Local woman crafts commemorative bears, see story page 1C
Murphy Monitor Volume 13 Issue 7
Murphy, Texas
The official newspaper of the city of Murphy
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Thursday, March 2, 2017
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© Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.
C&S Media Publications
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3 Sections, 14 Pages
Trio of candidates file to run for mayor
By David Jenkins Staff Writer
news@murphymonitor.com The mayoral race is heating up as three candidates have filed for the position to be determined in the May 6 election. The filing period ran from Jan. 18 through Feb. 17. Early voting begins April 24 and runs through May 2. Voters must be registered by April 6 to participate. Scott Bradley, David Brandon
and Bob Mortonson filed for the position currently held by Eric Barna. All terms are for three years. David Brandon, who served on council from 2010-’13, said he is running once again because several prominent members in city government asked him. “They expressed concern for the direction the city was heading and thought that I had the skills, experience and interest to look into making the city stronger and
Scott Bradley
David Brandon
safer for the future,” he said. He pointed out several issues
Bob Mortonson
facing the city, such as road and sidewalk repair, safety concerns
for citizens, and increased upkeep of city facilities, just to name a few. “We need to make sure that we are prepared with plans and monies to responsibly deal with these areas before they are in crisis,” Brandon said. “Many of these were issues I worked on during my previous term as city councilman, and that I look forward to engaging again in the future.” If elected, Brandon said that he plans on gathering informa-
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tion and establishing relationships with staff mixed with his past experience on council, and working with the police and fire departments. “I hope to understand our current positions identifying where problems or growth could occur, and with council and city staff, hope to make and implement plans to keep Murphy independent, responsible, strong See AND page 6A
TxDOT installs crosswalk lights By David Jenkins Staff Writer
news@murphymonitor.com City officials are pleased with TxDOT’s fast response time in regard to much-needed crosswalk lights within the city. Work began Feb. 11 and was completed within a week to install LED lights at the northern and southern crosswalks of Hawthorne and FM 544. “Ordinarily it is inconceivable TxDOT would move that quickly, so I will give credit where credit is due. They were able to get the job done in a timely manner,” Murphy City Manager Castro told city council during the Feb. 21 meeting. Work on the pedestrian ramps at all four corners at the intersection of Hawthorne and FM 544, and removal of striping on the eastern side of the intersection is scheduled for the summer in addition to brighter lighting on the western crossing (FM 544/Murphy Rd). Councilmember Jennifer Berthiaume asked if there was anything the city could do in the meantime to warn citizens not use the eastern crossing. “I don’t want anybody using that, and since it’s going to take TxDOT a while to remove the striping we need something that is going to deter people from
crossing there,” she said. Mayor pro tem Scott Bradley suggested removing the eastern crosswalk signal boxes. According to Castro the city can’t take on a project like that, but he said he would talk to TxDOT. “I would look for them to take the lead on any projects that require signage or modifying the road surface,” he said. Council pushed for the improvements after a 14-yearold boy was hit while crossing with his bike at the intersection as a car was pulling out of the Lowe’s parking lot going east. In other city news, no action was taken on the applications of Winkelmann and Associates, Inc. for specific use permits allowing drive-thru’s for the proposed Andy’s Frozen Custard and Jason’s Deli. Both eateries would be located on the southwest corner of Timber Ridge Drive and 544. The company asked for more time to work on their proposals after Planning and Zoning didn’t sign off on parts of the projects. Council will consider both items in the 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 7 meeting. Staff interviewed four finance director candidates and Castro expects to have a finalist picked within the week. Interim See SAFETY page 6A
David Jenkins/Murphy Monitor
David Bliven and son Lucas show off their catch during the Feb. 25 fourth annual Rainbow Trout Roundup in Murphy. There were 273 youth who participated in the annual event despite the chilly temperature.
