Climate change

Things will only get worse.

The extreme weather in much of the world and the nation is visible locally in my town of Corinth, TX near Dallas, TX.

I have the weather channel app on my phone. The message, “Excessive heat warning is in effect.!” has lately become a permanent fixture of the app.

Corinth has a severe risk from the heat. This is due to temperature and heat factor increases, and because 100% of the homes in Corinth have a severe heat factor.

The Heat Factor of a property shows its risk level of heat. This considers the comparison of heat in the area to the rest of the country, as well as the impact of factors like shade, green space, and proximity to water on the property’s heat compared to neighboring properties.

As temperatures continue to rise, Corinth is increasingly affected by heat events. This includes the possibility of a heat wave, which is defined as three or more consecutive days when the “feels like” temperature meets or exceeds the local definition of a “hot day.” In Corinth, a “hot day” is considered to be 109ºF. 30 years ago, the likelihood of experiencing a heat wave lasting three or more days was only 9%.

In Corinth, a day is considered hot if it exceeds a “feels like” temperature of 109ºF. This year, it is predicted that there will be 7 hot days in Corinth. However, due to climate change, the city is expected to experience an increase in hot days, with 22 days projected to exceed 109ºF within the next 30 years.

While an area’s heat trends are primarily determined by its latitude, exposure to sunlight, elevation, and climate, there are a number of factors that can exacerbate the effects of heat across an area, creating what is known as heat islands.

Heat islands refer to developed areas that have higher temperatures compared to surrounding areas. This is due to the high density of man-made structures and human activity, which results in limited green spaces. Heat islands absorb and re-emit heat, unlike natural landscapes that help to reduce the effects of heat.

Reference

riskfactor.com

If you know, you know. And everyone who’s been to Mike’s Bakery in Corinth knows that everything Mike bakes is full of “love and tenderness.” That’s a direct quote. But you’ve got to watch the video to get the full effect.

Owner, Mike Dauti, moved to the area almost exactly one year ago to be closer to his grandchildren. And upon his arrival, he determined that there was a great need for a made-from-scratch bakery. So, who better to bring baked goods full of “love and tenderness” to the community than him?

His cheesecakes are… notorious. And it’s because they’re so light and so fluffy. We are sorry to say that the only bit of Mike’s secret to his delicious cheesecakes we were able to get out of him is that he bakes them for four hours. But just go eat them. Let him do all the hard work.

Mike’s also well known for his beautiful assortment of cakes. And he can make a cake for any occasion. Wedding cakes, engagement cakes, first birthday cakes – you name it, he’ll make it. We were wowed by a story he told us of a bride who called him the day before her wedding because something happened with her original wedding cake. No questions asked, Mike agreed to make her a wedding cake by the next day. Basically, he saved the day.

That’s just Mike’s personality. In the short 60 minutes we were with him, we already felt like we were best friends. He has the ability to make every person who walks through his bakery doors feel like they’re a part of his big, extended Italian family. And we love that. And that’s what people in the community love about him.

So, the next time you’re in need of pastries like danishes and croissants, pies, cakes, cheesecakes, or cookies – make the trip up to Mike’s Bakery for some sweets and an experience you’re not likely to forget any time soon.

*Mike’s Bakery is located at 4251 FM 2181 Suite 216, Corinth, Texas 76210.

In the past few months I have come to learn that there are two kinds of people in this world: those who love Buc-ee’s and those who have never been to one. I characterize it that way because most people who have ever been to this supersized gas station/convenience store do love it. So, it was no surprise to me that the proposed Corinth Buc-ee’s generated a lot of excitement among its fans and a lot of concern among its future neighbors. These two groups polarized very quickly and very passionately.

It was the job of the City Council not to be swept-up into either of these camps. As always, I was able to count on this group of leaders to carefully examine all the angles of this proposed project. We did not all come to the same conclusion, but in the end, the council voted to deny the project. I hope this column will shed some light on why.

The Buc-ee’s corporation offers a terrific product. I personally love stopping there when I travel to other areas. However, it is undeniable that this business is a high traffic generator typically located in more rural areas. When they told us where they wanted to locate, we sought to influence some aspects of the design to make it more compatible with our standards and suburban environment. They did make a few changes, but what they presented to us was generally their rural prototype plopped in a suburban area. It violated a number of our quality standards and sought lighting levels three times greater than our standards.

Perhaps more important, we had ordered a traffic study that was presented for the first time at the August 14 meeting. It showed that the development’s entry points would not meet TXDOT standards and they would have to remove one of the entrances near the southbound exit ramp of I-35E. This made it clear that southbound traffic exiting the highway would have to circle around the neighborhood streets to gain access to the store.

