Mayor’s Column

OCTOBER 2015

With its cooler temperatures and sunny days, Fall is a great season to live in Heath. Our location on the Eastern shore of Lake Ray Hubbard and exceptional recreational options are among the many reasons our City perennially ranks high on D Magazine’s list of  Best Suburbs and was recently ranked the top D/FW community with a population under 10,000 by local.niche.com.

Buffalo Golf Creek Club

We are fortunate to have so many options in our own backyard, including the award-winning Buffalo Golf Creek Club. Consistently ranked among the top public courses in the Dallas area and in the State of Texas, Buffalo Creek offers a beautiful setting for all golfers, from the novice to the professional. This beautiful course was designed around its natural terrain by course architects Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, so you can enjoy a great round of golf with beautiful scenery. More information is available at www.americangolf.com/buffalo-creek-golf-club.

Rush Creek Yacht Club

How many communities are home to a Gold Medal Olympic sailor? That would be Heath resident and RCYC member, Paul Foerster, who will be inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in October for his significant contributions to the sport of sailing. Paul is a testament to the high level sailing that you can find at RCYC. Whether competing against other sailors in a regatta, or relaxing on the deck enjoying a cool drink, delicious meal and views of the lake, swimming pool and kids romping in the playground, it’s a great atmosphere that fully evokes the charm of lakeside living. Founded in 1969, Rush Creek Yacht Club has become a landmark for yacht racing in the Southwest.  The club offers organized competition for all ages and skill levels and a Junior Sailing Program. Learn more at www.rcyc.org.

Parks

Our City Park Board was organized in 1996, and has actively pursued developing parks which contribute to our recreational lifestyle in Heath.

Terry Park – If you want to take advantage of Lake Ray Hubbard, Terry Park offers a boat ramp and courtesy docks that have been open all summer, thanks to the abundant rain we received this spring. Visitors to the park are also able to enjoy the pavilion, playground, walking trail and large grassy area that’s perfect for flinging a Frisbee. The park has been the setting for many scenic weddings, reunions and parties.  You won’t find a better setting to enjoy a gorgeous Texas Fall sunset than watching it over the lake.

Towne Center Park – At the center of Heath is the appropriately named Towne Center Park. This is a hub of activity that bustles year-round with kids enjoying the playground, walkers and runners lapping the 1.6-mile trail, and sports teams practicing for the next big game on the baseball/softball, soccer and football fields. There’s also a pavilion that can be reserved and restroom facilities.

Hike and Bike Trails

The vision behind Heath’s comprehensive trail plan is to ultimately have a community that is fully linked by hike and bike trails such as those now available in Towne Center and Terry Parks and in many of our neighborhoods. Each year we move closer to achieving this goal, and trails lapping the Towne Center Park now tie into additional miles of trails running throughout the City. A big boost to our trail system came with the Safe Routes to School grant the City received. The grant, along with additional funding from our current Capital Improvement Plan, enabled us to add four new trail connections to our elementary, middle and high schools.

The first and second phases of the FM 740 widening project bring an additional 4.1 miles of sidewalks/bike paths into our system, and we will continue to work with developers to ensure that new neighborhood developments support our trail expansion goals.

View all the trails in our Hike & Bike Heath interactive map.

Civic Events

Part of what makes Heath a special place to live and work is our community’s warm, friendly, hometown spirit. Nowhere is this more evident than the times when friends and neighbors gather at the Special Events hosted by the City throughout the year in Towne Center Park.

These gatherings include Holiday in the Park on December 4; Fun & Fit in the Park featuring the Heart of Heath 5k and Family Run on Easter Saturday; and our annual Independence Day Parade and Patriotic Celebration in the Park on July 4.

These events have had a major impact on our City through the years as they have helped to build the sense of community that is so important to everyone living in Heath.  I want to say a special thank you to our Special Events Boards past and present who work diligently throughout the year to make these events a reality for everyone in Heath.

Golfing, fishing, sailing, water skiing, jet skiing, kite surfing, wind surfing, biking, jogging, tennis…or just watching a sunset over Lake Ray Hubbard with a picnic supper at Terry Park. You can do it all, here in Heath.  It’s no wonder that Heath is among the cities around the state to have been named a Scenic City.

My hope is that you will take time this Fall to enjoy these amenities and other great recreational activities, and join us for the community events hosted throughout the year.  You can find more details on our special events page, follow the City on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or call City Hall at 972-771-6228.

Enjoy Autumn in Heath!

Mayor Lorne Liechty.