2009 Year in Review Part II

Editor's note: The Year in Review Part II includes news from July through December 2009.

While the economy was a hot topic to start the year, both in The Colony and around the country, it was not the only national issue generating local interest in 2009. The second half of the year featured a controversial speech, a "flag flap," and more noteworthy accomplishments by the city's residents.

Committee publishes history paper

Four years ago, members of The Colony Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class visited the General Land Office in Austin for a tour. Little did they know that experience would begin a four-year tour of the history of The Colony.

The journey culminated with the publication of, “Bridges to the Future: The Pre-Incorporation History of The Colony, Texas,” in the summer of 2009. Compiled primarily by residents Don Beckel and Alyce Rufi, the report is a 40-page account of the city’s history prior to the arrival of homebuilder Fox and Jacobs in 1974.

As stated in the introduction, The Colony has a short history compared to neighboring cities, which have been in existence for more than 100 years. “This does not mean, however, that southeastern Denton County, within the city limits of present-day The Colony, does not have a history of its own,” Beckel wrote. “The purpose of this paper is to document that history from its beginning, during the time of the Republic of Texas when it was the location of the first settlement in Denton County, until the birth of The Colony in the early 1970s.”

From the founding of Peters Colony in 1841 as part of a land grant to the development of the region’s lakes in the 1940s and 50s, “Bridges to the Future” recounts the trials and tribulations of the area’s settlers over the past 160-plus years.

Beckel formally presented the report to The Colony City Council during a meeting in August. He thanked The Colony Public Library for agreeing to serve as a depository for all the materials collected as part of the project. Members of The Colony History Project Committee uncovered several hundred documents now on file at the library, which includes the largest collection of historical Denton County maps in the county, Beckel said.

The library set aside space to create a history and genealogy section and has hosted various displays the past year to provide residents with a glimpse of the city’s history. The Friends of The Colony Public Library also financed the publication of the report, which is available to entities who desire information to promote the city or for schools to use in their curriculum.

“This effort has special significance for The Colony because few of us have a sense of the interesting history of the area within the city limits,” Beckel said. “It is the hope of The Colony History Committee, that by discovering the history of The Colony, we can help make our city a better place to live.”

The efforts of the committee to compile the documents and encourage interest in the city’s history has already borne fruit, as it has collaborated with the Community Development Corp., the Cultural Arts Board, The Colony Chamber of Commerce, and the burgeoning Convention and Visitors Bureau to incorporate what it has learned into new and ongoing projects.

The committee has provided input to the city’s consultants regarding the design of the sound walls to be built along Farm-to-Market Road 423 (Main Street). It was worked with Austin Ranch developers, and on the interpretive signage along the Shoreline Trail.

In the future, the committee hopes to partner with the city and the office of the Denton County Judge to obtain responsibility for Bridges Cemetery so it can be promoted as a city tourist destination. It plans to add historical markers to city parks and assist the CDC to develop a historical district around the intersection of South Colony Boulevard and Blair Oaks.

During his presentation in August, Beckel thanked Rufi, the committee’s first volunteer, who spent many hours researching the genealogy of the early residents of The Colony. He thanked the Denton County Courthouse Museum for providing guidance and research material, and resident Christi Martin, who suggested the name of the report.

Beckel also offered thanks to former city manager Dale Cheatham, “who was willing to offer his assistance whenever it was requested,” and library director Joan L. Sveinsson. “If she had not offered the support of the library, this program may have not gotten off the ground,” he said.

Library staff liaison Megan Charters coordinated the creation of the library’s history and genealogy section and edited the report. She also took the photograph and designed the cover.

Beckel credited Justin Johnson for using his experience in GIS technology to create custom maps for the report showing where things used to be. “He is the first individual to document that the Peters Colony headquarters and historical community of record were located within The Colony city limits, and he also contributed information to help locate Camey Spur,” Beckel said.

Looking forward, resident Joan Lux is working to compile history of The Colony from 1970 to the present.

Row over President’s speech to students

During an LISD board of trustees meeting in September, parents expressed their anger at the district for not showing a speech by President Barack Obama to students live earlier in the month.

Seventeen parents shared their concerns at the meeting while only one speaker applauded the district's decision. Points ranged from the district using a weak excuse to not show the video live to accusing the district of being politically biased.