Kids reel in prizes, fun times
By David Jenkins Staff Writer
news@murphymonitor.com Young anglers braved the cool weather to cast out their lines in the Feb. 25 fourth annual Rainbow Trout Roundup
at the Murphy City Pond. “The event went good overall, the only thing that kept the early morning fisherman away was the cold weather,” Special Events Coordinator Kayla McFarland said. “Compared to last year, people caught a
lot fish since the weather was a little cooler.” There were 273 people that fished, with 202 signing up early online and 71 signing up on the day of the event. The pre-registered number was up from last year’s total of
183 according to McFarland. Winners in the 0 to 6 year old age division: shortest at 6 1/4 inches went to Phoenix Xayaphanh, longest catch at 12 3/4 inches was Grace Brown, See LOCAL page 6A
Sikhs open up, explain community
By Greg Ford Staff Writer
news@murphymonitor.com
Greg Ford/Murphy Monitor
Sachse resident Gurvinder Singh and his children Tripat Kaur, 7 and Amrik Singh, 8, enjoy a meal at “langar,” during which food is provided to anyone, regardless of beliefs or background.
972-442-5515 972-442-4318 fax news@murphymonitor.com
Murphy Monitor (USPS 023329) is published each Thursday at 110 N. Ballard, Wylie, 75098. Second Class Postage paid at Wylie, 75098. Send address changes P.O. Box 369, Wylie, TX 750980369. 75098. Published by C&S Media, Inc. © Copyright 2017. No reproduction without permission.
Jasvir and Gurvinder Singh live in different cities; Murphy and Sachse, to be precise. Yet, they also are members of a common community, one that exists in large numbers in many parts of the globe, including North Texas, but one that is both not well known and misunderstood. Jasvir and Gurvinder are Sikhs, a nearly 550-year-old religion that had its beginnings in South Asia, but, thanks to emigration from the region and immigration to multiple countries, has spread globally. The first Sikhs came to the United States
In this issue Classifieds . . . . . .3C Life & Style.... .......1C Obituaries......... . . .2C Opinion . . . ... . .. . .5A Sports . . . . . . .. . . . 1B
in 1899 from the Punjab region of India and settled in California. Today, Sikhs reside, worship and work throughout North America, including Harjit Singh Sajjan, Canada’s current defense minister. In Texas, their population has grown, in part due to a lower cost of living that has enticed many to move from states such as California. Many locals, those who live in towns such as Murphy, Sachse, Garland and McKinney, worship at a gurdwara (House of God) in Richardson. It is there that they and fellow Sikhs engage in religious worship, which includes prayers, and reinforced in the tenets of their faith, which focuses, among other things, on equality between men and
Lake Lavon Levels Normal 492
489.69 ft. as of 2/26/17
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
women and service their fellow human beings. The latter includes setting up on a daily basis a “langar,” where anyone, regardless of their beliefs, are allowed to partake in a free meal. The only requirements for everyone entering the gurdwara is they must wear a head cover and remove their shoes and sit on the floor when eating. “We are equal. We have no caste; no differences who you are or what you look like,” Jasvir said. “Anybody can be inspired and join, and anybody can leave.” Much of what Sikhs believe and practice was handed down by the first 10 Gurus, leaders who were considered perfection for
Planning and Zoning meeting coming
The Murphy Planning and Zoning Board will meet 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, March 6 at council chambers. Chambers are located at 206 N. Murphy Rd. For additional information visit www.murphytx.org
Sikhs. The first was Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and the 10th was Guru Granth-Panth, and their knowledge, along with the other eight Gurus, are shared through sabads, which are messages written in “divinely-inspired poetic forms,” and are set to musical measures known a rag. The service portion of the Sikh religion has been demonstrated in many forms throughout history, including military, political and law enforcement realms. Also, recently, many Sikh houses of worship in California offered refuge to those who might need to evacuate due to flooding concerns near the Oroville Dam. See MEMBERS page 6A
City Council meeting upcoming Murphy city council is scheduled to meet 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 7 at council chambers. Chambers are located at 206 N. Murphy Rd. For more information visit www.murphytx.org.