December 2019
Complete Communities
Please scroll below to learn more about what's happening in your community.
Fort Bend Houston
Library Celebration: Tuesday, December 10, the Houston Public library (HPL) celebrated the holidays and 20 years of Stimley-Blue Ridge Neighborhood Library with the Stimley Family!
The celebration was attended by City of Houston, Council Member Castex-Tatum, as well as, Mrs. Ruth Ann Stimley and Daryl Stimley, wife and son of Mr. Sherman Stimley, for whom the library is named. Pictured above, from left to right, is Representative Ron Reynolds, Texas House of Representatives, District 27, Angela Stimley, wife of Daryl Stimley, Daryl Stimley, son of Mr. Sherman E. Stimley, Ruth Ann Stimley, wife of Mr. Sherman E. Stimley, Neeta Sane, Trustee, Houston Community College District VII (Fort Bend & Alief), Grady Prestage, Fort Bend Commissioner Precinct 2,and Constable Daryl L. Smith Sr., Fort Bend County Precinct 2.
Entertainment was provided by talented community performers. A generous donation of books, toys and gifts from Houston Area Urban League, Blue Ridge Lions Club, Angels Blessing People, and The Stimley Family were handed out to children in the community by the Fort Bend County Police, Precinct 2 Constable and Department.
This event is part of the Library’s Living Room Series Programs. For more details visit: www.houstonlibrary.org.
Fort Bend Super Neighborhood Council: Fort Bend Houston Super Neighborhood Council #41 General Monthly Neighborhood Meetings are held every 2nd Thursday of the month at various locations. For more information or if you’re interested in becoming a member, please contact Carl David Evans, President, at 713-787-9950 or email at [email protected].
Gulfton
Annual Christmas Toy Event: On Saturday December 14, District J Council Member Mike Laster, along with the Police and Clergy Team, hosted the 10th Annual Christmas Toy Event. Children ages 2 to 13 years old were selected through the Health Department Women Infants and Children (WIC) program to receive toys.
Gulfton HPD Storefront Re-Grand Opening: On Monday, December 16, Gulfton Citizens Advisory Council hosted a re-grand opening of the HPD Storefront located 6227 South West Freeway.
Super Neighborhood Meeting: Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council meeting is held every 3rd Monday of the month at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Drive, from noon to 1 pm. For more information or if you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the Gulfton Super Neighborhood at [email protected].
Positive Interaction Program (PIP): Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of every month, at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Dr., from 12 to 1 pm. This program holds monthly PIP meetings and features speakers from different Police Department divisions (Burglary and Theft, Homicide, K-9, Helicopters, etc.) to explain how their division operates.
Kashmere Gardens
Community Projects Survey: What types of neighborhood improvements do you think are most important for Kashmere Gardens? Please take the Kashmere Gardens survey to let us know your top priorities and concerns.
Flooding and Resiliency: The third Complete Communities Public Meeting in Kashmere Gardens will focus on flooding and resilience on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 6 p.m. at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center. Representatives from City departments and partner agencies including Harris County Flood Control District, Houston Parks Board, Houston Land Bank , and City of Houston Planning and Development, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Solid Waste Management, Health, and Housing and Community Development, will be in attendance.
Projects and Goals Meeting: The second Kashmere Gardens Complete Communities meeting was held at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood Drive, 77026, on Tuesday, November 12, at 6 p.m. Goals and projects for the community’s action plan were identified based on comments that were collected at the kick-off meeting in September. Residents and representatives from City of Houston departments and agencies reviewed the action items to add more information and identify any missing goals or projects. The topics covered at the meeting were:
-Economy & Jobs
-Health
-Civic Engagement
-Safety
-Flooding & Resilience
-Housing
-Neighborhood Beautification
-Arts & Culture Streets & Bikes
-Public Transit
-Parks & Community
-Amenities Education
Don Sanders Center for Cats and Kittens: On Wednesday, November 20, 2019, the Houston BARC Foundation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Sylvester Turner for the new Don Sanders Center for Cats and Kittens, located at 3300 Carr Street, Houston, TX 77066. BARC’s new state-of-the-art cattery will shelter more than 150 cats and contains kennel and free-roaming spaces. This animal shelter and adoptions center was made possible through a strong collaboration between BARC, the City of Houston, and various donors. Guests at the event included Houston BARC Foundation board members, City Council members, and major donors of BARC. Attendees were treated to a cat-themed performance by Opera in the Heights. Following the opening, BARC offered $1 cat and kitten adoptions on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24. The $1 pet adoption package included spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, a one-year city pet license, and a pre-registered microchip with a lifetime registration.
Correction: We apologize for the inaccurate headline that misidentified the location of the soon-to-be rebuilt Amanda Dixon Library, which is in the Trinity Houston Gardens super neighborhood, not the Kashmere Gardens super neighborhood. We remain excited that this library improvement will benefit the residents of Trinity Houston Gardens, Kashmere Gardens and Fifth Ward.
