McKinney Chamber of Commerce News Newswire

The McKinney Chamber of Commerce Announces Buy Local – McKinney First! Race Into Summer

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

News Release

The Race Into Summer promotion kicked off on May 20 and consists of a special deal or discount offered every day for two weeks to celebrate the start of summer. Followers can visit the Buy Local – McKinney First! Facebook page or website for daily deals.

The McKinney Chamber of Commerce encourages businesses and residents to participate in buying local, which means buying from businesses in McKinney rather than outside the area or over the internet. “By participating in the Buy Local – McKinney First! program, local businesses have the opportunity to promote their business and be connected to a campaign that has broad appeal with consumers. To complete the circle, residents who buy local are getting great deals and supporting their community. We all win,” says McKinney Chamber President Jodi LaFreniere Ray.

For every $100 spent in McKinney, $68 stays in McKinney to be reinvested and recycled by supporting another local business. When residents buy local, the sales tax collected on the product goes back into the community. The city, for example, uses sales tax revenue to invest in parks and other community development projects, attract jobs and investment to McKinney and provide high-quality community services such as police and fire protection, trash service and parks and recreation offerings, among other things.

This promotion runs for two weeks and offers a wide variety of deals from local businesses.

Sen. Johnson Announces Mobile Office Hours for May 23 in Four Area Towns

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

On Thursday, May 23, the staff of U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX) will host their monthly “Mobile Office Hours” in Allen, Melissa, Plano and Prosper.

Constituents of the Third Congressional District of Texas needing assistance with a federal issue or agency, such as Medicare, Veterans’ Affairs, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service, are encouraged to visit one of the locations listed below. Appointments are not necessary.

“Assisting folks with federal problems is one of the most important things I do,” said Johnson. “These mobile office hours serve as a chance for Third District residents to get their federal issues recognized and hopefully resolved. I encourage folks to take advantage of this valuable and convenient resource.”

The Congressman’s staff can also help facilitate overseas adoptions, provide information regarding trips to Washington, D.C., and process requests to have American flags flown over the U.S. Capitol building.

Anyone requesting assistance with a federal agency should bring all relevant documents and be prepared to sign a privacy disclaimer. Constituents who cannot attend the scheduled “Mobile Office Hours” are welcome to contact the Congressman’s Plano office at 469-304-0382. For more information, please visit samjohnson.house.gov and select “Get Help with a Federal Agency.”

Allen
Allen City Hall
(Entrance/Lobby Area)
305 Century Pkwy.
10 a.m. to noon

Plano
Collin County Spring Creek Campus
(Lobby Area)
2800 E. Spring Creek Pkwy.
10 a.m. to noon

Melissa
Melissa City Hall
(Community Room)
3411 Barker Ave.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Prosper
Municipal Chambers
(Entrance/Lobby Area)
108 W. Broadway St.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

SH 5 in Fairview Closes for Six Months

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

TxDOT News Release

Beginning on Tuesday, May 21, the two-mile stretch of State Highway 5 in Fairview between FM 1378 (Country Club Road) and FM 2786 (Stacy Road) will be closed to through traffic for approximately six months to reconstruct and re-align SH 5.

The project will straighten sharp curves at the old railroad underpass just south of Country Club Road.

DETOURS:

• Southbound SH 5 traffic will detour east on Country Club Road to westbound Stacy Road back to SH 5.

• Northbound SH 5 traffic will detour east on Stacy Road to northbound Country Club Road back to SH 5.

Changeable message signs have been placed in advance to make the public aware of the closure. Signs will be placed where the detours begin and route markers will be installed along the detour roadways to guide traffic.

Road conditions and traffic updates are available on the drivetexas.org and dfwtraffic.org websites, facebook.com/txdot on Facebook and twitter.com/txdot or twitter.com/txdotdallaspio on Twitter.

Voters Decide in 2013 McKinney City Council and Collin College Board Elections

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Results were tallied throughout the evening at McKinney's Election Night on the Square.

On Saturday, May 11, voters in McKinney cast their ballots in the general election to choose Mayor and City Council representatives for District 1, District 3 and one At Large seat.

With 100% of precincts reporting,

• Brian Loughmiller retained the Mayor seat with 2,497 votes or 89.95 percent of the total, defeating Derrick E. Johnson, who received 279 votes or 10.05 percent of the total.

• Randall P. Pogue earned the At Large seat, with 1,799 votes or 63.82 percent of the total, defeating Jeremiah J. Hammer, who received 385 votes or 13.66 percent of the total, and J. Martin Sanchez, who received 635 votes or 22.53 percent of the total.

