438.

- Submitted by Stella McDaniel

September 2015

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LOCAL EXPERTS Breast Cancer Awareness

By Dr. Bryan Maupin

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. women.

The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 230,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and an additional 60,000 with in situ cancer (very early cancer) in 2015. It further estimates that 40,000 women in the U.S. will die from breast cancer in 2015.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

And at least for that month, pink becomes the new black. To promote awareness, numerous activities will be held in our communities throughout that month. However, the fight against breast cancer goes on every day. The primary tool in that fight is the use of screening mammography for early detection.

Modern mammography dates from the late 1980s and since its implementation, screening has demonstrated the ability to significantly reduce cancer mortality. Multiple large population controlled studies have demonstrated a reduction of 20 to 30 percent.

Beginning in the early 2000s, digital mammography was introduced and, when compared to traditional film mammography, demonstrated improved cancer detection for women under the age of 50, those with dense breast tissue, as well as pre/perimenopausal women. Today 97 percent of all mammography is digital.

The next significant advance in screening technology was the development of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) or 3-D mammography. Since FDA approval in 2011, 3-D imaging has gone from a research tool to an ever-expanding clinical application.

Texas Health Flower Mound Women’s Imaging Center was one of the first in the Flower Mound community to implement 3-D imaging in July of 2014. Studies demonstrate that 3-D imaging contributed to a 30 percent increase in cancer detection and a 20 percent decrease in the number of patients recalled.

Currently, Medicare is the only payer that covers 3-D imaging. Therefore, patients must elect to have 3-D imaging at an additional out-of-pocket charge. I, and many others, believe that 3-D imaging is beneficial to all women, but especially beneficial to women with dense breast tissue. Given the improved performance of 3-D imaging, it deserves your serious consideration when you undergo your next mammogram.

And when is that?

The current recommendations of the American Cancer Society, American College of Radiology, and Society of Breast Imaging are to begin annual screening mammography at age 40 and to continue for as long as the woman is in good health. Hope to see you soon!

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound Women’s Imaging Center 2560 Central Park Avenue Suite 240 Flower Mound, TX 75028 TexasHealthFlowerMound.com/mammogram Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound is a joint venture owned by Texas Health Resources and physicians dedicated to the community and meets the definition under federal law of a physician owned hospital.

Doctors on the medical staff practice independently and are not employees or agents of the hospital.

Are You the Family Bank?

By Jeffery Price

If you are the person your family turns to for financial support, these insights from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management could help you figure out how

to say yes—or no.

Almost every family has one: the person everyone calls when money is tight and they need a helping hand. The more financially responsible you are, the more likely you may be considered “the family bank,” according to a 2013 study conducted by Merrill Lynch in partnership with Age Wave, an organization that explores the challenges of aging. The study, called Family & Retirement: The Elephant in the Room, found that almost two-thirds of people over age 50 provide financial support to family members, with the overwhelming majority saying they do so because “it is the right thing to do.”

Still, if you are that person, you have probably wished sometimes that you

could just say no. Maybe you have your own financial issues to deal with, or you doubt the money will be used wisely.

Or you are convinced your kids will learn more by saving on their own for a house, a car, a vacation or another big purchase.

Naturally, you will want to be there for your family members when they really need you. But there are times when it makes sense to say a polite no, even to those closest to you. Yet whatever your answer, this can be an opportunity, says Michael Liersch, head of Behavioral Finance at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. By bringing issues out into the open, you may empower everyone involved and pave the way for more productive, sustainable relationships about money within your family. If you are considered “the family bank,” these rules could help.

Four Rules of the Family Bank 1. Start talking about money with your children when they are young. “It is a good idea to schedule regular family meetings to discuss the role that money plays in your family’s life and how your financial decisions reflect your family’s values,” Liersch says. “From an early age, allow children to ask questions about your decisions so that they can begin to understand the reasoning be-

hind them and develop sound money management habits of their own.” With that grounding, they may have more realistic expectations if they find themselves in a financial bind and consider asking you for help.

2. Create a budget for giving. Even if you pass on your own sound money management habits, there are bound to be times when relatives will need your help. Yet the Family & Retirement survey found that 88% of respondents had not made provisions in their budgets for helping family members financially.

“We create budgets for such things as travel or shopping, so why not for family giving?” asks Bill Hunter, director of Personal Retirement Strategy and Solutions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Hunter advises that you determine how much you can commit to this purpose without disrupting your retirement saving and your current financial needs.

When you have that figure, consider your other priorities. Are there any lifestyle changes you may need to make to keep giving to family members when times get tough? Most important: Do you already have an emergency fund to ensure that you can handle unexpected See MONEY SENSE on Page A29

September 2015

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LOCAL EXPERTS Learn the laws of proper property management

By Shirley Johnson, Realtor

Novice Landlords can find themselves on the wrong side of Rental Property ordinances and laws at the Federal, State, and Local levels. You will want to know, going in, what is needed and you will want to stay abreast of any changes.

Housing and Urban Development administers Fair Housing Laws. You cannot discriminate against a tenant or prospect based on race or color, religion, national origin, familial status, age, disability or sex. (Many local ordinances add sexual orientation to this list.) This affects not only who you lease to, but how you advertise your property and how you treat your tenant once they are in the property.

Do you advertise your property as “perfect for young families”? Do you not return calls from non-native English-speakers? Do you charge more security deposit for 2 college students than you would for 2 senior citizens? These are all forms of dis-

crimination.

Texas Property Code has requirements for safety and security of a rental property. It outlines specifics regarding locking devices – their placement and type – and about smoke detectors. Does every window have a working latch? Do you have the correct locks? Door viewers? Smoke detectors in all the bedrooms? Do you know where else smoke detectors are required?

Local ordinances often require annual registration. Some municipalities inspect rental properties annually, others only between tenants, and others only when a complaint is received.

These may address placement of For Lease signs, how the hot water heater is vented, how often the lawn must be mown, etc. Do you know what’s needed for your local government?

One of the main jobs of a professional property manager is to protect you from potential liability. One way we do that is to help you get and stay compliant with federal, state, and local laws.

3G Properties specializes in home sales, buying, and property management. Call 940-262-0091or visit www.3ghomessite.com

Got News? Let Us Know!

news@crosstimbersgazette.com

Legal Talk Texas Raising Your Hems

By Virginia N. Hammerle

How does a Trustee decide when, and how much, money should be distributed to a Trust Beneficiary? Interesting that you

should ask.

The Trust document usually spells out a distribution standard. These can vary widely, from giving the Trustee unlimited discretion to calling for mandated distributions.

The most common standard calls for the Trustee to distribute funds for the beneficiary’s Health, Education, Maintenance, and Support. This is known as the HEMS standard. It is called an “ascertainable standard” because a Court could interpret it enough to compel the Trustee to make a distribution.

From there, things get murky. There is no statutory definition for HEMS, so guidance comes from other terms in the Trust and from court decisions.

“Health” can mean regular medical treatment, health-related home renovations, dental treatment, gym and Golf memberships, and health insurance. “Education” can mean private school tuition, college, graduate and post graduate school, tutoring, books,

computers, day care and school clothes.

“Maintenance” and “Support” are usually interpreted as synonymous.

They can include mortgage payments, a down payment on a home, vacations, rent, charitable gifting, legal fees, and support of family members.

No matter what the standard, the relationship between a Trustee and a beneficiary is, at best, tenuous. A first generation Beneficiary is usually involved in establishing the distribution standard, and compliant with the Trustee. A second generation Beneficiary may understand the reasoning behind the standard, and give only a little push-back as long as the Trustee is reasonable. A third generation Beneficiary wants all of the money now, without strings attached, and will go to great lengths to make life unbearable for everyone concerned.

Or so it seems.

If you are the beneficiary, the Settlor or the Trustee and have any questions about a Trust, give us a call.

Virginia Hammerle is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and an Accredited Estate Planner by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. She can be contacted at legaltalktexas@hammerle.com. The information contained in this article is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. ©2015

Probate * Guardianship * Estate Planning * Wills Fiduciary Litigation * Will Contests * Trusts Marital Agreements * Elder Law * Medicaid VIRGINIA HAMMERLE

ROBERT MORRIS

BOARD CERTIFIED Texas Board of Legal Specialization Civil Trial Law

WEALTH COUNSEL-Member

SUPER LAWYER Business Litigation 2012 2013 2014 & 2015

NAELA-Member SUPER LAWYER Estate Planning and Probate 2014 & 2015

Super Lawyer ® is a registered trademark of Thompson Reuter

Super Lawyer® is a registered trademark of Thompson Reuter

2871 Lake Vista Drive Suite 150 Lewisville, TX 75067 For more information about Elder Law and Estate Planning issues please see LEGAL TALK TEXAS by Virginia Hammerle in the Senior Section of the Tuesday Dallas Morning News.

hammerle.com 972-436-9300

2015

Over 60 Years Experience Virginia N. Hammerle & Robert S. Morris

September 2015

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LOCAL EXPERTS Designing with Carol

By Carol Collins Window fashions certified professional

Whether you are in a new home or have been there for many years, coming home should feel like getting a big hug.

There are only subjective rules when it comes to decorating. Many confuse this fact by believing that there is a “right way” to decorate a space. Creating a room that looks and feels good is not a mysterious process.

The point is not to adhere to rules or follow fashion, but rather to find what you like and incorporate it.

When putting together a room, start by understanding a few principles of composition: space – defining space and using it; color – determining mood and function; pattern – for character, depth and visual interest; texture – to give the space its “feel.”

Space is the essential defining consideration of a room. How much is there? How little? What is the quality of the space?

What is the function of the space? Mirrors are magic when it comes to changing perceptions about a room’s space. Placed strategically, mirrors create the illusion of

a larger space.

Color/Pattern: Color is one of the most emotional subjects in decorating and is very personal. Tradition has taught us that only certain colors are appropriate for certain spaces. But when coloring your world, have no fear; the rules are few and the rewards are many.

When deciding on a color scheme, consider what furnishings and art pieces will be used. Use your fabrics, china and art to help you. Pattern, with color, is one of the most basic design tools. No matter how subtle, patterns can bring a room to life adding character, depth and visual interest.

Texture gives the space its “feel.” All of our decorative treatments and objects in a room – even the amount of stuffing in the upholstery – add to the atmosphere of the room. Fabrics add softness; stone and marble convey a sense of weight and permanence and improves over time; brass, steel and wrought iron supply hardness and edge.

Great rooms begin with how you feel about being in them. Successful decorating involves making rooms feel as good as they look.

A home is really an attitude and a mindset that is created physically by the choices you make. Your home should provide a sense of belonging and be a refuge that calms you, pleases you and makes of you no demands.

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expenses of your own?

3. Set firm guidelines for saying yes. Decide in advance under which circumstances you would feel comfortable giving or lending money. “If you are going to make a gift of the money, think about using the occasion as a teaching moment,” Hunter suggests. Without preaching or sounding judgmental, try to explain to your relative what you have done to put yourself in a position to provide this assistance. Have you kept your debt under control, for instance, or lived within your means or avoided high-interest credit cards? “For young adults in the family, this could be a valuable lesson,” he says.

“If you expect to be paid back, create a loan document,” recommends Joseph C. Schmieder, principal consultant of the Family Business Consulting Group, Inc. This may include details on how frequently repayments will be made, and whether you will charge interest. If a family member has asked you to invest in a business, request a business plan or other formal details on how the money will be used. “It is important for the recipient to understand your terms,” Hunter says.

4. When you must say no, avoid making it personal. Instead of blaming family members for their financial troubles or questioning their plans, “develop a core philosophy that applies to everyone,”

Liersch says. “Explain that this philosophy has helped your family build its wealth and that any loan or gift decisions will be made based on your core values,” such as a strong work ethic or self-sufficiency.

If you dread refusing a request, prepare your reasons beforehand so that you can explain them unemotionally, Liersch suggests. If you cannot afford to give, outline the reasons why. And remember, he adds—even saying no can be a chance to say yes in terms of communicating with your family about money habits and values.

When a family business is involved, Schmieder notes, it is possible that your relatives may not understand the company’s financial limits. “Not everyone may be aware, for instance, that company owners have an obligation to reinvest profits into their businesses to maintain growth,” he says. Use this opportunity to explain that the company’s profits cannot be a ready source for gifts or loans.

As you consider each request, it is always important to remember that gifts or loans to family members will have a direct impact on your retirement planning. An unwritten fifth rule, Hunter says, might be: “Beware of being overly generous, or you could end up needing financial help yourself.”

For more information, contact Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor Jeffery D. Price of the Southlake office at 817-410-4940 or jeffery_price@ml.com.

Experience Counts When Buying Shoes No two feet are the same—not even your left one and your right one! So properly caring for you feet begins with getting to know them and you. At Foot Solutions Flower Mound, our experienced staff of Foot Care Specialists measure and evaluate every aspect of your feet, from length and width and how they distribute your weight when you walk to how they affect your posture and balance. But we don’t stop there. We also take the time to get to know you and your goals—whether it’s getting in better shape, having fun with your kids or simply not being dog tired at the end of the work day. Once we know this, we can help you choose from a wide selection of stylish, quality shoes, accessories, custom inserts and other accommodative arch supports that are just right for you. We even modify them right in the store to make sure the fit is perfect. It’s that kind of personal attention that sets Foot Solutions apart from other shoe stores. Our goal is to send you home looking good and feeling better. So instead of a closet full of misfit shoes collecting dust, you end up with a solution that rejuvenates your body and sole!

Sponsored content

September 2015

Jesse James Fit Profiles:

The Snowden Family, clients Barbara, Hunter and Saylor

By Jesse James Leyva

In 1852, Barbara Snowden’s greatgrandfather settled in Lewisville, forming McCurley Prairie (now the site of Lewisville Lake). Over a century later, Barbara was born in Lewisville and graduated from Lewisville High School followed by UNT. She married John Snowden from England 20 years ago and they have 2 children, Hunter, 17, and Saylor, 15.

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LOCAL EXPERTS table, we now all talk about a common challenge and hold each other accountable. Our respect grew for each other in ways we couldn’t have imagined, and we all feel 10 times better. It has been magical!

How has training at Jesse James Fit impacted the self-esteem of your teenagers?

Our kids have always been athletes, but they have both said to me that when they look good they feel invincible. And we hold our kids to a high standard, and they tackle challenges, perform better, and respond more maturely when they are working out.

How has training at Jesse James Fit transformed your perspective on health and fitness for yourself and your family?

We took a family vacation that You have trained involved miles of at Jesse James Fit hiking everyday with your teenagrather than hours of ers. How has this lying on the beach experience influbecause we now enced your relaconsider our health tionship with one and well-being to another? be paramount. And Hunter will atI used to love food tend Duke Unithat was convenient versity, so we deSaylor, Hunter, and Barbara Snowden and fast, but nutricided that before tional value wasn’t he left we would a consideration.

Now my whole mindset do something as a family. He and Saylor has shifted to making healthy choices. decided to join me at JJF, and working The more I work out, the better I feel and out with them has been nothing short of inspirational! Furthermore, rather than the more cognizant I am of what I eat. the traditional silence around the dinner

Kwik Kar August Ask the Expert:

High Mileage Doesn’t Have to Mean High Maintenance

By Albert Gutierrez, Operations Manager, Kwik Kar Flower Mound

Wise advice passed down for generations says that the least costly car for you is the one you outright own.

Sure there are some slick new models out there with a lot of bells and whistles, but there’s something to be said for loyalty, history, and that familiar contentment you can only experience with a vehicle you know better than the back of your hand.

With that kind of relationship, it goes without saying that the better you take care of her, the less temperamental she’ll be as she ages.

Whether your car is fresh off the lot or a seasoned traveler, here are a few steps you can take to help pave the way for years of driving pleasure: 1. Find a trustworthy, long-term mechanic. Someone who keeps records of every update, oil change, and milestone your car has gone through is crucial when developing a tailored maintenance schedule to help prolong the life of your car.

2. Reconsider aftermarket upgrades. No one likes to work harder than necessary. It wastes energy and diminishes long-term potential. This is also true with your car. Empty racks for luggage, bikes and skis, as well as cargo holders all weigh down a vehicle and reduce the aerodynamic design of the car.

This causes unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle and shortens its lifespan.

3. Don’t overthink your fuel efficiency.

Periodic ads hit late night TV for mileage enhancers, engine cleaners, and ionizers that promise results. Although they may produce a short-term difference, it is never wise to add a

foreign substance to your car that it was never made to handle long-term. This also includes your fuel. If your car’s manual does not call for high-octane gas, it is better to save the dollar difference and instead, use the money to keep your car properly maintained.

4. Regularly check and replace oil and all other fluids. Checking oil and fluid gauges is advisable, but fluids also need to be replaced at regular intervals. Be sure to use oil made for high-mileage cars. When you have oil changes, be sure to ask the mechanic to test the other fluids as well. For starters, the gauge won’t tell you when water has gotten into your brake fluid. Corrosion in your braking system is something you definitely want to head off at the pass before it’s too far gone.

5. Limit your warm ups, idles, red-lines, and bumps. A widely believed myth is that the longer you allow an older car to warm up before hitting the road, the better. In reality, letting your car sit and idle for long periods – warm or cold – will most likely only result in lower fuel economy, and a worn-out engine.

For best results, simply monitor your car’s temperature gage, avoid red-lining of any kind, and take it easy until the engine reaches normal operating temperature before hitting higher speeds. Also be sure to take your time over bumps and bad roads to avoid further stress on your car’s frame and suspension system.

6. Be aware. You know your car inside and out. When you hear a new noise, see fluid in your parking space, or feel changes in way she behaves, take her in quick. Catching a problem at the beginning stages versus having a wheel fall off can make quite a difference in the size of the check you write to have it fixed.

Don’t let the “high-mileage” label given to cars with an odometer over 75,000 trigger concerns that she’ll need to soon be replaced.

With proper care, including regular, thorough interior and exterior cleanings, a place like Kwik Kar can help you see that odometer double or even triple before she’s ready to retire.

Visit Kwik Kar of Flower Mound at www. gokwikkar.com.

September 2015

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LOCAL EXPERTS The Exterior of Your Home Part 1 of 2

By Leo Lankford IV Southern Painting Coppell/Flower Mound Exterior Territory Manager

Taking the right steps to protect the exterior of your home can literally seem overwhelming at times.

As an Exterior Specialist, I am always teaching my customers what makes the difference between a great, a good, a fair or a poor paint job on the exterior of their home. Even for myself, it can be tricky at times with the all the different factors involved, including weather.

