Adding Value by Dennis O'Hagan

Plano Balloon Festival

The EDS Credit Union PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL is September 18, 19 and 20 at Oak Point Park, 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano.It's a great event and it offers something for everyone with a variety of food vendors and activities including the RE/MAX Parachute Team, fireworks, live entertainment and much more.  Visit www.planoballoonfest.org for more information and we hope to see you there.

The "O'HAGAN Classic" was a smashing success...

On behalf of the O’Hagan family and the Happy Hill Farm Academy, I wanted to thank all our participants and sponsors at this year’s “O’HAGAN Classic”. The weather was perfect, the course was full, and from the notes I have received, it’s clear everyone had a great time.

Thanks to you, we raised more than $4800 for our worthy charity. Cheryl and I topped it off and we presented a check for $5000 to the Happy Hill Farm Academy. We were pleased to have founder Ed Shipman on hand during our awards ceremony and raffle. I think it was a great opportunity for our players and sponsors to understand where their money is going, and he expressed his gratitude to the assembled group. We also had a number of the students on hand, including members of the Happy Hill Farm Academy golf team. You read that right – they have a golf team. They’re pretty good too, and they proved it by taking the 1^st place team prize at a 9-under 63! And no, that wasn’t a setup, but it certainly was fitting, I thought! Big thanks to Richard Filip, Whitney Peper & Lynette Burnette from RE/MAX of Texas for sponsoring the Happy Hill Farm Academy Team.

The golf prizes:

• 1^st place team (63) - Jeff White, Kyle Beckman, James Weaver and Joseph Gettles from the Happy Hill Farm Golf team
• 2^nd place team (64) Mal Smith, Terri Richter, Jerry Welch and Brooks Kelly
• Closest to the pin #8 - Gregg George
• Closest to the pin #15 - Robert Morales
• Longest drive #1 - Brooks Kelly
• Longest drive #10 - Brad Lynch
• Most balls in the sand - Kelly O’Hagan
• Most balls in the water - John Paul Northrup
• Last place team  Steve Goff, Craig Lemp, Kathy Weens and Kim Raine

Special thanks to our sponsors this year:

• Ambit Energy – Jim Timmer
• RE/MAX of Texas - Jeanne & Richard Filip
• Home Warranty of America- Amy Desgrange
• Premier National Lending - Brooks Kelly
• Solutions Automotive - Joe Yannessa

• Liberty Residential - Craig Wilbur and Craig Lemp

Special thanks to our wonderful tournament volunteers:

• Jay Davis
• Gayle Bridgeman
• Maureen “Mo” Sepulveda
• Stewart Yee
• Russ and Shawn Parker
• Cheryl and Kelly O’Hagan
• Brent Burmaster

• Martha Swanson

As always, I sharpen my focus on the “O’HAGAN Classic” in January, but I’d say it’s really a year-round process. Needless to say, I get help and my friends say I still do too much. One of those friends is Jay Davis. He told me I should delegate some of my work load… so I did… to him.  He said, “wait a minute, I didn’t mean ME!” Big thanks to Jay for “volunteering” to be my Tournament Director in charge of organizing donations! He did a great job. He clearly went above and beyond the call. We had 80 prizes to give away this year and most of them were directly associated with his efforts. On that note, special thanks to Jerry Mills and Russ Parker who contacted the donors for our big prizes this year.

Thanks again also to Richard Filip, Whitney Peper & Lynette Burnette from RE/MAX of TX.  In addition to sponsoring the Happy Hill team as I wrote above, they also “donated” the famous RE/MAX balloon for the morning pictures, sponsored a hole, and donated a cold air balloon for the RE/MAX Associate raffle drawing. 

 

Big thanks to our newest sponsor, Ambit Energy. They fielded two foursomes and funded the “Welcome-In” packages which are a huge expense. Nick LaVecchia organized his company’s participation including those cool koozies you all received.

