Derek Honea of RBC Capital Markets gave a presentation to the school board on Monday night and indicated that the entered the bond market on Monday morning and had a great result due to the great economic market.
“I got all of the bonds sold and all the interest rates locked in,” Honea told the board. “We scheduled the delivery date, closing date as July 24.”
Derek Honea of RBC Capital Markets
The district went to the Howe voters stating the projected tax rate for the bond would be $0.454 but the rate was held at $0.379 for the first ten years and then lowering to $0.3337 and $0.338 beyond.
“We’ve handicapped your appraisal value at 96 percent so we think it could be even better than this,” said Honea to the board. “We came in seven pennies better than what we went out to voters so that’s always our goal.”
The final 2018 debt service was $1,508,345 lower than what was presented to the board in May of 2018 and $2,540,093 lower than what was presented to voters prior to the 2017 bond election.
“We always try to come under budget and we were happy to be able to do that for you,” said Honea.
The All-In True Interest Cost is 3.71 percent and the principal amount of the bonds is $16,495,000 with an Original Issue Premium of $733,628.70 for a Total Sources amount of $17,228,628.70. The maturity date is scheduled for 2045 which is a 25-year bond which is what was given to voters. The optional call date of seven years allows the district to refinance or redeem the bonds for cash.
Bonds are typically purchased by hedge funds and insurance companies.
Board President Greg Akins signs the bond documents.
On May 31, the district met with S&P Global Ratings by teleconference. That discussion upgraded the district’s credit rating from an A+ to an A–. S&P’s rating reflects stable operations and a maintenance of very strong reserves. The only negative feedback was moderate to moderately high overall net debt burden which is a result of carrying bonds. The district was also afforded the use of the Permanent School Fund Guarantee and its AAA credit rating.
Superintendent Kevin Wilson says that the opening of the school is still scheduled to be opened in August of 2019. The architects’ drawings are 75 percent complete and the district will begin soliciting bids in July and August for construction. The first sign of dirt being moved should happen in late August.
Howe ISD is working on easement acquisition for water and sewer. The district and the City of Howe are compiling a study for fire suppression standards and the size of the water line needed. The district hired a fire engineer that can do a study and determine the actual needs and investigate the possibility of having their own on-site tank and pump.
“The architect is breaking up the building to put different firewalls and create different sections which will lower the amount of water to do that,” said Wilson. “If the storage tank is a half a million dollars, it may not make sense. But if it’s $250,000 it may.”
Wilson said the worst case scenario would have the district spending $800,000 on a water line.
Former Hurricane Creek Country Club Superintendent Oscar Williams gave a tour of all 18 holes and the history of the club.
Hurricane Creek Country Club is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and to commemorate the event, we took a stroll around 18 holes with one of the club’s most iconic members. It’s hard to capture the history of 50 years in two hour’s worth of golf cart touring around 18 holes, but as the early morning dew burned off of the immaculate landscaping, Oscar Williams and I took a 50-year ride around entire course.
Over 50 years ago rumors began floating around Howe, Van Alstyne, and Anna that the region may be getting a golf course. The rumors died down but were boiled up a year later. Members from the region began rolling up their sleeves and moving forward to make sure the momentum was sustained. One of those that stepped up was then-City of Van Alstyne employee named Oscar Williams who was a 1942 graduate of Van Alstyne High School and now a 95-year-old retired Hurricane Creek Grounds Superintendent. In total, he worked at Hurricane Creek for 40 years.
“They wanted a hundred of us to put up $100 each and put it in the bank before they’d even talk to us,” said Williams.
Once the money was secured, the investors began discussing two sites for options. One was a mile and a half northwest of Van Alstyne with a small government lake while the other was the present location which had a larger government lake. The two lakes were built approximately in 1956 according to Williams. They decided on its present location even before US Highway 75 was built. Williams remembers that the road leading to the future club property was a dirt road.
In his slow charming and classic 1930s-reared Texas drawl. Williams said, “If you’s (sic) out here and it came a good rain, you’s (sic) gone (sic) get stuck before you got out a here.”
Once Highway 75 was constructed in 1969, the dues went up $5 per month from $10 to $15 to build the road from the highway. Williams said that Luke Adams was the first person in charge at Hurricane Creek and was a great promoter that grew the membership to 450 initially.
Anyone that visits with Williams cannot mistake his slow-talking Texas twang for slow-moving. The 95-year-old gets around better than most 65-year-olds and thinks quicker than most people who write articles. During my visit with Williams, we decided to get a cart and drive each hole from one through 18 and let him share his 50 years of working the terrain on each hole and significant features and moments of each one.
Oscar Williams was honored by Hurricane Creek on Nov. 8, 2016 with the display of a plaque indicating the “Oscar Williams Short Game Practice Area.”
