What’s Happening in Copper Canyon – June 2014
By Sue Tejml
Mayor of Copper Canyon
Former Resident Eric Metzger Retires after 22 years as Flower Mound Fire Chief
Copper Canyon’s Postman Wayne McBride retires after 34 years Service!
Town has retained “Tree Shepherds”to trim dead and overhanging limbs
Defensive Maneuvers to Protect Your Home in Case of a Wildfire
If you have post oak trees that die back each year, there is help available.
LEWISVILLE ISD’s “State of the Art” new Natatorium!
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Former Resident Eric Metzger Retires after 22 years as Flower Mound Fire Chief
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Eric Metzger and wife Janice Reininger met at Christmas in Rogue River, Oregon, while attending the same community college. By Easter 1980 they were married. Family and friends predicted the world wind 3 month romance would not last. It has – for 34 years. It has lasted through 28 years with Eric as a firefighter, the last 22 years as Chief for the Flower Mound Fire Department; through three children – Allison, Aaron, and Ryan; through Allison’s critical car accident when a senior in high school and her next 9 months spent in the hospital; through medical challenges for both Janice and Eric; and now entering retirement with three treasured small grandchildren – granddaughter London, 4 years old; grandson Asher, 18 months old; and latest grandson Holden, 14 months old.
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Immediately after marriage, the young couple Eric and Janice moved to Texas with no job prospects. But Eric said he was young and had an “adventuresome spirit.” Eric slept on the floor of the Midland Fire Chief’s office during his interview procedure; Eric’s only experience as a firefighter was in high school as a volunteer and for the Oregon State Firefighter program. Family and friends again said the “move” from Oregon to Texas, when Eric was 21 years old, wouldn’t last. It did.
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After 5 years with Midland’s Fire Chief James Roberts, Eric and Janice moved to Flower Mound. In 1986 Flower Mound had a population of 9,000. (The Town has now grown to 72,000 residents.) The Fire Department then had only 8 employees, 2 per work day. The Fire Department Office was an old portable trailer, which was charitably referred to as the “dump”. Mushrooms voluntarily grew inside the trailer office in the window frame.
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The old fire station on Main Street was remodeled no less than three times, with the same sheetrock being recycled each of the three times. As Fire Chief, Eric recently supervised ninety shift personnel and 10 staff for a total of 100 Fire Department employees! And there are now five very modern and well equipped fire stations! Eric personally secured $5 million in grants for vehicles and equipment! What a transformation of Flower Mound’s Fire Department in the past 22 years that Eric Metzger has served as its Chief!
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The Metzger’s oldest child, daughter Allison, spoke movingly at her father’s retirement reception. As a “firefighter’s daughter,” she remembered the many Christmases and family events, when her dad was absent responding to medical emergencies or fire calls. But she also emphasized how her Dad was such a role model to his children in making “service to others” a key dedication in his life.
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For nine years Eric and Janice lived in Copper Canyon in the Woodlands subdivision at 905 Hillside Drive. Janice enjoyed raising monkeys at their home, which the United States Department of Agriculture inspected twice a year. Eric said these were tranquil times for Janice and him, and they thoroughly enjoyed the easy going, rural atmosphere of Copper Canyon and their friendly neighbors such as former City Council Member Ken Karnes and wife Gaynor.
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Eric also served for many years as Copper Canyon’s representative to the Upper Trinity Regional Water District. He took me with him to the UTRWD Board Meetings and helped me, a “clueless” novice Council Member, to understand the finances and politics of the District. And to comprehend the danger of not planning long range for the water needs of an ever expanding population in North Texas. I am genuinely indebted to Eric for the time he spent educating me on the importance of adequate, but affordable, water for all of us Texans.
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Janice and Eric are now retiring to acreage in East Texas near Gilmer, 30 minutes north of Longview. Gilmer is the Yam Capital of Texas and has an annual “Yamboree” festival each year. The Old Cherokee Trace runs through the Metzger’s eight acres, which is one of the highest points in Upshur County. They intend to grow peanuts in the fine sandy loam soil and raise chickens, ducks, and goats. After 28 years as a firefighter responding to numerous emergency calls, Eric is looking forward to the slower pace of “country living”. And his infectious grin and basic kindness should make him a welcome member to his newly chosen home town!
