A resident of Maxwell Creek found a black male dog on Monday, August 11. The dog was found wearing a dark red collar. Attached to the collar was part of the dogʼs blue tie-out line which had apparently broken.
 
The dog is medium-sized with a very bushy black and brown tail. He has a small amount of gray hair on his chin. The dog was extremely friendly and was transported to the Murphy Animal Shelter on Murphy Road.
 
If you have any information about owners of the dog, please contact Animal Control Officer Sandra Potter at 972-468-4226. 

A backyard cookout for Mayor Bret Baldwin, Councilman Mike Daniel and council candidate John Daugherty was held at the home of Cary and Anna Walker on Saturday, April 26th.

This event was supported by their neighbors Don and Jasmine Bayliss and Kris and Vicki Holt.

As their invitation states, these are the candidates they believe "are making some positive changes in our city."

Mayor Baldwin is seeking re-election. Councilman Mike Daniel is seeking re-election for Place 5 and John Daugherty is running for Place 3.

The event gave 90 of their friends and neighbors the opportunity to meet the candidates. The kids were entertained with a variety of activities while the candidates listened to residents, answered questions, and showed off their volleyball skills (or lack of!).

       Photos by Sarah Toth































Photo by Brad Tate




Photo by the Lytle Family
From the left are:  Grayson (10 months), Darby (11), and Avery (3) and on the right are Jordan (12), and Keyton (5) Lytle




                                                     From the Ericsons in Windy Hill Farms















Photos by Kassi Roosth

Murphy, TX., 3-March-2008 09:00 AM  

Murphy for Obama ’08 today announced that they will hold a watch party for those living in Murphy, Parker, Wylie, Sachse, Garland, Allen, and Plano on March 4th starting at 7:45 p.m. This event will be held at Amado’s Mexican Cantina, 158 West FM 544 #136, Murphy, Texas 75094 (972) 578-5600.  If you would like to attend, please RSVP to:
Kim Tolbert at
bizor3@verizon.com
or
Veronica Lacy at
lacy4@tx.rr.com 

Public Hearing from Bond Task Force
Thursday, January  31, 2008
7:00  p.m.
Sockwell Center  
                 6301 Chapel Hill  Blvd
                 Plano, TX   75093


On January 31, the PISD bond committee will hold a public hearing. The committee will be reviewing staff recommendations regarding district needs. The May 2008 bond proposal is pivotal to PISD east (affecting Murphy) cluster school construction over the next few years, as the PISD staff has determined that the east side will eventually need another elementary school, middle school, and high school.   

From a Bond Proposal Supporter
 
I know we have all been very patient about the continual postponement of new schools on the east side. There is a new bond proposal which includes the permanent funding of Schell, a  new middle school and high school to relieve overcrowding at Murphy Middle School and Williams High School, respectively.  The remainder of the package relates to technology needs in PISD. Matt Sicking, a Stinson and Murphy parent, has prepared comments on behalf of the eastside parents in support of these new schools and will speak at the January 31st Public Hearing regarding the new bond proposal.

Please click on "Full Story" to see how important your attendance is at this Public Hearing.

FOUND COCKAPOO (?)
Found small male dog (cockapoo/mixed breed of cocker spaniel and poodle) walking north on Murphy Road in between FM 544 and Renner Road on 10/13 about 8 a.m. He is tan in color and has a collar, but no tags. Please call 972-896-9472.  

Boggess Elementary Kicks Off  WATCH D.O.G.S.®    (Dads Of Great Students) Program

Boggess students and fathers and father-figures are invited to attend Dads and Kids’ Pizza Night on Tuesday, September 18th, 6:30 p.m., at the school, to kick off a new innovative father involvement program called WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students). WATCH D.O.G.S.®  is the safe schools initiative of the National Center for Fathering (www.fathers.com). It was created in response to the Jonesboro, AR school shooting in 1998. Since then, the program has spread to more than 500 schools in over 25 states.

Fathers and father-figures are invited to sign up to spend one day this year volunteering, serving as a positive male role model and helping increase a sense of security in the building. During their WATCH D.O.G.S.® day, dads will engage in various activities such as welcoming students during arrival, reading to classes, tutoring small groups of students, having fun at recess, or simply sitting down and connecting with students during lunch. They can share about their careers and experiences . . . the possibilities are endless!

Click on "full story" for more information about this Boggess Elementary program.

