In November, White Settlement citizens Ron White and Gunnar Rasmussen met with Police Chief Jack Ely to discuss their complaints about this Arroyo’s gathering.  They felt as if the gathering was a violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act, and that it represented a misappropriation of public funds.  Rasmussen is a former White Settlement city council member, and both he and White were members of the EDC board from 2010 to mid 2011.

The four complaints that the White Settlement Police Department looked into were if a joint meeting had taken place, had notice of the meeting been properly posted, the payment and means of payment of the meal, and an open records violation regarding providing information to White about the Arroyo’s gathering.

As for the first complaint, the WSPD found that according to official definitions, the Arroyo’s gathering did not constitute a meeting.  The gathering was found to have fallen under the “ceremonial event, press conference” definition and since no formal action was taken there was no violation.

On the second complaint, WSPD determined that notice of the gathering was properly posted by City Secretary Amy Arnold.  While it was posted only 48 hours before the event, an informal gathering wasn’t held to the same 72 hour prior posting regulations that apply to official meetings.

On the payment of the meals, the WSPD report states that it is “common practice within city government that spouse’s dinners are paid for during ceremonial or team building events.”  The meal cost $144.46 and was charged by Mayor Jerry Burns on a city credit card.  The budget item it falls under is “marketing and promotional.”

When looking into the fourth and final complaint, the WSPD found that Arnold complied with all information requests from White within the allotted amount of time, therefore there was no wrongdoing.

This investigation is now closed, with the WSPD finding no wrongdoing in this matter.  City Manager Linda Ryan expressed to the Grizzly Detail that she had no comment on this matter, and after indicating he had received our questions last week, EDC Director Jim Ryan did not contact us with answers.  White and Rasmussen were contacted, but neither provided any information or comment on this matter before our deadline.

The council chamber was full and busy last night as the regularly scheduled White Settlement City Council meeting was followed by a joint meeting between the council and the EDC.  The major issue being discussed was Central Park. EDC Director Jim Ryan introduced Mike Spencer of Heartland Park and Recreation.  Members of the council first engaged Spencer while at a conference in Houston, and Spencer and Heartland have since met with city staff and spent time working on a proposal for Central Park.  

As part of a program known as Tips/Taps, something the council voted to join at a previous meeting, Heartland is able to save cities like White Settlement money.  This is in part because it allows the city to engage directly with a company like Heartland without having to first do expensive engineer designs.    “We’re really excited about what we can propose to you guys today,” Spencer told the council. Spencer went through an in-depth presentation over a drawing he had done with the proposed changes to Central Park.

“You’re going to get more bang for your buck working with us,” Spencer said.  “This doesn’t mean we’re not going to use engineers; we’re going to use engineers where we need engineers.  We’re park design people, we understand parks.”

Heartland’s proposal included four baseball fields which would back up to one another and a large concession and restroom facility between them.  In order to accommodate the four fields, George Street would need to be shifted to the North.  That would do away with the longstanding city maintenance building as well as the sand volleyball court.

There would be a focus on Gibbs as the main entrance to the park. Several new parking lots would be arranged within the park, as well as a street that would connect both sides of the park together.  A trio of softball fields would be built near the location of the current softball field, with restroom facilities in that area. The current t-ball and other small field near it would be redone.  All fields would include mesh backstops instead of chain link.

The proposal calls for nearly ten thousand linear feet of a fitness trail.  This trail would snake throughout the park and would include a fitness station rest stop that included outdoor fitness equipment.

A new soccer/football field would be put in near the Gene Hatcher pavilion, with plans for a second in that same area possible.  As for landscaping, Spencer mentioned bringing in one hundred trees and over seven hundred shrubs.

Wooden lighting poles would all be gone, but Spencer indicated a desire to recycle and reuse as many materials as possible, saying that current light fixtures could be repurposed to light parking areas.

Responding to the concerns of one EDC member that the scope of the project was rather large, Spencer acknowledged that this was the dream list.

“This is the full monty, this is the whole ball of wax,” Spencer said.

Spencer commented that this was a work in progress and voiced his desire to have more meetings and get more input moving forward to get the proposal to a place that made everyone happy.

“We’re in the talking stage,” Jim Ryan agreed, responding to the same concern.

As it currently stands, the price for this project is $2.16 million.  That doesn’t include field lighting, parking lot lighting, trail lighting or electrical to those features, as Heartland is still working with Oncor on those issues.  Spencer estimated that cost to range anywhere from $400,000 to $1 million, bringing the total project cost up to the $3 million range.

Another concern mentioned was the lack of any plans to improve the existing football field or the restroom area at that field.  Spencer indicated that it was something that could be looked at.

The project was said to be doable over a four month period, meaning if positioned and phased correctly it could be done between youth baseball seasons.

“I’m excited about what y’all presented us,” Councilmember Mike Arnold said.

Councilmember Elzie Clements participated in meetings with Heartland earlier in the day, and he voiced his appreciation to them and their staff for the work they have done and are doing for White Settlement.

As the presentation concluded, EDC passed a motion to “engage Heartland to continue working with staff for upgrades and master plan for Central Park.”

The EDC also passed a motion to allow staff to move forward with needed repairs at Central Park so the upcoming youth baseball season could happen.  It was said that with their participation in this process, Heartland will be saving the city money on these repairs.

SMOKING BAN POSTPONED

At the request of City Attorney Warren Spencer, the proposed smoking ban ordinance was tabled until the next meeting.  This is so he can continue to work on it.

BUDGET TRANSFER APPROVED

Two budget transfer items were also discussed at the meeting, the first brought up by Clements.  He stated that he had been approached by Helen Warner and informed that there was a budget line item for the Community Chest but that this year there was no money allotted for that item.  Clements said that in past years there was usually $1,000 to $1,500 set aside for Community Chest.

“We didn’t get the budget in time,” City Manager Linda Ryan explained.  “She did not submit a budget, that’s why it’s not in there.”

Ryan did give council a plan to see to it that the Community Chest gets funded for the year.

“What we will do is as the money gets expensed out, we’ll have receipts for what she needs,” Ryan said.

Ryan suggested moving $1,000 to this line item to cover those expenses.  The council passed the $1,000 budget transfer by a vote of 4 to 1, with Arnold voting against.

There was another budget transfer discussed, this one for $50,000 from the city’s oil and gas money to cover ongoing remodeling to City Hall.  Visitors to City Hall have seen these changes, with security glass added around the reception area, as well as a secure door added that leads deeper into the building.

Some of this work was paid for out of the prior year budget, but there are still upgrades and remodels going on that need to be paid for.  Ryan indicated that there was also a need to cover the outdoor employee smoking area and mentioned possibly covering the parking area on the side of the building where the council members park.

Clements voiced his opposition to the covered parking, and it was decided that the council would consider that item at a later time.  They then unanimously approved the $50,000 budget transfer.

INSPECTION ORDINANCE APPROVED

Council passed a motion 4 – 1 to approve a new ordinance that would see buildings and homes require a checklist inspection be done on them anytime they become vacant.  If severe safety hazards are found, no one else will be allowed to move into that building until it is fixed.  If only minor issues are discovered, they will be allowed to move in and the owner will have a window of time in which to fix the issues.

Councilmember Garry Wilson voted against this motion.

The company sited a low performing location as the reason for closure.

“We were just as surprised about the closing as everyone else,” said Economic Development Corporation Director of White Settlement, Jim Ryan.

A spokesperson at Buffets, Inc. stated that the company announced a restructuring agreement that was reached with lenders eliminating $245 million of outstanding debt. The Company anticipates completing the restructuring process and exiting Chapter 11 within approximately six months.

As part of the restructuring plan, the Company promptly closed 81 underperforming restaurants, representing approximately 16 percent of its nearly 500 restaurants nationally.

“The decision to close these underperforming restaurants, though difficult, resulted from a comprehensive, store-by-store analysis of financial performance, occupancy costs, market conditions and the long-term strategy of our reorganized restaurant portfolio,” said Mike Andrews, CEO of Buffets.

