Heights Bike & Skate Rally and Scavenger Hunt

The Houston Heights Association is sponsoring a new fun event this fall. Get out the bike, skates, or skateboard and get ready to enjoy the first Heights Bike & Skate Rally and Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, October 15. The Rally will start and end at the Fire Station on 12th and Yale Streets. This is not a race! This self-paced event will start at 8:00 AM, when participants will receive a packet containing a rally card, map, and scavenger hunt clue list. Clues will describe a site or object located along the rally course with space to note its location.

The rally route is a 15-mile course on City of Houston bike trails going through several inner-loop neighborhoods. There will be three checkpoints/rest stops where the rally card will be validated by a rally volunteer. In order to be eligible for prizes, the rally card must have been validated at all three checkpoints. Both completed clue list and rally card must be turned in by 5:00 PM. The rally will end with a party. Plan to celebrate with food, soft drinks, and music while awards are announced and door prizes given!

Children under 12 years of age must wear required safety gear. Riders and skaters must obey all traffic laws.

Entry fee schedule: $10 on or before October 12; $15 beginning October 13.

Awards will be given in three age categories (Adult, Youth & Children) in two categories: best decorated bike and best costume. It is almost Halloween, so use your imagination and have fun! Awards will be given to the youngest and oldest participants to finish the course. The award in the Scavenger Hunt goes to the participant who finds the most mystery objects along the course. Prize drawings will be held during the party!

To register online, visit the Bike Rally web page or send checks payable to Houston Heights Association along with an entry form to:

Heights Bike & Skate Rally
P.O. Box 70735
Houston, TX 77270

Credit cards are accepted through the web site. No refunds will be made.

Packet pick-up for pre-registered participants is at the Fire Station on the day of the event. Registrations will also be accepted at this time.

Special thanks to the following contributors:

• Bayou City Outdoors - Advertising
• J. Harding & Co. - Signs
• Grogan - Printing
• Kellar Williams Realty - Bottled Water
• Cleer Photography - Gift Certificates

For more information, call 713-861-4002 option 6 or check the web site (www.houstonheights.org).

Director Election Schedule

Six of the fifteen positions on the HHA Board of Directors will be filled by election this fall. Five positions are opening due to normal expiration of terms; members elected to these five positions will have three-year terms. The sixth position is for the last two years of a term vacated by resignation. The five nominees receiving the highest numbers of votes will fill the three-year terms; the nominee receiving the sixth-highest vote count will fill the two-year vacancy.

The schedule for the election of Directors to serve terms starting in 2007 will be as follows, in accordance with the By-Laws and Policies of the Association:

• October 9, nominees or their representatives may speak on their qualifications at the General Meeting for 3 minutes. They will also draw for ballot positions

• By October 15, the Election Committee will mail a ballot with a control number to each member whose dues are current as of October 1.

• By November 11 at the close of the post office, ballots returned by mail must be received with control numbers intact.

• November 13, polls will be open for secret balloting in person from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM before the General Meeting. The Election Committee will tabulate ballots and announce the results during the meeting.

50 New Members And Counting!

In what turned out to be a real highlight showcasing the best of our Houston Heights, “Meet Your Neighbor Night” turned out to be a special evening. So special in fact, that we have already gained over 50 new members, and more applications arrive in the mail each day. [See list at right.]

This year’s “Meet Your Neighbor Night” was an attempt to reach out to new neighbors who have moved to the Heights over the last three years. Over 800 new households have arrived to our neighborhood in that time. That’s a huge chunk of the neighborhood!

40 hard working volunteers prepared welcome packets and distributed them to 800 homes, WHEW! We had a great turnout, and everyone is so encouraged by the enthusiasm of these new neighbors as they socialized and learned of each committee, whether it was historical preservation, security, education, holiday home tour, land use, bike rally, and more.

Memberships are so vital to our future success. Thank you to every member, new and old. Special thanks go to Pappas Restaurants for providing food as well as Tim Womble of Karen Derr Realty for organizing the list. It was a pleasure to meet you all!

Holiday Home Tour:
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

by Sharie Beale, Holiday Tour Chair

The Heights Holiday Home Tour “A Dickens Christmas” needs you! Let us list the ways...

We need volunteers to be performers / Dickens characters in costume such as urchins (“alms, please”), Artful Dodgers, Oliver Twists, men and women in Victorian garb, ladies selling violets (in this case mistletoe) just like Eliza Doolittle (not really Dickens, but close). We need musicians - harp, violin, guitar, three piece string group, carolers, and Madrigal Singers. (If it rains, the group needs to be small enough to move into the house.)

A Dickens Christmas Market: Vendors, we have booths for hire! Come in costume and join the fun! Please submit a photo of your wares as intended for the holiday market for committee approval and selection. (Prices and conditions will be most reasonable for M’Lord and Lady.)

