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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-04-22 Euless Articles The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a national program for middle and high school students, is adding a new site at Gene A. Buinger Career & Technical Education Academy in Bedford in the fall. YEA! helps students between 12 and 18 start and launch a real business or social movement over an academic year. The nationwide program was founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation. The academy now serves students in 168 U.S. communities. The Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD is partnering with the HEB Chamber of Commerce to pilot the program at the new career and technology academy. Martin tops list of candidates for mayor of Euless Posted Thursday, Apr. 10, 2014 Historically speaking, changes at the top of the political ladder in Euless are rare. Mayor Mary Lib Saleh decided not to run for re-election this year, opening the seat for the first time since she won it in 1993. Before that, Harold Samuels was mayor for 18 years. It’s clear that Euless voters like to make the right choice for mayor and leave things be. Fortunately for them, three smart people are running for the job in the May 10 election. Tim St. Clair, 44, is a small-business owner who says he believes the City Council needs more age diversity, “somebody that’s got the perspective of somebody my age … not so much the retired community.” Linda Martin, 67, has served on the council since 2004. She says “experience counts,” and she wants to continue to apply what she has learned about leading the city’s 53,000 residents and continuing its economic development progress. Darl Easton, 67, is a retired airline pilot who ran for the council last year. He has pushed for more transparency at City Hall, urging the council repeatedly to broadcast its meetings live on the Internet. All three speak earnestly about their desire to devote their time for the benefit of their city. Martin stands out above the other two. Neither of her opponents has the experience she has in dealing directly with city issues, and neither offers evidence of flaws in city government operations. St. Clair’s sincerity aside, he pushes for an “open door toward developers” but is unable to specify concrete steps needed for that. Martin can point to significant development projects in the works that have been steered by current Euless leadership. While Easton’s fight for open government and his investment of time on city issues are admirable, serious questions have been raised about whether his legal residence is in Euless. He owns a home there but says he is unable to claim it as his homestead. He also lives at his wife’s homestead in Bedford. The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Linda Martin for mayor of Euless. In H-E-B schools, it’s not Good Friday without a good note Posted Thursday, Apr. 17, 2014 BY BUD KENNEDY bud@star-telegram.com Some students thought Friday would be a holiday. Now, thanks to the icy winter, it’s a school day. That’s the subject of the newest church-and-state dust-up, and as you might expect, state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, is in the middle of it. Stickland, the undefeated Tea Party champion of Hurst-Euless-Bedford, went to bat Thursday for parents upset because school officials asked for a church program or documentation to excuse a Good Friday absence. By midday, H-E-B officials explicitly instructed principals to accept a parent or guardian’s note, the least Texas law requires. That didn’t calm Stickland. “There’s a lot of people upset about this,” said Stickland, the parent of a H-E-B first-grader. “I’d rather not have school on Good Friday at all. But I wish the school district would make it easy for parents on such an important day.” Good Friday was one of two makeup “snow days” written into the H-E-B calendar more than a year ago, district spokeswoman Judy Ramos said. (Many schools use Good Friday and Memorial Day as makeup days instead of adding school days on Saturdays or extending the calendar into June.) Parents were notified in a January email newsletter that Good Friday and also a half-day of school on May 30 would make up for ice days Dec. 6 and 9, Ramos said. Based on a memo Thursday from Deputy Superintendent Lydia Scozzari, Ramos said administrators will ask for a program or documentation of a church service but accept a parent’s note. “What we're asking is that the parents let us know where the student is, just to make sure that if they’re not in school, they’re with the parent at a religious observance,” Ramos said. That still rankled Stickland. “I don’t think they should be asking for anything,” he said. His church, First Baptist of Hurst, does not list a Friday church service on its online calendar. Stickland said he and his family will spend the day “focused on Christ” and watching a children’s movie version of the crucifixion and resurrection. A parent, Brent Harper, said he grew up in schools where Good Friday was a holiday. (That wasn’t always the case, even in Texas. Some judges elsewhere have ruled school holidays can’t favor a religion.) “I was concerned why we were having a makeup day Good Friday, and they informed me this has been going on for years,” he said. “Many people believe this is not acceptable,” said Harper, a parent of two children in different schools. “Children should be excused, and they shouldn’t be required to show documentation.” Harper