The Colony Courier (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 18, 1997 Page: 4 of 12
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4A The Colony Courier
This Paper is Recyclable
Thursday, December 18,1997
EDITORIAL
Church bell accord a
good compromise
It was, as Calvary Christian Center pastor Tommy Jackson said, an
agreement between gentlemen. Both sides met in fellowship and each gave
a little bit. That is how disagreements should be solved.
There was nO doubt that Lawrence Cumings had a legitimate com-
plaint about the noise from Calvary's bells, but Jackson and his church also
had a legitimate argument. Church bells ringing have become but a memory;
a sign of community that has been lost in many places as urban areas have
become masses of cookie-cutter subdivisions and chain businesses.
Though Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist and non-believing residents of The
Colony might take offense at the Christian-oriented tunes played by the
bells at noon and in the evening, it is nice to be able to set one's clock to
the pretty melodies that are now played six times a day. It's even more
refreshing after hearing how Jackson and Cumings reached their agree-
ment.
Jackson could have been adamant: "We're going to play these bells as
loud and as often as we want until somebody official tells us we're break-
ing the law," he could have said. Cumings could have insisted that the bells
be silenced permanently. It could have made for an "L.A. Law" type of
courtroom scene at Municipal Court on Tuesday - and it would have been
a true David and Goliath scene, with Cumings stating his case and the
church being represented by the downtown Dallas law firm Akin, Gump.
But instead of being party to what surely would have been a media circus,
Cumings and Jackson sat down for an hour and a half last Thursday and
reached agreement. Each side listened to and understood the other's point
and each compromised. That's something that's taught by Jesus, the Torah
and the Koran.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the other complainant, Billy Dennis, isn't
satisfied. He wants the bells turned off forever. It will be up to the justice
system to decide whether Calvary, after reducing the volume and frequency
of the chimes, violates the city's noise ordinance and is preventing Dennis
from enjoying his home. Hopefully, Dennis will sit down with Jackson, as
Cumings did, and work out a mutually beneficial agreement.
And hopefully, the same can be done with the city in its various legal
disputes with Eastvale residents and would-be liquor-store owners. In the
past month and a half, we've received national attention because of the
"Barbie Girl" cheerleader incident and the church-bells case. It's time that
The Colony become known for something other than unusual grievances.
Family entertainment
Letters to the editor
Tunnel vision
I am always stunned at how short
some people's memories are. I can re-
member when the only exit from The
Colony was to either go east to
Preston Road or to go west to Old
Denton Road or into Lewisville be-
fore being able to south towards Dal-
las. The traffic jams in and out of this
then tiny city were unbelievable, with
traffic accidents and fatalities the
norm.
During that time Henry Billingsley
decided to bring a large portion of
his land into The Colony. The city of
Piano was shunned in favor of a tiny
city with very little to offer, but a tiny
city that had much to gain from this
annexation.
The first thing that happened was
that the Billingsley company was
given some of the best zoning avail-
able in the metroplex, a zoning that
would allow The Colony a commer-
cial tax base that it desperately needed
to survive. In turn the Billingsley
company built Piano Parkway from
FM544 to SH121. This was at the de-
velopers expense, with no tax mon-
eys from The Colony. The benefit to
The Colony, however, was invaluable
as we finally had a second exit from
the city. Never once when Piano
Parkway was being built, FREE for
the citizens of The Colony to use, was
there a protest over the amount of
money spent by Billingsley to build
that much needed access to the south
one that also put us within minutes
Trinity Hospital, and no longer at the
mercy of bumper-to-bumper traffic
when a medical emergency arose.
The spending of $950,000 by The
Colony up front to furnish utilities,
to be repaid with impact fees, is about
what was spent to develop and build
Piano Parkway. The engineering stud-
ies undertaken were extremely high.
The long-term repayment of up-front
expense is certainly overshadowed by
the long-term tax base that is offered
to a city that only has to sit back and
let the development happen. Tunnel
vision, is once again the norm, and
the citizens will be left to shoulder the
burden of being a bedroom commu-
nity with the homeowners being the
supporter of the tax base. Once again,
growth will stop, business will falter
and we will remain the tiny city while
our neighbors prosper
and grow.
Yes indeed, tunnel vision still pre-
vails and progress once again will
eluded The Colony, going to Frisco
(a much smaller city), Piano,
Carrollton and Lewisville. My, my
aren't you all happy to dig deeper into
your pockets to pay higher taxes to
support a city where a few vocal citi-
zens are willing to cut off their noses
to spite their faces!