• Don Day ran unopposed for the District 1 Council seat and collected 227 votes.

• Travis Ussery ran unopposed for the District 3 Council seat and collected 668 votes.

Two Collin College trustee seats were running with opposition,

• For the Trustee, Place 4 position, Jim Orr earned 9,495 votes or 47.33 percent of the total, Adrian Rodriguez received 6,512 votes or 32.46 percent of the total, and Buddy Minett received 4,054 votes or 20.21 percent of the total. Because none of the three candidates won 50% of the vote, a runoff between Orr and Rodriguez will be held in June, either the 15th, 22nd or 29th. A final date will be determined soon.

• Andy Hardin earned Trustee, Place 9 position with 10,224 votes or 57.54 percent of the total, defeating Richard R. Anderson who received 7,544 votes or 42.46 percent of the total.

Two Collin College trustee seats were running unopposed, Stacy Anne Arias (Place 5) and Mac Hendrcks (Place 6).

Only 7.44 percent of all registered voters in Collin County came out to cast ballots in this election.

McKinney Main Street, along with the McKinney Chamber of Commerce, hosted Election Night on the Square on Kentucky Proper in Historic Downtown McKinney. Residents enjoyed a good old-fashioned street party and received updated election results throughout the evening. The weather was beautiful, and the crowd was full of excitement. Other sponsors included Councilman Don Day, Judge Paul Raleeh, Rick's Chophouse and The Grand Hotel.

“Election Night on the Square is always a fun event for Historic Downtown McKinney. It is like one big block party of celebrations, camaraderie and getting to know our neighbors alongside our elected officials. This year proved to be an even bigger success with the increased crowds joining the downtown merchants for Second Saturdays on the Square, live music and festivities,” stated Ty Lake, Director of McKinney Main Street and the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

Click here for the news release on the election from the City of McKinney.

Collin County and City of McKinney Hire TAPS for Transit

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

TAPS News Release

If you live in Collin County, expect to soon see the familiar blue, green and white TAPS Public Transit buses on your highways and byways. Effective July 1, the Grayson County-based public transportation provider will be managing and operating rural transit for Collin County and urban service for the City of McKinney.

In addition, Collin County Commissioner Chris Hill announced that TAPS will launch McKinney Park & Ride service from to DART's Parker Road Station beginning July 1.

From Hill's "The County Line" newsletter: "TAPS has a history of coordinating with DART for Grayson County passengers, and I am excited that they will bring that experience to McKinney this summer. We have already begun the important work of coordinating with DART, and I hope to be able to announce the McKinney Park & Ride location very soon!"

On May 8, the TAPS Board of Directors accepted an offer from both Collin County and the City of McKinney to bring the TAPS brand of service to their citizens. The vote was unanimous by the 12-member board made up of representatives from the agency’s currently six-member counties. Jay Davidson, TAPS Board Chairman, said that while the task of expanding service to Collin County is a daunting one, he has complete confidence that TAPS management and staff can pull it off.

“TAPS is a public transportation agency that has an operational style that allows for scalability in how it serves its riders,” said Davidson, “the policies and procedures in place that have evolved TAPS into one of the most respected public transit systems in Texas, will be a good foundation for getting the Collin County serve up to speed quickly.”

Express and Airport Service Will be First

TAPS already crosses the Collin County line moving workers to their jobs in McKinney and to connections at the DART station at Parker Road in Plano. The TexExpress shuttle takes passengers from as far north as Durant, Okla., stopping in Sherman and Van Alstyne, Texas, before traveling to Raytheon in McKinney and on to Plano. The TexExpress has been operating since 2006.

The TexExpress already runs at capacity, so additional buses will be added to the fixed schedules that run passengers to and from DART beginning at 5:30 a.m. from the Midway Mall Park & Ride terminal in Sherman.

Last year, TAPS began a limited airport shuttle service from Durant, Okla. and Sherman, Texas. It has been a huge success by offering dependable, low-cost service to and from DFW Airport and Love Field in Dallas. Recently re-branded as The Airport Hop, the service will be expanded into McKinney as soon as agreements have been put in place to provide parking for customers.

The McKinney City Council voted to approve TAPS as the McKinney UZA Direct Recipient and the Urban Transit District. The vote was 6-0 with one abstention. Bobby Amick of the MISD Board and Anne Polk from TxDOT spoke at the meeting to answer questions from the Council. Click here to view the video.