District officials had said before the speech that LISD would not show it live for a few reasons, such as the speech coinciding with students’ lunch periods, it disrupting instruction, and it being difficult to coordinate 50,000 students’ schedules for one simultaneous live viewing event. LISD superintendent Dr. Jerry Roy made the decision.

The district did, however, allow teachers to show the speech later if it could be correlated with the curriculum. It also provided a link on its Web site for anyone to watch it on their own.

District spokeswoman Karen Permetti maintained LISD's stance that having a district with more than 50,000 students made it difficult to coordinate a live showing. She said one reason this became an issue was because the contents of the speech were not made available until Labor Day weekend, and since teachers weren't working on Labor Day, they got the contents a few hours before the speech was given. She said at that point, the district had to stay the course and not air it live.

Permetti said the district did change its mind, however, about allowing teachers to use the speech in its lessons if it matched a curriculum and was age- and subject-appropriate. She said that decision was made after the contents of the speech were released. A modified statement was released on the district's Web site.

Permetti said the district provided a link to the speech after it was given to allow parents to opt out of allowing their children to see it, as it would for any film or activity.

Theater treasurer arrested for theft

The Colony Police Department made numerous news-making arrests in 2009, mostly as part of its efforts to combat drug-related crimes. But perhaps its most high-profile case was the arrest of resident Sheila Gilchrist in October on a felony charge of theft between $1,500 and $20,000. The arrest stems from allegations that Gilchrist, as treasurer of Lakeside Community Theatre, stole $8,371 from the theater’s bank account.

According to the arrest affidavit, the theater board requested a treasurer’s report from Gilchrist in late August. Upon receipt, “the report raised some questions with the board about the actual amount in the account,” stated the affidavit, as the report showed a balance of $16,182 while a bank statement showed only $9,961.

The affidavit further stated that Gilchrist later met with LCT’s executive board, and admitted to using the account for personal use since May 2008 and that she was unable to repay the missing funds.

The allegations were reported to The Colony Police Department in September by a member of the theater’s board. An investigation by TCPD detectives determined that Gilchrist had written a rent check to her landlord in August using the Lakeside Theatre account.

Gilchrist was released from custody after posting a $4,500 bond the day of her arrest.

LCT board president Victoria Irvine issued a statement on behalf of the theater: “As a result of an internal audit, the Lakeside Community Theatre board of directors has re-examined its current financial procedures and has made the necessary improvements to prevent reoccurrence. LCT cannot begin to express our disappointment in this unfortunate, isolated incident involving a trusted board member.

“However, this incident has created a more united board of directors, and we look forward to continuing to work with our community and city partners, entertaining and educating the community in theatre and the performing arts while providing a place for local talent to shine.”

Council approves CDC Master Plan

After three months of sifting through the fine print, The Colony City Council approved the Community Development Corp.’s Master Plan in October.

The more than 200-page document represents over a year’s worth of study by the CDC board and Halff Associates, the consulting firm hired to help compile and present the plan.

The CDC Master Plan is intended to be used as a road map to understand what residents want the city to be and what it should provide in order to enhance community pride and quality of life, Community Services Director and CDC staff liaison Pam Nelson said.

At its core are data compiled through focus groups and questionnaires designed to gather input from residents regarding their recreational, cultural, historical, and artistic needs and desires for the community.

Halff received 145 responses during public meetings and 755 responses citywide from questionnaires sent out with utility bills. The results were tallied to determine what amenities are most important to residents.

For example, 63.4 percent of respondents at public meetings ranked hike and bike trails as the city’s most important and/or desired amenity, with playgrounds and park restrooms tied for second with 57.9 percent each.

Citywide respondents also chose hike and bike trails as the No. 1 amenity with 62 percent, followed by park restrooms (57.3), picnic pavilions (48.4), playgrounds (45.4), and a recreation center/gym (45.3) rounding out the top five.

As the title of Chapter 1 indicates, the plan aims to provide “A Vision for The Colony,” and highlights the city’s regional positioning, proximity to Lewisville Lake, the quality of recent development, and its overall potential for promoting its natural environments.

At the same time, the plan candidly points out challenges the city faces as it seeks to define itself. “The first and possibly most challenging weakness of The Colony is that development patterns beginning in the 1970s and leading up to today have not embraced Lewisville Lake,” for example. The community has “aged residential and commercial development,” and has been “developed in an as-needed fashion,” the plan states.

