1

J. J. Pearce Homeowners

Association Newsletter

February 2017

JJP Dads Deliver with Donuts and Daughter Date Nights

Inside This Issue

Games in the Park? 2

Water Rates 3

New Downtown Richardson 5

Want to be a Firefighter? 5

On Home Security 8

Planning and Vision 9

By Russell McMurtrey, Editor

Did you hear about the mushroom

who walked into a party and asked a

girl to dance? She said “No, are you

kidding, you’re a mushroom!” “But

I’m a FUN GUY!” he replied.

February was a huge month for

dad jokes and events with JJP area

dads. First, the Mohawk PTA host-

ed the annual “Dads and Donuts”

morning social in the Mohawk cafe-

See our New Website and

Membership Portal

teria, Friday, February 3rd before

classes. The next day was the an-

nual “Daddy Daughter Dance” in

the gymnasium featuring lots of

dancing, desserts, and games.

The entertainment with Dad con-

tinued on Feb 10th at the City of

Richardson “Daddy Daughter Val-

entine Ball” at the Civic Center,

which included dinner, dancing, a

professional DJ, special effects, and

special contests. Many daddy-

daughter duos dressed decoratively

to match this year’s theme;

“Sequins and Bowties.”

Ea s t e r Egg Hunt Save the Date!

Saturday, April 15th

Emma Breazeale and super dad Jon Breazeale

attended all three February events

2

President’s Corner

By Jeff Griffin, President

Welcome everyone to winter. It is now

too cold to go outside and play, work in

the yard, or ride a scooter. Just kidding,

for the most part it’s been great weather

and this has made me think about our wonderful park.

For those of you that don’t know, JJP HOA along with

crucial donors, the City of Richardson, RISD, and other

great minds in the community made the park and pavil-

ion next to the Pearce High School volleyball court a

reality. Intrepid visionaries prior to me were able to turn

that eyesore of a parking lot (a.k.a. mud pit) into a great

space to spend some time. It has become a place where

Santa comes in December to listen to wishes and volun-

teers gather in the fall to gather coats for those in need.

That being said our park sits unused many days of the

year. It has accomplished the goal of getting rid of the

eyesore that was the parking lot, and increasing every-

one’s property values, but it could do so much more. I

would like to hear your ideas for what you would like to

see from our park and what events you would like to see

happen there. To get things started I will throw out an

idea I have.

My idea is to make the park into a place where the

community can gather with family and friends, as well

as make new friends. To this end I would like to see a

shed built to hold corn hole boards, croquet sets, giant

jenga blocks, chess sets, and anything else a JJP HOA

member might like to utilize the park for. It’s a fairly

simple idea, but one that I feel could transform the park

and increase its usage.

That is my idea, but I want to hear yours! Please con-

tact me via phone or email and let me know what YOU

envision for the park. It belongs to us all so let’s utilize

it to its maximum potential.

Greenwood Hills Community

Club (GHCC) and JJP HOA are

committed to building the com-

munity we live in. So, for a limited time, GHCC is

offering to pay your $25 JJP HOA annual member-

ship fee for you if you will also become part of

GHCC!

To take advantage of this offer, simple pay your

annual JJP HOA membership fee and then contact

GHCC at https://ourpool.org/contact-us before you

purchase a GHCC Annual Membership. GHCC will

confirm your JJP HOA membership and provide

you a discount offer code of $25 off of the current

membership pricing. It's that easy!

GHCC is fun for everyone from Families to Senior

Adults. Relationships are built here!

3

News From The City

By Joe Russum, 1102 Pueblo

In an annual survey conducted by Center

for Digital Government, a research and

advisory institute for government infor-

mation technology practices, Richardson

was ranked fourth in the nation for its

size category in its use of digital technology in gov-

ernment. Richardson has been at the forefront of

digital city government since installing its first PC in

1987. This was followed by a ground-breaking website

in 1993, which was one of the first of its kind in the U.S.

