Spring Home & Garden Tour
“Soaring to new Heights”

The 2009 Houston Heights Association Spring Home and Garden Tour, “Soaring to new Heights,” will take place April 4 and 5. The theme takes shape in the great faces of our treasured neighborhood, transforming it with their fresh ideas and styles, while maintaining its core character of volunteerism and community.

The homes this year are a true reflection of the homeowners’ visions and passions. Old bungalows and cottages transformed into cozy abodes with all of the modern amenities. Lush gardens tended with care. Valued art brightening favorite rooms. Historic preserved wood floors resting beneath antique furniture, flanked on the walls by contemporary art. A fabulous mix of textures, ages, and colors truly brings this year’s homes and gardens to new “Heights.”

Come out on Saturday and Sunday to view these beautiful homes! See the Spring Home Tour page for descriptions and photos of the tour homes.

Purchase your tickets in advance for $17 online or at any of the following locations: Another Place in Time at 421 W. 11th St, Eclectic Home at 345 W. 19th Street, Antidote Coffee at 729 Studewood, Jubilee at 321 W. 19th Street, The Artful Corner at 3423 White Oak Drive, Waldo’s at 1030 Heights Boulevard, or Buchanan’s Native Plants at 611 E. 11th Street. Days-of-Tour tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at the Heights Fire Station at Yale and 12th Street and at each tour home.

Your ticket includes admittance to six extraordinary homes and gardens and the fabulous new Reagan High School Auditorium, hosting the Education Committee’s Fourth Annual HHA Youth Art Show. A luxury bus shuttle to all of the homes is included; the route begins and ends at the Heights Fire Station.

Call us at 713-861-4002, option 3, or email the home tour committee at springtour@houstonheights.org for questions or more information on this exciting event.

Home photos are by John Henry Childs Photography. The Spring Home & Garden Tour Chair is Christine Spin.

Candlelight Dinner and Auction

The much-anticipated 2009 Candlelight Dinner & Auction returns to Winter Street Studios on Friday, April 3. An exclusive tour of the homes between 6:00 and 8:00 PM will be followed by the Dinner and Auction at 2101 Winter Street from 8:00 to 11:30 pm.

“Local Flavor/Fresh Finds” is the theme of the Candlelight Dinner this year as Beaver’s sets the stage with a special surprise for each table: Hearty servings of all-natural Texas Coastal cuisine generate a fun yet intimate family-style dining affair. Heights Liquor and Red Bull also team up to serve lively cocktails at the martini bar.

This year’s event will include the legendary Live Auction with exclusive works by prominent artists, among other coveted items. The Silent Auction will again offer a spectacular array of packages and services, with something for everyone. Whether you win at the auction or not, every guest will go home with a gift, specially selected for the Candlelight Dinner & Auction, from the ever-generous Eclectic Home.

Tickets to the Candlelight Tour, Dinner, and Auction cost $100 per person. $1,000 reserves a table for ten persons. “Table Hosts” will be recognized with table signage, receive mention in the Event Program, and receive an exclusive invitation to the 2010 Kick-Off Party.

As always, we expect this event to be sold out, so please buy your tickets early! You may purchase tickets online or you may also print the order form from our website and mail it to us with your payment by check.

If you have any questions or need a form mailed or faxed to you, please call us at 713-861-4002, option 3, suboption 2. Dinner Co-Chairs are Lauren Dunlap & Christi Guerrini; Auction Co-Chairs are Andrea Sharp & Carol Welter.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Youth Art Show

The Education Committee is proud to announce the fourth annual Youth Art Show.  This year, we have been invited to hold the show at Reagan High School, a featured stop on the Association’s Spring Home and Garden Tour.

Once again, this will be a juried show featuring two-dimensional art work from students who live or attend school in the greater Heights area.  A panel of local artists will serve as judges, and prizes will be awarded in several categories. All entrants will receive ribbons.

An Artists’ Reception on Friday evening will kick off the event. The show will be open during the hours of the Spring Home and Garden Tour.

Information about taking part in this event is posted on the HHA website under the education committee link.

Volunteers Needed For Spring Tour!

We still need volunteers to help with the Spring Home & Garden Tour! If you are interested in serving on a committee, or would like to docent at a home, help out at the Candlelight Dinner & Auction, or guide our guests through the neighborhood on the shuttles, please contact us at volunteer@houstonheights.org or call 713-861-4002, select option 8, and leave a message. Thank you!

Auction Items Sought

The Auction Committee is busy gathering fabulous items for the silent action at the Candlelight Dinner on Friday, April 3, and they need your help. They are looking for new or slightly used items or gift certificates for services or goods.

If you have something to donate, please contact Auction Committee Co-chair Andrea Sharp at 713-906-4645 or andrealsharp@comcast.net. A member of the committee will be happy to pick up the item or certificate and will bring a donor form for you to fill out.