— The most important part of the painting process is having the correct written specifications. Those specifications depend on how many variables there are. Some examples of the variable are: age and condition of different substrates as well as the type of wood replacement and specialty primers that are needed. When I am putting together the written specifications, I am also looking at new stateof-the-art systems that work for everyone involved. Specifications can

vary slightly; however, cutting corners on what should be done may look good on the estimate but will not help the homeowner in the years to come.

So, bottom line, what I am saying is, the specifications need to be written based on what each house represents with its challenges and needs.

— The second most important part is to have a plan for the written specifications to be followed with due diligence. I have seen, as an Exterior Specialist, corners being cut on following written specifications. That is why the accountability factor is critical between the customer, painter and the person who put together the specifications. Oh, yes, the accountability part is paramount from the conception to the finished home. That is why I use written detailed checklists that must be followed from A to Z. Nothing is verbal. It is spelled out to all with 100% transparency. I am convinced talk is cheap.

Next month we will get into Foundations 3 and 4 and I will look forward to going into more detail about the Four Foundations.

Southern Painting was chosen by readers as 2015’s Best Painting Company in Flower Mound. Let me show you what a good investment it is to use the “Best Painting Company”.

The content in Local Experts is provided by our Sponsors.

Risk: What Will Happen If?

By Ken Kendall, CFP, CLU, Kendall Financial LLC. Member, Wealth and Wisdom Institute

The human brain is bombarded with information, much more than it can effectively process, and over the millennia it has learned to deal with this data tsunami by simplification. It attempts to sort out what is important and needs to be dealt with now, from those things which can be ignored or put off till later.

A problem arises when we ask, are things being sorted properly? Concrete needs or problems are easier to sort, but what about the more abstract issues that didn’t exist when consciousness was developing in our brains? Abstractions or events that may or may not happen in the future, just don’t share the same urgency or priority as food, love, security, shelter and such.

I have a friend who is a mediocre player in an amateur pool league, but he is frequently able to beat players who are more skilled than he is. Part of the reason for this is that before he shoots he asks himself, “What will happen if…” That question forces him to set aside his first and most obvious objectives and look at what might happen in this game if he misses this shot, or if he makes it, what happens next. This exercise attempts to put more thought

into his actions and gain more control over a sequence of possible events.

Something I’ve found after years of helping my clients with their financial planning is that we frequently live with a lot more risk than we realize.

Sometimes we live with this risk because we either believe we can’t, or actually can’t, afford to protect ourselves from it. Health insurance has frequently fallen into this area. Many people still try and get by without insuring their car because of the cost, to the chagrin of the rest of us. Other risks are too abstract or seem too difficult to deal with, such as the volatility of the stock market or how the world economy affects us. Finally, there are those risks that are just difficult to deal with because of the emotional issues: death, divorce, declining health, errant adult children and so forth.

I have explored these these issues for decades with thousands of clients. I don’t have all the answers, but I know how to ask the, “What happens if…” questions in a manner that will allow you to bring that abstraction into a reality that can be assessed and dealt with.

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September 2015

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B Page B1

Historic Cabin’s Past Revealed

Pet Detective Hunts For Hounds

By Mark Glover, Contributing Writer

By Sarah Bays, Community Editor

An estimated 2,300 people viewed history close up in Flower Mound on Aug. 15 at the site of a 1860s-era log cabin open to the public for the first time.

Pet Detective Kat Manning works on sniffing and sleuthing with her Labrador retriever Breeze at their home in Argyle.

Since announcing the marvelous find of the Long Prairie Homestead Cabin (as we now call it) inside of a Flower Mound farm house in July, several descendants of William Gibson and other early settlers have come forward to share in the knowledge and quest for knowledge of our earliest settlers.

Many thanks to Larry Briscoe,

When detective names come to mind, usually it’s Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Peter Gunn, Philip Marlow, Miss Marple, Mike Hammer or even Inspector Clouseau—with or without his Pink Panther.

So, Godiva, Bosco and Breeze aren’t names usually associated with professional “gumshoes.” Not only do they not wear shoes of any kind, they also don’t use

Lindsey Troublefield, Jeff and Lori Hallford, and Rose Mead for sharing ancestry information and sharing in the excitement of this log cabin discovery.

It’s likely that the antique cabin located inside an old house on the west side of Flower Mound will stay right where it is. Mayor Tom Hayden said recently that See CABIN Page B18

deductive reasoning, search online for clues, or take photos while sitting in cars on stakeouts; they use their noses.

For the past decade, Argyle’s Kat Manning and her three Labrador Retrievers have been sniffing out lost pets all over the country.

A former search and rescue worker, Manning started her business, Dog-Gone See DETECTIVE Page B6

September 2015

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SEPTEMBER 1st - 30th

417 N. FM 156, Justin, Texas 76247 � 940-648-3145 WWW.SHOPADAMSFURNITURE.COM

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September 2015

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YOUR 2 CENTS Editorials, Opinion, Letters to the Editor, Forum Posts New Laws Taking Effect

By State Rep. Tan Parker

E v e r y September following a regular legislative session hundreds of new laws authored by your Texas House and Senate take effect.

These new laws touch a wide range of topics, and earlier this summer I shared with you the overall highlights of this past session. I am proud of the comprehensive work product put forth by my colleagues and I, but now I would like to share with you some of the new laws I personally authored that have recently taken effect.

The delivery of public services is a core function of government, and was also a major component of my legislative agenda. House Bill 3014 will bring “Pay for Success” contracting to Texas so that we can structure certain outsourcing agreements in a manner that awards compensation to the service provider only after the successful delivery of the public service. This approach will both protect taxpayers and foster innovation in product and service quality across state government. I also authored House Bill 2718 to allow individuals applying for public assistance to opt-in to being put in contact with local charitable and faith-based service organizations. Part

Do We Really Have An Ethics Problem?

By Bob Weir

The Flower Mound Town Council has authorized an investigation into ethics violations by… wait for it… all members of the Council.

Therefore, the Town Manager has hired an “outside entity to look into possible violations of the code of ethics and/or open government laws.”

To effectuate such inquiry the town has authorized up to $15,000 to be paid to the firm that handles this bizarre request. Yes, I

YOU SAID IT!

Excerpts from the CrossTimbersGazette.com Forum & Article Comments

I am thankful efforts are being taken by the people of Flower Mound to save history. The number of log cabins in this apparently well-preserved condition remaining anywhere in America is few.

We love Twelve Stones! They made our anniversary dinner last year very special.

The vast majority of residents in Flower Mound back the Master Plan, yet those who think they run this place are always looking to modify, change and run around the Master Plan.

If you lead the police on a pursuit, it should

of Governor Abbott’s Blueprint for Success, this bill will achieve the long awaited partnering of government and faith-based organizations in providing comprehensive assistance to those truly in need through immediate aid and helping the individual build for a brighter future.

Improving the well-being of homeless children has been a strong passion I have carried since I began to work with local advocacy groups several years ago.

That is why I authored two new laws on this topic. In order to create more opportunities for temporary safe housing, House Bill 1558 will unlock the hands of churches so that they can provide critical overnight shelter to homeless children.

Likewise, House Bill 1559 will require public schools to make a full list of local assistance programs for homeless children available on their websites so that these children will have a better understanding of the opportunities available to them.

Sadly, homeless children and human trafficking go hand in hand, and that is why I made certain that my bill package included meaningful reforms to combat this horrible crime and also help human trafficking victims move forward and live productive lives. House Bill 2291 aids in both endeavors by raising the penalties facing those who are repeat offenders of child pornography related crimes and sets forth the process by which victims of child pornography can be awarded restitution from their attackers. House Bill 2286 addresses the real problem of human trafficking victims facing roadblocks to their recovery by providing them with the opportunity to pursue non-

disclosure orders on the prostitution convictions they acquired from being trafficked. With this important new law, our innocent children will be able to fully move past their imprisonment in this modern day form of slavery and not be denied housing or an employment or education opportunity because of the horrific acts they were forced to commit.

I also sponsored Senate Bill 461 to crack down on narcotics distributions by closing a labeling loophole that previously allowed synthetic drugs to be easily purchased at certain retail outlets. Having previously served as the Corrections Committee Chairman, I also saw a need to address the incarceration of inmates who suffer from intellectual disabilities. House Bill 2189 establishes the Developmentally Disabled Offender Program so that these inmates can receive the specific treatment and rehabilitation they need to manage their disability and successfully move beyond their past indiscretions.

Ride sharing services have revolutionized public transportation, yet outdated statutes and ordinances can sometimes limit their availability. That is why I sponsored Senate Bill 530, which was featured in a recent Dallas Morning News article for allowing these businesses to extend their services to DFW Airport customers. Additional new laws I had a hand in, such as ending a double taxation on Texas broadcasters and equipping the Texas Motor Speedway with the ability to stay competitive in attracting large scale events, rounded out my bill package in a manner consistent with our shared values

know it all started with the accusation that a councilman spoke publicly about an issue that was covered during executive session, in violation of the rules.

As I understand it, the councilman admitted the world-shaking act, which, in terms of seriousness, rivals a charge of jaywalking. Hence, the only question was; is there any punitive measure to handle the violation? Inasmuch as the Mayor has offered the fact that many council members do this, often unconsciously, due to the innocuous nature of the subject matter revealed, it seems to me that this is much ado about nothing.

Nevertheless, it seems that this investigation has morphed into an inquisition that includes everyone with a pulse. One wonders how deep will the “entities” have to probe in order to unearth any possible breaches of protocol by errant

elected officials.

Will the search be limited to social media, or, will it delve into the murky world of email messages on public and private servers? For example, should we the people be concerned if a councilman every used profanity in an email message, or, if he ever tweeted something uncomplimentary toward someone he dislikes? Will friends of councilmen be questioned to determine if salacious comments were ever made about constituents during social encounters?

What criteria will be used to conclude that ethical conduct was not adhered to? I’m reminded of the phrase “slippery slope” when I observe this perilous imbroglio.

Generally, when a public official is accused of an ethical lapse it’s because they committed an act that tends to reward them with monetary or other valuable considerations. I think it’s fair to say that’s

not the case here. So, what’s this about, and why should it cost taxpayers 15 grand for an exercise in futility? Don’t we have any serious issues to deal with? Moreover, why can’t this be dealt with internally?

Frankly, I could have handled this inquiry for free and it would take about 15 minutes.

“Councilman, did you speak publicly about an issue discussed during executive session?” If he answers “Yes” I advise him not to repeat the infraction in the future.

Perhaps I add that a second violation will result in a public reprimand. Case closed!

Now, let’s talk about all the positives this town has to offer when it’s not embroiled in bitter political folderol.

be an automatic felony for needless endangerment of civilian lives!

and history over whatever the strange brew they are concocting in this Flower Mound “charter” school.

for bring up the tip of what is most likely the tip of the iceberg with this particular council member

There are definitely two Flower Mounds.

One is a small group who think they run this town (some currentTown Council Members, many former Town Council Members and plenty of people “volunteering” for P&Z and other committees paying their dues Do you live near the Walmart?? I do. Do to the chosen ones and awaiting their you experience the trash that sits in the turn on Town Council) … the other are the parking lot using their f-words?? Have voters. you looked at the Highland Village crime blogs? 80% of it is at the Walmart. Drugs, Meanwhile, two miles up the road at FM public intoxication, theft....all at the 2900 2499 and FM 2181, the trees on the new block of Justin Road.

CVS site were decimated. Go figure.

I was infected with the neuroinvasive West Nile virus two years ago and I also have not recovered. Please people spray and protect yourself when you’re outside!

Very sad that Mr. Rountree NOW sees how destructive his witch hunt against Webb can be - now that it turned on him!

Hope the council does the right thing. We don’t need people like him trying to lead our town.

I would rather have a school that teaches Sad but me thinks Mr. Rountree is trying my kid science, math, technology, English, to cover his tracks. Thank you, Mr. Stone

and beliefs.

As always, it is an honor to serve you in the Texas House of Representatives, and I welcome your feedback on this and any other critical state issues. If you would like to share a thought with me, please feel free to contact me at my Capitol office at 512.463.0688 or by e-mail at tan.parker@house.state.tx.us

Bob Weir is a long-time Flower Mound resident and former local newspaper editor.

Walmart is a disgusting corporation that kills small business. That’s enough for me to never shop there.

Gelbman is calling for Kevin Bryant’s resignation? There go the three amigos.

Voice your opinion!

Visit CrossTimbersGazette.com and our Facebook page today!

September 2015

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Community Pours Love For Lilly

By Lyn Rejahl Pry, Contributing Writer

Jake and Jill Camp of Lantana welcomed their daughter, Lilly, at the end of November 2014. For more than eight months, Lilly appeared to be a typical happy and healthy baby.

On August 3, her parents learned that, although she was still happy, she was far from healthy.

“Lilly was down on the floor playing with her mom,” said Jake Camp. “She looked up and Jill noticed that the reflection of the light in Lilly’s left eye was a cloudy white in the pupil. Jill looked at Lilly’s eyes again and each time the left pupil was cloudy.”

The couple immediately took Lilly to the Children’s Urgent Care Clinic in Flower Mound, where the pediatrician assessed the infant’s eye and made an initial diagnosis of retinoblastoma, a rare childhood eye cancer.

She told the Camps that they needed to take Lilly down to Cook’s Children’s Hospital in Dallas right then. She called the hospital to alert the staff that Lilly and her parents were on their way.

Photo by Helen’s Photography

Jake and Jill Camp’s daughter, Lilly, is being treated for a rare childhood eye cancer.

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“That trip was awful,” said Camp. “Her mom was just an [emotional] mess and I was just trying to concentrate on driving carefully to get us to Dallas.”

The doctors in Dallas confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled Lilly for an in-the-eye exam done under anesthesia to determine the extent of the cancer for the following day. The good news was that the MRI showed that the tumor was confined to the eye; not spread to her brain. The bad news was that the cancer was bi-lateral retinoblastoma; it was in both eyes.

“They said that the tumor in her left eye was touching her optic nerve and that she was already blind in that eye,” said Camp. “We had no idea, because her eye muscles moved together in unison. The tumor in her right eye isn’t as large and isn’t touching that optic nerve, so she has vision in that eye.”

Lilly’s left eye was removed on August 6. She began a six-month chemotherapy treatment to shrink the tumor in her right eye. A check on that tumor is set for the end of September.

“If the re-check shows the tumor has shrunk to the right degree, then it can be zapped with a laser … like how cataracts are treated,” said Camp.

He added that Lilly appears to be tolerating the chemo well.

“She’s lost some of her hair and had some constipation, but hasn’t had any fever and the little bit of nausea she had has gone,” said Camp. “She has weekly blood tests and takes an antibiotic as pneumonia prevention, but she seems just fine with all of it.”

Both Jake and Jill are graduates of Marcus High School and have family and many friends in the area to support them. The online fundraising site, www.gofundme.com/ loveforlillycamp, to help with Lilly’s medical expenses has more than 160 contributors in just over 20 days.

“The love and support we’ve had has been overwhelming,” said Camp. “The owners of Bahama Buck’s in Double Oak, Jared and Cindy Rosckes, had heard about the ‘gofundme.com’ site online and held a fundraiser on Tuesday [August 25] and then just handed over a check to us; just amazing!”

Lilly’s retinoblastoma is a rare form of childhood cancer; only 250 to 300 cases are diagnosed per year. It typically affects mostly infants to two-year old toddlers, but may affect children up to age six.

Camp said that parents can do a very simple check on their children by simply turning off the lights in a room and taking a flash picture of their child.

“If the pupil shows black or ‘red eye’ as a reflection of the flash in the picture, then that’s normal,” he said. “If it shows up as white or cloudy, an immediate visit to the doctor is a must.”

September 2015

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September 2015

Detective

Continued from Page B1

Detectives about 10 years ago. Her first two sleuths, Godiva and Bosco, were chocolate Labs. Her current canine partner is Breeze, a five-year-old yellow Lab. Working with one dog at-a-time, she and her dogs have helped locate people’s cats and dogs thought forever lost to their families.

“I kept hearing people say [at work] ...

‘Somebody is looking for their poodle; I’m sure we can’t do that.’ I was like-- why can’t we do that?” Manning said, sitting on her back patio as Breeze and Buck, her brother, tumbled and romped around the yard.

As her business took off, Manning left a career of searching for missing people and swapped it for full-time pet detecting.

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

She started training 6-year-old Godiva on trails used by the SAR (Search and Rescue) team and the Lab quickly picked up the scent of discovering lost doggies.

In 2006, Godiva, then 9, tracked a German Shepherd police dog and brought him back to his home. The shepherd was a Fort Worth Police Department K-9 officer.

“I got so busy after the police dog rescue, I was getting two-to-three calls a day, and I only had one dog,” Manning said.

The duo may not actually find the dog, but by directing dog owners to the right spots, Dog-Gone Detectives has a 75percent “find” rate.

“Say you lost your dog and you’re putting signs up, but they’re not in the right place,” said Manning. “We take Breeze out and [she finds] that the trail ran out here, so you

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

need to put signs here. So, now the people who found [the pet] see the signs ... we get the people connected. Every time I go out I pray; but, I don’t pray that we find the dog.

I just pray that the dog is found and that we can help the owners however possible.”

Unfortunately, some endings aren’t as happy as most; like the Chihuahua in Florida whose trail stopped at the edge of an alligator infested area. “[It’s] sad, most of the time people are crying, but you know [they’re] at least grateful they can stop looking,” she said.

On the occasions that lost dogs are found alive directly by Manning and Breeze, the pets are nervous.

“A lot of times they’re skittish and they haven’t been picked up, because nobody could catch them,” she said. “So, what

Page B6

usually happens is, we get [the owners] to the area ... and then we back out and let them go into the area because [the pet is] so skittish. And usually the people can’t even catch their own dog because by then, they’re just freaked out. They go into survival mode.”

Owners tag along with Manning and Breeze on their hunts.

The most recent dog the two found was a Golden Retriever in Waco, who had wandered off from home about 10-days before the “Dog-Gone” hunt began.

There had been only one definite sighting of the Golden, about a block from his house, so that’s where Manning and Breeze began their search in a cul-de-sac with a second road leading out and a heavily wooded See DETECTIVE Page B23

September 2015

Constables Corner

By Tim Burch, Denton County Constable, Pct. 4

As those of you who already know me and follow my column, I always begin first and foremost by giving thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for all the blessings that has been given to me.

