The Colony Courier-Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 35, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 3, 2007 Page: 3 of 12
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www.scntx.com — Wednesday, October 3,2007 — The Colony Courier-Leader — Page 3A
County budget funds road-bridge
repairs, 4% employee pay raises
Topcats of the Week
BY JOSH HIXSON
STAFF WRITER
Denton County’s adopted
county still has the lowest num-
ber of employees per thousand
residents among the largest 15
counties in the state.
“I think we try to do every-
budget for the fiscal year of 2007- . a ,
2008 totals $170 million. * thing we can to keep the number
Included in the budget are 4
percent salary increases for the
second year in a row and an addi-
tional 21 new full-time employ-
ees.
Donna Stewart, budget direc-
tor for Denton County, said even
with the increase, Denton
County employees are still
underpaid.
“Our survey shows that our
county employees are still paid
below market even with the 4
percent raise,” Stewart said.
She added that while they are
adding quite a few personnel, the
of employees as low as we can
through technological advance-
ments,” Stewart said.
About $9.5 million of the
budget will be used for bridge
repair and road re-pavement, She
said.
Cynthia White, precinct 1
county commissioner, said about
$4.8 million will go to projects in
her precinct — an area that rep-
resents 60 percent of the county
— for roads and bridges dam-
aged by a wet summer.
“This year we have been real-
ly unfortunate because the rains
and flooding have been responsi-
ble for a lot of damage,” White
said. “We are talking in the mil-
lions of dollars worth of damage.
There is one area where I had
three bridges close in the same
area within a month of each
other.”
This year’s paving schedule is
about a month behind, She
added.
“That is fairly good consider-
ing we had two to three months
worth of rain,” She said. “We
weren’t able to do a whole lot
other than respond to the imme-
diate needs made apparent dur-
ing the rains.”
The Denton County tax rate,
23.589 cents per $100, is a 1.71
percent increase from the previ-
ous year’s rate.
TCHS Topcats
Dancer of the Week
is junior Rachel
Gonzalez, left, and
Spirit Girl of the
Week is freshman
Sarah Wallace. The
Topcats host their
annual Pee-Wee
dance clinic
Saturday from 10
a.m. to noon, fol-
lowed by a competi-
tion at Six Flags
Over Texas in
Arlington that after-
noon.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Adjustments board seeks more city support
BY DEVIN MONK
STAFF WRITER
Better communication was a
common theme at Monday
night’s regular council meeting.
A breakdown in communica-
tion resulted in a Board of
Adjustments hearing
closed unexpectedly.
Board chairman
being
Duane
Sanders said the board was hear-
ing a case for a second time
because its attorney was not
present at the first meeting. At
the second hearing, the board
was interrupted and told they
could not hear the case. The peti-
tioner’s wait extended then from
two weeks to two months total.
“We like the board’s time has
been wasted, the gentleman’s
time has been wasted, and the
city’s time has been wasted,”
Sanders said. “It was a little
embarrassing for everybody all
the way around."
He questioned the city’s sup-
port of the board.
“I feel we are capable of
reviewing cases like this. We feel
like we are not taken seriously,”
Sanders said.
He cited the board’s low num-
ber of meetings per year - four
times a year compared to once a
month in surrounding cities and
rejected requests to attend train-
ing seminars.
“We, as part of the Board of
Adjustments, feel that the coun-
cil has no need for us,” Sanders
said.
City Attorney Bob Hager
noted that other cities such as
Plano and Carrollton use their
Boards of Adjustment as Sign
Boards, thus requiring them to
meet more often.
Council member Allen Harris
said the council needed time to
review how it could better use
the city’s board of adjustments.
“We need to look at what we
as an organization want to allow
this group of volunteers to do.
Council members also defib-
erated over upgrading to a Voice
over Internet Protocol system for
Fire Station No. 3 and possibly
other city facilities versus a stan-
dard “Ma Bell” phone system.
Bruce Maker, information
technology specialist for the city,
presented the two options along
with the urgency to update the
city’s antiquated phone system.
The internet protocol, or VoIP,
would integrate voice data into
one phone network, rather than
the city’s multiple phone net-
works, provide callers one num-
ber for any city facility or staff
member and one directory that
would contain listings for all
employees, and allow city staff
members remote access to voice-
mails and faxes. The system
would cost $3,455 per month and
a total of $39,516 compared to a
new Samsung phone system of
$6,270 that would still be an
improvement over the city’s
existing system.
Concerns over the relatively
new VoIP technology’s capability
to handle large amounts of data
without dropping calls and it’s
upfront cost prompted the coun-
cil to vote 6-1 for the Samsung
system with the understanding
that in a year’s time the council
will revisit the VoIP technology
not just for the fire department
but possibly the entire city net-
work.
The council also approved to
contract Wiginton Hooker and
Jeffrey Architects to design the
See BOARD, Page 4A
is
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Director, Veronica Parrish-McGruder
Music Director, John Norine, Jr. 1.
Choreographer, Kim Tapp
Producers, Becky King & Kathy Lessa
All performances in the
Campus Theatre
214 W Hickory
Denton, TX 76201
Box Office: 940-382-1915
October 5,6, 12,13 at 7:30 pm Adults:$18
till? —4-1 2007 Senior Citizens: $16
fc 7 & 14 at 2 pm 2007 Students: $10
Based on events that took place in LaGrange, Texas in the 1970's, the
- story is about the Chicken Ranch, just outside of town, that has been
in operation for more than a century.The "ranch" is run by Miss Mona
Stangley, a madam who relies on her cozy relationship with the local
Why sheriff to protect and serve her business and girls. Enter Melvin P.
