From the presidency on down, irrespective of political party, the people are often disappointed, if not utterly shocked, by the lack of ethics and/or morals of those entrusted with the power to govern. Political venality has gotten so pervasive that many people have lost faith in the system because, as far as they’re concerned, “they’re all the same.”

Let’s face it; we all feel that way from time to time. That’s why it’s such pleasure to write articles about people who not only perform their duties with the utmost integrity, but they raise the bar for others who would run for office.

One such person is Andy Eads, who’s starting his third four-year term as Denton County Commissioner, Precinct 4.

As one of five elected members of the Commissioners Court, (Denton County Judge Mary Horn presides and also has a vote) Andy has, among many other admirable traits, been fiscally conservative with taxpayers’ money. As the administrative governing entity of the county, one of the responsibilities the Judge and 4 Commissioners have is balancing the budget and setting the tax rate.

The Commish stopped over for an interview recently. “Our budget has to be adopted by the end of each fiscal year, which is October 1,” he said. “There are 254 counties in Texas and we are all pretty much governed the same. We start with budgets submitted to us by other officeholders who illustrate whether or not it will be a lean year.

“Our budget office will present a draft for us to review, also giving us information on what our taxes are going to be, based on appraisals. Then we get an idea of what the budget impact will be, based on info submitted. Then we hold public hearings and all residents are invited to attend. We also have workshops throughout the summer. The Sheriff’s office, Medical Examiner, Constables, etc., submit detailed justifications, which we look at very carefully. In addition, we examine the work flows to determine the need. Everything is performance-based. Each department fills out a performance measure and they have to justify their existing operations and any additional requests. This includes salaries.

We have final say about budget adoption and staffing. Salaries are increased through the county as a Cost of Living upgrade, and we try to be competitive with other counties.

“After we develop a proposed budget, all those officeholders or department heads that may be dissatisfied, have an opportunity to appeal to the Commissioner’s Court. We try to stick as close as we can to our budget, and we always vote in public. This is a transparent meeting,” he added.

By the way, in case you’re not interested in knowing how the sausage is made, here’s the good news; the tax rate has been slightly lowered to .272200. “We were able to lower it because of the population growth, resulting in new homes and commercial enterprises,” the commissioner said proudly. He talked about the opening of a new juvenile center in Denton and a new jail with over 300 beds. Hence, we have a tax decrease despite the increase in services that will be required. Not bad huh? 

Each of the commissioners have both countywide and precinct responsibilities, including for construction and maintenance of county roads within their precincts. They have offices at the Courthouse-On-The-Square, 110 West Hickory Street in Denton. Other jobs they have include appointing county officials and hiring personnel; establishing voting precincts, appointing precinct judges and calling county bond elections; maintaining and improving county facilities; providing for veterans assistance and providing for data service and archival needs of the county.

I asked Commissioner Eads about the ongoing construction in the area. “I realize that Denton County has been suffering from ‘orange cone fatigue’ because there is so much construction going on at once,” he said lamentably. “It wasn’t planned that way, because some projects get delayed and some advanced. So, in a perfect world, it would be nice if it was very sequential, but that’s not how it goes. In the county, we took the lead and we built the Lantana curve by Bartonville. We built the curve now, inasmuch as it would be cheaper to do it now instead of in the future, because of inflation. We had it built according to the state standards and because of that we are ahead of the game, now that the large Kroger on FM407 is in development. This occurred because the county took the lead. And then we came in and did the other two segments. You do what you can when you can.” We talked about the massive new Kroger, within the Bartonville city limits, which will be 124,000 square feet. It is expected to be completed in the spring of 2015.

Eads grew up in Lewisville and worked for the town of Addison for a few years. One day, he was given a project; collect photos of the town for their archives. His supervisor told him there was probably a dozen or more old pictures of Addison that they’d like to have him retrieve for posterity. About 3000 pictures later, along with oral histories gathered by traveling all over Texas and meeting with older residents, some of whom had attics filled with memorabilia, he was able to put together a photo-filled book entitled, “Addison, Texas, a Pictorial History.” A few years later, he moved to Flower Mound and became a regular at civic and charitable events. A fifth generation Denton County resident, Andy said he has always had a love of history.

When he was 10, his grandmother died and it inspired him to build his family tree. A few years later, while in high school, he started using a tape recorder to interview his aunts and uncles about family history. As a result, he has several audio history tapes of those interviews that he’s saving for his children. He went on to interview his wife Ginger’s family as well, to add those audio history tapes to the family collection. “I wanted to preserve everything that’s breathing, because when somebody dies, a library dies,” he said.

One of the qualities I admire about Andy is his commitment to the community, as evidenced by his involvement in numerous business and charitable causes. His selfless devotion to the safety and security of those in need makes him one of the all-time good guys in our very fortunate orbit. There is so much more I could write about this very interesting and introspective community leader. However, due to space limitations, I’ll just conclude with my gratitude toward him for being a superb role model for others who may aspire to elective office.