Based upon the data received from residents, the plan’s vision is defined as encouraging The Colony “to invest in its public spaces, coordinate development to embrace the City’s natural resources … and build upon the cache of parkland that the City has amassed over the years. Working toward these tasks will help to build a strong, positive identity for The Colony, improve quality of life, and allow for the continued growth of the City and its public spaces.”

“It’s a plan and a guide to give us some direction of where we need to go and what the residents want,” council member Allen Harris said.

City suffers ‘flag flap’

The Colony made headlines around the country in October when a local television channel broadcast a story featuring residents upset over citations they received for flying flags in violation of the city’s sign ordinance.

The story was picked up by numerous media outlets around the state, as well as several beyond Texas, including Alabama, Kansas, and Pennsylvania, to name a few. As a result, a week’s worth of overhyped controversy erupted, with city staff members receiving reactionary hate mail.

The City of The Colony issued a statement which stated that it “encourages the flying of the United States flag and promotes the demonstration of patriotism” in the city. The ordinance, however, does not allow attachments in excess of 1-square foot to fences or trees which include signs and flags. The ordinance does allow the flag to be flown on flag poles and attached to columns on a residence or directly to the house itself.

Though anticipated to be an ongoing debate, the issue subsided and was never brought before the council for formal discussion at its subsequent meetings.

Knights ride to rescue veteran’s widow

Television news resulted in a positive outcome the following month, as an ongoing story about a The Colony resident’s battle with her mortgage lender came to a happy end.

Virginia Fraser lost her husband of 47 years in March of 2007. He was a Vietnam veteran, and they’d lived in their home in The Colony since 1974. Virginia is legally blind, and her husband handled all their finances. With his passing went the attention to their mortgage. Before long, Virginia found herself woefully behind on her payments, and was facing foreclosure in December 2008.

“I was just crying every day because I don't know what's gonna happen next," said Fraser in an interview with WFAA Channel 8 News. “We got everything packed ... because I didn't know when they were gonna tell me to go.”

She reached out to Father Michael Holmberg at Holy Cross Catholic Church, who in turn fired up the church’s Knights of Columbus chapter to help the widow of a fallen veteran.

Church member and Knight of Columbus Richard Anderson, an attorney, took charge of her case at the request of Father Holmberg. On Fraser’s behalf, Anderson fought off foreclosure in December, and then again in January, February, and March of this year.

The mortgage broker told Anderson she owed $160,000 on the house. His first thought was that, considering how long they’d lived there, she shouldn’t owe so much. “There’s no way,” he said.

Anderson soon began negotiating for a loan modification with Wells Fargo, which had recently received federal bailout money.

“(They) just got money from the government,” Anderson said. “This is truly a case deserving of assistance. … She had been calling the bank but they wouldn’t talk to her because she wasn’t ‘on the loan.’ I couldn’t get anyone’s attention. It’s a bureaucracy. I wasn’t getting a hold of the right person. Then the press helped get someone with decision-making authority.”

Following a news story by WFAA Channel 8 earlier in the year, Wells Fargo changed its tune.

“We have to consider the hardship they're facing, the resources they have available, the level of other debt, and what the loan's investor will allow," Teri Schrettenbrunner with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage told WFAA. “In this instance, all of those stars aligned.”

But the Knights didn’t stop there. The final hurdle to refinancing was acquiring homeowners insurance. An inspection yielded problems with the roof that would require repairs before the home could be insured. Estimates for the repairs ran as high as $10,000, Anderson said.

“At that point we started working to get charitable donations to get the roof replaced. I approached the Knights of Columbus. We have plenty of members that are contractors,” Anderson said, adding that the Knights had taken on similar projects before.

With $1,000 from the Knights’ budget, an additional $2,600 raised from a charity golf tournament, and upwards of 40 volunteers, the roof repairs moved forward in November. Members of the Holy Cross youth program were on-site assisting with trash clean-up and refreshments. The City of The Colony donated use of a large, outdoor trash receptacle, valued at $400.

“It all came together,” Anderson said.

Fraser, who visited her husband’s grave while the work was going on, was all but speechless during her interview with Channel 8. “I just ... I just don't know what to say ... They have been wonderful. God's gonna look out for them,” she said.