City of Richardson has placed 10th in the nation

among its peers in the National Night Out award rank-

ings published by the National Association of Town

Watch (NATW) and was one of only three Texas com-

munities with a population between 100,000 to 300,000

to make the top 10. Richardson had over 180 block par-

ties and collected almost 6,500 pounds of can food for

the Network of Community Ministries.

Since Dec. 28, 2016 Richardson residents have been

asked to place trash and recycling out at their normal

collection point for service, but all material that was

collected was being delivered to a regional landfill be-

cause of a fire at Republic Services Plano recycling cen-

ter. Republic has established a revised site that will al-

low them to resume normal recycling service, so normal

recycling has starts again.

Mayors of Garland, Mesquite, Plano and Richardson

are asking the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to con-

duct a review of their water rates with the North Texas

Municipal Water District (NTMWD). Rates set by the

NTMWD under the six-decade old water supply contract

are discriminatory, inconsistent with water conservation

and not in the public interest. The four cities have paid a

total of $178 million for water they did not use. The

cities rates were set prior to the recent drought years and

the successful adoption of water conservation strategies.

It is unlikely the cities will ever again use the minimums

that were set by their greatest annual usage

Representatives of CityLine announced the develop-

ment has installed five outdoor sculptures created by

nationally and world-renowned artists:

“Over the Moon,” was created out of aluminum

tubing, Plexiglas and resin, with a 7½-foot-tall long-

horn steer sitting atop a crescent moon.

“Endless,” is a bronze and resin depiction of an end-

less column of books.

“One of a Kind,” is a bright green ceramic rabbit.

“Retexo,” is a bronze forms suspended in a reflect-

ing pool.

“Whirlwind,” is a clay and bronze piece depicting

two happy, frolicking children.

A new 13-acre park on the east side of the CityLine

development will open in the late summer or early fall

of 2017.

The Junior League of Richardson and Methodist Rich-

ardson Medical Center have immunized 50,000 children

at the Richardson Immunization Clinic, Located at 820

W. Arapaho Rd. The clinic is sponsored by the City of

Richardson Health Department. The Clinic provides

free childhood immunizations to children. To be eligi-

ble for this free clinic, you must be a Richardson resi-

dent or an RISD student, be 18 years old or younger, not

have private health insurance that covers immunizations

and not be enrolled in CHIP. Appointments are required

and may be scheduled by calling 972-744-4076

Curtis Poovey was appointed to serve as the next Fire

Chief of the Richardson Fire Department. Poovey previ-

ously served as an Assistant Chief in the department and

has been a member of the Richardson Fire Department

for nearly 24 years

The annual State of the City was held February 1,

2017 in the Bank of America Theatre at the Eisemann

Center.

4

Development

By Kristen Ceaser, VP of Development

As the days grow warmer and spring is on the horizon,

our neighbors and all Richardson residents continue to

celebrate our dynamic and active community!

Trendy Tea

A new bubble tea chain from Taiwan is making its

Richardson debut this month. Gong Cha will open at

1425 E. Belt Line Rd., in the Richardson Village com-

plex at Plano Rd.

Bubble tea shops have seen a local surge with places

along Greenville Avenue, such as Taiwan Café and

Boba Latte.

Gong Cha has over 1,300 locations worldwide and

they specialize in coffees, slushes, smoothies, yogurt

drinks and an endless variety of teas. A popular favorite

is the “panda drinks,” which are a creative spin incorpo-

rating milk foam and crushed Oreos.

For more information, please visit

www.gongchausa.com.

Murder Mystery

The Richardson Adult Literacy Center is excited to

host a Murder Mystery Evening – a fun, interactive

event where community leaders and professional actors

perform a mystery play – and attendees work in teams to

solve the “crime.”

Tickets are on sale now for this exciting event on Sat-

urday, April 1 with the doors opening at 7:00pm. Tickets

include admission, hor d’oeuvres, desserts and drinks.

For more information on this great night supporting a

wonderful organization, please visit www.ralc.org.