AT Thorpe, a crusading Houston television reporter who gains fame by
* uncovering and exposing the illegal activity, resulting in the brothel
s 1 being closed. A chorus of singing and dancing Aggies and a side
1. stepping Governor add to the merriment and mayhem.
4-o
MUSCIEI-SOF DEIon
www.musictheatreofdenton.com
59 SHOP SATURDAYS 10-5, SUNDAYS 10-4
5th anal Holiday 4
Sponsored by
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it Market
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Admission: Adults $4/JH & HS Students $1 / Kids to age 11 Free / Free Parking!
ADMISSION VALID ALL WEEKEND!
Oct. 20 & 21 and Nov. 24 & 25, 2007
GRAPEVINE CONVENTION CENTER
1209 S. Main • Cuapeuine 76051________
November 10 & 11, 2007
COLLEYVILLE CENTER
5301 Riueualh 22)71,. • Collequille 76034
CantonintheCity @ hotmail.com
. 972.471.0601
PRINT COUPONS at www.CantonintheCity.com
12th Annual
OFF
Adult
Admission
(photocopies of
coupons accepted,
one per
shopper, per show)
^70/2007
Lebanese Food Festival
October 5th, 6th, & 7th, 2007
Friday 11 am 10:30 pm ♦ Saturday 11 am 10:30 pm ♦ Sunday 10:30 am 4 pm
Open for Lunch Friday!
Authentic Lebanese Food ♦ Live Entertainment By Singer Hosam and Phoenicia Band,
Traditional Folk Life Dancing and More...
Lebanese Souvenirs ♦ Raffle ♦ Children’s Play Area ♦ Craft Booths
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church
719 University Place, Lewisville, Texas 75067
Masses Celebrated According to The Maronite Eastern Catholic Rite
Saturday 5:30 pm ♦ Sunday 8:30 am and 11:00 am
Free Admission and Parking
Directions: Take 1-35 to Lewisville, exit Fox, go West, make a right on Edmonds, then a right on
Willow Springs (third street), and an immediate left on University. Church is on the right.
See Complete Schedule of Events and Prizes on our website!
24 Hour Information 972-436«7617
www.ourladvlebanon.com OLOLFoodFestival@aol.com
A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Kathy Lane Village 321-426 53 74
Hair By Renee' 214-392-0619
Law Offices of Joseph E. Ashmore, Jr., P. C. 214-559-7202
Powder Metallurgy Company 972-436-3502
The Heart of the Matter
Presented by: Cardiovascular Specialists, P.A.
Cardiology for your Future,
_ here Today!
Coronary artery dis-
ease occurs when athero-
sclerosis develops in the
arteries that supply blood
to the heart muscle.
These blockages are
called plaque and are a
mixture of cholesterol,
smooth muscle cells and
collagen. When plaque
develops, there may be
obstruction to blood flow
to the heart muscle and
chest pain (angina pec-
toris) and shortness of
breath may occur.
In the treatment of
coronary artery disease,
the basic plan in all cases
is to increase the blood
flow to the heart muscle
so as to prevent symp-
toms. In the majority of
persons, medication is all
that is required. In some
patients, however, a
mechanical procedure to
open the blocked arteries
is needed. Until 1977,
there was but one
mechanical procedure, a
bypass operation.
Although very effective in
providing blood flow to the
heart muscle, bypass
David C. May, M.D., Ph.D.
Shirley A. Williams, M.D.
Jeffrey D. Kaplan, M.D.
David P. Haynie, M.D.
Paul A. Santos, M.D.
Coronary
Angioplasty
requires major surgery.
Now, a method called per-
cutaneous transluminal
coronary angioplasty
(PTCA) is widely used to
open selective blockages
without surgery. Although
it can not be used in all
heart patients, it can be
very helpful in controlling
the symptoms of coronary
heart disease in many.
Angioplasty is per-
formed in a special room
of the hospital, the cardiac
catheterization laboratory.
The patient is sedated but
awake and able to watch
the entire procedure.
During PTCA, a small
catheter (a long flexible
tube) is placed in the
artery of the leg and
advanced to the level of
the heart artery. Through
this catheter, a tiny bal-
loon about one inch long
and the diameter of a
small pencil can be
Mitchel Kruger, M.D.
Atif Hussain, M.D.
Patrick Kennedy, M.D.
Geetha Ramaswamy, M.D.
Sirisha P. Reddy, M.D.
placed in the artery of the
heart at the site of the
blockage. The balloon is
then inflated reducing the
blockage severity. In most
cases, a stent (a small
metal scaffold) is placed
in the artery to hold it
open during healing. The
procedure usually takes
less than one hour and
the results are excellent.
Rarely, complications may
occur, however, and may
be severe. Emergency
bypass surgery may even
be required.
Angioplasty is a very
useful treatment for the
severe blockages that
may occur in the coronary
arteries. Using the latest
technologies, the chance
of a blockage returning in
the same area is less than
10%. It is not, however, a
cure for the disease. It
must be coupled with
smoking cessation,
weight reduction and diet
modification if it is to pro-
vide long term relief from
coronary disease.
Lewisville (972)434-1988
614 Edmonds Ln., Ste. 101
Lewisville, Texas 75067
Plano (972)473-8778
3600 Communications Pkwy., Ste. 601
Plano, Texas 75093
Denton (940)320-2188
1901 Wind River Ln., Ste. 100
Denton, Texas 76210
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Monk, Devin. The Colony Courier-Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 35, Ed. 1 Wednesday, October 3, 2007, newspaper, October 3, 2007; The Colony, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1621988/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Colony Public Library.