Curtis Rippee Speaks at McKinney Chamber's GLI Meeting

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

McKinney Board of Trustees President Curtis Rippee addressed the McKinney Chamber’s Government and Legislative Issues Committee on Friday, May 3. Mr. Rippee was joined by fellow Trustees Lynn Sperry and Amy Dankel. He spoke about the State of Education and touched on education in the U.S., education in Texas and the state of education within McKinney Independent School District.

With regard to education on a national level, Mr. Rippee shared that often when the test scores of U.S. students are represented as lower when compared to students in other developed countries the comparison doesn’t tell the whole story. The reason is most other countries do not test all of their students while we do in the U.S. In many other countries, college and career determinations are already made and they only test the college bound or higher level students. In addition, Mr. Rippee shared that the single greatest determining factor of the academic success of a student is their economic status.

As a way of providing some comparative analysis he indicated that Texas ranks 49th in per student spending (down from 41st) and ranks 38th in teacher salaries (down from 31st).

On the state level, the primary issues currently being addressed are high stakes testing, school finance and the possible use of vouchers. The State legislature is currently reviewing measures with regard to the number of year end tests per grade level as Texas has far more end of course exams than other states. School administrators want to have accountability, he said, and should but there are various means of implementing that accountability without relying solely on high stakes testing.

With regard to funding, $5 billion in cuts were made during the last legislative session. The primary funding mechanism currently under consideration by the legislature does not provide significant benefit to McKinney ISD as it will primarily raise revenue per student for districts that have a lower per student revenue. With the current proposal that is under review to restore some of the previous funding cuts, only approximately 9% of what was previously cut from the McKinney ISD budget would be restored.

In light of continued growth, McKinney ISD is performing at high levels. From 2004 through 2012 MISD had a 50 percent increase in enrollment. With the addition of 8,000 new students only three positions were added to Central office. Administration is trying to be responsive to needs but keep the focus on the classroom.

With regard to fiscal performance the District maintains a AAA bond rating and has been awarded the Sunny Award for Financial Transparency. The District has received numerous academic recognitions including: 10 National Merit Scholar Finalists, two National Merit Scholars and one Presidential Scholar. Two campuses were recognized at Intel Schools of Distinction, the State Teacher of the Year last year hales from McKinney and the State Nurse of the Year for this year is also from McKinney ISD.

Mr. Rippee stressed that it is the goal of the Board of Trustees to be good financial stewards for the taxpayers and to ensure we have the highest quality school system. He also feels it is the Board’s responsibility to highlight the impacts that state financial cuts have had on the district and their ability to maintain high levels of performance under those economic conditions.

To review Mr. Rippee’s presentation please click here. Or for more information visit mckinneyisd.net.

Torchmark Corporation Declares Dividend

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

News Release

McKinney-based Torchmark Corporation (NYSE: TMK) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $.17 per share on all of the outstanding common stock of the Company held of record as of the close of business of the Company's transfer agent on July 7. The dividend will be paid on Aug. 1.

Torchmark Corporation is a holding company specializing in life and supplemental health insurance for "middle income" Americans marketed through multiple distribution channels including direct response, and exclusive and independent agencies. Torchmark has several nationally recognized insurance subsidiaries. Globe Life And Accident is a direct-response provider of life insurance known for its administrative efficiencies. American Income Life provides individual life insurance to working families. Liberty National Life is one of the oldest traditional life insurers in the Southeast. United American is a consumer-oriented provider of supplemental life and health insurance. Family Heritage Life provides individual supplemental health insurance.

For information on the Torchmark Corporation, visit torchmarkcorp.com.

McKinney Welcomes Headquarters Location of Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems Business

Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

City of McKinney News Release

McKINNEY (May 2, 2013) — Raytheon Company announced the headquarters operation of its Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) business will join existing SAS business operations in McKinney. SAS is one of Raytheon’s four global businesses with significant aerospace and defense capabilities. Many high-level officials, including Texas Governor Rick Perry, lauded the announcement.

“Raytheon’s decision to relocate its SAS headquarters from California to Texas is further proof that the Lone Star State’s highly skilled and competitive workforce continues to attract technology companies large and small, thanks in part to our commitment to STEM education to prepare Texas students for highly specialized jobs such as these,” Gov. Perry said. “Our low taxes, predictable regulations and fair courts provide the best opportunity for companies across a variety of industries to succeed, and are a beacon for families and employers alike.”