Ironically, Luby’s Cafeteria closed its doors also during the month of January in 2008. The city has had no interest in either of the restaurant properties on Cherry Lane so far.

‘’One concern we have regarding the EDC and the city of White Settlement is that the businesses have settled around us,” said Economic Development Corporation Director Jim Ryan. “We need to build our jobs and our people to attract retail businesses and restaurants inside our city.”

Employees will have the opportunity to apply at other restaurants witing the company.

“We deeply regret the impact on our dedicated associates in those restaurants that will be closed. The closings in no way reflect their hard work and efforts, and we thank all of our team members for their commitment to delivering the quality, service and value that have been trademarks of our Buffets brands for many years,” said Mr. Andrews.

The entrance to the high school from Silver Creek Road will re-open on Monday, Jan. 30.

Crews have narrowed down parts of the roadway as the construction project to widen Silver Creek Road., just west of Loop 820, continues. The relocation of utilities in the area is just about complete while the south entrance to Brewer High School has been torn out leaving a deep channel for vehicles to travel through as they enter or leave the school. After the heavy rain on Tuesday, the ravine was flooded.

“We have re-routed the busses to the entrance on the service road for the next few weeks,” said Assistant Superintendent David Bitters.

The project, which is expected to be completed this summer, will have 4 lanes of traffic including a signal light at the school’s exit/entrance on Silver Creek Road.

Updated information about the south entrance construction will be on the school districts web site.

Photo by Chris Wortham

Lieutenant Steve Osborn, Engineer Kevin Richter, Firefighter’s Brady Graham and Brandon Giles protected other mobile home units in the area before beginning fire suppression on the engulfed structure.

Currently, mobile home trailers in the complex are either being demolished or moved to another site.

No one was injured in the fire which was suspicious in nature and remains under investigation.

In surveillance photos, it appears that the robber handed the teller a note demanding cash and then fled the scene with money in hand.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20-30 years of age, short, light color hair and clean-shaven. No visible scars, marks or tattoos were noticed.

The robber is also a suspect in several other bank holdups including the cities of Colleyville, Bedford and North Richland Hills.

No one has been injured and the amounts of money taken have not been reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call the local police department at 817-246-7070 or Tarrant County Crime Stoppers, 817-469-8477.

For several years now I have developed a habit. An embarrassing habit some might say. When the carhops at Chicken Express on Clifford Street saw me coming, they ran. That is, they ran back inside the store to retrieve my daily dose of Dublin Dr. Pepper without even taking my order. But that’s all getting ready to come to an end. 

Dr. Pepper Snapple sued earlier this year claiming that Dublin Dr Pepper — its oldest and smallest bottler — violated its licensing agreement by selling beyond its distribution territory and using an unauthorized logo, which carried the name of the town. An agreement was reached this past week when the Dr Pepper Snapple Group settled a trademark dispute by acquiring the rights to the Dublin Dr Pepper franchise from the local bottler, a family-owned, 121-year-old institution in the Central Texas town of Dublin.

Two local eateries will be affected as well. Just in recent years you could enjoy a Dublin Dr. Pepper on fountain while eating at Chicken Express or Soda Springs Bar-B-Q.

“Our customers have really enjoyed having Dublin on the fountain,” said Soda Springs Bar-B-Q owner Scott Lewis. “It’s really sad for that town and for the history of the product.”

A unit of Dr Pepper Snapple will continue to distribute a sugar-sweetened Dr Pepper for the six-county territory in Central Texas, but the bottles will carry no reference to Dublin. Such bottles are already used in the North Texas market served by the corporate-owned distribution unit.

“We’ve had customers get really upset that we won’t have Dublin anymore,” said Chicken Express owner Richard Ebenhack. “We’ve carried it for several years and will now carry the regular (corn syrup) Dr. Pepper product.”

The plant has now been renamed Dublin Bottling Works and will produce its own brands of soft drinks, including Triple XXX root beer, which dates to 1895. It will also operate the museum and Old Doc’s Soda Shop, where it can sell licensed Dr Pepper merchandise. The company laid off 14 local employees.

As for me, well, I will survive along with my teenage sugar addicted son. Maybe a little more sugar in my sweet tea for me until someone provides a better addiction.

photo by Keith Robinson

The two aircraft, piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Taylor, took a 90-minute ferry flight from Fort Worth to Florida. Both 5^th Generation fighters will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the new F-35 Integrated Training Center.

F-35 STOVLs met many critical milestones in 2011. In October, F-35Bs conducted their first set of ship trials 20 miles off the coast of Wallops Island, Va. During the 19-day testing period, BF-2 and BF-4 conducted 72 vertical landings and short takeoffs, accomplishing all test milestones during the mission. For the year, F-35Bs accomplished 333 System Development and Demonstration test flights and 268 vertical landings.

BF-6 and BF-8 are the first two F-35 deliveries to the Department of Defense in 2012 and the seventh and eighth F-35 aircraft delivered to Eglin AFB since July 2011. Previously, six U.S. Air Force F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jets were delivered to the base.

Bond said the bus was entering a controlled intersection to turn when another vehicle collided with the bus. The front door area of the bus was damaged in the wreck.

According to Christine Wilcox, a chain spokeswoman, “As part of our annual review, we identified locations that have been struggling and have tried to re-position them to compete better, but these four remained unprofitable.”

Once the Dallas-Fort Worth market leader with 97 stores a decade ago, Albertsons now has about 50 remaining stores.

The 55,785-square-foot Albertsons store at 8510 U.S. 377 in Benbrook, which opened in 1997 and competes with a nearby Brookshire’s and Walmart, is scheduled to close around Feb. 18. The store has started a liquidation sale.

Wilcox said the company is working with employees to place them at other Albertsons locations, “though there could be some layoffs, particularly at the store in Casa Grande [Arizona], which is a more remote location.”

The other stores set to close on or about Feb. 18 are in Lafayette, La., and Frisco, Texas. Wilcox said the company does not expect additional closings.

After the closings, Albertsons LLC will operate 205 stores in the Southwest and the South.

It’s all there. Bull riding, roping, goat milking, livestock judging just to name a few. Some special events will include The All-Western Parade in downtown Fort Worth this Saturday at 11 a.m., “Bulls’ Night Out” Jan. 17-18, Senior Citizen Days Jan. 13, 20, 27, & Feb. 3., Kids Gone Wild Jan. 22, Stock Show Goes Pink Jan. 24, Military Appreciation Day Jan. 30, and Champions’ Saturday Feb. 4.

Don’t forget to visit the carnival/midway for lots of exciting games and amusement park rides. And bring an appetite! They’ll be lots of funnel cakes, turkey legs and popcorn.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has announced its first-ever smart phone application. With this free “app” users can navigate their way around the Stock Show grounds, find the next real-time event or plan an entire day at the Show. The application is now available for Apple and Android users in their respective markets.

One of the big focuses was tobacco use at parks.  Several on the council agreed that all forms of tobacco use be included in the proposed ban, not just smoking.  A possible compromise was discussed that would designate the parking lots of parks as smoking areas.  Council members seemed receptive to that idea.

When asked for his opinion, Councilmember Elzie Clements stated that he was going to vote against the smoking ordinance because he believed it to be “unconstitutional.”  Clements spoke of the rights of business owners, saying an owner should be able to decide if smoking is allowed in their place of business or not.

This discussion gave way to another proposed compromise.  The idea to target only restaurants and places that prepare food, parks, city buildings and large gathering areas with the smoking ordinance was brought up, and the council appeared to agree with this.  The proposed compromise would leave smaller businesses out of the ordinance.  For now, the definition of a large gathering area was not set, although measurements of 2,000 or 5,000 square feet were given as possibilities.

Places that are going to be targeted by the ordinance will have a choice to make.  Either designate an outdoor smoking area and outlaw it in the business, or install an air filtration system.

“This puts the teeth in the ordinance,” Councilman Garry Wilson stated.  “You gotta put teeth in it to make it work.”

