"Autumn ...Why does it seem so inviting?" 🎶
Richardson, Texas October 2019 Vol. 4 No. 29
ANNUAL
All Members Meeting
If you are a member you are invited to join us at 271 N Walton St for our annual All Members Meeting. HTNA will provide the BBQ meats. All members can bring a side dish or dessert. It will be a great time to meet with neighbors and look at our upcoming goals for the next year and vote on the Board Members' positions. We look forward to seeing you all there.
* If you need to check to see if you have paid for the year please email vicepresident@htna.org.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
4- 6 P.M.
First Presbyterian Church Of Richardson
271 Walton St
Richardson, TX 75081
You can RSVP by clicking the Picture or here.
Our upcoming annual Fall Members Meeting and the election of Board Members on October 12 marks the end of another year for our Association. This is the time to reflect on what’s happened over the year, what we have accomplished and what remains.
Our social events were a hit, certainly very successful and well attended. Such a joy to see so many families and happy children at the Easter Egg Hunt and the July 4 Picnic. The beautification program is truly appreciated….each monthly award is such a thrill for the residents. Our crime watch & crime prevention team is very active. The new trees in our two parks, holiday decorations, and the Wildflower programs do make our area look nicer.
We are in constant touch with the Police and truly appreciate the enhanced patrols approved by Chief Spivey and Assistant Chief Dr. Pewitt. This has helped reduce traffic violations, kept big trucks off Grove road; this is, however, a continuing effort and we will be seeking help from our Police on a regular basis. We were fortunate to get Dart to cease operations on Grove Road ……no easy accomplishment.
We ensure that the City monitors the traffic counts on Grove and Abrams and complies with our agreement of no more than 7800 vehicles per day on Grove.
These are just some of the benefits we as an all-volunteer team accomplish for our neighborhood.
We met with our City officials and City Council Members on a regular basis to communicate and prioritize issues that are important to our neighborhood and to provide our input for the new City plans that impact our area. We are very appreciative of the funds allocated to our area especially for
major repairs to Grove, Spring Valley and soon Abrams Road plus sidewalks and alleys.
Thanks to the dedicated hard work by our association, we make every effort to keep our neighborhood a safe, peaceful, beautiful and friendly place to call home! With your support, we can accomplish more. The City does pay more attention to larger associations. A larger membership does help.
Sadly our membership is growing at a very slow rate and this is concerning. Please help us keep our neighborhood a great place to live by joining and supporting HTNA. It is an honor and a privilege to be your President. Please do attend the Fall Members Meeting on October 12 and reelect our dedicated, hardworking all-volunteer officers for the next year.
- Rahim B. Shaikh
President HTNA
HTNA Sign Toppers Updated
We have had (1) actual donation placed online and (2) neighbors have volunteered to buy the street signs for their street corners. The newest information is a generous donation of $1,500 from IANT and (2) members have bought signs for their street. (These are reflected in the graphic above.)
As stated last month the cost of each sign topper depends on the color and logo which we will need to design and get approved by the city. The best estimate right now is $105 per sign (brackets are included in this cost.) 134 x $105= $14,070. HTNA is designated as a non-profit with the State of Texas; therefore, there will be no tax on the purchase.
As of today, we have had commitments to the following streets for Block Captains:
- 200 Block S. Dorothy
- Grove
- Highland Place
- 500 Block S. Lois Ln
- N. Dorothy
- Frances Way
- E.Tyler St
- E. Fairview
- 600 Block Spring Valley
- 100 Block N. Lois
- Highland Blvd
- Melody
- Pittman St
- Park Ln (Half)
The responsibilities of a Block Captain would be limited and are as follows:
· Reach out to the neighborhood on their block to ask for donations and collect money for the sign toppers.
· Reach out to their neighbors to see if they are willing to donate above their $15 yearly dues to get the sign toppers going- any donations would be kept in a separate fund designated specifically for sign toppers.
· Act as a contact for neighbors to come to with any issues to bring before the Board and possibly be taken before the City Council.
· Deliver Newsletters (once a year) door-to-door on your block -HTNA would provide a t-shirt for identity purposes- (at this time the Newsletter is only sent out electronically due to a limited number of people to deliver to 1,884 homes.)
· Welcome new individuals and families on your block when they move into the neighborhood.
