The Ennis Daily News (Ennis, Tex.), Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 3, 2013 Page: 8 of 8
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Page 8 - Tuesday, December 4,2013 - Ennis Daily News
Ennis Daily News photo/Nick Todaro
ommission honors Howerton
Mayor Russell Thomas read a resolution honoring City Manager Steve Howerton for
32 1/2 years of service to the city of Ennis at Monday’s Ennis City Commission meeting.
Commissioners unanimously passed the resolution, which listed off a litany of accom-
plishments Ennis has seen in the decades of Howerton’s service, including financial
milestones, economic growth and community development. Pictured above, Thomas
shakes Howerton’s hand as Janie Howerton looks on.
Nominations open
for gifted students
EDN News Service
editor @ennisdailynews .com
Nominations for the Ennis Independent School
District’s Gifted and Talented Program are open.
The Gifted and Talented Program in Ennis is de-
signed to meet the needs of students who demon-
strate above average potential or achievement. Any
student is eligible to be nominated by a teacher, par-
ent, or community member.
The process includes multiple and specific crite-
ria as required by the Texas Education Agency All
nominated students are screened, the scores are tal-
lied on a matrix, and the top percentages required by
the state (5 percent) are identified.
Nomination forms are available now at all EISD
campuses. Forms can be obtained in the counselor’s
offices at all schools. The nomination forms should
be returned to the school office or to Brian Fry Ennis
Independent School District, P.O. Box 1420, Ennis,
Texas 75120.
Kindergarten nominations are due by Jan. 10,
2014.
All other grades are due by Jan. 24,2014.
Parents of kindergarten students who qualify for
the program will be notified by mail in the spring.
Parents of those students qualifying for the program
in grades one through 11 will be notified by mail dur-
ing the month of June (after state assessment scores
are received by the district). If a child is currently in
the GATE program, they do not need to be re-nomi-
nated.
For more information on the GATE program, con-
tact your student’s teacher, the school principal or
counselor, or Brian Fry Director of Advanced Aca-
demics and Special Programs, at the Ennis Inde-
pendent School District Administration Office —
972-872-7027.
DEVELOPERS
cont. from page 1
The confusion comes in
part because of muddied
lines of communication. As
Commissioner Brian Holley
put in comments after the
public hearing, the commis-
sion at large has not received
any information directly
from Jim Lake Company:
Copies of a letter from Nov.
18 addressed to Mayor Rus-
sell Thomas outlining the
company’s need for 45-per-
cent city support for the arts
center project eventually
made it into commissioners’
hands.
Lake said concepts dis-
cussed privately with a group
of Ennis citizens in October
are still on the table. The im-
portant lessons of their work
in Bishop Arts District in
Dallas were key to their mes-
sage Monday
“It took somebody with long-term
vision, it took somebody with staying
power, and it took some help from the
city,” Lake said. “That project really
did not take off until two things hap-
pened: You had a zoning change that
allowed us to park twice as many cars
and the second thing that happened
was we had an investment from the
city — they did our public improve-
ments.”
The street and beautification ef-
fort Dallas led for the development
was a $2.3 million buy-in, Moreno
said.
Lake said that as experts in “adap-
tive urban redevelopment,” the part-
ners have a “double bottom line” of
making money over time and posi-
tively impacting a neighborhood and
community.
“We believe we can do that in
Ennis,” Lake said.
What discussions have taken place
with Mayor Russell Thomas and pri-
vate business owners in Ennis have
been about crunching numbers and
“trying to be complete,” Lake said.
“We’ve given you some numbers,
we think those will probably
change,” Lake said. “We think we can
do better.”
Lake said Moreno’s expertise in
construction could help yield savings
on the project overall in the bid
process.
“We don’t say ‘This is the what you
have to do or else’,” Lake said. “We
say ‘This is what the gap is, and we
need some help filling the gap’.”