So much has transpired since my last update, and if I had enough space to tell you everything I would. Instead I will highlight on only a few if the recent incredible happenings in the office as well as my own life; Our beloved children returned to school to begin their next year of learning and development.

Our department will actively work with the local school districts to ensure a safe and healthy scholastic season for our youth.

We are proud to announce the addition of Deputy Robert Kubicek to our department. Deputy Kubicek comes to our office after serving previously with the Coppell Police Department and is a 25 year well decorated veteran.

This year my office assisted in hosting The 2015 Annual Medal of Honor Ride from DFW Airport up to Gainesville which hosted the event. Each year this event honors those that have served our

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

country, and only a few are carefully chosen as recipients of the award. This year was a record breaking 5 Mile Plus motorcade between the 2 cities. Words will never explain the excitement and dignity that follows witnessing this breathtaking celebration.

I am very proud of Deputy Doug King of our department for his leadership and organizational skills in coordinating this event, and he deserves a special kudos for making it possible yet again.

To satisfy the news and the curiosity of a number of well-wishers within Denton County, and I am proud to announce that I proposed to Candace Simon to ask her to become my wife. I am excited to announce she accepted my proposal and after a short engagement period we celebrated in private ceremony officiated

by The Honorable J.W. Hand.

We have never been more ecstatic, and will be holding our renewal of nuptials and formal wedding celebrations in 2016. An official date of the renewal of the vows will be forthcoming for friends and family.

On the note of exciting news, a major congratulations to Deputy Scot Frenzen & his wife Donna on the recent birth of their very Happy & Healthy newborn Kendall Frenzen.

During the course of the year I spend a lot of time with various civic & social organizations, my next sponsored event will be The Denton Blues Festival which is September 19-20, 2015 located at Ouakertown Park in Denton.

Please join Candace, myself, and my

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

office staff at our booth for a weekend of fun festivities, soul food, and blues.

Thank you and god bless.

Constable Tim Burch, Denton County, Precinct 4 You can contact me directly if you need assistance or have feedback you

Page B7

would like to share.

217 North Oak St. Roanoke, TX 76262 timothy.burch@dentoncounty.com 972-434-3980 You can also visit me online at www. timburch.com or email info@timburch. com

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September 2015

The following is a summary of incidents reports recently made to the Argyle Police Department as compiled by the staff of the CTG: A man reportedly hit his wife in the face with an dipstick at a residence. They had been physically fighting, hitting each other and arguing.

Two horses decided to free run in the 500 block of East FM 407 until their owners came out to the scene and put the equines back inside their pen.

An officer spotted a man sitting inside a Dodge pickup in the 500 block of South Hwy 377 and found it suspicious. The man said he was waiting to see a meteor shower. Others were parked along the side of the road doing the same thing.

A man reported that an 18-wheeler with a purple cab almost ran his and other vehicles off the road along Hwy 377. The caller said the truck driver flipped him the bird when he sped by.

An officer responded to a home on Redbud Street after a man requested a woman be charged with criminal trespassing.

Reports indicate that the man’s ex-wife was there to get her stuff. A couple days before, officers responded to the house because the ex-wife’s boyfriend had made threats. Police issued a warning to the woman.

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

The smoldering Texas summer heat apparently took its toll on a man early in August. Police reported that a man riding a motorcycle pulled off the road along I-35W and passed out. After he awoke, the cyclist told police that he felt hot, so he pulled off the road, blacked out and fell over.

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A motorcycle took off from police near Old Justin Road at N. Hwy. 377. Apparently the motorcycle was traveling with its headlight off, and only a parking light on.

An officer attempted to pull the driver over but the motorcycle sped off, clocking 134 mph.

Police stopped to check on what apA woman called police to let them know peared at first to be a suspicious vehicle there were nine cars lined up and she on the side of northbound I-35W. It turns could hear dogs barking and was worried out, a woman was waiting for her mother that there might be dog fighting going on. to arrive to take photos of sunflowers Police investigated and found that there there with her baby. was quail training going on and nothing A caller said she saw a light blue older illegal was occurring. model Volkswagen with a door hanging Police said they were flagged down about open on FM 407 and S. Gibbons Road. some loose llamas on Old Justin Road. She didn’t see anyone around and was An animal control officer was called and concerned because “people disappear.” determined that the llamas’ owner was out of town, but had work crews in and A woman reported that her mother had out of the residence. Perhaps one of them assaulted her, grabbing her face and left a gate open and that’s how the llamas neck and scratching her. The caller was escaped, a witness suggested. When the bleeding from her face and thought she animal control officer arrived, he was un- may have broken her mother’s finger in able to contain the llamas, causing them the scuffle. The woman said her mother to run a half block down the road. The lla- had shoved her in the past when she was mas found a passageway into the back- pregnant. She was hiding in a bedroom yard of a residence. Those homeowners with her 4-year-old and 6-year-old chilwere able to contain them in a gated area dren. She thought her mother may have and allowed the llamas to remain on their been drunk because she had been drinkproperty until the owners could find a safe ing Vodka that day and suspected her mother of using drugs. Police took the way to get them back home. caller’s mother into custody.

A caller said they heard an explosion and saw white smoke and flames coming from Police received a call about six Ford Musa neighborhood near Old Justin Road and tangs slowly exiting I-35W at the 79 mile Schober Road. A large grass area of about marker and then gunning up to 100 mph 25 acres was on fire, along with the power to race each other. There was a blue and lines, police reports indicate. Witnesses yellow Mustang, but the caller could not remember the other car’s colors before said they saw a blown transformer. losing sight of them.

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Two residents went to the police department seeking help finding the breaker box at their home because the electricity was off. The electricity was back on when the officer arrived at the home.

A police officer was flagged down by a passerby who said he had just seen three loose dogs try to attack some horses. The officer spotted the dogs running in a yard and spoke with one of the residents there.

The dogs’ owner said that they liked to agitate the horses and he would keep them in his yard and not let them near the horses again. None of the horses appeared to be injured.

A woman stopped at the police department to ask where she could dispose of needles.

An officer spotted a suspicious looking vehicle near Northstar Bank. It ended up being a repo driver looking for a vehicle.

A caller reported that a Hispanic man was falling over inside Paradise Foods as he was checking out. He walked out to get into the bed of a white Ford pickup truck with three other people and the caller thought they might all have been drunk.

All the men in the vehicle started yelling at each other and the man who was inside the store began throwing food and trash into the parking lot. An officer arrived on scene and the man in the bed of the truck admitted to being drunk. All three were taken into police custody.

See more police calls at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

September 2015

Flower Mound Police Calls

What follows was taken from the Flower Mound police blotter reports: A 49-year-old man was arrested on July 27 in the 800 block of Crested Butte Trail and charged with assault to a family member. Police reports show that the man allegedly tried to choke a family member. He was arraigned on July 28 and released later that day on $5,000 bond.

Early on July 29, police received a report that someone had stolen 3 Budweiser Hurricane beers worth $6 from a gas station in the 1800 block of Justin Road. A witness identified the suspect and the stolen items were recovered a few minutes later.

A 52-year-old woman was arrested on the afternoon of July 30 in Irving. She was charged on a warrant for DWI from southern Dallas County. She was arraigned and transferred to the Denton County Jail. Reports indicate she will face a $2,000 fine. The woman was also charged with speeding, driving without a license or insurance and failure to appear in court from Flower Mound police. Reports indicate she also had a warrant for driving without a license and failure to appear in court from Euless police; and warrants for littering, running a red light and driving without a license from Fort Worth police.

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

causing bodily injury. He was remanded to the Denton County Sheriff’s Office on $3,500 bond. Also, he was arraigned at the same time on a warrant for speeding from the Double Oak police. He was released of that with a fine and on a written promise to appear in Double Oak court by Aug. 10.

On August 1, an 18-year-old woman was arrested in the 5800 block of Long Prairie Road and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. She was transferred to Denton County Jail on $2,500 bond. Another 18-yearold woman and a 20-year-old woman were arrested at the same time for the same crime but were released on $2,500 bond.

On the same evening, a 17-year-old man was arrested in the 1400 block of River Oaks Drive and charged with possession of marijuana. He was released on $750 bond.

A 32-year-old man was arrested August 2 in the 2600 block of Old Settlers Road. He was charged with his first DWI and released on $1,500 bond.

That evening, a 51-year-old woman was arrested in the 1500 block of Homestead Drive and charged with Class C family violence/ assault. She was released on a promise to appear in court.

On August 3 a 32-year-old man was arrested in the 1100 block of Flower Mound Road and charged with forgery/alteration of a prescription. He was transferred to the DCSO without bond.

Also that day, a 32-year-old woman was arrested in the 2500 block of Cross Timbers Road and charged with DWI. She was released on $1,500 bond.

Also, $1,400 worth of service went unpaid at a dermatology business in the 4400 block of Long Prairie Road. A witness told police the suspect was driving a white, 2005 Infiniti G35 with Texas tags.

Late that night, a 28-year-old man was arrested in the 4400 block of Long Prairie Road and charged with assaulting a family member and

On August 4, a 30-year-old man was arrested in the 2400 block of Grapevine Mills Parkway in Grapevine and charged with a DWI warrant

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

from Flower Mound. He was released on $1,500 bond.

That evening, a 19-year-old man was arrested in the 4150 block of Kirkpatrick Lane and charged with impersonating someone by using their name and persona to create an online page. He was released on $1,000 bond.

A woman reported that sometime between July 24 and August 4 someone stole prescription drugs worth $320 from an assisted living facility in the 4100 block of Long Prairie Road.

On August 5, someone reported that 2 containers of Corona Extra beer worth $6 had been stolen from a gas station in the 1800 block of Justin Road. Witnesses said the suspect was driving a silver or gray 2007 Dodge Caliber with Texas plates.

Later that night, a 47-year-old man was arrested in the 250 block of Arbor Oaks Court and charged with assaulting a family member Class C. Two 19-year-old men were arrested August 6 at the 2100 block of Dana Court with possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana. Each was released on $750 bond.

Also that day, a woman reported that sometime between July 21 and July 22 someone stole 35 white tablets of Clonazepam worth $3.50.

A suspect was identified.

That evening, a man reported to police that someone had stolen about $22,370 in cash from a Michigan woman at the 5300 block of Bristol Drive. A suspect was identified.

The next night a 38-year-old man was arrested near the corner of Long Prairie Road and Dixon Lane. He was charged with DWI with an open container. He was released on $1,500 bond.

On August 10, a woman reported to police that a $3,000 camera and 4 wooden tables

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worth a total of $400 were stolen from Vickery Elementary School in the 3301 block of Wager Road in Flower Mound.

A 46-year-old man was arrested early on August 11 at the 6500 block of Burning Tree Drive and charged with assault causing bodily injury/family violence. He was released on $2,500 bond.

Later that day, a woman reported that sometime over July 30-31 someone stole $4,000 worth of equipment from Texas Environmental Management in Justin.

On August 13, a man reported that his blue 2011 Ford F150 had been burglarized in the 900 block of Lake Bluff Drive. Reports say $140 worth of tools, a $200 non-identified item and a $1,600 Intoxalock device.

That night, in the 2800 block of London Lane, a man reported that his silver 2003 Kia Spectra was burglarized. Items stolen included a $500 Seagull Entourage guitar, a $30 Roadrunner guitar case and a $10 black capo.

On August 14, a 17-year-old man was arrested in the 3300 block of Heather Glen Drive and charged with bodily injury to a child/ elderly person. As of the report date, he was transferred to the Denton County Sheriff’s Office and is being held on $5,000 bond.

That same day, an Oak Creek Circle woman reported that several items had been stolen from her home. Those included a $1,000 Canon camera; a $1,000 ring; $4,000 worth of jewels and two other unidentified items. Police have identified a suspect.

That afternoon, a Lewisville woman reported that someone stole items totaling $940 from her black 2015 Ford Fusion. The car was parked in the 2600 block of Long Prairie Road and $400 worth of damage was also done.

See FM POLICE CALLS Page B21

SEPTEMBER SPECIAL

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September 2015

Back to School

By Denton County Sheriff Will Travis

It’s the first full month of school, and

My strong quality is personal service & involvement with my customers since 1979. Flower Mound Rotary and Chamber of Commerce member as well as Flower Mound Citizen of the year (2004).

Call me for all your Real Estate needs!

Fred Placke 214-232-8597 FredPlacke.com I have been a resident of Flower Mound since 1986 and am extremely knowledgeable of the Real Estate Market and its current conditions. It would be my pleasure to assist you with your Real Estate needs.

Dan Staples 469-955-9426 www.danielstaples.com

DALLAS

DISTINGUISHABLE 1930’S BUILT HOME

100% brick 2 story with 4 bedrooms in move-in condition.

Huge corner lot,spacious living area upstairs and down.

Formal dining area & breakfast room with butler pantry Work-out room or home office upstairs off of living area.

13x13 workshop with electricity, arbor, mature trees shade the backyard. $350,000 Call Ben deAnda 972-342-5029 www.BuildBuyorSell.com

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

the Denton County Sheriff’s Office is focusing on back-to-school safety. For the first week of school, we had officers in all the school zones in the unincorporated areas of the county, both morning and evening to ensure that everyone’s year got off to a good start.

This also seems like a great time for

HIGHLAND VILLAGE

MOVE IN READY HOME FOR LEASE

Clean, well kept 4 bedroom Retro style home in sought after Village Estates. Oversized living areas, HUGE tree covered yard, minutes from everything!

Sprinklers, fenced yard, Covered RV parking, Gated parking area. Call Debbie 682-551-5305 www.DebbieLiefRealty.com

DENTON

YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!

Pride in ownership shows in every room. Every fixture, every flooring, every appliance has been updated! Clean and bright this 4 bedroom home has it all! Oversized living, dining and bedrooms all well appointed and is move in ready! Gigantic yard! $195,000 Call Tracey Clifton 469-358-3008 www.TraceyClifton.com

KELLER

ALMOST 2 ACRES!

This craftsmanship is not seen any more in newer homes. Fall in love with privacy on this heavily treed lot. 4 large bedrooms & 2.5 bath. Property has heated greenhouse with water. Workshop & barn with electric. $480,000 Call Shelley 214-598-7726 www.ForeverDFW.com

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

some reminders for all of us about how to keep our kids safe as they begin a new school year.

Walking to school • Use the same route every day. Never use shortcuts.

• Always use public sidewalks and streets when walking to school.

• Demonstrate traffic safety awareness and pick the safest route between your home and the school and practice walking it with your children.

• Try to walk to school with other students.

• Teach your children to recognize and obey traffic signals, signs and pavement markings.

• Only cross streets at designated crosswalks, street corners and traffic controlled intersections.

• Look both ways before crossing the street and never enter streets from between obstacles like parked cars, shrubbery or signs • Always walk and never run across intersections.

• Never talk to strangers. Teach your children to get distance between themselves and anyone who tries to approach or make contact with them.

• If a stranger does approach your child, make sure they know to immediately report the incident to you or a teacher.

• Teach your children to never get into a vehicle with anyone, even if they know them, without your permission.

Riding Your Bike to School • Check with the school to make sure your child is allowed to ride their bicycle to school. Some schools do not allow students to ride bicycles to school until they reach a specific grade.

• Make sure your child always wears a bicycle helmet! Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.

• Obey the rules of the road; the rules

SADLER

BEAUTIFUL WOODED ACREAGE Perfect for home site with 2 creeks.

Total 8.49 Acres. Highway 82 frontage.

Property is located on South side of Highway 82 with Sign on Property.

Call Cindy Haddock 940-231-1004 HomesByHaddock.com

DECATUR

VERY NICE HOME!

Very nice 3 bedroom, 2 full baths, 1 story, great room lay out. Luxurious rock fireplace in great room lends to a warm entertaining environment. Large back yard and adequate drive for boat or RV parking on site. $205,900 Call Brent Nelms 214-616-7092 www.MiracleHousing.net

HIGHLAND VILLAGE

IMPRESSIVE LAKE FRONT HOME

Nestled on Lake Lewisville with breathtaking panoramic views to enjoy poolside. The pool, spa, water feature, pergola, and outdoor cooking areas are perfect for entertaining. Inside you’ll find beautiful scraped hardwoods throughout the main living areas, soaring ceilings and island kitchen. $879,900 Call Dave Ryer 972-317-9408 www.RyerRealty.com

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are the same for all vehicles, including bicycles.

• Always stay on the right-hand side of the road and ride in the same direction as traffic.

• Be sure your child knows and uses all of the appropriate hand signals.

• Choose the safest route between home and school and practice it with children until they can demonstrate traffic safety awareness.

School Bus Safety Tips Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe in and around the school bus.

Taking the bus for the first time is a big step for your child. Help your kids get a gold star in bus safety by following these tips.

• Walk with your kids to the bus stop and wait with them until it arrives.

• Teach kids to wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting off and never to walk behind the bus.

• If your child needs to cross the street after exiting the bus, he or she should take five giant steps in front of the bus, make eye contact with the bus driver and cross when the driver indicates it’s safe.

• Instruct younger kids to use handrails when boarding or exiting the bus. If your children drop something, they should tell the bus driver and make sure the bus driver is able to see them before they pick it up.

• Drivers should always follow the speed limit, and slow down in school zones and near bus stops.

• Slow down and stop if you’re driving near a school bus that is flashing yellow or red lights. This means the bus is either preparing to stop (yellow) or already stopped (red), and children are getting on or off. www.safekids.org

GORDONVILLE

COZY LAKE TEXOMA RETREAT!

LEWISVILLE

AWESOME UPDATED 1 STORY!

Has been rebuilt from the slab-stubs up. New kitchen inc JennAir gas 4 burner-grill cooktop, dbl ovens, SS, granite, eat-in island. Redone masterwheel chair accessible shower. Beautiful 100+ yr trees, backs to Corp of Engineer property, walking trails to lake! $169,000 Call Cerita Loftis 972-841-1379 www.CeritaLoftisRealtor.com

Carpet & gorgeous travertine flrs installed Aug 2015 & fresh paint throughout! Stunning kitchen opens to spacious living rm. Split master suite has luxurious bth with sep shower & walk-in closet. Lrg dining rm can be used as study if desired. Wonderful upgrades are a must see! $194,900 Call Dottie 214-212-1919 www.DottieC.RemaxTexas.com

CORINTH

FLOWER MOUND

Lovely home in unique neighborhood just minutes from trails, parks, greenbelt and Lake Lewisville. Downstairs has master plus 1 bedroom or office. Upstairs game room, 3rd and 4th bedrooms connected to full bath. Covered patio with ceiling fans for outdoor entertaining. ** Move-in Ready ** $249,900 Call Dirk 972-322-2171 www.DirkSellsHomes.com

Wood floors extend from formals to family area.

