GRAPEVINE / COLLEYVILLE / SOUTHLAKE / WESTLAKE EDITION Volume 2, Issue 8 | Oct. 18–Nov. 14, 2012 www.impactnews.com Rena Frost | 15 After years managing Mac’s Steak & Seafood, she’s taking the Colleyville restaurant to the next level impactdeals.com Coupons start on Page 19. Find even more online at Election 2012 Guide | 12 Be prepared to walk into the voting booth with a look at the candidates, propositions and more impactnews.com Colleyville launches tiered water rate system Move expected to spur conservation www.impactnews.com/dfw-metro Aviation Place | 9 New development has landed in The Village at Colleyville The Gatehouse | 17 Women’s shelter approved in Grapevine will open late next year Cities became first in Texas to combine operations in October Colleyville, Keller merge municipal courts District ranks sixth in contributions to state redistribution program ‘Robin Hood’ recapture to top $450M in GCISD By Rachel Slade Even as area school districts consider scaling back programs and staff to account for deep budget cuts, one annual expense is unavoidable: Chapter 41 recapture. Also known as “Robin Hood,” the state’s redistribution program that funnels money from property-wealthy school districts to property-poor districts started in 1993. And the 354 districts that qualified for Chapter 41 status last year sent roughly $1.12 billion of local tax revenue to the state for redistribution. Altogether since Robin Hood’s incep- tion, more than $15 billion has been recaptured, and experts anticipate the current year will be the 10th for recap- ture payments to exceed $1 billion. Both Grapevine-Colleyville and Carroll ISDs — which rank sixth and 25th, respectively, in total recapture paid to date — adopted defi- cit budgets this year. Meanwhile, about 30 percent of local tax revenue in GCISD and 27 percent in CISD will go toward recap- ture this year. Area districts are hoping that the next legislative session and/or a number of lawsuits that have been filed against the state that argue it is not properly funding public education will provide relief, but for now, educators say the situation is “scary.” “at money turns into jobs, it turns into programs and it turns into impacting stu- dents, and that’s what we don’t want to hap- pen,” GCISD spokeswoman Megan Over- man said. By Abigail Allen In an effort to increase effi- ciency and minimize costs, the cities of Colleyville and Keller this month became the first cities in Texas to combine their municipal court operations. “We’re always looking for effi- ciencies where we can do things better,” Colleyville Mayor David Kelly said. e merge was inspired by a previous arrangement between Colleyville, Southlake and Keller to combine the dispatch and jail operations, Kelly said. ose joint services have been offered since Oct. 10, 2010. “It provided us some better services and also, by combin- ing them, has provided for more efficiency in terms of the value provided and also the savings ... to our residents,” Kelly said. “So we kept looking [at] what are other areas that we could again improve on these efficiencies, and the courts seemed the logical next step.” Colleyville officials said they believe this new step will not inconvenience Colleyville resi- dents as the court functions will remain in the city. “For all intents and purposes, nothing will change for a Col- leyville citizen,” said Mona Gandy, the city’s communications and marketing director. “But because it’s a shared court and a shared partnership, we want it to work for Keller as well and for Keller citizens.” Background and transition is true joined municipal court is the first of its kind in Texas. “We had to get approval by the state of Texas to do this,” Kelly said. “So our state representative, Vicki Truitt, helped us get legisla- tion passed that would allow two or more cities to combine and See Becoming Robin Hood | 11 See Courts | 14 The cities of Colleyville and Keller have become the first in Texas to combine their municipal court operations. The merge became official Oct. 1. Rachel Slade DISTRICT TOTAL RECAPTURE* The laws establishing the creation of Chapter 41 or “Robin Hood” school districts were passed in 1993. In terms of recapture by the state since 1993, these are the top 10 contributing districts. Glade Road Riverwalk Dr. Church St. CARROLL ISD GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD $15.1 million $28 million 1. Austin ISD $1,449,582,395 2. Plano ISD $1,235,553,453 3. Highland Park ISD $911,465,317 4. Eanes ISD $665,230,095 5. Deer Park ISD $578,272,409 6. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD $448,151,870 7. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD $391,231,850 8. Coppell ISD $381,096,764 9. Richardson ISD $373,451,601 10. La Porte ISD $368,322,798 Sources: Texas Education Agency, GCISD, CISD *As of the 2011–12 school year 26 Top 10 CONTRIBUTORS 2012-13 Anticipated Recapture
Rena Frost | 15 After years managing Mac’s Steak & Seafood, she’s taking the Colleyville
restaurant to the next levelimpactdeals.com
Coupons start on Page 19.Find even more online at
Election 2012 Guide | 12Be prepared to walk into the voting booth with a look at the candidates, propositions and more
impactnews.com
Colleyville launches tiered water rate systemMove expected to spur conservationwww.impactnews.com/dfw-metro
Aviation Place | 9New development has landed in The Village at Colleyville
The Gatehouse | 17 Women’s shelter approved in
Grapevine will open late next year
Cities became first in Texas to combine operations in October
Colleyville, Keller merge municipal courts
District ranks sixth in contributions to state redistribution program
‘Robin Hood’ recapture to top $450M in GCISDBy Rachel Slade
Even as area school districts consider scaling back programs and staff to account for deep budget cuts, one annual expense is unavoidable: Chapter 41 recapture.
Also known as “Robin Hood,” the state’s redistribution program that funnels money from property-wealthy school districts to property-poor districts started in 1993. And the 354 districts that qualified for Chapter 41 status last year sent roughly $1.12 billion of local tax revenue to the state for redistribution.
Altogether since Robin Hood’s incep-tion, more than $15 billion has been recaptured, and experts anticipate the current year will be the 10th for recap-ture payments to exceed $1 billion. Both
Grapevine-Colleyville and Carroll ISDs — which rank sixth and 25th, respectively, in total recapture paid to date — adopted defi-cit budgets this year. Meanwhile, about 30 percent of local tax revenue in GCISD and 27 percent in CISD will go toward recap-ture this year. Area districts are hoping that the next legislative session and/or a number of lawsuits that have been filed against the state that argue it is not properly funding public education will provide relief, but for now, educators say the situation is “scary.”
“That money turns into jobs, it turns into programs and it turns into impacting stu-dents, and that’s what we don’t want to hap-pen,” GCISD spokeswoman Megan Over-man said.
By Abigail AllenIn an effort to increase effi-
ciency and minimize costs, the cities of Colleyville and Keller this month became the first cities in Texas to combine their municipal court operations.
“We’re always looking for effi-ciencies where we can do things better,” Colleyville Mayor David Kelly said.
The merge was inspired by a previous arrangement between Colleyville, Southlake and Keller
to combine the dispatch and jail operations, Kelly said. Those joint services have been offered since Oct. 10, 2010.
“It provided us some better services and also, by combin-ing them, has provided for more efficiency in terms of the value provided and also the savings ... to our residents,” Kelly said. “So we kept looking [at] what are other areas that we could again improve on these efficiencies, and the courts seemed the logical next step.”
Colleyville officials said they believe this new step will not inconvenience Colleyville resi-dents as the court functions will remain in the city.
“For all intents and purposes, nothing will change for a Col-leyville citizen,” said Mona Gandy, the city’s communications and marketing director. “But because it’s a shared court and a shared partnership, we want it to work for Keller as well and for Keller citizens.”
Background and transition This true joined municipal
court is the first of its kind in Texas.
