Screens: Are They Just for Keeping Bugs Out?

by Lisa Parelli-Monaghan

There are certain geographic areas in the U.S. where screens are not needed to keep bugs out but Texas is definitely not one of them! And, if you have spent any time in Europe you rarely see window screens on windows! Europeans will say they don’t mind the bugs... Yikes!

Window screens are primarily intended to create airflow of windows and protect against insects flying or crawling into to your home. Although people may think they guard against intruders or children falling out, that is not the intent of screens.

Over the years, screens have actually evolved and now offer more than insect defense. The most common types of window screens include aluminum-coated fiberglass screens, vinyl-coated fiberglass screens, and aluminum window screens. There are also bronze, copper, brass, and stainless steel screens. Fiberglass screens are typically the most popular screen material because it doesn’t rust or stain but it does stretch and tears easily. Aluminum screens are more rugged but they do crease easier.

In Texas, solar screens are very popular as they help reflect sunlight and heat away from your home. Solar screens reduce air conditioner load and reduce sun damage on furnishings and carpet. In trade, you give up 30 or 40% light. There are products available that even offer 90% shading. You can usually identify solar screens on homes as they are a tightly woven material that appear almost opaque from the outside. The screens do allow you to see from the inside. Solar screens are used for both window and door screens as well as patio enclosures.

Today, interior solar screens have become very popular instead of wood blinds and other window treatments. These screens offer a very clean and stylish look. They are fully retractable when open and can even provide total black out if desired. You can also adjust them to allow as much or as little light in at a time. Interior solar screens are also available in many designer color options.

And finally, we must not forget our furry friends. Pet resistant screening fabric made from heavy duty vinyl coated polyester is available. This material is heavier than normal screening and much stronger. It helps prevent your dog or cat from easily shredding as they would a normal screen.

So, screens are not just for bugs! Just like many products, they all have a specific use and purpose!

Neighborhood Network Services

Many people know The Wolfe Team from their realty company that has been in Canyon Creek for years. But in 1997, Sandy launched a networking group that is going strong today. Each month, this group gets together to share leads, stories and talk about our neighborhood. Canyon Creek Life has been part of this group for over a year now and the friendships that have been built are strong. Learn more about Neighborhood Network Services below. ends August 31st of every year.

What is your name and the name of your business? Sandy and Jeff Wolfe. The name of the business is Neighborhood Network Services.

How long have you been in business? Clients, friends, and other realtors were

The group was formed in 1997.

Tell us about your business (what do you do, where do you do it, etc). It is a networking and referral group of exchange business information, ideas, and support. Membership is by invitation only and limited to one vendor per industry or category. We meet at Canyon Creek Country Club on the third Wednesday of each month for a breakfast meeting. At this meeting, we share referrals that have been given or received, have a program by a member and discuss any work-related issues to see how other members might be able to help. The membership term begins September 1st and

What inspired you to do what you do? approximately 30 different businesses that

asking for business referrals, so we put together the networking group now called NNS (Neighborhood Network Services).

Tells us a favorite story or two about your business. I’ve been a member of Neighborhood Network Services for 11 years! When I joined, I didn’t have a real need to “network”, but just wanted to meet more people in the neighborhood. After a few meetings, it was clear to me that this group

would become my friends, not just acquaintances. The bonus would be all of the fine services that each member company provides. Over the years, I have hired almost every company that was ever in the networking group! And the results were always superior! How many times did you need a realtor, or a mover, or a landscape designer/

contractor and dread the beating of having to research several firms before just hiring one of them because you gave up? With this group, the decisions are always easy AND correct! What a fantastic group of people!

Testimony of Roger W. Burns (RWB | Consulting | CFO)

“I have been a member of the Canyon Creek Neighborhood referral group for quite a few years. I have used many of the services offered and referred many more. Without exception, the service and products have been excellent and the owners of the businesses a pleasure to deal with. This alone makes participating in the group worthwhile. However, in addition, my business has benefited tremendously with sales that would never have come to us except through the group. Premier Diamonds only gets clients through referrals so the loyalty of the group and the quality of the clients it sends has been paramount. I have been blessed, personally and my business professionally, by being associated with Sandy Wolfe and the network association.”

Testimony of Andy Feist Premier Diamonds

Share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek. We have had held golf tournaments in the past for network members at Canyon Creek Country Club to help everyone get out of the “business” mode and to have some fun getting to know one another in a different environment. Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about your business or you? Networking is a wonderful way to add value to your business. It can enable you to build an additional sales force that gives you high-quality referrals. Our members are optimistic, positive, and great morale boosters for each other. When a member provides a referral, we can trust that the client or customer will be well taken care of by that member. We know that there are larger networking groups out there, but some of them have different agendas and criteria for their membership. Our networking group, NNS, is one of a kind. The NNS pledge is: “All members have individually signed an agreement to provide quality service and products to homeowners for fair prices. These reliable service providers will work professionally to earn your return business and referrals.”

