Welcome to LittleElm.com Community News and Information Site
Election Results
These are the final results.
City
Mayor
John Gowling, 184
Charles Platt, 381
David Hillock, 448
District 3
Jason Olson, 220
Curtis J. Cornelious, 257
Dickie J. Mills, 47
District 5
Katie Gipson, 62
DeLeon English, 47
LeAnna Harding, 11
Lloyd L. "Renn" Leech IV, 2
Dan Jaworski, 61
David Taylor, 15
District 4
Jim Manning, 33
Robert Burke, 34
Chip Norman, 42
Attendees enjoy Little Elm Public Safety Building opening dedication ceremony
Photos by Jim Manning
After speeches and the opening dedication ceremonies, the hundreds in attendance at the new Little Elm Public Safety Building in Little Elm enjoyed the tours throughout the center, even the new solar panels that support the building. The Town held its open house on May 5, to show its new facility to the public. Hundreds toured the facility, seeing the new jail, offices, firemen’s quarters and watched the dedication of the steel beam section from the twin towers of New York after 9-11.
Fire Chief Joe Florentino announces new firemen, paramedics
Photo by Jim Manning
Fire Chief Joe Florentino announces the new firemen/paramedics and promotions for two firemen in Little Elm. Left to Right are newly promoted drivers Sergio Reyes and Kevin Hartless. The new firefighter/paramedics are Ben Hayes, Kyle Tindall, Matt Brown and D J Dowden. They were announced at the open House for the new Public Safety building.
Country Meadows owner Kristina Lee holds Doggie Car Wash
Photos by Jim Manning
Country Meadows owner Kristina Lee holds a Doggie Car Wash to raise funds for their upcoming event for the community and its pets.
Little Elm Boy Scout Troop 285 holds annual garage sale
Photos by Jim Manning
Little Elm Boy Scout Troop 285 holds their annual garage sale to raise funds for the scout’s use at camp and other projects.
Brent principal moves to LEHS as testing, assessment coordinator Moffitt to join faculty at LEHS next year
Superintendent Lynne Leuthard announced this week that Kevin B. Moffitt, principal at Brent Elementary School, has accepted the position of Testing and Assessment Coordinator at Little Elm High School. Moffitt replaces an employee who tendered resignation.
With the state’s implementation of STAAR and End of Course (EOC) exams, Moffitt will have the opportunity to work with high school students as they work toward graduation. He currently is also an adjunct instructor in the Education Department at North Central Texas College, the district’s partnering institution of higher learning.
Moffitt joined the district in 2004 as the Principal of King Early Learning Academy. He then became the principal of Hackberry Elementary School serving as principal for five years. He has also worked in Denton ISD as a counselor and an assistant principal, but began his career in teaching in Fort Worth ISD as a kindergarten and third-grade teacher.
Moffitt earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Accounting and Control Systems from the University of North Texas and two Master’s of Education degrees in Counseling and Student Services and in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas. He holds certifications in Early Childhood, Teaching Grades 1-6, Counseling, and the Principalship from Texas.
Tina’s Tidbits
By Tina Hagar, Contributing Writer
Dragon’s Blood?
What do horses, falcons, dragon’s blood, and torture contraptions all have in common? They were all things that I experienced on Mother’s Day when my husband and I went to Medieval Times. I remember years ago when I took my daughter and we went through the knighting ceremony for our birthdays. I have always wanted to take my husband so when I learned about a buy one adult admission and Mother’s get in free; it just seemed like the perfect opportunity. It was a lot of fun, the food was very good, and I highly recommend the experience. They normally have buy one get one free admissions at different times throughout the year but I would definitely encourage signing up to their email list to receive special offers. They have a Partners in Education page as well which includes fundraising opportunities. The educator’s page of any site is always good to get ideas to share with your kids and grandkids for additional learning experiences at home. With summer coming up you can never have enough things for kids to do. Visit http://www.medievaltimes.com/dallas.aspx for more information.
Putt ‘er There
Speaking of having things to do for the summer, my friend and I stood in line for a couple of hours last Saturday (May 12) on National Miniature Golf Day. There is nothing like going past a closed gate and walking through an empty parking lot at 7 a.m. in the morning to wait for doors to open. Two people were ahead of us in line. Funny thing is that we would have been the first in line but when we drove by and saw that the gates were closed, we drove around the block to see if there was another place to drive into the parking lot. By the time we parked, someone else had already gotten out of their cars and was in front of us. No big deal though because Adventure Landing (http://www.adventurelanding.com/parks/dallas/home/general-info/) was giving away free season passes to the first 100 people and if my math is still correct, four is less than 100. They were also selling half price season passes that day as well so I made sure to get one for my husband too. Adventure Landing also has an email club and fundraising ideas. In case you did not know, April 13th was National Golf Day.
A Place to Spend the Day
You don’t have to go very far to have something to do this coming weekend (Saturday, May 19th). There are events going on all over the place. The Town of Little Elm has the Little Elm Friends of the Library Literacy Program sponsored Business Expo from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in their Community Center located at 107 Hardwicke. For more information contact Tina at 214-673-2361. After checking out the free admission Business Expo with various vendors, then drive on down to Arts and Sounds by the Lake (http://www.artsandsounds.org/) from 11 a.m. to noon at Little Elm Park (704 W. Eldorado Parkway) For more information call Missy at 972-731-3296. Also going on in Little Elm Park on Saturday and Sunday is the American Legion Post 182 Chicken and BBQ Cookoff. There will be a potluck feast on Saturday at 6 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish and take part in the feast. For cook off rules and information contact Rick McLemore at 214-796-6036 or visit http://www.littleelm.org/index.aspx?NID=523. For those of you who are interested in writing, the DFW Writers Conference is also happening on May 19th and 20th. The conference starts on Saturday at 8 a.m. in Hurst and their keynote speaker will be bestselling thriller author James Rollins. For more information about the conference this weekend visit http://dfwwritersconference.org/.
That’s all the tidbits for now. Send me an email tinahager147@yahoo.com or leave me a note on Facebook to tell me how you spent your weekend.
May 10, 2012
Little Elm ISD hires Shon Joseph to lead LEHS
The Little Elm ISD Board of School Trustees approved the superintendent's recommendation to hire Shon Joseph as principal of Little Elm High School. Joseph will begin on a part-time basis before the end of the current school year.
Joseph is finishing his second year as Principal at John Tyler High School. After one year, Joseph was awarded the 2011-2012 Region VII High School Principal of the Year award. In April of 2010, he joined the John Tyler High School staff as the school's Associate Principal. He was elevated to the role of principal eight weeks later.