“We had to get approval by the state of Texas to do this,” Kelly said. “So our state representative, Vicki Truitt, helped us get legisla-tion passed that would allow two or more cities to combine and
See Becoming Robin Hood | 11
See Courts | 14
The cities of Colleyville and Keller have become the first in Texas to combine their municipal court operations. The merge became official Oct. 1.
rac
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TR
ICT
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*
The laws establishing the creation of Chapter 41 or “Robin Hood” school districts were passed in 1993. In terms of recapture by the state since 1993, these are the top 10 contributing districts.
Glade road
riverw
alk d
r.
churchst.
CARROLL ISD
GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD
$15.1 million
$28 million
1. Austin ISD $1,449,582,3952. Plano ISD $1,235,553,4533. Highland Park ISD $911,465,3174. Eanes ISD $665,230,0955. Deer Park ISD $578,272,4096. Grapevine-Colleyville ISD $448,151,8707. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD $391,231,8508. Coppell ISD $381,096,7649. Richardson ISD $373,451,60110. La Porte ISD $368,322,798
Sources: Texas Education Agency, GCISD, CISD
*As of the 2011–12 school year
26
Top 10 CONTRIBUTORS
2012-13 Anticipated Recapture
2 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
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Voters in these parts are notorious for it, and I’ve got to admit, I’m guilty, too: walking into the vot-ing booth and pushing the one button it takes to vote straight party.
But with only days to go before early vot-ing begins and a matter of weeks until Elec-tion Day, I invite you to educate yourself on the candidates and issues that will be put before you on Nov. 6 using our guide on Page 12.
You undoubtedly know whom you fancy for president by now, but the two stories on Page 1 of this issue are great examples of why state-level elections are so important. Without supportive House and Senate members, the cities of Colleyville and Keller would not be seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual savings in the coming years by collaborating on their municipal court operations. And without strong leadership in Austin and among
members of the State Board of Education, the financing of public education in Texas may never be fixed.
The decisions of our leaders will dictate which roads get built, how well businesses fare and more, and I look forward to seeing whom these communities choose to lead them into the future.
Speaking of the future, I am sorry to report these will be my final words to you all. After enjoying these cities for 20 issues, a career change has me leaving the Community Impact family. I’m happy to announce that my replacement will be the talented Grapevine resident Judy Wiley. I trust her work will be a joy to read, and I know you will all welcome her warmly. All my best to you and yours.
Publisher / Chief Executive OfficerJohn P. Garrett, [email protected]
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Community Impact Newspaper earned 12 awards at the National Newspaper Association’s Annual Convention Oct. 5. The NNA is made up of more than 2,400 community newspapers. The Better Newspaper Contest and The Better Newspaper Advertising Contest recognize achievement in writing, advertising and design. This year Community Impact Newspaper was awarded:
Best Agricultural Story, first place, Georgetown/Hutto/Taylor edition
Best Business Story, first place, Northwest Houston edition
Best Business Story, honorable mention, The Woodlands edition
Best Environmental Story, honorable mention, Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake edition
Best Feature Photo, second place, Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake edition
Best Use of Color, first place, Northwest Houston edition
Excellence in Typography, third place, Cedar Park/Leander edition
Best Small-Page Ad, first place, Northwest Houston edition
Best Single Ad Idea Color, first place, Round Rock/Pflugerville edition
Best Use of Ad Color, honorable mention, Northwest Houston edition
Best Small-Page Ad, honorable mention, Cedar Park/Leander Park edition
Best Single Ad Idea Color, honorable mention, Georgetown/Hutto/Taylor edition
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4 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
clothing and gifts, Motherhood Maternity recently opened at 1228 Prospect St. in Southlake Town Square. 817-442-9420, www.motherhood.com
7 A branch of Smart Parts, the craft supply company Catalina Treasures & Smart Parts Crafts recently opened at 1904 Industrial Blvd., Ste. 105, in Colleyville. www.smartparts.etsy.com
8 I.D. Floors And More is now open at 600 W. Northwest Hwy., Ste. E, in Grapevine. 682-223-1271
9 Providing temporary staffing, direct placement and other services, IQ Pipeline, LLC recently opened at 1500 Corporate Circle, Ste. 16, in Southlake. 817-310‐3988, www.iqpipeline.com
10 Tint World, offering window tinting for homes, businesses, vehicles and boats as well as car wraps, security and more, is now open at 1231 William D. Tate Ave., Ste. 100, in Grapevine. 817-659-2988, www.tintworld.com
11 A supplements shop offering vitamins, minerals, nutritional products and an in-store smoothie bar, Olympia Sports Supplements recently opened at 2704 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 101. 817-564‐6229, www.getolympia.com
12 The Southlake Christian School, offering a faith-based pre-kindergarten experience for 1- to 5-year-olds, opened this summer at 8811 Davis Blvd. on the Southlake/Keller border. 817-337-1400, www.southlakechristianschool.com
13 The Skin Studio & Laser Boutique, providing leg vein reduction, facial treatments, hair removal and more, has opened at 4402 Colleyville Blvd. 817-581-7546, www.skin-studio.com
14 National closeout retail chain Big Lots is now open at 1217 W. Hwy. 114 in Grapevine. 817-251-0140, www.biglots.com
15 The Christmas Shoppe is now open for
Now Open
1 Bibbentuckers, providing dry cleaning, leathers/shoes, rug cleaning and alteration services, has opened at 2301 W. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 100. 817-431‐9990, www.bibbentuckers.com
2 Offering art classes and a collection of antiques and knickknacks for sale, Gypsy
Muse Studio is now open at 106 E. Texas St. in Grapevine. 817-601-5005, www.gypsymusestudio.com
3 Lone Wolf Construction has opened an office at 607 Cheek Sparger Road, Ste. 150 in Colleyville. 817-656-4130
4 Open for the season, Spirit Halloween is now at 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway,
Ste. 400. 972-691-5621 www.spirithalloween.com
5 Residential mortgage banking lender Caliber Funding, LLC is now open at 1500 Corporate Circle, Ste. 1., in Southlake. 817-475‐0995, www.caliberfunding.com/gfranks
6 Offering a wide variety of maternity
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Southlake will soon be home to the latest location of Daddy Jack’s, which offers a wide variety of seafood dishes.
the season at 1450 Main St. in Southlake Town Square. 817-421-2402
16 Rugs, Floors & More is now open at 603 S. Main St., Ste. 304 in Grapevine. 817-310-3189
17 Journeys has opened at 234 State St. in Southlake Town Square. The store offers some apparel, but focuses on trendy shoes for men, women and kids. www.journeys.com
18 Specializing in feline health, Kitten to Cat Hospital is now open at 711 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 100. 817-488‐2272, www.kittentocathospital.com
19 SkinSpaMed Medical Spa & Laser Clinic, offering Botox, facial peels, laser hair removal and more, has opened a branch at 5604 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. D. 817-281-8181, www.skinspamed.com
Coming Soon
20 Davenport Motor Company, an independent Lexus service and repair company with locations in Plano and Dallas, is expected to open around the end of the year at 6800 Colleyville Blvd. www.davenportmotorco.com
21 A new location of Fort Worth–based, East Coast–style pizza chain Mama’s Pizza is expected to open during the winter holidays at 445 W. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 100. www.mamaspizzas.net
22 The Londoner, a local chain of British pubs with locations in Dallas, Addison, Frisco and Allen, will open at 5150 Colleyville Blvd. by the end of the year. www.londonerdallas.com
23 After a Grapevine location opened over the summer, a Southlake location of Phenix Salon Suites is expected to open soon at 2750 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 180.