New Year’s Resolution to Volunteer?

It’s not too late. We can help you commit to do something - later!

The 2009 Holiday Home Tour Committee will meet at the end of April or early May. You can commit to be a part of it now, though! Email volunteer@houstonheights.org or leave a message at 713-861-4002, option 8, and let us know if you have a particular interest.

There is a wide array of opportunities to contribute whether you want to do so during the day, evening, or weekend hours. There are so many varied ways for you to get involved! So, go ahead, commit to fulfill your New Year’s resolutions - and you even get to put it off for awhile!

Holiday Home Search …

We are still looking for homes for the 2009 Holiday Home Tour. So, it’s not too late to have an extra large present - your house - all tied up for next year!

Please email holidaytour@houstonheights.org if you would like your home to be considered … and go ahead, email us if you think a family member’s or a friend’s home would be a perfect fit, too!

School Notes

news from the Reagan Feeder Pattern

“Just for the Kids” has selected Love ES as a “2008 Just for the Kids Higher Performing School in Texas” based on its performance in Mathematics and Reading as analyzed by the National Center for Educational Achievement. Love is one of only 14 schools in HISD to show progress in both Math and Reading. Congratulations to the Love students and staff!

At the beginning of the year, Hamilton MS held tryouts that attracted over 130 students to show off their baseball skills. By the end of January, the school fielded a multi-grade, mixed gender baseball team in what is believed to be the first in the school’s 90-year history. Alumni are invited to contact the newly formed Booster Club if they have any knowledge of a previous baseball team: info@alexanderhamiltonms.org or 713-802-4725.

And speaking of sports, Hamilton’s teams are on fire! So far this school year, Zone 2 championships have been captured by both 7th and 8th grade football teams, by both boys’ and girls’ 7th and 8th grade basketball teams and the 7th grade boys’ cross country team. Way to go Hamilton!

Another talented Hamilton student, Darla Loyola, had her work exhibited at the Texas Art Supply store in January and February. A reception to honor Darla with a Silver Key Award was held in February.

Reagan HS was recently nominated twice for its multi-million dollar renovation, officially re-dedicated last May. The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance awarded a Good Brick Award to HISD for its extensive effort to rehabilitate this Heights landmark, which included converting the original gymnasium into the school library and removing unsympathetic additions to the 1926 structure. A second nomination for a HHA Community Improvement Award was revealed later in February. Thanks to neighbor Anne Culotta for the nomination!

Congratulations to Reagan Senior and 2009 Valedictorian, Noemi Arzola, who was selected by the Houston Hispanic Forum to serve as one of the student ambassadors for the upcoming Career and Education Day 2009. There were 61 HISD high school students nominated and four selected. Her media training with KXLN Univision 45 studio began in mid-December. Noemi is also a Harvard ES alumna.

Reagan HS will hold a “community” soccer game on Thursday, March 12, at 4:00 PM on its new athletic field. The girls’ JV soccer team will host the Bellaire Cardinals. The Heights community is invited to come cheer on the Lady Bulldogs at this special event that will feature fun for the entire family. Look for the school’s 20-foot mascot, the PTO’s new Bulldog Tunnel, at the 14th Street entrance to the field.

Helms ES hosted its 5th Annual Silent Auction to benefit its dual language programs. This year’s auction, held February 21 at Treebeards on Travis, celebrated the school’s’ 90th year as a Heights educational landmark. Congratulations, Helms!

In response to President Obama’s “call to service,” Helms has started a collaborative project with the Houston Food Bank called the Backpack Buddy Club. The school’s nurse and volunteer parents pick up food at the Houston Food Bank and fill backpacks with non-perishable food items for distribution to low-income students each Friday.

Information submitted here is for events in January and February 2009. For more information about any of these events, please contact Irene Nava at 713-298-2289 or by email at ReaganSchools@aol.com.

Tour de Houston Cyclists To Visit Area

The fifth annual Guaranty Bank Tour de Houston will pass through Houston Heights and other historic neighborhoods on Sunday, March 22. There are three routes of varying lengths planned this year; all are expected to include at least part of Heights Boulevard, with a side trip to Reagan High School.

If are riding in this event, wave as you pass through. If not, come out to the Boulevard or elsewhere on the route, and cheer the riders along - or volunteer at Reagan, another designated rest stop, or the start/finish line downtown.

The Guaranty Bank Tour de Houston began as an idea that came to Mayor Bill White from State Senator Rodney Ellis, who participated in a five-boroughs ride in New York City. He enjoyed being able to see the historic areas of New York by bicycle and thought that Houston’s historic districts could offer bicycle enthusiasts a great experience as well. Mayor White loved the idea because it provides a wonderful civic bonding experience for Houstonians and also promotes clean air and a healthy lifestyle.