Magnolia Park-Manchester
Cuenta Con La Posada: Jolt Initiative and Magnolia Park/Pineview Place Civic Club are hosting Cuenta Con La Posada on Friday, December 20, 2019, from 6-8 p.m. at 7305 Navigation Boulevard. Come enjoy this event and learn why participating in the 2020 Census is important for your community! For more information please visit the Cuenta Con La Posada event page.
Hispanic Health Coalition Scholarships: Scholarships are available through the Hispanic Health Coalition for students of Hispanic/Latino heritage obtaining degrees in health profession fields. To apply, visit their website here.
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Near Northside
Butterfly Pocket Park Groundbreaking Ceremony: A groundbreaking ceremony for the soon-to-be Fulton Butterfly Pocket Park was held at the development site (2606 Fulton Street, Houston, TX 77009) on November 25, 2019. Speakers at the event included Avenue CDC Executive Director Mary Lawler, Greater Northside Management District Executive Director Rebecca Reyna, Council Member Karla Cisneros, and Precinct 2 Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia. This property will be home to various native plants, a butterfly sculpture, and caterpillar benches. The pocket park was a key element identified through a series of community design workshops in 2016 by Avenue CDC with support from Open Architecture Houston, Greater Northside Management District, Asakura Robinson, and the Houston Parks Department.
Near Northside residents reiterated their desire to “complete the Fulton green space and butterfly garden” in the Near Northside Complete Communities Action Plan approved by City Council in August 2018. This project also is a recipient of a $75,000 grant from the Visit My Neighborhood pilot grant program launched by the Houston Arts Alliance and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs to support the Complete Communities initiative. The park serves as an opportunity to transform empty lots into active spaces to enhance community safety.
Second Ward
East End Maker Hub: Houston City Council recently approved $24 million to create East End Maker Hub, a 300,000 square-foot warehouse space industry, innovation, and job training with the use of the latest technology such as 3D printers. The funds come from the U.S. Housing Department in the form of a $22.7 million loan and $1.4 million grant to be used to purchase and renovate the property. The 20-year loan will be paid back from rental income that startups and small business pay to lease work space in the hub. Federal tax credits also will be used to finance the remaining project costs. Second Ward residents expressed their desire to “support the acquisition and renovation of historic structures for new uses, including potentially the East End Makerspace with TXRX Labs” in the Second Ward Complete Communities Action Plan approved by City Council in August 2018. Thank you to TXRX Labs and Urban Partnerships Community Development Corporation (UP CDC) for making this project a reality in Second Ward!
Gathering of Eagles Christmas Festivities: The Gathering of Eagles, a Veterans Organization active in the East End, invited veterans, their families, and the public to come celebrate the holidays on December 18. More information is here.
Hispanic Health Coalition Scholarships: Scholarships are available through the Hispanic Health Coalition for students of Hispanic/Latino heritage obtaining degrees in health profession fields. To apply, visit their website here.
Sunnyside
Plan Your Park: Hill at Sims Planning Study: Harris County Precinct One has initiated a planning study to transform the Hill at Sims into a public park. Houston Parks Board is leading the study on behalf of Precinct One and held their first public meeting November 13, 2019 at Kipp Sunnyside High School. The Hill at Sims 100-acre regional detention basin, and the adjacent property along Scott Street, have the potential to form a new large park within Sunnyside/South Acres/Crestmont Park region of Houston. Click here for images of the Hill at Sims site location, views, and public presentation.
The Houston Parks Board is also conducting an ongoing survey. They would love your input about parks in your region to help with this study.
For more updates or information please follow the Houston Parks Board on Facebook or contact Lisa Graiff at [email protected] or Megan Palathra at [email protected].
Sunnyside Strong Survey: A survey reveal promising potential for revitalizing the predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Sunnyside and South Park.
From October 2018 to February 2019, the Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the Houston Area Urban League, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program, and the Sunnyside and South Park leaders conducted a “Sunnyside Strong” Survey. The results of that survey were released by the Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research in their December newsletter found here.
The team surveyed 417 heads of household, representing 1,312 total residents. The study results boast that there is “promising potential for revitalizing the predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Sunnyside and South Park in south-central Houston; though there’s still work to be done.” Results also show that the Sunnyside “neighborhood's social fabric is strong”. View the complete results to the survey.
Third Ward
Updated invitation for January 8: Our Parks & Neighborhood Character Working Group invites you to join us on Wednesday, January 8, from 6 -7:30 p.m. at Houston This Is It Soul Food, 2712 Blodgett St, Houston, TX 77004.
No December Third Ward Super Neighborhood #67 Meeting: The next Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood #67 monthly meeting will be held January 16, 2020. The super neighborhood meets every third Thursday at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center, 3611 Ennis St. at 6 pm. Email [email protected] for more information.
