2011 Bicycle Rally & Scavenger Hunt

Is your bicycle ready to ride? It’s only a few weeks before the 6th Annual Bicycle Rally & Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, October 2!

This is not a race. Open to riders of all ages, the Rally is designed as a casual self-paced ride. Choose between a 20-mile course through the Heights and nearby neighborhoods, or a shorter 5-mile ride designed for kids and their adult companions - or do both!

There are fabulous prizes for the riders who correctly identify the most mystery sites along the route.

The Rally will start and end at Marmion Park. After you finish the ride, stay and enjoy the After Party beginning at 3:30 PM and Awards Ceremony at 4:30 PM. There will be entertainment and great refreshments.

Register early - the first 300 entrants receive a commemorative logo water bottle!

Full details are on our website: Bicycle Rally page

Not a bicyclist? Want to help? Volunteers are needed to staff registration, work at the rally checkpoint, and score the clue sheets at the end of the day. If you are interested, please email bikerally@houstonheights.org or call 713-861-4002 and leave a message on extension 6.

So, get in gear! Whether riding or volunteering, we’d love to have you!

Director Election Schedule

Eight of the fifteen positions on the HHA Board of Directors will be filled by election over the next few months. Five positions are opening due to normal expiration of terms; members elected to these five positions will have three-year terms. One position is for the remaining two years of a term ended by resignation. Two positions are for the remaining final year of terms ended by resignations.

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; and the nominees receiving the seventh and eighth highest vote counts will fill the one-year vacancies. See the right column on this page for a list of current Directors.

Time Is Of The Essence

The schedule for the election of Directors to serve terms starting in 2012 will be as follows, in accordance with the By-Laws and Policies of the Association (as amended at the August 15 Board meeting):

• September 12 at the General Meeting, the floor will be opened for nominations to the Board of Directors. Nominators and nominees must be current members of the Association. Nominators may speak for two minutes. Please be sure before you nominate someone that your nominee will commit to serve. Individuals may not nominate themselves, nor may nominees speak on their own behalf at this meeting. Seconding speeches are no longer necessary.

• By September 14, the Election Committee will distribute to nominees election packets containing bylaws, policies, articles of incorporation, committee responsibility list, detailed election schedule, and a statement confirming that the nominee has read the bylaws and policies and agrees to serve in accordance with them if elected.

• By 5:00 PM on the Friday following the General Meeting (September 16), signed statements from nominees are due, as well as a 50-word (maximum) statement from each nominee for publication in the October newsletter and on the website. Statements longer than 50 words (as counted by Microsoft Word) will be truncated after the fiftieth word when published.

• October 10 at the General Meeting, nominees or their representatives may speak on their qualifications for 3 minutes. They will also draw for ballot positions at the beginning of the meeting.

• On or before the Friday following the General Meeting (October 14), the Election Committee will mail a ballot with a control number to each member in good standing whose dues are currently paid as of October 1. (Members invoiced by August 15 and not paid by October 1 are deemed not in good standing.)

• By November 12 at the close of the post office, ballots returned by mail must be received with control numbers intact.

• November 14 before the General Meeting, polls will be open for secret balloting in person from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM sharp. The Election Committee will tabulate ballots and announce the results during the meeting. The results will also be published in the December newsletter.

Fire Station Exterior Renovation Begins

The long-missing initial “H” in “HHFD” for “Houston Heights Fire Department” has been restored and awaits a coat of paint.

HHA members disassemble the southwest bay door in preparation for restoration of the opening to its original 1914 appearance. (It was originally the same width as the others and symmetrical.)

Scaffolding is going up to provide access to the entire brick and mortar surface for restoration.

Donations

Our thanks to the following donors for their generous support of the programs of the Houston Heights Association.