Previously, Joseph was the principal of Palestine High School. While there, he was nominated twice for the TASSP Region VII High School Principal of the Year, led the campus to TEA “Recognized” rating two consecutive years (first in school history), led the campus to not only meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the first time in three years but also successfully exit AYP intervention stage, and helped the campus win more than $750,000 in grant funds.
While working as an Assistant Principal at Wylie High School, he revamped attendance procedures and increased ADA from 94 percent to 95.56 percent. He earned the Region X Assistant Principal of the Year award in 2009.
He graduated after his junior year from Peabody Magnet High School in Alexandria, La. Then he attended Louisiana College in Pineville, La. on a full scholarship. After the first semester, he transferred to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He majored in Speech Communication and graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts degree from McNeese.
He married his wife, Juanita, who is also an educator, in 2005. Mr. Joseph's oldest son is a junior in high school. He and his wife, Juanita, are also raising two young sons.
National Missing Children’s Day - May 25th (Take 25)
Sgt. Steve Garst, L.C.C.
Little Elm Police Department
Here’s a question for you. Please take a brief moment and really try to think of an answer in your mind before reading further.
What would you estimate would be the number of children (younger than 18), who are reported missing just in the United States annually? I promise you, the reality will surprise you. Before I give you the answer, here is some data you may not know about the history of missing and exploited children and how we got to where we are today on this issue.
Most people believe that the famous abduction and subsequent murder of Adam Walsh on July 27, 1981, was the case that started the revolution in how we report and investigate missing children. In fact, a young boy by the name of Etan Patz disappeared on May 25, 1979, from the streets of New York City, while on his way to school one morning. His father was a media photographer and he used his numerous contacts in the media to start getting word out about his son. Thirty years later the investigation was finally resolved with an arrest. To read more about three decade long mystery, and ultimate conviction, here is a web-link directly to that story, with lots of history and current updates on the case. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/etan-patz-evidence-missing-boy-case-30-years/story?id=7698696.
Most of us have come to identify with America’s Most Wanted, the famous TV series that John Walsh, father of Adam created. This program, and John Walsh’s efforts are what really began to draw true national attention to missing children and that is still the main focus of the show even today. Many of you while shopping in many stores may here an intercom broadcast of Code Adam. This is the notification to store employees that a child has been reported missing in the store and they all have action plans in place to rapidly respond. There is not room in this article to expand on that investigation, but if you have an interest here too is a web-link that goes into great detail on the case: http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6471791&page=1.
The case with which we in Texas most readily identify is the Amber Hagerman case, on Jan. 13, 1996, in Arlington. As of this date, this tragic abduction and murder is still unsolved. This case led to significant reforms in Texas law specifically related to missing children, to which we now refer as the Amber Plan. To read about Amber, and go to some related links, here is their web-like: http://amberalertcreator.com/.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared May 25th of each year as National Missing Children’s Day, partly in response to the two sensational cases above. Since then, a number of programs and criteria’s have been put in place to rapidly and efficiently coordinate efforts among many agencies to respond to missing children. Law enforcement at all levels, from local all the way up to Federal in most cases, became immediately involved. In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation places notices on their freeway message boards to alert motorists. The media is heavily involved at all levels. Many private entities, most notably, utility companies receive notifications because they have large fleets out at in given time, providing thousands of eyes in the community to help look for the child. There are actually a whole host of other agencies too numerous to mention that are directly involved now in helping with these investigations. The preeminent private organization dedicated exclusively to missing children is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A whole host of information and referral materials is available via their web-link at www.ncmec.org.
Now for the answer to the question: The average number of children reported missing is… 2,185 daily, or 797,500 annually – over three quarters of a million children. That is a staggering number. The most common are non-custodial family members taking a child without legal authorization and total almost 204,000.
The Little Elm Police Department, as well as the Town through a proclamation passed as the last council session on May 1, 2012, fully supports all efforts to stem to flow of missing children and to actively investigate any reports. We are all committed to a safer community for our children. If you would like more information, or would like to become more involved in efforts to make our community safer for children, please contact the Crime Prevention Unit of the Police Department at sgarst@littleelm.org or at 972-377-1885.
Bonnie and Clyde tour set for May 28
The Dallas Historical Society will host a “Running with Bonnie and Clyde” tour of Dallas from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, May 28.
The tour begins with the early days of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, showing where they grew up and went to school in West Dallas, to just east of downtown Dallas where Parker worked as a waitress and Barrow worked in a manufacturing shop. The tour includes the courthouses and jails in Dallas and includes the final resting place of both.
Phillips is a noted Bonnie and Clyde historian and is the author of Running with Bonnie and Clyde: The Ten Fast Years of Ralph Fults and the editor of My Life with Bonnie and Clyde, a memoir written by Blache Caldwell Barrow.
One of the most sought-after criminals of the Depression era, Ralph Fults began his career of crime at the improbable age of 14. At 19 he met Barrow in a Texas prison, and the two men together founded what would later be known as the Barrow gang. Running with Bonnie and Clyde is the story of Fults's experiences in the Texas criminal underworld between the years 1925 and 1935 and the account of his involvement with the Barrow gang. The gang was also known as the Lake Dallas gang because they hid out in the woods around the lake.
As an adolescent Fults escaped numerous juvenile institutions and jails, was shot by an Oklahoma police officer, and was brutalized by prison guards. With Clyde, following their fateful meeting in 1930, he robbed a bank to finance a prison raid. After the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde, in 1934, he joined forces with Raymond Hamilton; together the two robbed more banks and eluded countless posses before Hamilton's capture and 1935 execution.
One of the few survivors among numerous associates who ended up shot, stabbed, beaten to death or executed, Fults was later able to reform himself, believing that the only reason he was spared was to reveal the darkest aspects of his past-and in so doing expose the circumstances that propel youth into crime.
Phillips tells Fults's story in vivid and at times raw detail, recounting bank robberies, killings, and prison escapes, friendships, love affairs and marriages. Dialogues based on actual conversations amongst the participants enhance the narrative's authenticity. Although basing his account primarily on Fults's testimony, Phillips substantiates that viewpoint with references from eyewitness interviews, police files and court documents, and contemporary news accounts.
While Bonnie and Clyde were responsible for multiple murders and countless robberies, they did not act alone. In 1933, during their infamous run from the law, Bonnie and Clyde were joined by Clyde’s brother Buck Barrow and his wife Blanche. Of these four accomplices, only one — Blanche Caldwell Barrow — lived beyond early adulthood and only Blanche left behind a written account of their escapades.
Blanche wrote her memoir between 1933 and 1939, while serving time at the Missouri State Penitentiary. Following her death, Blanche’s good friend and the executor of her will, Esther L. Weiser, found the memoir wrapped in a large unused Christmas card. Later she entrusted it to Phillips, who had interviewed Blanche several times before her death. Drawing from these interviews, and from extensive research into Depression-era outlaw history, Phillips supplements the memoir with notes and with biographical information about Blanche and her accomplices.