Marlene Poole
The Colony, TX
Poor sportsmanship
I realize that, in writing this, I am
continuing what I would love to see
ended, and this will, no doubt, cause
some more letters, but I would sin-
cerely like the controversy about the
cheerleader thing to go away so that
we can get down to something prof-
itable.
It would seem to me that the
coaches, mothers, whatever, have just
blown a great opportunity to instill
sportsmanship in a whole bunch of
little girls (young ladies, if you wish).
In my 76-plus years on this planet,
I don't think I have ever seen one of
the losers in the Miss Texas, America,
World pageant tell the media, several
weeks after, how unjust the judges
were. They apparently had role mod-
els who taught them to swallow the
decision, no matter how bitter, con-
gratulate the winner, and vow to "do
my very best next time (again)". What
kind of role models is all this bicker-
ing setting for them? There is no
shame in losing if you did your very
best!
As a coach or parent, it hurts, I
know, butthe judges have to call 'em
the way they see 'em.
I, too, have a daughter, who now
lives in another state. She has a grand-
daughter, who is the age of those who
were in this competition. She, too,
was in the drill team more years ago
than I like to admit. Her mother
taught her the above things, plus
many and I would hope that she
passed them on to her daughter, so
that she could pass them on to her
daughter.
I would think that this all started
out to be a "friendly" competition, not
a cutthroat, bitter rivalry.
Also, please remember - one of
these days, these young ladies may
all be going to the same high school-
do you want them to still be bitter
enemies, or friendly class mates?
Cal Quick
The Colony
Growing, prospering
Don't you want to see our com-
munity grow and prosper? On Jan.
17, 1998, you will have the oppor-
tunity to vote for a one-cent sales-
tax increase for our community.
Remember that you are already
paying that extra penny when you
shop almost any other community
around us. And you can forget the
rumor going around that this is a
sneaky way to fix up the streets in
our neighborhood. That's not pos-
sible, according to the law.
There will be a committee made
up of qualified volunteers who will
oversee how the money is spent.
One-half cent will go into a fund to
support economic development and
bring new businesses to our city, and
one-half cent will go toward com-
munity development of new facili-
ties, such as a community/recreation
center, library, ball fields, etc.
This is a good thing for our com-
munity, and you have the chance to
help make a difference. Early vot-
ing begins December 31 and runs
through January 13. See you at the
polls.
Liz Kane
The Colony
development priority Experience shows $5 can be life-saver
When the Quality of Life Citizens Committee surveyed residents about
what kind of economic development they would like to see recruited with
the proposed one-cent sales tax about which voters will decide on January
17, the overwhelming response was that they would like to see "family
entertainment" concerns in town.
The term "family entertainment" is a broad one, but hopefully what it
will boil down to is a collection of businesses that will allow families or
groups of friends - of almost all ages - to have a full evening of fun to-
gether without having to leave the city limits.
We've already had a taste, so to speak, of what can happen through the
newer sit-down restaurants in town and an almost-brand-new coffee house
that serves up live music twice a week - one night geared toward teens.
Judging from the crowds at these establishments, residents want what
they're offering.
But restaurants and coffee houses are only part of the picture. For years,
people in The Colony have been talking, longingly and forlornly, about a
bowling alley. Great place to hang out. They've been talking about a movie
theater. That would be nice, but would the theater-owners come here con-
sidering all the screens in Lewisville, Carrollton, West Piano and a new
megaplex planned across the highway from the new Frisco mall?
Beyond businesses, however, The Colony is growing to a size at which
residents should be starting to form groups to entertain their peers. The
apparently successful rejuvenation of the Lakeside Players - more than 20
people attended the theater group's organizational meeting early this month
- is a good start. The only thing missing is a place to perform, and hope-
fully that can be obtained with cooperation of other entities in the city.
Now, let's hope that organizations such as string quartets and chamber
orchestras begin to pop up; that more frequent exhibits by groups such as
the Art by the Lake Association are mounted.
Waterfront communities often are noted for their artistry; look at
Rockport, Mass.; Sausalito, Calif.; and Saugatuck, Mich. Granbury is the
closest "artistic community" to the Metroplex. The Colony has the talent
and the wherewithal to change that.