Before we started, we drove by a monument that was dedicated to him in November 2016 designating the area now known as the “Oscar Williams Short Game Practice Area.”
Williams told about the changes to the first green which was supposed to be tucked into the west side of the creek more, but was changed for reasons unknown. As we approached the second hole, he drove and found a golf ball in which he picked up, inspected, and claimed it to be a $4 ball and put it in the cart. As we approached the tee box for the second hole, he explained that the original design was to have a bridge over the creek to the south and that the box would have been across the bridge, however, funds limited that project.
Oscar Williams shows the terrain and history of each hole from one to 18 at Hurricane Creek Country Club.
As we drove the first stretch of four holes he informed me that he has eagled just about every hole on the course which is pretty good for a man who never played golf until he was 55-years-old. Thanks to a net near the cart barn, Williams hit 150 balls a day and dropped his handicap from a 16 to four.
As we reached hole number five, he said it is the toughest hole on the entire golf course.
“It doesn’t say it is, but it is,” said Williams.
The scorecard shows that hole five is the easiest to play, however, he quickly scoffed at that notion and said that they must have made a mistake.
“There’s been more bogeys, double bogeys, and triple bogeys here than anywhere else out here,” said Williams.
As we cruised hole 6, he explained that he stopped playing golf at age 93 and the last time he played, he shot an 83 which he was proud to say was 10 shots under his age.
Throughout the morning, I received a history lesson of the first sand trap that was placed in which he built, water holes that he dug and removed, and trees he helped save and ones that he transplanted.
As we turned to hole seven he explained that the course has changed from common Bermuda grass when he was superintendent to Tifdwarf Bermuda and hole eight is where I learned that there were three crew members that managed the course during his tenure, but that crew has swelled to 13.
We dog-legged left around hole nine and rounded 10 where I learned the concrete paths were put in place around 1973 to 1975. At hole number 11, one of the most important trees to the course was hit hard by lighting in the early 1980s. Williams said they called a tree surgeon to examine it and remedy a solution to save it. The surgeon stated that the tree is was well over 200-years-old which would push it up to near 250-300 or more currently. A small area of the healing can still be seen on the tree.
“We thought (the lightning) would kill it. It’s a very important tree to this number 11 hole,” said Williams. “The surgeon said, ‘if you’ll fill it in and take care of it – give it a little fertilizer once in a while it may make it.'”
Around the way to hole 11 he told me a 4-acre lake was constructed some time ago that is 10 feet deep.
“I bought 200 Florida Bass and put in there and 65 pounds of Fathead Minnows and that’s eight dozen minnows to the pound,” said Williams.
In 1985, at retirement age, Williams decided to do just that and stepped down as superintendent of Hurricane Creek. But after getting bored, he came back as a regular employee to mow the fairways.
Back in 1973, Williams saved a sprout of a pecan tree and later transplanted it onto the Fairway of 12. He picks up the pecans from the tree, takes them home, cracks them, bags them and gives them away.
We cascaded near a creek bank on the 13th hole where he pointed out where an older man with Hodgkins disease once drove off in the creek and miraculously came out with only scratches.
Williams showed on a par 3 hole number 14 where he once bounced a ball off a cross tie near a pond into the hole for a hole-in-one. He also nearly lost his job in the 1970s there when he cleaned out a creek that the members thought ruined the view. However, he was saved by the president of the board of directors.
Near the northernmost property, a car once drove through the barbed wire fences, across the fairways, through a sand trap, up to the clubhouse through a plank fence, across the road to the south side of the property, and back through the north side across the driving range before finally getting hung up on tree on hole number 6.
“Nobody saw it, but the tracks will tell you exactly where he went,” said Williams as he laughed. “Somebody was really after that guy.”
Former Hurricane Creek Country Club Superintendent Oscar Williams shown with two trees he personally transplanted to their locations nearly 50 years ago.
Hole number 15 has two trees that were originally on the bank of hole 16. Williams hand dug them and replanted them to the right side of the fairway of hole 15. Nearly 50 years later, they are massive and beautiful to the course.
We flew past hole number 16 that has a pond full of fish that were jumping. On our way through hole 17 Williams stated that the equipment has changed so much now that they used to have to hit an iron off of the tee box on the par-5 and play to the right of the large trees in the path to the hole. But he says the equipment has improved so much that he sees players consistently hit the ball over the tree line now.
One day along the right side of hole 17 at the edge the lake, Williams was mowing when his tractor started spinning and stuck in the mud from a rain shower the previous evening.
“Every time I tried to go, it would slide toward that lake,” said Williams. “I put the brake on and locked it and tried to get some help. I stood up and about that time it started sliding and all I could do is jump as far as I could out in that lake. The tractor slid down the bank and flipped over and pinned me across my knees.”
