2009 Fun Run a Resounding Success

by Martin Piké, Fun Run Chair

Over 1500 participants lined up in front of Marmion Park for the race start on Saturday, June 6, for the 24th Annual Heights Fun Run, which also included a “Walk” and “Kids 1K.” A post-race party inside Marmion Park, featuring food, drinks, and a live band, followed the race. The live music was generously donated by Big Al Bettis Band.

The Overall Male winner was Sean Wade with a time of 14:49 and the Overall Female winner was Diane Hirst with a time of 18:14. The race results for all chip-timed participants are posted here.

Many thanks to the Summer Sponsors who made this event possible: Platinum - KBR, Republic Waste, and San Jacinto Stone; and Bronze - Bedford by Robert Gadsby and Grogan Building Supply. The event logo, brochure, and commemorative t-shirts were designed by Gus Tello, a long-time Heights resident. Food and refreshments were generously donated by 11th Street Café, Silver Eagle distributors, The Hot Bagel Shop, Katz Coffee, and Bungalow Fitness. Special thanks go to Finish Strong Sports for allowing us to use their store for Packet Pick-up and for providing the race bibs. We are greatly appreciative of Constable Jack F. Abercia, Precinct 1, and his dedicated law enforcement officers who volunteered their precious time providing security for the event.

As with any event that is sponsored by the Houston Heights Association, it is the volunteers that make the event happen. Special thanks go to Angie Hasara for coordinating the post-race party and Addie Ann Spicer for co-chairing the event.

We look forward to another great and successful Fun Run next year. All proceeds of the Fun Run will be dedicated the Heights Beautification Fund.

[Finally, thanks to Martin Piké for the incredible job he did chairing the Fun Run and for the leadership he displayed. At press time, the net income from the evnt was estimated at $19,000. -Editor]

Late Breaking News

From the web:

Houston Heights has been named as one of the Best Old House Neighborhoods for 2009 by This Old House online. Only one neighborhood was chosen in each state. You can see our listing here.

From the June PIP meeting:

Effective July 1, 2009, the Heights Storefront will be open from 7 AM until 8 PM, Monday - Friday. The Heights Storefront is located at 1127 North Shepherd. The Ana Maria Lopez Storefront, located at 1050 Quitman in the Carnegie Library, will be open 8 AM until 4 PM, Monday - Friday. The Lopez Storefront will be staffed with a Police Service Officer.

A traffic control officer has been assigned to address citizen complaints that drivers are disregarding the bicycle lanes on Heights Boulevard, endangering bicyclists using these lanes. The officer will address this matter utilizing education as well as enforcement if he finds that this is a problem. He has also been asked to evaluate the signage and the lane striping to ensure that drivers can adequately see the bicycle lanes.

As safety is their goal, HPD asks that as you drive in your neighborhood, you be aware of these lanes and the bicyclists in them. If you are a bike rider, please be aware that there are also laws that govern your movements.

Crime & Security Notes

National Night Out will be observed in October again this year - in Texas only. The event will remain in August for rest of the country.

The long-awaited Constable Patrol Program is finally underway on the east side of Houston Heights. Subscriber recruiting continues on the west side and is starting in the area north of 20th Street.

Garbage Collection Day Changing

Automated garbage pickup day for most of the Houston Heights Association area is changing from Monday to Thursday. Only the area between I-10 and Washington Avenue will remain on Monday. The new service days become effective Monday, June 29, 2009.

In continuing efforts to improve service and maximize taxpayer dollars, the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department is re-routing large areas in North Houston for Automated Garbage Collection and Yard Trimmings Collection. The purpose of the re-route is to balance routes for more efficient and speedy service. The department expects the change to save $250,000 annually.

Recycling dates will remain the same, staying on alternate Mondays for most of the HHA service area. Watch for further announcements, as Solid Waste expects to match recycling service and garbage collection days again as part of a comprehensive plan that includes extending curbside recycling to more neighborhoods. Tree Waste and Junk Waste (formerly called Heavy Trash) pickup dates will not be changing, continuing in alternate months.