While we had worked on the assumption that Buc-ee’s would attract about 5,000 cars a day, our study determined we could expect 7,500 per day—on average. If peak days (e.g. Texas/OU weekend, Labor Day, or Memorial Day) were 10% higher, we could expect 9,000 cars on those days. If 35% higher, we could expect over 10,000 cars on those days. This traffic would have a severe impact on that entire area.

But wouldn’t that impact be worth it for all the money they bring in? Over the last several months I have heard statements such as, “Buc-ee’s will be our Walmart” or “our taxes are high and Buc-ee’s will have a big pay-off.” When you consider the incentive package sought, the truth is that Buc-ee’s was not the cash-cow it was professed to be.

For example, we have approved four high-profile projects in the past several years: Comfort Inn, Atrium Hospital, Ashton Gardens and the DATCU corporate headquarters. These are low-impact properties in that they have little effect on their surrounding areas. If you combine these properties, they occupy 17 acres and will produce about $261,000 a year for the next 15 years. Buc-ee’s would have occupied 18 acres and produced about $232,000 a year after incentives.

While its revenue was no greater than the examples provided, Buc-ee’s would have a heavy impact on the surrounding neighborhood and intersection. It could arguably have reduced the scope of opportunities for the remaining 40 acres in that area. For me, the cost was too high and the pay-off too low.

I will admit, Buc-ee’s would be a cool business to have. But there are many other cool opportunities out there for us. It is easy look at our past and say, “Corinth let another one get away.” Know that the commercial district in Corinth is not the same product that it used to be. Generals are criticized for preparing to fight the last war and economists for fighting the last recession. The economic development question of today is not the same question we have faced in the past 10 years. We have invested millions enhancing the road and utility infrastructure of this corridor. The Corinth Parkway/I-35E reconstruction is a $49 million dollar project that will result in our possession of the premier undeveloped intersection along I-35E; the CEO of Buc-ee’s basically agreed with this assessment in statements he made at an April public meeting. We continue to witness a great deal of commercial interest in that intersection and I believe that we will ultimately land a project that provides us with community fit, retail opportunities, revenue, and aesthetic appeal. Buc-ee’s offered some of those qualities but the reward was not worth the cost.

Realty Capital Management, the master developer of Lakeside and other mixed-use developments in North Texas, announced Thursday that it has closed on a 20.86-acre site located at the southwest corner of Corinth Parkway and I-35E for a $45M mixed-use development.

The property was acquired by RCM Corinth Land, LLC from the city of Corinth and the Corinth Economic Development Corporation. Realty Capital plans to develop the mixed-use development called the “Parkway District,” according to a news release from the city of Corinth. The development will deliver approximately 275 high-end apartments and townhomes; 20,000 square feet of retail space; a hotel; and public open space with a trail system. The plan will give area residents the opportunity to live in and visit a walkable community with public amenities and entertainment options. It is anticipated that the development will break ground in late 2023.

“We want to thank the city of Corinth for working closely with us to create a strong and desirable vision for the Parkway District,” said Tim Coltart, managing director for Realty Capital. “The Parkway District will spawn a sense of community and foster synergy with the Agora at Corinth project and provide numerous shopping, dining, high-end living options, and amenities for the residents and visitors of Corinth.”

The Parkway District will be a catalyst for development that will set the standard for future projects along the City’s I-35E corridor and will be one of the largest initial contributors to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, according to the city.

“This is the first of many mixed-use developments for the city of Corinth,” said City Manager, Scott Campbell. “The city is fortunate to partner with Realty Capital to build this tremendous opportunity for Corinth that will drive jobs and investment.”

In late April of 2022, Meera Sengottiyan and Sara Crawford geared up for the first ever appearance of a girls doubles team in the state tennis tournament from Flower Mound High School.

The pair reached the tournament following an improbable run that saw Sengottiyan and Crawford knock off doubles teams from state powerhouses Southlake Carroll and Allen in the regional tournament.

The Flower Mound girls lost to Divya Tulluri and Emma Eads of Bridgeland High School in the state quarterfinals, and this season, both they and their coach, Dr. Wade Zimmerman, said there is unfinished business.

Zimmerman said his girls doubles team had a “phenomenal” spring season last year and really started to play well together, particularly towards the end of the year.

