City of Murphy Arbor Day Volunteers Needed

On Saturday, November 5th, the City of Murphy is looking for volunteers to plant trees at Murphy Central Park at 550 North Murphy Road. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. until noon. All volunteers will be provided lunch by In-N-Out Burger at the end of the work session. Also, the first 150 volunteers will receive a T-shirt and ALL volunteers will receive a bulb to plant at home.

Did you know many of the beautiful trees around the Municipal Complex grounds and along the trails have been planted by volunteers? YOU can make a difference! Not only do the trees add beauty but they serve as natural air filters and they supply oxygen to our atmosphere. They also serve as shade for our residents as well as places for our wildlife to flourish.

You may register to volunteer here and all ages are welcome. Any children under the age of 16 need to make sure an adult is in tow:) Be sure to wear closed-toe shoes and bring your own gloves and shovel…if you have one.

If you have any questions about the City of Murphy, contact me at 972-689-8424 so I can help you!

-Dawn Redmond

You’re Invited to Ebby’s FALL BAZAAR!

Join me on Tuesday, October 4th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Ebby Halliday 190’s office in Richardson. We are having a Fall Bazaar with many vendors that you will love!

We will have:

La Foofaraw (Home Decor from downtown Plano)

Gail Fletcher (Clothing/Accessories)

Couture in a Can (Boutique Clothes in an Airstream Trailer)

Nancy Freid (Jewelry/Handbags)

Susan Jones Gifts (Holiday items/Gifts)

Phyllis Hayden (Fun Clothes/Accessories & Dallas Cowboys Attire)

The Gypsy Girls (Jewelry Made Out Of Old Baseballs)

Security Hangers (Hide Valuables In a Hanger)

Get a head start on your holiday shopping or just shop for yourself! Either way, come out and see me. I will be looking for you!

-Dawn Redmond

Murphy businesses are the BEST!

Murphy businesses are the best! A couple of weeks ago, Chi Zeta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, a life-long community service organization that I am member of, shipped 488 pounds of hygiene supplies to help the flood victims in Baton Rouge, LA. We asked local area dentists, Walmart Super Store, Target and hotels to donate to the cause and they all answered the call by contributing hundreds of supplies to our collection.

While my group had a plan for gathering donations, we didn’t anticipate the expense of getting the items to Louisiana. I brought all the heavy boxes to the Murphy UPS Store and then they gave me an unexpected surprise. After finding out what I was doing, Josh, an employee at the UPS Store, told me that he understood the hard work that it takes to organize a donation drive. He had worked for over a month with his church to help displaced families when the tornado hit the Rowlett and Garland areas last December. Guess what he did? He blessed us with a money-saving discount on shipping costs!

I knew Murphy was a great place to live, but I learned something new about the UPS store and Walmart Superstore through this effort. Murphy-ites are fortunate to dwell in a supportive community where our local businesses care.

-Dawn Redmond

Murphy Maize Days Vendor Applications

Murphy Maize Days is an event I attend every year! The food, vendors, music, activities and contest are always so much fun. Plus, I always run into so many friends, neighbors and colleagues. Do you plan on attending this year? Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 24 because to join the fun. Also, if you have a business or non-profit organization and you will like to promote and sell your product, you can obtain a vendor application by clicking on the links below:
Food
Retail or Services
Non-profit
I am always on top of the latest happenings and events in the Murphy area. Contact me for more information or if I can help you with ANY of your REAL ESTATE needs!

-Dawn Redmond
Maxwell Creek Resident

In Need of Backpack Donations!

The Douglass Community Neighborhood Association in Plano is hosting a Youth Empowerment Summit this Sunday and they need your help! They are in desperate needs of backpacks for the 100+ students that are registered for the event. I have volunteered for this event for the past 13 years so it is something that is very dear to my heart!

The Empowerment Youth Summit features workshops about money management, self-esteem and “real life” issues. There is also a shopping boutique where kids can collect jeans, school supplies and backpacks. This is where we need your help!  If you would like to donate backpacks, the Plano drop off locations is:

Telecom Electric
1304 Capital Ave.
Plano, TX 75074
(Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm)

The need for support of the young people is growing…any donations are much appreciated!

Thanks so much, Dawn Redmond

Collin College in Wylie

Collin College is building in Wylie! Across from City Hall on Country Club Road there is 43.68 acres of land that will be used for the facility. They plan to break ground in Wylie within 3 years, building a 415,000 square foot building with a capacity for 7,500 students. “We are very excited to be establishing a new campus in Wylie and to be making higher education more convenient for southeastern Collin County,” said Dr. Bob Collins, who chairs the Collin College Board of Trustees. “Wylie community leaders, including both city and school district, have been great partners in enabling this project to move forward. Without their help, cooperation and persistence we couldn’t have made this possible.”

