Heath Mayor Lorne Leichty Opens His House For Holiday Home Tour Benefiting Graduating Seniors

Heath Mayor Lorne Liechty is opening his lake front home for the Heath Holday Home Tour on Nov. 30. Want to see inside? Buy a ticket!

It’s a rare opportunity to walk in the shoes of a city’s leader, which is why you definitely shouldn’t pass up this year’s Heath Holiday Home Tour. Mayor Lorne Liechty has opened up his gorgeous lakefront home to anyone who buys a ticket to the Nov. 30 tour benefiting Rockwall Heath High School’s class of 2013.

We’ll be interviewing all of the homeowners for this year’s tour, and Mayor Liechty and his amazing wife, Mary, helped us kick things off:

Candy’s Dirt: Hosting a home tour sometimes requires ample preparation. What did you do to get your home ready?

Lorne: I turned it over to my wife. (CD: Smart man!)

Mary: Lorne and I have done a large holiday party for many years. It is one of our favorite nights of the year. We stuff our house full of honored family, dear friends and great food knowing that with this never-fail combination everyone will have a wonderful time. This year we were honored to be asked to be part of the tour of homes which will have the added benefit of introducing us to a whole new group of people.

As to the preparation, I love to dress the house for Christmas. It is a tradition that I shared with my dad when I was young and was always a special time for us both. I can’t remember a time that getting out boxes of decorations didn’t make me feel loved, appreciated and affirmed. So, I guess you can say that I get to do something I love, enjoy meeting new people, and be blessed while doing it — I’m looking forward to all of it.

Candy’s Dirt: What is the most defining feature about your home? What do you love most?

Lorne: The defining feature of our home is our lot. When we first viewed our property in 1986, we immediately fell in love with the large trees, the spacious area for our children to play, and of course, the lake view. We’ve grown to love sunsets looking over the water more than anything.

Mary: I agree with Lorne, it is a lovely view. I hope that the weather is nice on Nov. 30 so that folks can go out to view it and enjoy.

Candy’s Dirt: Mayor Liechty, what makes Heath especially attractive to people looking to purchase a home? Are there great locations for second homes?

Lorne: Heath has many wonderful characteristics and features, which make it a great place to live. We have great recrational features such as sailing and other water sports, golf, parks and miles of hike and bike trails. We have excellent, high-quality schools both public and private, and we have beautiful residential developments that take advantage of the city’s natural beauty. But, most importantly, we are a community where people care enough to get to know their neighbors and work to make their hometown a better place.

Candy’s Dirt: Why should people purchase a ticket to this year’s home tour?

Lorne: To support the senior class and to get to see some of the many wonderful homes in our city.

Mary: It is always fun to see how people decorate for the holidays. If we can help the Seniors at the same time that is even better. What a wonderful way to start this very special season of the year.

Tickets to this year’s Heath Holiday Home Tour go on sale tomorrow. You can get them for $15 ($20 on the day of the tour) at Rockwall Heath High School, the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce, Bella’s House, Heath Hair, and American National Bank. For more information, contact home tour co-chairs Holly Ford at 972-672-4823 or Liz Beauchamp at 214-543-2723.