The post Commissioner Eads – One of the good guys appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Matthew Bell
Flower Mound, TX

The post Keep Bunn Natural appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

As the year comes to a close, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and the trust you’ve given me as Mayor and to Town Council. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Double Oak and to work with the elected officials of the Double Oak Town Council. 

Christmastime in Double Oak is a very special time of year. With our large spacious lots, many residents go all out with holiday decorations and it’s always a pleasure to drive around town during December evenings to see residents’ Christmas displays. But most of all, it is the people of Double Oak –  neighbors and friends,  town employees, service and volunteer organizations, students, longtime residents and new, and those who come back to town just for the holidays – who make Christmas in our small town so unique and special.  Our Town of Double Oak represents small town values and where neighbors know and help each other.

I can’t say enough how much I appreciate the dedication and commitment of the employees of the Town of Double Oak who strive to provide the best possible service to citizens and visitors day in and day out. As Mayor, nothing pleases me more than to receive compliments about our town, employees, council, departments and organizations. 

Our Double Oak Police and Double Oak Volunteer Fire Departments, along with other local, county and state emergency 1st Responders and volunteers, not only perform their duties here in town but always go above and beyond wherever else they are needed during critical emergency events. These brave men and women, who risk their lives daily, are dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of all they serve. As a reminder, the DOVFD is 100% all-volunteer and depends greatly upon resident donations and community support. The town appreciates Chief Dent and all the member volunteers for what they do all year. Chief Watson and the DOPD officers are on duty 24/7 to serve and protect the residents and town.  Double Oak sincerely thanks our own Emergency First Responder Departments.

Those employees who work at town hall in administration are most often the first contact a person has with the town. They are the friendliest and most helpful group one could ask for. Together, they keep the day-to-day operations of the town running efficiently and smoothly. It is not unusual for someone who has received help to contact me and pass along a compliment regarding town administration staff. When you have a question or need some help, please contact town hall and feel free to visit with the wonderful staff.

The Double Oak Women’s Club is a very special organization within our town. This service club assists the community in so many ways such as supporting the DOVFD and DOPD, awarding student scholarships, helping the town with events, holding socials and holiday event gatherings. They provide comfort, food and support for those who are in need. These wonderful and caring ladies welcome new residents to town and contribute to making Double Oak such an exceptional place to live and raise a family.

Our town is mostly residential, however, there are some commercial and service businesses located on FM407 & Chinn Chapel. You are encouraged to use these local Double Oak businesses as we need to support them. They do provide ad valorem property tax and sales tax to the town and we are proud they have chosen to locate their businesses here. Keep an eye out for our newest soon-to-open business – Rapid Med. Also located in Double Oak on FM407-Justin Road is Crossroads Bible Church which has partnered with the town over many years.

Double Oak is a small, friendly town which is practically built out. There is lots of growth and convenient shopping around our borders. The town is served by two outstanding public school districts. Your town is relatively debt free and has no outstanding bond indebtedness. It has one of the lowest overall property tax rates in Denton County and has been recognized as a desirable, safe and scenic community in which to live. I am confident that by working together, we will continue to achieve great things for our town. Double Oak residents’ kind actions over the years have made it well known to be the “town of volunteers.”

As winter arrives, please check on your elderly neighbors, relatives and friends to make sure that they are healthy, safe and warm this winter. Remember to thank and keep our armed forces in your prayers for their sacrifices and service to our country.

On behalf of the Town of Double Oak, I extend my warmest regards and best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

Peace and Blessings for our wonderful Town of Double Oak.

The post News from Town Hall – December 2014 appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

In addition, low unemployment rates, rising property values, consistent financial performance and several large development growth opportunities were contributing factors in determining this AAA rating for Flower Mound. Furthermore, Standard & Poor’s, also an independent bond rating service, reaffirmed its AAA rating of Flower Mound’s General Obligation bonds.

We are very proud of both these ratings, the highest possible, and know the Town did not achieve these high ratings overnight, but rather, through conservative fiscal policies and improvements over the past several years.

We also received some exciting news regarding the Lakeside DFW development. Realty Capital announced 11 new owner-operated businesses that will open their doors in the mixed-use development during the first half of 2015. Joining the upcoming Moviehouse & Eatery will be:

*Cavaro Prime Brazilian Steakhouse

*Paradise Bistro and Coffee Co.

*Taverna del Lago

*Bottle & Bottega

*Elite Pups Luxury Dog Daycare & Spa

*Majestic Nail Spa

*The Lodge Barbershop

*Amber Michelle Salon

*Engel & Volkers – Real Estate Agents

*State Farm Insurance – Tammy Edwards Agency

For more information about these businesses, please visit the news section of the Flower Mound website at www.flower-mound.com. Just a reminder, the Town posts information about new businesses each month at www.flower-mound.com/newbusinesses.

