By Mary Jane Farmer for Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town

During the 19 days between January 7 and January 26, Van Alstyne police dispatch received 454 calls for service, resulting in 30 reports. Police Chief Tim Barnes reported on the following.

January 7 theft — Police began the investigation into the theft of a trailer stolen after the thief or thieves cut the lock off it. The trailer, taken from the 400 block of Martin Duke (SH 75 service road), is valued at about $2,400. It is believed to have happened in the since before the owner discovered it gone. Barnes said the investigation is still under investigation and the information has been entered into the National Crime Information Center’s database.

January 10, road rage — At 1:18 p.m. that Sunday, a 36-year-old man assaulted a 24-year-old on aSH 75 service road. Barnes said it began with both vehicles on the highway engaging in road rage. Both of them stopped on the service road, occupants of both vehicles got out, and the occupant of one vehicle punched the victim in the nose. Barnes said one person involved is from the Denison area and the other from Boerne, Texas. The case has been filed with the Grayson County District Attorney’s office.

January 18, theft— At 12:34 p.m. that Monday, a person made a complaint that his/her bag has been stolen. The bag had been left in the restroom of the Valero station when it was taken. Barnes said it contained clothing and a cell phone.

January 20 arrest — An 18-year-old Van Alstyne resident went to in Grayson County Jail after being arrested on a felony warrant. Barnes said the arrest was made in the 200 block of South Preston and the warrant charged the suspect with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felony. The warrant stemmed from the department’s having previously arrested  the suspect in 2020 on drug charges, Barnes said. Bail shows in public records to have been set at $10,000, payable in surety bonds, which was posted the next day for the suspect’s release.

HistoryMaker Homes has begun construction on its latest single-family house for which the company pulled a building permit. The “Sold” sign in front of the property, still only showing to be turned dirt as they lay the infrastructure, shows sit to already have been purchased. As can be seen, also, are other homes further advanced in the building process.

Photo and story by Mary Jane Farmer, Scene In Town, Van Alstyne News

The city issued building permits in December for seven new single-family homes, for one home to be remodeled, and an assortment of such improvements as lawn irrigation systems, commercial signs, patio and storage shed improvements, and several other property step-ups.

Six of the new homes now in their formative stages are being built by K Hovanian Homes in the Sanford Park sub-division and HistoryMaker Homes is building the 7^th one in the 1000 block of Waverly, in nearby Greywood Heights. The total estimated valuation on these seven homes total about $1,893,000. They range in size from 2,405 square feet to 3,100 square feet.

All are in areas where the builders have completed numerous homes and have others further along in the construction process. And several have, according

It is still dirt showing on this home home site on McCoy, in Sanford Park, as K Hovanian Homes completes the infrastructure required.

to signs placed in front of them, already been sold. Calls were left with K Hovanian Homes, intended to be able to add more information on these new homes, were not returned.

Tony Miller Construction is a remodeling home in the 1300 block of N. John Douglas Road. Here, he is renovating its electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and framing.

Several lawn sprinkler systems are being added to homes in Georgetown, with Soak n Grow being contractors on those projects. And it is Southern Solar of Texas that is installing roof-mounted solar system panels to a home in the 300 block of South Main Drive.

Several homes, scattered about town, are having new electrical service for landscape lights and to power irrigation controllers. The Van Alstyne ISD is having improvements made on its heating and air conditioning systems, with McDaniel A/C obtaining that contract. A commercial sign has been granted a permit to go up in the 800 block of South Henry Hynds Road (US 75 service road).

Van Alstyne City Manager Lane Jones said that interest rates are being offered at “historically low” rates and he expects building permits will “pick up the pace in February and March, as Risland (Mantua), Thompson Farms, and Oakbrook Developments begin constructing model homes.” He said that the Chapel Creek Farms developer, with new homes already built on Old Highway 6, has purchased land near the high school and is now in the early stages of planning a development on its new site.

Mary Jane Farmer, Scene In Town, Van Alstyne News

Update, 12/30/20

Since the first publication of this article, Scene In Town/Van Alstyne News has learned that it is Beau Williams who, by appointment, replaced resigning Van Alstyne ISD Board of Trustee Jim Atchison, thus he has to sign up to run again, should he choose to, as do Council appointees Bruce Dawsey and Mayor Jim Atchison. (See more information below.)

The seats on the Van Alstyne City Council are all held by interested residents at no compensation, elected by the city’s registered voters, and there to serve for two years.