Kitchen looks into back yard and family room. Large breakfast bar with buffet. Located near excellent schools. Walking distance to amenities center with pool, tennis, exercise room and weight lifting center. $265,000 Call Eva 469-323-8733 www.EvaBradleyHomes.com

LIGHT AND BRIGHT!

ARGYLE

NOBLE CLASSIC

Informal Dining and Kitchen open and overlook the Pool and giant stocked pond with fountain. Master Down, 2nd guest suite down. Garage is 4 car, pool with grand water slide. Game, media and 2 Bedrms up. $894,900 Call Sherry Griffin 214-794-6045 www.SherryGriffinRealtor.com

SPACIOUS 1 STORY!

FLOWER MOUND

THIS ONE HAS IT ALL!

Main house is 3/4/3 + 3 liv w/balcony off upstairs living overlooking salt water pool. 1200 sq.ft. guest house w/full kitchen, 2 bed & bath.

300 sq.ft. office + 700 sq.ft. cooled workshop.

Call Charlotte 214-808-8612 www.YourPreferredTeam.com

September 2015

Highland Village Police Blotter The following reports are provided by the Highland Village Police Department: 8-02 -- Burglary of Vehicle -- 2000 block of Rosedale Street 8-02 -- Fraud/Forgery -- 400 block of Kelda Lane 8-03 -- Drug/Narcotics violation -- 3000 block of Castlewood Boulevard 8-03 -- Fraud/Forgery -- 300 block of Greensprings Street

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

block of Elm Tree Lane 8-12 -- Warrant Service -- 1000 block of Highland Village Road 8-12 -- Disturbance -- 100 block of Bluebonnet Drive 8-13 -- Assault -- 4000 block of Amhurst Drive 8-13 -- Parking Complaint/violation -- 100 block of Highland Village Road 8-14 -- Traffic Accident/injury -- 5000 block of Village Parkway 8-14 -- Fraud/Forgery -- 1000 block of Highland Village Road 8-14 -- Theft -- 4000 block of Waller Creek 8-15 -- Theft -- 3000 block of Justin Road

8-04 -- Traffic Accident - no injury -- 1000 block of Highland Shores Boulevard

8-16 -- Criminal Mischief -- 900 block of Idlewild Court

8-04 -- Fraud/Forgery -- 3000 block of Shadow Wood Circle

8-17 -- Criminal Mischief -- 3000 block of Parkhurst Circle

8-04 -- Property - found -- 3000 block of Highland Shores Boulevard

8-17 -- Burglary of vehicle -- 2000 block of Creekside Way

8-05 -- Fraud/Forgery -- 800 block of Aberdeen Drive

8-17 -- Burglary of vehicle -- 2000 block of Timbercrest Lane

8-05 -- Suspicious Circumstances -- 300 block of Hickory Ridge Drive

8-18 -- Fraud/Forgery -- 2000 block of Creekside Way

8-05 -- Burglary -- 700 block of Oakwood Court

8-18 -- Animal Complaint -- bite report -- 3000 block of Hill Dale

8-06 -- Theft -- 4000 block of Waller Creek

8-18 -- Threat/Harassment complaint -- 100 block of Bluebonnet Drive

8-06 -- Assault -- 300 block of Mockingbird Drive

8-19 -- Theft -- 4000 block of Barton Creek

8-07 -- Alcohol Violation -- 300 block of Cuero Place

8-19 -- Traffic Complaint/Hazard -- 300 block of Highland Hills Lane

8-07 -- Threat/Harassment complaint -- 100 block of Bluebonnet Drive

8-19 -- Traffic -- 7000 block of Village Parkway

8-08 -- Theft -- 3000 block of Justin Road

8-20 -- Welfare Concern -- 100 block of Village Estates Drive

8-11 -- Threat/Harassment complaint -- 2000

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8-21 -- Warrant Service -- 8000 block of Village Parkway

8-25 -- Drug/Narcotics Violation -- 500 block of Sellmeyer Lane

8-22 -- Drug/Narcotics Violation -- 3000 block of Justin Road

8-25 -- Intoxicated Driver -- 2000 block of Highland Village Road

8-23 -- Juvenile Complaint -- 2000 block of Justin Road

8-25 -- Traffic accident/injury -- 3000 block of Justin Road

September 2015

Double Oak Police Beat Submitted by Chief Derrick Watson

On Friday August 21 at approximately 9 p.m. a resident in the 200 block of Valley View Trail, heard what they believed to be squirrels on the roof of their house.

A few days later the resident realized that the noise they heard was possibly due to a back window screen being pried from their home (reported to police on August 24). No entry was made into the home and no property was lost.

On Sunday August 23 at about 2:31 a.m. a resident in the 100 block of East View Court, reported a suspected prowler in their backyard. The on duty Double Oak Officer and a sheriff’s deputy searched the area without locating any suspects.

I highlight those two incidents not to scare or alarm but rather to remind people to shut garage doors, lock cars and homes, bring valuable property indoors and to call 9-1-1 upon observing suspicious persons and activities. Double Oak is a wonderful and overall safe community in which to reside. It is, however, a fact that we have had recent incidents involving theft from a resident’s backyard, theft from cars parked in garages, contact with teens at early hours of the morning and normal disturbing the peace type calls involving loud noise / music, speeding vehicles and suspicious behaviors.

We recently had multiple negative experiences with aggressive door to door vendors. The salespeople were noted for being pushy and asking to enter homes for a glass of water or to use the bathroom (a tactic designed to increase their time

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

in your home and interaction with you in the hopes of a sale) and engaging in rude conversations with residents who elected not to use their services. Frankly if you don’t know who’s knocking on your door you don’t need to answer! Our officers will be glad to respond to your residence and speak with whatever stranger has arrived at your doorstep.

I would also ask you to seriously consider the degree of financial risk taken when engaging in a business transaction with a door to door sales person whose only validation is a brochure and a friendly personality. The majority of the time we find that door to door vendors intentionally don’t carry identification, haven’t taken the time to obtain a vendor permit, have a criminal history and may or may not be willing or able to provide the service they are selling. It is a great way to lose checking account or credit card account information to what is often later determined to be a known thief.

One of our residents suffered a frustrating financial loss with a home improvement vendor. The citizen contacted a fencing company to obtain repairs to a wrought iron fence and engaged in a lengthy negotiation process where the sales representative kept lowering the price for the job. Once the resident agreed to the services the known suspect asked for, and received a deposit. A month later the suspect never did the work, has a history on the BBB website of engaging in such activity, and has been disavowed by his company. I would strongly encourage avoiding “down payments” for what basically are essentially labor intensive services (if a company doesn’t have $500 dollars for repair materials a serious question needs to be asked about their ability to deliver on proposed services). Talk to your friends and ask for the names of vendors they’ve success-

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

fully used in the past for home repair.

Take a moment and look online through the multiple review sites available. If all else fails consider using a nationally recognized chain to contract repair services through so at least there is some recourse if the repairs don’t take place.

A quick update on the multiple fraudulent income tax returns that were filed by criminals for Double Oak residents.

Detective Murphy has been able to track and recover over $13,000 dollars that has been returned to the Internal Revenue Service. He has also forwarded possible suspect information to the IRS. I look forward to the day when we can announce an arrest or two.

Finally…if you’re the motorist who keeps drinking and throwing miniature wine bottles on Tanglewood…knock it off. Your fellow residents don’t appreciate the litter you’re leaving behind, you probably have an outrageous drinking problem and I promise a ride to jail if we catch you.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Recent Police Calls: Motorist Assist – 300 blk. E. Carruth Ln., Double Oak – Officer assisted motorist stranded with two children.

Ordinance Violation – 200 blk. Whispering Oaks Dr., Double Oak – Two Labradors running at large. Officer recovered the dogs and attempted to contact the owner. Dogs were eventually left with a neighbor.

Assist Fire Department – 6000 blk. Plantation, Double Oak – Officer helped with extinguishing a grass fire until FD arrival.

Theft by Deception – 200 blk. Whistling

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Duck, Double Oak – A homeowner contacted a fence company to obtain paint / repair estimates. A representative of the company took a $500 deposit and never returned to do work. Complainant reported that they attempted to work with the company and was told that they didn’t care if they were sued or the police were called. A criminal investigation is ongoing.

Fraud – 100 blk. Foxtrot Ln., Double Oak – A resident reported that an unknown person had obtained credit, in their name, from Verizon. The suspect obtained over $4,100 dollars’ worth of goods using the Complainant’s information.

Ordinance Violation – 100 blk. Rancho Vista, Double Oak – Officers recovered two small dogs and returned them to their owner’s property.

Lost Property – 100 blk. S. Woodland Trail, Double Oak – A laptop was accidentally left on top of a vehicle. If property is found please contact the police department at (972) 355-5995.

Ordinance Violation – 100 blk. Highview Dr., Double Oak – A witness reported a solicitor going door to door and leaving flyers (alternately skipping some homes). Officer made contact with the individual and issued a warning for soliciting without a permit. Subject was skipping houses as he worked for a painting company and was only leaving flyers on homes that he felt needed to be painted.

Assist Fire Department – 300 blk. E. Carruth Ln., Double Oak – Officer responded to a propane grill fire.

See DOPD Page B13

September 2015

DOPD

Continued from Page B12

Motorist Assist – Cedar Crest and Justin Rd., Double Oak – Officer helped to move a stalled car out of the way of traffic.

Criminal Mischief – 200 blk. Lake Trail Ct., Double Oak – Complainant found that an unknown person / vehicle had struck his mailbox causing damage.

Fraud – 5900 blk. Pepperport Ln., Double Oak – An unknown person used the Complainant’s debit card to make multiple purchases in Arlington and Fort Worth.

Assist Agency – 900 blk. Terrace Dr., Lantana – A disturbance resulted in an adult male receiving serious bodily injury from a knife or possibly knives. Double Oak and Bartonville Police responded to the location and detained a suspect until the arrival of Sheriff’s deputies.

Motorist Assist – Lantana Trail / Stacy Lane, Denton County – Officer stopped to help a motorist changing a tire at 12:12 a.m.

Disturbance – 500 blk. Kings Rd., Double Oak – Female motorist reported being followed by an adult male who was making offensive hand gestures.

Arrest – 400 blk. Oak Trail, Double Oak – A small blue car was observed speeding on Simmons Rd. When stopped the motorist was determined to have a suspended driver’s license, no insurance, and multiple warrants for their arrest and was in possession of drug paraphernalia. A female 33 years of age was taken into custody and transported to Flower Mound jail.

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Traffic Stop / Arrest – 4200 blk. Cherry Creek, Highland Village – During the conduct of a traffic stop a male, twentysix years of age, was found to have warrants from Double Oak and was arrested and transported to Flower Mound jail.

Criminal Mischief – 100 blk. Forest Ln., Double Oak – A resident reported having had their car splashed with paint.

Suspicious Activity – 200 blk. Lake Trail Ct., Double Oak – Three teen males observed parked in the street at 2:31 a.m.

Further investigation revealed they were waiting for a friend.

DWI 3rd or More – 100 blk. Brown Cliff Ct., Double Oak – A constable observed a male, fifty-six years of age, attempting to flee the scene of a minor vehicle accident (he had collided with a utility box).

Field Sobriety testing was conducted and the motorist was taken into custody for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Arresting Double Oak Officer obtained an evidentiary warrant for blood and then the subject was transported to Denton County Jail. Arrested person was charged with a felony due to multiple prior DWI convictions.

Accident – 6000 blk. Long Prairie Rd., Flower Mound – While conducting a traffic stop at 9:21 p.m. a Double Oak Officer witnessed a car leave the roadway and strike a power pole. Officer remained on scene until Flower Mound PD arrival.

Suspicious Circumstances – 100 blk. E. View Ct., Double Oak – At 3:35 a.m. a resident reported hearing a prowler in their backyard. Denton County Sheriff’s Department Deputy and on-duty Double Oak Officer were unable to find a suspect(s).

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Ordinance Violation – Cross Timbers and King’s Rd., Double Oak – Person discharging fireworks from a car.

Suspicious Circumstances / Criminal Mischief – 200 blk. Valley View Trail, Double Oak – On Friday August 21 at approximately 9:00 p.m. Complainant

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heard what they thought was a squirrel on the roof of their house. Later they realized that an unknown person had pried a screen off of a window in the back of their home.

New Rotary Club Receives Charter

The Cross Timbers Rotary Club received its official charter on Aug. 28 at Bridlewood Golf Club in Flower Mound. The group meets Fridays at 8 a.m. at Bridlewood. Pictured (Front row): Chuck Elsey, Legal counsel; Lori Walker, Vice President; Ginger Eads, Treasurer; Andy Eads, President; Julie Meyer, Secretary; Lori Fickling, President Elect. Second row: Neal Walker, Community Service Chair; Mary Worthington, Sergeant at Arms; Shelly Dodge, Club Administration Chair; Teresa Grawe, Public Relations Chair; Will Carlton, Foundation Chair; and Tony Mowels, Membership Chair.

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Directory h c r u h C Sat 5:30 pm sun 9:15 & 11:00 am 4503 crosstimbers rd rockpointechurch.org /rpcfm

Connecting to God. Connecting to People.

8201 FM 407 Copper Canyon, TX 75077 972-317-9500 bwchurch.org Sunday Worship: 9:30 & 11:00 AM

Chinn's Chapel United Methodist Church

Some people just need a little church!

Worship - Sunday at 10:30 AM 1 mi. north of FM 407 on Chinn Chapel Rd

www.chinnschapel.org

Christ Presbyterian Church, PCA

Sunday Worship: 10:30 AM 3410 Peters Colony Road Flower Mound, TX 75022 972-355-5892 ChristPresbyterian.org

Iglesia Gracia: 10:30 AM (bilingual service)

Argyle United Methodist Church Sunday: 8:15, 9:30 & 11 am 9033 Fort Worth Drive Argyle, TX 76226 940-464-1333 argyleumc.org

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The Pastor’s Place The Last Words You’ll Ever Say Adam Griffin, Spiritual Formation Pastor, The Village Church

I looked up to see the flight attendant wearing a determined look on her face and heading down the aisle in my direction. She was going to ask me to turn off my phone and she meant business. As we prepared to take off for our 13-hour flight to Japan, it dawned on me that I’d neglected to text my family. What if something happened to us on our journey and I didn’t text my wife and sons some parting piece of profundity? I couldn’t bear the thought of my last words being something like colon-dash-bracket, “:-]”.

Emoticons make for terrible tombstone epitaphs. So I scrambled to send some sweet terms of endearment and appropriate prayers, brief of course, for the tenacious attendant stood beside me, doing her very important job all too efficiently for my taste.

In that moment, I wished I’d had more time. I wished I had put more thought into my potential last words. Howard Hendricks used to say, “Last words are lasting words.” He was right. Our last words are words that those who love us want to remember and, chances are, will remember.

How awful would it be if the hour of your death was the first time anyone heard you charge them to pursue

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and know the Lord? None of us know when we are going to die. We must not wait until we are on our deathbeds to tell our loved ones of the Lord—who He is and how vital it is to know and follow Him. We should not hesitate to express how we feel about our friends and family and what we wish for them.

We should be communicating those things in a myriad of different ways as often as we are given the opportunity.

We should be intentional about capturing and leveraging opportunities in the course of everyday life for the purpose of eternally significant conversations.

But these everyday moments are not enough. We should be diligent about creating discipleship times with our loved ones. Let’s not just hope conversations about God happen. Let’s make them happen. Let’s create intentional time built into the rhythm of our lives for the purpose of thinking about, talking about and living out the gospel.

The last time that your loved ones hear you testify to the goodness of God should be far from the first time. Let them hear you commending the gospel to them clearly and often. Last words are lasting words, but intentional words offered with regularity and lived out with integrity make an impact that extends from one generation to the next.

What I say last still pales in comparison to what my life speaks.

Read Adam’s blog at: www.thevillagechurch.net/the-village-blog/author/adam-griffin/ The Pastor’s Place features articles written by a different area church leader each month.Call 940-728-8284 for more information.

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Taco Ocho

Fresh Latin Flavors Arriving in Flower Mound Area residents will soon be able to tickle their taste buds with dishes from eight different Latin American cuisines, and do so with the knowledge that they are eating only the freshest ingredients.

Taco Ocho plans to open its Team Taco Ocho: April Walters, Assistant Manager; third location this fall, and the Michael Odell, Manager; and founder Mani Bhushan. destination is Flower Mound, right next to Market Street on and tortas. The menu offering includes Long Prairie Road. jalapeno pork tacos from central Mexico “I have been a Flower Mound resident to Caribbean-style tostadas from the since 1997,” Mani Bhushan, owner and Dominican Republic, to Cusco steak operator, said. “I was not lucky enough tortas from Peru and a kale and mango to find a good place to open, so when salad from Brazil. this space became available, we jumped Taco Ocho also offers a kids menu in on it.” a relaxed environment with reasonable The restaurant’s mission is pretty prices. Bhushan said he would like for simple: have a fresh, casual and a his customers to leave feeling satisfied. chef-driven concept with a fine dining “I hope that people will think of it as mentality. a place that has different food, which is What does that mean? very fresh and healthy,” Bhushan said.

Well, for Bhushan, it means good “We use 65 different ingredients to get ingredients, classic cooking techniques the flavors we get. and sauce making skills, complex prep I hope the take away would be that it is and cooking procedures, a simple menu, something totally different, with people complex flavors and not just Mexican, feeling they’ve never eaten something but multiple Latin flavors. like this, and they love it.”

“I think it’s going to be well received,” The restaurant will also have a full bar Bhushan said. “People in Flower Mound which will offer several local craft beers want to eat healthy food, and we make as well everything from scratch. Forty-five Bhushan said if all goes according to percent of our menu is vegetarian while plan, Taco Ocho will open in Flower we still offer lots of healthy choices for Mound in late September. Visit www. meat lovers as well.” tacoocho.com for more information.

The restaurant serves dishes in their -Written by John English familiar formats, like tacos, tostadas

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Page B15

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Gardening: Grow On The Wild Side

By Noelle M. Hood, Contributing Writer

Wildflowers do gorgeous things to empty spaces and vases, and if you want to give them a try, midSeptember through mid-November is planting time in Northcentral Texas.