He added that re-evaluating the tax
abatements in conjunction with the
city’s agreed-upon 22 percent historic
preservation grant and 30-percent
catastrophic damage grant
has changed the pair’s out-
look on developing here, as
well.
They still need to hit at
least 30-percent city support
overall, he said, or find a way
to cut the project costs down
to close that gap.
“If you guys are going to
do 22 percent, we just need to
find a way to get that other 8
percent, whether it’s another
program or (Moreno) doing a
hell of a job bidding the proj-
ects,” Lake said. “We think
we are the right team.”
Moreno said she believes
the city has potential for an
extensive redevelopment ini-
tiative in downtown.
“We have to have enough
real estate to make an im-
pact,” she said. “Ennis has so
much potential. It has a lot of beauti-
ful two-story buildings that can be a
mixed-use development. You live and
you work.”
Tornado-stricken buildings like
213 W. Ennis Ave. represent great op-
portunities for such commercial-res-
idential use, Moreno said.
“The key to success in Ennis
would be a mixed-use development,”
she said. “That is the key.”
Thomas expressed enthusiasm for
the pair’s continued interest, going
so far as giving additional time to the
pair to speak at Monday’s hearing
outside of the normal time limit en-
forced at other public hearings.
He also gave assurances of sup-
port from the commissioners for both
passing the “historic preservation
package” and encouraging some ad-
ditional support for economic devel-
opment purposes in downtown.
Commissioners have not yet dis-
cussed such a supplemental pro-
gram, but Thomas said the city is
“open to helping and entertaining op-
tions we may have to make a cultural
arts center happen.”
Several residents spoke in support
of Lake and Moreno’s involvement in
downtown, admonishing the com-
mission to work with them. John Sul-
livan was the first, sharing concerns
about what he feared is an onerous
requirement for weekly project in-
spections and financial updates for
“multimillion-dollar projects” urging
the commission to offer leeway.
Thomas said he could see the point
Sullivan was making.
Carl Sellers, a local commercial
real estate professional, said the ex-
citement being generated by talks
with Lake and Moreno is already
Moreno
CHANGE
Head football coach Jack Alvarez
said the game change is aimed at ac-
commodating weather concerns and
yields a benefit to travelers because
of the new location.
We looked at it hard and consulted
with the coaches and administrators
from both schools, and we felt this
was the best decision for the safety of
our people due to the inclement
weather that is in the forecast," Al-
varez said. "We don't want to put peo-
ple in hazard's way in trying to get to
the football same."
_cont, from page 1
Alvarez said tickets that have al-
ready been sold will be honored at
Thursday's game. Except for the new
date, time and venue, he said most
everything else regarding the game
should be the same.
"We still look forward to a great
and exciting playoff football game,"
he added.
"It's unfortunate that the weather
is causing us to make these changes,
but we hope everyone agrees that the
safety of everyone involved is the top
nrioritv"
bringing buyers to the table and that
after having “almost given up on
Ennis,” he sees a future here should
downtown redevelopment become a
priority.
Local businessman Bryce Ander-
son shared his strong support for
the redevelopment of downtown.
“We can preserve something that
really is Ennis,” Anderson said. “I
think all of the citizens of Ennis will
benefit, and as a business owner, I see
those benefits.”
Jim Templin said the city needs
“in every way to support this move-
ment,” withdrawing criticism of the
commission’s handling of the Lake
Company proposal after learning it
was not presented to the commission
for consideration.
“We need to work with this fine
group here to get this thing going,”
Templin said.
As public comment closed, com-
missioners voted unanimously to ap-
prove motions made by
Commissioner Jess Haupt in support
of both the tax abatement program
and historic preservation grant pro-
gram.
Carolyn Frazier was absent Mon-
day.
urjiptm-j
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Todaro, Nick. The Ennis Daily News (Ennis, Tex.), Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 3, 2013, newspaper, December 3, 2013; Ennis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth771448/m1/8/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Ennis Public Library.