Mark Glover, who with Regina Miller-Fierke, has led the effort for a new law allowing laying hens, kicked off the public input with excerpts from a presentation he compiled. Glover keeps his own chickens and has been tending Fierke’s chickens on his larger lot since last summer, when the city required that she move her four chickens off her standard-sized lot on Yale Street.

Flower Mound’s current law allows people to keep chickens only on lots of 1 acre or more. Fierke had kept the chickens for years, without complaints.

Those advocating for a change have proposed a new ordinance that would allow people to keep a small number of hens — but no roosters – on city lots.

Glover noted in his presentation that a generation ago chickens were common in Flower Mound, which has deep agricultural roots. He and about 20 others who spoke in favor of an ordinance allowing a small number of chickens on city lots pointed out that chickens not only provide higher quality eggs, but they also are fun, easy, quiet pets that appeal to children.

“Backyard Chickens are patriotic, wholesome and sustainable”  he said, reading from a copy of a poster from World War II, when the government encouraged people to keep chickens as a way to sustain themselves. “People are trying to get back to that.”

Chickens, several other speakers noted, eat grass, weeds and insects, provide fertilizer and produce eggs that are typically healthier than commercially produced eggs. Some speakers who already have chickens on larger lots spoke in favor of allowing everyone in Flower Mound the right to keep a small flock.

Ms. Fierke read from a proposed ordinance that the group had crafted after researching the issue. It would allow people on residential lots to keep three hens on lots under 6000 square feet, with one additional hen allowed for each additional 2,000 square feet of lot size.  Their suggested law would require that owners provide the chickens a “well maintained predator-resistant coop” and provided with shade and water, and not allowed to run off the property.

Backyard chickens are part of a national trend that parallels growing interest in local food and self-sufficiency, and as some speakers noted, keeping chickens is compatible with growing vegetables because chickens help keep bugs down and supply the fertilizer.

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“It’s a quality of food, quality of life and sustainable and environmental issue for me,” said Michelle Langenberg. “Eggs from backyard chickens are healthier, more humane and better for the environment than big agricultural alternatives.”

Several speakers emphasized that their children benefit, or could benefit, from raising hens.

“They’ve quickly become our favorite pets,” said Rob Paul, whose four young kids help with the family’s flock, which is kept on a larger plot of land in the city.

“I wish I could show you the smiles on my children’s faces as they pick up their favorite chicken to feed it some grass or race to the coop to check for the daily supply of eggs.”

“Our children have learned patience, they’ve learned responsibility, they’ve learned where their food comes from and they’ve learned the ability to enjoy simple things that don’t emit from the screen of an iPod, iPad, an iMac or an iPhone.”

Some children also spoke in favor of keeping chickens. Ms. Fierke’s daughter, Samantha, gave a short presentation “Save the Chickens,” which she made with friends at Old Settlers Elementary. Her chickens, she said, enjoy a good game of “chicken football” when someone tosses them a grub worm, which feeds them and gets rid of a pest.

No one spoke against the practice at Tuesday’s meeting, though some board members said they have heard negative comments from citizens concerned about the smell or noise from backyard chickens.

Those pushing for a revised ordinance said that properly tended chickens do not present an odor issue – and produce less waste than a large dog. Cities across the country allow backyard chickens, and most new laws forbid roosters in urban environments to keep the noise down.

Related: Flower Mound looking for volunteers to monitor water quality

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

2nd place duet: Kaleigh Tower and Natalie Wesche

3rd place trio: Sam Tower, Kelly Hoover

1st place medium ensemble: Lexi Colavecchia, Peyton Lane, Natalee Riepenhoff, Brooke Rose, Bri Stecklein, Madeline West

Officers:

• Sweepstakes and judges’ award- 90 or above in every routine from every judge
• 1st place contemporary
• 1st place hip hop
• Choreography award for hip hop and contemporary
• Technique award for jazz, hip hop and contemporary
• Precision awards for jazz, hip hop and contemporary
• Showmanship awards for jazz, hip hop and contemporary

Team:

• Sweepstakes and judges’ award-90 or above in every routine from every judge
• 1st place in hip hop
• Choreography award for jazz, kick and hip hop
• Technique award for jazz
• Precision award for jazz, kick and hip hop
• Showmanship award for jazz, kick and hip hop

The funeral for Ward will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Village Church in his hometown; a viewing is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Flower Mound Funeral Home. Crisp’s funeral will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Dripping Springs Baptist Church. Read more@
 
 
 
 

The Flower Mound High School Jags put up 159 team points at the Region II Wrestling Championship last weekend at Martin H.S. to claim top honors, outpacing 2nd place Colleyville Heritage by some 60 points. By virtue of finishing in the top four places at their respective weights, six Jaguars will represent FMHS at the UIL State Championship in Austin on February 24-25.

The Jaguars will enter the tournament as the defending State Runners-up. State Qualifiers include:

• 106lbs. Jordan Speckels (Region II Champion)
• 120 lbs. Dillon Akers (Region II Champion)
• 132 lbs. Scott Akers (Region II Champion)
• 145 lbs. Brady Speckels (Region II Runner-up)
• 160 lbs. Drake Dudley (Region II Champion)
• 195 lbs. Tyler Scalzi (Region II 4th place)

Willis was one of 274 students at Ouachita Baptist University amed to the President’s List for the fall 2011 semester. To be named to the President’s List, a student must compile a 4.0 grade point average and be classified as a full-time student, with a minimum of 12 academic hours.