For more information on this tour or other Dallas Historical Society tours, visit www.dallashistory.org or call 214-421-4500.
Master gardener research uncovers best plants for hot Denton County summers
After last summer’s challenging gardening season, the Denton County Master Gardener Association compiled a report on which plants survived and which ones failed to thrive in the record-breaking heat wave.
Conducted by veteran Master Gardener Janie Farler of Bartonville, the study involved asking Master Gardeners to share antidotal evidence of which plants worked best in their gardens in 2011. Although it doesn’t qualify as a “scientific study,” Farler said the research provides a solid overview of what will perform best in scorching Denton County weather.
When asked to list the top performing annual/perennial/herb, “65 respondents mentioned basil and 59 mentioned rosemary,” said Farler. “Those are, of course, widely available and frequently planted, which skews the results somewhat, but it is nevertheless a stunning number considering the sample size of 129. Other great annual performers were sweet potato vine, zinnias, periwinkle, peppers, and gomphrena.”
As for perennials, “the natives have it: lantana was the clear winner, followed by turk’s cap, chives, several varieties of salvia, Mexican petunia (Ruellia), red yucca, flame acanthus, and coneflower (Echinacea),” she said.
When it came to trees, “live oak, red oak, bur oak, yaupon holly, desert willow, and vitex were tops,” she reported. Crape myrtles got mixed reviews with 16 respondents listing it as a top performer and 10 reporting stressed or dead trees.
As for shrubs, autumn sage was a star, as were roses of all kinds but particularly Knock Out roses. In addition, nandina and hollies, especially burford and yaupon, weathered the summer well.
What suffered or died during the drought?
“Vegetables, begonias, impatiens, petunias, dill, some mint and thyme were stressed or died,” said Farler. “Shrubs particularly seemed to be problematic, especially azaleas, hydrangeas, Indian hawthorn, and Chinese fringe flower.”
While the full extent of 2011 tree damage will not be known for another year or two, Farler said some gardeners have already reported stress or death among dogwoods, magnolias, redbuds and Japanese maples.
“We all could have saved lots of money if we had only known that rosemary is our go-to plant to survive drought, hail, grasshoppers, and unremitting heat,” said Farler. “And it is even evergreen. What more could a gardener want?”
Tips for Successful Spring and Summer Gardening
-Plant early. The average last freeze is March 16. Better yet, plant in the fall. Plant trees in the winter while they are dormant.
-Mulch helps conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature. Use lots of it, but do not let it smother the plant. Pull it away and allow the plant to breathe.
-Even if you can’t afford to water your lawn, water the trees every couple of weeks, deeply (6-8 inches into the soil under the foliage). See tips from the Texas Forest Service: http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=14196
-Buy native and well-adapted plants for best success. If you are unfamiliar with Texas natives, look at http://www.wildflower.org/plants/
-Soaker hoses and drip irrigation save a lot of water and are much more efficient ways to irrigate.
Tina’s Tidbits
By Tina Hagar, Contributing Writer
Moon River
My husband and I went camping this past weekend at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (http://www.ias.unt.edu/llela/). We pretty much had the place to ourselves. We had to walk a pretty long way to find our campsite so we tried to take everything with one trip and that was how we learned we brought more than we needed. We picked a site right next to the river and pitched our tent under a couple of trees that ended up being the trees that could not sleep, which kept our tent awake, which kept us awake, but I digress. As the sun was going down and the moon was making its appearance, my husband informed me that he heard that the moon was supposed to be the biggest and brightest of the whole year that night. When I saw how big and orange the moon looked, I thought it was a harvest moon. After doing some research I found out that it was actually a supermoon, due to it reaching its closest spot to earth at the same time it was in its full phase. The experience was beautiful nonetheless since it was right over the trees and was backdrop to the river. For more information about the supermoon complete with video clip visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/supermoon_2012.html. Supermoms
The moon may have been super last weekend but Moms are super this weekend. In case you have not noticed all the advertisements, Sunday, May 13th is Mother’s Day. Have you already decided what you are going to do for your mom or in my case adopted moms? My mom died when I was nine so I have adopted everyone else’s mom. If you don’t have a mom, there are plenty of other people’s moms to adopt. Contact a nursing home or assisted living facility and see if there is someone who does not have any family or visitors. I guarantee it will light up their day to have someone visit. If you need ideas of things to do for mom that is free you can visit http://freebies.about.com/od/mothers-day-free/tp/mothers-day-freebies.htm that gives a number of free Mother’s Day ideas such as free Redbox rental or free breakfast at IKEA. The Yahoo shopping site shared an article from kaboodle.com on what NOT to get mom for Mother’s day. Some of the no-no’s include diet books, wrinkle cream, and gag gifts. Now me on the other hand, I happen to like gag gifts, animated musical toys, and the like, so it probably depends on the Mom. For the rest of the list mentioned in the article, visit http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/889/what-not-to-give-for-mothers-day/
It’s Baaaaaaack!
Different space, different time, different name, but it’s back… What is back you say? The suspense is killing you? Formally known as the Little Elm Library-sponsored business fair and then the Little Elm Library sponsored ABC (author, business, craft) fair. Now it is called the Little Elm Friends of the Library Adult Literacy Program sponsored Business Expo. For those of you who like acronyms (LEFOTLALPBE). Unfortunately it does not spell anything front or back. Vendors for the Saturday, May 19th Business Expo include Little Elm Friends of the Library; Little Elm Library; Little Elm Adult Literacy; Little Elm American Legion; Little Elm Lion’s Club; Silpada Jewelry (Lisa Clark); Mary Kay (Elizabeth Branco); Cookie Lee Jewelry (Jennifer Stafford); Tastefully Simple (Jennifer Stafford); Avon (Raejean Avenson); Author Rita Dear; Tigerella Crafts (Karen Fredd); Little Elm Toastmasters; Kayla’s Krafts; Limu (Tracee Lasuzzo); Jamberry Nails (Noel Giger); Gina’s Great Days for Pre-K; Little Elm Journal; and IT Works (body wraps, etc. — Robin Stokes). The Expo runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held at the Little Elm Community Center at 107 Hardwicke. For more information email leliteracy@yahoo.com or call Tina at 214-673-2361. This is a great way to learn about businesses and organizations in the area; network; shop; make new friends; and learn about job or volunteer opportunities. We are also signing up for June 23rd and July 28th Expos. Hope to see you there!
May 3, 2012
Former Little Elm standout signs with Dallas Cowboys
Cole Beasley, a former Southern Methodist University student-athlete, has signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent.