The business offers space for a variety of beauty professionals. www.phenixsalonsuites.com
24 New England lobster and chowder house Daddy Jack’s is expected to open at 355 N. Carroll Ave. in Southlake by Thanksgiving. www.daddyjacks.org
Relocations
25 A portion of Farmers Branch–based EVP Information Services, Inc. has headquartered at 1701 John McCain Road in Colleyville. The company provides telecommunication products and services for medical uses. www.evpinfo.com
26 The Dance Place, providing lessons in ballroom, Latin and country-western dancing, has moved from Main Street to 2150 W. Northwest Hwy., Ste. 113, in Grapevine. 817-329-5686, www.thedanceplacegrapevine.com
Closed
27 Your Yoga, at 2350 Hall Johnson Road in Grapevine, has closed.
28 Pasta La Vista, at 2140 E. Southlake Blvd., has closed.
Katie Holland recently opened Gypsy Muse Studio in Grapevine. The shop offers a variety of art classes as well as eclectic gifts and trinkets.
24
2
Compiled by Rachel Slade
news or questions about Grapevine, colleyville, southlake or westlake? e-mail [email protected].
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6 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
calendar
Oct. 20
Grapevine celebrates the monarch butterfly migration from canada to Mexico with the 15th annual Butterfly Flutterby. the day features a butterfly costume parade, butterfly exhibits, arts and crafts, and four live butterfly releases. registration starts near city hall at 8:45 a.m. for the costume parade, which starts at 10 a.m. at the Grapevine library and travels down Main street.
Butterfly releases are scheduled for 10:45 and 11:45 a.m., and 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. other activities run 10 a.m.–2 p.m. exhibits, activities and the frst three butterfly releases will be in the cotton Belt railroad district, 705 s. Main st. the 1:30 p.m. release will take place at nash Farm, 626 Ball st. For more information, call 817-410-3185 or check www.grapevinetexasusa.com.
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This year’s Butterfly Flutterby will include the event’s annual costume parade and four live butterfly releases around downtown Grapevine.
Butterfly FlutterbyFree to look, prices vary. Grapevine Botanical Gardens, 411 Ball st. 817-488-5835
Haunted Trail Festthe colleyville nature center hosts an evening of arts and crafts, games, pumpkin decorating, costume contests and stories in addition to a haunted trail walk. 7–9 p.m. Free activities; $3 trail admission. trail becomes scarier after 7:30 p.m. colleyville nature center, 100 Mill wood drive. 817-503-1180
Monster Mash southlake hosts a halloween-themed event featuring games, dancing, snacks, door prizes and more. kid-friendly costumes encouraged. 6:30-8:30 p.m. $10 for age 2 and older. town hall lobby, 1400 Main st. 817-748-8019. www.cityofsouthlake.com
27 Family Movie Daythe colleyville public library offers a screening of “the pirates! Band of Misfts.” popcorn and drinks provided. children under 12 must be accompanied by a caregiver. 12:30–2:30 p.m. Free. colleyville public library, 110 Main st. 817-503-1154, www.colleyvillelibrary.com
Bewitched by the Barnthe tarrant area Guild of storytellers presents an evening of kid-friendly spooky stories. event includes popcorn and cider. participants asked to bring their own flashlights, chairs and blankets. 7–9 p.m. Free. nash Farm, 626 Ball st., Grapevine. www.tarrantguild.org
Hallo-Wine Trailthe Grapevine wine trail offers a halloween-themed experience. Guests visit eight Grapevine wineries and seek to solve a murder mystery, with clues found at each winery. costumes encouraged. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $45 in advance; $50 at door. ticket pickup at cross timbers winery, 805 n. Main st. 817-488-6789, www.grapevinewinerytrail.com
November 3 Naturally Sweetthe Bob Jones nature center & preserve hosts its annual fundraiser featuring live music, a silent auction, an art display, and complimentary wine and food under the stars. 7–10 p.m. $50. 335 e. Bob Jones road, southlake. www.bjnc.org
4 Daylight Savings Time Endsat 2 a.m., set your clock back an hour!
9 Expo 2012 — Connecting Business with Communitythe colleyville area chamber of commerce
October 19 ‘Psycho’the palace theatre hosts a screening of the alfred hitchcock thriller. Bring in a same-day receipt from any Grapevine business or restaurant and get free popcorn. 7:30 p.m. $5. the palace theatre, 300 s. Main st., Grapevine. 817-410-3100. www.grapevinetexasusa.com
Worth the Drive
19-20 Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival & Chili Cookoff the Bluegrass heritage Foundation hosts its annual festival and chili cookoff featuring live music, an arts and crafts marketplace, food and beverage concessions, and tours of the city’s rose gardens in connection with the celebration of roses festival the same weekend. 5–10 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m. saturday. Music schedules available online. Free. Farmers Branch historical park, 2540 Farmers Branch lane. parking and shuttle service available at 2000 Ford road, Farmers Branch. www.bluegrassheritage.org
20 Cemetery Beautificationthe whites chapel cemetery association sponsors a cemetery beautifcation day open to the public. please bring gloves and gardening tools. 9 a.m.–noon. 115 s. whites chapel Blvd., southlake. 817-697-5114
Nash Farm Fall Round-upnash Farm hosts the 12th annual Fall round-up, offering a look at the farm life of Grapevine’s earliest settlers. Features farm animals, blacksmith and wood carving demonstrations, and more. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Free to attend; small fee for certain activities. nash Farm, 626 Ball st., Grapevine. 817-410-3185, www.grapevinetexasusa.com
Plant Native, Plant Nowthe Grapevine Garden club and the city of Grapevine parks and recreation department host a tree and shrub sale. proceeds will go toward a greenhouse being planned for the Grapevine Botanical Gardens. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Find more or submit Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake & Westlake events at www.impactnews.com/gcs/calendar.
To have Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake & Westlake events included in the monthly print edition, they must be submitted online by the fourth Friday of the month.
Online Calendar
and allen samuels presents expo 2012 — connecting Business with community. shop local retailers, taste food from area restaurants and give blood through a carter Blood care drive. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Free. compass center, 4201 pool road, Grapevine. 817-488-7148. www.colleyvillechamber.org
10 Candlelight Tour of Homes the Grapevine heritage Foundation hosts the annual walking tour of homes in the Grapevine historic district. 4-7 p.m. $10. www.grapevinetexasusa.com
17 Home for the Holidays Tree Lighting the city of southlake and southlake town square host the start of the holiday season with live entertainment, photos with santa, carriage rides, crafts, refreshments and more. 5:30-8:30 p.m. tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. Free. in front of town hall, 1400 Main st. 817-748-
8019, www.cityofsouthlake.com
Classical Piano Music Concert with Elena Tsvetkovacrown of life lutheran church hosts a performance by russian-born and educated pianist elena tsvetkova. doors open at 6:45 a.m., concert at 7:30 p.m. $15 for adults, $10 for students 18-23 and seniors, $5 for children (no children under 7, please). crown of life lutheran church, 6605 pleasant run road, colleyville. 817-421-5683. www.pianoconcert1117.com
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Show & SaleShow & SaleOctober 19th • Friday 5 pm to 8 pmOctober 20th • Saturday 9 am to 8 pm
Grapevine Art Project (GAP)P.O. Box 312 Grapevine, [email protected]
at the Lancaster Theater300 S. Main St.
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impactnews.com • October 2012 | NEWS | 7
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Compiled by Rachel Slade
Colleyville City Council100 Main st., colleyville 817-503-1000Nov. 6 & 20, 7:30 p.m.Meetings broadcast live on city cable channel 16. replays air at 6 p.m. on the thursdays and sundays of meeting weeks. www.colleyville.com.
