Yesterday, the 3rd Squadron 124th Cavalry of the Texas National Guard left Wylie as they are being deployed to Iraq. Matthew James and Jim Kellogg were gracious enough to pass along some photos of the event. The top photo and next four were provided by Mr. James. Click on the images to view the larger version.
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The following images are provided courtesy of Mr. Kellogg.
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Soldiers leaving the armory on Monday morning, July 28th, will make a parade like tour through downtown Wylie before departing. Around 7:30 am, they will head South on Hwy 78 before turning right on Ballard Street. They will continue to Brown, before heading back to 78. Here is an opportunity for you to show your support and appreciation for those soldiers heading out for an indefinite amount of time.
Alicia Young has been organizing these parade efforts and expects a solid turnout. The newly opened Majestic Ballroom and Dance Center on Ballard Street will be open at 7 am to serve coffee. Take out a few moments of your day to wave goodbye to our troops.
Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. Enrollment Solutions Program provides free application assistance and eligibility information regarding available state services such as Food Stamps, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), Medicaid, and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) to Collin County residents. For more information, please contact Lisa Roach at 214-553-9909 extension 134 or lisa@mrs.catholiccharitiesdallas.org.
(Click image for full 2 page pdf file)
New Trash and Recycling Service Begins September 1
More Services, Same Low Price:
The City of Wylie is pleased to announce that Community Waste Disposal (CWD) has been selected as the City’s solid waste and recycling provider beginning September 1. Please continue to use the Allied Waste carts through August 29.
CWD was selected based on their reputation for excellent service; overall low cost; strong recommendations from the cities of Frisco, Allen and Little Elm; and a unanimous recommendation from the Solid Waste Citizens Advisory Committee made up of Wylie residents.
Delivery of your new grey trash cart and blue recycling cart began July 15. In order to ensure a smooth transition from Allied Waste to CWD, be sure to read the Trash and Recycling Guide attached to your new trash cart. The guide contains information on pick-up schedules, brush & bulk call-in details, pick-up guidelines and recycling guidelines.
Allied Waste will pick up your old carts after your last scheduled pick-up.
CWD is committed to providing excellent customer service. Please contact CWD, 972-392-9300, option 2, if you have questions concerning the transition or services. Additional details can also be found at CommunityWasteDisposal.com. You may also contact the City of Wylie Utility Billing Department at 972-442-8130.
As we all feel the pinch from rising gas and food prices, we are about to be squeezed a little bit more. I’m sure most of you remember passing the bonds a few years ago to pay for road improvements, a new library, a recreation center, a new fire station, park improvements and a new city hall.
Well, now it’s time to pay up.
According to current fiscal year 2008-2009 budget proposal, city taxes are going to increase 16 cents. Wylie is already burdened with one of the highest city tax rates in Collin County at a rate of 73 cents per $100 home valuation. Next year that rate will be 89 cents. The rate is going to max out at 93 or 94 cents by the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
Also keep in mind that the WISD wants to increase taxes by 12 cents next year and will also be asking voters to pass a bond package that could approach 185 million dollars.
But don’t worry, according to the long range plan, the city tax rate will hit sub 80 cent rates again in 2015.
Buckle up and start saving.
REMINDER - SAVE TIME ON TRYOUT DAY…REGISTER ONLINE BY 10:00PM TODAY, FRIDAY, JULY 11th - ONLY 1 DAYS AWAY!!!!
www.leaguelineup.com/
You may also register at tryouts/team formations tomorrow!
2008 Tryouts/Team Formations will be held:
Saturday, July 12th - 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Monday, July 14th - 6:15PM - 8:00PM
@ Community Park Field 7 (Field behind the library)
Athletes are required to attend BOTH scheduled dates.
Please have your athlete wear shoulder pads and helmets IF they already have them. Otherwise please have your athlete wear shorts, tee shirt and football cleats or running shoes. PLEASE BRING WATER! ALL athletes on tackle teams will be required to have pads by Saturday July 19th.
Teams will be announced Monday evening by 10:00pm
online @ www.leaguelineup.com/
If you do not have internet access please call
972-442-2564 to confirm placement.
FYI - NO CUTS HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE LAST THREE SEASONS!
Fee for Flag football will be $165.00.
This fee will include a home game jersey, away game jersey, game pants, game socks and WCYFA t-shirt.
This fee also covers helmet rental, league fees, refs, fields, insurance, and trophy or medal, etc.
Flag will need a mouth piece, football cleats, practice shorts and shirt in the follow colors:
Shorts - Black
T-Shirt - Plain White
No other equipment will be needed for flag.
Flag Division DOES play 11 man regulation football.
Fee for 1A - 3A will be $200.00.
This will include a home game jersey, away game jersey, game pants, game socks, helmet decals and WCYFA t-shirt.
This fee also covers league fees, refs, fields, insurance, and trophy or medal, etc.
The equipment 1A - 3A teams will need to purchase is a helmet, shoulder pads, pads for pants, football cleats, and a mouth piece. This equipment is standard for any tackle league.
1A - 3A will also need a practice jersey and practice pants in following colors:
1A - White Pants and White Practice Jersey
2A - White Pants and Maroon Practice Jersey
3A - White Pants and Black Practice Jersey
Fees will be due on Tuesday, July 15th @ uniform fitting.