But before Beasley attended SMU, he attended Little Elm High School.
The five-foot, nine-inch wide receiver was signed as a free agent by the Cowboys after going undrafted in the 2012 National Football League Draft.
Beasley, 23, is one of 21 college free agents that Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones signed to the team after the draft was complete.
After being a do-it-all player for the Little Elm Lobos – he played quarterback, routinely rushed for more than 100 yards per game and also played defensive back – Beasley chose SMU over Air Force and instantly made an impact on the gridiron. As a freshman, Beasley ranked third on the team with 42 catches, 366 yards receiving and three scores. By the time he was a junior, he had been named to the All-Conference USA Second Team, and as a senior he was the Mustang’s go-to receiver. Beasley finished his final year at SMU with 86 catches for 1,040 yards and two touchdowns.
For his SMU career, Beasley had 255 catches for 2,959 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Little Elm honored at Starlite Gala 2012;District inducted into NCTC White Diamond Honors Circle
The North Central Texas College (NCTC) Foundation inducted the Little Elm ISD into the White Diamond Honors Circle recently at their Starlite Gala 2012. The district was honored for the partnership they’ve enjoyed since 2002, supporting more than 650 Little Elm ISD students who have enrolled in dual credit courses.
“The Little Elm ISD is making higher education possible for their students, and we want to thank them for their support of NCTC and its dual credit program,” said Dr. Eddie Hadlock, NCTC president.
Little Elm ISD has a long history of supporting their students in attending NCTC to earn college credit while still in high school through the college’s dual credit program. In partnership with the NCTC Foundation and the school district, dual credit students from Little Elm can earn a scholarship to enroll in their dual credit courses.
“We understand the importance of students enrolling in dual credit and our Board of Trustees has allocated resources for these scholarships,“ said Lynne Leuthard, superintendent.
The award points to the school district’s commitment to prepare students for college and career opportunities through programs that facilitate academic excellence.
Hackberry, Oak Point Elementary Schools honored as TEA Title I Distinguished Performance Schools
The Board of School Trustees recognized Hackberry Elementary School and Oak Point Elementary School for being named a Title I Distinguished Performance School by the Texas Education Agency. Only 501 schools in the state have received this honor.
To qualify, the Title I school must have earned an Exemplary Status for three consecutive years (2009-2011), and two years of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The school's student population must be comprised of more than 40 percent low-income students.
Little Elm ISD joins districts across Texas calling for a new accountability system
Little Elm ISD’s Board of School Trustees unanimously approved a Resolution Concerning High Stakes, Standardized Testing of Texas Public School students. The Board joins more than 400 Texas school districts who have approved the resolution, and together those districts serve more than two million Texas schoolchildren.
The resolution, drafted by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and endorsed by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), strongly criticizes the current over-reliance on standardized, high stakes testing as the only assessment that really matters in the state and federal accountability system.
It asserts that the current testing system is strangling public schools, imposes relentless test preparation and memorization and is stealing the love of learning from Texas students.
The resolution embraces accountability, but calls for a new system - one that uses multiple measures rather than just one test and results in a truer picture of the performance of each student, school and district. It encourages meaningful, student-centered work in Texas classrooms that cultivate unique, individual talents.
Veteran receives Little Elm home
By Josh Pherigo
LittleElm.com
A highly-decorated North Texas veteran and his family were the recipients of a new custom-built Little Elm home earlier this year.
John Wayne Walding was all smiles as he accepted the keys to a new four-bedroom home donated by the Helping a Hero Organization and ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Standing alongside his wife and son in front of a cheering crowd of dozens of friends, new neighbors and supporters, Sergeant First-Class Walding thanked the community for their support.
The ceremony marked the final chapter to an inspiring journey of recovery for the 31-year-old former U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant who was severely injured in Afghanistan four years ago.
“I tell everybody the most frustrating part about being in the military is you protect the American Dream, but you can’t afford to live it,” a grateful Walding told NBC 5
For Walding, protecting that dream meant paying a high price for freedom.
In April 2008, Walding, along with a small detachment of joint special forces operators and a group of Afghan national Commandoes were on a dangerous mission on the mountains surrounding the Shok Valley in northern Afghanistan when they came under heavy fire from above.
During a seven-hour firefight, Walding, the detachment’s Communications Sergeant, directed close air support and applied small arms fire to suppress a force of more than 200 well-trained Afghan insurgents. In the midst of the battle, a sniper’s bullet nearly severed Walding’s right leg just below the knee. Undeterred, Walding applied a tourniquet and tied his injured lower leg to his thigh and continued fighting. He and the rest of the group of soldiers, most injured in some way, eventually climbed down a vertical 60-foot cliff to a waiting helicopter for evacuation. Two Afghan commandos were killed in the battle.
Walding’s heroism in the face of extreme danger earned him the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest honor. Doctor’s were forced to amputate Walding’s lower leg, but that didn’t stop him from enrolling in the Army’s rigorous special forces Sniper course, becoming the first-ever one-legged soldier to complete the training.
In an article about his historic accomplishment, Walding outlined his commitment to serve.
"You don't become a Green Beret because you 'kind of like it,' you become a Green Beret because you love it, and can't imagine being anything else," Walding said, adding that most of the other soldiers in the eight-week course had no idea he was an amputee.
“At first, (my classmates) were shocked to realize I was missing a leg," Walding said. "Then, they realized 'Wow, he's doing everything I'm doing!'"
After graduating the program, Walding served as a Sniper School instructor before leaving the Army in 2011.
Neighbors and community members waived American flags as police motorcycles escorted the Waldings down the street to their new home, built on a lot donated by Operation Home Free.
The house is customized with wider hallways, broad doorways, lower sinks, a roll-through shower and other accommodations for Walding’s wheelchair, which he uses when he’s not wearing his prosthesis.
The features allow Walding more freedom than he was afforded in the family’s previous house in North Carolina. When he was notified a year ago that he had been selected to receive the house, Helping a Hero gave him the option of where to move. He knew he wanted to return to his home state of Texas, and the Little Elm and Frisco area was the perfect place to raise a family, he said.
Helping a Hero has built and donated more than 50 homes so far. Eight more are currently under construction.
TxDOT: I-35E project to receive extra $300 million
By Tim Glaze
LittleElm.com
The I-35E project will be receiving some more money after all.
In a unanimous decision on Thursday, April 26, the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) voted to revise the 2012 Unified Transportation Plan (UTP), formally allocating $1.6 billion to communities across the state using existing funding formulas.
The remaining $400 million will be allocated to transportation projects – like the expansion of I-35E – selected by the Transportation Commission focusing on strategic partnerships and statewide connectivity.