Grapevine City Council200 s. Main st., Grapevine817-410-3000Nov. 6 & 20, 7:30 p.m.audio recordings available on the city’s website by noon the following day.www.grapevinetexas.gov
Southlake City Council1400 Main st., southlake817-748-8400 Nov. 6 & 20public work sessions often begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a private executive session and public meeting. Forum times vary. Meetings are broadcast live on city cable channels 27 and 34. live streams and recordings also available at www.ci.southlake.tx.us
Westlake Town Council3 village circle, westlake www.westlake-tx.com Oct. 22 & Nov. 26, 7 p.m.
Tarrant County Commissioners Court 100 e. weatherford st., Fort worth817-884-1111, www.tarrantcounty.comMeetings are Tuesdays, 10 a.m.
Meetings
city and county
Colleyville | Southlake
GrapevineTarrant County
Colleyville, Southlake earn Scenic City certifications
The cities of Colleyville and Southlake were two of only nine Texas cities to be awarded a Scenic City designation in September. The awards, given out by Scenic City Certification Program of Scenic Texas
Public-private partnership provides bike racks
Grapevine City Council members over the summer approved a partnership with Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grape-vine and Mad Duck Cyclery meant to help provide bike racks for city businesses.
The program, spearheaded by Mad Duck, will allow Grapevine business owners to pay only one-third of the cost of installing bike racks at their businesses.
The remaining two-thirds will be funded by Grapevine and Baylor Grapevine, who each approved $7,500 for the program this
in partnership with the Texas Municipal League, Texas Historical Commission, Keep Texas Beautiful and more, evaluates municipalities’ public roadway and public space development and standards.
Colleyville, receiving Silver Certifica-tion, and Southlake, receiving Gold Certi-fication, were particularly noted for their landscape ordinances and strict signage regulations prohibiting commercial signs in the public rights-of-way.
The other Scenic Cities were Cedar Park, Double Oak, Plano, Roanoke, South Padre Island, Pflugerville and Richardson.
year, and Mad Duck will handle the instal-lation of the racks once their locations have been approved by the city and property owners. Bike rack costs to participating businesses:• 2-slot rack: $210• 4-slot rack: $240• 6-slot rack: $280
Matching funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 817-333-3333.
County unveils Lon Evans Corrections Center
Tarrant County commissioners hosted a ribbon cutting for the new maximum security county jail in September after vot-ing to name the facility for Lon Evans, the county’s longest-serving sheriff.
Construction on the 207,700-square-foot jail began in April 2010 and finished this summer. The five-story facility, antici-pated to come in millions under budget at $78.6 million, features a full kitchen with a capacity of 16,500 meals per day and 444 maxiumum security inmate beds, includ-ing:• 96 male medical beds• 189 male single cells • 96 male separation cells• 39 female single cells• 24 female separation cells
Evans, who died in 1992, played football for the Green Bay Packers and worked for Tarrant County in several capacities dur-ing his life.
He served as Tarrant County sheriff for an unprecedented 24 years before his retirement in 1984, and his legacy included vocational training for inmates, literacy programs at the jail and a Junior Deputy Squad of youth meant to help deter crime among would-be, first-time and repeat offenders.
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8 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
transportation
Main St. bridge faces more delayNorthGate plans ‘to rise to the challenge’ of holiday deadlineBy Rachel Slade
NorthGate Constructors is now report-ing being nearly 80 percent complete with work on the $1.02 billion DFW Connector and roughly a year ahead of schedule, but one significant piece of the project has hit additional delay.
“We know Main Street is on everyone’s mind,” NorthGate spokeswoman Kristen Schropp said. “We really do want to be able to finish that north intersection, and our goal now is to complete as much of the Main Street intersection as possible by the holiday season.”
Although Main Street was the first major bridge to undergo reconstruction, the work there has been plagued by setbacks. Relocations of overhead power lines and underground third-party utilities, par-ticularly at the north intersection between the Chevron/McDonald’s and Wells Fargo Bank, delayed the project by months, and despite the paving on the expanded bridge having been finished late last year, con-struction crews have continued battling drainage, grading and pavement issues.
The latest delay was caused by soil contamination discovered this spring at the north intersection that required water lines that had been laid down in the area to be redone, pushing the opening from April to this fall. Now, with pressure from Main Street merchants and the City of Grape-vine itself to get traffic flowing for Christ-mas Capital of Texas festivities, workers are scrambling to get things open before the busy holiday shopping season.
“Unfortunately the intersections on this project, specifically Main Street, are very intricate work that require multiple hand-pours [of concrete] and also multiple traffic switches,” Schropp said. “Right now NorthGate Constructors is coming up with
a plan to rise to the challenge and finish the north intersection at Main Street as safely and quickly as possible.”
Earlier this month, crews swapped traf-fic onto new pavement along the west side of the intersection to begin hand-pours required on the east side. Once those are finished, Schropp said, more work will need to be completed in the center of the intersection.
Additional progress At the end of the summer, NorthGate
was able to open the direct-connector car-rying traffic from southbound Hwy. 121 to westbound Hwy. 114. The bridge divides traffic headed into the heart of Grapevine from traffic going to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, easing congestion on the east end of the project.
Workers were also able to open the first side of the newly expanded Texan Trail bridge last month, which officials say is a major step not only for the bridge’s completion, but also for the completion of Hwys. 121 and 114 running underneath.
“There’s some paving work left under Texan and that’s the only thing keeping us from opening up all those lanes on the east end of the project,” Schropp said. “Once we demolish the old side of Texan Trail, we’ll be closer to moving people toward the final traffic pattern there, which is huge.”
And although manpower and atten-tion is being shifted to Main Street, work remains on schedule for the opening of the William D. Tate Avenue bridge. Expected to open to full capacity in the coming weeks, Tate will only need a few final touches, including work on its islands and a section of the eastbound frontage road near Outback Steakhouse.
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121 114Featured Property
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impactnews.com • October 2012 | NEWS | 9
econoMic developMent
New business lands in ColleyvilleCity anticipates continued growth in aviation/aerospace nicheBy Rachel Slade
The City of Colleyville in recent years has seen an influx of professionals in the industries of medical, finance, insurance and real estate. But a new three-story, 13,263-square-foot building that went up this summer a stone’s throw from City Hall represents a relatively new industry making a foothold in the community: aviation.
“We have a lot of pilots and airline employees and DFW International [Air-port] employees who live in and around our city … so it shouldn’t come as a sur-prise that this niche has now risen to the surface, but we’re really excited about it,” Colleyville Economic Development Direc-tor Marty Wieder said.
Plans for Aviation Place were announced last spring after Colleyville resident Jack Prewitt decided to relocate the headquar-ters of his corporate aircraft sales and acquisitions company closer to home.
Jack Prewitt & Associates Inc. will take over the third floor of the new building, expected to open before the end of the year, and the remainder of the space has been leased by a handful of businesses relocat-ing from Southlake and Bedford, including Corporate Aviation Analysis & Planning,
Dallas Jet International, Helicopter Exchange Limited and Aircraft Transac-tion Facilitators, all of whom collaborate with Prewitt and his team.
“It is my hope that the relocation of my business and four other industry leaders will spur continued aviation development in Colleyville,” Prewitt said in a written statement. “For us, the proximity to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is an advantage, and we expect other aviation companies to follow suit.”
The tenants of Aviation Place will join a number of other aviation and aerospace companies that opened offices in Col-leyville this year, including aerospace staffing agency Agenté Technical, aircraft engine provider Nighthawk Aviation, and the recently relocated Helicopter Market-ing Associates, LLC, which specializes in the sale and acquisition of Bell Helicopters.
Wieder points to longtime corporate resident Aviation Alliance Inc., which designs airport lighting and navigation systems, assists with airport design and more, as proof that Colleyville — well placed between three airports — will be the perfect new home for them all.