All games played in/on stadium type fields.
Seventh graders are welcome to play as long as they fit into the age division requirements.
EXCEL AND SUCCEED - WCYFA Pirates
We are looking forward to a successful season.
Thanks,
Ben Chapman
Program Director
972-442-2564
You can visit our site at www.leaguelineup.com/
Dear Friends, Supporters and Citizens of Wylie,
I hope you and your family are having a great Summer! We have been busy at our house with planning our vacation, attending summer camps, visiting with family and friends and supporting our community. I wanted to write to you again this month and share with you some of the activities that are happening in and around our city.
I hope you all have taken advantage of the Summer Concert’s at Olde City Park , as well as movie night last Friday evening. The concerts have been great and it has been so much fun to get out and visit with our citizens at these events. These activities really help Wylie keep that “hometown” feeling. I hope you and your family are planning to attend the Wylie Independence Day program (Fireworks) at Founder’s Park this evening at 9:30pm.
I had the opportunity to attend the June Chamber of Commerce luncheon and listen to Chamber President, Mike Agnew, talk about the State of the Chamber, and all the things they are doing to support our community.
Many of our new businesses are also attending the Business Card Exchange on Wednesday mornings at Woodbridge Golf Club, and this has been a good way to connect with our small business owners and support them as they grow their business here in Wylie.
Also, as you may have noticed, dirt is beginning to be moved at the location of our new shopping center, Woodbridge Crossing. Soon you will have more shopping options available to you right here in Wylie , Texas !
This year’s high school graduation once again highlighted our outstanding Wylie students and their parents, It was an honor for Tammie and I to be able to attend that great event and represent our city.
This past month I also had the opportunity to speak at the Wylie Rotary Club luncheon and share with them our plans for the future of our city.
I have also had the opportunity to visit with Congressman Ralph Hall and Congressman Sam Johnson about our city. They are anxious to support us as we grow forward.
A lot of great things are happening in our community. In the coming weeks, you will start to see activity on the expansion of FM 1378. We will soon be holding a ground breaking ceremony for our new City Hall, Public Library and Recreation Center . Additionally in the coming month’s we will be continuing with our neighborhood revitalization program in some of our older parts of town. It is truly an exciting time to be in Wylie , Texas .
Please mark you calendars for our first Wylie Town Hall on August 11, 2008 at the Bart Peddicord Community Center at 7:00 pm. More details will be forthcoming about this event. We had hoped to schedule this sooner but with all the Summer vacations, we had to hold off until August.
Also in the planning stages is a meeting with our Home Owners Associations to get feedback from them on issues, concerns and ideas within their neighborhoods; and the Mayor’s Quarterly Breakfast. This breakfast will serve as an informal meeting with 15 to 20 citizens to come in and visit with the Mayor and staff on a quarterly basis. Citizens will be randomly selected to attend from our list of people who receive the eWylie Newsletter.
And, check out my updated web site with information about the office of the Mayor and upcoming events at www.erichogue.net
I believe in Wylie and my goal is to promote and grow our city in a positive way. When our citizens think of Wylie, I want them to think, “It’s good to be home.”
Until next time, may God bless the great city of Wylie , Texas as we continue to grow forward!
Your Mayor,
Eric Hogue
Rick and Alicia White are special citizens of Wylie, Texas. They are a unique couple that spend vast amounts of personal time and money helping and contributing to the world class Wylie Fire Department. They are always found on a fire scene early, documenting the events not just for themselves and Wylie citizens, but for the Wylie Fire Department itself.
Alicia said, “We are privileged to be allowed to get up close and personal on the scene of an incident. We capture scenes no one sees but a few. We see the intimate expressions on faces and the compassion these guys and gals give. But more importantly, we feel that we are part of a unique and loving family. The fire and police departments have let us become an integral part of them.”
Rick and Alicia post many of the photos they take on their website, http://www.wyliephotos.com. Here, one can see just what kind of quality photographs are taken and provided to the Fire Department. One can also get a feel for exactly how early and often they arrive on a scene.
So how does the Fire Department feel about Rick and Alicia? I was able to speak to Fire Chief Randy Corbin about them and not surprisingly, he had only good things to say. “I’ve been here for 18 months now and our arrangement is that Rick and Alicia are reserve members of our Fire Department. They arrive early on a scene, even in the middle of the night and their photographs are timely and professional. They help us with training, investigation and documentation photographs which really help us. ”
Cheif Corbin continued, “Rick is very technical in the communication business and we’ve really been able to tap into his knowledge bank. We’ve turned to him quite often as a technical consultant before and during our planning of an overhaul of our communications systems. Whether he is sharing his knowledge or pointing us to the right contacts to talk further, he has just been so extremely helpful and knowledgeable.”
Rick and Alicia White are special members of this great community and city in which we all live. They put a tremendous amount of time and effort to be of service to the community and the departments that make Wylie special. Wylie is lucky to have such fantastic and involved people living within it’s limits.
I hope Wylie Today can continue to bring readers some of the fantastic photographs or as some might say, “works of art”, that Rick and Alicia White produce.
Photos © 2008 Rick and Alicia White - click images for larger photos