Copper Canyon Mayor Sue Tejml
Saturday Dec. 5th 3-5 p.m. Santa Party for Copper Canyon Kids at Town Hall
Organizing the Town’s annual “Santa Party for Copper Canyon Kids” is a pet project of Town Administrator Donna Welsh! Her 8-year-old grandson Alex Hunnicutt will be Donna’s enthusiastic “Elf Helper” this year! Alex is the son of Donna’s daughter Jennifer Hunnicutt and husband Mike Hunnicutt. (The Hunnicutt’s built a new home across from Donna’s home in nearby Saddlebrook in Bartonville.)
Many thanks to our Staff for preparing Town Hall for the Holidays! Building Inspector Steve Koehler and crew always go up the steep stairs to our Town Hall attic and retrieve our stored Christmas decorations. (The decorations were organized, boxed, and labeled thanks to Town resident Kaye Hill!) And Steve and helpers erected the beautiful lighted 10-foot-tall Christmas tree in our Council Chambers! The tree was donated to Copper Canyon by Ned and Linda Wilmarth, former residents of nearby Canyon Oaks Subdivision and members of the Canyon Oaks Garden Club. (Canyon Oaks is not within our Town boundaries but is in Copper Canyon’s ETJ – Extra Territorial Jurisdiction.)
Members of Copper Canyon Women’s Club traditionally help decorate Town Hall and provide “Santa Helpers” and “goodies” for the children’s party!
Traditional Highlight of Santa Party is Kids’ Ride atop Fire Engine!
Thanks to Mac Hohenberger, longtime resident of Copper Canyon and Argyle Fire District Fire Chief, the big red fire engine from Station 513 on Copper Canyon Road will arrive at Town Hall at 3:30 p.m. with Santa onboard!
Peter Vickery has again kindly volunteered to be our Santa. Peter is wonderful at putting small children at ease and finding out what they “really want for Christmas!” And, nearby parents and grandparents, with attentive ears, welcome the softly spoken information from their precious little one.
Once again volunteer professional photographer Bill Castleman, also our Town Council Member, will be capturing these special moments in photos given gratis to the child’s adult family members attending the event!
Riding Atop the Big Red Fire Engine is the Most Exciting Event for Kids!
Copper Canyon kids need to “take a number” and be ready to be hoisted atop the big red fire engine for a trip around the Woodlands Subdivision! Parents are also welcome to ride atop with their child! (If your child wants to ride on the fire engine, be sure they have a jacket to wear. It can be breezy or downright frigid on top, depending on the weather that afternoon!)
And many thanks to longtime Copper Canyon residents Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Mangum and Denton County Sheriff Will Travis for their years of service, not only as active Argyle Fire District volunteer firefighters, but for the years they have been willing to physically hoist Town residents and their children up the steep rear ladder to the top of the huge AFD fire engines for Christmas and July 4th rides!
NOTE: All children attending the Santa Party must be accompanied by an adult who is a resident of Copper Canyon, and all children must wear nametags provided at Town Hall.
December 6th Briarwood Retreat Offers Sunday Brunch to the Public!
Three times a year Briarwood Retreat in Copper Canyon offers Sunday Brunch to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – On the first Sunday in March, August, and December. For $13.50 per adult, omelets are cooked to order and bacon and sausage is offered with biscuits and gravy. Briarwood’s two chefs are Carlos Carrasquillo, former Chef at Canyon Creek Country Club in Richardson, and Hilario Morales, former Chef at El Dorado Country Club in McKinney. Attendance has ranged from 75 to 200 people at each brunch. Reservations are not required, so feel free to come spontaneously!
From FM 407 drive north on Copper Canyon Road one mile, and past three entrances on the west side to Canyon Oaks Subdivision, to the Briarwood Entrance on the east side of Copper Canyon Road. From the north, Hickory Hill Road or Old Alton Bridge, drive south on Copper Canyon Road approximately 2 long blocks past the Argyle Fire Station. Lantana is on the west side of the road. Briarwood is on the east side of the road.
Charter Kick-off Event at Briarwood for new Greater FM 407 Lions Club!
