Phillip Stachelski @ Denton CVB

‘Tis the season of giving and this year, Denton is giving us a lot to do! Kicking off with the Holiday Lighting Festival on December 2, the whole month will be filled with excitement, holiday cheer, and hopefully more than a few laughs. Here are some great shows and events happening across the city, so make sure you get your tickets before they’re all sold out!

TWU Gymnastics Holiday Spectacular (Dec. 4)
Will somersaults and handsprings bring you Christmas cheer?  Each year the Kitty Magee Arena is decked out for the holidays as the TWU gymnastics team hosts its Intrasquad Holiday Spectacular.  And since the squad’s focus is the giving spirit, admission to the festivities is FREE along with FREE TWU Gymnastics “Pioneer Proud” t-shirts for the first 150 fans to enter the arena.

On Sunday, Dec. 4, the arena will feature holiday décor, Christmas music, and free holiday cookies and drinks (while supplies last).  Since the Jolly Old fellow will be in attendance, don’t miss on an opportunity to get on the “good” list.  Bring a canned good or cash donation for the TWU Food Pantry and the kiddos can get their picture taken with Santa Claus in the arena lobby.  

Christmas Belles at the Campus Theatre (Dec. 9-18)
Featuring an all-star Denton cast, “Christmas Belles” is a wild and wacky ride through one Texas town’s preparations for the Christmas pageant.

The play is centered around the three Futrelle sisters: Frankie (played by Michelle Rose), an expecting mother of her second set of twins, Honey Raye (played by Amber Bryant), the new director of the annual Christmas program at the Tabernacle of the Lamb Church, and Twink (played by Leigh Ann Stadt), who has just been released from jail after setting her ex-boyfriend’s NASCAR collection on fire, leading to the destruction of half a trailer park.

With a jealous rival, a plotting former director, an ailing husband, and a bout of food poisoning threatening the show, Honey Raye must find a way to make the show go on and give Fayro, Texas a Christmas production the little town will never forget!

The Nutcracker: The 23rd annual performance of this Denton tradition at TWU (Dec. 10 & 11)
The Festival Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, first performed in 1988, has become a holiday tradition in Denton and the surrounding areas. Known for its creativity and clarity of story line, this retelling adheres to the long established classical ballet tradition. Mr. Nini’s version of the story - of a little girl, her favorite Christmas gift, toys brought to life, and faraway places - also weaves a thread of magic from the opening musical notes to the final curtain.

The production utilizes a cast of about 200 area dancers, providing them with a professional performance experience that serves as preparation for dance careers.  Even the youngest, at the age of five, benefit from the training their participation brings. On occasion, these young dancers have stolen the show from their fellow, more seasoned cast members and role models. 

The Nutcracker will be  December 10th at 2:30 and 7:30 and December 11th at 2:30 at the Margo Jones Auditorium on the Texas Woman’s University campus.

The Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites in Denton, TX was recognized for three brand awards at Best Western International’s annual North American Convention held recently in Orlando, Fla. The awards were presented in front of more than 2,000 industry peers. The Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites was the only hotel out of more than 2,400 properties in the U.S. and Canada to receive all three designations.

“These awards recognize those Best Western hotels that truly demonstrate the highest levels of quality, service and commitment to the brand,” said P.G. West, board chair of Best Western International’s Board of Directors. “We are very pleased with the Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites’ exceptional performance and commitment to the brand.”

The hotel was honored with the following three awards:
•    M.K. Guertin Award – this prestigious award is bestowed upon those Member properties that have represented the vision of Best Western’s founder and best demonstrated exceptional levels of service, quality, value and commitment to the brand. The hotels must also meet design and customer care standards, as well as other membership requirements, to qualify.
•    Design Champion – this select honor is bestowed upon the Member properties whose design and construction is deemed most impressive by an independent panel of judges, comprised of professional members of the American Society of Interior Designers and the American Institute of Architects.
•    Customer Care Champion – this select honor is bestowed upon those Member properties that demonstrate and best exemplify exceptional levels of service and care. The hotels must also meet design standards and other membership requirements to qualify.
 