Businesses will be grandfathered in and the current draft of the ordinance gives them a year to install the proper system.

Ryan will work with City Secretary Amy Arnold to take all of the input and work it into the proposed ordinance, which will then be brought back before council.

38^th Year CDBG project chosen

Project Manager Jack Bell brought this item before council, as they were set to choose a project for the Community Development Block Grant for this coming year.  Bell informed the council that this once yearly grant given to the city will now be bi-annual, with the city receiving no funding in 2013.

Bell suggested the water main on Delmar Street from Pemberton to Meadow Park as the focus of the 2012 grant.

“It has become an issue we need to address,” Bell said.

In a memo given to the council, Bell stated that this water main “experiences numerous maintenance problems creating hardships on the residents.”

The estimated cost of the project is $266,640, with $62,300 of that being paid for through the grant.

A public hearing on the matter was held and one citizen chose to speak.  They highlighted an area on Sussex Court where water pools and reported that it is a place where mosquitoes gather during the summer.  This citizen asked that it be looked at as a potential candidate for the CDBG project.

With the public hearing closed, the council voted unanimously to approve a resolution naming the Delmar Street water main as the 38^th year CDBG project.

Certificate of Occupancy ordinance discussed

As part of their workshop the council also began discussions about a possible certificate of occupancy ordinance.  This would apply to rental properties and would see that when a new tenant is coming into a home an inspection is done to see any potential problems with the property.  If none of the issues are pressing safety issues, the tenant would be able to move in under a conditional certificate that gave the landlord thirty days to address the issues with the property.

“It would keep the slum lords from just throwing a coat of paint on it,” Councilman Mike Arnold said.

Benefits to this were said to be better home values, and protection for some people who are moving into substandard homes and are unable to do anything about it.  There was much discussion among council and city staff about how to go about implementing such a system.

“We’re certainly not trying to be difficult,” EDC Director Jim Ryan said of the proposal.  “There is no intent here to cause hardship.  It’s to make things better.”

Involved in the discussion was an individual who does these inspections for the City of River Oaks.  One White Settlement employee also stated that he had done these inspections in another city, and gave information about the process.  A stricter idea that would eliminate conditional certificates altogether was also brought up.  This would force landlords to fix things pinpointed in the inspection before the property could be rented out.

“We may have to get some more people on board,” Mayor Burns cautioned, speaking of the increased workload that doing these inspections may create.

Discussions on this matter will continue and staff was taking the notes they were given and will use them to work on a possible ordinance.

Staff reports

Parks and Recreation Director Rich Tharp gave the council a report, filling them in on the many things going on within his department in the coming months.  Adult softball is underway and has forty-two teams signed up, and a winter kid fish followed by a campfire cookout is set for Saturday, Feb. 25 at Veterans Park.

In the past, those looking to enroll their children in soccer had to turn to the YMCA, but starting this year the White Settlement Youth Association will have their own league.

“We’re hoping to get about two hundred kids signed up for that,” Tharp said.

This eight week season will start in March and games will be played at Central Park.

On the subject of Central Park, Arnold asked if the fields will be ready for play in time for opening day of the baseball season.  Tharp said two fields are closed right now, but should be operational for at least day use by the time baseball starts.

“Come up with something that shows us what it would cost us for night use,” Arnold told him.

Project Manager Jack Bell was next to give a report to council, as he updated them on several ongoing projects.  One was the Farmer’s Branch Flood Control project.  The city is now working with the Army Corps of Engineers in an attempt to at least get a portion of the creek from White Settlement Road to Meadow Park done.

“The new drawings are to be turned into the CORPS on the twelfth of this month,” Bell said.

The street improvements to Bollinger Street are at about sixty percent completion, with the recent rainfall causing a few delays.

The company Heartland is preparing a presentation that will be made to a joint meeting of the council and the EDC regarding possible new configurations for Central Park and the price of implementing such changes.  Jan. 24 was mentioned as a possible date when this presentation could take place.

Jim Ryan gave a brief update about the White Settlement Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I have a personal goal this year to see if we can’t double the Chamber of Commerce membership,” Ryan said.  “I think it’s time to start building that chamber.”

Meeting for the first time in 2012 last week the Benbrook City Council unanimously approved a funding memorandum for the 377 widening, a process that will affect anyone traveling through Benbrook for several years to come.

The funding memorandum breaks down the $23.7 million that will be used to pay for the project.  $18.5 million will come from the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) and Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) using funds granted through proposition 12, a recently passed proposition that made available $3 billion to address congested highways, rehabilitate bridges and improve connectivity between the state’s metropolitan areas.  $2.8 million comes from Benbrook’s Core Value Fund, $1.5 million from Tarrant County bond funds, and another $825,000 from TXDOT preliminary engineering.

Construction is estimated at $18.9 million, with bids set to be opened in June.  If things stay on schedule, construction could begin in the fall and take around two years.  The construction will be done in sections, with the middle section targeted to be completed first.

“Some of the business may take a slight hit for a while,” Councilman Ron Sauma said.

Sauma was told by Deputy City Manager Dave Gattis that businesses will be provided with access at all times, even if it has to be done through dirt entries while construction is going on.

Mayor Jerry Dittrich mentioned the option of keeping some of the right of ways along 377 available after the completion of the widening for possible future mass transit and things like bus stops.

“Right now we’re just trying to get what we need,” Gattis told the Mayor.

Utility work will begin within six months, and there is a Feb. 23 public hearing set on the project.

Also on the agenda was the 38^th year Community Development Block Grant.  Around $80,000 was available in funding to the city for this year’s project, and Gattis addressed the council about possible uses.

“We have considered possible projects and frankly over the last thirty some odd years, all of the eligible infrastructure projects that we can think of within the target area have been rebuilt,” Gattis said.

He suggested housing rehabilitation be named the project for this year.  In a motion, councilmember Jim Wilson tentatively designated street lighting and housing rehabilitation as the project focus for the coming year.  That motion passed unanimously.

The council also approved several amendments to the EDC budget.  These were all previously approved projects that hadn’t been added into the budget yet, and included $40,000 to assist the Gardner-Denver relocation of an electric service line as a part of a business retention-expansion plan, $19,700 for prepare concept plans for the redevelopment of the commercial areas along Camp Bowie West and Williams Road, a contract for $9,070 with the University of Texas at Arlington for an industrial target study to assist in identifying the best industries to target recruitment efforts, $400,000 loan to Steve Hawkins as an incentive toward the development of the Hawkins Business Center on the north side of I-20, and an estimated $2 million amount where EDC would do infrastructure improvements in exchange for 12 acres of land on the west side of Winscott.

Owner Russell House said he was looking for more space for Pop’s, which is in a small strip shopping center on U.S. 377 south of the Weatherford Traffic Circle. They plan on moving March 1.

Pop’s is known for its thick, juicy patties and was the champ in DFW.com’s 2011 Battle of the Burgers contest.

The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day and their menu includes tacos, as well as burritos, quesadillas, hamburgers, fries, salads, shakes and desserts.

They are expected to be open for business in a couple of months.

Conti completed a similar project with the former Levitz Furniture store on Camp Bowie Boulevard last year. That project is about 70 percent full.

Target moved from the nearly 12 acre property in 2008 to a new, larger store in the Westover Village shopping center along Alta Mere Drive. The property was sold by Target Corp.

A Conti company representative stated that windows and other building materials will be added to the structure to take away the old Target look. A few perspective tenants are looking at the building but no details on who the companies might be are yet available.

File photo courtesy of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Animal Care & Control was called to the WalMart where the skunk was found in the garden center area of the store. The skunk was captured and euthanized and there does not appear to be any human exposure.

Rabies is a dangerous virus that is transmitted through the saliva of mammals. Anyone can become infected if they handle or get bitten by an animal that has the disease. Coming in contact with the smell of the exposed skunk will not cause humans to contract rabies.

