What S Happening in Copper Canyon July 2011

What’s Happening in Copper Canyon – July 2011

By Sue Tejml Mayor of copper Canyon

CONTENTS:

Copper Canyon Resident Marshall Warren climbed Mount Everest! (See full article on Lantana Links and front page of this Gazette)

Council and Staff 2011-2012 Budget Review Areas

Resident Chad McInis becomes Professional Firefighter with our District

Quiet Zone Railroad Crossing on Orchid Hill Lane

Road Updates

Fourth of July Parade is cancelled for 2011

Copper Canyon Cookbook available for Presales

The most effective Tornado Warning: Tower Sirens or Code Red

The Colony Hosts the quarterly Denton County Mayors roundtable Luncheon

County Judge Mary Horn discusses Precinct Redistricting in Denton County ------

Copper Canyon Resident Marshall Warren climbed Mount Everest! (See full article with photos on Lantana Links and front page of this Gazette)

This article was scheduled for the June issue of the Cross Timbers Gazette – but I ran out of time to write it before my midnight deadline last month. Marshall very kindly said he didn’t mind if the article appeared this month instead. I am, as always, amazed at the accomplishments of the individuals who live in our very small town. The list of mountains, on all continents, that Marshall has climbed is awesome! Mountain climbing is his hobby. His “day job” is equally impressive. He has been a pilot for Delta airlines for 32 years and currently captains Boeing 777s on long hauls all over the world.

Marshall and his wife Pam Warren have lived in the Woodlands for 25 years and raised their three daughters Brooke, Ashley and Rainey here. Marshall served on the Long Range Planning Task Force for Roads and chaired last year’s very successful first Town Clean Up Day. Pam is often a contributor of delicious desserts for the Copper Canyon Hostess Committee.

Council and Staff 2011-2012 Budget Review Areas

Prior to the June 13th Council Meeting, each Council Member received five areas of the 2011-2012 Budget to be responsible for reviewing with the appropriate Staff members. No more than two Council Members were assigned to a Budget Review Area, in order to maintain compliance with the State Open Meetings laws. Council and Staff were asked to review each Budget area in their assignments for possible savings and for possible future needs that need to be planned for in advance now. The Assignments will be in the July 11th Council packet for public review.

The Council will address the preliminary 2011-2012 Budget at the July meeting. The Denton Central Appraisal District will not have final Copper Canyon valuation numbers until mid-July. However, Copper Canyon appears to have not only maintained but improved its property valuations this year. This is very encouraging in an economically depressed climate.

Resident Chad McInis Becomes a Professional Firefighter with our District

Chad McInis grew up surrounded by professional firefighters. His Dad Willie McInis has been with the City of Coppell’s Fire Department since 1977. That is 34 years! When I spoke with Willie last week, he was en route back from fighting fires in East Texas. Chad said firefighting always interested him as a kid. He was always around firefighters, because of his Dad’s career, and he liked watching the fire engines take off responding to fire alarm calls.

Chad graduated from Marcus High School in 2005. He and his parents, Willie and Linda McInis moved to Copper Canyon in 2008. Chad spent several months earning his EMT certification. The next level paramedic course is far tougher and usually takes one to one and a half years. Chad took the paramedic course from EMTS (Emergency Medical Training Services) in Richardson, Texas and completed the course in only eight months. Chad said there is “nothing easy about the paramedic course and exam.” (I have heard this comment repeatedly from emergency medical personnel with our Argyle Fire District.)

On June 21st Chad began his first day of rookie training with our Argyle Fire District. He will be on standard probation for six months. He said the rookies “train nonstop” and “constantly ask each other questions.” Chad chose Argyle Fire District, because it has “room to grow”. There is a lot of pastureland between Copper Canyon and I-35W and this area will eventually develop both residentially and commercially.

Chad is also training for the Dallas 9/11 event. Ninety different fire departments are participating. The fire fighters will climb 110 floors of the Regency building in Dallas in full bunker gear with air pacts and tools. They are emulating the brave firefighters in Manhattan who climbed the World Trade Towers on September 11th. The goal is to raise funds for the families of fallen firefighters to help with funerals, medical bills, etc. Details are available on the web site www.911dallasstairclimb.com.

Quiet Zone Railroad Crossing on Orchid Hill Lane

Kansas City Southern was able to condense the construction of the railroad crossing Quiet Zone at the western end of Orchid Hill into just two days instead of the more usual five days. The western end of Orchid Hill Lane was closed to all traffic during those three days except adjacent homeowners. KCS put flyers on homeowners’ mailboxes the week before the closing, so that residents could plan their ingress and egress accordingly for themselves and guests. But, predictably, not everyone understood the directions. For two days there were several incidents of cars jockeying out of head-on situations, as they tried to occupy one lane simultaneously – but going in opposite directions.