Copper Canyon’s Postman Wayne McBride retires after 34 years Service!
Wayne McBride grew up in Millsap, Texas. His Dad was the time keeper at Acme Brick’s yard for 20 years. Wayne said it was a wonderful place to grow up! Everyone in town worked for Acme Brick and shopped at the company store. The brick company’s diggings in the shale created a lot of ponds, so all the locals enjoyed fishing in them.
Wayne went to Weatherford Junior College for two years and then received his BBA degree at North Texas University in 1971. The next ten years he worked as Transportation Supervisor for Denton State School. At the same time Copper Canyon resident Natalie Hill was Supervisor of Nursing. He met his wife Rhonda Jarrell at church. He was 27 and she was only 17, so he had to get her mother’s signature to marry her. Wayne said, “I guess I have raised her, but we have been married 37 years and had two sons, one daughter, and five grandsons.”
Wayne went to work for the United States Post Office in February 1980. He started in Fort Worth’s post office, moved to Keller, and eventually to Argyle’s post office. He personally built his home in 1980 at 303 Redbud on a half-acre in Argyle, a mile from the Argyle post office. He’s rebuilt 3 bathrooms, but says it’s probably time to rebuild the whole home in his retirement.
Wayne said everyone knows “what a wonderful route I have!” He covers the north part of Copper Canyon (Orchid Hill and adjoining roads), Copper Canyon Road, and Canyon Oaks Subdivision. He drives 43 miles a day, but with minimum mail boxes and not in high density traffic. Wayne said his postal customers are “amazing people, they take good care of me, and it makes it worthwhile to go to work each day.” In return, we genuinely appreciate Wayne. My home is 500 feet back from the road. Many times, he has driven up the gravel drive to my home and left mail and boxes safe and “dry” in my garage by my kitchen door!
Wayne said when he started work with the Post Office, he was told that if he had an accident, he would be fired. He responded, “I’m driving on the right side of the road, but sitting on the wrong side of the vehicle! I’m blocking traffic four and a half hours a day – it’s only a matter of time before I have an accident!” But in 34 plus years, he has only had one accident. Someone ploughed into the back of his vehicle when he was stopped at Briarwood Retreat on Copper Canyon Road! That is a great safety record for all the miles he has driven as a mail carrier!
I asked Wayne about the bane of all postmen – a vicious dog. He said there was one big black dog that always attacked him when he tried to deliver mail to the home. Though he repeatedly kicked at the dog, it finally bit him on one leg and an ankle. So, he appealed to the homeowner for help. She said just leave my mail and packages in that big chair on the porch and just say “Zipper, go away!” – and he will leave you alone. Wayne said this admonition actually worked for months. But one day, he said “Zipper, go away!” and the dog still attacked him and bit him again! So, he asked the homeowner what he had done wrong. She said, “Oh, that’s not Zipper – that’s Charlie – the two dogs just look identical. Our neighbor shot Zipper yesterday for chasing his ducks.”
The McBride’s daughter Emily Putnam lives in Denton and has Wayne’s three oldest grandsons Caleb 10, Levi 7, and Ethan 3. The McBride’s oldest son Aaron McBride works for Intel in Oregon. He has one and a half year old grandson Asher and expecting 5th grandson Asa in September. Their youngest son Evan McBride lives in Justin and works for Texas Instruments in Richardson. Wayne said Evan “fishes every minute he’s not at work”. Wayne looks forward to enjoying the fishing with his son!
One of Wayne’s priorities in retirement is looking after his parents. He said “I have longevity in my genes! My aunt was 109 years old when she died.” His Dad retired at 82 from Wal-Mart and is now 92. At 83, his mother is still training checkers at Wal-Mart’s Weatherford store. Wayne’s parents own 80 acres in Millsap. Wayne said his Mom’s “Honey Do” list is unending! Guess who is prime candidate for completing that Honey Do list in his retirement?