“I think this is going to put Colleyville on the map,” Wieder said.
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Jack Prewitt Associates Inc.
Corporate Aviation Analysis & Planning
Dallas Jet International
Helicopter Exchange Limited
Aircraft Transaction Facilitators
AVIATION PLACE
NEW TenANts NEARBY AIRPORTS
DFW
ALLIANCE
Aviation Place 97 Village Lane
Colleyville
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QUAL ITY MEETS QUANT ITYA DEL IC IOUS ROMANCE ENSUES
impactnews.com • October 2012 | NEWS | 11
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The number of Texas school districts classified as Chapter 41 has risen drastically in recent years, more than doubling in the four years since 2007. As of the 2011–12 school year, 354 Texas school districts were eligible for recapture.
A district becomes a Chapter 41 or “Robin Hood” district if its property wealth exceeds the Equalized Wealth Level set by the state. That figure currently sits at $476,500 in local tax revenue per student. Complicated and detailed, the laws and formulas governing public education funding in Texas change often and can have huge implica-tions for individual districts. Texas districts rely on local, state and federal funding to make ends meet, and at the local level, money is brought in by property taxes.
Before the 2006–07 tax year, school district M&O tax rates could be as high as $1.50 per $100 of valuation. During the 2005 Texas Legislative session, however, lawmakers compressed property tax rates for school districts. In most cases, districts’ tax rates compressed to $1.00 per $100 of valuation. They were then allowed 4 cents of enrichment, so districts could set their tax rate as high as $1.04 per $100 of valuation without voter approval. To go above $1.04, a district must call a Tax Ratification Election and seek approval from residents. The amount of money subject to recapture varies within the M&O tax rate.
When lawmakers established compressed tax rates, they tied local and state funding together, meaning if local revenue went up, state revenue went down and vice versa. This means that, in general, districts do not benefit when area property values increase. That base funding level for each district is called its Target Revenue, which varies according to how much the district happened to be spending per student when funding was frozen. Property-wealthy districts with declining student populations are hit from both sides: less state funding based on Target Revenue, and higher recapture based on the Equalized Wealth Level.
A portion of the total tax rate that may be used to pay for payroll, programs, supplies, equipment and more
M&O rate before compression: $1.471
Current M&O rate: $1.04
A portion of the total tax rate that may be used only to pay for debt repayment (bond projects)
M&O rate before compression: $1.50
Current M&O rate: $1.04
Often considered a “rainy day fund,” the Fund Balance typically holds a minimum of 90 days’ worth of operating costs. In addition to paying for unanticipated expenditures and plugging shortfalls created by diminished funding by the state, Fund Balance money covers districts’ costs (such as meeting payroll) between the end of one school year and mid-November, when new tax revenue arrives.
Since the inception of Robin Hood, the number of students attending Chapter 41 schools has increased from 1% to 34% of statewide enrollment.
The 2012–13 school year is expected to be the 10th in a row that the state will recapture more than $1 billion total from Chapter 41 districts.
M&O Maintenance & Operations
Average Daily Attendance
Weighted Average Daily Attendance
Silver Pennies Golden Pennies Bronze Pennies
Interest & Sinking
GCISD
A Student’s Worth Recapture options
ADA
WADA
Although state funding formulas are based heavily on enrollment, not all students are created equal. Different portions of state funding are based on formulas that weigh students differently: ADA or WADA.
Also known as “Refined ADA” and even “Adjusted Refined ADA,” a district’s ADA is calculated by dividing the number of students in attendance within a six-week period by the number of instructional days in each six-week period. The result of each six-week period, then, is added together and averaged (divided by 6) for a final result. Districts’ ADAs are further adjusted to account for significant declines in enrollment, and to change prekindergarten attendance to half-day attendance.
Districts’ WADA takes into account that not all students cost the same to educate and different areas of the state have different needs in the classroom. This number will change every year according to the makeup of students, and lawmakers may also change how WADA is calculated in order to make funding cuts (which happened during the 2011 Legislative session). WADA also takes into account allotments that lawmakers have made to increase funding for certain student groups or programs.
I&S
CISD
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS
1993-2012
NUMBER OF DISTRICTS
QUALIFYING AS CHAPTER 41
(between $1.07 & $1.17) Bronze pennies bring in taxpayer dollars, but are recaptured at a higher rate than silver pennies.
(between $1.04 & $1.06) Golden pennies bring in taxpayer dollars and additional state aid as a reward for local input.
(between $0 & $1.04) Silver pennies do not require voter approval, but a portion is subject to recapture.
Chapter 41 districts have five options available to them for paying recapture
1. Consolidate with another district
2. Detach property
3. Purchase attendance credits from the state
4. Contract to educate nonresident students from a partner district
5. Consolidate tax bases with another district
Most choose Options 3 or 4, or a combination of the two. GCISD and CISD both chose Option 3 this year, which means they will purchase additional WADA — essentially paying for students who don’t exist — from the state. That money, then, completes the Robin Hood cycle by being redistributed to districts owed additional money from the state to account for low property values.
Sources: Texas Education Agency, GCISD, CISD
‘93 ‘94
‘93 ‘94
‘94 ‘95
‘94 ‘95
‘95 ‘96
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‘96 ‘97
‘96 ‘97
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‘98 ‘99
‘99 ‘00
‘99 ‘00
‘00 ‘01
‘00 ‘01
‘01 ‘02
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‘02 ‘03
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$132 M
$260 M
$268 M $209
M$245
M
$479 M
$470 M
$530 M
$761 M
$961 M
$1.06 B
$1.11 B
$1.30 B
$1.43 B
$1.08 B
$1.46 B
$1.07 B
$1.06 B
$1.12 B
5835
67 50 5281 68 73 89 107 123 128 143 159 164
243
323303
354
Target Revenue
MAJOR CHANGES
FUNDING BASICS
Northwest ISD$6,460
Grapevine-Colleyille ISD
$5,265
Carroll ISD$5,624
Keller ISD$4,837
Birdville ISD$4,588
coppell ISD$5,433
Dallas ISD$5,249
Fort Worth ISD$4,798
12 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
2012 ELECTION COVERAGENovember ElectionPresidential and vice presidential candidates
Joe Biden* Paul Ryan Jim Gray Cheri HonkalaBarack Obama* Mitt Romney Gary Johnson Jill Stein
U.S. SenateTed Cruz, RPaul Sadler, DJohn Jay Myers, LDavid B. Collins, G
U.S. HouseTexas District 24Kenny E. Marchant*, RTim Rusk, DJohn Stathas, L
Texas District 26Michael Burgess*, RDavid Sanchez, DMark Boler, L
Railroad Commissioner, Unexpired TermBarry Smitherman*, RJaime Perez, LJosh Wendel, G
Supreme Court, Place 2Don Willett*, RRS Roberto Koelsch, L
Supreme Court, Place 4John Devine, RTom Oxford, LCharles E. Waterbury, G
Supreme Court, Place 6Nathan Hecht*, RMichele Petty, DMark Ash, LJim Chisholm, G
Court of Criminal Appeals, Presiding JudgeSharon Keller*, RKeith Hampton, DLance Stott, L
Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7Barbara Parker Hervey*, RMark W. Bennett, L
Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8Elsa Alcala*, RWilliam Bryan Strange, III, L
Appeals Court 2nd, Chief JusticeTerrie Livingston*, RJ. Andrew Hathcock, D
State Board of Education District 11Patricia “Pat” Hardy*, RJason Darr, L
State Board of Education District 14Sue Melton, RStephen Hawkins, L
Texas SenateDistrict 9
Kelly Hancock, RPete Martinez, DDave (Mac) McElwee, L
District 10Mark M. Shelton, RWendy R. Davis*, D
District 12Jane Nelson*, RJohn A. Betz, Jr., L
Texas HouseDistrict 63Tan Parker*, RBruce Hermann, L
District 92Jonathan Stickland, RSean Fatzinger, L
District 98Giovanni Capriglione, RMichael Goolsby, L
Tarrant CountySheriffDee Anderson*, RRoberto C. Gracia, D
Tax Assessor-CollectorRon Wright*, RKen Stanford II, L
Commissioner, Precinct 3Gary Fickes*, RNorm Lyons, D
* - Incumbent; R - Republican; D - Democrat; L - Libertarian; G - Green Party; Write-in candidates will not appear on the ballot but can be voted for by writing the candidate’s name in the write-in candidate space.