Getting Ready for Warmer Weather

The 2015 Bond Program included funding to renovate

many of the public pool buildings around Richardson

with the primary goals of the project being to…

make facilities ADA compliant

eliminate safety concerns

restore lost functionality

make modest cosmetic improvements

Work began on the public pools in late January and is

expected to be completed in April making them ready

for the upcoming warm weather.

For more information on the Richardson public pools

and their new hours for this summer, please visit

www.cor.net/aquatics.

5

Downtown Richardson

A proposed mixed-use development at the northeast

corner of Central Expressway and Main Street was

unanimously approved by the City Council last month.

The 14.5-acre development will include residential,

commercial and restaurant space.

A highlight of the development focuses on the corner

of Main Street and Interurban Street. In addition to the

15,000 sq. ft. of commercial/retail space, it will have

multi-family units located above the retail space, sur-

rounding private courtyards and a parking garage.

Fit Body Boot Camp

Richardson welcomed Fit Body Boot Camp to the

neighborhood last month at the NorthEast corner of Coit

& Campbell Rd. This indoor boot camp offers a compre-

hensive fitness program where all fitness levels are wel-

come. They offer an exciting new twist on traditional

gyms, as the programming includes unlimited 30-minute

group training sessions, nutrition programming, and

plenty of encouragement and motivation by the staff. To

learn more about Fit Body Boot Camp, please vis-

it www.RichardsonFBBC.com or call 972-855-8938.

Little Hipsters

Fringed tank tops, classic rock t-shirts, stylish ban-

danas and more fill one of the newest storefronts in

Richardson, Hipster Baby. Located at 2701 Custer Park-

way, Suite 714, this store offers all kinds of finds for

children from three months to six years old.

You may have seen their styles at the “Innovation for

Kids” popup or the Chi Omega Christmas Market, but

they opened their first brick and mortar last December.

They specialize in a variety of handmade and designer

children’s clothes.

For more information and store hours, please visit

www.hipsterbaby.com.

Getting Twisty

Twister Street Tacos has made its way to Richardson.

They’ve opened up in the former Mr. Gatti’s located at

300 N. Coit Rd. near Coit and Belt Line.

They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and

weekend brunch – with a full bar and lounge atmosphere

that is intended to evoke the spirit of Puerto Vallarta.

Their owner, Eric Eichelmann, said that Twister Street

is a taco joint that’s “70 percent street tacos,” with the

other being a mix of Tex-Mex and even a rib-eye steak

with caramelized onions and tortillas.

Dreams of being a Firefighter

Richardson Citizen’s Fire Academy is a program de-

signed for persons living or working in the City of Rich-

ardson or RISD area who want to learn more about how

the Richardson Fire Department is organized and oper-

ates.

This 10-week program is open to persons 21 and older

and meets once a week from 6:30-9 with dinner provid-

ed at the Fire Training Center located at 1621 E. Look-

out Drive.

Participants may expect to…

Experience first-hand the duties and responsibilities

of firefighters

Learn about fire prevention and fire investigation

Discover more about special operations, emergency

medical services, and hazardous materials.

For more information or to apply for the upcoming

class, please visit www.cor.net/fire or call 972-744-

5750.

6

T he JJP HOA Park is continuing to evolve

although the construction phase has been completed.

We have additional landscaping, irrigation, and

maintenance needs and now is the time to get this

accomplished. We are asking members of our com-

munity to consider becoming Friends of the Park by

contributing a minimum of $250.00 annually.

Our goal is to have at least 20 members. The

maintenance and continued enhancement of the park

is important to our community. Watch for addition-

al information regarding benefits of joining Friends

of the Park. Contact any board member if you have

an immediate interest.

Friends of the Park

Beautification

By Whit Hyde, VP of Beautification

Looks like winter is wrapping up as we have already

hit nearly 80° in February! Almost time to de-winterize

your lawn equipment or wake up your yard guy. Start

the season with fresh high octane/low ethanol gas for

your equipment.

Looking forward to the many beautiful yards and

blooms on the streets of JJP. YOM will start up again in

April. This year we will have 2 Calloway’s Yard of the

month winners that will each receive $25 of store credit.

