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Body found might be of missing Euless woman
Posted Saturday , Dec. 15 , 2012
Euless police are investigating whether a body found Friday is that of a missing Euless woman .
A news release by Lt . Eric Starnes said the body was found in southern Tarrant County . "The Tarrant
County medical examiner's office has possession of the remains and is working to positively identify the
person ," he said .
Starnes said police have "two persons of interest" in the case , but formal charges have not been filed .
Additional information about the missing woman or the crime was unavailable Saturday .
--Susan McFarland
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Euless cafe snuffs out smoking after 37 years
EULESS--Something new on a wall at Verna's Cafe has angered a few customers but delighted most .
It popped up New Year's Day amid the prints of rustic gas stations and dogs wearing cowboy hats,
photos of city officials, a certificate of occupancy for up to 75 diners, framed newspaper clippings and
posters celebrating the Trinity Trojans .
The new sign reads "No Smoking ." And it was put up in response to complaints, the cafe's owner said.
It has upset some longtime patrons of the eatery, known for such down-home dishes as the Junkyard
Omelet (ham, bacon, sausage, cheese and whatever other edibles happen to be in the kitchen on a
given morning). But most of those who have dined with Verna Kight for 37 years are happy with the
change.
"We had a lot of people telling us --old customers and young --that they weren't coming in anymore,"
sa id Debra Mayhugh, Kight's daughter and the restaurant's owner.
"They said they just couldn't take the smoke ."
But a handful of other customers couldn't take the rejection .
"It's like telling us, 'We don 't want your business,"' said John Bridges , an Arlington resident whose
morning coffee klatch moved this week to Denny's, where smoking is allowed . "I started going [to
Verna's] four or five years ago when Arlington went nonsmoking."
Another member of Bridges' group, Larry James of Euless, said he goes wherever he can be happy .
"I don't want to be told what I can and can't do when I'm spending my money somewhere," he said.
Before making the change, Verna's Cafe, in an old Dairy Queen on Texas 10 just west of Main Street, was
one of a few restaurants in Euless where smoking was allowed .
Kight, who has never been a smoker, said that she wrestled for a decade or more with whether to snuff
out the smoking lamp.
"Over the years, I went back and forth," Kight said . "I hoped the city would take it out of my hands, but
they didn't."
Euless is surrounded by cities--Bedford, Hurst, Arlington and Fort Worth --that have prohibitive
smoking ordinances.
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Euless does have a smoking ordinance, but it doesn't prohibit smoking in privately owned spaces . Taking
such decisions out of people's hands isn't the way Euless likes to conduct business, City Manager Gary
McKamie said .
"With most of the ordinances we 've reviewed from other cities , there are so many exceptions that it's
hard to follow," he said . "Our position with our businesses has been that each of them has the clear
right to prohibit smoking ."
Euless ' ordinance states that the person who controls a building "may designate all or any part" of the
building and its surrounding property as a no -smoking area simply by posting "Smoking Prohibited By
City Ordinance No . 87-919." A violation is a misdemeanor that's typically punished with up to a $2,000
fine , because it's a health issue, McKamie said .
Tommy Gallant, owner of NYPD Deli on Industrial Boulevard , said none of his workers or patrons smoke ,
so he doesn't see the need for a "No Smoking" sign .
But he sympathizes with owners who fear that going nonsmoking will hurt business .
"I've been in the restaurant business for 30 years, and I th i nk there should be a statewide ban on
smoking," he sa id. "If you do it city by city, your customers just go where they can do what they want
and you lose business ."
A Euless -based Waffle House has a designated smoking section and will close it only if Euless toughens
its smoking ordinance, spokesman Pat Warner said .
"We leave it up to the city with jurisdiction," Warner said. "We comply with the rules the citizens come
up with ."
That approach has worked well enough for AMF Euless Lanes , manager Rusty Dickinson said .
"From a business standpoint, it doesn 't make sense for us to go nonsmoking unless the city of Euless
goes nonsmoking," he said. "If the city makes an ordinance, we 'd be happy to comply. We have a 50 -50
split between the ones who want it nonsmoking and the ones who are happy they can still smoke here ."
Kight was hurt when she lost customers who prize tobacco more than her food.
"I hope we get them back," she said . "It 's not the business I worry about losing as much as the
friendship."
James , the longtime friend and customer, said he'll go back "from time to time because I like Verna . I
love her to death and I'd do anything for her."
Terry Evans, 817-390-7620
Euless cafe snuffs out smoking after 37 years
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Mickan was a communicator
. . "I hired her as my ad-D Bes1des servmg on the . mini tr t1 ssistant be-
city council, Mrs. Mickan · caus! :heveW:s extre~ely
was an active volunteer smart about dealing with
in .the Hurst-Euless-people and she had a sense
Bedford area. of humor:' Cargile said.
"Many times when parents
By 1i E came in cussing and eny vans • h
tevans@star-telegram .com ' screanung s e was very
, Euless Councilwoman I polite and handled them
Donna Mickan was a gra _ well, and we laughed ~bout
cious lady, said Mayor Ma _ it afterward. I can't re-
ry Lib Saleh member a day that we
"I can't ~ay that about didn't laugh at something
many people, but she was:' toge~er!' . ~
Saleh said. "She also was a I She was the consum ;
good friend and neighbor!' mate volunteer who served
Mrs. Mickan, a devout on the Economic Develop-
Christian, wise counselor, ment Advisory Board and
the qllimate politician, an the Historical Preservation
~tional companion Committee and was a fre-
andanuncommonmother, quent docent at Heritage
died Sunday. Park, Saleh said. Mrs.