said the administrators at his children’s two schools gave him two different answers about how they can qualify for an excused absence. But you can understand why they’re worried. The district needs a parent’s note or some written proof to qualify for what little money the state of Texas provides. Maybe that’s something to take up with Stickland. Bud Kennedy's column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 817-390-7538 Twitter: @BudKennedy Get alerts at RebelMouse.com/budkennedy Lennar’s Dominion at Bear Creek Pre- Grand Opening Lennar is bringing its Everything's Included® Homes to Euless, Texas Euless, Texas (PRWEB) April 21, 2014 Lennar is bringing its Everything's Included® Homes to Euless, Texas! They are now selling homes in their newest Community, Dominion at Bear Creek, off of 360 and Airport Freeway. Dominion at Bear Creek features Lennar’s newly redesigned Lakeside Collection, offering 6 home designs consisting of 3 to 5 bedrooms. Square footage ranges from 2,017 to 3,310, with prices starting from the $290's. Lennar's Everything's Included Homes is comprised of many features and upgrades: GE ® Energy Star® stainless steel gas appliances, including a refrigerator, granite kitchen countertops, 42” site-finished cabinets with decorative crown moulding and under cabinet lighting, a gas fireplace with stylish cast stone surround, 2" faux wood blinds, landscaping, and an irrigation system. Also included are energy efficiency upgrades, such as Low-E windows, radiant barrier roof decking and Owens Corning (R)EnergyComplete insulation. These standard Everything's Included homes give the homebuyer more value for their money and creates an easier home buying experience. Dominion at Bear Creek is a wonderful Community that offers a variety of recreational opportunities including; an amenity center, a pool, and walking trails. The Community is a part of the HEB ISD, named the #1 school district in Texas by Education Resource Group for the last 6 years. Schools included in this district are Midway Park Elementary, Euless Junior High and Trinity High School. The Community is also conveniently close to DFW airport and major highways. "At Dominion at Bear Creek, we’ve created a neighborhood where you want to live, with home designs and features you desire. With our Everything’s Included homes, this is all included in your home price. So, come on out to Dominion at Bear Creek and experience first hand the Lennar difference and be sure to know that I would be proud to build your next new home,” says Stewart Parker, Division President of Lennar, Dallas/Ft. Worth. Dominion at Bear Creek is redefining great living in the DFW area and is now open for pre-sales. Be one of the first to purchase a Lennar Everything's Included home in this brand new Community. With hundreds of Communities nationwide offering homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders. The company has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country. Lennar proudly remains steadfast in their commitment towards quality, value, and integrity. For more information visit our Welcome Home Center at 616 Whitetail Road, Euless, TX 76039, contact our New Home Consultant at 866-314-4477, or visit our website at Lennar.com/Dallas Fort Worth, Arlington targeted for AT&T ultra-fast broadband service Posted Monday, Apr. 21, 2014 BY SANDRA BAKER sabaker@star-telegram.com Fort Worth, Arlington, Euless and Haltom City are among 100 cities nationwide being targeted by AT&T for expansion of its ultra-fast fiber network called GigaPower, which it says is 10 times faster than its fastest broadband service. The network, available through AT&T’s U-verse service, can deliver broadband speeds of up to one gigabit a second to consumers and businesses. AT&T said the service allows users to download 25 average-length songs in one second, a 30-minute television show in three seconds, and a two-hour, high-definition movie in 36 seconds. Holly Reed, AT&T’s regional vice president of external affairs in Dallas, said the company will soon begin talks with the cities about permitting and inspection to lay the new fiber optic lines to provide the service. AT&T is focusing on bringing the service to areas where its U-verse phone, broadband and television is largely available, she said. It’s also being offered to communities that understand and want investment in technology, Reed said. The service is being offered in Austin and AT&T recently announced plans to bring the gigabit speeds to Dallas and nine surrounding cities. It is also talking with several North Carolina communities, it said. Elsewhere in Texas, AT&T wants to offer the service in the Houston and San Antonio areas. “It has the ability to really drive innovation, communication and commerce in a way we haven’t seen before,” Reed said. “It’s a catalyst for economic growth. We want to deploy this infrastructure as quickly as possible.” Reed said it’s premature to talk about pricing for the service and there is no timeframe for when it will be available. The GigaPower program is part of AT&T’s Project Velocity investment plan to expand and enhance wireless and wireline IP broadband networks. The goal for that project is to reach 57 million customers by the end of 2015, she said. In Austin, a bundle price for GigaPower phone, broadband and television is $150 a month, according to AT&T’s website. Monday’s announcement includes 21 major metro areas, with Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles and San Francisco among them.