The Pros/Cons and the Feasibility of a Tunnel/Overpass/Crossing at the  Murphy Middle School on North Murphy Road

With the impending six-lanes of traffic that will soon pass by the Middle School on North Murphy Road, much discussion has ensued regarding how students and citizens might cross the expanded highway safely. Currently students use the crosswalk, crossing two lanes of traffic and turn lanes with the aid of a signal light and crossing guards/police during morning arrivals and afternoon departures. 

The North Murphy Road expansion will initially begin at or north of Betsy and eventually will connect Allen to FM 544. Council and citizens who are aware of a proposed underpass/overpass at or near the Middle School (now in a research stage), have expressed the Pros and Cons of such construction. Recently we asked Council to share their views, which they did with the exception of  Councilmember Murray Sanderford, and we also asked our website readers if they would like to participate. If you have comments you would like to share, please send them to: Marcia@murphymessenger.com.
  
Submitted by Mayor Bret Baldwin
“I am concerned about the impact widening North Murphy Road will have on our community.  Obviously the road is sorely needed; however, it will create some challenges the community must address.
Murphy Road will become a main thoroughfare (similar to FM544) and the most direct route from here to Allen and McKinney. It will be a heavily travelled road, and the fact that most students live on the opposite side of the road from Murphy Middle School and future high school will greatly add to the traffic and congestion. The roadway will physically divide the city and prevent us from connecting the west side to the linear park, trail system, city complex, football stadium, and future shopping center east of the road."

To read all of the submitted comments, click on "Full Page"  

Submitted by:  Kathleen Lockwood, Murphy Resident



Mr. Sanderford"s Press Release appearing on the Messenger’s website is lacking the facts.  PISD does not bus kids within a 2 mile radius anywhere in PISD, unless they meet the "Fair Guidelines and Procedures".  He is misleading the public in a big way with his article.  

Currently the students are getting free bus service to Murphy Middle School because they meet the unsafe guidelines because there are no sidewalks along Murphy Road.  After the road is widened, there will be sidewalks, which will qualify it as a safe road to school, ending "free" busing.

 Mayor Baldwin is not changing anything already in place, but is giving the kids within the restricted 2 miles a safer way to school!  Mr. Sanderford is either lying for political gain, or HE failed to do the research on the subject, and simply decided to attack the Mayor.  Which is it Mr. Sanderford?  You can find this information on the PISD website under the transportation section.
 
Mr. Mayor, thank you for taking the initiative to get our city funding to help with projects.  As a citizen I appreciate your efforts. 
 
As for Mr. Sanderford wanting to review the application before it was submitted, micro-managing the effort to get funding, and issuing his own press release...did he take that same hard stance when our City Manager and Chief were running a muck in our city bringing in criminals to our streets for a TV show?  I must have missed that press release!
  
Here is the transportation guideline and the "Fair Guidelines and Procedures"  straight from the PISD website: 

The State of Texas defines the parameters in determining whether or not a student is declared eligible for regular education school bus transportation. In general, a student must live 2-miles or more from their assigned school to be eligible for regular education school bus transportation at no additional charge. This is measured from the midpoint of your property to the bus loading area adjacent to the door at your student's assigned school by using the shortest possible distance on public roads.

For students who are not eligible for regular transportation to their assigned school, Plano ISD offers a Fare Busing program on a space available, area available, first come first served basis. The cost is $35 per month per student. Enrollment instructions are listed below.

Important note: There are 14 of our elementary schools and 1 middle school where all students live within 2-miles of the school. Because of this, these schools do not offer home-to-school transportation, including Fare Busing in most cases, for any regular education students. The schools not offering regular education home-to-school transportation are Andrews, Bethany, Christie, Daffron, Davis, Forman, Haun, Hedgcoxe, Hightower, Hughston, Mathews, Meadows, Memorial, Robinson and Thomas.

To read further about PISD transporation guidelines, click on "Full Story."

On June 2nd, Residents of The Ranch and Gables communities held an Ice Cream Social and Safety Awareness Day at the community pool. 


Officer Collins, Officer B. McKinley, and Explorer Michael Palko gave out police stickers and Child ID kits. They fingerprinted children for the neighborhood parents. 



As a result of the event, many residents signed up to participate in Crime Watch.

The residents of The Ranch and Gables appreciate all the Murphy Police Department does to promote safety in our communities and for our city.