Our Beloved Heights Artists: Just one small handmade Christmas ornament (no wreaths or trees this year) donated for the Houston Heights Association booth would please us greatly!

“More, Please”: Food and drink vendors, please submit your ideas for a light repast in keeping with the times.

Docents by the Dozens needed, One and All for All Things Considered!

Please e-mail holidaytour@houstonheights.org.

Christmas Story At The Library

In conjunction with the Holiday Home Tour and Market, the HHA Education Committee is presenting a Christmas Story Read-Aloud at the Heights Library on Saturday, December 2 at 10:30 AM.

Bring the family and enjoy listening to our own Anne Sloan, noted author and long-term Heights resident, share a family story about Christmas in the Heights in 1905. You will recognize landmarks that continue to play an active role in our community and enjoy the nostalgia of many Christmas traditions.

Refreshments will be served and each family will receive a copy of Anne’s story delightfully illustrated by her good friend, Mary Grace Hammill. The committee is proud to host this presentation.

Community Improvement Nominations

Once again, it is time to look around the neighborhood and see who has been improving it. The nomination form and rule sheet for the 2006 Community Improvement Awards will be on the HHA web site soon.

August Board Meeting Summary

by Janet Buchheit, Secretary

President Robin Franklin called the meeting to order at 6:35 PM. The minutes of the July meeting and the financial report were reviewed and approved.

David Beale reported on meetings held by the Historic Districts Task Force Committee. More information will be delivered to property owners, and Historic Happy Hours will be held to talk about the formation of the Historic Districts. David sent letters to builders constructing homes in the Heights to voice HHA’s concern about the removal of older, historic homes. He has received phone calls as a result and plans to follow-up with builders he has not heard from. Richard Hinds talked about a program that could be offered to builders to renovate older homes rather then remove or tear them down. Richard will have more information for the Land Use Committee Meeting and the next Board Meeting. Jonathan Smulian and Angela DeWree suggested that the newsletter contain before and after pictures of houses that have been renovated. David Beale prepared a draft resolution that he would like to present to City Council. Meetings with members of City Council will be arranged to ask for their comments.

The Holiday Home Tour is discussed. Underwriters are needed for the musicians performing at the Home Tour homes. The September 11th General Meeting will be a social get together and membership drive. Membership packets will be delivered prior to the meeting. The only business conducted at the meeting will be the call for nominations to the HHA Board of Directors.

Angela DeWree would like the board to consider printing seasonal newsletters that could be distributed certain times of the year and available during HHA sponsored events. These newsletters would provide a calendar of what HHA has going on in the future as well as share with the neighborhood what HHA sponsors and will need volunteers for.

Jim Potter wants the Board to think about ways to alleviate the Business Manager’s duties by chairing and taking on more responsibilities for HHA sponsored activities. If that is not feasible, it may become necessary to hire an additional person to assist the Business Manager. The meeting adjourned at 8:15 PM.

Happy Future For 946 Arlington

The historical bungalow at 946 Arlington, threatened with demolition this summer, now has a happy future.

Heights resident and past HHA Board President Byron Pettit and his wife Julie closed on the purchase of the 946 Arlington home on Wednesday, September 6. The Pettits intend to restore the bungalow and build an historically compatible addition to the rear of the house, then resell it.

946 Arlington was saved from scheduled demolition when representatives of the HHA Board of Directors met at the property on July 19 with the owner, Lambert Arceneaux of Allegro Builders. Mr. Arceneaux at that time agreed to sell the home instead of demolishing it. Mr. Arceneaux is a resident of Houston Heights and shares our goal to preserve the historic character of the Heights; he is to be commended for his action.

White Oak Drive Clean Up

by Cynthia Corn Parker

The Heights Exchange Club and members from MC3 met to shovel the muck and pick up litter from some of the worst curb gutters on White Oak Drive and weed-eat some of the city right-of-way in August.

The Heights Exchange Club had previously adopted White Oak as their official community beatification program with the focus of keeping White Oak clear of litter. Now, plans are under way to meet with a representative of the City Parks Department to determine the type of plantings amenable to the city right-of-way and beautify White Oak. Businesses on White Oak will be asked to help in this beautification project by keeping the young plants watered until they can become established. The City Parks Department will donate the plants.

The Heights Exchange Club is a group of men and women working together to make the community a better place through programs of service in Community Service, Americanism, Youth Activities, and the National Exchange Club project, Child Abuse Prevention. Their activities through the year include outfitting Heights area elementary students with coats during the winter, placement of flags along Heights Blvd on Memorial and Labor Day, keeping White Oak Drive clear of litter, educating the public about the dangers of shaking babies, and volunteering at the Houston Food Bank. For more information, see www.exchangeclubheights.org.