Animal Care & Control officers urge residents to not approach or attempt to handle any free-roaming, unfamiliar animals behaving in an unusual manner.

If anyone is aware of potential direct human or pet contact with this animal on Dec. 23, consult a physician and/or veterinarian and then contact Animal Care & Control at 817-392-PAWS (7297).

Residents are reminded of the importance of keeping vaccinations up-to-date for all dogs, cats and other domestic pets. This requirement is important not only to keep your pets from getting rabies, but also to provide a barrier of protection to you if your animal is bitten by a rabid animal.

Individuals and groups in Grand Prairie ISD are singing an old, familiar song during this first week of the new year, but the lyrics have been being written for quite some time.  The song may be new to those folks there, but it rings a familiar tune to many here in the White Settlement ISD.

According to WFAA news reports a teachers union in Grand Prairie ISD is crying nepotism, insider dealings and teacher mistreatment against Superintendent Susan Simpson-Hull.

These words and accusations are some of the same complaints heard here in this district earlier in the decade when Simpson was the superintendent of White Settlement ISD. During her time as superintendent here employees complained that Simpson  replaced personnel such as counselors, coaches and administrators with her own personal friends and cronies.

One Grand Prairie teacher who recently retired said Simpson had made working conditions “intolerable” by requiring hours of extra work and by adopting a new “flawed” curriculum that was purchased for the sum of a half-a-million dollars from an organization run by Simpson’s father.

And, now, the NAACP is adding racism to the list of allegations.  This organization has accused Simpson of replacing minority administrators with her white friends.

The Grand Prairie ISD maintains that the allegations have been dismissed by the Board of Trustees, but many teachers remain unconvinced and are afraid to come forward and express their frustrations.

Sounds so very familiar.

January

TCU won the Rose Bowl by a score of 21-19 over the Wisconsin Badgers on New Year’s Day.

The White Settlement General Dollar was burglarized before the start of business. The suspect broke open the safe and stole an undetermined amount of money.

Nearly half the store was demolished when a station wagon goes out of control and crashes through the front window of the Quik Sak on White Settlement Road. No one was hurt in the accident.

February

The Cradle of Champions monument was erected in downtown Fort Worth as part of Superbowl festivities. ESPN broadcast live from the Chisholm Trail parking lot for nearly two weeks. A major snow storm pounded the Metroplex during Superbowl week leaving travelers stranded by the hundreds all over the area. Sorry Cowboy fans, no super week this year either.

White Settlement council members Giddens, Powell and Warner were removed from their seats.

March

The first production F-35 stealth fighter jet takes to the air over Fort Worth.

Six people, some with local ties, died in a fatal fire while attending a celebration at a mobile home in Granbury.

The Nation’s largest Vietnam Memorial Wall sets up in Dutch Branch Park in Benbrook for a week. It attracts several thousand visitors.

A full supermoon comes within 221,566 miles of the earth.

April

Western Hills baseball players are charged with chicken decapitations for conducting a superstitious ritual in an effort to break a loosing slump by the baseball team.

The White Settlement Volunteer Fire Department receives a new brush truck through a grant. The truck was put in use within a week helping battle wildfires just west of Fort Worth.

May

An F-0 tornado tore small trees from the ground, tossed trampolines from the backyard to the frontyard, and folded metal ball field light poles in half on the west side of Fort Worth.

White Settlement City Council members meet for the first time in almost 5 months after three members of the council were removed from their seats.

June

Area pools in Fort Worth struggle to keep their doors open as budgets are drained.

The Grizzly Detail Newspaper celebrates the start of year number six. The paper serves the communities of White Settlement, Benbrook, Lake Worth, and west Fort Worth.

July

A contractor hits a gas line in Lake Worth prompting street closures and evacuations. A heavy duty piece of equipment was destroyed in the fire. No one was injured.

Lockheed announces job reductions to about 1,500 employees at their Fort Worth plant.

The city of Benbrook announced the development of a huge shopping and entertainment venue near Southwest Loop 820.

August

An 18-wheeler crash kills the son of the driver when it hits and destroys a support standard on the Spur 341 bridge. Traffic was diverted for several months while repairs were made to the bridge.

The Grizzly Detail Newspaper was named an official publication for the City of White Settlement.

Watering restrictions go into effect for residents and businesses. Nearly 220,000 residents are affected.

September

The Brewer Bears football team moves to 4-0 in hopes of making the playoffs. The team finished 6-4 on the year with no playoff appearance.

A missing Westpoint teen was found near Lake Worth after police and volunteers mounted a massive search. Ronny Howard wasn’t able to recall how he ended up near the lake.

October

Texas Rangers give fans a roller coaster ride in World Series. The Rangers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in game 7.

November

The White Settlement voters voted down the Farmers Branch Flood Control bond 428-199.

December

Iraq keeps the assembly lines rolling with an order of F-16s. Lockheed agreed to an $835 million contract for eighteen F-16 fighter jets. The Japan government selected the F-35 as their warplane. They are expected to buy 40-50 jets for around $8 billion.

To top off the yearend, a record 72-pound blue catfish was caught in Lake Worth by Tim McKneely. The fish was 48 inches long and was released back into the lake.

Happy New Year to all as we move into 2012.

White Settlement residents may drop off Christmas trees for FREE at the Municipal Complex Parking lot located at 8213 White Settlement Rd.  Plenty of free landscape mulch is available.

Benbrook residents may dispose of Christmas trees in one of the following ways:

1. Place trees curbside on Wednesdays before 7:00 a.m. Trees and other brush are normally collected by Allied Waste within 72 hours.

2. Take trees to the brush roll-off dumpster located at the City Maintenance Facility, 467 Winscott Road, from now till Jan. 10, Monday-Friday, from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

3. To recycle your tree, take it to Dutch Branch Park Complex (now till Jan. 10), off Winscott Road, in the rear parking lot behind Par 3 Golf.

Place trees in the designated area (look for signs). Once the trees are collected, city crews will mulch the trees. Free mulch will be made available to citizens, in the same location, around mid-January. For questions on the mulching program, please contact the Parks Department at 817-249-5580.

Water and wastewater rate increases approved by the Fort Worth City Council in September take effect Jan. 1. The average combined water and wastewater portion of the utility bill would increase $1.58 per month.

Several factors are causing rates to increase, including higher raw water costs and capital improvement debt payments, implementation of a condition assessment program for large-diameter wastewater pipe and purchases of large equipment, which had been deferred in previous years.

The approved changes affect the water volume rates for residential, commercial, industrial and super user classes, and the water monthly service charge affects all classes.

Wastewater volume rates are increasing for all classes, and monitored commercial and industrial wastewater customers will see changes to the BOD and TSS strength charges. There is no change to the wastewater monthly service charge.

More information can be found at www. fortworthtexas.gov

Stormwater

The city’s stormwater utility continues to work aggressively to correct drainage problems throughout the city. It will cost more than $1 billion to correct all known problems.

Since 1986, flash flooding in Fort Worth has claimed 16 lives and caused extensive property damage. To help protect the community from these devastating floods, more funds are needed. The additional revenues generated from the increase will go primarily toward paying debt service on $80 million in revenue bonds that will be sold to fund the design and construction of capital improvements in 2012 and 2013.

Monthly residential rates will increase beginning with the January 2012 billing.

Police reports state that the SUV was traveling north on Roberts Cut Off and turned west onto the 6000 block of Jacksboro Highway about 6:30 a.m. and struck a pedestrian.

Heinz Schlotter, 59, of Fort Worth, was pronounced dead about 10:35 a.m. Sunday from injuries suffered during the collision, according to the report. Police recovered a damaged passenger side mirror cover from the suspect vehicle, and have concluded that the vehicle’s passenger side window and passenger side windshield may also be damaged, a Lake Worth police news release said.

Lake Worth police are requesting contact from anyone who may have seen the incident, the suspect vehicle or who may have knowledge about the driver. Anyone with information should contact Det. Chris Gregory at 817-237-1224.