That would be real family entertainment.
i
JThe
5201 South Colony Blvd., Suite 480
The Colony, TX 75056 972/625-9698
Vol. 1, No. 6
Publisher Shawn Moore
Associate Publisher/Advertising Manager ...Brandy Moore
Managing Editor Dave Sorter
Art Director Tandy Baer
Editorial Staff:
Amy Sorter, business/entertainment editor.; Mike Catt, senior
columnist & Jim Barnes, staff writer
The Colony Courier is published every Wednesday by Moore
Publications, Inc., 5201 South Colony Blvd., Suite 480, The
Colony, TX 75056. Subscriptions are available for $15/yr. in
The Colony, and $30/yr. delivered by U.S. Mail, Please call or
mail in name and address. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to The Colony Courier, 5201 South Colony Blvd.,
Suite 480, The Colony, TX 75056.
A siren just screeched by as an am-
bulance hurried to its destination.
Having worked in the Air Force medi-
cal field for more than 15 years, that
sound still generates the adrenaline in
my blood stream. One always has an
anticipatory vision of what the crew
will meet out there. Depending upon
the ability to communicate, prior
knowledge always helps to steel the
medics to what has happened, and you
begin to check to see if all your equip-
ment is ready and available to handle
the situation as it may unfold.
A citizen has little relation to the
people who do care for us until it be-
comes highly personal. The drama of
the siren always belongs to someone
else.
As I sit here in my age waiting for
my next heart attack, I keep thinking
I'll trot on down to the fire station
and have the boys sign me up for the
$5- a-month fee for future ambulance
service. It always boils down to "do-
ing it tomorrow."
Most of us may have the thought
that ambulances are for old folks, but
that's not right. People of all ages have
emergencies that will need that trained
attention that our paramedics/firemen
can give us. It's nice to know that
our equipment is being upgraded and
the proper materials are now avail-
able and on hand.
Jim
Barnes
What is weird tbi'earn is that"W£
get more ambulance calls than we do
fire calls, so that should get us all to
thinking that the fire may be in our
busted skull, broken hip or burned
body from spilling the grease used to
fry the turkey.
But, all that couldn't happen to your
and me. Why...those things happen to
folks who don't sit on the back porch,
drive but don't drink or have ever had
a child suffer an overdose of heroin.
I'll spend that five bucks later when
something really happens.
On second thought, and from past
experience, that five bucks may be the
cheapest insurance a person could
get. My first ride cost me $250.
It was August 3,1979. It had been
a hot day, and I had just made a de-
livery from my print shop and had
gone home to take a shower and re-
lax. I began to notice a sensation of
nausea; felt a little weak. Figured that
since I hadn't eaten all day that a cold
glass of milk would make me feel
more genuine. I got it. I drank it.
And, immediately lost it. Sweat drops
as big as quarters began to appear,
and I headed for the bed.
Because I had no chest pain, no
pain running down my arm or up my
neck to my head, I, a 15-year medic
who had carted one good bunch of
heart attack victims, finally came to
the conclusion that something was
seriously wrong. Rolling over, dial-
ing 911 on the phone and relating that
I was experiencing a weirdo condi-
tion, an ambulance arrived within five
minutes.
I was living in an upstairs apart-
ment and remember the paramedics
loading me up in a chair, shoving an
oxygen mask over my face and haul-
ing me off in a screaming ambulance.
I had a greater audience, then in the
parking lot, than was at my first Little
Theater play in Denton. Maybe the
crowd thought I'd gotten shot in a
drug bust the way they cheered and
murmured.
I remember one of the guys ask-
ing which hospital I wanted to go to.
My doc was in Denton and told them
to take me to Denton. Somewhere in
the fog, I heard far off like in X-Files:
"He won't make Denton." So I ended
up at the RHD Hospital in Farmers
Branch.
I credit those characters with saving
my life after suffering a massive pos-
terior left ventricle blowout.
Y'know something? I cannot re-
call the names or faces of those para-
medics nor even the doctor who
treated me nor any of those who took
part in my rehabilitation. Am I a sad-
sack or what?
But, I am eternally grateful to
those faceless, naftlkless souls. iji
It's dumb that I sit here on my
back porch pinching five bucks. The
cost of the ride was truly the least of
the service that I had received. Had I
done it my way, I wouldn't ever have
had the opportunity rest in peace with
my buddies in the new cemetery for
veterans in Dallas.