The same holds true for the Van Alstyne ISD Board of Trustees, with the exception that their terms run for three years.

Coming up for election or re-election this year, City Council Members, officially called Aldermen, are Place 5, Katrina Arsenault; Place 4, Lee Thomas; and Place 3 held originally by Robert Jaska who resigned to take a job with the City, and now held by Bruce Dawsey. The City Council appointed Dawsey to replace Jaska, as they appointed Jim Atchison as mayor to replace resigned mayor Steve Riley. As appointees, both of these candidates are required to run, if they so choose.

The Van Alstyne ISD’s Website, vanalstyneisd.org, shows that those up for re-election are Place 2, Beau Williams; Place 5, Dennis Smith; Place 6, Steve Roddy; and Place 7, David Kerr.

City Clerk Jennifer Gould explained that the requirements for council candidacy for a Type A, or Home Rule, city are established by Local Government Code Section 22.032. “To qualify to serve as Alderman Place 4 and 5 and Mayor, one must be a resident of the state for 1 year prior to the filing deadline, a resident of the city for 6 months prior to the filing deadline, age 18 or older, and must be a registered voter in the city by the filing deadline,” Gould said.

Those final filing dates are February 12 to be placed on the election ballot or February 16 if filing as a write-in candidate.

The ISD’s Website explains the qualifications to run for school board thusly:

“A school board candidate must be a registered voter, be a resident of the district he/she is running in, and have at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency.

“All school board positions are three-year terms and represent the entire school district. All Van Alstyne ISD residents who meet eligibility requirements specified in Board Policy BBA (Legal) may run for a position in the Board of Trustee election.”

The Website goes on to explain that the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) offers a free online training course … especially for people considering running for the school board. This course explains what to expect when serving as a school board member.

Early voting by personal appearance begins April 19, 2021, at the Election Day Polling Place, which is Grayson College, 1455 Van Alstyne Parkway, Gould added. This is also the location for May 1 (election day) voting.

Photo courtesy of Chris Jennings

While driving in a residential area a few weeks ago, I saw a woman and two children (presumably a mother and her kids) riding bicycles. She was leading them through the streets. My first thought was, “What a nice way for family time during this pandemic.”

Then, I saw that she didn’t stop and have them stop for a stop sign. Instead, they barreled through it and then again ignored the next stop sign. My thoughts changed to, “She should be teaching them rules of the road.”

Years ago, when teaching driver education, a student told me he’d gotten a speeding ticket while on his bicycle. He said he was going down a hill and picked up good speed. But, the speed limit there was 30 MPH, as it is in all residential areas in Texas, unless there is a speed limit sign depicting higher or lower limits.

Then, today, got this from Texas Department of Transportation, giving statistics on their new Safety Campaign. Very glad to see this…

TxDOT press release — Fatalities from crashes involving pedestrians are on the rise in Texas and now account for nearly one in five of all of the state’s traffic deaths. Last year, 668 people died in pedestrian-related crashes in Texas, up by 5% from 2018, and more than 1,300 were seriously injured. Crashes involving bicyclists in 2019 also claimed the lives of 68 people and seriously injured 313. These numbers follow an alarming trend that has seen pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities increase over the last five years. Nov. 7, 2000 was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.

“Whether you’re behind the wheel, on foot, or riding a bicycle , we’re reminding Texans to make traffic safety their number one concern when they’re out and about,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of looking after ourselves and others in our communities, and we’re asking the public to apply that same responsibility to safely sharing the road and obeying traffic laws.”

TxDOT wants people to know and follow state laws for safe driving, walking and biking. State laws mandate stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks, yielding the right of way to pedestrians and cyclists when turning, and passing cyclists at a safe distance and giving them room to ride.

Pedestrians should cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks, obey all traffic and crosswalk signals, and always use sidewalks when available. If there isn’t a sidewalk, pedestrians should walk on the left side of the street or road, facing oncoming traffic.

Like drivers, bicyclists are required to obey all traffic signs and signals, including stopping at red lights and stop signs. State laws also dictate that those who ride bicycles must use hand signals when turning or stopping, ride with traffic, use bike lanes or ride as near as possible to the right-hand curb, and when riding at night, make sure their bikes have a white light on the front and a red light or reflector on the back.

“Be Safe. Drive Smart.” and TxDOT’s pedestrian and bicycle safety initiative are key components of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel, like wearing a seat belt, driving the speed limit, never texting and driving and never driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways. #EndTheStreakTX asks all Texans to commit to driving safely to help end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roadways.