Calloway’s Corner

February Lawn & Garden Checklist

Apply weed preemergent as recommended

Use Bonide Crabgrass Preventer with Dimension

for grassy and broadleaf weeds or Bonide Weed

Beater Complete

Granules for pre & post control!

Purchase Caladium Bulbs

Plant or transplant Trees and Shrubs

Spray dandelions (another broadleaf weed) with

Bonide Weed Beater Southern

The Organic Checklist

Corn Gluten Meal has been known to deter weed

seeds from germinating!

Plant Trees and Shrubs using Calloway’s Tree &

Shrub Planting Mix

Apply Soil Mender Lava Sand to beds

Prune Peach and Plum Trees

Information courtesy of Calloway's Nursery

©2016, www.calloways.com.

7

What’s the scoop???

The JJP HOA newsletter is always seeking to

bring you more of the kind of information you want

to read about.

Having our own neighborhood publication is our

opportunity to share with each other the stories and

information that we might not otherwise read about

during our busy lives.

If you live the J. J. Pearce Addition, and have

something you’d like to share, celebrate, or even

advertise, please send me your ideas!

editor@jjphoa.com

Welcome Our New Neighbors!

If you have a new neigh-

bor or know of someone

that is new to the J.J.

Pearce neighborhood

please let us know! The

HOA will be distributing

Welcome Baskets to all

new residents throughout

the year and we need your

help identifying them. Please contact Monica Ciar-

amitaro (1215 Grassmere) with any new resident

info.

lml.pompeo@gmail.com or 517-410-7872

Social Media Pulse

8

Safety

By Wayne Stokes, VP Safety

Home Security Assessment Checklist

A home security assessment is es-

sential to identifying weaknesses in

your physical security that might

provide an easy opportunity for a

crime to occur. This checklist is in-

tended to assist you in identifying

possible weaknesses in and around

your home. While nothing can make your home abso-

lutely “burglar-proof,” these recommendations are in-

tended to create security layers that, if implemented, can

serve to reduce criminal opportunity and make it more

difficult to force entry into your home. You should as-

sess your home’s security from the standpoint of a bur-

glar.

What may or may not attract a burglar to your home?

Is there a Neighborhood Watch on the street? Is there

good visibility in and out that might allow neighbors and

police patrols to see a burglar? Are doors and windows

difficult to defeat? Is there an alarm system in place to

hurry the burglar? Are belongings marked or inventoried

that might result in recovery and/or an arrest after the

fact? What can I do to make my home too risky for bur-

glars?

Use this checklist to check your home for any security

weaknesses. Then, make the necessary changes to

“harden the target.”

https://www.cor.net/modules/showdocument.aspx?

documentid=298

Gas Station Theft Prevention

Recently, there has been increased media coverage

across the country regarding theft at gas stations. The

unique setting allows thieves to catch their victims by

complete surprise — when they are pumping gas or pay-

ing their tab inside the station. Most of the time, gas

station customers leave their car doors unlocked and

items like purses and wallets are often left in plain view.

A thief is able to drive up next to the victim's car, open

an unlocked door, and grab any valuables within reach.

Then, the thief quickly drives off. It happens in a matter

of seconds.

But these thefts can be easily prevented if the appro-

priate precautions are taken.

Pick stations that are well-lit and have video sur-

veillance cameras at the pump.

Always remove your keys and lock the doors while

you are pumping gas.

Keep valuables out of plain view in your vehicle

and lock the doors even if you are going inside for a

moment.

Pay attention to your surroundings.

Don’t let your cell phone distract you.

9

January 24, 2017 Minutes

JJP HOA Dinner, Planning, Board Meeting

On Tuesday January 24, 2017 the JJP HOA annual

dinner, planning, board meeting was held in the private

dining room of the Dinner Plate restaurant 580 W. Arap-

aho Rd. Suite 130 Richardson, Texas. Those in attend-

ance were: Jeff Griffin, Emily McMurtrey, Kristen

Ceaser, Wayne Stokes, Whit Hyde, Greg Immel, Joe

Russum, and Sue Caldwell.

