By Rhonda Hodge

After several presentations before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council over the past few months, a vote was made to deny the application of Aldi, Inc. a Special Use Permit for a grocery store on property zoned PD District for Retail Uses. The proposed site was on property located on West FM 544, west of North Murphy Road, next to Sonic. Most residents refer to the property as “where the cows are”.  

Before the vote was taken, Mayor Bret Baldwin had convened the Council into Executive Session for consultation with the City Attorney.  Upon reconvening, a public hearing was held, in which there were no comments presented. Neither was there further discussion by the council. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Colleen Halbert made the motion which was seconded by Councilmember Scott Bradley .The motion passed, 7-0.

The Charter Review Commission has completed its six months review of the City’s current charter. They received high praise from City Manager James Fisher as well as Councilmember Halbert. Citing their dedication and attention to detail going line by line on each item to thoroughly discuss and consider possible changes and improvements. The Charter Review Commission consisted of Martin Brenner (Chairman), Jory Denny (Vice Chairman), Greg Alway, Nancy Bartlett, Chuck Dern, Clay Dethloff, Bernard Grant, Barbara Harless, Donald McKinney, J. T. Oden, II, Dennis Richmond, Robert Russell, Betty Spraggins, Kenneth Tatsch, and Walt Thomas. Those present were given an ovation in recognition of their service. Along with the proposed changes, Fisher also submitted drafts of a proposed ethics ordinance and Governance Policy for review and consideration by the Council. He advised that for the charter amendments to be on the November 2010 ballot, the election must be called by August 24. 

The next regular scheduled City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 6 due to the July 4 holiday. It begins at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at the City Hall Complex, 206 N. Murphy Road.

“Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve”, a well known quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been a catalyst for many to serve in many capacities. Murphy resident Kathleen Lockwood was recently looking for a way to serve the community as a volunteer. After looking at various opportunities, she is now able to combine her love for dogs and her compassion for people with disabilities or other special needs by becoming a Team Leader with Canine Assistants. 

The organization is located in Georgia where Kathleen attended a week long training program and was matched up with her service dog, “Woods”.  He is a beautiful, well mannered Golden Retriever/Lab mix who has nearly two years of training including over 60 commands in his repertoire. Her family also has two rescue dogs and Woods was quickly integrated into the home.    

“One of our primary missions is to educate both children and adults about disabilities and the role that service dogs play in society,” says Kathleen. She hopes to increase awareness of the Canine Assistants program by doing presentations at schools, libraries, nursing/assistant living homes and other public events. Some of the tasks that the dogs are trained to perform include turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, pulling wheelchairs, retrieving dropped objects, summoning help and providing secure companionship. One of the most moving moments during her training in Georgia was to hear a young girl say the benefit of having her service dog was that, “He makes my wheelchair disappear!” 

Woods and other service dogs are sponsored by Delta Airlines, Milk-Bone Products and The Epilepsy Foundation. A local veterinarian will donate his services to provide annual examinations and shots. Kathleen and her family provides for the day to day care and food for him. As a Team Leader, she will also host fundraising activities for the non-profit organization. Named “Noah’s Team of Collin County”, volunteers are needed for the Support Team to help raise awareness about service dogs with schools, businesses and civic groups. For more information, contact Kathleen at noahsteamofcollincounty@canineassistants.org.

By Rhonda Hodge

By Rhonda Hodge

Friday, July 18, 2008 started about the same as any other summer day for Mr. Harvey Browning of Greenfield Drive in Murphy. He mowed the lawn early in the morning before the sun was totally unbearable and decided to take his morning jog. Mr. Browning usually takes his normal route through a neighborhood park near the elementary school. 

As his wife Tammy took her morning walk with the dog, she heard the EMS sirens in the background. Upon returning home, she noticed that Harvey had not returned, even though he had left over an hour ago. Considering that he had cut the lawn as well as gone for a jog and the warming temperatures, she decided to go in search of him. Not finding him at the park or along his usual route, Mrs. Browning returned home with concern now setting in and recalled the sounds of the blaring sirens somewhere in the neighborhood.  Before panic could fully take over, she noticed the blinking red light of her answering machine. Three messages since she left the house in search of Harvey! They were from a hospital emergency room in Plano alerting her that her husband had been admitted at 9:15 a.m. and had not regained conscious until forty-five minutes later. Tammy and Harvey’s paths had virtually crossed just minutes before and only a few streets apart in their neighborhood.

When Mrs. Browning recounts the events surrounding this potentially life changing event, their family is most thankful for the Good Samaritan who stopped to render aid when he noticed Harvey collapsed along Heritage Parkway near Betsy Lane. The Good Samaritan, who prefers to remain anonymous, had approached the area with caution since he noticed that several cars before him were tapping on their breaks. However, no one stopped to offer assistance. He did, and placed a life-saving 9-1-1 call to the Murphy EMS and Police Departments. CID (Criminal Investigation Division) Sergeant Snow Robertson was the first to arrive on the scene and administered CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) until the EMS Team arrived, mere minutes later. 

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