The TTC allocations allow the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) more flexibility in dolling out cash.
TxDOT intends to partner with regional transportation agencies to accelerate the I-35E project by adding $300 million to the existing funds, which will leverage the approximately $1.2 billion that has been estimated to complete the expansion of one of Texas’ more traffic-heavy highways.
Officials involved with the I-35E expansion have been scrapping for enough money to cover the cost of the project, which includes the addition of several regular lanes in each direction, managed lanes and toll counters from I-635 in Dallas all the way to US-380 in Denton.
Now, it looks as though they won’t have to worry about the financial side of the project anymore.
Across the state, $800 million of the funds will go toward addressing metropolitan congestion, nearly $650 million will go toward Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and rural connectivity, $150 million will go to strategic projects identified by TxDOT districts, more than $200 million will go to statewide connectivity and $200 million will go to strategic partnerships.
According to officials, TxDOT announced the availability of approximately $2 billion in funds in February and immediately began work with local transportation leaders to receive input on options for allocating the funds and collect ideas for potential priority projects that could move forward quickly. TxDOT gathered public comments on the proposed UTP revision.
Besides the I-35E expansion, TxDOT will work in partnership with the MPO’s and districts to identify projects that focus on safety, congestion, maintenance and statewide connectivity in the coming months.
“Together with our public and private sector partners, the department has previously leveraged investments of limited state resources to advance more than $10 billion in North Texas transportation improvements,” said Bill Meadows, a Texas Transportation Commission member from Fort Worth. “It is my hope that our local partners will realize the opportunity here to leverage this $2 billion into a much greater impact for Texas communities.”
According to a chart released by TxDOT, the Dallas area will be on the hook for the second-most expensive strategic projects in 2012, behind only Houston.
The new money should help, said Phil Wilson, the TxDOT Executive Director.
“Our $2 billion is expected to deliver more than $4 billion in projects, plus additional opportunities beyond this,” said Wilson.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for TxDOT to work with our partners in a way that has a significant impact on our states mobility challenges.”
Pickups rock! But they roll too... Pickup truck seat-belt use touted during 2012 ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign
Texans have a love affair with pickups, and while residents of the Lone Star State think these vehicles ‘rock,’ they also need to know they roll, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service safety expert.
About one in four vehicles registered in Texas is a pickup truck. And according to a 2011 study conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, only 80 percent of pickup truck drivers buckle up, as compared with more than 90 percent of regular seat belt users in all other types of vehicles.
“Even though pickups are larger than cars and their owners tend to feel safer in them, they are twice as likely to roll over as passenger cars,” said Bev Kellner, AgriLife Extension program specialist-passenger safety at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Kellner added that pickup truck drivers and their passengers also typically have a lower seat-belt usage rate than drivers of other types of vehicles.
“Statistically, pickup truck drivers and passengers are the least likely to buckle up,” she said. “Also, one out of every two pickup truck drivers killed in a traffic crash in 2010 was not wearing a seat belt.”
Kellner said the lower overall seat belt use by pickup drivers is likely a combination of the false sense of security and an incorrect belief that seat belts don’t need to be used during short trips.
“Pickup truck drivers and passengers also tend to be younger, male drivers who are either not getting or are disregarding the well-known fact that seat belts save lives,” she said. “And pickup crashes can be especially serious – even deadly – due to their tendency to roll over and for unbelted occupants to be thrown from the vehicle.”
“Click It or Ticket is a two-week-long program designed to emphasize the ease – and cost effectiveness – of using a seat belt,” she said. AgriLife Extension supports the Click It or Ticket campaign and is working in partnership to help promote its positive messages about seat belt use.”
Kellner noted that this year marks the eleventh year of the Click It or Ticket campaign in Texas and that the campaign has saved an estimated 2,843 lives in Texas and prevented more than 48,000 serious injuries from car crashes.
The Click It or Ticket campaign time frame includes the Memorial Day weekend, and this year the campaign is scheduled for May 21-June 3. During this time, extra law enforcement representatives will be on the roads enforcing the seat belt and child restraint laws in an effort to save lives.
“The campaign will also stress that under Texas law seat belt use is now required for both front seat and back seat passengers,” Kellner said. “Fines for non-compliance can range from $25 dollars to $250 dollars. Motorists can save money – and, more importantly, save lives - by buckling up on every trip."
Growing Your Own
By Janet Laminack
Denton County Extension Agent
Have you ever thought about having a garden and growing your own vegetables? If you haven’t gardened before, it might seem like an impossible idea. However, Texas AgriLife Extension and the Denton County Master Gardeners are here to help!
First things first: in order to grow edibles, your plants need full sun, which means you need at least eight hours of direct sunlight. Most fruits, vegetables and herbs must have this much sun. If you have a shady yard or don’t even have a yard, there are other options available… so don’t give up yet, try a community garden or container gardening.
Next thing plants need is soil. Soil is what gardeners call dirt. The ideal garden soil is deep, well-drained and fertile. In Denton, our soil tends to be compacted clay. The best way to deal with it is to build a raised bed. It doesn’t have to be a very deep bed, but adding lumber, bricks or concrete tiles a foot high can greatly improve your garden. A raised bed requires extra soil to be brought in and compost should be added as well. If you decide to garden in the soil you have in your backyard, adding compost or organic matter (such as leaves or chipped wood mulch) will help it drain better and improve the quality of the soil.
Make sure you kill or remove any grass before you put in a garden. Our common lawn grass, Bermuda, is very aggressive and has discouraged many would-be gardeners. So kill it before you begin and stay vigilant to keep it out of your garden.
The last essential ingredient for a garden is water. Vegetables will need regular watering, definitely every few days, possibly daily. Make sure you put your garden in a location that has a faucet and hose so that you can easily water it or better yet, use drip irrigation or a soaker hose.
Timing of a vegetable garden is not an exact science, since it is not possible to know what our weather has in store for us. However, there should still be time to get your warm season garden in for some homegrown produce. Vegetables are categorized as cool- or warm-season, and knowing the difference is the key. Crops that can be planted now and will do well in a small home garden are snap beans, eggplant, and peppers. Other warm season veggies that need a little more room include corn, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, squash and melons. An easy way to begin growing edibles is to add a few herbs to existing flower beds, my favorites are rosemary and basil.
For more details on gardening visit www.dcmga.com and http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu, or contact the Master Gardener Help Desk with your questions at 940-349-2892.
Canning foods at home? Yes, you can: but do it safely.
By Maggie Jover
Denton County Extension Agent
As family gardens are being planted this spring, we can expect an abundance of home-grown fruits and vegetables by late spring and into the summer. This abundance of produce often triggers the desire to can foods at home. While this can be a fun and rewarding way to keep foods long after the season ends, care must be taken to assure that foods canned at home are safe to eat.