Firefighters use the Jaws of Life to rescue the driver of this Chevrolet Avalanche around lunch time on Christmas Eve. About 25 people stopped along Loop 820 and Interstate 30 West to assist the injured driver before emergency workers arrived. MedStar transported the injured person to a local hospital. Injury information was unavailable.

Just like that another year has come and gone.  As December comes to a close and 2012 looms large on the horizon, it’s that special time where I take a long look back at the year in movies.  The good, the great, the bad and the worst, we’ll cover a bit of everything as we remember the year that was at the theater.

2011 was a box office year that I’ll remember fondly.  It lacked some major big name franchises, but a lot of filmmakers did things right this year.  Sure, there were still some awful moments, but it really does feel like good stories are being told more than bad ones, and that on a large scale, audiences are supporting quality over garbage.  Hopefully 2012 will continue that trend, but for now let’s talk about 2011.

BEST ACTION SCENE:  THE ASYLUM GIRLS VERSUS STEAM POWERED NAZI ZOMBIES IN SUCKERPUNCH

When you use the description “steam powered nazi zombies” you can win just about any argument about “most inventive action sequence,” and Suckerpunch certainly wins this category too.

In a wild movie that features some insane action, this was the one that stood above all the rest.  Swords, machine guns, giant mechs, and a huge nazi zeppelin all come together in an action sequence that has to be seen to be believed.

BIGGEST LETDOWN:  KUNG FU PANDA 2

One thing that’s always been important to me as a critic is staying honest.  I don’t pretend to love movies aimed at kids, I let people know that it’s my least favorite genre.  That just made my love of the original Kung Fu Panda all the more real.  It was such a genuinely special movie, with an amazing, original story that was full of heart and humor.  So imagine my disappointment when the second one was everything that’s wrong with kid’s movies today.  Gone was everything that made the original special.  Instead it was replaced by lower quality production values, a less thought out story, forgettable humor, and voice performances that lacked energy and sincerity.  Children get fed a steady diet of terrible movies throughout the year, and it saddened me that the Kung Fu Panda sequel fell into that category.  

WORST ACTRESS:  CAMERON DIAZ IN GREEN HORNET & BAD TEACHER

Let’s have a round of applause for Cameron Diaz, as she also won this category last year.  Diaz is someone that baffles me.  She has zero acting ability and zero charm, yet people keep casting her in movies.  Her ability to single handedly ruin a film is second to none, and in 2011 she proved this.  After stomping around frumpily in a useless role in Green Hornet earlier in the year, Diaz really shined her unique light of awfulness in Bad Teacher.  Shrill, unappealing, and completely unaware of it, Diaz is a deserving two time winner of this category.

BEST ACTRESS:  EMMA STONE IN CRAZY STUPID LOVE & THE HELP

I always find it amazing when a new star arrives and there’s no doubt that you’re watching the early steps of someone who is going to have a long and prosperous career in Hollywood.  Emma Stone has been around for a few years now, but she’s poised to break out big with next year’s co-starring role in The Amazing Spiderman.  Stone is vibrant, hilarious, and someone you want to cheer for.  She was in two fantastic movies this year and in each of them showed the kind of charm and wit that’s going to carry her as far along as she wants to go in the movie industry.

WORST ACTOR:  TAYLOR LAUTNER IN ABDUCTION & TWILIGHT BREAKING DAWN

Part of me feels genuinely bad for this kid.  You can’t blame him for having a big break by portraying a werewolf in the Twilight films.  Sure, he got cast solely because of his looks, but is that really his fault?  Still, after finally starring in his very own movie this summer, Lautner proved what the world already knew; this guy can’t act. His ability to take off his shirt is really great, he probably went to Matthew McConaughey University and majored in shirt taking offing.  Beyond that, this guy has the emotional range of a block of wood.  He makes puppy dog eyes at the camera, takes his shirt off, and that’s about it.  Lautner is a millionaire many times over for his role in the Twilight films.  Hopefully, for all of our sakes, he retires with that money and doesn’t keep trying to act.

BEST ACTOR:  RYAN GOSLING IN CRAZY STUPID LOVE & DRIVE & THE IDES OF MARCH

I’ve always been pretty lukewarm when it came to Ryan Gosling.  He’s obviously got talent, but his movie choices weren’t always my favorite.  But in 2011, this guy was in three different movies where he just showed up and took over.  From a hilarious womanizer to a brutal driver, Gosling was a shining example that great actors disappear into roles.  In Drive, he barely even spoke.  This devastating performance was done with mostly physical movement, facial emotions, and subtle nuances.  It was a masterful job and one that less than five currently working actors could’ve pulled off.

BEST ON SCREEN BUDDIES:  STEVE CARELL AND RYAN GOSLING IN CRAZY STUPID LOVE

Opposites sometimes attract when it comes to friendships as well as romances, and that’s certainly what happened here.  Tired of seeing Carell’s pathetic middle aged character wallow in self pity, Gosling’s confident womanizer character befriends him and teaches him how to be a man again.  The two are as different as imaginable, and their pairing is hilarious from the start.  But what begins as a silly situation, at some point turns into an actual friendship.  Their time on screen together is some of the best moments in cinema this year.

BEST HERO:  HENRY CAVILL AS THESEUS IN IMMORTALS

Greek mythology has never been done as well on screen as it was in this film, and it likely will never be done this well again.  Cavill (who will star as Superman in the upcoming remake) was completely perfect as the reluctant hero Theseus.  Chosen by the gods from a young age, Theseus is more interested in protecting his modest home and his mother.  When the brutality of war comes to him, his enemies awaken a sleeping beast, as Theseus unleashes hell upon them for the rest of the movie.  With a little help from the gods themselves, he embodies what has always been fascinating about mythology, and what makes a true hero.

BEST VILLAIN:  COLIN FARRELL AS JERRY THE VAMPIRE IN FRIGHT NIGHT

Farrell was in need of some career revitalization this year and anyone who saw his movie stealing performance in this movie realizes that he accomplished his goal.  He was perfect as the vampire next door.  Every word he said had a double meaning, every sentence laced with hidden menace.  Even when he was completely still he was frightening, and when he was finally unleashed upon the stars of the film he was a tornado of violence and terror.

WORST MOVIES OF 2011

As someone who saw about 90% of released films this year I can tell you that there were a lot of really bad movies released in 2011.  However, these five stood out as the worst of the worst.

#5 GREEN HORNET

When remaking an old property, most filmmakers try to be respectful to the original.  Potty mouth extraordinaire Seth Rogen took the opposite approach when making the Green Hornet into an all new blockbuster film.  Since Rogen only has the ability to play a single character (foul mouthed, sex obsessed loser), he does that in this film.  The result is a confused movie that tries to be a raunchy comedy, buddy story, and superhero film, and fails at all three.

What could’ve been the movie’s saving grace is Kato, the karate master sidekick of the Green Hornet.  Unfortunately, the actor put into this role can barely speak English, making it nearly impossible to follow anything he says.  It doesn’t help that he exists just as another prop that Seth Rogen can use to set up more sex jokes.  Add in the always awful Cameron Diaz, and you’ve got a very bad movie.

#4 BAD TEACHER

Speaking of Cameron Diaz, this dark comedy was a hateful mess.  I usually enjoy cynical comedies, but there was nothing funny about this movie.  It was a collection of awful people, helmed by the awfulest of all (Diaz), doing awful things, many of which that victimized children.  It’s not like you can’t make a funny movie featuring adults being mean to kids.  Jack Black was a perfectly funny bad teacher in School of Rock, Billy Bob Thornton has hilariously been mean to kids in several films, but there’s always a touch of heart underneath.  Bad Teacher is just a mean movie for no good reason.

#3 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES

Need a few hundred million dollars?  Why not just make another Pirates of the Caribbean movie?  That was the thought process behind this totally pointless fourth entry into the Pirates franchise.  It’s clear from the early moments that nobody in this movie really cared to be there.  Depp looks worn out in his fourth appearance as Captain Jack Sparrow, making his drunken stumble through the movie even harder to swallow than usual.