"I am delighted but not surprised that Raytheon chose to move its Space and Airborne Systems headquarters and associated jobs to McKinney. Our city has a long history with Raytheon and of fostering strong business relationships and creating an environment that not only allows these businesses to grow, but provides their employees with a great place to call home. I look forward to welcoming these Raytheon employees to our community and continuing to work to make McKinney and Collin County the ideal location for business," said Sen. Ken Paxton.

"In the last week I have been working with the City of McKinney and Mayor Brian Loughmiller on strategies to bring additional Raytheon jobs to our community. On Monday, I was able to meet with Governor Perry to discuss how to further promote McKinney to Raytheon, and I am thrilled to have this collaboration end so successfully. My values are fighting for good jobs, strong families and a safe community. Raytheon providing more jobs to this community helps to complete that equation," said Rep. Scott Sanford.

City officials and staff of the McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the McKinney Community Development Corporation (MCDC) have worked closely with Raytheon executives to facilitate the move to McKinney.

"Economic development has been and remains a top priority of the Mayor and City Council. A major part of economic development includes bringing job growth to our community. We appreciate Raytheon's commitment to our city as our largest employer and are excited at the opportunity for new corporate expansion in McKinney. I am proud of the efforts and team work exhibited between city staff, the MEDC, the MCDC, and the Mayor's office and City Council in working with Raytheon on this project. With the partnership we have with companies like Raytheon, McKinney continues to position itself as one of the best places in America to raise a family and conduct business," said McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller.

The Raytheon SAS headquarters operation will locate on Raytheon’s existing McKinney campus. Information regarding the business can be viewed at: raytheon.com/ourcompany/businesses.

“McKinney prides itself on being able to work with every business interested in locating and growing here. We want to work with the individual company and their unique needs. In this case, we knew speed was a factor, and we pulled together the right team to work hard in order to meet the expedited schedule,” said City Manager Jason Gray.

“McKinney has always been proud to have the prominent presence of Raytheon, a truly respected corporate partner. Today’s announcement takes that to an entirely new level and would not have happened without the leadership of City Manager Jason Gray, the hard work and dedication of MEDC Vice President Abby Liu, and the overwhelming cooperation between the City of McKinney, MCDC and MEDC,” said MEDC President and CEO Jim Wehmeier.

American National Bank of Texas' Robert Hulsey Inducted Into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

News release

Robert Hulsey, President and CEO of American National Bank of Texas (ANBTX) was inducted into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame at an Inaugural Gala held at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville on April 25.

The Texas Bankers Hall of Fame was established by the Sam Houston State University banking program to provide positive recognition to Texas Bankers who have made valuable contributions to the banking profession and pioneered the Texas banking industry.

“Banks have played a pivotal part in the development of this nation and this state, and the general public needs to be informed on the positive role banks and bankers have had in the overall economic impact on their communities, state, and nation,” said James B. “Jim” Bexley, chair of the Smith-Hutson Endowed Chair of Banking.

Robert Hulsey was selected for this prestigious designation based on his dedication and contributions to the banking industry. Throughout Robert’s banking career, he has served as director of the Texas Bankers Association, Chairman of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, Chairman of the Services Board of the Independent Bankers Associations of Texas, Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, and Director of Southwestern Automated Clearing House Association.

Robert is also heavily involved in the community and currently serves as president of the Terrell ISD Excellence Foundation, created to support and enhance the education of all students in the Terrell ISD. He is also a board member for the Global Accreditation Center for Project Management (GAC) and vice president of the A. Fern Norville Shelter Foundation for children.

Robert graduated from Terrell High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas and a master’s degree of business administration from the Wharton Graduate School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Working Towards Solutions in Transportation, Water and Education

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

By KEN PAXTON, Texas State Senator, District 8

This week the Texas Senate passed a bill that I authored, SB 929, to provide home-school students the opportunity to participate in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities. Currently, home-school students have no choice in participating in UIL activities. This legislation provides these students an equal opportunity to participate in academic and athletic competitions alongside public-school students in their attendance areas.

Throughout the session, I have also been advocating ways to meet our state’s essential long-term needs while providing tax relief, including filing legislation to eliminate longstanding diversions of funds from the state Highway fund and to phase out the state business franchise tax.

This week the Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 1, a proposed Constitutional amendment that will give voters an opportunity to approve a plan to fund the state's water and transportation infrastructure and public education through a one-time use of a portion of the state's Rainy Day Fund, enabling investment in the state's future without taking on additional debt.

I supported this legislation because it gives voters the chance to directly weigh in on funding for these key areas.