* On January 13, 2017 the Board voted electronically

to unanimously appoint Jeff Griffin President of the J.J.

Pearce Homeowners Association for the remainder of

the term year 2017.

No one was elected JJP HOA President at the Annual

General Meeting held in September 2016 and the posi-

tion has remained vacant. The Board welcomed Jeff as

President and he called the meeting to order at 6:17pm.

He explained the agenda for the planning meeting that

included the Board member’s vision statements, and

committee goals for 2017.

Secretary’s Report: The Board approved the No-

vember 29, 2016 JJP HOA Board meeting minutes.

Permanent Committee Chairmen

Appointed

* The elected officers voted to appoint Emily

McMurtrey Chairman of the Internet Committee and

Russell McMurtrey Chairman of the Newsletter Com-

mittee for the year 2017.

These two positions are voting members of the JJP

HOA Board of Directors and need to be appointed on a

yearly basis.

Planning

Vision Statements

The Board members expressed their visions for JJP

HOA and agreed on several priorities for 2017. First

was “Membership/Volunteers” and increasing HOA

membership to a goal of 80% and emphasizing volun-

teers and their importance. Second were “Block Cap-

tains” and the filling of vacant block positions, clearly

defining their responsibilities, and realizing their full

potential with improved two-way communication. Third

was increasing the number of “Friends of the Park” to

help resolve Park maintenance costs and also to increase

the number of events at the Park to benefit the member-

ship.

Committee Goals and Reports

Safety: Wayne Stokes’ safety position goals are to

provide the membership with timely and useful infor-

mation that promotes safety in the home, neighborhood

and daily lives. He will communicate through the JJP

HOA Newsletter, Nextdoor, Block Captains and the

Membership Group list. His sources include the COR

Website, RPD and RFD web pages and various other

safety information sites. Some goals of his include get-

ting vehicles to travel 20-25 MPH in our neighborhood,

that cars be identified as JJP residents, and to park vehi-

cles on the street only when necessary and facing the

lawful direction, Most important to safety is to get to

know all your neighbors, he said.

Website: Emily McMurtrey’s goal is to br ing the

new JJP HOA website current and easier for everyone to

access, update it and make it more useful and interactive

for the membership and easier for the chairman. It is a

work in progress.

Membership: Emily is rounding out the member -

ship entries to get ready for the transition to the next

Membership VP, which now is a vacant Board position.

She said that membership is currently 58%. She would

like to see the HOA focus internally—to get to know our

membership and what they want and what they value.

She would like everyone to be able to easily sign up for

membership and access information without having to

always go through a Block Captain or Membership VP

person.

Beautification: Whit Hyde’s goal for our HOA is to

add two events at the Park that we are not currently do-

ing. He also would like to add to our “Friends of the

Park” and he is working to reduce the price of Park

(Continued on next page)

10

(Continued from previous page)

maintenance. Yard of the Month, he said, would remain

about the same and be a part of Beautification.

Treasurer: Greg Immel’s vision for the HOA is to

have money in the bank!

As of the end of December 2016, he reported a balance

of $19,010. He said our biggest income resources were

membership dues and advertising and that monies could

increase with additional fund raising and sponsorship.

Development: Kr isten Ceaser repor ted her goal

was to use current channels of communication to keep

our demographically diverse HOA informed about the

COR, schools (Mohawk and J.J. Pearce HS), and busi-

nesses in her monthly newsletter articles. Kristen will

investigate the property behind Sonny Bryan’s and see if

there are any new developments planned in the future

and report back to the Board.

Old Business

Membership Drive Dates: The Board discussed the

pros and cons of changing the marketing campaign push

for the annual membership drive. The current member-

ship drive push is October, November and December of

each year and because it is such a busy time of year to

carry out the campaign, the Board discussed other op-

tions.

* The Board voted to move the marketing campaign

push for the annual membership drive to the months of

January, February, and March time frame for each calen-

dar year.

