People, Places & Events

Rotarians view Beacon Hill amenities
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–A slide show for Rotary Club members featured the attractions and amenities of the Beacon Hill resort community, now under construction near Kemp.
The 140 acres on U.S. Highway 175, within the city limits of Kemp, has everything one would expect, all with unexpected features making it a one-of-a kind luxury community.
Developer/owner Jim Stewart narrated the show during Friday’s weekly Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake luncheon.
“We’ve spent $13.5 million so far,” Stewart said.
One of the costs involved dredging the lake in the area to ensure homeowners will be able to get their boats in and out with ease.
Amenities include a large marina with three party rooms.
The lengthy breakwater jetty was planned by Mesa Designs and is accented by a large beacon at the end.
“We used new technology to light the beacon at the end of the jetty,” Stewart explained.
As the lots sell, a vibrant community will grow into a luxury development, he added.
“The city of Kemp is really appreciative of what we are doing,” Stewart said. “This will increase their property tax (revenues).”
Other amenities include fiber optics, hiking trails and a small constant-level interior lake for fishing.
As lots sell, a portion of the sales will be donated to the Family Resource Center, he said.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
A program on the Beacon Hill Development, located on the eastbound side of U.S.
Highway 175, was the featured subject of Friday’s Rotary Club of Cedar Creek
Lake luncheon. Pictured are (from left) Rotary president Robert Blaase, Beacon
Hill developers Terry Ellis, Janice Ellis, Jim Stewart and Barbara Stewart.

Using love and logic to rear children works
Local couple offers parenting course with a large dose of laughter,
logic and love
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–There are times when even longtime parents doubt they really understand parenting. (Our kids have a way of humbling even the most confident parent.)
That’s why a local grandparenting couple have decided to offer “Parenting with Love and Logic,” a seven-week course on techniques and the right thing to say or do in the stickiest parenting situations.
“I wish I knew all this when I was raising my kids,” facilitator Burton Love said.
Specific answers and actions to take for the following situations are covered in the course, Love said.
• How to get them out of bed in time to catch the bus.
• How to stop them from bickering and fighting.
• How to get them to help with the chores without an argument.
• How to discipline a toddler in public without creating a scene.
• How to get your teenager to return home at the agreed-upon time.
• How to stop the whining at dinner, and more.
Love said the techniques discussed in the course are effective with all children, from toddlers to teens. “They even work in dealing with adults,” he added.
Anyone who has contact with children, parents, grandparents, foster parents, caregivers, are welcome to join the fun.
“You will laugh while you learn some new techniques, which could bring calm to your life and responsibility to your children,” Love said.
The Loves have been married 50 years, have two grown children and five grandchildren.
Last fall, the couple got to care for their out-of-control 4-year-old grandson for an extended amount of time.
His mother was at her wits end and asked them to see what they could do with him.
She also referred them to the Love and Logic website, which was being used in some form by the Flower Mound ISD.
They ordered some of the early childhood material and found that the approaches and techniques worked with their grandson and continue to work.
They became so enthusiastic about the program that they attended a facilitator workshop in Denver, Colo. in February, along with all the material needed to conduct a course.
They are thrilled to share this “logical and loving” program with families in the Cedar Creek area.
The Loves have already taken a group from the host church through the course with encouraging feedback and results from the participants, who were mostly grandparents.
Love reports one of the hottest topics was the use of empathy, especially when then child has done wrong.
“We’re used to yelling, screaming and threatening,” Love said. “The change in mindset to a big dose of empathy created a lot of discussion.”
Another technique discussed was giving children choices. “A child should always be given a choice between just two things, this avoids a battle over who is in control,” Love explained.
What choices to give is also very important.
“The choices given should only be ones the parent will be deliriously happy for the child to do; and do not affect anyone else in the world,” Love said.
For example, a toddler gets to choose a half cup of milk or a full one; whether to step his right foot into his pants leg first or his left leg, Love said.
Choices should fall within the boundaries set by the adult for that child, he explained. Another way of using choices is when kids are arguing in front of the adult.
“They are obviously bickering because they want to tempt the adult to get involved,” Love said. “The adult could say, ‘You’re hurting my ears with your arguing. You may choose to stay here and not argue or you can go to your room and argue all you want.’
“That way you’ve told them how their action is affecting you and given them a choice of actions to remedy the situation.”

Tool Fire Department inacts
mutual aid response agreements
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
TOOL–The city of Tool Fire Department has joined forces with its neighbors.
July 16, city council members approved interlocal agreements for mutual aid fire response between the city, Seven Points and Gun Barrel City.
“Council members for Gun Barrel City approved the agreement Tuesday (July 14),” Mayor Michael Black said.
In other business, council members:
• installed councilman Tracy Bush as mayor pro tem.
• approved an interlocal agreement with Gun Barrel City for the use of its jail.
Police chiefs in both cities approved the agreement.
A fee of $25 will be paid to Gun Barrel City on an as-needed basis.
• approved a standardized form for those seeking appointment to the council when a vacancy occurs.
• tabled requests by Jerry Buck and Dennis Candage for appointment to the council seat vacated by the resignation of Leland Pitts.
The action was taken to give both men the opportunity to fill out the new standardized form.
• presented Pitts with a certificate of appreciation for his service to the city of Tool.
• approved a variance on the ordinance limiting the age of a mobile home to be brought into the city.
The request was made by T.C. and Deborah Bigley, residents of Royal Oaks.
Pictures and inspection certificates were submitted and accepted.
The structure is a 16-by-86-foot Crestridge mobile home built in 1998.
• approved a new contract with the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake.
• approved Ordinance 2009-04, an amendment to balance the fiscal year 2009 budget.