Nope...God apparently isn't fin-
ished with me yet. Since that little
foray into the after life, medical
miracles have gotten me through an
abdominal aorta aneurysm, bleeding
ulcer, a partial gastrectomy and pros-
trate cancer.
I do have a good idea that a fu-
ture can end at 5 p.m. on any day.
The question is: Would I have another
chance to make a go of another inci-
dent if I just spent my five bucks at
the Fire Station? Couldn't you or your
family members have that same
chance?
Think about it. I'm going to do it.
Right now.
Community can create unusual combos
This is the true nature of a com-
munity: After last Friday's press con-
ference announcing the Calvary
Christian Center bells agreement, I in-
troduced myself to Lawrence
Cumings. I did not receive the re-
sponse I expected.
Until Friday, it seemed as if "was
not able to be reached for comment"
had been permanently appended to
Cumings' name. Not a single media
organization could find him. A neigh-
bor who called me (anonymously) to
defend Cumings and his complaint
told me he and his family liked to keep
a low profile.
So I at best expected a reserved,
non-committal "Hello," kind of like
he gave to Holly Becka of The Dal-
las Morning News. At worst, I won-
dered if I would get an icy stare.
But instead, I received a warm
smile, compliments about the news-
paper and thanks for putting the story
about his daughter's soccer team in
the paper - that was the team that
finished fourth in the state.
Wow. That was a great way to end
a week.
And it got me to thinking how sto-
ries in smaller communities can in-
termingle like that. Here's a guy who
makes the front page on a topic that's
Dave
Sorter
making national news, and his daugh-
ter makes the sports page because
she's on a winning youth soccer team.
You're not going to see that too of-
ten on major metropolitan newspa-
pers. It was the topic of a "gee whiz"
feature in The Morning News a couple
of years ago when Texas Tech played
in the Cotton Bowl and Tech player
Field Scovell was the son of Ray Hunt
associate John Scovell. Of course, the
Scovells have ties to the Cotton Bowl,
since the player's grandfather, also
Field Scovell, chaired the bowl's or-
ganization for many years.
But I ramble. Still, I have a men-
tal image of Bill Manning submitting
band-booster information and review-
ing a play he's in. And I wonder
what's in the dental instruments in this
town that makes dentists take highly
visible roles in the community.
Again, you wouldn't know these
things in Dallas. The only reason you
knew what ex-Councilman Paul
Fielding did for a living was because
he was sent to prison for doing it il-
legally. We know Ron Kirk's a law-
yer, but what kind of lawyer, we re-
ally don't know.
When I worked in Baytown,
Texas, we had an interesting combi-
nation. One of the city's Councilmen
was also the physical-education di-
rector at a neighboring school dis-
trict. Lucky for him, neither of the
Baytown high schools played
LaPorte in football too often. That
could have been interesting.
The meaning of all this weaving
back and forth? Just that you find all
sorts of neat things when working the
smaller-town beat. Let's just hope we
don't lose too much of that when The
Colony is a city of 70,000.
Note of reassurance to City
Council members: I have it on good
authority that rumors of an impend-
ing Dallas Council run by Dallas Ob-
server columnist Laura Miller has not
given any ideas to anyone of The
Colony Courier staff. Then again,
botch an arena deal after four years
of lollygagging and we'll have to talk.
Sign of the development times: It
was just three years ago when the
Diamond Shamrock station on Main
near South Colony and Phillips 66 sta-
tion up near Eastvale were the only
national-brand gas stations in The
Colony. Once the Centennial Express
Mart at 121 and Paige is opened, we'll
have two Texacos, a Shell and a
Mobil, with a Chevron on the draw-
ing board. Can Exxon be far behind?
Actually, I kind of wish Sinclair was
still in existence. I thought the dino-
saur logo was pretty cool.
This year marks one of the rare
times when Hanukkah and Christmas
overlap. The first night of Hanukkah
is next Tuesday (note to Fire Depart-
ment: that's what those candles burn-
ing in the window is for). Hopeful^
we can all take this opportunity to
learn about others' traditions so that
we may be tolerant of all beliefs and
make this truly a season of peace.
"A Local Newspaper Like It Oughta Be'
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Sorter, Dave. The Colony Courier (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 18, 1997, newspaper, December 18, 1997; The Colony, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth403444/m1/4/?q=%22Places+-+United+States+-+Texas+-+Denton+County+-+The+Colony%22: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Colony Public Library.