The proposal would allow use of a portion of the Rainy Day Fund for:

• $800 million for public education

• $2 billion for long-term water projects in the State Water Plan

• $2.9 billion for essential transportation infrastructure projects

This legislation begins to address three of the key issues we face in Texas, while ensuring that the Rainy Day Fund retains a healthy balance for future emergency needs. In education, this plan promotes a more equitable formula funding system for public schools.

Due in part to our population growth, Texas' transportation and water resources are at a critical juncture, with the state facing demand for the construction and maintenance of new roads and for long-term water resources. SJR 1 would enable construction and maintenance of highways without a tax increase and without exclusively relying on toll roads for added highway capacity. It would also allow for a one-time allocation of funds to create a dedicated account for financing projects in the State Water Plan. The account would be replenished as the loans for the water projects are repaid.

Everyone agrees these are high-priority issues that must be addressed to ensure the health and strength of our state as we move into the future, and I believe that a transparent approach approved by the voters is a good way to move forward. SJR 1, which is a major priority for many of the businesses in Senate District 8, has now moved to the Texas House for consideration.

The legislature still has the opportunity to consider legislation to reduce taxes, like the two I filed and referenced above. As we move toward the end of session, I will continue to push for tax-reducing legislation like those and others.

In Reversal, Texas House Reauthorizes Lottery Commission

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

By WILL WEISSERT, The Associated Press

AUSTIN — The Texas House cast a shocking vote on Tuesday to potentially dismantle the state lottery – only to reverse itself after a few frantic hours.

House Bill 2197 began as a seemingly routine proposal to continue the operations of the Texas Lottery Commission until September 2025. But opposition mounted after tea party lawmakers called the lottery a de-facto tax on the state's low-income residents.

Republican Rep. Scott Sanford of McKinney told the body he was opposing the bill on "the moral grounds that the lottery is a tax on poor people."

"It is therefore immoral and wrong," Sanford said, noting that state residents without high school degrees tend to spend $600 annually on the lottery while those with graduate school-level educations spend about a fourth of that.

Suddenly, the GOP-controlled chamber was voting 82-64 to defeat the measure and abolish the commission gradually over the next year, with the support of some liberal Democrats. The House then went into a hastily called lunch break.

The lottery was created in 1991, after Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment. The commission overseeing it was authorized by the Legislature two years later. So-called "Sunset bills," or regularly scheduled measures allowing state commissions to continue their work, are usually fairly innocuous.

Those leading the charge to oppose reauthorization were largely first-year Republican representatives – and during the break, party leadership urged many to change their vote.

Despite some continued tea party opposition, the House eventually approved a measure to reconsider. It then voted to reauthorize the Lottery Commission by a vote of 91-53.

The measure must now clear a final, procedural hurdle in the House before heading to the state Senate.

Supporters said the reversal was necessary since the lottery accounts for more than $2 billion in funding for schools. Indeed, those funds have already been built into the proposed state budget currently being considered by the Legislature.

Asked if he was surprised by the vote and then the reversal, House Speaker Joe Straus said, "The surprise is that something like this hasn't happened before now."

"Members express their will, and sometimes the consequences are discovered later," said Straus, who was not on the floor during debate. "This is not unusual."

Pressed on whether he supports the lottery, Straus replied: "I don't buy tickets. They're bad odds."

Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Dallas Democrat who sponsored the measure, said he understood some lawmakers have philosophical and religious objections to the lottery. But he said the original defeat of reauthorization should have been less about whether the lottery was moral and more about whether the state could live without it, thus having to find billions elsewhere to make up for would-be deficits.

"I don't think anybody loves the lottery," Anchia said. But he added, "I didn't foresee this bill as a referendum on the lottery, but it certainly materialized that way."

Anchia said he talked to 30 to 40 lawmakers during the break. Among those who changed their votes were all four Democrats who previous voted to defeat his bill.

"The House is a mercurial place, there are all kinds of surprises and this was one of them," he said. "But when I think people took a sober look at the budget dilemma that would ensue, they voted differently."

Associated Press Writer Paul J. Weber contributed to this report.

Use Rainy Day Funds For Water and Transportation – The Need is Critical

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

There is a big debate in the Legislature over whether using money in the rainy day fund should count against the state’s constitutional spending limit. If we are talking about actually increasing the state’s budget by growing the size of government, then the answer may be yes. If we are simply making up for a temporary revenue shortfall for a priority that is already budgeted, the answer may be no. But if we are transferring money on a one-time basis to other accounts that will be used to help finance critical water and transportation projects, the answer is emphatically no.