Contrary to popular rumor, the seeds require more than being tossed then forgotten until the spring. If you’re thinking of that barren spot of compacted clay dirt where even weeds don’t grow, forget wildflowers.

And yes Virginia, they need water if Mother Nature doesn’t provide it. Did I mention they like full sun all day and decent soil drainage?

Clean and clear the chosen area

then dig up a spade full of earth. In Southern Denton County you’re likely to have either heavy clay or sandy soil. Compensate for either by mixing in lots of compost. Is it possible to add too much compost? The short

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Page B16

This increases the seed volume and weight for more even distribution.

The fancy term for scattering the seed is “broadcasting” it. The pros broadcast half their seed from one side of the bed to the other, say northto-south, then they broadcast the other half between the opposite sides, say east-to-west.

Press the seed into the soil by walking over it. If you have a garden roller, feel free. Wildflower seeds flourish near the surface, so here’s the scientific measurement: 1/16th of an inch of soil cover is about right. If some seeds are visible, that’s okay.

Those lush wildflower displays in magazine photos take 2-3 years of loving kindness to achieve with cooperation from Mother Nature.

Drought, excessive rain like we had last winter, and hail are problems so horticultural patience is a virtue.

Next spring the wildflower bed will need to be damp for 4-6 weeks. Get out the hose for light, frequent drinks if the weather is dry then. Once the plants are established you can cut back.

Wildflower gardening is an art, but the product is a visual reward worth the effort. A good website for Texas-friendly wildflowers is www.wildseedfarms.com. You can also visit the nursery and store in Fredericksburg 800-848-0078.

answer is no, so be generous.

Over time the amendments will break up the clay, and prevent water run-off. Oppositely it will tighten up sand and hold water that would otherwise drop like a wet rock into the subsoil which is too deep for plant roots to access. Remember, plants park their “feeder roots” in the upper 3-6 inches of soil so that’s the stuff you want to doctor.

Wildflower pros recommend light tilling or even just raking the top 1 inch of soil. Local conservationists theorize that 6 inches of damp top soil shouldn’t need another drink for 7 days in mid-summer. The underlying assumption is that the soil contains lots of compost and has leafy cover against evaporation.

Many wildflower seeds are teenyContact Noelle Hood at tiny so mix them in a “carrier” noellemhood@gmail.com medium like perlite, vermiculite or commercial potting soil. Some specialists use masonry sand. The ratio should be about 4:1 carrier-to-seed.

September 2015

Wet Autumn Predicted

By Meteorologist Brad Barton

Our weather finally got hot and dry during August. Fortunately, our record rains during the spring months limited damage to crops, landscapes and lake recreation.

Our hottest stretch at Denton’s Enterprise Airport ran from August 5-11 with high temperatures ranging from 101 to 104. Our hot streak was ended by a welcome cool-snap that left us with low temperatures in the 60’s at mid-month.

Rainfall was nearly non-existent, but not that unusual for August. We had trace amounts on the 14 and 20, and a full tenth of an inch on August 19. Total rainfall for August was only .12” which was over an inch below normal.

Our average high of 97 and average low of 74, gave us an average monthly temperature of 85.5 degrees, which was more than a degree warmer than normal for August.

Our mid-range forecasts for the fall months are far more interesting, thanks to continued strengthening

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

of the developing El Nino in the Pacific. Sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific are running about 1.5 degrees warmer than normal, which puts the El Nino in the moderate to strong category.

No guarantees, but moderately strong El Ninos generally produce more frequent storm systems, which ride the sub-tropical jet stream toward the California coast. Unlike the polar jet stream, the more southern, subtropical jet stream carries Pacific moisture and slower, maritime storm systems that come across Mexico, California and the southwestern states into Texas.

Heavy, frequent rain storms could produce storm damage along the Pacific coast but also alleviate 3-5 years of drought in the western states, especially the Imperial Valley.

California agriculture depends heavily on accumulated snowfall in the Sierras, which melts, feeding rivers and viaducts.

Indirectly, the forecast rains could help improve production and lower prices for food products, including fresh produce, poultry and cattle. And directly, an active sub-tropical jet stream should produce more frequent rain storms in Texas, as well.

Accordingly, the Climate Prediction

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Center outlook for September, October and November, indicates cooler and wetter than normal weather for most of Texas. Don’t expect much change in September, though. It’s likely the onset of heavier rains will hold off

Page B17

until the end of September, or even early October.

Brad Barton is Chief Meteorologist of WBAP 820AM/570KLIF/99.5 The Wolf

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Cabin

Continued from Page B1

he and Town Manager Jimmy Stathatos have had many conversations with developer Curtis Grant, who owns the land the cabin sets on.

The 4.33-acre parcel of land situated at the southeast corner of Quail Run and Flower Mound roads could eventually be home to 12 homes, as Grant intends. But it’s also “home” to a log cabin dating back to the 1860s. The cabin was discovered inside the walls of a house currently standing, facing Flower Mound Road.

William Gibson patented the property at this site in 1854 and appears to have been the builder and original occupant of this cabin when it was constructed about 1860. William Gibson’s parents, William Gibson Sr. and Margaret Armstrong moved from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1796-97 after the birth of their first son, Jesse. James Gibson was born in 1797 and William Gibson in 1801, both in Tennessee.

William married Rebecca A. Wallis in the 1820s. William, his two brothers, along with several other extended family members migrated to Township No. 53 in Platte County Missouri in the 1830s.

William and Rebecca had 10 known children. Four were born in Tennessee, five in Missouri and one in Texas.

The call for settlers to Texas reached Missouri shortly after the Texas Revolution. Sam Houston and the Republic of Texas had cleared the way

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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See the Cabin: Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon 4801 Quail Run in Flower Mound Read more at www.crosstimbersgazette.com for the settlement of North Texas with the signing of treaties with nine tribes of waring Indians at Bird’s Fort in 1843, six miles south of Flower Mound.

In May of 1844, sixteen families from Platte County, Missouri loaded their wagons to brave a move to the wilds of North Texas. Most were related by blood or marriage. William Gibson, was among this group of early pioneers, as were James Gibson, Jesse Gibson, John Hallford, James Hallford, Owen Medlin, Hall Medlin and others. They brought their families, their dogs, their guns and their Baptist religion with them.

The Missouri Colony stayed in the Hallford Prairie area for several months before expanding into unsettled areas of southern Denton County and northern Tarrant County. Many settled in western Flower Mound, where William Gibson built what we now call the Long Prairie Homestead Cabin.

In 1845, James Gibson and John Hallford headed back to Missouri to convince other relatives to return with them to this new land of opportunity.

Between May and September of 1845,

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several related families sold their holdings in Missouri in preparation for the trip to Texas.

Twelve ox carts of Missouri Colonists were ferried over the Red River on November 1, 1845, with this second wave of migration. In addition to the families mentioned above, families of Fosters, Allens, Eads, Larkins, Bakers and Andersons came in the second migration.

Pearl O’Donnell Foster in her book, Trek to Texas, 1770-1870, describes life on the trail for these pioneers: “They traveled through the wilderness with few trails, fording the creeks and rivers at their most narrow or low points by oxen and covered wagons, ‘prairie schooners.’ The oxen traveled more slowly than the horses or mules, but were much more rugged and able to take day after day and even months of almost daily travel.”

Foster describes the trip of the 1845 Missouri Colony migration from Bonham to the Three Forks of the Trinity River: “In the Cross Timbers were droves of wild turkey, buffalo, deer, antelope and wild horses. Panthers and wolves lurked in hidden places, and they were constantly alert for small bands of marauding Indians. Game of all kinds, honey and wild grapes were plentiful.

This was indeed a wild but lush and

Page B18

enchanting land.”

John A. Freeman came with the second migration of the Missouri Colonists and was brought because he was a licensed Baptist preacher. In those days, a preacher had to carry a bible in one hand and a rifle in the other; he had to be prepared to fight the devil or fight Indians at any moment.

Freeman wrote his version of the trip in 1845. He crossed the Red River into Texas just north of Bonham on November 1st. They took a direct route to the Three Forks of the Trinity River and passed a company of Rangers stationed on the East Fork of the Trinity. The Rangers were dressed in buckskins and some wore coon-skin caps. Many spent their time drinking bad whiskey and playing cards, in between chasing marauding Indians.

Ed F. Bates writes of the Missouri Colonists in History and Reminiscences of Denton County, first printed in 1918.

“They were a peculiar people in some respects. They had but little property among them, and yet they were well enough to do. All seemed to be on an equality, and the sole object in living was to do all they could for the comfort and satisfaction of one another, and to make their way to a better world than this.”

Our earliest settlers left us a proud history and strong heritage. They suffered severe hardships, fought savage Indians, and built homes, churches and schools in a wilderness we now call Flower Mound.

We should remember their sacrifice and celebrate the lives they led.

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Businesses host benefit for homeless teen haven

Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

to Kyle’s Place, a local division of JTD. Bondar said the idea for the fundraiser started with Pat Kipp, owner of D&D Collectibles. She got the four ladies together and they decided to help raise money for local charities.

In spring, donations went to Denton County Friends of the Family, to provide

By Sarah Bays, Community Editor

The care of a community can really be a force that fosters an enriched experience for residents.

It’s the whole, “It takes a village,” mantra, and four southern Denton County business women are picking up that torch.

D&D Collectibles, Extravaganza, Celebrations & Invitations and Carol’s Cards & Gifts are together hosting The Power of Four. The event, on September 18-19, benefits Journey to Dream, a charity that Extravaganza owner Dana Bondar said you can’t put a price tag on.

“It’s a really, awesome, awesome charity,” she said.

Journey to Dream helps homeless teens in the area. More information can be found at www.journeytodream.com.

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Page B19

services to those impacted by relationship violence and sexual assault. In fall, they are hosting a kids’ book drive benefiting Title I schools. Future charities the ladies hope to work with include The Cure Starts Now and the Humane Society.

See BENEFIT Page B20

Photo courtesy of JaLynn West

The Power of Four: Pat Kipp, Kathy BromagenHodges, Carol Humphries, and Dana Bondar

“I had no idea that we had homeless teens in Flower Mound or Highland Village,” Bondar said.

The Power of Four event will raise money by donating 10 percent of all sales

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September 2015

New Gardening Group Blooms In Flower Mound

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

The Flower Mound Garden Club was organized in July, and it has 11 members. The group has been founded to help dig up the gardening needs of all residents, whether they live in

By Sarah Bays, Community Editor a home, condo, townhouse or apartFlower Mound has a new club to ment. cull the ranks of residents with green Each month the club will meet and thumbs, or those who hope to grow learn a practical approach to improvone.

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Page B20

come involved.

Another speaker will be there to show how to use succulent plants inside and outside.

And at 7 p.m. on October 6 at the Flower Mound Public Library, Brickman Landscaping will share how to prepare yards for winter.

The garden club is awaiting full accreditation from the Texas Bob Thompson, Jane Thompson, Perri Lawrence and Linda Krimm Garden Clubs and the National Garden Clubs. ing the local environment. Everyone The group hopes to prois welcome to attend. vide smaller meetings for those who On September 15, the gardening have specific interests like teaching group will hold its first official meet- students about gardening, helping seing at 6:30 p.m. at the Bridlewood Ac- niors garden and photographing nativity Center. Linda Krimm, District II ture. director for Texas Garden Clubs, will For more information, email be there to welcome the new group flowermoundgardenclub@gmail.com and share some opportunities to be-

Benefit

Continued from Page B19

All four boutiques sell gift items, but have their own specialties. The shops are normally in competition, but not this time.

“It also helps our community,” Bondar said. “It’s the small businesses that do this kind of stuff.

As for criteria, the four want the charities they raise funds for to work with the immediate community. They also what to help out those who normally contribute to charities get something out of it.

So you buy a candle or a set of notecards, and 10 percent of the cost goes to Kyle’s House.

“That’s what we’re passionate about,” Bondar said.

D&D Collectibles - 1301 FM 407 #212, Lewisville Extravaganza - Highlands Ranch Shopping Center, 6100 Long Prairie Road #700, Flower Mound Celebrations & Invitations - 3415 Long Prairie Road, Flower Mound Carol’s Cards & Gifts - 5801 Long Prairie Road, Flower Mound

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September 2015

FM Police

Continued from Page B9

A 35-year-old man was arrested on August 15 in the 1100 block of Flower Mound Road and charged with forgery or alteration of a prescription. He is being held on $1,500 bond.

Late that night, a 38-year-old woman was arrested and charged with assault that causes bodily injury. It happened in the 2300 block of Condor Street. The woman was later released from the DCSO on $3,500 bond.

Also, a man reported that night that someone had stolen his tan 2003 Ford Ranger, worth about $2,000. The truck was parked in the 1600 block of Harvest Glen Drive. The truck was later found.

On August 17, a man reported that sometime between 9 p.m. on August 16 and 12:30 a.m. on August 17, someone broke into his house and stole his blue pit bull. The dog was estimated to be worth $599. It happened in the 4200 block of Gayle Court. Police have identified a suspect in this dognapping.

On August 11, a man reported that a custom piece of gold jewelry in the shape of a cross had been stolen from him at in the 7700 block of Emerson Lane. The cross is valued at $10,000.

On August 17 a 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information. It happened in the 2900 block of Hamlett Lane. He was arraigned and released on $2,500 bond.

That evening, a home in the 4600 block of Shiloh Road was broken into and a cell phone worth $149 and $165 in cash were reported stolen.

Later, a building on a construction site owned

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

by American Legend Homes, in the 1700 block of Milford Drive, was reportedly broken into sometime since August 15. Two unidentified items were reported stolen, both were listed to be worth $3,000 in total.

That morning, a report was made that a TechShield worth $1,000 had been stolen from the same site.

-

Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

Jolene Cuevas, 30, and Lamar Wayne Benton, 38, were apprehended by police after they and two others broke into the Belk store on FM 2499 and stole a variety of goods. Three males and one female came out of the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front entrance just as an officer pulled up to the front of the store and turned on his cruiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lights. The officer yelled at the group to get on the ground, but only Benton complied and was

Page B21

arrested. The others jumped into two vehicles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a Ford Mustang and a Kia Sportage SUV â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and fled the scene southbound on FM 2499.

Cuevas, who was driving the SUV, crashed at FM 2499 and W. Windsor Drive. A massive amount of property was recovered and cataloged by police. The other two suspects remain at large.

A 46-year-old man was arrested in the 6400 block of Cross Timbers Road on the evening of August 18. He was charged with DWI with a child under 15 years old in the vehicle. He was arraigned and released on $3,500 bond, but under the condition that he use an interlocking device for his vehicle.

On August 20, a woman reported that sometime early that morning, a black iPad 2 worth $400 had been stolen from her car which was parked near the 2200 block of Dana Drive.

A woman reported that on the morning of August 21, someone stole several items from her home in the 2200 block of Lake Lugano Drive. Items taken include: three Ryobi 18 V tools, a Husky air tool, another tool, a Dewalt charger and other unidentified items. They also allegedly took another Husky tool, a Motorola radio visor, ammunition and an item labeled â&#x20AC;&#x153;police force.â&#x20AC;?

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Early the next day, a man reported that items from his home in the 4800 block of Harbor Drive were stolen. Items allegedly taken include $2,565 worth of tools and other unidentified items.

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A 44-year-old woman was arrested on August 22 in the 5300 block of Weathervane Lane and charged with family violence/assault.

Two Dallas residents were arrested early on the morning of August 28 for the burglary of a Flower Mound department store. Jessica

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THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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The business we are honoring has taken the fast lane to getting involved in the Flower Mound Chamber. While having only been a member since the middle of last year, this group has come in with guns blazing. They are a familiar present smile at LEADS and might we say, has brought as many door prizes to events as some of us ever bring, there is just a willingness to serve and she provides a bright spot in the room when they enter.

We are so excited to see Guiding Compass Counseling come into an adjoining community ready to become the bond between all the areas that touched their doorstep. They have been committed to “Serve” the in whatever capacity might be needed. They are in the business to guide and counsel and to help make people’s lives stronger.

Please join us in a big thank you and congratulations to our Business of the Month for July 2015... Dr. Julie Ballenger and Dr. David Huffman of Guiding Compass Counseling.

August Business of the Month Texas Lonestar Staffing

Page B22

When you look to see who is leading, what qualities do you see in that person? Is it that they motivate the people around them, or that they make those that serve beside them feel as though the job couldn’t possibly be done without their help?

Maybe it is that their attitude is so infectious that it makes the task at hand seem easy and the time spent together really more fun than work. A leader brings all of those qualities to the table, and certainly this leader is no exception to that.

Our “Leader” is one of those quiet individuals that carries has a mischievous grin, but yet is always serving, working tirelessly and winning at whatever they do.

This business that we are about to reward for partnering so diligently is involved at every turn. The company is a small company growing through relationships and consistency. They are a picture perfect example of how to be an effective chamber member. Putting hands to the chores and words of encouragement to other members both new and long term, as well as sponsoring the things that are in his budget. If you listen when next to this guy, you will see why those of us who have gotten to know him, love him. He is funny, hardworking and always positive. When the “we need help” cry goes out, you know he will be in the mix to say, “I can do that”.

Please join us today as we honor Nate Prevost for all of his hard work, and congratulations to Texas Lonestar Staffing for being our Business of the Month for August 2015!

Welcome New Members!

Amber Michelle Salon *EastGroup Properties Legacy Lace Wigs, LLC Mackey Attack Fitness Tempus Transportation, LLC Allstate/The Gorrill Family Agency Flower Mound Endodontics Luna Grill Medical Massage Rx Premier National Lending * Major Investors Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce, 972-539-0500, www.flowermoundchamber.com

Got News? Let Us Know!

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September 2015

Detective

Continued from Page B6

stream. Manning said Breeze didn’t know which direction to turn in first.

“So Breeze goes down into the creek and it was so thick and the bank was high,” Manning said. “So she does go up the bank once, but then she’s like, ‘No, I’ll go back down.’ It was treacherous, I mean it was horrible.

“If the dog was up [there] the scent rolls down and gets sucked in like there’s only one way that it can go down the creek. We can’t figure it out so ... we took her multiple places and we couldn’t figure it out so I said, ‘Take me to that creek again.’

“So I’m just walking her down the road and boom, she went into somebody’s back yard. There was an alley in back, and then [the scent trail] went into the next street over and we were in a driveway as a lady pulls up in her car.”