In case you haven’t heard, the Town was recently named the “Best City or Suburb for Raising Children” by NorthTexasChild magazine for the fourth consecutive year. Citing the Town’s award-winning parks, excellent schools and safe neighborhoods, the award reaffirms the Town’s commitment to being a premiere community for families. Flower Mound is featured in the publication’s December “Best for Families” issue.

Continuing our focus on families, please take a moment to drop off a new, unwrapped toy for our annual Santa Cops program. Donations and gifts for the program will be accepted through Dec. 12 and distributed prior to Christmas to deserving children who might not otherwise receive a gift from Santa.

All toys and donations are used to benefit families and their children in Flower Mound. This is an invaluable program that provides so much joy. While all gifts are appreciated, please keep in mind volunteers often have the most trouble gathering gifts for older children and babies. Therefore, children’s toys for ages 3 and younger as well as gift cards to local stores and restaurants (where teenagers like to go have a meal with their friends) are especially needed. The Town has more than 25 Santa Cops drop-off locations. Please visit www.flower-mound.com/santacops for more information.

Finally, the Mayor and entire Council hope to see you at the Town’s first nighttime Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6. Starting at 6 p.m., the parade will travel down Spinks Road, from Shadow Ridge Middle School to Gerault Park, where a tree lighting ceremony will take place. The event will include choir performances, pictures with Santa Claus, carriage rides, snow hill, petting zoo, vendors, kids’ activities and much more. Food trucks will also be on site. There are several other activities for you and your family to make memories in this season. For a complete lineup of holiday events, please visit www.flower-mound.com/holiday.

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

The post Flower Mound Town Council Message – December 2014 appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

This event is a time honored tradition in our community. We are appreciative to the Highland Village Women’s Club, the Shops at Highland Village and our city staff for organizing Our Village Glows. Spending time listening to our school choirs sing new and classic carols and seeing the excitement in a child’s eye as Santa arrives always puts me in the Christmas spirit.

I encourage you to shop local this holiday season – with gift-giving on our “to do” list, this is a perfect time to visit our retailers, restaurants and service professionals. We have a lot to offer you in Highland Village. As you make your shopping list, I encourage you to check the Highland Village Business Association’s online directory. The directory is separated into categories that include Shop, Taste, Go, Play and Do and every brick and mortar building in the City is included.

Everything you need for your holiday shopping, gift giving, party planning and family gatherings can be found right here in Highland Village! The holiday shopping season offers you an opportunity to discover the new stores of Highland Village. Check out our site at www.thehvba.com first and support local businesses this holiday season!

As we remember our family, friends and our local businesses, let’s not forget those who are not as fortunate. While the North Texas economy is faring better than many areas of our country, unfortunately there are many in our city and the surrounding area who are struggling financially.

We are fortunate to have solid non-profit organizations available to help those in need. This season, I hope you’ll look in your heart and see if and where you can help. This time of year is the busiest and most draining for our non-profit organizations. They’re working hard to ensure everyone, young and old, has a special holiday. Spread some holiday cheer this year.

I can’t write this message without reminding everyone to be safe this holiday season. Yes, we are a safe community and it is because of the diligence of each and every one of you. The Police Department will remind you to Lock, Take and Hide when you’re shopping. That is, Lock your cars, Take your keys and Hide your valuables. Don’t become a target by making it easy for someone to take your belongings. Also remember to be responsible when you attend holiday parties. If you plan to drink, designate a driver or call a taxi. Share this message with your adult children. Watch out for each other.

And, have some fun this season. The Highland Village Parks and Recreation department has a fun contest underway – the Parade of Lights Holiday Lighting Contest. This is for Highland Village residents and awards the home with the best exterior holiday lights based on five different categories. Get together with your neighbors and have a friendly contest!

It has been a good year in Highland Village. Economic development news continues to be positive and our own economy is still strong. We recently opened the Whole Foods Market in The Shops at Highland Village which has brought many shoppers from the region to Highland Village for the first time. Let’s remember the true meaning of the season by being patient and cheerful to all we encounter while shopping, dining and traveling this season and always.

On a personal note, this is the time of year we enjoy family and friends and count our blessings. I’m fortunate to have grandchildren close by and as I see the delight in their eyes as they take in the sounds and sights of Christmas my heart is happy. My wish is that we all can savor the Christmas season with this child-like anticipation and joy!

The post Highland Village Update – December 2014 appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

In the last ten years, the term social media has not only become a global household phenomenon, but it has presented unprecedented virtual dilemmas, schools of psychology, rules of business marketing and newly-invented cyberspace etiquette.