Mid-City Community Church (MC3) is a growing house-based Christian church in The Heights, which serves all communities in the Mid-City area. MC3’s primary focus is to humbly serve neighbors and communities, as well as foster authenticity in a caring fellowship that strives to grow in the Christian faith. On the third Sunday of each month, before heavy trash pickup, they hit the streets with mowers, weed-eaters, and rakes (and even the occasional chain-saw) providing yard service to any neighbors in special need of assistance. For more information, see www.mc3houston.org.

Update on the West 11th Street Park

by Lorraine M. Cherry, President, Friends of the West 11th Street Park

I would like to clarify some information about the 11th Street Park that is circulating and bring everyone up to speed about what is going on:

A year ago, as I reported at a Timbergrove Manor Civic Club general meeting, the City of Houston and HISD signed a purchase option in which HISD agreed that they would be willing to sell the West 11th Street park property to the city for $9.2 million, and that the city would have a year to raise the money. This did not mean that the property was already secured; it was an option, not a final sale. The option expires on December 31, 2006.

HISD, especially local representative Harvin Moore, has made extraordinary efforts to help us. HISD gave us a very good price on the property, has been very forthcoming in negotiations, has helped with publicity and awareness, and is assisting now in making sure that this deal happens.

The Houston Parks Board, a nonprofit whose members are selected by City Council and whose sole mission is to raise money for park acquisition, was charged with finding the money for the purchase. As I reported last year, the Mayor offered to match private funds up to a total of $4 million, leaving $5.2 million to be raised.

Unfortunately, last year turned out to be the worst possible year to raise money, with many, many competing causes (the downtown park, the tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita), and not all the money has been raised. The Houston Parks Board is continuing its efforts, and additional efforts have been launched here in the neighborhood to tap into sources that may be fruitful.

Because the Mayor is keenly interested in securing this park (as evidenced by his offer to match funds), he is working with the Parks Board on a contingency plan that will serve as a safety net to save the park on the chance that all the money cannot be raised by December 31 , 2006. This contingency plan involves securing a bridge loan using a small piece of the property as collateral to make up whatever difference remains at the end of the year so that HISD can be paid off in full. The bridge loan will buy us some additional time next year to determine whether public or private donations can be put in place or, worst case, arrange the sale of a piece of the property. If the latter becomes necessary, the plan is to deed-restrict the property to development that is LEED certified (“green” building) and park-edge appropriate. The Parks Board would have responsibility for reviewing responses to an RFP to ensure that this happens.

Overall, there has been tremendous support from everyone involved (Mayor, City Council, Harvin Moore, HPB) in making sure that the park is secured, even if it may take some jumping through hoops to nail down the final details. Clearly, the best case scenario is to raise the additional money to pay off the park without need of the bridge loan. But I, for one, will sleep better knowing that there is a contingency plan in place so that we are not putting the entire park on the line, betting on the success of our fundraising during the close of the year.

(Friends of the West 11th Street Park is a grass roots organization that has worked for over 8 years to preserve the park. We are a 501(c)(3) corporation, consisting of people who love the park and who have spent thousands of hours and thousands of dollars of their own money over the years working to make this beautiful wooded area a permanent park.)

Calendar of Events for October-November 2006

HHA headquarters: The Fire Station is on the corner of Yale and 12th Streets.

Community Calendar

Events planned by other community organizations.

Every Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Historic Houston’s salvage warehouse is open. Call 713-522-0542 or visit their web site www.historichouston.org for more information.

Saturday, October 7, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Meet and Greet Pet Event at 1136 Heights Blvd. by Friends of BARC. See article above. For more information, call 713-861-1155 or visit www.friendsofbarc.org.

Saturday, October 7 and 21, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Historic Houston’s salvage warehouse is open. Call 713-522-0542 or visit their web site for more information.

Saturday, October 14, 7:00 PM, a special showing of the independent film jumping off bridges at the Rice Media Center. A portion of the box office sales benefits the Houston Suicide Prevention Coalition. See article above.

Saturday, November 4 and 18, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Historic Houston’s salvage warehouse is open. Call 713-522-0542 or visit their web site for more information.

November 9-11 and 16-18, Opera in the Heights presents Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio at Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. For more information or tickets, visit www.operaintheheights.org or call 713-861-5303.

Thursday, November 16, 9th Annual John Granato Celebrity Golf Classic benefitting United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Houston. Tee-off Dinner and Auction the evening before. For more information, call 713-838-9050.

Future History

December 11-13, Holiday Food Baskets

February 25, Awards Dinner

April 13-15, Spring Home Tour

June 3, Fun Run

October 21, Bicycle/Skate Rally

November 30 - December 1, Holiday Home Tour