After showing the photo of the dog, the driver said she’d seen him several days before. But, the lead took them down to an area with a lot of pit bulls.

“It was so hot and Breeze was getting worn out,” Manning said of their Waco workday, which continued into the evening.

“I try not to give them [owners] too much hope, but I want them to know they might not be looking in the right place,” she said. “Your dog may have gone further than you think, or not as far, or whatever.

Most of the time when we get going on a trail people are like, ‘Wow, we didn’t even know this place existed.’”

After narrowing down the search to a four-street square, Manning and Breeze headed back to Argyle. The golden was about four miles from his home when his family found him.

“The next day they [the owners] sent me that picture,” she said, holding up the photo of the Golden with an IV in his leg, said Manning. “They found him; he was in their neighborhood ... wandering. [The Golden Retriever] was in a big old, rough neighborhood hanging out with the pit

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

bulls. He was dehydrated to the max.”

Comparing a photograph of the reddishgolden dog showed just how many bowls of water he had missed while “on the lam.”

His paw pads were also scabbing after being severely injured on his trek.

The Fourth of July tends to be a busy time for Dog-Gone Detectives, sometimes because people take their dogs to the fireworks. Oftentimes, dogs are lost when being watched by others, or otherwise out of their “home” environment. Such was the case with a Roanoke family whose dog got out on the holiday after a neighbor was shooting off fireworks.

Manning explained that it was getting dark when she and Breeze started tracking this dog. It’s important to wait until the weather is cooler, which is when the scent falls lower to the ground. When they arrived at the neighborhood, fireworks were going off everywhere.

Breeze seemed confused, having stopped her scent-tracking in the middle of a pasture.

“This is weird,’” thought Manning.

“Then I realized, all the fireworks had all that stuff [sulfur] going in the air. She totally lost it [the scent].”

The next morning, Manning got a call from the missing dog’s family. He was spotted going through the pasture and down the road and was picked up in the area thanks to signs they posted after Manning and Breeze tracked the lost dog to a certain neighborhood.

These days, Manning, who recently moved to Argyle from Ponder, gets three or four cases per week. Business tends to pick up around holidays and during the summer, when families vacation. She often gets calls from boarding facilities and veterinarians, and sometimes people out of the country calling to ask her to go out and search for their pet.

For a local case, Manning charges $400 to search. There is an additional charge for out-of-town cases. She doesn’t get a lot of calls from the Argyle area.

She is one of only two pet detectives in the state of Texas. The other is a friend in Grapevine named Bonnie Hall, who

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

searches for lost cats. The two women pass along cases that are better suited for each other’s dog.

During their down time, Manning tends to 14 horses, 8 dogs, 7 ducks and a rabbit on their farm.

There’s even a “dog run” on site for the canines, including the yellow Lab working girl, who clearly loves to play and loves to work.

A quick trip to Manning’s SUV to

Page B23

get something nearly sent Breeze into a tailspin, thinking they were going on a hunt. But then the car door shut and Lab “crying” ensued.

“C’mon Breezy girl,” Manning called out to her dog, who trotted over to her “mom” and all was right again in dog world.

For more information, visit: www. doggonedetectives.com or on Facebook or phone: 972-989-2537.

September 2015

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Page B24

ARGYLE: September 26 - Southern Nights Auction Gala featuring Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson from 6-9pm at Liberty Christian School, 1301 South Hwy 377. 940-294-2000 October 17 - Country Lakes Community Garage Sale from 8am-3pm at 199 Country Lakes Blvd.

October 17 - Fall Festival from 10am–2pm at New Hope Assisted Equine Therapy, 6151 FM 1830. Horse rides, paint a pony, horse & rider parade, petting zoo, hay rides, cake walk, live music, food and drinks available. 817-7295315 and www.newhopeequine.com BARTONVILLE: September 9 - Greater FM 407 Lions Club meeting from 6:30–7:30pm at Bartonville Town Hall, 1941 Jeter Road East. www. fm407lionsclub.org

Homestead cabin from 9am-12pm at 4801 Quail Run. www.theflowermound.com

September 22 - Greater FM 407 Lions Club meeting from 6:30–7:30pm at Bartonville Town Hall, 1941 Jeter Road East. www. fm407lionsclub.org

September 12 - NFL Punt, Pass, Kick for boys and girls between the ages of 6 -15 from 10am-2pm at Gerault Park, 1200 Gerault Rd. 972-874-6300

September 26 - 9th Annual Kids Fishing Event from 11 a.m.—2 p.m. at Bartonville Town Center. Bait will be provided. 940-241-3200

September 12 - Flower Mound Girl Scout Service Unit 407 Back to Scouting Recruitment Rally from 2:30-3:30pm at Fire Station #3, 2020 Woodhill Drive. 800-442-2260 or www. gsnetx.org

October 6 - National Night Out from 6-8pm at Bartonville Town Center. Meet police, fire and sheriff’s deputies. Free fingerprinting for children. Hot dogs, a bounce house, and pony rides. 940-241-3200 COPPER CANYON: September 26 - Denton County Antique Tractor, Farm Equipment and Primitives Club’s annual fall meeting and picnic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 640 East Jernigan Rd. www.Texasplowboys. com DOUBLE OAK: September 15 - Double Oak Women’s Club new membership year kick-off meeting at 7 p.m. at Double Oak Town Hall. www. doubleoakwomensclub.com

September 15 - Flower Mound Garden Club meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Bridlewood Homeowners Association office, 5000 Par Dr. Topic: Succulent plants inside and outside.

Each person who participates will go home with their own planter. $12 covers materials.

Register at bjjathompson@verizon.net with your name and address.

September 19 - CoServ Charitable Foundation Open Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project at Bridlewood Golf Club. 940-321-7800, ext.

7540

FLOWER MOUND: September 8 – Kick-off meeting and Poker Run at 6:30pm at Bridlewood Golf Club, 4000 Windsor Drive hosted by The Women of Flower Mound www.womenofflowermound.org

September 26 - Keep Flower Mound Beautiful Fall Trash Bash & Environmental Health Fair at 8:30am in the Home Depot parking lot. Town clean up, free document shredding, electronic waste collection, Christian Community Action donations accepted, blood drive, environmental exhibits, food, children’s activities. www.kfmb. org

September 12 - Tour the historic Long Prairie

September 26 - Marquette Dance Camp from

9–11:30 a.m. at Marcus High School, 5707 Morriss Road. For children 4 years old (before Sept. 1, 2015) through eighth grade. $30 if registered online before Sept. 18 or $35 after Sept. 18th or at the door. www.marcusdrillteam. com September 26 - Indian Classical Music Concert at 1pm at the Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Lane. Concert featuring area high school student musicians and Flower Mound composer Srini Prabhala. 972-8746165 or fmpl@flower-mound.com September 26 - Steaks and Stetsons 2015 for Special Olympics Texas athletes from 7pm12am at Circle R Ranch. Steak dinner, live entertainment, silent and live auctions, and dancing. $150 for individual tickets, $1,200 for reserved table for 8. Call 817-332-3433.

September 30 - Dig Deep into Databases at 7pm at the Flower Mound Public Library.

Discover useful resources for career and business research, test preparation, learning a language, homework help and other research topics. Register at 972-874-6165 or fmpl@ flower-mound.com.

October 3 - Fall Garden Fest at 9am-3pm at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 6101 Morriss Rd. hosted

by Denton County Master Gardeners. 940349-2883 October 3 - 3rd Annual Flower Mound Rotary Fest and Neon Night 5K from 2-9 p.m. at Heritage Park. 972-661-2000 or www.

fmrotaryfest.com October 6 - Neighborhoods that organize National Night Out Block Parties from 6 p.m.– 9:30 p.m. will be eligible to compete for the annual Flower Mound Neighborhood of the Year award. Register by Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. at 972-874-3357.

October 10, 17, 24, 31 - Grief Education and Support Group, facilitated by Rev. Katherine Godby, PH.D., of Elysian Hospice 1:00-2:15, p.m. at Hollymead Transitional Care Facility, 4101 Long Prairie Rd. Free to public. Register at 57recep@cantexcc.com or 214-285-3200.

HIGHLAND VILLAGE: September 14 - Denton County Transportation Authority Open House from 6–7 p.m. at Highland Village City Council Chambers, 1000 Highland Village Rd. Give input on commuter bus and rail service. www.dcta.net September 17-20 - “But Why Bump Off Barnaby?” at 7:30pm at Studio B Performing Arts Center, 1 Nelson Pkwy. 972-966-2787 September 18-20 - Studio B presents “But Why Bump off Barnaby?” Tickets: $25. www. studiobtheater.com October 1 – Sip, Shop & Serve from 6:30–9pm at The Shops at Highland Village. Tickets: $10. Exclusive discounts, giveaways, live entertainment, appetizers, commemorative wine glass, complementary wine tasting, goodie-filled shopping bag. Proceeds go to Communities In Schools of North Texas. www.

September 2015

Calendar

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Page B25

www.LantanaLadiesLeague.com

Continued from B24 theshopsathighlandvillage.com LANTANA: September 8 – Argyle Chamber of Commerce Taste for Good from 6 to 9:30pm at Lantana Golf Club benefiting local non-profits. Tickets $30 each. 940-464-9990 September 15 - Lantana Ladies League Fiesta for the Cure at 7 p.m. at Lantana Golf Club.

DENTON COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

September 19 - Run Lantana 5K at 7:30am benefiting SpiritHorse Therapeutic Center at Blanton Elementary School. 5K run and walk, children’s activities. 940-728-1660 September 26 - Lantana Community Garage Sale from 8am-3pm. 940-728-1660 October 3 - 10th Annual Lantana Rally for the Cure Golf Tournament at Lantana Golf

See CALENDAR Page B26

Open House

DCTA welcomes you to be a part of the conversation.

Attend one of our open house meetings to learn more about DCTA’s plan for the future.

Monday, September 14, 2015 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Highland Village City Council Chambers 1000 Highland Village Road

Tuesday, September 15, 2015 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Lewisville Community Room 1197 West Main Street

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Eulene Brock Downtown Denton Transit Center Community Room 604 East Hickory Street

Please visit RideDCTA.net and join the conversation on My Sidewalk or take our Comprehensive Operational Analysis survey to share your thoughts.

Everyone is welcome to attend the public meetings. Persons with hearing or sight interpretive service needs are asked to contact DCTA at least five (5) business days in advance of the specific meeting at 940.243.0077 or via email at dctainfo@dcta.net so that DCTA can accommodate requests.

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September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Calendar

Lewisville. Texas Hold ‘em tournament, raffle prizes, 50/50 Drawings. Tickets $25. 940-4640985

Lewisville Community Room, 1197 West Main Street. Give input on commuter bus and rail service. www.dcta.net

Club. Features a 4-person scramble golf tournament, a Taste of Lantana lunch featuring area restaurants, and a helicopter ball drop.

940-728-4653

September 12 - Texas Wine Tribute at 6:30pm at Grand Gallery, 636 S. Main St., Grapevine.

Black tie gala celebrates selected Texas wines. Benefits the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Foundation and Metroport Meals on Wheels. Tickets are $125 per person. Advance purchase is required. www.grapevinetexasusa. com

September 17 - Evenings on Oak Street Concert Series presents Whitehouse Harmony from 7-8 p.m. at Austin Street Plaza, 221 N. Oak Street, Roanoke. Free. 817-491-2411

Continued from B25

NEARBY AREAS: September 5-6 - 51st Annual Labor Day Rodeo at Lewisville Saddle Club Arena, 101 Parkway Dr., Lewisville. www.lewisvillesaddleclub.com

September 12 - The Fork and Pencil - An Evening for Education benefiting the students and teachers of LISD at 6:30pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Lewisville. Tickets $130 per couple, $75 per person. Tables of 10 are available. 469-948-2022

September 11 - GrapeFest Golf Classic at 12pm at Grapevine Golf Course, 3800 Fairway Dr. Driving range access, lunch, drawings and prize awards, a gift bag, along with a wine and craft brew reception following the tournament for each player and a guest. All proceeds benefit Grapevine Golf Association scholarships for students. www.grapevinetexasusa.com

September 13 - Lights of Hope DFW bringing awareness to drug and alcohol addiction from 4-6pm at Running Bear Park, 2601 S. Story Road, Irving. Speakers, educational information and balloon release. Free event hosted by Winning The Fight. 972-467-7704 or 254-563-1512

September 12 - 16th Annual Arts, Antiques and Autos Extravaganza from 9 am-3 pm in Historic Downtown Denton, 110 W. Hickory. Cars/ trucks/motorcycles, live music, arts & crafts, antique appraisals, kids’ zone, food, chalk fest contest, silent auction. Free Admission. www.

DentonMainStreet.org

September 14 - Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton County 20th Annual Golf Tournament at 1pm at Trophy Club Golf Club 972-538-9620 or matt@cacdc.org

September 12 - 12th annual GrapeFest ItalianCarFest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Nash Farm, 626 Ball St. www.grapevinetexasusa. com

September 15 - 13th Annual Edward Jones Miniature Golf Tournament benefiting North Central Texas College at 5:30 p.m. at Zone Action Park in Lewisville. 940-668-4324

September 12 - Charity Event for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society & Ranch Hand Rescue from 5-11pm at Elke’s Beer House, 165 W. Main St.

September 15 - Denton County Transportation Authority Open House from 6–7 p.m. at

September 17-20 - 29th Annual GrapeFest in Historic Downtown Grapevine. Wine Festival featuring more than 160 Texas varietals from 46 Texas wineries, live music, grape stomp, children’s activities and car show. 817-4103185 September 18 - Lewisville Lake Symphony Concert, featuring Christopher Lowry, viola, 2015 winner of the International Competition for Strings, at 7:30pm at MCL Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles St, Old Town Lewisville. Tickets $25 adult, $20 senior, $10 student. www. lewisvillesymphony.org. 972-874-9087 September 19 - Robson Ranch HOA Business Expo from 12-3pm at Robson Ranch Clubhouse. 940-246-1002 September 25-26 - Lewisville Western Days in Old Town Lewisville featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and Wade Bowen and 11th annual World Tamale Eating Championship. www. lewisvillewesterndays.com September 26 - Band of Gold Golf Tournament and Gala in Memory of Sydney Reece Bjornberg at 9 a.m. at Coyote Ridge Golf Club, 1640 West Hebron Parkway, Carrollton.

All proceeds benefit The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 972-333-0344

It’s Big. Texas Big. Plan your trip at

Page B26

September 26 - Denton County Walk to End Alzheimer’s at 9:30am at South Lakes Park, Denton. Registration at 7:30am. act.alz.org/ dentonwalk September 26 - Sydney’s Band of Gold Gala from 6-11:30pm at the Grapevine Courtyard Marriott, 2200 Bass Pro Court, Grapevine. $100 per ticket. www.sydneysbandofgold.com September 27 - Trim Hunger National Hunger Awareness Campaign from 4-10pm at Salon Professional Academy, 2440 B. S. Stemmons Freeway in Lewisville. Help break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people cutting hair at the same time. Proceeds donated to Christian Community Action. 214222-2436.

September 29 - Give Hope Golf Classic from 11am–6pm at Tribute Golf Club, 1000 Lebanon Road, The Colony. Raises funds and awareness for children around the world served by Dillon International’s adoption and humanitarian aid programs. Dinner only, $45; individual golfer, $250; foursome, $800; sponsorships available. www.encompassgiveshope.org October 2-4 - 14th Annual Southlake Oktoberfest at Southlake Town Square.

Handcrafted arts and crafts booths, food and live entertainment, children’s area, wiener dog race. Free event. www.oktoberfestsouthlake. com Submit your event to news@crosstimbersgazette.com

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September 2015

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Go green at environmental fair and community cleanup

document shredding. Christian Community Actions will be collecting clothing, housewares and food for their pantry. Carter Blood care will host a blood drive.

Additionally, the second annual faceoff between the Flower Mound Fire Department and the Flower Mound Police Department will have members trotting through an obstacle course designed by a personal trainer.

Last year, the FMFD took the win and a large trophy for its efforts. Police will also be out doing child seat safety checks.

By Sarah Bays, Community Editor

Collecting trash may not be your ideal way to spend a weekend, but in Flower Mound, that’s exactly what volunteers will be doing this month to help keep the town clean.

On September 26, Keep Flower Mound Beautiful is holding its annual Fall Trash Bash & Environmental Health Fair. Volunteers will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Home Depot parking lot, where they will be outfitted with bags, gloves and other tools for picking up trash.

This year, targeted cleanup areas include parks, trails, creeks and roadways. The pickers will bring back their findings to dispose of.

Lunch is served and door prizes will be doled out.

An environmental information showcase will also be set up.

“This fall we’re hoping that we’ll be able to pick up a lot of trash from the flooding that happened at Murrell Park,” said Marilyn Lawson, chairman of the KFMB board.

“Not only is it cleaning up our town, it’s teaching kids hopefully not to litter. I have had people at Murrell Park picking up dirty diapers and the kids will go ‘Ewe.’ We’re hoping to teach them not to do that, and tell their parents not to do that.”

The event is being held in conjunction with National Public Lands Day. Volunteers can register online through kfmb.org.

Page B27

A health fair happening at the event is intended to help promote environmentally friendly health-related practices, like eating organic food. The Town of Flower Mound will be on hand also to provide information about trees and water conservation. Other nonprofits are also expected, Lawson said.

Last year, those included the Backyard Chicken Collaborative, Camp Gladiator, Cross Timbers Bee Keepers and the Flower Mound Humane society among a couple dozen others.

Best Buy will be collecting electronic waste from Flower Mound residents, and Shred-It will be on hand to provide free

Got News? Let Us Know!

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September 2015

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You only live once - We'll show you where

The Shops at Lakeside

Stop by Our Property Shop at 2451 Lakeside Parkway

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Fill You In

Open House Saturday 10 - 6 Sunday 1 - 5 Weekdays by Appointment

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Inside This Section September 2015

www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

C Page C1

Flower Mound Couple Hosts Exchange Students

A Great Fit for Football

By Stephen English, Contributing Writerr

By John English, Contributing Writer

Foreign exchange students Claudia Ceddia (left) and Linde de Koning (right) with host Sue Warriner and grandson, Brayden Sanders.

Marcus senior Kaden Smith is the top tight end in Texas and hopes to help the Marauders make the playoffs this season.