The Solid Waste Department thanks everybody for your assistance in this transition. Please remind your neighbors if you don’t see their garbage carts out on the new service day.

The department prepared and mailed information to homes in North Houston who will have a new service day. You may also view the “North Re-Route” page on their website and review the service days in your area. Only areas detailed on this map were affected by the change of schedule.

For additional information, visit the Solid Waste website or call the City of Houston Customer Service line 3-1-1.

Super Neighborhood Council 15 Notes

The Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council (GHSNC or SNC15) has been re-formed by a group of area civic organizations, including the Houston Heights Association. The Council meets at 6:30 PM on the third Tuesday of the month at the Fire Station. HHA’s delegate Mark Williamson (your editor) has been elected President of the Council.

The early meetings of GHSNC were mostly concerned with organizational matters, exchange of information among the member organizations, and learning how a Super Neighborhood Council can work with various levels of government. The June meeting focus was on resources and tactics available to deal with crime in the Greater Heights area. The Council will discuss future directions in July.

Super Neighborhoods were created to encourage residents of neighboring communities to work together to identify, prioritize, and address the needs and concerns of the broader community. Super Neighborhood Councils are one way that City Departments and City Council can work more effectively with neighborhoods, be responsive to communities, and deliver city services and needed improvements promptly and courteously. See here for more information about the Super Neighborhood program.

White Linen Night Heats Up The Heights on August 1

Discover The Heights’ treasures - markets, art galleries, shops, music, food, and more. Billed by the organizers as sultry, steamy, exotic, and artfully provocative, Houston Heights White Linen Night is coming again from 6:00 to 10:00 PM on Saturday, August 1.

Invite your friends to the best event in the Heights. Join one of the smaller VIP parties, a pre-party, or an after-party for a new experience.

New this year: Pre-parties, VIP parties, after-parties, and more are in the planning stages now. Visitors can fortify themselves with local specialties of food and drink, among smaller, more intimate groups of people, before catching their own limo or one of the shuttles or pedi-cabs to join the larger festivities. Pre-paid tickets will be available on the WLN website soon.

Sign up online to get your own 3’x5’ White Linen Flag to fly at your home or business. Invite friends and clients. It’s the best thing happening in the Heights. And the only thing in August - a month when we all need something to do near the end of a long, hot summer.

The event: Art lovers wear white linen, discover Heights treasures, and take to the streets of the Heights. The event, a celebration of art, culture, and community, will offer cooling summer drinks, entertainment, boutiques and shops, art galleries, some of the best restaurants in Houston, and eclectic bars -- with free pedi-cabs and shuttles for transportation. White Linen Night banners will identify the participating shops, restaurants, and galleries. Visitors will stroll in their white linen, sip beverages, browse, listen to music, shop, hail a pedi-cab, or catch a shuttle from boutique to restaurant to gallery to bar to market and back again.

“Hot Southern nights just beg for this kind of thing,” said Karen Mann, one of the event’s organizers.

Questions? Email info@WhiteLinenNightHeights.com or Karen@karenmann.com. Houston Heights White Linen Night is a project of the Business Committee of the Houston Heights Association.

Snow Date In The Heights

by Katrina Price Stilwell, Holiday Home Tour Chair

Made you look! But now that you’re here, why don’t you just go ahead and pledge three whole hours of your time this year to making the Heights the place for the magical mystery tour we call the Holiday Home Tour? This year’s theme is “Homes for the Holidays,” one we think is apropos in this economic age of staycations and also one that evokes a Rockwellian vision of our historic and eclectic ‘hood.

Amy Brooks (this year’s Co-Chair of the HHT) and I believe that we’ll see increased numbers on the tour this year given the continually growing interest in our neighborhood and the one-stop festivities that weekend: First Saturday, Mistletoe Madness, Pet Adoptions now at TWO locations on Heights Boulevard, as well as the Heights Neighborhood Library opening its doors for the full slate of tour hours for refreshments, historical pictures, and tours of the library, plus family-fun activities including Santa for the little (and not-so-little) ones.