Road Updates

Chinn Chapel Road: Both lanes of southern Chinn Chapel Road have received cement stabilization. After seven days of curing, McMahon Contracting will pour the asphalt base coat. Two to three weeks later, the concrete paving surface will be poured. The concrete must cure seven days before it is ready for vehicular traffic. For the next 7 to 14 days the contractor will be grading and sodding the right-of-way drainage ditches. The opening of southern Chinn Chapel Road is still scheduled for the end of July or early August. The Woodlands Subdivision: The 2” basecoat of asphalt has been poured on East Woodglen and West Woodglen. The 1 ½” top coat of asphalt will be poured shortly. A concrete surface has been poured over the expanded drainage culverts at the west end of Oakridge Trail. All three of these roads in the Woodlands should be complete by the first week in July.

Chinn Chapel North Subdivision: The sub grade on North Berry Trail was finished last week. This is the last road to be rebuilt or resurfaced in this subdivision. The only road in this subdivision that has not been rebuilt or resurfaced this year is Rolling Acres Drive. Any sod laid in the right-of-ways that does not survive will be replaced by the contractor.

Fourth of July Parade is Cancelled for 2011

Carol Owens has ably chaired this event for several years for our traditional Town sponsors, the Woodlands Women’s Club. But parade participation is predictably very light on three-day July 4th weekend holidays. Last year was a three-day weekend and participation was very meager. This year is also a three-day July 4th weekend. So, after consultation, Carol and I decided that we would cancel this year’s July 4th parade and concentrate on next year’s, when the Fourth of July holiday would extend over a full four day period.

We were additionally concerned that the traditional parade route would still be under road construction. The rebuilding of those residential streets was scheduled for completion shortly before July 4th – but, as always, road construction is subject to weather delays. This scenario seemed a little too “iffy” on which to plan a parade. Carol and I hope that those Town residents who look forward to our traditional Fourth of July parade and following hotdog lunch will understand our reservations concerning holding this year’s event.

Copper Canyon Cookbook Available for Presales

Our long awaited Copper Canyon Cookbook is available for presales. All recipes and sections are printed and collated in the loose leaf binders - as are the Preface, Contributing Cooks, and Index. Ten of our twelve advertisers’ color page ads have been finalized. The only details still to finalize and print are the layout of the last few ads and the History of the Cookbook – i.e. Cookbook 101. This latter section was included for any groups who are considering producing a Cookbook. Two summers ago our Cookbook Committee began this project de novo. We would welcome any groups who could benefit from our lengthy production experience – and hopefully complete their project in a shorter time frame.

Since the Cookbook is a limited edition of 250 copies, one copy of the Cookbook is first being offered to the 111 Contributing Cooks and the 12 member Cookbook Committee. Twelve copies are being given gratis to our twelve generous advertisers. The remaining approximately 110 Cookbooks will be offered first to other Town Residents.

The original costs of materials for publishing the Cookbook were totally covered by the initial sponsorship contribution of Energy Transfer Corporation, and subsequent production costs by our additional advertisers. Copper Canyon owned businesses were given a 50% reduced rate for their advertisements. Many thanks to our 12 sponsors and advertisers:

Energy Transfer Corporation - Vice President Gregory Brazaitis and Construction Manager Gary McBride Atmos Energy – Vice President Charles Yarbrough and Account Manager Randy Beard; The Cross Timbers Gazette – Max Miller, Editor and Owner; Halff Associates - Town Engineer Brian Haynes, and Consultant Jim Carter; IRN/USA Radio Networks - Mary Maddoux, Co-Owner and resident; NEConstruction - Charlie and Kathy Nicholas, owners and residents; Frillys Cajun Restaurant – Gary and Jan Beavers, owners, chefs, and residents; Dr. Doolittle’s Animal Hospital – George Bleuher and Dr. Denise Doolittle, Owners, veterinarian, and residents; Texas Pet Bed and Breakfast – Steve and Lynette Freeman – owners and residents; A&H AwardPro – Neva Lamb, owner and resident; Lazy8 Riding – Nathan and Jaime Langston, owners and residents; Raspberry Rain Images

In addition, most of the color photographs in our Cookbook were provided courtesy of Town resident Denise Remfert of Remfert Photography.

The cost of each cookbook is $25, which is deposited totally in the Copper Canyon College Scholarship Fund. If you wish to reserve or prepay for a Cookbook, call Town Hall (940) 241-2677. Town Hall can take Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards over the phone, by email, or in person. Or you can pay by cash or check. (You will receive a receipt for your income tax records.) Or call any of the Cookbook Committee members. Please provide an address for delivery, as the cookbooks will not be available until later this month.

The first annual Cookbook Holiday Update should be available for $5.00 in December 2011. If you are a Town resident and wish to contribute a recipe to the first update, please contact Town Hall for a telephone number of a Cookbook Committee member. A sample of the recipe form for the Cookbook is on the Town web site. www.coppercanyon-tx.org. Copper Canyon business owners who wish to place an ad in the first Holiday Update can also contact the Cookbook Committee via Town Hall.