Denton CountyTax Assessor-CollectorMichelle French, RJohn Gomez, L
Unopposed OfficesStatewide2nd Appeals CourtPlace 4 Bob McCoy*, RPlace 5 Sue Walker*, RPlace 6 LeeAnn Campbell Dauphinot*, R
Tarrant County Precinct 3 Constable Darrell Huffman, RDistrict Judges 17th Melody Wilkinson*, R48th David Evans*, R67th Don Cosby*, R96th R.H. Wallace Jr.*, R153rd Susan McCoy, R213th Louis E. Sturns*, R342nd Wade Birdwell*, R348th Bonnie Sudderth*, R396th George Gallagher*, RCriminal Court No. 2 Wayne Salvant*, R360th Family Court Mike Sinha*, R
Denton CountySheriff William B. Travis, RPrecinct 4 Constable Tim Burch, RDistrict Judges16th Sherry Shipman, R362nd Bruce McFarling*, R393rd Doug Robison*, R431st Jonathan Bailey*, R
Democrat Republican Libertarian Green Party
Tarrant CountyColleyville City Hall, 100 Main St., ColleyvilleGrapevine Community Activities Center, 1175 Municipal Way, GrapevineSouthlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St., Southlake
A complete list of locations may be found at www.tarrantcounty.com/evote.
Denton CountySvore Municipal Building, 100 Municipal Drive, Trophy Club*First Baptist Church Roanoke, 209 N. Pine St., Roanoke*
*Open only specific hours/days. A complete list of Denton County polling locations may be found at elections.dentoncounty.com.
On Election Day, Nov. 6, residents must vote at their precinct’s polling location. Precinct numbers are printed on the voter registration card.
Tarrant County3035, 3542 Grapevine Church of Christ, 525 N. Park Blvd., Grapevine3038 Timberline Elementary School, 3220 Timberline Drive, Grapevine3039 Lonesome Dove Church, 2380 Lonesome Dove Road, Southlake3114 Grapevine Community Activities Center, 1175 Municipal Way, Grapevine3193, 3323, 3421, 3662 First Baptist Church Colleyville, 5300 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville3321, 3361 St. Francis Catholic Church, 861 Wildwood Lane, Grapevine3330, 3510 Colleyville Assembly of God Church, 4309 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville3331 Crown of Life Lutheran Church, 6605 Pleasant Run Road, Colleyville3384 Dove Elementary School, 1932 Dove Road, Grapevine 3385, 3390, 3530 Covenant Church, 3508 Glade Road, Colleyville3396 Grapevine Elementary School, 1801 Hall Johnson Road, Grapevine3469 Dancing River Assisted Living Center, 3735 Ira E. Woods Ave, Grapevine3470, 3526, 3558 Southlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St., Southlake3529, 3545 Southlake Assembly of God Church, 101 E. Highland St., Southlake3359, 3538 Carroll Senior High School, 1501 W. Southlake Blvd., Southlake
Complete list at www.tarrantcounty.com/evote. Our Denton County readers may visit elections.dentoncounty.com for a complete list of polling locations.
Area early voting locations Oct. 22–Nov. 2
Election Day voting locations
We can change that fear into better grades and higher self-confi dence, and eliminate the frustration, tears, and fi ghts over math homework.
Discover how a better understand-ing of math can change your child’s attitude.
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Who represents me?To find out who your elected officials are, visit www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us
Grapevine propositions
Term limits in Grapevine?
The November ballot for Grapevine residents will include two local propositions that, if passed, would renovate and improve the city’s Community Activities Center, and build a new public safety headquarters without raising taxes for residents.
Prop 1Public Safety Building Cost: $38.6 million
The proposed 100,000-square-foot public safety building would house police, fire administration, the jail and the municipal court, and would accommodate the needs of those departments for the next 25 years. Plans include:
• Emergency Operations Center equipped with technology and equipment needed to deal with a localized or regional emergency
• Larger detention center • Increased training space for
police and firefighters• State-of-the-art dispatch center• Larger and more secure property
and evidence room• More sophisticated crime lab• Separate juvenile holding area• Larger and more technologically
current Municipal Court with more public parking
Prop 2Community Activities Center Expansion Cost: $30.1 million
The expansion of the Community Activities Center would more than double the size of the facility, to 108 square feet, and accommodate Grapevine’s anticipated build-out population of 55,000. In addition to combining with the Senior Activities Center, which would have its own wing, the project would include:
• Larger fitness room• Indoor Family Aquatics Center
(lap lanes, slides/interactive play features, lazy river)
• Additional multi-purpose rooms• Added facilities and equipment for
all ages and abilities• Enhancements to the walking/
jogging track• Expanded locker rooms• Expanded child care
Texas’ U.S. Senate
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Texas’ U.S. House of Representatives
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
Source: Texas Secretary of State’s Office
Source: Texas Secretary of State’s Office
Source: Texas Secretary of State’s Office
* For November elections
Texas’ voter turnout*
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
Total registeredTotal turnout
4,979,870
8,077,795
4,399,068
7,410,765
4,553,979
6,407,637
37.5%
59.5%
33.6%
56.6%
36.2%
51.8%
13,269,233
13,575,062
13,074,279
13,098,329
12,563,459
12,365,235
Republican Democrat
Republican Democrat
1990
1988
1984
1982
1978
1976
1972
1970
1966
1964
1960
1958
Railroad commissionerThree commissioners are elected to six-year terms. They have policy- and rule-making responsibilities for the commission, which, despite its name, no longer oversees Texas railroads. The commission regulates:• Exploration and production of oil and natural gas• Compressed natural gas safety• Pipeline safety• Surface mining• Gas utilities• Liquefied petroleum gas• Liquefied natural gas• Propane marketingSource: Railroad Commission of Texas
State Board of EducationFifteen commissioners are elected from population-based districts and serve four-year terms. The SBOE governs policy and curriculum standards, serving as the leadership for the state’s public school system. Source: Texas Education Agency
Supreme Court of TexasNine justices are elected to six-year terms. The Supreme Court of Texas is the highest court for civil litigation statewide. Additional duties include administrative control over the State Bar of Texas and licensing attorneys, as well as appointing members to the Board of Law Examiners, which gives the bar examination.Source: Supreme Court of Texas
Texas Court of Criminal AppealsNine justices are elected to six-year terms. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals hears cases appealed from trial courts and cases that are punishable by the death penalty. The court also has the authority to grant habeas corpus to de-fendants found guilty of felony crimes. Additional duties include promoting rules of evidence and appellate procedure for criminal case trials and administering public funds for education of state judges and lawyers.Source: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Political job descriptions
No changes expected before Election Day for voter ID requirements
By Emilie Boenig
Unless the U.S. Supreme Court issues a decision before Nov. 6, Texas voters will not have to present photo identification at the polls this fall. In August, a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., struck down Senate Bill 14, which requires Texas voters to present a photo ID to cast a ballot.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott vowed to continue pursuing a lawsuit that challenges Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which states the U.S. Department of Justice must approve changes to voting qualifications or pre-requisites in states with a history of racial discrimination. However, Abbott said the timing makes it unlikely the Supreme Court will reverse the panel’s decision before Election Day.