Bartonville resident Harry Otto and Mayor Bill Scherer have organized a new Lions Club to include men and women from several towns and unincorporated county areas along FM 407. Welcome are residents of Argyle, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Double Oak, and unincorporated county areas like Canyon Oaks and Lantana, and any other resident in the general area who would like to participate. Banding together allows the small towns and residential areas along FM 407 to have a more dynamic organization.
Harry Otto is the new President of the Greater FM 407 Lions Club and Copper Canyon longtime resident Jim Coleman is an Advisor. As a Lions Club District Governor, Coleman was responsible for 70 local area Lions Clubs in 2000-2001.
Town Residents Vote to Approve 1 cent sales tax to fund Additional Deputy
Copper Canyon is fortunate to remain an almost “crime free” town! And this was a determining factor in the Dallas Morning News naming our Town last spring as Number Six in the Ten Best Neighborhoods in North Texas for 2015! But, being almost “crime free” doesn’t “just happen.” We contract with Sheriff Will Travis’ Office for two Deputies who are dedicated to Copper Canyon. Each Deputy patrols our perimeter commuter roads during morning and late afternoon rush hours for safe traffic control. (The Town means it when the signs say “Speed Limits Strictly Enforced.”) And, each Deputy replies to “Calls for Service” from Town residents during his time on duty.
But each Deputy is also responsible for driving each and every street in town at least once, and often twice, during their 8 hour shift. Denton County Sheriff Will Travis, also a long time Copper Canyon resident, has been diligent in providing our small Town with quality Deputies! Our current Sheriff’s Deputies are David Berry and Jess Moran! If you see them patrolling our Town, please give a friendly wave!
In addition, our dedicated Neighborhood Watch Block Captains (at least one per street in Town) also are alert to note anything unusual in their immediate neighborhood and in the Town in general.
Career thieves and criminals are not dumb. They prefer “easy targets” with absent law enforcement. That is NOT Copper Canyon! But our Council Members felt that the Town needed more law enforcement coverage on weekends and “deep night” shifts. Thus Council Members encouraged Town residents to pass a Crime Control Prevention District, funded by a one cent sales tax, which would allow contracting for a third Deputy dedicated to Copper Canyon. The Council’s goal was to have immediate quick response, preferably by a Deputy dedicated to Copper Canyon, to any Town resident’s 911 call for law enforcement help.
Town residents voted to approve this measure in the November 3rd election. Our sincere thanks to Town residents who agreed to serve on the temporary Crime Control Prevention District Board of Directors: Janet Aune, Annell Bradford, Michael Cannaday, Cesar Castaneda, Andre Nicholas, Dale Svatik, and Louise Williams.
Additional one cent Sales Tax usually paid by Non-Residents of Copper Canyon
The Town’s home-based businesses do not usually sell to Town residents. This is a unique instance when the additional one cent sales tax revenue comes from individuals who do NOT live in Copper Canyon! Before the November 3rd election, Copper Canyon had only a one cent sales tax on home businesses resulting in a recent annual revenue of $108,000. Most local area towns charge the maximum two cent sales tax allowed by the State. The second one cent sales tax, recently approved by Town voters, will provide an additional estimated $108,000 in revenue. This would easily fund the approximately $92,000 contract for a third Sheriff’s Deputy and patrol car dedicated to Copper Canyon.
Boy Scout Clay Robertson’s Eagle Project – A Lending Library at Town Hall!
14 year old Clay Robertson has lived in Copper Canyon since he was 4-years-old. Clay is the son of Scott and Wendy Robertson. Clay was excited over his choice for his Boy Scout Eagle Project – a Lending Library located at Copper Canyon’s Town Hall! Clay and Town Administrator Donna Welsh decided that the best location would be outside Town Hall, but easily accessible from the circle driveway.
Clay and fellow Scouts sunk their support posts in concrete across from the Town’s outside mailbox. Then they reseeded the grass that was removed in erecting the posts. Clay’s mother Wendy said the Lending Library resembles a “giant birdhouse.” The Library is 4-feet off the ground, a square box with peaked roof and a Plexiglas front door that seals out the weather. Clay made sure the paint and trim and roof shingles match our Town Hall’s exterior. Clay also caulked the library’s seams and double-checked that the roof did not leak. (As is well known, moisture of any kind is anathema to the paper in books!)