First of all, it’s important to follow research-based methods and use tested recipes when canning foods at home. Not all recipes for home canning have been tested for safety. Sources of tested recipes include the National Center for Home Food Preservation (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/), USDA and manufacturers of home canning equipment and supplies. Recipes from cookbooks, out-dated Extension publications and the Internet should not be used.
Using the right equipment while canning food also is important. Many foods can be preserved using a water-bath canner but others, such as canned vegetables, must be processed in a pressure canner. If the right canning method is not used, then the finished product could make people very sick! Also, make sure that the equipment you have is in good working order. Dial gauges on pressure canners need to be tested annually to make sure they are accurate. There are many other aspects to canning that one needs to consider, including jar size, headspace and recommended processing (canning) times. All of these can influence the safely of the final product.
The last thing that I want to do is tell someone that the food they have just spent hours canning has to be thrown away or redone. However, if one did not use a tested recipe, if unsealed jars were not identified within 24 hours after canning or if jars were not processed properly (i.e. using a water-bath canner instead of a pressure canner) I may have no other choice. Nobody likes to throw food away, but nobody wants to get sick (or worse) from eating unsafe food.
Tina’s Tidbits
By Tina Hagar, Contributing Writer
Have You Seen This?
Girl character taking the place of younger sister; wears clothes of fire; dodges balls of fire; survives all odds. Three babies who grow up and cause havoc no matter what they do; slapping, poking, and inflicting pain is the norm but does not cause death; though a number of problems happen throughout has a happy ending. If you guessed “Hunger Games” for the first movie and “The Three Stooges” for the second you would be correct. I have not read “Hunger Games” yet but the movie was very good. I used to watch “The Three Stooges” as a kid and the movie stayed pretty close to the type of antics that were pulled years ago. I would recommend seeing both. “Hunger Games” has cool enough special effects worth watching in the movie theatre where you could probably wait to see “The Three Stooges” either at the dollar show or on DVD.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Books!
Speaking of reading, how many of you read e-books? My husband bought me a Kindle a couple of years back as a Christmas present and I have not used it yet. It is on my bucket list, just not very high. Though purchasing e-books can get rather expensive, there are a number of places to access e-books for free, starting with the library. Many times all you need is a library card, which is normally free. Even if the library itself may not offer e-books, they normally have links of where to access e-books for free. For example, Carrollton Public Library currently offers 300 free e-books from Project Gutenberg, but they give an excellent fact sheet about e-books and where else to access e-books until they offer more. You can read the fact sheet at http://www.cityofcarrollton.com/index.aspx?page=844. Little Elm Public Library is starting to offer free e-books through a service called Freading. They also give information where to locate free e-audio books from sites such as LibriVox and Podiobooks. I am really glad to learn that Librivox uses volunteers for reading. I think I will add that to my bucket list too. More information about what Little Elm is doing in the e-book arena can be found at http://www.littleelmtx.us/index.aspx?nid=787. Basehor Community Library in Kansas has an amazing list of free e-book sites which can be found at http://www.basehorlibrary.org/websites-for-free-e-books/. Make sure to check out what your local library is doing in regards to e-books.
Cinco de Mayo
In between reading, make sure to visit some of the activities going on this Saturday, May 5th which is also Cinco de Mayo. First of all, Trail Dust Steakhouse (26501 US Highway 380 E
Aubrey, TX 76227-8284) is hosting a fundraising car wash for the pets at Woofstock Second Chance camp from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a great way to get your car cleaned, have lunch, and help a good cause all at the same time. For more information about the fundraising car wash contact Kristina at 940-595-8148. Before that, Denton is holding its 24th Cinco de Mayo festival on Saturday, May 5th in Quakertown Park (321 E. McKinney St.). The festival is kicked off with a parade at 10 a.m. and activities include music, food and fun for the entire family. For more information call 940-369-3909.
I wish I had enough room to let you know everything that is going on but hopefully these will be enough “tidbits” to whet your whistle. Stay tuned for next week’s “bits” which will include information about Mother’s Day events and the Little Elm Friends of the Library Adult Literacy sponsored Business Expo. Please let me know of any tidbits you try or find by sending me an email at tinahager147@yahoo.com or leave me a comment in Facebook. Happy Reading!
Police and Fire Reports
Monday, April 16
3:14 p.m. – Graffiti was reported at the 2500 block of Red Oak Drive.
5:07 p.m. – An odor investigation took place at the 1200 block of Oak.
Tuesday, April 17
1:08 a.m. – A medical assist call was reported at the 1200 block of Bert.
4:59 a.m. – A building burglary was reported at the 800 block of Eldorado Parkway.
6:16 a.m. – A building burglary was reported at the 2800 block of Eldorado Parkway.
2:09 p.m. – A car fire was reported at the 15000 block of King Road.
11:45 a.m. – Assault was reported at the 3000 block of Bella Vista Lane.
Wednesday, April 18
12:31 a.m. – Possession of drug paraphernalia was reported at the 2300 block of Walker Lane.
12:39 a.m. – A motor vehicle accident was reported at the 1900 block of Walker.
4:59 p.m. – A person in distress call was made at the 1500 block of Brookstone.
8:52 p.m. – Assault was reported at the 1400 block of Navo Road.
Thursday, April 19
2:22 p.m. – A smoke detector was activated at the 1900 block of Cliffrose Drive.
3:26 p.m. – A building fire was reported at the 2200 block of Bradford Pear Drive.
Friday, April 20
8:43 a.m. – Theft was reported at the 2500 block of Largo Lane.
1:54 p.m. – A gas leak was reported at the intersection of Eldorado and Hart.
8:34 p.m. – A wildland fire was reported at the 700 block of Eldorado Parkway.
10:02 p.m. – Assault was reported at the 2600 block of Misty Harbor Drive.
Saturday, April 21
1:29 a.m. – Driving while intoxicated was reported at the 100 block of Castleridge.
12:03 p.m. – A person in distress call was made at the 900 block of Eldorado Parkway.
8:08 p.m. – A motor vehicle accident was reported at the intersection of FM 720 and Hill.
Sunday, April 22
1 a.m. – Criminal mischief was reported at the 200 block of Brookedale Drive.
8:18 p.m. – A fire was reported at the 2200 block of Plum.
Monday, April 23
12:15 a.m. – Driving while intoxicated was reported at the intersection of Castleridge and Eldorado.
12:30 p.m. – Graffiti was reported at the 2700 block of Red Oak Drive.
7:12 p.m. – Theft was reported at the 1500 block of Brookstone Drive.
8:30 p.m. – Assault was reported at the 100 block of Eldorado Parkway.