If you would like to become a block captain, we have made a designated sign up on our website at https://www.htna.org/volunteer.
The following blocks are where we currently have Block Captains.:
We did not have a Membership Spotlight for this month… Who would you like to nominate for the Membership Spotlight? Please send us a picture(s) to use and a great story or write up to post in the next newsletter!
Click on any picture to open larger or it will take you to the website for more information.
October 5-6
Cottonwood Park
Sat 10 AM - 7 PM
Sun 10 AM - 5 PM
October 19, 2019
Huffhines Park
10 AM - 6 PM
(Click image for more details.)
October 19-20
Huffhines Park
Sat 10 AM - 6 PM
Sun 10 AM - 5 PM
Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2019
Nextdoor has a Trick-or-Treat Map you can register your house if you want give out candy!
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Congratulations!
October Yard of the Month awarded to 481 Pittman St... Charles McNeese Family!!
Want to nominate someone for yard of the month? Email our Beautification Chair Yasmin below via email.
Thanks, - Yasmin
A note from September Yard of the Month:
"Thank you so much for our YOM award! We really appreciate it!
Our family has lived on Park Place for almost 25 years now and enjoyed every minute. The neighborhood is family-friendly with a lot of animal lovers. Our dogs have been rescued by neighbors when they got out. We appreciate the diversity of retirees and new families starting out. Warm Regards, Cleary Family"
Now is the time to add colorful fall plants for the crisp days ahead! Important garden activities this month include planting fall vegetables, and performing fall fertilization and weed control for your lawn. You’ll also want to divide spring flowering bulbs.
Plant
Fall Vegetables: Yes it’s time! Clean up your vegetable bed and pull any lagging tomato vines. Plant leafy and root vegetables!
Come by the nursery and pick up your copy of Bruce Millers Vegetable planting dates!
Annuals: Petunias, dianthus, snapdragons…plant them in full sun in well-prepared soil to add color or to revive the color in your beds.
Shrubs: This is the BEST time to plant to allow plants the maximum time to establish strong healthy root systems before next summer’s heat. Shrubs can provide color in your beds year round with their foliage.
Perennials: Dig and divide spring flowering perennials; add chrysanthemums, fall asters, Mexican bush sage, and Mexican mint marigolds for a boost of fall color.
Grass: Plant warm season grasses such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Buffalo grass. Water twice a day for the first 2-3 weeks. Remember, grass requires at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day to thrive! Overseed your lawn with rye grass for the winter.
Herbs: Who can resist the smell of rosemary in the air as you brush against it? Plant herbs everywhere: in containers, in your vegetable or flower bed…anywhere they will have ample room to grow and get sufficient sunlight.
Prune
Remove dead limbs and branches from trees. Use pruning sealer to seal cuts on Oaks to prevent the spread of Oak Wilt. Reshape shrubs with a light pruning to remove erratic growth. Avoid shearing whenever possible.
Remove dead growth (flower heads, foliage, stems) from perennials and lanky, spindly stems form annuals such as impatiens, lantana, copper plants and coleus.
Lawns
Apply a good quality pre-emergent (we recommend Fertilome Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper) to prevent both pesky weeds such as crabgrass, broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds.
Treat nutsedge before the end of the month. Follow up with an application of a good quality lawn fertilizer such as Fertilome Southwest Greenmaker, which is formulated for our alkaline soils. Spread dried molasses and humate to complete the feeding of your healthy lawn, or to help revive an ailing one Mow at recommended heights so your grass will not be stressed by the waning summer heat! For healthy lawns, St. Augustine should be mowed at 2-2.5 inches and Bermuda at 1.5 inches.
Fertilize
Feed acid-loving plants such as camellias, azaleas, gardenias, dogwoods and wisterias with a specially formulated acid-loving plant food. You can use a high-nitrogen fertilizer everywhere: Lawn, trees, shrubs, container plants, annuals, perennials; just be sure it doesn’t contain a weed killer. Add water-soluble food to all container plants to keep them blooming. Add iron, zinc or manganese to chlorotic plants (yellow leaves with dark green veins especially on new growth).
You can click on the pictures to open a new page to read it better:
Richardson’s Main Street area will see major changes in the near future as construction work begins on the Main Street Redevelopment/Reinvestment Project.
