Glen Ridge Estates

Brad and Sarah Irish along with their sons Jack and Conner.
127 Shirehurst. Brad does his own yard work and the rest of the family pitches in as they help keep Glen Ridge looking great!   
 
 



Hunters Landing II and IV

Bobby and Tona Payne at 302 Covington. They have lived at this address for 6 years and have consistently had a well groomed yard.  Congratulations!

The City of Murphy will hold two public hearings on a proposal to increase total tax revenues from properties on the tax roll in the preceding tax year by 6.40 percent (percentage by which proposed tax rate exceeds lower of rollback tax rate or effective tax rate calculated under Chapter 26, Tax Code). Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property and the tax rate that is adopted.

The first public hearing will be held on Monday, August 16, 2010 at 6:00 PM at City of Murphy – Council Chambers, 206 N. Murphy Road, Murphy, Texas 75094.

The second public hearing will be held on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 6:00 PM at City of Murphy – Council Chambers, 206 N. Murphy Road, Murphy, Texas 75094.

The members of the governing body voted on the proposal to consider the tax increase as follows:

FOR: Bret Baldwin, John Daugherty, Colleen Halbert, Dennis Richmond, Scott Bradley, Mike Daniel, Dave Brandon

AGAINST: 0

PRESENT and not Voting: 0

ABSENT: 0

The average taxable value of a residence homestead in City of Murphy last year was $254,144. Based on last year’s tax rate of $0.538405 per $100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed last year on the average home was $1, 368.32.

The average taxable value of a residence homestead in City of Murphy this year is $251,303. If the governing body adopts the effective tax rate for this year of $0.546713 per $100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed this year on the average home would be $1, 373. 91.

If the governing body adopts the proposed tax rate of $0.5817 per $100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed this year on the average home would be $1,461.83.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the hearings and express their views.

Publisher's Note:   This notice was not initally sent to the Messenger by the City of Murphy as most notices/press releases are. Thank you to the reader who alerted us to these Public Hearings. The Messenger does not charge the City of Murphy for printing any Public Service Announcement, Press Release, Notice or other type of information benefitting our readers.

The Murphy Exchange Club holds their meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at Country Burger in Murphy Marketplace, 12 noon to 1 p.m. For the August 10th meeting they will have guest speaker Stacie Martin whom you won't want to miss. Her bio follows:


Stacie Martin, Founding Director, Single Parent Advocate

Stacie is a native and lifetime resident to Dallas, Texas and has spent her 20-year advertising career working as a Television Broadcast Sales Executive and serves as the President Elect of Alliance for Women in Media’s Dallas-Ft. Worth chapter.

 As a student, she graduated with honors and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Texas at Arlington.  De Soto was her hometown, and it is from there that she graduated high school as a Fighting Eagle with academic recognition.  Her family owned meat markets called “Hereford Haven” and her first job was working for her father as a meat wrapper and clerk.   “On the surface, it seems like my life was easy, and normal.  However, beneath the surface our family faced my mother’s depression and addiction to prescription drugs.  Later we faced her untimely death to brain cancer,” she reports.

“In a way, my father was a single parent and he had the help of my grandmothers when I and my two brothers were young.  It was incredible how hard he worked, but he just could not keep it up.  He divorced and remarried my stepmother, who was a single mother.  I have watched them blend our families and face ups and downs together for many years.  We have faced the death and untimely loss of my stepbrother, my mother, my husband (to drugs), my uncle (to aids), and many others.  Through it all, as a family, we have given place to our grief, but chosen to move forward in a positive, productive way despite all we have been faced with.  We see this life as God’s gift and we choose to live fully. “

After her own divorce that was largely influenced by her husband’s addiction to drugs, Stacie has been a single mother to her son for 8 years and is committed to a positive, productive perspective.   She has benefitted from Pathways Lifestyle Management programs, and from her church, Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.  She also attributes much of her growth to family, friends, and industry professionals who have helped her through the years.

As it relates to Single Parent Advocate, Stacie is committed to turning her “mess” into a message of education, empowerment, and hope.  It is a message that we can choose to love when love is not what we have received.  And, that we are whole just as we are, even with a single parent family.

“Single parents are powerful over-comers and resourceful by nature, but depression because of grief or rejection debilitates many.   Fear cripples many as well because they are not aware of the resources that are theirs to use.   Often, single parents face these things alone because they are isolated.  They are isolated because there is not a recognized social network that supports safe socials, discounted entertainment, and other needs on a broad basis. 