For those that would argue that the relationships are not real, they have obviously never been a victim of cyber-stalking, had a heart broken when someone we love has left the conversation or experienced the joy of the first glance at a newborn family member’s face when war or distance has prevented the experience of being present at a family gathering in person.

While some may argue that social media is a culprit that has hindered human intimacy, I say that it has deepened our ability to connect with those we would have otherwise never met and speak influence into their lives in ways that we have never known.

Since Facebook came onto the scene in 2004, over 1.2 billion active users are engaging in relationships and informational exchanges on the social networking site.  In the far reaching distance, somewhere on the coattails of Facebook, is the non-permission based social media cousin called Twitter, calling out, “Hey Facebook, Follow Me!” 

Despite possessing only a fourth of the users of Facebook, Twitter is still making a huge impact globally in social media trends, most especially in business.  Since 2012, the fastest growing demographic on Twitter (age 55-64), has grown 79% (www.fastcompany.com, Belle Beth Cooper).  The one problem is that many still seem to be under utilizing Twitter and all of its alluring capabilities.

For the sake of this discussion, I will maintain that Twitter is non-permission based simply because, for most users, one does not have to request permission to see the contents of another’s home page prior to a “Follow.”  Coupled with the highly influential hashtag, this ability to view content and cluster into a discussion with users that are not “friends” by permission allows business marketing or discussions to ensue on any topic from the global real estate market to who won The Voice.

Sold out for Facebook, I never dreamed that I would embrace Twitter as I have until the events of July 5, 2011, when one of the most notorious Twitter fails of all times impacted my opinion of the Twitter’s far-reaching influence. 

Prior to that day, a virtually unknown Entenmann’s baked goods inadvertently (yeah right) used the hashtag #notguilty, just minutes after Casey Anthony was acquitted for murder in a court of law, yet convicted by public opinion. 

“@Entenmanns: Who’s #notguilty about eating all the tasty treats they want?!”

After repeatedly being eaten alive in just 140 characters by an enraged public, Entenmann’s was speedy about retracting the #notguilty tweet and promptly followed with another one that seemed to be a dumb and innocent shrug that said something like, “Oh, was Casey Anthony on trial??! We had no idea!”

That was the day I became a real follower.  Whether Entenmann’s was truly not guilty of the tactless maneuver of exploiting Casey Anthony’s public demise for brand recognition and public notoriety, who can say?  This I do know.  That day, Entenmann’s displayed the something I call freaky marketing genius:  no one in the history of the universe had ever cared about Entenmann’s before, but here we are still talking about them 3 years later and they used Twitter to do it.

So as a society, we have grown beyond the use of social media as a narcissistic playground.  We have even experienced some of the benefits, citing reunions of adopted family members with a birth mother.  We have witnessed the reconnecting of the mother of Coppell organ donor Taylor Storch with donee Patricia Winters who lives today because of Taylor’s gift of a beating heart.  Though we have seen this success of humanity that Biz Stone’s ingenuity engenders, along with tremendous adoption by the boomer generation, there are many who are still lost in the Twitterverse.  We give it a thumbs up for being useful, but we just do not know who to use it fully. 

Unlike Facebook, where we generally have IRL relationships with our followers, it is not uncommon to be completely unfamiliar with followers on Twitter.  Many times we are unfamiliar with the subjects our followers find interesting and as a result feel like we are at a cocktail party where everyone else knows the inside jokes.

Through good practice and the use of the hashtag, Dear Reader, I am here to tell you that you can also find your way out of the Twitterverse.  By doing this, you will find that rather than aimlessly gleaning from what others are saying, you will have the upper hand when it comes to winning others over. 

For those in the typewriter and whiteout generation, the little symbol formerly known as the pound or number sign carries great significance in this modern world since it allows users to search for like subjects, mimicking a microblog.  There are more types of hashtags that can be used for presenting a message than can be presented here, but I will highlight a few examples of Dos and Don’ts that bear discussion.

1.  The I Don’t Understand Hashtags Hashtag.  Saying #ShesSoSweet after showing a picture of your daughter doesn’t truly reach anyone except you. Text the picture to Grandma and Aunt Bea and move on.

2.  Good Ol’ Hashtag Fail.  While hashtags are not case sensitive, always capitalize the first letter of every new word.  For instance, trending when Margaret Thatcher died was the best message the Brits could think of at the time:  #nowthatchersdead.  Only problem was that Amercians were in a tizzy reading, now that Cher’s dead.  Two totally different messages could have been avoided if caps were used to convey the message.

3.  Create a Meme.  We are all familiar with meme statements in Southern vernacular like You Might Be a RedNeck If, but on Twitter Memes take on a different meaning for everyone who can fill in the blank.  For instance, #ARelationshipIsOverWhen can have a different and hilarious meaning from perspectives across the globe.  Use memes to draw people to your brand and create contests and giveaways.