THE NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK

BLOOMING VISTAS BUG ZONE, INC CANYON CREEK ALLSTATE CHICAGO TITLE CONSERVA IRRIGATION DFW ELECTRIC GROUP, LLC ETCHUS FAIR LEASE AUTOMOTIVE FULL HOUSE MOVING HARRIETT MARTIN ESTATE SALES HOBERT POOLS HYPERLOCAL MEDIA SOLUTIONS KELLER WILLIAMS CENTRAL 75 - THE WOLFE TEAM KM PHOTO STUDIO PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION PRAGER & MILLER, P.C. PREMIER DIAMONDS, INC. PRIME IT DFW PRIME LENDING - THE RASKIN TEAM RESOLUTION AUDIO VIDEO RICHARDSON WASH AND STAIN RONALD J. POFF, PC – Ronald J. Po_, CPA and Brian A. Po_, CPA RWB CONSULTING CFO S&S TREE SERVICE SHERRELL AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING, INC SWEET FIREFLY TEXAS BANK AND TRUST THE UPS STORE CANYON CREEK WATSON FAMILY DENTISTRY WELLS FARGO ADVISORS, LLC YOGA CHIKITSA

Athlete of the Month Jake Hodge

Tell us your name, what school you currently attend (or recently attended), and what year you are in school. My nameis Jake Hodge. I graduated 6th grade from Prairie Creek Elementary and starting 7th grade at North Junior High on August.

What other schools have you attended? Prairie Creek Elementary from Kindergarten through 6th.

Tell us what sports or activities you were involved in and why you enjoy it. I have played tennis since I was 3. I like serving the ball in tennis. I also like playing doubles on my Junior Team Tennis team. I like to play basketball and football. I plan to play both at North JH. I enjoy playing on a team. In basketball, I like to dribble the ball down the court and pass it to a teammate or shoot. In football I like to figure out ways to get down the field and catch the ball.

Tell us your honors and awards in school. I was awarded the presidents award for educational achievement in 6th grade. I also served on the “Tech Team” for 3 years. I helped set up the technology for all of the students at PCE every day of the week What’s your favorite subject in school (your sport doesn’t count!)? My favorite subject in school is Science, because you get to do experiments and work in groups. Tell us about your plans after graduation. After I graduate, I want to go to college and try to continue to play sports. I might also like to take some classes so I can scout professional athletes or help manage a team. work, etc.? Outside of school and sports, I like to hang out with my friends. I like to be outside. I like to fish, ride my bike, and go to restaurants. How long have you lived in Canyon Creek? 9 years

What do you love most about living in Canyon Creek? What I love most about living in canyon creek is hanging out with my friends. I like that I can meet all of my friends on my bike and ride around the neighborhood.

Tells us a favorite story or two about a big moment or fun moment playing your sport. I loved winning my first tournament last year at Hackberry. It felt very good, because I had played in about 10 tournaments before I won in the finals. I also had a great time when my CCCC Junior Team Tennis team played in Sectionals at Newks in New Braunfels. We placed 2nd in our division.

Share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek. About 7 years ago our cat Lili went down into the storm drain in front of our house. My Mom called the fire department to help. The fire truck was cool, but I think all the noise scared our cat even more. My mom and my neighbor Elizabeth went down in the storm drain to try and get her. She ended up spending the night in the storm drain and then just jumped out in the morning.

Anything else you would love for your neighbors to know about you I have a twin sister who plays tennis too. It’s fun to play with her. I also have a cousin who was born on the same day as Mimi and me.

Outside of schools and sports, what do you do for fun, hobbies, My family calls us the triplets.

Family of the Month

Aldridge meet the Family

by Jessica Wedge

When you think of quarantine, most people have been doing the same things: working from home, spending time with family, and lots and lots of organizing and cleaning. This hasn’t been any different for Bart and Deborah Aldridge, who have been spending their past few months “Marie Kondo-ing” their house and organizing boxes of old family video footage, dating back to the early 1900s. It’s given them a lot of time to reflect back on their own journey to present day.

In 1968, Bart and his family became some of the first residents of Canyon Creek when they built and moved into their home. Bart was in the first class to start at Prairie Creek Elementary when it opened in 1969 and he stayed in the Richardson school district until graduating from J.J. Pearce High School in 1981. Thirty two years later his four children would all follow the same path: graduating from the same high school, attending the same schools, growing up in the same neighborhood and, for part of their lives, in the same exact house.