Claudia Ceddia sounds amazingly well adjusted for someone who arrived in the United States a month ago and just finished her first day at Flower Mound High School, where people don’t speak her native Italian as a rule.

When she left Italy on Aug. 1, the 17-year-old exchange student was

Being a first team all-district selection or making the Rivals Top 100 list might make a football player develop a bit of an ego.

But it is precisely the fact that it has not affected Kaden Smith’s attitude that makes Marcus High School coach Gerry Stanford say that Smith is a special athlete.

sure she knew one thing about Texas -- it’s big.

“Italians also have the stereotype that the people in Texas are cowboys or cowgirls,” she added, laughing.

“My friend told me that when I come home, I will be a cowgirl.”

See EXCHANGE Page C10

The Marauders’ tight end led Marcus in receiving yards last season and has committed to Stanford University to play football next school year.

Coach Stanford said that Smith will definitely be missed and said his See SMITH Page C13

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September 2015

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Dear Argyle ISD Community, As I watch the ever popular hot air balloon festival and see the majestic balloons rise, I think of the Argyle Eagles that graduate each year and soar higher and higher.

AISD endeavors to produce lifelong learners who can be successful in a global economy. As Dr. Telena Wright William Haley stated, “Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it.”

Each August brings the wide-eyed excitement of a pre-kindergartener to the entire school community.

All children come to school eager to learn, and educators in our district are committed to making sure that the learning environment allows them to continue to be enthusiastic seekers of knowledge.

This school year is especially exciting for Argyle ISD as the athletic upgrades from the May 2014 bond approved by voters are nearing completion, and the district is experiencing growth from several housing developments. As the 2015-2016 school year begins, staff embraces the challenges inherent in educating students. The staff is motivated, excited, hardworking, and dedicated to serving students with compassion, understanding, and encouragement. Learning takes place in the convergence of interested students and dedicated teachers and coaches. This year is going to be a very productive, very engaging year for all as we face new adventures in learning.

Teachers recognize that every student has unique characteristics and that instruction must be differentiated to meet their needs. Teachers are role models for students, both at school and away from school.

Dear Denton ISD Community, Welcome to the new school year and the start of another great year for our students.

I’m sure all of you were either anxious or ecstatic for the first day of school. As a former teacher, I can tell you our educators have that exact same feeling before that first Dr. Jamie Wilson bell rings and we welcome students into our classrooms.

I had the pleasure of visiting each one of our 38 campuses – yes, 38! – during the first couple days of school and can tell you that our teachers and staff are no different. Our teachers were both anxious and excited to start the new school year, and those emotions turned to joy once students began streaming into our buildings.

Smiles, hugs, high fives and fist bumps became the norm as students, teachers and staff became reacquainted with each other after the summer break. The first few days of school are typically my favorite of the year because you feel the energy from everyone excited to be back with their friends and colleagues, eager for whatever challenges lie ahead during the coming year.

Every student – from the wide-eyed 4-year-old joining a Pre-K classroom for the first time to the seniors attending school on their last first day – is expecting to have a great year filled with triumphs and accomplishments. I am confident they will meet or exceed these expectations because our staff has professionally prepared themselves to help them get there and, more importantly, wants each of them to succeed.

I am reaffirmed of that belief every time I walk through the front door of my home because like you, I am a parent in our district. And like you, I want the best for my child. Seeing how much she has grown the past few years and how prepared she is for the next step

Dear Lewisville ISD Community, As the new school year begins, I am excited about the many opportunities we have to make a difference in the lives and futures of our 53,000 students in LISD. Our district is known for our incredible staff and their commitment to students. Like every year, I Dr Kevin Rogers have the opportunity to welcome Kindergartners on their first day of school and then months later, shake the hands of our amazing 2016 graduates as they receive their diplomas.

Our important work does not depend solely on the great employees that serve in LISD – the community is also crucial to our success. I believe that schools are about community. That is why I have put a focus on increasing those community partnerships – a priority for our district. Parent and community involvement plays a vital role in a child’s education. It impacts not only student achievement, but also a student’s social adjustment and confidence. One of our Core Beliefs is that “Education is the shared responsibility of the community,” and we invite our community to share their unique resources and talents to supplement student learning opportunities. There are many ways our community can partner with us: speakers bureau, community committees/panels, business partnerships, student internship programs, donations and volunteering in our campuses. Learn more about these opportunities at www.getengagedatlisd.com.

LISD is dedicated to enriching educational opportunities for our students. Our vision states, “All of our students enjoy thriving, productive lives in a future they create.” Whether participating in an engaging

See ARGYLE ISD on Page C4

See DENTON ISD on Page C7

See LEWISVILLE ISD on Page C7

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September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Argyle ISD

Continued from Page C3

In the 2015 accountability system, all campuses received the highest state rating of Met Standard. Two distinction designations were received at AIS, three at AMS, and AHS received all seven. AHS was the only school in Denton County to receive all seven.

This year all students in Grades 5-12 will have a Chromebook issued to them.

AIS and AMS students were issued Chromebooks in 2014-2015, and with the addition of HS this year, there will be approximately 1500 Chromebooks provided for students.

In May 2014 voters approved a $45 million bond to build a middle school which will open in fall 2016 and provide athletic upgrades as well as science lab upgrades at the current high school. The Ballpark at Argyle, the baseball and softball complex at AHS, was completed in time for the spring 2015 season. With the rain in the area, the complex was a popular site for playoff games for several districts. Four tennis courts were added as part of the upgrades to provide a total of eight courts for use. Lighting will complete the tennis addition. The Indoor Activity Center is nearing completion and will be ready for use by early September. The IAC will be used by both band and athletics for providing a practice venue free from extreme heat, rain, and cold.

Seating at the stadium has been ex-

Page C4

panded to seat up to 5,000 fans. The girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; field house and visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; restrooms are complete for use this season.

Choir will be available as a class at AHS and AMS this year. Also, Special Olympics will be available for students from age 8 through HS. Reserved seating for the football games will be sold for the seventh time this year. Reserved seats will be available to band, cheer, and team parents beginning this month. Tickets for the public will be available shortly thereafter. Season tickets are $60 for the five home games. Reserved parking for the five varsity home games will once again be available for a $100 donation.

AHS won the Lone Star Cup for the sixth time in 2014-2015, setting a record number of points in 4A. The Lone Star Cup represents the accumulation of the largest number of UIL points in the state in 4A. Academic team, athletics, and fine arts are all included. The presentation will be made at a home game in September. The Lone Star Cup is received by the high school, but is shows the strength of the school district from PK on as a feeder system. Hilltop, AIS, and AMS all have UIL academic teams. The MS coaches work closely with the HS coaches in every sport as do the band directors beginning in Grade 6.

Have a great school year!

Dr. Telena Wright, Superintendent Argyle Independent School District

September 2015

A New Door to Emergency Care For nearly 40 years, Medical Center of Lewisville has provided superior healthcare services to the residents of southern Denton County.

The hospital has grown with the community, adding expanded services at the main facility through the years. With the exponential growth of Flower Mound, the hospital opened the area’s first free-standing, provider-based emergency center on FM 2499 in 2009.

At any hour of the day or night, Flower Mound Emergency Center is ready for any type of emergency, from pediatric to geriatric. Just like a traditional hospital-based emergency room, FMEC is equipped to handle any medical crisis, with a trauma/ code room, two negative-pressure rooms, a complete medical laboratory, an on-site blood bank, and a wide array of sophisticated testing and imaging technologies.

Now, Medical Center of Lewisville is ready to open a new door to emergency care. Their new emergency department opens September 28th at 500 West Main Street in Lewisville.

The new construction is double the size of the existing department and

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

will have 24 private rooms, including two trauma rooms. The department also includes the first and only pediatric ER in Denton County featuring: • Separate pediatric entrance • Separate waiting room with quiet room • Six designated pediatric rooms • Pediatric trained Physicians & Nurses • Child Life Specialist Support • Limited exposure to the “rest” of the ER • Supported by a full-service inpatient Pediatric Unit • Pediatric Hospitalists available 24/7 • Partnership with Medical City Children’s Hospital for specialty services This new emergency department supports the Lewisville, Flower Mound and surrounding communities’ need for advanced healthcare.

The hospital will host a community Open House on Saturday, September 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. with several family friendly activities including a Teddy Bear ER, Xtreme Game Truck and Kona Ice. For more information, visit www.lewisvillemedical.com.

Page C5

I Got Mine!

PointBank will make a $25 donation to your school when you open a new, FREE personal checking account at PointBank!

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Opening a New Door to Emergency Care!

Our new 24-bed emergency department is opening soon and we want YOU to be one of the first to explore all of the great things it has to offer, including the FIRST and ONLY Pediatric ER in Denton County!

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September 2015

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Page C6

September 2015

Denton ISD

Continued from Page C3

after graduation, I can truly say that she has received the best that Denton ISD has to offer.

Giving our students the best that we can give is what we strive for on the first day of school and each day thereafter because we want them to ultimately reach the triumphs and accomplishments they so deserve.

As a member of the Denton ISD family, you are part of one of the fastestgrowing school districts in North Texas.

We’ve grown by almost 10 percent over the past five years and 15 percent over the past decade, with our enrollment increasing by almost 10,000 students

Lewisville ISD Continued from Page C3

project-based activity, utilizing technology through our 1:XTM initiative, or serving the community in numerous ways, our students are gaining the skills they will need to thrive in their future endeavors.

I am proud to be an advocate for children. Your work in this area is crucial, too. Please join your local PTA (Parent Teacher Association) and/or become involved in other ways to support our

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

since 2005.

But one thing that we’ve always prided ourselves on is our ability to stay close to our roots and maintain that small-town feel. So you can be assured that your children are in a place where they will be nurtured, supported and excited to learn and achieve.

We anticipate having more than 27,000 students this year and we’re going to treat every day like it’s the first day of school and maintain that enthusiasm until the last day. It’s the best way to ensure they get the best educational experience possible.

Page C7

I Got Mine!

Dr. Jamie Wilson, Superintendent Denton Independent School District

students, teachers and schools.

I pledge to you that we will work diligently to serve our community! I am honored to be the Superintendent of LISD. Together, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of our students each and every day. If I can ever serve you, please let me know.

My door is always open.

PointBank will make a $25 donation to your school when you open a new, FREE personal checking account at PointBank!

Dr. Kevin Rogers, Superintendent Lewisville Independent School District

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September 2015

Argyle ISD Education Foundation Prepares for a Busy Year The Argyle ISD Education Foundation (AEF) kicked off the new school year with a dinner at the home of Robert Burns, Board President, and his wife, Jennifer. Joining the Foundation Board this year are new members Jason Horany, Amanda Payne, Jennifer Sanberg, Cheryl Slaton, Jodi Womble, and Joelle Zavzavadjian.

Long time AEF supporter and for-

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

mer Board member, Kelly Dunham, was awarded the Adele Foster Award for her significant contributions to the Board, AISD and the community over the years. Robert Burns, Board president, stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kelly has always tirelessly worked on behalf of the Foundation, whether with her chairmanship of past Back the Red & Black campaigns or by offering her strategic insight. Over the years, she and her husband, George, have been staunch advocates. Their unwavering support enables the Foundation to continue our commitments to

Smile of the Month Name: Raj Landry Grade/School: Senior at Marcus HS Activities: Tennis, Latin, NHS, Mu AlphaTheta, SNHS, and Junior Classical League Dr. Gronberg and Raj with his awesome new smile!

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the Argyle Independent School District students and staff in our mission of Investing in Educational Excellence. We thank Kelly for her many contributions and wisdom - always having a heart for the Foundation!â&#x20AC;?

In other Foundation news, the 20142015 Back the Red & Black annual appeal campaign raised over $133,809 against a goal of $125,000. Lisa White, campaign chair and board member reports that the number of donors doubled versus prior year and many first time donors participated. As well, 2014-

Page C8

2015 Golden Eagle Teacher Excellence awards were revealed at the end of year banquet to campus winners Amy Young, Hilltop Elementary, Kelly Dillaman, Argyle Intermediate, Kori Eubanks, Argyle Middle School and Jeanna Sutton, Argyle High school. Sutton was the Secondary winner, while Kelly Dillaman, the Primary winner went on to win the overall district Golden Eagle Lisa MZ Teacher of the year award.

Judson Clark, Vice President Development was pleased to announce that See AEF on Page C15

September 2015

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Page C9

I Got Mine!

Check out the YMCA's Programs this fall. Registration is going on now for basketball and Adventure Guides.

Visit www.crosstimbersymca.org to explore all the programs.

Join the YMCA in September for $10, plus first month's dues. With your membership enjoy reduced program fees, over 50 wellness classes a week and more!

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PointBank will make a $25 donation to your school when you open a new, FREE personal checking account at PointBank!

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Exchange Continued from C1

Ceddia is one of two foreign exchange students who will stay with the Warriner family of Flower Mound for the 2015-2016 school year. The exchange is being facilitated by Education First (EF) High School Exchange Year, one of the largest international education companies, which brings nearly 3,000 students to the United States annually and also has boarding schools abroad and online

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

English courses.

Sue Warriner, a 19-year resident, has hosted eight exchange students since 2012.

“The girls actually had a really good day,” Warriner said of her two exchanges. “Flower Mound (High School) has established a mentor program for exchange students, people they have met in the past few weeks, and they were able to eat lunch with them and show them around the school, so it’s been really good to have the mentor program for them.”

Page C10

She took Ceddia and Linde de Koning, a 16-yearold from the Netherlands, out for ice cream after their first day of school.

“It was very fun, it was completely different from my school in Italy,” Ceddia said. “The school here is very big, bigger than my Italian school, with a lot more people. There are more interesting activities than my school in Italy, and I can choose which classes I want to take. It was very different -- I was very excited.”

It wasn’t all fun and games, though -- Ceddia got math homework on her first day.

“I like math, though, so it’s good,” she said.

She also signed up for the swimming team and participates in triathlon training with the Warriners.

Not all students in the EF program had such a great first day of school, however. Christine Sanders of EF said unforeseen circumstances meant that a few host families had to back out of their commitments at the last minute.

As a result, there is an urgent need for host families for the current school year. One boy from Taiwan couldn’t even start school because he lacks a permanent residence. Visit www.efexchangeyear. org for information about hosting.

Sanders, who lives in Denton, has also been an exchange parent for years.

“Some people think we’re crazy,” Sanders joked.

“I’ve had people say, ‘But you don’t get paid. Why would you take care of someone else’s child for 10 months and not get paid?’ I tell them it’s about having a new family member -- it’s permanent.

They go home after 10 months but they’re in your See EXCHANGE Page C11

September 2015

Exchange

Continued from C10

lives forever.â&#x20AC;?

She said thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better way to learn about other cultures than to host exchange students. Warriner added that the students learn quite a bit about Texas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Texas does have a reputation.

Unfortunately some kids show up expecting everyone to be riding horses, carrying guns, driving pickup trucks and wearing cowboy hats,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They get to Flower Mound and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is suburbia!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

The adjustment is made easier by the fact that the students really want to visit America, Sanders said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They do it because they listen to American music, see American movies -- America is the place to be. English is the language to speak if they want to make it in the world.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so excited to be here, and everything is a first for them.â&#x20AC;?

The students donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get credit for the year spent abroad, she added -- they have to make up the year when they return home.

Some become quite attached, Warriner said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They make good friends while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here. They get to know a lot of Americans and they all fall in love with Chick Fil-A -- which is bad,â&#x20AC;?

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

Warriner said, laughing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The food] is really different,â&#x20AC;?

Ceddia said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;First of all, in Italy, there are two types of fast food, McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Burger King, but here, I have a larger variety to choose from. The most interesting place for me is Chick Fil-A.â&#x20AC;?

She said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to cook some Italian recipes for her host family, which has always hosted pairs of exchange students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They become good friends,â&#x20AC;?

Warriner said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our kids are older, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have anybody here for them to hang out with. It helps to have someone who can relate to what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going through and to practice their English.â&#x20AC;?

The experience is great for her family and for the students, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They get a lot more confident.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re away from their families, so they make decisions on their own and become a lot more independent in a way,â&#x20AC;? Warriner said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They become part of our family while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here, too -- itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really hard when they leave.â&#x20AC;?

Leaving is tough on the students as well. A former student Warriner hosted expressed regret in joining the exchange program after returning home, saying she was happier in the United States than sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d thought

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possible. But she has just one year left of high school, and like many exchange students, plans to return to the U.S. someday, perhaps permanently.

And their host parents visit them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This past summer I went to Norway when our Norwegian exchange student went home, and my husband

Page C11

and I were able to visit her family,â&#x20AC;?

Warriner said.

Past trips to visit former students include such destinations as Spain and Germany. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love to travel and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very active, so for us itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great fit.â&#x20AC;?

Â&#x2021; %DVNHWEDOO )ODJ )RRWEDOO 6RFFHU 7 %DOO &KHHU .LGV Â&#x2021; 3HUIHFW IRU EHJLQQHUV DQG DOO VNLOO OHYHOV Â&#x2021; 1RZ FRQYHQLHQW ORFDWLRQV

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Page C12

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September 2015

Smith

Continued from C1

contributions to Marcus’ success have been immeasurable.

“Outside of the physical attributes that he always brings to the team, he’s really worked hard to hone in how good those qualities are,” Stanford said. “I think the biggest thing with him being a senior this year is being the guy that everybody looks at to be the leader of this team.”

The Marcus coach said that he does believe Smith and Stanford University are a good fit.

“He’s perfect,” Stanford said. “They use their tight ends a lot, so that’s right up his alley.”

Smith said that he feels Stanford is the best fit for him, as well, and said he tries to bring a couple of things to the Marauders football team.

“I hope that I bring good senior leadership,” Smith said. “Like, whenever we need a big play to be made, I hope I can make it. I just want to be a guy who can make big plays and help lead our team to the playoffs.”

Smith said that he was happy to be selected as a Rivals top 100 pick, but said that is not really why he plays the game.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Smith said.

“But I’m not very big into that stuff.

I’d rather win a lot of games with my

THE CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE

team. I dropped a few spots on the list this summer, but I’m not too worried about that. If we can win 10 games or more I’m happy.”

Smith is ranked 43 on the list of the top 100 players.

The Marcus senior also ran JV track last year to get in shape for football, has played basketball at Marcus and carries a 3.7 grade point average.

Smith said that he has a positive feeling about this coming season and said he sees a lot of potential in the Marcus football team.