Collin College delivers a quality education with low tuition. It serves nearly 52,000 credit and continuing education students annually. It also offers more than 100 degrees and certificates. “The only public college in the county, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which serves 3,300 additional students each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Tech University and the University of North Texas.”

I am thrilled this will be coming to our area and excited to watch the building process happen over the next few years. It will be a wonderful addition to our community.

-Dawn Redmond

 

 

Success!

We had a successful Stiletto Walk this past weekend. The Chi Zeta Omega Chapter held it’s 4th annual walk benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association at Breckinridge Park in Richardson. We raised a total of $3,000.00! It was a morning full of high energy with exercise, massages, vendors on hand, information on Alzheimer and healthy snacks. I love serving in our community!

If you are ever interested in participating in any volunteer work around the Murphy/Plano area, feel free to contact me. I can help you find the perfect project to fit your needs!

-Dawn Redmond

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Create a Colorful Garden…Even in this Heat!

Dallas (Zone 8a) gets hot…yet we want a colorful garden. Here is a list of some of my favorite colorful flowers that can handle the heat!

1. Black-Eyed Susans: This native plant is beautiful with the prominent dark centers and yellow flowers. Butterflies love these!
2. Pincushion Flowers: These pastel color flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. They can get almost two feet tall.
3. Autumn Sage: The dark red, purple, lavender and fuchsia colors are beautiful!
4. Homestead Verbena: I love the large purple flower clusters.
 5. Pink Skullcap: Small, red flowers. 6. Blackfoot Daisy: This has small white flowers with yellow centers and needs a well-draining soil.7. New Gold Lantana: This lantana has golden yellow flowers.8. Hibiscus: 10 foot wide plant with bright, scarlet flowers. How could you not love that? 9. Belinda’s Dream: This pink rose required little care.10. Mystic Spires Blue: These blue and long flowers are pretty and also the plant is rarely bothered by pests or disease.

Send me pictures of your garden if you happen to have some of these beautiful flowers in it! I would love to see it!

As always, I am never too busy to handle any of your real estate needs! Happy planting!

-Dawn Redmond

Don’t Mess with Murphy Moms!

I am so proud of the Murphy Moms! A past real estate client of mine, Tammy Leflett, had a package stolen from her porch. Her neighbor obtained a picture of the thief from one of her home security cameras. Once that picture was on the “Moms of Murphy” Facebook page, a private group of over 1,000 Murphy residents, the moms went to work!

About an hour after the package was stolen, another Murphy Mom drove past an accident. She noticed the person and car in the the crash matched the person and car on the “Moms of Murphy” Facebook page. She showed the picture to the police officer who then looked inside his car and guess what? The police officer found packages belonging to at least eight victims in Plano, Murphy and Wylie…and one was Tammy’s! The total value of the stolen goods was around $750.

The Murphy police chief presented certificates of appreciation to the moms. Good job ladies! And remember, “Don’t Mess with Murphy Moms!”

If you want to see the video from Fox4News then click here.

Wait – Do not cut off the red emergency release cord!

I am sure you have heard there have been quite a few attempted break-ins into garages in Murphy lately.  According to Murphy’s Chief of Police, none of them have been successful, though there has been some damage to some garage doors. Murphy is currently investigating and following up on leads.

What are some things you can do to protect yourself and your home?

1. Remove any remote controlled garage door openers from your car. Instead, use a keychain remote opener so it will always be with you…not left in the car.
2. Lock the door that leads from the garage into the house. It should be treated like you would the main front door of the home.
3. Place a peep hole in the door so if you hear a noise in the garage you can see what is going on without having to open the door.
4. If you have windows into the garage, make sure the blinds are closed or the windows are frosted so it is harder for them to see if a car is in the garage or not. No car means no one is home…more likely of a break-in.
5. Add a motion detecting light on either side of the garage door.
6. Keep bushes and trees around the garage door small and low so it is not an easy hiding place.

What should you NOT do? DO NOT CUT OFF THE RED EMERGENCY RELEASE CORD to your garage door.  Some people say it helps prevents burglars from using a coat hanger to dis-engage the garage door opener BUT it also prevents anyone from being able to get out of the garage in the event of an emergency.  Plus, “Federal Law requires emergency release cords to be installed and maintained on all garage door openers.” Some people will use a zip tie in the holes in the trolley but you must use the smallest you can find! Why? So in an emergency if you need to pull the emergency release cord, it will snap the zip tie. It needs to be strong enough to stop a coat hanger or fishing wire from snagging it BUT will break away with a hard pull of the release cord.

Even though Murphy is known as one of the “safest cities in the U.S.” residents should not leave their guard down!  I am proud of all the Murphy residents for informing one another and talking about different situations. I read about it on Facebook’s MOMS OF MURPHY group and if it wasn’t for them I may not have heard that this was happening.

Thanks neighbors!

-Dawn Redmond