4.  Straight Out Funny Hashtags.  What can I say?  Be creative as you want to be and selective about transparency! I just got fired #BadDayAtTheOffice.

5.  Event Hashtags.  If you really want to find your way out of the Twitterverse with virtually no skill level whatsoever, create an event hashtag for any sporting event or non-profit fundraiser.  This creates a virtual panel of discussion and gives free perpetual PR for the cause.  You don’t even have to be in charge of an event to create a hashtag.  Consider wearing a hashtag hat or T-shirt and see if everyone buys in.  You will instantly have the contact info of people you haven’t even met in person.

My final advice for finding your way out of the Twitterverse and connecting with others is the use of the term I’ve coined and mentioned ad nauseam:  The Harold Hill Factor.  Self-Proclaimed Professor of Musicology, Harold Hill, was a fictitious character created by Meredith Wilson in her 1957 production of The Music Man.  While I do not advocate Harold Hill’s cunning ways, he was a great influencer of people who cast a vision that people wanted to believe.  The last line of the play, just prior to his being brought to justice, was that of one proud Mama saying “That’s my baby!”.   Her son couldn’t play a lick of music, but Harold Hill had given the boys and River City, Iowa, a belief in themselves again.  On social media, we will always be successful when we talk about other people’s babies whatever they may be. 

Finally, Dear Reader, do not be afrai
d of failure and reinventing your message in any format of social media.  Like Entenmann’s, when we fail we must fail forward.  Let me know if you find your way out of the Twitterverse and give me a shout out @BrandiChambless  #IFoundMyWayOutOfTheTwitterverseWhen.

The post The Soapbox: Finding your way out of the Twitterverse appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

The decision, made after much contemplation, came on the heels of trying to sell our home for the previous eighteen months. A home our youngest two children had grown to love and affectionately call, “the castle house.” In their four- and six-year-old minds, the endless hand-scraped hardwood floors and expansive ceilings transformed them in to a fairy princess and swash-buckling pirate…which was a far cry from the way I came to feel about the floors (too much to clean), and my husband’s vision (too much wasted space to pay for).

While it was definitely a challenge, our family received a wonderful blessing and (what I consider) many important life lessons in the process of leaving the home behind.

First, and foremost, we learned it does not matter where you actually live, as long as you are together. Family dinner does not taste better when served off of the latest gourmet-top-of-the-line appliance, it tastes just as delicious coming from a 20-year-old electric cooktop. Sharing a bathroom, while at times an inconvenience, forces us to work together and to manage our time more efficiently. (It also saved me at least a half-hour of toilet scrubbing a week).

We learned we aren’t as much fun as parents when stressed out and frustrated as to how to cover the costs of living in a mcmansion. We began to realize our children, though they loved to imagine they lived in a castle, desire a place to grow up where they can feel like their mom and dad have time to pay attention to them (because they don’t have to work 60 hours a week to afford their life), and who can spend more time living in the moment rather than worrying about the future.

In addition, we have found less space allows us to spend more time interacting with one another. Sometimes this leads to additional squabbles, but we continue to find ways to work through the difficulties and become a stronger family unit for doing so.

My husband has worked hard over the past several years to financially put back the pieces which fell apart when we lost our home. Together we have chosen to walk side-by-side, chin up rather than allow one decision to shame us or snowball into other problems in our lives.

The most important lesson we learned in choosing to walk away from the “keeping-up-with-the-Joneses-gotta-have-it-now-bigger-is-better” lifestyle is that our children were able to see what you can buy is never as important as having a family that can work together in difficult times.

This fall we were able to purchase a smaller home and have spent considerable time and sweat making some improvements to it. Our two youngest, (now 11 and 9) have invested their own energy into floor removal, clean up, packing and unpacking of their belongings. There is still a lot more to do, but we know it will happen in good time.

The blessing from the lessons of the past several years come down to building a stronger family unit by simplifying our lives.

Choosing to see the good in the challenges presented to us and making the best of what we have, instead of always searching for something more.

Kimberly Muench is a Flower Mound mother of five and author of “My Mothers Footprints: A story of Faith, Calm, Courage, Patience and Grace.” To see more of her work or to contact her, visit www.mymothersfootprints.com

The post Something To Muench On… Choosing to see… appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Texas State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, filed 9 bills on the first day to pre-file legislation for the 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, which reconvenes from Jan. 13, 2015 to June 1, 2015.

“My top priority this session is to pass a conservative, transparent budget that meets our growing needs. I am determined to protect our successful economic formula and ease the tax burden to ensure that Texas remains a place of growth and opportunity,” said Sen. Nelson, who serves as chair of both the Senate Finance Committee and the Sunset Advisory Commission. “My legislative efforts will focus on strengthening Texas’ economy and ensuring that state services are achieving their intended outcomes. I am also working to improve our mental health system and to help guide several state agencies through the legislative stages of the Sunset process.”