I can handle bad movies and I can even handle bad sequels, it happens from time to time.  What I can’t handle are movies that are made solely to make money.  It’s such a waste of time and resources, and also an example of Hollywood greed.  Instead of making something new and original, they go for the easy moneygrab of a half ready sequel that’s not even ten percent as good as the other films in the series.

#2 THE HANGOVER 2

I’ve never been a huge fan of super raunchy films, but I understand that there’s an audience for them and as long as people aren’t dragging their kids into the theater to see them, I don’t really care.  But sometimes a movie takes things so far beyond the line of decency that I get honestly offended, and that happened with Hangover 2.

This movie is awful in pretty much every way imaginable.  The debauchery that’s celebrated and presented as comedy here is despicable.  The original worked because it was a novel idea with some outlandish plot elements.  The sequel recycles everything from the original, telling the same exact story but turning up the indecency factor to 100.

I felt bad when I got done watching this movie.  I was in a bad mood, I thought worse about society, and I wanted to take a shower and try to scrub this movie out of my brain.  That’s how bad this movie was.

#1 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1

This franchise has been up and down with the quality.  The original was a good teen romance film with supernatural elements, the sequel was a melodramatic mess, the third was an action packed epic, and this one, well, was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.

The lack of acting skills hurt this movie so bad.  It was like watching a collection of stone statues trying to display emotional dialog.  The melodramatic script couldn’t have been any more butchered than it was.  Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner are an unholy trinity of bad acting whose very existence in this film threatens to destroy the great profession of acting forever.  That’s how bad they are in this movie.

The badness goes beyond just their awfulness, however.  There’s also a five minute scene of badly animated computer graphic wolves growling at each other.  It wasn’t just the worst scene of the year, it’s the worst scene of the young millennium.  Stupid looking computer generated wolves gather on a beach AND GROWL AT EACH OTHER!  Someone somewhere saw this in the script and thought “yeah, that’ll be great”.

I could go deeper about why this was the worst movie of the year.  I could tell you about the vampire baby birth scene, which was the most horrific movie moment of 2011, or the bizarre and ridiculous film techniques, or the overwhelming selfishness of the main characters, but I think you get my point as to why this movie gets this dishonorable spot on the list.

BEST MOVIES OF 2011

But never fear, because there were some triumphs this year.  Below are the five best movies I saw in 2011.

#5 IMMORTALS

After the awful Clash of the Titans last year, it seemed that the chance for a mythology inspired epic on the big screen was slim to none.  But visionary director Tarsem Singh delivered an unparalleled mythology story as an evil ruler (Mickey Rourke) looked to challenge the gods by releasing titans upon the world.  Zeus and all of his Mount Olympus cronies were presented better than ever.  They were full of complexities and oddness, and their interplay with the human conflict below made for some of the best moments of this film.

Singh is well known for his brilliant visual style, and it’s on full display in some of the most gripping and amazing action sequences of the year in this movie.  It’s an all out epic, and one of the best movies of the year.

#4 WARRIOR

This heavy family drama was a surprise hit in the second half of 2011.  It won over critics and moviegoers one at a time, and those who were lucky enough to see it know why.  Tom Hardy turns in a truly unforgettable performance as a young man beset by personal demons.  His recovering alcoholic father (Nick Nolte) and struggling family man big brother also turn in amazing performances.  Watching this completely shattered family come back into contact as the brothers take part in a mixed martial arts competition is a true joy, even if it is emotionally exhausting.  With some of the best performances of the year and a story that grabs you and never lets go, this is a movie that I advise anyone and everyone to go rent and watch right away.

#3 BUNRAKU

Finding something unique and original in the movie industry is always a struggle, but this movie proved that such things still exist.  Josh Hartnett shines as a nameless drifter hellbent on revenge.  Joined by a samurai who also wants revenge and a gimped bartender (Woody Harrellson) who could also use a little revenge, these characters do battle across an amazing landscape of originality.

Seeing a world so vibrant and strange brought to life is a true joy.  The world of Bunraku is like a mixture between a spaghetti western, a samurai epic and a science fiction movie.  Everything is color coordinated, music swells and bangs along with the action, and the bad guys all wear matching suits.  Touches like these make this such an amazing experience, but underneath all of the flash and oddness is still a fantastic action movie.

It didn’t make a big splash with audiences in a very limited release, but trust me when I say this is a movie you need to see.

#2 LIMITLESS

It’s a shame this movie released so early in the year, because too many people have forgotten about its brilliance.  Bradley Cooper carried this entire film on his shoulders and did it like a true champion.  Starting the story as a strung out loser writer, his character is exposed to a super drug that awakens the dormant parts of his brain.  Soon he’s super intelligent, super successful, and in some super danger.

As far as storytelling goes, it doesn’t get better than Limitless.  This is among the best stories told on film in the past decade.  Cooper and a cast of outstanding support bring to life this tale of hidden dangers, precarious ambitions, and inventive problem solving.  The movie is witty and smart from start to finish, mixing in some twists and turns you’ll never see coming.

#1 DRIVE

Sometimes a movie is so good it’s hard to explain, and that’s how I feel about this one.  It’s a very quiet movie, and star Gosling has very few lines of dialog.  He’s a powerful presence nonetheless as he brings to life a getaway driver with a heart of gold.  When things go bad for a woman he’s fallen for, he turns into a whirlwind of violence as he goes after some bad men doing bad things.

The best word to describe this film is intensity.  Gosling says more with movement of his head than some actors can do with a scriptful of dialog.  Aided by gorgeous filmmaking and a clean, amazing soundtrack, this movie elevates the quiet characters and their plight to the highest level.  These are good, decent people, backed into bad, indecent situations.

When things turn ugly, they do so with a brutality rarely seen on film.  Those with queasy stomachs need not apply to watch Drive, as there are some moments that are among the most realistic gore you’ll ever see.  But it always happens for a reason, as Gosling works his way through the deceitful web that he’s reluctantly found himself caught up in.

So there you have it.  An entire year spent in the theater summed up in my annual best and worst list.  The movies remain a magical escape for us all and it was a true pleasure doing my best to give you well thought out reviews of them throughout the year.  I look forward to continuing to do so in 2012.

All the catches were released. The Department of State Health Services advises against eating blue and channel catfish and small-mouth buffalo from Lake Worth because of high levels of PCBs.

The White Settlement Library has several Nooks available for users to check out to read ebooks.  Users must be 18 or older and have had a library card for 6 months that is now in good standing (no fines).  The library has pre-loaded the Nooks with some books, but users can also chose their own titles to borrow through the Overdrive ebook lending program.  Come by the library or call (817) 367-0166 for more information.

Local resident Riley Cantrell got into the Christmas Spirit this past week after President Obama announced the conclusion of the war in Iraq after almost nine years. “I thought in honor of declaring the war was over I’d decorate this old hackberry tree near my home,” Cantrell said. “I’ve seen a lot of trees decorated along the highways and thought this would add some celebration to the season.”

By A.C. Hall

The Benbrook City Council met last week to move through their last agenda of 2011.  It proved to be a short gathering, as they unanimously voted to accept the finance report for the month of November.  Mayor Jerry Dittrich offered some season’s greetings before adjourning.

“This is our last meeting of the year,” Dittrich said.  “Thank you council members for your service and I would like to wish y’all a merry Christmas and happy new year and [the same to] our citizens out there.”

By A.C. Hall

The White Settlement City Council had just one item of new business when meeting this past Monday.  City Manager Linda Ryan was seeking the council’s thoughts on extending an extra day off at the New Year’s weekend for city employees.

“I think our city’s employees would really appreciate it and everything is running smooth,” Ryan said.

Mayor Jerry Burns spoke about the practicality of extending the extra day off to employees.

“In days of tight budgets this is one of the easier things you can do that’s real cost conservative to show the City that we do appreciate our staff,” Burns said.  “Our staff and our workers make us look good.”