Single Parent Advocate will acquaint families with common challenges and provide healthy perspectives, positive choice alternatives, and productive solutions via online and on site education to help them overcome their hurts.  It will be a portal of help resources like food, clothing, and shelter solutions.  It will deliver entertainment ideas and discounts, legal aid, counseling and medical resources to heal homes, hearts, and hands.  Alongside these will be an online social platform and safe social events will be built around creating hope.

It is time for a change.  It is time for us to acknowledge the reality that over 50% of America faces.  It is time for Single Parent Advocate, for all of us.  This is for all of us, especially our children.”

This month recognition for Yard of the Month goes to 932 Brentwood in Hunters Landing II & IV. The HOA selected this yard because of its beautiful curb appeal. The residents work on the yard and are very appreciative of the award. They work on the yard themselves and the HOA thanks them for helping Hunters Landing look beautiful and appealing to anyone who is looking to make the neighborhood their home. Congratulations, you are a fine example to our community.
 
Linda Lockhart HOA President

The July Yard-of-the Month for Maxwell Creek North has been awarded to Greg and Wendy Weaver at 438 Teagarden Court. You are invited to drive by this beautiful yard.

Maxwell Creek North yards are recognized during the growing season from May until September. To enter all you have to do is make your yard one of the most attractive in the neighborhood.

The rewards are a sign of recognition in your yard and a $25.00 gift
certificate from the HOA.

Maxwell Creek HOA
Landscape Committee

LOST:  Nikon digital SLR camera on 6/8/10 around 5:15 pm at the stop sign of Hawthorne and Ridgeview. Please call me at 214-235-8569. $100
reward for the return of the camera. If you would like to keep the camera, please return the memory card in the mail box at 650 Kinney Dr. It has pictures from a religious event which can not be replaced.

“Radio Hams” from  Murphy, Texas  join in national deployment Public Demo of Emergency Communications June 26 – 27 in Murphy, Texas at Murphy Road and Tom Clevenger Drive (north of the fire department).

 Murphy’s “hams” will join with thousands of Amateur Radio operators who will be showing off their emergency capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide.

During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham Radio” - was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property. When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications

 On the weekend of June 26 - 27, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Murphy’s ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical  Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called "Field Day" is the climax of the week long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, "When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year's event.

We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather's radio anymore," said Allen Pitts, W1AGP, of the ARRL. "The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that – it’s fun!”

In the Murphy area, the Murphy’s Law Radio Group will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at Murphy Road and Tom Clevenger Drive north of the fire department  on June 26-27, 2010. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.

There are over 650,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies, all for free. To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org. The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

Saturday, March 27, 2010. Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt, 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Bring Your Easter Egg Basket and a flashlight to hunt eggs.  For kids of all ages.  Free event to the community.  Murphy Road Baptist Church, 411 S. Murphy Road, Murphy, TX.  Located on Murphy Road between FM544 and Renner Road.  For more information visit our website www.murphychurch.com or email children@murphychurch.com or call (972) 424-6026.

Sunday, March 28, 2010. Traditional Easter Egg Hunt, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm. Bring Your Easter Egg Basket.  Free event to the community.  For kids 6th grade and under.  Separate egg hunt area for children 2 and under.  Older kids will get to hunt eggs blindfolded!  Free Lunch provided by Chic Fil A, Bounce Houses & Live Music.  Murphy Road Baptist Church, 411 S. Murphy Road, Murphy, TX.  Located on Murphy Road between FM544 and Renner Road.  For more information visit our website www.murphychurch.com or email children@murphychurch.com or call (972) 424-6026.
 

Sunday, April 4, 2010. Easter Worship Services 
7:11 am Sunrise Service, 8:30 am Traditional Worship with Southern Gospel Band, 9:45 am Family Style Worship, 11:00 am Contemporary Worship with Praise Band.  Children's Church available for 8:30 and 11:00 am services.  Everyone welcome. Murphy Road Baptist Church, 411 S. Murphy Road, Murphy, TX.  Located on Murphy Road between FM544 and Renner Road.  For more information visit our website www.murphychurch.com or email office@murphychurch.com or call (972) 424-6026.
 

On Sunday, November 29th, our neighbors on Seleta Drive in Windy Hill Farms suffered devastating tragedies. The Martin family lost their husband / father and their home that morning. Murphy is a wonderful, close knit community and many requests have been received from friends and neighbors wanting to offer assistance. The family needs Murphyʼs help with the many financial obligations and burdens this has placed on the them.

A fund has been set up at the Bank of America branch on FM544 in Murphy (972-509-7030) and donations can be made to the “ Karen Martin Family Assistance Fund “ at that location. For anyone who does not live in Murphy, you can go to any Bank of America and tell them that a contribution account was set up on December 2, 2009 at the Murphy, Texas branch.

May God bless you and your family and may He bless the Martin family
during the holiday season.