• Sarah Adams - Donovan Park Playground
• Bill Green & Brett Bohnn - Firestation Endowment & Boulevard
• Stacey & Mark Courville - Parks, Boulevard, Flower Gardens, & Firestation Endowment
• Anne & Ken Culotta - Firestation Endowment Fund
• ExxonMobil Foundation Volunteer Grant in honor of Jim & Donna Bennett
• Kirk D. Hood - Boulevard Maintenance
• Rebecca & Matt Marcontell - Donovan Park Playground & Flower Gardens
• Charles & Cordelia Martin - Firestation Endowment Fund
• Jason & Tanya Miller - Boulevard
• Maria & Mike Onufrow - Parks
• Randalls Good Neighbor Program - Parks
• Troy Troxell - Parks, Boulevard, & Flower Gardens
• Terry Trang - Donovan Park Playground
• Jim Ward - Donovan Park Playground
• Mark Ziegler - Donovan Park Playground & Boulevard

Special Thank You

A big “shout out” goes to Gilbert Tree Services. Yet again, Pedro and his wonderful crew are helping out with the appearance of Heights Boulevard.

Pedro has agreed to trim the four large palm trees in Palm Court at the entry to Heights Boulevard at I10 and the feeder road at no cost to the HHA. The trees have been in great need of a grooming and will definitely spruce up the appearance of our wonderful entryway. In addition, they will be removing the tall, dead palm on the same block, which has been an eyesore for quite some time.

Gilbert Tree Services has been a special friend to the HHA for a number of years now, and we are immensely grateful. Pedro can be reached at his business number, 832-814-3332, should you wish to thank him directly.

HHWC News

Do you think you know the Houston Heights Woman’s Club? You might be surprised! The HHWC will host an open house on Sunday, October 2, 4:00-7:00 PM at their historic clubhouse, 1846 Harvard. Meet members and find out about more information on Club history, current community service projects, and the many fun social events hosted by the Club. This is a great opportunity to learn more about one of Houston’s oldest social clubs in an open, casual environment. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Debbie Cranford, Debbie.Cranford@kbr.com.

There will also be invitations available for the October Cork’n’Fork, with a Day of The Dead theme. Cork’n’Fork is a spouse-friendly, potluck-style dinner open to members and non-members! For October’s theme, attendees are asked to bring a traditional Mexican-style food dish and a coordinating beverage (alcohol definitely permitted). Your dish is the price of admission, and food is always plentiful! If you can’t attend the Open House, or even if you can, this is another fun event to find out more about being a part of this group! For more information on the October C’n’F, please contact Sylvia Villarreal, savillarreal@hotmail.com.

Calendar of Events for September–October 2011

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

Community Calendar

Events planned by other community organizations.

Through September 18, exhibition “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” at The Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive. More information is available on the museum’s website at http://www.thehealthmuseum.org/starwars.

August 30 is the official 175th birthday of the City of Houston. Visit www.houston175.org for information about events and exhibits planned for August through November.

September 10, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on Patterson and on Pecore, West End Civic Club, and various governmental agencies and service providers will present the Heights-West End Community Health Fair at 1615 Patterson, two blocks south of I-10, near West End Park. Free, open to the public. For more information, visit smumc.org or WestEndCivicClub.org or email HeightsWestEndCommtyHealthFair@gmail.com.

September 20 and 22, 6:30-8:30 PM, GHSNC and SN22 candidate forum for City Council At-Large seats at West End Multi-Service Center, 170 Heights Blvd.

September 22-24, 29-30, October 1-2, Opera in the Heights presents Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment in Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd. For more information, visit www.operaintheheights.org.

October 4, 6:00-9:00 PM, 14 Pews will be hosting a potluck for Neighbors Night Out (National Night Out, Texas Edition) at 800 Aurora. For more information, visit www.14pews.com.

Heavy Trash Notes

September is a “Tree Waste Only” month; October is a “Junk Waste” month. For dates in your area and more information, visit the City Solid Waste site www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/treewaste.html.

Future History

December 2-3, Holiday Home Tour

December 13-14, Holiday Basket Preparation and Delivery [note new dates]

2012:

February 26, Awards Dinner

April 13-15, Spring Home Tour

June 2, Heights Fun Run

October 7, Bicycle Rally

At The Fire Station

Events at the Houston Heights City Hall and Fire Station, 12th and Yale

The second Monday, 5:00 to 7:00 PM, and the last Monday of the month, 8:00 AM to noon, the City Council District H Satellite Office is open at the east (office) door.

November 16, White Oak Bayou Association Annual Meeting. Social gathering starts at 6:00 PM. program at 7:00 PM.