Lawmakers may file legislation through Friday, March 13, 2015.  Following is an overview of each bill filed by Sen. Nelson on Monday:

*Margins Tax Relief: SB 52 will make permanent the temporary 5 percent exemption for Texas businesses under the state’s margins tax. “Texas businesses carried us through the national recession by producing the jobs and opportunities our citizens needed. We now have the opportunity to take our economy to even greater heights by reducing their tax burden to promote continued growth and prosperity.”

*Zero-Based Budgeting: SB 53 requires that state agencies undergo a zero-based budgeting review at the same time they are undergoing sunset review. “We need to establish a schedule that ensures every state agency’s budget undergoes a deep scrubbing. By creating a cycle that aligns with Sunset, we can ensure that each agency’s structure – and budget – undergoes a thorough examination on a rotating basis.”

*TANF Drug Testing: SB 54 ensures individuals applying for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program are drug-free as required of participants who receive government assistance through this program. “Taxpayer dollars should not be used to support a person’s drug habit. This bill will ensure that that a key welfare program is living up to its mission of helping recipients on a true path to self-sufficiency.”

*Veterans Mental Health Grant Program: SB 55 creates a grant program at the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to support community programs for veterans mental health. Senator Nelson will seek $20 million in state matching funds over the next two years to support local efforts to help veterans struggling with mental health problems. “I’ve been deeply troubled by the problems our veterans are having as they try to access care at the federal level. This funding stream will help communities across Texas launch programs that will meet the specific needs of veterans in their area and help to deal with the psychological wounds of war.”

*Resident Physician Expansion Grant Program: SB 56 updates provisions of the Resident Physician Expansion Grant Program so that funding for resident slots can be more easily provided to eligible applicants. “While we have taken big steps to address the health care workforce shortages in Texas, we must ensure the programs we’ve put into law are working effectively to meet our goals. This bill will allow the grant program to grow while also ensuring that first-year residents in new programs can complete their residency.”

*NTTA Customer Privacy: SB 57 protects the privacy of drivers using toll facilities in North Texas by clarifying that customer information collected by the North Texas Tollway Authority is not subject to disclosure under the Public Information Act. “Texans should not need to be concerned when they drive on a toll road that their travel or billing information is publicly available. This bill protects that sensitive information that shouldn’t be disclosed to the public.

*Denton County Sheriff Enforcement: SB 58 authorizes the Denton County Sheriff to inspect commercial vehicles for safety regulation enforcement and improve the safety of drivers in Denton County by ensuring commercial vehicles adhere to federal and state regulations. This authority is already granted to several populous Texas counties. “This bill gives our local law enforcement the tools they need to protect drivers on our highways and to enforce the law.”

*Texas Council on Family Violence Funding: SB 59 will help ensure that funds appropriated to help family violence victims reach Texas shelters more efficiently. Rather than force shelters to go through a cumbersome and lengthy procurement process with the Health and Human Services Commission, this bill would appropriate funding more directly to family violence programs. “Our shelters should not have to go through this much bureaucratic red tape in order to receive the funding they need to assist victims of domestic violence. I want to ensure that the funding we approve reaches these organizations swiftly and efficiently.”

*Child Advocacy Center Clarification: SB 60 aligns the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) statutes with current practices. It clarifies that victim interviews can be conducted offsite and prohibits the distribution of victim interviews to unauthorized parties. “By ensuring our laws line up with current practices, we will strengthen our ability to protect and help child victims of abuse.”

Sen. Jane Nelson represents District 12, including portions of Tarrant and Denton Counties. She is Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Megan Hanson handles the public relations for Sen. Jane Nelson.

The post Sen. Jane Nelson pre-files legislation for 84th session appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

On Oct. 21, the Town Council authorized the hiring of two police officers. The department is pleased to welcome Police Officer Lance Pendleton.

Please welcome Officer Pendleton when you see him patrolling your neighborhood!

In its commitment to providing a safe, peaceful environment and to enhance the quality of life for Bartonville residents and visitors the Bartonville Police Department continues to seek an additional highly motivated, community-oriented police officer to join its team.

The Town of Bartonville would like to send a special “thank you” to our neighboring law enforcement agencies for assisting the Town during this transition period. Sheriff Will Travis, Constable Tim Burch and Chief Watson in Double Oak – we thank you!

Chief of Police Search

Bartonville Police Officer Bobby Dowell was appointed our interim police chief in July. Officer Dowell is well-qualified to serve in this role. He previously served as interim police chief while with the Northlake PD, he has a degree in Criminal Justice, served in the United States Marine Corps and has been in law enforcement since 2000. The Town is grateful for his continued willingness to step into this role.

