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2009 Year in Review Part I
Perhaps the biggest news of 2009 in The Colony was made by a quiet, reserved seventh-grader. Griffin Middle School student Eric Yang won the National Geographic Bee in May in Washington, D.C./Submitted photo
By BLAINE CRIMMINS, Staff writer
The past year in The Colony was thankfully devoid of the kind of death and disaster stories that often dominate year-in-review compilations. Instead, 2009 was a year of accomplishments, good deeds, and a city taking steps to fine-tune its identity.
That being said, the year began with residents understandably concerned about their financial futures, as both the nation and the world faced historic economic challenges. Few stories dominated the headlines in 2009 as much as the recession.
Community copes with economic woes
Costa, like many others, had to adapt. She had worked as an interior designer in the building industry before being laid off, and had to find work in a new field. Her family had to make lifestyle changes, such as selling assets and scaling back on expenses.
It’s not all gloom and doom, Costa said, but people are having to reprioritize and retrain. “It’s not like we’re starving to death,” she said. “It hasn’t been that painful but it’s a little uncomfortable.”
Pastor Jon Wiest of Horizons Church said his church has seen ever-growing requests for financial assistance this yaer, and that more and more people are taking advantage of the church’s food pantry.
He said that a lot of the newer clients are families who live in decent homes and own nice cars but have lost jobs. These are families trying to cut back on expenses while looking for work before parting with major assets, he said.
Others, such as lower-middle class families, are affected at a higher rate, Wiest said. Regardless of socio-economic status, the church provides all the support it can.
“I think that in The Colony, especially, we have a lot of single parents,” Wiest said, families that were already trying to juggle work and day care while paying the bills. “Obviously there’s a lot of emotional stress that comes with that. It’s really a time for churches to live what we preach and take care of one another.”
On the bright side, he believes this is opportunity for people to connect with their faith and what’s most important.
“Sometimes when life’s going good financially, some of the spiritual issues get glossed over with the material,” he said. “Once you strip away the finances and the ability to make money, some of the deeper needs come to the surface. A lot of times in life it’s through the suffering and bearing the crosses that we actually grow.”
City hires new fire chief
Former fire chief Mike Nolen retired from TCFD late in 2008. In January, The Colony announced the hiring of former Lewisville Fire Department division chief Scott Thompson as his replacement.
“Mr. Thompson has the ability to lead The Colony Fire Department and take it to the next level,” former city manager Dale Cheatham said.
Following his first week on the job, Chief Thompson had nothing but good things to say about his experiences in the department. “It’s been fantastic. It’s really exceeded my expectations,” Thompson said. “The guys here are great. Things are running smoothly. I’m very pleased.”
Having been a fire chief twice before, it wasn’t just a promotion that attracted Thompson to The Colony.
“The location of The Colony was very attractive to me,” he said. “Being from Lewisville, I know all the surrounding departments and fire chiefs. We’ve assisted on a lot of fires together. I have a lot of respect for the city and the department. This was just an opportunity I needed to pursue.”
Thompson’s goals for 2009 and beyond included evaluating the department’s operational efficiency, particularly in regards to safety, while looking ahead to the department’s needs for future facilities and training, evaluating the department’s vehicle fleet, and providing city administrators with information to prepare for those needs.
Although global economic uncertainty may have put a damper on the North Texas boom, Thompson intends to continue planning for future growth in the city.
“The first part of (addressing population growth) is meeting the needs of the citizens and visitors we serve,” he said. “The second part is doing it while facing financial difficulties, and making sure we’re able to continue to provide a high level of service while being cost-effective. It’s a challenge for all fire chiefs to keep up with the growth, but we also must understand we’re in some tough times financially.”
New mayor takes the helm
The Colony said farewell to longtime mayor John Dillard in 2009, and welcomed former city council member Joe McCourry as its new council chair.
In March elections, McCourry defeated P&Z board member David Terre in the mayor’s race, while newcomer Richard Boyer won a three-way race for Place 2, defeating Scott Von Strohe and incumbent John S. Marshall. Incumbent Place 1 council member Allen Harris ran unopposed.
McCourry credited the hard work of his supporters and their grassroots campaign for the victory, while Terre said he would support McCourry and the new council as it takes over the task of working to improve the city.
Yang wins National Geographic Bee
Perhaps the biggest news of 2009 in The Colony was made by a quiet, reserved seventh-grader. Griffin Middle School student Eric Yang won the National Geographic Bee in May in Washington, D.C.
Ellen Wandtke, one of Eric’s teachers at Griffin, noted that he didn’t miss a single question during the finals, which were hosted by Alex Trebek of the game show “Jeopardy!”
Yang, 13, sat opposite 14-year-old Arjun Kandaswamy from Oregon in the final tiebreaker round. The competition came down to one question: Timis County shares its name with a tributary of the Danube and is located in the western part of what European country? As he did in the LISD Bee in March and the State Bee in April, Eric came through with the correct answer: Romania.