“I think that this is shaping up to be a good year for us as a team,” Smith said. “It’s the best team that I’ve seen in four years at Marcus. We’ve got good leadership, our quarterback is playing very well and our offense is moving the ball.

“We also have a lot of returning starters. I think that this is the best team that I have been a part of at Marcus.”

The goal for the Marauders this season is a good playoff run, and Smith said: “If we just do what we are supposed to do and play the games with all our effort, I think we’ll make it.”

Stanford said that he will rely on his senior tight end for leadership this season and said he has no doubt that Smith will provide it.

“One of the things you look for in a

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leader is that their character matches their ability,” Stanford said. “Kaden’s got the character to be a great leader.

He carries himself very well. He doesn’t put himself above everybody else. He is very humble about the things that God has graced him with, and I think that is one of the things that makes him such a great leader.

“It’s the fact that his character is so strong with his ability, and that he is becoming more vocal. He is going to be a great senior leader for us.”

Page C13

Smith’s Favorites Favorite Athlete: Jason Witten Favorite Sports Team: Dallas Cowboys Favorite Subject: Math Favorite Food: Steak Favorite Movie: Friday Night Lights Favorite TV Show: E60 Last Book Read: The Hard Hat Favorite Musical Group or Performer: Whiskey Myers

September 2015

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Page C14

Outstanding Students of the Month Football Captain Serves Team and Community

By John English, Contributing Writer

Kobe Jordan

With a name like Kobe Jordan, one is almost destined to be a great basketball player.

But that is not the case with the Lewisville High School senior by the same name, whose forte is football.

Jordan, who is captain of the varsity football team, is also a member of the student council and spends every other weekend handing out food to the homeless in downtown Dallas.

“Every other Saturday, we will go and give out chicken sandwiches,” Jordan said.

“We give it to people who need it.”

The Lewisville student said he likes volunteering in this capacity for two reasons.

“I think that part of it is the way I was raised,” Jordan said. “My mom has always brought me up that way ... Things were kind of difficult for us at times, too, so I know what that’s like.

“Another aspect of it is that I’m a Christian, and they teach us in the Bible to serve others.”

Jordan is in AP classes at Lewisville High School and also volunteers for Christian Community Action.

The Lewisville senior said the best part about being a high school student today is the freedom he has to be who he is.

“I just love the atmosphere of being with my friends and still being able to enjoy being young,” Jordan said. “I think that is great.”

Jordan said there is sometimes a downside to being in high school, as well.

“There’s a lot of work, obviously, and that’s not always fun,” Jordan said. “And sometimes we get treated like kids, but we’re expected to act like adults, and I don’t think that’s fair.”

Jordan, who has a 3.7 grade point average, has not yet decided where he is going to college, but plans to pursue something in the medical field.

The Lewisville teen said that what he will remember the most about his time at LHS is how well it prepared him for life.

“They really teach you how to be an outstanding Farmer, and just a good person,” Jordan said. “They teach you how to be somebody who will help others and how to work hard. I think it’s great.”

Jordan’s Favorites Favorite Athlete: JJ Watt Favorite Team: New Orleans Saints Favorite Subject: History Favorite Food: Fruit Favorite Movie: The Shawshank Redemption Favorite TV Show: Wayward Pines Book Currently Reading: Under the Dome Favorite Musical Group or Performer: Zac Brown Band

High School Teaching Student to Live Well

By John English, Contributing Writer

Photo by Nicole Youngblood

Molly Mattingly

Marcus High School senior Molly Mattingly is involved in many activities in school and in her community and said the main reason for doing so is that she enjoys giving back.

A member of the Marcus drill team, the senior class treasurer, a leader for Young Lives and working part time, Mattingly said that her lifestyle affords her certain things that she finds very gratifying.

“It introduces me to a lot of people and has made me friends,” she said. “The main things are that I really love my school, I get to do things with my friends, and I love being a part of things.”

Mattingly said that the thing she enjoys the most about being a high school student today has to do with the educators at Marcus

High School.

“I think it’s the relationships between students and teachers,” she said, adding that teachers are accessible when students need help.

Mattingly said that the thing she enjoys the least about being a teenager today is that she does not always feel teens are taken seriously.

“It seems that we are underestimated a lot,” Mattingly said. “We don’t get enough credit. Of course, we can be stupid and make mistakes. We are teenagers, but I also don’t think we get enough credit for the things that we do.”

Mattingly appears to have made the most out of her time at Marcus, saying that it has had a very positive effect on her life.

“It has taught me how to be a decent person,” Mattingly said. “School is school with its core classes, but I think it has also done a really good job of taking it to another level in teaching me how to be a good person, with things you should do and things you shouldn’t do. I feel like it has taught me how to contribute to society.”

Mattingly plans to attend Ouachita Baptist University and study Sociology.

Mattingly’s Favorites Favorite Subject: History Person who most inspires you: Mrs. Garber Favorite Food: Mexican cuisine Favorite Movie: The Sandlot Favorite TV Show: Bones Last Book Read: To Kill a Mockingbird Favorite Musical Group or Performer: Ed Sheeran and John Mayer

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September 2015

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AEF

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the Black Diamond Affair (BDA) gala would be returning in 2015-2016. Mr. Clark noted, “Board Member, Laura Chaney, along with BDA Chair, Monica Pruner, have been working hard along with the Development team to bring back the BDA in a fresh and exciting way. You’ll want to save the date for April 9, 2016 as this will be our primary fundraiser for the year with a goal of $250,000. We’re looking for under- Teacher of the Year Winners 2014-2015 (from left): Kelly Dillaman, Argyle Intermediate and Lisa MZ writing sponsors for this unique, Argyle Teacher of the Year Winner; Amy Young, Hilltop Elementary; Kori Eubanks, Argyle Middle School; event that will raise important resources Jeanna Sutton, Argyle High School. for our district. Corporate sponsorships are also available and many opportuni- tion@SupportArgyleISD.org for more Mr. Rozell, “For many years AEF has provided teacher enrichment grants and ties to volunteer. BDA is a great way to information.”

Zach Rozell, Vice President, Program- training to the tune of $810,000 to date. get your name out there in the commuming announced that AEF has made a However, after careful deliberation the nity and a terrific way to meet people as a volunteer. Please contact informa- significant change in how the Founda- past 18 months, the Board has made the tion supports the district. According to decision to focus on funding teachers in

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order to close the gap and help Argyle reach higher standards of academic excellence. Placing teachers in the classroom – whether providing above and beyond curriculum opportunities, or making sure class sizes remain smaller - is a top priority for Argyle ISD. The district did not achieve the status we enjoy by being complacent and willing to settle for the state mandated staff.

We want our kids exposed to excellence and placed in the best possible situations to achieve their individual success. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that for 2015-2016, we’ve committed $110,000 to AISD to hire two new teachers. One teacher is allocated to Hilltop Elementary to aid in keeping classroom size below state mandates. The other teacher at Argyle High See AEF on Page C16

THIS YEAR

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September 2015

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Online at www.CrossTimbersGazette.com

2015-2016 Argyle ISD Education Foundation Board Members: (front row, left to right): Jane Krzysiak, Jodi Womble, Robert Burns. Second row, left to right: Amanda Payne, Susan Piel, Lisa White, Josh Westrom. Third row, left to right: Joelle Zavzavadjian, Amy Williams (Exec. Assistant), Laura Chaney, Jennifer Dealy.

Fourth row, left to right: Cheryl Slaton, Jennifer Sanberg, Judson Clark, Sam Slaton, Jason Horany. Not pictured: Michael Deason, Zach Rozell, Troy Valentino and Jason West.

Continued from Page C15

School teaches computer programming as well as other subjects. The addition of this staff member will allow Argyle High School to offer curriculum for all five endorsements under House Bill 5 on our local campus. For 2015-2016 our goal will be to fund even more teacher positions. We’d love to see one teacher per campus funded.”

Robert Burns, President, noted, “This is an exciting time to be in Argyle – the growth is explosive and the Argyle community’s commitment to excellence continues to grow exponentially,

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as well. While growth is exciting, it can also lead to strain on a District if it hap-

pens quickly. We want to ensure that we work closely with the District to

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help provide above and beyond teacher resources – always looking for ways to raise the bar and achieve educational excellence. Adequate is not a word we like to hear! More than ever, this is critical for a successful outcome with our current and future students. By supporting the Argyle ISD Education Foundation you impact students and teachers on a daily basis and directly enable Argyle to maintain our district leadership position.” For more information about the Argyle Education Foundation, or to make a donation or volunteer, please contact Amy Williams at Information@ SupportArgyleISD.org.

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September 2015

Something To Muench On...

Make the most of the moments, the years pass quickly

By Kimberly Muench

As I scrolled through my news feed this morning, I couldn’t help but grin at all the smiling faces on their way to a new year of academic, social and emotional development.

It hit me, once again, how quickly the years are passing. In our own family my oldest has turned 28, my youngest is in her last year of elementary school, I have two kids who are each heading into their senior years of high school and college, and a son at the center of middle school.

When my children were little I experienced a lot of sleep deprivation and there were many days I thought would never end. That seems so long ago now. Somewhere along the line they gained better sleep habits, got involved in activities that interested them, began tying their own shoes and making their own lunches.

And while my job as a mom is far from over, it is overall more restful than when I started this gig.

While I am confessing, I’ll admit when my kids were so much more physically and mentally demanding

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of my time I didn’t have the patience Tube videos and Xbox games (not without interruption. But this pracor energy to really get to know who surprising), to how hard it is to see tice also breeds disconnection in a they were. Daily life was a series of other kids’ parents bail them out of world which desperately needs more diapers, naps, meal prep, clean up, unhappy or uncomfortable situations compassion and personal connecshuffling from one thing to the next and the long term affect it is likely to tion.

So as fall begins, here’s to hoping followed by exhaustion. Rise early, have on their classmates.

In between those topics, my kids the cooler weather will bring you out repeat.

At best it was organized chaos. and I talked about which summer of your daily routine and onto the Knowing I cannot go back (nor camps they got the most out of and walking paths of our communities would I want to), I can however what they might like to do next year for interesting conversations with choose to take this day and decide to and the highlights of our annual fam- your own family and friends! spend some time building healthier ily trip to Wisconsin. We chatted relationships and more open commu- about how our pool not getting done Kimberly Muench is a Flower nication with the kiddos who remain this summer had allowed us to see Mound mother of five and author of some friends and have some interac- “My Mothers Footprints: A story of under our roof.

Here is an example. Yesterday (the tion which wouldn’t have otherwise Faith, Calm, Courage, Patience and last day of summer vacation) I slept in taken place without our needing to Grace.” To see more of her work or (a rare treat I gave to myself). Upon cool off at the community pool down to contact her, visit www.mymothersfootprints.com. awakening I asked my 10 and 12 year the street.

It’s easy to let our kids get sucked olds to walk to the doughnut shop with me. After 15 minutes of resis- into electronics use, after all that altance (during which I kept my cool), lows us to do what we want to do we embarked on a 20 minute walk to get Your Smile is your First Impression! our favorite morning sweets. During our journey to and from breakfast I chose to give them the floor (or the cement, as it was) to bring up whatever conversation they wanted.

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September 2015

The Soapbox:

The Days of Elijah

By Brandi Chambless

It was the last week of summer vacation and I just couldn’t stand it. Come on, son, let’s take one last road trip.

With barely any notice, we two sojourners packed our bags, gave goodbye kisses and hugs, and hit the road with little to no plans except to see old friends before school started.

We stopped along the way and picked up two invaluable road trip books I would highly recommend to any parent: Barron’s Learn French

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the Fast and Fun Way with audio CD and William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

by Ian Doescher. We parlez-voused through the Land of the Delta Blues and when we tired of that, anon, we found verily a hilarious read we could both enjoy aloud, a new hope of bringing freedom to the galaxy, oh so far, far away.

As we pulled into what was once a familiar place to me, it was my goal to show my son Elijah some favorite places we once shared during his toddler years. We found our way back to spots like the little glass house in the library where I often read childhood stories to him, ate ice cream cones at the Baskin-Robbins near our old home, and finally took the drive to the neighborhood church so I could show him around.

We parked in our usual spot and walked to the door. I felt a strong jolt when I pulled the door open, then jerked even harder the second time.

Nothing. The doors might as well have had chains, as I realized the place was not only older than I remembered, but locked away from the public. The door had one simple and direct message: NO WEAPONS ALLOWED. We realized the property had been sold when I read the new name on the marquee.

Later, we finally met up with friends. Like old friends do, we hugged and picked up the conversation right where it left off years ago. We also ran into the man that sold us our longtime pet who in my writings

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has historically been identified as Champion Labrador Stitch the 17th (May God rest his sweet pet soul).

When we said our goodbyes, of course, I cried all the way home like we girls tend to do when putting miles between our loved ones and a life some place in the here and now. I kept being prompted to remember the ancient words written to the Hebrews that reminded followers of The Way that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Even though everything else may change or fall away, He says in his Word that He never will.

Though we didn’t go too far on our last road trip of summer, it was undoubtedly the deepest journey into discussions held long into the night, including everything from the longterm rewards of investing money while young to a discussion of my son’s namesake, the Old Testament prophet Elijah, and why I think this world needs more men and women who will stand for truth with a spirit of gentleness, even when no one else will.

I suppose you could say this particular road trip paid more dividends than usual, with regard to producing engaging subjects capable of spurring word exchanges with people in puberty. It has led, still, to a study of why wise men are calling 2015 The Year of Jubilee, a year of great historical significance for the entire world landscape, the likes of which has not been witnessed since Israel reclaimed Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years (1966, last Year of Jubilee).

We are not foolish enough to believe that any man truly knows the day nor

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the hour of the second coming of Christ, but how interesting it is to discover the prophecies of Daniel when he names the year and the season he identifies as the “seventy ‘sevens’” in his famous prayer of chapter 9 in the Bible.

The continued discussion of signs and wonders in the sky has been better than any Star Wars episode as we noted not one, but four, rare lunar eclipses of the last year known as blood moons, the last of the four to come on September 28, 2015 – the type of signs that have always been an indicator of a significant act to follow.

In Mama’s finite knowledge, we always leave the discussion at this bottom line: We are in perilous, changing days with an unchanging God who is calling the nations to repentance. The signs tell us that time is running out quickly. How will you be ready in these final days? There are only two choices with eternal stakes much higher than Lucas’ fictional Rebels and Imperials.

Which side will you choose?

Then we say our goodnight and pray may the Lord be with you until tomorrow’s discussion or something truly magnificent happens.

Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

—The Old Testament Prophet Daniel (9:24)

September 2015

Woo Hoo! A Car That’s New

(Well, maybe not brand new but certainly newer than the last one!)

By C. Stroup

My husband calls the way we buy cars, “old school.”

(And make that an edito-

rial “we.”)

This is just a kinder way of saying “cheap” and “stuck in his ways.” His philosophy is to keep a vehicle until it is no longer “reliable.” This is a kinder way of saying “the repairs are costing way too much and coming around far too frequently.”

It’s quite normal for us to keep a car anywhere from 10 to 12 years. It can have 100,000 miles or 75,000 miles on it. Ken doesn’t particularly consider either to qualify as “high” mileage.

He also refuses to buy a brand new car because he feels he can get a great deal on one that’s “slightly used.”

Why not let someone else eat the 20 percent depreciation for the first year?

He’s always been that way and not apt to change any time soon. I’m afraid he’s becoming an old fuddy duddy.

New cars, now heavily loaded with all kinds of hi-tech features, well that just drives (pun intended) Ken crazy.

He’d much rather be the one to slam on the brakes than leave it up to the car’s discretion. And while he’s some-

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what okay with power locks, he’s not okay when doors lock themselves.

He’d rather be enlightened on his own than depend on automatic headlights that go on and off without being signaled to do either. Fear of a dead battery come the light of dawn has manifested itself into a phobia. These are just a few of the modern day “car conveniences” that keep him coming back to the transportation of simpler times.

Since we’ve been married, the only new vehicle I’ve ever had was a 1977 Pontiac Sunbird and it was as cute as a dickens … sky blue and white with adorable little opera windows.

I drove it for less than a year before running into the back of another car and causing major damage. No air bags in those days so I forcefully hit the steering wheel with my face and managed to knock a huge chip out a front tooth.

Since I also connected with the windshield, there was some time spent picking shards of glass from my forehead. Both the car and I looked pretty pitiful after that run in.

After that little stunt all my subsequent autos were “pre-owned.” I don’t think I was being punished, I think Ken was just sticking to his mantra on car buying. I’ve actually had some pretty awesome autos over the years and they all served me well.

When they began to misbehave, i.e. “become unreliable,” we’d go shopping for a “new used” one.

Since Ken learned in the early stages of our marriage that it is imperative to please the wife, I have always been the one to choose the car. Besides,

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should it turn out to be a lemon, guess who’s to blame?

Recently it became necessary to trade in the 2001 van I’d been driving since 2003. It had been very faithful over that time frame, great for carting large items, capable of seating seven people comfortably, and not that much of a gas guzzler – well not as much as you might think.

It was dark blue which set it apart from similar models. However, after driving it for 12 years, I decided the color contributed to how hot it got during the dog days of summer. It seemed to be very hard to cool.

My mind was made up that I’d get a white whatever when the time came.

I was convinced this would make a significant difference in the chill factor and patted myself on the back for having such an original idea! Do you have any idea of how many white cars and SUVs roam the roads of Texas? I didn’t either until I bought one.

Whereas I used to come out of the grocery store or Lowe’s and immediately spot my blue van, now I live in fear of never finding my SUV. Even if I’m careful to park between a red Range Rover and a pewter pickup, the chances of them still cuddling my white Chevy are slim to none by the time I reach the lot.

As my luck would have it, two white SUVs will have filled their spots and be nuzzled close to my car … sometimes there are as many as six in a row.

I’ve never been particularly proficient at remembering where I left my car so this plethora of porcelain colored vehicles is daunting.

I know I can always use my little

horn button if I get really stumped but that action draws attention and signals defeat. I’m resigned to driving a white car for awhile, especially since that’s the only complaint I have and even that’s not really anything to nitpick about.

Now I’m sure our “used car” viewpoint seems ridiculous to many people … I get that.

The truth is, there’s probably some erotic thrill in owning a brand new vehicle: the sensation you experience when you stroke the smooth leather seats, the intoxicating perfume-like scent that wafts toward you when you open the door and that tingle you feel when you grasp the wheel.

No doubt these are all sensual experiences. We just never paid attention to the memo.

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