In August, the Town Council voted to appoint a search committee to review applications to fill the Police Chief vacancy and bring forward recommendations to the Town Council. The Search Committee is comprised of Mayor Pro Tem Jim Langford, Councilmember Betty Medlock, Bartonville Crime Control and Prevention District Member Johnny Jones, Town Adminstrator Stacey Almond and member at-large Jim Foringer.

The Town advertised the position and received a number of applications from all across the country. The requirements for the position include a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in a related field; TCOLE Master Peace Officer Certification; successful completion of advanced leadership development program (i.e. FBI National Academy, LEMIT Command College, Senior Management Institute for Police); 10 years of progressive law enforcement with 5 years supervisory experience; and computer literacy with typical office PC and software systems. The candidate must pass a drug screen, psychological evaluation and background investigation.

The Search Committee is in the process of reviewing the applications to determine which candidates best meet the threshold requirements and will select an initial pool of candidates to interview and then forward their recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council anticipates appointing a Chief by the end of the year.

The post Bartonville Offers Updates on police department appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Our very popular traditional Santa Party for Copper Canyon kids is scheduled for the first Saturday in December at Town Hall from 3-5 p.m.

The Argyle Volunteer Fire District, under the supervision of Town resident Fire Chief Mac Hohenberger, will again be providing the Fire Engine for Santa’s arrival at Town Hall.  And Copper Canyon’s longtime resident volunteer firefighters – Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Mangum, Denton County Sheriff Will Travis, and P&Z Member Brad Kokoron – will again be assisting helping the children and accompanying parents up the steep ladder to ride atop the fire engine!

There will be cookies and refreshments for all and art projects for the kids. Individual photos will be provided of all children with Copper Canyon’s warm and friendly Santa in his very authentic traditional velvet suit and snow white beard and mustache!

Copper Canyon Cookbooks are wonderful Christmas Presents!

Our last 25 Cookbooks are for sale now at Town Hall and any remaining ones will be sold at the Kids Santa Party.  18 Cookbooks with both the 2013 and 2014 Updates at $45; seven original Cookbooks with no Updates at $20; 13 sets of both the 2013 and 2014 Updates at $13; five small 2014 Updates for free.  The extensive 2013 Update includes individual photos of the College Scholarship Winners and High School Senior Graduates for 2013.  The very small 2014 Update includes photos for the CC Scholarship Winners and CC Seniors for 2014.

First Monday’s Bulk Pickup:  Please do NOT set items out late!

If items are set out AFTER 7 a.m. on the First Monday of the month and miss the regularly scheduled removal pick-up, the Town must ask our waste remover Republic Services to bring one or more trucks back for an additional bulk pick up.  Jeri Harwell, who has been Republic’s very accommodating Manager for Copper Canyon for years, has never refused our request for additional runs of the trucks. But, that is an imposition over and above our contractual agreement.

Please be thoughtful of our waste removal vendors.  The Town would look very “unkempt” if we allowed those bulk items to remain on the side of the road until the next month’s First Monday pick up.

Sue Tejml NOT stranded in the Phillippines – I was “hacked”!

My sincere apologies to anyone who received the email that I was “stranded in the Phillippines” and please immediately send $2,450.  Fortunately, only my personal email address was hacked and not my separate Mayor’s email address.   I am so sorry for any inconvenience to anyone, and I do appreciate all the kind friends who recognized the scam and warned me of it.

Argyle Volunteer Fire District Ambulance Personnel advised to NOT use the ubiquitous long rigid Backboards

For years it has been standard procedure for ambulance personnel to strap injured individuals onto long rigid backboards prior to transporting them in an ambulance to a hospital.  The theory was that this would stabilize any unconfirmed spinal injury. 

But recent statistical data has revealed that this procedure is far more harmful than beneficial to the patient being transported.  Penetration (i.e. knife) wounds, gunshot wounds, near drownings, heart attacks, strokes and other head injuries – do not usually involve spinal trauma.  And actual spinal injuries are often made worse by strapping the patient to the rigid backboards. 

Inflatable soft mattresses are now the preferred method of transportation of most all injured patients.  C-Collars (cervical collars) are still used to stabilize any apparent or probable neck and/or spinal injuries.

Dr. Justin Northheim, DO is the Argyle Volunteer Fire District’s Emergency Medical Director and holds the same position with the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine.  He explained the new medical procedure of not using long backboards to our Fire District’s Board, with an extensive presentation of statistical studies supporting the rational of the new procedure.  

Dr. Northeim is often at the forefront of cutting edge changes in emergency medical procedures and has been recognized as a “Best EMS Medical Director.”

AVFD Board Member Bob Swanbeck suggested that City Councils and Civic Organizations might appreciate a program on new emergency medical procedures presented by the highly-qualified Dr. Northeim.