Bart and Deborah met in 1991 at church and got married in 1994. When they were looking for a house to move into, Bart was dead set on moving back into Canyon Creek but Deborah was more hesitant. “He knew the neighborhood was special. He knew it was! He knew we needed to buy here and I’m so glad we did. It’s like a ‘Leave It To Beaver’ neighborhood. Our neighbors...they know us, they love us, we know them and we love them. And your kids...they can’t get away with anything!” Deborah joked, and I laughed in agreement. “But it’s a good thing! Because we watch out for each other, it’s so special.”

Bart graduated from Austin College and earned his MBA from TCU. He spent 32 years as an investment banker and commercial banker and currently work for Texas Bank & Trust. Debbie graduated from UTD in accounting, earned her CPA license, and spent

10 years in accounting and serving as a federal bank examiner with the U.S. Treasury Department. She is now self-employed as a photographer where she specializes in senior portraits, bridal and engagement portraits, and maternity portraits.

After happily moving into the neighborhood, they raised four children Evelyn (25), Libby (24), Philip (21), and John (19). Evelyn lives in Dallas, but works in Richardson and spends time with her college sweetheart and her lovable French Bulldog, Fletcher. Libby, recently a successful COVID bride, lives in Austin with her new husband and is pursuing her love of music while working with a Nashville-based artist development company. Philip is working fullPhotos courtesy time, enjoying his free time with his friends and of Jessica Wedge girlfriend, and is looking forward to continuing his education once the world returns to normalcy. Their youngest son, John, and many of his friends have been spending their summer days in the backyard playing basketball and turning the garage into “John’s Gym”.

Now, if you’ve been lucky enough to live in the neighborhood since 1970something, you might remember “The Basketball House”. Living in the house was “The Coach” - a boys and girls youth basketball coach who had a good size backyard with a basketball hoop. The backyard was always open and inviting for any kid in the neighborhood to come by and play basketball. He would turn on the lights when it got dark and keep them on for as long as the kids were there, sometimes as late as one in the morning, and let them all just play. “The Basketball House” is now the Aldridge’s home because “The Coach" was Bart’s father. “It’s all come full circle,” Deborah pridefully explains,

Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Reiter Photography

“...now that we’re back at his parent’s house there’s a lot of good mojo here. It’s just precious to see these young boys, or whoever!, playing basketball out here like Bart did when he was growing up. It just feels good. It feels good for the space to be used.” While they’ve enjoyed being able to have their children in and out of the home, Bart and Deborah are missing the days of going out and socializing with friends at Two Creeks. Which poses the question: what was Canyon Creek like before Two Creeks?

Long before our beloved Shady’s and Frankie’s (now Dos Arroyos!), the Two Creeks area was busy in a different way. “Growing up, eating out was a treat. Back in the late 60s and 70s, around here, there weren’t many restaurants.” Bart explained. When the center first opened up it was occupied by Tom Thumb, Page Drug Store, Wheeler Dealer Bicycle Shop, Mr. M’s Food Store, Bonanza, an old Plitt Theatre and a gas station on the corner. “All that stuff was up there and we spent a lot of time up there. But all that deteriorated in the next 30 years. I was pretty impressed with how they converted it...we love it and it’s really nice,” Bart said right before Deborah exclaimed, “I do miss TC Shaved Ice though!” Don’t we all?

“It has been hard watching the homes I saw constructed 50 plus years ago now be torn down and re-developed,” Bart said when I asked about other changes he’s seen in the neighborhood. But, not all change is bad. Some of the changes, like the neighborhood Facebook page and even this magazine, has brought all of us closer together. “…Watching the neighborhood transition from six-degrees of separation in the 1960s to two…” he mentions, “It’s amazing how many new arrivals into the neighborhood are related to someone already in the neighborhood or who grew up in the Richardson area.” Bart and Deborah then, giving an example, went on pointing and explaining all of their own family members and close childhood friends who live “…over there and down that way…” in the neighborhood.

“When it's all said and done, family is the most important thing in the world.” Deborah tells me, after reflecting on the craziness of COVID and the trip down Memory Lane: Canyon Creek. Spending more time with their adult kids, cooking more meals at home, taking secluded family trips and learning all of life’s lessons together as a family is a perfectly fine way for them to spend their quarantine. Their dog, a black lab named Charlie, does tend to escape from time to time, but that just adds to the constant excitement around their home. If you see him out and about take it as an opportunity to give them a call, their number is on his collar! You won’t want to miss out on the joy that comes from talking to them.

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