The community vision for this project is improving Belt Line/Main Street for mobility, aesthetics and functionality. Several infrastructure and public art/open space improvements on Main Street are planned to be completed mid-to-late 2020. In addition, as one of the catalysts for Main Street redevelopment, the city is nearing the completion of the new Public Safety Campus for the police headquarters and fire administration/Station 1.
Details related to the infrastructure project timelines, phasing, staging, traffic impacts, etc. can be found at www.cor.net/mainstreet. Residents and business owners can sign up for Main Street project updates on the website and follow the project on Facebook at @RichardsonRedevelopment.
Senior/Disabled Property Tax Exemption Is Increased
The 2019-20 budget includes an increase of the senior/disabled property tax exemption from $85,000 to $100,000. The increase will result in a total savings of $625 for the average senior/disabled homeowner. The exemption is available to residents over 65 years of age, disabled persons and surviving spouses.
If the tax exemption is already in place, no action is needed on the part of the taxpayer. To apply for tax exemptions, residents
should contact the appraisal district in which their property is located. For property in Dallas County, contact the Dallas Central Appraisal District at 214-631-0910 or at www.dallascad.org. For property in Collin County, contact the Collin Central Appraisal District at 469-742-9200 or at www.collincad.org.
Noteworthy
Electonic Recycling, Documents Shredding Offered Oct. 19
Health and Wellness Expo Set For Oct. 18
Drug Take-Back Event is Oct. 26
Drug Take Back Kiosk
Walgreens #3911
2001 Custer Rd
Plano, TX 75075
972-599-1901
Cross Streets: Park & Custer
Budget Includes Water/Sewer Rate Increases AGAIN
The 2019-20 budget calls for 7.5 percent increases to the City’s water and sewer rates as the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) continues to improve its aging infrastructure while also securing new water supplies to meet the needs of its growing customer base.
The price of water continues to rise as water districts maintain infrastructure, meet new demand and meet increasing regulation, so the rates charged by all districts are expected to continue to increase over the coming years.
Richardson is also undergoing a full assessment of its sanitary sewer system to identify weaknesses in the system, determine the condition and ensure it has the necessary capacity. Aging pipes can develop cracks, which allow additional water to flow into the system, causing capacity issues and potentially overflows.
To find cracks and other entry points into the system, the city is conducting field investigations such as smoke testing and manhole assessments on the entire system.
The increases to the water and sewer rates will be reflected in November water bills. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, an average water and sewer bill will increase $7.90 a month. This is based on usage of 8,000 gallons a month from October through May and 18,000 gallons a month for June through September.
For more information, call Richardson’s Water
and Sewer Customer Service at 972-744-4120.
League of Women Voters To Hold RISD Candidate Forum
. E-mailed questions will be given the same consideration as questions submitted at the event. The questions will be screened according to voterservice@lwvrichardson.orgFor the forum, questions from the audience can be submitted that night or in advance by sending them to
• Vanessa Pacheco
• Eron Linn
The District 2 candidates, in ballot order, are:
Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at L.V. Berkner High School Lecture Hall, 1600 E. Spring Valley Rd., Richardson.The League of Women Voters of Richardson and the Richardson Council of PTAs will co-sponsor a forum for the Richardson ISD candidates of District 2. The forum, open to the public, will be held League of Women Voters of Texas Guidelines. Video of the forum will be available on the League’s website (www.lwvrichardson.org) soon after the forum.
For more information on the Nov. 5 election, visit the League of Women Voters of Richardson’s website at www.lwvrichardson.org.
Unlocked Cars are still the biggest problem in the area.
Please let Richardson police know if there is a break in. They keep information of other issues around town.
Any tip can help!
If you see something, say something and call 9-1-1.
Electronics Accepted as Donations at
Network of Community Ministries
741 S Sherman - Richardson Tx 75081
All plug-in electronics WORKING OR NOT WORKING:
-Cell phones
-Computers (older or newer)
-Microwaves
-Copiers
-Radios
-CD players
-Fans
-Lamps
-Stereos Out of date electronics:
-Cassette plays
-45 RPM record players
Please include all connecting wires, if possible.
We DO NOT TAKE televisions or computer monitors. Otherwise, if in doubt, bring it anyway!