 

Another big thanks goes to Terri Richter for beating the “O’HAGAN Classic” drum and helping fill the ranks with players, sponsors, and donations.  Terri’s the best.

A gigantic thank you goes to Brent Burmaster. He flies in from North Carolina , and has been our score keeper every year.

 

Last, but certainly not least, I reserve the biggest thanks of all to you. You come to the “O’HAGAN Classic”, you participate, and you buy raffle tickets. In so doing, you support all of the young men and women from the Happy Hill Farm Academy. And in fact, many of you go above and beyond that. As a result of playing in the “O’HAGAN Classic”, I know that many have forged relationships of your own with this fine organization. In fact, if you or anyone you know would like to make a personal donation to Happy Hill Farm Academy, please find them online at www.happyhillfarm.org.

Thanks again, and see you next year!

Make a Change for the Children of Collin County

Bring your loose change into Plano Bath & Glass and receive 20% off any glass, mirror, shower, or window products! The person who donates the most coins will receive $1,000 credit at Plano Bath & Glass. Plano Bath & Glass is located at 3304 Custer Rd. in Plano.

Donate change to raise money for CITY House's newest project, My Friend's House - a shelter for children ages newborn to nine years old, who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, abandonment or neglect.

For more information about CITY House, visit their Web site at www.cityhouse.org. For more information about Plano Bath & Glass, visit their Web site at www.planobathglass.com or call 972-612-5029.

Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge Takes Shape in Denton County

Construction is well under way for the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge (LLTB) in Denton County. Nearing 75 percent completion, the LLTB is expected to open to traffic in the third quarter of 2009.  Once finished, the LLTB corridor will open a new east-west connection between Interstate 35E and the Dallas North Tollway, providing added mobility options for area residents.

 

The NTTA is working cooperatively with Denton County, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the cities of Frisco, Little Elm and Lake Dallas to build the 13.8-mile Lewisville Lake corridor project.

 

The NTTA’s 1.7-mile toll bridge is a key segment of the project. The NTTA is responsible for the design, construction and operation of the toll bridge.

 

The toll bridge will feature two lanes in each direction and an all-electronic toll collection (all-ETC) system on the project’s western approach. With all-ETC, drivers will not have to stop or look for change to pay the toll needed to drive over the bridge. 

 

The bridge’s signature 360-foot-long red steel tied arch will begin to take shape over Lewisville Lake in December 2008. The LLTB design boasts a lighted, semicircular arch near the center of the bridge that will be tied together 58 feet above the bridge, spanning all four lanes. Also at its center, the 8-feet-thick bridge will sit 52 feet above the Lewisville Lake spillway elevation, meaning that the top of the arch will soar 118 feet above the lake surface.

 

The tall arch, coupled with lighted columns approaching both ends of the span will give motorists, area residents and boaters an easily recognizable landmark in southern Denton County.

 

Willow Grove Park, located in Lake Dallas, offers a great view of the toll bridge for those interested in seeing the installation of the arch or the bridge construction. Work on the arch is expected to continue through April 2009.

What's going on in your city???

With the rising cost of gas and airfare maybe this summer is a good time to stick around town and visit some of the sites right here in your own area...  Below is a short list of some places of interest for people of all ages and there are lots more places to visit.  You can check these and many more out on the web...

• Texas Rangers MLB - http://texas.rangers.mlb.com
• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza - www.jfk.org
• The Dallas World Aquarium - www.dwazoo.com
• Six Flags Over Texas - www.sixflags.com
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor - www.sixflags.com
• Southfork Ranch - www.SouthforkRanch.com
• Ripley's Enchanted Mirror Maze - www.PalaceOfWax.com
• Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium - www.Ripleys.com
• Texas Civil War Museum - www.TexasCivilWarMuseum.com
• Frontier Texas in Abilene - www.FrontierTexas.com
• Denton - www.DiscoverDenton.com
• Fort Worth - www.FortWorth.com
• McKinney - www.VisitMcKinney.com

City of Dallas's green building codes for new construction

Dallas plans to require that all new homes, office towers, stores, schools, industrial facilities and warehouses built within the city meet "green building" standards.