Contributing to these awards was the fact that the Best Western Premier Crown Chase in Denton received the Best Western Chairman’s Award for the 3rd straight year, the hotel chain’s highest honor for outstanding quality standards. The Chairman’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels scoring in the top five percent of all 2,400 North American properties in cleanliness and maintenance. The Denton hotel is one of only 28 hotels out of Best Western International’s 2,400 North American properties to have received the perfect inspection score of 1,000 points out of a possible 1,000.
 
“We are extremely proud of our first Best Western Premier hotel located in Denton, Texas. This new construction property offers many of the best accommodations and amenities available in the upscale market. In addition, it is performing in the Top 1% of Best Western for overall cleanliness with a perfect 1000 point score,” said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President of Brand Management and Member Services of Best Western International. “Also, they received our highest honor for customer and community service, based on our founder, the M.K. Guertin Award of Excellence, one of only 11 hotels to receive this award in 2011.”
 
With 74 guestrooms and convenient guest services such as free high-speed internet access, in-room microwaves & refrigerators, ceiling fans, a free hot breakfast, a resort-style pool, a lounge, and 1,781 sq ft of meeting space, the Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites is an ideal place to stay, whether for a relaxing vacation or for an important business meeting. The hotel is located at 2450 Brinker Road, conveniently located on “Hospitality Hill” off of Interstate 35E and is within walking distance of several area restaurants, including On the Border, Red Lobster, Texas Roadhouse, and Olive Garden.
 
About Helm Hotels Group
Best Western Priemier Crown Chase Inn & Suites is owned and operated by Helm Hotels Group, family owned and operated for over 25 years.   Helm Hotels Group also owns hotels in Forney, McKinney, Greenville, and Lufkin. More information about Helm Hotels Group can be found at www.helmhotelsgroup.com.

Denton’s successful annual progress as a designated Main Street was awarded November 2 during the annual statewide downtown revitalization conference.   The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and its Texas Main Street Program (TMSP) presented the award to Denton’s Economic Development Program Administrator Julie Glover, Certified Main Street Manager.  Denton is one of only 28 cities to earn the designation since the Nationally Accredited Main Street Program’s inaugural year in 1999.

“Throughout 2011 we have been celebrating the Texas Main Street Program’s 30 years of progress, having taken our first designated cities in 1981. Recognizing these cities for their efforts in revitalizing their historic downtowns takes on special meaning this year. The programs being acknowledged are large and small from all areas of the state, showing that the Main Street model is appropriate for all kinds of communities with historic downtowns,” said Debra Farst, TMSP state coordinator.

About National Accreditation
Nationally accredited Main Street cities show above average performance in ten categories on an annual report. Selection criteria focus on planning, partnerships, staffing, volunteer effort, preservation ethic, training and program assessment through reporting. For additional information about the national Main Street effort, visit the National Trust Main Street web site at http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/. For more information on the Texas Historical Commission’s Main Street program visit www.thc.state.tx.us.

Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is in the final stages of updating its Long-Range Service Plan to better meet the needs of the Denton community. One of the first steps towards implementing the plan’s near-term recommendations is for the Authority to gain a better understanding of immediate transportation needs and priorities.

To do this, DCTA has released a community-wide survey to gather input on its current services and to identify areas for service improvements. They need your response to the survey in order to effectively serve our community.

“We strive to provide quality services to our community. The input provided over the next six weeks will help DCTA make informed decisions about the allocation of our limited resources to ensure we are serving people in areas and at times when transit is needed the most,” stated Jim Cline, DCTA President.

An English and Spanish version is available online on www.dcta.net or at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DCTA2011communitysurvey.The survey will be available online until the end of the year and the results will be presented to the Board of Directors next spring.