While you’re thinking about which shift you’d like to volunteer for 6:00 to 9:00 PM on Friday December 4; or 3:00 to 6:00 or 6:00 to 9:00 PM on Saturday, December 5) [Send those shift requests to holidaytour@houstonheights.org], why don’t you also block your calendars now for time to do your low-carbon-emissions holiday shopping and dining in the Heights? Invite your friends, too. You just might be surprised what has changed in your very own area while you were busy ordering gifts online!

We’re starting our homes list for 2010, too, so if you were too nervous you wouldn’t be “ready” for 2009 (Secret: there IS no such thing when hosting fifteen hundred of your closest friends and neighbors - feel the fear and do it anyway!), please go ahead and pledge the gift of your home to HHT 2010. It really is a great way to bestow an honor upon the home that shelters you daily, and it really can’t hurt your property value!

Ho, ho, ho! Snow or no, we look forward to seeing you and yours on the Holiday Home Tour!!!

Spotlight on Business Member:
Heights Hospital for Animals

Heights Hospital for Animals opened April 1, 2008. The owners are Dr. Clint Duncan and Kathleen Gallagher. You may have met them at one of Houston Heights Association meetings. Both are Texas A&M graduates. Dr. Duncan graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2000, and Kathleen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science. They met and worked together at the Spring vet practice of Clint’s father, Dr. Sheridan Duncan.

Kathleen was the driving force behind locating in the Heights. She has lived in this area for 15 years and has enjoyed every minute of it. A pet-friendly neighborhood and small-town feel are two of many reasons why she decided to move to this area. Although Dr. Duncan currently lives north of town, he quickly fell in love with this area and is working to relocate his family here.

Having similar goals and ideas makes this business partnership work. “Having a personalized service tailored to each client and patient is something that is very important to us and what we strive to achieve each day,” says Kathleen. The reception area was designed with seating that is pet-friendly, a coffee bar with specialty coffees, and an art gallery showcasing local artists, such as Kermit Eisenhut.

In addition to a comfortable reception area, the clinic features a state-of-the-art surgical suite and a full service lab facility. Kathleen’s desire is to have a “one-stop animal shop” conveniently located within walking distance. They have a boarding facility, and their pet store area is quickly expanding to include the front area of the building.

Away from the clinic, Dr. Duncan enjoys hunting, fishing, reading, and family time. He and his wife Melissa have a 4-1/2 year old daughter named Kendall and 19-month-old twin boys Ryan and Zach. Daisy is Dr. Duncan’s pet Catahoula-mix dog.

Kathleen’s hobbies include reading, sewing, and working with rescue pets. Kathleen has two rescue dogs: a Border Collie mix named Biscuit and a Boxer named Bella. Many of you have already met her resident clinic cat, Doodlebug.

Currently they have a terrier mix in residence that was found underneath a client’s car. Dr. Duncan has since neutered her and brought her up to date on her vaccines; she is currently undergoing heartworm treatment. Once treatment is complete, “Twyla” will be looking for her forever home. She is a real love bug and will make a wonderful pet.

Kathleen’s upcoming focus is on their annual silent auction that will be held at Heights Hospital for Animals on White Linen Night, August 1. All monies raised will go toward a local pet rescue organization. Come by, say hello, and welcome Dr. Duncan and Kathleen to the neighborhood. They would love to take you on a tour!

Calendar of Events for July-August 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 through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Historic Houston’s salvage warehouse is open. Closed July 4. 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.

July 4, 10:00 AM, Lindale Park Civic Club’s 4th of July Parade on Irvington Blvd. starting at Eleanor Street and looping around the esplanade at Canadian Street. For more information, please email lindalepark@comcast.net or call Ed Reyes at 713-697-0088.

Future History

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

June 5, Heights Fun Run