Wednesday, April 25
3:24 a.m. – Aggravated robbery was reported at the 26000 block of Highway 380.
12:51 p.m. – Criminal mischief was reported at the 4400 block of Dickson Lane.
12:57 p.m. – A terroristic threat was reported at the 2700 block of Sunbeam Drive.
April 26, 2012
Tina’s Tidbits
By Tina Hagar, Contributing Writer
Coffee and More
I hope many of you were able to pick up some of the Earth day freebies I mentioned in last week’s tidbits. Though I was not able to pick up any that I mentioned, my friend Donna told me about an Earth day promo that Dunn Bros. coffee had going on. All I had to do was purchase a mug and I could get a free drink. After that day, if I bring my purchased mug in I get twenty-five cents off the price of any drink (non alcoholic of course). While I was at the coffee shop I noticed that they also have entertainment. My husband and I went to listen to jazz this last Monday night and we learned that they have Tango music and dancing the fourth Friday of every month starting at 8 p.m. Another thing I noticed is that they have free Wi-Fi and computers that their customers can use. Though I was told they are still trying to update their website, it has location, contact and hours of operation information that you can use to find out the most current events. If you like them on Face book you can learn about other discounts. The Addison website is http://addison.dunnbros.com/.
Hot Spots
Speaking of free Wi-Fi, I just read an article on Yahoo written by Becky Worley entitled “How to Get Free Wi-Fi Almost Anywhere.” The article was very informative and she included a video presentation as well. Some topics mentioned included where to find free Wi-Fi, testing parking lot reception, and enhancing reception overall. As of this writing, the article could be found at http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/free-wi-fi-almost-anywhere-175532921.html. Another site mentioned in the article was http://www.wififreespot.com/index.html which is a free Wi-Fi spot directory. In Carrollton, both the Carrollton libraries and Carrollton Senior Center now have free Wi-Fi. I would love to hear about your favorite free Wi-Fi spots.
Weave a Website
While you are enjoying free Wi-Fi, consider making yourself a website for free at http://www.webs.com/. According to the site there are 300-plus templates that will do the design work for you. The company started in 2001 with three brothers, two thousand dollars, and a server in the closet. Now it has grown to 50 employees.
I hope you enjoyed these tidbits and I look forward to hearing any feedback you may have. You can contact me at tinahager147@yahoo.com or leave a message on Face book.
Little Elm Police & Fire Reports
Monday, April 1
12:16 a.m. – An odor investigation was reported at the 8600 block of Braewood Bay.
11:16 a.m. – A motor vehicle accident was reported at the intersection of FM 423 and Frisco Ranch.
1:23 p.m. – Assault was reported at the 1400 block of Waterford Drive.
3:39 p.m. – Theft was reported at the 8999 block of FM 423.
4 p.m. – Theft was reported at the 700 block of Eldorado Parkway.
Tuesday, April 2
10:20 a.m. – Possession of tobacco was reported at the 1900 block of Walker Lane.
Wednesday, April 3
11:19 a.m. – A lock out was reported at the 400 block of Eldorado Parkway.
3:40 p.m. – Resisting arrest was reported at the 1900 block of Walker Lane.
Thursday, April 4
12:10 p.m. – An accident was reported at the 1000 block of Palomino Drive.
12:14 p.m. – A motor vehicle accident was reported at the 1000 block of Palomino Drive.
5:01 p.m. – A medical call was made at the 200 block of Brookdale Drive.
7:13 p.m. – Fraud was reported at the 2000 block of Sumac Drive.
9:35 p.m. – Assault was reported at the 2000 block of Crestlake Drive.
Friday, April 6
8:44 a.m. – A chemical spill was reported at the 1200 block of Shell Beach Drive.
9:32 a.m. – A lock out was reported at the 12000 block of Ocean Spray Drive.
12 p.m. – A short-circuit fire was reported at the 1600 block of Princess Lane.
1:40 p.m. – A gas leak was reported at the 1700 block of Forsythe.
8:02 p.m. – A system malfunction was reported at the 1700 block of Walker.
Saturday, April 7
9:56 a.m. – A lock out was reported at the 2700 block of Eldorado Parkway.
10:41 a.m. – A smoke investigation took place at the 1000 block of Brendan Drive.
3:34 p.m. – A person in distress call was reported at the 2300 block of Magnolia.
4:24 p.m. – A carbon monoxide detector was activated at the 2200 block of Gulfstream Drive.
Tuesday, April 10
7:46 a.m. – A person in distress call was reported at the 14000 block of Eaglemont Drive.
10:54 a.m. – A person in distress call was reported at the 2600 block of Shorecrest Drive.
11:59 a.m. – A medical assist call was reported at the 800 block of Highridge Drive.
2 p.m. – A medical assist call was reported at the 700 block of Eldorado Parkway.
6:14 p.m. – A building fire was reported at the 1600 block of Thornhill Lane.
Wednesday, April 11
12:10 p.m. – A person in distress call was reported at the 2000 block of Greenbrook Drive.
1:33 p.m. – A person in distress call was reported at the 14000 block of Eaglemount Drive.
Friday, April 13
8:13 a.m. – A motor vehicle accident was reported at the 500 block of Longshore Drive.
10:47 a.m. – A rubbish fire was reported at the 500 block of Two Pines Lane.
2:01 p.m. – A building fire was reported at the 2700 block of Rock Port Lane.
3:59 p.m. – A medical assist call was reported at the 1200 block of Red Bud Street.
5:56 p.m. – A motor vehicle accident was reported at the intersection of Highway 380 and Navo Road.
10:06 p.m. – A lock out was reported at the 26000 block of Highway 380.
Saturday, April 14
9:58 a.m. – A building fire was reported at the 200 block of Brookdale Drive.
Sunday, April 15
7:02 p.m. – A steam leak was reported at the 2400 block of Chesterwood Drive.
April 19, 2012
Little Elm hosts Water Is Life event
Little Elm hosted a “Water is Life” morning to teach residents water conservation, rainwater reclamation and what plants are best in the area.
It was standing room only in the packed Little Elm Council Chambers as Dotty Woodson and Janet Laminack spoke.
Woodson is a water resource program specialist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas. Woodson's programs cover landscape water conservation practices, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, irrigation efficiency and drip irrigation. She works with county extension agents, water utilities and districts, elected officials, nurserymen, landscapers, irrigation and rainwater harvesting professionals, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalist and homeowners.
Laminack is the Texas AgriLife Extension Agent handling Horticulture and Environmental Stewardship for Denton County.
Woodson told residents that water is becoming scarce in the North Texas area due to the increasing number of residents. Another problem North Texas is facing is Zebra Muscles that have infested Lake Texoma. The Zebra Muscles were brought in from out of state, quickly reproduce and eventually attach to pumps and pipelines, clogging up the water lines.