Guys playing on the next hole ran and got the tractor off of him.
We rounded 17 to 18 which has a gorgeous view back to the east with the fountain in the middle of a lake with the 300-year-old tree in the background.
The history lesson was winding down as Williams talked about a flood that once had most of the west side holes underwater.
As we reached the clubhouse he discussed the changes it has undergone over the years. Today’s clubhouse was built in the late 1980s on the site where the former Olympic size swimming pool was.
As we finished our tour we discussed an article in the Van Alstyne Leader from 2016 when Hurricane Creek dedicated the area to him with his monument.
“Williams is the face of the club’s history, and the appreciation from the members was truly heartwarming,” wrote Rodney Williams, then of the Van Alstyne Leader.”
But Williams kept reminding me that the tour was not about him and what he had done for the club, but the tour was about the club and a celebration of its first 50 years. However, one can never talk about the history of Hurricane Creek without talking about Williams.
“Oscar is Mr. Hurricane Creek,” said member Bill Benton to the Van Alstyne Leader in 2016.
Williams is a World War II veteran who served under General Douglass MacArthur in the Philippines and who played baseball as an outfielder in the St. Louis Cardinals organization after serving his country. He quit his job as the City of Van Alstyne’s water and sewer superintendent due to friction with the mayor. He took a job with Hurricane Creek in 1973 on a temporary basis, but five months became five years. He mowed the fairways until age 89 when his doctors told him to watch the heat.
The first event was actually held on Oct. 1, 1967 as a two-person scramble playing the first nine holes that were built. The million dollar country club was the talk of the region during its opening in 1968.
Hurricane Creek is like a fine wine inside the clubhouse after a bird-chirping breezy day. We will be highlighting the 50-year-anniversary over the next six months on different events they are hosting including PGA tournaments and special events.
For membership information, call or text Caitlin Ihm at 214-842-1968.
New Howe Athletic Director Bill Jehling gives instructions during Howe’s Strength and Conditioning Camp.
New Howe Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Bill Jehling, known simply as “Coach J” was impressed with the number of athletes that turned out for the strength and conditioning camp last Monday through Thursday. The camp averaged right at 100 athletes each day that consists of boys and girls that are entering seventh graders to entering seniors.
“We had some kids that were missing, but we’ll get them here. We’ll start making phone calls if we have to,” said Jehling.
Part of the success of the turnout is the roll call for attendance that is taken each morning.
“It holds them accountable. They know that if they don’t show up then they will make it up in the fall. So it’s getting them here,” said Jehling.
During the summer, the athletes are often on vacation and Jehling says that they are communicating if they have to miss a certain day.
Jehling says those that are attending the summer workouts will have a measurable advantage above those that are not showing up.
“I’m a firm believer whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, track, cross county – if you take the time in the summertime to devote yourself to being here, you’re going to be better the next year because you’re going to be coming into school in shape,” said Jehling. “These eight hours a week is huge for us. Because when school starts, you only get 30 minutes a day.”
The workouts are advantageous for a new head coach also because he’s getting to see the middle school athletes for the first time and the entering freshman class.
“I can see these kids and have an idea of what to do with them in 2-a-days. But if they don’t show up, I’m going to be blind to them in August and I’m going to be flying a hundred miles per hour so I’m getting better evaluations from them being here.”
Athletes begin training in the “Coach J” era
Jehling says that the football players that don’t show up will come into camp out of shape and will struggle. He says that if they don’t take care of June and July, the three-hour workouts in August will be spent in part on conditioning instead of crucial season preparation.
“I’m a firm believer that we’ll be the best team in shape come Friday nights,” said Jehling.
Anyone that has visited with the current athletes probably has heard the term “Sally-up, Sally-down” which is a workout that Jehling has incorporated. It’s a workout to the song that is used for push-ups, squats, and leg workouts. They also do a workout to the famous AC/DC song “Thunderstruck” where the athletes do jumping jacks during the song but have to do up-downs each time they hear the word thunderstruck. Throughout the song, the athletes end up doing around 35 up-downs.
“The kids tell me that they’re never marrying a girl named Sally,” said Jehling jokingly.
He says it’s a true core workout that teaches mental toughness and it allows him to see which kids will have the mental stamina and physical stamina to not quit.
“Who’s going to strive when they’re hurting? That’s what I like to find out,” said Jehling.
In addition to Sally-Up, Sally-Down, and Thunderstruck, the athletes are doing a lot of speed and agility drills, pushing tires, and weight training. Jehling does not have them doing deadlift at all because he says no sport at any moment has an athlete lifting dead weight. He wants everything to be about the explosion.