Town has retained “Tree Shepherds” to trim dead and overhanging limbs
Certified arborist Scott Geer was recommended by Town resident Janet Aune, who also grows trees to sell commercially. Geer appropriately named his family business “Tree Shepherds”. His sons Caleb Geer and Clayton Geer are professional tree climbers and trimmers, and his son Ethan Geer is Operations Manager. They will be trimming dead limbs from the pine trees at Town Hall and any limbs overhanging Town Hall’s roof that might damage the shingles by rubbing on them. They will also be trimming tree limbs that hang too low over our main public roads in Town and downing dead trees that might fall into those roads. The drivers of school buses and emergency response vehicles have requested this service.
Geer’s team also spent a day at my home trimming branches overhanging our roof and dead limbs from huge trees. I was amazed at how many limbs came down in an eight hour period! Yet before they left, all downed branches were raked up and shredded and all large limbs chain sawed into logs. (The home owner can keep the shredded hardwood mulch and logs or the team will haul them off.) Then the four man team blew off my sidewalk and driveway and left the whole work area very neat!
Defensive Maneuvers to Protect Your Home in Case of a Wildfire
I am asking Geer’s team back for a second day to clear out dead limbs and fallen brush in a wooded perimeter around our home. Emil and I have left 7 of our 10 acres as a natural woodland. But with the extended drought, there are many dead limbs and branches down on the ground in these woods that surround our home. This dead tinder could just be fuel in a wildfire; and we had a wildfire in May on Corps land that abuts our acreage and other homes on the north side of Orchid Hill.
The Argyle Volunteer Fire District, and other area fire districts that responded as mutual aid to that wildfire, decided NOT to send personnel or vehicles onto Corps land during a fire. The trails are too narrow for emergency vehicles, and the terrain is too irregular for emergency vehicles, bull dozers, or even four wheel drive gators. Equipment could get stuck and firefighters could be trapped in a dangerous situation. Instead, the firefighters will man the perimeter of the wooded corps land and be prepared to stop the fire before it reaches the abutting homes. This is a much safer and more effective strategy for both personnel and equipment.
As a home owner, you can help during the drought by keeping your yards and pasture lands mowed; shred or remove dead limbs and branches down on the ground around your home; and keep logs for outdoor cooking and fireplaces stacked a safe distance from your home. And if the entrance to your home is gated, be sure first responders have your gate code in case of an emergency.
If you have post oak trees that die back each year, there is help available.
As a consultant, arborist Geer will also come to your home or business and advise you on “ailing” trees. Every year Emil and I sadly have a couple of huge post oak trees die on our acreage.
Over a decade ago, organic gardener Howard Garrett came to my home to advise me on his organic method and to diagnose some dying azaleas and post oaks. He said the azaleas preferred to grow in the acid soil of East Texas or Houston, and not in the predominantly alkaline soil of our DFW metroplex. But, they would live if I replanted the azaleas every 4 to 5 years in an alkaline planting mix. I decided against that and just sadly watched the evergreen bushes slowly wither and die.
Garrett said the post oaks were part of a huge natural savannah forest in the Dallas-Denton area. But, the post oaks didn’t like the atmosphere that they had to share with increasing residential and commercial growth. As he poignantly put it, the post oaks “didn’t like people.” They didn’t like folks to walk or drive vehicles over their roots. They didn’t like paving over their roots - be it gravel, caliche, asphalt or concrete. And they didn’t like lawns or flower beds around their trunks, especially if they were watered by automatic sprinklers. Garrett suggested I start planting bur oak replacement trees instead, as the bur oaks resembled post oaks in appearance but weren’t nearly so “temperamental” to maintain.
Arborist Geer and I examined two 40 foot tall post oaks in my front yard that looked particularly stressed. Suckers were growing off the main trunk and the overhead canopy had significantly thinned in leaf count. Small dead branches were appearing at the extremities of the larger limbs. Geer recommended that I cut back drastically on watering in the tree’s root zone area, despite our ongoing drought. I also asked him to apply his “sick tree” remedy. The arborist drills 2 inch diameter holes on a two foot grid from the tree’s trunk out to its drip line. The holes can be as deep as 12 inches, depending on the depth of any irrigation or utility lines buried underground in the tree’s vicinity. The holes aerate the tree’s root system; and Geer also inserts hardwood mulch, fertilizer and a special root growth stimulator into the holes. He said the added mixture is mainly, but not totally, organic. I hope these magnificent trees survive, but at least the “Tree Shepherds” have given them a fighting chance.