Dallas is the first city in North Texas to make such a comprehensive move. Once standards are adopted, Dallas also would be among the first major cities nationally to require green building for both commercial and residential construction. The Dallas City Council has met several times this year to debate and discuss the task force’s proposals, and a meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2008 to further discuss the proposals.

In recognition of the City of Dallas Citywide Green Building Program and the increased interest in green building and sustainable design, RC3D formed a special division to research and collect data on existing and emerging green building knowledge and technologies. As a result, RC3D is able to provide information, assistance and guidance in green building and green certification.

RC3D offers:

• Consultancy in green building and sustainable design.
• Educational seminars.
• Energy modeling.
• Document review for LEED compliance (or any other rating system).
• LEED Project Management (or any other rating system), i.e. liaison with LEED for Homes Provider, coordination with verifiers/raters, filing of documents and submissions for certification, etc...

Meet with our consultants to find out how you can build green without incurring huge costs.

Go to their web site for more information and news on green building and sustainable design.

A summary of program recommendations by the green building task force for the Citywide Green Building Program as presented to the City Council can be downloaded from Dallas City Hall

"The O'HAGAN Classic" Annual Charity Golf Tournament

For 22 years I have been hosting an annual charity golf tournament ("The O'HAGAN Classic").  As in the past, this years event will be benefiting the "Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home".  The Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home has been giving at-risk children a second chance in life since 1975.  Physical, emotional and spiritual needs are met.  The Farm feeds, clothes, medically treats, educates and trains each student while living at the facility.  Happy Hill Farm is supported entirely by contributions from individuals, corporations, churches and clubs.  For more information regarding the Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home please check out their website at www.HappyHillFarm.org.

The tournament will be on Friday, May 23 with a "Shotgun" start at 8:00AM at the LB Houston Golf Club which is located at Royal Lane & Luna Road in Dallas.  The cost is only $50.00 per player which includes 18 holes, cart, plenty of prizes and tons of fun.  You don't have to be a scratch golfer to play and quite frankly most of us aren't good at all.  We just enjoy the day and do it all for a worthy organization.

The invite list is open to all.  You can come as an individual and I will plug you into a foursome or you can bring a partner or an entire foursome. 

If you are interested in playing please contact me at 214-507-7475 or send me an e-mail at Dennis@DennisOHagan.com and I will send you the details.

McKinney, Texas

All trails lead to McKinney, Texas, unique by nature.
Located just 30 miles north of Dallas, McKinney offers the perfect getaway. Relax into our casual elegance and small town friendliness. Shop upscale boutiques & galleries and discover your new favorite restaurant. Tour our fascinating historic district and plan a stay at one of our romantic B&B’s.
Outdoor recreation abounds. Stroll through a 289-acre wildlife sanctuary or take on a challenging mountain bike trail. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy baseball, softball, soccer, or golf. Participate or cheer; McKinney offers lots of opportunities.
McKinney was named for Collin McKinney, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The city has thrived as a center of commerce since it was first established in 1848. McKinney’s significant commercial and residential historic districts have been carefully preserved. Visitors relish the sense of place and authenticity McKinney offers.

Be sure to visit:

McKinney Economic Development Corporation
www.mckinneytxedc.com

City of McKinney
www.mckinneytexas.org

McKinney Tourism Services
www.visitmckinney.com

McKinney School District
www.mckinneyisd.net

Collin County Community College
www.ccccd.edu

Collin County History Museum
www.collincountyhistory.org

The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
www.heardmuseum.org

McKinney Community Development Corporation
www.mckinneycdc.org

Chestnut Square Historical Park
www.chestnutsquare.org

Heard Craig Historic Center
www.heardcraig.org

McKinney "Main Street" Program/Historic Downtown
www.downtownmckinney.com