A motion was made to approve Friday, Dec. 30 as a day off for city employees.  That motion passed unanimously.

Council members Gene Hatcher, Elzie Clements, Mike Arnold, Sr., Garry Wilson, Mayor Jerry Burns, and Paul Moore wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Earlier in the meeting, Ryan introduced the council to the new Finance Director.  This position has proven difficult to keep filled for Ryan, as one left after a short time to take a higher paying job elsewhere while another didn’t work out after that. Philip Bray has taken over the position and he spoke briefly to the council.

“I’m thankful to be here, looking forward to working with you,” Bray told the council.

At the conclusion of the brief meeting, Mayor Burns offered a message of happy holidays to all in attendance.

“I look for great things in the future; everybody have a merry Christmas,” Burns said.

“We are honored by the confidence the Japanese government has placed in the F-35 and our industry team to deliver this 5th Generation fighter to the Japan Air Self Defense Force,” said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer. “This announcement begins a new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Japanese industry and builds on the strong security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan.”

The good news was embraced by workers at Lockheed that build the aircraft.

“With all the delays and problems that have been associated with the jet, we were all starting to get a little worried about our jobs,” said one worker who wanted to remain anonymous.

Japan is expected to buy 40 to 50 jets for as much as $8 billion.

Tim McKneely and his friend Mark Alexander with the catch of a lifetime!

On the night of Dec. 18, McKneely and Alexander fished all night and into the next morning.  Monday morning about 8 a.m. they got a bite – a BIG bite.  After the fight, the two realized they had a shot at breaking the previous water body record of 55 pounds – ironically set Dec. 23, 2001.  A quick Internet search on their phone revealed there was a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries office right below the dam at Lake Worth.

When the call came in, TPWD fisheries biologists decided to go see what the buzz was all about.

Upon arriving at the lake with paperwork, measuring board, and certified scale, a quick I.D. check revealed it was in fact a blue catfish, and a giant!  When the weight settled, the behemoth tipped the scales at 72 pounds, was 48 inches long, and had a girth of 35 inches.  Once all measurements and photos were taken, the Lake Worth monster was released to fight another day.

An abundance of water fowls are making a temporary stop at area ponds and lakes as they search for food on their trek south. A frightful surprise is in store for them when they make their final destination.

Bodies of water all across the western side of Fort Worth are filled with migrating ducks. Nearly 100 ducks were counted searching for vegetation in a pond out in Westpoint this past week.

What used to be hundreds of acres of freshwater with a healthy crop of submerged aquatic vegetation for ducks is now nothing more than dry and cracked ground. That’s how wildlife management has described conditions along the coastal marsh of Texas. With the depth of the drought that has brutalized Texas for the past year, the impact will be in the millions for wintering waterfowl and the waterfowl hunting seasons in most of the state.

“Ducks need two things: water and groceries. We don’t have much of that this year,” said Dave Morrison, director of small game programs for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, in a recent report. “There are record numbers of ducks headed this way, and we have nowhere to put them.”

Why so many ducks? The breeding and nesting grounds of the prairies and parklands of the north-central United States and central Canada have been as wet as Texas has been dry. Surveys of nesting grounds that began in the middle 1950’s are now at record numbers. Blue-winged teal, shovelers and redheads are at record populations. Pintails are up more than 25 percent from last year, and their population is higher than in any year since 1980.

As those ducks get to Texas, they find very few places to support them. Many of the places where water is available offer little in the way of food. While some areas in north and northeast Texas recently were blessed with much-needed rain, it did little to improve conditions. Crucial submerged aquatic vegetation that grows in shallow water was left high and dry with the drought. With nothing for the birds to eat, their visit will be short before moving on in search of better conditions.

Meeting without Mayor Jerry Burns who is currently out of town, the White Settlement City Council looked at several proposals Tuesday night to deal with a water rate increase from Fort Worth.

“The City of Fort Worth has passed on three rate increases since we’ve had a water rate increase,” City Manager Linda Ryan said.  “The last water rate increase we had was in 2008.”

White Settlement purchases around fifty-five percent of its water from Fort Worth, and the rate increase this year from Fort Worth is 17 cents per thousand gallons.  In 2010, Fort Worth increased the rate by 16 cents.  Another water charge that is now affecting White Settlement is the fee of 10 cents per thousand gallons the city pumps out of the ground.  That’s an increase from 3 cents that they have been paying up until now.

“If we don’t pass these charges on we’re going to be where we can’t meet our budget,” Ryan said.

She stated that there is currently no plan to increase sewage costs.  There were four possible rate increases given to council that featured a mix of base rate increases and per gallon usage fee increases for both commercial and residential customers.

The proposal that the council agreed upon was one that would see an average residential bill increase by $1.58.  Ryan described this as an option that “would best serve your citizens.”  This proposal raises the residential base rate by 25 cents and the per thousand gallon after 2,000 gallons by 25 cents.  Commercially, it raises the base rate by 3 percent and the per thousand gallon after 2,000 gallons by 50 cents, making a monthly increase of $3.22 for the average commercial user.

“If we don’t do this, we’re going to hit some hard times with paying Fort Worth,” Ryan said.

Councilmember Garry Wilson made a motion to approve the proposed increase.  That motion passed unanimously.

Zeig Electric Tax Abatement Terminated 

Since 2006, the city has had a tax abatement agreement in place with Zeig Electric, owners of the office building at 8224 White Settlement Road.

“For the last two years they’ve been in violation of this tax abatement agreement due to delinquent taxes,” Ryan told the council.

The agreement was set to last through 2014, but as part of tax abatement agreements the city does, the company is required to keep their tax payments current.  In order for the proper process to take place with the Tarrant Appraisal District, action from the council to terminate the agreement was needed.

Councilmember Elzie Clements asked if the taxes were just late and was informed that they hadn’t been paid at all in the last two years.

“They have filed bankruptcy,” Ryan said.  “We will get our taxes, it’s just going to be slow coming.”

Councilmember Mike Arnold made a motion to terminate the tax abatement agreement.  That motion passed unanimously.

Smoking Ordinance Tabled

The council voted unanimously to set aside the agenda item dealing with the smoking ordinance, as it appeared not to be ready.

“There was two or three things in there that I thought needed work,” Arnold said.

The council spoke of picking up work on it in the new year as they continue to get it prepared.

“It is something that we need,” councilmember Gene Hatcher said.

Oil/Gas lease with Chesapeake renewed

The council voted unanimously to a new three-year oil and gas agreement with Kastner Land, who was working on behalf of Chesapeake Energy.  This is a renewal of a three-year lease for 70 acres of land that recently ended, and Kastner offered the city $5,000 per mineral acre for a total bonus of $395,000.  The city will also receive twenty-five percent royalties if the area becomes active.

Municipal Judge and City Prosecutor receive raises

The council met in a closed door executive session to hold the annual review of the Municipal Judge and City Prosecutor.  Upon reconvening, a motion was passed that granted each position a four percent raise retroactive to the beginning of October.

USA Liquor, at 9116 Camp Bowie West, under an agreement with the state will voluntarily shut down on March 4 — just two days before the one-year anniversary of the fire.

Officials said that Calvin Reineck bought the vodka March 5 at the store before hosting a party at his home in Granbury while his father was out of town.

Nine people fell asleep at the house, and fire broke out in the early morning hours. Three people escaped, but six died, including Reineck; Alexis Schooley, 17; Vivian Rodriguez, 18; Nick Evans, 19; Savannah Marrero, 16; and Tim Moran, 30.

Calvin’s sister, Celeste, who was injured in a wreck on the morning of the fire, is set to graduate from Mesa High School in White Settlement.

“This is welcome news for both Lockheed Martin and our many F-35 suppliers and will help ensure we continue to meet production schedules outlined by the program,” the company said in a statement.

Ray Dickerson

In a letter to fellow board members, Mr. Dickerson said: “During the past two years, I have had to deal with health issues related to my cardiovascular system which have become much more problematic in the last several months.  While I am grateful to all who have offered their support and encouragement, I have concluded that it is imperative that I resign after consultation with my family, medical team, close friends and advisers.”