In lieu of a voter registration card, a voter can present:
• A driver’s license or ID card issued by the Texas Department of Safety or a similar document issued by another state, even if it is expired
• A photo ID• United States citizenship papers or passport • Mail, check or document addressed to the voter and sent by a governmen-
tal entity• Copy of a current utility bill, bank statement or paycheck
By Rachel Slade
Though it will not appear on the November ballot, Grapevine residents may soon be voting on whether to place term limits on the mayor and members of the City Council. Resident Kathleen Thompson submitted a petition carrying 1,555 signatures to the city secretary’s office in September, and if those signatures are confirmed, the item would likely appear on the May 2013 ballot.
Those who signed the petition supported a three-term — nine-year — limit. The ballot item would read:
“Each person duly elected to the position of Mayor or Council Member shall be allowed to hold any one position for a limit of three (3) consecutive, full three-year terms per position. This provision shall apply to all elections held subsequent to the adoption of this Charter Amendment.”
If the city charter amendment were approved:
• Current members of the council could be re-elected to serve three more terms each
• An elected official could serve three terms as a council member and three more, consecutively, as mayor
• An elected official could serve unlimited terms as long as they did them in three-term sets with a term off in-between
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14 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
have a combined court.”That legislation was House Bill 984,
which allows municipalities or cities that share a border to establish concurrent jurisdiction of the municipal courts.
The bill also specifies that the combined court can only hear cases that result from “an offense committed or conduct that occurs on or after” the date the municipali-ties agree upon. For Colleyville and Keller, that date was Oct. 1. However, Keller will not have any court dates at the newly con-solidated court until late November, Gandy said.
Although the court was combined Oct. 1, the decision and groundwork for combining the courts have been a work in progress since the legislation was approved on May 19, 2011.
“It’s the behind-the-scenes stuff that’s taken a year to work out, and I think in the last two months, the two staffs have met every week just to make sure — you have to be so certain the [fit’s right] when you consolidate these things, and then you’ve got to be sure all aspects of that fit work out through the process,” Gandy said. “It’s
much more than just having people go to a different building.”
How it worksJudge Michael Newman will preside over
the combined court. “He’ll hold court for Colleyville residents
at certain times and hold ... separate court for Keller residents at certain times,” Kelly said. “But it will just be in one facility, which will be the Colleyville Justice Center.”
For people who have received a ticket in Keller after Sept. 28 who want to contest their ticket, they must come before New-man in Colleyville.
However, if they want to pay off the ticket instead, they can either pay online,
in person at the municipal court or send in a payment. Eventually there will be a 24-hour option in Keller for paying fines or citations as well.
“There’ll be facili-ties still to pay it in Keller if you’re a Keller resident — a
kiosk there,” Kelly said.
A penny savedBecause the new joint court system
requires only one staff and one building as well as using one judge for the case load, the money is saved in staff and operational
costs. “It saves ... dollars for both Keller and
Colleyville,” Kelly said.The merger also saves Keller the expense
of constructing a new municipal court building. Keller expects to save $146,000 in annual costs, according to a news release by the two cities.
“They were going to have to – because of their city growing – they were going to have to [build] a new court facility,” Kelly said. “They had just run out of room, and we have a very nice court facility we built.”
For Colleyville, the amount saved—which will go back into the general
fund—will be nearly $53,000 annually, Gandy said.
“It helps us keep providing city services without increasing costs to taxpayers,” Gandy said. “So they may see … a trail come online sooner because of this. They may see different programs available in the library or better technology that suits them, that lets us better serve them.”
For more or to pay a bill online, visit www.colleyville.com/municipalcourt.html.
CourtsContinued from | 1
Find related stories at impactnews.com. Keyword Search
Municipal Court Collaborationor
“It’s the behind-the-scenes stuff that’s taken a year to work out, and I think in the last two months, the two staffs have met every week just to make sure ... It’s much more than just having people go to a different building.”
—Mona GandyColleyville spokeswoman
$252,014$199,195
$52,819
$146,000
Collaborating communities
The cities of Colleyville, Southlake and Keller have looked at several ways to save money through collaboration in recent years. So far, they’ve joined together on the following ventures:
• 9-1-1 Dispatch and Jail Services Colleyville, Southlake and Keller
• Animal Control Services Colleyville, Southlake and Keller
• Municipal Court Services Colleyville and Keller
Previous cost of municipal court
Projected cost for combined service
ANNUAL SAVINGS
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS
Colleyville
Municipal merger
Keller
Sources: City of Colleyville, City of Keller
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dininG
Mac’s Steak and SeafoodNew owner blends existing menu, personal touches
A lthough Rena Frost has been involved with Mac’s Steaks and Seafood from its start 12 years ago,
now that she’s owner, she gets to really put her stamp on the place.
Her brother worked for Mike McMa-hon, the former owner, in the early ’90s. McMahon offered her a job in 1992 in Midland. She became general manager of the Arlington location, Mac’s Bar & Grill, in 1993. Then she changed to director of operations four years later.
As director of operations, Frost had an influence on the design of the Colleyville restaurant. Last March, she and husband Howard Frost purchased the Arlington and Colleyville restaurants.
“It had always been my dream to buy Mike out or open another restaurant on my own,” Frost said. “I’m so comfortable with Mac’s; it’s got my heart in it. You know, my whole family has worked here.”
One of her brothers is the general manager at Mac’s Steaks and Seafood and another does the IT work for Frost. Her children, mother and oldest grandson have also worked in the restaurant. Her husband, whom she describes as her “great, supportive business partner,” handles the advertising and marketing.
She still keeps in contact with former staff who worked at the Arlington loca-tion 20 years ago, and she gets to know everyone who works for her. Frost said she thinks the tie of working in the food industry binds people together more than an office setting, and the regulars begin to feel like family, too.
“We have the best regulars in the whole world at both restaurants,” Frost said. “Loyal and sweet, and send birthday cards to staff members. … They’ll send wedding invitations when their kids get married.”
One Mac’s regular is Charles “Chuck” Reinhardt, a Bedford resident who, he said, visits Mac’s in Colleyville with his wife about 40 times a year. They often take visitors to Mac’s before any other area res-taurant, and Mac’s catered their daughter’s 50th birthday party.
“I enjoy the service, and the variety of the menu,” he said. “It’s a simple menu as far as I’m concerned, and my wife abso-lutely loves the filet [mignon].”
Frost speaks highly of McMahon, her teacher.
“Mike, when he owned the restaurants, he was a great mentor, taught me a lot, but let me try new things,” Frost said.
Frost plans to use that experience along with the love of cooking she got from watching her mother to create menu items and specials that infuse her vision into the current menu. She said she wants to add Korean-inspired dishes, in honor of her heritage, and dishes based on her travels.
“But the roots of the restaurant will stay the same,” Frost said.
Frost worked as an accountant before breaking into the restaurant business, but says she loves the restaurant environment.
“I love seeing the day-to-day,” Frost said. “And the day-to-day to me is seeing all the customers ... they just make it really great, and knowing that we’re, a lot of times, a second home to them, that’s nice.”
By Abigail Allen
The shrimp etoufée is among the menu’s most popular dishes.
As the name would suggest, Mac’s Steak & Seafood turns out a great piece of beef.