Jehling says he believes the kids have bought into the program, but wants to make sure the numbers remain past the first two weeks. He says that the week after the Fourth of July is a low attendance, but it picks back up at the end of July as they push towards 2-a-days.
“I’m excited. This time of year is the most exciting time for me because the next sport is football,” said Jehing. “It’s fun for me because I’m getting to see the kids every day and in the afternoon, I’m developing my plan for the season.”
Jehling said the first-week surprises were Sean Lukash and Jarron Ing. LuKash is scheduled to play an outside linebacker and wing back. Ing is an offensive lineman. He was also impressed with Devon Porter, Bryce Krantz, and Spencer Akins.
Roger Palmer, 60, publisher of the Whitewright Sun and the Pottsboro Sun passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, June 9 after a brief illness at Wilson N. Jones Hospital in Sherman. He was a career newspaperman starting as a district manager while in college. Finding that he enjoyed the work, he continued on and climbed the corporate ladder serving as circulation manager and consultant at daily newspapers and finally owning his own weekly newspapers. He worked in Arizona, California, Ohio, South Dakota, New Mexico, Arkansas and multiple places in Texas. He and his wife, Kimberly, owned and operated the Whitewright Sun for almost ten years and the Pottsboro Sun for five years.
He was born in Guymon, Oklahoma on September 16, 1957, to parents H.G. and Mary Elnora Palmer. After his birth, his parents moved to Coolidge, Arizona where he graduated high school. He married his wife, Kimberly Hubbard, in 1995 and they had one daughter. Caitlin was Roger’s pride and joy. He was a member of Fairview Baptist Church and enjoyed many hobbies including being a jack of all trades and unafraid to learn how to fix anything. He and his wife were continually spending their free time in restoring a loft and chose to live above the business to speed renovations but there was never enough time to get it all done. He also had a love of western art and traveling in western states camping at state and national parks. At one time he had planned to be a landscape photographer and enjoyed photography from a young age. He started with his mother’s Brownie and moved into having his own darkroom. Once the digital age came along he always compared what used to be done and how easy things had become. He won numerous awards for his news writing, advertising, and photography.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Sheryl Goodman. He is survived by his wife Kimberly; Daughter Caitlin; and Father and Mother-in-law Kary and Sue Hubbard, Sister-in-law Karen (and Keith) Lody, Brother-in-law Steven (and Melissa) Hubbard and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, June 15 at 1:00 p.m. at Fairview Baptist Church, 222 West Taylor Street in Sherman. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, donatenow.heart.org or to the charity of your choice.
The Howe Enterprise grieves with the community of Whitewright and the Whitewright Sun family.
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today announced that a public meeting is set for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.June 12 at Sherman City Hall (220 W. Mulberry Street) in Sherman, Texas, to share preliminary plans for the FM 1417 widening project with the public and other interested stakeholders.
All interested stakeholders are invited to attend the public meeting to view preliminary project plans and to provide their input in the planning process. No formal presentation will be given; the come-and-go public meeting format will provide interested citizens and others a chance to review project details and preliminary construction plans and schedules with TxDOT staff, City of Sherman officials and consultants who are developing the project.
The proposed work includes widening the existing two-lane roadway to six lanes with a raised median, from US 82 to OB Groner Road. FM 1417 is also known as North Heritage Parkway. The project will require the purchase of new right-of-way from adjacent property owners, officials said.
Persons with special communication or accommodation needs, including language interpreters, should call (903) 892-7206 at least two working days prior to the meeting. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate those needs.
SHERMAN, June 7, 2018 – Dr. Susan Thomas, Executive Director of Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG), announced today that Text to 9-1-1 Services are available in Cooke, Fannin, & Grayson Counties.
“Text to 9-1-1 will allow citizens to send a text message directly to 9-1-1 in the event they are unable to make a voice call,” said Dr. Thomas. “Simply send a text as you normally would and enter 911 in the recipient field. This will start a text session between 9-1-1 and the individual needing help.”
It is important to remember that text to 9-1-1 services should only be used in an emergency situation when someone is unable to speak. Examples include if the person is deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired, or when speaking out loud would put the individual in danger. Text-to-9-1-1 also provides a silent alternative in cases such as a child abduction, active shooter or domestic abuse.
When texting 9-1-1, you need to know your exact location and the nature of your emergency. Use simple language and no abbreviations or slang. Please do NOT TEXT and DRIVE! Pull over to a safe location before sending a text to 9-1-1. If you are able, please call 9-1-1. It takes longer to get all the information when communicating through text messages.
Currently, you can only Text-to-9-1-1 with the four major wireless carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless™. If you are in an area where texting service is not available to 9-1-1, you will receive a ‘bounce-back’ message telling you to make a voice call. If you would like more information about Text-to-9-1-1, please visit the COG’s website at www.tcog.com.
Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.