Anderson said they’ll be keeping tabs on Virginia in the days, weeks, and months ahead, working to arrange transportation around town, including trips to a local food pantry. He said it’s a great example of a great community coming together.

“It brings a warm feeling in me. The Colony is a great community. Once the word got out, we started getting a lot of help. We’re a small city but we’re looking out for each other,” he said.

Settlement reached on Wynnwood annexation

The Colony, Frisco, and Wynnwood Peninsula Partners LLP reached an agreement on the annexation of approximately 45 acres of previously disputed land owned by Wynnwood.

As part of the agreement, all parties involved will drop related lawsuits filed against one another. Frisco will relinquish its claim to the land and receive a $25,000 payment from Wynnwood.

The land in question comprises two tracts, one of 40.29 acres and another of 4.872, both of which are located generally north of Old Boyd and Lebanon roads and west of Main Street in The Colony.

Now that the dispute is nearing resolution, The Colony City Council member Allen Harris said he’s looking forward to seeing what the developer, Matthews Southwest, has in story for the property.

“It’s going to be great for the developer. They can move forward and continue with their goals without having to worry about municipal boundary disputes. We’re hoping it’s something terrific,” he said.

On June 2, Wynnwood petitioned the city of The Colony to annex the property as both parties believed the land to be within The Colony’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Frisco, however, simultaneously contended that the land fell within its ETJ.

Wynnwood filed a lawsuit against Frisco on June 16 seeking a declaration that the property was in The Colony’s ETJ, not Frisco’s, and that the latter had no grounds to annex the land. Frisco answered with a lawsuit of its own, seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prevent The Colony from annexing the property.

Citing legislative immunity, The Colony continued with its proceedings and entered into an annexation agreement with Wynnwood on July 6. Though Frisco asserted that The Colony’s annexation was “void and without effect,” the court denied Frisco’s request for a preliminary injunction, according to the settlement.

The settlement makes note that it does not in any way affect the lawsuit between The Colony, North Texas Municipal Water District, and Frisco, currently pending in the Texas Supreme Court.

LISD boasts top administrator, West Point appointment

Months after Eric Yang made national news with his knowledge of geography, Griffin Middle School again put itself on the map when Dr. Marie Rossmann was named the Assistant Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals in December.

As a result, she will represent Texas when the National Association of Secondary School Principals begins interviewing candidates for even higher recognition.

“We are very excited about the news. I have known for the past three years that she was something special,” Griffin principal Jeffrey Kajs said. “Her attention to detail, her understanding of students, and her ability to look at data and make solid decisions are a few of her great qualities. The main thing is she knows ‘school business.’ Her decisions are always for the good of the child.”

Though naturally excited, Rossmann was quick to credit those around her for helping earn the recognition. “The award is due in large part to the outstanding opportunities provided by LISD and the staff at Griffin Middle School,” she said.

Mostly, however, it is due to her work on Griffin’s “Yellow Project,” a program created in 2008 based on the premise of the state-mandated Response to Intervention initiative, as well as the needs of the campus.

“Word cannot express how proud I am for all that she has accomplished, all the positive attention she has brought to Griffin and LISD and the fact that I get to work with her every day,” Kajs said. “The whole school is so excited for her.”

News would break one week later on another school-related accomplishment as The Colony High School senior Donald LeBlanc received his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He was nominated by U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess of the 26th Congressional District.

Donald, a 17-year resident of The Colony, is the son of David and Lois LeBlanc. “We’re extremely proud of him. This is something he’s always wanted to do,” Lois LeBlanc said.

Donald reports to the Academy on June 28, 2010, right on the heels of high school graduation.

Highlights of his high school career include finishing in the top 10 percent of his class and being both a member of the National Honor Society and an AP Scholar. He also is a member of The Colony High School’s varsity cross country team and is captain of the Junior ROTC orienteering squad. Donald has been active in the JROTC all four years.

Outside of school, Donald is an Eagle Scout with Troop 281, is employed as a soccer referee with The Colony Youth Soccer Association, and is an active member of the youth group at First Baptist Church.

Donald is the brother of TCHS sophomore Carolyn LeBlanc and eighth-grader Robert LeBlanc.

To put the accomplishment in perspective, just over 11,000 applications were filed in 2008 for the West Point class of 2013. Of those, only 3,729 received the requisite nominations, with only 1,299 ultimately admitted to the Academy.

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