The Little Lending Library: The Little Library has two shelves, which will accommodate 20-30 books. Suggested book donations are classic children’s books (Dr. Seuss, etc.), North Texas gardening manuals, biographies and histories, recent health updates (heart and blood pressure issues, cancer, weight loss, knee & hip replacements, Alzheimer’s and dementia, arthritis, etc.), physical fitness routines, How-To manuals (photography, plumbing repairs, irrigation systems, vehicles, etc.) At present, our Staff will keep an eye on the books, so that nothing too crazy or controversial is donated. (Please, nothing championing a specific religious or political point of view or presidential or other elected official candidate.)
Clay has registered Copper Canyon with www.LittleFreeLibrary.org. The website illustrates where free small lending libraries are located all over the United States. In our area the surrounding towns of Argyle, Bartonville, and Double Oak also have free Lending Libraries at their Town Halls.
Dedication and Reception Monday, Dec. 14th at 6:30 p.m.: Clay and his Scout Troop 282 will dedicate the completed Lending Library to the Town with a bronze plaque. BSA Troop 282 is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located on Chinn Chapel Road in Copper Canyon. Clay is the first Boy Scout from his age group in this troop to aspire to be an Eagle Scout; however ten other scouts in his troop are dedicated to achieving the same admirable goal. Copper Canyon always appreciates being the beneficiary of any of these thoughtful, and well executed, Eagle projects.
After the dedication of the Lending Library, the Town will have a reception for the Scouts and their parents and families in our Council Chambers. Naturally, “goodies” will be served! Hot cocoa and hot mulled apple cider – and – an assortment of cookies, cakes and pies that any fourteen year old Scout might enjoy!
Clay and Troop 282 will be recognized and thanked for their community contribution by the Town Council at the 7 p.m. Council Meeting. And, if any Scout needs to stay for a while for any governmental merit badge, he is certainly welcome to do so. And, the Council will post an appropriate Agenda item, so that any Scout can ask questions about Town government, and any Council Member can respond to the question.
Any Copper Canyon resident who is a current or former Boy Scout or Scout leader is welcome to attend the Dedication and the Reception! Copper Canyon has specifically invited as guests current BSA Longhorn Council Chairman Jim Hamilton of Colleyville and former Longhorn Council Chairman Jim Carter of Bartonville.
SAD FACT: Argyle Fire District responding to huge increase in Suicide Calls
December and January traditionally see a spike in suicide calls to Emergency Services. But AFD Fire Chief Mac Hohenberger sadly informed his Board that there was a huge spike in suicide calls in October of this year. Eleven calls – with fortunately only one “successful” call – one individual “dead on arrival”. Chief Mac said Flower Mound’s emergency services did not see a similar spike. And, in response to Board members questions, the calls were not primarily age delineated – primarily students, seniors, etc.
Chief Mac said the suicide calls were usually “calls for help” in relation to two primary issues: (1) Financial – the individual or family were broke and could not pay their bills; and (2) Relationship – the individual was stressed over a failed or failing relationship with spouse, significant other, child, parent, or sibling.
In Denton County, Emergency personnel must call Mental Health Officials, who upon arrival have an hour to evaluate the suicidal person. Denton County has no facilities for suicidal persons; so they are sent to Parkland Hospital in Dallas or to a facility in Wichita Falls.
Suicide has often been called a “permanent” solution to a “temporary” problem. This is our traditional season of “Happy Times” – Thanksgiving and Christmas! If you see a person down and unable to cope – please reach out and help!
Disturbing Analysis: “What Does ISIS Really Want” in Atlantic Monthly
My daughter Tamara Tejml Cuthrell alerted me to this extensive article. It gives insight to the 7th Century dictates of the Koran, in a time then of critical battle for the survival of the Muslim religion. The same medieval commandments that ISIS followers are honoring today: annihilation of crops and water sources, severing of hands of thieves, stoning deaths of adulterers, sexual slavery of captured women, slavery of captured adults and children, crucifixions, burning alive of perceived apostates, etc. And, all of this is in a perceived fairly immediate total end of our world! Thus, suicide by bombing vests is justified, regardless of how many innocent victims are also killed or mutilated.
But, the proclaimed ISIS caliphate’s legitimacy is based on territorial control of land! If the caliphate loses control of its land, it has no legitimacy! And, ISIS troops are now sending their family members out of their designated capital with few possessions to avoid suspicion. Interesting.
See: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/