Woodson’s first presentation was drip irrigation as a way to cut down on water usage. Drip irrigation, she said, is the most efficient irrigation method. The equipment for setting up a drip irrigation system is readily available, may be exempt from water restrictions, reduces water loss due to evaporation, reduces leaching of water and nutrients below the root zone and saves money and water.
The best places for a drip irrigation system, Woodson said, is anywhere in a landscape that can be reached by a water source such as a garden hose. A drip irrigation system can also be connected to an existing irrigation system, such as the sprayer system used in most landscapes.
The drip irrigation water lines can be placed on the surface of the ground and covered with mulch or can be buried.
To utilize a drip irrigation system, the tubing should be placed around the perimeter of the area to keep even water pressure with additional tubing added across the area.
Residents who want to hook up a system to their outdoor water faucet should use a backflow preventer, a filter, a pressure regulator and then an adapter to hook the water source to the water lines. Woodson suggested using a splitter as well in order to get water from the source as well as water to the area that needs irrigation.
Woodson warned that no drip irrigation system should be used without a timer attached to avoid over-watering and water waste. Timers range from simple non-powered to electronic, as well as solar-powered larger timers that can handle several zones. She suggested the multi-zone timers that allow one area to be watered, then another and another. That way, she said, one area doesn’t get soaked, but gets a steady amount of water for a short time.
The tubing needed for the drip irrigation system is available at most hardware stores and can be put together easily with a few inexpensive tools. Woodson recommended residents rethink their sprinkler systems and retrofit them to a drip irrigation system where possible.
Woodson said that residents can rent a small trencher that digs out a path for a buried drip irrigation system. By renting a trencher, the amount of dirt moved is minimal and in about 90 days the area should look as though nothing took place.
Laminack said that last year’s weather was rough on plants. In February, the amount of cold weather wreaked havoc for plants. Then there was the record heat for the summer.
“It didn’t even cool off at night so plants weren’t able to recover,” she said. Also, many plants didn’t set fruit due to the heat.
Laminack suggested residents take time to consider plants that are best adapted to the North Texas area and not just purchase what’s offered at the garden center.
She suggested residents try out the many online plant selectors that will help determine what plants will work best for what a resident is trying to accomplish. Those plant selectors can be found by searching EarthKind, Texas Smartscape, Lady Bird Johnson, Benny Simpson’s Texas Native Trees, Texas Forest Service – Texas Tree Planting Guide, Texas Superstars and Texas Turf Grass.
Woodson’s second session was on rainwater collection. She pointed out that rainwater collection is becoming quite popular because of new water restrictions and the rising cost of water. However, she added, rainwater collection isn’t a new concept and is one that goes back hundreds of years. She showed a slide of a Sixth Century Castle with an underground water cistern. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation built a new building that houses a basement cistern that can hold up to 150,000 gallons of water to be used in the fountains, toilets and landscaping.
In theory, about .62 gallons per square foot of collection surface per inch of rainfall can be collected. Annual rainfall in the Dallas area is approximately 35 inches per year.
Woodson threw out some numbers amongst those attending: a 1,200 square foot roof that collects 32 inches of rain (roughly what North Texas gets) will collect as much as 38,400 gallons of rainwater per year. She suggested a rain barrel of at least 1,500 gallons. That amount will typically handle a lawn and landscape on a one-fifth acre residential lot with a home.
Woodson said that many homeowners already have a good start on building a rainwater collection system – they have the roof and a gutter system that diverts the water to the downspouts. Homeowners will need to obtain a barrel or tank, and Woodson suggested thinking large. She said that homeowners may wish to start out with a simple 55-gallon barrel but assured the crowd that it doesn’t take long for a barrel of that size to fill up. She said that some people start with one barrel and then add additional barrels, connecting them together. The cost of tanks ranges from 50 cents per gallon for barrels, to $1 per gallon for poly tanks and $2 per gallon for fiberglass tanks. Underground tanks are also available and run about $4 per gallon but few actually go that route due to the cost.
She said many get shorter tanks so that the tanks can’t be seen over a six-foot fence. The tanks can be dressed up with a wood cover as well.
Tina’s Tidbits
By Tina Hagar, Contributing Writer
Where Am I?
You will never guess where I am right now. I am in a large Texas city that has a huge convention center that looks like a cruise ship (at least that is what it looks like to me). If those clues did not help, then the city starts with an H. If you guessed Houston you guessed right! I am here attending the Texas Library Association Conference until Friday. Tuesday was very productive and has already given me some committee work for the rest of the year. The conference goes until Friday so if Tuesday is any inclination of what the rest of the week is going to be like then I will be one busy girl in 2012 and 2013, I mean busier. Author Brad Meltzer was the guest speaker at our first general session on Wednesday morning and it was very good. I will discuss more about conference experiences next week. Have you attended any conferences this year and did you learn anything that made you glad you went?
Full of It
Speaking of libraries, which usually goes hand in hand with books, which occasionally goes hand in hand with lack of space… I learned of a website that made me laugh. The picture looks like the library had too much to eat causing it to throw up. It made me laugh because I have been in a few libraries where if it were possible, I could see that actually happening. I am sure there are some homes and businesses that would do the same thing if they could. Check out the site and tell me what you think: http://flavorwire.com/270701/enormous-sculptures-of-books-exploding-out-of-buildings?all=1
Time to Get Outside
There is nothing better than being outside, enjoying good food with friends and family while listening to music. You can do just that on Saturday, April 21st at Lions Club Park (4800 Nash Drive in The Colony) from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Jammin' in the Park is a free event and featured performers that day are “On the Way,” “Alle Noelle” and the “Rumble Kings.” What makes it even more exciting is that the Sons of the American Legion are hosting their Chili Cook-Off in the same park. For more information about these and other events in The Colony visit http://visitthecolonytx.org/events.php
Every Day Should Be Earth Day
Though it is important that we do things to protect our earth and environment every day, many activities and events are planned for the actual day of April 22nd. Since it falls on a Sunday, hopefully there will be a lot of people who will be able to take part in the festivities. Along with all the cool events that will be happening, about.com has provided some cool Earth Day Freebies you might want to check out at http://freebies.about.com/od/freeholidayfun/tp/earth-day-freebies.htm?nl=1. Speaking of checking things out, don’t forget to “check out” your local library for more information about Earth Day and other holidays throughout the year.
Thanks for reading “tidbits” and I look forward to giving you more to “chew on” next week! I hope everyone has a wonderful week and weekend. Until then I always look forward to reading your comments on Face book or send me an email at tinahager147@yahoo.com.
Veteran receives Little Elm home through several organization’s help