His resignation comes at a time when the district is searching for a new superintendent.

Melody Johnson resigned in June following six years with the district. Longtime Fort Worth educator Walter Dansby is currently serving as the interim superintendent.

Under school district policy, the board can name a new president from current board members, appoint a president from the outside or hold a special election.

A new bike for Jimmy, a doll for Susie and an F-16 fighter jet for Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Not quite, but close as the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics an $835 million contract to provide the Iraqi government with eighteen F-16 fighter jets.

An F-16 prepares to land at the NAS JRB with the changing of the seasons and the Fort Worth skyline in full view. An order for eighteen fighter jets will bring strong economic dollars to the area.

Since 2009 the two governments have been in talks about the purchase of the planes with the Iraqi government postponing the move earlier this year. In September, Iraq and Lockheed settled on the terms and Iraq paid the U.S. $1.5 billion for the jets, engines and other related equipment.

The order will keep the production line here in west Fort Worth running though 2015. It’s the first solid order for Lockheed in over a year. Lockheed expects another follow-up order from the country of Oman who purchased 12 fighter jets several years ago and is looking at another dozen and a half to be added to their fleet. Nothing has been confirmed for the additional order of jets.

About 2,000 workers in Fort Worth build the mid- and forward fuselage for the F-16 and perform final assembly.

Details of the contract, including the price, the number of planes and cost-sharing arrangements, were not disclosed.

It was recommended by U.S. Navy Vice Admiral David Venlet that the production of the F-35 remain low while flight and ground testing of the three models continues.

Lockheed wants the Pentagon to boost orders stating that the only way to lower costs was to increase production.

Lockheed has 6,100 people working directly on the F-35 program in Fort Worth.

Meeting for the first time in December, the Benbrook City Council addressed several items of business on a brief agenda.  In the current budget, $145,500 was to be used for the purchase of five police vehicles.  A Benbrook Police Department representative was before the council with the bids for those vehicles.

With a per vehicle cost of  $27,119, Tarrant County Cooperative Joint Venture was the lowest bid, allowing the purchase of all five vehicles to come in at $135,595, nearly $10,000 below budget.  These vehicles will all be Chevrolet Tahoes and are equipped with the police package.

Councilman Ron Sauma asked about the warranty on the vehicles and was told the Tahoe warranty extends further than warranties on past police vehicle purchases.

A motion to approve the purchase passed unanimously.

Benbrook is moving into their 37^th year of the Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) program, and they unanimously approved low bidder Klutz Construction for the upcoming CDBG project for this year.  With a low bid of $55,997, Klutz will be responsible for the construction of an alley between Mercedes and Cozby North from Warden to Park Center.

Sauma asked if the alley would cause any flooding for nearby homes, but was told by staff that due to its inverted nature, it will actually enhance drainage in the area.

The City had $53,000 allotted for the project and also another $43,000 leftover from last year.  What’s not used on this year’s project will be rolled over into the next CDBG project.

The council also accepted the resignation of Dennis Wood from the EDC board.  A motion was passed unanimously to accept his departure as well as to direct the City Secretary to advertise for the vacancy.  Many on the council wished Wood well.

“He’ll be missed,” council member Jim Wilson said.

“My kids were excited to be able to dust off a few flakes from the edge of the car window this morning as we left for school,” said Westpoint resident Michael Whitcomb.

Areas west of Fort Worth saw between 1 and 2 inches and delayed the openings of some school districts.

The big news was the rain that fell in the area over the weekend adding some 2-3 inches of precipitation. However, the area is still nearly 10 inches below the normal rainfall average.

The cold weather, with a freeze, was expected to continue in the area through Wednesday.

When police entered the building, they asked the man if it was his home and he stated that it was not and that he didn’t have permission from the property owner to be inside. A screwdriver, flashlight and pliers were also found on the suspect. A case with a pry bar and several freshly cut pipes and electrical wire was also found.

The suspect’s car also had a crowbar, gloves, screwdriver and flashlight in the front seat. Several Texas Driver’s Licenses were also found as well as a credit card.

Payless is closing 350 stores by the end of January, including 300 Payless stores and 50 Stride Rite stores.

City workers Jeff Ray, Bob Mansfield, Ben Harbin and Robert Wilson put the finishing touches on the Christmas Tree before moving it into place with a small crane. The tree will be lit as part of the City of White Settlement’s Christmas Spectacular event on Friday, Dec. 2 from 6-9 p.m.

By concept, once purchased, a forever stamp is a perpetual stamp that never expires or declines in value. It’s value is the First-Class Mail stamp postage rate for a one ounce letter at the time of use.

New services will include the introduction of a new flat rate of $39.95 for overnight Express Mail boxes weighing up to 70 pounds sent domestically; the flat rate for express letters is being raised separately to $18.95. Prices for the overnight service are now $13.25 or higher based on package weight and distance.

The new prices amount to an across-the-board increase of roughly 5 percent. The independent Postal Regulatory Commission will review the proposed increases before they take effect.

At a meeting last week with representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, the White Settlement City Council learned the fate of the partial bids that would see a portion of the Farmer’s Branch Flood Control project done.

After a first round of bidding came in too high, this second round was opened up to a wider range of contractors, but the council learned last week that the second round came in “significantly higher” than the government estimate, exceeding what was possible within the current budget.

With around $4.5 million in federal funding remaining and $1.5 million pledged by the council, representatives told the council that if something isn’t done soon, the federal money will go away.

This sparked much discussion among the council as they asked questions about other possibilities and factors related to the creek.  Councilmember Mike Arnold voiced displeasure over how much money has already been spent with no construction taking place.

“We haven’t even pitched a shovelful of dirt,” Arnold said.

Councilmember Elzie Cle-ments spoke about the source of the flood problems.

“Most of our flooding projects come from the west side of Fort Worth,” Clements said.  “They’re dumping the majority of their water right on top of us so why can’t we incorporate Fort Worth into this too?”

“We fought that battle twelve years ago,” Burns responded.

As discussions continued, the possibility of canceling the project and what that would mean was a hot topic.  After some back and forth, the prevailing thought was that White Settlement would receive back most of the $1.5 million they recently pledged to the project, minus “a few hundred thousand” that they owed the Corps.

The Corps did have one last option for the council to consider, as they found a way to go out for bid on the partial project one last time.  This time it would still identify a reduced portion of the creek, and see what contractors would be able to do with the funds available.

This option, referred to during the meeting as “option one,” was agreed upon by council to be what would give them the best hope of getting at least a portion of the creek done.

“I’ve said since I started this that as long as I’m breathing breath I’m gonna try to get as much as I can done for our flooding in this city.  It sounds to me like option one is really our only choice at this point,”  Mayor Burns said.

The possibility of shortening the portion of the project even further was brought up and was met with approval by the representative of the Corps.  Instead of trying to do from Mirike to White Settlement Road, the council agreed to focus on working from Meadow Park to White Settlement Road.  The representative agreed that this would give them a better chance at getting the bids to come in at a usable number. The inclusion of the Meadow Park bridge became a point of contention late in the meeting, with some in attendance suggesting that without including a new bridge it wouldn’t help much to work on the creek.  The informal direction given to the Corps by the council indicated that they’d like to attempt to have the bridge added into the bids.

One thing that was made clear was that this was a last ditch effort to keep the Corps money in place for this project.  While there was mention of possibly getting a local congressperson to make legislation to free up more federal funds for the project, the current and best bet seems to be one last round of bidding.

Harris was supposed to have attended the Dallas Cowboy’s Thanksgiving Day game with his father.

Jake James, an accomplished hairstylist, was profiled in a 2006 Star-Telegram story when he hoisted an old airplane atop an empty gas station along Montgomery Street across from the Cultural District. He later sold the old Shamrock gas station.

Both vehicles were towed to the Sheriff’s Department forensic garage for further investigation.