Members of the Cookbook Committee are: Chairman Pris Johnson, Robin Fleury, Beverly Gerard, Kaye Hill, Nita Humphreys, LaRue Johnson, Rita Lokie, Mary Maddoux, Gerri Mariano, Sandi Pruett, Denise Remfert, and Sue Tejml.

Council Discusses the Most Effective Method to warn residents of Tornados

At the June Council Meeting the Council discussed the most effective method for warning Town residents of a tornado in the immediate area. The two possible methods were tornado sirens mounted on towers in Town and the Code Red communication system.

Copper Canyon would require two towers for sirens to alert the whole town. Each tower would cost approximately $125,000. (Per bid estimates two years ago.) Many Texas towns, such as Garland, are considering eliminating the towers as an obsolete tornado warning technology. The Council asked Town Administrator Donna Welsh to get updated bids on the siren towers and their reputed very high maintenance costs.

However, one downside to the Code Red system is if the local telephone, cell phone, or internet system is out of service. Council Member Dave Svatik asked our Town Administrator if she could obtain statistics on how many times over the past two years the Verizon telephone- Fios cable- or internet system, CoServ electric utility system, or ATT or other local cell phone system has been out of service and for how long each time.

The Council will again discuss the best method to warn our Town residents of tornados at the July 11th Council Meeting. The Colony Hosts the quarterly Denton County Mayors roundtable Luncheon

Mayor Joe McCourry of The Colony hosted the quarterly Denton County Mayors Roundtable Luncheon. The location for the luncheon was the beautiful Tribute Golf Course Club House. The Tribute takes its theme from the world famous Saint Andrews course in Scotland. Attending were representatives of the municipalities of Copper Canyon, Denton, Double Oak, Flower Mound, Frisco, Lake Dallas, Little Elm, Oak Point, Sanger, Trophy Club, and of course The Colony. Each representative updated the forum on the events happening in their respective municipality.

The Mayor’s Quarterly Roundtable Luncheons are invaluable for two reasons. The elected officials and staff members attending do an excellent job of updating the group on events within their municipalities and mutual issues many cities and towns are facing. Second, the topic for discussion is always timely and the speaker well qualified. Recent Roundtable discussions have concerned gas well drilling, fracking and emissions and Clean Air standards for our North Texas area. The next Roundtable will be hosted by the City of Denton in September. It will be held in the restaurant at the University of North Texas’ new football stadium.

County Judge Mary Horn Discusses Precinct Redistricting in Denton County

County Judge Mary Horn was well prepared to explain the redistricting process in Denton County for the four Commissioners’ precincts. She came prepared to the Mayor’s Roundtable with a slide show to describe the legal requirements for redistricting and large color maps to illustrate the old and possibly new precinct boundaries. Basically, the precincts of County Commissioners are required to reapportion their voting boundaries from “time to time”. The Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlines the basic requirements for redistricting. The balance of population between the precincts must be within a maximum deviation of 10%. Race cannot be a “controlling” factor, but it can be a “significant” one. Minority voting rights cannot be discriminated against by gerrymandering – for example, by “bizarrely” drawn precinct boundary lines. The increase in the Hispanic population in North Texas has been well documented. What is less well known is the increase in the ethnic Asian population in the Carrollton area.

There are also requirements for the location of polling places. They must be reasonably convenient to voters in each voting precinct and be ADA compliant (accessible to individuals that qualify as physically handicapped under the federal Disabilities Act.) Voting precincts must be compact and contiguous and neighborhoods and communities must be preserved.

Denton County Commissioners have been waiting for the Texas Legislature to complete its redistricting for Representatives and Senators, based upon data from the recent 2010 Census. At the June 28th Commissioners Court meeting, our Denton County Commissioners will present their proposed draft of new county precinct lines. Due to the explosion of growth along the Highway 380 corridor and the northern end of the Dallas North Tollway, the population growth in Commissioner Hugh Coleman’s Precinct One has far exceeded the 10 per cent deviation allowed under the guidelines. A number of those new voters will need to be absorbed into Precinct Two and Three. Precinct Four boundaries will remain pretty much as they are.

Our Denton County Commissioners Court appointed the Citizens Committee for Redistricting. The Committee includes a Lulac member, a member of the Hispanic community, a member of the Asian community, and the Denton County Chairman for both the Republican and Democratic Parties. The Citizens Committee will meet Wednesday June 29th to elect a chairperson and to approve, disapprove, or suggest revisions to the Commissioners Court’s proposed draft of Denton County redistricting. The deadline for completing redistricting is October 1, 2011. The final plan is then submitted to the Federal Department of Justice, which has 60 days to approve, disapprove or suggest revisions.