The mayors of Lewisville,
Flower Mound and Highland Village presented glowing reports
of progress in their cities during the past year at a luncheon
Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn and Convention Center in
Lewisville.
Lewisville Mayor Gene Carey, Highland Village Mayor Dianne
Costa and Flower Mound Mayor Jody Smith noted substantial
economic growth in each of their cities, while offering
high praise for city staff members and other members of
their communities.
“We have a lot of exciting things going on in Lewisville,”
Carey told the crowd at the event presented by the Lewisville
Area Chamber of Commerce, the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce
and the Highland Village Business Association. “2007
was a terrific year for Lewisville, and every year just
keeps getting better.”
James Kunke, city communications manager, presented a video
that outlined several major projects either already under
way or about to begin. They include a new criminal justice
center, a new arts activity center and a new sports complex.
In the video, Lewisville Police Chief Russ Kerbow explained
that the new criminal justice center, which is already under
construction between the police station and the Municipal
Annex, will house up to 74 prisoners, compared to 18 at
present. He said the new center, to be named the Stephen
McFadden Jr. Criminal Justice Center after the longtime
police chief who resigned last February, will have a better
monitoring system to provide more safety for prisoners.
Assistant City Manager Donna Barron, in the video, said
the new arts activity center will draw people to Old Town
Lewisville and will provide auditorium facilities like no
other in the area. Carey praised several members of the
Lewisville city staff, including police officer Steve Dickens,
who was named 2007 Officer of the Year by the Heroes of
Denton County.
He not once, but twice saved a life through his alert action,”
Carey said. “In January (2007), he saved the life
of an 18-month-old child who was choking, and in February,
he risked his own life to hold up a man injured in a car
wreck, enabling him to breathe until firefighters could
cut him loose.”
Highland Village Mayor Dianne Costa also had high praise
for paramedics in her city who saved the life of a toddler
who had fallen into the family’s swimming pool.
“Rob and Valerie Boles had the unfortunate circumstance
to need their expertise when their 11-month-old daughter,
Jacyln, fell into their pool, Costa said. “Through
quick action, our EMS staff ultimately saved her life. What
an honor not only to recognize those that serve us in Highland
Village, but also to share a positive outcome to what could
have been a tragedy.”
Members of the Highland Village EMS staff who were present
were asked to stand and were immediately given a standing
ovation by the crowd. The parents of the child, whose life
was saved by the paramedics, were present at the luncheon
and had expressed their gratitude on the video.
The video, which showed the mayor touring various facilities
in Highland Village, pointed out the new stores which opened
in the city during 2007, including the new Wal-Mart and
new Shops at Highland Village. Also, Costa was videotaped
inside a new fire station, now under construction.
Costa also praised those who prepared the program for the
luncheon.
“This event demonstrates that we as cities can be
unique, yet still intertwined in our regional goals,”
she said.
The mayor of Flower Mound also noted substantial economic
growth in her town during the past year.
“The theme for our recent annual report was Progress
in Motion,” she said. “With an extraordinary
amount of commercial construction and economic development
under way, we are experiencing a dynamic time in Flower
Mound’s history.”
During the past year, she noted, ground was broken for a
new four-star hotel on the shores of Lake Grapevine in Flower
Mound, construction began on a new Community Activity Center
and work began to bring utility infrastructure to the Denton
Creek District that will fuel commercial development in
western Flower Mound.
She said public safety continues to be a high priority in
Flower Mound.
“We funded an unprecedented number of new police and
fire positions (in 2007), lowered response times and reduced
the crime rate by 12 percent,” she said. “We
also adopted several new ordinances that will preserve a
high quality of life for all Flower Mound residents.”
She received a heavy round of applause when she noted that
the town council recently passed an ordinance outlawing
the use of hand-held cell phones while driving in a school
zone.
|
Select a Florist