The money proposed to be used for transportation and water infrastructure will not be spent. It will be invested. There is a very big difference. The money may be used to underwrite local obligations to obtain better credit terms for infrastructure projects. This use is basically the same as parents using their good credit rating to save their children money by co-signing their first car loan. In that case, the parent’s money stays where it is and earns interest while the new car owner spends less money. In the same way, local citizens save money through lower water rates and transportation costs. That can hardly be considered an expense.

The money can also be lent to local infrastructure project sponsors. In this case, the loans are secured by the water utility rates and other revenue generated from projects at the local level. The essential point is this: The money loaned will be paid back. When a bank makes a loan, it considers that loan an asset on its balance sheet, not an expense. Why should the state of Texas be any different? Why should Texas water utility customers and drivers be asked to pay any more in new fees or taxes than necessary when the state has billions of dollars of revenue that we can put to productive use? The answer is they shouldn’t be.

HB 652 and similar legislation that makes it clear that certain uses of the rainy day fund do not count against the state spending limit. Some legislators, however, believe that any use should count and that there should be a vote to exceed the spending limit for any transfer from the rainy day fund. It will be a challenge getting the required two-thirds vote to move rainy day fund money into new funds for water and transportation in the first place. Adding another vote to break the spending cap might doom our efforts to ensure these future projects are built.

Then there are those who say we shouldn’t move any money out of the fund. I appreciate the conservative and careful position that suggests that we should always retain sufficient resources to address disasters and emergencies. But the fact is that the potential impact of our failure to address the basic infrastructure needs of our population is an emergency. It may not have the immediate visibility of a hurricane, but the economic impact to the state can be just as significant and even longer lasting.

I would ask those who oppose using any of the rainy day fund what the better alternatives are for funding the water and transportation projects our state desperately needs. There is clearly not enough revenue that can be cut from education or health and human service budgets to fund infrastructure. In fact, to fully fund our transportation needs will probably require new sources of revenue, but we should certainly make the most use of money we already have before we ask for more.

Bill Hammond is president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business.

McKinney Chamber’s Crawfish Boil a Huge Success

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Courtesy photo
Gumbo Cook Off Winner Harvey Cooper (right) poses with his winning check along with JoEllen Zabel and Sarah Marshall from Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, the Prize Sponsors.

Great times were had at the first annual WAM BAM! Crawfish Boil & Gumbo Cook Off. The Women’s Alliance of McKinney (WAM) served 500 pounds of crawfish and entertained more than 250 guests at the Stonebridge Ranch Country Club – The Ranch Clubhouse.

Thanks to the Cajun Crawfish Company, many attendees loved the crawfish saying it was the best they had ever eaten. With six delicious entries to choose from, it was difficult to name a winner in the Gumbo Cook Off, but after enjoying the samples, judges selected Harvey Cooper’s family recipe chicken and sausage gumbo. JoEllen Zabel and Sarah Marshall from Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Prize Sponsors, presented Cooper with a check for $300.

When guest weren’t eating, many were dancing the evening away to the Zydeco music of the Dennis Cavalier Band and DJ Sneaky. Beautiful weather made it the perfect backdrop for visiting with old friends and meeting new ones while children reveled in the Kids’ Corner. The event wasn’t even over and crawfish lovers were asking when the next event would be held.

Never having hosted a community crawfish boil before, the Women’s Alliance was excited to see the results of their inaugural event. The turnout was amazing, guests drove from as far as Oklahoma and Louisiana. A member of the band even reunited with his cousin that he hadn’t seen for 50 years! It was a wonderful way for the WAM committee to reach the community and celebrate the importance of family and fellowship.

The McKinney Chamber of Commerce would like to extend its gratitude to the Presenting Sponsor, Law Offices of Dana C. Palmer, PCCL and the WAM BAM! Crawfish Boil & Gumbo Cook Off Committee, chaired by Louisiana native Kimberly Cotton, for making the event a huge success. Thanks are also in order for Alan Freemont of KLAK, Mayor Brian Loughmiller and State Representative Scott Sanford, the judges who lent their taste buds for the Gumbo Cook Off.

The Women’s Alliance of McKinney (WAM) works through committees to achieve their vision of empowering, promoting and supporting women in business. To learn more, or to get involved, click here.

Keep the WAM BAM! Crawfish Boil & Gumbo Cook Off in mind for next year! The second annual event will be held in April 2014.