“They had to overcome a lot of adversity at the regional tennis tournament in order to qualify for the state tournament,” Zimmerman said. “They had to battle back from a set down against a very good Southlake team to clinch the third place position and then in the same afternoon they had to turn around and come from behind to beat the number-two seeded Allen team in three sets to win the playback and take second place, qualifying them for the state tournament.”

After falling to Bridgeland, Zimmerman said that his message to them was all positive.

“After the match, I told them to keep their heads up, as they have an opportunity to return in 2023,” Zimmerman said. “I felt that Sara and Meera’s confidence grew tremendously after seeing that they can compete with the best teams in the state.”

Zimmerman said he believes what makes Sengottiyan and Crawford such a formidable duo is that the two players are a study in contrasts.

“Sara is a very calm and reserved person and is always very dependable,” Zimmerman said. “She is also much taller than Meera and uses her size at the net and serve and variety as her biggest weapons on the court. Meera is not one of our tallest and athletic girls, but she makes up for it with her fierce competitiveness and drive to succeed.

“Meera is also very confident and is one of our team leaders. Both girls have grown into great friends on and off the court over the past few years and their differences have become one of their greatest strengths.”

For Crawford, 16, last year was groundbreaking for her and Sengottiyan.

“We were the first girls to go to state in our school,” Crawford said. “So that is a pretty big accomplishment.”

Crawford said that both she and Sengottiyan are looking forward to getting back on the court next spring.

“I think we have a pretty good chance of going to state again,” Crawford said. “Some of the seniors from other schools have left, and we have both gotten better.”

The Flower Mound junior said Sengottiyan’s aggressiveness impresses her the most and that “she always goes for it and never gives up,” which motivates her to do the same.

“I think the fact that we know each other so well makes us a good team,” Crawford said. “We understand how we hit the ball and when to go for it.”

Sengottiyan, 17, said she was pleased with how she and Crawford competed last season, but said she feels like the two of them left something on the table.

“It went pretty well,” Sengottiyan said. “I was really happy with our performance at the regional tournament, but I feel as though we could have gone further in the state tournament. I really enjoyed the energy and mindset we brought to matches.”

The Flower Mound senior echoed Zimmerman’s sentiments about Crawford, saying her ability to stay calm, her reflex volleys, and her height make her a great partner.

“Not only are we friends on court, but we are friends off court too,” Sengottiyan said. “The fact that we both genuinely like each other makes it easy for us to play together.”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice amended its complaint in a laboratory testing fraud case to add six Texas physicians, including one from Lewisville and one from Corinth, as defendants.

The case alleges False Claims Act violations based on patient referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, and says the six physicians caused claims to be improperly billed to federal health care programs for medically unnecessary laboratory testing, according to a news release from the DOJ. The physicians allegedly received tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in return for their referrals of unnecessary lab testing.

The original complaint — announced April 4 — listed 18 defendants, many of them from Texas, but none from southern Denton County. The DOJ then added six more defendants, including two from southern Denton County:

The complaint alleges that laboratories True Health Diagnostics LLC and Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation conspired with small Texas hospitals, including Rockdale Hospital dba Little River Healthcare, to pay physicians to induce referrals to the hospitals for laboratory testing, which was then performed by THD or BHD. As alleged in the complaint, the hospitals paid a portion of their laboratory profits to recruiters, who in turn kicked back those funds to the referring physicians, according to the DOJ. The recruiters allegedly set up companies known as management service organizations to make payments to referring physicians that were disguised as investment returns but were actually based on, and offered in exchange for, the physicians’ referrals. The complaint alleges that laboratory tests resulting from this referral scheme were billed to various federal health care programs, and that the claims not only were tainted by improper inducements but, in many cases, also involved tests that were not reasonable and necessary.

“The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable health care providers, including physicians, who commit fraud,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Improper financial arrangements involving physicians and laboratories can distort physicians’ medical judgments, waste taxpayer dollars and subject patients to unnecessary testing or other services.”

Last week, the Flower Mound Parks and Recreation Department accepted the 2022 Preservation Achievement Award for its work restoring and preserving the Gibson-Grant Log House, according to a news release from the town of Flower Mound.

The award comes from Preservation Dallas, a nonprofit dedication to the preservation and revitalization of historic buildings, neighborhoods and places.

In 2021, the town completed restoration work on the Gibson-Grant Log House, and in partnership with the Denton County Office of History and Culture, began offering free tours to the public. The cabin was discovered hidden in the walls of a home to be demolished in 2015, and dated back to circa 1860. After the discovery, the town acquired the property, restored the log house and opened it to the public.

Residents can visit the house Fridays from 1-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more, visit www.flower-mound.com/gibsongrant.