After years behind the scenes, Rena Frost took over operations at Mac’s Steak & Seafood in Colleyville.
Owner Recommendations Filé Gumbo – homemade daily with fresh seafood (cup $4.85, bowl $5.85, bowl with unlimited salad $9.25)
Etoufée – crawfsh or shrimp, over white rice (small $14, large $18)
Prime Rib – slow roasted, carved to order, wild rice or baked potato (8 oz. $19.75, 12 oz. $25.95, 22 oz. bone in $30.75)
Scottish Salmon – honey and chile glazed, with roasted corn vinaigrette and basil mash potatoes ($18.50)
Coming Soonveal chop with porcini mushroom risotto
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16 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
H undreds of area residents and visi-tors pack into the Palace Theatre on Main Street every week for movie
screenings, benefit concerts and Grapevine Opry performances, but if it weren’t for a series of impassioned owners, the historic landmark might have been destroyed decades ago.
The Palace Theatre opened as a movie theater in November 1940 and was used exclusively by silver screen patrons until 1973, when “Serpico” was the final selec-tion to grace its screen. When the movie house closed, the Palace was used as a storage space and hay barn until a city dance instructor took interest. Chisai Childs had big dreams for the building as a performance venue, and she and partner Johnny High soon found a steady stream of support.
“They had cleaned it out, brought in folding chairs, and at their first recital, [Chisai’s] rich aunt Susie Slaughter came in, sat down, and the chair collapsed,” Grapevine Opry Producer Rocky Gribble said. “I’ve heard that within the week following that, Aunt Susie went out and bought new theater seats for the building.”
After that, the building evolved along with the show; the Grapevine Opry was born and the oil baroness R.L. Slaughter (“Aunt Susie”) put more than $1 million into renovating the Palace Theatre. The Opry’s grand reopening came Sept. 13, 1975, on Slaughter’s birthday; perform-ers gave an impromptu outdoor concert on the Opry’s balcony overlooking Main Street, Slaughter cut pieces from a 180-pound birthday cake, and drawing prizes for attendees included a customized ’65 Chevy Corvair. The Opry, a country music
The Palace Theatre, seen here in 1976, was for years synonymous with the Grapevine Opry.
and variety show, drew crowds from near and far, and even served as a set for the 1983 film “Tender Mercies.” But fight-ing between Childs and High eventually soured Slaughter’s support.
Childs closed the Grapevine Opry’s doors and filed for bankruptcy in 1982. The Opry — then synonymous with the Palace — was saved for a time by Slaughter, but then sold to now-Congressman Kenny Marchant, who teamed up with Colleyville businessman Nelson Thibodeaux to take the Opry in a new direction. The Opry stage was attracting Nashville stars during that period, and Thibodeaux had plans to turn an adjacent building into a country restaurant and entertainment facility. The savings & loan crisis stopped those plans, however.
The Palace faced closure again in 1986, when the pilot light on a space heater mixed with the fumes of a freshly var-nished stage set a fire that took out much of the stage, seating and ceiling. Marchant decided to renovate and push forward with the Opry, which came under the manage-ment of Gribble in 1987, but in 1989 he sold the building to an Arlington attorney who later filed for bankruptcy.
In 1991, when the theater faced demoli-tion, Grapevine stepped in. City leaders feared the prominent and historical space would be sold to the highest bidder and destroyed, so the city purchased the prop-erty for $174,000 with the understanding that the Grapevine Opry would stay on as an anchor tenant. After closing for a $3.8 million restoration in 2000, the Palace and next-door property Lancaster Theatre reopened May 1, 2001, as the Palace Arts Center. Today, the Palace still features the Grapevine Opry almost every Saturday.
Palace Theatre300 S. Main St. • Grapevine Tickets: 817-410-3100Rentals: 817-410-3541www.grapevinetexasusa.com
By Rachel Slade
Palace TheatreFilm house, Opry home story stretches to 1940
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impactnews.com • October 2012 | FEATURES | 17
The Gatehouse at Grapevine will be built in four phases and eventually house 96 women.
The Gatehouse at Grapevine Project HandUp to open abused women’s shelter
A s soon as Christmas of 2013, two dozen women escaping domestic abuse could be moving into new
homes with their children in Grapevine, ready to start a journey of physical, emo-tional and spiritual healing. The Gatehouse at Grapevine, approved by the City Coun-cil this summer, will be the first women’s shelter of its kind in the area. And at build-out, it will provide a home for as long as two and a half years for up to 96 women.
“This has been a dream for so long,” founder Lisa Rose said. “The Gatehouse will be a passageway to a new beginning for these women — a safe, guarded, pro-tected way.”
Rose and 11 other founders of the nonprofit Project HandUp began dream-ing of The Gatehouse in 2006, when they began meeting weekly to discuss the needs of women in the community. By Septem-ber 2007, the founders began bringing hundreds more into the fold when they launched First Friday, a monthly speaker series focused on women’s issues. But they still wanted to do more.
“The seed was planted then, but it was too big,” Rose said. “Looking back, it just
nonproFit
By Rachel Slade
co
urte
sy l
isa
ro
se
wasn’t time.” About five years later, timing would
finally be on their side; Rose was contacted by Deborah Lyons, who had recently resigned after 11 years leading the transi-tional housing program at GRACE. With a master’s degree in psychology, Lyons had spent decades helping those in need in the U.S. and overseas, but for years she had been interested in being part of a venture that existed without the constraints of government funding.
She heard of Project HandUp’s ambi-tions to build a privately funded women’s shelter through a mutual friend and put a call in to Rose, hoping it would be the answer she was looking for.
“When I was with GRACE, we received 30–35 calls a week from women needing safe housing, and we couldn’t provide it because we didn’t have the room. It was a gut-wrenching feeling,” said Lyons, who will serve as The Gatehouse’s execu-tive director. “Poverty and abuse are just around the corner from this place right here; it’s well-hidden, but you don’t have to look hard or far to find it.”
After Rose and Lyons found each other,
they found the perfect location: a wooded 58-acre plot of land off Stone Myers Parkway. With $11 million already com-mitted to the venture and a green light from the City Council, the first phase of construction is expected to finish by next winter with the first 24 apartments and a community resource center. Build-out plans include three additional phases of 24 apartments each, for a total of 96 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes.
The Gatehouse’s residents will work with counselors on everything from budget-ing and parenting to job and household
management skills, and will receive not only assistance with legal, medical and child care needs, but also time for personal growth and healing. Allowing residents to stay on for as long as two and a half years, Rose and Lyons say, will offer a solid foundation for women to restart their lives and a chance to break the cycles of poverty and abuse.
“Every single person has a purpose and every single person has possibilities, they just need to see them,” Rose said. “If we start in the family, then the culture has a chance to change. This is a beginning.”
18 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
real estate
Woodland HillsColleyville – 76034
Build-out year: 1997
Number of homes (estimated): 476
Average square footage: 3,347
Home values: $97-$144 (prices per square foot)
HOA dues (estimated): $534/year
Amenities: park, playground
Nearby attractions: southlake town center, colleyville town center, Grapevine Main street, dFw airport, lake Grapevine, Gaylord texan.
Property taxes:
city of colleyville 0.3559 tarrant county 0.2640 tarrant county college 0.1490 tarrant county hospital 0.2279 Grapevine–colleyville isd 1.3100
Total (per $100 value) 2.3068
Grapevine–Colleyville ISD Schools:
heritage elementary school 4500 heritage ave., colleyville, tX 76034
colleyville Middle school 1100 Bogart dr., colleyville, tX 76034
colleyville heritage high school 5401 heritage ave., colleyville, tX 76034