All routes begin and end downtown at McKinney at Crawford in Discovery Green across from the George R. Brown Convention Center. Route distances will be approximately 20, 40, and 70 miles.

Mayor White and State Senator Ellis will kick off this BP MS 150 Recommended Ride at 7:15 AM for the 70-mile route, 7:40 AM for the 40-mile route, and 8:00 AM for the 20-mile route. The after-race party will also be in Discovery Green.

Pre-Registration will cost $25 for adults and $15 for youth 12 years and under through 11:59 PM Thursday, March 19. Registrants will pay $35 on the day of the event. Funds raised will benefit the Houston Parks and Recreation Department through the Houston Parks Board.

For more information, including the latest routes, maps, volunteer opportunities, and online registration, please visit the event web page or call the Mayor’s Office of Special Events at 832-395-0868.

New Members

Please welcome the following new or returning members to the Houston Heights Association.

Allegiance Bank Texas, Scott Lester & Margaret Vandever

Steve Bachtel & Christine Iannello

Phil Eaton

Dan Fulkerson

Scott Grover & Teresa Nona

Jason & Robin Hammonds

Larry Harmon & Michael Mainey

Rob Hellyer

Heritage Texas Properties, Stephanie Morris

Las Delicias Mexicanas, Nancy Orellana-Barba

Kathryn Lindberg & Ron Kline

MenMar Properties, LLC, Luis Martinez

Louis & Shelley Poore

Premier Remodeling & Construction

Omar & Imrana Sharief

Elizabeth Stinson

Danny Villarreal

Greater Heights Relay For Life

Greater Heights residents will gather at Delmar-Dyer Sports Complex on May 15 and 16 at 6:00 PM for the American Cancer Society’s second annual Relay For Life. Last year, the Greater Heights Relay For Life raised over $40,000 for cancer research, education, advocacy, and patient services, while involving more than 400 participants.

Barbara Dickens, owner of the White Horse Academy of Martial Arts and two-time cancer survivor, will chair the event. “I feel honored to be a part of this uplifting event,” said Ms. Dickens. “I have made a personal commitment both to create awareness about the progress against cancer and to help raise the funds necessary to continue the fight against the disease.” The Honorary Chair for the Relay is Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia.

Relay For Life is a fun-filled overnight event that mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer), remember loved ones, and raise money for the fight against cancer.

Several events have been planned to kick off this year’s Relay. Bras and Boxers is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2009 and is aimed to raise awareness about cancer and raise money for the American Cancer Society by stretching donated bras and boxers across a location to be determined in Houston Heights. Individuals who donate bras or boxers will also donate $5.00 per item. In addition, a business or individual is currently being sought to match each bra/boxer collected with $1. Collection of bras and boxers will begin on March 1 and continue through April 12 at various locations throughout the Greater Heights area.

White Horse Academy of Martial Arts, 215 E. 11th Street, will hold a fundraiser on April 4, 2009. Activities will include a Kick-a-thon, a Break-a-thon, a silent auction, and a bake sale.

Also, from April 27 to May 15 the Relay For Life Committee is encouraging businesses and homes in the Greater Heights area to show their support of the Relay by displaying the color purple.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life first started twenty-five years ago in May 1985, when Dr. Gordy Klatt took the first step of a 24-hour walk around the track in Tacoma, Wash., raising $27,000 to support the American Cancer Society.

For more information on how to get involved in the Relay visit www.rflgh.org or call 281-630-5120.

Calendar of Events for March-April 2009

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

Community Calendar

Events planned by other community organizations.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, 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.

Every Monday, 7:30 to 10:00 PM, Houston International Folk Dancers introductory lessons at Oddfellows Hall, 115 E. 14th.

March 1, 7, and 8, 2:00 PM, UpStage Theatre presents Too Many Beagles at Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. See article.

March 7, Noon to 4:00 PM, Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce Crawfish Boil in the Sterling Bank parking lot, 19th and Ashland.

March 12, 4:00 PM, Reagan HS girl’s JV soccer team Lady Bulldogs versus Bellaire Cardinals at the new Reagan athletic field.

March 22, Guaranty Bank Tour de Houston starts at Discovery Green at 7:15, 7:40, and 8:00 AM, passing through Houston Heights later that morning. See article.

March 26, 27, 28, April 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 - Opera in the Heights presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff at 7:30 PM in Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. For tickets or more information, call 713-861-5303 or visit www.operaintheheights.org.

May 2, Travis Elementary Centennial Celebration and Parade. See article.

May 15 and 16, 6:00 PM, American Cancer Society’s Greater Heights Relay For Life at Delmar-Dyer Sports Complex. See article.

Future History

June 6, Heights Fun Run

October 4, Bicycle Rally

December 4-5, Holiday Home Tour

February 28, 2010, Awards Dinner

April 9-11, Spring Home Tour

April 17, HHA Camp-Out & Music Fest