However, the HOA has always accepted and will con-

tinue to accept dues money anytime during the year.

Board Position Vacancy: Since the J JP HOA

Membership VP Board position was not filled at the

AGM in September 2016, the Board has been actively

searching to fill that vacancy.

* The Board voted unanimously for Brandi Kessels to

be JJP HOA Membership VP for the year 2017.

Brandi held this position previously and will be coor-

dinating the Block Captains during this period of transi-

tion.

The Board is also searching for an event committee

coordinator to head up events.

New Business

CRM Software: J eff suggested the Board explore

in the future Customer Relationship Management free

software such as Sugar CRM and Fork of Sugar CRM.

It would put everything for the HOA in one place and

provide a backup.

Board Meeting Location: The Board discussed

options for a Board meeting place location that would be

a stable semi private permanent location that would be

announced in the newsletter each month. Jeff will re-

search this and get back to the Board.

Promote the Vote: The COR and RISD elections

will be Saturday, May 6, 2017 and the Board discussed

participating in a “Promote the Vote” campaign and

provide free rides for residents to Mohawk to vote. The

Board will look into using a golf cart or classic cars for a

fun free ride to the polls.

Directory: J eff suggested we pr int a hard copy of

the JJP HOA 2017 Directory for our members and sell

advertising in the directory to cover the costs. He wants

the Board to discuss and vote on this at February’s

Board meeting.

Block Captains: Emily repor ted the streets that

still need Block Captains and it was suggested to fill

these vacancies and have a BC get together to meet Jeff

and thank them for volunteering to be BC’s and let them

know what is required of the position.

Budget: Greg Immel discussed money incomes and

disbursements for 2016 and reviewed the pending budg-

et with the Board. It was suggested that the Board look

into storage shed options for the future.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Caldwell, Secretary, JJP HOA

11

Newsletter Advertising

Business ads must be paid for in advance. Checks should be made payable to J. J. Pearce Homeowners Association.

Contact Russell McMurtrey, 1120 Chesterton Dr., Richardson, TX 75080, 214-227-7549 or editor@jjphoa.com

Rates per newsletter, based on 8 ½ X 11" page.

Monthly Rate Yearly Rate

Business card (2 x 3 ½ “) $12.00 $132.00

¼ page $24.00 $264.00

½ page $48.00 $528.00

Full page $85.00 $935.00

Any business ad purchased for a full year receives a free ad in the directory.

Board of Directors and Committee

President Jeff Griffin 972-890-3498 president@jjphoa.com

VP Development Kristen Ceaser 972-207-4511 development@jjphoa.com

VP Safety Wayne Stokes 972-437-4749 safety@jjphoa.com

VP Beautification Whit Hyde 214-478-4295 beautification@jjphoa.com

VP Membership Brandi Kessels 214-693-5022 membership@jjphoa.com

Secretary Susan Caldwell 972-231-0702 secretary@jjphoa.com

Treasurer Greg Immel 972-234-2981 treasurer@jjphoa.com

Editor Russell McMurtrey 214-227-7549 editor@jjphoa.com

Webmaster Emily McMurtrey 972-743-9562 jjphoa@gmail.com

All documents, web pages, photographs, and images are the property of J. J. Pearce Homeowners Association. Permission

in writing is required to copy, download, or use any text, photographs or image files. www.jjphoa.com

March

12 Daylight Savings begins

13-17 RISD Spring Break Holiday

17 St. Patrick’s Day

26 Richardson Community Band—”For Kids of All Ages” (free concert) 3pm @ Civic Center

April

1 Eagle Mustang 5K “It’s No Joke!”

14 Good Friday; RISD Student Holiday

15 JJP HOA Egg Hunt

15 City of Richardson “Trash Bash”

12

J.J. Pearce Homeowners Association

1411 Huntington

Richardson, TX 75080

Next Board Meeting: 7:00 pm, March 28th, at

1221 W Campbell Rd. #141, Richardson, TX 75080

All members are invited to attend the Board Meeting.

Contact a board member if you’d like to attend.