Official Opening of LISD Marcus High School’s Incredible 9th Grade Campus!

The most incredible aspect of LISD Marcus High School’s 9th Grade Campus is the school’s architecture! For decades standard public school architecture has somewhat resembled a “prison,” consisting of almost solid brick exterior walls. Very few windows were included; and those few windows were very narrow with limited views of the surrounding out-of-doors. 

The reason for the almost solid exterior walls of our public schools was understandable – to limit the cost of air conditioning and heating expense from radiant energy lost through window glass. But instead, the 9th Grade Campus Building has an abundance of spacious picture windows and natural light.  The cafeteria is an unexpectedly awesome area with a beautiful exterior wall of glass probably 30 feet tall and an overlooking balcony in the space above.

On the “writable” walls are interesting projects.  One wall in the cafeteria area says “Just Say No to Drugs!”  – with over 100 individually signed student pledges attached.  On another wall is posted “Tweet to others as you want to be tweeted!”

Natural Light as an encouraging medium for Learning!

LISD Superintendent Dr. Stephen Waddell encountered this experience with “natural light as a medium for enhancing learning” when he visited IBM’s headquarters in Palisades, New York.

And Dr. Waddell brought this “learning insight” home to our area schools here in Denton County.  Thus his enthusiastic support of PVK architectural firm and its partner Irene Nigaglioni, principally responsible for the design of the Marcus 9th Grade campus, who so creatively incorporated natural light throughout the school.

Superintendent Waddell also specifically thanked the Charette Committee for the Marcus 9th Grade Campus.  Charette Committees are established for each new LISD school construction project. 

The committees consist of affected students, parents, teachers, coaches, principals and staff for that specific school.  They discuss and advise on “how to most effectively and economically use the spaces” in the proposed new school campus.  “Flexibility” in academic areas is a primary requirement.

Classrooms: Each 9th Grade classroom has a huge exterior window with a panoramic view of the out-of-doors and admitting natural light.  Some classrooms also have retractable side walls, which allow the room size to expand as needed. LISD’s Communication Specialist Liz Haas emphasized how this flexible classroom space allows adjacent teachers to collaborate and share valuable learning materials and experiences.

Each classroom is
also not isolated from its adjoining hall.  The classroom wall adjacent to the hall consists of opaque class in the top two-thirds, which admits light into the classroom.  And each classroom’s hall wall is composed of sliding glass entrance doors that, when open, allow at least an 8-foot opening expanse to expedite student ingress and egress from and to the adjacent hall.  The result is classrooms that are not isolated box enclosures – but open to the spacious adjacent halls. 

Each classroom also has a wall mounted 4’ x 6’ television screen for learning videos.  Student presentations, created on their individual iPads, can easily be posted on the television screen for all students in class to view and critique.  4’ x 8’ white boards are adjacent to the TV screen for class comments and calculations, which can easily be erased and the white boards reused.

Science Labs: In labs, group experiment tables for 4-6 students also have erasable white boards as table tops.  Students can put their notes on the table during the lecture or experiment, and then transfer them to their iPads or computer afterwards.  Teachers can also write temporary instructions or warnings on the whiteboard table tops concerning the use of lab equipment currently installed on the table.

Halls: Halls are broad, high ceilinged and well lit with natural light.  And, they curve, rather than be endless tunnel-like, narrow stretches, a street block long flanked with adjacent banks of metal lockers. The hall’s sides also have small open alcoves with comfortable arm chairs to accommodate 2-4 students studying.  And, each chair has an outlet for a student to plug in their iPad or computer.  The halls are not just for transporting students to and from classes – and then useless in the interim.  They are spaces where students can actually study or just visit with each other in a small scale personal setting, between the hordes passing between classes.  What a creative use of the extensive square footage that must be dedicated to school hallways!

Separate 9th Grade Campus: The 2008 school bond voters expressed a definite preference for separate 9th grade campuses.  LISD School Board President Trisha Sheffield said a 9th grade campus provides a “warm, comfortable, non-threatening” social and academic atmosphere for entering freshmen.  A place that is uniquely their own space.  But at the same time, the adjacent 9th grade campus also provides a “seamless integration into high school culture.”

Campus Leaders: 9th Grade Campus principal Chantell Upshaw has multiple and varied responsibilities.  She is both the enthusiastic academic inspirer and role-model example – and a compassionate shepherd, quiet listener and ultimate disciplinarian of 835 brand new freshmen.  She assured all present at the Ribbon Cutting ceremony, “Excellence starts here!”

Freshman Class President Jenna Haney and Vice President Riley Mattingly expressed their sincere appreciation for the incredible campus entrusted to them and their fellow students for their initial introduction to four years of high school learning.

The post What’s Happening in Copper Canyon appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.