Then began his media tour. In addition to interviews with the Associated Press, Eric and his family appeared on the “Today” show, LISD spokesperson Molly Fox said.
One of The Colony’s brightest young minds then returned home, where friends, family, and faculty celebrated his accomplishment with a pep rally at the school.
“We’re so proud of him,” said Marsha Cobb, Lewisville ISD Social Studies specialist. LISD Superintendent Dr. Jerry Roy was equally proud of both Eric and what his accomplishment says about the school district.
“Obviously, we are thrilled with Eric’s success at the National Geographic Bee. His love of learning about our world is inspiring and is a shining example of LISD’s commitment to providing the best education possible. I look forward to hearing about Eric’s future academic endeavors,” Roy said.
Yang’s victory earned him a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands. He would later compete on Team USA in the International Geographic Bee.
Swine flu impacts schools, cities
It wasn’t all good news in May for LISD, as an outbreak of H1N1, or swine flu, prompted school districts and cities to begin taking emergency steps.
Lewisville ISD announced in late April that it would shut down schools during the first week of May. This came on the heels of a confirmed case of swine flu at Hebron Valley Elementary School in Carrollton.
Eventually, Camey Elementary in The Colony, Coyote Ridge Elementary, Forestwood Middle School, Flower Mound High School, and Marcus High School all had one Type A case reported. Tom Hicks Elementary School had one probable case and three Type A cases reported. Hebron Valley Elementary had one confirmed case, three probable cases, and four Type A cases.
LISD spokesperson Karen Permetti said the Denton County Health Department was likely going to recommend the district shut down school anyway but said the district opted to take action earlier. The district later changed its mind on the week-long closure and re-opened school May 7.
Other cancellations or reschedulings included youth sporting events, UIL events, Marcus High School's prom, and an SAT testing session. City sponsored events throughout North Texas also were cancelled or rescheduled.
By the fall, county health departments across the state began receiving the H1N1 vaccine.
Shoreline Trail debuts amid fanfare
A sizeable crowd gathered at the Stewart Creek Park trailhead in June for the grand opening of the city’s newest parks amenity, the now famous Shoreline Trail. Council member Boyer captured the mood of the event.
“This has been a long time coming. A lot of people in the city have been excited about this for years, and it’s great to finally see it happen,” he said.
Council member Kirk Mikulec reiterated one of the main themes of the grand opening by pointing out that the Shoreline Trail brings the residents of the City by the Lake to the lake in a whole new way.
“People from all parts of The Colony can come out and enjoy it,” he said. Community Services Director Pam Nelson agreed.
“We have not had a lot of opportunities for people to have free access to the lake without having to come in to one of the paid parks,” she said. “This is a perfect opportunity for people to do something that has never been offered before.”
Nelson also was pleased with turnout at the June event. “It’s indicative of the excitement that has taken place in the community for the trail. It’s great that people are coming out, are willing to volunteer, and are appreciative of the efforts we’ve made to bring this to the community,” Nelson said.
The Shoreline Trail runs between Stewart Creek Park and Ridgepointe Park, and features a 10-foot wide, 3.5-mile surface designed for walking, jogging, or bike riding. Interpretative signage along the trail allows visitors the chance to learn about native flora and fauna. Hours of operation are dawn to dusk.
Worker killed in construction accident
Tragedy struck on an early morning in June when The Colony Police Department received a 9-1-1 call from a construction site at the Office Creek Pump Station in the 4100 block of Main Street. The caller reported that a worker had been run over and dragged by a semi-trailer truck at the site.
CPR was started on the injured man at the scene. When police and medical units arrived, the victim was transported to Trinity Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Police units immediately shut down the construction site and began an investigation, which determined that the victim was doing mechanical work under the truck when the driver, unaware of the victim’s location, began to drive away from the site. The victim was spotted by other workers, who told the driver to stop, and then called 9-1-1.
TCPD spokesman Lt. Darren Brockway said the fatality was accidental. The construction workers were not city employees, but were contracted by the city. Work at the site included the drilling of a new well.
City manager resigns
The Colony City Manager Dale Cheatham submitted his resignation to the city council in June after eight years in the post. In a written memo to the council informing them of his resignation, Cheatham stated that the city is in good shape for the future.
“I will always be grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve the citizens of The Colony and to work with you and a dedicated and committed staff,” Cheatham wrote. “It has been a rewarding eight years. This is a wonderful city that is financially strong, a great place to raise a family, and I believe well positioned for the future.”
Mayor McCourry expressed gratitude for Cheatham’s service to the city.
“The city council appreciates all of the years of service that Dale has given the city. His vision and leadership has continued the progressive path of growth and stability which is our goal,” McCourry said.
The Year in Review Part I includes news from January through June 2009. Part II, covering the second half of the year, will soon follow.
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