Please deliver your donations to the front door of Network or to the dock door (with slanted ramp) of the Clothing Closet located in the back.
Kent Crenshaw
Special Projects Coordinator
SpecialProjects@thenetwork.org
972 234-8880 Ext. 112
NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES
741 S. Sherman
Richardson Texas 75081
For more information about Network visit www.thenetwork.org
Senior's Net
Senior's Net is a division of The Network of Community Ministries that serves low income seniors and those with limited abilities, and meet the following criteria:
lives in the following zip codes:
75231, 75238, 75240, 75243, 75248, 75251, 75252, 75254, 75042, 75044, 75080, 75081, 75082, 75083Are age 60 years or older or receive disability (SSI, SSDI, RSDI)
Have NO minor children living at home
Monthly income 185% of the Federal Poverty Level
The services we provide are:Food Pantry
Clothing Closet
Loads of Love, Thursdays, 9 to 11:00 a.m.
Home Delivered Groceries for homebound clients
Handyman (if you own your home)
Limited Electric Bill assistance
Information and Referrals
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 to 3:00 P.M.
Call 972-234-8880, ext. 118 or 119
Please leave a message.
Do You Know What Board District You're In?
Starting with the upcoming November 5election, Richardson ISD Trustees are being elected under a new system. In this election, only voters living in specific geographic areas of RISD (called board districts) can vote for candidates running in that district. Candidates are running in board districts 2, 4, and 5.
In May 2020, Board District 3 and at large Place 6 will be on the ballot, and in May 2021, Board District 1 and at large Place 7 will be elected.
While all RISD voters are eligible to elect at large candidates, only residents living within the boundaries of a board district can vote for candidates from that district.
See the RISD Board District Map
Search for your board district by address through Dallas County
Nov. 5 State Constitutional Amendment Election
Early voting for the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 21-Nov. 1
Registered voters living in Dallas County may vote early at Richardson City Hall/Civic Center or at any of the other Dallas County early voting locations. Registered voters living in Collin County may vote early at Methodist Richardson Medical Center or at any of the other Collin County early voting locations.
Below are the dates and times for early voting.
DATE DALLAS COUNTY COLLIN COUNTY
Oct. 21-25 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Oct. 26 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Oct. 27 1-6 p.m. 1-6 p.m.
Oct. 28-30 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Election Day voting will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Richardson City Hall is NOT a voting location on Election Day.
For a sample of the upcoming ballot please click below:
Please submit your application today!! Read below for more information or take a look at our Crime Watch Patrol recruitment video at the following link https://youtu.be/Tk0NfJOUMuY
As Coordinator of the Highland Terrace Crime Watch Patrol, I would like to encourage you to click the link below and fill out the application to attend the next Crime Watch Patrol class which should take place in a couple of months. If you will fill out the application now, it will give RPD the needed to time run the required background check and they will notify you when you next class is set.
Below is a recap prepared by Officer Raul Reyes, our east side Crime Watch Patrol Officer, of activities in our neighborhood over the last three months. If you would like to receive this information weekly via email, you can sign up on the cor.net website.
Please consider joining our CWP Team - we would love to have you!
Mareta Glover - Coordinator
Highland Terrace Crime Watch Patrol
Dallas Cowboys vs. Giants 9/8 - 35-17 WIN
Cowboys @ Redskins 9/15 - 31-21 WIN
Cowboys Vs Dolphins 9/22 - 31- 6 WIN
Cowboys @ Saints 9/29 - 10-12 LOST
3-1
Cowboys Vs Packers 10/6 - 3:25 pm FOX
Cowboys @ Jets 10/13 - 3:25 pm CBS
Cowboys Vs Eagles 10/20- 7:20 NBC
NL Wild Card Game (Tuesday10/1): Brewers at Nationals (8 p.m. ET, TBS)
AL Wild Card Game (Wednesday10/2): Rays at A's (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
NLDS (begins Thursday 10/3)
ALDS (begins Friday 10/4)
For a list of upcoming and new fall TV shows coming out today click the button below. (You will be sent to another site.)
If you'd like to become a member or join the association you can visit us at this link:
Or you may fill out the information below and submit payment by mail with this form and check to:
To print your membership form and mail by cash/check, please click the link below and it will open in a new browser.