She was 69. Mickan co-owned and op-
woman and
how good
she was to
work with!'
Mrs.
Mickan Mickan was
. also on the
administrative board of
First United Methodist
Church of Hurst ,and sang
in the chancel choir.
Losing her ability to
sing was one of the hardest
knocks for Mrs. Mickan to
deal with, her · husband
said. Trouble with her
voice lep to the discovery
in October that the breast
cancer she survived nine
years ago not only had re-
turned,. but had metasta-
sized into her brain, Ran-
dell Mickan said.
"She loved to sing and
really loved the choir:' he
said. "When this happened
she couldn't doi:hat and it
was a real blow to her. She
Home, 1321 Precinct Line
Road in Hurst. A memorial ,
service will be at ·11 a.m.
Thursday ·at First United .
Methodist Church of
Hurst, 521 W. Pipeline
Road. A private interme!lt.
will be held.
She was ·born July 31,
1943, in Georgetown, near
Austin. She was preceded
in death by her parents,
Willie E. and Cleo Bishop.
She is also survived by
her daughter, Marianne
Priddy and husband, Mi-
chael; her son, Randell
~ickan Jr. and wife, Kelly;
~dchfidren, Mitchell
anti Michelle Priddy and
Erin and Samantha Mick-
an; brothers, Clinton Bish-
op an!;! wife, Adale; and
Troy Bishop; and numer-
ous nie~s and nephews.
Terry Evans. 817·390·7620
TWitter: @fwstevans
"The relationship she erated Bloomtown Florist
' had with our daughter in Euless 1bwn Center in ! fromearlyonwasmorelike 1981 ~d was apast-presi-
~ they wete sisters:' said dent of the Mo~sdale
Randell Mickan, her hus-Homeowners Association.
band. "She could just do For the Euless City
that. She knew how to deal Council, Mrs. Mickan was
with people how to talk liaison to Grapevine-Col-
with them do matter who leyville school district and
they were!' the city's representative on
didn't blame God or any-L ................. ~
That trait is part of what the Hurst-Euless-Bedford
made Mrs. Mickan valu-Then Court Advisory
Online
0 Sign the guest book
for Mrs . Mickan ·
at star-tele-
gram.com/obltuarles.
able to former Trinity High Board. , body for the ailment, but
School Principal Andy She was elected to the dealt with it and continued
Cargile. council in 2008, drawing on!'
1 almost 58 percent of the Her absolute trust in
vote. From the day she took God gave , Mrs. Mickan a
Place 4, Mrs. Mickan perspective on her illness,
proved she belonged there, her husband said.
said Councilman Leon "She always had a spe-
Hogg. cial relationship with God
"Most people take a that I'm not sure I can even
year to really be comfort-tune into:' he said. "Any-
1 able with what's going on, time I would complain and
but Donna did it in six fuss about something she
months:• he said. 44 I can't would remind me how
say enough about the ' blessed we were. I guess
she always saw the big pic-
ture, and little things
didn't concern her!'
The family will receive
friends 6-8 p.m. Wednes-
day at Lucps Funeral
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Donna B. Mickan (1943 -2013}
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Donna B. Mickan, 69, passed away Sunday, Jan . 6, 2013 . Memorial service : 11 a.m . Thursday at First
United Methodist Church , Hurst, 521 W . Pipeline Road . Interment: (private) will be held prior to the
memorial service . Visitation : The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Lucas Funeral
Home, Hurst. Euless City Councilwoman Donna Mickan was a retired educator from Trinity High School.
She served as mayor protem in 2011. She formerly served on the city's Economic Development Advisory
Board as well as the Euless Historical Preservation Committee and was a frequent docent at historic
Heritage Park . Donna served as the City Council's liaison to Grapevine -Colleyville lSD activ ities and
represented the city on the H.E.B. Teen Court Advisory Board . She was a graduate of the Euless Citizens
Fire-Police Academy and was a member of the Citizen's Fire Academy Alumni Association and the
Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association . She was a Stephen minister, on the Administrative Board
of First United Methodist Church of Hurst and sang in the chancel choir. She had served as her
neighborhood association 's president, on its board and was a standing committee chair for
beautification . Donna and her husband , Randell , moved to Euless in 1964. She was co-owner and
operator of Bloomtown Florist when it opened in Euless Town Center in 1981 . Donna loved to travel ,
play the piano and sing in the church choir. She was delighted to have had the opportunity to serve the
city she loved . Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Willie E. and Cleo Bishop. Survivors : Her
husband of 51 years , Randell Mickan Sr .; daughter, Marianne Priddy and husband , Michael; son , Randell
Mickan Jr. and wife, Kelly ; grandchildren, Mitchell and Michelle Priddy and Erin and Samantha Mickan ;
brothers, Clinton Bishop and wife, Adale, and Troy Bishop ; and numerous nieces and nephews .